Jumped back in to research my family tree after the Ancestry DNA update. Found a branch living in Bicker in the Lincs Fens and I suspect some of my Dutch DNA came through that family line. My stumbling block was the Civil War when records weren’t kept!

What you can see here is current work on a unique building in Deeping St James. It has/had a thatched cat slide roof, typical of fenland architecture and featured a wonderful A-shaped cruck gable end. Not listed: was my fear when it was sold recently. I hope they’re working with professionals 😢

We have just joined BlueSky! Since our foundation in 1880, we have reproduced an unrivalled selection of historic maps, plans and views of London. We also publish books and monographs containing original research. See more of what we have to offer at: londontopsoc.org

This is fantastic! I’ve been trying to decide if the Norman Cross prisoners were able to dye their own paper, straw and ribbons and experiences like this want to make me have a go myself 😍

Homegrown madder pigment. It's wonderful to create medieval pigment from something grown in your garden #bookhistory #medievalpigments #medievalsky

What you can see here is current work on a unique building in Deeping St James. It has/had a thatched cat slide roof, typical of fenland architecture and featured a wonderful A-shaped cruck gable end. Not listed: was my fear when it was sold recently. I hope they’re working with professionals 😢

#31DaysOfGraves – Day 11 – Military Probably the most well known military grave in Broadway Cemetery is to Thomas Hunter, ‘the lonely ANZAC.’ He is believed to be the first Anzac to die on British soil.

Superb haul of books found in my local antiques shop. 1st edition Pevsner and a 1911 version of Lavengro (which has some amazing Norman Cross references)

Our October temporary exhibit showcases new acquisitions to our collections, including a 1660 account of the trial of the regicides, the Ireton family's Bible and this curious 1643 map of Huntingdonshire - complete with distances! More details at: www.cromwellmuseum.org/events/new-a...

I have spent a lovely day skipping through the online records for the little village of Stilton at the turn of the 19th century. Discovered loads of soldiers getting married and having babies (not necessarily legitimate ones) and potentially a Stilton strumpet!

This collaborative PhD project with the LSE and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on Planting Decolonization: Plantation Science and Empire in the Twentieth Century, sounds amazing. I’m sure many of you might be interested. #STS #HPS #HistSci www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...

The Lincolnshire fens in autumn looking east over Cross Drain and Cradge Bank

☀️ A pioneering new space weather forecasting modelling suite will enable operational modelling of the upper atmosphere at the Met Office for the first time in a major breakthrough for UK atmospheric science. Find out what this means below, or check this short thread 👇

ME/CFS is a devastating condition that has long been denied, dismissed, psychologised and underdiagnosed. Research is at last starting to catch up with it, with glimmers of hope for those who have been left untreated for so long. There's a huge BUT coming ...🧵 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Want to work on the history of hair? I am looking for a doc and postdoc to join my project team researching #earlymodern hair, race, trade and multispecies history at the University of Lucerne. Do apply and spread the word! www.unilu.ch/en/universit... www.unilu.ch/en/universit...

Is this legal? Are tobacco products allowed to be advertised? 🤔

Next to majestic Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire can be found the remains of its medieval monastery, including the 12th-century Prior's House and parts of the infirmary complex. These are now regarded as the oldest collection of monastic buildings still in daily use in Britain. #MedievalMonday

Spotted in the garden this afternoon enjoying the autumn sunshine

I will be there on Saturday! Now more nervous than ever!

