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Raretrack Rob

@raretrack.bsky.social
1.9K followers 988 following 230 posts

Lifelong European #FBPE - progressive - retired railway manager - EV - cyclist - walker - OpenStreetMapper - amateur photographer

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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Little branchline train in the bay platform at Kakunodate. This train runs on the brilliantly-named Smile Line 😄
Photo of a purple-liveried single-car diesel multiple unit train in the Smile Line bay platform at Kakunodate station, Akita Prefecture, Japan.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Still buzzing from last night's Saint Etienne concert at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. A great set to round off the last gig of their UK farewell tour. I just love this band 😀 #SaintEtienne
Photo of the band Saint Etienne on the concert stage at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Visible on the left is Pete Wiggs, and at the front is the singer Sarah Cracknell.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I was sitting in a beer garden this lunchtime, and couldn't believe the level of casual racism coming from ordinary people chatting to each other at nearby tables. Not directed at me, but very worrying nonetheless. How did this become normalised? 🙁
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Comedian Tiffany Norton ✨👄✨ @tiffanynorton.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
A moody sky above some of the windmills at Kinderdijk in the Netherlands. I've never seen so many old windmills in one place before!
Four windmills in a row next to a wide water channel, with reeds in the foreground.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Having a few days on the beautiful Dutch island of Texel. So tranquil and quiet.
A photo of a windmill on the island of Texel, with water in the foreground.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Today I visited Lidl's sole pub, The Middle Ale, at Dundonald. I had a superbly-served pint of Guiness. I'd say the clientele was split 50/50 between locals and curious folk, like me. Top marks to Lidl for giving this a go.
An external photo of The Middle Ale pub at Dundonald, County Down. The name of the pub is prominently displayed, as are the opening hours. The pub door is on the left; on the right is the door to the associated off-licence.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Early start this morning; catching the 0710 from Belfast Grand Central to Derry. (Note the chap in orange on the track; he was examining the delayed 0700 Enterprise to Dublin.)
Photo of my train  in the foreground, with the delayed 0700 train to Dublin in the background. A railway worker dressed in orange is standing between the trains.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
On the one hand, some people want to make it so that kids and other people aren't crushed to death by cars. On the other hand, some people are upset that they might have to pay attention, slow down or be inconvenienced by about 15 seconds. So you can see how it's a "war on cars."
bbc.com
Birmingham 20mph limit: a 'life saver' or 'a war on cars'?
Birmingham City Council is proposing the city becomes England's first 20mph city.
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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Iceland is not in the EU, but it is a member of the Schengen area. It’s also a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and is part of the Single Market, meaning it enjoys freedom of movement with the EU. Good to know that doesn’t impact their independence. Maybe we should try it, Nige.
Nigel Farage 
@Nigel_Farage
Congratulations to Iceland on voting to keep their independence.
09:40 • 30/08/2026 •
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Gareth Dennis @garethdennis.uk · 29/08/2026
In 2025, John Edgley (Network Rail’s chief engineer of infrastructure and asset strategy) stood up and showed that graph to a conference of engineers. He said the following words, and they should be seen as a stark warning:
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Felix Kent @felixkent.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Defector gave me the chance to write about something deeply personal and meaningful to me, namely my belief that right on red is destroying our morals: defector.com/every-right-...
defector.com
Every Right On Red Frays The Social Contract A Little Further | Defector
A couple of blocks from my office is a steep hill. Sometimes at lunch I go out into the sun and walk up the hill. The hill is very California: asphalt so newly laid that it looks AI generated; a handf...
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Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike @gazza-d.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The EU (including northern Ireland) mandated automatic geo aware speed limiters on all new cars back in 2024. They can be turned off but they turn back on every time. The UK didn't adopt that because of Brexit. I wonder how many deaths and injuries that has cost.
