Lights Up this evening was a JOY. Such a delight to cycle with friends and 200 other people, mainly women, around the city as a disco on wheels. Loved it. Could do it every week. #bikesky #lightsupride #ridesforwomenmcr

A wonderful “Lights Up 2025” #glowride Disco On Wheels cycle in Manchester this evening. Many parks & quiet routes feel unsafe to women & girls in the dark nights. About 200 cyclists with music+lights. Empowering ✊🚦💡🚲 Thanks organisers & ride leaders. @walkridegm.org.uk @stationsouth.bsky.social

Joined this ride this evening and LOVED it!

Today we rode to demand safer streets for women cycling in winter. Cycling is joyous but many women feel left out of our movement. It's time that changed.

When looking to buy jumpers, what sort of ratio should I be looking at for decent quality? Is 80% cashmere / 20% nylon good enough? I want something that will last a few winters and have minimal plastic. I feel like I know a few friends who can advise on this sort of stuff. 🧵

This is on Saturday! I am really looking forward to it. ✨

Society depends on volunteers more than it realises, yet very few people are prepared to give up a few hours of doomscrolling or Netflix to keep services going. Do more. Volunteer your time. It's worth it.

If you want kids to read: -Reopen the closed libraries -Give them free books -Sponsor author visits in schools with high % pupil premium or FSM students -Work on adult literacy Then Y8s will have a chance of passing this test www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Fresh and blustery walk along the coast today from Saltburn to this sculpture known as the charm bracelet.

Please do sign up for - and share - this webinar, on Dec 3rd, to hear about some of the amazing work going on nationally and locally to restore children's ability to play out on their doorsteps. @rezinachowdhury.bsky.social @edwardlamb.bsky.social @playingout.bsky.social @aliceferguson.bsky.social

Didn’t even make it through 3 weeks of my new job without coming down with some kind of lurgy. Is it good or bad that working from home means I can have a lie down to recover?

… did I write this and forget I wrote it?

Had a lovely walk along the Baker Way with my mum today. 14 miles from Delamere to Chester! The longest walk I’ve done in years and my feet and hips are protesting strongly.

I’m on a train from Altrincham to Delamere Forest and I’m once again wondering why the tram doesn’t go to Hale. It’s two mins from Altrincham on the train so why not extend the tram? It seems like a lovely town when seen from the train but I’ve never visited in person!

Having a very confusing moment this morning as I realise for the first time that Julia Ormond and Juliette Binoche are in fact different people. I’m so rubbish with faces - I definitely thought Binoche was in Miss Smila’s Feeling for Snow.

Achievement unlocked: went to see the CBeebies Christmas panto live! Am a big fan of CBeebies and the amazing presenters and always wanted to see the panto live. It was in Bradford this year which was close enough for us and this year might be the last time both kids are young enough.

Grateful to the IT person who patiently explained Teams to me because I am a DINOSAUR who hasn’t worked in an office since March 2020.

Started my new job this week! Me and the tern will be whizzing around to different places in the area. I’m very excited. #bikesky

This morning the kids were desperate to go on a bike ride with grandad and nana Sue so we all cycled to Riverbank cafe - three generations of cyclists out together!

No, and nothing will ever change my mind that it’s a deeply antisocial thing to do.

Hmm people who work in active travel - what do you wear that is reasonably smart but also suitable for walking/cycling/being out in all weathers? And then what do you wear if you are a plus-sized woman? Having a panic as everything I own seems frumpy or no good for cycling.

I got the job!!

Over the last few years I’ve become quite determined to recover things that I or the kids have lost. Retracing steps for gloves, revisiting parks for wellies and toys etc. Two weeks ago I left my lovely kleen kanteen water bottle at central library and when I returned today it was there! Vindicated.

Was literally just saying to Claire on Thursday how great it is that this year Halloween falls on a Friday in half term and we have no plans so can all go trick or treating whenever we want… and today I received an invitation for an 8th birthday party at 4.30pm on Halloween. Parents are wild.

