#providence place brighton

[koysiini-keinumaan]

Disabled Access + Queueing

Since there has been a concerning amount of ableism coming from fans this Eurotour, I want to explain how venue access works in the UK (especially since I will be having it for my next gig after Medical Issues™ at London).

UK venues, by law, have to provide reasonable accommodations for their disabled guests. This is typically seated tickets, or a dedicated area or balcony with step-free access for those with mobility needs, especially those in wheelchairs or scooters. However many venues, including several on the UK leg of Käärijä's 2024 tour such as Heaven in London and Chalk in Brighton, have extremely limited tickets for these dedicated disabled spaces, so reasonable accommodations are provided in other ways - most commonly with early access into the venue and priority for barricade.

1) Why someone would need early access to the venue?

Needing assistance to get from the doors into the main venue area, including if you need someone to navigate an alternative route such as finding a lift or ramp.

Avoiding the rush of people entering at doors, especially if fans are likely to run/push to get barricade, for your safety.

Being unable to stand for a long time in a queue when lining up for doors.

Needing to access a specific area of the venue, whether this be a dedicated space for disabled guests or a place at barricade.

2) Surely if you're able to stand at barricade, you'd be able to stand where-ever? Other than the view, what do you get at barricade that you don't get elsewhere?

Barricade provides something to physically support yourself against that you likely won't find elsewhere in the venue. This can both be for fans who need to use a support at all times, such as those with chronic pain or mobility needs, or for those whose disability means they are particularly liable to collapse/faint/become otherwise weak or unable to support themselves who would need something to lean against in case that happens (such as yours truly, who had a cataplectic attack at London 1 and had to be dragged through the crowd by friends to reach a wall).

Barricade places you directly in front of staff. If something does happen you will be seen straight away and do not have to worry about flagging someone down.

Barricade provides a clear space directly in front of the stage to leave through. Some venues have barricades than can be moved/opened, some do not. But it is still easier to get someone out of a gig that way than by trying to make a path through a crowd who is unlikely to hear/take notice of instructions.

3) But isn't that unfair on the people who queued up for barricade?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. But ultimately, venues are not beholden to fan-made queues. If they have their own policies in place - which are usually dictated by UK laws - they will follow said policies. If you need to know if there is disability access, contact venues ahead of time like disabled fans do.

At the end of the day, a non-disabled fan can choose to arrive hours or even days ahead of a gig for a good spot, but a disabled fan cannot choose their disability.

4) I'm running the queue and I'd happily give a disabled person a higher number in the queue if they told me about their condition.

Good for you. Not everyone would though. Plus, you are probably a stranger and disabled people don't owe you shit in terms of disclosure.

Also, see question 3.

5) If someone is *that* disabled, surely they should just stay at the back of the venue/not go to a concert.

Says who? Disabled fans should be allowed to have the same experience as everyone else at a gig without compromising their safety/wellbeing.

6) I'm not angry at disabled fans, just at the lack of communication from the venue.

If that's the case, don't take it out on disabled fans. Don't question their disability, don't accuse them of 'not being that disabled' and don't tell them that if it were that bad they should go to the back of the venue. Yes, these are all things people have been told this Eurotour (mostly at London 1 and one instance (that I know of) at Bristol).

Also, see question 3.

7) But I wanted barricade.

And I wanted a working body but we can't all get what we want. If you can only enjoy a gig by getting barricade and second row is that much of an issue for you, that is a you problem, not a disabled people problem.

It is so horrible talking with other disabled fans and hearing the horrible ableist treatment some of them have been subjected to. It was nice to see that ableism surrounding queueing/disability access was called out more than last year, but it shouldn't need talking about at all. Hopefully that will improve in the future.

[lanaxoxoxoxoxox]

why can't i get you out of my head ?

this is part 2 !! read part 1 here

original request by @heiijoy

warnings: cute fluff, slight panic ig???

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

2 weeks later

If you have told 17 year old me that Ranboo and I were dating, I would have probably passed out. I've had a crush on him since we first met on the Dream SMP, and the fact that we're actually dating blows my mind.

I was chilling at Ran's house on his bed, scrolling through my phone as Ran worked on some writing for his horror series, Generation Loss on his desk. I peaked up from the edge of the bed and saw his back of his head and a slight few of his fingers typing on a Word document.

"You know, you better add me in the "Thank you" in the credits. We can tease the viewers and make them wonder who the hell I am! They're gonna go crazy when we tell them." I joked, putting my phone away in my pocket.

Ran turned his gaming chair around to face me and fixed his hair. I could see his chest moving up and down slowly from his breathing. "Speaking of telling." he paused. "I want to tell our friends about us. We're going to meet them later today, and I don't want to hide it anymore. I don't want to have to hold your hand under the table or wait until we're in private to kiss you. If you don't want to just yet, that's totally fine. We can take it in small steps, whatever you wan-"

I cut off his words. "Darling, I would love that!" I said, getting up to hug him. He sighed in relief and hugged me back, squeezing me tighter. "I do have an idea how we can tell them." I said, smiling, sitting on the floor next to him.

Ran perked his head up. "What if we don't tell them anything directly, but rather show it using actions? We try to make it obvious at the same time as well."

"Oh! Like we could hold hands in front of everyone very clearly and just wait for someone to react!" Ran smiled.

I smiled back at them. "That actually could be perfect."

4 hours later

Ranboo and I walked to the Brighton pier sign, and saw no one was there. We decided to take a quick photo to post on our socials to provide some "clout" for us. Ran grabbed his mask out of his pocket and put it on, and posed for the picture. As I was editing, we saw Tommy, Jack, and Niki start walking over to us.

I looked over to Ran and mouthed, "You ready?". He nodded and smiled at me.

We both walked over to them, not holding hands just yet. I ran over to Niki and gave her a hug. We all greeted everyone and I went over to Ran and grabbed his shoulder. Before we started dating, Ran would have been an absolute stuttering and blushing mess. Now, he's 100% more calm since we're together.

I looked over to take a quick peek at Jack's and Niki's face, and they both shared looks with each other. Tommy didn't even notice from his amount of energy. I giggled quietly into Ran's shoulder.

We were walking towards the arcade and I stopped to look up and Ran. I winked and said, "Love, can I have my wallet please?" I smiled at him.

Ran nodded and grabbed my wallet out of his pocket and gave it to me, smirking as he could see Jack and Niki shocked, even Tommy just standing there awkwardly.

Jack leaned over to Niki and spoke quietly to her, even though we could still hear them talking. "What the fuck?" he laughed.

We walked around the pier some more, and then went to the sea side to hang out for a bit. We walked down to the rocky area, and placed down our things on the log before sitting down. Ran was about to sit down on the log. This was the final step of our "plan" we had created earlier that day.

I pulled out my wallet and phone from my front pocket. "I'm going to buy water for myself, does anyone else want anything?" Jack, Tommy and Niki all shook their heads no.

Ran spoke up. "Can I have a water bottle as well?"

I nodded and went over to him and kissed him quickly on the lips.

I quickly saw Tommy and Jack stop in their tracks and stare at us.

Jack sputtered. "W-wha-what?"

Tommy yelled. "Why didn't you tell us, you bitch?!"

Niki just smiled.

Ran and I looked at each other and started laughing.

"Oops! Guess it's out now!" I said, sarcastically.

Gosh, I loved this man.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

this is really short but its so cute 😭❤️

please support me by liking, replying, rebloggling or following my blog! asks are currently open!

thank u for reading <3

love u lots xoxoxoxoox

[jennandblitz]

fic masterlist

i've been meaning to do this for ages, but here is a fic list of my darlings. Ones with a 🖤 are personal favourites of mine. Of course, please check the tags of any fic you'd like to read and if you want to leave a comment or kudos, my eternal thanks to you.

Marauder Ink 🖤 My baby. Tattoo artist Sirius Black is doing just fine, until Lily hires Remus Lupin, piercing expert, to work at Marauder Ink alongside Sirius and his brother James.

Marauder Ink 2: Black and Grey Sirius and Remus are together, but both their pasts haunt them as they try to work through the sticky business of falling in love.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love James and Lily have been together since high school and now they run Marauder Ink with their best friend Sirius. One day, James wakes up and decides he wants to get married.

