Helen Simmons (She/Her)
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littlehen.bsky.social
Helen Simmons (She/Her)
@littlehen.bsky.social
2.1K followers 4K following 3.7K posts
A bricolage of things. Nature, creativity, community, kindness…

Unbothered. Moisturised. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing.

Profile picture: me in a pink jumper smiling
Header image: me in a purple hat taking a picture of myself in a broken mirror
Posts Replies Media Videos
littlehen.bsky.social
Savory porridge! Spring onions, basil, harissa, oats and fried egg
A bowl with flowers on containing some savory porridge. The red harissa, white egg and green basil all look very tasty. A silver spoon pokes into the mixture.
November 9, 2025 at 1:29 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
#SundayPixMirror today is an old self portrait in a dusty mirror ball. @wombat37.bsky.social wishing you a mor gentle and positive day.
Someone reflected in a small mirror ball, their face divided into the different squares and arranged into a weird combination. For example two squares feature the eyes with only one nostril in the square beneath
November 9, 2025 at 9:37 AM
littlehen.bsky.social
My elderly housebound friend is refusing to put his heating on in his freezing home. Does anyone know if there is anyone that supplies the hypothermia awareness thermometers? I am sure my gran and parents had them. I wonder if seeing how dangerously cold his room is might persuade him?
A thermometer which shows when a room is too hot or too cold.
November 6, 2025 at 7:08 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Aside from the noise, environmental impact and distress to wildlife that fireworks create, they are also damaging to our air quality. The particulate matter in Newcastle today is unhealthy and dangerous.
A graph that shows the history of air quality for Newcastle upon Tyne over 24 hours it shows a sharp rise in particular matter (PM2.5) and a current READING of 46 µg/m² which is unhealthy for sensitive groups Information from a dashboard about air Currently showing at 46 µg/m² for fine particles which is currently 9.2 times the world health organisation annual guideline value
November 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM
littlehen.bsky.social
Also
A photo of noddy holder pointing at the viewer and the words Noddy says NOT YET
November 5, 2025 at 8:42 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Dwellbeing Shieldfield are hiring!

We are looking for a part time Organisational Development Worker Member. For more information visit www.dwellbeingshieldfield.org.uk/news/job

#Vacancies #Jobs #SocialChange #CommunityDevelopment #SocialJustice #CooperativeWorking #Newcastle #Tyneside
The view from the back of a full room, people are raising their arms voting at a cooperative agm
November 5, 2025 at 7:25 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Today is my 5 year streak of noticing daily gratitudes. At least 3 things that have made me feel grateful every day. Even on days when jobs were lost, papers were rejected, feelings were hurt or dearly loved people died there were still 3 good things. It helps me to stay positive. Recommend trying.
Screenshot from an app recording daily gratitudes showing a streak of 1825 days and total number of entries 2089
November 5, 2025 at 7:49 AM
littlehen.bsky.social
#PhDSky #AcademicSky. Treated myself to a view this morning (and breakfast) at Tynemouth to put together a collaborative proposal. It feels exciting and possible right now but the proof will be in the pudding when I share it with potential collaborators tomorrow. Digits crossed!
The view across a cafe balcony into the grey North Sea and gray cloudy sky. The picture contains lots of lines. Floorboards stretching away to the middle of the picture, butting up against a black fence with lines of balusters. The horizontal lines of the dunes, the sand, the horizon.
November 3, 2025 at 12:57 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
#sundaypixbooks my free little library which brings me SO MUCH JOY!

