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Review – Guys and Dolls, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 4th January 2020

82276430_471085450481862_4812180997384699904_nOur traditional post-New Year weekend in Sheffield as a Christmas present to Lord and Lady Prosecco just got bigger. This year, also joined by Professor and Mrs Plum, Lord Liverpool, the Countess of Cockfosters and their assorted offspring, twelve of us descended on the St Paul’s Place Pizza Express before hitting the Crucible to enjoy this year’s Christmas show, Guys and Dolls.

Follow the FoldGuys and Dolls was, is, and always will be, one of the great American musicals. Jam-packed with memorable songs, outrageous characters, a heart-warming plot and great dance opportunities, it’s guaranteed to bring a smile to the stoniest of faces and an entrechat to the most lumpen of feet. This is the fourth time I’ve seen the show, most memorably the first time in 1982 when I saw a preview of That Famous National Theatre production starring Julia McKenzie, Bob Hoskins, Ian Charleson and Julie Covington (so when I say starring, I mean starring). Least memorable was the 2007 touring production with Alex Ferns and Samantha Janus (as she was then). There was also a fabulous 2014 Chichester production with Peter Polycarpou, Clare Foster, Sophie Thompson and Jamie Parker. Comparisons are of course odious but irresistible; so I’ll try to ignore the earlier productions!

Sky and NathanIf you don’t know the story of Guys and Dolls, where have you been all your life? Inspired by the stories and characters of Damon Runyon, meet the sniffly song-and-dance artiste Miss Adelaide, whose symptoms get worse throughout the show due to her fiancé, Nathan Detroit’s, inability to commit. Detroit tries to organise an illegal crap game without Miss Adelaide’s knowledge – she wouldn’t approve – but the one thousand bucks, as demanded by the Biltmore Garage to host the game, he ain’t got. Meanwhile, at the Save-a-Soul Mission, Sergeant Sarah Brown is trying to attract penitent punters to her hymn gatherings, but without much success. Enter Gambler Maestro Sky Masterson, a man with charisma bursting out of his wallet. To meet the Biltmore’s demand, Detroit bets $1000 that Masterson won’t take a girl of his choosing on a date to Havana, Cuba. Masterson accepts; Detroit chooses Sarah Brown; and if you don’t know the rest of the story, I’m not going to tell you.

Luck be a LadyDesigner Janet Bird has created an intriguing set with walls that slide in and out of place, and with outer revolving tracks that suggest busy sidewalks, to leave a usefully empty space in the middle for crap games, Hot Box dances and mission hall meetings. Will Stuart’s excellent band are perched aloft, inside what looks like an attic bar (nice for them). Intricate choreographer Matt Flint, back from last year’s Kiss Me Kate, has risen to the challenge of creating those big set piece dance numbers that are often a feature of the Crucible Christmas show. The Crap Shooters’ Ballet followed by Luck be a Lady is powerful and hard-hitting, as it should be; even more entertaining is the marvellous Havana salsa scene, which tells an entertaining story of a couple out for the night, except that he dances with Sarah and she dances with Sky and by the end of the evening they’re having a full-blown argument – all to enticing salsa rhythms, of course.

In the Hot BoxRobert Hastie has assembled a tremendous cast who all give great performances throughout. Natalie Casey emphasises Miss Adelaide’s camp cutesiness with some wicked facial expressions and vocal deliveries and brings bags of fun to the role whilst still recognising the character’s genuine inner sadness. Alex Young is superb as ever as Sarah Brown, with her magnificent voice taking on Frank Loesser’s iconic songs with supreme ease, her eyes summing up all the imperfections of Sky Masterson’s character with an instant loving scorn. It’s a great portrayal of a good girl gone not necessarily bad, but revelling in her defences being down.

I Got the Horse Right HereThe remarkably versatile Martin Marquez (whose abilities range from musical comedy in Anything Goes, farce in Boeing Boeing to contemporary drama in Blasted) is a mature Nathan Detroit, hiding desperately from his responsibilities to Miss Adelaide. He’s a great singer and provides a more romantic interpretation of the song Sue Me than I’d previously encountered. Kadiff Kirwan impresses as the suave Sky Masterson and also sings and dances terrifically. I’d not come across his work before, but with a great stage presence, Mr Kirwan could definitely be One To Watch for the future.

Nicely NicelyThere’s another superb partnership between TJ Lloyd as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Adrian Hansel as Benny Southstreet; their rendition of the song Guys and Dolls is a highlight of the whole show and of course Mr Lloyd is brilliant in Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat. I’d enjoyed Mr Hansel’s performance in Hairspray several years ago but Mr Lloyd is new to me – both actors lit up the stage every time they came on and I can’t wait to see them again in the future.

General CartwrightElsewhere in the cast there’s a kindly performance from Garry Robson as Arvide Abernathy, with a moving performance of More I Cannot Wish You; an enjoyably intimidating Big Jule played by Dafydd Emyr; and a spirited Hallelujah of a performance from one of my favourite actors, Dawn Hope as General Cartwright.

Marry the Man TodayPerhaps a slightly curious staging choice came at the end of the cheeky Marry The Man Today, when Detroit and Masterson appeared on stage and stopped Miss Adelaide and Sarah Brown in their vocal tracks; rather than having the two women enjoy their moment of girlish fantasies they were forced to face the reality of their husbandly destinies in person, which made the female characters feel subservient to their men. The Countess of Cockfosters wasn’t impressed with this staging decision and on reflection I have to agree.

Guys and DollsNevertheless, although it’s almost a three-hour show the time simply flies by. Guys and Dolls maintains the high-quality tradition of the Crucible Christmas shows with its spectacle, skill and artistry, superb music and dance elements and provides plenty to talk about it the bar afterwards. Recommended!

Production photos by Johan Persson

Review – Guys and Dolls, Festival Theatre Chichester, 20th September 2014

Guys and Dolls 2014Wasn’t it Stephen Sondheim who said (and I think it was) that the best musical ever written is Carmen? Or maybe it was me. No, it wouldn’t have been me because my favourite musical of all time is A Chorus Line, and nothing is ever going to change me from that – inflexible though that sounds. But of all the other musicals ever written, a big contender for the title of Best Ever is without doubt Guys and Dolls, which fills your heart with happiness and pathos non-stop for two and a half hours and is jam-packed with a score that soars.

Guys and Dolls 1982It’s based on the Broadway-based short stories of Damon Runyon and tells the tales of two ladies. Miss Adelaide is the star at the Hot Box revue and has been engaged to Nathan for fourteen years. Unsurprisingly, she’s getting a bit fed up of her status, which has brought on psychosomatic sniffles. Nathan’s a bit of a lazy so-and-so and just makes his money from organising floating crap games – and although he’s promised Miss Adelaide that he’s stopped this reckless and illegal way of making a living, he hasn’t. Sister Sarah Brown is a prim but kind-hearted Salvationist at the Save A Soul Mission. If she doesn’t get more sinners to attend her meetings, the mission is going to get closed down. Enter inveterate gambler (and charmer) Sky Masterson, who wins a bet and the lady’s heart even though he’s not at all the kind of guy she’d imagined she’d want. Do Miss Adelaide and Nathan eventually get married? Does Sky arrange for all the local gamblers to attend the prayer meeting and convince Sarah that he’s the right guy for her? Of course they do!

