iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 5h

'Old school Stella' from - er - Belgium 🇪🇺

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Brighton a little before sunset. Now on the way back to London after a radiantly sunny day.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Where ‘Slough’ is pronounced ‘Slau’.

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Reposted by Rachael Unsworth

Alan Godfrey Maps (3,900+ publications and counting!) @alangodfreymaps.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If you've signed up to our newsletter, you'll have noticed that in today's edition Alan talks about a birthday map we featured last week. He also mentions new sale maps, upcoming releases & introduces writing by our authors. If you haven't yet, email sales@alangodfreymaps.co.uk & ask to be added 👍❤️

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Also exploring more of London for a few days. Wonder if our paths might cross? A slice of history:

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yet another email purporting to come from someone you know, usually someone rather senior, whose computer is rather ancient? Why wouldn't the sender who want to ask one thing just ASK it in the email instead of asking permission to pose the question? No super-sleuth needed to detect pong of rat.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Taken for this afternoon's cloudscape. It happens that you can see 5 out of 7 buildings to hold the title 'tallest building in Leeds': 1. Leeds Parish Church - Minster since 2012 3. Office, City Sq - now hotel 4. W Riding House - now Pinnacle 6. Altus House 7. Cirrus Point Out of view: 2. LTH 5. BWP

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I don't know where The Chequer was. I'll let you know if I find out.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I'd have expected the BBC to be able to dig a little deeper in to HOW the traffic that's diverted - mainly buses - will be re-routed. Definitely not trying to give information that would help to quell disquiet.

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Reposted by Rachael Unsworth

Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I'll be talking about 'These Isles: A People's History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales' at Howden & District u3a, east Yorkshire, on Thurs Oct 29th, 10.30am. The Shire Hall, Market Place. howden.u3asite.uk/home/

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

What a contrast between the 'Sunk Island' area of the north side of the Humber Estuary on 22 July ... ... and the middle of Leeds the next day. But both scenes were made by people.

The former ‘Sunk Island’ of the north side of the Humber Estuary, viewed on a July day.
Land reclamation began in the 1660s. By the 1770s, the former island was joined to the mainland.
'Huge skies' = nothing in the way.

Office building on The Headrow/East Parade/South Parade, designed by William Bakewell, a Leeds architect for Pearl Assurance. Grantie-clad ground floor with Portland stone above.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Thanks for the warning. I write to many prominent folk with an invitation to give a talk to Leeds Phil & Lit. How to make it really clear that I am not a scoundrel spam bot and avoid the fate of instant deletion? So saying, would you fancy being part of our 2028 programme? www.leedsphilandlit.org.uk

leedsphilandlit.org.uk

Promoting science & the arts and supporting the city of Leeds since 1819 - Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society

Promoting science and the arts and supporting the city of Leeds since 1819 Join us and help shape our future 399 grants since 2002 £289,000 in grant awards since 2002 205 years of history 4th oldest P...

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Reece Dinsdale @reecedinsdale.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

If you would like to help me help #SaveSquareChapelArts, then click on the link on the post below and scroll to the bottom. There you will find a list of all the useful things you can do. Let’s make some noise! Thank you.

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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Latest addition to @natlibscot.bsky.social excellent online map collection is a layer of high resolution #lidar images optimised to highlight archaeological sites 🏺showing as subtle earthworks. Amazing imagery! More info here... maps.nls.uk/additions/#205

maps.nls.uk

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

On 27 September 1726, the first known public concert in Leeds was held on the upper floor of the First White Cloth Hall – opened in 1711 for the trading of undyed cloth. Half a crown 300 years ago is about £22 in 2026.

Source of historical information: https://discoveringleeds.wordpress.com/origins-of-leeds-classical-music/
Geoffrey Mogridge

Image:
http://www.callsarchitecture.co.uk/portfolio/first_white_cloth_hall_leeds.html

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

My sister was sent home for Lockdown in 2020 with a keyboard that had been used for so long that no letters were left on the keys. I said she should be flattered that the firm knew she was the best touch typist.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Extra factoid: Arthur Lupton, a boy from a successful family of Leeds woollen merchants, was sent to school in Germany in 1764 and Goethe was in the same class. It was quite common to send a son to learn languages with a view to improving trading links. Ralph Thoresby was sent in 1670s.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I’ve always thought that it was likely to have been deliberately smashed during WWI when anti-German feeling was strong. A pretty pathetic and annoying gesture. It would be good to commission a repair by Darwen Terracotta who’ve contributed ceramic repairs elsewhere in Leeds and in other places.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The Corn Exchange was half in shade and I ruthlessly edited it out of the frame. Bonus pic of that fine structure form 2024, with fortunate cloud formation.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The north side of Duncan St in dramatic light at 18:20 this evening. An ornate Edwardian range of buildings, mostly designed by local architect Percy Robinson and with much of the detail in terracotta.

