New Daventry Express feature - meet our columnist Kirsty Beeson with 'Bee in Her Bonnet'

Having moved to your lovely town nine years ago I wanted to let you know that it is one of the best decisions our little family ever made. You may not always feel, read or see it, but Daventry is quite unique.

My husband is from Daventry, a Daventarian as I believe you are called, so settling here meant his family was close at hand.

So, a little about me, I am a 44 year old red head and my name is Kirsty. I grew up in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. My MK career has been varied and covers all genres. Starting at the local paper and ending as an entertainer at a local theme park (yes I dressed up as a mouse, a lion and an elephant for a wage). Working for companies in MK was fast paced, busy and constantly moving. The move to Daventry offered us a more relaxed pace of life. So once our first child was born we made the jump back.

With another child soon under my belt, I spent my first few years in Daventry running my own business ‘Khameleon Kompany’ and providing youth theatre classes to the children in this area. We also organised and run parties for many of your little people too. My business partner was also from ‘Dav’, again a Daventarian. Living here I have very quickly picked up the importance of this ‘title’ and quite rightly so, it is a place to be proud of.

So, I like to keep busy, I love to talk and socialise, one of my passions is writing and the other is Reiki. I am studying to be a counsellor, Oh and I also shouldn’t forget to tell you that I train in Taekwondo and am nowhere near being a black belt, but I do hold a gold medal! Unfortunately, not the Olympic kind.

From here on in, I will be coming to you on a regular basis bringing my musings and thoughts, hoping to create some local awareness, raise some questions and provide a chuckle along the way.

I am very much looking forward to it.

Kirsty

Why you shouldn't jump on every bandwagon

There are opinions flying all around us at the moment, all over the news and social media, which in itself is a great thing, it shows that we all have ideas, alternative views and many things to say.

I love a good banter and passionate discussions more than many, ask my husband! But what I am really noticing currently is the lack of listening.

Some people are not hearing what is being said, yet responding with ideas about other issues that are close to them. Have we really become such a ‘Me! Me!’ culture?

Take the current topic of safety for women on the streets. Pounding the streets at night is not our favourite thing to do. I won’t say we have all been there but from talking to everyone around me, many of us have. It needs talking about, but what I am repeatedly reading in articles and posts, regarding women’s safety, are responses asking ‘why is no one highlighting men’s safety? Safety in the home? Safety for all? Violence in relationships?’

We should and we will, but let us deal with this problem at this moment, let us not overwhelm ourselves with all of the problems at the same time, otherwise all that will happen is the topic in hand becomes diluted and the focus lost.

Every single one of these issues are of vital importance and need addressing, but stop jumping onto another causes’ bandwagon. Discuss one issue at a time. Listen to the details of what constitutes fear for women, respond with constructive ideas and thoughts, empathise! We are talking about a woman who has lost her life whilst walking in the street. Do you switch topics during a conversation with a friend, just because what they are saying perhaps isn’t relative to you?

None of us are saying that men are not scared and we are also in no way saying that all men scare us. What should be highlighted are the specifics of what bring about that uncertainty. We should be saying ‘Hey look, when this happens, we are scared’

So please understand, respond constructively on how we can, together, as a whole society make changes, to better the streets for ALL, but at the moment, in particular, women, YOUR female relatives and friends. The ones who have just admitted they were scared.

Please don’t take away from bravery.

Bee kind.