What We’ve Been Watching, Reading & Listening To — July at PASHN
Each month, the PASHN team will be sharing the media that’s inspired, entertained, or got us thinking. From stadium gigs to streaming binges and bookshelf discoveries, here’s what’s been on our radar this month…

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Adam - At the start of the month I attended the Black Sabbath final gig and it was amazing! Especially pleased to have been a part of it seeing that £180m was raised for Birmingham Children's Hospital, Acorn Children's Hospice and Cure Parkinsons (which is what I did my PhD in at Birmingham!), it was a joy to see!

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David - As an avid F1 fan (watching every race on TV) I was swept up with the rest of the world in Drive To Survive. I'm also a late adopter/fan of NFL mainly to keep in-touch with US friends and colleagues on the season, but it’s also a long game and compelling watch, with potential drama during every drive down the field.  So, looking for our next series to watch, I came across Quarterback (Netflix again) and the 2 series have filled our 8pm viewing slot for a few weeks now. The Quarterback is one of the key central roles in the team game and takes on a significant amount of the pressure to win.  It’s all about the big numbers of loyal fans and the W! This means there are highs and lows based on the Quarterback’s decision making alongside the physicality involved, plus the opposition trying to take you down with every play.  Metaphors for my role, there are a few.  We may have individual skills that are better than the oppositions, but it’s a team game and you can’t win it on your own.  Do your homework and rehearse the plays and be prepared to pivot at short notice, so you give the team the best chance of success.  If you have done your best and not got the W, then take your time-out and then come back and do your best again.  And when you win, make sure the team take the lions share of the glory, as they deserve their time in the limelight.

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Ella - I have re-watched Girls by Lena Dunham I think 3 times now and am totally obsessed with it, so I have been counting down to the release of her new Netflix series Too Much. It follows a relatively successful producer (Megan Stalter) who moves to London following a break up, who then meets and Indie musician (Will Sharpe) and a love story ensues. I think it's had relatively mixed reviews, and it certainly wasn't Girls, but overall I think it was funny with many hilarious moments, and Megan Stalter does some of the best line deliveries in history. I think it was also a randomly accurate portrayal of England from an American writer. 

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Nikkie - I have been invested in The Handmaid's Tale since it first aired in 2017, even though it did feel like it lost it's way somewhere in the middle, so have been so excited to watch the final series. Although it got to a slow start episodes 8 & 9 made it all worth it! Would recommend for the beautiful shots, detailed world building and gripping story. 

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Pippa - I have recently finished The Salt Path (Book 1 in Raynor Winn's series) after accidently reading Landlines (Book 3) first! It's a very interesting read which follows a couple who lose their home and livelihood and find themselves homeless, with nothing to do but walk. It's an inspiring story about hope and perseverance in the face of the unknown but has recently been overshadowed by The Observer's article which casts doubt over the legitimacy of Winn's story and the circumstances in which they lost their home. Either way, it's still a fantastic read!