text:
Official Report (Hansard)
Session: 2013/2014
Date: 14 May 2014
PDF version of this report (190.47 kb)
Committee for Regional Development
Inquiry into the Benefits of Cycling to the Economy: Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland
The Chairperson: From Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland, I welcome Chris Scott, the activity tourism manager, and Aideen Exley, the marketing manager. You have about 10 minutes to make a presentation; we have been prescriptive on that so far today. We ask that you leave yourselves open for questions after the presentation.
Ms Aideen Exley (Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland): Thank you, Chairman. Good morning, everybody, and thank you very much for the opportunity to present as part of this evidence session. On behalf of Outdoor Recreation NI, I will begin the presentation, and my colleague Chris Scott will continue. I want to tell you a bit more about the organisation and what we do — it is much wider than cycling — and about some initiatives and work that we are involved in to do with cycling and our recommendations for the future.
Outdoor Recreation NI was set up in 1999. Its remit is that it is responsible for the strategic development, management and promotion of outdoor recreation across Northern Ireland for the local community and for visitors and tourism. We are core funded by four government bodies: the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Sport Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Aside from that, we also seek project funding for a number of projects and initiatives from programme money. To date, we have secured about £9 million for outdoor recreation projects.
To give you a flavour of our work, I will set out some of our key initiatives over the past number of years and our current projects. There are four main areas of work. On product development, we have developed over 450 kilometres of off-road trails in Northern Ireland. This include walking trails and off-road family cycling trails. We have trained, recruited and actively managed over 200 active volunteers to audit and manage the trails. On widening participation, we have led various community-based projects, encouraging people with disabilities, those from ethnic minorities and those in disadvantaged communities to take part in outdoor recreation. We also proactively promote and raise awareness of the opportunities to participate in outdoor recreation to everybody in Northern Ireland as well as to visitors. We do that through our websites. We run a number of websites, two of which are CycleNI and WalkNI. We also do it through digital e-marketing programmes and various events that we run.
We directly meet a number of the objectives of three Programme for Government priorities. We believe that we help to meet the objectives of priorities 2 and 4 through the Sport Matters and A Fitter Future for All strategies. We do that through a number of initiatives, including our cycle training for community leaders, our volunteer scheme, our community paths network and the CycleNI website. We also meet some of the objectives of priority 1 of the Programme for Government through DETI's tourism strategy. We do that through the development and marketing of mountain-biking trails and off-road family cycling trails, as well as a number of our events. First, I will take you through some of our initiatives under priorities 2 and 4. My colleague Chris will take you through the tourism initiatives under priority 1. Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland led a cycle leadership programme targeting community groups and under-represented groups in the community. Our aim was to create champions and cycling leaders so that they could encourage people to become more active and involved in outdoor recreation and to cycle as part of everyday life. Funding for the initiative has now ceased, but we are looking for funding so that we can continue it.
We have 173 walk and cycle volunteers. We recruit, maintain and work with them, and they create detailed audits pinpointing the remedial work required to keep our trails at a very high standard and make sure that they are appropriate for all. These are our family cycle trails and multi-use trails such as Beech Hill in Derry/Londonderry and Castle Archdale in County Fermanagh. We also have 51 mountain bike volunteers, whom we manage, and they audit and repair mountain bike trails in our national trail centre in County Down and County Tyrone.
We are initiating a new programme called the community path network scheme, which will be central to our work in the next six years — we are putting together our strategy for the next six years. The scheme aims to create cycling and walking trails for local communities. Essentially, it is about creating trails on their doorstep. They could be looped cycle and walk trails in small towns, villages and rural communities throughout Northern Ireland. It is also about connecting the community by linking small hubs throughout Northern Ireland with cycle and walk trails.
We have just started work on a feasibility study for Derg Valley in County Tyrone, following the River Derg from Ardstraw to Lough Derg. This is a pilot study that we are doing with Sport Northern Ireland and Strabane District Council to assess the cost and understand the benefits of creating that local pathway. Another example, also in County Tyrone, that we have looked at and will seek to look at again is linking Gortin village to the Gortin Glen Forest Park. That, too, is about linking communities to places of outdoor recreation and has the potential to tie into the active travel policy. Significant investment would be required to realise this.
