My chapter on the Clive family and their Indian collections is finally out. And here is some of what it says. There’s quite a lot in there for a short piece, so I’m going to focus on just one part. Robert Clive may have been greedy coloniser, but the man kept his receipts! And these tell a new story about him and the moment when the British Empire began its rise to power in India.

Since lockdown started I’ve become fascinated by the era of #ragtime and #silentcinema. There’s one extraordinary story from the 1910s which grabbed me, and I think is really worth sharing right now. Long thread incoming. Vernon Castle was the son of a pub landlord born in Norwich, who moved to across the Atlantic to New York in 1906. He became a bit part comedy dancer/actor on the vaudeville circuit.

#OTD 199 years ago: Unemployment, radicalisation, spies, armed cells, insurrection, and bloody retribution! It’s THE RADICAL WAR 1820! (a thread) I’m going to explore this little know attempt at “Liberty or Death” through the story of one man, John Baird. First a loyal soldier, then a deserter, a weaver, and finally a rebel. It’s going to be a long thread and spread over a couple of days, hold on to your hats.

Historical horror thread for #halloween. You’re a traveller in renaissance Italy, and come across this castle. From an upper window comes the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard. It’s getting dark and you need somewhere to stay. Should you knock on the door? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is the home of Carlo #Gesualdo. Prince of Venosa, composer of intensely expressive madrigals and sacred music, brutal murderer, and practitioner of #witchcraft! He led an extraordinary life of #horror and beauty, the details of which are truly gruesome. So brace yourselves.

You're a British journalist in colonial India. You print an article criticising some small case of corruption in the East India Company. What could possibly go wrong? Answer: EVERYTHING! This is the story of Sandford Arnot, who was banished from India in 1824. The previous year, his boss James Silk Buckingham, was banished for similar reasons. More on him at a later date, as I'm also working on an article. But here's a picture of JSB having 'gone native'.