2023-08-03 09:27
Attention all wanderlust souls! After a brief hiatus, I, Mandy Charlton, Photographer, Writer, Blogger, am thrilled to announce my triumphant return to travel blogging. With renewed passion… Read More
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Mandy Charlton - Photographer,writer,blogger Blog
defyinggavity.blogspot.com
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garnishes
west
emotional journey
gin garnishes
summer
journey
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Newcastle based International photographer,family portrait photography, travel and lifestyle writer and blogger
2023-07-17 09:49
On the 6th of July at 9.45am I boarded the Stagecoach 685 bus service from Newcastle to Carlisle handing over my £2 fare, a bargain for a journey which is just under 60 miles and takes… Read More
2023-07-05 16:17
Mandy’s Great Summer Bus Adventure-Trial Run…I’m about to do something slightly bonkers and I’d like you all to join in. Did you know that the £2 single… Read More
2023-07-03 10:42
5 Tips for Saving Money on West End MusicalsThere’s nothing quite like seeing a musical on the West End Stage in London. The lights, the sets, the costumes—it’s magic… Read More
2023-07-02 16:24
I've just come back from a 3-night break in Edinburgh with Abigail and we definitely found the best places for cocktails, in fact, we even managed to try out the number 1 place for cocktails… Read More
2023-06-26 21:07
The Hardest Thing is Letting Go: The Emotional Journey of Closing My BusinessSaying goodbye is never easy, especially when it involves letting go of something you've poured your heart… Read More
2023-03-23 08:03
As we get older or experience certain disabilities, it can become difficult to perform basic tasks that we once took for granted. Drinking from a cup is one such task, and for those with lim… Read More
2023-03-08 10:02
Mother's Day is right around the corner and you're probably scratching your head wondering what to get for your modern Insta-mum. Living in the Instagram generation, we know so much mo… Read More
2023-03-06 09:10
What do you get for the mum who has everything? That's a question my daughters have been asking for years when it comes to Mother's Day.You see, I'm in my forties, I am a woman of inde… Read More
2023-01-28 13:30
Are you tired of the same old boring gin and cocktail garnishes? Look no further than Philomena's Boutique for the most delicious and unique gin garnishes on the market. These garnishes, han… Read More
2023-01-27 09:31
Finding the perfect wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you'll make when planning your big day. You want someone who can capture all the special moments and emotions… Read More
2023-01-26 10:17
Are you tired of boring wax melts that just don't pack a punch? Look no further than Teddy Eva Scents, a Welsh-based wax melt business run by the dynamic husband and wife team Ross and Rache… Read More
2023-01-22 12:59
Me, with Elio the Alpaca at Barnacre Alpaca's As I sit here, just 10 days away from hitting the big 4-9, I can't help but think about all the things I want to tick off before I reach th… Read More
2023-01-03 10:13
Ready for a city break that has something for everyone? Look no further than Amsterdam! This stunning city is full of culture, history, and so many things to see and do. And with the Go Amst… Read More
2022-11-18 19:14
The cosy season is officially here and there's no better activity on the long autumnal evening than curling up with a book and a cocktail and that's where the Penguin Sip and Read collection… Read More
2022-11-03 08:33
18 Gifts your friends will love this Christmas is the ultimate gift guide to all of the best Christmas presents this festive season. With the kind contributions of the companies involv… Read More
2022-09-13 09:39
One of the changes in my life I've recently made was to buy a record player, a vinyl revival as it were. I've been a great appreciator of music my whole life, music is like magic… Read More
2022-09-11 09:01
This week has been odd and heavy and full, the death of The Queen was something, I think we all knew would happen but still, none of us was quite prepared for it. Abigail and I had gon… Read More
2022-09-07 15:59
During the lockdowns of 2020/2021, I decided to live a quieter and more peaceful life. You could say it was the year of living quietly and now I'm here, ready to reflect on what that m… Read More
