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Helen Rachel

@hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social
39 followers 52 following 251 posts

Lover of art, entertainment and analysis. Thirty-something Brit from the north. Madwoman in the Spare Room with ME/CFS. Former English language teacher and teacher trainer. English Lit. graduate. Diarist.

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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 15h
I vaugely remember that in his office, where he held seminars, my professor and friend's dad a large crucifix and family photographs, presumably featuring her. And I actually saw her dad again at the christening of my friend's son i.e. his grandson. Does that make them 'god botherer's? 😆😇😆😇
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 15h
Once me and my colleague-friend were briefly in Italy for work (this is also when I was ill and got ME/CFS, don't be too jealous) and we went to Venice for the day and took a photo of ourselves in front of what we hoped was the building in which Robert Browning died. Life is strange isn't it?
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 15h
We actually became colleagues and friends and have worked and/or hung out together in at least 5 different countries. And at some point we realised that her dad, who has a different surname, was one of my lecturers during my degree. He taught 'The Brownings' and 'Byron and the Shelleys'.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 15h
Welcome to the wild world of compound nouns, self. Charity muggers aren't mugging the charity are they? Usually ;-) One did once run towards me to give me a hug and then stopped when she realised we'd previously met socially and I wasn't the stranger she thought. It amused me.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 16h
What a thought to have randomly on an autumnal Monday lunchtime at the age of 39.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 16h
Does the term "god botherer" come from the idea that evangelists are bothering people about god? I've always assumed they were bothering god.
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David M Rubin @six18sfoundry.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
One of many stunning/crushing/beautiful love poems to God from Rilke’s Book of Hours #poetrysunday
Tr Macy & Barrows 

She who reconciles the ill-matched threads of her life, and weaves them gratefully into a single cloth-
it's she who drives the loudmouths from the hall and clears it for a different celebration
where the one guest is you.
In the softness of evening it's you she receives.
You are the partner of her loneliness, the unspeaking center of her monologues.
With each disclosure you encompass more and she stretches beyond what limits her, to hold you.
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Yoko Ono Bot Preservation Group (2017-2025) @yokoonobot.bsky.social · 21h
Visualise 7 doorbells. Listen to them melt. 16th Oct 2018 | 🔁 3 🩶 7 [url]
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Meanwhile, the person that I thought it was is trans, so that isn't even her name! I was wrong on both counts! 🙈
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
So much so that it could have been LITERALLY THE SAME BLOODY NAME I've been giving.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Recently realised that the answer I've always given for the identifying question "who was your first kiss?" is WRONG. I was actually smooching some boy a tiny bit at my international guide and scout camp when I was 12 for a couple of days. His name? No idea. Some boring typical white boy name.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
In other "we've lost our mind in houseboundness" jokes, one of us once sang "the final parcel" to the tune of The Final Countdown for some reason, and usually when he brings me a parcel I say "ah, the final parcel!" And he cries inside knowing it's not true.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Which is immoral and mean. But funny? And if he isn't all that intoxicated, then he'll remember! Possibly.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Not sure whether to warn Bob before the parcels arrive. But he IS at a party at a cocktail bar. So it IS just possible that I can gain morality points for tellinghim tonight AND the humour of his having forgotten tomorrow. 😅😅😅
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Did James Blunt ever render himself bedbound for years at a time, minimum? No. So there's that. 🤣
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Against better judgement, I did it. Well, most of it! The parcels arrive tomorrow. I look forward to two months of my bedroom floor being littered with boxes of christmas-themed ale for other people. :-s
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
YOU HAVE GUNS !?!?!?
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David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Northern Lights dazzle North East and Cumbria skies. 🔭 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Northern Lights dazzle North East and Cumbria skies
The Met Office says more sightings could be possible until Tuesday.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Have I overthought it or did non-binary Bella Ramsey sitting in that "castle" with the face of a preteen, hardcore boarding school fits, short dark hair and THOSE black round glasses seem like they was trolling literally everyone... whilst doing nothing at all...? I loved it. Farewell my sweet.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
America's so weird about swearing. "Not safe to air"?!?! 😆
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David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Aurora Borealis. Newcastle upon Tyne. 10th October 2026. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography
Green northern lights below centre with trees and houses in foreground.
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Al Kennedy @alkennedy.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
For scale, baby shoes
Black and white photo of three pairs of Converse trainers, two adult, one baby
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I live in a part of the world where occasionally it rains so much that the river banks and flood defences don't hold and I know that it's ALL coming from the sea on some level but...THAT WATER IS LITERALLY WAVES. STAY AT HOME, JESUS CHRIST!
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Wow. Our species is completely insane.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
My Prime sub finishes tomorrow. What if buy all of my presents for Christmas THIS VERY DAY?!?!
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Clippy the Word for windows assistant says:

