Philip Downer
@philipdowner.bsky.social
Heritage volunteer, retired retailer. Reads, writes, tour guides, listens to ancient music, observes, posts pictures of buildings (etc), mostly London (etc) each morning, accompanied by mostly helpful text.
The Editor’s Picks: Tony Gallagher, editor of @thetimes.com, really likes a diet of unadulterated junk, doesn’t he?
April 16, 2025 at 3:20 PM
The Editor’s Picks: Tony Gallagher, editor of @thetimes.com, really likes a diet of unadulterated junk, doesn’t he?
The splendour of Amin Taha/Groupwork’s 15 Clerkenwell Close. Which Islington Council, who approved much of the garbage on City Road, tried to get demolished. Twice.
April 14, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The splendour of Amin Taha/Groupwork’s 15 Clerkenwell Close. Which Islington Council, who approved much of the garbage on City Road, tried to get demolished. Twice.
Reposted by Philip Downer
Jean Marsh has died at the age of 90. Brian Shuel's 1961 photograph of the actor hangs in London's National Portrait Gallery and is one of the most striking images in the collection
April 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Jean Marsh has died at the age of 90. Brian Shuel's 1961 photograph of the actor hangs in London's National Portrait Gallery and is one of the most striking images in the collection
Reposted by Philip Downer
"I saw some graffiti the other day - YANKS GO HOME. Yeah, like Ronald Reagan's gonna be walking down Guildford High Street and see that and go, 'Oh! OK then'."
- Alexei Sayle, 1984
"What Starmer needs to do - a long thread"
- ledges of social media, 2025
- Alexei Sayle, 1984
"What Starmer needs to do - a long thread"
- ledges of social media, 2025
April 9, 2025 at 10:08 AM
"I saw some graffiti the other day - YANKS GO HOME. Yeah, like Ronald Reagan's gonna be walking down Guildford High Street and see that and go, 'Oh! OK then'."
- Alexei Sayle, 1984
"What Starmer needs to do - a long thread"
- ledges of social media, 2025
- Alexei Sayle, 1984
"What Starmer needs to do - a long thread"
- ledges of social media, 2025
Reposted by Philip Downer
A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
April 7, 2025 at 4:13 AM
A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.
Reposted by Philip Downer
April 3, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Philip Downer
"I'm the man who broke the bank at Mar A Lago..."
April 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM
"I'm the man who broke the bank at Mar A Lago..."
Lewisham’s Riverdale Centre, ten thousand years ago. sites.gold.ac.uk/inlivingmemo...
April 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Lewisham’s Riverdale Centre, ten thousand years ago. sites.gold.ac.uk/inlivingmemo...
Reposted by Philip Downer
"Trump Is Amazing He Just Can't Tell Us Why!" is the most Bezos era WaPo headline of all Bezos era WaPo headlines. #WaPo #WashingtonPost
They went from "democracy dies in the dark" to "somebody turn out the lights."
They went from "democracy dies in the dark" to "somebody turn out the lights."
March 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
"Trump Is Amazing He Just Can't Tell Us Why!" is the most Bezos era WaPo headline of all Bezos era WaPo headlines. #WaPo #WashingtonPost
They went from "democracy dies in the dark" to "somebody turn out the lights."
They went from "democracy dies in the dark" to "somebody turn out the lights."
Very droll from The Critic magazine.
March 17, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Very droll from The Critic magazine.
Sunshine at Brompton.
March 17, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Sunshine at Brompton.
Bad days at St Katharine’s Dock.
March 11, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Bad days at St Katharine’s Dock.
Reposted by Philip Downer
It’s amazing to find out at this late date how much the rule of law depended on people simply deciding, on a voluntary, daily basis, not to break the law.
March 10, 2025 at 10:26 PM
It’s amazing to find out at this late date how much the rule of law depended on people simply deciding, on a voluntary, daily basis, not to break the law.
Premise: I really should enough staples to last for the rest of my life.
March 11, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Premise: I really should enough staples to last for the rest of my life.
Wapping reverie: a gentle vernacular PoMo on the site of the old London Docks.
March 7, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Wapping reverie: a gentle vernacular PoMo on the site of the old London Docks.
Reposted by Philip Downer
Sunday’s @thetimes.com cartoon times.newsprints.co.uk/morten-morla...
March 2, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Sunday’s @thetimes.com cartoon times.newsprints.co.uk/morten-morla...
I appreciate that I’m massively over-simplifying here, but… 1500 personnel per usable plane?
February 26, 2025 at 9:31 AM
I appreciate that I’m massively over-simplifying here, but… 1500 personnel per usable plane?
Reposted by Philip Downer
In 2019 Nigel Farage's Brexit Party voted against plans to tackle Russian propaganda, calling claims of Russian interference "scare stories"
One of his MEPs was Nathan Gill, who has just been accused in court of taking bribes in exchange for defending Russia in the European Parliament
One of his MEPs was Nathan Gill, who has just been accused in court of taking bribes in exchange for defending Russia in the European Parliament
February 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
In 2019 Nigel Farage's Brexit Party voted against plans to tackle Russian propaganda, calling claims of Russian interference "scare stories"
One of his MEPs was Nathan Gill, who has just been accused in court of taking bribes in exchange for defending Russia in the European Parliament
One of his MEPs was Nathan Gill, who has just been accused in court of taking bribes in exchange for defending Russia in the European Parliament
Reposted by Philip Downer
Just seen Farage and Truss (grifting over in the US) described as "the Slug and Lettuce".
February 24, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Just seen Farage and Truss (grifting over in the US) described as "the Slug and Lettuce".
Reposted by Philip Downer
“Far from being dismissed as a useful idiot to hostile foreign powers, the British press continues to allow Farage to portray himself as a true British patriot, while he spends as much time as he possibly can outside of this country telling lies about us for money”
open.substack.com/pub/adambien...
open.substack.com/pub/adambien...
Agent Farage
Despite claiming to love his country, Nigel Farage’s silence on Trump, Putin and Ukraine shows where his loyalties really lie
open.substack.com
February 22, 2025 at 2:25 PM
“Far from being dismissed as a useful idiot to hostile foreign powers, the British press continues to allow Farage to portray himself as a true British patriot, while he spends as much time as he possibly can outside of this country telling lies about us for money”
open.substack.com/pub/adambien...
open.substack.com/pub/adambien...
Reading the obituaries in @thetimes.com today. Perhaps it’s for the best that The Jam never reformed.
February 20, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reading the obituaries in @thetimes.com today. Perhaps it’s for the best that The Jam never reformed.
Reposted by Philip Downer
They. Never. Actually. Leave.
February 20, 2025 at 11:11 AM
They. Never. Actually. Leave.
Reposted by Philip Downer
Thursday’s @thetimes.com cartoon times.newsprints.co.uk/morten-morla...
February 19, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Thursday’s @thetimes.com cartoon times.newsprints.co.uk/morten-morla...