Rebecca Rideal
@RebeccaRideal
Followers
32,955
Following
1,004
Media
7,290
Statuses
81,569
Historian. Award-winning producer. Writes for Guardian, New Statesman, etc. Director of @HistFestUK . Host @KTimePodcast . Author - 1666: PLAGUE, WAR & HELLFIRE.
Chester, England
Joined January 2010
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Madrid
• 2031478 Tweets
Switch
• 233908 Tweets
#SalvemOCavaloDeCanoas
• 117219 Tweets
Knicks
• 89290 Tweets
Brunson
• 67491 Tweets
Jokic
• 60185 Tweets
Pacers
• 44447 Tweets
Chivas
• 43296 Tweets
Luciano
• 39016 Tweets
Botafogo
• 38568 Tweets
Pasta
• 37092 Tweets
Shaq
• 34243 Tweets
#AEWDynamite
• 33824 Tweets
もちづきさん
• 33453 Tweets
Cavani
• 31446 Tweets
アイスクリームの日
• 30569 Tweets
MAURO AL 9009
• 29851 Tweets
Nestor
• 29659 Tweets
Reggie
• 24954 Tweets
ドカ食いダイスキ
• 22741 Tweets
宇野昌磨
• 18946 Tweets
現役引退
• 17524 Tweets
Panthers
• 16940 Tweets
Josh Hart
• 15938 Tweets
Calleri
• 15317 Tweets
Bruins
• 13446 Tweets
#BBCAN12
• 10656 Tweets
Toluca
• 10631 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Nothing is going to top this, so I’m making it my pinned tweet. I INTERVIEWED SIR MICHAEL PALIN!!!
39
48
713
So, I just wanted to say how proud I am of her. She changed our lives and chose a career that ensured she’d make a huge difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society. She’s brilliant, my mum. To Julie!
2K
2K
76K
Little story: One day, when I was eleven and still in Primary School, my mum popped out to the phone box at the back of our house (we didn’t have a housephone).
1K
4K
36K
No wonder my child was fearful of graveyards. She thought the flower holders were...
“breathing holes”
😱
229
1K
13K
She adored all the hundreds of little children who passed through her care, and over the years she added to her qualifications; learning to sign, learning first aid, learning so much and giving even more. It has been 27 years now and she is retiring today.
15
113
8K
**STOP EVERYTHING**
After being hidden from public view for centuries, one of the largest works of art by a female artist (ever) has been restored. It is by Plautilla Nelli (1524-1588) and is the only known Last Supper by a female artist in the modern age.
This is it...
104
3K
8K
‘I got it!’ Screams from all of us. We couldn’t believe it. An actual regular, secure job. I was so proud of her and, in my childish way, so proud to be the daughter of someone with such an impressive job. She’d be on around 11,000 a year, but that would change our lives.
10
98
7K
There were tears. Lots and lots of tears as we imagined all the ways our lives would change. She started at the school that September. It was a SEND school and she began as a one-to-one to a lovely little boy who’d had meningitis as a baby. My mum adored him.
4
73
5K
The death warrant of King Charles I, who was executed for 'treason' against his people on 30 Jan 1649.
What many signatories did not perhaps realise was that in signing their names, they were also writing their own death warrant too, when Charles II hunted many of them down.
120
516
4K
Charles II was the king who established the Royal Africa Company, heralding the beginning of the state-backed kidnapping, trafficking and enslavement of millions of human beings. The crown itself was supplied by Robert Vyner who was a signatory of the Royal Africa Company.
The King will be crowned with St Edward’s Crown during the Coronation Service at
@Wabbey
on 6 May 2023.
Made for King Charles II in 1661, the Crown has been removed from the Tower of London to allow for resizing work to begin ahead of the Coronation.
🔗
1K
2K
22K
73
1K
4K
We were poor and had been our whole life. ‘Poor in money, but rich in love’, as my parents would say. We often had food from the Salvation Army and Christmas gifts from the local church.
7
76
4K
In case you are imagining the pillar box red ones, it wasn’t one of them. It was 1994 / 1995 and it was one of the ‘modern’ ones with the BT logo on the side; calls were 20p a go.
