Finishing up the holiday with an excursion to Mullach Clach a'Bhlair. I love the Cairngorm plateaus - bimbling around at 900m; a decent weather day if a bit blowy at times.

A double Munro day above Drumochter today, lucky with the weather after yesterday's deluge!

Loch an Eilein in the Cairngorms, swimming out to the island and exploring the castle (felt slightly Swallows & Amazons!)

Visited the Hillfort under Attack immersive experience today. Excellent with so much to look at in the virtual world; terrific detail (despite those palisade stakes stuck vertically in the rampart!), great info in the commentary and some good modern comparisons. Thanks @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social ❤️

"Just a (pedagogic) minute" ended the first day of our Cardiff Uni Teaching & Learning conference. Huge thanks to my wonderful colleagues @drkatiewebb.bsky.social; Caroline Lynch; Luke Sloan; Chris North and Iain Mossman for their brilliant contributions, and @mjc.martinjc.com for helping organise!

Congratulations to Hannah Shaw of @cardiffuni.bsky.social on your #NTFS2025 award! A leader in anatomy education, fostering deep learning, mentorship, and global collaboration.

Just booked - I'll see you on the 13th!!

Strange New Worlds continuing the great Star Trek tradition of alien archaeology in the latest episode. Fortunately most earth archaeology is nowhere near as dangerous in practice! 🖖

A wee overnight microadventure last night in the Brecon Beacons with some of our Mountain Rescue trainees. Lovely weather, not so nice man-eating terrain, though fortunately we all got out alive and ready for brunch at Garwnant forestry centre!

Wow, what an end to the test, and wow, what a series. But at least now I can focus on work 😜

Outlook has crashed. Time to go home.

#HillfortsWednesday A view of Maiden Castle in Dorset, taken on 31st March 1934 by Major George Allen from his tiny Puss Moth plane It really shows the fabulous earthwork defences, which still survive today! 📸 From the Ashmolean Museum archive #archaeology #aerialphotography #photooftheday🏺

Doing mountain rescue-y stuff in the middle of the Brecon Beacons. Fortunately not a callout!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "I would close it down and perhaps sell it to the university or somebody else" says Des Clifford, former head of the first minister's office in Cathays Park. er... have you actually read the news about the university this year?!

Petrichor!

How two parts of my life complement each other www.womanandhome.com/health-wellb...

I spent this morning hiding from Search and Rescue dogs in the Brecon Beacons. The tiny bit of shade I found soon slid away but my little gully had a bubbling brook - perfect for the hot dog who found me!

A visit to the wonderful Gallo Romeins Museum in Tongeren. Lots to get excited about including the biggest Playmibil Roman soldier ever! A few more normal sized recruits for my Playmobil century will transfer from Gallia Belgica to Britannia tomorrow too...

Hm, can I have Somerset's county championship match on YouTube, Wimbledon on iPlayer and work whilst only having two screens...

Given the noise coming from the Blackweir site, I'll be able to listen to the Stevie Wonder concert from my office for free in a couple of weeks!

The long narrow study bedroom plan is pretty much the same as mine in Malcolm Gavin Hall in Tooting when I started at King's in 1984. I moved out after 7 weeks to quieter accommodation - a rented room in a house in Clapham where I lived for the next 7 years and 45 weeks!

Over 170 Meters of Wall and 450 Lead Projectiles from the Roman Siege Discovered in an Italian City Allied with Hannibal www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/06/o...

"A piece of broken metal" is PowerPoint AI's auto-generated description for this. An incredibly exciting suit of segemented armour from Kalkriese (on display in the British Museum last year) and you think it's a piece of broken metal, AI? Really?!

I've been gifted by a colleague the Playmobil Roman galley. I now have the siege tower AND the galley! Happy me!

👀 www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/c...

Beautiful weather in the Bannau Brycheiniog this morning for an advanced driving lesson!

