Loving my new badge from @dyeworksprint.bsky.social

Enjoying this woman's hair the other evening. #minutiae

Taking photographs of my unscathed tummy to remember it by. I hope you’re having an equally productive morning.

I'm as cruel as a cucumber.

Telling myself the reason the library will run so smoothly in my absence is because a) I have built an incredible team and b) I have put excellent organisational processes in place. NOT because I am surplus to requirements.

This bit here is Scunthorpe Central Library. Used to be a gorgeous midcentury building until it was BUTCHERED. I’ll show you some more pics another day, if you’re good.

41 years ago this week, December 1984, if you were rushing out to buy the latest Smash Hits you'd have found Strawberry Switchblade on their first ever national magazine cover.

If you’re looking for proof that magical places still exist, I ask you to simply walk into your local library.

Notice the silly moo in the front of picture. Don't like her colour scheme much. (Don't like her much either.)

Dreamt I tried to buy some merch from a cool new band and they wouldn’t sell it to me as they didn’t want the association. WOW, psyche, THANKS.

Too many. And all the usual suspects. “I love you. I’m glad I exist.” “nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands” “I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. (I think I made you up inside my head.)”

I am quoting with my model of masculinity

As for Fretful Porpentine (who did NOT die) she went on to make legends and folk songs were sung about her.

One of those days when the light fades too soon and somehow I don’t leave the room. Stayed in with Nick instead. youtu.be/KaWLZVR8HQ8

Look what my eldest sister has made for her first grandchild (who’s two now) and her second grandchild, born last week. She’s setting the bar TOO HIGH for grandparenting in this family. (Fortunately, as a Great-Aunt, I just need to be eccentric.)

In S17 of #Taskmaster, Nick Mohammed dressed as a vampire for his tasks. The production scrubbed all his reflections when he's dressed like this, but the only way I knew is because someone told me about it. It's subtle and very cool.

Me and Barthes 🤝

If I die on the operating table next week, please make up loads of good lies about how cool/funny/clever/kind I was, and SPREAD THEM. I want folk songs and legends.

The Actual Queen

That was when it was sad, when you lay awake at night and remembered things.

I have spent several days making instruction manuals on how to do my job, with pictures and diagrams and lists and encouraging words. I am exhausted. (Luckily, I now have 2-3 months off to recover/climb the walls.)

Watching the first part of Neil Jordan's film of The End of the Affair this morning and was reminded that Greene kept not only a secret diary, but TWO secret diaries. One was a bluff, so that his wife would feel she'd discovered his secret diary. The other secret diary was the real one.

Planted some Paperwhites indoors about a month ago when I was thinking about planting bulbs being a hopeful thing. And here they are

To: Tracy BIG ITEMS

The FIFA Peace Prize sounds like a throwaway 30 Rock joke about an event Jack Donaghy was attending or Jenna Maroney was performing at.

Occasionally, I read something and fall deeply in love, all over again, with the German language. Today's unbearably cute discovery is the colloquialism for toddler: "dreikäsehoch". Literally, "three-cheeses tall".

Oof. Came across this tonight. No one has ever asked me to do a list of my top ten favourite books, but if I did, this would be in it. "There's a great awful bird in the fridge!"

My latest display is going great guns. A victory for emotional manipulation.

I do not write much but there is not a day goes by that I do not think of you.

It's nearly the time of year when many people reread Susan Cooper's magical fantasy book "The Dark is Rising". Just a reminder that there's still a wonderful British Library chat/panel with her from October 2023 free to watch celebrating 50 years of the book. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfsK... #Booksky

No, I did not mean ‘ivory cutlery tape’ kindly feck off

blessed are the 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘬, for they shall in-𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘵 the earth :)

Ugh, I’m just a chortling idiot.

Just another bus stop. Seaburn. 📷 #photography

My Christmas tree has arrived! It’s not allowed to come inside yet. In fact, it is arguably too big for the house. Maybe it should stay where it is.

A small girl with a dark bob came BOWLING through the doors today and threw herself across the counter to show me her Chupa Chup. I admired her leopard print fake fur coat and she flung it aside to reveal a tiered magenta tulle skirt.

It is absolutely unbelievable how easy it is to miss the signs or dismiss them as something else. (IF MEN GOT OVARIAN CANCER THERE’D BE A ROUTINE TEST BY NOW, I grumbled the other day, probably unfairly.)

I’m gonna keep sharing these ovarian cancer symptoms whenever I see them. I will add - from personal experience - diarrhoea and fatigue. Get it checked! Remember, there’s no routine screening for ovarian cancer.

Spirit of Christmas past #5 The 1960s. This stylised scene of pastoral charm was painted by Gaynor Chapman for the 24 December 1966 issue. It was her second successive festive cover for @radiotimes.bsky.social #ChristmasRadioTimes

Going to do a Paula Yates and write on myself before surgery but instead of PLEASE MAKE THEM PERFECT it’ll be PLEASE DON’T KILL ME

A phone call today asking if we sell book tokens. No, madam. We don’t sell books.

Listening to Last Christmas because it is an all-time banger and George didn't die on Christmas Day for you to disrespect his memory by participating in Whamageddon

Sunday evening/Monday morning appropriate Jill McDonald Puffin Post illustration

If you are at all concerned about your blood pressure, look away now.

I like my men like I like my cheese slices

At my pre-op appointment, I am reminded my blood type is A+, the best grade there is, top of the class.

On a different note, but no less incongruous, here's my favourite entry from The RSPB book Birds of Britain and Europe. The Dunnock which apparently feeds on grated cheese under shrubberies

So here's a thing. I help run my local food bank, and we're doing this: 12 Days of Christmas Giving. It's the busiest time of year for us and we have to build up our stocks right through December. I know you're not in N4, but all food banks are in the same boat, so if you can help please do! 🙏🎄

Nine years ago Mike Fitzgerald wrote up an extraordinarily fascinating breakdown of the differences between the Tom Stoppard shooting script and the original Jeffrey Boam draft of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. It's well worth your time: www.creativescreenwriting.com/indiana-jone...