Maria Roberts's Blog

Top 20 TV programmes of 2015 REVIEWED

What made the list of my top 20 TV programmes of 2015?




Nothing.
It was all
BOBBINS.

*Except Doctor Who, which showed some merit.

My Christmas birthday: reflections on a decade ill-spent

Why 38 is not the new 28

Tomorrow is my birthday. My birthday is always on December 29th, what my friend Emmeline calls "The perineum of Christmas and New Year". That bit of the festive period when people are ready to stay in and watch TV and there's not really anything decent happening because everyone is holding off for December 31st and they all went mad for Jesus' birthday – and yet he's dead – you, on the other hand, my Christmas baby friend, are still alive and you are forcing people out against their will.

That person who wrapped your birthday present in Christmas wrapping paper? It should be tied naked to a tree with dog food spread on its bits.

Last year, when I turned 37, I dressed as my 15-year-old self for the day, (complete with fake-perm, heavy eye make-up and puffer jacket) and put Oasis Live in Concert at Maine Road on the tele. I made jelly and ice cream for my birthday party dessert and behaved very immaturely.

I had passed from mid-30s to the mid-late 30s description category. Pah.

Now I'm 38, I'm officially late-30s. When I was in my late 20's, I started this blog and sold it as a book telling the coming of age story of turning-30 – the press called me The Bridget Jones of the North.  Or some other such bobbins. I'm now OLDER than the original Bridget Jones. I'm older than the characters in Friends, who eventually got it together.

So what does that make me?

Liz-flipping-Jones of the North. That's what. Good God. Shine a light on me please.

I'm not impressed.

38 isn't the new 28 > that's because 28 wasn't the new 18 > because 18 wasn't the new eight. 40, therefore, is not the new 30  >  like 30 was not the new 20   >  because that would make 20-year-olds 10 year-olds and it's all lies!

There's no new anything. Only ... getting ... older...

Ten reasons why 38 is not the new 28   At 28                                                          At 38I could go to work and socialise                    If I socialise, I can't actually workI socialised with people at work                    I now manage people, so I can't actually vomit at workAll my friends live 1-2 miles away               Now they live 2 to 2000 miles awayI had four boyfriends at once                        It takes 4 years to replace lost boyfriendsOlder men were aged 32 and above             Younger men are now age 32 and aboveI used to lie-in for a treat                              I can't flipping wake up My old boring aunties were 38                     I'm now a boring old auntieI could read three books a week                   I read three books a year, with breaks in betweenPulling someone was having sex all night   Someone looks at you in a bar for 7 secs You are waiting to meet the right person     You're just waiting....                     
If you are struggling to read the font above, your eyesight is going.
I dedicate this post to my almost 40-year-old friend Becky, who, on Boxing Day said:

'That night you left us, we went to Fab Café.... and I pulled!'

'What you actually took a man home from a nightclub and had sex?' I asked, WOWED. (Because, let's face it, that is rare after 35...)

'No, he gave me a hug and kissed me goodnight on the cheek.'

Nuff said.
*FYI, writing this in my pyjamas.

Supporting women writers

As my social media is switched off I can't engage with the comments or opinions. But here's support from the UK's leading publisher of short fiction, the award-winning Comma Press. 

Thanks....

In the words of Taylor Swift 'haters gonna' hate'.

So, thanks for the love, Comma.

Here's a fabulous woman talking about the hatred aimed at women online in The Washington Post. Feminist writers are so besieged by online abuse that some have begun to retire. 
Read also here the trouble experienced by former CEO of Reddit, Ellen Pao.

Respecting skill and talent

Most importantly I want to point out that my current employer, who I joined in September, takes a respectful and supportive approach to his employees and to myself as his employee.

Not only does he pay above the Minimum Income Standard in the UK 2015, as recommended by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (which is different to the minimum wage and poverty line), for myself and my colleagues, but he has actively and patiently listened to all our views on work, our needs, skills and salaries. Across the board – from senior staff to part-time casual staff – this approach is a paragon of how to keep employees happy and healthy at work. And I'm very happy with my current working situation.

