If you write professionally in the UK, make sure to sign up to ALCS for your fair share of royalties

'"When it comes to AI adoption, many companies aren't guided by strategy, but by 'fomo'". For 'companies', read 'universities'.

Academia.edu is changing its Terms and Conditions, and they're so outrageous (AI training; signing over ownership to them etc) I closed my account today. A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):

A new exhibition at @lselibrary.bsky.social looks at 200 years of trade union history. Some great stuff on display. sslh.org.uk/2025/09/17/e...

Great evening at the Irish Embassy in London for the launch of Histories of Women’s Football in Britain and Ireland, edited by Helena Byrne, @garyjames.bsky.social and @fionaskillen.bsky.social. Excellent turnout from historians, former players & admins #skystorians www.peterlang.com/document/131...

I've relaunched my personal website for news, events, media and podcast links, and, from September 2025m, a monthly blog martinpolley.co.uk

No doubt, (far-)right leaders will complain about this clear example of two-tier policing

'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”' Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.

Two-time Muhammad Ali challenger, Joe Bugner, has died at the age of 75. Bugner twice held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles and was a three-time European heavyweight champion. #sportshistory #boxing #boxinghistory

My new blog post: A Plaque for a Pioneering Pilgrim #blueplaques #sportshistory #jackleslie #plymouth #blackhistory #historicengland martinpolley.co.uk/2025/09/01/a...

New Olympic Studies Centre grant opportunities for PhD students, ECRs, and established researchers working on Olympic-related projects #Olympics #researchfunding #grants www.olympics.com/ioc/olympic-...

I've written a short post www.beatrizpichel.com/news/why-med... to mark the official start of my @leverhulme.ac.uk Research Fellowship! Over the next year I'll be writing my second monograph, Medical Photography in Nineteenth-Century France. To say I'm excited is an understatement! #photohist

This is a painful read. I mean seriously painful. But it’s also a must-read, and must-share, for everyone.

Back from Spineless Wonders, an excellent free #exhibition of print items that "fall outside the traditional definition of a book". Pamphlets, flyers, artists' books, playbills and more from the 15th Century CE to now. It's on at Senate House Library until 15 November ‪@senatehouselib.bsky.social‬

1/2 El 29 d'agost de 1895, #TalDiaComAvui fa 130 anys, 21 clubs van decidir deslligar-se de la RFU i crear la Northern Rugby Football Union (avui Rugby Football League), mantenint els principis amateurs però acceptant el pagament pel temps de feina perdut (broken-time payment).

“Safety and space at risk as SUVs reach 30% of car market in English cities, researchers warn. Campaigners call for Paris-style parking charges amid fears big vehicles are taking up excessive public space.” Cities need smart, specific strategies to manage vehicle size. It’s about space & safety.

NEW Football and War temporary exhibition now open + series of talks. Full details on the attached programme. #sportshistory

Reform UK, which has a grand total of four MPs, was just given an uninterrupted platform for an hour and a half on the BBC and Sky News channels, in order to talk about its plans for mass deportations When was the last time the Greens (with four MPs) or the Lib Dems (with 72) were given the same?

Migrants didn't cut council funding. Migrants didn't cut NHS funding. Migrants didn't close youth centres. Migrants didn't sell off council houses. Migrants aren't filling our rivers with sewage. Farage and co. will tell you to point the finger at migrants. Don't fall for it.

A day of shame for the UK. A political party proposes mass deportations and the response from other political parties is not to condemn this as going further than even Mosley or the National Front.

I occasionally do proofreading and editing for non-English organisations. Absolutely spending way more time trying to decipher AI translated nonsense that completely erases original language nuances and meaning (and assume these jobs will dry up now bc I'm costing people more). Hire translators!

Booking is now open for this year's Tennis History Conference at the All England Club, Wimbledon, on the theme 'Trailblazers in Tennis'. It takes place at the Club on Tuesday 9 December 2025. #TennisHistoryConference #sportshistory #tennis #wimbledon Details: bookings.wimbledon.com/stadiumtours...

Hey, as a librarian I need to tell you: Our funding depends on usage. So go ahead and check out that book even if you don't think you'll finish it. No one will know. Check out that DVD even though you might not like it. Get ambitious in your quest for knowledge.

Vacancy with the Royal Historical Society: Membership and Office Administrator bit.ly/46TgZNA We look to appoint a Membership and Office Administrator (0.8 FTE) to join our professional Office to help us support history and historians. £31,904 pro rata. Closing date Monday 8 September #Skystorians

Wonderful #photohistory exhibition at MASI Lugano Palazzo Reali site. It covers the career of Eugenio Schimdhauser (1876-1952) as a documentary and commercial photographer in Ticino 🇨🇭, and how his postcards of posed everyday life scenes helped to create a tourist image of the region. #MASILugano

With our grant support, British Deaf History Society has showcased rare artefacts & stories marking 100 years of the Deaflympics preserving history & inspiring the next generation ahead of Taiwan 2025. Sign up for future funding: tinyurl.com/2fyjnytk

📣 call for applications 📣 Two part-time, paid Editorial Fellowships at History Workshop. Our fellowships support early career historians to develop expertise in public, radical and digital history & to gain experience of working in an editorial team. Please share widely! www.historyworkshop....

