Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 19h

It looks like some lovely restoration work has happened at Clapton on the London Overground.

And, I see that the wonderful @railwayheritage.bsky.social is involved.

What a good job! I look forward to seeing it all open.

A station platform and building. We see a green door, a roundel and some long triangular lights. There is a sign saying "Toilets" and another saying "First Class Waiting Room".

A green door with some panels on, one describing the history of Clapton station. Above is a light, on which it says "Clapton" in black letters.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

1/ A reflection: something that disadvantages non-STEM scholars in unis, especially those in the arts and hums, is that we are judged by STEM frameworks:

1) We don't publish as often.
2) We tend to publish alone or in pairs.
3) Our work doesn't usually require large funds, if any.

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David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 1d

What HE managers fail to understand is that in the context of the Humanities, ‘employability’ isn’t teaching coding or carpentry, but skills around writing, presenting, reasoning, evaluation, analysis, research etc. In an 80% service economy, these are the skills that fundamentally matter.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

3/ Rather we adhere to that odd notion of the advancement of knowledge.

Ultimately, this needs to stop. Just as you wouldn't judge uni management by the standards of a school leadership team, you shouldn't judge Non-STEM scholars by STEM standards.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

2/ What the STEM "eye" oftens sees is, however:

1) Low publishing output.
2) Disconnected from scholarly networks.
3) Not bringing the money in.

This is on top of the fact that we don't frequently have "working with industry" as a goal.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

1/ A reflection: something that disadvantages non-STEM scholars in unis, especially those in the arts and hums, is that we are judged by STEM frameworks:

1) We don't publish as often.
2) We tend to publish alone or in pairs.
3) Our work doesn't usually require large funds, if any.

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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 2d

The Spectator (owned by GBNews owner Paul Marshall - estimated wealth of £800 million) doesn’t like taxing wealth fairly.

I wonder how they got to this editorial decision?

Let’s tax wealth fairly, fund front line services & make hope normal again.

join.greenparty.org.uk

Polanski is talking nonsense about wealth taxes.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

It is with great sadness that I have heard about the death of Gerald Crompton. An insightful historian, a very kind individual, and source of useful advice when I was just staring out on my academic journey.

I cannot recommend his work enough - go look it up.

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Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · 7d

Mental ill health is frequently caused or exacerbated by entrenched workplace cultures of overwork and bullying.

Until all UK workplaces are forced to take their statutory workplace mental health & safety duties seriously, people with mental ill health will be unable to return to or remain in work.

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 7d

BREAKING: Specialist employment advisers will be based in GP surgeries and mental health services as part of government plans to get people back to work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden speaks to #BBCBreakfast about the government’s plan to tackle long-term sickness

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 7d

Good morning from the Overground.

I wish someone would make a model of these trains. And it doesn't have to be super detailed - I know a fair few children that would love it!

A London Overground train sits at a station. We see it facing forwards into the rising sun. There are overhead wires and on the platform there is a shelter and in the mostly clear sky there are whisps of cloud.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 9d

Kilsby Tunnel, 1839.

Then, it was the longest rail tunnel, but after had cultural impact. Even in the 1880s, when longer tunnels had been built, it was still being compared to the pyramids. This highlights that infrastructure isn't just functional, people attach varied emotions and meaning to it.

A black and white drawing of an ornate tunnel portal. There is a hill over the top and some railway workers stand on the track. We see through the tunnel to the light at the end.

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The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · 9d

This is a lie.

There are many criticisms you might sensibly and truthfully make of the Sentencing Council and the Sentencing Guidelines. I’ve been making them for years.

But this is an outright lie. Pure fabrication. A fraud on the public.

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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 9d

"The single most important behaviour, design or regulation for creating streets conducive to walking and cycling, was physical separation between the modes"

We've got a new study out, learning from a broad mixture of street users, planners and designers

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Highlights
For marginalised street users mode separation is the key to human-scale movement.
Streets conducive to walking and cycling have functional, safe and accessible design.
Professionals must approach street design, regulation and user behaviour holistically.
Combinations of influencing factors persuade people to either use or avoid a street.
There are no easy fixes to the public realm that will work for all non-drivers.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 9d

This is very disturbing. I can't say whether she will ever influence government, but even she doesn't, these disgusting statements increasingly normalise such ideas and open up to further discussion.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 9d

Not a serious person. Zero mention of what this would mean for the over a million British citizens whose own access to welfare in the EU is protected by the withdrawal agreement.

