Best of luck, Youcef Hassaine 🇬🇧 🇩🇿🇮🇪!

This is so sad. JB visited the foundry and the bell design on the cover of ‘Summoned by Bells’ came from bells at the foundry.

As this week's Private Eye Magazine points out, the simple reason why so many Councils are bankrupt, is because Cameron's Govt abolished the Audit Commission and District Auditors. Since then it's been a Wild West, where grifters and conmen can make millions. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-663409…

Brilliance and fury in equal measure. Thank you Janice Turner

Air pollution devastates people's health, and children are particularly vulnerable. It's fantastic to see that Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children's doctors are considering air pollution when diagnosing illnesses: theguardian.com/environment/20…

Cervical cancer will be almost eliminated in coming decades if HPV vaccination rates are high in children. In England HPV vaccination coverage in schools is rising again but still below pre-pandemic levels. Please encourage children to get protected. gov.uk/government/sta…

Something tells me the Opinel steak knife people are relying on AI to write their descriptions. Personally, I like my knives to be completely sober.

Here is the Government's LTN Review. It is 79 pages. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f400ad… Below is part of the Exec Summary (highlights are mine). It paints a very mixed picture of LTNs & endorses much of their opponents have argued.

i think beyonce might get her fashion inspiration from betty white: thread

This piece by Hanna Bowers makes for grim (& no doubt familiar) reading to many women who have given birth in the last decade. Do fill out evenor's maternity survey & let the council know your story, so vital improvements in care can be made. thetimes.co.uk/article/my-nig… Evelyn Akoto

Historic chemist & perfumer D. R. Harris & Co. have developed a fragrance, ‘St James’s 1684’ inspired by the carved reredos behind the altar - 50% of the sales will generously be donated to The Wren Project and samples will be available at our garden at @the_RHS #ChelseaFlowerShow

I am so through with activism whose only objective is to pull down things others nurtured and loved. But never, ever to build anything new.

What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer killed? theguardian.com/sport/article/…

The most shameful 46s in Olympic history. Today the IOC allowed a male boxer to fight this brave woman Angela Carini. Here she is walking out to the ring to face a man. /1

News has just broken that the MP who topped the private members' bill ballot is bringing forward a bill to legalise assisted dying. If the govt pave the way for it procedurally, there's every chance it could pass without adequate scrutiny. More here. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Exactly this. Thank you Sonia Sodha for this measured & deeply thoughtful piece on assisted dying. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

This is a really good thread by a Labour councillor and former adviser who supoorts assisted dying in principle but who is opposed to the deeply flawed Leadbeater bill. Undecided MPs should take heed.

Clinical psychiatrists and professionals who work in eating disorders say the assisted dying bill fails the public safety test. Really important intervention. bmj.com/content/387/bm…

Grim but essential reading - the Pélicot trial, libertinism and French attitudes to rape by Janice Turner. No paywall. thetimes.com/world/europe/a…

An absolute masterclass from the Quakers here in passive resistance, not to mention passive-aggressive resistance.