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alasdairbrooks.bsky.social
Chief Executive of Stoke-on-Trent's heritage development trust, editor of the SHA journal Historical Archaeology; likes 19th-century ceramics, music, and a good history book.
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AHRC-funded PhD at University of Aberdeen/NMS: "Collecting Australia: colonial consumption and the display of Australia in Scotland during the long 19th century", focusing on colonial-era collections in Edinburgh @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social . Please share widely! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

17th May Harper Street 3rd Anniversary 10am FREE ENTRY Join the party at Middleport Pottery’s Harper Street 3rd anniversary celebration. Filled with lots of fun children’s activities, music & entertainment in partnership with Middleport Matters Book Here: re-form.org/heritage-bui... #stokeontrent

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

From 1906 through the second 1910 election, the Liberal Party won three general elections in a row, following on from their crushing 1906 landslide victory. They never won another election; by 1922 they'd been definitively supplanted by Labour as the other main party. 1/3

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

#Lichfield makes @pastpostcard.bsky.social in time for #StaffordshireDay! Though I'm not sure I would recommend popping off for a shandy while visiting, though; much more interesting things to do.

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Very sorry to learn of the loss of another historic name in the Staffordshire ceramics industry. This time it's Moorcroft. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

One day the interminable work to improve Birmingham Airport's security area will be complete. One day; but not today.

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

The ReformUK candidate's leaflet for the 1 May local elections has just been shoved through my letterbox. Maybe it's just me, but you'd think that if you were representing a party with a history of racism and pandering to the hard right, you'd maybe want to avoid being pictured in a black shirt.

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

#archaeology question for Bluesky... Does anyone know of any UK colleagues studying South American rock art? Big continent, I know; specific country doesn't matter too much at this point. Asking on behalf of a colleague.

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Christ is Risen! Христосъ воскресе! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Christus resurrexit! Le Christ est ressuscité! ¡Cristo ha resucitado! Cristo ressuscitou! Christus is opgestaan! Christus ist auferstanden! !المسيح قام ΠιχρίςΤος αϥτωΝϥ! Քրիստոս հարյա՜վ ի մեռելոց: ქრისტე აღსდგა!

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

Χριστός Ανέστη! Anastasis, The Resurrection of Christ From Chora (Kariye), Hosios Loukas, and Daphni Monastery Today is the Holy Pascha (“Easter”), which celebrates the resurrection of Christ

submitted 14 days ago • 1 comment

Amazing video by Professor Dave about Graham Hancock, Joe Rogan, Jimmy Corsetti, Dan Richards, and me Please share far and wide! youtu.be/JK4Fo6m9C9M?...

submitted 19 days ago • 12 comments

Excellent news from Middleport Pottery; our Dane narrowboat is one of National Historic Ships UK's 2025 flagships of the year.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

The UK government has published its consultation outcome over the implementation of the Living Heritage / Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention (2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage). www.gov.uk/government/c...

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

Follow the below link for details on how you can help shape the future of the much-loved Leopard Inn at our upcoming drop-in community engagement event at Burslem School of Art, 24 April, 11:00 to 15:00 BST. re-form.org/news/help-sh...

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the exploding SpaceX rockets.

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

The PMAC25 will kick off tomorrow with a number of pre-conference events. Feel free to share your session with your colleagues and friends! Please find the searchable programme & abstract book PDFs here: spma.org.uk/pmac25 #PMAC25 #PMAC25

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Thinking back of late on all those publications I've written outlining the impact of past political events in the US on the global distributions of 19th-century Staffordshire ceramics. Was already planning to start writing another co-authored one this month on the impacts in Chile. Timing is weird.

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Somehow I wasn't expecting that Jimmy Savile nostalgia would prove to be the basis of any political party's 2025 local elections campaign slogan.

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

A lot of brilliant work's gone on behind the scenes to get us our fantastic new website. Our Marketing & Comms Manager Louise Bartley rightly thanks Harrison-Carloss in the below post - but I'd like to take a moment to also thank Louise for her hard work, and our other staff for supporting her.

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Travelling to Glasgow for work at the end of April, going up on a Sunday. Wanted to take the train, but the train cost a minimum of £150 return, with rail replacement north of Carlisle. Return flight from Birmingham to Glasgow costs £60, and takes less time (including travel to/from airports). 1/2

submitted 36 days ago • 1 comment

'The order directs the vice-president to "eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the institute's museums...' When even the BBC is describing this as a 'purge'... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 37 days ago • 0 comments

I see that Iran's 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan yesterday was enough to secure the Islamic Republic qualification to the 2026 World Cup. Looking forward to seeing how that qualification aligns with current US administration immigration policies.

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

TODAY! 25TH MARCH CAREER FAIR 2025 in partnership with Kidsgrove Job Centre 10am to 3pm FREE ENTRY Join us to explore job opportunities in and around the area, #stokeontrent

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

Post a warning.

submitted 42 days ago • 1 comment

Everyone keep your fingers crossed 🤞 Middleport Pottery is a finalist at the Enjoy Staffordshire Awards Small Visitor Attraction category and tonight we find out how we did. Our fabulous team members Lucy, Alison and Gabrielle are there to represent us we will keep you updated on how we do

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

Victorian Cutlery with mammoth tooth handles, anyone? www.langfords.com/cutlery/cutl...

submitted 45 days ago • 8 comments

26TH APRIL SPRING FESTIVAL – Celebrating Earth Day Time: 10am to 3pm Adults: £1.50, Children (4 to 12) £5, Children (Under 4) Free Keep the kids entertained with this great day out for all the family. More Info: re-form.org/middleportpo... #stokeontrent #earthday #springfestival #staffordshire

submitted 47 days ago • 0 comments

15th to 23rd March FREE Heritage Trail Entry – A National Lottery Open Week Event 10am to 4pm It’s both National Lottery Open Week & English Tourism Week, so join us, we’re opening our doors to say a huge #ThanksToYou More Info: re-form.org/middleportpo... #stokeontrent #englishtourismweek25

submitted 48 days ago • 0 comments

Weirdly, I found myself reading this story in hospital while listening to Richard Strauss's Metamorphosen and taking a break from reading the chapter in Alex Ross's 'The Rest is Noise' on the impact of the Nazi regime on classical music. Hmmmm, 1/2 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

My kids bought replica Roman coins at a museum and then deposited them in my purse and forgot about them. I looked for them the next month and realised I must have tipped a waiter at a cafe with 3 fake sesterces. I was being distracted by 3 kids at the time.

submitted 51 days ago • 6 comments

Awake post-surgery. What does it say about me that my morphine-fuelled dreams were mostly about the typological classification of cut-sponged whiteware?

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

Off to the hospital in a couple of hours for an operation; routine keyhole surgery, but still involves general anaesthetic, an overnight stay, and a longer than anticipated recovery period. Expressions of moral support very welcome!

submitted 52 days ago • 1 comment

A disappointingly superficial story about Stoke's tourism and industrial heritage offer in yesterday's Daily Mail. Nothing against World of Wedgwood (which is brilliant), but it seems the reporter didn't really do much in the city except visit the latter. 1/2 www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic...

submitted 54 days ago • 1 comment