Dr Fern Riddell
@drfernriddell.bsky.social
Historian. Author. On your TV/Radio.
**Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen OUT NOW**
Expert: Suffragette Terrorism, Music Hall, 19thC Sex + Culture, Queen Victoria & John Brown.
www.fernriddell.com
https://lnk.to/victoriassecretbook
**Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen OUT NOW**
Expert: Suffragette Terrorism, Music Hall, 19thC Sex + Culture, Queen Victoria & John Brown.
www.fernriddell.com
https://lnk.to/victoriassecretbook
Pinned
Victoria's Secret
Go to Victoria's Secret.
lnk.to
Thank you for the lovely reaction to ‘Queen Victoria: Secret Marriage, Secret Child?’. It’s not easy to distill a 140,000 word book into 58 mins, but Impossible Factual did a fantastic job. And if you want to know EVERYTHING I’ve found, Victoria’s Secret came out today: lnk.to/victoriassec...
Petty president 101: waiting to [invaded a foreign country and kidnapped its President - WTF] until after the Stranger Things Finale, so you get *all* the news coverage.
January 3, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Petty president 101: waiting to [invaded a foreign country and kidnapped its President - WTF] until after the Stranger Things Finale, so you get *all* the news coverage.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
sorry what the fuck
January 3, 2026 at 9:52 AM
sorry what the fuck
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
we have not "apprehended" the president of venezuela. we have invaded a foreign country and kidnapped its leader. what the fuck are we doing here, i am going to lose my mind
January 3, 2026 at 9:34 AM
we have not "apprehended" the president of venezuela. we have invaded a foreign country and kidnapped its leader. what the fuck are we doing here, i am going to lose my mind
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Frank Bruno, 63, in the latest issue of Modern Boxing Journal.
WHAT a cover.
📷 Tom Cockram
It's been more than 20 years since I served Frank mussels, fish and chips, and a pint of Guinness and blackcurrant. No, I'll never stop mentioning it 😂 Lovely man.
www.matchroomboxing.com/news/modern-...
WHAT a cover.
📷 Tom Cockram
It's been more than 20 years since I served Frank mussels, fish and chips, and a pint of Guinness and blackcurrant. No, I'll never stop mentioning it 😂 Lovely man.
www.matchroomboxing.com/news/modern-...
December 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Frank Bruno, 63, in the latest issue of Modern Boxing Journal.
WHAT a cover.
📷 Tom Cockram
It's been more than 20 years since I served Frank mussels, fish and chips, and a pint of Guinness and blackcurrant. No, I'll never stop mentioning it 😂 Lovely man.
www.matchroomboxing.com/news/modern-...
WHAT a cover.
📷 Tom Cockram
It's been more than 20 years since I served Frank mussels, fish and chips, and a pint of Guinness and blackcurrant. No, I'll never stop mentioning it 😂 Lovely man.
www.matchroomboxing.com/news/modern-...
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
AI is not our peer, so AI review is not peer review. If for some godforsaken reason the editor of a journal wanted to know what AI would say about a paper, they could do it themself.
Just decline the peer review invitation.
What are you people even doing?
What are you people even doing?
More than half of researchers now use AI for peer review — often against guidance
A survey of 1,600 academics found that more than 50% have used artificial-intelligence tools while peer reviewing manuscripts.
www.nature.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:43 PM
AI is not our peer, so AI review is not peer review. If for some godforsaken reason the editor of a journal wanted to know what AI would say about a paper, they could do it themself.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
December 9, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
The hits keep on coming for the Louvre, but the headline could be clearer.
“'Between 300 & 400 works' were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum’s deputy administrator...said, describing them as 'Egyptology journals' & 'scientific documentation' used by researchers."
“'Between 300 & 400 works' were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum’s deputy administrator...said, describing them as 'Egyptology journals' & 'scientific documentation' used by researchers."
December 7, 2025 at 6:47 PM
The hits keep on coming for the Louvre, but the headline could be clearer.
“'Between 300 & 400 works' were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum’s deputy administrator...said, describing them as 'Egyptology journals' & 'scientific documentation' used by researchers."
“'Between 300 & 400 works' were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum’s deputy administrator...said, describing them as 'Egyptology journals' & 'scientific documentation' used by researchers."
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
I am running out of patience for progressives who still are on the ‘let’s change Labour from the inside!’ wagon because it’s clear that Labour are not even trying to appear to be a left-wing party.
Labour bans trans women from women's conference
www.telegraph.co.uk/...
archive.ph/TnEww
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Link to transphobic site.
www.telegraph.co.uk/...
archive.ph/TnEww
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Link to transphobic site.
