#carfax tower

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Evening stroll. (Oxford 2024)

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Sherlockian Wednesday Watchalongs: Spoopy Holmes III: Spoop Dreams

It’s October again, so you know what we've gotta do! 🕵️‍♂️🪦⚰️😱🐺📺🎃

All Wednesday watchalong gatherings start at 8:30 pm US Eastern time. (Convert to your local time here.)

Wednesday, October 4 Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: The Deadly Prophecy & The Deadly Tower (1979–1980 TV episodes) A Deadly double feature! 🪦🪦  

Wednesday, October 11 Sherlock Holmes: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax (1965 TV episode) A different kind of deadly double feature. ⚰️  

Wednesday, October 18 Nightmare: The Birth of Horror—The Hound of the Baskervilles (1997 TV episode) It's a BBC documentary! Edumacational spoops! 😱  

Wednesday, October 25 BBC Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville (2012 TV episode) 🍬 Bring your Halloween candy and your questionable judgment! It's time to play our annual THOB Sugar Rush Watchalong game! 🍫

Here’s the deal: Like Sherlock Holmes? You’re welcome to join us in The Giant Chat of Sumatra’s #giantchat text channel to watch and discuss with us. Just find a copy of the episode or movie we’re watching, and come make some goofy internet friends.

Keep an eye on my #the giant chat of sumatra tag and the calendar for updates on future chat events.

[dracopetal]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/23/man-charged-over-comments-during-king-charles-proclamation-ceremony

Thames Valley police said on Friday that Symon Hill, 45, of Oxford, had been charged with using threatening or abusive words, or disorderly behaviour.

It relates to comments allegedly made during the event at Carfax Tower, Oxford, on 11 September.

Normal island

[abcdepiklmno]

High Street seen from Carfax Tower in Oxford, England

[porhomme21]

What is currently fashionable for men?

Supreme Arabic Hoodie

One of the standout pieces from Supreme‘s Spring 2012 collection is this red pullover with Arabic writing on the front in white. Not sure what it says but what I do know is that I’m buying it when it drops later this week. The entire supreme hoodie arabic collection’s set to drop in the New York, Los Angeles and London shops beginning February 23, and the Japan locations on February 25. Online availability will be offered starting March 

Edit: hat-tip from Maria Al-Sabah on Twitter — “Pronounced ‘Sobhan’, it usually is said as “Sobhan Allah”, meaning hallelujah. Sobhan alone really doesn’t mean anything.”

The Best Classic Sports Cars Under $20K

Sometimes, new isn’t always better. And if timing and luck are on your side, you could really hit a home run by picking up one of these best sports cars under 20k at bargain prices. They’re iconic, they’re timeless, and they’ll still turn heads of car enthusiasts no matter where you go. If we had $20,000 to play with and were in the market for a car, these are the ones we’d go after.

And when looking to buy a used car, remember to double check everything before making a purchase. Observe the car for any obvious or hidden damage, and ask for full ownership and service histories. And don’t forget to run the CarFax. For an idea on what to look out for, check out Harry Metcalfe’s advice.

Check out our favorite classics under $20,000 below.

As the summer’s winding down, there’s still time to get in one or two BBQs before we put on our pea coats.  Put the burgers on the grill and relax on the patio with your family and friends and talk about how fast the summer went by.  When you have dead Presidents to burn, you’re not going to light up just any cigar.

How about you go with a cigar company that is known for making exclusive high-end smokes catering to collectors.  Gurkha is the company known for their “Black Dragon” which was released in 2006.  There were only five case available and came in a hand-carved camel bone box.  The price?  A not-so shabby $1,150 each.  Not per case, people.  It was by each case and when one case has 100 world's most expensive cigar, we did the difficult math and figured out that it cost $115,000 per case.

Nestled within the captivating Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Al Maha, a Luxury Desert Resort in Dubai, emerges as a beacon of opulence and exclusivity. Just an hour’s drive from the vibrant city of Dubai and an hour-and-a-half from Abu Dhabi, this hidden gem offers a unique blend of luxury, sustainability, and awe-inspiring desert landscapes. In this Conde Nast Review, we unravel the distinctive features, accommodations, dining experiences, and activities that make Al Maha a must-visit destination for those seeking an unparalleled escape.

The culinary journey at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah Riyadh transcends borders Luxurious Oasis in Riyadh that range from the chic Joud Lounge to the exclusive Asir Lounge, which offers mixology and cigars with a view, each space is crafted for a sophisticated dining experience. La Brasserie Cafe focuses on specialty teas, coffee, and desserts, while the contemporary La Brasserie offers a multi-cuisine feast. The Globe, located in the spectacular golden sphere atop Al Faisaliah Tower, provides a unique dining sensation with panoramic views of the city.

Bugatti Residences by Binghatti Rises in Dubai

Bugatti, a name synonymous with fast luxury cars, has entered into a partnership with Emirati developer Binghatti to build its first-ever branded luxury residential building in the heart of Dubai. The Bugatti Residences by Binghatti was revealed last May 24th at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

To be constructed in the financial district of the city’s Business Bay area, the Bugatti Residences Dubai by Binghatti offers access to Dubai’s key highways, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Al Khail Road. Its location is 10 minutes away from Downtown Dubai, 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, and 25 minutes from Dubai Marina.

The 42-story tower banks on the rich and diverse creative heritage of both brands. The Bugatti Residences by Binghatti project takes the oasis and the French Riviera as inspirations to bring the residences to life with a distinctive organically flowing sculpted façade and well-appointed interiors.

The Bugatti Residences will have 171 2-4 bedroom Riviera Mansions and 11 Sky Mansion Penthouses, with each one getting its own bespoke layouts, floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, and open-plan living spaces. The luxury residences will also offer amenities that include a Riviera-inspired beach, private pool, jacuzzi spa, fitness club, chef’s table, private valet, private members club, two garage-to-penthouse car elevators, and bespoke chauffeur, butler, bodyguard, and concierge services

[fire-in-the-dingo]

High Street seen from Carfax Tower in Oxford, England

[xtruss]

Adulterer, Boak Bollocks, Killer of Diana, Filthy Clown King: Illustration By Justin Metz/The Guardian

‘The Crowd Were Saying, “Kill Him, Kick Him To Death”’: What Happened To The People Who Protested Against Clown King Charles?

