Leigh Sparks
banner
sparksstirling.bsky.social
Leigh Sparks
@sparksstirling.bsky.social
Professor of Retail Studies, University of Stirling, Chair Scotland's Towns Partnership, Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh, Extremely long-suffering Welsh rugby fan, occasional gardener.

Stirlingretail.com
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
"When the Left sees bias in BBC coverage, its arguments are dismissed. When the Right does, it’s a national scandal."

Yep. Nobody was forced to resign when they did exactly the same thing (only worse!) to Corbyn. The BBC just "rejected" the BBC Trust's finding. bsky.app/profile/jimc...
November 11, 2025 at 8:57 AM
This is not a one month thing, it has been sustained.

Their own data did not support the headline and framing. If I can see that, then others will also, and draw their conclusions accordingly.

Then what @grahamsoult.bsky.social says is so true. Relentless negativity so damaging.
November 11, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
I'm glad you posted these remarks to save me having to do so, Leigh! The HIghStreetPositives campaign also has survey data showing that when you bombard people with negative "high street" headlines - even when unjustified - it helps create the very problem you are supposedly trying to mitigate.
November 11, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
Excellent! As I have said many times before, I just don't understand why the BRC doesn't do more to say how fantastic retail is, alongside its campaigning messages. It portrays retail as a cheerless industry no young person would want to start a career in, which is totally not the reality.
November 11, 2025 at 8:25 AM
My basic point is stop conflating high street and retailing as a whole. And don't always go to the negative stories.
November 10, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Not really my point. The BRC data show high street footfall up by 0.7% but the article and the headline (especially) is designed not to tell you that.

Whether the data from varying sources differ is a different thing. It os the pushing of a narrative despite the data that riles me here
November 10, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Interesting headline given that high street footfall INCREASED by 0.6% according to the report.
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
Designed by the architect John Baird and the Iron Founder R. McConnel, it was built in 1855. This makes it the oldest surviving building in the UK with a fully cast-iron facade

#glasgow #architecture #castiron #jamaicastreet #architecturephotography #nightphotography #glasgowatnight
November 9, 2025 at 8:15 PM
They've targeted Murray very successfully
November 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM