The man with six fountain pens

The man with six fountain pens

Writing this in Waterstones Café on the big table under the air con. I’ve been struggling to work in my flat all week - window walls and no blinds so it’s like a greenhouse. Even my lipstick has melted. Got chatting to the man sat opposite me – artist & illustrator. Writing in big loops with a fountain pen with his OS maps spread out all over the table. Planning a trip. I was curious about the pen and he said it’s a Scheaffer. He has SIX and only uses them to write and draw. “They help with words and images - and flow.” He looked so serene - I’ll have to get one. Had to stop myself whipping out my phone to film his messy analogue desk (I love watching men at work). All this thinking in tweets and feeling the urge to capture life’s little moments on my phone is driving me nuts. “I’m happy to see you writing by hand,” he said. Yeah. I’ve been doing this more lately, trying to reduce my screen time. Things grow out of my morning scribbles, and it’s more relaxing than staring at a blank screen. How joyful is it to sit in a café and NOT get your laptop out. Fountain Pen lyrics. Work on ONE thing. Talk to people. Nobody asks me about my laptop ;) He said he likes coming here as “interesting people and it’s cheaper. You save 50p on coffee if you bring your own mug.” I’d forgotten about that. I love matcha lattes and it’s a lot cheaper here than Costa and Nero. As for the maps, he likes to plan his trips “the old-school way”. He also teaches art and most of his students can’t map read as they’ve never had to do it. “They rely on SatNav for everything.” But what happens when we have a power cut - too many people turning on the air con, or the mobile networks go down!? As is quite likely with this heatwave… I like working here too - feels like an old slipper. I’m inspired by all the books and delighted the mag rack is back! I can get my Monocle fix. They don’t mind you reading stuff in the café – as long as you don’t break the spine. Happy longtime café crew too - all in sync. I love the complementary hair colours and vintage outfits. And they remember my order. It’s the little things. I appreciate it and tell ‘em so. Nika 🍸 “We’re about to see the explosion of analog” — and other stuff I enjoyed this week. Substack is launching a sponsorship program [https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/06/substack-is-launching-a-sponsorship-program/], along with ‘Creator Kits’ to help us build media kits for brand partners. Open to bestsellers while they test it. I’m delighted and excited – it simplifies things and provides some support beyond paid subs, which aren’t enough for most of us. DIY-ing it is also time-consuming. This piece on ‘the trust recession’ [https://thehappystartupschool.com/blog/the-trust-recession] by Laurence McCahill at the Happy Startup School in Brighton (thanks to Louise for the rec). How tech firms are embracing IRL. A reminder to get out there and “keep bringing your lovely, messy human-ness* to all that you do.” This interview with Gary Vaynerchuk [https://www.linkedin.com/videos/alekssvetski_ai-analog-entrepreneurship-activity-7453598009331867648-AZXS/] on what he’s seeing in the startup world. “We’re about to see the explosion of analog… Extreme AI is creating extreme analog.” Driving demand for real-world experiences: phone-free restaurants, physical retail, live events. I can’t wait for the phone-free gig… ‘Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media’ [https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/uk-government-publishes-media-green-paper.html] – the DCMS has launched a green paper + consultation on plans to improve access to trusted news. Have your say [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/watch-this-space-a-new-strategic-direction-for-uk-media-green-paper-and-public-consultation]. Perhaps a tad worried about how many people have cancelled their TV licence ;) I cancelled mine as not watching live telly. I can live without iPlayer. Mimi Yates’ investigation [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZlH7SYjcou/?img_index=19] on homeless delivery drivers. Here’s the ‘story behind the story.’ Great to see this made the front page of the Daily Mail. Part of a bold, social-first series uncovering hidden stories affecting young people. I’ve signed up for Emilie’s free online vibration meditation [https://freevibrationmeditation.lovable.app/] after hearing her talk about Sun Kyeong and her personal healing journey on the Modern Wellness pod. Every Friday, 8am on YouTube. Harry Kane is an Ella Fella - took time out from training to watch her play and gave her a personalised Three Lions shirt. Hope to see Saka on the pitch on Saturday - we need some magic! ✨ Bold Types is a reader-backed publication. Your support keeps it going. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe [https://www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Rave on and live long

Happy new month! Work from pub is going well. I went to The Fountain on Friday, which Paul Johnson aka Mirrorball Paul has reopened as a retro lounge. It’s a mirrorball showroom with a bar, food collabs, and kitchen residencies. Pub slash office. So funky, love it. Huge glitterballs, plastic yellow booths, and a long window bar perfect for people-watching and laptops. Pacman Arcade (joystick!), board games, courtyard garden. It’s very relaxed - babies and dogs chilling. I had a glass of the Writers Block Shiraz. Take a tour [https://www.facebook.com/mirrorball.paul/]. It’s great to see Queen’s Road changing - there’s real energy in this part of town. All indie businesses - art, good coffee, streetfood. Keith the foot fairy (he goes clubbing every month) and communal experiences like Neighbourhood Pottery and Japanese Hydro-Jet heated massage beds (take a mate for reduced rates!). The Longevity Show I’m off to The Longevity Show [https://longevityshow.com/] at Tobacco Dock (lol) London on 26-27 June. Being marketed as “The UK’s first longevity festival, helping you discover what really works for living healthier, longer.” Looking forward to it - especially the Longevity Rave. I’ve been listening to some pods with co-founder Tina Woods aka Tina Techtonic, who started DJ-ing after 50. Now 61, she’s leading research exploring how raves, music and movement can help our health and longevity. It is never too late to follow your passion. Age just doesn’t matter - people respond to energy, not wrinkles! We’re living through a fascinating shift — from treating illness to investing in health. For the first time, we can shape how we age. It’s not about living forever, but making the most of our healthspan (disease-free years) so we can enjoy life. We can all participate in collective longevity science, not just biohacker bros and billionaires. It’s also fast-moving, confusing and expensive. I’ve been down the supplement rabbit hole many times. 🪩 Project Longevity: longevity without the vampire vibes. I’ve set myself a challenge for this year - new experiences and daily rituals that feed my body, soul, and wanderlust. Working alfresco, rave rituals, HRT, neurosurfing, nootropics, superfoods, shamanism, wellness retreats, circular fashion. Using AI to help us live better for longer. There’s nothing we can do about chronological aging but we can lower our biological age. I’ll be raving till the grave. Dancing is my no 1 longevity tool - fun, free and communal, but my drug days are over. Did you see White Lines on Netflix? Loved the vibe (especially sexy Boxer), but also found it really depressing. Drugs are so destructive. I don’t want to drink every night, but I do want a healthy high without the hangover. Just bought a bottle of Sentia Spirits [https://sentiaspirits.com/collections/non-alcoholic-spirits], which stimulates the release of Gaba: “the off-switch of the brain” says neuropsychopharmacologist Prof David Nutt - also one of its creators. It mimics the effects of alcohol without the hangover and can help with your sleep, relaxation and anxiety. Be interesting to see if it gives me a buzz. One to try with a mate. “Can you feel it yet?” 🥂 Nika xo PS June Book Club Pick is Wayward Women: Sex, Friendship and the Midlife Reset [https://amzn.to/436R4yU] - a memoir by Rhonda Carrier & Tracey Davies. Upgrade to join us [https://www.nikatalbot.io/welcome] and travel through a book. 🪩 Is this your vibe? Whenever you’re ready, come join our OG raver fam! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe [https://www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

🪩 Welcome, Wanderer!

