iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Book 45 of 2026. A really cracking account of the campaign to save an estate on the outskirts of Leeds. It traces the estate's roots as manufactured homes for coal miners, and relates its fate to wider housing and economic trends. 4⭐ - lots of you would enjoy this #booksky #Eviction #jessicafield

A hand holds a copy of a book: 'Eviction - a social history of rent' by Jessica Field. In the background there are colourful tower blocks.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Remain *obsessed* with the quality of public space and facilities on Geneva housing estates (not pictured: the library, the toy library, the church, the nursery, the tram stop, etc)

A brightly coloured Geneva housing estate under cloudy skies. There are nearly trimmed shrubs and trees.

An outdoor gym on a Geneva housing estate.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In the middle of a long week of meetings in Geneva, so it was time to head for the hills for the evening 🚲🚲🚲

A narrow lane leads uphill through a field past some plane trees

A lane leads uphill through vines towards a farmhouse

Looking back over vines towards the city of Geneva and mountains beyond

A cow in Swiss flag colours stands next to a Swiss flag on a flagpole

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

So far, the Left Party have voted for a speaker from the right block, and now the Social Democrat leader has given up trying to form a govt. All going well!

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This is a great watch - scenery, drama, unexploded WW2 bombs, check it out ⤵️

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Museum of Homelessness @ourmoh.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

FINAL WEEKS TO CATCH CRIMINAL Our 5* exhibition is only open until 31st October. That means you have exactly 16 open days left to come and see what the fuss has been about.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This is a complete time sink. MP Chain 🏛️ I recognised 4️⃣9️⃣ MPs in a row. How long is your chain? toys.jamesomalley.co.uk/mpchain/

toys.jamesomalley.co.uk

MP Chain — How many MPs can you recognise?

Pick the named MP from two portraits. One wrong answer ends your chain.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Quite chuffed with this - three years since I last did public affairs work, and an election since then too 🤓🤓🤓 MP Chain 🏛️ I recognised 3️⃣1️⃣ MPs in a row. How long is your chain? toys.jamesomalley.co.uk/mpchain/

toys.jamesomalley.co.uk

MP Chain — How many MPs can you recognise?

Pick the named MP from two portraits. One wrong answer ends your chain.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Book 44 of 2026 - beautiful and tender on ageing, friendship, fathers, sons, partners, pets. Makes you want to phone everyone you love. May have had a lump in my throat at the inevitable conclusion. 5⭐ #Booksky

A copy of 'When the Cranes Fly South', a book by Lis Ridzén. It's translated from Swedish by Alice Menzies.

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The threshold raise was a complete disasterclass by the 2010 Liberal Democrats: it narrowed the tax base, they got no credit for it in government, why on earth would you want to do it again when the public realm and the public finances are in a worse state?

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Such an important moment for homelessness in Northern Ireland⤵️ Congrats to @housingrightsni.bsky.social + all those involved in laying the groundwork for this. The 2 panels have important work ahead. I know @oak-foundation.bsky.social partners in NI will be contributing evidence and experience.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This lost all credibility when I saw number one is actually a TRILOGY. That's three books. Get off the fence.

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Stephen Hunsaker @hunsaker.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The gap between private rents and LHA hit 23% in March 2024, a record. Two years of freeze later, it is almost back at that level, and is due to pass that record in October. If nothing changes, it is projected to reach 30% by March 2028.

Line chart of the gap between private rents and Local Housing Allowance in Great Britain, April 2012 to March 2028. The gap rises through each freeze, falls sharply at the April 2020 and April 2024 relinks, and is projected to pass the March 2024 record of 23 per cent in October 2026, reaching 30 per cent by March 2028.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It is a book. The writing inside it is sparse and precise. The Author, R, has written many books. I have enjoyed them. This one is different. R has breached a new frontier. The book confuses me and intrigues me in equal parts. The book is the 43rd I have read this year, and deserves 4⭐ #booksky

A hand holds a copy of Rachel Cusk's new book, Life of M. The book is white with black and blue text.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Thanks to @fairphone.com for the reminder that me and my phone have been together for almost 3 years. 1 new battery and a charging port, so not quite Trigger's broom, but 10/10 would recommend phones you can repair yourself.

