Mon 1:Unblogged May got fewer than 20 comments, by far the smallest response yet, so either I wrote about dull things or perhaps this feature has run its course after eight years. Tue 2: The rain was so heavy that the Pearly King and Queen of Forest Gate had to shelter inside the entrance to Stratford station while lowering their umbrellas.
Wed 3: There's now a Bluesky account, @diamondgeezerblog.bsky.social, which announces every new blogpost I write (and nothing else). My thanks to the 228 people who've already followed it. (The Twitter version @diamondgzrblog has been up and running for ten years) Thu 4: On my weekly visits to BestMate's sofa we've started watching Widow's Bay, the creepy maritime folkhorror series, because everyone else was recommending it (and now I will too). Fri 5: Normally four pints of milk lasts me ten days, but my last couple of bottles have curdled after only a week and I worry Tesco have switched to using sour cows.
Sat 6: I wonder if anyone knows where this Greggs Clock is. (of course someone does, but who'll be first?) Sun 7: The newest message on the DLR, aimed at preventing slips and falls, is "Always slow down and walk". I object to being asked to always slow down, because it suggests everyone's moving too fast all the time. If the lady in front of me on the steps at Shadwell had slowed down she'd never have left the station. Mon 8: As the World Cup approaches, maybe 10-20% of news articles appearing on the Evening Standard website are about bets, betting deals and betting companies. Tue 9: Walked the River Lea north to Ponders End, and just north of the North Circular a large snarly dog blocked the towpath. "He's only a puppy", said the narrowboat owner as two further hellhounds barked behind a broken fence. "Yeah right," I thought, and if BestMate hadn't been with me I would have turned round and gone back, sharpish.
Wed 10: It's been announced that Russell T Davies and Disney are walking away from Doctor Who and the 2026 Christmas special won't be happening. The BBC say they're committed to making more but need to put production out to tender, so I guess 2028/2029 at the earliest. Thu 11: On the tram approaching Morden Road, three young black-clad passengers started looking shifty. "Be ready to get off!" said the eldest. A team of Revenue Inspectors were waiting to board so they hopped off, grinning, only to discover that half the team hadn't boarded and were waiting on the platform. With only one exit there was no escape and they had to surrender to a check, their intended fare-dodging completely thwarted. So there are ways to catch these people. Fri 12: The wildflower meadow in front of Hampton Court is looking splendidly poppytastic at present.
Sat 13: There are days everything pivots and nothing is quite the same afterwards, and oh to be able to turn back time. Sun 14: I couldn't blog about my visit to xxxxx xxxxxxx because I signed a disclaimer, but blimey it was big and I never knew that was filmed here. Mon 15: If you get the right five trains, it turns out you can get from Ponders End to Coulsdon in one hour flat. (this is generally neither necessary nor useful) Tue 16: I was amazed how many passengers at Wimbledon, Richmond and Kingston stations were dressed in top hats and morning dress (or fascinators and couture dresses) because it's the first day of Royal Ascot. I never realised SW London takes the event so seriously (NE London totally doesn't).
Wed 17: I've been listening to the Radio 4 midnight news for over thirty years, it being the best news summary of the day. So I can't believe the BBC plans to axe it as part of a first tranche of cost savings, indeed I can't imagine how this'll save any significant money whatsoever. Snippety news is no replacement for curated excellence. Thu 18: I couldn't have told you where Makerfield was two months ago and suddenly it's pivotal to our national story. Thankfully one man does appear to be capable of keeping Reform at bay, but for how long? Fri 19: That minute would have haunted me forever if I didn't keep a diary, allowing me to confirm later that the bad thing had already happened. Sat 20: At least 30 each, if you're still counting.
Sun 21: There are now five digital advertising panels on the northbound platform at Leytonstone station, all the better to squeeze opportunistic revenue out of customers waiting to change trains. Mon 22: Social media is so denuded/inconsequential/non-chronological/trivialised these days that nothing alerted me to the appearance of Sir Keir's lectern in Downing Street until his resignation speech was almost over. I miss knowing what's going on right now. Tue 23: The last chunk of my final Christmas Toblerone has almost melted in the excess heat. Wed 24: On the hottest day of the year, the Dangleway did the hilarious thing again.
Thu 25: City AM's glossy magazine is issued quarterly and I've picked up two editions this month. Both had nine pages about luxury watches and five articles about luxury travel, meanwhile 15% of the magazine was about fine dining. It's unashamedly aimed at rich readers but is still massively more readable than the weekly Evening Standard which simply simpers to the posh. Fri 26: BBC4 started repeating editions of Top of the Pops chronologically in 2011, starting with 1976, and tonight they finally reached the year 2000. The standard of music has not improved (despite occasional flashes of millennial brilliance). Sat 27: I've been keeping a graph of "the temperature in my living room first thing in the morning" since November 2020. Today's 28°C is a new record, beating the 27°C recorded on 19th July 2022 and 1st July 2025.
Sun 28: If you heard the new Radio 4 quiz, Your Number's Up, that was me applauding. The audience does a lot better at providing "The Wisdom of the Crowd" in the second episode. Mon 29: Three of them were standing in, but this may be the first time five consecutive Radio 2 shows have been hosted by females (Tina Daheley/Clara Amfo/Alex Jones/Jo Whiley/Cerys Matthews). Tue 30: Focusing on the positive, the train was quiet, the radio hasn't reset, the pork belly was very good value, Will was exceptionally professional, distances are impressive, it is Tuesday, the car park was free, they finally saw the bikers, the downstairs loo has been transformed, the Falklands are an option and Waitrose do very good chocolate biscuits.
