The Sound of Music is on the telly, my Winnie the Pooh mug (which I chose when I was 3) is in my hand, and there's a dog resting against my leg... this could be any Christmas at my Dad's house in the last 35 years. #TinyJoys

Traditional family NYE: staying up till midnight so we can be loud enough to drown out the fireworks so the dog doesn't freak out too much. The dog is currently pretty chilled:

At my Dad's for post-Christmas break, which means Tuesday night is quiz show night... and tonight we're watching @revrachelmann.bsky.social on University Challenge. My step-mum is texting the family group chat: "Ruth's friend is on the telly!"

Finished my Christmas knitting project! Yarn is handspun Shetland wool and silk, very soft and cosy. The Christmas book pile might take a little longer... (this is very much not a complaint) 📚📚📚😃

My best Christmas present, a thread: 64 years ago, my Granny received this cookery book for Christmas. Her 6 year old daughter, who was just learning about keeping things a surprise, handed it over with the words: "you'll never guess what it is, it's definitely not a Gas Radition Cookery Book" 😂

My Christmas message in the Newcastle Chronicle with thanks to @ruthh.bsky.social for the #tinyjoys inspiration 🙏🎄 www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

We don't buy the cats Christmas presents, we just let them take their pick from the boxes and wrapping paper. Here they are enjoying some of their favourites from today.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen! Impeccable timing by the churchyard roses. Happy Christmas! 🌹✨️ "A Spotless Rose is blowing, Sprung from a tender root, Of ancient seers' foreshowing, Of Jesse promised fruit; Its fairest bud unfolds to light Amid the cold, cold winter, And in the dark midnight."

What are your favourite small Christmas rituals/traditions? The ones that might not look like anything much, but matter to you? Mine is Christmas breakfast. I have had the same breakfast - on the same plate! - every Christmas day since I was 3. #JoinIn

Kneeling in front of the Crib with two little girls who were serving at the altar in PJs and fluffy dressing gowns for Midnight Mass, surrounded by congregation singing unaccompanied: "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing..." Christmas doesn't get much better than that! #TinyJoys

Cheers, #ClergyMaltClub! G&T here, after a slightly chaotic but altogether glorious midnight mass.

I wonder if @rhodri.biz realises how many clergy scroll through #DuvetKnowItsChristmas to help keep us awake until Midnight Mass. I know from talking to colleagues that it's definitely not just me.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 5pm Carols Around the Crib at St Wilfrid’s, Newbiggin Hall. 11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Peter's, Cowgate. 10am Christmas Eucharists at both churches. Enthusiastic carol singing at all services! Everyone welcome, always. #Christmas #Newcastle

I do enjoy the random things you find in the vestry at this time of year. This morning the photocopier was adorned with a festive flower arrangement. (The teatowel on the photocopier is a year-round feature.)

3 sermons written, assorted pastoral situations dealt with, sloe gin bottled. That'll do for today!

A modest batch of sloe gin from the Vicarage this year (one for us, and one will be my Reader's Christmas present) but it is *very* delicious. #TinyJoys

Last year's crib service: 10 adults, 0 children. I asked those who came to commit to praying throughout the year for opportunities for us to engage with children and families. This year's crib service: 11 adults, 12 children. #TinyJoys

Engaged in a sympathetic conversation with the person on the till about working over Christmas, when I realise the child who left her coat at church is behind me in the queue, so then I'm also sorting out with her nan how to get it back to her. All while packing my shopping. Clergy multi-tasking!

Trees are up in both churches! Fair to say our style is, um... maximalist. But a lot of fun had by all in the process, including kids from the youth group which meets in our hall who came over to help. #TinyJoys

Final session of this year's Advent course ready to go (for tomorrow morning... I do need a deadline!). I love being the vicar of parishes where people want to contemplate scripture and poetry and art together, and engage in deep and thoughtful conversation. It feeds me as much as anyone.

Overheard at church this morning: "I do like your trousers. Did you wear them specially for Gaudete Sunday?" "I did! Thank you for noticing." "Well, if you've got rose trousers... why would you not?!" #Gaudete

Passed the regular small gathering in town of people waving flags, and today they were singing Christmas songs. Specifically, as I passed, "feed the world, let them know it's Christmas time". Oh, the cognitive dissonance!

One of the things about being the Vicar is that I rarely get to hear anyone preach... because it's always me. So I am immensely blessed by the ministry of our Reader, who has recently returned to regular preaching after a break, and preached an absolute cracker of a sermon this morning. ✝️🕯️⚓

Yes. ‘Enough is enough’. Thank you, Joe Hawes togethercofe.org.uk/dean-of-st-e...

The view today from the vicarage doorstep! 🎶 O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain And feel the promise is not vain That morn shall tearless be. 🎶 #TinyJoys

"The credibility of the Church is on the line here. We have nothing to fear in implementing inclusion and everything to hope for." This was such an insightful and moving presidential address from +Helen-Ann at our Diocesan Synod last week: www.newcastle.anglican.org/news/bishop-...

