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Shirley Sinclair

@shirlgirl.bsky.social
312 followers 825 following 53 posts

Looking for conversations where people are actually seeking to understand one another. Interested in books, nature, poetry, public transport and all those who cross cultures.

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Reposted by Shirley Sinclair
The Story of Writing @sownow.bsky.social · 19h
Happy 85th birthday to Paul Simon! The guy knows how to write songs, that also become elegies:


I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
But it’s all right, it’s all right
We lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
We’re traveling on
I wonder what went wrong


Paul Simon, "American Tune," 1973
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Reposted by Shirley Sinclair
Jamie McKelvie @mckelvie.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
On balance I don't think fridges need to be hooked up to the internet
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National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 09/10/2026
👋 Say hello to the stars of your new bank notes! After a public vote which saw over 2.5 million responses, the Bank of England have revealed the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, European hedgehog and buff-tailed bumblebee will appear on redesigned notes over the coming years.
A close-up of a puffin. A small bird with a black back, white front and brightly-coloured beak.A close-up of a bee on flowersA hedgehog walks through a woodland floor at nightTwo brown and white barn owls on a wooden perch
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Spoke to Sky News about how our climate and nature policies are the country's "best defence against extreme weather" - and how @andyburnham.bsky.social's forthcoming Wildfire Summit must prioritise restoring peat bogs, ponds and wetlands: news.sky.com/story/number...
news.sky.com
Number of wildfires recorded in England in 2026 was second highest on record
England recorded 1,354 wildfires to September this year, second only to the unprecedentedly hot year in 2022, new housing department data shows. It comes after an FOI revealed the government had drop...
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Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Just imagine if the UK had some sort of national broadcaster that had a duty to act in the public interest.
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Dr Mark C. Sinclair @markcsinclair.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“Our astronauts didn’t have much time, but thankfully they had Margaret Hamilton” (Barack Obama) #space #softwaredevelopment @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
Margaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies at 90
MIT computer scientist led development of software for moon mission and earned Presidential Medal of Freedom
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Long tribute from Kemi Badenoch in her conference speech to Jeffrey Archer, complete with round of applause. The world is a "less colourful" place without him, she says, which is one way to describe a serial fraudster, fantasist and liar who wrecked several lives in the process.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 03/10/2026
‘If you can’t hold it, you don’t own it’: why media fans want to escape algorithms with CDs, DVDs and vinyl
theguardian.com
‘If you can’t hold it, you don’t own it’: why media fans want to escape algorithms with CDs, DVDs and vinyl
People describe their return to physical media – whether to protect data, support artists, or retain control of one’s choices
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StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻 @strictlychristo.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Sir Ian McKellen orates 'The Stranger's Case' from 'Sir Thomas More' by Shakespeare about the Evil May Day xenophobic riot of 1517 in London. This passage was written 400 years ago, but times never change. Humanity refuses to change its unwarranted bias against 'others'.
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John Wilks @johngwilks.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Don't expect this will get much publicity. Wonder why? greenwichwire.co.uk/2026/10/02/u...
greenwichwire.co.uk
Sidcup ULEZ camera bomber jailed for 15 years at Old Bailey - The Greenwich Wire
A man who used a home-made bomb to blow up an ULEZ camera in Sidcup has been jailed for 15 years at the Old Bailey.
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Reposted by Shirley Sinclair
NationCymru @nation.cymru · 01/10/2026
Senedd Members have rejected a Reform motion calling for the Welsh Government to scrap default 20mph speed limits
nation.cymru
Senedd Members reject Reform bid to scrap 20mph speed limits
Ella Groves – ICNN Senedd Reporter Senedd Members have rejected a Reform motion calling for the Welsh Government to scrap default 20mph speed limits. The proposal was defeated by 51 votes to 37 follow...
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Sustained applause when the Chancellor speaks about the RNLI and calls them an example of the quiet patriotism Britain needs #LabourConference
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
What if every city that declared a #ClimateEmergency actually acted like it’s an emergency? What if every city that committed to #VisionZero actually acted like they meant it, prioritizing human lives in decision-making? What if every city’s budget actually reflect their approved plans & visions?
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Dr Mark C. Sinclair @markcsinclair.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"The People’s Emergency Briefing delivers a stark warning about our future in a warming world. But sharing difficult truths collectively shows us that there is still hope to be found." @theguardian.com #climatechange #PEBuk www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Friday briefing: How a ​grassroots ​film ​is ​turning ​climate anxiety ​into ​action
