Robert H. Hurley

They say that pregnant women emit a radiant "glow", which is why they make terrible snipers.

We spoke too soon! 🫣

A stylish lady in white (complete with hat) and a sharply dressed gentleman in a suit and bright white shoes embracing along a palm-lined path. Another couple strolls off into the distance, framed by lush shrubbery on either side, as if the gardens themselves are quietly chaperoning the romance.

Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️

Sending a little romance from Morrab Gardens in beautiful Penzance 🌴

“I am quite fascinated by the surroundings here…” This wonderfully humorous vintage postcard says it all.

Love is clearly in the air… or perhaps it’s just the scenery that’s so captivating! 💕

Elderly man adjusts a vintage radio on a wooden table while an elderly woman watches attentively, both dressed in early 20th-century attire.

Anything good on the wireless? 📻

For World Radio Day, a 1950s reproduction magic lantern slide by Harry Penhaul. By 1939, 3/4 of UK homes had a radio — the heart of family life, sharing news, music, and laughter before streaming existed! 🎶

#WorldRadioDay #VintageRadio #Nostalgia #RadioHistory

This week, we came across a letter from Enid Marx, a 20th century designer noted for her vibrant geometric and folk art-inspired prints. You'll recognise her work, but did you know that she had connections to Exeter?

Find out more: www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/news-events/...

We’ve been busy this past week installing our new exhibition ‘Cornwall in Print’, which opens on Tuesday 17 February.

Explore Cornwall’s historic letterpress printing industry, including stories about its community of printers. Free to view during our usual opening hours!

1,000 years of Cathedral history 📜🔎✨ Have you visited the Exeter Cathedral Treasures Exhibition? Set inside our 19th century Pearson Building just above Exeter Cathedral Shop, you will find fascinating treasures from our collections, many on display for the first time.

Cropped image from a book showing a colour illustration of a hippotamus in side profile, standing on some earth. The hippo is baring its teeth, looking almost as though it's smiling!

Good morning to everyone, but especially to all the hippopotamuses, for yesterday was their special day!

For World Hippo Day, here is an illustration of a (smiley?) hippopotamus from 'Animated Nature' (1828) by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon [Reserve 590 BUF]

#WorldHippoDay #RareBooks

A colour photograph of a display of fourteen books written by, or about, women i science. These are displayed alongside information sheets on former MBA researchers Molly Spooner, Marie Lebour and Mary Parke as well as Miriam Rothschild, who was briefly spent time at the MBA

#February11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science 🔬 We are privileged to have a wide variety of books in our collection by, or about, women in science and marine biology. So to celebrate we've set up a display of a small selection of them in our Reading Room @thembauk.bsky.social

A colour photography of the title page of an early edition of 'On the Origin of Species'. The top right of the page is torn out and, underneath this, there is a handwritten note that says 'from the author 1860'

It's #DarwinDay #OTD in 1809 Charles Darwin was born. We have a number of books in our collection by or about Charles Darwin, but this early edition copy of 'On the Origin of Species' - which was gifted to an unknown recpient by Darwin - is a particulary special addition to our collection.
📖 BS.15/D

@aliceahorton.bsky.social on the women who inspired her

Discover more about the Women in Science at the MBA - www.mba.ac.uk/celebrating-...

#WomenInScience #WomenInConservation #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience

SURGERY
#operations #surgery #surgeon #marriage #newlyweds #marriedlife #marriagehumor #withalttext #asmr #poem #limerick #funny #spokenword #spokenpoetry #spokenwordpoetry #poems #reallife #book #comedy #humor #humour #fypシ゚viralシ #fyp #foryouシ #jokes #jokeofday #poetry #poetrycommunity

The Infinitely Stranger Cases of Sherlock Holmes - Paperback Your Other Options: Amazon USA   Bookshop.org   Barnes and Noble  Kindle    Audio “My dear fellow,” said Sherlock Holmes, as we sat at either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, “life is...

