Fiona Cullinan

If you were expecting one of those metaphorical exhortations to blaze your own trail, hack your way through the many barriers we face and ultimately find meaning from the journey, then you’d be wrong. I literally made a path today. Where once was four foot teazel and couch grasses, now…

A disease modelling study from Imperial Collage London has estimated that without lockdown three million lives in Europe would have been lost, including 470,000 in the UK. The study ran up until the start of May when 130,000 had died in the 11 European countries assessed; and the UK had…

I don’t think I’ve ever actually met my next guest poster but I’ve become her internet fangirl. Claire Edwards writes an irregular newsletter from her world, plus what she is reading, listening to and watching. It’s called Emotional Whiplash, it’s very good and you can view the archive and sign up…

Despite the RSI twangs in my wrists, I showed up to virtual Moselele tonight. To avoid a cacophony caused by lags on video conference calls, the ukulele group is playing along to pre-recorded songs from past sessions. Which means we don’t actually have to sing and play at all if…

Guest post incoming – heeeeeeere’s Pete, writing about his experience of coronavirus, lockdown and furlough, framed through the perspective vortex of unfolding time. Brevity bio for those who don’t know Pete: he works at community bakery Loaf in Stirchley, teaches photography and makes art. The rest of the time he is…

I work for a freight and logistics firm a few hours a week. Their journey through the coronavirus outbreak has been pretty interesting. It’s an industry of small margins across a multitude of jobs and so the sudden hold on the economy is as difficult for them as anyone. But…

Primary schools are reopening today for children in reception, year 1 and year 6. Nurseries are also able to reopen. Apparently 28 primary schools opened in Birmingham today. Have the five government tests been passed to be sure this is safe action? There seems to be some debate. Even if…

For all that I might moan or complain about things, or write about lockdown life while being able to work from home/garden, I know I’m coming from a massively white privileged world. I may have grown up the daughter of Irish immigrant parents in the era of ‘No blacks, no…