Mary Elkington 💙💛🇺🇦

@maryindevon.bsky.social

688 Followers 674 Following

Town Planner and Geographer (MRTPI). Used to work at NASA - planning IS harder than rocket science. We can do better.

The telegraph continuing to publish Ed Milliband attacks even with new appointment. So perhaps the 250 attack articles were not related to the DESNEZ brief. I believe this is what the hip kids refer to as 'living rent free'
3 – The Plymouth/Exeter “expanded Torbay” scenario is very problematic Plymouth’s “expanded Torbay” scenario would leave a VERY large rural devon with no logical centre. This remaining Devon would have few major commercial/employment anchors and no significant HE/FE provision; (just very limited technical qualifications through Petrock College with branches in Tiverton and Barnstaple.) The largest market town in that area would be Barnstaple (pop ca 35,000) with nearby Bideford (pop 30,500). However this would be more than 70 miles away from the remaining areas coastal south Devon. The vast network of rural lanes would be crippling for a highways authority with a small population and limited employment. The geographic centre would be near Okehampton (market town pop ca 9100) but creating sub-regional service centre would be expensive and require investment over long time horizons.
Screenshot of Guardian article titled " why we're paying more for locally heroin food than imports" showing a Banana
Ft pension planning article with the phrase "The triple lock is fiscally unsustainable. Sooner or later, it will be dismantled." Highlighted
button reading "Wives Submit Husbands Love Children Obey" this slogan was on handouts at the religious right rally on the Washington DC Mall in Mary 2026
Screenshot: The top tumble dryer producers sold in the UK include Beko, Hotpoint, Bosch, Hoover, and AEG, known for high market share, reliability, and energy-efficient heat pump technology. Other prominent brands popular with UK consumers are Miele, Candy, Indesit, and Samsung, with Beko and Hotpoint often leading in user numbers. Mumsnet +5 Leading Tumble Dryer Brands in the UK Beko: A major market player known for affordability, particularly popular for condenser and heat pump models. Hotpoint: Widely used and trusted, often lauded for sensor drying and energy-efficient models. Bosch: Frequently rated for high reliability and efficiency, commonly recommended in the premium segment. Hoover: Offers competitive, budget-friendly options, including smart heat pump models. AEG: Recognized for high-quality, efficient, and technologically advanced heat pump dryers. Miele: Highly regarded for durability and premium performance, often featuring longer warranties. Mumsnet +8
Screenshot from chat between HMO student tenant and landlord. Tenants note that they are leaving and wish to end tenancy - landlord not happy (in FB HMO chat) that he's "loosing" out by not being able to charge rent after they leave.
Screenshot Guardian article headline "US millionaire big-game hunter dies after being crushed by elephants"
An image of mapped Predictive Agricultural Land Classification data. Big disconnect along line of latitude.
Screenshot from YouGov daily poll asking "how much of a success do you think the outcome of the conflict represents for the United States?" Broken down by politics. 7% of reform voters say "a geat success" and 18% say "a moderate success" (3% and 12% for tory voters). FYI obvs it was no success at all - it was unnecessary, they made a global mess, killed many and spent a fortune.
Screenshot from grid.iamkate.com showing at present UK is generating 109% of electric demand (ie export via interconnector) and just 3% is from fossil fuels...
Article from economist march 21st-27th noting: Despite war in middle east running a car and driving historically cheap. Cost of fuel is 40% of pump price; fuel efficiency of UK cars has improved two thirds over past 3 decades. Cost of buying/maintaining lower than ever. Of course, EV little impact AND BIKE/PUBLIC TRANSPORT STILL BEATS EVERYTHING (<-my opinion)
screenshot of article from The Independent newspaper titled: Ukraine was set to bankrupt Putin - but Trump ruined it.
Screengrab from https://www.vesselfinder.com/ showing vessel tracking at approach to Strait of Hormuz. Shows linear pattern of vessels lined up, presumably waiting for decisions on go/no go from operators.
Screenshot from https://guildford-dragon.com/248-stalin-esque-flats-approved-for-car-park-site-near-station/ illustration shows group of mid-rise bloack of red brick flats with balconys under the title: "248 ‘Stalin-esque’ Flats Approved for Car Park Site Near Station "
Five white people, mostly old, mostly grim faced, standing in a misty field holding a sign that says "save our greenbelt"
Photo of Benin Bronze statues - one could see also arts and music from the global south and east
Screenshot of telegraph page "Labour MP who railed against housing shortage lives in council flat Apsana Begum, who earns a £94,000 salary, continues to live in public housing despite saying she “probably” did not need it" Showing, among other things, that Torygraph doesn't understand social housing tenancies.
two pairs of architectural images. THe rendered images show sunny blue skies and happy active people. The "anti-render" images show the same architectural scenes under damp grey skeis with bare trees. The rendered images are happy beautiful places; the anti rendered are depressingly real images.
Area graph from 2009/10 to 2019/20 showing delivery of non-open-market new homes titled "the coalition sacrified social rent for higher numbers of inetermediate tenures" Graph illutrates how the Coalition and Tory gov pulled back from Social Rent affordable homes for "affordable rent" discounted rent and other.
Screenshot of YouGov daily question: If you had to chose which do you think is best approach for improving public finances Those opting for spending cuts (ie cuts to services) -- by voter intention Reform: 67% Conservative: 60% Lib Devm: 30% Lab: 27% (inverse results for the raise taxes option)
Photo of a 'packed' public meeting at stoke on trent local plan meeting from Stoke on Trent Live.
Screengrab from Scientists for EU FB post: The Brexit experiment has concluded. The null hypothesis stands: Leaving the world’s largest market makes you poorer. Time to publish the results and end the experiment.
Screenshot from Torygraph: " I bought several timeshares to shield my cash from inheritance tax - have I made a mistake"
All on the board tube station message reads: Autism has no nationality, no culture, no religion or gender. Autism is not a disease or an illness that can be caught; Autism can make some people feel different and see differently. Autism requires different levels of love, understanding and support. Autism isn't one size fits all and doesn't come with instructions. Autism won't stop people living lives full of achievement and love; autism is a condition, and like all conditions there can be good and bad days. Autism won't stop people shining like stars in the night sky. @allontheboard
Screenshot of poem by Brian Bilston: I would rather eat Quavers that are six week’s stale, blow dry the hair of Gareth Bale, listen to the songs of Jimmy Nail, than read one page of the Daily Mail. If I were bored in a waiting room in Perivale, on a twelve hour trip on British rail or a world circumnavigational sail, I would not read the Daily Mail. I would happily read the complete works of Peter Mayle, the autobiography of Dan Quayle, selected scripts from Emmerdale, but I couldn’t ever read the....
screenshot of results of yougov daily poll asking would you support landlords paying NI on rental income; Tory/Reform strong oppose with limited support. Lab/Lib Dem higher on the strongly support side.