Annie Gray
@dranniegray.bsky.social
Food historian, mainly British food ca1650 on. Writer, consultant, speaker. #BBCTKC panellist. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dranniegray
Another day, another few hours spent fulminating against the @britishlibrary.bsky.social 's STUPID continued insistence on accepting ebooks in lieu of actual books when a) you can't access them due to the cyber attack - STILL; and b) the system they used was always shite anyway.
January 13, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Another day, another few hours spent fulminating against the @britishlibrary.bsky.social 's STUPID continued insistence on accepting ebooks in lieu of actual books when a) you can't access them due to the cyber attack - STILL; and b) the system they used was always shite anyway.
Remarkably regressive (and frankly appaling - not to memtion idiotic) recruitment policies from @trinityhallcamb.bsky.social here.
"The evidence is clear: when talented students who have faced greater barriers gain access to elite universities, they flourish precisely because opportunity, not ability, was the binding constraint."
Prof Lee Elliot Major, University of Exeter
#highered #edchat
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Prof Lee Elliot Major, University of Exeter
#highered #edchat
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Cambridge college to target elite private schools for student recruitment
Exclusive: Trinity Hall’s new policy described as a ‘slap in the face’ for state-educated students
www.theguardian.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:16 AM
Remarkably regressive (and frankly appaling - not to memtion idiotic) recruitment policies from @trinityhallcamb.bsky.social here.
Hard agree:
Reposted this yesterday but I’m doing it again because I feel so strongly. Video is much harder on women, who are expected to conform to much higher grooming standards, and also really on anyone who doesn’t look like a conventional white man, who can expect more nastiness bsky.app/profile/youn...
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other
December 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Hard agree:
Being able to sneak in and watch (and later consume the results of) the HCP kitchens christmas events remains one of the high points of my costumed days. I can't recommend it highly enough.
December 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Being able to sneak in and watch (and later consume the results of) the HCP kitchens christmas events remains one of the high points of my costumed days. I can't recommend it highly enough.
I reinterpreted the 1950s clown cake.
December 25, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I reinterpreted the 1950s clown cake.
Am overjoyed to finally share that @historicalhippo.bsky.social & I have been working with The Food Museum in Stowmarket on a new series of videos. Perfect for anyone reeling from the imminent demise of Mrs Crocombe.
youtu.be/PNBu-9xkkow?...
youtu.be/PNBu-9xkkow?...
The Food Museum Presents... Mrs Wilding - Christmas Cake
YouTube video by Food Museum
youtu.be
December 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Am overjoyed to finally share that @historicalhippo.bsky.social & I have been working with The Food Museum in Stowmarket on a new series of videos. Perfect for anyone reeling from the imminent demise of Mrs Crocombe.
youtu.be/PNBu-9xkkow?...
youtu.be/PNBu-9xkkow?...
Obvs real bookshops are infinitely, inarguably, better than bloody ama*on. But it wouid be remiss of me not to repost this ---
The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Stree by @dranniegray.bsky.social is a bargain £1.89 on Kindle today #affiliatelink
amzn.to/3L2dxrt
amzn.to/3L2dxrt
The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street
The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street eBook : Gray, Annie: Amazon.co.uk: Books
amzn.to
December 21, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Obvs real bookshops are infinitely, inarguably, better than bloody ama*on. But it wouid be remiss of me not to repost this ---
My guest presenter slot on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme was pick of the week! Well chuffed. -- and for more festive food content, The Kitchen Cabinet's xmas special aired today. Both available wherever you get your podcasts from + BBC Sounds.
December 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
My guest presenter slot on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme was pick of the week! Well chuffed. -- and for more festive food content, The Kitchen Cabinet's xmas special aired today. Both available wherever you get your podcasts from + BBC Sounds.
Obvs I forget to say that as it ia xmas, don't forget my book is VITAL and an excellent stocking filler. And not to late to buy it. From a bookshop. Bookshops are great.
There's also a recipe in @dranniegray.bsky.social's excellent book
December 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Obvs I forget to say that as it ia xmas, don't forget my book is VITAL and an excellent stocking filler. And not to late to buy it. From a bookshop. Bookshops are great.
Guerilla signed books in @dauntbookspub.bsky.social while pissed after lunch with agent. This is exactly what I wanted my life to look like when I was 9 and desperate to be a writer one day.
December 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Guerilla signed books in @dauntbookspub.bsky.social while pissed after lunch with agent. This is exactly what I wanted my life to look like when I was 9 and desperate to be a writer one day.
I have just noticed that @foxlanebooks.bsky.social has At Christmas We Feast - SIGNED - for the bargain price of £6.99. Contains the best port wine chocolate recipe you'll ever find, plus quality ranting and a lot of historical FACT.
www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/product-page...
www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/product-page...