17
89
4K
This was what the call was about. She’d recently qualified as a classroom assistant (as they called it in them days) and had gone to an interview a few days before. The phone call was to see if she had the job.
1
70
4K
It felt like she was gone forever. I knew my mum was lovely and would be wonderful with other children, but they’d interviewed lots of people. We waited. Then she returned. Her face was unreadable, but there was a glint in her eye…
2
66
4K
Our dad had had a nervous breakdown a few years earlier you see, and was unable to work. Our mum did part time waitressing whenever she could, but for the last two years she’d also been studying at college. Hard.
1
71
4K
Anyway, my three younger siblings and I nervously waited at home with our dad. The six of us lived in a two-bedroomed terraced house, that was owned by Grosvenor Housing, social housing.
3
69
4K
Good day. Gregory Peck once looked up from a book like this. I think that is all we need to know today.
61
481
4K
My mother, my actual mother, just said to me “did you know that during the great fire of London Samuel Pepys buried his cheese in his garden?”
My reply: “Yes, mum. I wrote an entire book about it... you’ve read it!” 😂
78
159
3K
Two women in the pub were just saying disgusting things about LGBTQ+ people. I did what I have never done before and walked over to them, said their conversation was homophonic and of it they had to have it, they should have it in private rather than public spaces. Shaking.
193
58
3K
The most shocking thing about Cheddar Man is that we now know humans were 'rocking' the mullet way before the Eighties.
23
420
3K
Good morning, here’s the Diabolical pact with the Devil that was presented during the trial of French priest Urbain Grandier (1590-1634) to ‘prove’ him a witch. The text is in Latin but written back to front. As well as Satan, it contains the seals of several demons.
55
336
3K
I can't get this painting by El Greco out of my head. It feels way ahead of its time, which was 1596-1600.
62
262
3K
Ps. This thread was about my mum, but I love my dad - who thankfully recovered - just as much. He can now be found teasing us all with 'Dad jokes', and doting on his grandchildren with my mum.
51
34
2K
So, my mum just sent me her
#GettyMuseumChallenge
.
She and my dad have gone with The Lovers by Rene Magritte and, I’ll be honest, it’s the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen.
50
195
2K
Just walking past the British Museum. Anyone want anything?
201
133
2K
@ukhomeoffice
Did she or did she not say ‘I won’t apologise for the language I have used’, when it was pointed out by a survivor of the holocaust that it was dehumanising?
Rhetorical question. She did.
11
131
2K
I’ve been on anxiety / anti depressant pills for two years now. Sharing this because they saved my life and there is no shame in being on meds.
If it works, it works
82
59
2K
Last football tweet from me. I just want to say that England's disgusting, racist, loutish, violent & beer-soaked football culture bears absolutely no relation to the exceptional team of footballers & their manager who have taken us to the final. The disconnect is sickening.
30
178
2K
MASSIVE. IMPORTANT. HUGE. NEWS.
In 2020 London’s National Gallery will mount a solo show of Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian Baroque painter, the first woman in its 200 year history to be accorded a retrospective
#womensart
78
2K
6K
27
309
1K
Lilith as painted by John Collier in 1887. According to Jewish mythology, Lilith was Adam's first wife.
She left him because she refused to be subservient, so set up with Archangel Samael instead and became a demon, as you do.
59
200
1K
Oh lord, the fake Pepys quote has reached Facebook.
I hate to pull rank, but I literally wrote a book on the great plague and spend far too much time in Samuel Pepys’s head. Please help me out and tell sharers it’s fake. Cheers 🍻
64
299
1K
Twitter really is a gift that keeps giving. The following shared on my TL within minutes of each other.
8
295
1K
Wondering if I’m the only historian who doesn’t actually like the royals? Please tell me I’m not alone!
167
25
1K
My gran died four years ago. The most precious thing I have of hers is a (clean) pink hand towel. It smells of her: soap, wool & perfume. Just took a deep sniff.
84
14
1K
Public service announcement: all the episodes of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller are on Amazon Prime.
52
321
1K
Hello to everyone, except the 17th century Dutch painter Jacobus Vrel who made these terrifying creations.
Look closely at the windows...
