Clare Downham

Keir Starmer and David Lammy are taking an extraordinarily dangerous gamble with our individual liberty This week, MPs will vote on the second reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill. Don’t let the anodyne name fool you – this is one of the most revolutionary pieces of legislation in our…

NEW BLOGPOST: Keir Starmer and David Lammy are taking an extraordinarily dangerous gamble with our individual liberty

For any MP unsure of how to vote on the government’s proposals to restrict trial by jury.

Excellent lecture by Alex Sanmark yesterday! The Viking Society for Northern Research runs events all year round and membership includes the annual journal Sagabook. Founded in 1892 and still running #medievalsky #sweden

Westminster Meeting House raided by Metropolitan Police again. Statement: “For Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life. Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent. That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.” – Oliver Robertson, Head of Witness and Worship Quakers in Britain, 5 March 2026

Yesterday evening, for the second time in a year, the Met Police raided Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrested a number of young nonviolent activists.

STATEMENT: www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern History, ANU #medieval #earlymodern anzamems.org/lecture...

Photo of text. Too long for character count. Would happily email across. Ask me at downham@liverpool.ac.uk

Just did a little write up of the Shandwick stone (with thanks to friends for advising on writing style) there are so many more Pictsh stones to see! #medievalsky #archaeology

The 2026 Viking Society for Northern Research student conference takes place at the University of Liverpool on 11 April. Includes student lectures, launch of the paperback 'Embers of the Hands' by Dr Eleanor Barraclough & plenary lecture by Prof Howard Williams @archaeodeathprof.bsky.social

There are worse downfalls!

‘“we devote significant resources to this, but unfortunately AI models are not perfect,” a Google spokesman said in a statement.‘ That is a disgusting statement in response to provoking the death of a young man. This is not acceptable.

Academics have two and only two speeds:
1. Can you review this manuscript by this afternoon?
Or
2. Sorry I missed your email in 2016 - do you still want to chat? #academia

😂 you sound like you could be tempted!

If I was half as good at other languages as you are, I’d be very happy with myself!

Books on Roman Britain for sale!! Please comment on photo if interested (DMs not working) Books are £60 for the lot including UK postage or £7.50 each including UK postage #roman #britain #history #archaeology the 3 books from the 1920s are nicely illustrated so quite lovely in their own way.

A friend Mike King is running a superbly well informed tour of Hadrian’s wall in July. There are a few spaces left! #archaeology #romans #history www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tours/hadria...

X Is Drowning in Disinformation Following US and Israel’s Attack on Iran WIRED has reviewed hundreds of posts on X that promote misleading claims about the locations and scale of the attack.

“Almost all of the most viral posts reviewed by WIRED on Saturday came from accounts with blue check marks, meaning they…could be eligible to earn money based on how much engagement their posts generate, even if the content is false.”

From @davidgilbert.bsky.social

😂

It’s between Kendal and the Helm. Grandad was born at Natland Abbey before WW1 but I think these are lands he acquired later. He didn’t farm himself and so family links to the soil have stopped, although grandparents on my Mum’s side ran a small holding in retirement which I vividly remember.

I’ll need to explore. Too bad (on many levels) Ryan Foster is not still with us.

Just your regularly scheduled share of this masterpiece by @tomgauld.bsky.social

It’s quite a small area that is covered - this mainly relates to one farm near Kendal, so not a lot of place names but definitely some interest with surnames.

Love plants of Rue-leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites) at this stage of their short lives, their beautiful little rosettes gearing up to do their flowery thing in a few weeks time. Real urban pioneers, you can find them on pavements & walls in many towns & cities #UrbanPlants

Well this is quite exciting- my Dad has given me a box of old deeds relating to land which our family used to own in Cumbria, given my interest in history. Plenty to play with here! #archives

Early Medieval Aquitaine and Carolingian Dynastic Drama Snow closed over the trail almost as soon as Pippin fled. The winter of late 831 was, as Louis’ biographer, known as the Astronomer, put it, ‘very harsh and inclement’, and the imperial army could not...

Don’t forget to check out @eddiemeehan99.bsky.social’s article on the early medieval Carolingian dynastic drama in issue 23 of @epoch-history.bsky.social, it was a pleasure to work with him!

www.epoch-magazine.com/post/early-m...

A photo of St David in stained glass

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus i chi gyd

The morally bankrupt Trump administration has partnered with another morally bankrupt authoritarian to declare an unprovoked war on Iran, already killing scores of civilians.

Excellent tour of Tarbat Discovery Centre with volunteer Gill. It has been on my bucket list for a while to come here #medievalsky #archaeology

Three hour trek from Balintore to Portmahomack this morning. A frosty start but sunny enough to light up the tips of the gorse, and plenty of skylarks to provide a sound track for our walk (nb. first pic shows Hilton of Cadboll stone in field) sorry to get a text about the horrors of war starting.

Silver torc (torque) found with penannular brooch at Orton Scar, Westmorland, 1847.

Silver penannular brooch, found with torque at Orton Scar, Westmorland, in 1847.

This Viking torque and brooch were discovered in 1847, a chance find by a labourer, lodged deep in a rock crevice at Orton Scar, Cumbria. They were sold to local lawyer and antiquary, Thomas Reveley, who presented them to the Society In 1851.