Bye bye Academia.edu I’ve left because I can’t agree to the new terms & conditions

Delighted to attend the opening of the Kingston Glamour exhibition last night with my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus who curated the Betty Joel section

Off to the opening of the exhibition Kingston Glamour: Art, Innovation & the Suburbs at Kingston Museum this evening. Looking forward to seeing the Betty Joel section curated by my Uni of Portsmouth PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus www.kingstonheritage.org.uk/events/event...

Apart from all the other miseries of the Immigration White Paper, it’s depressing to see an actual government uncritically relying on the unbelievably flawed media-driven university rankings.

'Hey universities, we know you're going broke, here's a 6% tax on your only surplus source of income'. Another miserable day in British Higher Education.

On #VEDay80 remembering my grandparents Welshman Rob & Londoner Nora & all who gave service. On VEDay Grandad, who served as an armourer in the RAF, was still away & Nanny was living in London with her family & was heavily pregnant with her first child.

Today, we'll be joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social outside Meta's offices to protest the use of pirated works to train their AI models. Join us if you can! More info: societyofauthors.org/2025/04/03/u...

A few photos from the Betty Joel exhibition accompanying Clive Stewart-Lockhart’s book launch at Olympia Auctions yesterday, closes tomorrow. This is a taster of a much bigger exhibition that will be curated by my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus for Portsmouth City Museum & Art Gallery in 2027

I’ve written about Arthur Quarmby’s pleasingly bizarre Mole Manor for the Twentieth Century Society, having a huge amount of fun reading about Quarmby’s hugely varied output in the process!

Not normally staid historians share this alarm.

Today seeing that Mark Zuckerberg's company has used 13 of my books to train his AI model without paying a penny or even, seeking permission. Want to object? You can write him a letter here:https://actionnetwork.org/letters/authors-guild-author-letters-to-ai-companies/

Also how can you write about Severance's nostalgia for office glamor without citing Florence Knoll, THE designer of postwar glamor workplaces www.podchaser.com/podcasts/new... CBS (L) and Connecticut General (R)

Things are dire. But the Royal Historical Society is still funding postgraduate research. Next deadline is 6 June 2025. Grants of £500 or £1,000 available. Details: royalhistsoc.org/research_fun...

I am listening to "More or Less" on BBC Radio4, where @timharford.ft.com and the team have successfully ripped apart the "aid to Ukraine" lies spewed by #TraitorTrump They say the US has given $122bn (not 350 as claimed), while Europe gave $142bn so far. Listen again at BBCSounds.

Absolutely thrilled to bits to receive a copy of Clive Stewart-Lockhart’s lavishly illustrated book on designer Betty Joel, his great aunt. There will be an exhibition on Joel at Portsmouth City Museum in 2027, curated by my PhD student Tara McKinney Marinus #WomenInDesign #WomenDesigners

Academics, Authors, Artists in the UK here is a CRUCIAL #DigitalFriday task - the govt's consult on AI use of our hard work ends 25 Feb. It's deliberately intimidating but here's a guide to filling in the 9 crucial questions (u don't have to answer it all!) againstthebox.substack.com/p/time-to-ha...

The buyer of my house pulled out today. 🏠 Apparently they’ve found another property. Nice 🙃 My solicitor issued the contract today. I’m £100s out of pocket. The English home buying system needs reforming. 😤

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. May you be as relaxed as Tenzing the Tibetan Spaniel #DogsOfBluesky

I’ve been enjoying the musicals shown on BBC2 this week. Why is Brigadoon never on tv? It doesn’t seem to be available to stream either. And how about a stage revival? #musicals

Day 2: Carol’s stomach drops a mile as she walks through the door shrugging off her coat. She had somehow assumed that the staff Christmas party would be more……party-ish.

Day 1: Clara knew from the beginning that Cynthia was plotting sabotage. She did not enjoy the ice skating prowess of the others, a fact well known to Cynthia. Now here she was taking her third tumble. But wait……1/2

There is a lot that is broken with the student finance model and the way that higher education is funded in this country, but the provision of maintenance loans to students is discussed less than tuition fees, and yet it is an ABSOLUTE SCANDAL that is putting thousands of students into poverty.

The Royal Historical Society is a membership organisation with 6,500+ Fellows and Members representing academic and professional history in all its diversity. We welcome applications to join us at any time. The next closing date for applications is Friday 13 December bit.ly/45lOzr0

It’s important to remember that many middle class women of a certain age grew up as working class girls who were, and are, fierce as fuck. With long memories.

