Steve Duffy
@steveduffy99.bsky.social
Ex-journalist at BBC in Wales. Interests: Data, nature, books, history, culture, sports. Other: Aston Villa season ticket holder, beer, slow walks and slower cycling. [email protected]
This is a good explainer on the current migration picture, including some stats which might surprise some. Tracking UK migration: Small boats, asylum hotels and visas - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 27, 2025 at 11:18 PM
This is a good explainer on the current migration picture, including some stats which might surprise some. Tracking UK migration: Small boats, asylum hotels and visas - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A record high mortality rate for #drug deaths in #Wales (2022-24), up to 12.6 per 100,000. It was around 7 per 100,000 just over a decade ago. Swansea and Merthyr by far the highest. NE England has the highest rate regionally across Eng & Wales ONS figs. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...
October 19, 2025 at 10:43 AM
A record high mortality rate for #drug deaths in #Wales (2022-24), up to 12.6 per 100,000. It was around 7 per 100,000 just over a decade ago. Swansea and Merthyr by far the highest. NE England has the highest rate regionally across Eng & Wales ONS figs. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...
Two thirds of the longest hospital waiting lists in Wales are in north Wales. Despite a drop in Betsi Cadwaldr, numbers stubbornly high at nearly 5,400. In west Wales, no-one is waiting 2yrs+ in Swansea at all and fewer than 200 in Hywel Dda health board. #health #Wales #NHS
September 19, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Childhood vaccination uptake has slumped to its lowest in 15 years. How did we get here? This looks at England but similar issues in Wales too. Online disinformation, ignorance and cultural differences all contributing www.thetimes.com/article/0ed4...
August 29, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Childhood vaccination uptake has slumped to its lowest in 15 years. How did we get here? This looks at England but similar issues in Wales too. Online disinformation, ignorance and cultural differences all contributing www.thetimes.com/article/0ed4...
A new way of measuring Welsh #ambulance performance - for around 15% of the most urgent calls - published earlier. Response to those having cardiac or respiratory arrest was within target range. Meanwhile 'lost hours' handover delays lowest for 4yrs.
August 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
A new way of measuring Welsh #ambulance performance - for around 15% of the most urgent calls - published earlier. Response to those having cardiac or respiratory arrest was within target range. Meanwhile 'lost hours' handover delays lowest for 4yrs.
He did his city proud and they did him proud in return. I can't remember anything like this happening in #Birmingham before. Hopefully #Ozzy family get comfort from how loved he was by so many. This was proper Brummie sentiment, and done in its own style www.thetimes.com/article/d246...
Ozzy Osbourne funeral procession: fans and family mourn
As thousands lined the streets of Birmingham, Sharon, Kelly, Aimee and Jack Osbourne stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge to lay a flower for the singer
www.thetimes.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:34 PM
He did his city proud and they did him proud in return. I can't remember anything like this happening in #Birmingham before. Hopefully #Ozzy family get comfort from how loved he was by so many. This was proper Brummie sentiment, and done in its own style www.thetimes.com/article/d246...
International net migration into #Wales estimated to be 22,700 in year to mid-2024. This is down by nearly a quarter but still driving rise in overall population to 3.187m. Figs from #ONS www.gov.wales/mid-year-est...
July 30, 2025 at 10:50 AM
International net migration into #Wales estimated to be 22,700 in year to mid-2024. This is down by nearly a quarter but still driving rise in overall population to 3.187m. Figs from #ONS www.gov.wales/mid-year-est...
Latest traffic monitoring since default #20mph came into force in #Wales offers more encouragement - drivers are cutting speed and only a couple of minutes on avg added to journeys. Even longest journey monitored (61km) added only 4mins. No results yet on air quality tfw.wales/national-mon...
July 17, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Latest traffic monitoring since default #20mph came into force in #Wales offers more encouragement - drivers are cutting speed and only a couple of minutes on avg added to journeys. Even longest journey monitored (61km) added only 4mins. No results yet on air quality tfw.wales/national-mon...
A first visit in many years to Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan. Bees and dragon fly everywhere. A perfect afternoon for sensory overload.
July 2, 2025 at 7:10 AM
A first visit in many years to Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan. Bees and dragon fly everywhere. A perfect afternoon for sensory overload.
Vaccine take-up in England on a downward trend - particularly in poorer areas (from The Times) 1/2 www.thetimes.com/article/26a8...
Meet the antivax whisperer fighting the vaccine slump
Professor Elizabeth Whittaker convinces reluctant parents to get their children jabbed — and has seen the horrors that unchecked diseases like measles inflict
www.thetimes.com
June 16, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Vaccine take-up in England on a downward trend - particularly in poorer areas (from The Times) 1/2 www.thetimes.com/article/26a8...
Plenty of worthy tributes to #BrianWilson, in The Guardian alone, but a gobbet from Alexis Petridis on one wonderful song sums him up. ( Lucky enough to have seen him on his Pet Sounds and Smile tours with his magnificent band. Lots of ❤️) www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...
June 13, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Plenty of worthy tributes to #BrianWilson, in The Guardian alone, but a gobbet from Alexis Petridis on one wonderful song sums him up. ( Lucky enough to have seen him on his Pet Sounds and Smile tours with his magnificent band. Lots of ❤️) www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...