As I mentioned, we run the website cycleni.com, which tells you everything about cycling. It is targeted at family cycling and people new to the sport rather than club cyclists or people at that level. It contains information about all the routes in Northern Ireland where you can cycle on- and off-road. It is a very successful website that has over 80,000 visitors every year, 43% of whom are from Northern Ireland.
That is everything on priorities 2 and 4. I will now hand over to Chris, who will talk about priority 1 from the tourism angle.
Mr Chris Scott (Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland): Thank you very much, Aideen. I will concentrate on priority 1, which is growing a sustainable economy and investing in the future. I will look at two areas: cycling in general, which we have already heard about this morning, and, as a slight aside, mountain biking and its potential in Northern Ireland.
Last year was quite a big quite year for mountain biking in Northern Ireland. Over 100 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trail was built in 2013 across four new centres and one extended centre. It has left us with some very iconic tourism product, including Davagh Forest just outside Cookstown in County Tyrone and Rostrevor and Castlewellan in County Down. Those have been developed as national trail centres, which are centres that we can confidently promote to the out-of-state market in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. It means that we can confidently move forward as a mountain biking destination. It has been a very positive start. The figures are calculated by electronic counters on each trail. Our presentation also shows the estimated figures from the economic appraisal for each trail. The combined estimate for the first year was 40,000 visitors. The actual number, measured from the 10-month period from June March, sits at about 62,000. Ratcheting that up to the end of the 12 months brings me to a figure of about 85,000. The interest in and visitors to the trails since investment were more than double that expected in the economic appraisals.
So the past year has been a very bright start for mountain biking in Northern Ireland. However, we still have a little way to go. Figures from our competitors in Scotland show that it generates 1·3 million visitors per annum for mountain biking alone, and they stay 300,000 bed nights, which is significant. In 2009, it was predicted that the economic value of mountain biking in Scotland would rise from £119 million to £155 million. I know from sources in Scotland that they will exceed that. So the question for us is this: with a similar landscape and similar opportunities in Northern Ireland, how do we confidently move forward as a destination?
We have a few key recommendations. First, we talked earlier about heroes and inspiration, and events such as the Giro certainly have both. Mountain biking also has great opportunities. The UCI World Cup is akin to Formula One, with events in different countries forming a series. A similar four-day event in Fort William, which was a downhill race in the UCI World Cup, had an economic impact of £2·5 million in quite a rural area. The other figures in our presentation show the additional impacts. Not only does it have an economic impact but it inspires people to get out on their bikes, as we have seen from the Giro over the past couple of days. Mountain biking events are definitely a key route to take forward.
We need to continue to promote what we have confidently. Product development alone is simply not enough. Our paper includes examples of newspaper and magazine advertising, online and offline advertising and PR that we have generated over the past year for mountain biking, mainly for titles in Great Britain. We have done that with limited resources. Additional money would allow us better to promote the product that we have invested in here.
Further development is also required. I mentioned some of the centres developed over the past year, which was a fantastic start. However, research shows that a mountain biker stays one or 1.2 nights in Scotland; a holidaymaker stays 4.4 nights. So, even with the product that we have now, we do not have the wealth of product to suit the holidaymaker who wants to come and stay longer and spend more money. Luckily, we have a range of beautiful sites in Northern Ireland that have fantastic potential for mountain biking — Glenariff, Gortin Glen, Lough Navar and Binevenagh. So we are keen, as part of our mountain bike strategy to 2020, to extend the product offering in Northern Ireland.
I will move to cycling in general. Aideen referred to CycleNI and its website, and it is important that, when we talk about events such as the Giro and how fantastic that was over the past couple of days, we consider the steps needed to move forward and achieve success. Small events should not be forgotten. We also run a sportive, which is to cycling what running is to a marathon. It is a mass participation event, and nobody is too worried about the prizes. We run the Giant's Causeway Coast Sportive in Ballycastle each year. For a small investment of around £30,000, it has an economic impact of £170,000 in the Ballycastle area over that weekend, so it is roughly a one in four return. It attracts 1,100 participants to the Ballycastle area in the shoulder season, September. So small events should not be forgotten among the grander spectacles such as the Giro.
