We need more charity shops on our high streets, not less, and here’s why

It’s thought by many that a high street full of charity shops is a high street that is dying. Yet, with plastic pollution damaging wildlife at an all time high, and the fashion industry being responsible for 10% of all of humanity’s carbon emmisions, they’ve never been more needed.

For me, there’s no thrill like charity shopping. Sifting through scarfs, hats and bandanas in an effort to find that golden (bargain) piece. Or scanning every rail to discover something that you’d never imagine leaving with. The unpredictability that you get in charity shops can’t be replicated in your bog-standard store.

A couple of months ago my Nan admitted that she’d be embarrassed if she were to shop in charity shops when she was my age (ironically, she now works in one.) This generational shift in attitude, like many others, was much needed.

Undoubtedly, my favourite place to clothes shop is in charity shops. Purchasing clothes from them is some sort of weird achievement for me – great for my purse, the environment and of course for good causes.

Here’s a few of my favourite charity shop finds:

 

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High street stores move constantly with trends, every bit of clothing replaced swiftly and ruthlessly. That could explain why last summer, it was estimated that Brits spent £2.7b on outfits they’ll on wear once.

This figure is frankly shocking when we live on a planet that’s now suffering desperately from the goods we relentlessly purchase, throw away and replace. Perhaps it should be our philanthropic duty to shop more in second-hand shops, and make more of an effort to reuse what we already have.

Charity shops aren’t typically known for housing the most fashionable or best quality pieces, often the opposite, but it’s an archaic stereotype that I think I’ve proven wrong in my previous pictures.

I’m also a true believer in it’s not always what you wear, but how you wear it: Fashion is completely what you make it. And with the boom of upcycling, dressing well on a budget is easy.

The average transaction value in a charity shop is just £4.05 and collectively, they raise more than £295m for good causes every year in the UK: it’s a complete win-win. And as every visit to a charity shop is a fashion history lesson in itself, the trip is always worthwhile.

I like to buy marmite items from charity shops – mainly because they can make interesting talking points. My mum and I have a joke that the more she hates an item of clothing I’ve bought, the more I like it. But regardless of what people think, if you can wear it with confidence, then you can pull it off.

Vintage shops and kilo sales are also ingenious ways to reduce clothing landfill. They can be messy, stressful and sweaty but they’re often full of hidden gems. I also haggle from time-to-time in vintage stores (students have got to do what they’ve got to do!)

The Worth the Weight vintage kilo sale is on at the cathedral today until 5pm. See you soon! pic.twitter.com/vchaYldNnD

— Bradford Cathedral (@Bfdcathedral) February 29, 2020

In 2018/19 339,000 tonnes of textiles alone were kept out of landfill as a result of charity retail in the UK. This is just one of the reasons why we need more charity shops on our high streets, not less. We should all be giving to them, using them and loving them a bit more.

 

Filmmaker Lindsey Dryden: ‘I’m deaf, my balance is sh*t and I have crap Internet’

Lindsey Dryden is on a roll. The producer and director skims quickly over her Oscar nomination, Emmy win and film festival awards, as she sips water from an exclusive Sundance Film Festival bottle. “I’m quite hungover,” she admits before reluctantly revealing that last night she celebrated yet another award – the Simon Relph Memorial Bursary. “It’s very uncomfortable telling you about the work that I’ve done,” she says with a half-smile, shifting around in her chair.

We won an Emmy! So proud of our whole beautiful team + honoured to have produced this film, telling Kai and @shappleyk’s extraordinary story. To trans folks everywhere: we say with our films + our presence at the #Emmys2019 that all trans people are valued and will not be erased pic.twitter.com/IqwbarnjpJ

— Lindsey Dryden (@Lindsey_Dryden) September 25, 2019

 Life hasn’t always been cameras and clapperboards for Lindsey, who was previously a researcher and guide on whale and dolphin research boats. She had a desire to work with people, so she swapped sea life for human life and set out to find stories that strayed from the norm. And in her Sundance award-winning feature documentary, ‘Unrest,’ she finds just that. Released in 2017, the film features what she calls “people on the margins.” Through telling their story, she hands us a window into their world.

