Tourism experts are predicting a bumper year for “staycations” with more of us choosing to holiday in the UK due to continuing uncertainty around jet fuel prices and possible flight cancellations. Holidaymakers are spoilt for choice with more than 350,000 UK self-catering listings on booking platforms, from rustic barn conversions to seaside villas with all mod cons for large family gatherings.
We’ve done some of the leg work and whittled down a selection of cottages which all offer something special, whether it’s a stunning location, a breathtaking view or a level of comfort and style that wouldn’t be out of place in a boutique hotel.
ENGLAND
Standout design in Norfolk
As the Instagrammification of interiors makes holiday cottages increasingly difficult to tell apart, one place stands out: Riverbank in Hunworth. Opened last year by the family behind pocket-sized sister cottage Spinks Nest, this brick-and-flint workers’ cottage in the village of Hunworth, near Holt, deftly weaves together richly textured fabrics, pretty wallpapers, earthy heritage paints and carefully chosen vintage finds. Beneath its rustic cosiness, an exacting attention to detail extends to high-spec mattresses and some seriously whizzy kitchen appliances. Sit and read beside the chalk stream that winds through the garden, or head out for a stroll around North Norfolk’s bird-rich marshes and unspoilt beaches (Holkham is 30 minutes’ drive away). Sleeps four adults (three beds can be added for children), from £1,940a week, riverbanknorfolk.com
Fairytale seclusion in Bedfordshire
Photograph: John Miller
If you were looking for filming locations for Hansel and Gretel, Keeper’s Cottage would be a shoo-in as the gingerbread cottage. Deep within the Shuttleworth estate and surrounded by Scots pines, this former gamekeeper’s cottage was built in 1878 as part of a project to create a model estate. Rescued from dereliction and opened as a holiday cottage with refreshed interiors in 2007, it makes a romantic secluded base for exploring the estate’s vintage aircraft and Regency gardens. Alternatively, walk over to neighbouring Old Warden to peer at more model houses before stopping for a pint or a steak and stout pie at the Hare & Hounds. Sleeps four, from £1,694 a week, landmarktrust.org.uk
A treasure chest in the North York Moors
Tucked amid the steep cobbled lanes and red-roofed cottages that totter down to the sea at Robin Hood’s Bay, Burnharbour is a two-bedroom hideaway painted in moody blue-green and ruby. With textile and design lecturers as owners, it’s like a live-in treasure chest, with shell-barnacled lampshades, a Zellige-tiled bathroom and a little library of carefully chosen books. Go rockpooling down at the shore, dillydally over coffee or lunch with a view at neighbouring cafe the Cove, follow one of the footpaths along the coast, or take a day trip to Whitby to explore the abbey, and eat chocolate “japs” at Botham’s or lemon-top ice-creams at the Sandside Bar. Sleeps four, from £560a week, baytownholidaycottages.co.uk
Artful upcycling in Cornwall
Among a hamlet of holiday cottages and shepherds’ huts a few miles inland from the beaches, rockpools and fish restaurants of Looe, Gamekeeper’s Cottage is a colourful and cosy two-bedroom retreat that has been artfully upcycled from a more dated predecessor. Kitchen cupboards have been painted apple green, a rainforest shower has been installed (along with glossy tiles) over the bath, and a wood burner now sits in the sitting room’s stone fireplace, surrounded by pretty floral wallpaper. That’s only half the story, though; as with all Cottage Orné’s properties, guests get access to an outdoor pool, sauna, meditation and yoga studio, and a crafting workshop. Sleeps four, from £2,325a week, cottageorne.com
A Georgian townhouse in Kent
In the centre of Deal, steps from the beach and handy for Sunday roasts at the Rose, or ramen at the Blue Pelican, Rogue’s Cottage stands out from a glut of pretty holiday properties in this cool Kent town. A dainty Georgian townhouse, it has been transformed by interior designer Ashley Ferry with a winning pairing of seaweed, saltwater and coral paintwork with furnishings that would please even the most grizzled of sea dogs – among them a deep copper bathtub, antique headboards and a dinky wood-burning stove. Better still, there’s a tiny courtyard terrace for dining away from the surrounding hubbub. Sleeps four, from £1,055a week, keeperscottages.co.uk
