*HISTORY BOOK CLUB* We’re looking forward to continuing our reading journey with you. New members very welcome! Our titles for October are: NONFICTION - An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi FICTION - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Sign up histfest.org/history-book...

I appear to have entirely missed the Rapture. Oh well. Always next time.

AN EVENING WITH JANINA RAMIREZ Mon 17 November | Storyhouse, Chester Join celebrated medievalist, broadcaster and Sunday Times bestselling author, Prof. Janina Ramirez for a thrilling journey into the lives of medieval women. Book now: www.storyhouse.com/whats-on/an-...

A new season of our award-winning podcast series, Mind of a Monster, is out today. Produced by yours truly for Arrow Media & Discovery Channel, host Dr Michelle Ward investigates a devastating case of healthcare murder. Very grateful to all who contributed with their expertise & experiences. 1/2

It is a truth too often unacknowledged, that a populist in possession of the public's rage must be in perpetual want of an enemy.

Man on train being ‘anti-American’ by ordering a Peroni rather than a Budweiser from the train cart. At 9.50am.

What Was The Largest Battle Of The War? ⚔️ Fought on the 2nd of July, 1644, the Battle of Marston Moor was the largest of the English Civil Wars, and one of the largest in British history, with over 40,000 men taking to the field. But how did so many come to be involved? 📷: Mel Green

‘We pray a visa comes before death’: Gaza’s injured children left in limbo www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

The longlist for the 2025 Historical Writers Association Nonfiction Crown is out (I was one of the judges), featuring 12 of this year's finest history books 📚

The destruction of the Gaza city mosque is a devastating loss to humanity as a whole. A part of our global medieval heritage destroyed in furtherance to a genocide. I despair.

I grew up in social housing and this makes me so incredibly and deeply uncomfortable. Is it poverty porn?

Robert Redford 1936-2025. Iconic.

How refreshing to have so many working class (for want of a better phrase) British actors smashing it at the Emmys!

It should be needless to say, but it is perhaps at this moment worth saying, that transgender individuals have the same right as anyone else to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Absolute legends: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Well, the RSC’a spring programme looks exciting. I’ve read but never seen Arturo Ui performed - with Mark Gatiss no less youtu.be/lCXkZeb5fVs

In case you missed it! Conversation with @emersonwbaker.bsky.social, Sara, Josh, & @historicbostons.bsky.social on 1692 Salem Witch Hunts & others. 6yb7kqsab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001...

Words I never wanted to know Peter Mandelson used: “Yum yum”

It’s time 🍂

Incredibly difficult year, but some exciting work news coming up. Two new podcast series to be released soon (one of which is supposed to be getting a billboard on a very famous ‘square’). Hope to share more soon.

The Fart of the Deal

Esther Inglis, 1569 - 1624. Calligrapher and miniaturist Unknown Artist, 1595. (National Galleries of Scotland)

The Voice of Hind Rajab review – docufiction is fierce, vehement and heart-shattering www.theguardian.com/film/2025/se...

ISLAM & MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Thurs 6 Nov | British Library Was Islam present in medieval and early modern England? What was premodern England’s relationship like with the wider Islamic Worlds? Join Medieval & Early Modern Orients & HistFest for a special event. Book now events.bl.uk/events/islam...

Hugh Bonneville started his live ITV London News interview on Downton Abbey by talking about Gaza.

Emerald Fennell is increasingly becoming the the heir to Kenneth Russell. Not a bad thing, mind.

‘It’s been quite a ride!’ Melvyn Bragg to step down from Radio 4’s In Our Time after 27 years www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Fun fact - up until very recently the fourth day of the week used to be called ‘Wednesday’. Thanks to the teens of the land, it is now known as ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty Day’

World’s biggest iceberg breaks up after 40 years: ‘Most don’t make it this far’ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Get yourself a commute from the gym that includes walking along Chester’s Roman Walls and passing the tower where Charles I (supposedly) watched his royalist army defeated at the battle of Rowton Heath.

This is possibly the only complete set of King James VI & I's 9th Scottish coinage in existence. It was struck from 1605 to 1609 and consisted of 12 denominations that ranged in value from £12 to 6 pence Scots. The coins are from the Lord Stewartby Collection at the Hunterian.

I love this for Jessie Buckley, who (in my humble opinion) is one of the greatest actors of our age. variety.com/2025/film/re...

I love this! In the spirit of tangents, do you have a favourite undergrad university lecturer? I did my undergrad degree at Leeds Uni and was lucky enough to take Prof. Simon Dixon’s modules on Russia during the times of Peter the Great and then Catherine the Great. He was a peerless teacher.

Women of London, and a countrywoman (with chicken), their costumes carefully recorded in 1574 by Lucas de Heere from Gent. His day is today.

Cannot wait to read this!!

What a write up! Huge congrats to my friend Lucie Ridout on all the fantastic reviews of her superb new series! www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Oh Venice

Evening

Graffiti within the Bell Tower of Diocletian’s Palace, Croatia. One date appears to have been etched during London’s Great Plague.

I found a cool Shakespeare document, but why was it missing in the first place? www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/s... [1/4]

‘Why, to avoid naming Boccaccio, did Chaucer invent a fictional Latin poet as his source for 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘴? It seems that Boccaccio already had a reputation problem.’ Barbara Newman on Boccaccio’s dirty book: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

You've been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Hmm…

I’m not quite sure what to do with my eyes now that they’ve seen the extraordinarily beautiful caverns at Postojna, Slovenia. Want to see the past? According to the tour guide each stalagmite and stalactite takes 100 years to grow just 1cm.

I’m not quite sure what to do with my eyes now that they’ve seen the extraordinarily beautiful caverns at Postojna, Slovenia. Want to see the past? According to the tour guide each stalagmite and stalactite takes 100 years to grow just 1cm.

Name a non-LOTR character who could resist the one ring.

Quiz: the mother of which early modern mathematician was tried for witchcraft?

I’ve wanted to visit the Black Forest ever since I was a little girl. So magical, so Grimm.

Four weeks gone. Forever missed.

Science people, is there any truth in behind storms affecting people’s moods before they happen? I always feel really melancholy/ lethargic just before and don’t know if it’s confirmation bias or something real.