Today is the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Wapping Print Dispute. The dispute changed the media, weakened (once more) the unions and laid bare the fractures and division within the communities on whose streets it played out. Honoured to have heard from some of those that were there today.

ARTE

One of the aforementioned young republican Americans has started to sing quietly and that has crossed a line for many. A man in a West ham scarf just politely asked her to 'please, shit the fuck up' and there is a collective release of tension.

There are loud (I think that's just their normal volume) young republican Americans on the train talking politics and I have never, ever been on a train carriage so tense. They are missing all the cues of British silent seething, tuts and glares from all passengers. One stop to go. Tense.

PhD funding for early career historians completing a doctorate. Applications are invited for the Society's Centenary PhD Fellowships for the academic year 2026-27 bit.ly/49MzqmT. Two awards of £8500 per student, held jointly with @ihr.bsky.social. Closing date: 31 January 2026 #Skystorians

My study day on 19th-century mental health history is on Sat 7 Feb @citylit.bsky.social Among the contested diagnoses/labels we’ll explore are: ‘moral insanity’, monomania, hysteria, melancholia, post-natal psychosis and ‘general paralysis of the insane’ Details: www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/an-i...

Do come along! www.ccw.ox.ac.uk/events/2026/...

I am supposed to be writing a thing with a deadline at the moment which is why I am on here and my house is unbelievably clean.

"So John had a son called John who Married Margret. He also had a sister called Margret. Their 4 children were John, Margret, Mary and James. John was a bachelor who lived with Margret." WHICH ONE(s). I'm so confused. I've sketched this out & still confused. Geneologists must be batnuts to do this

I'm interested in seeing F1, but I'm worried I won't know what's happening in it since I never saw ESC

Todays Going Through My Testimonies Oral History insight; Respondant talking about his father explaining why he had so many right handed gloves;"So, they used to wear a glove when they shot" Me. ""Yeah, so they dont get burnt from the casing?" Him. "No, so it is a silent kill". Me. *silence* Oh.

⚡ Lightning Talks at The London Archives ⚡ Are you a student or ECR? Need feedback on your work? Can you summarise it in 5 minutes? Join us for Lightning Talks at The London Archives - a friendly event open to researchers of London and its history! 📆 Wed 11 February 🕔 5pm

Morning. If I know the ESRC grant number/label - is there a place you can search to get to detail and any archived materials for that project. This is from the late 1990s and I am struggling a little (have asked directly at the universities whether they hold anything). Thanks!

I need at least 3 more folk to sign up for my Edinburgh Adult Education Programme archaeology classes at Craigentinny, or the course will be cancelled. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know. Thank you! adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spyd...

Tally Man: "Whenever the police used to walk around the [dock] sheds, the call was cabbage. That was police. Cabbage. Cabbage. You couldn't say ‘the old bill’ or ‘police.’ Cabbage. And even the police used to call it sometimes as they'd walk in, they'd go Cabbage." No one knows why cabbage.

Oral history is great but it is hard though. I've started to recognise rehashed narratives, tropes, plotlines, urban myths, bits from books. The performative side is interesting and I guess to do with composure. Will make the methodology part something to think quite deeply with and reflexively.

...now I am obviously not laughing at the crime but it was so funny how exasperated he got with my points of reference being the Godfather, that Krays film with Tom Hardy (mmmn), Sicario part one and two and The Wire (all series). ha ha. I did not ask about drills and new walls.

Transcript me to former Armed Robber; "Did you not need to check on the area, make sure you weren't stepping on toes" AR: *hard stare* What the fucking hell do you think-theres a geezer with a fucking cat down the pub? Stop watching Netflicks ffs. Me. *properly laughing* Him. *Blofeld inpressions*

Going over transcripts talking about nicknames on the docks "One guy was called The Solicitor, because he used to look into all the cases. Other called Educated Foot. He never took his hands out his pockets, used to just gesture things by pointing with his foot" 😂

Take a break from your doomscrolling for this. It's mandatory viewing.

I play a few different online brain games everyday, Wordle, Queens, that kind of thing. I usually solve quickly or do better than average times. Secretly I believe that MI5 are going to approach and recruit me on this basis.

We took 12 under 10s to a rugby tournament last night. At one point 9 of them were crying. It was a long and hard night. Rugby is brutal. A fantastic game, but brutal.

supposed to be writing (properly) from my notes but got distracted by Brinks Mat at 07.32 and now looked up at 16.31 having fallen deeply down that rabbit hole. So interesting. Maybe a footnote though so a wasted day.

Hats off to whoever did this (and the beautiful model).

..."Yarwood's car is used in £½m raid." Times, 23 Sept. 1981, p. 2. For anyone interested in the cultural icon (ahem) that was Yarwood.