Enjoying the company of this cheery little chap today, a gift made for me when I dropped into youth group last night. #TinyJoys

A little song I use at the end of telling the Christmas story in playgroup/early years settings: Twinkle twinkle Christmas star, how I wonder what you are, sparkling in the sky above, leading us to see God's love, twinkle twinkle Christmas star, how I wonder what you are.

Realised I'd forgotten to buy myself an Advent candle. Rummaged in spare candles box for a suitable stand-in... and found last year's Advent candle, which evidently never burned down any further than the 1. Oh dear. (But also, how handy.) Must Try Harder this year. ✝️🕯⚓️ #CofEpeeps #Narthex #Advent

Release of Nelson Mandela from prison. Memorable because I got to use the back of now-redundant Free Nelson Mandela posters as drawing paper!

Not saying I'm tired but I've just tried to load drawing pins into the stapler.

Cycling to the local community garden to collect some apple juice... and spotted a random chunk of Hadrian's Wall outside Kwik Fit. Unexpected encounters with bits of Roman archaeology in everyday locations is one of my favourite #TinyJoys of living in this area.

Second full day on zoom for Mental Health First Aid training, and I have found a box of jaffa cakes at the back of the cupboard - perfect timing!

#PhDlife Me, trying to whittle down my 14-page 'shortlist' of relevant quotes from my research participants to a number appropriate for the slides for a half-hour presentation:

Cracking bit of Geordie hymnody this morning, as we sang 'Rejoice, the Lord is King' at both churches: "the keys of death and hell are to wor Jesus given". #TinyJoys

CALLING #ChurchOfEngland members: Deadline for signing #InclusiveChurch's open letter to the #HouseOfBishops calling for leadership, direction and clear support for #LGBTQ+ people is midnight THIS SUNDAY 23 November. Please sign & share: inclusive-church.org/llf-open-letter #LLF #PLF

The deadline for signing @inclusivechurch.bsky.social's Open Letter to the House of Bishops calling for leadership, direction and a clear demonstration of support for LGBTQ+ people is this Sunday, 23 November. dlted.substack.com/p/living-in-... Please share.

11 people at mass and shared lunch to celebrate St Hilda. Listening in to a conversation between a frail retired priest and our most recently baptised member, about what they love about church, and what church is for, was a highlight. Several hours and a PCC meeting later I'm still smiling #TinyJoys

Whatever you think the church's position on same-sex relationships should be, the decision-making of the House of Bishops shouldn't be informed by advice which tries to claim a consensus which doesn't exist, even among the theologians quoted supposedly in support of it.

Any #CofEpeeps following the sorry saga of #LLF should read this powerful response by Professor Mike Higton to the "misappropriation" of his work in the recent Faith and Order Commission paper on doctrine, intended to inform the House of Bishops decision-making. viamedia.news/2025/11/17/c...

Not too busy on the beach today! Could be something to do with the storm-force winds and intermittent driving rain... But there is nothing so restorative as being by the sea, whatever the weather.

Grateful to Via Media for making space for my reflections on how the very ordinary stuff of parish life is undermined by the church's unwillingness to fully embrace LGBTQIA+ folks. Policies discussed in the abstract have a real impact on real people, which too often gets forgotten.

Sometimes parish ministry is just really fun. This morning I got to run away and join the circus! One of our local schools is celebrating an Outstanding report from Ofsted with a whole school circus day, and I was invited. I learned to balance a peacock feather on my nose and spin a plate. #TinyJoys

@thomasmsharp.bsky.social's clear and careful critique of these documents is a gift, and I hope it will be widely read and engaged with. Such flawed reports cannot be accepted uncritically as shaping the church's life. #CofEpeeps

Embarking on a second, more careful (and less angry) reading of the latest papers relating to LLF. It's not a good sign that in the one-page introduction to the first of them, I have already said out loud "well, that's a bit of an unfounded assumption". Twice.

Sometimes I just need to go and stare at the sea for a long time. Even when it's murky and drizzly, it is deeply good for my soul. #TinyJoys

Saw my very excellent spiritual director, and felt very much better for it. Started my Christmas shopping. Ate some excellent chips. Listened to an interesting audio book. Watched fireworks. Finished writing 3 different articles, only one of which was overdue. Not a bad (almost) day off! #TinyJoys

Typing out liturgy for Remembrance Sunday, my fingers automatically type 'kind' instead of 'king'. Every time. "God save the kind."

A wonderful evening listening to the fabulous @sarahjonestoo.bsky.social sharing wisdom, insights, stories, and more than a few laughs along the way. Great to see the Newcastle Diocese LGBTQIA+ Chaplaincy organising and promoting this sort of event.

6 services in 2 days, 4 and a half of them accompanied by varying degrees of migraine. And a not-insignificant amount of pastoral heavy-lifting alongside. But it all comes back to this: rejoicing with all the saints in the presence of Jesus. Perfect end to a full All Saints/All Souls weekend.