Me at 23

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Monday 10 October 2022

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Today, I turn 23. I was thinking the other day about how this series may be a little strange but I genuinely love looking back on them years later. This is the seventh iteration of ‘Me at’ and it seems wild to me and yet somehow kind of comforting being able to look back at how I’ve grown in myself alongside my blog and my writing. The person writing ‘Me at 17’ six years ago could not have imagined who I am now. In fact, I think she’d be pretty proud of the person writing ‘Me at 23’ and that’s pretty cool.


 

A lot has happened in the past year, although as predicted in last year’s post from the outside my life doesn’t look that different. I’m living in the same house – now with more books, more placards and a cat – doing the same degree, working in the same please, wearing (mostly) the same clothes. I love the fact that some things have remained the same. It’s nice to be in a stable place, both physically and mentally, for a little while. 

 

Under the surface though, a lot has changed. 


 

One of the biggest things that happened to me this year was finally starting medication for my anxiety. At several points last year, but particularly throughout October, my mental health got pretty bad and it took a while for me to make the decision to actually go on medication. It took book recommendations from pals (thank you Rosie for lending me Hands by Lauren Brown) and discussions with pals to make me take my mental illness serious and treat it like what it is: an illness. However long it took, I’m proud of myself for taking that step to look after myself. It hasn’t completely stopped my anxiety or compulsive behaviors, and I didn’t expect it to, but it has made a notable difference. I’m no longer walking down the street in fight or flight mode and that makes life a hell of a lot easier. 

 

If you’d told me last year that I would have directly confronted the then Home Secretary and my university’s Vice-Chancellor, as well as co-organised and hosted two rallies, I would not have believed you. This year has really opened my eyes to what I’m capable of doing, as well as recognising when I need to step back for my own wellbeing. My imagination is brimming with ideas for things to do and write, but even if I may not have the capacity to carry them out right now I can pass on the ideas to someone else. The team is the best part of these. The actions my past self would have been in awe at me for doing is all possible because of the team in place to carry them out. Together, we are so much more powerful than if we stand alone. 



Many of the friendships I made and developed at 22, largely down to being more involved with activist groups like GNDR and the campaigns I’ve been part of, I now can’t imagine my life without. Some friendships aren’t meant to last forever. They can come and go and be meaningful even if they’re only around for a short amount of time. And that’s okay. At the same time as those friendships come and go in cycles, others come along and feel like home. I’m so grateful to the friends who I might not see as much as I would like (frankly that includes pretty much all of them), but whom I know I can be my full self with. There is so much joy to be had even when things around us are looking godawful. Friendship is what makes it all worthwhile. Joy became a real priority for me at 22, and I don’t want to let that go at 23. 

 

After finishing my undergrad, I was desperate to start reading more for fun again but wasn’t sure if I’d end up in a reading slump. Luckily, there hasn’t been one huge reading slump. I’ve read less for fun while I’ve had more uni reading to do, but when I’m in the writing stages of a project I am able to speed through books. I feel like I’ve been able to regain my love of reading that may have straggled a little bit when I was doing my undergrad (simply from the amount of prescribed reading I was doing then compared to then freedom I have since gained). There was a couple of weeks last August when I read 12 books, and the vast majority weren’t related to my work in the slightest. Getting caught up in a story just for the sake of it, so that you spend an entire afternoon with your nose stuck in its pages or stay up hours after you’d planned on going to sleep because you can’t tear yourself away from it is magical. I miss that feeling when I don’t have it and want to be in the position to spend as much of my life reading underneath a blanket with a big cup of tea as possible. 

 


This time last year, starting my Master’s put into a bit of confusion and instability at not having a set routine. I still don’t properly have a routine, but I’ve adapted to the flow of it. I think having no teaching anymore really helped me get that stability I needed. I now just have my own schedule to worry about, and I love having that control. I’m excited about the work I get to do and do truly love my learning right now. Since the beginning of the new academic year it has felt like a bit of a shift. Starting the second year of my MLitt has made the end of it feel closer and much more real. Last year it was comforting to know roughly what my life would look like now, but right now I have no clue what I’ll be doing in a year’s time. Hopefully I’ll have finished my dissertation by then, but apart from that who knows. If I think about it too closely I get a little bit panicky, but not as panicky as I would expect. Hey, maybe it’s the anxiety medication. Either way, we’ll have to see what this year brings. 

