Adventures in a (mainly) MIDLIFE Wonderful World
October 2024
Dear Fabulous Friends
Hello from bonnie Scotland where I’m about to give a talk at the book festival in Wigtown – which is Scotland’s National Book Town. It’s not too late to get a ticket if you happen to be in the area. And if you’re not but you’re a book lover, then you should definitely add it to your list of future adventures – the town has nearly a dozen bookshops including one that apparently doubles as an Airbnb. I’m told you have to manage the bookshop if you stay so come and fulfil your bookseller dreams here!
This is the first of an array of October events for me – festivals, theatres, bookshops, libraries, webinars, and more - I’ll even be making an appearance on Radio 4’s Loose Ends at the end of the month.
And coming up next week there’s something I’m super excited about, that you’re all invited to:
Tuesday 15th October - Postcards from Midlife, Careers Can Change & Me @ Leicester Square Theatre, London
I’m going to be appearing at the Leicester Square Theatre in central London as a guest on the chart-topping podcast ‘Postcards from Midlife’ hosted by Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin. (Just check out their amazing backlist of guests. Now I get to be one which feels like quite a major moment). The podcast is being recorded live and tickets are FREE – join us if you can as it’s going to be a really special evening.
I first met Lorraine (former editor of Sunday Times Style Magazine, Elle and Cosmo) a few months ago via my friends at SwimQuest (the company I am running my new Adventure Retreats with). Lorraine had signed up for the Scilly Swim Challenge which took place in September (and which I completed last year). I’ve buddied her through her training – swimming at our local lido (Parliament Hill) and taking her down to Dover to swim in my darling Channel. Over the summer I also read her fabulous book What’s Wrong With Me? which I loved and has got me thinking more about my own midlife adventures, and how I’m (mainly) loving this time of my life.
Tuesday’s event is all about midlife reinvention and I’ll be chatting about how, in my forties, I went from running a large London theatre to becoming Chief Executive of Jessica Hepburn PLC (Hah! Not literally! No shares available yet I’m afraid). But it has made me personally and professionally happier than I’ve ever been and it will be interesting to see whether Lorraine and Trish agree as they both transitioned from being high flying corporate employees to creative entrepreneurs in midlife too. With experts on hand to help answer your questions about how to craft your own midlife vocation; turn a secret side hustle into a business; or escape on a dream adventure, it’s going to be an exciting and eye-opening evening. Join us - and bring your friends!
And later the same week on Thursday 17th October I’ll be talking midlife and menopause online in a panel webinar for Peppy Health entitled Meno-ROARS. Apparently over four hundred people have signed up already…well it is Menopause Awareness month.
And there’s more: here’s the run down of other public events this October - in case you can make any of them:
Wednesday 16th October – Uxbridge Library
Thursday 17th October – Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester
Wednesday 23rd October – Crawley Library
Friday 25th October – Stratford Literary Festival
You can find booking links for all public events I’m doing on my linktree
If hearing from me once a month in your inbox is enough then feel free to skip this bit (and don’t worry I get it!). But if you’re interested in supporting my work in the world, reading my most personal posts on the internet, and getting more involved in my forthcoming adventures then I’d love you to consider becoming a member of my Big & Brave Family on Substack which is becoming the place I am stretching my writing and thinking muscles.
Last month I wrote what has become one of my most popular posts to date – Death is Welcome Here: how to live like you’re going to die. I had this feeling as I was writing it that it was a good one and it’s shot to the top three on my leaderboard. I’m also feeling energised about how the ‘Your Shit is Your Superpower’ project is developing - the last post in the series was on achieving Head, Heart and Soul connection and it contains a bit of an epiphany for me. So if you’d like to be part of what is starting to feel like a fabulous family and focus group, and be first in line to hear about all the shit that shaped me, and my seven secrets for turning your shit into your own superpower – then come on over! Paid subscription to my Big & Brave Substack Family is £5 a month / £50 a year but here’s a 50% discount for the next 48 hours.
And finally a few words on September
Highlights included an adventure to the Highlands to recce Save Me From The Waves: The Adventure Retreat – check out my post and reel about it on instagram – and join us for a week on the idyllic island of Formentera next May, or book now for Scotland December 2025. These retreats are shaping up to be something special and spaces are limited so book now if you want to join me in person for an adventure you’ll never forget (I promise we won’t be swimming the Channel or climbing Everest).
I also spent an amazing week adventuring round Jersey. I gave a talk for the Jersey Festival of Words and my event was chaired by fellow pond-to-peaker Eric Blakeley MBE who became the second person in the world (and first Brit) to swim the English Channel and summit Mount Everest (formally known as The Peak and Pond) (fyi I was the 14th person and second woman to do it). Check out the fab pic below of two pond to peakers pontificating. I then walked the 48 mile circumference of the island with my dear uni friend Ella, and had a superb sunrise swim with the Jersey Beux and Bluebelles - here’s another post and reel on instagram.
I have to say when I’m out on adventures I do think to myself: what a (mainly) wonderful world even though the news doesn’t always make it feel that way. Try and go out and enjoy it and drop me a line if you have time to tell me what you’re up to. It’s always lovely to hear from you, and maybe see you sometime this October too!
