Reflections in a wet pavement...

Join us on Saturday 27th June at 11.00 am in St Albans Library for readings by Robin Houghton and Mark Fiddes. There's an open mic at the end (sign up on the day from 10.30 am). The event is free and open to all. Details on our website at: verpoets.wixsite.com/verpoets/eve....

"A society where the rulers live in privacy while the population lives under surveillance is the very definition of tyranny."

1/3 Join Professor Mary-Ann Constantine of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Welsh naturalist and travel writer, Thomas Pennant.

Local communities are starting to vote against data centers. The more they know, the less they support them. This is an issue that can motivate rural voters. They want to protect their land, electricity, and water.

Come online and hear me discuss my scattershot approach to a creative "career". Today, for FREE! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/storytelli...

And they have stolen trillions more through the military industrial complex. Israel is and has always been a hub for transnational organised crime.

Our job in 2026 is the same as it would have been in 1939—not to be "Good Germans" in the face of obvious fascism, racism, wicked cruelty.

#BenchmarkMonday 12.582m aOD on Clarendon Street, Cambridge #aofoto

What if... Oh wait that really did happen. 🥴🤤

So many people focused on Bari Weiss asking to make protesters look more violent and glossing over Pelley admitting they’d already dug deep for the most violent protester footage they could find. His interview is more of an indictment of corporate media than many want to admit.

Whenever I think of Texans and D-Day I think of Vencil Mares, here in his usual spot at the Taylor Cafe in Taylor, Texas. Vencil was 88 years old when I took this photo of him in 2012. He served as a medic during WW II and was a veteran of D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of Bastogne.

Not sure who still needs to hear this but; “HEALTHCARE BEFORE DATA CENTERS”

@richardmortimer.bsky.social Sunday fire hydrant, Helensburgh. (Not strictly a feature of my 22-site tour of Scottish gardens. 12 done, 10 to go.

#SundayShadows Cockermouth #aofoto

“a special kind of loathsomeness: a blend of historical deafness, grotesque stupidity and comically ludicrous self-importance” Well said Simon Schama, put this pathetic creep in his place.

No wonder the entrenched bureaucracy hates him to much. He's showing America that things REALLY can get better when you work on behalf of everyone, not for the Epstein class.

A short essay of mine on Cavafy. brandnewcarnation.substack.com/p/dont-hope-...

Epstein will never go away. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files. Release the complete Epstein files.

Wow! 200,000km² of ocean declared entirely off-limits to fishing in some of the most biodiverse waters on earth 🌏 That's a win 🙌 #oceanoptimism oceanographicmagazine.com/news/papua-n...

The Albanian people have been massively protesting for several consecutive days against slumlord crook Jared Kushner and Crimestress Ivanka seizing land in their country to the sum of billions of dollars to build a trashy resort. I hope they don’t stop until their evil corrupt deal is reversed.

www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j... << me in The Guardian today, briefly on some fine and intriguing new poetry collections.

Andy Burnham's father, like mine and so many others, is in residential care with advanced Alzheimers. Until it happens no-one knows the complete devastion and financial cost it wreaks on families #Alzheimers #dementia www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

One for you, @tonythorne007.bsky.social?

There you go, @billherbert.bsky.social.

Happy weekend! Ancient clay pots with octopus decoration from Bronze Age Crete some 3,500 years ago! 🐙❤️ Heraklion Archaeological Museum 📷 by me #Archaeology

One year ago today. Release the Epstein Files. Justice for the survivors.

A view of islands, long dark forms under grey cloud cover. An open door, human voices. #cinquain

For fellow poets out there, may I recommend Beth's substack - full of reflections on the art of writing and her sources of inspiration bethbrooke.substack.com?r=1tirk3&utm... @bethbpoet.bsky.social #poetry

The 95% completion rate requirement certainly explains why my union branch is defending colleagues being told to adjust individual students’ marks by unqualified managers.

I’m old enough to remember how Ceaucescu’s govt was presented as deeply inhumane for having CCTV on every street corner. Coming soon: facial recognition at a protest? Frozen bank accounts, travel bans..The tech Lords giveth and the tech lords taketh away.

I’m convinced the deranged race towards an AI singularity is to build a panopticon before anyone realizes what’s happening, integrate it into…everything, then present it as a fait accompli. A future of social credit scores, of a UBI that can be withdrawn from anyone who raises their voice.

Posted 5 days ago "russ_and_stacie_sullivan: Good morning, friends! Last night at WaterFire in Providence, 🔥a bunch of friends from different groups got together for a Signs of Fascism awareness event Signs of #Fascism is an event that highlights historical warning signs of #authoritarianism..."

You know what’s VIOLENT? #Capitalism. Do you vote for violence?

Every day. A heartless culture of gun fetishisation and sociopathic fantasies. No part of the political spectrum has seriously addressed this.

Steely waters of this great loch, its trees jostling, their leaves shaking off the clean rain- droplets. #cinquain

Great #poetry roundup this month courtesy of @betarish.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...

My latest for The Guardian, June's poetry round up. Some lovely books this month; I'm sure a lot of you will love Leontia Flynn's Selected especially.

www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j... << ach, a rare trailblazer gone far far too soon. RIP.

Cheering news... chadbourn.substack.com/p/russia-on-...

One for you, @craftygreenpoet.bsky.social

Shortages of everything ,Israel still won't let in proper supplies. Generators breaking down, stopping hospital from operating. Clean water lacking, leading to more ill health. All Gaza has is a Trumpian fantasy that does nothing at all. Europe no help. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

I used to go swimming there in the '80s when I lived nearby. Always felt surrounded by lots of lovely relaxed and good humoured people. Nice to know that hasn't changed.

'The bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in north-west London will remain trans-inclusive after a public consultation overwhelmingly favoured its existing rules.' Good news. 86% of 38,000 respondents in favour of retaining trans-inclusive policies.

Longer Droughts and Changes in Rainfall Already Occurring in Amazon Dry season in Amazon is lengthening from 4 to 6 months There was a 9% increase in burned areas and a 19% increase in forest degradation alerts, with up to 4.2 million hectares impacted by fire agencia.fapesp.br/longer-droug...

#SaveOurWeatherPatterns ❄️💧🌡☀️🌬🌪🌀⚡️ #ClimateActionNOW 🚨 ⏰️🚨 #SaveOurSeaIce❄️🦭❄️🐋❄️🐧❄️ #SaveOurGlaciers❄️🗻❄️ #SaveOurPermafrost ❄️🌿❄️ #SaveAMOC 🌊🔁🗺♾️ #extinctionisforever 🦕🦖🦤...🐻‍❄️🐋🐬🦭🐧👨‍👩‍👧‍👧? #KeepItInTheGround🛢💰⛽️💰🥇🪏💰💎⛏️💰 #GreenNewDeal ? 💚 #RenewableEnergy? 🌬🌊☀️🌋 #NetZero? ⏰️🌡🚨 #DavidAttenborough 💔 #LifeInTheFreezer ❄️