Sign in

Ali Messer

@freereed59.net
8.7K followers 23K following 8.1K posts

History. Trad music. Teacher Education. #HistoryEducation #TeacherEducation #UKteaching #SSChat #ContraDancing 📒🕰🎓🗺 No DMs unless we talk irl. intheoryandinpractice.wordpress.com… linktr.ee/Freereed59

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ali Messer
flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 11h
The Sun hasn’t made a profit for years. The Telegraph just had to be flogged off. And so on.
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy.
It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
• Josiah Mortimer• @josiahmort... • 3h
New GB News accounts are out. Here are their losses to date. Or "spent political donations" if you prefer
GB News has lost £142m to date
Cumulative losses in £
140m
Loss
120m
100m
80m
60m
40m
20m
2020/1
2021/2 2022/3
2023/4 2024/5
2025
Latest figures cover seven-month period to 31
December 2025
Chart: Press Gazette • Source: Companies House
822857
Reposted by Ali Messer
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 5h
Trump fell asleep - for a full four minutes - on camera - during tonight’s White House media session. The monkeys around him had to keep jabbering to fill the embarrassing silence.
3338796
Reposted by Ali Messer
Mun-Keat Looi @munkeatlooi.bsky.social · 18h
Exclusive: The BMJ has found that at least 7000 female students in Afghanistan are continuing to train for healthcare professions through online colleges and clandestine schools and hospital placements. buff.ly/xQd3MYM
buff.ly
Secret medical schools: How Afghanistan’s women are defying the training ban
13315
Reposted by Ali Messer
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 12h
One of two Labour gains from Reform in Northumberland by-elections yesterday. Too early to know for sure we've passed peak Reform, but another encouraging sign.
20711127
Reposted by Ali Messer
Helen @helenpins.bsky.social · 5h
I wish I lived in Scotland, I would be all over this #historyteacher
131
Reposted by Ali Messer
Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 11h
Random Q: anyone know of any woodcuts which clearly show andirons / firedogs in use in a fireplace?
Pair of wrought iron and brass firedogs (or andirons), Italy, 16th-century. V&A. They consist of a long piece of black iron piece of iron in a rainbow shape. Horizontal bars of iron stick out from the top of the rainbow shapes with a shorter piece of iron at right angles to it to balance the structure.
496
Reposted by Ali Messer
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 4h
Sidcup man gets 15 years for home-made bomb blowing up Ulez camera - luckily failimg to injure or kill anybody with damage in a 100 yard radius news.met.police.uk/news/man-jai...
news.met.police.uk
Man jailed for 15 years over ULEZ camera explosion
Kevin Rees, aged 63, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 2 October.
4326
Reposted by Ali Messer
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 5h
The Conservative party Shadow Culture Secretary to speak at conference tomorrow about how to "defend press freedom", whilst her own party bans journalists whose coverage they don't like
14377151
Reposted by Ali Messer
✨Cramer©️ @cramer-1.bsky.social · 5h
17854491005
Reposted by Ali Messer
Dr Eric Farmer @himself132.bsky.social · 11h
If GB News were a normal commercial venture, like Talk TV, it would have been binned long ago. Since September 2020, it has spewed out hateful far-right propaganda, paying high salaries to people such as Nigel Farage. Ofcom has abjectly failed to address this threat to democracy.
27453165
Reposted by Ali Messer
David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 12h
Reviewing amazing new books that you get *for free* is really the most wonderful perk of the job. Look at this splendid piece of scholarship that just dropped on the mat!
1141
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 3h
@arkiphi.bsky.social Congratulations @histassoc.bsky.social fellow! 🎉
000
Reposted by Ali Messer
Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 10h
I've changed my email signature, so I guess it's official: I'm now Professor of History at @bbkhistorical.bsky.social. How did I celebrate? Obviously by buying myself a 1743 deposition, 1713 apprenticeship indenture, 1779 receipt and 1651 petition off ebay. Aren't they pretty?
Photograph of a manuscript petition (1651) and receipt (1779)Photograph of a manuscript apprenticeship indenture (1713) and deposition (1743)
301769
Reposted by Ali Messer
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 15h
On 12 October, MPs will debate rejoining the EU after a petition passed 100,000 signatures. The more MPs who turn up armed with our polling, the harder the case is to ignore. Use our tool: bestforbritain.org/take-action/tell…
813264
Reposted by Ali Messer
Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 16h
'In the letter, Watson detailed Lewis’s interventions on Palantir, writing: “By my count, you’ve spoken about Palantir almost 130 times since 2020; around 50 in the past year alone.” Clive Lewis MP told The Nerve: “ ... That, to me, was an implicit threat"' www.facebook.com/bheardmedia/...
25347189
Reposted by Ali Messer
John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 17h
My teacher brother has just informed me that his primary school kids now refer to anything shit or old fashioned as "Brexit". Which has made my morning.
