By Sally Churchward. As of today, there are no longer any laws in place to help England manage its response to covid. On Monday, the government announced the end of covid mitigations, such as the legal duty to isolate of you have covid from today, sick pay from day...
Features
Read Easy Southampton’s Official Launch
by Chris Richards. It is estimated that 5000 adults in Southampton are unable to read. A newly launched charity, Read Easy Southampton are offering the opportunity to change that with free, confidential, and local support to all who want to learn. Read Easy Southampton links adults of any age...
Heritage: a potted history of Southampton, part one
by Martin Brisland. In this series of short articles I will look at the history of our area up to the present day starting with prehistoric times. There are various ways of understanding pre-history but the message is the same – we humans haven’t been here very long. Prehistory is...
Falling through the the justice gap: the shrinking of legal aid and access to justice
by Sally Churchward. “It’s not fair” – it’s one of the first things children learn, the concept of justice, the right to it and a huge sense of wrongdoing if everything is not equitable. Equality before the law is one of the cornerstones of our society: the firm belief...
Photos: Southampton Allstars lineup at the 1865, Music in the City
by MIke Daish. I missed the fun on Saturday of this years Music in the City but made sure I got out on Sunday to make it to the 1865 in Brunswick Square. I was not disappointed, as the music was top class and such a great variety of...
Greg Gilbert – artist, poet, musician and ‘butterfly collector’. A tribute to a life filled with art, music, wonder and love
by Sally Churchward. Artist, poet, musician, father, husband, son and friend, Greg Gilbert died from cancer on Thursday. As a local journalist, Sally Churchward followed his career – from being the lead singer of Southampton indie band Delays through his being an emerging and then celebrated artist and poet,...
International Brigade Memorial Trust’s AGM to be held in Southampton, remembering those fought fascism in Spain
The 2021 AGM of the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT) is being held in Southampton over the weekend 8th-10th October 2021. The AGM is a chance to remember the bravery of the men and women from Southampton and across Hampshire who volunteered to fight fascism in Spain as part...
Trans, queer punk rockers Hunting Hearts on street safety, stereotypes and structural oppression
During Pride month, Devin Valentine, Lucy Rose and Beck Lombardi, from queer, trans punk rock Southampton band Hunting Hearts talk about gender, perception and safety with In Common’s Sally Churchward. Sally: Quite rightly, there’s been a lot of talk about street safety lately, particularly women’s safety, following the tragic...
Parenting a child with autism: lots of days I cry because I don’t understand him and feel that I’ve failed him
by Sally Churchward. A Southampton mother shares the difficulties she experiences in getting the support for her autistic son that he needs. Judgements – Laura Jones* has had enough of them. “To judge me as a parent is easier and quicker than giving my son the help he needs,”...
Opinion: Kill the Bill – joining Southampton’s protest against the controversial bill
by Charlie Hislop. Kill the Bill! Kill the Bill! That was the cry when 400 or so people assembled in Southampton’s Guildhall Square on Good Friday to protest the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. In front of a crowd of mainly young people, a succession of speakers highlighted the wide-ranging measures in...