iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

I've been seeing a lot of horses acting cutely over the last few days! #Horses #Rothbury #Northumberland #UK

Two horses enjoying themselves at a ford at The Lee, just outside Rothbury, one being ridden and the other led.

Horses appearing for form an orderly line. Four are standing but a fifth at the 'back of the queue' is sitting down. This is in Rothbury.

Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

Have Vibram soles reduced in quality drastically recently, or have I been sold counterfeit Scarpa boots? They used to last for years, not start to disintegrate after two. #vibram #scarpa #counterfeit #hiking

Scarpa boots with Vibram soles coming apart at the heel.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

I was asked to generate a QR code for the local u3a website. I tried several online generators and all said they generated a QR code but actually generated a redirect — they could track users or even send them to a different site in future. In the end i used a desktop app. #QrCode #u3a #security

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

Wow. This stuff does what it says on the .. bottle! Much hotter than I expected, with a nice taste of chilli and ginger. #hotsauce

A bottle of East End "very hot green chilli sauce".

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

I've just had the quickest flu jab! I turned up five minutes early and was asked to go straight in. An assistant asked for my name and date of birth, a nurse asked if I had the flu vaccine before (yes) and whether I had side effects (no). He gave me the injection and said thank you, that's done […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

A misty start to the day. This is probably why I could get closer than usual to these deer without them running off. A nice surprise for my morning walk #deer #northumberland

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026

Recceing a walk for next Friday. It is quite scenic including Bowden Doors, Colour Heigh and Cuddy's (St Cuthbert's) Cave. #walking #northumberland #CuddysCave

Bowden Doors, grey sandstone emerging for on grass.

A view of Colour Heugh from Dancing Green Hill. Despite the name it is mostly grey sandstone.

Selfie, old man with a hat standing in a huge split in a boulder near Cuddy's Cave

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Reposted by Chris Brooking

Chris 108 @chris108.wsocial.eu · 28/09/2026

An absolute masterpiece of making it hard to compare two values by The Guardian. By my calculations the UK price is 12% lower, but I'm far from certain! #metric #badReporting #obscureUnits www.theguardian.com/business/liv...

Text:
European gas prices are also rising this morning . The benchmark Dutch contract is up 2.9% to €74.185 per megawatt hour (MWh), while the the British front-month contract is up 2.7% to 184.64 pence per therm.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

RE: toot.wales/@thebaywindowgirl/117275… Will I ever learn? I'm thinking of choosing something by Ursula Le Guin for my book group choice next year— possibly The Lathe of Heaven. Yes probably divisive again. Definitely giving me plenty of scope to start things rolling with a […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026

It's that time of year when the sky looks pretty when I take my evening walk. #rothbury #northumberland #uk

The sky above Addycombe ridge showing a pink tinge.

The sky above the stone bridge at Rothbury now showing an orange red

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026

I can see a lot of issues with this Government considers £11 monthly UK broadband fee to fund BBC TV www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/20... It becomes in effect a regressive tax, possibly pushing people to mobile and satellite if not included. Also what about people in remote areas without a […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

I love these ceramic sculptures in the Crown Studio Gallery. #ceramics #sculpture #rothbury

Sign in window reads

AMBIGUITY-
CERAMIC SCULPTURES
BY LYNDA TAYLOR
Inspired by the grandeur of Classical
architecture and its later Victorian revival, these
ceramic sculptures combine a sense of history
with contemporary questions.
Designed as both striking decorative objects and
pieces to provoke thought, they explore the
ambiguities that shape our lives. Every decision
we make is influenced by personal experience,
circumstance and the information available to us
at that particular moment.
Ideas of good and bad, right and wrong, certainty
and doubt can become surprisingly fluid when
circumstances change.
These sculptures invite the viewer to look agai
and question first impressions. Beautiful, |
intriguing and just a little unsettling, than ae
pieces with a story to tell and should make
wonderful conversation starters in the home.

Sculpture, a stylised woman in a doorway with a man sitting on the roof

A number of ceramic sculptures, glazed mostly in a blur-green colour

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

The path behind Wetherby services. This makes it my favourite on the A1, because you can stretch your legs without feeling that you're walking round a car park. Today an interesting cloudy sky #Wetherby #WetherbyServices #sky

A field with a dirt track along one side. This is a public footpath. The sky is mostly grey cloud with some blue patches

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026

I've noticed that a lot of AI voices in the UK mimic extremely bored sounding women. One of Waze's has an RP accent, but sounds like she's entirely fed up: "one mile ahead, roadworks". I can just imagine a follow-up "Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they've got me announcing […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 12/09/2026

I had one of those a couple of days ago. Very nice. It made me think of a black forest gateau but with a scone texture instead of a dense cake.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

I walked out my route for a u3a walk I'll be leading if the weather's OK. It took me 4 hours 20 minutes with tests, 3 hours 25 minutes moving time. Im wondering if 15:34 km is too long. I think I'll say "go for it", there are a number of escape routes to […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

A cairn on Hard Nab, near Thrunton Woods. The outline of Simonside is in the distance.

Long crag and Coe Crags in front — the rout ascends on the right then walks the length of these.