Prepare yourselves for Christmas tales. For my fashion history advent calendar this year, I’ll be sharing a daily mini story as told through a single garment. Totally fabricated, just for fun, I hope you enjoy! Day 1 to follow shortly. This dress mid #1820s @metcostume.bsky.social #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

My socials are full of friends & other small businesses I buy from bemoaning fact that new EU #GSPR legislation means that they will no longer be able to sell to customers in EU of Northern Ireland because they can’t afford increased costs after 12 December. I’ve not seen any press coverage of this

I'm reviewing Casa Paradiso – 300 Years in the Life of a House, a beautiful collection of short stories all taking place in the same location #blogtour #histfic @rararesources @francescascana2

I sometimes am shocked to hear that not everyone knows about the GRO’s own birth and death indexes and cheaper digital certificate copies for England and Wales. Here’s some more detail. Don’t pay more than you need to! www.professionalfamilyhistory.co.uk/blog/gro-bmd...

My edition of four travel journals by 18th-c servants is out now, including accounts of France, Italy, the Low Countries, Germany and the Ottoman Empire by three valets and a maid – the majority of people who went on the 'Grand Tour' #skystorians #18thc #c18th global.oup.com/academic/pro...

The advert for our Research Associate post in Victorian Cultural and Material History is now up on jobs.ac.uk - www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKS158/r... Please spread the word!!!!

Watching Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story - in memory of my Great Uncle Ron Lacey (b. 1920), a nuclear veteran who had a painful death from bone cancer in 1982. His widow, my Great Aunt Eileen, fought for justice all her life. Too late for justice for them now www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Just heard about this amazing scheme which lends classic cars to young drivers. It would be especially great if more women drivers applied. classiccarloanproject.co.uk

Excited to be at Chichester Festival Theatre to see Here You Come Again. And, yes, I’m wearing vintage Western wear & have big hair!

My favourite theatre!

@katestrasdin.bsky.social is here! And I started this for us fashion kids go.bsky.app/985g3hA

Delighted to see Kate on here! #FashionHistory

Off to New Broadcasting House to talk about cosinesss on tonight’s Free Thinking on BBC Radio 4. Wearing my favourite knitwear with Staffordshire Spaniel cardigan clips

House Historians assemble! I've created a #HouseHistory starter pack. A small but beautiful bunch at the moment, but hoping it'll blossom into a magnificent gathering. Please let me know if you would like to be added, or removed if I've added you and you'd rather not be 🙂. go.bsky.app/9HvCmZX

With excellent timing, @alcs-uk.bsky.social has joined Bluesky. Don't forget to update your accounts by the 30 November deadline. And if you're a writer and you haven't joined, you're missing out on royalties collected on your behalf. It's a no-brainer. NUJ and SoA members join for free.

🏊 Great news that Saltdean Lido (1938) has been removed from Historic England's At Risk Register! The UK’s only Grade II* coastal Lido was almost lost 14 years ago, and has just finished an extensive £11 million restoration. Check out the next issue of C20 Magazine to read all about it.

Great to see @karenaverby.bsky.social has done a #HouseHistory starter pack. Who else should be added? go.bsky.app/9HvCmZX

It’s slightly disconcerting to see fashions of your youth in a museum display! I really enjoyed visiting Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London at the Fashion & Textile Museum. So many memories of places I went & things I wore, especially Hyper Hyper & Kinky Gerlinky #FashionHistory #80sFashion

I’ll be live on BBC Radio 4’s Free Thinking tomorrow at 2100, discussing cosiness, hosted by @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social with Susannah Clapp, Peter Tatchell, Alexander McCall Smith & Hugo Drochon www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Looking forward to the opening of the exhibition Collecting Sue Clowes - a designer who created clothing in the 80s for Boy George & Culture Club - at Winchester School of Art this evening. #FashionHistory #80sFashion www.southampton.ac.uk/wsa/winchest...

Had anyone done a #HouseHistory starter pack?

I am writing a book about the history of the clubs that women motorists have set up for themselves worldwide from the 1890s to the present day. If you or your mum etc were ever in such a group anywhere in the world I would love to hear from you. Here are some of the badges of UK clubs:

Hello! I’ve been lurking for a while but haven’t posted properly, so an #introduction. Recently retired from my academic job, I’m a design & cultural historian specialising in the home & domestic design, currently writing book on history of the kitchen. I also do tv (eg A House Through Time) & radio

We've written a Researcher's Guide to Bluesky! It's a bit like all those other useful guides to Bluesky, but with several useful insights from University of York academics about using the platform, and we'd love it if it was reposted far and wide... >> blogs.york.ac.uk/library/2024... 🧵 below