In today’s newsletter: The People’s Emergency Briefing delivers a stark warning about ​o​ur future in a warming world. ​B​ut sharing difficult truths collectively​ shows us that there is still hope to...
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Reposted by Shirley Sinclair
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Europe's largest economy has just said it will to all intents and purposes stop using oil, coal, and gas in less than 20 years. A child born today will leave full time education into a European economy that should be almost fully decarbonised.
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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Easy to be dismissive of government's long term climate plans when global emissions keep rising, but it's important to recognise how remarkable the latest fossil fuel phase out plans from France, the Netherlands, and now Germany are. www.businessgreen.com/news/4536237...
businessgreen.com
'Only the starting line': Germany commits to fossil fuel phase-out by 2045
Europe's largest economy targets complete departure from oil, gas, and coal in new fossil fuel transition roadmap
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Happy World Car-Free Day to all who celebrate!
unep.org
World Car-Free Day on 22 September a great opportunity to reduce air pollution
Every year on or around 22 September, cities across the globe celebrate World Car-Free Day, encouraging motorists to give up their cars for a day. The event highlights the numerous benefits of going c...
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Learn Dirt @learndirt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🌱 "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." —Mahatma Gandhi
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The WAR ON WALKING has taken many forms around the world. It’s often as simple as how we signal who space is and isn’t for. Once our eyes are opened to all the ways we’ve prioritized cars over people, we can’t unsee it. Frustrating photo contributed by @stadsplanering.bsky.social. #WarOnWalking
Background photo from North Macedonia, where “sidewalks are mostly used to park cars” as explained by photo contributor Carl-Henrik Barnekow. Text says “Don’t buy the lie that there’s a war on cars. They’ve been waging a war on walking for a century.” Via the Urban Truth Collective. #WarOnCars #UrbanTruth
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Christopher Hale @christopherjhale.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
NEW: A Vatican theological commission has defined the destruction of nature as a sin against God in a text approved by Pope Leo XIV. It comes the same month MAGA commentators lambasted the U.S.-born pontiff for asking Catholics to pray for the 2.1 billion people without safe drinking water
thelettersfromleo.com
Vatican Commission Defines Environmental Destruction as “Sin Against Creation”
Pope Leo XIV approved the 29,000-word document in July. Its release came 24 hours after MAGA commentators mocked Pope Leo XIV for praying that 2.1 billion people get safe water.
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MLAlexion @mlalexion.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” Rachel Carson #NaturePhotography #Scape #Reflections
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Bridget Phillipson MP @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
All of these people were elected as Reform UK councillors. This is what they make of their council, three and a half minutes in their own words. 'The longer this goes on, the worse it's going to get...'
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Rich countries owe Nepal climate reparations.
bbc.co.uk
Nepal floods: Climate change played role in disaster, study finds
More than 1,400 people were killed and thousands remain missing following the deluge on 26 August.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"Where is lawbreaking not just visible, but designed to be seen? Where is antisocial behaviour worn as a badge of honour? Where is pleasure gained directly from causing distress? And where is reckless endangerment often ignored by the police or treated with the mildest of punishments?" A: The roads
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Good article by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social on widespread acceptance - including by the police - of antisocial driving. Lovely to see a link to our recent motonormativity paper in here too www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Driving that’s too fast, too dangerous and utterly lawless: why do we tolerate this petro-masculinity? | George Monbiot
In towns and in the countryside, I see 4x4s and pick up trucks driven without care or consicence. It’s a Magafication of transport, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Valérie Masson-Delmotte @valmasdel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Rapid Warming in the Himalaya Exacerbates Geohazard Cascades Beyond Adaptation Limits www.worldweatherattribution.org/rapid-warmin...
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Helen-Ann Hartley @helenannhartley.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Running the country, running the Great North Run! Fantastic to have our PM running and raising funds for the Changing Lives charity. Great day! 🙏🙌🏃‍♀️🥳
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Simon Gosden @simongosden.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 10/09/2026
London's homicide rate hit its lowest level since records began. Yet 40% of the public thought that murders had risen since 2019. That’s the danger of disinformation. We cannot accept it, and to defeat it, we’ve got to put pressure on the social media companies who profit from it.
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David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
What a country we have become when the RNLI has to post things like this. Just over 1% of their total rescue work is in the Channel. Meanwhile Reform and Restore continue to badmouth the service.

