 
                        
                VCH Ghost Story - On History
                With the nights drawing in, itβs the season for storytelling. This curious and disconcerting letter was found recently in the archive of the Victoria County History of England (addressed to then-Gener...
            
        
    
    
            A spooky story from the Victoria County History archive (or is it...?). A tribute to M R James and the world of the early VCH, which I first shared on 31 October last year - I hope you enjoy it. #Halloween @vch-home.bsky.social 
blog.history.ac.uk/2024/10/vch-...
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 09:04 β π 17    π 8    π¬ 1    π 2                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
                                                 
                                                
    
    
    
    
            Our trainees Sasha and Sarah have written a blog showcasing some of the spookier and scarier books in the IHR Libraryβs collection - check it out! π πΈοΈ 
blog.history.ac.uk/2025/10/hall... 
#halloween #libraries #blog
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 14:33 β π 5    π 2    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
                                                 
                                            A 1930 picture of the Cambridge Theatre, Seven Dials in Matt Houlbrook's book Songs of Seven Dials photographed in front of the Cambridge Theatre, Seven Dials in October 2025.
                                                
    
    
    
    
            Interested in the history of Seven Dials or London or the 1920s and 1930s? I'm doing some walking tours of the Dials with @stanfordstravel.bsky.social on Sat 15 Nov.
There's loads to see, but Seven Dials is so small you don't need to walk far.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/events/songs...
               
            
            
                29.10.2025 10:48 β π 30    π 24    π¬ 1    π 1                      
            
         
            
        
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            ... and he seems to have held her partially responsible for doing in his father (and, since Isabella was a French princess, Edward didn't have many more permenant options, just as Charles doesn't).
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 14:01 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            There are institutions that you think of as part of the establishment, so clearly aligned with the interests of the state that you're always impressed by their independence of thought. 
Letting the British Council go is such a clear indication of the vandalism we've been suffering the last 2 decades
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:42 β π 10    π 4    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
            
                             
                        
                a sotheby 's store is visible in the background of this rainy street scene
                ALT: a sotheby 's store is visible in the background of this rainy street scene
            
        
    
    
            Ah, no - that's Reliant (Tamworth's unique contribution to motoring history). See also the Trotter's van in Only Fools and Horses.
Also fibreglass deathtraps!
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:44 β π 1    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Never having watched Mr Bean, I'll take your word for it.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:36 β π 1    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            The Solent conurbation is a case in point. There *are* divides and some are more obvious than others. To an outsider, Totton over to Havant is fundamentally one unit. On the ground, it's quite a lot more subtle with gradations in the importantance of the divides!
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:32 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Absolutely. Even on a practical level, the only things in their favour is that they had a roof and didn't rust. Hit anything large than a moped and you're coming a poor second.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:29 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Yes. Yes, drives me bananas.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:23 β π 1    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Whereas to me - from Somerset - 40k is a *very* large town. There are loads of places that are unmistakeably towns at the c.5,000-10,000 level.
In no special order, Honiton, Wincanton, Tiverton, Collumpton, Callington, Minehead, Martock, Street (both formally villages, but not on the ground), etc.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:23 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Yep - the closest parallel I can think of (including the exile to north west Norfolk, coincidentally - Castle Rising is literally on the bounds of the Sandringham estate), was Edward III's treatment of his mother...
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:19 β π 8    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            And none of the places you've named are *towns*.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:15 β π 1    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Bigger than any town in any *region* I've actually lived in (well, before coming to Kent - but even then, the scope of say, Maidstone or the Medway towns is muddied), by a fair margin.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:14 β π 1    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            I presume that's a hundredweight sack (so half would be c.25kg). Absolute deathtraps.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:12 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Ok, fair enough, but it's still a (very) large town.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 13:11 β π 0    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            The Invacar. 
www.friarsmotorcompany.co.uk/brief-histor...
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:58 β π 6    π 3    π¬ 6    π 1                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            OK, you can certainly argue whether Bristol is part of the SW (I would say no, for a range of reasons, but YMMV), or the Bournemouth/Poole conurbation is (more so than Bristol, but it's a conurbation, with a split identity, not a town as such), but nothing west of there is anything like Wigan-size.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:54 β π 0    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Another exciting @englishassociation.bsky.social  event that will support the teaching and exploration of poetry.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 11:47 β π 5    π 3    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
                                                 
                                                
    
    
    
    
            The fundamental problem:
58% of voters want public spending maintained or increased. 
67% want taxes to stay at their current level or be cut. 
In reality, itβs a binary choice. Taxes go up, or spending is cut. Thatβs it.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:00 β π 170    π 41    π¬ 42    π 9                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Cf. Wales, the south west of England (even the two larger cities, Plymouth and Exeter) aren't as big as Wigan (Bristol being the Midlands for this purpose), East Anglia, etc.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:38 β π 0    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            But I agree with your point!
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:36 β π 2    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            They would, I suspect, point to Portillo (not entirely unfairly).
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:36 β π 3    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            This is - to be fair - not that an uncommon Labour pattern. That she can't envisage a town much smaller than Wigan (north of 300,000) is, for *entire regions without towns that size* a rather larger issue with her worldview.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 12:34 β π 5    π 0    π¬ 2    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
                                                 
                                            The Scarborough rowed lifeboat Queensbury showing the kind of conditions it faced during the Rohilla rescue.
                                                
    
    
    
    
            I ordered this image of the Scarborough rowed lifeboat Queensbury to show the kind of conditions it faced during the Rohilla rescue. Sadly it arrived a day late β taken a few years earlier, but it speaks for itself. Image North Yorkshire Archives
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 11:32 β π 73    π 19    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            All that I ask is that the culture secretary not ask questions which reveal she couldnβt tell you who *this year*βs Bafta shortlistees and winners were.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 11:36 β π 356    π 74    π¬ 23    π 5                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
                                                 
                                            The Womble and The Clanger in the style of The Omen and The Exorcist
                                                
    
    
    
    
            π§΅I've posted them before, but here's my thread of horror/kids' TV double-bill cinema posters. Happy Halloween...
#halloween #cinema #graphicdesign #poster
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 09:39 β π 648    π 320    π¬ 30    π 35                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            This one has been in the works for a while (my 38th @vch-home.bsky.social book as editor - it was in progress when I joined...), but great news for the weekend, in that it's now 'in Press'.
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 10:34 β π 7    π 0    π¬ 0    π 0                      
            
         
            
        
            
            
            
            
            
    
    
    
    
            Ah, well teenagers on a Saturday afternoon. Happens. The parents, well...
               
            
            
                31.10.2025 09:15 β π 0    π 0    π¬ 1    π 0                      
            
         
    
         
        
            
        
                            
                    
                    
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