Caught 🖤 Remus' POV during Marauder Ink, he is dealing with his own self-hatred and his burgeoning feelings for Sirius. ~~~

Rock N Pole 🖤 - co-written with @marlenemckinn Genderfluid Sirius is a pole dancer. At a competition they meet asexual rock climber Remus and they slowly fall in love. Yes, this is over two million words and a huge, huge thing to read but we love it. Full to the brim with the struggles of gender and sexual identity, Remus and Sirius discover themselves and each other along the way, including a surprising D/s relationship that fulfils them both in ways they do not expect.

~~~

Black Glitter A series where Sirius is a Drag Queen in Brighton and a local competition is judged by Remus Lupin, editor of the local queer mag, the Wolf Pack, and Sirius is immediately enamoured.

~~~

Quidditch Through the Ages Inspired entirely by seeing my rugby team win, Sirius and Remus celebrate Quidditch wins through the ages by having lots of sex.

~~~

Just a Jeepster for Your Love a place for my cross-posted Tumblr drabbles and adorable tiny fics.

~~~

A Beginner's Guide - co-written with @wewereinfinitelywolfstar Hiatus. Sirius and Remus have been together for several years when they want to get into kink. This fic follows them discovering the BDSM lifestyle and provides a literal beginners's guide.

A Boost Over Heaven's Gate Sirius and James have been together since school, even after James and Lily start seeing each other and Remus and Sirius start dating. Remus and Lily know, though, and Remus decides to take Sirius and James under his wing into a D/s relationship.

A Million Dreams, A Million Scars Sirius comforts Remus after the full moon, full of fluff and kisses.

Always In This Twilight My fix-it soul bond AU, following Sirius and Remus from the first year of Hogwarts all the way through to Halloween 1981.

As Though Nothing Could Fall 🖤 Sirius and Remus are on an Order mission when Sirius gets caught in a magical trap. Bleeding out fast, he and Remus frantically search for a way to get out alive with some confessions on the way.

Distractions a silly little fic where the narrator gets frustrated with our boys and the dirty tangents they go on.

Endings and Beginnings my Very First Fic. It's sentimental and a broad look at Wolfstar's lives.

Going Back for Love 🖤 After the Shack Incident in 1975, Sirius is expelled and finishes his education at Beauxbatons. It's 1982 and Remus has to deal with the return of the one person he never thought he'd see again.

Happy Birthday, Moons the fluffiest of fics for @purplechimera8's birthday.

I Am Not Afraid to Keep On Living The zombie apocalypse happens slowly and two survivors find themselves in an abandoned shopping mall, drawn to each other.

In The Throes of You 🖤 Sirius, Remus, James and Lily frequent The Tower, a BDSM club where they can explore their deepest desires. One of the most electric Tops in the place, Sirius always bottoms for the worst people and Remus is there to pick him back up after.

Moonlight Mile After the War is over, Sirius and Remus run a lycanthropy support group; they work to undo harmful legislation and provide a safe space for sufferers and their family. One Flower Moon, though, everything is upended

my heart feels the weight of all I don't know Sirius goes undercover at Narcissa's wedding, with Remus as his date.

My Own Secret Ceremonials 🖤 the super new moon has Remus crawling out of his skin and Sirius knows just what will help.

Never Have I Ever... my second-most popular fic. Sirius, Remus and James play a popular Muggle drinking game and things get a little... steamy.

On a Hot Summer Night On a beach holiday, Sirius and Remus take advantage of no one else being around.

Out of Stock Remus helps out a Hard of Hearing boy and his Godfather who is struggling with his BSL vocabulary.

Parlez-vous Francais? The cutest of meets, Sirius and Remus run into each other on the Paris Metro.

Put Your Head on My Shoulder It's 1953 and The Marauders bike gang roll into the small town of Godric's Hollow. Remus knows the leader of the gang is bad news but he can't deny there's an attraction there.

Robbers Sirius and Marlene make a bad decision one day when they're bored. Inspired by The 1975's Robbers music video.

Satellites 🖤 Sirius is the guitarist for Starsign, a band on a meteoric rise to fame. In Glasgow one day he meets gig photographer Remus Lupin and it's all over from there.

Tag, You're It A Bring Black Back, post-Veil reunion with a fair helping of angst.

Television Romance - co-written with @brokentoasterrr Small-time criminals, big-time lovers Remus and Sirius plan a heist to pull the wool over the eyes of gang leader Dumbledore.

The Black Dog and the Wolf A Witcher-books AU where Witcher Sirius finds a werewolf on the edge of town.

The Morning Doesn't Reach Us 🖤 a modern-magical AU where Hogwarts doesn't exist, Purebloods are educated at home and, well, Sirius doesn't know about the Mudbloods. But one night he stumbles upon a Wizarding nightclub and no matter what, he keeps coming back.

The Music Room - co-written with @freedombooksflowers Victorian Scion Sirius Black needs a new piano teacher and Remus Lupin fills that position, and the space in Sirius' heart.

The Secret "Oral" History - co-written with @stonecoldhedwig We affectionately call this fic 'coke fic'. Sirius and Remus are at university in the 1980s and a note passed in a lecture sets everything in motion.

The Treasuries of Firenze 🖤 An Assassin's Creed AU where Assassin Sirius finds an artist in a market in Florence and is immediately in love, but the universe has other ideas for him.

Wildflower About You Marlene runs a cafe/florist with her best friends Sirius and Remus. Flower supplier Dorcas Meadowes is sweeter than any of her blooms.

You've Got the Universe Reclining in Your Hair At a Christmas party at the Potter house, Sirius and Marlene are dancing around each other and finally fall into step.

20th January 2019 After the wars, Sirius and Remus spend the moons in quieter places nowadays.

[mostlynotwork]

In a dystopian future Earth, a global war ranges between giant mobile cities and the ‘anti-tractionists’ under the command of the Green Storm and their leader, the cyborg stalker ‘Fang’.

‘Infernal Devices’ is the third book in the ‘Mortal Engines’ series. The series is set in a dystopian future where giant ‘traction cities’ roam the wastelands and seas attacking and consuming smaller cities and towns.

The improbable but fun concept of mobile cities is what drew me to this series in the first place. Despite some peculiar flaws and inconsistencies in the technology of the world and its characters, I’ve grown to enjoy it.

If you’ve enjoyed the previous books, ‘Infernal Devices’ follows a similar formula, so will give you similar results.  As a more ..mature.. reader, I enjoyed the extra world building detail in this book and that the fighting between cities and the anti-tractionists is now done in a  more logical manner.

If you’re new to this series,  these books  would be best suited to readers interested in a steampunk style dystopia with younger protagonists. It has its flaws, but it’s generally a well paced adventure. As a story intended for a younger audience, it’s an easier read so could be good if you’re looking for something for a quick read.

You can read my thoughts on the first two books here:

Mortal Engines - Phillip Reeve

Mortal Engines: Predators Gold - Phillip Reeve

Want to know more? Then read on, but be warned the rest of this post contains minor spoilers for the earlier books.

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The great war continues.

‘Infernal Devices’ takes place sixteen years after the events of ‘Predators Gold’. The great war between the traction cities and the ‘Green Storm’ continues, but in the static city of Anchorage, Tom and Hesta live a peaceful life raising their daughter Wren.

Desperate to escape her dull life in Anchorage, Wren agrees to help a young pirate steal the mysterious ‘Tin Book of Anchorage’. Wren’s theft sets in motion world changing events, and Tom and Hesta are forced to once more venture into the dangerous world of traction cities and the war with the ‘Green Storm’. 

The story follows several familiar characters, as well as introducing new ones. The new characters, like Wren, are of an age similar to that of the protagonists in the previous books. (10-16yo), helping to provide a connection to the book’s intended audience now that the previous protagonists are older. 

An enjoyable multi level plot, and city combat that finally makes more sense.

‘Infernal Devices’ is book three of a quartet. However it felt more like the first half of a new adventure due to the time that has passed and the shift to Wren as the primary character. The story leverages the world building that has been done in the earlier books, but enriches the world by introducing new cities and exploring how things have changed in the gap between the novels.

I’m enjoying the bigger story that has been built up, leveraging the events that have gone before.  We not only have the adventures and interpersonal drama of Tom, Hesta and Wren, but a richer global story. We learn more about the war, the relationships between traction cities, the society of Brighton, and the internal politics of the Green Storm. 

