59 h. ago Women behind the lens: ‘I thought, who is this woman? I need to know her’

Indian artist Indu Antony was mesmerised when she first saw 78-year-old Cecilia and has put her at the heart of a project that interrogates women’s safety in public spaces and celebrates friendshipI first encountered Cecilia a decade ago, as she was cycling through the streets of Bengaluru in India wearing a cape. I thought, who is this woman? I need to know her. She is 78 years old, and has become a dear friend of mine. She has always defied conventions of age, gender and femininity. In fact, when I was attacked on the street and wanted to speak out about gender violence, Cecilia was the first person I turned to.She has always dressed in bold and unconventional ways – often poking fun at my more restrained dress sense. Her style, humour and sheer presence bring a vibrancy that cannot be fabricated. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Eat Wood Green, a community food growing and education space

Eat Wood Green, a community food growing and education space-is now open to the public at Wood Green Library.  Parikiaki

Politics

7 d. ago Trump has called the US postal service ‘a joke’. But don’t expect Amazon to replace it | Niamh Rowe

Amid financial struggles and presidential criticism, USPS is facing challenges. But it plays an essential role in US lifeIn towns where Washington DC is an abstraction, the post office is the front desk of American democracy – sometimes the only public space at all. Here, postmasters are “the human side of government”, as the senator Jennings Randolph put it in 1976. “When such offices are closed,” he warned, “the American flag really comes down.”Championed by Benjamin Franklin in 1775, the roots of the US postal service – whose mandate is to “bind the nation together” – are older than the republic itself. The constitution calls for “post offices and post roads”. The USPS is still legally obligated to provide a “basic and fundamental” service to all Americans. In Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a rural carrier drives more than 700 miles a year to serve just two households.Niamh Rowe is a New York-based writer and podcast producer Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Government announces £5bn to revive high streets, parks and public spaces

The investment includes £2 million every year for a decade for 169 more areas and a one-off cash injection of £1.5 million for 95 areas.

Politics

8 d. ago What to know before you try foraging for edible plants and mushrooms in backyards or public spaces

Amid some renewed interest in foraging for edible wild plants, mushrooms and other foodstuffs, experts caution aspiring foragers to prioritize safety, plan carefully and learn proper identification

Politics

9 d. ago Volunteer litter pickers being asked to 'pay for privilege' of cleaning parks and public spaces

The request to fork out for public liability insurance has been been blasted as 'ludicrous' and a 'terrible decision' by a leading councillor

Politics

1 week ago The wholesome countryside activities that could land you with a £1,000 fine

Councils across the country have come under fire for using Public Spaces Protection Orders to restrict 'wholesome' nature activities by claiming to limit anti-social behaviour.

Economics

1 week ago Shouting and stroking ponies outlawed by rural councils in England as antisocial behaviour

Civil liberties groups say swathes of new rules, including for swearing and wild swimming, criminalise normal behaviourShouting, leaving your spectacles in the sun and stroking a pony are among the rural activities outlawed by councils under the banner of managing antisocial behaviour this summer, according to campaigners.The Manifesto Club, a leading civil liberties group, said swathes of new public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) have been introduced or extended by local authorities, criminalising activities and behaviours under the banner of managing antisocial behaviour or environmental harm. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago West Lothian community centre managers refuse to sign up to changes

The current management committee which oversees lets of public space in the Bathgate partnership building on South Bridge Street had proposed its own dissolution.

Politics

3 w. ago Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones

Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world warAn “express” library has opened in a new metro station in Warsaw, aiming to provide an appealing cultural space to encourage residents and commuters to forgo smartphones in favour of books and, thanks to fresh herbs growing in a vertical garden, a dash of subterranean greenery too.The stylish Metroteka, which opened this week in the Kondratowicza M2 line metro station in the Polish capital’s Targówek district, offers two reading areas for adults and children, as well as a space for public readings and events. Continue reading...

Events