Her passion for telling the stories of unusual people was inspired by the independent films she began to watch as a student at Goldsmiths University. Much of mainstream television has left a bitter taste in her mouth. Fleabag? She’s not a fan. “[the show] doesn’t motivate me at all. It’s great… except if you look at the economics of the people who made that, they’re super rich.”

Growing up in a working class family, with no connections to the film industry, she admits: “Money is the biggest barrier of my career. Unless you’re rich you can’t keep taking risks. It’s not the survival of the fittest, it’s survival of the richest.” She isn’t self-piteous, no, instead she beams a sort of captivating humility. With few connections and little money, Lindsey had to find a way to tell stories without the safety net of a glamorous budget.

 In 2011, she set up Little by Little Films, a small production company in Gloucestershire that specialises in projects run by LGBTQ people. “I wanted to tell stories about people who were perceived as different or unusual, or weird or odd. I want to tell stories about the other.” She seemed to have an insatiable appetite for giving voices to those who so often can’t be heard. Through telling her story she exposes not only her passion to make a difference, but also some introspection for her own struggles as a disabled queer woman: “I’m deaf, my balance is shit and I have crap internet,” she grins.   

Lindsey radiates some sort of infectious attitude. I can’t put my finger on it, but it makes you want to do something. The filmmaker’s altruism delves deeper than what she shows on-screen. As well as being a university lecturer, she’s involved in a project that helps mid-career female filmmakers, who’re financially vulnerable, tell their stories through film.

She’s also worked with all queer and all female crews. Talking with a sense of philanthropic duty, Lindsey is hyper-aware of her ability to change the industry from the inside. “I’m interested in redressing problematic balances because the film industry has historically been completely dominated by certain people, I’m interested in how to make that different. That’s about women, that’s about people of colour, that’s about disabled people.”

 But her success hasn’t come without regrets or mistakes. She looks down at her wrist tattoo, a cluster of faded stars. “I wanted to prove to myself that it’s absolutely fine to make a permanent mistake on your own body. And I was right,” she giggled. She had a sense of daring impulsiveness that meant she took risks and laughed at herself in the process. After all, that was the point of the tattoo. The rest of her ink? She wouldn’t tell. Cryptic and a little pretentious – what you’d hope for whilst in the company of a filmmaker.

 The risks she took don’t just show on her body, they reflect in her work. Emmy-winner ‘Trans in America,’ released in 2018, is a controversial and edgy documentary that shows the struggles of American trans people. Lindsey’s drive to tell these kinds of stories is because “everybody wants to have a voice and be heard.”

The biggest regret in her career? “Not being as confident as I should have been, not having as much faith in myself as I should have. Not being confident about money and how to raise it. I come from a background of no money so I’m scared of it… I don’t know what to do with it,” she giggles, more nervously this time.  

“I have a rule for myself. There has to be a story happening that’s happening whether I’m there or not. Stories have to drive themselves.” She hinted at straying away from documentaries and into the world of fiction in the future. She remains ambiguous about that one, there’s more of a ‘watch this space’ kind of tone. Her journey continues, and we’ll all be eagerly watching.

  

Like it or not, we’re in a climate emergency and Greta Thunburg isn’t backing down

Not all superheros wear capes – some wear pigtails and yellow raincoats. For Greta Thunberg, a climate activist barely pushing 17, her impassioned message is spreading like wildfire.

Standing at hardly 5ft tall on Bristol’s College Green, her message was clear: Time is running out. “The world is on fire,” she warns. “Adults are acting like children.” A swarm of young people marched through the downpour along the centre, marching behind the Swedish activist, both for the future of the planet – and for the people on it.

The march she led was powerful. The miserable conditions refused to dampen the spirits of 15,000 people who chanted together across the city. The Greta Thunberg effect created an energy and passion amongst the crowd that was infectious and inspiring. But this was only a bubble, and on the outside, many are enraged by her movement.

Just a crank, fronting a grift, selling a lie.

I'll not be lectured by a skiving kid on any topic.

