Social Mobility: Let’s Mobilise!
When I was introduced to Jon Hering at Blackbullion, I knew I had met a kindred spirit. Whilst we grew up in different countries (Jon is from the USA) in a different social demographic (where I come from a working class background Jon would say he was born into a middle class household), we have […]
Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: Leaves
It is late on a winter’s evening. Dark, but easy to see thanks to the sodium street lamps that cast a comforting orange glow along the roads we must walk that take us from our local, The Three Barrels (of which a trip to was always referred to as “Goin’ dahn the Barrels”), to my […]
Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: When Music Came to Maths
It’s Wednesday morning. And Wednesday morning means one thing: maths. And while I struggle with the subject, I’m now at least in a class with my friends. Being in top set English initially put me in top set maths but it was soon clear I was a words rather than numbers person. So I’m now […]
Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: Scrubbers!
Stuffed into the cramped minibus, cigarettes ground out with the soles of Kickers and Wallabees (or scraped on kerb before being popped half-smoked back in the packet) we are off and raring to go. Our voices bounce around the damp interior and steam up the windows making them blank pages upon which we can start […]
Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: Secret Admirer
Each shift begins the same way; a cheery ‘Alright!’ to the security guard who sits behind the vast sweep of the reception desk as we write our names in the signing in book. This is followed by a quick troop across the marbled floor of what I will later learn is called an ‘atrium’ until […]
Social Mobility and Community
Morrissey’s lyric “I could never, never, never go back home again” has always resonated with me. Having left my hometown 30 years ago due to some really difficult circumstances, there were times when I couldn’t face going back to where I grew up. At the same time, I missed the sense of community that comes […]
UnderOne Festival – What a Way to DEI!
As the first event I’ve attended and spoken at that’s dedicated to DEI, UnderOne Festival set the bar higher than an even the most seasoned Olympian would attempt! If you’ve ever been put off by DEI initiatives (and let’s be honest, many people are), this event was a masterclass in how to do it right […]
The 49er – Facing the Final Year of My 40s!
The brilliant thing about being a writer with a long history of baring their soul online is that you’re never more than a click away from bumping into your past self. It is now 10 years since I wrote this piece about being on the cusp of my 40s and of finding enjoyment in friendships […]
Why Mid-Life for Women is the Hard Yards
Those of you who follow me regularly will know I’m quite happy to talk about being “nearly fifty” and how my children pointing it out led to me embarking on the 365-day journey that was The Toni Daily podcast. A year that saw me exploring deep themes of birth and death, love and estrangement, and friendship […]
Absolute Scenes – exciting new book from Toni Kent in 2024
Absolute Scenes <according to Urban Dictionary> When something mental happens when all hope seems lost. Usually used in British football culture. If you listened to the last episode of The Toni Daily podcast, you’ll hear me describe the moment of clarity I had about dedicating this year to writing. From that moment I’ve felt pretty energised – there’s nothing like […]