iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 1h

My latest Kickstarter has entered the final 48 hours, and is just £51 short of being funded. If you have any interest in the Second World War or obscure history, please take a look […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

A digital proof showing two pages of the book. The left-hand page includes a map.

The book "Daring and Determined" by Russell Phillips displayed on a tablet and a phone, along with a hardback copy of the same book. The cover has a view of the Tragino aqueduct at night with paratroopers descending.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

I approve of this method of proving humanity. Much better than asking me to tick all the boxes containing buses or whatever. (Seen at a UK National Archives survey)

A question asking the user to prove that they are a human by answering the question, "Which of the following best describes your involvement in creating the Domesday Book in the year 1086? I was ..."

There are several options, including "William the conqueror and commissioned the Domesday book"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

I gave a talk about Lidice today. This little beauty was in the audience. #dogstodon #Lidice

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026

I went to a writer's group tonight. My Palm writer deck got a lot of comments 🙂 #Palm #RetroComputing #WriterDeck #author

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

The Kickstarter for my next book is now live. Backers can also get other extras such as a signed print of the cover art, via add-ons. www.kickstarter.com/projects/russel… #histodons #MilitaryHistory […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/09/2026

I'm at Alsager Civic Centre to give a talk about Lidice to the local u3a group. #Lidice #SecondWorldWar #WorldWar2

The entrance to Alsager Civic. Open doors, and a sign above

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

RPG Trader has a new multi-author bundle: System Neutral Kit. It includes system-neutral settings, adventures, NPCs, items, bestiaries, art assets, tools, and more. There are 75 products included, for just $15 (you can pay more if you wish) […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

A mosaic of images, made up of the covers from the products included in the bundle.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

Another reason to love libraries. Local library is having a book sale. This cost me £2 😲

Photo of Jane's Fighting Ships 1993-94. It's a plain blue cover with gold text.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/08/2026

It's #InternationalDogDay, so here's a picture of Snowy that a friend of ours drew recently. #dogstodon

A painting of a white dog with coloured flowers around her neck.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

Some of the houses around here have interesting house number signs.

A blue aircraft bomb partially embedded in the ground, with "75" painted on it.

A classic naval mine (large sphere with prongs sticking out at various angles). It is black, with "73" painted on it.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

@TotesTanked have you heard this claim before about where the Valentine tank's name came from? It's new to me. #Tank #SecondWorldWar #WW2 @militaryhistory

Plaque from a museum. It claims that the Valentine tank's name is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrongs Limited Elswick & Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

The family uses Signal for messaging, so nobody can read our messages. I do sometimes wonder what random hackers would make of them if they could read them.

Signal text message: "check otway for tetrarchs"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2026

Largely thanks to @silhelm my laptop's sticker collection is growing 🙂

The lid of a laptop. The bottom half is covered in stickers.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026

I went to my first repair cafe today. I took this, thinking that they'd probably be unable to repair it, but in that case I'd be no worse off. Happily, they were able to repair it, and I am now the proud owner of a _working_ 26-year-old PDA 🙂 #RepairCafe #Palm

A slightly battered Palm m100 PDA. It is switched on, and icons for various programs are visible on the screen.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

A friend sent me this. I immediately thought of @neil 😂

Two scenes from Life of Brian in meme format.

First secene is Brian. Text: *When I open terminal in front of non-IT people* Will you please listen? I'm not a hacker.

Second scene is s crowd of people. Text: *Non-IT people* He is the hacker!

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2026

I finished my book this afternoon. Fortunately, my pre-order of Murder on Donut Station arrived this morning 🙂 #bookstodon #SciFi #ScienceFiction

Book cover: Murder on Donut Station by Si Clarke.

The cover has a silhouette of a person falling and a view of a space station with a central ring and a concentric outer ring, a bit like a ring doughnut.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/07/2026

I'll admit that I feel a little bad about how hard I laughed at this.

