Today is the end of Autism awareness  month.

Do you know what Autism is?

From the National Autistic Society:

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

Note: autism is note a learning disability which are seperate. Though some  autistic people have a learning disability as well. It’s important not to confuse the two. This is a common misconception.

That is an official description truth is even as autistic person myself I struggle to summarise my own autism. It’s simply a part of me.

Autism Awareness is better known in the Autistic community as Autism Acceptance month.

Awareness is good but it Acceptance is better. Acceptance means treating us like people accepting us as individuals like everyone else.

Remember as famous Autism Advocate Chris Packham says there is no typical Autistic person.

You may think you don’t know an autistic person but I bet you’re wrong.

1 in 100 people is a autistic person

Autism is not always visible and not everyone has the same traits.

We are all unique. We are people 

 I would like to note that Autism Awareness week was renamed to acceptance a couple of years ago so watch this space.

The reason acceptance is so much more important is that someone can read all the literature there is they can take courses. They may even think they understand autism. They may even generally mean well. Then they will come up against a behaviour they don’t get. They won’t know why a suggestion or coping technique they’ve been recommenced works on one person but not another. It’s because we’re all different. There are no strategies which will work on all autistic people.

We will not all respond the same.

It’s not that these ideas you read about won’t work. 

• Providing a safe/quiet space at work school
• allowing more time to process information
•  use of sensory tools to relieve stress/
• app to monitor time and routine/
• use of headphones to shut out noise 

I could go on. There are many things which can help. The thing is not everyone needs the same support. I see many people who have a limited understanding of autism and try to dictate what people need instead of listening.

It breaks my heart. All that does is make the person listen feel either:

A: They aren’t trusted to know their own mind.

B: This is going to make it harder for them and they now regret speaking up.

Now you may think. Hmm he says this but he’s no better. He won’t have had this.

Wrong. I’m an autistic person too. I function relatively well. I’m very social. I too also have my quirks. I too differ in what will work for me vs others.

Example I hate time management apps. I am poor at time management. I admit this.

It was once suggested to me I could use an app to track this. To log my time. This on paper seems a great idea. Just one problem.

Now I hate notifications I hate pings. I dislike being disturbed. Such apps would only make me more tense. Many autistic people thrive using these app. I know there useful. I still hate them for myself. 

Another way I differ is crowds. Pubs, coffee shops. I function petty well in such places. I do find them a bit wearing at times but I don’t mind noisy places. Yet for many that would be unbearable. 

Yet despite this things do set me off.

I can get flustered when I am trying to do a lot at once. A couple of years ago I was homeworking and had a teams meeting due to start suddenly teams stopped working. No big deal right? I panicked. I was stressing out. I restated the laptop. I was shouting at the computer “why won’t you work, it’s not fair I did all my prep, people are going to think. I’m unprofessional. That I’m late for no reason.”

Now was my reaction proportionate? Of course not. 

On the other hand. I am in a running club and can cope doing long often varied routes. I am fine with meeting new people and am social.

Yet I still like hate pings. I still like to go for long walks alone to process. I still over process social situations. I struggle to read tone over text. 

Point of all this? Every autistic person is different. Treat us all as people judge us on our own terms don’t assume.

Learn more with these links  from the National Autistic Society: 

Top 5 autism tips: managing sensory differences

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/sensory-differences

Masking: 

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-masking

Autism in women and girls 

https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/professional-development/training-and-conferences/online/women-and-girls

Thanks for reading 

#autism #bettertogether #autismacceptancemonth #AutismAcceptancep

Today Sunday the 18th June is Autism Pride day. It’s also fathers day. If you’re reading this love you dad sorry for not blogging about you today. 

Autism Pride day for Autistic to celebrate our Autism and let people know what our strengths are and why we take pride in our Autism.

Why it’s something to celebrate to accept and embrace.

Learn about this day here:

Autistic Pride

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autistic_Pride_Day

Something links you can look at:

The below website has a number of useful tips around language and Autism.

Identity-First Language

It’s  ran by Autistic people for Autistic people so is a great free resource to share with your colleagues and learn.

