by ToniKent | Jun 7, 2021 | Family, Parenting
She propels herself through the water; head down, body sleek, arm over, then through, the water. Legs kicking, not splashing. Concentration creating flow. Grace, strength and power creating movement that looks effortless. Her head glances to the side; face just...
by ToniKent | Apr 12, 2021 | Family, Honesty, Social Mobility
I have been told that I am a less than desirable parent by my children on more than one occasion. You won’t be surprised to learn it coincides with times when they have been told ‘no’. I said “No” to a sub-standard coat that my daughter...
by ToniKent | Apr 11, 2021 | Grief
I dreamed about you again last night. We are laughing; you are funny, smiling, alive. And then I wake up and realise in the darkness of the room that the reason I dream of you is because you are gone. We haven’t been friends for that long in the grand scheme...
by ToniKent | Mar 22, 2021 | Events, Music, Performing, Storytelling
While we wait to hear what will become of the live music industry, I thought I’d take you on trip down memory lane to a moment in time where being in the presence of a legendary band transported the audience to a transcendental place….. A chilly December...
by Toni | Oct 26, 2020 | Honesty
When the Welfare Reform Act was introduced, Iain Duncan Smith was famously quoted as saying, “I could live on £53 a week if I had to”. A petition was set up to see if he would like to prove it but of course he could live on £53 a week ‘if he had...
by Toni | Apr 28, 2020 | Family, Honesty
If there’s one thing that worries me right now, it’s the pressure I hear my friends putting themselves under about homeschooling. And it’s mostly women. That’s not to say my male friends aren’t worried but it’s exclusively my...
by Toni | Apr 27, 2020 | Honesty, Work
Working from home used to feel like a luxury but when you have to do it full-time it becomes a slightly different proposition than a way to grab some cheeky time to yourself, or a chance to walk the children to and from school. Having worked from home for 10 years, I...
by Toni | Apr 26, 2020 | Family, Honesty
Entertaining children is no walk in the park – especially if you’ve already had your exercise for the day and can’t walk in the park. There’s also the added pressure of unhelpful suggestions that somehow we should all be getting our kids to...
by Toni | Mar 5, 2020 | Compering, Performing, Stand up
Having run lots of events I know how hard it is to pull a successful ‘do’ together. Booking performers, managing ticket sales, bringing in catering and often sweeping up afterwards. It’s a stressful business. Today, I’m fortunate that all I...
by Toni | Jan 17, 2020 | Stand up
I love the WI. Having performed for dozens of groups and with bookings stretching out to 2021 (know this if you know nothing else, they are organised) it has been my absolute pleasure to meet hundreds of women who are hell-bent on supporting not only their fellow...
