thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-08--‘Work Culture’ Is Code For White And Western. So Where Do People Like Me Fit?

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I remember sitting on the couch at night, scrolling through job postings and LinkedIn profiles. I felt overwhelmed and disillusioned at the thought of being another unemployed or underemployed PhD graduate, but not for want of job openings.
Reading through job descriptions, I would often see diversity statements expressing an employer’s commitment to equitable and inclusive hiring practices. Yet, I didn’t see racialised names like mine in their employee directories. Their purported mission failed to materialise in the sea of white faces I saw as I walked through their offices.
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As I searched for work, I did so with the understanding that my starting a PhD program would do little to insulate me from hiring practices designed to exclude racialised people. Few jobs outside of academia require a PhD, and people of colour are underrepresented in higher education and across different industries.
From the beginning, my status as a PhD candidate drew negative attention from hiring managers who would say things like: “I’m sure you’d rather sit around all day theorising.” “This job is pretty routine.” “Won’t you find it boring?” Their questions struck me as odd, especially since they had known about the PhD from my resume.
I wondered if white candidates, who represent 76% of PhD holders and 84% of faculty hires, had to justify their pursuit of an advanced degree. I thought my PhD would make me a well-rounded applicant with practical work experience, and strong communication and critical thinking skills. Nevertheless, I was passed over repeatedly for less-qualified applicants who I was told were a “better fit” for the position or the organisation.
“White-centering attitudes at the heart of Western office culture are weaponized daily against people of colour.”
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Were these hiring managers concerned about my boredom, or whether I could fit in to their “work culture” — the coded language of professionalism which privileges white and Western values? My guess is the latter.
The lack of racialised people in leadership positions and the persistence of employee referrals almost guarantee that a predominantly white workforce will continue to recruit people who look and think like them. Such practices come at the expense of racialised candidates who are denied opportunities, despite having the same or higher credentials as white candidates. Applicants with white-sounding names are 39% more likely to be invited for an interview than those with Indian, Pakistani or Chinese names.
I managed to land a full-time job in research grant development. My elation turned to dread after six weeks when my new boss reprimanded me about our office’s scent-free policy. She said that a co-worker had complained about me “wearing a lot of scent.” My face felt red hot. All I could muster up was “I don’t wear perfume. It must be my lotion?”
“It’s an easy fix,” she said, getting up to leave.
I closed the door, called my mum and cried. I thought about going home to have a shower.
This may sound like an overreaction, but it’s hard to overlook being told that your presence causes discomfort when you’re the only Brown person surrounded by white or white-passing co-workers. Professional standards like that scent-free policy can perpetuate white supremacy in workplaces. Urgency, paternalism, the “right to comfort” — some of the white-centring attitudes at the heart of Western office culture — are weaponised daily against people of colour.
As a result, I often find myself accommodating white people’s comfort. I smile at racial microaggressions, such as when a faculty member assumed I was the receptionist though I was introduced as “Dr. Maharaj.” Or how a recent colleague would always leave an empty seat between us at meetings, look down when I was speaking, and make eye contact with everyone but me.
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White fragility calls upon me to not be offended when Brown colleagues are referred to as “lazy,” and Black colleagues as “difficult to work with,” and your boss laments the lack of diversity in the office (“But that isn’t why we hired you”).
I wonder if my former colleagues think this kind of behaviour is well-intentioned, or at the very least benign. It might offend them to hear otherwise, but their words and actions are loaded with hurtful sentiments that have harmed my self-image and self-worth.
Not just at work, people of colour and Black people, in particular, carry an unequal burden of having to prove their identity and justify their presence in traditionally white spaces regardless of credentials, status or education.
As a third-time graduate of the University of British Columbia, I was disheartened by the incident involving master’s student Savoy Williams, who experienced alleged racial profiling by campus security. Williams was denied access to his supervisor’s office despite having written permission and a valid student ID. Sadly, his experience is not uncommon.
In 2018, a white student called the police on Lolade Siyonbola, a Yale graduate student, for napping in the common room of her dorm. Police wanted to verify that Siyonbola belonged there. In Toronto, lawyer Selwyn Pieters was refused entry to his law society’s headquarters by a security guard who readily buzzed in white visitors without asking for ID. More recently, a Miami doctor, Armen Henderson, was handcuffed in his front yard while loading his van with supplies for homeless residents.
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In undergrad, I was accused by a white professor of accessing an office without permission, cheating on a final exam, and rifling through personal belongings when I was simply leaving a note.
Our schools and workplaces provide the means to perpetuate racism inasmuch as they can act as bastions of equality. Education, the “great equaliser,” is no match for institutions safeguarding white spaces through hiring discrimination and racial profiling. Public commitments to inclusion and diversity are meaningless without acknowledging how individuals and organisations participate in systemic racism. Racism lives and thrives in the actions of people and how they treat others.
While I’m aware of the privilege that comes with an advanced degree, I worry that employers will use it to conceal their racial biases. I worry that my colleagues will overlook my humanity and see me as difficult and aggressive. I worry that people moved to anti-racism by police brutality will remain wilfully ignorant of the subtle and not-so-subtle harms they inflict on racialised people.
I worry that I have been complicit by internalising white supremacy and performing whiteness to succeed in a professional world. And I regret that I have made it harder for racialised people to be their full, true selves.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Canada Personal
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Extinction Rebellion Activists Drench Trafalgar Square In Fake Blood

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Extinction Rebellion protesters on the steps of Trafalgar Square. XR UK
Extinction Rebellion activists have drenched Trafalgar Square in fake blood as part of a demonstration highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on indigenous people in Brazil.
Joining protesters around the world, campaigners from the environmental group – as well as members of the International Solidarity Network and Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil [AIPB] – gathered at the iconic central London spot on Sunday morning.
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The dramatic demonstration was held in order to draw attention to more than 600 deaths suffered by indigenous people in Brazil, as well as raise money for medical funds. Protesters also gathered to oppose the ongoing deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and associated biodiversity loss.
Extinction Rebellion protesters in Trafalgar Square. XR UK
In a statement, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said: “To date, more than 21,000 APIB lives have been harmed by coronavirus in Brazil, with more than 600 lives lost.
“This alarming situation continues to grow more serious every day, because in addition to the threat of the virus, the threats of racism, illegal deforestation, criminal networks, mining companies, missionaries, and big corporations continue to advance further into the most vulnerable territories of Brazil.
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“This rapid increase of violence and loss of life suffered by one of the most vulnerable communities in the world puts a high risk of indigenous genocide - losing with that thousands of years of cultural history and irreplaceable wisdom past on from generation to generation.”
As well as covering the steps in fake blood, activists also dyed fountains in the square a lurid green.
Extinction Rebellion protesters in Trafalgar Square. XR UK
APIB protester Celia Xakriaba said: “It’s not just a number. Each indigenous body holds an ancestral enchantment. For each indigenous person who dies, part of our collective history dies too.”
Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, with the toll topping 100,000 on Saturday – falling behind only the US.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--UK Heatwave: Scorching Temperatures To Continue Before 'Severe Thunderstorms' Strike

The heatwave sweeping parts of Britain is set to continue into the start of a new week, before “severe thunderstorms” roll in.
The mercury looks set to reach 35C on Sunday – with Kent, Sussex and parts of London being the most likely to see the highest temperatures, according to Met Office forecaster Craig Snell.
It comes as the Met Office warned that huge storms are likely in the coming days
Southern and central England is set to enjoy temperatures in the high 20Cs, while cloud and breezes in some places may result in milder weather in the high teens.
Snell said: “There is some contrast. For some of us the heatwave will continue on Sunday and beyond.”
It comes after Friday saw the hottest August day in 17 years, with the mercury hitting 36.4C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens.
Saturday’s top temperature was 34.5C – which was recorded at Frittenden in Kent, Wiggonholt in West Sussex, and Herstmonceux in East Sussex, the Met Office said.
With some cloud drifting in across the North Sea many places saw a relatively grey start to Sunday, but lots of sunshine – perhaps giving way to isolated showers at points – is expected across much of the southern half of the UK throughout the day.
Temperatures across England and Wales are expected to reach the high 20cs and low 30Cs, with Scotland and Northern Ireland having a few locations that may hit 24C.
Snell said: “Overall Scotland and Northern Ireland are not tapping into the really hot air which parts of England will be experiencing on Sunday.”
However, thunderstorms are forecast for next week.
Yellow thunderstorm warnings for all parts of the UK have been issued for Monday through to Wednesday. The warning states: “Some places are likely to see severe thunderstorms early next week – but there is significant uncertainty in location and timing.”
A yellow thunderstorm warning also remains place for England and Wales on Thursday.
Dan Harris, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said some places are likely to be hit with up to 80mm of rain in just a few hours.
He said that “the ingredients are there” for them to strike, but “it’s just too early to pinpoint the details of exactly where and when thunderstorms will occur”.
Saturday, for the second day in a row, saw crowds of people headed for the coast – with images showing packed out beaches.
Thanet District Council said Ramsgate Main Sands beach in Kent was “extremely busy”, with high tide likely to make social distancing difficult.
Blackpool Police also reported its beaches being busy and it had a “larger than usual” number of children going missing. In Norfolk, police recovered a body from the water at Bawsey Pits near King’s Lynn following reports of a man getting into difficulty in the water.
South East Water urged its customers to put away their hose pipes, garden sprinklers and garden water toys as it said that a spike in demand had left some people with low water or no water.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--New Zealand Records 100 Days Without Community Transmission Of Covid-19

