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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 4h

My looking glass, we are through it

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Reposted by Andrew Frayn

perfect knight @shiningknightx.bsky.social · 17h

"we cant uninvent ai" no we cant but we couldnt uninvent nfts either and nobody gives a fuck about them anymore

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 16h

I was a bit worried it'd be pathos and willing him on, but it was really high quality stuff and absolutely joyful. What a career.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 16h

A great band, but they're not carrying him - the voice is still instantly recognisable, deep and rich, clearer and more powerful than a lot of singers who haven't had life-changing illnesses.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 16h

'Don't Shilly Shally' of course - autocorrect is against Scots vernacular.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 16h

But you also got the solo classics and hits like 'Rip it Up', 'Don't Silly Shally', and 'A Girl Like You', as well as a finish of the Orange Juice classics 'Felicity' and 'Blue Boy'.

Edwyn Collins seated, singing, in front of his band, and the Edwyn backdrop in Elvis 1968 style. The photo is taken from the venue balcony looking down.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 16h

Just back from the last show of Edwyn Collins's last tour, in Edinburgh, his birthplace. An incredibly moving show, packed with favourites and hits. And the beginning of the encore, where he played 'Low Expectations' and 'Home Again' was absolutely emotionally devastating.

A seated Edwyn Collins, singing next to his son, standing, in front of his band. The backdrop says "Edwyn", in the style of the Elvis Comeback Show backdrop.

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Reposted by Andrew Frayn

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 2d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 1d

The best things happen where social media enhances your real life - so, meeting some great people in person, but also thinking about writing pithily has been good for me whatever audience I'm writing for/speaking to.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 2d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Reposted by Andrew Frayn

Marc Morris @marcmorris.bsky.social · 2d

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 2d

Environmental protections are there for a reason, and shouldn't be disregarded for commercial efficacy.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 2d

Wild to live in a country where the names of the two major parties bear zero relation to their agenda. Labour regularly acts against workers. The other lot has no interest in conserving anything. So here we are.

Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 2d

“we’ve got a good relationship with the developer” you are the LABOUR PARTY you have got NO BUSINESS having a “good relationship” with a private developer

Gav Maclean @gavmaclean.bsky.social · 2d

Vandals and crooks

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Reposted by Andrew Frayn

Manchester University Press @manchesterup.bsky.social · 3d

MUP and @thejohnrylands.bsky.social are thrilled to announce that Bulletin of the John Rylands Library is now fully #OpenAccess🔓

Throughout October, the Bulletin's Editorial Board are highlighting journal issues or articles of particular importance on the MUP blog.

Image of a cover from an issue of The Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. Blue banner sits across the centre of the image reading: Now Open Access.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 3d

Douglas > Middlesbrough > Buxton > Cumbernauld on consecutive days from 30 Sep, in what will be the dog days, is an absolutely insane sequence.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 3d

God, I just assumed he was in his mid-50s...

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 3d

Wee reminder that you can have some 11 Nov @fwwsoc.bsky.social action with the Dennis Showalter Lecture by @juliarsct.bsky.social. bsky.app/profile/fwws...

International Society for First World War Studies @fwwsoc.bsky.social · Sep 5

We are delighted to share the details for this year's Dennis Showalter Memorial Lecture 'Poetry under fire: what poems did during the First World War' to be delivered by @juliarsct.bsky.social on 11th Nov 2025

You can book to attend in person or online:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembranc... 🗃️

This year the event is also the Dennis Showalter Memorial Lecture, selected by the International Society for First World War Studies. Named after Dennis Showalter, the leading historian of Germany during the war and a longtime friend and supporter of the Society it is delivered each year by a leading early career researcher in First World War Studies.

The event is held in the Rivers Suite at Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus (Google map | travel info). There will be a wine reception from 5.30pm; the lecture will start around 6pm. The event will also be streamed online via Zoom.

