Ian Banks
@atolluk.bsky.social
"...all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy": Norman Maclean
Tai Po tower block fire yet another sad, tragic reminder (like Grenfell Tower before) that architectural design standards of ever-more, high-rise, high-density housing cannot afford to cut quality on matters of managing combustibility & fire safety best practice www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Death toll in Hong Kong tower block fire rises to 36 with 279 reported missing
Huge blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po district on Wednesday
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Tai Po tower block fire yet another sad, tragic reminder (like Grenfell Tower before) that architectural design standards of ever-more, high-rise, high-density housing cannot afford to cut quality on matters of managing combustibility & fire safety best practice www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Looking forward already to tomorrows #SilkscreenFilmSociety screening of #ImStillHere film. Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres is wonderful as the even more amazing real-life Brazilian human rights lawyer and activist Eunice Paiva silkscreen.org.uk/im-still-here/
I'm Still Here - Silkscreen Film Society
This Oscar winner follows a comfortable family enjoying the idyll of a beachfront lifestyle in Rio whose life is overturned by sinister state agents. The Read More
silkscreen.org.uk
November 25, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Looking forward already to tomorrows #SilkscreenFilmSociety screening of #ImStillHere film. Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres is wonderful as the even more amazing real-life Brazilian human rights lawyer and activist Eunice Paiva silkscreen.org.uk/im-still-here/
British Geological Survey Geothermal Observatory (1.2 miles from Hampden Park)recorded equivalent of “extremely small earthquake" after final Scotland goal secured a 4-2 win v Denmark with 2nd seismic activity coming moments later at final whistle www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scotland fans shook the earth in win over Denmark
Seismic activity was recorded as the Tartan Army celebrated Scotland reaching their first World Cup since 1998.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
British Geological Survey Geothermal Observatory (1.2 miles from Hampden Park)recorded equivalent of “extremely small earthquake" after final Scotland goal secured a 4-2 win v Denmark with 2nd seismic activity coming moments later at final whistle www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
According to Fees Bureau, with 2025 median salary of £52k, UK architects occupy lower middle of professional earnings scale. But they need to extrapolate London & SE out of equations as that is totally unrecognisable to reality of my 35 years of being an architect in NW www.ribaj.com/intelligence...
Architects’ pay lags peer roles, RIBA salary survey finds
Architects' earnings have held steady with inflation, but continue to lack premiums associated with professions such as law, medicine and accounting.
www.ribaj.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:34 PM
According to Fees Bureau, with 2025 median salary of £52k, UK architects occupy lower middle of professional earnings scale. But they need to extrapolate London & SE out of equations as that is totally unrecognisable to reality of my 35 years of being an architect in NW www.ribaj.com/intelligence...
Yes stressful work there’s no doubt - but if on a salary like most of the rest of us, would they still elect to cut hours? NHS Digital data states salaried GPs median income as £64.2k, while combined GPs operating as salaried & contract command average of £97.5k www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Why thousands of NHS GPs are cutting their hours despite plan to increase access to doctors
Just one in 13 early career GPs work full-time, NHS figures show, with job stress and childcare significant factors
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Yes stressful work there’s no doubt - but if on a salary like most of the rest of us, would they still elect to cut hours? NHS Digital data states salaried GPs median income as £64.2k, while combined GPs operating as salaried & contract command average of £97.5k www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Ukraine faces most difficult moment in its history whilst its toothless allies look away and capitulate. Meantime, the global superpowers pursue their national self interests like they do best. What has the World come to? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Zelenskyy says Ukraine faces most difficult moment as Trump pushes plan to end war
US president presses Kyiv to accept plan that would mean giving up territory to Russia
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Ukraine faces most difficult moment in its history whilst its toothless allies look away and capitulate. Meantime, the global superpowers pursue their national self interests like they do best. What has the World come to? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
“28-point US peace plan, hatched during "secret" talks, has been revealed and presented to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's under pressure to agree to a framework, or face consequences …” news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
Ukraine war latest: Putin welcomes US peace plan - as Zelenskyy responds to deadline with 'dignity' warning
A 28-point US peace plan, hatched during "secret" talks, has been revealed and presented to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's under pressure to agree to a framework, or face consequences - but he says he won'...
