iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Some reading to make you itch. "The minor horrors of war" by Dr. A E Shipley, English zoologist and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Available to read at the Gutenberg Press; www.gutenberg.org/files/66442/...

Image of the cover of the book "The Minor Horrors of War" by A. E. Shipley Master of Christs College Cambridge. Published in 1915

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 9h

Timeless, remember when the BBC used to produce such classics. Just finished viewing “This Game of Ghosts” again, never fails to bring a tear to the eye. Available on YouTube at, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EviS...

Introductory scene from BBC Everyman production "This Game of Ghosts", an old WW! veteran visits a CWGC cemetery in France.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

F.F.S., I’ll not even be able to wear my New Balance trainers for running soon! theconversation.com/how-the-emoj...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

What a coincidence 🤣Make no mistake this was intentional to avoid scrutiny. arstechnica.com/information-...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Glad I saw it in Bayeux, upright, easy to view, and taking as long as you like with no limits on photos. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Could this be the reason Trump wants to ban CNN, their reporting of a badly used chat bot? arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/r...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Well that’s all good then! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC headline which states “Anthropocene researchers believe there is a more than 10% chance that AI could kill all humans

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Seems an appropriate time to watch this one again. Once viewed as comedy now becoming reality.

Cover image from the film “Look who’s Back”, a work of political satire about former Führer Adolf Hitler waking up in the modern era, and his attempts to reintegrate with modern German society

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If only fascist Musk, professor beaker impersonator Zuckerberg and dozy Bezos chose to do some good for this world? You were one of the good ones Dolly.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Seems about time for the annual posting of Carl Sagans prophetic statement.

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Reposted by Allan Douglas

Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Been going through my old "Twitter Archive" and came across this image. Can't recall if we ever got to an answer to the unknown item on the officers hip. Would be nice to solve this one!

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Been going through my old "Twitter Archive" and came across this image. Can't recall if we ever got to an answer to the unknown item on the officers hip. Would be nice to solve this one!

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Quite refreshing to read given the current forelock tugging attitude of our Govt towards the A.I. “industry. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

arstechnica.com

Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against Google

Google AI Overview court loss in Germany could spell doom for AI search industry.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Palantir and the N.H.S, well that sounds like a plan🤣 Nazi’s we’re supposedly good at admin. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

#spiders Anyone put a name for this spider spotted in my garden in Sunderland,North East England. Never seen one of this colouration before.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

@tylanberry.bsky.social was wondering if you could ID this spider I spotted in my garden recently. Spiders not my thing, more into beetles but the unusual colouration caught my eye. Never seen one like it before. North East England , Sunderland

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Winter solstice tomorrow, longer days are coming🥳

How the orbit of the earth and the tilt of its axis affects the seasons

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

The cover of latest issue of Private Eye tells you everything you need to know about latest huffing and puffing re: the BBC

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Reading a 1974 “After the Battle” magazine article about the selection of the unknown soldier to be buried in Westminster Abbey. Struck by this image of the grave of one of those reinterred in St. Pol cemetery. Notice the amount of lichen growth present on the stones. Not such a new issue?

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Courtesy of “Maureen” via The Great War Forum, a link to the Internet Archive of issues 1 - 130 of After The Battle Magazine. Lots of well researched reading to keep you busy. archive.org/details/atb_...

archive.org

After the Battle Magazine 1 - 130, Specials : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

After the Battle Magazine issues 001 (1973) through 130 (2005) and specials.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Picture of Sgt. Rounsley featured in local press. www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2547637...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Just a reminder that Butch Cassidy’s mother was born in Brandling village, Jesmond, Newcastle. I’ll be boring people endlessly about this today.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

I’m celebrating my 65th today and later this year running the Great North Run in aid of Blesma, a charity providing help and assistance to veterans who have lost limbs. If you feel inclined to donate my Just Giving page is

justgiving.com

Allan’s celebrating his 65th birthday by running the Great North Run in aid of Blesma.

Help Allan Douglas raise money to support Blesma The Limbless Veterans

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Allan is celebrating his 65th birthday by running the Great North Run this year in aid of Blesma. If you’d like to support this worthwhile cause my “Just Giving” page can be found here; www.justgiving.com/page/allan-d...

justgiving.com

Allan’s celebrating his 65th birthday by running the Great North Run in aid of Blesma.

Help Allan Douglas raise money to support Blesma The Limbless Veterans

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Just because……………..

