Patrick A
sparkypatrick.bsky.social
Patrick A
@sparkypatrick.bsky.social
Professional IT geek and music lover. Occasional footballer of no particular talent (until GPA got me). Blue is the colour.
Free schools are just another gravy train. An opportunity to suckle at the public teat and then move on once they've extracted all the cash.
Gove's ideological stance destroyed education in Britain.
Tory govts spent £325m on free schools that failed or disappeared. More than £10bn was committed to building new schools between 2014-15 and 2023-24, compared with £6.8bn for rebuilding existing schools
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Tory governments spent £325m on free schools that failed or disappeared
More than £10bn was committed to building new schools between 2014-15 and 2023-24, compared with £6.8bn for rebuilding existing schools
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
In some ways it’s amazing just how low a price they had to pay to get let off scot free

Admittedly, their dignity was part of the supplemental price. But still…..
Days after FIFA awarded Trump a fake peace prize, DOJ moves to drop charges in FIFA corruption case www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/n...
U.S. Moves to Drop Charges in International Soccer Corruption Case
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
Day 1258 of #IansDailyPhotoChallenge and you might think this is just a candlesnuff fungus for today
BUT this is actually my appropriately timed and abstract piece simply titled 'Rudolph' 🎄🎅🤶🦌🔴👃🤣🤗 #inspiringnature #wildlife #naturephotography #MentalHealthMatters
#365DaysWild
December 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
When Badenoch declared that people should not wear face masks to limit the spread of flu, was she doing chin-ups at a railway station? Push-ups at a bus station?
December 10, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
Wow: Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention (named for Holocaust survivor Raphael Lemkin, who coined term "genocide") calls Clinton's remarks "genocide denial."

"Young people in the US are not stupid or gullible. They simply reject genocide – something the Secretary might consider doing as well."
December 9, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
Kent County Council is considering closing local libraries and rubbish tips to cut costs. Kids need libraries to learn, and tip closures risk fly-tipping on our streets. I’ve signed to stop this. Will you add your name too? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ci...
Save vital Kent services
Kent County Council is considering closing local libraries and rubbish tips to cut costs. Kids need libraries to learn, and tip closures risk fly-tipping on our streets. I’ve signed to stop this. Will...
you.38degrees.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
Oooh Petplan are doing a thing where you can nominate a pet charity to win £1k!

It closes at midnight tonight. If anyone would like to nominate Holly's Merry Moggies, our official postcode is NG3 2DG. Thank you!!
www.petplan.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
From the CWS ARCHIVE. 4th June 2024.
December 5, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Da fuck? My mum had rabies jabs back when it was multiple, hefty, intramuscular shots in the stomach. Horrendous, traumatising and still better than getting rabies.
December 9, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
The Thing (1982, John Carpenter)
December 9, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
When The Law Said No: How GC Arguments Failed in Court
The headlines say Peggie won
The actual judgment?

Trans women don't pose safety risks.
Trans inclusion is lawful.
GC beliefs don't permit harassment.

@helenbelcherobe.bsky.social
@helenwebberley.bsky.social
@heatherpaterson.co.uk
When the Law Said No: How Gender Critical Arguments Failed in Court
A plain English guide to what the Peggie judgment actually decided
ajustsociety.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Being both an Irish citizen by right (father from NI) and not born in the UK, this might make me nervous. Except that I'm white and this shower aren't in any danger of even being the next opposition.
December 9, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Been there!
December 8, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
pals you gotta quit spotify
December 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
Still looking for witnesses if you are near Swindon and able to share with friends and neighbours
My friend's son was hit by a car whilst cycling yesterday outside Swindon. He is seriously injured. The car sped off and the police are looking for witnesses, particularly those with dashcams.

Please do share the article below if you're local to that area:
Cyclist suffers serious injuries in suspected hit and run on busy road
A cyclist suffered potentially life changing injuries in a suspected hit and run near Swindon.
www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
all that to say, if somebody is atrocious is one way they are probably atrocious in multiple directions and this is why you should roundly expel any transphobes from your group, even if they claim to profess other left leaning beliefs)
December 7, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I mean, at least they don't make it in a microwave.
Capturer le banal de la vie, c’était la tasse de thé de Martin Parr.

Le photographe documentaire britannique de renommée mondiale, Martin Parr, nous a quittés.

@28minutes-arte.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Hello? Police? I want to report a robbery!
#KTBFFH
December 7, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
My first post for #Caturday, and a Bobcat with its catch on the Tennessee Valley trail. First time I've seen one in the wild - beautiful! #EastCoastKin #Photography
December 7, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
Relevant to any organisation currently imagining it is protected by the First Amendment or by the terms of use of companies dependent on government contracts
My org @fightforthefuture.org has been “de-googling” for the last year.

We’re totally off Google suite, Google docs, Drive, Calendar.

We’re using Signal and Element for chat, Nextcloud for docs, etc

Planning to publish a “how to” guide for other nonprofits and activist groups soonish.
December 7, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Not quite finished, but it's up. The optical fibres are unravelling from the branches a bit, but then it has seen twenty or more Xmases.
December 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Patrick A
my great-grandparents arrived in the UK in the 1890s with nothing.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
This is so disgusting.
December 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by Patrick A
Scientists recently combined the DNA of a cheetah with the DNA of a crab.
Things went sideways real fast.
December 7, 2025 at 5:16 AM
There was a brief period during lockdown when it seemed like society had finally realised how important all the low paid, "low skilled" workers actually are to making modern life work. Apparently that is over.
This is so disgusting.
December 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM