The morrow of Michaelmas - yet another Exchequer year begins.

Traditional proud author photo, at publishers’ stand at #IMC2025.

A carved and half-eaten chicken brought back to life? The most impressive miracle in the Evesham abbey miracle book, from ‘Saint Simon de Montfort’, ed and trans by David Cox.
An editorial note speculates that this might have been a joke. #medievalsky

Received and read the new book by @medievalabby.bsky.social
In just over 100 pages, this provides a great introduction to a complicated set of records, with case studies showing how they can be used (for example) to illustrate royal gift-giving and household management.
#medievalsky

#medievalsky I just received my annual statement from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Soc. www.alcs.co.uk
Only about £140, but better than nothing, for photocopying etc of my relatively few books and articles. If you haven’t heard of it, UK medievalists might find it worth investigating.

St Valentine’s day is of course memorable as the anniversary of the death in 1257 of Henry III’s elephant in the Tower of London. (See the icon by my name. Recorded in pipe roll for 1257.) #medievalsky

You’re going to need a bigger bookshelf. Arrived today, all 800 pages of it. #medievalsky

Shameless plug for my short guide to pipe rolls: just one day left to get the paperback at £5 off.
www.routledge.com/Approaching-...
#medievalsky

If you find pipe rolls, like this, a bit off-putting, then you might be interested in my book Approaching Pipe Rolls. It tries to explain what pipe rolls are, and how to read and understand them. The paperback edition is published today (link below). #medievalsky

Waterloo Bridge and the industrial South Bank, from the Monet in London exhibition at the Courtauld. I would recommend it, esp to Londoners, but it is apparently sold out. Sorry.

A few weeks ago, I told @kfduggan.bsky.social that I vaguely recalled a story about F W Maitland having a monkey in his study. I have now remembered where I read it, in the biography by C H S Fifoot. Maitland seems to have had quite a menagerie in his house in Cambridge.

Somewhat to my surprise, the publishers have announced that the paperback edition of the best (and indeed only) guide to reading and understanding pipe rolls will be available in a few weeks :
www.routledge.com/Approaching-...
#medievalsky

Medieval Women In Their Own Words, the new exhibition at the British Library. Well worth a visit, if you can get there. Amazing documents, from the Luttrell Psalter (which you probably know well, but is better in person), to the 1234 close roll with the first reference to Licoricia of Winchester.

Michaelmas daisies in the front garden, flowering on schedule to mark the feast of St Michael - and quarter day, when rent is traditionally due.

If you happen to be visiting The National Archives in Kew next Tuesday, and are interested in pipe rolls (as all reasonable people are), you could listen to me talking about them at 5pm:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pipe-rolls...

In the front garden, daisies blooming on cue for Michaelmas day.