There's 2 kinds of wassailing. Pre-Xmas, singers in tatters singing at people until they cough up alcohol/money to make them stop (I used to do this type). The other is apple orchard wassailing, in mid January. Delighted to see its renaissance now, including today @nationaltrust.org.uk Tyntesfield.

Great story. Although Tyntesfield isn't explicitly mentioned, they had a stunning festive experience this year, including places to sit around the house, and one of my favourite touches was the Alice in Wonderland library, complete with a display of relevant books chosen from the library.

Watching the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures has been an integral part of Christmas for me since childhood. This year, my 8 year old has been utterly riveted, watching Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock deliver the 200th anniversary year. Highly, highly recommended!

A bid to save a 125-year-old tall ship by raising more than £250,000 for urgent repairs has been launched. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Here's one of the spectacular photos our professional photographer took at St Oswald's, Gloucester, showcasing the new lighting improvements that were part of the works leading to the removal from the Heritage at Risk Register. Photo copyright Historic England Archive.

I was absolutely delighted to remove St Oswald's from the HAR register this year. Probably my favourite site in my entire patch, and a brilliant partnership with the city council. If you can get to Gloucester, go and see the golden minster for yourself - www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/glouces...

One of my favourite days of the year is when Historic England releases our annual Heritage at Risk register. There's a couple of great Gloucestershire case studies in this article.

Just learnt about #31DaysOfGraves from a @churchmonuments.bsky.social lecture and can't resist adding this one on the final day, even if it isn't quite on theme! Photographed in the Forest of Dean, made of metal, and I've never seen any comparable examples - would love to know if anyone else has.

Took my then 7 year old to see someone performing his material in Edinburgh last summer and she loved it. Would agree with all of the below, except it's got to be 4 or 5 generations now.

Tom Lehrer made all of his music 100% public domain so if seeing people sad about his death makes you want to check them out… it’s free. he wanted you to share them. tomlehrersongs.com

Had a fantastic day looking at bits of interesting archaeology in Gloucester, underground and overground, like happy wombles.

My late grandfather was born on the same day as David Attenborough. This has been the one week I haven't held my breath in fear on seeing Sir David trending. Happy 99th birthday - I've toasted them both today.

Happy 97th birthday Tom Lehrer 🎂 Today, I'll be celebrating the birthday of the greatest musical satirist of the last hundred years. Born in Manhattan in 1928, Lehrer was a mathematician who wrote comedy and satirical songs, and became an international celebrity in the late 50s and early 60s. /1

Some months ago now, I was talking with a few people about resources for heritage social prescribing and have just heard about this upcoming webinar that might be of interest - socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/events/nasp-...

Excited to learn today we're recruiting a historic building architect/surveyor to join our team. If you know anyone who might be interested in working for Historic England in Bristol, please share this with them (happy to talk about why we're a great place to work) app.beapplied.com/apply/pl9oy8...

We've only got one medieval building in Cheltenham, St Mary's Church, just off the high street. If you go inside and make your way to the eastern end of the north aisle, you can find this intriguing memorial which tells a whole story, whilst also leaving out so much.

Today is the launch of Historic England's Heritage at Risk register. There are many stories and stats to share today - here's a brilliant removal from Gloucester. The King's Bastion sits in an underground chamber underneath a modern shopping centre. www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/glouces...

Here are the headline stats for the #HeritageAtRisk Register 2025 - overall 4891 entries on the register, with 124 removed this year, and 155 added. For more information, please see historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/ne...

Today is the launch of Historic England's Heritage at Risk register. There are many stories and stats to share today - here's a brilliant removal from Gloucester. The King's Bastion sits in an underground chamber underneath a modern shopping centre. www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/glouces...

I've had a surprising number of new followers lately, and have never actually introduced myself properly on here! I'm an archaeologist working on heritage at risk in the SW for Historic England - all opinions my own - and can most often be found talking books, archaeology/history and fountain pens.

