Last week on Wonkhe: This week’s card from Hugh Jones’ postbag takes us to a college with an aeronautical bias

I fear that if Johnson were asked this today, there would be lot of umming & erring, some guff about "the custard of conciliation" & "the tiramisu of time", but he would refuse to answer. That a US President tried to overthrow an election is now unsayable on the British Right & in much of the media

"The oddity of the late 2020s is that the populist right has given the centre and centre-left a lifeline" Interesting post from Geoff Mulgan on the risks of a hollow centre - and the perhaps temporary respite of a populist 'enemy' to rally against geoffmulgan.substack.com/p/hollowed-o...

Enjoying some late Autumn sun

Absolutely this👇

A fascinating visit, as with every site in this unique national asset and UNESCO World Heritage site.

Several MPs were among those present when Queen Victoria visited Liverpool #OnThisDay 1851. She commissioned this painting of St. George’s Hall as a souvenir of her visit. www.rct.uk/collection/9...

A great letter, which points to something that should be more widely known - see the work of David Killingray (for one) which David summarises here, with a host of (Kentish) examples:

James Brindley and Josiah Wedgwood made the Potteries a place #MyBackPages

The small country of Luxembourg acts as a living laboratory where new water monitoring technologies can be tested at scale.

Died #OnThisDay 1877 William Henry Fox Talbot. Best known as the pioneer of photography, he was also briefly MP for Chippenham, 1832-5, but stepped down to concentrate on his scientific interests. There’s more on him in our short article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/w...

Irresistible offer!

UK research ‘trying to do too many things’, warns new UKRI leader. Ian Chapman wants funding emphasis on world-leading areas, but experts warn of system “inertia”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Mandelson took the UK’s most important diplomatic post knowing he was sitting on a ticking bomb – and Starmer will pay the price.

Russia aggression, and the killing of a US political activist and its implications in the weekly world affairs newsletter.

Remembering that, aside from Lord Bragg’s distinguished presenting, this has been a great success story for university expertise for the last 27 years www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Peter Kyle is leaving DSIT for business. Wish he could have mentioned that at UUK! There's also a rumour of a new "growth" department that would include the skills bit of DfE and some stuff from DWP (and, one assumes, business). Would this also include HE? who knows?

The deputy prime minister’s departure has triggered a reshuffle and leaves the government in a weak spot.

Rayner’s case highlights the complexities of a system every UK housebuyer is expected to get to grips with.

Get to know Arnold Bennett's Five Towns: We have some free Bennett-themed guided walks around Hanley and Burslem for Heritage Open Days on 17 and 19 September, and beyond. Details on our website, and book here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on?q=A...

After months of solar energy, time to turn on the Rayburn to cook tonight’s dinner saying farewell to our son, Tom, as he heads back to Royal Academy of Music tomorrow

Tomorrow's #OnlineArtExchange theme is ⌛ time ⏰ for ‘Tony Foster: Exploring Time’ at @cornwall_museum Explore our time topic for inspo 👉 buff.ly/XpH83UY 📷 Lancashire County Museum Service

Delighted to hear Claybody Theatre will continue to be based at The Dipping House on the former Spode pottery site. Looking forward to seeing many more place-based productions ‘shaped from the unique cultural heritage and contemporary lives of the people of Stoke-on-Trent & North Staffordshire.’

The Cameron-Osborne years offer an important reminder that it is possible to excel at the theatre of politics - to "look prime ministerial", to dominate the "media narrative", to project "competence" and to communicate a clear political "story" - while being strikingly inept at governing.

Belated Black Cat Appreciation Day, Pip, aged 16!

Moving monologue dramatisation of @lisablowerwrite story, ‘Blessing in Burslem’ by @NVBorderlines and #KwanzaCollective. Thanks and congratulations to all, including the amazing artists who captured the performance, making the theme of the piece part of the dramatic fabric. Brilliant.

The Arts Keele Three Counties Open Art Exhibition at Fenton Town Hall has a “real mix” of art on display, from paintings, to photography and a motorbike installation. @amigonidavid.bsky.social

Congratulations on all receiving A-level English Language, Lang & Lit, Literature results! 💫 And to all their teachers ! We commend the fantastic opportunities that study of these subjects offer 🥳. Find out what English studies brings ! englishassociation.ac.uk/case-studies/

Today marks the 150th anniversary of composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) 🎼 From published scores, autograph manuscripts, and sound recordings, read our new blog post with an overview of our Coleridge-Taylor collections: bit.ly/BLBlogColeridgeTaylor

Great post: I remember reading Mill’s ‘Representative Democracy’ and being surprised that the secret ballot was by no means his preferred method of voting

Not so much Les Six, more Les Dawson. FAO @barbarakelly8.bsky.social

Great round up on foreign affairs from @uk.theconversation.com

x.com/robinhadley1... : from co-author/researcher Dr Robin Hadley

A system is at work. We beed to recognise it. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Parliamentary contribution of J Wedgwood II, who also helped to further the Darwood network

Many universities will have to change the way they approach free speech.

Remarkable piece

Without wishing to take away from your beauty and its novelty value, here’s another vineyard photographed today, this time from Saint Emilion, Bordeaux

Great post (thank you) and informative discussion

Illustrious anniversary

Congratulations to the Lionesses – #WEURO2025 Champions! 🙌🏆⚽ 'Chloe Kelly Goal Celebration' by John Bulley (b.1950) © the artist. 📷 Tracy Jenkins / Art UK

It's been an intensive but fulfilling last two weeks! Thank you to @scs-dias.bsky.social for hosting such an amazing event, I've learnt so much and would definitely recommend the Summer School to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the Celtic nations!

This is lovely in Cleo Laine’s obit ‘She was also… mock-guilty about her lightness of spirit, saying simply: “I’m not a very neurotic person.” This realism allowed her to consider both her talents and her shortcomings with neither self-importance nor guilt.’ www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

Emma Bridgewater on why it’s crucial that her products were made in Stoke-on-Trent: “I knew when I first came here I wanted to make one of these factories come alive again … It wouldn’t have happened anywhere else. We have a highly evolved ceramics expertise here.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Burnham is increasingly worth listening to. His emphasis on community and place is the best way of dealing with disaffection and he grasps, by things like the Bee Network, the importance of the state demonstrating how it's improving people's day to day lives.