And this takes time. Knee jerk reactions on social media as we've seen over the past two days create a load of political tinnitus stopping people hearing and responding with any clarity. Feels like people prefer the angst and outrage to a balanced "Ok in the real world what needs to happen".

Anyone know what this is? #fossil

Red tiger #abutilon enjoying the winter sun. As every year, flowers when supposed to be dormant 🤷🏼‍♀️

Jane Crowther • Fox Field •

Me neither, also ended my Guardian subscription over endless Starmer/Reeves bashing with no mention of the good things coming out of this government.

More Faisal Islam, less Chris Mason please.

People who never react to posts until they've something to criticise are a good reminder of what we all might be guilty of: We tend to not mention or praise things done well. We mostly take them for granted. We're quietly pleased. We forget no-one can look inside our heads. We need to say it (more).

I am increasingly of the opinion that people who change menus and look and feel of computer software just so that you know it's a new version should be personally forced to play tech support to my mother for five months.

squareword.org 1388: 6 guesses 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟩🟨🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟩🟨🟩🟨 <6:🟩 <11:🟨 <16:🟧 16 :🟥 #squareword #squareword1388 Not sure I’ll be able to beat this.

Mother: Excellent. Can you do me another? Me: Thanks Mum. What were you thinking? Mother: Holly and ivy with snowman. Me:

Pope Leo absolutely cooking

I support Sir Keir Starmer. He is our PM and must remain as PM. This speculation about his future needs to stop. The media have it in for him and he is actually doing a bloody good job.

Yesterday, the Linnean Library was graced with a group of keen knitters, gathered for an afternoon to learn how to #knit like a Victorian Based on knitting patterns held in the Linnean Society archive belonging to Lady Pleasance Smith, attendees had the chance to create some #nature based patterns🍁

Behind Keir Starmer lies 14 years of Tory garbage leadership, potentially ahead of him stands what? Popularists with hollow one liners? KS is exactly what this country needs right now to manage us slowly out of the Tory mess, not some smooth talking entertainer, from any party.

Another very pertinent fact that I have not seen mentioned ANYWHERE: In 14 years of Tory rule we had 14 Prisons Ministers - six in a single year, at one point - and a total of 11 Justice Secretaries, including Grayling, Raab, and Truss. In 13 years of Labour it was three: Irvine, Falconer, Straw. 🤔

Motorways can be rather ugly but the trees along the M1 in Yorkshire are beautiful just now - so many shades of gold red and green.

Trees are glorious

This thread nails, very simply, what is happening now. When I voted Labour I knew they could sort out the colossal mess the Tories left the country in. I didn’t for one minute think it would happen within a few months. Hold your nerve people. The rebuild has started.

'Egg Box Monsters' are now up on the website, I've included extra info, photos, and the full video here . . . www.darrellwakelam.com/news/egg-box... #edusky #halloween I share ideas you can use with children, but please don't revamp, or re-record without permission. Ideas are intellectual property.

Heading over to Bury again soon - I always remember the first time I saw the Hobbit Houses. I had to blink twice when I first saw them. A house infilled into the remains of the west front of the Abbey of St. Edmund, Bury St. Edmunds. #throwbackthursday

Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.

🌞☀️🌤️Through the darker days, I’ll be heading out on my camper-van-camino, seeking out the light and stillness in places like Upton Cressett — sharing each week’s glimmer in my Genius Loci Digest to lift the spirits. ✨Subscribe for free: digest.andymarshall.co

Knew this existed but never seen a real one before.

British media pumps out daily propaganda pieces for Farage, fails to offer *any scrutiny* and basically legitimises rampant racism, then puts on its ‘innocent face’ and clutches its pearls at the rise of the far right… What a grim betrayal of our democracy. www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/how...

And the ex-leader... Farron argued that he was “a proud patriot” but not a nationalist, saying: “And you can tell the difference easily. You see patriots love their country. Nationalists hate their neighbours. I love my country.” www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

There is no 'civil war' about to break out in Britain. Unless you count the one that the extreme right has been desperately trying to foment since Labour took power. We're being bamboozled big style by Farage, Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk & Trump. Worth a read! ⬇️ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our democracy is too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons. Elon Musk doesn’t care about the British people or our rights. He only cares about himself and his ego.

