On #WorldSnorkellingDay, an air-bag deployed on a Neo-Assyrian gypsum wall panel relief, c. 865BCE, from Nimrud North West Palace. Now in British Museum. I love the fish swimming along in the same direction.

open.substack.com/pub/johnkitt... My latest Substack looks at what “Anglo-Hellenism” might be, reviews the great books shortlisted for the #Runciman Award plus @julianhoffman.bsky.social’s magnificent winner, and continues my enthusiasm for Greek cuisine in London & Yorkshire’s restaurant scenes.

open.substack.com/pub/johnkitt... My latest Substack looks at what “Anglo-Hellenism” might be, reviews the great books shortlisted for the #Runciman Award plus @julianhoffman.bsky.social’s magnificent winner, and continues my enthusiasm for Greek cuisine in London & Yorkshire’s restaurant scenes.

Between 1997 and 2013, David Hockney embarked on one of the most celebrated periods of his career, returning to his native Yorkshire to paint the landscapes of the East Yorkshire Wolds. Leaving behind the sun-drenched swimming pools and urban scenes of Los Angeles, he turned

Sad to hear of the death of David #Hockney. His 1966 collaboration with Stephen Spender and Nikos Stangos is a landmark in the English publication of #Cavafy. A great man, a great Yorkshireman.

'Helen When Asked' by Nina Reljić was awarded first place in The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2026 by judges Isabelle Baafi, @deanbrowne.bsky.social and Luke Kennard. You can read all three winning poems in our latest issue, June / July 2026: thelondonmagazine.org/product/curr...

🥂 Huge congratulations to @julianhoffman.bsky.social who last night accepted the @anglohellenic.bsky.social Runciman Award 2026 for his life-affirming memoir, #Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece 🎊 Pre-order the paperback edition @waterstones.bsky.social: bit.ly/49QNooM

www.kathimerini.gr/culture/book... Μπράβο στον @julianhoffman.bsky.social ! Άξιος, άξιος!

Classics and Public Policy: Perspectives from the United Kingdom / @profarlenehh.bsky.social , ed. doi.org/10.4324/9781... #openaccess @rebeccalanglands.bsky.social @eulius.bsky.social @profflyingshark.bsky.social @johnkittmer.bsky.social

Αλέξης Παπαχελάς: Βρετανικό πείσμα και ελληνική ευελιξία

A smattering of history, a dose of Anglo-Hellenic enthusiasm, octopus grilling over charcoal, a fine poem by #Ritsos, the rosé wines of Greece--it must be the approach of My Greek Summer. Enjoy my latest Substack. open.substack.com/pub/johnkitt...

Τι αναφέρει η Amazon MGM σε ανακοίνωσή της.

The incredible late 19th century vaulted ceiling of St. Mary’s, Lastingham, North Yorkshire 🤩 It’s part of a much older church, with Norman crypt below.

Such a pleasure talking about the Greek mountains, the Prespa lakes and the unique Aoos-Vjosa river system spanning Greece and Albania for the brilliant Mountain Stories, Mountain Futures podcast. @mountainsofgreece.bsky.social @futuremountain.bsky.social msmf.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2026/05/13/l...

A tale of two Scarboroughs! from 1897. The Herring Fleet operated out of Scarborough for about 2 weeks each year with the boats following the fish south. The bathing machines meanwhile for the use of the affluent summer visitors. Herbert Rawling operated about 50 of the them. #socialhistory

www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/... This is a characteristically colourful and vibrant evocation of a changing, cosmopolitan part of central #Athens by the ever wonderful @sofkazinovieff.bsky.social.

The Metropolitan Church of St. Demetrios is a Late Byzantine church in the lower town of Mystras. The new metropolitan church of Mystras was dedicated to St. Demetrios, the patron saint of Michael VIII who recovered Constantinople in 1261.

I’ve started a Substack. Follow me if you are interested in British-Greek interactions. No fees! johnkittmer820172.substack.com/p/british-gr...

Good Friday here: www.the-tls.com/literature/o...

Devotees of St #Aelred cannot but admire the career, ambition and religious policy of #King_David_I of Scots. I had the pleasure today of exploring his #Augustinian and #Cistercian foundations at #Jedburgh and #Melrose respectively. 1/2 Jedburgh

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award 2026! A very strong selection, the books come from a variety of genres. The winner is to be announced at our flagship event on 9th June. For the shortlist, go to www.anglohellenicleague.org/news

Very sad news about Averil Cameron, a brilliant scholar and wonderful person. May she rest in peace.

We're delighted to announce the launch of our new blog, the New Anglo-Hellenic Review! Our first post is on restorative justice for Greek-born adoptees, written by Gonda Van Steen, a champion of the cause since 2013. Find this fascinating piece at www.anglohellenicleague.org/new-anglohel...

