TRISH HALPIN Editor in Chief
@TrishHalpin @marieclairetrishWhenthings don’t go to plan after you’ve put in a huge
amountof time and effort to get something off the ground,
you’drightly deserve to feel pretty peeved off. Occasionally,
though,when your best efforts go pear-shaped, it can be
for all the right reasons, which is the situation we found
ourselvesin atMarie Clairethis month. Just as we were going
topress, MPs voted resoundingly to extend abortion and
same-sexmarriage rights to Northern Ireland – an
unexpectedamendment to a technical government bill
thattook everyone by surprise. Our cover featuring a report on the forgotten women
of Northern Ireland had already printed, and we only had an hour to update the story
on page 60. Given that there is still a long way to go to bringing this into law, sharing
the stories of the three women we spoke to, and the views of MP Stella Creasy, who has
driventhis issue from the back benches (bravo, Stella), remains an essential read.
Tuesday, 9 July 2019 will stand as a historic day for women’s rights, and while we did
allcheer in the office, the picture on this page is actually of theMarie Claireteam at our
recentVerified party. We were celebrating our annual list of influencers who we think are
theones to follow, because they’re doing something inspiring and game-changing. This
month,we start a new column in our Deluxe section, which will be taken over by one of
ourVerified influencers each issue. First up is Medina Grillo (@grillodesigns) on tricks
andDIY projects for transforming a rented space without losing your deposit (page 149).
Surroundedas I am by wonderful people in my life (see picture again), one final
feature I’d like to flag is writer Anna Hart’s account of learning to spend time alone
(page 68). As more of us go on solo holidays, through choice rather than necessity,
Hart explains how being in our own company is essential for well-being and personal
growth.Sound advice, which I plan to take on board, if I can figure out what to do
with the husband, kids, dog and cat...PHOTOGRAPHS BY TRACEY GRIFFIN (TRISH), KEATON CHAU