The Oldest EstablishedAlthough it is undoubtedly a top-notch show, it’s not perfect – it breaks the Chrisparkle Cardinal Rule for a great musical, which is that every song must move the story or character development forward. There’s nothing worse than a musical where you have plot development then stop for a song, then more plot development, then stop for a song, and so on ad nauseam, mentioning no names (42nd Street). Guys and Dolls has two songs that are simply excuses for Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box girls to show us what they’re made of – the rather silly Bushel and a Peck, and the utterly brilliant Take Back Your Mink. They’re nothing more than dramatic interludes, but I break my Cardinal Rule and forgive them for that, due to the sheer entertainment value. There are also two sequences that seem rather dated today but fit perfectly to the “standard musical formula” of the time – this was written in 1950 – the ubiquitous musical ballet sequences. Think Oklahoma’s Dream Ballet or Carousel’s Billy Makes a Journey. However, they do have a purpose. The Havana sequence allows us to see Sarah Brown let her hair down, and the Crap Shooters’ Ballet serves as a lively aperitif to – indeed almost an extension of – Luck Be A Lady.

Take Back Your MinkChichester’s production of Guys and Dolls is a spectacular success. Beautiful to look at, thrilling to hear, and with some sensational performances that really take your breath away. Every department – lighting, sound, costume, choreography – excels. This was only the second time in all my years of theatregoing that I’ve seen this show – and it was Mrs Chrisparkle’s first. I remember with huge affection the National Theatre’s amazing production that I saw at a preview performance on 4th March 1982, starring a most glorious cast. I know it’s rude to compare, but it’s my blog and I’ll compare if I want to. Sadly, I may have to use the phrase “the late great” a few times in this paragraph. Miss Adelaide was played by Julia McKenzie, absolutely at the top of her musical skills and she was fantastic. Big Jule and NathanFor Nathan Detroit we had none other than the late great Bob Hoskins, and you can just imagine how much characterisation he gave it. Sarah Brown was the wonderful Julie Covington, who put such sincere expression into every scene, and Sky Masterson was the late great Ian Charleson – if only he had lived he would have undoubtedly been one of the greatest ever actors. Even dropping down the cast list there were some incredible names – Nicely-Nicely Johnson was the late great David Healy, beaming with happiness and brilliant throughout. Benny Southstreet was Northern Broadsides’ very own Barrie Rutter; Arvide Abernathy the late great John Normington; Harry the Horse was the amazing Bill Paterson; Brannigan was the late great Harry Towb; and Mimi in the chorus was played by someone called Imelda Staunton. With the help of a superb cast album, so much of that production is alive in my mind as if it were yesterday. So this Chichester revival had a lot to live up to – but without question it achieves it.

Sky and the gangSophie Thompson plays Miss Adelaide like she’s been waiting all her life to do it. I’ve only seen her once before, in Clybourne Park, where she gave a fantastic performance. But her Miss Adelaide is just wonderful. Delivering all the sadness as well as the humour in the brilliant Adelaide’s Lament, timing it to perfection with some daringly long pauses as you see the truth of her situation slowly occurring to her. There is an element of caricature to her performance, but then there’s more than an element of caricature about the whole character of Miss Adelaide, and it’s a perfect fit. She’s vivacious in the Hot Box songs, moving and funny in her arguments with Nathan, and just sublime with Sarah in Marry The Man Today. Quite simply a star performance.

Sit DownPeter Polycarpou plays Nathan Detroit with a downtrodden, can’t-ever-win attitude, which really emphasises the humour of his situation and character. He’s got natural stage authority and is a superb singer. His is a very different Nathan from Bob Hoskins’, who was more cheeky and chancy; Mr Polycarpou’s Nathan is quieter and wiser – less caricature, more real. As Sarah Brown, Clare Foster is a revelation, with an incredible vocal range and she switches from the prim and proper Sarah to the letting-her-hair-down Sarah really convincingly. I’d forgotten that we’d also seen her in Merrily We Roll Along, where she was extremely good, but here in Guys and Dolls, her performance is an absolute stunner. I was also very impressed with the way she kept up with the other sensational dancers in the Havana scene – choreographer Carlos Acosta couldn’t be a more appropriate choice. And Sky Masterson is played by the excellent Jamie Parker, who’s always rewarding to watch, and is perfect casting for this charismatic and enigmatic character.

Sarah and SkyThe biggest number of course comes from Nicely-Nicely Johnson leading the sinners in the rousing Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat. Harry Morrison gives it great attack and comic vitality, and sends it as way over the top as it can be, which is perfect for this tongue-in-cheek homage to being good without being godly. It went down a storm, as it always does. However, I was reminded of the 1982 version, which David Healy and the whole ensemble delivered so magnificently, that it literally stopped the show. Harry Towb came on as Brannigan to deliver his next line that moves us on from the song, and he waited, and he waited, but the audience wouldn’t let up with its noisy delighted applause, and in the end he threw up his hands and went off again while they all did a full encore. That was a theatrical magic moment. But comparisons are indeed odious, and that takes nothing away from Mr Morrison’s tremendous performance. He also does a fantastic job, with Ian Hughes as Benny, with the song Guys and Dolls, a really lively, funny, and engaging rendition of that number.

Marry the Man todayI loved Neil McCaul’s robust delivery of More I Cannot Wish You, very different from John Normington’s more sentimental delivery – I think I preferred Mr McCaul’s interpretation. And he gets a round of applause for his killer exit line. Very pleased to see him on stage again, I’ve not seen him since “Privates on Parade” in 1978. Nick Wilton (hilarious in the Menier’s Two into One earlier this year) is a wonderfully gruff gangster of a Harry The Horse, Nic Greenshields an amusingly imposing Big Jule, and the chorus ensemble are all just superb. As for the band, we had absolutely no choice but to stay behind to hear them finish their outro at the end of the show. Fantastic!

It’s a bit of a cliché to say that it would be a travesty if this doesn’t transfer, but, there, I’ve said it. If you were lucky enough to get to see it – wasn’t it great? If you didn’t see it – I bet you’re kicking yourself now.


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The Devil wears Prada, uh,Kasia

What an afternoon.

Devil dog , aka Kasia, caught her right rear paw and ripped her piggie toe nail off.

Blood? Yup.
Tons of blood? Yup.
Scared dog? Yup,

Finally after 40 minutes at the vet , aka $125, we had No Elizabethan collar, but a triple wrapped paw,a shot of Valium ** for Kasia, not me** and 5 days of amoxicillin .

Here’s hoping for some good sleep for the girl!

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The Scrubba Blog

2019 Gift Guide for the Outdoor Enthusiast in your life

by Sarah Home |

Each year it seems to get harder and harder to find the perfect Christmas gift for our adventure-loving friends and family! Does the thought of spending hours brainstorming and trawling through the shops leave you feeling a little overwhelmed? Fear not, Scrubba is here to help! We've narrowed it down to ten awesome gear picks that'll be sure to put a smile on the face of the outdoor enthusiasts in your life this Christmas.

