This is from a local carnival (photo by Jack Greenwood). It amazes me how every year our small towns produce these incredible stages that would not look out of place on the West End.

Saw this while I was out:

I instructed Austin not to eat the last quarter of the danish pastry while I was out, because it was MINE and I was saving it for later. Came home to this.

Rwooarghh!

In their reading? Or in general? Either way, I thoroughly approve.

Out and about

I’ve been in the big city for two whole days and I cannot wait to be home. I’m a country mouse, no question. Who was I ever even kidding.

I took 51 pictures of Rosa today. I mean HOW COULD I NOT. Just look at her.

If anyone has the faintest idea what the symbol in the rhs is I’d be pleased to know.

Went to a Samhain ceremony this morning and then swept berries from an ancient yew tree off the churchyard path in prep for tomorrow’s service (which I won’t attend). Village life.

The perfect Jake Thackray song to set you up for the day. #Halloween youtu.be/Z3T8lgRe6FQ?...

For Halloween tomorrow I’ll be going as a version of me that didn’t quit my job and has had 8 more months of my soul being ground into powder.

For the #childrenofthehum This morning on the border of #Hookland. Sound up.

The heating engineer has been. The radiators have been tickled, or something. I am MELTING.

Spotted in the wild yesterday. And when I say in the wild I mean outside the King Arthur in Glastonbury.

You get an extra hour’s reading time tomorrow. Use it wisely

This is the winter dragon, who was victorious.

Dragon procession in Glastonbury this afternoon. Summer has been defeated - for this year.

I’m going to London today BY TRAIN. I feel like a millionaire. Haven’t done this in a LONG time.

You walk into the bookshop. It's raining outside but there's a woodburner & free cups of good coffee here. You browse the shelves. In the super-cheap section there are two crime classics you've had on your list for a while. You pick them up. The sofa is available & there's even a book shop dog.

Rosa hasn’t seen this many apples in the river before.

Today's the 959th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, so obviously I'm reposting my scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry in Playmobil.

Dreamt last night that I finally got to kiss someone I'd pined after for half of my 30s. And? Terrible kisser. 1/10 total disappointment.

It has to be learned somewhere

This too has passed.

Hosted a writers’ retreat at my work space yesterday - what a lovely day it was. Thinking of doing more if there is interest…hmm!

If anyone is thinking of going along, do - Jackie’s studio is a treat of a place and her work is beautiful.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... I have just enjoyed this lovely piece on JL Carr, whilst walking through some sunny fields. Glorious.

Just come home to these from my neighbour. Luckily they are eaters. If they were cookers, the apple wars would have to begin.

Just been to an open artist studio where the discussion was of Harrison’s clocks, Caroline Herschel, zoetropes, eclipses and how management can stifle teaching and reader I’m hoping they’ll adopt me.

Quince harvest - and this is only half of them!

Brown hare backlit by early morning sun anxiously watching signatures on the petition heading for 30,000. I'm sure you've signed the petition to protect hares from shooting in the breeding season, but any more family and friends to sign? petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72... #UKwildlife #mammals

I’ve just scraped up enough squashed crab apples from the lane to fill up two recycling boxes.

“But I only stole a handkerchief, I can’t believe I’ll never see England again”

@davidallengreen.bsky.social Would you be able to write a short list of things which could be done to harden our democracy against takeover by a strongman party? Because I think that would be a very good thing to have right now.

Oh shit, you can borrow a theremin from the library

I've had a day of rabbit hole research and have popped up out of the other side with a addled brain full of additional info and no idea what I went in there for.

Roasting quince tonight, as our tree has, as it were, gone bananas (we have about 40 to get through).

The internet can be a dark place but it can also be a wonderful one. A scholar I do not know and have never met has just shared some information with me, a whole digitised scrapbook of ephemera about my biographical subject with me that I did not know existed. I'm so grateful. Thank you Herr Walter.

I have finally worked out the 'why' for the book I'm researching /writing and am feeling extremely pleased with myself. I'll probably read my notes back tomorrow and wince, but I'll enjoy this feeling for the afternoon.

Hours and hours in the digital archives today, I've got nowhere but I do have a new crick in my neck and have accidentally ordered several more books.

So much thunder right now that I really ought to be making potions in a cauldron.

Show about a cat solving crime in cottage gardens near hadrian’s wall; call it claws and borders

@greenleejw.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

@greenleejw.bsky.social have you heard about these people? www.somerseteelrecoveryproject.co.uk Sounds like you should know about them, if you don't - and that they may need your knowledge....

“Just pop the beading off” said the man in the glass shop. 1 hour, plentiful glass shards and much swearing later I have learned I was right never to trust someone who uses the word “pop.”

Well we’ve had both a hornet and a bat in the house tonight. What’s next, I wonder?

I'm currently reading obituaries of the same man published in 1924 and am at the 'no that's not right' level of nerd, which is another way of saying I'm getting to know the guy.