2013-05-18T13:00:06-04:00 Gemma Cairney http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=gemma-cairney Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Gemma Cairney Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2561368 2013-01-27T09:47:36-05:00 2013-03-29T05:12:01-04:00

Gemma Cairney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gemma-cairney/

Yesterday was Rumble in the Jumble Part 2. A jumble sale I helped organise. It was quite different to your ordinary jumble sale, it was a fundraising event. Today I'm a frazzled heap of joy, though feel simply illuminated by the spirit, the generosity and most of all the damn hard graft of so many brilliant friends. Friends, and friends of friends and their friends too. That's what a 'Get Together' is, coming together, having a blast and making a difference.

One of those friends bought Tinie Tempah's Moschino jacket, he looks splendid in it and has a dinner party anecdote whenever he wears it, I bought Bat For Lashes' sequined beret that she wore at the Brits in 2010. This, shiny show off side to Rumble in the Jumble has appeal that tickles makes me nicely. But what's at the heart of this is fundraising and feelings quite contrasting. On a serious note, the complexities of some of the problems for some women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo runs deeper than imaginable. Every single joyful bargain bought will contribute towards relief for them. This was more than a jumble sale, we felt the rumble.

Thank you The Music Circle & everyone who became part of it in a burgundy carpeted Social Mens Working Club on a Saturday afternoon, this includes those that let us loot them for jumble.

P.S A couple of questions if you have the time? Why would you NOT want to host a Get Together of your own to help empower women around the world? Click here. Charity is a difficult one to figure out. Oxfam? The Music Circle specifically? Me? Well I'm interested in the empowerment of people and have learnt lots since working with Oxfam over the past year on different projects, feel free to bombard me with questions & thoughts.

Oh & tickle yourself by entering the #RITJ2 raffle? The prizes make you do this :O]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2329000 2012-12-19T19:00:00-05:00 2013-02-18T05:12:01-05:00

Gemma Cairney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gemma-cairney/ It's getting closer and closer and closer. Mind scramble? Good intentions and a hell of a lot of love to give, right? But what about the actual presents?

If you're feeling clueless and in need of ideas, you are in luck. I have had an ear close to the ground and my eyes peeled, and have come up with some ideas for you, here are my perfect 3.




1. A compact camera: Nikon COOLPIX S01
I almost shed a tear recently, when I did some something so retro, I'd nearly forgotten the joy of it. I went to Snappy Snaps and actually got some pictures printed. The thrill of picking them up two days later was so good - how could I have forgotten it?

I learnt something key though. I learnt that the phone glued to my hand just won't do when it comes to getting photos worth keeping. I am as addicted to littering Twitter with photos as the next person, and partial to the click of a filter on Instagram, but it's become painfully clear to me when comparing my compact camera photos to my phone pics that most of what I taken with my phone just isn't good enough for printing - they are never high res enough, and often don't have the right amount of flash to make a photo look natural and true to life.

A Nikon digital compact camera has been in my Mary Poppins rucksack for a month or so now, and for that I'm dearly grateful. It has lessened the blow of having my mobile stolen from my hand recently, and means I'll never make the same mistake as last year, when I took all my India holiday pictures with my phone, then promptly soaked it and rendered it useless, losing everything.

2. Luxury in a bottle: Ruby Red Reviving Body Cleanser
Lime, red mandarin and coriander: handmade, natural ingredient deliciousness. If Mother Nature were to have a favourite brand, Ruby Red would be it. Boys, this is the one that will guarantee you brownie points and a cuddle, I promise.

3. A new view: Surfaceview wall mural
This is flipping extravagant but, my word, so amazing. Thanks to my sweet Tweet indulgence @PropertyJazz, I was led to www.surfaceview.co.uk and I will never look back. I lost an hour just browsing the website, imagining new walls and bathrooms I could own.

In short, there are about a zillion squillion beautiful pictures and photographs on the site and you can have any one of them blown up and made into entire wall mural or into bathroom tiles. I have decided that my boyfriend deserves to bathe in the surroundings of the countryside of his childhood. Luckily, a beautiful lake in Cumbria where he grew up was once painted for a postcard, and is now available for me to order on tiles for the bathroom. Tis blooming expensive though, and I'm not what our landlord will make of it...]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1649374 2012-07-05T19:00:00-04:00 2012-09-04T05:12:15-04:00

Gemma Cairney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gemma-cairney/ Guardian and The London School of Economics - Please read here.

I heard on the radio yesterday a young policeman describing some rioters who had attached Stanley knives to sticks to use as weapons. This is gutting and the new statistics are stomach-churning. One of the things that I remember most from those evenings last year is the fear. That crippling feeling of the unknown. How close to our homes were they going to get? How long would it go on for? Was this the start of total national anarchy? What was actually going on? Who was doing this? Who was looting? Who was rioting? Why?

Some people I know went down to have a little look - this I didn't understand; the riots weren't a spectator sport. Some other good friends of mine were trapped in their house whilst cars were smashed outside - they were forced to witness it all through their window, they had to watch the hire car that they were supposed to be taking back the next day get completely savaged. All the while they helplessly texted me a blow by blow account and let me know they were safe.

Conversations erupts when the riots are brought up, everyone has a different tale to tell about those surreal nights. I personally cannot imagine what it would have been like for a child living nearby to one of the places affected, the atmosphere in complete disarray, nobody had the answers. I still don't think we do.