Read more →

Tags: adventure, camping, Camping products, gift guide, hiking, outdoor enthusiasts, portable washing machine, scrubba wash bag mini, ultralight hiking

The Ultimate Packing List and Tips

by Natalie Simpson |

Here at Scrubba we're put together the ultimate, and we mean ULTIMATE, packing list and tips with the help of a few of our favourite travel bloggers. We've covered everything from, a curated packing list, managing your money while travelling, how to pack efficiently, our favourite travel tech and accessories and a few helpful questions to ask yourself before, during and after your packing process. Hopefully we can make the dreaded task of packing a whole lot easier.

Read more →

Tags: adventure, airline baggage, airport, backpack, backpacking, bag, best tech for travel, camp, camping, carryon, clean, clean water, clothes, clothing, destinations, easy, eco-friendly, gift guide, globetrotting, green travel, holiday, holidays, laundry, light, luggage, maldives, pack, pack light, packing, packing light, packing list, portable washing machine, public transport, safe, safe water, save money, Scrubba, Scrubba air sleeve, Scrubba bag, scrubba stealth pack, scrubba wash bag, Scrubba weightless wallet, temple, The Scrubba wash bag, top tips, travel, travel clean, travel laundry, travel light, travel tips, traveler, trip, vacation, wash, wash bag, washing on the go, water, weight restrictions, what to pack


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Tips to Making the Perfect Green Smoothie

Hey Everyone!  My family knows that I am regularly making green smoothies for breakfast, snack, and sometimes dinner.  Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, a green smoothie is always a delightful meal!

For you green smoothie-makin’ newbies out there, the key is to make the smoothie just right (not too watery and not too chunky).  So why would anyone want to make a smoothie their meal?  Ummmmm, because it’s delicious.  OH, and it’s nutritious.

Green smoothies are slightly different from green juices, which I love too, in that they maintain more fiber from the fruits and veggies you blend up.  Smoothies can easily sustain you from one meal to the next if you make them correctly.

So here are some tips to making the meanest green smoothie:

  1. Important ingredients to have in stock: power blend greens (kale/romaine/spinach/etc)+banana (before they get too spotted)+berries+fruits+nut milk+nut butters+ice+cinnamon+a good protein powder (I like Sunwarrior blends)+superfoods.  Then, if you prefer a topping on your smoothie, you can grab organic granola, coconut shreds, or hemp seeds.
  2. Portions & Ratios:  I’d go for a serving of fruit and a serving of greens, 4-6 oz. of nut milk, and another 2 oz. of filtered water and ice.  If you want your smoothie to be more green, just add a small handful of greens in addition.  If you want a more fruity flavor, consider adding a 1/2 cup of fruit in addition.  Having a healthy fat like the nut butter/nut milk will help keep you feeling fuller longer.
  3. Combos to Consider:  I recommend mixing up your smoothies so that you’re drinking the same combination of ingredients every day.  Tap into your intuition and listen to what you’re in the mood for.  One of my favs is:  1/2 frozen banana, large handful of power blend greens, 1/2 tablespoon nut butter, handful of blueberries, 1 teaspoon of flaxseed or chia, scoop of vegan chocolate protein powder.  And if I’m feeling really adventurous, I’ll add a drip of mint extract in!
  4. Change it Up:  While I do tend to have the same smoothies more or less on a daily basis, I do try to change it up from time to time to give my body (and my tastebuds) a new experience!  I recommend buying organic fruits that are in season and creating different combos.  Some will work great, others may not.  Half the fun is in the experiment!  Recently I tried using coconut milk instead of almond milk and it gave the smoothie a nice, rich and round flavor!  If you want to add some electrolytes to your smoothie, grab some pure coconut water to add in there!
  5. Ramp up the superfoods: You heard me mention chia seed and flaxseed.  Those are only two of the many superfoods you can add to your smoothie.  Consider grabbing some goji berries, a greenfood source like spirulina or chlorella, or maca powder! For you chocolate lovers out there, maybe you’ll want to try raw cacao powder!superfoods
  6. Keep it simple: While I know it’s tempting to throw all these delicious ingredients into one smoothie, I’d advise against it.  Usually, that’s a recipe for disaster and ends up disappointing you in the deliciousness realm.  Keep it simple and refer back to the ratios I suggested.
  7. Go nuts: While nuts are given a bad rap for being calorically dense, they have a great place in smoothies!  You don’t need to go crazy adding nuts to your smoothie, but aim for about a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter.  Can’t have nuts? No problem!  Consider adding 1/2 an avocado in its place.  Nuts add a nice creamy texture to any smoothie and they also give you a healthy fat and protein for your day.
  8. Drink it or eat it: The fun part about smoothies is that you can drink it from a cup or eat it from a bowl.  Ever heard of a smoothie bowl?  If you’re adding toppings such as granola, it might be easier to pour your smoothie into a bowl and then top it off with your favorite ingredient.  Next, grab a spoon and get in there!smoothie bowls for beginners
  9. Blend thoroughly: I recently was gifted a Vitamix which is ahhhhh-mazing, but that’s not in everyone’s budget.  It wasn’t in mine, hence why it was a game-changing gift!  A standard blender or the Nutri-Bullet work just find when making smoothies.  The key is to blend all of the ingredients thoroughly.  Don’t rush this process.  Play around with your smoothie’s consistency until you get it to your desired liking (add liquid, ice, fruit, etc).  Soon you’ll know exactly what you like and how you like it!
  10. Don’t judge the color: Some of my smoothies didn’t exactly look like the way I pictured them.  Especially once I added the protein powder, my beautiful green smoothie became a mucky brownish color.  Don’t let that fool you – the deliciousness was all still there!

And there you have it my friends – a simple guide to making the meanest (yet friendliest) green smoothie! Now here is to your Happy Blending!

* Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that I have experienced all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
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Be an early bird and save

Book direct for the lowest available inclusive rate for Spring or Summer 2020.

Steal a march on everyone else and book direct with us before 31st March 2020 to get the best available Spring and Summer room rates.

Stay 2 nights for just £318.00 per couple including Dinner, Bed & Breakfast – that’s just £79.50 per person per night.

This Early Bird offer applies to stays in the main house (Cosy or Superior rooms) from 1st April to 31st August 2020.

Upgrades available for a luxury antique master four poster bed.

Terms and conditions: Minimum 2 night stay between 1st April and 31st August 2020. Rooms must be booked before 31st March 2020. This Early Bird rate is for a minimum of two nights and includes Dinner, Bed & Breakfast and VAT. Full non-refundable deposit to be paid at the time of booking. In the event of a cancellation guests are advised to protect their deposit by taking out an insurance policy. Reservations may be transferrable subject to availability at the time of enquiry and the discretion of the hotel management.

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Michelle McManus: Pop Goes The Idol

Back by popular demand, presenter and singer Michelle’s brand new show, co-written with Bruce Devlin, tells the next instalment in the Glasgow based life of a glittering global megastar.

From treading the SECC boards with The Hoff, opening Lidl in Rutherglen, to that one man who clapped her rendition of My Way in a Sauchiehall Street karaoke bar, Michelle has seen and done it all.

A hilarious evening with music you simply won’t want to miss.

'A very, very good comedian…. the new queen of the one woman show' (Daily Record).

