John Duncan Burns
@jdburns.bsky.social
Mostly retired payments geek, FRSA, musical omnivore,Woke Humanist,liberal supporter of @whiteribbon_uk, dad to 2 daughters, married for 44
years to Jenny.
years to Jenny.
November 7, 2025 at 4:36 PM
To St Martin in the Fields a talk by @michaelrosen on his experience recovering from being in an induced coma for Covid back in 2020 and the work of the NHS. Funny, heartbreaking and inspiring in turn. He finished the talk with this poem.
November 3, 2025 at 8:50 PM
To St Martin in the Fields a talk by @michaelrosen on his experience recovering from being in an induced coma for Covid back in 2020 and the work of the NHS. Funny, heartbreaking and inspiring in turn. He finished the talk with this poem.
Just finishing off our tin of this herbal tea by Bird & Blend which is really lovely stuff. Need to get another tin next time I’m up near Borough Market.
October 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Just finishing off our tin of this herbal tea by Bird & Blend which is really lovely stuff. Need to get another tin next time I’m up near Borough Market.
#ChristmasCakes Christmas cake making weekend in the Barrett Burns household. The house is full of wonderful aromas. 2 made and a 3rd in the oven. They will then be fed with brandy on a regular basis as they mature in the run up to the festive season
October 18, 2025 at 9:15 AM
#ChristmasCakes Christmas cake making weekend in the Barrett Burns household. The house is full of wonderful aromas. 2 made and a 3rd in the oven. They will then be fed with brandy on a regular basis as they mature in the run up to the festive season
Two genuinely witty and funny cartoonists who are online (and on Bluesky) are @mooseallain.bsky.social and @tomgauld.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Two genuinely witty and funny cartoonists who are online (and on Bluesky) are @mooseallain.bsky.social and @tomgauld.bsky.social
In the interval at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East for ‘The Harder They Come’. Loving it, and the fact that my seat is dedicated to the late, great Linda Smith.
By the way, it’s a brilliant show. Thoroughly recommended if you can get tickets
By the way, it’s a brilliant show. Thoroughly recommended if you can get tickets
October 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
In the interval at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East for ‘The Harder They Come’. Loving it, and the fact that my seat is dedicated to the late, great Linda Smith.
By the way, it’s a brilliant show. Thoroughly recommended if you can get tickets
By the way, it’s a brilliant show. Thoroughly recommended if you can get tickets
Any Scots in the Redhill area, the butchers at Priory Farm have their own Scots Pasties out at the moment. We had one each for lunch - a bit like a haggis filled Forfar Bridie and utterly delicious. Thoroughly recommended. #FoodThreads
September 26, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Any Scots in the Redhill area, the butchers at Priory Farm have their own Scots Pasties out at the moment. We had one each for lunch - a bit like a haggis filled Forfar Bridie and utterly delicious. Thoroughly recommended. #FoodThreads
#Naturesbounty
Saturday morning foraging.
5lb + of brambles and about the same of cherry plums. Lots of apples to go back for. Jam and crumbles ahoy.
There are also loads of sloes, but we’ve still got last year’s sloe gin and vodka to go through.
Saturday morning foraging.
5lb + of brambles and about the same of cherry plums. Lots of apples to go back for. Jam and crumbles ahoy.
There are also loads of sloes, but we’ve still got last year’s sloe gin and vodka to go through.
August 23, 2025 at 10:24 AM
#Naturesbounty
Saturday morning foraging.
5lb + of brambles and about the same of cherry plums. Lots of apples to go back for. Jam and crumbles ahoy.
There are also loads of sloes, but we’ve still got last year’s sloe gin and vodka to go through.
Saturday morning foraging.
5lb + of brambles and about the same of cherry plums. Lots of apples to go back for. Jam and crumbles ahoy.
There are also loads of sloes, but we’ve still got last year’s sloe gin and vodka to go through.
July 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Saw this on Threads and thought it warranted wide circulation
July 6, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Saw this on Threads and thought it warranted wide circulation
Nice visit to William Morris’s home at Kelmscott Manor in West Oxfordshire today.
July 5, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Nice visit to William Morris’s home at Kelmscott Manor in West Oxfordshire today.
Just finished reading this book by @patrickgrantism.bsky.social The strap line on the front summarises it well. It sets out a philosophy with which I totally agree.
Thoroughly recommended.
Thoroughly recommended.
June 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Just finished reading this book by @patrickgrantism.bsky.social The strap line on the front summarises it well. It sets out a philosophy with which I totally agree.
Thoroughly recommended.
Thoroughly recommended.
Lovely afternoon at @britishmuseum.bsky.social for the Hiroshige:Artist of the Open Road exhibition. Glorious stuff. Highly recommended for a visit.
