Matthew Somerville
@dracos.co.uk
I help people report broken street lights, find out their bin day, plan train travel, manage an orchestra, locate the nearest postbox, research old theatre productions, keep time in a choir, and occasionally play board games | https://dracos.co.uk
The best home appliance I have is the breadmaker. It takes 1:05oz (600g) of flour, which is pleasing because doing the usual, half wholemeal/half white, means 10.5oz (300g) of each, which is easy to remember whichever units the scales are set to. And then in the morning there will be bread!
January 12, 2026 at 10:32 PM
The best home appliance I have is the breadmaker. It takes 1:05oz (600g) of flour, which is pleasing because doing the usual, half wholemeal/half white, means 10.5oz (300g) of each, which is easy to remember whichever units the scales are set to. And then in the morning there will be bread!
Early life: Wellesbourne/Adur
Childhood: Mersey
Now: Rea (with a little egret, and I once saw a kingfisher)
Childhood: Mersey
Now: Rea (with a little egret, and I once saw a kingfisher)
Birth: the Lea
Growing up: the Avon
Now: the Thames, although I live close to where the Lea empties into it (albeit the other side of the Thames)
What's your home river?
Growing up: the Avon
Now: the Thames, although I live close to where the Lea empties into it (albeit the other side of the Thames)
What's your home river?
My favorite Twitter prompt was "RT this with your home river," so reskeet this with your home river.
Mine is the Patuxent.
Mine is the Patuxent.
January 12, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Early life: Wellesbourne/Adur
Childhood: Mersey
Now: Rea (with a little egret, and I once saw a kingfisher)
Childhood: Mersey
Now: Rea (with a little egret, and I once saw a kingfisher)
I kickstarted Wild: Serengeti four years ago, beautiful game but (due to doing so well?) overly complicated and takes far too long, so hardly ever played. Today we found and played these rules: boardgamegeek.com/thread/29542... and had a lot more fun :)
"Kid friendly" variant | Wild: Serengeti
Hello All,
I've been really enjoying coming up with "kid friendly" ways to play some of the games I love in an effort to foster a love of gaming in my youngish children. I have done this for one of ...
boardgamegeek.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:04 PM
I kickstarted Wild: Serengeti four years ago, beautiful game but (due to doing so well?) overly complicated and takes far too long, so hardly ever played. Today we found and played these rules: boardgamegeek.com/thread/29542... and had a lot more fun :)
‘Last year the company made profits of £35million on an income of £65 million — a rate of return of more than 50 per cent.
The money goes to Blackbaud, a US-based cloud software company, which bought JustGiving in 2017 for £95 million.’ www.thetimes.com/article/d6d3...
The money goes to Blackbaud, a US-based cloud software company, which bought JustGiving in 2017 for £95 million.’ www.thetimes.com/article/d6d3...
JustGiving faces investigation over claims donors are misled
The fundraising platform is accused of prompting supporters to add costly ‘tips’, helping deliver multimillion-pound returns to its US owner at donors’ expense
www.thetimes.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Cadbury Mini Eggs over the past few years:
2022, 80g: £1
2023, 80g: £1.25
2024, 80g: £1.50
2025, 80g: £1.85
2026, 74g: £2
Dunno why, but this hits my “just won’t bother” threshold. I wonder if I’d be more likely to get a £1 37g bag; probably?
2022, 80g: £1
2023, 80g: £1.25
2024, 80g: £1.50
2025, 80g: £1.85
2026, 74g: £2
Dunno why, but this hits my “just won’t bother” threshold. I wonder if I’d be more likely to get a £1 37g bag; probably?
January 10, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Cadbury Mini Eggs over the past few years:
2022, 80g: £1
2023, 80g: £1.25
2024, 80g: £1.50
2025, 80g: £1.85
2026, 74g: £2
Dunno why, but this hits my “just won’t bother” threshold. I wonder if I’d be more likely to get a £1 37g bag; probably?
2022, 80g: £1
2023, 80g: £1.25
2024, 80g: £1.50
2025, 80g: £1.85
2026, 74g: £2
Dunno why, but this hits my “just won’t bother” threshold. I wonder if I’d be more likely to get a £1 37g bag; probably?
I really enjoyed reading this alternative history murder mystery last year
Oh gawd it's January, which means my book is coming out in paperback on the 29th! Waterstones are doing an exclusive edition with red edges, a prequel chapter AND the first chapter of the sequel, The Hoard and can be pre-ordered THUSLY: www.waterstones.com/book/pagans/...
January 10, 2026 at 12:52 PM
I really enjoyed reading this alternative history murder mystery last year
Reposted by Matthew Somerville
The what now?
I should probably have the bot pick only 1 or two each time it posts, otherwise it’s a bit much when a contributor is on a roll!
I should probably have the bot pick only 1 or two each time it posts, otherwise it’s a bit much when a contributor is on a roll!
New production added: The Amorous Prawn, started 23rd August 1962, at Connaught Theatre, Worthing.
https://theatricalia.com/play/4fv/the-amorous-prawn/production/1hcb
https://theatricalia.com/play/4fv/the-amorous-prawn/production/1hcb
January 9, 2026 at 9:29 PM
The what now?
I should probably have the bot pick only 1 or two each time it posts, otherwise it’s a bit much when a contributor is on a roll!
I should probably have the bot pick only 1 or two each time it posts, otherwise it’s a bit much when a contributor is on a roll!
Think I’ve found the right repos to propose these for removal:
github.com/alphagov/gov...
github.com/alphagov/fro...
github.com/alphagov/e-p...
github.com/alphagov/gov...
github.com/alphagov/fro...
github.com/alphagov/e-p...
