It’s scary to say, but today, AlderHam celebrates its first birthday.

It doesn’t feel like it, but we can’t argue that it’s been a whole year since we started this journey.

A lot has happened in these last 12 months. A lot that we’re incredibly proud of.

Our first year was all about learning. Learning about business and understanding what ours will be, not only in the present but as we grow in the future.

We’ve been blessed to take part in the third Durham City Incubator Cohort, which has been instrumental in growing our business. We’ve tried and failed. We’ve tried and succeeded. We’ve learnt that business is all about dusting yourself off and staying positive when things don’t go as planned. …

This is an excerpt from my latest book: The Small Things We Forget

People Learn

These days it is hard to find a middle ground online. It seems that everyone has their own agenda.
People attack others for supporting a different set of beliefs. Some people believe in God and some believe in The Big Bang Theory. A rare few fixate on being involved in an alien stimulation. Nothing but conspiracies and fake news. I could make a statement with hard cold evidence and people will still argue against it. People these days cannot handle being wrong.
People attack celebrities for something they did years ago. Years before they ever heard of their name. People attack them for something they have already apologised for. These days you cannot make a mistake.
I know people who change after a traumatic experience. A car accident that affects their ability to walk again. They think it is a miracle they are alive. Prior to that moment they cringed at the thought of their being a higher power. Now they go to church every weekend. Praying that one day they will play footy with the lads. People change. The older I get, the more I understand that.
People change. People learn.
The problem is people are caught up on having this persona. A persona behind a device. A persona behind an icon.
Social media has changed.
I cannot scroll anymore without seeing negativity. I know drama gets more attention but why does it have to be so toxic? Why do we care so much about lives that are not ours? I wish I knew the answers.
I open my phone and see another bombing.
I scroll down and see another video from protest about the environment.
I scroll a little more and see another status about a black guy getting shot by a cop in the street.
I scroll through the replies and see arguments over political views, people forgetting we all bleed the same blood.
I scroll for another hour and see reports of another celebrity committing suicide. Clickbaited and harassed into ending their life.
People suddenly switch up their story. Sending prayers to their family.
I scroll further and realise that my time could be spent better elsewhere.
I close my phone and I am left wondering has the world always been this way?
I turn on the TV and see the same shit on the news. The same bombing. The same protest. The same black guy getting shot by a cop. The same footage, just without the comments and negativity.
I watch a little longer and it starts to loop. The same headlines as before. The same adverts that cannot be skipped.
I keep flicking through the TV guide and cannot find anything worth my time.
I switch channels and hear more racism while watching Football. Everywhere I turn, I am reminded that the world is far from perfect.
I turn off the TV and go to sleep. …

This is an excerpt from my latest book: The Small Things We Forget

247/264

It seems like lately all I have done is wake up and sit at my desk. Sitting there from morning to night. 247. Obviously, there is not much more that I can do. There is some form of lockdown in place, meaning I am stuck inside. Stuck inside because some guy decided to eat a bat. Stuck inside until things change. Stuck inside until this virus disappears. It could be weeks. It could be months. It could be years. It could be never. …

The Small Things We Forget is the result of pact I made with myself. A pact to force myself to write every single day. Forcing myself to write about everything. Everything that I experienced and everything that I witnessed. The goal was to simply get better at writing.

This book marks the start of self-publishing exclusively through Gumroad. To celebrate such an occasion, I wanted to have a little fun and do something a little different such as creating a live ebook. A live ebook that will be released chapter by chapter. Receiving more chapters and content every other week through email. …

Just under a year ago (July 2019), I graduated with a First Class Honours in Design. Back then I was 21, with very little experience and was so confused. I was applying for every job I could find. Only landing two interviews. Dressing myself in a fancy suit and making the effort. Making myself uncomfortable. I’ve only ever worn suits for the big events. Graduation, weddings, funerals and the odd award show. Personally, I’m more of a casual person. Black joggers and my Nasa Jacket.

I was so obsessed with trying to get a job, that I started applying for positions outside of my field. Back then, there was a design job available at Ubisoft (Newcastle) which really became the turning point for me. I grew up playing their games and got excited around the thought of working there. Luckily, I didn’t get the job, but I was heartbroken at first. I found that it happens with every application. If you apply, there’s always a chance they’ll email back. There’s always a chance. …