Beach-Bear Mode - Activate!

The out of office is on, and I will see everyone on the 16th of June

Evening, everyone,

I wanted to send a quick note out to say a quick “totsiens!¹”

After an absolutely non-stop few months since my dad’s funeral in South Africa, starting a new job that’s had me up and down the country like a blue-arsed fly, and politics in the UK (and the rest of the world) deciding to self-immolate on a nearly weekly basis, I am taking my husband on an extremely overdue week break to sunny Spain.

Now, I’m fully aware that this is not an airport, and there’s no need for me to announce a departure, however, this post also serves as a massive thank you to each and every one of you. I have, without a doubt, had the most challenging six months of my life.

Between my decision to leave the NHS in December, trips to and from South Africa to smooth my dad’s departure from this world, learning an entirely new industry, trying to keep Bearly Politics growing, writing columns, publishing guest pieces, and attempting to remain at least semi-functional as a human being, there have been moments where it has all felt a little overwhelming.

Through all of that, though, this community has been extraordinary.

You have read my ramblings, challenged my thinking, shared your own stories, corrected my mistakes, supported my work, and, more than once, reminded me that there are still a great many decent people out there trying to leave the world slightly better than they found it.

For a bloke who started writing largely because shouting at Twitter felt more productive than shouting at the television, the fact that thousands of people now choose to spend part of their day reading what I have to say remains both humbling and faintly ridiculous.

So thank you.

Thank you to those who subscribe. Thank you to those who share posts. Thank you to those who comment thoughtfully. Thank you to those who disagree without being complete bellends. Thank you to those who have sent kind messages during some really, truly dark moments over the last few months.

It has meant more than you probably realise.

For the next week, I intend to spend less time staring at Westminster and more time staring at the Mediterranean.

An honestly healthier use of my rapidly diminishing eyesight - though I will of course be popping into my news app from time to time to check in on Makerfield.

Look after yourselves, be kind to one another, try not to overthrow any democracies without me, and I’ll see you all on the other side.

Much love,

Bear

1. Totsiens, for my non-South African friends, simply means “until we see each other again.”