Town centre Artist: Frank Hampson (Stories of our Christmas Customs, 1964)

A sad day for all Big Country fans as December 16 marks 24 years since Stuart Adamson died. www.youtube.com/watch?v=657T...

Orwell on Jura, Katherine Mansfield, and Haunted Libraries: December Books Roundup www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine-books-n...

I would never normally say buy anything from them… BUT The Book Lover’s Quiz Book 2 is only £8.40 at the moment (& you won’t find it many bricks & mortar bookshops sadly). Please do buy The Movie Lover’s Quiz book from a bookshop! @zenoagency.bsky.social www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lovers-...

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 16 ‘First Snow’ Artist: Rowland Hilder

For all those who cheer for Kay (@greenidris).

We’re excited to share our new main catalogue, making it easier for you to find and request the majority of our published collection. We’ve also launched an interim version of our Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Find out how to start searching and requesting on our website bit.ly/BLNewCatalogues

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 15 ‘Christmas Time’ Artist: Ronald Lampitt

Santa’s been!

Lunched with some of my oldest schoolfriends yesterday in a pub. First round, two pints of lager shandy, two pints of Guinness 0%, one pint of Guinness, one pint of Pale Ale. Time marches on.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar Window 13 ‘Winter Lane’ Artist: SR Badmin

I write a newspaper column about Scottish history, historians and heritage. I’m keen to feature more Early Career Researchers. Their work might not otherwise be publicised to a wide audience. Do you know anyone who might like to be in the column?

Nothing says "smash the political establishment" quite like begging the Prime Minister to put your mates in the unelected House of Lords.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 12 ‘December’ Artist: Ronald Lampitt

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Merton College Desk Sold for £330,200 www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine-books-n...

It's party time at my local snooker club over the festive period.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 11 ‘Mam Tor’ Artist: SR Badmin

That one in the middle looks great…

After two decades of school parents evenings, today marks the final one ever. A big change from sitting on tiny little chairs in Reception via the absolute bun fight of the secondary school hall to doing the whole thing remotely at home.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 10 Artist: Ronald Lampitt

Giving me Disaster Girl vibes

It's the annual Wednesday Night Snooker Club Christmas Dinner tonight in St Albans. Keep your eyes pealed for five middle-aged men in sensible shoes discussing marmalade, the apparitionist interpretation of The Turn of the Screw, and Ollie Pope's suitability for Test cricket. Be safe out there.

Added a Bonus book (they need to preorder) @shedworking.bsky.social www.shedblog.co.uk/2025/12/03/u...

No false modesty, my books make ideal Christmas presents. Three fresh ones to choose from this year - When Books Go Bad, My Year of Reading Welshly, and While There Is Tea There Is Hope. Available everywhere good books are sold, but please buy local and indie if you can.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 5 ‘Snowstorm in a Pennine Valley’ Artist: SR Badmin

🕯️ When John Travers is hanged for the murder of his mother-in-law, those who knew him whisper that something isn’t quite right... With an intro by @johnnymains.co.uk, Possessed is a chilling tale of love, jealousy and the occult. Out now: shop.bl.uk/products/possessed-a-lost-novel-of-the-occult

The next Radio 3 presenter who says "Smart speaker" is going to get a very withering look from me. Very withering.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 4 ‘Winter Village’ Artist: Ronald Lampitt

Booking is now open for Making Medieval Manuscripts! A practice-based course where we make ink, cut quills, illuminate, make pigments and bookbind, using #medieval techniques and materials. We also explore early medieval art. No experience necessary! #bookhistory ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...

It's Wednesday afternoon and so officially NEARLY the weekend, and A Personal Anthology! This week sees the 300th Edition of the project (woo-hoo!) and I'm very pleased to say this week's guest editor is book critic @john-self.bsky.social. Coming this Friday! apersonalanthology.substack.com/about

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 3 ‘Baubles,’ 1964 Artist: Frank Hampson

Sad to hear about Andreas Whittam Smith. The Indy launched when I was an impressionable sixth former and I loved it immediately, how it was written, what it stood for. I was delighted to become a member of its then tiny online team in 2007 when it still prized quality writing.

🎶🎄 It's the mooost wonderful tiiime of the year (the start of this year's Quaritch book-themed Advent Calendar, of course). Stay tuned for a surprise each day from our forthcoming Continental catalogue, kicking off with Stagnino's lovely heart-shaped printer's device from this 1503 Virgil.

Ladybird Artists Advent Calendar, window 1 ‘The village’ Artist: SR Badmin

This play. This passage. Simply the best ever – or at lesst most succinct – defence and justification for the very idea of Civilisation ever written. This is why we’re here. Because of what this means. And because someone can put it into words like this. open.substack.com/pub/benjamin...

Other work by the Ladybird artists ‘Farmyard at Dusk’ Artist: Ronald Lampitt

All three are great but that middle one is especially remarkable.

All three are great but that middle one is especially remarkable.

Am at the @foylesforbooks.bsky.social Christmas do tonight (it’s free & starts at 6), say hello if you’re there. I will be asking questions *from The Movie Lover’s Quiz Book & giving out chocolates & stickers! (Thanks @summersdalebooks.bsky.social). *A prize everytime!

*small embarrassed voice* A little plug for my article on Devon book sales c. 1700, which has gone online open access. tl;dr book auctions weren't just a London/Oxbridge thing: a flourishing second-hand book market centred on Exeter included auctions from the 1680s. doi.org/10.1093/libr...

Just one month to go! With only a few weeks until the big day, why not wrap up your present shopping with some books from our gift guide? 📚 www.uwp.co.uk/genre/Calon/

Piccadilly Circus The Ladybird book of London, 1961 Artist: John Berry

Other work by the Ladybird artists. Mallards over the Marshes Artist: Roland Green

Other work of the Ladybird artists. ‘Evening party at the big house’ Artist: Ronald Lampitt (1958)

⏹️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄, 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖!!!! #SACFC 😇

On this day 22nd November 1859 Cecil Sharp, founder of the English folk-song revival was born. (Here he’s pictured overhearing a gardener singing) Artist: Martin Aitchison

It would have been artist Martin Aitchison’s birthday this week (b.1919 - d. 2016) Here are some of his books for Ladybird

Are you interested in how people thought about the past in Middle Ages? Want to understand the books they wrote about it? We have an online short course for you! Book now for January 2026 👇 #MedievalSky palaeography.uk/study/short-...