J L Laynesmith
@jllaynesmith.bsky.social
Medievalist in Reading researching queenship, Wars of the Roses, royal adultery, and medieval noblewomen (Cecily Duchess of York appears frequently) | Editor of The Ricardian | May also mention Environment, Eco Church, Trade Justice . . .(all views my own)
Very much hoping @yuanfenyang.bsky.social will be here.l
We've got 3 more days to urge MPs to join 100s attending the @nebriefing.bsky.social
1️⃣ Check if your MP is going and if not email them from this link: www.nebriefing.org
2️⃣ Tag your MP in social media
3️⃣ Share this event on your social channels
1️⃣ Check if your MP is going and if not email them from this link: www.nebriefing.org
2️⃣ Tag your MP in social media
3️⃣ Share this event on your social channels
November 24, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Very much hoping @yuanfenyang.bsky.social will be here.l
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Liberal Democrats vs Reform UK Ltd: who’s really the underdog?
The Liberal Democrats hold 72 parliamentary seats, yet the media have sidelined Ed Davey while Reform UK Ltd hogs column inches and airtime
@politicalsatirical.bsky.social
The Liberal Democrats hold 72 parliamentary seats, yet the media have sidelined Ed Davey while Reform UK Ltd hogs column inches and airtime
@politicalsatirical.bsky.social
Liberal Democrats vs Reform UK Ltd: who’s really the underdog?
The Liberal Democrats hold 72 parliamentary seats, yet the media have sidelined Ed Davey while Reform UK Ltd hogs column inches and airtime
centralbylines.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Liberal Democrats vs Reform UK Ltd: who’s really the underdog?
The Liberal Democrats hold 72 parliamentary seats, yet the media have sidelined Ed Davey while Reform UK Ltd hogs column inches and airtime
@politicalsatirical.bsky.social
The Liberal Democrats hold 72 parliamentary seats, yet the media have sidelined Ed Davey while Reform UK Ltd hogs column inches and airtime
@politicalsatirical.bsky.social
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Our thanks to @richardasquith.bsky.social for a fascinating talk. Members of the Richard III Society who missed it will have a chance to view a recording for a limited time.
November 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Our thanks to @richardasquith.bsky.social for a fascinating talk. Members of the Richard III Society who missed it will have a chance to view a recording for a limited time.
Every MP should be required to read @lauralaker.bsky.social 's 'Potholes and Pavements'!
Compare and contrast the Government language.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Every MP should be required to read @lauralaker.bsky.social 's 'Potholes and Pavements'!
Silk that's over a thousand years old! I first heard about these relics of St Julian in July (in a keynote lecture @imc-leeds.bsky.social) and was awestruck to come upon them at the National Museum of Ravenna last week. Byzantine work, 9th-10th century.
November 21, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Silk that's over a thousand years old! I first heard about these relics of St Julian in July (in a keynote lecture @imc-leeds.bsky.social) and was awestruck to come upon them at the National Museum of Ravenna last week. Byzantine work, 9th-10th century.
www.theguardian.com/environment/... - good news about heat-pumps.
Heat-pump homes put less strain on grid than expected, study shows
Analysis of new-builds in Birmingham suggests all-electric homes not only use less energy but vary in peak usage
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:08 AM
www.theguardian.com/environment/... - good news about heat-pumps.
I'll be here! Talking about Harold Godwinson's much mythologised partner Edith Swanneck.
Now booking: Canterbury Medieval Weekend
Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd May 2026
Join leading historians and writers as they uncover the ideas, people and events that shaped the Middle Ages.
📍 University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NU
ℹ️ For details and tickets: history-weekends.org
Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd May 2026
Join leading historians and writers as they uncover the ideas, people and events that shaped the Middle Ages.
📍 University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NU
ℹ️ For details and tickets: history-weekends.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
I'll be here! Talking about Harold Godwinson's much mythologised partner Edith Swanneck.
I was fascinated to learn that the earliest surviving evidence of writing in Italy comes from a woman's tomb from the 8th century BC and it probably says 'the one who spins well'. (Found at Gabii, now at the Diocletian Baths in Rome).
November 20, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I was fascinated to learn that the earliest surviving evidence of writing in Italy comes from a woman's tomb from the 8th century BC and it probably says 'the one who spins well'. (Found at Gabii, now at the Diocletian Baths in Rome).
