How to do History
@howtodohistory.bsky.social
Tours and tales, sometimes with a beverage in hand. History for those who see enjoyment and importance in the past. Run by Mr Cemetery Club (Sheldon K. Goodman) and Dr Battlefield Birding (Andy Lock).
Today, on its 26th anniversary, there will be an act of remembrance starting at the Admiral Duncan at 5pm and ending at St. Anne’s Gardens at 6:20pm. We remember those injured in 1999 and continue to fight for equality and being able to live our own lives with happiness and respect. #LGBTQhistory
April 30, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Today, on its 26th anniversary, there will be an act of remembrance starting at the Admiral Duncan at 5pm and ending at St. Anne’s Gardens at 6:20pm. We remember those injured in 1999 and continue to fight for equality and being able to live our own lives with happiness and respect. #LGBTQhistory
The Admiral Duncan bombing was part of a wider, targeted attack by neo-Nazi John Copeland, who had also targetted Electric Avenue in Brixton and Brick Lane in the East End between the 17th-30th April. An unattended bag containing a nail bomb detonated in the bar area, injuring 79 people.
April 30, 2025 at 9:02 AM
The Admiral Duncan bombing was part of a wider, targeted attack by neo-Nazi John Copeland, who had also targetted Electric Avenue in Brixton and Brick Lane in the East End between the 17th-30th April. An unattended bag containing a nail bomb detonated in the bar area, injuring 79 people.
"To my son, Jordan. You'll never know just how much I could have loved you."
Those are the gut-wrenching words that Julian Dykes left with flowers at the funeral of his partner Andrea and their unborn son, who were killed on this day alongside her friends Nik Moore and John Light in 1999. 🧵
Those are the gut-wrenching words that Julian Dykes left with flowers at the funeral of his partner Andrea and their unborn son, who were killed on this day alongside her friends Nik Moore and John Light in 1999. 🧵
April 30, 2025 at 9:01 AM
"To my son, Jordan. You'll never know just how much I could have loved you."
Those are the gut-wrenching words that Julian Dykes left with flowers at the funeral of his partner Andrea and their unborn son, who were killed on this day alongside her friends Nik Moore and John Light in 1999. 🧵
Those are the gut-wrenching words that Julian Dykes left with flowers at the funeral of his partner Andrea and their unborn son, who were killed on this day alongside her friends Nik Moore and John Light in 1999. 🧵
An extremely enjoyable day at Kenilworth yesterday. Something coming in the summer edition of English Heritage’s members’ magazine.
April 9, 2025 at 7:20 AM
An extremely enjoyable day at Kenilworth yesterday. Something coming in the summer edition of English Heritage’s members’ magazine.
New substack is live! @bigandylock.bsky.social takes a look at recent developments at the Imperial War Museum!
open.substack.com/pub/howtodoh...
open.substack.com/pub/howtodoh...
April 2, 2025 at 8:31 AM
New substack is live! @bigandylock.bsky.social takes a look at recent developments at the Imperial War Museum!
open.substack.com/pub/howtodoh...
open.substack.com/pub/howtodoh...
Happy International Women’s Day. As a pair of relatively well-meaning male historians, while not being ignorant of women’s history, we can’t do tours better than the exceptional team at Women of London. Please give them a look. www.womenoflondon.org.uk
March 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Happy International Women’s Day. As a pair of relatively well-meaning male historians, while not being ignorant of women’s history, we can’t do tours better than the exceptional team at Women of London. Please give them a look. www.womenoflondon.org.uk
At Roland Garros tennis stadium today. The racquetty stuff is fine and everything, but this Great War nerd was rather more captivated by one of the ace’s prop blades which had once been rigged with a deflector to allow machine gun fire to go through it.
March 6, 2025 at 6:31 PM
At Roland Garros tennis stadium today. The racquetty stuff is fine and everything, but this Great War nerd was rather more captivated by one of the ace’s prop blades which had once been rigged with a deflector to allow machine gun fire to go through it.
March 3, 2025 at 12:39 PM
It is incredible to see what people bring with them when they visit The British Museum. Boxing gloves. Swords. Giant cuddly toys. Our advice? Travel light: get through the queues that much quicker. Give the security staff a break!
#britishmuseum #britishmuseumlondon #museums #london #queue
#britishmuseum #britishmuseumlondon #museums #london #queue
February 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM
It is incredible to see what people bring with them when they visit The British Museum. Boxing gloves. Swords. Giant cuddly toys. Our advice? Travel light: get through the queues that much quicker. Give the security staff a break!
#britishmuseum #britishmuseumlondon #museums #london #queue
#britishmuseum #britishmuseumlondon #museums #london #queue
This was as silly as you would expect a Peter Hart book launch to be, but with excellent history behind it too. Looking forward to digging in to the book.
February 8, 2025 at 11:55 AM
This was as silly as you would expect a Peter Hart book launch to be, but with excellent history behind it too. Looking forward to digging in to the book.
An interesting day doing research at the Churchill War Rooms. Came across this fella on the transatlantic blower to President Roosevelt. #SIGSALY
February 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
An interesting day doing research at the Churchill War Rooms. Came across this fella on the transatlantic blower to President Roosevelt. #SIGSALY
What to see in the Egyptian collection at The British Museum…not the Rosetta Stone, we say. #britishmuseum #egypt #sphinx #giza
January 29, 2025 at 10:15 AM
What to see in the Egyptian collection at The British Museum…not the Rosetta Stone, we say. #britishmuseum #egypt #sphinx #giza
A thoroughly brilliant and thought provoking tour around The British Museum today- looking at Ptolemy I, cuneiform language, the ethics of displaying human remains and the Geberlein man!
