Alison Tomlin
@alisontomlin
Emeritus Prof @ Leeds Uni in energy & environment. For clean air, net zero, trees, Latin drumming & exercising my right to roam. Suspect professional Northerner.
Am having lunch outside with a painted lady and a large number of bees enjoying the echinops. Such a great plant for attracting insects even if it has taken over the picnic table.
Reporting again from Island of strangers Bradford where crowds are enjoying the street festival. This is the brilliant Catalunian band Sound de Seca performing Posse. #Bradford2026
Superb views across Edale today from the top of Lords Seat. An unexpected Ethel bagged.
It's all happening at St. Aidan's. I would be very happy to see the Bearded tit but no luck yet.
Interesting session with the CGSA Dame Prof Angela Mclean in Leeds. She seems like a very engaging and energetic person. Less optimistic about her honest views on inter-departmental collaborations in government. Maybe the treasury should take a lead on tackling that problem.
Am transpennine after a great summer school at Tsinghua Beijing. Colleagues and students could not have been more helpful & kind. All was going well until 1/2 way through the wk, when a Stanford Prof arrived to lecture on AI/ML and suddenly chemical kinetics seemed a lesser option.
As doors go this is quite a good one. Translated: Spring breeze and crabapple blossoms revitalize the family's reputation. Dragon Boat Festival, Zhilan Old Jiadi. Residents are advised not to take part in ginseng. If you're passing through Manchester by train at rush hour tomorrow please be nice.
Found a delightful vegan cafe in Beijing and they're playing the Durutti Column. Wow.
There's a robot server appeared in my favourite veggie restaurant near Tsinghua. Although it mainly seems to require being followed by a human.
Can you see me from space? Very hot work climbing the steps up to the final watch tower.
I'm in Beijing for the Tsinghua summer school. It's 16 years since I was last here. The air quality seems have improved dramatically, although I knew that from the data. Crossing the road is still an utterly terrifying experience. Pray for my safety. 🙏 no road included here for calm.
37. In Leeds? You've got to be kidding. Think i will be spending Thursday in the back of the van with climate control on max. Better get the fridge loaded up. Yuk.
6 weeks to hopefully having more time to sit here. Unless it gets too hot...
BTW. This also works. Sorry Norman if you don't agree. The irony is not lost that this is a social media post but the point stands. If we want young people off social media, there has to be something else for them to do. This worked for me in the 80s.
Oh no another of my favourite artists lost to the world this week. I was lucky enough to see him live several times. Such beautiful rhythm and harmonies in his music, which thankfully is still with us. RiP Abdullah Ibrahim.
Oh, the news of Hockney's death has proper made me cry. I just loved his work, his attitude to life and his celebration of Yorkshire. This simple print is one of my favourites. Meh.
45 years ago today. In case you weren't already feeling old. I bought the 12 inch which is worth a bit now. It feels like we need an equivalent of the Two Tone movement just now. Where is it?
Bigging up another Leeds band this morning. The Haggis Horns were on fire in Shipley last night. Just a vibrant wall of funk and maybe the sharpest brass section around?
Also a fan of gritstone rock formations. As I guess was Henry Moore.
Am still a sucker for a red phone box or post box out in the wild. Nice to find both up on the moors today.