Cybher 2013

My personal blogging has taken a bit of a back burner over the last few months. It's not a surprise really when you consider how full on the preparation for Cybher has been after losing my mum.

I'm not afraid to say that I struggled with faith in my ability and it's only now, on reflection, that I can totally appreciate the scale of the mountain I had to climb to make Cybher happen this year.

But I did make it happen and Cybher 2013 was epic. For the first time, I'm hand on heart, 100% proud of the event I pulled together. This year, Cybher was everything I wanted it to be and much more.

Inspirational, kick ass women, that I aspire to be like. Passionate, driven souls, new friendships, fresh ideas, simmering collaborations, excitement, words and laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

A very big thank you to each and everyone who spent last Saturday at Cybher and for ALL of the kind words and messages over the last week. It's amazing to see so many people tinkering with their blogs and writing with a newly found passion. That's exactly what Cybher is about.

We are working towards getting all of the presentations, or at the very least, take away notes, up on the Cybher Blog, but please bear with us - it's quite a job. 

If you've written a post about the day, please do shout on Twitter and don't forget to take a look at the official pics over on the +Cybher™ page. Feel free to use them in your posts with a link back to the page. 

Thank you again. xxx

Keep A Woman On English Banknotes Campaign

At Cybher this weekend we spoke about The Womens Room campaign to Keep a Woman on English Banknotes and we need your help and support to reach the target of 35,000 signatures on the #Banknotes petition. Here's why.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has announced that social reformer Elizabeth Fry  is to be replaced by Winston Churchill as the face of the £5 note. This means that, apart from the Queen (who isn't there by merit), there will be no women featuring on English banknotes.

The Bank of England first introduced British personalities on the back of its banknotes in 1970 and since then only two have ever been women. Florence Nightingale (£10, 1975 to 1994) and Elizabeth Fry (£5, 2002 to current). 

What message does this all-male line-up on banknotes send out? That no woman has done anything worthy enough to appear? Now we know that's not the case. Not only have numerous women remerged as leading figures in their fields, they have got there by fighting against the historic odds stacked against their gender.

It's shocking that the establishment continues to overlook and undervalue the achievements of women. This is 2013!

#Banknotes

So, I'm getting behind the #Banknotes campaign. I've signed the petition and I'm helping the cause by getting as many bloggers and people 'with voice' to join in as possible by writing a post like this and sharing it out to their audience.

Who would my #Banknotes choice be? I'm actually struggling to keep it down to just one. Emmeline Pankhurst, Mary Quant, Enid Blyton, Amy Johnson, or the amazing P.D. James, who I met at the Woman of the Year Awards last year.

My #Banknotes Face

Modern inspirations or women we have to thank for how we are able to live as free citizens today? For me it has to be Emily Davison, Suffragette who was jailed on nine occasions and force-fed 49 times.

The powers that be were big on force-feeding the Suffragettes. Emily is perhaps best known for the way that she died. On 4th June 1913 (100 years ago yesterday), she stepped out in front of the King's horse at the Epsom Derby, sustaining injuries that led to her death four days later.

A hundred years on, the actions and lasting legacy of Davison, Pankhurst et al have allowed us women in the UK to have control over our own lives and future. That is to be celebrated and remembered. 

Find your voice and use it.

I'm tagging a few bloggers (Emma aka Me, the man and the baby, my new friend Clare aka Eeethree, Jess aka JessicaMiln, Tolly aka TollyDollyPosh, Joanne Mallon, Nickie aka Nickie72 and Fi aka Childcare is Fun) to set the ball rolling but anyone can take part.

To join the #Banknotes campaign please do sign the petition and if you have a blog, use it to tell others who you would like the Bank of England to feature on the next banknotes and why. There's a post link up over on Nixdminx blog and a Cybher, #Banknotes Pinterest board where all campaign faces will be featured. If you can't blog, tweet your suggestions using the #Banknotes hashtag, or leave a comment on this post and they will be added to the board.
Together we can make a change.

Do bloggers need to go Geek to be Chic?

There's been an interesting topic of conversation buzzing around social circles of late, then ast weekend @ChloeDigital asked Twitter the hot question; 

"Do bloggers need to go geek to be chic?" 

 With the help of a group of willing volunteers, she conducted the #GetMyGeekOn experiment to find out just how tech savvy bloggers really are. 

If you've been wondering what the Get My Geek On icon at the top right of my page is all about, tune in to the @ByMyWardrobe #stylenetworkchat on Thursday 13th December at 3pm for the #getmygeekon special.

 

Thanks Chloe for the Cybher™ mention in your Huffington Post article today.

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Half The Sky : The Gallery Books

When I saw the theme for this week's Gallery there was only ever going to be one book that I could feature. Half the Sky, the book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn that quite simply changed my life.

I had to cheat a bit with my image because it doesn't matter how many copies of this amazing book I buy, I always pass it on to someone else. I'm not kidding when I say I've bought at least 15 copies.

Huge congratulations to Nicholas and Sheryl for topping the New York Times Bestseller List this week. 

If you read just one more book in your life, make it this one. Get educated about the issues of our gender around the world and DO SOMETHING to make a change.

Half the Sky is available on Amazon, in print and download.

Visit The Gallery Linky on StickFingers.