Doing some really experimental (for me) resourcing. Using an extract from Holmes' Tommy and picking apart how he references other Historians inc. Paddy Griffith, a colleague of his. Will be interesting to see how Y8 engsge with on views about the Somme.

A weird thing in The Big Report is how it's really clear that kids with good gcse grades appear best prepared for work but then implies these courses aren't good preparations for work.

A fascinating new object at the @vickersmg.bsky.social. the Helmet of Andrew Sutherland of the MGC. He was injured, yes injured, on 6th July 1916. He would survive both of thesr gun shot wounds. A great example of helmets could save lives. Rich reckons the unit might have had them only 2 wks before

The inevitable consequence of the alarming NEET statistics is going to be a lot of school blaming and demands schools teach more "work skills." That this isn't the problem won't matter.

Regardless of whether the pontiff is weak on crime, it's indisputable that the Vatican has been neglecting its ability to project naval force in the last few decades. The Regia Marina nicking their last warship probably didn't help.

@hughrichards.bsky.social and @michaeldoron.bsky.social and anyone else doing narratives - have anyone experimented with the use of short vignette characters/stories and if so, how have you deployed them? Got some ideas for my A Level unit and the use of William Marshall for Y7 - any ideas?

We're really focusing on the use of language as a big drive for us. Fortunately, my wife is an English teacher. The goal is to get the kids thinking about using metaphors in their own explanations.

Our latest Extra! Dispatches from the Dugout video discusses the Bren and how easy it was to strip and clean. Also close ups of our skeletonised Bren. #militaryhistory #notjustvickersmg

Want a break from current geopolitics? Ofncoursr you do! What better way than to watch me waffle again about really old firearms. This time, the MP28, an improved MP18 - the grandaddy of modern, handheld automatic firepower.

Watch me waffle about cleaning and maintaining historic firearms

AI generated slop combined with the usual ignorant and motivated messaging really annoys the shit out of me. 1. The Glosters were not alone. They were in a Brigade formation that was strengthen with a Battalion of Beligans. Geography and being over-stretched isolated units physically, but were /1

I had some time due to Y13 Mocks to watch some film clips linked to my unit, we watched some of this beaut, Tell England (1931). Look at these shots, recognise them from a certain Spielberg film? Especially the action shots moving up from the SS River Clyde on Y Beach. youtu.be/vanJZ3ColDk?...

Over the course of next October we'll be running an exhibition about the history of the Vickers and British machine gunnery from 1910s to 1960s. This is an awesome opportunity to support us if you fancy some museum work or to visit and see hands on what we do.

My headcanon has the events of this Armstrong and Miller sketch matching the origin. There is, however, a rather heartwarming notion that it was likely made by some absolutely hilarious squaddie. youtu.be/Y1DWJQkOJew?...

Currently at the Bristol Beacon supporting @davidolusoga.bsky.social's A Gun Through Time. Do come and have a chat with us!

Sounds really promising - I’ll direct her that way. Also found this during lunch time, looks like there might be some important narratives to explore here huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allfacultyot...

Strongly agree. So many 17th century enquiries miss out King James I. He’s not just fascinating but his reign is crucial foundational knowledge to understand what comes next. Here’s a story we use to kick off our enquiry.

New blog so that the GCSE historical stories that myself and @benbassett.bsky.social have worked on can be shared with the wider history teaching community. Enjoy. open.substack.com/pub/petejack... #historyteacher

Did some archive work at @vickersmg.bsky.social today. Quite emotional, lots of log books from aircrews who were KIA and this Christmas card wish Xmas to be bomb-free. Then again, there is this unintentionally funny wedding photo.

A project long in the making. It you want to know the concepts and practicalities of early Machineguns, then this episode of Dispactes from the Dugout by us @vickersmg.bsky.social will be essential viewing for you. Lots of discussion on what the impact of the MG was in 1914 youtu.be/jAFZm_yKB64?...

Recently I've been experimenting with a new type of booklet for students in KS3. Unlike my GCSE booklets, students don't write in these and instead use an exercise book for their class work. These booklets are also less task-based, consisting mainly of a story to be read and discussed in class.

Caught up with 2 of our Y12s who had done work experience @vickersmg.bsky.social. It was great seeing their joy at accessing the archive and being involved in the process of catalouging primary material. That was their focus, learning how to strip a MG was just a side feature for them.

This scene from Andor is meme gold for misconceptions.

When we teach the FWW we often pose it as the conflict where technology changed warfare. This is something that's often missed about the SWW. I spent yesterday doing some maintenance @vickersmg.bsky.social Firearms are pieces of material culture and they reflect the society and timeframe in which /1

Honestly, taking apart and reassembling a BAR was incredibly stressful. This is controversial, yes its a 1917/18 design, but it requires tools, and nothing is easy to take apart.

