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HelenSparta

@helensparta.bsky.social

Art, nature, hiking, “soft science” I can understand, the planet and green stuff - trying to be a gardener but failing!

229 Followers  |  146 Following  |  262 Posts  |  Joined: 15.11.2024  |  1.8962

Latest posts by helensparta.bsky.social on Bluesky

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11.02.2026 22:04 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Mimosa tree with bright yellow blossom that smells divine

Mimosa tree with bright yellow blossom that smells divine

Looking up at bright yellow and amazingly perfumed mimosa blossom

Looking up at bright yellow and amazingly perfumed mimosa blossom

Best mimosa blossom in town I reckon. The scent’s as vibrant as the blossom’s colour. I forgot February was so perfumed, what with Sarcococca and winter honeysuckle.
So jealous as our potted mimosa is spindly and without blossom 😥

09.02.2026 17:29 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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THE SUN’S OUT, THERE IS BLUE SKY!

06.02.2026 12:00 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Page 351 of Landmarks book by Robert Macfarlane, the first page of a magical glossary of nature and weather words.

Page 351 of Landmarks book by Robert Macfarlane, the first page of a magical glossary of nature and weather words.

What’s the best word to describe this morning’s weather on my walk to Crystal Palace? drizzle, dreich, mizzle, dank, fret, smur. If I was in Orkney I’m sure it’d be “altran”. The photo’s of the wonderful glossary of nature words in #Landmarks.

06.02.2026 11:45 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Wow! It is indeed incredible, feels magical!

04.02.2026 14:49 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

1 - fire and ice! (But they’re all beautiful).

04.02.2026 14:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

1 or 4 - mellow sweet September tones.

02.02.2026 17:11 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Such a lovely scent and so surprising at this time of year - it’s a hit to the senses.

02.02.2026 07:21 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

One of my faves - hope it’s on BBC iplayer today.

01.02.2026 07:14 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Small painting of Apollo and Daphne attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo (or his workshop). On display at The National Gallery.

Small painting of Apollo and Daphne attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo (or his workshop). On display at The National Gallery.

One of my National Gallery favourites. The Renaissance was very surreal. Apollo and Daphne.

30.01.2026 14:05 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Painting in London’s National Gallery. Workshop of Marinus van Reymerswale, Two Tax-Gatherers, probably painted circa 1540s.

Painting in London’s National Gallery. Workshop of Marinus van Reymerswale, Two Tax-Gatherers, probably painted circa 1540s.

Despite being pay as you earn (PAYE) when I had a job last year, the tax man says I owe
£££. So I grudgingly paid up and then took myself off to the National Gallery to cheer myself up. This painting resonated.

30.01.2026 14:01 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Yum! Love marmite.

27.01.2026 12:52 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Screenshot - The Older Woman - BBC Sounds Ellen and Mark look at what changes when the woman is older in a screen romance.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... this was an excellent listen this morning. Time to rewatch The Graduate I reckon.

27.01.2026 12:38 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
The Hogarth Stair, depicting the Pool of Bethesda, painted 1736.

The Hogarth Stair, depicting the Pool of Bethesda, painted 1736.

Detail of Hogarth’s Pool of Bethesda at Bart’s.

Detail of Hogarth’s Pool of Bethesda at Bart’s.

The black and white St Bartholomew’s Hospital shield, in use for over 500 years. In heraldic terms, “per pale Argent and Sable a chevron counterchanged.”

The black and white St Bartholomew’s Hospital shield, in use for over 500 years. In heraldic terms, “per pale Argent and Sable a chevron counterchanged.”

Went to St Barts North Wing to see the Hogarth Stair and the Great Hall. And the gruesome medical equipment in the small museum (gruesome!).

26.01.2026 13:22 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

That is so sad. I love these birds. Your paintings capture them so well. Once on the way to my old workplace, I found a goldfinch on Goswell Road. It looked so bright and shiny. I didn’t know what to do with it, so wrapped it in a few Pret napkins and buried it in the nearby park. 😔

25.01.2026 15:03 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
A painting (1886) in Tate Britain titled “Hope”. By George Frederic Watts. Hope sits on a globe, blindfolded and holding a lyre with just one string.

A painting (1886) in Tate Britain titled “Hope”. By George Frederic Watts. Hope sits on a globe, blindfolded and holding a lyre with just one string.

#jobhunt update day 1: I’ve spent this morning finessing my CV. It looks great, a career & experience distilled into just two pages. Pinged it to a few roles that look wonderful. Then I notice small typos, & in brackets a note to self to “add metrics when you have them.”
Hope dashed #CVfail

25.01.2026 14:56 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

“And the ship sails on” by @thelilactime.bsky.social and Stephen Duffy is just perfect IMHO.

25.01.2026 08:28 — 👍 2    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Ah, memories of work place Friday lunch spot back in the day.

24.01.2026 16:08 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Hahaha! Love it.

24.01.2026 16:06 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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#saturday shoes circa 1605 style!

24.01.2026 13:02 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Blondie, Spandau, Visage - I remember this 1981 episode of #totp so well. Think I spent all my Saturday job money on 12 inches of Rapture and Fade to Grey.

23.01.2026 20:13 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
A pollarded London Plane tree and other tree (not sure what the other one is!)

A pollarded London Plane tree and other tree (not sure what the other one is!)

Friday tree vibes - knobbly or filigree (filitree!?) #trees #greyskies

23.01.2026 17:35 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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I love the jewellery here - I don’t understand the thin black thread tied to a ring on what must be her wedding finger #tatebritain #stuarts #portraitofalady
@tate.bsky.social

23.01.2026 14:35 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Who are those people!?

23.01.2026 09:12 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

And with a sound studio for an interview on Radio 4 Today 😀

23.01.2026 09:10 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Glorious.
These are just the outfits for another grey London day. With boots. And attitude.

22.01.2026 08:51 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

For #balladwednesday - a sneaky listen to Prefab Sprout’s We Let the Stars Go.
“Long ago one stupid night we let the stars go free”

21.01.2026 17:51 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

“It can really hold us back.”

21.01.2026 17:29 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Some short shorts on the crew there!

21.01.2026 07:47 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Ohhh, that book and film made me sob as a child. Beautiful front cover.

21.01.2026 07:33 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

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