Really interesting to read today's National Audit Office report on changing demand for school places. It's such a big issue for schools, especially when we're trying to plan ahead.
Here’s what stood out..
The report places Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes among the ten highest areas in England for the proportion of NHS spending going to private profit...
#Bedford #BedfordNews #NHS #PublicMoney #Health #PrivateProfit
Curlew sitting on drystone wall, above, another curlew in flight, wings and primaries spread.
A curlew feeds in the cottongrass.
#WorldCurlewDay, a day when the curlew stands for all species caught in the climate and biodiversity crisis. I will take a walk on the moor after lunch and be grateful for their presence.
"A generous view, assuming the three responses were correct, would still mean over 90 per cent of ICB-commissioned services failed to meet children’s clinical nursing needs in mainstream schools."
Disabled children and those with medical needs deserve an education they can actually access.
I have a father and mother in law in Iran. I have a sister in law. A niece. She's 14. She likes silly pink headbands and purses and dresses, just like kids her age all over the world. There are 93 million people like her in Iran. People who do all the normal mundane life things as the rest of us.
BBC News item on lifting the child poverty cap and they have to both sides it. So, alongside a woman with five kids who desperately needs it they have two men who don't need it/aren't entitled saying they don't agree with it being lifted.
Why are they on my TV? They're not relevant.
On a lovely sunny Easter Monday solar is generating ~40% of UK electricity.
2026 is predicted to see an extra 5-5.5 gigawatts of new capacity installed.
This is a 50% increase on the capacity installed in 2025, which was a 50% increase on the capacity installed in 2024
"Are April Fool’s stories still ethical if they’re handled responsibly, clearly labelled, and revealed quickly?
Or is Chris right that in today’s world, newspapers should stop adding even one more intentional falsehood to the mix?"
A screenshot of the part of the accessibility settings with the option of “Require alt text before posting” selected
Reminder: including alt-text on your images is helpful in many ways! It increases accessibility, can add context/detail, makes search more effective, & can improve your reach (a lot of us won’t re-share images without alt-text). If you set it as required in accessibility settings, you can’t forget!
Passengers with a dog on the platform at London King's Cross station waiting to board an overnight train to Scotland.
It's been lovely today seeing lots of people on this platform so enthusiastic about travelling longer distances by train and sharing their experiences. We urgently need governments across Europe to work together to make rail a viable and affordable alternative to air travel.
let's hope none of these astronauts had a part time lecturing gig at another university 10 years ago, or this is going to be beyond even NASA's ability to untangle
Yes, that doesn't seem an unreasonable ask either.
A humorous commentary on April 1st suggesting it's the only day people critically assess online information.
Sooooooo true!🤷♀️
Willow Warbler, 1st April 2026
A mini spring milestone: the first 100 ringing day of the season - Willow Warblers strongly to the fore, making up three-quarters of the day's tally
A source close to the project said the feature was intended to be “both practical and visually distinctive”, although it is not yet clear whether pedalos would form part of the final design. 😂
A crawfish cocktail with Marie Rose Sauce.
Ever heard the story about how, during the excavation of the Mary Rose, the divers combined ketchup and mayonnaise and created Marie Rose sauce, which became internationally famous?
Nearly fell for this one....
In all seriousness, sending solidarity and strength to all parents and carers of SEND children.
We want the same for the same for our children as everyone other parent: a suitable education in a school where our child is welcomed and valued.
April Fool’s Day.
A day where you shouldn’t trust anything you read or anything anyone says.
So basically the same as every other day then.
Orange tip butterfly on a cuckoo flower
Please consider letting a little patch of garden grow wild, as this allows wildflowers to grow. Some wild plants - like dead nettle, nettles and cuckoo flower - are vital food plants for moth and butterfly caterpillars.
More: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/wil...
#wildlifegarden
One of my most exasperating moments of canvassing was a guy, in a Victorian terrace, say the biggest issue for him was parking, and then "You see, we have four cars in this house".
A look at the UK's history when it comes to LGBTQ+ people is seeing how often it was forced by others to respect queer people, only giving in when it had no choice.
I’m trying to re-home a poodle that barks A LOT. If anyone’s interested I’ll hop over my neighbor’s fence and get it for you.
Hundreds of thousands of disabled people will have their benefit almost halved if the government assesses their condition might one day improve. Charities warn the move could cause large-scale hardship, including “destitution.”
My report in tomorrow’s Guardian: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
A reminder to all my friends across the UK that British Summertime starts tonight at 1am so don’t forget to put your clocks forward an hour and get your snow shovels ready!
Every nonspeaking autistic person deserves access to robust Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools, and the right support to learn to use them:
A close-up of long grass with the sun shining down on it
- Stick to clearly defined paths and avoid long grass
- Wear long trousers
- Use insect repellent
- Regularly check for ticks
These are just some of the ways you can keep yourself safe from the effects of ticks while enjoying the outdoors.
I think I might have an alternative idea for the month of April...
30 days of #AbleismAwareness
Posting examples of ableism from politicians, professionals and society as a whole.
Feel free to join in (without forgetting alt text in any images of course)?
8 am update for you. The UK grid is currently close to fossil fuel free. Wind and solar 70%, nuclear 13%, gas… 4%. grid.iamkate.com
