There are several signs that signal that the countdown to Christmas is on. Giant variety tubs of chocolates sneak their way on to supermarket shelves, the amount of TV adverts for toys exponentially increases… and the Strictly Come Dancing line-up is announced. I have been a major Strictly fan since it started way back in 2004 (remember Natasha Kaplinksy?). The…
2020 has thrown up a torrent of curve balls to say the least, and as we emerge from the chaos of a summer we will never forget, we enter into an autumn of uncertainty; will we feel the effects of the elusive second coronavirus wave? And perhaps most persistent for many of us – what the hell is going to…
It is no secret that we have a problem with plastic. It is in every single household and encases most of the products we all use every day. Now, I think it is fair to say that it is only fairly recently that people have started to wake up to the dangers of plastic. Environmentally, it is doing astronomical damage…
As the first week of the new school term in England, Wales and Northern Ireland begins, teachers and parents are making important adaptations to ‘ordinary’ school life. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has changed so much for even the very youngest children and ensuring that everyone is safe is a priority for everyone involved. In the weeks leading up…
At the moment, there are youngsters having to make huge life changing decisions now that their GCSE/A Level results have been given to them. I wish them every success and I hope they get to go down the path that they want to travel down. When my GCSE results came out, I didn't do overly brilliant, I got just about…
Loneliness Is something that only happens to older people, right? That really is a myth that stops a lot of people from admitting they are lonely and lost in life. I am not ashamed to admit that I have been experiencing feeling very lonely the last few months. I have spent a lot of time not really knowing what to…
When results day rolls around each year, I can’t help but think back to how I felt at that moment… the fear, the expectation, the promise of a whole new world ahead of you, all riding on the letters held within that brown envelope (I know I’m showing my age now - letters rather than numbers!) Everyone tells you “success…
I’m not going to lie, the thought of turning 30 horrified me. I didn’t feel like I had achieved anything in the years up until then and I honestly just felt utter dread at the thought of blowing out those candles. Do you know what? I couldn’t have been more wrong. This past year has been one of the most…
Let’s talk money! It’s not a subject I feel comfortable discussing which, if speaking to any of my Asian or mainland European friends is anything to go by, is a typical British aversion to a dialogue on those pennies. However, in a number of the House 21 online workshops to date, the subject of money has come up, and rightly…
How many times over the last few months have you said or heard something like "without technology to keep us connected, lockdown would have been even worse"? It's difficult to imagine navigating lockdown without technology to keep us connected to family, friends and colleagues. Over the past few turbulent months, technology has not only been a means of communication, but…