Antony Carpen
@acarpen.bsky.social
1.1K followers 570 following 8K posts
Ex-Whitehall type still with views on public policy, but now local historian in Cambridge (UK) blogging at https://lostcambridge.com/ - also writing about the future of the city on The Cambridge Town Owl.
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Reposted by Antony Carpen
flipchartrick.bsky.social
This is a question I keep asking. There is a disconnect between economic and management academic studies.
Economists are now at panic levels over productivity but it’s not something you hear discussed in businesses. A lot of organisations don’t even measure it according to its economic definition.
pojmasta.bsky.social
Given the productivity puzzle has now been a thing for decades, is anyone doing deep empirical work on it - e.g. ID'ing cohorts of high/low productivity firms in the UK and then digging into differences and drivers in their operations, ways of working, strategies etc. via proper observation?
acarpen.bsky.social
Olivia is only a baby in this set of family photos taken in a London studio during the years they lived in Cambridge.
acarpen.bsky.social
NEW BLOGPOST: "Brinley Newton-John and family photographed in London – 1949" lostcambridge.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/b...
Pictured: Cambridgeshire High School for Boys headmaster Brinley Newton-John with son Hugh, in the Lotte Meitner-Graf Archive. There's an incredible yet tragic photo of Rona too.
Reposted by Antony Carpen
sundersays.bsky.social
Having illustrated the problem of X ignoring its legal duties, I want to build an effective coalition for intervention. If you are or know people on X receiving racist abuse, rape threats, I would welcome receipts of one rejected attempt to report to the platform an indefensible case
sundersays.bsky.social
Thanks for this kind note. I hope to do something useful with this by Nov/Dec (new Ofcom powers, new EHRC chair). I'd like more women + ethnic minorities to go through (futile) process of reporting shocking stuff (eg rape threats, p-word, n-word) & share receipts with me of one egregious example
acarpen.bsky.social
"Just one idea...?"
***Actually...***
(I can relate to the latter)
acarpen.bsky.social
Re KPop Demon Hunters www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... The series has opened up the world so much on all things neurodiversity. A number of content creators have observed the number of ADHD-traits that Zoey (on the left with the trios of light-blades) displays. Such as infodumping-at-pace.
Kpop Demon Hunters creator excited at potential for more stories
The co-directors of Netflix's most watched film ever say
www.bbc.co.uk
acarpen.bsky.social
NEW BLOGPOST: "Brinley Newton-John and family photographed in London – 1949" lostcambridge.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/b...
Pictured: Cambridgeshire High School for Boys headmaster Brinley Newton-John with son Hugh, in the Lotte Meitner-Graf Archive. There's an incredible yet tragic photo of Rona too.
acarpen.bsky.social
"On Monday, 15th September, the Ely Closed Churches Uses Committee and their Officers accepted our bid to try and restore the church for community use" www.standrewtheless.org/news/ On one of the oldest non-University buildings in #Cambridge.
News - The St Andrew the Less Community Project
www.standrewtheless.org
acarpen.bsky.social
...at a time when there was a lot of TV satire hitting the screens. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b... (What happened to political satire on TV as a regular thing?)
BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Mary Whitehouse Experience - Episode guide
All episodes of The Mary Whitehouse Experience
www.bbc.co.uk
acarpen.bsky.social
Easy to forget how different TV-land was half a century ago www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jFY... This from the early 1970s. (Nearly 20 years later the Mary Whitehouse Experience hit the screens) 2/3 -->
1972: MARY WHITEHOUSE | Midweek | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
www.youtube.com
acarpen.bsky.social
"Margaret Thatcher considered banning sex toys using an anti-pornography law as part of a drive to clean up public decency in the 1980s. The former PM was persuaded to consider a change in the law by the anti-obscenity campaigner Mary Whitehouse." www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home... 👀 1/2
Thatcher wanted to ban sex toys
The former prime minister was encouraged to change the law by campaigner Mary Whitehouse
www.independent.co.uk
acarpen.bsky.social
"The Guided Busway and widespread cycle infrastructure support sustainable commuting, making getting around the city simple and enjoyable." garringtoneast.co.uk/moving-from-... Well this #Cambridge place sounds great! Wonder where it is!?!? 😜
Moving from America to Cambridge: The draw of Silicon Fen
If you're moving from America to the UK, Cambridge offers a rare chance to enjoy global connections and an exceptional quality of life in one dynamic city.
garringtoneast.co.uk
Reposted by Antony Carpen
annaclarke.bsky.social
So Farage wants to scrap double council tax on second homes - a policy that's been working well to raise more money for councils and also free up more homes for locals. And instead ban new homes from being sold to anyone not already local - a policy shown to grind housebuilding to virtually zero?
acarpen.bsky.social
"First they ignore you.
"Then they ridicule you.
"And then they attack you and want to burn you.
"And then they build monuments to you.

Quotation from Nicholas Klein en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichola...
@zackpolanski.bsky.social has goten past the ignoring stage!
bradfordgreens.bsky.social
" @zackpolanski.bsky.social is a sort of raving communist, really"

The right-wing media are losing their minds as the Green Surge continues.

Join us > Join.greenparty.org.uk
acarpen.bsky.social
Maradona's Hand of God
Fall of Berlin Wall
Italia '90 World Cup
Death of Leah Betts
Tony Blair winning the 1997 General Election
paulbernal.bsky.social
What five events defined your childhood?

The first moon landing
Thatcher stealing my milk
Vietnam war
Star Wars
The Clash
topsyscatmum.bsky.social
What five events defined your childhood?

Poll tax riots
Brixton riots
Fall of the Berlin wall
Sex Pistols
Jaws/Grease/Poltergeist
acarpen.bsky.social
All the more striking given it was only 40-45 years after the time. (Compare it to politicians today talking about the events of the early 1980s).
timbale.bsky.social
Margaret Thatcher recognised the need to provide asylum for refugees, as well as the need to distinguish them from immigrants. No hope of that from her successors, of course.

Ian Gow MP (Thatcher's PPS) to Tony Marlow MP 23 August 1979:
Reposted by Antony Carpen
acarpen.bsky.social
Via @emilydourish.bsky.social Exoect a few of you will have thoughts on this @socialsoprano.bsky.social @francescoppola.bsky.social (My take on broadening audiences? Start a new generation of community orchestras for adults in a new generation of inspiring community learning centres
cmonden.bsky.social
Great (paid) PhD opportunity. Excellent environment, conditions, and supervisors. And a topic close to my heart. (Selfish reason for promoting this: I fear there won't be enough concerts for retired me to go to. Geen dag zonder Bach.) vacatures.knaw.nl/job/The-Hagu...
PhD position "Is the audience for classical music concerts fading out?"
PhD position "Is the audience for classical music concerts fading out?"
vacatures.knaw.nl
Reposted by Antony Carpen
dmk1793.bsky.social
In piece for @renewaljournal.bsky.social, I suggest Labour conference saw the emergence of two distinct approaches to practicing politics in a broken public sphere:
- YIMBYs and Growth Groupers pursue disruption
- "progressive communitarians" seek re-connection
Reposted by Antony Carpen
aguynamedguy.co.uk
Whatever your politics - please, listen to this. Isn't it refreshing to hear a politician speak with hope instead of fear?
greenparty.org.uk
“Britain is a nation of neighbours, not strangers — and it’s time we built a politics of hope that reflects that.”

Zack Polanski with a message of unity and hope having been out door knocking Handsworth today.