Ornate Edwardian buildings in Duncan Street, Leeds, many with turrets, glowing in evening sunshine against dark grey clouds.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I'm told that urban foxes in south London are nibbling brake cables underneath cars. 🦊 🚘 💥 🫨

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hesperanthas in the limelight this month. Self-seeded in the broken concrete of the courtyard behind the old coach house where I live in north Leeds. #GardensHour

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

While waiting for the next eastbound train at Edgware Road, I spied saplings of Tree of Heaven.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Julian spoke positively about the way some of the 'liberties' worked. eg. invented Polish plumber who's recruited to de Gaulle's cause - to point out how desperate he was for supporters. The relationship with Churchill seemed so well done. Apparently Churchill loved speaking his version of French.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

These are delightful. What a sense of line and well-judged economy of content.

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Ancestral Enquiries - Tony Smith 🌳 @ancestralenq.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Glasgow Life, the charity that manages Glasgow's museum & library collections has bought the archive of the Third Eye Centre & Centre for Contemporary Arts that contains material gathered over 50 years. 👇 BBC News - Charity buys archive of Third Eye centre and CCA www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Charity buys archive of Third Eye centre and CCA

Exhibition records, photographs, films, posters, flyers and artists' letters chart the story of two organisations that were central to Glasgow's art scene.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Prince Arthur opened Roundhay Park, Leeds, in Sept 1872. He also cut the ribbon for Aswan Low Dam - at the time the largest masonry dam in the world. Waterloo Lake dam in Roundhay Park is of less global significance. Arthur was named after Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, victor at Waterloo.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you for your wide-ranging and engaging talk. You certainly widened our understanding of the context of Leeds being granted its 1626 charter & painted a vivid sketch of what else was going on in the run up to the 1620s and during that time in Europe.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Public transport is sparse in rural Britain too, but in cities, many residents can manage without a car. I was shocked when I visited daughter & husband in his native Nashville: no passenger services through/to the huge station. They moved to DC & transport there is pretty impressive.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The way Mapquest looks to me, there's no obvious option for public transport. 🤯 Only driving, walking or cycling. I don't have a car.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I'm one of few 🦋 users who make it v clear on my profile where I live. I'm lucky to have relatively easy access to maps. Maps are always very political - who makes them, for what purposes, what they include/exclude and who can see and use them.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Dear Mapping Team @newsfromgoogle.bsky.social, I was searching for Lake Ontario and can't seem to find it. Please can you explain why? Thank you. A Geographer 🌎 🌍 🌏

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Hacks @privateeyenews.bsky.social discuss their book choices: Mother Tongue The Faber Book of Reportage Tickle The Public - 100 Years of the Popular Press We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families Towards The End Of The Morning Scoop New Grub St

youtube.com

The Hacks Book Club: Private Eye writers pick their favourite books about journalism

YouTube video by Private Eye Magazine

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

It looks like a gooey mix of demerara sugar and honey.

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Reposted by Rachael Unsworth

Emily Cassidy @enviroem.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

People are always surprised to learn that packaging, processing, and transportation are almost always small contributors (<10%) of food-related GHG emissions. The TYPE of food we eat -- meat versus plants -- is a MUCH bigger factor.

Bar chart of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the lifecycle production of different foods. Beef and lamb are the highest emitting. Farm-level emissions and land use change emissions are the greatest contributors to lifecycle food emissions.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Julian made some comments before the preview and did a Q&A at the end with a French academic. SO interesting to consider historic evidence and artistic interpretation. And yes, @peterbradshaw1.bsky.social, Churchill loved speaking French, though he used many made-up phrases, according to Julian.

Professor Julian Jackson introduces a preview of 'De Gaulle: Résistance' in Curzon Bloomsbury 27 August 2026. It's the first major film about de Gaulle and Julian can't explain why it's taken so long. I wonder if it's because of the famous cultural pride of the French and the need in this slice of history to include so much about Britain's role + the need to cast Churchill convincingly? Russell Beale is SO good. It was apparently controversial to cast Franco-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian as de Gaulle.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

My dear old friend, historian Julian Jackson, published a biography of de Gaulle in 2018. 2026 🎬 'De Gaulle: Résistance'. Director Baudry collaborated closely with Julian. Simon Russell Beale as Churchill. Millions of tickets sold in France. Out now in UK - eg: www.myvue.com/cinema/leeds...

Still from 'De Gaulle: Résistance' with Franco-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian as de Gaulle (right) and Simon Russell Beale as Churchill (left). Inspired by and drawing on Professor Julian Jackson’s 2018 book 'A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle', directed by Antonin Baudry.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Kirkby Lonsdale, had 1947 prefabs when I was there from 1969: qes-schoolhistory.org.uk#p=102 I moved from there to Beverley Girls' High School in early 1970s. Also still prefab classrooms and canteen. (Both schools turned comprehensive.)

qes-schoolhistory.org.uk

Four Hundred Years A School

Four Hundred Years A School. P.W. Randell, M.A., M.Litt. A brief history of Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland, 1591-1991. Together with the reminiscences and recollections of...

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Thanks for this reminder. Goethe’s ideas on colour would be a great angle for the Phil & Lit, as we have a long-running occasional focus on ‘colour’.

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Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Might you consider giving a talk on Goethe to Leeds Phil & Lit in 2027? Probably online. We’ve been putting on public lectures since 1819 - across sciences and the arts. I’ve been meaning to include Goethe. Or suggest someone else who could critically appraise him for a British audience? DM me?

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