Anthea Turner and Wendy Turner at their book launch, 'Of Mice And Women'
Steven Smith scampers along to the book launch of “Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon “by Wendy Turner Webster and Anthea Turner.
Steven Smith with Anthea Turner and Wendy Turner
In 1937 John Steinbeck classic American novel “Of Mice and Men” debuted.
Not quite in the same genre, this year animal activist and glamours television presenter 57-year-old, Wendy Turner and her sister legendary presenter turned businesswoman 64-year-old, Anthea Turner have become children’s authors and share their mice.
Last year saw the publication of their first joint book “The King’s Coronation and the Kohinoor Diamond. Published by Splendid Publications https://www.splendidpublications.co.uk
The tale features mice that live in the Underground station. The book has become a run-away success and received mass critical acclaim.
Last night saw the launch of their second book “Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon “Held at the stylish Kings Road boutique “White Coco”
Despite it feeling like the hottest day of the year fans of their books, friend’s and celebrities joined the ladies for an evening of Fizz, strawberries and treats and the ladies were happy to sign books. On hand was award winning journalist and ‘Loose Women’, Jane Moore.
Anthea Turner with friend award winning journalist and ‘Loose Woman’ Jane Moore
Girl about town Lizzie Cundy, presenter Vanessa Feltz, screen writer celebrity author Samantha Lee Howe plus, celebrity hairstylist Nicky Clarke debonair Gary Webster were among the crowd.
Making a special appearance was the mice themselves hand crafted by Smelly cat design. They were a huge hit and there was no need to call for pest control for these crocheted replaces of the book’s mice. Designer Kaela owner of Smelly Cat Design tells me it takes a day to make each mouse.
The latest book tells the story of huge excitement at Buckingham Palace when King Charles and Queen Camilla receive a surprise invite from Princess Kate; to watch her and Prince William play Andy Murray and Heather Watson at a charity match on Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court!
Meanwhile, Underneath the Underground, little Elly Archer is a mouse on a mission – to sneak over to Wimbledon for the Ladies’ Final without the adults finding out.
And Harry the Hero Rat has a secret plan too… he’s heard that juicy red strawberries are eaten there by the tonne, a perfect opportunity to gather up the leftovers and make strawberry jam for all the mice on the London Underground!
But things go messily wrong when Kate and William discover Harry’s stash of strawberries… and Charles and Camilla find themselves serving for the match instead! But will they win…?!
I, for one am a huge fan of the books and cannot wait to see it transferred to the screen.
Just back from winning at the Cannes Film Festival, Samantha Lee Howe
Meet the woman with the magic touch: Iryna O’Kelly ! Iryna is not just a skincare expert; she is an aesthetic artist.
Unusually, along with her degree in medicine, Iryna also has a degree in fine art. She views her clients as a blank canvas on which she creates a totally natural look that will never reveal the secret that any work has been done.
It’s this unique and individually tailored approach to anti-ageing skin treatments that has the who’s who of London clamouring to see her.
Steven Smith chats to her and gets her top five beauty tips.
1. What would you say was the most important beauty tip you would maybe pass on to your daughter?
Inner beauty is important. Surround yourself with positive people and a strong core of family and friends. Just look at happy people—they have a sparkle in their eyes. If you go looking for trouble or drama, it will always find you, and it will show in your looks too.
2. Your aesthetic treatments are varied, but you are a huge proponent of PRP that uses the client’s own blood. Can you tell us a little about it?
PRP can be used to treat everything from skin rejuvenation, hair loss, arthritis, injuries, and it will help enhance fillers.
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma; it’s a substance that’s thought to promote healing when injected. Plasma is a component of your blood that contains special “factors,” or proteins, that help your blood to clot. It also contains proteins that support cell growth. Researchers have produced PRP by isolating plasma from blood and concentrating it.
Blood is taken from the client, and then it is placed in a machine called the Camlab Clinical Centrifuge. It is spun around at 300-4500 miles per hour, and the blood is separated, leaving the clear plasma. It is also a good indication as to how your health is: the clearer it is, the better your health.
