Charlie Pryor

@PutneyTownReg Thank you for the regatta and I'm sorry to hear it's all over

Putney Town Regatta Closes. On what would have been the traditional weekend that Putney Town Regatta would have been held - it is with great sadness we have to announce our closure, ending an event that was established in 1911.

@ShaunPinnerUA No modern wars are won purely on the battlefield. In fact, the battlefield is only the sharp end of it. It's necessary but not sufficient on its own, which is not to diminish the warriors' role. But it always comes down to money in the end, via logistics and public opinion

People keep asking me where I see this war going and it’s probably easier to put it like this: Do you remember in 2022, when striking deep inside Russia was considered a red line? Back then, Putin’s “three-day” invasion wasn’t just built on catastrophic intelligence failures, but also on fear. Ukraine was actively discussing the encirclement of Donetsk and pushing Russian forces out once and for all. Fast forward to 2026: Russia has annexed more territory than it can realistically hold, sustained over 1.3 million casualties, and failed to achieve its original objectives. Ukraine, meanwhile, has levelled the playing field. Russia no longer dictates the tempo of the battlefield, and strikes inside Russian territory are no longer the exception, they’re becoming routine. This war, in my view, won’t be decided purely on the battlefield. It will break one way or another economically or politically. Putin has already failed, he just doesn’t know it yet.

@ivanfamil My grandfather was a submarine captain in 2WW. He used to wear goggles with red lenses at night to protect his night vision. He said it made all food look, and therefore taste, like stewed tomatoes

¿Por qué el interior de los submarinos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial se iluminaba de rojo por las noches? No era para ocultarse del enemigo, sino para engañar a los ojos de sus propios capitanes. Era una cuestión de pura supervivencia y biología visual. Tira del hilo 🧵👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

@CormacS63 That UK-Aus deal was particularly bad for UK farmers

Surprise, sur-feckin-prise! EU with the most lethal trade negotiators on the planet representing a market of 450 million people; Gets a better deal than: UK where 70 million of us are represented by proven clowns & second rate negotiators. Brexit, the gift that keeps taking!

@grok @DefyTL @josrz @defense_civil25 Five deaths and 18 injuries. That's terrible. Of course it is. But in a population of 750 million, it's not the biggest problem. According to Wikipedia, there were 57 mass shootings in the US in Jan and Feb, with 74 dead and 190 injured

Yes, Europe faces a pressing problem with Islamic extremism. Europol's 2025 TE-SAT report (2024 data) records 24 jihadist attacks—up from 14 in 2023—including 6 completed ones causing 5 deaths and 18 injuries. 289 arrests for jihadist offenses. Most by lone actors, with rising youth radicalization online. National data from Sweden and Denmark show non-Western immigrants (often Muslim-majority origins) overrepresented in violent crime and suspects. Pew surveys indicate widespread public concern. The vast majority of Muslims are not involved, but integration failures in some communities sustain the issue.

Every member of NATO refused the call to help the United States to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. All of Them!!

@theoldworldshow One of my cousins has put together the letters between him and his mother, and between his mother and his batman after his death. It's heartbreaking on a individual level, and that the same story was repeated so, so many times

@CharlieSPryor So sad. Such a sacrifice At least your family remembers the story of his life and bravery

20% of Old Etonians, the men expected to govern Britain and trained from birth to do so, died in the war The best men of every class perished in Flanders, as it was they who rallied to the colors immediately and were chewed up for years The Great War was probably the most dysgenic conflict in history, as the weak or cowardly remained behind the lines as the strong and brave perished on a titanic scale It is such a tragedy

@IsthatyouMick @Halcruttenden My grandfather's submarine was hit by an American armed merchantman. He survived, though others didn't and he never walked properly again. He did, however, put it down to a genuine error

@Halcruttenden Were a number of British casualties down to American ‘friendly fire’?

Every time an American tells you that they saved us during WW2, remind yourself of how many British and European people would have survived the war (including many of our relatives) if they’d joined two years earlier.

This is from the penultimate page of Iron and Blood by Peter Wilson, covering 500 years of German-speaking military history. He’s talking about the two world wars. But the lessons of history run deep

@ReassessHistory Peter Wilson's 'Iron and Blood' is the book to read

this book is complete & utter bollocks

@leoschulz @DeptfordWife1 @sib313 @mishtal I think there's a difference between German-speaking people and what we now see as modern Germany, with its roots in Prussia and then the 1871 settlement. At that point, Bohemia was part of Austro-Hungary. Yes, German speaking but no, not Germany

Really ... ? They weren't in the Holy Roman Empire? Were the Hapsburgs not Kings of Bohemia? Freud, Kafka etc, what language do they write in? If Bohemia wasn't part of Germany (as it was conceived prior to Bismarck's Second Empire), what was it part of? I'm genuinely interested as my family are from that part of the world.

Britain was not attacked in 1939. Nor was it under immediate threat. So according to the “international law” experts on this platform, starting a war with Nazi Germany was illegal. But in reality, Britain's real mistake? Years of appeasement Not starting the war sooner.

@Jacksial @stats_feed The US system might have the Constitution at its heart but legal precedent plays a huge role. The emphasis here in the UK is more on precedent and interpretation of convention, rather than interpretation of a single document. So not a huge difference, really

@stats_feed Amazing how United Kingdom functions without a single written constitution. Do you think this system is more flexible than written constitutions?

Countries without a single written constitutional document: 1．United Kingdom 🇬🇧

@david_biddulph @LondonPortAuth Totally get that!

@CharlieSPryor @LondonPortAuth Apologies; it was the red flag number that I had in my mind. I need to wake up!

PLA Ebb Tide Flag Warning has been updated & is set to YELLOW - Caution - Strong Fluvial Flows. mobile.pla.co.uk

@david_biddulph @LondonPortAuth Just over the mark

@LondonPortAuth Surprising, given the levels at Richmond for the last low water?

@stuey_beef My grandfather commanded submarines in 2WW. He was never at all flattering about the dockyard workers. Nothing changes

So let me get this straight. A Royal Navy destroyer needed urgently in the Mediterranean… …is delayed because the dockyard only works nine-to-five. Not 24/7. Not through the night. Nine-to-five. In an age of drone wars and missile strikes. Is this really the state of Britain’s defence readiness now?

@jcartlidgemp James - my father liked you and you’ve been kind to my mother. But you’re delusional if you think this is solely Labour’s responsibility: it’s the result of the long-term degradation of defence spending by all governments

There’s a direct link between the lack of Royal Navy war ships in the Middle East / Eastern Mediterranean and Labour’s failure to set a clear path to 3% this Parliament👇

@____Foxtrot____ Why is Neville Chamberlain always wheeled out when a political leader does something perceived as weak? He bought the country a precious year to prepare for war

@rangersmil62 @____Foxtrot____ Chamberlain was all those things but not a WW1 veteran. He was 45 in 1914 and, for a lot of the War, was Mayor of Birmingham

@____Foxtrot____ No he’s not, Chamberlain was a ww1 veteran and a patriot, i wish people would stop comparing him to that snivelling coward Starmer. He was trying to stop a war, while insuring the RAF, the Royal Navy and the Army were rebuilding.

Al Khamenei was 86. There must have been some succession planning. And all the organs of state must be heavily invested in continuing the regime, whatever that takes, just like in December and all the other rebellions. Or will this time be different?

@DrHelenFry Peter Wilson’s military history of the German-speaking people. It starts around 1500 and includes the 2WW

What book on the Second World War are you currently reading?