SCARFY IS HERE TO SAVE YOUR DAY ;D

Original, funny, and yet also extremely moving in places, Mackenzie Crook’s new sitcom, Small Prophets, is a modern-day masterpiece. ‘The rise of magic realism in TV reflects society’s increased frustration with reality’, a definition listed in a 2022 article by Tim Hawking. The beauty of Small Prophets is that it illustrates this in abundance. Against a backdrop of realistic situations and…

A blog that argues that the black comedy After Life, should have ended in its prime after series 2. Disappointing third series Having just finished watching the third series of After Life by Ricky Gervais, I am left feeling somewhat disappointed. The third series dragged, was a bit corny, and it sort of ran out of puff. This is in contrast to the first two series that were exceptional. TV…

One of the best days of my life It is not hyperbole to state that May 15th, 2025, was one of the best days of my life so far. This was the day I gave my first ever OCD talk at Staffordshire University, to a class of 20-odd trainees doing a Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I was extremely nervous because I wanted it to go so well, I wanted to repay the faith shown in me by…

A new lived experience expert Monday, March 10th, 2025, a day that will be etched in my memory till the end of my days. You see, this was my first day working in the field of mental health, namely as a new lived experience expert at Keele University. It was some turnaround bearing in mind 15-20 years ago I could barely go out of my house. My OCD past I got diagnosed with severe OCD aged 17 but…

Just as I was starting to think my old chronic pelvic pain problem was a thing I needed to completely forget about, wham, it came back and hit me where it hurts last December time. Step forward my specialist pelvic floor physiotherapist Helen Shepherd. This wonderful medical professional has given me hope like I have never had before. I am too scared to say this out loud just quite yet, but I…

Just over a decade ago, I no longer wanted to be here due to my severe contamination OCD. Fast-forward to Saturday, 15 February 2025, where I saw Starsailor at The Tung Auditorium in Liverpool. It’s proof at how far I have come in terms of my OCD recovery. Motivation remains the key for me. I wanted to go and see one of my favourite bands in a city I love. I was moved to tears listening to…

Last Tuesday, for once in my life I received good health news. My sore fingers are just chilblains the doctor said. What if he is wrong though, because they have been in the past?    My health record Type 1 diabetes OCD Prostatitis Spondylolisthesis Lymphoedema Chronic Pelvic Pain Sinus surgery Gallbladder surgery Hernia surgery Sciatica I am scared to believe in my good health news,…

This is going to be a short piece of audio where I give you a life update regarding my chronic pelvic pain situation, some mental health work I will be doing soon, and me being nervous about a medical appointment I have next Tuesday.

Finally admitting to the world, I hate being a straight, single, middle-aged man, living in Britain. ‘I am going to fall in love this year.’ This has been my same New Year’s resolution for the past 20 years or more, can you believe? At one point I almost gave up, but I am a good guy and know I deserve to find happiness. Ill health So, why am I still single you may ask? It is because in my…

A blog that celebrates my great self-care of my type 1 diabetes. Unexpected news ‘I am ringing-up about your diabetes’, said my diabetic nurse to me at around 10.30am today. I took a big gulp and braced myself for the worst. The worst did not happen though because her next words were, ‘your average has come down to 58, you’re doing really well.’ No longer feel like a prisoner I felt…

A blog about the trauma of getting prostatitis again, but how I am determined not to let it ruin everything this time around. Panic At age 48, my whole world came crashing down around me just before last Christmas time. I got a prostate infection called prostatitis and severe pelvic pain again, for the first time in over 25 years. I thought the living nightmare of this illness was…

We need to celebrate the resuscitation of event TV because it unites us as a nation. Event TV is where you watch a much publicised TV show on the date it is broadcast, so you are then part of the ongoing conversation. It made a big comeback at the end of last year, as BBC One had the top ten viewed programmes on Christmas Day. Gavin & Stacey was watched by a reported 12.32 million…

Intense grief, brotherhood, and sex Intermezzo, the fourth novel by critically acclaimed Irish author Sally Rooney, is an absolute triumph that explores the impact of grief, family conflict, and unconventional relationships. Having never read a novel by Sally Rooney before, I therefore came to it with little preconceived ideas about what to expect. Sure, I had heard bits about how her much…

Well. You know you make me wanna shout Time to shout from the rooftops about my joy of using the FreeStyle Libre 2 Sensor by Abbott. It has completely revolutionised my type 1 diabetes care, and so had such a positive impact upon my life. If using this product has taught me one thing then it is to always embrace change, never fear it! Waiting 120 seconds for a blood glucose reading Hello, I am…

Last week I went on my first holiday in over thirty years. This was a huge achievement for me because I once suffered from severe contamination OCD. I broke from the shackles of this debilitating illness and proved to everybody (as well as myself), just how far I have come in my recovery journey. In 2018, my recovery journey featured in a press article and at the end of this article the…

DeWitt, at his most poignant, brilliant best! If you want a novel full of murders, laughter, or sex, then take a look elsewhere. However, if you want a read that is full of poignancy and gripping emotion, then The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt, is an absolute must read. DeWitt has yet again proved he is one of the greatest fiction writers of his generation. As titles go, you might think The…