June 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Lovely afternoon at @britishmuseum.bsky.social for the Hiroshige:Artist of the Open Road exhibition. Glorious stuff. Highly recommended for a visit.
Did love this quilt in memory of Anthony Perkins.
June 12, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Did love this quilt in memory of Anthony Perkins.
At Tate Modern to see the AIDS quilts exhibition. Very moving. Remembering Michael, who I worked with at the Clydesdale Bank back in the 80s who died of AIDS. 2 things struck us. The folk who died were of our age cohort and, some parents of those who died still didn’t want their children named.
June 12, 2025 at 2:25 PM
At Tate Modern to see the AIDS quilts exhibition. Very moving. Remembering Michael, who I worked with at the Clydesdale Bank back in the 80s who died of AIDS. 2 things struck us. The folk who died were of our age cohort and, some parents of those who died still didn’t want their children named.
The BBC Radio 4 production of King Lear starting on Sunday afternoon has quite a cast. Richard Wilson as Lear, Toby Jones as Gloucester, David Tennant as Edmund, Great Scacchi as Goneril and Tamsin Greig as Regan. Should be worth a listen.
June 4, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The BBC Radio 4 production of King Lear starting on Sunday afternoon has quite a cast. Richard Wilson as Lear, Toby Jones as Gloucester, David Tennant as Edmund, Great Scacchi as Goneril and Tamsin Greig as Regan. Should be worth a listen.
Just booked our tickets to see David Harewood and Toby Jones in November. #Othello #Shakespeare
May 22, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Just booked our tickets to see David Harewood and Toby Jones in November. #Othello #Shakespeare
And breathe…. #Dundee stay in the SPFL after beating St Johnstone 2:0 and Ross County draw with Motherwell, meaning Ross County play off with Livingston for the final spot.
May 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
And breathe…. #Dundee stay in the SPFL after beating St Johnstone 2:0 and Ross County draw with Motherwell, meaning Ross County play off with Livingston for the final spot.
Michael Rosen with “le mot juste” on Starmer’s “island of strangers”
May 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Michael Rosen with “le mot juste” on Starmer’s “island of strangers”
Celebrating our completion of the West Highland Way with a lovely meal and drinks at Sónas Restaurant in Fort William. Definitely recommended for anyone visiting (and popular with walkers- saw at least 4 other couples we’d met on the trail). Reasonably priced, excellent service and gorgeous food.
April 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Celebrating our completion of the West Highland Way with a lovely meal and drinks at Sónas Restaurant in Fort William. Definitely recommended for anyone visiting (and popular with walkers- saw at least 4 other couples we’d met on the trail). Reasonably priced, excellent service and gorgeous food.
Made it to the end of the 96 miles of the #WestHighlandWay. Just booked into the B&B. Hot, sweaty but pleased to have done it. X
April 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Made it to the end of the 96 miles of the #WestHighlandWay. Just booked into the B&B. Hot, sweaty but pleased to have done it. X
Day 6 of the #WestHighlandWay completed. 82miles down, 14 to go. Arrived in Kinlochleven ludicrously early but the hotel had our room ready for us. A wet and windy ascent of “The Devil’s Staircase” but the weather seems to be clearing up now and a sunny day is forecast for our final section tomorrow
April 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Day 6 of the #WestHighlandWay completed. 82miles down, 14 to go. Arrived in Kinlochleven ludicrously early but the hotel had our room ready for us. A wet and windy ascent of “The Devil’s Staircase” but the weather seems to be clearing up now and a sunny day is forecast for our final section tomorrow
Day 5 of the West Highland Way completed. The longest day - 19 miles from Tyndrum to Kingshouse across the hills to Bridge of Orchy, then up into the hills again, down and across Rannoch Moor on a showery, breezy day. We got very wet, but completed the day in about 2 hours less than suggested.
April 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Day 5 of the West Highland Way completed. The longest day - 19 miles from Tyndrum to Kingshouse across the hills to Bridge of Orchy, then up into the hills again, down and across Rannoch Moor on a showery, breezy day. We got very wet, but completed the day in about 2 hours less than suggested.
#westhighlandway
Day 4 of the West Highland Way completed. 53 miles done, 43 to go. Rained for the first hour but decent walking weather after that.
Day 4 of the West Highland Way completed. 53 miles done, 43 to go. Rained for the first hour but decent walking weather after that.
April 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
#westhighlandway
Day 4 of the West Highland Way completed. 53 miles done, 43 to go. Rained for the first hour but decent walking weather after that.
Day 4 of the West Highland Way completed. 53 miles done, 43 to go. Rained for the first hour but decent walking weather after that.