#AUS-A in ENGLAND 2019

[myyoungroyalsblog]

Red, White and Royal Blue fic rec part 2 (part 1)

*Note: I have a lot of unfinished fics in my subscriptions but since there are over 120+ fics there from other fandoms too I won’t be able to add those, when they are finished I’ll do another post in the future!

*Also couldn't find some of these writers here on tumblr, if you know tell me and I’ll add their @ beside it!

MULTI-CHAPTER

Things I Cannot Accept

18 chapters, 69.703 words

By @sprigsofviolets AU where Ellen lost the election in 2016 and Henry and Alex reconnect in 2019. Super cute and interesting story, with a lot of fluff and angst, amazingly written!

Captious (calculated to confuse, entrap or entangle in argument)

3 chapters, 14.256 words

Blind date AU... Well... Sort of... You'll know when you read it hehe but honestly so so sweet with a bit of angst but so much fluff!

My Only Wish (This Year)

7 chapters, 26.374 words

By @dracowillhearaboutthis AU where Henry marries a woman and has two daughters, set 10 years later and Alex and Henry reconnect, and maybe a romance blooms... Of course it does lol very cute kid fic (with a bit of angst too) but still lots of fluff!

Comfort Crowd

8 chapters, 12.098 words

To all the boys I've loved before AU, I don't like the film but since I'm such a sucker for these two of course I read it and got obsessed with it afajsgshsvsg

And they call it—

2 chapters, 10.148 words

By @clottedcreamfudge AU where Alex can talk to animals, so when Henry needs a dog sitter he goes to Alex, and he and David obviously talk about Henry. So funny and fluffy, guaranteed to make you smile!

(do i really have to tell you) how he brought me back to life?

7 chapters, 38.498 words

By @coffeecatsme High school AU where Henry gets kicked out by Mary and lives with Alex's family. A whole lot of angst and a whole lot of fluff, just a superb story!

I'm Taking A Ride With My Best Friend

23 chapters, 79.302 words

By @cultofsappho The Last of Us AU where Henry is immune and Alex helps him get to the fireflies in hopes to create a vaccine. If you've watched the tv show or played the game, you know how this goes lol could not recommend it enough, so much angsty but has fluffy moments too! And the writing is impeccable

i'd lie

6 chapters, 18.058 words

AU where Alex and June move to England with thier mum and have the Fox family as their neighbours, we see the super six throughout the years and how Henry lies might not work anymore... If you want angst, this is the fic for you

ONE SHOT

talk too much

3.307 words

By @lazybug16 Alex has his wisdom teeth removed and Henry takes care of him, just fluff fluff fluff, super adorable (yes self promo because I'm very proud of this fic, I love it)

I trace your constellations

13.498 words

Soulmates, coffee shops and demi Henry AU, just pure flirting and fluff, suuuuuuper cute read!

Never Truly Leave

2.443 words

By @clottedcreamfudge Catherine finds a letter that Arthur wrote... To Alex. We cry alongside Alex as he reads it; very emotional, it will make you cry, and fall in love with these characters all over again, could not recommend enough

you knew the entire time (you knew that i'm a mastermind)

8.239 words

By @coffeecatsme Uni and autistic Henry AU, we see Alex and Henry fall in love. Fluffy but also a bit of angst, you just want to protect Henry and tell him everything is going to be okay

starry eyes sparking up my darkest nights

16.367 words

By @coffeecatsme Hugh school AU where Arthur is also alive and becomes like a second father to Alex. Very very sweet with a bit if angst as well, you'll love it and might have a few happy tears towards the end

learning to love (without it having to hurt)

4.861 words

AU where they aren't famous and they are roommates. We see Henry figure out his asexuality and Alex be there for him, and them getting together of course :) very very sweet read!

The last letter

2.173 words

By @floatingaway4 They are in the afterlife, at peace. This weiter managed to combine angst and fluff at the exact same time and I don't know how they did it, it will make you ugly happy cry!

Fourty-Four Days

8.675 words

They are living in the Brownstone when Henry needs to go to europe for the shelters and Alex to California for a campaign, and they end up not seeing each other for 44 days, and it's too much. Angsty but then fluffy, it just hurts seeing them miss each other so so much

take me out, and take me home

11.837 words

Roommates AU and we see Alex get some feelings, only friendly feelings of course... Really cute story and ending!

i’d take the bomb in your head and disarm it

22.392 words

By @evanbuvkley roommates AU and friends to angsty friends to lovers afahsgsjshdj so much angst that you might cry but a bit of fluff too (happy ending don't worry) such an engaging story, very well executed

and I wrote down our song

6.072 words

AU where Alex is a musician and Henry isn't a prince and they meet at a bar where Alex is performing. Super cute and we see how they fall in love and grow and it's just full of joy!

Group therapy

3.243 words

By @stutteringpeach AU where Ellen is Henrys therapist and he is dating Alex and talks to Ellen about their relationship, without knowing that it's actually his boyfriends mum... They "meet" at a family cook out and its honestly hilarious lmao you will not stop laughing

[sp-1800park]

Welcome to 1800park!

This comic is a South park AU which takes place in 1880’s England-America.

The plot follows a reluctant Stan as he moves away from his beloved London with his friends, (Kenny, Kyle, Eric) in an attempt to start a new life in America

I’ve started this project on instagram way back in December 2019, but unfortunately stopped posting at the start of 2021.

Im making this account in the hope of re-starting the comic under a better thought-out plot and character arcs!

As of now I’m using the old instagram account as an Archive for the old posts, so if you want to check out the old comic it’s here;

ARCHIVE

Also if you want to follow me for my regular art these are my @s :)

Main Tumblr

Main Insta

Main Twitter

Thank you for your attention!!

question box is always open, come say hi!

[fortheloveofaussiegrit]

@fortheloveofaussiegrit 's deep dive into Mark and his love of twinks...

Sebastian Vettel 

Where does one even start when trying to explain this... that's his twink of the past, present, and future— his forever. [first: debatable but the beginning of martian at the Fuji GP 2007 when Seb crashed into the back of Mark ruining both of their races, they were running 2nd and third. second: the day i lost my sanity, Abu Dhabi 2022]

Oscar Piastri

His twink of the present [i don't think i need to say anything... but photos above are from Mark's website from his blog post about Oscar winning the F2 championship and how Mark stayed in Abu Dhabi with Oscar after the GP for the young driver f1 test...]

