Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Leonie V. Hicks

@lvhicks.bsky.social

5.6K followers 1.1K following 3.7K posts

Professor of medieval studies. Leverhulme major research fellow. Norman history and landscapes. Occasional gardening, knitting, cricket and Anglicanism https://normanlandscapes.wordpress.com/ 🗃⚱️📜

normanlandscapes.wordpress.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · Oct 14

History is not something that can be tied up neatly into a package with perfectly mitred corners. Instead it looks more like a young relative's attempts to wrap a strangely shaped and possibly concerning birthday present. 8/

1 9 43

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 14m

Well, that was quite a big weekend. Yesterday I received my bishop's commission for mission: worship.* Today I acted as liturgical deacon with my priest dad sat in the congregation. Quite terrifying.

*locally authorised to help lead worship in my parish.

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 16h

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

260 4.4K 14K

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 17h

Nothing less than 10 years old is worth drinking.

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 19h

I've been having fun with that.

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 20h

I have the book. It is both close to the bone and absolutely hilarious.

1 1

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 1d

This. Exactly.

There is a constituency that always hates art in cathedrals, or anything in cathedrals pretty much.

Dr. Jude Seal - 'Unfunded Hobbyist' @judeseal.bsky.social · 1d

Canterbury Cathedral was quite literally already full of graffiti - some of it dating back nearly a thousand years. So, from my view, this is actually continuing something that has already been happening and asking questions in an interesting way.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Anger over ‘sacrilegious’ graffiti art installation at Canterbury Cathedral

Responses to the project on display at the historic building have been mixed

www.independent.co.uk

1 10

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

I am watching the press conference from Caen on the 2027 European Year of the Normans. M. Hervé Morin, the Norman president, has reassured people in England (for which read UK) that he doesn't want to create a federal republic of Normans. Frankly, that idea looks very appealing at the moment.

1 9

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 2d

Today the Church celebrates St Paulinus, who came from Rome as a missionary to the North of England from Rome. He’s literally close to us in Mirfield, as he founded Dewsbury Minster, just along the valley from us, and brought the Christian faith to this place.

6 7 36

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

Some good medieval saints this week. Bishop Bighead yesterday.

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 2d

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

86 770 3.4K

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'Universities have collectively announced more than 12,000 job cuts in the last year, new analysis from the University and College Union (UCU) suggests.'

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens

University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 24 22

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

It makes no sense.

1 1

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

Not just in schools...

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 4d

"We’ve had several discussions here ... warnings because of cuts to the sector that the safety of the collections was under threat"

Heritage: Value it, protect it, invest in it ...or or will be gone!

#Archaeology 🏺

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Fears over safety of artefacts after midnight museum heist

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary after the break-in at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff.

www.independent.co.uk

1 11 31

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

Board rubbers, but no pens.

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Joschka Meier @josserme.bsky.social · 3d

Interesting study which recreated a 100+ year old Swiss plant survey.

The bad: Average plant diversity -26% (~-40% in the Mittelland)

The good: Loss can be halted & even reversed! Biodiversity areas work, as well as farmers adjusting their methods

#envhist

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Century-old papers saved from the bin reveal changes in Europe’s plant life

Plant inventories dating back to 1884 and nearly thrown away enable unique time-lapse study of biodiversity in Swiss meadows

www.theguardian.com

1 8 16

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 2d

The second-year castles class is an absolute delight, even more so now we have a decent room with such radical tech as ... a whiteboard!

2 12

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · 3d

Mental ill health is frequently caused or exacerbated by entrenched workplace cultures of overwork and bullying.

Until all UK workplaces are forced to take their statutory workplace mental health & safety duties seriously, people with mental ill health will be unable to return to or remain in work.

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING: Specialist employment advisers will be based in GP surgeries and mental health services as part of government plans to get people back to work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden speaks to #BBCBreakfast about the government’s plan to tackle long-term sickness

4 14 39

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 3d

Enjoyed showing students today the amazing 1063 charter signed by Anna, queen of France, in cyrillic.

2 11 73

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 4d

Of for goodness sake.

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 4d

I dread to ask, but what now?

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 9d

This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social

Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."

27 48

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 4d

There is not enough tea to deal with all of this.

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 4d

Endless screaming.

Reposted by Leonie V. Hicks

Prof. Liz Oakley-Brown @earlymodlancs.bsky.social · 4d

I want to tell all students of the so-called 'rip-off degrees' named below that your critical thinking is important and makes valid contributions to culture and society

Without your skills, we wouldn't be able to unpack toxic discourses and do something about them

Martin Paul Eve @eve.gd · 4d

This makes me so angry. These people view all life as training for lifelong servitude/work. There's no room for interest, enjoyment, and culture in their bleak vision of education. At least she'll never be in power to see it through. Though Reform are probably worse.

Badenoch: Curb students taking "rip-off" degrees such as English. The performing arts, sociology and anthropology are among the subjects the Conservatives would like to cut

1 36 100