Booking Fees

Please note that all debit and credit card transactions are subject to a 80p booking fee per ticket for advance bookings online or by phone. This is capped at a maximum of £4.80 per transaction. Accepted payment methods are Visa, Mastercard, Maestro. We do not accept American Express. Please note this is a booking fee and not a surcharge. There is no booking fee applicable for in person sales made by debit, credit card or cash transactions. A maximum of 6 tickets can be purchased in one transaction online per event date. If you wish to make a larger booking, please contact our box office by phone or email

Postage & Collection
Postage is available on most show dates for an additional £2 per transaction and tickets are sent standard delivery, 2nd class. Postage is available for UK delivery only. Tickets can also be selected to be collected at one of our box offices free of charge.
Some productions will not allow postage and tickets will be available to collect at the venue door with valid proof of ID. Please check your booking confirmation and ticket reminders.
Once a delivery or collection method is selected, it cannot be changed.

Arrive Early for Seating
Tickets for the majority of our shows can be collected at the venue door upon entry however we would still advise arriving a little in advance of our door opening time. This allows you to join a queue as all venues are general admission and a mixture of seating and standing room. This is especially true for Edinburgh and Newcastle if you aim to eat in our clubs as seating with tables tend to be taken quite quickly and we can’t allocate or reserve seating in advance for that purpose.

For Edinburgh Fringe dates during August, we advise you arrive at least 30 minutes before doors open for your selected shows to collect your festival tickets. This allows you to join a queue as all venues are general admission. All venues are seated apart from Stand 1 which is seating and standing room. There is no food service during Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

A concession rate ticket applies to 60+, Students, unemployed, benefit recipients with proof of ID upon collection.

The Stand also allow carers to go free – please just call our box office for further information an to confirm your booking.

Guaranteed refunds must be requested 24 hours before the  door opening time by contacting our  box office during office hours or by emailing

Refund requests after this stage are at the discretion of the company and promoters however we will always try to help our customers if we have the opportunity to sell the tickets on.

Accepted refunds will be made for the ticket sale amount and will not include booking or postage fees unless there is company fault.

If a member of your party has an access requirements as part of your booking, please contact our box office or email

Carers go free in our venues, so best to make your booking with us by phone or in person. Please book in advance for these tickets as we have limited access bookings per venue and show due to listed buildings fire regulations.
Check our FAQ [hyperlink] for further information or have a look at our Virtual Venue Tours to ensure our venue is suitable for your visit.

Our box office team will always endeavour to be as helpful and understanding as possible.

We hope you enjoy the show!

Event Details

  • Date
    02 Aug - 25 Aug
  • Venue
    The Stand - 3
  • Price
  • Duration
    60 mins
  • Age
    14 And Above (14+)
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      The Best of Scottish Comedy 2019

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          The Best of Irish Comedy 2019

            The Stand's Pick of the Fringe 2019


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Nicest man in Britain does a good deed every day to inspire decency

Yeah dece

Meet the nice guy who finishes last and gives out his drizzle cakes to strangers — he’s nicknamed the kindest man in Britain.

Polite Luke Cameron, 26, set himself the challenge of doing one good deed every day for a year, like giving his clothes to the homeless and telling his colleagues they look nice even if they don’t.

The gentle Royal Holloway grad posts each act of kindness on his blog, The Good Deed Diary, recording simple gestures such as paying for someone’s McDonald’s drive-thru and helping friends move house.

Decent Luke started his challenge after he lost family friend Maura to cancer last year.

He said: “Maura was incredible. She would give her last pound to someone.

“She inspired me to be better. What I’m doing is in her memory.”

From 1st January this year, Luke decided to do a good deed every day to inspire others.

He buys food for the homeless and roses for his mates who just broke up with their girlfriends.

Luke has left £20 notes between cans of beans in the supermarket and once baked orange and chocolate cookies for his colleagues working on a Sunday.

He said: “This year has been crazy.

“It’s amazing to have so many people believing in what I do. I get so many emails from people saying they’ve been inspired.

“That’s the ripple effect I wanted and it amazes me every day.”

On Christmas day, he plans to work in a soup kitchen and cook a big dinner for his friends.

He added: “Sometimes it’s hard to find good deeds. I spend so much time on YouTube and blogs to research what I should do next.

“I don’t always plan in advance, I live in the moment.”

Warm-hearted Luke estimates he has spent between £3000 and £4000 on his good deeds.

His favourite deed was buying a young girl KFC.

He said: “I bought a mum and her daughter a big family bucket, they were waiting in the queue behind me.

“She cried on me.”

Luke is due to start work as a philanthropist next year for a utilities company, which calls itself “the nicest job in the world”.

He added: “My career will be to help people.”


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I was going to call this More Things That Piss Me Off, but after reading Today’s Word with Joel Osteen about focusing on the blessings of each moment and not allowing the little things (translation: that which pisses me off) to steal today’s joy, I felt compelled to change my focus to reflect recent Discoveries for which I can find blessing.
Here they are, in no particular order:
Doing laundry.  Specifically, jeans/pants/leggings that are half inside out with the dirty underwear wrapped around the legs.  This is a rather fascinating phenomenon that shows no signs of abating.  I am learning about patience and developing better communication skills – since yelling at the offenders to. Stop. Doing. This. isn’t working.  Or perhaps, I will find myself not doing laundry anymore.  Bonus!
Clogged toilets.  There was a time in my life when a clogged toilet would introduce a near panic attack response for me.  Presently, every week there is at least one toilet in the house that requires my plunging skills.  But – not only do I remain calm and keep plunging… I have also learned how to plunge a toilet so that the contents do not splash out onto the floor, or my clothes.  I’d say this is quite an achievement.  And I am fine-tuning my research skills (I’m adding this to my resume) as I seek out answers to our ailing toilets, flushing features of new toilets, and bowel health remedies for the chief offender.
The dishwasher.  The control panel has gone wonky again.  Instead of getting pissed off, I have eagerly taken over the new task of handwashing dishes, and it takes me back to warm childhood memories of when dishwashers didn’t exist.  Todd and I – while we are still struggling to make decisions on where or what to eat (see We’re Not Healthy!) – are able to effectively decide together that buying a new dishwasher just doesn’t make sense right now.  We are a team! But wait – I’m not that frugal – I am still buying paper plates and plastic flatware.

Breast pain.  Not something the guys can relate to (sorry guys), but suffering through 2 weeks of breast tenderness every month is not for the faint of heart.  What should be sheer ecstasy – taking the bra off at the end of the day (again guys, you just can’t understand) – is more akin to having a bikini wax. (Not that I know anything about that.)  I am just so grateful I still have hormones that create said pain.  And I just love having a period too.  Makes me feel like a woman!

Weight gain.  Weight gain can drive anyone to the brink, myself included.  While I have watched the scale tipping higher and higher as my jeans get tighter and tighter, I have redirected my focus on the joy of new clothes’ shopping.  What better excuse for buying new clothes?  People have suggested that it’s the joy of being in love.  I’ll go with that.  But what’s better is learning to accept the bulge, eating better, and not wasting away in custody battleville.