2022-02-27 09:42
When the world feels heavyThe world feels heavy right now, doesn't it? It's been such a long two years of coronavirus and in the flick of a switch Sky News changed their titles from Co… Read More
2022-02-20 14:21
The interior of the Corn Exchange, Leeds, spot the dinosaur 😉Thinking about TravelToday seemed like a good day to write. After a week of being battered by storm Dudley, Eunice… Read More
2022-02-07 11:34
Brighter days are coming she repeated to herself, not sure whether it was a manifestation or a mantra...It's been a tough start to the year and I'm so exhausted that yesterday I went to medi… Read More
2022-01-26 16:04
Let's start again, shall we?It's been 2 months since I last wrote a single word on this blog and this blog will be 17 or 18 years old next month so it seems a shame to just quit.The reality… Read More
2021-11-15 08:32
Family Safety: Tips for Keeping Your Car in Top ShapeBeing a parent is hard already – being a parent who has unwittingly caused an injury to their child is even more so. Make sure you… Read More
2021-11-08 13:13
Christmas is fast approaching and so you'll be glad to hear that I have suggestions for 9 gifts your friends will thank you for this Christmas. You see, this year, more than ever I'm c… Read More
2021-10-11 12:57
You may have noticed that I have not been blogging lately and honestly, it's mostly down to TikTok. For all of the love I have for social media, nothing has been so impactful as TikTok… Read More
2021-09-01 14:17
This is a collaborative post in association with PsymplicityTherapy is NecessaryTherapy is important to make sure you can live your life as well as possible, whether you’re trying to o… Read More
2021-09-01 09:39
The big change...Change is scary but it's not something I'm scared of, I'm not scared to ask for help, I used to feel ashamed when I had to ask for help, when I didn't understand why somethi… Read More
2021-08-16 15:39
Colour My World - A life lived in colour is a life made better.Colour is everywhere and I don't know if it's just me but I am noticing it more and more since the end of lockdown, it's like t… Read More
2021-08-12 09:11
2 years to change my life.A few weeks ago I had the sudden realisation that I wanted to change my life for the better, I'd had a sit down meeting with my doctor where she'd ordered me to los… Read More
2021-07-13 07:40
Scotland is a mythical and wonderful place, I've been going there as often as possible collecting all kinds of interesting information so here without further ado are 10 interesting facts ab… Read More
2021-06-26 10:45
I met Paul in the autumn of 1999, we got engaged in February 2000 and we got married on the 14th April 2000. We renewed our vows in April 2010. we separated in September 2014 and… Read More
2021-06-25 14:28
"It's not you, it's me."This blog post may get slightly ranty so I'm going to give you fair warning.For the last 7 years of being single, I have worked on myself, I have transformed from som… Read More
2021-06-22 07:37
Music, one of the very most important things to me, when I am happy I listen to music almost every day all day, when I'm out I have my earbuds in and when I'm at home I stream it all around… Read More
2021-06-16 08:56
This blog post contains no drama, I just thought I would sit and write an update on a sunny June morning whilst the world is quiet and calm. It's been the sunniest of weeks and life ha… Read More
2021-06-04 07:11
Consider this a catchup post if you will, what I did in May, it's one of those posts dear reader, when, I'll be honest, I just could never sit down to write in the last month, it's not… Read More
2021-05-04 07:45
It's 7pm on an average Saturday evening, I'm watching Rocketman (because musicals make me happy) and eating a pork pie, yes, old school Ploughmans, don't worry I'm accompanying it with cucum… Read More
2021-04-26 19:28
So here I am, in bed at 8pm at night in a tiny wee apartment 4 floors up a winding spiral stone staircase, it was very much like climbing up the Scott Monument and I wasn't sure if I'd be sl… Read More
2021-04-25 19:18
Some people craved for the shops to reopen, some people craved for a beer in their hands in a pub, not me, the one thing I wanted to do was travel again and not just travel but to Scotland.I… Read More
2021-04-23 13:48
