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BAFTA Television Awards 2019: Full list of nominees

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The best of British television will be celebrated on Sunday (12th May) at the 2019 BAFTA Television Awards. Killing Eve leads the nominations with 15 nods, while A Very English Scandal follows with 12. Here’s the full list of nominees – and you can find everything else you need to know about the awards here.

Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment (voted for by the public)

Coronation Street – Gail’s monologue on Aidan Connor’s suicide

Doctor Who – Rosa Parks, the Doctor and her companions make sure historical moments remain

Killing Eve – Eve stabs Villanelle

Peter Kay’s Car Share – The Finale

Bodyguard – The bomb during Julia Montague’s speech

Queer Eye – Tom completes his transformation

Comedy Entertainment Programme

The Big Narstie Show – Ben Wicks, Obi Kevin Akudike, Nathan Brown, Aoife Bower – Expectation Entertainment / Dice Productions / Channel 4

The Last Leg – Andrew Beint, Ben Knappett, Lisa Kirk, Cimran Shah – Open Mike / Channel 4

A League of Their Own – David Taylor, Jack Shillaker, Ish Kalia, Murray Boland – CPL Productions / Sky One

Would I Lie To You? – Peter Holmes, Rachel Ablett, Ruth Phillips, Adam Copeland – Zeppotron / BBC One

Current Affairs

Football’s Wall of Silence (Al Jazeera Investigations) – Production Team – Al Jazeera English

Iran Unveiled: Taking On The Ayatollahs (Exposure) – Production Team – Hardcash Productions / ITV

Massacre at Ballymurphy – Callum Macrae, Gwioh Owain, Mark Williams, Charlie Hawryliw – Outsider Television / Channel 4

Myanmar’s Killing Fields (Dispatches) – Production Team – Evan Williams Productions / Mongoose Pictures / Channel 4

Drama Series

Bodyguard – Production Team – World Productions / BBC One

Informer – Jonny Campbell, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani, Julian Stevens – Neal Street Productions / BBC One

Killing Eve – Production Team – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Save Me – Production Team – World Productions / Sky Atlantic

Entertainment Performance

Anthony McPartlin, Declan Donnelly – Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – ITV Studios / Mitre Television / ITV

David Mitchell – Would I Lie To You? – Zeppotron / BBC One

Lee Mack – Would I Lie To You? – Zeppotron / BBC One

Rachel Parris – The Mash Report – Zeppotron / BBC Two

Entertainment Programme

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – Pete Ogden, Saul Fearnley, Tom Locking, Helen Kruger Bratt – ITV Studios / Mitre Television / ITV

Britain’s Got Talent – Charlie Irwin, Amelia Brown, Lee McNicholas – Thames / Syco Production / ITV

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – Dan Baldwin, Claire Horton, Christian Fletcher, Michael McIntyre – Hungry McBear Media / BBC One

Strictly Come Dancing – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Factual Series

24 Hours in A&E – Production Team – The Garden Productions / Channel 4

Life and Death Row: The Mass Execution – Production Team – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Three

Louis Theroux’s Altered States – Production Team – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Two

Prison – Richard Melman, Paddy Wivell, Kathy Myers, Jack Wood – Spring Films / Channel 4

Features

Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip – Martin Dance, Chris Brogden, Steph Weatherill, Sam Campbell – Studio Ramsay / ITV

The Great British Bake Off – Production Team – Love Productions / Channel 4

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – Production Team – Owl Power / BBC Two

Who Do You Think You Are? – Colette Flight, Sarah Feltes, Anna Kirkwood, David Vincent – Wall To Wall Media / BBC One

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme

Daisy May Cooper – This Country – BBC Studios / BBC Three

Jessica Hynes – There She Goes – Merman / BBC Four

Julia Davis – Sally4Ever – Various Artists / Hush Ho Productions / Sky Atlantic

Lesley Manville – Mum – Big Talk Productions / The Money Men / BBC Two

International

54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis – Regina Ziegler. Killian Riedhof, Holger Karsten Schmidt – Ziegler Film / ARD Degeto / BBC Four

