Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Ian M

LOTR @lotr-o.bsky.social · 1h

October 13: Aragorn and the hobbits reach the Last Bridge over the River Hoarwell and find the beryl left by Glorfindel. Taking it as a sign that the bridge is safe to cross, they do so, but then take to the woods north of the Road.

#LOTR #MiddleEarth #Hobbiton #FellowshipOfTheRing #TolkienFans

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Prof. Dimitra Fimi @dimitrafimi.bsky.social · 3h

The 3rd and final part of my piece on constructing childhood in Tolkien’s legendarium is now out, this time focusing on hobbit childhoods and hobbits *as* children.
@uofgfantasy.bsky.social @tolkiensociety.org
#TolkienTuesday
dimitrafimi.substack.com/p/constructi...

Constructions of Childhood in Tolkien’s Legendarium (3): The hobbits as children

This is the third part of a longer piece on constructions of childhood in Tolkien’s legendarium.

dimitrafimi.substack.com

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Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 2h

Old #English: "The term ēarendel (≈ eorendel, earendil) is used in certain contexts to interpret the Latin oriens (rising sun), lucifer (light-bringer), aurora ('dawn') or iubar (radiance)."
It is the earliest and most distant known #star.
#Hubble #Tolkien #myth

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Ray Newman @raynewman.bsky.social · Sep 4

The mid-century wonders of the Sainsbury's supermarket archive online.

www.sainsburyarchive.org.uk/catalogue/

The cover of a flyer in pop art mod style with sans serif typography and a big blue arrow pointing to a supermarket: ”Women – better pay and prospects at... J. Sainsbury".

A flyer advertising Sainsbury's Fish Department with three fish drawn in minimalist style.

A detail from a cat food level with a black cat in silhouette, its eyes narrowed menacingly. The background is blood red. The text is in something like Helvetica.

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EveryDoctor @everydoctor.org.uk · 1h

🏥 UCLH has delivered 20 years of world-class care but also 20 years of mega PFI profits.

💸 £462m has gone to shareholders since it opened, money that could’ve gone to staff, patients & services instead.

Another example of what a costly mistake PFI was!

🔗 www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/its-...

It’s 20 years of world class hospital care (and 20 years of mega cash PFI profits)

We have lots to thank UCLH for in its first 20 years of life-saving care and innovation, but could it have achieved even more if it had not been saddled with PFI obligations? Tom Foot investigates

www.islingtontribune.co.uk

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Ian M @ianm70.bsky.social · 1h

I finally got around to buying @jonathanhealey.bsky.social book. It has joined a mighty pile of illustrious peers on the to-read pile. Perhaps it will will one day be read.

Ian M @ianm70.bsky.social · 1h

where do you take this walk and have you asked the walk where it would like to go? One mustn't assume and allow the walk to have a choice. Perhaps the walk would want to do a crossword?

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Left Foot Forward @left-foot-forward.bsky.social · 1h

The public still support the European Court of Human Rights

Unlike Kemi Badenoch voters want the UK to remain a member of the ECHR, poll finds

The Trades Union Congress has warned that withdrawing from the ECHR would also amount to an attack on workers rights

leftfootforward.org

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The Freethinker @thefreethinkermag.bsky.social · 1h

A victory for free speech! Read Stephen Evans's piece on the success of Hamit Coskun's appeal.

@stephenmevans.bsky.social @natsecsoc.bsky.social

freethinker.co.uk/2025/10/a-vi...

A victory for free speech: the Hamit Coskun ruling - The Freethinker

National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans on why quashing a Quran-burning conviction is a vital win for free speech.

freethinker.co.uk

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 1h

'The law seeks to strike a balance between harm, which includes disorder and our right to freedom of expression. And I think in this specific case, the appeal judges got it right.' @andrewcopson.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk

Full interview ⬇️

soundcloud.com/humanistsuk/...

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History Rage Podcast @historyrage.bsky.social · 8d

🚨 NEW BOOK🚨
💪👩‍🦳 Fierce. Powerful. Preaching. In the 1600s, Quaker women were ministers from day one! @ericanela.bsky.social tells this empowering story.. 🎙️📜

🎧 pod.fo/e/333c3b
📖 Buy the book: uk.bookshop.org/a/10...

#Mythbusting #17thCentury #History #Podcast #Booklaunch

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marybeard @wmarybeard.bsky.social · 4h

I've got a new book out in spring #TalkingClassics: about why it's still worth bothering about ancient Greece and Rome. Now till Friday 17th Oct you can preorder through Waterstones. Enter OCTOBER25 at checkout & get 25% off RRP. #WPreorder tinyurl.com/TalkingClass...

