by Charlotte Ndupuechi. At the last general election I felt hopeful we were about to see a change for the better. Knocking on peoples doors whilst canvassing, I got the feeling that people were starting to care about schools, social care, and the NHS particularly, and wanted to see...
Anita Foxall – poetry editor
I’m Anita Foxall and though I’m not Sotonian, I’m a Southampton poet. I host and organise the monthly spoken word open mic Write a Note and attend many others in the area. I have also been actively involved in organising poetry showcases, because I like the company of poets...
International Women’s Day events in Southampton
With International Women’s Day taking place on Sunday, March 8, a number of special events are taking place across Southampton. These include a Phenomenal Women event being held on Sunday at the Studio Theatre at NST Southampton. The event will feature a number of inspirational speakers: Sylvia Mac, a...
Funding boost for group for young people in Weston, Southampton
YOUNG people from Southampton can attend a group to help them develop a positive attitude and approach to life thanks to new funding. Weston Church Youth Project (WCYP) has been given £5,000 from The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) and will receive funds from The Co-op...
Transgendered Substantiation #10: The Wasted Years
by Lucy Rose. A few words before we start… Picture: Scott Chalmers Photography Firstly, I want to thank you for taking the time to read the latest entry of my series, Transgendered Substantiation. The series has been adapted from blogs I wrote for my website during my transition, based...
Opinion: Austerity, Widening Health Inequalities and Falling Life Expectancy
by Councillor Dave Shields. Last week, Professor Sir Michael Marmot – commissioned by the independent think tank the Health Foundation – published a progress report into health inequalities following his seminal work Fairer Lives originally undertaken by the last Labour Government in 2010. Since that time he notes how...
Book review: Notes from an Apocalypse, by Mark O’Connell
Reviewed by Frances Churchward. Notes from an Apocalypse is a work of non-fiction from prize-winning author Mark O’Connell. It begins with O’Connell reflecting on the depression that he suffered and which had, as it root cause, his consuming apprehension of imminent catastrophe largely relating to climate change. After reading...
Hampshire People’s Pride – bringing politics to the party
by Sally Churchward. Last summer saw the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising – a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+ community against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan. They were long frustrated by police brutality and were fighting back. For Jake Radwell,...
Plastic not so fantastic – trying to break the plastic habit
by Chris Richards. What happened when a Southampton family of four tried to go cold turkey on buying plastic for a fortnight? Chris Richards reports. Plastics! Everyone has an opinion about them and no single solution is going to work universally. The issues surrounding plastics, as are reported widely,...
Book review: Come Again by Robert Webb
reviewed by Frances Churchward. Robert Webb will be familiar to many as one half of Mitchell and Webb and, perhaps even more so, as Jeremy in PeepShow. Come Again is his first novel. His previous book, How Not To Be A Boy, Webb’s first foray into book writing, was...