Sign up for our FNL Briefing (free, online) on March 11 on Acceptance in Lieu, the Cultural Gifts Scheme & Private Treaty Sales. Speakers include Anastasia Tennant, Mark Purcell & Joan Winterkorn (huge thanks to @rluk.ac.uk for helping make this possible) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fnl-briefi...

This has just made me HOWL with laughter

Looking to improve your outreach and engagement? Places are filling fast for February’s impact seminar: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/impact-sem...

Keen to join the Archive Service Accreditation Committee and influence expectations about how an effective archive service performs? 🚨Applications close in just three days’ time: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...

Looking After the Archivist: Reducing Risks of Secondary Trauma This talk explores trauma in archives and records work and highlights trauma-informed approaches institutions can adopt to better support staff. Book your space: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/looking-af...

Applications are open for Scoping Grants worth £3000! Apply by 19 February to have an independent consultant produce an expert collections report on a full or partial archival collection. Apply here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-rev... (1/2)

Has your archive successfully generated income using practical and creative initiatives? Apply to be a speaker in our fundraising webinar series by 31 January: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EJERFR/ This is a fantastic way to showcase your brilliant work and share best practice with the wider sector!

There are bug hotels and then there's the Calke Abbey bug hotel... Photo: Susan Guy

My books cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com

Fantastic photo from Phil Laybourne capturing the moment a Red Deer steps on some Lego.

I know I've posted about this brilliant organisation before, but I bloody love what they're trying to do. Send JogOn your old, manky running trainers and they'll re-use or recycle them. They'll also accept footy or hiking boots if they're in decent condition 😍 www.jogonagain.com

First snowdrops spotted while I was out for a run

33 month postdoc (0.8 FTE) on a really interesting project at Essex on #EarlyModern German and English witchcraft... www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQC497/s...

🗡️ Traitors: Greek Gods Part 1! Can you guess who your favourite will be?

Job klaxon!

Our current round of Resilience Grant applications closes next Wednesday! Is your archive looking to create lasting solutions to a particular challenge? Find out more and apply here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...

Sign up for the first free webinar in a series, hosted by @librariesconnected.bsky.social, and explore new guidance launched to help libraries and archives prepare for local government reorganisation: members.librariesconnected.org.uk/events/6967b... 🗓️ Tuesday 3 February (11:30-12:30)

I am a Spanish linguist, having been trained personally by a green owl

We’re delighted to announce eight new recipients of the #ArchivesRevealed scoping grants, with our partners The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust & @wolfsonfdn.bsky.social Read all about them here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-rev... (1/3) 📷 © Maya Albagaloo

Still open, till end of next week. Can you be part of taking the sector standard forward for the next few years? Bring your ideas and experience, and form part of a really impactful UK archives programme.

Thanks to all who joined us for today's EDIB self-assessment toolkit workshop. We were fully booked today but I think there are spaces on the remaining workshops in this series - the next one's on Monday pm if that's a better time for you www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/edib-self...

A Bluesky challenge! We've got so many great heritage/GLAM accounts here now, that some are flying under the radar From national organisations to niche collections, these active accounts are all (at time of posting) under 500 followers-lowest at 9-how many can we get over 500? go.bsky.app/U16Nwsw

Great news here about Ronald Blythe's archive. (Keep an eye out, too, for what Essex Wildlife Trust is doing with his house, which was left to them: it needs a fair bit of work before it can be made accessible to the public but it's going to be great when that's done. www.essexwt.org.uk/bottengoms)

Come & work with me! Senior Archivist (Military Records Project) at The National Archives (UK). £39.5k pa. Apply by Sunday 25 January. #ArchivesJobs www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...

The annual UK Archive Sector survey will open this year on Monday 2 March! We’ve listened to your feedback and pushed the dates back so it’s easier for you to prepare responses and take part. The survey will close in mid-May and we hope to publish the findings in Autumn 2026 (1/3)

In other news, disconcerted to report that Duolingo may have been reading the Accreditation standard (Translation in the alt text if your German is even ropier than mine)

One of my jobs over the Christmas break was to weed a load of old paperwork. These notes are currently face-up in the recycling tray next to my desk. I have no idea which project or training event they relate to, but I'm sure we all have some suggestions

📣Calling all UK-based archive professionals! Spaces are still available for next week’s online consultation (15 January) where we’ll discuss recent changes @gem.org.uk have made to The Generic Learning Outcomes framework. Find out more and book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archive-se...

There are absolutely loads of fantastic organisations here on Bluesky! Be sure to give this starter pack a follow and you can find a bunch of them.

Does anyone know of any large collections of correspondence between women covering the 1910s-1960s? I have surveyed a huge collection covering 30+ years of friendship and I’m wondering how unique it is?

⏲️Engagement grant applications close on Monday 19 January! We’re looking for projects that engage with new and existing audiences, exploring ideas that relate to the theme of ‘belonging’ Apply here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...

Are you in possession of an 11-14 year old interested in animation? We've got a stop-motion workshop combining archives and Aardman animations (!!!!) 7 Feb. A responsible adult MUST come along and join in (oh no). Applications open: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/fa...

We’re seeking 5 new members to join the Archive Service Accreditation Committee! Do you have experience supporting development across a range of archive services and good understanding of the UK’s accreditation standard? Apply by 23 January: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...

Are you looking to conduct research into your community heritage? What training and resources would be most useful to you? Share your thoughts in the Community Hub training needs survey by Friday 16 January: www.communityarchives.org.uk/content/news... (1/2)

When you realise tomorrow is the first Monday of the year.

The Diamond Light laser this evening from Bury Down

One year since I posted this. One year since everybody treated it like a joke. One year of watching my back. Tell me: have you seen much of Harry Styles this past year? Tim Davie's gone a bit quiet too, hasn't he?

Properly frosty morning for a run, but gorgeous blue sky

Child-murdering witch 😕

The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.

Tomorrow evening it’ll be my annual duty to vaguely shepherd the activity on the #duvetknowitschristmas hashtag and urge people to give small sums to charity. 7.30pm? Something like that?

BREAKING TRAVEL NEWS: Anyone going to the Feast of Stephen this evening should be aware that the Snowlay Roundabout has been closed.

This town, is coming like a goat's town All the wreaths are being chewed down This place, is coming like a goat's town Rams won't play no more Too much butting in Upper Seagry www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Thank you for making 2025 another excellent year for archives! This account will not be monitored until early January so we’d like to wish you all a relaxing Christmas break and a very happy New Year! 📷Reference: HO 223/43 (12)

📣Opportunity for consultants and freelancers The National Archives & @araukie.bsky.social are seeking a supplier with leadership training experience to present at & chair an event for recordkeepers focused on leadership skills! Apply here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec... (1/2)

the unmitigated joy I would feel from tossing Kevin the Carrot and his awful Australian stag do friends into a Nutribullet

Join us on Wednesday 28 January (10AM) for a practical free online workshop taking you step-by-step through the process of creating a sustainability action plan for your archive! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainabi...

Was there ever a time when this would have been 'The Best of all #Christmas Presents'? 🎅🎁😱

Re-posting with alt text because the post accompanying this is obviously wrong, it's clearly a picture of a woman on a Crosscountry train having found a place to sit on the floor and read, her coffee cup beside her, folks queuing for the loo behind her

Applications are now open for our engagement grants and the theme for this round is 'belonging'. Find out more about this round's theme and apply by 19 January 2026: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...