Annie Gray
@dranniegray.bsky.social
Food historian, mainly British food ca1650 on. Writer, consultant, speaker. #BBCTKC panellist. Author of many books - the latest The Bookshop, the Draper, The Candlestick Maker: a history of the High Street. Also grows vegetables, often badly.
Exciting things afoot @ The Food Museum with @historicalhippo.bsky.social and self rising forth once again.... Fans of Mrs Crocombe still mourning her demise, fear not! Onwards and upwards.
November 28, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Exciting things afoot @ The Food Museum with @historicalhippo.bsky.social and self rising forth once again.... Fans of Mrs Crocombe still mourning her demise, fear not! Onwards and upwards.
Everyone needs six puddings. At least.
Just read a post elsewhere by the excellent @dranniegray.bsky.social who is not a slave to the notion of a fixed date for 'Stir Up Sunday' for making Christmas puddings! If you agree, here's my grandmother's - and a neighbour's - recipes from a century ago. You do, of course, need SIX puddings?
November 24, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Everyone needs six puddings. At least.
The 1950s called...... with ideas for cakes.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
November 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The 1950s called...... with ideas for cakes.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
No wonder my parents were traumatised by their childhoods.
Reposted by Annie Gray
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
I can report that getting covid in 2025 is still really shitty and still involves cancelling all your work because just making a cup of tea makes you need a lie down.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I can report that getting covid in 2025 is still really shitty and still involves cancelling all your work because just making a cup of tea makes you need a lie down.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
On the plus side, I watched all of Riot Women, which otherwise would have taken me weeks.
In my experience no.s 5-8 tend to coexist and are where I am at rn. Mainly 8, but it is not linear.
November 9, 2025 at 10:48 AM
In my experience no.s 5-8 tend to coexist and are where I am at rn. Mainly 8, but it is not linear.
Reposted by Annie Gray
Well done to everyone who remembered to vote.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
National Trust council elections saw a defeat for the Restore Trust campaign.
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
Voting results from the AGM
Read about the National Trust's 2025 Annual General Meeting and the results from the day.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
November 9, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Well done to everyone who remembered to vote.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
Once again the Restore Trust group were seen off.
Let's do it all again next year.
The last couple of days have been brilliant - meeting the inestimable Tom Herbert of The Long Table in Cirencester, doing a thought-provoking event with Mary Portas for Ciren History Festival (which is just brilliant - kudos to the organisers) and curating my very own display case for the museum.
October 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The last couple of days have been brilliant - meeting the inestimable Tom Herbert of The Long Table in Cirencester, doing a thought-provoking event with Mary Portas for Ciren History Festival (which is just brilliant - kudos to the organisers) and curating my very own display case for the museum.
All of this. I keep telling @adobe.com to fuck off as it offers helpfully to summarise everything from my own books to train tickets, but there's no 'stop draining the world's resources for nothing good' button. It's like the Microsoft paperclip got supersized VERY BADLY. ETC.
i see you're doing something online that you have effortlessly done 100,000 times. would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? would you like to use this ai tool? w
October 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
All of this. I keep telling @adobe.com to fuck off as it offers helpfully to summarise everything from my own books to train tickets, but there's no 'stop draining the world's resources for nothing good' button. It's like the Microsoft paperclip got supersized VERY BADLY. ETC.
Mild Monday Pimpathon: next week I am in Cirencester for a Past/Future of the High St discussion, with Mary Portas, as part of Cirencester History Festival (I am getting a hair cut for this, because Portas still has really good hair).
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
Mary Portas and Annie Gray - Cirencester History Festival
The History & the Future of the High Street.
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Mild Monday Pimpathon: next week I am in Cirencester for a Past/Future of the High St discussion, with Mary Portas, as part of Cirencester History Festival (I am getting a hair cut for this, because Portas still has really good hair).
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
cirencesterhistoryfestival.org/event/mary-p...
Reposted by Annie Gray
My take on the Lenny Henry reparations news item today
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
October 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
My take on the Lenny Henry reparations news item today
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
profcorinnefowler.substack.com/p/reparation...
Reposted by Annie Gray
Ok. But are there any downsides?
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
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
October 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Ok. But are there any downsides?
Anyone who has written cookery books (or published recipes where people can comment) will now be nodding furiously and saying uh huh, and 'that's a very measured response'
October 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Anyone who has written cookery books (or published recipes where people can comment) will now be nodding furiously and saying uh huh, and 'that's a very measured response'
A rather wonderful jolly to Jersey for Jersey Festival of Words. Great food, a chilly but highly invigorating swim, live music and a really engaged audience. Books and book people are wonderful.
