​ As we celebrate National Gardening Week at the AELTC, we talk to Senior Gardener, Robin Murphy, about his career path to Wimbledon. In 2004, Robin Murphy – a trained carpenter, joined the All England Club on a summer job, no experience with gardening – nor a particular passion for it. 19 years later, now the Senior Gardener within the Club’s prestigious Horticulture team, Robin’s love for his work is undeniably evident – as it is infectious. After enjoying his glimpse into a career in hortic

​As a young intern for the LTA, Joanne Simons carried out the winner’s trophy onto court during the final of the WTA Birmingham tournament in 2011, hoping to start a career in tennis. Now, she resides as a manager within The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s prestigious Professional Tennis team. Last November, however, proved an important milestone: 10 years of working at the AELTC. In reflecting on her career so far, Joanne discusses her time at the Club, the steps she’s taken throughout her work

Buying an alcoholic drink is expensive. It’s a process filled with excitement as you watch the bartender pour away, yet it’s soon questioned when you see £7 illuminating the contactless payment screen. Your bank account is screaming at you – paying that amount for a glass of liquid, but you delay the thought for when you check your online banking in the morning. With the cost of living increasing, the price of alcohol is one of the many financial pressures people face, so it stands to reason a g

Hangovers are different for everyone. Some people wake up blissfully and go about their day, while others fail to keep their food down. Then there are those who can’t remember the night before, becoming riddled with fear as a consequence. Experiencing anxiety when hungover – now commonly known as ‘hangxiety’ – is an increasingly-discussed phenomenon. But what is it, exactly? Research shows that hangxiety affects around 12% of individuals, with feelings of dread setting in after drinking. In ord

Ten years ago, Laura Willoughby MBE stopped drinking. She realised that a career fuelled by “cheap white wine” and every-other-day drinking was becoming problematic. In 2014, after two years of sobriety, Willoughby created Club Soda; a venture that turned her life around. Laura describes Club Soda as a “mindful drinking” community which helps people tackle their drinking habits. What started as a Facebook group is now a globally-recognised business that runs masterclasses, online courses and al

Talking with Francisco Garcia felt familiar. Like the impression his writing gives, he is a friendly conversationalist – one that starts with a firm handshake. The 29-year-old’s first book, If You Were There, investigates missing people – those who have searched, those who still are searching, and those who have been found. All the while, it delves into his own experience, because his father went missing twenty years ago. Soon after publishing, the fate of his father and paternal family was disc

On October 21, 2007, the body of a young man was found in a London public toilet. The only possessions he had with him were a travel pass, cigarettes and some betting slips. Fourteen years later, his identity remains unknown. On December 31, 2018, a man’s body was found in a salt marsh, Lincolnshire. His possessions included a plastic school sports day medal and a small mirror. Three years on, his identity remains unknown. On May 19, 2006, a woman was found outside St Helier’s Hospital, Sutton,

Equality in football is on the rise, but why do I still feel unsafe at games? Being a female football fan can be difficult. I enjoy the experience of watching live games, but a part of me feels exposed. I hate entering a stadium with a sense of unease as a stranger offers to buy me a drink, and I loathe when I can feel more than one set of eyes shadowing my every move when I merely walk past. Whether men know it or not, us women can feel you staring at us, objectifying us. It’s uncomfortable. It’s patronising. And I’m tired of it.

Sport Writer and AFC Wimbledon fan Cerys Holliday discusses the club’s rise to where they are now, and what it means to the fans Something that I am proud I can say is that I support my local football team. Unlike most, my club has a more complicated history – rich, but certainly complicated. AFC Wimbledon – the team I’ve supported since I could stand on two legs – is entirely run and funded by its fans. It is a fact the club is certainly respected for, and from what I have learnt over the year

Sport Writer Cerys Holliday talks to Netball Co-President Freya Bignell about what it is like to have a long-term injury in the age of COVID-19 Freya Bignell, UoB Netball’s 2020/21 Co-President, knows the hardships of having a long-term injury. What many cannot relate to, however, is experiencing all the inevitable ups and downs during a pandemic. ‘Injury is an isolating experience. I started to feel depressed, and it reached a point where I didn’t want to leave my room.’ Towards the latter e

Redbrick writers come together to share how they managed to keep in touch with sport when coronavirus brought it to a standstill Not much of the world was built to cope with a pandemic but sport, at least as we knew it, perhaps fits that criteria better than anything else. Once COVID-19 became rampant and lockdowns were enforced, almost the entire sporting world was put on hold, with everything from Premier League matches to kickabouts with friends off the agenda. Sport, however, has so many b

When I started university two years ago, I quickly grew to love the lifestyle. I mean, what isn’t there to love? The freedom of living on your own, discovering your identity, being able to live and work around your friends... I can confidently say university has been the greatest experience of my life. Moving in isn’t something I ever particularly look forward to, and this year, with the vast majority of my first term classes moved online, there’s the question of is it even worth it. Staying at

Since the start of lockdown, the toll on mental health has dramatically hit the population, particularly members of the LGBTQ+ community. Four out of five members of the community believe their mental health has been negatively affected since lockdown began, with support groups, such as LGBT Hero, noting a worrying increase in views on their suicide-prevention pages by 44% – equating to an additional 11,000 people accessing the site. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death of young people

The Black Lives Matter movement is as powerful as ever, but the NFL’s so-called apology to Colin Kaepernick is far from it, argues Cerys Holliday Content Warning: This article contains details readers may find upsetting. It has taken four years for the National Football League (NFL) to apologise for how they have dealt with action against racism, but for Colin Kaepernick, their statement of apology will not put his once-thriving career back on track. ‘We, the National Football League, were wr

Throughout history, women of Britain have fought for their right to vote. Although the suffrage movement proved controversial, in our present day, we can look back and question whether women have a certain responsibility to ensure that this vital piece of history isn’t left in the past. The women’s suffrage movement stemmed from the 19th century through to the 20th; efforts from both suffragists (non-violent protesters) and suffragettes (violent protesters) highlight the struggles of being a fe

Technology in sport is meant to give officials an edge when it comes to making key decisions – or, in the case of football, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is there to assist where an incident is deemed as a ‘clear and obvious error’. On an almost weekly basis, the Premier League is being struck with controversy regarding VAR, leaving many to question the reliability of using such technology to help officiate matches. A recent clash between Tottenham and Sheffield United at the Tottenham Hotspur