Penis Island
A few days ago an image turned up on wall of the castle that could very easily have been an illustration of a tic. It wasn’t though, and with King Russell prompting me like a royal Roy Walker from...
View ArticleGlastonbury - Our New Home
For the last few days I’ve been ready, both mentally and physically, with all my packing done, to leave London and plunge into the busy, beautiful and often muddy world of Glastonbury. This morning...
View ArticleGlastonbury - Laughing, Dancing and a Splattering of Mud
Today started earlier than I’d have liked. It was 4:00am when I woke up having a ‘ticcing fit’. I was face down, in a sleeping bag, unable to move or make much noise. All I could manage was a weird...
View ArticleGlastonbury - Dazzling Sun and Dancing Lights
The tent was incredibly hot when I woke up and although it was early I could feel the heat of the sun through the synthetic fabric. I opened the flaps to let in a much-needed breeze and the daylight...
View ArticleGlastonbury - A Somerset Farm on Sunday
The rain was drumming gently on the tent as I slowly surfaced this morning and carefully stretched my stiff and tired body. None of us was in a rush to get up and by the time we were all awake it was...
View ArticleUnified
Will and I spent this weekend in Cardiff with the wonderful Captain Hotknives at Unity Festival. It’s an inclusive and accessible arts festival, organised by Hijinx Theatre, that showcases a wide...
View ArticleTic Box
A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Sophie, an amazing young artist who has Tourettes. She shared with me some images of an incredible creative project she’d undertaken in response to her...
View ArticleGrandma’s Wave
It’s just over four months since my gran died and today something arrived at the castle that made me think of her and that day again. It’s a photograph by Ray Collins of a wave, suspended in motion so...
View ArticleGrandma’s Wave
It’s just over four months since my gran died and today something arrived at the castle that made me think of her and that day again. It’s a photograph by Ray Collins of a wave, suspended in motion so...
View ArticleSunday Afternoon Mystery
I managed to get through the whole of Halloween without dressing up or putting on any terrifying make-up, but then this afternoon I ended up in an outfit scarier than anything I could’ve dreamt up! The...
View ArticleWinter Wonderland
The children’s play project I work for operates throughout the year, with the two weeks over Christmas being the only long period when we’re closed. This break allows all the staff to have a proper...
View ArticleGuillotining My Way To Christmas
As we speed towards Christmas I spent yesterday doing some last minute present shopping. Now that’s all pretty much finished I’ve turned my attention to wrapping. There are two elements of present...
View ArticleFestive Uploads
One of the things I enjoy most about Touretteshero is seeing my tics brought to life by other people’s creativity, whether this is as poems, music, videos or images. Today I was in for a big treat when...
View Article2015 Mapped Out
At midnight tonight the fifth year of Touretteshero will draw to a close. Back at the very start of 2015, when we launched our birthday survey, I promised that during the year we’d celebrate our...
View ArticleTrips, Tics, Tipis, Tribes, and Time
I woke this morning with the sound of my alarm ringing in my ears, my mind was already buzzing with ideas. I quickly turned the alarm off and flipped the phone over so I couldn’t see its glowing clock...
View ArticleStealth Post
Leftwing Idiot and I were in a cab the other day sitting in a traffic jam. I looked up and suddenly started laughing with giddy delight. My tics chipped in: “Oh lamp-post, discretion is your middle...
View ArticleFat Sister’s Birthday Bernard
It’s Fat Sister’s birthday very soon but because she’s going to be away for the day itself we had a get-together this evening. I’d been struggling with what to get her this year. I wanted it to be...
View ArticleLoo-shaped Legacy
Six years ago when I started working as the Project Coordinator at a children’s play organisation in London we didn’t make any formal provision for disabled children. A year and a half later we started...
View ArticleThe Incredible Gift
For Christmas Fat Sister and King Russell gave me two wooden boxes each with six drawers. When I first unwrapped them I looked quizzically at my sibling. I knew the drawers had belonged to my mum until...
View ArticleGeranium Audit
I got back to the castle yesterday to a lovely surprise – the geranium was flowering. And mine isn’t the only one – I’ve heard rumour of other geraniums in bud. So I’ve decided it’s time to check in on...
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