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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Terrific, although the sort of traumatic experience that haunts a person for the rest of their life. Would love to see image of the ration book. Mum spoke of there being a quirk: something about the 'occasional 5-week month' (caused by 4-week period?) in which there were extra coupons—most welcome.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

As much as I welcome the investment being placed in revitalising play parks about #Exeter I'm concerned that insufficient regard is being placed on the need for shelter from the sun. The summer's repeated heatwaves are harbingers of the emerging climate crisis & surely signal the need for adaptation

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Four months later (& of equal importance), on 5th Feb. 1953, rationing of confectionary was to end. On first hearing of these rationing dates from my mother I was surprised at how late, after the end of war, rationing ended. Came upon this example of Berkel shop scales at Bygones, St Marychurch

An example of vintage Berkel shop scales on display at Bygones, St Marychurch, Torbay, #Devon. Photo date: 27/06/2026. By design, knowing the price-per-pound weight, it was possible to determine the pro-rata cost for an item of lesser weight using the printed scale.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A 'Traveling Showman' in our family — unfortunately not aware of subject of his show (other than he kept rabbits). Rarely shows in census. Suspect those 'travelling' (i.e. on the road) often were missed by census takers and, in my experience, aren't easy to trace.

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Reposted by Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲

Kresen Kernow @kresenkernow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

🚐 Long before modern caravan parks, families were bringing horse-drawn caravans onto Hayle Towans for summer holidays. This 1913 photograph from the Blight family collection shows one of the earliest known holiday caravans on the dunes. 🌊#JourneysExhibition #Hayle

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yes, highly likely. We're an old West Quarter family. My father often spoke of this being a very tightly-knit community, one that pulled together, and, in many ways, it had to be, since money was sparse and living hard. We've (largely) lost that community spirit today.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It can be overlooked that a swimming baths was often multi-use in that it was also a place to take a bath (I believe 'Pyramids' was such a place) at a time when houses did not have bathrooms and also for laundry. The alternative to such bath-taking being a tin bath in front the fire.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Whilst reading of the exploits of explorer of the Amazon Major/Colonel Percy Fawcett I was surprised (as he must have been) to find he had come upon a Cornish miner in Bolivia. Apparently revered the world over for their mining skills and not necessarily to be found in Cornwall.

p.189 of book Exploration Fawcett. Tells of how Major/Colonel Percy Fawcett came upon a Cornish Miner in Bolivia.

Book cover: 'Exploration Fawcett - Journey to the Lost City of Z'. Perhaps considered something of a quack explorer during his time, much of his theories were later to be verified by LiDAR surveys of the Amazon that revealed archaeological evidence of an advanced and highly networked early civilisation.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🔗 www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_sport/te... Photo on the Head Weir page [Exeter Memories] shows all-male club; definite lack of swimming opportunity for women. Our family has one other surprising swim connection: in Census 1939 Albert Slack is 'Swimming bath attendant'. Possibly Exeter's Tepid Baths

Extract from the 'Register' (form of census) recorded September 1939 following the outbreak of war. Albert Slack (1901-1972), resident of 81 Myrtle Road, Exeter, is recorded as being 'Swimming bath attendant - heavy worker'.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yes, particularly the 'reluctant hero' aspect–so Dad. Known of Dad having received commendation. Struck me walking by river, how would he have known he could swim (most couldn't)? Mum explained, swim club. Guessing it was one on the river. Always liked a beach swim. I've swum my whole life. 🏊family.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Crowdfunding appeal has deservedly started for life saver extraordinaire (400 lives!) of the River Exe Thomas Gregory. Just want to mention Dad who, on 14th Sep. 1937 rescued a drowning man from the river. In national press! Mum said he had belonged to a swim club; commendation from Humane Society.

'Clothes gave him away' - Daily Mirror 15th September 1937. Frederick Slack (Dad) dives into the River Exe and rescues a man from drowning.

Frederick Slack (Dad) dives into the River Exe and rescues a man from drowning. Receiving a commendation from the Royal Humane Society on Monday 6th December 1937 for pulling a man from River Exe. Presented by the mayor of Exeter.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I interpret 'Third' as 3rd-class. I hadn't really understood how class riven English society was. Novel Doreen, about an evacuee during WWII, rather opened my eyes. Today, money will buy you 1st-class, but historically you were expected to 'know your place'. Social mobility was not on the agenda.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Busted! It was always just a matter of time, and, as it happens, not that much time at all

[Exminster]: Texaco garage selling diesel for £2.01.9/litre.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I quite agree, these illustrations are charming. I had not previously known of #InternationalCaravanDay. Nor was I aware of holidays on Dartmoor in horse-drawn caravans in the 1920s. What an adventure that must have been. We have early caravan home roots in our #Devon family.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

