Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
@goakl.bsky.social
Published on 19th Century Vendéen memorials. Former PwC partner. Trustee at Institute of Historical Research. Trustee at NHS Retirement. Active travel in Bishop’s Stortford. Keyboard warrior. Bearsted CC. Cricket, cycling, rugby à XV. France and England.
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
The man from Del Monte does love a gammon.
Broccoli for the non-asparagus eating child in the house.
Broccoli for the non-asparagus eating child in the house.
November 26, 2025 at 5:45 PM
The man from Del Monte does love a gammon.
Broccoli for the non-asparagus eating child in the house.
Broccoli for the non-asparagus eating child in the house.
Can someone explain how the EV mileage tax will work in practice please? GPS? Will it include miles driven outside the UK?
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Can someone explain how the EV mileage tax will work in practice please? GPS? Will it include miles driven outside the UK?
This story is so bizarre.
A man wants to get his ex back. So invents a story that he killed and then buried a cyclist. Because that’ll work.
Police appeal for help in finding the body.
Eventually he owns up and goes to jail.
No indication if the ex came back or ran even further away.
A man wants to get his ex back. So invents a story that he killed and then buried a cyclist. Because that’ll work.
Police appeal for help in finding the body.
Eventually he owns up and goes to jail.
No indication if the ex came back or ran even further away.
L'histoire de la cycliste achevée à coup de pelle était ... un bobard. 🙄
L'affaire avait fait l'objet d'un appel à témoins, évidemment infructueux.
L'affaire avait fait l'objet d'un appel à témoins, évidemment infructueux.
November 26, 2025 at 11:31 AM
This story is so bizarre.
A man wants to get his ex back. So invents a story that he killed and then buried a cyclist. Because that’ll work.
Police appeal for help in finding the body.
Eventually he owns up and goes to jail.
No indication if the ex came back or ran even further away.
A man wants to get his ex back. So invents a story that he killed and then buried a cyclist. Because that’ll work.
Police appeal for help in finding the body.
Eventually he owns up and goes to jail.
No indication if the ex came back or ran even further away.
Anyone else use a piece of bread to mop up the bacon fat (because we don’t want to clog up the drains, obviously).
Delicious.
No, it’s not bad for you.
Delicious.
No, it’s not bad for you.
November 26, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Anyone else use a piece of bread to mop up the bacon fat (because we don’t want to clog up the drains, obviously).
Delicious.
No, it’s not bad for you.
Delicious.
No, it’s not bad for you.
On budget day it’s important to remind young people not to spend money on frivolous things. You can feed a family for a week for the cost of a single avocado
November 26, 2025 at 10:29 AM
On budget day it’s important to remind young people not to spend money on frivolous things. You can feed a family for a week for the cost of a single avocado
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
"How Do You Avoid Hitting People with your Car" mini guide.
Now in French! 🇫🇷
Now in French! 🇫🇷
November 25, 2025 at 10:43 PM
"How Do You Avoid Hitting People with your Car" mini guide.
Now in French! 🇫🇷
Now in French! 🇫🇷
Things that are utterly weird (verging on creepy) - someone follows you on Strava and then immediately likes a ride you did from a house you moved out of over a decade ago, to have dinner with a girlfriend you split up with a year later.
November 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Things that are utterly weird (verging on creepy) - someone follows you on Strava and then immediately likes a ride you did from a house you moved out of over a decade ago, to have dinner with a girlfriend you split up with a year later.
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
Y’know, believing there’s a kind of racism that isn’t hurtful or insulting is itself quite revealing.
November 25, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Y’know, believing there’s a kind of racism that isn’t hurtful or insulting is itself quite revealing.
Five years ago my #PhD supervisor confirmed that my “minor amendments” had been accepted.
I still smile when someone calls me doctor Oakland though.
I still smile when someone calls me doctor Oakland though.
November 24, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Five years ago my #PhD supervisor confirmed that my “minor amendments” had been accepted.
I still smile when someone calls me doctor Oakland though.
I still smile when someone calls me doctor Oakland though.
From a tv review:
a moving treatise on his sadness at letting go, as every grownup must, of the person his parent used to be, the one who gave him his childhood
Probably 3/4 of the people I engage with on here know this feeling. Most, like me, fear it happening to their children.
a moving treatise on his sadness at letting go, as every grownup must, of the person his parent used to be, the one who gave him his childhood
Probably 3/4 of the people I engage with on here know this feeling. Most, like me, fear it happening to their children.
