Julian
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julianlstar.bsky.social
Julian
@julianlstar.bsky.social
500 followers 720 following 44 posts
CEO of Open Data Manchester, liker of the outside and outsiders, prone to disagreement. Views expressed may change within the space of a few seconds. Optimistic mostly
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julianlstar.bsky.social
Looking for something to do in Manchester next weekend? Come along to the next Joy Diversion. It is fun and free, and you will always discover something.
bit.ly/ODM-JOY17
Joy Diversion poster with text over layer in white and black strips over a line map of Manchester. The text reads: Calling all ramblers, explorers and meanderers. Surveyors, cartographers and inquisitors. People who look up to the rooftops and down in the culverts. The wandering returns Joy Diversion - Saturday 17th Many 10am-4pm Altogether Otherwise, 6-10 Hanover Street, Manchester M4 4BB. Price - Free Join us for a day of mapping, exploring and wandering in Central Manchester and Salford Viewed as a functional place of work, retail and leisure, our city centre bounded by Trinity Way, Great Ancoats Street and the Mancunian Way is imbued with history, iniquity, celebration and endeavour. Let us go out and find what's out there, discover the forgotten spaces, create stories and map our city. This is not a guided tour - this is an adventure Propose expeditions to unchartered territories, revisit previously known places, strange meanderings and any other diversions that you fancy. You will need: Yourself Comfortable walking shoes or what ever you need to get around Weather appropriate clothing (hopefully sun cream rather than waterproofs1) Water Contributions of biscuits and cake welcome. Register here: https://bit.ly/ODM-JOY17
May 12, 2025 at 9:20 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The area is bleak and fascinating. And although a bit off most people’s beaten path it is worth a visit before it is gone. In a way it reminds me of Wapping in the early 90s
November 22, 2024 at 11:00 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The Irk Valley was hidden from most people but the area and its otherworldliness is slowly disappearing with the encroachment of property development
November 22, 2024 at 10:56 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The area inspired Marx and Engels and Angel Meadows now surrounded by tower blocks was notorious with Engels describing it as an area of squalor and purification.
November 22, 2024 at 10:53 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
We had a team day at @opendatamcr.bsky.social towers and held a #joydiversion. Our group decided to explore the hidden River Irk that flows under Victoria Station and its valley
November 22, 2024 at 10:49 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
November 22, 2024 at 9:38 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
Further pics from yesterday. You do feel the bleak and otherworldliness of the Irk valley and a unique world that once inspired Marx and Engels slowly disappearing
November 22, 2024 at 9:37 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The Irk underground #joydiversion
November 21, 2024 at 3:39 PM
julianlstar.bsky.social
I don't know if this is anyone else's experience, but I'm confounded by Avanti's pricing strategy on the WCML relating to peak time trains. When I catch one from MCR in the morning they tend to be pretty empty. The evening peak is obviously more complicated, but... Surely this is suboptimal?
Photo of Avanti Pendalino carriage door illuminated information display showing the following information: VT1A15 09:43 London Euston - I'm a peak time train
October 9, 2024 at 9:27 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
📣Calling all energy and data people📣
⚡Open Data Manchester is running an Electricity Data Dive with Electricity North West and Kraken on 5th November. If you're interested in the data behind our electricity generation, supply and usage, this is for you 👉 bit.ly/ODM-SPARK
View from the bottom of an electricity pylon looking up to the apex and showing the symmetrical structure of beams and cross braces
October 7, 2024 at 4:36 PM
julianlstar.bsky.social
Come to think of it @opendatamcr.bsky.social must be one of the few data organisations going where everyone is trained to weave. HT to Leigh-based Discrete Unicorn who do the training and hand dye our yarn #GMLiveWell
Shallow focus image of hand loom with fabric on the loom with hands holding the fabric up prior to inserting shuttle out of focus in the background and the edge of the loom with an Open Data Manchester 24 hour Data People sticker in the foreground in focus 2 Open Data Manchester sat down with hand looms setting up them up. One person is in foreground on onside of the table whilst the other is in background 4 Open Data Manchester people around a workshop bench setting up warp threads prior to weaving Open Data Manchester person sat under a gazebo weaving a table with yarn is in front of them and there is a bush to the left in foreground out of focus
October 3, 2024 at 3:29 PM
julianlstar.bsky.social
Had a great time running a workshop with Emma from 10GM at the #GMLiveWell event today. Really interesting insight from participants and always, never miss an opportunity to show how @opendatamcr.bsky.social we weave data into fabric.
