Clare Simpson
@claremsimpson.bsky.social
Reading, writing, theatre (including theatre reviews for @FringeReview)
Finding out there’s life after work.
Trustee @opfs
Finding out there’s life after work.
Trustee @opfs
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Beautiful piece by @TimAdamsWrites on the brilliant Observer journalist Rachel Cooke who could write wonderfully about anything, has died tragically young and will be hugely, hugely missed by so many people.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Remembering Rachel Cooke | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Beautiful piece by @TimAdamsWrites on the brilliant Observer journalist Rachel Cooke who could write wonderfully about anything, has died tragically young and will be hugely, hugely missed by so many people.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
This was a December ritual for us - get your kid involved in choosing what goes, and explain what you’re doing (in a believer-appropriate way obvs…)
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This was a December ritual for us - get your kid involved in choosing what goes, and explain what you’re doing (in a believer-appropriate way obvs…)
Reposted by Clare Simpson
50 years ago today, Patti Smith released Horses, her classic debut album.
Its iconic cover was shot by renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, the subject of Smith's 2010 memoir, Just Kids.
𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘦/𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢
Its iconic cover was shot by renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, the subject of Smith's 2010 memoir, Just Kids.
𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘦/𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
50 years ago today, Patti Smith released Horses, her classic debut album.
Its iconic cover was shot by renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, the subject of Smith's 2010 memoir, Just Kids.
𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘦/𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢
Its iconic cover was shot by renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, the subject of Smith's 2010 memoir, Just Kids.
𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘦/𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢
Reposted by Clare Simpson
It’s just over two weeks now till the budget. Every night, parents in poverty are lying in bed, unable to sleep, worrying about how to pay essential bills. This can and must be changed. Ending the two-child limit & benefit cap is the right (indeed only) place to start m.youtube.com/watch?v=94fq...
Lying awake
YouTube video by Aaron Reeves
m.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:18 AM
It’s just over two weeks now till the budget. Every night, parents in poverty are lying in bed, unable to sleep, worrying about how to pay essential bills. This can and must be changed. Ending the two-child limit & benefit cap is the right (indeed only) place to start m.youtube.com/watch?v=94fq...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Op Margraten zijn twee panelen over zwarte Amerikaanse bevrijders van Nederland opeens weg. ‘Past bij beleid van de regering-Trump’
Op Margraten zijn twee panelen over zwarte Amerikaanse bevrijders van Nederland opeens weg. ‘Past bij beleid van de regering-Trump’
Op de Amerikaanse begraafplaats in Margraten is het opeens stil geworden rond de zwarte Amerikanen die hielpen Nederland bevrijden. Twee panelen die hun bijdrage herdachten – én wezen op hun strijd tegen racisme binnen het leger – werden zonder toelichting verwijderd.
www.nrc.nl
November 8, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
3,900 Pages of Paul Klee’s Personal Notebooks Are Now Online, Highlighting His Bauhaus Teachings (1921–1931)
3,900 Pages of Paul Klee’s Personal Notebooks Are Now Online, Highlighting His Bauhaus Teachings (1921–1931)
Paul Klee led an artistic life that spanned the 19th and 20th centuries, but he kept his aesthetic sensibility tuned to the future.
www.openculture.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:51 PM
3,900 Pages of Paul Klee’s Personal Notebooks Are Now Online, Highlighting His Bauhaus Teachings (1921–1931)
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Zohran Mamdani refused to compromise on his values – and was rewarded for it.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Mamdani refused to compromise on his values – and was rewarded for it | Moustafa Bayoumi
His win is a huge victory for all New Yorkers, but it is also meaningful far beyond the five boroughs of this city
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Zohran Mamdani refused to compromise on his values – and was rewarded for it.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Much of the content about Mamdani online hasn't come from his campaign, or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It's also come from fans. www.wired.com/story/zohran...
Zohran Mamdani's Campaign Figured Out How to Channel Fandom
Much of the content about Mamdani online hasn't come from his campaign, or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It's also come from fans.
www.wired.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Much of the content about Mamdani online hasn't come from his campaign, or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It's also come from fans. www.wired.com/story/zohran...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
This really the cracking of speeches: a banger.
Worth reading in full.
Worth reading in full.
The full transcript of Zohran Mamdani's acceptance speech is very much worth reading in full. Even if you don't agree with your politics, it's very beautifully put together.
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
November 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM
This really the cracking of speeches: a banger.
Worth reading in full.
Worth reading in full.
He took Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten.
November 5, 2025 at 12:23 PM
He took Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
This is the president of the United States taking a break from gold-and-marble interior renovations to say he’ll defy a court order to feed hungry Americans.
Nero would be proud.
