George McKay

7-9 pm at the very fine York Tavern, Norwich. ‘Old jazz, new jazz, green jazz, blue jazz’. In the Golden Triangle!

Hidden wonders: my fascinating encounters with the Bittern Elusive and majestic, the Bittern’s booming call echoes across Minsmere’s reeds – a symbol of hope and conservation success

Back in 1997, there were just 11 booming male Bitterns left in the UK – almost extinct. Thanks to conservation by @RSPB and @NaturalEngland, there are now 283 booming males in 2024.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...

Looks like it yes, from when I worked @salforduni.bsky.social

YouTube video by Sleaford Mods Sleaford Mods Ft. Gwendoline Christie & Big Special - The Good Life (Dark Version)

It’s that time of year again. A darker take on The Good Life, perfect for Halloween or just another grim night in Blighty. Less pumpkin spice, more existential dread.

Watch it while you still can, it disappears at midnight on Sunday.

👀 youtube.com/watch?v=aaynJpIuaCY

WE don’t fkn want him!

Attention Norfolk folk.

If the kids come round Trick or Treating tonight, and you don't want to open the door, just shout 'Prince Andrew Lives here now' through the letterbox to them and problem solved.

Somewhere in the Department for Education, a phone is ringing On October 20th at a bit after 5pm, the UK government introduced its Education and Skills white paper to Parliament, to absolutely no…

I wrote about the stupid white paper.

In summary, with these people in the driver's seat and apparently unbothered by consequences, we're so cooked.

After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:

- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%

Some of my brilliant colleagues @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social have organised the NQIFF 2025 film festival in Norwich. It's all free! Info and programme here: www.nqiff.com #queerfilm #filmfestival

New blog abt Winnie Atwell, on the occasion of the new blue plaque marking her achievements. georgemckay.org/winifred-atw...

RIP Tony Harrison, who blew my mind when I read his work as a student in Hull. I took my mum (working class) to see him read @norwichartscentre.bsky.social in 1984 we were both v moved. I took my copy for him to sign & made notes on what he read. I still say “Ay ay stutterer Demosthenes” sometimes

Always loved that Danny Thompson (RIP) played with free drummer John Stevens in a band too. One of those more surprising folk / jazz crossovers. Here’s a foto I found of Thompson from 1978, in Norwich! (That’s a cello not a bass tho)

From Kate Bush to Pentangle to T-Rex, the late Danny Thompson’s musical brilliance knew no bounds The bassist, who has died aged 86, was an extraordinary and wildly versatile presence in British music, bringing his personality into everything he played

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...

Tonight

By creating an Account with Academia.edu, you grant us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license, permission, and consent for Academia.edu to use your Member Content and your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, voice, signature, photograph, likeness, city, institutional affiliations, citations, mentions, publications, and areas of interest) in any manner, including for the purpose of advertising, selling, or soliciting the use or purchase of Academia.edu's Services.

I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose???

This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.

Carol Ann Duffy writes ‘bombsite’ poem about Trump’s UK state visit Exclusive: Former poet laureate has reader contrasting pomp and ceremony of banquet with ruins left by war

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

Great point and suggestion

Always a pleasure to see some music at the Bim when in Amsterdam with my Rhythm Changes conference pals

Love bass talk of all kinds

Jackie Grant on why, under Rule 10, you could even be making yourself worse off by staying in USS into the year when you are going to cease pensionable service.

MPs have launched a fan-led review of live music - with an online survey, which you will find via: committees.parliament.uk/committee/37...

A display of travel books for the deserts of Sudan, Japan, Yucatan, Milan, Bordeaux and Borneo

From the deserts of Sudan
to the gardens of Japan.
From Milan to Yucatan,
or the wilds of Borneo
to the vineyards of Bordeaux.

Hit me with your library card. Hit me. Hit me.

Love the names

The Old Vic in bold black text.

The Old Vic seeks an Education & Community Intern. Funded by John Lyon's Charity Inclusive Internship fund to support young people with learning disabilities into the creative workforce

Closing - 29 Jul
Location - London
££ - £8.6K

disabilityarts.online/opportunity-...

'The report estimates that while 8,900 people are being, or have recently been, affected by compulsory redundancies across the sector’s 165 institutions, a further 11,500 people have been affected by “back-door” redundancies, such as voluntary severance'. zenodo.org/records/1563... 3/3

The UK did have one standout product that was considered globally valuable- universities- and unilaterally decided to stop providing the product because it was more important to be xenophobic than successful

Closure of UEA mental health courses ‘deeply concerning’ University says NHS and apprenticeship changes make programmes ‘no longer viable’ but union calls move a ‘dereliction of civic responsibility’

Plans to cut mental health courses at the University of East Anglia have been criticised as “short-sighted” and a “dereliction of civic responsibility”.

More on the proposed Clinical Psychology course closures at UEA via @timeshighered.bsky.social - www.timeshighereducation.com/news/closure...

With Tangential Trio at the Rumsey Wells in Norwich on Thursday evening just in case you are in the area & fancy some ‘old jazz, new jazz, green jazz, blue jazz’ …

Good to see the government is drawing up the terms of reference for the Battle of Orgreave public inquiry - but this wasn’t an isolated event. Let’s not forget the grossly excessive police violence used against Travellers at the Battle of the Beanfield in 1985 www.gypsy-traveller.org/news/40-year...

Jane Mathison Haining, a Church of Scotland missionary worker who was killed in Auschwitz #OTD 17 July 1944. Her story deserves to be better known, I think.

www.yadvashem.org/righteous/st...

Photo: Yad Vashem