Huw Davies
@hptdavies.bsky.social
Folkie and Leyton Orient supporter living in South East London
Reposted by Huw Davies
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
Marmalade is one of things I keep forgetting I like. I need to buy some.
I regret to inform you, but marmalade consumption continues to plummet in the UK.
Back in 1974 each adult, each week, ate on average 27g. It was a mere 4g in 2024 (down from 6g in 2023).
Honey, by contrast, has gone from 5g in 1974 to 9g last year.
Back in 1974 each adult, each week, ate on average 27g. It was a mere 4g in 2024 (down from 6g in 2023).
Honey, by contrast, has gone from 5g in 1974 to 9g last year.
a dog with a peanut butter and cheese sandwich on its head
ALT: a dog with a peanut butter and cheese sandwich on its head
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Marmalade is one of things I keep forgetting I like. I need to buy some.
Reposted by Huw Davies
Have a scroll through BBC Tees news, and then through the Teesside Gazette website, and think about which one is better for the news environment
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Have a scroll through BBC Tees news, and then through the Teesside Gazette website, and think about which one is better for the news environment
Reposted by Huw Davies
"Because most other news organisations have been hollowed out even worse than the BBC has"
Like, come on. You can't believe this if you've even so much as glanced at a local/regional "news" site recently
Like, come on. You can't believe this if you've even so much as glanced at a local/regional "news" site recently
Personally I'd be pleased to see BBC News disappear entirely. To argue, as many do, that British politics or our news environment would be so much worse without the BBC you have to explain why British politics and news environment is so very bad with the BBC.
November 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM
"Because most other news organisations have been hollowed out even worse than the BBC has"
Like, come on. You can't believe this if you've even so much as glanced at a local/regional "news" site recently
Like, come on. You can't believe this if you've even so much as glanced at a local/regional "news" site recently
Reposted by Huw Davies
Whatever your opinion on Celebrity Traitors, it's been heartwarming to see terrestrial telly triumph. It very much still can deliver.
November 8, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Whatever your opinion on Celebrity Traitors, it's been heartwarming to see terrestrial telly triumph. It very much still can deliver.
Have been contemplating what my favourite mural on the Victoria line is and I think it's the Tottenham Hale one.
November 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Have been contemplating what my favourite mural on the Victoria line is and I think it's the Tottenham Hale one.
Reposted by Huw Davies
The Venn overlap of people who insist Hallowe'en isn't British and people who insist 'soccer' isn't British is probably close to a circle. They're all wrong.
For a kid in 70s Wales, it was huge. Carving turnip lanterns (no pumpkins available), apple bobbing etc. And we didn't learn it from America.
For a kid in 70s Wales, it was huge. Carving turnip lanterns (no pumpkins available), apple bobbing etc. And we didn't learn it from America.
October 31, 2025 at 9:22 AM
The Venn overlap of people who insist Hallowe'en isn't British and people who insist 'soccer' isn't British is probably close to a circle. They're all wrong.
For a kid in 70s Wales, it was huge. Carving turnip lanterns (no pumpkins available), apple bobbing etc. And we didn't learn it from America.
For a kid in 70s Wales, it was huge. Carving turnip lanterns (no pumpkins available), apple bobbing etc. And we didn't learn it from America.
Reposted by Huw Davies
...the reality is that the "Stop the War" left goes out of its way to find the miniscule numbers of Ukrainians who agree with their views while refusing to engage with Ukraine's actual labour movt and left, because they know UA's activists bitterly oppose the positions they hold.
October 27, 2025 at 4:24 PM
...the reality is that the "Stop the War" left goes out of its way to find the miniscule numbers of Ukrainians who agree with their views while refusing to engage with Ukraine's actual labour movt and left, because they know UA's activists bitterly oppose the positions they hold.
Covers of Beatles songs that are superior to the original are very rare. The version of Savoy Truffle by Ella Fitzgerald I just heard on @cerysmatthews.bsky.social 6Music show is one of them
October 26, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Covers of Beatles songs that are superior to the original are very rare. The version of Savoy Truffle by Ella Fitzgerald I just heard on @cerysmatthews.bsky.social 6Music show is one of them
Reposted by Huw Davies
Wrote about the Statesman, AI Christopher Hitchens, and why writers need heroes but not idols open.substack.com/pub/padraigr...
Reidy’s Digest #8: Time to ditch the cult of Hitch
An actual short essay and some other bits
open.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Wrote about the Statesman, AI Christopher Hitchens, and why writers need heroes but not idols open.substack.com/pub/padraigr...
