Richard Brown
@richardbrown.bsky.social
Cities, urban economics, housing, puns, poetry and pop music. Views are mine.
Is the proposed mansion tax a first step towards sensible property tax reform or a clunky dead end? My thoughts for On London. www.onlondon.co.uk/richard-brow...
November 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Is the proposed mansion tax a first step towards sensible property tax reform or a clunky dead end? My thoughts for On London. www.onlondon.co.uk/richard-brow...
"A machine for booking Ubers". Would that be a mobile phone?
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
November 23, 2025 at 10:27 AM
"A machine for booking Ubers". Would that be a mobile phone?
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Fading trails seen from Wimbledon Common this morning.
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Fading trails seen from Wimbledon Common this morning.
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
November 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
The heart of darkness that is the Sunday Times landlord advice column.
November 15, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The heart of darkness that is the Sunday Times landlord advice column.
I love the way that Bluesky abbreviates threads, so you can play a game of "How to get from employee benefits to domestic floorspace, in four moves or less?"
November 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I love the way that Bluesky abbreviates threads, so you can play a game of "How to get from employee benefits to domestic floorspace, in four moves or less?"
Alternatively this (h/t @lettersofnote.com):
November 12, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Alternatively this (h/t @lettersofnote.com):
Reading this @gideonrachman.bsky.social piece, I am reminded that Nena's '99 Luftballons' described the type of accidental incident that almost triggered nuclear war in Operation Able Archer (referred to here) a couple of months later. www.ft.com/content/3c30...
November 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reading this @gideonrachman.bsky.social piece, I am reminded that Nena's '99 Luftballons' described the type of accidental incident that almost triggered nuclear war in Operation Able Archer (referred to here) a couple of months later. www.ft.com/content/3c30...
Great sherry tasting yesterday evening at Hove's wonderful Fourth and Church to round off Sherry Week, under the expert and enthusiastic tutelage of Paul Morgan.
November 8, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Great sherry tasting yesterday evening at Hove's wonderful Fourth and Church to round off Sherry Week, under the expert and enthusiastic tutelage of Paul Morgan.
And Mountain Goats! Much harvest.
November 7, 2025 at 2:09 PM
And Mountain Goats! Much harvest.
If you see this, post a vampire that isn't Dracula.
October 31, 2025 at 4:40 PM
If you see this, post a vampire that isn't Dracula.
Back from holiday. All lovely, but I do wish hotels and rentals didn't supply toiletries in bottles labelled 'Refresh', 'Regenerate', 'Revitalise' etc, only specifying in 6pt type whether they are shampoo, shower gel or depilatory cream. I don't take my reading glasses into the shower. Rant over.
October 20, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Back from holiday. All lovely, but I do wish hotels and rentals didn't supply toiletries in bottles labelled 'Refresh', 'Regenerate', 'Revitalise' etc, only specifying in 6pt type whether they are shampoo, shower gel or depilatory cream. I don't take my reading glasses into the shower. Rant over.
Three tomb doorways in St Nicholas Rest Gardens, Brighton. Design by Amon Henry Wilds (though probably not the concrete blockwork).
October 9, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Three tomb doorways in St Nicholas Rest Gardens, Brighton. Design by Amon Henry Wilds (though probably not the concrete blockwork).
Harvest moon on the way to see Magnetic Fields complete 69 Love Songs at Brighton Dome. One of the best romantic pop-indie-country-chanson-showtune-electro-drone-balladeer-troubadour-folk song cycles you'll hear this or any year.
October 6, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Harvest moon on the way to see Magnetic Fields complete 69 Love Songs at Brighton Dome. One of the best romantic pop-indie-country-chanson-showtune-electro-drone-balladeer-troubadour-folk song cycles you'll hear this or any year.
TIL that these fugly cars are named after these beautiful rugs. Bleak.
October 6, 2025 at 2:33 PM
TIL that these fugly cars are named after these beautiful rugs. Bleak.
Mass-market male toiletry branding is all a bit Tate-adjacent.
October 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Mass-market male toiletry branding is all a bit Tate-adjacent.
In my report, published yesterday, on generative AI, professional services and HE for University of London, I summarised what genAI can do and predicted that my summary would date quickly.
Having seen some of Sora 2's outputs, I think that has already happened.
Having seen some of Sora 2's outputs, I think that has already happened.
October 3, 2025 at 12:58 PM
In my report, published yesterday, on generative AI, professional services and HE for University of London, I summarised what genAI can do and predicted that my summary would date quickly.
Having seen some of Sora 2's outputs, I think that has already happened.
Having seen some of Sora 2's outputs, I think that has already happened.
Is the graduate recruitment slowdown the first harbinger of an 'AI jobs apocalypse'? Not quite, but generative AI is likely to have a radical impact. Delighted to launch new report commissioned by University of London, considering what this might mean for HEIs and graduate careers. Link below.
October 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Is the graduate recruitment slowdown the first harbinger of an 'AI jobs apocalypse'? Not quite, but generative AI is likely to have a radical impact. Delighted to launch new report commissioned by University of London, considering what this might mean for HEIs and graduate careers. Link below.
I really think it is (and don't call me Shirley)
September 29, 2025 at 10:45 AM
I really think it is (and don't call me Shirley)
Re-read Tony Harrison's V this afternoon, the poem that introduced me to his work. Pretty strong stuff still, and quite an epitaph. RIP.
September 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Re-read Tony Harrison's V this afternoon, the poem that introduced me to his work. Pretty strong stuff still, and quite an epitaph. RIP.
Next time I want an image to represent local participation in planning (and specifically objecting to new housing), I may use this rather than the AI images we have all seen. (Image: LDRS)
September 16, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Next time I want an image to represent local participation in planning (and specifically objecting to new housing), I may use this rather than the AI images we have all seen. (Image: LDRS)
That's me told.
September 12, 2025 at 8:07 AM
That's me told.
Could be worse.
September 7, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Could be worse.