The Girls Got Guts: The Woman Of It All

Amba Tilney on 12 December 2024

6th November. That morning everything was silent. I don’t remember hearing the birds sing outside my bedroom window. You see, my family home is situated in a very peaceful area, and on a sunny morning like this one, I usually hear the delicate chirps as I open my eyes. 

But not on the 6th of November 2024. I came home for one of the biggest weeks in my career for The Girls Got Guts but that morning my guts were gone, and fear was in its place. 

The presidential race is over, and a convicted felon was deemed more worthy of the position than a woman. I was thinking of my nieces in California, no older than 10 years old. What did this mean womanhood would become for them and all the people in America? 

I have never felt so useless in my life. So powerless. Just watching from across the Atlantic, being a woman became that much harder once again. In many corners of the world right now, the rights of women are being reduced. 

This may be very naïve of me, but my whole life I have thought that ‘humankind’ would only seek progression, protecting basic human rights that we have fought so hard for. But here we are, witnessing a regression like we are living in a dystopian novel.

Seeing heartbroken women on social media offering support to the American population who voted blue, I shared in their pain and anger. 

I thought of every great Greta Gerwig monologue on the struggles of womanhood: Gloria’s from Barbie, Jo and Amy March in Little Women. I remembered how millions of women felt seen by these words — like they were being extracted from our souls. A collective soul.

Suddenly I felt a surge of warmth. The sisterhood of women refusing to stand aside and allow injustice. In everyday life, it’s unspoken, but to hear women in arms, vocalising it, was empowering. 

Being a woman in the 21st century can feel like an impossible task. 

From girlhood to womanhood, this challenge exists and intensifies with time. The feeling of being underestimated, the fear for our lives. Being a woman is a fight. 

Looking back at my girlhood, I learnt what it meant to be a woman early on. 

At 6 years old, I started karate lessons and was the only girl in my class. As a ballerina, I would execute kicks delicately with pointed toes and was promptly told to ‘man up’. 

The young boys found this amusing and began a 4 year-long game of:

‘Whoever hits Amba the hardest and makes her cry, wins!’

But I never let my guard down (literally). I would come home with multiple bruises and a determination that even my mum couldn’t talk me out of.

Image Credit: Amba Tilney

I told her that I wouldn’t give up. From an early age, I felt a duty to other girls, this unspoken sisterhood that I feel so fiercely in womanhood; a duty to help us feel seen and deserving of space. 

So, I went back week after week. Bruises upon bruises showed up on my arms and legs but I never backed down. After the classes, my dad would pick me up and tell me I was the strongest person in that room. I began to feel that deeply.

4 years later, the first black belt was awarded in the school. I walked up to the front of the class, shook my teacher’s hand and claimed the belt, my name embroidered in gold on the black material. However, to me, this belt wasn’t just mine. It was for every girl who was ever told she couldn’t do something or whose fight was underestimated. 

It became a symbol of womanly power. 

Being a woman is to be resilient yet patient, strong yet gentle, powerful yet respectful. Being a woman is to feel wholly. To be ambitious for our futures. Though it feels incredibly hard, the sisterhood felt between like-minded women of all ages is something that can never be taken away. I think that is something extraordinary. 

And oh, how I love being a woman!

As I watched Kamala Harris take to the stage to address the public one last time in her concession speech, I felt my eyes tearing up. I watched her utilise her womanly strength. Urging people to not stop fighting for the causes they believe in.

‘You have power’.

I must have had a physical reaction to this line, as my mum placed her hand on mine. She didn’t need to say a word. Her eyes said enough. Never give up on what you believe in. Never give up on yourself. She squeezed my hand and I squeezed hers back. I’m proud to be a woman. 

Together, we have so much power.

From your favourite column girl, 

Amba x

From Pooping Logs to Chucking Shoes: Unexpected Winter Traditions Around the World!

Imogen Farmer on 11 December 2024

Spider webs on Christmas trees, horse skulls on sticks, hiding brooms and men dressing up as goats are just a few festive traditions which put our Christmas crackers to shame. It is fair to say that beyond England’s borders, some unique winter traditions have achieved the same longevity as the iconic advent calendar. Let’s embark on a fast-track journey around the world, and explore some traditions which would baffle the average Brit. 

The first destination on our whistle-stop tour of the world’s winter traditions? Japan. Japan is similar to the UK with regards to marking the event of the winter solstice (Tuji): they take a relaxing, warm bath followed by prayers for good health. Meanwhile, in the UK, the slightly less relaxing solstice celebration entails squeezing between a crowd of winter coats to watch the sun rise above Stonehenge — a soothing sight, well-earned after the trials of getting there. However, where the Japanese are distinctive is their turkey dinner — which is replaced by a KFC Christmas family bucket! Surprisingly, a whopping 3.6 million families gather together to share a KFC bucket every year throughout December. Who knew greasy chicken wings could be so festive? 

Northern Spain and the surrounding regions are unquestionably home to the crudest winter tradition, as it swaps out the yule log for a poop log — which most certainly should not be consumed at the dining table. The poop log (‘Tió de Nadal’), is an ordinary log, decorated with a big smile and red hat, and is ‘fed’ by children in the days preceding Christmas. Although seemingly distant from Christian practices, the pooping log has biblical origins, as it relates to the Spanish tradition of three wise men (Los Reyes Magos) who bring the main presents on the 6th of January. The climax is finally reached on Christmas Day when children beat the log, ordering its ‘defecation’ of presents. In Catalonia, Andorra, and Majorca, defecation on Christmas Day doesn’t just come from brussel sprouts!  

