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Lucknow to Stirling: Ghosts of 1857 in a Scottish Museum
Rudyard Kipling's Kim – that iconic novel of the Raj – first appeared as a serial in McClure's Magazine in December 1900, a month before the death of Queen Victoria. At this point, the British Empire was arguably at its strongest. The event that extended Victoria's reign to India was the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, now referred to as the Indian Uprising or the Great Rebellion. After this, British rule in India passed from the East India Company to the British Crown. Most references to the events of 1857-58 in Kim come from an old Indian villager, 'who had served the [British] government in the days of the Mutiny as a native officer…' He goes on to describe his loyal service for the Company army: 'Nine wounds I bear; a medal and four clasps and the medal of an Order, for my captains, who are now generals, remembered me when the Kaisar-i-Hind had accomplished fifty years of her reign…' Kaisar-i-Hind was the title Queen Victoria assumed as she was proclaimed the Empress of India in 1877. The queen marked the golden jubilee of her reign in 1887, at an event in which several Indian princes and soldiers participated. Exactly a century after Kim, a young British author, born to a Jamaican mother and an English father, debuted with her bestselling novel White Teeth (2000), which turns 25 this year. By the time the English-speaking world woke up to Zadie Smith, the British Raj was, to quote Charles Dickens, as 'dead as a doornail'. Even the English men's cricket team, for long a symbol of the Raj, had a captain who was born in Madras (now Chennai) and had an Indian father. Yet, the 'Mutiny' continued to haunt the multicultural Britons of White Teeth, in which a Bangladeshi immigrant named Samad Iqbal, who had fought for the British Indian Army in World War II, claims to be a great grandson of Mangal Pande, a soldier in the Company army often credited with instigating the rebellion of 1857. The empire was instrumental in Britain's rise as a modern nation state and, in the history of the British Empire, there are few events that left a mark as lasting as the Mutiny of 1857, as reflected in English fiction from Kipling to Zadie Smith. The 'Mutiny', in the shared histories of Britain and India, is today an enduring symbol of the horrors of colonialism for a contemporary Britain grappling with immigration from former colonies such as India. Sitting in a castle in Scotland, a small piece of mutiny-era Lucknow bears the weight of this shared history. A Scottish regiment Trophies of the British triumph over the Indian 'mutineers' occupy pride of place at the Regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, deep inside one of the several grey stone buildings of the Stirling Castle in Scotland. The Highlanders were a Scottish regiment that became famous as 'The Thin Red Line' in 1854 during the Crimean War. Journalist WH Russell, who gave them this epithet, was also present in India as a correspondent of the Times during the latter stages of the Mutiny. The Highlanders were instrumental in the British campaigns during the Indian Uprising, playing a major role in the Siege of Lucknow, when the British Residency there and its British and Indian inhabitants were besieged for several months by the sepoys. The siege began in June 1857, British reinforcements arrived in September, but fighting continued till the Residency was finally evacuated in November 1857. The siege later inspired Alfred Tennyson's 1879 poem The Defence of Lucknow, which also features the Highlanders. The Regimental Museum of the Highlanders houses several exhibits from the siege as symbols of their military triumph. These include gallantry medals such as the Victoria Cross awarded for the 'Relief of Lucknow', memoirs by soldiers who survived, military uniforms, paintings of British attacks and weaponry such as bayonets and swords. One of the exhibits is a letter by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (who wrote Treasure Island and created Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) to Sergeant Forbes Mitchell expressing his sympathy and pride after reading the Sergeant's memoir on the Mutiny. The exhibits represent the power of British arms but are not beyond the troubling questions of the violence and exploitation experienced by the subjects of the Raj. How should an army acknowledge the effects and the implications of its actions? Can it commemorate its past in terms other than valour, sacrifice and an implied antipathy against the 'enemy'? Does it have an obligation to justify its actions, particularly when it fights for an empire – which, by its very nature, is an exploitative institution? In an age when war is consumed on prime-time television, how does an army, and more importantly, a society, make peace with war? In their 2018 book, East India Company at Home, 1757-1857, historians