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Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike @gazza-d.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Is it some sort of pissing contest to see who can do the most damage to the planet? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Heathrow says need for expansion ‘clear’ as it loses title of Europe’s busiest airport
West London airport reports 7.86 million passengers in July, compared with 8.15 million for Istanbul
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
No, Windows. If I was 100% there, you wouldn't have displayed this message to me for over 5 minutes! #Windows #WindowsUpdate #FirstWorldProblems
A screenshot from Windows Update, with the 'dancing circle' and a message saying "You're 100% there. Please keep your computer on."
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Engineer Like A Girl @engineerlikeagirl.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Some people say that we can't afford to address climate change, it wouldn't be good for the economy. Do they think that schools, businesses, shops closing early or not opening for several days at a time is good for the economy? We can't afford NOT to address climate change!
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Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike @gazza-d.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Perennial. @davewalker.bsky.social at his finest. Although I particularly enjoy the irony when someone kicks off about how a bike store or similar ruins the ambience of a street lined with parked SUVs.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Great set by #DEVO at the #O2Arena last night. (The B-52s were OK too, but I wasn't there for them 😀)
A long-distance photo of the band Devo on stage at the O2 arena in London on 20 June 2026. A large screen in-view shows the word "DEVO" in capitals.
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Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike @gazza-d.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
If the USA's war with Iran is now over then when can we expect the "temporary" fuel duty cut to be reversed then?
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A rare miss from @kagi.com Kagi Assistant. Planet Earth by Devo very much exists, and came out the year before Duran Duran's same-named song. Still love Kagi, though!
A screenshot from Kagi Assistant claiming that Planet Earth by Devo does not exist.
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Good Law Project @goodlawproject.org · 29/05/2026
🏥 NEW 🏥 A hospital refused surgery to a woman in pain, just because she’s trans – so we’re taking them to court: goodlaw.social/lhol
goodlaw.social
We’re suing a hospital for trans discrimination | Good Law Project
A hospital refused surgery to a woman in pain, just because she’s trans – so we’re taking them to court
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Julian 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇨🇿 🇺🇦 🐟🌊🔶 @jjbrownbridge.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Many right-wing and far-right are raging that finally net migration has fallen massively, from this one might deduce they're not genuinely interested in lowering net migration at all, likely they're just racist 🤔
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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
I remember a time when "crypto-fascist" used to mean a fascist hiding their bigotry. Now it means a fascist, open about their bigotry, and funded by crypto.
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Bremain in Spain @bremaininspain.com · 05/05/2026
Wow. This is quite a thing. A new threat. A new low. Sadly we expect many more from Reform UK
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Anon Opin @anonopin.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Car speedometers should run from 0 to 90 mph. This would give more space on the dial for the range of speeds cars actually travel at and therefore allow drivers to monitor their speed more accurately.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Good to see the Guardian showcasing one of my favourite bands ever. #cocteautwins www.theguardian.com/music/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Dream-pop at its most divine: Cocteau Twins’ 20 greatest songs – ranked!
Forty years on from the release of their Victorialand album, we rank the Scottish band’s 20 best tracks, from goth beginnings to weightless masterpieces
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Normal Island News @normalisland.co.uk · 07/04/2026
BREAKING: Sir Keir Starmer has clarified that he will only let the US launch attacks on Iran from British military bases if they are destroying power plants and bridges for defensive purposes ♥️
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Secret Garden, episode one. Superb telly. That is all.
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Raretrack Rob @raretrack.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
What Real Gaz says!
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Bryn Buck 🏳️‍🌈💛🤍💜🖤 @showmeasign.online · 31/03/2026
Remember back in 2003 when 79.9 was deemed "unbearably expensive world ending motorway price gouging"? Today thanks to inflation it's the equivalent of 148.9 per litre. So, no, fuel has not suddenly become MEGA EXPENSIVE, it's fluctuated around the same equivalent level for decades.
A fuel price sign in December 2003, showing 79.9 for Unleaded, and 80.9 for diesel.