news.sky.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:57 PM
“28-point US peace plan, hatched during "secret" talks, has been revealed and presented to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's under pressure to agree to a framework, or face consequences …” news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
What happened to peace deals brokered between 2 parties with impartiality like Kissinger co-negotiating a ceasefire & U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam to gain joint Nobel Peace Prize. Trump wants this so bad he forgets that Zelensky must be key party to Ukraine negotiations www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin backs US plan for ending Ukraine war as Trump gives Kyiv deadline to accept
President Zelensky says Ukraine faces one of the most difficult moments in its history, as the White House pushes its plan.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 PM
What happened to peace deals brokered between 2 parties with impartiality like Kissinger co-negotiating a ceasefire & U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam to gain joint Nobel Peace Prize. Trump wants this so bad he forgets that Zelensky must be key party to Ukraine negotiations www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
National disgrace of “Trump & Mr Bone-Saw stage love-in as Saudi’s $1tn wipes the bloody slate clean” bolstered by business with Trump friends & family in Saudi, UAE & Qatar - including nearly $5bn invested in fund managed by Trump’s own son-in-law Jared Kushner! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump and Mr Bone Saw stage love-in as Saudi’s $1tn wipes the bloody slate clean
In the Oval Office the US president dismissed the murder of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi, saying: ‘things happen’
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:22 AM
National disgrace of “Trump & Mr Bone-Saw stage love-in as Saudi’s $1tn wipes the bloody slate clean” bolstered by business with Trump friends & family in Saudi, UAE & Qatar - including nearly $5bn invested in fund managed by Trump’s own son-in-law Jared Kushner! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
What’s not to love about the World’s 1st ‘Carbon Negative Nation’ Bhutan - Let alone it’s ‘Gross National Happiness’ policy and wonderful star Amber Kumar Gurung in the sublime film ‘Agent of Happiness’ youtu.be/JFyJaql9R_Y
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’
Exclusive: Tshering Tobgay says his country is doing ‘a lot more than our fair share’ on climate and west must step up ‘for the happiness of your people’
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:22 PM
What’s not to love about the World’s 1st ‘Carbon Negative Nation’ Bhutan - Let alone it’s ‘Gross National Happiness’ policy and wonderful star Amber Kumar Gurung in the sublime film ‘Agent of Happiness’ youtu.be/JFyJaql9R_Y
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Trump says "a lot of people didn't like" journalist Jamal Khashoggi? Does he mean at Washington Post where he worked; those affected by his criticism of MBS’s crack down on dissent; or those left behind in 2017 fleeing Saudi Arabia into self-imposed exile in Virginia? www.axios.com/2025/11/18/t...
Trump with MBS on Khashoggi: "A lot of people didn't like" him
"You're mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial," Trump said in the Oval Office.
www.axios.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Trump says "a lot of people didn't like" journalist Jamal Khashoggi? Does he mean at Washington Post where he worked; those affected by his criticism of MBS’s crack down on dissent; or those left behind in 2017 fleeing Saudi Arabia into self-imposed exile in Virginia? www.axios.com/2025/11/18/t...
Get-out-of-jail fake news on Khashoggi extrajudicial murder?: Trump ignores 2019 Callamard UN report of credible evidence; US agency links to MBS bodyguard; Turkish bugging near death (“take this bag off my head”); or forensic pathologist talking of dismemberment? www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing, claiming he ‘knew nothing about it’ and ‘things happen’ - live
President contradicts US intelligence over killing of regime critic with remarks during Oval Office meeting with Mohammed bin Salman
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Get-out-of-jail fake news on Khashoggi extrajudicial murder?: Trump ignores 2019 Callamard UN report of credible evidence; US agency links to MBS bodyguard; Turkish bugging near death (“take this bag off my head”); or forensic pathologist talking of dismemberment? www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
Sadly ironic environmental disaster on Camber Sands caused by failure at Southern Water Wastewater Treatment Works spaffing millions of plastic bio-beads used to clean wastewater. But let’s not forget too the invisible micro-beads from body scrubs & air-blasting www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘We feel we’re fighting a losing battle’: the race to remove millions of plastic beads from Camber Sands
A huge cleanup effort has seen volunteers working to remove beads by hand and machine. They can only wait and see the extent of damage to wildlife and dune habitat
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Sadly ironic environmental disaster on Camber Sands caused by failure at Southern Water Wastewater Treatment Works spaffing millions of plastic bio-beads used to clean wastewater. But let’s not forget too the invisible micro-beads from body scrubs & air-blasting www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Storm Claudia may have caused havoc with Avanti West Coast trains getting home on Friday, but I did still make most of The Riverfly Partnership Conference at Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, including Joshua Cohen’s fascinating talk on River Kinship www.tickettailor.com/events/theri...
November 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Storm Claudia may have caused havoc with Avanti West Coast trains getting home on Friday, but I did still make most of The Riverfly Partnership Conference at Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, including Joshua Cohen’s fascinating talk on River Kinship www.tickettailor.com/events/theri...
Busy last day in a rainy London on Friday started with a visit to Imperial War Museum Research Rooms to view our families donated WWII RAF pilot logbook from my maternal grandfather Reg Worth.
November 15, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Busy last day in a rainy London on Friday started with a visit to Imperial War Museum Research Rooms to view our families donated WWII RAF pilot logbook from my maternal grandfather Reg Worth.
Great time today mudlarking the Thames with Steve Brooker the self styled “Mud God”. Fabulous day!
November 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Great time today mudlarking the Thames with Steve Brooker the self styled “Mud God”. Fabulous day!
