Top Of The Week: Lichen, Battleaxe, Gerontocracy, Harald, Antique
'See The Whole World In Lichen'
Lynda Mapes | Seattle Times | 27th June 2026 | U
Lichens are extraordinary. They have no roots, do not need pollination, and make their own food. They bind soil, produce nitrogen, feed animals, and serve as key indicators for environmental changes. "They are green, black, orange, yellow, chartreuse, gray, white and even blue — and every shade in between. Shaped like leaves, like blowing beards, like pixie cups, like newly brushed paint" (3,700 words)
Ann Widdecombe: Britain’s Last Battleaxe
Mary Harrington | UnHerd | 14th July 2026 | B
19C Britain was dominated by women who worked tirelessly in church groups, schools and charities to improve society — whether society wanted it or not. Bred to be stoic and tough, “the British Battleaxe was eclipsed by the death of Diana”, who represented for millions permission to feel and show emotion publicly. If Diana was the People’s Princess, Ann Widdecombe was the “People’s Battleaxe” (1,700 words)
The Cult Of Longevity
David Runciman | London Review Of Books | 15th July 2026 | B
Political power in the US lies with the old. It's unclear what can be done about this. "Even if socialism for old people is a good idea, how are you going to win an election on that basis? Gerontocracy in America is rooted in the unequal distribution of wealth but it is reinforced by the unequal distribution of political influence. The money shores up the power and the power shores up the money" (6,200 words)
The Greatest Norwegian
Ed West | Wrong Side Of History | 11th July 2026 | U
The year 1066 saw three men fight for the English throne. The most colourful of them all was Harald Sigurdsson or Hardrada, the “Thunderbolt of the North”, 6’6” tall and described as “the strongest living man under the sun”. He was obsessed with violence and verse, often in tandem. Felled by an arrow to the windpipe in the Battle of Stamford Bridge, his death signalled the end of the Viking Age (3,500 words)
The Most Modern Thing You Own
Michael Diaz-Griffith | World Of Interiors | 14th July 2026 | U
The Art Deco relics of the 1920s are not “antique in the way we used to mean”. “In 1925, it was possible to conjure a material world that sublimated the conflict between the machine and the hand, ancient craft and modern industry pressed alike into service of how we might live. We’ve given up on that fantasy. Our rooms are from the archival past or resigned present, but they fail to imagine new futures” (1,400 words)
Puzzle: Play Nomido, the Browser’s daily word game.
Podcast: Aftermath | Speaking In Tongues. The Rolling Stones’ first official podcast, narrated by Norah Jones and featuring interviews with the band members (20m 51s)
Video: What's The Story In The Bayeux Tapestry? | YouTube | British Museum | 2m 08s
Animated explainer of the 70-metre long visual chronicle of 11C Norman history.
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