Keith Alcorn

Historian of gardens, plant introductions and British botanical empire. Visiting tutor, @RHULHistory

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@M_H_Taylor Your cat will show you the best way of dealing with it.

[Jacob Bard-Rosenberg @Prolapsarian]

THREAD: The collapse of higher education in the UK is misunderstood by almost everyone involved. We are told it is because of volatile international student markets. The truth is more to do with real estate and capital investment. Here is what is going on: in places like the US

[Stephen May @Stephen_May1]

The towns where everyone wants to live were saved by NIMBYS. Every single one was at one time threatened with bulldozing and rebuilding to some cheap identikit model. Everywhere you want to visit in England was once saved by an alliance of old colonels and hairy squatters

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

The 1944 May heat record was set on 29 May. One week later D-Day was postponed 24 hours due to storms in the Channel and it was 17C in London.

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

This was measured at Kenley Airfield, on the southern fringe of Croydon, 545 ft above sea level. It's normally 2-3 C cooler in the North Downs above Croydon compared to central London.
https://t.co/gCIr5zMByM

[David Crowe @CroweDM]

Better than your average placard. This was in Budapest a little earlier tonight.

[Fanbact✰™ @ywnbact]

Probably single greatest contributor to the plague of people just playing shit out loud in public places

[Railway Heritage Awd @NRHAwd]

Celebrating highlights from the 2025 NRHAs, the @GWR Railway Craft Skills Award was to Benedict O'Looney Architects and @Thameslink, for restoring the historic LBSCR tile maps at @NetworkRailVIC Applications for the 2026 Awards are now open! See https://t.co/1bdRDbWSKz

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@SCP_Hughes Home ownership in inner London grew by 28% 1970-79 as building societies became more willing to lend on these properties and private landlords saw the opportunity to sell

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@SCP_Hughes 61% of homes in inner London were privately rented in 1961 - what accelerated the move away from private rental was replacement by social housing up to 1967, and home improvement grants after 67 - grants fuelled the surges in inner London prices to the early 80s

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@stephenkb @georginaquach The age band chart is provocative. I'd like to hear the arguments against reforming inheritance tax so that the tax rate steps up with each year survived after retirement.

[Barendina Smedley @fugitiveink]

Does London's unique and much-loved Wallace Collection require a "transformational journey"? A "masterplan" for the 6-year long, massive overhaul was announced earlier this week. Here's why I have my doubts:
https://t.co/k6l4VTEriu

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@LukeDyks Hegseth frequently appears over-refreshed or hungover from hell on camera, so by European standards he has a problem. But by Russian standards, he's a lightweight.

[Keith Alcorn @keithalcorn]

@j_amesmarriott Public libraries of the quality & style of the Lit & Phil used to exist in many British cities until the 1990s - a great loss.

[Spotlight @SpotlightNSP]

MUST READ | South Africa's worst crisis in 20 years could surpass COVID-19 and diabetes as a leading killer, while worsening tuberculosis. Professor
@FrancoisVenter3 says this can be prevented if government acts urgently.
@GroundUp_News

https://t.co/J5I8S983S9

[Led By Donkeys @ByDonkeys]

If Trump was President in 1940

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

Some truths seem eternal, like these from Lord Palmerston on Russian imperialism over 170 years ago!

[Dr. Bendor Grosvenor 🇺🇦 @arthistorynews]

Re the latest deranged Trump video, just a reminder of the playbook, from Mein Kampf.

[Sam Greene @samagreene]

Ok folks, deep breaths.

There is very real reason to worry about the dynamic emerging between Washington and Moscow when it comes to Ukraine. But there is also very real reason to believe that Ukraine and Europe can create a better outcome.

(A rather long 🧵, obviously)

/1

[Dr. Bendor Grosvenor 🇺🇦 @arthistorynews]

It took me a while, as a Brit, to see why Trump/Musk wanted to seize federal payment systems. But once you see the similarities between the Presidency Trump wants, and the kind of monarchy we used to have in England, do things become clearer? 🧵