The PRP is then injected into the area needed. Most of my clients have it for hair loss or many into the face area. The results are often instant, giving them a fresher look, and it gets better over the next few weeks. It is also a very natural look.
3. What would you suggest is the most overrated bit of advice on the market?
Make sure you moisturise your skin; use a sunblock instead. Too much moisturiser can leave skin looking tired, so use a factor 20 sunscreen in the morning; you’ll see a difference quite quickly.
4. You have been in the news for your mesotherapy treatments for hands. Do you still use this method, or has something new come on the market for ageing hands?
I still use mesotherapy, but more in combination with stem cells and fillers. It gives an amazing long-lasting result.
5. There is a lot of buzz around stem cell therapy these days. Is it something you would recommend?
I am a huge supporter of stem cell therapies and believe that they are the future of aesthetics. Stem cell treatment aesthetics involves the injection of stem cells into the skin, through IV, or applied to the skin after laser or micro-needling procedures. The injection contains stem cells, growth factors, cytokines, hyaluronic acid, exosomes, and other cellular products which are involved in the body’s regenerative functions. Stem cells are there the future of aesthetics.
Fans of Iryna include EatEnders actress Nicola Duffett and beauty expert Steven Smith , Danielle Carly Mason .
On June 5th 2024, the sudden passing of Irish singer Rose-Marie Kane filled me with sorrow.
It was only a few days before she passed that we had an interview which developed into a new friendship in my life.
Rose-Marie’s funeral took place on the 20th of June at the St. Michael’s cemetery in Killeen, Northern Ireland. It was a day full of sadness for the ones who’ve known and loved her all along.
I understood why everybody loved her after our chat. She made me laugh and she made me cry for someone who only knew her for a few days.
It’s just the kind of person she was, she was no stranger to the world. Her existence in one’s life was enough to believe that purity, innocence and joy can coexist in a human being.
Her last words to me were, “I could chat with you for hours. This is how I enjoy my interactions with people and I hope to make everyone have a laugh. And I hope I gave you a laugh or two.” as she giggled to herself.
Rose-Marie was set to perform a concert at the Joe Longthorne Theatre in Blackpool on the 28th of June. She was preparing for the show and was ready to make a trip to London to attend viewings and participate in promotions for her future shows.
Picture credit: The Irish News
I would have had the pleasure to meet her and dive deeper into her purpose as an artist who serenaded her audience.
Since she is no longer with us, I have 19 albums to get to know her and it feels comforting to know that her songs came from her omnipresent soul.
The stage was her best friend, her passion to sing for the audience was extraordinary. Her presence was illuminating and like a warm hug tied with invisible strings, made of her powerful yet soothing voice.
She said, “I love interacting with my audience. I prefer to have an intimate show, which is what the trend is now. It gives me a chance to know my audience, know who I’m singing to and at the end of the day, it should be a party.”
If she could make Princess Diana walk up to her after a show at the London Palladium to compliment her performance and her humour, you can imagine how magnetic her personality was.
She had total command over the stage with her heavenly vocals and a few quirks that made everyone fall in love with her instantly.
Her performance of “I Will Love You All My Life” several years ago really stood out to me as a first-time listener. As a typical journalist would do, I sat down with a cup of tea and did some research on her music career before the interview.
I Will Love You All My Life by Rose-Marie Kane
Watching this video changed my whole approach towards her as an artist and as a woman. She was not only stunning with her vocals and appearance for the show, but she also made me laugh when she bounced around the stage like a goofball.
She said, “I’ve just got a lot of energy, you know? I love entertaining, I just jump around the stage and enjoy myself. I think it’s important to keep your girlishness as a woman. It’s part of my image, I think, I never grow up, people know it.”
To me as an interviewer, it felt like I was listening to a podcast about her life and I loved every minute of it. There was never a dull moment, her ability to make me feel included in her storytelling was refreshing.
We bonded over being romantics, I asked her what her favourite romantic gesture was. She paused for a moment and answered in a way that I will never forget.
