iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

@ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social From the Zoom; The Mandelson Pong. *fires up the John Peel voice*…

mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

@ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social Regarding Royal Navy ship names. The RN had well over 200 Flower-class corvettes in World War II; HMSs Aconite, Bluebell, Buttercup, etc. Canadian Navy 'Flowers' were named after places...

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

My origin story. I started reading magazines about model-making. This was bought with birthday money. The first (1971) Airfix Magazine Annual. Blessed be the name of Alan W. Hall in particular.

The front cover of the 1971 Airfix Magazine Annual, featuring the box art of the Airfix F-5, and three photos of models. Confusingly, only one is featured in the book.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

From the instructions of our new Hotpoint cooker, in steam-assisted mode. Ready-made water?

The text reads ‘Refrain from using distilled or filtered water. Use ready-made waters only.’

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

@originstorypodcast.bsky.social Listening to Karl Marx - Part One, and am now singing to myself 'Young Hegelians' in A Bowie-esque voice.

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Reposted by mark smith

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

The phrase “knock on wood” - or “touch wood” in the UK - is an ancient one deriving from the belief that tapping on trees awakes the gods and spirits that reside within them and brings good luck

A fabulous spooky tree I met while on a misty walk on Dartmoor in winter, while writing my novel Villager (2022). https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Villager-by-Tom-Cox/9781800756076

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

@ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social Listening to the latest podcast, and Marie's idea that Dorian became an 'Existential News Reporter'. Dorian-'Dorian' Lynskey, perhaps?

A screengrab from the BBC series 'The Day Today', featuring commentator Jaques-'Jaques' Liverot (played by Patrick Marber).

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Scrumps - aka Little Puss, 2007? - 2025. We hope there's cheese in the cat afterlife. Any cheese will do. Oh, and butter...

Our late black and white cat, sitting and staring intently, hopefully and possessively at my cheese on toast, which she guided through the process of it being made, from freezer to small plate.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

@lakesstiles.bsky.social Went to Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary. Loved the donks, but the only photo I took was this gate/stile combo. With a dog hole!

A metal gate, with built-in metal plates at right angles forming a stile. Also incorporating a gap to allow dogs to pass through without having to go over the stile.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

Matthew 18.19 At this time, a friend shall lose his friend's hammer and the young shall not know where lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there only just the night before, about eight o'clock. #lifeofbrian

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Solitary bee, nesting in a Pelargonium in our back yard. She’s bringing privet leaves in, from our hedge.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

@rosamundi.bsky.social The Wellington might have looked like this. If 'T' was the second aircraft in the line, then I think the serial number may have been DF460.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

@rosamundi.bsky.social The photo is of 30 OTU Wellingtons, at RAF Hixon. They have the earlier squadron codes of BT & KD. BT-T may have become TN-T. I can’t make out the serial. More in alt, increasingly nerdy…

A photo from the IWM showing 30 Operational Training Unit Vickers Wellingtons, at RAF Hixon, Staffordshire. The nearest air craft is being refuelled by an AEC 6x4 tanker. The aircraft would have been Dark Earth and Dark Green on the upper surfaces, and Night (black) underneath. The large squadron codes and the small serial number were dull red.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Cat: TUNA! Me: ? Cat: 1 across! Me: ? Cat: 1 across. A nut is haphazardly a fish (4). Tuna.

Our small black and white cat helping with the crosswords. She sits with her legs folded up under her, half on the paper. She doesn’t really like me lying on the floor, and will pester me to sit up.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

#proofofcat Cat hair in the coffee mug. Cat hair everywhere, bless her.

Looking down into an empty coffee mug, cat hairs stranded on the sides. Beyond the mug, the head of the cat is visible. So much fluff from such a small cat.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Just seen a swallow flying around the house. Hurrah!

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

So looking forward to this dropping. Only problem is I don’t think I’ll be able to listen until Monday.