We also get intercity (and city vs Green Storm) combat that makes more sense, with the traction cities fighting more like navies supported by aircraft carriers. Of course there’s still aspects of the warfare that make no sense, like the ability to build cyborg supersoldiers (the ‘Stalkers’) and yet still only have basic airpower and artillery. As with the previous books, one has to just suspend disbelief about those aspects and enjoy the steampunk style mashup of old tech and new.

The pitfalls of young characters

One of the things that feels incongruous with these books at times is the younger characters. I’m willing to suspend disbelief as far as the young (10yo) characters being able to do some of the things they are doing - like piloting a submarine. But I still find it jarring that we can have characters go from these same characters talking  about “mummy and daddy” in child-like language to having these same characters have much more mature conversations.

Likewise, it seems misplaced to have  these young characters being very innocent in one scene and then brutally killing someone in the next. The presence of child soldiers in our current world is evidence children can be conditioned to kill. But the way the characters seem to flip-flop between scenes feels incongruous. 

Still, the young characters is likely intended to connect with the books primary audience, so their inclusion makes sense. But as a reader I wish some of the scenes and events were handled a little better.

Overall though a good series, and I’m looking forward to reading/listening to the final book.

[nando161mando]

"As the world around us becomes increasingly grim—thanks to the cost of living crisis, rampant gentrification, and the looming threat of ecological collapse—spaces like the Cowley Club become more crucial than ever. We provide an alternative to the oppressive structures that are being imposed on us, showcasing different ways to organise our lives. This isn’t just about having a place to hang out; it’s about creating a resource for the movement, a space for people to come together, socialise, and plan for change." https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/10/09/cowley-club-interview-every-community-can-benefit-from-a-social-centre/

[ukrfeminism]

10 minute read

Thousands walk past every day without noticing it or knowing anything about the lives being transformed inside. Nestled behind the sunflower-hued door of a Georgian terraced house, on a busy Brighton street, the Brighton’s Women Centre (largely known by its acronym the ‘BWC’) – is home to those facing unique difficulties, in particular those at risk of reoffending. 

The need for a place like this is great: statistics show that compared to men, women who receive a custodial sentence (prison time) are more likely to be complex and vulnerable individuals, who’ve experienced trauma and abuse – and while 95% of male prisoners’ children remain in their own homes when their father is incarcerated, the same can be said for only 5% of children whose mothers are jailed.

One woman who knows about this heartache first-hand is Hayley*, an evidently caring and straight-talking 43-year-old mother of five, who has been engaging with BWC for six years.

“I’d reached the point of no return when I first came here,” she tells me, as we sit in a quiet meeting room in the centre’s attic, leaflets about the help on offer scattered across a nearby table. “My life was a mess, a shambles really.” Hayley, like many women who’ve been to prison, has dealt with addiction issues, abusive relationships, and unstable housing, all of which contributed to her committing an offence and serving time whilst pregnant. When she left HMP Bronzefield six years ago, Hayley describes herself as ‘broken’. 

“I’d started to wake up when I was arrested, but when I came here, it was the first time I really felt I was being listened to and that there was hope of change. I was pregnant again, with a set of twins, and I’d already had three daughters taken off me. Was I really gonna go through that again?” she shares, reflecting on how far she’s come since first walking through that sunshine yellow door. “When you go through the justice system, you meet a lot of people and go to a lot of places. You meet probation officers, and they’ve got your file in front of them… you instantly feel judged.”

She adds, “You’re scared to be totally honest about your situation in case it comes back to bite you later on. People get scared they’ll lose their children if they ask for help [with a substance abuse issue]. You feel you’re drowning. But it’s not like that in BWC, it’s a women’s only space that has a different energy. There was no chaos in the building, it was just calm.” 

Hayley was first referred to BWC under court orders via her probation officer following a pre-sentence report, which she says is what ‘saved’ her from another stretch in prison. She now also credits her case worker, Marion, for also ‘drip feeding’ her information about the signs of coercive control, narcissism and abuse too, during their chats over cups of tea. “I started to feel a bit empowered and could recognise behaviour that wasn’t right for the first time.”

Unlike a refuge or shelter (accommodation for those fleeing abuse), the function of a women’s centre can sometimes be confused – which is understandable, given that the likes of BWC seem to… do it all, for anyone in need of help. As well as having staff on hand for practicalities such as housing issues, financial problems, mental health support (counselling and psychotherapy is available) and food poverty (the latter being the service that’s seen the biggest increase in demand over the past year), women’s centres provide a safe space to talk – which can ultimately be the biggest game-changer for many. There’s also a cheerful nursery on site, Toy Box, so that mothers can attend appointments without fretting about childcare.

All of which is why the newly announced £15 million government cash injection into 40 women’s charities and centres in England and Wales, like the BWC, that support those at risk of reoffending, is so crucial. But is it enough, given that a recent Women In Prison report found nearly half of all women’s centres are concerned about their survival? What else can be done to stop women – and mothers in particular – from going to jail, and tearing apart families in the process, traumatising a new generation? Why are 3,219 women ending up in prison each year in the first place, with most having committed a non-violent, low-level offence?

Victims before perpetrators

“We often say that women who’ve gone to prison were victims before they were perpetrators,” says Damian Hinds, Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation, who joins me at BWC. “We know female offending is typically driven by factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and mental health issues. Around 60% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse and about half have some kind of drug problem, so we need to tackle those underlying issues with earlier intervention and better support, to stop the cycle of offending.” 

He praises the Female Offender Strategy that began in 2018, with the aim of tackling the root causes of female offending and reducing prison numbers (Hinds’ team also shares that between June 2018 – June 2022 the number of women sentenced to immediate custody fell by 37%). 

However, whilst news of the funding is a welcome step in the right direction "that provides a much-needed respite for organisations working tirelessly to meet the needs of at-risk women, or those in contact with the criminal justice system”, there's still a long way to go, says Sonya Ruparel, the Chief Executive of Women In Prison (a charity that has supported women in the criminal justice system for 40 years). Their work sees them have a presence inside prisons, in the community and ‘through the prison gate’ as they help women to resettle in their communities.

"The money is providing a temporary solution to a long-term problem, and this £15m available pales into insignificance when compared, for example, with the £200m the government are investing in an extra 500 prison places for women," she explains. "Despite the government’s commitment to reducing the women’s prison population, they are projecting it will rise by up to 35% in the next three years. 

"Without real investment in services that support women to address the root causes of crime such as domestic violence and abuse, debt and homelessness women will continue to be unnecessarily swept into the criminal justice system." 

Female inmates, the majority of whom have been convicted of fraud (14%) or shoplifting (19%), also have to grapple with being incarcerated by a system designed with men in mind, and it is estimated that women sent to prison are seven times more likely to self-harm than men. Each year, 17,000 children are impacted by maternal imprisonment too.

Helping women to break the cycle of trauma is something that Lisa Dando, Director at BWC, and all her staff, are passionate about. They explain that a ‘trauma-informed’ approach is key when dealing with any woman living with multiple disadvantages [something that can be lacking during arrests, for instance, if officers haven’t been specially trained] and that a shortage of decent emergency accommodation sees women who’ve recently left prison instantly set up to fail. 

Too many are housed far from home – away from their support networks that help them to stay sober and happy – and are forced into mixed gender living situations, with shared bathrooms, toilets, and broken locks. All of which see their fight or flight responses fire up, particularly if they’ve been victims of domestic abuse or sexual violence. It’s much harder to stay sober when you’re scared and lonely.

The UK also continues to put pregnant women in prison, when other countries don’t. “Women give birth in prison here,” Dando adds. “I don't understand why the children are being punished for a crime their mothers have committed. The prison system is damaging in so many different ways and I'm also not convinced that the rehabilitation work that takes place inside, especially for women on short term sentences, which the majority are, has enough time to really make a difference.”

She adds, “It seems illogical [to break families up in this way] when there are alternatives, like women’s centres and non-custodial sentences, that are proven to work.” Dando, of course, caveats that this does not mean she supports people who’ve committed violent or very serious crimes going without punishment. 

It’s a sentiment that Hinds seemed to agree with during our interview too, along with the need for better trauma support training to be instilled across the justice system as a whole. “Trauma-informed services and spaces for these women are vital,” agrees Marion Taylor, Manager of the Inspire project at BWC, who has worked with Hayley. “It’s about working with women in a way that recognises they have trauma in their backgrounds, that shapes the way they’ve developed and react to certain things.” Consistency is also key; BWC is able to offer twelve sessions with a therapist, whereas the NHS offering typically hovers at around six to eight.

