I have not been here. Over the past little while I took a break from Facebook. I've not ‘photo-ed’ for Instagram and my tweeting volume has been close to zero. I have not been here. Why? Because I know that sometimes being here stops me being here, where I should be or where I need… Continue reading Taking a break from Fakebook – by Jill Rowe
Photo by Daniel Reche on Pexels.com Carrie Fisher was more than a princess. At the age of 24 she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder – or manic depression as it used to be called. And throughout the rest of her life she fought to demystify this condition from misunderstanding and stigma. She called her illness… Continue reading Light in the darkness: fighting the misunderstanding and stigma of mental illness – by Giles Fraser
Nothing puts me in a bad mood like Hallow'een. Apart from the whole 'celebration of evil' thing, it’s so ubiquitous. Even Facebook won't let me do a 'sad face' anymore. Instead I get a Frankenstein head. For a start, this is belittling of Frankenstein, who faced complex issues. He was more 'tortured' than just 'sad'.… Continue reading Hallow’een, Selfish G’een – by Lizzie Schofield
It has been a fascinating seeing the reaction to the article written by my old school friend, Nick Miles' on why he is voting for Trump. One of my cousins texted me and said 'Oh Jon, what have you unleashed on Facebook?' as he saw my feed flooded with heated debate in response to the pro-Trump… Continue reading Disagreeing well is good for us (far better than echo-chambers which just reinforce what we already believe)
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Pexels.com "In modern culture, it almost seems like silence is extinct. We have given noise our consent to fill every moment of life. And it’s not just sonic noise, but even the mental noise that comes from constant entertainment. Through our smartphones, our tablets and our laptops, we always have access… Continue reading We need more silence in our lives
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com Protein World’s ‘Are you Beach Body Ready?’ adverts have created a massive row. In among the countless adverts that commuters are pummeled by, these posters immediately struck me as unusually crass and objectionable. So I was not that surprised to see the furore that has developed this week in response.… Continue reading Beach-body ready or not, the real winners are the advertising industry
Anyone who commutes into central London can bear testimony to the daily struggle it brings. Packed trains, late cancellations and staff specially trained to make announcements as confusing as possible all contribute to the challenges. My no.1 gripe is passengers who can't be bothered to move further up into the train which means that others can't even get on. Grrrr... This daily… Continue reading Making the world a better place, one commuter at a time
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com In early February, Stephen Fry was in the news, and all over the internet, for declaring if there was a God, he would be “utterly, utterly evil.” Fry was reacting to a question from Irish TV presenter, Gay Byrne: “What would you say if you came face-to-face with God?” Stephen… Continue reading ‘I fully sympathise with Stephen Fry’ – by Alan Jonas
Dear Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, So next week you have got to decide what you’re going to do about Jeremy Clarkson. On the one hand, you want him to continue heading up one of the BBC’s most successful shows which is loved (and hated) the world over and raking in millions of pounds each… Continue reading How do you solve a problem like Jeremy Clarkson? A positive proposal to the BBC – by Jonathan Chilvers
Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+ on Pexels.com Today is 'Time to Talk' day, where people are asked to take 5 minutes out of your day to talk about...(bring on the scary taboo topic)..MENTAL ILLNESS. I haven't told many people this, but I was officially diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa seven years ago. I was confused, ashamed and therefore… Continue reading How to help someone with an eating disorder – by Emily Norris
Grace + Truth 