Autism Peer support group Northumberland college:

Autism Peer Support Group

Meeting both faced to face and online this is a wonderful self advocacy group ran by autistic people offering advice and guidance

Autism Peer Support Group – Northumberland Recovery College    

 The below organisation offer a similar service for the newcastel area

About — ReCoCo

https://www.recoverycoco.com

So we have a lot of good information there but I’d like to say too my Autistic peers reading this.

As good as all these links and resources are what really matter is one thing.

You.

Whatever you do not just now, but always take pride in yourself.

Because you matter.

You really do. I know at times the world can be difficult. I often say it’s like the whole world has a rule book of social cues except me. There are things, unspoken rules other people just seem to know. 

Speaking from experience I’ve had to learn many of these by trial and error and I’m still learning. 

It’s little things. Worrying whether I’ve upset someone. Not knowing if a text I’ve is aggressive or joking etc. Not knowing how to deal with the unexpected such as rudeness.

Caring too much about what others think.

One easy trap I fall into is thinking I’m not good enough or becoming nostalgic for my past.

I’ve always over processed. I tend to over romanticise my past. I long to go back to when I was a kid and live was easy. Or when I was 21-22 before work when I had so much free time. Thing is if I really think about it. I hated being unemployed. Yes I read more wondered about shops but because I was bored. When I was a kid I was shy I didn’t come out of my shell till adulthood. I found talking to other kids hard. They could be mean I remember being mocked for not knowing the word gay. Blubbing when a kid offered me a sweet and ot was that joke where it’s an empty wrapper.

Not that it was all bad. Many kids were kind. One lad billy always made an effort to include me in things. Trouble is often I just wanted to sit and read. Or was too shy to accept.

But I have lots of good memory too.

Holidays in the lakes with my mam. Going swimming with my dad. Riding my bike. Watching cowboy films with my grandpa Harry. Yes I had happy times in my past. Many. I’ve got fantastic parents. I had great school abr

and teachers. There is always stress though.

It’s  easy to paste over bad memories. Whatever age you are you will always have stress. You have to enjoy happiness where you can.  

Which leads me into the other thing I mentioned. Thinking you’re not good enough. Imposter syndrome. Now I wish like the nostalgia I had a fix for this. I don’t. As I write this even as I type I worry it’s not good enough that it’s too weak and self pandering. Thing is these negative thoughts are not even at  most of the time how I feel. It’s a mean self doubting thought stuck in my head. My rational brain often tell me “Hey it’s fine. Don’t worry” 

It’s hard but you have to ignore these thought.

Don’t dwell on them. Remember things that mane you happy that you do well.

If your having a dark day you may thing “nothing “ I’m sure that isn’t true. I get it I’ve had bad days. Try and remember the good ones. Celebrate little victories. Things like doing a task you find hard. Trying something new. Anything.

As I said before you matter.

Finally I’d like to finish with the silver lining. Why I take pride in my autism. Empathy. Without my autism I don’t think I’d be so kind. I try to respect everyone to not make assumptions. I know having a hidden condition how it can feel to be misjudged. My autism also gives me a unique view point I often think about things differently and I think that is a good thing it certainly helps with my writing.

So that is my rambling post for Autism pride day 

Thanks for reading

#autismacceptance #AutismPride #bettertogether

Today is the last day of Autism Awareness month.

The start of this month was March 27th to April 2nd was Autism Acceptance week. I support both but in the Autistic community acceptance is more important. Autism acceptance week was also previously awareness week. I hope one day Autism Acceptance month becomes the official name. Awareness is good but it doesn’t mean you understand or take us as we are. 

Many people like to have a ‘one size fits all’ for neurodiversity and Autism, but that simply doesn’t work. You can’t just use the same approach for everyone. People will not react the same way. People need to understand that Autism is not always visible or obvious. Obviously, those with more acute needs may be show more signs and they may need more support. That is the image most populated by the media. That is not every Autistic person though.

Let me illustrate by sharing one common myth the:

“You don’t look Autistic”

What an enraging thing to hear. Even worse is when it’s touted out like a compliment.

It’s on the same vein as being asked “still working” Well don’t you still have a job which many people say. 

As an Autistic person who has worked very hard to make something of himself and grow and who even now has self doubt such condescending statements and ignorant assumptions about Autism are hard to hear. 