Earlier, the Committee had a presentation from Sustrans, which has done some great work developing long-distance touring routes. Those are generally multi-day trips along roads or sections of off-road trails. We have a strong product in Northern Ireland. Perhaps further work is required with businesses in the area. You have really good experience from your trip to Mulranny of how the local businesses really interacted with the product. There are prospects. The best figures that we have are those provided by Fáilte Ireland. Its figures from 2003 show that, in Germany alone, 11 million people demonstrated an appetite to partake in cycling while on holiday in Ireland. So there is definitely a strong market demand. However, we can go forward and progress only through targeted marketing and campaigning by NITB and Tourism Ireland.
Family cycling has been talked about quite a lot this morning in the various presentations. A recent Mintel report said that bike sales in Great Britain will increase by 23% in the next five years and amount to £870 million by 2017, so that is a massive market in the UK.
I was delighted to hear that the Committee had taken a trip to the Great Western Greenway. I endorse Sustrans's comment that, if we want to move forward confidently as a tourism product — there is an obvious overlap with active travel as well — we need to make a statement in Northern Ireland and hang our hat on something. I will not go into detail on the Great Western Greenway because I think that I would be preaching to the converted. The Republic of Ireland has been able to incorporate it in Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland campaigns and make it a key tourism promotional tactic for the area. Gordon from Sustrans talked to you about key railway and waterway opportunities throughout Northern Ireland. I firmly believe that that is the tourism product for the future.
In summary, I will leave you with a list of recommendations. For mountain biking and growing a sustainable economy, events are key. We believe that Northern Ireland should hold two international mountain biking events by 2020. For continued and further investment and to sustain promotion, our target is to generate £25 million per annum by 2020 for mountain biking alone. Promotion and product development are required to meet that target, so further mountain biking trails and investment to develop the trails will be required. As I said, for cycle tourism, it would be great to make a big statement with something akin to the Great Western Greenway for Northern Ireland and endorse that with a sustained marketing campaign. We have seen the potential in countries such as Germany.
Community path networks are immensely important. I come from Fermanagh but have lived in Belfast for the past five or six years. I cycle and walk on the roads when in Belfast. I have quite a lot of green space. I think that a lot of rural communities do not have an opportunity to do that. So community path networks are vital for those areas. They need to be backed up by having champions who have undertaken cycle leader training in the various youth and other organisations to ensure that steps can be taken, and maybe even as a pathway to Bikeability, which we talked about earlier.
That was quite a whirlwind. I hope that we have kept to our 10 minutes, Chair. We are more than happy to take questions.
The Chairperson: I think that you are a bit over the 10 minutes, but it was a very interesting presentation. Thank you. You mentioned earlier, Aideen, that the NIEA, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Sport Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board are your funders. You referred to the very successful outdoor pursuit mountain biking trails. Most are in forest parks, which are under the control of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the Forest Service. I declare an interest as an assistant warden in the former Environment and Heritage Service. When I was responsible for the Redburn and Scrabo country parks for a time, a major mountain biking event in Redburn was turned down flat by one or two senior people in the Environment and Heritage Service, which is now the NIEA. It jumps off the page that none of those parks are still being used. In fact, the agency is reluctant even to allow horse riding in what are country pursuit areas. That is absolutely over the top, in my view and, indeed, in the view of many who work there. Given the good work of the other Departments, what pressure has been put on the agency, and what pressure have you come under, to use parks such as Redburn, which would be ideal for mountain biking? What discussions have taken place with the NIEA on that? Is there still reluctance at the top of that agency to allow progress and see the bigger picture as opposed to the inward-looking picture that it saw in my day?
Mr Scott: I have worked on that project. The good news is that we have worked quite closely with the NIEA in the past number of weeks. It has asked us to look at a scoping study for nine NIEA-owned properties. I can get you a list of those, but I do not have them in my head at the moment.
The Chairperson: It would be good if you could do that.
Mr Scott: I can pass that on. The idea is to look at a scoping study of each park to see how mountain biking, walking, horse riding and all of the various elements of outdoor recreation can be pieced together in one master plan. We will take a snapshot of what is already in park and identify the potential. The answer to the last part of your question is that I do not know. We will pitch together based on the terms of reference of the NIEA. We may pitch mountain biking for some of those parks. The reaction to that will be interesting.
The Chairperson: Maybe the dinosaurs have gone now, but I am not quite sure.
