Medieval scribes at work. A 13th-century Bible manuscript is filled with historiated initials, a few of which depicts scribes with their essential tools: a quill pen for writing and a penknife for sharpening the nib and scraping away mistakes. #bookhistory #rarebooks 💙📚📜

Today is #AuschwitzLiberationDay The Nazis built hundreds of camps, many of which have limited documentation. By combining archival photos with data from lidar, geophysical surveys and excavations, researchers are uncovering their realities. doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

BBC News - Airlines pay out millions after initially rejecting claims www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC News - Menopause linked to Alzheimer's-like brain changes www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC News - Ground rents to be capped at £250 a year for leaseholders www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

National Data Library: progress update, January 2026 www.gov.uk/government/p... A casserole of familiar ingredients, reheated by DSIT, no open data, AI to taste #govtech #techpolicy #datapolicy

Wow

#OtD 26 Jan 1649 English radical and founder of the Digger movement, Gerrard Winstanley, completed his text “The New Law of Righteousness” which laid out his plans for occupying the commons during the English Civil War stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9821...

TV is 100! On Jan 26 1926 John Logie Baird gave the first public demo of a working television system in rooms above what is now Bar Italia on Frith St, London. Read John Wyver's book for more: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/magic-ray... / cc @illuminations.bsky.social

I hope the next update in 'spring 2026' will give us more info & progress. Some sort of hypothesis for what the National Data Library is and what problem it is trying to solve would be a start. And if DSIT wants to build something important and influence a larger landscape, maybe work in the open?

It’s 592 days since the Labour manifesto proposed a ‘National Data Library’. 571 days since the 2024 General Election. DSIT have *finally* published something on the National Data Library: www.gov.uk/government/p... It was not worth the wait.

#OnThisDay in London anti-military history, 1916: A meeting against forced conscription into the army during World War 1 is held in Victoria Park, 1916. A post on the East London Federation of Suffragettes, the ‘Woman’s Dreadnought’ and East End opposition to the war wp.me/p74yfw-VD

Morning folks - for all the people at Govcamp who were asking me about the National Data Library here is an actual, official update with some specifics...for the first time I think 🎉 www.gov.uk/government/p...

The team had fun writing the copy for this! Check out the 4K collection on BFI Player: player.bfi.org.uk/subscription...

Thank you to Christine Barker (@kissipants ) for this morning's #FoxOfTheDay amongst the holly !

Were you surprised to learn about the Aesculapian snake in Wild London? 🐍👀 It is one of Europe’s largest snake species and there’s a population living right here in London along Regent’s Canal! Have you ever seen one along the canal (or anywhere else in London)? Tell us in the comments! 👇💬

Rise and shine, it's the final day of #BigGardenBirdwatch! Remember, you can still take part even if you haven't signed up. Help us spread the word: share this post, text someone, or tell the whole table over your Sunday roast. The more data we get, the better 🧑🔬

Born of the coupling of Leda and the Swan, then hatched from an egg There’s more to Helen of Troy than the most beautiful woman in the world - as Charlotte and I discuss in our 4 part Instant Classics mini series podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...

The insanity of UK public bodies threatening other UK public bodies with the apparent intention of limiting the reuse of UK address data. Meanwhile the rest of the world has long recognised that postal address data is critical digital public infrastructure in the 21st century.

Un bar aux Folies-Bergère: a young barmaid serves a customer at the brightly lit balcony bar, and is reflected in the mirrored space; last major work (1882), by Édouard Manet, born #OTD 1832; first modernist painter, who revolutionised art in technique and subject matter. Courtauld Gallery London

#foxoftheday #wildlifephotography #foxlovers #foxdaily @chrispackaham

“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent...And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne, English metaphysical poet, Dean of St Paul’s London; born #OTD 1572. Portrait after Isaac Oliver, National Portrait Gallery London

Quite nice saw a bit the other day near the station a glowing bench.

