Some rain now please ☔️ 🙏

Yesterday evening’s walk was golden as the sun sank and the heat held on. This evening is cooler, breezier, and cloudier. So, here’s my last photo of the May heatwave. Have a lovely weekend. 📷 near Gunnerton village, #Northumberland #SunsetPhotos

The beautiful ‘blue vase’ comes from a tomb near Pompeii’s Herculaneum Gate. The white cameo shows Dionysian imagery including birds, vines, Silenus masks. Cupids harvest grapes from vines, press them, and sit on columns playing instruments. Mid-1st C CE My 📷 #FindsFriday #RomanGlass #Rome

The amazing York Helmet is one of only six surviving helmets from Anglo-Saxon Britain, and the best preserved! A Latin inscription bears the name ‘OSHERE’. The nosepiece is decorated with fantastic beasts! Found in 1982 by a digger operator in York. AD 770-775. 📷 me #FindsFriday #Archaeology

Found at Via Umbria, Taranto, lovely gold boat shaped earring, 350-300 BCE. Floral motifs fill the boat, winged female figures (Nikai) on the sides with small doves; pendants are amphorae and rosettes on fine chains. In MARTA, Taranto, Italy. #FindsFriday #Archaeology 📸 my own

The beautiful ‘blue vase’ comes from a tomb near Pompeii’s Herculaneum Gate. The white cameo shows Dionysian imagery including birds, vines, Silenus masks. Cupids harvest grapes from vines, press them, and sit on columns playing instruments. Mid-1st C CE My 📷 #FindsFriday #RomanGlass #Rome

Rhododendrons and peonies at Wallington Hall and Belsay last week. #FlowersOnThursday

Today is a day mostly away from my desk, carrying the story in my heart, and getting on with other things. Why? See my 📷 for the answer. It’s why I’ve given up before, and the solution to get all the way to the end too. Pace is the thing. #WritingLife #AmWriting

Military Diplomas are discharge certificates inscribed on bronze issued to auxiliary soldiers after 25 years service, granting citizenship to soldiers & children, plus marriage rights. My 📷: Replica issued by Trajan (AD 98-117) to Spanish officer, Reburrus, 1st Pannonian cavalry. #RomanFortThursday

I’m sharing this to tell you about my wonderful author friend who completed @jerichowriters.bsky.social course and has now published the most gorgeous atmospheric book that sits between history and fantasy. My copy is on the way. Amazon sells ebook and paperback. kyamedwin.com/book/the-dru...

Here’s a story about the surprising legacy of 1000 years of lead mining in Northumberland. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A marble relief sculpture from Ostia Antica’s Via dela Foce shows market sellers with customers. Spot the poultry, rabbits, monkeys, and the large barrel containing goods unknown. The seller appears to hand customers bread or wrapped parcels. 2nd C AD. #Archaeology #ReliefWednesday #AncientRome

This is the imposing entrance to Dunadd Fort, situated on a huge rock that rises out of Moine Mhor (the ‘great moss’) an expanse of bog to the south of Kilmartin Glen. The rock became a royal power centre of Gaelic kings in the 500s to 800s AD. #HillfortsWednesday

This is a view my Roman protagonist saw on an evening in Britannia when the sun set so late in a northern land. Until this moment there was nothing of beauty here for her. 📷 my own, shot from a Roman road in Northumberland. #HistFic #AmWriting

This is a stunning medieval book which I sincerely hope will be bought by a public library or museum and put on display for all to see and enjoy. The video in the article shows just how special it is - Merlin, King Arthur, and beautiful illustrations. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...