The situation in Minneapolis is insane: seemingly many large convoys of heavily armed masked men, blocking off streets at random, grabbing people nearly at random, racing around the city with no discernible plan or aim. Under attack by our own government the day after it killed someone

“They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him.” Epiphany always seems to me one of the strangest and most mystical of all Christian festivals, and I’m sad to leave it behind for another year

Icy Skies. -2°C and a cold wind. Hares in the fields.

Joint statement on Greenland.

'Despite persistent myths, employment rates for humanities graduates are comparable to those of STEM graduates, as Humanities Indicators data shows. Early earnings differ but the salary gap narrows significantly mid-career, particularly for graduates who pursue further study'. 1/2

Heavy snowfall on the Yorkshire coast. Encrusted with snow. #BleakMidwinter

A view across the Cliff Bridge in Scarborough shows Wood's Lodgings on 'The Cliff' where on the afternoon of 28 May 1849 aged just 29. Anne Brontë died with her sister Charlotte and friend Ellen Nussey at her bedside. The site is now the home of the Grand Hotel #Brontë

A simple font holding its own with dignity amid the jolly clutter of parish life. St Mary’s #Brandesburton, Yorkshire. #fontsonFriday

Happy New Year to the real people (though not to the bots) who follow my account. May it bring peace, joy and health to all.

Last church-crawl of the year continued my exploration of Wm. #Butterfield’s churches for Wm. Dawnay, 7th Viscount #Downe. Headed to the edges of the vales of York and Mowbray, to visit #Sessay and #Dalton. 1/

The York Mystery Plays return this coming summer. They are a cycle of medieval dramas telling the story of the Bible from Creation to the Last Judgement, each play focusing on a single episode. In medieval York they were traditionally performed for the Feast of Corpus Christi, turning the city into

Hagia Sophia was inaugurated by Justinian on December 27, 537

Grateful for a rich 2025. Fine students at Bath Uni; new ventures with Heni www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WIH... and a most exciting Heni project with @edwinheathcote.bsky.social for 2026; some new discoveries in medieval/ Tudor material culture, a book ahead. Look forward to sharing enthusiasms in 2026.

Doing this soon!:

📚 Publication alert! Rebecca Sweetman’s new book, The Archaeology of the Cyclades in the Roman and Late Antique periods has recently been published by @cambridgeuniversitypress - congratulations Rebecca! 👉 Now available on the shelf in the BSA Library and via CUP!

Ravenserodd or Ravenser Odd was a settlement around Spurn point. It was was founded around 1230 and became a borough in the 1240s. It was a successful port. Sadly storms during the 14th century caused many to leave. A storm In the winter of 1356–57 completely flooded the town

Traces of your footprints in the sand. I follow them. Boundless sand. I can’t find you. Slowly and with great care I place my footprints in the traces of yours. Got you. Y.RITSOS

John Carey: The last public critic

Dickens’ classic is reborn in 1900s northern Greece, where stone-built villages and mountain mist set the stage for a magical new adaptation. The filmmakers explain how they blended tradition, fantasy and a distinctly Greek sensibility

Nativity plays have been a much-loved part of the school year in infant and junior schools across the UK for many years. These performances brought the Christmas story to life with a mix of earnestness and unintentional comedy. Classrooms buzzed with excitement as tea towels and

The Eurogroup elected Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece, as President of the Eurogroup. The new President will take office as of 12 December 2025 and will serve a two-and-a-half-year term. @press.consilium.europa.eu

'The Roman mosaic discovered in the Roman villa of Rutland contains a lost version of the Trojan War that does not appear in the Iliad' 🏺 #ClassicsBluesky

Reminder! Online Launch: Thurs 12 Dec Join us to celebrate the latest issue of MPT, The Antidote to Agony: Focus on the Poetry of Greece and Cyprus With Phoebe Giannisi, Brian Sneeden, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Nazos, chaired by issue editor Jessica Sequeira. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launching-...

🌌 Why do dark skies matter? It’s not just about seeing stars (though that’s amazing!). Dark skies are vital for nature, wildlife, and our well-being. By reducing light pollution, we protect ecosystems, improve health, and keep the universe visible for future generations 🌍💫

Late 11th-century katholikon of Kaisariani Monastery on Mount Hymettos on the outskirts of Athens

The Royal Station Hotel, Ferensway, Hull. Philip Larkin was, as the plaque outside the hotel reminds us, a 'regular' for lunch. However, his poem imagines the hotel on a Friday night, perhaps when he was sitting alone awaiting the arrival of his lover Monica Jones on a train from Leicester. 1/3