BBC News – Greta Thunberg climate strike: 'The world is on fire' https://t.co/xDAc1VnsyB

— Post Brexit Gavlaaaaaaa (@donnantwich) February 28, 2020

After a day of protesting, chanting, encouragement and empowerment, coming home to a Twitter storm of hate can make it seem like we’re fighting a losing battle. What is it about a young girl with Asperger’s syndrome and plaits that the right hate so much?

But climate activists have a clear message, and this march made people hear it whether they like it or not.

The mood at the protest was ambivalent, swinging between hope and positivity, to anger and fear. One of the founders of Bristol Strike for Climate cheered about the rejected proposal for an expansion of Bristol Airport, and other steps that the council has taken to make it a greener city. 

Yet, there was also something so poignant about all of it. The climate crisis has forced children to protest for their lives.  Many young school children stood with their parents, unable to fully comprehend the seriousness of why they were amongst the crowd – their only power lied in their little voices that shouted: “Hey-Ho Climate change has got to go” and the cardboard messages swaying above them.

 Although impossible to predict when, the climate tipping point is likely to happen far sooner than scientists thought ten years ago. These are the environmental changes that may seem marginal but in fact will have catastrophic results. According to researchers at Exeter University, some tipping points will be breached if the Earth heats up by just one degree C. The loss of ice sheets cause the sea levels to rise, an upward trend that’s persisted for the last century but accelerated in past decades. And as 30% of the global population live on low-lying coasts, the potential damage is terrifying. 

 Meanwhile, a recent UN report revealed that the United States, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, Canada, Australia and other countries plan to produce 120 percent more fossil fuels by 2030. Those same governments agreed to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees C under the Paris climate agreement: It’s just business as usual for those in charge.

 World leaders aren’t the only people averse to the climate change movement. Twitter trolls have buried themselves deep into the comments section of news stories about Greta.

@GretaThunberg awwwww you won't make it? That really to bad. Maybe you'll get sick and never make it to another country. Your not welcome anywhere you go. Your an idiot https://t.co/aNEcbZFUrV

— Milo Lewis (@MiloDLewis) March 11, 2020

There’s an overarching ‘don’t tell me what to do little girl’ kind of attitude (overwhelmingly, but not surprisingly, from men.) One leader of this rhetoric being from President Donald Trump – He said that Greta needed to “work on her anger management problem” and “chill.” Before that, the Brazilian prime minister dismissed her as a “brat.” And a little closer to home is Boris Johnson, who didn’t even show his face to Channel 4’s Climate Debate…

The more that these people bury their head in the sand, the clearer the science becomes. And after all, there will be no economy on a dead planet. 

Reading through the comments section and even turning on the TV to watch politicians blatantly ignore the science is somewhat heart-breaking. But Greta Thunberg is refusing to step down, and nor are her followers. She told British Vogue: “To my critics I say, spend your time doing something else, because this isn’t going to lead anywhere – you’re not going to achieve anything.” 

 It’s with this hope that her supporters are reassured that climate activists won’t be backing down. Although the science can seem hopeless, times are changing as the world slowly starts to wake up.

 Parliament, along with other local authorities across the world, has declared a climate emergency – even veganism has risen by 350% in the past decade. As more and more people become aware of the climate emergency, the greater the pressure will be on governments to enforce changes that will slow down the process of climate change.

 As Greta stares at the crowd with her yellow raincoat now unintentionally her signature, all mumbled conversation falls silenced by her words.

We’re all forced to think of the future of the planet and of its inhabitants. But the relentless tenacity of Greta and other climate activists give us much needed hope in a climate that’s never been more uncertain.

Punk bands raise money for Cheltenham food bank

The Frog and Fiddle pub are welcoming a night of punk rock on Saturday, in aid of a Cheltenham food bank. The crowd are encouraged to bring along food such as pasta and rice pudding, to support the charity.

Ska punk band Slagerji will be headlining the fundraiser, followed by three other bands: Borrowed Time, Chinese Burn and King’s Alias, who are based around Gloucestershire.

The pub, situated on Cheltenham’s High Street, will be accepting cash and food donations on the night.