The Handmaid’s Tale – Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Mike Barker – MGM / Channel 4

Reporting Trump’s First Year: The Fourth Estate (Storyville) – Liz Garbus, Jenny Carchman, Justin Wilkes, Dan Cogan – Radical Media / BBC Two

Succession – Production Team – HBO Entertainment / Project Zeus / Gary Sanchez Productions / Sky Atlantic

Leading Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch – Patrick Melrose – Two Cities / Sunnymarch TV / Little Island Productions / Sky Atlantic

Chance Perdomo – Killed By My Debt – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Three

Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal – Blueprint Pictures / BBC One

Lucian Msamati – Kiri – The Forge Entertainment / Channel 4

Leading Actress

Jodie Comer – Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Keeley Hawes – Bodyguard – World Productions / BBC One

Ruth Wilson – Mrs Wilson – Snowed-in Productions / BBC One

Sandra Oh – Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Live Event

Open Heart Surgery: Live – Production Team – The Garden Productions / Channel 5

Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Stand Up To Cancer – Suzi Aplinn, Andrew Charles Smith, Murray James, Gabe Turner – Fulwell 73 / Channel 4

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme

Alex MacQueen – Sally4Ever – Various Artists / Hush Ho Productions / Sky Atlantic

Jamie Demetriou – Stath Lets Flats – Roughcut TV / Channel 4

Peter Mullan – Mum – Big Talk Productions / The Money Men / BBC Two

Steve Pemberton – Inside No.9 – BBC Studios / BBC Two

Mini-series

A Very English Scandal – Russel T. Davies, Stephen Frears, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Dan Winch – Blueprint Pictures / BBC One

Kiri – Jack Thorne, George Ormond, Toby Bentley, Euros Lyn – The Forge Entertainment / Channel 4

Mrs Wilson – Ruth Kenley-Letts, Richard Laxton, Anna Symon, Ruth Wilson – Snowed-In Productions / BBC One

Patrick Melrose – Production Team – Two Cities / Sunnymarch TV / Little Island Productions / Sky Atlantic

News Coverage

Bullying and Harassment in the House of Commons (Newsnight) – Production Team – BBC / BBC Two

Cambridge Analytica Uncovered – Production Team – ITN / Channel 4

Good Morning Britain: On a Knife Edge – Production Team – ITV Studios Daytime / ITV

Good Morning Britain: Thomas Markle Exclusive – Production Team – ITV Studios Daytime / ITV

Reality & Constructed Factual

Dragon’s Den – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC Two

I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! – Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV

Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds – Murray Boland, Trish Powell, Benjamin Leigh, Louise Bartmann – CPL Productions / Channel 4

The Real Full Monty: Ladies Night – Production Team – Spun Gold TV / ITV

Scripted Comedy

Derry Girls – Lisa McGee, Michael Lennox, Caroline Leddy, Liz Lewin – Hat Trick Productions / Channel 4

Mum – Stefan Golaszewski, Richard Laxton, Kenton Allen, George Fallon – Big Talk Productions / The Money Men / BBC Two

Sally4Ever – Production Team – Various Artists / Hush Ho Productions / Sky Atlantic

Stath Lets Flats – Production Team – Roughcut TV / Channel 4

Short Form Programme

Bovrill Pam (Snatches From Women’s Lives) – Vanessa Caswill, Vicky Jones, Debbie Christie – BBC Studios / BBC Four

The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk – Spencer Jones, Jon Riche, David Simpson – Tiger Aspect / BBC iPlayer

Missed Call – Production Team – Field Day Productions / Little Dot Studios / Real Stories

Wonderdates – Lydia Hampson, Tim Key, Jonathan Van Tulleken – Two Brothers Pictures / BBC iPlayer

Single Documentary

Driven: The Billy Monger Story – Caroline Hawkins, Charlie Russell, Will Grayburn – Oxford Scientific Films / BBC Three

