Labelling things

I went to a friend’s home a while back and noticed that she labelled her jars with a liquid chalk pen! I loved it! She stated what the jar contained, and often, wrote it in a humorous way. Reading her labels made me smile.

I purchased a pack of multicoloured pens, and I’ve found them so useful! They remain intact as long as you don’t touch the writing with wet hands, and when you need to remove the writing, it’s easy to wipe off.

Here’s a link to the ones I ordered.

Bath time

Having a bath helps me in multiple ways, but staying immersed in the water has been a bit tricky for me in the past! Not anymore! Now that I have this tablet, a waterproof case, a bath tray and a bath pillow, I have no issues with staying in the water! The tray and pillow were gifted to me, but if you search online, you won’t have any trouble finding them.

Diffusers

I absolutely love these diffusers. Here’s why:

• The essential oil goes straight into it
• There’s no water, so there’s no limescale
• You can set it to motion-sensing, timed-interval, and manual.
• You can also choose how powerful you want the spray to be
• I love entering my home and smelling a variety of oils in different rooms

Hanger Clips

I’ve got some hangers that have clips attached to them, which makes them great for hanging things like skirts, shorts and trousers.

I started using clothes pegs on hangers to dry items in the airing cupboard, and more recently, I realised that I needed a better solution because the pegs aren’t stable.

I searched for similar hangers online, and then came across clips that are sold separately. These are great because you can attach them to hangers that you already have!

I’ve used them for a few different types of clothing and they’re fab! They don’t fall off like clothes pegs do, and the grip that they have is great.

Bedside light

I absolutely love this small, cube-shaped, touch light. It sits on the bedside unit, and it has 3 levels of brightness. I purchased mine from Screwfix or Tool Station, but I can’t find it on their website, so I’ve shared a link to one sold elsewhere.

Charcoal sticks to make tap water taste better

I’ve been using these since around 2016, and I’m still singing and dancing about them! Here’s an article that I’ve written about it: No lie! Charcoal really does make water taste better!

Electric blanket

This electric blanket was a gift. Why is it so awesome! It is one blanket which is split into two halves with two separate controls. So you can heat half of the bed while leaving the other half as it is. Another thing I love about it is that it has three settings.

Floor chair

I purchased this floor chair a few years ago, and I’m so glad I did! At a minimum, I (usually) use it twice a week.

I like it because it’s easy to carry, it’s light, the cover can be removed and washed, and I can lean back with confidence.

Command 3M

I’ve got a few canvas prints on the walls at home, and they’ve all been attached using 3M. Their products are absolutely awesome!

Why?

• You don’t need any tools
• They can be used on a variety of smooth surfaces
• They use a clever adhesive that holds strongly
• When you decide to remove the item, it comes off cleanly without leaving any damage to the surface
• They have a range of products that are created to meet the needs of various items, accounting for how much they weigh
• They’re easy to remove
• They have a bathroom range too

More about Command Brand : 3M

Furniture sliders

I was introduced to these when we got furniture from DFS. I wasn’t sure if they were a gimmick, but I’m so glad I gave them a try!

They make moving furniture so SO easy! Whether moving items when you’re cleaning or you’ve decided to rearrange the furniture, sliders make it effortless.

The video below illustrates how effortless moving furniture can be. I’ve not used this brand before and am not trying to promote it. I simply want to show you how amazing furniture sliders can be.

A post on reddit.com: Just thought everyone should know that furniture sliders are a thing

Cordless iron

Until a couple of years ago, I’ve always had access to corded irons. However, I stayed at a friend’s place and used their cordless steam iron. It was a bit heavy and clunky, but awesome to use! After that, I had a few near misses with my corded iron. Also, I often find that I have to think hard about the placement of the board, the iron and the angle to ensure that the task is completed quickly and smoothly. Recently, I’ve found that I can put the iron against the clothing while it’s on a hanger, press the steam button and quickly remove the creases. However, the cord makes it tricky. When the iron needed replacing, I opted for a cordless one and was absolutely amazed at how much easier ironing became!

I ordered the One Temperature Cordless Iron in Blue – 26020 by Russell Hobbs, and it was one of those moments when you realise you’ll never return to what you used before!

Last week, I was a bit clumsy and the whole unit fell on the floor. The plastic that covers the place where we pour water came off, and it meant that I couldn’t use the steam function without water spilling out of the iron.

I ordered this Ceraglide Cordless Iron by Tower to replace it, and it’s even better! It has a lock function to keep the iron attached to the base.

Rucksack

I like to travel light, so having the ‘right’ bag is important. I have found that carrying the weight on my back is easier than using a suitcase that needs pulling and steering.

This bag is rectangular, which is better than others that are short and wide. This one has lots of pockets, it can be extended, it has a handle, it’s padded, and the main section opens up completely!

Ironing board

What’s the big deal about an ironing board, right? Well, I didn’t really consider it until I got a large one many years ago! I don’t know if it was a happy accident or intentional, but it’s made ironing Saris and big garments more efficient and effortless.

I got my Ironing Board from Robert Dyas and I’ve had it for years.

Power bank

I don’t know which phone you have, but there are many articles and phone manuals which share tips about what’s best for each phone. They share the ideal way to recharge it. The how, when, how long for and so on.

Many months ago, I purchased a couple of power banks. I’ve kept one in the car so that I can charge the phone independently of the car’s charging point, allowing me to avoid having to stop the charging prematurely.

Additionally, to avoid the phone being stuck at a particular socket, I use a power bank when I’m at home, so I can charge the phone while being able to move around with it.

More recently, I purchased this mini power bank, and it’s the best one that I have! It’s light, small, and it has a detachable fast charging cable, which forms part of the strap.

Jewellery cabinet

I got introduced to these a few years ago when I went to stay with my cousin and sister-in-law. I loved the idea of it straight away! I like wearing jewellery, and at that point, I hadn’t found a way to organise it efficiently. However, I soon realised that this type of cabinet was the answer!

