If you're interested in learning more about Richard Burbage's impact on Shakespeare, you might enjoy the piece I've just written for The Conversation @uk.theconversation.com - theconversation.com/richard-burb...

Happy 99th birthday to the man who gave voice to the wild. 🎉 Sir David Attenborough, thank you for a lifetime dedicated to the natural world, and for sharing its story with wisdom, wonder, and grace. You've inspired generations to fall in love with nature.

David playing the harp, from our 13th century illuminated Bible #Manuscripts #Illumination

@malonesociety.bsky.social Delighted to find my copy of the impressive new edition of 'The Devil's Charter' waiting for me in the postroom today!

Just arrived in Seville with my son & and am looking forward to a day exploring the city tomorrow before heading off for a week of birdwatching in Extremadura.

Do you have the vision and leadership skills to shape the future of public engagement in one of the most exciting museums in the UK? We are seeking a new Head of Public Engagement & Programming. Full-time permanent role. Grade 8: Starting from £48,235 p.a. Closing date: 13 May 2025. bit.ly/4lo27vk

A Greek terracotta aryballos, a vessel used for holding oil, in the shape of a #hare hanging by its front paws, from Rhodes, circa 550 BC. On display at Antikensammlung München 📷 me 🏺 AncientBluesky #archaeology

George Gower. The Plimpton "sieve" portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. Oil on panel, 1579. Folger Shakespeare Library

Very much enjoyed talking about the research of my brilliant colleagues during a visit to DMU @demontfortt.bsky.social by the AHRC's inspiring CEO @christophersmith.bsky.social

Had a great afternoon, enjoying the launch of the @dmuleicester.bsky.social new Research & Innovation Institutes and UN SDG hub, including a couple of inspiring keynote speeches from @hetanshah.bsky.social and the UN's Sherry Aldis.

Very much enjoyed getting to see Jonathan Bailey's witty and affecting Richard II @thebridgetheatre.bsky.social as well as spending some time in the sun beside the Thames & the Tower of London.

Enjoyed seeing the latest RSC production of Hamlet tonight - not everything about the performance works, but Luke Thallon’s Hamlet is easily the most refreshing and exciting one I’ve seen in ages - alternately, energetic, comic and tragically fragile.

Got to love Birmingham ❤️ - last night, while we got to enjoy some glorious Beethoven & Mahler, lots of excited young people were off to spend an evening with Sabrina Carpenter. Their outfits were much more exciting & colourful than ours!

Word of the day is ‘huff-snuff’ (16th century): a hectoring bully or braggart.

A medieval dragon for St. David’s Day - decoration from the 15th century chancel screen at Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire. 📷 My own. #StDavidsDay #ScreenSaturday

Beautiful initial 'F'(rater) at the beginning of Jerome's letter to Paulinus. Staatsbibliothek Bamberg Msc.Bibl.1; Alcuin-Bible; circa 834 CE-843 CE; Marmoutier near Tours; f.2r

Lovely day in London to see #ENO's joyous production of 'The Marriage of Figaro'; & squeezed in a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to see some old friends..

Ann Sotheran, contemporary UK Stained Glass artist #WomensArt

Did you know… In the seventeenth century, it was quite proper to leave your Christmas decorations up until Candlemas Eve - February 1st - according to the poet Robert Herrick, at least. So I hope you haven’t all been too hasty in taking them down.

Something lovely for the weekend! Ancient Egyptian gold headband decorated with heads of gazelles and a stag between stars or flowers. Second Intermediate period, Dynasty 15, c. 1648–1540 BC. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti... #Archaeology

This year’s #BSA2025 in York is shaping up to be a fantastic conference for lovers of all things #shakespeare & #performance. Click to join the conversation here: www.britishshakespeare.ws/call-for-par... then we can all go hit up the snickelways in June!

Just catching up on this lovely BBC radio series from 2022 on the latest discoveries from Iron Age Britain, hosted by Prof Melanie Giles www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#FindsFriday This Bronze Age shield was discovered in the marsh at Rhyd-y-gors, Ceredigion, #Wales. It dates from circa 1200-1000 BC. 👀💥 #Archaeology #History AncientBlueSky🏺

Wisshe to studye medieval workes yn Middle Englisshe? The *Middle English Texts Series* websyte doth offer free, easilye teachable/readable ediciouns of key workes both well-knowne and litel studied. An amazinge resource. metseditions.org/editions

✨A female illuminators work✨: f. 84v : 'Alanus scripsit has horas et ejus uxor illuminavit eas.’ f. 84v: 'Alan wrote these hours and his wife illuminated them.' I have been waiting for this manuscript to be scanned in colour for a very long time, so am super excited to see it now!

Scientists now know that birds’ brains can contain elephantine powers of recollection. Some birds can store, or cache, tens or even hundreds of thousands of morsels in trees, or in or on the ground. Why don’t our memories work the same way?

Simply beautiful: clasped hands from group statue of Akhenaton and Nefertiti. Made of quartzite, 18th dynasty, ca. 1350 BC, from Amarna, #Egypt On display at Neues Museum, Berlin 📸 taken by me 🏺AncientEgyptBluesky

A breathtaking view of the Vela Supernova Remnant, a vibrant nebula of gas filaments from a star explosion about 11,000 years ago! (Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA / T.A. Rector, M. Zamani & D. de Martin)

The echinoid fossil in this 400,000 year old handaxe from Swanscombe, Kent, had quite a journey. Living over 65 million years ago it survived Cretaceous seas, fossilisation, Ice Age rivers, Neanderthal culture, more rivers, & quarrying to enter our scientific record. #FlintFriday #FossilFriday 🧪🦣🏺

27th December is the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist who is depicted here seated at a lectern with a golden book and with his symbol holding a golden ink-horn. BL Add 49598; Benedictional of Æthelwold; 963-984 CE; England S; f.19v

27 Dec 1539: Anne of Cleves reaches #England #otd. She had left home on 26 Nov. (St. John's Oxford)

Unusually large and fine Jacobean wall brass in carved stone frame: Anne Croke (1619), who looks forward to ‘the consurrection ’. Assumption of the BVM, Beckley (Oxon).

Guests have gone home, so it's time for some Christmas reading...