If you prefer, you can listen to me read this post. Hiya 🤗 Thought it was time for a (re)introduction so I’ve written this post - the story behind Bold Types and what I’m building online. On the Wild West of freelancing, my 30- year career, the rise of creator journalism— and choosing yourself. Also: See my About page [https://www.nikatalbot.io/about] for Project Longevity and what you’ll get. UPDATE: Keir Starmer is now on Substack 😁 Just reading Henry Zeffman [https://substack.com/profile/18084-henry-zeffman]’s post [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg4ny4rzq2o] on why Labour MPs are still craving a compelling story from Starmer. Feeling frustrated that he’s not found a way to land his message. Remarkably for a politician who’s been a party leader for a long time he’s still not defined for a lot of the public. People also ask on Google: What does Keir Starmer actually believe in? Has Keir Starmer written any books? A personal newsletter would help and be a home for all his writing. I had an email the other day from a charity asking if I’d like to be a guest writer on their new Substack. “Sadly, we don’t have the funds to pay for submissions—but writers can promote their other work or organisations.” Perhaps writing about the ups and downs of being a freelance journalist and promoting your own Substack (why you decided to launch it, how it’s going etc). What do you think? Nice to be asked, and I’m keen to work with them—I like what they’re doing for media issues, but at the same time, my heart sank. Someone else asking me to work for free. I’m already doing quite a bit of pro bono work. If I printed out similar requests I’ve had over the last 25+ yrs, I could start my own stationery line. Make a paper Christmas tree or three! Median pay for freelance journos in the UK is piss poor: just £17.5K/yr—less than the minimum wage—for a typical 35-hr work week (ALCS/NUJ [https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/a-fairer-future-for-freelance-journalists/]). Payment rates have been stagnant for YEARS. There are no pay rises or promotions. “As freelancers we just get paid the same rate. I think most freelancers are afraid to ask for more in case they aren’t commissioned anymore.” Plus: kills fees, payment on publication, implicit contracts etc, which are hard to challenge solo. The next day, I read Christina Patterson [https://substack.com/profile/1989410-christina-patterson]’s post on the slow death of journalism - and the fast death of my career [https://christinapatterson.substack.com/p/on-the-slow-death-of-journalism-and], which struck a chord with me. “Asking us to write for free is like asking an electrician to rewire your house in exchange for a smile.” I restacked it on Notes and mentioned the email. I think it’s a huge cheek for anyone to ask anyone who isn’t a friend to do anything for free. I am trying to learn to say no, unless I’m pretty sure there’s something in it that will make it worth my while. We can spend our entire lives doing unpaid work and meanwhile the bills have to be paid. My first unpaid gig was on X-Campus, my uni mag, to get some clippings—arts & culture stuff, which I loved (clue #1). After graduating, I moved back home for a bit to figure out my next move—wasn’t sure whether I wanted to do broadcast or print journalism. I joined the startup Radio Mansfield as ‘community news editor’ and got some radio skills while the MD applied for a permanent licence. By night, I was waitressing at Center Parcs to make ends meet. That year, I wrote to 100 production companies looking for work as a runner and eventually got offered a gig on Art Attack! at the Maidstone Studios. £80/wk (my bedsit was £40/wk), so a low-key lifestyle, but I was learning the ropes and meeting people. It led to other work—a kids’ show called WOW! (met the Spice Girls, just coming up), Endurance, Masterchef (didn’t see anything dodgy). Then I got offered a FT role at Wizja TV, a new Polish station, as a programming assistant at £13K/yr. Got my head down, but I was bored to tears working in Acquisitions. Lots of admin, chasing and nothing creative—but it gave me stability and a routine, while I was studying journalism on the side. I kept writing and saving so I could quit and go travelling—figured I’d Wwoof my way round the world, live/work on farms and look for media opps in the cities. I worked at Foxtel in Sydney for a few months (more programming!) and got some freelance work in Perth with Travel Maps Australia, a budget travel mag. A road trip to the Pinnacles and some market research, interviewing backpackers in hostels. My first foray into magazine journalism and travel writing for niche communities and it sparked something in me (clue #2). When I got back to the UK, I applied for a scholarship in magazine journalism with Emap in Peterborough and got it! (the work/travel adventure paid off). I was so excited, I didn’t care it was only £12K/yr—I’d manage somehow. Six months with Country Walking, so I’d be learning on the job, and it might lead to something permanent. This was 2000/1 so digital revolution pre-social media and most of the mags were launching websites. CW were fully staffed and didn’t really need me, so