EricaRhubarb
@ericarhubarb.bsky.social
Writer,reader,gardener,cook,dog walker. Medieval history,Anglo French alliances,Guernsey,C.I.Anti Brexit,known to rant about this,known to have mini obsessions from time to time. Cancer survivor. Author: Isabella of Angoulême, The Tangled Queen,a trilogy
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
believe it or not the 1980s also had delayed trains, unemployment, industrial strife, turds in rivers, crime, riots, underperforming schools
some things have improved and some things have got worse
Britain isn’t perfect but I don’t trust the people talking it down for their own populist purposes
some things have improved and some things have got worse
Britain isn’t perfect but I don’t trust the people talking it down for their own populist purposes
January 17, 2026 at 4:17 PM
believe it or not the 1980s also had delayed trains, unemployment, industrial strife, turds in rivers, crime, riots, underperforming schools
some things have improved and some things have got worse
Britain isn’t perfect but I don’t trust the people talking it down for their own populist purposes
some things have improved and some things have got worse
Britain isn’t perfect but I don’t trust the people talking it down for their own populist purposes
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Guys I think the ship's sailed on claiming you're embarrassed about what you've done here
January 18, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Guys I think the ship's sailed on claiming you're embarrassed about what you've done here
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
"Pour a glass of water out almost anywhere on the eastern side of the line, and it will flow, eventually, into the Atlantic. Pour it out on the other side of that line, and it will flow, probably rather more speedily, to the Pacific."
Regarding some natural borders.
Regarding some natural borders.
Some notes on continental divides
Actually existing natural borders.
jonn.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 10:12 AM
"Pour a glass of water out almost anywhere on the eastern side of the line, and it will flow, eventually, into the Atlantic. Pour it out on the other side of that line, and it will flow, probably rather more speedily, to the Pacific."
Regarding some natural borders.
Regarding some natural borders.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
📌 ICYMI — A Year of Living Dangerously in Trump’s America
I no longer feel safe to speak or act freely in a country where people are being arbitrarily detained and killed and where the truth is becoming whatever Donald Trump says it is, reports Alexandra Hall Hall
🔗 https://bylinetimes.com/2026…
I no longer feel safe to speak or act freely in a country where people are being arbitrarily detained and killed and where the truth is becoming whatever Donald Trump says it is, reports Alexandra Hall Hall
🔗 https://bylinetimes.com/2026…
A Year of Living Dangerously in Trump's America
I no longer feel safe to speak or act freely in a country where people are being arbitrarily detained and killed and where the truth is becoming whatever Donald Trump says it is, reports Alexandra Hall Hall
bylinetimes.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:01 PM
📌 ICYMI — A Year of Living Dangerously in Trump’s America
I no longer feel safe to speak or act freely in a country where people are being arbitrarily detained and killed and where the truth is becoming whatever Donald Trump says it is, reports Alexandra Hall Hall
🔗 https://bylinetimes.com/2026…
I no longer feel safe to speak or act freely in a country where people are being arbitrarily detained and killed and where the truth is becoming whatever Donald Trump says it is, reports Alexandra Hall Hall
🔗 https://bylinetimes.com/2026…
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Hey folks - you can enter this draw without leaving your own bed.
Spend your Book Token at bertsbooks.co.uk, then enter the details on the link below, and you could win £500. (If you spend it all with me, I basically win £500 too).
Spend your Book Token at bertsbooks.co.uk, then enter the details on the link below, and you could win £500. (If you spend it all with me, I basically win £500 too).
We couldn't possibly be offering you money just for buying books in your favourite bookshop… right? 😉 📚✨
Yes, really! When you spend your National Book Tokens in your local bookshop before the 28th of February, you’ll be in with a chance to WIN £500/€500 cash 💸
Enter the draw ⬇️
buff.ly/5wpuAyL
Yes, really! When you spend your National Book Tokens in your local bookshop before the 28th of February, you’ll be in with a chance to WIN £500/€500 cash 💸
Enter the draw ⬇️
buff.ly/5wpuAyL
January 18, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Hey folks - you can enter this draw without leaving your own bed.
Spend your Book Token at bertsbooks.co.uk, then enter the details on the link below, and you could win £500. (If you spend it all with me, I basically win £500 too).
Spend your Book Token at bertsbooks.co.uk, then enter the details on the link below, and you could win £500. (If you spend it all with me, I basically win £500 too).
