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 […]
Gaming Addiction: How Young Men Lose Control and How They Get It Back
By Lee Hawker, Clinical Programs Director, The Edge Gaming has become one of the dominant global pastimes for young men, and for many it’s a healthy outlet. But for others, it slowly becomes the organizing principle of their lives. By the time they arrive at The Edge, they’re not “lazy” or “unmotivated”, they’re trapped in a […]
Finding light in the smallest things
By Omorogieva Sylvester Ihonwa Some days, it only takes a cup of tea to save you. There was nothing special about that Tuesday. The Lagos sky was steel-grey, and my neighbour’s generator rattled like a grumpy beast. I’d been counting my sober days on a scrap of receipt tapes to the fridge, making little tally […]
From the Pit to Freedom
By Derek Slayter I didn’t wake up one day and decide to destroy my life. It started small—just smoking pot with friends in high school. It felt harmless, like just being part of the group. But small compromises became a pattern, and that pattern grew into a path I never meant to walk. Pills came […]
“We found Scotland’s most accessible night out on our wheelchair-friendly Pitlochry escape!”
Hopezine’s Founding Editor, ERICA CROMPTON, falls under The Enchanted Forest’s spell… As the sun sets over Scotland’s Pitlochry village, with its silver stone cottages and independent shops and cafes, the nearby Faskally forest lights up at the Enchanted Forest. I’ve just returned here with my wheelchair-tooting partner – it’s Scotland’s biggest annual attraction for all […]
ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL – Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & SPA
By Erica Crompton We pull-up to Taghazout’s Hilton Hotel in a large, white people carrier and are greeted with a sprawling foyer in sandy-hued marble, thoughtful designer lighting and friendly smiles at reception. Nothing is too much to ask of staff here at the 5-star resort. In fact, we came to view the locals as […]
ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL: The wheelchair-friendly Prague CoolPass city cruise
This winter, Paul, Dan, Coz and I took the flight from a drizzly Birmingham to a colder climb – Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. Prague is a majestic city and we discovered the best way to sightsee was the Prague CoolPass cruise along the Vltava River which gives panoramic views of the […]
DRESSING DOWN TO DRESSING GOWN
By Erica Crompton I used to walk from Stafford College to my parental home in Acton Trussell in spray-on Armani jeans and 5-inch heals. It took two hours and I never compromised comfort over style (if that is indeed what you’d call it in 1996 middle-England). Soon after I went to study in London, where […]
Leeds Perinatal Mental Health Team wins Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Art Competition
A mosaic that was produced by patients and staff at Leeds and York NHS Partnership Foundation Trust’s (LYPFT) Perinatal Mental Health Service, (PMHS) based at The Mount Hospital, Leeds has won the prestigious Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) 2023 Art Competition. The Mount Hospital works with women who are either pregnant or have an infant […]