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James Stafford

@jpstafford.bsky.social

1.7K followers 470 following 1.9K posts

Author of 'The Sorrowful Putto of Prague', 'Unbelievable Underdogs', the 'Illustrated History of Rugby' series, 'How Wales Beat the Mighty All Blacks', 'Ragby' (Czech), editor of the East Terrace (theeastterrace.com). #booksky Prague based. Welsh born.

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 29d

🚨 NEW BOOK INCOMING! 🚨

My new children's book 'Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes' is almost ready to go to print.

Here's a little sneak preview of the cover art. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

I'll be posting more details in the coming days...so stay tuned.
@ylolfa.bsky.social

🔵📚 #booksky #WritingCommunity #KidLit

A sneak preview of the cover art of James Stafford's new children's book. It features Alun Wyn Jones (rugby), Gareth Bale and Jess Fishlock (football), Colin Jackson (athletics) and Tanni-Grey Thompson (wheelchair racing).

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Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 2h

Pls consider ordering a book from your local indie bookshop *NOW* before holiday season to give store time to order title if they don't have it? This helps:

(1) support indie bkshops, (2) support human creators, (3) gets you ahead re: busy shopping time.

Psst: maybe one of my books? 🙏🏽💛 #KidLit

a cartoon of a woman hugging a book standing in front of a store that says support indie bookshops

Alt: Illustration of smiling person hugging a book. In the background is a friendly-looking bookstore with lighted windows, text on wall reads "Support Indie Bookshops."

media.tenor.com

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Cure Gig Stats @curegigstats.bsky.social · 3d

Cure's 2026 gig in Cardiff will be their 12th yng Nghymru, most of which were pre-1982

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 1d

As an author in a world where it is so hard to get news about your books out there, it really does help when people take the time to support your books online.

If you like a book and you take the time to support it online, it really helps authors out. Thanks, Mick.
#booksky #writing

Mick Hoey @mickh75.bsky.social · 1d

James / just finished your wonderful book. For what it’s worth, I found the chapter on Koji Tokumasu a particular favourite of many great stories. Highly recommended to the any rugby fans I know

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 7h

No. That wasn't your biggest mistake.

www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...

Stuart Hogg on retirement mistake and Montpellier reset

Ex-Scotland captain Stuart Hogg, who pleaded guilty to domestic abuse of his ex-wife, says retiring to save his marriage was the

www.bbc.com

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Gareth L. Powell @garethlpowell.bsky.social · 1d

Word of mouth is important to a book's success. So, if you'd like to see the authors who wrote your favourite stories commissioned to write more, please keep talking about all the #books you love.

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Louvain Rees ⚰️ @hellohistoria.bsky.social · 17h

#OTD 1913 • An explosion at the Universal Colliery, Senghenydd, killed 439 miners and one rescuer ⛏️

www.library.wales/discover-lea...

#Wales #History

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Mick Hoey @mickh75.bsky.social · 1d

James / just finished your wonderful book. For what it’s worth, I found the chapter on Koji Tokumasu a particular favourite of many great stories. Highly recommended to the any rugby fans I know

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bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 1d

And for those wondering, this is the book in question...

'An Illustrated History of Rugby Rebels, Role Models and Giant Killers' from Polaris Publishing.

An Illustrated History of Rugby Rebels, Role Models and Giant Killers: The Players, People, Teams and Ideas that Changed Rugby Forever (Illustrated Rugby Histories)

An Illustrated History of Rugby Rebels, Role Models and Giant Killers: The Players, People, Teams and Ideas that Changed Rugby Forever (Illustrated Rugby Histories) [James Stafford] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. An Illustrated History of Rugby Rebels, Role Models and Giant Killers: The Players, People, Teams and Ideas that Changed Rugby Forever (Illustrated Rugby Histories)

www.amazon.com

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 1d

Mick Hoey @mickh75.bsky.social · 1d

James / just finished your wonderful book. For what it’s worth, I found the chapter on Koji Tokumasu a particular favourite of many great stories. Highly recommended to the any rugby fans I know

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks so much! Always great to hear what people enjoyed. I really appreciate you supporting the book. It means a lot.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 2d

The fact that the (brutal) player ratings of the Czech football players after the loss to the Faroe Islands are sponsored by a discount supermarket amuses me, for some reason.

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 2d

Grim.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you. Insane how few times they've played in Wales. Esp since 1982.

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Dear Rugby Broadcasters,

There is nothing good about using this angle for live lineouts.

It's not impressive or immersive.

And it often obscures key moments.

Hope that helps.

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Dear Rugby Broadcasters,

There is nothing good about using this angle for live lineouts.

It's not impressive or immersive.

And it often obscures key moments.

Hope that helps.

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

No idea why Cardiff turned down the three during last play of first half. Especially in a fixture that is so often a close game.

Good to hold on, Cardiff would have lost that a year ago.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 3d

This is how you celebrate the win. Superb stuff from the @cardiffrugby.bsky.social coaching team.

#CARvCON #URC @cf10rugbytrust.bsky.social

The Cardiff coaching team seconds after securing the win.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 4d

Hmm...making a smear like that against him is what the Antichrist would say.

I'm watching you.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 4d

Agree. Frustratingly, lots of sports teams still aren't posting here, which also reduces sports chat and content.

James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 4d

A genuinely scary and very dangerous (and of course, very hypocritical) person.

If there even was an Antichrist, this guy would be Team Antichrist anyway.

'Inside tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s off-the-record lectures about the antichrist' www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Inside tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s off-the-record lectures about the antichrist

The political svengali and investor has been giving lectures on ‘an evil king or tyrant … who appears in the end times’

www.theguardian.com

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 4d

Brilliant. Cheers for this.

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Benny Brycheiniog @cupking11.bsky.social · 5d

This provides me with an excuse (I don't need one) to post this video of two Welsh villages divided by drink:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAL9...

Sunday Opening, 1961

YouTube video by Archif ITV Cymru/Wales @ LlGC | ITV Cymru/Wales Archive @ NLW

www.youtube.com

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James Stafford @jpstafford.bsky.social · 5d

Nov 1968: 'The Welsh and English can drink together on Sunday in the Lion Hotel in Llanymynech following the Welsh referendum on Sunday opening for licensed premises. Previously the hotel was only 1/2 open on Sundays because the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿/🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 border line ran through it.' #welshhistory 🍺

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Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 5d

All my comics have happy endings!

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