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 | 30.12.24 - 12:00 a.m. | #

13. They have 33% cocoa and price of cocoa went up 135% this year, so an excuse to make an excessive price rise.

Christopher | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 7:24 a.m. | #

19) For me using X is like banging your head against a brick wall. Life becomes so much better when you stop doing it.

Keith the Kraut | 30.12.24 - 7:32 a.m. | #

10) it seems there's only one copy in the The Libraries Consortium system, so thanks for the recommendation, and the DG-thumbed copy will be winging its way to me eventually.

14) I've only heard the one and can't say I was too impressed, but then The Now Show wasn't exactly biting satire either. (The Skewer, on the other hand...)

18) hurrah! I wouldn't even begrudge them if they used the blank sides for some unobtrusive adverts again.

19) not that I ever posted much, but I rarely even visit Twitter these days - so probably still count as a follower even though I never see your posts.

martin | 30.12.24 - 7:38 a.m. | #

29. Cue for Ella: A Foggy Day in London Town.

Christopher | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 7:41 a.m. | #

15. I presume NR was DGD.

Anyoldname | 30.12.24 - 7:42 a.m. | #

4) Looks like Trumpers Crossing to me.

Medford | 30.12.24 - 8:29 a.m. | #

23 which means taking inflation into account it was around £3 cheaper than 20 years ago

gruntbuggly | 30.12.24 - 8:43 a.m. | #

13. Trolley suggests that Poundland may be a cheaper source for your wafers.

Fred | 30.12.24 - 8:52 a.m. | #

9: I've not read the Metro in a while, but I do remember doing some of the puzzles and finding the easy sudoku quite easy. Maybe I should give them another go.

18: Much better use of the space for sure.

19: I've done away with Twitter completely now, and I doubt I'm missing out. Perhaps I am regarding your Twitter, though.

27: "Count Binface's Ceefax documentary" is an intriguing phrase, one I reckon I should look into.

29: Isn't the phrasing on the sign incorrect, since you could see the fireworks from there if you wanted to, possibly. Though perhaps I'm underestimating just how visible the fireworks would be.

All Over 2a | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 9:01 a.m. | #

19 - I wonder how much 'engagement' was bots, having set up an account I got over 100 followers in spite of never posting anything, in recent weeks this has dropped to 1.

22 - you've omitted the start of the story.

Still Anon | 30.12.24 - 9:42 a.m. | #

17. Can anyone tell me the variety of these very early flowering daffodils?

popartist | 30.12.24 - 9:44 a.m. | #

14. I have found it to be a poor replacement for the Now Show (although nostalgia may play a part in that, having been a fan of Punt/Dennis's radio comedy since the days of "It's Been A Bad Week" on Radio 2). The News Quiz is currently the only staple I have in that slot.

Jamesthegill | 30.12.24 - 9:45 a.m. | #

25: If only The Doctors new companion were to be Anita (the receptionist).

Joho | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 9:59 a.m. | #

16. In (slight) defence of your mobility scooter user, shops frequently make it almost impossible to manoeuvre. They create sharp bends, make aisles too narrow and often block the walkways with stacked boxes. Bane of my life.

Caroline | 30.12.24 - 10:01 a.m. | #

25. Agree about Wallace and Gromit, not as good as the Wrong Trousers, but it would have been impossible to match what I think of as a "perfect" 30 minute story. Doctor Who was ok, the year with Anita being the key highlight and everything else was ho-hum. I find the new Disney-sponsored era has an annoying sheen to it. Possibly an over reliance on CGI, but not sure why this (and the season that precedes it) had this characteristic.

WoodfordWanderer | 30.12.24 - 10:03 a.m. | #

11) Citymapper is such a useful utility, though it's a pity they've never retried to launch bus routes using their data like they did in 2017 when they identified that a Highbury - Aldgate Night Bus should exist and started running it.

24) In Sweden the big pub night is the 25th, as the 24th is the main family Christmas celebration. Even for my tenth visit this year it feels wrong.

TomH | 30.12.24 - 10:41 a.m. | #

22: I need to know how this knowledge was acquired.

Scott | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 10:49 a.m. | #

14. Not altogether surprising that it feels like listening to Private Eye as presenters Andrew Hunter-Murray and Adam Macqueen also write for the Eye, and host their Page 94 podcast. I quite like The Naked Week, for what it's worth.

28. Coincidence corner - I also saw parents encouraging their two small children on bicycles when I was crossing Woolwich Foot Tunnel on Saturday morning. (And, confession time, I was unable to feel too disapproving, as I had just cycled through the tunnel myself - although in my defence it was literally deserted until I encountered the family as they got to the bottom of the steps at the Southern end...)

CJS | 30.12.24 - 10:54 a.m. | #

22. Is there the beginning of a plot here for a Death in Paradise spinoff? (Bow version).

Malcolm of Kent | 30.12.24 - 11:11 a.m. | #

2) Surprised myself by completing today's. With these sorts of games, I can never keep up a daily routine, I'd much rather "binge watch" them.

Mikey C | 30.12.24 - 11:19 a.m. | #

10: I'm glad you liked it as I was involved in the editorial process.
14: I listened to the first episode. If Andrew Hunter Murray has slowed down I might give it another go.

Jonathan Wadman | 30.12.24 - 11:27 a.m. | #

22) On Saturday I occupied myself by watching a ground floor hallway light in a building on the opposite side of a street in London.

It turned on and off, but no-one entered or left through the front door. I guessed it might be activated by a sensor, but was it activity inside or outside triggering it?

Each time it took a minute or two before the light turned off. I didn't time it.

I watched long enough to see that the light was triggered by pedestrians outside walking from left to right, but only sometimes by pedestrians walking right to left. Particularly loud cars (left to right) also triggered it.

