A heads up for anyone who loves the Brontes/Margaret Drabble - this little gem will be on the iPlayer soon. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Two - The Brontës Lived Here: Writers' Houses

Margaret Drabble explores Haworth Parsonage, home of the famous Brontë family.

bbc.co.uk

#witmonth Vintage stash - not all read in one month - altho would love the chance - hah! Many favourites included, and a rogue Tessa McWatt which slipped in (is also good - I hope she has been translated). Pushed #wit heavily back in indie bookshop days - perk of the job. ☺️ Fun window displays… 💛✨

This is devastating for universities - it will be devastating for British culture and society - and I think it will finally be devastating for the Labour government itself, stupidly and shortsightedly destroying our successful cultural sector for shits and giggles

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6d ago

Creative & performing arts subjects received £16.8 million SPG 2024-25; £12.9 million in 2025-26; £ O million in 2026-27. The University of Creative Arts will thus lose half of its government funding this year; Art University Bournmouth 40.7%, Norwich U of Arts 40.4% and Leeds Arts U 30.3%. 1/2

The last round of app updates seems to have turned my ‘zero alerts or haptics ever’ preference to full-on aural assault. I will be side-eying my phone until confident I’ve reset them all. This is how they’ll break me: living in the inexplicable grey zone of storage used, spaffing precious life… 🫠

Ivor Gurney (introduced to me last week). Just back from a weekend in Bristol, and this first verse lands so well. We all look forward to or are affectionately pleased to see the outline of the hills when we’ve been away - never gets old (well - not yet, anyway!). (St Paul’s & Fleet St, fwiw…)

Back to it this week… 🐠 🩵 😌

A pic of me and Susie, our loopy spaniel, in the 70s. Eldest of 3 - seems I had no other choice than to squeeze in all my melodrama before the other two sisters came along. Might re-claim this pose as and when…

Louise@louiseann.bsky.social · last wk.

A pic of me in the 70s. I swear to God, this is the only picture of me that exists from the 70s. Neglected third child. Things picked up around the mid 80s......

Stuck my head in the door of this shop being refurbished (love a distressed wall) and the builder/decorator invited us in for a closer look 🙃 Had a lovely chat - showed us more features and said he wishes he could leave the walls as they are and paint the door blingy gold 🥰

Morning and evening skies today 🧡🩵 Watched 22 year old graduate somewhere between the two… 🙃 Very special day - mad experience - thrilled for her - all change! 🥰

Heck knows what-in-the-fanny-craddock reflex just kicked in, but here we are. Used to love helping my mum do these 🌸 🫜 Peas in aspic next… 😌 😜 (Never eaten or prepared those, mercifully… 🫛 )

Abject neglect brings all the insects to my yard… Never not thrilling to see a Hummingbird moth for me and this one flew into the house! Helped it out with magician’s assistant-worthy use of curtain manipulation… (My pic very much not the one on the right… credit to Live Science)

‘Silence, I discover, is something you can actually hear.’ ~ Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore. #BookWormSat

Jenny Holzer www.instagram.com/p/DbMR12TyGm...

🌞🐠 🩵

22yo is at Truck celebrating end of finals, about to go and see Primal Scream, and I am extremely envious!!! 💚🩵 Bit of a motley line-up but some tasty morsels in there 🙃

So supportive of this! 🙌 🪩 Eldest just sent it to me, with the invitation to go together - she might regret that 🙃 😌 Have said I’m game as long as it’s not Tramps in Worcester… (Youngest would not be seen dead anywhere near either of us. Fair.) www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The rave secret: why middle-aged women are larging it – and seeing big health benefits

For those who are burned out, perimenopausal, or both, dancing all night can be a panacea. It’s great exercise, lowers stress, boosts energy and provides connection. No wonder so many are doing it

theguardian.com

‘AKA’ Rocky 🙃 Even I know that was Pharrell… Dipsticks.

So on the fence about whether or not to go see it… Not on the fence about this, though…

David Atkinson@davidatkinsonpoet.bsky.social · 3w ago

This reimagining of The Odyssey is a counterpoint to the heroic narrative of war It transforms the myth into a meditation on war, migration, & the impact of paternal absence So many great lines & images in this poem - the bombed cathedral is now a cathedral of trees #poetry #poemoftheday #Odyssey

Malvern is giving good summer, though… No complaints. 😌

Philippa@gingerworrier.bsky.social · 3w ago

Bit of a fever dream remembering we were in Kyoto exactly 2 years ago… I still think about this bamboo forest - had the closest I’ve ever come to a spiritual moment there I think 🙃 💚 Looks highly likely eldest will be heading back there to continue studying, so maybe a return visit is on the cards…

Bit of a fever dream remembering we were in Kyoto exactly 2 years ago… I still think about this bamboo forest - had the closest I’ve ever come to a spiritual moment there I think 🙃 💚 Looks highly likely eldest will be heading back there to continue studying, so maybe a return visit is on the cards…

This gen Z kid on insta discovering mostly gen X music for the first time is an absolute joy-infusion in the most wholesome way for me atm. If he really loves a track he fires up a bbq lighter. This one is Tom Tom Club, Genius of Love. 🥰 www.instagram.com/reel/Da6E24r...

Giving this a listen. Not bad for a balmy Friday evening… If someone could just mix me a drink…

This is what solidarity looks like.✊🏳️‍⚧️

Anupama Ranawana@msamrc.bsky.social · 3w ago

Incredible statement from the Church in Wales on the ignominious Code of Practice: "The Church in Wales will not use equality law exemptions to exclude trans people from our worship, our sacraments, our pastoral care, or our common life." www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-...

Some truly staggeringly sophisticated (🤐) photo editing from me otd (cheers, fb memories) in the height of lockdown when this monstrosity appeared in front of some new-build flats near us. AI could never! Pah!

The five letter word sure is getting a lot of four letter words this morning 👀

me: i just gotta read all these books and then i can read those books new books: *come out* me: fuck

If you too are still awake and ideally should not be, these two tracks make for fine bedfellows (bed-damsels? 🤔 Bed-persons? 🤓) for the wind-down ( …is what I’m hoping, anyway 😬🤞). The ‘proper’ version is slicker and equally fab, but love this session version… 💞 youtu.be/1BWVOQ4Z-n8?...

Natalie Prass - My Baby Don't Understand Me

YouTube video by le bruit des graviers

youtu.be

antmeals@antmeals.bsky.social · 3w ago

Pure sunshine Nothing to prove - Gloria Diana Maria youtube.com/watch?v=SxZi...

Giving this another bump for the #heatwave. Some ideal summer reading right here! #BookSky 💙📚

JacquiWine@jacquiwine.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New on the blog today, I've written about some of my favourite COMING-OF-AGE NOVELS from the shelves. Featuring books by Rumer Godden, Jean Rhys, L. P. Hartley and more! #BookSky 💙📚 jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/c...

All that, and home to @markabowles.bsky.social book post (pre-ordered from @galleybeggars.bsky.social) 😌 🙌 💗🎺