Aunty Flow: The Menstrual Taboo
An unnamed - and duly mortified - friend once confessed that she had left her neatly wrapped used tampon on the edge of the bath. She needed to rush home to discard it before any of her other housemates saw it.
Why? Because it’s 2017, and the fact that women bleed monthly is still making people feel squeamish.
The body is a wonderfully weird place, and perhaps most weird and wonderful of all is that our front bottoms have the power to push out a tiny human. That is something to embrace. Our monthly visitor is part and parcel of our reproductive system. Just to quickly interject, if you still don’t know, a period is bleeding for three to eight days, following the shedding of the uterus lining every 24 to 28 days. Vaginas are awesome, right?
Unfortunately, some people don’t agree. An unhealthy stigma is still attached to having a menstrual cycle. Hiding your sanitary product from the view of others en route to the toilet is almost normal practice now. But the idea that this act is shameful seems totally bizarre.
Eve Woods, gallery manager of Pallas Projects in Dublin, said: “There is an embarrassment if you get caught short, and bleed through or something, when really it's simply the body doing its job.”
From our first period, we’re made to feel that what’s going on in our body is dirty. A quick Google search for “how to hide your period at school” provides an extensive result, including a YouTube video that has been viewed 799,844 times, advising young girls to conceal sanitary products down their bras on the school corridors.
We shouldn’t be teaching a 13-year-old to have a “solid game plan”. Instead, we should be teaching her to openly welcome the transition into womanhood.
“I find deciding to be open and matter-of-fact about it myself is the best way to help people get over it,” said Eve. “Especially in front of guys who aren't going to bring it up themselves.”
Maybe it’s blissful ignorance, but men and periods are as different as cheese and chalk. It’s something they’ll never have to go through, yet a few will often sit on the sidelines and judge. In a 2015 survey conducted with 2,134 women by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, it was estimated that the average lifetime cost of having a period was a mammoth £18,450, of which over £922 goes directly to the taxman. That’s nearly £20,000 that a man will never have to spend.
Two years ago, a petition to ‘Stop taxing periods’ was started by Laura Coryton in London. To date, this #EndTamponTax petition has gathered 320,086 supporters, and has successfully made history. As of April 2018 - following Brexit complications - an amendment proposed to axe the outdated and overtly sexist tax on sanitary products by the amazing Paula Sherriff MP, Labour's MP for Dewsbury and Mirfield, will be put into full effect. Period Watch is hosting a countdown to the day when having a period will no longer be considered a luxury!
Whilst the financial statistics are enough to make you feel sick, there are measurements that ladies can take to make sure we are less out of pocket — and at the same time, help the environment too. Menstrual cups are a reusable feminine hygiene product. Shaped like a bell, they’re made from medical grade silicone, and collects the blood instead of absorbing it.
Electrical engineer and independent health and wellness consultant, Sarah Garrity, 27 from Toronto, has been using her cup for over a year. She said: “Prior to learning about the Diva Cup, it hadn't occurred to me that I was exposing my body to chemicals and toxins that were likely being absorbed from the tampons I was using.
“They are scented, and bleached, and processed, and we are putting them in a very important part of a woman's body, for a week once a month.”
Ailish Walsh, also 27 and a student advisor in London, read that the average woman uses nearly 10,000 tampons in her lifetime. “It frightened me into buying a menstrual cup,” she said.
“It didn't take me long to recognise the other benefits. It's really handy for travelling as I don't have to pack a bulky period survival kit.”
Gallery manager Eve said: “Another big plus is it's cruelty free, as they test the chlorine used in tampons on bunnies.”
Painful periods are another one of those cruel and inescapable realities of life for many women. Dysmenorrhoea, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis all make for an agonising period.
It is unsure why some women suffer more than others, but it could be that certain women have a build-up of prostaglandins, according to the NHS. This chemical encourages the womb muscles to contract more. Suddenly, “don’t be such a girl” has never felt more empowering.
It’s one thing to have a torturous period, pop two ibuprofen, and crawl into bed with a hot water bottle, when 29% of homeless women are going without access to hygiene products and somewhere to clean themselves. This figure, published by charity Homeless Link in 2015, saw 3,355 homeless people taking part from 27 different local authorities.
That’s why writer and activist Gabby Edlin started Bloody Good Period in 2016 as a way to provide sanitary products to asylum seekers, refugees and those who can't afford them. She said: “For people looking to donate - to do it, and to do it regularly. Every month.”
Momentary panic can be caused by six short words —“Does anyone have a spare tampon?”. Maryrose Simpson set up her business My Ladybug, so you’re never caught short again.
"Having your monthly supplies come directly to you and why not put in some sweets and treats to make getting your period ‘a little bit nicer?" recommends the award winning young entrepreneur.
An idea which began from the frustration of never been prepared when her period arrived, she now ships her products to over 16 countries worldwide, with customers as far as Australia, India, and Canada.