 

Ooh, and I’m a dye-induced ginger now! I love it a lot and probs won’t give up the ginge life anytime soon. 

 

Here’s to reading good books, wearing good clothes, and laughing with good friends. 

 

This is me, at 23. 



If you like my work and have learned something from it, please consider helping support me (so I have more time to write posts and articles like these!) by buying me a virtual cuppa! 


If you liked this post you might like: Me at 22


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Book Review: Burnt - Fighting for Climate Justice by Chris Saltmarsh

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Wednesday 5 October 2022

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“In the textbooks and on broadcast media, the impacts of climate change are abstracted as technical policy debates without a proportionate sense of the scale of the suffering and devastation already being endured. Both offer a cursory acknowledgement of impacts including droughts, floods, tropical storms or lower crop yields, but it is impossible to understand what these impacts mean without their political context and without the stories of those with direct experience. To understand climate change, our stories must directly address the question of justice.”

    - Burnt, page 8

 


From Karachi to Pembrokeshire to Tuvalu, the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt by ordinary people. Across the world, our homes are on fire, underwater and we are choking with fumes. We need change and we need it now. 

 

In Burnt, Chris Saltmarsh looks at how we bring about that change, some of the issues with current and past environmental movements and groups (including big environmental NGOs like WWF and larger activist groups such as XR), as well as how and why justice needs to be embedded in every part of the action we take to prevent and slow down climate disaster. 

 

Saltmarsh highlights a Green New Deal as the first necessary step to achieving change on a big enough scale to make the impact we need to survive and thrive. In one chapter he breaks down key aspects of the GND, including shutting down the fossil fuel industry, creating (or in some cases adequately funding) national energy, food, health, housing and transport services, and moving to a system of democratic public ownership. Reading parts of this chapter actually made me quite emotional. But emotional in a positive, hopeful way. Emotional because I was in awe imagining what could be possible. One aspect of the GND Saltmarsh describes that I’d not come across before was the idea of a National Food Service. A service which “could begin to concurrently address the interlinked crises of food insecurity, abuses of land rights, and emissions through the universal provision of food free at the point of access.” The fact that my only two margin notes on this section are “this seems wild but amazing” and “this makes me want to cry (in a good way)”, I think says it all. 

 

While I was reading Burnt, I kept thinking of the quote by Chico Mendes: “environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening”. That sentence is scrawled in at least two margins of this book, if not more, and for good reason. This book emphasises how capitalism and wealth inequality contributes to the climate crisis. We can’t rely on corporations to stop climate change of their own accord, because they simply won’t as this would mean changing their entire business model and relinquishing profit. Saltmarsh uses the example of Quorn, who use the climate crisis as a central part of their advertising campaigns, to highlight how “individuals ‘reducing their carbon footprint’ and practicing moderation is conveniently synonymous with buying their product.” Saltmarsh demonstrates the hypocrisy of Quorn’s climate claims by pointing out that while they may sell a food product more sustainable than meat, their views of climate justice fall short as they “don’t have much interest in transforming the food system to eliminate workers’ rights abuses, environmental degradation and emissions”. This is the same with so many brands. From Levi’s branding themselves as an ‘activist’ company but refusing to commit to signing the legally binding International Accord which would ensure their workers have safe workplaces, to universities claiming to be forerunners of climate action while their staff are on strike around pay, workload, and pay gaps. Green capitalism will not help us. 

 

Just like Feminism, Interrupted by Lola Olufemi (also part of Pluto Press’s Outspoken series), is an incredible introduction to intersectional feminism, Burnt is a great introduction to climate justice and more specifically to the Green New Deal. It doesn’t cover absolutely everything the Green New Deal would involve – that would be tricky in eight short chapters - and not in huge depth, but Burnt provides a strong foundation of knowledge on the GND and why we need one.  

