📚 🍫 Kate Macdonald 🧶 🐸
@kateem.bsky.social
Fantasy writer at peachfieldpress.uk. Latest story out now! https://houseoflongshadows.substack.com/p/hls-no-44-the-rules-about-knives Also at katemacdonald.net and @OxfordBrookes. Recorder of🏺finds, organiser, Q clerk, knitter, frog fosterer.
Castles. What's your preferred mighty bastion of stone from the past?
Here's Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, in the north east of Scotland, a truly splendid ruin with good rockpooling on the basalt slabs of the beach below. Scene of terrible crimes in the 17thC. Film set for Hamlet.
Here's Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, in the north east of Scotland, a truly splendid ruin with good rockpooling on the basalt slabs of the beach below. Scene of terrible crimes in the 17thC. Film set for Hamlet.
November 25, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Castles. What's your preferred mighty bastion of stone from the past?
Here's Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, in the north east of Scotland, a truly splendid ruin with good rockpooling on the basalt slabs of the beach below. Scene of terrible crimes in the 17thC. Film set for Hamlet.
Here's Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, in the north east of Scotland, a truly splendid ruin with good rockpooling on the basalt slabs of the beach below. Scene of terrible crimes in the 17thC. Film set for Hamlet.
Bought a 'Glow in the Dark Star' with a Plants by Post gift voucher. Thought it would be an interesting pale echeveria.
It's been spray-painted. Paint is already peeling off. It'll probably die. What an absolute con. 🌱🌵
It's been spray-painted. Paint is already peeling off. It'll probably die. What an absolute con. 🌱🌵
November 24, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Bought a 'Glow in the Dark Star' with a Plants by Post gift voucher. Thought it would be an interesting pale echeveria.
It's been spray-painted. Paint is already peeling off. It'll probably die. What an absolute con. 🌱🌵
It's been spray-painted. Paint is already peeling off. It'll probably die. What an absolute con. 🌱🌵
Sublime exhibition of Paul Kidby's artwork for Terry Pratchett's Discworld, at Worcester Art Gallery.
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/museums/worc...
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/museums/worc...
November 21, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Sublime exhibition of Paul Kidby's artwork for Terry Pratchett's Discworld, at Worcester Art Gallery.
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/museums/worc...
www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/museums/worc...
This was brought in today for recording on @findsorguk.bsky.social Massive bronze palstave axe head, found in Staffordshire some months ago. The blue stuff is apparently a bronze disease. It's 3500 years old.
November 19, 2025 at 6:36 PM
This was brought in today for recording on @findsorguk.bsky.social Massive bronze palstave axe head, found in Staffordshire some months ago. The blue stuff is apparently a bronze disease. It's 3500 years old.
I finished it. Decided that I didn't think Mum would like it for Christmas (I made her a cowl last year). My husband has been drooling over the colours for the 5 weeks it took to knit it. So it'll be for his Christmas instead, and he'll have to wait till he can unwrap it. #knitting #showmeyourknits
November 18, 2025 at 6:52 AM
I finished it. Decided that I didn't think Mum would like it for Christmas (I made her a cowl last year). My husband has been drooling over the colours for the 5 weeks it took to knit it. So it'll be for his Christmas instead, and he'll have to wait till he can unwrap it. #knitting #showmeyourknits
This is good, I assume? My Substack followers are not quite legion but possibly a small battalion. I think this message is intended to keep me on Substack by showing it has noticed I exist.
November 14, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This is good, I assume? My Substack followers are not quite legion but possibly a small battalion. I think this message is intended to keep me on Substack by showing it has noticed I exist.
Etruscan ducks from Fondation Rovati museum, Milan. 🏺
November 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Etruscan ducks from Fondation Rovati museum, Milan. 🏺
I have never seen a painting of a devil-cherub before.
November 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I have never seen a painting of a devil-cherub before.
Girl knitting a sock and reading at the same time. By Ugo Zannoni, 19thC. 🧶 💙 📚
November 11, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Girl knitting a sock and reading at the same time. By Ugo Zannoni, 19thC. 🧶 💙 📚
This is Bergamo Cathedral. Now I see the aesthetic being sought for the current White House.
