Kirsty Darbyshire
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nocto.social.lol.ap.brid.gy
Kirsty Darbyshire
@nocto.social.lol.ap.brid.gy
she/her

previously @nocto

A non-exhaustive collection of things I enjoy in a non-random order: #boardgames, #CitiesSkylines, #cycling, #history, #knitting, #maps […]

[bridged from https://social.lol/@nocto on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
This is one of the lucky years when I both get round to making my own Christmas cards *and* I get them in the post before Christmas!

I think this might have been the first time in my life I've ever used double-sided sticky backed plastic too, which was a staple […]

[Original post on social.lol]
December 26, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Public transport is arriving in my #lego winter village!

Bag 2 is built (I’ve left the simple Bag 1 build for later). I managed to mistake a small black round piece with a hole and a bump for a small grey piece with a hole and no bump and had to do some […]

[Original post on social.lol]
December 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
[Advent of Code, day 12]

Hurray, I got to the end of #adventofcode and solved the day 12 puzzle.

I still have a couple of earlier part twos to solve to get all the stars but I'm happy to have got to the end and quite happy that there are only 12 days this year too […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 13, 2025 at 11:38 AM
[Advent of Code, Day 11]

Yesterday's #adventofcode Part Two is still bugging me but I've got both today's stars, though admittedly I took a hint (the magic word is memoization) to get today's Part Two to run.

https://nocto.weblog.lol/2025/12/advent-of-code-day-11-2025
nocto@omg · Advent of Code, day 11, 2025
nocto.weblog.lol
December 11, 2025 at 9:51 PM
[Advent of Code, day 10]

Well I have Part One of Day 10 of #adventofcode sorted, which led me down the garden path for solving Part Two. I have some possibly completely wrong ramblings about solving Part Two but I haven't got time to try and convert them into code this evening! […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 10, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Well, I haven't even tried today's #adventofcode puzzle yet because I discovered Rockstar (via @gunnarsson) and needed to rewrite my solution for day 3, part 1 as a song for the elves to decorate the North Pole. It's wild that this is code! […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 10, 2025 at 1:13 PM
[Advent of Code, day 9]

A very short not at all interesting solution to part one of #adventofcode day 9 - my much more interesting solution got canned for being entirely wrong. And I need to leave Part Two to rest, I'm sure it's just got a '>=' that should be '>' or similar somewhere but I'm […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 9, 2025 at 4:24 PM
[Advent of Code, day 8]

Day 8 of #adventofcode and it's Monday and I hate my code which is clumsy and slow. As a result I've only done Part 1 so far.

I thought I had a better idea for Part 2 but it didn't get the right answer for the example so I need to think some more! […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 8, 2025 at 5:38 PM
_Knave of Diamonds_ by Laurie R King is the nineteenth in the Mary Russell series. I love Russell and this isn't a bad book really, I enjoyed reading it, but some of it's starting to feel a lot like filler.

https://nocto.com/books/knave-of-diamonds/

#bookstodon #books #bookreview
December 7, 2025 at 9:59 PM
[Advent of Code day 7]

Today in #adventofcode I unlocked the achievement for crashing your computer by thinking the brute force solution really, maybe, wouldn't be that bad. Numbers, apparently they can get very big, very fast, who knew? [1] […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I'm back up to date with 12 days of getting annoyed with string parsing; sorry I mean #adventofcode - absolutely not a model solution, just me learning a few bits of #python and bashing at the input until I get it in the right format.

https://nocto.weblog.lol/2025/12/advent-of-code-day-6-2025
nocto@omg · Advent of Code, day 6, 2025
nocto.weblog.lol
December 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I've been busy having fun with family for the last couple of days so I've been catching up a bit with #adventofcode this evening and despite telling myself I wouldn't do multiple puzzles in a day I've got day 2 and 3 sorted out.

Day 2 caused me a lot more trouble than Day 3. I'm absolutely not […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 4, 2025 at 8:58 PM
[Advent of Code, Day 1, Python]

I've got no expectation of even trying to keep up with #adventofcode this year as I'm really busy for the next few days. But I've found time to help the elves out with Day 1.

