Beth writes

Beth’s Blog

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Fighting the flames of hate

    Photograph of the author, Beth Birley
    This is me

    Watching all the hate and division around migrants takes me back to my youth and one of my greatest friends. Why am I telling this? I hope to show a different perspective.

    I grew up in an insular community, where the majority of people were white British and working class. So, I can still remember when I was 7 and a middle eastern family with three children moved in.

    Those kids were sent to the same primary school as me, and the boy was in the same class. This wasn’t a bad school, but it certainly had a lot of rough kids.

    Now, kids can sometimes repeat racist language because they hear it on telly or at home. You can imagine how some of the other kids reacted to these newcomers, I expect. Had it not been for my parent’s insistence that I should be his friend; I’d have joined the racist taunts.

    This kid got a lot of that and often answered with his fists landing him in trouble. But there was a place where he wasn’t being picked on, and that was our house.

    And we became really good friends who had each other’s backs and were always doing things together. The two of us were often up to some mischief.

    I was a small, nerdy kid who struggled with sports, and easy prey to a lot of school bullies.
    In fact, when I was 10, there was a particularly vile bully making my life hell.
    This friend would respond by attacking back. At the time I was a library assistant and used to let him hide from the mob there sometimes. I saw the hate and racism he got in that community second hand.

    Unfortunately, we were deliberately split up in secondary school, so our friendship wasn’t so strong. I watched him join the rebels on the school bus while I was trying to be a good kid.

    We parted ways after secondary school. I found out years later he had mental health problems and committed suicide through a note in the local paper. Could I have prevented it if I was still around?
    I like to think he could have talked to me in the dark times.

    What remains is a memory of when I witnessed what hate and intolerance can do.

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    A Look at Allan Ahlberg and Children’s Books

    Little boy sits in a tent reading a story
    Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com

    “In a dark, dark town there was a dark, dark street
    and in the dark, dark street there was a dark, dark house,
    and in the dark, dark house there were some dark, dark stairs
    and down the dark, dark stairs there was a dark, dark cellar
    and in the dark dark cellar….

    Three skeletons lived! ” – Funny Bones, Allan Ahlberg

    If you grew up in the 80’s and early 90’s there wasn’t much choice in children’s books. One of the big names there was Allan Ahlberg, who died this week.

    Allan and his first wife, Janet, created Happy Families, Funny Bones, and Please Mrs. Butler. And let’s not forget The Jolly Postman either. These were school staples in my childhood.

    The rhymes, stories, and poems had children giggling and engaged with beautiful pictures and smashing tales.

    The question is though, have they stood the test of time?

    In my opinion, while not overly diverse, these stories still can be found in many a library, and bookstore.

    Let me know your favorite in the comments?

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Are kids always innocent?

    child hides in a corner of the library, hugging their knees.
    Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

    We all have met kids who were mischievous, rebellious, or aggressive to others right. But are they still innocent? Someone on Threads yesterday believed kids who bully should be treated like adult criminals.

    Now, that statement alone says a lot about what the writer has been through.

    I’ve seen how bad bullies can be in school, and I still bare the scars. I have learned though that they were kids and still innocent.

    My perspective is that that kids do things that aren’t alright, sometimes. Let’s face it – they can bully, damage property and break the law – but they are still kids!

    The thing to ask is where are they learning to act like this. Sometimes, this is down to what they witness at home or in community, but not always.

    Even when a kid is abused and has their innocence taken from them, they are still the innocent party.

    Feel free to challenge my logic in the comments.

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Beth tells all – five things that shaped my life

    girl in pastel dress with hairbow sits on floor

    Okay, this won’t be telling all but I hope some will find out more about me I think. Here come five things that shaped my life.

    1. As a child I read a lot of books and was always imagining. Books were like a lifeline for me, where I could escape on magical adventures. I was always having ideas for poems, stories, songs and plays in my head. So that is where I got my love of writing from.
    2. When I was 15, I was in intensive care on life support for 2 months. It took some work to get the images and sounds of the machines out of my head. I turned the trauma into an art piece at university – for which I got a B.
    3. I only passed my GCSE’s with 3 c’s – and got E’s for maths and science having to resit. The rest of my grades were between C and E. And I scraped through my university degree with a 2-2. So while the others were celebrating their exam results, it was harder for me. How did this shape me? It reinforced my ideas of what I was good at, and what not so.
    4. Having to face a lot of social rejection and bullying has made me more adamant to fight this. I have been quite vocal for disability and lgbtq inclusion, and challenging hate during my life.
    5. When I was 13 I found a local am dram group and joined for the pantomime. Acting has always been something I absolutely love. What a surprise I got with a birthday in pantomime week though. I got pulled back on for the birthday song.

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Mental health matters

    Photo by Madison Inouye on Pexels.com

    If I was to ask about your mental health, what would you tell me?

    Some might say “I’m on the up”, others tell me “It’s not my best day”.

    Whichever you are, our mental health matters. It is also important that we talk.

    According to Mind

    • 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England .
    • 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England.

    What does this mean? That many people are struggling with mental health in UK, and I include myself among them.

    The other side to the issue is there is still tremendous stigma about having mental health problems. Some people think it’s still okay to disparage another person for having depression, or anxieties.

    So be aware, ask for help and support each other.

