Kate Fargher

Bookkeeper, mother of four, grandmother, carer, student, love reading, swimming, cycling, running and walking, social equality and wildlife/nature. Hate litter.

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

On 6th Sept, I'm swimming 1,500m to support Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra's education outreach, helping children access music making at primary school.
Any donations hugely appreciated #JustGiving #BPO https://t.co/GVpC7LXAIH

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan @LondonMarathon @FCNcharity Post the FCN fundraiser link when it's ready please Charles

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan Double -yolked egg!

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan @Marathon_Mcr @FCNcharity Have you got a FCN fundraiser going? (If so, please ping the link)

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan @Marathon_Mcr @FCNcharity Brilliant running in the Manchester Marathon Charles, that's an excellent time, well done indeed

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

So Southern Water’s toxic plastic beads have now made it all the way across the English Channel.

Can someone explain to me, exactly what the hell does a water company have to do to loose their operating licence?

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan Good luck Charles and Julie, hope you enjoy it!

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan Brilliant, and very well earned. Congratulations Charles!

[Paul Lewis @paullewismoney]

0331 630 8338 called. I didn't answer. Who Called Me? says this number is used as the first call in a common scam - or theft as I prefer to call it. Always check with https://t.co/wjUqeUNPuG and never ever answer or respond as you will then be on a list of live real numbers.

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

I see the "Independent" Water Commission has a new member appointed. Douglas Millican former CEO of Scottish Water who caused outrage when he shared almost £1 million in bonuses with 2 colleagues on top of their already 6 figure salaries. The average salary in Scotland is £38,000.

He joins former Thames Water executive Jon Loveday.

Well that's alright then.

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

@CharlesAnyan @FCNcharity Fantastic, great running, well done to you both 💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Little Green Space 🦋 @LGSpace]

Bars of soap usually need less packaging than liquid hand-soaps. There are lots of eco-friendly options, made with natural ingredients, and many are plastic-free - so choosing soap bars is one way to reduce plastic pollution.
A few suggestions:
https://t.co/40R4dKarHU

[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.

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

On 16-17th November, I will run 10k as part of the Great Ethiopian Run, in support of Project Harar, a charity whose work in Ethiopia makes a huge difference to children with cleft lip and palate.
Please visit my page and make a donation if you can: https://t.co/AZiS67uHtH

[Martin Booth @beardedjourno]

I’m staying in Shoreditch and the number of people using the Cycleways is extraordinary. If you build safe cycling infrastructure, cyclists will use it. Top work from @TfL. Bristol and WECA: please take note! (Let’s hope for strong support for active travel in tomorrow’s Budget.)

[minette batters @Minette_Batters]

Big moment for @UKLabour to honour on their commitments to farming and food production. Words are easy - actions count 🙏👇

[Adam Tranter @adamtranter]

On this day in 1971, Simone Langenhoff, aged 6, was killed while cycling to school; hit by a speeding driver.

Her death and the movement started by her father, Vic Langenhoff, a newspaper journalist, changed an entire country and saved thousands of Dutch lives. Here's how 🧵

[Kate Fargher @katkinsgalore]

Wise words

[Brian Cox @ProfBrianCox]

I don't look at this timeline much these days, but noticed increased activity with people shouting stuff. I tracked the cause down to reactions to an article promoting my new Solar System series on the BBC website - nice that it has got attention - Monday, 9pm, BBC2 if you are asking ;-) It's fun I hope, and I do some experiments with eggs in the first episode.

However, just to be clear:

1) I don't think it is 'probable' that we are the only advanced civilisation in the Milky Way. I have no way of assigning a probability to it. I can make an argument that complex life may be rare, and I think it's a good working hypothesis to assume this in the absence of other evidence, because it might make us value ourselves and our planet more. I certainly think there's a chance we may find simple life on Mars, Europa, Enceladus, Ganymede or even in possible sub-surface water on Pluto or elsewhere. I'm excited for the missions we have planned to explore these worlds. There are of course trillions of planets and moons in the Milky Way, and I'd be very surprised if they were all lifeless. But Civilisations - my guess is a handful at best. Beyond the Milky Way, in the trillions of galaxies in the observable Universe, surely there are other civilisations more advanced than us.

2) I do think that it is important for us to learn how to live and work in space - and the first steps beyond Earth orbit will be the Moon and Mars. HOWEVER (and I ALWAYS say this in interviews on this subject) there is a caveat! There is nowhere else we could go that would replace Earth, and therefore our number 1 priority must be to protect this planet. If we mess this one up, there is nowhere else we could live in large numbers - at least (in my view) for many centuries to come. It is a major error to assume that we can just up sticks and start again. In my lifetime, to paraphrase Carl Sagan, I can only hope we take our first steps into the Cosmic Ocean - the waters seem inviting.

3) I'd love to see Earth from orbit. But - as someone who was born close to Yorkshire - when asked if I'd like to go I always answer the same way. "Yes, if someone else is paying ...."

[Jake Backus @whyrwenotgrnr]

@adamtranter Lorry driver let off from killing a cyclist, despite having the TV on his phone and despite the cyclist having his vis and lights. He didn't see him.
I hope neither happens to me. Vehicles need to be less like a living room where you completely relax.
https://t.co/j1n3MdiGxG

[Adam Tranter @adamtranter]

Every single driver parked on this cycle lane knew, deep down, that they were making other people’s journeys more perilous. And they did it anyway.