She said, “I find it romantic when someone gets up to give me their seat on the tube. A few years ago I would have found that flattering but now I just wonder if I really look that old for them to offer.”
I laughed for a good minute or two after, her wittiness when it comes to making people laugh was sensational.
The dynamism of her personality didn’t end there, she was also sweet and nurturing when I shared my struggles with sexuality with her.
She took on the role of being my supporter in that moment and shared her experience with the community in a beautiful way.
She said, “It’s all about fun and acceptance isn’t it? I think it’s brilliant to say that there’s never any violence within the community when the marches happen. Everyone’s having a good time and celebrating themselves. What harm could that possibly create when it’s all about love and expressing yourself the way you desire?”
The warmth that radiated through her voice was enough to make me feel safe and protected by her.
Her presence in this lifetime will always be permanently etched in the hearts of her loved ones and her fans.
Rose-Marie ended the interview by suggesting a song of hers for me to listen to. It’s called “The Answer To Everything”, the lyrics question the genuinity of a partner’s love. The whole song is a yearning for reassurance from the one she loves most.
But I believe it’s safe to say that with the way Rose-Marie has touched my life and the lives of others, the answer to everything is that she will always be loved and never forgotten.
The Answer To Everything by Rose-Marie Kane
At 2shades, we send her family, friends and supporters lots of love and prayers during this difficult time. May her wonderful soul rest in peace.
Steven Smith talks about trolls, the real affect they have on their victims and how trauma can affect us as LGBTQ people.
I started thinking about how, as a community, we could be kinder to each other. There are so many LGBT people (not all) that do not love themselves and that for sure can be unkind to other gay people.
You know what they say “what you don’t like in yourself” and all that. So why is this? Maybe it’s something to do with how we are treated by the rest of the world. As Ru Paul says, ‘If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?’
Why was I thinking about this? Well, my year started on a sour note. It was not because all my usual New Year’s chums had gone to more exciting destinations and the thought of spending a fortune in town did not appeal to me.
RuPaul Charles
No, in fact, I had come to terms that it was going to be just me on my own on the balcony at midnight, enjoying a glass of bubbly as the bells chimed. I actually enjoyed it.
The reason was, that I had broken my rule on the last day of the year by accepting a Facebook friendship request without first cross-checking who they knew.
He looked nice and was proud to be a ‘Nice… boy’, and as many of my friends had a similar religious background, I accepted in good faith.
Around 12.45am, once the calls had stopped coming in from family and friends, I received a panicked message on Messenger; ‘Look at your Facebook page’. To my horror, below my profile picture was a comment from the new Facebook friend stating, ‘You dirty f…. gay you make sick to my stomach, hope you die.’
Then, under all the comments from my well-wishers at New Year, he had posted more horrendous messages. Many of my friends had noticed and offered their sympathy and outrage. Oh, and this new Facebook friend had also “poked” me into the bargain.
Obviously, I got the vile post removed asap and blocked the offender. An hour later, determined not to be a victim, I decided to report him. The culprit profile was gone. My first thought was how sad he must be to have kicked off the New Year with an attack on another human being – it sure was not going to affect me. Who would go to such bother as to set up a fake profile in order to post abuse?
There was a passing moment where I thought that perhaps someone who I had fallen out with had done this.
You know what they say, ‘sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt me’. There has never been a stupider saying; a scar can heal, but often the abuse of name-calling will last forever – just ask all the many people living with mental health issues.
Many of my friends have been abused by trolls and, despite publicly handling it well, there’s often another story behind closed doors. Being so open about my life, it was bound to happen to me at some point. So, to bed I went, determined to have a great 2019.
Yet later that day, it hit me and brought back thoughts of past bullying which kind of reignited some of the trauma from my childhood that had been pushed to the back of my mind, so I perhaps was not as tough as I thought.
Let’s face it – we sometimes look in the mirror and the reflection of the child you once were looks back at you. Often scared, wondering how this man or woman’s body we inhabit came to be, since inside you still feel the same as you did at school, only this thing called maturity has aged us. But we shake ourselves down, notice the lines and the sagging, and then remember we have responsibilities as adults and quickly come back down to earth.
