It's not often I get the domestic goddess outfit out, but today I have defrosted the freezer and made fish pies for the freezer. All to the accompaniment of Christmas hits. 🤶

Visiting the town of Beverley. I love that the building that houses the library, museum and art gallery is called the Treasure House.

Seeing the temperature has dropped, I've finally tackled the ironing mountain, which had reached Everest like proportions. Not finished, but it looks more like a foothill than a real peak now. Watched all episodes of Arts in Motion on the iplayer. Excellent series, if you get the chance to watch it

I am about to try to read what I suspect might be a rather dull book. The things I do for "fun".

Trip to our London office. Productive day. Also got my 10k steps done - in heels! 👠

@biggreenbooks.bsky.social I'm busy tomorrow, so before I forget, here's an early post for #buyastrangerabook day. I would like to offer anyone a copy of any of Penelope Fitzgerald's books. In April I read The Bookshop, a very sad tale. I grew up in a village like that depicted - I left!

This afternoon's efforts for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. With firing, because if is it's good enough for Westminster Abbey, it's good enough for us. #Bells #BellRinging #VEDay bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=...

Another brace of murder mysteries to conjure with. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/05/01/m...

We need EVERYONE to see this advert for a Head of Operations at the Palace (£40-45k). Otherwise we might get some kind of numpty in charge. Please share. If we get 50 shares we'll post a video of #CuratorRob playing a hoover like a didgeridoo. hr.breathehr.com/recruitment/...

Books 26 & 27 finished and reviewed. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/t...

Happy Hot Cross Bun day! Not religious, happy to eat the fun food - not doing the fasting thing. 😉

That annoying moment when a book you're reading makes reference to other books and you now have yet more books to read... 💙📚

More culture vulture tours. National Gallery and Elektra at the Duke of York theatre. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/c...

Books 21 to 24 as a bundle, because life's been a bit busy recently. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/04/09/a... The Colour: Rose Tremain The Acceptance World: Anthony Powell The Bookshop: Penelope Fitzgerald Notebook: @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social #books 💙📚

Alt Text BlueSky makes it really easy to add Alt Text to images, making it really easy to be inclusive. So just a word of warning, if you're not using it, I'm going to stop following you. If you're not taking that tiny step to include all your followers, you're not a nice person. Niceness matters.

Thanks to this prompt I now have 4 tubs of compost that's been made ready for tomato plants. No frogs in my compost bin though. Can't decide how I feel about that.

I've been unable to resist this combination: Medea - who I love (Jason? Pah!) and @nataliehaynes.bsky.social who I feel sure would be that friend who, in the middle of a night out, comes up with some random fact and expands on it in the most interesting 15 minutes of your week.

We don't have a cat. But we seem to have been adopted by this lovely chap. 😍 🐈

Book 19 was Kindred by Octavia E Butler. And I'm sure you'll like it a lot more than me, as you don't have my stupid hangup about time travel. She can sure write. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/03/23/i... #Books 💙📚

I'm no football fan - can't stand it and when asked who I'm supporting the answer is usually anyone but England (and I'm English!). But Gareth Southgate on the threats and challenges to young men in society is well worth a listen. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Finished of books 17 & 18 to report. Can something you remember be historical fiction? If so, I now feel very old! helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/03/22/t... #Books 💙📚

A night in and it's TOTP on BBC4. Duran Duran at number 1. Goodness, those were the days.

Had a busy few days being out and about. Visited @vaginamuseum.bsky.social (I mean, who knew?! - but now you do) and a wall of Ladybird books @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social amongst other excitement. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/03/17/t...

Having a bit of a catch up, books 15 & 16 were finished last week. Gallows Court and Roseanna are both detective fiction, but two quite different takes on the subject. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/03/16/a... #books 💙📚

My afternoon was mostly in shades of pink. It was quite joyful, although tender and touching as well. Excellent.

I've been mulling over what to say about book 13 for most of the week. A Flat Place by @noreenmasud.bsky.social is not an easy read, but it's no less valuable for that. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/03/09/a...

