journalist & writer
By Sara Valle Tuesdays are for silver surfers at Five Bells pub in North London. Today, a white-haired lady walks with her cane, carrying a laptop on a black suitcase; an elderly man with dreads plays music sat at a table; and a blonde woman writes names on sticky tags. Free cups of steaming tea and coffee …
Continue reading "Bridging the Grey Digital Divide: Inside the Heart of Five Bells Computer Club"
By Sara Valle Mary was confident enough to sit at the piano and bash up some chords. The words tumbled out of her – how scared she was and how she felt completely on her own. It was the first time she was able to articulate how she felt about being abused as a child. …
By Sara Valle At some point, almost all people have blasted Welcome to My Life in their room. Canadian band Simple Plan were arguably the kings of pop-punk in the noughties – and they haven’t retired. They jump on stage in their Chucks and Vans, tattooed head-to-toe, singing about being an outcast who’s not willing to …
Words by Sara Valle / Photos by Laura Blaha This Saturday, April 20, marks the highly anticipated Record Store Day, a celebration eagerly awaited by die-hard vinyl collectors and music aficionados. As fans gear up for this event, renowned wine family company Miraval has joined forces with Record Store Day in a one-day pop-up event: Miraval’s Mystery Vinyl – …
Continue reading "Vinyls, Wine, & Surprises: Miraval’s Mystery Pop-Up for Record Store Day"
By Sara Valle You can feel the tingling in your tongue as you walk the doors of Camden Hot Sauce Festival. There’s a pleasant hum, guests having cocktails in candlelit tables, a best sauce competition, and a 666 challenge: 6 wings in 6 minutes and an extra 6 minutes without a sip. Table’s ready – …
Continue reading "Spicy Camden Hot Sauce Festival Ignites Taste Buds"
By Sara Valle AI is revolutionising the world – and whoever says otherwise is lying. It feels real – ChatGPT talks like a person. “I’m here to provide information, answer questions, and engage in natural language conversations on a wide range of topics.” It always knows what to say and it can also breathe life …
Continue reading "Art by Algorithm: Is AI the death of tattoo design?"
By Sara Valle (ARCHIVE from April 2023) As Sadiq Khan expands the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone and Islington Council installs Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in the area, residents wonder if their health is being considered too. Reporting in Blackstock Road to find out more. https://youtu.be/I-IkKx4x5o4
By Sara Valle It’s a Friday evening and people crowd in front of Islington Town Hall’s majestic neoclassical building. Clouds gather in the sky and confetti piles on the few steps that lead up to the main entrance. Someone has just gotten hitched – their colourful gowns look brighter than the white blanket that’s the …
by Sara Valle The cool air of late May caresses your bare arms and your calves warm up as you pedal, dodging the cars. When you stop behind a red double-decker bus, a cloud of grey exhaust fumes hits you in the face. Now imagine all this but without the heavy traffic, the honking horns, …
by Sara Valle Net migration in the UK is expected to reach almost 250,000 annually over the next few years, despite Prime Minster Rishi Sunak’s pledge to drive down the number of new arrivals. That’s according to the data released by the Office for Budget Responsibility this month. This increase in immigration last year was primarily driven by …
Continue reading "Are immigration figures really rising? Or does processing immigrants take longer?"
Sara Valle 