Some awesome footage from our recent schools demo shoot. If this is something you're interested in, please do get in touch. If you want to see one in a non-school setting we're holding a demo for Patreons on the 12th July youtu.be/Z1Ln4L0GS-8?...

This is an amazing chance to see a variety of MGs being fired in person with a chance to discuss with experts that nature of Warfare - come check it out.

Interested in a direct approach to history teaching? 'Lean lessons' with booklets, whole-class reading, explanation, and lots of questions? @jacobolivey.bsky.social and I are leading a webinar series for @histassoc.bsky.social in June – and it's cheap! Just £50 for all six webinars. Link below! 👇

I'm glad that this finally has had a proper national outing. Discussions with female staff and trainees has shown how they are treated differently. It goes beyond social media figures, that's reductionist, but there is a culture problem inc. Parents www.theguardian.com/education/20...

We at the @vickersmg.bsky.social have this fantastic memoir at half price to mark the anniversary of the VC action. It's a fantastic account of the Mesopotamian campaign in the FWW - teachers, this is something you really should teach about. vickersmg.blog/product/grah...

One of my jobs at the collection (alongside educating) is cleaning. The British Army in the early 20thC poured boiling water through barrels to wash away corrosive salts and to loosen any rust. At the @vickersmg.bsky.social still do this and it works a treat.

Yesterday was my first time being really hands-on with a Maxim @vickersmg.bsky.social and it was a real eye opener. Checking and cleaning the Russian 1910 really showed how much a leap forward the Vickers was. Much easier to disassemble and didn't require a mallet like this did.

One of the perks of working at the @vickersmg.bsky.social Trying out a dual Vickers AA mount. It's very easy to move around in, once you've navigated your way into the seat.

A brief summary on patreon (free to access) of our demo for schools. This particular demo was shared by 2 schools - 26 students in total. If you'd be interested in joining us next year (these schools are coming back!) Get in touch. www.patreon.com/posts/125836...

Of course, the boss has some decent images. #historyteachers if you want to see Live MG fire with classes, get in touch with us for next year.

An excellent day today! We will be repeating this for schools that’s are interested and perhaps some other relevant groups and our patrons too! The demo included the Vickers of course but a bit of Lewis Gun action too. #FWWHist

Cracking trip with @vickersmg.bsky.social. 2 schools, 26 students, a firing demo and a chance to shoot. The best trip that I've ever ran. We will be doing this again if anyone is interested.

Friend from @vickersmg.bsky.social shared this on our discord. Honestly I love these animated training videos. What do you see teaching wise? Worked examples, I, we, you do methodology and analogies - it's outstanding youtu.be/aoHOVUKOc0M?...

Navigating the #VickersMG Hi folks, We know that there is so much on our Patreon channel that we have created a site map to help people understand what is there and to find some of the key elements. I've used loads of this in lessons. The photo collection is worth the £3 a month

One of the coolest things I've had a chance to handle. Peter Llewelyn Davies pay book. This ladies and gents is Peter Pan whom J.M. Barrie adopted and named the character after. He was a veteran of both World Wars - his pay book is viewable via Patreon www.patreon.com/posts/davies... #worldbookday

Using stories in the classroom - a thread... Here is the 1st story that myself and @benbassett.bsky.social worked on from Sept on Sacagawea. Here is the most recent one on Thomas Tresham for Elizabethans. Here is a thread of 10 things I've learned this year about telling better historical stories

History Teachers this is absolute gold! oldmapsonline.org let's you explore regions, battles, rulers from 4000BC to 2010! It's a great tool to play around with. #historyteacher

Want to see some super rate Britsh trials rifles *cough* EM2 *cough* look no further. It's genuinely one of the most fascinating firearms I've ever handled (and one of around 50). www.patreon.com/posts/120758...

Myself and @vickersmg.bsky.social are at it again with another video on the development of rifles before the First World War, which is a must for understanding the impact these weapons had in 1914. Plus, you can see my classic gesticulating youtu.be/AryoD0ytF8I?...

The War and Society approach to MilHis brings up really interesting angles. French fear of Prusso-German dominance in the 1860s was mostly due to France's dwindling population, a trend seen post-FWW. 1835 was the last year before 1870 which saw a rise in the number of young men being conscripted 1

Patreon pre-release of our next video where I talk about 'modern' rifles, ideal for lessons on why the First World War was so deadly. Join us on Patreon, and you also get access to our archive, which includes amazing stuff. www.patreon.com/posts/119920...

For a thing: Does anyone have any 'YouTube roulette' stories - either adverts or surprising thing in the video that has caught you out in a classroom? Please repost!

Inspired (copying) @mrsball.bsky.social's tracking and sharing books - but with a MilHis twist. 1st read of the year is this, bought for me by 6th formers. Interesting reading and a great way of framing conflict, the storied of mules in the ACW vanishing in mud were horrible, but some poor sources