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Dan

@fraternalwriter.bsky.social

Researcher, author, mostly UK & 18th-20thC social history especially friendly societies, banners, the Open University, the Labour Party and the history of local history. Escapes through running.

538 Posts759 Follower601 Folgt
Dr Robert Bohan@robertbohan.bsky.social · 15h ago

Jason Arday^: I remember someone, who I respect, saying ‘the evidence was mounting up’ & I reviewed everything I had seen proof of WRT plagiarism & came up blank. Everything was anecdotal & I noted everyone exaggerates on their CV, but running wasn’t relevant* It was. He did.

Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 17h ago

One of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26

Photo after Jason's final marathon taken from his archived blog showing Jason surrounded by supporters in orange charity t-shirts
Glen O'Hara@gsoh31.bsky.social · 18h ago

Britain's universities are changing. Far more of their 18-21yo undergrads will have to live in the parental home. Yet whole regions are becoming subject deserts and are going to have far less HE. So stupid: no plan, no policy, no-one in charge. Dumb as rocks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

More students planning to live at home for uni over 'insane' living costs

Students like Jessica say they worry about missing out on student life, but feel they have no choice but to stay at home.

bbc.co.uk

Dan@fraternalwriter.bsky.social · 2d ago

UK HE institutions facing reductions in staffing & offerings. While the PM blithely makes claims about AI’s ability ‘to write an essay', an important contributor to economic growth and social peace is in deep trouble, due, in large part, to government policies. Spotted an error? Amendments welcome.

List of UK HE institutions facing significant downsizing.
@wamesmecfs.bsky.social · 4d ago

The Heritage Study invites adults with Long Covid and/or ME/CFS symptoms for 2 years or longer to take part by surveys and/or interview. The aim is to understand people’s experiences and help improve future NHS services. tinyurl.com/mrxz2ktv

Bild
DeclanKavanagh.bsky.social@drdeclankavanagh.bsky.social · 4d ago

Happy to share this statement from the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, which responds to recent comments about my position as Senior Lecturer in Eighteenth Century Studies and work I supervise. Solidarity with all marginalised academics under attack by the peddlers of a culture war.

Statement from BSECS Published on: 18th Aug 2026 BACK The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies supports the work of scholars of the period from all backgrounds and career stages, working in all disciplines. The Society has recently reaffirmed its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all its activities, and its opposition to bullying and harassment. As such, members of the Society have been deeply concerned about the public hounding of academics by sections of the media and on social media platforms. In the current 'culture wars', universities and their staff - and Black scholars in particular - have been targeted to score political points about EDI, 'woke' culture and progressive causes. This tragically came to a head last week with the death of Prof Jason Arday, who had been subjected to weeks of hostile commentary and personal attacks.A recent article in The Spectator typified this trend. In this article, one of our own colleagues and his doctoral students were attacked for their work on queer readings of fiction. We stand in solidarity with our colleague, and strongly object to any such attempt to bully scholars and students in our field. Furthermore, we insist that the study of sexuality is a legitimate and urgent academic endeavour, not least because many of today's attitudes towards sex and gender have their roots in the eighteenth century. Indeed, current scholarship on the eighteenth century is very much alive to the challenges faced by society today, in fields such as race, gender, class and the environment, among many others. The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies will continue to support those who carry out this important work, and we wish to assure our members that the Society will stand up to any attempt to harass them. The Executive Committee of BSECS
Ant Breach@antbreach.bsky.social · 4d ago

It would be a terrible shame if this resource was lost for want of an archive - this stuff is still of major interest to policymakers today and is a crucial part of the social history that made the Britain of today (HT @municipaldreams.bsky.social )

Ant Breach@antbreach.bsky.social · 4d ago

About a month until 8,000 volumes on British postwar planning and housing history gets pulped. Unless we can find someone to save it municipaldreams.substack.com/p/a-good-hom...