Studying, researching or teaching in the histories of Britain or Ireland? Try using the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH), it contains 650,000+ resources from 55 BCE to today! Find out how to use BBIH

‘I cut off his head six times’: the sculptors behind football statues

Two archive job opportunities at the UK National Archives @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy Records Specialist: 19th Century/Modern Parliament #archives www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNS877/r...

From @theathletic.bsky.social: A letter to FIFA, signed by more than 90 civil society groups, expressed "deep concern" about President Trump's immigration policies and their potential impact on the 2026 World Cup. https://trib.al/7pWcmV8

Great to see What Came First? by Kit Frost & @aaroncushley.bsky.social now out with Red Shed @harpercollins.bsky.social. I was the historical consultant for the pages on sport, games, and theme parks. #historyforchildren

Interested in the history, heritage and traditions of sport? Why not apply for our @icshc.bsky.social Online MA in Sports History and Culture? Applications for September start NOW OPEN! Further information at this link - www.dmu.ac.uk/study/course... #sportshistory #culture #WorldCup #Olympics

US preparing to extend travel ban to states including Coventry’s Zimbabwe with exemption for athletes, staff & associated families involved at the Games - “but may severely impact the ability of supporters & journalists to enter the US for the Olympics.” Not a good look & violates agreement w/IOC

Just a reminder that you have exactly ONE WEEK to sign up to our next seminar where Tamsin Johnson of Nottingham Trent University is presenting her paper: Visions of Feminine modernity: Cycling, Self-Propulsion and power (1880-1939) on June 30th

"Under Gianni Infantino Fifa has become a kind of mobile propaganda agency for indulgent regimes, right out in front twirling its pompoms, hitching its leotard, twerking along at the front of the parade like an unholy Uncle Sam". www.theguardian.com/football/202...

“Almost 600 people are expected to die early in the heatwave roasting England and Wales… The surge in deaths would not be occurring without human-caused global heating, the scientists said, with temperatures boosted by 2C-4C by the pollution from fossil fuels.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

For those of you who don't know, DMU is currently proposing mass redundancies, with nearly 100 academic staff 'at risk', sadly including me. It is absolutely brutal. Please spread the word about this protest rally happening next week in Leicester and come and support us if you're able. #DefendDMU

This article gives a good summary of what we're going through right now: www.leicester.news/i-work-at-dm...

My piece on athlete Ron Hill (1938-2021) is now in Oxford DNB. Hill gained multiple honours in cross-country and distance running, and used the skills from his PhD in textile design to create a clothing range. Oxford DNB is a subscription service: check your library www.oxforddnb.com/newsitem/894...

Our next seminar is only 2 weeks away, where we’ll be joined by Tamsin Johnson of @NottmTrentUni will be presenting her paper titled: Visions of Feminine modernity: Cycling, Self-Propulsion and power (1880-1939). Please sign up via the link below ⬇️ www.history.ac.uk/events/visio...

This time last week we welcomed a host of academic and industry experts to De Montfort University and the @icshc.bsky.social for our 'Sport and Fashion' study day with @sportingheritage.bsky.social and @dmuspecialcolls.bsky.social. Picture by @icshc.bsky.social James Panter. #SportandFashion

Great Historic England film about the recent Blue Plaque unveiling for the footballer and a Plymouth Argyle FC legend - Jack Leslie. It features @icshc.bsky.social Emeritus Professor + Blue Plaque Panel Member, Martin Polley @historymartin.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCG... #sportshistory

Celebrating Sport & Fashion Month with @sportingheritage.bsky.social this #FashionFriday. 1st up the @leicestertigers.bsky.social Collection with #rugby jerseys through the ages. DYK that England jerseys traditionally featured button-up collars until 2003! #sportshistory #fashion #sportswear

Historic England's film of the Blue Plaque to footballer Jack Leslie in Plymouth. Leslie was the first black player to be selected for England, only to be deselected on racial grounds. I was honoured to speak at the unveiling #blueplaque #jackleslie #footballhistory www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGCG...

🗃️ Interested in the history, heritage and traditions of sport? Why not apply for our @icshc.bsky.social Online MA in Sports History and Culture and join our #sportshistory postgraduate community! Further information ready for September start at this link - www.dmu.ac.uk/study/course...

On 5 June 2020, anti-racism protestors toppled the statue of slave trader Edward Colston. Where is it now? Eleanor Callaghan examines how local authorities and museum curators in Bristol turned the controversial monument into an opportunity for inclusive public history. www.historyworkshop....