 

What can we do to make this happen? Here are a few ideas: 

 

Support striking workers - whether by attending pickets, donating to strike funds, communicating with bosses and politicians, or whatever other way you can think of.  


Join a movement. There is a role for everyone no matter what you think your activist skills or credentials are, there is something you can do. Green New Deal Rising and Stop Cambo are a fab lot, and there are so many other organisations that are working for change too. Find what’s right for you. Find friends and join together if it seems scary. You’ll undoubtedly make more friends along the way and then a few months later be in awe of what you’ve managed to do as part of a community. 

 

Write to your MP (or find them in person wherever they may be) to ask if they back a Green New Deal, and if not, ask why not. We need to keep the pressure up otherwise its highly unlikely politicians will take the action we need them to take. 

 

Work to unpick the oppression that shapes all of our thoughts and behaviour. That means unlearning the racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism that has been pressed upon us from the get go, identifying how we perpetuate those systems of oppression and how we can put a stop to them and reduce the harm caused in our communities. As Saltmarsh emphasises in Burnt, anti-oppression must be central in our fight against climate change, otherwise we won’t achieve climate justice. This is not easy in any way, in fact it should be pretty uncomfortable if it’s done properly, but it’s crucial if we want to create the just world we’re aiming towards. This process should be never ending and can’t be a tick-box exercise. 

 

Keep imagining. The Green New Deal is an alternative future. It is something to build towards and a task of radical imagination and hope. Sometimes it can feel like we’re only fighting against things – to stop oil and gas fields from construction, to stop forests from being cut down, to stop repressive governments from taking power… What would you want the world to look like in its most perfect form? If there were no barriers and everything was possible, how would you imagine the world to be? Now why shouldn’t that be possible? Why can’t we all be provided for and live our lives to the fullest? Alongside stopping harmful things that are happening, we have to keep in mind the world and the society we want to live in. Having something to fight for keeps our hope and our motivation. What’s the point in saving the world if we don’t live better lives once we’ve done so?

 

There are so many more things that you can do to help make meaningful change. 

 

We’ve got this. 



If you like my work and have learned something from it, please consider helping support me (so I have more time to write posts and articles like these!) by buying me a virtual cuppa! 


If you liked this post you might like: Where to Access Books and Avoid Funding Amazon

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AD | Is Hemp a Sustainable Fabric?

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Wednesday 28 September 2022

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When it comes to sustainable choices, fabrics can be a minefield. Polyester seems to be in everything, but brands rarely talk about the fact that this means plastic is one of their most used materials. Cotton is supposed to be good, until you hear about its intense water usage and impact on soil quality. So, what other options are there?

 

Hemp is a bast fibre. That means that it is a fibre derived from the stems of plants, in the case from cannabis. Hemp is a fabric that has been used for thousands of years across the globe to make all kinds of items, including clothing. It has dipped in and out of popularity and at different times even been banned from production. More recently hemp has come back into popularity and is being hailed for its sustainable qualities. But what are those exactly? 


Photo: GeeGee Collection


What makes hemp sustainable?


One of hemp’s biggest strengths is its durability. It is also resistant to fading, so it will keep looking good for longer than other fabrics that fade more easily. If we are aiming for a fashion system where we use our clothes as much as possible for as long as possible, hemp and other durable materials like it are crucial to any new production that takes place.

 

As its non-commercial name suggests, hemp is quite literally a weed. It grows very densely and dominates other plants by growing over them and blocking their light source and using up the other resources available in the same vicinity. This is useful for fabric production as it means that no chemical herbicide is needed to aid hemp’s growth. It is also a natural pesticide, so can be grown completely organically. Using a densely growing plant like hemp also reduces the amount of land needed in the early stages of the supply chain. It is much more land efficient than some other crops. For example, hemp produces double the amount as cotton in the same space while also using around four times less water. This makes it more cost-effective for producers and is beneficial to the environment by consuming fewer resources.

