Graham Addison

Author of Raiders of the Hidden Ark 'British businessman turned history writer' - NY Times. Reading FC Supporter

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

On #HistoryWritersDay the true story of 'certainly the oddest archaeologists ever to visit Jerusalem' They came from Australia, Britain, Sweden, Finland and the Belgian Congo confident they knew where the Ark of the Covenant was hidden. 1/2

[Prostate Cancer UK @ProstateUK]

We want to thank @JeremyClarkson for sharing his #ProstateCancer diagnosis and treatment in #ClarksonsFarm, raising vital awareness with the millions of men and families watching 💙

➡️ Check your risk in 30 seconds: https://t.co/jUwcPB0P6N

📸 (Image: Amazon Prime)

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@ClarkeMicah @AnthonyGri10669 Rommel and Kesselring may have a different view of what the British Army was doing together with other forces from the British Empire, plus the Free French, the Greeks, the Poles and the Americans in the Mediterranean in the 4 years after Dunkirk. Without this who knows.

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

I still have my vinyl copy of Man Machine by @kraftwerk which I bought approaching 50 years ago and enjoyed a brilliant performance by them yesterday at the @RoyalAlbertHall.

[Liz Webster @LizWebsterSBF]

🚨 Ten years after the referendum and the verdict is in:

@dsmitheconomics in The Sunday Times lays out the lost growth advantage.

UK real per capita GDP growth 2016–2025: just 5.4%
Italy: 11.6%
Spain: 11.1%
Eurozone: 10.2%
France: 8.4%

Britain needs to face reality and undo Brexit.

[James Hogg @JamesAHogg2]

John Eric Bartholomew, AKA Eric Morecambe, was born 100 years ago today.

Few people in history have made as many people laugh as Eric, and as someone whose life was dedicated to that purpose, I am sure it is an accolade he would have been incredibly proud of.

For me, Eric’s brilliance lay not just in the laughter he created, but in the anticipation of the laughter to come. That gift was omnipresent, following him like a comedic halo. To see him was to smile instinctively, followed quickly by genuine laughter. His friend Tommy Cooper possessed that same rare quality, and I have many treasured memories of watching them both when I was young.

Thanks to social media, Eric’s work continues to be enjoyed by millions worldwide every day, and appreciation for his immense talent only grows. Long may that continue.

Here he is, with Ernie and Mr Preview, creating some 22 karat TV comedy gold.

God bless Eric Morecambe x

[Paul Mason @paulmasonnews]

In the name of public service, and as ex-economics editor of BBC Newsnight, I offer to do a zoom call, tonight, with any Labour MP who wants to understand why bond markets do not "fall into line" with governments. 1/

[Simon Schama @simon_schama]

This is appalling and vile - hateful fantacism

[David Lawrence @dc_lawrence]

Is there a progressive case for new North Sea exploration?

In my first column for @ArguablyMag, I look at the case for and against.

I argue that this could be Ed Miliband's "Nixon goes to China" moment: only he can credibly make the case that further extraction would not increase emissions.

As has been argued by @CarbonBrief, importing LNG is 18% more carbon-emitting than extracting from the North Sea.

Progressives should also care about where the money goes: instead of funding corrupt Gulf regimes, we could support jobs and investment in Scotland.

Both left and right conflate increasing supply with increasing demand. We must cut demand for carbon by rapidly electrifying the economy. But that isn't inconsistent with securing our own supply. Restricting supply won't reduce UK demand – it just means we import gas from the US and Middle East instead.

We must learn from other progressive governments like Norway and Canada. Even if we achieve Clean Power 2030, the UK will still use 35-40 million tonnes of gas each year, and a similar amount of oil for petrol. We should do we can to get demand for these fuels down, while building a resilient & cleaner supply chain.

Read the full piece here: https://t.co/2hOEQArU71

Thanks to @georgeeaton for editing, @watt_direction and @matthewg_stubbs for data, @pdmsero & @KaneEmerson for reviewing.

[Ben Judah @b_judah]

Britain absolutely has a lot to learn from France’s Gaullist focus on state capacity @GElefteriu. It gets better results.

🔵 Nuclear power: 🇫🇷65% vs 🇬🇧15%

⚡ Industrial electricity: 🇫🇷£69/MWh vs 🇬🇧£168/MWh

🛣️ Motorways: 🇫🇷11,882km vs 🇬🇧3,700km

🚄 High speed rail: 🇫🇷2,800km vs 🇬🇧109km

❤️ Life expectancy: 🇫🇷85.8/80 vs 🇬🇧82.6/78.6 (women/men)

🎗️ Lung cancer survival: 🇫🇷17.3% vs 🇬🇧13.3%

🚀 Space launch: 🇫🇷sovereign heavy-lift vs 🇬🇧none

☢️ Nuclear deterrent: 🇫🇷sovereign capacity vs 🇬🇧US dependence

Would be TRISTE indeed to pretend these facts are not what they are.

[Being Scottish @BeingScots]

On this day in 1892: Radar pioneer Robert Watson-Watt was born in Brechin. He is known for demonstrating that aircraft could be detected by bouncing radio waves off them. A breakthrough that proved crucial to the Allied victory in WWII. This brilliant statue is in his home town.

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@DiariesEmpire From Wikipedia.
He believed Wellington’s organisation of the Army could not be improved upon even 80 years later and famously rebuked a subordinate saying : "Brains? I don't believe in brains!

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@DiariesEmpire Isn’t that the Duke of Cambridge Queen Victoria’s cousin? If so he was most definitely not a hero of the Empire. He helped create the terrible state of readiness of the British Army at the start of the Second Boer War

[Mark W. @DurhamWASP]

My original plan

[BBC Newsnight @BBCNewsnight]

“We’re dealing with a President who is a narcissist and a bully… a rebuke of some kind is necessary”

Broadcaster and journalist David Dimbleby says a US State Visit by King Charles “is a misuse of the King” and the UK is “giving Trump more than he deserves”.

#Newsnight

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@simonmontefiore He has a history of crazy posts. His father, who made him a General, had to apologise when he said Uganda would invade Kenya a few years ago. https://t.co/5z1o60d3nK

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@HackBlackburn @TimesDiary As is traditional in Hawaii all the guests were presented with floral garlands and Prince Philip’s was presented by a young and attractive Hawaiian girl who then kissed him. After this he turned to British scientist and said ‘Well that is the highest lay/lei I have ever had.’

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@HackBlackburn @TimesDiary Another story of about Prince Philip’s quick and sharp wit. In 1987 he was in Hawaii opening the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on the top of Mauna Kea mountain in Hawaii which is at an altitude of over 4,00 metres. My father was also there. 1/2

[Graham Addison @GrahamAddison7]

@FraserNelson A well written article including calling out the cynicism of some politicians who claim to be defending Christianity but clearly know no little about the faith. What on earth is Psalm Sunday?

[Rt Hon Alistair Burt @AlistairBurtUK]

Ireland were our greatest friend in the EU, which was one of the reasons for heartbreak when the UK left. Deeply impressive that its PM stands with us now. 🙏🇮🇪 @MosiniElisa