Gil Skidmore

A Man in a Hurry Thomas Shillitoe's mental and spiritual struggles

Here is something I have written on Quaker Connections about Thomas Shillitoe, an 18th century Friend whose mental and spiritual struggles I have a lot of fellow feeling for.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/a-man-in-a...

Qualified by experience Different views of Lydia Lancaster's spiritual journey.

Here is a new post that I have written for Quaker Connections on Substack about different views of qualification for roles, illustrated by the life of Lydia Lancaster, an 18th century Friend.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/qualified-...

Can duty be delightful? Changing the way we look at responsibility.

Here is my latest post on Quaker Connections, some cogitations about what duty means in a Quaker context as well as the story of Hannah Kilham's journeys by sea to Africa in the 19th century.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/can-duty-b...

Challenge and encouragement Samuel Bownas growing into Quakerism

I've written a new post on Quaker Connections about the need for both challenge and encouragement in our spiritual journey, illustrated by the story of Samuel Bownas, a second generation Quaker.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/challenge-...

Quaker Connections | Substack Gil Skidmore is a Quaker and retired librarian living in Yorkshire, writing and researching Quaker history and interested in all sorts of things including art, textiles, trees and the sea.

With my writer's hat on I'm very encouraged to find that my Substack, Quaker Connections, now has more than 100 subscribers. It was also good to receive my annual payment from ALCS (Authors Licensing and Collecting Society). May not be much but it's going up each year.
substack.com/@quakerconnect

I've just realised that today is 85 years since my parents, Jim Cooke and Edith Barrett, got married at All Saints, Briston, Norfolk. Here are the happy couple, both aged 26. I didn't arrive until 8 years later, partly because there was a war on and Jim was in India with the RAF for 4 years!

I'm really enjoying writing about Quakers past and present at Quaker Connections over on Substack. Please come and have a look and maybe subscribe for free and join the conversation.
quakerconnect.substack.com

Another post on Quaker Connections Doing what we can, with what we have, where we are, can be as faithful as involvement at a national level. Grace Chamber, an 18th century Quaker, had to contend with limitations in her life but did what she could.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/spiritual-hospitality

My second post for Quaker Connections. Friends have often found the balance between caution and acceptance difficult when trying (or not) to attract new members. This is the story of Josiah Langdale, a 17th century Yorkshire ploughman.
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/caution-and-acceptance

Opening a Window and beginning to make connections

I'm starting a new venture over on Substack. I'm calling it Quaker Connections and in it I will be exploring links between Quakers in the past and the present day. Please take a look, subscribe for free and tell me what you think
quakerconnect.substack.com/p/opening-a-...

My birthday present from Dear Husband arrived today - a new Swatch watch to replace the one I bought myself in 2006 which has stopped working and cannot be repaired. I am pleased with the design I chose and am happy to have the time on my wrist as well as on my phone!

Today is my 77th birthday which I am finding a bit hard to believe. I don't feel very old ( well only sometimes), I'm still curious and trying new things, still researching and writing, still appreciating art and nature and so grateful for my loving family and friends. Counting my blessings!

A cold day but dry this afternoon so I went out into the garden briefly to look for signs of life and found snowdrops, aconites and the odd pansy which was cheering.

I have just spent a very pleasant afternoon in the first of two Zoom workshops on fabric collage run by the Royal School of Needlework which was Dear Husband's Christmas present to me. Here is progress so far on my abstract landscape. The small hoop shows the finished picture.

Lucy and Charlie Brown outside in the snow and dressed appropriately: Lucy: I hate this year! Everyone said things would be better, but they're not! I don't think this is a new year at all... (shouting, fist raised) I think we've been stuck with a used year!

Feliz año nuevo, esteemed followers!

Having a slow relaxing day back home. Doing the washing, setting up TV recordings and reading. Here are the three books I got for Christmas. The embroidery one is linked to an online course later in January.

And to you Isabella!

Happy Christmas everyone! Here are some Christmas Roses by the British artist Dorothy Larcher, painted around 1949 so nearly as old as me.

All packed up and ready to go to Huddersfield for Christmas with the family, picking up No 2 son in Wakefield on the way. Dear husband is just working out how to get one suitcase, two crates of presents & a bag of clean washing for No 1 son into the car while leaving space for a passenger with bags!

Today I decorated the tree in my usual over the top fashion, partly while watching Now Voyager. I couldn't resist this year's new bauble. What could be better than a glass Christmas tree on a Christmas 🎄?

Thanks to number 1 son the tree is now up! I'll let it settle and then decorate, probably on Friday.

Glad to see that lots of Quaker organisations have banded together and left Twitter/X today. They are here now as well as on Threads, Instagram and other places. I'm celebrating by following more Quakers myself all over the place. Do wave if you want to connect.

Really glad to have had my hair cut today. I have tried growing it a bit longer this year but have not felt comfortable, so now I am back to my usual length and feel much better. Before and after.

Very happy that Timpsons have at last got a replacement strap for my watch and fitted it today. I bought my Swatch in 2006 as a birthday present to myself just after my mother died. This is its third strap but I'm so glad I can wear it again.

Radio 3 may have gone over the top with a whole day of carols yesterday but this Yorkshire example really cheered me and I hope it will help your Monday morning.
youtube.com/watch?v=puUW...

My advent calendar is up on the larder door and I have opened the first window. It's from the Bodleian Library this year and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I also have several screenprints on canvas of trees and gardens by Karl Torok

Collected my auction purchases this afternoon. Here is a Sicilian landscape by Piers Browne- with cows!

I've had a good day at home watching Hartley's auction online instead of going to Ilkley. I bought two art lots - an Italian landscape by Piers Browne, an artist I follow, and some unframed prints of trees etc. by Karl Torok, a Bradford artist new to me. More details when I've collected them!

A great post for all my fellow stationery lovers out there!