Mark Kirby
@markkirby.bsky.social
Architectural historian, C17 church architecture & furnishings. Chairman of Council of the Ecclesiological Society.
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 9, window 9. Annunciation of the Birth of John the Baptist, designed by Lambert van Noort, made by Digman Meynaert, 1561. Given by Dirck Cornelisz van Hensbeeck. Not as accomplished as the Crabeth windows. John the Baptist is the patron saint of Sint Janskerk.
January 21, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 9, window 9. Annunciation of the Birth of John the Baptist, designed by Lambert van Noort, made by Digman Meynaert, 1561. Given by Dirck Cornelisz van Hensbeeck. Not as accomplished as the Crabeth windows. John the Baptist is the patron saint of Sint Janskerk.
Here is Mark Carney's Davos speech in full, if you haven't already seen it. It really is outstanding. Also interesting that it got a standing ovation from the sort of audience you might imagine would be happy to go along with the new world order. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9EF...
FULL SPEECH: PM Carney’s Most Inspiring Remarks at Davos — Greenland, Trump Tariff Threats | AQ1B
YouTube video by DRM News
www.youtube.com
January 21, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Here is Mark Carney's Davos speech in full, if you haven't already seen it. It really is outstanding. Also interesting that it got a standing ovation from the sort of audience you might imagine would be happy to go along with the new world order. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9EF...
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 8, window 8. The Punishment of Heliodorus, made by Wouter Crabeth, 1566. Given by Eric II, Duke of Brunswick & Luneburg. The theme is historical & from the Apocrypha.
January 20, 2026 at 10:50 AM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 8, window 8. The Punishment of Heliodorus, made by Wouter Crabeth, 1566. Given by Eric II, Duke of Brunswick & Luneburg. The theme is historical & from the Apocrypha.
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 7, window 7, The King's Window, given by Philip II of Spain. Made by Dirck Crabeth, 1557-59. Placed in the north transept, the window is 20m tall. Badly damaged by storm, almost all the OT half is a 1910-11 restoration. Much of NT half too. But still outstanding.
January 19, 2026 at 11:09 AM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 7, window 7, The King's Window, given by Philip II of Spain. Made by Dirck Crabeth, 1557-59. Placed in the north transept, the window is 20m tall. Badly damaged by storm, almost all the OT half is a 1910-11 restoration. Much of NT half too. But still outstanding.
Reposted by Mark Kirby
The very stable geniuses of British politics should not be allowed to forget their sycophancy towards Trump.
January 18, 2026 at 8:40 PM
The very stable geniuses of British politics should not be allowed to forget their sycophancy towards Trump.
Deeply shocked to hear a businesswoman on Radio 4 news just now say that the Trump's proposed tariffs & invasion of |Greenland mean that she will have to relocate part of her business to the US to get round tariffs. Absolutely appalling attitude. Talk about not seeing the bigger picture.
January 18, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Deeply shocked to hear a businesswoman on Radio 4 news just now say that the Trump's proposed tariffs & invasion of |Greenland mean that she will have to relocate part of her business to the US to get round tariffs. Absolutely appalling attitude. Talk about not seeing the bigger picture.
Reposted by Mark Kirby
Reform's opponents need to keep punching this bruise.
It's a real problem for a would-be nationalist leader when they start looking like the lapdog of a hostile power.
This did a lot of damage to Oswald Mosley in the 1930s, and it could become a serious issue for Farage.
It's a real problem for a would-be nationalist leader when they start looking like the lapdog of a hostile power.
This did a lot of damage to Oswald Mosley in the 1930s, and it could become a serious issue for Farage.
It’s a real shame that Nigel Farage is too unwell to do interviews the morning after Donald Trump threatens us with sanctions.
Here he is with “the bravest man he ever met”. He campaigned to make Trump President, and has spent the last year enjoying all the chaos he has caused.
Here he is with “the bravest man he ever met”. He campaigned to make Trump President, and has spent the last year enjoying all the chaos he has caused.
January 18, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Reform's opponents need to keep punching this bruise.
It's a real problem for a would-be nationalist leader when they start looking like the lapdog of a hostile power.
