A short essay by me on the history of advent calendars in the UK. martinjohnes.com/2020/12/01/a...

"The Labour-led Welsh Government loves to highlight the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. So why is it so comfortable in underfunding, belittling the staff of, and destroying our world-renowned national institutions?"

Call for papers #CFP Blood is the Price of Coal: Coal Communities, Health and Welfare in Britain and Beyond from the 19th Century to the Present 18 June 2026: 1 day conference + NUM archive exhibition Submit abstracts / express interest at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib... Deadline: 25 Jan 2026

I can remember nothing about 99% of football matches I've been to, but I'll never forget this one.

A powerful piece about the lack of criticism in Welsh culture. llinos.substack.com/p/the-villag...

If Britain is 'sliding "into economic crisis over £85bn sickness bill', what can UK Arts, Humanities & Social Science research tell us about alternative pathways? Swansea University historians have some excellent answers. 1/4 @torstenbell.bsky.social @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social

Gebuza Nungu was a Zulu member of 15th Glamorganshire (Gower) Home Guard, born in Ulundi in 1870, he came to Britain as a lion tamer with the The Savage South Africa Show in 1898, before moving to South Wales & working in the steel industry. #WW2 #SWW #History

Wales really should just opt out of REF. There are far easier, and considerably cheaper, ways of distributing QR funding.

A fair critique here. And one that's been made before but no one in government seems to want to listen. The Curriculum for Wales requires Welah history to be taught at all levels but never specifies what that means in practice. It needs to be far more directive.

Keir Starmer take note: the way to defeat Reform is not by adopting their policies and rhetoric. #Caerphilly

CPD event on the Second World War and Empire for teachers. Travel and accommodation bursaries are available and they're keen to have teachers from Wales there. www.iwm.org.uk/learning/tea...

I'm a big fan of Robert Harris' historical novels but the idea that this would have happened in a 1914 Anglesey pub is silly.

I'm giving a talk in London on Wales and the Second World War next week: www.cymmrodorion.org/talk/welsh-n...

New research from the British Academy on declining arts & humanities provision in universities. Amongst its findings, is the fact that the number of students studying Welsh as a degree has fallen by 61% since 2011. university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/12/b...

Labour could change the news agenda entirely by announcing referendums on PR and Europe. It could be brave and return to its values. Or it can carry on dancing to whatever tune Farage and the media plays and thus play a part in destroying the UK.

Also an ex-miner, banned for a year for attempted match fixing, ran a pub and starred in a movie. Someone should make a film about his life.

Newspaper ad for Michael Jackson at Cardiff Arms Park 1988.

Big thanks to Neath Port Talbot Stroke Group for welcoming me this morning and listening to a talk on Wales and the Second World War. A public engagement activity enabled by @ukri.org supporting the humanities.

My book Wales since 1939 is half price (£10) at the moment. Enter SUN50 on the checkout page. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719086670/

David Lloyd George appeals to Wales' military history in a 1914 speech to his "fellow-countrymen" about the role he felt they should be playing in the Great War.

Watching the Welsh rain out the window while London radio advises me how to stay cool in the heat wave.

Around 3/4 of people don’t want Reform in power. But the narrative is that they are unstoppable. First-past-the-post has warped British politics for far too long. Now it risks letting the extreme right win a majority. It needs to go. My latest guardian column: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

#SportAndFashion month is a great opportunity to examine the history of your sports through its sportswear. Here Martin Johnes considers the significance of the 1970's Admiral Shirt in Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 football. Can you suggest similar iconic sportswear moments? martinjohnes.com/2024/02/27/a...

I'm always happy to give talks to secondary schools. If you'd like a talk about Welsh history or studying history just let me know.

#skyhistorians We are happy to announce our Cardiff (29/07), Liverpool (14/08) and Online (18/09) workshops for our Divergent Minds in the Archive project. We are looking for all ND archive users to sign up and tell us more about your experiences. More info on the posters. Links in next messages.

*OPEN ACCESS* ‘A Welcoming Nation?’ edited by ‪‪@catrineds.bsky.social‬, Rhys Dafydd Jones, and @laurasocres.bsky.social is out now! Read for free via the link below: www.uwp.co.uk/app/uploads/...

My book, 'Wales in England 1914-1945. A Social, Cultural, & Military History', is currently available at a more manageable price (47% off). In case you can no longer wait to hear how ideas of Wales and Welshness influenced two generations of English soldiers: www.amazon.co.uk/Wales-Englan...

Frost claims the adoption of the name ‘UK’ to describe the state he lives in has been some Woke conspiracy against national identity. He’s got it backwards: ‘UK’ was a *nationalist* adoption to distinguish GB and N Ireland from the wider global British world. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...

I'm always happy to give talks to secondary schools. If you'd like a talk about Welsh history or studying history just let me know.

New report showing the growing trend for Welsh language house and street names.

What language does the Belgium team speak in the dressing room?

Small note on Welsh coal history since it's in the news. Welsh coal was in decline from around 1920 rather than 1979. In 1921, 271k men worked in Welsh coal. By 1980 there were just 28k employed in (deep) coal in Wales. Thatcherism effectively killed the industry but it had been dying for decades.

"No Irish or Welsh need apply". Letter in the Middlesex County Times, 1960.

Just finished Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor. Best novel about Wales I've read in a good few years.

So long and thanks for all the memories. #JoeAllen

Reform's lack of policy/understanding would have been exposed in the Senedd elections had there been an electoral system where voters choose candidates not parties. But that wasn't what the Labour Party machine wanted. At UK and Welsh level, Labour is its own worst enemy.

A free Welsh History Postgrad conference in Cardiff 3-4 June. Everyone welcome!

Mike Peters was one of my teenage heroes and his lyrics had a huge influence on me. Until recent years, he was never really appreciated by the media, even in Wales. But he was always a giant to me and many others. Rest in Peace Mike and diolch for so many great songs.

The new Tom Jenkins album is out and it's brilliant. With folk/indie songs about coal, rugby, history, family and the land, it's both very Welsh and very universal. I'm really proud to have contributed a few words to the album artwork. Give it a listen. open.spotify.com/album/6LPOtr...

I'm giving a free talk about the Welsh Not at the Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli on Thursday at 730pm.

Top 10 countries of birth in Wales, 1911 census.

History job opportunity at Swansea: two year postdoc on neurodiversity in early modern Europe. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMI655/p...

Welsh Labour are going to implode at the Senedd election because they have run out of steam/ideas & Starmer is proving useless. Standing up for Wales against their "mates" in London is Welsh Labour's only hope. They won't take it because party is all that matters.

I’m sorry to be banging on about reading in schools again but Estyn’s Chief Inspector was asked about how children in Wales should be taught to read and to say his answer was revealing would be an understatement. 👇🧵

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus i bawb. Happy St David's Day everyone.

Had a fun afternoon teaching in the Swansea uni archives. Got to see Richard Burton's book bag. Unfortunately none of the students had heard of Burton...

The idea that 'Right' economics is rational and efficient whereas 'Left' is nice but naive is a deep cancer that is unsupported by evidence. Just need to write that on a napkin.

The Minister knows full-well that the funding model for universities is totally broken. She and her Welsh Govt colleagues have the power to address this but are currently choosing not to - despite £1.2B+ a year of HigherEd related spending... 1/2 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The new Adwaith album is excellent. Mae albwm newydd Adwaith yn ardderchog. Mae diwylliant Gymraeg yn fyw ac yn cicio.

Totally agree with this. If there isn't a major course correction there won't be much left of Welsh Higher Education by the end of the decade. It's in even worse shape than the HE 'system' in the rest of the UK. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...