Paul Schoon
@paulschoon.bsky.social
Moderately crumbly English local history freak. A Yorkshireman researching early modern social structures and networks in Bedfordshire. Kellogg College, Oxford. I’m here for fun, knowledge and respectful debate, so be nice. Keyboard warriors get blocked.
Monday blues, but at least my day isn’t as bad as Francis King’s. In 1680, after being tried for pickpocketing, he was acquitted by a jury but was nevertheless remanded to Bedford gaol for ‘being a suspicious person’.
November 17, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Monday blues, but at least my day isn’t as bad as Francis King’s. In 1680, after being tried for pickpocketing, he was acquitted by a jury but was nevertheless remanded to Bedford gaol for ‘being a suspicious person’.
Reposted by Paul Schoon
At last, a little bit of common sense from the government. PCCs were never going to work. It places too much power in the hands of individuals; they are overwhelmingly driven by political objectives; and they cost more than the police authorities they replaced. A failed US import. Good riddance.
Politics latest: Police and crime commissioners to be abolished in 2028
The Home Office has announced police and crime commissioners will be scrapped. Meanwhile, Ed Miliband tells Sky News the prime minister should "get rid" of anyone who briefed journalists that Wes Stre...
news.sky.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:14 PM
At last, a little bit of common sense from the government. PCCs were never going to work. It places too much power in the hands of individuals; they are overwhelmingly driven by political objectives; and they cost more than the police authorities they replaced. A failed US import. Good riddance.
news.sky.com/story/bbc-re...
The advice my mother-in-law would give the BBC is to ‘Tell Trump to go boil his head.’ Difficult to disagree.
The advice my mother-in-law would give the BBC is to ‘Tell Trump to go boil his head.’ Difficult to disagree.
BBC latest: Trump threatens to sue corporation for $1bn if it misses deadline 'to comply' with three demands
Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC over an edit of his speech before the January 6 2021 riots. The corporation's chair has admitted the edit was an "error of judgement", and its director-gener...
news.sky.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 PM
news.sky.com/story/bbc-re...
The advice my mother-in-law would give the BBC is to ‘Tell Trump to go boil his head.’ Difficult to disagree.
The advice my mother-in-law would give the BBC is to ‘Tell Trump to go boil his head.’ Difficult to disagree.
I sense that the current BBC row boils down to a wilful misunderstanding of impartiality. It doesn’t mean that self-evident truths require a counter view. I don’t want to see every news article about racism ‘balanced’ by the views of Tommy Robinson or Nigel Farage.
November 10, 2025 at 8:31 AM
I sense that the current BBC row boils down to a wilful misunderstanding of impartiality. It doesn’t mean that self-evident truths require a counter view. I don’t want to see every news article about racism ‘balanced’ by the views of Tommy Robinson or Nigel Farage.
Reposted by Paul Schoon
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
I get a bit cheesed off with archive camera fees. If I call up documents and take up a seat for four hours transcribing them it’s free. If I photograph them to analyse at leisure I can be out of the archive quicker, freeing up space for others but I get charged £1.05 per image for my consideration.
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I get a bit cheesed off with archive camera fees. If I call up documents and take up a seat for four hours transcribing them it’s free. If I photograph them to analyse at leisure I can be out of the archive quicker, freeing up space for others but I get charged £1.05 per image for my consideration.
‘Protecting our NHS’ has become a political cliche. It’s clear that taxes have to rise to improve our defence and to pay down national debt, but throwing more money at the black hole that is the NHS seems a waste to me. We’ve been doing it since 1997 and it’s had little effect.
November 4, 2025 at 8:40 AM
‘Protecting our NHS’ has become a political cliche. It’s clear that taxes have to rise to improve our defence and to pay down national debt, but throwing more money at the black hole that is the NHS seems a waste to me. We’ve been doing it since 1997 and it’s had little effect.
news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
The best option is to completely ignore everything he says. He hasn’t been consistent about a single decision and no doubt he’ll change his mind again tomorrow.
The best option is to completely ignore everything he says. He hasn’t been consistent about a single decision and no doubt he’ll change his mind again tomorrow.