A mill in the Yorkshire Dales
Overlooking Lake Semerwater in Raydale, a quiet dale off Wensleydale, the 18th-century Silk Mill is one of three self-catering properties threaded across the Wood End estate (the other two are contemporary one-bedroom timber cottages). Elegantly refurbished by its owner, interior designer Jonathan Reed, the mill is well placed for hay meadow picnics, swims in the lake or hikes over to Hawes and beyond (go an extra mile or so for lunch at Simonstone Hall). Sit on the terrace listening for curlews, or enjoy some in-house art appreciation, admiring co-owner Graeme Black’s paintings of the surrounding trees. You can see more of them, plus works by other artists, at Thorns Gallery, also on the estate. Sleeps four, from £2,392a week, thorns.gallery/accommodation
A historic lookout, Devon
Sea views don’t get more full-frontal than those at Brandy Head Observation Post near Budleigh Salterton. It was built in 1940 for the RAF’s top-secret Gunnery Research Unit and restored from dereliction six years ago. On the South West Coast Path and accessible only on foot, its terrace makes a perfect vantage point for hikers and birders. With one double bed, two twin bunks, a shower room and an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, it’s a practical little base camp for forays to local beaches, along the paths that loop through the River Otter Estuary nature reserve, or to Otterton Mill for farm shop foraging and live folk music. Sleeps six, £900a week, stantyway.com
A hideaway in the Peak District
In the former lead-mining village of Bonsall, Bert’s Cottage is a model of pale-rendered restraint on the outside, but inside it’s awash with colour, texture and pattern. Refurbished by antique jewellery expert Matt Gerrish and his ballerina wife, Lauren Cuthbertson, this four-bedroom hideaway is exactly the marriage of heritage, theatre and grace you might expect. Antique chests rest against walls busy with paintings, prints and botanical wallpapers, the traditional elements loosened up by bright pops of colour. The location is hard to beat, too; it’s handy for rugged Peak District walks, the historic mills and bookish pleasures of Cromford, days out at Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, and the kiss-me-quick pleasures of Matlock. Sleeps eight, from £1,473 for five nights, bertscottage.co.uk
Coniston views in the Lake District
It’s all about the view at this studio apartment on the shores of Coniston Water. The Coachman’s Quarters is the smallest of three self-catering cottages at Brantwood, John Ruskin’s final home. If the accommodation is rather minibus in scale, the prospect that unfurls through its picture window is more doubledecker. Sit and watch the light fade over the Old Man of Coniston, or steal outside to explore Brantwood’s 100 hectares (250 acres) of gardens and woodland in peace after the day visitors have left. Run by a charitable trust, the site is now home to a museum dedicated to the Victorian polymath, and its grounds are a popular RHS partner garden. Sleeps two, from £955 a week, brantwood.org.uk
Futuristic pods in Somerset
Photograph: Joseph Horton
In Somerset’s quieter western reaches, East Quay is quietly stealing a march on the county’s better-known artistic enclaves. Overlooking Watchet’s pretty harbour, this cafe, gallery and community arts space looks like it’s been beamed down from Bilbao or Hamburg, with the ambition to match. Run as a social enterprise, it’s a buzzy place for brunch, cocktails, a gig, a craft workshop or an exhibition. But those in the know book one of its five basic self-catering pods and explore the wider region while they’re there. Walk the spectacular Quantocks, visit Greencombe Gardens, or head to Dunster to tour its castle and have pizza or drinks with the best view for miles in the Luttrell Arms’ secret garden. Pods sleep between two and six, from £810a week, eastquaywatchet.co.uk