I have one that resembles the one shown below. You can find out more about this particular item on ManoMano.co.uk

Here’s where you can find other options

• Jewelry cabinets on ManoMano
• Free Standing Jewellery Armoires on Wayfair.co.uk

Bookmarks

I love these bookmarks because they don’t fall out, they’re sturdy, and you can place them on the page in a specific place.

I was thinking about airflow recently, and it occurred to me that it was a good way to describe healthy relationships.

Picture two rooms on opposite sides of a house, each with a balcony door facing the other. When both doors stand wide open, fresh air rushes straight through. It pushes out the stale, stuffy air in seconds. It’s effortless, renewing, and constant.

It’s efficient
It’s fast
It’s nourishing
There’s no blockage
The pace is natural
It’s not slowed down by anything

It seems to me that this is how a relationship can work really well. Each door represents the people in the relationship. This relationship could be between siblings, friends, lovers and so on.

Both of the doors are important. Both of them need to be open. If one door is fully open, and the other is only half open, the stale air will linger. It will remain longer than it needs to. Musty feelings will develop, and removing them will require more effort, more tolerance, more patience and more time. It will also tip the balance in terms of effort. The door that’s fully open will need to work harder.

I don’t think it’s sustainable for one person to keep their door fully open while the other one doesn’t.

Keeping your door open doesn’t mean you’re not protected. It doesn’t mean there are no boundaries. It just means you’re being proactive in keeping the relationship healthy, attentive and focused on the things that make it work, as well as those that don’t; and protective of working on something that means a lot to you.

What do these doors symbolise for you? Here are some examples.

Transparency
What we are working towards: sharing the truth proactively, i.e. being forthcoming
What we want to remove: hiding things through silence or sharing whilst holding back

New experiences
What we are working towards: being open to new things
What we want to remove: sticking with a familiar routine or pattern

Honesty
What we are working towards: being truthful when answering questions
What we want to remove: the festering of lies

Bending
What we are working towards: considering the other person’s needs
What we want to remove: being self-centred

What do you think?
Can you relate to this analogy?
Can you apply it to any of your relationships?

I shared some concerns about why some women don’t feel safe doing that, but he didn’t seem to understand or accept what I was saying. He said he knew lots of women, and none of them had ever shared the concerns that I raised with him.

That prompted me to reflect on my own experiences. It raised the following questions:

• Have I imagined that people are interested when they were only being friendly?
• Have I thought that people were aggressive and in my face when they weren’t?
• Have I connected dots that weren’t there?
• Do I think too much of myself, and is that causing me to imagine and interpret experiences incorrectly?
• Am I that concerned about safety that I see danger when it’s not there?
• Am I focusing on experiences that have left me feeling vulnerable or fearful, without also discussing experiences that have been positive and friendly, i.e. where others have been interested, but it hasn’t caused any discomfort? Therefore, am I painting a skewed picture?
• Is it just me and the people I know who have experienced this, and does this group represent a minority of females?

I didn’t like the fact that I was questioning myself and my thinking because of this discussion, but then again…I thought it was good to be challenged and re-evaluate my thoughts, because if any of the above were true, it was definitely worth my being aware of that.

I did some research, and this is what I learned

There are plenty of women who worry about travelling on their own, and this concern is well-documented across surveys, studies, and personal accounts.
One survey of solo female travellers found that 73% worry about their personal safety, with even experienced ones (64%) sharing the same sentiment.
Another recent study showed that 88% of women who have travelled solo felt their safety was threatened in some way during the experience.

These fears often stem from risks like harassment, assault, theft, or unwanted advances, which are highlighted in numerous articles and discussions.

On X (formerly Twitter), women frequently share stories of feeling “terrified” of going out alone due to constant harassment, or avoiding solo outings altogether because of stalking, catcalling, or aggressive encounters.

It’s not rare. It’s a common thread in women’s travel experiences worldwide, regardless of destination.

What about the ‘type’ of females that experience this? Is it a specific group? Are they in a particular location or age group? Do they belong to a particular race or culture?

The research revealed that the concern cuts across a broad spectrum, and the data highlights some patterns. Those patterns are as follows:

• Around 75-84% of solo travellers are women
• The average U.S. traveller is a 47-year-old woman
• Age-wise, it’s prevalent among all groups, but surveys break it down like this:
  • Gen Z (18-29) reports the highest safety worries (73%)
  • followed by Millennials (30-44) at 66%
  • Gen X (45-59) at 64%
  • Boomers (60-80) at 59%
• Education levels tend to be high – over 80% of surveyed solo travellers have university or graduate degrees
• In terms of class or income, the group is made up of mid-career professionals, empty-nesters, and varying income brackets
• Race and ethnicity data aren’t as granular, but communities of solo female travellers are described as exceptionally diverse, including varying nationalities and ethnic backgrounds.
• Religion isn’t specifically tied to these fears in the data, but the concerns are noted as universal across geographies, ages, and backgrounds, i.e. it’s not limited to any one group
• In terms of personality, there’s no clear profile; some women are naturally more cautious or introverted, but the fears often arise from real experiences rather than inherent traits
• Safety concerns tend to decrease with travel experience, from 78% feeling unsafe on their first solo trip to 59% after 10 or more trips

Is it only the meek and fearful who have these experiences and concerns?

The data shows that harassment and aggression towards women, for example, being approached aggressively or feeling unsafe, are widespread issues in solo travel, not just something “attracted” by certain women or noticed only by the “sensitive” or “fearful.”

Many women report these experiences regardless of their confidence or demeanour.

Could it be that he’s unaware of this because his friends haven’t voiced their fears to him?

I wonder if they simply haven’t raised this with him. If that’s the case, multiple reasons could explain it.

