Claire Miller
@clairemiller.bsky.social
Data journalist, maths geek, feminist, responsible for a lot of the ICO's FOI caseload.
clairemiller.net
clairemiller.net
Sending your #FOI request to public bodies that just can't help you is a waste of everyone's time.
Citroen got data about the state of the UK roads through FOI requests to 424 councils. It then paid for some pothole repairs in Gateshead.
But there aren't 424 councils in the UK...
Citroen got data about the state of the UK roads through FOI requests to 424 councils. It then paid for some pothole repairs in Gateshead.
But there aren't 424 councils in the UK...
November 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Sending your #FOI request to public bodies that just can't help you is a waste of everyone's time.
Citroen got data about the state of the UK roads through FOI requests to 424 councils. It then paid for some pothole repairs in Gateshead.
But there aren't 424 councils in the UK...
Citroen got data about the state of the UK roads through FOI requests to 424 councils. It then paid for some pothole repairs in Gateshead.
But there aren't 424 councils in the UK...
I'm guessing we're not paying attention to Skills for Care's workforce strategy for adult social care in England then.
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Workforce-St...
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Workforce-St...
May 11, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I'm guessing we're not paying attention to Skills for Care's workforce strategy for adult social care in England then.
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Workforce-St...
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Workforce-St...
BBC Radio 2 loves Eurovision.
However, perhaps not enough to add the UK's Eurovision entry Remember Monday to the playlist...despite the previous two entries making it into regular rotation by this point.
However, perhaps not enough to add the UK's Eurovision entry Remember Monday to the playlist...despite the previous two entries making it into regular rotation by this point.
April 14, 2025 at 2:01 PM
BBC Radio 2 loves Eurovision.
However, perhaps not enough to add the UK's Eurovision entry Remember Monday to the playlist...despite the previous two entries making it into regular rotation by this point.
However, perhaps not enough to add the UK's Eurovision entry Remember Monday to the playlist...despite the previous two entries making it into regular rotation by this point.
Couldn’t decide whether to make brownies or cookies. Made both.
April 5, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Couldn’t decide whether to make brownies or cookies. Made both.
It's just the phonics screening results (you'll never guess what the threshold mark for the expected standard was)
April 3, 2025 at 9:54 AM
It's just the phonics screening results (you'll never guess what the threshold mark for the expected standard was)
Cardiff libraries with a helpful recommendation this week.
March 28, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Cardiff libraries with a helpful recommendation this week.
But if you don't live in more rural areas, the birds you're more likely to spot in your garden (robins, pigeons and magpies, for example) are ones that haven't seen much of a decline, possibly hiding the wider trends.
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
But if you don't live in more rural areas, the birds you're more likely to spot in your garden (robins, pigeons and magpies, for example) are ones that haven't seen much of a decline, possibly hiding the wider trends.
Some types of bird have seen a 90%+ fall in population since the 1970s.
Farmland (turtle dove, grey partridge, and tree sparrow) and woodland birds (willow tit, capercaillie, lesser spotted woodpecker and spotted flycatcher) are well represented in this group.
Farmland (turtle dove, grey partridge, and tree sparrow) and woodland birds (willow tit, capercaillie, lesser spotted woodpecker and spotted flycatcher) are well represented in this group.
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Some types of bird have seen a 90%+ fall in population since the 1970s.
Farmland (turtle dove, grey partridge, and tree sparrow) and woodland birds (willow tit, capercaillie, lesser spotted woodpecker and spotted flycatcher) are well represented in this group.
Farmland (turtle dove, grey partridge, and tree sparrow) and woodland birds (willow tit, capercaillie, lesser spotted woodpecker and spotted flycatcher) are well represented in this group.
The data tracks aggregated population trends for 130 species of birds in the UK - mainly widespread species with at least 500 breeding pairs.
While overall UK wild bird populations are in decline, it's more evenly split between those where numbers are falling and those that aren't.
While overall UK wild bird populations are in decline, it's more evenly split between those where numbers are falling and those that aren't.
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The data tracks aggregated population trends for 130 species of birds in the UK - mainly widespread species with at least 500 breeding pairs.
While overall UK wild bird populations are in decline, it's more evenly split between those where numbers are falling and those that aren't.
While overall UK wild bird populations are in decline, it's more evenly split between those where numbers are falling and those that aren't.
Since 1970 there's been a 16% drop in wild bird populations across the UK.
Most of the decline was between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, driven mostly by steep falls in woodland and farmland birds.
Then things stabilised a bit, but now declines have sped up again.
Most of the decline was between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, driven mostly by steep falls in woodland and farmland birds.
Then things stabilised a bit, but now declines have sped up again.
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Since 1970 there's been a 16% drop in wild bird populations across the UK.
Most of the decline was between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, driven mostly by steep falls in woodland and farmland birds.
Then things stabilised a bit, but now declines have sped up again.
Most of the decline was between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, driven mostly by steep falls in woodland and farmland birds.
Then things stabilised a bit, but now declines have sped up again.
The UK's wild bird population is in decline.
But you might not notice from looking at the birds in your garden...
(Picked the right random mug from the office cupboards for this thread)
But you might not notice from looking at the birds in your garden...
(Picked the right random mug from the office cupboards for this thread)
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The UK's wild bird population is in decline.
But you might not notice from looking at the birds in your garden...