Ironic given 70s Wylfa came from aluminium smelting energy requirements & Harold Wilson’s famous speech that if country was to prosper, a "new Britain" be forged in “white heat" of “scientific revolution". After Hitachi pull out had hoped Anglesey could be left in peace www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Wylfa nuclear power plant plans go ahead, creating Anglesey jobs
Three small modular reactors are confirmed for the site, with the potential for up to eight.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Ironic given 70s Wylfa came from aluminium smelting energy requirements & Harold Wilson’s famous speech that if country was to prosper, a "new Britain" be forged in “white heat" of “scientific revolution". After Hitachi pull out had hoped Anglesey could be left in peace www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
£1m of “money for old rope” indeed: With his pile of gathered jetsam & flotsam, David Shrigley has either hit hard times & needs cash or is making an ironic statement on our ever-disposable world, sea pollution & proliferation of micro plastics. Think I know the answer www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
David Shrigley Proves You Can Get Money for Old Rope
The renowned British artist David Shrigley has launched a new exhibition featuring 10 tonnes of discarded rope. The price - £1 million.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 8:13 AM
£1m of “money for old rope” indeed: With his pile of gathered jetsam & flotsam, David Shrigley has either hit hard times & needs cash or is making an ironic statement on our ever-disposable world, sea pollution & proliferation of micro plastics. Think I know the answer www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Wonderful afternoon yesterday getting to know the beautiful Cutty Sark in Greenwich, followed by a lovely pint in the Gypsy Moth.
November 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Wonderful afternoon yesterday getting to know the beautiful Cutty Sark in Greenwich, followed by a lovely pint in the Gypsy Moth.
Hopefully, with this news, today could be an auspicious day to be trying out ‘mudlarking’ for the first time today on the Thames foreshore at Cutty Sark, Greenwich with the so-called ‘mud hunter’ Steve Brooker www.bbc.com/news/article...
Treasure finds in England reach record high
Treasure finds in England have reached a record high according to provisional government figures.
www.bbc.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Hopefully, with this news, today could be an auspicious day to be trying out ‘mudlarking’ for the first time today on the Thames foreshore at Cutty Sark, Greenwich with the so-called ‘mud hunter’ Steve Brooker www.bbc.com/news/article...
What a fascinating enigma remains Chris Eubank Senior. Not in doubt is his love for son Junior & mutual love back (despite family idiosyncrasies, feuds & boxing differences). Nearly missed my train tuning in to watch all of this on iPlayer. Wonderful documentary www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
The Eubanks: Like Father, Like Son review – a family boxing tale so unexpectedly moving it’ll leave you in tears
Chris Eubank Jnr hadn’t spoken to his father in four years. This documentary about his fight with Conor Benn – the son of his dad’s great rival – charts a reunion. It’s heart-pulverising stuff
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:21 AM
What a fascinating enigma remains Chris Eubank Senior. Not in doubt is his love for son Junior & mutual love back (despite family idiosyncrasies, feuds & boxing differences). Nearly missed my train tuning in to watch all of this on iPlayer. Wonderful documentary www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
As price of success, failure to comply with UEFA rules & Financial Fair Play bad enough if legally proven - but what of UAE sponsor of Rapid Support Forces militia in Sudan being sportswashed right in front of us whilst wearing the faded colours of Manchester City www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Silence over Sudan: why do Manchester City’s owners get away with so much?
Two midweek matches in England had a backdrop of war and geopolitics, but only one drew large protests
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
As price of success, failure to comply with UEFA rules & Financial Fair Play bad enough if legally proven - but what of UAE sponsor of Rapid Support Forces militia in Sudan being sportswashed right in front of us whilst wearing the faded colours of Manchester City www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Time for the so-called “communist” (or “socialist” by anyone else’s definition) new mayor of NYC Zohran Mamdani to join with London mayor Sadiq Khan in standing up with their citizens to Trump and his far right MAGA fakery and lack of common sense in world economics www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...
Live updates: Trump says it's 'communism or common sense' after Mamdani wins election
Democrats have swept the first major elections of Donald Trump's second term, with the US president saying the ongoing government shutdown is a
www.bbc.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Time for the so-called “communist” (or “socialist” by anyone else’s definition) new mayor of NYC Zohran Mamdani to join with London mayor Sadiq Khan in standing up with their citizens to Trump and his far right MAGA fakery and lack of common sense in world economics www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...
Watching Liverpool v Real Madrid build up. Heard waft of Van Dijk chant sung to tune of Dirty Old Town. Someone should tell VVD the classic folk song made famous by Dubliners & Pogues is actually an old Salford folk song by Ewan MacColl since adopted by FC United www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/...
How to watch Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Live streams, TV details, preview as Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to Anfield in the Champions League
Two European titans clash at Anfield – here's how to watch their game online and on TV
www.fourfourtwo.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Watching Liverpool v Real Madrid build up. Heard waft of Van Dijk chant sung to tune of Dirty Old Town. Someone should tell VVD the classic folk song made famous by Dubliners & Pogues is actually an old Salford folk song by Ewan MacColl since adopted by FC United www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/...