The RNLI is a charity that exists to save lives at sea.

But recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about our purpose and our lifesaving work in the Channel.

As a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in some cases, physical abuse.

This is unacceptable.

The RNLI's people represent the very best of society. For over two hundred years they have dedicated themselves to rescuing people they've never met before, without judgment, fear or favour.

We are tasked by HM Coastguard to help those in distress, and we'll do so whenever, wherever and whoever they are.

We launched 9,058 times in 2025.

Only 109 of those launches were to those in distress in the Channel - 1.2% of our total rescue work. Anyone rescued from a small boat by the RNLI is then taken into the care of the relevant UK authorities.

To those who stand with the RNLI, thank you. For more than two hundred years, we've saved lives at sea around the UK and Ireland, and that commitment remains unchanged.
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Ruth Watson @ruthwatson.eurosky.social · 07/09/2026
The courage of those who set out to save those at risk of drowning can never be overestimated. Each rescue is a challenge. I used to watch the Orkney lifeboat head out into rough seas with my heart in my mouth. Remarkable courage. Donate to the #RNLI here: shop.rnli.org/products/don...
shop.rnli.org
Donation to RNLI
It costs us around £483,000 a day to run our lifesaving service. Your kind donation will help deliver our lifesaving work.
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SlenderSherbet @slendersherbet.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Don't start what you can't finish.
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 02/09/2026
I am a scientist – and the answer is climate change. Yes, there is nuance. Yes, it could take a long time to identify the precise mechanisms. But there is no question why ice and snow-related disasters are on the rise. Our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate, and humans are responsible.
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Quiet Majority @majorityquiet.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Morning everyone. Who can honestly say they've read this ⬇️, the most important ever page on our government's website? What will it take for us to listen, and act NOW? Here's a three-minute experiment: from a voice we all trust. 🙏
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Quiet Majority @majorityquiet.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The same words, here. Are we hearing them? www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
National security assessment on global ecosystems (accessible version)
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
During grad school, we’d say that climate change is happening, but we can’t definitively say it’s due to humans (even though we were pretty sure it was). It might be technically correct to say that we can’t definitively say what happened in Nepal/Tibet is due to climate change, but really, we can.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
People can "just adapt" to a changing climate, a thousand rightwing voices keep telling us. Either they lack imagination or they don't care. Try "adapting" to this. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Nepal flash flood: more than 1,500 missing, mostly tourists, after disaster kills at least 165 at Tibet border
Entire populated areas swept away after glacial collapse causes catastrophic flood in mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Prison chief warns Prime Minister Andy Burnham: Have the courage to end indefinite jail terms scandal www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
independent.co.uk
Prison chief warns Burnham: Have the courage to end indefinite jail terms scandal
Exclusive: Top prison governor warns rowing back on plans to release thousands of prisoners early risks leaving overcrowded prisons at breaking point
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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
We lost Dolly Parton today. 🕯️ #Music career highlights: 25 #1 songs 41 Top-10 country albums--a record for any artist 110 charted singles Composed >3,000 songs 11 Grammys Inductee, Country Music & Rock & Roll HOF 7 consecutive decades with Top 10 country albums (1968-2023) Absolute #legend
A side-profile shot of legendary country singer-songwriter and philanthropist Dolly Rebecca Parton (January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026) singing into a microphone on stage. Famed for classic hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," as well as her massive global literacy campaign, the Imagination Library, she is shown in a passionate performance pose with her hands raised and long, manicured nails prominent. Her face is turned upward with an expressive, open-mouthed expression of musical immersion, highlighted by dramatic makeup. She wears a structured, dark black leather blazer over a white lace garment, accented by bold, hanging drop earrings. Her signature voluminous, blonde hair is styled in a cascade of thick, textured curls that catch the stage lighting. The warm, dimly lit background features soft, atmospheric stage elements, creating an intimate yet powerful composition that reflects the vibrant mood and historical significance of an iconic American artist.
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Paul Leyland @paul51.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The best way to celebrate the return of the bluefin tuna appears to be to kill it, or am I missing something
theguardian.com
First bluefin tunas caught off Yorkshire since 1960s ‘success story’ for marine conservation
Researchers laud return of giant tuna to North Sea after being fished almost to point of extinction
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DLP75902038🌊🟦🇺🇦 @dlp75902038.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
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North East Bylines @northeastbylines.co.uk · 26/08/2026
Seven human beings went onto the A66 that night and none of them came home. That should be enough to make Teesside stop and think | James Waterson
northeastbylines.co.uk
The A66 tragedy: breaking a cycle that began long before social media
Seven human beings went onto the A66 that night and none of them came home. That should be enough to make Teesside stop and think
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George Smeeton @gsmeeton.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
El Niño event that is developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest in living memory, Met Office warns: www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...
bbc.co.uk
El Niño set to be 'strongest in living memory', says Met Office
Scientists say the growing El Niño weather pattern is an "unprecedented event" and means 2027 is likely to be the world's hottest year on record.
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Eoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
We KNOW that rewilding massively reduces flooding and the effects of drought, not to mention reversing nature loss, boosting rural communities and the wider economy, and aiding against climate collapse. Why is the government still ignoring the obvious? www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show
National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding
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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 14/08/2026
Cambridge University should have known better, Fleet Street should have known better, the people hungrily absorbing every bit of news about it, making newsrooms feel like they had to keep going with it as a story, should have known better, horrible horrible horrible
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
I came first in the Clacton by-election! Of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results. Here is my victory speech!
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
You may have seen I broadcast a message to planet Earth from the edge of space. I thought it was equally important to speak to deep space about you and your lovely little planet. But I thought humans might like to see it too, so here it is. #Clacton #VoteBinface
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Dave Jones @cleanpowerdave.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Lies. It's 200 times when solar panels are "mentioned" in the fire report. e.g. “the fire did not reach the solar panel”
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North East Bylines @northeastbylines.co.uk · 08/08/2026
South Tyneside’s Reform UK-led council has voted to scrap the borough’s climate emergency declaration, despite fierce opposition northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...
northeastbylines.co.uk
Reform UK votes to ‘rescind’ climate emergency declaration in South Tyneside
South Tyneside’s Reform UK-led council has voted to scrap the borough’s climate emergency declaration, despite fierce opposition
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