Today is St David’s Day: patron saint of Wales, of course, but also of vegetarians and poets. He was reputed to have helped introduce bees to Ireland. He is famously quoted as saying “Gwnewch y pethau bychain”, meaning “Do the little things”. Small changes and good choices matter, especially now.

Today we're streaming cryptic crosswords by Cheeseman and Cigogne, join us at 12 to escape the world for a bit and enjoy some puzzle chat #CrypticSunday twitch.tv/crypticsunday

In the story of Humpty Dumpty it is never said that he is an egg. However, it is never said that he is NOT an egg. This means that any character in ANY story could be an egg unless explicitly stated otherwise. Keep that in mind when you read a Jack Reacher novel

Mum should be coming home today, not fully better but at the stage of recovery that can continue on her own sofa thank goodness.

I read about a lot of Good Dogs as research for this episode of #OffGridPod... Here's one that didn't make it in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endal

GenAI may be on the specials board, but that doesn't mean you can't order from the full menu. Also Google has secret dishes the chef will make for you if you ask. cardcatalogforlife.substack.com/p/google-has...

It was one of those days when you can see the ghosts of all the other lovely days. You drink a bit and watch the ghosts.

Human-made cryptic crosswords. Printed on paper and posted to you by a human. £5 an issue. unchcrosswords.com

Mum's in hospital with a bastard of a chest infection, she's not on Bsky any more but some of you know her from other places, and/or real life - do please wing some good thoughts her way!

🎉🎉🎉

#OffGridPod no.70 in which we jack into some highly speculative etymology, see how Olympians in the water can link the stars, get our international tongues in a twist and face a dog of a quiz offgrid.tlmb.net/2026/02/22/a...

I may have helped with, or hindered, the General's research for the latest episode of #OffGridPod... offgrid.tlmb.net/2026/02/22/a...

Out with friends this morning but should be back in time to stream cryptic crosswords by Kempley @rkempley.bsky.social and Meles, please do join us at 12(ish) for a gentle-paced solve and chat! #CrypticSunday twitch.tv/crypticsunday

Uh-oh, somebody won an eBay auction...

Are you a Star Setter on MyCrossword? We need you. Our featured crossword pipeline has run a bit dry, and we want to showcase more of the brilliant work our setters are producing. Please submit your puzzles for consideration.

Accidentally typed 'Wet Sussex' into an address field today. Can't imagine why.

Just learned about this wonderful photography project where I work (and where T and I both had our cleft clinic appointments over the years). A lovely idea from Stacey ❤️ www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/news/beautif...

Everyday Ladybird things. The town library (1960) Artist: Harry Wingfield

I'm thinking of doing a #CrypticSunday spinoff video thing. Are you (or someone you know) new to cryptics or have you been doing them for a little while but still not feeling like you're properly confident? Fancy doing a joint solve with me on a Zoom call - pre-recorded not streamed?

Pancake & syrup bed quilt, with bacon rug. www.saqa.com/art/browse-c... Ros Cross, 1973.

My taxi driver today was happy to hear that I was a librarian, apparently she finds us to be 'very peaceful people'. I made no comment.

And may I just say as a specific PS to this shitty day as well as in general (not directly about me don't worry): fuck cancer.

Adhesive capsulitis is also known as '50-Year-Old Shoulder' apparently. Which is nice.

Turns out this IS frozen shoulder after all, which is a bugger because it lasts up to 2 years and in the meantime swimming and yoga are pretty much out, so farewell my sanity. Apparently this is yet another thing that is common in perimenopause. Because OF COURSE IT IS.

"Just a level 2 on the death spiral".

I was so confused by the rain stopping once I got to Brighton today that I left my umbrella on the bus 🙁🌂

Best? No idea, but I'm very fond of "Spent a night in my car with/A girl from Trebarwith/And I never saw either again".

@ciliplgbtq.bsky.social & The Small #Trans #Library: Packed Lunch for #LBGTHM 🏳️‍⚧️📘 25 Feb 1-1:45 pm. Online. Free Attend to hear about The Small #Trans #Library background, approaches to collection building, resources & stories. There'll be time for questions. www.eventbrite.com/e/cilip-lgbt...

They say she has a lovely volley. I thank you, don’t forget to tip your waitress.

This is a really excellent puzzle! Highly recommended! (And if you don’t have time to solve, watch back the #crypticsunday stream of today!)

He consulted the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He looked up "guidance" and it said "See under ADVICE". He looked up "advice" and it said "see under GUIDANCE". It had been doing a lot of that kind of stuff recently and he wondered if it was all it was cracked up to be.

The rain is back but so are the crosswords! Join us at 12 to help solve cryptics from the MyCrossword community by duncanjwitham and Chlorine @katstevens.bsky.social. Beginners and hecklers welcome, as ever! #CrypticSunday twitch.tv/crypticsunday

Happy Valentine’s Day, from us to you. Tag your exes. Xoxox

Bloody hell. I know I've only been deeply invested in this figure skating for *checks watch* half an hour but poor Ilia, and wow Mikhail!

Quite impressed with how much I got done this week despite having only one good arm and about five good brain cells. Now for 🍕 and 🍷 and 💤

Interested in setting cryptic crosswords, or improving ... or just finding out more? Part 4 of my blog looking at how & why cryptics work is now up at @mycrossword.co.uk: www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/setting...

Finally finished this absolute bastard of a jigsaw in the break room at work 🎉

Having a bad day with the ol' left arm today, which has been stupid since before Christmas. Usually tolerable if annoying (as I can't move it upwards or backwards) but today it's extra painful. Finally have a physio appointment next week.

Read a book or play Doom, I don't give a shit what feelings you think a spreadsheet has

Today is National Umbrella day ‘The Ladybird ABC, 1959’ Artist: G Robinson

This article also made me think about the impact of genAI on collaboration and knowledge management - it's easier (for you) to ask an AI tool to do something that's not in your wheelhouse than to find who knows how to do it and work with them. But they may end up having to fix your work later.

"AI accelerated certain tasks, which raised expectations for speed; higher speed made workers more reliant on AI." hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...

#CILIP LIRG £3000 research award for UK-based #library, #information or #knowledge workers 📅 Closing date: 31st March 2026. See LIRG awards www.cilip.org.uk/members/grou... @cilip.bsky.social

Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword is long out of print and exceedingly rare. Fortunately, someone has put the book online. So here you are! xotaotc.nfshost.com

I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.

Solving cryptic crosswords is not (yet) a sport in the Winter Olympics, but it's considerably safer and warmer. Join us on Twitch at 12 to help tackle new ones by Ghoti @fimjishwick.bsky.social and Serbosh! #CrypticSunday twitch.tv/crypticsunday

I'm contrast to my dystopian dream, here's a cool bookish scene I coloured in with my colouring app the other day. Could I carry off this 'strict but arty Edwardian librarian who writes lesbian detective fiction in her spare time' look I wonder?

Dreamt I went to visit a new university library somewhere. It was fancy. They had a department called 'Aesthetics' instead of cleaners, whose job was to make sure no physical objects were visible. Screens appeared automatically for online meetings, but you had to bring your own chair #dreamtweet