 

Landfills are a huge problem when it comes to fashion. I have written before for Remake and on this blog, waste and waste colonialism are huge issues. Across the globe, billions of garments get thrown away each year. Most of those clothes are made out of plastic (also known as polyester) and can take millions of years to break down and also spread into animals and across the environment through micro-plastics. These create health and safety hazards not only to the planet and the animals who live in it, but disproportionately affect those living near landfill sites. Chemicals, heat and gases that get trapped among the rubbish can cause fires, blocked drains increasing flooding, and spread disease. 

 

Hemp, however, biodegrades much faster than other fabrics. These micro-plastics won’t occur with hemp products. It’s not a solution to waste but if disposed of correctly, it will have a significantly smaller impact than other fabrics. Hemp is also a lot less harmful to the soil it grows in. It returns around 60-70% of nutrients it takes from the soil.

 

Hemp may not be perfect. There are still impacts when it is dyed, the biodegrading process becomes trickier when it is combined with other materials such as polyester (which it doesn’t always need to be), and if it is used to produce the same high quantities of garments fast fashion brands currently do, the damage will still be incredibly high. However, it is still better than others and can be a useful part of creating a slower and kinder fashion landscape. 


Photo: GeeGee Collection

 

Introducing… GeeGee Collection’s Expanded Hemp Range 

 

GeeGee Collection, a small slow fashion brand based in London whom I introduced in my last blog post, are now transitioning to using more hemp in their clothing line. From the end of October, GeeGee are adding to hemp dresses to their collection in addition to the hemp kimono already on sale. 

 

The hemp GeeGee Collection uses is organic and biodegradable to make garments that not only last and look good for a long time, but will also have a kinder afterlife when they are eventually out of use. This is part of the company’s aim to act as a counter-narrative to the current exploitative fast fashion system and to bring slow, sustainable artisan craftsmanship back to the forefront of our fashion culture. 


Photo: GeeGee Collection


If you like my work and have learned something from it, please consider helping support me (so I have more time to write posts and articles like these!) by buying me a virtual cuppa! 


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AD | Meet GeeGee Collection

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Friday 9 September 2022

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In July, I went along to the first ever Northern Fashion Week, held in Manchester for 3 days. I had never been to a fashion week event before and I admit I did feel a fair bit of imposter syndrome when I first arrived, but I was excited to see how the event would showcase ethical and sustainable fashion and positive changes in the industry. 

 

After a few minutes looking around, I found GeeGee Collection’s stall and got chatting to Georgia, GeeGee Collection’s founder. She told me about her business – a focus on traditional artisanship and luxury on a small and sustainable scale – and showed me the samples she’d brought with her. After I took a particular fancy to a jacket and short set, Georgia suggested I try them. I got so much joy from trying on that outfit in the toilets of the convention centre, I never wanted to take them off (of course I did in the end, that would have been unfair to Georgia). A pair of shorts has never fit me as well as that pair did. I absolutely adored them and to be honest, many of my conversations since then have been about these shorts. I’m sorry to all my pals who have had to put up with me constantly going on about them…


 

So, Who Are GeeGee Collection?

 

Founded in 2019, GeeGee Collection’s core goal is to bring back traditional artisanship and quality to fashion as a means of moving away from the fast fashion model and its harmful environmental impact. Georgia develops her designs in East London while the fabrics used are handwoven using traditional artisanship in Lyon, France. The clothes are then put together in a sample studio in Shoreditch. 

 

GeeGee work on a non-seasonal basis.  This means that they don’t conform to the trend cycle and don’t have a limited time for product creation and sale, allowing for fewer designs to be sold throughout the year and with less time pressure on the production process. While big fashion brands have sped up this process to incorporate 52 (or more) seasons per year into their business, operating on a non-seasonal basis slows down the production of brands like GeeGee by adding in styles as and when they’re ready, working on bespoke items and focusing on waste reduction. They also do this by looking at ways to make every day clothing staples feel new and creative. I love any way of making my outfits more jazzy - adding colour or cool patterns in there to spice up an otherwise ordinary look. So I love GeeGee’s principle of reinventing wardrobe classics, like blazers and shorts, to make them more exciting and feel more luxurious!


