Dr Nigel Fletcher
@nigelfletcher
Wanderer in the fourth dimension. British political & constitutional historian, author and lecturer. Distracted by cats and camp classic telly. Will run for cake. 🖊️ 📖 🇬🇧 🏰 🐈⬛ 🏳️🌈 📺 🍰🏃🏻♂️ www.nigelfletcher.org
Hello #Manchester! Made it just in time to sign some copies of the book before @Waterstones closed! Now heading out on the town : am I at risk of seeing the new PM in the pub?
Or perhaps Wayne Rooney was just paying tribute to BBC heritage.
Day two of the tour yesterday took me to Sandringham for the first time- a lovely day, which included some excellent historical nuggets I’ve filed away for the future!
Have embarked on my whirlwind book tour for “Churchill’s Queen”- and the sheer delight of seeing my book out in the wild in bookshops is really quite something. Thanks to those in Cambridge and Norfolk I visited yesterday- especially By The Book in Hunstanton for hosting my first talk. Onwards!
I’m sure this is well-meant, but if I had just called a by-election after facing allegations of financial impropriety, I’m not absolutely sure the first thing I’d do would be… offering the returning officer thousands of pounds in cash.
For those of us watching #America250 coverage on CNN in the UK via Prime, we have the sublime irony of the celebration of the US Declaration of Independence being punctuated by regular appearances from His Majesty King Charles III, in an advert for his TV documentary.
BREAKING: New York’s fireworks display has been going on so long they’ve run out of American songs and are having to appeal to the mother country for reinforcements of guitar dad-rock.
Well, the #America250 celebrations look wild. Dangerous storms in DC have led to what sparse crowds there are being told to flee for safety, and as the weatherman was detailing the severe danger of lightning strikes, he was interrupted by Air Force One flying over. 😳
Chequered flag! 🏁 Really exhilarating experience to run this legendary circuit- but my GOD the hills. And I’m not talking Damon and Graham…
Just heading off for a brisk evening 10k run… Around BRANDS HATCH! 🏎️ 🏃🏻♂️ 40 years since the last British Grand Prix here, which was won by… some guy called Nigel.
(I should clarify before I get expelled from fandom that of course I love Who - but the silliness really is an integral part of it).
Penelope Keith was not only a great actress, but a very engaging and endearing presenter: This series on royal residences was a particular joy.
Yesterday I was in Westminster when I was asked to do a TV interview on Starmer’s resignation. Unfortunately I’d somehow left my glasses at home, and also didn’t have a private room from which to dial in - so I broadcast from a sweltering Parliament Square, wearing sunglasses. It’s a look, I guess.
Rather a fan of all these hydration breaks. Absolutely necessary in this heat. Very thoughtful of FIFA to think of us all over here watching.
Well I guess now we know what “Manchesterism” means for Westminster.
Don’t be surprised if Keir Starmer suddenly decides to stay and fight, is all I’m saying.
For anyone else woken by the violent thunderstorm in London and the South East, it all just got very “Two Cathedrals” out there. Like Westminster needed any more West Wing overtones right now. I could almost hear Dire Straits playing. ⚡️
Finished, and I have my sweet, sweet reward. Some run for medals, some run for beer, I run for cake.
What could possibly motivate someone to do a 5-mile race in this heat? “Cake” is the answer. Cake is always the answer. 🍰 🏃🏻♂️ #WillRunForCake
Got to love British election declarations. A Prime Minister-in-waiting launching his bid for the leadership of the country from between a man with a bin on his head and a man in a fox costume.
So that was Garter Day at Windsor Castle- an absolute delight to be here in the sunshine to see the great Peter Hennessy take his place in the procession on his way to be installed (literally) as a Knight of the Garter. And a treat to be allowed to park on His Majesty’s front drive! 🏰 👑 🚗