Simon Ricketts
@simonicity.bsky.social
Ubiquitous planning lawyer. Arts; culture; politics; simonicity blog. Personal views. Not much football because Saints FC.
In a hotel room, woken up by the alarm that the previous guest must have set on the clock radio. Who does that?! I do miss pre-iphone times: the check-in Qs whether sir wants an early morning alarm call & newspaper, & then seeing the papers outside each door in the corridor so we can judge everyone.
Time for US to get new president says civilised world.
Arkayla again, this time at Camden Dingwalls. Fantastic live band, every song a singalong. Support band The North too. There’s a scene again in Manchester it seems…
Dr John Cooper Clarke on the first night of his tour here in little Tring. Still got it. ❤️
Nope me neither. There’s currently a plague of nonsense ads like this in the City.
40 years old this month… purchased this morning for, yes, still £1.99. A very obedient charity shop.
First gig this year where I was I confess a bit teary eyed it was so good. First Aid Kit with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
New blog post, Old Wine In A New Bottle: Heritage Considerations In The New NPPF simonicity.com/2026/09/27/o...
Old Wine In A New Bottle: Heritage Considerations In The New NPPF
Some of the language on heritage in chapter 20 of the new NPPF is different to the previous version: does that matter in practice? That’s what I’m covering in this post (although, darn it, th…
simonicity.com
🚨🚨🚨 Episode 183 of 50 Shades of Planning is available now via this link or from the usual podcast platforms. A Framework-Led Conversation. pod.co/50-shades-of...
Bunnymen tonight: 1. Trees in Regents Park reminded me of the cover of their 1st album. Crocodiles. Set kicked off with 1st track off that, Going Up. 3. Ever seen Will Sergeant & Andy Burnham in same room? 3. Ian McCulloch hides in the dark these days. But none of us look how we looked in 1980.
I did first read this as AI. Need to get a life or new glasses.
This is indeed an extremely sober conversation on the AI existential risk question. Super-clear explanation. open.spotify.com/episode/1C41...
A Sober Conversation About AI Existential Risk — With Nate Soares
Big Technology Podcast · Episode
open.spotify.com
Not only was this a fascinating read, it led me back to the albums I’d ignored. I Trawl The Megahertz & The Gunman all week. 🙏 PS PM is a genius.
Bunnymen new album release day 🐰 A couple of tracks in and it’s like slipping on a replacement pair of your favourite comfy slippers. open.spotify.com/album/4IA176...
Apples For Isaac - Album by Echo & the Bunnymen | Spotify
Echo & the Bunnymen · album · 2026 · 11 songs
open.spotify.com
I'd not really paid much attention to the Piddington campaign till today, but looking at the official X material, with the far right-echoing AI slop visuals, and the group pic alongside Rupert Lowe, it's illustrative of how widely this sort of online-based anti-migrant sentiment has embedded.
Camped out this afternoon in some co-working space that is pumped through with constant low volume landfill indie muzak and I’m close to needing to find where the plug is and ripping it out with my bare teeth.
New blog post, A Problem With The Draft London Plan? simonicity.com/2026/09/13/a...
A Problem With The Draft London Plan?
The 16 July 2026 London Plan consultation draft was published before the publication of the government’s 17 August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework which sets out the tests which strategic …
simonicity.com
The return to physical media is a radical act. A book in your hand or a record on the turntable belong to a world beyond subscriptions, licenses, and corporate permission, and they can be lent, inherited, annotated, repaired, and loved. They remain when the platform fails and the servers die.
J.H. Siegal@joshuasiegal.bsky.social · last mo.yes....YESSS.....
Well this was the biggest news today in my little bubble. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Plans for major overhaul of councils halted
Proposals to merge smaller councils to form larger authorities have been paused or withdrawn in a number of areas.
bbc.co.uk
The man who beat two female protesters with his cane at the Reform conference has been identified as Stephen Cooling - it’s actually there on his conference tag - former UKIP candidate for Erdington and now member of Reform’s Sutton Coldfield branch. Presumably West Mids Police have enough info now
This will not have been a quick get away, I have queued behind orders like this. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Thieves steal 70,000 pints of Guinness in two lorries
More than 800 barrels of the stout have been stolen from a depot in Runcorn, Cheshire, say police.
bbc.co.uk
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes”
@beaubodor.bsky.social · last mo.Spontaneous departure of spontaneous protestors from Dover Priory Train Station, marching to catch a spontaneous train arrival. Kent Online www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news/l...