Margot Finn and Kate Smith argue that British material culture and even its built environment were profoundly influenced by objects and designs that originated in the colonies. This took place within a larger network of the exchange of people and objects in the wake of imperialism. The Stirling Castle reflects this due to its association with the English royal family, and can be considered a version of the English country house, which refers to mansions owned by aristocratic families in the English countryside. At the same time, the exhibits in the castle are material symbols of centuries of British political, military, cultural and commercial involvement through its empire in India. In Stirling, perhaps the most poignant of these symbols of the Uprising is a small piece of masonry from the Lucknow Residency kept beside a musket ball. While other objects such as uniforms, paintings and memoirs are attributed to individuals (the museum even has a flag seized from the 'rebels'), there is a haunting sense of emptiness, of the ruins of war, in that pale red fragment of a building (considerably faded with time) and the small black sphere, almost like a pebble, which represents many others like it that had killed hundreds of British and Indians alike. It is a fragment of Lucknow, a centre of Awadhi culture, which lives on behind a glass enclosure in a castle that was itself the site of centuries of bloody warfare between the Scots and the English. Sunset of the empire What conventional British history has termed the 'Sepoy Mutiny' has for long been known to Indians as the 'Indian Uprising' and even as an early struggle for independence. Another layer to this is that exhibits in Stirling are part of the collections of the British Army, situated in Scotland, which continues to debate if it wants independence from Britain. Museums across Britain are becoming increasingly conscious of the necessity of acknowledging uncomfortable aspects of British history such as slavery and imperialism. The Hunterian Museum, which is a part of the University of Glasgow, and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, also in Glasgow, highlight the contribution of slavery and colonialism in the establishment of these institutions. No longer an empire on which the sun never sets, contemporary Britain (and the United Kingdom) finds itself having to acknowledge the violence that built the Raj at a time when 16% of the UK's population was born abroad. Even during the Mutiny, the Calcutta Review (a leading Anglo-Indian periodical) realised that the Siege of Lucknow would go down in history as a significant event, as much for the bloodshed as for its implications for the future of both Britain and India: 'when much that seems brightest to us has been blotted by time out of the book of history, the page which contains the defence of Lucknow will remain as clear as ever.' The author wishes to thank the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals for a travel grant, which allowed him to visit the UK. He also thanks Rod Mackenzie, the curator of the Argylls Museum, for permission to use the image of the exhibit.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
I told my 18-year-old girl ‘I love you, be good' as I waved her off to a festival… then got the call every parent dreads
Janine Milburn is warning others about the dangers of the festival circuit FESTIVAL FEARS I told my 18-year-old girl 'I love you, be good' as I waved her off to a festival… then got the call every parent dreads Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TUCKED away in Janine Milburn's car is a pair of trainers belonging to her beloved daughter Georgia Jones. On her bed is a cushion, made from one of Georgia's favourite jumpers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Janine Milburn lost her daughter Georgia Jones in 2018 Credit: Olivia West 7 Georgia died after taking high dose MDMA at Mutiny festival Credit: PA:Press Association 7 Janine says she still struggles to believe she will never see her little girl again, seen here together at Gerogia's christening Credit: Olivia West But Georgia isn't away at university, or travelling the world, tragically Janine will never see her beloved daughter again. It has now been almost seven years since Georgia, 18, died from an MDMA overdose at Mutiny festival in Cosham near their home in Havant. For Janine, 48, the loss of her daughter in May 2018 remains unbearable but, as festival season begins, she's determined to spare another mother the same agony. Janine, who lives with Georgia's stepdad, health and safety investigator Daniel Milburn, 48, now campaigns for drug awareness going into schools to talk about the issues. She says she never could have imagined that her daughter would have fallen victim to the peer pressures of casual drug use. Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. Janine Milburn The support worker says, 'Georgia was meeting her friends at the festival and as I waved her off, my last words were, 'I love you, be good, be careful, I'll see you when you get home'. 'Instead at 4.30pm I got the call every parent dreads.' Georgia's older sister, Danielle, now 28, who was at the festival with her old friends told Janine that Georgia was with the paramedics. 'Two friends of theirs had found Georgia on her own, stumbling, gurning and barely coherent,' Janine says. 'Then she started fitting, which lasted for 50 minutes. I got to the festival just in time to see her being loaded into the ambulance. I watched in horror as my son, 16, was killed by super-strength ecstasy – my warning to parents ahead of Glastonbury 'At that time I didn't think it was that serious – I even told Daniella to stay and enjoy herself, thinking there was no reason to ruin her day.' Tragically Janine was wrong. Georgia had taken the class A drug ecstasy (MDMA) at the festival. The drug raises the body temperature and Georgia's was off the scale and her body went into shut down mode - her heart stopped twice in the ambulance. When they arrived at the hospital Janine waited in the family room while medics fought to save Georgia's life. Just 40 minutes after they arrived her heart had stopped again and the consultant advised Janine to call in family members to say their goodbyes. 'It felt unreal,' remembers Janine. 'I couldn't believe it was happening. 7 Georgia was just 18 years old when she died, it had been her first time taking the drug Credit: Solent 7 The drug had caused her temperature to spike and her body to shut down. Pictured: Tributes left for Georgia at the festival Credit: Paul Jacobs/ 7 Tommy Cowan also lost his life after taking 'Silver Audi' tablets that day Credit: PA:Press Association 'Strangely I felt cross with her, it was such a waste of such a beautiful girl. 'Doctors came in and told us that her heart had stopped again, her lungs were filling with blood and stomach acid and vomit and there was nothing more she could do.' Georgia was pronounced dead at 8.20pm, just six hours after taking the drug. 'Nothing prepares you for losing a child,' Janine says. 'All I could think was why, why did she take those pills? 'We stayed with her in the room, saying our goodbyes until 11.30 that night. I was numb with grief – it was horrendous.' The family held her funeral at the local crematorium, on 22 June 2018. 'We had a horse drawn carriage and a beautiful white hearse,' Janine says. 'Hundreds of people came, everyone wore something yellow as it was her favourite colour and we played Rise Up by Andra Day. 'Afterwards we went to her favourite pub – it was her last party and she'd have loved it.' Despite her crushing grief Janine was determined from the start to try to warn others about how fatal ecstasy could be – posting on Facebook about her beloved daughter's death in the hope that it would stop people from taking the drug. Janine says, 'There was a stigma from the start about her death – as if she hadn't been brought up properly if she ended up taking drugs. 'But Georgia wasn't into drugs. 'Like many teenagers she'd dabbled with weed and tried cocaine, but she hadn't touched drugs for months and was working in a care home for people with learning difficulties which she loved. The only good thing that can possibly come from this is raising awareness that might save other people Janine Milburn 'She was friendly and outgoing but not a party animal. She loved going to the cinema or just curling up at home on the sofa with her border collie dog Maysie, and she adored horses. 'She was just an ordinary teenage girl. 'That's why I campaign and go into schools to talk about drugs. 'We mustn't shut down the conversation but keep talking about it, to raise awareness that Georgia could be any one's daughter.' At Georgia's inquest in November it was confirmed she'd taken two double strength MDMA pills which caused her organs to fail. Tragically Georgia wasn't the only young person to die at the festival, Tommy Cowan, 20, also died after taking two of the high dose 'Silver Audi' pills. At his inquest the coroner, David Horsley said there was a 'drugs culture' surrounding festivals, one he felt that more and more young people were falling victim to. Janine agrees and as well as talking to pupils at school about the dangers, she campaigns to make festivals safer for young people by having facilities to test drugs on sites. She says, 'The only good thing that can possibly come from this is raising awareness that might save other people. 