iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Theresa Musgrove @theresamusgrove.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Great piece in today's Guardian about my Dickens book, focusing on one new line of discovery - how reports of the fate of Alice Shepherd, a woman in the Hendon Workhouse, appears to have influenced the story of Oliver Twist: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/o...

theguardian.com

Please, sir, can I have a walk? Dickens biographer finds likely inspiration for Oliver Twist

Exclusive: Theresa Musgrove unearths newspaper archives showing one Alice Shepherd was severely punished in 1836 for similarly innocent request

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Harrow Online @harrowonline.org · 09/10/2026

The family of a vulnerable man who has been missing from Harrow since Monday (5 October) are appealing for the public’s help to bring him home safely. Link in bio. #Harrow #News #HarrowOnline

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Of course this raises the question of what this line of the Overground would be named

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 05/10/2026

For many West Londoners, the quickest route between two places often isn't the most direct. The West London Orbital would change that with a new Overground line between Hounslow and Hendon.

Graphic of proposed line from Hendon to Hounslow. Text below map reads "The proposed West London Orbital would unlock 25,000+ homes, support jobs and reduce congestion"

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Years after it aired I finally get round to watching Friday Night Dinner and it turns out to be filmed and set in Mill Hill! Created by @robertpopper.bsky.social of Edgware!

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Didn't play it much but Empire Earth (2001) supposedly has it as a Renaissance Age technology at the Temple I'd check the sequels as well, any age spanning RTS really empireearth.fandom.com/wiki/Technol...

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Rise of Nations (2003) has "printing press" as a gunpowder age technology at the University riseofnations.fandom.com/wiki/Printin...

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Beautiful and sad thread, thank you. Hope you manage to digitise it, upload it to the Internet Archive if you do!

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Edgware Underground station, 1934 and this morning. 1934 inage from LT Museum Collection.

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

And another one from 1926, looks like it was a fashionable place!

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Cartoons about Hendon Aerodrome in Punch magazine in 1911 / 1926

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Our winter lecture series has been announced with lectures on St Mary's church graveyard, early maps, recent finds of HADAS and the history of Finchley Nurseries millhill-hs.org.uk/calendar/

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Considering Edgware is literally named for its fishing (Edgware = Ecgi's weir meaning an Saxon man's fishing pond) it's a shame that its water ways are in such mediocre shape (though in line with what most of the country looks like) environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-pl...

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Only just learned that the "Harrow" placename refers to it being a site of heathen temples! digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcont...

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Images posted by the architectural design company Studio Egret West on its Instagram account last week, of the intended refurbishment of the Railway Hotel in Edgware, and the land behind it to be redeveloped into apartment blocks. The developers are Gracie Group. ##railwayhoteledgware

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Can anyone recognise this farm house currently on display at Bushey Museum? It looks familiar but I can't work out from where...

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

RAF Hendon Aerodrome in 1961 & 2026. Last weekend, @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social screened 'Emergency', which was released in 1962. It used a number of locations in Colindale, in particular the site of the old Hendon Aerodrome. 1. The 1918 hangers, now absorbed into the 1972 RAF Museum.

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Mike @mikeyashworth.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Possibly worst screenshots ever but - from a YouTube film that shows a trip on the 'new' A1M & across N London to Heathrow in 1962 & an eclectic mix of traffic signs. Worth a glance. @showmeasign.online @sabre-roads.org.uk @roads.org.uk youtu.be/pQISKUwhP6I?...

Screenshot showing approach to A1M with road sign London to left from roundabout and Hitchin & Biggleswade to right.

Screenshot of dual carriageway towards end of A1M - as well as a standard 'blue' traffic sign with roundabout in distance there are two large red signs with roundabout symbol and "Reduce speed now". Wintery scene with only a few vehicles shown.

Screenshot of road approaching roundabout at Mill Hill with street lighting and road signs inc a large pre-Worboys roundabout sign on right.

Grainy image as screenshot - a road in North or West London showing an early "V" shaped Give Way sign.

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Another chance to see Colindale Avenue and the old RAF Hendon Aerodrome, as both feature in tgis 1962 film. If you miss it, it will be on Talking Pictures Encore (red button, or website), adter broadcast.

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

John Keble Church exterior, interior and Church Hall as seen in 1987 In Julia Walter's film "Personal Services" Warning: a NSFW scene in the middle youtu.be/xMYPcwUD-wk?...

