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Caroline Coastal •

Maldon Santander to close – new banking hub plans revealed

It comes as the Spanish-owned banking giant has announced closures of 95 branches across the UK, including the one in Maldon High Street.Around 750 people could lose their jobs nationwide, as Santander says it is transforming its network to “better serve customers’ changing needs”.The closure has raised concerns among residents, particularly those who rely on in-person banking.However, the town has also been named as a new location for a banking hub, organised by cash access network LINK.A hub o...
Retail Therapy •

The Value of Our Clothing

Clothing is a valuable asset. In its most basic form, clothing protects against the world around us. A coat protects us from bracing winds. A scarf warming us up from the chill in the air. A pair of cotton trousers keeps us cool in the sweltering heat. Their cruciality goes a lot deeper. Through clothing, we weave the threads of our layered personality, what we care about and who we aspire to be into the fabric of our identity. How we dress doesn’t just affect how the world sees us but, more imp...
SoundCloud •

Size inclusivity at Fashion Week - Radio Package

A radio package independently produced for student radio station, Shef News. After reading Vogue's 2023 Size Inclusivity Report, I discovered that only 1% of models at the major international fashion weeks were mid or pl…

A radio package independently produced for student radio station, Shef News. After reading Vogue's 2023 Size Inclusivity Report, I discovered that only 1% of models at the major international fashion weeks were mid or pl…
SoundCloud •

One in a million - Medical Cannabis Podcast

Cannabis. For some it’s a recreational drug, for others, it’s a life changer. One in a million explores the eruption of medical cannabis in the UK. From its breakthroughs to its downfalls, join Issy Weeks-Hankins as she …

Cannabis. For some it’s a recreational drug, for others, it’s a life changer. One in a million explores the eruption of medical cannabis in the UK. From its breakthroughs to its downfalls, join Issy Weeks-Hankins as she …

Tramlines Trends: How Festival Fashion Defies Ageism

by Isabel Weeks-HankinsThe fashion industry is ageist. That is not a secret.A 2020 report entitled ‘Retiring Ageism’ found that 78% of Brits over 50 said they haven’t seen an accurate representation of their age bracket from companies or celebrities.Meanwhile, 56% feel most misrepresented by the fashion industry.Big names like Nicole Kidman have had to defend their fashion choices. After the now 57-year-old graced the cover of Vanity Fair in 2023 wearing the viral Mui Mui micro skirt, many label...

The Female Drag Queens Standing Up Against Misogyny

by Isabel Weeks HankinsThanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, male drag queens have enjoyed mainstream success, but tucked behind the wings, their female counterparts are seen as a sideshow. Now, they are ready to stomp onto the scene – in their 6-inch heels, no less – to take centre stage.During a late-night scroll through Netflix, 14-year-old Lola stumbled across RuPaul’s Drag Race in her bedroom in North London. Completely infatuated by the worlds of make-up and fashion combined, Lola binge-watched al...

The Women Who Made Tramlines 2024 a Weekend to Remember

by Isabel Weeks-HankinsAs the summer welcomed a new set of lineups hitting stages across the country, major festivals like TRNSMT and Latitude are still being criticised for their lack of female acts. Whilst Tramlines didn’t have any female headliners across the three nights, it was the women who made the weekend one for the memory books.Pippa CrosslandThis year’s BBC Introducing act, Sheffield’s own Pippa Crossland has deservedly come full circle. On the Library stage, she admitted, “This time...
PsychShe •

Can masturbation really help women destress? - PsychShe

Scientific research says masturbation can help women de-stress. In her own experiment Psych-she writer, Issy Weeks-Hankins put their findings to the test.


It doesn’t matter what you call it. Whether it’s flicking the bean; touching yourself; hitting the kitten; slugging the sister. Studies have shown 91% of women have masturbated at some point in their lives. *note to self don’t google different names for masturbation*


I am happy to say I am part of that 91%. It feels a bit weird typing th...
PsychShe •

Girlies Guide: Friends in the business of friendship - PsychShe

For 69% of women in their twenties, trying to make new friends is not a slay. Introducing Rachel Moore and Mia Gnomes, the founders of Girlies Guide, a thriving monthly events business whose aim is to chip away at that number one bottomless brunch at a time.


After graduating from university and starting their ‘adult life’ in South London, all two best friends Rachel Moore and Mia Gnomes wanted to do was branch out and meet new people. So, as anyone else would in a similar situation, they deci...
PsychShe •

The Power of skincare for your mind and skin - PsychShe

Thanks to the wellness industry blowing up, skincare has never been more in. But can those same skincare products we love actually benefit our mental health?


I start my skincare routine the same every morning. Getting out of bed I scrape back my hair with my fluffy lilac headband (a definite ‘TikTok made me buy it’ situation). Sitting cross-legged in my chair I drag a micellar water-drenched cotton pad along my skin. It’s cold and welcomingly soothing. I then tap my serum into the high points...
PsychShe •

Bridgerton: Why wallflowers are the new it-girls - PsychShe

Before, the It-girls we admired from a far were confident, untouchable – the Kate Moss and Hailey Biebers of the world. Thanks to Bridgerton 3, the latest it-girl has to be Penelope Featherington. 


