@simonharley

Naval historian. Motorbikes sales. Retired hygiene operative and parliamentary intern. The Royal Navy 1854-1919 is my area of expertise. Also at @navyhistorian.

 England/Sweden
simonharley.com/about/
Joined April 2009
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  • Followers15.4K
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My first article, for @NauticalHistory, on Lord Fisher's advice to Winston Churchill: dx.doi.org/10.1080/00253359.…
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Honecker Potter and the Inner German Border.
East German Visuals
@GDRvisuals4h
A young East German border guard, 1977.
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I didn't know the French national library charged for reading room access. €5 a day, or €24 a year. But you can also visit for free 17:00-20:00. thetimes.com/uk/education/ar…

‘Sad day for science’ as reading rooms close at British Library

Three science reading rooms will close and become ‘flexible workspaces’ that will be rented out, as the institution seeks to alleviate financial pressures

thetimes.com
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I suspect the chief executive of the British Library claiming that the reading rooms can handle a third more people is hubris and may come back to haunt him.
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St. Peter:
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MASH is currently on SVT Play. Turned it on in honour of the late Tom Skerritt. It’s as good as I remember.
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More fallout from the botched Christa Pike execution:
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"pulled of". FFS, the BBC News.
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The Spectator
@spectatorOct 25
In praise of Master and Commander ✍️ Madeline Grant spectator.com/article/in-pra…

In praise of Master and Commander

Every year, around Trafalgar Day, I rewatch Peter Weir’s 2003 film Master and Commander. It seems obvious to say that this is a film about heroism, but it took me until this year to realise that the...

spectator.com
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We’re eleven days away from the 70th anniversary of Operation Telescope. History matters.
The Telegraph
@TelegraphOct 25
Hundreds of British paratroopers have taken part in the largest British parachute drop since the Second World War. 🔗 telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10…
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Simon Harley retweeted
Dominic Adler@DomAdlerUKOct 25
An oldie but a goodie. In 1968 a bunch of entitled hippy bastards sent a letter detailing their specious demands to the Warden and Fellows of Wadham College, Oxford. This was their letter of reply, which speaks to how far the academy has since fallen.
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Simon Harley retweeted
Dr. Clown, PhD
@DrClownPhDOct 24
The new Falcons coach just found out the team changed the logo back. 🦅
🤖 Made with AI
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More expensive than the Louvre and the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition. Absurd.
Navy Lookout
@NavyLookoutOct 24
The Royal Marines Experience museum opens today after £15M revamp in its new home at Boathouse 6 in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. @NatMuseumRN £36 for adults £26 for children. royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2026/o…
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For anyone doubting the price, see here: historicdockyard.co.uk/new-t… It makes the “three museum” ticket look cheap, but that shouldn’t be the point.

Tickets and Pricing Information - Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Buy Portsmouth Historic Dockyard tickets online - annual passes, 3-attraction tickets or single-day entry to HMS Victory, Mary Rose and more.

historicdockyard.co.uk
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Between 2023 and 2024 the base ticket price went up from £24 to £34, and subsequently to £36. I wonder how many other museums have hiked their entry fees that much?
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Simon Harley retweeted
Ceder@Andreas_CederOct 23
Ursäkta?
This quoted post is unavailable.
Try viewing anyway · View on X
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This hare is apparently a fan of The Exorcist.
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Can’t believe they’re scrapping a ship that fast smh
Avid Space
@LabPadreOct 21
The USS Vicksburg is being towed toward the port of Brownsville, for final dismantling and scrapping. Commissioned in 1992, she served in the United States Navy until being decommissioned in 2024 following a costly program that failed to achieve operational readiness. 🫡
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Don’t @ me, you were all thinking of that joke.
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Headline news for SVT Stockholm that the price of prawn sandwiches at Arlanda keeps going up. Pray for Stockholmers.
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Simon Harley retweeted
Brian Spurrell@BrianSpanner1Oct 22
Pour encourager les ultras.
STV News
@STVNewsOct 22
Rangers fan who encouraged mass pitch invasion at Old Firm jailed i.stv.tv/4iABWSI
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