Martin Roberts
@martrtin.bsky.social
Old metalware and 16thC material culture. Boreray sheep, Border Terriers, hay, logs & Land Rovers. Cricket, mainly Derbyshire these days.
TMS debating what's gone wrong with the insight of toddlers. Agnew, it seems, hasn't looked at the English domestic cricket schedule since about 2010. #Ashes
December 18, 2025 at 11:28 PM
TMS debating what's gone wrong with the insight of toddlers. Agnew, it seems, hasn't looked at the English domestic cricket schedule since about 2010. #Ashes
A few years back the consistency with which England found themselves 3 down in the first few overs led to a rejection of conventional test cricket batting. Enter Bazball. Now, in the first innings in which they've consciously eschewed Bazball, they are 3 down in the first few overs. #Ashes #FFS
December 18, 2025 at 1:26 AM
A period of austerity for George Osborne would be most welcome. About 50 years should do it. #GeorgeOsborne
December 16, 2025 at 9:12 PM
A period of austerity for George Osborne would be most welcome. About 50 years should do it. #GeorgeOsborne
If only the England players had more tattoos, I'm sure everything would be fine. #TheAshes #Ashes #Cricket #VeryPissedOffWithThisBazballBullshit
December 6, 2025 at 2:33 PM
If only the England players had more tattoos, I'm sure everything would be fine. #TheAshes #Ashes #Cricket #VeryPissedOffWithThisBazballBullshit
A reminder that there is a serious and enjoyable cricket test match being played by two fine teams. Compare and contrast with the absurd nonsense in Perth.
Standing at 2.08m tall, Marco Jansen delivered a stinging blow to India in the Guwahati Test
Jansen reaches great heights and carries South Africa with him
Standing at 2.08m tall, the fast bowler delivered a stinging blow to India in the Guwahati Test
www.espncricinfo.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
A reminder that there is a serious and enjoyable cricket test match being played by two fine teams. Compare and contrast with the absurd nonsense in Perth.
If this is true, Witkoff and Driscoll are complicit in a desperate gambit by Putin, and they should be sacked.
November 23, 2025 at 12:42 AM
If this is true, Witkoff and Driscoll are complicit in a desperate gambit by Putin, and they should be sacked.
I see the burger-eating surrender monkeys are again trying to surrender on behalf of another country. Hang your heads, all Americans. #BurgerEastingSurrenderMonkeys #SlavaUkraine
November 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I see the burger-eating surrender monkeys are again trying to surrender on behalf of another country. Hang your heads, all Americans. #BurgerEastingSurrenderMonkeys #SlavaUkraine
Amongst the fuss about #TheAshes, I know you've all been waiting for my sage predictions before placing your bets.
Series result: 2-2 (Aus retain #Ashes)
Top runs: Usman Khawaja
Top wickets: Shoaib Bashir, but with fewer than 15 wkts
Root: will score two centuries
Hype: off-the-scale and ridiculous
Series result: 2-2 (Aus retain #Ashes)
Top runs: Usman Khawaja
Top wickets: Shoaib Bashir, but with fewer than 15 wkts
Root: will score two centuries
Hype: off-the-scale and ridiculous
November 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
World's best-known collector of Royal Doulton character jugs has passed away (also played bass guitar for some obscure Manchester act):
news.sky.com/story/the-st...
news.sky.com/story/the-st...
The Stone Roses bassist Gary 'Mani' Mounfield dies aged 63
Mani's brother, Greg, announced the death of the father-of-two on Facebook.
news.sky.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM
World's best-known collector of Royal Doulton character jugs has passed away (also played bass guitar for some obscure Manchester act):
news.sky.com/story/the-st...
news.sky.com/story/the-st...
Locals reckon the drought's over.
November 14, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Locals reckon the drought's over.
Now then Keir, this is an opportunity. Do you understand? An opportunity to swing something your way. Please don't fuck it up....
November 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Now then Keir, this is an opportunity. Do you understand? An opportunity to swing something your way. Please don't fuck it up....
Dam good news...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Dutch centrist liberals under Jetten head for shock election win, exit poll says
Rob Jetten's D66 party celebrates, two years after his party languished in fifth place in the last vote.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Dam good news...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Another rampant display of hubristic incompetence in New Zealand. Early days, but evidence accumulating that England's foolish recent selection policy is turning into the disaster many predicted. Right now it seems The Ashes are all but lost before the series begins. #NZvENG #TheAshes #Cricket
October 29, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Extraordinary that Ben Curran is the first of his cricketing family to record a test century. #ZIMvAFG #Currans #Cricket #TestMatch
www.espncricinfo.com/series/afgha...
www.espncricinfo.com/series/afgha...
