Jeremy Bartlett

Police refuse to take Jewish delegates’ letter against genocide and proscription to Number 10 Cowardly Starmer ducks accountability yet again – and avoids large number of Jews who oppose Israel’s crimes As Skwawkbox revealed last night, a large delegation of leading British Jews…

skwawkbox.org/2025/08/05/p...

Nurse!

Wow, that's an improvement! (Haven't been to the Strand since 2019.)

Labour doing the wrong thing again.

A good article, though the idea that "green flights" will ever be possible is ridiculously optimistic.

Change Everything No 22: Humans are the masters of unintended consequences Of rats and men, and how one Baptist was disastrous for the long-beaked echidna

Since lots of rat hysteria - see "Giant Rat of Normanby" - at moment, a good time to point to my Substack noting our culture "is particularly bad at both creating messes, & blaming the creatures that flourish in world we created"

nataliebennett.substack.com/p/change-eve...

Good article. (Typo - cane toads ate beetles, rather than the Fab Four.)

I had quite a few "How and why" books. My favourite was "Dinosaurs".

I had quite a few of them. My first, and favourite, was "Dinosaurs" but your photo reminds me I had "Lost Cities" too. I also had "Reptiles and Amphibians" and was a bit disappointed there were no salamanders in the UK.

A decent surface and width!

Reminds me of the lovely railway line cycle routes in France rather than Marriott's Way (especially the muddy trackbed beyond Taverham).

Take Action: Write to Politicians – Demand Rail Investment, Scrap the A38 Expansion The Government’s recent spending review paused Phase 3 of the Midland Mainline electrification—despite clear evidence it would deliver nearly £400 million in local economic benefit, create 5,000 skill...

Take Action: Write to Politicians – Demand Rail Investment, Scrap the A38 Expansion. Send your letter here: actionnetwork.org/letters/take...

The Government’s recent spending review defunded the Midland Mainline electrification but funded the pointless & polluting A38 Derby junctions.

#TaxTheBanks Years of higher interest rates have sent our rent, mortgage, and debt payments soaring, while banks have raked in huge profits for doing absolutely nothing. The big four UK banks (Barclays, HSBC, Ll...

Banks are making record profits while our bills go up! 😡 We need to tax bank profits and fund our NHS & schools. Sign the petition and tell Rachel Reeves to #TaxtheBanks you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...

What street?

UK government has ‘got the balance right’ on tax, says Rachel Reeves Chancellor responds to calls for wealth tax on millionaire households

UK govt has ‘got the balance right’ on tax, says Rachel Reeves.

Not addressed Tory legacy.

Poorest 20% pay higher proportion of income in taxes than the richest 20%.

Capital gains & dividends taxed at lower rates than wages, recipients don't pay NIC

Mansions and modest homes pay same council tax

The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losse...

'Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding US$1·5 trillion annually.'
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Part of a fairy ring on the lawn outside our local library, with fruitbodies of Fairy Ring Champignon, Marasmius oreades.

Fairy Ring Champignon, Marasmius oreades, outside our local library, in a big fairy ring.

#Fungi #FungusFriends

The Renewable Illusion: Why Fossil Fuels Keep Winning Global renewables hit records in 2024, but fossil fuel use still rises. Here’s why solar’s surge isn’t enough—and what the latest energy data really shows.

1. This is something I've been saying for 25 years, but it's hard to get many people to listen. What counts is not the new energy sources you add, but the old ones you retire. Unfortunately it's politically easier to build renewables than to shutter fossil fuels.🧵
www.forbes.com/sites/rrapie...

Plant of the Week – August 4th 2025 – Flax (Linum usitatissimum) This plant served humankind for thousands of years, and may be on the verge of resurgence

Latest BSBI Scotland blog post by John Grace.

botsocscot.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/p...

Delighted to find a cluster of Ruby Boletes in Tyrrels Wood in South Norfolk today. One of 5 bolete species seen that have emerged after recent rain @norfolknats.bsky.social

Sound on 😽🤍

A bristly pale brown fly with a chequered abdomen in pale brown and reddish brown sitting on the white flowerhead of Wild Carrot, facing left.

A bristly pale brown fly with a chequered abdomen in pale brown and reddish brown sitting on the white flowerhead of Wild Carrot, facing left.

A very nice find yesterday at NWT Sweet Briar Marshes, Norwich while out surveying with Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. The scarce Tachinid Frontina laeta (identified by Tim Hodge). New for me and the site. #Diptera

A pale green leaf with a little sheet of fine spider silk spun across its centre.

Under the silken sheet on the green leaf lurks a small pale green spider with white markings on her abdomen.

Looking down on the silken sheet on the green leaf you can just make out a small pale green spider with white markings on her abdomen hiding underneath.

Crap photos as ever with these but this one is SPECIAL: came home yesterday and spotted the tell tale web on leaf of our Kiwi plant in the back garden, our very own Nigma walckenaeri! Such a lovely addition to the garden wildlife. #arachnids #spiders

It was good - the advertised walk was from 11 to 1, then some of us stayed on and looked at more insects and fungi.

Do you know if they arrived on their own or were introduced?

I managed to see them in 2020 and 2021 but haven't been to see them since.

True, and I was sceptical. But it is backed up by the fact that Rayner has approved the sale of eight allotment sites (and authorised the closure of two more) since Labour came to power. This is the exact opposite of what we need (1) to protect scarce green spaces and (2) to ensure food security.

Ruby Bolete, Hortiboletus rubellus. Fruitbodies in situ, in grass by oak trees.

Ruby Bolete, Hortiboletus rubellus. Picked fruitbodies.

Ruby Bolete, Hortiboletus rubellus. Orange spots at base of cut stipe.

Ruby Bolete, Hortiboletus rubellus. Spores x 1000.

Ruby Bolete, Hortiboletus rubellus.

Seen at NWT Sweetbriar Marshes on yesterday's Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society field meeting.

#Fungi #FungiFriends

Poplar Fieldcap, Cyclocybe cylindracea. Young fruitbodies.

Poplar Fieldcap, Cyclocybe cylindracea. Older fruitbodies.

Poplar Fieldcap, Cyclocybe cylindracea.

Poplar Fieldcap, Cyclocybe cylindracea.

Seen at NWT Sweetbriar Marshes on yesterday's Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society field meeting.

#Fungi #FungiFriends

Flame Shield, Pluteus aurantiorugosus

Flame Shield, Pluteus aurantiorugosus

Flame Shield, Pluteus aurantiorugosus

Flame Shield, Pluteus aurantiorugosus.

Seen for the third year running at NWT Sweetbriar Marshes on yesterday's Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society field meeting.

#Fungi #FungiFriends

A queen Bombus ruderatus (Large Garden Bumblebee).

A queen Bombus ruderatus (Large Garden Bumblebee), found at NWT Sweetbriar Marshes yesterday. The first I've seen in the Norwich area.

#Bees #Bumblebees

Elms with leaves stripped off by Zig-zag Elm Sawfly larvae (Aproceros leucopoda).

Elm branch with leaves stripped off by Zig-zag Elm Sawfly larvae (Aproceros leucopoda).

Elm branch with leaves stripped off by Zig-zag Elm Sawfly larvae (Aproceros leucopoda), with empty cocoon.

Zig-zag Elm Sawfly larvae (Aproceros leucopoda), empty cocoon.

Very hungry Zig-zag Elm Sawfly larvae (Aproceros leucopoda) have stripped the leaves of elms on Waterworks Road, Norwich. There were several empty cocoons on the bare branches.

#Sawflies #UKWildlife