This did a lot of damage to Oswald Mosley in the 1930s, and it could become a serious issue for Farage.
It's a real problem for a would-be nationalist leader when they start looking like the lapdog of a hostile power.
This did a lot of damage to Oswald Mosley in the 1930s, and it could become a serious issue for Farage.
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 6, window 6, Judith & Holofernes by Dirck Crabet, 1571. Given by Margaretha van der Marck, countess of Arenberg. The theme is taken from the Apocrypha &, in the manner of a late medieval painting depicts multiple episodes from the story in a single painting.
January 17, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 6, window 6, Judith & Holofernes by Dirck Crabet, 1571. Given by Margaretha van der Marck, countess of Arenberg. The theme is taken from the Apocrypha &, in the manner of a late medieval painting depicts multiple episodes from the story in a single painting.
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 5. 2 windows today. Window 4, coats of arms of the Rhineland, poss only of interest to enthusiasts of civic heraldry. 1594-96, by Adriaan Gerritsz de Vrije. Given by the bureaucratic-sounding Rhineland Regional Water Authority, responsible for maintaining dykes etc.
January 16, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 5. 2 windows today. Window 4, coats of arms of the Rhineland, poss only of interest to enthusiasts of civic heraldry. 1594-96, by Adriaan Gerritsz de Vrije. Given by the bureaucratic-sounding Rhineland Regional Water Authority, responsible for maintaining dykes etc.
Friends coming for supper tonight. Reading those dreaded words in the recipe: "Mix the A, B, C & D in a bowl and marinade overnight."
January 15, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Friends coming for supper tonight. Reading those dreaded words in the recipe: "Mix the A, B, C & D in a bowl and marinade overnight."
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 4, window 3, The Maid of Dordrecht, given by the city of Dordrecht in 1597. Probably made by Gerrit Gerritsz. The window celebrates the victory over the Spanish, who had been expelled from the Netherlands, and the prosperity of the Dutch Republic which followed.
January 15, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Gouda, Sint Janskerk, Day 4, window 3, The Maid of Dordrecht, given by the city of Dordrecht in 1597. Probably made by Gerrit Gerritsz. The window celebrates the victory over the Spanish, who had been expelled from the Netherlands, and the prosperity of the Dutch Republic which followed.
Sint Janskerk Day 3, window 2, The Capture of Damietta. An interesting post-Reformation window of 1595-97 made by Willem Thibaut and given by the city of Haarlem. Mostly painted in grisaille. It commemorates the capture of the Egyptian port of Damietta in 1219 during the Fourth Crusade.
January 14, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Sint Janskerk Day 3, window 2, The Capture of Damietta. An interesting post-Reformation window of 1595-97 made by Willem Thibaut and given by the city of Haarlem. Mostly painted in grisaille. It commemorates the capture of the Egyptian port of Damietta in 1219 during the Fourth Crusade.
Sint Janskerk Day 2, window 1c, The Erasmus Window. Commissioned to mark the 500th anniversary of Erasmus' translation of the New Testament into Greek in 2016. Made by Marc Mulders & intended as a modern companion piece to the Freedom of Conscience window (see yesterday's post).
January 13, 2026 at 11:03 AM
Sint Janskerk Day 2, window 1c, The Erasmus Window. Commissioned to mark the 500th anniversary of Erasmus' translation of the New Testament into Greek in 2016. Made by Marc Mulders & intended as a modern companion piece to the Freedom of Conscience window (see yesterday's post).
I visited the magnificent Sint Janskerk in Gouda last spring to look at the stained glass there. I will post photos of a window a day (off and on), having at last processed them all (several gaps unfortunately, partly because I was shooting hand-held).
January 12, 2026 at 2:53 PM
I visited the magnificent Sint Janskerk in Gouda last spring to look at the stained glass there. I will post photos of a window a day (off and on), having at last processed them all (several gaps unfortunately, partly because I was shooting hand-held).
Horrific. I can't begin to understand the mentality of these police officers. When behaviour is as deeply ingrained as this I fear for what happens next.
👉 ICE Abusing Protesters After Murdering Driver 1/7/26
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnfi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnfi...
