Leigh Sparks
@sparksstirling.bsky.social
530 followers 1K following 150 posts
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
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Reposted by Leigh Sparks
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
keithwdickinson.bsky.social
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
gwladrugby.bsky.social
So pleased that the Welsh media are living up to their reputation for steadfastly refusing to scrutinise the WRU in any meaningful way
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
adambienkov.bsky.social
"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.

Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
mrjamesob.bsky.social
One significant - & dangerous - thing to watch for is professional commentators objecting to words rather than examining the evidence. It's pearl-clutching & cowardly, obviously, but also a deliberate attempt to avoid confronting exactly what they themselves are facilitating and often cheering on.
bbcnewsnight.bsky.social
“You described Reform and other parties across Europe today as among the 'right wing equivalents of the fascists in the 1930s'. Why?”

“Because that’s what they are”

@vicderbyshire.bsky.social asks Lord Heseltine about remarks he made at Conservative Party Conference.

#Newsnight
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
bladeofthes.bsky.social
Conservative MP Mel Stride claims PIP benefit is thousands of pounds per month.

No it is an absolute maximum of £720 a month, and most people only get £250 or less.

Meanwhile he claims £1,250 a month in rent on his expenses

Lying, thieving b******
sparksstirling.bsky.social
@kathrynmorrison.bsky.social You might note though that the entrance has been moved?
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
kathrynmorrison.bsky.social
Bet not many of these #Cambridge students realised that Gardenia's shopfront was installed for Lennards (shoe shop) by Pollards in the late 1920s. A tad altered, but recognisable - hope it isn't now swept away!
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
scotnational.bsky.social
Stall holders have been urged to exercise caution after a fake Christmas fayre was advertised in a Dundee shopping centre 🚨
Stall holders to be wary of 'scam' Christmas fayre advertised in Dundee
www.thenational.scot
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
ruthwatson.bsky.social
Those #EpsteinFiles really have Trump scared.
acyn.bsky.social
Trump on pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell: Haven't heard the name in so long. I’ll take a look at it. I’ll speak to the DOJ. A lot of people have asked me for pardons.

Reporter: But she’s convicted of sex trafficking

Trump: I’ll have to take a look at it.
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
peterjukes.bsky.social
Gill's handler Oleh Voloshyn was sanctioned by the US for his work for Paul Manafort and GRU linked Konstantin Kilimnik tying him directly to the Mueller Inquiry, in which Farage was for a while 'a person of interest' 9/12 www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
Nigel Farage is 'person of interest' in FBI investigation into Trump and Russia
Exclusive: FBI interested in former Ukip leader’s ties with people connected to US president and WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
peterjukes.bsky.social
I think I’ve got part of that postcard
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
mc00.bsky.social
They did vote for it though, and all of them are complicit.

Trying to pour cold water on the fire you've started after the fact doesn't make you any less of an arsonist.
rollingstone.com
“I voted for none of this."

Prominent influencers, including Theo Von, Joe Rogan, and Andrew Schulz, are starting to distance themselves from the president they helped propel to the White House.

Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
gwladrugby.bsky.social
Then, a couple of weeks ago the new WRU Chief Commercial Officer seemed to suggest that the refinancing would consist of a 4-5 year deal - a "bridging loan," in effect. We also learned that the WRU had breached its banking covenants.

How bad have things got?
sparksstirling.bsky.social
St Helier, Jersey October 2025. Very nice work by Hettich in taking over Burton's Art Deco store site. Nice outside and splendid work inside.

Two foundation stones.

Have sent photos below to Laid By Monty for their excellent site

laidbymonty.com
Reposted by Leigh Sparks
peterjukes.bsky.social
Insiders say it is "inconceivable" that Farage wouldn't have known of Gill's foreign trips because he "micromanaged" them. So Byline Times have asked him about this and what he knows of Voloshyn, Medvedchuk, and Manafort. We haven't heard back 10/12