I went to work on the website launch with the ex-editor who’d moved over to digital. I liked the tiny team start-up vibe. She was open to ideas, didn’t micro-manage and let me get on with it (clue #3 - I’m not good with authority). There was no job on CW at the end of it, but I could move to another title at Emap Active. I was a bit restless though and really wanted to work on women’s mags or The Face so that meant moving to London – Media City, where everything was happening. Mad really - Peterborough is no distance and much cheaper to live, but I wanted to be IN IT meeting people. They weren’t thrilled I was buggering off but helped me get some work on Here’s Health. A shoutout to my friend Natasha from Wizja TV for letting me stay in her box room in Waterloo while I found my feet and did work experience. It gave me the confidence to take the leap, and I couldn’t have done it otherwise. I spent the next five years in London working myself into dust—freelance journalism, copywriting, comms/PR, ghostwriting. I found the women’s mags competitive and a bit snooty, but liked the culture & health stuff so did more of that. Spent 18 months at a corporate fraud agency doing pre-employment checks, creating resources, and rifling through bin bags! Still journalism but better paid and more stable—I even had a pension. Not sure why I left… well, that’s another story. A mate was trying to launch a sex mag for women and asked me to write a piece on orgasms. I had amenorrhoea and was struggling with vaginismus, which was getting me down. So, an opportunity to go deeper and figure out what was going on. I guess my niche found me. Writing about it all was my way of healing myself. I joined the NUJ, Women Writers’ Network and Women in Journalism and started helping out. Ran events in nice hotels for WIJ freelancers to bring women together—I needed that. Freelancing is lonely so it’s crucial to have a support network (clue #4). I’m still working with the NUJ and am grateful for their financial support during Covid when I fell through the cracks. I left London in 2006 when I pregnant with Julieta. This was peak mamasphere, as blogging was evolving and social media taking off. Women started the creator movement - Heather Armstrong, Dooce. Catherine Connors, Her Bad Mother. Motherhood warts n all. They paved the way and talked about taboo topics - yet were vilified for it by the media. I started my own sex & culture blog, Rude and threw myself into that. Got lots of energy back from it, but struggled to monetise it on WordPress. I wasn’t running paid subs or paywalling—just Google Adsense and sponsorships, which were sporadic. I had sex toys coming out of my ears, but I didn’t have a sustainable business model to keep paying writers. I had a knowledge gap and a lack of biz skills (not part of J-school, uni or talked about on the job) so I was learning from my peers. When I did start paywalling much later, I got backlash from a male writer who said, “I think you’re making a big mistake.” The blogging paid off in other ways though and helped me land publishing deals. I wrote more letters to agents (I swear by the LOI – it works!), found one and got commissioned to write a book on orgasms for Hamlyn. This was Belle de Jour, Scarlet, Amora Museum, Shades of Grey era so something in the air… They commissioned me to write two more. All the book deals were flat fee contracts minus the agent’s 15% so pretty modest. I got a wee advance but carried on working while I wrote them. They did a bit of publicity, but I was expected to do most of the work—research, writing, marketing, socials, events, organising book signings. I wrote a few more books for different publishers including Vibe, a Norwegian outfit who then went bust so my Kama Sutra guide never got published, and I didn’t see a penny. My debt collector couldn’t do much as the contract was outside the UK (will never do that again). Median earnings for UK authors was £7K/yr in 2022 (ALCS [https://www.thebookseller.com/news/median-earnings-for-authors-now-just-7000-according-to-new-report-from-alcs]), so it’s part of your portfolio career—if you’re a non-famous, non-fiction writer, anyway. I get a small amount of royalties for secondary uses from ALCS and PLR every year so worth signing up with them. By my late 30s/40s, I was feeling burned out with creating content online and a bit trapped in my niche, as I was writing under my name. I didn’t want to be a sex & relationship therapist like Sarah Berry or a presenter like Tracey Cox. I thought about becoming a dominatrix (great money!) and writing a book about that, but I’d need to be in London—couldn’t turn my flat into a dungeon and I didn’t want to work locally. I’d outgrown it, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. I remember a journo from The Telegraph calling me for a quote and saying, “what’s left to say about sex in your 40s?” She needed a new angle lol. So did I. I found it hard to let go though—Rude was my second baby. I’d put my heart and soul into it, built a digital mag I was proud of, and paid writers. Giving up felt like failure so I kept going, juggling love and money work. What I needed was a mentor/coach to talk to - to get a plan together so I could pivot slowly and expand into new things. In the end, my body made the decision for me. I got ill and was diagnosed with RA aka Wayne the Pain so had to stop everything. I’ve never known pain like it—childbirth doesn’t compare. Horrible condition. Fat fingers so I couldn’t write properly, and it made me feel so tired. These things don’t happen overnight so it’s long-term stress: precarious work, doing too much, money worries (I had 20K debt in London and eventually did an IVA to consolidate). I was solo parenting and miles away from my family so all a bit much. Body says NO. I’m not doing this anymore. