Question Twenty One – Have you found peace in the space of your singleness, or not? How so? Donna Yes Alyss I am human, and thus inconsistent, so if it’s a bad day, no; but if it’s a good day, yes. Spiritually, when the day is tough, and I am comparing myself to societal expectations and others around me, ( or I find myself in that crazy space of social media where the psychological trauma of everyone else’s ‘great’ lives impacts me ) God speaks...

I'm very pleased to announce that Saltburn, by our very own Drew Gummerson is out now and available to buy here: https://haywoodbooks.com/saltburn May the residents of the real Saltburn-by-the-Sea and neighbouring towns forgive my mermaids, my nuclear power stations, my foetus museums and so on and so on. They were written with love. Welcome to Saltburn, an extraordinary town on the English coast with sweeping poverty and nuclear fallout, where...

Reading is what I do. A book called The Book ? That’s an intriguing idea. It had me thinking of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story, The Bottled Imp . Like The Book, the Bottled Imp had an illustrious history of previous owners. It granted great power and wealth. The Book allowed psychiatrist insight and access to what would happen in the ward in which Dr Alice Grant worked. A simple green cover. The Book had turned up in the little hospital...

Sabine Dardenne was twelve, cycling to school on her bike, when an old camper van pulled up. The side doors slid open. The kidnappers lifted her from her bike and stole her from her family, 28 th May 1996. Fifteen books were published in Belgium about her abduction. 400 000 pieces of paper into an enquiry of what happened and why it was allowed to happen. Eight years later, Sabine Dardenne with the help of author Marie-Therese Cuny, offers her...

Most nations have soldiers considered the best of the best. A deeply unpopular Margaret Thatcher won an election on the back of the Falklands war. On 5 th May 1980, it took the SAS 17 minutes, much of it filmed and shown repeatedly on the telly, of them abseiling from the roof of the Iranian Embassy in South Kensington to free 26 hostages. We love our heroes. Leah Garret is asking us to remember a largely forgotten group. It’s in the title: The...

Question Twenty – In what ways does being single empower you? Donna The freedom I have, and not being micromanaged by other people, has taught me to be empowered. Alyss I can’t say that this unforeseen story of mine has felt ‘empowering’ whilst living it out. It has felt more like a day-to-day survival game at times. Still, now that I have survived so much, it means power must have been involved. If I look back on the last 2 decades, the person...

Question Nineteen – How does being single impact your time management? Donna I feel free. Alyss Being single has fluctuating effects on my time management. I battle to get to things because there are so many things that I must get to and do on my own, but at least I can plan and work through things without affecting anyone else, if I don’t get to anything in the time I should. So, if it’s cereal for dinner, then it’s cereal for dinner and that’s...

Question Eighteen – What pass times are great for single people? Donna Being able to do what you want; e.g. go out dancing without worrying about a husband &/ kids at home or a curfew. Alyss Goodness, I have explored so many! My favourite is a having a one-on-one coffee chat with a friend. Writing has been big for me – journaling to poetry and blogging. Reading, there is so much to read, from great new novels to the classics and the self-...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00265qy/since-yesterday-the-untold-story-of-scotlands-girl-bands ‘That’s terrible,’ a mother said of her daughter and her pal’s attempt at making music. ‘Would you not be better singing a nice wee Irish ballad?’ I’m not sure who or how to match mother and daughter in these girl groups—not a music lover or listener—I’m siding with the mother here. Making music is one part of it, misogyny and class bias...

Question Seventeen – Please give some positive and supportive advice for the other amazing ladies out in the world flying solo. Donna Just enjoy your time being single. Don’t dwell on what might have been, live in the now. Alyss There is so much good you can do when it is just you. When family and/or friends have needed support or help, I can literally change most plans in an hour and get to them shortly after that. There is no-one who is...