Gun No.6 – Jmaes Newton, Zac Beattie, Georgina Cammalleri, Rupert Houseman – The Garden productions / BBC Two

My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me – Production Team – Dragonfly / BBC One

School For Stammerers – Jill Worsley, Rachel Bloomfield – Shiver / ITV

Single Drama

Bandersnatch (Black Mirror) – Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, David Slade, Russell Mclean – House of Tomorrow / Netflix

Care – Donna Malloy, Colin McKeown, Jimmy McGovern, David Blair – LA Productions / BBC One

Killed By My Debt – Production Team – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Three

Through The Gates (On The Edge) – Lisa Walters, Georgia Christou, Stella Coraddi – Backlight TV / Channel 4

Soap & Continuing Drama

Casualty – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Coronation Street – Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV

Eastenders – Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Hollyoaks – Bryan Kirkwood, Emily Gascoyne, Colette Chard, Kevin Rundle – Lime Pictures / Channel 4

Specialist Factual

Bros: After The Screaming Stops – David Soutar, Joe Pearlman, Leo Pearlman, Heather Greenwood – Fulwell 73 / BBC Four

Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage – Grayson Perry, Neil Crombie, Joe Evans, James House – Swan Films / Channel 4

Suffragettes With Lucy Worsley – Production Team – Brook Lapping / BBC One

Superkids: Breaking Away From Care – Guy King, Emily Turner, Simon McMahon – Expectation / Channel 4

Sport

2018 Six Nations: Scotland V England – Production Team – BBC Sport / BBC One

2018 World Cup Quarter Final: England V Sweden – Production Team – BBC Sport / BBC On

England’s Test Cricket – Cook’s Farewell – Production Team – Sky Sports / Sky Sports Cricket

Winter Olympics – Production Team – BBC Sport / BBC Two

Supporting Actor

Alex Jennings – Unforgotten – Mainstreet Pictures / ITV

Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal – Blueprint Pictures / BBC One

Kim Bodnia – Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Stephen Graham – Save Me – World Productions / Sky Atlantic

Supporting Actress

Billie Piper – Collateral – The Forge Entertainment / BBC Two

Fiona Shaw – Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Keeley Hawes – Mrs Wilson – Snowed-In Productions / BBC One
Monica Dolan –  A Very English Scandal – Blueprint Pictures / BBC One

Tune in to the 2019 BAFTA Television Awards at 8pm on Sunday 12thMay on BBC One.

Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia.

BAFTA Television Awards 2019: Everything you need to know

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On Sunday, stars of the small screen will come together to celebrate the best of British television at the BAFTA Television Awards. Here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony showcasing the best in the industry.

When is the BAFTA Television Awards?

The ceremony takes place on Sunday 12th May at 8pm.

The BAFTA Television Awards have been a separate event from the British Television Craft Awards – which celebrate the best of the behind-the-scenes talent – since 1998. The BAFTA Craft Awards took place on 28thApril and saw talent from A Very English Scandal, Killing Eve and Patrick Melrose take home multiple awards.

How can I watch?

The awards will be broadcast on BBC One from 8pm on Sunday. The ceremony will not be live but a delayed, edited version will be shown.

If you can’t watch it on Sunday, BBC iPlayer will have a version available to stream shortly after its television broadcast.

Where will the awards take place?

The ceremony will take place at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank, where it has taken place since 2016.

Who’s hosting the BAFTA Television Awards? 

Graham Norton has been confirmed as the host for the 2019 ceremony. He previously hosted the ceremony in 2005 and has said it would be a ‘pleasure to reward brilliant talent’ at the awards.

Who’s been nominated?

Killing Eve leads the nominations with 15. A Very English Scandal follows with 12 nominations, and Bodyguard and Patrick Melrose each have 6 nominations.

BAFTA TV AWARDS

Click here for a full list of nominees.