When the queen died last year, republicans balked at the fawning response to the succession. Some even found themselves under arrest for minor acts of protest, such as heckling. Ahead of next week’s coronation, three tell their tales

— By Simon Hattenstone | Saturday April 29th, 2023

Symon Hill was walking back from church on a sunny autumn Sunday when he realised his route was blocked; the roads around Carfax Tower in Oxford were closed off. It was 11 September, the day after Charles Windsor had been officially proclaimed King Charles III in London, and local events were being held nationwide. This ceremony, organised by the council, typified the pomp and pageantry. Hill is a quiet, thoughtful man of 46, but it doesn’t take much to rile him when it comes to the monarchy. He was looking forward to spending the afternoon relaxing with his housemates in their garden, and now he was stuck in a celebration he regarded as archaic and irrelevant.

Hill is a Christian, historian, pacifist, teacher, writer, activist and republican. At the start of the ceremony, which focused on the queen’s death, he was silent: “I wouldn’t interrupt somebody’s grief.” But when “they declared Charles rightful liege lord, and acknowledged our obedience to him as our only king”, Hill had heard enough. “I find this language very demeaning, and I called out ‘Who elected him?’” To his astonishment, he found himself surrounded by security, arrested and eventually charged under the Public Order Act 1986.

Hill’s arrest made the newspapers. Not because his had been an extreme or dramatic protest, but because it had been so mild. How could it have resulted in a criminal charge? On the same day, a 22-year-old woman who allegedly held a placard reading “Fuck imperialism, abolish monarchy” was arrested in Edinburgh for breach of the peace. More overt forms of protest also made headlines. One young man chucked five eggs at the new king and, despite his failure to hit his target, he was also charged with a public order offence.

Perhaps the most alarming story to emerge was that of a barrister threatened with arrest after holding up a blank piece of paper outside parliament. It felt like something we might read about in China or Russia. (Indeed, a couple of months later Chinese protesters used blank pieces of paper to protest against the country’s zero-tolerance Covid policy in what people referred to as the A4 revolution.) What was happening to Britain and its much vaunted democracy? In the days after the queen’s death, as TV stations cancelled regular programming and sombre music was played on the radio, only supine monarchism seemed acceptable.

Hill and I meet in a Wetherspoon pub in Oxford where he orders a non-alcoholic beer. He bears a resemblance to Mole in The Wind in the Willows – small, bespectacled, flat-capped, scrupulously polite and kind. Hill tells me it was his childhood that radicalised him. He was born into a working-class family in the Midlands. When he was six, his mother became housekeeper to a wealthy, aristocratic couple: “We lived in what would have been called a servants’ cottage back in the day.” He admits his memories are partial, but some are still so clear – being allowed to play with the employer’s dog as if it were a treat; the benign patrician taking down a glass of wine to his mother in the kitchen and telling her not to mention it to his wife, who would disapprove. “It made me aware of inequality. As a child, you don’t understand why one woman should be a housekeeper and another should have a housekeeper. I still don’t.”

Hill’s activism has always been bound up with his Christianity, much of his objection to monarchy derived from his faith: “I don’t understand how a Christian can agree to a proclamation declaring somebody other than Jesus to be our only king. I try to live by my faith all the time,” he adds, and reddens slightly. “Obviously I often don’t manage that. But things like trying to love your neighbour is a form of activism for me.” He is the author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Religion and The Upside-Down Bible.

“I called out, ‘Let’s not bow down to our equals.’ Then the security guards pushed me backwards and the police rushed in”

Hill had not planned to protest at the proclamation but stumbled into it. How loud was his heckle? “Loud enough for the people near me to hear. But I know they couldn’t hear it at the front because the Oxford Mail reported an indistinct heckle.” Did he say anything rude? Hill looks appalled. “A couple of people told me to shut up,” he says. He would probably have walked away and found an alternative route home if he hadn’t been stopped by security guards – or crowd management services, as the police later called them. “One told me to be quiet. I asked what authority he had to do that and he said, ‘You could be arrested for breach of the peace.’ I said, ‘I’m not doing anything illegal, I’m just expressing an opinion. If you can have somebody proclaim in favour of monarchy, I’m speaking against it.’”

Hill called out something else to make his point: “Something like, ‘Let’s not bow down to our equals.’ Then the security guards pushed me backwards. I thought they were going to knock me over. As the band started playing God Save the King, the police rushed in and said to the security guards, ‘We’ve got this’ or, ‘We’ve got him’, something like that.” Hill is fastidious about the facts to the point of pedantry. “Then the police grabbed me, twisted my arms back and handcuffed me.”

As he was led to the van, two people challenged the police. “They were both pro-monarchy, middle-class. They said, ‘Well, I don’t agree with him but surely he’s got a right to freedom of speech?’ They walked behind the police challenging them, which I really appreciated.”

‘I’d literally said a couple of sentences in the street’: historian Symon Hill, arrested for asking who elected King Charles. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

When Hill was put in the back of the van, he asked on what grounds he had been arrested. An officer admitted he didn’t know. The whole thing was a farce, Hill says. “They didn’t have a clue. It’s an important principle that if you’re going to have rule of law and democracy and human rights, you have freedom from arbitrary arrest.”

He says it was more alarming than the three previous occasions he had been arrested for protesting. In 2013, he was among a group of Christian activists charged with aggravated trespass after blocking an entrance to a London arms fair by kneeling in prayer. “We were found not guilty on a technicality because the police hadn’t read the warning in the proper way before arresting us. The second time I was not charged; the third time the charges were dropped. On all those occasions I wasn’t surprised to be arrested. This time I was gobsmacked. I don’t think I’m naive about police behaviour, but I’d literally said a couple of sentences in the street.”

Hill was then de-arrested without explanation and driven home by the police. He was later invited to a voluntary interview. He declined, but when it became apparent it wasn’t quite so voluntary, he went to the police station with his solicitor. He was told one of the security guards had alleged assault. “I was worried because assault is an imprisonable offence.” On 22 December, he was charged with breach of the Public Order Act – a charge that was dropped two weeks later, again with no explanation.

How did he feel? “A part of me was slightly disappointed I wouldn’t get the chance to make the case in court, but a much bigger part was relieved.” He smiles. “There’s a stereotype of activists that we want as much confrontation and publicity as possible. And, yes, I’m willing to make an argument in court, but I’d rather be at home with a cup of tea.”

