These people are poison. They will unleash racist thugs on the streets of this country and call it security. They will subjugate us to the US and call it patriotism. They must be stopped. There is no more important task in politics.

Only 26% of voters intend to vote Reform. Yet, that would be enough for them to be elected to government. 74% of people's wishes would count for nothing because of our ridiculous voting system, but a move to proportional representation is not included in The Elections Bill.

#NationalSnowdropDay @nationaltrust.org.uk The garden has woken up from its winter slumber and it’s a delight to have the arrival of these beautiful snowdrops which seem to be thriving in the somewhat sodden ground.

Hamlet of Sampford Spiney, Devon, once the centre of one of the many courts leet across England. The courts regulated some of the systems that made daily life work, employing officials including my favourite ever job title, the 'Brook Looker' - responsible for maintaining waterways + bridges. 🧵 1

Tomorrow is #NationalSnowdropDay and we’ll be celebrating these delicate beauties all day long. We'd love you to join in by sharing your snowdrop pics and tagging us. We'll spread the love and repost a few throughout the day. 📷Lucy Evans at Bateman's

On #NationalHedgehogDay I’d like to share one of my favourite old garden gnomes who always does his bit to care for our visiting hedgehogs when they are out and about.

It's #NationalHedgehogDay🦔 ...and while many believe it to be about groundhogs really, we're celebrating #hedgehogs native to the UK (Erinaceus europaeus)! It's still hibernation season for 'hogs, but there's lots we can do for our favourite spiny mammals... 👀 👉 buff.ly/VrIfml2

🚨BOOM! Now over 90,000 signatures! The Petition calling for by-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party is getting so close to the 100,000 needed. Let’s keep going! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

They claim they’re putting personal ambition aside and defecting to Reform to help fix the country. To stop that pisstaking farce, they should be made to hold by-elections in their constituencies and let the voters decide if that’s ok with them. Please sign. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

On this day 29th December 1975 “Radical new legislation” introducing a woman's right to equal pay and status came into force in the UK (Picture: A Second Picture Dictionary, artist: Eric Winter)

Gone to the printer and soon to be released… Launching in the Royal Irish Academy on Monday 1 December at 5:30pm. Further details to follow. “Christmas prezzies sorted, so…” 🎄 #Childhood #Ireland #IrishHistory wordwellbooks.com/index.php?ro...

If you're after something to watch and haven't seen it already, Riot Women in BBC1 is fantastic, great cast, great story, another Sally Wainright belter! Superb.

There's also the vexed question of who counts as a "foreigner". Long-term Commonwealth residents? Irish citizens? No doubt Badenoch has thought it all through ....

Do you have Irish roots? The Irish govt is looking for your feedback! Please complete the survey to inform engagement between Ireland & the 70 million or so Irish living outside of the island! www.ireland.ie/en/irish-dia... Please share!

The Telegraph today carries a news story about someone paying £7.4 million for a handbag (Hello, Lady Bracknell!). And an opinion piece describing a wealth tax as a ‘moral abomination’. What a time to be alive.

😡

Congratulations to my @historytcd.bsky.social colleagues @petercrooks.bsky.social and @cwallacedublin.bsky.social and their team @virtualtreasury.bsky.social on repurposing 30 June as a joyful day of archival discovery through their extraordinary work

#WorldHumanistDay In A world where you can be anything, be kind!

Dear USA Deploying troops against civilians will not go well. Yours Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The world’s wealthiest dynasty is growing even richer exploiting the failures of a floundering system of special needs education failing many British families. My @inews.co.uk column asks why the government is making cuts before tackling profiteering by financial sharks? inews.co.uk/opinion/the-...

This is going to sound incredibly earnest and preachy but fuck it. Support creative people. Buy their stuff. Share it on here. Music, art, words, whatever. Things made by humans for humans.

Stephen Mangan performs ‘I see you dancing, Father’ by Brendan Kennelly #brendankennelly #poetry #speirgorm www.theguardian.com/books/video/...

