I went for the first time last summer, and would recommend. We had a very nice lunch in the middle of ride along the south bank of the Tyne and back along the north.

It's so fabulous - I love seeing people discover it (I live a mile or two from it and feel very lucky!)

This, from the head of the Association of School and College Leaders, seems to be key, and the ban proposed just an excuse to not do the regulation.

Banning phones in schools is a blunt instrument to deal with unregulated social media companies who feed all of us dangerous crap.

Last pre-election regional event in Newcastle at Northern Stage tomorrow (Tues 21st)

www.tickettailor.com/events/onemi...

By my reckoning, 7 of the 20
local Tory candidates are women. Were none of these trusted to be on the panel?

Just one of Reform’s 20 is a woman.

11 out of 20 for the Greens (including the two lead candidates), 9 out of 20 for Labour.

(I counted more than once, but might be slightly wrong)

A panel of local election candidates, behind a host from One Million Women & Girls https://www.onemillionwomenandgirls.org/

A flyer from One Million Women and Girls reading: ONE MILLION WOMEN + GIRLS For a North East where women & girls are equal, represented, and valued. Who we are We are a group of women campaigning to make sure women and girls in the North East have the same chances as everyone else to be safe, healthy, and reach our potential. We maximise the potential of women & girls by influencing decision makers, promoting need, & upholding democracy in the North East. Why One Million Women & Girls? • The North East is home to over one million women & girls - which means the North East Combined Authority (NECA), and the seven local authorities it is made up of, are responsible for the aspirations and life chances of over one million women and girls living in our region. • Policy makers often think women and men use public services in the same way, but they don't, and women and girls pay the price. We're working to change that! • Considering the specific needs of women and girls from the beginning results in better policy making, that works for everyone. • When women and girls are equal, everyone benefits. Campaigning for a North East where women and girls are equal, represented and valued - Join us and be heard!

Spent the evening at One Million Women & Girls event in North Shields, with local candidates answering questions about women and girls safety, public transport, misogyny and social media, housing, VAWG, arts funding and more. No Reform candidate, and the Tories couldn’t find a woman for the panel.

I love it when “indoor” toys come outdoors; it happens a lot on play streets and seems to epitomise the fluidity of children’s geographies of play.

[apologies for delete and repost - just too many typos!!]

when not went 🤦🏻‍♀️

Dolls, mermaids and a unicorn lying in random formations in the sun on a drain cover in playground, with a slope, steps and swings in the background.

These dolls, mermaids and unicorn
seemed to have had a big afternoon in the sun at this play park by the sea.

This is horrendous. So sorry for you all. Solidarity, for what it’s worth. All the more shit that they’re not offering any enhanced terms.

I’ve shared this before (and donated myself, ofc) but I have lots of academic followers, including lots in the north east.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a radical bookshop in Newcastle?

As I understand it, councils can only enforce restrictions on certain streets, not deal with pavement parking everywhere where it is an issue.

It takes a minute and might make a difference.

Any action to ban pavement parking has to be a good thing.

Pavements are for pedestrians.

I love this photo, and all the others in the link, Robert Munoz capturing beautiful moments of play and connection -

Well, indeed.

A sign attached to railings, reading: NO SPITTING COVID-19 can be spread by spitting STOP THE VIRUS NO SPITTING illustrated with a figure spitting/spraying crossed out in a red circle.

A particularly odd remnant of covid days (in a college car park)

What if your life turned out to be ‘ordinary’? Slow down and relish this – it might even be enchanting | Nadine Levy Being unremarkable is often seen as a sign of moral failure – yet finding joy in the everyday can lead to a mindful, even luminous experience

Having just tried to explain to my teen why I teach (and research) everyday geographies - and extolling the virtue of the “good enough”, this was an interesting read, especially in thinking about the joy in the everyday, and its radical potential.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Another very joyful Kidical Mass ride in Bath 🎉

What do we want: safer streets!
When do we want them: now!

A collection of road signs, with a sticker on the back of one reading “This sign has no (s)crap value”

“This sign has no (s)crap value”

Tulpen from space

some things about becoming a parent are radicalizing in ways I expected - e.g being reminded viscerally how screwed we'd all be if childcare and other care work disappeared. but other things are radicalizing in ways I didn't - like experiencing constant spontaneous solidarity in ways big and small

What is a city without children? As urban housebuilding strategies around the world increasingly push families out, the ‘sidewalk ballet’ — and heart — of community life is under threat

Thoughtful piece about how cities lose children and families, and what else is lost when they do -

(gift article)

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Indeed!

Opinie: ‘Het kind op straat is een zwart-witfoto geworden’ Deze week is het de Week van de Rechtvaardige Straat, waarin aandacht wordt gevraagd voor de ruimte op straat. En dan vooral voor kinderen. Want die ontbreekt, stellen Fenna Plaisier en Mascha van Wer...

In the UK amongst streets/play/active travel folk, we often idealise Dutch streets and their play affordances, but talking to Dutch colleagues it's clear they see the same pressures, as cars increasingly dominate and children disappear, and this article confirms this:

www.ad.nl/praat-mee/op...

Caring for those who care—free parking is not it - The BMJ Focusing on free car parking as a way to “reward” hospital staff is neither equitable, nor beneficial to health and wellbeing, say Harriet Larrington-Spencer and Matthew Jackson Last month The [...]Mo...

This is very good on this issue: blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/12/...

While I’m pleased to see that most people do think children should be “allowed” in most public spaces, the whole framing of the question (equating children with dogs 🤯) and Britons’ apparent preference for dogs says a lot about how we value children and their right to public space.

🥳Congratulations to our colleagues, Dr Michael Joseph Richardson (@michaeljrichardson.bsky.social) and Professor Jen Bagelman (@bagelwoman.bsky.social), on being shortlisted for the 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 in the category of 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵.

Wayne Hemingway and Owen Hopkins (Farrell Centre) in front of a picture of Dunston Staithes, with a plastic slide and some landscaped communal space.

Listening to Wayne Hemingway, with the Farrell Centre, talking about housing, planning and placemaking, amongst other things putting space for play at the heart of his projects (including at the Staithes)

This just came to mind - on metro and 4 out of the 10 people in my half of the carriage were reading physical books.

“It’s really concerning to see that the north of England in particular is experiencing so much of the burden of accidental deaths … and what is also really clear is that deprivation is inherently linked to your risk”