Entries by sam
40 things to do before I turn 40
Next year in June will be my big 4-0, which seems crazy as I still feel like I am 18. I can’t believe it, in my head 40 is how old my mum and aunties are and so to be reaching that age myself doesn’t feel real. I started thinking about what would I like […]
Lazy or Genius? The product that is making my ostomy life easier!
I got my first stoma in 2013 and apart from 18 months with a J-Pouch, I have had one ever since. My ileostomy is now permanent and I will have one forever. So I can’t believe it has taken me this long to figure out a solution to the smelly bin problem!! A nappy bin! […]
Helen Mort Off the Shelf
I was asked to interview Sheffield based author and poet Helen Mort for the Off the Shelf festival. It is my second year working for the literary festival and was an honour to speak to an award winning writer. Helen’s latest book is called Never Leave the dog behind and is an exploration of our […]
Susie Dent – Off the Shelf festival
It is my second year of working with the Off the Shelf festival. Last year I interviewed Charley Cox about her poetry book Validate Me and Dr Clive Wynne about his book Dog is Love. This year I am thrilled to be interviewing Susie Dent of Countdown fame and Sheffield poet Helen Mort about her […]
The Art of Disruption by Magid Magid
The Art of Disruption; a manifesto for real change is a book by Sheffield legend Magid Magid. “A Somali born, working class black muslim immigrant” who became the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Sheffield. A man who banned Donald Trump from the city and famously called him a wasteman… This book shares his commandments for […]
Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) and Disability Support in university
As you may know, I am going to university this year at the grand age of 39. If it wasn’t scary enough to be heading into education as Im hitting 40, doing it with a chronic illness is even more terrifying. A friend told me about Disability Student Allowance (DSA) and also about the Disability […]
How the pandemic has changed my life
2020 has been a ridiculous year, unprecedented as so many people have said, and I think it has changed how so many of us feel about ourselves and our lives. And we are no different here in the Cleasby household. I said a couple of months ago that my big news was that I was […]
Chronic illness: When to push and when to rest
Something I say a lot is to listen to your body, but when you have a chronic illness, the messages you get from your body can feel warped and unclear. When you are unwell for a long time, possibly every day forever, how do you know when to push yourself and when to rest? My […]
Dreading the Covid test – when past trauma effects current needs
It has been a weird old year so far hasn’t it. I haven’t written too much about Covid-19 as I haven’t really known what to say and I suppose in many ways, I am just surviving it, getting through. But as it all becomes less of a shock and more of a way of life, […]