iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

The National Trust (NT) is only posting information about its 2026 AGM on request. Members can find details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a... (voting deadline 30 October). To block the Restore Trust's anti-progressive Council slate, it is best to vote for the 5 NT recommended candidates.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I don't like to do this (I try to avoid social media bubbles), but as an experiment, I am temporarily muting the surname of the US President, to see if it improves my Bluesky experience. He just seems to be trying to annoy people now. I hope fewer people will rise to the bait so I can unmute.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I have been donating £14 per month ("pm") to a charity for several years. This week I received a letter telling me it will increase to £16 pm, although I can opt out of the increase. I don't mind the increase, but I don't like the way it is being done. Do other charities do this? Is it even legal?

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Pete Fraser @petefrasermusic.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In the movie version of this, after Piddington runs out of food water and money as a result of leaving the UK, the residents apply for asylum and end up housed in a military base, with HILARIOUS consequences. www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Piddington in Oxfordshire votes to leave UK over asylum plans

Piddington residents voted over proposals to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers nearby

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Well, that emergency alert did motivate me to do a bit of gardening today, reducing the amount of dead and dry vegetation (especially leaves and twigs) lying around in my wild garden.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I don't get what the point is of looking at the sun (in a safe way) during a partial eclipse. I got as much as I could out of it just by being outside to experience the general dimming and to observe how the birds reacted, knowing that there will be plenty of good images of the eclipse online.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Agree - and there's a lot more to the town and surrounding area than could be fit into this video. I have long thought that Hitchin is an excellent place to visit by train for a long weekend break, especially for those who want to cut down on flights abroad to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Why is it that every time a blackbird opens its mouth to sing, a different complex melody emerges, whereas every pigeon in the UK seems to have exactly the same call as each other?

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Yesterday I was impressed with myself that I managed to carry three heavy shopping bags back a mile (including up a steep hill). However, on weighing them when I returned home, they only comprised 28% of my body weight. An ant can typically carry over 1,000% (some up to 10,000%) of its body weight!

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I agree with this. You are losing out on a lot if you cannot hear everything around you. Not all the time, not even every day, but so many missed opportunities to be aware of useful and/or interesting things over time. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.com

The hill I will die on: Remove those earphones – you’re blocking out the music of humanity | Stefan Stern

Beyond the white noise lies a vibrant world of possibility, so take your headphones off and listen to your surroundings. It may even save your life, says author Stefan Stern

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

English Longhorn cows on Purwell Meadows in Hitchin. I am not sure what I think about the use of 'Nofence collars' in the context of them just being on the meadow, but they do not seem at all bothered by it. (Details of the collars and how they are used in farming: www.nofence.com/en-gb/nofenc...)

Six English Longhorn cows together on a grass meadow

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

If the direction of migrant flow were the other way round and the French government said that it was going to use its navy to return people to Britain and, if Britain did not agree, it would enter our territorial waters to disembark them on our beaches, Farage would go ballistic, surely?

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

None of the early news reports I heard or read made the geographical location of Ceuta sufficiently clear. I expect some mentioned it, but it was easy to miss. For several days I was under the impression it was (geographically) part of mainland Spain, not part of Africa!

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The Daily Express's bias is breathtaking. Headline: "Andy Burnham dealt huge blow as new bombshell poll reveals who people truly want as PM". But it goes on to report Burnham's net favourability is +3% but the 'bombshell' is Badenoch who has risen to -11%. www.msn.com/en-gb/news/o...

msn.com

MSN

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Family photo: moorhens and their chicks by the nest on the floating platform in front of St Mary's church in Hitchin. The vegetation (which has grown naturally) makes a big difference - I have not seen them nest on one of these platforms before.

Two moorhens (one sitting on a nest) and four chicks on a floating platform

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Andy Burnham will be the first Prime Minister to have gone to Cambridge University since Stanley Baldwin (who left office in 1937)! Since then there have been 14 who went to Oxford University!