JonathanC | 30.12.24 - 11:50 a.m. | #

Sun 1) I haven't had a bath in forty years. The amount of water I've saved by showering over that period must be enough to stock a Walthamstow reservoir.

dg writes: not even 1% full.

Steve | 30.12.24 - 11:54 a.m. | #

9) And the hard one is easier.

miker | 30.12.24 - 12:03 p.m. | #

25. I have to agree about G&S with its cunning tactic of averting intentionally-generated disappointment. I did feel some moments were a bit "off", however, as if having now become a pastiche of itself. There was one moment when I.W. residents to a man pointed animatedly to the telly, on noticing the journey to "Essex" was being taken in an Island-registered car! In reality, though, the destination was three miles along the coast in Dinas Powys.

cau1khead | 30.12.24 - 1:08 p.m. | #

25. Loved Wallace & Gromit, Dr Who was ok (not keen on the Disney influence, but at least there was no singing and dancing), and am I the only person who has never seen an episode of Gavin & Stacey, nor have any idea of the storyline?!!

Cornish Cockney | 30.12.24 - 1:40 p.m. | #

25) I have also never seen an episode of G&S

martin | 30.12.24 - 2:20 p.m. | #

17 they may be 'February Gold' as some sellers promise a January display

Noel | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 2:47 p.m. | #

5. The same thing happened to me one New Year's Eve on the way to Bestmate's, with the same consequences. The slight disadvantage is that his waistline is larger than mine.

Man of Kent | 30.12.24 - 3:18 p.m. | #

1. A bath fan, I don't understand the idea of getting out "early". I exit as soon as I'm done irrespective of temperature.
14. Tried one, didn't enjoy so have not returned.
19. Stopped using well over a year ago; since deleted App. Not missed.
22. Boggled what led you to make this discovery.
27. Tried this as sounded interesting. The voice of Count Binface caused me to abandon it inside 5 minutes.
30 - comment tbc.

Frank F | 30.12.24 - 3:34 p.m. | #

17. I think they are probably Rijnveld's Early Sensation, it is a good doer and very early. In bloom as early as 19 Dec in my NW London garden, according to my Facebook posts. Latest was apparently 2 Jan, but if any year were later, I may not have bothered to post about it.

Lucy Garden | 30.12.24 - 3:52 p.m. | #

7. The picture alt text says "Happy Pengemas" instead of "Merry Pengemas". 'Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder'

10. Graham Torrington!!! Definitely worth a listen to the hour long chat, thank you.

15. I am in the MK postcode area... holding out hope...

Causton | 30.12.24 - 4:58 p.m. | #

2. Not yet having tried this game, I am pretty sure I would have similar results to yours. Old enough that I'd have to refresh my memory of the changed names of so many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.

Mary | 30.12.24 - 5:33 p.m. | #

5. Myself and the group I was with were also caught in that cloudburst on the way to dinner out up Tottenham Court Road... one of those in my group was convinced we wouldn't be rained on in the half hour we were walking because the hourly forecast can never be wrong right?

11. Worst is when it gives an acceptable time until the next bus -- acceptable enough to wait -- say 5 minutes, but it turns up in 20 and you could've walked it faster anyway. Someone should write about the sunken cost fallacy of waiting for the bus.

19. The amount of dodgy blue ticks I don't follow I get on my feed has probably gone up tenfold (with the consequence that I just look at the accounts I've set notifications on for)

matthieu1221 | 30.12.24 - 5:45 p.m. | #

3. I suppose as it s the British Library rather than your regular local library you have to expect some extra security, but it is a bit worrying that they pull you up because they can detect you have a mobile phone.

4. I thought I might have figured out the railway related site but what I found isn’t in what I would call West London, though I’m no expert on London so it could very well be the site. I look forward with interest to see if I guessed correctly or if I was totally wrong, I’m thinking it will be the latter.

5. What I’m wondering is was it a spare pair of Best Mate’s trousers or a spare pair of your own that you specifically left there for such an occurrence.

Barry | 30.12.24 - 7:13 p.m. | #

1. If your bath is cold don't you just let a bit of water out and top up with hot water?

SJM | 30.12.24 - 7:54 p.m. | #

25. The only thing I know about Gavin & Stacey is that one of the characters shares a name with the "Railway End" stand at Sincil Bank - actually named after the two Lincoln City away supporters who perished in the Bradford City fire - Bill Stacey and Jim West.

dg writes: proper trivia - the lead characters share their surnames with serial killers.

timbo | 30.12.24 - 8:59 p.m. | #

14. I fear that its biggest problem was too small an audience (or an insufficiently warmed up audience). There were funny bits there, just not enough people laughing at them which made it sound dull.

Kirk | 30.12.24 - 9:51 p.m. | #

26. We were going to play Skyjo but learning the rules of a new game was too much effort, so fell back on the old faithfuls, Chase the Ace and Stop the Bus.

H SE18 | 30.12.24 - 10:42 p.m. | #

25. I nearly made it to never watching an episode of G&S, but I was at my younger son's on Christmas Day and I couldn't be bothered to get up from his comfortable settee while he watched it.

JohnC | 30.12.24 - 11:00 p.m. | #

Days which have not inspired comment:
6 8 12 20 21 31

(but the vast majority have, cheers)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 30.12.24 - 11:55 p.m. | #

Thank you for another year.

Stephen | 31.12.24 - 3:32 a.m. | #

29 (belatedly): I am now a serial avoider of overpriced fireworks in London, preferring the free NY Day fireworks in Cromer (touch and go with the weather this year, also visiting friends which justifies the travel costs) and St Albans for Nov 5th (easily and cheaply accessible by train).

MilesT | 02.01.25 - 4:00 p.m. | #











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