Friendship has always been a little weird for me, I think when you're a "neurosuperhero" friendship can be confusing at times. Growing up, close friendships were never encouraged and s… Read More
2021-04-12 12:44
There's a book called Northumberland 40 Coast and Country Walks and it's been the saviour of my mental health since the pandemic started. Last year just as restrictions were tailing off, my… Read More
2021-04-06 09:11
So this is the first time I've sat at my desk catching up with blogging for the first time in, well, really, over a month. The reality is, the lockdown has been a pretty standard and u… Read More
2021-03-04 10:20
Mother's Day is just around the corner and this year, it's a lockdown edition. Lots of you may not have seen your mum for quite a long time or maybe you've been stuck at home with the tiny o… Read More
2021-02-10 10:58
As many of you know, I have been single now for a very long time, pretty much, I've been a single lady since September 2014. Partly I was just so damaged that I didn't even dream of go… Read More
2021-02-07 09:22
It's early Sunday morning, it's snowing outside but not the good snow, not the abundant soft white flakes you can catch on your tongue. This is the small gritty stuff which lashes agai… Read More
2021-02-04 07:50
It's Wednesday night, it's perpetually thrown it down with an icy rain since Monday night and it's been the blandest day of February I can ever remember. I'm watching the first episode… Read More
2021-01-31 09:14
When I was 16 I felt 35, I've always felt 35 and now I'm coming to the end of my 47th year on this earth and I still feel 35, I wonder if I will always feel 35, even when I am 65? The… Read More
2021-01-27 14:43
It's Wednesday (I think), it's dull, damp and dark and I'm here to tell you how to get the most out of your lockdown walks. "Now hang on Mandy, we don't want to go for a walk, we have… Read More
2021-01-20 12:10
It's just after 10pm on a dark, gloomy Tuesday evening and I've walked 12 miles today, a round trip to the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel without stopping. It's the furthest I've ever walked i… Read More
2021-01-13 11:03
Abigail messaged me last night to ask why I'd stopped blogging, she said when she reads my blog, every post is like a letter from the inside of my mind. I explained that right now, I d… Read More
2020-12-17 10:51
It's Christmas at the Charlton's 2020 and Abigail commented yesterday that I hadn't blogged a lot this year and I should be blogging now because other people might want to read about what yo… Read More
2020-12-04 10:38
(ad, this article contains gifted items and an affiliate link)Surviving Christmas 2020 if you're on your own is admittedly going to be harder than ever, for people who live alone or for many… Read More
2020-11-24 10:32
My gin dresser, back in October, it's since grown with even more bottles, I collect a lot more than I drink!(AD, gifted items and affiliate links). Trying to choose 12 gins for "The 12 Gins… Read More
2020-11-15 09:10
The 24 Movies of ChristmasChristmas is coming and without a doubt, we all need as many ideas as possible to have the best Christmas possible and that's why I've come up with my favourite 24… Read More
2020-11-13 15:35
It's November, we're in lockdown but we're still edging ever further forward towards Christmas and if you're at my house, well Christmas is already here and my home is a festive wonderland… Read More
2020-10-06 10:51
This is a collaborative postWithout a doubt 2020 has been a challenge so far and with the longer nights encroaching I'm here to tell you how to embrace the cosy life and escape the winter bl… Read More
2020-09-28 10:23
It's hard staying happy in an unhappy world and the world we're in right now really isn't all that happy. There are 94 days left of this year and I spoke about this on my Instagram ove… Read More
2020-09-03 18:14
As surely as day becomes night, summer must also turn into autumn and I find myself asking "what the hell is 2020?"Now I must firstly say that I'm currently sitting at my desk catching up on… Read More
2020-09-02 08:09
As the sun rises 9 days after I departed from home, I'm sitting on the train at Inverness having seen the best of the highlands and waiting to be spirited back to Newcastle. Last night… Read More
2020-08-30 18:20
The Isle of Skye is enchanting, it's the kind of place where you cry tears of happiness because you can't believe the beauty right in front of your eyes (or was that just me?). It's the kind… Read More
