Cllr Sam Easterby-Smith
@samsterby
Green Party councillor for Old Moat, Manchester. Active travel troublemaker. Wizened software engineer. Own views. He/Him Promoted by Sean Duggan on behalf of Sam Easterby-Smith (Green Party), at 36 Manchester Road, Manchester. M21 9PH
In taking a breath, my 5yo and I picked a load of blackberries and made crumble. Small simple pleasures 👍
Every time someone digs up a main road in Manchester, they find the old tram lines buried beneath the pavement. And I cry at what we could have had.
Well… Downing Street in Manchester is a small stretch of the A6 and an industrial estate in Ardwick. But for real, the no 10 north offices are in Heron House on Albert Square, at least for now.
Here’s the point at which the choices run out… option 1 is 999. The other options are unhelpful.
Well that’s fun… there is currently no sane way to report cars blocking pavements to Greater Manchester Police. If you try reporting it as a road traffic incident it redirects you to report it as anti-social behaviour… and then it tells you to call 999. I’ll just have to email them.
Fellow Nationwide building society members, you should have received your “Review of the year” and voting pack. Only this time is a bit odd. There’s a member-nominated candidate @jss4nw.bsky.social who the board are very obviously trying to prevent from being elected. It’s utterly blatant.
Oh my gosh, it’s #WorldDryRiserWeek (thanks @richardmortimer.bsky.social)
I experienced the VOID. Contractors found a mysterious hole beneath the new Floop/Wilmslow Road junction, and I went to check it out. Shouldn’t hold things up too much, they are going to fill it in over the next day or two.
Gradually working my way around local businesses for chats. Today I couldn’t miss seeing the folks at Lentils and Lather. We talked cargo bike deliveries, improving lighting on paths, and nice things that could be done with a little pocket of unused land. 💚 #OldMoat #ShopLocal
Gah my headphones have stopped working, refusing to charge or power on. These are Sennheiser HD 250bt… they’ve done well tbh, daily use, mostly for calls rather than music, and quite rough handling. And so begins the process of trying to shop.
In small but important little wins: we have a new “cyclops” junction being built in Fallowfield. I asked the contractors if they could kindly move the signs that were blocking the bike lane, and it has happened! I’m drunk with councillor power now. 💚😅
Realised that our hedge (actually the neighbouring landlord’s hedge) is infested with box moth caterpillars 🐛😭 Anyone had any luck with Nematodes? Or is this hedge a goner?
Sometimes you have to lift the lid and look inside to see the problem… (I’m actually kinda delighted that my first bit of casework involves bins)
So yesterday I got elected as the new #GreenParty councillor for Old Moat in Manchester. 💚 I genuinely didn’t expect this, thinking that I’d come a good second, but as it turned out I ended up with a majority of 640. #LocalElection2026 /1
We found a dog while out campaigning today. Kept following us but then haring off. Would not come to the polling station. Sometimes you can’t win em all. #dogsAtPollingStstions
I see things… little things… that need fixing. Details matter, both the little stuff, and the big stuff. #VoteGreen 💚
Really beautiful to go out campaigning with Thirza, our Green candidate for Moss Side today. Not counting any chickens but if we are both elected it’s going to be a privilege to work together. #VoteGreen @mcrgreenparty.bsky.social 💚
Here’s a visualisation from 2023 that I happen to have handy… so proportional. So fair.
A got an ADB-USB Wombat, so I can use this keyboard from 1988 with my modern computers. #smallNerdPleasures
Some Zack-mail arrived! Things are feeling very positive in South Manchester. I spent today speaking with residents and handing out posters in Old Moat. Truly hopeful vibes. 💚🌞 @zackpolanski.bsky.social