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New Zealand has marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus, but leaders have warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia – which once had the virus under control – now battle a resurgence in infections.
New Zealand’s successful fight against Covid-19 has made the Pacific island nation of 5m people one of the safest places in the world right now.
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Citizens have returned to normal life, but authorities are concerned that people have begun to refuse testing, are avoiding the government contact tracing apps, and even ignoring basic hygiene rules.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 30: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a community meeting with COVID-19 community responders at Wainuiomata's Memorial Hall on July 30, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Earlier in the day Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a $27 million investment towards the rebuild of Naenae Pool as part of government's multi-billion dollar infrastructure package. Associate Housing Minister Kris Faafoi also announced an expansion of the Kainga Ora Homes and Communities Retrofit Programme to upgrade around 1500 older state houses at a cost of $500 million over the next two and a half years. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Hagen Hopkins via Getty Images
“Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can’t afford to be complacent,” director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.
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“We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand,” he said.
New Zealand currently has 23 active cases in managed isolation facilities, and 1,219 Covid-19 cases in all so far. Health authorities have recorded a total of 22 deaths related to the virus.
The nation has attributed its success to stringent border control measures, a strict lockdown and a widespread programme testing of contact tracing.
But other nations such as Vietnam – which went three months without detecting any domestic transmission – is now racing to control a new outbreak in Danang, fuelling fears in New Zealand that further loosening of measures could spark a similar resurgence.
Neighbouring Australia’s second-biggest city, Melbourne, has gone into a six week lockdown due to a surge in cases. The second wave of cases in Melbourne has been largely a result of lapses in quarantining.
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“For countries like Australia and New Zealand the source of such outbreaks is likely to be from managed isolation and quarantine facilities because of the large numbers of people held there and the multiple shifts of staff involved in looking after them,” said Michael Baker, professor of public health at the University of Otago.
There have been cases of returning New Zealanders sneaking out of quarantine, and other security slip ups.
New Zealand last week ramped up testing at quarantine facilities and clinics, and started work on technology to track people using Bluetooth technology.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern kicked off her re-election campaign on Saturday calling it a ‘Covid election’.
But a potentia; resurgence of cases due to “Covid fatigue” could spark a backlash against her, and give the opposition a chance to work their way back into the election contest.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Linda Lusardi Reveals She And Husband Sam Kane Are Still Feeling Effects Of Covid-19

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Linda Lusardi has said she and her husband Sam Kane are still feeling the after-effects of Covid-19, almost five months after first being diagnosed with the illness.
The couple were both taken to hospital in the middle of March, after showing symptoms of coronavirus, with Linda remaining under medical care for a little longer than Sam.
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During that time, he regularly posted updates about her condition, claiming at one point she’d been taken to “death’s door” during her illness.
After leaving hospital near the end of March, Linda has now told The Sun that she is still feeling the effects of Covid-19 five months on, which has included “distressing” hair loss on her part.
Linda Lusardi Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
She explained: “Sam’s had heart palpitations quite badly, and he’s under a cardiologist at the moment. They can’t see anything specifically wrong.
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“I’ve had some hair loss which has been a bit distressing.”
The former glamour model and Loose Women panellist added that she’d also struggled to get her energy levels back to how they were before she contracted coronavirus, but noted: “I’m getting there. Every week’s a bit better.”
She added: “It’s quite frightening when they’re talking about the long-term effects and how it can damage your kidneys and your liver and so on. But I’m just glad I’m here.”
Linda also spoke about the mental and emotional effects of Covid-19, saying: “The mental trauma of it has touched us all even though it was me who was sick. My children had to deal with the fact they might lose both of us and then me, and the mental effect it’s had on us has been very traumatic really.
“I think we’re still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder a little bit.”
Linda Lusardi and Sam Kane, pictured in 2018 Piers Allardyce/Shutterstock
Idris Elba, who also contracted coronavirus early on in the pandemic, recently made similar comments about how the illness had affected his mental health.
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“Mentally, it hit me very bad, because a lot was unknown about it,” he told Radio Times. “I felt very compelled to speak about it, just because it was such an unknown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--BLM Protesters Accused Of Vandalism In Utah Could Face Life In Prison

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A group of Utah protesters accused of splashing red paint on and smashing the windows of a goverment building could face life in prison after a local prosecutor elevated their charges.
A group of protesters allegedly vandalised the office of Salt Lake County district attorney Sim Gill in Salt Lake City last month after Gill cleared two officers of wrongdoing in the police killing of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal.
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Carbajal was fatally shot running away from police on May 23. Officers fired at Carbajal 34 times, but Gill determined they were justified because Carbajal repeatedly dropped and picked up a gun while fleeing, according to Gill’s investigation.
The lack of charges against the officers sparked multiple protests, culminating in a standoff between riot police and around 300 protesters on July 9. Someone smashed windows and threw red paint on Gill’s office. Riot police eventually showed up and dispersed the crowd, The Washington Post reported.
Gill has now charged seven people with felony rioting, which carries a sentence of five years to life behind bars under a gang enhancement upgrade.
Critics accused Gill of filing excessive charges and questioned why he was allowed to file the charges, given the conflict of interest. The vandalism was carried out against Gill’s office building, and Gill was called out by name that night by protesters, The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out: “So far, Alcalá, Marvin Oliveros, Madalena McNeil, Madison Alleman, Viviane Turman, Michelle Mower and Emanuel Hill have been charged with criminal mischief, which normally tops out as a second-degree felony, but prosecutors argued the charge should be upgraded using a ‘gang enhancement.’
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“The seventh defendant, Hurija Mustafic, was charged with two misdemeanour counts of alleged assault against a police officer.”
Brent Huff, a lawyer who represents Alleman, argued that the charges were “retaliatory.”
Jesse Nix, a lawyer who represents Turman, called the charges “despicable” and “an absolute conflict.” “I’m disappointed that they didn’t recognise the conflict and send it out to someone else to decide what to charge,” Nix told the Tribune. “Because right now, it feels like Sim Gill is upset at the damage to his beautiful building so he’s going to do everything he can to scare protesters.”
Gill told The Daily Beast he was handling the case because of staff shortages but said other prosecutors would handle the case going forward. He added that those prosecutors could decide to remove the enhancements.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Katie Price Finds An Inventive New Way To Get Around After Breaking Both Her Feet

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Katie Price has been forced to think creatively when it comes to her mobility, after breaking both of her feet and ankles in an accident on holiday.
Last week, Katie made headlines when it was revealed she’d seriously hurt her ankles and feet after falling over a wall while in Turkey with her family and new partner, Carl Woods.
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While medics informed Katie at the time that she wouldn’t be able to walk for three to six months, she has now revealed to her Instagram followers that she’s been able to think on her feet (or rather, not on her feet) and come up with a solution to getting around the house.
Katie Price shows off her new knee pads Instagram/Katie Price
Posting on her Instagram story, Katie revealed: “So guys, this is my new way of walking around the house, because obviously my ankles and feet are completely broken.
“Carl actually found these knee pads for me, so I can still get about and up the stairs and just walk [on my knees].”
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She also wrote: “Thanks to @CarlJWoods, he got me some knee pads to help me get about the house as [it’s] a struggle and hurts my knees without them, despite life-changing news I still have a smile and determination is key to keep focused on the change of my future life.”
In a later update, she demonstrated how she was able to get into the backseat of her car without putting any pressure on her feet or ankles, saying: “I’m off for dinner, and this is the task of the day, getting in the car. Don’t laugh at me. Lucky I’ve got arm strength.”
Getting into a car is no easy task with two broken feet, evidently Instagram/Katie Price
Katie was visiting the Land of Legends park in Belek, Turkey with her children, Junior and Princess, as well as her partner when the injury happened.
Since then, Katie revealed she’d been left “gutted” by a “devastating” update from doctors about her injuries, with her spokesperson telling the paper that she will be revealing more details on her YouTube channel.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--'Moral Duty' To Get Children Back Into Classrooms, PM Says