2020-08-27 17:08
John O'Groats is Inspiring, that's actually a lie, John O'Groats is full of souvenir shops selling magnets and postcards but the area around John O'Groats is life affirmingly inspiring!How t… Read More
2020-08-26 18:41
Thurso is cold, 13c cold, Britains most northerly town feels like it's closer to the arctic and indeed Scotland's most northerly islands are actually closer to the arctic than they are to Lo… Read More
2020-08-25 18:09
Inverness is quiet! Sleepier than I can ever remember, a lot of the Scottish gift shops are closed, the Citybus tour isn't running, the bars and restaurants are half empty even though the go… Read More
2020-08-22 15:22
Around a month ago I travelled the Lake District by public transport and on Monday I set off to the do the same thing in Scotland, it's a journey that will take me more than 260 miles (as th… Read More
2020-08-15 11:36
A few weeks ago I went to the Lake District, my first solo trip there and being a non-driver I'm reliant on public transport. To be honest, I'd always thought you had to have a car to… Read More
2020-07-16 06:24
I felt compelled to sit down and write this from my heart, it's been a difficult week in a turbulent month, in an impossible year. I like constant, predictable, I love organised fun!&n&hell…Read More
2020-07-13 10:38
If you’re lucky enough to rent a home with an outdoor space - be that a modest balcony, a small paved area or more - it’s important to take good care of it. It can be difficult t… Read More
2020-07-09 06:36
Before we went into the lockdown and Coronavirus changed everything I was pretty sure of who I was, my self-identity is a really important thing to me and after all for the last 13 years, ev… Read More
2020-06-15 07:02
You might think that starting a new business in the middle of a pandemic is impossible, ridiculous and crazy but actually, times of crisis are very good times to start a business as you'll q… Read More
2020-06-04 15:43
It's been quite a while since I've written a blog post about some facts about me. I think we change and constantly evolve so I thought it was worth a revisit, especially under lo… Read More
2020-05-27 18:08
It's Wednesday morning, and I'm sitting at my MacBook dictating this blog post. I badly wanted to write it but I haven't got enough movement in my right wrist. To catch you up just in case y… Read More
2020-05-16 07:04
It seems like only last week that I was announcing the start of Planty Mandy's Gardening Gang and now here I am announcing another new business, that's 2 new businesses I've opened in the la… Read More
2020-05-04 07:31
Planty Mandy's Gardening gang was launched officially on Friday evening and like every small business, I definitely have new business nerves. Since 2007, I've run a range of businesses… Read More
2020-04-27 07:55
It may sound weird to say that there have been some positives to lockdown but aside from missing people, the financial worries and rising anxiety which comes and goes, I have to say that the… Read More
2020-04-20 07:47
This week for many British companies and self-employed people, is week zero, the week when the money runs out, the cash reserves are empty and for normal working people who are just about to… Read More
2020-04-15 09:56
For regular readers or anyone who knows me in real life, you'll know that last year I transformed my outdoor space into a magical small garden. That was just the start though and this year I… Read More
2020-04-14 09:43
Coronavirus and Lockdown have changed the world, probably forever, I don't think for one moment that the world will ever go back to the way that it was previously and for all of the bad stuf… Read More
2020-04-06 13:37
When lockdown began I thought I would be okay because I would just write my way out of it, I would blog every single day and I would regale you with the tales from the voices inside my head… Read More
2020-03-30 08:29
This weekend, everything hit, the world literally fell apart, the news that it's just me and Iain against the world living at home has broken my heart and the news that the new owners of Ins… Read More
2020-03-29 14:21
From around 2004 to 2006ish I had a really bad time with agoraphobia, I'd been attacked in Heaton Park and with already having shaky mental health I just stopped going out. If I did go out I… Read More