Mitch Evans

Without Mitch we wouldn’t have got Oscar/Mark... (this is what oscarmark could’ve been but not sure i would’ve been able to handle oscar posting mark the way mitch did) Started in 2010, Mark then went on to manage him and Mitch even moved into Mark’s home in England, down the drive but point still stands [first: Mark Webber takes protege on birthday tour, 2010 (speedcafe.com) second: Mark embracing Mitch after he took maiden victory in Formula E, 2019 (📷Sam Bloxham) bottom two: from Mitch’s IG circa 2014] 

Daniel Ricciardo

i like that belt buckle mate [first/second: F1 Paddock 2013 (📷skysports.com) third: Mark & Daniel’s BBQ on the beach ahead of the Aus GP 2011 (📷flickr) fourth/fifth: Dutch GP 2022.]

 

Fernando Alonso

again do i need to say anything? i think this sums it up (thank you to @seafoampearlygirl for the screen shot and your help too, much appreciated!!

and this... [Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, Fernando Alonso & Mark Webber for Benetton Renault 2001 F1 launch]

Lewis Hamilton

If there's one thing about Mark that you need to know its his love of twinks with world championships... @mwebber​ has a post here on these two! Mark always loves talking about Lewis and the way they look at each other.. [first: Mark and Lewis during the post-qualy presser at the Spanish GP, 2010 (📷Sutton Images) second: during the pre-race presser at the Aus GP, 2013 (📷Hoch Zwei) third: Abu Dhabi GP, 2017 (📷James Moy)]

Nico Rosberg

from teammates at Williams to Mark snapping pics of the back of Nico in 2023… [first: Mark talking to test driver Nico Rosberg during the German GP, 2005 (📷Pakusch) second: Monaco ePrix 2023]

Max Verstappen

like i said... twinks with championships [first: ‘bumped into these two over easter and managed a few k on the trails’ Apr, 2018 (Mark’s FB) second: Hangar-7, 2019]

Felipe Massa 

yeah... [first: Brazil 2012, i think (📷sky-sports.com) second: Brazil 2013 (📷xpb images)]

Brendon Hartley 

he’s already featured a few times, but from rbr junior driver to teammate... yeah.. is there a pattern? [first: Spanish GP 2009 (📷DPPI Images) second: Brendon, Mark & Timo after winning the 6 hours of Bahrain and the WEC Drivers Championship 2015 (📷fiawec.com)]

Jenson Button

and finally we get to Jenson Button, who, yes, is younger than Mark so makes it onto the list... the ultimate twink on twink... you cannot tell me this wasnt a couples holidays covered up as ‘training’. you cannot tell me they were not fumbling around in their bedsheets at night. you cannot tell me— [redacted redacted redacted] — [pre-season training session in Lanzarote, Spain. 4 Jan 2001 📷Mark Thompson]

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

I LOVE YOUR WORKS SO MUCH ITS INSANE RAHHH… where does one find your ‘a wolf in chase’ fic??

aww thank you! that's so kind of you to say!

I took Wolf in Chase and Pale Before the Fall down because for a time there was an iteration of them (very, very different I will say) being shopped to publishers but that is now on the back burner.

Please find the Woodford Series PDFs below (I also included the few on AO3 so you have a sense of the proper order of things):

Pale Before the Fall

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings (e.g., Wellesley/Kitty, past Napoleon/Josephine etc.) Rating: T to M(ish) Summary: After Waterloo, through a cunning lawyer and some finagling, Bonaparte manages to end up in England instead of St Helena for his final exile. Of course things don't stay quiet. There's an old murder. A stodgy Duke newly returned from France. A disintegrating marriage. And a couple of ghosts to top it all off. (and full of pretentious chapter titles and what not) Published: 2013-09-27

A Wolf in Chase

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T to M(ish) Summary: Sequel to "Pale Before the Fall" though I don't think it's too much a necessity to have read the first one. A continuation of something like a friendship. If one may be so liberal as to call it that. Mostly, there are mysteries and a bored (former) emperor who has nothing better to do than drag a certain duke along on his adventures. Published: 2015-07-07

An argument for the wise use of blankets, or, Napoleon dislikes Canova's interpretation of him as Peacemaker (AO3)

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: G Summary: For an anon on tumblr who requested the following: I have only one Napollington suggestion and it is anything including Napoleon being ridiculously angry about Arthur having that naked Napoleon statue in his house. Published: 2019

Unsent Letters**

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T(ish) Summary A child has gone missing out in the countryside. Wellington investigates. Napoleon is pissed that he's not invited along for the ride. It is a series of letters between them as shit gets weird. Published: 2018? I think?

**Note: Takes place ostensibly in the same universe as Pale and Wolf except that I also borrowed heavily from the rewrite that was being shopped around. So some characters who died in the OG are alive in this version. Treat it as an au of an au. I'll note that this is probably my favourite of the lot. Key differences: Georgiana Preston is alive, it's someone from her past who was murdered. Napoleon ended up half-dead on a river bank due to a fairy king trying to alive him open. Mary did some weird fucked up magic to heal him. Is he now like...weirdly sewn into the land? Maybe. Don't worry about it.

Wrack and Ruin (on AO3)

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T(ish) Summary A letter from Joseph Bonaparte relating to the oft' cited and mysterious Jersey Devil brings Napoleon and an always less-than-amused Wellesley to New Jersey. Published: 2017

Usual disclaimer that these are quite old and absolutely not up to snuff compared to my current writing (I cannot emphasize this enough). But if you're interested, feel free to dive in.

[nicoscheer]

"Baggio" is one of the flagship titles of the album. Why this reference to the Italian football player of the nineties?

He was the first person I loved

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It is true that when I feel oppressed I want to scream, sing, free myself...

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so I adopted their preferences... to get me adopted (he smiles). 🥺🥺

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You lived in Los Angeles between 2015 and 2019. Did you need to come back to England to find inspiration?

There is one of that. I had a lot of fun in L.A. I lived next to Alex Turner's house with whom I formed The Last Shadow Puppets. But after a while, my friends, my management my musicians I missed all this... even the rain (he laughs)! I felt lost. Not without laughing, I think I missed the special atmosphere and 'British pop' as I practice it and I needed to come back to London to recharge my batteries.

Alex Turner of the Artic Monkeys still lives there?