Old meets new in Herefordshire
Photograph: Kate Darby
More tumbleup than tumbledown, Croft Lodge Studio is a real one-off. Within a new, fully insulated corrugated iron shell sit the ruins of a listed 18th-century home, including ancient oak beams, ivy and birds’ nests (hence its no under-10s rule). This radical preservation project near Croft won a Royal Institute of British Architects award. Modern amenities include a wet room, underfloor heating and an EV charger. There’s a bluebell wood on the doorstep, and the surrounding parkland leads to the National Trust’s Croft Castle estate. Wander over to Aymestrey for damson negronis and plates of rhubarb-cured trout at the Riverside inn. Sleeps four, from £817a week, cottages.com
History and nature in Nottinghamshire
Outside the village of Misterton, the Pump House Art Studio, a cathedral-like holiday let, was originally built in 1828 to drain excess water from the fens into the River Idle. It’s one of two identical houses separated by a glass walkway (the owner lives in the other half) and blends industrial high ceilings, vast windows and steel beams with a restful natural setting. Beyond the property’s private garden lies a site of special scientific interest inhabited by kingfishers, owls and herons. There’s a mid-century vibe to the interiors, which stretch to a kitchen, mezzanine lounge, library nook and two double bedrooms, and walls decorated with local art. Walk along quiet river and canalside paths, or drive 15 minutes to explore the 15th-century mansion Gainsborough Old Hall. Sleeps four, from £1,052 a week, handpickedcottages.co.uk
Exacting style in Suffolk
Photograph: Safia Shakarchi
Restaries may be a collection of six holiday rentals set on a farm, but the vibe is more Guy Ritchie than Old MacDonald. With backgrounds at Soho House and in fashion consulting, owners Gem and Thom Bon-Scherdel have brought exacting style and a nous for hospitality to their 16th-century farmhouse and outbuildings near Westhall. The three-bed Cider Store is decorated with local art, bespoke furniture and a pink, peach and ochre colour palette designed to reflect local sunsets. It’s near the coast, but there’s plenty to do in situ, with a playground, a swimming pool and add-on activities for adults from massages and cooking classes to horse riding. Sleeps six, from £3,000 a week, restaries.com
Harbour views in Hampshire
Right on the water’s edge at Priddy’s Hard, a former naval ammunition facility in Gosport, Adventure Prospect is a two-bedroom cottage built in 1899 as a place for the workers to change. Renovated by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust a few years ago, it’s now a smart holiday rental. Decorated in soothing seaweed shades, with a walk-in shower and a lofty open-plan kitchen and sitting room, it also has a private landscaped terrace with wide-angle views across Portsmouth harbour. The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower sits on one side; on the other, the Powder Monkey taphouse serves pub classics such as sausage and mash alongside its own craft beers. Sleeps four, from £1,272 a week, airbnb.co.uk
A quirky conversion in Northumberland
Photograph: Tracey Bloxham
You’ll need to spend a bit more than a penny to visit Berwick-upon-Tweed’s former ladies’ toilets these days, but so you should given the upgrade to facilities. They have been converted into a studio apartment by the property’s current owner, and the renovation puts the Victorian building’s original glazed bricks and match boarding centre stage, while adding such modern comforts as a double bed, kitchenette and wet room. In a quiet corner of the town, just beside its ancient walls and within easy reach of cafes, shops, galleries and coastal paths, the Loovre also has a private courtyard for drinks or dinner outside, and high-level windows for light. Berwick’s railway station is less than 10 minutes’ walk away for day trips. Sleeps two, from £716.50a week, crabtreeandcrabtree.com
SCOTLAND
A gothic bolthole in Perthshire
Photograph: Tracey Bloxham
