Despair might seem like the most natural – possibly only – response to the conveyer belt of crises coming at us all. So much so that it’s easy to forget one simple fact: Collectively, we have a lot more power than those in Westminster understand. There are steps we can take right now to –…
Read More
I find it hard to believe I used to write in a journal nearly every day. Where did I find the time? What did I write about? What happened to my mental capacity to produce subject matter and text? My guess is that it all resided in my addiction to nicotine. Nothing made me type…
Read More
Feeling tired and run down at the moment. Our falling EU sales at work have not improved, and despondency is setting in. My husband and I gave an interview to a local paper about the difficulties the business is facing, and of course, as with everything these says, there was online abuse from people with…
Read More
Well, it’s happened. Despite a campaign of emails, newsletters, social media, and site notices letting our EU customers know they could continue to buy from us without hassle through 2020, their orders have all but stopped. As of this morning, I’ve received about 1/5 of the orders I’d usually get from the EU by the…
Read More
Well, Leavers, it’s here: the day you’ve been waiting for. Exit Day! From 11pm tonight the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union. Celebrate and enjoy. Have some cake. Ring a bell. You’ve won. But remember this – today is the easy bit. And perhaps some of you still believe, despite…
Read More
For as long as I live, I will never understand how it was possible that half a population were allowed and encouraged to vote to strip everyone of the rights and privileges they’ve enjoyed for over forty years. I’ve only enjoyed mine since becoming a UK citizen in 2012, but that doesn’t take away the…
Read More
A few things I miss, in no particular order: Being able to trust the media. Not liking the current administration, but not feeling their tenure is the end of the world. A functioning opposition.A willingness to cooperate with international neighbours. Living in a normal country, happy with its place in the world. Not having to…
Read More
One oft-quoted definition of insanity is ‘repeating the same action again and again while expecting a different outcome’. For over three years, I have spent every day trawling news sites and scrolling through Twitter in search of that one magical fact, that single bit of enlightenment, that would convince a small majority of voters in…
Read More
No one speaks about the benefits any more, which makes sense. There weren’t any. Brexit is the project of the morally-corrupt 1% who managed to trick a small part of the population into thinking they were all on the same page, yet those on the bottom tier either don’t know or don’t care that every…
Read More
I try my best to live as a person liberated from fear. I view fear as a method of control, and try hard not to be affected by it, but the last couple of weeks have been brutal. Lots of big-talk about a no deal Brexit, leaked government documents in The Times predicting a dire…
Read More
I’m four days into a break from work. My stress levels have been quite high and I’m looking forward to unwinding a bit by being productive. I’ve an egg stand to build, a garden to help sort, and a kitchen that needs a deep clean and reorganisation. Staying busy is key as I can’t tolerate…
Read More
It’s been a rough week for my business. On Tuesday, I took the decision to let my organic certification expire. Currently, I’m certified under EU standards, and it’s not clear that this would continue if the UK is no longer a member of the EU. I need these standards to export organic materials to my…
Read More
It’s official. UK manufacturing is in recession. If the UK leaves the EU with anything less than single market and customs union membership, it’s game over for manufacturing in Britain. And the knock-on consequences* for the British economy are catastrophic. Brexit will impact every person in the UK who depends on manufactured goods as a component,…
Read More
I used to write every day, usually in the morning and always after a pot of strong coffee and a cigarette or two. Nothing quite fired up my brain as well, and since I’ve given up smoking and limit my coffee to one cup a day, my melty grey matter doesn’t work as well as…
Read More
It’s an unfashionable view in the wake of the Brexit campaign, but I tend to trust experts. I like to hear from people who know more than I do about complex issues, because it helps me make an informed decision about my family’s future. I listened to experts during the Scottish independence referendum of 2014,…
Read More
