Maria Sienkiewicz
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mariasienk.bsky.social
Maria Sienkiewicz
@mariasienk.bsky.social
400 followers 380 following 390 posts
Archivist. Became an archivist because I like books and now I spend all day glaring at a computer. Manchester and Cheshire.

https://home.barclays/archive-barclays/
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mariasienk.bsky.social
I think Network Rail and I might have different ideas of what constitutes ‘quite quiet’.
A screenshot from Network Rail’s website showing information about the 17:41 from Euston to Liverpool Lime Street. It includes the sentence ‘this station tends to be quite quiet at this time’.
November 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Plain dress and a distinctive hat. This painting shows Jonathan Backhouse, a Quaker banker, in 1819
A painting showing a coach with 4 horses racing past the toll house at Croft bridge in Darlington. A man, Jonathan Backhouse, leans out of the coach, wearing a distinctive black wide-brimmed hat.
October 4, 2025 at 4:21 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
The 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway gives me a chance to shine a spotlight on this amazing document - the subscription deed for the railway. Held by Barclays because one of our early bankers was Treasurer to the railway (continues)
A large parchment deed bearing a large quantity of signatures with seals
September 27, 2025 at 10:29 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest via the south west face. The expedition was led by Chris Bonington and sponsored by Barclays, which is why we have this splendid flag in the archives.
A flag, based loosely on a quarter of the union flag. It is split diagonally by a red and white stripe. Above the stripe is a dark blue ground featuring a red silhouette of a climber. Below the stripe is a sky blue ground with an heraldic white spread eagle bearing 3 crowns on its chest and wings (the logo of Barclays Bank).
September 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
The glamour of working in archives - I find myself in a service lift. My favourite bit was when I got out, pushed open a door and emerged from what looked like a wall!
Inside a service lift. It is bigger than a normal lift, with many illuminated buttons for selecting a floor. The walls are bare wood with many scratches and chips, and a random splodge of blue paint.
September 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Ted says hello
A grey cairn terrier sitting on some patchy grass. He is looking up at the camera with his tongue out.
July 24, 2025 at 8:27 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
So many unlikely elements to this scam text….
A screenshot of a text claiming to be from ‘the government’, addressed to a group of random people, about a parking ticket. Very obviously a scam.
June 28, 2025 at 8:26 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Might have laughed too bitterly at this. We export reports from our archive catalogue to excel and it insists on converting our location data to dates. We just live with it now - 3 April 2002 is aisle 3, bay 4, shelf 2. Obvs.
A photo of text that reads: Optimist: the glass is half full Pessimist: the glass is half empty Excel: the glass is January 2nd
June 21, 2025 at 10:41 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
I have had quite the soft spot for him from the days when my daughter watched Horrible Histories. His Adam Ant Dick Turpin lives on in my memory. So glad TM has shown him to be even more fun.
Actor Mathew Baynton in costume as ‘dandy highwayman’ Dick Turpin from the BBC tv series Horrible Histories. He wears a black tricorn hat, a black cape, and a black jacket with a great deal of gold braid.
June 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Took the dog for a glorious walk through the Windows screensaver
A photo of a beautiful English landscape. A green field with a slight dip sits under a blue sky with a few small fluffy white clouds. In the distance are a few trees, in the foreground is a small hedge and white cow parsley. The photo bears a striking resemblance to an image once used by Microsoft as a screensaver.
May 18, 2025 at 10:25 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Our dog finds a ball everywhere he goes. He has a knack for carrying them in his mouth so that we can’t see, and brings them home. There are currently at least 8 tennis balls in our garden that we did not buy.
A small grey dog (a Cairn Terrier) standing on patchy grass. He has an orange ball in his mouth, but only a tiny part of it is visible.
May 16, 2025 at 10:12 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
My dad left me a voicemail and my phone provided a transcript. Needless to say, this is not what my dad said.
Image shows a screenshot of a voicemail transcript which reads, “Where's your father now? The old mobile Suck my Of my corner I love his home softly Actually comes So Close the song Anyway Book Speak Oh my gosh, about at nine…”
April 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Please enjoy this photo of our dog Ted on holiday in Criccieth last week (no we can’t believe how lucky we were with the weather either).
A grey Cairn Terrier stands in profile on a grassy cliff top. Behind him is a beautiful blue sea and a surprisingly blue sky for North Wales in early April.
April 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Current discourse on local Facebook. What exactly do people think the £98.7 million spent on children’s social services, for example, pays for if they don’t think it includes the salaries of the staff who deliver that service? I despair.
Screenshot from Facebook which reads: Have you read the blue leaflet enclosed with you Council Tax demand? The one figure missing is the total for the wages, salaries and pensions for the Council Staff. Presumably it is the £67.9m shown as others. I wonder why?
March 15, 2025 at 12:27 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus Pawb!

