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shefmarkh.bsky.social

@shefmarkh

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Latest posts by shefmarkh.bsky.social @shefmarkh

the transcript says Boulby and mention of Daresbury is not there. So I presume that was confirmed to be a slip up and removed from the transcript.

06.03.2026 11:34 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Following hot on the heels of the STFC cuts, the defunding of FAAM by UKRI shows similar "inconsistence" as clearly illustrated by the Royal Meteorological Society in their statement www.rmets.org/news/stateme... (1/3)

04.03.2026 19:32 👍 0 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

Just waiting for the explosion of replies to all demanding the messages stop now.

05.03.2026 09:00 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Not obvious to me why this helps, given the current problem is not caused by increases in those subscriptions?

04.03.2026 15:08 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

STFC pays for grants in particle physics, astronomy, space science and nuclear physics. The facilities with cost overruns are things like Diamond which are hardly used in the former domains at all.

03.03.2026 19:36 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Not to STFC physics though. By that rationale it should be in EPSRC.

03.03.2026 17:36 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

if it doesn't fit why not have 4 buckets?

03.03.2026 16:01 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

but much of the overspends are on facilities used by EPSRC?

03.03.2026 16:00 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

so the Drayson partitions were removed between Jan 2025 and Oct 2025?

02.03.2026 12:10 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Then in the Oct 2025 minutes we find the statement: "that erosion of the Drayson partitions had led to a dichotomy which tensioned facilities against science. Whilst the proposed structure did not offer savings, it would provide a framework for addressing costs saving."

02.03.2026 12:09 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

These minutes seem to indicate some information on this?

www.ukri.org/wp-content/u...

"states Council recommended highlighting the importance ofthe Drayson partitions ".

02.03.2026 12:09 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

It's extraordinary that this House of Commons select committee session will include evidence from both the Astronomer Royal of Scotland (Prof Heymans) on the impact of STFC's proposed cuts, and evidence from the UK Astronomer Royal (and STFC Chair, Prof Dougherty) on why they are necessary.

01.03.2026 19:34 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

The recent @iop.org report says 1 in 4 physics departments are at risk of closure in the next few years. And they did not know about all these cuts when they wrote that….

01.03.2026 12:25 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

If you take the example of the Atlas experiment 60% cuts don’t just affect ECR. Many of the hardware and software experts, often with decades plus experience, are funded by STFC.

01.03.2026 09:33 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

How much influence does this committee actually have to push UKRI into changing course?

28.02.2026 08:15 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Same thing is about to happen in the UK. Projects asked to model cuts of up to 60% and big new pots for AI etc being talked about..

27.02.2026 15:16 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Bitterly disappointing to see the Astronomer Royal—who should be advocating for the importance of astronomy and its contributions to society—imposing the greatest cuts to astronomy research in a generation

Glad to see that the Astronomer Royal for Scotland is fulfilling her role properly 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

☄️🔭

27.02.2026 09:58 👍 20 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
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Attended the opening of The Scott and Brassey, Lancaster Brewery’s new bar at Avanti West Coast’s Carlisle Station on Wednesday. We supported Network Rail NW&C Region & the Brewerywith grants. Great addition to the station’s offer. Hope it is entered in this year’s National Railway Heritage Awards.

27.02.2026 08:57 👍 9 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

I did wonder at the time how someone could do all those high profile jobs effectively.

27.02.2026 08:58 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Not just the PPAN community in shock.

26.02.2026 17:05 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I just discovered @agbuckley.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy is in fact here too!

26.02.2026 15:33 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Aha, I didn’t know that. Oh wow it’s the king who chooses!

26.02.2026 13:09 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Small children do! I used to watch trains pass underneath the footbridge at my local station, the new bridge is fully enclosed (and looks horrible) and so my son can’t do the same.

26.02.2026 12:30 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I take it the RAS does not have the same concerns about conflict of interest that the IOP did?

26.02.2026 12:07 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Last year a councillor answered my question on Facebook to say they would not introduce car park charges as far as they knew. Council minutes show that councillor was present in the meeting where this was decided prior to the date of my question.

26.02.2026 08:54 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Save Wivenhoe's Old King George Oak tree I am a local resident and a mother whose family regularly uses the playground that these trees provide shade to. I am professionally an Architect and sustainability and climate change specialist.

Wivenhoe Town Council, the public body that reads 'may be showing the early signs of AOD' then shouts 'it has AOD, is dying and must be felled now'. Plain wrong. Positively Trumpian rewriting of the truth. Please support the crowdfunder against this injustice. www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-wi...

26.02.2026 08:21 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
Save Wivenhoe's Old King George Oak tree I am a local resident and a mother whose family regularly uses the playground that these trees provide shade to. I am professionally an Architect and sustainability and climate change specialist.

Now that we have greater certainty on the future legal path with Judicial Review confirmed, we would like to ask for your support in helping us to reach the funding target of £20,000 on our Crowdjustice site. We are currently just under £7.5k short www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-wi...

25.02.2026 18:23 👍 2 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0

If any money is unspent once legal cases are all finished what would it be used for?

25.02.2026 18:38 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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This spring sees the release of a documentary about the fight to defend and extend access to nature in England and Wales. OUR LAND, directed by Orban Wallace and shot by Gallivant Film, follows the Right to Roam campaign as we trespass estates and challenge removal of rights on Dartmoor and beyond.

25.02.2026 18:35 👍 44 🔁 13 💬 2 📌 0

Three councillors have resigned in fairly quick succession, though there were no public statements as to why.

25.02.2026 10:58 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0