Catherine Meyer-Funnell

The recent announcement of the reopening of pubs, restaurants, and other places of leisure on 4th July hs led to a collective outcry of joy from those whose social calendar has been depressingly bare over the last few months. In accordance with government guidelines on social distancing however, it may be that these establishments may, at least at first, look a little different to how they did back in those sacred pre-COVID 19 days. Things may become a little easier if social distancing is successfully reduced to 1m, but even then there remains questions as to whether Summer 2020 is still salvageable. So all the big summer events, from music festivals to Pride, are still cancelled. On the other hand, it has been proposed that UK tourists will be able to travel to countries such as Spain and Greece without having to quarantine on their return from 6th July. This feels a little early for many people, especially when the next story on people's newsfeeds may well be one warning ab...

A few months ago, when the coronavirus outbreak still retained some of its novelty, the introduction of the 8pm Thursday night 'Clap for our Carers' stood out as a shining beacon of humanity and support in a world which was starting to seem very dark. What better way to show our appreciation for the heroes of the NHS and other such life saving organisations than standing on our doorsteps and declaring it to the entire neighbourhood? However the founder of this movement Annemarie Plas said last month that it would be the right thing to bring it to an end on its 10th week, marking a 'beautiful' end to the movement. Now it should be the turn of the government to do its duty by our most prized national treasure. And Ms Plas would be right. Yet this government have consistently failed to provide for the institution that right now we need the most. The slogan 'Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives' smacks just a little bit of hypocrisy when one considers the desp...

When I was initially coming up with ideas for this post I had intended to write a sort of lifestyle piece on how to cope with having your plans completely overhauled by the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown. But in reality I'm not sure I am in any position to tell people how they should be dealing with this, because I'm not sure I am coping. Busying myself with baking and scrapbooking, starting a new job suddenly, pouring over travel guides and planning where to go once this is over - compared to many I seem to be ploughing through. And then I find myself in the middle of my shift wanting to scream at everyone in the shop. I snap at my family for stupid reasons. I break down crying at midnight on a Thursday. Let me explain my situation a little better. Last September I completed 5 years at university, the last one spent living in London doing my masters. I moved back at home to do a gap year, supposedly spending half working and saving money, before going travelling and com...

The recent Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the globe have forced governments and the public alike to examine long held attitudes regarding racial politics. While the US generally leads the way when it comes to police brutality and gun violence, Britain is far from innocent when one considers our bloodthirsty colonial past. The root of change lies in education, and right now we are seriously lacking when it comes to teaching our children the truth of our haunting legacy, referring to the glory days of our Empire rather than the years of lasting damage it has caused. Here is a round up of 10 things we need to start adressing on the school curriculum if we ever hope to right our past wrongs: 1. Winston Churchill was a racist Once voted the greatest Briton of all time, the uncomfortable truth remains that Churchill held some rather despicable views about race. His belief in eugenics (a view also promoted by the Nazi regime) founded his statements that British imperialism was a be...

No one could deny that the current coronavirus outbreak has had an impact on everyone, at every age, on every level of society. From nursery schools to care homes, no generation has been spared some degree of upheaval. Perhaps it is unfair then, or certainly unhelpful, to suggest anyone's suffering is greater or we should have any more sympathy for a group who have youth and -in most cases at least- strength on their side. But our young people have consistently drawn the short straw at the hands of a government more concerned with placating the baby boomers that form the majority of their voting base. What's more, millennials and Gen Z have grown up with a sense of existential dread hanging over them - first the recession, the ever present threat of climate change, and just when we thought we were starting to get to grips with that a global pandemic hits. We're itching to get out there and make our mark on the world, but the kind of world we may be left with after this ra...

At time of writing this piece the UK is preparing its exit strategy from a 10 week lockdown that has seen an almost complete shutdown of businesses and leisure activities, as well as forcing the country to stay home, protect the NHS, and save lives. However, an increasingly unclear lockdown policy, anxious economic prospects and Dominic Cummings-gate have continued to bring into question our government's ability to effectively and safely lead us through the remainder of this pandemic. While numbers of new coronavirus cases are starting to decrease, our government has in many ways failed to adequately protect its population - parents are being told to send their young children back to school, despite no assurances that this will be safe for either teachers or pupils. Confusion reigns supreme as former coronavirus adviser Professor Neil Ferguson states that the UK has 'been much more heavily affected than we had previously anticipated', with the highest absolute number of e...