I’ve just had another episode of dealing with BT and have written a letter of complaint to post tomorrow that I’m sure will end up with a reply of “we’re sorry but there is nothing we can do.” I’m fed up of run ins with BT so I decided to pen the letter I wish I could send them instead…
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BT,
You screwed up again. After our hours on the phone, back in 2008, I thought I’d finished with you. It was messy and tiring. You couldn’t accept that you had faults …

While my faith in bus services may be at an all time low, today a little bit of faith was restored in our trains. Or at least Virgin Trains.
Returning from a work trip to Warwick University (whose campus is deceptively nearer Coventry than it’s namesake) we had seats booked on a specific train. I’m not a fan of advanced tickets, as soon as I purchase one I know the gods are plotting a well timed disruption to ensure I miss the one and only service it is valid on. Lo …

From the over enthusiastic loud honk by the bus driver on a Durham roundabout this evening I can only conclude I had a near death experience. His subsequent over enthusiasm in hitting the breaks in non-life-threatening situations can only suggest I was lucky to survive.Yet I am grateful at this time of year for any bus turning up within a 30 minute window. Once the ice is gone and the evenings get lighter I can walk to and from Durham (aside from the event of the odd torrential downpour). But …

I have to admit that I am quite disappointed with my attitude these past few days. I’ve been all doom and gloom about the snow and missed out on really appreciating it for the relatively short time it is here. I can pinpoint the time I got fed up to when I waited almost an hour and a half for a bus that never came. This was last Thursday, the coldest day of the year. It wasn’t even the fault of the snow. It was the temperature. But that was …

Unless the predictions are wildly off, this Thursday will see three weeks of snow in Durham. Although I’ve been away for half that time I have been assured (moaned at) by plenty of people that the snow hasn’t disappeared from the ground throughout this time. When I returned on New Years Eve it did look like it might be making an attempt to thaw, but I woke on Sunday morning to a new thick blanket of soft snow. And it is proper powdery snow. The small amounts of snow I’ve …

Today’s ‘Five…‘ is photography. At the end of 2008 I bought a DSLR off one of my very best friends, @pirateboots, who decided I would make better use of it than she would. I added a Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens to my kit earlier this year and with the help of @GraemeWatson have developed (excuse the pun!) my skill and love of photography.
Narrowing it down to my five favourite images has been tough. It’s nice to have so many images that I’m proud of. Those that didn’t make it can …

I am an excitable person but tonight has been almost too exciting! And I thought I would share my buzz as I’m too excited to go to sleep.
It was always going to be a fantastic night as it’s the Strictly Come Dancing final. I’m just a bit obsessed with Strictly! In week one I wanted Chris to be out as early as possible, I wouldn’t have believed it if you would have told me I’d be voting for him multiple times in the final. Chris went from novice to being …

It is a beautiful snowy day and as I finished work yesterday I decided to go on a wander with my camera this morning. I love snow! Snow at Christmas is even better!!!

I’m feeling festive. I’m still very tired after the flu, but at least I’m out of the flat and able to appreciate the wonders of December. I’m still gutted I missed our Christmas party and the Durham Christmas weekend, but I’m making the most of enjoying all the everyday little bits of Christmas.
It seems like I have so much more time to take in the season this year. Of course when I was in Royal Mail it was the busiest time of year and until the final delivery on Christmas …

On Sunday I went along to see David Nicholls and Nick Hornby talk about their work and more specifically their latest novels. It was part of the Durham Book Festival. I can’t off the top of my head remember most of what they said, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt more confident about my own writing endeavors as a result.
Something clicked on Sunday night which made me understand why I’m so adverse to joining a writing group, or share my work with other writers in general. I can’t put …

Fresher’s week is finally kicking off in Durham. Nearly everything in the library is ready for the return of the students and now my attention is turned to meeting my first year tutees this afternoon.
The college tutor system at Trevelyan is all about pastoral care, so as a tutor you are a mix of friend and mentor throughout their undergraduate study. I have fifteen students this year, but only eight first years… that’s enough names to remember for today!
I have kicked off Fresher’s week in style by going out on …

Since the beginning of September things have got busier week on week to a climax of the past fortnight where I have done work of some description every day since the Monday before last, sometimes finishing late at night, and I am exhausted. Today I have gone from babbling to full speed ahead. From laughing hysterically to crying as I walked between meetings.
In London this pace was the norm, not just for a month. I survived (by a thread) six months in a row of working 50-70 hours a week. …

Hi everyone. How are you all doing?
I just wanted to let my regular blog readers know that I hadn’t suddenly disappeared of the face of the earth. Nor have I given up writing. I am currently running around like a blue-arsed fly trying to get everything ready in time for Freshers’ arriving at Durham University and therefore dedicating most of my waking hours to work since the weekend.
This is a minor blip and I will be shortly back to my usual blogging self, so please don’t forget me!!!
And if you’re …

My blog has existed in various guises since 6th February 2007 but took a whacking fourteen month break before recommencing in October 2008 to make me determined that this time my blog was here to stay.  My 100th blog comes only days after the six month anniversary of it finding a permanent residence at helenthornber.com. In those six months I’ve entertained almost 2000 unique visitors from 55 countries. Not including anyone who reads this via Facebook. That is something I am very proud of.

On the 1st October it will be …

As much as I love writing I am a huge fan of reading too. My big sister who was obsessed with reading took me to the library as a toddler and introduced me to the world of Miffy and much more. Throughout my childhood and teen years I was a regular library goer, I worked out last night that at my peak I must have been reading about two books a week during my summer holidays. The library was also about community and was one of the first places you …