Hollywood Autism is to blame for this 

How autism is portrayed in media is representing a enragingly small portion of Autistic people. So that is how many people expect you to present 

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HollywoodAutism

When someone says to me “You don’t look Autistic”

 I ask “In what way? describe an Autistic person to me” That always stumps them.

 1 in 100 people are Autistic there are 700,000 Autistic people in the UK. 

There is no Autistic look

Autism is a hidden condition.

People need to learn that and stop with these condescending comments.

See NAS’s main page on what is Autism here:

autism.org.uk

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If you are reasonably high functioning Autistic person it can be a hard transition learning the rules of social etiquette as you get older. It’s difficult to process in your head. You know what you think and mean by what you say and do. But others expect you to know what THEY mean and you don’t always get sympathy if you don’t react the way most people do or know what they mean.

It’s like everyone in the world has been given a copy of a rule book “Do and Do Not’s.” You somehow missed your copy and are just expected to know these things. Things other people don’t even pick up on. It’s harder when people get annoyed. It makes you feel that maybe they’re right. That you should ‘just get it.’ But that is simply not true.

I’d like to share a few stories with you know of times I was misunderstood because of my Autism not being visible to demonstrate my point.

1: Get off my dinner: When I was a child I was in a cafe with my dad for tea after a day of shopping. I was tired and wasn’t standing straight; leaning over the railing. A sharp voice said to me “get your arm out of my dinner.”  I started to realise I was quite close to the tray of a lady next to me, so I said sorry. Now what happened next happened because I had not realised that people aren’t always nice. I said I hadn’t seen her and waited for her to acknowledge my apology… She didn’t.

I then said that technically my arm “wasn’t in her dinner but merely close to it” she said I was being cheeky and I pointed out a lack of food on my arm. I was taking her saying ‘my arm was in it’ very literally. She got very annoyed and dad noticed all of this and steered me away. However I was upset to be thought of as naughty so slipped away.

I then tried again to apologise. I said that at school I was told that if you gave a sincere apology it should be accepted. She then said I wasn’t sincere and so it wasn’t accepted. This unfairness was too much emotion for me. Luckily dad came to my rescue. This stuck with me.

Most people I’d met up to then were patient with me and nice. I genuinely thought if I explained myself my apology would be accepted. I now know you can never expect everyone to understand you which is why you have to be grateful to those that do.

2: You can’t sit there: Once I was on the metro going to my dad’s for the weekend. This is when I was 19 or 20; legally an adult but still quite sheltered socially. I was carrying too much stuff just for a weekend and was uncomfortable in the cramped space. Suddenly a seat was free and I gratefully sat in it and began reading my book. Less than a minute later a man with an older lady was glaring at me and gesturing to the seat. I asked if I could help him and he said I had to move. I asked why and he gestured to the old lady. Now I’m not proud of this but I found public transportation so stressful that I got really upset as I had only just sat down. I explained that I had not seen her and noting in my head that she did not look so frail asked: “Could I sit here just for a couple more minutes then I’ll get up” the man glared at me and said to move.

Now I’d had a very stressful day and while I knew I should give the seat up I just felt so tired and did not see why I was being treated like a horrible person for a simple mistake. I even said as much to the man trying to explain my reasoning. He didn’t see that. What he saw was a grown man who did not immediately give up his seat to an old lady. It did not occur to him that I would not immediately know what he meant or that I might find it genuinely uncomfortable to do so. He didn’t know I had Autism so he just saw a rude man. End of story.

These stories are just a couple of examples of how people assumed because I didn’t look Autistic I was playing up or being obtuse. They never even thought to think “Maybe this person doesn’t see things like I do.” So if by any chance you encounter someone who seems rude and you think your being fobbed off with a lame excuse…Think twice. Maybe just maybe it’s actually sincere.

 I hate that people try to pigeonhole what is normal. One bit of advice I can give if you’re on the spectrum and find yourself being misunderstood-  learn from it, file it away and remember it. Also, don’t worry about explaining yourself. I know that is hard ask, I certainly don’t always stick to it!!! However, try not to worry so much after the event what’s done is done.

So what advice can I offer?

To those who know an Autistic person: listen and be adaptable. As I said there is no one size fits all approach for Autism. What works for one person will not work for others. You may think you know what a person needs but you need to make sure the person is happy with this. Don’t just say “this is what we’re doing” talk to them about what they want. They are a person. Don’t assume you know best. Listen and adapt.

