With love from Wolverhampton
Text and artwork by Kate Pritchard Over the past three or four years, balancing work, health, caring, and life has often felt impossible. Most of the time, I’ve felt like a failure, not fully present, waving from behind a steamed-up window. But I have learnt. A lot. About dementia, about care, about compassion. Support from […]
Working-Class Wardrobe Essentials
By Erica Crompton Shapermint launching in the UK feels like a win for anyone who needs clothes that keep up with real life. Their leggings, already a hit globally, have quickly become the kind of piece you reach for without thinking. Comfortable, reliable, and genuinely flattering. What makes them stand out is how easy they […]
Level-up with Sealevel Australia
By Erica Crompton I absolutely love the regal blues for the current season for Sealevel Australia. I wore my jumpsuit plenty of times in our 10 day trip in Brazil. We only had a rucksack each, so my wardrobe for this holiday needed to work hard. And it did. I opted for a playsuit because […]
Diamonds in the sky
By Erica Crompton Are you a diamond in the rough? Or a diamond geezer? You may simply sparkle. But one things for sure, in the advent of factory-made diamonds, the wee gem stones are more accessible than ever to all budgets. I’ have 16 diminutive sparklers on my engagement necklace. And there are plenty more […]
A Visit to Sacred Tones for Angelic Reiki
By Lisa Collins In a culture that prizes speed, productivity, and constant connection, stillness has become something of a luxury. Increasingly, it’s sought not on distant retreats but in carefully curated pockets of calm woven into the fabric of city life. Sacred Tones is one such place, a sanctuary that exists quietly beneath the surface, […]
A much-needed break at the Park Head Hotel
By Jo Hayley I didn’t realise just how much I needed a proper break until I arrived at the Park Head Hotel in Bishop Auckland. Life has been full-on lately—work, family, the usual juggling act—and stepping through those doors felt like letting out a breath I’d been holding for months. The place has a down to earth […]
The sky beneath our clouds: how class divides can impact wellbeing
By Abhra Pal As a wordsmith myself, I am often mired in the myth that true art form would be one with artlessness. Every progress closer to that artlessness makes us see some form of nihilist beauty of existentialism. The paradox lies in simplicity. I do not know whether the time will come when I make […]
Welcome to Winter 2025-2026 Hopezine!
Editor’s letter In this special winter edition, we’re focussing on beating addictions with tips from people who have stayed sober for good, to myself knocking a 40-a-day smoking habit on the head. Experts also share their tips on beating all kinds of addictions, and we’ve even discovered beautiful necklaces to help you quit smoking or […]
Craigatin House & Courtyard
By Erica Crompton A stone’s throw from all the action at The Enchanted Forest and set on the fringes of Pitlochry’s lively-yet-quaint grey stone village, finding The Craigatin House & Courtyard is like discovering hidden treasure. Amid pine trees, red-spotted toadstools and a backdrop of Scotland’s most majestic mountains, lies this grey stone house for […]
I beat drinking to become a personal trainer
By Paul Tomkins The warning signs were there early. Growing up in an alcoholic household, I started drinking at 14. It seemed to give me confidence I didn’t naturally have – socialising without it was impossible. But it was also escapism, and I’d drink to blackout throughout my teens. Alcohol became my master. A turning […]