Phil Banting
@philbanting.bsky.social
Christian, married to Miriam, #LibDems, #Remain. Active in Christ Church Selly Park, #Stirchley and beyond. Twitter @philbanting Instagram @philbantingbrum https://www.banting-family.org.uk
A more promising YouTube recommendation, which I fully endorse: the Icelandic national anthem, which is absolutely top drawer www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fkb...
February 3, 2026 at 11:13 PM
A more promising YouTube recommendation, which I fully endorse: the Icelandic national anthem, which is absolutely top drawer www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fkb...
Curious set of YouTube recommendations: a music video with no views yet, a claim that Trump has 4 months to live (posted 7 days ago so the clock is ticking), advice not to buy the type of camera I actually bought last year, also opinion that the new Archbishop of Canterbury is "cringey"
February 3, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Curious set of YouTube recommendations: a music video with no views yet, a claim that Trump has 4 months to live (posted 7 days ago so the clock is ticking), advice not to buy the type of camera I actually bought last year, also opinion that the new Archbishop of Canterbury is "cringey"
Although certain other social media platforms may have gone down the plughole it's good to see that Facebook remains a place of civilised discourse. These comments are in response to news that a branch of Card Factory has opened in Stirchley
February 1, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Although certain other social media platforms may have gone down the plughole it's good to see that Facebook remains a place of civilised discourse. These comments are in response to news that a branch of Card Factory has opened in Stirchley
This is who runs this account.
February 1, 2026 at 6:51 PM
This is who runs this account.
But you have to guess where they all lead (West Chiltington, Sussex) #FingerpostFriday
January 30, 2026 at 10:31 AM
But you have to guess where they all lead (West Chiltington, Sussex) #FingerpostFriday
My trivia-loving son informs me that Dixon of Dock Green got his name from George Dixon School, which in turn is named after a 19th c. Birmingham politician. The school was attended by Michael Balcon who later worked at Ealing Studios, where The Blue Lamp was made. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
George Dixon (MP) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 29, 2026 at 10:15 PM
My trivia-loving son informs me that Dixon of Dock Green got his name from George Dixon School, which in turn is named after a 19th c. Birmingham politician. The school was attended by Michael Balcon who later worked at Ealing Studios, where The Blue Lamp was made. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
I try to avoid even appearing to follow women along the street, but made an exception for someone who was singing along as she listened on her headphones. I didn’t know the language or the genre, but she had a good voice and her enthusiasm was compelling. #musicstalking
January 26, 2026 at 7:30 PM
I try to avoid even appearing to follow women along the street, but made an exception for someone who was singing along as she listened on her headphones. I didn’t know the language or the genre, but she had a good voice and her enthusiasm was compelling. #musicstalking
Visited Aston today, on non-football related business - but walking past Villa Park reminded me that Miriam and I were both here, at the same place and time, some years before we met. We walked on the hallowed turf as helpers during the week when Billy Graham led Mission England here in 1984
January 24, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Visited Aston today, on non-football related business - but walking past Villa Park reminded me that Miriam and I were both here, at the same place and time, some years before we met. We walked on the hallowed turf as helpers during the week when Billy Graham led Mission England here in 1984
Share a photograph of a mountain that you’ve taken.
Illimani, the second highest mountain in Bolivia, from the centre of La Paz
Illimani, the second highest mountain in Bolivia, from the centre of La Paz
January 22, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Share a photograph of a mountain that you’ve taken.
Illimani, the second highest mountain in Bolivia, from the centre of La Paz
Illimani, the second highest mountain in Bolivia, from the centre of La Paz
Those “windmills”, as Trump calls them, are spinning fast - and productively - tonight. Nice to see Denmark getting in the mix too (another wind energy superpower)
January 21, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Those “windmills”, as Trump calls them, are spinning fast - and productively - tonight. Nice to see Denmark getting in the mix too (another wind energy superpower)
"See you next week for shingles," says the nurse cheerily. Yes, another week, another vaccination, following today's shot against pneumonia. This is the pensioner lifestyle I've always dreamed of.