London gets a bad street crime press but is a utopia compared to the 70/80s. Mike Yarwood's (ask your nan) Rolls Royce was stolen in 1981 and used in an armed robbery. No one was injured but the Roller was dented and discarded. There is an excellent picture of Mike Yarwood doing Daily Mail Sad Face

Couldn't sleep last night so the dog and me sneaked downstairs and watched all black ops series 2 and it is still the most joyful thing on TV. Still properly laughing at him going for a wee half way through an abduction.

....*spits out tea*

'My dad's [dock] gang, they was working with mercury, & everyone used to have like a enamel cups & a teapot. They've put all the mercury in the teapot. [to smuggle out the docks] as it's worth something, so like nick it & then we'll work out after. They would have sold it to who knows.' #londondocks

There are few moments as tense as uploading a Media file you've recorded on a handheld - all the time muttering 'pleasehaveworkedpleasehaverecordedillneverfogettochecktheredlightagain'

Spoke to a chap today who had a woman on his armed robbery team in the 70s. I don't know why I was so surprised at that. I guess the physical nature of it. The violent threat. He said it wasn't usual but accepted.

Sexy gilts news today! 🫦 Strongest demand seen for a gilt auction since DMO records began in 1998. Britain sold £900 million of an index-linked gilt due in 2035 and received orders worth £4.333 billion - the highest such ratio (4.81) seen in at least 27 years.

Brilliant new article by @malcolmrussell73.bsky.social on glue-sniffing panics, youth boredom and deindustrialising towns c. 1970s-80s, published in @mbhjournal.bsky.social This began life as an exceptional MA dissertation at @uclhistory.bsky.social Congrats Malcolm! doi.org/10.1093/tcbh...

I know its a long shot but to rub salt into the wounds of yesterday my youngest left his scarf somewhere at the match yesterday. Got a load of badges on from this seasons Home games. Hes gutted. Any reposts appreciated in the hope it might be recovered.

Official War Photographer Thomas Aitken’s visit to trenches held by the 12th East Yorkshire Regiment, Roclincourt, north of Arras, France #OTD 9 January 1918, in 5 images: 1. A sentry in Brandy Trench. Source: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Reminder to anyone who's interested that the deadline for our collaborative PhD with @qubhistory.bsky.social, on the Salvation Army Rescue Home in Belfast, is this coming Tuesday.

Three-year research fellowship (i.e a postdoc) in History at Cambridge @girtoncollege.bsky.social. A great job at a great institution. No restrictions on the field of history studied. Deadline 12 January.

Taking my mind off skipfire international politics/imminent NATO collapse to look at the SPG. I had NO IDEA the Angry Brigade existed. None. That was a fascinating rabbit hole to emerge from. Trying to stop myself looking for research on them and crack on with the SPG.

Oral History Nun is also unbelivably racist, even by the standards of the day (mid 1980s). In one breath about the good irish all living in poverty in one room, in the next horrible slurs and tropes about immigrants living in poverty in one room.

Oral History: Nun saying how she took some of the dockers wives, a ship cleaner onf the docks on a day trip, one never had any teeth as they didnt fit, but on this trip she did, and when asked explained she was wearing her husbands for the day. Nun then laughs uproariously for about 3 mins.

Applications now open. Find out more at birmingham.ac.uk/gender-ma

Called Dr non urgent medication review. Phone appointment tomorrow, less than 24 hours later. Never, ever, EVER, happened before. Usually at least three weeks. Receptionist was delighted as well. Thank you Labour.

Skidded through a corner, missed those massive stone blocks people put at the end of driveway, missed oncoming two cars, skidded back in. Got a round of applause from the driver behind when we finally stopped as I almost puked at the side of the road. Post PhD Getaway Driver career beckons.

Look forward to speaking at the conference on 14 Jan 2026 at the LSE that will explore The Women's Library's sources on activism in the fields of religion, sexuality, and national and international politics. Email [email protected] if you wish to attend. @fotwl.bsky.social

✍🏼 The East End Writers' Workshop will be back in January! A warm, welcoming workshop for writers of all abilities - or none - to practice, be guided, and get bespoke feedback. ❓ 6 lessons over three months, £60 (concessions available). 🖇️ buff.ly/IzGLdlz

This is where I once again feel sad for having lost Old Twitter and all my South Asian friends on there. I was sure there was a project mapping all the medieval and Mughal sarais (caravanserais) across India — anyone know what I'm talking about?

On the 15th, I am doing a FREE ONLINE TALK about the Victorian coroner’s court in LEICESTER. Come one, come all! www.tickettailor.com/events/leice...

‘It was not in his nature to do anything by halves:’ Mary Booth on her husband’s work. No lie detected. I run a course that demystifies Charles Booth’s massive Life & Labour survey and the accompanying Poverty Map. Starts Tue 13 Jan at the Mary Ward Centre, nr Stratford High St DLR short.do/wLa3Vc

Never want to see a pizza or pasta again as long as I live. The cheese dreams have been epic. At airport and will be in the sky come NY. Happy and healthy NY everyone x

Colleseum today and I will be purposely losing the pair of them, turning off my phone and taking the day to myself. I've wanted to go there since I was about 8.