Hill – who is considering bringing a case of unlawful arrest against Thames Valley police, with the support of human rights group Liberty – has been surprised by how much attention the incident received. “There are things I’ve done that have required far more effort and courage that have got a lot less interest.” On social media, there were thousands of incendiary comments. Conservative councillor Andrew Schrader tweeted: “To the tower with you, you dour grump.” But there has also been support, and Hill is aware that for some he represents the acceptable face of protest. “What’s been interesting is how much my Christian faith has been mentioned. They’re keen to emphasise what a normal, respectable person I am – a history lecturer in his 40s, walking home from church. But it wouldn’t have been any more acceptable to arrest anybody else.”

Patrick Thelwell is arrested after throwing eggs at King Charles. Photograph: Jacob King/PA. File photo dated 09/11/22 of police detaining protester Patrick Thelwell after he appeared to throw eggs at King Charles III and the Queen Consort as they arrived for a ceremony at Micklegate Bar in York

Hill has kept tabs on other people who were arrested after protesting against the monarchy. He tells me about a 16-year-old given a dispersal notice for holding a sign saying “Abolish the monarchy” in Bolton an hour before the king visited. The boy and his friends were threatened with arrest if they returned within three hours. Hill also mentions Mariángela, the Mexican woman arrested in Edinburgh. “I’ve been in touch with her. She got quite a bit of racist abuse about it.” And then there’s Patrick Thelwell in York, who threw the eggs at Charles. “I don’t have a big problem with that, but I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think it’s entirely non-violent. I also think it’s a waste of food.” But they have been in touch and Hill hopes to attend Thelwell’s court case in a show of solidarity.

The protesters seem to have become a close-knit family. Hill tells me he’ll go to London for the coronation, alongside the pressure group Republic, and will hopefully meet up with a few fellow protesters.

Perhaps the solemn reverence after the death of Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t surprising. She had served for a record-breaking 70 years and was globally admired, even by many republicans. The new king is a different character. Whereas she was famous for her discretion, he is regarded by many as a meddler. While her poker face remained intact throughout her reign, it took him only days to show his petulance in public, throwing two strops over pen-related incidents. There have also been questions about his judgment and integrity. Four days after the queen’s death, up to 100 Palace staff were given notice of redundancy during a thanksgiving service for her, and last November evidence about cash-for-honours allegations involving one of the king’s charities was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

In an Ipsos poll in 2016, just before the Queen’s 90th birthday, 76% of those surveyed favoured a monarchy, with only 17% preferring a republic. Now, 58% want a monarchy, while 26% prefer an elected head of state, according to a YouGov poll for Panorama of nearly 4,600 adults, published earlier this week. Most revealingly, only 32% of 18-24-year-olds polled want the monarchy to continue.

Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, believes this is significant. “The Queen is the monarchy for most people,” he said before her death last year. And now? “The institution is in serious jeopardy. It’s been reduced to two couples – Charles and Camilla, and William and Kate – and they’re not particularly inspirational figures. As we see indifference to the monarchy grow, they won’t be in a position to turn that around.” Smith thinks the generational gap can be explained by shifting cultural forces: “Identity politics, #MeToo, growing awareness of empire and slavery – all this is pushing people away.”

Patrick Thelwell and Symon Hill have a good deal in common. Both are academic, passionate about queer politics and were arrested for protesting against Charles. But while Hill is an understated pacifist, Thelwell believes in cracking a few eggs to make a republican omelette. On 9 November, he threw at least five at the king. One whistled past his arm, but that was the closest they got. His heckles, including “The king is a paedophile” (he says now he was thinking of his friendship with Jimmy Savile) were as outlandish as Hill’s had been sober.

Thelwell was arrested, pulled to the floor and taken to the police station where he signed his custody record “Fuck the king”. When we speak soon after, Thelwell, who is studying for a master’s in international relations, thinks he may be charged with treason and jailed. Does he want to be charged? “Aha! That’s a good question. Kind of. Well, I’ve got some choice words for my court appearance, that’s for sure.” Such as? “I won’t be apologising, especially if I get found guilty. I’ll be saying I don’t recognise the legitimacy of this court or this country, and I’ll probably call for a revolution, just to spice things up a bit, because that’s what we need.”

“With the problems we’re facing, thinking, ‘Ooh, if we could just get Labour into power, everything would be fine’, like, no!”

What form of revolution? “I’d like people to withdraw their consent to be governed by the British nation state because it’s complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity. It needs to be dissolved and its assets redistributed as reparations for climate change to the global south. In its place we’d create a federated direct democracy of local people’s assemblies and ultimately a global democracy where we’re citizens of Earth.” Blimey, I say, that’s ambitious. He giggles. “Well, yeah! Have you seen the problems we’re facing? Thinking, ‘Ooh, if we could just get Labour into power, everything would be fine.’ Like, no! Keir Starmer’s planning on keeping all the protest laws that have come into place.”

Cross Boy George with Rick from The Young Ones and you may get something approaching Thelwell. He sees himself as “a cosmocrat, a democratic federalist. The politicial philosopher I most draw on is Murray Bookchin. He was a Marxist, then an anarchist, then he thought, ‘Neither of these are enough, we need to create a different state, based on local self-governance.’” Has anywhere in the world achieved this? “Yes, Rojava in northern Syria. Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish resistance leader, built on Bookchin’s work and moved towards creating a stateless direct democracy. About three million people live under it and you’ve got a huge network of different tribes and towns and villages.” In the Observer, Kenan Malik praised Rojava as a brave experiment in democracy and equality, saying it would be a “tragedy” if it were crushed by President Assad.

When Thelwell, 23, is not studying or plotting the revolution, he works as an ecological gardener. He makes it clear he is no protest virgin. “It wasn’t my first rodeo,” he says of the egg-throwing incident. In 2020, he was one of 26 Extinction Rebellion activists who blockaded two British printing plants, disrupting the distribution of newspapers including the Murdoch-owned Sun and Times. Thelwell glued himself to the roof of a van and was convicted of obstructing the highway and aggravated trespass. He was also, like Hill, arrested at the arms fair in London, though his protest was more physical. “I jumped a fence and climbed on an Apache helicopter. I sat on the rotors and drummed on it for two hours.” He pauses, then adds proudly: “I’ve no sense of rhythm.” He wasn’t charged on that occasion.