Skeeters! I'm looking for cultural/social history books that are: (1) crossover academic/popular (2) deal with a long-term period and (3) concern a specific/narrow topic (i.e. not 'France' or 'Empire'). What are your favourites?

In previous years, and on a ex-network, I found the concept of the #EmergencySnootBoop to be quite helpful whilst waiting with low level constant dread. On the off-chance it might be useful here too, have a friendly fox as my contribution for the next few hours.

A 🧵 About the most astonishing source I ever found: The Alpenpost, a handwritten anti-Nazi and anti-Stalinist newspaper edited and illustrated by two absurdly precocious girls from 1935 to 1940.

More archaeological Garner. In many ways I'm always surprised to see him resonate with other readers, as it felt so peculiarly as though he was writing directly for me - I'd never seen anyone else mention the tiny village where my grandparents lived for example.

Given how many British archaeologists cite Garner as influential (with Susan Cooper and Rosemary Sutcliff), this one might be interesting for the #Archaeology feed

Without intending the pun, I can't think of a better way to say this than recommending this deep dive into the flaws of the Titan submersible. There's a good way to do underwater exploration of wrecks, and then there's whatever this was.

So far, the only time I've wished I had video on here was when trying to explain to someone how the Van Dieman's Voyagers fountain pen ink bottles could spin on a smooth surface, creating this mesmerising swirling pattern in the ink (Gudrid Far-Traveller) when the bottle stopped moving. Enjoy!

You need to scroll down to find the referenced article, but it was really interesting reading.

What an interesting project. I wonder if there is anyone doing similar work in UK waters.

Visited a garden centre today and found a couple of lovely little critters. It's always a good sign when the bees can read the signs saying a plant is a bee-attracting species! #InverteFest

This story reminds me of this cool shade solution from Spain, where grandmas gather and crochet canopies for the street. They allow the women to get critical social time and lower the ground temps by as much as 10 degrees.

Facebook just threw out an 11 year old memory from the British Museum commemorating that Lindow Man was discovered on 1st August. In 1984. So happy 40th anniversary to 'Pete Marsh' and all the blame for my adult career to my parents for taking me to see him close up when I was about 5!

@seananmcguire.bsky.social I don't know if shoes are your thing, or if 20 other people sent you this already, but Irregular Choice are releasing a line of MLP shoes/accessories next week. For what it's worth, they make the only heels I can comfortably wear. www.irregularchoice.com/pages/my-lit...

Now, what I want to know are the chances that enough of the elected Tories from the opposite ends of the party defect to LD/Reform during their inevitable period of infighting and blame that LD can take over as official opposition. That would shake things up even more...

Saw Hadestown in London and the weekend and obsessed with how amazing it was. UK Orpheus was perfectly sweet and naive with a lovely clear voice, which I suppose is what you want Orpheus to be, but UK Hades was utterly mesmerising. If you get the chance to see it, go! youtu.be/kaWFoMVY8os?...

As someone who occasionally suggests, not entirely tongue in cheek, that the National Trust should repaint some of their ancient white statues to match the original bright polychromy, I was delighted by the repainted Tudor panelling at St Nicholas' Priory in Exeter yesterday. The past had colour!

Fascinating article. Roughly a year ago, I surprisingly found myself absorbed in a museum gallery in Lisbon watching a film about the ubiquitous white monobloc chairs, and a project run to convert them into wheelchairs in developing countries. Intriguing re-use. Oh, and my 5 y-o was enthralled too.

Me, every year: Oh look, the first broad beans. Spring is here. What a treat - I must get a huge bag so we have plenty for dinner tonight. Me, after half an hour of podding: How do we only have a spoonful of broad beans after all that?

So for world book day this year I ended up drawing blue vertical lines onto a t-shirt at 10.30 last night, only for the t-shirt to not even show in the photos! Meet @maryrobinette.bsky.social 's Molly on the Moon...

Probably more likely to reply to other people than post things myself, but leaving this blank is starting to make ME wonder if I'm real, so I thought I should at least populate things a bit more while I'm trying to find all of the people I used to enjoy following elsewhere.