Tune in to the 2019 BAFTA Television Awards at 8pm on Sunday 12thMay on BBC One.

Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia.

 

Nottingham students weigh in on mumps outbreak

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In March, news of a mumps outbreak in two Nottingham universities broke. Public Health England confirmed 40 cases of mumps, along with over 220 suspected cases in the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.

What is mumps? 

Mumps is a contagious viral infection that can cause swelling of the parotid glands in the face and under the ears. The infection used to be common in children before the introduction of the MMR vaccine and is spread in the same way as colds and flu – through infected drops of saliva which can be inhaled or picked up from surfaces and transferred into the mouth or nose.

What are the symptoms?

Aside from swelling, symptoms of mumps also include headaches, joint pain, high temperature, feeling sick, loss of appetite and tiredness.

According to the NHS, a person is most contagious a few days before the symptoms develop, and for a few days after.

How did the universities handle the situation?

It’s understood that students received emails from their respective university detailing the situation and offering advice if they suspected they were experiencing any symptoms of the infection.

WNOL has seen a copy of the email received by students at Nottingham Trent University. The email provides information on mumps, the symptoms, how it spreads, when to see a GP and how the infection is diagnosed. Students were also urged to ensure that they were vaccinated against the infection, with the MMR jab. There is a current debate about whether universities should make vaccinations compulsory, however, some disagree with the idea. 

What do students now think about the situation?

One Nottingham Trent University student said ‘Basically there was a rumour about it at first and then people started not coming to [netball] training sessions because they were ill. Then a girl had a mask over her face and she told us she had mumps and it was super contagious and then, the following day, we had an email from uni telling us it was going around and symptoms and to wash our hands but they didn’t tell us that it was a new strain of it that the vaccine didn’t stop so basically everyone was at risk and it was quite serious. Everyone took it as a joke really but loads of people I knew got it’.

Another student said ‘I remember receiving a letter about mumps being spotted and reminding students to be up to date with vaccinations when I was living in student accommodation in third year. This time I heard about it through word of mouth. I don’t think the uni handled it very well – I know mumps can cause a lot more trouble to adults compared to children, kind of like chicken pox so I feel as though there should be more raising awareness campaigns for further learning grounds especially since it’s a gathering of adults’.

Why does the boyband novelty never go away?

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The Beatles, Take That, Westlife, JLS, 5 Seconds of Summer, One Direction, BTS, The Vamps. What do all these have in common? They’re all boybands. And we’re all obsessed with them.

It feels like the world has been obsessed with boybands since the beginning of time. There’s just something about a group of boys that can sing. Men, women, boys and girls – we all love it. It all started with Beatlemania in the 60s and, since then, it’s been a bandwagon that nobody can seem to get off.

As pop royalty Take That begin their eight-day residency at London’s O2 Arena in celebration of their 30-year anniversary, it’s time to take a look at why the novelty of boybands just doesn’t go away.

There’s a level of loyalty, when it comes to boybands and their fans. Look at bands like Take That; they’re 30 years into their career and stronger than ever. Granted, they began as a five-piece and are now a three-piece, but Gary, Mark and Howard haven’t been short of success.

They’re arguably one of the only bands that have made their situation work. They broke up in 1996, following Robbie Williams’ 1995 departure but reunited in 2006 (still without Robbie). In 2010, Robbie re-joined the group for their Progress album but his comeback didn’t last long and, in 2014, it was Jason’s turn to hang up his microphone.

Take That are perhaps the only band that have evolved as their members have left but, at the same time, have managed to stick to their roots. Fans of the group are some of the most dedicated fans in the world – no matter what, they’re always supporting. And that’s something that goes for boybands in general.

Think about the Jonas Brothers. They disbanded in 2013 and made their comeback six years later, in 2019. Having had successful solo careers, it’s always a potential risk for anyone going back to their boyband roots but, with boybands, one thing’s for certain: the fans. They may have grown up and in some cases married and had children but the devotion doesn’t go away.

