Choo choo do Londynu! To my *sold out* panel discussion on Poland after the Second World War at the @ChelseaHistFest - with the formidable Halik Kochanski, @mpolachowska, and Justin Maciejewski.

Sending out this year's programme for the Institute of Polish Military History #WW2 talks: polishheritage.co.uk/ipmh-program-2…

Karolina Maczek, Maria Polachowska, Halik Kochanski (and me) in discussion about Poland and the Poles at the Chelsea History Festival on 25th September chelseaheritagequarter.co.uk/chf/the-pric...

Would like to send out a huge thank you to Marcin at The Little Angel in Henley for stopping his van to help my mum when she fell over in the street, and for chatting with her in Polish and looking after her while an ambulance was called. 🙏

Russia leading in the 'mass grave' category, presumably

Great first day at the @IWMDuxford #historyfestival. @silenceinpolish.bsky.social & I discussed Poland’s war, chaired by @frasermccallum.bsky.social. Tomorrow I’m interviewing #RichardEvans followed by a talk on #AgentZo…

Ahhhh what a lovely day at IWM Duxford, got a chance to chat with @claremulley.bsky.social and Jenny Grant, two mega mega cool authors. Showed them some minis but I knew I shouldn't have got Turkey Man out. He forced his way out I couldn't stop him!

This weekend, #IWMDuxford history fest. I’m talking with @silenceinpolish.bsky.social tomorrow, & #SirRichardEvans Sunday, before talking solo about #AgentZo. Many other excellent talks & events too!

A remnant of an earlier age

My idea of a good time Gen. Stanisław Maczek, commander of the #Polish First Armoured Division having drinks while sitting on a captured Nazi flag after the costly Battle of Falaise Fellow historian Jenny Grant @SilenceInPolish has edited his memoirs www.penandswordbooks...#Polish 4/10

I simply would not name a spaceship 'Maginot'

Hot on the heels of Paul Beaver, @claremulley.bsky.social and I will be discussing all things Poland 1945, ably chaired by Fraser McCallum. Do join us on Saturday 30th September at @IWMDuxford:

John Bolton said re Ukraine/Trump, “a land swap is also a people swap, you are condemning people to live under an authoritarian regime.” It’s so important people understand this. Land is where people live. Ukrainians living under occupation suffer violence & oppression & war crimes. They matter.

Wartime Cairo, and a lucky Scottish soldier meets three Polish drivers keen to compare the shapeliness of their knees. My gran - on the right. Sigh. #WarIsHell

Gardening temporarily halted

North Devon Maritime Museum, and the chance to explain Hobart's Funnies to 6-year-old nephew. Underwhelmed he was.

Spell check is gaslighting me

I am delighted to say that the Audible audiobook version of Britain at Bay is finally available in the UK. 🇬🇧 There won’t be any need to wait so long for the audiobook of the sequel Advance Britannia as that will be released worldwide on publication in November. www.audible.co.uk/pd/Britain-a...

15 minutes. And counting.

I've realised my entire PhD is essentially Victor Meldrew yelling at administrative structures which are irrational, ineffective and infuriating. How dispiriting.

Honoured to be sharing a panel at the Chelsea History Festival with Halik Kochanski, Maria Polachowska, and Karolina Maczek. We'll be picking apart the Polish contribution to the War in the West, and exploring the longer-term legacy of the conflict. chelseaheritagequarter.co.uk/chf/the-pric...

Absolutely privileged to be sharing my research into the long-term legacy of the Anglo-Polish alliance with @FCDOGovUK tomorrow.

Too hot to be a swan

Supervision session - we're beginning to talk about submitting the final chapter and tidying everything up. The end is in sight!

82 years ago today, General Władysław Sikorski was killed after taking off from Gibraltar, along with his daughter, members of his staff, and two British MPs. www.cwgc.org/our-work/blo...

Is it even a summer holiday if you're not eating a sausage butty and watching Mike Loades wielding a lance

Just signed off an email with 'Many Tanks', and might now stick to that.

It's 'The Third World War', not 'World War Three'. Standards matter.

The Poles return to Duxford! @claremulley and I will be discussing aspects of the Polish contribution to Allied victory. I'll be the one stroking the Hurricane... www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-d...

Penley - Polish Graves Community Day

Four years ago

To be read in the voice of Dylan Thomas

A glorious day watching 'The Crucible' at the Globe, and poking around the South Bank, and recreating the Thames Television theme.

Planning a road trip next year to take in Polish evacuation routes from the Atlantic ports and Bordeaux region. All of which look bloody delightful 85 years later. Chi chi beachside restaurant? Oui oui St Jean-de-Luz, Biscarosse. Gorgeous.

Archival Floof

Advice, please. I'm sitting on a fabulous 'Dogs in WW2' story. Who should I pitch it to?

A whole uninterrupted morning to spend in 1940. Goats in quarantine, Belgian troops being entertained by Welsh monks. Someone please pay me to write books.

Kew trip planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday. Hope to catch up with fellow archive snifflers.

A busy weekend - two talks on Polish perspectives on the end of #WW2 and the challenges of honouring allies in the post-war world. Thanks to @EGPOSullivan and @ltd_polish for inviting me to speak.

A stunning venue - the London Scottish House - for the Peace in Europe Conference

A superb article by Wendy Webster - VE Day for the Poles, and what victory needs to look like for the Ukrainians. theconversation.com/by-ve-day-in...

'On the evening of 4 May, we were ordered to cease operations as of 5 May, 08.00. Germany had surrendered.' What did #VEDay mean for the Poles? The Price of Victory: Memoir of the Commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division amzn.eu/d/2l7sUuj #Amazon via Amazon

If anyone’s got an interest in the SWW exploits of the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł the movie ‘Below the Surface’ is now available on Amazon Prime. The Polish name for the film is ‘Orzeł Ostatni Patrol’. #NavalHistory @silenceinpolish.bsky.social @kresysiberia.bsky.social #Poland #PolishHistory

Most recent chapter submitted, along with a proposed outline for the final section of the PhD. Amazingly, external sources of urgency have proved motivating. Who knew?

In 1985, Margaret Thatcher's government decided against holding a parade for #VEDay - it was deemed too 'triumphalist' and likely to damage relations with West Germany. /1

Churchill Tiramisu. It's a thing now, ok.

In April 1946, the Edinburgh Association of Head Masters and Head Mistresses protested against the Victory Celebrations. As well as diverting resources from rebuilding towns, celebrations would seem 'a cruel and senseless mockery' to 'many of our neighbours in other lands.'

A beautiful day for filming. Sadly, my assistant today was 10 years old, so this is the best shot I got.

The British stamps issued in 1946 to mark the end of the war focused on reconstruction, peace, and the return to normality. Those issued for the Empire and Dominion showed a London unchanged by war - the steady beating heart of Empire.