History


What on Earth Is a Lethaby?

Posted on May 17, 2026

Thanks to the recent national outbreak of people loudly banging on about “heritage,” “traditional values,” and “our proud Christian roots” usually while standing in a queue for an Indian meal or shouting abuse at a Deliveroo cyclist, I found myself wondering whether I should probably learn something about my own surname. Not because I’ve suddenly become deeply spiritual or patriotic, obviously. I simply realised that if ...

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A Morning Down the Labour Friends of Israel Rabbit Hole

Posted on May 12, 2026

After spending part of the morning reading articles, falling down the inevitable Google rabbit holes and, yes, asking AI a few awkward questions, I ended up looking into Labour Friends of Israel, usually shortened to LFI. Like most things connected to British politics and the Middle East, what starts as a straightforward bit of reading quickly turns into a maze of arguments, accusations and people aggressively demanding “context” from one ...

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Stockholm in January: Where the Cold Means Business

Posted on January 30, 2026

The first thing you notice when arriving in Stockholm in January is just how cold it is. Not “oh, I should’ve brought a thicker jumper” cold, but through-your-clothes, into-your-soul cold. The kind of cold that laughs at scarves. So if you’re visiting in winter, layer up. Then add another layer and you should be warm (ish). That said, the cold does give the city a certain clarity. The air feels clean, sharp, and very Scandinavian. ...

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Discovering the Other War: How a TV Drama Opened My Eyes to Australia’s Forgotten POWs

Posted on August 7, 2025

Like many people with a strong interest in World War II, my knowledge has always been firmly rooted in Europe. I could talk at length about the Eastern Front, D-Day, the Blitz, Dunkirk, and the fall of Berlin. I’d read countless books, watched endless documentaries, and even walked the beaches of Normandy trying and failing to make sense of the enormity of it all. But, embarrassingly, I knew next to nothing about Australia’s role in the ...

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Palestine Flags at Glastonbury? Please, Do Calm Down.

Posted on June 29, 2025

As predictably as someone losing their tent on day one, the annual outrage machine has fired into action—this time over the sight of Palestinian flags waving in the dust and dry cider haze of Glastonbury. Apparently, the mere presence of a flag is now cause for national alarm. And not just from the usual suspects on GB News who believe “woke” is a communist plot. No, even mainstream commentators have taken time out from defending oil ...

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