Off-grid cottages are rarely as elegant as the 19th-century Gatehouse, one of five rental options dotted across the Monzie estate. Powered by the estate’s own 1950s hydro plant, this turreted gothic bolthole has a spiral staircase and a gorse-coloured slipper bath. Spot red squirrels, owls, hares and deer from the windows, roam across 1,600 hectares of rolling Perthshire countryside, or sign up for a free private tour of Monzie Castle – one of the guest perks. Three miles away is Crieff, with its distillery tours, gardens and adventure parks, as well as bakeries, galleries and a gorgeous old whisky shop. Sleeps four, from £1,768 a week, monzieestate.com
An island escape in the Highlands
Look away if you like your rentals with the hum of traffic, coffee shops on every corner and the reassuring roll of an Ocado van over asphalt. On an island in Loch Sunart, Carna House is more suited to castaways. One of only three houses on Carna, two of which are available to rent, the property’s rates include a return boat crossing from Laga Bay, an hour’s drive from Fort William. Cars are left in a private car park and, with limited wifi, screens might as well be, too. No one’s going to be Instagramming the interiors here, but who cares about mismatched fabrics when you have your binoculars fixed on the seals, otters or sea eagles? Scale the island’s 170-metre summit or head out on the water in the boat provided. Sleeps eight, from £2,500 a week, isleofcarna.co.uk
Scandi design in Midlothian
The sauna at Eastside, near Penicuik
In a quiet glen near Penicuik in the Pentland Hills south-west of Edinburgh, Eastside is a collection of cottages on a working farm. One is more traditional, but four are an ode to clean-lined, light-soaked Scandinavian design. The Wash House is one of these, a serene, one-bedroom hideaway with a wood-burner and sculptural slatted ash screening. Rental comes with access to Eastside’s woodland spa, a fern-dappled dell with a steam-sauna yurt and spring-water plunge pool. Don’t miss a trip to Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s sculpture garden 30 minutes’ drive away. Sleeps two, from £1,260 a week, thisiseastside.com
Simple but stylish in Dumfries & Galloway
The nearby village of Rockcliffe. Photograph: John James/Alamy
Steps from the water in the cute coastal village of Kippford, this affordable three-bedroom retreat is all about the reflective views. Simple but stylish, with a butter-coloured bathroom, wood-burning stove, vintage furniture and a small terrace, 1 Ford View has one double bedroom and two singles. Stroll to the beach, listen to the jingling of yacht masts or sit in the window seat upstairs and watch the sun set over the estuary. It’s a 1.5-mile ramble over to pretty Rockcliffe for homemade cake at the Garden Room cafe. Or drive 20 minutes to Castle Douglas to browse the shops and visit Threave Garden. Sleeps four, from £708 a week, gonetothebeach.co.uk
Tradition with a twist, Aberdeenshire
Photograph: Kym Grimshaw
Overlooking the river on the Glen Dye estate near Banchory, Gamekeeper’s Cottage is a model of modern country style. Its traditional sash windows, wooden floorboards and Highland stonework form a homely backdrop to bright artworks, colourful textiles and vintage finds. Cosy as it is, stays here are all about exploring the estate. With 15,000 acres of moorland, woods and riverbanks on hand, there are endless possibilities for hiking, forest bathing and wild swimming, plus food and crafts events. Guests can choose add-on experiences, from sessions in a wood-fired hot tub or woodland sauna to game-cooking masterclasses and natural ink workshops. Sleeps six, from £1,315 a week, glendyecabinsandcottages.com
A waterside hideaway in the Highlands
You know you’re on the right lines when the website for a property, like this waterside hideaway near Gairloch, has a tab for “adventures” rather than just “things to do”. When you’re done visiting Inverewe Gardens, taking an otter safari or coasteering, Arrowdale makes a luxurious base to retreat to, with its wood-burning stove, high-spec kitchen and panoramic windows. Shieldaig Lodge is less than a mile away for decadent dining or a dram with a view, or you can enjoy scenic picnics in the extensive grounds. One option is a deserted beach that’s just a 30-minute paddle away – two tandem kayaks come with the house. Sleeps six, from £2,350 a week, sawdays.co.uk
