@tobysaul.bsky.social
When you look at an artifact from the past, you come away knowing more than you did before. To deny that to yourself is one thing. But to wreck a work of art so that future generations can't learn from the thing you carelessly threw away, is something I will never understand.
Again, I’ll repeat.
Archaeology shows us that people have always, always modified, altered and changed things - buildings, monuments, places - for their own present needs. Prehistoric Barrows built on, medieval castles changed, late medieval sculpture slighted during Refomation
It’s what we do!!!
Archaeology shows us that people have always, always modified, altered and changed things - buildings, monuments, places - for their own present needs. Prehistoric Barrows built on, medieval castles changed, late medieval sculpture slighted during Refomation
It’s what we do!!!
'Responding to the decision, Devine, 80, said: “In principle I am opposed to changing historic artefacts to suit today’s tastes. To do so is presentism, imposing 20th-century values on those of the distant past.'
'20th-century'? Bit of an own goal Sir T.
'20th-century'? Bit of an own goal Sir T.
November 24, 2025 at 7:08 PM
When you look at an artifact from the past, you come away knowing more than you did before. To deny that to yourself is one thing. But to wreck a work of art so that future generations can't learn from the thing you carelessly threw away, is something I will never understand.
Have they all agreed this is the uniform they have to wear?
November 23, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Have they all agreed this is the uniform they have to wear?
Interesting how many countries have a North/South divide. UK France US Germany Italy Spain India. The list goes on
Aside from Korea, is there anywhere in the world where the North ISN’T better than the South?
November 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Interesting how many countries have a North/South divide. UK France US Germany Italy Spain India. The list goes on
One afternoon, I was walking through Brixton and passed a playground where some primary school-age children were discussing what they should play next. Should it be Bulldog or British Bulldog? At a signal that was invisible to me, they broke and ran. The game had begun.
How did these things spread? This is the one that always interests me. Kids across the country in the 70s all had some version of “My friend Billy (had a ten foot Willy)”, but how? It wasn’t on tv or radio, did it spread by osmosis?
November 8, 2025 at 7:33 PM
One afternoon, I was walking through Brixton and passed a playground where some primary school-age children were discussing what they should play next. Should it be Bulldog or British Bulldog? At a signal that was invisible to me, they broke and ran. The game had begun.
Tbf Dubai is only copying London when it comes to money laundering
A great read on the Kinahan family.
When Brexiters say we should emulate Dubai, are they including the bit where you allow murderous drug traffickers to live freely and money-launder?
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
When Brexiters say we should emulate Dubai, are they including the bit where you allow murderous drug traffickers to live freely and money-launder?
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
November 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Tbf Dubai is only copying London when it comes to money laundering
Kipling. English countryside. Churches in English countryside. Waugh pere and fils. Strand of Tory anarchism they did well, now extinct.
What’s the most Tory-coded thing you actively love?
Me: Essex. Elgar. Country pubs.
Me: Essex. Elgar. Country pubs.
September 23, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Kipling. English countryside. Churches in English countryside. Waugh pere and fils. Strand of Tory anarchism they did well, now extinct.
I once got friendly with a Joyce scholar. Apparently it's a small, esoteric and rather intense world: people who know everything about Finnegan's Wake and nothing about anything else.
September 23, 2025 at 8:50 AM
I once got friendly with a Joyce scholar. Apparently it's a small, esoteric and rather intense world: people who know everything about Finnegan's Wake and nothing about anything else.
Fail to see anything surprising about this. People are concerned about their lives but also have views on the country as a whole.
That gap.
32% see immigration as one of the most important issues facing Britain — more than any other issue.
Just 4% see it as something that's important in their own life — one of the lowest shares, and a fraction of the numbers for inflation or the NHS.
32% see immigration as one of the most important issues facing Britain — more than any other issue.
Just 4% see it as something that's important in their own life — one of the lowest shares, and a fraction of the numbers for inflation or the NHS.
New post just out:
"Burn it down vs build it up"
With the right radicalising by the day - how can the argument be won on the key dividing line in politics?
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
"Burn it down vs build it up"
With the right radicalising by the day - how can the argument be won on the key dividing line in politics?
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...
September 19, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Fail to see anything surprising about this. People are concerned about their lives but also have views on the country as a whole.
You'd think he didn't have much to lose. If it's going to happen anyway, you might as well tell the truth.
Profile in courage
The talk show host has not yet spoken about the suspension of the other Jimmy’s show.
September 18, 2025 at 7:33 PM
You'd think he didn't have much to lose. If it's going to happen anyway, you might as well tell the truth.
That's right. Whack the tank with the butt of your rifle.
September 18, 2025 at 3:41 PM
That's right. Whack the tank with the butt of your rifle.
So the ship's captain says to the guy on the desert island, "but why are there two Party headquarters?" and the guy says "well that's the headquarters where I plan my grassroots mass movement, and that other headquarters, I wouldn't be seen dead in that headquarters."
September 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
So the ship's captain says to the guy on the desert island, "but why are there two Party headquarters?" and the guy says "well that's the headquarters where I plan my grassroots mass movement, and that other headquarters, I wouldn't be seen dead in that headquarters."
Probably doesn't matter at all. Trump and the people around him barely think about the UK and couldn't care less about the ambassador in the unlikely event they're aware of who he is.
Ambassador to the court of Trump is not a normal job. Knowledge of golf and ability to provide endless flattery are key considerations, alongside being able to understand that only one man makes decisions, the rest may or may not have any influence.