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Anon Opin @anonopin.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
All drivers should have 2 weeks per year when they are not allowed to drive. It would make them realise how shit town planning/road safety/public transport is for pedestrians in the UK and maybe do something about it.
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Chris Smith @ledredman.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
30 US heavy bombers are flying out of Fairford Gloucestershire and carpet bombing Iranian cities. If this is "defensive" then I'm the Pope.
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Codfather #FBPE 🇫🇷🇪🇺 @codfather.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
😂
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Petrolheads are seen as just another group of hobbyists. In truth, they're a danger to society. The accidents they cause, the pollution and noise are just part of it. There's also an associated politics: toxic, selfish, macho, climate-denying, often far-right. For their "fun", everyone suffers.
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Saddletramp🇪🇺 @saddletramp.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Why do we in the UK think we need an independent nuclear deterrent? Given the cost and in the event of an attack, the UK would be acting on behalf of its allies by launching a response, wouldn’t it be more practical if we had a “shared button” and all our allies contributed to the cost?
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
“By removing trial by jury, Keir Starmer & David Lammy are abolishing the ultimate guarantee of independence in our criminal justice system, & are placing extraordinary, unprecedented & untrammelled power into the hands of whichever politicians come after them” thesecretbarrister.com/2026/03/07/k...
thesecretbarrister.com
Keir Starmer and David Lammy are taking an extraordinarily dangerous gamble with our individual liberty
This week, MPs will vote on the second reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill. Don’t let the anodyne name fool you – this is one of the most revolutionary pieces of legislation in our…
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KitKat 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇫🇷🇦🇺🇪🇺🇨🇦🇺🇦 @uk501.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Important to remember that the people most enthusiastic about bombing Iran are almost always the people most hateful towards refugees.
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Chris Smith @ledredman.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Historically the UK allowed "ex pats" to pay local tax rather than UK taxes because we had a global empire and the government and British firms needed to be able to deploy British people wherever to manage The Empire. That justification is gone. If you carry a British passport you should pay UK tax
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Terrence Williams 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇲🇽 🇬🇱 🇩🇰 🏳️‍🌈🇫🇷 @terrencewilliams.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
I'm definitely 'left'...
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Kevin the Librarian 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈 @the-librarian.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
It’s why he surrounds himself with sycophants and ‘yes men’.
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Joe Brown @joebrownlondon.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
#OnThisDay 70 years ago the iconic AEC Routemaster bus entered public service
A red AEC Routemaster bus on the 38 route towards Clapton Pond on its last day of service on the route, 28 October 2005
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Can we talk about the software industry's weird refusal to use the word "no"? DELETE EVERY FILE YOU'VE EVER CREATED? "YES / NOT NOW" DO YOU WANT US TO SEND RUDE EMAILS TO YOUR MUM? "YES / MAYBE LATER" THERE'S A MAN BEHIND YOU WITH A RED-HOT POKER "GOT IT"
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Dale Vince @dalevince.com · 19/01/2026
If you make your money by working you pay twice the rate of tax as someone who uses money to make money - there’s nothing right or fair about that - it can't be justified. Our tax rules were written by people with money - for people with money. buff.ly/nRpjFq0
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Sussex Bylines @sussexbylines.co.uk · 08/01/2026
What the expansion of public order laws really means for us all | Mick Channon
sussexbylines.co.uk
When protest becomes “disruption”
How the expansion of public order laws affects protest and what it really means for us all
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Codfather #FBPE 🇫🇷🇪🇺 @codfather.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
😂 Oh the hyprocrisy of religion. Credit: Paul Kinsella
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 02/01/2026
"I need you to understand me. I need you to understand what this country feels like to those of us who look different in 2025. The micro-aggressions are daily, the abuse regular, and the threat of violence constant," writes Alex Andreou. bit.ly/469g1Mz
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Codfather #FBPE 🇫🇷🇪🇺 @codfather.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Just the facts
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