Andrew Quigley
@qdrew.bsky.social
Parish priest, runner, environmentalist, Middle-Earth dweller.
I don't follow Formula 1, but I hear someone called Lando won something. Isn't using the Millennium Falcon considered cheating?
December 8, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I don't follow Formula 1, but I hear someone called Lando won something. Isn't using the Millennium Falcon considered cheating?
Today I went to see the fantastic production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at Leicester's Curve. I remembered it from the novel read as a set-text at school, a chilling tale of prejudice a long time ago in a foreign country. As Atticus sits guard outside the jail, defending Tom from a lynch mob....
October 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Today I went to see the fantastic production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at Leicester's Curve. I remembered it from the novel read as a set-text at school, a chilling tale of prejudice a long time ago in a foreign country. As Atticus sits guard outside the jail, defending Tom from a lynch mob....
Late to the party, but Sinners is a smashing movie - a sort of "O brother whereart thou" with vampires. I was hoping it would come down to a Westside Story style dance-off between the Irish dancing vamps and the Delta-blues humans, but still fab.
October 16, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Late to the party, but Sinners is a smashing movie - a sort of "O brother whereart thou" with vampires. I was hoping it would come down to a Westside Story style dance-off between the Irish dancing vamps and the Delta-blues humans, but still fab.
Ok, another opinion on The Life of a Showgirl you don't need: it's great. The Fate of Ophelia is a really strong opener, earworm catchy and brilliant writing. The "purgatory" reference chimes perfectly with Hamlet's ghosts and unshriven victims. More later...
October 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Ok, another opinion on The Life of a Showgirl you don't need: it's great. The Fate of Ophelia is a really strong opener, earworm catchy and brilliant writing. The "purgatory" reference chimes perfectly with Hamlet's ghosts and unshriven victims. More later...
I'm on a panel talking about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Leicester Cathedral next week, to mark the 75th anniversary of publication. Anyone doing anything to mark this? Anyone got any comments on the impact the book had on them? (Tickets from Leicester Cathedral if you're interested)
October 10, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I'm on a panel talking about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Leicester Cathedral next week, to mark the 75th anniversary of publication. Anyone doing anything to mark this? Anyone got any comments on the impact the book had on them? (Tickets from Leicester Cathedral if you're interested)
I seem to spend half my time on bluesky reading and liking posts denouncing the harmful, wasteful, art-destroying spread of AI. It strikes me that when it takes over it it'll come for us first. Also wondering if AI is making any anti-AI posts for the clicks yet.....
June 5, 2025 at 10:47 AM
I seem to spend half my time on bluesky reading and liking posts denouncing the harmful, wasteful, art-destroying spread of AI. It strikes me that when it takes over it it'll come for us first. Also wondering if AI is making any anti-AI posts for the clicks yet.....
It's a lovely warm evening here in the English Midlands. A nice cool glass of wine in the garden beckoned, but lost out to a nice cool glass of wine watching Andor for the third time.
May 31, 2025 at 6:43 PM
It's a lovely warm evening here in the English Midlands. A nice cool glass of wine in the garden beckoned, but lost out to a nice cool glass of wine watching Andor for the third time.
Andor? And-more! (I'll settle for rewatching Rogue One) Soooo good.
May 14, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Andor? And-more! (I'll settle for rewatching Rogue One) Soooo good.
May the 4th ("Star Wars day") is just a made up greeting card holiday. The medieval church celebrated it on an entirely different date. I can't tell you when, but it was a long, long time ago.
May 4, 2025 at 6:40 PM
May the 4th ("Star Wars day") is just a made up greeting card holiday. The medieval church celebrated it on an entirely different date. I can't tell you when, but it was a long, long time ago.
Pope Francis and ABC Justin Welby both took up office in March 2013. Both have now left those offices, and I can't help but reflect on the very different circumstances in which they left, and ways in which they conducted their ministries.
April 21, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Pope Francis and ABC Justin Welby both took up office in March 2013. Both have now left those offices, and I can't help but reflect on the very different circumstances in which they left, and ways in which they conducted their ministries.
In our fruit bowl there is often a bag of oranges. The nicest ones get eaten first. One is left behind that becomes more and more unpleasant. Eventually it's a putrid orange of evil. Somehow it is elected president...
February 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
In our fruit bowl there is often a bag of oranges. The nicest ones get eaten first. One is left behind that becomes more and more unpleasant. Eventually it's a putrid orange of evil. Somehow it is elected president...
It does seem strangely relevant that "Doge" (as in head of the Venetian republic) comes from the same Latin word as "Duce" - as in Mussolini. I can't think why...
