September 2022

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Big News
Queen Elizabeth II dies. After reigning for 70 years Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, died at the age of 96. The official notice issued on the 8th September stated that: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." The passing of the Queen triggered the start of Operation London Bridge, the official plans for her funeral, which took place at Westminster Abbey on 19th September. Two days before her death the Queen accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson and, as one of her last official acts as Queen, appointed Liz Truss as the new prime minister of the UK. Following the announcement of her death there were eleven days of national mourning which ended with a national bank holiday and a full day of ceremonies. Prior to the funeral The Queen lay in state in Westminster Hall from 14th to 19th September. This is done to allow mourners and the public “to pay their respects to the deceased before the funeral ceremony.” This process created its own headlines and social media spotlight when “The Queue” formed; a 5 mile long queue which saw almost 250,000 people wait, in some cases for almost 14 hours, to pay their respects. For several weeks the eyes of the world were on the UK as these events unfolded and a shared sense of grief took hold of not just the UK, but globally. Now the wait begins for the coronation of King Charles III, the next UK monarch.

Little News
Puerto Rico suffers due to hurricane Fiona. Most other news has taken a back seat this month, with the Queen's death dominating headlines. Sadly it is not the only tragedy to occur; after just five years since hurricane Maria Puerto Rico was struck by hurricane Fiona which has so far killed at least eight people and caused massive destruction, and left hundreds of thousands of residents without water or power. As of writing Hurricane Fiona has been upgraded to category 4 as Puerto Rico continues to struggle with the devastation, with families still stranded in cut off regions due to flooding and the collapse of bridges. If you want to find out more and support those in need I suggest this Time article.

What I’ve been enjoying this month
The War of the Worlds. To distract from what seems like a morbid month I’ve been relying on some classic Science Fiction. Despite having seen all of the TV shows, taken part in immersive VR experiences and recently watched the live musical version of War of The Worlds, I realised that I have never actually read the book. Shameful as a professed Sci-fi fan, I know. This month I rectified that error. The story and world that H.G Wells creates is incredible; it follows an unnamed narrator as he and his brother try to flee a Martian invasion of London and the surrounding area. The book is split into two sections, the first detailing the initial invasion and chaos that ensues, while the second covers what life is like once the Martians have begun to establish themselves in our world. I won’t give any spoilers here, instead I’ll just suggest that you avoid the mistake that I made and pick up this outstanding piece of sci-fi history, sooner rather than later.  

Axe throwing. This month I was lucky enough to take part in some axe throwing at a venue in Nottingham (aptly named Hatchet Harrys). I’ve done axe throwing before and always find it enjoyable; it's a great way to let out some pent up frustration and de-stress. I was pretty awful at hitting the target but I was really good at bouncing my axe off the floor on its way to the target. Despite my lack of skill it was still fun, and if you ever get the chance I recommend you give axe throwing a go, who knows maybe it could be the new, slightly intimidating, hobby that you need in your life?