Mr Scott: I think that Northern Ireland is moving that way, thankfully. We had issues in the forest parks over the past 10 years, but we have made massive strides in the past year. The other Department that you referred to has been very helpful in that. I feel that the energy and motivation is there. We are more than happy to pass on to you the outcomes of the scoping studies.
The Chairperson: You will want to see that in other places, too.
Mr Scott: Very much so. Master planning is so important. People get anxious about mountain biking because, to be blunt, they are petrified of a mountain biker crashing into a walker or vice versa.
The Chairperson: Obviously, a competitive event would take place when a lot of people were there.
Mr Scott: Absolutely. Two weekends ago, the single speed European championships were held in Castlewellan Forest Park. That was at the end of the Easter break, so the forest park was packed full of families and so on. Through good management and planning, there was no conflict at all between the normal users of the park and the mountain bike visitors.
The Chairperson: We are still basking in the glory of the Giro last week, and you mentioned the UCI World Cup. Do we have the infrastructure to host that here? If not, what do we need to do to secure such events, given your very clear presentation on the economic benefits to towns, rural villages etc in other areas? There is a very clear history of that happening.
Mr Scott: We have come a long way in the past year. Our ambition is to look at Rostrevor for a downhill event. Rostrevor has the only purpose-built downhill trail in Ireland, so it has the trail network. Castlewellan probably has the potential for a cross-country UCI event as well. Our issue in both sites is the surrounding infrastructure. As you probably saw with the Giro, the cyclists take up a very small space, but the entourage, the media, the team mechanics and so on are equally important. Some of those forest parks are quite compact sites, so money needs to be invested more in the infrastructure for the start/finish areas. We are in a fairly good place with the trails. People who have hosted these events in Scotland have come over here, and, when we brought them to Rostrevor, they could not believe the facilities there. With tweaks here and there, we can certainly have a strong platform.
The Chairperson: Are there any discussions with other Departments to try to secure some of the legs of the UCI World Cup?
Mr Scott: We presented to the NITB events team, which was inextricably linked to the Giro, and we were well received. They asked us to look at costs and the steps needed to host the event, and we hope to have that ready by the end of the financial year. The UCI bid is made three to four years in advance. If we made a bid next year, the event would come in three or four years' time.
The Chairperson: That is helpful, Chris.
Mr Lynch: Thanks for the presentation. You spoke about having a scheme similar to the greenway at Mulranny. I know that you have something at Lough Navar at Derrygonnelly. Like you, I come from Fermanagh and have been thinking about whether there is any potential in the Erne area. In Mulranny, we were told that they compete with walkers, who are much greater in number than cyclists. Is there anywhere in the North with the potential for such a project?
Mr Scott: The Mulranny programme is a successful tourism project. The active travel element has been less successful because of the rural nature of the area. The Great Western Greenway project works so well because it was already in a tourism destination, albeit that the Mulranny Hotel had gone through hard times. You arrive in Westport and Achill, which have always been tourism destinations, and that is important.
Another key aspect of the Great Western Greenway is that it has stops of almost equal distance along the way: at Newport and various other villages. It is not a matter of creating a massive project that is alien to the tourism industry or, in the case of the Connswater greenway, to the urban environment. I will not give you a precise destination. A feasibility study, with the terms of reference that I have just given, would be necessary to determine whether anywhere in Northern Ireland was suitable for a similar project.
Gordon from Sustrans spoke about the map of disused railways. There are also opportunities around waterways. We have numerous potential sites, but a feasibility study would be required to take that forward.
Mr Lynch: A point that I made in Mayo was that most of the disused railway lines have been built on, which I know has happened in Fermanagh, and become part of developments. Most of them have gone.
The Chairperson: I take it you do not want the train down in Fermanagh now. [Laughter.]
Mr Lynch: I will not be waiting for it. [Laughter.]
Mr Ó hOisín: I welcome the opening up of many forest parks, not only for mountain biking but for horse riding and even walking. A few short years ago, many of those areas were no-go areas. What is the overall mountain biking product worth to the local economy in hard cash?
Mr Scott: I do not know at the moment. The trails were finished only in May last year, and we will work with the NITB on a research project this summer. We are waiting for the tourism innovation fund to open and hope that our application will be successful. I hope that we will have a research report ready by March or April next year, which would give us hard figures, and exactly the figures that I want to know, too.