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Reposted by mark smith

Alex Andreou's Podyssey @alexpodyssey.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

On POCKET CASTS, now. That's all major carriers except YouTube Music which takes a few days. Subscribe! pca.st/podcast/9e98... APPLE: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/show/2x7cD3H... AMAZON MUSIC: music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/8c9... OVERCAST: overcast.fm/+ABN4Gd7AP9Q

pca.st

Alex Andreou's Podyssey

Alex Andreou revisits the classic Greek myths, and uncovers universal themes they share with us across the millennia

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Earlier this morning. The cat starts her day as she spent the night. #proofofcat #catwednesday

Our small black and white is stretched out on my chest, me under the duvet, she on top. Her paws and chest are on top of my right hand and arm. Duvet is a flowery print from Ikea, and my partner made matching curtains.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Chocolate pots for afters on the 25th. From ‘Nigella Bites’. @nigella.bsky.social

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

@quietriotpod.bsky.social I can do a pretty good 'Babs' from League Of Gentlemen, and also Papa Lazarou. Probably best if I only do them on a cooking show...

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

@quietriotpod.bsky.social My listening habits for the podcast. I listen to both, as streams via Apple podcast app on desktop computer. Usually listen to Sunday on Monday, other on day of release. Think I've listened to them all.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 05/09/2024

@wyliehorn.bsky.social 1969 1/2500 OS map extract. The motel is on the left (west) of the map, the facade in the postcard faced the the two main roads. Map from maps.nls.uk

The image is a screen grab of a black and white 1/2500 scale 1969 Ordnance Survey map, showing the location of the Oxford Motel, close to the Wolvercote Roundabout in Oxford.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 02/09/2024

Quote post with a beach from your gallery

A deserted Holkham beach in Norfolk, looking west. The photo was taken where the right of way from Burnham Overy Staithe meets the beach.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

#proofofcat ‘Scrumps’ showing how poking your tongue out leads to a Temporary Reduction in Gravitas.

A small, elderly black and white cat sits on my lap. She looks towards the camera, with her tongue poking out. In Iain M. Banks Culture, she’d be Eccentric, a former Rapid Offensive Unit, now defanged.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 24/08/2024

Little puss is exhausted after 30 minutes of weather-related running around, catnip and unsupervised play with her fishing rod toy. Now doing her ammonite impression.

A small cat is curled up on my lap as I sit on a floor cushion. Cat as croissant, or ammonite, seeing as those fossils are common in the local rocks. Her fishing rod toy is by my feet.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 01/08/2024

Every week, the tv listing for The Repair Shop reads like the Fast Show sketch about the scatty bloke who fails to get the right shopping. ‘Better even than that, I’ve got…’

The listing reads ‘a 100-year-old handwritten Qur’an, a family scooter that is more than 60 years old, a topographical painting of Marsala and a diamond ring containing precious ashes.’

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 30/11/2023

Sad that Alistair Darling’s death will be eclipsed by those announced on the day of Kissinger and Shane McGowan’s. C.S Lewis, Aldous Huxley and JFK on the same date. Barry Took and the Queen Mum. Princess Di and Mother Teresa…

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 28/11/2023

@garius.bsky.social Additional cat pics. 'All the Cats I have Ever Slept With'...

A mosaic of seven pictures of cats; 4 on the top row, 3 on the bottom. The top row are three black and white cats and a tabby. The bottom row is a tortoiseshell, a ginger and white and a black and white cat.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 07/11/2023

A year ago, we finally caught our late neighbour’s elderly cat, who’d been feral after her death. Several trips to the vet ensued, but after a week she seemed to have adapted us to her presence. Happy anniversary, ‘Scrumps’.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 17/10/2023

@niallb1.bsky.social Hello. Few of us here also on theafterword.

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mark smith @gcu-grey-area.bsky.social · 20/09/2023

@garius.bsky.social Cat pic. Her name is ‘Scrumps’, but she doesn’t answer to it. Was our neighbour’s, but she died, and we inherited. 16, 17 years old.

A small black and white cat, lies half asleep on her side, in the sun, on a red sofa.

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