He is smarter: he is always between London and Los Angeles... (laughs)

And is something soon planned with him within The Last Shadow Puppets?

Not immediately, because I am very busy with the promotion of my new album and Alex by the Artic Monkeys world tour.

[cypher2]

2023 Women's World Cup records

In addition to breaking numerous worldwide social media and viewing records, the 2023 Women's World Cup set and broke a number of unique tournament records as well. The players and teams that participated in this WWC should all feel extremely proud for the history they have made. Their performances continue to show the world that these athletes are capable of so much more than they are ever fully recognized for.

First team from their nation to qualify for a men’s or women’s senior FIFA tournament: Vietnam WNT 8 nations had their debuts for first time appearing in a FIFA women’s World Cup: Haiti, Portugal, Zambia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, and Panama. Canadian midfielder Quinn starts for Canada and becomes the first non-binary athlete to play at a FIFA World Cup.

Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Marta (Brazil) become the 3rd and 4th players in history to appear in 6 World Cup competitions men or women, with Homare Sawa (Japan) and Onome Zeno (Nigeria) being the other two. The player with the record for most world cup appearances in history remains Brazil’s Formiga, the only player to compete in 7 world cups (men or women).

Kristine Lilly still holds the record for most WC appearances by men or women with 30 games played - a record set and held since 2007. Followed by Formiga with 27 as of 2019 and Lionel Messi with 26 as of 2022. Brazil’s Marta still holds the all time leading record for most goals scored across all World Cup competitions with 17 goals in 23 appearances across 6 tournaments.

Zambia’s Lushomo Mweemba scores the fastest goal of this year’s tournament in group stage at 2min 11 sec, also marking Zambia’s first ever world cup goal in their debut. The fastest goal in a FIFA Women’s World Cup has stood for over 30 years - it remains the goal scored by Lena Videkull of Sweden, who scored after just 30 seconds against Japan in the inaugural 1991 tournament. Zambia’s Barbra Banda scores the 1000th goal in WWC history. Nouhaila Benzina of Morocco becomes the first Women’s World Cup player to wear a hijab.

Ary Borges of Brazil scores a hat trick in her WWC debut and the first hat trick of the tournament. First Caribbean nation to reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Jamaica First Arab nation to qualify for a WWC and reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Morocco Of the eight debutants, Morocco was the only one to advance to the round of 16. Two teams reached the round of 16 having conceded no goals so far in the tournament- Japan and Jamaica.

First time four African nations have been represented at a WWC with three of them qualifying for the knock out stage at this years competition - South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria. 3 of the 4 African nations appearing in this year’s WWC all finished 2nd in their groups (Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria). The US suffered its earliest elimination in WWC history, getting knocked out in the round of 16. The U.S. has never finished below 3rd place in all previous editions of the competition. Sweden’s Zećira Mušović sets a new record for most saves in any WWC 2023 game with 11 saves vs the US in the round of 16.

First manager to lead two different nations to a World Cup final (Netherlands and England)- Sarina Wiegman First goalkeeper to take and convert a PK in a WWC penalty shootout - Alyssa Naeher

Golden ball (best overall player of the tournament) - Aitana Bonmatí Silver ball - Jenni Hermoso Bronze ball - Amanda Ilestedt Golden boot (most goals scored in the tournament) - Hinata Miyazawa (5 goals) Silver boot - Kadidiatou Diani Bronze boot - Alexandra Popp Golden glove (best goalkeeper of the tournament) - Mary Earps

FIFA young player award (best player of the tournament under 21 years old) - Salma Paralluelo FIFA fair play award (team with best record of fair play during the tournament) - Japan Best mascot of the tournament (unofficial) - Waru Longest penalty shootout in World Cup history (20 penalties taken) - Australia vs France quarter final

The 2023 competition was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, making it the first edition to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Women's World Cup to be hosted by two countries, and the first FIFA senior competition for either men or women to be held across two confederations (Asia and Oceanic).

First edition of the women’s tournament to feature an expansion to 32 teams and 64 matches, and largest women’s sporting event in history with 32 teams and 736 players. Only team to play all matches (group stage + knockout) undefeated with a 6-0-0 record - England All 4 previous winner nations (US, Germany, Norway, and Japan) were eliminated before the semifinal stage, marking the first time this has happened in the competition’s history.

For the first time in its 32 year and 9 tournament history, the WWC has a new champion (Spain) and new runner up (England) in 2023, with both nations never having made it to the final stage before. Only the 2nd nation in history to win both a men’s and women’s World Cup - Spain Top scoring country at the 2023 WWC - Spain with 18 goals First time a senior English football team has made it to a WC final in 6 decades - England WNT

First time advancing past quarterfinals in their WWC history and first host nation to advance to semifinals in 20 years - Australia placed 4th place for best in all 8 WWC competitions they’ve participated in and broke attendance records through all stages of the tournament, with an overall stadium attendance across all matches at 1.978 million. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold for the WWC, surpassing the entire tournament’s projected target in the first 5 days alone.

Two attendance records were broken for both host nations on day one of the WWC - largest crowd ever for a men’s or women’s football game in New Zealand (42,137) and largest crowd ever for a women’s football game in Australia (75,784).

Brazil's opening match v Panama was simulcast live on TV Globo and SporTV, delivering a combined audience of 13.9 million viewers - higher than any audience in the territory during the 2007, 2011, and 2015 WWC. China v England produced the highest audience for a single match, reaching 53.9 million viewers, becoming the highest in any global market so far. 17.15 million people tuned into the Australia v England semifinal cumulatively across Channel 7, Optus Sport, venues, and live-sites, comprising approx 64% of the entire Australian population - the biggest television event not just in any sport in the country, but in Australia’s television history.

The record for highest single match attendance still remains the 1999 WWC final between the US and China with 90,185 in attendance - a number that hasn’t been reached since the men’s tournament at the 1994 WC final between Italy and Brazil at 94,194.

The largest 2023 attendances were at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which saw four capacity-crowd fixtures, including Australia's opening win over Republic of Ireland and the final between Spain and England. The crowd of 75,784 was a record home audience for a women's football match in Australia and the third largest individual crowd attendance in Women's World Cup history. Over 50% of all matches had near sell out or at stadium capacity with a total of 1,977,824 fans in attendance at the 64 games in total, setting a new record for highest overall attendance in Women’s World Cup history across all 9 editions of the tournament. Highest grossing Women’s World Cup in history with a revenue of over half a billion dollars ($570 million), surpassing the projected revenue estimate by $100 million.

