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gawainsmum.bsky.social
Gawain's Mum
@gawainsmum.bsky.social
370 followers 330 following 360 posts
I'm Helen J. Nicholson, and I really do have a son named Gawain. I'm also a medieval historian, best known for publications on Templars and Hospitallers; and emerita professor at a UK University.
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gawainsmum.bsky.social
From the top of the cliffs south of Tintern (south of and higher than the famous Devil's pulpit), Tintern Abbey can be seen sitting amidst green fields. The Wye is running very high after the recent rain, but at present the fields aren't flooded.
Bare-branched trees frame this photograph, looking down into a sunny, wide, deep, green-bottomed valley surrounded by rolling green-and-brown hills. A grey-brown river runs down from right of centre; left of centre, set among green fields, are the grey buildings of Tintern Abbey. Above, the cloudy sky offers glimpses of blue.
November 16, 2025 at 6:16 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Despite the lateness of the season and yesterday's heavy rain, Beechwood Park in Newport (south Wales) was looking lovely this afternoon:
Trees (some dark green, some with colourful autumn leaves, and some leafless) stand either side and behind a dell where a stream flows down a hillside through banks of plants; the 'elephants' ears' in the foreground has stalks of pink flowers. A humped-back stone footbridge crosses the stream in the centre of the photo.
November 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
The Usk looked very peaceful flowing through Newport south Wales this afternoon: the waters were high after yesterday's heavy rain, but not excessively so. However, the quantities of grass and wood in the water suggested that upstream it hasn't been so gentle:
The grey water of a river covers most the lower half of the photo, with colourful houses to the left facing on to the river, the white block of a modern theatre building and the red curve of a river-side sculpture on the other, and a lighted footbridge crossing the river in the centre of the photo. Cloudy sky above. The same river as in the other photo, but now the focus is on the muddy river water flowing under the bridge where the camerawoman stands, and the quantities of grass-and-twig flotsam coming down the river.
November 15, 2025 at 8:45 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
The news is as gloomy as ever and so is the weather (it's November), but although it's v. wet it's also still warm here and there are flowers in the front garden -- and the hazel trees are producing catkins.
Agapanthus flower. Christmas rose in November. Fuschia flowers, pink and purple. Bare-branched hazel bush with young pale green catkins.
November 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Coming up on 11 December online from the Hospitaller Research Forum:
A poster advertising an online lecture and presentation by Daniel K. Gullo (Director of the Malta Study Centre at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at St. John's University, Minnesota) on 11 December 2025 at 18:00 hrs Central European Time.
November 11, 2025 at 6:39 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
My 2nd collection of previously-published articles is now out! Further book details (and ordering) here: www.routledge.com/Myth-and-Reality-Studies-on-the-Templars-and-Hospitallers-Medieval-Narratives-and-the-Trial-of-the-Templars/Nicholson/p/book/9781032565712 . See the image for contents!
Three books laid on a wooden surface. The two across the top of the image are open and show the contents list. The third is closed at bottom centre of the image and shows the book's title and author (for which see the main post).
November 11, 2025 at 3:03 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Pound and lock in the upper section of the flight of Fourteen Locks on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Crumlin Branch. (I think the gates visible beneath the trees belong to lock 18 -- but I may be wrong: see the plan here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourtee... ). Spot the two ducks on the pound!
An area of water at the front and centre of the photo (the pound) lies below two tall, narrow, open lock gates at the centre back of the photo. A beech tree, golden in the afternoon light, stands to the side of the lock to the right of the lock gates and is reflected in the water below. The former canal towpath, now a foot & cycle path, runs across the centre left of the picture. Tall trees frame the scene. There are two mallards -- a duck and a drake -- on the water in the centre of the picture, and green plants across the foreground.
November 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Autumn light on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal at Risca this morning.
The green and yellow leaves of a sycamore tree cascade across the upper part of the picture, mirrored green in the still waters of the canal across the lower part of the picture. Orange and green water lily leaves are scattered across the surface of the water like flowers in a pre-Raphaelite painting. At the bottom right the canal bank is a mass of greenery including dried umbelliferae flower stalks.
November 1, 2025 at 6:15 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Autumnal Gwent: a view of the Skirrid from above the Usk, near Clytha:
Framed by trees (some now bare-branched, some with dark green leaves fading to brown, orange and yellow), the distinctive shape of Skirrid stands silhouetted on the horizon. Rolling green, hedged fields (incl. sheep) lie between it and the viewer. Below the trees at the front of the image runs the grey Usk, just visible between the leaves. Behind grey and white clouds above are glimpses of pale blue sky.
October 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Lots of lovely fungi about at the moment in the autumnal Gwent countryside!
