Helen

@socialsoup

Designer in UK Gov. Made in State School.

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Helen@socialsoup· 15d

I love Newcastle. Geordies feel things fiercely, and we respond with collective action and intention. Whether that’s the sadness of the death of Kevin Keegan (Mags manager 30 years ago) or plastic pollution in our sea. Image credits: King Kev, Newcastleupontyneditcom Nurdle clean up, Jonathan.

Image credit: Newcastleupontyneditcom
Thousands of scarfs, banners, candles and Newcastle United tops left outside of St James’s stadium in honour of Kevin Keegan.

Hundreds of volunteers sweeping the high tide line on a sandy beach, sifting and bagging tiny plastic pellets.

Helen@socialsoup· 15d

Tynemouth nurdle clean up stock ready for 6am shift. (Image credit cllr Tom Bailey) Volunteers needed; a coordinated community lead group’s already organised a WhatsApp group, volunteer training, website, parliamentary petition, and countless bags of collected waste. Environmental agency still MIA.

A high pile of yellow and black brooms, bin bags and hi-vis jackets in the back of a white van.

Helen@socialsoup· 18d

1 billion plastic nurdles spilt into the Tyne after a container ship and crane collision this week. 25 tonnes of plastic straight into the mouth of the Tyne and North Sea. The local councils and surfers collectives have been amazing- but the environment agency not so much.

A landscape photograph of a sand beach covered in thousands of white plastic pellets

Helen@socialsoup· 23d

The north is grim.

Helen@socialsoup· 28d

System of a Down tonight, just wow. (Tw: Flashing lights)

Helen@socialsoup· Jul 7

To be fair there’s a few manifesto pledges that are absolutely spot on.

1. I will cut your taxes, and raise everyone else's.
2. All 99 Flake ice-creams to cost no more than 99p and Wigan Kebabs to be price-capped at £2.
3. Rephase the traffic lights on Liverpool Roadto ease congestion.
4. Corners to be refereed properly in football.
5. People who use speakerphones on public
transport to be conscripted.
6. Wifi on trains that works. Also trains that work.
7. The £6.6 million Ashton-in-Makerfield
regeneration scheme to be regenerated.
8. Pensions to be double-locked, with an
extra little chain on the side.
9. Cyclists who break the highway code to be forced to ride unicycles instead.
10. Elected mayors to be ineligible for Parliament until after their term of office.
11. Free parking at the Gerard Centre to be increased to 3 hours.
12. Auto-renew on all online subscriptions to be abolished immediately.
13. HS2 to be renamed FFS1 and rerouted so it ploughs through rail execs' homes.
14. Galloway Bakers' 'Full Monty Bin Lid' breakfast to be Britain's new national dish.
15. Tries in Rugby League to be increased from 4 to 5 points in line with inflation.
16. Ceefax to be brought back for the entire Greater Manchester area.
17. MPs to lose their subsidy for cheap food and drink in Parliament.
18. The hand-dryer in the gents' toilet at the Crown & Treaty pub, Uxbridge to be moved to a more sensible position.
19. Count Binface to be the UK's entrant at Eurovision 2027.
20. I stand by my past manifestos: croissants, Brexit, Trident, building at least one affordable house: I've got it all covered.

Published and promoted by Count Binface, The Count Binface Party, PO Box 818, Tonbridge, TN9

Helen@socialsoup· Jun 20

Was reminded of this gem of a pub today. Mangos Landin’ in Brixton was basically my crèche in the 00’s. Jimmy Roger’s (Brixton TopCats) was a figurehead to all of that needed a friend and I have tons of happy memories here. London needs more Mangos and Jimmys, not chasing them to the fringes.

Photo of a corner 60s flat roof pub, called Mangos Landin’. it’s painted green and white with a large palm tree painted on the front of the building. It was a class boozer. It was a community asset. It’s a crime it’s now posh flats.

