Professor Paddy Gray OBE

‘It’s thrilling’: almost three centuries of the Belfast News Letter go online The surviving editions of the world’s oldest, continuously published English-language daily can now be accessed free

“The surviving editions of the world’s oldest, continuously published English-language daily can now be accessed free” www.theguardian.com/media/2025/j...

Photo when I was President of Ulster Poly SU (now Ulster University) when we did a three day fast outside Belfast City Hall to raise money for the Simon Community Northern Ireland. This was at the beginning of my journey in housing which I am still proud to be involved in 45 years later.

The Guardian view on social housing: invest boldly to tackle ‘simmering anger’ about substandard homes Editorial: Two weeks before the spending review, the housing ombudsman has issued an important warning about a deepening crisis and growing human misery

“For too long, social housing failures have been dismissed as second-tier concerns, largely because the tenure is for people on lower incomes.”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“Houses themselves are simple, standard things. But it is the land, planning, water, sewage and transport that are the knotted processes choking delivery” @gerardhowlin.bsky.social @irishtimes.com

Absolutely a scam hopefully others don’t fall for it

Sure.. I love these scams

Just arrived Glasgow Airport and in all my time coming here I have never seen the queues as long for buses. Wonder what’s happened here or is it being caused by flights being cancelled to Heathrow 🤔 not looking good for my flight to London Heathrow this evening 😬

Flying over the Wirral Peninsula this morning where I spent some great summers in Moreton in my early teens with my cousins.I still eat crinkle cut chips as my Aunt used to make them for us. Went for walks with my uncle across to Hoylake facing Wales and to New Brighton facing Liverpool 😊 #nostalgia

International Womens Day parade in Centre of Belfast just now. Met Ray Cashel who was CEO of SHAC Housing when I chaired it in 1980. Also Kevin Cooper (pictured) He was a sabbatical officer when I was President of Ulster University Students Union Jordanstown #IWD2025

Picture from @cihhousing.bsky.social Ireland Awards last Friday at Titanic. With colleagues from Túath Housing now the largest Housing Association on the island of Ireland. I’m nearing the end of my 3 year term as Chair but what an incredible journey it has been with a fantastic bunch of people

Really looking forward to attending this great event

The City Hall Belfast tonight on Valentine’s night

Great to see JP Mc Cusker (Armagh Man) officiating for Everton tonight. The last game against Liverpool at Goodson. He has a morning show at radio city tower Liverpool . As an Armagh manI spent my early years in the company of his dad John O Mc Cusker. I am especially proud 😊

Why half of the population of Vienna live in social housing Social housing schemes in Austria have created affordable, quality residential buildings and a sense of community. Here’s what we British could learn from them

“Contrary to other European cities, the treatment of municipal housing estates as an object of profiteering was always out of the question,” says Kathrin Gaal, Vienna’s deputy mayor and councillor for housing.

www.thetimes.com/article/d1b9...

After The Brutalist: our readers name their favourite brutalist buildings From London’s Barbican to Berlin’s Corbusierhaus, urban concrete edifices continue to inspire us – whether they be art spaces, apartment blocks or even car parks

“From London’s Barbican to Berlin’s Corbusierhaus, urban concrete edifices continue to inspire us – whether they be art spaces, apartment blocks or even car parks”

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

“Of those who died between April 2019 and March last year, 58 were aged under one, the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for households in temporary accommodation said.”

David McWilliams: Housing crisis isn't helped by foreign funds buying Irish property The new Government should ensure the wealth accruing from Irish housing benefits Irish people, not foreign pension funds

Interesting article by David Mc Williams today in the Irish Times “Some are getting rich from the housing crisis, because one person’s mortgage is another’s piggy bank”

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Homeless
By : Haynes King (1831-1904)

Inside Belfast’s ‘little Empire State’ building ahead of flagship £100m transformation Crowds were welcomed to a guided tour of the building this week

Look forward to when this is fully operational
www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

Just walked to Sydenham station via City Airport. After a quite a walk took the footbridge. Why no signage at the top of the steep steps telling which platform takes you to Belfast City centre. Surely a simple sign would suffice? @belfasttelegraph.co.uk @irishnews.com

UK ministers warned housing crisis puts plans for NHS and economy at risk Damning report reveals million in England are living in poor-quality housing that threatens their health

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

English councils pay millions to move homeless families out of big cities Guardian analysis reveals families often given little notice to relocate to already deprived communities far away with no extra support

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Huge rise in young people off work driven by mental health issues Increase has been masked by a fall in the number of women looking after families full-time

Huge rise in young people off work driven by mental health issues. “There is this worrying trend of more young people not being in education or work because of ill health — that’s doubled in the past decade.”

www.thetimes.com/article/fe30...

Nice afternoon walk along the River Liffey as it passes through Lucan on its journey into Dublin City

Kind-hearted Glasgow restaurant manager to give gifts and food to the homeless on Christmas Day Muhammad Sultan, who runs Charcoals Indian restaurant on the Trongate is offering selflessly to help those who need it most on Christmas Day.

My favourite Indian restaurant in Glasgow and my friend Muhammad Sultan getting some well deserved praise for his charitable work in the city and also in his home country Pakistan. You are a real hero my friend! www.glasgowlive.co.uk/whats-on/foo...

It’s Christmas Eve and I would ask everyone if you are out and about today give a fiver to the first homeless person you meet (or £1 to the first five). If you aren’t out please donate £5 to a homelessness charity you know. There are many great organisations out there I know.They are everywhere

Think I’ll leave this.. I thought twitter was bad but all I get here is lists of bots looking me to following them. They need to do something about this

A crisp but nice morning in Derry from my apartment