If you have any queries about the event, please contact Dr Andrew Frayn (a.frayn@napier.ac.uk).

This event is both in person and online. If you wish to attend online, please buy an 'online Ticket'. Zoom information will be found in the email confirmations.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 3d

Chris is one of the best.

Chris Kempshall @chriskempshall.bsky.social · 3d

Now that I'm back home and (sort of) recovering from all the fun of last week, it might be time to do some reflecting on the conference itself and my time (as it draws to an end) as President of @fwwsoc.bsky.social 1/

International Society for First World War Studies @fwwsoc.bsky.social · 4d

Last week during the (wonderful) Society conference at the University of Macedonia, we announced the outcome of our recent elections at our AGM. With both @chriskempshall.bsky.social standing down as President & David Monger doing the same as Treasurer those 2 positions in particular were open.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 4d

^ @necessaryletter.bsky.social?

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

That's it - until another tbc but potentially very exciting location in another couple of years time. Meanwhile, I'm home.

A view down a suburban road. The Forth Bridge is visible in the distance over the modern housing, under leaden grey skies.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

And finally, great to see/meet faves old and new: @chriskempshall.bsky.social @vandawilcox.bsky.social @selenadaly.bsky.social @thehistorygirl1.bsky.social @wherrypilgrim.bsky.social and many more.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

Huge thanks and congratulations to outgoing @fwwsoc.bsky.social President @chriskempshall.bsky.social, who has done a great job in making the society a real community, with programming that speaks to the 21stC academy and its precarity. He hates being praised and I will keep embarrassing him by it.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

A couple of personal shout outs: well done to my PhD student Lisa Aref (who has more sense than to be on social media), who gave a really good paper at her first major conference. Her paper was on naval FWW magazines, but her thesis is on British/French/German POW camps.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

Enjoyed walking round Thessaloniki a bit more yesterday - a fascinating range of cultures colliding.

The minaret next to the Thessaloniki rotunda, which at times has been a Muslim and Christian faith space. The minaret is pale white against a clear blue sky. The Rotunda, only part of which is shown in the photo, is built of red tile and stone.

Looking up at the Arch of Galerius against a clear blue sky. The top part is red tile masonry. The bottom part of faced with carved marble, which is eroded over approximately 2000 years. Pigeons are sitting in the marble carvings in the shade of the arch.

The inside of the Church of Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki. Looking up from the aisle between rows of seats, a lavish, large gold chandelier hangs on large supports from an ornate ceiling. The decoration is fine and gilded all around.

The Arch of Galerius. The top is of red tile masonry, and the lower parts are faced in white marble, carved but eroded over approximately 2000 years. A modern white apartment block with balconies is framed by the arch.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

Appreciated the trip to the Zeitenlik (military cemetery) in Thessaloniki, led by Vlasis Vlasidis. It was interesting to see the different decisions made about the politics and iconography of memorialisation in the different parts of the cemetery - English, French, Italian, Serbian, etc.

A war cemetery consisting of rows of pale stone crosses either side of a wide, paved central walkway, with perpendicular paved areas between rows of crosses either side. Large conifers (or similar evergreen trees) divide the cemetery from bright blue skies with just a hint of cloud.

A war cemetery cross with only the name Abdou, and an S (for Senegal) rune in the top part of the cross. Rows of crosses are in the background, and the sky is clear blue.

Rows of rounded top British tombstones, each with individual engraving, separated by grass and wit individualised planting between them. In the same cemetery as other pictures, the general aesthetic is strikingly British.

A large mausoleum in shadow, with a central dome and steps up to a stone platform on either side. It is surrounded by evergreen trees against a cloudy but bright sky.

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Andrew Frayn @afrayn.bsky.social · 5d

There were topics covered from Hawaii to Japan and many countries in-between (going the long way round), including strategy, diplomacy, social history and literary and cultural work. A reminder: @fwwsjournal.bsky.social is very keen to have more literary/cultural papers (email me if interested).

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