The truth is, we never go far from the playground in life. There are often bullies at work, clique groups that you do not fit into, the pressure to perform well, and let us not forget, to ‘FIT IN’. For many people, the trauma from childhood can echo into their adult years. Nowhere is this more truthful than in the gay community. For everyone who has a positive coming out story, there is an avalanche of horror stories of gay people feeling full of guilt and depression about their lives after being rejected by their families and friends.
As we grow older, most of us who are LGBTQ learn coping mechanisms to deal with trauma and negativity, to become what appears to be grounded and amazing adults. There are exceptions, but who actually made us feel good about our sexuality to begin with?
Last year on Dr Pam’s radio show, I said that it would be great to get education to a stage where parents of LGBTQ kids were more worried who their teenagers were dating – ‘Is it someone nice?’, ‘Are they getting home safely?’, and most importantly, ‘Are they happy?’ – rather than ‘Where did it all go wrong?’
This is one of the main reasons that I signed up to the charity Diversity Role Models, an exciting organisation which goes into schools to talk and educate about LGBTQ. I wanted to share the story of my childhood and life with kids.
For those that don’t have coping strategies the reality can be quite daunting, with gay and bisexual men being four times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual men.
According to university research homophobia and negative views surrounding the lifestyles of gay and bisexual men is cited as one of the main contributing factors to the higher suicide attempt rate amongst the LGBTQIA+ community.
For young people, the gay scene can be far from a warm and safe environment to help with their self-esteem. Back in my day, the chicken hawks surrounded me, most with only one intention. I was a lucky one and some kind souls helped me. Plus, I quickly became streetwise after having learned to be self-sufficient at an early age.
Today the gay dating scene is moving more and more towards mobile apps. At a recent event to talk about chem-sex held by the dynamic Dave Stewart, the manager at the Dean Street Clinic, he explained that chem-sex is on the rise.
It was said that a young gay man arriving in London who subscribes to an app such as Grindr can expect that, by the third message he receives, there will be an invitation to a chem-sex party. Of course, these parties are also held in the heterosexual community, but they are having a more devastating effect on the gay community, with many deaths reported from these parties, not to mention rises in addiction, psychosis, and STDs.
Do gay men use drugs to cover up the guilt and shame that they are made to feel over their sexuality? Surely being in love and cherishing yourself and another person would be more empowering and self-gratifying?
Hello again!
I always believe that as long as it does not harm anyone or yourself, go for it. The rise of crystal meth and other so-called party drugs is not doing anyone any good. If you look across the pond to places like Fort Lauderdale in South Florida, the gay scene there has been ravaged by crystal meth – cases of meth addiction have doubled and deaths from the drug have risen by 80 per cent since 2014.
According to Dr David Fawcett, a Fort Lauderdale psychotherapist, most gay men using the drug did so in the hope of connecting better with other gay men, having been stigmatised and often shamed in their search for intimacy and safe relationships. Instead, they found the opposite from the drug. It is therefore far from a harmless pastime.
In 2019, let’s spend more time promoting loving yourself among the gay community.
From my years on the planet, I have found that some of the biggest homophobes can be gay men. It’s a fear of who they are, or who they really are. My experience is that men who are truly heterosexual have no problem with gay men; it’s the ones who have hidden away their true identity that have issues.
How many times have I wanted to scream when a gay man tells me “I only sleep with straight men”. Not only should they have a label attached to them, reading ‘DOES NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHER GAY PEOPLE’, but they should also wear a T-shirt saying ‘DELUDED’.
Having eclectic friends, I tend not to go around with just groups of gay men. However, a few years ago while sitting in Soho House with five gay men, one boasted that he had sex with a straight Algerian taxi driver.
Another spoke about how he nearly got the boy in his theatre show, who is straight, into bed. I stood up and told them ‘If their cock is half way down your throat, they are not straight,’ and then left.
