Theodora the Explorer

In, on or under water. (ex) Professional sailor. Thinker of thoughts.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@HMRCcustomers I have sent an IHT declaration pack to you but have not received an application number or anything after 16 weeks. Who do I contact about this

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@vueling Thanks will do!

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@vueling Hi, having trouble claiming compensation for a delay of 3+ hours as your automatic service on the site doesn't accept my booking code - please can you help.

[Peter Jukes @peterjukes]

Something quite moving about seeing someone with immense power surrender it voluntarily for the good of his country

(The opposite of Trump BTW)

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@BylineTimes meets Morocco

[Christiane Amanpour @amanpour]

“I do question how much the university administration understands the concept of free speech,” says @USC journalism professor @afuahirsch. “The point of free speech is that people have the right to say things that you might find uncomfortable or inconvenient,” she tells me.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@TheCinesthetic Les Intouchables

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

The replies on this thread are exquisite

[Mark Arby @markarby]

Not sure how it happened but a bus crashed into a building near Tottenham Court Road Station. Police, Fire Brigade and ambulance in attendance.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@DianeCoyle1859 @ruskin147 Good girl, Sophie!

[Jason Pedlow 💙 @JasonPedlow]

Give the NY Times credit, they've nailed conservative Britain.

[Josh Fenton-Glynn MP @JoshFG]

The bravery to speak out against a government completely comfortable with killing their opponents is truly unimaginable. Navalny’s bravery will inspire others.

[Edwin Hayward @edwinhayward]

A little Friday musing...

I recently had the good fortune to be able to spend a couple of months in Tokyo (a place where I'd previously lived for 15 years).

People talk about Japan's stagnating economy. What few acknowledge (or maybe even realise?) is that it has stagnated at a very high level, one which the UK is nowhere near reaching, and probably never will now.

Japan's naysayers point to its stagnation as a sign of failure, of weakness. But that's like mocking Usain Bolt for not being able to run any faster than he can.

Everything just works. The place is spotless. Food is cheap, and almost universally excellent. Public toilets are abundant and clean. Transport is punctual and cheap (albeit with a spectacular crush during rush hour). Bullet trains are FAST! There's mobile reception even in the deepest tunnels. Gigabit ethernet is commonplace. Tradespeople are available at the drop of a hat. Convenience stores offer an almost magical range and breadth of products and services. Healthcare is superb. And so on, and so on.

It's not all roses. Japan has its problems too, and plenty of them.

But it also offers a quality of life for the average person (as opposed to the wealthy) that we couldn't even dare to dream of in Britain.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@sociabledog 90% at weekends.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@AnglianWater Flooding - there’s a lot of water in the road

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@AnglianWater there’s a water leak in Newton Longville, Buckinghamshire, on the main road near the Crooked Billet pub

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@CommonsSpeaker please ask the PM to actually answer questions. Parroting his briefing notes does not count.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

@JamesTCobbler This is clearly the head of Barketing.

[Theodora the Explorer @longblondsilver]

Deeply enjoying the @BylineTimes this morning. A reassuring return to print.