• They may have handled it internally and not felt the need to discuss it
• Maybe they downplayed it to avoid appearing vulnerable
• It’s possible that they haven’t encountered incidents that they perceive as severe enough to warrant discussion

The statistics

What are the potential dangers of dismissing fears as being self-fulfilling or that the person is oversensitive?

• It ignores the statistics
• They may feel that their experiences are not being accepted
• They are likely to be upset if they aren’t believed
• Worse, they may doubt their own intuition, which may lead to them inadvertently putting themselves in harm’s way

Up to 40% of women have skipped trips due to safety worries. It’s a top barrier for solo travel. Many women still travel solo successfully, but they feel that it’s necessary to take precautions.

Risks aren’t confined to travel

We need to be realistic.

Risks exist everywhere, including at home.

I am not for one minute suggesting that we should live in fear! I’ve written an article about this, and I’m a strong believer that we should be realistic and practical whilst remaining confident and live life to the full.

Here is a link to the article that I’ve written about whether we should live in fear or not: Why is it acceptable for certain groups of people to live fearfully?

Which organisations have published these statistics?

Numerous surveys, studies, and reports have been done by organisations including Gallup, UN Women, Stop Street Harassment and UK Office for National Statistics.

What about their place of residence?

Results from surveys consistently show that many women feel fearful or unsafe in their country of residence when they’re out and about, particularly when they’re approached by men in public spaces like streets, parks, or public transport.

These fears are often linked directly to experiences of street harassment, unwanted approaches, catcalling, following, groping, or more aggressive encounters.

So it’s not limited to solo travelling abroad.

Here are some key findings from multiple surveys:

Global and broad patterns

Gallup polls (including data from 143 countries) have repeatedly shown gender gaps in feelings of safety. For instance, worldwide, only about 62% of women feel safe walking alone at night in their communities, compared to 72% of men.
In many developed countries (e.g., the U.S., Australia, France, Italy), the gap is even larger, with women significantly more likely to report feeling unsafe near their homes or in public.

Data from the U.S.

In Gallup’s recurring crime surveys (e.g., around 2014-2015), about 45% of women said they would not feel safe walking alone near their home at night, compared to 27% of men.
More recent surveys (e.g., 2025 national data) indicate that walking alone at night remains the top safety fear for 67% of women, far outpacing other concerns.

Data from the UK

Multiple sources highlight high levels of unease. For example, in 2021 Office for National Statistics data, one in two women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a busy public place (vs. one in five men), and four in five felt unsafe in parks or open spaces.
A 2021 End Violence Against Women report noted similar patterns, with many women experiencing harassment like catcalls or being followed.
Recent 2025 surveys (e.g., Girlguiding) show 56% of girls and young women (11-21) feel unsafe travelling alone, with 31% avoiding public transport entirely due to safety fears.

Street harassment prevalence and its link to fear

Organisations like Stop Street Harassment report that 65% of U.S. women have experienced street harassment, with many forms involving unwanted approaches by men (e.g., 20% followed, 23% sexually touched).
UN Women and related studies (e.g., in cities like Delhi, Rabat, or global scoping) find that 80-95% of women in some locations have faced sexual harassment in public spaces, leading to widespread fear that restricts mobility.
In the UK, over 70% of women report experiencing sexual harassment in public, with many altering their behaviour (e.g., changing routes or avoiding going out alone) to feel safer.

Recent and ongoing trends

A 2024 global WIN/Gallup-style poll found 46% of women worldwide do not feel safe walking alone at night in their neighbourhood, with higher rates in regions like the Americas (64%).
Even in 2025 reports, issues persist, including women feeling unsafe on the street or when using public transport, due to harassment.

To perceive or dismiss these feelings as abstract worries or unjustified fearfulness is naive, narrow-minded and disrespectful.

How does it affect how women behave?

Surveys show that women often change routines (e.g., avoiding certain routes, taking taxis, or not going out alone) because of harassment or fear of escalation. This is a documented, cross-cultural issue in everyday public life at home, not just when travelling abroad.

Of course, not every woman is reporting this, and there will be multiple reasons for that! However, the data shows that it’s common enough to affect a substantial portion of females and that it influences their sense of freedom and participation in public life.

Is it in our minds?
Is this perception due to unwarranted fear?
Are we interpreting men’s approaches as unsafe or aggressive when it’s actually them just being friendly?
Are we being oversensitive?
Are we attracting it?

Well…the evidence from research on women’s experiences in public settings doesn’t align with the questions above.

Studies show that street harassment (catcalling, following, invasive comments, groping, etc.) is extremely common:

When does it start, and what impact does it have?

Surveys indicate 65 – 85% of women experience it at some point, often starting young (e.g., before age 17 in many cases). My own experience aligns with this!

These incidents can cause heightened anxiety, restricted movement (e.g., changing routes, avoiding going out alone), and a constant sense of vigilance. I can relate to this as well. I somehow developed a sense of awareness, which meant I would notice when someone was about to approach me or someone around me, before they got within my vicinity.

Learned responses

Research shows that repeated harassment created a learned response of being hypervigilant i.e. constantly scanning for threats! This is a common trauma-related adaptation.

Women report feeling “on guard” in public because past incidents have shown that seemingly minor approaches can escalate or feel threatening due to power dynamics and the risk of violence.

This vigilance helps with self-protection but comes at a cost, contributing to ongoing anxiety or feeling unsafe even in familiar places.

Psychological factors do play a role. Individual differences like past trauma history can amplify perceptions of threat (e.g., survivors of assault may interpret neutral interactions more warily). However, the data consistently shows these fears are disproportionately higher in women compared to men, even in the same environments, and correlate strongly with reported harassment rates, not just personality traits.

Men in the same surveys report far lower levels of feeling unsafe walking alone at night or in public (e.g., 1 in 7 men vs. 1 in 2 women in some UK data for quiet streets after dark).

Victim Blaming!

