Aya Vandenbussche (she/her)
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hiyaaya.bsky.social
Aya Vandenbussche (she/her)
@hiyaaya.bsky.social
310 followers 320 following 1.6K posts
Writer, reader, consumer of culture, an occasional voicer of opinions. Sometimes, I like to make up words.
You can support me on ko-fi:
https://ko-fi.com/ayavandenbussche
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hiyaaya.bsky.social
Starting Christmas with a Boom Boom* at the Cinderella panto with Basil Brush. The husbanoid is the happiest I've ever seen him.

*growing up in a different country I don't really know Basil Brush but I understand boom boom is the thing to say.
A selfie of me (Aya, white female, long fair fair and glasses) and my husband David (white male, with a very happy smile). In the background a blue sparkly curtain with Cinderella written on it.
December 7, 2025 at 6:27 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Chetham library put Shakespeare's work behind bar where they belong. There's no telling what sort of danger his beautiful words will bring out in the wild. 💙📚
A row of old books, Shakespeare's work. They are locked inside a cage and cannot be accessed.
December 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Welcoming Tarantino fans coming to watch Kill Bill double Bill tonight. IYKYK.
A picture of the glass door of the cinema with heart shaped photos of Paul Dano in his different cinema roles More heart shaped pictures of Paul Dano stuck to the cinema's glass door.
December 5, 2025 at 11:07 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Speaking of contemplation, Karl Marx and Engles used to sit in this very spot at the Chetham library, contemplate and discuss these books they read. No, Karl Marx didn't write the Communist manifesto in here, but he may have given it a bloody good thought.
Sitting around a wooden table with a pile of old books in the middle of it. From left to right: David, white male wearing a bright orange coat. Me, Aya, white female, long fair hair, glasses hand under my chin in a thinking pause. Jamie, white male, beard and glasses, red and white scarf. Finally, on the right, Leslie, white female, light brown hair, shoulder length, glasses wearing a blue coat.
December 5, 2025 at 3:04 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
I love a good old, atmospheric corridor me. More from the ancient Chetham library. I could happily walk these corridors in contemplation.
A stone wall, stone floor corridor, with arched windows on the left, a bit of blue daylight comes through them. On the right a stone wall with warm yellow lighting. There's a big wooden table by the wall. The celling is low, and has dark, heavy wooden grid creating long rectangles, white ibside. At the far end of the corridor there's an arched opening, possibly a door. You can see a little into the room at the end, there's a big window with a lot of daylight coming in. A dark corridor with a wooden floor and a closed door at the end (possibly made of iron). On the right is a dark wooden bookcase covering the whole wall. The books are facing the corridor. In the Left there is a row of bookcases, facing the camera, and iron gates in the gaps between bookcases. On both sides in the floor are wooden, narrow stools. They each have an S shape hole in them so you can put your hand through and pick them up easily.
December 4, 2025 at 7:22 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Chetham library in Manchester is the oldest library in the English language. It's a pretty magical place.
An old wooden, arched door. There's a arched sign at the top which says in white 'please ring'. Beneath it a wooden decorative bell. Underneath a golden plack saying 'library'
December 3, 2025 at 12:10 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
I had an excellent long weekend in Manchester in the company of great friends, excellent sites to visit, and quite a bit of Christmas.
From left to right, me (female, I wear glasses and have long blonde/ white hair) holding a mug of mulled wine towards the middle, I'm smiling. I'm the middle my friend Leslie (she also wear glasses and her hair is light brown, shoulder length) she's also holding a mug of mulled wine towards the middle. My husband, male, wearing a bright orange coat, also holding a mug of mulled wine towards the middle. The three of us are clinking our mugs.
November 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
My name in lights
Film listing for Prince Charles Cinema. Showing today: 12.00 Ex Machina. 12.15 No Country for Old Men. 14.25 2001: A Space Odyssey. 15.15 Playtime. 17.45 Woman in the Dunes. 18.00 They Shoot The Horses Don't They? 20.45 Possession. 21.00 Mystery Movie: Aya's Pick
November 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Winter cats.
On a grey cat tree, my grey tabby cat, Wilma, on the top plate, sleeping with her back to camera. On the lower plate, my black and white harlequin cat, Boudicat, facing the camera, eyes barely open.
November 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Tonight
princecharlescinema.com/film/2612/my...
No clues, no hints, no refunds. Mystery movie
November 19, 2025 at 6:45 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
In Jewish legend the Golem is a creature, usually a humanoid figure made of clay and brought to life by the power of the written word either inscribed on its forehead or inserted into its mouth. The legend dates back to the 12th century. 💙📚 #booksky
(Pic taken at the Frankenstein exhibition)
A picture from the Frankenstein exhibition in Selfridges. A head and part of a torso is displayed nailed to a stone on a green round table. It only has one hand. It's resting. The flesh of the torso is exposed, and you can see the pink spine dangling towards the table.
November 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
I went to see The Weir last night. It was haunting and beautiful.
A view of the stage from above, we were sitting high up. The set is a pub. Four actors are leaving the stage with their backs to the audience. At the top (closest to the pub's door) is Brendan Gleeson. Walking behind him is Kate Phillips. Behind her Sean McGinley and behind him Owen McDonell. Not seen, as he already left the stage, is the fifth cast member, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.
November 4, 2025 at 7:25 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
I still haven't seen the film, but I went to see the Frankenstein exhibition yesterday, which was excellent. Now I really want to watch the film.