An economic appraisal for the two trail centres at Rostrevor and Castlewellan, a project funded largely by DETI and the NITB, showed £670,000 in the first year. Ramping that up over Northern Ireland, the economic impact might be quite high.
Mr Ó hOisín: Maybe you will come back with those figures when they are available.
Mr Scott: Absolutely. We would be keen to do that.
The Chairperson: Yes, if we get those figures, you can come back to the Committee. We will also send you a number of further questions in due course.
Mr Ó hOisín: An issue that came up over the Giro was Translink limiting its bicycle-carrying capacity to four. I wonder whether there is an opportunity for various interest groups to look at that. That would probably widen bicycle use across the board.
Mr Scott: It is an issue for us even in our mountain biking projects.
Mr McCarthy: In your presentation, Chris, you said that funding for cycle training had been withdrawn at some stage. Is that right?
Ms Exley: That was me.
Mr McCarthy: However, one of your recommendations is investment in cycle training for community leaders in under-represented communities. Can you see that happening after the withdrawal of funding?
Ms Exley: We ran a three-year project funded by Big Lottery called Venture Outdoors, and cycling was an intrinsic part of that. That was all about targeting under-represented communities, and we trained cycle leaders in those groups. That has now come to an end, and, because of the popularity of walking, we have managed to secure some programme money for that. It is called the Walking in Your Community initiative, but we want to extend that to cycling.
Mr McCarthy: Will you go back to the Big Lottery?
Ms Exley: There is nothing open to us there at the moment, so we are looking at various grant programmes. We have a small amount of programme money to continue with the walking, which is relatively low cost and very effective, and we hope to seek more money for cycling when other programmes open.
The Chairperson: Finally, your resource requirement for the implementation of your operational plan is just under £650,000 for this financial year, which is quite low. Do you feel that you are adequately resourced, and is there an appropriate level of investment in the sector?
Mr Scott: We are working up our operational plan for the next six years to cover two periods of comprehensive spending review, and we will require around £4 million over the next six years. We are bidding for 60% of that from public support, so 40% has to come from elsewhere: for example, our carrying out consultation processes. We have interactions with private sector sponsorship and so on, but the more of the 40% we have to get, the more it diverts some of our staff from doing the work that we really want to do. That is a real challenge for us. As you said, it is quite a low amount. More public support would certainly make our lives a lot easier. It would mean less diversion and that we did not have to spread ourselves so thinly in other areas. Further support would be appreciated.
The Chairperson: As I said, a number of questions will come from the Clerk's office in writing, and they will be part of the inquiry. Thank you both for coming along and giving evidence to the Committee today. We look forward to your input, which will be included in our final report.
Mr Scott: Thank you very much.


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This week we talk to Hanna Gabrielsson, the woman behind the delightful little Scandinavian bistro with an even more delightful name, Beaver Choice. The restaurant has been open in Tempe on the corner of Broadway and McClintock for only ten months but the community is quickly discovering the wonders of Gabrielsson's fish-rich menu. We had a lovely time hearing about her unusual path into the food business and later this week she shares a recipe.
Hanna and her husband Marek opened the original Beaver Choice restaurant in Kingston, Ontario and the name has an interesting back story:
When we came from Sweden to Canada I wanted to have something that was both Swedish and Canadian. Canada's national animal is beaver. We said, "Ok let's get a beaver," and we put this jersey on him. I had no clue what beaver meant at that time. You know, the other....There were a lot of funny stories at that time. We started actually with a food truck and we were so popular! My food is mainly Swedish but I have this Polish touch and Canadian too.
World traveler
I was born in Poznan in Poland, then in '82 I moved to Sweden. I lived in Sweden till 2002. 2002 I moved to Canada, and 2010 we moved here.
My arthritis. In Canada my doctor told me that I have to go to a dry climate, so that's how we moved here.
Where you a chef back in Sweden?
I learned to cook actually when I was working as a waitress when I was studying math at university in Stockholm. I was working because I was a single mom because my kid's dad died so I had to support myself. There was no unemployment actually in Sweden, everyone could get a job. So I got a job as a waitress.
They needed waitresses at this place where they have the Nobel Prize banquets....I was always coming like one hour or two hours earlier to check what they were doing on cooking shifts, that's how I learned to cook. I had no formal education in cooking.
Whatever happened to your math degree?