Blaming it on mindset can veer into victim-blaming territory, where the onus shifts to the woman (“you’re too sensitive” or “you attract it”) rather than addressing the behaviour of those doing the approaching or the societal patterns that normalise it.

This overlooks how harassment often stems from entitlement, group dynamics among men (e.g., “male bonding” or showing off), or broader gender norms. It’s not the woman’s demeanour or “vibe.”

Many women describe changing nothing about themselves yet still facing persistent, unwanted attention.

That said, not every approach is aggressive, and some women navigate these situations confidently without much fear, often due to experience, location, or support networks. But dismissing widespread fears as mindset-driven ignores the stats. Harassment is a documented reality that shapes perceptions for a large portion of women, leading to real behavioural changes and emotional impacts.

Unfortunately, some people don’t voice their concerns, which means others don’t become aware of our experiences

Some downplay their experiences because they don’t want to appear weak or winghy or bigheaded.

Others have normalised it, so they notice it, are affected by it, but they accept it and don’t discuss it.

Other things to consider

What role do we all play in perpetuating patriarchy?
Do we excuse males when they ‘behave badly’ and burden the females with all the responsibility?
Do we attribute negative experiences to things like how the female was dressed, her vibe, the amount of makeup she was wearing, the way she played with her hair, her travelling alone or travelling late? Therefore, concluding that she was asking for whatever followed!

This Reel from Instagram refers to the question above.

What do you think of the above?
I’m interested in hearing about your experiences and your opinion, regardless of your gender, age, race, religion, sexuality etc.

Related content

A ‘masculinity crisis’ is brewing in UK schools, union says – The Guardian
The Gender Gap in Travel: Myths and Revelations – The New York Times
2026 Solo Female Travel Trends and Statistics
Solo Female Travel: Is It Safe? – BootsnAll Travel Articles
Solo female travellers worry about safety, distrust influencers – WiT
New Data Shows 88% Of Women Feel Unsafe Traveling Solo, But They Do It Anyway – Travel Noire
Women Are Told To Fear Solo Travel. That Is Exactly Why We Should Do It Anyway. | by Beth Santos | Medium
Solo Female Travel Safety: Advice for What Women Worry About
Honest Safety Advice for Traveling Alone as a Woman
Solo Travel Statistics, Data 2024 – 2025: Historical Trends, Sources Cited

Yep! I got caught speeding! On my birthday! A wonderful gift to myself!

Jokes aside, it was a good course, and after it finished, I was buzzing about sharing what I learned from it.

The facilitator encouraged us to share our experience with others, with the hope that it would cause fewer people to speed!

Some tips from the facilitator

The facilitator suggested a few key strategies to ensure that we don’t end up speeding. He was especially keen on helping us discover how easy it is to speed without realising. His tips were:

• Drive slowly
• Keep a check on your emotions
• Be aware of music that affects your emotions
• Keep enough distance between the car that you’re driving and the car in front of you
• Find a way to ensure you’re not distracted by any tech that you have in the car
• If you have Intelligent Speed Assistance in your car, use it to make the drive easier
• If you have a Speed Limiter in your car, use it to set a speed limit to reduce the things that you have to think about

He used the following example to illustrate that we need to apply haste when managing the following emotions:

Hurried: check the route, tell whoever we’re meeting that we will be delayed and then drive calmly

Angry: pull over and take some deep breaths

Stressed: recognise your stress indicators, leave more space between you and the car in front

Tired: stop, drink something with caffeine in it, get some fresh air, reduce the temperature in the car, chew gum, listen to music, which will keep you alert

Excited: try to be calm, ask others in the car to be calm, reduce the volume of any music that’s playing or change the genre

Is it worth it?

The following was found during test conditions:

When they increased the speed of the car from 30 MPH to 35 MPH, they reached the destination 17 seconds earlier than if they had been driving at 30 MPH.

Statistics

Some scary statistics!

• Every 17 minutes, someone is killed on the roads in the UK
• 63% of all collisions occur on urban roads
• 33% of all collisions happen on rural roads
• The likelihood of an accident causing someone to die is doubled when it’s nighttime
• 158,000 people are killed or injured due to road traffic accidents per year
• If we reduce our speed from 30 MPH to 20 MPH, we’re 5 times less likely to kill a pedestrian

The lessons

Here are some of the things that I learned during the course:

• If there are no street lights and no signs, the national speed limit applies
• If there are street lights and no signs, it means that the limit is 30 MPH in England and 20 MPH in Wales
  • This applies to single and dual carriageways
• On a dual carriageway, the national speed limit is 70 MPH for cars and motorbikes
• On a single carriageway, the national speed limit is 60 MPH for cars and motorbikes
• If the signs are rectangular and blue with white text, it means you’re approaching, or on a motorway, so the speed limit is 70 MPH
• If there is a red circle around the sign showing the speed limit, it means it applies to all lanes
• If there is no red circle around the sign showing the speed limit, it means that the limit is advisory only
• Many people believe that a dual carriageway means there are 2 lanes in each direction, but this isn’t true
  • The number of lanes isn’t relevant
  • It must have something down the middle, i.e. a central reservation, which can be a metal barrier, a concrete wall, a grassy strip, or even just raised kerbs
• If you can see hazard warning lines, it means that something has happened there before!

What are your Ws?

He asked us to think about the following questions, so that we understood what made us speed.

1. When do you speed?
2. Where are you going when you’re speeding?
3. Why do you speed?
4. What can you do to prevent yourself from speeding?

I’m not sure how it happened, but about 25 years ago, I found out about an exhibition that focused on crystals. I remember there being rows and rows of tables with different crystals displayed on them. I walked up and down the room, looking at the range on display, and I recall feeling a huge pull towards some of them. I assumed the attraction was visual and didn’t think about it much beyond that.