"her plots feel truly original, and she has a knack for guiding #sherlockholmes through the strange twists of each case to always arrive at a satisfying, logical conclusion. With the skill of a master conjuror, she both baffles and delights" #historicalfiction #audio #cozymystery
shorturl.at/ToS1R

Buy a book and help fight my wife's cancer! In a realm where shadows hide mysteries, "The Innocent Children" reveals the thrilling narrative of abducted kids and the FBI's urgent battle against the clock. 📚🔍 #DarkThriller #EssentialRead #ChildTrafficking tinyurl.com/4cpbp9tp

A colour photograph of an invitation card to the celebration dinner for the opening of the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth. The invitation is addressed to W. Garstang

#OTD in 1868 Walter Garstang was born. During his time @thembauk.bsky.social Garstang focused on investigating North Sea fisheries. He was involved with the establishment of a fisheries laboratory at Lowestoft, which has since become @cefasgovuk.bsky.social
📸 MBA Archive ref PGA1.2

Green information box containing a black and white photograph of William Golding on the right hand side and text on the left hand side. The text reads: "William Golding Archive. Sir William Golding (1911-1993), novelist, was born in Newquay, Cornwall. He was educated at Marlborough Grammar School and Brasenose College, Oxford. He subsequently taught at Bishop Wordsworth's school. In 1983 he was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. The collection consists of notebooks, manuscript and typescript drafts of Golding's novels up to 1989 including the original manuscript and typescript of Lord of the Flies. Further information on the collection can be found on the archives catalogue."

Who watched the first episode of the new TV adaptation of Lord of the Flies yesterday?

Did you know that we look after William Golding's literary archive, including a manuscript draft of Lord of the Flies?

You can browse the archive on our online catalogue ➡️ lib-archives.ex.ac.uk/Record.aspx?...

Words Alive in Libraries - Literature Works Words Alive in Libraries is a fourth partnership with the South Western Regional Library Service, building on the success of previous writer tours of libraries around the south west.This time, the tou...

📚 WORDS ALIVE IN LIBRARIES 🌿
Looking for a moment of calm, reflection, and creative inspiration?
Explore life writing, nature, and wellbeing with The Flat Place author @noreenmasud.bsky.social
📅 26 March
📍 University of Exeter (Streatham)
@swrls.bsky.social @literatureworks.bsky.social

LibGuides: Visiting Heritage Collections: Reading Room booking form LibGuides: Visiting Heritage Collections: Reading Room booking form

Our collections of archives, maps and rare books are available for everyone to access for research, interest or enjoyment in the Reading Room!

When visiting us, please:
🗓️ Book in advance
🧼 Wash your hands with soap and water
✏️ Bring a pencil or electronic device (no pens!)

Book your visit here ⬇️

Four books of real life short stories about me, my family and friends. They will make you laugh out loud and probably cry a little bit too. Told in a raw and gritty style, as though I was telling them to you over a beer 🍺 or three 😛

amzn.eu/d/eWU9Alk

A display box with colorful earrings and a textured blue clutch purse. Heart decorations and vibrant background

Three raspberry dark chocolate bars are arranged over deep pink and magenta paper. The packaging features a young girl in a red cape, evoking innocence and warmth.

A dark candle jar with a gold lid sits on a wooden table. The label depicts a cartoon figure in a bathtub. Text reads "Flaming Nora Cornish Candles, Cornish Coast."

Celebrate love the Cornish way this Valentine’s 💕
Explore our collection of artisan gifts, bespoke items showcasing beloved artworks, gorgeous cards and a wide range of unique finds—perfect for him, her, or anyone you adore

Black-and-white historical photograph showing dozens of schoolchildren and several adults clustered on jagged rocks at Pednolver Point, Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, leaning forward with arms outstretched toward the sea during the St Ives Feast festivities. Below them, a young man Terry Magor in the water reaches up from the waves after diving to recover the traditional silver ball thrown by the mayor, an event recorded in February 1956. The image captures mid-20th-century Cornish coastal life, local tradition, dramatic rocky shoreline, and the excitement of the silver ball ceremony, with spectators watching the successful retrieval from deep water.