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Bloody hell. After disarming Ukraine’s air defences so Putin could strike its critical infrastructure, it now looks like Trump’s administration is feeding intelligence to Russia on Ukraine’s forces
January 18, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Bloody hell. After disarming Ukraine’s air defences so Putin could strike its critical infrastructure, it now looks like Trump’s administration is feeding intelligence to Russia on Ukraine’s forces
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Embroidered front and back covers of a 1791 edition of Robinson Crusoe — featured in our essay "Pens and Needles", on the Victorian revival of embroidered book covers: https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/pens-and-needles-reviving-book-embroidery-in-victorian-england
January 18, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Embroidered front and back covers of a 1791 edition of Robinson Crusoe — featured in our essay "Pens and Needles", on the Victorian revival of embroidered book covers: https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/pens-and-needles-reviving-book-embroidery-in-victorian-england
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Northern Lights over Greenland 🇬🇱
January 17, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Northern Lights over Greenland 🇬🇱
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
What Greenland shows is (as @davidallengreen.bsky.social argued last yr) Trump is an extortionist - give him s’thing, & he demands more, w more menaces. You can’t sustain an alliance like that. Question now is whether Europeans, incl UK & Ukraine, can unite to stand up to Trump as well as Putin. 2/2
January 18, 2026 at 9:42 AM
What Greenland shows is (as @davidallengreen.bsky.social argued last yr) Trump is an extortionist - give him s’thing, & he demands more, w more menaces. You can’t sustain an alliance like that. Question now is whether Europeans, incl UK & Ukraine, can unite to stand up to Trump as well as Putin. 2/2
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
If you haven't read Brigid Brophy, then do investigate! I doubt she'd thank me, but I think of her as nestling provocatively between Muriel Spark and Iris Murdoch, with the sly, sometimes savage irony of the former, and the latter's bustling care for her characters. The Snow Ball is my favourite.
Brigid Brophy wrote 7 novels and these are the most recent editions:
December 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
If you haven't read Brigid Brophy, then do investigate! I doubt she'd thank me, but I think of her as nestling provocatively between Muriel Spark and Iris Murdoch, with the sly, sometimes savage irony of the former, and the latter's bustling care for her characters. The Snow Ball is my favourite.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
An unusual two-Brophy post! Brigid Brophy and John Brophy. Thank you @casmilus.bsky.social
Turn The Key Softly was from a novel by John Brophy, dad of Brigid Brophy who had her own career as a novelist and reviewer, mentioned at the end of this:
discontinuednotes.com/2023/04/24/t...
discontinuednotes.com/2023/04/24/t...
The Din Of Pop
The subject of “the elite” has been getting more attention lately. The proposition that a “new elite” has taken over, or is in the process of capturing power, is a regular feature in British social…
discontinuednotes.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:08 AM
An unusual two-Brophy post! Brigid Brophy and John Brophy. Thank you @casmilus.bsky.social
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
The very latest from the PNG Courier's overseas correspondent.
Visit the link for more.
mrhenrymorris.substack.com/p/the-png-co...
Visit the link for more.
mrhenrymorris.substack.com/p/the-png-co...
January 17, 2026 at 7:03 AM
The very latest from the PNG Courier's overseas correspondent.
Visit the link for more.
mrhenrymorris.substack.com/p/the-png-co...
Visit the link for more.
mrhenrymorris.substack.com/p/the-png-co...
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
From historic windmills to offshore turbines, East Anglia has been powering Britain for centuries – now it’s doing it carbon-free. The green revolution here is already underway. Andrew Stonor reports
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/sense...
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/sense...
Sense and sustainability: from windmills to clean energy renewables
Once powered by windmills, East Anglia now leads the sustainability cause with turbines, solar and e-fuels – driving clean energy, innovation and a greener tomorrow
eastangliabylines.co.uk
January 18, 2026 at 8:15 AM
From historic windmills to offshore turbines, East Anglia has been powering Britain for centuries – now it’s doing it carbon-free. The green revolution here is already underway. Andrew Stonor reports
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/sense...
eastangliabylines.co.uk/energy/sense...
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
A nobel peace pryze doth not worke lyke the One Ring. It ys not about who ys physicallye holdinge it.
January 16, 2026 at 9:11 PM
A nobel peace pryze doth not worke lyke the One Ring. It ys not about who ys physicallye holdinge it.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
VERY COOL!
Crows see a colour humans don't ~ ultraviolet. Their feathers have beautiful patterns, in all shades of ultraviolet.
So whilst they look black to us, they're colourful to each other. This helps them recognize one another, choose mates & communicate in different ways 💜
#greenwitch #crows #nature
So whilst they look black to us, they're colourful to each other. This helps them recognize one another, choose mates & communicate in different ways 💜
#greenwitch #crows #nature
January 17, 2026 at 4:33 PM
VERY COOL!
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
🇬🇧 🇪🇺 For UK–EU trade, customs-related delays are one of the biggest hidden costs.
🚛 A delayed truck ties up equipment, drivers, and warehouse space. Over time, these inefficiencies affect pricing, service levels, and customer confidence.
https://bit.ly/4sQpAJB
🚛 A delayed truck ties up equipment, drivers, and warehouse space. Over time, these inefficiencies affect pricing, service levels, and customer confidence.
https://bit.ly/4sQpAJB
How Transport Shapes UK–EU Trade in a Post Brexit Economy
Since Brexit, much of the discussion around UK–EU trade has focused on policy, regulation, and politics. However, the real story plays
moderndiplomacy.eu
January 16, 2026 at 7:15 PM
🇬🇧 🇪🇺 For UK–EU trade, customs-related delays are one of the biggest hidden costs.
🚛 A delayed truck ties up equipment, drivers, and warehouse space. Over time, these inefficiencies affect pricing, service levels, and customer confidence.
https://bit.ly/4sQpAJB
🚛 A delayed truck ties up equipment, drivers, and warehouse space. Over time, these inefficiencies affect pricing, service levels, and customer confidence.
https://bit.ly/4sQpAJB
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
“Send an ambulance please. Ambulance, please.” After Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calls to 911 from the scene began instantly. Records of police and emergency operators released Thursday reflect shock, fury and confusion.
After Renee Good’s Killing, 911 Call Transcripts Recorded a Crisis Unfolding
The killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent was instantly reported to the Minneapolis Police. The calls reflect shock, fury and confusion.
nyti.ms
January 16, 2026 at 7:20 PM
“Send an ambulance please. Ambulance, please.” After Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calls to 911 from the scene began instantly. Records of police and emergency operators released Thursday reflect shock, fury and confusion.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Accidentally allowed our robot vacuum to see out of the back door and now I feel bad for keeping it in captivity
January 16, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Accidentally allowed our robot vacuum to see out of the back door and now I feel bad for keeping it in captivity
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
If you don't already donate, now would be a good time to start.
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
January 15, 2026 at 3:42 PM
If you don't already donate, now would be a good time to start.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
✂️ Yesterday I finally responded to @agakowalska.bsky.social’s challenge to make a collage from a single piece of packaging. I present to you a green (tea) woodpecker, made from a big Yorkshire Tea box. It was fun and I’ll be rooting through our recycling bin for more materials later on ♻️
January 12, 2026 at 8:13 PM
✂️ Yesterday I finally responded to @agakowalska.bsky.social’s challenge to make a collage from a single piece of packaging. I present to you a green (tea) woodpecker, made from a big Yorkshire Tea box. It was fun and I’ll be rooting through our recycling bin for more materials later on ♻️
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 147:
Don't ask yourself if a story has been told before: it has. Ask yourself how you're going to tell it in a way that is unique to you.
Don't ask yourself if a story has been told before: it has. Ask yourself how you're going to tell it in a way that is unique to you.
January 15, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 147:
Don't ask yourself if a story has been told before: it has. Ask yourself how you're going to tell it in a way that is unique to you.
Don't ask yourself if a story has been told before: it has. Ask yourself how you're going to tell it in a way that is unique to you.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
Applying a mixture of pyrrol red and pyrrol scarlet to the goldfinch's 'mask.' The first brush is loaded with paint, the second, clean water. Watercolour on silk.
I should remember to include Customary Scale Penny when filming, too.
I should remember to include Customary Scale Penny when filming, too.
January 16, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Applying a mixture of pyrrol red and pyrrol scarlet to the goldfinch's 'mask.' The first brush is loaded with paint, the second, clean water. Watercolour on silk.
I should remember to include Customary Scale Penny when filming, too.
I should remember to include Customary Scale Penny when filming, too.
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
"The fact that Grok can be used to defile images of women and children is not an unfortunate accident of technological progress, but the direct consequence of decision-making, and of an ideology" me on the Grok debacle this week for @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...
The misogynist world of Grok
On the slow, ineffective political response to Elon Musk’s debasement-of-women machine
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 10:15 AM
"The fact that Grok can be used to defile images of women and children is not an unfortunate accident of technological progress, but the direct consequence of decision-making, and of an ideology" me on the Grok debacle this week for @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
SIGNED BOOK NEWS.
You can pre-order a signed copy of Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt.
It's Siri's memoir of the 43 years she spent with her husband, writer, poet and filmmaker Paul Auster.
Published on May 5th.
Order a copy HERE
www.biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...
You can pre-order a signed copy of Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt.
It's Siri's memoir of the 43 years she spent with her husband, writer, poet and filmmaker Paul Auster.
Published on May 5th.
Order a copy HERE
www.biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...
January 15, 2026 at 12:32 PM
SIGNED BOOK NEWS.
You can pre-order a signed copy of Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt.
It's Siri's memoir of the 43 years she spent with her husband, writer, poet and filmmaker Paul Auster.
Published on May 5th.
Order a copy HERE
www.biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...
You can pre-order a signed copy of Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt.
It's Siri's memoir of the 43 years she spent with her husband, writer, poet and filmmaker Paul Auster.
Published on May 5th.
Order a copy HERE
www.biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...
Reposted by EricaRhubarb
The sheer hypocrisy of Lord Toby Young‘s FSU. Kudos to Democracy For Sale for finding out anyway.
🔴 Last week the Free Speech Union got a High Court writ to prevent the publication of a list of its donors
So we decided to investigate who *does* fund Toby Young's outfit
Wanna see? 🫣
New on Democracy for Sale:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-funds-...
So we decided to investigate who *does* fund Toby Young's outfit
Wanna see? 🫣
New on Democracy for Sale:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-funds-...
Who funds the Free Speech Union?
Toby Young’s outfit went to court to hide its donors. Today we reveal that funders include US anti-abortion groups, Brexit politicians and Tufton Street insiders.
democracyforsale.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:32 PM
The sheer hypocrisy of Lord Toby Young‘s FSU. Kudos to Democracy For Sale for finding out anyway.