‘We need a revolution’: student Patrick Thelwell, whose egg-throwing resulted in a charge of threatening behaviour. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian. Patrick Thelwell, a student at York University who in November 2022 threw eggs at King Charles and the Queen Consort whilst they were visiting York in North Yorkshire.

“There’s nothing that compares to taking an action,” he says. It gives him a buzz? “It’s not a buzz, it’s being aligned with the kind of world we want to create. You feel you’re doing something inherently right, that transcends your ego. People say it’s narcissistic, but it’s not about you, it’s about your message.”

None of Thelwell’s direct actions met with the vitriol that egging the king did. He thought he was going to be lynched by the crowd: “They lost their minds. They were saying things like, ‘Kill him, kick him to death.’” Since then, he says, he’s received death threats. “People have tried to get into my accommodation block. I’ve had emails saying, ‘We’re outside, we’re going to put your head on a spike.’ It’s not safe for me to walk around York by myself.” He reads out an Instagram post: “What a prick you are. Embarrassing. If you’re not careful you’ll get your head taken off, you little muppet.” Beheading is a common theme in the trolling and though others have treated him as a hero, it’s been a challenging time for Thelwell, who has ADHD and suffers with anxiety. “I feel quite ungrounded. There was my life pre-egg and now it’s post-egg. I need to focus on a bit of self-care.”

In early December, Thelwell was charged with threatening behaviour. As part of his bail conditions, he was banned from carrying eggs. What does he think will happen in court? “I think I’m going to prison, partly because of what I will say in court. I’m going to say, ‘Fuck the king, this court is an illegitimate authority.’”

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The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 will make the arrest of protesters at next week’s coronation easier and more likely. The stop and search powers of police have been extended to allow officers to target people and vehicles if they suspect they might be carrying anything that could be used in protests. The home secretary now has the power to ban marches and demonstrations they believe might be “seriously disruptive”, including being too noisy. But the controversial policing of monarchy-related protests is nothing new.

In 1952, 26-year-old Anthony George was fined 20 shillings for insulting behaviour after failing to observe the two minutes’ silence at King George VI’s funeral because he objected to its commercialism. PC Eric Rolfe told Guildhall magistrates court that George had made “unnecessary noise with his feet”. Half a century later, during the Golden Jubilee, 23 activists staging a protest in Tower Hill with the banner “Execute the Queen” were arrested. They later received £80,000 in damages from police in an out-of-court settlement. In 2011, protesters dressed as zombies were arrested during the wedding of Prince William and Kate. Police justified the arrest as pre-emptive, with the European court of human rights ruling eight years later that there had been no breach of the protesters’ right to liberty.

I meet barrister Paul Powlesland at Garden Court Chambers in mid-November, a couple of months after he was threatened with arrest for holding up a blank piece of paper in Parliament Square. Powlesland had read about the arrest of protesters exercising their rights to freedom of speech and was dismayed at the one-note coverage of the queen’s death. “It felt over the top and mawkish. I don’t want to say it was akin to North Korea, but it did not feel like a free, vibrant democracy in terms of different opinions being expressed. When I heard about the arrests, I thought, this is outrageous.”

Powlesland had never given the royals much thought, but he’d given plenty to freedom of speech: “The protest was initially more about that.” Protesting with a blank piece of paper was purely practical. “I couldn’t get arrested because I had a case next day. Holding up a ‘Not my king’ sign is not unlawful, but they can still arrest you and I didn’t want to let my client down.”

Powlesland, 36, wears a brightly coloured jacket over his smart suit, has a ponytail and speaks with a plummy accent he says is misleading. He grew up in Addlestone, Surrey, to working-class parents (his father worked as a window fitter for 45 years) but “Addlestone gave me an accent that makes everyone assume I’m a public schoolboy.” Only two people in his school year went to university, and he got into Cambridge.

What politicised him? He looks embarrassed. “I don’t know if I want this confession in the Guardian. I started out as Tory.” There’s more. “I voted Ukip in 2004 because I was a massive Eurosceptic.” Is he still? “No. I try not to think about Brexit. I voted remain in the end.”

“Just having something someone else finds offensive is not a criminal offence because then pretty much anything could be”

Powlesland lives on a boat in east London and is an activist around protecting rivers. He has six children through sperm donation, none of whom he has met. Like Hill and Thelwell, he is not a stranger to direct action. During the 2012 Olympics, he was involved in a bike ride protest. The police ruled the cyclists couldn’t ride north of the Thames; Powlesland did, was charged and convicted, and then given a conditional discharge.

The other incident involving police was terrifying, he says. “I got arrested three years ago in a dawn raid involving 10 officers smashing my door down. I was asleep, they handcuffed me, searched my entire boat and took me to the police station. It was like being kidnapped by a criminal gang.” Powlesland was accused of rioting at the London Stock Exchange. The only evidence was footage of a masked, hooded rioter wearing leggings, which Powlesland was known to wear at demonstrations. He soon proved he was in chambers at the time: “I gave them a dossier of evidence, but they still couldn’t say, ‘We’re sorry, we got it wrong.’”

‘Even monarchists were outraged’: barrister Paul Powlesland, threatened with arrest for holding up a blank piece of paper. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

On 12 September, Charles addressed parliament as king for the first time. The Metropolitan police called in reinforcements in case of protests. Powlesland, who works nearby, walked from Parliament Square to Downing Street and back with his blank piece of paper. “Then a guy from Norfolk police came up and spoke to me, and that was the video that went viral.” Powlesland recorded the encounter on his phone. “He asked for my details, I asked why and he said, ‘I want to check you’re OK on the Police National Computer.’ I said, ‘I’ve not done anything wrong, so I’m not giving you them.’ I wanted to test it without getting arrested. So I asked, ‘If I wrote “Not my king” on the paper, would I get arrested?’ and he said, ‘Probably, because it would be a breach of the Public Order Act; it would be offensive.’” Was he right? Powlesland laughs. “No! Just having something someone else finds offensive is not a criminal offence because then pretty much anything could be.”

The video has been watched by more than 1.5 million people and the protest was widely reported. That night the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, Stuart Cundy, issued a statement verging on the apologetic: “We’re aware of a video online showing an officer speaking with a member of the public outside the Palace of Westminster earlier today. The public absolutely have a right to protest and we have been making this clear to all officers.”