That was the first time I remember being exposed to crystals. I don’t recall anyone talking about the qualities they were known for, which means that the purchases I made were based on how they looked and the fact that I was attracted to them.

I really enjoyed looking at them, so I put them in my living room. They were displayed on a low wooden plinth, which came with a rotating TV stand.

A change

I’m not entirely sure if I moved home, or wanted a change or something else, but I packed the crystals away and then decided to gift them to the school I worked in. It would be an amazing resource when they studied Rocks and Minerals in Science.

Forgotten

I feel like I had completely forgotten about crystals until I had a stall at the OneForty market in Harrow. I was talking to some customers who were purchasing my recipe book, Just Desserts, and I was surprised to find that they had travelled over 2 hours to come to this market. After a bit of discussion, I learned that what had brought them to this neck of the woods was a shop called Mandara Crystals.

Mandara Crystals was known for its exclusive shopping experience. They offered a curated selection of crystals and related items, but they only opened to the public on rare occasions. These opportunities were called Crystal Open Days.

The customers were telling me that they had travelled for hours to come to Mandara Crystals so that they could buy gifts for themselves and others. They were going to buy gifts in advance for occasions that may have been months away, because they felt that their stock was amazing and the prices were really good too. They encouraged me to make sure I found a way to go into the shop.

Unfortunately, the shop has closed down now, but I’m trying to find out if they’ve relocated.

Getting reaquanited with crystals

I was lucky enough to be able to pop into Mandara Crystals after the market closed. I walked around the store and kept noticing that I was drawn towards certain stones. I started picking them up and then noticed that I had the same thing in different shapes or sizes, so I put them back, walked around and then spoke to the person behind the counter.

I told her how I found out about the shop, that I had no understanding of crystals, and I asked her how one would know what to buy. She said that I will be drawn to what I need, and I should listen to that. I then told her about me picking up multiple things that were the same stone in a different form, and she explained that it was because I needed it in some way.

I went around the shop again, picked up a few stones that I was drawn to and then asked her to tell me how much they cost and what they represented.

She was wonderful! She went through each stone, telling me their healing qualities, whilst looking up any that she wasn’t sure of.

The magic of crystals

I put the crystals around the flat and went about the day. I didn’t think about them much. I wasn’t excited about being healed by them. Maybe I didn’t truly believe that they would work. I’m not sure. No matter what did or didn’t happen, I liked the look of them, and that was enough.

That night, I slept better than I’d slept in months. Apart from the purchase and placement of the crystals, nothing else had changed!

I can’t tell you how exciting and dubious I was! I wanted to believe that my sleep would improve, but I didn’t want to be let down either. I’d been feeling fatigued for so long since having Long COVID (LC), I was scared to be hopeful.

A few years later

Every now and then, I had thought about buying a large floor crystal, but I kept parking it. A few years later, I was walking around St. Anne’s shopping centre in Harrow, and I came across a stall that sold crystals. They didn’t have many large pieces at the time. However, the person who was managing the stall was really helpful and willing to get in touch if anything came up. So I gave her my contact details and she messaged me when she got large pieces in.

Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work, and I wasn’t able to pop in after she’d been in touch.

Another year passed

Time continued to pass, and then, I went to The Navnat Vanik Association’s Janmashtami Mela. This is when I met Jigisha. She had a stall through which she was displaying many items that were made from healing crystals. She was so knowledgeable and patient, while my friend and I asked her about the healing qualities of various items.

We were both drawn towards different trees, which we bought. My friend told me that nothing had changed in her life, apart from the tree, and she feels that it’s made her more clearheaded, which has helped her become more decisive.

A few months later, I attended a spiritual trip in Dubai, and that pull towards crystals was activated again! I went to someone’s home, and she had crystals all around her living room. They were stunning!

During this trip, a member of the spiritual community had offered to let me stay in her home. I noticed that she had a few crystals around her home, and knowing that she was a Reiki healer, I felt that gifting her some crystals would be a wonderful way to express my gratitude.

I tried to find somewhere in Dubai and nearly had the order confirmed, but the person I was dealing with ended up making the experience really unpleasant. He was tired and wanted the night off as he’d just finished a big auction, but instead of taking that time, he was messaging me about my order. In summary, he replied to some things and not others, his replies were sporadic and hard to follow, and then he seemed to become resentful about the order not being finalised. It was frustrating to say the least!

Silver linings

I’m so glad that it didn’t work out with the guy in Dubai, because that led me to research crystals here. I checked out a few websites, but I felt uneasy about the fact that I wasn’t able to see the crystals beyond the websites because they either didn’t have stores or they did, but they were far away. I told them that I was new to this and asked them how I would know about the quality of the crystals etc, and they explained the process they undertake, the certification and so on.

I felt comfortable with what I learned, so I started looking at their stock and making lists of the ones I wanted to buy and who I wanted to buy them for. As I read about their qualities, I began thinking about other people whom I wanted to gift crystals to.

I purchased crystals from the following places:

My Lost Gems: Cheryl was awesome! She was transparent and open about their products, how they’re priced, the time that goes into creating the images and so on.

Buy Handpicked Ethically Sourced Crystals | Spiral Crystals UK: Lauren’s emails were warm, generous, and so full of information and so easy to read and grasp because of the way she formatted them.

The Psychic Tree | Healing Crystals, Incense, Essential Oils & More: Holly was so generous, informative and caring. I really enjoyed the communication between us. Her attitude towards potential customers was great, and she was focused on making sure they got what they needed.

All of these sellers replied quickly; they knew their stock, and they could easily suggest which crystals should be considered for the specific situations or people that I described.

A shield of protection

This is what I wrote after the crystals that I ordered arrived.

I’ve purchased some crystals and I set them up around the flat yesterday.
It’s weird.
When I went to bed, I felt like there was a shield of protection all around me.

