writer & journalist
Text, photos, and infographics by Sara Valle-Martínez If you’ve ever thought about buying in bulk, you might’ve been put off because of the inconvenience of having to carry empty containers to the shops or the high prices of organic food. But there are ways to make bulk shopping cheaper - while helping the environment at the …
By Sara Valle-Martínez Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will cover whole of Greater London from 29 August 2023. Drivers will face a daily fee of £12.50 for using London’s roads from next year, as part of the mayor’s attempt to clean up the city’s toxic air and tackle the climate emergency. …
By Gülsüm Bölük, Fatou Coulibaly, Sam Sorabjee, and Sara Valle-Martínez Nag’s Head business owners in Holloway feel disconnected from the upcoming community Christmas event to be held this weekend. Islington Council announced yesterday that a Festive Lights Event will take place in Nag’s Head Marketon Saturday, November 19, with Islington’s Mayor, Marian Spall, switching on the Christmas lights. …
Continue reading "Festive spirit lacking before Saturday’s Christmas event"
By Sara Valle-Martínez, Lauren Spencer and Gabriela Yorgova Breweries might have to serve warm beer amid blackout warnings from the National Grid’s chief executive, and Holloway hospitality businesses are worried they might have to close down. John Pettigrew said earlier this month Britain could be affected by the winter blackouts from 4pm to 7pm during …
Continue reading "Warm beer? Industry workers speak out amid economic crisis"
By Sara Valle-Martínez / Heading photo courtesy of cruelheartsclub.com Cruel Hearts Club is what you didn’t know you needed. On stage they look like grungy Powerpuff Girls – three badass gals with an edge. Armed with their axe-guitar, sword-bass, earth-shattering drums, and almighty voices, they’re ready to blow your speakers and rock your world. Edie …
Continue reading "Cruel Hearts Club: The unstoppable punk rock super mums do it again"
By Sara Valle-Martínez Wray Crescent in Islington, North London, fills up with sunshine on a Saturday morning. Ten neighbours gather, pushing wheelbarrows full of compost, digging the ground with their shovels, and chatting animatedly as they chug their cold cans of ginger beer. They don’t miss a beat. They dry off the sweat on their foreheads before resuming …
Continue reading "Friends of Wray Crescent: Being green and saving bees"
By Sara Valle-Martínez Being a fan is hard. As Caitlin Moran puts it in her book, How To Be Famous, there’s something incredibly intimate about consuming someone else’s art. The connection is even stronger when you’re a teenager exposed to any kind of stimuli. It’s especially hard if you’re a girl. In an era where K-Pop has emerged leader of …
Festival season is nigh! Dust off your wellies, take your sunscreen, and ready those ears to see and listen to your favourite band this summer. From Glastonbury to Download, these tips will make sure you get all you need to take your experience to the max. Almost 34 million people go to festivals in the UK every year, …
By Sara Valle-Martínez You can practically find anything in London, even things that you never thought you needed. There’re cat cafés, a junkyard full of neon signs, a tattoo shop with a fortune wheel and… a ball pit for adults. Ballie Ballerson is in the heart of East London. The quirky and trendy streets of Shoreditch, with walls plastered in graffiti, …
By Sara Valle-Martínez Stove is off. Touch it; make sure it’s not hot. Okay, that’s fine. And now the window. Just grab the handle. Shake it a little bit. Is it locked? Fine, let’s move on. Is the hair straightener off? Go upstairs; touch the plug. Yes. Okay, take pictures of it. One is not …
Continue reading "OCD doesn’t stand for Organised and Calm, Dude!"
Sara Valle-Martínez 