Hayfever might be something you find ruining your picnic and making you feel grotty, but what is it, and why does it happen? Hayfever (also referred to as seasonal allergies or allergic rhinitis) is the allergy to pollen, affecting 10-30% of people during the warmer months. Some of the symptoms include: Runny/Blocked Nose Itchy/swollen eyes […]

Having made quite a name for himself in the cult Netflix show Sex Education, Ncuti Gatwa was proclaimed the 14th Time Lord last week.  The Rwandan born actor who moved to Scotland when a mere two years old is replacing Jodie Whittaker, who played the show’s first female doctor. The Writer Speaks A far cry […]

Daisy Jones and The Six is the story of fictional musicians in the seventies. And I very much recommend this book to anyone in a slump or wanting to procrastinate before exams (like me!) Written in interview snippets we, learn the ups and downs, the good and bad of how the band was formed. There […]

It is very rare that a celebrity has as much success with their first name as they do their surname when riding solo with each. But for the Bajan born songstress and now beauty mogul, Rhianna Fenty,  both names carry as much weight individually as they do combined. Hear her voice Her first name is […]

Pregnancy and Childbirth are considered among the most precious times in a person’s life. But for some women, it can be a scary occasion. In the UK, compared to white women, black women are four times as likely to die in childbirth and during the post-partum period. Asian women are twice as likely. For years, […]

Royal Tours are usually done to show the monarchy in their element – shaking hands, doing fun little stunts so we can see they are human and giving speeches to uplift a cause. But the Caribbean Tour, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was, to put it lightly, a disaster. It was already known that […]

What does Reality TV mean to you? Do you associate it with the concept of truth? Or perhaps screaming celebrities bent on jealousy and arrogance? Either way, I’ve watched reality television for a while now, and have grounded myself in real life enough to know that there are no two things with a greater difference. […]

Bridgerton season two is here and the period drama has received wide praise yet again. But what really excited many about this season is the introduction of the Sharmas – Kathani ‘Kate’ Sharma, her younger sister Edwina Sharma and Mary Sharma. It was exciting for many to see the details of Indian culture – from […]

For many, The Troubles in Ireland and their peak in the 1960s remain unknown and unspoken. The atrocities committed by the British in border counties like Fermanagh, Derry and cities like Belfast still affect Irish society today; with areas separated by ‘peace walls’ between Protestant and Catholic communities to prohibit further tensions. Despite the Good […]

Prince’s debut album, For You, gets overlooked as it doesn’t have the progressive rock and synth-pop fusion his later works have, like Purple Rain, or 1999. However, at 19, Prince engineered this entire album on his own and demonstrated his immense musical talents from the start. The titular song on the album, For You, kicks […]

Dearest readers, welcome back. Bridgerton series two is out now and if you’re anything like me, you’ll have spent eight hours in bed binge-watching before allowing it to consume your being. (Ha, see what I did there…) If you didn’t do that – worry not, there’s plenty to look forward to. And plenty to think […]

Another day, another J.K Rowling tweet. Yay. The highly successful children’s author has criticised Labour leader Keir Starmer for saying trans women are women, under the Equalities Act. Starmer also added in this interview that a “more considered, respectful, tolerant debate about these issues” is needed. I’m guessing Rowling saw that part and also objected […]

This year’s International Women’s Day was focussed on breaking the gender bias. The organisers called on us all to imagine a world free of prejudice. A world that is free of biases, stereotypes and discrimination against women. The UN’s theme is gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow, focusing on advancing gender equality in the […]

With the release of her latest album Laurel Hell, Mitski has solidified herself as one of the best singer-songwriters of the past decade. From her gorgeously grating 2012 debut Lush, to her critically acclaimed latest work, including the smash hit Puberty 2 and personal favourite Be The Cowboy, the Japanese-American star has paved the way […]

We are six days into the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. While a lot of effort is being made to help Ukraine – from economic sanctions to aid – some efforts have been rather unhelpful. The British Home Office is not waiving visa requirements for all Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, which isn’t surprising. But they […]

The Killers’ latest album Pressure Machine was released August 2021, so soon after their 2020 release Imploding the Mirage. A concept album and ode to frontman Brandon Flowers’ hometown of Nephi, Utah— the ‘Mormon capital’ of the USA— the track serves stories of different people from the town in flash recordings at the beginning and […]

I love a good Netflix documentary – true crime is a guilty pleasure and this one will have you yelling at the screen. The Tinder Swindler tells the story of Shimon Hayut, who used the name, Simon Leviev, a conman who seduced women on Tinder and conned them out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. […]

Mitski is finally back, releasing her sixth studio album Laurel Hell on 4 February. After four years away from the spotlight, her latest release embraces uncertainty and explores typical themes heard in Mitski’s previous work, such as unrequited love and emotional turmoil, but with a greater sense of urgency. The album opens strongly, with the […]

This week in the beautiful town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, an ugly yet familiar tale of abuse in universities emerged. Three Harvard graduates are suing the university for allegedly ignoring the sexual harassment of students by a professor who they said threatened their academic careers if they reported him. The professor, John Comaroff, was sanctioned by […]

On Friday the 11th of February, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. My science teachers have been encouraging us all to write a piece commemorating overlooked women in science.  Nettie Stevens Nettie Stevens was an American geneticist who suggested that chromosomes were responsible for determining sex. Through her studies on […]