[little-cereal-draws]

In 1612, Humphrey Bone was hung for the federal offence of witchcraft. How did this happen? He doesn't quite know either.

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This was inspired by a role swap au drawing by @spacerangersam. Pat's a WW2 home guard, Kitty's a Victorian lady, the captain is a Regency poet, Fanny is a MP, and Humphrey was hung for being a witch. I'm reading a book rn that's made of a compilation of primary documents from witch trials in England and North America, 1582-1813, so Humphrey really caught my interest. (Basically, I just wanted to infodump abt everything that I've learned while also relating it to my other special interest rn lol)

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi lovely! I was wondering if you have any fics where Sherlock buys John gifts? Maybe a new coat or something adorable and thoughtful? Anything really! Gift giving is my love language so would love to see it with my favourite couple!

Hey Lovely!

AHH it's mine too! I love making people happy, so it hits right, hahah :)

Ah, ones I can immediately think of:

Sibling Rivalry Or Fighting Over John Watson By Jessa7 (T, 8,085 w., 1 Ch. || Romance / Humour) – Mycroft is just as much of a genius as Sherlock is. He keeps randomly kidnapping John for chats, and the locations get better. Cue Sherlock’s younger sibling complex rearing up and jealousy ensues.

The Devil You Know by PipMer (T, 9,300 w., 1 Ch. || Jealous Sherlock, Romance, Friends to Lovers)- Mycroft flirts with John. Sherlock gets jealous. John’s just along for the ride.

Licence to Kiss by fellshish (T, 13,739 w., 4 Ch. || Post-ASIB, Sort-Of Bondlock, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Angst and Humour, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock loves John, and John loves... James Bond. He only made Sherlock watch every single film. Tedious. And now John's birthday is coming up. Sherlock can't tell him how he feels, but he can organise an amazing gift: John's very own spy adventure. Sherlock begs Mycroft for a real case with some extra gadgets. And perhaps some actors pretending to be criminals. What could possibly go wrong?

Our Enthusiasms Which Cannot Always Be Explained by withoutawish (M, 32,961 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Case Fic, Mild Gore, Sherlock Whump) – The list that is tacked haphazardly on the refrigerator of 221B reads, ‘Kidney(s), and/or a full cadaver (preferably male, late 30s, under six feet tall), bag of fresh toes, sixteen cow’s eyes (corneas retained), dual exhaust hand –held flame thrower, an unopened first edition copy of Joseph Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness', and no less than ten abhorrently gruesome murders in the upcoming month.” The one neatly hanging next to it simply reads, “Sex.” One of these lists is not John Watson’s. If John Watson were to put what he really wanted in list form, to live in a land somewhere beyond ‘almosts' now that Sherlock Holmes has indeed returned to him, he would never be able to look his flatmate in the eye ever again.

The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w., 36 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Alternate Future AU || Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky Sherlock, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Oral Sex, Case Fic, Emotional Love Making, Bath Time Fun) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It's 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn't need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift.

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Ah, you can also probably check out these few lists that will obviously have gift giving:

Christmas Fics (Dec. 2017)

Christmas: Oblivious That One or The Other is In a Relationship

Christmas 2019 Part 1 (All Bookmarks XMas and New Years)

Christmas 2019 Part 2 (Marked for Later)

G / T / K+ Rated Christmas Fics (Dec. 2018) (Updated Dec 2021)

Community Recs: Christmas 2020 (Updated Dec 2021)

Birthdays

I know I'm missing a TONNE MORE, and I know I've read some and can't remember what they're called... so if anyone can add some more, please do, because I would love to add them here!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Bernard Lane

Published: May 9, 2024

The gist

England’s Cass review has revealed that the fast-growing gender clinic of an Australian children’s hospital does not screen new patients for autism.

In an international survey commissioned by the British paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, one of five unnamed Australian clinics reported that it does not screen for autism because it claims such screening is “not accurate in [the] trans population.”

Clues in survey responses suggest this is the gender clinic at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, which also has the quickest fast-track to puberty blockers for children as young as age 8-9.

Patient numbers there reportedly rose from 190 in 2017 to 922 in 2022. In 2019, the Queensland clinic had more than 200 minors on puberty blockers1. Also in 2019, a concerned member of the public asked the clinic how many girls with autism were on blockers and was told no such data was kept.

Two other Australian gender clinics in the Cass-commissioned survey—identifiable as those at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) and the Perth Children’s Hospital [PCH]—use the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) to screen for autism traits.

The results of this screening test do not amount to a formal diagnosis but can identify children for referral to an autism specialist for diagnosis. A 2019 study stated2 that the PCH gender clinic “does not have capacity and resources to formally diagnose [autism].”

Youth gender clinics in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule for screening, according to the Cass survey.

The over-representation of minors with (sometimes undiagnosed) autism in gender clinic caseloads internationally is a key concern in the debate3. One theory is that gender confusion may be a product of children with autism being immature and desperate to fit in, having rigid and concrete styles of thinking, and obsessional interests.

RCH in Melbourne has reported that 16 per cent of a patient sample had autism4. The prevalence of autism in the general population of Australian children is thought to be less than three per cent.

A psychologist whose daughter attended the Queensland gender clinic told GCN that in her experience “the psychological assessment was not thorough, and no history of trauma5 was taken.”

“If they are not digging deeper to carefully screen for trauma and neurodivergence and treating these issues, then they are applying very poor science,” she said.

Clinical psychologist Dr Vanessa Spiller pointed out that screening for autism was recommended by the first clinical guideline for co-occurring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria in adolescents.

“Diagnosing [gender dysphoria] can be complex in adolescents with ASD due to ASD-related weaknesses in communication, self-awareness, and executive function6,” the 2016 guideline by Strang et al says.

Dr Spiller told GCN that in her opinion, it would be negligent for a gender clinic not to take into account the effect of autism and its impairments on a minor’s capacity to make decisions and give informed consent to medical treatment.

Last month’s Cass report says England’s new regional services to replace the London-based Tavistock gender clinic should include autism specialists in their multidisciplinary teams, and standard assessment of new referrals should screen for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

A Cass-commissioned evaluation of international treatment guidelines includes the 2018 “Australian standards of care” document issued by RCH in Melbourne and used across Australia’s youth gender clinics.

