Wednesday evenings, brought to you during the 90 minute window waiting for my daughter to do cadets, which comprises a food shop and what I’ve taken to referring to as car admin (admin undertaken from the car). All the glamour
My husband looked quite amused when I showed him this
A hand-drawn visual summary of the Broken Bonds conference on a green background. The title "Broken Bonds: New Perspectives on Marital Breakdown in the English Common Law World 1801-1969" appears at the top in bold decorative lettering. The image contains twelve illustrated circular vignettes, each representing a conference paper, with key themes and keywords highlighted in banners and speech bubbles. Topics include parliamentary divorce, the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes 1857, domestic violence, bigamy, Scottish divorce law, homosexuality in the mid-twentieth century divorce court, and coverture. Silhouetted figures of Victorian men and women appear throughout. Logos for Northumbria University, the ESRC, Welsh Women's Aid, and The National Archives appear at the bottom, alongside the credit "By Julia Bakay."
Yesterday's Broken Bonds conference was everything I hoped it would be. From parliamentary #divorce to the mid-20thC family courts, domestic #abuse & legacies of #coverture, the scholarship was outstanding. Lady Hale's keynote was unforgettable. Watch this space for news of an edited collection...
One of my MLitt students is doing their thesis on potential applications for AI based noise reduction of archival recordings of speech. If this is your area of interest, there is a survey here they’d be grateful for contributions to app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/dundee/sou...
#archives #oralhistory
Spent yesterday at Broken Bonds, an absolutely brilliant conference examining divorce and its history. Fascinating papers and great to catch up with people. Baroness Hale on top form in addition. Congratulations on a superb day @drjenniferaston.bsky.social
In particular, I draw your attention to the life course tracing session I run, including an ask-me-anything session at the end! Bookings for that one are here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/practical-...
We’ve got some great training courses coming at @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy for students and anyone interested in learning more about our records: all the details here www.eventbrite.com/cc/practical...
It’s the most delicious thing. They have a shop in Hawkshead where I am going in June and I am already excited about stocking up
Delighted that details of our recently awarded seed corn grants are now announced: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/community-hu...
#spacesplacesandbelonging
An image of nurses in a suffrage procession, holding flags and staring determinedly at the camera
Learn more about the crucial role nurses played in the Women's Suffrage Movement with our Historic Nursing Journals. Here's an image of nurses in suffrage procession on the 17 June 1911, just before the Coronation of George V and Mary. ✊
#RCNLibraries #HistNursing
https://bit.ly/3OwvVu0
Charity, Humanitarianism, and Childhood Monday 22nd June 2026 One day colloquium: Centre for the History of Childhood, University of Oxford Magdalen College Oxford, UK, and online Call for Papers We welcome papers that consider the theme of ‘Charity, Humanitarianism, and Childhood’ from a wide variety of perspectives. Areas that papers might explore include: • Children’s experiences as recipients of charity and humanitarianism, including in the context of conflict and displacement • Children’s experiences as charitable and humanitarian actors and providers • Representations of childhood within charitable and humanitarian discourses • Institutions and communities that mobilise around charitable and humanitarian relief for children • Memories, intergenerational transmission, and legacies of charity and humanitarianism • Failures, limitations, and tensions resulting from charitable and humanitarian actions • Archives for, approaches to, and public engagement with the study of charity, humanitarianism, and childhood in the past • Conceptual connections between care, vulnerability, and age We welcome papers from any disciplinary or professional background and career stage, including advanced undergraduate and graduate students. We encourage papers that engage with the diversity of children’s and young people’s experiences in any historical period and place. Please send abstracts of c. 250 words for a fifteen-minute paper and a brief bio to sian.pooley@magd.ox.ac.uk by midday on Friday 13th March 2026. We plan to offer in- person and online participation, so please indicate your preference when submitting. Organising Committee: Charlotte Canizo, Joseph Leidy, Siân Pooley, Susannah Wright
Excellent talk yesterday at our seminar by Ian Archer 16thC children's work - some of it under the aegis of charity - beginning a conversation tbc in our colloquium this year - Monday 22nd June, 'Charity, Humanitarianism, and Childhood' get your abstracts in! deadline 13th March 2026
I thought you did a great job!
Delighted to see @ermerlindaj.bsky.social on Our Hospital Through Time tonight. Marvellous job Kate. I made D watch it too.
And a Friendless Church! Excellent buttresses AND wall painting.
friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/church/st-ma...
I saw this at the station which was unexpected. Thank you?
Nice long stomp along the Thames Path, knocking off Windsor to Bourne End and some bits around the back of Little Marlow because the TP was not so much damp as under a full foot of water. There was sunshine and spring flowers so hurrah.
The new floofy kitten will have to take over in Larry’s stead
Most saddened to hear of the demise of the Diplomog. Rest well Palmerston. May the eternal treat jar ever be well stocked.
The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Registration for History and Archives in Practice is now OPEN!
We can't wait to host #HAP26 and explore intersections of archives and history!
@unisheffieldlib.bsky.social @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy @ihr.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.org
More info and to register ➡️ tinyurl.com/2skavaty
The special issue of Cultural and Social History on “Researching Student Lives: Methodological and Theoretical Perspectives” (co-ed. w Georgina Brewis & Jodi Burkett) is live - yay! Several articles are OA :) Huge thanks to our contributors & the journal editors!
www.tandfonline.com/toc/rfcs20/2...
Oh, I already wear bilateral hearing aids. It’s just a matter of progressing to even bigger ones and what that timetable looks like.
Please do share this doctoral opportunity with MA/MSt students - four years of AHRC funding to work on the history of children's play in Wales, supervised by me and the lovely and brilliant Dr Jacky Tyrie. Any questions get in touch! www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Amazing news Jen. Bravo!
🎉 Wonderful news from our project!
"Deserted Wives and Economic Divorce in 19th-Century England and Wales" by PI @drjenniferaston.bsky.social & Olive Anderson has been shortlisted for TWO prizes: the Hart-SLSA Book Prize AND the Socio-Legal Theory and History Prize!
#LegalHistory #SocioLegal
My understanding from what I read of Chicago’s history (married into an Illinois family, natch) is that it is indeed quite murdery and I salute your project ambitions.
There is something quietly dispiriting about undergoing a hearing test and being aware that there is probably not meant to be quite such a long gap between the noises. On the upside, my hearing has definitely deteriorated so glad to learn I was correct about that.
Yes, I've dusted off the old blog to post this. Slightly shocked to discover I hadn't posted anything since 2020. Just maybe I will start to add the odd thing again. Maybe.
Very productive day at the Surrey History Centre, doing some research for a forthcoming journal article and uncovered far more than I anticipated which is great and infuriating #research #archives
We're looking to capture experiences of what it means to be queer in the UK today! To do that we're collecting day diaries for 12th February. It doesn't matter what you get up to, or how you record it, we'd love to have it!🧵 (1/4) #LGBTplusHM #lgbthm26