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I'm old enough to remember when people didn't have to stay up until 3 am to watch a game of football. There used to be this great piece of technology called a 'video recorder' which you could use to tape the match, allowing you to get some sleep and watch it first thing the next day.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I feel sorry for all the snails caught out of position after the torrential rain Mon / Tue night followed by temperatures exceeding 30C. I would put tap water down to help them, but they really don't like it (I understand chlorine is toxic to them). Good for ants though that love snail for lunch.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Is it just me who finds dealing with the heat like planning a military operation (e.g. timing laundry so that it can have maximum time drying indoors with a window at least ajar, bearing in mind windows need to stay closed when it's hotter outside)?

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

If Keir Starmer wants to continue, but does not want to block a simple and quick handover, he could say that he invites challengers and if MPs decide that there is only one challenger (i.e. only one secures 81+ MPs in support) he will not contest it, but if there is more than one, he will.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I think Keir Starmer should stand for re-election if there is a formal challenge, even if he expects to lose. It will provide some airtime for him to highlight the achievements of his Government over the last two years and what else is progressing well. This will help shape the future narrative.

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Being on Bluesky is in itself a form of age verification.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

I do not usually post Facebook links here, but I really enjoyed this drone video footage of the Duke of Gloucester steam train passing over the Hitchin flyover earlier today: www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fg2.... The flyover was only completed in 2013. I recommend turning the sound on.

facebook.com

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Implied bookmaker odds to win the 2026 World Cup: Spain: 17% France: 15% ENGLAND: 11% Portugal: 10% Argentina: 9% Brazil: 9% Germany: 6% Netherlands: 4% Belgium: 2% Mexico, Japan, USA, Uruguay, Ecuador: >1% each Any other: 10% (Rounding: 2%) Derived from: www.oddschecker.com/football/wor...

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

This petition, started by Chris Packham, is asking for a national briefing to be given to the public from independent experts on the scale of the risks from climate and nature breakdown. It needs just 80,000 more signatures for it to be debated in Parliament. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...

petition.parliament.uk

Petition: Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks

The UK faces growing risks from climate and nature breakdown - from extreme weather to economic disruption and national security threats. Yet the public has never been given a clear national briefing ...

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

This British Pathé clip is interesting. From 1:49 onwards, I think the bearded man with his back to the camera and a bag in his left hand (towards the left of the shot) is the then Prime Minister, the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. I have not seen any other film of him. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jXw...

youtube.com

Queen Victoria Arrives at a Royal Garden Party (1898) | British Pathé

YouTube video by British Pathé

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

I have a CD "The Spirit of India" (sub-titled 'Ravi Shankar Plays Ragas'). I have not listened to it for a while, but am finding it ideal for this weather! www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue...

deutschegrammophon.com

SPIRIT OF INDIA Ravi Shankar Plays Ragas | Deutsche Grammophon

on Deutsche Grammophon. Listen and buy now.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

One of the "expert" heatwave tips is to buy a better duvet! Capitalism is shameless sometimes. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stay-c...

huffingtonpost.co.uk

The 7 Things An Expert Does To Stay Cool At Night In Hot Weather

Top tips for upgrading your sleep set up for a heat wave.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Last night I saw a running crab spider on a wall near a light where there were small insects flying and crawling on the wall. I was expecting it to wander and pounce on something, but it just waited and when a small fly flew just in front of it, it reached out and grabbed it - a very quick reaction.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I do not understand an aspect of this criticism. If I were paid £5k for some work and decided to use this income to buy a used car, I wouldn't necessarily pay for it from the same account to which I had transferred the £5k; I might use some savings elsewhere. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

independent.co.uk

Farage accounts ‘inconsistent’ with claim he bought £1.4m house with I’m A Celeb fee

Political opponents of the Reform UK leader have called for ‘transparency’, accusing him of ‘dodging scrutiny’ over a £5 million from Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I was wondering where the ducks nest in Hitchin town centre. I know a few years ago one did so high up on a balcony on Woodcote House (on Queen Street). An unusual site was reported in this week's Comet (page linked includes a video). www.thecomet.net/news/2604782....

thecomet.net

Meet the Hitchin salon helping hatch the town's ducklings

Salon Bon Bon in Hitchin is no ordinary salon, with the business helping hatch the town's famous ducklings.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

My vacuum cleaner is over 32 years old. While it still seems to work, I borrowed a nearly new one at the weekend and have now fully vacuumed the carpets in my three rooms with it. I am amazed how much dust (and miscellaneous debris) the new cleaner removed from each.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Yes, this is a very good Killer Sudoku puzzle (by Adem Jaziri): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NyC.... I eventually managed to solve it (on paper), although took a lot longer than the 47.5 minutes Simon Anthony took in the video.

youtube.com

One Of The Best Killer Sudokus Ever.