We hope no one had to take a dip today at the St Ives Feast! 🌊🏊‍♂️

St Ives Feast, 1952-53
Harry Penhaul (1914 - 1957)

As part of the St Ives Feast Festivities, a silver ball is traditionally thrown by the mayor of St Ives from the Churchyard Wall to a crowd of children on the beach.

#MuseumSuperBowl 🏆 Our Newlyn Copper rose bowl, c.1900, is showing off fish & seaweed in repousse. Even the other objects are whispering, “Wow… It’s extra. Again.” 🐟✨

Just been reliably informed that my copy of The Beatles Abbey Road album is a fake. Can’t believe I never noticed the mistake before.

These two hilarious Rob Gotobed books, ‘The Canyons Of Rob Gotobed's Overactive Mind’ and ‘I Feel Like A Carp On A Chopping Board!’, are now available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!!

#KindleUnlimited #Free #Kindle

bit.ly/4hA0B7W

Shelf of small books in the Syon Abbey Library. Most have parchment bindings and hand-made modern orange labels created by the community of Syon Abbey.

Shelves of books in the Chris Brooks Collection. The books in this photograph were written for children and young adults in the 19th and early 20th century, and many of them have colourful and illustrated bindings.

Shelves of books in the Hypatia Collection of books and journals by and about women. Many of the books in this photo have colourful or illustrated spines.

Several shelves of old and very large leather-bound books in the Dodderidge (Barnstaple) Parish Library. The books have raised bands or ridges along the spines, which were created during the binding process and show the structure of the cord-bound books.

Library Shelfie Day is always a great excuse to show off the variety of ages, colours, shapes and sizes on the shelves of our rare book collections!

📷 Syon Abbey Library, Chris Brooks Collection, Hypatia Collection and Dodderidge Parish Library

#LibraryShelfieDay #ShelfieDay #RareBooks

Image showing first few lines of a letter written in brown ink on yellowed paper with several holes. It is dated 'Jan[ua]ry th[e] 27 1756', and begins 'My Dearst Mama'. Caption underneath: 'Letter from Sister Catherine 'Kitty' Witham [Ref: EUL MS 389/PERS/WITHAM]'.

On 27 January 1756, Sister Kitty Witham wrote a letter to her mother from Syon Abbey in Lisbon, in which she vividly described her experience of the Great Lisbon Earthquake in November 1755.

Find out more here ➡️ bit.ly/3wDNyvr

#OnThisDay #OTD #TerremotoDeLisboa #SyonAbbey #Nuntastic #Archives

Girl on a Cliff, 1926, oil on canvas by Harold Harvey, portraying 14-year-old Cressida Wearne wearing a pink blouse and grey skirt. The girl is posed in the garden of Harvey’s studio, with the landscape background added later, with rugged rocks and the ocean in the background.

✨ FREE Public Guided Tours ✨
Starting Tuesday, 3 February, our Volunteer Tour Guides will be offering short tours of current exhibitions every Tuesday & Thursday at 11 am.

🕒 30–45 mins | Included in admission | No booking—first-come, first-served!

Black and white photo of a young girl in a coat standing beside a shaggy donkey in a rustic setting. The girl gently touches the donkey’s face.

Throwback Thursday 📸
Bottom: Donkey and Child, 1950s

We have no name for either the patient donkey or the child who looks distinctly unamused in this photograph.

A reproduction of this print can be purchased from our online shop:

penleehouse.org.uk/product/harr...

I made a childhood dream come true when I joined the Royal Navy but it wasn’t all plain sailing as I was due in court the day I joined up…

Read these raw and gritty memoirs to find out about the rascal I was before, during and after my service…

amzn.eu/d/eRr5gYU