Tenants.  Tenants have been the bane of my existence for the last 2 years.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t sign on to be a landlord of anythingwhen I married the love of my life.  And, while his vows are kinda fuzzy to me now, I’m positive he didn’t mention rehabilitating his house after Shit Storm Sally.  Really, this should be a separate post, and probably will be, but I have seen things I thought I would never see in a home I call my own.  And then there are the tenants still living in the garage apartment, who have violated every sacred code I have about respect for what is “borrowed.”  But, I am thankful they provide some degree of financial reward.  I am learning about the fine art of avoidance (don’t go outside when they are), and the fine art of “smile and wave” when you can’t say what’s really on your mind.  Plus, I believe in Karma. (That’s with a capital K.)

Common Core Math.  Because no piss-off list would be complete without it.  I tried to have an open mind about this new style of math, but as we go deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole, I’ve found myself kicking and screaming all the way, declaring this shit just plain stupid.  NOT a good example for my daughter.  In the words of Bugs Bunny, if you can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em.  I’m trying to learn.  It’s been a growing experience for someone who has hated math her whole life.
And finally… in honor of National Diabetes Awareness month…

Diabetes.  No, not your grandma’s diabetes.  Type ONE diabetes. Diabetes offers a daily menu of things to piss me off, from my daughter’s insulin-induced (or lack of thereof) mood swings, to her wildly changing blood sugar readings just when you’ve got things under control, to the unrelenting public misconceptions of what she can or cannot eat, how it differs from Type 2, and how to “really” cure it.  Her diabetes has taught me a great deal about patience, perseverance, eating well, the very fiber of a person’s character, and how to educate others on the realities of this horrific disease.  It has also connected me with so many people I would never have known, and am grateful for.


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The Macular Society launched its inaugural Macular Week in 2015, and due to its role as a charity partner of Vision Express, The Tonic Communications was engaged to raise awareness of macular degeneration, the key risk factors and how the condition can be managed.

The regional PR strategy incorporating identifying members of the Macular Society who were personally affected, and matching them to Vision Express stores based nearby. The charity ‘ambassadors’ were invited as special guests to stores for a ‘Tea for MD’ event, with their experiences pitched to local media and photocalls set up using an over-sized pair of yellow sunglasses.

The Tonic was involved in ambassador liaison, exercising diplomacy and showing sensitivity to the needs of the visually-impaired people who had volunteered their time and support. Information about macular disease, symptoms and consumer tips on how to prevent the condition were developed into a package for media and results included over 25 articles generated, reaching almost 100,000. The activity has formed part of a number of national award entries which have secure shortlist spots, including the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards (Sustainability and CSR) and Retail Week Awards (Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year).

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Darren HarrisJoules


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New Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby – March Book of the Month

In 1992, Margaret Busby compiled a pioneering work of literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African Diaspora. The book clocked in at over 1000 pages of fiction, essays, poetry, drama, memoirs and children’s writing, and is widely regarded as an essential volume. This March, the month of Women’s History no less, Myriad Editions are set to release a follow-up: New Daughters of Africa. Naturally, it is our next Book of the Month. How could it not be?

New Daughters of Africa, once again compiled by Margaret Busby in a gargantuan editorial feat, showcases the creativity and achievements of contributors including Roxane Gay, Zadie Smith, and Diane Abbott. It is a behemoth of thought and reflection, exploring sisterhood, tradition, romance, race and identity – individually, and at large.

The importance of the initial publication of Daughters of Africa cannot be overstated, and New Daughters of Africa is just as significant. Last month Margaret Busby and Myriad Editions announced the £20,000 Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award in celebration of the book’s publication and the significance of the contributors’ achievements. The award will cover tuition and accommodation costs for black, female students ordinarily resident in Africa to study at SOAS University of London.

Of course, it’s not just us who think so highly of New Daughters of Africa. Already, critics and publications are acknowledging the power of the work;

“Each of the pieces in this remarkable collection demonstrates an uplifting sense of sisterhood, honours the strong links that endure from generation to generation, and addresses the common obstacles women writers of colour face as they negotiate issues of race, gender and class, and confront vital matters of independence, freedom and oppression.” – Ninja Book Box

New Daughters of Africa brings together the work of a new generation of female writers of African descent… there’s no doubt that it magnificently achieves its aim of honouring a unified heritage while showing the remarkable range of creativity from the African diaspora.”
The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice

New Daughters of Africa illuminates the richness and cultural history of this original continent and its enduring influence, while reflecting our own lives and issues today. Bold and insightful, brilliant in its intimacy and universality, this essential volume honours the talents of African daughters and the inspiring legacy that connects them – and all of us.”
New Beacon Books

New Daughters of Africa is published by Myriad Editions on 7th March
(9781912408009, h/b, £30)

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Blog -

The Secrets of a Successful Event

I may well have mentioned this before, but I think it’s worth talking about again as it’s so important -

The secret of success in teaching, or indeed any form of event.

I was at the Winchester Writers’ Festival last weekend, and had a quite delightful time.

Everyone who came on my courses was kind enough to say they enjoyed them, learnt a lot, and thought they went well.

So, why?

It all comes down to three P's -

First of all, preparation.

I started getting the courses ready around Christmas time, giving me a modest six months lead in.

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The Secret Weapon

Writing can be a lonely business.

Not to mention demotivating, when - as sometimes happens - the words won't come, not to mention the ideas, energy or faith.

There is a secret weapon to splat the darkness of those doubts in a pure comic book instant kapow! moment.

Festivals, fairs and gatherings! Like the wonderful Winchester Writers' Festival, from which I have just returned, a little jaded, but utterly uplifted.

What a weekend. A mere blog couldn't capture it - I'd need books, and neither of us, you nor I, have the time, but in summary -

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No Man Left Behind

This is a tough blog to write, because, to be frank, I’m not sure I’ve got the words to do the subject justice.

But I’ll give it a try, as it’s such an important issue.

We’ve all used the words touched, moved and humbled for remarkable experiences, but this week I got absolutely swept up, crashed down, and emotionally spun dried.

I went to an event called No Man Left Behind, which was about mental health amongst men.

As you no doubt know, there’s a big issue with this, with suicide rates – particularly among younger men – worryingly high, and a sadly enduring inability to talk honestly about our feelings.

But not this night. We heard from four speakers, all of whom had stared into the darkness and contemplated stepping into the abyss.

There was an audience of about 40 men, many of whom started to share their feelings as the sense of understanding and empathy spread.

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The Best of Bosses, The Worst of Bosses

Since moving to Cambridge, I've had a new boss.

And this guy is both the best and worst I've ever known. So demanding, but capable of great understanding, too.

Yep, you got it. The new boss is myself. And it's been fascinating finding out more about him.

He can be mean to the extent that he sometimes leaves me groaning. For example -

I'm teaching a course on how to deal with pressure in two weeks' time. It's one I've done before, and it went well enough.

But the boss, being the guy he is, insisted I looked at it again, to see how it could be improved.

And darn it, I found a few ways. Which meant, naturally, that the course had to be re-written.

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Blog archive


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All of us at YEU are concerned for the privacy of YG employees and the protection of their personal & private medical history.

Sometimes workers must provide their employer with medical information to access a workplace accommodation or receive benefits. The right to privacy is quasi-constitutional, meaning it can’t be set aside or trumped by other policies or rules, so any exceptions to that right must serve a legitimate purpose. Any information shared has to be handled with extreme caution. An employee’s medical condition must have a genuine impact on their work, affecting attendance or creating performance issues. Without a significant impact, the employer does not have a right to medical information- period.

