Teacher of teachers, geek, computer scientist, family historian, traveller of trains. Cat lady. Views are entirely personal and not those of my employers. Blog link: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mvuvlprag225In this week's blog I visit the #fanmuseumgreenwich as part of the #openhousefestival2026 https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/09/18/open-house-festival-2026-a-visit-to-the-fan-museum/19 Sep 2026 14:32 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvuvlprag225https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3muekmfnhes26My blog post this week - beautiful Saint Paul de Vence https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/08/28/saint-paul-de-vence-a-visual-feast/31 Aug 2026 09:08 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muekmfnhes26https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mpsxhfev522rI didn't post this last week - probably too hot! https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/06/26/a-week-on-a-hot-planet/04 Jul 2026 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpsxhfev522rhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mpswzrq5mk2rhttps://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/07/03/a-quarter-year-of-theatre-trips-january-to-march-2026/04 Jul 2026 11:21 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpswzrq5mk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mos47ui6h22tThis week's blog post on the proposed social media ban for under 16s https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/06/18/thoughts-on-a-social-media-ban/21 Jun 2026 09:56 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mos47ui6h22thttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mobl5su74s2jThis week's blog is about Brum. The city of a thousand trades, including mine: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/06/13/beautiful-brum/14 Jun 2026 20:08 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mobl5su74s2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mo35yst42c24It's my day off today. I have 6 online meetings and 10 assignments to mark. Hit it!12 Jun 2026 06:57 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mo35yst42c24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mnp2g64eos2hThis week's blog is about work: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/06/06/working-life/07 Jun 2026 11:21 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnp2g64eos2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mmjav3dhjs2eTo add to my growing collection of ancestral counties, I can add Devonshire. Here is the tale of Daniel Flood, hatter of Honiton: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/05/23/daniel-flood-devonshire-hatter/23 May 2026 10:35 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmjav3dhjs2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mly3no5g2s2gA visit to the Museum of the Home https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/05/15/a-visit-to-the-museum-of-the-home/16 May 2026 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mly3no5g2s2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mlgn73urvk2cResearching your family tree - my top tips from the last twenty-five years: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/05/08/top-tips-for-researching-your-family-tree/09 May 2026 16:13 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgn73urvk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mkwnntzo6223My grandfather, Charlie https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/05/02/charlie-apthorp-the-grandfather-i-never-met/03 May 2026 07:38 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkwnntzo6223https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mkdvzz72ek2oI spent last weekend in London https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/04/25/a-weekend-in-london/25 Apr 2026 20:48 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkdvzz72ek2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mka5np5ld22lThe musical Lifeline charts the life of Sir Alexander Fleming who warned about antibiotic resistance as early as the 1950s. It's on at the @swkplay.bsky.social Elephant until 2nd May and features a chorus of healthcare professionals. Science education in song - well worth a visit. [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Apr 2026 08:53 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mka5np5ld22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mjyv6t2i2c24Some work journeys are dull, but some aren't. And yes I did bribe @george-station-cat.bsky.social to get an audience. Many thanks to his human servants for letting me have a meet and greet.21 Apr 2026 11:33 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjyv6t2i2c24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mjwztwy5vc2uPlease help save #DenbyPottery, thank you https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764785?xnpe_tifc=xDE_4fndh.xJbDxjOf4_bMpZhfEWVjQsVuU_Ou46VusDVjELasS84YB6ajQAbfs3tu4vaMXJb.VXxFh_hIxlOFxjxdYX&utm_source=bloomreach&utm_campaign=UK%20Online%3A%20SaveDenby%20Petition%203&utm_medium=email20 Apr 2026 17:51 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwztwy5vc2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mjtnv3teb22wThis week's blog post. Apologies for the very inspiring title: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/04/16/my-trip-to-antwerp/19 Apr 2026 09:39 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjtnv3teb22whttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mjf7wwml6c2fI spent the week before last in Antwerp to explore the sixteenth century world of Corneille Le Sedt, textile dyer: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/04/11/corneille-le-sedt-belgian-textile-dyer/13 Apr 2026 15:52 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjf7wwml6c2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mjf7uccwxc2fTwo blog posts - the first tells the story of Esther Deighton, who appears as the informant on more death certificates than any other of my ancestors https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/04/01/esther-deighton-deaths-companion/13 Apr 2026 15:51 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjf7uccwxc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mi6puvepss2uOff to Antwerp on Wednesday, just because. Apart from researching my family tree, what should I see?29 Mar 2026 08:24 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi6puvepss2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mi4ytfbxvc24This week's effort - born in frustration with automated helplines https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/03/27/when-helplines-fail-to-be-helpful/28 Mar 2026 15:59 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi4ytfbxvc24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mgzdo7t4jk2uThis week's blog focuses on my great grandfather's half-brother John English. This little house in Curtain Road is where I believe that my great grandfather was born. https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/03/13/john-thomas-english-carman-from-south-of-the-river/14 Mar 2026 11:37 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgzdo7t4jk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mgipqve3vc2tI forgot to post this last week: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/02/27/cable-street-the-musical-review/07 Mar 2026 20:58 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgipqve3vc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mgiorlvyck2tThis week's blog post exploring the Despaigne family from Lille, with images from my visit last year: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/03/06/the-despaigne-family-of-lille/07 Mar 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgiorlvyck2thttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mfgo25ryus25This week's blog post is about my grandfather: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/02/20/albert-taylor-the-patients-friend/22 Feb 2026 07:57 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfgo25ryus25https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mez2dj24ok2aThis week's blog: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/02/13/daisy-betts-nanny/16 Feb 2026 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mez2dj24ok2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mecef2zres26Thomas Mallyon was an agricultural labourer from Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire and also my 3x great grandfather: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/02/07/thomas-mallyon-agricultural-labourer/07 Feb 2026 21:28 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mecef2zres26https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3mdq4by4ki224These are a few of my favourite things ... https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/01/30/these-are-a-few-of-my-favourite-things/31 Jan 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdq4by4ki224https://bsky.app/profile/chrisswan.bsky.social/post/3md6f3i3t2k2qThis week's blog post: https://awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2026/01/24/six-months-of-theatre-trips-july-to-december/24 Jan 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:bb42vj5lgof2uj3g2xxdfxpq/app.bsky.feed.post/3md6f3i3t2k2q