Labour bans trans women from women’s conference
Biological men who identify as female can only attend fringe events outside main hall, party rules
www.telegraph.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I am running out of patience for progressives who still are on the ‘let’s change Labour from the inside!’ wagon because it’s clear that Labour are not even trying to appear to be a left-wing party.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Can't believe our tax dollars are going to be spent settling the upcoming exorbitant defamation suit with Sabrina Carpenter, but maybe this is just how public arts funding is going to work now.
Sabrina Carpenter ratioed the White House after it used her song in an ICE video.
The WH deleted the post…but now it’s back with a new ICE video, this time using an altered clip from Carpenter’s SNL monologue.
The WH deleted the post…but now it’s back with a new ICE video, this time using an altered clip from Carpenter’s SNL monologue.
December 6, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Can't believe our tax dollars are going to be spent settling the upcoming exorbitant defamation suit with Sabrina Carpenter, but maybe this is just how public arts funding is going to work now.
Adding @ankahajkova.bsky.social new book to my queer history shelf
December 6, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Adding @ankahajkova.bsky.social new book to my queer history shelf
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Sabrina Carpenter is now the president
December 5, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Sabrina Carpenter is now the president
Okay who wants to be my Secret Santa. www.bbc.com/news/article...
JRR Tolkien writing desk up for auction
The author used the desk during his tenure as Merton professor of English language and literature.
www.bbc.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Okay who wants to be my Secret Santa. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
4. You see, the problem is this: History Reclaimed don’t know much about British colonialism. They’re not actually interested in it. They are a private company funded to prevent any truthful examination of the past that might challenge a right wing, white-centred version of the national story.
December 3, 2025 at 8:06 AM
4. You see, the problem is this: History Reclaimed don’t know much about British colonialism. They’re not actually interested in it. They are a private company funded to prevent any truthful examination of the past that might challenge a right wing, white-centred version of the national story.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Not sure if any single part of academia felt more like a weird cheat code than Interlibrary Loan. Like, I just say a book I want, basically any book, and this crack team of experts just *get it*????
December 3, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Not sure if any single part of academia felt more like a weird cheat code than Interlibrary Loan. Like, I just say a book I want, basically any book, and this crack team of experts just *get it*????
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Lead Post reporter on that story Alex Horton served in the infantry in Iraq.
Q: So you didn't see any survivors after that first strike?
HEGSETH: I did not personally see survivors. The thing was on fire. This is called the fog of war. This is what you in the press don't understand. You sit in your air conditioned offices and plant fake stories in the Washington Post
HEGSETH: I did not personally see survivors. The thing was on fire. This is called the fog of war. This is what you in the press don't understand. You sit in your air conditioned offices and plant fake stories in the Washington Post
December 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Lead Post reporter on that story Alex Horton served in the infantry in Iraq.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
I read a newspaper article the other day that suggested that all the contemporary reviews of Wuthering Heights were shocked by how sexual it was (not true).
Meanwhile, 1848 reviews are complaining it's not got enough passion and sexual attraction in it
Meanwhile, 1848 reviews are complaining it's not got enough passion and sexual attraction in it
December 3, 2025 at 4:45 AM
I read a newspaper article the other day that suggested that all the contemporary reviews of Wuthering Heights were shocked by how sexual it was (not true).
Meanwhile, 1848 reviews are complaining it's not got enough passion and sexual attraction in it
Meanwhile, 1848 reviews are complaining it's not got enough passion and sexual attraction in it
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals
We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.
theconversation.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:17 AM
A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Every year since 1988, the United States has recognized World AIDS Day — until now.
Why not? Maybe because the Trump administration doesn’t want to acknowledge that its foreign aid cuts led to nearly 150,000 deaths from AIDS, according to Boston University researchers.
Shameful.
Why not? Maybe because the Trump administration doesn’t want to acknowledge that its foreign aid cuts led to nearly 150,000 deaths from AIDS, according to Boston University researchers.
Shameful.
Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Every year since 1988, the United States has recognized World AIDS Day — until now.
Why not? Maybe because the Trump administration doesn’t want to acknowledge that its foreign aid cuts led to nearly 150,000 deaths from AIDS, according to Boston University researchers.
Shameful.
Why not? Maybe because the Trump administration doesn’t want to acknowledge that its foreign aid cuts led to nearly 150,000 deaths from AIDS, according to Boston University researchers.