Boris Johnson has described “a moral duty” to get all children back into classrooms amid indications he would force pubs, restaurants and shops to close ahead of schools in the event of severe coronavirus flare-ups.
The PM is understood to favour only closing schools as the last resort after scientific advisers warned more restrictions may be needed to reopen classrooms in England next month.
Children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield had said the reopening of schools “should be prioritised”, insisting they must be first to reopen and last to close during any reintroduction of restrictions.
But schools minister Nick Gibb said this week that the government cannot “decree” that classroom education would be prioritised, instead saying decisions would be made by local health chiefs.
However, news agency PA reported a No. 10 source saying on Saturday that Johnson’s expectation is that schools would be the last sector to close, with firms being shut first in the event of severe local lockdowns.
“The PM has been clear that businesses including shops, pubs and restaurants should be forced to close first, with schools remaining open for as long as possible,” the source said.
Johnson, writing in the Mail on Sunday, said it is the “national priority” to get all pupils back into classrooms in September after months without in-person education.
“This pandemic isn’t over, and the last thing any of us can afford to do is become complacent,” he wrote.
“But now that we know enough to reopen schools to all pupils safely, we have a moral duty to do so.”
He warned of the “spiralling economic costs” of parents and carers being unable to work, adding: “Keeping our schools closed a moment longer than absolutely necessary is socially intolerable, economically unsustainable and morally indefensible.”
And this was echoed by Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar who wrote in The Observer: “As we head into autumn we will be forced to make tough choices in order to keep transmission down while restarting the economy, increasing employment and protecting public health.
“There are no easy answers, but one thing is clear: reopening schools must be the priority.”
The PM was also keen to stress the potential damage to children’s health if they do not return and that the virus presents only a very low threat of making them seriously ill, amid concerns parents may not feel comfortable sending them back during the pandemic.
The Downing Street source said: “The PM has stressed that the harm done to children’s education prospects by not attending school as well as to their mental health is far more damaging than the low risk posed, which schools will be carefully managing, and that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are suffering the most.”
Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, has warned the nation has “probably reached near the limit or the limits” of what can be done to reopen society safely.
And Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to the decision to impose the lockdown, suggested ministers would need to “row back on the relaxation of restrictions” to allow a full-time return to schools while keeping the virus under control.
On Wednesday, Gibb said a “more nuanced response” would be taken when asked about Longfield’s call for schools to be prioritised, as she criticised ministers for treating children “as an afterthought” during the crisis.
He told the BBC all children would be returning next month including in areas hit by local lockdowns, which currently includes Preston, Greater Manchester, Leicester and parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire.
“But you can’t decree this for every single case and it will depend on the circumstances of a local increase in the infection rate, and that is why it is being led by the director of public health in localities. But we want all children back in school,” he added.
Saturday’s developments came as experts suggested pubs, with their typically poor ventilation, noise necessitating loud voices, and social environments, could carry a greater transmission risk than planes.
“It is a perfect storm aided and abetted by alcohol the enabler,” one the scientists, Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, told the PA news agency.
Mixing in pubs and homes was blamed for a rise in Covid-19 cases in Preston, the latest area to have restrictions reimposed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Simon Cowell Breaks His Back In Cycling Accident, Leaving Him In Need Of Surgery

Simon Cowell is to undergo surgery after breaking his back in a cycling accident.
A rep for the music mogul confirmed to People magazine that he injured himself this weekend while testing out his new electric bike in the grounds of his house in Malibu, California.
His spokesperson said: “Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon whilst testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his house in Malibu with his family.
“He hurt his back and was taken to the hospital. He’s doing fine, he’s under observation and is in the best possible hands.”
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Simon Cowell zz/KGC-254/STAR MAX/IPx
Simon’s rep also said that his back had been broken in the incident, and that he would require surgery.
It was recently announced that Simon had taken full control of his production company Syco Entertainment, after cutting ties with Sony.
Syco Entertainment produces shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, as well as its various international spin-offs.
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While the current series of BGT is currently on pause due to the pandemic, the first live shows of this year’s America’s Got Talent had been due to begin on Tuesday night.
Simon Cowell and America's Got Talent host Terry Crews pictured at the show's press launch in March Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
This would include a “virtual audience” for the first time, due to coronavirus restrictions, with Simon judging the hopefuls alongside returning panellists Heidi Klum and Howie Mandell, as well as new addition Sofia Vergara.
During lockdown, Simon has been at home with his partner of seven years, Lauren Silverman, as well as their six-year-old son Eric and Lauren’s teenage son from a previous relationship.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--'Detrimental' Changes To GCSE English Literature Exams Risk Teaching 'White Is Right'

Exam regulator Ofqal has said GCSE students in England will be able to drop subject areas in English literature and history exams next year. Chris Radburn - PA Images via Getty Images
GCSE students who are allowed to drop subject areas for their English literature exams next summer risk becoming “culturally illiterate”, teachers have warned.
Exam regulator Ofqual said on Tuesday that exam papers will make fewer topics compulsory, so schools can have the option to focus on particular texts.
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The changes were announced following concerns over the “ongoing disruption” from the coronavirus pandemic – but some teachers have warned it could lead to schools teaching a “100% whitewashed” curriculum that “silences the voices of Black people” and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
English literature students will have to write about a Shakespeare play, but they will be able to choose between two out of the three remaining options: poetry, the 19th-century novel and post-1914 British fiction and drama.
Many schools will likely drop poetry, as pupils must study at least 15 poems in order to answer the exam question. It’s also a “notoriously difficult” exam question, according to English teacher Jessica Tacon.
“My first thought was: where are students going to find any diverse voices if schools don’t take the poetry option?”
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Although the changes were based on teacher surveys and questionnaires, she tells HuffPost UK she has “mixed feelings” about making poetry optional.
“I worry that this is going to negatively affect particularly BAME students because the poetry section is arguably the most diverse part of the specification,” she says.
In her north London secondary school classroom, Tacon’s students are particularly enthusiastic reading Checking Out Me History, by the Afro-Guyanese poet John Agard. “They love that one. They love the fact that he writes how he would speak.”
Jessica Tacon’s English literature students particularly enjoy reading Checking Out Me History, by the Afro-Guyanese poet John Agard. PA
Removing poetry would risk alienating Black and brown pupils even further from “a GCSE that already excludes their voices and experiences”, she says.
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“A lot of them don’t relate to English because they don’t see themselves in it. They don’t see it as something that is for them.
“If [poetry] is removed then we’re decentring marginalised voices – and therefore students. It’s that little bit of representation they’ve got taken away from them.”
Tacon has launched a petition calling on the exam board AQA to include more BAME representation into the English literature GCSE curriculum. It has so far received over 20,000 signatures.
“If poetry is removed then we’re decentring marginalised voices – and therefore students. It’s that little bit of representation they’ve got taken away from them.”
Jude Gittins, who will be taking his English literature and history exams in 2021, agrees the recently announced changes will “halt progress” on BAME representation and have an impact on Black and brown students.
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“If a Black boy decides he likes to write and wants to be a writer, who in the world does he look up to as an inspiration and role model that he can relate to?” he asks HuffPost UK.
Studying BAME literature is important because it “symbolises that times are changed”, he says. It also “crushes stereotypes in the path” by showing “people of ethnic minorities are intelligent.”
He added: “If I am being honest, I have never had a lesson in English literature where a Black poet or author has been analysed, featured or even talked about.
“So far, no lesson I have ever been in has had a Black figure”.
Although the changes make sense “from a practical standpoint”, making poetry optional “sets a bad precedent”, say Kemi and Zeek from Young Black Teachers Network, as it risks signalling that it is “less valuable”.
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Not only could they “inhibit” pupils’ appreciation for history and literature from around the world, what they will learn “will pretty much be 100% whitewashed”, they add.
“This is also detrimental as white students may continue to live in the ignorance that Black voices in the curriculum don’t matter, and Black students will also feel like their voices will continue not to matter.”
Kemi and Zeek not only fear these changes could “make students culturally illiterate”, but it could also create “greater apathy for Black and other ethnic minorities within the curriculum”.
“Will BAME students want to study subjects where their history and people who look like them have been removed?
“If the government are removing topics in English literature and history, they are silencing the voices of Black people in history and English literature who have made a difference in the world we live in.
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“It also reinforces that ‘white is right’, which will make students who are not white feel less than,” they add.
By dropping poetry, GCSE students could be missing out on contemporary younger writers such as Zaffar Kunial. Awakening via Getty Images
If poetry is not a compulsory exam question, then schools will realistically be unable to find space for it, admits Judith Palmer, director of the Poetry Society.
“My first thought was: where are students going to find any diverse voices if schools don’t take the poetry option?” she tells HuffPost UK.
She says she is “sympathetic” to the challenges that schools and students face. “Many months have been lost and it’s going to be so hard catching up. Unfortunately, they just didn’t think it through.”
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By dropping poetry, students are not only missing out on contemporary younger writers such as Raymond Antrobus, Zaffar Kunial and Kayo Chingonyi, but they have also been deprived a space to discuss socially and politically important issues.
“This is a space in the curriculum where they can talk about race, identity, prejudice and a whole range of other important themes, like loss, anger or isolation,” Palmer said. “Where else in the curriculum do they get that chance?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--What Will Life Be Like After A Covid-19 Vaccine Arrives?

