Gwrach y lludw
@gwrachylludw.bsky.social
Fan of international TV drama 📺 #supernatural #historical #romance #cosy Watching from the UK
That’s enough reading for this lunchtime. The book has arrived at the English civil war. I’m still only on page 38.
September 25, 2026 at 12:06 PM
That’s enough reading for this lunchtime. The book has arrived at the English civil war. I’m still only on page 38.
This book is very interesting. Every page could be a book in its own right. For example, at the start of chapter 2 there’s an Englishman who refused to get involved in human trafficking. There’s a rebuke to anyone who claims people back then “didn’t know any better.” The capacity was there.
September 25, 2026 at 11:59 AM
This book is very interesting. Every page could be a book in its own right. For example, at the start of chapter 2 there’s an Englishman who refused to get involved in human trafficking. There’s a rebuke to anyone who claims people back then “didn’t know any better.” The capacity was there.
15,000 Calvinist refugees settled in England from the Netherlands. (p24 Pettigrew) They must have a lot of descendants in England by now.
September 25, 2026 at 11:42 AM
15,000 Calvinist refugees settled in England from the Netherlands. (p24 Pettigrew) They must have a lot of descendants in England by now.
I’m reading Pettigrew’s book while eating lunch. I wondered what I might feel about Elizabeth I’s involvement in slavery. I admired her when I was a kid because of romantic stories about her survival against adversity as a girl.
1/2
1/2
September 25, 2026 at 11:23 AM
I’m reading Pettigrew’s book while eating lunch. I wondered what I might feel about Elizabeth I’s involvement in slavery. I admired her when I was a kid because of romantic stories about her survival against adversity as a girl.
1/2
1/2
This makes me wonder how many of them were people a time traveller would want to risk meeting.
- risk taking
- charming
- possibly quite decisive in unexpected situations
- personally ambitious
- money minded
- perhaps not overly attached to relationships with people at home
- risk taking
- charming
- possibly quite decisive in unexpected situations
- personally ambitious
- money minded
- perhaps not overly attached to relationships with people at home
I was thinking about merchants who left the country. My thinking with this is:
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
It’s an unanswerable question, but I do wonder about the psychological makeup of English people who became powerful international merchants in the 16th century.
September 25, 2026 at 8:03 AM
This makes me wonder how many of them were people a time traveller would want to risk meeting.
- risk taking
- charming
- possibly quite decisive in unexpected situations
- personally ambitious
- money minded
- perhaps not overly attached to relationships with people at home
- risk taking
- charming
- possibly quite decisive in unexpected situations
- personally ambitious
- money minded
- perhaps not overly attached to relationships with people at home
I was thinking about merchants who left the country. My thinking with this is:
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
It’s an unanswerable question, but I do wonder about the psychological makeup of English people who became powerful international merchants in the 16th century.
September 25, 2026 at 7:55 AM
I was thinking about merchants who left the country. My thinking with this is:
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
- travel abroad was v uncomfortable, took a long time, high risks
- with fewer info sources, they were often in unfamiliar situations
- they probably needed good interpersonal skills with local contacts
- armed guards?
If I went back to 16th-century England in a time machine, how long would I last before the locals did for me?
My clothes, height, size, and speech would mark me as different. I'm also a woman, so couldn't just pretend to be a European sailor or mercenary.
➡️
My clothes, height, size, and speech would mark me as different. I'm also a woman, so couldn't just pretend to be a European sailor or mercenary.
➡️
September 25, 2026 at 7:31 AM
If I went back to 16th-century England in a time machine, how long would I last before the locals did for me?
My clothes, height, size, and speech would mark me as different. I'm also a woman, so couldn't just pretend to be a European sailor or mercenary.
➡️
My clothes, height, size, and speech would mark me as different. I'm also a woman, so couldn't just pretend to be a European sailor or mercenary.
➡️
I’m bookmarking this to read another time. It contains firsthand accounts of some of the voyages mentioned in the Pettigrew book.
resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/ndf40b22...
resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/ndf40b22...
resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk
September 24, 2026 at 11:12 PM
I’m bookmarking this to read another time. It contains firsthand accounts of some of the voyages mentioned in the Pettigrew book.
resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/ndf40b22...
resources.warburg.sas.ac.uk/pdf/ndf40b22...
Pettigrew describes John Hawkins as intelligent, charismatic and having a predisposition for violence. I'm curious about his character because I'm wondering whether he was a psychopath.
Further down page 20, Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I appear. I'll read on.
Further down page 20, Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I appear. I'll read on.
September 24, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Pettigrew describes John Hawkins as intelligent, charismatic and having a predisposition for violence. I'm curious about his character because I'm wondering whether he was a psychopath.
Further down page 20, Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I appear. I'll read on.
Further down page 20, Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I appear. I'll read on.
I've only read 18 pages of Pettigrew's new book but I've been thinking about it all evening.
He deliberately uses the phrase "human trafficking," which I think is a good choice as it's not a sanitised euphemism.
It also appears to be a book about committing crimes against humanity for money.