I was working as a mathematician but when I came to Canada I said "No." No more math. You know math is very boring. Math is fun but working like eight hours and sitting.....I'm very social and I was sitting in front of a computer like eight hours, nine hours a day, it's not really fun. This is better, I love it.
Why are people choosing Beaver Choice?
It's made to order. We don't use anything that's canned. We use canned red beans which we re-marinate but everything is fresh. But to tell you the truth I don't know. Why is this such a big hit? I have no clue!
What is the essence of Scandinavian food? Dill. Dill makes it. Fish makes it. And we use fresh ingredients....I think the whole thing is fresh ingredients and never more than five spices. The guy who taught me actually, who is one of the best in Sweden, said "You don't want to kill the taste of the fish."
Dill is such a rare find in most supermarkets, where do you get yours and how do you know when it's the right stuff?
From two places, from Rainbow Produce and from Restaurant Depot. And it's really expensive. I think because of the weather, I think it's just too warm, or too dry. I use like three pounds of dill a day. It can't be old, dill has to be very tiny. If you have those big, dry stems it means that it's too old and that it hasn't been nourished properly.
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Have you had to change the menu at all since the move?
I removed a few items that weren't selling at all, like chanterelle sauce. People didn't know what it even is. They don't know what morel is. But it's south of United States, it doesn't grow here.
What is the hardest thing to get?
Mushrooms. Good sauerkraut. Morels I have to buy on Internet, and procini, which are so expensive here. I buy them dried and because I used them for the schnitzel, for the porcini sauce, I have to rehydrate them overnight. And fish of course, good fish. And you know what, caviar. Swedish anchovy I have to go to Ikea.
Check back tomorrow for more Scandinavian secrets from Hanna Gabrielsson.

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Panthers come up empty vs. Purple Knights
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J.) scored a pair of second period goals Saturday afternoon to lead Saint Michael's College to a 4-0 victory over Plymouth State University in an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's East ice hockey contest at Hanaway Rink.
The Purple Knights were leading 1-0 midway through the second period when Santore ripped a shot from the right circle over the goalie's shoulder just under the crossbar to double the lead, and she added a power play goal late in the period, falling down as she shot the puck under the crossbar again, to make it a 3-0 game. Senior goalie Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn.) did the rest; stopping all 25 shots to record the shutout and help Saint Michael's to its first victory of the season (1-3-0, 1-3-0).
PSU junior Ali Ponte (Richmond Hill, Ontario) was solid in goal again for the Panthers, making 29 saves on 33 shots. Freshman Alysha Raimo (Fitchburg, Mass.) led PSU with five shots on goal, and junior Jane Baruch (Coventry, R.I.) got off four.
Saint Michael's took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Ponte made a save on a shot by freshman Kaly Spilhaus (Bourne, Mass.) but senior Melissa Hallisey (Dedham, Mass.) fired home the rebound. That stood as the lone goal until the two by Santore in the second period, and junior Tracy Stevenson (Wayne, Maine) followed up with her first goal of the season 14 seconds after Santore's second goal, shoving home a rebound to make it 4-0 in what ended up as the final goal.
Sophomore Maire Bartkus (Acton, Mass.) and freshman Amanda Kempainen (Chazy, N.Y.) collected two assists each for the winners.
PSU plays its next six games on the road, beginning next weekend at Castleton State College and New England College. Saint Michael's returns home to host Saint Anselm and UMass Boston next weekend.
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Stay Well, Move On course
Location: Studio One, St Andrews Church, Wythenshawe (Brownley Rd, M22 0DW, opposite Robinswood tram stop)
Start Date: Thursday 11th October
Time: 10am-12pm
Duration: 6 weeks
The group is based on relapse prevention strategies where there will be a weekly group discussion around triggers, early warning signs, coping strategies, meaningful occupation and goal-setting. The group will use a case study to keep the discussion more generalised and participants will not be expected to share personal experiences or information. The course is structured in order to give people the necessary information to then develop their own staying well plans once the group has ended. The sessions will run in two parts, the second part focusing on a creative task - creating a personalised wellbeing journal for participants to take home at the end of the course. The group is aimed at anyone who has experienced difficulties with their mental health and would like to develop a better understanding of causes of relapse and strategies to stay well.