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The coronavirus has uprooted life as we know it. Everything from our social gatherings to our daily errands has been completely changed and most of us are not too fond of the switch (to say the least). The whole world is eagerly awaiting a Covid-19 vaccine for the safety of ourselves and our loved ones and for the return of life as we know it.
Realistically and sadly, though, life will not go back to what it was for quite some time due to questions around the actual vaccine and how and when it will be distributed.
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“One thing that is important to remember: This is not going to be one of those light switch things when all of a sudden we have a vaccine and everyone is vaccinated. It’s going to take some time,” said Hilary Godwin, dean of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. “We’re fortunate in that we have a number of vaccine candidates that are under development, but we really sped up the process enormously so the chance of any one of those being super effective is not great.”
Life is going to look different for the next few years, but what exactly does that mean? Below, we spoke with experts in public health and mental health about what the world may look like after the anticipated Covid-19 vaccine arrives.
Expect places to change their mask-wearing cultures
A year from now, and even beyond that, Godwin expects to still see people wearing masks in public — especially people who are more vulnerable to Covid-19.
“I think a big part of the future will be greater expectations around masks. Mask-wearing will become more normal, the way it has been in many Asian countries in recent years,” she added. “We’ll see a shift toward that.”
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mladenbalinovac via Getty Images The United States may be a mask-wearing culture, even after a COVID-19 vaccine exists.
Scientists and doctors will have to learn about the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine even after it’s out
The speed at which scientists are working to create a Covid-19 vaccine is impressively fast, but the excitement surrounding fast-track vaccine development is met with concerns from many health professionals.
“The rate of development of the vaccine is like nothing we have ever seen before,” said Aparna Kumar, a nurse-scientist and assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University. “It’s great that the science is moving quickly, but it also creates limitations in terms of what we know about the efficacy of the vaccines.”
She defined the efficacy of a vaccine as how well a vaccine works in ideal conditions, like in a randomised controlled trial. The efficacy demonstrates how much the vaccine reduces the frequency of illness in a vaccinated versus an unvaccinated population.
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Kumar ― who is also the chief community officer at Dear Pandemic, an all-female team of researchers and clinicians who are working to combat Covid-19 misinformation by sharing accessible and accurate information on social media ― said the vaccine may not eradicate the virus, either.
She noted that childhood vaccines work very well, but something like the flu vaccine is 40% to 60% effective, depending on the year and the strain of flu.
“The flu vaccine prevents many people from getting severely ill and from the disease circulating in the community to the level it would, but we still know that a large number of people are going to get sick,” she said.
She added that discoveries around a vaccine’s effectiveness are difficult to discuss until the vaccine is deployed to the community, meaning health professionals cannot predict the effectiveness rate of the Covid-19 vaccine until it is administered to the general public.
Doctors also anticipate concerns surrounding the actual distribution of the vaccine
The impressively fast creation of a Covid-19 vaccine also lends itself to worries about the actual distribution of the approved vaccine.
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“We’re going to have challenges getting a vaccine deployed primarily because of supply chain problems,” said Tony Moody, a physician-scientist at Duke University. “How do you manufacture enough doses and get them distributed in a timely manner? We can do really nice things with vaccine manufacturing capacity — we make billions of doses of the influenza vaccine every year — but doing that for a new product and having the ability to get it rapidly distributed is going to be really challenging.”
He also anticipates problems around the glass vials and stoppers needed for vaccine storage and distribution.
“Most vials and stoppers are manufactured overseas and if you can’t actually get ships coming in, you can’t get supplies,” he said. “Even if you can make the vaccine, can you get enough vials?”
MoMo Productions via Getty Images Employers may continue to be more flexible with work-from-home policies even after there's a vaccine for COVID-19.
Count on fewer business trips and more remote work opportunities
With the increase in digital technologies and the realisation that some industries can easily continue without sending staff across the county or across the globe, Godwin said she expects business trips will be reduced for people in most industries.
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“My guess is there will probably be fewer business trips. We now don’t have to be physically in the same room to accomplish many things,” she said.
She added that work-from-home routines have accelerated the adoption of technologies like Zoom in a way that would not have happened otherwise. She expects corporations to be more flexible with remote work policies ― especially if work is still getting accomplished at home while keeping people from getting sick and helping the company with operations costs.
Don’t plan to attend a concert or sporting event just yet
Unfortunately, as the vaccine is rolling out and determinations about its efficacy are being made, crowded sporting events and packed concerts won’t become part of our new normal.
“It’s going to be hard to convince people to go back to large gatherings that are simply for entertainment or recreational purposes,” Moody said. “I think what you’ll see is clusters of people at smaller gatherings. I doubt we’re going to have big events with tens of thousands of people coming together.”
He voiced concerns regarding crowds inside of performing arts and sporting venues, in particular. He questioned how to safely welcome groups of people into an enclosed space and what that means for the venue.
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“How quickly are we going to be able to get people back into venues? Is it going to be a situation where venues have to charge twice as much because they can only fill half as many seats? Which then makes so many of these things out of reach for people — I think that’s going to be really challenging,” Moody said.
And since fresh air circulation helps mitigate the risk of the virus, he added that outdoor social gatherings will become even more of the norm.
Imgorthand via Getty Images Outdoor gatherings may continue to be more common in the coming years.
Expect significant psychological, societal and cultural impacts
There is no question that people are profoundly affected by the major events that occur in their lifetime. People who lived through the Great Depression have different tendencies than those who did not; those who grew up during the Vietnam War have a different outlook than those born postwar. It is to be expected that modern-day society will be shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Edwin Fisher, a professor of health behaviour at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, noted that the psychological after-effects of disasters typically emerge six months after the event ends. He anticipates long-term mental health effects and societal changes as a result of the pandemic, which has kept millions of people isolated socially and physically for months.
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“Because it’s ubiquitous, because it’s everywhere, because it hits us 24/7, we tend to lose track of the effects of Covid on our daily lives, mood and consciousness,” Fisher said. “Well, what will the similar effect be of having lived through the greatest global pandemic in over 100 years? There are going to be many, many long-term effects.”
He worries about depression, suicide rates and marital problems — things that are currently at heightened rates because of the pandemic.
Look forward to a public health system that is more prepared to handle epidemics and pandemics
Kumar pointed out that our health system will only be more prepared for any future health crisis or future coronavirus outbreaks after what we’ve experienced with the pandemic.
“We’ve learned a lot about our own public health systems and structures in this pandemic, and those things can only get better,” Kumar said. “As we continue to move on, we’re more prepared for potential future outbreaks. Having these structures and systems in place, we can just reactivate them when we need to.”
Most of the general public now also understands pandemic-fighting behaviours like social distancing and mask-wearing, two things that were virtually unheard of before this year.
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FG Trade via Getty Images The public health system will be more prepared for future health crises.
Anticipate certain levels of discord throughout communities
While the vast majority of people are counting down the days, Fisher warned that any unrealistic and premature hyping of the vaccine could lead people to believe that all troubles will be over as soon as the needle pricks their body.
“I think there is a tremendous likelihood of conflict, social discord and unanticipated consequences with the arrival of the vaccine,” he said.
Communities, co-workers, friends and families will be faced with tough decisions regarding everything from the topic of how to safely socialise after months and months of isolation to sending their child to school where there may be unvaccinated students.
He also stressed that there are likely going to be issues regarding vaccine distribution and the potential for inequalities around race that the illness has already highlighted and exacerbated.
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The virus won’t go away completely
Sadly, Covid-19 won’t disappear when the vaccine is deployed.
“We are already seeing people saying they wouldn’t want to get the vaccine and that limits our ability to create herd immunity, which provides protection for those who can’t get the vaccine or haven’t gotten the vaccine,” Godwin said.
She cautioned that the virus will still be circulating even after an effective vaccine is widely available as a result of those who choose not to get the vaccine.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--It's Getting Worse For Working Parents In The Pandemic – Not Better