November 24, 2025 at 11:21 AM
From a tv review:
a moving treatise on his sadness at letting go, as every grownup must, of the person his parent used to be, the one who gave him his childhood
Probably 3/4 of the people I engage with on here know this feeling. Most, like me, fear it happening to their children.
a moving treatise on his sadness at letting go, as every grownup must, of the person his parent used to be, the one who gave him his childhood
Probably 3/4 of the people I engage with on here know this feeling. Most, like me, fear it happening to their children.
November 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Ryanair delays. Sitting on tarmac in Poitiers. Plans for getting home before kick off in the rugby disrupted. I have pressed “record” on the Sky app. Hopefully that works!
November 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Ryanair delays. Sitting on tarmac in Poitiers. Plans for getting home before kick off in the rugby disrupted. I have pressed “record” on the Sky app. Hopefully that works!
Last time I flew through Poitiers I put 3x100ml of home made chutney in various little pots in the clear plastic bag. No problem.
This time 1x100ml in the smallest jar left, a 200ml jam jar. In the clear plastic bag. Thrown in the bin by officials.
Performative security.
FUMMIN.
This time 1x100ml in the smallest jar left, a 200ml jam jar. In the clear plastic bag. Thrown in the bin by officials.
Performative security.
FUMMIN.
November 23, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Last time I flew through Poitiers I put 3x100ml of home made chutney in various little pots in the clear plastic bag. No problem.
This time 1x100ml in the smallest jar left, a 200ml jam jar. In the clear plastic bag. Thrown in the bin by officials.
Performative security.
FUMMIN.
This time 1x100ml in the smallest jar left, a 200ml jam jar. In the clear plastic bag. Thrown in the bin by officials.
Performative security.
FUMMIN.
“The answers…”
I don’t think I (almost 68 years on the planet) have ever asked a question the remotely needs this answer.
I don’t think I (almost 68 years on the planet) have ever asked a question the remotely needs this answer.
November 23, 2025 at 10:19 AM
“The answers…”
I don’t think I (almost 68 years on the planet) have ever asked a question the remotely needs this answer.
I don’t think I (almost 68 years on the planet) have ever asked a question the remotely needs this answer.
Happy Sunday.
Travel day breakfast.
Travel day breakfast.
November 23, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Happy Sunday.
Travel day breakfast.
Travel day breakfast.
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
The entrance to the 3-storey bike parking garage at Utrecht Central holding 12,500 bicycles. It’s free for the first 24 hours, linked to the station, and used by tens of thousands every day. This is what happens when a country treats bikes as real transport infrastructure, not an afterthought.
November 22, 2025 at 7:08 PM
The entrance to the 3-storey bike parking garage at Utrecht Central holding 12,500 bicycles. It’s free for the first 24 hours, linked to the station, and used by tens of thousands every day. This is what happens when a country treats bikes as real transport infrastructure, not an afterthought.
Just in time for half-time.
Duck. Orange sauce. The last of the apple pies and the last of the winter wine!
Duck. Orange sauce. The last of the apple pies and the last of the winter wine!
November 22, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Just in time for half-time.
Duck. Orange sauce. The last of the apple pies and the last of the winter wine!
Duck. Orange sauce. The last of the apple pies and the last of the winter wine!
November 22, 2025 at 5:41 PM
November 22, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Whenever I put the freshly ironed laundry to air by the fire, I know my dear old mum would have approved.
Good game on the telly too.
Good game on the telly too.
November 22, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Whenever I put the freshly ironed laundry to air by the fire, I know my dear old mum would have approved.
Good game on the telly too.
Good game on the telly too.
Back to the UK tomorrow. The butter has already been in the freezer once and I had some oats, cream, ginger and flour. At least they won’t be confiscated at customs!
November 22, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Back to the UK tomorrow. The butter has already been in the freezer once and I had some oats, cream, ginger and flour. At least they won’t be confiscated at customs!
Got to say that I read this as “minus one” and thought it was generous.
But y’know he’s a good team man and Baz likes his dad. So…
But y’know he’s a good team man and Baz likes his dad. So…
November 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Got to say that I read this as “minus one” and thought it was generous.
But y’know he’s a good team man and Baz likes his dad. So…
But y’know he’s a good team man and Baz likes his dad. So…
Symbols (swastikas, nooses etc) in the news again. Reminded me of Sanford Levison's conclusion that consensus on public memorials is impossible (plural publics) except perhaps where an event was so terrible that it must be remembered forever after as a cautionary note.
November 22, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Symbols (swastikas, nooses etc) in the news again. Reminded me of Sanford Levison's conclusion that consensus on public memorials is impossible (plural publics) except perhaps where an event was so terrible that it must be remembered forever after as a cautionary note.