A marble relief sculpture from Ostia Antica’s Via dela Foce shows market sellers with customers. Spot the poultry, rabbits, monkeys, and the large barrel containing goods unknown. The seller appears to hand customers bread or wrapped parcels. 2nd C AD. #Archaeology #ReliefWednesday #AncientRome

This is a view my Roman protagonist saw on an evening in Britannia when the sun set so late in a northern land. Until this moment there was nothing of beauty here for her. 📷 my own, shot from a Roman road in Northumberland. #HistFic #AmWriting

This fountain has been known as Marforio since the 12th C.The name refers to its original location, the Forum of Mars, the area between the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forums. The statue is more than 6M long. It represents Ocean - 2nd-3rd C AD. 📷 my own, Capitoline Museums. #AncientRome

What an end to a beautiful day! I took this photo in a lay-by on the A68 just west of the telecoms mast, north of the Errington roundabout. A stunning sunset that I tried to capture. Yellowhammer calls, skylarks too. #SunsetPhotography #Northumberland #BankHolidayMonday

Showing up is the thing that gets me writing. I don’t set a target word count. My brain hates number goals. So, the target is to write words in each time-bound session. But I do record what I achieved at the end of the writing day. #AmWriting #WritingLife #Motivation

Roman mosaic in a house, #Italica, Santa Ponce. Depicts Sol (centre), Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn in hexagons. And these Roman deities also represent a 7 day week. c. AD 150. Emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born in Italica. My 📷 #MosaicMonday #Archaeology

‘Are you not entertained?’ Incredible Gladiator helmets from #Pompeii, buried and preserved in AD 79 when Vesuvius erupted with catastrophic consequences for the people in the Bay of Naples area. 📷 my own, Naples Archaeological Museum. #FindsFriday #Archaeology

This fountain has been known as Marforio since the 12th C.The name refers to its original location, the Forum of Mars, the area between the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forums. The statue is more than 6M long. It represents Ocean - 2nd-3rd C AD. 📷 my own, Capitoline Museums. #AncientRome

What an end to a beautiful day! I took this photo in a lay-by on the A68 just west of the telecoms mast, north of the Errington roundabout. A stunning sunset that I tried to capture. Yellowhammer calls, skylarks too. #SunsetPhotography #Northumberland #BankHolidayMonday

Why do we have Bank Holidays? Bank holidays officially started in the UK on May 25, 1871, when the Bank Holidays Act 1871 was passed by Parliament. The legislation was drafted by Sir John Lubbock, a banker and politician. 1/3 #BankHoliday #History

Roman mosaic in a house, #Italica, Santa Ponce. Depicts Sol (centre), Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn in hexagons. And these Roman deities also represent a 7 day week. c. AD 150. Emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born in Italica. My 📷 #MosaicMonday #Archaeology

This weekend’s #BigRead is Max Adam’s and Colm O’Brien’s Northumbria AD 367-867: Earth Hall, Ring-Gift And Heaven’s Field, published 2025. #BookSky #AmReading #History

‘Are you not entertained?’ Incredible Gladiator helmets from #Pompeii, buried and preserved in AD 79 when Vesuvius erupted with catastrophic consequences for the people in the Bay of Naples area. 📷 my own, Naples Archaeological Museum. #FindsFriday #Archaeology

The legionary/legionnaire trap ruined an otherwise perfectly decent #HistFic novel set in #AncientRome that came highly recommended. I lost trust in the author, which is a shame. When we can get the detail right, we writers should get the detail right.

A legionary (Latin: legionarius) was a professional infantry soldier of the ancient Roman army. Legionnaire refers a soldier in the French Foreign Legion (French: Légion étrangère), a unique elite military wing of the French Army open to foreign recruits. #HistFic writers beware!

Meet the handkerchief tree, Davidia Involucrata, introduced to Britain from China in 1903, now happily at home at #Belsay in #Northumberland. The tree was first recorded at Belsay in 1923 The property, including gorgeous gardens, is now cared for by English Heritage Trust. 📷 my own.

I was looking for bees 🐝 on #WorldBeeDay but came across these gorgeous babies: Mama Duck with her ducklings at Wallington Hall this lunchtime - cuteness overload. @nationaltrust.org.uk #Wildlife 📷 my own.

I was looking for bees 🐝 on #WorldBeeDay but came across these gorgeous babies: Mama Duck with her ducklings at Wallington Hall this lunchtime - cuteness overload. @nationaltrust.org.uk #Wildlife 📷 my own.