The Cass researchers note that the RCH guideline is among the majority of guidelines in which the recommended domains for assessment do not include neurodiversity or autism7.

[ Video: US whistleblower Tamara Pietzke objected to seriously disturbed children, some with autism, being “affirmed” and given hormonal interventions ]

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The detail

Australia’s Health Minister Mark Butjler has played down the relevance of the Cass report, saying that “the clinical pathways are different in the UK from Australia.”

Last month, Western Australia’s Liberal leader Libby Mettam, who is in opposition, cited the influence of the Cass report when announcing a policy to prohibit puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and trans surgery under the age of 16, pending a comprehensive review.

“The need for urgent action is compounded by the rapidly growing number of children being diagnosed and treated for gender dysphoria in [Western Australia],” Ms Mettam said. “Our review will also inquire into why we are seeing this rise in diagnosis.

“There are currently more than 100 children and adolescents being treated at Perth Children’s Hospital with either puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, with the youngest aged 11.

“When experts are telling us the potential permanent side effects of these treatments can include infertility, sexual dysfunction, obesity, heart and liver disease, blood clots and atrophy of the genitals, we need to investigate.”

In line with England’s Cass report, Scotland and Wales have announced restrictions on puberty blockers.

In Canada, Alberta’s premier Danielle Smith said the Cass report vindicated her province’s plans to prohibit blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors aged 15 and under. She said she had spoken to Dr Cass to better understand her report.

“If we want to take a science-based approach, we’ve got to use the best information available,” Ms Smith told the National Post.

In the US, South Carolina has moved closer to becoming the 25th state to restrict medicalised gender change for minors.

Behind the mask

The Cass report cites research suggesting that those who identify as transgender or non-binary are three to six times more likely to be autistic than the general population.

“These findings are echoed by clinicians who report seeing teenage girls who have good cognitive ability and are articulate, but are struggling with gender identity, suicidal ideation and self-harm,” the report says.

“In some of these young people the common denominator is undiagnosed autism, which is often missed in adolescent girls.

“Despite often being highly articulate, intelligent and skilled in many areas, autistic young people have difficulties with social communication and peer relationships, which may make it difficult for them to feel accepted and ‘fit in’.”

In her book on the scandal at England’s Tavistock gender clinic, journalist Hannah Barnes recounts how some staff were “stunned” by the clinic’s poor data collection when this was revealed in court proceedings brought by detransitioner Keira Bell.

“[The clinic] could not even tell the High Court how many of the young people put on blockers were autistic,” Ms Barnes writes in Time to Think.

“Some staff feared that they could perhaps be unnecessarily medicating autistic children. Less than two per cent of children in the UK are thought to have an autism spectrum disorder. Yet, according to [the Tavistock], ‘around 35 per cent of referred young people present with moderate to severe autistic traits’.”

In 2020, the regulatory Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the clinic.

Ms Barnes writes: “In a sample of records of young people referred for puberty blockers, the CQC found that more than half referred to autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Yet, the regulator noted, [the Tavistock] generally did not record how many patients had a diagnosis or a suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. ‘Records did not demonstrate consideration of the relationship between autism spectrum disorder and gender dysphoria’ or that the needs of autistic patients had been ‘fully investigated’.”

“It wasn’t that anyone thought that it was not possible to be both autistic and trans, but clinicians openly questioned whether the over-representation of autistic young people [at the Tavistock] warranted pause for thought and a change in practice.”

[ Charts: Co-occurrence of gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorder, overall and by age group ]

[ The chart on the left shows that in 2015, almost seven per cent of those with gender dysphoria also had an autism diagnosis; this figure rose to almost 17 per cent in 2021. The shaded areas indicate 95 per cent confidence intervals. Source: Cass report ]

Under the waterline

The psychologist whose daughter was seen by the Queensland gender clinic told GCN that in her opinion the approach to assessment there “put the cart before the horse.”

“Gender dysphoria is similar to other psychological conditions disproportionately affecting teen girls and young women, in that we see obsessional rumination related to identity, appearance and the changing body,” she said.

“But it’s the tip of the iceberg. Underneath the presenting issues, we almost always find neurodivergence and/or trauma and/or anxiety disorders, and shame. [The Queensland gender clinicians] are, in my opinion, missing everything under the waterline.”

The psychologist, whose daughter in time re-embraced her birth sex, was sceptical about the clinic’s stated reason for not doing autism screening.

“What is about this so-called ‘adolescent trans population’ that means standard [autism] assessments used the world over with young people are not suitable for these young folk?”

Clinical psychologist Dr Spiller said the Queensland clinic might be correct in claiming that autism screening tools have no norms for trans-identified individuals.

“[But] if you took this argument to its logical conclusion, it would be impossible to assess or diagnose anyone who identifies as transgender with anything—a learning disorder, depression, anxiety, intellectual disability and so on, because there are ‘no norms’ for them,” she said.

“It is accepted practice to use the tools you have available and to use clinical judgment and observations until new tools are created, if necessary. 

“Ethically, it would be deemed a greater risk or harm to not diagnose someone, even with poor tools—it would stop kids from getting support in schools, early intervention, and [funding under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme]. That would be considered discriminatory.

“The underlying brain areas impacted by autism are universal and include deficits in adaptive functioning (social skills, self-care skills), executive functioning, communication and sensory issues—regardless of gender identity.”

“The [approach of the Dutch pioneers of paediatric gender transition] differs from the [Tavistock’s] approach in having stricter requirements about provision of psychological interventions. For example, under the Dutch approach, if young people have gender confusion, aversion towards their sexed body parts, psychiatric co-morbidities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) related diagnostic difficulties, they may receive psychological interventions only, or before, or in combination with medical intervention. Of note, in 2011, the Amsterdam team were reporting that up to 10 per cent of their referral base were young people with ASD.”—Dr Hilary Cass, interim report, February 2022

Gender change as a solution

In 2018 de-identified case notes, psychiatrist Dr Brian Ross from the Queensland gender clinic discusses the overlap between youth gender dysphoria and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

“Individuals with ASD have the same rights as other individuals to appropriate assessment and treatment of gender-related concerns,” Dr Ross says.

He cites several possible reasons for minors with autism identifying as trans or gender-diverse, including the wish “to find a community or tribe” or the belief it will be “safer to change gender” after sexual assault.

