Health & Education
Otters vs Anglers: Menace or Misunderstood?
Picture the scene. You’re an angler. You’ve lovingly and regularly caught a 50lb carp named Barry for half a decade. Barry’s more than a fish—he’s a legend, a slippery mirror carp with a fan base and a gut a barstool bullshitter would envy. Then, one frosty morning, you find poor Barry half-eaten on the bank, looking like he's been on the wrong end of a knife fight with a furry torpedo. Enter the otter, Britain’s aquatic comeback ...
When the Taxman Calls: My Catastrophising Chronicles
The Fateful Phone Call The other day, I was minding my own business when my phone rang – not with the usual banter from a friend or client, but with a call from the taxman doing a survey about IR35. Despite having done nothing remotely wrong, my mind immediately spiralled into a full-blown disaster movie. In an instant, I was envisioning secret conspiracies, shadowy figures in sharp suits plotting to raid my bank account, and an inevitable ...
Dry January: My Boozy Journey (and the Hangovers That Got Me Here)
So, it’s the tenth of January, and once again, I’m waist-deep in Dry January—for the seventh year running. (Okay, technically sixth, because one year I did Dry February after a January wedding. Details.) This year, I got off to a flying start by obliterating myself on New Year’s Eve. By the time the hangover finally subsided, I didn’t want to look at a drink for a week anyway. Not exactly a health guru’s recommendation, but hey, it ...
The Bitter Cost of Austerity: How Closing Youth Clubs Threw London’s Young People Under the Bus
When the UK embarked on its grand experiment with austerity in the 2010s, few anticipated the quiet but profound impact on youth clubs. After all, how much harm could cutting a few “extraneous” services really do? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. Across London, about 30% of youth clubs closed their doors between 2010 and 2019, leaving thousands of young people adrift—no small feat in a city known for its thriving youth culture. But ...
Why The Mauritanian Should Terrify Anyone Who Thinks Human Rights Are Optional
After watching The Mauritanian, I was left with one pressing thought: anyone who believes human rights are negotiable might want to give this film a go—and maybe have a serious word with themselves. Right now, both candidates for the Conservative Party leadership are openly talking about the UK pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). If that idea doesn’t send shivers down your spine, this film certainly will. What ...