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Are you a scholar of the fifteenth century and have an interest in the British Isles and its wider connections? If so, then you will want to know that @memsunikent.bsky.social will be hosting the 2026 Fifteenth Century Conference in Canterbury and the CfP is now open: www.kent.ac.uk/medieval-ear...
MEMS to Host the Fifteenth Century Conference 2026
www.kent.ac.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Are you a scholar of the fifteenth century and have an interest in the British Isles and its wider connections? If so, then you will want to know that @memsunikent.bsky.social will be hosting the 2026 Fifteenth Century Conference in Canterbury and the CfP is now open: www.kent.ac.uk/medieval-ear...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Are you interested in the roads and bridges of #medieval England and Wales? In our latest #blogpost, Dr David Harrison discusses his fascinating new map that provides crucial insights into the road network as it existed in the 15th century yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/11/10/a... #Skystorians
A Road Map of the Yorkist Age
The Trust On…A Road Map of the Yorkist Age In a slight departure from our normal blogposts, here we present a guest post: Dr David Harrison discussing his fascinating new publication, Histori…
yorkisthistorytrust.org
November 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Are you interested in the roads and bridges of #medieval England and Wales? In our latest #blogpost, Dr David Harrison discusses his fascinating new map that provides crucial insights into the road network as it existed in the 15th century yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/11/10/a... #Skystorians
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
I've written about mead and its popular perception for The Conversation. theconversation.com/the-truth-ab... Mildly concerned that by pointing out that the Vikings (probably) didn't drink (much) mead, I will have annoyed all the re-enactors, many of whom have swords oh dear.
The truth about Vikings and mead might disappoint modern enthusiasts
The standard drink was far more likely to be ale.
theconversation.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:14 AM
I've written about mead and its popular perception for The Conversation. theconversation.com/the-truth-ab... Mildly concerned that by pointing out that the Vikings (probably) didn't drink (much) mead, I will have annoyed all the re-enactors, many of whom have swords oh dear.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Crucial action by @StopCambo: The Government wants to hear what you think about approving new oil and gas field Rosebank. Submit your comment here today: actionnetwork.org/forms/the-go...
Decision time: Tell Keir to #StopRosebank
This is the moment we've been building towards: it's final decision time for the UK Government. Equinor is trying to get the new Rosebank oil field re-approved. It's up to us all to convince the Gover...
actionnetwork.org
November 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Crucial action by @StopCambo: The Government wants to hear what you think about approving new oil and gas field Rosebank. Submit your comment here today: actionnetwork.org/forms/the-go...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Good news for nature
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Nature not a blocker to housing growth, inquiry finds
Commons committee report challenges ‘lazy narrative’ used by ministers that scapegoats wildlife and the environment
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Good news for nature
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Dorothy Whitelock Lecture 2025: Guthlac: what the early medieval records tell us
3 December 17:15
St Peter’s College chapel, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford
@ox.ac.uk
Join the event in person or online.
www.english.ox.ac.uk/event/doroth...
3 December 17:15
St Peter’s College chapel, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford
@ox.ac.uk
Join the event in person or online.
www.english.ox.ac.uk/event/doroth...
Dorothy Whitelock Lecture 2025: Guthlac: what the early medieval records tell us
www.english.ox.ac.uk
November 16, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Dorothy Whitelock Lecture 2025: Guthlac: what the early medieval records tell us
3 December 17:15
St Peter’s College chapel, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford
@ox.ac.uk
Join the event in person or online.
www.english.ox.ac.uk/event/doroth...
3 December 17:15
St Peter’s College chapel, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford
@ox.ac.uk
Join the event in person or online.
www.english.ox.ac.uk/event/doroth...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Nov 16: Feast of Margaret of Scotland (†1093). English noble who married Máel Coluim III, king of Alba. Church reformer and friend to the poor who founded a free ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims heading to Cennrígmonaid (St Andrews). Her pocket gospel-book survives. #medievalsky
November 16, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Nov 16: Feast of Margaret of Scotland (†1093). English noble who married Máel Coluim III, king of Alba. Church reformer and friend to the poor who founded a free ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims heading to Cennrígmonaid (St Andrews). Her pocket gospel-book survives. #medievalsky
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Duchy Chamber pleadings for the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII (DL 1/1-26) are now searchable to item level online. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...
