This week I was taken to see these beautiful windows, by William Morris, commissioned by my great-grandfather Robert Spencer to commemorate his wife Margaret, who died giving birth to their sixth child. Wonderful, in a way, that intense grief gave birth to such glorious creations.

July sky, for Bluesky.

New neighbours have moved in at Althorp - a quartet of beautiful alpacas. Incredibly positive and happy energy emanating from them - everyone here smiles when they set eyes on them. Happy birthday, @catjarman.bsky.social - these are for you!

Terrific new column from @charlesspencer.bsky.social: "These are all potential futures for the British aristocracy, although it has survived difficult spots before" www.ft.com/content/3ef2...

First peonies of the season opened at Althorp today.

Cascade of wisteria, at Althorp.

Double rainbow this evening at Althorp.

Easter Monday.

Wednesday normally means a new episode of the Rabbit Hole Detectives but ⁦‪@RevRichardColes‬⁩ ⁦‪@CatJarman‬⁩ & I signed off on this podcast with a final, live, episode at ⁦‪@AlthorpHouse‬⁩ on Friday. Thanks so much to all of you who listened!

I’m excited to have the @AlthorpLitFest returning to @AlthorpHouse this Friday-Sunday: so many fantastic authors kindly coming to stay, and speak. Weather set fair. Please go to althorp.com if you want to come to any talks that haven’t sold out already

Gorgeous light at Althorp this afternoon.

Althorp in c.1890, and today. No cows allowed on the lawns these days - otherwise, much the same.

Amazing what lies in the ground at historic UK houses, like @AlthorpHouse - some finds give rise to fascinating questions. Does anyone still grow ‘silver pippin’ apples or pears? The Walled Garden at Althorp was in its pomp from c.1730 till 1939. Photo: A. Greeno

Three months old, first night out. Always a relief when the second puppy jab is done.

First signs of light at 7.27 this morning. At last the winter nights are shortening.

The Deer Park at Althorp, last night.

At the back of Althorp Park.

The Round Oval Lake at Althorp, this evening.

This morning, at @althorphouse.bsky.social

The Moon above Althorp’s Stables, this cold crisp evening.

A team of workmen tending Althorp’s front courtyard, in 1861 - a historic moment in time, to see out 2024, while wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

Happy Christmas, from Althorp. (The tree was grown here.)

Althorp, 84 Decembers ago.

If you’re at a loose end at 6.15 this evening, you could tune in to @bbcradio4.bsky.social and listen to this….

Many thanks indeed to @thetimes.com for choosing ‘A Very Private School’ as a Book of the Year.

Just finished recording an episode of Loose Ends - Clive Anderson’s @BBCRadio4 chat show - which will air tomorrow. Enormous fun being one of his guests, talking about the Rabbit Hole Detectives podcast, and The Rabbit Hole Book. I was last on this show 10 years ago with my book Killers of the King.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. 19/20 @charlesspencer.bsky.social #BlueSky 💙📚 #BookChallenge #Books #BoardingSchoolAbuse #TurningABlindEye

We had terrible floods in Northants at the weekend - water cascaded down a field & blew a hole In Althorp’s park wall, pushing 100 kg blocks of ironstone 70 m by sheer force. Mother Nature at her most furious - many homes flooded. Althorp’s team has been magnificent in helping the community.

Last night with @catjarman.bsky.social at Hatchards for their Author Evening - we were signing copies of our The Rabbit Hole Book, “99 chapters on the History of Stuff” - a cornucopia of quirky history, coauthored with @richardcoles.bsky.social - he was excused, as he’s in the jungle right now….

U.S. border agents seized 3,000 fake Gibson guitars that arrived from Asia at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport. They would have been worth nearly $18 million if they were genuine, making it the largest counterfeit instrument seizure in history.

Loved being on ‘Lorraine’ this morning, supporting @richardcoles.bsky.social in his bid to triumph on I’m A Celebrity, & also talking about The Rabbit Hole Book, 99 chapters on quirky history written by Richard, @catjarman.bsky.social & me in a bid to make sourcing Christmas gifts easier this year.

Delighted to be going to Hatchards, one of London’s greatest bookstores, this evening with @catjarman.bsky.social to meet those buying our The Rabbit Hole Book - while our coauthor, @richardcoles.bsky.social battles it out in I’m A Celebrity. We will be signing & dedicating copies, as required.

London.

Just took this photograph of the volcano that’s bubbling away in Iceland this week. Such an extraordinary sight.

23 November 1503. Death of Margaret of York, Dowager Duchess of Burgundy. A dedicated protector of Burgundian interests, she later backed attempts to overthrow Henry VII. This delightful miniature in Belgium's Bibliothèque Royale shows her carrying out the seven corporal works of christian mercy.

Thank you, @financialtimes.com for choosing A Very Private School as one of your Books of the Year. A very thoughtful review.

With the wonderful Brenda Blethyn & the stellar crime novelist @harlancoben.bsky.social this evening at the British Embassy, Reykjavik, after we all spoke at the Nordic Noir book festival. A great event that I felt fortunate to be a small part of. Great to be interviewed by @catjarman.bsky.social

It’s quite dramatic here in Iceland right now: a volcano is playing up, and the Northern Lights were busy last night. It all makes life in Northamptonshire seem a little low on excitement….

In Reykjavik to speak at the literary festival: this morning, it was a general interview on my life as a writer; at 5pm I will be interviewed by @catjarman.bsky.social on my boarding school memoir A Very Private School. Beautiful light here (though it didn’t actually get light till 9.30am).

Brilliant first showing on @imacelebrity.bsky.social by @richardcoles.bsky.social last night. He’s so much more than his CV would suggest: extremely smart, naughty and fun, he is perfect for this show. Not your average vicar….

A Meteor shower

Tim the Peacock- Althorp’s finest: long may he reign.

Amazing photograph of a drama-rich landscape.

podfollow.com/1671879772/epi… My fellow Rabbit Hole Detective @RevRichardColes has overcome his natural shyness to participate in @imacelebrity - below, a link to @CatJarman & my chat with the retired &retiring vicar, on what he’s expecting from the jungle. Next stop - Celebrity Cash in the Attic?

Iceland this afternoon.

Northern England looking extremely beautiful this morning, as I headed to Reykjavik to speak at the Scandinoir literary festival.

Delighted to have learned of this, just now. It was quite an ordeal to write this book; and even tougher to read it for the audiobook. Thank you @applebooks for helping to make it all worthwhile.

Some of Althorp’s black fallow bucks, grazing during this week’s light dusting of snow. This herd has called Althorp’s Deer Park “home” for 500 years. I can’t think how I could have more handsome neighbours. Photo: Conservation@althorp

Exceptional Etruscan sarcophagi, urns seized from looters – The History Blog