'We need to talk about the realities of drugs, teenagers need to be educated about them. SIGNS YOUR TEEN IS BUYING DRUGS... A TEEN's changing behaviour could indicate any manner of mental health problems, says Gillian Collier, regional child criminal exploitation lead for drug and alcohol charity We Are With You. But these actions could signal your child is buying drugs online… THEY LEAVE THE ROOM EVERY TIME THEIR PHONE PINGS IF your teen starts using the phone less in your presence, it could be a sign they are hiding something from you. Watch out for them leaving the room as soon as they get a notification. Or they might just turn it onto silent constantly. THEY BECOME VERBALLY ABUSIVE TEENS can go into fight or flight mode when faced with being caught out. They might start shouting, crying or having a tantrum if they feel they're in danger of being discovered with drugs. THEY HAVE A NEW GROUP OF FRIENDS ONE of the main indicators of substance abuse is a new friendship group. Bluebirds fly with bluebirds – those using substances usually hang around with each other. They might also leave people they have been pals with for years. THEY'VE STARTED TO DRESS DIFFERENTLY YOU may see your teen trying to fit in, especially if they've started hanging out with new people who use drugs. One minute they're in Levis with long hair, and the next they're in tracksuit bottoms with cropped hair – as that's what their new group wears. THEY'RE DISAPPEARING MORE AND MORE THEY could be leaving the house and not coming home for a few hours. They might want to stay out longer to wait for the effect of the drugs to wear off. Do they smell different? Have their eyes changed? Look at behaviour when they return. THERE'S A CHANGE IN THEIR APPETITE THERE are many reasons why young people might experience a change in appetite, including mental health issues. And different substances can have different effects. For instance, cannabis users might get hungrier, while cocaine and amphetamines can make you lose your appetite. 'Georgia took those pills blindly, she didn't have a clue what she was doing or about safety. 'Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. 'Being at a festival is a perfect storm, you feel like you're almost in a different world, there are distractions, other people on drugs, you let your defences down.' With festival season once more approaching Janine is worried about other people falling victim to drugs. She says: 'I get so frustrated, there are so many things that could be put in place, bag searches need to be far more rigorous, there should be drug testing so young people at least know what they're getting, there should be more security and less people allowed in – many are getting bigger every year. I will never be the same person, and above all I have such a fierce longing to see her again Janine Milburn 'And this year I'm sure there will be more deaths, more parents joining the club that no one wants to be in – I always reach out to them when it inevitably happens.' Janine says that, while her family has celebrated happy occasions since Georgia's death, moving on has been near impossible. She explains: 'Georgia's death was devastating, I still grieve for her every day, Danielle has two sons now – they both have George for their middle name – it's agonising that they'll never know their aunt. 'And even such happy occasions as having a grandchild are tinged with grief, because I so want Georgia to be there and part of them. 'The dress she was supposed to wear for the next day of the festival still hangs in her wardrobe. 'I still wear her outdoor coat and I wear the Pandora bracelet I gave her for her 18th, it was supposed to be filled with charms, one for every birthday instead it's just got the first one we bought – an amethyst. 'I will never be the same person, and above all I have such a fierce longing to see her again. 'That's why I have to talk about her, even if I just stop one other person from taking drugs and save one other mother from feeling this pain, then it's worth it.' You can find out more about Janine's work at Georgia Jones Don't Go with the Flo.
The Irish Sun
25-04-2025
- The Irish Sun
I told my 18-year-old girl ‘I love you, be good' as I waved her off to a festival… then got the call every parent dreads
TUCKED away in Janine Milburn's car is a pair of trainers belonging to her beloved daughter Georgia Jones. On her bed is a cushion, made from one of Georgia's favourite jumpers. Advertisement 7 Janine Milburn lost her daughter Georgia Jones in 2018 Credit: Olivia West 7 Georgia died after taking high dose MDMA at Mutiny festival Credit: PA:Press Association 7 Janine says she still struggles to believe she will never see her little girl again, seen here together at Gerogia's christening Credit: Olivia West But Georgia isn't away at university, or travelling the world, tragically Janine will never see her beloved daughter again. It has now been almost seven years since Georgia, 18, died from an MDMA overdose at Mutiny festival in Cosham near their home in Havant. For Janine, 48, the loss of her daughter in May 2018 remains unbearable but, as Janine, who lives with Georgia's stepdad, health and safety investigator Daniel Milburn, 48, now campaigns for drug awareness going into schools to talk about the issues. Advertisement Read More on Real Lives She says she never could have imagined that her daughter would have fallen victim to the peer pressures of casual drug use. Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. Janine Milburn 48 The support worker says, 'Georgia was meeting her friends at the festival and as I waved her off, my last words were, 'I love you, be good, be careful, I'll see you when you get home'. 'Instead at 4.30pm I got the call every parent dreads.' Georgia's older sister, Danielle, now 28, who was at the festival with her old friends told Janine that Georgia was with the paramedics. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous 'Two friends of theirs had found Georgia on her own, stumbling, gurning and barely coherent,' Janine says. 'Then she started fitting, which lasted for 50 minutes. I got to the festival just in time to see her being loaded into the ambulance. I watched in horror as my son, 16, was killed by super-strength ecstasy – my warning to parents ahead of Glastonbury 'At that time I didn't think it was that serious – I even told Daniella to stay and enjoy herself, thinking there was no reason to ruin her day.' Tragically Janine was wrong. Advertisement Georgia had taken the class A drug ecstasy (MDMA) at the festival. The drug raises the body temperature and Georgia's was off the scale and her body went into shut down mode - her heart stopped twice in the ambulance. When they arrived at the hospital Janine waited in the family room while medics fought to save Georgia's life. Just 40 minutes after they arrived her heart had stopped again and the consultant advised Janine to call in family members to say their goodbyes. Advertisement 'It felt unreal,' remembers Janine. 'I couldn't believe it was happening. 7 Georgia was just 18 years old when she died, it had been her first time taking the drug Credit: Solent 7 The drug had caused her temperature to spike and her body to shut down. Pictured: Tributes left for Georgia at the festival Credit: Paul Jacobs/ Advertisement 7 Tommy Cowan also lost his life after taking 'Silver Audi' tablets that day Credit: PA:Press Association 'Strangely I felt cross with her, it was such a waste of such a beautiful girl. 'Doctors came in and told us that her heart had stopped again, her lungs were filling with blood and stomach acid and vomit and there was nothing more she could do.' Georgia was pronounced dead at 8.20pm, just six hours after taking the drug. Advertisement 'Nothing prepares you for losing a child,' Janine says. 'All I could think was why, why did she take those pills? 'We stayed with her in the room, saying our goodbyes until 11.30 that night. I was numb with grief – it was horrendous.' The family held her funeral at the local crematorium, on 22 June 2018. Advertisement 'We had a horse drawn carriage and a beautiful white hearse,' Janine says. 'Hundreds of people came, everyone wore something yellow as it was her favourite colour and we played Rise Up by Andra Day. 'Afterwards we went to her favourite pub – it was her last party and she'd have loved it.' Despite her crushing grief Janine was determined from the start to try to warn others about how fatal ecstasy could be – posting on Facebook about her beloved daughter's death in the hope that it would stop people from taking the drug. Advertisement Janine says, 'There was a stigma from the start about her death – as if she hadn't been brought up properly if she ended up taking drugs. 'But Georgia wasn't into drugs. 'Like many teenagers she'd dabbled with weed and tried cocaine, but she hadn't touched drugs for months and was working in a care home for people with learning difficulties which she loved. The only good thing that can possibly come from this is raising awareness that might save other people Janine Milburn 'She was friendly and outgoing but not a party animal. She loved going to the cinema or just curling up at home on the sofa with her border collie dog Maysie, and she adored horses. Advertisement 'She was just an ordinary teenage girl. 'That's why I campaign and go into schools to talk about drugs. 'We mustn't shut down the conversation but keep talking about it, to raise awareness that Georgia could be any one's daughter.' At Georgia's inquest in November it was confirmed she'd taken two double strength MDMA pills which caused her organs to fail. Advertisement Tragically Georgia wasn't the only young person to die at the festival, Tommy Cowan, 20, also died after taking two of the high dose 'Silver Audi' pills. At his inquest the coroner, David Horsley said there was a 'drugs culture' surrounding festivals, one he felt that more and more young people were falling victim to. Janine agrees and as well as talking to pupils at school about the dangers, she campaigns to make festivals safer for young people by having facilities to test drugs on sites. She says, 'The only good thing that can possibly come from this is raising awareness that might save other people. Advertisement 'We need to talk about the realities of drugs, teenagers need to be educated