Again, I didn’t really expect anything. My only conscious thought was that they were beautiful, and I liked seeing them around my home. I didn’t feel like I wasn’t protected. I didn’t feel like I was vulnerable or in anger in any way. Yet, when I went to bed, I felt like there was a shield of protection around me. I’ve never felt anything like that before and can’t really explain it with words or logic.

Surprising bits of information

Here are a few nuggets that I’ve learned from different sellers

• Some people don’t feel anything when they’re near crystals
• They shouldn’t be kept in direct sunlight
• Some don’t like being next to ‘certain other ‘any’ other crystal, and they’ll find a way to express this
• You can cleanse them and charge them by placing them under the moonlight
• You can wave an incense stick around them to cleanse them
• Talking to them will help
• It’s good practice to cleanse and set an intention around the crystals for specific work or have a general intention

Related content

How To Cleanse + Charge Crystals

I was referred to ENT because I was experiencing issues with taste and smell, and while I was there, I realised that I could mention the hearing difficulties and hopefully, get some guidance.

The Doctor was awesome! He arranged for a hearing test to be done, he went through the results with me soon afterwards, and then he explained the next steps.

He referred me to Neurology. He felt that my external hearing, which is what the hearing test measured, was fine and that the actual issue was internal.

I got seen by Neuro-Otology about six months later, but the follow-up wasn’t possible until a year later. The follow-up didn’t feel beneficial as there was no conclusion. In February 2025, I was told that the next steps were to ask the GP to refer me to an audiologist.

I was seen by an audiologist at Specsavers. She was great. She was friendly, approachable and thorough, but again, there was no conclusion.

In October, I had an appointment with an audiologist, which was probably the best appointment I’ve ever had!

Within ten minutes, I felt like I finally understood what had happened, what wasn’t done, why it wasn’t done and more. This is some of what she explained:

• There’s some nerve damage
• It’s worse than what it should be at my age
• There seems to be a post-COVID impact
• She has seen patients with hearing issues that have come about after they caught COVID, had the vaccine or since they developed Long COVID (LC)
• She went through the various test results and explained why nobody has come to any conclusion!
  • The auditory processing test showed there are some problems, especially when there’s competing noise, i.e. sound from more than one source, but not enough to diagnose me with Auditory Processing Disorder
  • Fatigue and brain fog will impact the sound that’s being processed at a speed
  • The results from the hearing tests vary, which confirms that the hearing is fluctuating
  • Hearing aids are an appropriate solution for a consistent issue, but not one that fluctuates
• This issue is tricky to fix, and there isn’t one solution that will address the issues because it’s multifactorial and complex
• Strategies to help me manage
  • If I’m fatigued, get away from the situation and give my ears a break
  • If I’m watching something and someone needs to say something, someone should press pause and then talk
  • Don’t talk from different rooms
  • When using the phone, listen through the loudspeaker or use headphones to avoid putting pressure on one ear and causing fatigue on one side
  • Sound frequencies are squashed on the phone, and this directly impacts me because of the ones that I struggle with
  • Learn basic lip-reading to help fill any gaps
  • She’ll send me a communication pack, which I should use to highlight the bits that are relevant to me and then share that with my nearest and dearest to make things easier
  • Encourage those around me to apply good communication skills

A bit of information about sound frequencies being squashed on the phone

A bit of information about COVID and hearing

I used to feel irritated by the gifts that I kept getting from LC, but this conversation has made me feel empowered. I have a better grasp of what’s going on, and I’m happy that she had the ability and empathy to connect what’s happened so far and help me make sense of it.

Related content

Hearing issues with Long COVID
Long COVID is finally lifting!
Living with Long COVID
Surviving COVID and the after-effects
Long-COVID Brain Fog

A lunch date with someone unfamiliar

Recently, I met some family friends for lunch. I have never been out with them before.

We decided to drive to the restaurant together. I usually love carpooling. I think it’s better for the planet, and it’s a way to connect with others during the drive.

Unemployment

So we’re in the car and Fred (not his real name) started talking about the people he noticed on the street. About 10 or 15 people were walking on either side of the road. They were going in different directions. They didn’t appear to have anything in common, other than that they were human and out and about.

Fred formed the opinion that they were all unemployed; otherwise, they wouldn’t be walking around at this time of day. I suggested that they might be doing shift work and therefore going to, or coming from, work.

He felt that there were lots of them, and it was really bad for our economy.

In reply to my comment about shift work, he said he assumed that because they looked miserable, it meant that they were unemployed and that they were roaming the streets instead of looking for work.

So every working person he knows is really happy in their role?

Yep, he didn’t seem to recognise that there are plenty of people who work and look miserable! I gave examples about why employed people may be unhappy, e.g. they hate their job, they don’t like the team they’re working with, they feel like they’re not getting paid enough etc etc etc

He wants to know where we’re going

The conversation didn’t go anywhere after that because he said he noticed a black man looking at us in the car. He felt that the guy wanted to know where we were going. He implied that he wanted to rob us or hurt us in some way. Someone else who was in the car tried to tell him that what he was saying was ludicrous but he wasn’t having it.

Claiming benefits

Without any prompt that I could recognise, he started talking about benefits and that the majority of the people who are claiming benefits are Pakistani and that they’re all liars.

He said there’s one person who comes into the shop where he works. He said that this guy claims benefits, and he goes to Cyprus every two weeks! He said he’s having a wonderful time, and yet he is receiving benefits.

We talked about how anyone would know what the makeup of benefit claimants is nationally. He felt that they were all from Pakistan, in the area where he worked; therefore, it must be the same nationally.

Yes, recent DWP statistics for Universal Credit (June 2025) show ~1.3 million claimants (16.4% of 7.9 million total) were non-UK/Irish nationals, with over 1 million born overseas; ~700,000 were pre-Brexit EU citizens, 1.5% refugees, and 0.7% via safe routes (e.g., Ukraine/Afghanistan). Detailed country-of-origin breakdowns are planned for future releases,

Data shows immigration status of benefit claimants for first time – BBC News

He didn’t say it outright, but I felt like he was saying that the majority of benefit claimants were Muslim and that their claims are fraudulent.