Employees seeking a medical accommodation are obliged to provide some information to the employer; we don’t dispute that. The information must be limited to prognosis and limitations or restrictions that would affect your ability to perform your job. Often though, there is uncertainty about what the employer is entitled to, and how they should be using and protecting this information. Your diagnosis is your business, not your employer’s. Requests for information or history beyond what is genuinely needed are invasive;  employees can never be sure who will see their private information once it has been provided.

We know of many instances where the Yukon government has collected extensive medical information on employees, far beyond what is required to access benefits or develop an accommodation plan. In several cases, information about other family members has been collected and shared – clearly without their knowledge or consent. Over time, these reports have been copied, e-mailed and viewed by many people in various government departments as well as other service providers.

This should never be allowed to happen; it can be very distressing for the workers involved, and is a significant concern for the union. Many employees do not ask for the union’s help at the beginning of the accommodation process, and end up providing a lot of unnecessary and deeply personal information to their employer.

An employee should share medical information only when absolutely necessary, and only the information absolutely required to reach an accommodation. Any general requests for medical records should be refused. The employee should also refuse to authorize any employer representative to speak with their doctor directly. A reasonable alternative is to have the employer write their questions out so that the employee can discuss it with their doctor and consent to specific disclosure.

YEU has asked the Privacy Commissioner to examine Government of Yukon’s processes around collecting, using, sharing and retaining medical information related to the disability management and accommodation process. In the meantime, we can help employees navigate the inquiry and accommodation processes and support employees in protecting their privacy.

Employees should contact YEU before agreeing to share any medical information. Call 667-2331

Creating Community Guidelines for Union Social Media Groups

Does your Local have a Facebook page? Perhaps a small group of workers have created a closed group where they hope they can chat more freely in a private setting?

It is very important that the group or page administrators create and enforce community conduct guidelines for everyone’s protection.  Nothing on Facebook (or anywhere online) is truly private or safe from sharing, no matter how tightly you try to regulate the participants or the posts of its members.

How can something posted in a private, closed group make its way outside the group? Screenshots are the most common, but even photos with closed sharing restrictions can be downloaded or saved, and shared as easily as any other picture. Online activity may be grounds for dismissal so guidelines and their consistent enforcement are critical.

Here are some considerations when creating your guidelines:

  • Define the purpose of the page or group clearly in a post pinned to the top of the feed.
  • Make sure everyone knows who the page administrators are: provide easy contact info and be quick to respond to private messages flagging risky content. Ask members of the group or page to look out for each other online; if someone sees a questionable post, privately communicating with the poster (if possible) quickly can help minimize risk.
  • Make sure all group/page members know what to expect. If you intend to remove posts, make sure you’re clear in the guidelines about what would trigger the deletion of problem content.

What is problem content?

  • Profanity, offensive or violent language, defamatory comments about individuals or the employer.
  • Trolling; intentionally disrupting or hijacking conversations with abusive talk or off-topic comments.
  • Threats, threatening language, harassing or attacking comments directed at individuals or groups (again, including the employer or manager).
  • Discriminatory statements relating to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or political beliefs, ability etc.
  • Sexually explicit material or links to sexually explicit material, sexual comments or innuendo.
  • Discussion of illegal activity.
  • Spam etc.
  • Discussion of confidential information relating to a client, patient, co-worker, student etc.
  • Disclosure of business information you should reasonably expect to be confidential or proprietary relating to your employer or place of employment.

Consider who will take over management of the group or page if the original administrators leave, move away etc. An unmonitored page is both a wasted opportunity to communicate and a risk. No matter what guidelines are in place, some people will not play nicely. Be prepared to take action in case of inappropriate activity on the page or within the group. It’s a matter of protection for all who participate in the online community.

Community Guideline Examples:

YEU Shop Steward’s Network is a closed Facebook group for our elected Stewards. Here are the guidelines we have posted for that group:

This group allows YEU/PSAC Shop Stewards an opportunity to access information specific to the Steward role. This is a good place to share ideas and thoughts with your fellow Stewards to strengthen and support the work.

NOTE: This is not the place to post specific details of ANY grievance or member conversation, confidential information etc. Please make sure you maintain your Oath of Confidentiality in all communications, online and in person.

2 Questions to ask yourself before you post:

  • Does it build Solidarity?
  • Is it respectful?

If the answer to either question is ‘No’, please think of another way to phrase your post that supports the above 2 questions.

Posts may be removed if they are contrary to the spirit of these guidelines.

Members may be removed from the group if they consistently post in such a way.

If you have any questions about the administration of this private group, please contact YEU’s Communications Officer or Shop Steward Coordinator at 867-667-2331.


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Friedman’s Presidential Address in the Evolution of Macroeconomic Thought

 By Marco Albori (Economics ’18)

Summary of Gregory Mankiw and Ricardo Reis:                                                                      “Friedman’s Presidential Address in the Evolution of Macroeconomic Thought”

Fifty years ago Milton Friedman delivered his presidential address [1] to the American Economic Association. His speech is the third most-cited presidential address, preceded only by those of Kuznets [2] and Schultz [3], with more than 7500 citations. Why has it been so influential? Friedman stressed his opinion, built over years of study of monetary theory and history, distinguishing what monetary policy could and could not do. In less than 17 pages, with a simple writing not common to most of economic papers, without any equation or complicated model, he challenged the mainstream thought, opening a new era in macroeconomic research.

In occasion of this anniversary, Gregor Mankiw and Ricardo Reis explore the state of the art at that time, the main points of the address and the consequences it had not only on the field but most importantly on policy in a recent paper, “Friedman’s Presidential Address in the Evolution of Macroeconomic Though”, published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.

Looking back at the beginning of the 60s, the mainstream thought in macroeconomics was the Keynesian one, based on Hicks and Hansen’s simplification of the general theory: the IS-LM model as a building block, accompanied by the belief that the Phillips curve was an actual instrument in the toolkit of policymakers and finally that the long-run behaviour of the economy was the results of the sum of Keynesian short runs. The Keynesian approach to the short and medium run, corrected with the advance made by theorists, is still the starting point of any introductory course on macro, while most of students are initiated to long-run theory through the Solow growth model.

On the contrary of Keynes, Friedman was  convinced that the long-run is the realm of classical economics and thus monetary policy, being neutral, cannot do anything to change real variable like the natural rate of unemployment which is pinned down by the characteristics of the market structure. Moreover, according to his view, the trade-off between inflation and unemployment is always necessarily temporary, as expectations evolve through time, frustrating central bank’s attempts. Milton Friedman’s definition of long-run was indeed the time horizon over which people become informed and align their expectations to the reality. The ground for the rational expectations revolution (and later the development of the RBC model) had been put in place, even though Friedman thought expectations were slow to adapt, sluggish rather than rational.

Following Friedman’s reasoning, central banks cannot take advantage of the Phillips curve infinitely to control real variables in the long run, as it will eventually disappear as expectations adjusts (it should be stressed that he did not consider feedbacks between inflation and unemployment in a fashion like the modern Taylor rule). Notwithstanding this view, and the fact that monetary policy is not timely but takes time to exert its effects, he was not a complete advocate of passive policy, as he believed that monetary policy and credit policy could be used to offset disturbances caused by other sources like fiscal policy (yes, he considered fiscal policy a disturbance, didn’t you know?). He finally proposed to use the rate of growth of some monetary aggregate as the baseline instrument of monetary policy, ruling out the exchange rate and the interest rate instead.