Hmm if I wanted to go out for lunch somewhere in Manchester city centre that was gluten free-friendly, where would I go? Hardly ever eat out or go into the city centre so have no idea!

Swapped to the winter duvet. Might have been a tad premature.

Claire has started taking both kids to swimming lessons at the same time leaving me to make tea. I have great plans to be productive while they are gone but so far every week all I’ve done is jump straight on the sofa and have a snooze.

Trying to get into the habit of going for regularly stupid little walks for my stupid mental health.

People in our neighbourhood WhatsApp group often let others know when there is a police van checking speeds of drivers between our area and the motorway. I often wish to reply telling everyone just to drive below the speed limit and they won’t need to worry about cameras but I’m too hesitant.

Am I back in Copenhagen? Or is this the parking situation at a Chorlton birthday party? Two Terns as well as mine, a B-twin and a radwagon, plus loads of standard bikes with kid seats and kids’ bikes that didn’t even fit in here. Love to see it.

Had the Tern just over 10 months and have cycled 700 miles! Pretty much all local pottering with kids. #bikesky

Amazed, in the best way, by a job description that includes the line “ability to travel sustainably to schools and communities across [location]”.

My laptop was new in maybe 2019 but I’ve hardly used it since 2020. Now when I switch it on it’s SO SLOW. I leave everything to update and load but it’s still agonising. What can I do to speed it up?

Latest storm names announced❗ Here are the #StormNames for 2025/26, announced with Met Eireann and KNMI, the Dutch National Weather Service. Has your name made the list?

this iconic advertising copywriter named Kathy Hepinstall Parks died over the weekend and I wanted to share something from her website I thought Bluesky would like

"Pat, why do you carry that ridiculous 600mm lens on long hikes?" Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.

Left our Netflix account signed in at our holiday cottage and the new residents have *switched off the subtitles*. Jail for a thousand years! Also I disconnected them.

Yesterday the 7yo did his longest cycle ride yet - 8 miles to a local national trust property where he ran around and played with his cousin - then 8 miles home again. (He then went to his swimming lesson, poor kid.) Most of the journey was on the canal or transpennine trail. He loved it! #bikesky

*Gesturing to the scrolling parent to roll down the window on their idling Chevy Tahoe.

Bedtime questions from the 4yo: do flowers sleep?

Sitting as a passenger in a car on the motorway surrounded by other cars travelling at 70mph and it is disturbing how many drivers I see looking at their phones. Even drivers with their own kids in the car. 😱

Giving our kids a 90s summer by blasting out Shania Twain as we drive through north Wales.

The child seat is off the bike! 4yo had pretty much stopped sitting in it. It’s been a whole week since he learned to ride his bike and we are immediately in “how to transport child bike on tern” territory so we need more space. (Any bright suggestions let me know!) #bikesky

The American mind would be blown away by this. (I’m not sure if a public park is the best place for gigs like this when we have purpose built venues close to the city centre but that’s a separate discussion!)

Our 4yo got out his bike on Monday afternoon and suddenly figured out how to cycle with pedals. Since then he’s been obsessed and practised every afternoon. What a milestone! Thrilled to have another cyclist in the family. #bikesky

Current weather: too hot for walking. Too hot for sitting in the sun. AMAZING weather for the e-bike. Not strenuous but lovely breeze and can cycle in and out of the shade. Just loving zipping around everywhere with the 4yo right now.

Fraud is one thing, but lying to Gillian Anderson???

“I may add here that one of the secrets of my happy life is that I have never made the mistake of learning to drive a car." —Iris Murdoch.

In the 90s I met an English girl on holiday (I'm Scottish) & agreed to meet up afterwards. She said I could stay at her place in New Brighton so we agreed a date to meet at the train station. I got the train to Brighton thinking it was the same place. I had to sleep in a bus stop

4yo chattering away when he should be falling asleep: “but I can name some of the planets. Saturn. Mars. Apricot.”