January 21, 2026 at 9:20 PM
"See you next week for shingles," says the nurse cheerily. Yes, another week, another vaccination, following today's shot against pneumonia. This is the pensioner lifestyle I've always dreamed of.
I now find that if I turn off reposts this affects all feeds (including lists), not just the Following feed as indicated in the Settings. Is this a feature or a bug? Being able to turn reposts on and off globally seems a good move to me.
January 21, 2026 at 9:17 PM
I now find that if I turn off reposts this affects all feeds (including lists), not just the Following feed as indicated in the Settings. Is this a feature or a bug? Being able to turn reposts on and off globally seems a good move to me.
Post-church conversation topics this morning included protein folding, soil mechanics, Fourier transforms and differential vector calculus. I ought to know something about the last two but never really understood them even when studying them at university. I chose a "no hard maths" career option.
January 18, 2026 at 11:31 PM
Post-church conversation topics this morning included protein folding, soil mechanics, Fourier transforms and differential vector calculus. I ought to know something about the last two but never really understood them even when studying them at university. I chose a "no hard maths" career option.
I made an online purchase on Friday, delivered Saturday. This action has engendered (so far) 3 texts and 4 emails, including the inevitable "review your purchase experience". All I bought was a phone charger cable.
January 18, 2026 at 9:09 PM
I made an online purchase on Friday, delivered Saturday. This action has engendered (so far) 3 texts and 4 emails, including the inevitable "review your purchase experience". All I bought was a phone charger cable.
Reposted by Phil Banting
January 17, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Reposted by Phil Banting
Something has changed with Bluesky. Previously, a feed generated from a list did not include reposts; now it does. Probably a good thing overall, but it does make it even harder to keep up.
January 16, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Something has changed with Bluesky. Previously, a feed generated from a list did not include reposts; now it does. Probably a good thing overall, but it does make it even harder to keep up.
Reposted by Phil Banting
Tonight's turret meeting will be pretty awkward
January 15, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Tonight's turret meeting will be pretty awkward
I managed to eke out a box of After Eights for a couple of weeks, but, finally, the Christmas goodies are all gone
January 12, 2026 at 10:59 PM
I managed to eke out a box of After Eights for a couple of weeks, but, finally, the Christmas goodies are all gone
I've had a sudden surge in new followers in the last hour or so (still happening!), and I'm not the only user to report this kind of thing today. They don't look like bots, but it's a puzzle as to why some of them would be interested in my random postings. Welcome anyway, whoever you are.
January 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
I've had a sudden surge in new followers in the last hour or so (still happening!), and I'm not the only user to report this kind of thing today. They don't look like bots, but it's a puzzle as to why some of them would be interested in my random postings. Welcome anyway, whoever you are.
In these conditions it’s easier to walk along the road than on the pavement, as long as no cars are coming of course. I felt a bit guilty about walking through a red light though, and on the wrong side of the road at that
January 10, 2026 at 8:31 PM
In these conditions it’s easier to walk along the road than on the pavement, as long as no cars are coming of course. I felt a bit guilty about walking through a red light though, and on the wrong side of the road at that
I had to go down the road to a friend's house to watch Play School because my family didn't have a 625 line set
Without revealing your actual age,what's something you remember that if you told a younger person they wouldn't understand?
January 9, 2026 at 11:58 PM
I had to go down the road to a friend's house to watch Play School because my family didn't have a 625 line set
Oo-er. Every available hatch battened down
January 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Oo-er. Every available hatch battened down
A distant relative of mine - one of my father's cousins - died a few months ago leaving no will; he had no children, and nor did either of his sisters. A firm is now trying to trace all the beneficiaries of the estate, and since he had at least 11 cousins this is quite a challenge.
January 8, 2026 at 3:54 PM
A distant relative of mine - one of my father's cousins - died a few months ago leaving no will; he had no children, and nor did either of his sisters. A firm is now trying to trace all the beneficiaries of the estate, and since he had at least 11 cousins this is quite a challenge.
"This space heater is being called the Tesla of heaters": I think this ad spotted on YouTube might need a bit of a makeover
January 7, 2026 at 11:16 PM
"This space heater is being called the Tesla of heaters": I think this ad spotted on YouTube might need a bit of a makeover