Great episode. Amazing guy!! Never knew any of that. Thanks for the education & insight.

Lovely day at #WHWFV yesterday. Cool vehicles, a catch-up with many friends and excellent talks including a barnstormer by @normagraham.bsky.social
I learned so much about the Canadian Paras! Thanks Norma.

Great to see you and have a chat, Nick.

Yesterday it was 37C!!! About 10C too hot for me. It cools down to about 34C today 🤣

Lisbon is a very photogenic city I have to say. Loving it here despite the very un-celtic temperatures!! 🥵☀️

Got home from work to some nice presents to myself. Looking forward to getting stuck into these highly acclaimed books from @historybowsh.bsky.social and Dr Victoria Humphreys.

It should be illegal for law enforcement to wear masks and not show ID.
This makes it too easy to impersonate law enforcement and murder people in their homes.

Very happy to be number 2 to the legendary @seanokeeffe11.bsky.social

Oh Happy Days: A Personal Recollection Of Working For Jeremy Hunt | The Quietus You learn a lot about someone when you work with them every day. I’m sure my colleagues at The Quietus have gained a pretty good idea of general aspects of my character – various insecurities, organis...

...and so Jeremy Hunt is now Sir Jeremy Hunt. My article about working for his dreadful pre-politics publishing company Hotcourses was a popular among NHS employees when he was health secretary; sharing it again for old times' sake.

thequietus.com/opinion-and-...

Brass Against - Ace of Spades (Motorhead Cover) [Official Video] YouTube video by BrassAgainstVEVO

What do you think of this cover, @njg330.bsky.social ?
I’m a fan!

youtube.com/watch?v=972p...

Mini Irish IC gathering in London w @flyroy2.bsky.social @jameshayes.bsky.social

Age yourself with a cartoon you watched as a kid

I know what you mean. Some people’s recollection for those details are amazing! Not mine unfortunately. Good luck with the search for info 👍🏽

I wonder if @lydiajane13.bsky.social might know where to start? She knows quite a bit about Halifax units.

Your lede ought to make it clearer that the children didn’t ’flee alone’ because their parents wanted it that way: it was because the British government, egged on by the same anti-refugee prejudices that animate the right today, refused to let them in.

Mine has arrived too. Looks and feels magnificent I must say. Many thanks @lydiajane13.bsky.social

(1/3) The documentary filmed inside Thames Water, shows that the company is even more of a mess than we previously thought. It is clear that it's also woefully out of touch with customers' experiences.

#sewage #water #thameswater #bbc

FREE FEATURE: For Valour My job as an historian seems pretty simple on the surface.

Today’s FREE article is up and it’s a tribute to men and women who have won their nation’s highest gallantry awards.

From the US Civil War, to WW1 and WW2 find out all about ordinary people doing extraordinary things

achurchill.substack.com/p/free-featu...

In today’s episode we look at the NCAC, and the political intrigues and tensions between the CBI leadership. It’s not to be missed!

Many congratulations, Ian. Loved the conversation with David O’Keefe. I look forward to the next one.

As you view American Football for the first time, I am certain you will be impressed by its similarity to your great game of “Rugger”. In both games the teams start with a “kick off” and both teams attempt to place the ball behind the opponent’s goal line. In both games the “run”, “pass” and “kick” are the agencies used to place the ball there. You have your “scrummage” or “scrum” while we have our “scrimmage” which we do not call “scrim”. We also have “place-kicks”, “drop-kicks” and “punts” as do you. After one team has “received” the “kick-off” it may run with the ball, pass it backward or kick it. The election usually is to run with it. The ball carrier runs until he is thrown to the ground or run out of bounds. Our field is 100 yards long and 160 feet wide. When the ball carrier is “downed” the ball is put in play from “scrimmage”. Two lines of players are formed facing each other, the rules requiring that the side putting the ball in play have at least seven of its eleven men on the line. One of these “linemen” “snaps” the ball back between his legs to one of the four men back of the line who may then run with it, kick it, pass it backward or pass it forward if he does so from a point at least five yards back of the line of scrimmage. When the forward progress of the ball has been stopped or a forward pass has become “incomplete” a “down” is counted. The side having the ball has four “downs” in which to advance the ball ten yards. If on any one of these downs the ball has been so advanced “first down” is declared and the team in possession of the ball again has four “downs” in which to advance the ball ten yards, On any one of these “downs” the team carrying the ball may elect to punt it. The punt is used when it is felt that the chance of making the required ten yards is not good.