Photo of Malaysian and US flags. Underneath is a key showing the meanings of the colours:
Red: Hardiness and valour
White: Purity and innocence
Blue: Unity (Malaysia), Vigilance and justice (USA)
Yellow: (Malaysia only): Not losing against Vietnamese farmers in a war

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

I'm staying at a flat in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I saw two Roman soldiers. This morning I looked out of my window to see a trans flag flying from a window opposite. #trans #pride

A block of houses. A trans flag is flying from a third-floor window.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

[CW: Misgendering (but also an ally pushing back)] This is what being an ally looks like. #trans #TransAlly #LGBT

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

[CW: Misgendering (but also an ally pushing back)] This is what being an ally looks like.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/05/2026

Is there anyone on fedi that repairs or is interested in old TVs? I have an old Ferguson fault diagnosis pocket book for the TX90 & TX100 chassis. I'm happy to post it to anyone that could get use out of it. Boosts appreciated. #TV #repair #retro #archive #document #OldTV #RetroTV

Ferguson Fault Diagnosis Pocket Book. Blue booklet with pictures of TX90 and TX100 chassis.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 26/05/2026

I was pleasantly surprised to see this notice on my local council's website.

Screenshot from Stoke-on-Trent council bin day calendar web page.

At the top is the following notice:

Due to the extreme heat, there may be some delays to waste collections.

Our crews’ welfare is a priority, so they’ll adapt to the heat with regular breaks, hydration and sunscreen. Please leave bins out by 6am. We’ll collect them as soon as we can.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/05/2026

It's International Museum Day, so I've written a post about a key that I recently saw at our local museum. russellphillips.uk/international-mu… #InternationalMuseumDay #museum #MuseumDay

The key to Lidice. A slightly ornate, old-fashioned looking key.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/05/2026

My latest eBay purchase. It's complete apart from the 3.5" software disks (it does have the 5.25" software disks). I don't have any way of reading 3.5" or 5.25" disks, so the missing disks don't bother me. It was sold as untested, so I'll see if it works […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Psion Series 3 serial link box. The box art shows a Psion Series 3 PDA with a cable running from it to an old PC.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

At 7:24pm on this day in 1980, B Squadron of 22 SAS stormed the Iranian embassy in London, ending a six-day siege. At the time of the assault, there were twenty-one hostages and six terrorists in the embassy. One hostage and five terrorists were killed […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Paperback and ebook (phone and tablet) versions of the book Operation Nimrod by Russell Phillips. Book cover background is a photo of the Iranian embassy in London. On a green band at the top, "Operation Nimrod The Iranian Embassy Siege". On a red-brown band at the bottom, "Russell Phillips"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

On this day in 1942, British troops invaded Madagascar. The operation was to prove the usefulness of tank landing ships (LSTs), which were to be widely used in future invasions. It also featured dummy paratroopers, which were more famously used during the […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Ebook and paperback copies of A Strange Campaign by Russell Phillips. Ebook is displayed on a tablet. Top third of the cover is a photograph of British troops going ashore from a landing craft, overlaid with a Union Jack. Bottom two-thirds is title and a photo of French prisoners of war escorted by British troops, overlaid with a French Tricolore.

Text to the right of the books: "Though it was a world war it is easy to overlook some corners of the conflict. Madagascar was strategically important and controlled by Vichy France. Phillips has done an excellent job drawing out the story of the British-led invasion of the island."
— Angus Wallace, the WW2 Podcast

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2026

I see Games Workshop are taking inspiration from Cold War British AFVs again. At first glance, I thought the Hippogriff was a Saracen armoured car. And the Centaur looks an awful lot like a half-track version of the Humber Pig. Not that I blame them […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Games Workshop "Centaur RSV". It looks a lot like a Humber Pig APC with the rear wheels replaced with tracks.

Two Games Workshop Hippogriff AFVs. They look a lot like Alvis Saracen armoured cars with sci-fi guns in the turrets.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 25/04/2026

@rpbook this teapot is one of my birthday presents. As soon as I opened it, @jetlagjen challenged me to a tea duel 🙂 I would say it's ridiculous, but it works perfectly - no dribble at all.

