Gordon McKelvie
@gordonmckelvie.bsky.social
Medieval Historian and UCU branch officer. Senior lecturer at Winchester University. Research on popular protest, political culture, warfare, rumour/conspiracy theories in England and Scotland, c.1300-1600. Views also on union stuff and politics
Join us and @brepols.net for the free webinar about BBIH’s key features so you can make the most of this valuable resource! Date: October 2, 2026 Time: 14:00 (London, UK) / 09:00 AM (Eastern Time, USA) / 15:00 (Brussels) Duration: 15-20 minutes Register today: buff.ly/QwhXi5R
Public Service Message for anyone else in this situation. Offering an alternative post at half the hours or a lower grade is NOT suitable alternative employment and does NOT protect the employer from having to pay you redundancy pay. Get in touch with your union! www.acas.org.uk/your-rights-...
Suitable alternative employment - Your rights during redundancy - Acas
If your employer offers you another job during redundancy it needs to be suitable and you should get to try it out. This is called suitable alternative employment.
acas.org.uk
Plashing Vole@plashingvole.bsky.social · 5d agoSacking news: I scored 3rd out of 4 and therefore only qualify for a 0.5 post, with no redundancy payment because it's a contract variation rather than a dismissal. My 2.5 colleagues are thankfully therefore OK
NEW JOB! We are pleased to share news from our friends at VCH Hampshire who are advertising for a contributing editor to edit, research, and write work towards the county's first #BigRedBook for over a century. Applications close 1 October. #Skystorians #LocalHistory
Contributing Editor at Victoria County History Hampshire
Recruiting now: Contributing Editor on jobs.ac.uk. Click for details and explore more academic job opportunities on the top job board
jobs.ac.uk
'In some respects, what we are seeing resembles a form of collective grief. Not only grief for colleagues who have left, but grief for ways of working, professional identities and communities that once gave meaning to academic life. This creates an important challenge for university leaders.'
The loss of staff belonging in higher education
Nick Hulbert-Williams argues that what looks like low morale and change fatigue in HE may really be a crisis of belonging
wonkhe.com
It would make as much sense as the police supporting the SWP
Peter Whitewood@pwhitewood.bsky.social · last wk.Surprise of the year
In fact 'As the minister for science in the newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), McDonald has responsibility for the country’s entire research and development system, *including social sciences and the arts and the humanities*.' #Skystorians
Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last wk.'The pledge by the UK’s new science minister to adopt an “unrelenting focus” on science has prompted concern and confusion.' To put it mildly and very diplomatically.
I really feel that, as someone who finished his undergrad in 2008, that I deserve to experience economic growth at some point. Just to feel something.
What the absolute fuck is this line of questioning by Justin Webb? It’s worse than pure grandstanding; it’s querying Miliband’s faith.
A very quick turn around because of paperwork, but we're hiring a one year post in Modern British History! Please have a look and share widely with anyone interested! Happy to take informal queries at the email in the job posting! www.winchester.ac.uk/About-Us/Wor...
Work with us - University of Winchester
Explore the University of Winchester and discover your new career. We have a variety of positions in academic and professional services. Work with us.
winchester.ac.uk
Reform say they'll force school children to sing hymns. Only 5% of Britons go to church. So what we have here is a religious minority forcing their wishes on the majority, and refusing to integrate with Britain's culture. They should go and live somewhere else. According to Reform.
Fellow academics - am I alone in thinking that it’s pretty unprofessional to put on your profile the title of an article you have submitted and is under review. It’s basically getting rid of the anonymity of peer review and there’s a bunch of power dynamics depending on seniority
Now, other universities need to follow suit. The threat of compulsory redundancy, even if never realized, causes a lot of stress and anxiety, and people work less efficiently as a result. (I should know, I've been there, more than once.)
Alex Prichard@profalexp.bsky.social · 2w agoA victory of sorts. We may have lost around 100 colleagues, who left ‘voluntarily’, but no one was sacked, our ballot closes on Wednesday and not all our conditions have been met (eg workloads), and we are in a very different place as staff and Union. Time to #ReclaimExeterUni @ucu.org.uk
Always good to see some pre modern heritage stuff that isn’t Wars of Independence, Reformation or Jacobites
Jenn Scott@jennscott1485.bsky.social · 2w agoThis weekend I will be at Linlithgow recreating the battle of Linlithgow Bridge. www.battle500.org.uk/event-detail...
Still need to finalise the last output from my successful grant but can fully recommend putting in for one of these. Has been key in opening up other opportunities and the partially randomised nature makes it a level playing field if you’re at a post-92
Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 2w agoOur wonderful small grants scheme is open again offering up to £10k to humanities and social sciences researchers. www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
‘In a development that raised more questions, court documents show that DVLA letters addressed to the mayor about the unpaid tax bill were sent to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant in east London instead of the nearby TfL offices.’ How’s this legal? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Sadiq Khan fined by fast-track court over untaxed car City Hall says is not his
London mayor convicted under controversial system where magistrates can decide outcomes in seconds
theguardian.com
A European athletics champion and also a BA History graduate. Dina Asher-Smith talked this morning about how her BA History degree has helped to power her running career. One for the graduate outcomes survey! (circa 2:30.00): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @royalhistsoc.org
Today - 01/09/2026 - BBC Sounds
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
bbc.co.uk
I’d be ok with this if they did Robin of Rededale’s rebellion instead.
Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 4w ago'The Uprising' has been revealed to be a Robin Hood movie 🏹 Starring Andrew Garfield Releasing in theaters September 11
Just your ordinary Reform page spewing Russian propaganda. This is who Reform are. Fascists who will take anyone's money and parrot anyone's propaganda. I stand proudly with the people of Ukraine, and support giving Ukraine the means to fight off their Russian aggressors. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 o Gymru 🏴
One of my favourite exchanges - from a pair of very south London lads: Lad 1: Look out man it's the Feds Lad 2: WTF are you on about? Feds?
Senior Lecturer in History @uniwinchester.bsky.social Gordon McKelvie gets his teeth into the facts and fiction surrounding notorious Scottish cannibal Christie Cleek for The Conversation. Read his article here shorturl.at/zr3K8
The enduring mystery of Scotland’s medieval cannibals
The most famous Scottish cannibal was Sawney Bean, a 16th-century man who, with his wife and children, supposedly killed and ate travellers to the Ayrshire coast.
shorturl.at
"Prayer can be more abusive than just talking to someone, because you're saying God is complicit." What an extraordinary discussion featuring Traitors star Matty Hyndman on BBC's Scotcast. #LGBTRights #ConversionPractices
Enjoyed writing this one - really looking at how some legends about cannibalism arise from periods of famine
The Conversation UK@uk.theconversation.com · last mo.The most famous Scottish cannibal was Sawney Bean, a 16th-century man who, with his wife and children, supposedly killed and ate travellers to the Ayrshire coast.
In August 1415, three conspirators were executed for their role in the Southampton Plot, and attempt to usurp Henry V. Dr Simon Payling explores the motivations of one particular plotter, Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham, whose intentions are harder to ascertain.
Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham, and the Southampton Plot of 1415: a false conviction of treason?
In August 1415, three conspirators were executed for their role in the Southampton Plot, an attempt to usurp Henry V. Although two of the plotter's motives
historyofparliament.com
Not my usual topic of research but something I found interesting. Probably best not read before dinner theconversation.com/the-enduring...
The enduring mystery of Scotland’s medieval cannibals
The most famous Scottish cannibal was Sawney Bean, a 16th-century man who, with his wife and children, supposedly killed and ate travellers to the Ayrshire coast.
theconversation.com