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Working parents don’t have a monopoly on finding lockdown difficult, but as the pandemic stretches on – and with the summer holidays thrown in, for good measure – being able to do your job from home with kids around can feel increasingly difficult, if not impossible.
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It’s tough. I’ve been there. I documented all the interruptions I’ve had from my kids while trying to work as a freelance journalist: ranging from having my feet stuck to the floor with tape, to having a recorder played loudly into my ear – and even Zoom calls punctuated by appearances from a naked three-year-old.
Caroline Whaley, co-founder of Shine4women, an organisation that empowers women in business, believes the long-term effects of the pandemic on mothers – and their careers – could be particularly devastating.
“Between job losses, school closures, and isolation, the ability of many dual-earner couples to both work because someone else is looking after their children is dissolving,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Many couples have had to decide which partner’s career takes a back seat. Due to lower salaries, women are frequently the ones to stand down.”
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Whaley’s fears are backed up by statistics: a study by the IFS revealed mothers are more likely than fathers to have left paid work since February, and mothers have seen a bigger proportional reduction in their hours of work than fathers. Among those doing paid work at home, women are more likely than men to be spending their work hours simultaneously trying to care for children.
And, as the government’s furlough scheme soon comes to an end, and rules on home-working change to allow firms to ask people to come into the office, many working parents are under even greater duress as their bosses’ – or clients’, if they’re self-employed – patience wears thin.
When HuffPost UK put out a request to speak to working parents to hear their struggles, the response was overwhelming. “My work was sympathetic at first, but became less so as lockdown eased,” one teacher told us.
“I’m the only one in my team with young kids, I feel unsupported and isolated,” another mum said. “I’ve started making a point of having my kids around and responding to them during Zoom meetings so my boss can see my situation. I think my boss assumes as his life of lockdown is over, we’re all in a similar situation – and forgets that mine is the same as being in lockdown.”
Another woman told us she’s “strongly” being encouraged back to the office “to set an example” – but she has two little ones, so it’s hard. And a dad was told by his work if childcare is available, he now has to use it – and no more flexibility will be granted apart from working from home.
Their stories are shocking. HuffPost UK spoke to six of these parents, who said they feel under increasing pressure to work “as normal” – despite having limited childcare options.
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For some of them, the fallout from the pandemic is getting worse, not better.
‘I just want to scream at my male and child-free colleagues’
*Edie, 39, has two children aged two and five. She works in advertising.
“Any leniency at work evaporated the second nursery ‘started’ again, despite the fact I still had a five-year-old at home. Any slowdown in volume or pace also evaporated as soon as lockdown was ‘over’ for my male bosses and clients.
“My partner and I have just about managed until now by working from 6am until about 9pm every day – and constantly fighting about who gets to work, when. I have to snatch and beg for hours. I keep telling myself it’ll all be okay in a month, when school starts again, but just this week I had a massive freakout that they’re not going to go back – and I don’t know how I’ll cope. “Logistically, it’s impossible to plan, to manage workload, to meet deadlines or to attend meetings. Mentally, it’s impossible to juggle all the logistics with the anxiety over safety, and perform at a level others increasingly expect from you now lockdown is ‘over’. And with the threat of redundancy, and guilt at still having a job, the pressure to perform is bigger than ever. “I just want to scream at my male and child-free colleagues and clients around 90% of the time, because they have no idea what women are going through. I’m left wondering if there is any other option except for me to quit a career I’ve fought for for 20 years. It’s been unbelievably tough, but all I can think is it’s about to get even harder.” ‘My one-year-old will often come over to me and close down my laptop’ Patrice Stephens-Sobers, 26, has a one-year-old daughter, Sol. She is the founder of digital marketing agency Pink Ship.
Patrice Stephens-Sobers Patrice Stephens-Sobers
“I’m incredibly fortunate my business can be run remotely. My team and I already had a working from home policy, but it’s been tough – especially with the lockdown challenging my childcare options. “My husband also works from home, and although we’ve been able to juggle childcare between us, there are days where we both have a lot on and neither one of us can take a break. We sometimes both have deadlines to meet or unplanned client emergencies, so juggling all of this has been hard. “I’ve had to adjust my working day and schedule Zoom calls around my daughter’s nap – or work really early, or really late when she’s sleeping. It’s important to me that I spend time with her. Working from home and being ‘around’ is not the same as being present. She’s a really social girl who is energetic, loves to read books and always wants to play – and quite a lot of the time, she doesn’t want to play independently! “My daughter will often come over to me and close down my laptop when she wants more attention – that’s my cue to stop working and hang out with her. It’s been tough balancing everything but between my husband and I, we’re figuring it out.”
‘It’s no different now, and it’s not getting any easier’
Davina Gordon, 40, has a two-year-old son and is a freelance digital marketer.
Davina Gordon Davina Gordon and her son, Sonny.
“Both my partner and I work from home. We have a two-year-old son and not having childcare during the pandemic is really tough. My husband works in an upstairs office, while I’m downstairs, trying to work at the kitchen table, while parenting.
“It’s definitely shooting up my stress levels and impacting my productivity. I’m a freelance digital marketer, and things were going well until the pandemic, when I lost two clients and a substantial chunk of income. This meant we couldn’t afford childcare, although Sonny’s nursery soon closed, anyway. I’m struggling to get new clients, as everyone is being cautious with their spend.
“I feel at a crossroads. I’m resilient, but desire alone doesn’t pay the bills and I can’t get any help from the government, either. It’s no different now, and it’s not getting any easier.”
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‘I realised how skilled I’ve become at suppressing my own struggles’
*Rebecca, 41, has two children aged 10 and five. She works at an alcohol misuse charity.
10'000 Hours via Getty Images
“I’m on my knees. I’m working three days from home, but with that comes benign neglect of my children, when they should be enjoying their summer holidays. I find myself overcompensating during my days off, so that the children have had some sort of ‘fun’.
“Work are being fully supportive, and there’s no pressure to return, but my mental health is shattered from having to multi-task between professionalism and childcare. I have no support elsewhere.
“I’m exhausted and experiencing memory loss, sensory overload and a crippling sense of inadequacy. And the housework! I feel like I live in squalor. The guilt I feel over both my work performance – and mothering – is taking its toll. A friend said recently, ‘you seem unfazed by it all!’, and I realised how skilled I’ve become at suppressing my own struggles.”
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‘I’ve had to move out of the family home’
Harriet Holme, 39, has two children aged five and two. She’s a registered nutritionist.
www.nadinebrandtphotography.com
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“I’ve had to move out of my family home in London with my two young children because my husband is an NHS doctor, and a health condition meant we had to shield from him. I’ve moved in with my parents in Cambridge, and have had to juggle pivoting my nutrition business online, a book launch, homeschooling for my son who just turned five, and taking care of my two-year-old daughter.
“On the plus side, I’m proud of all I’ve managed to achieve, and my children have an amazing bond that might not have happened if my son had been at school for the last six months. But it’s been tough not seeing my husband and trying to juggle everything myself, with help from my parents in their 70s. Without them, it would have been much more challenging.
“I’ve had very little sleep for the last six months, as so much of my work has to be done in the evenings and early hours when my children are in bed.”
‘I’m still trying to squeeze a full day’s work into nap and Netflix time’
Joanna Drake, 34, has two children: Ted, 4, and Zara, 1. She runs her own PR business.
Joanna Drake Joanna Drake and her family: husband Tom, son Ted, 4, and daughter Zara, 1.
“I’m self-employed and working from home with two under-5s. My husband works full time back in the office doing crazy hours to make up for his company’s lost income during lockdown, so I’m trying to juggle kids and work alone most of the time.
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“I’m still trying to squeeze a full day’s work into nap and Netflix time, and after the kids go to bed. There’s no time for me – and I’m reaching burnout, now. I’m counting the days until September, when my oldest starts school and I’m banking on it being full-time.
“I’m just hoping I’ve enough good grace with clients to see me through until September.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--I Live On A Road Called 'Swastika Trail'. I've Been Trying To Change Its Name For Years.

Swastika Trail received its name in the 1920s. Sophie Smith and Evelin Molnar
I am tired of the dirty looks I receive when I show the pharmacist my ID. I hate hearing the awkward jokes when I give the bank teller my address. Some companies refuse to deliver packages to my house. When I tell strangers where I live, I am asked if I am a white supremacist.
I am not a racist, I swear. But how do you explain an address on Swastika Trail, as I have been forced to for nearly two decades?
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I know the swastika is an ancient religious symbol still in use in some places and religions. Nevertheless, the racist and mass-murdering Nazi regime with which the swastika is now inextricably tied makes it inappropriate, insensitive and downright disgraceful to use for a street name in post-Second World War Canada.
In recent years, the swastika has re-emerged as a symbol of overt racism. It shows up at hate-fuelled marches and demonstrations. US President Donald Trump’s presidency and administration have received blowback over courting neo-Nazis and incorporating their imagery into campaign paraphernalia.
Puslinch, Ont. — a quiet, tree-filled town south of Guelph — has been my home for 18 years. The private street I live on was named after the adjacent Swastika Beach in the early 1920s. By 1937, due to growing concern over events in Europe, the beach was renamed to Barber’s Beach in an effort to distance the tourist destination from Germany’s nefarious Nazi Party.
However, the street name remained unchanged. Cue decade after decade of continuous shame to our community.
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Some residents see the street name as an innocent part of the local history, and nothing more. It’s an insult to all Canadian Armed Forces members who fought against the hatred and genocide of Nazi Germany. I should know — my father was one of them. To our family, the name is a distressing reminder of what he endured. It hits even closer to home for my neighbour, who sees it as a daily reminder of his father’s death during the Holocaust.
People ask me all the time, “If the name bothers you so much, why stay?” Some days, I ask myself the same question. But our home has been in our family since 1970. Over the years, that little cottage was built up into the beautiful house it is today – every nail hammered in and every stone laid with love. Leaving would mean abandoning a piece of our family’s history, which is why I’ve been fighting to change the name.
“I assumed the township would agree with me and my neighbours. I was wrong.”
I had no idea what my battle against the street name would turn into.
I began fighting to change the road name almost immediately after moving to Puslinch. I figured it would be as easy as walking into the local office and putting in a request — it seemed like such an obvious and necessary change.
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I assumed the township would agree with me and my neighbours. I was wrong.
The local community has been divided over Swastika Trail's naming for years. Sophie Smith and Evelin Molnar
There had been a number of grassroots movements to rename Swastika Trail over the years. The latest, which I helped to organize, took off in Summer 2017. To our dismay, in November that year the local residents association voted 25-20 against changing the name. A month later, our council also voted to keep the name, 4-1. While some celebrated, my neighbours and I went home feeling hopeless.
We took the matter to court in April 2018. What started as joy as we entered the courthouse turned to disappointment when the judges, while sympathetic, ruled they could not order the name changed. In 2019, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice rejected our application for a judicial review of the town’s decision to keep the name.
Officially, at least, the matter was settled.
“It may be hurtful, anxiety-inducing and exhausting, but we won’t stop fighting.”
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We appealed to our community leaders and elected officials. Our provincial and federal representatives, MPP Ted Arnott and MP Michael Chong, shuffled us down the ladder, noting municipal matters weren’t their jurisdiction. We felt belittled, inconsequential, annoying. While we did find one principled supporter — Councillor John Sepulis — no one else seemed to understand the weight this word bore on me, on my neighbours, on our histories.
Anti-Semitism is alive in Canada. According to Toronto Police Service’s 2019 Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report, Jewish people are the most frequently victimized community in Toronto, despite making up only 3.8 per cent of the city’s population. Reports of anti-Semitic imagery like swastikas painted on homes are a shamefully common occurrence across Canada.
Indifference towards the street name is a mere symptom of a greater issue — so-called leaders afraid to make the easy decisions needed to move forward.
For my neighbours and I, living on Swastika Trail is a daily reminder that symbols of hate, oppression and genocide are still permitted in Canada. It may be hurtful, anxiety-inducing and exhausting, but we won’t stop fighting.
Until the fight is over, I’ll continue to be embarrassed and ashamed to have to explain over and over again: I am not a racist, I swear.
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This article first appeared on HuffPost Canada Personal


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Picnics Have United Us In Lockdown. Here's A Brief History

