#you and brit are fab

[raylangivins]

I actually love the way Brits say “I’ve not” instead of “I haven’t”. Superb little sentence structure. However, the Irish “i amn’t” instead of “I’m not” still reigns supreme for how ridiculous it is and also the fact that it really is an immediate Irish person identifier bc no one else talks like that.

[bapple117]

Velvette Slang Masterlist: for the fandom

A gift from a humble Brit to anyone (not from the UK) wanting to write Velv convincingly ~

Hello you wayward sinner!

Are you looking to write Velvette into a fan fiction, comic, roleplay or something else? Would you like to make her sound legit but you have no idea about British (or indeed, South London) slang? FEAR NOT! I, Bapple, am here to hold your hand and guide you through the wonderful world of British slang so you can have fun making Velv sound legit. Let's proceed!

Not all of this will be limited to the UK, of course, and it's not an exhaustive list of ALL British slang either - it's just the kind of things Velv WOULD say as someone from South London.

Insults

For men: bastard, prick, wanker, knob, dickhead, wankstain, bellend, git, tosser, sod, cock, pillock, numpty, codger (means old man)

For women: bint, bitch, slag, wench, slut, tart, trollop, scrub

For anyone: arsehole, arse, twat, sket, muppet, minger (means ugly), bugger, gobshite, cretin

The absolute worst thing you can call someone else is cunt - this is very strong and isn't used in casual conversation, unless you are in VERY informal company, in which case it's thrown around like it's nothing at all. (Come here you cheeky cunt - playful)

Terms of Endearment

Babes, hun, luv, darlin', sweetheart, mate, sweetie, mucker, pal, blud, fam, dear, dearie, honey

Eg: "Alright babes? How's it going darlin?'"

British people often use insults affectionately, too, especially with close friends as a way to tease / banter. (You silly sod, you useless prick, you cheeky git, you daft muppet, etc)

Slang Words

Drunk: trollied, smashed, pissed, wasted, legless, hammered, sloshed, battered, bladdered, merry, shitfaced, arseholed, plastered, lashed

Good: banging, well good, mint, the dogs bollocks, ace, blinding, cracking, brill, fab, neat, beast, fresh, hench, jokes (that's jokes innit), lush, peng (good looking), sick, wicked, peak, wavy

Bad: grim, naff, shite, shit, crap, tat (useless old tat), minging, rank, dry, nasty, humming (means gross)

Pleased: chuffed, buzzing, tickled pink, sorted (I'm sorted mate)

Annoyed: gutted, miffed, pissed off, fucked off, fuming, raging, ticked off, well annoyed, bovvered (used more sarcastically eg: I aint bovvered), vexed

Curses

Bollocks, fucking hell, bloody hell, bugger, piss off, any of the insults used above

Other random words

Bare = a lot of (eg bare money)

Chirpsing, grafting = flirting

Garms = clothes

Lips = kiss (are you tryna lips me?)

Peng ting = good looking person / high quality thing

Standard = of course, yeah no duh (Yeah that's standard mate.)

Tight = cheapskate (Don't be so bloody tight!)

Yard = your house (Come over to my yard)

Banter = conversation that's funny, casual, playful (S'just banter innit)

Convo, chinwag, chat = conversation

Defo = short for definite (Oh he's defo up to something)

Other random phrases

Are you taking the mick? = are you mocking me?

Stop faffing around = be serious and stop messing about

That's mad = wow, I can't believe what you just said or that's amazing

Allow it = just leave it, it's no big deal (Whatever mate, allow it)

Other helpful pointers

When British people (who talk like Velv) swear angrily we do so many times in a whole sentence and add a lot of qualifiers, eg:

"Fuck off you fucking prick, you absolute fucking useless arsehole!"

"Don't piss me off babes or I'll fucking end your shitty little life!"

Making a crude observation about something nearly always a curse in-front of it, eg:

"That's fucking rank."

"It was fucking buzzing mate!"

The Magical Use of Innit:

Innit is a wonderful word that can be used everywhere, especially for someone from South London. It basically means "isn't it?" but it has MANY uses. It can be used to mean an agreement, like "I know right?"

"That was well good innit"

"He's a right twat" - response: "INNIT!"

"It's fuckin grim in here" - "Innit mate"

Adding "well" to words

That was well good - that was well bad - that was well grim

(You get the idea)

That's about it for now!

If I think of anything else I will edit this masterlist and if anyone has any questions please feel free to pop them in my inbox. Happy writing!

[steveinscarlet]

I tried to scan the main ol' crazy eyes Joe picture but he was too big to properly fit in the scanner so this is the best I could do

Text below the cut

BRINGING UP BABY

Joe Elliott doesn't want children - he's got enough on his hands nursing a billion dollar baby called Def Leppard. Mat Snow hears why arguably the world's most successful rock 'n' roll band can still stroll down the street without being recognised. Pictures by Peter Anderson

BY THE time you read this, you'll know something that was on the cards a couple of weeks ago but by no means a dead cert.

That is whether the British Phonographic Institute, in all its majesty and wisdom, opened an envelope at the black tie, gala dinner and announced that the award for Rockin' Pneumonia, Boogie-Woogie Flu And All-Round Fabness goes not to Brother Beyond, Yazz, nor even Bros, but to a bunch of blokes who won't see 25 again and who play guitars, drums and stuff often quite loud.

Yes, you will know now what Def Leppard's Joe Elliott and I didn't know then whether there will be a BPI BRITS Award for Best British Band decorating his parents' mantelpiece.

"Def Leppard winning anything is hilarious," he chuckles. "It's nice to be nominated, but we're never going to win anything. We're a stick-in-the- mud heavy metal band - Long 'air and jeans: we can't vote for them, can we?"

JOE ELLIOTT is in mellow mood. After nearly three months off, following the highly lucrative but tiring 14-month Hysteria tour, he at last has time to chew the fat back home in a beautiful bay just outside Dublin, where he is spending his 'year out' of the UK for tax reasons.

Unlike the other four Leps, who get itchy after only three weeks off the road, Joe needs the time to lounge around, catch up with his listening and watch a few videos.

"I've been revelling in the fact that I've been able to get a sore throat and it doesn't matter!"

A week in the sun apart, Joe has not been neglecting his career as the mouthpiece of arguably the most commercially successful rock 'n' roll band in the world today.