For further information, email firstname.lastname@example.com
Arts for Good Health courses
Did you know that making art is good for your mental health? Are you or do you have clients who are interested to learn how to use art to boost health and wellbeing?
Courses run by the Recovery Pathways Creative Wellbeing arts service.
No art experience necessary.
Courses run for 6 or 8 weeks across Manchester. Places are limited.
First come, first service basis.
firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com
or visit www.start2.co.uk
Other Resources
Trafford Pakistani Resource Centre - Mental Health Service
Welfare Rights Flyer.pdf
Mental Health Services Flyer.pdf
Referral Form_18.doc
The Owl and The Coconut
Stop. Notice. Create.
Mindful workshops, events and tools to create a healthy, happy and creative society for all. Sessions across Manchester.
Visit the website www.theowlandthecoconut.com or email email@example.com for more information.
Self Help – Sleepio
Trouble sleeping? Feeling low?
Get your energy back with Self Help's award-winning six week online sleep improvement programme.
For help to improve your sleep, please contact: email@example.com or phone 0161 226 3871
Levenshulme Good Neighbours
Supporting older people in the Levenshulme community, Levenshulme Good Neighbours is a voluntary befriending service. Visit people in their home for a neighbourly chat, help people get out and about in the community, escort people to appointments or shops and accompany people to a wide range of fun days out, events and activities.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 0161 850 1066
Being There
Being There is a small charity providing emotional support and home-based practical help to people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, along with those closest to them, such as family, friends and carers. We have support services with volunteering opportunities in Manchester, Trafford, Salford and Tameside.
We can offer someone to talk to confidentially about having cancer or another life limiting illness, along with home visits, social events and practical assistance, for example help with shopping, as well as support at hospital appointments.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 0845 123 23 29
Helping people recover from life's and ups and downs. The helpline provides information, advice and support, operates from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 0161 832 37 36
Manchester Mind
Building a Healthy Future is a free six week course for people living with a long-term physical condition. The course is suitable for anyone who wants to find ways of managing and improving their emotional wellbeing.
This course aims to help lift your mood and will teach you a range of tools and techniques to manage stress and life's challenges.
For more information email email@example.com or call Ruth on 07527 127 786.


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For different reasons the hair falls, loses brightness and strength, Try Folicillium, the perfect formula to make hair grow stronger and healthier. This article will be very useful if you are looking for a solution for your hair, we present a complete analysis of this powerful product.
What is Folicillium?
It is the best solution to the common and uncommon problems of hair loss; the composition of this formula stimulates and restores growth. As the last activity in this process, the scalp is restored and an essential nutrients begin to become strong to leave a stronger hair in its appearance and resistance.
How does Folicillium Work?
The composition if it really works, it acts in a natural way reducing the level of DTH of the scalp and revitalizes with depth to achieve the healthy and natural growth.
This treatment contains powerful extracts of plants that benefit the scalp using its own resources and stabilize its activity. When you start using this solution, the DTH level starts to decrease. The hair follicles quickly begin to gather all the nutrients that hair occupies in order to grow. The result is new hairs that begin to grow stronger and thicker than they were before.
Folicillium Benefits
Decreases the level of the main responsible for hair loss (DTH).
Blocks hair loss.
Nourishes the follicles from the root.
Stimulates the growth of new hair.
Reinforce hair four more times.
Accelerate the growth system.
Recovers the original hair color.
Leaves a sensation in the hair of softness and shine.
Normalizes the condition of the scalp to prevent fat accumulation.
Moisturizes the hair from the root to the tip, preventing the tips from opening.
What Ingredients does Folicillium have?
Folicillium is the first to make a combination of rare herbs and is very powerful; these are extracts of plants and trees that fight hair loss. The mixed power of this formula makes it very effective in hair loss. The combination of these components makes it possible for the FTH generation to pause, once the hormonal level of the scalp is balanced, it is restored and there is no reason for hair loss.
This formula in addition to containing complex components that are necessary to normalize the hormonal stability of the scalp also has a powerful combination of minerals, vitamins and amino acids that restructure the hair and give deep nourishment in depth from its center. In this way, the hair receives everything it has needed. Folicillium gives intense nourishment to the hair and the loss process gives an incredible turn that converts the fall into an effective growth.
Naturally, the effect of the formula is really recommended, 99% of the hair problems that exist can be solved thanks to this combination of ingredients.