#Halloween
47
192
1K
Morning! Here’s Evelyn Nesbit (1884-1967). That is all.
24
50
1K
Ever wondered what the inside of the parliamentary archives look like? The place where all the physical Acts of state are held. Well, here you go.
I took these pictures nearly ten years ago!
25
195
1K
@Adrian_Hilton
@wabbey
I would politely suggest you do some reading on the subject (even Wikipedia would be a start) before tweeting ignorance like this.
7
39
954
Just been told that as a historian I shouldn’t admit bias. Um, I think the exact opposite it true. Admit it, acknowledge it, and be mindful of it when writing/researching.
38
60
990
Everyone under the age of 50 grew up with decimals. Everyone else has had 50 years to get used to them. This is such a petulant & pointless policy.
Boris Johnson is to announce the return of imperial weights and measures, making it legal for market stalls, shops and supermarkets to sell their goods using only Britain’s traditional weighing system post-Brexit
7K
2K
5K
93
87
966
My cat has just been scouted by a cat modelling agency. That is all. 😂
25
7
965
Very, very bored by the ‘amateur historian’ conversation. You do not have to be within academia / have a PhD to contribute scholarly work. That is all.
42
85
973
Not a single person in the latest photo is using a laptop, taking notes or even checking their phone. That is not a work meeting. It’s a garden party.
32
161
954
My dad is being released from hospital today!!!!
We are so so lucky.
54
5
914
Love how someone has tried to report me to
@HistFestUK
&
@KTimePodcast
for making comments about Matt Hancock. Dude, I run them. 😂
33
36
903
Who wants to see some gorgeous handpainted chinese wallpaper from 1770?
Here you go…
(Held at
@ErddigNT
, Wrexham)
13
135
888
Page from the weekly Bills of Mortality from 1665. The Bills were issued so that Londoners could keep track of how many had died from plague and where they had been dying.
84
240
865
Really despise how food banks are used for photo ops.
223
107
838
I got to visit my gran for the first time in over a year!! She’s had Covid twice. I realise how lucky I am.
20
8
828
You don’t have to be a royalist to see Meghan Markle (who seems thoroughly nice, by the way) is being treated abysmally by the British press.
17
100
762
These, along with exercise & family support, have literally saved me these past few months. At the beginning of the year I wanted the earth to swallow me up, now I feel I can reach for the heavens. We all take knocks in life, there’s no shame in seeking help with mental health.
56
28
745
My annual tweet about FIT SATAN
Introducing...
Lucifer (Le génie du mal) in white marble (1848). The sculpture is by Guillaume Geefs and is held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Liège, Belgium.
16
128
574
16
120
733
Happy birthday to Albrecht Dürer, who was born
#OnThisDay
1471. So vain, he probably thinks this tweet is about him.
25
134
714
It’s really getting on my nerves how the Epsom story is being called a ‘tragedy’. It’s not a tragedy, it’s a double murder.
19
45
701
Finally got to use the retort: “actually, I have two degrees, am studying for a PhD, have written a bestselling book and have developed BAFTA-winning documentaries”. That’ll show them...
By “them” I mean my daughter after she said I wouldn’t understand her homework.
8
23
688
The thing my grandad wanted to do more than anything else these past few months, was to hold his wife’s hand. But she has severe dementia &is being shielded in her carehome.
He has died now. They had been married 65 years & she doesn’t even know.
It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it
121
29
675
Calling all manly man-clothes for men types.
May I present...
The Stuarts
39
79
682
My great-grandfather fought in World War One and then worked in a steelworks factory all his life, he also painted this.
31
22
650
On this important anniversary, we should all take a moment to reflect on the enormous bravery of Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum 22 years ago.
#IndependenceDay
19
186
622
Otherwise known as me getting out of the bath and realising I’ve forgotten my towel.
17
66
627
Shout out to
@KateWilliamsme
who tirelessly provides clearheaded historical analysis on the Royal Family, without ever being gushing, catty or sensationalist.
I’m not a monarchist, but it matters that Meghan has had to deal with so much, while Andrew has had a free pass.
16
114
603
Me: do you think you’ll want to wear any of my old clothes when you’re older?
