Stephen Watt
@stephenwatt.bsky.social
History Enthusiast // MLitt in Modern History, with a focus on Interwar Scotland // Sometimes Blogs & Vlogs // Episcopalian // As Seen On Songs of Praise // Probably not a Jacobite
After years of searching, I have finally found a mug that is suitable for the office!
December 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
After years of searching, I have finally found a mug that is suitable for the office!
Book 28 of 2025
For all the analysis of surplus value and technical debates with other economists, mu final impression of Volume 1 of Capital is less a cold scientific text, but instead a deeply moral argument against the waste of human potential that was 19th century capitalism.
For all the analysis of surplus value and technical debates with other economists, mu final impression of Volume 1 of Capital is less a cold scientific text, but instead a deeply moral argument against the waste of human potential that was 19th century capitalism.
December 9, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Book 28 of 2025
For all the analysis of surplus value and technical debates with other economists, mu final impression of Volume 1 of Capital is less a cold scientific text, but instead a deeply moral argument against the waste of human potential that was 19th century capitalism.
For all the analysis of surplus value and technical debates with other economists, mu final impression of Volume 1 of Capital is less a cold scientific text, but instead a deeply moral argument against the waste of human potential that was 19th century capitalism.
Finished In Search of Scotland by H.V. Morton.
One of the most beautifully written travelogues I've ever read. It's 1920s shortbread tin Scotland but it's really good shortbread - the sort you get in an old fashioned bakers rather than the stuff Americans buy in airports!
One of the most beautifully written travelogues I've ever read. It's 1920s shortbread tin Scotland but it's really good shortbread - the sort you get in an old fashioned bakers rather than the stuff Americans buy in airports!
December 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Finished In Search of Scotland by H.V. Morton.
One of the most beautifully written travelogues I've ever read. It's 1920s shortbread tin Scotland but it's really good shortbread - the sort you get in an old fashioned bakers rather than the stuff Americans buy in airports!
One of the most beautifully written travelogues I've ever read. It's 1920s shortbread tin Scotland but it's really good shortbread - the sort you get in an old fashioned bakers rather than the stuff Americans buy in airports!
"But Glasgow is - Glasgow. She is self-centred. She is the greatest, closely-knit community in Great Britain."
December 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
"But Glasgow is - Glasgow. She is self-centred. She is the greatest, closely-knit community in Great Britain."
"Here enters the character of Glasgow. When Glasgow decided to build ships she had first to make the Clyde in which to launch them!"
December 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
"Here enters the character of Glasgow. When Glasgow decided to build ships she had first to make the Clyde in which to launch them!"
New Life Goal Unlocked: To write a guide to Scotland were I get to talk about a "sincere Scottish breakfast"
November 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
New Life Goal Unlocked: To write a guide to Scotland were I get to talk about a "sincere Scottish breakfast"
- Be Amazon
- Develop one of the most sophisticated logistic systems in history
- Build a streaming platform with one of the biggest catalogues known to man
- Make one of the worst UI out there so rather than showing the catalogue's highlights it recommends slop like "The VelociPastor" instead
- Develop one of the most sophisticated logistic systems in history
- Build a streaming platform with one of the biggest catalogues known to man
- Make one of the worst UI out there so rather than showing the catalogue's highlights it recommends slop like "The VelociPastor" instead
November 14, 2025 at 8:16 PM
- Be Amazon
- Develop one of the most sophisticated logistic systems in history
- Build a streaming platform with one of the biggest catalogues known to man
- Make one of the worst UI out there so rather than showing the catalogue's highlights it recommends slop like "The VelociPastor" instead
- Develop one of the most sophisticated logistic systems in history
- Build a streaming platform with one of the biggest catalogues known to man
- Make one of the worst UI out there so rather than showing the catalogue's highlights it recommends slop like "The VelociPastor" instead
***New Quest Journal Appears*** A Head of The Game - Find the Head of James IV in Londonium and restore it to Scotland
November 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM
***New Quest Journal Appears*** A Head of The Game - Find the Head of James IV in Londonium and restore it to Scotland
Looking to stay as healthy as someone from 18th century Edinburgh? The prescription is simple - one round of golf followed by a gallon of claret, taken daily for 80 years!
Bonus effects - you gain the national focus Scottish Enlightenment!
Bonus effects - you gain the national focus Scottish Enlightenment!
November 12, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Looking to stay as healthy as someone from 18th century Edinburgh? The prescription is simple - one round of golf followed by a gallon of claret, taken daily for 80 years!
Bonus effects - you gain the national focus Scottish Enlightenment!
Bonus effects - you gain the national focus Scottish Enlightenment!
From earlier in the biography on Deng I'm reading is probably one of the best insights you can get into late-1960s/early 70s China.