But decades have passed, and nowadays monetary policy could not be more different than that simple rule, with balance sheet policy, fine tuning operations and unconventional “weapons” used by central banks all around the world to cope with the crisis and impaired transmission mechanisms. Monetary policy today is mostly based on the interest rate instead, given its central role in asset pricing and as a driver of investment and saving decisions, and the paper explains the role of monetary policy today, digging into the current ideas which Friedman would have agreed with as well as those he would have opposed. Just to cite one, Galí and Gertler [4] point out the “significant role of expectations” in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy (which Friedman would be totally fine with), as opposed to “the importance for the central bank of tracking the flexible price equilibrium values of the natural levels of output and the real interest rate” which fosters the monetary policy activism criticized by the Nobel prize laureate.

The final section of the paper illustrates the “road ahead” and current research themes (and associated real world problems) which relate to Friedman’s theories. First, the natural rate hypothesis clashes against the stagnation affecting our economies, with the latter opening both to the competing views of hysteresis and shortage of aggregate demand. Second, the Philipps curve is still alive as a synonym of nominal rigidities and investigation of price and wage setting flourishes as that on expectations, recently driven by progresses in surveys and experimental/behavioural economics.

On the policy side, the effects of massive central banks interventions on the potential of fiscal authorities and their constraint and vice versa ask for a compelling understanding, as well as the role of liquidity in financial markets, the potential of macroprudential policy and finally the effectiveness of macroeconomic policy at the zero lower bound. As a matter of fact Friedman did not discuss the last two, which are today central issues in macroeconomic policy: the view that monetary policy could be ineffective and different instruments are needed as the interest rate approaches zero was Keynesian, and he did not reserved a role in macroprudential regulation to central banks. On the contrary, today it is recognized that monetary authorities should pay attention to credit variables as they are related to potential risks for financial stability and crises and ultimately to the potential functioning of the transmission mechanisms of monetary policy, in good and bad times.

Concluding, Mankiw and Reis article on the Journal is accompanied by two other related essays  “Should we reject the natural rate hypothesis?” by Blanchard and “Short-Run and Long-Run effects of Milton Friedman’s Presidential Address” by Hall and Sargent, which further contribute to the discussion surrounding Milton Friedman’s inheritance.

[2] “Economic Growth and Income Inequality”, The American Economic Review, 1955

[3] “Investment in Human Capital”, The American Economic Review, 1961

[4] “Macroeconomic Modelling for Monetary Policy Evaluation.”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2007

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Cuba’s Tipping Point

The US embargo has not yet fallen, but the island is already changing

Photograph of Cuba by Harley Rustad
Photograph of Cuba by Harley Rustad

The taxi twists and turns through the cobblestone lanes of Havana’s old town. I can barely see the road out in front as I sink deeper into the black leather seat, soft and worn from decades of passengers.

Año? ” I ask, tapping the dash.

Cincuenta y siete,” the driver says. He rubs the spot on the dash where I just touched as if he’s wiping away a greasy fingerprint. With a few more turns of his maroon beast—a ’57 Chevy coupe—we’re out onto the Malecon, the eight-kilometre causeway that separates city from sea. The air is warm, salty. The car shudders as we gain speed. He presses a button on the radio: definitely not the Buena Vista Social Club. We pass an immaculate pink-and-white Ford, a blue Studebaker, then a red Buick convertible—all from the ’50s. The cars are as iconic to Cuba as a portrait of Che Guevara or a bust of José Martí. They are the country’s past, relics of its pre-revolution, pre-economic embargo history, maintained and restored out of necessity rather than desire. But these cars also represent Cuba’s future, and the change that those off the island have been expecting for decades.

The widely held presumption is that the Cuba we have known for a half-century will vanish once the US economic embargo falls. That feels finally on the horizon, with Barack Obama calling for “serious debate about lifting the embargo” late last year. Cuba could be opened for the first time since 1960. The classic cars will be bought off and replaced with modern ones. The colonial buildings will be torn down to make way for new development and hotels. The charm that has been preserved—whether intentionally or circumstantially—will fade.

Photograph of Cuba by Harley RustadHavana’s old town has a privately owned café or restaurant around every corner.

The taxi turns south off the Malecon, into the grid of Habana Centro, as the driver looks for my accommodation. The streets are rutted and the buildings scruffy, but crisp Cuban flags fly everywhere—draped out windows, dangling from a line across the street, hanging in shop windows. It’s nearly New Years—also Dia de la Liberacion, when the country celebrates Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries’ January 1, 1959 ouster of US-backed president Fulgencio Batista.

The driver drops me outside a blue door, where I’ve booked a room in a second-story colonial apartment. I ring the buzzer and a woman in her fifties opens up and welcomes me inside. Four years ago, Raul Castro, who took over the presidency from his ailing brother in 2008, introduced economic reforms that loosened regulations on private enterprise. Dozens of professions, including taxi driver and shop owner, were dropped from government control. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of self-employed Cubans held steady at around 150,000. Over the past four years of more open entrepreneurship, that number has soared to nearly half a million. For Cubans working in tourism, this meant owning a casa particular (i.e., renting rooms in your house or apartment to tourists) or a paladar (i.e., running a private restaurant) became easier and more profitable.

While the number of tourists in Cuba has steadily increased since 2009, the changes in regulations for entrepreneurs have created an economic climate where those who work in tourism are earning vastly more than those who do not. The latter are being left behind.

“We make more now,” says Antonio, my casa owner. (All names of Cuban citizens have been changed.) It’s the next morning. We’re sitting in the common living room, sipping coffee on couches covered in floral-patterned blankets. “The money is very important for my family. When we started, only a few [casas particulares]. But now there are hundreds in Havana. If [we are] full, I go to my neighbour.” He points out the window at two tourists sitting on a balcony across the street.

Antonio and his wife, Maria, renovated their apartment in 2012, building two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, and affixing the blue-and-white casa particular sign next to the buzzer at their front door. Within weeks, they were changing sheets, cooking breakfast, and watching their income grow exponentially.

A Cuban working a state job—including farmer, construction worker, and salesperson—earns around $25 per month. Antonio and Maria charge that much for one night’s stay in their casa. They will also cook you breakfast for an additional $4, or dinner for $7. Their monthly income is not just double or triple, or even five times more than the tobacco farmer in the countryside, as would be the case in several other countries around the world with strong tourist economies; it’s actually fifty to a hundred times more. In the 1950s, this kind of economic disparity was one of the driving forces that spurred revolution, when a small percentage of the Cuban population controlled the majority of the wealth.

Photograph of Cuba by Harley RustadNow housing Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and the Environment, El Capitolio is being restored to seat the National Assembly.

I take a walk through Habana Centro towards El Capitolio—Cuba’s National Capitol Building that’s more than a little reminiscent of the US version in Washington, DC. There’s pride in the streets—and, perhaps more so than ever, optimism—days after Barack Obama and Raul Castro held simultaneous press conferences with pledges to reopen dialogue, reassess the embargo, and gradually remove travel restrictions.