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Then and Now, China Wall #cwgc cemetery, initially a small cemetery containing 130 graves. Hugely enlarged after the armistice when graves from 30 smaller cemeteries were concentrated here bringing the total to 2791. Original autochrome September 1923, Albert Khan collection.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Wanting to visit the IWM Ashcroft collection to view a particular VC? Best make your visit before 1st June 2025 as IWM is closing the Ashcroft gallery, medals going into storage. Heard about this from a colleague at work and had to visit the “Dark Side” to confirm🤣

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

First overlay I’ve done on Bluesky. Hill 60, July 1917 aerial showing the effect of shellfire and mines on the landscape. Hard to imagine when visiting the site today, but Lidar image shows the scars of battle remain beneath the vegetation.

July 1917 aerial image overlay on present landscape.

Lidar image of Hill 60 revealing the shell scape beneath the vegetation.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Another private memorial from Bishopwearmouth cemetery Sunderland, 2nd Lt Christopher Binns, Royal Garrison Artillery, 154th Heavy Bty. Christopher was born on 17th January 1881, the youngest of the four children of Joseph John Binns and his wife Rosa. Buried in The Huts CWGC cemetery, Belgium.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

If your annual Ancestry subscription is due try this link. Just obtained a years subscription for £59, less than half of my renewal fee. www.ancestry.co.uk/checkout/mli...

ancestry.co.uk

Checkout

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Tommy in this morning’s sunshine which did not last for long after this!

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

The Bluff + Palingbeek, Ypres Salient, an area of intensive mining activity and both sites of continuous conflict from late 1914 to mid 1917. Only a very short distance from Hill 60 if you’re visiting the area and much quieter.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

1. In 1918, Olive Edis was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum’s Women’s Work Committee to photograph British women serving in France. One image shows workers tending graves at Etaples. A rather distinctive grave adorned with a propeller is shown.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

From the Maurice Antony collection, a view of Larch Wood cemetery, 7th March 1920. Hill 60 would be behind you, with “The Dump” on your left. Note the newly constructed railway.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Private #FWW memorial in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery #Sunderland to Cpt Harold Linton Heslop, RAMC Harold died of heart failure 30/10/17 after returning to France following illness One of many for whom the stresses of service were too much Brief biography at www.universitiesatwar.org.uk/explore/hesl...

Family plot Bishopwearmouth cemetery Sunderland

Memorial to Harold Linton Heslop RMAC, attached to 7th Battalion Durham Light Infantry

Buried in HARINGHE (BANDAGHEM) MILITARY CEMETERY

https://www.flickr.com/photos/illustratedchronicleww1/48913659491/sizes/c/

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Another Frank Hurley image, “Attending to the wounded in an advanced dressing station on Hill 60”.

Attending to the wounded in an advanced dressing station on Hill 60 - Frank Hurley

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

“In an elephant iron dugout, Hill 60” August 1917 by Frank Hurley. Image from the State Library of New South Wales www.sl.nsw.gov.au/30-elephant-...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Private #ww1 memorial #Bishopwearmouth cemetery #Sunderland. William was a pre war regular enlisting in 1905. Wounded (gun shot wounds) in both 1914 and 1915. Awarded 14 Star, British and Victory medals together with Silver War Badge. Discharged on 6/9/17, as a result of Tuberculosis, died 1/11/17.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Private #FWW memorial in #Bishopwearmouth cemetery #SUNDERLAND. Nearly missed this one as it disappears into the vegetation. 2nd Lt Arnold Rudd, 63rd Field Coy, R.E. KIA 27/03/1918, aged 22 commemorated, #cwgc POZIERES memorial. Biography www.reubique.com/Rudd.htm

Private memorial to 2nd Lt. Arnold Rudd. "Also their son, Arnold 2Lt R.E. killed in action near Albert, March 27th 1918 aged 22 years"

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Private #FWW memorial in #Bishopwearmouth cemetery #Sunderland to Pte Thomas Edmundson who was killed in action on 26 April 1915, serving with B Company, 1st/7th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. His remains were discovered in 2014 at Zonnebeke and were reburied in Perth #CWGC cemetery in 2018.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Unfortunately this was reposted without reference to the original author of the post, but worth a read and has me looking for a copy of the book, “The Demon Haunted World”, Carl Sagan, 1995

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

A #ww1 Christmas card from a member of the Labour Corps to his wife in 1918.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

A very impressive shooting competition trophy, “The China Cup”. I can make out the West Surrey Regt cap badge but not the other. Any ideas? Image from researchpress.uk/wp-content/u...

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

At Newcastle University this afternoon attending a graduation ceremony, spotted this memorial to the students of Armstrong College who died in WW1.

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Allan Douglas @doug504.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Aleppo on the news recently reminded me of an unpaid bar bill of T E Lawrence The bill was for drinks in the Baron Hotel in Aleppo, which Lawrence used whilst on an expedition to excavate Hittite ruins in Carchemish about sixty miles northeast of Aleppo The bill used to feature behind the bar.

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