Vivian H
LightNews LightNews
banner
vivianh.bsky.social
Vivian H
@vivianh.bsky.social
150 followers 160 following 1.1K posts
Non-binary single parent. Chronically exhausted. Never known to underthink anything. Approximately Anglican, Benedictine fanperson.
Posts Replies Media Videos
vivianh.bsky.social
I stitched a thing! Kit by Paraffle, the design is simple and fun, but I am *never* using the new trendy stick-on water-soluble stuff to transfer an embroidery design to fabric again. I don't care how much easier it is, stitching through glue was Not Fun. But I like this.
Propped up on my trousered knee, with a blurred background of a messy room, is a small embroidery hoop (four inches). In the hoop is purple fabric, with a design of a thistle. The stem and leaves and bottom of the flower head are worked in outline, using green thread. The top of the flower head is an explosion of fluffy pale purple thread worked in tufts to stick out from the fabric.
November 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
A space where a sofa isn't. We only gave up in despair about three times before realising that the legs unscrewed and that if we took the legs off, there was just a chance that we might not have a sofa permanently wedged in the doorway.
A corner of a sitting room- magnolia wall, large empty expanse of red carpet, bottoms of pictures visible on walls, vacuum cleaner abandoned on the floor.
October 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Just got to get these through Customs...
Dressing up clothes for children in the form of a bishop's mitre (pointy hat) and crozier (staff with a shepherd's crook style curly end). Because a woman's place is in Lambeth Palace, hooray!
October 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
I found the Begijnhof, which is an amazing still space, still lived in. Two chapels, one English Reformed (pictured) and one Roman Catholic (no photos allowed, fair enough). Now I want to go on a walk round Amsterdam's 'Hidden' (RC) Churches. Possibly on a drier day. #DutchDayOut
Old brick houses, brick paving, around a green lawn with trees overhanging it. Amsterdam's Begijnhof on a rainy day The English Reformed Chapel in Amsterdam's Begijnhof. Red carpet, clear glass windows, whitewashed walls, a pale wooden ceiling and dark wood pews.
October 6, 2025 at 7:03 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
I had a filthy gorgeous lunch by a canal #DutchDayOut
A hot dog in a seeded roll topped with cheese and bacon and crisp fried onions, a pot of crinkle potato wedges, and a can of orange Fanta with a straw in it. All the major food groups present and correct. Behind this carnivorous feast a sign advertises veggie and vegan burgers.
October 6, 2025 at 6:48 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
At Schiedam Centrum on a grey Dutch morning for the 0946 to Amsterdam Central. Narrowly avoided snapping two NS security guards, which is the kind of thing they warn you about doing in the guidebooks. Archibald and I shall not be deported! #DutchDayOut
From furthest to nearest, a yellow double decker Dutch train, a platform, two lines, another platform, a departure board saying Amsterdam Central, and a soft toy dog.
October 6, 2025 at 7:38 AM
vivianh.bsky.social
7.15 in the Netherlands and the sun has not yet risen on my #DutchDayOut .
Shades of red, blue and yellow in a sky just starting to get light over the lights of the Dutch coastline.
October 6, 2025 at 5:20 AM
vivianh.bsky.social
Opening up a ship tracker to find that that there boat in front of us, lit up like a Christmas tree, is actually RRS Sir David Attenborough. Presumably accompanied by Boaty McBoatface. Excitement! #DutchDayOut
On a nightime river, a vessel is moored to the quay. She is covered in lights.
October 5, 2025 at 8:54 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
A brief train ride later, and I have the best view on the boat (well, the best passengers get). Netherlands here we come. Will the book or the chocolate last the night? #DutchDayOut
A porthole in a ferry cabin, with a view over the bows of cars and lorries driving onto the ship. On the sill is our friend Archibald the stuffed terrier, with a bar of Ritter Sport chocolate in pistachio flavour and a copy of the new novel by K J Charles, called All of Us Murderers.
October 5, 2025 at 8:16 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Train 3, and stage 4 of the #DutchDayOut. We're not moving anywhere for another ten minutes, but it's warmer than the platform. Manningtree to Harwich International, for a big white ferry.
A small soft toy terrier called Archibald is sitting on a blue rucksack with a turquoise water bottle strapped to it, on a train seat.
October 5, 2025 at 7:25 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
#DutchDayOut A forty minute wait in the bustling metropolis of Manningtree on a Sunday night. Manningtree station has a bar. It doesn't open Sundays.
A platform, two train lines, another platform, and some station buildings. It is dark and rather chilly. There are no people in sight.
