David Hickman
@davidhickman.bsky.social
Documentary filmmaker. Taught film & TV University of York 2009-19. Visiting fellow Wolfson College Cambridge and CRASSH 2014. BAFTA film-voting member. Presently scribbling a lot.
I grew up on the Stanhope estate, mentioned this piece. The 'posh-poor divide' is not new - it's as old as the estate itself, which had a fearsome reputation. The reason I didn't get bullied at school was because other pupils knew where I was from.
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
‘Posh-poor divide’: the rise in areas of England where wealth and deprivation appear side by side
Data shows increase in neighbourhoods where few metres of asphalt, hedgerow, or wall can separate deep inequality
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I grew up on the Stanhope estate, mentioned this piece. The 'posh-poor divide' is not new - it's as old as the estate itself, which had a fearsome reputation. The reason I didn't get bullied at school was because other pupils knew where I was from.
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
Is The Times using AI to write its obits now? A weird one for the pirate DJ and broadcaster Tom Edwards makes a glaring error in the 1st par., calling the Radio Caroline ship in the 60s the Ross Revenge (it was the Mi Amigo); and amid the general cut-and-paste confusion are sentences like this:
November 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Is The Times using AI to write its obits now? A weird one for the pirate DJ and broadcaster Tom Edwards makes a glaring error in the 1st par., calling the Radio Caroline ship in the 60s the Ross Revenge (it was the Mi Amigo); and amid the general cut-and-paste confusion are sentences like this:
This is the best example I've seen recently of how AI can reduce intelligent people - in this case actual university staff - to mindlessness.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
‘We could have asked ChatGPT’: students fight back over course taught by AI
Staffordshire students say signs material was AI-generated included suspicious file names and rogue voiceover accent
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
This is the best example I've seen recently of how AI can reduce intelligent people - in this case actual university staff - to mindlessness.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by David Hickman
I am a lifelong Labour voter. I never imagined that a Labour Govt could be so repulsive. Unless they change course dramatically, I won't be able to vote Labour at the next GE.
If the government really intends to seize jewellery and other valuables from refugees,
either
- it is staggeringly ignorant of the historical precedents
or
- it's aware of the precedents, and thinks, yeah, we'll have some of that.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
either
- it is staggeringly ignorant of the historical precedents
or
- it's aware of the precedents, and thinks, yeah, we'll have some of that.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
No 10 tells Labour MPs it expects support for tough new asylum policies
Some backbenchers already opposing planned immigration crackdown seen as ‘economically and culturally illiterate’
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I am a lifelong Labour voter. I never imagined that a Labour Govt could be so repulsive. Unless they change course dramatically, I won't be able to vote Labour at the next GE.
Train Dreams is a poetic and cinematographic wonder. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it since Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, and it's every bit as good.
Try to see it on the big screen though - it's meant to be a shared experience.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8...
Try to see it on the big screen though - it's meant to be a shared experience.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8...
Train Dreams | Official Trailer | Netflix
YouTube video by Netflix
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Train Dreams is a poetic and cinematographic wonder. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it since Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, and it's every bit as good.
Try to see it on the big screen though - it's meant to be a shared experience.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8...
Try to see it on the big screen though - it's meant to be a shared experience.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8...
The BBC executives who are saying they were unaware of an edit in Trump's "fight like hell" speech are either being inattentive or disingenuous. Anyone involved in factual TV production and post will know that if there is a cutaway in the middle of a clip like this it almost certainly hides an edit
November 13, 2025 at 7:55 PM
The BBC executives who are saying they were unaware of an edit in Trump's "fight like hell" speech are either being inattentive or disingenuous. Anyone involved in factual TV production and post will know that if there is a cutaway in the middle of a clip like this it almost certainly hides an edit
Excellent piece by David Aaronovitch. The edit was the error; the Prescott report was the scandal.
davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/murder-at-...
davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/murder-at-...
Murder at the BBC
With his little hatchet...
davidaaronovitch.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Excellent piece by David Aaronovitch. The edit was the error; the Prescott report was the scandal.
davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/murder-at-...
davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/murder-at-...
Sorry but this is getting stupid now. The briefings against Streeting were made, face-to-face, to lobby journalists at The Times, The Guardian and others - all of whom therefore KNOW who the briefer was. Why not just say so instead of feigning ignorance?
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Starmer told by Downing St staff that none of them briefed against Streeting, says No 10 – UK politics live
Spokesperson says PM is not trying to whitewash situation despite lack of leak inquiry
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Sorry but this is getting stupid now. The briefings against Streeting were made, face-to-face, to lobby journalists at The Times, The Guardian and others - all of whom therefore KNOW who the briefer was. Why not just say so instead of feigning ignorance?
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by David Hickman
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Quite the charge here by The Standard. Khan has been Mayor for 9 1/2 years, so that's around 10,500 miles per year. The distance from London to, say, Los Angeles is 5,450 miles. So Khan couldn't complete a single round trip there without exceeding his yearly total
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
Plane stupid? 'Green' Sadiq Khan clocks up over 100,000 air miles on mayoral duties
Full extent of London mayor’s foreign travel catalogued for first time since he was elected to City Hall in 2016
www.standard.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Quite the charge here by The Standard. Khan has been Mayor for 9 1/2 years, so that's around 10,500 miles per year. The distance from London to, say, Los Angeles is 5,450 miles. So Khan couldn't complete a single round trip there without exceeding his yearly total
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
There's more to this story than there is in the article, but the Guardian does ask the right questions at the end.
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
Mediocre movies, millions in taxpayer cash: how scores of films from low-profile UK producers were funded mainly by public money
Creative industries are ‘crucial to the economy’ but film-making and tax have long had an uneasy relationship in Britain
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:31 PM
There's more to this story than there is in the article, but the Guardian does ask the right questions at the end.