A wonderful neighbour made it for me after me trying and failing via ‘men’s sheds’ for about 5 years. Sometimes I hear the lovely conversations of people perusing the library. It’s wholesome. It’s joyful. Create or visit one! 📚
In front of a Victorian terrace is a small garden containing a yellow table and chairs with sunflowers on the table. On the wall of the (overgrown/rewilded) garden is a small little free library with a patchy green roof. (Patchy because cats and pigeons sit on it!)
November 2, 2025 at 4:41 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
We had a cheese wedding cake in 2003. Much hilarity at “the bride and groom will cut the cheese” as it means fart to some northerners. And CONGRATULATIONS
A bride and groom cut a stack of cheese, slightly leaning over as the Brie on the bottom was going soft!
November 1, 2025 at 8:40 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
A book recommended to me recently, which was short and I loved, was this one.
The cover of the book Clear by Carys Davies. Showing a cold Scottish sea and a person leaning against a small boat in silhouette.
November 1, 2025 at 5:57 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Fountain pen cleaning session done ✅
A white palm of the hand covered in ink stains of pink, black, purple and blue
November 1, 2025 at 2:17 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Cracking view for today’s little #PhDSky writing sprint. The beautiful and tranquil Lit&Phil library in Newcastle.
A laptop on a long old wood and leather table. In a beautiful old library where book cases stretch over two floors linked by a twisted red wrought iron spiral staircase
October 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Checked in to the kilo sale today at Northumbria University. The impact+ team were running a darning workshop and to my surprise all of the kids wanted to give it a try. They also bought some clothes for up cycling at home 🥰
Someone sits in front of instructions on darning and mends a grey sweater with grey thread A child’s hands working on darning a light pink jumper with dark pint thread
October 28, 2025 at 1:10 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Have you ever seen a finer litter picking squad?
A large group of people stand in front of a café called the oh those whole café. Some hold plastic hoops and rubbish bags, others hold litter picking devices. Someone is dressed as a skeleton, someone has a football shirt on, someone is holding a coffee mug, and two people have mushroom shaped hats on. Everyone is smiling.
October 26, 2025 at 8:19 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Spotted this on a walk today and my first thought was “we shall remember them”
A (poppy shaped and coloured) piece of red pepper with a dark core on top of a blue rubbish bin
October 23, 2025 at 4:04 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
#SundayPixStacks
A slim striped chimney sticking out of a field it’s a largely terracotta brick but has stripes of white brick.
October 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Many a winter night
it arrives and says for a moment:
"I am still here."
A tulip tree with tulip shaped leaves in green, yellow and brown stands over a road sign alerting drivers to pedestrians crossing. On the grassy floor lie some of the brown leaves. A tall dark grey wall and a mossy rock provide a background and give a sense of coldness to the picture.
October 18, 2025 at 1:18 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
@hildur.bsky.social knew I’d be gripped as soon as I read the blurb. Whooshing through this wonderful story on a cosy weekend away. So glad I’ve found your work.
A white hand holding the Night Guest - a book by Hildur Knútsdóttir. A pink cover showing red wine pouring into a glass. Behind the book is a cafe blurred in the background with a colourful ornate ceiling in the top of the image.
October 18, 2025 at 11:44 AM
littlehen.bsky.social
Most smart phones now allow you to copy text from a photo. In the attached photo you can see the little image in the bottom (like a square with horizontal lines in it) right if I select that, I can copy the text in the image. In this image the text shows a select from an agenda. See #AltText
A screenshot of some meeting minutes: 6. Operational business - key or nil updates only Safeguarding, Data protection, Health and Safety Policy Review Update Finances and Funding 7. Upcoming events / Future Plans 8. Any other business 9. Review parked points and new actions 10. Confirm the date for the next meeting also who will facilitate and who will shadow Deep Dive - Check out: What about this meeting has worked well?
October 16, 2025 at 7:11 AM
littlehen.bsky.social
This street view screenshot shows the view on turning left to drive along the river bed and how far away the exit is (but I didn’t know this when entering the stream). I was traumatised by the experience in case you can’t tell 😅
A street view along a river to a point circled in yellow maybe 50 metres away that shows the exit point of the ford
October 12, 2025 at 1:08 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
I couldn’t see the way ‘out’ from the way ‘in’ so I was driving down a fast flowing, deep river along the pebbly river bed with three kids in the car worried that we were going to get stuck. Did not enjoy.
A screenshot of a google map showing an aerial view of the ford and a yellow marks showing the path of the ford (ALONG, rather than ACROSS) the river.
October 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
Oh we love boggle hole! One of my children found an amazing fossil just outside on the beach. The scariest ford I have ever driven through is just around the corner.
A child in a colourful puffer coat of purple, pink and tan, holds a large rock featuring an amonite (spiral) fossil
October 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
#SundayPixBelonging

Weeds grow around and through the fake grass installed around a large junction in Newcastle. The weeds belong and will persist, the grass does not and will not.
A large patch of astroturf in front of a pedestrianised crossing. In front of it and amongst it, real weeds grow and bloom.
October 12, 2025 at 12:23 PM
littlehen.bsky.social
I darned a sock last weekend. Peaceful and fulfilling resistance!
A blue black patterned sock shonkily/visibly darned in reds and black
October 11, 2025 at 5:56 PM