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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Extraordinary. I mean, being a dog in Delhi is a very grim vibe at the best of times but these look as if they can barely move. The Grand Finale is in a couple of days apparently. The race to crown the 'fattest dog of Delhi' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Fat dogs of Delhi: The unusual election gripping the Indian capital

The contest to crown the Indian capital's "chonkiest" dog has attracted thousands of votes.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

In Broughton Castle where there are homemade cakes to die for. Queues at the counter from the moment they opened. Never mind the antiques, the exquisite plasterwork, the paintings and all that malarky, try the freshly made blackcurrant and orange sponge! #Oxfordshire #BroughtonCastle #Cakey

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Full moon celebrations with thousands upon thousands of lights on the ghats at Varanasi, India. 15 November 2024. #BlueSkyArtShow #Lights #India #TravelPhotography

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Pip Wren @lollibeepop.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A joyous fat bear week to all 🐻

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Cooked some salmon and prawns for supper tonight. My lovely wife was not entirely impressed when I remarked that this synchronized nicely with the start of the Alaskan sensation, FAT BEAR WEEK. #FatBearWeek explore.org/fat-bear-week

explore.org

Fat Bear Week 2026 - Explore.org

Explore.org is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Our mission is to champion the selfless acts of others, create a portal into the soul of humanity...

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A perfect early autumn day. Crisp fresh, tingly air, sunlight on dappled water. Christ Church Meadow, Oxford, 21 September 2026. #Oxford #ChristChurchMeadow #LandscapePhotography

A perfect early autumn day by the River Thames. Crisp fresh, tingly air, sunlight on dappled water. Christ Church Meadow, Oxford, 21 September 2026.

#Oxford
#ChristChurchMeadow
#LandscapePhotography

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The horror. We’re nowhere near the place but the Diddly Squat Apocalypse is spreading far afield. In Oxfordshire a few days ago. #Oxfordshire #FarmersDog #Apocalyse

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The colours of autumn beginning to pop up everywhere now. In Oxfordshire a few days ago. #Stunday #Autumn

Some autumn foliage by a lake.

The colours of autumn beginning to pop up everywhere. In Oxfordshire a few days ago.

#Stunday
#Autumn

Some bright red gourds at Wykham Park farm shop.

The colours of autumn beginning to pop up everywhere. In Oxfordshire a few days ago.

#Stunday
#Autumn

Some orange gourds at Wykham Park farm shop.

The colours of autumn beginning to pop up everywhere. In Oxfordshire a few days ago.

#Stunday
#Autumn

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Ah, #Piddington. I live nearby. When I was about 12, a troglodytic throwback in Piddington bloodied my face with the remains of a fox earlier torn apart by the local hunt. I remember the mess and the awful smell. Nothing about this place would surprise me.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

In north Oxfordshire where we are generally snuggling down till Saturday. Books, walks, pubs.

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Hassinator @hassinator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Wet and gloomy for most of yesterday so here is an autumnal dahlia from near Lower Heyford in Oxfordshire. September 2026. #FlowerPhotography #BlackandWhitePhotography #Dahlia

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Every year in the autumn a string of lovely and gentle ponies comes to a field near us for a few months. They’ve just arrived again, as elegant as ever. #Oxfordshire #Horses #Autumn

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Good message to get on a rain-soaked Tuesday morning.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

We had lunch at the Wheatsheaf in Chilton Foliat yesterday. Very pleasant, newly renovated, excellent food concentrating on simple things done very well, plus you can stay there too. In a lovely village right by the River Kennet. We’ll be back. www.thewheatsheafchiltonfoliat.co.uk

thewheatsheafchiltonfoliat.co.uk

The Wheatsheaf | British Food, Drinks & Accommodation

Established in 1767, The Wheatsheaf offers superb British food, drinks, & accommodation in the Wiltshire countryside.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Love these posts at this time of year. Very much part of autumn in England.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