Part of the newly announced funding, of which BWC has received £761,280, will also be spent on creating better links between women’s centres and the police, which (as suggested by the Casey review) is rife with misogyny, racism and homophobia. “[The review] is a big part of why we wanted to form a partnership with the police, to divert women away from contact with them if possible,” Dando explains. “We want to step in early and provide a different model of support, to protect women from having to experience being in a police cell or the damaging effects of a service that is struggling. We’d like to bring a different view and educate the police on a new way of working.”

In terms of feeling the impact of previous government cuts to services, Dando diplomatically says that since she “joined fifteen years ago, it’s been peaks and troughs” and that currently, the centre looks set to be financially ‘safe’ for the next two years. She highlights the financial gains of custodial sentences being a last resort too, pointing out that incarceration costs around £42,000 per inmate compared with a community sentence coming in at around £2,000. Around 87% of women given a non-custodial sentence do not go on to reoffend either. Dando adds, “And really, we’re all at risk of needing a women’s centre if our circumstances suddenly change.” 

When asked by Cosmopolitan UK as to whether the new £15 million funding allocation is enough for women’s services, Minister Hinds said he feels it’s a “substantial investment” and that the scheme will reduce the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending for the taxpayer. “Female offenders also benefit from other support the justice and health systems provide, like the Probation Service and Government’s £3 billion 10-year drugs strategy investment.” 

Coming back from darkness

Someone who is a prime example of a non-custodial sentence working is Sarah*, a 60-year-old animal lover who explains that she snapped after a long-running dispute with her neighbour escalated during lockdown. The neighbour, she says, made an illegal roof garden on their building, that Sarah repeatedly said wasn’t safe – and her point was proven when a dog later fell off and was injured. Later on, whilst in the vet’s surgery, an argument between the neighbours grew heated and Sarah admits that she pulled her neighbour’s hair. 

Her situation, Sarah points out, is a prime example of circumstances changing in an instant – and to her credit, she repeatedly acknowledges that she shouldn’t have become physical in that scenario. “I do sometimes wake in the night and think how could this happened? I pulled her hair. Yet I've been punched in the past, and it never goes to court. It was all just blown completely out of proportion… I used to work for probation, I spent five years working with one parent families.”

Ultimately, after sleepless nights spent imagining how she’d survive in prison, Sarah was given a non-custodial sentence of community service work, which she completed in a PDSA charity shop, “I was put in a position in court, where if I opened my mouth and tried to stand up for myself, I knew I would go to prison,” she reflects. “So I stayed quiet and left it to my solicitor, who managed to reduce my sentence down to 50 hours of non-custodial work.” Alongside her sentence, Sarah was also issued an eviction order, which is what led her to BWC to seek help with housing. 

“It was last chance saloon,” she shares. “I’d tried to access other services but found they weren’t able to move fast enough for me. It had reached the stage where my family were exhausted with it all too. My kids are older – my daughter is a doctor and my son's a respected musician – they came with me to court, but they didn’t have the facilities to help me, whereas women’s centres do. Even things like utility bills, I've brought them here as I just couldn’t have handled them alone.”

Now, Sarah is in a much better space – both mentally and physically – having found alternative accommodation with BWC’s support, and once her 50 hours in the shop were up, she decided to stay on as she found it good for her confidence and sticking to a routine. 

Hayley now says she’s now able to be there for all of her children and is clean and sober. She is also single, having broken free of her pattern of repeatedly entering into abusive relationships, and tells me she’s teaching her 17-year-old daughter to spot the red flags that she missed early on. “My kids have seen a lot of things and experienced a lot of trauma, they've seen me beaten up, drug dealers come through the doors, windows being smashed… But now it's like, mum's not that person anymore,” she says. “They can see I'm not running to men, or looking for a man to fix me, or putting up with being spoken to in a certain way. I can finally set the right example.” 

For now, it sounds as though the likes of BWC and the forty other women’s centres that have received funding at least have a little space to breathe – but is allowing them a moment to pause and catch their breath really enough? Especially given that new stats show one in five people in the UK are living in poverty right now, and that debt and homelessness are precursors to potentially committing an offence. Is it right that women’s centres have had to fight so hard – and wait so long – to receive adequate financial support in the first place, given the incomparable work they’re doing? And whilst these forty centres can feel short-term relief, plenty of other incredible organisations around the UK are still struggling. Let’s hope this is only the beginning of the recognition, and that the pressure all women’s centres are feeling will be eased on a more permanent basis in the near future. 

*Name has been changed 

You can donate to Brighton Women's Centre here and Bankuet, the food bank association that work alongside the BWC, here

[1800duckhotline]

tell me about your butch4butches they look fantastic

Oh my god where do I begin.........You need to know i've had chelsea and juliya since i was 12... in my head... they STARTED OUT AS GIRLFRIENDS since the beginning and somehow i couldnt read the signs until i was 20

For now I am slowly reworking their lore, but it goes a little bit like this:

Chelsea and Juliya met 10 years prior to current day (where they are 30 and in Brighton, UK). They used to be part of a small mercenary group doing the bidding of high-paying clients, with their jobs involving typically assassinations and sometimes genuine espionage (though this isnt what Chelsea or Juliya did, so I'm not focused on that). The group was called "The Queen's Diamond" (QD for short) and they used to be part of the same group of operations, like there was group A, B, C, etc, they were part of the same group (let's say A... again, lots of lore will need to be reworked so thats why I'm vague).

Chelsea Fan (Scottish-Chinese gal with burn scars and eyepatch)

Chelsea was involved in the group since a young age due to the fact that she is literally the adopted daughter of the QD's leader. The leader was a hardass woman who decided to adopt Chelsea out of nowhere, as Chelsea unfortunately has had a rough childhood, born in Scotland to parents that then left her behind for reasons she does not remember (nor does she care much).

All she remembers is how ever since she was young she was affected by vampirism - a peculiar strain of the sickness, which entails her needing even more blood than the average person, as well as having bites that are not automatically infectious. (think of it as a 70/100 chance of catching vampirism if she bites you).

While I am still combing through her lore specifically, the short of it is that she hates her mom, and hates her life as a killer under her control - her vampirism is sincerely the least aggravating thing for her, even though her being reliant on being provided gallons of blood daily by the group makes it hard for her to branch off. Though she'd also like to know what the hell is up with her version of the virus.

Chelsea comes off as a sardonic girl who masks her true emotions and mind demons with sarcasm, out-of-place humor and enjoys getting a rise out of people. She genuinely enjoys fighting to some extent but likes to keep aces up her sleeve. She is a gunsmith by trade and knows more about guns than you ever will.

She is very scared of fire as a result of the incident that left her scarred. This might be obvious but you never know

Juliya Ivanovic (Serbian + bald + built like a truck)

Juliya was snatched by the group in a way similar to Chelsea. As you can imagine, operations like these are born from the predatory practice of plucking troubled children away from the possibilities of recovering from a difficult childhood, and she was one among many like this. I have never truly pinpointed well how she would be involved in an operation like this, but you can expect a difficult childhood being what shapes her for years to come.

Juliya deep down is a caring person, but doesn't like to get attached. She tends to have difficulty with experiencing emotions, and does not enjoy seeming 'weak' in front of others, especially since she has bmore or less always adopted the role of the "protector" among social groups she is in. She comes off as cold and rude, but to her this is just tough love. (She was never taught differently)

When she was in the group she essentially got a crash course on "All you need to know to be an efficient field medic". Taught to be a first aid help on field jobs and also when they were at the base, she was one of the "nurses" (in quotations bc none of them were qualified with university diplomas, but you know).

Juliya is like, a raging lesbian. Problem is she's also the most stuck up lesbian who can't grapple with her preference ever. While she took extremely long to realize she was a lesbian, it eventually clicked - what's not clicking now to her is that she does not find feminine women attractive, and only ever has had desires or interests towards masculine women, which makes her feel weird. Especially when her thoughts always pivot towards, well. Chelsea. COUGH

the short of it is that eventually a disastrous incident happens in the group and it results in chelsea leaving forever, Juliya also quitting, and them eventually slowly reintegrating themselves with 'normal' society. They properly met at 16, in the QD, and basically grew up together, the accident happens when they're both 22 or so... They physically could not see each other for at least 8 years, leading them in their 30s.