A screenshot from Fairphone showing this phone has spent 2 years, 11 months and 29 days with me :)

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Is Granta a book? I'm saying it is, which makes this book 42 of 2026. Some appropriate reading for a holiday in Sweden. Contributions naturally mixed but enjoyed the Olga Raven and Helle Helle in particular. 3⭐ #booksky

A hand holds a copy of Granta's 'Scandinavia'edition. In the background there's water and a small village. The photo is taken on the Swedish island of Tjörn.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Finally made it to Newcastle's Farrell Centre today. Great that the city has a space like this, interesting exhibition topics, felt like it lacked a clear position - all very technocratic (visitor comments aside 😄)

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Duncan Hames @duncanhames.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This is what happens when you refuse to place any limits whatsoever on how much someone can spend on a political party:

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Lovely to spend the evening with colleagues from across the sector at the launch of @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social's new book on How to Use Evidence to End Homelessness. Pleased to have contributed a chapter on the role of philanthropy.

The brilliant Ligia Teixeira, Founder of the Centre for Homlessness Impact, welcomes people to the book launch.

A copy of the new book 'How to Use Evidence to End Homelessness'. It's a large red book with a black and white title.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Will be interesting to see if any English Mayors follow Edinburgh's example and allocate some of the revenues to affordable housing... www.theguardian.com/business/202...

theguardian.com

Tourists in England face nightly levy on hotel and Airbnb stays under new plans

Labelled a tourist tax, proposals would give mayors power to decide how revenue raised should be invested

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Pete Apps @peteapps.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Paperback edition of Homesick: The End of London is out next week! I have an event at Waterstones on Gower St on October 6 with the excellent Holly Smith (who writes about tower blocks) if anyone wants to come: www.waterstones.com/events/homes...

waterstones.com

Homesick: Peter Apps and Holly Smith in conversation | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones

Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about Homesick: Peter Apps and Holly Smith in conversation today.

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Jon Worth @jonworth.eu · 07/09/2026

Welcome to the #LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail record breaking thread! This journey starts Kemijärvi 🇫🇮 and ends Lagos 🇵🇹 18 trains, 100 hours 9 minutes, 4008km as crow flies, 6281 route-km Project background: longestjourney.crossborderrail.eu Follow live: longestjourneylive.crossborderrail.eu

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

August's reading. Highlights were definitely the Alexievich and Mayflies. Franzen, Cusk and Knausgaard all good but not their best. Why We Sleep was the duff choice, not sure why I persevered with it. #booksky

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The, er, 'Teesside Airport Museum' is exactly what you'd expect...

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Book 41 of 2026. Cusk backlist. This one from 2003 - five short stories around parenting bland families. A kind of fictional accompaniment to A Lifes Work/Aftermath. Wasn't my favourite Cusk but a solid 3.5⭐ #BookSky

A copy of Rachel Cusk's 'The Lucky Ones'

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Book 40 of 2026. Franzen essays, loosely themed around loneliness/loss/solitude/selfishness. An era where Franzen was fretting about George W Bush and internet cafes - feels quaint. Good but not great. 3⭐ #BookSky

A copy of 'How to be Alone' by Jonathan Franzen stands on a table, in the background there is a lake.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

1996. Was this the high point for western liberal democracy? (I love this clip)

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

In Gothenburg, and couldn't resist an exhibition on the Lands Hövdinge Hus, the city's signature building type. This circumvented fire regs limiting the height of wooden buildings, by adding two wooden floors to a brick-built ground floor. Thousands of flats built between 1875 and the end of WW2.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Book 39 of 2026. I love Svetlana Alexievich's oral histories, and this one - speaking to people who were children in the Soviet Union during WW2 - was no different. Sad given current events to read people's certainty that such horrors wouldn't be repeated. #BookSky #WiTMonth

