Five years ago, Juliette and I were approached to contribute a chapter to this Oxford Handbook of Allegory. We submitted three years ago. It is finally out, and our chapter on 'Allegory and the Absurd in Post-1950 Drama' is half-way in. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Heading to the Bolton Octagon to see Waiting for Godot. Taking the boys for their first experience of SB.

Back to Leeds for the last ever weekend of Practical Essays.

I’ve just found this old self-portrait from 1989 of 22 year-old me.

Lovely to get Scatter volume 2. But, shouldn’t that say 1991-7 on the spine? @timbowness.bsky.social @stevenwilsonhq.bsky.social Nonetheless, looking forward to spinning.

Companies that currently have licenses to mine for minerals in Greenland: Amaroq Minerals Ltd. (Canada); Greenland Resources Inc. (Canada); GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc / Greenland Graphite a/s (UK); Energy Transition Minerals Ltd (Australia); Ironbark Zinc Limited (Australia). US: not yet.

The two instances when Peter Gabriel’s cover of Bowie’s Heroes is played in Stranger Things (S1 and S3) is following the believed death of a character who subsequently is discovered to be alive. Just saying.

Between When Doves Cry and the eponymous closing song on the second side of Prince’s Purple Rain LP, are the tracks Baby I’m a Star and, notably, I Would Die 4 U. #strangerthings

TBF, life kind of feels like there’s always a secret traitor somewhere in the background.

🧵How much should the NHS worry about this winter's flu wave? You may have seen this alarming headline on the BBC website today... I think it's too early to make this claim and the data does not support it. I think it will be a bad flu season but no evidence to think worse than previous yrs 1/8

Don’t do Spotify, but Apple Music is summing up my conservative tastes.

This is incredibly grim

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 12mo ago

Threshold for repaying student loans to converge with minimum wage on.ft.com/3M2AYkD

My 14-year old lad insists that there needs to be a Wild Opera vinyl release, and has designed the deluxe edition tracklisting. Just in case you needed a nudge @timbowness.bsky.social and @stevenwilsonhq.bsky.social

“Reliably excellent.” – The Year's Work in Critical & Cultural Theory Interested in contributing to the Methuen Drama Engage series, edited by Mark Taylor-Batty @cupofassam.bsky.social & Enoch Brater? We’re welcoming proposals now. Details here: https://bit.ly/3T7T6tG

There were a lot of people hanging about in Shipley market square last night.

Prog rock trivia. It is now the same amount of time since the last Genesis studio album as there was between their first and that last studio album.

More time has elapsed between the release of the Beatles’ Anthology series and the new Anthology 4 this year, than between the Beatles disbanding and that first 3 Anthology releases.

Me (1985), my son (2025), same @marillion.com t-shirt, same garden.

Watching Live Aid in iPlayer. I was 18 and it was the summer before going to university. Looking back, even the old people look young. The oldest songs performed were only twenty years old or so at that time.

The coffee at the Greek Corner in Shipley is reliably good. Thought I’d try the baklava today. Fantastic, but at £6.50 it needs to be! (Yes, I checked).

Thinking back to the Oasis/Blur rivalry, and how it was paralleled to the Beatles/Stones in the media if the time. Despite their overt homages to the Beatles, Oasis played The Rolling Stones role in that parallel. They had none of the invention, eclecticism and progression, which Blur so clearly did

The British national anthem, God save the King/Queen* originally contained a verse about crushing the Scots. Don't sing it at Glastonbury. *Delete as appropriate

Yesterday was the 125th anniversary of the birth of Antiine de Saint-Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince, the first book I ever translated (as a gift to my then girlfriend). “You are forever responsible toward those you have tamed”.

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1404...

Employment Tribunal rejects claims University and College Union discriminated against members on grounds of their gender critical beliefs

The University and College Union has successfully defended claims against it in an Employment Tribunal from two UCU members who claim they had been discriminated against and harassed by the union beca...

ucu.org.uk

Romana II - Princess Astra The Master - Consul Tremas 6th Doctor - Commander Maxil 12th Doctor - Lobus Caecilius 16th Doctor - Rose Tyler? #regenerationadoptions

At #UCU2025 we passed motions to reaffirm our commitment to trans rights. We’ll keep fighting for inclusive spaces, supportive policies and real solidarity. #TransRightsAreHumanRights #UCU2025 #UnionPower

I dedicate this to female friends currently putting up with crap. youtu.be/Iiqf2R462lo?...

The Regrettes - Seashore [Official Music Video]

YouTube video by The Regrettes

youtu.be

#UCU2025 congress has passed a motion to prepare to raise a formal dispute with the Education Secretary over the devastating funding crisis in higher education. Our message is clear: if Labour won’t intervene, we will. #UCU2025 #ProtectEducationNow #UnionPower #Post16Crisis #HigherEducation

Absolute scenes in Liverpool. Celebrations everywhere. Some kind of football thing. Not a language I speak, so can’t translate. Great vibe.

#UCU2025 Congress has voted to raise a trade dispute with the government. @drjogrady.bsky.social On BBC Radio 4 this morning our general secretary @drjogrady.bsky.social lays out the stark reality of the crisis facing our sector