Join the Norfolk Historic Environment Service at the University of East Anglia on 1-2 November for the "50 Years of Discovery" conference, celebrating archaeology and heritage in the East of England. Secure your spot now! buff.ly/fzsnPHU

NEW: Extraordinary scenes in Amsterdam this afternoon (Sunday, Oct 5). An estimated 250,000 bring the city to a standstill; people all wearing red to show solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸 (🎥 Ahmed Zantac)

Spent some quality time this weekend writing a chapter set in the thick snow of 1640s fenland. Frankly it felt like a holiday, so it was quite the surprise to go into a warm garden this evening to bring my washing in ⛄️ ✍️

What a fascinating project happening at ARU! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sound on for this one 🦢 🪿

Presumably performed in a building in the market place but I’ve no idea where 🤔

Chilly morning down by the River Nene

‘A breezy day’ (From a pre-war Ladybird - circa 1935) Artist: Rene Cloke

Very sad to hear of the death of Patricia Routledge after chatting with my youngest about her recently. I’d just seen her performance as Mrs Jennings in the 1970s version of Sense and Sensibility and she outshone the rest of the cast by a country mile. She was a fabulous comic actress

I won the AOUG Vice Chancellor Lord Perry of Walton award for research in the social sciences

Really enjoyed listening to The Food Programme on Radio4 just now. A deep dive into Colman’s Mustard in Norwich showed the impact of the family’s benevolence in the city and the legacy that has barely survived. Definitely agree that more should be done to remember the family

🖥 We have a number of online research training courses starting in October. Visit the IHR website to register and find detailed information on each course: www.history.ac.uk/study-traini...

A rare 19th century ‘bier house’, opposite St. Mary’s Church in Keysoe, Bedfordshire…this is where the bier, which was a wheeled contraption for moving coffins from parishioners houses to the church, was kept!

Tinted, double-hinged spectacles, c.1790. Many opticians believed green or blue glass was easier on the eyes and would reduce glare; while clear glass was too soft and would distort images. This extraordinary example is from the Wellcome Collection in London.

Fell in love with this poem as a teenager. Very sad to hear Brian Patten has passed away

🎶What is the inquest for? What is the inquest for? A doctor cant tell If he jumped or fell So thats what the inquest is foooorrr🎶

Gorgeous day in Cambridge with a bevy of fabulous people. The pictures show Parker’s Piece and one of the rare walls near the station

Got a newer train this morning with a clean carpet and fancy seats. I feel a lot less like a piece of lost luggage now. There’s a usable table too!

I've been down the most fascinating rabbit hole this evening. A charity here in the UK called Heritage Crafts are giving bursaries for people wanting to learn endangered crafts. Just some of the crafts on the list: 1/

Great news! JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month www.jstor.org/action/showL...

Looking forward to visiting Cambridge tomorrow to celebrate the first year of my doctorate and the completion of my 2nd chapter. At least it will be a lot drier than my first day when I could have travelled there and back by canoe 🛶

Moot Hall staircase, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Building construction started in 1520. In 1645, the building was the location for the trial of seven alleged witches. #StaircaseSaturday

Reading novels increases empathy. That's not the opinion bit, that's established fact, look it up if you don't believe me. Here's the opinion: a reduction in novel reading is linked to a rise in fascism

1824: Took a Walk in the fields heard the harvest cricket & shrew-mouse uttering their little chickering songs among the crackling stubbles. The latter makes a little ear-piercing noise not unlike a feeble imitation of the skylark & I verily believe this is the noise said to be made by the...

Spotted this in Dunelm today. Is this an internet thing that I don’t know about or is should I be worried about their products?! 😂

Spotted this in Dunelm today. Is this an internet thing that I don’t know about or is should I be worried about their products?! 😂

Oh no! It's 1795, and you're stuck on a pub quiz: Who was the Lord Mayor of London in 1774? Fear not: This absolutely tiny pocket almanac is here to save the day.

Oh all right then …

Some of the fabulously ornate Victorian wallpaper at Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster 🤩

There's a lot of bad in the world right now. But @tealcartoons.bsky.social and I have a new kids' book coming out called DEAD ENDS that reminds us that failure isn't just inevitable but essential to success. There are a limited number of SIGNED copies from @mysteriousbookshop.com - shorturl.at/1A9CS

High above Newark Avenue just now … London to Edinburgh