Simon Briercliffe
@simonbriercliffe.bsky.social
Historian at the Black Country Museum and elsewhere: talk to me about the Black Country, Shropshire, modern and local British history, the Irish in Britain, museums, local heritage and all stops in between. Baby gaeilgeoir. https://simonbriercliffe.com/
Post a pic of the venue where you saw your first concert and the band or artist.
Ten points if you can guess either.
Ten points if you can guess either.
January 11, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Post a pic of the venue where you saw your first concert and the band or artist.
Ten points if you can guess either.
Ten points if you can guess either.
If you see this, post a vampire that isn't Dracula.
January 8, 2026 at 6:31 PM
If you see this, post a vampire that isn't Dracula.
Unexpected new skill: bathing chickens
January 4, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Unexpected new skill: bathing chickens
One last walk in the Shropshire countryside before starting all over again in 2026 tomorrow. This is from Barrington, looking over towards the Stretton Hills and the setting sun.
December 31, 2025 at 5:18 PM
One last walk in the Shropshire countryside before starting all over again in 2026 tomorrow. This is from Barrington, looking over towards the Stretton Hills and the setting sun.
Bit of a busman's holiday, but I don't often get the chance to come to the office as an actual visitor so I had a lovely day showing Maude the full @bclivingmuseum.bsky.social experience.
December 28, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Bit of a busman's holiday, but I don't often get the chance to come to the office as an actual visitor so I had a lovely day showing Maude the full @bclivingmuseum.bsky.social experience.
You can learn a lot about a person based on who their favourite Muppet is.
December 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
You can learn a lot about a person based on who their favourite Muppet is.
I think I might make a copy of this for parties and/or public transport.
December 17, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I think I might make a copy of this for parties and/or public transport.
Tremors by a country mile.
December 15, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Tremors by a country mile.
I'm sure a lot of historians idly wonder what they'd do if they had a time machine. Me, I'd go back to whoever owned our house c1980s and explain that if you have damp in an old house, textured wallpaper with polystyrene behind it and woodchip everywhere Will Not Help. Nice orange underneath though.
December 15, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I'm sure a lot of historians idly wonder what they'd do if they had a time machine. Me, I'd go back to whoever owned our house c1980s and explain that if you have damp in an old house, textured wallpaper with polystyrene behind it and woodchip everywhere Will Not Help. Nice orange underneath though.
We were at the opposite end of Stiperstones! Bit murkier in the woods.
December 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM
We were at the opposite end of Stiperstones! Bit murkier in the woods.
I wonder if five lodgers would cover the mansion tax?
November 30, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I wonder if five lodgers would cover the mansion tax?
Three of our girls working on their album cover
November 27, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Three of our girls working on their album cover
This reminds of the wonderful illustrations in Tangye's centenary publication in 1957. www.tangye.org/tangye_hist7...
November 25, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This reminds of the wonderful illustrations in Tangye's centenary publication in 1957. www.tangye.org/tangye_hist7...
I wonder if any Irish historians on here can help me identify any of the people in this picture? Early 1900s probably in Dublin, it's Tom Clarke in the middle and I think I know who it is on the left of the image. Any of the others though?
November 25, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I wonder if any Irish historians on here can help me identify any of the people in this picture? Early 1900s probably in Dublin, it's Tom Clarke in the middle and I think I know who it is on the left of the image. Any of the others though?
Wow what could go wrong with denying people access to services based on their physical appearance www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Wow what could go wrong with denying people access to services based on their physical appearance www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What I was probably actually listening to.
November 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
What I was probably actually listening to.
Further shout outs.
November 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Further shout outs.
What perfect album came out the year you turned 16?
I definitely wasn't cool enough to be listening to this at the time, but In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is definitely the 1998 album I've listened to most since.
I definitely wasn't cool enough to be listening to this at the time, but In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is definitely the 1998 album I've listened to most since.
November 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
What perfect album came out the year you turned 16?
I definitely wasn't cool enough to be listening to this at the time, but In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is definitely the 1998 album I've listened to most since.
I definitely wasn't cool enough to be listening to this at the time, but In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is definitely the 1998 album I've listened to most since.
Back onto historic pub interiors today. Here's one of my favourites, the Seven Stars in Smethwick in 1964, showing the reality of life beyond the headlines in that year: drinkers quietly getting on together. Most pubs in the town had a colour bar, but not this one.
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Back onto historic pub interiors today. Here's one of my favourites, the Seven Stars in Smethwick in 1964, showing the reality of life beyond the headlines in that year: drinkers quietly getting on together. Most pubs in the town had a colour bar, but not this one.
Got to live the dream this afternoon by researching pies (open the pic for the full view).
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
November 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Got to live the dream this afternoon by researching pies (open the pic for the full view).
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
I knew I was right to hang onto books from my MA 15 years ago - I'm a long way from KCL but every so often my inner geographer emerges. Today I'm trying to find the quote about "knocking through" in Jonathan Raban.
October 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I knew I was right to hang onto books from my MA 15 years ago - I'm a long way from KCL but every so often my inner geographer emerges. Today I'm trying to find the quote about "knocking through" in Jonathan Raban.
It's Halloween for chickens too
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It's Halloween for chickens too
It's Maude's 12th birthday - seems very fitting that it's Halloween.
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It's Maude's 12th birthday - seems very fitting that it's Halloween.
Really shocked to just hear about the passing of Bunny Bread, who created (among many others) the murals of Benjamin Zephaniah in Handsworth Park, and Malcolm X in Smethwick. His work was so detailed and full of life, how sad.
October 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Really shocked to just hear about the passing of Bunny Bread, who created (among many others) the murals of Benjamin Zephaniah in Handsworth Park, and Malcolm X in Smethwick. His work was so detailed and full of life, how sad.