Russell Masters

England Champions.

Phew!!! Heroes, every single one of them!

YouTube video by Chris Connelly Jesse Welles - Encore: War Isn’t Murder - Newport Folk Festival | July 26, 2025

youtu.be/O8y0VzWQEqQ

Michelle Agyemang.

National hero.

Lemmy and Ozzy.

Another legend gone. There’ll be a hell of a party going on somewhere right now…

I’m currently reading Wuthering Heights. This Heathcliff chap is a real piece of work.

Feel like I’ve aged a few years this evening. Bloody well done, England… Phew! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Bangers, burgers, kielbasa, and boerewors, all on a BBQ grill.

Tonight’s braai.

Waiting outside the library
Eager for the doors to open
Because we got here early
A bag of stories to be returned
Others yet undiscovered
Waiting for us on the shelves.

A note written by George III!

GEORGE III !!! 🤯🤯🤯

Letter written by Frederick.

Currently holding a letter written by Frederick, Prince of Wales…🤯

Newspaper snippet from 29 September 1738 reads: On Wednesday night, a baker, living within a mile of St. Bride's Church, took leave of his wife, in order to go out of town immediately; but meeting with some companions he sat up all night, and went home early in the morning, to take a little. rest before he begun his journey, when to his great surprise he saw a certain barber of his acquaintance with his wife in bed, who seeing the husband come in at the chamber door, to avoid ceremony, jump'd out of the window into the street; by which lover's leap he had the misfortune to break his leg, which is now under cure; and how the affair will end is uncertain.

Back with the newspapers today, looking at mentions of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1738. Of course, there's more there than just Frederick and Augusta. The papers yield unexpected gems like this one, from 29 September. A reminder that humans have always, always been messy and ridiculous:

"It has always seemed strange to me," said Doc. "The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."

Finished reading Steinbeck’s cracking Cannery Row this morning. Published in 1945, as true then as it is now.

Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon are the biggest bores in football. All the derisive, condescending, and sneering comments about the Latvians are so unnecessary.

Pile of manure.

Southampton losing to Wolves.

From shovelling shit this morning to watching it this afternoon.

It’s not for me. I think Zelenskyy’s outfit is far more fetching. Maybe Zelenskyy should have worn a black MAGA hat and a blazer over a t-shirt to the Oval Office. That’s acceptable, apparently.

Just a pic of Churchill not wearing a suit at the White House in 1942. The ungrateful bastard.

Yeah! Sod that. Don’t want to be associated with them! Glad our Russian Empire ancestors were Jewish and not Russian!!! 😂

Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people.

Be strong, be brave, be fearless.
You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy.

We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.

On 24 June 2023 Prigozhin was 200km from Moscow.
Now Putin’s in the Oval.

Russian history has always been wild.

Sometimes people spell my name wrong in emails. The most common misspelling is Russel. Occasionally I get a Rusell or a Russle.

Today I had a new one.

‘Hi Russia.’

Russia. Somebody called me Russia. Never have I been so insulted! 😂

They were advertising Christmas parties on the big screen at St Mary’s today. What month is it?

WE HAVE DONE AN ACTUAL PREMIER LEAGUE WIN!!! 🫨 #SaintsFC

Still pond, ducks and swans.

Finally got round to making a personal Bluesky account. Hurrah. Been here doing @historicalsoton.bsky.social for a while now and it’s such a breath of fresh air compared to President Musk’s hellhole fascist cesspit.

There were blue skies on our walk this morning. One of the swans bit my finger.