At Christmas We Feast - SIGNED | Fox Lane Books
SIGNED EDITION At Christmas We Feast: Festive Food Through the Ages - Paperback – by Annie Gray 'A joy to immerse oneself in' Andi Oliver'In the field of food history, Annie Gray leads the pack' Jay ...
www.foxlanebooks.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I have just noticed that @foxlanebooks.bsky.social has At Christmas We Feast - SIGNED - for the bargain price of £6.99. Contains the best port wine chocolate recipe you'll ever find, plus quality ranting and a lot of historical FACT.
www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/product-page...
www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/product-page...
Coming up this Friday.... me deciding on this year's xmas dinner in real time, with help from a wide range of people, exploring Christmases past, present and future....
December 8, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Coming up this Friday.... me deciding on this year's xmas dinner in real time, with help from a wide range of people, exploring Christmases past, present and future....
Exciting things afoot @ The Food Museum with @historicalhippo.bsky.social and self rising forth once again.... Fans of Mrs Crocombe still mourning her demise, fear not! Onwards and upwards.
November 28, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Exciting things afoot @ The Food Museum with @historicalhippo.bsky.social and self rising forth once again.... Fans of Mrs Crocombe still mourning her demise, fear not! Onwards and upwards.
Everyone needs six puddings. At least.
Just read a post elsewhere by the excellent @dranniegray.bsky.social who is not a slave to the notion of a fixed date for 'Stir Up Sunday' for making Christmas puddings! If you agree, here's my grandmother's - and a neighbour's - recipes from a century ago. You do, of course, need SIX puddings?
November 24, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Everyone needs six puddings. At least.
The 1950s called...... with ideas for cakes.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
November 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The 1950s called...... with ideas for cakes.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
Reposted by Annie Gray
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
I can report that getting covid in 2025 is still really shitty and still involves cancelling all your work because just making a cup of tea makes you need a lie down.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I can report that getting covid in 2025 is still really shitty and still involves cancelling all your work because just making a cup of tea makes you need a lie down.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
In my experience no.s 5-8 tend to coexist and are where I am at rn. Mainly 8, but it is not linear.
November 9, 2025 at 10:48 AM
In my experience no.s 5-8 tend to coexist and are where I am at rn. Mainly 8, but it is not linear.
Reposted by Annie Gray
Well done to everyone who remembered to vote.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
National Trust council elections saw a defeat for the Restore Trust campaign.
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
Voting results from the AGM
Read about the National Trust's 2025 Annual General Meeting and the results from the day.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
November 9, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Well done to everyone who remembered to vote.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
The last couple of days have been brilliant - meeting the inestimable Tom Herbert of The Long Table in Cirencester, doing a thought-provoking event with Mary Portas for Ciren History Festival (which is just brilliant - kudos to the organisers) and curating my very own display case for the museum.
October 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The last couple of days have been brilliant - meeting the inestimable Tom Herbert of The Long Table in Cirencester, doing a thought-provoking event with Mary Portas for Ciren History Festival (which is just brilliant - kudos to the organisers) and curating my very own display case for the museum.
All of this. I keep telling @adobe.com to fuck off as it offers helpfully to summarise everything from my own books to train tickets, but there's no 'stop draining the world's resources for nothing good' button. It's like the Microsoft paperclip got supersized VERY BADLY. ETC.
i see you're doing something online that you have effortlessly done 100,000 times. would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? w
October 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
All of this. I keep telling @adobe.com to fuck off as it offers helpfully to summarise everything from my own books to train tickets, but there's no 'stop draining the world's resources for nothing good' button. It's like the Microsoft paperclip got supersized VERY BADLY. ETC.
Mild Monday Pimpathon: next week I am in Cirencester for a Past/Future of the High St discussion, with Mary Portas, as part of Cirencester History Festival (I am getting a hair cut for this, because Portas still has really good hair).
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
Mary Portas and Annie Gray - Cirencester History Festival
The History & the Future of the High Street.
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Mild Monday Pimpathon: next week I am in Cirencester for a Past/Future of the High St discussion, with Mary Portas, as part of Cirencester History Festival (I am getting a hair cut for this, because Portas still has really good hair).
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
Reposted by Annie Gray
My take on the Lenny Henry reparations news item today
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
October 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
My take on the Lenny Henry reparations news item today
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
Reposted by Annie Gray
Ok. But are there any downsides?
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
buff.ly
October 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Ok. But are there any downsides?
Anyone who has written cookery books (or published recipes where people can comment) will now be nodding furiously and saying uh huh, and 'that's a very measured response'
October 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Anyone who has written cookery books (or published recipes where people can comment) will now be nodding furiously and saying uh huh, and 'that's a very measured response'