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Clare M. Dowding

@claredowding.bsky.social
1.6K followers 552 following 2.2K posts

Welshwoman in London. University administrator. Independent researcher (medieval anchorites). Anglican Reader (lay minister). Warden of Readers Diocese of Southwark.

PostsRepliesMedia
Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 20h
Blimey - when did @southwarkcathedral.bsky.social get their tower clock fixed?!
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Big fish stuck!
theguardian.com
Large shark stuck in South Korean city canal draws 600,000 visitors
Port city of Busan inundated with tourists keen to see the 3.5-metre animal close up
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Reposted by Clare M. Dowding
cmrn knzlmn @ckunzelman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you are a graduate student in the humanities (construed as broadly as possible), what is the MOST EXCITING book published in the last five years to you? Please repost if you’re not a graduate student!
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Reposted by Clare M. Dowding
Vivian H @vivianh.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A conversation elsewhere reminded me. More innocent times, and I do mean that. You know the rules. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPCJ...
youtube.com
Lip Sync Battle - Tom Holland
YouTube video by Comedy Central Latinoamérica
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 27/09/2026
Taking time out to pause, breathe and reset the rhythm of our lives is invaluable. Retreats are a time to trust in God more, and to nourish our souls. You can still access National Retreat Week resources on renewall.org.uk, or visit promotingretreats.org for ideas of where or when to go!
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Why oh why did I not read this until *after* I went to M&S this morning ... ?!
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Welsh Bollocks @welshbollocks.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The best flag in the WORLD...
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.
A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with 
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future
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Reposted by Clare M. Dowding
Chris Millard @chrismillard83.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
anyone had experience with debate website “Geo”? it looks a bit sus to me - one of the PGRs I supervise was approached by them to contribute to a debate - and I’m getting the ick from the shiny “debate me” vibes (and the third video I saw featured Steve Fuller, whom I’d not thought about in years)
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In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Here is an otter snoot to help you through the day.
A playful fisheye close-up of Steve the otter’s snout and whiskers in a bright indoor setting.  
There is no text baked into the image.
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Westminster Abbey @westminsterabbey.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Everyone is welcome at the Abbey for our annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor on Saturday 17 October Celebrate the life of Edward, king and saint, with us:www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-events/edwardtide/2026/october/national-pilgrimage-to-the-shrine-of-edward-the-confessor
An close-up image of a stained glass window depicting St Edward the Confessor. The King has light skin, gray hair, a full short gray beard, and a mustache. He wears an ornate gold crown and holds a gold scepter in his right hand. He is holding up a gold ring in his left hand. He is wearing a blue tunic, gold stole, and white mantle. He is surrounded by decorative stained glass elements, including a gold key motif on a dark red background to his right.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It's lunchtime. Take a breath, have something to eat, and 😍 LOOK AT THESE BABY WOMBATS 😍 !!
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Reposted by Clare M. Dowding
In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Have you seen enough baby otters today? No? Let me fix that for you.
A small brown otter named Steve crouches among green grass and dried twigs, gazing upward in a realistic wildlife photograph.  