“Tony”: Enjoyed this, though there’s always a darkling undercurrent; lovely Cape light (shades of Joel Meyerowitz); the excruciating awkwardness of being 19 so well expressed by Dominic Sessa, affectionate standout performance from Antonio Banderas. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ju...

theguardian.com

Tony review – knives out in tasty reheat of Anthony Bourdain’s memoir

Dominic Sessa stars as a conceited yet vulnerable young chef alongside Antonio Banderas – but the feelgood factor is compromised by what we know of the author

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

What a difference even one week of rain makes. The first (left) image was taken today; the second was taken two weeks ago, before the rains. Nature is able to restore itself remarkably quickly if only we give it a chance. Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire, 2026. #Oxfordshire #LandscapePhotography

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

It looks as if the fabulous Barbu d'Uccle bantams may have received some new recruits. The old flock was pretty depleted, likely after brazen behaviour by Mr Fox. Lower Heyford, September 2026. #Chickens #Oxfordshire #Barbud'Uccle

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

After a week of rain the plums are coming along nicely. Unfortunately the tree I have in mind is in someone else’s garden … grappling hooks to the ready … I am going in …

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Quite a common sight in rural South India: a striking pottery mask to ward off the evil eye with, here, a pink ensemble. They are called Drishti Bommai, at least in Tamil parts though in Kerala the correct term may be Drishti Bomma. Near Palakkad, spring 2024. #Kerala #ColorADay #PinkMon

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Through the narrow gate and into this garden of magic and delight where time and cares slip away. We’ve been coming to this wonderful place for 20+ years. Few seem to know it. I’m not saying where it is so things stay that way. Oxfordshire, August 2026. #BlueskyArtShow #Summer #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Nipped into the local cafe to avoid another deluge while out walking. It’s not at all warm either. Have ordered hot chocolate like it’s mid-winter. Only a couple of weeks ago it was so hot that we were contemplating bailing for an air-conditioned hotel for the night. Strange days …

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Went out for a walk this morning. Took a direct hit. Absolutely soaked. Went for a walk yesterday afternoon. An even more direct hit with thunder and lightning crashing overhead. Soaked. Dramatic. God it feels good after so much dryness.

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Danny Fearns @dannyfearns.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Good morning Bluesky ☀️ This is one of the last coal powered sheep. The vast majority of UK sheep are now all electric ⚡️

Sheep grazing in fields, the one in the foreground with white smoke apparently coming out of its bottom

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

This dry summer. I doubt there is anything left in the grass so I’d guess these lovely (and, I am sure, pedigree) Longhorns are already on supplements and winter provisions. We’re all waiting for rain, an unfamiliar, primal feeling. Near Lower Heyford, August 2026. #Stunday #Oxfordshire #Drought

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Discarded dahlias that have gone over and rotten apples, all piled up in the compost bin: the detritus of summer’s end. Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire, August 2026. #BlueskyArtShow #Chaos #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This is incredibly silly 😀

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Big mob of rooks and jackdaws wheeling and calling over the church tower in Deddington last night, the sky dark slate streaked with orange in the last of the light. For the first time I felt, this is autumn now. TBH not a moment too soon after this punishing summer. #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Well said. I’ve always thought that. A civil war likely means violent rule by gangsters in uniforms. After the war, most go back to being just plain gangsters.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Tremendous stuff. I miss Hunter S T. When one looks at the utter nonsense pumped out by culture warriors, politicians, tech bros and AI spivs every day, the world might be better and calmer if a lot more of us put a little Hunter S into our dealings with them.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Raving on the Thames with the Go Go Cages. I could get into that. People are too serious these days and probably don’t rave enough. Or go go enough. Alas we missed it. This is a poster from last weekend’s Twickenham 1960s street festival. Hope it was fun. #Twickenham #1960s #Festivals

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

#Stunday: The Thames by Eel Pie Island at Twickenham. Always a lovely place and full of history even though the crows are a bit knackered, the pubs are eccentric and there’s not much water in the river at low tide. August 2026. #Thames #Twickenham #UrbanGaze

#Stunday: The Thames by Eel Pie Island at Twickenham. Always lovely place and full of history even though the crows are a bit knackered, the pubs are eccentric and there’s not much water in the river at low tide. August 2026.

