Happy New Year! My Nan taught me to open the front and back door at midnight to let the old year out and the new year in.

The Lion in Winter is the ultimate Christmas film. Time for my annual watch.

Looking for a name for your new dog? Xenophon has you covered. I particularly like Porpax.

A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants is officially in shops today! Makes a great Christmas gift for the history lovers, or the tyrants, in your life.

Just got copies of my next book, A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants! Out on the 4th of December.

Happy Stir Up Sunday! The traditional day to make your Christmas pudding. If everyone stirs the mix it brings luck to the household, and the pudding. Here is a video I made about the traditions of Christmas pudding with the National Trust. youtu.be/-8pzmlUkWLI?...

My book is in excellent company with Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham.

Eating better to me means having the most ridiculously small slices of cake.

Happy Halloween!

Does anyone know who Microdot was? And who would harm a pet's grave...

Another big run done! 20 miles in 2 hours 38 mins! Feeling prepared for the marathon 😁 If you can help with fundraising l, to support LGBTQIA+ youth, it all helps, even signal boosting to spread the word. Thank you! www.justgiving.com/page/jack-sh...

Is #PhallusThursday something we still do? This pipeclay figurine of a dog was proudly on display at the Roman baths in Bath.

If I die please describe me as a premature victim of the exertions of my superior mind.

Finally been to Bath's Roman baths! Seen the curse tablets, the spring, and box tiles like I find on the foreshore.

We're in Bath so I had to have a Sally Lunn bun. They were incredibly popular in the early 19th century as part of a restorative diet, with plenty of Bath water. If my doctor asks I'll say it was medically necessary.

As a lover of history I was hoping to see an Act of Attainder getting passed. It's been so long...

My book about food and folklore is being re-released next year! #FolkyFriday

Great news! I have just signed a new contract with The History Press to republish A Feast of Folklore! Look for the new paperback next year. Can't wait for it to be back in the world.

If you like the tiniest bits of Roman pottery* then today's mudlarking outing was a huge success. *I love them.

I wrote about the Thule Society for this month's History of War.

This is the best synopsis of a horror film I've ever seen. I've had some bad experiences with IKEA furniture.

You can get my book, A History of the World in 50 Failures, on Kindle for just £0.99 for the rest of October. A bargain, if I say so myself! amzn.eu/d/bA0tjYs

"Catastrophes and missed opportunities." Today's book pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to author @bengazur.bsky.social & @omarabooks.bsky.social! Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Fossiling in Bracklesham Bay was fun. Lots of tiny round nummalites. Fossil bivalves, spiral shells, and then a shark tooth. My favourite were the black plates from ray fish.

Went hunting for fossil shark teeth today and was joined by a little assistant. The robin came onto the sand to investigate what I was digging up.

My proof that there is no benevolent deity is that exercise is good for mental and physical health. It should be the vastly superior chocolate eclair.

Love the ovulo decoration on Roman pottery, no matter how worn. #Mudlarking

Went out fossil hunting this morning. Found my first fish vertebrae, all around 55 million years old.

My next book, A History of the World in 50 Tyrants, is out in December. It's been a good time to write about horrible people.

Good piece in The Observer about the shenanigans (to put it lightly) at Unbound and Boundless that left us authors unpaid. Death of a publishing dream: how the Unbound revolution became untethered. share.google/rdQYUQEToow7...

Another former Unbound/Boundless book looking for a home. This would SLAY as a point-of-sale gift book for the holidays: bsky.app/profile/beng...

Still looking for a new publisher for A Feast of Folklore! Max Miller of Tasting History called it 'A must read the next time you are sitting down to a sausage roll.' You can't get higher praise.

So proud to have contributed to DK's book A History of Astrology, Divination and Prophecy.

My next book, A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants, is out in December. If you order it online from Waterstones with this code you can get 25%off until the end of July.

Just finished A Feast of Folklore by @bengazur.bsky.social . Really fascinating and I hope it comes out with a new publisher soon!

Katy Perry reenacting the end of Aristophanes' Peace by nearly falling off a flying dung beetle is the perfect way to introduce the classics to people.

My second piece of gold from the Thames. Unfortunately, unidentifiable. But still, I'm rich! #Mudlarking

Lovely bit of a Delftware face from the foreshore. Similar in style to this image of William and Mary so probably a similar age, late 17th century. #Mudlarking

Magnificent masonic gravestone in Hastings. ITNOTGAOTU means In The Name Of The Great Architect Of The Universe.

Sat down on the beach on our holiday and immediately spotted a fossil shark tooth. It's going to be a good week.

Classical Pride at the Barbican! It's classical music, but gayer.

Sometimes I pick up every tiny scrap of Roman pottery I find while mudlarking. This is from one trip and each bit is still exciting. Love to discover decorated pieces.

By winter I'll have enough Roman heating flue tiles to keep the flat warm. #mudlarking

When the temperature gets over 30 I set my email reply to "I'm afraid my brain has liquified and dribbled out of my ear."

One of my smaller mudlarking finds is this tiny glass bead with even smaller ridges on the side.

Sometimes you have to search really hard for anything while mudlarking. Sometimes the river places objects right in front of you.

Finally after a very delayed trip at the depot because the post office it was sent from didn't stick postage on, I have A feast of Folklore thanks to @bengazur.bsky.social

Just received a copy of Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present! Can't wait to get stuck in. @odavies9.bsky.social @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social

No matter how small, I love finding Roman pottery. It was baking on the foreshore today. #mudlarking

I love my little toy spoon from the foreshore today. #mudlarking