Award-winning historian and author of the Daily Mail Book of the Week, Members Behaving Badly. History, places, ponderments.

Joined September 2025
The Charge of the Light Brigade happened on this day, 25 October, 1854. To find out more about the Charge, and the dreadful politician and commander who led it, why not read my book, Members Behaving Badly link.amazon/B05h8d728
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If anyone has a website, make sure it's sorted immediately - or take it offline until you can.
Two critical vulnerabilities have been identified in PHP, a widely used programming language that powers websites and web applications. These vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) could allow malicious cyber actors to remotely execute code in PHP core, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks. The FBI urges organizations to take the following steps now: ➡️ If an immediate update is not feasible it is recommended that organizations take the system offline until it can be fully mitigated. ➡️ Immediately update affected PHP installations following the guidance on php.net. Inventory where PHP runs in your environment, prioritizing internet-facing systems and vendor products that bundle PHP. ➡️ Monitor web servers for suspicious activity, including PHP processes unexpectedly launching command shells or downloading files. Ensure appropriate process-monitoring capabilities are in place to help identify potential exploitation. ➡️ If you find signs of compromise, isolate affected systems, preserve your web server and PHP logs, and report it to your local FBI field office or ic3.gov. Those reports help us identify the actors involved and warn other organizations before they become victims. For the latest information, follow PHP’s announcement on php.net, CERT-EU Security Advisory 2026-018, and CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
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The divisive British civil wars general Sir Richard Grenville died on 21 October 1659, impoverished and ignored, in Ghent. 1/
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grubbed every bit of land and money he could - legally or illegally - get his hands on, and finally upset his king to such an extent that he was banished from the exiled royal court. 3/
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But he was respected by his soldiers and by the locals where he commanded, was resourceful and courageous, and often could show himself to be a brilliant tactician. The jury has been out on him for 350 years. I suspect it will remain so. link.amazon/B0bkveGf3
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Debbie Kilroy retweeted
In a very real way it was a wartime tax. Ship Money was not used for personal purposes - it was needed to provide England with a navy capable of protecting its fishing fleet and also its merchant fleet which was losing 1 in every 5 ships that sailed, to the Dunkirker pirates.
During his Personal Rule, King Charles I bypassed Parliament by turning Ship Money—historically a wartime levy for coastal towns—into an annual peacetime tax on all inland counties. Landmark resistance from John Hampden fueled the growing rage that sparked the English Civil War.
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Friends, neighbours, historians, lend me your ears. I will be telling some of the juiciest tales of parliamentary madness, misbehaviour, and mayhem at Tackley village hall this coming Monday (26 Oct). Come along and prepare to be surprised (or confirmed in your opinions)!
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A thought-provoking read.
Replying to @RosieKayK2CO
Hi Rosie, I follow your work and ideas. I'm a writer and church minister currently working in France. Here's my eyewitness account of being caught up in the riots, and a deep search for the roots of the violence. There are themes that should resonate. flaneurnotes.com/post/the-fr…
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On 19 October 1660, unrepentant and ‘with a cheerful countenance’, the former grocer's apprentice turned Parliamentarian captain, major, lieutenant-colonel and MP, Daniel Axtell, was hanged, drawn and quartered. 1/
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But regicide wasn't his only crime, for he had acted with ‘more than ordinary zeal in punishing those Irish’ who had not accepted the republican settlement, attacking civilians, breaking promises of clemency, and killing 'forty times more in cold blood than in hot'. 5/
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Of all the naughty MPs I mention in Members Behaving Badly, he is one I like the least: a fanatic and a cold-blooded murderer who committed some of the worst acts of terror the civil wars saw. It's tempting to suggest that some people deserve their fates. link.amazon/B08WlgrYN
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These photos just came up on my memories. The kids, then aged 2 and 4, used to play stepping stones. ALL AROUND THE HOUSE! And I wonder why I never bothered alphabetising my books for years!
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Trick, or treat? You decide. Buy now: link.amazon/B05MXQ5Lx
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Debbie Kilroy retweeted
Extraordinary photograph!
A view of London in June 1841 towards Westminster Abbey from Fox Talbot's flat window in Cecil Street. Taken before the Houses of Parliament were built, you can see Westminster Hall to the left.
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A stand-out tutor and a superb historian. My thoughts and sympathy go to his family and friends.
Chris Wickham has passed away Chris Wickham, a productive and highly regarded British historian of the Middle Ages, has passed away today. These are some of his key works.
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In our new interview, @Tonisenior discusses her new book, 'Stalin's Apostles', the draw of Communism, and the culture that allowed five pillars of British society to turn traitor. Read the full interview: gethistory.co.uk/interviews/…
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