Chris Swan

A trip to Rotterdam By Christine Swan During the half term break, I had planned another trip to the Netherlands for a break, but also to visit Delft, where the Blanchet family lived four hundred years ago. I set off o…

My recent trip to Rotterdam: awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/11/07/a...

Fewer CEOs and top level managers, more doctors, more nurses, more beds, more doctor appointments, more ambulances and paramedics, greater capacity in A+E, re-examine the call classification system in emergency call centres, less data analysts and survey administrators, more clinicians.

Food banks provide help when people need it most. But real change means ending the need for them altogether.

Repost if you agree 💚

William Nelson Sloper – World War I soldier By Christine Swan It is at this time of year that we remember those who served their country during various conflicts, including, the supposed war to end all wars, The First World War. My father ha…

In this week's blog: awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/11/01/w...

You look great!

I was going to say, reminiscent of Booth's work, but someone already got in first. I use this all of the time in my family history research, most lived in the dark blue or black areas on the Booth map. It's shocking that we still need to talk about rampant areas of deprivation in 2025- but thank you

The hearth is where the heart is By Christine Swan As a small child, we had one coal fire in our rented house, and no central heating. I remember my bedroom being freezing during the wintertime, and I disliked walking across the l…

Forgot to post this yesterday - my latest blog post. It's a bit of a filler as my fireplace project isn't finished yet. And it's not the one in the photo below ( I wish!) awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/10/24/t...

I'm in the Netherlands currently, and visited beautiful Delft yesterday. I'll write about it in a future blog post. This photo was taken between the rain showers, which were pretty relentless.

A wander around Hammersmith and Chiswick By Christine Swan When I was studying biology at the University of London, our electron microscopes were located in a mundane office building in King Street, Hammersmith. We took the Tube, and trud…

A wander around Hammersmith and Chiswick awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/10/17/a...

Simon Pettet – ceramicist By Christine Swan In May 2023. Dennis Severs’ House was transformed for a few weeks for an exhibition of Simon Pettet’s beautiful reproduction Delftware ceramics. It was a sad time in m…

This week's blog post #DennisSeversHouse awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/10/10/s...

At Tessa Hunkin’s Hackney Mosaic Project book launch By Christine Swan For thirteen years, The Hackney Mosaic Project has engaged its volunteer artists in numerous projects, some of which are on a considerable scale. Tessa Hunkin’s community of…

Flattened by 'flu but I never miss a blog post: awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/10/03/a...

I have flu 🤧🥵🥶🤒

You are doing SO WELL!! ❤️

Love this ❤️

2/2 Jane Goodall spoke out against the cruel, ineffective, and costly badger culls, that are still going on as part of Labour bTB policy. She was an environmentalist and her wisdom drew a younger audience to her. Always graceful and beautiful, she will be greatly missed. #RIPJaneGoodall

#RIPJaneGoodall I was very sad to hear of the passing of this giant of primate biology, ecology and conservation. As a young student, I studied her work as part of a module on Mammalian Ethology. Jane Goodall was also hugely compassionate and humble. 1/2

You should feel like you have had the power to speak - and that takes courage. I'm proud of you x

I'm stunned and horrified in equal measure. I'm also in awe of your bravery for speaking out. Amazing lady 👏

Yes, but you know x

I've been working through my daughter's things in little chunks. I don't catch my breath when I go in her room anymore. It's little steps and if it's too much, stop. Give yourself time x

A trip to the Open House Festival 2025 By Christine Swan I have travelled to London for the last three years to take part in Open City’s annual Open House Festival. Each year, I optimistically take part in ballots to tour rarely s…

Last week I spent a worthwhile Saturday at the #OpenCity #OpenHouseFestivalLondon2025 Here's my report: awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/09/27/a...

Thank you!!!

Once, I was a trainee too. I wouldn't be doing this job today were it not for the teachers who say the potential in me, who picked me up when I was having a wobble, and who helped me to get better. I'm forever grateful to them.If you don't already, please consider hosting an ITT trainee this year

When they are not teaching, PGCE trainees can be in the classroom supporting pupils. It used to be the best part of my job supporting trainee teachers and you can craft them in the ways of your school. I also found that I learned a great deal about myself.

If you work in a school, if you have any kind of influence, please consider offering to host a school placement to a trainee teacher. Better than that, to two. Paired placement students support one another and ask less questions. It also allows them to get going by team teaching.

A campaign for joy By Christine Swan This week, my group of trainee teachers have been planning teaching sessions based around the theme of Esafety, which fits well with another general session, delivered by colleagu…

New blog post : awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/09/19/a...

Another tactic I use is to buy books from charities and give them a go. You have helped the charity and then can pass the book on/back for it to be resold. Sometimes I make mistakes. I bought a Jackie Collins novel and just couldn't get on with it, but a friend loved it. It only cost £2 so no loss 🙂

I commute. I used to sit and work on a laptop but now I read. I can't wait to get on the train to lose myself in a book. Currently rereading Possession by A S Byatt. I think I last read it over 20 years ago. It's fantastic.

Autumn is not for me thank you By Christine Swan In a 2024 UK Ipsos survey, 20% of the respondents stated that autumn is their favourite season. Are they mad I hear you ask? Over double that amount quite sensibly, preferred summ…

As you all know that I hold controversial opinions, here's another one - autumn is not all it's cracked up to be. Here's why: awfulrigourswretchedpay.com/2025/09/12/a...

Goldcrest