Raising Awareness of CRPS – Jack’s story

Latest News

CRPS – Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is an often misunderstood condition leaving the patient in excruciating pain with symptoms no one can see. Having interviewed Jack and his younger brother Jayden in the past about their dancing, I had already formed a bond...

Deaf tutor’s plea to have language heard

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While Scottish and Welsh Gaelic are accepted minority languages, British Sign Language is not. As a result, when a deaf person needs to have an interpreter they can find that their ‘voice’ is someone with nothing more that a GCSE qualification in their...

School Papers Take Off

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When I first started Catherine Smyth Media in 2009, my USP was creating newspapers in schools. Since then I have developed the programme to produce papers in a day, over a week, to cover a term or half term. Now I have gone back to the future – by that I mean...

Blog 5 – Hyperthyroidism

Latest News, Thyroid Blog

Good news! I have waited quite a while to feel so upbeat and feel like I have been waiting years to be so positive. An optimist always looks on the bright side of life and yet I feel as though I have been stuck at the bottom of a very dark hole. Like the frog in the...

2016 – thank you for the business

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This year has been a phenomenally successful one for my business with the highlight most definitely jointly winning the Sole Trader of the Year Award at Rossendale Business Awards in November. I am known for words, but I also take the odd photograph including two that...

Blog 6 – Hyperthyroidism

Latest News, Thyroid Blog

My journey through Graves Disease continues as sadly I have not succeeded in conquering the dreaded illness yet. I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid gland in February and have been making regular trips to the consultant and doctor’s surgery for blood...

Winner of Sole Trader 2016 – ME!

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I knew I had been shortlisted but nevertheless it still comes as a shock to be announced as the winner. Indeed I shared the honours with my friend Liz Hall from Liz Henson Photography, but that seemed to make a lot of sense. We do a lot of collaborative work as is...

Eco Home Built By Pensioners

Freelance Stories, Latest News

Artist Chris Worswick and her husband Paul decided five years ago to build their own home and now, aged 70 and 71 they are settling in nicely. This rather unusual story was commissioned by Lancashire Life and provided another opportunity for me to work with Liz Henson...

Kindle Deal on Sophie Lancaster Book

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Throughout the month of October, Amazon Kindle has selected my book The Sophie Lancaster Story to become one of its special deals to be promoted to UK readers. Since the book was relaunced on St George’s Day in April, it has been an incredible success and I am...

Blog 8 – Operation over!

Latest News, Thyroid Blog

So that’s it – all done. The butterfly shaped gland that caused me so much trouble has now been incinerated and I doubt I will ever know why I joined this merry-go-round. My thyroid has, I am guessing, been incinerated and with its removal from my body I...

Blog 9 – six months on and going strong

Latest News, Thyroid Blog

What a six months it has been since I was operated on and my thyroid disappeared into an incinerator.I have written this reflective piece because it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride but I hope an inspirational one too. The blog is printed below or click the...

Trike Appeal’s Astonishing Success

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When Haslingden High School set about trying to get an all terrain mountain trike to aid a student’s mobility, more than 3,500 pounds was raised in just a few weeks after excellent publicity was achieved. Sam Ainsworth has Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, an...

Pupils Become Junior Journalists

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Ten pupils, one week, 11,000 words and 16 pages; that in a nutshell is the latest edition of Fearns Chat. Every year since I started working for myself, I have spent a whole week at Fearns Community Sports College, Stacksteads, producing the school newspaper. The...

The Sophie Lancaster Story

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A chance offer to rebrand, relaunch and update my book on the murder of Sophie Lancaster has had an incredible response. The original book was published in 2010 under the title Weirdo Mosher Freak, the new version The Sophie Lancaster Story, has been updated to bring...

Artist Leaves Her Mark On School

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Artist Laura Doherty has so far painted five of her former classrooms with giganitic murals bringing history, English and music to life. The former Haslingden High School student painted her first classroom when she was 16 and, after finishing her A levels, she was...

Plucky Francesca Plans 10k

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Deciding to take on a 10k can be an ordeal for most people, but when you are a wheelchair user it brings a host of other complications. But Francesca Dean doesn’t know the word can’t and will not let anything stop her from doing what she wants. I first met...

Off the wall photography plan

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Actress Stacey Clegg has had a dream for many years to celebrate her brother’s short life by creating photographs to depict Michael Jackson songs. The story was an unusual one given the tragic circumstances of her brother’s death following a road accident...