The room is dark. Just the half-assed hung fairy lights lighting the room. 30 fifteen and sixteen-year-olds squished into someone’s basement. Some are playing spin the bottle. Some are gossiping about their crushes. Some are making toast because they went a bit too hard on the Malibu found under th...
PsychShe •

The psychology of queer awakenings - PsychShe

When I realised I like women as well as men it was like someone switched the lights on. But what actually happens in our brain during a queer awakening?


Saturday night is movie night at my family home. Every week we’d argue over the film to watch. I wanted to watch something new out. Mum wanted a classic film. Dad wanted sci-fi. Of course, being the baby of the family I got my way. 


One week when I was 15we watched the new release of the week: Atomic Blonde. Charlize Theron plays Lorraine...
Single-ish •

The rise of audio erotica - Single-ish

Everyone seems to have an app for everything nowadays, whether it’s on showbiz or reviewing McDonald’s cheese bites. But now audio erotica, a new wave of apps, has arrived to satisfy everyone’s needs.


“You know, you laying like this, a lot could happen…maybe I could kiss you on the back of your neck, like that, or on the back of your shoulders, right there, or down your spine. You seemed to like that didn’t you, maybe you want a little more?”


At first glance, you’d think this could be an e...
ShefNews •

Sheffield artist to premiere first solo exhibition - ShefNews

A Sheffield-based visual artist and graphic designer, known for his bright colours and explosive shapes, is set to open his first solo exhibition.


Andy Welland, from Mexborough, Doncaster, said he creates art to celebrate ‘the idea of togetherness, connecting and being human’.


The artist, who has worked with Haagen-Dazs, Coco-Cola and Nike, said he has a love for ‘combining the best bits of everyday life into one weird thing’.


The 41-year-old said he is proud to have his first solo exhi...
ShefNews •

Trans cartoonist speaks out against backlash over Sheffield library event - ShefNews

A Canadian trans cartoonist has faced serious backlash over ‘nappy fetish’ art after being booked for a Sheffield family and kids library event.


Artist Sophie Labelle is set to appear at Sheffield Central Library to discuss her book, The Best Assigned Male, and her trans experiences.


Sophie Labelle, originally from Montreal, Canada, said: “The scrutiny really reminds me of how much the kind of work that I do is necessary, now more than ever.”


Sheffield libraries, has promoted the event...

Pamela Anderson is iconic, but not for the reasons you think

by Isabel Weeks HankinsTrigger Warning: Sensitive topics of a sexual nature Pamela Anderson is the woman who seamlessly defined the 1990s. The curly blonde updo and sensually smokey cat eye made her the it-girl of the decade, and many mimic the iconic look on social media to this day. But the world behind the beauty, glamour and wealth of the Baywatch star isn’t a life of serenity or bliss. Ultimately, it’s of strength and speaking out.  Molested by her babysitter as a young child and raped by a...
Forge Press •

Bullet Train: "Murder on the Orient Express on drugs" - Review

Bullet Train is a film that desperately wants to emulate Quentin Tarantino but comes off as a version of the Murder on the Orient Express on drugs.
Adapted from the bestselling 2010 novel by Japanese author Kotaro Isaka, and directed and produced by David Leitch (John Wick), Bullet Train is a frantic high-speed journey of repetitious fight scenes, neon intertitles, quirky characters and sudden flashbacks.
Brad Pitt stars as a contracted operative, known as Ladybug, who is typically hired by myst...
Caroline Coastal •

Save Maldon’s Medical Services campaigners among ‘unsung heroes’ celebrated at community awards

The group, Save Maldon's Medical Services, won the Community Impact Award in recognition of their successful efforts to prevent the closure of the town’s hospital.Jo Phillips, one of the lead campaigners, was also named Citizen of the Year.She told Caroline Coastal: "I'm absolutely thrilled that the campaign was able to voice the needs of our community and has been recognised by both residents and Maldon Town Council."It was a wonderful awards evening filled with inspirational people all doing t...
Caroline Coastal •

Maldon & Tiptree fans to walk 12 miles in memory of club volunteer

Members of the Jammers Fans Association, which supports Maldon & Tiptree Football Club, will walk from Tiptree to the stadium in Park Drive, Maldon, tomorrow (April 12).They are taking on the challenge in aid of mental health charity Mid and North East Essex Mind, along with DEBRA, a national charity supporting those living with Epidermolysis Bullosa.Also known as “butterfly skin”, it is a rare and incredibly painful skin blistering condition.Jammers fan Richard Buckby told Caroline Coastal: “We...
Caroline Coastal •

Maldon District Council leader's warning as Essex devolution deadline looms

The plans, if approved, could see a directly elected mayor take charge of key regional powers from 2026, overseeing areas such as transport, housing, education, healthcare, and economic development.Essex County Council has thrown its support behind the proposal, describing it as a landmark opportunity for local governance.Council Leader Councillor Kevin Bentley called the move “a huge opportunity to shift power out of central government and into the hands of residents.”Cllr Bentley said: “At the...