God the tabloids and Brexit dinosaurs were boring today… 🦖 Braying the same “betrayal” lines they’ve brayed since they got what they wanted… then found they had no benefits in it whatsoever. Still they came out today to play victim yet again. But the world has moved on.

In March I wrote the West Yorkshire moors are a National Park in all but name www.wildway.info/p/lets-explo... today it's confirmed it will become a National Nature Reserve www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Take note everyone, food for thought. ‘WE ARE KNOWN FOREVER BY THE TRACKS WE LEAVE’ Inscription carved on a very comfortable bench in the beautifully tranquil Queen Elizabeth 2nd SilverJubilee Gardens in Bewdley Worcestershire

The tomb of King John of England 1199-1216 in the magnificent Worcester Cathedral which I discovered on a visit there earlier this week. Sharon Slater @limerickslife.com l had a word in his ear to let him know he could possibly be losing a castle in Limerick at some stage soon😉

No I’m fine, got something in my eye just there. Yeah.

If true, that this was posted by him, it is indeed very offensive.

So pleased the wisteria has survived its savage pruning last Autumn and is now back in full bloom again. It had completely overgrown its support structure and was about to collapse, so drastic measures were needed. Lucky for me my son did all the hard work with a little help from the gnomes.

The Centaura Montana has woken up from its winter slumber and opened its first bud today. Good ground cover perennial, plus happily produces a second flowering if you give it the ‘Chelsea Chop’ at the end of May. Likes a bit of staking as otherwise can end up looking as if the cat has slept in it!

The Peony tree putting on an excellent show again this year with blooms as big as cabbages! Wish I knew which peony tree it is, I bought it at a market many years ago and unfortunately lost the label, would be so grateful if anyone out there could tell me its name please.

Inclusion, tolerance and respect for others, not a bad goal to set.

Cooper: Wow, his image is being shown on a monitor.. that's why you hear people actually applauding. They're applauding President Zelenskyy when he appeared on some of the Jumbotrons

Already envisaging the National Theatre production of The Death of Pope Francis... by David Hare... in which world leaders gather in Rome and new alliances are forged... in the face of MAGA.

Explore The Regent's Park Estate's New Story Trail

Came across what I think may be a cuckoo flower on Station Moor Hemel Hempstead? #Wildflowerhour

Pope Francis's Easter Message He calls for mutual respect and multiculturalism And for an end to the war in Gaza, with peace in the middle east

The bluebells at their splendiferous best today in a wood at Sarratt Hertfordshire and a lovely meandering path to follow too.

Call out to people who can read Latin. What are the two words after Parents in this? Magi something? It was written after parents names in a baptism record.

We’ll be there from 10 AM. Stop by to learn about this global problem, how we are working to fight it, and how you can join the movement. 🔗 cathedral.southwark.anglican.org/whats-on/mod...

📅 Join us this Saturday, 12 April, at Southwark Cathedral for the Modern Slavery Awareness Day. It will be an opportunity to talk to us and other organisations, see an art exhibition created by survivors, and watch a performance by the Amies Freedom Choir.

Just enjoy the tariffs

"You boy! What tariff is it today?"

#NationalLibraryWeek #LiteracyMatters

I cannot overstate the importance of reading books, particularly novels by respected authors, for critical thinking skills and reading comprehension. If the big gun novelists don't interest you, start small and work your way up. Or read whatever interests you. Just read. Or listen. It's all books.

You can explain it to them but you can’t understand it for them.

Back home again after a fabulous week in Nenagh and Limerick. Lovely walks, great food, special time with family and the weather was kind too. Also a must mention to #shannonairport still my favourite airport to arrive and depart from! Hope to be back again soon.

I've just signed this petition protesting Meta's theft of Irish writing, which they've used to build their AI tool. Will you sign too? my.uplift.ie/petitions/pr...