lol, I knew "unworkable" was going to be the first adjective Starmer used, he certainly can't change his tune now...

1) Gee, thanks. 2) I don't believe you.

At least the cat's among the pigeons now, and we have a clear idea of what's at stake. We have just under four years to fight this/prepare for this, and Labour aren't coming to our rescue (if they don't get there first).

I feel like showing up to work in teaching is a form of resistance. (You're free to disagree with that.) Somebody has to try and keep doing the work.

I'm very pleased to announce that the call for proposed Special Issues of the Historical Journal is now live, with a deadline of 12th December. Please do spread widely among your networks — @saracaputo.bsky.social and I look forward to reading your submissions! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

When I interviewed older South Asian British people about their retirement decisions over a decade ago, a large number said they had kept a passport and land in India and Pakistan 'just in case' When I asked 'in case what?' they responded 'in case we are told to leave Britain'

The first results of my FIFA-funded project are out in the world! ⚽ Why the FA's takeover of women's football from the WFA in 1993 was a "Hobson's Choice" for the WFA, & a moment of disempowerment for #womensfootball ⚽ It's open access & available here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

At least the cat's among the pigeons now, and we have a clear idea of what's at stake. We have just under four years to fight this/prepare for this, and Labour aren't coming to our rescue (if they don't get there first).

💯

As a Xennial, one of the things I resent the most is retiring the phrase and concept of "selling out" — which, in turn, has helped to dissolve the boundary between grafting and grifting.

****unable to perform marking MSc dissertations on Bluesky, please accept this performance of me being busy****

Some of you are rolling your eyes at the Trumpy stuff, and that's fine, but "transatlantic discourse" on here is doing my head in lately.

Am I right or am I right?

Going to try and not say anything about the state visit, because too much work. My prediction for today's online activities: rhyming-couplet posters slagging off Trump will go viral, as will semi-captioned memes implying Charlie giving vague disapproval through his facial expressions and clothes.

***teaching self-image*** (Let my students provide the reality. They're probably best qualified.)

First teaching day of the year tomorrow. Trying to refocus minds, in a time like this...

Anyway: tired, got a flight coming up, and I've got teaching admin/prep and days off (including some time with family). Gonna take what I think is a long, extended break from here. See you all later.

Congratulations to Matt and Toby!

The first time I came to Belfast, I saw a bunch of teenage girls queueing up at the ***Virgin Megastore*** to see ***Atomic Kitten***.

Heading off to Belfast this morning and BSSH 2025. Giving a paper on political controversies in the Island Games tomorrow. I'll see many of you later on!

On the archaeology of Scottish skateboarding.

The Venn diagram between Folk in Scottish Towns who Protest Against Asylum Seekers and Folk Who Mock the Appearance of Scottish Women Footballers is probably a perfect circle, and there should be no real effort to distinguish between these being two different issues.

Knew there'd be plenty of Malcolm. Still have the odd person calling me Malcolm in emails (not my students, mind).

Not gonna humblebrag about A Level results because I grew up in a country where A Levels didn't exist. Not gonna humblebrag about A Level results because I have lived and worked for 20 yr in a country where A Levels don't exist.

Leaving to one side the whole issue of what it does with accents and languages that don't fit the mould, we're going to be highly nostalgic for (and it pains me to say this) versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel that are not heavily reliant on voice, & don't have AI baked into the system.

Doing that dodgiest of now-annual rituals: getting wannabe answer guides for UG essays from ChatGPT. They're a bit like a reverse teachers' edition: they tell me what kind of wrong answers to find, and what sort of patterns to look for.

Other Moray House staff are also writing books on sport. :)

I'm honoured to be shortlisted!

I'm honoured to be shortlisted!

Gotta say this is more appealing than what I'm currently working on, and therein lies the danger.

There is soon going to be an historical primary-source black hole for the past thirty years of human existence... if it doesn't exist already, of course.

It's such a privilege to be giving a talk about my research at the New Glasgow Society! Come and hear about 19th century men - and some women - who swam in the River #Clyde in #Glasgow + the ongoing citizen enquiry on 'Who Owns the Clyde'. Aug 19. Free! #rivers #water #SportingHeritage #Glasgow850

"Blueberry has three Bs." The new "there are five lights.'

Spent about an hour or two agonising over which journal this thing might get sent to. Typical.

Been back from holidays for a few days. Felt like I was self-publicising quite a bit before I went on annual leave, but Bluesky isn't really the best platform for that. Also feel like I have nothing relevant to say: I work in a field of history/social sciences that doesn't get a lot of pull on here.

On holiday. Signing off for the next week+. See you all later.

My interview with Ålandstidningen: on the Island Games, straddling the line between serious sport and pleasure, and what I was up in Åland in February. In Swedish.

My interview with Ålandstidningen: on the Island Games, straddling the line between serious sport and pleasure, and what I was up in Åland in February. In Swedish.

ICYMI. Only one more bit of (self-) publicity coming up before my holiday, I promise!

My interview for Sveriges Radio (P4 Gotland) on the Island Games, politics, diplomacy, and climate change. (Report in Swedish; my interview sections are in English.)

My interview for Sveriges Radio (P4 Gotland) on the Island Games, politics, diplomacy, and climate change. (Report in Swedish; my interview sections are in English.)

This morning, I was back on Steph Watkins's show on BBC Radio Guernsey discussing atmosphere at the Orkney 2025 (and Guernsey 2023) Island Games, and sport in general. From 33:15.

Many Swedes and Scots in the pub in Stromness. Everybody leaves unhappy... expect the one Geordie dude.

This morning, I was back on Steph Watkins's show on BBC Radio Guernsey discussing atmosphere at the Orkney 2025 (and Guernsey 2023) Island Games, and sport in general. From 33:15.

Bermuda's football supporters, bringing the sounds of vuvuzelas to the streets of Kirkwall. A different kind of conquest of Orkney.

🎙️Matthew, our Lecturer in Sport Policy, Management, and International Development, is up at the Island Games and joined Steph Watkins on BBC Radio Guernsey recently to chat all things islands — from weather and attitude to global challenges 🌍🏝️ He might be back on air this morning — stay tuned!

Orkney 2025 Island Games. Lawn bowls at Brandyquoy Bowling Gree, Kirkwall, with the Earl's Palace behind.

This morning, I had a chat with Steph Watkins on BBC Radio Guernsey about the Island Games: amongst other topics, we discussed weather, "Island" attitude, and islands' place in a changing world. (Begins at 34:20).

This morning, I had a chat with Steph Watkins on BBC Radio Guernsey about the Island Games: amongst other topics, we discussed weather, "Island" attitude, and islands' place in a changing world. (Begins at 34:20).

bringing New Jersey accent, wit, and **street analysis** to the many regional networks of the Beeb (I'll have a link later on.)