about them. SIGNS YOUR TEEN IS BUYING DRUGS... A TEEN's changing behaviour could indicate any manner of mental health problems, says Gillian Collier, regional child criminal exploitation lead for drug and alcohol charity We Are With You. But these actions could signal your child is buying drugs online… THEY LEAVE THE ROOM EVERY TIME THEIR PHONE PINGS IF your teen starts using the phone less in your presence, it could be a sign they are hiding something from you. Watch out for them leaving the room as soon as they get a notification. Or they might just turn it onto silent constantly. THEY BECOME VERBALLY ABUSIVE TEENS can go into fight or flight mode when faced with being caught out. They might start shouting, crying or having a tantrum if they feel they're in danger of being discovered with drugs. THEY HAVE A NEW GROUP OF FRIENDS ONE of the main indicators of substance abuse is a new friendship group. Bluebirds fly with bluebirds – those using substances usually hang around with each other. They might also leave people they have been pals with for years. THEY'VE STARTED TO DRESS DIFFERENTLY YOU may see your teen trying to fit in, especially if they've started hanging out with new people who use drugs. One minute they're in Levis with long hair, and the next they're in tracksuit bottoms with cropped hair – as that's what their new group wears. THEY'RE DISAPPEARING MORE AND MORE THEY could be leaving the house and not coming home for a few hours. They might want to stay out longer to wait for the effect of the drugs to wear off. Do they smell different? Have their eyes changed? Look at behaviour when they return. THERE'S A CHANGE IN THEIR APPETITE THERE are many reasons why young people might experience a change in appetite, including mental health issues. And different substances can have different effects. For instance, cannabis users might get hungrier, while cocaine and amphetamines can make you lose your appetite. 'Georgia took those pills blindly, she didn't have a clue what she was doing or about safety. 'Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. 'Being at a festival is a perfect storm, you feel like you're almost in a different world, there are distractions, other people on drugs, you let your defences down.' Advertisement With festival season once more approaching Janine is worried about other people falling victim to drugs. She says: 'I get so frustrated, there are so many things that could be put in place, bag searches need to be far more rigorous, there should be drug testing so young people at least know what they're getting, there should be more security and less people allowed in – many are getting bigger every year. I will never be the same person, and above all I have such a fierce longing to see her again Janine Milburn 'And this year I'm sure there will be more deaths, more parents joining the club that no one wants to be in – I always reach out to them when it inevitably happens.' Janine says that, while her family has celebrated happy occasions since Georgia's death, moving on has been near impossible. Advertisement She explains: 'Georgia's death was devastating, I still grieve for her every day, Danielle has two sons now – they both have George for their middle name – it's agonising that they'll never know their aunt. 'And even such happy occasions as having a grandchild are tinged with grief, because I so want Georgia to be there and part of them. 'The dress she was supposed to wear for the next day of the festival still hangs in her wardrobe. 'I still wear her outdoor coat and I wear the Pandora bracelet I gave her for her 18th, it was supposed to be filled with charms, one for every birthday instead it's just got the first one we bought – an amethyst. Advertisement 'I will never be the same person, and above all I have such a fierce longing to see her again. 'That's why I have to talk about her, even if I just stop one other person from taking drugs and save one other mother from feeling this pain, then it's worth it.' You can find out more about Janine's work at . 7 Janine now campaigns to help raise awareness of drug use Credit: Olivia West Advertisement
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I told my 18-year-old girl ‘I love you, be good' as I waved her off to a festival… then got the call every parent dreads