There will be rehearsals for the new album. (Robert 'Mutt' Lange, the so-called 'sixth Lep', will not be producing). Hopes are high that it might be in the shops sooner than 1991, given that their two previous albums, 'Pyromania' and 'Hysteria', have been beaten only by Michael Jackson in terms of how long we've had to wait between releases - and how many copies we've gone out and bought. But, right now, Joe has the luxury of reflecting on his place in the scheme of things.

It seems that what he ultimately craves is to be recognised as one of the true rock greats, on a par with the people who turned him on in the first place, back when he was a soccer- crazy, only child growing up in Sheffield, when he was a bored youth maintaining stocks of grinding wheels and oil rags for Osborne Mushet Tools.

Back then, people like Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, T Rex and, especially, Mott The Hoople kept him sane. Def Leppard's record company, Phonogram, have signed Ian Hunter and it's the best news Joe's had all year.

His list of heroes includes just about everybody who made a raucous noise in the '70s his years of yearning to escape the humdrum world of work and home. That need is still Joe's guiding force so he won't be taking a cue from his friend Jon Bon Jovi's 'New Jersey' and calling his next album 'South Yorkshire'. "Can you imagine it?" he guffaws.

"Ian Hunter summed it up brilliantly in his book Diary Of A Rock 'N' Roll Star - 'I left my heart in Watford?' How can you sing about Scunthorpe or Huddersfield?

"Let's face it, everybody would say, Fair play for doing it - but they'd laugh at it whether they were fans, journalists or friends. I remember when Saxon had this song called 'Northern Lady', and it just stank. Leave it out! Jesus Christ! Flat caps and Yorkshire pudding is the impression people get, even though we all know it's not like that. "They don't all keep pigeons, which is what a lot of people south of Nottingham seem to think. There's no romance, no beaches in Sheffield. A car chase in San Francisco is always going to look better than one through Hackney. But then they could never have Sherlock Holmes in America. It's a different world.

"I'd sooner go for the British approach, which is totally ambiguous: it doesn't say anything, it doesn't mean anything," Joe goes on. "I can't even describe what half the bloody songs are about; they just sound alright. You are what you listen to. You explain what T Rex's lyrics are about. If you can figure his out, then you can figure mine out. 'Hub-cap diamond star halo' means more to me than 'I went down to the river', I'm afraid. People can relate to that Springsteeny thing but, to me, T Rex made your imagination work harder.

"If I wrote from experience, I don't think it would sound very good me singing about the last five-a-side soccer game I had.

"Whenever I sing about women, it's always invented," says Joe, rebutting the charge of sexism which, in fact, I hadn't levelled at him.

"Who's to say that the honkytonk woman ever existed? It could have been a complete figment of Jagger's imagination. I used to write from personal experience don't think I never have.

"On the second album, we wrote about all sorts of stories; Steve (Clark) once hijacked a taxi in Paris and tried to write a song about it. But it just sounded like a piece of shit, so we scrapped it, rewrote the lyrics, made them up, and it was a lot better."

SO, IF not 'South Yorkshire', S perhaps 'Catatonia'? 'Schizophrenia' (a double- album)? Or (Bob Geldof's suggestion) 'Paranoia'? Another psychological disorder, surely?

"Probably," reckons Joe. "It was a complete coincidence, the last two. 'Hysteria' was an idea Rick (Allen) came up with. It was after all the stuff with his accident. The first time we ever seriously experienced it was on the '83 tour, and it got pretty close to it two days after his accident - the reception area of the hospital was teeming with newspaper reporters and kids. And, because we weren't all that popular in England at the time, it made it appear more massive. Rick was on the front page of the Daily Star - and there were all these journalists, like Rick was The Queen or lan Botham. We had to be snuck in through the f***in' laundry chute to go and see him! "I always imagine that Fish - and I'm not knocking the guy - has everything worked out in advance: This is the album title, here's the sleeve - now let's go write the music. The last thing we have is the album title; we panic so much. "Hysteria' was going to be called 'Animal Instincts' at one stage: then we thought that sounded really stupid. We had the sleeve ready, so that was four grand down the drain. It just wasn't right - so we used it for the book instead."

Having repeated, even exceeded, the success of the hard-to-match 'Pyromania' album with 'Hysteria', Joe has found that the way to cope with sky-high expectations is to ignore them.

"I have no doubts about the next album," he declares. "I'm not 100 per cent sure that it'll be as big as the last one, though it may be a better record. Much of it is down to timing. I don't believe success should be based on sales. But everywhere you look it's figures, figures, figures.

"Success should be judged on the sound of the bloody thing. I'm not worried about it. We'll make a record and put it out, and it'll do whatever it does."

What about the live act? "We've had a few approaches from the States to go back and do some shows this summer. Believe it or not, 'Hysteria"s gone back up in America the album's doing better now than when we were out there. It's been 'Top Five in three different years - '87, 88 and now '89.

"Anyway, I was talking to Adam Clayton about it the other day, and he said, You've got to be careful because where do you go from stadiums? What do you do go back to clubs? "That's why we have managers. We have opinions, but we don't have our finger on the pulse like they do. We're too busy trying to sing in tune, play the songs and look cool like a pop band is supposed to do and still keep an eye open so you don't get ripped off. But you can't be a master of all trades.

"When does a spectacle become untoppable? It doesn't. You do a gig on the moon and put the PA on Pluto... Satellite gigs? Hologram gigs? Put the audience in the middle and us outside!"

ON TOUR, the Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses and Love And Rockets albums never left cassette deck. Back home, the Irish magazine Fresh has asked Joe for a fan's-eye view of the new releases.

"I played the Lou Reed album ten times and, in my opinion, it ain't 'Transformer', it ain't 'Sally Can't Dance', it's not 'Coney Island Baby' and it's definitely not 'Berlin'. Every song's about f***ing New York! All about some guy with needles in his arms! "But I grew up with 'Transformer', which came out when I was 12. And 'Berlin' was really depressing but great to listen to in the bath. The new one sounds like demos, which has a sort of charm, but some of it's a bit weird. That song, 'Last Great American Whale' I can't make my mind up whether it's a piece of shit or it's genius. He just talks it he makes Mark Knopfler sound like the guy out of Foreigner. Very strange."

Fine Young Cannibals' "The Raw And The Cooked' gets short shrift from Joe: "I'll never forgive them for slaughtering the Buzzcocks". As for Blondie's remix album, 'Once More Into The Bleach', it's "awful".

