Mat 24th incident update:

 ~I will never understand why people are so cruel~

I left a review on the Newton Press website via my Google and it reads as follows:

I got off the phone to Paul Howarth yesterday, whilst I'm with my son in public in a cafe, the ADM meet didn't go ahead, but we stayed anyway and my son encouraged me to merely enquire about the article and why my image was not printed, Paul stated it was a space issue but I explained he'd spliced images before and how much would it cost to get the photo in the paper so I can feel positively represented by my home town as a Newtonian since his only reason was the article was FREE, anyway he got rude and abruptly stated he does a LOT for ADM and it's ALL FREE and that he feels I'm being REALLY UNFAIR and hung up on me.

I am mortified that someone so unprofessional runs our local newspaper, as a disability advocate separate from ADM I deserve fair representation for my hard work and advocacy too.

I allowed him to yell at me hoping I could explain I'm not his enemy and how much would an article just for me be then?

All I'm doing is trying to help people on my town and I deserve to be spoken to with the same patience and respect I have for others.

As a blogger and a Newtonian Born and Bred I'm gutted at the lack of respect, lack of compassion and I was even willing to pay for representation because REPRESENTATION MATTERS!

I'm very disheartened right now and miss Syd more than ever.

I sincerely regret enquiring.

They need a receptionist or someone to deal with people if this is how Paul deals with people, since coming home several people have come to me and told me he was exactly the same with them so all I can do is suggest people speak to STUART only until they can get someone who has the basic human decency to speak to people calmly and with respect.

If he hadn't been such a grouch I could have even enquired as to how much it would cost to do a book article but this behaviour tells me that it's not about space issues and definitely not about money because I tried to resolve it.

I can't make others care but I can fight for awareness, representation and I deserve representation as I've worked super hard the last three years to get to this point.

A little support goes a long way, even if you have to pay for it but the gentleman Paul Howarth doesn't want me to pay for an article just wants me to be his verbal punching bag over the phone and shame on him because it was in public and my son was there and heard the whole call.

I should have recorded it because that is NOT how you treat disabled advocates trying to change their hometown for the vulnerable and disabled.

It's sad.

I was shaking in public because it completely caught me off guard and my son had a panic attack and we needed collecting.

A little kindness goes a long way...#foodforthought

I sent a FORMAL COMPLAINT to Newton Press/Newton News but unfortunately with the behaviour I just experienced I won't hold my breath, although I can hope for atleast an apology! 

Nastiness solves nothing, never has and never will and what sort of advocate would I be if I allowed people to phone Paul and be spoken to like that when they're disabled or vulnerable adults? 

He had me shaken up and my son absolutely panicking. We did NOT deserve that and he's thrown away a paid client too by hanging up.

Had I known he'd just hang up and not hear me out I would have hung up on him right when he started being cocky, sarcastic, aggressive and rude.

But it changes nothing I'm moving forward and helping with or without my towns newspaper support.

Just very disappointed and sick to death of unnecessary abusive attitudes.

No need. 😢

S.w.

Kawaii Doll Decora 🩷✨

@KawaiiDollDecora ♡

www.magnoliaphotography.co.uk ♡

I can't change how others behave but I can make the vulnerable aware of it to prevent panic attacks, neurodivergent meltdowns and more.

I think I'll probably try and start a friendly and safe space for people in a Newton Aycliffe Community and Disability Magazine.

All I can do to offer an alternative news source until they hire someone to speak to people on their behalf.

I really wish that hadn't happened yesterday.

Enquiring is allowed and people can disagree and be upset or misunderstand but until they open the opportunities for communication, nothing will get resolved.

I am also sick to death of being hated for protecting myself and my son from unnecessary aggression, I felt like I had failed as a mother yesterday, I just wanted to show my son how to progress in life and that no matter what's thrown at you, you can succeed with your hometown behind you but all he got to see was that the newspaper representatives of his hometown doesn't care and are abusive. We didn't deserve that and neither did the OTHERS that have come forward to me in confidence since this.

Why make things harder than necessary?

S.

@KawaiiDollDecora ♡

www.magnoliaphotography.co.uk ♡