ARCHIVE ALERT! Footpath Preservation / Open Spaces Society archives that were to be transferred from the Parliamentary Archives to The National Archives have instead been deposited with Special Collections at the Museum of English Rural Life, Univ.of Reading. Please repost this to spread the word.

Not envhist but can't help sharing the info that my doctor's surgery (aka healthcare practice) no longer has reception staff - instead they are "care navigators".

Looking forward to presenting my paper 'A Mixed Grill': the Lake District National Park and West Cumberland's Atomic Coast' at ASEH 2026 in Kansas City. Part of the 'Wilderness and Militarized Spaces' panel, 26 March, 1200 to 1.15pm in the Plaza, Pavilion Two - Pavilion Level @aseh.bsky.social

We've just updated our overview of environmentally damaging incidents in the Israeli-US war against #Iran. We've identified more than 300 incidents and remotely assessed 232 for harm. Read more about these incidents and trends here: ceobs.org/operation-ep... #IranWar #Iran 1/5

Yay! Submitted my draft manuscript to Bloomsbury Academic: 'The Military-Industrial Enclosure of Britain's Countryside in the Second World War: Fields Into Factories' @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social A way to go before publication but still, will allow myself some modestly priced fizz tomorrow night.

Thursday 12 February 6pm London time, online only: 'Fifteen Years of New York City's High Line'. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

CALL FOR PAPERS - Modern British History and the 'Environmental Turn'. A two-day workshop organised by @maxlong.bsky.social and myself at Lincoln College, Oxford, 16-17 September. Deadline for abstracts is 15 May. Details in poster below, please share.

What a nice way to start 2026 - HMRC have told me I'm due a tax rebate of £408 for 2024/25, and they intend to give it to me in the next five days. Any envhist books I should buy with it?

Great Xmas present from my wife; which I'll very much enjoy reading: Hugh Clout's 1996 'After The Ruins' about the restoration of the Northern France countryside after the First World War: www.exeterpress.co.uk/products/aft...

Just started reading Irus Braverman's 'Settling Nature: the Conservation Regime in Palestine-Israel' - how the Israeli State steals Palestinian land under the guise of nature conservation in order to fuel the Zionist colonial-settler project.

My weekend brunch will never be the same again: regenerationinternational.org/2024/06/09/i...

Must go to see the British Library's 'Secret Maps' exhibition before it closes in mid-January @britishlibrary.bsky.social events.bl.uk/exhibitions/...

Fight back against illegal Israeli colonizers of Palestine's West Bank, who are trying to destroy the Palestinian olive harvest. Buy Palestinian olive oil from Zaytoun: zaytoun.uk

The conference on 7 November is now available to go to online via Microsoft Teams; email Lars Cook (below) or it might be available if you register for the 'Bannocks & Bombs' event on Eventbrite.

Have just been round it- fantastic as always. Still another hour of it if you're anywhere near Senate House, Bloomsbury and want to drop in

It's also on Eventbrite. Search for 'Bannocks & Bombs! Scotland & World War Two

This coming Friday 7th November; am presenting my paper (below) at UHI Perth's 'Bannocks and Bombs' conference. Free and in-person @uhiperth.bsky.social

During the #SecondWorldWar the government’s efforts to obscure Britain’s skies put it at odds with the National Smoke Abatement Society. 🔒 Gary Willis’ article from the November issue is now in the archive www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...

An excellent event for finding out about various archives

Talking Records: Pollution in the Archive is now open for registration! 🏭🌊 In person symposium at The National Archives on 4th December: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talking-re... Afternoon of online talks on 5th December: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talking-re... #envhum #envhist

My article in History Today is now out, about the Government's programme of deliberate smoke production during the Second World War to try to obscure industrial targets from the Luftwaffe. @pastpreservers.bsky.social

HA....HA.........HA: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Book your ticket now for Dr Henry Irving's late afternoon talk on 10 December at The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social on recycling in London during the Second World World www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/fro...

Looking forward to presenting my paper: 'High, Open, Bleak and Boggy: How Scotland's Environment Shaped Its Involvement In The Second World War' at the 'Scotland and World War Two' conference at Perth UHI on Friday 7 November, 9am to 3pm. Contact Lars Cook at [email protected] for more info.

Interesting looking exhibition on at The Wellcome Collection in London at the moment: wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/...

