My husband is 7 nights into a 10 night walking holiday with his nephew. My mum keeps worrying that I'm coping ok on my own. I am fine. I had work to go to, friends over, and I spent a pleasant part of the evening drinking wine with a neighbour in her garden. The house stays tidy. I'm quite fine.

Yesterday I was searching through the local museum's website for pictures to make a display for Local and Community History Month. I found treasure! This photo of boys in a nearby village's Meccano club is delightful. I love that they had a Meccano club! And it's exciting when #histchild pops up. 🙂

I had colleagues over for a social gathering this evening. It being May Day, my manager and I reflected on the horrors of having to dance around the Maypole in the infants. Both our schools kept the maypole in the PE store. Did others endure this childhood nightmare too?

The juke box in my head has decided that Bjork & Skunk Anansie rendition of Army of Me and Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, along with snippets of Lusty Month of May from Camelot are the must have songs of the day. So mainly a day of strong female vocals, and quite a cacophony.

I'm very much enjoying my morning of using TOIL and spending time working on my Children's History Society paper. I did overtime to prepare for and work with children looking at local history and in exchange I get time off for more history... An excellent system!

Mr Bond is walking the West Highland Way this week with his nephew, R. R has never been camping, done a long distance walk or climbed a mountain. Today they climbed Ben Lomond and they are wild camping by the loch. I can hear the smile in R's voice over the phone 😊.

At last, Life Cycles falls on my Tuesday off and I can actually attend in person! I am looking forward to seeing my fellow convenors in person, along with others.

Getting a trolley at a supermarket this afternoon, I had to walk around a woman, who started talking to me then apologised that she had thought I was her husband. Well that's a first. Bewildered, I apologised. I didn't know what to say!

I had a wonderful day at the @socialhistsoc.bsky.social's Festival of History at Senate House today. I felt as if I had had the privilege to step out of normal concerns and the world for a few hours and just be immersed in social histories. It was quite refreshing.

The lilacs in the library garden are glorious in the spring sunshine! Not distracting but cheering when I look over that way.

A local year 5 class is coming to the library tomorrow for a special local history lesson, so I am finishing my lesson plan. The teacher doesn't understand what a treat it is for me to be asked to do this and the extra work is fun (I also claimed TOIL). My manager understands that I think it's fun.

My Dad bought us a chocolate orange East egg. Mr Bond commented with surprise about the orange pattern in the chocolate. He had reached 54 without having had a chocolate orange! Poor man.

Another trip to the vet as the cat is still not eating much. But at least he has had a few biscuits, plenty of water and is enjoying being outside rather than under the bed. We will have fun this evening giving him a tablet! I'm going to relax on the allotment a bit before getting on with work.

It has been a very stressful few days as the cat was spooked by something and gradually stopped eating and only drank a little cat milk. We took him to the vet this afternoon. Clinically fine, which is a relief but puzzling. She gave him an anti nausea jab. He has just eaten some biscuits!🙂

I found some mischievous flower fairies in the woods at RHS Wisley. They crowned me with a flower too.😅 It is fun being these two's auntie.

Brother &I accidentally round Mum up at lunchtime. She mentioned how first time mother&babies were kept in hospital for a week when I was born. I questioned how someone could be a second time baby. Brother suggested reincarnation. We rambled on with our conversation. Mum disliked our silliness. Oops

I'm preparing for a local history project with a local school, which has given me an excuse to go through dusty files in the office, where I found these gems, and more! This is from 1968.

I gave up Bluesky for Lent. It took a while to not automatically open the app. Then I remembered and missed it. Then I just didn't miss it. I got to Easter Day and found I had far too much else to do. I think the exercise went well.

We have walked along the beach at low tide from Lyme Regis to Charmouth several times. Today, I noticed how the recent storms have impacted this stretch of coast. Not just more cliff falls but bare parts of beach. Where there had been sand, it was bare rock.

Standing on Chesil Beach, wondering what the deceased sea creature might be without wanting to go near it, I thought it is about time I read On Chesil Beach. So when I got back to somewhere with the internet I requested a copy on the library app.

Love is... completing another jigsaw puzzle. She will have forgotten we were there now, although it is only a few hours since we left. In the moment though, love. And she still gives the best hugs!🥲

Sunday morning reflections.

A fun debate about Local Government Reorganisation with Mum over dinner. I think this is the first time that's ever happened. We both think the other is wrong. Nothing resolved.