Players of the team in possession of the ball may not use their hands on their opponents, however the ball carrier may use a “straight arm” to ward off an opponent. Players of the defensive team may use their hands to push or pull opponents out of the way in order to get at the ball carrier. Neither side may hold opponents other than the ball carrier. When the teams have lined up for “scrimmage” no player of the team carrying the ball may move forward until the ball has been “snapped” to a “back” and no player of the defensive team may move across the “line of scrimmage” until the ball has been “snapped”. If he does he is “off-side”. Scoring is by touchdown, six points; field goal, three points; try for point after touchdown, one point and safety, two points. A “touchdown” is made when the ball is legally in the possession of a player on, over or above his opponent’s goal line. A “field goal” is made when a player drop-kicks or place-kicks, from scrimmage, the ball over the cross bar and between the uprights of his opponents’ goal posts. After a “touchdown” the team scoring may “try” for point from scrimmage by a run, a pass or a “field goal”. For this play the ball is placed on the “two-yard” line. A “safety” is scored when the ball is “down” in the possession of a player behind his own goal when the impetus which placed it there was supplied by the team defending that goal. There are eleven players each side named: right and left end, right and left tackle, right and left guard, center, quarterback, right halfback, left halfback and fullback. There are four officials, the referee who works behind the offensive team; the umpire who works behind the defensive team, the head linesman, who works along one side of the field and the field judge, who works well back of the defensive team. The man carrying the box with the figures on it is the head linesman’s assistant and the figure on the side of the box facing the field denotes the number of the current down. The m…

Generally speaking, no linemen except the ends coming around behind their own team may carry the ball and no one but the men on each end of the line and the men in the backfield (the backs) may legally catch a “forward pass”. Players wear heavy protective equipment. There are some fatalities in our football game each year but these and serious injuries have been greatly reduced by the use of proper equipment. There are many rules and they are quite complicated, but these will be explained as they come up from time to time throughout the game. The members of the defensive team may play any place on their side of the “line of scrimmage” but the offensive team must have seven of its members on the line and must have its backfield men at least one yard back of the line if they are to be eligible to carry the ball.

Not sure what's going to be happening at the #Superbowl?

Brush up on the rules of the game taken from the match day programme from 14th November 1942.

This contest between Yarvard and Hale played at the home of @ulsterrugby.bsky.social was the first game of American Football in the E.T.O.

Superb. And what a life he led.

Even though most of us will probably never lead the charge, we all have a vital role to play in this battle before us.

"Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star." ~ MLK

Hi, humans. I’m God.

Please do less killing this year. More working together to fight for basic human rights.

Thanks in advance,

God

Couple Who Met Through Al Murray's Podcast Plan WW2 Themed Wedding YouTube video by Good Morning Britain

youtu.be/Y_0DKPm9n8g?...
For any angry loners out there that would like to watch the full thing.

Very perceptive of you, James 😂

Turns out 2025 is going to be sunny. 😁 👍🏽 Happy New Year everyone.

"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all."

Arthur C. Clarke

A list of ten countries and the number of heavy metal bands they have per 1 million people...

China = 0.1
Jamaica = 0.3
Thailand = 2
Albania = 3
South Korea = 4
Cuba = 6
Japan = 11
Russia = 14
Brazil = 18
Finland = 532