The article in The Telegraph empathises with those who will find themselves in difficulty following the cuts, because I have been in that situation. This is not in any way a reflection on my current employer.

I am now – thanks to full time work and a respectful salary – able to find my way back out of previous financial difficulties.

From the JRF report.

Debt and income

I know that if you are vitriolic against single mothers, because you are coming here to find bait for the Telegraph comments section, you won't like this.

An explanation is in a blog post below but I've cut and pasted it here:

But why am I so poor? It's because I owe the equivalent of A NEW Vauxhall Meriva in accumulated debts – and let's face it, who wants to be forced to own A NEW Vauxhall Meriva? This massive cash flow sink hole comes from a period in 2010 when I didn't get paid for some work, then worked for four years without a pay rise, during inflation, followed by a cut in hours. Now I get paid a decent salary, but the cost of living, combined with debt, keeps rising.

Do remember that we have just been through an economic crisis and a triple-dip recession. This was a particularly difficult time for small businesses – and even writers and journalists. No one is to blame for that situation, it is simply what happened, and it takes time to recover from a difficult period, for anyone!

It does not happen overnight and it does not go away overnight: think 'long-term economic recovery' on a micro-scale.

In some of the worst case scenarios writers (though not me) on average earned £11,000. Also for those who think I have a new book to plug – I don't! I'm genuinely worried for the plight of families in the UK.

Or if you think that I made a mint on my book, like JK Rowling: it took a year to write; 15 months to promote: 20 per cent to agent + 17.5% VAT, expenses, then 20% to the tax man. Divide the remainder over two-and-a half years.

The guardian 2104
Authors' incomes collapse to 'abject' levels
ALCS survey finds median annual earningsfor professional writers have fallen to £11,000, 29% down since 2005

What can happen when you are freelance and a writer is that sometimes people DON'T PAY YOU for work you have done, but then you still have to pay your rent and eat.

It happens.

Telegraph article written by a man - no sign of abuse here.

In this article written in the Telegraph ahead of the election a MAN raises the issue of the working poor debate.

Working poor is related in the main to the high cost of living – it is high housing and utility costs that are making life more difficult than it needs to be for the average and below average household.

In the article written by me? A gathering angry mob that wants to burn me for all of society's ills.

What has happened to people? Why are you so mean?

Supporting small business

During the recession, followed by a recession, and another recession, many friends of mine and members of my family lost their jobs, those that didn't saw a massive reduction in their incomes. there were also men who, faced with the fear of job losses, took their own lives.

These people worked in the arts and public sector services, where the cuts went deep: the majority worked in social services.

I was lucky during this time because I did hold onto my job during a very difficult time for small businesses, even if my income dipped as the cost of living rose. I was very fortunate that my employer held on tight and kept people in work; I'm not sure I would have been able to succeed in this. I fully respect that he was able to achieve this for so long. Those that run small business deserve a medal – they have the lives of others in their hands.

We might be coming out of a recession but the ripples of it can still be felt - individuals have their own personal economic recovery to deal with: this goes far further the than homeless, unemployed, sick and low-income but also inches into average income families who are finding it hard to 'keep things going' because of the rise in living costs.








  

We're all in this Together - The Big Society

From five years ago.

What has happened to the Big Society? Why have we descended into a country that uses polarised politics to initiate dangerous rhetorics?

Great Britain is a democracy: this means we have the right to vote and this means that sometimes someone is always unhappy with the party in power. Presently, that's the left versus the Tories.

And to stay in power the leading political party denigrates the opposition.

But we mustn't make it a pit fight. We must speak respectfully about and to one another otherwise we are creating a divided society. And I believe we must work together to make that happen.

No, it shouldn't be the case that we have a society that needs WFTC to fill in the gaps. This has become increasingly the case because of the rise in the cost of living.

Tidying up

In the raft of abusive comments that have accompanied by article on 'the working poor' in the Telegraph - well there's everything, where do do we begin - there are also some people taking a more level headed approach. Thank you. What's most interesting is that my article is published in the WOMEN section, where it seems to be OK to receive a torrent of personal abuse by men. So when women have a voice, we seemingly present an arena that allows men to SET FIRE to them. What nice people we are.