The new Supremes compilation is another matter: "F***ing brilliant," Joe raves. "To hear 'Nathan Jones' the way I remember it, not the way f***ing Bananarama slaughtered it. I got my first snog to that song, under the stairs at the Top Rank in Sheffield in 1971, Saturday morning youth club."

Joe advises me to check out The Hooters and The Quireboys; I recommend The Replacements - right up his street. But Joe (29) is of an age to get his real kicks from the stars of yesteryear.

"I've met Jagger at the studio. He was great he kept stealing our f***ing newspapers! Have you got the Daily Mirror? I want to do the crossword.

"Robert Plant came to see us in Chicago. He was great. When we played in the round we used to go on in laundry baskets. His tour manager bet him ten dollars he wouldn't push one out. So he put a hat on, pair of shades, stuffed his tour jacket full of jumpers to make him look fat, and pushed it out to the middle of the stage, right through the audience! "It's funny because he's a Leo as well, and Jagger. All frontmen are Leos," Joe muses. "Those detailed analyses of your star sign tell you things you often don't like to hear. 'Capable of being childish' - I suppose I am. 'Always has to be the centre of attention' well, when it suits me. "Sometimes I just like to bury myself, but that's what my gig is, that's what everybody wants: a big, loud, bloody... you know. "But Jagger's the best; he's got the lips of an elephant on the body of a dwarf. Brilliant. The ultimate frontmen are those you can caricature in cartoons - Jagger, Steve Tyler, Rod Stewart, Bowie, Townshend, Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper... You couldn't really draw me but it doesn't seem to have hindered our success.

"To be honest, once you're as big as we are and you don't have those sort of features, it's nice. I don't have to send the maid out to buy the News Of The World. I can walk down Oxford Street."

So what is the secret of Def Leppard's success?

"Most people in bands have got families, and maybe that's the reason we have the success we have: nobody's married or got kids," reasons Joe.

"I can't see Phil (Collen) starting a family when he hasn't even got a home. And I definitely have no desire to be a father.

"The only times I've ever thought about it have been provoked by TV documentaries like World In Action. I seriously think I would rather adopt an eight-year-old Brazilian kid and give it a real good start in life.

"There's enough kids without me bringing another one into the world. And to be quite honest, after my mumps I don't know if I can!

"I can miss out the nappy stage, which I'd detest. And I don't like the idea of a nanny bringing the kid up because you might as well not bother; you might as well buy one. "I don't want a kid; the band's too much of a bloody baby!"

[petratherrock]

You will be missed 😔 Dame Maggie Smith

1934 - 2024 🌷🌷🌷

When I want a proper chuckle and giggle sometimes I'd look up her clips as Violet Crawley. They give off the sarcastic, and, dramatic, fab brits grandma I never had.

In her final scene as Violet,

"Oh stop that noise (Denker crying), I can't hear myself die."

She's one of those people I thought would always be there, existing, being fabulous, or just mentioned in other artists anecdotes just being herself. But thus is the nature of life

[olympeline]

It’s fascinating to have the rest of the UK bros as part of Hetalia now because the fandom gives us a little peek into how the rest of the world sees the UK beyond just England. Or rather the South East and London, which is the England most foreign media tends to focus on

One thing that tickles me is there’s apparently a big stereotype among tumblr non-Brits that the non-London/South East residents of the British Isles are big into our native languages and really resent speaking English. Which is such the opposite to the average experience here it makes me giggle. I’ve lived all over Britain and - I know, I know, “no true Scotsman” and all that - but if there’s one part of our culture I’m sure of, it’s this

Thinking back to all the years being forced to learn an endangered UK tongue and how we felt as kids vs. the attitude here in the fandom? Absolutely night and day! Yeah, there are still pockets of native speakers and others who are passionate about Cornish or Gaelic or whatever, but the average person on the street? Could not care less. Just happy they grew up, did their time, and don’t have to break their tongues on it in school any more. It’s already an uphill struggle to get kids to care about learning other languages when they won the lingua franca lottery by being born in the anglosphere, but when it’s a dying language endemic to one tiny region or country? Yeeaaahh. You can’t blame most of us for not being interested. Even if other people keep telling us we should be. I wanted to do French or Spanish so badly growing up because I knew those were languages I might actually use one day. I haven’t had a need to use my “native” language even once since leaving school, sadly enough. It’s part of my heritage but it felt like such a colossal waste of time

Whether nations represent their people, their land, their history, national stereotypes, or some combination, is kinda a grey area in Hetalia. But if it’s the people, then the attitude among the fab four in modern times would definitely be: “Oh, my old language? Yeah, it’s interesting, I suppose. Heard it’s on duolingo now. That’s good. Anyway, let’s speak English.” 😆

Ah well, no one said Hetalia had to be 100% accurate. That’s part of the fun

[min-pathologica]

sick of people slandering characters in the name of other characters sigh. putting specific characters under the cut so no one tries to argue w me on this :p drdt chapter 1 spoilers lol

yes min did wrong teruko, yes teruko’s reaction was fair, no that actually doesn’t make min wrong!! or vice versa!! this is a death game!! people are forced to do shitty things to preserve their life!! you do not have time to think maturely about a situation after killing someone in self-defense!! think honestly, this stranger you don’t like is standing over what looks like your friend’s corpse with a knife and there you are, fully visible and loudly yelping by the doorway, hands too full to make a smooth escape, seconds to think of something before he fucking slashes you. for me it’d almost be instinctual to throw the bucket, at least to free my hands and stun him. for me at least. maybe some of u would be able to run. but min did the former, and i don’t want to hear this “she should have ran” because she had like 5 seconds to think of something. like. you have 5 seconds to devise a solution to the riemann hypothesis, you’re not going to think of every answer and rank them by correctness. same goes for fight or flight. this part is literally just fight or flight lol. so next she whips out the knife pen and swipes open that bad boy light switch (wow girlboss been playing that yandere simulator). obviously the fab fashionable ultimate student knows about electrical safety and its inverse, so it came in handy when she needed this brit down on the ground. so he fucking died, and ‘oh shit i just killed this guy, what am i going to do oh god i’m going to die i should’ve ran’ no wait if i just frame teruko i’ll survive. guys if you don’t have an active death wish, enjoyment of pain, and reversed instincts, you are going to do dumb shit to avoid getting your ass killed. you are going to take the easiest route you can think of. even if it hurts everyone else. dying is really scary guys, when it’s up there in your face dancing on your nose and it could actually happen and is more than a what-if. i hear these edgy 12 year olds out there with “haha i’m so concerning knowing how to dispose of a body! i bet i could actually get away with murder!” you aren’t accounting for adrenaline deariepop. you aren’t accounting for any of the many circumstances that will inevitably come with killing someone. you will not get away with murder girlboss. so min carries on with the framing, she does a pretty good job for having like ten minutes. and at the trial the adrenaline has not gone away in fact it has come back full force with a helpful heaping of guilt. probably. y’know. cause she’s guilty. and when it comes out that she framed teruko, yes teruko’s reaction was fair, you shouldn’t be all happy skippy bible school after nearly getting killed. so anyway gay hug. doomed yuri. yes. you get it. then min fucking dies. teruko’s cranky and needs a nap. because who wouldn’t. and i say cranky with all my heart and love, because i too am cranky after writing this out

