Because so far in his 2nd presidency he’s meddled in the two most deadly conflicts in the world and resolved nothing?

And a return to flogging and children up chimneys?

Around 40 breweries in the city and surrounding area plus the statistic that it’s the Swedish city with the most breweries per person explains why Gothenburg has gained a reputation in the past 20 years as the craft beer capital of Sweden grapeandhop.blogspot.com/2025/09/goth...

Reform party giving serious consideration to education policy I see. Of all the issues facing schools & young people how daft can you get?

The phrase ‘Hoist with one’s own petard’ comes to mind. Looking forward loud mouth Mr Garbage coming a-cropper given the mischief he’s been happily peddling against the DL of the Labour party

Reform UK, which has a grand total of four MPs, was just given an uninterrupted platform for an hour and a half on the BBC and Sky News channels, in order to talk about its plans for mass deportations When was the last time the Greens (with four MPs) or the Lib Dems (with 72) were given the same?

www.routledge.com/Debates-in-M.... Highly recommended newly published 2nd edition of Debates in Music Education. Other publications tell you how to ‘deliver’ a curriculum. This volume encourages you to develop your own practice by challenging you to reflect on key issues

He’s not my politics nor my MP but good on Roger Gale, MP for the neighbouring constituency, (and other signatories) for raising this issue and challenging the assumption that art is independent of politics

‘A great story’ when you frame it as ‘Irrational xenophobe MP looks a right idiot’ With 5 mins thinking about it before jumping on social media he’d have realised it’s 100 miles from Yarmouth to the Hook of Holland, (nearest point on mainland Europe). An ambitious crossing for desperate migrants!

You’d think this was far fetched but funny if it were a storyline for a sitcom. The fact that it is a judgment from a sitting MP. God help us!

New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation

The actual article also notes that around 50 schools close every year anyway so it's no more than usual.

I really, REALLY wish we could get beyond the misunderstanding that music education = extra-curricular instrumental provision. Music is a statutory subject of the National Curriculum, and the heart of music education is inclusive classroom music lessons, not optional instrumental provision.

Classic Simon Heffer in Telegraph. He should get out more, visit a few schools where music is thriving rather than banging on about his ‘golden age’ after which it all went downhill. Good music ed DOES exist in UK. May not be universal but nor was it in 1960s, as many can testify

Visiting southern Italy in the heat of summer with temperatures hitting 35C a hefty rich red Primitivo or Negroamaro is hardly the most attractive option. But with delicious seafood aplenty crack open the white Verdeca grapeandhop.blogspot.com/2025/07/viva...

How charity works, 1985 vs 2025 From the new Private Eye, in shops now.

Touché

And you coukd add that Trump is ignorant, shameful and total dusgrace www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...

I’ve always thought that any form of school assessment / exam should focus on what students ‘can do’. Conservative govt’s education reforms 2010-2024 have not served majority of young people well. observer.co.uk/news/nationa....

Like others, I understand why they released the fact that the perpetrator of the horrendous Liverpool attack was a white British man. But it is a bad sign of where our country of at. Nationality or ethnicity are not the causes of crime & should not be our first concern #r4today

Great post by drlizstafford.bluesky.social on issues for new National Centre for Arts & Music Education. As someone who a decade ago was funded to enhance trainee primary teachers’ knowledge & confidence in teaching music I concur that initiatives must be F2F, collegiate & predominantly within ITE

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a.... Is this what it means to be Surgeon General in Trump’s America? But then perhaps Means doesn’t have the means?!! (Moans all round)

Trump administration’s ability to meddle in things and make them worse is staggering. Leave complex solutions to complex problems to others who know what they’re doing

“Thatchers Cider is also home to the largest living library of apple trees.” Might Brogdale nr Faversham, home of the National Fruit Collection have something to say on this? brogdalecollections.org

Can’t even make their own MAGAhats

There are opportunities for Keir Starmer in Trump's trade chaos. Here's how he can seize them | Martin Kettle

It’s not quite how LSPH is spinning this. In Jan this year the Rail Regulator ruled that HS1 Ltd (now renamed at LSPH) must reduce access charges to existing and new operators on the line St P to Channel tunnel - see www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/...

I totally agree - “If you cause more danger, create more potholes and take up more parking space, it’s only fair that you pay a little bit more.”

"Musicians have given up touring - about 30% have had no work at all since Brexit came into full force." CEO of the Independent Society of Musicians Deborah Annetts lays bare how Brexit has hit the British music industry at today's UK-EU reset evidence session.

*NEW* blog: Saving music education (again)… musiceducationsolutions.co.uk/news/saving-...

Great. A step nearer competition on HS1 and some competition on rail services to Europe. Hopefully will lead to reinstatement of cross-channel trains here in Kent to replace farcical situation of having to travel to London to come back again to speed through Ashford Int’l

Elton John backs Ed Sheeran’s call for UK to put £250m into music education

No wonder it’s “reduced to clear” in Waitrose. Unfortunately Musk has made the name toxic

The Curriculum & Assessment Review Interim Report is out: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Donald Trump, author of 'The Art of The Deal': "I will end the war in Ukraine before I am even inaugurated..." "I will end this war in 24 hours..." "In 30 days..." "In six months..." "Look! I gave away half of Ukraine in exchange for hockey!" "But at least in Gaza... oh." ~AA

I see we are to get a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. This could be interesting, although I have no idea what it will be, or what it will do?

Must confess on reading this headline I assumed this flight had departed from India with a majority of foreign nationals succumbing to Delhi belly

Alexander Armstrong - “In our case, private school is the only place available for our children to learn music.” (The Telegraph). Really? That’s strange. They may not be perfect but state-maintained schools DO teach music

Are there any supermarket retailers these days where you can pop in and buy perhaps just one or possible two bottles of wine at a genuinely discounted, non-loyalty card, price? grapeandhop.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-ge...

Spot on

The final bottle of Bric Castelvej Panera Alta Riserva 2019 (100% Nebbiolo) and fading memory of a great ad hoc winery visit outside Canale, summer 2023. See grapeandhop.blogspot.com/2023/08/pers...

How will alcohol duty changes affect the price of drinks?

The damning statistics that reveal the true cost of Brexit, five years on

Five years ago today, the UK left the EU. Johnson's faux-Churchillesque speech on the day ended with these lines. How did that work out?

Austrian wine, still overlooked? Well for less than £20 before 11 February you won’t be disappointed trying these two bottles from Waitrose. grapeandhop.blogspot.com/2025/01/aust...

Even if JDV wasn’t joking he was wrong

I loved the irony of this shortly after Trump’s proud boast that he’d be soon planting to US flag on Mars. Fat chance if they can’t even successfully set up the PA system for a school assembly!

Getting a sense of "ah fuck it" from the Kiribatan Town Naming Committee

Recommended to anyone interested in education: Exam Nation by @sammywright.bsky.social A perceptive & honest analysis of the failings of state education in England with suggestions for how things could be changed for the better. By an experienced school leader writing with insight & compassion