Simon Higgins
@simonhiggins60.bsky.social
Emeritus Chemistry Prof., University of Liverpool. Still dabbling in molecular electronics. The rest of the time, I'm usually riding a bike, cooking (and eating) or reading. Volunteer at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
I don’t know why, but I get regular emails from the ‘Fair Fuel’ (sic) lot. They’ve got steadily more right wing, delusional verging on conspiracist, of late. Reckon ‘Blue Labour’ think they have to appease these people.
November 25, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I don’t know why, but I get regular emails from the ‘Fair Fuel’ (sic) lot. They’ve got steadily more right wing, delusional verging on conspiracist, of late. Reckon ‘Blue Labour’ think they have to appease these people.
Mrs H's cousin's lad Ben, who was running for Scotland in the Senior race.
November 23, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Mrs H's cousin's lad Ben, who was running for Scotland in the Senior race.
Correction: the Morpeth Harriers duo who were 1st and 2nd in the Senior race, which was held jointly with the U23 event. Easy to get confused in these situations!
November 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Correction: the Morpeth Harriers duo who were 1st and 2nd in the Senior race, which was held jointly with the U23 event. Easy to get confused in these situations!
And this was the park at dusk after the racing. Lovely evening.
November 23, 2025 at 3:40 PM
And this was the park at dusk after the racing. Lovely evening.
First two U23 runners in yesterday’s Liverpool Cross Challenge race, approaching the end of the first of two laps in Sefton Park. After a dreich morning it was a decent afternoon.
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 PM
First two U23 runners in yesterday’s Liverpool Cross Challenge race, approaching the end of the first of two laps in Sefton Park. After a dreich morning it was a decent afternoon.
So Tory Boy became a columnist. Who’d have guessed?
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
So Tory Boy became a columnist. Who’d have guessed?
BTW those flats have a car park round the back of the building.
November 20, 2025 at 3:16 PM
BTW those flats have a car park round the back of the building.
Just up Halewood Rd from where I live, I was actually beeped at by a car driving behind me on the pavement. Driver said he needed to park in front of his flat. I told him the pavement was not an auxiliary car park or road and got a mouthful of abuse.
November 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Just up Halewood Rd from where I live, I was actually beeped at by a car driving behind me on the pavement. Driver said he needed to park in front of his flat. I told him the pavement was not an auxiliary car park or road and got a mouthful of abuse.
Too cold for this thin-blooded old git today, so did the Col de la Madone on Zwift's climbing portal. 5th of the 11 people who had done it today; I'll take that, given my current state. www.strava.com/activities/1...
Zwift - Climb Portal: Col de la Madone at 100% Elevation in Watopia | Strava
View Simon Higgins's virtualride on November 19, 2025 | Strava
www.strava.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Too cold for this thin-blooded old git today, so did the Col de la Madone on Zwift's climbing portal. 5th of the 11 people who had done it today; I'll take that, given my current state. www.strava.com/activities/1...
We were in Valetta a couple of weeks ago. That museum was closed so we did the two biggest forts- that took a while. The Neolithic temples at Ħaġar Qim are amazing. If you like sea swimming, go to nearby Għar Lapsi as well- swim with shoals of little fish.
November 19, 2025 at 1:28 PM
We were in Valetta a couple of weeks ago. That museum was closed so we did the two biggest forts- that took a while. The Neolithic temples at Ħaġar Qim are amazing. If you like sea swimming, go to nearby Għar Lapsi as well- swim with shoals of little fish.
Had a super little 50 km ride today; sun was shining, the light was beautiful, but it was damn cold in that NE wind. www.strava.com/activities/1...
Should have worn more clothes! | Strava
NE wind- freezing. | Strava
www.strava.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Had a super little 50 km ride today; sun was shining, the light was beautiful, but it was damn cold in that NE wind. www.strava.com/activities/1...
Use the early Great Western Railway approach; they didn't even convey 4th class passengers by passenger train, just hooked their (open, unbraked) wagons to goods trains.
November 17, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Use the early Great Western Railway approach; they didn't even convey 4th class passengers by passenger train, just hooked their (open, unbraked) wagons to goods trains.
Fed up with Farage? Me too. I’ve signed the Never Nigel Pledge. Add your name today, and help show that division and hate have no place in our communities.
secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk
secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk
Take the Pledge: “I’ll never vote for Nigel Farage”
Join thousands across Britain taking the Never Nigel Pledge. Say no to hate and division and help stop Reform UK from tearing apart our communities. Let's show there is strength in standing together f...
secure.hopenothate.org.uk
November 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Fed up with Farage? Me too. I’ve signed the Never Nigel Pledge. Add your name today, and help show that division and hate have no place in our communities.
secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk
secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk
It seems LNW’s Euston-based services are still entirely the old and more comfy class 350’s, whereas the Liverpool-Birmingham trains are now entirely austere and harsh new class 730’s. It’s unusual to find new stock on Northern services. Why, in this case, I wonder?