"I recently read a quote that really summed up the period taboo in a global context for me.
'Menstruation is the only blood that doesn't come from violence and yet its the one that disgusts you the most'."
With 2015 being dubbed “The Year of the Period”, after main stream media started to talk more about menstruation, MaryRose believes that women are striving for more equality in life and fast becoming hot topics of conversation around body shaming, consent, cat-calling, the pay gap, and abortion.
"I never could have imagined the movement that now exists and feel fortunate enough that I launched MyLadybug within this exciting and important time for women," says Maryrose.
She says that sanitary protection products are categorised as medical devices, therefore these brands don’t have to disclose the ingredients.
Her brand, which was featured in the Sunday Business Post’s Top 100 Start-ups to watch in 2017, has teamed up with Veeda, a UK based company, that supply 100% natural organic cotton fem care products, free from chemicals, synthetics and dyes.
It’s come to this — using art to break the norms of a sexist society. Photographer and poet Rupi Kaur had her widely shared blood stained sheets and pyjamas Instagram post deleted twice on grounds of ‘violating its community standards’. It was aimed at challenging the taboos surrounding menstruation, and eventually allowed back on the social media site. When Donald Trump accused Fox New’s Megyn Kelly of having “blood coming out of her whatever” at a Republican debate in August 2015, it prompted Sarah Levy to paint the presidents portrait in her own lady blood.
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| Artist Lili Murphy-Johnson created jewellery in homage to our monthly cycles in 2015 |
Periods are finally becoming political. In early May Liberal Democrat peer Lorely Burt, the party’s spokesperson for equalities, said they would end “period poverty immediately by ensuring schoolgirls had access to basic sanitary products, ensuring they can continue their education uninterrupted and with dignity.”
Scottish parliament plans to make it a requirement for schools to provide sanitary products and a petition was started to encourage the UK government to follow in their footsteps.
A blessing, or a curse, menstruation is just ones of those bloody facts of life. Naked women appear on adverts all around us, and yet simple fem-care commercials are subjected to ‘advertising rules’ by substituting red blood for a blue liquid. Hiding and protecting the public from the real going on’s of what happens to a women’s body every month, sends negative messages. The newsworthy tampon tax or Rupi Kaur’s Instagram post have proven that in today’s society a misogynistic stigma is still attached to riding the crimson wave, but at least opinions are changing.
Until then ...
Until then ...
Record Store Day
Veteran record fans made their pilgrimage to Soho. Berwick Street and its close surrounding areas were buzzing with eager customers wanting to get their hands on some of the days most exclusive releases.
“I saw Nicky Blackmarket and the Ragga Twins shut down D'Arblay street about 4-5 years back”, my partner tells me as we make our way down from Oxford Street. My first glimpse of Record Store Day (RSD) is of a tattoo parlour/streetwear shop with crowd of try-hards gathered outside it, obnoxiously blaring some crap by Future or Drake. He adds “but it ain’t what it used to be”.
Further along, and with a jaw-dropping queue, is Sister Ray. Named after a Velvet Underground song, it’s clearly the number one vinyl retailer today, and unfortunately, I’m not waiting to see what I’m missing. My boyfriend, the unpaid tour guide, tells me that Sister Ray used to occupy what is now Paper Chase located directly opposite the building before they went bust in 2008.
Itching to get a look in one of the shops by now, Reckless Records appeared just a few doors down. Another independent and opened in 1984, it was the first record store on Berwick Street. It even appeared on Oasis album cover What’s The Story Morning Glory. It’s bright orange shop front and a man holding a bunch of RSD balloons for a PR stunt outside it are like a magnet. Feet in the door, and the narrow shop is instantly a hive of activity. Vinyl fans are sifting through the enormous amount of stock. A basic line of dark experimental techno is playing overhead and I begin to notice the sweltering shop temperature. You wouldn’t see this in HMV.
A pitstop to Sounds of the Universe to capture it’s glossy tile work before a gander down to Phonica Records. Opened in 2003, Phonica has been one of the more successful retailers within the localised hub of Soho record stores. Specialising in emerging German pre-minimal sound of the moment, it is also a meeting point for DJs in town to secure those most wanted cuts. It’s shop front is the designated smoking area cut off by a crowd safety railing. “Are you buying or are you just here to take pictures?”, a staff member asks me at the door. I didn’t realise I was trying to get into Berghain.
Inside, the tills are busy and Mr G is playing soul and house. But the volume of “influencers” here to create some social media content are more than apparent. I’m starting to see what my partner means about how it’s not what it used to be. It all seems a bit tame, even lame.
Where are the street parties? Where are all the live DJs? Are the stories of Soho becoming just a memory true? Considering that vinyl sales are at a 25-year high, why does it seem Record Store Day has passed its prime?
