Reposted by Bill EllsonMatt Oakley @mattoakleymojo.bsky.social · 15/10/2026On this day 1605 Guy Fawkes began his journey to London. It would take him several days because his legs were made of old tights stuffed with newspapers. 529058 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonN16Breda Corish @n16breda.bsky.social · 14/10/2026#31DaysofGraves Day 14: Brick A plaque set into a low brick wall just above the pavement in the garden of St. Botolph's-without-Bishopsgate (City of London) marks the 17th century location of Mr. Edward Underwood's vault - "A worthy benefactor to this parish 1658" 1122 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonOmar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 14/10/2026A clear and correct headline on misperceptions and incorrect/false beliefs about London: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/london-... 'A third believe there are "no-go" areas ruled by Sharia law' is very hard to parse - what are purporting to believe? That ares have physical barriers to entry of non-Muslims?kcl.ac.ukLondon misperceptions: public often wrong on capital's crime, quality of life, contribution to public finances and Muslim population | King's College LondonA third believe there are "no-go" areas ruled by Sharia law 95526 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonBen Gidley @bengidley.bsky.social · 14/10/2026This is Gabriele D'Annunzio, the aristocratic Italian poet who invaded Rijeka (then officially Fiume) and ran a short-lived republic that served as the model for Mussolini’s fascism. 251 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Can I have "small companies not paying tax" which is the actual problem? 1130441 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonOz Katerji @ozkaterji.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Being a motorcyclist is so weird, car drivers perform some insane stunts to try to get in front of my bike knowing full well that I am simply going to overtake them again as soon as we hit the line of traffic 100ft in front of us, but they don’t seem to give a shit. 2533 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonOz Katerji @ozkaterji.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Those earlier explosions in Kyiv were yet another Russian ballistic missile attack on a Ukrainian power plant, as confirmed by President Zelenskyy. Putin is making a mockery of Trump and his "energy ceasefire" and Ukraine has no choice now but to defend iteslf. 213223 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAnton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Russian propagandists are discussing the diesel deal. And it's quite interesting: "The diesel deal has nothing to do with restoring the fuel balance. Even if our diesel arrives, it will be in November, and that's only one day's worth of consumption… 10323110 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonMatthew Palmer @so3brocktree.bsky.social · 12/10/2026A sad and disturbing report on the slow strangulation of the Belarusian language and culture by Russian imperialism, abetted by Lukashenko (bastard). This is why Ukrainians fight so hard for their culture and identity - to avoid what the Belarusian people are suffering.economist.comBelarus is becoming increasingly RussianAs the country stamps out its national heritage, its neighbour’s propaganda is taking over 1237 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonMeduza in English @meduza.io · 13/10/2026For the second evening in a row, Zelensky says Ukraine received no warning from Western partners before Russia launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Tuesday’s strike hit a key energy facility and damaged a residential building, he said. meduza.io/en/news/2026...meduza.ioZelensky says Ukraine’s Western allies again gave no warning before Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv. It’s the second time in two days. — MeduzaUkraine’s Western partners again failed to warn it ahead of another Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv on the evening of October 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. 1311162 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonUK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 12/10/2026🚗 "Britain’s decline came in two Brexit stages: years of uncertainty post-referendum weakened the industry, before the trade arrangements that replaced EU membership did more lasting damage." @shepotylo.bsky.social explains how Brexit has damaged the UK car industry. ukandeu.ac.uk/from-pace-se... 13723 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAnton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Russian diesel is not certified to meet U.S. standards and is unlikely to undergo certification. If Russian diesel ever makes its way to the United States, good luck to anyone who puts it in their vehicles. 1340483 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAnton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Russians have recently been complaining en masse about poor-quality diesel fuel and equipment breakdowns. Diesel fuel is being diluted and quality standards are not being met. Diesel fuel standards in Russia and the United States are not identical. 23440134 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonThe Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Oh superb! Someone has got the glorious screenshot, of Russian Brexit bottery at its best. bsky.app/profile/marc... 11827213 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJohn Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 13/10/2026Famously, decriminalisation was driven in part by the 8th Earl Arran leading the case in the House of Lords. His other political intervention, to protect badgers from hunting failed. When asked why, he replied "There are not many badgers in the House of Lords". 637980 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonTrevorTheBotanist @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social · 11/10/2026Very strong resurgence of Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) around Conwy & Deganwy following the recent rain. Despite its parents coming from Sicily, it really didn’t enjoy the heat and drought #wildflowerhour 1457 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonPreslia @preslia.cz · 29/09/2026The Czech Vegetation Database goes open access: >117,000 vegetation plots are now online, with a stratified subset for national-scale analyses, an interactive viewer, code for analysis and resampling, and >2.4 million species records in GBIF, ready for reuse. preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.187.html 076 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonHelene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 11/10/2026"I loathe the word identity. An Identity is never an objective category. It is a deeply personal& emotional choice. If you want to explore that for yourself, fine. But the moment you try imposing your definitions on others and sort people into categories, I, as a historian&a German, get v.nervous.