so tl:dr people get messy and make mistakes when in life-or-death situations. therefore i think neither min nor teruko should be slandered for their actions in chapter 1. cool

[emchante]

omg em... i'm literally about to fall asleep but i have been summoned🫡

first off... 🐱 anon... you brought a new revelation.. becausE SOMEONE TELL ME HOW WE DID NOT THINK ABOUT NIPPLE PIERCINGS BEFORE HOLY SHIT I- i feel so unwell right now.

secondly, we would def appreciate a lil landosc thingy but don't feel pressured<3 i can't help but being into him bc the brits are my type😭

and about the 🥦 effects, i'm gonna have to postpone my answer until tomorrow, i want to do it thoroughly and give you all the deets🤝

hope you have a good night<3

🩵

🩵 nonnie!! go sleep!! have nice dreams about softcore porn streamer! max, my dear nonnie<3

and YES!! 🐱 nonnie really caught us out with that nipple piercing suggestion, huh 😵‍💫 definitely something to expand on.. definitely canon.. 👀

and no worries!! postpone the answers til you’re awake and ready, i’ll be here tomorrow to answer and chat while i work on my account!! can’t wait for your insight<3

and thank you!! heading to bed soon too, so my night has been fab<3<3

[your-friendly-neighbourh00d-fag]

🌎 OPERATION HOT CHIMP V2

V1 was rolled out with some criticizng remarks. Some unfortunate stuff has been said to/about myself, but Im willing to overlook it in the spirit of mcr. With that said, I have redesigned the rules and i think there fair. I took you peoples thoughts into considertion even thoug most of you were rude, but lets set that aside to focus on July 26, the.........

WORLD WIDE DANGER DAYS BLAST 💥🤯🤯

On July 26 we're going to post fics, hcs, art, cosplays, vids etc to show ppl that were back with a force 💣👏 Ive set some ground rules for OPERATION HOT CHIMP and all DD content going forward. Lets face it, DD is in shambles but this will place us at the top of the fandom:

🦍 You CAN say you wanna fuck the witch, but idk why you WOULD.

🦍 OC names should be no more than 3 words. Any more than that and your just playin yourself

🦍 OC names should be more original in general, for example mine is Ricky Bobby, its funny, reference to my fav will ferell movie etc.

🦍 No more sayin that Kobra Kid is 🇬🇧british. Im not budgin on that one bcuz it makes no sense. WHy would brits be in california. All flights are grounded, no cruise ships etc. What do you people thnk the end of the world is, its not "la dee da" land

🦍 If you write/draw stuff about the four you HAVE to include the girl. Some of you agree (thank you) so Im keepin this one.

🦍 No makin fun of me, OR ANYONE ELSE for any reason

Ok so I think this is pretty fair to everyone. Call it CODENAME GORILLA when your around non-DD ppl (normies). We're going to blow their minds with the biggest blast the MCRmy has ever seen🤯🤯 July 26, write it down 📝

No this is not a joke....someone needs to straighten things up around here....might as well be me🤌

As Ricky Bobby said shake....and BAKE🤛

hi. come close and listen, i wanna tell you something.

you're insane

brother my main problem with this is: why would you want to be "at the top" of the fandom. what does that even mean. just. enjoy the art that people make? have fun making your own art? be regular??????

anyway moral of the story, everyone's danger days 'verses are cool as hell, i love how different from each other they are and i love everyone's interpretations of the fab four. also the ballad of ricky bobby is an awful, awful film. sorry.

[nriacc]

NRIACC: Chapter Summaries

🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 

!DO NOT READ IF YOU’VE NOT READ THE FULL FIC!

I realise that not everyone is as sad as me and remembers every tiny detail of this rollercoaster of a fic, so I’ve put together chapters summaries that I've tried to make as concise as possible. Hope this helps with those rereading, love you all. Thanks for reading x

Part 1: Only Ones Who Know ~ The walk home. The night. The morning after.

Part 2: House is a Circus ~ Matt’s house party. Spin the bottle, shots, saucy times in Matt’s room. Fuck Josh.  

Part 3: The City ~ Wheels goes to Manchester and meets boys. Pool antics. They teach Wheels how to skate over the summer. Matty is a simp.

Part 4: Despair in the Departure Lounge ~ Wheels gets her fishnets and she takes her skateboard back home. Everyone’s at the park, Alex led her on, Wheels’ spot in the park. Peter is a gem and cheers her up but Josh is a dickhead.

Part 5: Heart Out ~ 2004: Wheels’ 18th birthday. 2005: Skating and Wheels gets her nickname. 2006: Never have I ever, club night where Matty takes wheels home early. 2007: Matty’s 18th, his house party where he and Wheels kiss. Matty drives her back to Sheffield.

Part 6: Hiding Tonight ~ Alex and Bestie comfort Wheels at Alex’s birthday party. The Fab Four (Wheels, Bestie, Al, Matt) night in, Wheels and Alex kiss just after midnight on her birthday. Matty turns up at Wheels uni flat with her birthday present and they agree to spend their summer together.

Part 7: Sex ~ Matty and her have their summer fling. Alex isn’t happy about it. Wheels and Matty have their fair ground date. Get tattoos and Wheels goes back to Sheffield.

Part 8: Dance Little Liar ~ Wheels starts to like Alex as more than a friend and they start dating but don’t address it. Favourite Worst Nightmare tour. Alex is a cheater. Wheels leaves and Matty comes to get her and comforts her.

Part 9: An Encounter ~ Wheels memories of her and Alex in her house make her move out into her flat. Both bands meet each other, bar antics, Alex tells Wheels he’s moving to NYC with Alexa.