251547320
Reposted by Ali Messer
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 12h
Economist analysis of more than 3,000 US counties finds that in reliably GOP counties, annual deaths now exceed births by 0.4 per 1k residents, while in reliably Democratic counties, births exceed deaths by 2.8 per 1k. Population growth in the GOP counties is largely driven by internal migration.
economist.com
In MAGA-land people are dying faster than they are being born
Our analysis suggests Trump country is only growing because of migration
45716216
Reposted by Ali Messer
ManchesterSCI @manchestersci.bsky.social · 11h
🌍 SCI Annual Lecture: The Good Society – And How We Make It Professor Kate Pickett of the University of York will deliver the Sustainable Consumption Institute’s 2026 Annual Lecture. 📅 2 December 2026 🕓 4:00–5:30pm 📍 Theatre G.003 Alliance Manchester Business School 🎟️Register here: bit.ly/3W3V4zG
112
Reposted by Ali Messer
👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 12h
this is how we know its gonna be good
510511
Reposted by Ali Messer
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 13h
👀 "Nearly 10 years ago, Nigel Farage told LBC he would leave the country if Brexit were not a stunning success. For reasons that no one can quite fathom, he is still here."
theguardian.com
Welcome to the new Reform roadshow. Same as the last but more desperate | John Crace
Nige is not rattled that the UK likes its new PM. Or that Reform is second in the polls. Oh no. Because Nige believes in
60975360
Reposted by Ali Messer
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 13h
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
481362564
Reposted by Ali Messer
Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes @lemoustier.bsky.social · 16h
🗃️ 🏺 Absolutely loved this book, the deepest dive into the possibilities around Boudica herself - who she was, where and when things happened – but also what her uprising and eventual defeat meant for the Iron Age communities of Britain
74913
Reposted by Ali Messer
Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · 15h
In our latest On History blog, @zoejackson.bsky.social discusses how they used two petitions as a starting point to reflect on environmental history as a field, and the usefulness of the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) for researching environmental histories buff.ly/9yxpTE4
buff.ly
Pathways, Environmental History, and BBIH  - On History
Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) Intern in Environmental Histories Zoë Jackson uses two petitions as a starting point to reflect on environmental history as a field, and the…
0108
Reposted by Ali Messer
Jonathan Healey @jonathanhealey.bsky.social · 15h
Fun finding from rereading David Underdown’s study of 1648-9: MPs from Yorkshire and the north east tended to be disproportionately supportive of the revolution and regicide compared to elsewhere.
091
Reposted by Ali Messer
Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 20h
this whole thread. This is one of the things I’m most concerned about. Because we’ve already seen this kind of clumsy propaganda work very well, and quickly, via a number of other online vectors. And AI chatbots are readymade for this shit.
25026
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 14h
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/onl... #HistoryEducation
nationalarchives.gov.uk
Online events
See all our online events, including an exciting range of talks and tours.
000
Reposted by Ali Messer
David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 15h
The big but hidden impact of the implosion of smaller regional universities is the pressure on research academics to prioritise teaching or switch to teaching contracts and abandon research as a frivolous pursuit in this financially unstable crisis. This will dramatically shrink future scholarship.
28427
Reposted by Ali Messer
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 15h
The Migration Museum, London, is hiring a part-time (3 days per week) curator for a year to help build the vision of the new museum. £40k pro rata plus 5% matched pension contribution. Deadline for applications 18 October.
migrationmuseum.org
We’re Hiring: Curator, Contemporary Art (Part-time)
The Migration Museum is seeking a Contemporary Art Curator to join their team on a part-time basis. Application deadline: 18 October 2026.
13236
Reposted by Ali Messer
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 16h
Latest Badenoch: “If [Andy Burnham]’s not calling an election, why’s he talking about things happening in 2030?” - alarming the extent to which so much of our political class cannot process the idea of “planning for events four years in the future”.
3959270
Reposted by Ali Messer
Simon Knott @simonknott.bsky.social · 20h
The towering font canopy and relatively tiny font in Durham Cathedral They were installed in 1663 when the building was restored to Church use after being used to house Scottish prisoners-of-war during the Civil War. 1,700 of them died in the cathedral of wounds, disease and hunger. #FontsonFriday
511517
Reposted by Ali Messer
Arthur Snell @snellarthur.bsky.social · 19h
Excellent news. The good thing is that Palantir isn’t unique and there are many options, all of which will save the taxpayer money. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Andy Burnham searches for UK alternative to Palantir
Prime minister’s ‘Buy British’ push triggers hunt to find replacement for controversial US tech group awarded health service and defence contracts
11464138
Reposted by Ali Messer
Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 17h
Sadiq Khan in The Guardian: "We must be honest about the fact that reversing it is the best chance we have to get Britain back on track." www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2…
14517126
Reposted by Ali Messer
Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 15h
New GB News accounts are out. Here are their losses to date. Or "spent political donations" if you prefer
Line chart titled 'GB News has lost £142m to date', showing cumulative losses in pounds rising steadily from around £3m in 2020/1 to £142m by 2025. The red line climbs most steeply between 2021/2 and 2023/4, reaching roughly £110m, then flattens as growth slows towards £142m. A note states the latest figures cover the seven-month period to 31 December 2025. Chart by Press Gazette, source: Companies House
39730270
Reposted by Ali Messer
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
This enquiry aims to develop children’s understanding that histories are communicated and understood in different ways as well as constructed, contested and constantly evolving, shaped by the deliberate choices of history makers. @1972shp.bsky.social @histassoc.bsky.social
111
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 15h
#HistoryEducation
000
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 15h
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... Miliband: 'All politics is a risk. Progressive politics is a particular risk'
theguardian.com
For too long, only the right has expanded the boundaries of what governments can do. Can Burnham change that? | Andy Beckett
The PM might come across as a nice bloke but he is politically ruthless. He will need to be if he is to turn big talk into big changes, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
021
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 15h
www.theguardian.com/politics/202... taxing a blight on our high streets? Do it.