Scaffolding and boarding around a demolished site. The boarding reading Luxury 2 & 3 bedroom flats. No one who ever stepped a foot in Mangos Landin’ or the Hope lives here.

Helen@socialsoup· Apr 20

When you have 3 days of meetings in another city starting tomorrow - but you also helped your emo teenager with their hair…

A left hand stained blue/ purple from black hair dye.

Helen@socialsoup· Apr 12

This is my council currently. I honestly think it’s going to be a reform swing, and the only campaign Labour seem to be running is voting Green will be a spoilt vote.

Structure of north Tyneside council- with 51 out of the possible 60 council seats currently held my Labour councillors, 8 by conservatives and 1 independent

Helen@socialsoup· Apr 4

First day of the Easter 2 week half term- and kiddo #1 goes and tears their MCL. How’s yours going?

A tween child in a blue wheel chair wearing black shorts and a grey hoodie. They have a black knee brace and holding crutches. They are giving a thumbs up sign.

Helen@socialsoup· Apr 1

Always knew Geordies, especially Northumbrians, were ‘high up’ latitudinally (55-N) but seeing it like this shows just how much higher. We’re more northern than Dumfries, The Isle of Arran, Stranraeh, Quebec and parts of Denmark and Alaska. Nee wonder it’s a bit nippy.

The new grid north by ordnance survey, showing a 24.6 degree change left wards.
This means Newcastle is, like, proper northern now.

Helen@socialsoup· Apr 1

Oh just F off. Emotional and violent outbursts, hurting themselves, being left out of friendship groups, falling behind, endless referrals back and forward to CAMHS, stuck in limbo on a right to choose pathway which is paused & may never start back up again or paying £1000’s in private medical fees.

Picture of a forlorn looking girl in blue dungarees and a pink T-shirt. She’s leaning with her head in her hand in a school desk with a pencil and school work in front of her.
The picture accompanies a Sky News headline “Youngers incentivised to get ADHD and Austin diagnoses”

Helen@socialsoup· Mar 30

Stop scrolling & post two characters who bring you happiness.

Comedians Vic and Bob as their characters Donald and Davey Stott. They have triumphant black comb over/ bald caps, very high startled eyebrows and the type of moustache that went out of style in the 1940s because of its most famous Austrian owner.

Helen@socialsoup· Mar 24

Can we just celebrate working class joy please? What’s your favourite picture of community joy? Anything by Tish Murtha, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen or Thomas Blower always does it for me.

Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's BYKER: GIRL ON A SPACEHOPPER, 1971.
Black and white Photograph of a young g girl in a woolly jumper with a fabulous sequin covered dress bouncing on a space hopper in a terrace house back lane.
The cobbled back lane is immaculate, with no rubbish or weeds, or graffiti.

Black and white photo of 5 elderly woman, all with short grey hair hitching their dresses up to dip their toes into the sea. They are firm friends, and really happy, so happy you can feel the joy through the image.

2 girls, one black with short black curly hair and one white with a blonde Bob. They are about 6 or 7 both in black welly’s and sheep skin coats. They have their arms around one another, with their faces pressed against each other and smiling beautiful full grins to the camera.
Taken by Thomas Blower in Hattersley, 1977.

A black and white photo taken by Tiah Murtha titled Richard and Louise. It’s taken from the
Elswick Kids series.
It shows 2 young white children, 1 boy and 1 girl starring into one another’s eyes lovingly. While 3 boys laugh and run behind them.

Helen@socialsoup· Mar 15

Cure for balding before a cure for endometriosis. Declaring an emergency for people seeking refuge but not for poverty or cost of living. …and politicians wonder what ‘radicalises’ normal people.

New article headline ‘scientists might soon cure balding. Here’s how’

BBC news article ‘council seeks to declare migration emergency’ the party of the council has been removed to prevent bias, but we all know which one it is.

Helen@socialsoup· Mar 10

The English are at it again.