Out of the 2.8 million tourists who visited Cuba in 2013, a full third were Canadian, while only approximately 98,000 were American. For each decade that Cuba has remained off limits to Americans, the island’s allure has only grown. As restrictions ease further, US tourists will undoubtedly flock in record numbers, bringing more CUCs (convertible pesos, the currency used predominantly by tourists to pay for accommodations, meals, tickets, and souvenirs) to the pockets of some.

I meet Ramon, a professor at the University of Habana, in leafy Parque Central one morning. He walks up and asks what I am reading in the Granma—the state-run newspaper named after the yacht Castro and company sailed from Mexico to Cuba in 1956. I’m not reading, rather picking out the odd word with my limited Spanish. He asks my job, and then launches into telling me his thoughts on the future of Cuban-US relations.

When I watched Raul on the television, I was very anxious. After he said that they will start a discussion with the Americans, I was shocked, surprised. Tremendously happy. We are so close. We should be neighbours. We should be partners. But there is so much tension . . . Before, many Americans came to Cuba. It was a favourite holiday for them. I hope they come back.

Born in Havana, Ramon has watched his city change for more than sixty years. On the surface, his country appears locked in a time warp, but underneath the people are starting to feel different to him. He’s positive about the change, but he’s hesitant too: “I’m worried because for many many decades Americans looked at Cuba as part of America,” he says. “We are so close and they may still want it.”

I ask Ramon what he expects for Cuba’s future. He says changes will come, as more tourist dollars flow in. He looks down the Paseo del Prado, the boulevard that divides the restored Habana Vieja and the ungroomed Habana Centro, pointing to the Hotel Inglaterra with its twenty-four, near-identical balconies that overlook the park. “Every room in Havana: full.”

Photograph of Cuba by Harley RustadFive months after the revolution, Castro’s government passed the Agrarian Reform Law, which limited the size of farms and redistributed larger plots.

By bus, it is less than half an hour from downtown Havana to farmland. The city ends; fields and forest takes over. After two more hours west, my bus drops me in Viñales—a leafy town surrounded by craggy karst hills called mogotes. The region is the epicentre of Cuba’s tobacco industry, with the finest leaves picked from the fincas (farms) of the island’s most westerly province.

The moment I step down from the bus, I am confronted by a half-dozen women shoving business cards in my face. After a furious scrum, each one breaks off to trot beside tourists down the street, extolling the virtues of her family’s casa particular. I head down a side street to see if I can spot a blue-and-white sign on my own. It’s the extreme high season, but my fears of having to hunt for a free room vanish when I notice that nearly every house in town offers tourist accommodations. The town now offers an estimated 400 casas particulares—exponentially more than only a few years ago.

I find one easily, tucked down a side street at the eastern edge of town, run by a family of ex-tobacco farmers. I ask the owners if they know anyone who can take me on a walking tour of the valleys. At 8 a.m. sharp the next morning, Juan, a wiry, thirty-year-old campesino who was born in Viñales, knocks on the door. Everything he’s wearing seems a bit too big for his frame: wide-brimmed hat, white collared shirt, brown-green pants. Even the knife dangling from his belt in a leather sheath looks like a machete. For four hours we walk though Valle Paradiso, me prodding with questions and him pointing out crops and explaining how tobacco is grown and harvested, then dried in thatched A-frame structures.

We head further up the valley, past fields of beans, tobacco plots, and the odd banana grove, until Juan asks me to stop. He spots a horse down the hill, pulling on a rope that’s staked into the ground. It’s not his horse, nor even a friend’s horse, but Juan scurries down the hill to move the stake and give the animal access to fresh grass. I ask Juan if the surrounding valleys have always produced enough food for the town, and he thinks back to when he was young. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he explains, Cuba was further cut off from resources. The country entered what Fidel Castro optimistically referred to as a “Special Period in Time of Peace,” but in reality was a decade of depression and famine. People starved, food was intensely rationed, and disposable income was scarce.

We pause to watch a line of men walk slowly across a field, bending down to dig a hole with their hands and plant six-inch tobacco seedlings. A man walks behind them with a hose, spraying water pumped from a nearby pond. Juan would be doing the same, tending another field, if he hadn’t agreed to take me on this walk to earn a few extra pesos. I ask how many tours he gives per week. One or two, he says, when the casa calls.

I had paid my casa owners around ten dollars in advance for this tour—in CUCs, the tourist currency. Likely, they are going to pay Juan in Cuban pesos (CUP), the currency used by most Cubans for everyday purchases. CUPs are valued around twenty-five per CUC. Of the money I spent, Juan will only get paid a small fraction.

As we walk back into town, our shoes covered in fine red dust, I ask if he will be free tomorrow for another walk through a different valley, and what would he charge. I hint, as subtly as I can, to circumvent my casa owners and pay him the full amount directly. He isn’t interested. He tells me to book through my casa and they’ll call him.

Why? He doesn’t know the owners very well, so there isn’t much loyalty. Why wouldn’t he cut out the middleman and earn, likely, ten or twenty times more? Is it a greater sense of community—socialismo in pure form—that keeps him thinking of the group rather than the individual?

Photograph of Cuba by Harley RustadCuba’s most iconic face, Ernesto “Che” Guevara is credited with transforming education on the island. Literacy rates soared from an estimated 60–77 percent before the revolution to 96 percent two years after.

For a decade I’ve been told to “visit Cuba before it changes”—before Fidel dies or before the economic embargo is taken down. Because after then, the Cuba that tourists have known and loved for fifty years will disappear. For centuries Cuba has fought outside forces: Spanish colonization, American pressure, further isolation after the Soviet Union dissolved. But now Cuba is facing an internal struggle that could divide a country that has followed a single socio-economic direction for half a century—with a proven example of revolution in its past.

The change that we’ve been expecting won’t come with the collapse of a wall and an instant flood of American businesses. It’s Cuban businesses that are redefining the country. Whether embraced by the casa particular owner or rejected by the tobacco farmer, Cuba has already changed—not by foreign hands but by progressive adjustments to restrictive policies that have come from within. The classic cars are still running, the colonial buildings are being restored rather than torn down, and there are only a few cranes on the Havana skyline—but Cuba is a radically different country than it was even a few years ago, despite the embargo at least symbolically holding firm. The change lies in a growing economic disparity between those on the take—those with access to CUCs through tourism—and those who are, and may always be, living in a world of CUPs.

During my last afternoon in Viñales, I sit in the town square watching the same group of women wait for the tourists from Havana to arrive. The women are chatting and laughing, but when the bus appears down the road, they jostle for best position before the door opens. With hundreds of casas in town, competition is fierce—but a small few have realized that you either get out and hustle, or remain where you are.

I’m watching them work the crowd—“beautiful valley views,” “home cooking,” “very peaceful and quiet”—when a man on a moped pulls up and parks in front of the bus. Something about his vehicle looks wrong: the gas tank is missing. Instead, he has wired a two-litre pop bottle, half full of yellowish fuel, upside down between the handlebars. A thin rubber tube connects bottlecap to carburetor.

However Cuba’s future unfolds, the country will—as it always has—adapt.

Harley Rustad
Harley Rustad is a features editor at The Walrus and author of Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada's Last Great Trees.

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Another Midwestern city is dealing with a drinking water crisis.
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