TUCKED away in Janine Milburn's car is a pair of trainers belonging to her beloved daughter Georgia Jones. On her bed is a cushion, made from one of Georgia's favourite jumpers. 7 7 7 But Georgia isn't away at university, or travelling the world, tragically Janine will never see her beloved daughter again. It has now been almost seven years since Georgia, 18, died from an MDMA overdose at Mutiny festival in Cosham near their home in Havant. For Janine, 48, the loss of her daughter in May 2018 remains unbearable but, as festival season begins, she's determined to spare another mother the same agony. Janine, who lives with Georgia's stepdad, health and safety investigator Daniel Milburn, 48, now campaigns for drug awareness going into schools to talk about the issues. She says she never could have imagined that her daughter would have fallen victim to the peer pressures of casual drug use. Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. Janine Milburn48 The support worker says, 'Georgia was meeting her friends at the festival and as I waved her off, my last words were, 'I love you, be good, be careful, I'll see you when you get home'. 'Instead at 4.30pm I got the call every parent dreads.' Georgia's older sister, Danielle, now 28, who was at the festival with her old friends told Janine that Georgia was with the paramedics. 'Two friends of theirs had found Georgia on her own, stumbling, gurning and barely coherent,' Janine says. 'Then she started fitting, which lasted for 50 minutes. I got to the festival just in time to see her being loaded into the ambulance. 'At that time I didn't think it was that serious – I even told Daniella to stay and enjoy herself, thinking there was no reason to ruin her day.' Tragically Janine was wrong. Georgia had taken the class A drug ecstasy (MDMA) at the festival. The drug raises the body temperature and Georgia's was off the scale and her body went into shut down mode - her heart stopped twice in the ambulance. When they arrived at the hospital Janine waited in the family room while medics fought to save Georgia's life. Just 40 minutes after they arrived her heart had stopped again and the consultant advised Janine to call in family members to say their goodbyes. 'It felt unreal,' remembers Janine. 'I couldn't believe it was happening. 7 7 'Strangely I felt cross with her, it was such a waste of such a beautiful girl. 'Doctors came in and told us that her heart had stopped again, her lungs were filling with blood and stomach acid and vomit and there was nothing more she could do.' Georgia was pronounced dead at 8.20pm, just six hours after taking the drug. 'Nothing prepares you for losing a child,' Janine says. 'All I could think was why, why did she take those pills? 'We stayed with her in the room, saying our goodbyes until 11.30 that night. I was numb with grief – it was horrendous.' The family held her funeral at the local crematorium, on 22 June 2018. 'We had a horse drawn carriage and a beautiful white hearse,' Janine says. 'Hundreds of people came, everyone wore something yellow as it was her favourite colour and we played Rise Up by Andra Day. 'Afterwards we went to her favourite pub – it was her last party and she'd have loved it.' Despite her crushing grief Janine was determined from the start to try to warn others about how fatal ecstasy could be – posting on Facebook about her beloved daughter's death in the hope that it would stop people from taking the drug. Janine says, 'There was a stigma from the start about her death – as if she hadn't been brought up properly if she ended up taking drugs. 'But Georgia wasn't into drugs. 'Like many teenagers she'd dabbled with weed and tried cocaine, but she hadn't touched drugs for months and was working in a care home for people with learning difficulties which she loved. 'She was friendly and outgoing but not a party animal. She loved going to the cinema or just curling up at home on the sofa with her border collie dog Maysie, and she adored horses. 'She was just an ordinary teenage girl. 'That's why I campaign and go into schools to talk about drugs. 'We mustn't shut down the conversation but keep talking about it, to raise awareness that Georgia could be any one's daughter.' At Georgia's inquest in November it was confirmed she'd taken two double strength MDMA pills which caused her organs to fail. Tragically Georgia wasn't the only young person to die at the festival, Tommy Cowan, 20, also died after taking two of the high dose 'Silver Audi' pills. At his inquest the coroner, David Horsley said there was a 'drugs culture' surrounding festivals, one he felt that more and more young people were falling victim to. Janine agrees and as well as talking to pupils at school about the dangers, she campaigns to make festivals safer for young people by having facilities to test drugs on sites. She says, 'The only good thing that can possibly come from this is raising awareness that might save other people. 