Fabienne

Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.

Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.

There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.

Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople

Say no to Palantir in the NHS NHS England is rolling out software to run our health records from Palantir - fight back

Searches if your local NHS Trust is using Palantir and emails them on your behalf, please take a minute to do this because we must fight this evil company getting a hold >> notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-tar...

New data shows surge in trans kids’ suicides following healthcare rollbacks | Good Law Project A freedom of information request by Good Law Project has found that deaths by suicide of trans young people under 18 surged following the withdrawal of gender-affirming healthcare

One of the wickedest things Wes Streeting has ever done is push politically convenient falsehoods about suicide rates amongst young trans people. We have new data from the National Child Mortality Database that exposes the truth he tried to cover up.

Holding hands in the dark Protests outside asylum hotels; calls in the national media to “stop the boats”; a polarisation of national discourse, headlines sometimes more for clickbait than facts. What is the real story of refu...

There are 250 vulnerable people in Oxford’s asylum hotels. For 27 years, local charity Refugee Resource has been supporting asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants. We find out more about their work in a long read: oxfordclarion.uk/holding-hand...

Walkability is not lifestyle politics. It is pro growth. People on foot spend more over time than drivers. They visit more often. They support more businesses. Streets that feel safe to walk on generate more local economic activity. This is settled evidence.

I'm sending over my train good luck to you. Am nearly at the end of longish train journey today from Alkmaar in the Netherlands to Oxford in the UK via Amsterdam. Managed to eat a delicious pancake in A'dam in between and got to Paddington in 20 mins to get my last train. Good luck!

Funniest thing is that the Oxford Labour councillors are voting against the traffic restrictions. Anneliese Dodds is also against them. It's actually the Lib Dem County Council that is introducing them.

Yes Minister - Series 2 - The Skeleton in the Cupboard - BBC Sounds Jim Hacker gets the better of Sir Humphrey over a crisis in Derbyshire.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...?

Yes Minister - Series 1 - The Writing on the Wall - BBC Sounds Jim's plans to slim the Civil Service come home to roost.

'Yes Minister' covers this beautifully.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...?

First flight of 2026 under UK ‘one in, one out’ asylum scheme cancelled Detainees under scheme to return people entering UK on small boats told their plane tickets have been cancelled

If this appalls you, please consider joining the campaign to boycott Air France, the carrier with a contract to fly detainees out of the UK. And let them know why you won't be flying with them via the link below. Airlines' reputations matter to them. 1/2

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

What could this mean in practice?
Deportation, no state pension or other benefits, NHS surcharge, removal of indefinite leave to remain, visa fees?
Asking for those EU cits who have not yet obtained British citizenship.

It's the same with drivers causing accidents. It's generally described in the passive voice without mentioning a driver. Perhaps it feels too rude/pointed to be specific about who is responsible.
You have to write like that at work and school as well.
Pretty ingrained.

JONATHAN FREEDLAND: Why Britain’s Jewish leaders are silent on Farage’s schoolyard antisemitism While the Reform UK leader and his allies smear accusers as liars, the Board, JLC and HET remain mute, fearing the wrath of a rising politician

The deafening silence from the UK's "official" Jewish institutions on Nigel Farrage's antisemitism demonstrates how morally bankrupt they are. So far the Board of Deputies, JLC, chief rabbi and CST have yet to say one word. Pathetic doesn't begin to capture it.

www.jewishnews.co.uk/jonathan-fre...

Pharmacy website is offering flu vaccinations that treat hair loss. A copy paste content error.

Was about to let friends and colleagues know about the walk in flu vaccinations. Not sure if it will help hair loss...

Oxwell Pharmacy flu vaccination poster

Oxwell Pharmacy services offered poster

A new city centre pharmacy has opened just off Gloucester Green and is offering walk-in flu vaccinations without appointments. Oxwell Pharmacy is at 6 Gloucester Street and claims to be “Oxford’s freshest pharmacy”. oxwellpharmacy.uk

Born on this day in 1593, in Haarlem, Willem Claesz. Heda. Painter of things on tables. Sometimes, as here in 1635, tipped, cracked, & broken. Also master of the well-peeled lemon.

Willem Claesz Heda painting "Still life with a gilt cup" on a wall and flowers in front of the painting.

I fell in love with one of his paintings and got a print from the Rijksmuseum.

One of the few photographs of the Pavillon de l'Esprit nouveau construction site in 1925 kept by Le Corbusier (FLC L2-13-43-001). Two workers handle a Solomite façade panel made of compressed straw. #strawbuilding

2 workers with a giant straw insulation panel on star architect Le Corbusier's construction site 1925. #notAI
That was 100 years ago.

We have the climate solution technology. Use renewables.

It is your unwavering empathy and clarity of thought about the issues the BBC wants you not to talk about that is so valuable in this moment. Thank you and wishing you some rest after such a full on year.

Innocent people end up in our criminal courts.

Completely, terrifyingly innocent.

And all that stands between them and losing everything is a fair trial.

Politicians would do well to remember this when they tell us that justice is all about processing “criminals” swiftly.

I don't really post anymore, but I would like to carry on writing books at some point in the future.

Hate to be annoying, but any chance you could retweet so old twitter followers can find me if they want to? Going to delete my twitter, or at least abandon it on lock and let it die a slow death.

Satellite model in a testing facility

🚯 To clean up orbits around Earth, we first need to identify and approach individual pieces of space debris. 🛰️ Two companies from Luxembourg are developing the eyes 👀 for satellites to be able to do just that 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE

BLOODY AI,a thread:so, I saw a picture online of the Towers of Perugia by a Renaissance artist, Benedetto Bonfigli whose other work I know a little bit. Here is the image 1/n:

The more we outsource our knowledge to a predictive text machine, the closer we get to losing that knowledge.

There are also several Park & ride car parks with free bus travel every 10 minutes into town. The fees from the congestion charge are paying for the free bus.
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/transport-an...

And it's so much worse.
The indignation is there but may be drowned out by so much else.
Wishing you strength in the fight. Or as we say in my family when there is adversity. "Hou je taai." Stay strong, hang in there.

A dark brown square graphic with bold white text at the top reading “Two Emergency Protests Tomorrow.” Below this are two location lines, each with a white map-pin icon: “Campsfield, Langford Lane – 4pm” and “Carfax, Oxford – 6pm.” In the bottom right is the orange circular logo of the Coalition to Close Campsfield, featuring barbed wire across the lower half. In the bottom left is a simple white line-drawing of a megaphone.

As Campsfield detention centre reopens tomorrow in #Oxfordshire, many of us feel heavy-hearted.

But for all who may be detained there, we will keep going — and strengthen our efforts to #CloseCampsfield and #EndDetention.

Join the protests: 4pm Campsfield • 6pm Carfax

#TheseWallsMustFall

Sign the Petition Allow transgender women and girls back into GirlGuiding UK

www.change.org/p/allow-tran...