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I get a lot of snide comments on here for writing for The Telegraph. Well, frankly, sod off. In 2015 I was an obscure blogger. It's progress to now be an obscure columnist and be writing regularly for a major media outlet. I'm proud of it and my dad would be well chuffed!
Also I have a second income stream to the benefit of my wife and kids, cos i'm not some wealthy Westminster elite guy. Having never worked for a paper, had no education in journalism or any training, i'm basically a blagger who's done alright for himself.
I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts! I've got there through persistence, networking, being nice beyond what comes naturally to me, and working very very hard. This is despite the obstacles of being a lower middle class nobody from East Yorkshire with no connnections.
You want diversity in the media? Well here then. I come from East Yorkshire, was raised on estates in Hull and surrounding area by separated parents. I went to a God awful primary school. After age 12 had a bit more of a suburban middle class life.
Used to think I would be an intellectual and very much a "global citizen" and traveller, but as life actually transpired for multiple reasons i've never lived outside of YOrkshire except a brief stint in Amsterdam. I live in Beverley now and still work a normal job.
2 kids, a wife, precarious finances, a full time job. It's always a laugh the assumptions people make about me because they only see my online persona. Dad an East Hull codhead, mum the daughter of an Egyptian Muslim who put her up for adoption. Tick those boxes!
So yeah, basically, im going to link to this for every future snide comment. I worked hard for it. Fuck off.
