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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 3m

I recognised it from many hours of faking interest in my kids either giving me a tour of their house or showing me a video of someone watching someone else playing it. For *ages*.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 4m

I shouldn’t have counted. 11 ways people ask me to do stuff!

(Thought it was 10 then remembered the kids school now send everything on a special app instead of email. So it’s now 11.)

No wonder I mutter a lot.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6m

I shouldn’t have counter: 10 ways people ask me to do stuff. 10!

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 14m

Bless the #StrictlyComeDancing judges & presenters for trying to inject some drama into this. Will they save…

the one who CAN dance…or…

the one who definitely CAN’T…(despite giving it his all)…?

What will they decide? Who could possibly predict the outcome???

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 28m

Nice to see #StrictlyComeDancing paying Cynthia is fawning praise the deficit from her usual appearance fee.

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 32m

Followed by a Pulp Fiction joke only their parents will understand.

(I know, I just explained it to the George fan. Sitting room now filled with tumbleweed.)

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 34m

The professionals Minecraft group dance tonight aimed squarely at all the Young People only watching #StrictlyComeDancing because George is in it.

(I have one - very grateful they put George in as it's made the teenager want to watch it with me 🎉♥️)

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 34m

The professionals Minecraft group dance tonight aimed squarely at all the Young People only watching #StrictlyComeDancing because George is in it.

(I have one - very grateful they put George in as it's made the teenager want to watch it with me 🎉♥️)

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 10h

All good thanks

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 1d

Luna 'having a moment'...

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Reposted by Helen Barnard

Tim Leunig @timleunig.bsky.social · 2d

I agree we should make housing transactions easier, but houses are cheap in the North East despite the same rules. Housing supply (lack thereof) is what makes prices high in the South East. Nothing else. Build more houses, solve the problem. Nothing else will solve it.

Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 2d

Brilliant and depressing piece on how hard it is to transact property

on.ft.com/4nHDf2m

I know some people think housing policy is simple - just build more! And to do that just have less planning! - but most appreciate the more complex tangles in life.

Moving home is maddening — here’s how the system needs to change

A new government consultation promises to speed up the conveyancing process in England and Wales. But will it work?

on.ft.com

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

I don't agree with every idea in it, as with any essay collection, but there are lots of thoughtful reflections from different perspectives and good ideas in there.

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

Thoughtful collection of essays from Bright with a range of centre right visions for the future of social security. Good to see discussion of positive role for social security in our society and economy & need to address hardship as well as other goals of reform. t.co/hiNHdNUaeQ

https://www.brightblue.org.uk/portfolio/mending-the-net

t.co

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

You have to respect the sheer amount of padding in the Strictly results show. 15 minutes of actual content, dragged out to 1 hr 45 mins!

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

Yep

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 8d

Apparently both were tall/normal for their time.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 8d

I just found out Alexander the Great was only 5 ft tall.

That’s several inches shorter than Napoleon. But no one mentions it, while Napoleon’s the one saddled with a whole syndrome named after him.

🤷‍♂️

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 8d

First fire of the season.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 9d

What is it about being a middle aged woman that means you end up stuck in the middle of every family tension, receiving everyone’s emotions & trying to square every circle?

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 10d

My partner & I just realised it was our 20th anniversary last week!

(We’re not married so date it from the club night we first met at & got together.)

20 years!!!! 😮😮😮

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 10d

I’m sure we can just renegotiate the Right to Podcast Family Life clause.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 10d

The younger teenager has been tempted to join us to watch Bake Off. (We told her they laugh at rude things and she agreed to give it a go.) She’s one of us now. #GBBO

an older woman with blue hair and red glasses says absolutely perfect

ALT: an older woman with blue hair and red glasses says absolutely perfect

media.tenor.com

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 10d

Can we have a 1 in 1 out policy for political podcasts?

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 11d

Read the excellent analysis in full here: resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/...

resolutionfoundation.org

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 11d

"Abolishing the two-child limit should be just the starting point of a successful Child Poverty Strategy...Scrapping the two-child limit outright would be the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty; none of the floated alternatives would be as efficient."
3/4

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 11d

All partial options leave many 1000s more children growing up in poverty & are less efficient & cost-effective than full lifting.
- 120,000 - 350,000 more children in poverty vs fully scrapping limit.
- child poverty likely at or above current 31% by the end of the Parliament
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