My late mother had this lovely story. It was 1953, an age before widespread television. Her father asked Mum if she'd like to see the coronation of HM QE II & of course she would. The two of them walked up to the Gaumont and watched the news reel together. The making of a lifelong memory.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I've little doubt we'll come to regret it if we lose this lovely period cinema but I fear for its fate. The demolition teams are operating apace just around the corner. If it's going it would be nice if #Exeter could briefly open its doors and allow people one last peek at 1930's cinema glamour.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

bsky.app/profile/ukro... The future of the Gaumont/Odeon cinema in Plymouth has been secured.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🔗 www.flickr.com/gp/robertsla... 📷-album [Flickr] Concerned to see the old Gaumont Palace Cinema (recently Mecca Bingo), North St, #Exeter shuttered and derelict looking as if its demise is imminent. Much of its Deco interior is intact and would be an unfortunate loss. @bdcmuseum.bsky.social

Photo showing the old Gaumont Palace Cinema (recently Mecca Bingo) closed up and looking derelict. The photo (taken 17 Sep 2026) shows the entrance gate closed and secured. North Street, Exeter

Photo showing the old Gaumont Palace Cinema (recently Mecca Bingo) closed up and looking derelict. The photo (taken 17 Sep 2026) shows the entrance to the main building complex. North Street, Exeter

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

bsky.app/profile/benb... It did concern me that might be the case. 😟

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Seaside Heritage Network @seasidenetwork.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

We said goodbye to the Grand Hotel this morning then met for a walking tour led by @seasideferry.bsky.social to the Spa, Bathing Bungalows and former South Bay Bathing Pool

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

May have passed you by: driving around in one of these whilst doing his military service in Germany 1958-1960. Not sure why you needed to know that; in fact I'm sure you didn't. 🤷🏻

[Sinsheim Technology Museum, Baden-Württemberg, Germany]: US M59 Personnel Carrier as driven by Elvis Presley whilst doing military service 1958-1960. Image shows vehicle. Photo: May 2025.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🔗 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 💬'"It's not the tanks you need to worry about"says historian Margaret MacMillan📖:How Conflict Shaped Us."It's the cutting of cables on the ocean floor. It's the hacking into systems... The possibility for asymmetric war, for cyber war, is growing by leaps and bounds"'

bbc.co.uk

War may be coming. Are we psychologically ready?

The military and government say the risk of conflict is growing, but we may not be mentally ready for it

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

There's much I don't understand. I see the unprecedented shocks on nature & wildlife from climate change. My wildbirds vanished completely July/August. Autumn kicked off End-July for S.German forests. We desperately need to quantify these hits. Resilience has limits & I fear potential tipping points

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

🔗 www.theguardian.com/environment/... Turn up the heat and butterflies love it. 💬'It's a bad penny that does no good.' That was the (oh so old) phrase that sprung to my mind.

theguardian.com

Record heatwaves bring Britain’s second-best butterfly season in 16 years

Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

🔗 www.devonmuseums.net/Agatha-Chris... Ah! That could explain a lot. One of my favourite coasters. Fancy popping around for a drink later? #Torquay #Museum

Coaster showing a skull in the background and a champagne glass containing a drink (best served cold) in the foreground. Caption:'Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie'

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

[Exeter]: Filling station. Months spent desperately trying to keep a litre of fuel under £2. Today can be purchased for a mere £1.99.9. I think their resolve is about to be busted! Never been a better time to be on your 🚴

[Exeter]: Countess Wear filling station 12th September 2026. 1 litre of diesel fuel priced at £1.99.9. Looking ominous for the future of sub-£2 litre of fuel.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Dad's dripped jam down his polo shirt from C&A and someone has bodged the clean up but beyond that, and it being tea-time, I haven't a clue what's happening in this oddly single-parent assemblage.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Beach bucket of choice. The 'science' of sandcastle making is not to be underestimated. As said in replies, these were made of quite a heavy rubber material which gave them a rather peculiar tactile quality but nevertheless proved quite durable.

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Reposted by Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

If you feel like donating to the RNLI, here’s a link. I just have. Their minimum donation is £2: I think it might be nice for them to receive a lot of donations this week, even if they’re mostly very modest. Just so they know a lot of people out here appreciate their work. rnli.org/support-us/g...

rnli.org

Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea

Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Reality twist of Cleethorpes made me think of Dali. Cheery artworks.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

🔗 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... - BBC News 04/09/2026 💬 'The NAO [National Audit Office] said the government was too reliant on the private sector to deal with food supply disruption. The government is due to unveil a strategy about preparing for national emergencies later this year.'

bbc.co.uk

Stock up on food to prepare for extreme El Niño weather, minister says

Dame Angela Eagle warns the weather event could lead to extreme storms this winter.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Perfect capture of the contention. Genius!

