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Okay: middle-aged, middle-brow warning.

Here are some stationery opinions. I wanted to start with fountain pens and pencils only, but some ball pens crept in. There are other great writing technologies. This is not that list.

  • Good European fountain pen: Lamy 2000.
  • Good Japanese fountain pen: Pilot Capless SE.

Generally, Japanese nibs are finer that European nibs.

  • Good every day carry (EDC) fountain pen: Kaweco Lilliput. Consider a premium nib.
  • Good EDC ball pen: Fisher Bullet Space Pen. The titanium nitride pen is the best.

If you are after mechanical pencils:

PS, don’t leave home without:

  • BIC 4 colours multipen. I like the 4C 3 + 1 HB (3 colours and 1 pencil) - but you have choices.

For a moment there I thought I had run out of shichimi togarashi

I’m an impatient cook, particularly when I’m hungry. But you can never beat the mise en place.

Marks & Spencer, if you must put made in Britain Union Jack stickers on your aubergines, use ones that don’t leave unremovable glue residue behind

I spotted something curious in the world of planning. It’s as if there is one unregistered company, Banks Solutions, trading via a Gmail address, that provides the independent programme officer for, like, every single local plan examination in the south of England.

Mammals aren’t built for flight, unless you’re a bat. And do I look like a bat? It’s not easy wearing the wings. They are longer than you probably imagined, and major unwieldy. One time I crashed I broke my collar bone, and trashed the wing-pack too. Now when I try to fly, I try over water.

It’s disappointing to see a Labour chancellor regurgitate “regulations bad”.

Reeves says rules and red tape are ‘boot on the neck’ of business

I’m sure ministers will be queuing up to get their generously subsidised meals from cafeterias relieved of those pesky food standards regulations. And I have no doubt multinational corporations are lobbying hard for the removal of the thicket of intellectual property regulation they use to avoid tax.