Image: GeeGee Collection

 

In their early days, GeeGee were producing 10 products in size small, five in medium, and 5 in large. Two years later they shifted to cater mostly for size large and then downsize when needed, as they found that more styles were selling in that size. Those numbers seem almost astonishing when we’re used to seeing production figures of thousands, millions or even billions of garments by big fashion brands like H&M, Boohoo, and SheIn (no matter how much they try to convince us that they’re sustainable and ethical). As we know through research such as Remake’s 2021 Accountability Report, small businesses are consistently more sustainable and ethical than big brands. In this report, small and medium businesses scored 37 points on average, compared to 9 points average for big fashion brands – highlighting that smaller businesses are leading the way in sustainable fashion.

 

GeeGee Collection’s first London Fashion Week show is taking place on 9pm 19th September at Soho House, London. This event will include not only a showcase of their clothing line, but also demonstrations using textile looms so that attendees can see for themselves how much time, labour, and skill goes into weaving their fabrics. I am personally very excited to see how this process works! 

 

If you fancy a nose at more of GeeGee Collection’s clothes and what they’ve been up to, you can find their Instagram and website here. And if you ever want to talk to me about the incredible jacket and shorts pair I tried on, I will be more than happy and will probably get slightly over-excited at how cool they are!




If you like my work and have learned something from it, please consider helping support me (so I have more time to write posts and articles like these!) by buying me a virtual cuppa! 


If you liked this post you might like: Where Was Fashion at COP26?

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April 2022 | Monthly Wrap Up

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Friday 29 April 2022

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April has been a slower month than the past and for that I am grateful!


Favourite part?


I’ve had a bit less on this month which has been great, especially after such a hectic month as March when I didn’t get much chance to relax. I got some long extensions for my uni assignments which has definitely helped me go at the slower pace I needed. I’m now spending most of my days ensuring I get the sleep I need, doing some essay reading or planning, going to my job, and doing fun things when I can. Not too bad.

 

My friend Rosie and I went to a Made Up North independent sellers’ market at the Biscuit Factory art gallery and had a great time looking at all the businesses, chatting to the people selling things, and bought some snazzy stuff too. I came home with a print, some vegan fudge (!!), a book, a coaster, and a plant! It was such a nice way to spend a Sunday morning. 



I’ve had quite a few great evenings and afternoons with friends this month actually. Whether that’s going for a gin and some ice cream or wine and cake... Okay, so there seems to have been a lot of alcohol and desserts but you know what, what better past time can you have?

 

I took myself to go see Eight Grade at the Star and Shadow Cinema. It was such a good film – I can really understand all the praise it got when it was released. I used to go the cinema by myself loads before the big panini so it’s nice getting slightly back into that comfort habit. Self-care people! 

 

I had a great beach day at Tynemouth with FemSoc. We had a look around the market, I had a doughnut (it was amazing!), and then had a barbecue at one of the beaches. It was decent weather and a couple of us even had a quick dip in the sea – I can confirm it was still pretty cold!

 

A couple of days ago I went to a rage room also with FemSoc. We had a great time basically just smashing lots of things up. I wasn’t expecting it to be such a workout but as I’m writing this there are many muscles in my body which are still aching! 



Best read?


I finished off The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte – a potential text to write on for uni but plans changed! I still enjoyed it though, Anne is the underrated Bronte. 

 

I then also finished off reading Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell. This book is incredible in so many ways and I really urge you to read it, especially if you’re unsure on what police and prison abolition actually means in practice. 


 

I then read Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, which I still haven’t figured out my opinions on. It was a slow start but an interesting premise, and I got much more into it as it went on, only to be very confused by the sudden and quite annoying ending. I didn’t feel like I had closure with the characters or any kind of resolution. I feel like I need to speak to someone who has also read it and has out some of my thoughts. 

 

I borrowed a copy of Hands: An Anxious Mind Unpicked by Lauren Brown from a friend, and read it pretty quickly it. It’s a memoir primarily discussing the author’s anxiety and experiences of dermatillomania, or compulsive skin picking. I felt very emotional reading this book, as I experience the same compulsions, except in different areas of my body to Lauren Brown and also alongside hair-pulling. I think this book really gave me a push to realise just how much I’m affected by my anxiety and skin and hair-picking and to do something more about it. Would highly, highly recommend! 


