On the topic of horrors (that aren't the British fever dream known as Mr Blobby), Happy Halloween!

Medieval Halloween was a bit different, being a three day festival held from 31 October - 2 November, encompassing All Saints' Eve (Halloween), All Saints' Day (All Hallows') and All Souls' Day (1)

I tried out the new Affinity. It's a bit finicky but it will do, and although it will load old affinity files it's hit or miss as to how much functionality they have. Still much better than Adobe. This is what I did with an old Lib Dem leaflet template, for which I wholeheartedly apologise.

Fantastic article in which actual experts on AI and higher education cut through the nonsense surrounding the infinite garbage engines and expose a system captured by the techbro sales pitch. "A general ban is necessary, but nobody dares to say so."

The wonderful Berkhamsted Castle, built by William the Conqueror, remade in stone in the early-mid 12th century, as viewed through LiDAR. The dimples at the top were probably platforms for catapults from a siege in 1216, in which a French invasion took the castle before being defeated at Lincoln.

This doesn't look like much, but it was once one of the most important places in the emerging country of England. This is now known as Sashes Island in the middle of the Thames between Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, but was once the Burh of Sceaftessige, a formidable outpost against the Vikings. (1)

Oh ffs. arstechnica.com/ai/2025/09/e...

1/? I need to vent about how AI is making things worse not better. Usually when people talk about this it's about how AI enables/encourages incompetence by providing a low effort, highly unreliable shortcut; people who outsource their thinking to the algorithmic oracle or making/consuming 'slop'.

This is what's left of some WW1 training trenches in southern Buckinghamshire, where army units were instructed in trench digging. They are excellent examples, but sadly not preserved at all. Every year more leaves fall into them, compost, and slowly bury them, and they'll probably be gone by 2100.

At first I couldn't believe it, tried to be charitable for some reason, watched it 20 times to find a way out of the horrible reality. But side by side it's undeniable.

If you're the sort of person who enjoys true crime and history, you might enjoy Medieval Murder Maps, an interactive project that lets you read contemporary coroner's reports mapped out in the medieval cities of London, Oxford, and York medievalmurdermap.co.uk

1/2 Recently been reading Amatus of Montecassino's 11th century "History of the Normans". As well as being an important source for Norman Italy, it's full of fun or interesting tidbits. For example, when Pope Gregory VII tried to arrange a proto-crusade against the Norman conqueror Robert Guiscard.

The restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris is stunning, everyone involved should be deeply proud. Many medieval cathedrals look bleak due to centuries of grime and pollution staining the walls and windows so they can't scatter light as they once did. Not so at Notre-Dame! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/2 A local archaeological development: The earthwork feature just left of centre doesn't look like much, but it's the tip of a Bronze Age barrow last excavated in the 1870s; one of four here. The site also showed evidence of early medieval use, potentially as a site of Anglo-Saxon pagan burials.

If you ever get the chance to go to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, take it. As well as all the stuff on display, they've also got live demonstrations of sword combat, and a hands on talk where they let you handle (BUT NOT OPERATE!) some WW2 guns.