Sunday morning ringing was rounds & call changes, stedman, rounds & call changes, grandsire. Miscounted which bell I was on for the call changes... rookie error! #Bells #BellRinging #Sunday

February's reading stats (YTD) Read: 7 (13) F/M: 6/1 (9/4) Audio:3 (6) Paper: 4 (7) Library: 5 (10) Owned: 2 (3) New authors: 3 (5) New books: 7 (13) Re-reads: 0 (0) 3 books on the go, not going to finish any of them any time soon!

In positive news, I have successfully pruned the grape vine and rose bush that grow up the kitchen pergola. In worrying news, I had to do that up a ladder. In less good news, I almost fell off said ladder when it wobbled. I am going to have a stunning bruise on my shin tomorrow! Stay safe all!!

Books 12 & 13 finished this week. I had quite different reactions to The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer and The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell. I'd recommend one and not the other, can you guess which way round? helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/22/a... #Books 💙📚

I'm on a BUS! Upstairs at the front, because I am still 6 years old at heart!!

whoever thought wine at lunch time and then admin was a good idea was clearly not thinking straight... Thoughts an dprayers requested. Else the admin might be a challenge akin to deciphering the Rosetta stone!

Sunday morning ringing featured Stedman, Grandsire, Cambridge and Little Bob, with call changes to time. Never miss the possibility of ringing rollercoasters. 🙂 And over coffee we agreed where the outing will go. #Bells #BellRinging

Surprise practice featured a variety of methods and Double Norwich, which isn't Surprise but is always surprising! Then Harrington, which had flapjack and snowdrops and me calling a touch of Stedman. They're loud. Also rung by Hobbits, based on the tail end lengths! #bells #BellRinging

Book 11 for the year might not look romantic, but there's quite a lot of love amidst the violence and medical details. Knife by Salman Rushdie. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/14/k... #books 💙📚

Books 9 & 10 for the year. Six Stories and an Essay by Andrea Levy The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths, which sees me finish a series (hurrah) helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/12/a... #Books 💙📚

While the Tears for Fears version of Mad World is the one I grew up on, I think this version is haunting. Slowed down and stripped right back. www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSb...

Sunday morning ringing saw call changes, Stedders, Cambridge and call changes. Deserved my post ringing tea today. #bells #BellRinging

Book 8 finished. The Other Americans by Laila Lalami. This one is well worth a read. I read it for the Shelterbox book club - and finished it in the nick of time! helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/06/t... #Books 💙📚

Rang a course of spliced Cambridge and Yorkshire. Brain now attempting to leave via my ears, like cream cheese. Far too much attention required just to remember the method. I am not a ringer of spliced. #bells #BellRinging #OutOfMyDepth

Book 7 was The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell. I listened to it, as narrated by Lenny Henry, who did an excellent job of being excited and surprised by turns. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/04/a... #Books 💙📚

Ringing this morning, seems my fitbit thinks I was doing spott of an undisclosed nature. It was actually Stedman and call changes twice each. #bells ##BellRinging

January's reading stats. (YTD) Read: 6 (6) F/M: 3/3 (3/3) Audio: 3 (3) Paper: 3 (3) Library: 5 (5) Owned: 1 (1) New authors: 2 (2) New books: 6 (6) Re-reads: 0 (0) Not a bad month really. Low on numbers, but that's what you get when you decide to read Dickens. Duty done there for a few years!

Book 6 was A Question of Upbringing, the first in Anthony Powell's 12 book cycle, A Dance to the Music of Time. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/02/01/t... #Books 💙📚

Reviewed book 5. It is quite short. I may have spent longer thinking about what to say about it than I did actually listening to it. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/t... #books 💙📚

My answer can most readily be answered by this.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI The one I think gets harder is to do things that scare you. Oh, and be kind to your knees.

Finally got around to collating my thoughts on book 4, On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming. helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/01/28/b... #books 💙📚📚

It's taken a while, but finally go my thoughts about David Copperfield down. Glad I've finished it. Not going back to Dickens again in a hurry! helenruns.wordpress.com/2025/01/27/w... #books 💙📚

Spin class done. Smug muscles engaged. 😏

Monthly surprise major practice was busy. I've forgotten Glasgow, and some London vanished in a fog of confusion. Apart from that, good practice. And we had the heaters on. #bells #BellRinging