There’s something about having a band that you grow up with. And every generation has one. From the likes of The Beatles in the 60s to One Direction more recently, there’s always a band for people to obsess over. There’s always one you can relate to – whether that be the music, or a member themselves. And that stays with you. The support and connection you feel to a band in your teenage years, for example, will 99% of the time stay with you for a lifetime. And then it becomes about nostalgia. The older you get, the more you’re reminded of the impact these bands and their music had on you – the happy times, the difficult times, the times that you wouldn’t have been able to get through without the support of your favourite band. And that’s why the novelty doesn’t go away; there’s nothing quite like it.

So if you love boybands just as much as us (and the rest of the world), have a listen to our Spotify playlist – a compilation of WNOL and WNOL readers’ favourite boyband songs.

Star Wars Day: How to celebrate

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From the UK to galaxies far, far away, fans of the Star Wars franchise can be found clad in capes, a collectors t-shirt and ready with a lightsaber. Since 2011, May the 4th has been heavily regarded as Star Wars Day with a play on words of the famous line, ‘May the force be with you’.

Although not affiliated with George Lucas or his former film company Lucasfilms, the day is recognised by the creator, and is celebrated by fans every year. From viewing parties, to costume parties, and even a murder mystery, here are the best ways to spend Star Wars Day 2019. And may we just say, ‘May the force with be with you’.

Events in and around London

Star Wars Experience at Madame Tussauds

The Star Wars Experience at Madame Tussauds is a permanent fixture but what better way to spend May 4th than immersing yourself in the Star Wars world? Travel to a galaxy far, far away with 18 life-like figures of famous Star Wars characters and 12 sets. From Jabba the Hutt to Chewbacca, and Yoda to Darth Vader, there’s everything you need to become part of the franchise. Prices start from £29 for an adult (16+) ticket.

May the Fourth Be With You Cabaret at The Apple Tree 

Hosted by Marc Anthony and headlined by Lily Snatch Dragon, why not head to The Apple Tree in Mount Pleasant, London for a night full of sci-fi themed cabaret? Priced between £5-£10, the independent pub is offering alien themed performances, karaoke and a DJ to celebrate one of their favourite days of the year. The venue is encouraging dress up so you might as well go all out and channel your inner Yoda for the night.

Star Wars Day Stand Up Comedy at the South Kensington Comedy Club

We all love a bit of comedy so, if you’re celebrating May 4th, head to the South Kensington Comedy Club for a night of Star Wars themed comedy. Hosted by the club’s resident MC Star Wars fanatic Ashley Gorman, the night will be full of laughs – especially if you really embrace the theme and dress up. Oh, and it’s free!

See our other Star Wars coverage here: 

May The Fourth Be With You: The Jedi Robe Shop

Star Wars fans and actors pay tribute to Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew 

If you can’t get to London, don’t panic – there are plenty of other ways you can celebrate.

Dress up!

What’s more fun than becoming someone else for a day? Especially when it’s your favourite movie character.

Throw a Star Wars party

Grab your friends and get partying. Make it a viewing party – you can watch the films in order of release or spice it up a little. This is the order that we prefer:

WNOL'S STAR WARS TIMELINE

Comics

Interestingly, Free Comic Book Day is on May 5th. What better way to continue your celebrations of May 4ththan reading the Star Wars Adventures comics? Set in the Star Wars universe, the comics are the perfect way to experience the franchise in another way.

The new ticket war: why are gigs so expensive?

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Ticket prices for live music events have been largely debated for a number of years, now. We all know about the war against ticket touts and re-selling sites such as Viagogo and Twickets and, with the help of artists such as Ed Sheeran and Adele, the popularity and impact of these sites seems to be decreasing. However, it appears that there’s a new kind of ticket war on the horizon. In recent years, it seems that ticket prices are rising more generally as legitimate, first-hand vendors have been increasing their prices.