November 9, 2025 at 10:15 PM
From earlier in the biography on Deng I'm reading is probably one of the best insights you can get into late-1960s/early 70s China.
Don't think we can ever understate just how close to complete amd toral collapse China was in 1975.
Even the railways by this point were essentially being run (and looted) by armed Red Guards answering to no-one but themselves!
Even the railways by this point were essentially being run (and looted) by armed Red Guards answering to no-one but themselves!
November 9, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Don't think we can ever understate just how close to complete amd toral collapse China was in 1975.
Even the railways by this point were essentially being run (and looted) by armed Red Guards answering to no-one but themselves!
Even the railways by this point were essentially being run (and looted) by armed Red Guards answering to no-one but themselves!
Somehow Tom Baker and Brian Blessed are in the world of Warhammer 40K!
November 8, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Somehow Tom Baker and Brian Blessed are in the world of Warhammer 40K!
Sub-30 minutes on a parkrun that is mostly uphill? Yup, that's now me!!!
November 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Sub-30 minutes on a parkrun that is mostly uphill? Yup, that's now me!!!
Rewatched The Dark Crystal and honestly don't think there's ever been a film that so perfectly creates a completely alien and magical world as Jim Henson did with his muppets.
November 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Rewatched The Dark Crystal and honestly don't think there's ever been a film that so perfectly creates a completely alien and magical world as Jim Henson did with his muppets.
Fascinated how in both the 1930s and the 1960s there were many in the SNP who wanted a pact with the Liberals to stop them becoming a rival Nationalist party.
October 29, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Fascinated how in both the 1930s and the 1960s there were many in the SNP who wanted a pact with the Liberals to stop them becoming a rival Nationalist party.
It's Sea Sunday and once again I (just) successful managed to get through "Will Your Anchor Hold?" without going into a pirate accent!
October 26, 2025 at 11:39 AM
It's Sea Sunday and once again I (just) successful managed to get through "Will Your Anchor Hold?" without going into a pirate accent!
I'm not saying I've seen every attraction in Dublin but I've seen Seamus Heaney's writing desk and W.B. Yeats astrology charts so really I think I'm winning!
October 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I'm not saying I've seen every attraction in Dublin but I've seen Seamus Heaney's writing desk and W.B. Yeats astrology charts so really I think I'm winning!
This train through Northern Ireland feels very much like "what a train through Aberdeenshire would look like if we still had trains."
October 18, 2025 at 9:53 AM
This train through Northern Ireland feels very much like "what a train through Aberdeenshire would look like if we still had trains."
Proved impossible to get a Belhaven Best in Belfast so had to settle for this obscure local drink instead!
October 17, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Proved impossible to get a Belhaven Best in Belfast so had to settle for this obscure local drink instead!
First time in Belfast and honestly was not expecting it to have one of the most beautiful natural harbours I've ever seen!
October 17, 2025 at 5:05 PM
First time in Belfast and honestly was not expecting it to have one of the most beautiful natural harbours I've ever seen!
Ah, first day in my job as Modernisation Adviser for the Qing Government; going to take a big sip from my mug that says "Imperial China will last forever" and then check my emails
October 10, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Ah, first day in my job as Modernisation Adviser for the Qing Government; going to take a big sip from my mug that says "Imperial China will last forever" and then check my emails
Book 24 of 2025
Telling the story up to 1949 of Deng Maomao's Father, a little know world leader called Deng Xiaoping, it sometimes falls into hagiography territory but there are lots of really interesting interviews with Chinese Communist generals etc and gives a vivid picture of Interwar China.
Telling the story up to 1949 of Deng Maomao's Father, a little know world leader called Deng Xiaoping, it sometimes falls into hagiography territory but there are lots of really interesting interviews with Chinese Communist generals etc and gives a vivid picture of Interwar China.
October 4, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Book 24 of 2025
Telling the story up to 1949 of Deng Maomao's Father, a little know world leader called Deng Xiaoping, it sometimes falls into hagiography territory but there are lots of really interesting interviews with Chinese Communist generals etc and gives a vivid picture of Interwar China.
Telling the story up to 1949 of Deng Maomao's Father, a little know world leader called Deng Xiaoping, it sometimes falls into hagiography territory but there are lots of really interesting interviews with Chinese Communist generals etc and gives a vivid picture of Interwar China.
Nothing worse then enjoying listening to a song on Spotify only to finally out you've been listening to Mouse Rat unironically!
September 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Nothing worse then enjoying listening to a song on Spotify only to finally out you've been listening to Mouse Rat unironically!
Time for a really cool weekend of being really cool i.e. LARPing
September 12, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Time for a really cool weekend of being really cool i.e. LARPing