Part 10: Do I Wanna Know? ~ Alex and Alexa split, he comes to live with Wheels. She shows him her spot in the park, he catches feelings, has a wet dream, and moves out. Alex and Matty both show up at Wheels flat and they chat whilst making her show them her dress for the wedding. The wedding.

Part 11: Settle Down ~ Movie night with Alex. Night in at Wheels flat, Alex wants to ask Wheels out properly but realise she already really likes Matty. Wheels back in Manchester and her and Matty are getting closer, Matty plans to ask her out and gets the boys to help him with grand ideas. The gig, Matty and Wheels are official. Alex cuts his hair then finds out about the new couple. Wheels does everyone’s eyebrows. MCU marathon. Matty’s parents divorce, his nana dies. Alex takes Wheels to the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. The 1975 get the green light for releasing their album.

Part 12: Head.Cars.Bending ~ The 1975 release EPs, Matty asks Wheels to be in a music video but she turns it down. Wheels and Alex talking album release dates, Wheels goes to catch the end of the Girls music video. Matty and Wheels argue. The accident, the hospital, and chapter ends with Alex finding Matty taking him to the hospital.

Part 13: Do Me A Favour ~ Wheels recovering. Matty’s a cheater. Alex looks after Wheels, AM gets number 1 album dethroning The 1975. Matty changed his number, Adam collecting Matty’s things. Alex and Arielle split up. Ben D*tto being a bellend, 75 boys come to save the day, Matty ends up ruining it.

Part 14: R U Mine? ~ Christmas flashback, Wheels gets upset at Matty’s presents, she smokes, Matty leaves and she brings him back. 2014 Brit Awards with Alex and the Monkeys. Brits afterparty.

Part 15: Separate And Ever Deadly ~ Andy’s wedding. Start of the AM tour. Wheels finds out about Matty and Alexa, Alex takes her around Perth to cheer her up. Matty and Arielle, Wheels leaves him a drunk voicemail. Wheels goes to see The 1975, Adam tells her about Matty and Halsey.

Part 16: One For The Road ~ Wheels has nightmares, Alex helps her. Wheels tries to draw and can’t, Alex comforts and talks to her, cosy bunk morning. Jealousy at the festival, Alex being cute on stage. Pick out new perfume. One For The Road music video and Wheels and Alex kiss. Breana loses Wheels bikini in the sea, Alex is the cutest.

Part 17: Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High? ~ Alex and Wheels get high and it gets heated, they go to the beach and they both reflect on the past, bunk antics. Wheels shows Alex her skating. Alex takes her around Vegas and they get their tattoos.

Part 18: Somebody Else ~ Alex and Wheels watch the sunset on the decking as she writes a poem. Wheels extra happy and Alex knows why. Wheels’ brain jumps to wrong conclusions about pictures of Alex and his ex. Starry night with the Monkeys, shoulder tap happens here. Leeds Fest 2014 with The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys, afterparty disaster.

Part 19: How to draw / Petrichor ~ Back home from tour, The Fab Four have a drunk night in. Fun times but then the phone rings and Alex reveals he’s moving to LA. Time skip to 2015 Wheels having a boyfriend and her first gallery that Matty crashes. Alex tells Wheels to dump her boyfriend. Wheels reconciles with Matty.

Part 20: UGH! ~ Wheels baking at 75 boy’s flat, Matty sees her bracelet, Matty names their second album. Wheels goes to LA and listens to ILIWYS and misinterprets songs and watches the videos. Alex lets Wheels listen to EYCTE.

Part 21: The Birthday Party ~ Wheels’ 30th birthday party… Aftermath with Alex at the park, then at the flat with Matty.

Part 22: Settle For A Draw ~ Redo of 30th at a bar and both bands attend. Wheels kisses everyone. Adam’s house warming where Wheels gets very drunk and George carries her to bed. The day after where there’s an Alex v Matty ceasefire and Wheels and Bestie threesome reveal, Jamaica NDA reveal, and lots of band banter.

Part 23: What Should I Say ~ Wheels drunk on twitter, baiting Alex into phone sex, hangs up to chat to Matty. Everything revealed to her the next day, and George takes her out for Valentine’s Day. 2017 Brits with The 1975, and afterparty. Never Have I Ever at Wheels’ flat.

Part 24: Be My Mistake ~ Alex comforts Wheels about Matty being in rehab. During her trip to London, Adam gives her the letter from Matty. Wheels and Matty talk everything through and he tells her to give Alex a shot. Bestie’s boyfriend reveal. Wheels joins the Monkeys on tour and after listening to Only Angel they reveal how they feel and decide to try again.

Part 25: D is for Dangerous ~ Alex lets George take her out for Valentines so he can set up a cute date. Wheels and Bestie’s wine night with Alex ends with spice. Bestie teasing them the following morning. Wheels flat hunting in London with Alex. Wheels attends George’s sisters party with the 75 boys, meeting Matty’s girlfriend. Alex stands Wheels up and he says obscene things because he’s a drunk jealous twat. Wheels finishes things with him.

Part 26: It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You) ~ Wheels’ gallery, 75 boys are there and Alex shows up. Matty is single again. New Years with Alex and the Monkeys. Decorating gingerbread houses at Christmas with Matty. Matt Helders is a cheater. Wheels drives with Alex from London to Sheffield for the last date of The 1975’s UK tour. Matty’s a little shit on stage and Wheels leaves to go McDonalds with Alex, arrangements are agreed upon. After gig drinking in a bar, bathroom antics, Wheels and Alex leave together.

Part 27: Star Treatment ~ Wheels receives star treatment from Alex. The day after they talk, Wheels shaves Alex’s head, Alex cuts Wheels’ hair on Instagram live.

Part 28: From The Ritz To The Rubble ~ Another George and Wheels Valentines date. Matty says the wrong thing at the 2019 Brits, he and Wheels argue, Adam and Bestie end the arguing. Alex has a girlfriend, Wheels and Bestie go to Paris to see them, Alex’s girlfriend is a fucking bitch, Wheels is a bilingual legend. Ross and Wheels heart to heart, he makes her see sense. Alex doesn’t show up to Wheels’ birthday. Wheels tells Alex about what his girlfriend said, he doesn’t believe her so he gaslights her.