Hit us up for a tour, we’re GOOD! 💪 #history #britishmuseum #london
Hit us up for a tour, we’re GOOD! 💪 #history #britishmuseum #london
January 19, 2025 at 7:03 PM
A thoroughly brilliant and thought provoking tour around The British Museum today- looking at Ptolemy I, cuneiform language, the ethics of displaying human remains and the Geberlein man!
Hit us up for a tour, we’re GOOD! 💪 #history #britishmuseum #london
Hit us up for a tour, we’re GOOD! 💪 #history #britishmuseum #london
There’s some good commemorative work at St Bridget’s church in town, which is maybe better known for the Solidarity connections in the 1980s.
January 17, 2025 at 2:57 PM
There’s some good commemorative work at St Bridget’s church in town, which is maybe better known for the Solidarity connections in the 1980s.
This eventually came on the 7th. The survivors went in to captivity, and several, including Sucharski, survived right the way through the war. He died in Italy in 1946 having remained in the army. His remains were returned to Westerplatte and are there to this day.
January 17, 2025 at 2:54 PM
This eventually came on the 7th. The survivors went in to captivity, and several, including Sucharski, survived right the way through the war. He died in Italy in 1946 having remained in the army. His remains were returned to Westerplatte and are there to this day.
The barrack block was blasted in over the ensuing week. The medical officer Mieczysław Słaby worked in near impossible conditions with basic means. The first gangrene cases started to appear among the wounded on 4 September, and the worsening conditions were a big part of the eventual surrender.
January 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The barrack block was blasted in over the ensuing week. The medical officer Mieczysław Słaby worked in near impossible conditions with basic means. The first gangrene cases started to appear among the wounded on 4 September, and the worsening conditions were a big part of the eventual surrender.
On day 2, the attacks on the peninsula resumed, this time with Stuka dive-bombers whining in and smashing the buildings up. Major Henryk Sucharski (pic) in command is believed to have had a wobble at this point, thinking the position untenable. Surrender was suggested, and rejected.
January 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM
On day 2, the attacks on the peninsula resumed, this time with Stuka dive-bombers whining in and smashing the buildings up. Major Henryk Sucharski (pic) in command is believed to have had a wobble at this point, thinking the position untenable. Surrender was suggested, and rejected.
The post office defenders held out for about 7 hours. The last ones were forced out of their shelter in the cellar by the SS pouring petrol in. The survivors were executed / murdered later. The attack on the Westerplatte was halted by Polish machine gun, artillery and rifle fire.
January 17, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The post office defenders held out for about 7 hours. The last ones were forced out of their shelter in the cellar by the SS pouring petrol in. The survivors were executed / murdered later. The attack on the Westerplatte was halted by Polish machine gun, artillery and rifle fire.
Anyway, shortly before 5am on 1 September 1939, the battleship opened fire at the Polish positions. Marines and troops from the SS Heimwehr Danzig (1,500 or so ethnic Germans in Nazi livery) attacked the Westerplatte and the Post Office in the city.
January 17, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Anyway, shortly before 5am on 1 September 1939, the battleship opened fire at the Polish positions. Marines and troops from the SS Heimwehr Danzig (1,500 or so ethnic Germans in Nazi livery) attacked the Westerplatte and the Post Office in the city.
The precarious position of the Westerplatte wasn’t lost on the Poles, who snuck extra soldiers in wearing plain clothes, and marching civilians out in army uniforms. They managed to augment the garrison from the permitted 80 to about 240 men.
January 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM
The precarious position of the Westerplatte wasn’t lost on the Poles, who snuck extra soldiers in wearing plain clothes, and marching civilians out in army uniforms. They managed to augment the garrison from the permitted 80 to about 240 men.
The S-H by the way was ostensibly a training ship by then. In truth, she was a pre-dreadnought designed, post-dreadnought launched thing which had been obsolete from minute one in 1906. May have been the inspiration for the monopoly battleship piece. Punchy 9.4 inch main armament though.
January 17, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The S-H by the way was ostensibly a training ship by then. In truth, she was a pre-dreadnought designed, post-dreadnought launched thing which had been obsolete from minute one in 1906. May have been the inspiration for the monopoly battleship piece. Punchy 9.4 inch main armament though.
In the run-up to war, bringing Danzig back in to the German fold was a priority, and under the pretence of a ceremonial visit, the battleship Schleswig-Holstein with a complement of 250-odd marines was parked just off the Westerplatte in August 1939.
January 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
In the run-up to war, bringing Danzig back in to the German fold was a priority, and under the pretence of a ceremonial visit, the battleship Schleswig-Holstein with a complement of 250-odd marines was parked just off the Westerplatte in August 1939.
The Westerplatte, for those who don’t know, is a peninsula to the north of Gdansk which covers the entrance to the deep water part of the port and this branch of the river Vistula. Despite Gdansk’s ‘free city’ status, the League of Nations allowed a small Polish garrison.
January 17, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The Westerplatte, for those who don’t know, is a peninsula to the north of Gdansk which covers the entrance to the deep water part of the port and this branch of the river Vistula. Despite Gdansk’s ‘free city’ status, the League of Nations allowed a small Polish garrison.