'Tompkinson's Schooldays' the first episode of Ripping Yarns, was broadcast on this day in 1976. Written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones, the series ran for nine episodes between 1976 and 1979.

Other work of the Ladybird artists Skating on a Winter Afternoon (Homes and Gardens, 1962)

It's banger time! The reason I'm posting this (again) is because the tune's composer, Ron Goodwin, was recently the subject of a brilliant episode of Sound of Cinema on BBC Radio 3. It's well worth a listen if you get time. Good evening.

Loving Thomas Frank right now 💓

Astonishingly, bats make up approximately ONE-FIFTH of all mammal species worldwide. They are the only mammals that can fly, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Here, rescued fruit bat Colin enjoys a banana. #BatAppreciationDay

NORTH BY NORTHWEST was released 66 years ago today. Acclaimed as one of the great thriller movies and among Alfred Hitchcock’s best, the making of story will have you doubting your own identity… 1/36

This is the lowest any senior politician has ever sunk. I include Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and previous Jenrick stunts in this. Pathetic, ridiculous, shameless, reckless, loathsome, spineless, idiotic, cunty, fuckwitted, insincere, grifting, useless, total arsehole of a man.

Someone asking if they knew me. Turned out they had seen me on stage. Still loving Thomas Frank!

“Basically the trick is to keep them painting roundabouts, sticking up flags and hating foreigners so they don’t realise we are serving our rich donors.”

It's December, the season of ghosts and all things spooky, so you know what that means - it's time for this year's SCARRED FOR LIFE ADVENT CALENDAR! Kicking things off, behind door number 1 is legendary paranormal documentary series ARTHUR C CLARKE'S WORLD OF STRANGE POWERS!

Behind door number 2 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the atmospheric and somewhat creepy title sequence to ITV's 'get kids reading' show THE BOOK TOWER (Tom Baker-era)!

What's behind door number 3 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar..? Watch out - it's The Thin Man, THE BOY FROM SPACE's creepy adversary!

Opening door number four of the Scarred For Life advent calendar, we find... ITV's brilliant adaptations of John Wyndham's novel about a troubled boy and his alien friend: the CHOCKY trilogy!

Behind door number 5 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking - and wintry! - public information films ever made: FROZEN PONDS!

Let's open door number 6 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... and let's shut it again! It's Donald bloody Sutherland from INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS!

Behind door number 7 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the BBC's incredible adaptation of John Wyndham's classic novel about societal collapse and rampaging plants: THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS!

Behind door number 8 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... it's the ultraviolent puppet-based carnage that is CAPTAIN SCARLET!

Behind door number 9 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... M.R. James, and the BBC's A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS strand (Lost Hearts is one of my faves). Christmas isn't Christmas without it!

Let's open door number 10 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... and reveal the dark, scary glory of the best Oz film: RETURN TO OZ!

Lurking behind door number 11 of the Scarred For Life advent calendar... a BBC show from 1968 which, according to legend, was so scary that it wasn't just banned - it was destroyed (save for one brilliant episode). It's LATE NIGHT HORROR!