February 5, 2025 at 7:20 PM
It does seem strangely relevant that "Doge" (as in head of the Venetian republic) comes from the same Latin word as "Duce" - as in Mussolini. I can't think why...
If an AI following the first law of robotics was running a power grid that used coal-fired generation, and was made aware of global heating, would it shut that station down?
February 4, 2025 at 7:44 AM
If an AI following the first law of robotics was running a power grid that used coal-fired generation, and was made aware of global heating, would it shut that station down?
Day-off TV is Ludwig. There's a body in a church. Someone has filled the church with candles and somehow kept them trimmed and burning through the hours the corpse has laid there. Huh.
February 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Day-off TV is Ludwig. There's a body in a church. Someone has filled the church with candles and somehow kept them trimmed and burning through the hours the corpse has laid there. Huh.
I'm watching The Wrath of Khan (for the 2 millionth time) practicing removing my gloves with infinite menace like Khan.
February 1, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I'm watching The Wrath of Khan (for the 2 millionth time) practicing removing my gloves with infinite menace like Khan.
The mulled wine has been drunk. About a dozen panettone and countless mince pies consumed. I'm on track to finish the last stollen just before Candlemas. I'm proud, yet sad, in a dignified kind of way
January 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
The mulled wine has been drunk. About a dozen panettone and countless mince pies consumed. I'm on track to finish the last stollen just before Candlemas. I'm proud, yet sad, in a dignified kind of way
In the supermarket just now, two self-checkout tills were saying the same thing at the same time, and I thought, "this is what shopping in a Borg cube sounds like."
January 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
In the supermarket just now, two self-checkout tills were saying the same thing at the same time, and I thought, "this is what shopping in a Borg cube sounds like."
Since apparently we can now just rename geographical features on a whim, can we please have a Bay of Belfalas somewhere? (It seems too cheap to nominate your local Mordor) #Tolkien (The political version of this canvasses your opinion on what the rest of the world should rename the USA...)
January 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Since apparently we can now just rename geographical features on a whim, can we please have a Bay of Belfalas somewhere? (It seems too cheap to nominate your local Mordor) #Tolkien (The political version of this canvasses your opinion on what the rest of the world should rename the USA...)
Any church-y friends (or anyone else, you're all welcome!) you can follow my church at stjamesgreaterleic.bsky.social
stjamesgreaterleic.bsky.social
stjamesgreaterleic.bsky.social
January 23, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Any church-y friends (or anyone else, you're all welcome!) you can follow my church at stjamesgreaterleic.bsky.social
Some have noticed that an incoming storm in the UK has been named Eowyn. My mind was boggled by the perceived need for a pronunciation guide ("Ay-oh-win") - what have these people been doing with their lives? #Tolkien
January 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Some have noticed that an incoming storm in the UK has been named Eowyn. My mind was boggled by the perceived need for a pronunciation guide ("Ay-oh-win") - what have these people been doing with their lives? #Tolkien
I can't run at the moment, and it's another cold, grey day, but I'm feeling buoyed up by one of my favourite Mass settings this morning (Haydn's Kleine Orgelmesse) and an excellent Collect ("transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace").
January 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I can't run at the moment, and it's another cold, grey day, but I'm feeling buoyed up by one of my favourite Mass settings this morning (Haydn's Kleine Orgelmesse) and an excellent Collect ("transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace").
I went to see A Complete Unknown today - a fantastic film (even if you're not a diehard Dylanist). Between Paul Atreides and Bob Dylan Chalamet has really got this flawed Messiah-figure thing sewn up.
January 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I went to see A Complete Unknown today - a fantastic film (even if you're not a diehard Dylanist). Between Paul Atreides and Bob Dylan Chalamet has really got this flawed Messiah-figure thing sewn up.
I guess many of us with a fairly serious interest in #Tolkien are heartily fed up with the "Why didn't the eagles...?" question. I wonder if this is in part due to missing the Old Forest from all adaptations, with it's important stuff about the independence of all living things.
January 14, 2025 at 5:34 PM
I guess many of us with a fairly serious interest in #Tolkien are heartily fed up with the "Why didn't the eagles...?" question. I wonder if this is in part due to missing the Old Forest from all adaptations, with it's important stuff about the independence of all living things.
I've just thought of a silver lining for the whole Meta situation - perhaps other social-media will stop fact-checking. In anticipation of Strava doing so, I'm really pleased with my new Marathon PB of 30 minutes!
January 9, 2025 at 12:03 PM
I've just thought of a silver lining for the whole Meta situation - perhaps other social-media will stop fact-checking. In anticipation of Strava doing so, I'm really pleased with my new Marathon PB of 30 minutes!