Helen Barnard

Absolutely insanely so. But no one seemed to bar an eyelid.

Weren’t they always pretty openly just a hobby for Tony & not meant to be commercial?

I can’t tell you how much I want Kirsty & Rex to decide Ambridge needs to reintroduce wolves to keep the deer & cattle populations in check. And ideally plan a wild release that gets foiled by Amber running away to Ireland with Ruari. @keridavies.bsky.social make it so 🙏🙏🙏 #TheArchers

How Bridge farm is still afloat & somehow supporting 10 people is a total mystery!!

He's obviously right. The Tory position on this is nuts. Why on earth would you want to tie yourself to a President who is clearly not capable of rational decision making and has no idea what he's doing?

It's already not a popular conflict + it's only going to get less popular if it drags on.

When Tony gets moany it’s just so bleak. Give the man cattle. Give him a model railway. Just don’t give him any lines.

although harder if you're literally waiting to be seen and could be called at any time!

If someone's got headphones I'm pretty relaxed - it's the no headphones thing I can't abide! Due to various caring things I've had to get used to doing work calls in all sorts of places in the last year or so - including in various waiting rooms & a hospital corridor.

Such odd behaviour. Woman on train, professional, laptop, fully grown up but having a video call without headphones with what sounds like her husband.

I genuinely don't understand what thought process makes people believe this is acceptable behaviour.

I like to mark World Book Day with profound gratitude my kids are old enough we don't have to find costumes for them.

Love reading, love books, really don't love #WorldBookDay when the kids are in primary school.

Doesn't matter, I just don't like it.

It's been a source of real comfort for my parents, as things have got harder, knowing that my brother and I have them and can step in to help.

I don't understand why I don't like custard, when I like all the ingredients?

I'm very grateful a friend told me to get Lasting Power of Attorneys sorted many years before my parents needed them.

When the time came, we were all dealing with so much. We didn't have to do that as well.

Have the conversation early.

That too. But it was deliberate - Marina & Richard argue a country that subsidises you to do the work it wants you to do is more socialist than capitalist.

Although it's also an example of late stage capitalism eating itself.

If the 'Special Relationship' is broken, we know who broke it.

And it wasn't the UK.

Worth listening to The Rest is Entertainment this week on Dubai influencers. Key point: UAE government pays people to move to Dubai to be influencers and promote a particular image of the place - luxury & safety. People paid to leave a liberal democracy & 'shill' for an autocratic socialist state.

Excellent film reference.

It can of course be true both that:
- The majority of every party's voters support stricter rules for migration and back Shabana Mahmood's proposals.
- Those proposals & rhetoric are alienating some groups of ethnic minority and progressive voters.

2. More action to strengthen our social security system. Right now, Universal Credit isn’t matched to the cost of living, and this is driving people to food banks.

We’re calling for an independent process that sets the basic rate based on how much things actually cost.

4/4

🙏 We need more action to tackle hunger in the Autumn Budget.

1. Lift the freeze on Local Housing Allowance. And legislate to make sure that housing support always reflects actual rental costs. Otherwise we risk driving more people into hardship and homelessness...

3/4

...2 child limit. That'll pull 470,000 children out of severe hardship & ease pressure on food banks. Reminder of other positive steps so far here.

But 6.8 million people face severe hardship & food bank need is well above levels vs 5 years ago...

2/4

t.co/onca6qTSRE

Spring Forecast as expected: no new tax or spending announcements, fiscal position strengthened but headwinds coming & growth expectations still anaemic.

🚨Good to see Chancellor highlight positive steps taken so far to tackle hunger, including hugely positive decision to remove the cruel... 1/4

Does Bluesky still not have a schedule button? Surely it's past time it was introduced.

(Yes, I know there are 3rd party apps and websites that let you schedule stuff. But I'm not going to get round to using them and I just want it to have the basic functionality of Twitter, without...you know.)

And…

Pretty scary stuff happening in the world right now. Take a minute to relax by watching Luna really enjoy a sunny wood with a stream.

So tough, really sorry.

And we’re back to having the ‘Is World War 3 happening’ conversation with the teenagers.

Trying to be informative, reassuring but not naive.

But then we'd have to suffer through endless Henwy & Jack trauma storylines.

Currently reading The Correspondent, which is interesting and lovely.

Previously read Reservoir Bitches - raw, very clearly a first book, bleak & unrelentingly violent, but powerful and the voices of young Mexican women ring out.