It's a story time day! A trip to the local nursery this morning with picture books on the themes of pancakes and potty training. This afternoon is adult storytime. I have chosen three examples of London in literature with Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Ferrara and Jeanette Winterson.🙂

A "friendly warning": “There is always danger for girls who go abroad alone." Learn how to guard against this by coming to our seminar tomorrow, 10/2/26 at 17:30 GMT, where Madgalene Klassen will tell us. Join us online or at the IHR. Everyone is welcome! www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

A young person volunteering in the library told us about her school's 146th birthday party coming up. It is one of the schools in my thesis so I told her how to access the original managers' minutes. She was delighted, although surprised. I'm discreetly encouraging education history 😅

Come travelling with us on 10th. February at 17:30GMT! Magdalene Klassen will safely escort us through 'Friendly Warnings: Youth & Protection in British Sexual Surveillance of International Travel, 1885–1914'. You may join us in London at Senate House or online. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Next Tuesday, 10th. February at 17:30 GMT - Madgalene Klassen and 'Friendly Warnings: Youth and Protection in British Sexual Surveillance of International Travel, 1885–1914'. All who are interested are welcome to join us online or at the IHR in London. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Further reasons why AI is not trustworthy: it doesn't understand my search for pink fir apple seed potatoes and comes up with ridiculous suggestions as to what I might mean. I do mean pink fir apples. Has anyone found pink fir apples? #allotments #potatoes

I am so glad that I was given a place on @thelondonjournal.bsky.social's ECR publishing workshop today. Not just because the views were wonderful. The session was so supportive, informative & friendly. A brilliant idea! Thank you 🙂 Also nice to see @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social in person.

I thought I needed Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talking At Me, which I did enjoy listening to but Traffic's The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys turned out to be what I required. Drifting off into the saxophone. Lunchtime music therapy.

A local primary school has asked to visit the library to research local history! What an exciting prospect 😁

Join us this evening at the IHR in London or through Zoo to hear John Hide present 'Presenting the Boy with Two Penises; Participatory Science and the Public Sphere in Early Victorian London'. We start at 17:30 BST & you're very welcome to come along. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

We went haggis hunting in Sainsbury's. It was quite a hunt. There was none with sausages. Mr Bond asked a member of staff who said aisle 23, which is baby paraphernalia. Haggis, not Huggies! We've had this problem before. Eventually found a member of staff who knew where some were. Phew! 🙄

Tuesday 27th. January, 17:30 - 19:00 GMT. John Hide of @ihr.bsky.social will give his paper, 'Presenting the Boy with Two Penises; Participatory Science and the Public Sphere in Early Victorian London'. You may join us at the IHR or through Zoom to hear him. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Next Tuesday (27/1), John Hide will be speaking at our seminar. If you wish to hear "Presenting the Boy with Two Penises; Participatory Science and the Public Sphere in Early Victorian London', join us at the IHR or through Zoom. Further details are in the link. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

My lungs resemble a broken accordion but nurse Tarragon has arrived for some purr therapy, which does help alleviate the boredom.

Zoe (in pink) was the school friend my parents didn't approve of. But here we are, with another school friend, enjoying a rare occasion of geographic proximity, 30 years later and still friends.

It is excellent timing on @6music.bsky.social's part to have their 1990s day as I prepare to host dinner tonight for 2 school friends. We met in 1991 at school and established a friendship soundtracked by bands in the Melody Maker, NME, Kerang! &Metal Hammer. We were the uncool girls in the corner.🙂

It is a day of story times! I have a trip to the nursery nextdoor to read picture books this morning then we have adult storytime this afternoon.

My manager and I came up with some plans for the year today. As the group manager was in we went and told her. It felt like giving a presentation at school. For the National Year of Reading, we plan to.... Happily she liked them as they 'tick lots of boxes'. Now to plan in earnest!

Join us this afternoon from 17:30 for 'Male Involvement in Elite Young Women’s Marriage Choice and Negotiations' with Emily Cotton. We will be in the IHR. You can come along in person or request the Zoom link. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

We spent a few hours on the allotment this morning and found buried treasure! Carrots, which were a surprise as they are more difficult to grow than expected and another clay pipe.

Our next seminar is on 13th. January at 17:30 GMT. You can join us online or at the IHR in Bloomsbury to hear Emily Cotton's paper, 'Male Involvement in Elite Young Women’s Marriage Choice and Negotiations'. Details to register interest are through this link: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Just one week until the first seminar of the new term! Emily Cotton starts us off on 13th January at 17:30 with 'Male Involvement in Elite Young Women’s Marriage Choice and Negotiations'. Interested? Then join us! Either online or in London. Details are in the link. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

The Sussex coast in early January looked rather more exotic than normal under such a clear sky and with the addition of sunglasses!

The best thing about seeing Robbie on #TOTP is seeing Alex from Sack Trick, one of his session guitarists. I loved Sack Trick and those mystery rabbits or moon exploring penguins. I loved their gigs and the ease with which I got on their guest lists. They were so much fun. Once upon a time...

A colleague greeted me this morning at work by asking, 'What's the story in Balamory?'. I said they had decided to whitewash all the houses. She looked horrified that I would suggest such heracy! 😅

It was worth coming to work to enjoy the last sunrise of 2025.

Drifting through the bleak mid winter.