please empty your brain below
If relevant, please start your comment with a number from 1 to 31.

(questions will not be answered)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 30.05.24 - 7:00 p.m. | #

16. Those sticker buttons on the DLR are interesting... I wonder how many kids would be satisfied with pressing what are, even to a toddler, obviously fake and ineffective buttons :)

Anonymous | 31.05.24 - 7:31 a.m. | #

20 - I'd suggest Laurie Lee. Not only the well-known 'Cider with Rosie', but also 'As I walked out one Midsummer morning'.

Trevor S | 31.05.24 - 7:42 a.m. | #

7 - I was once sat in a pub on a Sunday and at the table next to me was a woman I recognised, but couldn't place where from. Not a former co-worker, maybe she works at the Asda? A few days later I saw a picture of Gemma Arterton in the Evening Standard, and turns out she lived across the road from me (in much more luxurious housing than I).

10 - I missed them as well. I think the light pollution north of me is stronger than solar flares.

18 - Please no, we haven't even had summer yet!

Greg | 31.05.24 - 7:48 a.m. | #

20. I guess that you will have read them all but Jack London is the obvious author who springs to mind.

Joan | 31.05.24 - 8:03 a.m. | #

17. They told me on Tuesday that it was so that they knew how many people were in the museum - which is rubbish, because they don’t count people exiting. I was issued a printed ticket on-site, I have noidea why.

20 di Lampedusa - The Leopard

Artie | 31.05.24 - 8:09 a.m. | #

5. The net effect of the Radio 4 schedule changes is that I listen to less of it overall, which I doubt is what it was intended to do.

Man of Kent | 31.05.24 - 8:34 a.m. | #

9. Now wondering why some of the pillars of Bow Flyover are numbered...

David Cook | 31.05.24 - 8:35 a.m. | #

20. How about Rosamond Lehmann, A Dusty Answer? The sort of book that you only really see these days in libraries.

John Abbott | 31.05.24 - 8:39 a.m. | #

20. How about something by Stanisław Lem? "Solaris" might meet a classicness threshold.

MartinG | 31.05.24 - 8:40 a.m. | #

5. The Food Programme. Unsettled. Resorted to BBC Sounds and catch-up at 'the proper time' on a Sunday.

Rod | 31.05.24 - 8:46 a.m. | #

19: Me too. I was 1 and living in Amersham when it was filmed there. If I had been out and about with my parents in the town that day it's possible I could have been caught on camera.

I was just thinking that the young lady washing the car in it who looks about 18 would be in her 70s now..

Adrian Partington | 31.05.24 - 9:15 a.m. | #

10. Similarly I tried a darkish area on my way back from work, but nothing. Only to hear later that neighbours had seen them from close to home. Bah!

28. Seems like a trip to Hayes is in order; a long time since I've enjoyed unwinding a "proper" Chelsea bun.

(9. Following David Cook's comment I did some googling; I shouldn't have been surprised that our very own DG had actually blogged about them in 2016. They’re to direct pedestrians to the appropriately numbered "exits.")

Tim | 31.05.24 - 9:35 a.m. | #

9 - Gentrified graffiti, level and legible from a distance.

14 - Odd, you must have broken the seal otherwise it couldn't leak.

Guess you had it upside down whilst trying to open it, and liquid maintained the seal, then drained when you put it back in the cupboard.

You might have had a narrow escape.

Still Anon | 31.05.24 - 10:05 a.m. | #

28. That’s a handsome Chelsea bun!

Peter | 31.05.24 - 10:10 a.m. | #

11 - Thought the first episode poor and the second one average. The next two were good though. Ncuti is a bit hyper for my tastes.

15 - I've only walked half of this, to avoid the road section of the New River Path. I had no idea it goes above a sewer!

Mikey C | 31.05.24 - 10:21 a.m. | #

29. It's mostly rather bleak, but was better when it had a colony of flamingos by the lake

Dominic h | 31.05.24 - 10:32 a.m. | #

20. Charles Lamb’s Essays of Elia.

JPmac | 31.05.24 - 10:33 a.m. | #

2. 2nd sentence. Hahahahahahahaha. Classic!

MikeK | 31.05.24 - 10:37 a.m. | #

16 - the Copenhagen metro trains have this too, also something flat stuck on

John Styles | 31.05.24 - 10:42 a.m. | #

7. 'Topless scything bloke' - makes mental note.

10. Couldn't see a thing either - so disappointing.

Cornish Cockney | 31.05.24 - 10:57 a.m. | #

16) Nice socks !

scrumpy | 31.05.24 - 10:59 a.m. | #

14) The jam must have fermented inside the jar. Although you couldn't open it, your attempts loosened the lid enough for [some of] the bubbling liquid within to force its way out.