Take part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch ! 🐦✨ Pick one hour between 23rd –25th January, watch your patch, and record the highest number of each species you see at one time. You can find out more about taking part via the link below👇 https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch

Unfortunately Monty from Dyrham Park does *not* appreciate his nice new neckerchief. 📷: Mark C

Always useful for Tenable questions.

BBC News - I was a hostage negotiator for 10 years - this is what it taught me about parenting www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Good luck to her. BBC News - 'Pioneer' Kinsella targets rare return to elite gymnastics after baby www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnas...

Good episode on American History Hit on the two term limit in USA. My prediction - Trump stands down 'for health reasons' say six months before end of term. J.D. Vance becomes President. Stands as incumbent wins the next Election. pca.st/episode/5ca0...

During the winter Kingfishers on the Exe Estuary are an added bonus to the 20-30k migratory birds that over winter with us in Devon. When the sun shines it highlights it’s beautiful plumage 👍

‘The Tailor’ c 1570, by Giovanni Battista Moroni (1520-1578), Italian Mannerist painter of restrained, subtle portraits with silvery tonality, inspired by Titian & Lotto. The portrait, originally owned by the Venetian Grimani family, is probably of a woollen cloth merchant. National Gallery London

Good morning ! Thank you to @peterlewis55.bsky.social for this morning's #FoxOfTheDay

Perhaps my favourite author. 'The road to Wigan Pier' is great.

Column by Carolyn Hax: Single mom is tired of waiting for her “monumentally late” boyfriend to show up — or change his behavior.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Now that is a film. The soundtrack is great.

Strawberry Hill, gallery. Horace Walpole’s moulded version of the stone aisle vaults of Henry VII’s Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

#OnThisDay in AD 1788, the third and main part of the First Fleet, transporting convicts, landed at Botany Bay, beginning the English colonisation of Australia. Transportation to New South Wales ended in 1840 and the penal settlements were often left largely vacant 1/2

The legendary issue 45

BBC News - Hidden cameras reveal what hedgehogs really get up to after dark www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC News - Alzheimer's finger-prick blood test could transform diagnosis, experts say www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'What Amanda didn't know was that agencies such as Experian - the UK's biggest credit-rating agency - are also paid commission to promote credit card lenders' products'. BBC News - 'Credit score company encouraged me to borrow again when I was nearly debt-free' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Seriously read this. All the way. Says people have no idea how quickly fire spreads so react too late. Just leave at once and be aware of exits. BBC News - Swiss bar fire: Survivors recall 2003 US 'flashover' blaze with striking parallels www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Not for the squeamish. BBC News - Swiss bar fire: Survivors recall 2003 US 'flashover' blaze with striking parallels www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Never been on the night version but used the old 92 hundreds of times, the 192 a fair bit. Coming from Stockport as I do.

'Not Just the Tudors' on Hamnet. Long chat with the author and a academic. Bit of an eye opener if you like The Bard and his period. I have not read the book or seen the film and its still fascinating. pca.st/episode/895e...

Born #OTD 1612 Thomas Fairfax. Captain General of the New Model Army, Fairfax led the Parliamentary forces to victory at the Battle of Naseby (1645), but Fairfax also served as an MP in 1649 and 1650, before returning to Parliament in 1659 and 1660.

I think if I was at @ukgovcamp.com today one session I’d propose is: it’s 2030. An authoritarian gov is in power and masked armed agents are targeting citizens they dislike based on data from across gov services. What do they get from your service? What will citizens wish you had done now? #ukgc26

So here’s why Palantir is keen to get its mitts on UK health data, possibly at a ‘best in market’ price… so it’s all ready to offer a Farage Fascism App with address data that people have to keep up to date for their health…

Blimey just imagine if your deepest secrets are captured by hackers who release them on the dark web. In this case therapy records. BBC News - Vastaamo hack: My darkest secrets were revealed to the world www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ninety UK universities to have posted accounts so far cut 13,300 jobs last year, spending £303 million on severance pay - sector-wide total clearly going to be well in excess of predicted 10,000. Great reporting by @patrickjack.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...