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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Lecturing is over today at ERIS 2026 in Noto, Sicily, with Jack, Cristiana and I delivering the lectures and tutorials using e-MERLIN data with a little help from our PhD students Emily and Joshua to demonstrate. Looking forward to the advanced lectures tomorrow!

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Reposted by Dr David Williams-Baldwin

Prof Jim Wild @jim-wild.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Jodrell may be the symbol, but it's not the whole story. Welcome as the PM's intervention on Jodrell Bank is, debate earlier today showed MPs have concerns over a wide range of facilities, experiments and capabilities underpinning UK research strength. Nevertheless, the politics seem to be shifting.

bbc.co.uk

Andy Burnham says "We'll find a way to save Jodrell Bank"

Burnham said "there is no way that we can see its demise, and it won't happen under my Government".

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Thank you Sarah for your support for Jodrell Bank.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I'm really glad to hear Andy Burnham commit to saving Jodrell Bank today. See what he said here: parliamentlive.tv/event/index/... I hope this leads to a funding solution not just for e-MERLIN/Jodrell Bank, but hopefully more widely across other affected projects.

parliamentlive.tv

Parliamentlive.tv

House of Commons

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Reposted by Dr David Williams-Baldwin

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Excellent to hear the Prime Minister commit this evening to saving Jodrell Bank. Referenced how we are a research asset,a heritage asset and an inspiration to schoolchildren who visit. Will look forward to future discussions.

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Reposted by Dr David Williams-Baldwin

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Well I think I am liking this new +ve PM! In response to @sarahrussellmp.bsky.social on Jodrell: "there must be a way to save #JodrellBank and I give her a commitment at this dispatch box - we will find it" Brilliant Burnham! Can you now save all the other epic projects that have also been cut 🙏🔭

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

But more than that, their support of e-MERLIN and the telescopes at Jodrell Bank means so much more to me, knowing that their music has shaped me over nearly two decades.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

For me, these three artists and their music will always be intertwined with my love of Jodrell Bank and how much of a privilege it is to be an astronomer here.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Although the timings don’t quite line up, I have always imagined John Grant singing one of my favourite songs of his like “Marz” or “Queen of Denmark”, with the crowd listening in, whilst only a few 100m away the Mk2 listened into radio waves from across the cosmos for me...

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

At the same time I was learning how to control the e-MERLIN telescopes and looked up my old project and realised it had been observed during the Bluedot Festival weekend of music and science. One of the acts that weekend was John Grant.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

During lockdown, I was listening to Elbow and a version of the song "Kindling (Fickle Flame)" came on. It featured John Grant and I loved his voice and the harmonies with Guy Garvey’s. It’s still one of my favourite songs to this day.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

I asked for a rapid follow up with the e-MERLIN array to see if there was any transient radio emission. Unfortunately when I received the data I couldn’t convince myself that I could see a strong enough signal. Soon after I applied for and got my current job at e-MERLIN, starting in April 2020.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Well, shortly before the pandemic I saw an alert for a new dwarf nova that had gone bang. At this point I had completed my PhD at Southampton using e-MERLIN data and I was working as a post doctoral fellow at University of Oxford.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Both bands have a long history with Jodrell Bank, but where does science and John Grant come into this?

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

These songs incuded "Kingdom of Rust" and "Andalucia", both versions I still adore to this day. Elbow played a concert at Jodrell Bank in 2012 and although I wasn’t there, I’ve heard tales from my colleagues about how amazing that night was.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

I still have memories listening to “Newborn” on a school trip as the Sun rose and jamming out to “Kingdom of Rust” at school. But my first recollection of Jodrell Bank was when I was at the University of Southampton and Doves played an acoustic set in front of the Lovell telescope.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

As a kid growing up in East London, Jodrell Bank wasn’t something I was particularly aware of, or at least I don’t remember being particularly aware of it. But whilst in sixth form, a friend suggested I start listening to Elbow and Doves.

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Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

This news warmed my heart this morning, but when I saw that Doves, Elbow and John Grant had signed it, I was overjoyed. This is how I came to find out about Jodrell Bank and the science that is done there through their music… (1/n)

manchestereveningnews.co.uk

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