Talking Classics by Professor Mary Beard | Waterstones

Buy Talking Classics by Professor Mary Beard from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

tinyurl.com

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Equality Trust @equalitytrust.bsky.social · 3h

There are huge wealth inequalities between different ethnicities, from household averages of £34,000 where the household head identifies as Black African, to £314,000 for White British. But how do these inequalities get built?
Read more: equalitytrust.org.uk...

A graphic that reads "We know wealth isn't equal - what about wealth building?"

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Reposted by Ian M

Gladstone's Library @gladlib.bsky.social · 3h

Happy birthday to us! It's October 14th - and 123 years ago, Gladstone’s Library was officially opened by Earl Spencer as the National Memorial to W.E. Gladstone. 🎂

The books in this image date back to that time.

A leather chair in a nook between bookshelves. The books are from the Gladstone collection so they are 100+ years old.

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David Burrows @dbfamilylaw.bsky.social · 2h

Cock-up or conspiracy? The Security Minister's statement on the China espionage case publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/10/13/c...

Cock-up or conspiracy? The Security Minister’s statement on the China espionage case

The Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, has made a statement to the House of Commons regarding the collapse of the prosecution of two individuals who had been accused of espionage contrary to section 1(…

publiclawforeveryone.com

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Reposted by Ian M

Mark Hailwood @markhailwood.bsky.social · 2h

As the agricultural cycle starts to wind down for the winter, my next post on 'The Experience of Work in Early Modern England' looks forward to its resumption in the new year, when...

‘Ploughmen go whistling to their toils’

manyheadedmonster.com/2025/10/14/t...

The Experience of Work in Early Modern England III: ‘Ploughmen go whistling to their toils’

This post is part of a series that marks the publication of The Experience of Work in Early Modern England. The book is co-authored by monster head Mark Hailwood, along with Jane Whittle, Hannah Ro…

manyheadedmonster.com

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Kim McGuinness @kimmcguinness.bsky.social · 17h

Our New Deal for North East Workers will make our region the best place to work.

That means skills courses so young people can get a 1st job, help to climb the career ladder and support if you want to get back into work.

So people across our region can get a good day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

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Prof Janina Ramirez @drjaninaramirez.bsky.social · 22h

It was my immense honour to be at the launch of The Singh Twins’ new exhibition at Kew Gardens. I’ve written the introduction to the catalogue for ‘Botanical Tales and Seeds of Empire’’. You must get along to see it - meanwhile revel in their work 😍😍😍 lovely to see @willdalrymple.bsky.social too x

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Fleet Street Fox @fleetstreetfox.bsky.social · 21h

He's twerking a victory lap around the Middle East, but Donald Trump is all set to make another holy mess out of the Holy Land: www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

'Why Donald Trump's peace deal won't last'

As Donald Trump undertakes a victory parade and Israeli hostages are freed, Fleet Street Fox says we're still a long way from a lasting peace deal in the Middle East

www.mirror.co.uk

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Reposted by Ian M

Tolkien Society @tolkiensociety.org · 17h

Our friends at Marquette are collating 6,000 fan voices for their Tolkien Fandom Oral History Collection. Check out this video to learn more, and visit their website to submit your own fan recording on your love of #Tolkien: www.marquette.edu/library/arch...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC-J...

The Muster at Marquette | Preserving 6,000 Fan Voices (2025)

YouTube video by Village Pictures

www.youtube.com

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James Wright @jpwarchaeology.bsky.social · 17h

The Georgian appearance of the Bailhouse Hotel in Lincoln masks a mid-14th century open hall with a crownpost roof. This sums up everything that my next book will be about: The Buildings Archaeologist - Discovering the Secrets of Britain's Ancient Buildings. Out summer 2026 🏰✒️

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ChronicleLive - The Chronicle @chroniclelive.co.uk · 17h

If you love Home Alone there's an event coming to the North East this Christmas that's a hot festive ticket

Home Alone live orchestra screenings confirmed at stunning North East location

If you love Home Alone there's an event coming to the North East this Christmas that's a hot festive ticket

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 17h

If true, it's an open question which of them this reflects more badly upon.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Tommy Robinson says Elon Musk is paying his legal costs as trial begins

Far-right activist is accused of refusing to comply with counter-terrorism police request at Channel tunnel

www.theguardian.com

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JP Jordan @jpjordan.bsky.social · Jan 19

Dracula is never rebooted, merely revamped

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 1d

The right-wing campaign group that helped topple Roe v Wade in the US is now working to roll back abortion laws in the UK, with the help of Nigel Farage.

Its first step? Trying to create a debate around "free speech"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...

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