Alison Stenning

‘A safe space to come and just be’: the radical, utopian return of Britain’s youth clubs After a decade of austerity closed more than 1,000 centres, the government has promised £500m to renew youth services. We tour a glossy new venue in Preston – and a girls-only one in London

“My guess is safety is somewhere where you’re well supported, where you feel less anxious, and where you might even have a laugh.”

50 new “youth hubs” won’t replace the 1000 youth clubs that closed in austerity, but there’s some hope here.

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

All this talk about kids
Hanging out on the streets
Where have all the youth centres gone?

Think that was 1860s. Will check. I do remember reading about them becoming slums too. Like the first incarnation of Dockwray Sq.

No in-depth post today, but I just wanted to draw some attention to this murky bit of swamp land near Smiths Dock. Limekiln Shore was Smith's first yard at Shields from 1814 repairing and fitting out, but 1839 was when Smiths first built ships. Their first was named Kestrel.

One of the histories of Shields' I have somewhere (reference temporarily lost!) described Milbourne Place as "a splendid row of mansions, which commanded a beautiful outlook on the river [Tyne] .. a promenade and fashionable visiting place for ladies and gentlemen", a far cry from today.

The south east of North Shields has changed beyond all comprehension in the past 70 years or so. Prior to the 1950s, this district was as dense as anything with terraced housing and shipyards sandwiched between the high bank and the riverside.

Two of these streets - Victoria Street and Wilson Street - were designated play streets in 1946, which suggests they would have been full of children. Mothers had to fight hard to keep their playing children safe from the buses taking workers home for lunch (article from October 1961).

A scooter and a pair of roller skates

A table, a brick and a roller skate in front of a colourful wire fence

A small skateboard on its side

One visitor called the playground an “umbrella”, offering and affording much more than play (though the play is great too!); others talked of this place being home, with kids and adults having fun together and looking after each other; others just talked about Nancy and Mavis the pigs 🐖 🐖

Handwritten posters reading: Job Opportunities Would you like to help out during ½ term？ Liter picking, Animal technician, Reception, buddying new users? Get your application from the office NOW!

A handwritten post advertising the “Shire Cup” SHIRE CUP 12:30-4.00 If you dont want to take place see Luke! everyone is welcome to come along for some footy fun • All ages from 7-16 • this competition will kake part on the sports mugga on the left hand side of the playground • You can create your very own team name. These Cups will take place on Tuesday 17th February & Thursday 19th February

A busy half-term afternoon at Shiremoor Adventure Playground, with over 120 kids in before 1, with and without parents.

Spent some time chatting to the “helping hands” doing important jobs alongside their play, hearing how proud they are of their work and how much the playground means to them.

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.

And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.

I would say in the social sciences too. Careers down the drain.

bsky.app/profile/alis...

At one point as a car passed vaguely closely to my right (like edging a tiny bit into my lane as it passed a parked car), it flashed that there was a risk of collision.

I assume if you own the car you can turn lots of this crap off, but it would easily train you out of making decisions.

😂

It was so annoying!

A car dashboard with a view from car cameras and a screen full of information.

I drove a new (75 reg) car club car today and it just beeped and flashed at me constantly, telling me what to do, alerting to me imagined dangers, with big screens full of information.

It was a horrible and distracting experience, would prefer my 23 year old Fiesta anytime.

The UK universities cutting geography have lost their bearings From climate change to geopolitics, the knowledge, skills and insights of geographers have never been more relevant, say five professors

Our new piece out today in Times Higher Education about the threats to Geography in the UK - particularly fieldwork - please do share. It links to a recent snapshot survey on the challenges being faced in UK HE, which highlights the inequities of the challenges, but also fears of what is yet to come

Thanks to you all for doing this, Jenny.

The UK universities cutting geography have lost their bearings From climate change to geopolitics, the knowledge, skills and insights of geographers have never been more relevant, say five professors

“Geographical training and knowledge, in short, is more important than ever. We say this loudly and clearly, lest our universities forget.”

The UK universities cutting geography have lost their bearings From climate change to geopolitics, the knowledge, skills and insights of geographers have never been more relevant, say five professors

Geography's 'combination of STEM, social science and arts and humanities can sit uneasily within university faculty systems, heightening the risk that we are dismantled into separate components.' 1/2

mockups of the utterly generic and bland Rail Alphabet 2 version of "Ashington" sat above the correct and good Calvert branding for Nexus of the same running in board

A reminder that the entire Northumberland line is branded wrongly anyway...

It is irrelevant that the line is operated by Northern (who?), it is a suburban railway serving the Tyneside conurbation and should be integrated accordingly.

kid walking in an indoor jungle gym Local kids thrilled at the chance for a playdate at a set time and location for a predetermined length driven to and supervised by hovering parents in an indoor hazard free playground - “it’s the lack of spontaneity, risk and autonomy they love”

Local kids thrilled at the chance for a playdate at a set time and location for a predetermined length driven to and supervised by hovering parents in an indoor hazard free playground -

“it’s the lack of spontaneity, risk and autonomy they love”

An old wooden jetty, which would have linked the Lloyd’s Hailing Station, and the red Herd Groyne, at the mouth of the Tyne

Less sun, but still beautiful at the mouth of the Tyne -

Yes, a waggonway. Could be a nicer foot & cycle path though!

A dark, graffitied underpass that connects Percy Main metro to the ferry port.

One could even say grim.

Great thread about the history of passenger ships sailing to and from the mouth of the Tyne, to various points east and north, with railway links too.

Thanks @neheritagelib.bsky.social!

Good to see @zackpolanski.bsky.social asked about this. He’s right on this, of course.

So much of my time (and camera roll) is taken up by reporting flytipping.

It is a symptom of an ill society, and we need long-term thinking and a real commitment to reducing waste & increasing recycling.

“I’m really worried for my friends and neighbours who are immigrants, or the children of immigrants, who’ve kept our city region moving.”

Our candidate for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, says the threat of adopting ICE-style tactics would put hardworking communities in the firing line.

Coral background with faint heart illustrations. A glossy male Blackbird with a bright yellow bill faces left. Large title reads: “Birds as bad exes*” Smaller text reads: “*Yes, you read that right.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, from us to you. Tag your exes. Xoxox

Fresh paint on double yellow kerb markings and two yellow half footprints on the paving

Someone trod in the newly-painted kerb lines -

You can see fishing lines in both pics too - there seems to be more and more fishing on the quay, men of all ages, on their own and in small groups, sharing tales of catches.