He deliberately uses the phrase "human trafficking," which I think is a good choice as it's not a sanitised euphemism.
It also appears to be a book about committing crimes against humanity for money.
September 24, 2026 at 5:59 PM
I've only read 18 pages of Pettigrew's new book but I've been thinking about it all evening.
He deliberately uses the phrase "human trafficking," which I think is a good choice as it's not a sanitised euphemism.
It also appears to be a book about committing crimes against humanity for money.
He deliberately uses the phrase "human trafficking," which I think is a good choice as it's not a sanitised euphemism.
It also appears to be a book about committing crimes against humanity for money.
Blooming New Scientist Weekly email subject heading making me think AMOC had just collapsed. Grumble, grumble.
September 24, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Blooming New Scientist Weekly email subject heading making me think AMOC had just collapsed. Grumble, grumble.
It’s an unanswerable question, but I do wonder about the psychological makeup of English people who became powerful international merchants in the 16th century.
September 24, 2026 at 4:06 PM
It’s an unanswerable question, but I do wonder about the psychological makeup of English people who became powerful international merchants in the 16th century.
Reading this chapter about the beginnings of Britain's slave traders, I'm picturing seedy businessmen in 1980s suits. But of course, this was the 1560s. The overall vibe is seedy, however.
September 24, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reading this chapter about the beginnings of Britain's slave traders, I'm picturing seedy businessmen in 1980s suits. But of course, this was the 1560s. The overall vibe is seedy, however.
I've just received my copy of William Pettigrew's book "Britain's Slave Traders."
September 24, 2026 at 2:47 PM
I've just received my copy of William Pettigrew's book "Britain's Slave Traders."
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
Every minute spent arguing about where exactly the boundaries of concepts like Britishness and Englishness is time not spent defending the principle that everyone should feel free to define their own identity as they choose - no-one else - and so doing the haters’ work for them
September 24, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Every minute spent arguing about where exactly the boundaries of concepts like Britishness and Englishness is time not spent defending the principle that everyone should feel free to define their own identity as they choose - no-one else - and so doing the haters’ work for them
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
If we measure time by the life of the late Queen, England is approx 11.4 Elizabeths old.
The Romans were on this island for just over 4 Elizabeths (before England existed).
The USA is 2.6 Elizabeths old.
If people exist in a 1,000 years, they'll look back at us now as if we were a blink.
The Romans were on this island for just over 4 Elizabeths (before England existed).
The USA is 2.6 Elizabeths old.
If people exist in a 1,000 years, they'll look back at us now as if we were a blink.
Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth Share Tea
Alt: Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth Share Tea
static.klipy.com
September 24, 2026 at 9:20 AM
If we measure time by the life of the late Queen, England is approx 11.4 Elizabeths old.
The Romans were on this island for just over 4 Elizabeths (before England existed).
The USA is 2.6 Elizabeths old.
If people exist in a 1,000 years, they'll look back at us now as if we were a blink.
The Romans were on this island for just over 4 Elizabeths (before England existed).
The USA is 2.6 Elizabeths old.
If people exist in a 1,000 years, they'll look back at us now as if we were a blink.
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
It is bleakly funny that the right keeps coming up with definitions if Englishness that exclude the literal King
September 24, 2026 at 7:58 AM
It is bleakly funny that the right keeps coming up with definitions if Englishness that exclude the literal King
Social media has been good because it's given people from many different cultures an international voice and raised awareness of their histories.
It's been bad because writing concisely for audiences who may not understand full context can result in identity labels becoming flattened over time.
It's been bad because writing concisely for audiences who may not understand full context can result in identity labels becoming flattened over time.
September 24, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Social media has been good because it's given people from many different cultures an international voice and raised awareness of their histories.
It's been bad because writing concisely for audiences who may not understand full context can result in identity labels becoming flattened over time.
It's been bad because writing concisely for audiences who may not understand full context can result in identity labels becoming flattened over time.
Beauty and the beast (starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan) is okay, but it didn’t really hold my attention.
If you’re looking for something cosyish and unthreatening, you can find all 4 seasons in a boxset on Channel 5 (UK).
If you’re looking for something cosyish and unthreatening, you can find all 4 seasons in a boxset on Channel 5 (UK).
September 23, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Beauty and the beast (starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan) is okay, but it didn’t really hold my attention.
If you’re looking for something cosyish and unthreatening, you can find all 4 seasons in a boxset on Channel 5 (UK).
If you’re looking for something cosyish and unthreatening, you can find all 4 seasons in a boxset on Channel 5 (UK).
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
This poor cat has been fated to answer phones in a call center for life.
September 23, 2026 at 8:25 PM
This poor cat has been fated to answer phones in a call center for life.
September 23, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
There's something very cetacean about the Kerry slug, like a tiny terrestrial whale.
September 23, 2026 at 6:46 AM
There's something very cetacean about the Kerry slug, like a tiny terrestrial whale.
Reposted by Gwrach y lludw
September 23, 2026 at 7:26 PM