January 8, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Horrific. I can't begin to understand the mentality of these police officers. When behaviour is as deeply ingrained as this I fear for what happens next.
Palace of Westminster looking very fine in this morning's winter sunshine.
January 5, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Palace of Westminster looking very fine in this morning's winter sunshine.
The "Erasmus & the Freedom of Conscience" Window at Sint Janskerk, Gouda (2015-16 by Marc Mulders). Difficult to interpret. I assumed a Creation theme until I saw the title.
December 31, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The "Erasmus & the Freedom of Conscience" Window at Sint Janskerk, Gouda (2015-16 by Marc Mulders). Difficult to interpret. I assumed a Creation theme until I saw the title.
My wonderful and talented niece, Beth, made this for me for Christmas. Photo of the "original" for comparison. It is the east window of Lincoln College Chapel.
December 26, 2025 at 11:05 AM
My wonderful and talented niece, Beth, made this for me for Christmas. Photo of the "original" for comparison. It is the east window of Lincoln College Chapel.
This is hysterical.
For those who know the UK:
Chatgpt is equally at home with screwing around with borders and names.
I asked it to "Generate a map of the United Kingdom with all the counties named" 🤣
Chatgpt is equally at home with screwing around with borders and names.
I asked it to "Generate a map of the United Kingdom with all the counties named" 🤣
December 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM
This is hysterical.
Reposted by Mark Kirby
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
December 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
Reposted by Mark Kirby
And here's another review - many thanks to the Revd Dr William Whyte
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Book review: Stained Glass Revivals, edited by Mark Kirby
William Whyte notes a rise in scholarly interest
www.churchtimes.co.uk
December 20, 2025 at 11:56 AM
And here's another review - many thanks to the Revd Dr William Whyte
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Reposted by Mark Kirby
October 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Nice piece in Country Life about Frederick the Great’s palace at Sanssouci in Potsdam. Gorgeous photos by Paul Highnam. Concludes with the slightly bizarre comment that Frederick’s desire to be buried there was “denied in his lifetime”. www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture...
The Rococo jewel nestled into vineyard terraces that's a visual index of 'a king’s Enlightenment belief in knowledge, cultivation and the civilising power of Nature'
A summer picnic in 1743 prompted Frederick the Great to create a retreat for himself outside his capital at Berlin. The result was the creation of Schloss Sanssouci in Brandenburg, as Aoife Caitríona ...
www.countrylife.co.uk
December 3, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Nice piece in Country Life about Frederick the Great’s palace at Sanssouci in Potsdam. Gorgeous photos by Paul Highnam. Concludes with the slightly bizarre comment that Frederick’s desire to be buried there was “denied in his lifetime”. www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture...
This is required reading. Putin understands that, with few exceptions, billionaires are consumed by desire for ever more money. It did not take much effort to subjugate "peace talks" under the imperative to extract mineral resources & "create shareholder value." Witkoff is a willing accomplice here.
"By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies"
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM
This is required reading. Putin understands that, with few exceptions, billionaires are consumed by desire for ever more money. It did not take much effort to subjugate "peace talks" under the imperative to extract mineral resources & "create shareholder value." Witkoff is a willing accomplice here.
Reposted by Mark Kirby
I'm very proud of this book: it has a wonderful array of work by many of my favourite historians, which cumulatively makes the pitch for understanding modern British History through the lens of the urban. Lund Humphries have done a wonderful production job, & it is a big beautiful book. Buy it now!
OUT NOW!
The Modern British City 1945-2000, ed. by Simon Gunn, Peter Mandler and Otto Saumarez Smith, brings together architectural, urban and social historians, to chart the extraordinary changes that took place in British cities between the end of the Second World War and the early 21st century.
The Modern British City 1945-2000, ed. by Simon Gunn, Peter Mandler and Otto Saumarez Smith, brings together architectural, urban and social historians, to chart the extraordinary changes that took place in British cities between the end of the Second World War and the early 21st century.
November 28, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I'm very proud of this book: it has a wonderful array of work by many of my favourite historians, which cumulatively makes the pitch for understanding modern British History through the lens of the urban. Lund Humphries have done a wonderful production job, & it is a big beautiful book. Buy it now!