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You’re reading our series Summer’s Not Cancelled, where we celebrate summer in this new normal. From rediscovering nature and cherishing time with friends and family, to virtual festivals and unforgettable staycations – summer’s still here, it’s just different.
Like going camping, which has surged in popularity this summer, picnicking seems to have chimed with our lockdown lifestyle. Put simply, it’s one of the most pleasurable things we’ve been able to do, safely (insert sex joke here!).
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But it goes deeper than that: picnicking feels anarchic at any point and certainly under a pandemic, because it breaks all of the typical rules of “proper” (read: formal/traditional/laborious) dining.
“There’s something about being outside that allows for something more relaxed to unfold,” reckons Polly Russell, food historian and the friendly face from BBC’s Back In Time For Dinner. “I do think that picnics are joyous, even when they’re quite ordinary,” she adds. “It just feels as though you’re released from the expectations and rigours of being inside – whether your picnic consists or a pre-packed sandwich, hummus and carrot sticks or you’ve gone the whole hog.”
RossHelen via Getty Images Couple having romantic breakfast outdoors, close-up view on the picnic blanket with lots of tasty food
Humous, falafel and sushi have all become modern day picnic staples, says Russell, who has been studying the picnicking habits of 2,000 adults for Warburtons. But 58% of people said sandwiches are still at the heart of the spread, and a sensible 71% of Brits won’t leave home without packing crisps.
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It certainly seems true that most of us, exasperated from weeks (months!) indoors, have found ourselves liberated by a proper outdoor picnic. We’ve been flocking to fields or parks, regardless of of whether in pre-pandemic times our social default was more JD Wetherspoons or JD Salinger. Picnics unite us all.
“It is in a sense very democratic, the picnic, because it can involve a candelabra, but it also can be a hunk of bread and a piece of cheese wrapped up in wax paper in the 1920s,” says Russell, whose understanding of picnic culture is as a demarcation of space in terms of class.
“Suddenly you are encountering, mixing with, sitting nearby someone from a very different background,” she explains, “so there is an opening up of space in a way that wouldn’t have existed probably in the late 19th century or early 20th century, when things were much more privatised.”
Lyndon Stratford via Getty Images
It was the widespread formation of public parks in the post-war era that allowed those of us without garden and backyards to enjoy that particular picnic thrill. But the history of picnics goes way back.
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Picnics, so far as we know, were first invented in the 14th century, as grand hunting feasts. For centuries they would have been the preserve of the moneyed upper classes, who could afford both the staff to administer them, and the leisure time and privilege to consider eating outdoors in the first place – in an era when dining was highly formalised.
“But nobody’s using the word picnic at that point,” says Russell, who says the coinage was formed in the 1600s. “The origins of that word are unclear, but probably derive from the word piquer, which means to peck, and the practice of the word emerged in the 18th century in France.
ilbusca via Getty Images An antique illustration of outdoor picnic following a hunt
Russell describes a picnicking scene of the time involving “aristocrats gathering in hired rooms, specially built follies or private houses – with each guest bringing a dish or drink or payment for the cost of the meal. There’s something about the informality of picnics, even in an aristocratic setting, which I think has carried on.”
This sense of “informality” is up for interpretation, of course. It could just translate as meaning blinding drunk. “The Picnic Society, which was set up in 1801 in London, had a rule where when you came that you had to bring six bottles of wine with you,” Russell laughs. “I suspect a huge amount of alcohol was drunk as well, which no doubt influenced behaviour.”
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By the 19th century, picnics were still a folly of the rich. Writers like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope depicted their characters picnicking in their fiction. But unlike previous centuries, by the 1800s picnics may have finally started looking and feeling more like the picnics we have today – with participants sat on the floor on a rug or throw. “In Northanger Abbey they have an incredibly awkward picnic,” says Polly. “Certainly by the 19th century people are sitting outside having picnics that may or may not be catered by staff.”
Even laid out on a rug, the feast would have been unrecognisable by today’s standards – lavishly full of prime cuts of meat, full cuts rather than sliced, and handmade pies and desserts, presented on worthwhile china and glassware and with proper cutlery.
duncan1890 via Getty Images Vintage photograph of a group of edwardians having a picnic, around 1900 to 1910
But by the early part of the 20th century, 20,000 miles of railway and the arrival of paid holiday schemes for employees brought about the opportunity for leisure for all. And by the 1950s, the invention of picnic items like the Thermos flask validated the idea of the picnic as being a hobby for all walks of life.
Now everyone could picnic, regardless of class, with more diverse spreads from elaborately cooked and plated meals to basic breads and cheeses. “If you can rock up with your rather grand car and your picnic packed in a hamper which your housekeeper has packed for you, you will probably snag a better spot as opposed to someone who’s had to climb up the hill with their picnic slung over their shoulder.”
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Big hamper or paper bags filled with hunks of bread, picnicking epitomised how food culture – and culture more broadly – was changing forever and becoming more inclusive by the early part of the 20th century. These days, a picnic may feature foie gras and caviar – but it’s far likelier not to, The abundance of supermarket meal deals spread out across public spaces is emblematic not so much of our distaste for fine food, but the accessibility of leisure time, and the availability of better food at a cheaper price, for us all.
They were once an adventurous pursuit – and bizarrely, in 2020 lockdown has meant they have become one again, as a simpler lifestyle has reminded us of the simple thrills of picnicking with friends. Who needs restaurants anyway?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Using Navy To Stop Migrants Crossing The Channel Would Be 'Unlawful And Dangerous', Amnesty Warns

A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into Dover, Kent, following a number of small boat incidents in The Channel. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images) Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images
Deploying the Navy to stop migrants crossing the Channel would be “unlawful, reckless and dangerous”, human rights campaigners have warned.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International UK, said that while ministers “beat their chests”, the “real and immediate needs of women, men and children fleeing war and persecution are being ignored.”
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“What is needed is cooperation with France to share responsibility for providing a place of safety, including the UK government reuniting families and enabling more people to travel safely to make asylum claims in this country,” he said.
The message comes after the Home Office formally asked defence chiefs for naval support for the Border Force in the Dover Straits amid a spike in people making the perilous journey to reach the UK.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said it was “assessing the requirement using the formal Military Aid to the Civilian Authorities process and are working hard to identify how we can most effectively assist”.
But Valdez-Symonds said the only people benefitting from the government’s “increasing determination to shirk responsibility” was “smugglers and hate-mongers”.
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“It is wholly legitimate for people to seek asylum in this country - even though relatively few people do - and sadly, for some, these dangerous journeys are the only means available,” he added.
A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into Dover, Kent, following a number of small boat incidents in The Channel. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images) Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images
More than 4,000 migrants have now reached the UK in 2020 by crossing the English Channel in small boats, the PA news agency reported on Sunday – including families with young children.
Aid workers in Calais have reported “unbelievably tough” conditions for migrants in Calais in recent weeks.
Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley said: “Sending warships to meet traumatised migrants is not the response of a civilised nation.
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“They are exhausted, scared and defenceless. They are not in any way a threat.”
Moseley told PA: “I have been in Calais for five years and yet every day I hear new stories from people who have lost their families in conflicts, suffered torture under harsh regimes or been cruelly persecuted for political or religious beliefs.
“They never chose to leave their homes and everything they know; migrants are forced to flee by terrible events beyond their control.
“Priti Patel’s calls for more action have resulted in daily police raids that leave people exhausted, scared and not knowing which way to turn.”
On Sunday, the home secretary appointed a ‘Clandestine Channel Threat Commander’ – a new role designed to lead the UK’s response to “tackling illegal attempts to reach the UK”.
Patel said: “The number of illegal small boat crossings is appalling.
“We are working to make this route unviable and arresting the criminals facilitating these crossings and making sure they are brought to justice.”
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However, her comments come after HuffPost UK revealed on Saturday that – despite pursuing discussions with the Ministry of Defence – it had still not reopened its flagship settlement scheme.
It means that thousands of refugees had not been able to come to the UK through one of the only available safe and legal routes.
Home Office minister Chris Philp in the House of Commons PA
Despite this Chris Philp, minister for immigration compliance, said there had been an “unacceptable increase” in the number of migrants crossing the Channel in the past week.
“France is a safe country, so I share the anger and frustration of the public,” he said. “This situation simply cannot go on.
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“I will be in Paris early next week to seek to agree stronger measures with them, including interceptions and returns, to tackle this shared challenge head on.
“We have to make the route completely unviable. Then migrants will have no incentive to come to northern France or attempt the crossing in the first place.”
Philp said the government intends to “return as many migrants who have arrived as possible”.
“There are returns flights planned in the coming days,” he said. “And we will also continue to go after the heinous criminals and organised crime networks putting people’s lives at risk.
“Twenty-two people smugglers have been jailed this year and two more were charged recently.”
Meanwhile, asked about reports that the Navy will be brought in to stop migrants crossing the Channel, a Home Office spokesperson said:
“The Home Office submitted a Military Aid to Civilian Authorities request on Friday as part of its work into the situation in the English Channel.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--Labour MP Dawn Butler Accuses Met Police Of Racial Profiling After Being Stopped By Officers