Picture of a room in which a workshop is taking place. People are sat around tables discussing the topic of data with the some of Open Data Manchester's election results weaving and climate weaving as well as other examples in the foreground
October 3, 2024 at 3:25 PM
julianlstar.bsky.social
For all #democracy and #opendata friends. We are running an in person Digging the Data: MPs, Councillors and Elections event on Tues Oct 1st 6-8pm in Manchester. It is a chance to dig and explore. Sign up: bit.ly/ODM-MPS please share
A politicians election rosette on a suite with the text Vote X in the middle. It has purple, green red, blue and yellow around the outside.
September 18, 2024 at 5:15 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
Sitting in the dining car as the train sped through the Kenyan countryside offered glimpses of giraffe, elephants and zebra. As well as a far off view of Kilimanjaro, my phone does none of this any justice
View in the dining car showing the serving counter with a trolley on the left with a bin, the counter in background and hosts sitting with backs to the camera to the right A view from the dining car of the Kenyan savannah with a can of Tusker beer and a plastic cup filled with beer on the table A view of the Kenyan savannah at dusk with a telegraph pole in foreground and elephants that could be bushes in the distance A view of the Kenyan savannah at dusk with hills to the right and what appears to be elephants in the middle distance
September 17, 2024 at 9:09 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
Seats are allocated automatically and although I had an aisle seat I managed to find a seat by the window and anyway the train has a dining car which is a great way to travel
First class carriage showing the 2 and 2 arrangement. The seats are upholstered in red fabric and the windows allow a lot of light into the carriage there are a few people finding their seats in the background The menu card for the Madaraka Express showing a selection of food for under the headings: Breakfast, Hot Meals, Alcoholic Beverages, Hot Beverages, Speciality Teas, Quick Bites and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
September 17, 2024 at 9:04 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The stations are statement buildings – modern, efficient and clean - whose design reflects an aspect of their location: Nairobi - two trains and a bridge, Mombasa - concentric ripples in water
Front of the Nairobi Terminus building. Showing the angular form of the entrance and modern lines with glazed frontage. The station name is in big red capitol letters near the top of the roof and there is a green area with young trees in the right hand side of the image. It is sunny, the sky is blue Interior of Nairobi Terminus showing seating with few people waiting the space is clean, modern, airy and naturally lit. Mombasa station frontage at night showing the illuminated red station sign above the entrance. The station is lit up and you can see the curved frontage. There are a number of passengers exiting the station in the foreground, they are in silhouette Side on view of Mombasa Terminus at night showing the tower which emphasises the concentric circle motif. The moon is in the background outlining the tower. There are cars in the foreground
September 17, 2024 at 9:00 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
The Kenyan Railways Madaraka Express, commonly known as the SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) to differentiate it from the old colonial narrow gauge lines is a spectacular 5.5 hour 472km journey through the Kenyan countryside
View from window of the Kenyan plain with animal fences in foreground and hills in the background. The sky is blue and there are little fluffy clouds in the sky View from train window of two baobab trees standing in a cultivated field. There are a range of hills in the distance. The sky is blue and it is late afternoon
September 17, 2024 at 8:53 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
A couple of months ago I travelled by train from Nairobi to Mombasa. A colleague booked my ticket as you need an M-pesa account to book in advance. 1st class ticket is KSh4,500 around £26.50GBP
Badly printed Madaraka Express ticket for the journey from Nairobi Terminus to Mombasa Terminus Nairobi Terminus platform with the Madaraka Express waiting for boarding. The picture is shot with the train at an angle, with a few passengers waiting in the background. It is a sunny day although the platform is well shaded.
September 17, 2024 at 8:49 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
I was going back through my photo library and even though the covid times were recent, I was surprised at how quickly the ephemera has disappeared. I photographed a few of these traces at the time. #covid #ephemera
Stay Safe Stay Apart with two feet sprayed on to platform with a Mind the Gap wording sprayed on the platform edge. A yellow safety line cuts across the image horizontally. Worn Stay apart warning sprayed upon a step with yellow edging A line and 2 MTS sprayed on to a pavement Red sprayed one way and arrow on to a pavement
September 13, 2024 at 11:04 AM
julianlstar.bsky.social
HELLO WORLD in Baudot Murray code yellow on a black background
September 10, 2024 at 8:37 PM