Rob Dale
@robdale
Historian of Russia and the Soviet Union. Cyclist, marathon runner, train traveller. Based in Newcastle and York. Osbaldwick cricket club cap no.247
Playing a charity game today to raise money for @prostatecanceruk.bsky.social against The Travelling Exiles side. Easily the weakest cricketer in the team. Wish me luck!
I've been picked to play for my cricket club's T20 side in a charity game on Sunday, with my son. But, it's (green) coloured kits , which I didn't buy. Considering playing in my Ukraine kit. Doubt anyone would notice difference?
I should by now know better than to acquire more books. Where they will all go when the plug gets pulled on my job is beyond me.
The family have got the football on, and I will watch with one eye. But, I'm going to start the York Big City Read from 2022. (Only four years late!) - Kate Atkinson's - Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
I've been introducing the kids to some proper gaming today. My Donkey Kong Game and watch bought in 1989 for £19.95 at Argos in Folkestone.
Big cricket fixture this weekend against local rivals Heworth. So early night, and no staying up late for football on Saturday night!
Blood donation for me this afternoon. Used the time productively for working out how to get the word count down on the current chapter.
I need a bit of escapism, so I've picked this out of my basket of paperbacks.
Amazing game of cricket today. My son got four wickets, and we rolled the opposition over for 126, the openers then knocked them off.
A busy and varied week of work. Family birthday tomorrow, and then a game of cricket including with my son in the side. Lots of Dads and Lads action in this XI.
Looking forward to presenting at the Urban Ground - Cities In/Of/For Nature Symposium at Newcastle's Farrell Centre tomorrow. Should be really fun, and very interesting.
This strikes me as an odd Jonathan Freedland article. Not sure why historians will puzzle over this. Provided all the sources don't disappear, all of this would seem well-documented and straightforward.
Almost the definition of optimism, adding in 2027 to the diary and putting term dates and committee meetings in.
Currently reading "The Bolsheviks Survive" (I'm about 50 pages in.) I found his books inspirational as an undergraduate. I had the pleasure of going to a book launch and discussion of Большевики у власти in I think 2008.
Playing in the same team as my eldest son tomorrow. You haven't known pressure till you have had to keep wicket to your son's bowling!
Playing tomorrow for the 3rdXI. Marking all in the can, so I can focus on the cricket 🏏! Quite a strong team for playing Clifton Alliance 4thXI. Good to play at home!
I have a new hero - Hasan Ali. 31 not out off 12 including 2 fours and 3 sixes. (A lovely day out with the family. Back to marking tomorrow.)
Oleksandr Mykhed's The Language of War, a deeply moving and profound book about war, is just 99p on Amazon Kindle here in the UK today. Very much worth your money and time in reading. amzn.eu/d/01udKB7K
Really excited to finally get hold of a copy of this! (Thanks to a proper book shop for helping me obtain a copy.) Looking forward to reading it. Added incentive to finish the marking!
Dusting down one of my favourite ever political cartoons from Peter Brookes in 2013.
Tell me you don't have the foggiest about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact without telling me!
Just received a copy of my colleague Sinéad Morrissey's book "Among Communists: A Memoir". Sadly I missed the book launch (away on holiday), but I look forward to reading this.