LWOS life • 14th February 2022

Is Afterlife Season One An All-time Great TV Show?

Afterlife season 1 premiered on 8 March 2019 exclusively on Netflix. Many series fade from our memory after we finish watching. Rarely a series comes into our lives that combine comedy with trauma. Ricky Gervais has created a beautifully written show that truly flourishes with the test of time.

Afterlife revolves around Tony – who is mourning the loss of his wife Lisa to cancer.

Throughout the six episodes, the audience is, introduced to various characters. Each character brings an extra layer

8th February 2022

What it feels like to live with a brain tumour for 15 years

It felt like I was watching a Netflix show, and the leading character had just received devastating news.

It was the early hours of 4 December 2018. I was aged 33 and had just been diagnosed with a 5cm tumour in my cerebellum.

When a patient is diagnosed with a brain tumour, the tumour is rated on a grade scale from one to four, with one being the least severe and four being the most – mine was grade two.

After complaining of unexpected chest pains that morning, an ambulance took me to the ho

LWOS life • 8th February 2022

Tina Sharma – "He was stripping away my identity"

Growing up, Tina Sharma dreamed of being married. She dreamed of being a model. She wanted to build her perfect life. Tina was independent growing up and staunchly protected her loved ones – but no one guarded her against her partner.

Tina is now in her 30s and resides in London, where she was born and raised. She is one of the millions of women who experience domestic violence in their lives, and Tina is sharing her story with LWOS Life.

Tina Sharma left school and embarked on her dream to be

LWOS life • 5th February 2022

The Evolution of Rap in the UK

Rap music first appeared on UK shores in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Rap music in America appealed to the youth in the UK and it began to take on the moniker of providing identity to a younger generation. British Hip Hop took off in the 1980s with acts such as London Posse, the Cookie Crew and Monie Love.

The term “borrowed culture” was particularly prevalent in the 1980s, with many UK rappers imitating their American counterparts. UK rappers even adopted US rappers accents, which damaged th

Hedgehog Array Blog • 17th November 2021

The Solana Scene

You've probably heard of Solana, because in January 2021 the price of SOL was about $7, whereas today it's about $215. Damn, 30x growth in a year — what's going on? Join Hedgehog correspondent Ricky Carroll on a guided tour of the cryptocurrency's rapidly developing ecosystem...

Solana is a cryptocurrency and blockchain network that optimizes for transaction speed and throughput. Solana's goal is improved scalability without compromising security. The speed promised by Solana is 50,000 transact

Inspire the Mind • 17th November 2021

The Life and Times of ex-Chelsea Football Player Paul Canoville: Mental illness, addiction, cancer and finding help —

A few years later, in 1987, Paul had to retire from professional football due to a persistent knee injury. He had to go through the heartbreak of retiring from professional football at only 24 and worry about providing for his eight children at the time. When I asked him about his mental health during that time, I could sense the pain he felt. “I missed training, having a day-to-day schedule.” He continued: “My mental health was taking a beating. I missed being a footballer. I told everyone I wa

Inspire the Mind • 5th November 2021

The Importance of Physical Activity on Your Mental Health: An interview with Michael Watson, MBE —

The Importance of Physical Activity on Your Mental Health: An interview with Michael Watson, MBE

In my life, I have battled a gambling addiction and a brain tumour — and alongside these I experienced depression. Exercising through those tough times has helped me focus and keeps me moving forward.

The British ex-boxer Michael Watson, who uses exercise as a tool to manage his mental health, was a hero of mine as a youngster. Seeing how he has dealt with adversity encouraged me to approach his ag

18th October 2021

How I Crawled Out of £30,000 of Gambling Debt at 31

My vice was horses. I would start the day with single bets on horses to win individual races, then accumulators (AKA high odds bets with big wins), often with the dream of claiming back the money I had lost. On countless occasions, I sent every penny I had onto a betting slip – even if it meant I couldn’t do anything until the next payday, I was obsessed with winning.

When the money ran out, payday loans entered the picture. Getting one was extremely easy, and after my first – for £100 – I took

Hedgehog Array Blog • 13th October 2021

Binance Coin: What and Why

Why did cryptocurrency exchange Binance create $BNB, also known as Binance Coin, and what is it for? "As one of the world's most popular utility tokens," the company claims, "not only can you buy or sell BNB like any other cryptocurrency, but BNB comes with a wide range of applications and benefits." Hedgehog correspondent Ricky Carroll took a closer look.

Binance Coin (BNB) is a cryptocurrency built on the Ethereum blockchain. It's been an eventful journey since BNB was introduced by the excha

Inspire the Mind • 6th October 2021

Addiction: The depths and the recovery with professional boxer Charlie Duffield —

Addiction: The depths and the recovery with professional boxer Charlie Duffield In my twenties, I suffered from a gambling addiction that plagued my life until my early thirties. Dealing with this addiction daily, I have become intrigued by how others deal with their addiction to gambling and how it has affected their lives. Facing my addiction through talking to others has helped me significantly. I recently had an intimate chat with Charlie Duffield, a professional boxer and ex gambling addict