Nero would be proud.
November 4, 2025 at 7:47 PM
This is the president of the United States taking a break from gold-and-marble interior renovations to say he’ll defy a court order to feed hungry Americans.
Nero would be proud.
Nero would be proud.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Hearty congratulations to Helen Garner who has won the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction with her collected diaries, How to End a Story.
A glorious book - confession, analysis, memory store, comedy - which shows all the things words can do: often on the same page. AND it’s mega good value.
A glorious book - confession, analysis, memory store, comedy - which shows all the things words can do: often on the same page. AND it’s mega good value.
November 4, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Hearty congratulations to Helen Garner who has won the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction with her collected diaries, How to End a Story.
A glorious book - confession, analysis, memory store, comedy - which shows all the things words can do: often on the same page. AND it’s mega good value.
A glorious book - confession, analysis, memory store, comedy - which shows all the things words can do: often on the same page. AND it’s mega good value.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
My non-French-speaking husband went every day to the campsite shop in 🇫🇷 proudly returning with both a croissant & a chocolate danish. On the last day, I went with him. Madame stopped me by the caisse and said « Dites à votre mari: c’est pas un panneau chocolate mais un pain au chocolat. » 🥐
November 4, 2025 at 6:26 PM
My non-French-speaking husband went every day to the campsite shop in 🇫🇷 proudly returning with both a croissant & a chocolate danish. On the last day, I went with him. Madame stopped me by the caisse and said « Dites à votre mari: c’est pas un panneau chocolate mais un pain au chocolat. » 🥐
Reposted by Clare Simpson
I find the pressure to spend around Christmas quite bleak.
But some things are beautiful & do good!
I'm proud to be the chair of the charity Makani, which supports women in Lebanon who make exquisite blankets, bags & cushions.
Perfect presents for people with taste and heart.
oshana.co.uk/blankets
But some things are beautiful & do good!
I'm proud to be the chair of the charity Makani, which supports women in Lebanon who make exquisite blankets, bags & cushions.
Perfect presents for people with taste and heart.
oshana.co.uk/blankets
Crochet blankets — Oshana - crafts to empower women- London- UK
Crochet blankets handmade by Syrian refugee women
oshana.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I find the pressure to spend around Christmas quite bleak.
But some things are beautiful & do good!
I'm proud to be the chair of the charity Makani, which supports women in Lebanon who make exquisite blankets, bags & cushions.
Perfect presents for people with taste and heart.
oshana.co.uk/blankets
But some things are beautiful & do good!
I'm proud to be the chair of the charity Makani, which supports women in Lebanon who make exquisite blankets, bags & cushions.
Perfect presents for people with taste and heart.
oshana.co.uk/blankets
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Transport Scotland are evaluating the Older and Disabled Person's Free Bus Pass Scheme in Scotland. You can give feedback via an online survey, accessed at:
online1.snapsurveys.com/ODPS
The closing date is 23 November 2025.
Please share.
online1.snapsurveys.com/ODPS
The closing date is 23 November 2025.
Please share.
November 1, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Transport Scotland are evaluating the Older and Disabled Person's Free Bus Pass Scheme in Scotland. You can give feedback via an online survey, accessed at:
online1.snapsurveys.com/ODPS
The closing date is 23 November 2025.
Please share.
online1.snapsurveys.com/ODPS
The closing date is 23 November 2025.
Please share.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
This is a sobering read - the scale of the task, lack of support and equipment. The need to honour those martyred and provide some answers for the living who’s relatives are below the rubble.
This is a sobering read - the scale of the task, lack of support and equipment. The need to honour those martyred and provide some answers for the living who’s relatives are below the rubble.
The grim task of recovering thousands of bodies from the rubble of Gaza
Relatives and experts tell of the human and societal need to find and identify the dead, while images and data shed light on the scale of the job
www.theguardian.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:35 PM
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
This is a sobering read - the scale of the task, lack of support and equipment. The need to honour those martyred and provide some answers for the living who’s relatives are below the rubble.
This is a sobering read - the scale of the task, lack of support and equipment. The need to honour those martyred and provide some answers for the living who’s relatives are below the rubble.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
We are excited to be back at Leith Depot tomorrow, Monday November 3rd for another edition of Drama@TheDepot.
Six short plays written especially for this event.
We tend to sell out so get in quick!
Tickets available here
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/penpal-pro...
Six short plays written especially for this event.
We tend to sell out so get in quick!
Tickets available here
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/penpal-pro...
November 2, 2025 at 12:19 PM
We are excited to be back at Leith Depot tomorrow, Monday November 3rd for another edition of Drama@TheDepot.
Six short plays written especially for this event.