Learning some #python and remembering that thinking first is usually the best plan! […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
December 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
November’s #boardgames including a few new ones, big and small, and some I haven’t played for ages. A pretty average gaming month really but I like that this is average! 😃
December 1, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Kirsty Darbyshire
#artadventcalendar 2025 day 1
For a dull December day here is Light at the End. A view through Gregory Tunnel on the Cromford Canal, Derbyshire.
More information on this work, including detail, inspiration and a work in progress animation, can be found here […]

[Original post on mastoart.social]
December 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
What's the only London Underground station with none of the letters of the word 'mackerel' in it's name?

https://nocto.weblog.lol/2025/11/python-mackerel

Solved with #python as a kind of #adventofcode warm up rather than searching the net for the answer like a normal person.
nocto@omg · Python & Mackerel
nocto.weblog.lol
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Most challenging puzzle game I've done for ages: trying to get all the various bits of randomly shaped white plastic and glass back into the fridge. The only achievement for finishing it is that it's all clean(*) now though.

(*) slightly cleaner than it was anyway.
November 26, 2025 at 5:36 PM
I fired up my weblog space on omg.lol thinking I could use a place to write random short stuff that falls into the space between too long for Mastodon but too short for a proper blog post, or maybe just stuff that's more random or thinky or weird for either of […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
_Orkney Twilight_ by Clare Carson was a spy story that wasn't much of a thriller for most of the book. To me it felt more of a character book than a plot book. I enjoyed being in the company of 18 year old Sam uncovering what her undercover policeman father gets […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
A round up blog post for this year's #coffeeneuring challenge.

Six lattes, one chai, seven different coffee shops, five new-to-me coffee shops, several croissants, no rain, 141.3km of bike riding and seven hand drawn maps.