A copy of Svetlana Alexievich's 'Last Witnesses' stands on a table on a train.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

6 years on, my own struggle with Karl Ove Knausgaard's 'My Struggle' is over. Infuriating at times, brilliant at others. The final volume is 1,000+ pages. Roams from Hitler to timeshare apartments. I think his editors had given up at this point. 3⭐ for book 6, 4⭐ for series as a whole. #booksky

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Crisis @crisis-uk.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

As the new Premier League season kicks off, 177,530 children are homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England. That’s nearly twice the capacity of Wembley Stadium. All of us need a decent home. It’s the foundation of a healthy life - and future dreams.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Book 37 of 2026. A cracker. So good on friendship, especially the first half (which was begging for an Andy Burnham cameo). Second half sadder, with some underdeveloped characters. But overall, excellent. 4⭐ #booksky

A copy of Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan lies on a seat surrounded by green cushions.

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Crisis @crisis-uk.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Every year, we help thousands of people sleeping rough and in other types of homelessness like sofa surfing and temporary accommodation. In the long term, homelessness can only be ended with safe, affordable homes, and today’s announcement is a positive step towards to achieving that.

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Crisis @crisis-uk.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Rough sleeping has been rising, which is one of the most dangerous and devastating forms of homelessness. So, it's fantastic to see the Prime Minister’s national drive in England to get people off the streets by Christmas.

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Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Nine years after the Grenfell Tower fire, the company whose flammable product covered the building has yet to face meaningful accountability. Today, we’re publishing a new report on Arconic, corporate malpractice, and the role of law. 🧵

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

If the PM is going to achieve this, then he needs to have some serious words with the Home Office. Kicking refugees out of Home Office accommodation with only a few weeks' notice and no support leaves thousands facing homelessness after a positive asylum decision www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.com

I won’t abandon anyone to sleep rough on our streets. That’s my £442m promise | Andy Burnham

Today we begin our drive to get everyone in for Christmas. And it will be for local communities up and down the land to decide how best to do it, says prime minister Andy Burnham

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

'A notorious street in Birmingham is set to be transformed as the church takes the first step in its plan to help to solve Britain’s housing crisis' www.thetimes.com/article/3f4f...

thetimes.com

Church of England brings affordable housing to ‘Benefits Street’

A notorious street in Birmingham is set to be transformed as the church takes the first step in its plan to help to solve Britain’s housing crisis

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NACCOM @naccomnetwork.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Two weeks left to apply to join our wonderful team as Communications Coordinator! Lead our comms work, manage our digital presence and media relationships - and help #enddestitution 🧡

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

*Fantastic* afternoon on a guided tour of Redhills, Durham. Our brilliant guide told the story of the building and the Durham Miners with real pride. Recommended.

Big Meeting Mural and skylight at Redhills.

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Scott Bryan @scottygb.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The Gov alert went off just before a rendition of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Spent the hottest day of the year up in Dalston talking youth homelessness. One highlight was seeing the Hackney Peace Mural - evoked childhood memories of the Durham Peace Mural (the site of which is now - I think - a branch of Next..) www.lovehackney.uk/history/hack...

The Hackney Peave mural - covers the gable end of a building on Dalston Lane.

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Crisis @crisis-uk.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Latest figures show a record 135,580 households trapped in temporary shelter The PM has committed to a social house building plan. But the Govt must also prioritise permanent homes over temporary fixes & unfreeze housing benefit to cover the true cost of renting. bit.ly/3SwlIA0

bigissue.com

Andy Burnham urged to act over kids facing homelessness

New homelessness statistics show the number of households needing support is falling but Andy Burnham must act to help homeless children.

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Despite believing railways should be a public service, I have some sympathy with this based on local experience. LNER seem determined to abolish flexible tickets and replace them with yield-managed advances. The private open access competitor is cheaper and quicker. www.ft.com/content/b8c7...

ft.com

Why nationalise the railways if nothing really changes?

Since operator C2C was brought into public hands last year, outcomes have yet to see much improvement

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