To the autistic people reading this. My advice is don’t mask and it’s ok to ask for help. 

Do you know what masking is? It is something many autistic people do to try and hide their traits and appear more neurotypical. No one should have to act in way that’s not true to them. I know why people do it. To fit in and to have friends. Trust me as someone who tried to modify his behaviour in his early twenties, it’s not worth it.

Ultimately it will make you sad and make life harder. Also it makes it harder for people to truly understand Autism as they see an untrue version of it. I never knew I was masking until I read about it. I’m so much happier now. So many people on the spectrum have so many talents and unique views. So if you’re a person with Autism or you know someone I encourage you don’t mask your behaviour or encourage others to. Be yourself!

You can learn more about masking here https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-masking

It’s ok to ask for support too. This ties into not masking. Many autistic people feel they should not ask for support. That they will be judged for it. That others may need it more. Again this is not true. Whilst it is true people will not all require the same type of support that is because we are all different. It might be that you just need more processing time for some tasks or a quiet place to calm down. It might something you don’t need every day but it helps just knowing the option is there.

Again every person is different. So, if you’re struggling or if you feel your life could be easier or you are being misunderstood  talk to someone. Don’t bottle it up.

Thanks for reading 

Hello 

It’s been far too long since my last post.

It was December and I was 34

Well it’s April now and I’m 35. 

I bet you thought you’d got rid of me? Well I’m like a bad penny. I always come back.

I promised myself in this blog that I would only blog when I felt like it. So guess goal achieved lol

A blog about erm not blogging…awkward right?punton9.wordpress.com

Now it goes without saying I haven’t just been sitting at a computer staring into space waiting to be asked to blog again since my last post.

As I’m human not a robot.

 My dad keeps going on about this and about how robots will be able to replace us one day.

I always think “If they made a robot just like me that would be one expensive paper weight!!!”

Anyone reading this yes I do know A.I is a real possibility. I like to facetious. 

Anyway as I haven’t been replaced with a robot yet I have been busy.  Now were I try and list everything I’ve done and all my feelings we’d be here all day. So I’m gonna give you a brief update.

Work: My work is going well. My role still allows me scope to get involved in areas I am interested in which I know I am lucky. I chair one of our organisations staff Network. I help chair the Autism staff network which allows me to help support those in our trust who need it.

My main role also allows me to get involved in career events to help promote our organisation.  This involves talking about career pathways into the nhs, my own lived experience. I also do a lot of prep for these events such as printing, collecting things to hand out like pens. 

So on the whole work is going well. Sadly though I still suffer from my old enemy. Imposter syndrome. So many times people will ask me a question and I doubt myself. I often struggle to remember things. The other week I was talking about two important policies and I could not for the life of me remember their names. It’s at times like this I get “Who are too to give advice” or “You don’t know what you’re on about” 

Luckily I had them saved in a doc for such an occurrence. My autism often means I put myself under too much pressure. I forget no one knows everything. The reason I am involved in so many things at work career events, the networks is because I care. I make notes. I save important emails. Most importantly I communicate and listen to others.

So yes some imposter syndrome aside work goes well. Ok so full disclosure I do also sometimes miss my evening bus and I tend to be bad at sticking to a half hour lunch going into 36 min and I often talk for England. Other than that work goes well lol

Writing: 

Well it’s been December since I last wrote this blog so what do you think?

Actually my writing is going very well. I have been managing to write at least once a week recently. Admittedly not for very long mainly short scribbles. Still it’s something. A friend of mine Sandy Chadwin who I performed with last year once said to me “Writing every day is vague advice assuming everyone has the same time and schedule” So I just do what I can. Often it’s just random thoughts I won’t use. Strangely it’s doesn’t matter so much it’s the act of writing itself. So what if nothing comes to me that day? It might next time.

This shift in attitude has really helped me.

In the past I’d get bogged down about my writing. Now I just think I’ll do what I can.

I’ve done a fair bit so I submitted to two local contests ran by North Shields library. Poetry Tyne and story Tyne. I know a judge on each. My cousins Elaine Cusack on poetry Tyne and Jane Roberts a great writer for story Tyne. Thankfully entries are judged blind so no issue submitting. I felt good just having done it.