BBC news head line that read ‘boss repeatedly shouted “potato” at Irish employee’

Helen@socialsoup· Mar 8

On International Woman’s day i’d like to celebrate the 16 Newcastle witches* killed in one day 375 years ago. * women who were strong willed, single, queer or catholic.

A pencil drawing depicting the 1650 Newcastle witch trials, where 15 women were hanged. 4 have already met their fate on the gallows, while another 3 are bound waiting in line to be next. 3 more women look out of the tower window in horror.
Men exchange money in the background while horseman, bell ringers and armed men surround the scene. Drawn by Ralph Gardiner in 1655.

Helen@socialsoup· Feb 17

In the highlands with my favourite eejit. Yes Geordies really don’t wear coats even in the frozen north.

Helen@socialsoup· Jan 27

I chuckle everytime I see wealthy folk decorate with William Morris. The fella literally wrote the book “chants for socialists” www.marxists.org/archive/morr...

A black and white photo of William morris with wild salt and pepper wavy hair and long beard. His photo sits on the background of his famous print, vine leaves in green and blue curl and dance in a beautiful swirl of textural lines.

Helen@socialsoup· Jan 23

I’m very confused by this message. I need a new account to access my old records, but need to wait 15 minutes until an account can be logged into- and thats even if I can and then there’s no guarantee that what’s there is right or that I’d even get it if I ask for it… Cool.

A screen shot of a very wonky website banner that reads: if this is your first time accessing the member portal since 25 November, you will need to creat a new account.
once you have completed the registration process, please wait 15 minutes before logging in to ensure your account has been fully activated. Thank you for your patience.

Helen@socialsoup· Jan 18

38 US military bases across Europe, yet not in one in Republic of Ireland, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland. Just saying, there seems to be *strong* correlation of not having a US military base and OECD better life index.

Graph showing various counties on the better life index with Switzerland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland and Austria all scoring at the top end of the graph- above US, U.K. And Israel.

Helen@socialsoup· Dec 26

North East kids are wired differently. First ones in, last ones out.

View out to sea with beautiful fluffy clouds in the blue sky and a ship out into the distance. 2 children play in the crashing waves.

A child in a swim suit with very red arms and legs and a soggy santa hats on. Their face is obscured with a cold face emoji for privacy, but underneath they are belly laughing.

Helen@socialsoup· Dec 26

North Sea Boxing Day dip

Helen@socialsoup· Dec 25

Helen@socialsoup· Nov 25

This beautiful fella is the well loved ‘Reindpede’ of Seaton Valley. After being damaged in storm Bert last year, it’s not made an appearance this year and honestly the locals residents Facebook group are FURIOUS!

Children’s drawing, of an 8 legged reindeer, with a very happy smiley face, turned into red and white Christmas lights hanging from a lamppost.

Helen@socialsoup· Nov 23

Grassroots festival from amazing North Sea surfers and local ambassadors- open for submissions for all fellow north sea enthusiasts! www.northseasurffilmfestival.com

Helen@socialsoup· Nov 5

Apparently this isn’t an onion parody. I’m not up on my American papers, but is the NYP like the UKs Sport? Think they did the same here with Jeremy Corbyn, going after his flat cap and allotment jams. I mean I’d vote for higher taxes, free stuff, hating Israel’s genocidal actions and vibes too.

front page of the New Yokr Post where they picture Mayor Mamdani with a hammer and sickle in red. It reads, on your Marx, get set, Zo! Socialist Mamdani wins race for the may. In large text The red Apple.

Helen@socialsoup· Nov 2

Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon “a hard man”. 😂😂😂

Helen@socialsoup· Oct 16

Just want to shout out to @ntcouncilteam.bsky.social who’ve quietly launched the new website- from the confusing mess and collection of PDFs for bin day to this lovely little fella

Screenshot of a large yellow banner stating next collection: Friday 17 October, household waste

Helen@socialsoup· Oct 13