Labour MP Dawn Butler has accused the Met Police of racial profiling PA
Labour MP Dawn Butler has accused the Metropolitan Police of racial profiling after she was stopped by officers.
The MP for Brent Central – who was a member of Labour’s shadow cabinet until April – said she was stopped by police while driving through Hackney.
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She told The Guardian the officers said they had stopped Butler and her friend – who is also Black – because the car was registered to North Yorkshire.
Police later told her they had made a mistake and apologised, the MP said.
I JUST GOT STOPPED BY THE POLICE DRIVING THROUGH HACKNEY... MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW...@metpoliceuk
I recorded the whole incident. — Dawn Butler MP✊🏾 (@DawnButlerBrent) August 9, 2020
Butler told Sky News she went public with the incident because of a second officer who “inflamed the situation”.
“It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining,” she said. “This is a police service that is supposed to police everyone. And I understand there are issues and they need to be dealt with.
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“But deal with them in an equitable way. Don’t deal with them in an unfair way and a biased way or a racist way. Deal with it properly and then we can all be on board with that.”
In a video of the incident, Butler – who was Labour’s equalities secretary – tells the police: “It is really quite irritating. It’s like you cannot drive around and enjoy a Sunday afternoon whilst Black, because you’re going to be stopped by police.”
One of the officers in the video tells her: “I appreciate everything you say and I do apologise for wasting your time.”
Butler told Sky News there is “institutional racism” in the police. “We know that,” she said. “And it needs to be taken out. It is cancerous and it needs to be cut out of the police force. It’s urgent – it’s absolutely urgent.”
She added: “I want to work with the police to get this right.”
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said officers had stopped a vehicle in Hackney around 12pm.
“Prior to stopping the vehicle, an officer incorrectly entered the registration into a police computer which identified the car as registered to an address in Yorkshire,” the force said in a statement.
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“Upon stopping the vehicle and speaking with the driver, it quickly became apparent that the registration had been entered incorrectly and was registered to the driver in London.
“Once the mistake was realised the officer sought to explain this to the occupants; they were then allowed on their way.
“No searches were carried out on any individuals.”
They added: “One of the occupants has since been contacted by a senior officer and they have discussed the stop, subsequent interaction as well as feedback regarding the stop.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--BBC Apologises Over Use Of The N-Word In News Report

BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall has apologised for the broadcaster's use of the N-word in a news report PA
The BBC has apologised after using the N-word in a report about a racist attack in Bristol.
It comes after the broadcaster received almost 19,000 complaints about the incident.
The BBC had previously accepted that using the racial slur had caused offence, but had not apologised for it, saying the use of the N-word was “editorially justified given the context”.
But in a statement on Sunday, the BBC’s director-general Lord Tony Hall said: “Every organisation should be able to acknowledge when it has made a mistake. We made one here.”
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In a email to all BBC staff, Hall wrote: “It should be clear that the BBC’s intention was to highlight an alleged racist attack. This is important journalism which the BBC should be reporting on and we will continue to do so.
“Yet despite these good intentions, I recognise that we have ended up creating distress amongst many people.
“The BBC now accepts that we should have taken a different approach at the time of broadcast and we are very sorry for that. We will now be strengthening our guidance on offensive language across our output.”
The N-word was used during a report about a racist attack in Bristol BBC News
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The N-word was used during a segment about a racist attack in Bristol.
During the segment, reporter Fiona Lamdin said: “Just to warn you, you are about to hear highly offensive language. Because as the man ran away they hurled racial abuse, calling him a n*****.”
The BBC’s decision to use the racial slur caused a huge backlash and saw Radio 1Xtra presenter Sideman – whose real name is David Whitely – quit the BBC “effective immediately”.
Whitely said the “action and the defence of the action feels like a slap in the face of our community”.
In an Instagram video, the DJ said: “This is an error in judgment where I can’t just smile with you through the process and act like everything is OK.
“I’m happy working with organisations until we all get it right, but this feels like more than getting it wrong.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-09--US Covid-19 Cases Top 5m

US Covid-19 Cases Top 5m

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More than 5m Americans have now tested positive for Covid-19, the latest figures show.
The huge total account for more than a quarter of all cases worldwide, under data shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) – by far the highest for any single country globally.
On Thursday it emerged that 300,000 Americans could die of the virus by December 1, according to modelling carried out by the University of Washington – though they also said 70,000 lives could be saved if people were scrupulous about wearing masks.
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A death toll of 300,000 would near-double the current total, which as of Sunday stands at more than 162,000.
The US is followed by Brazil, which on Saturday confirmed that it had surpassed 100,000 deaths, ahead of Mexico which is currently third in the world with more than 52,000.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-07--Police Accused Of Brutality Following Arrests At Youth Organisation 4Front Project

Police officers and young people outside Colindale Police Station on Friday afternoon. Picture: Temi Mwale Temi Mwale
The founder of award-winning youth organisation the 4Front Project has accused the police of brutality following what has been described as a raid on its office in north west London on Friday afternoon.
Four people aged between 14 and 25 were arrested at around 2pm but all were later released, the Met has confirmed.
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According to the 4Front Project’s Temi Mwale, who was recently named an influential activist in British Vogue’s September issue, officers arrested a 14-year-old boy on their premises.
The situation escalated when staff asked why he was being arrested and for more information to pass on to his parents. Officers refused to engage, Mwale said.
Eyewitnesses have said that officers proceeded to “drag kids into vans with no good reason”.
URGENT
A police unit have just raided the @4FrontProject office in North West London, and started making arrests. Team members and the Graeme Park Estate community are at Colindale Police Station demanding immediate release. Huge police line. If you can, head over there now.
1/ — #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) August 7, 2020
Filming outside Colindale police station in Brent, Mwale said: “We’ve been assaulted so many times here today. We have two members of my staff team that have been arrested.
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“We have several young people who have also been arrested. This is what we’re dealing with and I’ve told them we want it to be deescalated and yet they’ve refused.
“This community is sick and tired of the way we’re being treated and now we need your support. We’re meant to be out there tomorrow, Tottenham police station, but instead we’re out here at Colindale police station right now.”
The protest in Tottenham on Saturday has been organised to mark the ninth anniversary of the 2011 riots, which were sparked by the death of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Tottenham on August 4 2011.
In the video posted on Instagram, Mwale added: “Every day we’re getting arrested in our community for no good reason. It’s the hottest day of the year. We’re thirsty. we’re tired. [...] Every single day they come to Grahame Park Estate. [...] Stop and search, strip search, the lot of it, we have it. Brutality, punching us. [...] We’ve had enough.
“Today started calmly, it started peacefully. Us as community workers [...] asking why a 14-year-old was being arrested here today, what has he done, so we can inform his mum. [...] They said they didn’t want to engage with us. [...] They said that they aren’t able to tell us anything. We’ve got a mum on the phone and we want to [...] be able to tell her what they’re doing.”
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A police vehicle left the 4Front Project office and a group of 30 to 40 people followed on foot to Coldindale police station, where they remained.
Colindale Police posted on Twitter: “A youth on the Grahame park Estate was arrested today for being in possession of drugs. A youth Project based on the Estate took it upon themselves to try to Obstruct Police carrying out routine duty. Hence the ill feelings from young people towards usat [sic] Colindale Police station.”
A youth on the Grahame park Estate was arrested today for being in possession of drugs. A youth Project based on the Estate took it upon themselves to try to Obstruct Police carrying out routine duty. Hence the ill feelings from young people towards usat Colindale Police station. — Colindale Police (@MPSColindale) August 7, 2020
It comes after the 4Front Project last month commenced legal action against the Met over “unfair” treatment of members of its team.
The Metropolitan Police said: “Officers on patrol in The Concourse NW9, carried out a section 23 stop and search under the Misuse of Drugs Act. A 14-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis.
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“As officers carried out the arrest, a group began to gather around the officers and obstructed the police vehicle from leaving the scene. Further police units attended.
“A further two people, a 23-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of obstruction of a constable.”
A cordon was put in place around the police station and a Section 35 dispersal order has also been authorised, the Met has said.
A 19-year-old-man was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
The force later tweeted all arrested have now been released from police custody.
Chief superintendent Roy Smith, borough commander for the north-west of London, said: “Whilst I understand that people may feel strongly about some police activity and arrests, interfering or obstructing officers at the scene only serves to inflame an already tense situation.
“Instead, I would ask people to use one of our many mechanisms for engaging and listening when the situation is calmer. This enables both sides to review things with a cool and steady head and in possession of the full range of facts.
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“Even when well-intentioned interfering, or obstructing officers carrying out their lawful duties, can cause far more problems than it solves. I am committed to listening, learning and improving but my officers must also have the ability to carry out their duties safely and without fear or favour.
“I am also aware of a number of rumours circulating on social media that specifically relate to injuries sustained by those arrested and the nature of this arrest. I want to clarify that no one who was arrested required medical treatment. Likewise, this arrest was not as a result of a raid or anything of that nature, this was part of a routine patrol in the area.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Antonio Banderas Announces He's Tested Positive For Covid-19 In 60th Birthday Post

Antonio Banderas has announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19.
The Spanish actor revealed the diagnosis on Instagram on Monday, which was also the day he saw in his 60th birthday.
Alongside a photo of himself as a child, he explained in Spanish: “I wanted to make it public that today, 10 August, I am forced to celebrate my 60th birthday in quarantine, after testing positive for the disease Covid-19, caused by the coronavirus.”
Antonio Banderas pictured in February Europa Press News via Getty Images
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He went on to say that he is feeling “relatively well, just a bit more tired than usual”, and is confident that he will recover from the illness “as soon as possible”.
The Oscar-nominated star added that he plans to take advantage of his time in quarantine period by using it to “read, write, rest and make some plans to give meaning to my 60 years which I reach full with desire and excitement”.
He signed off the message: “A big hug to everyone, Antonio Banderas.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, a number of high-profile stars have spoken publicly about having tested positive for Covid-19.
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Among the first to share their diagnoses were actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who contracted coronavirus in March while in Australia for work.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Boris Johnson Does Not Think Met Police Institutionally Racist, Says No.10

