Lucy Janes

A 1944 map by geologist Harold Fisk charts a 40-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Friars Point to Gunnison, Mississippi. Fisk used aerial photos and maps to estimate the past and then-present channels. Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mississippi-rivers-hidden-history-uncovered-by-lidar?fbclid=IwY2xjawQYXkdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCZ2JBT2tWdVlXMmEzNU5Uc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsbjW-Yuubr_o_Kfeh0Elzc94geDwfXIZmeNL7NyljEBAOEjH53m2QLSo1NF_aem__4NkCIJ_D8J6mI1e8eMByg

Rivers are living beings.

Westminster Meeting House raided by Metropolitan Police again. Statement: “For Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life. Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent. That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.” – Oliver Robertson, Head of Witness and Worship Quakers in Britain, 5 March 2026

Yesterday evening, for the second time in a year, the Met Police raided Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrested a number of young nonviolent activists.

STATEMENT: www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

So Philip Glass just joined TikTok. He only has like 4 posts and they’re simply him in what I assume is his living room playing the piano. First comment on one I saw was “your piano is too close to the fireplace, you’ll dry it out” and if that’s not the internet in a nutshell I don’t know what is.

Your regular reminder that the UK is in fact a high trust society and anyone who implies it isn’t is either selling you a pup or has bought one.

Good morning! Yes, this is he

Hungary's leader orders extra security at energy sites, claiming Ukraine plots disruptions Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.

Viktor Orban is now 20 points behind in the polls - and so he has ordered the military to guard “key energy facilities” against a possible Ukrainian “attack.” Hungarians fear he plans a fake national security emergency or false-flag incident before the April 12 election
apnews.com/article/hung...

If anyone is friends with any Georgian air traffic controllers, buy them a nice bottle of wine. As guardians of pretty much the only narrow gap still available between Europe and Asia that avoids both Iran, the Gulf, Ukraine and Russia, they are under some substantial pressure.

Very interesting piece proposing 'new antiquarianism' for the public work in #archaeology and #history that 'tend[s] to privilege accumulation, collation, and clarification' aspiring to 'completeness rather than theoretical novelty' and sits in a 'parallel epistemic space' to academic work. #REF

Ah, how nice to see this pic again...!

Matt Goodwin, a man so personally repellant he reversed the creeping wave of fascism sweeping the globe.

Gorton and Denton first thoughts - incredible result for the Greens who won the long battle to be the best placed anti-Reform candidate - helped by being the obvious anti-Labour candidate for disappointed progressives. As I noted in the Observer last month, a Revolt on the Left is growing

"Bank heist" style book rescue - drilling though concrete to grab and drag bookcases - at library of about 4,000 books of literature, history and general nonfiction, rare pre-1830 books on Sicilian history, and one from the 16th-century.

INTRODUCING! Hannah Spencer The new Green MP for GORTON & DENTON Green Party Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

Introducing Hannah Spencer MP 💚

Smearing Sussex (and Me): Responding to Nigel Biggar’s Latest Attack in The Spectator The University of Sussex, Feb 2026, taken by the author. Alan Lester The Spectator has published an article by Nigel Biggar smearing the University of Sussex as repressing students who ‘don&#…

The Spectator published this attack on me & colleagues just as the High Court is considering Sussex’s request for review of the Office for Students fine. It accuses us of ‘repressing’ our students. The magazine ignored my request for to reply. Please disseminate.

alanlester.co.uk/blog/smearin...

Just out this morning. Historic Environment Scotland have launched a formal consultation to schedule the site of First Hampden Park in Kingsley Gardens, Glasgow. However, they will not be designating the Hampden Bowling Club pavilion. haveyoursay.historicenvironment.scot/heritage/des...

But who withdraws?

Collage of three sepia photographs from the Cardiff Docklands Collection. The first shows a formal portrait of a couple [a White woman sitting, Black man standing] and a small Multiethnic boy. The second shows a young Black woman dressed smartly sitting posed in an artist’s studio - “From May to Etta with Love” is written in the top left of the photo. The third photo shows a White woman [in smart Edwardian clothing] standing alongside a very small Black boy standing on a chair, dressed in a smart velvet suit with white frilled collar and white knee-high socks.

Our volunteers loved working on this collection of portraits from Cardiff’s docklands community, taken between 1900-1920.
The images are held at @glamarchives.bsky.social @archiveswales.bsky.social @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social #EYAConnections

Billionaire halts mass eviction after London Centric investigation Exclusive: Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital hoped to replace hundreds of tenants with more lucrative temporary accommodation. That plan has been shelved – for now.

Start your Tuesday cheerful with this evidence of the life-changing work of @londoncentric.media. Incredible stuff.

Regulate platforms, not children – Commissioner urges caution over social media bans - Commissioner for Human Rights - www.coe.int Strasbourg 23 February 2026

Several European countries are considering social media bans for children. We must regulate platforms, not children.
I urge caution:
✅ Focus on "safety by design"
✅ Demand algorithmic transparency
✅ Enforce the #DSA & #HumanRights standards

Read my Shout Out👇
www.coe.int/en/web/commi...

Just learned that Keats had a younger brother who emigrated to America. His son, Keats’ nephew lived until 1917, into the age of cars and planes and world war.

Map Detail 1894 Ordnance Survey showing Polmadie Bowling Club between Polmadie Street and Hamilton Street. Also in the detail, to the east by about a hundred metres is Polmadie Park Farm, showing that much of the South Side still had not been built on.

1 of 5 #scotsfoundedfootball A few Bowls posts, to mourn the loss of the Hampden Bowling Club. F. 1905, it was created when the Polmadie Bowling Club closed. Their Green between Polmadie and Hamilton Streets was taken for development. A common story in Glasgow as it expanded in every direction.

Well, I don't vote Labour, and presuming from your post (quote: 'With LT, it's not even 'Party first, country second.' It's 'Faction first, party second' and I'm not sure country even ranks...') you don't either, so no need to fret about them. Happy days indeed! 😄

Ok, sorry for going off-topic 😀 Tho I thought we were discussing whether LT had a grasp on electoral strategy and understood Labour's voting base. I'm suggesting they believe the (self-identified left/greeny) centrist base are in the bag already, and attracting left-wingers is not a priority.

Labour won in 2024 because Tory voters stayed home, disgusted by Johnston's COVID antics and blaming Sunak for inflation, not because people thought 'ooo, finally, a nice lefty party'! Labour will need to be centrist (again) to win next time. Plus pick up Reform-phobic votes in some constituencies.

The Labour Party has only very occasionally been a vehicle for the left of British politics! And then was unsuccessful (electorally). It's mostly been pretty centrist. So LT are not really unusual, except in their special ickiness.

And when I say 'base' I mean 'voters' not membership. It's pretty obvious that Labour bigwigs have decided that a 'little bit of Reform' about the place will scare these people back to Labour come electiontime, so where's the 'fundamental misapprehension'? 2/2

I did read it but I don't grasp the argument. (Tho possibly not assisted by my loose definitions! When I say 'greenish, leftish' I mean centrist liberals who believe they are leftwing). Anyway, you're saying that Labour Party bigwigs know these people are the base but are choosing to ignore them.1/2

Why?

Sooooo, if it's a misapprehension, then you are arguing that the faction controlling the Labour Party understands that these young urban, greenish, leftish, pro immigration people are its base?

I'm very baffled by it all. But staying with it! Go Scotland (Team GB)!