Map of the circuit which goes in a roughly rectangular path through Thrunton Woods

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

RE: fosstodon.org/@novelwriter/11721891… The epub export looks good. I also like the flatpak format, so much easier to install and support on my machine. I haven't worked out how references work yet, but it looks as though each reference needs a heading or they all get mixed […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

Oh no! I've just been told that some people see the em dash as an indication that you are using AI! I use it frequently — the semicolon just seems old fashioned and pedantic. Maybe I should reconsider; could the semicolon be revived? #punctuation #semicolon #emdash #ai #chatbot

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026

It's the time of year for great sunsets again. #sunset

Clouds lit with the red light from the setting sun.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

I'm going to complain to Pizza Express for not letting me give no tip when paying by card. In the UK if you give a tip by card it will have income tax deducted, and if it's paid straight through payroll national insurance too. Some companies also deduct "processing fees", though I understand […]

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2026

No!!!! Too soon I had an advert for this in my email today. #TooSoonForChristmas #Cragside #Crimbo

An image of a child reaching for a Christmas decoration on a tree with the text:

Christmas at Cragside: A Journey Through Fairyland

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

I had a nice walk around the carriageway and Primrose Woods. It started raining about three quarters of the way round. I made the mistake of delaying putting my waterproof on until my fleece was wet — I thought it would stop soon. Unfortunately in this weather […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Long cut tree trunks propped in a ring around a tree

I guess the loggers were having a bit of fun. Either that or a giant made an impromptu shelter.

A wide track (The Carriageway) winds round a heather- covered bank. The distinctive silhouette of Simonside is in the background.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Semi-weird thoughts time. I'm so glad they demolished the old disused public conveniences on the Rothbury riverside path. They reveal the base of this lovely beech tree, part of the Rothbury Tree Trail www.rothburytrees.uk/tree-trail #Rothbury #Tree #RothburyTrees #Northumberland #uk

A lovely Beech Tree with spreading roots and canopy. The sort of place where Buddha or Shiva might choose to meditate.

Closeup or the spreading roots at the base of the trunk

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

I've noticed a lot of errors attaching images recently on mastononapp.uk. it says ",temporary error" but after it happens it often repeats several times. #mastodon #mastodonappuk

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

It's alright, I identify as a sheep! As I approached the field I thought I saw a black ewe with a lamb. As I got closer I thought "there's something odd about that ewe". It turned out to be a little black calf, obviously very at home with the sheep. I'm not […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Small black calf, or young bullock in field of sheep

The coo is obviously very much at home in the flock.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

After showing someone simple website editing this morning there was time for a short walk this afternoon. I went to Branton Lakes, one of my favourite nearby places. The bullrushes seem to be growing like mad this year. #BrantonLakes #Northumberland #UK

At this point you can see over the bulrushes to the lake

The river Beamish, at this time of year a narrow flow in a wide sandy riverbed.

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Chris 108 @chris108.wsocial.eu · 22/08/2026

Personally I wouldn't mind this "lack of success" - only earning £91 million! #entitled #obsceneWealth #royals

Text to n chat mage:

They are widely reported to have earned $100m (£73m) from a deal with Netflix in 2020. An agreement in the same year with Spotify to produce podcasts was reported to be worth $25m (£18m).

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Chris 108 @chris108.wsocial.eu · 22/08/2026

I suspect it's already too late. We are headed for vast areas of the world to become uninhabitable. Resource wars, mass migration, starvation. Leaders — Why does Trump want Greenland or Canada? An escape route for the elite when the contiguous states become unproductive and largely uninhabitable.

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Chris 108 @chris108.wsocial.eu · 21/08/2026

What's wrong with W‽ I've recently accessed W. First of all, I should say that it's just as good as Bluesky. But it also promises access to verified people, implying that this could be exclusive, not seeing anyone else in your feed. More in replies... #Wsocial #review #WsocialProblems

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Chris 108 @chris108.wsocial.eu · 21/08/2026

This illustrates why incremental speed increases save so little time at higher speeds. It doesn't show the disproportionate increase in breaking distance and severity of a collision, and fuel consumption. youtube.com/shorts/fBfch... #cars #roadsafety #speeding #safety #transport

youtube.com

Speeding Saves Less Time Than You Think

YouTube video by Simple, Not Easy

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

This is what the billionaire press and many politicians were campaigning so hard to destroy. Their freedom to drive took precedence over our children's freedom to thrive. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone

352264802

Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

I was quite sad to see this tree gone on my usual morning walk. I can see why though. It used to make ominous creaking sounds in windy weather and it was obviously rotten inside. #trees #treesofmastodon #treesofrothbury #rothbury #northumberland #uk

Distance view showing the branches spread out along the side of the lane

Where the tree was cut, the inside totally rotten.

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

The great tapestry of Scotland's great but after a few hours it's time for a wander. #Scotland #thegreattapestryofscotland #Galashiels

First tapestry of the great tapestry of Scotland

The river Tweed runs through Galashiels, shops on one side, trees on the other

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026

A wet walk this morning, but lovely up on the carriageway. #rothbury #northumberland #uk #heather

Selfie with an orange waterproof and purple heather in the background

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026

How embarrassing for Bluesky and the AT protocol. It's not just Bluesky, mu.social is also down. I think this means it's an issue with the relay network — the one they said made the AT protocol resistant to failures as clients would simply switch to an […] [Original post on mastodonapp.uk]

Downdetector showing multiple errors from 15:00

A confusing contradictory Bluesky status page says "all systems operational" and "we've been experiencing problems since 14:58

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026

I took a trip to Longhoghton and Sugar Sands. The sea always looks so blue there. #SugarSands #Longhoughton #Northumberland #uk

Al dandy beach on front of a blue sea. In the foreground grey rocks and

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Chris Brooking @chris108.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

How odd that this UK conservation story should appear in the Times of India! "An English farming couple dug 11 forgotten ‘Zombie’ ponds out of their fields; the returning plants, newts, and dragonflies inspired nearby farmers to restore about 80 more" […]

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