No, there are no publicly available official statistics directly breaking down UK benefit claimants (e.g., Universal Credit, housing benefits) by religion. The Department for Work and Pensions does not collect or publish religion data for claimants, and sources like the ONS Census 2021 provide indirect insights via economic inactivity or disability rates by religious affiliation, but not benefit claims.

Religion by housing, health, employment, and education, England and Wales – Office for National Statistics & ‘Facts’ in a graphic about UK Muslims are mostly wrong – Full Fact

I asked him if he knows how much benefit claimants receive and if he thinks they can make ends meet, knowing that this sum has to cover their bills, food, transport and so on.

We talked about the fact that some years ago, MPs were challenged to survive on benefit payments alone, and they couldn’t do it because the amount wasn’t enough! They ‘cheated’ by asking others to host them for meals, so they didn’t have the cost burden attached to some of the meals.

…the 2013 controversy involving Iain Duncan Smith (then Work and Pensions Secretary), who claimed he could “live on £53 a week” in benefits—the amount a market trader said he was left with after housing costs under welfare reforms.

This sparked widespread backlash, including a Change.org petition signed by over 450,000 people demanding he prove it by surviving on that sum for a year (he dismissed it as a “stunt” and cited his own past unemployment).

No formal week-long trial occurred, but it drew attention to prior MP experiments: in 2013, Labour’s Helen Goodman survived a week on £18 for food (post-bedroom tax deductions) and called it “impossible”; in 1984, Tory MP Matthew Parris lasted a week on £26.80 in supplementary benefit but described it as “bleak” and unsustainable, highlighting the gap between policy and reality

I could live on £53 in benefits a week, says Iain Duncan Smith | Iain Duncan Smith | The Guardian, It’s a stunt! Iain Duncan Smith dismisses demands to live on £53 a week | The Independent | The Independent & Iain Duncan Smith ridiculed over ‘£53 a week’ claim | News | | The Week UK

He didn’t believe that he was being informed by whatever he had heard or read.

…in the UK, Channel 4’s 2014 “Benefits Street” documentary series featured residents of James Turner Street in Birmingham (90% on benefits) sharing their lives, including how they managed on limited welfare payments with no other income—effectively a real-world “experiment” in survival on benefits alone. It highlighted struggles like food poverty and debt, though it was observational rather than a controlled study.

Grok.com

Education

After that, we went past a school, and he saw a few women wearing Hijabs, so he commented on the fact that schools are full of Muslims nowadays.

I asked why he thought that they were all Muslim, and he referred to their scarves, to which I responded that the majority of them didn’t have headscarves on. He said he could tell that the others were Muslim too. There was a mixture of men and women, of different ages, from different races, and yet he thought they were all Muslim.

He then referred to their curriculum and that schools are being forced to change their curriculum to cater for the community, which means the schools aren’t balanced.

He said when he went to school, it wasn’t like this. I told him that when I went to school, there were 2 ‘Indian’ looking girls, 1 Indian boy and a few Black people. The rest were all White. He said it was the same for him.

How is that balanced? He was implying that it was balanced before, and isn’t any more, but it wasn’t balanced then either!

He made it sound like the National Curriculum, reflecting the school’s population and making it more accessible to the pupils, was a bad thing. It was almost like he thinks the teachers are covering Islam to the extent that they’re preaching it and converting everyone!

In the UK, where a third of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, over 80% of teachers call for more diverse curricula; initiatives like Hackney’s “Diverse Curriculum – the Black Contribution” (adopted by 660+ schools since 2021) integrate topics on Windrush, activism, and multicultural arts/science for ages 5–14. Ofsted endorses these changes for better minority ethnic pupil outcomes, with ongoing national reviews (reporting autumn 2025) emphasizing equity.

Diversity in schools – How to diversify your curriculum | Attainment and Assessment | The Headteacher

Ryan Lloyd Haynes talks about going back to where you came from – this link will take you to a Reel on Instagram. If you don’t have an account with Instagram, you can view a recording of the Reel by clicking on this link.

My thoughts about the quote above

• A third isn’t the majority
• Ethnic minorities don’t equate to Muslim
• Teachers are calling for the changes so it’s not being forced upon the schools

I was a teacher for 18 years, and there were plenty of White children who couldn’t access the resources we used. They couldn’t relate to them, so we adapted them to make them more relevant. Should we not have done that?

He doesn’t seem to understand that the National Curriculum cannot be changed in the way he’s describing and that it’s actually faith schools and free schools that can teach in a way that’s focused on one specific religion. They can be of any faith i.e. the Church of England, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim etc.

In the UK, schools are adapting several subjects to reflect the diverse student population, particularly in response to the increasing proportion of minority ethnic pupils (over a third of students). Key subjects being revised include:

History: Curricula are incorporating topics like the transatlantic slave trade, Windrush migration, Black British history, and colonial legacies to better represent contributions from African, Caribbean, and Asian communities. For example, Hackney’s “Diverse Curriculum – the Black Contribution” (used in 660+ schools since 2021) includes these for ages 5–14.

English/Literature: Texts by authors from diverse backgrounds (e.g., Malorie Blackman, Benjamin Zephaniah) are added to reflect students’ cultures and address themes like identity and migration. This aligns with calls from 80% of teachers for more inclusive content.

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education): Lessons now cover anti-racism, cultural identity, and diversity to foster inclusion and empathy, responding to Ofsted’s push for equity in outcomes.

Science and Arts: Contributions from non-Western scientists and artists (e.g., Islamic Golden Age scholars, South Asian mathematicians) are increasingly included to diversify role models.

These changes aim to engage diverse students, reduce achievement gaps, and reflect the multicultural makeup of UK schools, though implementation varies by region and school.