Was Powlesland surprised his protest received so much publicity?“Yes, and that even monarchists were outraged. There was definitely a sense of the police pushing back on alternative forms of expression and by doing something so ridiculous, it forced them to admit they were wrong and freedom of speech is allowed.”

The next day Powlesland returned to Parliament Square with friends. “We had different things written on pieces of A3: ‘Not my king’, ‘Down with the monarchy’.” The police walked past. No arrests were made.

Friday 14 April. It’s early morning and a queue has formed outside York magistrates court – a mix of journalists and Thelwell’s supporters carrying placards featuring eggs and saying “Did you vote for him?” and “Justice for Patrick, justice for all”. Thelwell wears a large hooped earring containing an image of the Earth; an Earth symbol is tattooed on his right hand and “Love” on his left. He is skinny and tiny, even in the platform heels he says he wore on the day to see Charles through the crowd. He is cheeky, likable and nervous.

Thelwell, who has chosen to defend himself, admits to low-level violence in throwing the eggs. He tells senior district judge Paul Goldspring: “If that amounts to unlawful violence, then the violence carried out by the British state is at such a severe level, I can’t be held accountable for my crime while the crimes of the state go unpunished.” The violence was lawful, he says, and he acted out of necessity because government policy in relation to the health service, asylum seekers, the arms trade and the climate is killing countless people. As promised, he tells the court he does not recognise its legitimacy because the prosecutors work for the crown. It’s a bravura performance – by turns ingenious, comic, ridiculous and noble. At one point Goldspring tells him: “We don’t need grandstanding. We’re not in a theatre.”

But the judge is kindly and gentle. He acknowledges Thelwell’s ADHD and that he is strapped for cash, and tells him early on he will not go to prison: “Do you want to say anything about that? Or are you are just relieved?”

“Yes,” Thelwell says with a nervous laugh.

The judge asks him why he had stopped his studies. “Because I thought I was going to prison,” he says.

“What is the chance of you finding a job in six weeks?” the judge asks.

“Do you need any gardening doing?” Thelwell says.

“Surprisingly not,” the judge replies.

Thelwell is found guilty of threatening behaviour. The judge says it is an “unprovoked, targeted and pre-planned use of violence against what was, after all, a 74-year-old man”, yet he sounds as if he’d like to give Thelwell a hug and tell him not to throw away his life. He is given a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £600 and a £114 surcharge at a rate of £5 a week.

He doesn’t get to say “Fuck the king” in court, but he does say pretty much everything else he had planned. He remains polite and thanks the judge for his leniency, before emerging from court triumphant but a little chastened.

When we speak a couple of days later, I tell him I left court thinking it was a victory for humanity – everyone came off well. “I thought so, too,” he says. Was he surprised he was allowed to read out his statement in court? “One hundred per cent. I got lucky with the judge.”

With the coronation imminent the Met are preparing for what is expected to be one of the biggest operations in their history. This month, secretary of state for culture, media and sport Lucy Frazer told the Sun it would be “extremely disappointing” if activists targeted the event. Meanwhile, Hill, Powlesland and Thelwell hope to be there, exercising their democratic right to free speech. “I’ll be protesting,” Hill says. “I want to speak out against being told to submit to somebody because of an accident of birth. It is really important we’re not intimidated into not speaking out.”

Republic’s Smith is looking forward to the big day. Will there be much protest? “We’re bringing 1,000-plus people to Trafalgar Square. We’re not planning anything illegal, and it’s only going to be disruptive in terms of noise and a sea of placards. When Charles comes past, we expect chants of ‘Not my king’ and booing. We’re going to make sure we can’t be missed or edited out.”

[droscarjohnma]

Which Cities in the UK Are Growing the Fastest?

You might be curious about the fastest-growing cities in the UK if you're considering moving to UK or are a resident. London is the nation with the fastest growth, closely followed by Norwich and Swindon, which you may not be aware of.

Peterborough

Peterborough, a bustling cathedral city in the East of England, is home to a dynamic and varied culture. It enjoys access to London, Cambridge, and the North thanks to its special location at the A1 and A47 motorways intersection. It boasts great transportation options and a thriving retail sector. One of the UK's cities with the quickest population growth in Peterborough. Within the previous ten years, its population has increased by 17.5%. Additionally, it has some of the fastest age-group growth rates in the UK. One of the safest cities in which to reside is this one. The lowest in the nation is its council tax. Of all the UK cities, it boasts the greenest space per resident. Residents now enjoy a higher standard of living due to the historic city center's reconstruction. The A bustling plaza has been created in cathedral square via redevelopment.

Oxford

Oxford, which lies in central southern England, is one of the UK's fastest-growing cities. By 2020, it's expected to have 151,584 residents. The city's expansion has influenced the health and urban environment. Transportation, zoning, floods, and development limits are all problems. However, the city has recovered from the recession thanks to its expanding economy. In 2021, the economy was expected to expand to PS20.5 billion. By 2028, the city's population is projected to rise to 156,102. In addition, 144,700 jobs are anticipated to be created overall. There are several popular tourist sites in the city. These include the Covered Market, the Carfax Tower, and the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Several upscale hotels are also available.

Merton, England

Milton Keynes, located in Buckinghamshire, is a prosperous community with a robust economy. By 2028, it is expected to have a population of 294,707 people. As a result, Milton Keynes is one of the UK cities with the highest population growth. The city's infrastructure is under stress due to the fast expansion. City officials have responded by attempting to cut carbon emissions. The city has provided incentives for solar panels and electric automobiles to do this. The city boasts a thriving business community, with a number of organizations setting the standard in the UK and internationally. There are several knowledge-based enterprises there. Additionally, there are a lot of new firms and small enterprises in the city. The Milton Keynes Economic Development team is an excellent resource for companies of all sizes. They offer vital economic data, including data on the local economy, property reports, and company growth rate.