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had—graft, timing and luck—but journalism and publishing has never felt secure as a career, or like I had someone invested in me long-term. I’ve done all this good work but I don’t have a lot to show for it materially ie a home to pass on to Julieta. I’ve had three agents—the first one left and I didn’t gel with her replacement (I wasn’t high-brow or famous enough). Then they restructured and let a few of us go (including me) so she left to do her own thing. I got an email thanks & bye but no advice on what to do now or offer to connect me with the other writers. I found them on my own. So here we are. 2025. A bit older and greyer, still plugging away, having another go (the tech is better!). Writing Bold Types, enjoying the Substack Motel. Choosing myself and reinventing myself, which is the lesson I’ve learned from all of this. Choose life and building your career around that not the other way around. Exploring and helping to shape the new media revolution. Creator journalism is the most exciting area of journalism imo. Intimate and collaborative. People are paying for news! I’m here for it. An opportunity to tell untold stories and go deeper into a niche that the mainstream media can’t cover. And so many great women in this space Taylor Lorenz [https://substack.com/profile/1153079-taylor-lorenz] Kat Tenbarge [https://substack.com/profile/1999033-kat-tenbarge] Daysia Tolentino [https://substack.com/profile/6442506-daysia-tolentino] Kristin Merrilees [https://substack.com/profile/11812961-kristin-merrilees] kate lindsay [https://substack.com/profile/1396891-kate-lindsay] Emily Sundberg [https://substack.com/profile/9237884-emily-sundberg] Lex Roman [https://substack.com/profile/6066214-lex-roman] Kaya Yurieff, Jasmine Enberg Rachel Karten [https://substack.com/profile/8247620-rachel-karten] Lia Haberman [https://substack.com/profile/14036979-lia-haberman] Kerry Flynn [https://substack.com/profile/507572-kerry-flynn] Alexa Phillips [https://substack.com/profile/122048896-alexa-phillips] Substack isn’t perfect (what platform is?). I don’t love the closed API/walled garden—the future of the web is decentralised. I don’t want to be too dependent on a platform - use them for discoverability. But I like their mission to be a home for culture and they have changed the culture around paying for writing online. I’ve also met some brilliant people here. The good thing is we have options now. The creator space is growing and platforms have to stay competitive. I see Beehiiv has a big reveal coming up in Nov that “will completely change how creators and publishers build online”. Creative freedom is important—my main driver. But this time, it has to be sustainable and a proper living. More collaborative, less lone wolf - the route to burnout. The cult of founder (whose bright idea was it to name ad agencies after people?) puts all the pressure on the individual to succeed. We’re not content machines and we can’t be productive all the time. I need to work in seasons, with my energy and human design. Build something bigger than myself and bridge the online and offline worlds, which takes time - you have to commit to it and be consistent. In time, I’ll host affordable writing retreats - the House of Letters - because the magic happens in person. And life is better with the sun on your face, a bowl of olives and a Negroni in hand. Julieta has just started at U of York so new beginnings for both of us. I miss her little face and it’s quiet in the flat, but I don’t miss the unpaid, undervalued, and invisible labour. It’s ME SEASON—a great feeling. Not sure where I want to base myself next so I need to do some mini trips while I figure it out. A week in Bristol. A smart village in Italy. I was talking to Amy Fallon [https://substack.com/profile/47016826-amy-fallon] about that earlier—a reminder to renew my YHA membership. If they’re well run and have private rooms, I can hack it! Feels good to bang this out. I can see the patterns and clues about how I like to live and work. The stories I’ve been telling myself for last 25+ yrs (‘there’s no money in writing or being creative’…‘journalism is a middle-class industry’). And what I’ll be telling myself for the next chapter—my unretirement and a happy, healthy 100-year life, I hope. Christina just replied to my comment about sending something I’ve already written. “If at all. I sometimes ask people if they would ask a plumber to mend their boiler for free. What’s the difference?” I know. I’d like to be involved though, think it’ll lead on to other things. I’m a giver and believer in karma—do it for the beauty of it. Life is so transactional, and I don’t want to live like that. My mate Marianne Lehnis [https://substack.com/profile/4703241-marianne-lehnis]: “Send him something you’ve already written. Doesn’t cost you anything and you get the exposure/free visibility. Just look through your newsletters.” A reminder to sort my archive out! Or I could just send him this. Nika xo Thanks for reading! If you’ve written your story, I’d love to read it. Gold star for reading this far! 🤩 🪩 Bold Types is a reader-backed publication. Your support keeps it going. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe [https://www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

