Paul O’Donnell
@paodonnell.bsky.social
History, Ships, Manufacturing and Trade Policy. Attempting a PhD (the left and the navy in early C20/interwar Britain) twenty years later than is traditional.
- so many foxes (my garden in London)
- dolphins (Tremadoc Bay)
- moose (Norway)
- a Golden Eagle, I’m almost certain (Scotland)
- Black Rhino (Tanzania)
- dolphins (Tremadoc Bay)
- moose (Norway)
- a Golden Eagle, I’m almost certain (Scotland)
- Black Rhino (Tanzania)
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild
- beaver (in Scotland)
- platypus (in Queensland)
- skunk (in California)
- raccoon (in Massachusetts)
- boar (in Italy)
- beaver (in Scotland)
- platypus (in Queensland)
- skunk (in California)
- raccoon (in Massachusetts)
- boar (in Italy)
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild
- badger
- badger
- badger
- badger
- SNAKE!
- mushroom mushroom
- badger
- badger
- badger
- badger
- SNAKE!
- mushroom mushroom
November 28, 2025 at 5:49 PM
- so many foxes (my garden in London)
- dolphins (Tremadoc Bay)
- moose (Norway)
- a Golden Eagle, I’m almost certain (Scotland)
- Black Rhino (Tanzania)
- dolphins (Tremadoc Bay)
- moose (Norway)
- a Golden Eagle, I’m almost certain (Scotland)
- Black Rhino (Tanzania)
Reposted by Paul O’Donnell
Breaking the tax pledge is the right call...and politically sulphurous. Reeves must argue, far more forcefully, that taxes are *the* essential downpayment we all pay for a fairer society.
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
If Labour want a fairer society, they must argue for it
Labour must make the political argument: taxes are the critical downpayment we all pay to live in a fairer society.
It now seems all but certain that direct taxes will rise in the forthcoming Budget...
renewal.org.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Breaking the tax pledge is the right call...and politically sulphurous. Reeves must argue, far more forcefully, that taxes are *the* essential downpayment we all pay for a fairer society.
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
British Bluesky most of the time: “The British right is worryingly americabrained”.
British Bluesky this morning: “OMG, have you seen the precinct level numbers from VA?”
British Bluesky this morning: “OMG, have you seen the precinct level numbers from VA?”
November 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
British Bluesky most of the time: “The British right is worryingly americabrained”.
British Bluesky this morning: “OMG, have you seen the precinct level numbers from VA?”
British Bluesky this morning: “OMG, have you seen the precinct level numbers from VA?”
Has anybody written about this video? It definitely went over my eleven year old head at the time.
Diane Keaton could have directed Annie Hall but Woody Allen could NEVER have directed the music video for Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth"
Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth (Official HD Music Video)
YouTube video by Belinda Carlisle
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Has anybody written about this video? It definitely went over my eleven year old head at the time.
Went to see Gene at the Hammersmith Apollo yesterday. Really fun gig, energetic band but distinctly male pattern mosh pit
#nicecuppacocoa
#nicecuppacocoa
October 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Went to see Gene at the Hammersmith Apollo yesterday. Really fun gig, energetic band but distinctly male pattern mosh pit
#nicecuppacocoa
#nicecuppacocoa
A replica Spanish Galleon. Handily berthed next to the universal unit of measurement.
September 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
A replica Spanish Galleon. Handily berthed next to the universal unit of measurement.
Dreadnoughts
What’s the most Tory-coded thing you actively love?
Me: Essex. Elgar. Country pubs.
Me: Essex. Elgar. Country pubs.
September 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Dreadnoughts
15 escaped the attentions of wasps and squirrels this year
September 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
15 escaped the attentions of wasps and squirrels this year
The Bay of Kotor is absurdly beautiful
August 27, 2025 at 11:17 AM
The Bay of Kotor is absurdly beautiful
Here we go, again…
August 9, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Here we go, again…
Spent the day with the papers of former Labour Minister A.V. Alexander. For some reason he thought this New Years greeting message was worth keeping for posterity.
August 1, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Spent the day with the papers of former Labour Minister A.V. Alexander. For some reason he thought this New Years greeting message was worth keeping for posterity.
