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On turning 39 - They say that the best years of a woman’s life are the ten years between 39 and 40. The implication being that women feel compelled to claim we’re 39 for … Continue Reading On turning 39

Making up is hard to do - Lockdown has changed all of us in different ways, big and small. Many of us will be shopping locally, adjusting our travel habits and feeling a renewed gratitude for things … Continue Reading Making up is hard to do

The truth about racism in Wales - When I moved to Cardiff in 2003, it was to work in an office at the bottom end of Bute Street, the main artery connecting the city centre to the … Continue Reading The truth about racism in Wales

Remember – A note from Spring 2020 - Dear Sara, Remember Easter Sunday, alone on a hilltop overlooking the city. Birdsong drowning out the sound of the very occasional car. A city that is sun-drenched and cloudless. Eerily … Continue Reading Remember – A note from Spring 2020

When this is all over - Am I the only one starting most of my sentences with the words “when this is all over”? It’s day 13 of lockdown for my son and me after he … Continue Reading When this is all over

Calais in the time of Coronavirus: Stories from the front line of the refugee crisis -   Aneta Kawecka is a Polish-born ethical fashion stylist now based in Paris, France. She is a wonderful human being I am proud to call a friend.  Aneta has just … Continue Reading Calais in the time of Coronavirus: Stories from the front line of the refugee crisis

Festivals, Socrates and me - As you read this, I will be luxuriating in a birthday hot tub, knocking back cheap fizz, encrusted in glitter and hairspray. Where will I be lapping up such luxuries? … Continue Reading Festivals, Socrates and me

The mixtape is dead. Long live the mixtape! - It all started with Lee Davies*, on our annual church coach trip to the seaside, sometime in the early 90s. “Here, have a listen to this”, he enthusiastically commanded, shoving … Continue Reading The mixtape is dead. Long live the mixtape!

On finding my green fingers… - This column first appeared in The Western Mail on Saturday 22nd June 2019. As a kid, I’d watch my parents spend hours making up hanging baskets together. They’d sit on … Continue Reading On finding my green fingers…

Harder now that it’s over: An open letter to Ryan Adams - Dear Ryan, I’m not in the habit of writing open letters to famous singer-songwriters who will never read them. But I’ve been feeling so angry, and disappointed, today. Actually, disappointed … Continue Reading Harder now that it’s over: An open letter to Ryan Adams