🪩 We deserve better than a Portacabin in a car park.

Happy Friday! I had my first mammogram this week - a breast screening unit in a tiny Portacabin in the hospital car park. Walked in to find four women sat there waiting. I checked in with the nurse, who was shuffling through papers, trying to find my form. “It’s the first one,” I said, trying to be helpful. She scooped them up and leaned back. “Look, I’m trying to maintain patient confidentiality here.” Not a great start. You can’t swing a cat in here never mind patient confidentiality. Everyone can hear everything. She asked if I’d had one before - no. Then I might have to go to Brighton and get it done again, if the images aren’t sharp enough. I was asked to take my bra off in the cubicle and come back out with my top on. Read the patient leaflet while I was waiting - you’re not supposed to wear deodorant on the day, as it can affect the results. Bugger. Bit late now. A woman walked in, “It’s cosy in here!” She sat down next to me and another nurse came out and asked her to do the same - take her bra off. “I’m not wearing one,” she laughed. “I can’t be arsed with that anymore.” Lol. I said I can’t stand them either, especially underwired ones – torture garments. “You won’t believe it. The other day this bloke came up to me on the street and said, ‘You need to wear a bra, love’… “And I said, that’s none of your bloody business!” Good for her. “Is this your first one?” “Yeah, but I’ve heard all about it. Your boobs in a vice. Did you hear about the woman who got stuck in the machine during a power cut?” OMG no 😳 Apparently, she was mid-squeeze when the power went off so had to wait for someone to set her free. Eventually, a bloke turned up. “I’m so sorry, love.” WTF. Is there not an emergency exit button on these machines!? “Nika Talbot”. “Wow, it’s huge”. I made a joke about being tiny but she ignored that and explained what would happen. I had to stand in front of it while she moved my feet and boobs into the right position for the x-rays. I felt like a mannequin in a shop window. When she comes to life, anything can happen! “Breathe in. And breathe out…” and then she tightened the grip. Ooooof. Sorry for reading the patient notes. A couple of hard squeezes and release. She did it again on the right side, even tighter this time, which took my breath away. “Do you have one breast that’s bigger than the other?” “No idea, probably.” Afterwards, she checked the x-rays and wasn’t happy with the detail, so round two - on one side only. Took about 15 mins and I should get the results within two weeks - or a letter telling me I need to go to Brighton. I left through a different door - presumably so you don’t start chatting to the women waiting. Took myself off to the cafe in the church and sat on the sofa with a hot chocolate. I had my laptop with me but didn’t feel like doing much. Felt wiped out for the rest of the day. I will go to screenings as it could save my life. My mum had a lumpectomy recently (they found a small cyst while testing for something else). She was lucky, they caught it early and it hasn’t spread. Otherwise it would still be there - routine breast screenings stop at 70. You won’t be invited after that, but you can request it through your GP. Considering it’s the most common cancer in women (1 in 7 will get breast cancer) – surely we deserve better than a temporary trailer in a car park. It feels like an afterthought. I know I can ask to be screened in the hospital but it’ll just delay things. Thanks to Margaret Hodge [https://observer.co.uk/news/politics/article/margaret-hodge-stopping-breast-screening-at-70-is-crazy-its-writing-off-older-women] for sharing her story and pushing for the upper age limit on screenings to be raised. Hopefully new AI scanners will bring the cost down. We need to stop writing off older women. She spent years as a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and understands how you achieve change. Keir needs to sit down and have a chat with her. I am 80, with two new jobs, and I’m not prepared to be written off. ▶️ Kylie, a three-part series, is out on Netflix. She had a second cancer diagnosis in 2021 and talks about it here. Nika xo If this resonates, consider becoming a paid subscriber [https://www.nikatalbot.io/welcome]. Support a community of genXy women who write and wander. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe [https://www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Fancy a pub desk?

