1 January 1926 | A Polish Jew, Leon Weintraub, was born in Łódź. In #Auschwitz from August 1944. He was transferred to Groß-Rosen, Flossenbürg & Natzweiler-Struthof. He was liberated on 23 April 1945 near Donaueschingen. He became a doctor. Today he turns 100. Happy birthday!

Finishing 2025 with a sunny afternoon of church-crawling in Herefordshire 1: St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley 2: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Madley 3 & 4: St Michael and All Angels, Eaton Bishop #CofE

2025 has been quite a tough year for me, with lots to process (including some big changes) whilst navigating exhausting chronic health issues. That said, there have been some moments of real joy in the midst of it all - sharing a few of those here. Wishing everyone a hopeful and happy 2026. 🎆❤️

Shout-out to past Hannah for buying fancy Christmas chutney then promptly forgetting all about it. Finding this in the cupboard a couple of days ago was a nice little surprise. 😋

Trees in the orchard support abundant mistletoe. The National Trust decided to accept lower fruit yields, allowing mistletoe to proliferate - winter food for birds + a larval food plant for several moth + insect species. 2/5

Wonderfully Christmassy visit to @gloucestercathedral.org.uk this afternoon #CofE

#Sudan: Following multiple reports of imminent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Dar Zaghawa region of North Darfur, MSF was forced to cease activities, evacuate our teams and withdraw from Umbaru, Kornoy and Tina on Dec. 24.

British citizens and UK-based folks: please consider signing and sharing this petition: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/75... #RefugeesWelcome

Spending ten months last year as the sole white person in an otherwise South Asian household (live-in Indian landlords and a Pakistani housemate) really whet my appetite for homemade curry, so I'm excited about today's book delivery. Looking forward to trying out some of these recipes in 2026!

The altar of the Sword's point, the place where Archbishop Thomas Becket was slain on the 29th December 1170 in Canterbury Cathedral. Many of the miracles associated with his death occurred in the following days and some are commemorated in the Miracle Windows that may be found in the Cathedral.

So grateful to have fab letting agents who respond quickly to issues - particularly boiler issues! #TinyJoys

I love how many different names there are for this weird liminal period between Christmas Day (or Boxing Day) and New Year's Day: Twixtmas, Winterregnum, Zwischen den Jahren, the Daft Days, Chrimbo Limbo, Romjul... (Admittedly some of these spill over into early January, but still.)

Last year, I posted about the consecration of Westminster Abbey, which is now 960 years ago.

Berries and birb (I think an egret?) from our Boxing Day bank holiday family walk

Finally finished my silly little library.

Zimtsterne in progress... #baking

Boxing Day 📍 St Mary's Church, Ross-on-Wye #CofE

World on tree stump #Dartmoor #Devon #nature

My Christmas cake decoration this year is a scale model of York Minster fashioned from marzipan surrounded by 12 edible choristers

This is one of the nicest news stories I've read in a long time. Among all the depressing news it's good to be reminded just how many truly good people there are in every community and all.around us www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Gosh, I love Bluesky sometimes! Thank you, @astrokirsten.bsky.social and @tazwalker.bsky.social.

And tonight's topic of family discussion is apparently... "What happens if you put a black hole inside a washing machine?" 🤔

The story of #Christmas doesn't offer shallow comfort. It offers hope amidst the shit. It's about a refugee baby and unconventional family, who outwitted a brutal empire trying to kill them. It is good news for people who are hurt or lonely, as well as those who are celebrating.

“And the Word became flesh, and lived among us” (Merry Christmas, one and all)

I’ve collated a list of UK and Irish mental health support and domestic violence support lines open over the festive period, 24hrs a day. Do share - you may never know who needed to see it.

Israel approved a proposal last Sunday for new Jewish settlements, which brings the recent total to 69, according to the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

This day 57 years ago. Earthrise. A remarkable view of Earth hoving into view as the Apollo 8 command module flew over the lunar surface. That's us. That's home.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee! Wishing a peaceful, joyful Christmas to everyone celebrating. 🌟🎄 (Just back from Midnight Mass where a member of the choir said, "I could hear you going for it in O Come, All Ye Faithful!" which, yeah, she probably had a point... love a good descant and The Chord!) #CofE

No witty caption here, just #MuppetChristmasCarol joy for Christmas Eve. 🕯

Unbelievably, #DuvetKnowItsChristmas generates such good will on social media that over the years we've raised somewhere approaching a quarter of a million quid for homeless charities. If you can spare a bob or two, sling some to Centrepoint, and here's the link: www.gofundme.com/f/duvet-know...

This is the 15th year of #DuvetKnowItsChristmas, which is preposterous. Rules: if you find yourself dealing with unusual / claustrophobic / gaudy sleeping arrangements this Christmas Eve, share a picture with the world. Use the hashtag (with capitalisation) and cc me if you can be bothered.

24 December 1926 | A German Jewish girl, Heidi (Hedy) Metzger, was born in Berlichingen. In January 1939 she fled to the Netherlands. In July 1942 she was deported from Westerbork to #Auschwitz and registered in the camp. She perished there on 23 September 1942.

God, this is the most beautiful, complex, thoughtful essay about intergenerational responsibility and the rippling effects of opioid addiction on a family. One cannot help but feel the precarious hope in the final paragraphs. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/m...

O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, the desire of all nations and their salvation; come and save us, O Lord our God. The O Antiphons, from a C13 Antiphoner in the library at @worcestercathedral.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social #CofE

Happy We Can Probably Open One of the Cheeses day to all who celebrate.

I'm not sure what was decided at Stonehenge during the winter solstice this year, but I approve of the new god/ruler/emperor/pagan supreme being or whatever the rank is of the one that was chosen:

The out of office is on and I have somehow (temporarily) reached inbox zero. Time to craft a festive cocoon out of tinsel and Lindt and catch up on some sleep.

I'm not generally a fan of AI, but the replies to this are making me cackle!

Never ceases to inspire me at the end of @norwichcathedral.bsky.social Christmas Procession.

It was great to have NINE congregational carols at tonight's service! I'm very happy to have reached the Christmas* carol service stage of Advent, because it (dangerously) combines two things I love, namely descants and fire. #CofE *yes, I know that Advent carols are also A Thing

Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower

It has become a Winter Solstice tradition for me to make a Yule log with my youngest granddaughter, Arrietty. Last year we decorated it with snowmen truffles, and this year we made a family of 10 chocolate marzipan hedgehogs! #WinterSolstice #hedgehogs

Happy solstice - tonight is the longest night. The light is creeping back in, too slowly to notice it just yet. And maybe, so could the hope. Another world is possible ❤️

O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

I love my (adorably lopsided) rental Christmas tree from Primrose Vale Farm Shop. 🎄🌟

So envious! 😍

Throwback to visiting @westminsterabbey.bsky.social in April. I found the main church quite overwhelming (probably inevitable, given the number of visitors), but enjoyed the exhibition in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. (Though no photos were allowed there, alas!) #CofE

He's finally been photographed!!!! Bwystfil y Bont - The Beast of the Bont has been terrorising residents and animals in and around Tregaron for years. For scale the Tregaron nativity wise men are 5 foot tall.

Today, a 29-day-old baby died at Nasser hospital, southern #Gaza, #Palestine, just two hours after arriving at the MSF- supported paediatric ward in the early hours of the morning. Despite treatment efforts, he could not be saved. According to the MoH, he died from hypothermia.