U.S. Secretary of State Blinken always strikes one as a slightly bashful but palpably decent guy. Why can't there be more of him in their politics? BTW, I should probably know this, but was he named Antony -- and therefore A. Blinken -- expressly to sound like 'Abe Lincoln'?

My sons insist, & the web confirms, that there's now an international dress style called Eclectic Grandpa. Last night I was wearing some of it by accident & they insisted I complete the look, as shown. Very Harry Enfield, and TBA, I'd say. To be avoided. #notagrandpaanyway

Congratulations to Glamorgan's bat Sam Northeast whom we saw getting into the 180s at Lord's yesterday. Now he's over 200, but since his personal best is 410, he has a way to go. The pitch looks so reliable that you almost have to make a careless error to get out. #seasonstarter

To all messagers: heartfelt thanks for everything you've said - I will get round to replying but I'm here at Lord's, watching Glamorgan with frozen fingers. Here's the scoreboard at... 78 for 1!

An ambition fulfilled - I'm an old 78 at last, just like this one. Best wishes to all those in the same sleeve today!

First cousin twice removed Luca Ferraro does it again for Cambridge! And by a street. Congratulations Luca from our boys -- and to mama Helen Castor too. And well done for not getting water-sick.

Happy spring cleaning over #Easter

In view of today's public scolding of the NHS, it seems odd that at 9am last Friday, my doctor asked me to get a blood test and an X-ray, and by 2pm the same day, both procedures had been completed at the local hospital. Pretty impressive, I thought.

Careful Matt Davies the oldies are after you...

As I remember him. Why Bob Powell tonight? But then why not? Well as I knew him in school days -- as King Lear to my Fool (haha) and Sergeant to my Good Soldier Schweik (an honour) -- he never told me he was going to be Jesus when he grew up. Good health Bob!

Also from 1920: 'Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, / The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere / The ceremony of innocence is drowned;/The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity.' #Yeats

Dad's notional 104th birthday, so here's music (try the first track) in his first language. We used to call it penillion: now it's Cerdd Dant. The singing starts in a wonderful slantwise conversational way, across the harp's countermelody.
youtube.com/watch?v=DD0IBw…

I participated distantly in a domestic discussion about hair-dryers the other day, before realising that it was air-fryers they were talking about...

A direct train from London to fashionable Wrexham is proposed. Why not extend the idea, restoring the existing trackbed through Llangollen, Bala and Dolgellau to join the Cambrian Coast Line at Barmouth (Morfa Mawddach)? Much better idea than HS2 ever was. #WGSebaldsfaveline )

The great Dick Hyman, master of all piano styles, is 97 today, enjoying the rest, I hope, after many decades of brilliant performance. Here he is with 'Jitterbug Waltz', starting ruminatively, as often, and then comes joyous freedom. Happy Birthday, Dick!
youtube.com/watch?v=9HjAqp…