Forget the reindeer, as in Sweden, goats have taken over. Quite literally, goats take control of Sweden every year, as large statues of yule goats (Julbock) are erected on the first day of advent. The most famous goat, Rudolph’s replacement, is the Gävle Goat, which, despite its straw composition, stands strong at 43 feet tall. On its record-breaking year, the goat miraculously stood at 49 feet tall, although this was relatively small against the tallest Christmas tree, which stood at 221 feet in Seattle. Unfortunately, not every Swede embraces their winter tradition, as most years, vandals burn the Gävle Goat, almost becoming a new tradition in itself. Fortunately, the goat is regularly rebuilt in time for Christmas, so the Grinches never successfully steal Christmas. 

Although marriage and Christmas aren’t often synonymous, the Czech Republic challenges this idea. Despite it being far from Valentines Day, Czechs bring romance to the festive period. Single women throw shoes over their shoulders and out of the front door to predict their marital fate: if the shoe lands with its toe pointing in the direction of the door, she is getting married that coming year; if the shoe lands in the other direction, matrimony is sadly not on the cards for her anytime soon. Therefore, whilst the Brits like to commemorate love under the mistletoe, the Czechs are looking into the future with bigger ambitions for their relationships. 

After our swift sweep of traditions around the globe, it is clear to see that winter traditions greatly vary around the world yet are celebrated to the same degree. Whether it is reindeer or goats, turkey or fried chicken, countries hold festive traditions close to their heart, sewn into the fabric of their country. Perhaps this Christmas, we Brits could try some of these foreign practices and shake up our households with a familial pooping log!

Cacophony – Paris Paloma Casts a Spell on Brudenell

Aeryn Pettifor on 11 December 2024

On the 28th of November, Paris Paloma graced Leeds as the ninth and final stop on her UK tour after the release of her new album Cacophony. The album has amassed over 240 million streams on Spotify since its release in late August, with hits including ‘Labour’ and ‘Drywall’as fan favourites. Originally from the Midlands, Paris has gained acclaim for her music since 2020 and now has an impressive 6.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The strong themes of sisterhood and feminine rage against a consistently misogynistic society that feature in her songs, have struck a chord with many women across the world.

But onto the show! Newcomer Nadia Kadek stepped in to open the last three shows in place of Luvcat and delivered a mesmerising performance. Gentle and compelling, Nadia took us on a journey of yearning and forgiveness and held the audience in a trance. Although Nadia hasn’t officially released any music yet, make sure to check out her Instagram: @nadia.kadek for performances and demos. And, if you send her a dm, she’ll send you a secret song! My personal favourite song she performed was Green Car – check it out!

Paris kicked off the show with the first song on Cacophony: ‘My Mind(now)’, with the audience smoothly chanting along. Accompanied by George and Jim, on bass guitar, and drums and keys respectively, Paris began casting her spell on the audience. Notable standouts for me were ‘Knitting Song’, ‘Last Woman on Earth’, ‘The Warmth’ and ‘Escape Pod’ (from the perspective of Laika, the first dog sent to space ☹) although the whole album is a joy to listen to.

During a break for her band, Paris sat down with us to play ‘Triassic Love Song’on her acoustic guitar,a song about the famous ‘Triassic Cuddle’, (look it up!) just one of her many songs from clever perspectives. This song also included a ‘call and response’ section, which scratched an itch in my brain perfectly. Furthermore, Paris fits perfectly into the ‘Ancient Gods duo’ of Hozier and Florence + The Machine, so if you’re looking for new music following similar themes exploring divinity and mythology, then I urge you to take a deep dive into Paris’ discography.  

Moving on, Paris’ most popular song ‘Labour’ was played as the encore, and every single person in the room knew the words. It gave me goosebumps. ‘Labour’ discusses the invisible emotional, physical and sexual labour that is forced upon women, especially in relationships and how exhausting it is to carry. Resonating with women all around the world for its calling out of weaponised male incompetence and unfair expectations of women, ‘Labour’ has catapulted Paris into the spotlight, and for good reason.

If we had a daughter,
I’d watch and could not save her

                              —-

It’s not an act of love if you make her
You make me do too much labour

In a similar vein is ‘Last Woman on Earth’, which discusses the important issue of bodily autonomy, focusing especially on how the female body can be mistreated after death at the hands of men. Paris explores choosing ‘the flame over desecration’, and ‘leave me to the beasts and bears, I’d rather that the feast was theirs’, and pleads with us, the listeners, to respect her wishes. It’s an uncomfortable song, but unfortunately a necessary one to tell, especially in our society’s increasingly unstable political climate. But I digress.

The background set was beautifully hand-painted, featuring wolves, bears and forests, and added to the captivating atmosphere of the gig. There was even an exchange box at the merch stand, where audience members could pick up old books and leave little notes and friendship bracelets to swap with other people. The vibes were so welcoming and safe, which unfortunately, can be rare at some gigs – there was even a dancing circle after the set was finished!

So, to round off, I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of the captivating performance of such a wonderful breakthrough artist, and I thoroughly recommend you see Paris on her next tour! Unfortunately, Leeds was the last stop on the UK stretch of Cacophony, and up next for her is North America in March 2025. But I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Check out Paris’ latest release: ‘The Rider’, written for the new Lord of the Rings animated film: The War of the Rohirrim, which is out in cinemas! And make sure to stream her album Cacophony on Spotify now – happy listening! x

Words by Aeryn Pettifor