Eluned Mansell
@e-sings.bsky.social
Leadership, management and change in the education sector. Soprano with the CBSO Chorus. Arts and culture fan.
New post: "Seven things we learnt from the elections" We found out a lot about how multi-party politics is working in Britain over the last few days. I look at the implications for all the main parties + the broader challenges for our system. (£/free trial) samf.substack.com/p/seven-thin...
Seven things we learnt from the elections
Hopefully Comment is Freed readers will have felt a sense of familiarity as election results came in over Thursday night and Friday.
samf.substack.com
My latest blog on change, as we go through the process of finding a new choral conductor! open.substack.com/pub/elunedma...
Transitions: the next phase of change
In my last blog, I talked about an ending.
open.substack.com
Not at all relevant to Sam's analysis, but I still find it weird to see my first name in any sort of print as it's fairly unusual even in Wales!
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 6mo agoNew post out: "Elections 2026: The Preview" The first part of an epic preview covering 5,000 seats across 136 councils in England; plus parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/e...
2:22 A Ghost Story in Oxford. Shout out to Natalie Casey getting the show back on track after a hilarious interruption from an audience member caused everyone to get the giggles 😃
Theatre #7 The Battle (Birmingham Rep) Fun, sweary telling of the battle for #1 between Blur and Oasis, with a very funny punchline that it could have got to a bit quicker
I mean... I have seen all these skaters skate live and I've never seen anything quite like that from Kagiyama and Malinin (or Shaidorov really, fair play to him!). Insane amount of pressure.
Well said by Marina Hyde www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
So the Epstein scandal is about politics? Silly me for thinking it’s about the mass abuse of women and girls | Marina Hyde
Obsessing over individual players and political chaos leaves less time to focus on the misogyny. And that’s for the best, isn’t it guys, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
theguardian.com
At work, I often threaten to have tattooed on my forehead: 1. What are you trying to achieve? 2. What are the implications of that? 3. What resources do you have to make that happen? This piece makes me feel like that applies at all levels of operation!
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 8mo agoNew post out: "Who runs Britain?" Politicians complain they are unable to do anything because of the machinery of state. Yet they have more power than ever. What explains this "paradox of executive power" and how can it be fixed? (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...
Had a great time at #EuroFigure this week - brilliant to see a bronze medal for the Brits and huge support from a packed arena
Really interesting on the successes of enabling communities to make the changes they want to see themselves
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 9mo agoNew post just out: "Power to the People" Today we have a guest post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social on how Labour can counter the "Britain is Broken" narrative by investing in civic life and giving people more control over their community. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...
New post just out: "Troubleshooters" How fixing the many small frustrations - that make up most of our interactions with the state - can give people faith in goverment's ability to make things work. And help create a different Whitehall culture. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
Troubleshooters
How to get people believing in the state again
open.substack.com
Theatre #5. Incredible performance of All My Sons. Just wow.
Theatre #4 courtesy of NT Live, one of my favourite innovations. Great performances by Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden, and you get a great view for £20 from the comfort of your local cinema
Theatre #3 Some much needed new year humour from Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. Mischief theatre are just brilliant!
Theatre #2 - The minimalist staging of The Forsyte Saga at the RSC allows the story (and acting) to shine. Loved both parts of this (had managed to miss all previous TV adaptations, so the story was genuinely new to me).
Already finished 2 TV series. V much enjoyed the Stranger Things finale - agree that the epilogue was disproportionately lengthy, but I was crying 😢 by the end. Satisfying ending imo.
Starting this year's support/ enjoyment of the arts with an awesome performance of Fiddler on the Roof, a musical I have actually managed not to see before now (no, not even the film). High quality all round.
New post just out: "Who might replace Starmer?" With pressure growing on the PM, there are a lot of conversations going on in Westminster about who could take over. Who are the contenders? Who's best placed to win? Would it make any difference? (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...
Who might replace Starmer?
As predicted at the start of the summer, the idea that the Prime Minister might not make it through another year is gaining traction.
open.substack.com
New post out: "The worst social policy ever" Today we have a guest post from @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social on the abomination that is the two-child limit and why Labour need to scrap it ASAP. Lots of data but also powerful testimony. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
"The worst social policy ever"
We have a couple of bonus guest posts over the next week.
open.substack.com
The first line made me laugh out loud, the rest was the usual tone of insightful and somewhat depressing (I have family being educated in Russia)
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 11mo agoNew post just out: "Never again?" On how the radical right are trying to change our collective memory about World War Two as part of their assault on the postwar order. And why that memory remains a critical defence against nationalism. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/n...
Sending @samfr.bsky.social lots of get well soon wishes, following his latest attempt to become one of his own NHS statistics. As ever, hugely insightful piece, although I think everyone would prefer you not to have to write from firsthand experience!
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 12mo agoNew post just out: "On the edge" On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...
Are you listening? We're on BBC Radio 3 right now, with our season opening concert recorded last week! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Radio 3 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds
Listen live to BBC Radio 3 on BBC Sounds
bbc.co.uk
This week we performed The Dream of Gerontius as the CBSO's season opener - here's my tribute to Simon Halsey who steps down as Chorus Director after 43 years! elunedmansell.wordpress.com/2025/09/18/i...
Great day at #rED25 - sessions from @beckyfrancis.bsky.social, @daisychristo.bsky.social, @chrisfountain.bsky.social and @dougobrien.bsky.social. It is always a delight seeing educators sharing their knowledge (on a Saturday no less) - brings such energy to the start of term.
My latest, exploring with numbers how the millennial household budget is basically incomprehensible to retired boomers.
WASPInomics and the magic avocado tree
Why boomers struggle to make sense of the millennial world.
open.substack.com
New post just out: "Britain isn't broken" We have our problems but the doomerism is getting out of hand. I look at the real picture on crime, migration, social cohesion and the economy - rather than the dsyoptian fantasies of the radical right. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
Britain isn't broken
We have our problems but the doomerism is getting out of hand
open.substack.com
Never done a concert that started at 9.45pm before! Singing under the sea in Monaco with the Prince in attendance. Now making our way back home...
Paul McCartney's music in Monaco! Turns out Nice is indeed nice, so we're having a wonderful time exploring, while prepping for Sunday's concert in the evenings