Though both of them knew neither were fit to be entirely normal citizens - Juliya got her way of becoming a qualified physician, meanwhile Chelsea turned to a life of killing for hire, however this time on her own terms - which is much more preferable. In time, Juliya was approached by the P.A.U. (Planetary Assassin Union) to become one of their informants (individuals who hand out jobs to local assassins) by swinging in front of her face a fat paycheck. And this is how she and chelsea meet again in person proper, though I think they probably kept in contact somehow during their time apart too. Juliya would not be at peace not knowing Chelsea's whereabouts.

Their whole dynamic is a mess and this is already so long. But it's kind of fucked up sad childhood friends (teenhood ...?), co-workers of sorts (i'd hardly call chelsea's situation that of a nepo baby since her "mom" exploited her vampirism to the QD's benefits), them having completely different personalities which is extremely attractive to both of them.

Especially since Chelsea gets around a lot with women, she kind of is afraid of commitment and jumps in many beds often. And Juliya is kind of jealous but... would never admit it. Because she cannot understand that butch4butch is a thing. Chelsea also has feelings for Juliya btw but. allergy to commitment. Anyway hey hows it going

[mybeingthere]

Britain has a long history of beacon lighting spanning many hundreds of years. Beacons have been lit on village greens, castle battlements, church towers, farms, beaches, front gardens, car parks and mountain tops to celebrate Royal Weddings, Jubilees and Coronations.

In 1897 beacons were lit nationally to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. (She reigned for a total of 63 years.) In 1977 and 2002 beacons were lit to celebrate The Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilees. On Monday 4th June 2012, the aim is to light over 2,012 - perhaps as many as 4,000 – beacons, from Tonga to the Falkland Islands and Malta to Kenya. And the network of beacons that will criss-cross the UK, placed on historic landmarks, hill-top vantage points and famous mountains, will include Ditchling Beacon.

Ditchling Beacon is an Early Iron Age contour hillfort positioned on the Downs just south of the village of Ditchling with commanding views of the Weald to the north. It is one of the 139 original anchor-chain beacons situated around the country and has been used many times for occasions of unity and celebration, but also as a communication tool to warn of impending invasion and coastal attack.

The most notable occasions were in the 16th century when raiders from France regularly struck the Sussex coast and Brighton. These attacks reached their height in June 1514 when the French, led by Admiral Prégnant (nick-named Prior John), set fire to virtually all the buildings in Brighton’s old town, with the exception of St Nicholas’ Church. They were eventually driven off by archers from across the county who were alerted by a warning beacon on the Downs. There were further raids on Brighton in 1545, but as before, the French were repelled by the large numbers who gathered on the cliff, attracted by the beacon. In 1587, Ditchling was part of the same chain of beacons, designed to provide warning of the long anticipated attack by the Spanish.

http://www.thepostmagazine.co.uk/brighto.../ditchling-beacon

[onevolon]

my love for you is infinite - part11

Santiago Garcia x F!reader(Darcy)

note: pride and prejudice (2005) but with triple frontier boys because why not lol

word count: 854

warnings: angsty... again...

you can also read it on ao3.

part10 - part12 - masterlist

Santiago is in the drawing room; he looks at a book on the table. He puts it down and walks to the mirror and stares at himself. The daylight moves and fades as seamlessly the scene turns to night. Santiago puts his face into his hands and rubs it wearily. When he looks up Darcy is reflected behind him. They stare at each other without speaking for a moment.

“I came to leave you this.”

She places a letter on the table behind him. Santiago does not turn but watches her through the mirror.

“I shall not renew the sentiments which were so disgusting to you, but if I may, I will address the two offences you have laid against me.”

Santiago cannot bring himself to look at Darcy. He stares at the little imperfections on the surface of the mirror.

As Santiago turns, he realizes Darcy has gone. He grabs the letter, tears open the envelope. His hands are shaking when he starts to read.

“My father provided for Mr. Wickham a valuable living. But upon his death, however, Mr. Wickham told me that he had no intention of taking orders and would I recompense him to the tune of 3000 pounds so he could go to town and study the law.

This I did, though by now I had some doubts about his character. These were confirmed by reports that he had sunk into a life of idleness, gambling and dissipation. The money was soon used up, whereupon he wrote demanding more money which I refused, after which he severed all acquaintance…But last summer he unwillingly obtruded on my notice when he connived a relationship with my sister whom he attempted to persuade to elope with him. His objective was her inheritance of thirty thousand pounds. She was fifteen… As to the other matter, that of your brother and Mr. Bingley. Though the motives which governed me may to you appear insufficient, they were in the service of a friend.”

Charlotte walks into the room.

“Santiago! Are you alright?”

“I hardly know.”

***

Santiago arrives back at Longbourn. He climbs down from his carriage and looks at the house from across the moat. He walks around the front of the house, through a window he sees Francisco sitting quietly alone at his needle work. He takes a deep breath and enters.

Mrs. Bennet takes Santiago's coat from him.

“How fortunate you have arrived, your aunt and uncle are here to deliver Francisco from London.”

“How is Francisco?”

“He’s in the drawing room.”

Santiago enters the room.

Santiago and Francisco sit together. Francisco is all smiles, but behind his eyes is a sadness unseen before. Santiago is equally unable to unburden himself.

“I am quite over him, Santiago. If he passed in the street I would hardly notice. London is so diverting.”

“Oh?”

“It’s true. So much to entertain. What news from Kent?”

“Nothing. At least, not much to entertain.”

Santiago tries to smile. There is a crash as the younger brothers enter the house. William rushes into the drawing room crying his eyes out, he is followed by Ben and Mrs. Bennet.

“Santiago, tell mama, tell her!” Will cries.

“Mrs. Forster has invited me.” Ben says smugly.

“Why didn't she ask me as well?”

“William, what's happened?”

“- because I'm better company.”

“I’ve just as much right as Ben”

Santiago looks to Francisco.

“Ben has been invited to Brighton with the Foresters.”

“I shall dine with the officers every night!” Ben sighs with a dreamy look on his face.

An anguished wail is heard from William.

***

Santiago confronts her father.

“Please Papa, don't let him go!”

“Ben will never be easy till he has exposed himself in some public place or other, and we can never expect him to do it with so little inconvenience as under the present circumstances.”

“If you, dear father, will not take the trouble to check him, he will be fixed forever as the silliest and most determined flirt who ever made his family ridiculous. And William will follow, as he always does.”

“We shall have no peace until he goes.”

“Peace! Is that all you care about?”

“Colonel Forster is a sensible man and will keep him out of any real mischief, and he is far too poor to be an object of prey to anyone.”

“Father, it's dangerous!”

“I’m sure the officers will find people better worth their while. Let us hope, in fact, that his stay in Brighton will teach his own insignificance. At any rate he can hardly grow any worse, without authorizing us to lock him up for the rest of his life.”

Santiago gazes at his father - will nothing touch him? He gave up on Ben long ago. For this, just now, he hates him.

“No wonder our family is treated with contempt.”

She leaves while his father looks puzzled at his outburst.

***

Santiago and Francisco lie next to each other in the darkness.

“I saw Miss Darcy when I was in Rosings.”

“Why did you not tell me? Did she mention Mr. Bingley?”

“No. She did not.”

[mistydeyes]

oh.. maybe I could do too?

Idk where to start maybe.. I like animals yeah? I had 7 cats at one point I’m still too young to be a cat lady but I’d like to be one :) I’m also really good at cooking I make some great pasta. I’m good with kids and a social butterfly, shy at first but give me like an hour if I’m comfortable with you and you’ll see me blossom. I have good humor if I’m comfortable with the people I’m around I crack a few jokes, something about making people laugh and smile makes me smile too. I guess happiness is contagious

I’m 5’3 kind of hourglass body? I’m good looking even if I put in the work or if I don’t I don’t have any tattoos, I like modest wear and I always look clean and elegant the type of “not one stray hair out of place” person. and loooveee jewelry. A makeup freak but don’t wear it too often I try to stay natural :). Im an achiever I must try my best in everything.