The new pope's diverse ancestors include Spanish sea captains, black slave-owners and he's a v distant cousin of Madonna (that one). A beautifully produced delve into Leo XIV's family roots www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
We Traced Pope Leo XIV’s Ancestry Back 500 Years. Here’s What We Found.
Noblemen, enslaved people, freedom fighters, slaveowners: what the complex family tree of the first American pontiff reveals.
www.nytimes.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The new pope's diverse ancestors include Spanish sea captains, black slave-owners and he's a v distant cousin of Madonna (that one). A beautifully produced delve into Leo XIV's family roots www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
It's a sad state of affairs that this is even a thing - 🙄 Alexander-Arnold speaks Spanish at Real unveiling - www.bbc.com/sport/footba...
Trent Alexander-Arnold addresses audience in Spanish at Real Madrid presentation
England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold describes joining Real Madrid as a
www.bbc.com
June 12, 2025 at 4:20 PM
It's a sad state of affairs that this is even a thing - 🙄 Alexander-Arnold speaks Spanish at Real unveiling - www.bbc.com/sport/footba...
Before Prince there was Sly. Loved those psych-funk jams with Larry Graham especially #SlyStone youtu.be/DyQenDEmhe4?...
June 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Before Prince there was Sly. Loved those psych-funk jams with Larry Graham especially #SlyStone youtu.be/DyQenDEmhe4?...
Reposted by Steve Duffy
Petition against the development of a hugely damaging Aqua Park at one of Glamorgan’s best wildlife sites. chng.it/hBdbBxwLLR
Sign the Petition
Halt the Installation of the Aqua Park at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Penarth
chng.it
June 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Petition against the development of a hugely damaging Aqua Park at one of Glamorgan’s best wildlife sites. chng.it/hBdbBxwLLR
Target to cut two-year hospital waiting lists in #Wales to 8,000 nearly met. But Betsi Cadwaldr still has more than two thirds of 2yr list while eliminated in Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay. Gen surgery waits highest in north Wales and it has all the dermatology long waits in Wales + most 2yr ENT waits.
May 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Target to cut two-year hospital waiting lists in #Wales to 8,000 nearly met. But Betsi Cadwaldr still has more than two thirds of 2yr list while eliminated in Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay. Gen surgery waits highest in north Wales and it has all the dermatology long waits in Wales + most 2yr ENT waits.
One of the great pop-rock-soul singer-songwriters #DarylHall taking us on a 40-year musical journey in #Birmingham. He pretty deftly (IMO) adjusted his voice when necessary to tough demands he set long ago. Still a terrific show/band. Sara Smile simply beautiful. Added bonus of Glenn Tilbrook.
May 21, 2025 at 11:45 PM
One of the great pop-rock-soul singer-songwriters #DarylHall taking us on a 40-year musical journey in #Birmingham. He pretty deftly (IMO) adjusted his voice when necessary to tough demands he set long ago. Still a terrific show/band. Sara Smile simply beautiful. Added bonus of Glenn Tilbrook.
Road casualties continue their downward trend in Wales and are lowest on record. For serious/fatal casualties on combined 20-30mph roads, these are down 16% in 2024 - since new default 20mph limit came in - compared to 2023. Good news! www.gov.wales/police-recor...
May 21, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Road casualties continue their downward trend in Wales and are lowest on record. For serious/fatal casualties on combined 20-30mph roads, these are down 16% in 2024 - since new default 20mph limit came in - compared to 2023. Good news! www.gov.wales/police-recor...
Can't remember a book that's made me laugh out loud and also at least once genuinely moved me to tears. Belatedly got around to reading John Niven's O Brother: a memoir of growing up, grief, suicide and regret. As funny as it's honest.
May 13, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Can't remember a book that's made me laugh out loud and also at least once genuinely moved me to tears. Belatedly got around to reading John Niven's O Brother: a memoir of growing up, grief, suicide and regret. As funny as it's honest.
Good to be back at BBC Wales News to talk about the #Cardiff Blitz and #VEDay80 on #BBCWalesBreakfast. This
Glamorgan Archives pic is repairs to houses in Brook St, Riverside in 1941. (Book out later this year!) #WW2 #history
Glamorgan Archives pic is repairs to houses in Brook St, Riverside in 1941. (Book out later this year!) #WW2 #history
May 7, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Good to be back at BBC Wales News to talk about the #Cardiff Blitz and #VEDay80 on #BBCWalesBreakfast. This
Glamorgan Archives pic is repairs to houses in Brook St, Riverside in 1941. (Book out later this year!) #WW2 #history
Glamorgan Archives pic is repairs to houses in Brook St, Riverside in 1941. (Book out later this year!) #WW2 #history
Blaenau Gwent (perhaps not surprisingly) is the most affordable county in Wales for house buying. Neighbouring Monmouthshire least affordable. Based on prices & avg incomes. B-G more affordable than any Eng county public.flourish.studio/visualisatio... and more here www.ons.gov.uk/releases/hou...
March 26, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Blaenau Gwent (perhaps not surprisingly) is the most affordable county in Wales for house buying. Neighbouring Monmouthshire least affordable. Based on prices & avg incomes. B-G more affordable than any Eng county public.flourish.studio/visualisatio... and more here www.ons.gov.uk/releases/hou...