September 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Probably doesn't matter at all. Trump and the people around him barely think about the UK and couldn't care less about the ambassador in the unlikely event they're aware of who he is.
But he'd fuck it up. Like he fucks everything up.
This is insane but appointing Boris Johnson as the Ambassador would actually be a good idea, if he can tolerate the pay cut.
Hello I'm fucking mental
September 10, 2025 at 6:33 PM
But he'd fuck it up. Like he fucks everything up.
The wisdom of bombing Qatar is TBD. But the way we talk about Israel is very strange. No curiosity about why Israel bombed these places.
This year Israel has bombed Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and Qatar. www.ft.com/content/4a6e...
Israel launches attack on Hamas in Qatar
Explosions heard as political leadership of Palestinian militant group targeted for first time
www.ft.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
The wisdom of bombing Qatar is TBD. But the way we talk about Israel is very strange. No curiosity about why Israel bombed these places.
Everything Banksy does is lame
September 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Everything Banksy does is lame
I find this consoling
Whenever and wherever there is a good, old-fashioned outbreak of traditional British lunacy there is *always* a renegade minor aristocrat involved in a key way.
“I too came from a poorish family,” says the 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, eldest son of Major-General Gilbert Monckton, 2nd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley and Marianna Letitia, Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley.
September 6, 2025 at 12:21 PM
I find this consoling
This'll be good
Not to get too excited, but I've just signed a contract with @reaktionbooks.bsky.social to write ‘Strange Christianities’, a new and different history of the Christianisation of Europe... drfrancisyoung.com/2025/08/30/c... 📚🎉
Contract signed with Reaktion: ‘Strange Christianities’
Tricephalic Trinity from a 15th-century Italian choirbook © Morgan Library, New York I’ve just signed a contract with Reaktion Books to write a new history of the early expansion of Christian…
drfrancisyoung.com
September 6, 2025 at 9:51 AM
This'll be good
Is Labour strategy to squeeze the Reform vote but do so without actually attacking Reform?
Curtice sets the data out clearly. He notes quietly that Reform is the party of Brexit when Brexit is unpopular gives them a path to 30% and a likely ceiling which will hurt them in FPTP if the other 50-60% decide that Farage as PM for triple Brexit should be stopped
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Sir John Curtice: How Reform's capture of the Brexit vote could be enough to win an election
The party has now been ahead in the polls for five months, but can it keep the momentum?
www.bbc.com
September 5, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Is Labour strategy to squeeze the Reform vote but do so without actually attacking Reform?
Fair point. But I do think Labour needs to find a way to tackle this head on. Otherwise, the far right gets to talk about it unimpeded.
People are dying for Starmer to "say something" on racism, but if I were him then the fact that it's widely called the "island of strangers speech" & not the "nation that walks forward together speech" would give me pause, too.
What fascinates/worries me here is that Yaxley-Lennon is getting his thugs wound up with talk of revolution, which means a lot of them are going to be in London next Saturday thinking it's going to be their big moment.
September 5, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Fair point. But I do think Labour needs to find a way to tackle this head on. Otherwise, the far right gets to talk about it unimpeded.
It works. That's a big area.
Babe, new candidate for "most unfathomable spatial comparison" just dropped.
September 5, 2025 at 8:49 AM
It works. That's a big area.
Next week Congressman Fuckface of Florida grills Brighton & Hove MP about roadworks in The Lanes: "we demand answers"
Is anyone else confused why the fuck is a British MP in America having to defend his behaviour in the UK?
Democrat @raskin.house.gov excoriates Nigel Farage for banning journalists from Reform UK events:
"I'm asking you a direct question. Why do you ban journalists who oppose your views from coming to your events? Why did you tell local government not to do interviews with your local newspaper?"
"I'm asking you a direct question. Why do you ban journalists who oppose your views from coming to your events? Why did you tell local government not to do interviews with your local newspaper?"
September 3, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Next week Congressman Fuckface of Florida grills Brighton & Hove MP about roadworks in The Lanes: "we demand answers"
More of this
Starmer ravages Farage:
"The honourable member for Clacton is not here... he's flown to America to badmouth and talkdown our country. And worse than that... he's gone there to lobby the Americans to impose sanctions. You cannot get more unpatriotic than that. It's a disgrace."
"The honourable member for Clacton is not here... he's flown to America to badmouth and talkdown our country. And worse than that... he's gone there to lobby the Americans to impose sanctions. You cannot get more unpatriotic than that. It's a disgrace."
September 3, 2025 at 12:22 PM
More of this
It's the doing stuff that's been proven not to work. How did going easy on Farage work out for the tories?
Not sure why this government seems so slow to do anything. Weirdly scared of its own shadow.
September 3, 2025 at 10:31 AM
It's the doing stuff that's been proven not to work. How did going easy on Farage work out for the tories?
Displaying human remains should be treated with care and sensitivity, but there's no excuse for a museum refusing to display an artifact because they disapprove of how the public might react.
I feel like eliding together the bones of indigenous Australians killed (by, uh, y’know, people not a million miles away) in the last few hundred years and the remains of Egyptians who died several thousand years before Christ is a bit of a deliberate blurring
Times change, so do people. So why does the British Museum still think it’s OK to display human remains? | Paul Daley
September 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Displaying human remains should be treated with care and sensitivity, but there's no excuse for a museum refusing to display an artifact because they disapprove of how the public might react.
Next to a picture of an elected politician.
not sure you’d be allowed to write this in North Korea, lads
September 3, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Next to a picture of an elected politician.