https://nocto.com/posts/coffeeneuring-2025/
cyclingcoffeeneuring Coffeeneuring 2025 24 November 2025 I enjoyed last year’s Coffeeneuring challenge so I was definitely back in for the 2025 edition: Coffeeneuring Challenge 2025: You’re Only 15 Once – Chasing Mailboxes The challenge is to ride your bike out for a coffee (other beverages are acceptable) seven times over a six week period in October and November, going to at least six different places and riding at least two miles round trip each time. I got off to a slow start with first immovable (but nice!) commitments and then illness getting in the way of riding my bike. In the end it turned out that the first ride I took was the longest one though. I’d have liked to have managed more long rides but then I’d always like to have more time and good weather! I sketched out a map of the first ride and then that turned into it’s own whole thing. They were so much more fun to create than just sharing a route map. I enjoyed trying to find interesting stuff to put on the map. Hint: Ride 7 contains the best random fun thing I saw, though I think Ride 2 was the most interesting map. Ride 1, 26th October https://nocto.com/_astro/elephant.CTma_sRF_JX9JG.webp Elephant Neston | Coffee Shop, Bar and Pizza Place in Neston 🚲 43.91km original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 2, 29th October https://nocto.com/_astro/moki.DcKZt5SS_ZT6CkY.webp #mokichester | TikTok 🚲 12.81km total Original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 3, 2nd November https://nocto.com/_astro/walter.kIJOKs_y_Z22O9Ti.webp Walter’s Coffee House – Higher Kinnerton 🚲 20.19km total Original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 4, 6th November https://nocto.com/_astro/highcoffeebar.D6jfarL6_Z1yE57N.webp high coffee bar | Chester, UK (@highcoffeebar) • Instagram photos and videos 🚲 11.58km total original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 5, 13th November https://nocto.com/_astro/koow.CowGGJFB_1yJOAt.webp Kooŵ (@koow_christleton) • Instagram photos and videos 14.14km original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 6, 16th November https://nocto.com/_astro/meadowlea.BZZ4MDPr_1rsUMk.webp Meadow Lea Farm Coffee Shop | Mickle Trafford 🚲 23.40km original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Ride 7, 23rd November https://nocto.com/_astro/blacksheep.B5Zzt4UG_1cMs2I.webp Black Sheep Coffee - Serving the Finest Specialty Grade Coffee 🚲 15.27km original Mastodon post Post by @nocto@social.lol View on Mastodon Conclusion Six lattes, and one ride that began with a home brewed cappuccino and took in a chai latte. Seven different coffee shops, five of which I’d never visited before, and only one repeat stop from last year. All “drink in” drinks. There were six ceramic cups and one glass. All washable! Actually add another washable cup for the one coffee I had a home. More croissants than got illustrated, I can’t quite remember the count (also not trying too hard to remember). I managed to stay dry on all these rides (though very much not on others in the same time period). There’s been no snow this year, I’ve just been dodging rain. I have bought a new pair of thick winter gloves since last year, much warmer than the old ones. And I found my good summer gloves before one of these rides. Still haven’t found the old summer gloves though. 141.3km of riding, up from 126.8km last year. I’m surprised by that, I thought I was missing out on long rides this year but last year I was ill in the middle of the coffeeneuring season (and this year the illness fell at the beginning).
* cycling * coffeeneuring # Coffeeneuring 2025 24 November 2025 I enjoyed last year’s Coffeeneuring challenge so I was definitely back in for the 2025 edition: Coffeeneuring Challenge 2025: You’re Only 15 Once – Chasing Mailboxes The challenge is to ride your bike out for a coffee (other beverages are acceptable) seven times over a six week period in October and November, going to at least six different places and riding at least two miles round trip each time. I got off to a slow start with first immovable (but nice!) commitments and then illness getting in the way of riding my bike. In the end it turned out that the first ride I took was the longest one though. I’d have liked to have managed more long rides but then I’d always like to have more time and good weather! I sketched out a map of the first ride and then that turned into it’s own whole thing. They were so much more fun to create than just sharing a route map. I enjoyed trying to find interesting stuff to put on the map. Hint: Ride 7 contains the best random fun thing I saw, though I think Ride 2 was the most interesting map. ## Ride 1, 26th October * Elephant Neston | Coffee Shop, Bar and Pizza Place in Neston * 🚲 43.91km original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 2, 29th October * #mokichester | TikTok * 🚲 12.81km total Original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 3, 2nd November * Walter’s Coffee House – Higher Kinnerton * 🚲 20.19km total Original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 4, 6th November * high coffee bar | Chester, UK (@highcoffeebar) • Instagram photos and videos * 🚲 11.58km total original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 5, 13th November * Kooŵ (@koow_christleton) • Instagram photos and videos * 14.14km original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 6, 16th November * Meadow Lea Farm Coffee Shop | Mickle Trafford * 🚲 23.40km original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Ride 7, 23rd November * Black Sheep Coffee - Serving the Finest Specialty Grade Coffee * 🚲 15.27km original Mastodon post > Post by @nocto@social.lol > > View on Mastodon ## Conclusion * Six lattes, and one ride that began with a home brewed cappuccino and took in a chai latte. * Seven different coffee shops, five of which I’d never visited before, and only one repeat stop from last year. * All “drink in” drinks. There were six ceramic cups and one glass. All washable! Actually add another washable cup for the one coffee I had a home. * More croissants than got illustrated, I can’t quite remember the count (also not trying too hard to remember). * I managed to stay dry on all these rides (though very much _not_ on others in the same time period). There’s been no snow this year, I’ve just been dodging rain. * I have bought a new pair of thick winter gloves since last year, much warmer than the old ones. And I found my good summer gloves before one of these rides. Still haven’t found the old summer gloves though. * 141.3km of riding, up from 126.8km last year. I’m surprised by that, I thought I was missing out on long rides this year but last year I was ill in the middle of the coffeeneuring season (and this year the illness fell at the beginning).
nocto.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:51 PM
A blog post about ten new-to-me #boardgames that I've played in the last few weeks. My favourite was definitely Sanctuary, the new and simpler spin off from Ark Nova. I liked that it was simpler but still very puzzley. Civolution was also a surprise hit with me, I had rather been avoiding it and […]
Original post on social.lol
social.lol
November 23, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Seventh (& last) #coffeeneuring ride of the season took an outbound route down a boring main road to a new(ish) coffee shop belonging to a small chain. I’ve only been in one branch before which wasn’t great, this was perfectly nice and I would go back.

To get […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 22, 2025 at 5:23 PM
_Everything is Tuberculosis_ by John Green was an easy and interesting read. A look into how the disease has shaped society and how society shapes the disease. The title's not as hyperbolic as I thought it might be. A very readable and interesting book […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I was about to go out #coffeeneuring yesterday morning when my phone rang. A family member utilising me as their emergency “help my website has broken” contact. Happy to help but it took longer than expected, then I got distracted by something else. So since I was […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 17, 2025 at 3:27 PM
It's a horrid rainy day today as Storm Claudia is hitting us, but yesterday it was glorious blue skies and I took advantage of them to take #coffeeneuring ride number 5 to one of my favourite coffee shops in a village just outside the city along the canal.

There […]

[Original post on social.lol]
November 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM