I awoke to the sound of a neighbours heeled shoes clippety clopping on the hard driveway, the noise deafened me, she was exchanging pleasantries with another neighbour, talking loudly about the sunshine, laughing, the car door slammed shut, the engine revved and she was gone. All of those sounds had created a cacophony of audio… Continue reading Living Undercover (A message for Mental Health Awareness Week)
Rocking My Way Back Home- reflections on the Many Voices Conference
On Tuesday 2nd April I attended NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers)Girls and Autism Many Voices Conference in London. It was my first conference relating to autism just six weeks post diagnosis aged 56, in fact it was my first formal experience of being in a public place for a whole day since my devastating… Continue reading Rocking My Way Back Home- reflections on the Many Voices Conference
Thinking in Riddles
It was such a privilege to speak on the BBC Radio London Saturday Breakfast Show with my friends Carrie and David Grant alongside Francesca Happe, Neuroscientist and Sarah-Jane Critchley, educator in autism. It’s surreal being around people who know about autism because as a newly diagnosed woman I’m like a sponge wanting to soak it… Continue reading Thinking in Riddles
International Women’s Day 2019- The Colour Blue (for the women who never knew)
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t concern myself with the infinity of space or the concept of eternity, these are elements of life that have travelled with me through time, since I was born. Neither can I recall a moment in my life when I haven’t been overwhelmed by the suffering of others… Continue reading International Women’s Day 2019- The Colour Blue (for the women who never knew)
In the Name of ‘Normal’ (the story of a broken fence)
It is this time of year when the memories of being broken come flooding back and respectfully I acknowledge them and can now gently embrace them as valuable jewels in my life. In a few weeks time it will be three years since my mum died, two years since I went missing, since walking to… Continue reading In the Name of ‘Normal’ (the story of a broken fence)
A Christmas Reflection on The Missing People Choir and Charity
On Monday evening my wife and I had the privilege of attending the Missing People Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald OBE. Less than 5 minutes from where I was found in the Spring of 2017, transferred from a police car into a police van with wire mesh… Continue reading A Christmas Reflection on The Missing People Choir and Charity
The Storms that Follow us
Its World Mental Health Day 2018, a poignant title for an all encompassing lived experience for many. I would usually perhaps share a quote or a photo or make a comment about the importance of awareness but as the years change so am I changing and it feels right this year to be a little… Continue reading The Storms that Follow us
