Odds and Ends #49: How bat protection regulations broke Britain's planning system

Plus how Europe isn't *all bad* at growth, why every Netflix film is forgettable, and why you should visit Jimmy Carter's hometown.

Me in Hobbiton with Dr Liz, who wrote that great piece about recycling.

Hello, it’s time for Odds and Ends, your weekly round-up of interesting links, stray observations and micro-takes.

Apologies for the lack of a big essay this week, but in fairness to me it is Christmas, and I’m afraid I’m still on holiday in New Zealand (see above). Normal service will be resumed next week, when I will hopefully be starting the year with something fun!¹

So to tide us over to the new year, here’s a few interesting links. This time I feature:

• An utterly mad story about how the famous HS2 bat tunnel was just the tip of iceberg when it comes to bats screwing up the planning system.

• Why you should visit Jimmy Carter’s tiny hometown.

• Why Europe isn’t lagging the US in terms of growth… at least, in some places.

• And an explanation for how Netflix keeps producing ‘hits’ that nobody has ever heard of.

So let’s get started!

Reminder: The last few tickets for the second Odds and Ends of History event on January 21st on the future of transport are still available. I’ll be speaking to transport expert Michael Dnes all about rails, roads and more, to work out how we can make sure Britain is ready for the future. Come along!