A rare opportunity to explore an old tungsten mine today, near Mungrisdale. With the expert guidance of Warren Allison we waded into tunnels deep under the fell. He pointed out the vein of quartz that miners chased into the mountain, blowing passageways with dynamite (the tungsten is in the quartz).
First ‘legs out’ walk of the summer
Heat pumps are only a matter of 'political controversy' because gas and boiler companies have stoked a culture war against them. You'd expect the BBC to resist lobbying, but it succumbs again and again. It’s an institutional problem.
A culture of fear and favour dominates the organisation.
Two people riding bikes in Amsterdam. One says “if anyone proposed this in my town I’d kill them”
Cartoon with caption by my buddy @jackhauen.bsky.social
This is a moronic decision. There’s nothing ‘woke’ about heat pumps.
Spotted this camping #cargobike made by @riesemuller.bsky.social. Definitely on the wish list!
Ah this feels familiar #Brexit
The question of if a country could fuck itself harder than the UK did with Brexit has today been answered.
Big plume of filthy water heading out into the River Kent. Hey @unitedutilities.bsky.social, it hasn’t even rained recently. What’s the excuse this time?
Been building an electric cargo bike at the weekends. It’s a Dutch ‘Bakfiets’ with new front forks, rebuilt front wheel with hub motor, and it’ll shortly have hydraulic disc brakes too. Gem seemed to enjoy the first wobbly test ride!
If you’ve ever wondered how coppicing works, or whether the ancient craft of hedge-laying has a future, here’s a short video I’ve made.
youtu.be/MUw7fYP9kyo?...
Water vapour was definitely doing its thang today
An attack on nature is taking place across the pond as Trump (AKA Musk) empties the National Park/Forestry of staff.
These great landscapes are what make the national identity. Without them, the U.S is nothing.
This has potential to be repeated in the U.K. in 4 years.
Stay wise to it.
A photo of the inside of the IJboulevard parking facility, showing multiple lanes with two-tiered bike racks, the wooden ceiling and numerous information signs which tell how much free parking space there is.
A photo of the inside of the IJboulevard parking facility, showing multiple lanes with two-tiered bike racks, the wooden ceiling and numerous information signs which tell how much free parking space there is. Each section has it's own name, so people can remember where they parked their bike. This section is called 'Water'.
A photo of the inside of the IJboulevard bike parking facility, showing how the wooden ceiling is curved on the side. The lights between the wooden tiles are also curved. On the left side of the photo there is a very long two-tiered bike rack, of which the bottom part is full of bikes.
A photo of one of the paintings in the IJboulevard bike parking facility, showing a swan.
When the Dutch build bike parking facilities, they don't 'just' build them. They build pieces of art.
Like the IJboulevard parking at Amsterdam Central Station. The parking not only offers space for 4,000 bikes, it also houses two copies of famous paintings that are actually in the Rijksmuseum.
Great opportunity to work with the brilliant team here at @friendsoflakes.bsky.social on an 18-month traineeship. Learn about Landscape Engagement from the best in the business! Please share. #Cumbria #lakedistrict #jobs #landscape
www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/engagement-t...
Reasons to Live Through the Apocalypse Sunrises. People you have still to meet and laugh with. Songs about love, peace, anger, and revolution. Walks in the woods. The smile you exchange with a stranger when you experience beauty accidentally together. Butterflies. Seeing your grandparents again. The moon in all her forms, whether half or full. Dogs. Birthdays and half-birthdays. That feeling of floating in love. Watching birds eat from bird feeders. The waves of happiness that follow the end of sadness. Brown eyes. Watching a boat cross an empty sea. Sunsets. Dipping your feet in the river. Balconies. Cake. The wind in your face when you roll the car window down on an open highway. Falling asleep to the sound of a steady heartbeat. Warm cups of tea on cold days. Hugs. Night skies. Art museums. Books filled with everything you do not yet know. Long conversations. Long-lost friends. Poetry.
I wrote this on one of the darkest days of my life. It gave me an anchor to hold onto.
A hand holds a book, “How The Railways Will Fix The Future” by Gareth Dennis. A cyclist rides through a station underpass in the background, with a blue and yellow train waiting at the platform above.
“Public transport doesn’t need invention. Just like water and electricity, we've solved the technology challenges for urban and long-distance transport. It’s the political will, not technological capability, that is lacking. We don't need invention; we need implementation.” @garethdennis.bsky.social
Stolen from Facebook (but true, nonetheless)
A woman in a winter coat cycles next to a pedestrian path through a tunnel in Rotterdam. A large circular glass skylight can be seen overhead.
“People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is too easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand on, the air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell with more. I want better.” - Ray Bradbury
Cycle parking at a hospital in the Netherlands. Dedicated spaces for staff, as well as patients coming for medical appointments by bike
It’s a spiced red cabbage recipe we do on Xmas day. Delicious cold also! Good luck with the fast.
Bubble and squeak…and bubbles
Agree, she’s great. She is quietly incredibly knowledgeable, and has an impressive range of presentation styles, including powerful empathy. She always gets the best out of an interviewee.
Charing Cross station, middle of a weekday. Just utterly surreal times.
This is really good
That’s a lovely pint, one of my fave Lakes beers
Sustainable safety in action: Well designed cycling infrastructure means that small mistakes do not lead to serious consequences.
