iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

And some people think Holborn and St Pancras is this week's big election... Governing Party in Quebec (CAQ) expected to win zero seats, separatists leading. ⤵️

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Not sure what drives that, thought they were both everywhere now, so presume it can't be geographic. Weird.

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Intrigued by the significant differences between Aldi and Lidl here ⤵️

September's reading. 'When the Cranes Flie South' is still on my mind, a book that changes your perspectives. Also loved Eviction. Cusk good but not her best (IMO), the Granta inevitably mixed but good reading for Swedish hols. #booksky #monthlyreads

A stack of books. From top to bottom:
- Eviction by Jessica Field
- Granta Spring 2026: Scandinavia
- Life of M by Rachel Cusk
- When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén.

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Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 05/10/2026

Colleague emails me and notes they're on a train at present. Copilot suggested responses: 'Drive safely!' and 'Have a safe flight!' 🤯

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Reposted by Brian Robson

Private renters on housing support already go without essentials. Last year, six-in-ten (58 per cent) working-age adults in private-renting families on housing support could not afford basic items buff.ly/tmfEAWh

Chart showing proportion of working-age adults in private-renting families on housing support who are materially deprived, and who cannot afford selected essentials: GB, 2024-25

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Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Fab little Norman Cornish exhibition on til January at Barnard Castle's Bowes Museum. Great to see them celebrating a local artist.

Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

For the first time, one of our local bus routes is operated with double deckers. So we're having a day out on the bus. A lovely way to see #Yorkshire

Riding a double decker down our street(!) a tree-lined, traight street of terraced houses. The sky is blue and dotted with clouds

Heading out of town, there's a slight incline on the road, a slow sign painted on the highway, and blue skies

Entering a village. There's a church and pub.

Heading into another town. There's a heritage railway level crossing

Can't beat Yorkshire Tea. Thanks for sharing your travels, loved seeing the images.

I had a journey on a Vässttrafik Regina this summer. And after my British eyes adjusted to how wide the train was, I realised the seats on these regional trains are identical to the ones I use on Grand Central intercity trains from Yorkshire to London (in 2x2 format)

You could argue that's a reflection of low rental incomes, but I think it's more about the different things we expect that rent to fund.

I think mixed communities are desirable, but I don't have much sympathy with an argument that social housing estates are poor quality because poor people live in them. It's much more about the quality of management and maintenance.

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

That was certainly our view when I was running the housing and poverty programme at JRF. Because the threshold to secure social housing in the UK is so high, it's extremely highly targeted - 'the most pro-poor part of the entire welfare state', according to Becky Tunstall.

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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

It's like Alice Coleman never happened (she clearly didn't here). Shouldn't all estates have these facilities and feel this cared for?

A plate glass entrance door to a block. It's clean, bright, tidy and welcoming.

A communal garden of raised planters growing vegetables and flowers. It's open to all but there's a sign explaining they belong to people.

A map and the entrance helps you navigate the estate. It's clear this is cared for.

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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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Reposted by Brian Robson

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.

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.

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

As someone who's been dragging a coat round London for the last three days, I feel seen. In my defence, it was cold and wet in Yorkshire at 6.30am on Tuesday...

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

Reposted by Brian Robson

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.

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

Sorry, you can't have a top ten where number one is a TRILOGY. That's three books.

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Reposted by Brian Robson

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 · 18/09/2026

My Dad's from Seaham, Iain, and this is really nice to see. My memories of the Blast Beach in the 80s are quite vivid. There was some story that they filmed Aliens there, so otherworldly was the surface and desolation. Not sure if that's true but could believe it!

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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 😄)

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

Reposted by Brian Robson

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.

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

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

Reposted by Brian Robson

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

That reminds me of a stop in Tallinn that I waited at - road was a lot busier than on streetview and felt quite vulnerable, but it was surprisingly well used, as offered a quick way back into the city, and presumably minimised diversion/time penalty for the bus route.