YouTube video by Cracking The Cryptic

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Nick Hilton @nickfthilton.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

It's my own fault for using ChatGPT as a search tool, but this really made me laugh. "...with an important nuance..." is sublime 🤌

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public. I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are. 1/ Here's what I can share:

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

This IPSO adjudication against the Telegraph is quite something Confirms their story titled: ‘We earn £345k, but soaring private school fees mean we can’t go on five holidays’ was completely fabricated, with the family involved non-existent and stock pictures used www.ipso.co.uk/rulings/0210...

ipso.co.uk

02104-25 Fraser v Telegraph.co.uk - IPSO

Ian Fraser complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that Telegraph.co.uk breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in an article headlined “We earn £345k, but soa...

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

This is a good news local government story - www.north-herts.gov.uk/news/bin-cre.... Credit to Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and (East Herts only, when in power) Conservatives for making it happen. Shame on North Herts Conservatives for consistently opportunistically opposing it.

north-herts.gov.uk

'Bin-credible' North and East Herts residents cut nearly 6,000 tonnes of waste in five months | North Herts Council

Just five months after North and East Herts rolled out the biggest transformation to waste and recycling services in over a decade, our residents have delivered an extraordinary result.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Rupert Lowe's political party has just announced its first councillor: Maria Bowtell (Yorkshire). It seems this is her 4th affiliation since election: elected as a Tory in May 2023; defected to Reform in March 2024; became Independent in March 2025; just defected again to Restore (for now).

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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

A Valentine’s Day cartoon for @newscientist.com

Title: A Valentine’s Day experiment

In an effort to test the efficacy of cupids arrows of desire.

A placebo group is shot with regular arrows.

Their injuries range from moderate to sever.

Unexpectedly, romances struck up in hospital and lawyers’ waiting rooms create a "romance ratio" similar to that of magic arrows.

However, once the cost of compensation claims is factored in, it is decided to discontinue.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Some Jelly Ear fungus that has colonised a branch of my buddleia bush. It is more usually found on elder trees.

Two ears of Jelly Ear fungus on a buddleia bush

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Andrew Lewin MP @andrewlewinmp.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

This statement is on US Department of State website. It includes the following excerpt: "President Trump expressed his support for the monumental achievement during his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer in the White House." www.state.gov/u-s-support-...

state.gov

U.S. Support for UK and Mauritius Agreement on Chagos Archipelago - United States Department of State

Today, the United States welcomed the historic agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory—specifically, the Chagos Archipela...

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 13/01/2026

The utterly shameless & widely covered "report" out today, claiming net zero will "cost" £9tn is based on: * Assuming free fossil-fuel energy, free petrol cars, free gas boilers, free gas power plants etc AND * Including climate damages in the "cost" of net zero I kid you not, it is that stupid

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Reposted by Giles Woodruff

Mike Hixenbaugh @mikehixenbaugh.com · 08/01/2026

Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Am I correct that Reform members were completely excluded from the selection process for the party's recently announced choice of candidate for London mayor in 2028 (another Tory defector)? The party really ought to be called Conform.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

(1/4) I thought this was interesting: a graph of my relative weight during the calendar year. I have measured my weight in a consistent way (no clothes, just after waking and urinating) every month or two over the last 10 years and therefore, using interpolation, have estimated daily records.

Graph of weight in kilograms, described in subsequent comments to this post.

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

I have signed up again for the Flight Free UK challenge (flightfree.co.uk#take-the-cha...) saying I will not fly unless required to do so for work. The web page linked illustrates how high the carbon footprint of flying is compared to other activities. I have not flown since 2005 for that reason.

flightfree.co.uk

Flight Free UK

Fight climate change: make the pledge to be flight free in 2026

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Giles Woodruff @gileswoodruff.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

The cellar spider that has been wandering speculatively around my house for a few weeks found something to eat today just underneath my sitting room radiator. I have occasionally been giving it a drink (using a wet cotton bud), which it seems to appreciate. (It wouldn't survive outside in winter.)

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