First ride on one of London Northwestern’s Class 730s from Birmingham New Street to Liverpool. Ride quality is rough on any jointed track, seats are a bit harsh. Unit broke down at Winsford w faulty door interlock. So all in all, not a great experience!
November 15, 2025 at 4:06 PM
It seems LNW’s Euston-based services are still entirely the old and more comfy class 350’s, whereas the Liverpool-Birmingham trains are now entirely austere and harsh new class 730’s. It’s unusual to find new stock on Northern services. Why, in this case, I wonder?
I can’t understand the Party’s current obsession with appeasing the flag shaggers. It’s morally wrong and is anyway doomed to fail.
November 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
I can’t understand the Party’s current obsession with appeasing the flag shaggers. It’s morally wrong and is anyway doomed to fail.
The only thing to do when the weather is this horrible is bake; Scottish batch loaves from J Morton’s bread book.
November 15, 2025 at 3:46 PM
The only thing to do when the weather is this horrible is bake; Scottish batch loaves from J Morton’s bread book.
I never understood why @royalsociety.org elected this delusional Fascist techbro in the first place, but I’d have hoped that deliberately inciting UK civil war might just persuade them to kick him out.
That’s Elon Musk, Fellow of the Royal Society, I’ll have you know. Because the Royal Society can only seem to come up with throat-clearing noises as a response to these sorts of statements instead of actually throwing him out.
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I never understood why @royalsociety.org elected this delusional Fascist techbro in the first place, but I’d have hoped that deliberately inciting UK civil war might just persuade them to kick him out.
Reading a Byline Times article about the US buildup off Venezuela and was interested by the statement that the Naval forces include 'the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, which is equipped with B52 bombers'. I think launching and recovering B52's from an aircraft carrier would be... challenging.
October 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reading a Byline Times article about the US buildup off Venezuela and was interested by the statement that the Naval forces include 'the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, which is equipped with B52 bombers'. I think launching and recovering B52's from an aircraft carrier would be... challenging.
I have written letters to VCs on behalf of chemistry colleagues in other institutions selected for redundancy on Departmental contraction on grounds of lack of research income, when the reason was all the collegiate stuff they'd been loaded with, with no credit. Can't think it's any better now, tbh.
October 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I have written letters to VCs on behalf of chemistry colleagues in other institutions selected for redundancy on Departmental contraction on grounds of lack of research income, when the reason was all the collegiate stuff they'd been loaded with, with no credit. Can't think it's any better now, tbh.
Could be! I was Departmental Safety Officer in my 2nd year (in a chemistry Dept, when COSHH was coming in...), then Year 2 coordinator, later Chair of Board of Studies. I did eventually wangle some grant money, hence excuses to say 'no' sometimes. And yes, some female colleagues were worse off.
October 27, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Could be! I was Departmental Safety Officer in my 2nd year (in a chemistry Dept, when COSHH was coming in...), then Year 2 coordinator, later Chair of Board of Studies. I did eventually wangle some grant money, hence excuses to say 'no' sometimes. And yes, some female colleagues were worse off.
You're not wrong though, sadly.
October 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM
You're not wrong though, sadly.
Way back when I applied for Senior Lecturer and didn't get it, I bemoaned my fate to a colleague, who replied 'Your problem is that you don't waste enough money!' I had a large teaching load and did a lot of departmental admin; my other problem was not saying 'no' enough.
October 24, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Way back when I applied for Senior Lecturer and didn't get it, I bemoaned my fate to a colleague, who replied 'Your problem is that you don't waste enough money!' I had a large teaching load and did a lot of departmental admin; my other problem was not saying 'no' enough.
That figure, and the ratios, are clearly plucked from thin air. These people are a plague on HE. I wonder how many humanities Profs bring in £100k per year? I had trouble meeting that figure in the sciences!
October 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
That figure, and the ratios, are clearly plucked from thin air. These people are a plague on HE. I wonder how many humanities Profs bring in £100k per year? I had trouble meeting that figure in the sciences!
I’m watching a man wield a chainsaw halfway up a tree in the garden opposite. He has no gloves, hard hat or anything, and is not secured in any way . The guy holding the ladder below has all the safety gear!
October 18, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I’m watching a man wield a chainsaw halfway up a tree in the garden opposite. He has no gloves, hard hat or anything, and is not secured in any way . The guy holding the ladder below has all the safety gear!
More remarkable molecules from Harry Anderson and collaborators in Science- this time, fused porphyrin nano belts. www.science.org/doi/full/10....
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 10:56 AM
More remarkable molecules from Harry Anderson and collaborators in Science- this time, fused porphyrin nano belts. www.science.org/doi/full/10....