Yes, there are plenty of straight men that I fancy, Colin Farrell and Tom Hardy to name two, but I keep it real and have never entered a friendship with a straight man hoping to get his trousers off. I have more dignity than that. Keep it as fantasy in your head, like being Superman (or Supergirl, writes our editor).
Equally I have been in friendships with men who identify as straight that I thought saw me as just a guy and my sexuality did not matter but, on occasion, have been let down.
One friend messaged me to say they had booked a room for us at a hotel at an event we were attending adding “Mind you…separate beds”. First, I had never once showed interest in him sexually…nor would I. Luckily maturity made me brush it off though I did think “Fucking hell…as if!” But it all adds up to being made feel less about yourself.
Let’s not even talk about the line some gay men use – ‘straight looking’ – which points to a dislike of yourself as gay man.
Back in the early 80s, I was on Christopher Street in New York walking down to the Monster Bar. A gay pal gave me some advice; “You get in trouble, see those drag queens over there, scream “help” they will come running. Don’t bother with the clones and muscle Marys – they will go screaming back into the bar.”
Luckily for me the situation never arrived, but it just goes to show that the drag queens had to be more streetwise to be themselves and suffered more often in life, so for them, it was sink or swim, and those broads were as hard as nails, and as kind as could be too.
So, let’s just start by being kind and looking out for one another. Of course, just as in any community, we can’t all be best pals, but we can try and make a difference by being happy to be our true selves. Have a great 2019!
“Life was hard for me growing up. I did not fit in at school. The birth of glam rock, such as Marc Bolan and Bowie, offered a light for me and I started to emulate the dress sense”” David Hoyle
Taking a friend see the genius that is David Hoyle (a friend who was a virgin to the experience) raised the question, “What does he do?” As David appeared in all his glory at the landmark LQBTQ+ venue, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the natural presumption was that he was a drag queen. No, I explained, he most definitely is not. If Lindsay Kemp and Kate Bush had a child and then asked Frank-N-Furter to be the godfather, David would probably be that child.
David is billed as an avant-garde performance artist, singer and actor but that is still not an adequate description of his unique talents. David stands out from the minute he steps on to the stage; he is a vessel of extraordinary light. His light talks to you in a way you could never train an artist to recreate. He may arrive in a variety of costumes, ranging from the grotesque to glamorous diva meets Bowie. No outfit or stage persona could ever hide the fact that David has incredible empathy towards others, especially his audience. He exposes a sensitivity most people would be afraid to show (especially being British!).
David Hoyle and Christeene
David is, however, not afraid to say what he thinks. For many of his loyal and eclectic audience, he is saying what they have been thinking all week but have not had the nerve to say. A David Hoyle show has you thinking and talking for days afterwards, even if you have not agreed with his views. His wit and one-liners, mixed with his art and vocal talents, make a David Hoyle show a roller coaster of a night. When asking an audience member “What do you do for a living?” they replied, “I do what you do”. “Really?” replied Hoyle, “I had no idea I was generic”.
I was a later bloomer to the world of Hoyle. I came to know him when he married American drag queen, singer and artist, Christeene (African Mayonnaise) on stage at The Vauxhall Tavern. A quick Google search led to his brilliant duet with Boy George – Spoiling it for the Others. Hoyle comes across in the video as what Rue Paul’s gals would call a “Fierce Queen” – not to be messed with and someone you would not want to get on the wrong side of. His talents were crystal clear.
David Hoyle and Christeene
Two months later, I came straight from a long-haul flight to meet actress Denise Welch at the Ivy Club for the preview launch of Linda Riley’s DIVA Awards show. One glass in and standing next to me was the man himself. His huge eyes were far from being fierce and instead exuded a kindness, which was confirmed months later through his actions. He stood on the stage at the Bethnal Green Working Man’s Club with no make-up, baring his soul to the audience about his hometown, Manchester. He spoke about the atrocity of the Manchester Arena bombing. David started the speech by telling us that he did not want to cancel the show as the terrorists would then be winning. Anyone there that night will remember his words forever.
I caught up with him on a grey Manchester day for my Christmas interview.
David, what would you do if you were made the Mayor of London for one day?
