Deleting my Academia.edu account in light of their predatory new terms and conditions. There is no way of opting out. It's a shame because it has been useful over the years, but I'm not prepared to give them these rights.

Thanks to @downham.bsky.social for highlighting!

Happy to share my latest article (with Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe): Tracking the Mermaids of Staithes: Curses, Egg-Broth, and Inundation in a Yorkshire Legend, Folklore 136:2 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

#mermaids #staithes #folklore #yorkshire #legends

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Delighted to share my latest open access article on The Mermaids of Staithes (co-authored with Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe). It tracks the earliest recorded verbal and written accounts of the legend, draws comparisons with other mermaid tales, and the egg-broth motif. 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

#mermaids #folklore #Yorkshire

I've been lax in advertising this, but I'm excited to be giving a talk on mermaids tomorrow. If you like merfolk or just mythical creatures and are interested in their uses through time, join us! Ticket holders can also watch a recording afterwards www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/event/mermai...

If you love medieval art and history, please consider donating to the Gazeley Church Roof fund. The unique roof with its stunning wooden bosses is under threat from water ingress and must be saved. You can find out more and donate here: gazeleychurch.org/save-our-cei...

Today the wonderful Glynis Johns is 100! Here she is as one of my favourite screen sirens in a 1948 trade advert for Miranda. It's from my personal mermaid archive and took years of searching to locate. Happy Birthday, dear Glynis! You rocked that dunlop tail and utterly beguiled younger me... 😍

Taking the plunge into the blue...