On World Bee Day, the story of Bernini and the Barberini bees on landmarks around Rome. 🐝

Marble decorative relief fragment from a temple on the Vicus Iugarius, one of Rome’s most ancient roads. The route was already a shortcut before Republican rule. It runs btw the Forum valley, where it crosses the Via Sacra and the harbour on the left bank of the Tiber. #ReliefWednesday #Rome My 📷

1/2🧵 Into The Woods by John Yorke is a classic. Yorke demonstrates the innate knowledge of stories that humans possess, how we learn what a story is, and why stories are as essential to the human experience as breathing. #booksforwriters #craftbook #amwriting

Maple 🍁🐈‍⬛ seeking love as soon as she spies my laptop bag. #CatSky

A beautiful #Roman glass bowl, in a deep cobalt blue with white swirly decoration, & ridges around the outside. It has suffered a few cracks along the way in its 2000 years of life, but still looks amazing today! #AncientBlueSky

For #EpigraphyTuesday, AD 2nd C stele in Latin & Palmyrene script, #Rome. To the spirits of the departed Habib, son of Annubat, originally from Palmyra, who lived 32 years, 5 months, 21 days; (his) brother Heres set this up. Syrians settled in Rome in the imperial period. #TombTuesday 📷 my own.

My earliest story ideas first take shape in a notebook. It's there that I play with them, coaxing thoughts into a form that could become something much, much bigger. #WritingLife #AmWriting #writingcommunity

For #EpigraphyTuesday, AD 2nd C stele in Latin & Palmyrene script, #Rome. To the spirits of the departed Habib, son of Annubat, originally from Palmyra, who lived 32 years, 5 months, 21 days; (his) brother Heres set this up. Syrians settled in Rome in the imperial period. #TombTuesday 📷 my own.

Part of a large floor mosaic from the huge Baths Of Caracalla, #Rome. The black tesserae are basalt; the white are marble. Depicted is the body and tail of a sea monster ridden by Eros holding a whip in his right hand. 3rd C AD. #MosaicMonday #Archaeology 📷 my own.

Northumberland’s Emily Wilding Davison, 1872-1913, was a #suffragette. Btw 1909 and 1912 Emily was arrested and imprisoned. She went on hunger strike and endured force feeding. She died at Epsom races trying to pin suffragette colours on the king’s race horse. 📷 my own, Morpeth.

Sound on for something beautiful on #Friday. The Roman Forum is stunning at night. Even better when the buskers draw a crowd. One of my favourite memories of being at the heart of Ancient #Rome. #Archaeology #Travel

Sound on for something beautiful on #Friday. The Roman Forum is stunning at night. Even better when the buskers draw a crowd. One of my favourite memories of being at the heart of Ancient #Rome. #Archaeology #Travel

These 3 gold signet rings were found in the ‘Tomb of the Griffin Warrior’ discovered near ‘Nestor’s Palace’ Pylos, Greece, in 2015. The tomb and grave goods indicate the deceased was a high status Mycenaean warrior. Dates 1500-1450 BCE. In Athens National Archaeological Museum, Mar-Jun 2026.

These 3 gold signet rings were found in the ‘Tomb of the Griffin Warrior’ discovered near ‘Nestor’s Palace’ Pylos, Greece, in 2015. The tomb and grave goods indicate the deceased was a high status Mycenaean warrior. Dates 1500-1450 BCE. In Athens National Archaeological Museum, Mar-Jun 2026.

This got to me: ‘The mistake is to think that struggle is a sign you are doing life wrong.’ @gurdeep.ca

This family of geese were sunning themselves at Wallington Hall in Northumberland yesterday. @nationaltrust.org.uk care for this wonderful house and gardens.

Roman glass vessels from 1sr C AD Taranto tombs but without more detailed provenance. From left to right, Two blue glass beakers, a glass jug, a biconical glass jar, and a small amphora. 📷 my own, MARTA, Taranto. #AncientRome #Archaeology