Ben

If Utd do need a new manager, Jose Mourinho may well be back on the market by tomorrow.

Well, starting to have a track record of these false alarms. First missiles in Taichung and now earthquakes in Japan. The alerts themselves are alarming!! 😬 When in doubt, look at locals. If they’re calm, all is well.

The new season of The Diplomat would be more convincing if Windsor Castle looked even a little bit like Windsor Castle, but not much more convincing because the whole thing has been pretty silly since about the middle of season 2 and gets sillier by the episode.

Well, this is the most lovely news. An idiosyncratic and glorious corner of London. I interviewed the late Bill McLaren at Rules and we celebrated our son’s 21st there. Good to know it’ll still be there in another 50 years time.

From now on, I will only be taking my liquor from a small wooden box. There will be no questions.

A good entry for the #10MinuteReadingClub The man sitting next to me on the Elizabeth Line is reading Seneca. I am reading Kate Atkinson’s Our Noble Selves. A gentle, witty tale of the Festival of Britain.

And here he is at last!

Nobel Peace Prize tantrum incoming in 3 2 1…

Local journalism can never be beaten.

I’m in a traffic jam caused by a Westlife concert. Who knew they were still a thing?

City fans will say this doesn’t undo all the success they’ve had and the titles and trophies. But they know it does. At best it puts an asterisk by everything. At worst they lose the lot.

If everyone on this train could stop yelling, that’d be great. Thanks

It’s a banner day for the far right: a pointless and entirely stupid debate about Englishness and arrest for dangerous idiocy on the high seas. God help us if these dipshits ever get in.

Today in parenting. What am I - in Hamburg - going to do to help child 3 - in Suffolk - evict a robin from the house.

You have to take joy where you can find it in this world. Today that’s the Spurs score.

Imagine being asked the question, ‘where do you live?’ and having to answer, ‘Piddington’.

Feeling a little bereft to hear about the death of Ludek Miklosko. The word ‘legend’ is bandied around far too easily but applies here. Ludo was the keeper at West Ham when I had a season ticket at Upton Park in the 90s. He was a source of stability and quality when there was little of either. RIP

First #TenMinuteReadingClub report for a while. Rick pickings on the 7.25 to Liverpool St: Jane Eyre, John of John and The Battle of Britain.

We’re getting the full September cricket experience today. Showers on and off…

Beautiful speech from the conductor at the Proms.

www.maptap.gg September 6 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 100🎯 69😁 Final score: 907. Never heard of country for #5 until today.

Padova was worth the trip. Amazing botanical garden and basilica etc. But a very un-Italian low concentration of gelaterias, and it needs to have a serious word with itself.

Orient Express!!

This city… ❤️

Beautiful corner - the Giusti gardens, offering stunning views back across Verona. Tranquility destroyed by Celine Dion on an eternal loop belting ‘it’s all coming back to me now’ from a neighbouring dance school. Lunch, and liquid therapy, beckons.

Fascinating - if somewhat incongruous - Dorothea Lange exhibition set among Verona’s excavated Roman ruins. This photo from the dust bowl migration years echoes through the decades, as does the shot of wartime Japanese storefront bearing words ‘I am an American’ taken before internment started

They bill the Arena ‘the most Italian place on earth’. It’s hard to disagree.

A glimpse of Garda today.

Train journey klaxon!

Sitting in restaurant in Verona eavesdropping on conversation on next table and congratulating self on how much Italian I understand. Very belatedly realise that the language being spoken is Spanish. 🙄

Good advice

Amid the horror of the rw press coverage of Jason Arday there has also been some thoughtful, excellent writing. Matthew Syed this weekend in the Times, and here @stephenkb.bsky.social in the @financialtimes.com giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Isn’t this just a little bit fucking late.

Excellent article in the FT debunking a lot of the myths around Net Zero which has weaponised by the right and the fossil industry. Gift link: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... How to stop global warming

Loved our cricket match today. Had to work really hard for a 60 run win. Loads of kids playing really well. Village cricket really is the best.

Cannot recommend Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe highly enough. It’s the perfect antidote to the cynicism and ugliness of the modern world. Two hours of love and joy. Never seen a Globe audience call a company back on stage for encore curtain call until last night. Theatrical magic.

Kemi Badenoch though. Again.

Lots of emergency vehicles on A12 in Suffolk this morning heading in the direction of Dunwich. 😢

Very sorry to hear of the death of Franco Baresi. He was a genuine great and played in the best back four I’ve ever seen with Maldini, Costacurta and Tassotti.

Spain used to be the sleeping giants of world football. Since breaking their duck at the Euros in 2008, they’ve now won 5 of the last 10 tournaments. I wouldn’t bet against them at the next Euros.

Wtf was that? is Robbie Williams alright??

Vamos España!! 🇪🇸 🇪🇸 🏆

Brilliant modern portrait exhibition at Scottish NPG: delighted to find the great @damedenisemina.bsky.social alongside other cultural luminaries.

The pace of every Velázquez has slowed recently. So I was very pleased to tick another one off at the National Gallery Scotland. Wonderful also to see The Skating Minister.