A harbourside haven in the Scottish Borders
There’s magic at every turn at the dinky Blue Cabin by the Sea, perched above Cove harbour like an outcrop of lazurite. Run as a fundraising enterprise to help pay for the harbour’s upkeep, it’s approached on foot via a tunnel. Owned by architect Ben Tindall and sculptor Jill Watson, it has a cornflower-blue sitting room with Orkney chairs, two pea-green bedrooms, one with bunks, and a kitchen with cupboard handles shaped like fronds of seaweed. Swim in the harbour, keeping an eye out for seals, buy crab from local fishers, walk along the coast to the ruins of Fast Castle or visit Dunbar, a 15-minute drive north, to visit conservationist John Muir’s Birthplace. Sleeps four, from £1,250 a week, bluecabinbythesea.co.uk
WALES
A manor house in Gwynedd
Character seeps from every stone at this seven-bedroom manor house near Porthmadog on the north Wales coast. It’s just the place if you’re dreaming of an Enid Blyton-style group gathering. Though Carregfelen dates from the 14th century, it was extended in the 1920s by the owner’s uncle, Clough Williams-Ellis, and has many of the Portmeirion architect’s signature traits, from the turquoise paintwork to gardens designed to frame spectacular views (in this case, of Moel y Gest mountain). Inglenook fireplaces, a show-stopping dining room and walls lavishly hung with art complete the scene. Book a private session in the estate’s woodland sauna after a day hiking the hills or the craggy ruins of Criccieth Castle. Sleeps 11, from £3,034 a week, wernholidaycottages.co.uk
Comfort and character in Ynys Môn (Anglesey)
Steps from the beach in pretty Beaumaris, Porth Hir has been looking out over the Menai strait to Eryri (Snowdonia) for 400 years. Pairing beams, antique furniture and decorative plasterwork with a modern range cooker, king-size beds and luxury bedlinen, it’s comfortable as well as characterful. A covered veranda means you can sit outside even on rain-soaked evenings, or gather in the first-floor lounge to watch the light fade over the sea. Visit Beaumaris Castle, go crabbing off the pier or walk along the coast path to the hamlet of Moel y Don, stopping off at Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens or Grade I-listed Plas Newydd house. Sleeps six, from £1,500 a week, porthhiranglesey.co.uk
A cute thatch in Ceredigion
Wake to birdsong and fall asleep to the gentle rush of the river at 300-year-old Glan Yr Afon in Cardigan Bay. Set along what was once a drovers’ road (rumour has it that Owain Glyndŵr and his men once marched along it), this thatched hideaway near Llangrannog balances modern plumbing, electrics and insulation with carefully preserved architectural details. There’s space for four, with a king-size bedroom on the ground floor and a twin upstairs, and if the garden looks pretty as a picture that’s because it’s tended by an artist. Wander through woods to the coast; the Plwmp Tart cafe, above Penbryn beach, makes an excellent end goal. Sleeps four, from £1,350 a week, thatchedin.wales
Coastal seclusion, Gwynedd
Photograph: Matt Davies
Perched in the hills outside Aberdyfi, with its four-mile ribbon of sand, Glygyrog Wen makes a comfortable lookout on this mesmerising coastline, with its big skies, shifting tides and string of cafes, pubs and shops. It’s also a great base for walks through the moors, woodland and dunes of the Dyfi Biosphere. It’s not just about location, however. A high-spec kitchen, gleaming dining room, light-soaked lounge and four bedrooms provide plenty of space for groups or families to unwind, while a games barn ensures rain needn’t stop play. Downstairs is table tennis and table football, while upstairs is a mezzanine bar. Sleeps eight, from £1,955 a week, cottage-holiday-wales.co.uk
Stay on a vineyard in Powys
