Walking Thoughts

 You aren’t a leader until you have created a leader.  It is a blessing and joy to see young professionals I have mentored Grow into brilliant leaders themselves. Satisfying to nurture the kind of leading professional, but you yourself would be happy to be managed by. I know I find myself in that satisfying situation of doing just that.  I’m delighted to have joined a team of continent professionals, Played by colleague for 15 years ago reported to me. There is no greater compliment no greater proof of a job well done. I leave in my wake professionals that arrived on a team I led as green graduates, who now lead that same fantastic team themselves. And I have moved on to take up a position a team inspiringly lead by a previous report. Engaging opening line option 1: "One of the greatest measures of leadership is seeing those you’ve mentored step up to lead — and then having the privilege to work alongside them again." Engaging opening line option 2 (slightly lighter): "T...

 

  Why Local Magazines Still Matter in Rural Communities I grew up in a commuter town. The kind of place where no one really knew their neighbours. Mornings were spent rushing to the station, catching the train to London, and by the time people returned home, it was late and everyone was tired. The social hall was miles away, so most gatherings happened in pubs or shops along the high street. It was busy, convenient, but not exactly close-knit. Moving to a rural area was quite an adjustment. Life here runs at a different pace—and relies on a different kind of connection. In towns, you can take for granted the ease of popping to the shop, catching a bus, or finding a taxi. Out here, you need to know when the library bus will visit, what services the mobile post office provides, and when volunteer groups are running events in the village hall. Local trades and services are more spread out too, so knowing who does what, and when, is essential. That’s where communication becomes vital. ...

 Village magazine Linking people Bringing information  Old school technology Community Linking community Valuing local community I grew up in a commuter town. A dormitory town. No one really knew their neighbours everyone got up early, Walked to the station, caught the train to London. then in the evening, caught the train back and walked home again, by which time it was late and everyone was tired. There was a social hall, But it was a long way on the other side of town, So people met largely in commercial premises in the High Street, which was a long parade of shops and of course the local pubs. I moved to a rural area some time ago. As it is quite the adjustment. There are a lot of things that are common in towns which rural areas don’t experience. Public transport is one of them. A plethora of food delivery Options is another. A doctors or a food shop in walking distance. Taxi services. A wide choice of regular Sporting and social events. Living in a rural area means makin...

 This story is just as true as it ought to be only some of the facts have been changed to improve the plot. Once upon a time there were two bears Bob and Ben they were not twin twins nor were they just brothers they were littermates which the bear cub is very important. They were discovered sleeping rough in a cupboard at grandma’s house and they told her as she explained later that they had nowhere to live and no one to care for them in the whole world. Grandma is a very kind lady, but she realised that she could not look after two young bears and see to grandad as well as grandad as most grandads are was a full-time job in himself. However grandma knew of two little girls who would not mind in the least taking in to homeless teddy bears and so gentle reader that is how Bob and Ben came to live with Avril and Torill. (This, as all grandparents know, isexactly how most teddy bears find homes). Bob and Ben are not ordinary baby teddy bears but quite grown-up adolescent I’m not afrai...

  What I Did on My Holidays: Back to the Future, Recycling, and the Lake District “It’s your kids, Marty. Something’s gotta be done about your kids!” For many families, summer holidays are already fading into memory. The six weeks of balancing childcare, work, and family time are over, and September routines have returned. For us The summer holiday Was a week in Cumbria, bringing the family together in the Lake District. There was plenty of walking, but the real joy was simply time together - including two evenings huddled around the rented TV eating takeaway pizza and binge-watching the  Back to the Future  trilogy. And nothing quite brings home the importance of the environment, sustainability, and the future like spending a week in the Lakes with your children. And there he was, Doc Brown powering a time-travelling DeLorean’s by converting everyday rubbish into energy. Yet What was once science fiction is now edging closer to reality. Today, food waste is already being...

 It’s your kids Marty, something‘s gotta be done about your kids! For many families of summer holidays are now over and the kids are back to school. Many families will have squeezed out a week together as part of the six weeks of juggling childcare and work. For us, this took the form of a week in Cumbria bringing part of the family together for a few days. There was plenty of walking, but the main objective and joy was in spending some quality time together. Over two evenings we grouped around the rented TV and binge-watched the back to the future films with takeaway pizza. Very little quite drums home more the importance of the environment and the future like a week in the Lake District with your children. the DeLorean's "Mr. Fusion" device powers the time machine by converting ordinary garbage, such as food scraps and beer, into the 1.21 gigawatts needed for time travel . While this technology was science fiction in the movies,  The "Mr. Fusion" concept from ...

  Put in its bluntest form: the main threat to our environment is more and more people, and their activities: • The land they cultivate ever more intensively; • The forests they cut down and burn; • The mountain sides they lay bare; • The fossil fuels they burn; • The rivers and the seas they pollute. The result is that change in future is likely to be more fundamental and more widespread than anything we have known hitherto. Change to the sea around us, change to the atmosphere above, leading in turn to change in the world's climate, which could alter the way we live in the most fundamental way of all. That prospect is a new factor in human affairs. It is comparable in its implications to the discovery of how to split the atom. Indeed, its results could be even more far-reaching. Margaret Thatcher, United Nations, New York City 1989 This October, Grantham will mark the anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s birth with a series of events. For many, her legacy is bitter. I think of my p...