Part 29: Playing On My Mind ~ Leeds Fest 2019, Matty and Wheels reconcile, amazing afterparty. Matt Helders’ redemption arc, Alex listens into his and Wheels phone call and doesn’t apologise so he puts Alex in his place and tells him to fuck off. Wheels on US tour with The 1975. Matty and Wheels talk about love and they’re adorable. Wheels and Matty in Tennessee and they meet Ella and Matty buys cowboy boots and a hat. When back in London, Alex turns up at Wheels’ flat and apologises.

Part 30: Frail State Of Mind ~ Wheels and Bestie in Me & You Together Song music video. Wheels and Alex go to jazz club, end up dancing, get coffee afterwards before walking home. The 1975 O2 show where Wheels, Bestie, and Alex are in the crowd, they dance to Too Shy and cry at Guys. Back in Whee’s old flat, mystery caller turns out to be Peter, Party games and Bestie gets engaged. UK lockdown starts, Wheels is really struggling with it and she makes her decision and calls the man she can’t live without.

I Wanna Be Yours ~ Alex’s ending.

Me & You Together Song ~ Matty’s ending.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Happy reading besties, love you all x

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, January 13th

Joyce's hospital room. Joyce has a hand mirror and is looking at her reflection. There's a large bandage on her head. JOYCE: I don't know, Buffy. I think I'll look like I have a cat on my head. We see Buffy holding a wig. BUFFY: But a very well-groomed cat. JOYCE: I think maybe I'll ... stick with a scarf. BUFFY: Come on, wigs are fun. We can get you a whole bunch of different ones. You know, you can be, like, Sixties Mom, Action Mom... (wiggles her hips, suggestively) French Maid Mom... JOYCE: (smiles) I must be getting better, 'cause you're making fun of me.

~~Into the Woods~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Weekly Drabbles #69 — Vengeance Ain’t Justice by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

What if Glory had won? by FPBarbieri (Buffy & Glory, G)

scorch marks by CallMeVampy (Giles/Jenny, E)

A Hell of his Own by Pinkperson (Buffy/Angel, T)

You, Me by zombiesam (Buffy/Giles, T)

Take Me Home Tonight by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Poet At The Door (or: Not Writ In The Stars), Chapter 10 by Eyeballs_to_Entrails (Spike/Drusilla, M)

Flavor of the Week, Chapter 8 by Alittleauthor (Giles/Inara, multiple crossovers, G)

Closer Enemies, Chapter 8 (complete!) by fatalfae (Buffy/Angel, E)

Buffy the Tenno, Chapter 35 by DarkPhoenixLady (Buffy/OC, T)

Under the Water, Chapter 26 by dwinchester (Gage, M)

Ecstasy: A Sexy Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fan-fic Fantasy, Chapter 3 by TheUnbrokenSpell (Spike/Drusilla, Spike/Willow, M)

If I Died In Your Arms (Third Chances), Chapter 2 by Ruby_Red_Stained_Glass (Angel/Darla, not rated)

Sisters, the adventures of Sam and Buffy Carter - Year 1, Chapter 6 by FPBarbieri (Buffy, Stargate and Marvel crossover, G)

what I should have done, part two by Agent Lokitty on Tumblr (Giles/reader, not rated)

the family you need, part 11 by Agent Lokitty (Goles/reader, not rated)

the family you need, part 12 by Agent Lokitty (Giles/reader, not rated)

the family you need, part 13 by Agent Lokitty (Giles/reader, not rated)

A Waxy Gent Chuckled Over My Fab Jazzy Quips, Chapter 13 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Three Little Words, Chapter 7 by Maxineeden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Chapter 4 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Something Lost Something Found, Chapter 5 by Safire (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Prodigal Boyfriend, Chapter 6 by myrabeth (Buffy/Spike, 18+)

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 10 by Julikobold (Buffy/Spike, G)

Love Lives Here, Chapter 8 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Chapter 13 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Heaven Sent, Chapter 1 by sunalso (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Manip: SuSuSunnydale, here's to the fools who love, Chapter 8: Pride and Prejudice by loveisntbrains_ (worksafe)

Banner: Tillow by NotASlayer (worksafe)

Icons: Buffy in S01E11 by slashericons

Gif: buffy summers first gif attempt😓 by bluestarsandclouds (worksafe)

Manip: "Miss You" by Sweetbox by oveliagirlhaditright (Buffy/Angel, worksafe)

Video: applying my gen z humor to buffy in s6 by incognitoduck11

Fanvid: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Spike - You Don’t Know by T

Fanvid: buffy & spike | midnight rain x daylight by loveisntbrains

Fanvid: Spike & Buffy My Life Would Suck Without You by Moon Child

Fanvid: Buffy and Giles || Honey, It's Alright by Lucy Whiskers

Fanvid: Buffy + Lake - I am a person by Faith Victoria (Infinity Train crossover)

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Revival Season 10 Episode 8: Saving Molly Walker by Buffy the Vampire Slayer Chosen

[Reviews & Recaps]

Mothman's Buffy Rewatch: Season 2, Episodes 12 and 13 "Bad Eggs" and "Surprise" by mothmans-wedding-photographer

Video: Let's Rewatch Buffy! Season 2, episode 2 by Jenny Trout

Video: School's Out! Buffy Season 3: Review/Discussion by Revisiting The Buffyverse

Podcast: Villains S6 E20 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast) by Lisa M. Lilly

[Fandom Discussions]

Challenge #7 Make a list of fannish and/or creative resources by sparrow2000

Dream: Buffy in Anime by madimpossibledreamer

fuffy really has everything by antlerslayer

thoughts on the Buffy season two premiere where we see her dealing with her trauma etc by moodyseal

It’s canon that Giles and Jenny use the same coffee mug by mycatismyfriend

one of the reasons I really wish Spike never got his soul back by the-crooked-library

“Monster of the Week” format sci-fi and fantasy shows that are stuck in one location by tossawary

fuffy thoughts by annieofhearts

Thoughts about faith/cordelia by annieofhearts

how I think each Buffy character feels about cilantro by tana-draws

Question - Why Buffy never moved on from Sunnydale after "Blood ties"? continued by NoShip

Buffy being kicked out of her house continued by multiple posters

Lilah Morgan in “Dead End” by Pumpkins217

Why is Connor, an innocent kid manipulated and used almost his entire life, considered the worst character in the series? by Angelfirenze

Giles should have been the primary face of the First by Ecstatic_Speaker7473

What's up with the potentials?? by Wasted_Truth

When was it established [Buffy and Spike] would have a relationship by katywell

What episode makes you laugh out loud and also cry? by rednax2009

if you could professor walsh-together 1 buffy season what would it be by katywell

This forced triangle [Xander/Buffy/Angel] is the worst by DreamersArchitect

3 Slayers by Rich-Industry339

Season 6? by happyman778

Normal Again theory by Rich-Industry339

Characters from different universes who would be besties by Sad_Abbreviations318

Season 7 spoilers: why didn't Buffy... by AutomaticService8468

Why do Vampires want to turn earth into a hell dimensions? by Strongi_Klaus

What's your favorite moment that's so small, it barely counts as a moment? by InfiniteMehdiLove

Did vengeance demons for guys exist? by Eagles56

“Wild at Heart” by Pumpkins217

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Anatomy Of a Toxic Relationship by kitten_kween

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Join the editor team :)

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

Tagged by @radioactivepigeons Thanks Pigeon!