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
Reposted by David Hickman
How is it possible for someone to "lose everything" and yet continue to live in a style of unimaginable wealth and privilege?
www.standard.co.uk/comment/prin...
www.standard.co.uk/comment/prin...
Andrew has lost everything but other Epstein associates have got away
The King’s action was brutal and necessary, yet he still has obligations to his brother
www.standard.co.uk
October 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
How is it possible for someone to "lose everything" and yet continue to live in a style of unimaginable wealth and privilege?
www.standard.co.uk/comment/prin...
www.standard.co.uk/comment/prin...
More evidence of Silicon Valley tech bros using their wealth to advance batshit ideas. Eg:
“The Church embraced that great invention of the day [the printing press] to literally change humanity," which erases the Church's censorious Librorum Prohibitorum.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“The Church embraced that great invention of the day [the printing press] to literally change humanity," which erases the Church's censorious Librorum Prohibitorum.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM
More evidence of Silicon Valley tech bros using their wealth to advance batshit ideas. Eg:
“The Church embraced that great invention of the day [the printing press] to literally change humanity," which erases the Church's censorious Librorum Prohibitorum.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“The Church embraced that great invention of the day [the printing press] to literally change humanity," which erases the Church's censorious Librorum Prohibitorum.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Sorry but I just assumed that that White House video was a subversive confirmation from an insider that Trump can never not voluminously crap himself.
October 20, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Sorry but I just assumed that that White House video was a subversive confirmation from an insider that Trump can never not voluminously crap himself.
This just in from our told-you-so department...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Tel Aviv football derby between Hapoel and Maccabi called off after rioting
Israeli police make nine arrests, citing ‘disorderly conduct, riots, injured police officers’ and infrastructure damage
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This just in from our told-you-so department...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
This is a chaotically bonkers post from such a respected sports journalist.
Also, practically none of it is relevant. Here's what the people of Birmingham can look forward to, based on the "performance" of Maccabi fans in Amsterdam last year: /1
www.henrywinter.football/p/banning-ma...
Also, practically none of it is relevant. Here's what the people of Birmingham can look forward to, based on the "performance" of Maccabi fans in Amsterdam last year: /1
www.henrywinter.football/p/banning-ma...
Banning Maccabi fans sets a dangerous precedent
Where do you then draw the line.
www.henrywinter.football
October 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
This is a chaotically bonkers post from such a respected sports journalist.
Also, practically none of it is relevant. Here's what the people of Birmingham can look forward to, based on the "performance" of Maccabi fans in Amsterdam last year: /1
www.henrywinter.football/p/banning-ma...
Also, practically none of it is relevant. Here's what the people of Birmingham can look forward to, based on the "performance" of Maccabi fans in Amsterdam last year: /1
www.henrywinter.football/p/banning-ma...
There's an old story from Stalin's day that when the Soviet Union set targets for rivet production they did it by weight. So steel foundries just made bigger, very useless rivets.
Smaller, meaner, more isolated housing could just be modern London developers' de-regulated dream of bigger rivets.
Smaller, meaner, more isolated housing could just be modern London developers' de-regulated dream of bigger rivets.
October 17, 2025 at 7:05 AM
There's an old story from Stalin's day that when the Soviet Union set targets for rivet production they did it by weight. So steel foundries just made bigger, very useless rivets.
Smaller, meaner, more isolated housing could just be modern London developers' de-regulated dream of bigger rivets.
Smaller, meaner, more isolated housing could just be modern London developers' de-regulated dream of bigger rivets.
Although Hat Trick, the production co behind HIGNFY, is an indy, the same problem inhabits BBC News itself, where experienced subs and production editors are often edged out in favour of inexperienced 'digital natives'.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
BBC airing false claim about Euan Blair blamed on young producers ‘marinated in social media’
Broadcaster apologised after Have I Got News For You falsely said former PM’s son had won digital ID contract
www.theguardian.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Although Hat Trick, the production co behind HIGNFY, is an indy, the same problem inhabits BBC News itself, where experienced subs and production editors are often edged out in favour of inexperienced 'digital natives'.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
This is deeply disturbing. Have the European news picked up on it at all yet?
“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.
We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’
We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’
October 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This is deeply disturbing. Have the European news picked up on it at all yet?
Reposted by David Hickman
I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’
I have been forced to move my classes online.
If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.
I have been forced to move my classes online.
If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.
October 4, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’
I have been forced to move my classes online.
If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.
I have been forced to move my classes online.
If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.
I have no interest whatsoever in golf, but good grief that was satisfying.
September 28, 2025 at 10:42 PM
I have no interest whatsoever in golf, but good grief that was satisfying.
A little piece of heaven
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘A hub of humanity’: National Railway Museum space reopens after £11m refit
Station Hall displays from a microwave-burger box to royal carriages intended to showcase best and worst of rail travel
www.theguardian.com
September 26, 2025 at 9:19 AM
A little piece of heaven
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Fully expecting a comedy version of this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUk...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUk...
September 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Fully expecting a comedy version of this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUk...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUk...
Sorry but has a certain someone not seen Slow Horses? The agency in the novels and TV series maps on to MI5 not MI6. And any comparison in terms of seniority would be Diana Taverner or Claude Whelan, not Jackson Lamb.
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
The new MI6 chief is a far cry from Slow Horses
Jackson Lamb returns to our screens this week and Blaise Metreweli settles into her new office. The two are a study in contrasts
observer.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Sorry but has a certain someone not seen Slow Horses? The agency in the novels and TV series maps on to MI5 not MI6. And any comparison in terms of seniority would be Diana Taverner or Claude Whelan, not Jackson Lamb.
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...