iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Well yes I was in Brighton to learn about SEO and AI, but I still managed to slip a bit of medieval into my day with The Cloud of Unknowing thanks to the @oxfamgb.bsky.social bookshop

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I'm just going to say in terms of first impressions Graveyard Keeper 2 gave me a bed and some cheese when Skyrim dropped a massive spider on my head....

À screen shot of graveyard keeper 2 when the keeper finds someone has left him some cheese and a bed

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I'm driving the cargo car for the university run today. I've found how to enjoy the drive - Galahad and the Grail by @malcolmguite.bsky.social

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I have added dangerous confusion to my life (alt text was fun 😉)

À mandolin (musical) with a mandolin (cooking)

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I just go ahead and assume that 3 cloves is a typo and double. Well double-ish, rounded up to the nearest bulb

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Well CoPilot has given up. It's late and very hot so I'll look at the code some other time. I wonder whether it got lost creating edge case tests as I did when I last attempted this project

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Started to read "Julian of Norwich, Theologian" by Denys Turner. Remembered myself and checked out the author as my old professor used to tell us. Now I have two more books on the to read list!

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

I think it's fair to say it takes a little while to calm down after work. Just updated my cooking planner spreadsheet so the times update with the planned eating time - index columns are so useful

On OpenOffice Calc spreadsheet for planning cooking

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Maybe more Fern Sunday than Palm Sunday, but it was the closest material i could find! #BowTie

Picture of a green bow tie with a plant design

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

About to play @bloodontheclocktower.com ,can I persuade fate to hand me Drunk Chef a third time....

Name badge with my name and title of "tipsy Cook"

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

TIL #Tolkien thought the #PearlPoet knew #GeoffreyChaucer. I don't know why but that blows mind!

The cover of The Monsters and the Critics by j r r Tolkien

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Moment of weakness or glory (you decide) in the @oxfamgb.bsky.social bookshop at lunch today The island of the day before by Umberto Eco Had a go about 25 years ago so high time to have another go

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Even more so than usual, the 14th century is looking like an attractive place

Three books: revelations of divine love, piers Plowman an introduction, and I Julian

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Boethius feeling very relevant this morning....

Song 5 stanza 4 from the consolation of philosophy

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Despite having been reading M R James 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 I still asked for my medieval finds to be wrapped in paper. Frankly, it's only due to the good sense of Minster Gate Bookshop in York not to tie it up with string that I'm not going to be visited by some terrifying apparition tonight....

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Somewhere in Sussex, a dog is sleeping, calm in the knowledge that his barely-tolerated spare has taken him to both the vets and groomer this week, so the worst is over and he can relax. And that box? That's the new hoover...

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Four games of Root this weekend, and I managed a genuine win with the Eyrie Dynasty. Not the game pictured though, the Woodland Alliance got in just before I could get my last points!

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

You know that meme of "we don't have random conversations about operating systems", I may have spoilt Microsoft's rewording...

My response to the Microsoft question of my opinion if asked is to say that as a Middle aged man I dont wait to be asked

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Yes, it's a Friday night beer and it helps some monks, but it's also nostalgia for the 6th form history trip to the Low Countries. Happy memories!

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

Some great finds in Brighton today. Sometimes second hand book shops are like fishing - there were several that got away because I couldn't buy everything I found 😥

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Marking up your favourite poems is normal when you get a new copy of Lord of the rings?

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Considering my chances of getting this on the car stereo on the way to the Loxwood Joust!

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Very happy with this find yesterday in @oxfamgb.bsky.social several texts I don't have and some familiar favourites #medievalsky

Middle English romances - a Norton critical edition

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Latest find in @oxfamgb.bsky.social filling a shameful omission in my reading. Also must confess to being overly excited to find a copy in a set matching an existing book in my collection. Should be good - I've enjoyed Leo Sherley-Price's translation of the Ladder of Perfection #Bede #VenerableBede

Cover of a history of the English people by bede

Two books from penguin classics. History of the English church and people and medieval Latin lyrics

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Well yes, I suppose I could just have bought a long arm stapler but this process has a more organic, satisfying potential. Or you could argue the Mr Toad side of my pysche is in ascendant!

New book binding kit with my first attempt

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Feeling my age. Thought my new office keyboard had come with drivers... Turned out to be a coaster (in fairness to myself it was harder to see in the wrapper)

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Every so often you come across a feature in software that makes you life a little better and you didn't know. So to the developer who made Windows able to follow a printer around the network when a well meaning idiot such as myself meddles with the IP address, you have my sincere thanks

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

When I'm stressed (and this week has certainly qualified), #JohnGower is what I read before bed - his poetry is the peak of what I love about #MiddleEnglish. Does anyone on #medievalsky know of any good recordings of the original text?

The cover of John Gower Selected Poetry, carcanet edition

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Happy Tolkien reading day all!

Page from Tolkien's translation of pearl

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Does anyone else see naming like this and think of "British robots" in Lego batman?

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Does anyone else see "salad cheese" and think "English Space Robot" from Lego Batman?

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Didn't check on tinned tomatoes before doing the shopping, so I've hidden the extra 4 pack behind some onions...

Too many tinned tomatoes with some hidden behind some onions

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

It's almost as if someone said "this chap bought half the window display of these old books, let's put some in the window" Today's purchase: La Vita Nuova by Dante Wondering about my chances of walking past without buying anything will be on Monday....