Dr Vanessa@hpsvanessa.bsky.social · last wk.

props to Mary Douglas for turning this apparently regular domestic frustration into an academic publication rather than a totally justified murder. (Deciphering a Meal, 1972)

Screenshot of text “Sometimes at home, hoping to simplify the cooking, I ask, "Would you like to have just soup for supper tonight? I mean a good thick soup- instead of supper. It's late and you must be hungry. It won't take a minute to serve." Then an argument starts: "Let's have soup now, and supper when you are ready." "No no, to serve two meals would be more work. But if you like, why not start with the soup and fill up with pudding?" "Good heavens! What sort of a meal is that? A beginning and an end and no middle." "Oh, all right then, have the soup as it's there, and I'll do a Welsh rarebit as well." When they have eaten soup, Welsh rarebit, pud- ding, and cheese: "What a lot of plates. Why do you make such elaborate suppers?" They proceed to argue that by taking thought I could satisfy the full requirements of a meal with a single, copious dish. Several rounds of this conversation have given me a practical interest in the categories and…”
Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social · 6d ago

The photo is of VE DAY. You'd think that if you were going to go to the trouble of appropriating other people's efforts you'd at least fact check the photo. But no. This is Robert Jenrick..

Jenrick Today is VJ Day. We remember the greatest generation, who fought and served our country, often with unfathomable courage. We must strive to make Britain a country they would recognise and be proud of again
Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 6d ago

👇Great post this. Learning the recorder is a classic example of the importance of knowledge-rich learning that may seem pointless: it’s an easy, cheap way to provide children with the building blocks that allow them to learn to play many instruments quicker later.

ex-Lethality Jane@lethalityjane.bsky.social · 6d ago

You played the recorder in part to strengthen your fine motor skills and in part to introduce you to basic music theory concepts like rhythm, the C-major scale, and reading basic music notes. Your teachers wanted to make elementary music education available to all, not just the rich.

Threads post "And then for no reason, no reason at all, they made us all learn how to play the recorder"
Dan@fraternalwriter.bsky.social · 2w ago

Seeing the war through one man's testimony redirects the gaze from the aggregate data, centralises the seemingly peripheral, presents the past not in terms of patterns but as ragged and random, with the world as largely indifferent to the individual as is the case in the disorderly present.

George Ferguson WWI@georgeferguson.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Down in hosp. train to Etaples. Arrive at No. 8 Red Cross Hosp. Watch people from… Glorious day." For the moment, George was alive; no one was bombing him; no one was shooting at him; for the first time in weeks he was in a bed with sheets. georgefergusonliverpool.wordpress.com/2026/08/10/1...

Dan Sohege@danielsohege.bsky.social · 2w ago

I can only, personally, assume that Jon King and the Express editors are now actively supporting far right violence when they consider pillows, bedding and toilet rolls as "jaw dropping" to provide to people seeking safety after fleeing war and persecution.

The jaw-dropping list of everything asylum seekers in Thetford were 'given for free' EXCLUSIVE: Items include pillowcases, duvets, dinner plates and cutlery.The list includes a duvet, two pillows, hand towels, face towels, pillowcases, a dinner plate, cereal bowl, knife, fork, spoons, a frying pan, saucepan, tea towel and toilet roll.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w ago

Do you want to hazard a guess at what this “jaw-dropping” list of freebies included? What luxuries asylum seekers might be being given “for free” in Thetford? Xboxes? Plasma TVs? iPhones? Ferraris? Let's take a look👀 🧵 1/22

Express headline: The jaw-dropping list of everything asylum seekers in Thetford were 'given for free'.
Dan@fraternalwriter.bsky.social · 2w ago

The lions led by donkeys cliche should certainly be retired but these recollections of the Flanders fighting indicate why it still resonates

George Ferguson WWI@georgeferguson.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Stand to. News that we are to take part in the attack tomorrow. Move up at 8.30 Shelled passing through the 'Valley of Death' Enter trenches 10 to 4." August 1916. The Liverpool Scottish prepare to go over the top – and everything goes wrong. georgefergusonliverpool.wordpress.com/2026/08/08/8...

Frances Ryan@francesryan.bsky.social · 3w ago

As Rod Liddle has died, I notice this column I wrote in 2019 about his attacks on people with M.E. is on the most read again. Rebekah Brooks, of News UK, described Liddle today as “provocative”. In reality, he spread lies about very sick people for cash. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Rod Liddle vilifies disabled people. I’m tired of the hate. We all should be | Frances Ryan

Whether it is ME patients or another target, huge swathes of the media have normalised hatred of minorities for years, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

theguardian.com