To clarify a few points: because let's face it, if you wanted my life story I'd have to write another book, and I might get paid for it and then you'll hate me even more: 850 words – there are going to be gaps.
Working poor: What it's like when you have a job - but can't pay the bills -I can see how this title is misleading. Because I didn't write it. I pay my bills. It's a struggle, but I do and I always have. Are they talking about me, or other people? I'm not even sure. 'The number of people in-work who fall below the poverty line has risen by 70 per cent in London'.
I don't live in London. It's too expensive. I don't know how anyone can afford to live in London, I tried it and left.

I fully empathise with those that are going to experience further hardship because of the changes not only to their income but the cost of living. As an example, I talked about my own experiences.
There are people far far worse off than me, and I am very concerned about you too.
You have a car  – I have worked since I was 14 years-old. I've paid tax since I turned 16 years-old. I've paid road tax since I was 17. Tax on petrol. At various *periods in my life my income has fluctuated. THIS IS TRUE OF MANY PEOPLE. Therefore, yes. I own a car. But it has been increasingly difficult to keep hold of my car and every month I contemplate selling it. As a parent, you try 'to keep things going' for your child when your finances take a nosedive. (I have one, not three!) However, as thankfully my working situation has now changed and I am back in full-time employment, I can try to hold on to it. To cut down on running my car, I cycle. I would have sold my car, but they depreciate so much, that I held onto it knowing it would be difficult to ever buy a car again.Yes it's about choice: do we need a £300 TV to watch The X Factor? No. Do I need lots of make-up and perfume and accessories etc? No. Do I need to travel for work, yes. Do I need to collect my son, do I need to connect with my family? yes.You have a fat face - that cycling isn't doing you any good! I've always had a fat cheeks. What can I say? When I'm rich I'll give into society's demands and get my cheeks chiselled. I saw on twitter that you once ate sushi - yes it was half price at around £2.50 for loads of it. Seemed like a good deal to me.You can eat chicken drumsticks for £2.50 - and it lasts one meal? I can get a bag of quinoa  that is a complete protein and it lasts me weeks. I can cook up some lentils: I try not to shop at supermarkets too often because local veg shops are cheaper as is a food cash 'n' carry. And you don't buy extras.You do pilates - not any more I don't! But yes I have a back injury, two bulging discs at the bottom of my spine following a road accident, instead of taking medication, or using the NHS, I use exercise to help me. Because of this, I am able to work. There had been times when my mother had to pull me off my bed, but I'm OK now, thanks.I bet you you get housing benefit? You are assuming because I am a single mother, I'm on housing benefit. I think I've claimed housing benefit once in my life, for about 6 months, when my son was a baby. I can't be sure of that, it may be a little longer or shorter, I've always worked. I FULLY UNDERSTAND people go through periods of their life through disadvantage, sickness, bereavement that prevent them from being able to work.University - when I first went to university tuition fees were free; I paid for my MA. I'm paying for my MSc. I began to pay off all my university loan immediately, even when it pushed me to the edge of my finances, I don't have university debt. You son can go to university and get into debt - any family should think long and hard before encouraging their children to get into £35,000+ of debt, 18 may not be the right age for him to go to university. It's up to him.My son has a strong work ethic and will be a tax payer - Over our lifetime we may end up paying more tax than support we received.* As a woman I pay tax on my periods - men don't pay tax on shaving products but I have paid 17.5% tax on tampons, now 5%. See this Guardian article here.Ha, we can't abuse her on twitter - I don't have to stay on twitter. I have my actual job to do and don't want to get ping-ping-pinged every 3 minutes.
Anything else?
Why am I even doing this?

If you are coming here from the Telegraph; what it is imp...

If you are coming here from the Telegraph; what it is important to point out is that I am talking historically about what happened during the recession – and my empathy for those whose working situation changed and who have, or still do, find themselves in difficult financial situation.

It can happen to anyone. It could happen to you.

As I make clear, my employment situation, thankfully has changed again and I am now happily in full-time employment. So, I, as an individual, would not be eligible to claim WFTC.

However, there are those who do need to claim.