(Picked the right random mug from the office cupboards for this thread)
But you might not notice from looking at the birds in your garden...
(Picked the right random mug from the office cupboards for this thread)
When fast fashion wasn’t quite so fast - I’ve had this H&M dress for about 25 years.
January 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM
When fast fashion wasn’t quite so fast - I’ve had this H&M dress for about 25 years.
If there’s sunshine to be found…
January 3, 2025 at 11:59 AM
If there’s sunshine to be found…
Frosty walks the past two mornings.
January 3, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Frosty walks the past two mornings.
I feel like Atlanta is trying - the Beltline (a walking/cycling loop of the city) was really busy but it’s still one of those places where you end up walking on your own on an uneven pavement next to a highway.
December 18, 2024 at 5:20 PM
I feel like Atlanta is trying - the Beltline (a walking/cycling loop of the city) was really busy but it’s still one of those places where you end up walking on your own on an uneven pavement next to a highway.
People walk in New Orleans and you can do it while carrying a cocktail (is this the solution?)
Also street cars!
Also street cars!
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
People walk in New Orleans and you can do it while carrying a cocktail (is this the solution?)
Also street cars!
Also street cars!
Jackson, Mississippi would be very walkable but absolutely no one is doing that! (And that’s why the local police offered to make sure I got back to my hotel safely when I was walking back from a restaurant)
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
Jackson, Mississippi would be very walkable but absolutely no one is doing that! (And that’s why the local police offered to make sure I got back to my hotel safely when I was walking back from a restaurant)
Hired a bike in Memphis to cycle alongside the Mississippi (after going the wrong way round a roundabout in a, thankfully, empty car park) - nice, route needed much better labelling.
Then ended up walking ages out of my way because there were so many roads in the way of getting anywhere!
Then ended up walking ages out of my way because there were so many roads in the way of getting anywhere!
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
Hired a bike in Memphis to cycle alongside the Mississippi (after going the wrong way round a roundabout in a, thankfully, empty car park) - nice, route needed much better labelling.
Then ended up walking ages out of my way because there were so many roads in the way of getting anywhere!
Then ended up walking ages out of my way because there were so many roads in the way of getting anywhere!
Took the bus from downtown Memphis to Graceland
Pros: $2 for the entire day! Pretty reliable
Cons: Not its fault Google Maps kept making me change at random intersections with nothing but a gas station. Really need to GPS tag their buses.
Pros: $2 for the entire day! Pretty reliable
Cons: Not its fault Google Maps kept making me change at random intersections with nothing but a gas station. Really need to GPS tag their buses.
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
Took the bus from downtown Memphis to Graceland
Pros: $2 for the entire day! Pretty reliable
Cons: Not its fault Google Maps kept making me change at random intersections with nothing but a gas station. Really need to GPS tag their buses.
Pros: $2 for the entire day! Pretty reliable
Cons: Not its fault Google Maps kept making me change at random intersections with nothing but a gas station. Really need to GPS tag their buses.
There seems to be whole rituals around travelling on Amtrak trains.
It’s Cardiff to Manchester train slow, the cafe is only intermittently open, but the sleeper cars are great and it’s pretty reasonably priced!
It’s Cardiff to Manchester train slow, the cafe is only intermittently open, but the sleeper cars are great and it’s pretty reasonably priced!
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
There seems to be whole rituals around travelling on Amtrak trains.
It’s Cardiff to Manchester train slow, the cafe is only intermittently open, but the sleeper cars are great and it’s pretty reasonably priced!
It’s Cardiff to Manchester train slow, the cafe is only intermittently open, but the sleeper cars are great and it’s pretty reasonably priced!
I think I love the ‘L’ in Chicago (I’d have loved it more if it accepted my contactless card but a day ticket’s $5).
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
I think I love the ‘L’ in Chicago (I’d have loved it more if it accepted my contactless card but a day ticket’s $5).
Apparently becoming a collector of DC metro smart cards.
It’s really expensive. Also not clear if you’re on the right train as you wait for the electronic display to slowly scroll through the stops!
Walking the whole loop around the tidal basin is fun but you may not want to do it in 28C weather
It’s really expensive. Also not clear if you’re on the right train as you wait for the electronic display to slowly scroll through the stops!
Walking the whole loop around the tidal basin is fun but you may not want to do it in 28C weather
December 18, 2024 at 5:16 PM
Apparently becoming a collector of DC metro smart cards.
It’s really expensive. Also not clear if you’re on the right train as you wait for the electronic display to slowly scroll through the stops!
Walking the whole loop around the tidal basin is fun but you may not want to do it in 28C weather
It’s really expensive. Also not clear if you’re on the right train as you wait for the electronic display to slowly scroll through the stops!
Walking the whole loop around the tidal basin is fun but you may not want to do it in 28C weather
I still have this dress.
December 16, 2024 at 3:27 PM
I still have this dress.
Just learned the bus driver can apparently change the interior LED strip lights on this bus.
Bus driver still in their brat era apparently. (This is not flattering lighting!)
Bus driver still in their brat era apparently. (This is not flattering lighting!)
December 14, 2024 at 3:55 PM
Just learned the bus driver can apparently change the interior LED strip lights on this bus.
Bus driver still in their brat era apparently. (This is not flattering lighting!)
Bus driver still in their brat era apparently. (This is not flattering lighting!)