Daughter: No, because you were born before fashion
29
16
620
Daughter’s school is giving out attendance awards. Honestly, I really hate these things. Especially during a ruddy pandemic.
53
16
618
Turning 37 in lockdown ain’t ideal, but I’ve got fizz & pasta. Cheers!
78
4
599
I’ve thought about it long and hard and I’d definitely join a nunnery if I was alive in medieval times. Given the options, they sound like by far the best place for women.
53
8
601
Lord Byron
31
75
592
Sorry, but I'm livid that the State Papers aren't available to independent researchers unless you're 'on site' at the National Archives. They are the STATE papers and they are *fully digitized*, we should all be able to access them. But the knowledge is being hoarded for profit.
36
80
593
Hello, I think we maybe need a new term for what I suspect many of us are feeling, General Pandemic Fatigue or something?
It’s like boredom, mixed with anxiety, pessimism and just generally feeling a bit ‘meh’. Anyone else?
48
36
596
Citalopram prescription extended for another year. Honestly don’t know where I’d be (if I’d be) without it. No shame in taking medication. If it works, it works.
#MentalHealth
39
19
589
Introducing...
Lucifer (Le génie du mal) in white marble (1848). The sculpture is by Guillaume Geefs and is held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Liège, Belgium.
16
128
574
So did the plague
��Boris Johnson put London on the map,” says Liz Truss.
1K
262
914
19
86
569
I know EXACTLY what we need to cheer us all up. A GIF thread of incredibly handsome people. I’ll start. Cary Grant.
535
50
588
I’m going to say this as calmly as I can manage - the full scale of what is happening in our care homes has not been addressed. It is a fucking travesty.
10
74
574
Love seeing all these 'young writers' schemes. Wouldn't it also be nice to have an 'mature people who didn't get a shot because of 1970s/1980s prejudices' scheme too?
21
116
555
There’s a high profile history book series that has 45 contributors. Only 8 are women. Of that 8, at least 5 went to private school. Just a glimpse into how much work still needs to be done to open history up. There are plenty of us trying, but so much work still to do.
20
69
564
Watching 1995 Pride & Prejudice because I’m tired (it’s the only Austen we need, ok). The “officers” have just bumped into the Bennets.
I remember the archival research I did into how the arrival of officers in Chester always coincided with a spike in cases of VD.
When nearly a quarter of all hospital admissions are VD. Chester Infirmary, 1773.
13
28
69
22
89
546
Hey, remember when Prince Andrew was accused of having sex with a minor and admitted to being "too honourable" to his paedo mate?
You know, the Queen's actual son. Pretty sure that's a bigger story than the Queen's granddaughter-in-law moving to Canada.
7
61
544
And you wonder why it’s so hard to get a documentary about a pioneering historical women off the ground?
31
83
549
I am very aware that I go full fangirl with
#Endeavour
, but it is honestly my favourite TV show. It is written so beautifully and the inbuilt tragedy is just heartbreaking. We know what happens to Morse. We know he lives a life unfulfilled, but we root for him. Perfection.
25
35
541
Slightly more positive mood today because my dad's lungs have improved and there is a chance he might be able to leave hospital next week. Thank you for all the kind messages of support. I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have nice friends and followers on here.
38
2
536
Regular reminder that your unproblematic ‘90s, ‘00s, ‘10s & ‘20s heartthrob is this beautiful man.
14
48
538
Disgusting.
1. Monarchist or not, she is a head of state. 2. The woman is 92 years old.
42
158
520
The only reason I can write about bubonic plague is because I have had bubonic plague.
Professor David Starkey: Historians need to have loved and lost to understand the past (via
@Telegraph
)
14
33
60
45
59
520
Now I understand why everyone was annoyed with Charles II & co shagging about in Oxford during the London plague.
40 and feeling so humbled and blessed. There is not a single day that I take for granted, especially during these times when we are all reminded of the things that truly matter.
6K
4K
93K
18
61
528
Morning! Artemisia Gentileschi self portrait as the allegory of painting. Just look at it.
22
53
518
OK. REALLY exciting news...
@NewStatesman
has only gone and let me write about
#Endeavour
Morse!!! My new and improved thoughts on why it is the best thing since sliced bread. Warning: excessive fangirling.
49
97
516