If Highbrook Cottage was a wine it would be crisp and biscuity, with a hint of zest. This pretty hideaway is set on a low-intervention vineyard near Presteigne, and its sorbet-coloured paintwork, tapestry blankets and a welcome pack plump with homemade welshcakes give traditional Welsh hospitality a fresh modern update. For zero-miles sipping, you can order the owners’ wine to be waiting for you on arrival. Head off on walks in the Radnor Forest or drive 15 minutes across the border into Herefordshire to visit the market in Kington, or stroll around the leafy idyll that is Hergest Croft Gardens. Sleeps four, from £765 a week, whinyardrocks.com
A former coaching inn in Carmarthenshire
A 17th-century coaching inn near Meidrim, painstakingly restored by a former Landmark Trust and National Trust conservation specialist, Maenllwyd pairs cosy fires and antique Welsh dressers with a smart walk-in shower and modern range cooker. It’s dog-friendly, and canine guests also have the run of an enclosed three-acre field. Human visitors seeking exercise are catered for too, with a full-size pickleball court and outdoor play equipment for younger children. By car, the Carmarthenshire coast is 30 minutes away for beach days. Laugharne, with its medieval castle and Dylan Thomas’s boathouse, is even closer. Sleeps seven, from £1,669 a week, underthethatch.co.uk
NORTHERN IRELAND
A rural retreat in County Derry
Taking his great-great-uncle Barney’s derelict cottage near Maghera as a starting point, local architect Patrick Bradley added a cantilevered shipping container to create a rural retreat that honours new and old alike. Inside is a plywood-lined kitchen and dining space, bathroom and double bedroom, with sliding doors opening on to a balcony. Outside is a firepit seating area and twin outdoor bathtubs, looking out over the adjacent meadow. The An Croí Coffee House and Bistro, a social enterprise cafe, is three minutes’ drive away for homemade soups or pancakes, and Seamus Heaney HomePlace, an arts centre celebrating the life and work of the great Irish poet, is a 20-minute drive. Sleeps two, from £810 a week, barneysruins.com
A stylish stable, County Derry
Stable One is the fourth cottage to open at Camus House, a listed Georgian estate outside Coleraine. It’s a stylishly restored outbuilding with an open-plan kitchen, dining room and living room, its restful buttermilk and caramel paintwork brought to life by vintage furniture and fresh flowers. Great for forays to the Causeway Coast beaches, it’s a 20-minutes drive from Portstewart Strand, Whiterocks or Downhill. The fact the owners previously ran a cafe means the welcome pack is a step above the norm. Fuel up on homemade jam, local bread and granola before hitting the leafy riverside walk that starts directly opposite the house. Sleeps four, from £1,148 a week, airbnb.co.uk
All prices are for late May and June, and were correct at the time of going to press
The imposition of Venezuelan state sovereignty over the oil industry was one of the pillars of the Bolivarian Revolution from the get-go.
This edition of Tatuy Tv’s “Chávez the Radical” compiles several speeches by ComandanteChávez where he discusses the multiple policies that had subordinated the Venezuelan oil industry to transnational corporate interests and their nefarious consequences.
Issues like state ownership, royalties, taxes, and international arbitration are as relevant as ever today as the country undergoes major pro-business reforms in the oil sector.
The sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale focuses on the young teens of Gilead
The Testaments teased in trailer from Disney+
The Testaments couldn’t have come at a more depressingly relevant time given the state of the world.
From the reversal of the historic Roe vs Wade ruling in America, to the erosion of women’s bodily autonomy across the world, to Incel culture via Andrew Tate and the Manosphere, to the continuing unfolding horrors emerging from the Epstein Files, being a woman in 2026 has never been a more frightening prospect.
That’s why I believe Disney+ and Hulu drama The Testaments should be compulsory viewing in all schools and serves as a warning that if we don’t try to change things now, all hope could be lost forever.