Ukraine war latest: Trump says he's not considering giving Tomahawks to Ukraine - before comment that will cause concern in Kyiv
Donald Trump has poured cold water on hopes he would provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles - while making new comments that will be the source of concern in Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have t...
news.sky.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:05 AM
news.sky.com/story/ukrain...
The best option is to completely ignore everything he says. He hasn’t been consistent about a single decision and no doubt he’ll change his mind again tomorrow.
The best option is to completely ignore everything he says. He hasn’t been consistent about a single decision and no doubt he’ll change his mind again tomorrow.
“I know what a thesis is; I’ve got a daughter who went to Polytechnic. She did a thesis: a lot of bloody words about sod all.”
Alan Plater - The Beiderbecke Affair.
For all who have written a thesis, there is a ring of truth.
Alan Plater - The Beiderbecke Affair.
For all who have written a thesis, there is a ring of truth.
November 3, 2025 at 9:45 AM
“I know what a thesis is; I’ve got a daughter who went to Polytechnic. She did a thesis: a lot of bloody words about sod all.”
Alan Plater - The Beiderbecke Affair.
For all who have written a thesis, there is a ring of truth.
Alan Plater - The Beiderbecke Affair.
For all who have written a thesis, there is a ring of truth.
Tessa Dunlop is on Newsnight discussing Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. I was looking forward to some historical analysis of the royal crisis but she’s incredibly emotional and subjective. If you didn’t know you would never have guessed she’s a historian. A missed opportunity.
October 30, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Tessa Dunlop is on Newsnight discussing Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. I was looking forward to some historical analysis of the royal crisis but she’s incredibly emotional and subjective. If you didn’t know you would never have guessed she’s a historian. A missed opportunity.
I’m sure Mrs Hall on All Creatures Great and Small is a black marketeer. It’s August 1945 and she’s spent the entire episode baking cakes. It’s a hell of a butter and sugar ration she’s got.
October 30, 2025 at 9:49 PM
I’m sure Mrs Hall on All Creatures Great and Small is a black marketeer. It’s August 1945 and she’s spent the entire episode baking cakes. It’s a hell of a butter and sugar ration she’s got.
After expensive blood tests I was told the cat had stomach cancer, kidney failure and hyperthyroidism. I was quoted £800 for an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. An hr later an apologetic vet rang to say that they’d mistakenly tested her as a dog. When retested as a cat she’s in perfect health.
October 24, 2025 at 6:18 PM
After expensive blood tests I was told the cat had stomach cancer, kidney failure and hyperthyroidism. I was quoted £800 for an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. An hr later an apologetic vet rang to say that they’d mistakenly tested her as a dog. When retested as a cat she’s in perfect health.
I was interested to note that the same Stephen A. Schwarzman who gave £150m to Oxford University to build a new humanities complex is also donating money to Trump to build his big beautiful ballroom. I feel conflicted.
October 24, 2025 at 6:30 AM
I was interested to note that the same Stephen A. Schwarzman who gave £150m to Oxford University to build a new humanities complex is also donating money to Trump to build his big beautiful ballroom. I feel conflicted.
£434 for a cat check up! Being a vet seems to give you a licence to print money.
October 23, 2025 at 5:40 PM
£434 for a cat check up! Being a vet seems to give you a licence to print money.
I remember that reports during the Falklands conflict took days to reach the UK and we were all quite content. This week we’ve had, among other things, Trumpian chaos, ICE in Portland, threats against Boston and now Andrew, the wastrel formally known as Prince. I prefer 1982. (Better music too.)
October 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I remember that reports during the Falklands conflict took days to reach the UK and we were all quite content. This week we’ve had, among other things, Trumpian chaos, ICE in Portland, threats against Boston and now Andrew, the wastrel formally known as Prince. I prefer 1982. (Better music too.)
George Orwell’s first rule of clear writing is to avoid metaphors and similes. That’s me stuffed then.
October 17, 2025 at 7:29 AM
George Orwell’s first rule of clear writing is to avoid metaphors and similes. That’s me stuffed then.