 

I finished read Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by bell hooks. As always, bell hooks is incredible. I made so many notes which I know I’ll be going back to. 

 

Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin among chapters of various other books and articles relating to the essay I’m currently writing for uni.

 

I’m part way through several books at the moment. First Reputation by Lex Croucher, 

Abolition Feminism Now by Angela Davis, Gina Dent, etc. and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy which I started for Shado Mag’s new Book Club! 


Favourite listen?


I’ve mixed it up a little bit this month and have listened to something other than Taylor Swift or Little Mix. I know, wild right? The Regrettes, Orla Gartland and Olivia Rodrigo, along with some dodie nostalgia, have been some faves this month, as well as their artist radios on Spotify.


Favourite watch?


I’m on season 11 in my Grey’s Anatomy rewatch. I’m currently behind on Interior Design Masters and the new season of Derry Girls, so I need a chill catch up day! 


What did I learn?


Even if you love some projects it can be a relief to let go. Having a slower life is actually the goal, and I’m gradually getting there. It’s a good thing to ask for help more often. 


What’s happening next month?


I’ll be doing more prep for and writing up my next essay! Some pals are coming up to visit me and I’m going to visit pals and family too! 

 

It’s now my final month on the committee for my unviersity’s Feminist Society and our last events of the year!  It’s going to be emotional but it’s the right time for me to stop. We’ve got some time to celebrate too with some awards evenings at the Students’ Union. 

 

I’m hoping to get cycling more now that I’ve had some recovery time after having Covid again and to have some more time to see friends. 


What’s been on my mind?


I’ve been thinking a lot about my own mental health recently. Or maybe just being more aware of it, and noticing changes or habits, especially after reading Hands. 


Favourite post?


Haven’t written any posts other than this one! I’ve come up with several ideas but I’ve just not had the capacity to write them. Hopefully when a few things come off my plate soon I’ll be able to spend more time on this here blog! 


Biggest inspiration?


Honestly I’ve been getting a lot of creative joy from TikTok and it’s genuinely giving me so much energy. It may seem a bit ridiculous but it’s true! If you’re not following me already, go and have a look at some of the videos I’ve made. They’re mostly in relation to fashion/the climate and I hope they’re a good way of engaging people and getting them into movements for change.


Any other favourites?


I treated myself to a new candle from Nook Candles! I got the Machlud candle, which is quite a citrusy one. It smells lush, and it’s amazing getting to support a Welsh independent brand! 





If you like my work and have learned something from it, please consider helping support me (so I have more time to write posts and articles like these!) by buying me a virtual cuppa! 


If you liked this post you might like: March 2022 | Monthly Wrap Up

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March 2022 | Monthly Wrap Up

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Monday 4 April 2022

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A lot has happened in March. It’s seemed non-stop in parts. And now it’s time for more of a rest.



Favourite part?

 

There’s been so much stuff happening March, my trip to Edinburgh feels like much longer ago than just the beginning of the month. It was such a great trip and while I spent way more money on books than planned, I loved walking around by myself and having an explore, both of the city and Holyrood Park. More solo trips in the future please! 


 

After my holiday some friends came up to visit me for a long weekend and I was so lush to spend time with them. I totally switched off that weekend and loved being a tourist in my own city for a change. Now that so many of my friends live far away from me, I feel like I value visits like these so much more than I used to.  

 


I am President of my university’s Feminist Society and for the past few months the rest of exec and I have been working so hard to put on the society’s annual conference – this year known as FemCon! I was so nervous and stressed about it beforehand but it went so well, it was such a relief! The speakers were all incredible and I’m so grateful to have been able to have them all on board. 


 

Newcastle Students’ Union held a week-long campaign in March called Climate Conscious Careers, and I was a part of these events! The first one was a collaboration with university’s Sustainability Team looking at climate action beyond individualism, with me talking specifically about why being involved in movements is necessary for change. The next day I was on a panel about green jobs with 3 other people who are much more established in their careers than I am, which, I won’t lie, was quite intimidating. I really enjoyed both events, especially as the people attending were so engaged, and they left me feeling very validated in the work that I’m doing. 