The event’s organiser, Oliver Roylance, said on the Facebook event group that: “The foodbank are most in need of foods such as: pasta, mash potato mix, canned veg, canned fruit, canned meat, sponge puddings, rice pudding, custard and jelly – please no soup, beans or cereals.”

Speaking to Park Life News, Oliver said: “in the run up to the latest general election a lot of news stories were coming out about people, especially young families, that are on the poverty line and below and having to use food banks. These resources are in such high demand […] it was something that us at The Frog and Fiddle were keen to help out with in any way that we could.”

Guitarist from headliners Slagerij, Martin Montier, said: “Even though we are not from Cheltenham, the town has been amazing to our band over the years and we have made some brilliant friends there so it’s awesome to be able to help towards putting something back for their community by playing punk rock! This kind of activity should be encouraged more across the country as some people and families are seriously desperate and hard up in these times. Punks care about the community!”

Ellmer Thudd, a member of the band ‘Borrowed Time’ said: “Primarily all the bands playing at the Punks against Poverty event are doing so for the benefit of those unfortunate folks who have to rely on charitable events/people to help them along in life. Punk has always had a long tradition of selflessness and a ‘we’re all in it together’ attitude, perhaps something that is lacking in broader society these days. All the bands appearing have a long track record of supporting charitable causes. We go along, play our music, hopefully entertain those who attend, and raise money for the causes that need it whether that’s people or animals.”

Doors open at 7pm on Saturday 18th. It’s an 18+ event and tickets are £5. Advance tickets are available to purchase online from: wegottickets.com/frogandfiddle

You can find out more about Cheltenham Foodbank here: cheltenham.foodbank.org.uk

Jazzy Heath: ‘The world keeps getting bigger and bigger!’

Few 22 year-olds are able to do what Jazzy Heath has done, whose life has been a whirlwind over the past four years. The young singer speaks to me from her Tokyo home, where she sleeps, eats and creates her own music.

I only speak to her through a screen, but her company is compelling. There’s a little twinkle in her eye that glimmers underneath her endearing brown pixie-cut. She’s excited about her debut album, ‘World Of My Own,’ a reflection of her experiences: friendship, love, childhood and veganism to name but a few. “I’ve always written my own music, since I was 6. It always just came very naturally to me as a kind of stress relief. I don’t think I could stop, even if I wanted to.”

Growing up on the Isle of Wight, her childhood was encompassed in a pocket-sized world, as she says in one of her songs. With a population of just over 140,000, Jazzy’s view of the world was blinkered until her move to the University in Gloucestershire: “[Going to university] opened my mind to how big the world actually is. When you live in such a small place, that becomes your world, so moving to Gloucester made me realise that there’s so much more than just what I knew.” After she graduated she became determined to release her album in another country. So now she finds herself in Tokyo, producing music by herself using the skills she mastered at university. And when she’s not making her own music, she’s teaching it to a Kindergarten class in an International school.

“The world keeps getting bigger and bigger!” She giggles. After finishing uni in 2018, Jazzy’s next career step was unorthodox: “I lived in this purple ambulance that I was converting with my dad. It became my home and my music studio. There were no buses to get anywhere so I’d be stuck in this run down ambulance. I’d be there with my electric heater and make music all day. It was a really rough way of living, but I wanted to experience living in it.” Life is different now, drastically different it seems, but music has always been her comfort blanket, wrapped around her wherever she finds herself in the world.

The reality of making such a big decision set in fairly soon after her move: “I didn’t know anyone. I made the decision, I made the album, I got a job, I booked a flight and then I just went. It wasn’t until I was here (Tokyo) that I was like oh my god… what have I done.”

“I had a really dark few months last year because I realised how much of a big decision this is. I felt overwhelmed, I hardly knew anyone. I felt like I lost my purpose. I had to look inward and that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t come to Japan.” One of her lyrics “I don’t know what I’m feeling now’ tells us this. Her stories are a mirror of her songs, a rare honest authenticity.

Jazzy stands out from the noise of the mainstream not only through her songs, but also her take on female empowerment. She questions the movement to take clothes off as a sign of feminism saying: “For some people that may be genuinely how it is, but I feel that a lot of time in this industry, women are very over-sexualised and that really annoys me because I feel that women should wear whatever they want, just because they want to, not because it will get them more exposure.” Her style is a little more elegant, perhaps a little more in line with the culture she’s currently immersed in.