Research from Pollstar shows that the average ticket prices for the top 100 worldwide tours in 2017 rose 5% to $84.63 (£61), while a 2018 BBC investigation found that ticket prices for big arena gigs have doubled since the 1990s and – taking inflation into account – the prices of gig tickets have risen by 27%.

Take the Spice Girls as an example; in 1998, tickets to their Wembley Stadium show cost £23.50 (£39 in today’s money) whereas tickets for their 2019 Wembley Stadium show are selling at £60-£135 for seated tickets, £75 for standing and £199 for ‘Spice Circle’ standing.

In a recent poll conducted by WNOL, 74% of respondents said that gig tickets are too expensive. One Twitter user said ‘personally I think that the pricing is way too high – especially in standing arenas for people like Ariana Grande, Little Mix etc. who attract a younger audience of early teens’.

Another Twitter user said ‘I think that gig tickets are extremely overpriced for what they are. It’s just another way for corporate bands to leech money from the easily persuaded youth of today’.

Others pointed out that, although tickets can be expensive, some artists are aware of this and do try to tackle this. One Instagram user said ‘some performers are aware of how expensive tickets are getting and actively try to keep prices low (like The Vamps) while others know they can charge a lot more and that people will pay it so they go extreme. You can’t blame them because, in a way, their main income is probably from touring these days’.

But why are ticket prices so high?

‘Venue costs rising, promoters’ fees, performers’ fees and the rising costs of logistics (travel, shipping of equipment et cetera) will have all contributed to the rising costs of gig tickets’, says Brighton-based music journalist Tom Sayer.

‘Performers still need to make money from their shows, and often even with high ticket prices and large sell-out shows, they make little to nothing on the shows themselves. They rely heavily on the selling of merch at the shows, and an increased awareness through gig promotion and PR’.

Although Tom doesn’t think gig culture will die if ticket prices continue to rise, he thinks it will likely change – ‘At the moment it seems like most shows are either free (open mic nights, pub bands) or very expensive (arena tours). I think they key is offering shows in the mid-range, so people are more likely to take a punt, even if they don’t know the artists’.

And Tom seems to be right; if anything, gigs only seem to be getting more popular. Expensive, yes, but with artists themselves – Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and The Vamps, to name a few – opening their eyes to the problems of the live music world, it may not stay this way forever. After all, look at the progress that’s been made in tackling the original ticket war.

 

It’s time to go plastic-free: these are London’s plastic free stores

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Plastic pollution is arguably one of the most prominent issues of the 21st century. The words themselves have slowly become buzzwords in mainstream society – so it should be no surprise that people around the world are taking a stand against the issue.

What is plastic pollution?

According to PlasticOceans.org, almost 300 tons of plastic is produced annually around the world and half of this is for single use. Single use plastics include plastic bags, plastic cutlery, plastic bottles and plastic straws.

Every year, over eight million tons of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans and this causes a number of environmental issues. Not only do single use plastics make up 49% of beach litter, but they can also cause serious harm to wildlife. It’s easy for marine species to become entangled in pieces of plastic – plastic bags, for example – and it’s fairly common for animals to mistake plastic for food. Research from Greenpeace shows that up to 9 in 10 seabirds, 1 in 3 sea turtles and over half of whale and dolphin species have ingested plastic.

But it’s not just marine species that suffer from the amount of plastic we’re putting into our oceans: the entire food chain does – meaning that, if marine species such as fish are consuming high levels of plastic, humans are too, when they eat fish, for example. Not only are we eating plastic we’ve thrown away, but there’s also potential for this plastic to enter the tissues of our bodies – just as it does in sea animals.

How can we make a change?

Luckily, over the last few years, people have begun to wake up to the issues surrounding plastic pollution. The United Nations ‘declared war’ on plastic in February 2017, and media coverage has helped to raise awareness of these issues – perhaps the most famous example would be the BBC series Blue Planet II.