Steven, it is time we all started thinking out of the box and letting our hair down. It has been a terrible year. Perhaps we should all take some psychedelic drugs and get loved up – like they did in the 60s. We can look after one another and just feel great for one day.
How has being isolated affected you as an artist? Have you been in quarantine on your own?
Well, I have not exactly been alone. We had rats in the kitchen in the beginning! To be honest, I have not enjoyed it at all. It certainly has affected the mental health of many people I know. For me, I can enjoy my own company, but obviously, as a human being used to performing, isolation does start to catch up with you. The breaking point came for me when Dominic Cummings did the Durham dash and got away with it. It felt like one rule for them and one for us.
Who were your early influences?
I grew up in Blackpool, and a birthday treat was to go to Tower Circus. All the glamour of the women in sequins and feathers was sheer escapism. The sheer magic and genius of [clown] Charlie Caroli was such escapism for me.
Dame Shirley Bassey was also a huge influence on me; her glamour and command of the stage is simply stunning.
Life was hard for me growing up. I did not fit in at school. The birth of glam rock, such as Marc Bolan and Bowie, offered a light for me and I started to emulate the dress sense. The punk scene really offered me an avenue to express who I was. The Buzzcocks and lead singer Pete Shelley were among my favourites, as well as the Sex Pistols.
How do you feel the gay scene has changed in the last decade? Has your audience changed?
To be honest, I do not go out that much on the gay scene. If I do go out, it is to see another artist. I am incredibly proud of how the Manchester scene has produced acts like Cha Cha Boudoir and Cheddar Gorgeous. My own audience remains eclectic; you really could not define who comes to my show. There can be city bankers mixed in with club kids to Blitz royalty. It has certainly changed with the apps and other ways of meeting people. But I could not handle the rejection of things like that.
What would you like to happen to you in 2021?
For me, I would like to be back in the theatre. I had a sell-out at the Soho Theatre and would like to go back there. I was working on a production of Hedda Gabler at the Edge Hill University in Lancashire, and it was going to be filmed. It would be great to see that happen.
Of course, I would love to appear in Brighton or at the Spiegeltent for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
How are you spending Christmas?
With a friend at home in Manchester. It will be a quiet one.
Do you have a favourite Christmas movie? What are your three favourite movies of all time?
Is Oliver a Christmas Movie? Then Oliver it is! I would have loved to play Oliver, and who can forget the hunky Oliver Reed? I would love to have had a night out with him. Then Hello Dolly with Barbra Streisand. The Red Shoes is pure magic, and the film If with Malcolm McDowell.
If you were to hold a dream dinner party, which four people, alive or dead, would you invite and why?
That’s such a hard question because there are so many people I would love to invite. In case of offending any friends, I will keep it to famous people. Princess Margaret would be at the top of my list. She smoked, and I love that and can imagine the stories she would tell at dinner. Grace Jones would be another guest; she fascinates me and is so talented. Then Bonnie Greer, the playwright, and to top it off, Madonna, who I just love. It would be quite a party.
Do you feel that, as a nation, we have become too PC?
Well, it feels we are in danger of not being able to laugh at ourselves. People are starting to be afraid to deliver humour in the context it is intended, in case it offends anyone. Some of the comedy giants of the past would, for sure, not be allowed today. Let’s take humour in the spirit it was meant to be.
Who would you like to play you in a movie of your life and why?
Cary Elwes – he starred alongside Rupert Everett in Another Country. There is something captivating about him. Or, who knows, Sandra Bernhard.
QUIXKFIRE ROUND.
Favourite food?
Fruit and Fibre from Morrisons Super Market (I am not big of food).
Madonna or Nina Simone?
Oh, you’re kidding me. Both are wonderful.
London or New York?
Anywhere but here right now. Both have different attributes.
Best-selling author, Samantha Lee Howe talks about Sykehouse Filmfest 2024 in Yorkshire
A new film festival is bringing a dash of international culture to a local community as the Sykehouse Filmfest kicks off in June 2024.
