Academic historians rarely speak up like this but have made an exception in speaking in support of trans people in the UK and against the current trans exclusionary situation over there. Not just a few historians but hundreds signed this. www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/02/h...

I still don't understand what trans women are supposed to have done to deserve this huge backlash from virtually every corner of the British political and media class

You know, I'm glad I found a Roman fort because now I have a fun fact about myself in case I go on Only Connect one day

Few days go by that I don't think of the line "PETER, PAUL AND MARY IS A CONFECTION" from A Complete Unknown

Oh boy did we find something. More to come!

Tomorrow we investigate two potential sites I have identified for the ancient fortification. They could both be right, in which case we're dealing with two fortifications instead of one, or perhaps neither

I have identified a likely site for the fortification 👀

All this archeology I'm doing has necessitated me using the Lidar satellite thing and all I can think of is the scene in Detectorists where Lance mistakes the Google Earth watermark for an Iron Age settlement

I don't believe I've mentioned it on here yet but I'm leading an effort to find an ancient settlement at my workplace! I'm being deliberately vague about the nature of the settlement publicly but the investigation is based on a theory I had.

The bats in the chapel at my workplace were out and making a lot of noise

happy birthday queen (Artemisia possible self portrait in the bottom right)

8 July 1653: John Thurloe given direction of the intelligence service at a salary of £800 per annum #otd (NPG)

Mary Magdalen, c. 1620 by Artemisia Gentileschi born #otd 8 July 1593. (Pitti Palace)

8 July 1593: b. Artemisia Gentileschi artist at #Rome #otd (RoyalColl/WGA)

I understand that the consensus is now that tear shaped burn marks in historic buildings were made deliberately, but can we be sure that they're magical in every case? When they're in large clusters especially, could it not simply be charring wood to make it fire resistant?

It's giving WWDITS vampire who decided to run for office

I'm devastated to hear about the passing of Helen de Cruz. They gave me wonderful, patient advice on how to go about commissioning a lute one day, even though I won't be in the position to afford one for a long time. Please consider reading their newsletter. It's uniquely engaging

I wonder how long it took them to have their first marital argument

Réunion musicale, 1642 Date de création/fabrication : 2e quart du XVIIe siècle (1642) Antoine Le Nain avec (?) Louis Le Nain (Musée du Louvre)

Woman with a doll, Leonaert Bramer, 1606 - 1674. She's well-to-do, while the doll she has in her hand is a servant/peasant (Rijksmuseum).

Until I went to the Vatican museums I hadn't realised how popular sheep were as a subject in late Roman funerary art - especially the good shepherd motif

I made friends with the fountain sparrow

On my last day in Rome I had the Caravaggio 2025 exhibiton at 11pm so I went to the Galleria Spada during the day. A gorgeous place!

🥲

I've secured a Caravaggio 2025 ticket 😈😈😈

Guys I'm in Rome from tomorrow until Friday. Never been before. Any last minute recommendations? I've got the very obvious sites of interest covered but otherwise I'm open.

Potentially niche question but does anyone know how to get hold of the Northampton Museum's concealed shoe index?

Finally reading Pratchett for the first time. Starting with Equal Rites because it concerns some of my interests (witchcraft, magic etc)

Bold choice for hotel art (From my uncle's Chesterfield hotel room)

Oh I'm soooooo looking forward to this. I always loved the magical realist aspects of Detectorists and this seems to go all the way with it

I honestly should have taken more pictures in Hay but I had a great time being off the grid for a week

I saw some beautiful hardy sheep in the rain today and I should have photographed them

🥲

I'm seeing Sinners again 😈

Newts!!!

I'm still thrilled to have found these going cheap in a Derbyshire charity shop. The Leadbelly one has an introduction by Pete Seeger

Starmer is genuinely the worst world leader I've ever seen: he has no guts, no brain, no heart, and no balls. His governing model is to do nothing except follow the polls on what to say, which will be the entire output of his miserable government

Yeah that's accurate

Who do you think is depicted in this 1545 panel? For context: it's near two other panels depicting Henry VII and Elizabeth of York

Hell, here it goes: Spring 2025 sheep thread

Embarrassing perhaps but I'm genuinely mourning the self-inflicted decline of BBC radio. I enjoy radio plays and I can't believe they're just not going to make them anymore.

A Hedgehog in a French bestiary, c.1270.

Scenes from the lives of 17th century women from the Rijksmuseum: rowing, walking, in a garden, holding up a puppet #InternationalWomensDay

The amazing Esther Inglis [Kello], 1570/71-1624, calligrapher, daughter of Huguenot refugees, depicts herself writing in a New Year's gift book for Henry Prince of Wales in 1607. (Royal Collection Trust, HM CIII) #InternationalWomensDay

This print is part of a 52-card deck depicting countries as female figures. The series was made on behalf of Cardinal Mazarin. The card game was created for the young Louis XIV. Here's 'Grande Bretagne' including "L'Irlande une autre grande Isle" (Rijksmuseum)

I was somewhat heartened earlier to hear an episode of Radio 4's The News Quiz where transphobes and their obsessions were the butt of the joke, rather than trans people, which seems the case in the rest of the media

I can't get enough of this Pete Seeger/Jean Ritchie rendition of Jennie Jenkins (at 25:15) t.co/XS9TZnBqLW

Mulier Scotica or 'a Scotsh Woman', Wenceslaus Hollar, 1644 (Rijksmuseum)