Mark Bravery
@markbravery.bsky.social
Birding mostly in and around London, drinking real ale across most of Britain, following Sutton Utd FC home and away
This is a mad situation, which is presumably the point Rooney is making www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Sally Rooney says she can no longer sell books in UK due to Palestine Action support
Irish writer of Normal People says she can no longer receive royalties from British sales and she cancelled UK trip due to fear of arrest
theguardian.com
Errr.... right, so UK is having to find more money for defence against Russia... by cutting funding for heat pumps that get us off gas... thereby keeping us dependent on an energy commodity *weaponised* by Russia & international conflict. Smart thinking guys www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Ministers preparing to slash heat pump subsidies to fund defence spending
Exclusive: Some of £2bn savings needed from energy budget expected to come from boiler upgrade scheme, sources say
theguardian.com
🍺 Potters Wheel and Bank Statement, double Wetherspoon delight in Swansea! Both busy. A few geezers in the first, where the Gower Power was fine but didn't quite taste its 5.5%. In the second, where large women abounded, the Weizen Up, a festival beer from Brewster's, was too sweet to be authentic.
🍺 No Sign Bar, Swansea: heritage pub, once frequented by Dylan Thomas - in his time it may have been more noted for wine than beer. Narrow frontage, then an interior (with floorboards and flagstones) that goes on and on and on... The Gold from the Gower brewery was unremarkable but in good nick.
🍺 Queens Hotel, Swansea: busy corner pub across the dual carriageway in the Maritime Quarter. Young folk (some discussing football) sit mainly at tables, oldies perch at the bar. The Frolic from Barry's new Nash Point brewery (ridiculously small print on the pump clip!) is pleasantly hoppy.
⚽️ Swansea City 2 Norwich City 1: Swansea's stadium is my 70th of the 92 current PL/ EFL grounds. The sleek Swans, top of the Championship, were given a few scares by the chirpy Canaries (clad in Mynah black) who took a first half lead, the hosts then stepping up to score twice early in the second.
⚽️ Sutton Utd 0 Boreham Wood 2: predictable outcome against the league leaders who are undefeated this season. We played some slick football, but posed little goal threat between the opening and closing five minutes. We do lack a proven goalscorer. The rest of the league play tomorrow.
🐦⬛ Portland Bill today: I was lucky enough to arrive at the observatory soon after this young Red-backed Shrike had been ringed. I saw it again when released in a nearby field, as well as a skulking Dartford Warbler. Ravens and Swallows flew above. Over the sea were Gannets, Shags and Razorbills.
Today is the 117th consecutive day somewhere in the UK has recorded a temperature of 20°C or higher. The 11th of June was the last time we didn't reach this threshold. Fresher air comes in on Wednesday allowing temperatures to fall, and likely to stay just below 20°C.
🍺 Pelican, Addlestone, Surrey: inter-war pub beside the River Wey Navigation (no pelicans seen). Several customers were sitting by the river on this barmily balmy October evening. A bunch of lads played pool. Taylor Landlord is hardly an exciting option these days, but theirs was in decent nick.
Did you notice that it felt more like July than October this afternoon? Temperatures were widely several degrees Celsius above average today, particularly in the south. Here are today's provisional top temperatures 🌡️👇
The UK drought continues…Alexandra Lake (puddle) Wanstead Flats!
🍺 Last Jar, Blackheath: busy, back-street micropub of a size that tests the definition. The Abbeydale Moonshine was in good form. Affable tattooed guy at bar. The cob selection included cheese and black pudding.
🍺 Britannia, Blackheath, W Mids: busy (aren't they all?) Wetherspoon pub, a brisk twelve-minute walk from Rowley Regis station. The Salted Caramel Porter from Theakston (it seems part of their festival) was full of flavour, but I don't think I'd want another one. 🤢
⚽️ Kidderminster Harriers 1 Sutton Utd 1: much-improved from Wednesday (and with a much-changed starting XI), we gifted them a goal through a goalkeeping error in the first half but finished much the stronger, equalising in the 88th minute. Still 11th.
🍺 Society, Birmingham: modern hall with bench seating, street food counters and a bar run by Vocation brewery, similar to outlets in other large cities. Their hoppy Bread & Butter was a pleasant livener. One of those annoying cashless venues where one's invited to add a tip when paying at the bar.
Flying is officially on course to account for *almost all* the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Heathrow expansion alone would cause more carbon emissions by 2054 than *any other sector of the economy*. So why is it being contemplated? My column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The expansion of Heathrow would be an expensive disaster for Britain and the world. Burnham needs to block it | George Monbiot
A third runway would fly in the face of reason. If we are to prioritise human life over short-term ‘growth’, we need to use planes less, not more, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
theguardian.com
Ale Hub, Mere Green: micropub north of Sutton Coldfield, part of a small West Midlands chain. I was the sole customer in at 1pm opening. The Quarter, an amber ale from Birmingham's Attic brewery, was robust with an edgy bitterness.
🍺 Boldmere Tap, Boldmere, W Mids: multi-roomed Joule's pub, modernised in traditional style with bare floorboards, stained glass and old, ceramic adverts. Two old boys chew the fat. The Dolicita, a golden ale from Joule's, is flavoursome and refreshing.
⚽️ Tamworth 2 Sutton Utd 0: worryingly poor, error-strewn performance from us against limited but hard-working opponents, lifted out of the relegation zone by this result. The two goals (one an own goal from a corner) came early in the second half; we managed one shot on target all game. Now 11th.
🍺 Tamworth Tap, Tamworth, thrice CAMRA's national Pub of the Year. My fourth visit here. Standards seem to be being upheld, despite the Orkney Red MacGregor served in Oakham glasses.
🍺 First outing for this beautiful monster that was squeezed through my letter-box a couple of weeks ago. Since then I've been busy marking it up. The debut trip is to Tamworth, where there is no new pub to tick off, but a notable one to revisit. And I have plans for tomorrow.
Historically late tropical night unknown for time of year. Still needs to be confirmed Heathrow fell just short 19.9C but seems inner London, St James’s Park stayed above 20C.
Some good stuff in here, but missing one key word - climate That's right. Not a single mention of the greatest threat this country, and the world, have ever faced Really quite bizarre www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Burnham giving first Labour conference speech as prime minister - watch live
Under the plan, the state pension will continue to rise each year in line with inflation or by 2.5% - but the annual earnings link will be dropped.
bbc.co.uk
Local birding. 1/2. A juvenile Hobby on a pylon in a small London park this morning. #londonbirds @davidelement.bsky.social @markbravery.bsky.social
🐦⬛ Wandle Meadow this morning: two young Hobbies were still around, flying between pylons (intermittently harassed by Carrion Crows) and calling. One had caught a small bird. There were also at least a dozen Chiffchaffs on site (some singing), a Blackcap, and a Cetti's Warbler (singing) by the river.
⚽️ Hear Mike, Gabriel and I forage through Forest Green then mull over two trips to the Midlands.
Sutton Podcast@suttonpodcast.bsky.social · 2w ago3-1 down with 15 minutes left. You’d take a point, wouldn’t you? But after Sutton finished with 15 shots, 10 on target, 7 corners and a 93rd-minute equaliser... should we actually be annoyed we didn’t win it? That’s a question in this week’s episode.
⚽️ Sutton Utd 3 Forest Green Rovers 3: rough-and-tumble match in which we started poorly and were 2-0 then 3-1 behind, but by the latter stage our opponents were down to ten men, a sumptuous volley and a late header earning us a point. We slip to 10th.