Showcasing selected full length films and short films from around the world, the festival aims to celebrate the art of film, and will be awarding several ‘Best In’ categories during the evening of the Live Event.
Sykehouse Filmfest 2024
Creator and organiser, bestselling author and multiple-award-winning screenwriter Samantha Lee Howe, says: “I wanted to create something which celebrated and rewarded my great love of film. There are so many incredible people out there creating works which resonate.
Beautifully shot and scripted pieces which never get a chance to be seen, and this festival offers that opportunity.” Films can be submitted via a platform called Film Freeway, and the festival is open to any works which meet the criteria.
The festival is also open to scripts for unmade works: “As a screenwriter myself,” says Samantha, “I wanted to celebrate the art of the script, without which no film can even be made. It’s the single most important element to a film’s success.” The venue for the Live Festival is the popular Old George Inn in Sykehouse (DN14 9AU), near Goole in Yorkshire.
A glimpse of the award at the Sykehouse Filmfest
The proprietors of the venue, Rosie and John, are also enthusiastic about the event, both being film lovers themselves. Presenting the Live Event at the Inn helps to bring people and locals to the venue, enabling it to continue with the revitalisation of its facilities, and to raise much needed funds to keep going during these times of reduced pub usage, and increasing costs.
There will be a marquee in the grounds, with red carpet photographs and an abundance of glamorous celebrities attending, including actress/model/broadcaster Danielle Mason, artist Craig Davison, ex-rugby player and actor Keith Mason (Skin Traffik), presenter Wendy Turner (Absolutely Animals, The Last Word), actor Gary Webster (EastEnders, Minder) and ‘Britain’s Favourite Son’, popular actor Frazer Hines (Emmerdale, Doctor Who, Outlander), who celebrates seventy years in showbusiness this year.
In addition, award-winning actress Nina Wadia is thrilled to be attending. The evening is being dedicated to the memory of Rose-Marie.
Dedicated sponors of the Sykehouse Filmfest 2024
The films selected will be screened from 10am, and the winners announced in the evening. The Inn will be serving drinks and offering food all day long, with canapés for the VIP reception.
Samantha says, “I can’t wait to present these amazing pieces of work to everyone. It’s going to be a great day, celebrating all that is good about international filmmaking!”
To book tickets for the Live Event, which takes place on Saturday 29th June 2024, please head to: www.slhfilmfest.com
Addiction Therapist and Chemsex Specialist, Mike Power
Addiction therapist and counsellor in London, Mike Power sheds light on a crisis crawling in the streets and clubs of London.
The culture of chemsex has been prevalent in the United States, Australia and the UK over the years. Mike believes that there is a gap among therapists to handle chemsex clients.
He said, “That kind of inspired me to be a bit of an activist, I suppose. I’ve seen it in the United States. I’ve seen it in Australia and it’s coming to London, and I thought, I want to do what I can to save London.”
Mike Power
Chemsex is the usage of drugs to enhance a sexual experience, and it mostly occurs in MSM (Men who have sex with men) relationships. There are three commonly used drugs in Chem sex, Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth), Mephedrone (Meth) and GHB/GBL (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate/Gamma Butyrolactone).
These drugs are usually smoked or injected, where the needles are shared and unsafe sexual practices take place. It carries the risk of exposing one to HIV or Hepatitis C.
After a tragic event took place in Mike’s life, he shifted his focus to chemsex. He said, “There was one good friend and two people that I’d worked with that died in the space of a year. They were all 35 or three of them died of a heart attack.
People who use steroids often have heart problems, add a powerful drug like methamphetamine, and you’ve got the recipe for disaster.”
Mike has sense of compassion towards healing chemsex that pierced through me as an interviewer. He really stands for the lack of awareness people have about it and feels compelled towards the cause for a very soulful reason.
I admired his fearlessness to admit having been down that road in the past as he said, “I had a colourful life. My reason for taking drugs wasn’t specifically for drugs, I just wanted to escape and get wasted.
But I found my own recovery while travelling. I started going to meetings in Los Angeles and in Australia, I went to rehab. I was just travelling around the world to make my life less colourful and change every aspect of my life.
