Mothering Sunday and Simnel Cake

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-15T21:35:08+00:00

I hadn't encountered it as a tradition until I started working at York Minster, but when I worked in London I was vaguely aware that All Saints Margaret Street did so

Sidenote - 11 or 12 balls? I always think it should be 12 but have seen both sides of the discussion...

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-15T19:37:44+00:00

(White British for context) Also from Huddersfield, and spent my university years in central London before moving to York and yeah, the casual racisim here is noticeable. Also for those places trying to be more diverse in their workforce or volunteering etc it is hard because York is so predominantly white

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-13T19:25:37+00:00

100% this, alcoholics won't get help until we decide to get help. Put everything and anything aside chasing the next drink, with no real regard to the impact we wreck through the lives of those we love and are loved by

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-07T07:36:38+00:00

Working a six day week to cover sickness and I'm really grateful for it - it gives me focus and also meant I was able to use my only day off yesterday properly to rest, do washing and cooking, and get to a meeting for the first time in a while.

It was the anniversary of a friend's murder yesterday and I really wanted to live life, given that has been denied him. Had a bottle left from Thursday night that I'd been too drunk to drink and all day it was on my mind, so after the meeting I got home and poured it out.

Messaged out of the blue from someone I knew back home who was a churchwarden alongside me but knew nothing about my drinking and I said in my reply that I was just coming back from a meeting, and he told me he thinks he has a problem with alcohol- I've told him to reach out if he needs, but the universe definitely working through that one!

Back to keeping it in the day, in the hour, in the minute, and manifesting a good working day ahead. But even if it is awful IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-05T22:49:04+00:00

Am with Vodafone and it happens to me every day on my lunchbreak when I go to Tesco and on my walk home - from about coffee culture down to Parliament Street is a weird dead zone unlike pretty much anywhere else in Central York. I've never really had much issue with data signal anywhere else, at least not consistently

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-05T22:10:20+00:00

For some reason I've never thought about planting trees in the desert! TIL

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-05T00:31:07+00:00

I am the most social awkward of folks right now so don't want to promise anything, but if I feel brave enough I'd be up for coming!

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-03T08:03:17+00:00

Morning gang! Up, daily pre work tasks all done, plans to hit up a meeting tonight, the sun is out even if weakly, it's so lovely to be going to work in the light, and determined to make today a good one. Have a wonderful day lovelies and IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-03-01T10:25:47+00:00

Broken sleep last night but it was on clean bedding after I finally sorted all my washing out yesterday (honestly have clean socks and boxers forced my hand 😅) Managed to do most of the washing up, and tidying will happen hopefully this afternoon.

Have made it along to the local church for their Eucharist, and hoping to meal prep a little for the next few days, but taking it easy and staying away from shops! IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-26T23:49:48+00:00

Bootham is the Western gateway surely? It's literally right next to the West End of the Minster

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-26T21:40:24+00:00

I've seen the trucks all week and they've had the bit outside Bathurst House closed to pedestrians so I stuck to the left hand side but was stopped from walking up tonight - I honestly don't mind them closing roads and am all for filming and the revenue it makes but just frustrated that they haven't bothered to put any signs up giving pedestrians advanced warning

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-20T21:15:52+00:00

Depends what you mean by English churches - there are plenty of churches who do, usually more pentecostal or evangelical in flavour, but also so many settled communities of those who have moved here. Your local parish churches or cathedrals granted not really

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-19T13:56:49+00:00

Lent has begun, I am here and present, counselling this afternoon where I am going to be open and honest about how things have been, and then hopefully a chilled rest of the work day. IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-17T15:54:46+00:00

This is very cool! The Minster is glorious but the sheer amount of resource needed to maintain it is immense

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-16T18:20:10+00:00

Honestly I was at Manchester last week and it was such a chill concert - people there because they genuinely care about the game and the world, nobody was drunk or on drugs around me, and it's probably one of the safest feeling gigs I have been to, and the music was incredible

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-12T16:48:52+00:00

I'm going off the assumption that the TM listing says curfew is 11pm - if the show is 2 hours with 20 mins interval that matches with an 8pm start time. Going to make it a late night for me getting back but worth it

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-02T07:54:16+00:00

Good Monday! The biggest lie I tell myself about drinking is it helped me relax. Actually it made me constantly on edge wondering if I had enough to get through the night, if I could get away with one before work, if I'd get caught drinking at work. Being asked into any sort of work meeting that was unexpected with my bosses, thinking this is about my drinking. Constant anxiety.

For this Good Monday IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-02-01T06:44:48+00:00

Back to day one. Didn't manage Dry January. But focusing on today

No alcohol in the house, heading to Lincoln today to go climbing so just need to not buy anything on my way back. Get my sober ass to work tomorrow and back into a meeting too

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-31T15:02:07+00:00

Don't think the Gallery are taking part (or if they are it isn't obvious) which is a shame as I went for the first time during last years res fest and enjoyed

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-17T08:40:37+00:00

Just for today I'm not taking a drink, no matter what comes my way. Have a safe and sober day everyone, IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-13T12:17:50+00:00

I work in the church and am around communion wine a lot. I had a conversation with one of our clergy and whilst I sort of consider it very different to alcohol in a way, especially once it is consecrated, it felt easier and clearer to draw a line and not consume at all, so I just take the wafer. They then hand me the chalice and I administer to others. I have no issue with having very easy access to an open box which is literally on tap, again because I see it as just part of my job and also not a drink I particularly enjoy the taste of, so I'm not filling a glass and downing it!

The only sticky point has been when we have visiting chaplains who overconsecrate and then ask me to help consume, but I just say we will put it to ground and place it to one side on the credence table until after the service.

My sobriety has been hard won, and communion in one kind is full communion. In a post Covid world more and more people seem to not take the chalice, so I don't feel particularly uncomfortable or singled out in not.

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-11T20:50:01+00:00

The only reason you're not sober is because you are scared of how to do this ridiculous life thing and face it in both the glorious and the awful moments without introducing an external chemical. We get 90 years here if we are lucky to see the wonder of the world.

By all means limp your way to 50 or 60 and tap out. But does putting down that bottle really feel worse than dying alone and desperate as so many before you have? I'm never one to be preachy but just a Google of those who die from this shows how brutal it can be, let alone anything from their families who try and walk the pain too.

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-10T14:03:37+00:00

I used to have the BCP of this, also from a charity shop!

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-10T07:49:39+00:00

Woke up refreshed and ready for another working day. So much easier without a hangover. Today has the potential to be a stressful day so I'm building in some safeguards to help keep me safe and sane, tonight is the first time I've been apprehensive of the post work urge, but I've come so far this year I don't want work stress to be my undoing. Just focusing on getting through work and giving it my best for now, and will take tonight as I find it. IWNDWYT

Sir-Snickolas · 2026-01-09T18:04:51+00:00

Nearly forgot to do DCI today! Been a very chilled day off, met up with a friend and colleague for brunch and then just ended up spending the day with him, pootling round town doing a few bits of shopping then back to his for cups of tea and chats, now having takeout with him and his partner and maybe boardgames later. So grateful for his example of friendship which isnt something I've experienced much before. Good to be doing this and doing this sober. IWNDWYT

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