Ian Temple 🇺🇦

@NickyJohnsonNY Thanks Nicky, they are still looking lovely at the moment. Enjoy your weekend. 😎🤞

Wishing you a blooming fabulous Friday from North Yorkshire 😊

@ShippersUnbound @frankcottrell_b I agree with you. The Samson cycle was variable but gripping and Bomber was outstanding.

Very sad to learn of the death of Len Deighton, who was one of the two greatest spy thriller writers of all time and in some regards was Le Carre’s superior. Anyone who has not read Deighton should try Funeral in Berlin, Bomber or SSGB. Most of all they should seek out Berlin Game, the start of an epic 10 book Cold War series focused on Bernard Samson. Deighton’s writing was sharp, satirical, gripping and often amusing. His office infighting in the intelligence services was delicious and his characters are beautifully drawn. The Samson cycle starts with a meticulously plotted run of five books (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook and Spy Line) which all stand alone but tell one big story from the jaded but dedicated perspective Bernard a brilliant field operative. Len’s genius idea was to use the sixth, Spy Sinker, to retell the whole cycle from the perspective of everyone else, exposing what Bernard didn’t know and misunderstood. There is then an origin story about Bernard’s dad during the war, Winter, and then a concluding trilogy of Faith, Hope and Charity, which is not as high quality but deals with the fallout from the events of books 1-5. It’s an epic achievement and the greatest long series in spy fiction, accepting that the Smiley series is the greatest short series. Do yourself a favour, give it a try

A big decision coming soon for Keir Starmer: can Britain really allow the King to pay a state visit to the US when Pres Trump is so publicly insulting to the UK?

A retired Major General just dropped a massive truth bomb: The only ally the US is supporting right now is Israel. He exposes how the administration has completely abandoned European and Middle Eastern allies, acting unilaterally and destroying American alliances.

@NickyJohnsonNY Great picture Nicky. One of your favourite views?

Wishing you a happy new week from North Yorkshire😊

@tonimason2502 I did the same!

Just because #coys I didn't watch, stayed offline (I was the jinx after all) until my daughters phone call and just like that a flicker of light, a tingle through the numbness, and a slight reason for me to smile 😃 Enjoy your evening everyone 🍷

@peter_pdm Me too!

Thank you Spurs...didn't see that coming but I'll take it

@EricIdle @KickLizard7 Absolutely! Anything to ingratiate himself with the US right wing.

Vile man.

@Theleaguemag @pearcey33 What would we give for Big Mike now!

Mike England of Tottenham Hotspur and Wales

Great East Window, York Minster The largest medieval stained glass in the world.

White boomer here, I'm with Howard, I cannot imagine ever voting for Reform, not ever. Voting for Reform is nothing about how old you are, it's about how gullible you are, how bigoted you are and how lacking in decency you are. Never Reform, ever.

How desperate and low.

@patrick_hurley @Petrie_JohnC And John Healey was out there days ago.

In June last year, Kemi Badenoch sneered that Keir Starmer had "evaded Prime Minister’s questions for two weeks", when he was actually at NATO and G7 meetings protecting our national security. Now, she's criticising him for *not* going overseas. I wish she'd make her mind up.

Reducing sanctions on Putin’s Russia when we just learned the Russians are giving targeting intelligence to Iran is clearly the WRONG strategy. The Russians are helping Iran to kill our service members. We want more sanctions on Russia, not less. ms.now/rachel-maddow-…

@NickyJohnsonNY What a glorious sky! We have the same here.

Wishing you a terrific Tuesday from my little slice of North Yorkshire 😊