Finally got myself a Gallic 'G' Helmet this weekend that fits my stupid fat head. Even spruced it with a crest. Looks pretty. An added bonus: Started work on a new Roman themed film short with my storyboarder Etienne filling in as an impromptu screenwriter who delivered a solid first draft today.

Having fun making my own wax tablets. Worked out very well in the end.

Have wanted one of these for so long now. #RomanHistory #OilLamp #AncientHistory

Season 3 of Alice in Borderlands was just as epic. Not sold on a potential American spin-off in LA, but definitely wouldn't say no to more Ken Wattanabe in a Season 4... so long as it's still in Japan.

Well, I wasn't allowed to take my birthday off work today, but at least I got a cupcake with a hat on it. It truly has been a day ofself rreflection, not least because turning 37 I need to start living my best life soon.

Well, in true Wilko fashion, it's only taken me 11 years to finally get around to watching Detectorists.

Had a nosy on X to see if the toxicity levels had dropped amongst the user-base since the skies turned blue... Annnnd no. It's still very much a cesspit.

What fun have I missed for the past two weeks on here?

Life in the Roman World of Nero and St Paul T.G. Tucker - 1910 For a book 115years old, it's in bloody good condition. Covers lots of ground, from the like of Adminstration and Taxation - Life in the Middle and Lower Classes - Children and Education (to name a few).

City of Victory - Another lucky find on World of Books as I continue my research on a story I'm developing for a short film #colchester #romanbritain #boudica #history #archeology

I hear it's to die for... One of thirteen new Roman/Roman Britain/Boudica books I'd acquired over the past 48hours. #history #romans #gladiators #Britainnia #tribes #ancientrome

@theduncanmackay.bsky.social Morning to you Duncan, 🖐️😄 Quick Camulodunum question. Do you think in all likelihood there would have been some form of gladiatorial entertainment in the city at all other than the theatre? I'm trying to do a bit more research on the capitol at the time of the Revolt.🤔

Explaining Canada Day To Americans

🎵 🇨🇦 Oh Canada! 🇨🇦 🎵🍁 Today with my pay packet I was given Canadian larger to try. Certainly looks the part and hopefully tastes better than the pig swill we here in the UK are accustomed to.

Well, there you have it—the four horsemen of the apocalypse: Trump and his minions.

Canadian for "shut the fuck up"

Wrapped on filming for Day 2. Will need to go back to the site to film another as we ran out of time, but yeah, fun times. Long like the Iceni Queen

I originally planned to have Boudica use a sword in my film short '61AD', but TKS supplied such a dreadful replica I returned it. With time short I opted she used a spear instead. Thanks GDFB (shaft) and BattleMerchant (tip). 5 days to go till filming🎬🎥🫩 I am so damn knackered from this production.

Made some changes to the original scutum for the sake of the film. Only one week to go. 🫩 So knackered. 🎬🎥

Why have one scutum when you could have two? Filming is three weeks away. Nerveeeeees!

Finally cast 2 of 3 roles for my film short '61AD'. I have the Legionary (Casca) being performed by a former performing arts college classmate(now a fire-fighter) and I have Boudica being performed by the only person I wanted for it... Just Gaia/Terra to go. www.starnow.com/casting/61ad...

Yeah, why not. Still have no idea how to best get there from Bournemouth but that's a worry for a little later. Fingers crossed for getting picked. 🤞

Coming along very nicely. Needs some touching up details but there's no need to rush.

You'd never have guessed I'd had to repaint the entire scutum over the weekend. I'd messed up baldy while attempting to paint within the lines of Juno's bolts which I'd drawn on a little while ago. It looked an absolute mess. Second times a charm. New technique. Stencil and Sponge. Vast improvement!

Pretty much predicted what would happen beforehand. Now it's a trade-war and tariffs galore. Crazy what's happening in the US, and for the administration to irk Greenland and Canada so openly and be cool with it. Here's to four more years of 'you utter stupid f#%ks' on the world stage.

Sure glad I left Twitter years ago. As if a platform couldn't crash and burn any further than it has done since EM took over.

🟥🖌️ This is the way we paint our scutum ~ 🎵 Lovely bit of burgundy base coat. Now to wait till tomorrow for the lovely bit of terracotta red.

Wait, who's this? BOUDICA?! Etienne (Guidicelli) has absolutely nailed the storyboard for my film short project. Fingers crossed that the weather will still be kind enough by April to allow for unhampered filming. 61AD

Storyboard? Film? What could this possibly be about? 😮 I'm stupidly excited for this one. Grranted, it's a practice film but given the production requirements for it, it's good practise for the bigger project I have planned. Will tease some panels tomorrow, in time for #BoudicaFriday SPOILER!

@theduncanmackay.bsky.social Can I burden your sagely wisdom once again? At the time Boudica was giving the Romans a thrashing, would you know Gladius type would have been common for 60/61AD? Information online seems muddled as to when Mainz/Fulham/Pompeii was in use, and my books offer no hints.

@theduncanmackay.bsky.social Oh wise and powerful! I am not worthy to ask but any chance you can remind me again (because I'm old and forgetful and you once told me the answer to this on Twitter, which I no longer have) the segmentata you own, am I right in thinking you said it was Deepeeka?

I see skies of grey And clouds of grey The grey blessed day The grey sacred night And I think to myself What a wonderful excuse to make another cup of tea and get cozy with my book.

patreon.com/TimeTeamOffi... It's scary how quickly a year has flown by, which is how long I've been a paid member of the Time Team Patreon. I've not once cancelled or paused my subscription either. It's nice seeing old and new dig episodes with familiar faces. Also, Helen Geake should present more.

What can I say? I really liked Roman's. I have some serious catching up to do as I've been too ill since the start of the year to listen to a single second of Audible. What should I listen to next. Must be Historical Fiction - Fantasy - Science Fiction or to do with Anglo Saxons.

Not sure how I feel about this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNuC...

Now signed off work for a week on top of the week I've already missed. 2025 got me off to a blinder with flu. 🤒

Someone send chicken soup; I've been ill since New Year and still feel like death.

🤣🤣🤣 There were a lot of good jokes in Vengeance Most Fowl. This being up there with them.

Did anyone else spot the Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out reference at all in Vengeance Most Foul? When I saw it last night it made me chuckle. I won't spoil it if you haven't watched it.

Yeeeeeeeeees! A year and a half ago, I found and listened to @theduncanmackay.bsky.social 's Echolands on a whim. By its end, it reinvigorated my fascination with history, archeology, and importantly, strong female leaders. I've wanted this book for ages, even whilst having the audiobook. 🎅🏻🎁🎄👌

At least the pressure is off to keep the 'run' going. We can try again on Boxing Day. 🔵⚪

🎵 ~ We love our one-nils. We love our one-nils. We're Blackburn Rovers, we love winning one-nil! 🔵⚪

So...exactly when are we no longer considered favourites to go down this season? 😂 🔵⚪

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/... As this is one of my areas of interest, this had better not be a show that makes history up on the fly for the sake of it.

Pinch me, because I still think I'm dreaming. 🔵⚪

gizmodo.com/wallace-and-... 'What's a bog chain?'... 🤦 Netflix Execs really are dumb.

What a Happy Lancashire Day that turned out to be 🌹.

Portsmouth 'supporters' getting upset at the game being called off at 11am and not earlier now saying we're (Rovers) a disgrace and should have points deducted? 😂 Take it up with the EFL and the ref. It isn't a club decision to make. Talk about small club syndrome, forever in Saints' shadow. 🔵⚪