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

(Personal note: all my fics are currently locked to ao3 users only to help prevent ai scraping. If you do not currently have an ao3 account and would like one send me an ask and I can send you an invite.)

First Fic: Oh certainly something silly I wrote as a gift for a friend back in middle school. It was a patrol report from Batgirl. First thing that made it to ao3? The Beginning of the Flock which still gets the odd hit, kudos, or comment much to my delight as I feel like my writing has improved quite a bit since then.

Most recent fic: At Least They're Only Losing Money one of 3 fics written thanks to insomnia, the end of series/seasons, and a penchant for grumpy Brits with a smoking problem and/or Key Narrative Foil. Also, painfully insightful look at the fact that I really like crossovers and only write for certain fandoms under those conditions.

Fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship once: See above re: crossovers, this being my only Lockwood & Co. fic & like all my Magnus Archives fics it's a crossover, though I'm still delighted by the response it got. They Just Let Anyone Walk In involves some "real" ghost stories and a personal favorite trope of modern teens with inexplicable swords.

Favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship you wrote the most for: I'm going to count the DC fandom at large rather than the smaller sub-fandoms. Negative Effects of Habits is like the fic that launched a thousand plot bunnies. I adored playing with Mia's moxie, John's kindness, and their combined snark. So much so, I just kept writing their unlikely friendship.

Fic I wish more people read: This one is easy: glitter and gold my love letter to the dcu, its families, and the way the characters all connect in little or large ways and care for each other. I spent a lot of time on it and purposefully used minimal tags as to not clog things up but as a result I know it didn't reach very far. But I love it and I worked hard to try and get it just right so I hope those who do come across it enjoy it.

Fic I agonized over the most: There's two options for this, it's a tossup. Both were wips for the longest time and one took a tonal and stylistic turn in the middle as a result. Can We Get a Refill? a modern au Les Mis diner fic featuring idiots in crush, Romantic investigations, and just a touch of magic. The other is Donna Troy and the Outlaws a pre52 story of Kory, Roy, and Jason being brought together by Donna to try and claw herself out of a dark place and save some kids who never should've died in the first place.

Fic that sprang fully formed without effort: A lot. So many. Most. But I remember listening to this song and just writing this fic as it played in the library. Solider, Poet, King is a pretty good character study for being borderline stream of consciousness. The fact the song got REALLY popular on socials about a year later is kinda hilarious too.

Work I'm most proud of: five phones on the table is a little experimental and something I was worried about how it would turn out but I'm really happy and, well proud, of it. I think it's fitting that it's the Fab Five too, as the Teen Titans are what got me into fandom in the first place.

I really don't know who to tag for this so if you see this and write fic consider yourself tagged! I want to know what I should add to my reading list.

[jeanhm]

Strahan and Gordon River Cruise

Today its Australia Day and we went out for a day trip on the Gordon River, though it was actually a lot more than that. We set off early from our accommodation to walk to the wharf to get our tickets and boat which is a hybrid electric very new boat due to the fact the the Gordon River is part of the Wildlife Heritage Area on the west of Tasmania, recognised and protected for its unique characteristics by UNESCO. Thus the boat switches to electric mode once in the river to avoid damage - which we found out later.

First though we set off through Macquarie Harbour to the Heads which is the harbour entrance and which is very narrow guarded by both rocks and islands, Inside the harbour it was calm but we soon knew it when we went through the gap known as Hell's Gate into the Southern Ocean. There is nothing west of this area for 15,000 miles to Argentina so the wind and waves can be vicious with over 20m waves recorded in the past, though it wasn't bad for us. It was made worse as we had a sudden rainstorm which sent most people other than us hardy two Brits scuttling back inside the ship from the deck! Thankfully it lasted no more than 5 minutes and then the sun was back to dry us off.

On our return we saw both White belly sea Eagles and some Australian Fur seals who had made themselves comfy by the salmon rearing area - can't think why? and we gradually made our way back passing Sarah Island the former penal colony to the Gordon river. Here the boat switched to electric mode and we had a gloriously quite and smooth trip up the river for about 13 km seeing all the native trees and rainforest growth. WE got off at a stopping point for a short walk through the rainforest, luckily though it was raining the trees were so dense we didn't get wet and it was another short sharp shower anyway.

Back on the boat we had a fabulous salad lunch, couldn't have improved it at all, salmon, ham and about 10 different salads as a buffet and there were seconds if you could manage it. Then we arrived at Sarah Island. It was the place they sent the worse of the worse criminals - those that committed further crimes though most seemed to be for stealing and of course, most were British. The colony was only open for 12 years and closed in 1833 but due to the presence of Huon timber in the area, this penal colony became the centre of shipbuilding in Australia as the convicts were used as labour and become very skilled using this wood which is the best for ships. We heard of many attempts to escape - its a bit like and Alcatraz, can't swim away from it, but some did get away by canoe but the funniest was the escape by 10 men on a ship they were building to sail to Hobart. They commandeered the ship, sailed it to Chile where all but 4 managed to stay free men.

This whole story was told in the play we went to see during the evening called the Ship that Never Was. this was performed by locals and is the longest running play in Australia being performed for over 30 years. It centres on 2 of the convicts who commandeered the almost built ship from its drunken captain and allowed to sail away by the master ship builder and they made it to Chile but these two central characters were recaptured and returned to Sarah Island where they got away with a technicality that as they "mutineered" inside the harbour and not on open water, and as the ship wasn't finished, technically all they had done was steal a load of floating wood - hence the Ship That Never Was - it was a brilliantly funny play with a lot of audience participation with sound effects and various minor characters and we learned later that the play was written by one of the performers dad's Richard Davey. This really finished our day well so the boat trip plus the play really brought the place and Sarah Island alive and it was all in all a fab day.