On Monday, 9 July my first documentary will air on BBC Three. It is called Riots: The Aftershock and I've learnt so much. We filmed for eight months with different people who were involved in different ways, this includes those labelled rioters and some who were convicted as a result. I also spent time with people whose lives have been ruined by mindless violence, rioting and looting. When I've told people about it so far, I'm often asked 'whose side am I on'? My answer is that there aren't sides; it's a massive, confused tangled mess -an earth sized ball of angry elastic bands and what we've done in our programme is try to focus on a few amongst it. We pull back the hoods and stare in into the eyes and lives of some of those in the rolling footage, the footage that will tarnish our generation throughout history.

When I went to do the voiceover for the documentary a few days ago I wanted to cry out of desperation. I can't help but feel an overbearing sadness that the whole thing ever happened. It is not about sides, it's about people. I hope you find getting to know some of their stories interesting. I hope that anyone tempted to do anything like that again will think about how it could ruin more than the window smashed, more than the shop to get free things, but ruin their future and the entire livelihoods of others. I hope from the new report that together we continue to unravel and try to understand the anger.

Riots: The Aftershock is on BBC Three at 9pm on Monday 9 July.

Watch a clip here.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1445728 2012-04-23T16:37:21-04:00 2012-06-23T05:12:02-04:00

Gemma Cairney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gemma-cairney/
So, I've designed this for you (and I) to print out and keep, a super special step by step recipe to hauling not only your frazzled, burnt out, double ended candle ass, but all, I repeat ALL of your friend's too.

INGREDIENTS:
• A minimum of 10 barmy friends (be prepared for new loves to blossom amongst the singles, even if they wouldn't look at each other twice under normal circumstances)

• A gigantic house somewhere relatively peaceful that will fit you all in and let you feel like you can do whatever you want.

• Endless enthusiasm is key. If you're the main organiser you must feel shameless about talking awkward financial detail and generally sending hounding group emails, all the while with a big 'supposed' grin on your face.

PREPARATION TIME:
Allow at least eight weeks preparation. 40% of your selected chums won't confirm until four weeks before you go, but at least you'll have the excuse that you have been banging on about it for, like EVER.
Please note: It's ideal to peg this almighty get away to your birthday / stag / hen as it gives a sense of focus.



STEP 1:
Research a giant property that is ready for Prosecco popping.
I went for some exquisite four walls in the unsuspecting quiet, but feels a bit like people make spells there, fishing village of Mevagissey, Cornwall, it sleeps 16, has its own pool, BBQ, tennis court and most importantly its own disco including decks and swirly lights. Everything is wipe clean yet fancy, spacious and set up for a shindig to make you feel like you're in sort of Cornish Miami. See it to believe it here. There are other incredible suggestions here too.

STEP 2.
Email everyone, at least 8 weeks in advance as previously stated. Make it all seem really simple. Round up the combined cost of accommodation, food and drinks for the weekend (see STEP 4 for food tips). Like bespoke all-inclusive package holiday.

STEP 3.
Think of a fun theme and send Google images at the same time as hounding politely for commitment. Only when you've got the big 'YES DEFFO UP FOR IT' from everyone should you put down a deposit and book. Or you could find your resentful self sauntering around a giant gaff in a silk nightgown alone and an irreparable pounding to your account.
We went for 1920's Cornish Riviera.


STEP 4.
It may seem bossy, but it's best to make decisions that regard matters of the tummy yourself. So work out 3 good meals that are easy to make for a ravines hungover mass and don't cost an arm and a leg to provide, obviously consider dietary requirements, but most friends eat alike right?
We went for Spaghetti Bolognese on the Fri, a mixture of fish and beef stout pies on the Saturday night and a roast pork joint on the BBQ on the Sunday (along with literally WHATEVER else was left in the fridge).


STEP 5:
Be prepared for the travel arrangements to be a nightmare, especially if you are travelling over 3 hours' drive away. Best thing is to research how much the train costs at initial planning stages it doesn't put pressure on those that drive, to drive those that eat sweets in the back. Train wise, there are group discounts to be found. Just make sure you book in advance as you'd be flabbergasted how quickly the prices go up.
We travelled with First Great Western Trains and got a group discount by calling their Customer Service line. They are also massively responsive and helpful on their twitter @FGW.

STEP 6:
Order your food & drink to be delivered to the address & liaise with the housekeeper to be there to collect it on the morning of your arrival. That way it'll in the fridge and looking plentiful when you get there.
We went for Tesco, who also deliver affordable wine crates here.

STEP 7:
As momentum builds, encourage everyone to create a Spotify playlist fit for a dancing queen's dreams (though it does mean more group emails, so tag it onto the bottom of one you were going to send anyway) and do the same yourself.

STEP 8:
Print out a room plan before arrival and configure rooms before anyone actually sees any (everyone pretends not to care, but they so do). Sending some sort of sign in advance to be put by each door works a treat.

STEP 9:
HAVE THE BEST TIME EVER, don't plan too much, London is for planning. Laze, scoff and boogie. No one wants to play planned games or partake in activities that you've put in place last minute becuase you're worried everyone won't have a good time. A big group of Friends with enough food alcohol, beds to jump on (refer to INGREDIENTS section about being prepared for love to bloom), favourite music and each other is enough.

STEP 10:
Once it's all over put your pics in a drop box so that people can add their own and print in hi-res quality.

STEP 11: Do it all over again the next year, with the power of all the organising knowledge you learnt the year before.

http://www.uniquehomestays.com/]]>