2020-03-28 12:45
It's been a rough couple of weeks in the small business and entrepreneurial communities and it's only been a couple of weeks, it feels like years and a lot of us are questioning "what the ef… Read More
2020-03-27 13:54
(Ad - Sponsored Post) Now more than ever we have realised the value of family, the value of memories and the value of photographs. We have them on computers, we have them on our phones… Read More
2020-03-24 10:50
I keep sitting with my MacBook open ready for action and just staring, not knowing what I'm supposed to be doing. I think this may go on for some time to come. I have to say that… Read More
2020-03-21 11:52
I have cried a little every day this week until today when it was harder to stop crying and just try and deal with life. Everything we knew, lives we had, plans and promises, holidays… Read More
2020-03-19 07:56
For the last couple of mornings I have woken up to spring light pouring through my thin bedroom curtains, I've turned over to shut my eyes again for that extra 5 minutes of cherished sleep a… Read More
2020-03-11 17:09
Whilst we don't know exactly what's going to happen, it's likely that some of us could end up having to self isolate and that could end up being a large part of the population so if no one i… Read More
2020-03-11 13:31
It's National Feet week, and until a few weeks ago when I was asked to take part in a Twitter party for it, I hadn't even heard of it!
Does anyone actually like their own feet, feet are… Read More
2020-03-04 11:18
Mother's Day is fast approaching and given that I spend half my life on Instagram I thought I would profile the modern Insta-Mum, mums like me, we're juggling, life, work, business, we love… Read More
2020-03-02 10:07
I've been a long time fangirl of the Royal Northern Symphonia having been to just about every one of their "Nights Out" concerts for the last four or five years as well as enjoying some of t… Read More
2020-02-26 19:34
My blog is 14 years old this week and I feel like I'm at a great crossroads. I have blogged about anything and everything for more than a quarter of my life, there's so much history, s… Read More
2020-02-20 10:42
*This article contains affiliate links
Identity is everything, authenticity is everything and learning about who you are can come from so many places, I did not expect to find myself whil… Read More
2020-02-04 13:19
[Ad, the mural in this article was gifted to me] Over the last few weeks, I've been furiously renovating my kitchen, decluttering the hall, decorating, wallpapering, pretty much my goal for… Read More
2020-01-13 09:54
My kitchen as it is currently
I've always been really self-conscious about my home, I was told over and over that it wasn't good enough or that it was smelly or dirty or what on eart… Read More
2020-01-04 11:16
At some point during the festive season, it's not unknown to wake up with a sudden feeling of anxiety or just feeling out of sorts, blue or weepy. January is like the evil twin of Christmas… Read More
2019-12-29 09:33
2020 is just around the corner, the roaring twenties some are calling it, it seems like the blink of an eye since I stood on the Redhugh Bridge with my friends Darren and Neil or as we calle… Read More
2019-12-23 19:20
It's the 23rd of December, Christmas Adam or if you're a fan of friends, Christmas Eve, Eve, it literally could not be more festive! After a hard year of work and when I say hard, I mean jug… Read More
2019-12-19 06:56
Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year, the magic, the promise... The general overwhelm, the anxiety, welcome to Christmas with a mental health challenge.
Christmas isn't just one… Read More
2019-12-01 17:04
December is the month of crisp frosts, red-hued sunsets, long naps, cosy pyjamas. It's eating croissants with ham for a lazy lunch on the sofa, it's snuggling under furry blankets watc… Read More
2019-11-26 12:19
Popcorn Shed Jingle bell pop, features 6 different varieties of popcorn and although this is more of an advent gift than a stocking filler, I'm sure your popcorn loving family member will lo… Read More
2019-11-18 06:56
Christmas is a cosy blanket, it envelops you like a warm hug, something you wait for all year around. That's how I've always felt anyway and it's one of the reasons I am decorating for… Read More
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