We dove into several reasons behind why men who have sex with men feel the need to go the extra dangerous mile. We discussed possibilities of it being a deep-rooted feeling of shame/rejection.
Dating apps like Grindr have unfortunately become a hot spot for the exposure of chemsex. Frequently used as a medium to liberate one’s trauma through chemsex by making it easily accessible.
Mike added, “I started to understand how complex chemsex is. Chemsex is often a symptom of something much, much deeper trauma.
It could be trauma, minority stress, internalised homophobia, body dysmorphia, sexual anxiety, AIDS and HIV, the epidemic and the belief systems, and that’s created within the community.”
After going to the University of Bath for four years, Mike had over five placements during his degree. He worked at the LGBT and generic drug and alcohol services.
Mike Power on his graduation day at the University of Bath
He also worked at the sexual health clinic at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and is now an LGBT+ Addiction Counsellor.
He has an abundance of experience in this field and in life. He wishes to help people with the wisdom he gathered from travelling the world.
He illuminates a very grounding and humbling aura to him that makes anyone want to instantly open up to him. And it reflects the sincerity of his work.
He is on a mission to heal people and to keep the conversation going about the horrors of chemsex.
As we continued our conversation, Mike walked me through the process of his sessions as a counsellor.
He said, “It’s a real deep sense of loneliness with a real need for intimacy. With a real fear of vulnerability that intimacy takes. I have to create a connection, an instant connection that dispels all those fears. To be intimate but not intimate.”
Meth is the kind of drug that creates this instant intimacy for people to enjoy for a brief period. It induces a false sense of confidence, desired sexuality and a feeling of being invincible. At the cost of it robbing the user’s natural ability to feel these aspects within themselves.
Mike classifies his clients into three categories; problematic, very problematic and dependency. The very problematic and dependency stage is when a person is really hooked on the drug. The behaviour associated with sex and the drug are confused as one.
He shared his approach to handling these stages and said, “Imagine a bronze ruts being twisted into a big knot. And remember these sessions happen weekly, not daily. Part of the treatment as a therapist is to untangle the twisted ruts and it’s hard, it requires a lot of patience and vulnerability from the client.”
The treatment Mike offers is roughly between 8-12 weeks, depending on the consistency and progress made by the client.
Uncovering the layers of sexual identity, sexual fantasies, what they like and what they’d like to do. And he works on redfining intimacy with them.
As the client moves out of this zone and is ready to explore organic intimacy, Mike speaks about his breakdown of cycles.
He said, “I came up with a cycle called erotic desire cycle, to build connection. And what is connection, it’s transparency and boundaries with sex on a first date. Or if it’s casual, to ask for a more meaningful experience. We all have oxytocin, that needs to create a bond with someone where there’s longevity and not just a quick release.
And as the relationship thickens with someone else, the oxytocin builds and they feel like hanging out more with the person. Which creates a secondary erotic desire cycle, I call it the double whammy. It’s where you have sex, you have orgasms and the primal parts of sex goes down. Maybe just touching and talking, being a bit more vulnerable, there’s something about that that creates a sexual desire.”
LGBTQIA+ activist, Ben Kaye speak about his chemsex addiction journey
After digging into the mind of a therapist, it’s established that we need more counsellors who specialise in chemsex in the UK.
Mike couldn’t agree more and expressed his concerns for the younger clients who have never experienced intimacy. And for chemsex to become a dangerous epidemic in the UK if people aren’t aware about it or know how to reach out for help.
He is part of a small community of counsellors that addresses chemsex cases and his purpose is to spread the word. He believes more therapists need to train to handle chemsex clients and not just drugs and alcohol addictions.
Due to his own experiences, he wishes to give back to his community. To use his knowledge and empathy and reignite the essence of a healthy relationship with oneself and with others.
In conclusion Mike said, “That’s what people who’ve had chemsex are looking for. They’re looking for longevity, they’re looking for safety, they’re looking for eroticism and they’re looking for a way to be vulnerable. To believe in human connection.”
2Shades Magazine 