theguardian.com
Would a gambling tax rise in the budget really shut shops and cost jobs?
Most of the betting industry is urging the chancellor not to double slot machine duty to raise up to £460m more a year
001
Reposted by Ali Messer
Alex Ford @apf102.bsky.social · 15h
First exciting find from the back garden. Looks like a lead musket / pistol ball and a bundle of rolled lead (and maybe a button / horse tack). Civil War link maybe? Garden was right next to where Fairfax troops stopped in 1643. Interested in any theories
011
Reposted by Ali Messer
morrismummer @morrismummer.bsky.social · 17h
Oh these are beautiful!
061
Reposted by Ali Messer
Disability News Service @johnpring.bsky.social · 20h
Andy Burnham’s announcement of free personal care as part of a new National Care Service will only apply to those over 65, and not to working-age disabled people, No 10 has confirmed, sparking shock and concern among disabled people’s organisations. www.disabilitynewsservice.com/free-social-...
disabilitynewsservice.com
Free social care is coming… but only if you’re over 65, government confirms after Burnham speech
Andy Burnham’s announcement of free personal care as part of a new National Care Service will only apply to those over 65, and not to working-age disabled people, No 10 has confirmed, sparking shoc…
1813378
Reposted by Ali Messer
Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 16h
"It is hard enough to be a carer for your own loved ones. The tenderness I dispensed to my mother, came from a battery she had charged with five decades of love. Being able to muster the energy and patience it takes to care for a complete stranger... Well, it's magical. It's a sort of superpower."
1532359
Reposted by Ali Messer
Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 18h
I’ve never seen a BBC correspondent try to build such a huge mountain out of such a tiny molehill. Chris Mason’s hysterical quest to undermine Andy Burnham, based on a few noncommittal words: Chris Mason: Why Andy Burnham's about-turn on Manchester City matters www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Chris Mason: Why Andy Burnham's about-turn on Manchester City matters
The prime minister's comments on Man City were revealing on several levels - and leapt on by many in football, the BBC's political editor writes.
4132757
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 16h
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Royal College of Nursing cuts ties with Israeli drug company
Britain’s nursing union axes Teva UK as commercial partner over links to Israel’s military and corporate track record
121
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 16h
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... horrific in every way
theguardian.com
Calls grow for US death penalty halt after ‘torturous’ botched execution of Christa Pike
Pike alive but in critical condition as experts call ordeal that unfolded in Tennessee Wednesday ‘unimaginably barbaric’
020
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 01/10/2026
#HistoryEducation
010
Reposted by Ali Messer
Victoria County History @vch-home.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Our new project in #Lincolnshire on the town of #Spalding is supporting a workshop on an essential historical skill #Palaeography (reading old handwriting). Led by @gabbystorey.bsky.social, this workshop is open to all. #Skystorians #LocalHistory.
13314
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 01/10/2026
#HistoryEducation
000
Ali Messer @freereed59.net · 01/10/2026
Wow. So thought-provoking on AI but also the whole project!
000
Reposted by Ali Messer
Judith A. Miller @1789jam.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
#fashionhistory If you are in #Paris, I highly recommend this terrific exhibit at the Palais Galliera (in the 16e). Superb: the items, the descriptions, the ways they were placed in historical contexts. #skystorians www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/expositions/...
palaisgalliera.paris.fr
Tisser, broder, sublimer. Les savoir-faire de la mode
En décembre 2025, le Palais Galliera inaugure une série d’expositions consacrées aux savoir-faire.
074
Reposted by Ali Messer
Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This looks fantastic: “Dr Mara Nicosia will explore the education of Syriac Christian intellectuals in Abbasid Iraq, and the role they played in carrying Greek science and philosophy into Arabic” 🗃️
iis.ac.uk
History of Syriac Intellectuals in Abbasid Iraq | The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Join IIS on 7 October 2026 for an online IHTLS lecture about history of Syriac intellectuals in Abbasid Iraq were educated and rose to prominence.
32211