Norwich

Norwich, in Norfolk, is one of the UK's fastest-growing cities. A population rise of 8,500 persons during the past several years demonstrates its robust expansion. The city provides a high standard of living as well. East Anglia's economic center is Norwich. Numerous manufacturing and service sectors are located in the area. The national economy benefits from these industries to the tune of PS3 billion. The financial services and insurance sectors are also significant employment. The city is home to many well-known corporations, including Jarrolds, Marsh, Aviva, and Colman's Mustard. A famous tourist attraction, it is also due to its closeness to the Norfolk Broads. The city is home to a vibrant arts community. There are several good reasons to buy real estate in Norwich. It is a prosperous city with a vibrant commercial scene and a strong tourism industry.

Swindon

Swindon, which is in Wiltshire, is a significant center for technology and research. Swindon is home to many global corporations, including Intel, Nationwide, WHSmith, and the UK Space Agency. The British Computer Society, the National Trust, the English Heritage, and several more institutions and organizations have their headquarters in Swindon. One of the biggest FE-HE institutions in southwest England, Swindon College, is also located in the town.

Swindon has gained a reputation as one of the UK's municipalities with the highest population growth in recent years. The city's economy has been expanding by more than 41%, making it the second fastest-growing city in the nation. Swindon's ties to the railway network have shaped the city's history. Swindon served as the hub of the British railway system during the nineteenth and twentieth century. The Swindon Works of the Great Western Railway became the town's principal employment.

[travelling-my-little-pony]

Twilight Sparkle is in front of the Carfax Tower.

In Oxford, England.

[wohlbruecks]

[auburnandamberangel]

//Carfax Tower, Oxford - at the strike of the hour these figures hit the bells

[bluesman56]

Carfax, Oxford by Tony Via Flickr: Carfax is at the junction of St Aldate's (south), Cornmarket Street (north), Queen Street (west) and the High Street (east) in Oxford, England.[1] It is considered to be the centre of the city. The name "Carfax" derives from the Latin quadrifurcus via the French carrefour, both of which mean "crossroads". The Carfax Tower, also known as St. Martin's Tower (it is the remaining part of what was the City Church of St. Martin of Tours) is a prominent landmark and provides a look-out over the town.

[pixie88]

Oxford to the Cotswolds

Chapter 23 - Always the Bridesmaid.  

A/N: So here it is the LAST chapter of Always the Bridesmaid. I kinda feel  sad but I know it’s not the end of H&L.Thanks so much @aussieez​ for proof reading. Thank you again to all those following this story and continue to follow it, you have no idea how much it means to me that you take the time to read.😘  

I’m finalizing my tag list for this over the next few days, so again if you like to be tagged just let me know!

Read previous chapters HERE!

Warnings: Fluff & NSFW

Word Count: 2914

Pairings: Laila x Harry

Enjoy! 😘 

A week later.

After their little spat, Harry decided maybe now was the time to take up his parents offer of using their cottage. They had their trip planned out, they would leave London on the Sunday morning stop at Oxford for a day or two and get to his parents' cottage on the Tuesday afternoon. "We are staying in an old prison that has been converted into a hotel?" Laila asks as they drove along the M40 "Yeah, I thought it was unusual and right up your street?" he takes his eyes off the road for a second to wink at her "You know the whole cops and robbers thing"

She rolls her eyes and laughs, "I'm guessing you're the criminal?" he smirks. "Nah, I'm a law abiding citizen, my love. You seem like the troublemaker here!" she laughs, "I've been looking up all the sites we need to visit while we are there"

He knew she wouldn't be able to visit a place without doing her research.

"Where do you need to visit then?" she smiles at the fact he asked "So, there is the obvious Bridge of Sighs, which is kind of a copy of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Carfax tower the views of Oxford, from there are supposed to be amazing, Martyr's Cross which is a cross they have in the road where two Anglican bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury were burned, oh and there is a Harry Potter tour around the University as some scenes were filmed there and Oxford Castle which is right next door to our prison hotel!"

"Sounds like a couple of days of learning!" he laughs at her "NOT just learning! There is a bar with magical cocktails, ones in test tubes, with fire and even smoke!" she's excited.

Harry doesn't know it, but Laila is a bit of a history buff, if she goes somewhere new she will research the hell out of it. Not long after they moved to London Laila was still adjusting to life in the city, Ezra could see his granddaughter struggling, so he planned a day out with her.

They stood on platform 5 at Harrow and Wealdstone Station "Grandad, where are we going?" she asked him "You will see when we get there!" he smiles at her. The train ride wasn't long. Fifty minutes later they pulled into Bletchley Station "Grandad, why are we here?" he chuckled "And I thought you knew everything about World War 2!" he winks at her, but it doesn't click until 10 minutes later when they were standing outside Bletchley Park.

Laila's eyes are wide "Oh my god!! This....this is where Alan Turing cracked the enigma machine!!" she squealed with excitement before hugging him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she's beaming, she takes his hand and drags him through the doors.

This was one thing he and his granddaughter had in common, was their interest in World War 2. They spent hours looking around the huts where it all happened. He never saw her face light up so much as she looked around at the artefacts. They had a look around Station X (National Radio Centre) and when they finally reached the Mansion Laila was overjoyed "Grandad, just think all those people that helped crack the code have been in this very room...no house!!"

They spend hours looking around, before grabbing something to eat at hut 4 "Grandad, just think this is where they would get lunch or even dinner!" she looks around the hut "Laila, just think while they were here no one knew! They had to lie about working here, they couldn't tell anyone even family members. They had to take a vow of silence" he said.

This rang true, as years later Max was building an annex for a couple at the end of their garden and when he got talking to the Nan, whom the annex was being built for she told him how her mum worked at Bletchley Park and had to take a vow of silence which she kept until the park reopened as a museum in 1994.

When it was time to go home Laila couldn't thank him enough for taking her there "Just don't tell your brothers!" she laughs, "I've taken the Bletchley Park vow of silence!"

They finally arrived, Harry pulls into a parking space outside the hotel and a valet comes over Harry hands him the keys and they head in with their cases. They check in; "you will be on the fifth floor in room 135, so take the lift to the right once you go through those doors. Here is your room key and enjoy your stay!" she smiles. "I'm sure we will!" Harry grins at her before they make their way to their room.

"Did you ever watch the TV show Bad Girls?" Laila asks him as the lift takes them to the fifth floor. "I did! Izzy made me watch it with her. That woman that played Yvonne plays Shirley from Eastenders now, doesn't she?" she laughs, "I thought you don't watch it?" she nudges him as the doors open "I don't but when you put it on what am I supposed to do?" he winks.