Things are looking up; the UK’s plastic bag pollution has decreased by 86% since the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge in 2015. However, there’s still a long way to go – but there are some changes we can make. The key is switching to reusable products rather than disposable – using glass or metal water bottles instead of plastic bottles, buying reusable cups for hot drinks, saying no to plastic straws and so on.

Conveniently, there are a number of plastic-free shops popping up around the country. These stores aim to be as close to zero-waste as possible and minimise the amount of plastic used in everyday life. Shoppers can buy loose products in any quantity they wish – from cereal to washing powder and fruit and vegetables to salt – all without the unnecessary plastic.

Where are London’s plastic-free stores?  

Currently there are nine plastic free stores in London.

Re:Store (Hackney’s most recent plastic-free opening):

Hackney Downs Studios, 17 Amhurst Terrace, London, E8 2BT

Unpackaged (found in Planet Organic stores):

Islington branch: 64 Essex Road, Islington, London, N1 8LR

Muswell Hill branch: 111/117 Muswell Hill Road, Muswell Hill, London, N10 3HS

Torrington Place branch: 22 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HJ

Westbourne Grove branch: 42 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5SH

IMG_3159

Planet Organic Westbourne Grove

IMG_3168

Unpackaged in Planet Organic Westbourne Grove

Hetu (Clapham Junction):

201 St. Johns Hill, London SW11 1TH

The Source

Battersea branch: 99 St John’s Rd, London, SW11 1QY

Chiswick branch: 24 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 1QP

IMG_3183

The Source Chiswick

IMG_3178

The Source Chiswick

Bulk Market (Hackney):

6 Bohemia Place, Hackney, London, E8 1DU

Harmless Store (Wood Green):

Blue House Yard, 5 River Park Rd, Wood Green, London, N22 7TB

Get Loose (Hackney):

Hackney City Farm E2 8QA, United Kingdom

The Refill Larder (Teddington):

122 High Street,Teddington TW11 8JB

BYO (Tooting):

21-23 Tooting High St, Tooting, London,SW17 0SN

 

Despite supermarkets also beginning to make changes, and the introduction of these plastic-free stores, there is still a long way to go. And although these stores aren’t accessible or practical for everyone, the increasing number of them gives us hope that things are going to change and, hopefully, we can collectively reduce the damage that plastic pollution is causing our planet.

 

Becoming a blogger: Scarlett Dixon on making the jump from journalism to blogging

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Scarlett Dixon is a 25-year-old blogger from London, who is perhaps better known online as ‘Scarlett London’. As the epitome of ‘Instagram goals’, Scarlett boasts over 70,000 followers on the platform, along with over 13,000 subscribers on YouTube, but it’s really her blog that kick-started her career.

Scarlett set up her blog in 2011, as an aspiring journalist looking for somewhere to showcase her work for future job opportunities but it wasn’t until she’d graduated university (with a First-Class Honours degree) and began interning at women’s magazines that she realised her blog could be more than just a hobby. ‘Magazines were going through a transitional period and there was a general unease about the future of them. It wasn’t the most pleasant environment to start working in and it definitely steered me towards my blog’, she says.

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Take a walk on the wild side 🐯 A couple of months ago, I would have deleted these pictures and immediately felt deflated. My eyes would have been drawn instantly to my hips (an area I’ve always felt conscious of) and I wouldn’t have been able to admire the animal print jacket, the way my hair looked or the fact there was the most adorable little green car behind me! We all have our individual insecurities and the things that immediately draw our attention when picking apart photos of ourselves. It can be even more all consuming when your job revolves around taking & posting photos of yourself 🙈 I honestly don’t really know what has changed in the last few months other than that I’ve learned to appreciate all of the individual parts that make me, me! We all have little things that we (ourselves) notice daily, but no-body else does. So the next time you walk past the mirror or see a photo of yourself, I dare you to look at yourself with fresh eyes. Don’t immediately glance at the usual places. Admire everything that makes you, you! You are beautiful, strong, magical, mighty and smart! ❤️ loving yourself is seen as a narcissist quality, but we carry so much love in our hearts – you have to give a little to yourself sometimes! Photo by @lauraslittlelocket

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Having made the jump to blogging as her full-time career in 2017, Scarlett considers blogging to be ‘more of a lifestyle career than a traditional job, as you share lots of parts of your life as part of your blog – so the lines are pretty blurred in terms of ‘switching off’. A difficulty for Scarlett is her work/life balance – working for herself, it’s common that she feels guilty if she’s not doing something constantly, despite having frequent manically busy periods.