‘A panoramic sweep across the urban landscape of the mighty Leeds conurbation at night could easily lead to confusion with San Francisco, if there were a bridge, Rome, if there were a Vatican, or Athens, given an Acropolis and a whiff of lapsed glory.’ Alan Plater.
The man is right.
The man is right.
October 15, 2025 at 9:50 PM
‘A panoramic sweep across the urban landscape of the mighty Leeds conurbation at night could easily lead to confusion with San Francisco, if there were a bridge, Rome, if there were a Vatican, or Athens, given an Acropolis and a whiff of lapsed glory.’ Alan Plater.
The man is right.
The man is right.
I’m such a regular in the county archives that this morning I was unexpectedly invited into the storage room. It was heaven being surrounded by 5km of shelving containing the documented history of the county. Such a shame that the archivist wouldn’t leave me alone to rummage through the boxes.
October 13, 2025 at 1:03 PM
I’m such a regular in the county archives that this morning I was unexpectedly invited into the storage room. It was heaven being surrounded by 5km of shelving containing the documented history of the county. Such a shame that the archivist wouldn’t leave me alone to rummage through the boxes.
Just scrolling through iPlayer and the categories in history are ancient history, power, transport, building Britain and Lucy Worsley. You know you’ve made it as a communicator of history when you have your own category.
October 12, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Just scrolling through iPlayer and the categories in history are ancient history, power, transport, building Britain and Lucy Worsley. You know you’ve made it as a communicator of history when you have your own category.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
How this fantasy got through planning I will never know. A historic Capability Brown landscape ripped up for something that will never happen. The business case deserves the Nobel prize for literature.
How this fantasy got through planning I will never know. A historic Capability Brown landscape ripped up for something that will never happen. The business case deserves the Nobel prize for literature.
Luton Hoo bids to host Ryder Cup with £170m upgrade
The owner of Luton Hoo says he wants to create "the Augusta of Europe" at the Bedfordshire resort.
www.bbc.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
www.bbc.com/news/article...
How this fantasy got through planning I will never know. A historic Capability Brown landscape ripped up for something that will never happen. The business case deserves the Nobel prize for literature.
How this fantasy got through planning I will never know. A historic Capability Brown landscape ripped up for something that will never happen. The business case deserves the Nobel prize for literature.
Reposted by Paul Schoon
'A nationwide survey commissioned by Henry VIII on the property and wealth of 16th century England and Wales is to be made publicly accessible for the first time.
The survey, known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus, set out to discover the financial state of the Church'.
The survey, known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus, set out to discover the financial state of the Church'.
National project launched to rediscover Henry VIII’s long-forgotten ‘Tudor Domesday Book’
A nationwide survey commissioned by Henry VIII on the property and wealth of 16th century England and Wales is to be made publicly accessible for the first time. The survey, known as the Valor Ecclesi...
news.exeter.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 8:03 AM
'A nationwide survey commissioned by Henry VIII on the property and wealth of 16th century England and Wales is to be made publicly accessible for the first time.
The survey, known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus, set out to discover the financial state of the Church'.
The survey, known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus, set out to discover the financial state of the Church'.
Mt Teide - approximately 26,000 feet from base to summit. We are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Back to wind and rain.
September 20, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Mt Teide - approximately 26,000 feet from base to summit. We are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Back to wind and rain.
news.sky.com/story/images... A perfect demonstration of the free expression that the US is always carping on about. In what universe does this qualify as malicious communication? It all seems quite factual to me.
Arrests after Trump-Epstein images projected on to Windsor Castle
There are no public-facing engagements for the US president throughout his 48-hour state visit, with thousands of people in central London expected to take part in a major protest against his UK stay.
news.sky.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
news.sky.com/story/images... A perfect demonstration of the free expression that the US is always carping on about. In what universe does this qualify as malicious communication? It all seems quite factual to me.
news.sky.com/story/hollyw... Mrs S is heartbroken.
Hollywood actor and director Robert Redford dies at 89
Robert Redford was best known for his performance in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, and also won an Oscar for directing Ordinary People.
news.sky.com
September 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
news.sky.com/story/hollyw... Mrs S is heartbroken.