Loooveee reading even if the book is shitty but something about flipping pages and getting into a diff world by just words is just ❤️. I also write some stories that aren’t published I’m good at poetry kind of? I’m a great performer on stage but get shaky. I’m a nerd.. you won’t tell but I am.

I’m sweet naively very confident some people call it cocky but I know who I am. I love to help and provide and aid, hence me getting into the medical field :). I’m very nice I’ve been told and I have a “welcoming and nurturing aura” a friend told me that. I’m actually very outspoken and my mom keeps joking about me becoming a Lawyer rather than a doctor.

Somehow people feel very comfortable around me and I feel very grateful to be their person at least :) it brings me joy knowing that someone trusts me and feels like they can tell me anything.

I love spicy food and anything sweet I have a sweet tooth I’m talking like 5 packs of sugar for ONE cup of tea. Oh shit I’m a tea drinker I hate coffee it tastes weird to me.

I love nature to a extreme point unless bug bites and mosquitoes bites are involved. I also love sightseeing. I enjoy my hectic life but also want to go home to peace and quiet. At the end of the day I can manage my life without a partner or with, I just want someone I can share peaceful silence with yk cooking in the kitchen with the cats watching.

Also I love ur writing :) !!

Thank you <3

John Price

How you met: Civilian You were enjoying a nice summer day in Brighton when you met John. You spent the day lounging along the rocky shores and dippy your toes into the brisk water. It was a much needed reprieve from your late nights trying to remember diseases and treatments. Eventually, you found yourself on the boardwalk and admiring the small trinkets at the various kiosks. As you tried on some sunglasses, a small child came running up to you and hit behind your legs. "Well hello there," you exclaimed and bent down to the child's height. The brunette girl smiled up at you as you looked around for her parents. "I'm hiding from my uncle," she whispered and you saw a flustered man trying to find the missing girl. You smiled at her before offering a hand. "Tell you what, let's get you to your uncle and I'll buy you a treat?" to this she smiled and followed you as you walked up to the man. He took off his hat and looked relieved when you returned your niece. "Found this one trying to hide behind a kiosk," you said as he gratefully shook your hand. "My sister's kid always finds a way to run off," he joked and held his niece's hand tightly. "I did promise her a treat for being so cooperative," you said and she ecstatically nodded. You pointed to an ice cream stand with a short line and the young girl ran towards it, with her uncle at her heels. While John tried to pay, you selflessly offered to pay for your two small cones and his niece's large ice cream cone with extra toppings for good measure. With sticky ice cream coating your fingers, you and John learned of your many shared interests and even exchanged contacts as his niece enjoyed her reward.

A peek into your relationship: John was always at awe at your interesting taste in food. For someone so polite and elegant looking, he would assume you were picky but you loved everything under the sun. Today, you had decided to spent dinner in your flat and you made him Spicy Southwest Bean & Corn Salad. He insisted helping you cook but you simply told him to just sit on the couch and entertain your new litter of kittens. As you saw John hold up their small ribbon toy, you called him to the dining room table. "I made yours not as spicy," you joked as he sat. You knew John had a low spice tolerance and he smiled gratefully at your mercy. As he chugged water after every bite, he looked shocked as you added more and more hot sauce to the salad. "You're crazy," he laughed as you enjoyed the meal, "have to say this is one of your best dishes." You thanked him as you continued your conversation about the latest novel series you were reading. Finally, you both finished and John kindly took your plates and cleaned up the kitchen as you settled on the couch with one of your kittens curled up next to you. "Want some tea, love?" he called and you readily agreed. When he returned with two mugs, you took one sip and your smile faltered. "No sugar?" you asked and he nodded seriously. "I think it would be a crime to add five sugar cubes," he stated and before you could get up to the kitchen, he pulled you in a comforting hug. "Not letting you out of my sight, sweetheart," he said and you accepted defeat before settling back down and continuing to read your novel in his comforting presence.

[tgammsideblog]

Tgamm S1 Ep 16-A ¨Citizen Mcgee¨ Episode Analysis

Molly gets elected to be Brighton’s mayor for a day while the actual mayor Brunson takes the day away. At first Molly believes that running the city shouldn’t be a problem until she starts to realize that it isn’t as easy as it looks...

Episode writer: Peter Limm

Sometimes passion alone isn’t enough, it takes a lot of time and patience to master a certain subject. A person is going to make a lot of mistakes along the way until they are able to get things right. This is something that Molly learns the hard way when she has to be Brighton’s mayor for a day.

The thing is that Molly is a clever enthusiastic girl with tons of ideas and she really wants to help her community, but, she is still a teen, and because of that she doesn’t have the enough experience to make the most appropriate decisions. There is a point in the episode she changes her clothers to a blazer, giving her a more ¨mature serious¨ presentation. She believes that she needs to look like a grown up to act like one despite not knowing how to handle political issues.

What it is kind of refreshing is that Molly doesn’t abuse her temporal position to get what she wants. Since she is someone who wants to help others, she takes the day as an opportunity to ¨enhappify¨ the city, which it does gets positive results... at first.

The other part of story involves Stewey Brunson, who feels like he can’t handle the pressure of being a mayor and that he can’t measure up to his ancenstors who were Brighton mayors too. He expresses having lost his passion to run the town and the reason he is making a ¨mayor for a day¨ event to take a day off from his duties. There is a memorable shot when Stewey is talking about his family and the camera focus on the photos from past mayors hanging on the wall, like they are always watching him. He says that every time he looks at those photos, he feels all this high expectations to be like them.

In a way, it’s hard to not sympathize with Stewey’s situation. After all, he only was taking a day off, it’s not like he was planning on making Molly a mayor forever. It’s understandable that a person would loose their passion on their work after working for so many years in the same job.

While the conflict isn’t centered around them, Scratch and Darryl provide some funny moments in this episode, such as Darryl stealing the things he finds in the mayor´s office. They complement well with Molly, giving her bad advice or helping her dealing with the crisis later in the story.

When the protagonists find out that the slide covered with syrup ends up attracting many horseflies and causes an invasion in the city, Molly and Scratch decide to look for Mr.Brunson to help them. It doesn’t take long before they find him in the park, hiding behind his cotton candy stand. To persuade him into returning to his mayor position, the duo calls for the previous Brunsons (who are ghosts) to help him.

The song sequence that plays next is one of the most beautiful songs of the season. The Brunson family tells Stewey how proud they are of his work and carrying the legacy of his family. The music clearly takes inspiration from old movies such as ¨Grease¨. It’s a very nice sequence that shows how much the Brunsons care about Stew.

With his confidence back, Stewey (thinking it was all a dream) helps with getting rid of the horseflies decides to go back to his place as a mayor. Molly apologizes for the mess she caused but before she leaves, Stew has a short talk with Molly about how he is the last of the Brunson family and he suggests that Molly could be his successor when she gains more experience as an adult. It’s a nice scene since Stew knows Molly has the passion and personality to be a leader.

In all, ¨Citizen Mcgee¨ is a great episode which teaches a good lesson that is a bit rare to see. A person who is new in leadership isn’t going to have all the answers right away, it takes years to become a good leader. I appreciate this episode developing Stewey’s character and his family and introduccing a bit of a role model for Molly if she wants to become a mayor when she grows up.

[theradfemsareright]

The launch of a sexual assault support centre for women is always good news but, when it is the brainchild of J.K. Rowling, it is very big news. Especially given the feminist philanthropist and world famous author has smartly taken pre-emptive steps to outwit her detractors.

Rowling has funded and designed a new, women-only sexual violence support service, Beira’s Place, which opens today. “I founded Beira’s Place to provide what I believe is currently an unmet need for women in the Lothians area,” the author said this weekend. “As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know how important it is that survivors have the option of women-centred and women-delivered care at such a vulnerable time. Beira’s Place will offer an increase in capacity for services in the area and will, I hope, enable more women to process and recover from their trauma.”

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, it is a service for women who have been subjected to men’s violence. It is named after the Scottish goddess of Winter, as Rowling explained: “Beira rules over the dark part of the year, handing over to her sister, Bride, when summer comes again. Beira represents female wisdom, power, and regeneration. Hers is a strength that endures during the difficult times, but her myth contains the promise that they will not last for ever.”

It has taken a year of hard work by Rowling and her team to get it off the ground, and I was delighted to be invited to the top-secret launch on Saturday alongside the crème de la crème of Scottish feminists and many other supporters. Today is the first that anyone, aside from those who have had some kind of involvement in the project, will hear about Beira’s Place.

