Nigel McFarlane

It's been nearly six years since he left us, and the loss of his eloquence and wit are still keenly felt, at least by me. Remembering cultural polymath (and one of my heroes) Clive James. Born #OTD in 1939.

This 3,300 year-old Mycenaean terracotta chariot was found in a rock-hewn tomb at Megalo Monastiri, in the region of Larissa, Greece. Dated ca. 13th century BCE. Archaeological Museum of Volos, Greece. 📷 Athenologio.

A brilliant selection of birthday reading. Looking forward to getting stuck in.

Wuthering Heights: 'Erotic' first trailer of Emerald Fennell's film released The trailer shows the characters engaged in longing stares, with sexualised imagery throughout.

Oh for heaven's sake, another 'bold reimagining' which actually leaves nothing to the imagination...just read the bloody book. Everything you need and more is in there.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Aw.
If it's not just me complaining, it must be really bad!

Anyway Nikolaj, Nik, Nikky darling, if you didn't use real history and real people for your little Temu-Game of Thrones, you wouldn't have to do so much defending ;)

Finished this on the beach. One of my very favourite books. A beautiful opening, intricate plotting with an epic scope, ingenious storytelling and fabulous characters. My copy is 40 years old and I love picking it up to enjoy it all over again. #TheWomanInWhite #WilkieCollins

Poet Ted Hughes was born #OTD 1930 in Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire. Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death in 1998. His poetry is dominated by nature, especially by animals, though his approach is more mythical than naturalistic. (Pic by Jane Bown 1966.)

“He was still bleeding when he was put in his coffin”. A victim of the Peterloo massacre, 1819. John Lees was a 22-year-old cotton spinner. There were many like him in the north of England. He attended the St Peter’s Field meeting on Monday 16 August 1819, where 80,000 people had come to hear…

Remembering John Lees, a victim of #Peterloo
about1816.wordpress.com/2016/08/11/h...

It's a bit faded now, and a few repairs have been needed, but I'm enjoying a canter through this postmodern classic for the umpteenth time. Always fun to be had in this book about books and reading. #ItaloCalvino

Andrea Ashworth wrote a classic of Mancunian literature. Why did she vanish from view? My search for the author of ‘Once in a House on Fire’ led to the other side of the world - and to a tantalising revelation

Been looking forward to reading this all week, and it was as rewarding as I hoped. Great stuff by David Barnett for ManchesterMill.
My search for the author of ‘Once in a House on Fire’ led to the other side of the world - and to a tantalising revelation manchestermill.co.uk/andrea-ashwo...

Some of the surviving fresco decoration from the House of Livia, the wife of Augustus, on the Palatine Hill in Rome. The frescoes date to around 30 BC. 📷 My own. #FrescoFriday #Rome

A tombstone for Cornelius Victor - a senior centurion from Pannonia who served in the Roman army for 26 years, and died aged 55. The tombstone was found at Vindolanda Fort, and is now part of the collections at Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall. 📷 My own. #EpigraphyTuesday

A Bronze Age food vessel from Hare Hill Ring Cairn which contained cremated remains. Located near Thornton-in-Craven in North Yorkshire, the site contained the cremated remains of at least 15 people. Part of the collections at Craven Museum in Skipton. #TombTuesday #CravenMuseum

Every time someone posts about the structural and inherent limitations of LLMs there are loads of people in the replies confidently asserting AI will overcome all its current limitations, and they remind me of the people in the 1960s who were confident we would have colonised the galaxy by 1999.

In honour of today's date, this is my favourite line from one of my absolute favourite novels. #WilkieCollins #TheWomanInWhite

Detail from a 4th century AD mosaic from the House of the Dioscuri at Ostia Antica, near Rome. 📷 My own. #MosaicMonday #OstiaAntica #RomanArchaeology

The Eleanor Cross at Geddington in Northamptonshire. Dating to the 1290s, the cross is one of several which commemorate Eleanor of Castile, the Queen of Edward I who died in Nottinghamshire. 📸 My own. #MedievalMonday

Free ebook! (co-edited by my brother-in-law) 🎉

If I was going to launch into a potted history of England I'd try not to forgot the civil war. Or the relgious oppression of the Tudor years. Or the anti-catholic laws.

Spotify! 😁

A canal with hills mirrored in the water.

Very pleasant walk along the canal to Hebden, finishing off with a drink in the Vocation tap room. Just trying their new Hilltop Lager, and it’s really good.

'Major Roman discovery unearthed in Manchester city centre archaeological dig'

'The Angelus,' by Jean-François Millet, completed between 1857 and 1859, will be the star exhibit in Millet: Life on the Land at the National Gallery, London, from 7 August to 19 October.

A Borges story about a guy who gets AI to summarize all the world’s information for him, and then summarize the summary, until the AI has the whole world summarized into a single word. He sits alone at his desk, staring at the word, repeating it endlessly, certain he is experiencing everything

Petition for the Preservation and Protection of Papoura Hill A petition for the preservation and protection of the unique Minoan monumental architectural remains at Papoura hill released

Sad to see this unique Minoan monument and important site under threat… www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2025/07... #ancientbluesky #archaeologybluesky 🏺

"AI" bots bullshitting out Bible verses on twitter is one thing; how many times has this happened in purpose-specific apps people downloaded to their phones and are using for spiritual guidance? Because Holy— and I cannot stress this enough— shit.

Literally the kind of shit we've been warning about

See this on the train into work each morning. Still impressive.

Kearsley Mill, Prestolee, near Bolton, 1985, photo by Michael Kenna.

Optimism of the will Evaluating Labour's plan for the NHS

New post just out:

"Optimism of the will"

In which I look at Labour's big plan for the NHS and why it's determination to wish problems away will undermine it.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...

Manchester Street Corner, Grosvenor Street and Upper Brook Street, by Norman Jacques (1922-2014). #NorthernArt