Charles Holland

Presumably they have data that supports the concept that constantly revolting your core voter base is the way to build popularity.

One has to love the presumption here. Like everybody up until now has been begging him to give in to Reform and that it is only his amazing strength of moral purpose that has shielded us from bollocks avoid ‘smashing the gangs’.

According to the Guardian, “Keir Starmer will warn the Labour party that history will not forgive his government if it fails to confront and defeat Reform. No need to project so far into the future. No one forgives him now.

I found it really underwhelming. And I like Matthew Sweet (co-writer) too. Quite poor mysteries and rather poor on the social milieu. Came across as a bit smug.

Hi Antonia. It’s not a zero sum game. How about we have both? Incredible I know, but previous generations of Labour government have managed this.

Wondering what might be the most ludicrous literary legacy to fight over? Plans for new estate will concrete over Adrian Mole country?

Old windmills: lovely, charming, we must preserve them! New windmills: a pox on our land imposed on us by eco-fascists!

Routine pearl clutching and attacks of the vapours from middle brow conservationists is so boring. Objecting to any kind of infrastructure by self-confessed admirers of Victorian industry is the only thing that gets half the people in this country out of bed.

At what cost? Well, I’d be happy to pay this one myself. Brontë country FFS.

A puckish satire on contemporary mores

Falling asleep at the thought of celebrities falling asleep is good.

Sounds good - will be in touch. Thanks Geraint.

I guess I’m looking for great precedents that might say something about schools and as a type (unusual teaching approaches, spatial org etc) that I can set as part of design brief ti design a new school.

Thank you for this. Will look up.

Both really. But also would like to use some really good examples as precedent studies.

Thank you

Ooh, thank you. Perfect!

Dear Mr Bluesky! Lazy ass researching here but any recommendations for 20th onwards school buildings in UK gratefully received.

Discovering the Life and Work of Halsey Ricardo - by Mark Bertram Ahead of the publication of Halsey Ricardo: A Life in Arts and Crafts, author Mark Bertram gives us a special insight into how he brought the life and work of his great grandfather Halsey Ricardo out ...

Insights and period photo from Mark Bertram’s excellent new book on Ricardo. www.lundhumphries.com/blogs/featur...

Halsey Ricardo’s (sadly demolished) 8 George Street office building, 1888. A little rational beauty. Stuff like this makes current trad arguments about ‘fitting in’ seem particularly silly. A gem, partly because it differs so much from its neighbour with entirely different rhythms and proportions.

Yes, a good and useful way to put it I think. And yes hi Luis - all ok. Hope with you too.

But also thank you for engaging with this topic and adding to it. Much appreciated.

Yes, though I think only to some degree. I really think it’s important to recognise the limits of architecture either as a form of direct action or of commentary. Both are currently v fashionable in schools. But arch is a product of these things, many of which remain out of our sphere of influence.

A tribute to Robert Venturi on the centenary of his birth. His work continues to inspire me and I recently wrote an essay exploring his use of mirrors, doubling and copies. Here is the sublime Trubek House, a complex, awkward and difficult little object, but also beautiful and perfectly realised.

It’s sort of absorbed by osmosis, a general sense of what works, what’s right, what’s wrong, how to do things. Obvs the things that are actually discussed tend to have much less bearing on practice but no one seems to mind.

When it’s oddly incredibly boring to talk about! One simply can’t win….

It’s SO unfashionable. Absolutely the last thing anyone will mention in a crit. But also not exactly ‘only’ about what things look like but the intersection of that with what they do. But yes, totally uncool.

Yes. I don’t really believe in design by research. I think it’s a way to structure education but it isn’t actually what architects do.

Excellent - going to have and watch too.

Architectural design today is discussed in terms of big issues (climate, housing, diversity) and small ones (site, brief, client) but the actual design, the decisions made and the wider histories and trends and movements influencing those decisions are left alone, as if they are unimportant.