"129...130...4 more rooms to go," she calls behind her. "Actually 5 more my love," he laughs, she turns to look at him "No! You don't include our room!" she protests. "I think you do," he laughs at her. "NO! No, you don't," he doesn't argue with her.

They dump their bags and head out to look around the city "Oh, they have a Harry Potter tour" Laila's tone is ecstatic, Harry sighs "Don't you want to do it?" she asks "If you want to we will do it" her eyes scan his face "Did the kids in school use to take the piss out of you in school because you had the same name?" she asks, he laughs, "No, if anything they used to call me...oh what was his fat mate called?"

"Crabbe?" she looks at him. "Yeah, that's the one," he offers a weak smile, she runs her fingers through his hair before her arms cling around his neck "Well, who's laughing now? I bet a lot of the girls and boys that bullied you regret it now! You are handsome, fit, funny and you are mine" she winks, he can't help smiling at her "And I have a drop dead gorgeous girlfriend" he says making her blush.

"We'll do something else," she smiles at him and kisses his lips "No, we'll do the tour if you want to!" she looks how long the tour is "2 hours, argh, I'd rather be doing some kinda cardio" he looks at her confused and she laughs, "use your imagination, you are a personal trainer" she winks. He quickly gets the hint "Right, what do we need to look at before I drag you back to the hotel?" he grins at her.

Later.

After dinner, they had back up to their room, "I'm going for a shower" Laila winks at him "OK, I'll grab one after you," she smirks "I was thinking more along the lines of you joining me," she doesn't have to ask him twice, he picks her up and she wraps her legs around his waist as he walks them to the bathroom.

After their shower, Laila notices the chocolate on the bed as she's drying herself. "Oh wow! They're shaped like handcuffs!" she giggles "Hmmm.....that reminds me," he wanders over to his case in just his towel and pulls out a pair of metal handcuffs. "And what do you intend to do with those Mr. Taylor?" she bites her lip "Oh, maybe make an arrest," he winks at her, she notices his arousal through the towel "Oh, on what grounds?" she asks.

"Hmmm....for being stubborn and sarcastic, but also gorgeous, funny, adorable and extremely impossible not to fall in love with" he stands in front of her, pulling off her towel until it drops to the floor. He cups her face, his thumb runs over her lips before capturing them with his, he lifts her arms above her head and his hands run up her arms before he suddenly cuffs her hands.

She smirks against his lips "Oh, PC Taylor, what do I have to do to get you to uncuff me?" his kiss becomes more intense. She drops her hands, so they are wrapped around his neck, he moves them until the backs of her knees hit the bed. They fall onto it with Harry landing on top of her "Well, Miss. Carelli, I think you can convince me somehow" his fingers finds her core.

She hisses at the contact, his other hand comes up and pins her arms above her head as he found her slick petals. "I thought I was the one who had to.....oh shit...convince you to free me," she can barely get her words out, his lips find her pulse line "How exactly are you planning on doing that?" he smirks against her neck.

"Stand up and I'll show you," he does as she says, she sits up and pulls off his towel. Grasping him, she works her hand along him a few times before her mouth follows the same path, he groans as his hips thrust forward in need. Her pillowy lips work along his hardened member, he grunts as her jaw slacks, taking him in further "Fuck...." he mutters.

He rocks his hips back and forth as her tongue runs along the ridges of his cock, he grips a fistful of her hair. His head fell back as he groans, "That's...it gorgeous! Fuck...".  She hums against him and her pace moves faster. His knees bucks, her apex is throbbing as she feels him nearing the edge "Laila....I'm...gonna....fuck!" he jerks as he hits his climax and he groans.

She releases him from her mouth and looks up at him. "Are you going to uncuff me now?" she asks as she's sat on her feet, he looks down at her with a grin. He lifts her up and throws her onto the bed, making her giggle "Hey, you said would take these off!" he has a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, Miss. Carelli! I prefer to have you like this, sorry." he captures her lips.

"That's not fair......." she protests, but she soon cuts off as he moves down her body to her centre, his hands grasp the back of both her thighs. His tongue moves apart her folds "Oh Harry!" she moves her arms to run her fingers through his hair. He pulls away, lifts her arms above her head again and kisses her lips "Keep them there!" he tells her before moving back to her core.

Her breathing hitches, he sucks against her clit, making her cry out "Ohhh"

A little later.

His legs are entwined with hers beneath the sheets, she's cuddled up against him as her head rests on his chest "When we get back do you think we should look at properties?" she lifts up and places her hand against his chest stroking his chest hair, looking up to him. He smirks at her, "definitely!" he strokes her hair away from her face "What if we have a look online now?" she stares into his ocean blue eyes and bites her lip waiting for his response.

He reaches for his phone "Let's have a look," he loads up and scrolls through the properties. "What are we going for?" he asks "Somewhere with gates, private drive and pool," she laughs, he digs his fingers into her ribs and she tries to wiggle away "Ahhhh! Harry! Stop!!"  his phone is discarded, he cups her face and claims her lips.

His body covers hers and he takes her against.

The next day.

They are back in the car on the way to Harry's parents cottage in Wyck Rissington, Gloucestershire.

Along the way they find a supermarket and grab a few essentials before they continued their drive. They arrive at the cottage 10 minutes later "Aww wow! This is cute!" she smiles as they get out the car. "And it's ours for the next few days" he winks at her.

They head inside, "wow, look at those beams!" she points up at the ceiling. "Have you been here before?" she looks to Harry. "Nah, Mum and Dad haven't let any of us use it...well until now" he winks.

Once they bring in their bags inside, he takes her hand and they have a look around when Harry spots a hot tub outside "Oh, what do we have here?" he nods as he opens the door "I didn't bring a swimsuit!" he has a devilish grin. "Who said anything about swimsuits?" she bit her lip and shook her head at him.

Harry runs Laila a bubble bath with candles around the tub and told her to relax while he cooked dinner. The water was warm against her skin as she sinks into the bathtub, a minute or so later there is a knock on the bathroom door before Harry wanders in with a glass of wine "Here you go, my love," she smiles up at him as she takes the glass "Thank you! So, what's for dinner?"

He leans over kisses her nose and winks "You'll find out when it's on the table. Now enjoy." He leaves her to it.

34 minutes later.