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

🔗 etsc.eu/german-polic... 💬 'German police union calls for 30 km/h urban speed limits' It has just come to my attention that 30 km/h urban speed limit is replacing the previous 50 km/h limit here in Altbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and across this region. #safetyfirst

[Translation from the German]: 'Attention!! Now we have in Altbach a 30 km/h speed limit on Esslinger Street'.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The Cathedral Green, #Exeter, has never looked less green. Great to see so many independents putting on a fine show but the scorched earth in these images is alarming. 🔥

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Agree only with proviso: an unsourced family tree on a site (e.g. Ancestry) is not necessarily an 'unsourced family tree'. Verification of status with owner must be ascertained. There are many reasons for choosing a non-proprietary source filing mechanism; the caveat must read 'do not presume'.

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Reposted by Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲

Exeter Cycling Campaign @exetercycling.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Incentives for people who🚶‍♀️30m/day from NHS England? BMJ @scarlettmcnally.bsky.social "A better system'd reward modal shift 🚗 =>🚶🚲🛴🚌 It'd need changes to infrastructure, but strong evidence shows that active travel improves mental & physical health" #NHS #ActiveTravel www.bmj.com/content/394/...

An image of a "drug" capsule "labelled Physical Activity"
The accompanying text reads Physical activity, the under-rated 'wonder drug' Even small increases in physical activity among those who are the least active can bring great health benefits. As the former chief medical officer noted: "The potential benefits of physical activity to health are huge. If medication existed which had a similar effect, it would be regarded as a wonder drug or miracle cure cure'. - This was from a Public Health England publication

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Just come through the letterbox here in Germany. The government is preparing the population for the worst. I do hope the UK government has its eye on the ball. 🇩🇪 ✔️ 🇬🇧 ❌

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Extract from the novel The Things We Never Say (published 2026) by Elizabeth Strout.

Partial transcription of book extract: "People say, Oh, in four years it will be different. Don't they know that in four years it could all be over? There might not be an election in four years, Jesus. Listen to what the man has said. He has said to people, You only have to vote this one time. Pay attention!”

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

🔗📖 www.goodreads.com/en/book/show... Interesting! What it's like to watch your country descend into political hegemony & yet there's consensual silence in The Things We Never Say An immensely topical thread to this novel I hadn't expected. Truths we never say often arise because we refuse face them

goodreads.com

The Things We Never Say

Artie Dam is living a double life. He spends his days t…

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Pascale Aebischer (she/her) @pascaleexeter.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Who's not signed this petition yet? Please help us out! The official line is that this is not targeting Arts and Humanities. So why are 85% of cuts in these subjects? #DefendExeterUni c.org/DTcBbvqxn6

c.org

Sign the Petition

Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Covent Garden (IK harsh comparison) is full of character even today which can't be said of the interior remnants of Exeter's Higher Market. Central Station, like many railway stations, makes a great entrance to the city. We're lucky continued use has preserved many whereas cinemas not fared so well.

🔗 https://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_buildings/centralstation.php
Exeter Memories - David Cornforth
'The modern Central Station before the frontage was pedestrianised' - "The crescent was deliberately designed to enable cars and taxis to draw up, and drop passengers, a lesson that has been forgotten by Railtrack with latest reorganisation which has pedestrianised the whole frontage."

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

In #Devon the two major competing milk delivery firms 60s/70s were (I believe) Co-Op & Dairy Crest. I wouldn't describe as 'the fastest milk carts in the west'. Us paper-boys and milk men denizens of early morning streets. My mother told of horse & carts & milk churns greeted with jugs in hand.

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It has the wonderful mildly acerbic tone of Betjeman that makes one imagine so. Can reasonably conclude the majority of us are grateful the grand Higher Market still stands. I feel the eateries needlessly sell it short & opportunity been missed in the loss of authentic and visually appealing purpose

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Robert Slack (UK) 🧬🌲 @ukrobertslack.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

So, resourceful mother made her daughter a dress and had material leftover for a scarf. There's an enchanting timeless style to the 3 pictured here. Sure there must be a rail buff chomping at the bit to tell us precisely the date of this poster.

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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

BBCR4: "you're interviewing me because all the other parties aren't standing..... Are they running scared from old Binny?  Or do they think that Nigel's running a cunning stunt? And I pronounce that carefully at 8:55 in the morning" 😂#BinForTheWin www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOm...

youtube.com

Count Binface: I'll take on Farage in by-election | BBC Radio 4 Today

YouTube video by BBC Politics

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