#Thames
#Twickenham
#UrbanGaze

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Where there is water there is still some green lushness in the parched countryside around here. But the River Cherwell is as low as I’ve seen it, just a few inches deep. Last winter, this entire area was flooded. Hampton Poyle, Oxfordshire, August 2026. #BlueskyArtShow #Earth #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Gorgeous Cotswold view from Aynho Park this fine evening. Just miles of countryside. What a place! #Oxfordshire #AynhoPark #LandscapePhotography

Gorgeous Cotswold view from Aynho Park this fine evening. What a place!

#Oxfordshire
#AynhoPark
#LandscapePhotography

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Austen and lacey things in a vintage shop window. Oxford, August 2026. #Oxford #UrbanGaze #JaneAusten

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

It’s hotter in our garden this afternoon than it is in New Delhi or Mumbai. Cripes. (Source: BBC Weather app.)

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Some of the business ends of Stan, Oxford’s local T. rex. Looks a no-nonsense character. Likely to expect better rations than the City Council’s famous vegan sandwiches. #Oxford #Dinosaur #Tyrannosaurusrex

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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

For thousands of years, a solar eclipse has been a prophetic harbinger of a spectacular, epoch-making event. Just saying. #VoteBinface #Clacton

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

A stroll round the old place today showed the fabled college lawns in an advanced stage of desiccation. Even drier than all those old tomes in the library ;) … #Oxford #Heatwave #Grass #OxfordUniversity

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

About 20 rose-ringed parakeets have just flown over, twittering all the way. We see or hear them quite often so they must be well established just to the north of Oxford. #oxonbirding #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Great point from the excellent Cory Doctorow. Politicians need to deliver on the little, sometimes apparently trivial things that improve daily life because otherwise why should anyone trust them to deliver on the really big stuff.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Another beautiful essay from Jeanette Winterson this morning. Her “Mind Over Matter” on Substack is really worth following. open.substack.com/pub/jeanette...

open.substack.com

The Past. The Present.

the future isn't here yet

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

#Stunday: Gorgeous second flush of roses in our garden despite the heat this year. These are beautifully scented ones from David Austin. #FlowerPhotography #Roses #Oxfordshire

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Erik Gregersen @ctgriffes.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

As an adaptation of Homer’s epic, the Honda Odyssey is a complete disaster. With its roomy cabin and rear entertainment system for the kids, the minivan foregrounds concerns that only arose with the American nuclear family and say nothing about the brutality that underlay the Bronze Age.

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The River Cherwell near Hampton Poyle in Oxfordshire. Once it was lovely. There’s little of that now. Upstream, leakage of 'forever chemicals' from the old US airbase at Upper Heyford is 43,000 times higher than environmental standards. Yes, 43,000 times. #BlueskyArtShow #Water #Oxfordshire

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Came across this one in north Oxford yesterday, a little too well camouflaged and easy to trip over on the pavement. Friendly, but looked a bit scruffy and wondered whether this is a moggie without a home. Likely I’ll check back on Monday. Park Town, Oxford, Aug 2026. #InternationalCatDay #Oxford

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

A tub of Jericho Soup. Just add a bottle of sherry and some strong antibiotics. Oxford Canal by Jericho, August 2026. #Jericho #Oxford #OxfordCanal #Soup

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Mark Crean @markcrean.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

On the Oxford Canal by Jericho. Deliciously cool under the trees though a bit early for cocktails. #Jericho #Oxford #OxfordCanal #Narrowboat

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