At the Ferens Gallery in Hull. Good pictures.

Where am I?

Sitting in the Society of Antiquaries in London, enjoying ice-cold aircon on a sticky evening and reflecting that I must be unusual in having a close association with with two organisations with a charter from and commemorating with gratitude poor old Queen Mary (plus the Ants, with her portrait).

Yesterday at Melford Hall. Fine library interior by Thomas Hopper.

Q for scholars of the Dutch empire & decolonization: a friend's father spent the 1950s in Papua New Guinea where he recorded the last stages of Dutch rule. Would any institutions or scholars be interested in several hours of film footage, once digitized? Looking for a good home for these materials.

Quite like my little corner of Cambridge. Stormy, though.

Last weekend in Bosham. Canute was woz ere (Harold as well).

Back in Chichester last weekend - where I spent my gap year as cathedral organ scholar. Great stuff: John Piper, and (even better) Chagall.

There will be a council planning meeting on the 16th June 2026 to decide whether Thomas Lennox Watson's 1883 Greek Revival Hillhead Baptist Church in the West End of Glasgow can be demolished to make way for flats. Cont./ #glasgow #hillhead #architecture #glasgowarchitecture #church

In London, Bartholomew Newsam, clock-keeper to the queen, receives a payment of 32s 8d for 'mending of clocks during the past year.' This clock, belonging to the British Museum, is an example of his work. 5/

Listen and write what I tell you: "Omnis sapientia a Domino Deo est" Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 004: The Dover Bible, Volume II; 12th century; f.66v @parkerlibcccc.bsky.social @corpuscambridge.bsky.social

I happened upon the Peabody Library in Baltimore today. This picture does not do it justice. The SMELL was the most incredible part to me. Just "old books" smell.

Initial 'V'(erbum) at the beginning of the prophet Jeremiah: "A A A, Dominus Deus, ecce nescio loqui, Qui puer ego sum." Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 003; The Dover Bible, Volume I; 12th century; f.195r @parkerlibcccc.bsky.social @corpuscambridge.bsky.social

King Solomon depicted in the initial 'P'(arabole) of the book of Proverbs BnF MS Latin 8 (2); Biblia Sancti Martialis Lemovicensis altera; 11th century; f.54r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

Much enjoyed a lunchtime visit to the Michaelina Wautier exhibition at the Royal Academy today, en route to a meeting elsewhere in Burlington House.

Waiting for a train at King’s Cross and looked up. Fascinating.

New job: Postdoc in Coptic Studies in Vienna. Join me and my colleagues in the ERC-CoG CLAIM project!

Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge is hiring a Research Assistant in Public Policy! Work with @michaelkenny.bsky.social on projects for the new Bennett School of Public Policy including UK devolution, regional place-based policy, & inter-governmental relations. Apply by 18/06/26: bit.ly/4uL5bWQ

It’s cooking off and the Mediterranean heat of the weekend is now forgotten.

June is the time for some jousting and sheep shearing. #MedievalCalendar BL Add MS 24098; the 'Golf Book'; c. 1540 CE; Bruges; ff.23v-24r @blmedieval.bsky.social

📣 Apply now for the Quentin Skinner Lectureship 2027 The Lectureship will suit an early career scholar who is able to visit Cambridge in Spring 2027, and hold a lecture on a subject in the broad field of intellectual history since 1500 https://bit.ly/3js4P7Z ⏳ 15 June @camhistory.bsky.social

The Scottish mint in the Cowgate 'was situat and set doun in the eister land and tenementis sumtyme pertaining to Ar[chibal]d Stewart & his spous, callit of auld the Cardinallis ludgeing and pertening to Thomas Acheson, as the maist meit & commodious hous for that purpose in Edinburgh'

Picked up one of these at a certain Cambridge hostelry last night.

We must declare an interest since: 1. Nigel Tringham, former VCH Staffs editor has taught on these courses for many years (and is a wonderful person and teacher), and; 2. Many of our authors and contributors have benefitted from attending these summer schools. #Skystorians

Can AI fairly mark university essays? 🤖 Not yet, says research by @campsydept.bsky.social, Institute for Technology and Humanity and @ai.cam.ac.uk Frontier AI systems matched human examiners about half the time, rewarding writing style over academic substance. Read more: https://bit.ly/49fqN4U

Le Tombeau de Couperin on a hot summer evening. Perfection.

Someone is hot. He’s not the only one.

Coolest place in Cambridge this afternoon ….

A wonderful evening in Brussels. St Catherine.

The Muses have returned @bodleian.ox.ac.uk! On show from next week in the Weston before going onto the roof of the Clarendon Building! Can and get up close and personal with them before they go aloft!

Flowers coming out on the Moroccan pineapple broom in our front garden. Three or four weeks of flowery fireworks every year. Late this year.

“God’s will is my will”: an entry in Arabic, Syriac, and Danish by a traveler from Denmark, Lauge Christensen, in the friendship album of the English Arabist William Bedwell (c. 1563-1632). Leiden, ms BPL 2753

Walking home

An exciting job opportunity with my team - come join us as the Science Museum Collection Archivist! 📒📚📼📜💾📔🗂️ Part time (4 days/80%), permanent, based at the Science and Innovation Park near Swindon. Happy to answer Qs/ chat about the role before you apply. ce0111li.webitrent.com/ce0111li_web...

East Anglia. Good for churches.

Verrry much looking forward to seeing a copy of this from the Most Excellent @harryspillane.bsky.social

Nonetheless domestically things are moving in the right direction (though the prints here are probably a bit gothic for Soane).

And definitely pictures floor to ceiling, some hung on doors so that we could have an extra layer of pictures underneath …

Possibly more green in the red bits of the house, too

I think we need more sculpture at home ...

This is the document that started a revolution. The original Stamp Act — held in the UK's National Archives — is extraordinary to see in the flesh. Lucy Worsley Investigates the American Revolution — Monday 9pm, BBC Two Link to watch 😃 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Part 233 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg dnd The only known surviving example of a full-sized Roman legionary scutum, discovered in the ancient garrison city of Dura-Europos and dating to the mid-3rd century AD

Part 196 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg dnd The Vank Cathedral in Isfahan, where East meet West, is a rare fusion of Persian and Armenian architecture, built in 1606 AD by Iranian Armenians.

A lovely evening at Firsts for @ies-sas.bsky.social and @bibsoc.bsky.social. So many gorgeous books and people! Come and say hi if you are at the fair this weekend.

At Leighton House. Fun.

Another blue plaque

And of course Newton - again lots of papers @theul.bsky.social - and former President of @royalsociety.org

Also @royalsociety - Ernest Rutherford - papers again @theul.bsky.social

First painting seen @royalsociety.org - Nevill Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, many of whose papers at @theul.bsky.social