I also had a poem I wrote used to commemorate 10 years of my local park run in South Shields which felt good. I love parkrun as a free way to get active and meet other runners. I urge you to try yours (side note park run blog in May)  

My biggest achievement though was a set I did at a recent event as an invited performer. The cooking pot in at Baba Yaga in Whitley is a new event on the spoken word scene ran by a lady called Jenny Smith. It’s a bit old school as it’s not on Facebook. So shock you have to remember it yourself. It’s a lovely little venue which I well recommend. 

It went well thanks to Jenny Smith for having me. Well don’t to everyone else too.

I was told by a few people it was my best performance. I practiced a lot before hand. Again and again. I tried something new for me I did a “fake out” type opening. I have a semi anecdotal poem about not having a poem to read I read that first in a fake nervous voice.

Then I introduced myself.  

Baba yaga house poetry nightyoutube.com

I don’t know how I had the nerve to do that. I’ve certainly came a long way. I used to write my poems on the bus on the way to events and would stutter through every line. So I have came a long way. Yet in many ways I haven’t.

This video may make me look confident. I’m not. At another event that same week I didn’t know anyone and had to be urged to get up and do open mic. It was a new event. I couldn’t find the venue and got drenched in rain. You wouldn’t think I was same man as in the vid.

its funny how little things can affect me. That is why I write. At least a part of it. To try and make sense of those hard to describe feelings.

After all isn’t the whole point of writing to express yourself? For me I use my writing as a form of release. Whilst I am very talkative and could never be called introverted I less see traits in myself. I can talk about things I like for ages but if I am asked to sell myself I feel the imposter syndrome kick in. I go erm and um every second word. I go off on tangents. I apologise too much. Or worse I talk one way without giving others room to speak. It’s not that I’m rude it’s that I get nervous.

My writing allows me to let out all my thoughts.

Those I don’t have the courage to say on the spot or things I find irritating. It helps anchor me. I also love that writing opens doors. Think about it you can do anything in fiction. Travel, have a bar fight, stand up and shout at the world!!! It’s what I love about reading too a good bit of writing can change your view.

Phew that bit about writing had a few tangents sorry.

This blog is long enough already. I haven’t touched on my trying to lose weight (ongoing) 

Finances (let’s just save embarrassment and come back later) but I think you get the gist 

I have also been running a lot but think I’ll save that for another blog 

Thanks for reading.

I know I’ve said this before but I am back to blogging.

UK Disability History Month 2023

Hello I hope your all well. It’s not long now till Saint Nick comes to call. I just finished all my Christmas shopping which is a relief and a disappointment too.

 I love giving gifts it’s good to be sorted but on the other hand I like picking things. Only have to wrap them now. Wrapping is not my strong point. I blame my dyspraxia for the facts I can never get the stupid sellotape in the right place. Normally mam helps me but I can’t ask her to help wrap her own gift sadly…

One more thing before we move on those of you who saw my last post will be wondering and my gig at Whitley bay library went really well. It really inspired me to keep working and writing. Thanks to Elaine and Sandy for a great night.

Anyway onto the main topic of this post.

Tomorrow is the last day of Disability history month.

This Disability History month is on the theme of Health and Wellbeing. Considering the state the world is in this is now more important than ever. It’s no secret the last few years with the pandemic and the recent cost of living have made us all a bit tense. Which is like saying a tornado in your area “Is a bit of bad weather”

It important that we all look after our mental and physical health. I myself know this from first-hand experience.

My Autism affects me in lots of subtle ways. A lot of the time I feel ok. However I tend to overthink and overanalyse. I feel emotion quite acutely. This makes it hard for me at times to not let my own views affect my judgement.

There have been times in the past where I’ve put far too much pressure on myself both in my job and in my personal life. I could talk forever about both but I will focus on the work aspect today.

I used to put way too much on myself at work.

My role allows me a lot of scope these days to support equality and diversity and help.

This can make me think a lot about what I say and do. A few posts back I said it was even overtaking this blog!!  Recently I have begun to relax more and not put so much on myself.

In the past I’d worry I didn’t do enough that I could have done something better. I’d think about how much I needed to do in the future. I’d worry about potential delay. This was all because I cared. I still do care. However you need switch off too.