From the Frankenstein exhibition: at the bottom of the frame, a manikin's head and shoulders on a table. There are bits of pink flesh exposed. There is paperwork on the table as well. In the middle of the picture on the wall, a round stone statue is a head with its mouth open. The hair of the statue becomes part of the decoration. Above the stone statue, a smaller stone statue of a naked man is hanging from the ceiling, seemingly hanging in the air above the creature on the table.
October 24, 2025 at 6:46 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Been going through some old photos. It's something to do on a day job, and I found this picture from when my cats used to like each other.
In a small basket from a cat tree, the two heads of my cats, when they were kittens, squished together in a snuggle. Both their eyes are closed, half asleep. The grey tabby, Wilma, has a pink nose. Boudicat, the black and white harlequin, with a pink/ white ear, is shoving her face indy Wilma's cheek.
October 12, 2025 at 9:43 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
My talented colleague drew this for a film quiz. Can you get the film?
A series of black and white pen sketches for a pictures round in a film quiz: top left square the number eight with hands, one on its hips one waving in anger, it has angry eyes and a speech bubble with swearing symbols in it. It looks like it's shouting at the cowering number 9. Middle to square the Eiffel tower in top of a piece of map (it's a map of Texas). A man shushing a bunch of lambs. Bottom left: a hunched man holding his back in pain, 'crack' is written where the mac is holding his back, in the background a scenery of mountains. In the bottom right, a bird with a cap holding a baseball bat with glasses, mustache and a tie.
October 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Nice to see Garth Marenghi at the cinema this evening. @mrholness.bsky.social
A picture of Matthew Holness as Garth Marenghi on stage introducing the horror film Race with the Devil. He is wearing a red velvet robe with a hood. Holding a microphone and reading of his phone.
October 1, 2025 at 6:23 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
If this will be going through, it'll push me to leave these platforms. Something I've been wanting to do for some time.
UK users will soon see Facebook & Instagram asking them to consent to personal data collection for targeted advertising - or pay
October 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Being a pretentious Mermaid on a tomb. (The burial chamber of King Quoit in Manorbier).
A picture of me sitting like a mermaid on a big rock, which is the tomb of King Quoit. I'm facing the camera, and my long hair is draping on my shoulder. I'm wearing a black waterproof coat, grey cargo trousers, and brown hiking boots. The tomb's rock is on a cliff overlooking the sea. You can also see below the rock the dirt path that leads back to the beach, between two grassy parts of the cliff.
September 23, 2025 at 7:23 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
At Govan Church, the church on the cliff. Legend said that saint Govan was escaping pirates and a cleft opened for him to hide in, and closed behind him until the enemy was gone. He then stayed and worshipped there. One of my favourite place we visited in South Wales.
September 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
My new home in Pemberley. 💙📚
September 20, 2025 at 7:43 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Some days you're prevented from reaching your word count because your desk belongs to the cat now. #writing 📚💙
A picture of my cat, Wilma, a grey white tabby cat with a pink nose, sitting comfortably in top of my wooden writing desk and looking at the camera. Behind her is a Chinley screen, and my second writing desk which is full of plants, in green and red colours, and books. There's an office chair, and a standing lamp as well. It's quite a busy picture, with a lot of stuff in it.
September 19, 2025 at 1:04 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
I was away for a few days in parts of South Wales with slow to no Internet, and it was kinda nice not to know about all the shit that we are in all the time.
A view from a church on a cliff in Wales. It's very rocky and muddy. The rocks are brown and reddish. In the distance a grey stormy, misty sea with foamy waves. It's very atmospheric. A scenery from a cliff in Wales. There's a red muddy, rocky trail, with a bit of green and muddy grass on either side of the trail. Ahead in the path stands a person in a long black raincoat and a beret hat. This person is looking away from camera towards a stormy grey sea. There is foam from the waves.
September 19, 2025 at 7:35 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Went to see Jaws at the BFI imax today. This film always upsets me. The cruelty of it, not the shark the people, is hard to take.
On the imax screen a picture of a crew of five people working on a big animatronic shark, with its mouth open. On the right a man in a red coat walking behind the shark's open mouth. On a ladder a man is bending over and holding he shark's eye. On a platform a bit lower than the ladder a man is working on the shark's skin. Two other men are standing and watching/helping.
September 5, 2025 at 7:14 PM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Good morning. Next up on my big Pratchett read/reread is Interesting Times, first time read.
Cover of Terry Pratchett's Interesting Times. Illustrated by Josh Kirby. The cover shows an illustration of Rincewind in a complex scared motion with his legs and hands in the air. His wearing a red robe with yellow stars, also a red wizard's hat with the word wizzard written on it. A face with a mouth and teeth, attached to some wheels (like a canon), is wheezing from between Rincewind's legs, with a trail of golden stars behind it. Rincewind looks scared, like he's breaking his stride with one of his legs, and there's fire beneath the leg, from the breaking. In the background, a great big wall (of China).
September 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM
hiyaaya.bsky.social
Went to Notting Hill carnival on Sunday for the first time this year. Danced as a green man with costumes made by @tamsinwilson.bsky.social as part of Jonkonnu celebration. And took part in making Pitchy Patchy.
Wearing a green man costume and a mask. There are lots of pieces of cloth in different shades of green, and the whole outfit is swishing and flowing with my movement. You can only see a bit of my leg. You cannot see my face. I'm covered with straps of green cloth. I look a bit like a Christmas tree. On a manikin, a colourful pitchy patchy outfit. It is made of lots and lots of straps of torn cloth of different materials and in different colours tied on to the outfit. There's a pair of hands tying a red piece of cloth onto the outfit, somewhere between a whole lot of colourful cloth.
August 26, 2025 at 6:03 AM