I kept talking about green jobs after the Climate campaign at the SU, specifically at the UCU pickets at uni. It was great speaking with staff and students about the issues staff are facing, and to speak to a crowd of people about Newcastle University's hypocrisy on climate issues at the Newcastle Climate Strike. Some pals and I made it onto the BBC North report on the strikes, something that made me chuckle. 


Photo: Screenshot of BBC North Report

 

At the end of the month I had my delayed graduation. My family came up and it was such a lush couple of days until it came to bit of a crashing end. After getting a snotty nose that evening I did a Covid test and ended up being positive, so I’m currently writing this from my bed having spent the past few days in isolation and not moved much from the position I’m in right now. It’s been a relief that my symptoms have been a lot milder than last time I had Covid, but and the anxiety about who I may have spread it to during my graduation has been huge. 



Best read?

 

I’ve been back on reading books for my next uni essay, so overall I’ve read slightly less, and that’s okay! 

 

I started the month reading How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm. It was interesting for sure, and while I found his writing style engaging I’m not sure what my opinions are on what he says. I know one of my friends is reading it soon so I can’t wait for them to because this is a book I feel I need to discuss with someone. 

 

I picked up a battered secondhand copy of The Doctor’s Wife by Mary Elizabeth Braddon in Armchair Books in Edinburgh. I was very excited to see a Braddon book that wasn’t Lady Audley’s Secret. Reading it was hilarious, mostly because of the fact two of the male characters tell the main female character that (and I paraphrase) ‘she’s not like other girls’ multiple times. It just cracked me up that things haven’t changed in over 150 years. 

 

I then read The Pyjama Myth Sian Meades-Williams, which I pre-ordered on Unbound I think almost a year ago now. Sian has some brilliant and practical tips and advice in this book. I now have 2 books on freelancing and I feel like they’ve both been necessary to give me a bit of a kick up the bum to sort out the admin side of my writing work. I will certainly be dipping back into The Pyjama Myth here and there in future! 

 

I’m now halfway through The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, which is potentially another book I’m going to write on for uni.

 


Favourite listen?

 

I’ve mixed it up a little bit this month and have listened to something other than Taylor Swift or Little Mix. I know, wild right? The Regrettes, Orla Gartland and Olivia Rodrigo, along with some dodie nostalgia, have been some faves this month, as well as their artist radios on Spotify. Some abs

 

Favourite watch?

 

Bridgerton series 2 of course. I watched it all in the first few days after it was released, and then the second half with my mum. I am obsessed. My TikTok For You page is no dominated by Kanthony and I don’t know how I can change that. I’ve also been rewatching Grey’s Anatomy yet again so that I have a refresh for watching series 17 which is now on Disney+! A new series of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr is back on and I am loving it. 

 

What did I learn?

 

I can be good at things and people can actually take me seriously for the things that I’m good at. And all climate panels need a gobby young person, and I am perfectly happy to fit that bill. 

 

What’s happening next month?

 

April will be a quieter month hopefully. I need to recover again from Covid and from a ridiculously hectic few weeks. The main focus will be continuing my uni work, seeing friends where possible and if the snow doesn’t continue like it is now, enjoying the sun.

 

What’s been on my mind?

 

I don’t feel like I’ve had much chance to think recently, what with everything being so busy. But then when I do get chance to think it gets a bit overwhelming with all of the things happening in the world. I need some more brain space.

 

Favourite post?


I didn’t post this month so I guess this question is void right now? 

 

Biggest inspiration?


Seeing some wins actually happen (like Tim Farron finally signing the Green New Deal bill after months of back and forth) and to experience people being genuinely engaged in the work I’m doing. Honestly the week where the sun came out and it was warm made so so happy, and combined with being at the pickets I got so much motivation. I can’t wait for summer.


 

Any other favourites?


Balsamic vinegar and the Hellman’s chilli vegan mayo have been obsessions of mine recently. Not together mind you. But balsamic vinegar with tomatoes and pasta in some combination oof I love it. I never used to be a mayo person but recently I’ve been having mayo on everything and the Hellman’s chilli vegan one is simply god tier. 




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