Last week: “No more pubs, Norm” [https://www.nikatalbot.io/p/no-more-pubs-norm?r=9w55n]This week: WFP. Keir needs a pint Just listened to the King’s Speech - very underwhelming. Bit low energy (probably had enough of the red pen.) Good to hear “legislation will be introduced to tackle late payments” to support small biz, but what about the huge burden of regulation? The energy crisis? Cost of living? I paid £7.50 for some mackerel in M&S last night. 👀 I had a text from a friend about how two pubs are closing each day in the UK. Will start trying to work more from pubs and less from cafes. Most pubs are ancient and historical — whereas cafes come and go! Agree and doing the same. Between Jan and Mar, 161 pubs closed across England, Scotland and Wales, with a loss of 2,400 jobs. I’m also fed up with seeing beautiful buildings boarded up - or turned into Tesco Express. Most cafes close at 5 pm — we have a pub/bar culture rather than a cafe culture. I’m always looking for cool indie places with the right vibe - papers, mags, good coffee - where I can sit and read or do some writing in the eves. I’m off to Old Dame now - Royal Victoria Hotel on the seafront. Grade II listed and a bit tired. Mostly coach parties and cream teas, but it’s huge with a piano lounge and bar. Free wi-fi and meetings rooms by the hour. A Victorian seafront office for the day, why not. We might add another day to our Writers’ Café [https://luma.com/WritersCafe] so Tue, Wed, Thu afternoons. It’s helping massively - gotta stop bothering the builders! Some of the big chains are offering ‘Work from Pub’ [https://www.standard.co.uk/business/work-from-pub-coworking-home-office-space-remote-offer-wework-regus-food-drink-b1152522.html](WFP) packages - desk space, unlimited hot drinks, wi-fi and lunch for a flat fee (£10-£20), which is 40% cheaper than coworking for the day. My local Spoons (John Logie Baird) is in an 1850s building in town. Prints and text about local artists & writers, £1.85 for Lavazza coffee, tea and free refills. Gotta be worth a try - just hope the carpet doesn’t give me a headache. A Hastings Pub Crawl — with artistic license I was chatting to Chris the chef the other day. He looked a bit glum so I asked how things are going - he’s also self-employed. “It’s a struggle.” He has to prepare food but doesn’t know how busy it will be. People are eating out less. The government needs to reduce VAT on hospitality and offer longer-term support. Here’s Markus Thonnett’s new exhibition PUB CRAWL [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXwyzeUCKGp/?img_index=1] - really beautiful card cuts telling the stories of 10 Hastings pubs. I love looking at them while I’m working. Bring on El Niño and long, sunny eves at the pub watching the Three Lions lift that trophy! 🍸 Nika xo Support my vision of connecting and helping genXy wander women on Substack by becoming a paid subscriber [https://www.nikatalbot.io/welcome]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe [https://www.nikatalbot.io/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]