Random updates on my life
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Why new cat microchipping policy won’t work
Cat owners in England must microchip their pets by June 10 or risk a hefty £500 fine. The new government regulation says all cats must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by the time they are 20 weeks old.… Read on
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An open letter to the RSPCA
You will recall my complaint to the RSPCA earlier this year after a cat we had taken in – and kitten – was found abandoned under a neighbour’s shed in Hull. It was found pregnant, without food or drink, in 40 degrees heat.… Read on
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Finding love in lockdown
They say that you often find love when you’re least expecting it, and there is no truer evidence for that than how I met my girlfriend. When the coronavirus pandemic hit at the start of 2020 I decided it was time for a period of adjustment in my life.… Read on
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Mental Health Awareness Week: Coping in lockdown
A recent survey found 79% of those living with a mental health condition believed that the coronavirus and the lockdown measures have made things worse. I’m surprised it isn’t higher. Being locked away, unable to see friends and family, having summer cancelled, and staying in the same proximity over a long period of time is…
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Mental Health Awareness Week: Grappling with anxiety
Although I’ve tweeted about my mental health, this is the first time I’ve written directly down anything more than 140 characters about it. Given it’s mental health awareness week, I thought it was a good time to speak more openly about my experience.… Read on
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Ignore Tinder’s profit figures – the bubble is bursting
Figures out this week suggest that Tinder is pulling in more profit than ever, with more people shelling out for the premium service Tinder Gold. But while some are paying out something scandalous like £28 a month to find out who has liked them (and will probably never talk to them), it feels like its…
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Second referendum? Channel 4’s Brexit film will give you second thoughts
The writer of Channel 4’s new Brexit drama has claimed that viewers will finish the film believing the Vote Leave boss was either the “antichrist” or a “hero”. James Graham said while it was produced with a sympathetic view to Dominic Cummings in the beginning, he believes there is sufficient scrutiny by the end.… Read on
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Greg James’ new show demonstrates a change of direction for Radio 1
Whisper it quietly but listening to Radio 1 Breakfast this morning I couldn’t help feeling that Greg James’ arrival heralded a change of direction for the radio station. Nick Grimshaw had a difficult task in the six years at the helm – expected to shaft older listeners while trying to chase a younger audience that…
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Trying my hand at speed-dating…
As some of you might have read previously, last year the single life led me to applying for First Dates. Partly because I wanted a piece of the magic, another part being a big fan of the programme. A few months back they called me back with an interest in getting me on the programme.……
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Las Vegas massacre brought out the worst of the internet
As many tried to make sense of what had happened, in those first few hours after the Las Vegas shooting, social media went into overdrive. Caught up in the vortex of information, emotion and reaction were conspiracy theories and hoaxes, deliberately thrown out there and then circulated unwittingly.… Read on
Got any book recommendations?