Tonia Collett
By day, mild-mannered museum person; by night, an insatiable reader, tentative gardener, explorer of old places, top-notch daydreamer.
For work purposes, you can find me here: collettconsultancy.co.uk
For anything else, try the allotment.
- I have shown this to Tiny Wee Mabel and asked why, if wildcats will wear their collars, she feels the need to fake fainting dramatically, lying perfectly still and mewing pitifully when we try to put hers on. Her side eye game strong as ever.
- January Reading: some rereads, some new to me, two audio books. One old favourite (thank you Iain Banks), one new favourite (thank you Emma Kennedy) and one new obsession (thank you Ben Aaronovitch). One set of handwriting deemed atrocious (all my own work). Full list in alt text.
- Currently hyperventilating with laughter as I read this. So many holiday disaster memories of my own bubbling up! Although I never actually managed to fall down a French toilet...
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- Visited #ComptonVerney, the Shelter of Stories. Exuberant, thoughtful, colourful art. From left: Anna Maria Paxheco Envy, Lisa Lindqvist Dr Love, Hew Locke Call Sign 1, a trio of Liliane Lijn's. "The wisest thing...is to meet the forces of the mythical world with cunning and with high spirits."
- Today's "Saddest Piece of Info": scientists exploring the Mariana Trench (western Pacific Ocean, ard 11000 meters deep) found cigarette packets and cardboard boxes and dear gods, can we just stop being trashy and dropping our stuff *everywhere* BTW Misha Glenny doing bang up job as #InOurTime host
- Right, that's enough book learnin' (prepping for a workshop); off to buy me some choc covered Brazil nuts. Part of my ongoing research into who stocks the best. M&S currently leading the pack. I will not divert by the bookshop, I will not divert by the bookshop, I will no...
- I too have known defeat at the hands of a wonky pool table. Sheffield Sept 2023 is tattooed on my bitter heart.
- Caught the Lee Millar exhibition at Tate Britain this week. What an extraordinary, fearless individual she was, with a clear eye and profound instinct for the life contained in a single shot. Would recommend moving swiftly into the rooms with her Egyptian and WWII images, and lingering there.
- This is soooo good and I'm speaking as a person yesterday would ordinarily rather read a seed catalogue than willingly read a tech article. It made my brain think in, and of, new ways.
- My son gave me the gift of my retirement plan for Christmas. Hermit by Jade Fitton and Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield. Have read them both: each excellent but Storm Pegs winning out with its luscious descriptions of the Shetland language. The sock sloths are in approval.
- Just heard that Guillermo del Toro is adapting The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro and literally dropped my pen in joy. My favourite* book meets my favourite director. Stop motion animation as well! Del Toro you are really spoiling me! *one of several...
- It's the annual "top up the raised beds" time of year and, once again, I have company of the small feathered kind. Their vigilance was rewarded with mealworms.
- Reposted by Tonia CollettIf you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
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- Reposted by Tonia CollettYes, yes I know I keep banging on about my fucking book! However, if you want one repost this and I’ll do a random winner pick thing by the end of the week because I’m great like that. ♥️📚 #amindofmyown
- I love this so much. Nobel committee unable to reach prize winner who is ‘living his best life’ hiking off grid www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
- Reposted by Tonia CollettIMPORTANT All freelancers, self-employed, creatives This is the first I've heard of this, but the Department for Business and Trade is running a consultation on the scourge of late payments, they want to introduce new legislation to tackle poor practices Deadline to respond is 23 October 1/2
- Spent Monday evening with Sandi Toksvig...and several hundred other people too. So good, so funny, so human. Gutted not to win a Toksvig Masculinity t-shirt though.
- That was a roller coaster 30 minutes of screen refreshing, shouting at the screen refreshing and general wailing, but I have them in the palm of my hot little inbox...Super Furry Animal tickets! TICKETS! Orkney, SFA, Paris...2026 Planned.
- I am being watched... What's the rhyme? One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a literary agent to pick up your manuscript.
- Behold! I have written two new toolkits for #AIM! I am also horribly bad at self promotion, so this is a week late. But I'm rather proud of these, they are labours of love and my first ever published writing. aim-museums.co.uk/news/new-con...
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- I LOVE BorrowBox! It's financially free, Amazon-free, and will keep your lugs entertained for HOURS. Download, download! Currently listening to Moon Over Soho by B Aaronovitch and laughing out loud in public places.
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- "Sometimes, however, an airhead is simply an airhead. Modern women deserve better than Marie Antoinette as a model." observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
- It's #NCVO #smallcharityweek! Use this week to support the small do big things. #TheBigGive has a raft of them (donate.biggive.org/small-charit...) to chose from...
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- A visit to Dove Cottage at Grasmere last week, an example of a writers house done right. Massively impressed, as was my non-poetry-interested husband. Atmospheric not stagey, thoughtful not staid. #wordsworth #lakedistrict
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- Every once in a while, the moons align, the stars form the pattern and the gods smile nicely on my mango destoning game...
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- “Because frankly, I don’t tell anybody what to think. I can’t bear it when people tell me what to think. That’s not what we do. We want to provide multiple perspectives to equip people to navigate this crazy world we’re in, to understand it, to build empathy..." 🎉 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
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- Good to see targeted funding for local authority museums. Quite a few of the museums I know and love (and at least one I worked in) are LA and they're ordinarily excluded from quite a few funding programmes.
- If I can grow nothing else on this planet, I can grow rosemary so big, it will blot out the skies* and attract all the bees. #allotment *won't actually blot out the skies. But over a metre high is still impressive
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- Clever, thoughtful, representative interpretation at #Avoncroft and the launch of their new Showman's Wagon exhibition. With New Stories New Audiences funding from #AIM and well chosen project partners, Steven and the team have created something rather wonderful. #museums
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- Worcester cathedral looking mighty fine this evening. Orchestral manoeuvres in Radiohead are scheduled.
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- National Snowdrop Day. It would be rude not to.
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- I've been asking clients to consider learning programmes that include elders for a long time. This lovely article on Museum Next gives some great examples of why this is important: www.museumnext.com/article/what...
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- Lovely article on why winter is beautiful and necessary. Lean into the hibernation, don't fight it. Winter wonder: Jeanette Winterson and others reveal why the cold has them under its spell www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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- I thought my son's Burrito Claus was the perfect name, but no. We have a new winner:
- Currently resisting watching this for fear my hermit leanings would fully fledge: Our Tiny Islands review – wonderful proof that it is still possible to live a life of contentment www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
- M&S playing the role of Needy Boyfriend: but was I *remarkable*? Me: you were...adequate M&S: sobbing Me: look, it was just a packet of Percy Pigs and some new pants! You're putting too much pressure on this M&S: I need you to LOVE me! LOOOOOVE MEEE!!
