Rob McMinn
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robmcminn.uk
Rob McMinn
@robmcminn.uk
Author, blogger, inventor of the Caramac Kit-Kat, tea drinker, pizza perfectionist, Beatles person. UK and France. My new novel, Codename Hirondelle, is out now
https://robmcminn.uk
Pinned
Audiobook klaxon (also available on Audible)

books.apple.com/gb/audiobook...
‎Codename Hirondelle: For King and Country…and SOE (Unabridged)
‎Crime & Thrillers · 2025
books.apple.com
Been watching some Matt Smith Doctor Whos this week. It is astonishing how much better the show was back then compared with recent iterations. Orders of magnitude
November 13, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Reposted by Rob McMinn
"Y’know, the thing about a shark, he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes."
November 13, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Today's SW Kitchen meal (cooked for lunch) included both turkey and braised lettuce. I can feel an afternoon nap coming on…
November 13, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Rob McMinn
We are floating the removal of the ONLY tax break on cycles. (Yes, it’s imperfect, yes it misses out the chunk of population that don’t pay income tax).

We are definitely not going to restore the fuel tax on petrol to where it should be.

Remind me again why I voted for you?
November 13, 2025 at 9:17 AM
This weather reminds me of that Woody Allen bit where he tries to heat up his hotel room by running the shower. And the warm air from the bathroom meets the cold air coming in under the windowsill, "And the two fronts meet in the living room, and it starts to rain in my hotel room"
Further heavy rain for some on Friday, before we see a change in type with colder conditions for all by the end of the weekend ↘️
November 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Went for an x-ray this morning. Probably a pointless exercise because we’ve been down this road before. But the doctor insisted on this before referring me to a physio. Just a way of moving you into the next square of the treatment board game, I suppose
November 12, 2025 at 10:43 AM
I always wanted a guitar banjo. Budget brand Vintage used to do one. But I had a similar thing on my original Variax guitar and only used it once 🙃
Deering Boston 6-string banjo
November 11, 2025 at 6:05 PM
It’s pizza Tuesday. Tonight’s crust is 👌🏼
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
A sucker for punishment, just spent an hour with Three negotiating a new plan, so I don't have to pay the £2 EU roaming charge. I threatened to move to O2 for that reason, and they caved
November 11, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The Guardian’s Baked Potato Fish Pie recipe – a critique

This caught my eye as the most important thing happening in the world right now. Someone being wrong on the internet about baked potatoes: that’s my jam. Somebody needs to resign over this. First of all, let’s deal with the elephant in the…
The Guardian’s Baked Potato Fish Pie recipe – a critique
This caught my eye as the most important thing happening in the world right now. Someone being wrong on the internet about baked potatoes: that’s my jam. Somebody needs to resign over this. First of all, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. “Serves 4”? 2 large baking potatoes? Between four people? Does not compute. Speaking as a man who can polish off two fairly large baking potatoes on his own, with only slight regrets, this is ridiculous.
robmcminn.uk
November 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Been on the phone with British Gas for 21 minutes so far. Given that literally everyone hates hold music, why does it exist? I would literally rather listen to generated white noise, with the occasional 'thank you for holding' interruption
November 11, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Happy birthday to my talented and brilliant daughter @cjmcminnart.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Sent to try us

Having spent much of yesterday 'writing by candlelight' as the electrical engineers failed to fit a new fuse box in the house (See previous post), I was faced with further joy overnight. First of all, about 20:30 last night, the broadband went out. And stayed out. So I am tethered…
Sent to try us
Having spent much of yesterday 'writing by candlelight' as the electrical engineers failed to fit a new fuse box in the house (See previous post), I was faced with further joy overnight. First of all, about 20:30 last night, the broadband went out. And stayed out. So I am tethered to my phone again. I don't think the electrical engineers were responsible, since they had abandoned ship about eight hours previous.
robmcminn.uk
November 11, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Watching the wires

Well, this has been an interesting/depressing morning. At the beginning of October, we had a smart meter fitted. It did not go smoothly. The electrician who fitted it, a British Gas employee, was horrified at the state of our fuse box. She basically condemned the box, put tape…
Watching the wires
Well, this has been an interesting/depressing morning. At the beginning of October, we had a smart meter fitted. It did not go smoothly. The electrician who fitted it, a British Gas employee, was horrified at the state of our fuse box. She basically condemned the box, put tape across it, and said we needed to have it upgraded as a matter of urgency.
robmcminn.uk
November 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM
British Gas are here fixing us a new fuse box. Power is off. I am tethered to my phone for wifi and typing in the shadows
November 10, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Rob McMinn
Hello! We continue our NME trek through the 60s with 2 songs from 1966. Will they trouble Garry's top 20? Listen to find out! plinkhq.com/i/1531129636...
The Big 60s Sort Out - NME Chart Ep 5 - Podcast Episode Links - Plink
Podcast Episodes smart links to listen, download, and subscribe to The Big Beatles and 60s Sort Out. Click to listen! The Big Beatles Sort Out Presents: The Big 60s Sort Out! Yes, for season 4 we have...
plinkhq.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Is the national ready to cope with the death of Ted on Gone Fishing?
November 9, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by Rob McMinn
Would anybody be up for an XTC Listening Party here on Bluesky sometime? Just gauging interest for now.
November 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Watching a S1 episode of X Files about AI and smart homes. ‘Could someone have “hacked” into the system?’
November 9, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Richard Osman for DG
November 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Rob McMinn
The full report on this alleged food crime, now posted at ye olde blogge:
In Which I Eat The Food Crime Known As Kraft Apple Pie Mac & Cheese
You may have heard the news — and if not, you may have felt it in your bones, a paroxysm of worry squirming in your marrow like worms — that Kraft put out an apple pie mac and cheese. A…
terribleminds.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I want to buy a new belt, but every retailer/brand seems to operate their own sizing. And for some reason M&S sizes jump from L to XXL with no XL in between. Also, I'm not paying £50 for a belt, lol
November 9, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Since the Observer spun away, the Guardian on the Sunday seems very… Australian
November 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Pixar’s flop, Elio

One of my favourite students in my last year of teaching was called Iona. I particularly admired the ratio of vowels to consonants in her name. So it is with Elio, Pixar's 2025 film about a little boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens. I didn't even know this film existed…
Pixar’s flop, Elio
One of my favourite students in my last year of teaching was called Iona. I particularly admired the ratio of vowels to consonants in her name. So it is with Elio, Pixar's 2025 film about a little boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens. I didn't even know this film existed until yesterday, when I listened to an episode of…
robmcminn.uk
November 9, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Can you spell disappointment? Paid a visit to Fortnum & Mason, Bicester Village. Cramped and crowded, prices the same as that London, no Dundee cake, no Irish Breakfast tea. Feels like a Christmas pop-up and no more 🫤
November 9, 2025 at 11:01 AM