Thus made me laugh quite hard. Surely a film in the making. 3 defiant nuns in their 80s fled the care home in Austria they said they were moved to without consultation to return to the convent where they had spent decades www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UK politics discourse is 90% "who will end up in which post/ who hates who/ how will this play with voters/ how is the narrative shifting", and maximum 10% actual substance on policy. As in, does this make sense, not will it be popular. This is a problem.

The BBC are constantly fawning over Farage's every move despite Reform only having four MPs. Our national broadcaster should reflect the whole country, not just one man’s ego.

This week Nigel Farage went to America to badmouth Britain, even comparing our country to North Korea. He’d rather cosy up to his MAGA buddy mates than fix problems here at home.

What on earth has possessed people to believe that Reform’s motley collection of our most abysmal, prejudiced and corrupt politicians - all with a proven track record of epic and piss-taking failure would be a remotely credible government? Seriously people… and media… you’ve lost your goddam minds.

Oh no!! Hestercombe gardens have gone into administration 😱 Massively important in historical garden design with elements of Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, they really are an absolute gem Apparently at present the gardens are still open so go, visit and support this wonderful place ❤️

BBC Today is reporting that “at least 94” data centres will be built in the next 5 years in the U.K. How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages

It's a niche thing, but if you ❤️ places like Southwell, and are comforted by continuity, you might like my camper-van-camino in the British Isles. Each Friday I post out a digest of my discoveries in my time-travelling camper van. Subscribe for free👉: digest.andymarshall.co

How on Earth is the average cost of a primary school uniform £340? What are they insisting on? I’ve just costed up our entire uniform on a supermarket website at just over £60. Yes the branded jumper would add to that but we don’t insist, supermarket is fine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The right has gone absolutely nuts. The Tory party is chewed up with its brexity failure and the prejudice ticket that once gave it power. Reform’s rise from their ashes is the toxic aftermath. And the media dance along like it’s all so exciting, rather than a goddam nightmare for us all.

14. I'm not sure it's super helpful to format a lot of human behaviours in all or nothing terms, not everyone needs to either Eat Meat or Be Vegan, it's actually prob not necessary for everyone to Quit Booze Entirely, the middle ground is actually pretty good in a lot of cases, moderation is nice

This seems to me so plain and rational as to be quite inarguable. And while I understand everyone wants it done NOW those physical limitations are merciless.

How different birds would run a marathon... a thread. 👇 Reckon you could outdo these birds? We're taking applications for London Marathon 2026 Team RSPB runners. Follow the link to apply, you have 'til Sunday! 🏅 rspb.org.uk/helping-natu...

How much is weasel #ChrisMason paid by Reform - he manages to slot them in to everything or anything in a positive light. What a creep.

You can’t build a successful education system around shame, embarrassment, detention & exclusion. You can’t create inclusion for all via a curriculum that only works for some. So as the saying goes “If the child doesn’t learn the way you teach, start teaching the way they learn.”

I really try to defend public broadcasting and the BBC, I think it would be terrible to lose them. But boy, do twats like Mason make it hard for me.

@johncosgrove.bsky.social can you advise where a Governor might go for good support dealing with complex matters?

It's mind-blowing when you watch BBC news and they treat Trump as if he were an actual statesman rather than a dangerous cuckoo.

Why do #BBC reporters report as if Trump’s utterances are sane or normal. POTUS talks like a stroppy teenager whose decisions affect only themselves - why don’t we say so?

So,as a little thought-experiment, tell me something about the United Kingdom that works well and is actually quite impressive. I am not trying to sound like some boosterish politician. I just genuinely believe that making people believe that all is lost is a convenient pretext for shady characters.

Free world class music performances every single day in our cathedrals - it is called "Evensong" and even for those who are not Christians the music and a quiet service where congregation only join in with one prayer (& sometimes a hymn) can be a time of music & reflection in a busy world.

It is extraordinary, but grimly inevitable, that the people most responsible for hobbling the UK have become the loudest & whiniest critics of the consequences of their own actions. A big part of the process lies in people like ‘Lord’ Hannan actually being *rewarded* for their ignorant delinquency.