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Jack Blackburn@hackblackburn.bsky.social |
267 followers 175 following 277 posts
History Correspondent and Deputy Diary Editor for The Times
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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This week I am at the Chalke History Festival, where Historic Royal Palace’s Tracy Borman has said the supposed bones of the Princes in the Tower should be left in peace & not be used for DNA testing
Princes in the Tower ‘bones’ should be left alone, says historian
www.thetimes.com/article/99bc...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Eight years to the day since David Cameron used a referendum on Europe to finally end the threat posed to the Tory party by Nigel Farage
2 replies 43 reposts 75 likes
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The extraordinary story of Judy, the POW dog who was awarded the “animal VC”
Torpedoed, shipwrecked, bitten by a crocodile — Judy the dog’s wartime escapades revealed
Me in The Times:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/59ef...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Thank you - very kind of you
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Thank you so much. I have always loved that sentiment, and it is very true with my father.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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I will try to hold onto that in the coming days. I miss you terribly Daddy, will love you to the end of my days and look forward to our next meeting. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant” - Matthew 25:21
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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There will be a time to talk about those trying last days, but there was still joy. I will never forget the look on my father’s face when he saw me on each of those hospital mornings. It was a look which contained all the years of love we had shared.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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We are heartbroken at his irreparable loss and he will be missed deeply by us and many more besides.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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My father John died on Saturday evening. He spent his last days with his wife and sons before passing peacefully with the words of their love and gratitude. He laughed with them in his last hours and heard some final readings from the King James Bible and PG Wodehouse.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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A few weeks ago, I was invited to go to a dig at Pompeii and I was within the first few dozen people to see some exquisite frescoes which had probably not been seen since the painter finished them.
Then I wrote about it for The Times
Link to my story is here:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7e8f...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Special times with the little man
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The full story of “Britain’s Pompeii has been told at last
‘Britain’s Pompeii’ gives fascinating insight into Bronze Age life
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5803...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Here they are - the King Charles banknotes and coins, on display at the Bank of England Museum
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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My sketch of an extraordinary day where eras collided in Plymouth
Plymouth bomb: Second World War explosive is taken to sea
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2420...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The archaeologists found artefacts including a very rare figurine of the god Mercury (Gods like Venus were more commonly used). These figurines would have been for domestic rituals and could be associated with sick children. These secrets had evaded an earlier dig by Channel 4’s Time Team in 1998.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The find was made at Smallhythe in Kent, which 2,000 years ago was practically coastal. Romney Marsh belonged to the sea then, and the diggers have found evidence of trade and the Roman fleet.
Below is today’s coast and the one from 100AD
(Maps from romneymarshhistory.co.uk)
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Archaeologists at a National Trust site went looking for a medieval shipyard and found it.
Then they kept digging and found an unexpected Roman port, which now lies 10 miles inland.
epaper.thetimes.co.uk/app/THETIM/e...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Having rewatched it while changing nappies, I think it is *very* good but perhaps not as great as I thought at the time. 7.8 would be acceptable.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Complex and nuanced. In other words, buggered.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Rather amazed and aghast to discover that the Gary Oldman Tinker Tailor now has an IMDb rating of 7.0. It’s a great film - deserves better.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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One of the nice things about doing the baby’s midnight feed is that you can be sure that Hot Fuzz will be on ITV2/4 at regular intervals.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Rather fitting that a large number of David Irving’s supporters have concluded that he has died without having any real evidence.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Was lucky enough to add a few words to Jack Hill’s pictures of James Smith and Sons, known to London cabbies as “the umbrella shop”
Inside the umbrella shop keeping Londoners dry since 1830
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ff6a...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The masonry is crumbling, supportive scaffolding is failing and the owners of the building appear to be fictional. It is a perfect storm, but the Landmark Trust is pitching for a £5mn heritage grant to secure the property and give it a new future as a holiday let.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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20 years ago, the BBC’s Pop
Idol for listed buildings - Restorarion - was won by Manchester’s Victoria Baths which got millions for regeneration.
Mavisbank was a runner-up and got nothing. Now, it’s the last chance to save the country house from collapse
thetimes.co.uk/article/eb11b7…
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Sky Feel Good Movies is currently showing that classic feel good film, Frost/Nixon
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The awfulness of Saltburn was worth it for Gogglebox watching Saltburn
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Just caught the end of Aftersun again and, even when joining it for a few minutes, it is just painfully, beautifully devastating. Masterful storytelling - what a film.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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I am on this, talking about the rights and wrongs of digitising Hitler’s speeches: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Nice, quiet first day back after pat leave
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Burns Night Supper, with a wonderful gift from my son. How he wasn’t challenged for ID I’ll never know (let alone where he got the money).
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Peregrin Took Baby Blackburn 🤝
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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The longest week that just flew by…
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Introducing your parents to your child is such a wonderful thing. Joy and pride without a word needed.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Very amused. In her search for white noise to get the baby down, my wife chose David Cameron taking questions in the Lords. Surely no noise could be whiter.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Not blaming the flaws of the film on him, but I don’t think he does much to assuage the problems.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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I think the thing with Freeman is that he has a very knowing air, which is great for Dr Watson but less good for the genuine fish out of waters.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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I don’t know how appropriate it is to sing the whole of Lola by The Kinks to your days old son but fatigue does funny things to you.
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Counterpoint - Martin Freeman was a bit flat and too earnest as Bilbo and is miscast as the parochial English everyman archetype (cf Arthur Dent)
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Just got some devastating news
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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They’re going to send a guy round who’s going to sing me a lullaby
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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In the paper of record
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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My sleep debt graph looks like it’s a cryptocurrency
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Today - took a walk to show my favourite view to someone who is new to the neighbourhood - got home and made Mrs B a healthy meal Not much in the way of achievements, but will more than suffice right now
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Lovely walk today, sharing one of my favourite views of London
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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*Laughs maniacally*
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Big thanks to the boss Patrick Kidd for this welcome to our little chap in today’s Times Diary. I am well on the way to earning my new nickname, but he’s worth it!
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Thank you!
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Was there a romantic poet called General? (And thank you!)
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Jack Blackburn
@hackblackburn.bsky.social
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Thank you!
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