Shameful.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Bob, it's called a pantomime, happens every year for at least 2 centuries
"Richmond Theatre has been criticised for running a 'perverted' Christmas drag show for children."
"Richmond Theatre has been criticised for running a 'perverted' Christmas drag show for children."
November 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Bob, it's called a pantomime, happens every year for at least 2 centuries
"Richmond Theatre has been criticised for running a 'perverted' Christmas drag show for children."
"Richmond Theatre has been criticised for running a 'perverted' Christmas drag show for children."
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
perfect column on Nigel Farage's racist, schoolboy past, by @hugorifkind.bsky.social. "The boy haunts the man." www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Was Nigel Farage a bit of a Nazi? Only he knows
The Reform leader was a teenager when he made crass remarks but we’re entitled to ask a would-be prime minister what lay behind them
www.thetimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:10 AM
perfect column on Nigel Farage's racist, schoolboy past, by @hugorifkind.bsky.social. "The boy haunts the man." www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
Masquerade is probably *the* book of my childhood. Many many many hours spent poring over it on rainy 80s Sundays, discovering new details in the illustrations, desperately trying to intuit some kind of logic to the clues.
One of the most beautiful bits of english eccentricity and glorious design is coming back to Sotheby’s and should be bought by a musuem (or me) for THE NATION. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Jewelled golden hare that sparked national treasure hunt set for auction
Artist and author Kit Williams hid a golden hare with clues to its precise location given in his 1979 book
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Masquerade is probably *the* book of my childhood. Many many many hours spent poring over it on rainy 80s Sundays, discovering new details in the illustrations, desperately trying to intuit some kind of logic to the clues.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
One of my dads mates went a bit off the rails with Masquerade. Late night inspitation found him digging up random fields at midnight on several occasions.
One of the most beautiful bits of english eccentricity and glorious design is coming back to Sotheby’s and should be bought by a musuem (or me) for THE NATION. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Jewelled golden hare that sparked national treasure hunt set for auction
Artist and author Kit Williams hid a golden hare with clues to its precise location given in his 1979 book
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 11:20 AM
One of my dads mates went a bit off the rails with Masquerade. Late night inspitation found him digging up random fields at midnight on several occasions.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
I was obsessed with this book as a kid. Couldn't do ANY of the puzzles in it, mind, but it was just so gorgeous. Actually saw Kit Williams at a book fair and he autographed my copy and wrote "FAIRE FORTUNE BE YOURS" or something like that. 🥰
One of the most beautiful bits of english eccentricity and glorious design is coming back to Sotheby’s and should be bought by a musuem (or me) for THE NATION. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Jewelled golden hare that sparked national treasure hunt set for auction
Artist and author Kit Williams hid a golden hare with clues to its precise location given in his 1979 book
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I was obsessed with this book as a kid. Couldn't do ANY of the puzzles in it, mind, but it was just so gorgeous. Actually saw Kit Williams at a book fair and he autographed my copy and wrote "FAIRE FORTUNE BE YOURS" or something like that. 🥰
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
In my second year in secondary school, our English teacher devoted so many lessons to (obviously non-syllabus) Masquerade. He was desperate to find it.
When the hare was found, he read a long newspaper report on it to us. I've never heard anyone read something out loud in such a heartbroken manner.
When the hare was found, he read a long newspaper report on it to us. I've never heard anyone read something out loud in such a heartbroken manner.
One of the most beautiful bits of english eccentricity and glorious design is coming back to Sotheby’s and should be bought by a musuem (or me) for THE NATION. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Jewelled golden hare that sparked national treasure hunt set for auction
Artist and author Kit Williams hid a golden hare with clues to its precise location given in his 1979 book
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 10:33 AM
In my second year in secondary school, our English teacher devoted so many lessons to (obviously non-syllabus) Masquerade. He was desperate to find it.
When the hare was found, he read a long newspaper report on it to us. I've never heard anyone read something out loud in such a heartbroken manner.
When the hare was found, he read a long newspaper report on it to us. I've never heard anyone read something out loud in such a heartbroken manner.
Reposted by Dr Fern Riddell
This should be in the V&A. It’s an essential artefact of UK late 20th century culture.
One of the most beautiful bits of english eccentricity and glorious design is coming back to Sotheby’s and should be bought by a musuem (or me) for THE NATION. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Jewelled golden hare that sparked national treasure hunt set for auction
Artist and author Kit Williams hid a golden hare with clues to its precise location given in his 1979 book
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 10:38 AM
This should be in the V&A. It’s an essential artefact of UK late 20th century culture.