Rachel Playforth

@archelina

The toast in the machine. NHS librarian, crossword compiler (Angel), Unch magazine editorial team, poet. Weekly crossword streams on Twitch @ crypticsunday. I like crime fiction, telly and cold water. She/her.

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Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jul 2

21 years ago today @wyrd.systems and I got married. I think you'll agree this classy and elaborate statement cake really captured our shared love of words and language... 😆

A very small chocolate cake (two tiers to be fair) with some coloured candles in the shapes of letters spelling out Rachel and Matt a bit wonkily. Adding to the classiness is a pint of Guinness next to the cake on a wood effect table in front of a radiator, and a bin underneath.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jun 27

Cheers! By the coast for the weekend and amazingly it's cool enough to enjoy both a Malbec and some chocolate #ConfinedCocktails

A little bit of red wine left in the glass, and a bowl of chocolate cluster things.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jun 27

Had a swim, got lost on a walk, bought stuff from the middle aisle at an unfamiliar Aldi. Definitely on holiday.

Bay view of pebbly beach in the foreground, sea with some small colourful sailing boats behind.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jun 4

A picture that captures your essence.

A teenage girl with a lot of brown hair, wearing a dark pink vest top and denim shorts (it is me), sitting in the middle of a forest reading a book. A 90s quality slightly blurred photo.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 30

I've been in the sea, had a nap, and now there is wine #ConfinedCocktails

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 25

"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened." Happy #TowelDay!

A dark blue towel with an abstract floral and stripe pattern in red, yellow, and light blue, hanging over a rail. Grass visible through the railings, which form shadows on the paved area in front as it's a bright sunny day.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 17

4. John Major as an unlikely J17 pin-up, featuring in a campaign ad against the proposal to charge VAT on books and magazines. Which I guess was successful!

A stark black and white full page ad. Large quote by John Major alongside his photo, reading 'One in four of our children leave secondary education and can't read properly'. Remainder of text reads 'Don't tax reading. Write to your MP today and say no to VAT on publications. Sponsored by the Periodical Publishers Association.'

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 17

3. VO5. I think hairspray started to go out of fashion soon after this. Flexible hold was definitely a lie. Sticky and horrible.

VO5 hairspray advert 'flexible hold, shake after use'.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 17

2. "Worried about using tampons? Let's talk about it." Educational but I always hated applicator tampons, sorry Tampax.

Tampax 'Worried about using tampons?' full page ad.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 17

Some adverts from Just Seventeen in 1993. 1. Cans of Gladiator pop. Don't remember this, probably best it wasn't revived along with the show.

Gladiators Citrus Kick (blue) and Power Punch (red). Terrible illustration of Gladiators on the cans.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 16

My friend lent me this time machine to enjoy over the weekend...

Front cover of Just Seventeen from November 1993, including features on Christian Slater's secret life, 60 heart-warming wintry things, and why hunks want to be ugly.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 9

Not a bad spot to stop for lunch today.

View of the seven sisters chalk cliffs, cuckmere haven and coastguard cottages, from a vantage point sitting on the hillside.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· May 1

Garfield is a grumpy old man but also just a sweet sleepy baby ❤️ Photo by @wyrd.systems whose phone is better than mine.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Mar 30

Happy #PencilDay! Time to get the yellow stripe redone I think...

Forearm tattoo of a Staedtler style pencil.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Mar 24

I have made very good use of two days off.

Screenshot from the 100 jumps game showing that I completed 100 jumps. After 291 attempts.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Mar 23

There's a cryptic crossword by me in the physical i paper today, should you fancy it.

Some of a newspaper page showing a cryptic crossword by Angel

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Mar 21

Fixed it.

Cover of the book ChatGPT for Dummies in the popular For Dummies series, which I have childishly written on in digital red pen to make the title ChatGPT Is For Dummies.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Feb 21

Uh-oh, somebody won an eBay auction...

Quite a tall tower of 18 Terry Pratchett paperbacks, the Josh Kirby Corgi editions.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Feb 12

Finally finished this absolute bastard of a jigsaw in the break room at work 🎉

Completed jigsaw depicting a bit of Central Park in the snow with a bridge in the foreground and Manhattan high rise buildings behind.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Feb 8

I'm contrast to my dystopian dream, here's a cool bookish scene I coloured in with my colouring app the other day. Could I carry off this 'strict but arty Edwardian librarian who writes lesbian detective fiction in her spare time' look I wonder?

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Feb 4

Can you tell what it is yet?

Some kind of wiggly purple shapes done in cross stitch.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jan 21

One hour into holiday 👍

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jan 14

Is it wrong to be jealous of your cat?

A ginger cat curled up asleep in a comfortable looking spot on a yellow patterned duvet, caring not that it's Wednesday morning.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Jan 11

My dad died two years ago today. He left behind one last cataloguing project, completed 50+ years after he first started working in libraries. I hope his former neighbours in the flats are still finding what they need ❤️📚

Door sign reading Library 1 Crime & Thrillers, with a neatly typed list of recent additions in a plastic wallet next to it.

Section of library shelving, a no smoking sign, and a typed notice with a list of books that have been moved to Library 3 to free up space.

Door sign reading Library 2 Fiction Books with a neatly typed list of recent additions.

Section of library shelving with a small face-on display shelf and typed notices.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 22

For all those technical questions about whether we're running out of Christmas crisps...

Cardboard box full of crisps, popcorn and chocolate with 'snack overflow' written on the flap.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 13

Fabulous Cabaret matinee for T's birthday! 19 tomorrow 😯🎉

Black and gold Keep It In The Kit Kat Club sticker (for covering phone cameras on entry).

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 12

I do like that it looks like a little cat spaceship.

A white hi-tech looking pod thing with a cat framed in the porthole looking door and an eerie green light coming from inside

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 11

For reasons best known to himself, my dad collected these jewelled charm things and would hang them from his shopping trolley. I kept a few of the Christmassy ones 💖

Jewel encrusted metal charms - a Christmas tree, a snowman, a stocking and a penguin.

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 6

You can tell we got the festive glassware out today... #ConfinedCocktails

Rachel Playforth@archelina· Dec 6

A small gin and Santa #ConfinedCocktails