As the executor of a deceased person’s estate I often have to send legal documents to the beneficiaries of the will by post. I find it’s best to send them by heir mail. #weakendpun

Best of 2025: Johnny Rich did not celebrate a 14 percent increase in engineering applications in the latest UCAS data, as sector capacity failed to rise in tandem.

Jesus was delighted by the first gift from the three wise men. When he got the second, he was incensed. #weakendpun

I carefully gather my advent calendar treats into daily rations. After 10 days, I have a decoration to hang up. #weakendpun

I got sick after eating lobster. It turned out it was past its shell-by date. #weakendpun

At the packed launch of the OfS 5-year strategy. Chair Edward Peck is opening: “We want to create strong, robust, two-way dialogue”. Based on recent years, many in the sector will recognise that as more of a strategic change than it may sound.

The @officeforstudents.bsky.social is consulting on proposals to link tuition fees to the Teaching Excellence Framework. I've written a blog for @hepi-news.bsky.social to explore whether this is a good idea and offer an alternative. www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/12/08/t...

I told the chancellor to pay more attention to gambling and other forms of sin tax. She nodded and said she’d take particular care over the grammatical arrangement of words in her budget speech. #weakendpun

Brexit: the trillion pound ‘mistake’ The recent NBER report suggests the Treasury’s 2016 analysis – slammed by Brexiters as a ‘hoax’– actually understated the impact of Brexit By Anthony Robinson yorkshirebylines.co.uk/opinion/brex...

I saw a cat giving birth in the middle of the street. Should have been fined for dropping litter. #weakendpun

The airport security guard suspected the man in front of me had a gun. He had a rifle in his bag. But found nothing. #weakendpun

How can educators equip future engineers to design systems that are resilient, ethical, and trustworthy? Join us on Tuesday 9th December 2025, 3pm – 4.30pm GMT for the Complex Systems Toolkit official launch webinar: tinyurl.com/3pezw9j8 #Engineering #Education #ComplexSystems #SystemsThinking

Levy criticism ‘makes me want to run screaming’, says Smith www.timeshighereducation.com/news/levy-cr... The Minister is right to want alternatives to the #InternationalStudentLevy. There's no shortage. See my comment on the article.

I realised why Glamorgan is so famous for its male voice choirs. It must be all the Barry tones. #weakendpun

A flat-fee international student levy would be the worst version of a bad policy. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

My neighbour kept burning something strong smelling and the fumes would drift and fill my whole house. I was incensed #weakendpun

I was going to do a comedy podcast about how to make curtains, but I didn’t have enough material. #weakendpun

If you're a member of the National Trust remember to vote for council members by midnight tonight. Use the Quick Vote option. Entryist pressure group Reform Trust is trying to seize control. Stop them Voting is quick and easy if your membership card is at hand secure.cesvotes.com/V3-3-0/nt25/...

Reform engineering and physics degree funding or ‘risk break’ www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u... Pleased to talk to @resprofnews.bsky.social for this piece on behalf of @epc.ac.uk

I'm on The Wonkhe Show this week – the not-to-be-missed #HigherEd policy podcast – discussing public perceptions of HE, housing and (one of my favourite topics) #employability with @jimdickinson.bsky.social, @benward.social and @liviascott.bsky.social @wonkhe.bsky.social wonkhe.com/blogs/public...

I was very pleased yesterday to be invited to the parliamentary launch of #ResearchPlus, a new grouping of research-led universities. (New website here: lnkd.in/eq2Bk7Fp) 1/14

I went to see the doctor about a mole on my arm. She said, I needed a vet. So I asked about a mole on my other arm and she recommended tortilla chips. #weakendpun

If you're involved at any level in admissions, access or strategic planning for your faculty or university, you will not want to miss the Engineering Professors'​ Council's Access & Admissions Forum on November 5th. epc.ac.uk/event/access...

I'm still reading the just published Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper, but I have some immediate hot takes... 🧵 1/32 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f518...