My favourite painting
October 10, 2025 at 12:48 PM
My favourite painting
Reposted by Huw Davies
It is currently not one of the grounds under which a peerage can be removed, but I feel an exemption might be required in this case, to get Fellowes turfed out of the Lords on the basis that anyone who inflicts that upon us cannot be allowed to legislate.
September 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
It is currently not one of the grounds under which a peerage can be removed, but I feel an exemption might be required in this case, to get Fellowes turfed out of the Lords on the basis that anyone who inflicts that upon us cannot be allowed to legislate.
Reposted by Huw Davies
PSA: the new Downton Abbey film is possibly the worst film I have seen in my entire life. It is almost impossible to put into words how lazy the writing is.
September 20, 2025 at 4:30 PM
PSA: the new Downton Abbey film is possibly the worst film I have seen in my entire life. It is almost impossible to put into words how lazy the writing is.
Reposted by Huw Davies
Had a little look on Twitter earlier. Awful. Tribal (football), political, nasty, aggressive, ignorant. I don’t think any of these people listen to Prefab Sprout or have any interest in doing so. Best avoided.
August 24, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Had a little look on Twitter earlier. Awful. Tribal (football), political, nasty, aggressive, ignorant. I don’t think any of these people listen to Prefab Sprout or have any interest in doing so. Best avoided.
Reposted by Huw Davies
THREAD: v niche sport-based plea!
The N.U.T.S. (National Union of Track Statisticians) Athletics & Olympic Archive & Library will be evicted from its current premises in ten days, and urgently needs either a) a permanent home or b) temp storage.
Croydon area preferred but all offers welcome. (1/4)
The N.U.T.S. (National Union of Track Statisticians) Athletics & Olympic Archive & Library will be evicted from its current premises in ten days, and urgently needs either a) a permanent home or b) temp storage.
Croydon area preferred but all offers welcome. (1/4)
August 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM
THREAD: v niche sport-based plea!
The N.U.T.S. (National Union of Track Statisticians) Athletics & Olympic Archive & Library will be evicted from its current premises in ten days, and urgently needs either a) a permanent home or b) temp storage.
Croydon area preferred but all offers welcome. (1/4)
The N.U.T.S. (National Union of Track Statisticians) Athletics & Olympic Archive & Library will be evicted from its current premises in ten days, and urgently needs either a) a permanent home or b) temp storage.
Croydon area preferred but all offers welcome. (1/4)
Reposted by Huw Davies
A thing I've long suspected but never got round to rigorously checking is that the Local Democracy Reporting Service is, effectively, structurally nimby - because a disproportionate amount of the available material if you're covering "local democracy" is planning objections
If BBC local news gave even a fraction of the attention it gives to nimbyism to the dual climate and biodiversity crises, it's just possible there'd be less nimbyism.
Hundreds sign petition against Cornwall solar farm plans
Residents say the plan, equivalent to 69 football pitches, is inappropriate for the Lanreath area.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
A thing I've long suspected but never got round to rigorously checking is that the Local Democracy Reporting Service is, effectively, structurally nimby - because a disproportionate amount of the available material if you're covering "local democracy" is planning objections
Reposted by Huw Davies
Samuel Beckett has been spotted at Wembley for the Oasis gig…
August 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Samuel Beckett has been spotted at Wembley for the Oasis gig…
It's August so it's basically Autumn now
August 1, 2025 at 6:15 PM
It's August so it's basically Autumn now
Reposted by Huw Davies
Does the word 'efficiency' really need both of those 'f's?
August 1, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Does the word 'efficiency' really need both of those 'f's?
Reposted by Huw Davies
Y'days post: Delusions on the Left and Labour Right mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/07/delu...
In which I will upset nearly everyone by arguing that the Labour Party only works if it is a broad church that spans left to right, but only if the left does not have control.
In which I will upset nearly everyone by arguing that the Labour Party only works if it is a broad church that spans left to right, but only if the left does not have control.
Delusions on the Left and Labour Right
I had it with writing about internal Labour party politics at the end of the 2010s, and have written very little on the subject since. Wri...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com
July 30, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Y'days post: Delusions on the Left and Labour Right mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/07/delu...
In which I will upset nearly everyone by arguing that the Labour Party only works if it is a broad church that spans left to right, but only if the left does not have control.
In which I will upset nearly everyone by arguing that the Labour Party only works if it is a broad church that spans left to right, but only if the left does not have control.
Reposted by Huw Davies
i can see this one is going to get a lot of use
July 20, 2025 at 10:46 AM
i can see this one is going to get a lot of use
There's too much sport going on.
July 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
There's too much sport going on.