Sarah Burton
@mingsysar.bsky.social
Librarian within the University of Cambridge. Expect library, geeky, Cambridge, wildlife and random stuff. Particular interests: mental health, nature, film, TV and anything positive.
1/2 Visited the Mill Road Old Library today, opened as part of Mill Road Winter Fair, which was great. I was unexpectedly emotional as I spent time there a lot as a child: it was right next to my Dad's old workplace. It's been gutted, which gutted me 😢
December 6, 2025 at 7:23 PM
1/2 Visited the Mill Road Old Library today, opened as part of Mill Road Winter Fair, which was great. I was unexpectedly emotional as I spent time there a lot as a child: it was right next to my Dad's old workplace. It's been gutted, which gutted me 😢
When the bushes and trees block the sun from burning off the frost, but the cyclists do instead. Felt like a wimp walking, but didn't feel safe, still better than cycling Newmarket Road like I had to this morning.
November 21, 2025 at 6:22 PM
When the bushes and trees block the sun from burning off the frost, but the cyclists do instead. Felt like a wimp walking, but didn't feel safe, still better than cycling Newmarket Road like I had to this morning.
1/2 Though we weren't lucky enough to see any beavers, we got to see behind the scenes of the Rushden Lakes beaver project, behind locked gates. Which means we saw the felled trees, gnawed bark and beautiful views.
October 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
1/2 Though we weren't lucky enough to see any beavers, we got to see behind the scenes of the Rushden Lakes beaver project, behind locked gates. Which means we saw the felled trees, gnawed bark and beautiful views.
Really good Halloween themed Creative Writing Club last night. Got to use a family ghost story as inspiration, as well as lots of sweets. There were fellow Parma Violet lovers in the room!
October 28, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Really good Halloween themed Creative Writing Club last night. Got to use a family ghost story as inspiration, as well as lots of sweets. There were fellow Parma Violet lovers in the room!
1/3 I'm used to words hitting home in a bad way, but when they touch me deeply, I'm not used to it. I was moved to tears last night when I hugged someone goodbye and they said "thank you for fitting in so well".
October 27, 2025 at 12:13 PM
1/3 I'm used to words hitting home in a bad way, but when they touch me deeply, I'm not used to it. I was moved to tears last night when I hugged someone goodbye and they said "thank you for fitting in so well".
I did a thing. Presentation went a bit wrong: new screen, never used, settings not quite right. Switched to wrong mode mid presentation, smart TV hadn't been switched off and it tried to play a TV channel, almost projected the football around the chapel 🤣 I styled it out and even made a joke of it.
October 2, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I did a thing. Presentation went a bit wrong: new screen, never used, settings not quite right. Switched to wrong mode mid presentation, smart TV hadn't been switched off and it tried to play a TV channel, almost projected the football around the chapel 🤣 I styled it out and even made a joke of it.
Totally forgot to post these from Saturday! Went to a rococo monster mash themed wedding. I went as a steampunk purple goth.
September 9, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Totally forgot to post these from Saturday! Went to a rococo monster mash themed wedding. I went as a steampunk purple goth.
1/3 Absolutely destroyed by the hot sun, but managed to see everything at Wrest Park and win Taskmaster too! Combination of word puzzles, dramatic historical reenactment, passion for books, accurate duck throwing and challenging my balance.
August 25, 2025 at 4:36 PM
1/3 Absolutely destroyed by the hot sun, but managed to see everything at Wrest Park and win Taskmaster too! Combination of word puzzles, dramatic historical reenactment, passion for books, accurate duck throwing and challenging my balance.
Quite an apple harvest haul this year, both the bramley and cox(ish) apple tree doing well. Got covered in seeds, aphid goop and tree detritus. But it was worth it!
August 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Quite an apple harvest haul this year, both the bramley and cox(ish) apple tree doing well. Got covered in seeds, aphid goop and tree detritus. But it was worth it!
This feels like a long time coming and some of you might be thinking what took you so long. I now have purple hair!
August 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
This feels like a long time coming and some of you might be thinking what took you so long. I now have purple hair!
Yesterday brought me a moment to savour! Moments to savour used to be any sighting of the roe deer stag that lives in the College. But we see him so often now on our daily lunchtime nature walk, it's become too commonplace.
August 13, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Yesterday brought me a moment to savour! Moments to savour used to be any sighting of the roe deer stag that lives in the College. But we see him so often now on our daily lunchtime nature walk, it's become too commonplace.
Over on Facebook I've been doing some moments to savour, mostly with gifs. But today's moment to savour is this. Does it need description? Context maybe. Every year we can get a day off work and go on a day out with colleagues. I spent the day with some wonderful people by the seaside of Hunstanton.
August 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Over on Facebook I've been doing some moments to savour, mostly with gifs. But today's moment to savour is this. Does it need description? Context maybe. Every year we can get a day off work and go on a day out with colleagues. I spent the day with some wonderful people by the seaside of Hunstanton.
