The limits of self care

Happy World Mental Health Day! Is that an oxymoron? I'm genuinely not sure. I've had depression for over ten years now, but days like this do make me feel genuinely positive, because when I was first diagnosed - way back in the Stone Age of 2006 - mental health wasn't something you were open about, …

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Whose heritage?

Exactly whose heritage is being protected by the new UNESCO status of the Lake District?

#womensmarch: What to do next

If there was one thing that I'll remember more than the fervent, angry, joyous chanting at yesterday's march, it was something being said quietly. In between shouts and whoops, the women and men marching yesterday would turn to each other in almost wordless amazement. "It gives you hope, doesn't it?" "Ahhh... this is all so... …

Activists: What the hell we do in 2017

I don't know  a single person who isn't glad to see the back of 2016. This is mainly because I deliberately avoid knowing a) racists b) fascists or c) people who don't recognise the inherent brilliance of David Bowie and Caroline Aherne. Brexit. Trump. Jo Cox being murdered by a Nazi. Syria. The inexplicable existence …

All the times I’ve been a victim of theft

I just got talking with a friend about all the times someone has stolen something from me*. There's been lots of times. It's been happening more or less since the day I was born. This is all the stuff I used to own bits of and which my parents and grandparents paid into for me, …

“You don’t have to do this thing we clearly want you to.” – Opting out of zero hours contracts, and “choices” at work.

How often have you felt totally comfortable asking for something at work - a pay rise, flexible working, a full year's maternity leave, different hours? I feel okay asking for most of those things, some of you reading this will too. I'm going to remove some stuff from this situation though. Firstly, lets get rid of the fact …

The not-so-secret problems with trade unions

So a few people sent me this today. If you've not read it, it's an anonymous Guardian blog purporting to be written by a trade union employee who coasts at work, where his colleagues are also-coasting, sexist dinosaurs and the organisation is "crumbling", with no collaboration, no diversity and seemingly no way of stopping cantankerous old men milking …