Just had a city break in Stockholm. Amazing visit to the VasaMuseet. A must for every historian, whatever their specialist period/issue.

Am rather worried that if I dream of holding up a Support Palestine Action piece of card that Yvette (Labour Friend of Israel) Cooper's thought police will come knocking on my door.

Looking forward to presenting my paper on The Dambusters' Raid as an act of environmental warfare, at the RAF Museum's conference on 4th and 5th September @pastpreservers.bsky.social www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats...

Interesting article I'm currently reading: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

My latest blog is up, about the Council for the Preservation of Rural England's activities during the Second World War; based on a paper I gave at the Institute of Historical Research in February; @katrinanavickas.bsky.social @dudleymarianna.bsky.social blogs.kent.ac.uk/munitions-of...

The carbon footprint of the Israeli State and Israeli "Defence" Force's war on Gaza: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

4 years 3 months sentence for destroying a national landmark? A laughable punishment, and they'll be out in two years on parole to add insult to injury. Should have been twice as long a sentence, at least. media.zenfs.com/en/the_indep...

Investigation into environmental pollution by British military bases: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

With my National Archives User Advisory Group Academic & Environmental Representative hat on, here's a plug for TNA's Government Web Archive: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/

Delighted to have been accepted on to the National Archives' Independent Researcher list, covering C20th UK History, general research, British Army and the RAF @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy; www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/irlist/defau...

Really enjoying Michael Lobel's 'envhist book' on Van Gogh's engagement through his art with industrialisation: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/van-...

Will be speaking about the Dambusters' Raid as an act of environmental warfare on the second day of the RAF Museum's annual conference in September; @rafmuseum.bsky.social www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/wha...

Delighted that my abstract's been accepted for the RAF Museum's conference on 4/5 September. Am presenting a paper showing Operation Chastise/Dambusters' Raid to be an act of environmental warfare in addition to the established narratives of technical boffinry and dashing heroism.

Looking forward to hearing @dudleymarianna.bsky.social and @matthewjkelly.bsky.social at Queen Mary University's 'British History Today' Thursday/Friday 1 & 2 May: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis....

Looking forward to chairing the 'Redefining Physical and Interdisciplinary Frontiers' session at 1030 on Friday 11 April at the American Society for Environmental History's annual conference in Pittsburgh @aseh.bsky.social

Israeli settlers tripled their attacks on #WestBank olive farmers during the 2024 harvest, destroying 3,100 trees and injuring dozens, while restricted land access cost Palestinian farmers 1,365 tons of oil. news.mongabay.com/2025/03/gaza...

A plug for 'Forgotten: searching for Palestine's hidden places and lost memorials' by Raja Shehadeh & Penny Johnson, about the cultural erasure practised by the Israeli State and its illegal settlers. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/forg...

5.30 to 7pm, Tuesday 4 March in-person at IHR, London and online, David Matless talking about his book, 'England's Green: www.history.ac.uk/events/engla...

Delighted that my latest journal article is just out: 'Where Amenity and Modernity Collided: the Lake District National Park and West Cumberland's Atomic Coast' @uobrishistory.bsky.social @uobrisceh.bsky.social @jofhistgeog.bsky.social @pastpreservers.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...

My talk 'Prepared to Make a Fine Fuss' about British environmental organisations in the Second World War, coming up on Wednesday 26 February, at the Institute of Historical Research, London, 5.30 to 7pm in person and online @ihr.bsky.social @themerl.bsky.social www.history.ac.uk/events/prepa...

I've just written a blog about how historians - environmental historians in particular - can support the work of the National Archives User Advisory Group @ihr.bsky.social blog.history.ac.uk/2025/02/the-...

Exhibition: 'Soil', at Somerset House, London, until 13 April www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/soil

Am presenting a paper on British environmental organisations 1936 to 1946, in-person/online, 26/2/2025 at IHR, Bloomsbury, London, 5.30 to 7pm London time. @uobrishistory.bsky.social @dudleymarianna.bsky.social @pastpreservers.bsky.social @swwstudiesedin.bsky.social www.history.ac.uk/events/prepa...

'Prepared To Make A Fine Fuss' online and in-person talk by me about the work of British environmental organisations during the 2nd World War. 26 February, at IHR, London, 5.30 to 7pm. Link not available yet but will put up asap. @uobrishistory.bsky.social @uobrisceh.bsky.social @ihr.bsky.social