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Barnet according to the social connection survey - coming out around average for England One of the reasons I took up local history was to try to make people feel pride and belonging in where they live barometer.thenationalconversation.org.uk

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Looks fantastic! Are the wills available for public search at the moment?

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 11/08/2026

A few simple water safety skills could save a young Londoner’s life. Knowing how to spot danger, stay afloat and signal for help is vital. This summer, we’re funding free swim safety sessions - part of our plan to make London's waterways safer and more accessible for everyone.

royaldocks.london

SwimSafe Water Safety Sessions

SwimSafe returns to the Royal Docks for its third year, offering free sessions for children aged 7–14 to build confidence in open water and learn essential water safety skills.

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Call for chapters: Made Municipal: the LCC through its everyday objects. All reposts much appreciated. x

Made Municipal: the LCC through its everyday objects
Background
Following on from the Sixty Years on from the London County Council: Legacy, Impact, Learning film screening and conference in spring 2025, we are keen to capture and build on some of the histories and research that were represented, which highlighted the need for further and increasingly diverse scholarship about the London County Council.
The Council is often held in a certain degree of reverence regarding the achievements delivered across - and beyond - the boundaries of London from the time of its conception in 1889, and as being emblematic of a type of governance which may no longer be possible in a contemporary context. Since the publication of Andrew Saint’s edited book, Politics and People of London: London County Council, 1889-1965 in 1989, more research has emerged on the LCC, with the increasing availability of unofficial archives and the release of previously closed records revealing more nuanced narratives that have the potential to open up more diverse, representative histories.
We appreciate that talking comprehensively about the Council’s broad and interconnected operations is a monumental task, and thus we’re keen to find innovative ways to throw light on the panorama of its work, rather than focus on discrete, dislocated entities. To do so, we were inspired by Professor Andrew Saint, whose unusual contribution to the film screening night at The London Archives was a foot-long bar of LCC-branded soap. This sparked a wide-ranging discussion spanning issues of care, industry, and education in parentis, as undertaken by the LCC, and prompted us to consider that the operation of the LCC could perhaps be best understood through its material culture and its presence in residents’ day-to-day lives.

Using a lens of material culture to explore the work of the LCC allows us to break out from the thematic silos which might otherwise be imposed upon its history, crossing between departments and people - whether LCC employees or those that used its services - that will result in some fascinating and revelatory perspectives.
We are particularly interested in how this might better contextualise some of the under-represented histories of the Council, to reveal their importance within the wider spectrum of its work. Unlike histories that focus on particular departments or typologies, this enables us to shift towards traversing siloed narratives to provide a richer, more rounded perspective on the LCC, which we feel is more authentic to its operation, whilst also challenging how objects are often documented in museums and archives.

Call for chapters
Using a material culture approach, the collected volume will present a history of the LCC through a significant physical manifestation of objects that denote its municipal authority across the County of London. Each chapter will start with an image of the everyday LCC object, setting the scene for a more diverse re-telling of its history. It will be edited by the organisers of the Sixty Years on from the London County Council: Legacy, Impact, Learning film screening and conference held in March 2025, Dr Ruth Lang, Dr Dawn Pereira and Dr Rosamund Lily West.
We invite 4,000-5,000-word chapters which use an everyday LCC object as a starting point. We encourage a range of methodologies for approaching how the objects will be used as catalysts for storytelling. We are particularly interested in including those covering the early LCC period (1889-1914) and the interwar period, which is often underrepresented in LCC histories. Suggestions of types of objects include:
Objects; heraldry, uniforms, school awards, furniture, cutlery
Ephemera; pamphlets, tickets, brochures, phonebooks
Documents; official publications, maps, memoranda and minutes,
We see this approach as offering a more accessible way to delve into complex discussions on topics that may, at first glance, seem less engaging, such as regulation, commissioning, deindustrialisation plans, procurement, etc. We’re also keen to identify controversial objects that open untold/silenced stories and to consider whether there are global implications for the different themes and subjects discussed.

This publication would build upon Andrew Saint’s 1989 edited book, Politics and People of London: the London County Council, 1889-1965, which was the last book on the LCC to offer a broad history, so this would be a timely and much-needed re-examination of the LCC and its legacy. The book will be academic and rigorous and will include good-quality images to complement the visual, object-based approach. The aim of this book is to be an academic/trade crossover, with an audience of both specialist academics and an interested public.
Please email LCC60yearson@gmail.com with your name, a 50-word bio and a 250-word abstract by 31st October 2026.
Please include a clear indication of the object your chapter intends to focus upon (including images and potential sources/locations of the object itself where possible), along with a summary of its purpose and relevance, and the outline of your intended scope of investigation.