He suggests a girl with autism might identify as a boy because she thinks “boys are logical, girls are complicated and unkind in ways I don’t understand.”

And boys with autism might identify as a girl because they are “shy, submissive and introverted, don’t like dirt on their hands, [are] vulnerable and prefer intellectual pursuits.”

Dr Ross adds a warning that “these psychosocial explanations do not explain that for a socially disabled adolescent, the choice of another gender [at] variance to their biological assigned gender could in fact worsen underlying ASD factors.”

He describes three gender clinic patients with autism—

W, a nine-year-old female. Diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Wore boys’ clothes from age of four. “Solitary non-imaginary play with a preference to be a ‘dog’ where he would bark like a dog and seek affection by rubbing himself against others like a dog.” Could not fit in with peers. Mother thought her daughter might have identified as a boy because she lacked the more advanced language and social skills of her female peers.

Mother concerned that puberty blockers might deny her child the positive effects of her natural oestrogen and “disadvantage her child’s true gender journey.” Dr Ross reassured mother that the clinic had allowed W to enter early puberty to expose the child to oestrogen and the resulting intensification of gender dysphoria favoured the early use of puberty blockers. With natural sex hormones suppressed, W would have “a better ability to explore and experience his gender identity without the distress of his gender dysphoria.”

L, a 13-year-old female. Identifies as a boy. Father diagnosed with brain tumour when she was five months old. “Observed to not socially function in a socially appropriate [way] at school or in the family.” Few friends. “Acknowledges that he is becoming socially avoidant and experiences increasing anxiety in some social situations.” Special interest in the history of Prussia and American statesman Alexander Hamilton.

Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the gender clinic after speech therapist noticed language impairments. “Delay in detection of ASD may have arisen with the preoccupation with the father’s illness and death throughout this child’s development.” L describes four personas inside her head: “C, a gay man with HIV who is angry; R, an angel-like character who is protective of all the other personas; V1, a man who likes sex; and V, who is wanting a physical form, such as his own physical body, to express himself.” Dr Ross says L presents “as a socially odd ASD transgendered adolescent who discusses his issues in the psychodrama of his various personas” but is not psychotic or suffering from dissociative identity disorder (once known as multiple personality).

S, a 12-year-old male. Initial psychology screening suggested autism features. “Wanted to be a girl because they are kinder and seem to have and hold more friends than boys that he found rejected him after a period of time… [His] desire to be a girl arose from his need to have friends and be accepted in the context of his lifelong social skills deficits and impaired social functioning… [He] was unable to articulate any other benefits of his desire to be female [and] was not able to describe any revulsion of his male body.” Dr Ross concludes that S meets the diagnostic criteria for ASD level 1 (or Asperger’s syndrome) and does not have gender dysphoria.

GCN put questions to the office of Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Children’s Health Queensland.

==

Trans the autism away.

[callmewrinkles3]

Remember we said we have a lot of AUs for this story? One night only ask us your questions about them. The list is:

Em and Michael together in Perth before she leaves him and moves back to England in 2016

Em didn’t lose the baby in 2022 but she and Dan don’t get back together, and instead coparent

Em didn’t lose the baby in 2022 and she and Dan do get back together eventually after coparenting

They got married in Vegas in 2019

They got married over lockdown

Em gets pregnant during lockdown

Em gets pregnant during 2018

Em never went to Melbourne in 2022 and instead started leaving London but Dan makes it back before she leaves

They met when they were way younger

Michael tries to stop the wedding

Charlie lives in London and met Blake there

Michael telling Em he’s in love with her Christmas 2018

Michael and Em get together first and Em stays with him instead of Dan

Blake gets Em from Liverpool instead of Michael

Em leaving Australia during lockdown

The foursome AU where Dan, Em, Blake, and Charlie are basically a polycule raising their kids.

The above but they’re not all together but still raise their kids together.

[nardaviel]

WIP Game

Rules: Go to your current work in progress and share the following

The first line of the work.

The first line of your current chapter (or if it’s a one-shot, the first line of the tenth paragraph).

The last line you wrote.

A line for a chapter/part you haven’t written yet.

Tag at least 3 people whose work you wanna see, and if you make a separate post for it, please link back to the original.

I was tagged by @crazy-grrrl-on-the-computer! Thank you so much for giving me an excuse to talk about my apparently eternal WIP, Dreamless. I posted character aesthetics in my tag for the story back in 2019 when I started working on it, and I'm still not done T_T. Technically it's a Boueibu fic, I guess, because Ibushi is there as a six-year-old and Kinshirou is mentioned, but it's extremely OC-centric, Ibushi is (I hope) not unrecognizable but he is smol and extremely AU-ified, and it doesn't take place in the Boueibu universe. So I pretty much consider it an original work.

--

The first line of the work:

The sun was rising over Kennington, placing Ibushi's first day in England in the past where it belonged, when Sora, heading blearily back from the maisonette's bathroom to his couch, poked his head into the bedroom and found Ibushi drawing runes on the window.

The first line of the current chapter:

"I don't… know what the problem is. I'm sorry."

The way he said it, Rasim could have been apologising for personally spending their entire stash of money in one ill-fated shopping trip. Then again, perhaps that would have been less of a setback than not helping Sam learn to cast.

The last line you wrote:

A suspicion began to take shape, too new and nebulous for words. Sora exchanged a glance with Sam; Sam shrugged, at a loss. Fair enough. As his heartbeat stuttered with hope or with dread, Sora turned back to the newly-drawn containment circle and called fire.

A line for a chapter/part you haven't written yet:

(I write in such an incredibly linear way that I don't have any scraps of future scenes to put here LMAO so I had to write something on the spot. Here it is:)

Sora made a noise, and the dreamscape twisted. The lush ravine melted like wax and swirled into grey nothingness, weightless and all-encompassing like the inside of a cloud. Only Sora himself remained, his shocked eyes and his stiff posture, like he wanted to comfort Sam but didn't dare.

Half-blind, Sam seized his wrist. Bones shifted beneath his grip. Weird thing to happen in a dream, but this wasn't a normal-- this was--

"Put it back," he rasped.

--

Tagging @naometry, @spell-struck, @flowersforthemachines, @cyanide-e-pistachio, and anyone else who wants to do it o7 I've done these things many times before because I was covered by the "anyone else who wants to do it" clause.