The board, which includes Rowling, is comprised of experts with a lifelong commitment to ending men’s violence towards women and girls. They include former prison governor and LGB rights campaigner Rhona Hotchkiss, previous Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, GP Margaret McCartney, and Susan Smith who is director of For Women Scotland. Its CEO is Isabelle Kerr, a veteran of the Rape Crisis movement.

Beira’s Place is strictly female-only, as defined by section 212 of the Equality Act which states that a woman is a “female of any age”. If you are a natal women aged 16 and over, reside in the Lothians and have experienced sexual violence or abuse at any time in your life, a free and confidential service is now there for you.

The service is funded solely by Rowling and is not set up as a charity, which means trans activists won’t be able to petition the Charities Commission to close it down.

Rowling understands why women need single-sex services following rape and sexual assault. As she wrote on her blog in June 2020: “I refuse to bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.”

Shockingly, until now there were none left in Edinburgh that still operated on a single-sex basis. And Rowling knows how important they are.

Edinburgh’s Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) advocates on behalf of men who identify as women as well as actual women. And in May 2021, trans-identified Mridul Wadhwa was appointed chief executive of ERCC despite this being a job that was advertised as only for a woman. Three months after being appointed, Wadhwa referred in a podcast to female rape victims who did not want to deal with men in a support service as “bigoted people”. Wadhwa had the audacity to suggest that these women should “reframe their trauma”.

The “bigots” Wadhwa speaks of are women who want female-only counselling and female-only spaces in rape or domestic violence facilities because they feel unsafe and even traumatised around men following such an horrific experience.

But women are fighting back. Brighton’s rape crisis service Survivors Network is facing a legal challenge by a female rape victim who was told she was transphobic for asking if she could be in a group therapy for females only. Sarah Summers*, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse as well as rape as an adult, was refused access to a women-only support group. Like ERRC, Brighton welcomes transwomen at any stage of their transition to use the service.

“I have spent a lot of my life having my boundaries violated by men. I have been manipulated, coerced and forced into having sex with men,” says Summers. “It is impossible for women like me to recover from the trauma of male sexual violence in the same space as men, even if those men identify as women.

“Women’s rape crisis groups are the one place women should be able to feel safe. Forcing us to deny reality confirms that our feelings don’t matter and our boundaries are irrelevant.”

The vast majority of women feel the same as Summers. The grassroots feminist group Women and Girls in Scotland produced a report last year entitled Which Rights are Facing Challenge in the Sex and Gender Debate? It was based on research which found that the majority of women (80.1%) said that female victims of male violence should be able to access female-only survivor support services and refuges. A majority (71%) said they would not be comfortable if the service was inclusive of trans-identified males.

This June, it was reported that there have been vast increases in rape and sexual assaults against women in Scotland. Police figures show that between 2018/19 and 2021/22, instances of rape against women have increased by 25%.

What has happened to Edinburgh since the trans train rolled into town? It used to be an epicentre of radical feminist campaigning. I was at the launch of Zero Tolerance in Edinburgh in 1992. This was an innovative campaign that used images of strong women on posters and billboards around the city, stating no level of men’s violence towards women and girls should be tolerated. At its 30th anniversary event last month, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, who is currently pushing through legislation to allow men to be placed in women’s prisons, hospital wards and refuges, was the keynote speaker. Prior to the event, attendees were requested to not mention self-ID or question the definition of “woman”.

All but one attendee complied, leaving one courageous and angry woman to berate Sturgeon for “[telling women of Scotland] they are bigoted for standing up for women’s rights,” while others sat there looking embarrassed.

But Sturgeon won’t listen to anyone, including Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls. Alsalem told Sturgeon that the reforms presented “potential risks to the safety of women in all their diversity”, and that “empirical evidence” suggested predatory men might seek to abuse the system.

Transwomen in Edinburgh are very well catered for when it comes to sexual assault services, but natal women are not. Sturgeon has heard from countless Scottish women about their fears regarding self-ID; Rowling herself has sarcastically referred to her as the First Feminist for imposing such dangerous legislation on the women and girls of Scotland.

But Rowling does not only speak out — she also puts her money where her mouth is. As Rowling told Suzanne Moore: “It’s important that women like us stand up – people who can afford to take the hit…”

If someone had told me five years ago that the launch of a service for female-only sexual assault survivors would be inevitably contentious, I would have laughed. But here we are now. Sexual assault survivors, such as Sarah Summers and all of the other women who have stayed away from services because of the inclusion of transwomen, deserve better.

I have spoken to many women who were instantly aware of the presence of a male in sexual assault centres, however well those men think they pass as women. Natal women have been traumatised and men are responsible for that trauma.

The launch of Beira’s Place at the weekend was inspiring. There was no mention of transactivism, just praise for the amazing team behind the initiative. There was no word of the hell that women working in rape crisis centres and domestic violence refuges have been through to attempt to maintain single-sex services, just excitement about embarking on this new venture.

Beira’s Place will be an oasis, and hopefully signal the beginning of a new feminist revolution. Once again, Rowling has worked her magic.

[rashfordxbruno]

Matchday! United return to Premier League action this afternoon, with Brighton the visitors to Old Trafford.

The Reds will be looking to bounce back from our 3-1 defeat at Arsenal last time out, with the Theatre of Dreams providing the perfect platform to do so.

Erik ten Hag’s side have been victorious in our two previous home games so far this season, defeating Wolves 1-0 and Nottingham Forest 3-2.

Meanwhile, the Seagulls currently sit in sixth place, with three victories and one defeat from four league games.

Today's fixture will be tough but let's hope our good record at OT helps us push through. Come on United! 🔴

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Six

Scouting around Bognor yesterday evening allowed me to come across Bersted Brooks Nature Reserve on the outskirts of town, which provided an excellent wealth of patches to shelter up for the night.

The morning air is crisp and my breath is misting as I pack up, but the aky is clear with just a few high whisps of cloud so it may end up being another hot one.

Out and at it again, it's out of town and onto the A259 to make a twisting course eastward along the adjacent cycle path, as it leads past some construction areas and alongside busy traffic.

It's a pleasing start to the day as the road is backing up with traffic around Climping, whilst I'm able to sail past with minimal effort.

Over the River Arun and into Littlehampton, I swing down past the small harbour and hit the seafront. The waters of the English Channel are nice and calm in the early sun, gently lapping at the shore as I have a nice sit and admire the view ahead.

A nice ride along the beach down to Rustington, I follow the road winding its way back up around a stretch of farmland before dropping back down to the shore again at Goring-by-Sea.

Ahead is a long, long stretch of coastal riding through some big urban centres, time for some easy miles!

On through Worthing and past the pier, it's a good leg of cycle paths out of the traffic before hitting the road again to cross the River Adur into Shoreham-by-Sea.

The path leads through some heavy industrial areas around the harbour at Southwick, before getting back off the roads as the trails pick up once more as I head into Brighton.

The sun is shining brightly as the day progresses, making for another hot day once again, but it's been mostly flat going so far as I head up to and around Brighton's famous pier and on to the marina.

The level terrain comes to an end here as the road begins to rise up and over the white chalky cliffs as I push around the coast of Sussex. It's some rolling climbs and descents as the road forges onwards in the heat, but I'm fortunately able to stay out of the heavy traffic throughout this long urban section.

I finally get past Seaford and meet the edge of the Seven Sisters Country Park. The paths and pavements disappear here and there's no choice ahead for me but to hit the A259 and slog it out in the traffic as the road takes to the cliffsides through some beautiful countryside.

Up and over the hills, it's another day of sweaty effort, but it's not too far to work at to reach East Dean where I can turn off from the busier traffic to head down to the visitor centre at Birling Gap for an impressive view of the Seven Sisters cliffs back down the coast.

It's time for the big effort of the day as I carry on round the road for a long ascent up to the famous Beachy Head. Whilst it's certainly a challenging climb in places, after my travails through Scotland and the West Country it doesn't match some of the awful gradients I've had to struggle through, and I manage to make the summit without too much exhaustion.

The view from up on Beachy is stunning on a day like today, with some panoramic sights of the sea and a wonderful view along the coast ahead past Hastings. I decide to reward myself with an ice cream for my efforts!

