On his second day living in the White House, President John Adams penned a letter to his wife, Abigail, writing, “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof.”

The stunning so-called Battersea shield is actually not a complete shield, it's a bronze and enamel facing that was attached to the front of a wooden shield. The elaborate La Tène-style decoration is an extraordinary example of Iron Age metalwork. The shield was dredged from ...🧵1/2 📷me

... the bed of the River Thames in London in 1857. Since the bronze sheet is too thin for protection in combat and there is no evidence of battle damage, it is argued that the shield was a status symbol and/or a votive offering. Dating 350-50 BC. On display at British Museum 🧵 2/2

It's really not OK, you know, to just abuse people.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and Ukraine issued a joint statement on June 7 setting out five conditions that must be met between Kyiv and Moscow to bring a resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Poet and writer Michael Rosen @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social) is awarded the Hay Festival Medal for Poetry by Festival CEO Julie Finch and MC Grammar.

Some congressional Democrats voiced a fresh round of concern on Sunday about Graham Platner, the party’s presumptive Senate nominee in Maine, while others reiterated their support for his candidacy after several women described volatile and “toxic” relationships with him.

Trump storms out of interview: "You're either crooked or you're stupid…Your elections are crooked. You're crooked. Meet The Press is crooked. And so is ABC, and CBS, and CNN…Alright, let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time."

Best of the week. It’s not really about ‘every’ day being a good one. It’s about appreciating them when are. Be well, friends. And thanks for joining us on our mornings, radiant or quietly simple.

And this morning the Shed is a tiny craft of broad leaves stitched with spider silk, sailing along the waterways to quiet, small adventures…

Andrée de Jongh (1916 – 2007) was a member of the Belgian Resistance during the Second World War. She organised the Comet line (Le Réseau Comète) for escaped Allied soldiers and airmen. After the war, she worked in leper hospitals in Africa. #CelebratingWomen

You can give angry bitter people everything - money, power, their long-cherished dreams - but they will still be angry bitter people. Despite everything, he's so wonderfully unhappy.

Any typos spotted in this post now have a full-to groaning bookshelf thanks to the last day of their city's annual bookfair. If typos spotted, they'll be trying which book to read first. (So many to choose!)

Two men (70s?), hands clasped behind their backs are looking speculatively at a model ship display. One gives an approving grunt to a mighty sail ship, saying: "Always thought I'd make a good captain." "That right?" His friend says, emitting a tiny, almost imperceptible snort of laughter.

A small human (4?) BURSTS out of the book fair, a picture book clasped to her chest. Legs almost a whir, she RACES over to a bench and promptly takes a seat, opens her book and starts reading. A book emergency is a very serious emergency. These words need to be READ! (4)

A woman (60s?) is holding her mum's (90s?) hand as they wander amongst the tables of books. Leading Mum to wherever she wants to go with utmost gentleness. Lifting books and turning pages as needed. (3)

A woman (60s?) is doing some impressively bendy stretching in the car park. Then, with game face on, she collects a fold-out shopping trolley from the back of her car and marches off towards the fair. Books buying is a serious athletic activity! (2)

🧵Spotted at a Secondhand Bookfair in Aotearoa New Zealand: A tiny human (2?) has worked out how to fly! All one has to do... Is hold a sturdy picture book in each hand... And then flap arms wildly while roaring: "I'M FLYING MUM. I'M FLYING!" A whirlwind of--not so elevated--euphoria. (1)

Goodnight. 🖼️ Friedrich Specht

🖼 The Yerres, Effect of Rain, Gustave Caillebotte, 1875.

🖼️ Walter Crane

Deer, Rosa Bonheur, c.1885.

Hummingbird of the Day: Allen’s Hummingbird 📷 Dean LaTray

Book Cover of the Day:

Hello Sunday. 🖼️ DD McInnes

Jugend, Art by Otto Kayser, 1909.

How does the most blatant grifter in our politics manage to pass himself as an ordinary bloke who just enjoys a fag and a pint? www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Good morning, the subtle clove scent from stocks match their delightful floral appeal ☺️ Have a good Sunday 🙏

🌿☕ I don't know who did this, but whoever you are thank you. It is genius 🍄 😂 💥

Goodnight. Moonlight, Harry Wingfield, 1970.

Thank you! It wouldn’t surprise me if he knew, he watches me like a hawk and is always right by me so he must notice something in his own way and want to help with nursing! So lucky to have creatures who love us.

Why following abdominal surgery does he want to lie on my tummy? He was very soft and gentle so I let him. Sweet boy.

‘Time and again, when the goblets passed and seasoned fighters got flushed with beer they would pledge themselves to protect Heorot and wait for Grendel with whetted swords.‘ ~ Seamus Heaney (trans), Beowulf. #BookWormSat 🖼 Joseph Ratcliffe Skelton, 1908.

Trump Presidency has real ‘I can’t believe they’re still pumping out repetitive episodes from this old show’ feel now.

An English Bluebell a day until I run out of photos #28

Was just chatting with a dear friend who’s visiting Kyiv and I asked him what the atmosphere was like. He said it was, as always, positive & friendly and everyone was determined both to go on living their lives and to win. Putin chose the wrong people to try to destroy. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

A reminder that JD Vance is deeply unpopular in Britain

Just remembered we've passed the 10th anniversary of this untruthful tweet

Majority of voters want Brexit to be reversed, says Britain’s leading pollster There has been a ‘decisive and consistent shift away from Brexit’ since the referendum 10 years ago, says Sir John Curtice www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Marine heatwaves and overfishing have caused a precipitous decline in a unique species of whales in Hawaiian waters. The threatened whales have lost as much as 28% of body mass during ocean warming events as they're forced to swim longer distances to find food. phys.org/news/2026-06...

A poised Pippin

Well now… 👀

She placed the Guangxu Emperor, who had tried to assassinate her, under house arrest. And she kept her role, in the face of wars and insurrection, for 47 years until she died.

But Cixi turned out to be a proper badass. She ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed regency, which she shared with Empress Dowager Ci'an.

Selected as an imperial concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a son, Zaichun, in 1856. After the Xianfeng Emperor's death in 1861, the young boy became the Tongzhi Emperor, and she became the Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager Cixi1 (1835 – 1908), of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a Chinese empress dowager and regent who effectively controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty for 47 years from 1861 until her death in 1908. #CelebratingWomen

I know we shouldn't respond to the trolling, but Vance implying that Sikhs are part of a "mass invasion of migrants", when they fought in tens of thousands for the British in two world wars and even THE INDIAN MUTINY is 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