L'histoire boucle la boucle ?

My latest Substack content: open.substack.com/pub/philipwb...

‘Der Tiger’ trashes Fury. I watched the German-language version. The plot is a bit thin, but attention to armour detail, fairly believable tactical behaviour, & a hard anti-war frame that also confronts war crimes without collapsing into pathos. #AFV #Amazon

The end of a steamy day…

#trains - my journey continues.

#Simpelveld - Happy New Year

Unclear where Venezuela fits in US Law enforcement. Has someone told Trump the USA ‘used’ to police the free world?

#Aachen - it’s very cold

The boys are back on the shelves now that Aachen is completed. A book about the modern German Army beckons.

#GutenRutsch - Happy New Year - hoping all friends and followers had a good!

A morning in Vienna!

Guten Rutsch - Happy New Year - my thanks to everyone here, not just for following, but for the understanding shown for my father’s illness. The kindness of friends and followers has helped more than I can properly express. Wishing you all the very best for the year ahead.

#2025 - was a brilliant museum year especially measuring tanks with Pete. @peteblanchard.bsky.social

#2025 - was another great year for meeting friends from Bluesky. @falo2.bsky.social @ssyu.bsky.social @boneyabroad.com @warmatters.bsky.social

#BookOfTheYear I read many books this year — some excellent, many disappointing. My book of the year is an old one I missed first time around, recommended by a friend. A reminder of an eternal lesson from modern history. #Auschwitz #Holocaust #Genocide

German sweeties - Troll’s teeth and eye balls.

Carry on Tankie! @niels1944.bsky.social @seanboy.bsky.social @peteblanchard.bsky.social

Pleased to announce a new series for Substack in 2026; open.substack.com/pub/philipwb...

Carry on Tankie! @niels1944.bsky.social @seanboy.bsky.social @peteblanchard.bsky.social

Lunch is served - serious homemade pickles!

Good overview of the partisan war in Umbria, in Italian. @ima-naval-history.bsky.social @vandawilcox.bsky.social @rjhammond215.bsky.social @philipwblood.bsky.social

Carry On Normandy! Last night with Gary Best, Normandy tour guide, and Woody @ww2tv.bsky.social

#XmasHols - Between Christmas Eve and New Year - the trains are cleared - time for model making.

Merry Christmas! Roland Clark's incisive interview of my new book juts dropped. Perfect listening fodder for your digestive run, neat 32 min: newbooksnetwork.com/people-witho...

#BoxingDay = #TrainsDay - the system is operating a full service with the models, the TV and films - served with Turkey butties, pickles and strong tea.

The lady made a perfect Xmas dinner - our first in married life.

Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr.

Dementia does not just erase memory — it exposes how institutions treat those who can no longer speak for themselves. I’ve written about my father’s Alzheimer’s and what it revealed about dementia care in the UK. open.substack.com/pub/philipwb...

@ssyu.bsky.social - thank Susan for your Xmas present!😂

I’ve succumbed to reading …

Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr. 🎄🎅 To all my friends and followers Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

#Desktoptrains - #Trains - MPD news, massive Loco failure. All the Wrenn and Hornsby Locos failed (left) but all four Mainline Locos worked well (Right). There is mixed news from the German locos - one needs serious TLC.

#Aachen - happiness is being in Mayersche Buchhandlung with a copy of my book about Aachen in the age of Total War. Founded in Aachen in 1817, it is the city’s central bookshop.

A Jubilee on German rails. #Trains

Steam on the 50” TV and steam on the boards

With wargames boards or without ?

Very proud today to learn my first recruit underwriter was clapped out of Lloyd’s of London after 43 years. An old tradition. We had lunch together last week, he’s become a close friend.

When you visit an apartment and the local is in spitting distance.

Final day in London, doing Biddy stuff. A tough time with just a couple of days off. #AlzheimersDisease divides & separates even loving families, & separation is even greater at this time. With Biddy virtually camped with Dad for Xmas, time to go back & write the next book.

Dad day - we had tea & biscuits, some chat and some sleep - well lots of sleep. With so much to do for Biddy, it might be the last visit this trip. Parent rationing at the end of a trip is always difficult. #AlzheimersDisease

For someone who moans about liberals never learning lessons from history you’d have thought Niall Ferguson would think twice about backing MAGA imperialism in Latin America. His prescription for more US imperialism in Iraq & Afghanistan didn’t turn out that well. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Fine discussion, great to see people beginning to question the old established narratives and replace them with more accurate insightful content. www.youtube.com/live/THkRsF5...

One last time in the City, a mutual retirement lunch for underwriters with my former employee and now dear friend Martin King.

The latest Substack conversation. open.substack.com/pub/philipwb...

The agony of choice - the last hoorah in the City.

Sainsbury’s - can anyone spot the real HP sauce?

Essex, Barling Church Road, Xmas lights show. @peteblanchard.bsky.social took me to see a most unusual event but well known in the region. The locals closed their road and celebrated their light show with mulled wine, candy floss and doughnuts.

Today’s 3 course meal in Leigh on Sea …

Thank you for the extraordinary kindness in the replies. I was feeling low when I posted it, and your words — and the recognition of the man he once was — have brought comfort.

There once was a man. A mathematician with Avro’s, attended LSE as an economist, & later became a business advisor to several monarchies. Played schoolboy footy for Manchester City & Lancashire CC. Learned French and Arabic. Today he remembers none of it or his son. #AlzheimersDisease