'We need to talk about the realities of drugs, teenagers need to be educated about them. SIGNS YOUR TEEN IS BUYING DRUGS... A TEEN's changing behaviour could indicate any manner of mental health problems, says Gillian Collier, regional child criminal exploitation lead for drug and alcohol charity We Are With You. But these actions could signal your child is buying drugs online… THEY LEAVE THE ROOM EVERY TIME THEIR PHONE PINGS IF your teen starts using the phone less in your presence, it could be a sign they are hiding something from you. Watch out for them leaving the room as soon as they get a notification. Or they might just turn it onto silent constantly. THEY BECOME VERBALLY ABUSIVE TEENS can go into fight or flight mode when faced with being caught out. They might start shouting, crying or having a tantrum if they feel they're in danger of being discovered with drugs. THEY HAVE A NEW GROUP OF FRIENDS ONE of the main indicators of substance abuse is a new friendship group. Bluebirds fly with bluebirds – those using substances usually hang around with each other. They might also leave people they have been pals with for years. THEY'VE STARTED TO DRESS DIFFERENTLY YOU may see your teen trying to fit in, especially if they've started hanging out with new people who use drugs. One minute they're in Levis with long hair, and the next they're in tracksuit bottoms with cropped hair – as that's what their new group wears. THEY'RE DISAPPEARING MORE AND MORE THEY could be leaving the house and not coming home for a few hours. They might want to stay out longer to wait for the effect of the drugs to wear off. Do they smell different? Have their eyes changed? Look at behaviour when they return. THERE'S A CHANGE IN THEIR APPETITE THERE are many reasons why young people might experience a change in appetite, including mental health issues. And different substances can have different effects. For instance, cannabis users might get hungrier, while cocaine and amphetamines can make you lose your appetite. 'Georgia took those pills blindly, she didn't have a clue what she was doing or about safety. 'Worryingly you can buy two pills of ecstasy for a fiver from a ruthless dealer who just wants to offload his stock and you don't have a clue what's really in it. 'Being at a festival is a perfect storm, you feel like you're almost in a different world, there are distractions, other people on drugs, you let your defences down.' With festival season once more approaching Janine is worried about other people falling victim to drugs. She says: 'I get so frustrated, there are so many things that could be put in place, bag searches need to be far more rigorous, there should be drug testing so young people at least know what they're getting, there should be more security and less people allowed in – many are getting bigger every year. 'And this year I'm sure there will be more deaths, more parents joining the club that no one wants to be in – I always reach out to them when it inevitably happens.' Janine says that, while her family has celebrated happy occasions since Georgia's death, moving on has been near impossible. She explains: 'Georgia's death was devastating, I still grieve for her every day, Danielle has two sons now – they both have George for their middle name – it's agonising that they'll never know their aunt. 'And even such happy occasions as having a grandchild are tinged with grief, because I so want Georgia to be there and part of them. 'The dress she was supposed to wear for the next day of the festival still hangs in her wardrobe. 'I still wear her outdoor coat and I wear the Pandora bracelet I gave her for her 18th, it was supposed to be filled with charms, one for every birthday instead it's just got the first one we bought – an amethyst. 'I will never be the same person, and above all I have such a fierce longing to see her again. 'That's why I have to talk about her, even if I just stop one other person from taking drugs and save one other mother from feeling this pain, then it's worth it.' You can find out more about Janine's work at Georgia Jones Don't Go with the Flo. 7
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lionsgate Sets Jason Statham Thriller ‘Mutiny' for January 2026 Release
Lionsgate has set the release of 'Mutiny,' an upcoming action thriller starring and produced by Jason Statham, for January 9, 2026. Directed by Jean-Francois Richet from a screenplay by Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis, 'Mutiny' will see Statham play Cole Reed, a man who is left on the run when he is framed for the murder of his billionaire industrialist boss. As he tries to clear his name, he uncovers an international conspiracy. Annabelle Wallis and Jason Wong also star in the film, with Statham producing alongside Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures. Lionsgate is handling domestic distribution with Sky handling U.K. distribution. 'Mutiny' currently does not have any wide releases directly competing against it, though it will release a weekend after Universal/Blumhouse's 'Soulm8te,' a spinoff of the 2023 breakout horror hit 'M3GAN.' Lionsgate found some modest success from the early January box office thanks to 'Den of Thieves: Pantera,' which grossed just under $36 million at the U.S. box office with a third installment in the Gerard Butler action series greenlit. The studio's next release is the inspirational film 'The Unbreakable Boy' starring Zachary Levi, which hits theaters this Friday. The post Lionsgate Sets Jason Statham Thriller 'Mutiny' for January 2026 Release appeared first on TheWrap.