A pottery teapot in the shape of an old-fashioned artillery piece, with two mugs and a packet of rich tea biscuits.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 24/04/2026

I've just added the audiobook of _Operation Nimrod_ to my direct sales store, which is currently the only place you can buy the audiobook. It's discounted until 5th May, the anniversary of Operation Nimrod, when the SAS stormed the Iranian embassy […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Operation Nimrod audio book cover. Background is a photo of the Iranian embassy in London. On a green band at the top, "Operation Nimrod The Iranian Embassy Siege". Above that is the text, "Read by Phillip J Mather". On a red-brown band at the bottom, "Russell Phillips"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/04/2026

Ive been using Ubuntu MATE for years. I've never seen this before. #Linux #UbuntuMate

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

Went to a steampunk event at Middleport Pottery. The tea duelling was surprisingly good fun 🙂 #steampunk

Two people engaged in a tea duel. They are sat opposite each other, wearing steampunk costumes. Each has a cup of tea in front of them, and they are each holding a biscuit.

My son wearing a black cloak with hood up and a black plague doctor mask.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/03/2026

I sometimes see retro computing posts on here. I have no interest in old Commodore 64s or game consoles, but a while ago I bought a second hand Palm m105 and reminded myself how much I loved mine. When they were current, I badly wanted a Psion series 3 or […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

Psion 3a palmtop computer, like a mini laptop. The greyscale screen is showing a line of application icons.

Psion 3 palmtop computer, like a mini laptop. The greyscale screen is showing a line of application icons.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 09/03/2026

Someone shared this elsewhere. Apparently it's the unofficial squadron emblem for 521 Meteorological Squadron RAF during the Second World War. 🙂 #histodons #MilitaryHistory #SecondWorldWar #WW2 @history @militaryhistory

Black and white illustration of skull and crossbones under an umbrella. Motto underneath reads "Semper in excreta"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/03/2026

This is entirely typical of the conversations I have with my 13yo 😀 #tank #FactChecking @TotesTanked

Screenshot of messages with my 13 year old.

13 year old: Is the weakest part of the tank the top where the hatch is?

Me: That or the floor, yes. Why?

13 year old: Watching One Piece, an enemy just said that I didn't know if it was true or not so I wanted to ask ty

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

Progress on the writing of my next book is slower than I would like, but the cover artist is making progress. This is the first time I’ve hired an artist, and I’m finding the process interesting. The image shows how he’s blocked out colours and started to […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

A digital drawing of an aqueduct crossing a valley. The image doesn't have much detail or precise edges.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/03/2026

I'm not generally a #selfie person, but I have a new t-shirt and I want to show it off 🙂 #trans #ProtectTransKids

Me in a grey t-shirt. It has a Tetrarch tank overlaid with the trans pride flag and the words, "Protect trans kids"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 25/02/2026

I've owned plenty of laptops over the years, and never felt the need to put stickers on any of them. Until now. I blame @silhelm 🙂

A Dell laptop lid with four stickers along the bottom. From left to right: a rainbow infinity symbol with "Cure ableism not autism", a one with "ORG Open Rights Group", a Tetrarch tank in trans colours with "Protect trans kids", and a book labeled History with "This machine kills fascists".

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/02/2026

@jetlagjen and I have a tradition of #Valentat: we present each other with Valentines-related tat on 15th February. The things we give each other are frequently very cringe and rarely useful, but it's always good fun. We're not allowed to spend more than […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

A notebook shaped like an apple cut into many thin slices.

The closed notebook. It looks like an apple slice, complete with pip.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/02/2026

A friend sent me this earlier. I can't argue with the logic 🙂

Photo of a Queen Elizabeth II class aircraft carrier. Text says "The Royal Navy. Kind of like Uber, but for Royal Marines"

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2026

I gave blood today. It was my 50th donation, so I got a thank you card.

NHS blood and transplant branded thank you card. It has "Thank you so much" written in red. "Thanks" and "Thank you" are written in grey all over the card.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/02/2026

A little while ago, thanks to @nerdydaytrips I discovered Sick to Death in #Chester. Today I went with my youngest, who _loved_ it. #museum

A dummy with the chest and abdomen cut open to reveal the organs inside.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 12/01/2026

I just encountered this weird set of gender options on an NHS survey. #NHS #NonBinary #UK

Screenshot from a survey. Question: What is your Gender?
Possible answers: Female, Male, Indeterminate, Not Stated.

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Russell (Robin) Phillips @rpbook.gts.phillipsuk.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/12/2025

We put our #Christmas decorations up today, including this thing. It's not something I would normally want, but it has sentimental value. It used to belong to my mum, and my kids _loved_ it, especially the music, so when she died we got it. Luckily the […] [Original post on gts.phillipsuk.org]

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