Katharine Hodgson

Sidmouth Herald ‘Town being invaded by onions'.

There were secret plans drawn up to fight this allium menace, but there was a (oh-ho!) LEEK!!!!!!!!!1 (leak!)

When Brexit was slammed for being an act of pure prejudice, all the Brexiters howled about ‘sovereignty’ and ‘taking back control’.
Now, the very same people howl that we should just obey Trump and put our country in the firing line.
They lied about everything. All of it. Every single part.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper responds to President Trump’s latest outburst.

“The job of the British PM is to take decisions in the national interest of the U.K., not in the interests of other countries… we don’t outsource foreign policy to other countries”.

#bbclaurak

I tell every student to read their writing out loud. The brain processes it differently--if you have to form the words with your mouth, it's closer to reading it like someone other than yourself. It doesn't allow your brain to skip over mistakes/unclear parts with a subliminal "I know what I mean"

"I said it's quite bold of Nigel Farage to go to the US to side with Donald Trump against his own country. What did I say Roy?"
"You said he's a treacherous self-serving sack of shit"

What AI skills need to be developed exactly? How to copy and paste a question prompt? How to write a more precise command or inquiry? How to better disguise and humanize the resulting AI essay?

These are hardly "critical" skills. And none of this is "education."

the reverse version of those “evolution of man” drawings

The Archives & Special Collections Annual Exhibition

The Menai Suspension Bridge 1826-2026 – Celebrating the Bicentenary

You can view the exhibition on the Council Chamber Corridor, Main Arts Building

The exhibition is also available to view online here: sway.cloud.microsoft/OEWxRznJOcdb...

I’m deeply honoured to receive the Royal Television Society 2026 Special Award. Thank you RTS and many thanks to the great BBC team in Moscow.

In 2022, unless I have mis-remembered, Tereshkova voted in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a member of the Russian State Duma, and has personal sanctions against her from the EU, USA, Switzerland, Ukraine, New Zealand.

There needs to be a review of UUK

OTD in 1953 Stalin died. We have to pretend we are liberating Ukraine from Nazism cos we have not yet liberated ourselves from Stalinism.

“Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship” …a useful message there from Starmer for the BBC’s hyperbolic political reporting as well as for Badenoch.

It's so galling that universities are collections of scholars yet university administrations rarely consult their own faculty about anything they could farm out to McKinsey

More than 2,000 sign petition opposing a major university cutting language courses Over 2,000 sign petition against Heriot-Watt University language cuts as staff plan strike action over proposed job losses and end of language…

'The petition, launched by the University and College Union (UCU) branch at Heriot-Watt University, is in response to plans to cut a third of staff from the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies (LINCS).'

11 staff and both German and Chinese language would go. 1/2

Graphic with the following text: "1. International students who do not generate provider income should be exempt - including Erasmus+ participants following the UK’s association."

"2. Students studying SHAPE subjects must be eligible for levyfunded maintenance grants. Restricting subject eligibility harms UK economic growth and signals that disadvantaged students ‘deserve’ fewer choices."

"We urge the government to reconsider the levy, engage with the sector, and pursue a sustainable funding model to safeguard higher education and research."

We are continuing to call for the government to withdraw the International Student Levy. This levy will add more financial pressure to a system under strain, threatening the UK’s research excellence, global reputation, and economic competitiveness.

British Academy response to the Department for Education's technical consultation on the Interational Student Levy 18 February 2026 Background The Department for Education is consulting on the proposed levy on international student income, due to be introduced in England in August 2028.

‘We remain deeply concerned that universities will be unable to absorb the cost of the levy’s
introduction. The loss of cross-subsidy for domestic teaching & research will harm
universities’ ability to deliver their core functions’
Our response to the levy
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/60...

YouTube video by Jermilia #Russian people sing a forbidden song in St Petersburg.

Bit of nostalgia: I arrived in Leningrad in June 1988, walked into this square and listened to people debating politics openly. This is last November, St Petersburg kids singing MC Noize's protest song "Swan Lake Collective". The band was arrested and now lives in exile. youtu.be/r_8PdHH4v4s

In memory of Pete, we have launched the Pete Duncan Memorial Fund, which will support PhD students at the School. Donations can be made via peter-duncan-2026.muchloved.com

Current UK electricity supply btw.

If the United States is going to go around the world causing regime changes, we should practice here first.

🎶"Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy, I've come home. I'm so cold. Let me in-a-your window"🎶

A fox with his nose in a daffodil and eyes closed bilssfully.

It's March 1st! Dydd gwyl Dewi Sant hapus -- Happy St David's Day to everyone, enjoy this fox enjoying a daffodil.

UniversitiesUK is lobbying group for Vice-Chancellors, not staff or students

It's consistently lobbied for higher tuition fees & marketisation

It's supported bureaucratic corporatisation & excessive VC pay -- but never staff

It's grown fat on University money

universitiesuk.ac.uk/about-us/peo...

The world was saved because a human being didn't trust a computer.

I wonder how Salman Rushdie is feeling tonight? That’s the second Ayatollah he’s outlived.

Blaues Plakat + buntes Gegenplakat: dein Auto würde uns wählen ... Es hat ja auch kein Hirn

Wunderbare Gegenplakatierungen, eben zugesandt bekommen:

Netanyahu has an election and wants to retain power. Trump has a congressional election that can spell the end of his presidency and he wants to retain power. This is what this war is about, two crooks and criminals trying to stay out of jail fighting for their survival.

Unions pass no confidence vote in University of Nottingham bosses They say it follows "years of shocking financial decisions and governance failures".

An understated part of this: teaching staff, PhD students, research support staff, technical staff, facilities workers + more ALL voiced zero confidence in university leadership.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get all these people to agree on anything. The boss is truly the best organizer.

The biggest con of the last 25 years: 'Russell Group' universities.