Restarting football well before the end of the war
War time programmes, especially reserve games, are very rare as few were printed and fans were encouraged to recycle them to help the war effort. This reserve programme v Leytonstone, one of the many teams that became Dagenham & Redbridge FC was purchased at auction recently #cafc
August 1, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Restarting football well before the end of the war
Football, bloody hell
July 22, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Football, bloody hell
I will shortly attempt cricket. I used to do this most weekends in the summer in relative safety.
Since turning 40 ~10% of the times I’ve tried this have ended up in A&E.
Since turning 40 ~10% of the times I’ve tried this have ended up in A&E.
July 8, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I will shortly attempt cricket. I used to do this most weekends in the summer in relative safety.
Since turning 40 ~10% of the times I’ve tried this have ended up in A&E.
Since turning 40 ~10% of the times I’ve tried this have ended up in A&E.
Just fed some photos of rooms in our house into an AI interior design app.
Interior designers, your professional livelihoods are very, very, safe for the foreseeable future.
Interior designers, your professional livelihoods are very, very, safe for the foreseeable future.
June 29, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Just fed some photos of rooms in our house into an AI interior design app.
Interior designers, your professional livelihoods are very, very, safe for the foreseeable future.
Interior designers, your professional livelihoods are very, very, safe for the foreseeable future.
Just seen this brilliant and thought provoking one man show about Irish identity, Britishness and how to be a bit complicated
welcometowandsworth.com/events/XZ-ca...
welcometowandsworth.com/events/XZ-ca...
Call yourself an Irishman? - Welcome to Wandsworth
Declan Duffy's one-man show about Ireland, Britain, and not quite knowing which nationality you are. English influence in Ireland began in the 12th Century when King Henry II disembarked to place the ...
welcometowandsworth.com
June 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Just seen this brilliant and thought provoking one man show about Irish identity, Britishness and how to be a bit complicated
welcometowandsworth.com/events/XZ-ca...
welcometowandsworth.com/events/XZ-ca...
This picture was taken earlier on when the day was still hopeful for #LOFC but with hindsight the dark clouds were obvious.
Still a season to be proud of for the club though.
Still a season to be proud of for the club though.
May 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
This picture was taken earlier on when the day was still hopeful for #LOFC but with hindsight the dark clouds were obvious.
Still a season to be proud of for the club though.
Still a season to be proud of for the club though.
Reposted by Paul O’Donnell
This looks like a super interesting PhD opportunity for an artist or historian engaged in creative practice-based research www.rca.ac.uk/study/apply-... @royalcollegeofart.bsky.social #nationalmaritimemuseum @josiekane.bsky.social
AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) Studentship: Thames Barge Stories
A fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship between the National Maritime Museum and Royal College of Art from October 2025, under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships scheme.
www.rca.ac.uk
May 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
This looks like a super interesting PhD opportunity for an artist or historian engaged in creative practice-based research www.rca.ac.uk/study/apply-... @royalcollegeofart.bsky.social #nationalmaritimemuseum @josiekane.bsky.social
I see the overnight election results have proven everybody right.
As usual.
As usual.
May 2, 2025 at 7:14 AM
I see the overnight election results have proven everybody right.
As usual.
As usual.
Don’t normally enjoy a Chocolate Stout but this one is going well with lunch today
April 20, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Don’t normally enjoy a Chocolate Stout but this one is going well with lunch today
Reposted by Paul O’Donnell
Brilliant British Commission for Maritime History 30th New Researchers Conference in Hull. Congratulations to @kmbarton.bsky.social MA dissertation prize winner. Thank you to all our hosts & speakers!
April 12, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Brilliant British Commission for Maritime History 30th New Researchers Conference in Hull. Congratulations to @kmbarton.bsky.social MA dissertation prize winner. Thank you to all our hosts & speakers!
Leaving Hull after a great British Commission for Maritime History Conference #MaritimeHistory. I presented on the Vegetarian Dreadnought, so this is the wrong form of transport to go back to East London on, but I hope Hull history appropriate
April 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Leaving Hull after a great British Commission for Maritime History Conference #MaritimeHistory. I presented on the Vegetarian Dreadnought, so this is the wrong form of transport to go back to East London on, but I hope Hull history appropriate