What are the female artists like in Japan? “It’s not sexualised as much because in Japan it’s more popular to be more cute, have doll-like faces and be very skinny. It’s harder in Japan to break through the mould because everything is controlled by the major companies.”

Japan holds the second largest music industry in the world, next to the US, and Jazzy has no plans to become mainstream in the country. “I don’t want to be signed to a major record label because I don’t want to lose the sense of freedom and sense of artistry that comes with music.”  It seems that keeping a true sense of self is more important than anything to Jazzy: “Some artists… I feel like they are churning out their music that’s personal to them, and it’s their art, but they play it over and over and then they’re just entertainment, rather than artists.”

So what about an end-goal? “I don’t think there’s ever an end goal, she says, laughing nervously. This last year has really taught me that I just want fulfilment, I just want to be happy and to make others happy. When I’m in the moment of making music, I’m happy. I have to make sure that I’m not defining myself by the outcome… as long as I can afford to live it’s fine… isn’t it?” I believe her, and I get it, but there’s a doubt in her voice. She hadn’t thought of that before.

Jazzy speaks about the ‘27 Club.’ Being in her 20s herself, she realises the possibility of falling victim to the industry and the inevitable pressures of being a star, if she ever became one. “People sell their souls to the industry, I think you have to lose yourself and become an entertainer when you’re truly an artist – they’re two very different things.”

I can see Jazzy Heath making music from her house until her last breath. She may not be the next Adele, and she doesn’t want to be, but she explains that making music is far more than just who listens to it. “I’m becoming successful in the sense that I’m so much happier and healthier than I was. Music? I’m not sure. I just keep working and I do my best. I’m not successful in the way that I have loads of followers but personally, I don’t measure success from followers,” she says casually.

So is there a gap in the Japanese music industry for her?  “Hahaa… we’ll see won’t we.” She smiles again, more nervously this time. “I believe there’s enough room for everyone.”

A Review of Our House by Cheltenham Operatic & Drama Society

 

The play plunges straight into what seems to be the 80s, with a medley of Madness songs, played by the brilliant on-stage band. The play then modernises but the musical ensemble remains a vital mood-setter throughout. Accompanying the cast, the well-known tunes bring a comforting nostalgia as the audience silently sings along to the much-loved Madness classics.

16 year-old wide-eyed protagonist, Joe Casey (Jamie Evans) breaks the law in an attempt to impress his girlfriend, Sarah (Olivia Facer). In a beautifully slick ‘Sliding Doors’ moment, Joe’s world splits in two – the teenager who runs away and the teenager who faces the consequences. It’s a moral dilemma that slowly unravels in front of the audience, who become spectators on a tumultuous journey of two fates.

Throughout, it’s clear that Evans has been perfectly cast. He plays the role of a young naïve boy, a money-driven yuppie and one who’s faced with the most difficult decisions. Each word is spoken with wonderful conviction and a compelling ‘Jack the Lad’ South London flair. Sarah is equally as watchable, her voice is captivating and she sings her numbers with the raw emotion of someone who’s also been forced to face difficult decisions. As always, their love stories aren’t easy but there’s something refreshingly dissimilar from the archetypal on-stage courtship that we’re used to in theatre.

Suitably named after one of their hit singles “Our House,” Madness’ music cements the action and aids the story-telling in such a way that’s been successful with ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘We Will Rock You.’ There isn’t a vast array of songs, which is disappointing considering the finesse of each musical number. However, the high standard of acting throughout makes this easily forgivable.

Although the play is certainly no comedy, Tim Firth’s ‘Our House’ is generously sprinkled with humour. Emmo and Lewis (Darren Garraghan and Michael Fay) offer us a much-needed break from the seriousness of the plot. They’re witty, uncomplicated and entertaining.

Director Tim Jones and choreographer Lucy Hill have used physical theatre in a way that beautifully encapsulates the two storylines. The use of black blocks is simple yet effective – it allows the audience to focus on the true meaning of the performance, without getting distracted by the allure of a big set. The production proves that there’s certainly no need for a glamorous stage design.