The series is adapted from Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s Booker Prize-winning 2019 novel The Testaments, which itself was a sequel to her seminal 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale.
The follow-up novel came about thanks to the success of Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale starring Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss in the title role. The original series first hit screens in 2017 – not long after Brexit and newly elected President Trump’s first term in office – and instantly captured the zeitgeist thanks to its dystopian, Black Mirror take on the world.
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A Disney+ subscription now starts at £5.99 and includes hit series like The Testaments, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
Atwood has previously said how The Handmaid’s Tale was originally based on things that had already happened across history and were still happening, however, since she published her novel over 40 years ago, it appears those times have become a disturbing and tangible new reality for us.
The Testaments TV show follows a group of teenage girls from the upper echelons of Gilead society preparing to become Wives to Commanders, many of whom are much older than them. Their destined husbands are determined by the Aunts in a series of arranged marriages to ensure there isn’t any accidental incest, given the use of Handmaids and babies getting handed over to Gilead’s finest families.
The girls known as ‘Plums’ – thanks to the Cadbury shade of purple they wear – are forbidden from reading or writing at the risk of losing a finger; their sex education is non-existent; they witness Gilead’s harsh brand of Old Testament justice; and they are constantly warned not to tempt men, who apparently can’t control their urges.
Amid the Plums is Pearl Girl Daisy (played by Lucy Halliday), a Canadian teen from Toronto posing as a Gilead convert after she’s sent into Gilead by the resistance movement Mayday. Street-wise and sex-savvy, Daisy serves as the audience’s perspective in the show as she challenges the Plums in the face of the regime’s fallacies.
While the drama isn’t as dark as its predecessor, The Testaments delves into issues of consent and sexual abuse in a more age-appropriate way. The Testaments shows why we all need to be educated about sex and making informed choices about our bodies.
The Testaments is also one of the few shows to feature periods and menstruation so prominently. Gilead celebrates menstruation as a sign of fertility to the point that the Plums ring a bell heralding the news and then embark on a catwalk of sorts while their fellow pupils cheer them on. Not since reading Judy Blume have I seen so much discussed about periods, if only there were more positive depictions of period in media.
Sadly, it’s a double-edged sword for the girls as it means it’s now time for them to find a husband as they essentially become child brides. Again, this complexity is intriguing and one that feeds into grooming teens – the way the Commanders eye up Agnes MacKenzie (Chase Infiniti) as a potential bride-to-be when she greets her father during a meeting is chilling.
But amid all the bleak dystopian misogyny, hope springs: Daisy is trying to stoke a fire from within Gilead and give the Plums agency. It’s this message that’s so important: you may be a teenage girl but you still have the power to shape the world and make your voice heard.
I’ve always believed that TV has the power to change things for the better in this world. If you can see it, then you can be it. Whether it’s onscreen representation from the likes of Netflix’s Heartstopper depicting blossoming queer love, to soaps brilliantly covering a myriad of topics from domestic violence and stillbirth, to Adolescence, which led to discussions in Parliament about male radicalisation. Meanwhile, a whole generation of women pursued STEM careers thanks to Gillian Anderson’s iconic performance as medical doctor and scientist, FBI agent Dana Scully in The X-Files.
If The Handmaid’s Tale was sounding the alarm for my generation, then The Testaments is the wake-up call for this generation. The future of the world is in your hands, and you have the chance to change it right now.
The Testaments airs weekly on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesdays
Once he got into power, Hugo Chávez spared no effort to reverse the neoliberal policies implemented in the 80s and 90s. This meant impressive advances for the Venezuelan working class.
In this 2006 speech, Chávez paid special attention to the Fourth Republic’s policies to increase the precariousness of the workers and favor business interests, particularly by replacing wages with bonuses.
With the economy under merciless US attacks in recent years, the Venezuelan government has favored non-wage bonuses, sparking widespread debate within Chavismo and criticism from trade unions.
