Spring 2023 Hopezine lands soon, see it here online first
Editor’s letter Spring is upon us and as the daffodills start to bloom, we at Hopezine are taking a moment to ponder what makes us happy. In mental health care, focussing on things that bring us happiness is known as positive psychology or compassion focussed therapy, which I’ve taken part in and that has brought […]
Wheelie good time at Pitlochry’s Enchanted Forest!
There’s something about a lit up forest that soothes and beguiles. At the Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry there’s a seasonal light show where you can absorb the magic and submerse yourself in feeling happy. There’s all the colours of the rainbow to behold in a truly beautiful forest setting as an inky sky covers the […]
Ballintaggart restaurant ticks all the boxes for accessibility, style & taste
What makes me feel happy? Food, of course! Paul and I recently inhaled the most splendid of seafood supers at Ballintaggart restaurant in the Grandtully countryside by a wee river in Perthshire. We are pushed to think of a time we had tastier fish. The razor clams were doused in the most delicious creamy sauce […]
Accessible rooms with sea-views at Brighton’s Hilton
The Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel ticks all the boxes for accessibility. It has five rooms with sea views that are wheelchair-friendly. And my girlfriend Erica says a sea view and the sea breeze is good for her mental health because it feels both relaxing and refreshing. We stayed here on a recent trip to Brighton […]
Feel the magic at The Cauldron pub in Brighton
If we were eating a lot of food for this special happy issue of Hopezine, we couldn’t do so without a good watering too. So, we drank all the liquid at The Cauldron, a magical-themed pub set in Clarence Gardens in Brighton. We took an aperitif outside first and then headed into the warm interior, […]
Hopezine Editor’s ‘happy book’
Once upon a time I thought I was clinically depressed as I slept so much (a side effect of my antipsychotic medication) and spent a whole lot of time in bed feeling sorry for myself. I mentioned this to my care co-ordinator and she booked me onto a course of Compassion Focused Therapy, a talking […]
Hopezine winter 2022 out now!
Welcome, winter Hopezine, 2022! As the nights draw in, we offer you some different thoughts on medications for mental illness. I’ve included a few different perspectives for you to decide for yourself though there’s no shame or judgement whichever course you decide to take. Your mind, your choice. For the cover you’ll see our Accessibility […]
Abbotsford Estate the Home of Sir Walter Scott
As the crocuses and daffodils begin to show, Erica Crompton says there’s no better time to take a day trip to the Estate of the Scottish poet. Having recently toured the eclectic home of Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott, I can recommend a visit. It’s wheelchair friendly, too! I went with my boyfriend Paul who […]
Scottish seaglass by author Graham Morgan
Ardmore, the sea and me By Graham Morgan I must sound like a stamp collector! Nothing wrong with that! I say to myself; remembering a very distant childhood. I collect seaglass or sometimes I do. It is not good for my mental health like medication might be, or my CPN or doctor but it is […]
Gin Palace
Erica & Paul experience DIY tipples overlooking the River Tweed It was back to school last month, with a seriously magical twist – Paul and I were visiting a wheelchair-friendly gin school where we learned to make out own gin, and try it, too! The school itself is set within the Hydro Hotel, in Peebles […]