Hey, it looks like you're waiting for ideal conditions to do that thing you've been wanting to do. Need I remind you that ideal conditions do not exist and will never happen?
•I'm aware
•Wow, rude
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
#severance spin-off: basically #thetraitors but all of the contestants are innies. When banished or murdered they actually cease to exist. The winners, however, stay switched on at the end with their cash. Season 2: all of the traitors are outies. Season 3: all of the traitors are innies.
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Ed Morrish @edmorrish.com · 09/10/2026
these boots were made for babies and that’s why they’re for sale
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
For sale? Baby, Shoes never worn!
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Al Kennedy @alkennedy.bsky.social · 03/08/2023
For sale, baby shoes, never worn
It's a pair of baby shoes. I don't know what else you want from me here
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Yoko Ono Bot Preservation Group (2017-2025) @yokoonobot.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Let go of: 1. Pot Noodles 2. Windows NT 3. Horses 4. Pinterest 5. Michael Heseltine Hold on to: 1. Ginster Steak Slices 2. ZX80 3. Seals 4. Total Recall 5. Energizer Bunny 10th Oct 2018 | 🔁 5 🩶 12 [url]
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Molly Templeton @mollytempleton.com · 10/10/2026
no idea who made this but I think of that random person with gratitude every time I heat up any sort of wraplike food object in the microwave
two scenes from an X-Men animated program: in the first, scott summers and jean gray are making out; he is labeled "microwave heat" and she is labeled "plate." in the second, we are more distant from the couple, and wolverine is standing in the foreground, labeled "my burrito."
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I did this and was HIGHLY amused.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Your draft name is great by the way! Having failed to come up with one nyself will not prevent me judging others based on theirs! 😉🤣
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I once woke up in the wrong country. That time the train was at fault! It had broken down in the night. As I woke up from sleeping far, far better than expected due to lack of train movement!
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William Gibson @greatdismal.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Having long been aware of those tech bros who read my work as utopian porn, where they’ve taken that doesn’t exactly surprise me.
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Lisa Simpson meme the screen says “billionaires won’t create jobs if we tax them” is a myth made up by billionaires so we won’t tax them.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
But did I go to Harrow and then give myself scurvy? ......no. 😄😄😄 3/3
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Spoke too soon- and the end too. But he held it together, just about. 😆
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Which is not to say that I didn't do equally stupid things at university nor do I continue to in my later thirties, obviously!
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I like the guy but this is HILARIOUS.
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Ben Jennings @bjennings90.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Illustration from today’s @theguardian.com to accompany piece by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social on the government’s Prepare campaign, which gives the public advice on how to avoid disasters whilst policies that lead us closer to crisis are given the green light www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
“No kink at pride!” That’s “prude” you’re thinking of. No kink at *prude*.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Top tier British television.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Fucking incredible booking. And James Blunt- what a character!
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It's a shame she's a victim in Broadchurch; I'd love to see her as a copper or a criminal mastermind.
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
She IS a professor of mathmatics! Nice bit of production design. I loved James Blunt's and Miranda's bits too, much as I do miss Tom Daly in the shower. 😆
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Helen Rachel @hellowaffleshelen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I mean she IS a professor of mathmatics lol.
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Scott Bryan @scottygb.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Screaming that Jerry Hall being Jerry Hall is creating more suspicion than Hannah Fry #CelebrityTraitors
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