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Barnet Post @barnetpost.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Events: Barnet Physic Well open day Visit the historic 17th Century mineral spring on Saturday August 15th barnetpost.co.uk/2026/08/07/events-…

barnetpost.co.uk

Events: Barnet Physic Well open day

Visit the historic 17th Century mineral spring on Saturday August 15th

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Get over to Instagram and see my mini montage of Brent Cross 1922-1976. www.instagram.com/reel/DbmqmBW...

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Historical images of Brent Cross always go down well, so I thought you might like to see this. This is Brent Cross shopping centre under construction in the summer of 1973. The development would open 3 years later. This is a CIA spy satellite image accesed through the Layers of London website.

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Barnet Post @barnetpost.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Hendon Hall residents relive 1966 World Cup memories with Sir Geoff Hurst The hattrick hero met the care home residents at a World Cup-themed event reports Leïla Davaud barnetpost.co.uk/2026/07/29/hendon-…

barnetpost.co.uk

Hendon Hall residents relive 1966 World Cup memories with Sir Geoff Hurst

The hattrick hero met the care home residents at a World Cup-themed event reports Leïla Davaud

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

The late great Bill Oddie campaigning against a camping ground on his local Welsh Harp nature reserve in 1989 www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ai...

youtube.com

Bill Oddie | Welsh Harp Recreation Centre | Travellers site | Environmental Concerns | 1989

YouTube video by Thames News

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

The forgotten garden of Kingsbury. For a brief period of time in the 1950s & 60s there was a formal garden laid out just off Stag Lane. It belonged to Frigidaire, who had a sizeable factory facing onto the A5. By the late 1960s it was turned into car park. Its now a Toyota motor dealership.

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Independent Historians Network (UK) @indyhistnetwork.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Want to join IHN? You can now sign up as a member for just £10 a year! You'll get our newsletter, access to free online events with experts, invites to our meet-ups and access to online resources. The more of us, the better! Do join up! membermojo.co.uk/independenth...

Group of wooden people with the words "membership has arrived (hurray)"

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

A curious photo from the wonderful archives of Memories of Hendon The image is captioned as 'Brent Cross Exchange of Leases' and dated January 1972. So what you can see is model proposal of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre. It looks quite different to the version that was eventually constructed.

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Delighted to say that the 1973 spy satellite imagery is now on the excellent @layersoflondon.bsky.social website for easy browsing! www.layersoflondon.org/map/overlays...

layersoflondon.org

Layers of London

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A 1968 ad for Duple, the coachbuilders, who had their works on the Edgware Road at West Hendon from 1926 to 1970. The aerial photo was taken by Aerofilms in 1951, and shows the size of the enterprise.

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London Industrial @londonindustrial.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Sad news to wake up to. I was kindly sent this photo. It shows what was left of the old Volvo showrooms in Colindale, the other day. It was once the Wolverley Works of Alfred Gilbert & Sons, on The Hyde at Colindale, built in the 1930s. The company made office and stationery goods.

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A London Inheritance @alondoninheritance.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

The geology and Chalybeate Wells of Hampstead explored in my post at alondoninheritance.com/under-london...

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 08/07/2026

Heading out in the heat? Plan ahead with London’s Cool Spaces map. Find: • Indoor rest spots • Shaded outdoor areas • Free drinking water • Public toilets

apps.london.gov.uk

Cool Spaces

Cool Spaces Map displays indoor venues open to all where Londoners can take respite on hot days.

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Two ends of the spectrum here There's got to be a coffee table book in this! wellcomecollection.org/works/xg2f7g... wellcomecollection.org/works/p6xqqr...

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I'm sure I've photos of more somewhere From the Wellcome Collection

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Mill Hill Historical Society @mhhistsoc.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Some great finds in the for sale section for a Hertfordshire library

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NW London Time Machine @timenw.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Can anyone out there work out where the first bit was filmed? Its got me and @leelimerick.com stumped m.youtube.com/watch?is=jns...

m.youtube.com

1960s London, Police Car Driving Through Suburbs, 35mm

YouTube video by Kinolibrary

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