A story of grief, community, and hope... 🧵

Not generally one for listening to true crime podcasts, but Nicola Thorp's #Charlene: Someone Knows Something tells an incredible tale following the disappearance of 14-year-old Charlene Downes in Blackpool in 2003. Very much a story that needs a wider audience.

#Traitors Finale was 50% shouting "come on, don't muck it up now" at the TV and 50% trying to work out exactly where on the Speyside Railway the explosion was filmed.

Fascinating deep dive into the wonderful world of production/library music, and how so many of TV/Film themes that you instantly recognise were recorded as library music rather than specifically for that show. And how those tracks are now being used in hip-hop and elsewhere. With @20k.bsky.social

Slightly shocked by the genuinely good choice of Julia Unwin for the post of Chair of the Charity Commission.

Happy International Volunteer Managers Day 2025! Did you know there are over 500 Volunteer Managers who work in the NHS in England, supporting over 72,000 volunteers in hospital and community trusts? #ivmday25

This is probably the least scandalous scandal since Blue Peter misnamed their cat...

I like this from @freewheeling.info. rather than make fares simple, make them do the hard bit for you...

17 years ago, it was a Tuesday, 4th November, and I was in New York to witness the election of a leader who caught the zeitgeist, building up broad support that they ended up winning despite the odds being stacked against them. Sadly, I'm not in New York today.

The KLF episode of @msmirandasawyer.bsky.social's Talk 90s To Me is as gloriously bonkers as you'd expect it to be. Although it ends with an element of pathos.

Moving thoughts: memories of #Bedford.

Newsround reporting the Enniskillen bomb is, I think, my first memory of learning about the Troubles in N Ireland. We stayed nearby (at Florence Court) this summer, and driving through the town I immediately recognised the location. This is a fascinating series about the atrocity and aftermath.

Sorry, what?

This is very good news indeed (and excited I'm going to be involved in helping make this happen)...

Super exciting #job at the Electoral Commission, as product manger for their new digital strategy. Great to see @democracyclub.org.uk clearly mentioned in the JD, reflecting the work they did to get it this far.

They knocked down my old office to build this! (Top tip, they need to keep it open for Warwickshire schools holidays rather than just Coventry ones).

Wyndham Rewards currently now winning the "What's GDPR?" record by emailing me for the first time since I cancelled a hotel I had booked whilst in the US covering the Presidential Election. When Obama won. The first time.

Date night to see Macbeth at the RSC. First time at The Other Place. www.rsc.org.uk/macbeth/

Amol Rajan is bookies favourite to be the new presenter...

Cycled Euston to Barts and back again for a heart appointment today. Great cycle route right up until Farringdon Road to West Smithfield which seems to have just been abandoned and the cycle map on TFL Go appears to contradict the actual road layout. @willnorman.co.uk

Does anyone else purposefully plan where they will finish reading a book? I recently had to make sure I didn't finish an audiobook whilst stuck in the commuter traffic on the Coventry ring road as it felt like it would devalue the work.

I'm presuming someone has done the Don Ciccio Farewell message but with Pizza Hut branding...

Brilliant @nickgarnett.bsky.social blog on the trial of court reporting. I have my own anecdote from the Bowyer/Woodgate trial (I was at the nascent BBC Leeds Online website at the time), but it's one for the pub not the internetz.

Today marks a milestone for Volunteering Matters. Our new five year strategy is here. Shaped by staff volunteers partners and communities it sets out a bold vision for change. Rooted in social justice and powered by people. Find out more at www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk/strategy

Genuine question. Is Amazon not affected by an outage on Amazon Web Services? Do they use different infrastructure?

Three dads at this pamper birthday party that our daughters are attending. We've all brought our laptops to work on. #notOurFirstRodeo

Excited to see the new Govo.org advert ahead of its TV debut in the Coronation Street ad-break tonight. #volunteering #makeADifference

Upon my retirement, I would undertake a grand tour of the parks of the UK to stare upon the (by then) rusty and overgrown outdoor gym equipment and ponder whether anyone actually used them in earnest, beyond treating them as a bit of a novelty. (Honestly, I'd love someone to prove me wrong)

"More than half of the young people involved said they would like to reduce screen time, but 46% felt “unable” to. And then came the kicker: “93% of young people who have attended a youth centre say it has made a positive difference to their lives.”"

Justin inadvertently has taken a picture of the NHSE office in Manchester.

Where we had our wedding is now the affordable alternative to Soho Farmhouse, apparently...

Inspiring first post. Looking forward to what comes next.

🚀 We’re live! 🚀 The new, upgraded Reach platform is here — making it even easier to volunteer your skills or post volunteer opportunities. Check it out 👉 buff.ly/YZM5Nzx We’d love your feedback — and your help spreading the word 💙 #ReachVolunteering #Launch #Volunteer

This is sad. We regularly used to get puddings from Johnny in the Pudmobile when we lived just around the corner from St Albans station back in 2011.

A very happy 25th birthday to the self titled debut album by the wonderful @tommcraemusic.bsky.social for today! 🔥 What’s your favourite track?

Enjoyed this conversation between Mark Radcliffe and Miranda Sawyer. Still find it a bit mad that Mark and Lard ended up presenting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show for seven months.

Lead story in local news.

BREAKING: The Big Ship WILL sail on the Alley-Alley-Oh today. (I've woken Green Day up to tell them) #annualSkeets

Sustrans has a new name... www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk

This is great from @joetidy.bsky.social. 'Mastermind' criminals target a cyber journalist because they think he works in IT...

Council branded pop-up signage at local Sainsbury's about now being able to put soft plastics in the regular recycling. Absolutely nothing about it on council website.

Done. Way too many candidates to choose from though. Think it's time to introduce a qualifying round followed by a knock-out style finale.

The bit I don't get about all this ID cards/pothole business is why will people need to report them in the future if AI is going to detect and fix them automatically?

The news is out... #volunteering #nhs

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see stuff like this, but I do somewhat feel like there is an ever growing list of initiatives and communities (#DoWith, A Better Way, New Local, #StartWithPeople, ABCD, New CItizens etc) that are created without much actual movement and change happening.

As modern art galleries go, the Baltic is up there on my list of favourites. (And not just because I get to do the Dad joke about it not just being a bit cold, etc)

Don't normally listen to Dermot on Saturday Breakfast, but tuned in and caught a corker of a caller for his Mystery Voice competition. "Malcolm, where are you?" "Well I'm currently sat in A&E waiting to be treated."

En route to Newcastle for a uni friend's wedding tomorrow. Think I am the only person from uni who will be there, so apart from the possibility I'll be a billy-no-mates all day; it also gives me the opportunity to make up a whole load of fake stories to tell about them. Now, where shall I start...