EU citizens living in UK shouldn’t be allowed welfare benefits, says Tory rising star

Katie Lam — who is earning plaudits on the Conservative right — calls for Brexit withdrawal agreement to be reopened.

www.politico.eu

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 9d

Kilsby Tunnel, 1839.

Then, it was the longest rail tunnel, but after had cultural impact. Even in the 1880s, when longer tunnels had been built, it was still being compared to the pyramids. This highlights that infrastructure isn't just functional, people attach varied emotions and meaning to it.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 12d

I know some wonderful people who work at the Uni of Portsmouth, but I will always think this, in Walthamstow, is funny: "welcome to your local university".

The issue: the absence of sea views and boats.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 12d

Dear academic publishers, when I ask to download a pdf, I do NOT, want a bloody pdf reader or viewer.

Me going to the viewer just annoyingly delays the end result; me having a pdf on my hard drive.

Cut it out.

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Dr Kevin D. Tennent @kevindtennent.bsky.social · 12d

Always nice to have the physical copy in your hands.

Two hardback copies of the book Foundations of Managing British Olympics: Institutions through Time by Alex G. Gillett & Kevin D. Tennent. Emerald.

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 13d

Our final free @railway200.bsky.social at @astonuniversity.bsky.social event takes place on 18 Nov at 1730 at Conference Aston.

A panel of industry experts will discuss the challenges the railway industry faces, but the opportunities that lay ahead.

Do join us

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/railway-20...

Railway 200 at Aston -Britain’s Railway Today: Challenges and Opportunities

This is the final event of our "Railway 200 at Aston University" series.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 13d

Our final free @railway200.bsky.social at @astonuniversity.bsky.social event takes place on 18 Nov at 1730 at Conference Aston.

A panel of industry experts will discuss the challenges the railway industry faces, but the opportunities that lay ahead.

Do join us

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/railway-20...

Railway 200 at Aston -Britain’s Railway Today: Challenges and Opportunities

This is the final event of our "Railway 200 at Aston University" series.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Dr Kevin D. Tennent @kevindtennent.bsky.social · 16d

The Historic England Research Magazine issue on 200 years of Rail seems quite good - and a free resource. historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/re...

Historic England Research Magazine | Historic England

Keep up to date with a selection of highlights from the latest applied research into the historic environment by Historic England and our partners.

historicengland.org.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 16d

'University of Sussex leader Sasha Roseneil said she felt opposition to higher education was often grounded in an explicit rejection of the expansion of access that has taken place in recent decades.' 1/2

Universities victims of ‘relentless negativity campaign’

Sussex v-c says media attacks motivated by view that fewer people should obtain a degree

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 16d

New from me: a *free* short version of my Political Quarterly piece on universities... The issue is settled now: the massified and accessible Higher Education system we have spent tens of billions building since the 1970s is coming to an end. (1/2)
politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...

Where now for Britain’s Universities?

UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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Signal of the Day 🚦🚥🚂 @signaloftheday.bsky.social · 16d

One of the (many!) highlights of this weekend’s #Railway200 events was Locomotion No.1 arriving at Darlington station, supervised by an appropriately-attired @davidhorne.bsky.social, and with signal T900 guarding the way ahead. Thanks to @railwayhistorian.bsky.social for the picture!
#SignalOfTheDay

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David Turner @railwayhistorian.bsky.social · 17d

My last two photos from last night's wonderful #Railway200 event in Darlington.

As always, I'm so very very glad to be reunited with my good friend @mrtimdunn.bsky.social

It was so very special to be able to stand, for an second, in the Experiment replica.

Two men, one with a beard and another in a hat, stand in front of Locomotion No.1. Behind it is an LNER Azuma train.

A man ina hat (me) stands in an open sided carriage. It is Yellow and has the word "Experiment" on the side.

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