I grew up in Cherry Hinton and never knew about the glow worms at the chalk pits. Finally saw them last night, even finding one myself! Also got an impromptu astronomy lesson; I knew the plough of course! Tired today as had to stay up late, but it was worth it.
July 29, 2025 at 6:53 AM
I grew up in Cherry Hinton and never knew about the glow worms at the chalk pits. Finally saw them last night, even finding one myself! Also got an impromptu astronomy lesson; I knew the plough of course! Tired today as had to stay up late, but it was worth it.
A couple of people have been worried about me since my last post, not the one about the purple ice cream! So here it is, the thing that upsets me every time I commute to and from work now, hacked off about them hacking up this incredible tree.
July 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
A couple of people have been worried about me since my last post, not the one about the purple ice cream! So here it is, the thing that upsets me every time I commute to and from work now, hacked off about them hacking up this incredible tree.
Went to Jack's gelato on Friday, had sorbets as I always do if they're on the menu. But the coconut and ube (purple yam) ice cream has stayed in my mind ever since. So I went back to try it today, was worth the calories. Yes it is that vibrant purple in real life, I had it in The Philippines.
July 21, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Went to Jack's gelato on Friday, had sorbets as I always do if they're on the menu. But the coconut and ube (purple yam) ice cream has stayed in my mind ever since. So I went back to try it today, was worth the calories. Yes it is that vibrant purple in real life, I had it in The Philippines.
Since coming back from holiday, I've noticed a few changes on my route to work. This is the most beautiful. People have been using graffiti to make political statements on the Chisholm Trail bridge, this will put a stop to it! The least beautiful change, I'm too upset to post about, maybe next week.
July 18, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Since coming back from holiday, I've noticed a few changes on my route to work. This is the most beautiful. People have been using graffiti to make political statements on the Chisholm Trail bridge, this will put a stop to it! The least beautiful change, I'm too upset to post about, maybe next week.
Visited the Menin Gate this morning before going home, could finally walk up the steps and it was moving to see all the wreaths, names and tributes. Good to be home and glad I've got tomorrow as leave too, not least because of all the laundry!
July 15, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Visited the Menin Gate this morning before going home, could finally walk up the steps and it was moving to see all the wreaths, names and tributes. Good to be home and glad I've got tomorrow as leave too, not least because of all the laundry!
1/2 Few photos today as we're on our way home, staying overnight in Ypres as it's close enough to the Chunnel, but also so we can go to The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Last time and first time we were here, the gate was being refurbished and was under scaffolding.
July 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
1/2 Few photos today as we're on our way home, staying overnight in Ypres as it's close enough to the Chunnel, but also so we can go to The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Last time and first time we were here, the gate was being refurbished and was under scaffolding.
Due to problems on the railway, we couldn't do what we wanted to do today, spending 75 minutes on a train only to come back instead. So, we had flammkuchen for lunch: pizzas on a crepe and I had sorbet: melon, dragonfruit and Waldmeister, speciality of the region.
July 9, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Due to problems on the railway, we couldn't do what we wanted to do today, spending 75 minutes on a train only to come back instead. So, we had flammkuchen for lunch: pizzas on a crepe and I had sorbet: melon, dragonfruit and Waldmeister, speciality of the region.
Rainy day, so we stayed in. Taught many more games to my niece & nephew; they caught on impressively quickly! I had flashbacks to when we had to resort to card games, board games & DVDs on holiday when I was young. My niece has beaten me once at slam: the pupil became the master after just one day!
July 7, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Rainy day, so we stayed in. Taught many more games to my niece & nephew; they caught on impressively quickly! I had flashbacks to when we had to resort to card games, board games & DVDs on holiday when I was young. My niece has beaten me once at slam: the pupil became the master after just one day!
Long overdue lunch in many ways; reconnected with someone spending quality time really catching up after around 6 years after bumping into them a few weeks ago, and finally going to Kibou after working at Jesus College almost 2 years!
July 2, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Long overdue lunch in many ways; reconnected with someone spending quality time really catching up after around 6 years after bumping into them a few weeks ago, and finally going to Kibou after working at Jesus College almost 2 years!
Lord of the Rings day in the Library, two costume changes!
June 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Lord of the Rings day in the Library, two costume changes!
Very busy week I've had this week, no wonder I almost fell asleep during the day yesterday, almost unheard of for me! Apart from Pride and Madingley Hall, I've had two working lunches, yoga and Creative Writing Club, one afternoon garden party and one after work party.
June 22, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Very busy week I've had this week, no wonder I almost fell asleep during the day yesterday, almost unheard of for me! Apart from Pride and Madingley Hall, I've had two working lunches, yoga and Creative Writing Club, one afternoon garden party and one after work party.
First Cambridge Pride! Not proud of myself it's taken so long.
June 14, 2025 at 4:18 PM
First Cambridge Pride! Not proud of myself it's taken so long.