The low-key set makes room for some spectacular dancing. Each and every cast member throws his or her heart and soul into the performance with each jump, skip, slide and twist – not one drop of energy is spared and it’s mesmerising to watch.

The ending is indeed somewhat predictable, but to write a play that puts morality in the middle is no feeble move. Our House proves not only that this can be successful, but it can also teach us all about the consequences of choices we may make at some point in our lives. Everyone involved in the production has created a show that’s slick, imaginative and dares to be different – certainly a worthy watch.

 

A brand new bar, with a twist, is in town

As soon as you step foot in The Miller, it becomes clear that you’re in no ordinary bar. The venue in Cheltenham’s Bath Road has tables of people racing each other on Mario Kart, punters engrossed in games of Giant Jenga and there’s even the facility to hold an eight person FIFA game (pretty cool – right?) The Miller’s retro gaming offers something wonderfully nostalgic yet darishly modern.

And if this kind of gaming isn’t your forte, The Miller holds regular pub quizzes and gives you the chance to watch Live Sport on one of their large HD screens. 

Arguably better than the entertainment, though, is the menu. With meals starting at £4.95, and a generously-sized cocktail list starting off at £5.45, boozing while gaming has never been so cost effective.

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The Miller is the perfect place to unwind after work, or catch a quick (and reasonably-priced) bite on your lunch break. Perhaps you’re in need of a break from the office? Well, the £8 ‘desk jockey’ deal that includes bottomless coffee, lunch, a desk and super fast wifi allows the perfect alternative working environment. 

This swanky new bar is fun, unique and definitely worth a visit.

Chris Lilley’s Lunatics was an unexpected disaster

Starring as the main actor, producer and director in all of his critically acclaimed sketches, Chris Lilley was my favourite one-man band. So, when I sat down to watch his new Netflix show ‘Lunatics,’ I expected nothing other than his usual ingenious writing, slick directing and clever producing. Unfortunately, I watched the opposite unfold.

Amongst the bunch of Australian lunatics is Becky, an abnormally large teen, loveable but painfully naive. She’s relentlessly bullied by boys in baseball jackets (of course) and spends her day making her room look like a nursery classroom. 

Then there’s Quentin, an egotistical real estate agent who spends his father’s money like a kid who’s just discovered his parents’ Ebay. He’s arrogant, annoying and egotistical. There were a few other characters but these two were probably the least funny out of the lot. Well, not just unfunny, but painfully unfunny. A severe choice of words maybe, but it seemed rather fitting as I sat in front of my screen cringing and wincing at Lilley’s characters unfold without any solid entertainment value or integrity. 

I tried to laugh, I really did, and I suppose a giggle surfaced when the giant teen got her hair caught in a fan when running down a hallway. But the laughs were far too rare throughout the series to call this show funny. The estate agent randomly had a massive arse, which could provide a strong base for humour, but instead Lilley stuck with the most obvious and predictable of gags, leaving me unsure at which points I was meant to laugh at. 

The friends and family of his main acts are arguably even more annoying. Quentin’s brothers float around in the background and respond to Quentin like puppies eager to please, an unlikely brotherly relationship. Becky’s sister abandons her for the ‘cool’ kids and reunites with her near the end after she gets over the embarrassment for her sister. The relationship between these two seems awkward and forced and unfortunately, the acting seems to match this rather well.

The most disappointing aspect of the show is that it showed potential to be a work of comedy genius. But Lilley managed to swerve all subtlety and landed straight into the arms of cheap and unsophisticated humour.

Mockumentaries are no longer anything new, so maybe they’ve grown tired and stale, or maybe it’s just Lilley’s writing that’s run its course. But determined the series was going to improve, I forced myself through each episode – needless to say, it doesn’t improve. If you’re looking for something to lighten your mood, switch on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or maybe some of Lilley’s earlier work because Lunatics will leave you staring at the screen, confused and subdued, thinking “…was that it?”