October 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Leg 3, the 1900 from Norwich to Manningtree. It's dark outside now, so it must be time for pudding, and for Archibald to emerge. #DutchDayOut
A small cuddly toy in terrier form called Archibald sits on a flap-down train table, next to a Tesco pot of mixed berries. Won't be getting scurvy tonight.
October 5, 2025 at 6:06 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Like this, in fact. #DutchDayOut
From a moving train, sunset over Breydon Water. It's a large tidal body of water where the rivers Yare and Waveney meet, before joining the Bure to flow out to sea at Great Yarmouth.
October 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Not quite stage 2 of my#DutchDayOut, because that was the bus into town. You'd have a lovely view of Breydon Water if someone hadn't dumped an Asda in the way at Great Yarmouth (handy for a train picnic though).
The sun sets behind McDonalds (open) and Asda (closed, because it's Sunday night).
October 5, 2025 at 5:18 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Due to user incompetence (it's me, I'm the problem), I do not havethe new Taylor Swift album today. But, after a slightly unexpected third postal delivery of the day, I do have something to read on my jaunt to the Netherlands this weekend, thanks to @kjcharleswriter.com
A paperback copy of All of Us Murderers by K J Charles on a red sofa. The book's cover features two men in suits running away from a louring gothic mansion. It looks very like the books I wasn't supposed to read when I was a teenager.
October 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Today's torture was a morning wandering round the Altstadt of Koblenz, then a train ride up the Moselle to a very plush hotel room with a truly spectacular view.
A shady courtyard with a fountain and trees, under a tall white building with a corner tower, in Koblenz A view from a moving train of another set of tracks, a road with cars, and steep cliffs going down to the river Moselle The Porta Nigra (Latin for Black Gate), a Roman gateway in the German city of Trier. Seen in evening sunshine.
August 21, 2025 at 6:26 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
There was meant to be a picture.
A view of the river Rhine from a moving train. There is a jetty in the foreground, and the far bank of the river is very steep, with vineyards in terraces. There is a barge pushing an unpowered second boat on the river.
August 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Today I went walking in the mountains. What an absolutely terrible holiday.
A view through pine trees of pine-covered hills receding into the distance in the Schwarzwald or Black Forest in southern Germany. The foreground is shady but the sky is a bright clear blue with no clouds.
August 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Having a simply ghastly time on holiday in the Black Forest. Having to endure a Lifetime First bird sighting, a stork on its nest, which is something I had always filed under "happens in books", not something that I might ever see.
A church tower, golden in evening light,with a green tiled spire partially visible. At the bottom of the spire section a large nest is sited, an untidy pile of sticks. Standing in the nest is a very large white and black bird with a long bill. It is a stork.
August 18, 2025 at 6:50 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Timeline cleanser. The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen. As Grizel did not see. #ChaletSchool.
On a bright sunny Swiss morning, white water tumbles over rocky falls.
August 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
vivianh.bsky.social
The Thunersee yesterday, for all the #ChaletSchool fans. Did not get to Lauterbrunnen or Wengen (for complicated Deutsch Bahn reasons) but this just means I will have to come back another time .
Mountains surrounding a Swiss lake. In the foreground is a road and a small grassy shore with a few small trees. The photo was taken from a moving train.
August 18, 2025 at 6:51 AM
vivianh.bsky.social
Said cabin.
A ferry cabin with two bunks, luggage, and a large porthole.
August 15, 2025 at 8:35 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
This is the size we got, about twice the size of what I'd think of as a 'standard' biscuit tin. I have at least four filled (to the top) with buttons, and another couple housing some of the reels of thread. My late mother hoarded many things, but particularly haberdashery.
A richly decorated biscuit tin labelled "Nyakers Pepparkakor". A ruler next to it shows that it is just under six inches tall.
August 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
vivianh.bsky.social
Holiday reading, in a corner of a Suffolk reedbed that is forever Estonia. @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
A wooden table partially covered by a pale tablecloth. On it are a vase of wildflowers, a wicker mat with several small stones on it, a yellow citronella candle to repel mosquitos, and a copy of Doctor Francis Young's book Silence of the Gods, about paganism in north west Europe (including Estonia). Behind the table is a slatted fence, through which can be seen the green of grass and willow trees.
August 1, 2025 at 8:11 AM
vivianh.bsky.social
Back for our 8th stay in our favourite tent in a Suffolk reedbed. Firstborn 15,welp) said "I thought this might be the last time I wanted to come, but now we're here I want to keep coming every year until I'm grown up".
The view through the mesh inner door of a bell tent to the camp kitchen under a large willow tree.
July 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM