More of my sugar collection

In a win for working in the open, we published something last week that I didn’t want to shout about because it was ‘draft’ (aka a prototype) but others picked it up, sharing it and the feedback inbox and it’s been reposted 69 times on LinkedIn with a lot of enthusiastic comments 😬

Bradford City of Culture has funded this 3 part podcast oral history of the 1 in 12 club and some refurb. I only went a handful of times, but the friendly community and bias for action helped me to put out records and put on gigs (plus making hummus for the bands!) homeofmetal.com/episode-1-at...

OK. Pomodoro is the only way I’m going to stop procrastinating…

Great post. Reminds me of my pal Davie calling out people having more fun making a product than people are using it. You’d think the market would correct that but it doesn’t work like that

## Vanguard - The Government Project to get British Businesses to use the Internet https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/02/vanguard-the-government-project-to-get-british-businesses-to-use-the-internet/ Email isn't an obvious business benefit. Imagine it is the early […] [Original post on shkspr.mobi]

Teddy zoomies time 🔥🐶💨

5 female fronted bands you’ve seen live This isn’t hard for me. Here’s 5 incredible bands you should (have) see(n) War on Women Bikini Kill Discount / The Kills The Muffs Hole Helps to like angry music though 😜

This was the perfect balance of useful insights that make you want to read the book without giving everything away 👌

Genuinely good idea 😆

Deliberately didn’t follow political journalists when I joined Bluesky for a more wholesome social media experience than I was getting on X, but somehow politics is all I see on my feed. I don’t want to avoid bad news and appreciate needing to talk about it, but would love tips on increasing variety

Happy to share that there will be MORE funding and MORE support than ever before for highly innovative creative organisations looking to build their businesses and have an impact. Many details to work through but this is a clear statement of intent and framework for brilliance 😁 Thanks @ukri.org !

A day off by the sea was just what I needed. Teddy enjoyed it too (and is now clean and dry)

Great book rediscovered in the cupboard about a 13 year old who moves into a pit owner’s house (on the cover, irl 3 homes nearby). When I arrived at secondary school I told my English teacher it was my favourite book. She loved it so much she ordered a full set and added it to the school curriculum

These things are always concerning

2025 trying hard to remain relevant

Last night’s mass purge of unread, intend-to-read articles and newsletters in my inbox was much easier than expected

Finished work and yet still doomscrolling LinkedIn and reading politics on Bluesky 🤨 looking forward to the bit where Christmas hits and my time is entirely presents, novels, walks and family/friend related plus not-work scheming for 2026

Ah! I’ve been asked to rerun the index card appreciation activity tomorrow as a Christmas heart warmer ❤️ ventureteambuilding.co.uk/index-cards-...

Post a book you love from the 80s. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

This time last year I was exhausted. After a year in the job, I still had so many ideas but was feeling beleaguered. It got worse too for at least 6 months, so it’s great to know it can turn around. That didn’t seem possible for a long time. If it’s tough, you don’t have to go! Things can change 😌

There’s something quite judgemental here

I am a little bit concerned that I mispell/mistype a lot more frequently. Is this a degenerative neurological condition or just my eyesight going downhill as I age?

There’s nothing like everyone in the family being ill when you’re ill to remind you that you’re an adult at

Being cheeky, there are no windows overlooking Big Ben on the fourth floor so I’m assuming this is a metaphorical ‘overlooking’ given the picture is of 100PS. Maybe it’s a different building they are housed in! In any case, I always enjoy reading these examples of how it is possible to be different

Liking the use of design principles in today’s Curriculum and Assessment Review schoolsweek.co.uk/curriculum-r...

He is really very patient with us… pup is ready for Halloween 🩻

A couple of great Manchester based civil service creative industries AI policy opps are currently on Civil Service Jobs. There’s a grade 6 part time job share post leading work to deliver a new licensing R&D project and a Grade 7 job leading on creative AI adoption policy (the latter closing today!)

My dad asked what size jacket he should buy for mum (and earlier in the day her shoe size). Setting aside the fact they have been together for more than 55 years, I suggested he look inside an existing jacket (from the same shop, as she has many of them) and he - a professor - said good idea 😁

I had my Apprenticeship end point assessment today. So that is it! It’s been a huge effort documenting proof of the skills I’ve developed & the 2.5 hour session defending it wasn’t fun. But despite the focus on me and my work I’ve come away realising the team is far better than the sum of its parts💥

Late night Teddying

Hilary, you are going to Iron Maiden - Run For Your Lives. Woo hoo! You’ve earned free beer!

It’s a hazard getting out the house right now

Coming up a year since I dragged the kids to Disney. Tell me they didn’t love it

Remembered tonight that my favourite club at school was ‘music appreciation society’ which was run by our inscrutable geography teacher. We each brought in a song on a tape and played it on his ghetto blaster and then had a little chat about what we liked about it…

In my denial about the end of summer, M&S has run out of school uniform

My son said he’d never use slang in a text with me and rolled his eyes about his sister doing the opposite. I’ve just had to look up whether ‘calm’ means yes or no to a school skirt option

OK I know a bunch of these. But 67? Honestly, that felt like a 3 week thing how has it lasted so long

Hmm I want a healthy market of e-bike suppliers and no monopoly, but I also don’t want to have to switch e-bike when I reach a borough boundary 🤯 www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

These really are perfect 😋 andrewinthekitchen.com/2021/08/14/a...

Does anyone ever use the RACI?

Funnybones and Each Peach must be the most memorable kids books. I can still recite these without looking! Allan Ahlberg’s amazing legacy (and Janet’s too)

For my friends in Edinburgh, my good friend Quita has a fab fringe show which is good for belly laughs www.edfringe.com/tickets/what...

This is such a fantastic read on artists and technology - beautifully and thoughtfully compiled research that is easy to get stuck into www.britishcouncil.org/research-ins...

Hands down the best thing about getting our house remodelled was adding a second toilet

⭐️ Gantt chart goals ⭐️ The Ant Farm collective’s roadmap to deliver Dolphin Embassy, a floating research station to study dolphin and human communication to inform co-creation or a multispecies utopia. At the fab More than Human exhibition at the Design Museum funded by AHRC 🐬 💚

I’m pretty guilty here but how did front door become the new one stop shop?

Here endeth three weekends of stadium pop with the teen including Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. Special guests were Charli XCX and Ed Sheeran (many screams). Think the festival singalong vibes make Olivia the winner but nothing beats the sheer drama of Beyoncé (standing on a truck here!)

Several months of work have gone into this document published today informed by many many conversations… www.gov.uk/government/p.... Glad it is finally in the wild. And now the hard work starts!