Stef

Photo of a TV screen with IT'S Loose Women programme, showing how to change a light bulb.

On UK daytime TV, 'Loose Women' are demonstrating how to change a light bulb.

A carpet of leaves underfoot and a blaze of colour overhead - this is one of my favourite walking trails along the lower slopes of the Wrekin. I don’t know how long this magnificent old beech tree has been standing, but just imagine what sights it must have witnessed over the years. #Shropshire

Find a lake with swans on it and sit and watch them

A look back to on this day 17th October with our farmily of farm animals

I grew up without internet or mobiles, & looking back, both undeniably offer good & bad. As inventions establish themselves in our lives & minds, each becomes apparent, & they continue to evolve with good & bad actors. The only constant: cat videos. 😁
#GoodMorning, everyone

Quote: “The Party told you to reject all evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” ‘1984’ - George Orwell

Decades after the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters, can politicians please not second-guess expert safety assessments for football stadiums.

Thank you.

An Aston Villa fan.

Ragpickers and washers at home.

Young boy selling herbs.

Blind man with his dog.

Street scene along canal.

Eugène Atget’s unflinching, unromantic, street portraits of 1900s Paris.

📷 Eugène Atget | Paris (TASCHEN)

…and content 🥺

We miss these views over winter! That's the last of the
@n-t-s.bsky.social #StKilda team off the island now, after a fabulous last couple of days birding to cap off an excellent autumn and an excellent season. Thanks to all that enjoyed it with us and helped make 2025 a special year! 🙏

The 2026 #IIHF Continental Cup starts tomorrow! Let's introduce the teams in Group A.👀
🔗 Read more at IIHF.com: https://www.iihf.com/en/news/70189/puck_drops_in_revamped_2026_iihf_continental_cup

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis): 29cm (11.4in). This is a ground squirrel native to western North America. Awesome snap of a photobombing Ground Squirrel taken by Melissa Brandts in Alberta, Canada 🍁 #groundsquirrel #alberta #canada #photobombing #nature #wildlife #bsky

I went to my much loved local nature reserve today and they’ve got the Christmas decs up in the cafe 🤦‍♂️😩

Fantastic 🙌

➡️19x - councils’ net spending on temporary accommodation has grown in real terms by more than a factor of 19 since 09/10
➡️One in 200 households in England are living in temporary
accommodation
➡️Three years and 11 months – the average estimated length of stay in temporary accommodation in London

➡️spending on children’s social care has risen twice as fast as
the number of children in care since 12/13
➡️15,000 more children in care compared with 2014, but 2,000 fewer fostering households
➡️The number of CSC agency workers fell in 2024/25 for the first time since data began being published

➡️cost of delivering care has outstripped inflation in all adult social care settings & for all ages since 15/16
➡️23.5% of staff working in ASC sector were from outside the UK/EEA in 24/25 vs 8.2% in 19/20
➡️ just two of 68 local authorities were rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission

Key findings:
➡️One in six upper-tier local authorities relied on emergency
funding in 25/26
➡️11/12 – the last year upper-tier local authority reserves were as low as they were in 24/25
➡️Over two-thirds of council spending now goes on adult and children’s social care, compared to around half in 09/10

A depressing thread about the state of our local authorities in 2025. I have no idea how we can retrieve this situation

The absolute bloody vandalism of austerity in one chart. Good analysis of the overall picture here.

Everyone who moans about their council should be presented with this chart

Austerity mainly fell on local services (so central govt could avoid the blame) and it has completely eroded trust in all govt

What Tory austerity did to children and young people is unforgivable. People who went to elite private schools and had free university education, shut everything down for our kids.

Just came across an interesting documentary about England in 2025 on That’s TV2. It’s called Till Death Us Do Part… 👀

1/ I guess I’m ‘The Good Immigrant’:

Been here most of my life now, never claimed benefits, paid taxes, worked for the NHS, taught students, done research for public good, volunteered, spoke English fluently.

So why do I feel so alienated and hurt by the government’s anti- immigrant rhetoric?

I thought it might not be.

Oh Pledgy. We don’t agree on something ☹️

An important emerging development is the way Christian Conservatism, in the past far more prevalent in the US than the UK, is gaining traction within Reform (as discussed here, but also relevant is Danny Kruger's defection to Reform & some of Richard Tice's recent comments).

@annatwigg.bsky.social I know you’re a Francophile Anna, but…😍

In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...

There is no need for a moral panic about the UK's welfare system.

Far from perfect but recent discourse is nuts

Spending is controlled, not spiralling

Worklessness is near record lows

My column www.ft.com/content/ee67...

Eastern Yellow Wagtail on St Kilda today! Sound recording on a phone isn't easy, but the bird had a short raspy call, not dissimilar to a Citrine Wag.
@hebridesbirds.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social