Note the increasing tendancy of specifying the UK and Europe as if they are separate places. Geographically (and meteorologically) the UK remains part of Europe. “Cold snap grips Europe’ would have been fine. www.theguardian.com/world/galler...

This does not even remotely compare with the operation previously run by the Stasi, but nevertheless… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Hairy Turkey Tail?

A tragedy that seemingly has little prospect of closure www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Large Panel System (LPS) housing in the news again www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottis...

It’s possible to have a nice evening walk even if you live in Reading. Fabulous campus @uniofreading.bsky.social

King's Foundation chair and nominee peer admits 'misleading' doctorate claim www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark flip.it/Z6JFKK

In the current climate every piece of good news needs to be celebrated. And, if true, this is very good news indeed. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

City & Guilds is a brand that is synonymous internationally with skills and training. The headlines are entirely predictable following its acquisition in October by an offshore commercial entrepreneur. The irony is rich. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

It would be nice if this initiative formed part of a coherent strategy which included quality of training provision and productivity improvement. Systemic problems need systemic solutions. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Actions and words have consequences. How bad do things have to get before the ‘Little Englanders’’ are happy? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Actions and words have consequences. How bad do things have to get before the ‘Little Englanders’’ are happy? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

There are no winners here. The 39% partication rate speaks to the desperate sense of disillusionment among HE staff. This is unlikely to improve given the brutal context of ongoing cuts and redundancies. I fear for the future. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ucu-str...

It's official: 400 redundancies and a campus closure. At-risk staff will get a letter next week. Absolutely no serious consideration of any of the union's counterproposals. Please share widely.

A rare piece of good news… www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Frozen tax brackets upsetting you? Going to have the same salary for years on end? Congratulations, you're just feeling what academia has been like since 2018

It seems TV personalities have their uses after all… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Another reminder of what we already know yet consistently choose to ignore…. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Words and actions have consequences www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

No way Sherlock www.bbc.com/news/article...

No news here - just another day for the cities which host universities www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Short thread of songs which helps me make sense of Armistice Day. We can remember them without the trappings of institutionalised remembrance. Please free to add to the list. open.spotify.com/track/3WFcgb...

“The island became part of the empire after Britain helped liberate it from Napoleon.” Only in the Daily Express…. www.express.co.uk/travel/europ...

Just another week in the UK’s university sector. Expect similar headlines next week. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Build, build, build… www.cityam.com/construction...

For whatever it may be worth, I have no intentions of attending any conferences in the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

Will those with tangible examples of Brexit benefits please come forward asap www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Sadly this lies behind a paywall. But the headline says it all. www.ft.com/content/9080...

Literally one of the greatest soft power brands on planet earth driven into the ground by successive British governments that embrace failure, decline and irrelevance. on.ft.com/3Wq1XIT

Visited Dyrham Park @Nationaltrust.org.uk Created by William Blathwayt who was a functionary of the British State following the Glorious Revolution. No punches pulled on the centrality of slavery to the emerging colonial system of the 1690s. The rest as they say is history.

Coming soon to a university near you. Every week brings another example. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Important story here. It’s ironic that the client involved is the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ). What happened to all those nice words in the Construction Playbook? www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....

Please add my name to those complaining about ‘wicked’ AI scraping. Check if your publications appear in the sesrchable database in the replies below www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Palace likely to face questions about what it knew in Andrew scandal. Let’s hope it doesn’t disrupt their good form in the Premier League. www.bbc.com/news/article...

University tuition fees to rise in line with inflation for the next two academic years. Legislation will then enable automatic increases to fee caps in future years in line with inflation but only for institutions that meet tough new quality thresholds. The game is afoot! www.gov.uk/government/n...

Persona non-garter - brilliant www.bbc.com/news/article...

Hugely shocking report from NAO on ECO energy efficiency installations. How many more such scandals do we have to suffer before we recognise that we have a serious problem with industry regulation? www.nao.org.uk/reports/ener...

Would you choose to send your sons/daughters to one of these universities? The list will be significantly longer next year, and even more so the year after www.timeshighereducation.com/news/five-uk...

Unintended consequences strike again. Yet another scandal of the unregulated economy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What Adam says…

Delighted to finally get my hands on The Hillforts of Iron Age Wales by @drtobydriver.bsky.social Blimey, it’s a handsome book. No sticky fingers allowed…

Book currently on offer at £38.39 direct from publisher. Bargain. www.routledge.com/Making-Sense...

And now the UK university funding crisis makes the lead headline on BBC news. Please be sure this is not just about higher education, it’s also about the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem. The situation gets worse every month with no end in sight.

If a contractor files for administration midway through a project the client ends up with a big problem. If a modular contractor files for administration the client ends up with a massive problem. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Further to my recent post from the British Library, here’s a follow-up from Birmingham Central Library. Any excuse to visit a library is good enough for me…

I defy anyone to watch this video and not feel a little bit happier #FestiniogRailway

For sectors such as construction the apparent assumption that the labour market is characterised by standard forms of employment is at best misplaced. There are many good reasons for reforming the gig economy. But this has been true for decades.

So will Tier 1 contractors be expected to check the digital ID cards of all those working on major construction sites? Unregistered workers will be driven even further into the twilight zone. The risk of unintended consequences is high. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...