Part of my sporadic, on-going project of broadening my literary horizons. This time, though, it felt like familiar territory. It turns out that other authors I have enjoyed (Eco, Perec & Pynchon) had found inspiration from the themes that Borges explored.

Relics by Ed Simon from the lovely #ObjectLessons series. Extends the idea of relics in interesting ways. He grounds it in the profound value of all of us in our fleshy humanity, which brings it to a surprisingly moving conclusion.

A book about ultramarine from a series of books each based on a different colour. How could I resist? Alas, it is 25 years since I was fairly fluent in Dutch. Still, the book is a gentle reflection which accommodated my sometimes impressionist reading.

Antwerp Central Station. I oscillating between relishing the overstatement and recognising that it was built on colonial wealth. That said, the contemporary redevelopment of the station, with platforms stacked on top of each other, is also a bit of an engineering marvel.

I'm back in #Antwerp to give a lecture. The view from my window. I love that there are decorations on the building that only the pigeons get to appreciate.

Museum La Piscine: a converted public baths make a gorgeous setting for fine art, contemporary crafts & design.

Just finished this, by @scalzi.com. Oh man! It has a lovely blend of wit & joy. References scattered through the book grounded it in reality. As a long term fan, the Gary Numan reference brightened the bus ride home. I can't tell you much that alone cheered me up.

This book manages a careful balance of realism & positivity, which I very much appreciated. Thanks to Imogen, Head of Volunteering @ #EnglandNetball for the recommendation

Today I am working on a funding bid by wandering around muttering to myself "What is the challenge?"

Well, this book on #volunteering was packed full of useful detail & judicious insights. The lovely librarians of @newcastleuni.bsky.social bought this at my request but I think I might need my own copy to cherish. Thanks to Matt Hick of @heritagevols.bsky.social for the recommendation.

Enjoyed this book by @portablesound.bsky.social Informed & informative. The book is underpinned by a clear ethical position & leavened with an acerbic sense of humour, which made me smile but also, occasionally, left me chastened.

Enjoyed this article by @tomyarrow.bsky.social Some nice reflections on what care might look like. Heritage railway volunteers show how deep friendships can be formed without discussing emotions share.google/ifmSH34TNV7C...

New job Creative Producer: Community and Youth @nhm-london.bsky.social #London Apply by 23rd December 2025 Full details here: gem.org.uk/jobs/creativ... #GEMJobs #LondonJobs #MuseumLearningJobs #MuseumJobs #HeritageJobs #YouthJobs

I'm running a survey of volunteer managers from all UK volunteer-involving sectors about their experiences of managing older volunteers. The survey is short (honest) & it runs until Nov 14. Please complete or share. app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/newcastle/... #volunteering #VolMgmt #gerontology

There's currently a project attempting to map #arts & #dementia activities across the UK. They're asking people involved in this area to complete an online survey. Further info here: www.linkedin.com/posts/kateyw...

Recently read: Ageing Selves and Everyday Life in the North of England: Years in the Making by Catherine Degnen One of those deeply humane pieces of ethnography that reveals the nuance at work in everyday lives. doi.org/10.2307/j.ct... #Yorkshire #gerontology

Not an easy read, this one, but an interesting one. Carefully worked out arguments for a moderately extended cognition & maps as cognitive tools. I loved the bit about designing a better maps for pedestrians in Venice. #maps #cognition

💼 JOB: Volunteer and Community Coordinator Gydlynydd Gwirfoddolwyr a Chymuned. Remote, £30k, full or part-time, temporary. Closes 3/9 📝 Apply at www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/ftww-fa... 💻 Join HVG for regular job updates: linktr.ee/heritagevolu...

Really enjoyed this book by Rouran Zhang. Careful analysis of interview data worked up into some thoughtful discussion. Chinese Heritage Sites and their Audiences: The Power of the Past - 1s share.google/2CDC1kTNdIbq...

The calm prose relates joy, terror & grief in a measured tone. It's a kind of anti-reminiscence - the story unfolds through the refusal to open the suitcase. In doing so, it highlights the uncertain boundary between memory & imagination.

Finished reading this over the weekend. Good stuff: Balanced & thoughtful. Occasionally funny, often deeply saddening. Not sure where that thread of reading will go next.

Join the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University for their next event - 'Bridging Seas and Centuries: The Beiyang Sailors Legacy Symposium' on 21 - 22 July. Register for this free event by Monday 23 June >> bit.ly/43O5Ewq

I've started to delve into narrative #gerontology, beginning with Cathrine Degnen's 'Ageing selves & everyday lives in the north of England'. Other recommendations around this topic would be welcomed.

I've a new paper out. It was an enjoyable digression from my usual work on volunteering. The paper looks at the objects & messages that people are leaving beside 5 gravestones in Newcastle and what we can learn from them. The paper is open access so free for all to read. rdcu.be/eqfbO

More holiday/travel reading. Really enjoyed this. Careful & insightful. The author is grounded in planning & art history, which leaves plenty of scope for more ethnographic work.

News | Friends of the Bowes Museum group to close after 75 years — charity says it is winding up in response to falling income and a lack of volunteers

Just finished this lovely book on small #museums. Rich descriptions and thoughtful analysis - fabulous stuff.

Currently in Antwerp to give a lecture on heritage volunteering but I gave time, this morning, to visit another museum.

My first go at reading #Dickens since I left school. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Possibly even enough to try others.

Reviewing academic papers is an unpaid job and publishers, who couldn't function without us, struggle to find meaningful ways to recompense that labour. Here's one: Springer could let anyone who does a review for one of their journsls use their staff cafe when they're passing through London.

Another data gathering day (last one for a while). It is a privilege to be able to meet people & learn from their experiences. Photo taken along the way to the first interview.

Really enjoyed reading this. Thoroughly grounded in research but written in an engaging, accessible style. It is a little old now, so someone ought to pay the author to do an update.

Beautifully written: gentle erudition balanced with a playful wit.

🚨 JOB: #VolunteerManager, Enable Leisure & Culture. London, £40k, full-time, 12m contact. Closes 14/3 📝 Apply at buff.ly/41fXV99 ✨For monthly job updates join HVG at buff.ly/42UMO6F #HVGJobs #CharityJobs #Volunteer #Volunteering #VolunteerManagemt #LoVols

Daytripping...

Happily, my paper on the experiences of people leaving #volunteering has been accepted for this year's #gerontology conference, #BSG2025.

Just finished this book: erudite eloquent & thoughtful. It wasn't really work reading but it gave me a useful frame for thinking about what I'm trying to do in my research.

Sunny day in Stirling with good talk & and thought-provoking presentations at #MYMConf2025 #volunteering #heritage #Scotland

It's a fine day for fieldwork.

Travelling north for fieldwork tomorrow & presenting at #MYM2025 in Stirling on Thursday. The train journey up the coast to Edinburgh is one of my favourites.

I'm looking forward to speaking at #MYMconf25 on 27 February older people's volunteering & what happens when they stop. Connect with volunteer organisers across Scotland. #volunteering #heritage You can register at: bit.ly/MYMconf25

A paper that I helped to write has (happily) just been published. If you want to read it but can't access it, please get in touch. #heritage #gerontology #China How do older people conserve cultural heritage in rural areas: evidence from Zhejiang, China www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Online interviewing for research today, but here's a the view from a recent trip for an in-person interview. #volunteering in #museums