One shop I work in has no Christmas music. This is a blessed relief, but does mean there’s no respite from the frankly odd year-long playlist. The other shop I work at has only two Christmas music CDs. Here are my responses to these tunes, which I’ve had rattling around my head since the start … Continue reading A Cynical Shop Assistant’s Guide to Christmas Songs
On Christmas Shopping Etiquette
So it’s about a week till Christmas – all sorted yet? Me too. This year I’ve had the pleasure of working in two retail xmas temp jobs which have been pretty enjoyable on the whole (not least the staff discounts; between both shops I got all my gifts covered). One is a local geeky shop, … Continue reading On Christmas Shopping Etiquette
On Adulting
I know, it’s been a while. Turns out that masters degrees are pretty intensive. Who knew, huh? So, a wee update. The dissertation is all done and was handed in on 31st October – an appropriate day for a work on magic! Not that this is an end to my research. Or busy-ness. I’m currently … Continue reading On Adulting
Medieval Magic, Folklore and Superstition: the Dissertation Stirs…
I've been rather quiet recently because I've been a busy bee working on my masters degree. All the teaching is out of the way now, so it's time to get my teeth into some proper research. Like my very good friend over at Grendel's Handbag (who you should go and check out RIGHT NOW, especially … Continue reading Medieval Magic, Folklore and Superstition: the Dissertation Stirs…
34 Thoughts We Had While Watching “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy (Extended Edition)
Last Saturday, 14 years after everyone else, I finally watched the Lord of the Rings films. It was a friend’s birthday, and because we don’t do things by halves, we watched all the extended editions back to back, for a total of 11 hours (someone suggested we start with the Hobbit trilogy too, but they … Continue reading 34 Thoughts We Had While Watching “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy (Extended Edition)
On St Clement’s Day: a Special Knitted Monk
Today, November 23rd, is St Clement’s Day. Meet Clement: Ok, so this one isn’t the saint himself. The actual patron saint of sailors and blacksmiths is not four and a half inches tall. He was the third or fourth pope and was martyred by the Romans tying him to an anchor and chucking him in … Continue reading On St Clement’s Day: a Special Knitted Monk
On Guy Fawkes Night
So today is Guy Fawkes Night, another excuse for revelry when you’ve just got over the hangover from Halloween. (I went to an epic house party this year with mates as three raptors and Chris Pratt from Jurassic World. We were the best group costume ever.) The Fifth of November is a relatively modern festival … Continue reading On Guy Fawkes Night
On Freshers’ Fairs
Ah, the university fresher’s fair. If, like me, you love your free stuff, then this is the event to be at. The York university one was actually a couple of weeks ago but only now have I had enough time to go through my loot. (For some reason my course modules want me to do … Continue reading On Freshers’ Fairs
On Stationery, and Being a Postgrad Fresher
A new term has begun. After a year out of academia, I’m returning to university to do a Masters course in Medieval Studies. I’ve always been a big fan of the September-back-to-school feeling, and this year is no exception. I’m going back to big school! I love autumn anyway, but this is also the part … Continue reading On Stationery, and Being a Postgrad Fresher
On Why I’m Annoyed with the Labour Party, and They’ve Not Even Announced a New Leader Yet
I am canny hacked off with the Labour Party. This isn’t a general “oh you’ve got a silly policy there” or “you‘ve elected a total muppet to lead your party” grumble – as I type we’ve not heard the leadership election result yet. No, this, this time it’s personal. They’ve not let me have a … Continue reading On Why I’m Annoyed with the Labour Party, and They’ve Not Even Announced a New Leader Yet
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