Browse records of other archives | The National Archives
The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone...
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
November 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Duchy Chamber pleadings for the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII (DL 1/1-26) are now searchable to item level online. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Not enough attention is being paid to the effective closure of the bulk of one of the 2 or 3 most important public archives for modern British history. A terrible own goal for the BBC as a public-service agency.
WAC wrong-headedness
(that's the BBC Written Archives Centre)
I've brought together the key links for the campaign against the changes which now make independent and exploratory research at WAC impossible - and why this matters.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/wac-wrong-he...
(that's the BBC Written Archives Centre)
I've brought together the key links for the campaign against the changes which now make independent and exploratory research at WAC impossible - and why this matters.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/wac-wrong-he...
WAC wrong-headedness - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Some of you will know that I have been very involved over the past months with attempts to reverse the wrong-headed changes to access at the BBC Written Archives Centre (above, with...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Not enough attention is being paid to the effective closure of the bulk of one of the 2 or 3 most important public archives for modern British history. A terrible own goal for the BBC as a public-service agency.
The 2020 issue of The Ricardian was recently uploaded to @richardiiisociety.bsky.social's website free to access richardiii.net/research/the.... It includes papers from an @lincolnrecsoc.bsky.social conference, among them a case study of Cecily duchess of York's excercise of lordship in Lincolnshire
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The 2020 issue of The Ricardian was recently uploaded to @richardiiisociety.bsky.social's website free to access richardiii.net/research/the.... It includes papers from an @lincolnrecsoc.bsky.social conference, among them a case study of Cecily duchess of York's excercise of lordship in Lincolnshire
Needed to be near Holland Park this evening so arrived early and visited Lord Leighton's wonderful home.
November 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Needed to be near Holland Park this evening so arrived early and visited Lord Leighton's wonderful home.
This seems a logical action to take after my last post.
Over £9million raised so far in this 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to do something truly meaningful for nature on a really large scale. It's absolutely doable. Can you help?
Donate here 👉 www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/roth...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #wildlife
Donate here 👉 www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/roth...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #wildlife
Sir David Attenborough backs bid to buy Rothbury Estate
Wildlife trusts attempt to raise £30m to keep Northumberland's Rothbury Estate from being split up.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 9:40 AM
This seems a logical action to take after my last post.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Let me excerpt the concluding paragraph:
October 31, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Let me excerpt the concluding paragraph:
Cecily duchess of York made generous donations to the English hopsice in Rome - something unusual in her family - so I am really looking forward to seeing the fruits of Philip Muijtjens research here: yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/10/30/t...
The Late Medieval Archives of the Venerable English College, Rome
The Trust On…The Late Medieval Archives of the Venerable English College, Rome Philip Muijtjens, a postdoctoral researcher at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium),…
yorkisthistorytrust.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Cecily duchess of York made generous donations to the English hopsice in Rome - something unusual in her family - so I am really looking forward to seeing the fruits of Philip Muijtjens research here: yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/10/30/t...
I'll be giving a talk on King Harold's so-called 'Danish wife' Edith, so I thought I'd better watch 'King and Conqueror'. If you've seen it, you'll understand why I might feel I need to post an image of, for example, a glorious colourful book owned by Judith of Flanders during her marriage to Tostig
October 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I'll be giving a talk on King Harold's so-called 'Danish wife' Edith, so I thought I'd better watch 'King and Conqueror'. If you've seen it, you'll understand why I might feel I need to post an image of, for example, a glorious colourful book owned by Judith of Flanders during her marriage to Tostig
A wonderful story of nature bouncing back when given the chance...
"After only one year, the transformation is dramatic", says a conservation manager about the growth of a colony of 2,000 sooty tern seabirds. Previously, invasive rats had destroyed their eggs, making it impossible for the native birds to persist on the islands. www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/inv...
Scientists stunned by results after removing 1 harmful creature from island chain: 'The transformation is dramatic'
The successful removal of an invasive species of rat saw nature spring back to life on two islands in the Marshall Islands.
www.thecooldown.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:35 AM
A wonderful story of nature bouncing back when given the chance...