Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond

Twitter account for Black Isle/Chanonry Point - mainly Black Isle community stuff!

[Martin Lewis @MartinSLewis]

IMPORTANT PLS SHARE. It's rumoured the English £9,250 tuition fee cap may be raised this pm for the 1st time in 8yrs, as University's finances are strained. As student finance misunderstandings abound, I've bashed out a few notes to help...

1. Higher tuition fees WON'T change what most pay each year. For most, they're paid for you by the student loans company and you repay afterwards only if you earn over the threshold. The amount you repay each year (9% over the threshold) solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow.

2. Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent. Most lower and middle earning university leavers will simply pay 9% extra tax above the threshold for 40yrs (and higher tuition fees won't change that)

3. The rise is tuition fees is likely to be trivial compared to the changes the last govt made for 2023 starters. 2023 starters had their repayment thresholds dropped to £25,000 (from £27,295/yr) and had the time they had to keep repaying for (unless cleared) extended to 40years from 30years.

So these higher annual repayments for longer, increased by over 50% the amount many graduates will eventually have to pay back for going to university. Yet they were almost stealth changes because people can't intuitively feel the seismic impact.

Changing tuition fees is a more obvious rise, but in reality has far less of an impact on the amount most will repay (though combined with the 2023 changes it does certainly up the cost).

4. The biggest practical problem for students isnt tution fees (even if raised) its the fact maintenace loans aren't big enough. English maintenance loans have not kept pace with inflation. I'd urge the govt to couple the tuition fee loans with bigger living loans - if not it is a real risk to social mobility, with those from the poorest backgrounds likely to be worse affected.

I could write more, but will stop here, hopefully this gives an idea the issues are less straightforward than many feel.

[TrudyToogood @TrudyToogood]

@mrmarksteel Ours is insured with the Salvation Army. They're incredibly good value, have a callcentre with actual humans, and your premiums support their good work in the community. Couldn't recommend them enough!
The Salvation Army General Insurance Corporation Ltd
https://t.co/lFNwyzOUTJ

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@Luiseach @invernessred You do not know when that photo was taken. If you can be nothing else in life, #BeKind.

[@veewalkerwrites 🙏🌹 @veewalkerwrites]

Yesterday's #BBCNSSA event was fun, but the highlight for me was something else (sorry, @BBCRadio4)! My publishers Parmjit and Bikram presented me with this extraordinary limited edition, the work of the great historian, Professor Emeritus Eleanor Nesbitt @uniofwarwick.

[@veewalkerwrites 🙏🌹 @veewalkerwrites]

All Souls, Langham Place (John Nash) floodlit against #BroadcastingHouse 📚 Tonight's the night of the #BBCNSSA #shortstory awards, a live broadcast on @BBCFrontRow 📚 Keep five nervous authors company and tune in at 19.15 UK time 📚 @BBCRadio4 @Cambridge_Uni @ed_pr #BookTwitter

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Maybe a tournament organised by The Marine Hotel in #Rosemarkie for its guests? Look like trophies on the table. @GroamHouse

[HeartHighland @hearthighland]

#Rosemarkie - a tennis party?

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Visiting #ChanonryPoint, #Cromarty or #Rosemarkie? Add ancient #Kirkmichael to your itinerary...

[The Herald @heraldscotland]

Abandoned and vandalised: How medieval chapel came back to life

https://t.co/fYr6ZOY2UK

@SusanSwarbrick

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Local author alert... Vee is the only Highland, and possibly the only Scottish finalist in #BBCNSSA #shortstories 2024 #NiceDog 🤞

[@veewalkerwrites 🙏🌹 @veewalkerwrites]

Locations which inspired my #BBCNSSA 2024 shortlisted story, #NiceDog, to be read by @IgnatiusSancho on Thurs 19/9, 15.30 UK time @BBCRadio4, based on a real encounter last Xmas in the Old Town @VilledeNice ❤ 🇲🇫 🐾 @CeliaImrie (#CoursSaleya!) @HighlandLIT @ed_pr @litandcw_ice

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Great annual event!

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@Beathhigh Loosely summarised post-Reformation iconography - 'we're aaaaa doooooomed...'

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Nice 📚📚📚 festival for #Highland #bookworms #books #writerscommunity #writersoftwitter @nairnbookshop @ArtsNairn @FindhornBayArts

[CannyEdit @CannyEdit]

So looking forward to our workshop. Our @CannyEdit presentations will be friendly, informal, informative - and great fun! You can book 1:1 editing advice sessions too - more details 👇

[Ian Rankin @Beathhigh]

The man takes a decent selfie…

[Jay Handlin @jayhandlin]

For the first time, this is what a Master’s degree looks like.

Today, my daughter #RachelHandlin became the 1st person with #Downsyndrome to earn a graduate degree.

In the world.

Ever.

Rachel says: “I won’t be the last.”

@CalArts BFA 2020.

@PrattInstitute MFA 2024.

Legend.

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@Beathhigh The Isle of Wight has changed a bit...

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@Mairigold13 @prize_novel @saranaidinecox Best of luck!

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

Clearly...

[Jon Gibbs @JonGibbsPhoto]

Stoer, Assynt

Have a good day 😀

[Andy Howard @highland_andy]

For those of you that love the movie #LocalHero you may recognise this scene?
It’s the exact location where Mac and Danny ran over Trudy the rabbit and due to fog had to sleep in the car overnight.
“I’ve got some chocolate and gum…..”

[@veewalkerwrites 🙏🌹 @veewalkerwrites]

If you are interested in religion and women's history, and haven't listened to this, you are in for such a treat. Were the voices cast like those you had in your head, Victoria @forthygreatpain? Jane Lapotaire and Jessica Gunning, extraordinary 👏👏👏 https://t.co/zvzEFTBoSm

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@Lin_Anderson No idea @Lin_Anderson but I badly want that cushion...

[Rosemarkie Beach... and beyond @RosemarkieBeach]

@MartinSLewis @HastieJock Leap Year!