Have a welshcake
A white plate with a blue rim holding five welshcakes.
March 1, 2025 at 7:56 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
This school photo features my husband and crops up on his Facebook at regular intervals. Never fails to make me laugh. In case you’re wondering, he attended a Boys’ Catholic Grammar School.
A black and white class photo from an English boys’ high school in the 1970s. The boys are sitting on steps outside the school, with a young male teacher in the middle of the front row. They are crammed in, jostling for space, barely constrained. Some are smiling, one is picking his nose, one has his tongue out. The photo is joyfully riotous.
February 15, 2025 at 11:23 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
This is our dog Ted, if we try to cuddle him when he’s not in the mood, he growls at us. He’s very affectionate when he wants to be.
A grey cairn terrier sitting on a sofa with a soft toy squirrel.
February 8, 2025 at 8:56 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
In October, I collected shells from the beach, which have been sitting in a kid’s sandcastle bucket in the garden, awaiting cleaning, but now they’re a piece of frozen art.
A block of ice in the shape of a sandcastle, in which is suspended a large number of seashells.
January 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Delightful trip to Erddig - still feeling the Christmas spirit
A table in the victorian kitchen at National Trust house, Erddig. The table is laden with small decorative Christmas presents, paper Christmas trees, a Christmas pudding, and several fancy jellies. In the background is a range oven, and shelves full of copper pans. A table in the dining room at Erddig, set for a fancy dinner. The room is beautifully dimly lit. A real Christmas tree with warm white lights and gold decorations.
December 31, 2024 at 3:42 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Will be working from home today so taking a little longer on the sofa with my coffee, and the dog has just curled up next to me. Looks like I’m stuck here now. Am sure my employer will understand.
A small grey dog wearing a little green bandana featuring candy canes is tightly curled on a light brown sofa. At the edge of the photo you can see part of a Christmas tree with white lights and gold and red baubles. An idyllic scene, from which only a heartless monster could tear herself.
December 20, 2024 at 8:17 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Tree’s up
A real Christmas tree positioned in a living room in front of a set of patio doors. The tree is covered in white lights and a wide range of baubles.
December 15, 2024 at 7:24 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

#Books 📖
#BookSky 💙📚
#BookChallenge
20/20
The cover of the book, At Christmas We Feast, by Annie Gray
December 12, 2024 at 9:18 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

#Books 📖
#BookSky 💙📚
#BookChallenge
19/20
The cover of the book, At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
December 11, 2024 at 7:52 PM
mariasienk.bsky.social
BBC Breakfast interview with Colin from GCHQ who must remain anonymous so is hidden behind a large print of the GCHQ Christmas puzzle is a delight.
A photo of a tv screen showing a BBC journalist standing next to a large board displaying the GCHQ Christmas puzzle. A caption informs us he is speaking to Colin, Chief Puzzler at GCHQ, but we can’t see Colin.
December 11, 2024 at 7:33 AM
mariasienk.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

#Books 📖
#BookSky 💙📚
#BookChallenge
18/20
The cover of the book, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
December 10, 2024 at 5:57 PM