“ 918632 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonKate Bevan @katebevan.com · 11/10/2026Good. It's not the tiger's fault someone went into the enclosure www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...theguardian.comWildlife park confirms tiger will not be euthanised after man mauled to deathEd Miliband, whose constituency includes the park, offers ‘deepest condolences’ to family of visitor who entered enclosure on Saturday 81507 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJohn Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 11/10/2026Calling this "kinetic regulation". 16613 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 10/10/2026there is minimal evidence that inheritors in their 50s and 60s are desperate to move into their parents' former home. My @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on why Kemi Badenoch's policies are for the world of Downton Abbey - not the one we live in now www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/kemi...instituteforgovernment.org.ukKemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax proposals are myth-based policy making at its worst | Institute for GovernmentThe leader of the opposition’s conference announcement was not well thought through. 1422769 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonKate Bevan @katebevan.com · 10/10/2026Clip the mic to your top, for God's sake! It's not a hand-held mic!! Don't you realise a) how stupid you look doing this and b) that it makes the sound much worse? This really is the dumbest trend. 12716 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonDan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 09/10/2026More populist tosh from the TUC. There was no "tax break for the banks". The 8% bank surcharge was created to offset the corporation tax cut from 28% to 20%. So, when corporation tax then went up 5% to its current level, the surcharge went down 5%. Not a tax break. 16519 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonSathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Dear tv and radio producers. Thankyou for the invitation. But, no, I do not want to appear on your show to defend the idea that I am English, after 50 years of living and working here, because the increasingly feral right want to turn this into a "debate" and you cannot see how you're being played 10752171146 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJacob Gifford Head @giffordhead.co.uk · 09/10/2026The only proper way of marking this would be to return the Saxon Steed (Gules a horse rampant Argent — a silver / white horse on a red background) to the Royal Arms for the first time since 1837... 021 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAnton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 06/10/2026German FM Wadephul on the horrible consequences of Russian occupation: It’s not as if, the moment the Russians arrive, the Ukrainian flag simply comes down and the Russian one goes up and life just carries on as normal. Instead, the Russians abduct children to Russia, simply taking them away from 9429154 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAdam Chapman @adamchapman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026A resource I hadn't come across (but based on the excellent Defence of Britain data - which recorded civil defence and anti-invasion structures from both World Wars), an interactive map of the data maintained by Steve Thompson. (to whom many thanks!):edob.mattaldred.comeDoB OnlineOnline viewer for the Extended Defence of Britain Database as maintained by Steve Thompson. View the interactive map, or search through the database for a particular record. 53614 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJacob Gifford Head @giffordhead.co.uk · 07/10/2026Mamod is, incidentally, a recent victim of counterterrorism laws: the solid fuel tablets that were used in recent decades (instead of a meths burner) were regulated out of production in 2024 and the company failed to find a viable workaround. www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/ban-on-...world-of-railways.co.uk 2145 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonHelene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 07/10/2026(I remember a certain conversation with a politician who had a grand scheme about cooperation in central and Eastern Europe but sadly zero clue about the intricacies and historical baggage of the German-Polish, or indeed Polish-Ukrainian relationship. This stuff matters.) 3554 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonBob From Brockley @bobfrombrockley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Vital reporting by the great journalist @chloehadj.bsky.social who tracked down a key witness to the 2018 Douma chemical weapons atrocity. At 11, Hassan was locked up & forced to give false testimony on film, used in Assad/Putin’s disinformation campaign… observer.co.uk/news/interna...observer.co.ukAt 11 he was forced to lie about Assad’s chlorine attack....After a video showed Hassan Diab in the aftermath of a chemical attack on Douma, Syria and Russia pushed him to call it a fiction. Eight years later, he and his family finally feel safe enough to spea... 1189 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAnton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Wow. A Ukrainian lady rushed to help rescue a Ukrainian ground robot. She is incredibly cool. Note how she also hid her bike so it wouldn't be visible. God bless her. Ukrainians risk their lives because we are fighting an existential war. Source: 71st Brigade 15576156 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonBarbara Rich @barbararich.bsky.social · 03/10/2026The Lost Explorer - Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 I have written about lasting powers of attorney, deprivation of liberty, and the powers of the Court of Protection in connection with the “disappearance” of Sir Ranulph Fiennes bleakhouserevisited.substack.com/p/the-lost-e...bleakhouserevisited.substack.comThe Lost ExplorerThe ‘disappearance’ of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 114716 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonDan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Our full report, which goes into much more detail on the law and the facts: taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/10/01/m...taxpolicy.org.ukDid Manchester City cheat HMRC out of £12m?Manchester City’s sham consultancy raises questions about £12m in unpaid UK tax. We examine the evidence - and the case for a criminal investigation. 