[possibilistfanfiction]

for the footy au, consider: cp getting a yellow literally 1 minute into 2nd half against man city; th being subbed in in the olys sendoffs and scoring the bangerest of bangers after her injury and then cp lifting her up after the game; stanway pulling ths hair and cp scoring against england like 90 seconds later; the parallels are parallelling my dude

‘the ROAR from tobin heath’ an absolute classic after cps converted pk in the olys vs the netherlands

but how could we forget the most bea reaction of all time: tobin dropping to her KNEES in the 2019 wc semi vs england when cp scored on a header. to her K N E E S

[mirrorofliterature]

fic author interview

stealing this from @glorious-spoon because it looks fun - essentially a q&a for fanfic writers. tagging @elisedonut, @broomsticks, @felixantares, @certifiedbisexualdisaster and whoever else feels like doing it!

How many works do you have on AO3?

75.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

254,450 words.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Mostly my Percy stuff with my most popular shadowhunters work thrown into the mix.

a study of cracked gold (1662)

everything not black and blue (1311)

whispers got nothing on the truth (1058)

why do i care at all (495)

falling from dusk into dawn (408)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Ideally, I would love to respond to comments, but practically I don't because they pile up, I get busy and stressed. It's often a choice between replying and writing - I normally chose writing. But I do read and appreciate all my (non-rude) comments.

5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

the storm howls, and everything turns to ashes is absolutely brutal malec MCD I wrote for Shadowhunters Ficlet Instruments in 2019.

On par with this is:

Imelda finding her husband's dead body: if i fall

Magnus forgetting Alec: i miss all the times we had

All the Blacks dying: dreaming of a happy ending

Writing stories with tragic endings is fun!

6. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

A lot of my fics sit in the grey area of happy endings but not like, butterflies and rainbow. It's hard to say.

If pushed, I would say i just want to be wanted. It's a relatively light pining get-together malec fic at ~3.7k that ends with them getting together. I say it's my happiest because it has a clean, tidy resolution, without lingering existential angst.

7. Do you write a cross-overs?

I have written cross-overs. I have day-dreamt about cross-overs. I have not yet published any.

Mishmashing different fandoms is really fun. The Old Guard x Shadowhunters fic with Magnus running into the immortals in 17th century England and saving Quynh with his magical skills... I love the idea. Be great to write at someday.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not outright death-threats or the like, but I've had weird, entitled comments.

The most akin to a hate comment was someone disliking my fic because I made a disparaging comment about 1984 in it. That was weird.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. Just not my thing.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

12. Have you co-written a fic before?

Also no.

13. What's your all time favourite ship?

I do not have one, overall. The perils of having multiple fandoms.

14. What's a WIP that you want to finish but think you never will?

My malec wwii AU. It's 42k and contains some really good writining, but it would take so much effort to make it publishable.

Also, that is the angstiest ending I've ever written. I wrote a lot just for that ending.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I am very good at generating ideas and writing introspection, particularly of the existential nature. This helps a lot when writing character studies!

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. And long plotty stuff. Fuck dialogue, it always feels so... stilted and awkward.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

If it is small phrases like si, senora, ciao, that's fine. I write a little Spanish in my Coco fic, following the style of the movie. But I'm not going to go into full blown sentences - the characters in my Coco fics are definitely speaking Spanish, but my grasp of Spanish is not good enough + it's generally confusing for most readers.

18. What's the first fandom you wrote for?

Published? Harry Potter in 2017, buried at the back of my AO3 page. Written? Total Drama. It exists, somewhere.

19. What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

The Old Guard! Feels like a fun sandbox to explore and I think the fandom is cool (all the drama had boiled off before I watched the movie last year).

20. What's your favourite fic that you've written?

falling from dusk into dawn because it's my longest published fic, it was a labour of love, and I'm really proud of its construction.

[sakiye]

i have standards to which international cricket teams i support (none of them when they go against india ofc). for example,

NZ - i like them, cute, i want them to win a tournament soon but also no bc 2019 made me cry

AUS - makes me want to kms every five seconds when they go against india but they're so good u have to respect them (also im kinda obsessed with pat cummins so take of that what you will) but also travis head jfc

WI - so cool. so many legends so cool im so excited for their comeback

PAK - the pakistan/india rivalry is bs we're all desi at the end of the day but i want to go to a pak. vs. ind match just for the vibes bc u know the fans will go all out (india better win)

SL - they're cool, i like malinga, also lowkey i want to see sl and ban. go again. just to see what would happen

BAN - same as above, they're cool

SA - Also sooo good i have to respect them but still no

AFG - so cute i support them always (non india games ofc)

NED - cuties im excited to see them grow

USA - very curious to see cricket's rise in the us but also i need to look at the players more bc if i was on the us team i would be supporting india no matter what im curious to see the idols of these players

CAN - same as USA let's be fr i don't really know either team

IRE - whatever happens here england loses so i win either way, excited

ENG - you will never ever get me to support them. hate them on principle may they be last in every icc tournament

[demonicpiano]

WIP that List

Finally getting around to being tagged courtesy of @coralcatsea and @fireandiceland for the WIP Game List. Feel free to be peek. This could double as a way to get my word-spew organized. Yes, feel free to talk to me/share ideas about any of these.

Assume it's all USUKUS unless stated otherwise. :]

-

Free Use AU - Humanverse. Circles around a romantically-based found family trope of the Allies and blanket consent + free use kinks onto Alfred, who is a happy, spoiled pet sub. Currently uploading to AO3 with originally 6 fics planned, but I just recently wrote 2 more. The ideas keep coming.

Tsunyotalia piece - Tsunotalia + Nyotalia. NSFW. After writing Love at First Headbutt I just had a craving for more. May or may not already be written. Just deciding whether to keep it the way it is or stretch it out a little.

TOURNAMENT - Cardverse. One of those pieces that have the Kingdom of Spades competing to be the Queen, as well as winning King Alfred's hand. Fully outlined, writing in progress, but on hold for other projects.

Blindfold - Cardverse. AU of an AU. Idea came to me when I was writing Only a Matter of Time (and Waiting). Since the King of Spades has extremely powerful but cursed time magic in their eyes, they must wear a blindfold. Arthur is a woodworker who has been hired to go to the palace and remodel the King's bedchambers, where they meet and (vague gesturing). Particularly excited to work on it, fully outlined and working on this one right now.

