First week back at it after a fortnight off from the day job and my head has been spinning so fast I can’t grab 3 thoughts to pin down here in my usual fashion. Instead a few recommendations – from music and hiking, to independent videogames and who to follow.

Recommendations

In no particular order here’s a few things I offer up as potential interest or use to you.

Visit the Northumberland coast

That’s it, that’s the full recommendation. Do it whenever and however you can.

Don’t skip the basics

During my recent visit to Northumberland I learnt that in the area I was in recycling goes in blue bins, general waste in black, collected on alternate weeks (I know, I am absolutely WILD and truly know how to kick back and party while on holiday).

This bit of information wasn’t come by as easily as I might have hoped. The folder in the holiday cottage was a little out of date and still said there was no recycling collection but to take sorted waste to the nearest tip. However, the 2 bins at the end of the drive suggested to me there was a collection. The council website confirmed it, but didn’t tell me which colour bin to go with (both were empty so no clues on site and I understand the probable reason this information is missing is due to variations across a large county following reorganisation).

Anyway, the point of my anecdote is don’t miss the basics. Here the cottage owner is probably due a review and update of the information provided to guests (but the fact deer came in the garden and it was a superb house made up for it for me) and the council may want to think about whether with (I assume) many visitors as well as residents there is something to do to make the information available.

However, just subjective suggestions for this particular incident – I am but one user and my needs may not be representative. The principle stands though: make sure your information is clear, accurate, up to date, easily available, and of course accessible and inclusive too. Do that stuff before you start looking at chatbots, AI, or other shiny things.

RY150: Among the Wildflowers

The first release in more than 2 years from Reckless Yes, the record label I run. Among the Wildflowers is a compilation of 10 amazing artists and is available to order on vinyl, CD and limited digital ahead of release on 7 October.

Releasing records is a ridiculous activity to do alongside a grown up job and a family, and yet is also an immense privilege to be trusted with the art of others and put something joyous out when everything looks real dark.

A reminder too that Reckless Yes is a mindset – we were named to remind us to challenge our self-limiting beliefs and trust that the biggest rewards are often outside of our comfort zone. When something feels uncomfortable, put the overthinking on hold and say the reckless yes.

Community is everything

This relates to the recommendation about Reckless Yes, where the label as a community is at the heart of what we do. Community and collaboration has always been one of my favourite bits of my career and being in the public sector makes it all so much more possible.

A few communities I’d recommend if you’re looking around for solidarity, inspiration, or active collaboration:

  • LocalGov Digital – more than a Slack channel this network of practitioners has over the last decade co-created tools which are now used by multiple authorities, practiced mentoring between peers, taken on the running of LocalGovCamp (shout out Nick Hill) and represented the needs of the sector to central government and beyond. I’m always pleased I can say I played a part as a co-founder, and I’m excited to see what I can support the network with next
  • Localgov Drupal – of course most relevant if you use this as your CMS (and if not, why not?) but I love the active collaborative product development, and sharing opportunities. A great session this week from Renfrewshire on their use of OOUX, for example. Whether you’re familiar with open source tech or not the way this community operates is a brilliant example of the benefits (shout out to Will Callaghan)
  • Public Sector Headspace – if you’re more on the comms side then this Facebook group run by Dan Slee, David Grindley, Leanne Hughes and others is the safe place you need to share frustrations and concerns, get practical help from others with shared challenges, and celebrate your successes too

Getting ready for WCAG 3.0

A few years away yet but moving from checkbox to outcome based assessment of accessibility. I really liked this post from Diana Khalipina breaking down what to expect. It’s not too early to start thinking about and preparing for this.

Sleuth Saga

Let’s be real: the best video game of all time is still Goldeneye on the N64. But, if you prefer puzzling things out rather than dodging proximity mines as Baron Samedi then indie game Sleuth Saga: Undere Starless Skies is one you need to check out. Currently in beta this is a detective style game where taking in the detail, collecting clues, and immersing in the storyline is the order of the day.

Female Invest

Whether you want to get a hold on your daily spending, are planning your pension, or fancy yourself as an investor then Female Invest is a great female-led (paid for) app packed with courses and even a trading simulator. As someone who often gets numbers in a muddle it feels quite empowering to demystify this stuff and feel more in control of the money situation.

Hiiker

I tried out a few different walk planning and tracking apps recently and Hiiker was the one for me (again, is a paid for app), mainly because of the choice of base maps (including OS). It’s definitely part of helping me grow my confidence in doing longer walks in places I’m not familiar with, and reassures me that I’m on the path I think I’m on so I can just enjoy being out and about. Indirectly approved by my German Shepherd as she’s enjoying exploring new-to-us routes too.