Green Rooms
When I think of Wood Green, I remember being robbed at a cash machine on the high street. But thankfully, I’ve found a positive aspect to recall this busy little district of north London. Introducing Green Rooms, your new favourite hangout …
Located just a stones throw away from Wood Green Station, this discount arts hotel is quickly winning over the hearts of those that step through its large glass doors. The building itself was the former North Metropolitan Power Board building, which was then taking over by Haringey council’s housing offices. The building remained vacant for five years before Nick Hartwright, Green Rooms owner, rescued it from demolition by pitching his idea for a social enterprise art-hotel within it.
This N22 hotel makes the most of its space. Twenty-two doubles rooms, two studio apartments and two huge dormitories, all with preferential rates for artists and people working in the creative industries. All the furnishings in the bedrooms are vintage, and sourced by the chairman. The price of a bed for the night start from just £18.
And what about the rest? The art-deco building retains some of its original features. The main staircase and some of the bathrooms have clung on to the beautiful 1930s porcelain tiles. The bar and lobby hosts an exposed concrete floor, filament lightbulbs cascading above the bar and an assortment of furniture and artefacts, with each piece more unique then the last. The warm and inviting atmosphere is instantly palpable.
General Manager Annette Russell, who has been working there since April last year, says Green Rooms differs from the likes of the Ace Hotel or Shoreditch House because of its accessibility, authenticity and down to earth nature.
She added, “Young artists or early career creatives can’t afford to join exclusive clubs, but anyone can come and stay, eat and drink at Green Rooms, and be considered for exhibitions or to run events here”.
Annette points out that their hotel attracts people from all walks of life. The building’s top floor has a large gallery space, which is available to hire and held an open mic night yesterday. The kitchen has a six month rotation which is now serving modern Caribbean home cooking, and previous to this residency was Columbian street food. Near the sleeping dormitories, the hallway walls are lined with artwork leftover from the Turnpike Art Group show and right now, a theatre group of Maori people deep in discussion are seated near the entrance. The mix of ethnicities really add to Green Room’s vibrant allure.
Annette, who used to manage musicians and a small non-traditional b&b on Chatsworth Road, said Green Rooms appealed to her because it had the same spirit and target market as my place, Russell’s.
So, is there room for expansion in the future? “The idea of Green Rooms was always that it is scalable”, said Annette.
“London still needs more affordable places to stay and the creative industries as a whole need supporting, so the two can work together in other parts of the city.”
Check out the Green Rooms website for further information, and upcoming events.
Check out the Green Rooms website for further information, and upcoming events.
Objectification of Women
Ever had a bad day? I’ve had two of them in a row this week. In a turn of good fortune, my wanderings led me to a sign post for an exhibition that was on its last day.
Not wanting the bad news, menstrual cramps or my laptop that had crashed to get me down any longer, I decided to be brave, and venture out for a long walk. The fresh air, a tonic, to clear my overcrowded head.
Nestled within Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, I stumbled upon the ‘Objectification of Women’ by M.J. Waldner. Admittedly, I’ve been living in the Crouch End area for over two years, and haven’t set foot inside this grade II listed building.
Currently managed by the ANA Arts Project Ltd, they rent spaces within the building to small businesses. One of these is the Ply Gallery. This contemporary art gallery was hosting a multimedia exhibition that asks are women shaped by society to become objects. In particular, exploring the themes of objectification of women through advertising and the media. The artist says has it “become so common place we barely notice it anymore”, whether objectifying or liberating, empowering or exploiting, sex sells and art is for sale.
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| Mossy - mixed media collage with perspex |
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| A Trois - photography print |
The show works in three ways. Waldner, an artist who remains a mystery, approaches each of the subjects by depersonalising with collage. The collage work consists of primary shapes and colours which alludes to the basic nature of the human behaviour. The framed works include pencil drawings, pre-published posters and photography. Posed block-headed Barbie dolls make up the 3D, and through metaphor, FUTURE LOVE shows looks at how violent, aggressive pornography shape attitudes of a young girl’s mind towards relationships.
Gallery director Daniella Bowyer informs me that Ply has been opened for over a year. She says that “its quite hard to find a good sized space for the price that can platform video work, sculpture”.
She adds, “positive reviews and people like dealing with me people come back, it just seems to flow”.
The Modernist art-deco style building was erected in 1935 by New Zealand born architect Reginald Uren, but nowadays it’s looking like the vacant set of The Shining. It’s undeniable the building is is much need of some TLC, yet that this arts centre has an unsophisticated charm.
Hornsey Town Hall is a really important landmark for Crouch End, but in October last year, it was released that a developer from Hong Kong is planning a mixed-use scheme of combining community spaces, a boutique hotel, cafe/restaurants and residential development. The news has been met with criticism with local residents worried about public access and community use.
Work on site could start as early as autumn 2017, which should enable the restored building to open by 2020.
Happiness isn’t the absence of problems, but a little bit of local history and afternoon culture is.
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