Laila walks into the bedroom and Harry has laid out a dress grey dress on the bed for her to wear. She smiles and starts to get dressed, underneath she puts on some lacy lingerie she had brought for the trip. When she's dressed, she goes in search for Harry, as soon as she saw him, she blushes but can't help but laugh.

"Harry!! What are you doing?" he's stood in the kitchen in just an apron and his boxers, he looks up at her and grins. "You've heard of the Naked Chef right?" he winks. "But he isn't actually naked!" she laughs at him. "I'm not either! I was thinking about it but I thought that would be unsanitary. I see you're wearing the dress I picked out for you." She makes her way over to him.

"Yeah, but the view would be...very sexy," she squeezes his behind "What's for dinner?" she looks around him on the kitchen side "Ah, ah, ah go and sit down," he moves, so she can't see, she sighs, "Fine!" Laila pulls out her phone and sends a picture she took earlier.

Laila looks over to Harry, biting her lip and he catches her checking him out. "You realise I'm not dinner right?" He says. She looks up catching his eye, "might not be dinner, but there is always dessert!" She winks twirling her hair. He chuckles turning back to cooking.

She puts down her phone as he comes over with 2 plates, placing them on table. "Ooo spaghetti and meatballs!" he pours them more wine, Laila twirls her fork collecting the spaghetti "Did you ever see the film The Lady and the Tramp?" she looks over to him. "I have. Mila made me watch it once." He laughs. "Do think we can do a Lady and the Tramp kiss?" she hold up a a string of spaghetti and he chuckles "We can try. Let me put it in my mouth first" Laila cracks and can't help but laugh "OH MY GOD!!"

"Come on, let's give it ago!" He takes the end of the spaghetti and lifts the other side to Laila, she takes it in her mouth and begins to get closer to Harry until their lips are just above each other's. He brushes his lips lightly over hers before pulling away. "Come on, eat up" he smiles at her and she rolls her eyes at him.

After dinner, he takes their plates. "I'll wash them up," she offers. "You can or I can put them in the dishwasher," he jokes, "Actually, you load the dishwasher. I'm going to start up the hot tub!" she gets up from the table "Already done, my love!" he winks at her. "Oh OK!" she stands and lets her dress fall off her shoulders until it's a puddle on the floor.

He looks her up and down. "I didn't bring a swimsuit, but this will do?" say asks as she makes her way to the back door. His eyes never leave hers, she grins, knowing she had him hook, line and sinker. He quickly closes the dish washer and chases after her, she squeals running from him and towards the door.

@lem-20​ @aussieez​ @secretaryunpaid​ @irisofpurple​ @khoicesbyk​ @txemrn​ @gloriousalmondvoiddreamer​ @tea-me-kah​ @casualpostqueen​ @beautifuluknownvoid​ @wombatsxkookaburras​

Their moans fill the night sky, both are blissfully happy.

Series 2 - Chapter 1

[thebestoftheluckyone]

High Street seen from Carfax Tower in Oxford, England

[pepperf]

My dad’s in his 70s now; he went from age 2 - 12 in the 50s, in Oxfordshire. His dad used to take him and his older brother into town with him sometimes, when he was getting his hair cut. For a treat, they’d stop for lunch at the Woolworths that was just around that corner, turn right and follow that lady with the yellow coat. Grandad got sweets at the pick&mix, but only one thing, the round toffees without chocolate, because once he found the thing he liked, he stuck with that forever. 

Grandad is no longer with us - he died in 1988 - and nor is Woolworths, but yesterday I snaffled one of my dad’s favourite Chocolate Eclairs (a toffee with chocolate in the middle), and today I went past Carfax Tower. :)

Photographs of the UK from the 1950s (via).

[a-cai-jpg]

the first & last chapter.

Today, I woke up to a cloudy sky. 

It’s a kind of day where I feel sad. I feel sad about everything. About the passage of time, about the goodbyes in the near and far future, about the playlist I used to listen to so often yet so rarely now.

There’s a sea of melancholy tumbling in my chest, threatening to seep through the pores of my body and flood the house. The sky is rumbling in silence.

A long time ago, someone told me my heart was made of ice. “Your heart is a comet, streaking through the galaxy and burning everything in its wake.”

See, the most beautiful words were never meant to be written by me.

I want to go back to bed and read a book that we had shared in the bygone days. But the reality is, I hold no memories and you and the book, and in all honesty, I didn’t really like it the first time through. Maybe I’ll like it more this time.

Something snapped when you reiterated the comet metaphor in laymen’s terms, but you know what the saddest bit was? When I was told you were distraught and confused, but neither of us did anything. When I said a Taylor Swift music video reminded me of Ernest Hemingway, and she paused and quietly commented that you had said the same thing. When words tumbled to fill the silence that followed because I was drowning in the revelation that so much of our consciousness had overlapped by that point.

Maybe that day, when we were laughing and you grabbed my arm like you’d just come to an epiphany and told me breathlessly and in awe that my heart was a comet and I was shocked into laughter but was also reeling from just how beautiful and foreign that image was--maybe that was the beginning of the end.

Right now, songs I don’t remember hearing remind me of you and long bus rides up north.

I wonder how you are feeling, what you look like, where you are now. I wonder if you think of me.

The first chapter of my journal is dedicated to you. 

Did you know?

That’s why I snapped.

Because I cared, felt, loved, and on a day we were gliding on ice, your skates cut into what was supposedly my heart, and you told me I had no feelings.

If I’m being completely true to myself, I don’t hate you. Anymore? 

It’s all in the process of growing up, right? I had so many flaws, but I had to leave. Because if you didn’t value me as much as I did you, I don’t know if I would ever learn to value myself. 

Somewhere, in the journal, I might have written, “I would have jumped out a window for you. But you wouldn’t have done the same.”

I have so many dreams of us meeting again. Somehow, the blank pages are gone, and we’ve skipped past resolution. I stumble, because nobody had clued me in that everything was okay again.

But, in real life, I hope we never meet again.

It will never be the same, like it was then, when I texted you at the top of the Carfax Tower because I had stomach cramps and somehow, telling you, somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean, a good 12 hours away, probably asleep, would help. 

So, farewell.

I will try my best to not think of you anymore.

If I dream of you in the future, let the dreams just be dreams, a story for the sleeping.

6/5/20

daily song rec: life in the city - the lumineers