September 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
A rather wonderful jolly to Jersey for Jersey Festival of Words. Great food, a chilly but highly invigorating swim, live music and a really engaged audience. Books and book people are wonderful.
Happy paperback release day to me!
This beauty is now out, and available in all good bookshops and also some which you really should avoid because, especially given the topic, your best bet is to toddle off to your (or someone else's) high street to shop at an actual shop.
This beauty is now out, and available in all good bookshops and also some which you really should avoid because, especially given the topic, your best bet is to toddle off to your (or someone else's) high street to shop at an actual shop.
September 25, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Happy paperback release day to me!
This beauty is now out, and available in all good bookshops and also some which you really should avoid because, especially given the topic, your best bet is to toddle off to your (or someone else's) high street to shop at an actual shop.
This beauty is now out, and available in all good bookshops and also some which you really should avoid because, especially given the topic, your best bet is to toddle off to your (or someone else's) high street to shop at an actual shop.
One of the effects of writing The Bookshop, The Draper... is that I've become even more anti-shopping and even keener to support businesses keeping quality craftsmanship alive and doing very nice things very well. Bye bye my beloved Doc Martens, hello Solevair, based in Northamptonshire. 1/
September 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
One of the effects of writing The Bookshop, The Draper... is that I've become even more anti-shopping and even keener to support businesses keeping quality craftsmanship alive and doing very nice things very well. Bye bye my beloved Doc Martens, hello Solevair, based in Northamptonshire. 1/
Reposted by Annie Gray
A few online spaces are still available on the what can be done to help save our #pubs event.
Event is free & open to those who work in pubs, those who campaign for them, or anyone who is passionate about #pubs.
Contact me for more details
Event is free & open to those who work in pubs, those who campaign for them, or anyone who is passionate about #pubs.
Contact me for more details
I don’t drink alcohol so why am I passionate about #ukpubs. The answer is because they provide communities with unique social spaces. They are economically, socially and culturally important. They are sites of our national and local history and heritage
September 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
More pudding content. This one's lamb steak and kidney and was very nice thank you yes please none of this death of the pudding crap around here.
August 20, 2025 at 11:40 AM
More pudding content. This one's lamb steak and kidney and was very nice thank you yes please none of this death of the pudding crap around here.
Early modern breakfast: pain perdu / poor knights + white puddings (sweet, the best one made with macaroons) and a bonus rice pudding, all in guts.
#foodhistory #skystorian
#foodhistory #skystorian
August 16, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Early modern breakfast: pain perdu / poor knights + white puddings (sweet, the best one made with macaroons) and a bonus rice pudding, all in guts.
#foodhistory #skystorian
#foodhistory #skystorian
I'll be on the Beeb tonight trying not to say that the whole DEATH OF THE BRITISH PUDDING thing might be a little bit contrived so that English Heritage can publicise a baking book. On the other hand... entirely coincidentally I made C17 white puddings. They were not entirely a success.
August 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I'll be on the Beeb tonight trying not to say that the whole DEATH OF THE BRITISH PUDDING thing might be a little bit contrived so that English Heritage can publicise a baking book. On the other hand... entirely coincidentally I made C17 white puddings. They were not entirely a success.
A box of bird feet, neatly labelled.
August 3, 2025 at 5:56 PM
A box of bird feet, neatly labelled.
It's a terrible picture, but I can report that Elizabeth Raffald's heavily plagiarised 'to barbecue a leg of pork' is incredible. (It's 90% in the sauce, and of that, quite a lot lies in the quality of your lime pickle). Obviously it's a complete and utter bastardisation of the original concept 1/
August 1, 2025 at 1:13 PM
It's a terrible picture, but I can report that Elizabeth Raffald's heavily plagiarised 'to barbecue a leg of pork' is incredible. (It's 90% in the sauce, and of that, quite a lot lies in the quality of your lime pickle). Obviously it's a complete and utter bastardisation of the original concept 1/
New event! Celebrating the paperback launch of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker:
www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...
www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...
July 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM
New event! Celebrating the paperback launch of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker:
www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...
www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...
Horribly true. Usually in my field ends up being Some Victorian Bloke Down The Pub. Or Dorothy bloody Hartley.
All historians know the sinking feeling of tracking an "authoritative" reference back through several generations of writers to an unsourced assertion by someone nobody's ever heard of.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
Now AI can make up new ones in no time at all.
From my own academic research, even pre LLMs there was a huge danger of zombie factoids that begin in a respectable publication by mistake and then get reprinted for decades because no one is backtracing to the original source. Once bad info gets into the system it can take years to clear it out.
July 30, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Horribly true. Usually in my field ends up being Some Victorian Bloke Down The Pub. Or Dorothy bloody Hartley.