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If men had to deal with this, it would be cured by now…my big fat hairy syndrome
On the subject of healthcare generally being a shitshow if you have a womb, I would like to share my experience of being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS). Let me start by saying that if periods...
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Gardening: planting, planting, planting
Never mind the vernal equinox, the true start of spring is heralded by the return of Gardeners’ World. Oh, how I’ve missed Longmeadow, Adam Frost and Sir Monty of Don. It just hasn’t been the same...
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If men had to deal with this, it would be cured by now…miscarriage
I was always sure of two things in my life. I wanted to be a mum and I wanted to have a successful career in journalism. The latter box I ticked relatively early on. By my early 30s, I had been a crime...
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Picture Gallery: Northern Birds
The sound of birdsong is a beautiful thing. Check out these lovelies by Northern Soul‘s North Yorks photographer, Paul Hunter. Image copyright: Paul Hunter The post Picture Gallery: Northern Birds...
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‘Without teams like the Corinthians, would we have the Lionesses?’
There once was a team of incredible women from Manchester who flouted convention. They were the Corinthians, a ladies’ football team based in Didsbury who became local superstars and refused to accept...
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Gardening: a safe space for four-legged friends
In my last house, I did my utmost to green a tiny space. Like many northern terraces, the outside area was minimal. When they were built, these 19th century workers’ houses were functional at best,...
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The power of northern nostalgia
Out walking, my route turned a corner and the distinct sound of a cockerel crowing had an instantaneous effect, filling me with nostalgia for decades gone by and being in my grandfather’s northern...
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Gardening: a sanctuary for the soul
Moving house is stressful. Although I bought my current property three years, the process still sends a shiver down my spine. The seller put me through hell and, when I finally got the keys, there were...
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Gardening: a splash of summer colour
When it comes to garden envy, nothing excites my green-eyed monster more than Longmeadow. What Sir Monty of Don has done with a two-acre abandoned field is nothing short of miraculous. While there’s...
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Black Swans, Cultural Vampires and Sanguinarians in the North
Somewhat aptly, very little natural light reaches the spot where I sit in a small shop in Stockport’s industrial Houldsworth Mill. The shelves and surfaces are packed with various Gothic trinkets and...
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The Classic Car Boot Sale: Wayne Hemingway writes for Northern Soul
Anyone who knows me will understand where fashion and music sit in my list of personal passions. I co-founded, built and sold an internationally celebrated fashion brand (with help from Afflecks Palace...
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If men had to deal with this, it would be cured by now…endometriosis and...
Last year, I found out I was living with deep infiltrating endometriosis and adenomyosis, which are frequently described as ‘the evil twin sisters’. It was a bit of a shock, but a welcome relief after...
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Gardening: pretty shady
Lots of things like shade, including cats, my mum and various species of plants. While seeking out a sheltered spot hasn’t been an issue this so-called summer, there are plenty of gardens where shade...
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Gardening: the call of composting
As a child, the compost heap at the top of the garden was a mystery. Why, I wondered, was my Dad tramping up the lawn with potato peelings, eggshells and tea leaves? Grass cuttings were regularly...
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Gardening: preparing the garden for winter
If I’m being honest, winter comes as something as a relief. While I love being out in my garden, digging, planting and pruning, it’s good to have some time off and return to the warm embrace of the...
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Living Woods: working to protect and create woodlands
There’s no wellbeing without nature’s wellbeing. That’s the maxim of Geoff Bockett, a man who has dedicated his life to caring for the natural world. Born and brought up in Nairobi, Kenya, he spent...
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Gardening: the joy of houseplants
During many years living in a first-floor flat, houseplants were my only source of greenery. As a nascent gardener, I bought impervious species, playing it safe with ivy, cacti and mint. I killed them...
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Your Head In Mind
Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to turn. For all the gains made through the steady promotion of greater mental health awareness over the past few years, culture’s messaging remains decidedly...
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Gardening: New Year’s resolutions
As the dawn of a New Year draws ever closer, it’s traditional to draw up a list of resolutions. Whether it’s spending more time with family, learning a new skill or losing the Christmas weight, we are...
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The largest zoo habitat in the UK: Heart of Africa opens at Chester Zoo
The problem with rhinos is that they don’t always appreciate that there’s a major media launch happening. And so, at 9am on a chilly Monday morning, a decent chunk of the North West’s broadcast media,...
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