David Shepherd

Good to know that we’ll be able to afford to stock up with gherkins to see us through the unspecified apocalyptic events the government has warned us about.

The amazing Friends of Friendless Churches make their HTSI debut. THAT's how you spend it www.ft.com/content/da4c...

The Israeli directors of No Other Land return with a quietly powerful documentary about their country's desire for the total extermination of Gazans The most important film of the year is in cinemas on Friday: dmovies.org/2026/09/10/n...

There’s a surprise!

FT exclusive: the coup against Sir Ed Davey has begun... www.ft.com/content/523f...

Sick. The US sinks into new depths of barbarism and depravity.

I just signed Shelter's open letter to Chancellor John Healey, calling on him to make October 28th a historic council housebuilding budget. Will you join me? campaigns.shelter.org.uk/chancellor-g...

Even if Donald Trump’s voter suppression and subversion efforts fail in November, they may create lasting doubt about the 2026 midterms result — and further undermine the faith of Americans in their democracy. Read the latest analysis by Bruce Stokes for the autumn issue of @theworldtoday.org.

Sarah Pochin raised "concerns" in parliament about the impact of second homes on rural communities. Two days later she purchased an £800,000 second home on Anglesey. Remarkable stuff. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I’m delighted to discover there’s a word (edaphoecotropism) for the process by which trees engulf foreign objects. Today’s walk took me by two fine examples… 🧵

The opposition councillors should sing it in its entirety. For some reason it pisses of deform metro.co.uk/2026/08/10/c...

This is all very nice on Burnham's opening the door a little on EU matters, but I've been having conversations in Brussels about the UK's choices since at least 2023 and nothing has basically changed since then. www.ft.com/content/3d43...

Birthday Greetings. A mere youngster compared with our local one in Woking, the oldest in the country.

Some amazing, now gone buildings, like something out of sci-fi.

I reviewed @profdarryljones.bsky.social's new biography of M. R. James. Long-awaited by fans, and surely the most important book about MRJ yet to appear this century: drfrancisyoung.com/2026/09/28/r... 📚👻📜

This looks an awful lot like punting social care until after the next general election, at least to me. Which...well, wasn't that Keir Starmer's plan for social care, too? Feels like once again we've gone round th houses to end roughly where we began.

The government, banks, utilities and similar services MUST make it easier for those with Power of Attorney to manage stuff online. I find I'm having to do a lot of stuff by phone. It's like being back in the 90s except without the 90s infrastructure to help.

Not even Michaelmas and Waitrose is already banging on about Christmas.

This is absolutely correct IMO. (The only reason that the Reeves announcement didn't cause resignation is that the Cabinet's Heathrow opponents all took the view that it was never going to happen)

One problem is that is no longer possible to hop on or off buses, an admittedly risky practice. On my visits to central London it’s quicker to walk. I recall being stuck a few metres from Trafalgar Square on Whitehall, held by the doors. No help for those who need to go by bus of course.

Summer of terrifying drought and wildfire, bus drivers sweltering in shocking temperatures, everyone losing sleep unable to get cool at night and *this* is the policy they come up with? Just makes things worse and does nothing to address inequality or enable people to walk, cycle or catch a bus. 🤷‍♀️

“You read these oldest texts of humans,” Magnason says. “They often describe very big things in very basic language… Mythology is for when worlds are created, [or] when worlds are ending, [or] when somebody scatters stars to the heavens.” This, Magnason says, is where we are now.

I finished reading JG Ballard's Kingdom Come this week, an unnerving experience given that it reads like reportage on today in places and, if anything, his tin pop shopping centre dictator David Cruise isn't as appalling as Farage.

Maybe it’s the perspective of age but I find a lot of 90s art hasn’t aged very well compared with that of other periods.

Taking the piddle! We can let them piddle off.

In the movie version of this, after Piddington runs out of food water and money as a result of leaving the UK, the residents apply for asylum and end up housed in a military base, with HILARIOUS consequences. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Of course many pensioners were in work over the last 20 years and those in work now, will be pensioners one day. Those with just the state pension will still be poor especially if the rise takes them into tax. Those on the Right presumably would prefer everyone to make their own private provision.

Love these:

Alarming:

a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes

"You're an old king from some vanished country." !

Thomas Gainsborough, Untitled, 1819 https://botfrens.com/collections/14375/contents/1132540

As a resident of the new authority I don’t feel I can afford this. First chief of new Surrey council to earn £236k www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The French made a short film about what could happen after all immigrants would follow the ‘white, angry old man’s’ advice to go back where they came from.

Gotta love the RNLI.

The trouble with making a passport size phone is that passports are an irritating and obsolete size.

A video statement from the RNLI chief exec about recent events and about the RNLI’s unchanging and single mission, to save lives at sea. rnli.org/news-and-med...

For those still learning about Germany’s neo-Nazi AfD, here are the salient facts:

#NowPlaying some classic John Barry.

RNLI staff have faced "unacceptable" online & physical abuse since anti-migrant protests. "Deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding" by thugs hiding behind "balaclava or a keyboard". Solidarity with RNLI volunteers. They do a great job in saving lives, must be respected.

Strong, silent types? Meet the puesteros of Chile – in pictures

Two things to read this morning to be immediately briefed and smarter about the AfD victory. Ben Hall's superb, concise instant insight as.ft.com/r/c7cbd1b6-8... and icym this mag piece from last week as.ft.com/r/8aa37170-1...

This is a really good long read if you have time.