“Two turtle doves…” 🎶 Once a symbol of love and loyalty, now on the UK Red List. This Christmas, let’s protect the species that inspired the carol. Read about a farmer doing just that ⤵️ Day 2 of East Anglia Bylines #12DaysOfChristmas @eastangliabylines.co.uk @oscarwoofs.bsky.social

A whole world in less than a foot of branch: mealy pixie cup lichens, mosses, and polypody fern. *This* is rainforest.

After cycle infrastructure improvements were introduced, cycle counters were installed on Oxford Road, Manchester that went up to 500,000 trips a year. That was fine for a few years, but then they had to recalibrate it to 750,000. Now cycling figures have blown past that, and they need 1,000,000.

Deeply chuffed to have won People's Active Travel Champion at the 2025 Walk Ride GM Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for me!

Very interesting...

"We shouldn’t stop believing in the good in people, but we should also heed the warnings of history. What The Effingers teaches us is not to underestimate the danger of the fascist menace, and to fight on all fronts against it" https://bit.ly/4sbp2O1

Ahead of carols tonight, let us explain whyno tree lights this year. Manchester Council were contacted by North West Electric in November saying the u/g cable broken & they couldn't fix it before Xmas. The tree was delivered before Chorlton cllrs knew this. Lights back bigger and better next year.

The story of Farage and Putin, told by British-Ukrainian soldier Shaun Pinner on a destroyed apartment block in Kyiv.

This 💪 👇

Behind every gift and every smile is a shopworker making it happen. 🎁 At the busiest time of year, we say a huge thank you to all retail heroes for keeping our communities thriving.

🌱 Community Energy in action! The Welsh Government has awarded £1.95m to Bretton Hall Solar Phase One, paving the way for clean energy and £100m in community benefits, thanks to work by YnNi Newydd and partners.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re here! 👋 We're excited to keep you posted with everything we're up to, and share the best of the co-operative movement on Bluesky.

Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport said: “After the completion of any major scheme we listen to feedback around how it’s working, and sadly people have reported frequent problems with vehicles being parked in the cycle lanes.

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.

Day 7🎄:This week Government launched a new strategy to lift half a million children from poverty by 2030, the largest reduction in child poverty since records began. The approach will tackle the root causes of child poverty, increasing opportunity and unlocking potential. #mcrlabour24daysofxmas

Thanks to Mcr #Labour we now have 82 more neighbourhood police officers helping to keep us safe 🌲🌹

Double congratulations to you and your colleagues, Mandie 🎉

Fab night at the @walkridegm.org.uk awards tonight, with Cllr Anthony. Manchester won Best Council and Best Scheme (Deansgate)..amazing. Thanks to brilliant officers ...sorry Cllr Tracey couldn't be there . And thanks to WalkRideChorlton for the peleton home along the Floop..

Money launderers, fraudsters, tax dodgers and sanctions evaders have all used Britain's own Overseas Territories to hide and stash their dirty cash. Our reputation as a clean and fair place to do business has been dragged through the mud. It is time to throw open the books.

Very interesting article by #TimothyGartonAsh much to reflect on in these difficult times www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. 🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states. This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

📣New data shows London cycling is soaring: 📈 12% up from last year to 1,500,000 daily journeys 📈 that's 43% up from 2019 🚲Cycleway Network grows to 431km (up from 90km in 2016) 😎 & 76% of London cyclists feel safe our routes 🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲 bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The annual gambling stats report from the regulator, the day before a Budget in which the industry is trying to resist a tax grab on online gambling. Online gross income up 13%.

‘Is there anything we can do to alleviate flash flooding?’ Lots - & it’s good to see @floodmary.bsky.social talking here about working with nature, reducing paved areas & rain gardens But we also need land use change across whole catchments - more trees, restored peat www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great to see that the National Estate for Nature Group - whose members own c.10% of England - have agreed to "publish estate management plans by April 2026", setting out how each of them are contributing to 30x30 & Environment Act targets. Thread 1/ defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/18/l...

I'm all for the Lords revising the work of the Commons and improving legislation before it receives Royal Assent. But, 587 amendments from seven peers isn't scrutiny. It's wrecking the clearly expressed will of the elected House of Commons. Those peers responsible should be ashamed.

Spent the afternoon in #ChorltonPark.. another group is gettlng started to measure the water quality in the Brook, in partnership with @unitedutilities.bsky.social . The Friends goes from strength to strength..a fantastic local group

Be careful what you wish for. Have you checked the balance sheet and the revenue accounts? #justsaying

@pdsg.bsky.social your great great great great grandad you say..... you should sign up?

Who remembers when Nigel Farage told everyone to ignore those ‘clever people’ warning that smoking kills millions of people every year?

This week is #floodweek and Flood Re were in #Manchester with advice on how to protect your home. For all things #flood in the NW check out thefloodhub.co.uk lots of useful information and advice

Representing GM at this regional event on #flood risk. Looking forward to a day of learning about how we can do this better and especially hearing about #naturebasedsolutions

Andy Burnham, "We always will stand together" "And we will never let acts that are designed to cause hatred, division, violence, to succeed" "That's our message tonight: do not let them succeed"

A stroll down Manchester's Oxford Road before teaching this evening. Crowds of students of every complexion & from all parts of the world. The road almost free of cars - just pedestrians, cyclists and the odd electric bus. New green spaces in abundance. An intensely heartening antidote to Farageism.

I want residents to be aware that I have received threats of death and violence directly posted in response to a misleading video recently shared by the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, Robbie Moore. See my full statement below:

But who says the 'new party' is left wing'? I'm not convinced many of those 'independents' are...they're likely to be socially conservative..elected on one issue only and not sharing much of otherwise progressive views.. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This is a self fulfilling prophesy… the reason they’re polling well is they’ve had free uncritical coverage , not the pther way round. Reform is essentially a BBC creation www.theguardian.com/media/2025/s...

Net Zero: saving our world and saving money. Now there's a win-win - if only voters knew about it. "New modelling from BloombergNEF suggests investing just 0.7 per cent of GDP in the net zero transition could unlock huge financial savings - and avert a rolling climate crisis."

Unbelievable s/o got paid for this BS.Getting on now, so if s/o gives up their seat for me I'm delighted, & thks.If they don't - young fit phone-obsessives that's rude. Equally I offer mine to a/o who looks like they need it. Including the young.This is not hard. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

So, how do we get this back? www.theguardian.com/environment/...

“Her team tracked me down in September last year and invited me. I was REALLY surprised and honoured to get that call! Mayor Hidalgo said she admired ‘my point of view’ about cities and urban change…We seemed to share the same big ambition to change the conversation…” — @brenttoderian.bsky.social

This is a thoughtful article addressing a worry for all decent caring people.. recommended www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Fed up with Farage? Me too. I’ve signed the Never Nigel Pledge. Add your name today, and help show that division and hate have no place in our communities. secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk

Wow, and knocking 1976 out of the top 5. That's really pause for thought

It's a farewell #FlyDay to the wonderful Swifts... already headed on their epic journeys south! Safe travels, friends, we’ll be waiting for you next summer. 🌍