The Grand National: A National Disgrace

Fascinators stood tall and towered amongst the crowds of fervent punters at Aintree for the three-day horse racing festival.

The glamour of the races never fails to disappoint eager photographers and the women on Ladies Day that stand shivering in front of them.

By Wikimedia Commons

But the allure of the day provides an effective mask to the horrors that occur almost every single year at the Grand National Festival.

This year, the festival claimed the lives of three horses. Up For Review took a fatal fall in the Grand National race, which has 30 fences that stand up to six feet tall. Forest Des Aigles and Crucial Role were put down after suffering injuries in other races during the festival.

By Wikimedia Commons

I find the response to such tragedies by racing experts interesting. Trainer of 30 years, Lawney Hill, told Sky News ‘ It affects us all greatly. It’s like losing a friend and we grieve in a similar way.’

Horses have died in 17 out of the last 19 Grand National Festivals, so fatalities are no extreme rarity or freak occurrence.

If there were similar odds to, let’s say, a bungee jump – would you then attach your friend to the cord and push her? You’ve seen that the chord doesn’t fail everyone, and often jumpers spring back unharmed, but it will most likely kill someone at some point. It’s a dangerous roulette. Would you subject your ‘friend’ to it?

It’s difficult not to doubt Lawney’s idea of friendship when the deaths of the horses she’s trained are so preventable.

For the horses that do make it off the racetrack, retirement is often not long nor peaceful. Over 1,000 racehorses are sent to slaughter every year in the UK, some of this meat has even entered the food chain in previous years.

Of course, not every retired racehorse is doomed for the abattoir but the figures are more than enough to further highlight the cruelty of the sport.

If human racing were to be anywhere near as dangerous as horse racing, it would never qualify as a legitimate sport. And if it did, the Hunger Games comes to mind as a good title.

If the horses were human, fatalities would never be judged as unfortunate collateral damage that’s inevitable for the greater good.

To boycott the sport may be trying to fight a losing battle. But it’s easy to stop supporting the industry. Save your tenner and keep the fancy headgear for the weddings.

As more people start becoming aware of the cruelty behind racing, it’s likely that one day it’ll stop. For me, that day can’t come soon enough.

The weird sport you’ve probably never heard of is coming to Gloucestershire

A strange equine marathon is coming to a popular park near you, very soon.

What happens?

It combines horses and heartbeats, vets, maps and acres of land to judge the fittest and healthiest horse that’s covered a distance in the fastest time.

The sport of Endurance is a long-distance horse riding event which involves riders competing from 19 miles to 100 miles in one day, and all distances in between.

Where can I see it?

Rides are dotted all over the UK, but from the 19th to the 21st of July, Cirencester Park is home to one of the largest rides on the endurance calendar.

The park boasts around 15,000 acres of land which makes it the perfect host to the 2019 Inter Regional Championships.

The starting line at Cirencester Endurance GB ride.

Who enters?

Horses and riders will flock from around the country to ride either in teams, or individually over distances from 10km miles to 160km.

Endurance riding is different from other mainstream equestrian disciplines. Unlike dressage or showjumping, long-distance riding tests the health and fitness of horses – anyone with a healthy horse or pony can have a go.

The Inter Regionals provides an important opportunity for team selectors to spot up and coming talent for international teams.

How does testing work?

Vets judge the health of the horses by noting their heart rates, checking their saddles and pinching their skin to check hydration. Riders also trot their horse up for the vet to check for any limp or stiffness. If they doubt the horses health, the rider is either disqualified at the end, or stopped from finishing the competition.

There’s competitive rides, where horses race over a long distance, or rides that are just for fun. The aim is to have the horse with the lowest heart rate after completing, and finishing the set distance in a (reasonably) fast time.

A rider trotting up their horse for a vet 

How many people are expected to take part?

The ride organiser, Steven Bates, said: “For the last two years the Cirencester Park ride has had 319 entries so [we] expect at least 300 this year. […] All levels are catered for. The top class is the 160km Cirencester Gold Cup which is a two day competition split 80/80km.”

This huge weekend event is certainly no average walk in the park. You can find more about the world of Endurance here: https://endurancegb.co.uk/main