  TORILL is ranked as the 53368th most popular given name in the United States with an estimated population of 65. This name is in the 80th percentile, this means that nearly 19% of all the first names are more popular. There are 0.02 people named TORILL for every 100,000 Americans. This name is most often used as a first name, 100% of the time. Based on the analysis of 100 years worth of data from the Social Security Administration's  (SSA) Baby Names database, the estimated population of people named TORILL is 0. The state with the most people named TORILL is California where 9 people have this name. Washington is the state where you are most likely to meet a person named TORILL, as 0.1 in every 100,000 Washingtonians have this name. Highest percentile rank of any state for this name is 66th, this rank was reached in the states of Washington. Washington is the state with the biggest positive difference between the actual state population and the projected state population ba...

  And they’re off. Back to School. Bus pass, packed lunch, insulin. And sweets - marked up with their name for the medical room at reception. They’re very survival a testament to medical advances, engineering and scientific research; The discovery of insulin, bioengineering to synthesise insulin, scientific research into genetics. And now promising research into memory alloys, CRSPR gene editing and stem cell therapy that may save more lives. When my grandparents were born, diabetes was fatal and unsurvivable. Today research has completely turned that around. My child marks a milestone today returning to school for their final year. I mark a milestone today as I have completed my walking challenge for diabetes UK. I’ve made it. I’ve walked every one of my half a million steps. I will not stop there though. I will continue to walk to raise funds and awareness for diabetes UK.

  Fools and traitors. Reform will make fools and traitors of You all. Far from patriotic pride, you’ll be selling your country down the river. First you were conned into voting for Brexit. Brexit ended UK participation in the Dublin regulation. That significantly Changed How asylum seekers or returned to European countries  Before Brexit, the UK could return some asylum seekers to the first EU country they had entered!  The Brexit withdrawal meant the UK was no longer part of this system, which Made it harder to return asylum seekers who had travelled through EU countries. And now that you’re experiencing the consequences of that and want to change it, you’re falling for a con to give up your protection that the ECHR gives you. Protection of your life, of your liberty. Protection of your right to family. Protection of your right to religion. Protection from torture. Protection from being a slave. You are being conned into giving up your human rights because you don’t like...

 I’ve been reading the ECHR. Why? you might ask. After all, it is a long and boring document. But I recently heard that there are some politicians and even potentially our own government are considering withdrawing from or amending our commitment to the ECHR. Much like when I first heard there will be a referendum on remaining in the EU or not. When Brexit Was proposed I needed to check that they were truly suggesting we would leave a trade agreement with 26 countries and the right to freely travel and work and live in any of them. Surely that is an advantage no one would want to lose. So at the time I checked that Brexit really meant leaving this beneficial agreement. That way, I could be sure I cast my vote to benefit us all. So of course, I voted remain. I hope then we will get the same chance with the ECHR. And so I have been reading. It seems unlikely anyone would agree to give up protection of our life and liberty. Protection against torture. A right to family and religion. S...

 I’m finding this morning, very emotional. It’s the first day back at school for my son. I knew this morning would be hard because he’s been in bed until about 4 pm most days over the holidays. When my alarm went off at 0700, It wasn’t welcome. And I wondered if my son would get up. But he did. And he appeared downstairs dressed in his school uniform. So far so good. I was in the kitchen, making him a sandwich. I cleared the decks, filled the dishwasher and tidied it up the boxes from the floor. He still managed to fall over them. And he left on time for the bus. It’s a small miracle. Since May I’ve been walking every day. Throughout the school holiday holidays, I’ve been walking every morning, nice and early. Today, obviously I wasn’t about to do that. I was getting my child up and ready for school. At 15, there shouldn’t be any role for me at all in getting my child up and ready for school. But with his condition of type 1 diabetes, he does need, or benefit, or appreciate my supp...

  First day back at school today. The alarm went off—I didn’t need to get up, but I did. My son’s fifteen, and he can manage on his own, but I still made him a sandwich. With his type one diabetes, I like knowing he’s got something good in him. I watched him tie his laces for the first time. And then off he went—my heart, walking down the street on legs longer than mine will ever be. Into the rain. To the bus stop. And I couldn’t help but think back to me at seven. Getting ready alone, Leaving the house at 7:15. Walking a mile to the station. Catching the 7:47 train. Then another mile on the other side. Buying a jam doughnut for 10p. Sometimes honeycomb from the market man who called me  Strawberry. Pens and pencils? I stole them. Just so I wouldn’t get in trouble. Breakfast was walnuts cracked with my teeth in the playground. Always desperate for the loo. Once, I tried to use it, and a teacher shouted and threw me out. Even getting home wasn’t easy. My sister often stole my b...