This is Northumberland Calling 27.6.25

The ignoring trolls edition

Hello America (particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland calling.

The new IOC president Kristy Coventry has said that there is overwhelming support to limit the female category to biologically female. It would mean trans- women and those with DSD including XY 5ARD would have to compete in the male/open category. The IOC as per its usual practice will not revisit the reallocation of medals in Paris. They never revisited the allocation of medals in 1980 when East Germany cheated through its widespread doping programme either so IOC has form on this. Sharron Davies Unfair Play is an exposé on the IOC past practices as well as a clarion call for fairness in women’s sports going forward. It is very pleasing that Davies’ view appears to have prevailed. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jun/26/new-olympics-chief-kirsty-coventry-vows-ioc-will-ensure-fairness-for-female-athletes

The Telegraph went undercover with the soon-to-be proscribed Palestinian Action (i.e. be considered a terrorist group) and discovered that they were planning to attack three more RAF bases. The police and Home Office have been informed. As the Telegraph pointed out in a leader on 20 June, the sickness is the widespread acceptance of terrorism as a legitimate way of bringing attention to causes, the current wave is merely a symptom. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/26/palestine-action-plans-strike-next-raf-bases/ or https://archive.ph/SAUIL

Not to be outdone, the Times also went undercover and have done an in depth report. It rather begs the question was anyone there who wasn’t an undercover journalist? But basically they feel invincible. The bigger question is who is actually funding them. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/damage-as-much-as-possible-undercover-with-palestine-action-bj0r7t97x or https://archive.ph/VkT01

SEEN in Publishing in collaboration with Sex Matters produced a report on how people with Gender Critical or Sex Realist views were treated in the industry. You can read the report here. https://sex-matters.org/posts/publications/everyday-cancellation-in-publishing/ One of the major conclusions was that the training in this area was poor. Demonstrating this lack of awareness was Anna Frame, a trustee for Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Communications Director for Cannogate, (a B-Corp kitemarked publisher) who objected to receiving the report as she had never signed up for a newsletter and in any case, there were no problems with trans inclusion. Cannongate last updated its GDPR policy in 2018 and perhaps Frame did not realise as communications director, her email is public facing. https://x.com/BookBird71/status/1938139145139822691 is a thread on the subject.

After I put a thread about the report on my TwiX, I received several unpleasant troll type threats like below. I have reason to believe that at least one works in publishing. I suspect those who did this thought they could attack a woman or make her afraid. Note my twitter handle is in my name and has my photograph. No rodents are referenced so I assume the term ‘rodents’ was supposed to mean ‘vermin’ who should exterminated. I simply muted and rolled my eyes. But they amply demonstrate part of the problem within the industry, particularly in training. It is a female dominated industry, and the activists seriously try to intimidate and silence the women who speak up. Men or accounts where they are unsure of the sex behind do not appear to have the same sort of problem. One of the reasons why people say that trans activism is a men’s rights movement

.Seriously, they need to give their head a wobble and understand the latest legislation.

The Telegraph highlighted the problems within the children’s book market for its article on the report. Many of the books examined tipped over into the indoctrination, being trans solves all problems sort of books and often resorted to stereotypes. (NB the US Supreme Court should give its verdict on the Maryland storybooks case today and this could have major implications for the children’s book market – the questions in the oral hearing seemed to favour the parents who wanted an opt-out on religious conflict grounds – basically the no establishment of religion part of the 1^st amendment. Today is the last day of the US SC session and several major cases’ decisions will be revealed) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/25/sparkly-pro-trans-books-targeting-toddlers/ or https://archive.ph/nM0O7

Jeremy Clarkson’s beer Hawkstone is going from strength to strength. It is at the high end of the market but aims to become one of the dominant lagers in Britain. It tripled the number of the pubs where it is served and you can now find it in the major supermarkets. 23^rd fast growing company in the UK last year. Clarkson says that he is through with opening new businesses. His pub is apparently doing very well. https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-100-fast-growth/company-feature/article/jeremy-clarkson-hawkstone-interview-d9b9r6zp0 or https://archive.ph/S1xsk

Looters have been in evidence at Pompeii. They have discovered two tunnels dug to the Villa of Mysteries and fragments of frescos on the floor. The objects looted have disappeared into collections, including (reputedly) the Minnesota Institute of Art which has a statue claimed to have been stolen in the 1970s. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/villa-of-the-mysteries-digs-expose-pompeiis-tomb-raiding-riddle-krc0j50fv or https://archive.ph/CZr7a

In an attempt to visit the sins of the grandfather on the grandchildren, it has been revealed that the new MI6 chief had a Nazi butcher for a grandfather. Metreweli never met her paternal grandfather who died before she was born. Metreweli has worked for MI6 for her entire career and there is no suggestion of sympathy towards the hard right. It is interesting that someone is attempting to do this though. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/27/mi6-grandfather-nazi-spy-butcher-blaise-metreweli/ or https://archive.ph/Ca3ym

The Lions lost to Argentina last Friday night. According to my husband and youngest, the match was brilliant and the atmosphere fabulous. The Lions now depart for their tour to Australia where they haven’t won a match for 12 years. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2025/06/27/andy-farrell-lions-australia-coaching-players-bealham-shirt/ or https://archive.ph/i3Zsx

Here:

My sister who I rarely see visited at the weekend before she and a friend left to walk St Cuthbert’s Way. My husband swears it was a coincidence that he was away in Dublin for the weekend. I was just pleased to be able to talk Family. The reports I am getting is that she is having a splendid time. She and her friend are using a luggage transfer service.

https://www.stcuthbertsway.info/

Throwback to Paddy as a tiny puppy

Paddy thought she was great and a real spaniel person.

The bees are behaving. The nuke seems to have settled with the Queen laying and the old colony has a new laying Queen who tore down Queen cells and they appear to be concentrating on honey production once again.

With my writing, it is good to feel free and not constrained. With series romance, certain things needed to happen by specific points in the book and sometimes it can feel a bit contrived. Ultimately the aim is to give the reader the sort of read they are looking for.

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