Have just delivered a workshop session in a building on campus with floors numbers 1-5, and rooms designated A to about R which have apparently no correlation to the floor numbers 🤨 #campusmazes

Judgement Day part 1. Cardiff defeat Ospreys. Yay!

A movie that takes place where you're from. I hate Hardy. Growing up in Casterbridge, we had Hardy thrust down our throats at school and it was a real turn-off. But I can't not post Hardy, and I went to uni with Juliet Aubrey who starred in this adaptation.

Taking advantage of the fine weather for a sneaky little overnighter in Bannau Brycheiniog.

They may have had to move stadium but silver linings... how fantastic for our university rugby teams to be playing in the national stadium instead of a club ground! Go Cardiff Uni Ladies! #WelshVarsity

Cardiff Ancient Historians are delighted to host, virtually, Prof Celia Schultz tomorrow Weds 9th April at 16.10 BST for a lecture on Murder, Suicide and Sacrifice in Ancient Rome. Teams meeting details on Classicists list or dm me.

Nice one, Neville! Whatever it was you were supposed to be doing was well put-aside!

Very pleased to announce my new job.. from June I'll be Dean for Portfolio, Curriculum and Learning Innovation for Cardiff University. A new role for the institution following a reorganisation of deans, and one starting in the most difficult of circumstances. Fingers crossed!

Perfect weather for a 20km bimble over the ridges on the north side of Cardiff today.

Some incredibly exciting #Roman conflict archaeology news here: what looks like a Roman-period battlefield burial - a really significant site, as we don't ever really find these even on excavated battlefields. It may be related to Domitian's Dacian War www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Fully funded 4 year PhD with me, Dr Olly Davis at Cardiff University, and Dr Mark Lewis & Evan Chapman at Amgueddfa Cymru, on Addressing the Roman colonial story in South East Wales. Come & rewrite narratives of Roman Wales with us in partnership with CAER heritage: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

It's that time of year again - the annual infestation of the John Percival Building. Note to self- don't leave coffee uncovered. 🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞

Best Star Trek crew, wrong answers only

In 2010 Damian Grady spotted the distinctive *playing card* shape of a Roman fort at Bradford Abbas #Dorset Part of the II Augusta legion's campaign against the Durotriges The Historic England report can be downloaded for free here 😊👇👇 historicengland.org.uk/research/res... #RomanFortThursday

This is awesome! I am in awe of the palisade stakes 😍 Must rouse my milites and see if I can muster a whole century!

That was quick! And as ever a great talk from Phill Dawson this morning, lots of great ideas to encourage us to do what we needed to do anyway.

Wales may have lost, but some pride restored. My dual nationality allows me to celebrate both sides. What a game!

Such sad news. I first met Malcolm whilst externalling at Leeds and it was clear just how important students' learning and welfare was to him. RIP, Malcolm.

Fab to welcome Nick Jones Head of cardiffuni School of Music to @caerheritage.bsky.social to plan a series of workshops/events this Spring bringing the university& music into the heart of Caerau & Ely #ArtsHumanitiesMatter! @pebradbury.bsky.social @flintdibble.bsky.social @michaelmunnik.bsky.social

Question for @equipmentroman.bsky.social Any depictions of legionary centurions with shields in the sculptural evidence that you know of, Mike? Student asking about different shield forms. Thanks!

Always so proud of my 'little' sister, and amused at the insight into our childhood in this interview! youtu.be/wJwYRJcj8CM?...

The Arts and Humanities Alliance have written an open letter to Bridget Philippson, Secretary of State for Education, on the recently announced cuts across the sector. We are concerned that these measures disproportionately affect our disciplines and call for an urgent government review.

Roses are redde Noble are the manatees Yf we wante a bettir future Teach artes & humanityes

This concert's sure to be a cracker! One of my favourite symphonies, and one of my favourite sisters playing the Walton cello concerto (actually all my sisters are favourites!) www.lso.co.uk/whats-on/on-...