November 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM
This is Bergamo Cathedral. Now I see the aesthetic being sought for the current White House.
Best cauliflower of the day, as seen in the kitchen garden of the Palazzo Moroni, Bergamo. They also grow immense gourds for really lavish caponata. 🌱
November 6, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Best cauliflower of the day, as seen in the kitchen garden of the Palazzo Moroni, Bergamo. They also grow immense gourds for really lavish caponata. 🌱
Milan railway station is the most astonishing temple to science and industry. Also astrology.
November 5, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Milan railway station is the most astonishing temple to science and industry. Also astrology.
This was a surprise. But I don't know their lives.
November 4, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This was a surprise. But I don't know their lives.
Breakfast in Paris.
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Breakfast in Paris.
On the Eurostar for the first time in 4 years.
On-board staff uniforms still very chic.
Seats in Standard are narrower and slope back weirdly which is inconvenient for knitting. Also for eating.
All train designs should have the nifty Eurostar double coat and case shelves.
Love the franglais.
On-board staff uniforms still very chic.
Seats in Standard are narrower and slope back weirdly which is inconvenient for knitting. Also for eating.
All train designs should have the nifty Eurostar double coat and case shelves.
Love the franglais.
November 3, 2025 at 1:33 PM
On the Eurostar for the first time in 4 years.
On-board staff uniforms still very chic.
Seats in Standard are narrower and slope back weirdly which is inconvenient for knitting. Also for eating.
All train designs should have the nifty Eurostar double coat and case shelves.
Love the franglais.
On-board staff uniforms still very chic.
Seats in Standard are narrower and slope back weirdly which is inconvenient for knitting. Also for eating.
All train designs should have the nifty Eurostar double coat and case shelves.
Love the franglais.
Did a bit of futile leaf-sweeping before breakfast but stopped because it was so pretty.
November 1, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Did a bit of futile leaf-sweeping before breakfast but stopped because it was so pretty.
Recorded two coins this week. 🏺 One is a gold (my first !!) half guinea of George III, bent on opposite sides and directions, probably a love token. The other is a massive silver bank token made when small change was short, also George III. Same bust for both. #FindsFriday
October 31, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Recorded two coins this week. 🏺 One is a gold (my first !!) half guinea of George III, bent on opposite sides and directions, probably a love token. The other is a massive silver bank token made when small change was short, also George III. Same bust for both. #FindsFriday
Malvern tree shouting very loudly at autumn that it's not ready to just chuck its leaves on the ground just yet thank you very much.
October 29, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Malvern tree shouting very loudly at autumn that it's not ready to just chuck its leaves on the ground just yet thank you very much.
Late harvest. 🍅🌱
October 27, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Late harvest. 🍅🌱
This is new. META finally admitting they want my money or they will bludgeon me with ads. If only the ads were useful. They're certainly not getting my money so I will pay for their platforms with the data they're scraping anyway.
October 23, 2025 at 5:54 AM
This is new. META finally admitting they want my money or they will bludgeon me with ads. If only the ads were useful. They're certainly not getting my money so I will pay for their platforms with the data they're scraping anyway.
@kirkdalebooks.bsky.social one for you from Cecil Beaton at the National Portrait Gallery
October 22, 2025 at 12:02 PM
@kirkdalebooks.bsky.social one for you from Cecil Beaton at the National Portrait Gallery
Played Earth in an excellent Liverpool board games cafe, Sugar and Dice, and I won massively, 241 to 201. It's not often that happens, even if my opponent drew terrible cards and his colour blindness was more of an impairment than usual.
October 16, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Played Earth in an excellent Liverpool board games cafe, Sugar and Dice, and I won massively, 241 to 201. It's not often that happens, even if my opponent drew terrible cards and his colour blindness was more of an impairment than usual.
Former English lecturer is satisfied.
October 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Former English lecturer is satisfied.