Tonight will see the 2022 Brit Awards ceremony taking place at the O2 Arena, in London. Playing host this year is none other than Mo Gilligan and the event will be televised live on ITV for those wanting to watch a who’s who in popular music battle for a coveted award. With performances from the […]

Manchester United football player Mason Greenwood has been arrested on suspicion of rape, with further investigations into sexual assault and threats to kill ongoing. It came after footage was posted on social media alleging incidents of violence. There is a focus on how Mason Greenwood’s career has been ruined by these allegations. It looks at how […]

On the 14th of January, Netflix released Ricky Gervais’ much anticipated third season of After Life. With the first two seasons of After Life becoming extremely popular among Netflix users, does season three live up to the hype surrounding its release? Featuring six new episodes, After Life continues to explore Ricky Gervais’ Tony Johnson as he […]

I am sure that everyone has some recollection of the carefree days of their own childhood; when days would seem longer, our imaginations were endless and when our ideas seemed “awesome” all of the time despite it sometimes being a tiny bit dangerous. In a way, it was as if every day was a new […]

A Monster Calls is one of the most renowned books of the 21st century. Patrick Ness, its author and flame-carrier, is just as renowned. There is a reason for that. A Monster Calls is one of the most moving, brilliantly executed, and informative novels I’ve read in a while. I’m possibly too old to be considered the target […]

The fashion world lost one of its most iconic contemporary designers this week. Thierry Mugler, 73, was ‘the’ designer who overstepped boundaries and adorned some of the most recognised bodies in popular culture. Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, David Bowie, Demi Moore and countless more called on him throughout his tenure as a designer. His […]

Amy Winehouse needs no introduction. As the most recent addition to the 27 Club, the songstress established herself with her debut album Frank and went on to seal her musical significance with her second album, Back to Black. While the media honed in on her off-stage antics during her short-lived career, there was no denying […]

I may sound like an incessant English teacher– but reading really is so beneficial for everyone. Reading for just 30 minutes per day can help reduce stress, improve your memory, and increase your vocabulary. The escapism that novels can offer is comforting, and through reading, you truly learn so much more about yourself and the […]

Following the lifting of lockdown restrictions, charity shops have been overwhelmed with donations flooding in. Households had plenty of time to have a thorough sort out of their old or unwanted possessions. January is also a good time to consider having a proper tidy up of your room. Christmas time can often be a bit […]

During the pandemic, the impact of Covid on schools, students and education has been a constant concern. It’s not only education that’s taken a hit. Covid has affected relationships, mental health and the way students view their learning over the last two years. Online Lessons The first lockdown came as a bit of a surprise, […]

Recently, social media influencer Molly-Mae Hague has come under fire for her beliefs on hard work and material wealth. In a podcast episode of Diary of a CEO, Hague shares shares that she believes “we all have the same 24 hours in a day” and, therefore, the onus of how our lives shape up to be […]

As with every new year, 2022 has brought with it an onslaught of hope and motivation for self improvement. Energised by this fresh start, 1 in 7 of us have decided to set ourselves a new year’s resolution or two. Right now, in the middle of January, we’re witness to the rare sliver of time […]

It has been an interesting few weeks for tennis’ world No1, Novak Djokovic. Usually, we would be discussing the odds of him winning the Australian Open. But now we’re discussing if he will be even allowed to compete. Bear with me, it’s a long story with a lot of twists and turns. Last week, he […]

The Color Purple feels strange to write in American English. It would feel somehow wrong and a disservice to such a touching, thoughtful, and pure novel to add that “u” into the title, though. So, I won’t. Alice Walker’s writing is uniquely American, in the same way that Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird carries that […]

Colour is everywhere. Aside from those who are legally blind or monochromatically colour blind, the overwhelming presence of colour may seem obvious. That is how light works after all. However, a lot of the colours we see in everyday life are not accidental – someone engineered them for a purpose. The bold, energetic colours of […]

Arsenal F.C. will debut a custom, all-white kit as part of a collaborative anti-knife crime campaign called ‘No More Red’. The team will play in the kit for the first time this Sunday, during their FA Cup match against Nottingham Forest. No More Red is described by Arsenal as a “long term commitment… to tackle […]

Starring Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfield and Florence Pugh, 2021’s Hawkeye series was no exception in Marvel’s mission to enhance our love for some of our favourite characters, as well as seamlessly introducing new ones. Set in and around the holidays, we see Clint Barton attempt to live a normal life despite the tragic aftermath of […]

The Department for Education announced on 1 January that masks will be mandatory in classrooms for secondary school students. While people were expecting new rules after the Christmas break, many are angry about this new measure, and perhaps rightly so. While mask-wearing is something we’ve all had to get used to over the last two […]

Last week, Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of trafficking and grooming multiple young women, assisting the notorious paedophile and child trafficker Jeffery Epstein. This trial was the culmination of her dodging the police and FBI after Epstein’s death and accusations that she had been his right-hand woman in his trafficking of young, vulnerable girls. But […]

The long-awaited third instalment of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy, No Way Home, has exceeded all expectations. Starring alongside Holland is Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Benedict Cumberbatch, with Marvel allowing audiences to fall further in love with their favourite characters. No Way Home follows on from the 2019 release Far From Home, in which villain Mysterio reveals Spider-Man’s […]