Often in the past I have had trouble letting things go. I have asked the same question in different ways to many people instead of waiting for a response. I have overthought emails I’ve sent and have worried I’ve caused offence when I have not. It can I think be challenging for my co-workers if they do not understand why I’m processing things that way.

What has my team done to support me:

My department has done a great deal to support me. They have tailored my workplan to suit my skills. We have taken advice in the past around my skills and comfort areas and how to support me. They listen to me and regularly engage. They have also helped me with ways to track things.

I’ve always found it challenging to switch off. In an ideal world you finish work and you go home. You have your dinner, see your friends or just get on with whatever you need to do that evening like paying bill tiding up. We spend a lot of time at work but its important we make time for yourself. We are more than just employees. We all have dreams and goals not just at work. We need to leave work at work. No matter what your doing or how challenging it is. Once you finish work its your time.

It was often challenging for me personally to do this. As I say I care about things I want too help people. Let me tell you a secret:

It’s not all on you. You can only do your part. So try to take some off that weight off your shoulders. Easier sari than done. I myself carry about a rucksack worth sometimes. But I’m trying.Just do your best work hard by all means. At times work will be challenging there may not always be enough time. You may be tired. However as long as you do your best you have nothing to feel bad about. We are all part of a wider organisation and team. Remember its not all on you

I would like to finish this blog with a few tips. You may not be in work. Maybe your at college or volunteering these tips can still work:

Switch Off: As I said leave work at work. Its not always easy but do try. When you finish work.

Find a hobby or something that makes you happy. This may be harder depending on your role and hours. It is worth it though. It could be reading or walking. Or a book club. Or even just binge watching a comedy. Or seeing a local singer. No matter what your interest even if its only an hour a week. Make time for you. Relax

For me that is my writing and my running club.

Ask for help: If you are genuinely struggling at work or collect  remember its ok to ask for support. If you are having trouble with your workload or if you feel you need more support you must not be afraid to talk. You are a person.

Finally I’d like to end this blog by urging you to speak up this Disability History Health and Wellbeing is so important. It literally affects us all. Its easy to shrug it off to “say I’m fine” but little things build up. If your feeling overwhelmed or like you need more support say something.

Thanks for reading 

Hello well tonight blog contains a bit of 
bit of shameless self promotion. I mentioned in my last post a bit of success on the writing front. Writing has always been something Ioved but had trouble knuckling down and finishing. I’ve done open mic before. Been invited to speak at a few events. Generally though I don’t do as much with my work as I should. Fear of failing holds me back as I set in my last post. So the news I’m about to share means a lot to me.

Next Thursday is Drifting With Clouds at 
Whitley Bay Library 7pm
An evening of poetry and prose. With myself and poets Elaine Cusack and Sandy Chadwin
Here are the bio’s

Elaine Cusack:
(I love Elaine. My cousin she is the one who got me into poetry and is one of the nicest people I know)
A well known North East poet and bookseller.
Elaine has been performing poetry, songs, memoir and working as a poet for 40 years. Her work has appeared in various collections and anthologies as well as on national TV and radio. Her recent publications include The Princess of Felling a loving tribute to the town she grew up in. She also has a new pamphlet Sacred Spaces. 

Sandy Chadwin is a local poet, writer and storyteller, often of folk tales which he gives his own unique spin.
He is a regular reader at spoken word events, has published a pamphlet, Strange Dreaming, and often performs as a storyteller, often with folk duo Miggins Fiddle.
(Sandy is really a unique character he has a educated air about him but is always kind and humble. He talks intelligently but is respectful to everyone. He also has a great sense of humour)

Here is my bio for night. (I tried to seem cool)
From South Shields, Ross  is on the spectrum, which gives him a unique view. His poetry is humorous and anecdotal. He has been an invited performer at the following poetry nights Babble Gum, Stanza, Poetry Jam and Newcastle Literary Salon  & most recently Under the arches.
Ross runs the A Line Per Day Facebook group.
Outside of writing he is a keen runner and loves nothing more than to be out and about by the coast where he lives.

So that’s my news.
I am looking forward to it and thanks to Clare McDonald Pepper if she reads this who has workes tirelessly helping us organise it all 😊

I can’t wait for Thursday