John Aitken OBE

@andrewmarr finding @bbclaurak report from Brussels utterly enthralling obviously...

Ben Delo was pardoned by Trump last year, after pleading guilty to violating US money-laundering rules via his crypto firm. He's now moving to UK to donate to Reform - in a move set to deepen its financial dependence on crypto-billionaires. My analysis: thetimes.com/comment/column…

This amused me greatly.

@NUFC_Sean_ @JHCPAL Shush man! There enough second home owners in Rothbury already and last time I went to Druridge Bay all I heard was RP accents. We know it’s lovely, but don’t tell them!

Watching these Londoners on pilgrimage man. They have no idea, they see a bit of water and a few trees and they're in awe of the view. They ain't seen nothing yet of Northumberland. Go to the right places it's jaw dropping.

@NavalInstitute One of the most sought after jobs in the RN amongst junior warfare officers of my generation was Diving Officer HMS BEAVER.

Today is International Beaver Day. In 1998, Royal Navy sailors wrote a letter to Navy News to complain that HMS Beaver and other warships named for "fluffy animals" were bad for morale. The sailors believed that "inoffensive, soft and cuddly and occasionally downright dull" names prevented them from making a strong impression on other nations. #InternationalBeaverDay

@Magpie24_7 Could the club offer to turn SJP onto a replacement “green space”?

🏟️ History Repeating: ​Newcastle United finds itself at a massive crossroads that feels eerily like 1996. As the club’s global ambitions grow, the walls of St James’ Park are closing in. With matchday revenue sitting at £51.6m—well behind rivals like Arsenal at £153.9m and Liverpool at £116m—the need for more seats isn't just about atmosphere; it’s about financial survival in the modern era. ​The demand for tickets is at an all-time high, with experts suggesting the club could easily shift an additional 10,000 season tickets if the space existed. While David Hopkinson remains tight-lipped on the specifics, the club's annual report confirms they are officially still weighing the choice between expanding the current Gallowgate End or building a brand-new 'Super Stadium' ​​Thirty years ago, Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan faced this exact problem. With 20,000 fans on the waiting list and a team challenging for the title, the club scrutinised ten potential locations across the city. These sites included Gosforth Park, Brough Park, Kingston Park, Newburn Haugh, Woolsington Park, Waverdale, the Byker R&D site, the City Stadium, and Walkergate Hospital. Ultimately, Castle Leazes emerged as the only viable option for a world-class venue. ​The 1997 vision for Castle Leazes was breathtaking. The club proposed a £90m, 70,000-seat bowl sunk five meters into the ground, featuring glass-and-steel arches designed to echo the iconic Tyne Bridge. It was intended to be a Northern rival to the Nou Camp or the San Siro, providing a massive economic boost to the region. ​ ​Despite 69% fan approval in local polls, the project was ultimately doomed. Fierce opposition from the "Friends of Leazes Park" and local residents led to a sustained onslaught of marches and protests. To avoid a costly and drawn-out public inquiry, the club reluctantly withdrew the plans and settled for the expansion of St James’ Park to its current capacity in the year 2000. ​Today, the board is staring at the same map. While redeveloping the Gallowgate End remains on the table, the complex engineering requirements and the impact on Strawberry Place make it a logistical nightmare. With Leazes Park once again identified as a preferred site for a new build, protesters are already mobilising to protect the Grade II listed green space. Whether it is 1996 or 2026, Newcastle United remains a giant that has outgrown its suit, facing the same hurdles it did three decades ago. #NUFC #NUFCNews #Newcastle #EPL

@civetta @northumbriana We need to convey this level of enthusiasm to Di Meo’s!

@johnaitken69 @northumbriana I would absolutely buy one.

Ordered a coffee and a cannoli from the peerless Di Meo’s in Whitley Bay and the way the lady in charge confirmed my order made me realise that the singular of these famous Italian pastries is actually cannolo (just like panino/panini) 🤦🏻‍♂️

@20committee Indeed. It's not like we've got permanent units in MOD & CWGC who are still finding, identifying & burying with full honours, casualties from over a century ago... bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Today I learnt that when Lord Salisbury wrote: "Whatever happens will be for the worse, and therefore it is in our interest that as little should happen as possible" (perhaps his most famous saying), he was, in fact, writing about 'Persian affairs' in December 1879.

“That’s no moon,” says horrified Artemis II crew. More at 11.

Potentially the most gangster interview response in the world of literature

@10Mattgray @UnimportantO I’m not sure about that. I don’t think that they will have been aware of the sheer scale of the problem they were going to face. Their predecessors had expended most of their energy on in-fighting over Brexit rather than attending to actual business of govt.

@johnaitken69 @UnimportantO The execution of defence reform, a defence review, national resilience planning and the investment plan have been shambolic at best, it's as if Labour naively thought by getting into power ....all this would happen magically by itself...

I understand the frustration of delays to the Defence Investment Plan, but trying to match genuine needs and aspirations with limited budgets (there’s always a limit even if it grows) is complex and rushing it out would be worse than letting lobbying bounce out a bad plan.

@UnimportantO @10Mattgray Absolutely agree with you chum, it’s very difficult, and the situation now is the result of decades of underinvestment and delayed decisions, I’ve commented elsewhere that all of the govts since 1990 have take too much risk. But this is still disappointing.

@10Mattgray @johnaitken69 This isn’t a party political issue. I’ve not know a strategy that’s delivered as commentators would wish in my lifetime. All parties struggle, in part because it isn’t actually easy.

@bazza080808 @premierleague @bartonwarren02 Ollie Bernard at left back (apologies to Johnny B who I thought was excellent). Other than that…. Nope that’s it.

Updated my #NUFC @premierleague all time 11 Sorry @bartonwarren02 What changes would you make? Can only pick players have who played for us, not currently playing for us

This might just be one of the best tweets ever.

In a stunning example of Reform efficiency, Nottinghamshire council spent £75,000 putting flags on streets because fiscal genius Lee Anderson said the cost would be covered by sponsorship. Except nobody has agreed to sponsor any. nottinghampost.com/news/local-new…

@Magpie24_7 I hope not.

🇮🇹 In what will upset all the little Man United fanboys and plastics alike, Ben Jacobs is reporting that Sandro Tonali is NOT currently under consideration at Manchester United for a move this summer. This is because Newcastle value him of upward of £90m and thats a number that they can't reach! Do you still think Tonali will leave us this summer? 👇 #NUFC #NUFCNews #Newcastle #EPL #ManUtd

Latest analysis article: The Royal Navy’s reputation takes a battering navylookout.com/the-royal-navy…

Yes humans did indeed live without vaccines for thousands of years Just not for very long Life expectancy was 30