When I started my PhD, I honestly thought that writing about demobilisation+ postwar societies would feed into a world that if it understood war's true costs would strive to prevent conflict. Of course, that was hopelessly naïve, and overstates the power of academic work. I think about that a lot.

There is quite rightly a lot of discussion about encouraging reading for children, even more so in the National Year of Reading. But, we need to discuss that increasingly after 18 everyone is being encouraged (by the tech and other structures) not to read. www.independent.co.uk/news/educati...

I can't reconcile the following: (a) Universities facing financial crisis, possible institutional collapse, contraction in the sector, demographic dips. (b) Money continuing to pour into private student accommodation blocks. Makes no sense to me. www.yorkmix.com/student-acco...

Happy Birthday to my son. Thirteen today.

Someone is enjoying the sun. #caturday

The Royal Society corrected the typo in the year of Tereshkova's birth. But no note, however, that Tereshkova is under personal sanctions from the EU, USA, Switzerland, Ukraine, New Zealand for voting in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a member of the Russian State Duma.

My son turns 13 tomorrow. A teenager in da house! (I feel very old!) Still totally mad about cricket!

An incredible cover has landed for an incredible book - Philippa Hetherington's "Circulating Subjects: Sex Work and Migration in Russia, 1885–1935." More on how to pre-order a copy of her "riveting" and "radical" @cornellupress.bsky.social book here: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

Work to do! So returning to a favourite!

I'm going to blow his mind when we get to how Wilf Mannion's commanding officer in Italy in the Second World War was Hedley Verity!

My son claims to be a Boro supporter. How can this be? I've just had to explain who Wilf Mannion was.

All this discussion about bank notes reminds me of Tony Benn and the debates about the introduction of new commemorative stamps in the mid 1960s, so nearly 70 years ago.

Most days there is some terrible news about Higher Education in the UK. It is having a real impact on staff, and I suspect economic impact too. It is disheartening. We are losing something special.

Just had an idea for a kind of personal essay about what I see the point of writing history is, and how my thoughts have changed. No doubt the idea will fizzle out in my mind, but I've no idea what one could do with such a text even if it came together.

I‘m so chuffed that this particular PhD studentship received funding & envious of the lucky person who will get to do the research. Apply, folks! #jobfairy #EntHist #collections #HistSTM #EnvHum #NaturalHistoryHumanities

I love writing and reading. I love the world of books, libraries, and paper. It's been a kind of home for me. I hate to see this world, one I still believe in, evaporating. Resistance may be futile, but I have zero interest in using AI. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Proud to have been a tiny part of this.

You really could be forgiven for thinking this was all a scam. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Adding to my "Is AI just a scam?" file. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

My eight-year-old son performed at the Everyone Dance Festival on the stage of York Theatre Royal last night. So proud he combated his fears. Absolutely fantastic event. He was buzzing about his workshop with the Collide Dance Company. We need more arts in our lives!

Finally remembered to donate!

Now up on jobs.ac.uk🚨 - Collaborative Doctoral Award with Prof Annie Tindley, @drhick.bsky.social and The Ulster Folk Museum. Please spread the word 📢 @newcastleuni.bsky.social @hassfacultyncl.bsky.socialwww.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQT596/p...um

Can't wait for mine to come!

In 2022, unless I have mis-remembered, Tereshkova voted in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a member of the Russian State Duma, and has personal sanctions against her from the EU, USA, Switzerland, Ukraine, New Zealand.

(Delete as appropriate): Happy - World Book Day / St. Piran's Day / the anniversary of Stalin's death.

New acquisitions, although I've read the Eco titles before. Laying in stores ahead of a holiday in a few weeks time.

Are there Universities in the UK promoting the National Year of Reading? Can't help thinking we are missing an opportunity here to encourage something that we know is extremely valuable.

My colleagues Annie Tindley and @drhick.bsky.social have funding 📣 for a Collaborative Doctoral Award with Museums Northern Ireland for a PhD on "Reawakening the Living Landscape: Integrating Heritage and Sustainability at the Ulster Folk Museum" - www.ncl.ac.uk/hca/study/hi... Deadline 20 April.

I highly recommend Gillian Reynolds on Radio 3's The Essay this week. If, like me, the wireless is the soundtrack to your life, I think you will love it www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The magnolia is out at the National Archives in Kew!

There has been a lot of talk about "broken Britain" of late. But, I've just someone writing with one of those four colour Bic biros in the British Library. Tut, tut.

Penny dropping on some things for me today. On a train where people are using Chat-GPT to write (and get feedback) on emails. Never really believed people would do this. But, apparently they do. It makes those messages with slightly artificial tones make sense now. 1/3

A couple of difficult jobs today, but made far more enjoyable by being able to do them with my (relatively) new fountain pen.

In memory of Pete, we have launched the Pete Duncan Memorial Fund, which will support PhD students at the School. Donations can be made via peter-duncan-2026.muchloved.com

Finally managed to get back into all work systems at 20.45 today. Had to uninstall all Microsoft office applications from my computer. Crumbs that was stressful.

The Kindle Daily Deal today (here in UK) includes several books by Francis Spufford including - Red Plenty: Inside the Fifties Soviet Dream. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. amzn.eu/d/02lSeLHY

Apparently it isn't just me, thanks to colleagues for help

I've lost most of the afternoon going round a doom loop of trying to order a book to the BL only to reset passwords on my Newcastle account, get logged out of everything and then my account gets blocked. Restore, try to get into BL catalogue and it kills my Microsoft account again.

Friends can anyone help? I am trying to log into the British Library catalogue for the first time with a renewed card. Why does it keep resetting my Newcastle password?

'Socialist Internationalism represents a significant and valuable addition to a growing field of study, offering a promising indication of the directions being pursued in research on the global Cold War.' Slavic Review 📘 https://bit.ly/3XyHQsv

Congratulations 🎉 to @jianhaoxu.bsky.social whose article below is available in @cultsochistory.bsky.social ahead of publication as #openaccess I help supervise Jianhao with Joseph Lawson and @lauratisdall.bsky.social doi.org/10.1080/1478... Well done Jianhao!

One day, I'd really love to be able to write a book review for one of the bigger outlets (newspapers, LRB, TLS, etc.) Just once, for the opportunity.

Bad news. Nothing to serious in the grans scheme of things. But, I could cry, and probably will.

The conduct of Russian's army has been appalling. Its conduct in Chechnya and Afghanistan indicated many problems. But, I can't help wondering how far this stems from the celebration of the Soviet WW2 and penal battalions, blocking detachments, orders No.227 and No.270. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

2026 MWHN Conference - call for papers! Join us in Romania this June to discuss all things military welfare and civil society. Deadline: 14 March 2026. CfP attached and full details at militarywelfarehistory.com/2026-confere... #milwelfhist #civilsociety #charity #philanthropy

Putin's two week war enters its fifth year. Ukraine continues to fight. Ukraine continues to impress. #standwithUkraine 🇺🇦

To mark the 4 year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, here is a drawing inspired by a Ukrainian mother Tetiana, whose 27-year old son Maksym was killed fighting in the war. She tells me"it’s not possible to describe the burden of the pain I’m bearing... www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

*Au Revoir les Enfants *La Haine * Wuthering Heights (1939) * The episodes of 15-1 my history teacher has been on.

I've enjoyed watching bits of the Winter Olympics. But, it is worth reflecting on the environmental impact. www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...

Small thing, but very proud I managed to breathe new life into my dynamo rear light. Despite my bad soldering and even worse eye sight. I've repaired it. Just a bad connection. Just needed 2 x female spade connectors. Don't believe it when they tell you academics can't do practical things.