January 8, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Think I’ve found the right repos to propose these for removal:
github.com/alphagov/gov...
github.com/alphagov/fro...
github.com/alphagov/e-p...
github.com/alphagov/gov...
github.com/alphagov/fro...
github.com/alphagov/e-p...
If you need to change trains at New Street, a helpful tip: the B ends of the platforms are all directly joined by walkway (red on this map), whereas the A ends are in two separate ticket-gated halves (1-5 in blue and 6-12 in green) - whoever designed it didn’t realise it’d have ticket gates‽
January 8, 2026 at 1:04 PM
If you need to change trains at New Street, a helpful tip: the B ends of the platforms are all directly joined by walkway (red on this map), whereas the A ends are in two separate ticket-gated halves (1-5 in blue and 6-12 in green) - whoever designed it didn’t realise it’d have ticket gates‽
Reposted by Matthew Somerville
This isn't even a situation where the law needs to 'catch up' - all of these are criminalised by a statute from *1994*. This is a situation where the police are simply failing to do their job
January 7, 2026 at 8:43 AM
This isn't even a situation where the law needs to 'catch up' - all of these are criminalised by a statute from *1994*. This is a situation where the police are simply failing to do their job
“(1) ... it is an offence for a person— (a) [...] to make, any indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child; or (b) to distribute or show such indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs”
I would say the corporate person X is definitely doing 1(b), and would argue 1(a) as well.
I would say the corporate person X is definitely doing 1(b), and would argue 1(a) as well.
I guess the argument is that software capable of being involved in CSAM could include something like Photoshop but historically we’ve not criminalised the software for the capability?
January 7, 2026 at 10:42 AM
“(1) ... it is an offence for a person— (a) [...] to make, any indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child; or (b) to distribute or show such indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs”
I would say the corporate person X is definitely doing 1(b), and would argue 1(a) as well.
I would say the corporate person X is definitely doing 1(b), and would argue 1(a) as well.
Reposted by Matthew Somerville
Delightful work by @bryce.lol:
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
www.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Delightful work by @bryce.lol:
As I’ve just got it working again (thanks @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy), here’s the mobile-readable version of that page, using my proxy:
adlegem.dracos.co.uk/ukpga/2025/1...
adlegem.dracos.co.uk/ukpga/2025/1...
January 6, 2026 at 1:54 PM
As I’ve just got it working again (thanks @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy), here’s the mobile-readable version of that page, using my proxy:
adlegem.dracos.co.uk/ukpga/2025/1...
adlegem.dracos.co.uk/ukpga/2025/1...
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/1... seems pretty clear to me (66E is X itself, 66F is anyone using the feature on X), just awaits coming into force.
(But like the Easter Act 1928, that can sometimes take some time…)
(But like the Easter Act 1928, that can sometimes take some time…)
Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
www.legislation.gov.uk
January 5, 2026 at 10:20 PM
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/1... seems pretty clear to me (66E is X itself, 66F is anyone using the feature on X), just awaits coming into force.
(But like the Easter Act 1928, that can sometimes take some time…)
(But like the Easter Act 1928, that can sometimes take some time…)
Reposted by Matthew Somerville
I’m on my nonsense again. This week’s Six Things:
– the sunlight optimism calculator
– important cat science
– a deranged entanglogram
– the progression of English
– Wacky Races truthing
– gridogram
open.substack.com/pub/levparik...
– the sunlight optimism calculator
– important cat science
– a deranged entanglogram
– the progression of English
– Wacky Races truthing
– gridogram
open.substack.com/pub/levparik...
Six Things, Volume 141
Optimism | Cats | Entanglogram | English | Wacky Races | Gridogram
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:59 AM
I’m on my nonsense again. This week’s Six Things:
– the sunlight optimism calculator
– important cat science
– a deranged entanglogram
– the progression of English
– Wacky Races truthing
– gridogram
open.substack.com/pub/levparik...
– the sunlight optimism calculator
– important cat science
– a deranged entanglogram
– the progression of English
– Wacky Races truthing
– gridogram
open.substack.com/pub/levparik...
Reposted by Matthew Somerville
Wrote a mini year in review: dracos.co.uk/wrote/2025/
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
2025 in review - Matthew Somerville
dracos.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Wrote a mini year in review: dracos.co.uk/wrote/2025/
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
Wrote a mini year in review: dracos.co.uk/wrote/2025/
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
2025 in review - Matthew Somerville
dracos.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Wrote a mini year in review: dracos.co.uk/wrote/2025/
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
Mainly to provide @struan.exo.org.uk with a list of books to compare ;)
We completed this (my assumption of all names with a middle initial worked out well) but then I have made the mistake of starting Sudokuvania (beaten two bosses so far…)
So far I have spent 2026 doing this STUPID STUPID GAME thomaswc.com/2025.html (basically a 45x45 connections wall 🫠)
2025
thomaswc.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:07 PM
We completed this (my assumption of all names with a middle initial worked out well) but then I have made the mistake of starting Sudokuvania (beaten two bosses so far…)
This is the earliest I have got to a station in a long time - a full 40 minutes early! Luckily, given the cold, it has also arrived 30 minutes before departure and already let us on
January 3, 2026 at 10:49 AM
This is the earliest I have got to a station in a long time - a full 40 minutes early! Luckily, given the cold, it has also arrived 30 minutes before departure and already let us on
Off to see Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show tomorrow
January 2, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Off to see Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show tomorrow
Was it me saying I was planning to go? ;-) www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
January 1, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Was it me saying I was planning to go? ;-) www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Into 2026 playing this giant Only Connect wall: thomaswc.com/2025.html
2025
thomaswc.com
January 1, 2026 at 7:46 AM
Into 2026 playing this giant Only Connect wall: thomaswc.com/2025.html