    Some useful resources are linked below

    action for happiness – for courses in resilience and mental health

    Samaritans – 24 hour phone line

    Don’t Suffer in Silence

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Game on – what’s your favorite game?

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    Full disclosure. I do like some games, but don’t often have people to play them with. But why do I like them? They can be exciting, and a way to engage time playing alone or with friends.
    You could be fighting scores of bad guys, or racing, or building a farm.


    I recently sold on my Nintendo switch as hadn’t used it in a while.
    I reckon though one of the greatest games on it for me was Hades.
    Anyone familiar with that title? It’s a rogue, story rich adventure where you plan the son of Hades and Persephone. Your mission is to fight your way out of the underworld.
    As you overcome some characters they join sides with you, others only seek to destroy. The destination at the end is worth it, but there’s a lot of baddies to meet on the way.

    Now, my desktop is quite old so doesn’t have the graphics card for some games. I mostly play Civilization 5 through Steam Powered. Anyone familiar with Civilization? You’re building a country up from the beginning of the world.

    As for board games, I am pretty good at scrabble. This is what I grew up playing a lot.
    I like more complex games too, and card games are awesome as well.
    I once played an awesome co-op game called Freedom. You play as part of the underground railroad helping slaves escape to Canada. I highly recommend it.
    But if you can do dungeons and dragons, that’s a lot of fun too.

    The best website for scrabble? Isc.ro – Internet Scrabble Club.

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    The Ship Magic – Part 1

    Decorative art of a ship at sea

    This is the first part of what I hope will be a beautiful story.

    My name be Mary Carr, and am a sailor on the ship Magic, finest vessel that ever was.
    It roams the oceans and seas paying where needed but working as a cooperative.
    There be no captains on us, except we are all our own.
    And our duty? We protect those in need where we find them, and challenge the authorities that persecute and harm.

    I first came upon the crew as an poor and starving orphan on the harbor quarter of a dirty city.
    It was a cold night, with winds screaming through the sails, and a thick fog rising from the waters.
    I couldn’t see a lantern or person around as I huddled under a ragged blanket on the docks. It felt far better out here than returning to the orphanage empty handed.

    The docks had always been my hang out. Sometimes they were a good way for a girl to earn a coin. To add to this many of the sailors knew me well enough to not abuse my trust. In fact, some thought of me as their family. But these were hard working men, and when drunk you might see another side to them.

    That night, as I heard the clock bell ring off our great cathedral I felt someone was watching me.
    “Who is there?” I called.
    No one answered
    “I’ve got a dagger in my pocket and I know how to use it” I lied. I stood up now, clenching my fists and standing, ready to fight.

    After a second, I heard the kindest voice quite close to where I was taking cover.

    “I believe you have such a thing, but I mean you no harm”.

    “I can’t see you” I replied, “Let me see your face.”

    “My face? Of course child, but then you would tell others of me. Although I am a kind soul who seeks to help those in need, I must be careful. There are many powerful men who would harm me” they said and stepped closer.

    I saw in front of me a strong woman with a kind expression. Most important of all she had eyes that seemed to stare into my soul

    “We have come to help you and offer escape but it must be quick” she said. “Our crew shall be gone by dawn to escape those who harm us.”

    “Gone where?”
    “To find others in need. I promise you will not be harmed if you choose to come.”
    I thought this over a second as she scanned the warehouses for any strangers.
    “If I do not come, what will happen to me?”
    “The harbor master would torture you to find information on me. Is that a better way?”

    I knew the harbor master’s cruelty well, though he often left me alone. That aided the choice which changed my life.
    “I am coming” I said.
    She held out a hand which I took, then led me down to the water’s edge.
    Just then the moon shone for a second and fog parted. That was the time I first saw the finest sailing vessel ever, and it had arrived by magic.

    Lifting me up easily as a little doll, the lady placed me on board before jumping after.
    “We have our charge” she called to the others, “Now let us be gone.”

    What happens next? Watch this space


  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    Stories, dreams, songs and imagination

    Girl dressed in kaiwaii fashion with carebear, lanyards and pride scarf sits on the floor.

    I am someone who is always dreaming. It probably comes from a childhood reading books in part, and writing my own stories too.

    However boring, mundane, or too full of drama your normal life is you can slip away into another. It’s not just books either, it’s shows, films, songs that can take you to a place.

    One thing I have noticed is there are very few stories with disabled characters, that aren’t part of a stereotype.

    That’s why am working on some fairy stories with positive representation of disability.

  • Hi there.
    My name is Beth Birley. I am a learning disabled, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ identifying blogger from South West London. Below you will find blog articles on various topics.
    The main themes I try to work with are inclusion, learning disability, mental health , and lgbtq rights. But there are other topics too.
    Want accessible content that’s easy to understand? Drop me a bell on my contact page.

    I’m not a victim – a poem

    I wrote this as a way of addressing how disabled people are treated. We are often looked down on, seen as victims or vulnerable, and easy to bully.

    Inspirational life quote created using scrabble pieces
    Photo by Alesia Kozik on Pexels.com

    I’m not a victim, I come back fighting,

    And I can pulverize the persecutors,

    I’ve eaten bullies for breakfast before,

    And if you dare degrade me, I will destroy.

    And I’m not a charity case for carers,

    I’m a human being with heart and hope.

    I’ll burn bridges before you cause harm,

    So don’t patronize me, I’m not pathetic,

    And if you think I’m thick, then fluff off.