We tend to sell out so get in quick!
Tickets available here
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/penpal-pro...
Six short plays written especially for this event.
We tend to sell out so get in quick!
Tickets available here
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/penpal-pro...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
I am trying something in November. National novel-reading month, basically. It is the PERFECT month for reading (at least in the Western hemisphere).
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
November is for reading
or: a month of sheer luxurious intellectual pleasure
naomialderman.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I am trying something in November. National novel-reading month, basically. It is the PERFECT month for reading (at least in the Western hemisphere).
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
naomialderman.substack.com/p/november-i...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
The ceasefire continues according to virtually every media outlet. Israel is demolishing entire neighbourhoods in Gaza to make sure Palestinians never go back.
The genocide is ongoing
The genocide is ongoing
Israel razes entire neighbourhoods east of Khan Younis: Report - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-razes-entire-neighbourhoods-east-khan-younis-report
Israel razes entire neighbourhoods east of Khan Younis: Report
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<h2>
<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-razes-entire-neighbourhoods-east-khan-younis-report" rel="bookmark">
<span class="field field-title">Israel razes entire neighbourhoods east of Khan Younis: Report</span>
</a>
</h2>
<div class="content">
<div class="field field-field-text"><article data-scroll-anchor="true" data-testid="conversation-turn-110" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-6901b48e-cf20-832a-9f2e-41bb2cc7fcbc-38" dir="auto" tabindex="-1">
<p data-end="277" data-start="76">Israeli occupation forces are bulldozing large swathes of land east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, destroying what little remains of homes and infrastructure after months of relentless bombardment.</p>
<p data-end="447" data-start="279">Al Jazeera's correspondent on the ground reported that the army is conducting extensive demolition operations in the area, flattening residential blocks and farmland.</p>
</article>
</div>
</div>
</article>
www.middleeasteye.net
November 1, 2025 at 11:33 PM
The ceasefire continues according to virtually every media outlet. Israel is demolishing entire neighbourhoods in Gaza to make sure Palestinians never go back.
The genocide is ongoing
The genocide is ongoing
Reposted by Clare Simpson
I wrote a guest post for @samfr.bsky.social setting out what Labour must do if it is to publish a child poverty strategy worthy of its name. Every day between now & the budget I’m gonna add a reason why the 2CL should go to this thread samf.substack.com/p/the-worst-...
"The worst social policy ever"
We have a couple of bonus guest posts over the next week.
samf.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I wrote a guest post for @samfr.bsky.social setting out what Labour must do if it is to publish a child poverty strategy worthy of its name. Every day between now & the budget I’m gonna add a reason why the 2CL should go to this thread samf.substack.com/p/the-worst-...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Dr Elspeth King who has died was a pioneer for culture, working class & hidden histories & Glasgow. She was curator of the People's Palace from 1974-90 & later worked in Dunfermline & Stirling. She stood against official stories & commodification of culture. A towering force with a huge legacy.
November 1, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Dr Elspeth King who has died was a pioneer for culture, working class & hidden histories & Glasgow. She was curator of the People's Palace from 1974-90 & later worked in Dunfermline & Stirling. She stood against official stories & commodification of culture. A towering force with a huge legacy.
Reposted by Clare Simpson
The govt and the electorate must understand that child poverty is not only hugely detrimental in the present. It shapes population wellbeing for generations to come. The evidence is so clear on the lifecourse health effects of poverty.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Only full abolition of two-child benefit cap will substantially cut poverty, thinktank says
Resolution Foundation says half-measures would have little or no meaningful impact on child poverty rates
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:11 AM
The govt and the electorate must understand that child poverty is not only hugely detrimental in the present. It shapes population wellbeing for generations to come. The evidence is so clear on the lifecourse health effects of poverty.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Clare Simpson
The light over the Atlantic coast of Ireland is like nowhere else on Earth 🌎
October 26, 2025 at 9:20 PM
The light over the Atlantic coast of Ireland is like nowhere else on Earth 🌎
Reposted by Clare Simpson
Hi there, we’re currently supporting a migrant-led campaigning group called Not a Stranger to challenge the immigration white paper proposals including changes to ILR. They have a survey open at the moment- you can find out more: migrantsrights.org.uk/not-a-strang...
Not a Stranger - Migrants' Rights Network
MRN and PAWA are proud to support the migrant-led campaigning group Not a Stranger who are fighting the Immigration White Paper proposals.
migrantsrights.org.uk
October 22, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Hi there, we’re currently supporting a migrant-led campaigning group called Not a Stranger to challenge the immigration white paper proposals including changes to ILR. They have a survey open at the moment- you can find out more: migrantsrights.org.uk/not-a-strang...