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Struck medieval gold in the @oxfamgb.bsky.social bookshop at lunch. And on the 6th anniversary of seeing THE Exeter book of riddles at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition!

My book haul - Exeter book of riddles, medieval Latin verse, le morte d'arthur, And Arthurian romances

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Nearly went in and asked to buy their entire window display ...

À sélection of médiéval Books in an oxfam window

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Is it normal to have 2 copies of the #DivineComedy by your bed? Asking for a friend (as I can guess my good lady wife's opinion on the matter....) Different translations obviously, I'm not some kind of weirdo

My bedside pile of books: divine comedy trans Anderson, umberto eco baudolino and the name of the Rose, malcolm Guite in every corner sing, divine comedy Ellis, m r James ghost stories, a calendar of catholic devotion

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Feeling more youthful that "the Parliament of the ages" considers 60 to be middle aged!

The page of the parliament of the ages that describes youth as 30 years old, middle aged as 60, old age as 100

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Explaining to the family why I quite liked life as a student, I accidentally paraphrased this quote from #TerryPratchett and suddenly came under some unexpectedly searching scrutiny....

Terry pratchett quote about the advantages of being a student wizard

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Bass surgery appears to have been a success - got a sound out it after replacing the jack socket

Jack socket fitted on tanglewood rebel bass

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

My books read (or listened to) in 2024 Lots of really good titles here - Legendborn by @tracydeonn.bsky.social was my favourite. The best of several recommended by @drlauravarnam.bsky.social I'll be reading more of Kierkegaard when I can as well as plenty of H G Wells

1. Legendborn, Tracy Deonn
Brilliant! I haven't been gripped like this for a long time. Highly recommended
2. For thy great pain have mercy on my little pain, Victoria MacKenzie
The possible backstory of the meeting between Julian of Norwich and Margery Kemp. Engaging and humanising of the two main characters
3. Alchemy, Rory Sutherland
Second best to seeing him live, but still a cracking read. Even if you're not into advertising, this should help make you think about actual causes
4. The Mystics would like a word, Amy Mantravadi (audio)
5. Femina, Dr Janina Ramirez
6. Life lessons from Kierkegaard, Robert Ferguson
7. Storyland, Amy Jeffs
8. Wild, Amy Jeffs
9. The Making of Biblical Womanhood, Beth Allison Barr (audio)
10. The Name of the wind, Patrick Rothfus
11. The Death of king Arthur, Simon Armitage
12. Be Data Literate, Jordan Morrow
13. Geoffrey Chaucer - A very short introduction, David Wallace
14. Murder in the Cathedral, T S Eliot
15. Watchmen, Alan Moore
16. Brideshead revisited, Evelyn Waugh
17. Data strategy, how to profit from a world of big data, analytics and the Internet of things Marr, Bernard
18. The Talented Mr Ripley, Patricia Highsmith
Good, but I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the Andrew Scott series is the best version of this story
19. Bliss & Blunder, Victoria Gosling
20. The Canterbury Tales (audio), Geoffrey Chaucer
21. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
The Sword, The Luna Brothers (graphic novel)

Started, Reread or Continued

1. The Reason for God, Timothy Kellor
2. Going to Church in the Middle Ages, Nicholas Orme
3. Griots Tell No Lies
4. The Five Quintets, Micheal O’Soiadhail
5. In every corner sign, Malcolm Guite
6. Writing our faith, Julia McGuiness
7. In the land of giants, Max Adams
8. The witnesses and other poems, Clive Sansom
9. Poetry the basics , Jeffrey Wainwright
10. The aeneid, virgil, trans E. Fairfax Taylor
11. The Managers Path, Camille Fournier
12. Revelations of Divine Love
13. Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh
14. The Lost tales of Sir Galahad (audio)
15. The Box of Delights, John Masefield
16. Just this, Richard Rohr
17. A modern Utopia, H G Wells
18. Transforming, The Bible & the lives of Transgender Christians, Austen Hartke

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Finished! I should probably accept that'll be the last book on 2024's list

The book The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Went to the library to take 2 books back....

A pile of 4 books: the history of mr polly, faith hope and Poetry by malcolm Guite, starting an etsy business, beowulf a graphic novel

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Now normally I'm a Scotch kind of chap, but I've got to say this works very well

Mug of hot chocolate with a bottle of jack Daniels tennessee fire next to it

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Very, *very* happy with my Christmas present this year!

The poems of J R R Tolkien opened at the page of Sing hey for the bath at the end of the day

Cover of the collected poems of J R R Tolkien

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Still an excellent read, though worryingly I'm not sure where the memories of the mid eighties end and modern day politics/news begins.... Also shows complete lack of self control - this was supposed to be a Christmas holiday read!

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Can't help but feel the new ipad screen protectors might be over promising slightly.... Or have I been using iPads wrong all these years?

A feature claim on an ipad screen protector box claiming it is "explosion proof"

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Tim Smith @tr-smith.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

"Medieval Women in their own words" at @britishlibrary.bsky.social was so much more than I could have hoped for - pity my poor colleague who sent me a message and got an all caps response ignoring her actual question! #medievalsky #JulianOfNorwich #MargeryKemp

Revelations of Divine Love at the British library

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