"En je denkt: het ging bij mij over wat we met elkaar delen. Het ging niet over dealen in haat. En je beseft dat je naïef was. Erfgoed is niet voor iedereen belangrijk."

Q: "It's not just Trump, we also heard from Elon Musk saying Zelenskyy has gone too far. Why are they blaming you for the continuation of this war?" Zelenskyy: "Because these people can't find a key to how to stop Putin. Because it's more difficult to stop Putin than to pressure others..."

Least I could do! This happened a decade ago, and it's the first time I'm ever sharing this story publicly. I hope that does justice to both his kindness and the standard it sets.

Given it's the 25th anniversary, I guess it was about time to start digging in?

This is how you write a headline.

Watched Disney's Robin Hood (1973) last night. Hadn't seen it in more than 15 years. My favourite movie as a wee little kid. Definitely sparked my first love for History. And little did I know what a spirit animal Skippy Rabbit is.

Today is World Mental Health Day. And given the dismal state of our world, the only thing I can think of is that one scene in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, when the troops arrive in Britain. - Old Man: "Well done, lads. Well done." - Alex: "All we did is survive." - Old Man: "That's enough."

And I think that's important to highlight, and also a model to follow. That is all.

But everyone in the field will confirm that he was one of the very most important Medievalists of the past half century. He certainly already was when I met him a decade ago. And given his immense stature, he was just a very kind and generous scholar towards someone who still had a long way to go.

That article got accepted by Historia, which I still think is one of the most important ones I've ever written. Elementary, I gave him credit where credit is due. The main reason why I'm writing this is not because I can claim to have really known him or some other sort of connection.

(While I kept asking very silly questions about his). At some point he made an off-the-cuff remark about Aetius, whom I happened to be writing an article about. It was the kind of remark that tied everything together in a conclusion I was almost approaching, but not quite there yet.

So I sent him an e-mail to say that I noticed he was working in the same place. Would he be interested in having a coffee? He graciously accepted and took me to Caffè Perù around the corner. We had lunch and coffee and talked for at least an hour. I was surprised by the interest he took in my work.

Neither great network, nor academic prestige that comes with graduating from certain places, or international publications (except for a modest book on a little known 5th c. commander). Certainly nothing of the kind that would've appeared on Wickham's radar. But I felt like I had nothing to lose.

Before you're allowed in the reading room you have to leave your 'tessera' in one of those wooden filing boxes. One day, I customarily was about to place it in the designated 'W' when I noticed Chris Wickham's was there as well. I really was an academic nobody at that time.