Here’s another edition of The Ragged Optimist’s newsletter, a bunch of interesting things to help kickstart your week.
I’m writing this for you yesterday* (on Sunday), before heading out for a day at Walmer Castle with my now-grown-up children, because today (Monday - that’s now) is my 50th birthday, and I plan to do no work.
*Timey-wimey stuff.
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We're so used to 'austerity' in the UK that the idea of a new civic building seems rather incredible. Over in Cork, Kinsale Library has been designed by the council's architects. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, but it's increased library use, too. It’s worth investing in public infrastructure.
Meanwhile in Leeds, the Tiny Tetley Studio by artist Stephanie Jefferies is moving from art gallery The Tetley (which has closed) to ... Leeds Library. The same libraries that have these brilliant Playboxes. Huge respect to my pal Emma Bearman, who over ten-and-some years hard work seems to have woven play into the city’s life.
“The topic of the climate crisis is not one we often associate with football, especially not with women’s football. However, as a professional player I’ve come to realise the deep concern and untapped potential within our community.” said Amy James-Turner in The Guardian, launching this report into Women’s Football and Climate Change.
Meanwhile, beavers are reducing flooding and turns out, are good in times of drought, too.
And it’s good news for White Storks, which have increased from two nesting pairs to nine in four years, with 26 chicks fledged from 11 nests across the Knepp Estate.
The UK Communities Conference brings together people working (and living) in the area of co-housing, communes, and intentional communities. The more I struggle with the collapse of rental housing in the UK, the more I think this has to be part of the solution - building new communities together.
I love this pride flag made with every color band represented by a NASA image. White is Earth clouds, pink is aurora, blue is the Sun in a specific wavelength, brown is Jupiter clouds, black is the Hubble deep field, red is the top of sprites, orange is a Mars crater, yellow is the surface of Io, green is a lake with algae, blue is Neptune, and purple is the Crab Nebula in a specific wavelength. Made by Rachel.
Seadog is a pop up bookstore inspired by myth, magic and storytelling. They spend their time re-surfacing tales from their home on The Isle of Thanet whilst waiting for The Wantsum to re-flood. I had coffee with Tom, the founder, last week, and he gave me some brilliant Bill Drummond ephemera.
I’ve also been to Margate Bookshop this week. I found a book called The Britannias, by Alice Albinia, who went on a journey round the UK’s islands in search of the women of ancient mythology. I opened the chapter on Thanet in the shop, at a page where I found the line ‘the author Dan Thompson, who lives in Margate…’ I had forgotten meeting Alice, during Margate Carnival in 2017. It’s a really interesting read, if you ignore my nonsense.
For our last First Friday at Marine Studios. I had some of my Peace Paper on show. I had it handmade by the Paper Foundation in remembrance of Vera Brittain, and am giving sheets to artists to make work about, inspired by, or considering peace. If you’d like a sheet, get in touch.
Happy Birthday and thank you for this powerful weekly antidote to the turmoil all around, Dan, it is lively, wondrous and so charming