36616 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonHere lies JD. He drew as many comics as he could. @lostcity.bsky.social · 01/10/2026There are NOT machine-made clothes. If there were, your clothes would be made in the country you live in (where the customers are), or in China (where machines are cheap). They’re made in Bangladesh or India or Indonesia because that’s where the LABOUR is cheap. Your clothes are made by people. 271503364 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonRuth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 01/10/2026European political elites need to understand that if they say European security isn't possible without the US, they are actually saying that European security isn't possible. For many reasons, they don't want to accept that, but they urgently need to. 416750 0
Bill Ellson @billellson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Collett lands 131 tonne reactor on Welsh beach to bypass inland route constraints breakbulk.news/collett-land...breakbulk.newsCollett lands 131 tonne reactor on Welsh beach to bypass inland route constraints#CollettAndSons has delivered a 131 tonne shunt reactor to #NationalGrid at Trawsfynydd after using a #BlackRockSands beach landing to overcome inland route constraints, combining marine logistics, ab... 000 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonCzech Academy of Sciences @czechacademy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026The Academy Council of the Czech Academy of Sciences strongly condemns the barbaric attack by the Russian Federation on the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv and joins the statement issued by All European Academies. allea.org/allea-condem...allea.orgALLEA Condemns Russian Drone Strike on the National Academy of Sciences of UkraineALLEA, All European Academies, expresses its profound shock and unconditional condemnation of the Russian drone strike on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) in central Kyiv on 28 Septe 043 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonJohn Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 29/09/2026Damn, if only there were some sort of well-known historical comparison to make for this. 1425264 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonRoyal Irish Academy @ria.ie · 29/09/2026Royal Irish Academy statement following strikes on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: www.ria.ie/2026/09/29/r...ria.ieRoyal Irish Academy statement following strikes on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine - Royal Irish AcademyThe Royal Irish Academy is shocked and deeply saddened by yesterday’s Russian drone strike on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, which has resulted in loss of life, injuries and exte... 01512 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonSean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 28/09/2026Chelsea Pitch Owners checks ownership power — it is the democratic safeguard every fanbase craves www.nytimes.com/athletic/762...nytimes.comChelsea Pitch Owners checks ownership power — it is the democratic safeguard every fanbase craves (Gift Article)The group gives Chelsea fans the kind of tangible say over their club’s future home that fans of most rival clubs can only dream of having 1129 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonKate Bevan @katebevan.com · 28/09/2026In other words, stop making two-hour-long podcasts, you self-indulgent twats. 6232 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonThe King's Fund @thekingsfund.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Before vaccines, smallpox alone accounted for around 300 million deaths worldwide in the 20th century. The impact of vaccines is immense. Our new explainer unpacks how vaccines were invented, how they work, and what uptake looks like in England and beyond. 👉 bit.ly/46mLCcQkingsfund.org.ukVaccines In England Explained | The King's FundAn explainer on vaccines in England, covering vaccine safety, immunisation programmes, uptake rates, inequalities and public health outcomes. 13519 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonRuth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 23/09/2026In the Senate confirmation hearings for Trump's 1st Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson (the man Putin had given an Order of Friendship to a few years earlier), Rubio asked Tillerson "Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?" A journalist needs to ask Rubio the same question now. 413335 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonDan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 23/09/2026HMRC have filed a petition to wind up online estate agent Purplebricks. Purplebricks told me it had been lodged in error and withdrawn by HMRC, but they have not substantiated this despite repeated requests. And their accounts are three months late. 47419 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonAndrew R @excelpope.net · 20/09/2026I was looking something up on Google Maps, and I think I might have found out why successive governments have been so bad at delivery. 833459 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonDuncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I miss the old days when a disgruntled noble in a dispute with the crown would just spent a few years sulking in the Low Countries before landing at a fishing village in the south west with some Flemish mercenaries and heading for the Welsh Marches to raise his banner. Much more dignified.bbc.co.ukEarl Spencer defends Diana book claims about King CharlesPrincess Diana's brother tells the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that "we'll forget her soon enough" were "exactly" the words used by the then-Prince of Wales. 1246957 0
Reposted by Bill EllsonCNN @cnn.com · 20/09/2026As the Smithsonian Institution prepares to launch a nationwide search for a new leader, an unexpected question mark hangs over the position that's long been considered a plum one in the worlds of art, science and history. cnn.it/3VG2LvK 65711 0