Pirate Cardverse series - Cardverse. PIRATES. Pirate Queen for the Throne of Spades, yes! The series is almost already done. There's definitely one more fic to write, one for nyo!America/nyo!England since I did the other combinations for USUKUS. Not written yet, but planned. I'll have to perish before I don't write it.

✨Might squeeze out another Arthur/Amelia fic, something small and smutty as an epilogue to 'cap' the series.

Vampire Cardverse series - Cardverse. And vampires. Vampire Cardverse. This bastard. This has been in my brain since 2019, and I have so little to show for it. I had a whole giant story/backstories/series to go with it. Rumors are rising in the Kingdom of Spades of vampires, anything to explain inexplicable homicides. Is it really the vampires, or something trying to pin the blame upon the vampires? I got past 20 chapters/100,000 words and I lost the progress I made by doing some stupid overriding save mistake. I still have the outline but have hardly touched it since. Still mourning over it.

ABO Cardverse - ...Cardverse again. Probably typical but too bad—Alfred is an omega but gets the mark/power of the King of Spades. Omega King Alfred, yessir. Outlined, but not yet written.

Skyrim AU - It's Skyrim AU with Canada as the Last Dragonborn. One of the ones with no USUKUS as main focus. Two fics already written, taking place after the main events of the game, but when I continue this series, I plan to go back to the beginning to explore how it all started. Planned, not outlined, not yet written.

Spider-Man AU - SPOOOODER-MAN YES it's all just vibes right now, vibes, vibes, vibes. I have no idea what's gonna happen, no idea where it's going to go BUT ALFRED AND ARTHUR ARE SPIDER-PEOPLE AHHHHHH THWIP THWIP WEB SLINGING KA-POW, KA-POW! Not planned, not outlined, not yet written.

Two RusCan furry fauna bear things - 1) In the city, Matthew works for a sanctuary helping monsters make their way into society and/or out of abusive situations and other harmful situations. One of the people he helps is Ivan, a polar bear guy who is absolutely shut about his past.

2) Matthew is a fisherman who is told not to go through the woods on the outskirts of the village, but circumstances cause him to have to find a new spot, so he risks it and heads through the woods and learns the exact cause of the warnings. Both not outlined, half written.

Everything else is just ideas so far:

-Next part of monsterfucker series, probably going to be a plant-monster/dryad

-Cardverse RUKUS threesome fic

-Nordic 5 Christmas fic that's been in my head for 4 years but haven't gotten to it yet

-Mermaid/Naga USUKUS

---------

Want to play the tag game? Start talking. 🔫 Yeah, @ you. This is your chance to yap about your WIPs, artist, writer, or otherwise!

[acrossthewavesoftime]

I was tagged by @cparti-mkiki to share a few albums close to my heart (I am not sure if it has to be four exactly which is why I included six) so here they are, in no particular order, and with a brief personal note/sales pitch:

La traverse miraculeuse (Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer & La Nef, 2008): with my profile picture, some naval-flavoured music was to be expected, right? Particular favourites include their bilingual take on the song Le combat de la Danaé, a French ship captured when outnumbered three to one by the Royal Navy in 1759 which proceded to serve as HMS Danae until 1771, and the classic Dans les prisons de Nantes.

Dark Cloud. Es geht ein dunkle Wolk herein. Lieder aus der Zeit des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1618-1648) (The Playfords, 2019): What it says on the tin. Songs of the Thirty Years' War, sometimes arranged traditionally, sometimes with a playfully modern twist. I am particularly fond of Es ist ein Schnitter heißt der Tod (There Is a Reaper Called Death), and Mit Lust von wenig Tagen (With the Delight of but Few Days) which you'll find, was a 'cover' of an extant song about some chap called William who really liked the colour orange and didn't talk very much apparently, has no business whatsoever being so catchy.

The Mad Lover - Sonatas, Suites, Fantasias & various Bizzarie from 17th-Century England (Théotime Langlois de Swarte & Thomas Dunford, 2020): I got a ticket to see them perform live with music from the album this summer, not really knowing anything besides that a) the tickets were criminally cheap and b) they would play baroque music from England in a historical palace. Not only can these men play their instruments, and play them well, but their genuine interactions with the audience and excitedly explaining their craft and thoughts on the pieces added to the enchanting music. By the third encore, everyone was singing along to Langlois playing Yesterday by the Beatles on his 360-year-old violin. I have to say, never felt an evening more authentically baroque to me. I highly recommend listening to the entire album in order (and of course seeing Langlois and Dunford perform live, if you can), but in case you want a brief taste, take Nicola Matteis Jr: Fantasia in A Minor.

Plain and Simple (The Dubliners, 1973). I grew up listenting to this album and don't recall a time when I didn't know who the Dubliners were (which may have had to do with the place I lived in at the time) and it doubtlessly impacted my interest in the Irish struggle for independence on account of several of the songs on it. An absolute gem is the uniquely-arranged The Jail of Cluain Meala, an 1820s song about an incarcerated Whiteboy (a secret late 18th century organisation whose aim was to protect the rights of tenant farmers, and whose name derived from the white clothing donned for their night-time raids) sung by the great Luke Kelly and accompanied by a harpsichord.

Dearest Enemy. An American Musical Comedy (Orchestra of Ireland et. al., recorded 2013): Because this is Tumblr, here's my favourite musical. First performed on Broadway in 1925, it's as cheesy an enemies-to-lovers why-is-he-so-hot-when-I-actually-hate-him story as one could imagine, but loosely based on historical events and with many a little historical squint-or-you'll-miss-it Easter egg to spice up the, following a rocky start, rather touchingly narrated love story of Betsy and Sir John that does not ignore their starkly contrasting political views. I would love to see a stage adaption- the mix of tunes still reminiscent of the operetta tradition of the 19th century often steeped in 1920s jazz and the 1770s setting would have so much potential. Favourites include Here in My Arms and Full Blown Roses. (And yes, that's John André with a lipstick mark on his cheek on the cover...)

L'Essentiel 1977-2007 (Francis Cabrel, 2007): Brings back all the memories of childhood summers for me. There was Francis Cabrel on in the car travelling to France on golden, endless summer holidays, with La Cabane du Pêcheur and Hors-saison having stuck with me in particular.

I'll tag @benjhawkins, @fleur-de-paris, @defensivelee, @vankeppel, @nordleuchten, @anarchist-mariner, @clove-pinks and @chiropteracupola (no pressure if you don't want to participate, consider it an invitation!) and anyone who would like to join!