No text appears in the image.
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Reposted by Clare M. Dowding
Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 23/09/2026
Did you know it's National Retreat Week this week? If you've never been on a quiet day or retreat before, now is the time to try one! Find out more on renewall.org.uk, or visit promotingretreats.org for inspiration...
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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Just managed to type “Jacob Rees-Mogh.” Least convincing Klingon ever.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Has anyone else only just noticed that the @churchtimes.bsky.social 2026 wallplanner has 31 days in September ... ?!
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
There's some kind of event happening at the newish hotel on Temple Place, although I doubt those involved would appreciate that my thought when walking past was actually "there's enough black limos here for an undertakers' convention" 😆.
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 20/09/2026
Do you have a space in your diary for a retreat, but don't know what's on offer on those dates? Check our online calendar - on promotingretreats.org - for retreats and quiet days near you... there are hundreds of events listed this autumn!
An open diary by a vase of pink flowers
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 20/09/2026
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19.1) Celebrate the glory of God in creation at one of our beautiful retreat centres... there are dozens to choose from on promotingretreats.org/where, including here at The Othona Community, West Dorset
A pink and orange sunrise seen over the tops of pine trees, with a mauve sea on the horizon
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 19/09/2026
National Retreat Week starts today! Find out more on renewall.org.uk, or why not visit promotingretreats.org to find a retreat or quiet day happening near you?
National retreat week runs from 19-26 September
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In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Smol Otter Pup
A close-up color photograph shows baby otter Steve gently cradled in a person’s hand against a dark background.  
There is no text in the image.
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Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
One of modern civilisation’s great moments. THE SWEDISH CHEF RAPPER'S DELIGHT
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entirelygill.bsky.social @entirelygill.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This really is a great letter, with far too many elegant turns of phrase to single one out. It lays out so clearly the importance of saying what you actually mean. celord.com/2026/09/17/i...
celord.com
Open Letter to William Taylor: Why Does St Helen’s Bishopsgate Stay?
An open letter challenging William Taylor’s use of Scripture, rejection of episcopal authority, and St Helen’s place in the Church of England.
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Small Robots @smolrobots.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
If Britain, which literally brags in song that it rules the waves, is incapable of the most basic code of conduct when it comes to seafaring, who even are we? The RNLI rescued downed German pilots in WWII. We don't leave people to die in the sea.
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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
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👻madeline bOoOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 17/09/2026
Okay this is once again a VERY SPECIFIC request and I once again ask that if you cannot provide a VERY SPECIFIC answer, that you boost or scroll on. I’m looking for a British tax adviser who can advise on British company ownership and taxes for an American citizen #iykyk
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Elizabeth Zelle @kohizeri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"the assessment did not consider the crocodiles" is my new metaphor for people choosing to just ignore the data point that doesn't agree with them
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Clergy Support Trust @clergysupport.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
If you have a background in #fundraising, #events or #communications, and want to play a vital administrative and operational role in the wide-ranging work that we do, we'd love to hear from you. Find out more: www.clergysupport.org.uk/vacancies
Text reads: Could you be our External Engagement Officer?
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Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
And now 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel', which is at least a bit less far away, liturgically speaking.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Yay - @choirofkcl.bsky.social are back rehearsing next door to my office ahead of the new term! Um - slightly confusingly, they're currently rehearsing 'This Joyful Eastertide', which is unexpected! (Although various things are being recorded in the next few days, which may explain it.)
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worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
we need more bats on here
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Small Robots @smolrobots.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
583) Mondaybot. If you're feeling a bit glum on a Monday morning, Mondaybot will drop by to keep you company and just generally cheer you up by being a small round pal. #SmallRobotsRemastered
A spherical robot with a little smiley face, short, banded legs and a little antenna on top.
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Claire Cullingworth @ccullingworth.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This made me smile, attached to an ordinary cast iron drainpipe on a house in Durham. #TinyJoys
A cast iron drain pipe going down the side of a white-painted house.  A crest of red feathers and a bright orange beak made from something solid have been attached around it.  It looks remarkably like "Feathers McGraw", the evil criminal penguin from The Wrong Trousers.
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 13/09/2026
So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation (Gen. 2.3) In Creationtide, we thank God for the beauty of our world and pray for better stewardship of the earth's resources. Where might you go this autumn? promotingretreats.org
An orangey-brown wooden bench set against a hedge which is covered in red and Orange autumn leaves
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Spooky Old Mark Monro | He/Him 🌈 @thatidiotmonro.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Need to harness the power of Bluesky, so reposts are appreciated. If anyone here, or anyone you know attends Bangor University (the Welsh one) and needs a room for the upcoming year, get in touch. One of my son's housemates has dropped out at the last minute, so their house is one short.
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Dunblane Cathedral @dunblanecathedral.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Church of Scotland has been made aware of fake websites promoting Church of Scotland fundraising lottery – national & individual churches These are nothing to do with the Church, & been reported them to authorities Church of Scotland does not run a fundraising lottery
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Association for Promoting Retreats @promotingretreats.org · 10/09/2026
If you've never been on a retreat before, why not book a place on a Beginners' Retreat at the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Wantage from 14-15 November and experience your first retreat in a gentle and welcoming way? Find out more on csmv.co.uk/calendar-of-... @monknunanglican.bsky.social
A small stone chapel with a tiled roof, seen across a sunny bed of purple irises
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I would say "FFS Glamorgan", but I think we've gone beyond that. And in any case, I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on my blood pressure.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Reposting for the evening crowd.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
If it would help with your Wednesday, please enjoy this box of wombats.
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Heather Paterson @heatherpaterson.co.uk · 09/09/2026
Update: This is now the most signed petition on Senedd site petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/24... Keep signing & sharing - I know petitions don't fix everything but we need to use all the tools we have to address this If they can remove healthcare for one group, they could remove it for anyone
petitions.senedd.wales
Petition: Immediately unfreeze gender-affirming surgeries and protect NHS Welsh Gender Service patients.
We call on the Senedd and Welsh Government to direct the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) to: Immediately unfreeze scheduled and approved gender-affirming surgeries for patients who ha...
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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I am the very model of a modern day typographer A font take on the tune “Modern Major General” by Gilbert & Sullivan #typography #fonts #graphicdesign
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Just said "Oh mate" out loud, on seeing a chap going up the stairs in front of me coming out of the Tube, with the tailor's tacks still in place on the back vent of his suit jacket. There should be a test or something before buying certain items of clothing. (It was a blue suit, and white thread.)
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Sophie Molly @sophiemolly.co.uk · 07/09/2026
Please sign and share. You can sign outside of Wales. Petition: Immediately unfreeze gender-affirming surgeries and protect NHS Welsh Gender Service patients. petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/24...
petitions.senedd.wales
Petition: Immediately unfreeze gender-affirming surgeries and protect NHS Welsh Gender Service patients.
We call on the Senedd and Welsh Government to direct the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) to: Immediately unfreeze scheduled and approved gender-affirming surgeries for patients who ha...
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Scornflake Ghhhoul @scornflakegrrrl.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Monday
Angry cat with the  words “my tummy hurts and i'm mad at the government”
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Dr Dean Irwin @medievaljews.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Trying to find a serious source for the so-called 'Jewish lamp' in the Lincoln Museum. I need it for an article on Lincoln's medieval Jewish heritage but can only find it discussed in low-quality webpages. Does anybody know if it's received any academic attention? Coming up stumps.
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New-Cleckit Dominie @ncdominie.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Palaeography bat-signal! I am currently looking after a very old copy (c. 1690?) of the Book of Common Prayer. Inside one flyleaf is this block of what looks like shorthand. Can anyone tell me anything about it, even at the level of what shorthand system it might be?
A block of symbols looking a bit like shorthand. That's all I can tell you; sorry.
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
My condolences to Gaby Hinsliff, and thank you for writing this. My mother died in June after a short time in hospital, but had gradually been getting frailer in the last year or so, so mention of the sense that grieving can start before the person actually dies definitely rings true.
theguardian.com
Losing a parent is a bewildering, lonely experience. Here are the things I wish I had known before | Gaby Hinsliff
There’ll be exhaustion, love tinged with occasional rage, even moments of black humour. But my mum would want me to tell you: don’t be afraid, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
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Clare M. Dowding @claredowding.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Someone else who thinks of them as "plain clothes" police cars! (Rather than "unmarked".) It's not just me!
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