Salfordian to the End...

I love love love my city. I enjoy the life, the people and the landscape. Salford has an amazing history, a thriving and valiant community, and a burgeoning sense of cultural pride. We are absolutely amazing. I am so all-consumingly proud to be a Salfordian that I have long thought of changing my name to Pippa Salford. I won't, because that would be excessive. But I think about it...

Anway, this campaign garnered huge response from my fellow Salfordians, desperate to keep at least one maternity unit in our great city. Our city that has been growing and developing for over a thousand years. A city older and with more cultural resonance than her showy neighbour, Manchester. A city that provided a free public library and museum before anywhere else in Britain. A city with 216,000 residents. A great city. My city. And, because the "Hands Off Hope" campaign failed to influence the almighty Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts, a city soon to be without a maternity unit or neo-natal services.

I was born at Eccles and Patricroft Hospital in 1971, a year before that unit was closed and all of Salford's maternity care was moved to Hope. (There's a pattern here.) I gave birth at Hope hospital in 1988 when I was sixteen and scared. It was a safe and caring place and I got amazing support from the midwifery team.

Today, like many other Salford women I am heartbroken, but still ready to fight for what I believe in. Because that's what Salfordians do best.

I Should Think So....

This ought to have been a no-brainer, surely? But how great that logic eventually prevailed. To my mind, he should have been immediately incarcerated the moment he selected the laughable moniker "Atomic Dog".

Mohammed Halim

I don't mention men much here; I think of this blog as a woman space. But today I feel that we should think about, celebrate and remember this human. (WARNING: THIS LINK CONTAINS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TORTURE)

Happy Monday!!

Monday rolls around so fast at the moment. I have so much work to do, so many words to write on feminist standpoint epistemologies...! However, I want to make time to do this Happy Monday thing. I think it's hugely important to try and remember Feminist joyfulness and agency. It's too easy to feel down and overwhelmed by the patriarchy; we need to tap into our sources of power and let delight and rage flood out of us, into the surrounding air...

Get some inspiration here!

Then have three minutes to watch this and feel fabulous! Happy Monday! Let's kick this week's ass...