I understand why he said that, especially as I can't remember how a normal body works! A stoma has some advantages though my sort, an ileostomy, makes me vulnerable to dehydration & a trip to hospital to go on a drip - but it saved my life 45 yrs ago and without it our son wouldn't have been born

Very much - it has to be the right time for them. Fortunately the world of stoma care has excellent specialist nurses who are good at putting new patients in touch with people who might well suit them.

I wanted to tell her exactly what you've said and that I was just off to play tennis but it was too soon in her experience - hopefully another event in time.

This must happen, hopefully, in many medical contexts. I was at an exhibition of stoma equipment recently and saw a young woman, very pale, hesitant, confused by the array of kit and being shepherded by her equally stunned parents and it took me back 45 years to my first days with a stoma.

I suspect I didn't think of the process of writing history as involving so much decision-making until I started writing history in retirement - i might have done a fair few things differently when i was teaching if I'd realised this earlier.

When i read Winnie the Pooh to my wife at Xmas she said I need to tone down my Tigger voice as I was reaching levels of excitability dangerous in my mid-70s. She has now bought the books on Kindle (disability means she can't hold 'proper' books) and is reading extracts to me.

Excellent news. As well as her brilliant work as a historian, Anne has made major contributions to schools through her Agincourt600 project, initiating and funding @histassoc.bsky.social 's first Teacher Fellowship programme and the publication of 'Exploring and Teaching Medieval History'

Announcing our first keynote speaker for HA Conference 2027 is the historian, Helen Castor! She is an award-winning historian of the medieval and Tudor period. Her most recent book 'The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV' was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2025.

I don't know if they're of any use in this context but the latest HA News @histassoc.bsky.social has feedback about the experiences of the trainees and ECTs who had bursaries to the Newcastle conference. The sense of community comes out particularly strongly.

A happy hour today hitting balls with the coach at our local tennis centre - my first tennis aged 75. As much fun as ever though my taking my age as a challenge to pack more running and jumping into the session explains why the only activity since is reading Tom Licence's new book on King Harold

Our version is our 42 yr old popping in to check up on us at 9.30 am (so early!) because even at the end of August he's still on his "getting up by 6.30 to be at school by 7.45" regime. (He's a history teacher - where did I go wrong?)