Police later told her they had made a mistake and apologised to the MP. They did not explain why they had checked the car’s number plate in the first place.
Butler said in an interview on Sunday that the incident was evidence that institutional racism in the force was “cancerous” as she called for action on stop and search tactics.
But Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson has said that the prime minister does not agree and insisted cops were “working hard” to tackle crime.
Asked by a reporters at briefing on Monday whether the Met was institutionally racist, they said: “I don’t think the PM would take that view of the Met Police. The Met, like other police forces across England and Wales, are working very hard tackling issues such as knife crime and drugs.”
Butler had previously said: “It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining.
“This is a police service that is supposed to police everyone. And I understand there are issues and they need to be dealt with.
“But deal with them in an equitable way. Don’t deal with them in an unfair way and a biased way or a racist way. Deal with it properly and then we can all be on board with that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Your Coronavirus Questions Answered

Your Coronavirus Questions Answered

Your Coronavirus Questions Answered
Professor Linda Bauld and Doctor David Strain explain the main questions our readers have on coronavirus. From what the symptoms are commonly seen as to long lasting effects of the virus and whether it’s safe to travel by plane, we answer what you want to know.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Peer Breaks Code Of Conduct Rules While Taking Code Of Conduct Training

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A member of the House of Lords has been found guilty of breaking parliament’s rules while undertaking training about how not to break the rules.
Lord Lea of Crondall was found to have bullied another person in January when trying to allow a guest to access the parliamentary estate.
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The finding was published on Monday in a report from the Lords commissioner for standards.
The complainant said they felt “belittled and undermined” by the January 2020 incident.
Lord Lea was accused of becoming “very angry” and having “raised his voice” when he was told he would not be able to meet a guest in parliament as they had not made a booking.
The guest, known as Dr K, was Lord Lea’s contact at the external providers hired by parliament to provide training.
Ironically, that training included “behaviour change coaching” that Lord Lea had agreed to undertake in response to a previous complaint about his conduct.
The Lords commissioner for standards had found him guilty of harassing a young woman who accused him of “stalkerish” behaviour.
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The 82-year-old had been accused of acting “inappropriately” towards the woman while on an official visit.
Following the trip, the woman said Lord Lea had sent her a copy of a photo taken during the visit in a silver frame and a letter from him which included “a reference to an incident during the visit involving a bottle of champagne and an invitation to meet him”.
He was suspended from the Labour peers group as a result of the incident.
Lord Lea told the standards commissioner he had discussed the latest breach with Dr K as part of his behaviour change training and was “very, very sorry”.
In January another peer, Lord Ken Maginnis, was accused of launching a tirade at parliamentary staff, calling them “crooked” after he forgot his pass to enter parliament and they would not allow him in.
When SNP MP Hannah Bardell reported Lord Maginnis’s actions, he accused of her trying to “settle a score” because she is “queer” and he was opposed to gay marriage.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Edith Bowman: 'In Your 40s, You Have A 'Don't Give A F**k' Attitude'

Lauren Hurley - PA Images via Getty Images
Listen to our weekly podcast Am I Making You Uncomfortable? about women’s health, bodies and private lives. Available on Spotify, Apple, Audioboom and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Ageing is one of the best things that’s ever happened to Edith Bowman. At 46, the radio DJ and TV presenter feels more energised than she did in her 20s, when she wrestled with her identity and, in her words, needed to “cut down on the Jack Daniels and coke, just a little bit”.
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“Coronavirus aside, I think I’m the healthiest, both physically and mentally, I’ve ever been,” she tells HuffPost UK. “When you get into your 40s, you have a bit of a ‘don’t give a fuck’ attitude. You don’t need to impress anyone. You’ve got to a point where you think: ’This is me, this is who I am, take it or leave it.’”
Hobbies like yoga, pilates and running help her feel settled – something that was missing in her early career, when she moved from Scotland to London.
“My late 20s were the toughest time, because I had no idea who I was,” she says. “I was very, very lucky to get the work I got with MTV and Radio 1, but I still look back at that period and go: ‘God, you drank a lot. You went out loads!’”
Now, she chooses to let off steam by running, but is quick to clarify she’s not a “big runner”. She prefers a relaxed jog that’s a maximum of 4.5k, compared to the marathons favoured by her husband, Tom Smith, frontman of Editors.
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“If I haven’t done that in a week, it’s almost like my body and mind say to me: ‘It’s about time you had a run to clear out the fog’. It’s like an exercise spring clean,” she says. “I feel lighter and hugely proud of myself afterwards, even if I’ve only run a short distance. I feel instantly taller, in a way.”
“I’ve found my little pocket of things that work for me, like the little runs.”
Although she loved sports like netball and hockey at school, it wasn’t until she had her two children – Rudy, 12, and Spike, 7, – that Bowman rekindled her love of fitness. She was motivated, in part, by the desire to lose some baby weight, she admits, but soon realised the mental health benefits.
“It’s finding the things that work for your body, because not everybody can run, not everybody can do the gym stuff or the exercise classes,” she says. “I’ve found my little pocket of things that work for me, like the little runs. We’re all individuals, we’re all built differently.”
And part of enjoying exercise – and maintaining good mental health more generally – is knowing when to give yourself a break, she says, acknowledging there are good days and bad days.
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“You can’t predict what kind of mood you’re going to wake up in,” she says. “Sometimes you just know it might be one of those slightly foggy, grey days, where everything’s just not quite as sharp as it could be.”
Lia Toby via Getty Images
The past few months have been tough for everyone, even Bowman, who prides herself on being a “glass half full” person. Festivals are a huge part of her life and watching them being cancelled during the pandemic, one after another, has been heartbreaking, she says.
She was supposed to present coverage from Isle of Wight, Glastonbury and TRNSMT Festival this summer, and her husband was due to perform at more than 20 festivals across Europe.
“It makes me really sad, to be honest,” she says, reflecting on the future of festivals. “There’s nothing like when you’re driving towards that site, you can almost hear the bass, and you start to smell that slightly weird, but comforting smell.”
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Despite Covid-19, she presented some remote festival coverage and “best of” clips this summer, but says it was “a really weird, bittersweet experience”. Now, her friends in the industry are all asking the same question: “How are we going to be able to open the gates to festivals next year if it’s still the way it is?”
“That just puts a weight on my heart, not just because I work at festivals, but because I love going to them,” she says. “I can’t see the future yet for it and that’s really scary.”
Another big challenge during the pandemic was homeschooling her children, which Bowman says was quite full-on. “It’s interesting, because you have a relationship with your kids, and your teachers have a relationship with them, and that’s a different kind of relationship,” she says.
“So to suddenly be their parent and their teacher, it does shift your relationship slightly and that was a challenge.”
The period was made harder by the fact that Bowman’s parents are still based in Scotland. She managed to see them for the first time last week, after last visiting her mum in February and her dad at Christmas.
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“It was so emotional seeing my dad after that length of time,” she says. “They stayed for 10 days and then went back up to Scotland. I haven’t cried like that for such a long time, when I was waving them off. It was really, really hard.”
With everything she’s learned in her lifetime and career, what would she tell that confused 20-something now? “Maybe just to cut down on the Jack Daniels and coke just a little bit,” she jokes. “But I wouldn’t massively change anything. I’d probably tell myself it’s going to be alright.
“I’m really happy with who I am and it’s taken me a while to get there.”
The Play Next podcast, presented by Edith Bowman in partnership with BMW, is available from Wednesday 12 August on all major streaming platforms.
In What Works For Me – a series of articles considering how we can find balance in our lives – we talk to people about wellbeing and self-care.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-10--Kate Garraway Discusses 'Difficult Balance' Of Returning To Work While Her Husband Remains Ill

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Kate Garraway has admitted to feeling conflicted about having returned to work on Good Morning Britain while her husband Derek Draper remains in a “minimally conscious state”.
Back in April, Kate took a break from her presenting duties when her husband of 15 years, with whom she has two children, was taken to intensive care after contracting Covid-19.
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Since then, she has revealed that Derek is now “Covid-free”, although he is still in intensive care, where he is suffering from the damage the illness has caused to his health.
Having now returned to work at the helm of GMB, Kate spoke to co-host Adil Ray during Monday’s live broadcast that while she’s happy to “keep going so Derek has a life to go come back to”, it isn’t always something she finds easy.
Derek and Kate in Australia last year, shortly after she left the I'm A Celebrity jungle James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock
“He’s very much still with us,” she explained. “There seems to be different challenges every week.
“I feel conscious of not [talking about it on air]. I know everybody’s been so lovely, and is really concerned for him, and it’s difficult, isn’t it? Because there’s so many people out there with people who are sick, that you don’t want to talk about it on Good Morning Britain all the time because then it’s, like, not cheering up everybody that’s trying to cope with Covid.
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“But on the other hand, last week when we were having fun and games, you feel almost bad, because you think ‘oh, I’m laughing and he’s still there’, you know? In a kind of minimally conscious state. And it’s a difficult balance.”
Kate continued: “It was a worrying week last week. He’s still got lots of challenges, challenges involving food, challenges with everything, his lungs, with everything. And we just want him to wake up. But the nurses are putting this show on in the morning, for him, in the hope that it might trigger something. But it’s a waiting game, really.”
Adil Ray speaks to Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain ITV
She added: “At least I’m lucky that I’ve got the chance to wait, because he’s still with us. And lots of people haven’t got that.”
Towards the end of last month, Kate shared a hopeful update about Derek’s condition, revealing that nurses putting on Good Morning Britain in his room on a morning appeared to have made him more “focused and engaged”.
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