Stewart Parsons
@libraryfiend.bsky.social
Founder of Get It Loud In Libraries www.loudinlibraries.com cool programme of doorstep library gigs with future BRIT & Grammy winners. Born to live in Scotland. Lover of music, books, libraries, radio, dogs, PNE & wife Elizabeth. A BEM, no less.
Pinned
Stewart Parsons
@libraryfiend.bsky.social
· Jun 17
So,as a little thought-experiment, tell me something about the United Kingdom that works well and is actually quite impressive. I am not trying to sound like some boosterish politician. I just genuinely believe that making people believe that all is lost is a convenient pretext for shady characters.
For 175 years, public libraries, despite often steeply declining Govt support, have served the educational, information and entertainment needs of the general public. Staffed by a committed national family of workers determined to transform the life chances of some 7.3mill people.Oh, and it's free.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
“Fearless journalism is what terrifies politicians, and it must not be cowed."
The BBC must stand up to Trump's $1 billion lawsuit - or risk legitimising the president's false narrative of what really happened on January 6
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-t...
The BBC must stand up to Trump's $1 billion lawsuit - or risk legitimising the president's false narrative of what really happened on January 6
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-t...
'If the BBC backs down to Trump, it doesn’t deserve to survive’ | The News Agents
What’s the next move for the BBC, after Donald Trump’s threat to sue the broadcaster for a billion dollars – and why what it decides will influence much more than its own future.
www.thenewsagents.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 4:46 PM
“Fearless journalism is what terrifies politicians, and it must not be cowed."
The BBC must stand up to Trump's $1 billion lawsuit - or risk legitimising the president's false narrative of what really happened on January 6
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-t...
The BBC must stand up to Trump's $1 billion lawsuit - or risk legitimising the president's false narrative of what really happened on January 6
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-t...
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
every one of these ass-kissing sessions has the cadence of the deathbed
Pirro: "Mr President, there is in this room a group of people who love you, who believe in you, and who are so proud to be in this Oval Office and to be part of this amazing day because you have changed the course of America."
November 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
every one of these ass-kissing sessions has the cadence of the deathbed
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
Wow.
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
November 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Wow.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
The only beautiful and poetical thing about Elon Musk are the elegant, regretful, dying of the light compositions that Joyce Carol Oates is continuing to pour out on X. I'm glued...
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 10:58 AM
The only beautiful and poetical thing about Elon Musk are the elegant, regretful, dying of the light compositions that Joyce Carol Oates is continuing to pour out on X. I'm glued...
Desperate for a global voicemail of Tommy Lee Jones' sardonic, no-nonsense voice to intone 'Don't. Apologise. To. Fascists' in the ear of the BBC hierarchy right now.
Whole fucking thing makes me sick to my stomach. An abject fucking liar, a man who lies as easily as he fucking breathes, threatening an organisation which strives for truthfulness. And plastic patriots like the Mail and Farage urging him on. Jackels.
November 11, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Desperate for a global voicemail of Tommy Lee Jones' sardonic, no-nonsense voice to intone 'Don't. Apologise. To. Fascists' in the ear of the BBC hierarchy right now.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Perhaps the BBC could offer Trump one of his beloved deals: they'll apologise for broadcasting sections of his speech, if he apologises for trying to overthrow an election, lying about the result, pressuring election officials, urging a crowd to "fight like hell" & pardoning those who did just that.
November 11, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Perhaps the BBC could offer Trump one of his beloved deals: they'll apologise for broadcasting sections of his speech, if he apologises for trying to overthrow an election, lying about the result, pressuring election officials, urging a crowd to "fight like hell" & pardoning those who did just that.
One of the most wonderful things about this Joyce Carol Oates takedown of Musk is how simple and gentle it is, and how completely accurate of course.
November 10, 2025 at 8:13 PM
One of the most wonderful things about this Joyce Carol Oates takedown of Musk is how simple and gentle it is, and how completely accurate of course.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
The BBC has long pursued a strategy of appeasing its enemies and alienating its friends.
The result is an endless series of capitulations to those political forces most determined to destroy it
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-bbc-su...
The result is an endless series of capitulations to those political forces most determined to destroy it
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-bbc-su...
The BBC Surrenders to Trump
The capitulation of our national broadcaster to the political forces most determined to destroy it is a worrying sign of things to come
www.adambienkov.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 6:55 PM
The BBC has long pursued a strategy of appeasing its enemies and alienating its friends.
The result is an endless series of capitulations to those political forces most determined to destroy it
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-bbc-su...
The result is an endless series of capitulations to those political forces most determined to destroy it
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-bbc-su...
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Yeah, this is a serious failing. Same as when Thatcher's pick, Marmaduke Hussey, forced out Alasdair Milne: hushed up, opaque, behind closed doors, secretive. This is a public body, using licence fee funds, operating according to the scrutiny of an elected government. It should be transparent.
Question are the BBC Board minutes in the public domain? Or is it just a summary? Wondering why other 'independent' institutions like the BoE Monetary Committee do put out reports & not the BBC @iandunt.bsky.social
@peterjukes.bsky.social
@hardeepmatharu.bsky.social
@johnsweeneyroar.bsky.social
@peterjukes.bsky.social
@hardeepmatharu.bsky.social
@johnsweeneyroar.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Yeah, this is a serious failing. Same as when Thatcher's pick, Marmaduke Hussey, forced out Alasdair Milne: hushed up, opaque, behind closed doors, secretive. This is a public body, using licence fee funds, operating according to the scrutiny of an elected government. It should be transparent.
