Claire Bate
@clairebate.bsky.social
Cat servant, multiple Fiat owner, music listener and player, excessive baker and cooker, paid to be an engineer. Wife to very understanding husband.
Friday - only one Teams meeting spent with a Maine coon cat sat on my shoulder.
January 9, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Friday - only one Teams meeting spent with a Maine coon cat sat on my shoulder.
Tucked in for the evening with a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits. It was chucking it down earlier when the bins went out - we're still not quite back to regular bin day post Christmas.
January 8, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Tucked in for the evening with a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits. It was chucking it down earlier when the bins went out - we're still not quite back to regular bin day post Christmas.
Friday Claire is pleased that Thursday evening Claire could be bothered to make some soup for lunch today. 🍲
January 2, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Friday Claire is pleased that Thursday evening Claire could be bothered to make some soup for lunch today. 🍲
Day / evening out in London for shopping (including cheese shopping 🧀) and Madness and Squeeze at the O2 - we've decided we're too old for getting home in the wee small hours after gigs so stopped over, so hotel breakfast then train home. Love the antenna on the Stranger things tree at Waterloo🎄
December 21, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Day / evening out in London for shopping (including cheese shopping 🧀) and Madness and Squeeze at the O2 - we've decided we're too old for getting home in the wee small hours after gigs so stopped over, so hotel breakfast then train home. Love the antenna on the Stranger things tree at Waterloo🎄
A day well spent - still some gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants in the freezer so more to be made later this week.
December 15, 2025 at 6:35 PM
A day well spent - still some gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants in the freezer so more to be made later this week.
Reposted by Claire Bate
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
There's something satisfying about setting an out of office for next year. (Yes, I still have work to catch up on from earlier in the week because I can't be trusted with coffee near a laptop).
December 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
There's something satisfying about setting an out of office for next year. (Yes, I still have work to catch up on from earlier in the week because I can't be trusted with coffee near a laptop).
Today's top tip - although coffee is a refreshing, invigorating drink for humans, the same cannot be said for laptops 💻 ☕ 🤦
December 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Today's top tip - although coffee is a refreshing, invigorating drink for humans, the same cannot be said for laptops 💻 ☕ 🤦
Some days are the ones where you need to be ready to be called an idiot because you're prepared to say something no-one else will. Today was one of those days! Never afraid to be that idiot if necessary.
December 4, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Some days are the ones where you need to be ready to be called an idiot because you're prepared to say something no-one else will. Today was one of those days! Never afraid to be that idiot if necessary.
So glad it's a four day week for me. I feel like I've put up with five days worth of nonsense already, and I've got a whole day of meeting tomorrow. Sigh... 😔
November 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
So glad it's a four day week for me. I feel like I've put up with five days worth of nonsense already, and I've got a whole day of meeting tomorrow. Sigh... 😔
If you've not seen Nathan's art before it's well worth a look - a fantastic blend of soviet style art and cats! This and the Fishercat union are two of my favourites - the detail is amazing!
The second Biscuit Makers' Union poster follows the workers of biscuit making from "from field to tummy." This journey is depicted literally in the poster: starting with farm fields, through harvest, and production. A closer look at the bottom reveals a fleet of trucks ready to deliver biscuits...
November 20, 2025 at 8:13 AM
If you've not seen Nathan's art before it's well worth a look - a fantastic blend of soviet style art and cats! This and the Fishercat union are two of my favourites - the detail is amazing!
We've reached that point in the year where breakfast in hotels is accompanied by Christmas songs.
November 17, 2025 at 7:48 AM
We've reached that point in the year where breakfast in hotels is accompanied by Christmas songs.
This has played a star role today, due to our electric kettle popping its clogs today. A day without tea or coffee could have resulted in all sorts of problems.
November 7, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This has played a star role today, due to our electric kettle popping its clogs today. A day without tea or coffee could have resulted in all sorts of problems.
Away for work tonight - tucked up in a hotel room but the wind is howling round outside! Looking forward to getting home again tomorrow.
November 3, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Away for work tonight - tucked up in a hotel room but the wind is howling round outside! Looking forward to getting home again tomorrow.
Ooh! Glass Harmonica alert on Later with Jools Holland!
November 2, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Ooh! Glass Harmonica alert on Later with Jools Holland!
Sausages with bubble and squeak made with yesterday's roast leftovers for dinner, followed by the last piece of cinnamon apple pie and custard. Autumn food 😊
October 27, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Sausages with bubble and squeak made with yesterday's roast leftovers for dinner, followed by the last piece of cinnamon apple pie and custard. Autumn food 😊
Good evening. Hope the weather has been reasonably kind where you are. Here's a picture of Fran, mildly annoyed that a leaf landed on the windowsill of my office, out of reach of a good batting with a furry paw.
October 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Good evening. Hope the weather has been reasonably kind where you are. Here's a picture of Fran, mildly annoyed that a leaf landed on the windowsill of my office, out of reach of a good batting with a furry paw.
Been stuck in a WiFi free bubble today - did I miss anything?
October 20, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Been stuck in a WiFi free bubble today - did I miss anything?
Still haven't lost the ability to catch an early morning train, fall asleep on the way into London and wake up just before Waterloo ready to get off. Skills.
October 15, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Still haven't lost the ability to catch an early morning train, fall asleep on the way into London and wake up just before Waterloo ready to get off. Skills.
Flu jab day - they've printed the information sheet on a decent size piece of paper. Someone has realised that a large part of the target audience is at a point in life where tiny print requires reading glasses (myself included).
October 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Flu jab day - they've printed the information sheet on a decent size piece of paper. Someone has realised that a large part of the target audience is at a point in life where tiny print requires reading glasses (myself included).
It's been a busy day for office assistant Tez...
October 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
It's been a busy day for office assistant Tez...
M&S Gingerbread and white chocolate cookies are going to be responsible for an awful lot of tea and biscuit breaks between now and Christmas... 🍪
October 6, 2025 at 5:01 PM
M&S Gingerbread and white chocolate cookies are going to be responsible for an awful lot of tea and biscuit breaks between now and Christmas... 🍪
Just had a hedgehog knocking over the empty milk bottles outside - good size one too 🦔
October 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Just had a hedgehog knocking over the empty milk bottles outside - good size one too 🦔
Yes, I started singing "thank you for being a friend" too when the Golden Girls came up as an answer on #Onlyconnect
September 29, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Yes, I started singing "thank you for being a friend" too when the Golden Girls came up as an answer on #Onlyconnect