So that's it.
"...some museums that take a very niche view on our past that may talk about slavery, without the whole picture of the fact that the British empire was the first to abolish slavery, and that other countries have done it for, you know, millennia".
Reform Leader Dan Thomas to the BBC.
The Museums Association responds to the Reform-UK manifesto for the Welsh Senedd election which states a Reform Gov would impose a curatorial view.
"We are concerned that Reform UK's Manifesto for Wales appears to suggest that, if elected, they would seek to control how museums interpret history."
The Rotunda is just one of a series of disposals by the MoD all over the country, where it will be essential to ensure historic buildings and sites are sold into a sustainable future and not just flogged off in a fire sale to get the cost of maintaining them off the Government books.
All over the country the Ministry of Defence controls many historic buildings which, given the MoD's day job, are too often neglected.
One is the unique Woolwich Rotunda, designed by John Nash, which is now for sale.
A locally based trust wants to bring it back into use as a public space.
Mr Francis added,
“In recent weeks, I’ve tried to broker a meeting between both parties. To date, the landlord hasn’t accepted my invite to explore options."
The refusal to engage means the motivation of the landlord in effectively killing off 110 years of community football isn't known.
According to the club, VCD Athletic are not viable because their landlord refuses to discuss a new lease on their ground.
Local MP Daniel Francis, said “I’m devastated to read this.
“I’ll continue to press for the meeting in order to save the club and this important part of Crayford’s history.”
In a World Cup year with the Premier League heading for a photo finish the fate of one ninth tier football club won't get many headlines.
It should.
110 year old VCD Athletic is one of the last vestiges of the Vickers factory which built Alcock and Brown's transatlantic aircraft.
#ItsAllAboutTheHistory News
"He explained that people can try to make a deal with the landowner where they agree to share anything valuable they find 50:50."
Another, unquestioning, seemingly Fast Show inspired,
"Metal Detecting, isn't it brilliant!"
story from the BBC.
The Daily Mail claims Tories are warning the Erasmus student exchange scheme will brainwash students to favour the EU.
Wibble...
The Lebanese Ministey of Culture asks that only verified information.ation is reported andnpublishes images of the Charnaa Castle site which has allegedly been damaged by Israeli military action.
In addition, the Ministry asks that only verified information is reported and allegations circulating that sites in Tyre have also been damaged by the current Israeli action are false.
A statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Culture complaining to UNESCO regarding alleged damage to the Charnaa Castle site by the Israeli Army, in breach of the Hague Convention.
#HeritageCrime News
In a statement issued on Social Media the Lebanese Ministry of Culture has confirmed it has made a complaint to UNESCO alleging the Israeli army has damaged the historic site at Charnaa Castle contrary to the Hague Convention.
Amid questions over procurement and an alleged black hole in Network Rail's budget for the project, the Victorian Society, the Twentieth Century Society and SAVE Britain’s Heritage, are urging London mayor Sadiq Khan to call in the controversial plan to redevelop Liverpool Street Station.
There are also cases of benefactors buying artifacts at auction and subsequently donating them to a museum.
In short, it can be argued there is no certain way of ensuring locally or nationally important artefacts remain in the public domain because the system remains essentially transactional.
If an item is disclaimed so that no reward is payable the item can be retained, sold or donated by the finder and landowner, usually on a 50/50 split.
If sold at auction public bodies sometimes bid, or seek to buy the item from the purchaser including if, for example, an export ban is imposed.
The Treasure Act 1996 replaced the medieval concept of Treasure Trove although coroners do still adjudicate the issue on behalf of the Crown.
In terms of "rewards" paid to finders of items declared Treasure & retained, that is generally down to the tax payer, either directly or via public appeals.
Buried at the end of the BBC article are the names of the seven funding bodies, which, along with private donations, paid for the "Woden" Ring to enable it to go on public display.
The Treasure system means too often the public must buy back its own heritage, or see it vanish into private hands.
#ItsAboutTheHistory News
"The ring was declared a treasure by a coroner, making it available for the museum to acquire."
Not the whole story
Declaring an object Treasure means the finder & land owner split the adjudicated value 50/50, or, if disclaimed, can sell, retain, or donate to a museum.
If you don't know it already Destiny is one of the great modern political plays.
Grounded in the world of the National Front, the themes of identity and Nazi aligned grifters exploiting well meaning patriots and working class fears, are scarily of today.
This should be a thought provoking treat.
Turns out factual reporting isn't defamatory, even in the United States.
Who'd have guessed...
If you are an #EAA member with a view on what is happening or if you have an inside track on what is happening at the EAA, #thePipeLine and #WatchingBrief would like to hear from you.
DM in confidence.
Signal ID: AndyBrockman.25
A graphic showing the results of the #EAA per rollam vote indicating substantial dissatisfaction with the EAA leadership's handling of its relationship with Israeli government bodies and protests over Israeli conduct in Gaza and the Occupied Territories.
Is it going too far to suggest the European Association of Archaeologists #EAA is facing its Victor Orban moment?
While the EAA leadership tried to downplay the results of the per rollem vote, it is clearly out of step with a large proportion of its membership and at some point it must face them.
The Fakest Story Oversold...
For context here is the episode of #WatchingBrief from October 2025 when we discussed the Edgcote row with Graham Evans.
Graham Evans of the Northamptonshire Battlefield Society, which highlighted the issue, and the loophole in protection for battlefields it highlighted, said,
"We can't do anything about the archaeology that's been lost, but at least we can restore the shape of the hill and the battlefield."
Archaeology Spoiled...
HS2 has almost completed the restoration of the part of the registered Wars of the Roses battlefield of Edgcote which had been controversially used by the railway builder to store spoil, putting at risk the ability to better understand the course and locations of the battle.
This is not a satirical comment. It is precisely the cynical, rigged rationale we have seen in the loss of some archaeology courses.
J D Vance! Donald Trump! Vladimir Putin! Matt Goodwin! Nigel Farage! James Orr! the Spiked online guy!
Your boy took one hell of a beating!
Missed this at the time, but still worth celebrating in a schadenfreude sort of way.
A judge has told Elon people choosing not to place advertising with your social media platform because you have turned it into a fash adjacent sewer of racism, misogyny and disinformation, isn't anti competitive.
#ItsAllAboutTheHistory News
No really, as the BBC reports,
"She says she is not auctioning her items for monetary reasons but hopes her finds will go to "someone who loves history".
Or you could look at this as what is effectively a local museum collection being split up and flogged off.