Grok.com

Amish Tripathi speaks with Bikramjeet Dutta about Colonial rule and religion – this link will take you to a Reel on Instagram. If you don’t have an account with Instagram, you can view a recording of the Reel by clicking on this link.

He referred to children being excused from assembly, claiming that they’re all Muslim and that they don’t want to partake in the mainstream.

He didn’t accept the fact that even when we were at school, there were children who were removed from assembly because their parents didn’t want them to be part of them. In my experience, they weren’t Muslim!

Yes, UK statistics from surveys indicate low but slightly increasing numbers of children withdrawn from school assemblies (collective worship) or RE, often linked to religious or secular reasons.

In primary schools, 96% reported all pupils receiving RE in 2022, dropping to 87% in 2024, suggesting a rise in withdrawals or non-provision.

For 2023–24, 82% of primary schools reported no RE withdrawals.

In 2019, 31.7% of schools had at least one RE withdrawal.

A 2018 national survey (312 schools) found 94.1% had fewer than 4 students withdrawn from RE/collective worship (61.9% had zero), with only 0.3% exceeding 25 students.

Latest News – NATRE

By faith: The 2018 data shows 49% of withdrawals due to conservative religious views (primarily Jehovah’s Witnesses and Exclusive Brethren), 20.3% non-religious/secular beliefs, and 2.7% racism/Islamophobia (often partial withdrawals from Islam-specific content); no recent breakdowns available, but trends suggest persistence among minority conservative Christian groups.

Religious Education and the Right of Withdrawal

Sharia Law

He then started saying that this country would soon be run by Sharia Law because there are so many Muslims.

At this point, I suggested that we stop discussing these things as we aren’t going to agree and that I believe he’s racist.

No, it is extremely unlikely that the UK will accept or enforce Sharia Law as part of its legal system. The UK operates a secular common law framework where domestic law, including the Equality Act 2010 and human rights obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, always takes precedence. Sharia councils (around 30–85 in operation) provide voluntary, non-binding arbitration for personal matters like religious divorce, primarily for consenting Muslims, but their decisions have no legal force and must comply with UK law; they are not courts and cannot override civil judgments.

Islamic Law in the United Kingdom – Talk About: Law and Religion

I think he said he gets his news from GB News and he trusts it.

The government has explicitly stated no plans to regulate, restrict, or integrate such processes into the state system, viewing consensual use as an expression of religious tolerance—a core British value—while affirming Sharia “forms no part of the law of England and Wales.” Recent claims (e.g., by Donald Trump in September 2025) suggesting a push toward Sharia in London have been dismissed as “ridiculous nonsense” and false by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor Sadiq Khan, with no evidence of such momentum. Public fears of a “parallel system” persist in some discourse, but official policy and a 2018 independent review emphasize safeguards like mandatory civil marriage registration to protect rights, without endorsing enforcement.

Written questions and answers – Written questions, answers and statements – UK Parliament

Jimmy The Giant talks about the likelihood of Sharia Law being followed in the UK. This link will take you to the Reel on Instagram. If you don’t have an account with Instagram, you can view a recording of the Reel by clicking on this link.

Palestine

Somehow, we ended up talking about Palestine. He seems to feel that what’s happening to them is their fault.

I tried to reason with him and say that one can’t blame a whole group of people for something that a small minority of that same group has done, e.g. blaming all Muslims for the actions of Hamas or blaming all White people for enslaving Black people etc.

He thinks that all Palestinians are part of Hamas. When I challenged the likelihood of this, he said they could be.

Estimates from intelligence sources indicate Hamas has approximately 20,000–40,000 active fighters (primarily in Gaza) as of mid-2025, representing roughly 0.4–0.7% of the ~5.6 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Broader membership (including political and civilian wings) is not precisely quantified in public data but is believed to be somewhat higher, though still a small fraction of the population—far below levels of popular support (which polls show at 20–40% in recent surveys). These figures are approximate due to the secretive nature of the group and ongoing conflict dynamics.

Grok.com

Muslims are going to take over the world

I was talking to someone a few months ago, and he casually said ‘You may not agree with this, but Muslims are going to take over the world because they have the highest birth rate.’

I mean…what? How would you know this? Are all births reported with information like the faith of the parents? What if the parents have different faiths?

Are the figures shown below enough to convince you that Muslims will take over the globe?

Yes, Pew Research’s June 2025 report on global religious changes (2010–2020) confirms Muslims maintain the highest fertility rate (2.9 children per woman in 2015–2020), followed by Christians (2.6), Hindus (2.3), and Buddhists (1.6); the global average is 2.4, with rates declining across groups but remaining elevated for Muslims due to younger populations

The World’s Religious Groups: How Their Sizes Changed from 2010 to 2020 | Pew Research Center

What if they say they’re a certain faith, but they don’t practice it? Surely, their way of living is massively important. I know people who say they’re Jain, but they don’t practice Ahimsa, or they say they’re Hindu, but they eat Beef, or they say they’re Christian but they take the Lord’s name in vain etc.

No, the Pew Research data (2010–2020, including the 2025 report) does not distinguish between parents identifying as Muslim (self-reported affiliation) and actively practicing or living as Muslims. The statistics are based on religious affiliation reported in surveys and censuses, not on levels of religious observance or lifestyle.

Grok.com

Is silence better?

I believe that silence is as good as condoning behaviour, so I wouldn’t be comfortable with just being silent. However, I would love to respond to such things whilst being calm and collected on the outside and the inside.

Related reels from Instagram

I am grateful to Bikramjeet, Sonny, Ryan and Jimmy for giving me permission to share these recordings for those who don’t have an account with Instagram.

Sonny Green talks about what England means to him – this link will take you to a Reel on Instagram. If you don’t have an account with Instagram, you can view a recording of the Reel by clicking on this link.