[delphinenoiztoy]

Life is a strange thing. Moving to another city tends to be an odd one but to another country is a whole different story! After 12 years in UK I got used to another culture, different ways to be, i had madly fallen in Love with the Brits (whom I still deeply love in a very odd manner) and I had forgotten everything about my kin, the Frenchies. Everytime i meet someone new I overthink the codes and ways and stress myself out then abandon, feeling too weird and apart. Ive been burned plenty of times before and I know that my biggest weakness in Life is my Live for People. But since my diagnosis I have decided to be my truest self and just go with the flow with Truth and Honesty and if people do not like that, well.. it aint the right people for me! By now you all know my Love and devotion for @tattoobydodie / @black__frieda without whom my transition to France wouldn’t be so smooth and fab. This woman is one of the kindest and most adorable and I just feel Home with Her. But let me introduce you to one of the kindest and funniest person i have met in a long time! @kimtrantattoo ! If you do not know her work or her please go! She is the sweetest and funniest.. no wonder why @r_i_o_n is a great friend of hers (HI! Babe!!! 👋🏻😘). Week after week people are entering my life, drop by drop filling the empty vase I have become after leaving London. Soon I’m sure I’ll be able to let flowers bloom within the waters of my new self. Happiness is at the end of the Tunnel. #gratitude #quedulove (at Toulouse, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpccYaSMyD1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[justascrollingghost]

I know this might hurt your feelings but literally nobody is obligated to stand completely still with their phone in the air for 2 hours so you can watch a livestream of the concert they paid to attend…

[wherebeeslive]

i just finished s2 of the oa and i’m fucking freaking out like they REALLY FUCKING WENT THERE 

[useless-englandfacts]

I don’t know if you’ll be able to help out, but I support BLM and want to learn more about black people in the UK but most of the stuff out there is about America. Do you have any recommendations about British black people? Books or documentaries or resources?

I'd be happy to help out! I agree the US tends to dominate conversations about race, but happily there are quite a few British books out there too! Disclaimer that these are just off the top of my head so if anyone wants to add more then please go ahead!

Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga! He's a prominent Black historian and has also done multiple documentaries which aim to expand traditional narratives of British history to include people of colour who are so often written out. You can find a full list on his Wikipedia page of course, though I'm unsure as to how many are on iPlayer and such! There's a child-friendly version of Black and British here too for any parents/teachers who are interested!

Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch is a more autobiographical book about Hirsch's experiences growing up as a mixed race woman in Britain. Hirsch attended Oxford University and works at the BBC, so it’s offers a good insight into what it's like for POC to exist in spaces that have traditionally been saved for rich white people. She's a journalist too so there are various articles of hers floating about covering a range of issues, some of which relate to race. She's also done a few documentaries that are worth checking out, including The Battle for Britain's Heroes which questions whether some of our 'heroes' (e.g. Churchill, Nelson) should really be honoured, and (not British but) African Renaissance which looks at Black culture in Ethiopia, Senegal and Kenya - maybe the first time I've seen African culture shown on its own terms.

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala is another half autobiographical work, covering stuff like the far right in Britain, policing and education. It does a great job of cutting through the squeamishness I think Brits often have when talking about race.

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge has become a sort of classic of its genre but I think it's totally worthy of all the praise it's received! It looks at how lots of white people in Britain (and more generally) equate racism with full-on hate crimes, meaning they don't consider themselves racist despite regularly committing micro-aggressions/other unintentional acts. Also an absolutely stellar insight into intersectionality throughout the book! Cannot recommend enough!

Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power by Lola Olufemi is a must-read for feminists! It discusses modern-day feminism and how it needs to remove itself from that girlboss capitalist yuckiness, and should instead focus on marginalised issues within feminism such as transmisogyny, sex work, and - of course - racism. Has been praised by Angela Davis so that's a huge plus!

The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla is a collection of essays by POC from across Britain sharing experiences of racism and immigration, and what it feels like to be constantly regarded as an 'other' or as an ambassador for your race.

Literally anything by Paul Gilroy! His work is slightly older and some of it is very ~academic~ but I don't want to suggest that it's therefore totally inaccessible. He talks a lot more about British national identity and our role in the world and how that has affected views on race and immigration. He's written lots (I recommend Googling him and having a better look yourself!) but There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack and After Empire: Melancholia or Convivial Culture are both fab.

If you're feeling brave then you could look at anything by Marxist darling Stuart Hall? Some of his writing is very difficult to penetrate imo, but it's worth it if you can. He's written a lot so I would recommend browsing his Wikipedia page first and seeing if there's anything that grabs you. Even if you don't feel up to reading his stuff cover to cover, he's still someone who every antiracist in Britain should know!

Honourary mention to Thinking Black: Britain, 1964-1985 by Rob Waters just because he taught me at university hehe! Obviously more of an academic history book, but again pretty accessible and a good insight into more radical Black politics in Britain in the era.

I haven't read it myself as I believe it's only just come out but David Harewood has a book called Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery which looks worth checking out! Foreword by our beloved David Olusoga too!

If you're still looking for more then a good tip with any of the academic books listed here is that you can browse the footnotes and/or bibliography to find further reading there!

If you're looking for documentaries then on the BBC you can browse for Black History Month stuff, (fictional) shows that centre Black British characters and narratives, and documentaries that do the same. There has been quite a lot done in the past year about all sorts of stuff - from Black people in the NHS, what it's like being Black in the church, more specific stuff on Stephen Lawrence, Windrush, the Newcross Fire, and even specials on Black celebrities such as Lenny Henry. There's also a Black and Proud section on Channel 4's website that does something similar (side note: cannot believe they've put Hollyoaks on there that's so funny).

I don't read much fiction myself, but it is important not just to see Black Britons as victims of racism, but also as… you know… complicated and fully rounded human beings who are able to experience the full spectrum of human emotion like everyone else. Like black people just… existing. Looking to others who do read fiction to help flesh out this section in particular but a couple again off the top of my head:

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola (I know this isn’t about Britain per se, but she's a Black British writer so I think it counts).

This is probably more than you asked for and you can likely tell that my academic background is in history so it is skewed towards that but I hope this helps! And again, if anyone wants to add anything then feel free!

- Dominique