Back onto the road, it's time for a nice long glide downhill, with a twisting road leading down through some leafy woods and along the clifftops above Eastbourne seafront.

It's a lovely ride down through Eastbourne, along a pretty promenade section and past the pier, and along the road as it tracks around the long beach.

Past Sovereign Park, there's a turn around the dense suburbs lining the harbour, and a convenient supermarket where I stop off for resupply and a check of the map.

With the evening setting in, it's time for me to hunt for a place to rest my head. There aren't a ton of options for stealthily getting the tent up around, so I push on a ways round Pevensey Bay, which has similarly been dry on convenient options.

It may be a night in the bivvy ahead, but with the forecast remaining clear and dry it shouldn't be much trouble to find a convenient bench. I'll let you know how it goes in the morrow.

TTFN!

[cleanwaterchronicles]

EGLE at youth fishing events this summer focusing on assessing fish contaminants

Source: EGLE newsroom

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) was awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess contaminants in fish in several areas of Michigan -- with a particular focus on water bodies where youth fishing events have historically or are currently taking place.

Brandon Armstrong, EGLE aquatic biology specialist, filets a rainbow trout for a successful angler at the Wayne County Parks youth fishing derby at Waterford Bend Recreation Area in Northville. 

The primary goal of EGLE’s Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program is to collect data that are used to inform the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Eat Safe Fish guide. This grant helps EGLE meet this goal by providing funds to assess contaminants in fish from water bodies nearby communities that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards, often referred to as Environmental Justice areas. EGLE will be attending youth fishing events near these areas to collect samples for contaminant monitoring.

Upcoming events include:

The Public Safety Youth Derby at Muskegon Lake in Muskegon, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 15.

The Buell Lake Fish Camp at Buell Lake Park in Clio from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 16.

The Brighton Optimist Club Derby at Brighton Mill Pond in Brighton from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 17.

The Global Water Festival at Canal Park in Grand Rapids from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 29.

The Thread Lake Fish Camp at Thread Lake’s McKinley Park in Flint from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 11.

Events that already have taken place as part of the grant are:

Wayne County Parks Derby at Waterford Bend Park in Northville.

Saginaw County Parks’ Catch Me If You Can family fishing festival at Haithco Lake in Saginaw Charter Township.

The Hesse-Earl Youth Fishing Program at Hawk Island Park in Ingham County.

Fish will also be collected under this grant from additional water bodies located near Environmental Justice areas including  Reflection Pond in Riverview, Spring Valley Pond in Kalamazoo, Richmond Park Pond in Grand Rapids, Battjes Park Pond in Wyoming, Galloway Lake, Osmun Lake and the Clinton River in Pontiac, Muskegon Lake and Little Black Creek in Muskegon, WmP Thompson Pond in Port Huron, Carpenter Lake in Southfield, the St. Joseph River and the Paw Paw River in Benton Harbor, and the St. Marys River in Sault Ste Marie.

Source: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/newsroom/mi-environment/2023/06/13/egle-at-youth-fishing-events-this-summer-focusing-on-assessing-fish-contaminants

[fionamccall]

A year of enforced historical reading

In January this year, before I knew I had cancer, I decided to set myself the target of reading a book a week.  I’ve now read eighty, far exceeding my target - here are some of the historical novels and history-related non-fiction I particularly enjoyed.

History books and history-related non-fiction

Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe (2011) My Dad found this hard going; I never wanted it to end; a lesson in the mutability of all political structures.

Roszike Parker, The Subversive Stitch (1984) - a history of embroidery and the different ways it was used to inculcate ideas of femininity.

Sally Smith, Marshall Hall: A Law Unto Himself (2016) – biography of the Edwardian defence barrister, evoking the weird underbelly of his times: a Brighton woman posts out poisoned chocolates; damaged WWI returnees misemploy service revolvers & Hall’s wife dies a gruesome death at the hands of an unqualified abortionist.

Joseph Nash, The Mansions of England in Olden Time (1839-1849) -  the detail of these engravings is astounding (Nash worked with Pugin) as is the way he imagines our ancestors frolicking within his expansive, sparsely-decorated interiors.

Tara Hamlin, Decorating the Godly Household (2011) - demonstrates the surprising abundance of early modern domestic religious decoration in Britain despite the iconoclastic tendencies of the period.

John H. Oakley, The Greek Vase: The Art of the Storyteller (2013) - very calming to read.  Such beautiful and mysterious things created so long ago in such a different cultural context.

Nicholas Orme, Going to Church in Medieval England (2021) - a great book, wide-ranging in time-period, and giving a good sense of the way church services changed over time, and their complexity compared to later Protestant practice.

Mark Hailwood, Alehouses and Good Fellowship in Early Modern England (2014) - a vision of alehouse culture that was more accepted and socially inclusive than the polemic literature would suggest. The alehouse was not quite a Habermasian public sphere because it was observed and policed; nevertheless it was a place where people debated and exchanged political and religious opinions.

Neil MacGregor, Germany (2016) – very readable account of the material culture, art and architecture of Germany and what they say about how Germans remember their history.  Only gripe – something was needed on Germany’s stupendous musical heritage.

Valerie Kivelson, Cartographies of Tsardom (2006) - an academic work, but with a bit of skimming I learned quite a bit about Russian history. Particularly interesting was the way the Russians colonised Siberia from the sixteenth century onwards in a comparable way to the colonisation of the Americas by Britain and Spain, and how they conceptualised Siberia’s forbidding mountains and deserts and nomadic non-Christian peoples as a kind of ‘hell’.

Walter Scott, Tales of a Grandfather (1911, originally 1827) - It gave me a great sense of achievement to get through all 1000+ pages of Scott’s bumper fun book of Scottish history from the Roman invasion to the 18th century – everything he used to write his Scottish novels and a lot more. God they were a violent lot and inventive in their use of it – and to think I may be 2/3 Scottish!

Samuel Johnson & James Boswell, Journey to the Hebrides (1775/1785) - A classic. Johnson attempts to act the antiquarian while Boswell gives you all the gossip on the people they visit and what Johnson said while they were there.

Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches (1988) – the book on 17th century Dutch culture which established Schama’s reputation. Schama has a wonderfully rich vocabulary, although he sometimes overdoes it. Explores some interesting themes, such as the psychological effect of the eternal threat of disaster from the sea. Provides much food for thought into the ways in which Dutch culture paralleled English culture, and the ways in which it differed

Historical fiction

Tobias Smollett, The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker (1771) – a long Rabelaisian epistolatory ramble through 18th century England and Scotland from five people’s perspectives.

Sigrid Undset, Gunnar’s Daughter (1909) – Undset uses her deep knowledge of Norse history and Icelandic saga to tell a woman’s story of revenge in early-Christian Norway.

Elizabeth Jane Howard, The Light Years (1990) and Marking Time (1991) - the Cazalet series. Multiple viewpoints convey the vanished materiality of 1930s/1940s. Superficially light in tone but often dark in subject matter.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) begins hilariously; ends appallingly in its unsparing depiction of the tragedy of Biafra, fictionalising real accounts of civil war.

Maria Edgeworth, Castle Rackrent (1800) – Edgeworth uses stories from real family histories to satirise the Irish Ascendancy.  Every student of Irish history should read it.

Walter Scott, Old Mortality (1816) - Scott steeped himself in late-seventeenth century Scottish history to create a fictionalised version of it. He seems to be saying that extremists of all types are as bad as each other, as are those who look to take advantage of religious and political divisions for personal gain. There are memorable descriptions of battles won and lost and all ends spectacularly with a confrontation on a waterfall and a Hamlet-style multiple body count. He does however play fast and loose with historical fact, weaving in memorable incidents from other contexts in order to sensationalise his narrative.

Jean Giono, The Horseman on the Roof (1951) – a mesmerising and lyrical story set in the midst of a cholera epidemic in southern France in the early nineteenth century, with an impossibly romantic hero, Angelo. With its descriptions of birds attacking the dead and the living, could it have inspired Hitchcock’s The Birds?

Eliza Haywood, The Female Spectator, ed. Gabrielle M. Firmager (1993) - a selection from The Female Spectator, published in the mid 1740s. Although Eliza Haywood claims a moralistic purpose this is a world in which misbehaviour (usually sexual) is lying just below the pristine surface of society, and never far from people’s thoughts.