Meanwhile...

[Joan]

There is a lot of nonsense spouted about the Oscars, but I think the lessons are that women can't direct, and non-whites can't act.

That's the only explanation, right?

[JohnToo]

Environment Agency Flood Barrier. Viewed from one side:

and from the other:

Hashtag who cares about Wales, this is Surrey we're talking about here

[Joan]

I set out on a walk just before the rain started yesterday. It was beating down as an old man called out a question to me. He was talking to some builders working on a house, so I crossed the road so he could repeat his question. He wanted directions to a place a couple of km away, which was awkward to get to from where we were except by foot. The guy was pretty old and though looked as though he could make it, his rheumy eyes were concerning, and as I say, it was starting to rain quite hard. I started to consider the best directions for him, when one of the builders came over and said "You want to get to Richmond Bridge? Here." and opened the driver's and rear doors of his car. He wasn't only going to drive the chap there, he was going to chauffeur him!

Just nice to see so much humanity in a simple gesture.

[Iris]

If this were fiction, the next chapter would open with a body being found washed up on the beach at the South Bank.

Which is possibly one reason why we tend to have a distorted view of human life.

[Joan]

If this were fiction, the next chapter would open with a body being found washed up on the beach at the South Bank.

Which is possibly one reason why we tend to have a distorted view of human life.

It's not just you. I didn't mention it, but as I walked away I looked back at the scene: the people involved, the visibility, the fact I was a witness and the old man did not look like he was worth robbing and decided there could be no ulterior motive.

If it had been a young woman, I might have asked for a "lift", too, to chaperone. And that makes me a little sick to think about; if the driver understood my motives in that scenario, that would probably be the last time he would make such a generous offer. No one wants to be suspected of being a predator.

Oh, I seem to be in a dark mood. I will slink away and come back more cheerful another day.

[JohnToo]

It's not just you. I didn't mention it, but as I walked away I looked back at the scene: the people involved, the visibility, the fact I was a witness and the old man did not look like he was worth robbing and decided there could be no ulterior motive.

If it had been a young woman, I might have asked for a "lift", too, to chaperone. And that makes me a little sick to think about; if the driver understood my motives in that scenario, that would probably be the last time he would make such a generous offer. No one wants to be suspected of being a predator.

Oh, I seem to be in a dark mood. I will slink away and come back more cheerful another day.

A few years ago, I came across a female student who had been knocked off her bike in Oxford. No obvious broken bones but enough symptoms to provoke caution. She was adamantly refusing the advice of her friends to call an ambulance. I intervened and used the extra authority my age gave me to insist she go to the hospital. Because my car was just round the corner (I was walking back to it) I offered to drive her and that overcame her objection to an ambulance. I insisted one of her friends come too as chaperone (and selfishly so that when we got there I could leave). But on the way, she was becoming agitated about consequences (principally missing a friend's show as I recall) and I was reassuring her, and I instinctively put a momentary reassuring hand on her knee. She did not (visibly) take it badly but my blood still runs cold at the thought of how that could have turned out.

[Lullabelle]

It is a shame the press is full of negative stories when so man good deeds are done by so many but don't get recognition.

[Regulator]

I am in Leicestershire today (Leicester, Loughborough and the DNRC Stanford Hall).

Did you see me wave at you and Dunckel as I went past Lulabelle?

[Lullabelle]

I am in Leicestershire today (Leicester, Loughborough and the DNRC Stanford Hall).

Did you see me wave at you and Dunckel as I went past Lulabelle?

I did, did you see me wave back?

[JohnToo]

In a large car park today (at Wisley as it happens), the car next to us, an SUV, was locked, unattended, and had its engine running.

The option of stuffing a rag up its exhaust to stop the engine occurred to me but I wasn't brave enough... What would you have done?

[LowlifeDes]

In a large car park today (at Wisley as it happens), the car next to us, an SUV, was locked, unattended, and had its engine running.

The option of stuffing a rag up its exhaust to stop the engine occurred to me but I wasn't brave enough... What would you have done?

Probably made a loud tutting sound as I walked away.

[Greg]

In a large car park today (at Wisley as it happens), the car next to us, an SUV, was locked, unattended, and had its engine running.

The option of stuffing a rag up its exhaust to stop the engine occurred to me but I wasn't brave enough... What would you have done?

I would have walked around it slowly with a bemused look on my face, scratched my chin, got back in my car, drove home and then written about it on a cycling forum.

You did exactly the right thing JohnToo, be proud.

[Joan]

I would fantasise about calling the police and reporting it as a probable car bomb, so they would tow it to a secure location and destroy it in a controlled explosion.

Then I would (as above) tut, and then vent online.

[Lullabelle]

Make the alarm go off or remove the rubber stopper thing on 1 of the tyres.

[Lullabelle]

Just finished watching Good Omens-cracking piece of television.