There’s no typical 9 to 5 day for Scarlett. Her career involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work – ‘Usually you’re working with brands (as your clients) who have a set brief to follow for each campaign. You have to put together a creative idea, essentially pitch it to them – and ensure it’s still on brief but fits with your audience. Then we plan shoots, find locations, edit et cetera. It’s all very varied and can be very busy and manic’.

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Q: if you had a looking glass that could see into your future, would you want to know what it had in store for you? 🌸 My A: probably not. I think that some of the best things in life are surprises and embracing change and the unexpected is all part of growing older and more wise. I do think sometimes we have to trust that things will all work out how they are supposed to. I guess if you looked at your future, it wouldn’t make much sense to you in the present. We will only be able to see the joined dots looking back, not forward. What do you think? Would you want to know your future if you could? Ps: I’m not in NYC (I wish) but these are a few pictures from my trip a year and a half ago that I never shared! 🌸🙈

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Being a lifestyle blogger, Scarlett’s online content is heavily focussed around fashion, beauty and travel, amongst other topics – but she doesn’t feel pressured to keep up the image that she portrays online. In fact, her online style is typically what she would wear in her every day, offline life – ‘when I’m out and about with friends/family – I tend to wear the same kind of stuff I’m pictured in on my Instagram. The only difference is that I might not have my hair extensions in. I’ve always been a very low maintenance kind of person’, she says.

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But things haven’t necessarily been easy in Scarlett’s blogging career – ‘I think dealing with online vitriol is probably the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with’. Within the last year, Scarlett has come under fire by online trolls who criticised her Instagram for being ‘fake’ – one tweet turned into criticism on a mass scale, through newspapers and national TV. As someone who describes herself as ‘a pretty sensitive person naturally’, Scarlett says ‘It was such a tough time, because thousands of people who have never met you are attacking your character and making wild, defamatory assumptions about you. I’ve pretty much read everything I possibly could about myself and feel I have a much thicker skin.’

The biggest lesson she’s learnt? ‘Just to go for it. There’s no time like the present and the best way to learn is through experimenting with different things. My blog didn’t start out looking like it did now – and no-one expects you to be perfect either. Don’t try and emulate anyone else, offer something unique and different. Think about what you are offering to your readers. You are your niche, so let everything that makes you you shine’.

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[Gift] The saying ‘when you wait for a bus and they all come along at once’ basically sums up this series of photos. Fun challenge for your Monday morning – how many London buses can you spot? Typically they all pop along when I’m trying to take a picture – I also had a fluorescent yellow road sweeper in the background on one image, so I very badly edited him and his truck out. I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! ❤️😘 Disclaimer: the bag, shoes and trousers I am wearing in this image have all been gifted by Dorothy Perkins, who I am proud to work with on paid content from time to time. However this post has not been paid for, I just adore their clothes – and this handbag, which comes on all of my adventures with me! The scarf and coat are from Boohoo, who do kindly gift me items of clothing each month.

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So, what’s next? For one, she’s publishing a book in April – ‘it’s very exciting and has been in the pipeline for a little while now. I blog a lot about taboo subjects – such as chronic illness and digestive health, so all I can say is that it’s linked to that! Watch this space’. And that’s something she hopes to carry on with – writing is and has always been Scarlett’s main passion and she hopes to publish a fiction book in the future. If her current work is anything to go by, it’s certainly something to look forward to but, for now, you can find her work at scarlettlondon.com.