I used to know a good-looking Italian priest. We called him the pastor dish. #weakendpun

I’ve heard a credible rumour that the Post-16 #WhitePaper will drop on Monday.

I was hosting a party and lots of people praised my salsa and dips. I’ve always been a good dancer. #weakendpun

The Nobel Peace Prize should always be awarded to someone who wants peace, not someone who wants a prize. www.bbc.com/news/article...

With this "inane" policy, Badenoch says she'll save £3Bn, which she intends to immediately spend (more than once, it seems). The announcement comes the same day the Tories announce a new "golden fiscal rule" that half of any spending savings will go to deficit cuts. wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

Is Feng shui just home-opathy? #weakendpun

Bricks shouldn’t try to teach birds how to fly, so, Bibi, please forgive us for not seeking your advice on reducing divisions in society.

"The balance between what students pay, what the government pays and what businesses pay has become skewed" 👏 I've proposed a system to rebalance funding, save students & tax-payers, and deliver better outcomes for employers & graduates; www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/04/11/g... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Some good news. London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces. The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.

Excellent post by Jenny Shaw on the factors that feed into student choice. It feeds into a wider understanding of how decision-making works and how we can support students. www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/09/29/h...

Labour MP Alex Sobel describes government fee levy plan as “stupid”, and also says ministers should never have implemented free speech act. Meanwhile, Russell Group VC describes fee levy as “utterly bonkers”. Lively session at #Lab25. Full story: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

This is fantastic news. Many of us have called for this for a long time to give extra help to those who need it most to be able grasp opportunities and realise ambitions.

Access to our colleges and universities shouldn’t just be for a wealthy few. That’s why I’m bringing back maintenance grants for those who need them most. Labour is ambitious for all our children, no matter their background. I’m putting our values into action.

It’s ironic that the makers of Snickers bars didn’t think the old name was suitable for the long run. #weakendpun

Do you work in #HEAccess and want to know how to present more effectively in your outreach? I'm delighted to be running a one-day training session with NEON and kindly hosted by Kings College London. Sign up here. www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/neon-...

An American offered to upholster my sofa. When it came back he’d added pockets for guns. #weakendpun

In my days as a circus clown, I spurned the custard to the face and created the simultaneous two-plate slap to the sides of the head. They called me the ‘Pioneer’ clown. #weakendpun

Its beeen widely reported that the #skills brief is moving out of DfE. My understanding is that this is NOT the case. Only a limited area of work-related training is moving across. HE & FE will also stay where they are. (My source is a senior civil servant.) feweek.co.uk/skills-brief...

What do you get if you cross a baker with a gardener? Self-raising flowers. #weakendpun

I had an old mattress to get rid of, so I phoned the local council’s refuse collection hotline. Sure enough, within minutes they’d refused to collect it. #weakendpun

The significant drop in GCSE students taking triple science (and switching to double instead) is worrying. It may be too early to declare it a 'trend', but we don't want wait till it's too late to ring alarms, so I fully support Sir Ian Bauckham's comments. schoolsweek.co.uk/bauckham-con... 1/9

I was about to show a burglar how to climb down a ladder properly when I realised it was condescending. #weakendpun

NEON has kindly asked me to deliver a one-day training session in presenting skills, specially designed for people working in #HEaccess and #outreach. It's being generously hosted by @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social on 26th Nov. Sign up here: www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/neon-...

I was delighted to be invited to contribute a blog on #employability to NMITE's X Change Feed. I've tried to explain what employability actually is and why it is so important. (Spoiler: it's not just for getting a job.) nmite.ac.uk/the-NMITE-fe...

A pleasure, as always, to speak to Nic Mitchell for @uniworldnews.bsky.social on behalf of @epc.ac.uk about this year's encouraging increase in acceptances to Engineering courses and the constraints that persist in meeting future labour shortages. www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?sto...

Oh yes, the progress of human understanding should definitely be subjected to a speed limit in order to avoid the unintended consequences of the abuse of metrics. This suggestion is like saying demolishing expensive houses is the way to limit house prices. 🤦‍♂️