It probably wouldn't have done you any harm to eat it, though it might have tasted a little alcoholic ;-)

Suse | 31.05.24 - 11:26 a.m. | #

3) I’m told you need two magpies for good luck and total happiness.
4) I still can’t get used to the way electric and hybrid buses ‘switch off’ at bus stops, causing the sinking feeling previously brought on by what would have indicated a change of drivers or other delay.

ActonMan | 31.05.24 - 11:56 a.m. | #

20. You might enjoy Capital by John Lanchester, which is becoming a London classic.

I'd also agree with Trevor S on Laurie Lee. I read As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm planning to read Cider with Rosie this summer.

Anders | 31.05.24 - 12:34 p.m. | #

1: I have been to a handful of art exhibitions since moving into a temporary office one year ago. What I can only say is that sometimes artists can make their messages far too complicated or go too far in what they show.

24: Saving rates are often forecasts so what you see is what banks predict it to be when the said saving period *ends*.

Patrickov | 31.05.24 - 1:26 p.m. | #

4. It does seem like the buses are shorter than what they are replacing though? Would be unfortunate if there was less capacity.

17. I went to the Science Museum and didn't do the timed tickets on the website (what's the point?). I ended up having to give my email address anyway as apparently that's a prerequisite to getting tickets on the spot too now from a human (and they print you a ticket with a QR code too which you then show to no one). I really do wonder what the point is.

24. My bank have just announced that their interest rate is going down too. Ah well...

matthieu1221 | 31.05.24 - 2:23 p.m. | #

6. It's actually "Be aware of Gadget-Grabbers", not "Beware the Gadget Grabbers"

Piggywoo the Pedantic | 31.05.24 - 3:46 p.m. | #

3. ROSEBUSH!!!

23. Give it time…

Taffy | 31.05.24 - 4:11 p.m. | #

31. I too had a phone call from my granddaughter yesterday. She was cheerful and I was delighted.

DGD | 31.05.24 - 4:47 p.m. | #

20. Possibly Jack London for the L choice.

Highway Engineer | 31.05.24 - 4:53 p.m. | #

20 -- Melville is the obvious choice when you get to the Ms, but if you want to finish the alphabet by Christmas, make sure you select Bartleby the Scrivener rather than Moby Dick!

James Webber | 31.05.24 - 7:49 p.m. | #

19 Thanks for this. As a Wembley lad it's been a great to watch this again. Betjeman and the BBC a brilliant combination!

Alan | 31.05.24 - 8:41 p.m. | #

15. After reading a couple of your recent posts, I find myself looking out for stink pipes. Thank you.

H SE18 | 31.05.24 - 8:45 p.m. | #

17. I just said no to any personal details, got a ticket anyway

fred | 31.05.24 - 8:54 p.m. | #

8. The regret of those with multiple tattoos will likely be significant in coming decades when their skin turns crepey and starts to sag. At that point their body art might resemble something similar to Edvard Munch's The Scream. Possibly the same sound they will feel like making when looking at themselves in a full length mirror.

Mary | 31.05.24 - 9:09 p.m. | #

Days which have not inspired comment:
12 13 21 22 25 26 27 30

(but the vast majority have, cheers!)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 31.05.24 - 11:55 p.m. | #

11. Interesting that I was the only person who commented on the return of Doctor Who. A sign of decreased interest?

dg writes: nobody commented on the DLR moquette or the general election, so it’s more interesting than those.

Mikey C | 01.06.24 - 12:16 a.m. | #

20. Another vote for 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' by Laurie Lee. A fantastic book I have read many times. A hugely engaging story which is part history part travelogue covering London in the 1930's and Spain just prior to the civil war. The follow up, A Moment Of War is also a great read.

Paul | 01.06.24 - 12:17 a.m. | #

22. On the plus side there’s the benefit that we won’t have a summer recess with the chattering classes speculating on when the election will be called.

On the other hand we’ll have a Summer with the chattering classes dissecting the result and watching the growing pains of a new administration, especially if no party wins an overall majority and has to form a coalition, but at least there’s the Euros and the Olympics to distract us.

IanD | 01.06.24 - 6:59 a.m. | #

17 - Not having a ticket and there being no queue (some people were huddled by the wall registering on their phones - as instructed!), we were directed inside and to go to the "silver desk" - not silver and not labelled and had to be further directed there. I think it must be a reference to silver haired (I'm not), non web surfers (I am).

However. It had been quite a few years since I'd seen the 'Secret Life of the Home', and sadly have to agree that it has not aged well. I do love the Space Hall though.

Ken | 01.06.24 - 7:51 a.m. | #

20. Another vote for Walked Out..., especially as the London bits are local to me. It could possibly make a post. In the footsteps of Laurie Lee if you want to go all literary on us!

ap | 01.06.24 - 12:50 p.m. | #











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