Large, circular, flat topped mushroom (fly agaric?), the cap coloured red with white speckles with a creamy yellow surround and stalk: standing in a grassy meadow amidst fallen leave and another, smaller mushroom of the same type behind. Large mushroom with a rounded, rough, greyish-green cap and a deep central dimple, amidst meadow grass and fallen autumn leaves. Rounded brown mushroom in a grassy meadow amid brown autumn leaves. 'Fairy ring' of brown mushrooms growing in grass beneath an old silver birch tree. A few yellow and red mushrooms are also growing in the grass nearby; woodland behind.
October 26, 2025 at 3:38 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Dear Academia.edu: Please stop claiming that I'm the author of articles which I EDITED. Editing is not the same as authorship!
October 22, 2025 at 7:33 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Travelling home from North Wales today, we paused at Llanidloes for lunch and went to look at the Severn/Hafren (Latin: Sabrina), which is a young river here -- with a modern imagining of Sabrina:
A wooden carving of a tall, slim young woman in medieval-style clothing (long hair swept back, long flared dress with long flared sleeves), carved from a tree stump, standing on grass with trees and a house behind her. A river flows across the picture from front left to back centre, crossed by with a two-arched stone bridge. to the right is the grass of a park, with a tarmac path running beside the river, lined by lime trees to the right and a railing between path and river on the left.
October 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Delighted to receive a copy of the latest volume from Brepols' 'Outremer' series!
Cover of the book 'Medieval Livonia: History, Society and Economy of a Territory on the Baltic Frontier', ed. Anti Selart and Alan V. Murray, published by Brepols of Turnholt, 2025. Copyright page and first page of the contents of the book 'Medieval Livonia: History, Society and Economy of a Territory on the Baltic Frontier', ed. Anti Selart and Alan V. Murray, published by Brepols of Turnholt, 2025. Second page of the contents and first page of the maps and illustrations in the book 'Medieval Livonia: History, Society and Economy of a Territory on the Baltic Frontier', ed. Anti Selart and Alan V. Murray, published by Brepols of Turnholt, 2025.
September 30, 2025 at 11:22 AM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
A perfect autumn day for the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway's 'Railway 200' event today. And as a bonus, the now privately-owned station at Gotherington Halt was open to visitors.
September 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Calling researchers on the Knights Hospitaller! Coming up next week online from the Hospitaller Research Forum: (www.um.edu.mt/maks/las/our...)
September 24, 2025 at 8:26 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
A lovely image of Oldbury Nuclear Power Station yesterday afternoon, from the other side of the Severn Estuary. The Power Station is hidden behind the tree in the centre of the picture.
September 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Let's have a late medieval castle. This is Berry Pomeroy castle in Devon, now in the care of English heritage. There are bats & wall paintings in the gatehouse, & picturesque views down the valley. It is rumoured to be haunted, but apparently that story was dreamed up for tourists in the early C19th
September 6, 2025 at 10:05 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
The colours of autumn: a local woodpigeon in a neighbouring sycamore, surrounded by ripe seeds and enjoying the damper, cooler air:
Grey-and-pink woodpigeon with a prominent white collar, perched on a lichen-covered branch of a mature sycamore tree loaded with green-and-yellow leaves and festoons of brown sycamore keys.
September 3, 2025 at 8:32 AM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
We went up to London today to see this at Charing Cross Theatre. As a dedicated reader of Josephine Tey's work and this book in particular, I pronounce it excellent. There's still time to catch it -- it's on until 13 September:
charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/the-...
August 30, 2025 at 9:59 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Spotted on the Strand this afternoon:
August 30, 2025 at 9:43 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Our peach harvest this year, after months of worrying that it was (a) too cold then (b) too dry then (c) the squirrels would take the lot, as last year.
Yes, some are nibbled and some are bruised, but all are edible to some degree; the compost heap will take care of what isn't.
August 18, 2025 at 1:18 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Terrapin spotted by my husband on the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal on the outskirts of Cumbran today. (First photo shows a close up of the terrapin; second is a wider view with the canal)
A terrapin, partly covered in algae from the canal, sits on a dead tree branch among the plants on the bank of the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal on the south side of Cumbran. The Monmouthshire and Brecon canal on the southern side of Cwmbran. The canal is entirely covered in weed, so that it resembles yellow grass. The far bank is covered in dense wild flowers; in the foreground are the branches of the shrubs growing on the near bank. Beyond the canal are houses behind walls and surrounded by trees.
August 10, 2025 at 7:03 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Lots of exciting traction out on the railways yesterday: some linked to the 200th anniversary of the railways, some just running as normal -- here a kettle, a 150, a Class 33, and a colourful powercar at Bristol Parkway:
Nunney Castle at Exeter St Davids 150202 at Teignmouth. 33025 at Bristol Parkway 800008 at Bristol Parkway
August 3, 2025 at 7:53 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Bees on the sea front at Teignmouth yesterday ...
August 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
gawainsmum.bsky.social
Coming up on Sunday! The programme includes some of the less familiar G&S numbers -- and it's in an excellent cause!
July 8, 2025 at 5:11 PM