Today is a day that is leaving me utterly speechless.
Sky News just had Kelvin Mackenzie on, former editor of The Sun, one of the people at the centre of probably the most disgraceful front page in newspaper history, complaining about BBC journalists not being objective and 'fake news'. Astonishing. ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Today is a day that is leaving me utterly speechless.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
November 10, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
The selection of interviewees to explain the BBC fiasco is utterly telling on #R4Today I might have to measure my consumption of this story in small doses today lest my head goes pop.
So far on #r4today we've had people on what is now considered centre right (Yelland, Oliver) defending the BBC against the far right - Charles Moore.
Any chance of hearing from someone from a centre/leftish position?
Any chance of hearing from someone from a centre/leftish position?
November 10, 2025 at 8:16 AM
The selection of interviewees to explain the BBC fiasco is utterly telling on #R4Today I might have to measure my consumption of this story in small doses today lest my head goes pop.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
This has been obvious for some time. None are so blind as those who will not see.
‘Elon Musk won’t stop. It’s time the British government got off X’ | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
This has been obvious for some time. None are so blind as those who will not see.
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
More than any time since the 1980s, perhaps ever, the BBC needs a journalistic warrior to lead it. Someone who can see the shape of a fight coming and work out how to win it and have the will to do so. Davie was never that guy. It can't be a hack from the queue. Maybe it should be a refugee from CBS
November 9, 2025 at 8:41 PM
More than any time since the 1980s, perhaps ever, the BBC needs a journalistic warrior to lead it. Someone who can see the shape of a fight coming and work out how to win it and have the will to do so. Davie was never that guy. It can't be a hack from the queue. Maybe it should be a refugee from CBS
Ten seconds of 'Say It Ain't So, Joe' by Murray Head reducing me to tears much be some genius songwriting... #GuyGarvey #6Music
November 9, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Ten seconds of 'Say It Ain't So, Joe' by Murray Head reducing me to tears much be some genius songwriting... #GuyGarvey #6Music
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
More reading tests won’t help children improve their literacy – here’s what will [spoiler alert, these letters include libraries & librarians as key to reading] Letters | The Guardian
More reading tests won’t help children improve their literacy – here’s what will | Letters
Letters: Michael Robinson says teachers, governors and unions need to get round the table and find real solutions, not argue about testing for 13-year-olds. Plus letters from Simon Gibbs, Helen…
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:30 AM
More reading tests won’t help children improve their literacy – here’s what will [spoiler alert, these letters include libraries & librarians as key to reading] Letters | The Guardian
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
After a phenomenally successful two shows with Rianne Downey, Get it Loud in Libraries returns to Central Library on 9th Nov for a matinee gig with @albertinesarges.bsky.social
More info in alt text. www.seetickets.com/event/albert...
More info in alt text. www.seetickets.com/event/albert...
October 24, 2025 at 9:27 AM
After a phenomenally successful two shows with Rianne Downey, Get it Loud in Libraries returns to Central Library on 9th Nov for a matinee gig with @albertinesarges.bsky.social
More info in alt text. www.seetickets.com/event/albert...
More info in alt text. www.seetickets.com/event/albert...
It is a pleasure to sing with the Solway Bouys and revive these great, albeit a wee bit salty, sea shanties of yore. In seafaring days you would sing of ladies and brandy to maintain good vibes aboard ship. Now you probably just invest in decent WiFi...
The first year anniversary of Swally 'n' Scran being open in Kirkcudbright. To mark it they had a memorable musical evening with the voices and harmonies of the fabulous Solway Buoys who in their set of sea shanties included a special song to commemorate the fabulous fish restaurant.
November 9, 2025 at 9:48 AM
It is a pleasure to sing with the Solway Bouys and revive these great, albeit a wee bit salty, sea shanties of yore. In seafaring days you would sing of ladies and brandy to maintain good vibes aboard ship. Now you probably just invest in decent WiFi...
Reposted by Stewart Parsons
Mayor Elect Zohran Mamdani is STILL out chatting it up with the people. He was trying to do content but the voters kept popping up.🥹
November 8, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Mayor Elect Zohran Mamdani is STILL out chatting it up with the people. He was trying to do content but the voters kept popping up.🥹
Looks for all the world like a Cold War Steve.
The Sociopath-In-Chief couldn't be bothered to even turn his head in the direction of a man in the midst of a medical emergency who collapsed in his office. Completely incapable of empathy, the EPSTEIN Files can't be released soon enough.
25/47
25/47
November 8, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Looks for all the world like a Cold War Steve.
This is so true. Two generous double whiskies is now my nightly optimum. More than that and the next morning is spent bemoaning to anyone that will listen that 'my thumbs feel weird' and other such wailing 'Withnail-isms.' Be warned.
Drink all the whisky you want before turning 50. The body tends to rebel after that and one can only enjoy much smaller quantities. Follow me for more life tips!
November 8, 2025 at 12:09 PM
This is so true. Two generous double whiskies is now my nightly optimum. More than that and the next morning is spent bemoaning to anyone that will listen that 'my thumbs feel weird' and other such wailing 'Withnail-isms.' Be warned.