ZIM vs AFG Cricket Scorecard, Only Test at Harare, October 20 - 24, 2025
Get cricket scorecard of Only Test, ZIM vs AFG, Afghanistan in Zimbabwe 2025/26 at Harare Sports Club dated October 20 - 24, 2025.
www.espncricinfo.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Extraordinary that Ben Curran is the first of his cricketing family to record a test century. #ZIMvAFG #Currans #Cricket #TestMatch
www.espncricinfo.com/series/afgha...
www.espncricinfo.com/series/afgha...
Reposted by Martin Roberts
I found this a little shocking! In future my donations go straight to the charity ! #Charity #JustGiving
October 21, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I found this a little shocking! In future my donations go straight to the charity ! #Charity #JustGiving
Reposted by Martin Roberts
📣 NEW BLOG POST
Did German pirates beat Columbus to America?
Sometime in the 1470s, King Christian I of Denmark hired two German privateers "at the request of his majesty of Portugal...to explore new countries and islands in the north".
Did German pirates beat Columbus to America?
Sometime in the 1470s, King Christian I of Denmark hired two German privateers "at the request of his majesty of Portugal...to explore new countries and islands in the north".
October 19, 2025 at 1:28 PM
📣 NEW BLOG POST
Did German pirates beat Columbus to America?
Sometime in the 1470s, King Christian I of Denmark hired two German privateers "at the request of his majesty of Portugal...to explore new countries and islands in the north".
Did German pirates beat Columbus to America?
Sometime in the 1470s, King Christian I of Denmark hired two German privateers "at the request of his majesty of Portugal...to explore new countries and islands in the north".
Jordan Cox should be dropped immediately from the England Lions squad for the tour of Australia, and have it made clear to him that he will not be picked for England again. #JordanCox #Cricket #Lions #UngratefulGraspingTosser
October 13, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Jordan Cox should be dropped immediately from the England Lions squad for the tour of Australia, and have it made clear to him that he will not be picked for England again. #JordanCox #Cricket #Lions #UngratefulGraspingTosser
Reposted by Martin Roberts
A magnificent exhibition: "Nürnberg Global, 1300-1600," showcasing stunning #MedievalSky & #EarlyModern objects—paintings, engravings, goldsmithing & scientific objects, woodcuts, books (of hours), architectural models, sculptures, armor, textiles, coins. It's SO good!
🗃️ #HistSci #ArtHistory 🏛️
🗃️ #HistSci #ArtHistory 🏛️
October 13, 2025 at 10:34 AM
A magnificent exhibition: "Nürnberg Global, 1300-1600," showcasing stunning #MedievalSky & #EarlyModern objects—paintings, engravings, goldsmithing & scientific objects, woodcuts, books (of hours), architectural models, sculptures, armor, textiles, coins. It's SO good!
🗃️ #HistSci #ArtHistory 🏛️
🗃️ #HistSci #ArtHistory 🏛️
Free yourself from the burdensome neediness of Microsoft (a consequence of fundamentally poor design) and the grasping monetising of Apple (naked exploitation): switch to #Linux as soon as possible.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Windows 10: When you should update and what it means for you
Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10, which could make users vulnerable - here's how to get Windows 11.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 12, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Free yourself from the burdensome neediness of Microsoft (a consequence of fundamentally poor design) and the grasping monetising of Apple (naked exploitation): switch to #Linux as soon as possible.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Has anyone noticed that a chap called Jenrick, a man of little discernable talent who should be a marginal irrelevance, is being mentioned all over the place. How could that be? Surely that was not why he made racist remarks. Surely not. #StopPromotingRightWingRacistScumYouGullibleFools
October 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Has anyone noticed that a chap called Jenrick, a man of little discernable talent who should be a marginal irrelevance, is being mentioned all over the place. How could that be? Surely that was not why he made racist remarks. Surely not. #StopPromotingRightWingRacistScumYouGullibleFools
Reposted by Martin Roberts
Join us for our first lunchtime lecture of the season and hear all about early modern caskets and cabinets from @isabellarosner.bsky.social! Register your free place for this Friday at 1pm: www.sal.org.uk/event/embroi...
October 1, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Join us for our first lunchtime lecture of the season and hear all about early modern caskets and cabinets from @isabellarosner.bsky.social! Register your free place for this Friday at 1pm: www.sal.org.uk/event/embroi...
The absence of Haseeb Hameed from the Lions squad is astounding. Probably the best batsman in first class cricket this year, a classical opener, entirely ignored.
www.ecb.co.uk/news/4369274...
www.ecb.co.uk/news/4369274...
England Lions squad named for winter tour of Australia
England Lions will help England Men with their Ashes preparation, before taking on Australia A and a Cricket Australia XI
www.ecb.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The absence of Haseeb Hameed from the Lions squad is astounding. Probably the best batsman in first class cricket this year, a classical opener, entirely ignored.
www.ecb.co.uk/news/4369274...
www.ecb.co.uk/news/4369274...