How is it Used?
A pack of Folicillium contains a spray pack that has very rare but very effective extracts and healthy amino acids. You should use only 2 to 3 times a week with clean and moist hair. The recommended dose in each application is between 5 and 10 spray sprays, you should not dye your hair once you have started with the application of this treatment. Indicate the use of this formula for 2 to 3 months, this time will be enough to block the fall and sufficient healthy growth for the hair.
Does Folicillium Contain Side Effects?
This capillary solution is completely natural; studies show that it does not contain any equivalent to components that have other hair cosmetic products, so this feature aside from giving the effects it promises is also made completely safe for those who use it.
Why make Use of This Formula?
According to the use, the time is given in its application and the zero risks that it contains with its application, this method proves to be the most effective in this subject, the formula has not only passed the necessary assessments for the national information center biotechnology but has also been proven by many people who have endorsed its results.
Do you have Any Guarantee on its Effects?
Of course! The company is completely confident in the efficiency of Folicillium and that is why it offers you a guarantee on the reimbursement of your money. If you are not 100% satisfied with the results, just send the empty packaging and the company will return the money you have invested in Folicillium. For more information click here.
How much it Cost & Where to Buy Folicillium?
Due to this problem so common in society, the manufacturer wants to support in benefit and has decided to offer a discount to its customers so that everyone can acquire this treatment.
Customers who visit the website of Folicillium will get 37% at their price when making the purchase. With the discount applied the treatment is reduced to 45.00 $, this offer is limited. Take advantage of this discount and get the free shipping. Click on this link Buy in The US!
Reviews / Comments
My hair stopped growing after my second pregnancy; it became very fragile and thin. I do not know what they put in to compliment but it really gave me a result that I did not think was possible. My hair started to grow like … I do not know how freshly watered grass! In a month I grew about 8 centimeters.
I felt ashamed because I saw areas of my scalp without any hair. I have been using Folicillium for a month and I have noticed that my hair is visibly stronger. Also has grown about 7 centimeters, for me is a great progress. Do you like it? I adore him!


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When you give your kids chores to do every week, and they're compensated with an allowance, you're not just exchanging money for labor. Your children are learning an entire array of life skills that you may not even realize will benefit them for a long time to come.
In the current era, more and more kids have received special treatment and aren't learning the value of hard work. Parents may have the best intentions in mind by not expecting their kids to put some elbow grease into their daily lives, but they're doing children a disservice.
Kids should be given a set of tasks to accomplish at least once a week. Here's why.
They Learn the Importance of Contribution
Life at home with your family is simple and clear in comparison to their future role in the grand scheme of things. However, chores still help young people to realize that, in order to live in a community, they must contribute to the greater whole.
By expecting them to participate in chores and tasks which need to be performed to keep the household going, you're preparing them for being active members of society as adults. Whether you have them wash the dishes, mow the lawn, or train the family dog, kids should have a role to fulfill in the household.
They Learn the Value of a Dollar
When kids have everything handed to them without having any effort on their part, they don't appreciate the value of money. In contrast, when they see a certain amount of money is roughly equivalent to a certain amount of labor, they're more likely to be careful about their spending.
People who have never had to work for their money tend to be much more careless with funds and bad about saving for the future.
It Empowers Them
When you give kids things to do, and they receive praise for doing it, this gives them a sense of accomplishment and empowerment. When your children know that they are expected to do something, and they get it done, they walk away from the task with a sense of pride.
It Gives Them a Sense of Belonging
Part of being in a community is having a role to play in it. When kids are given jobs to do for which they are responsible and no one else is, it gives them a role in their society. Even if society, in this case, is only a four-person household in the suburbs, it's a taste of their future.
Rather than feeling guilty about expecting them to work, you should be proud that you're giving them the tools that prepare them for greater purpose in life. Kids without purpose tend to experience behavioral issues and may even commit crimes later on.


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Replenish Time
Overtime as seniors lose independence they are more like to stay indoors. Moreover, after completing a slew of duties, senior caregivers often overlook the importance of getting seniors outdoors to get more sunshine during the summer months. During the summer months, increased daylight hours allow us to take advantage of more time in direct sunlight. Winter months cause a significant decline in vitamin D, which leads to a weakened immune system, decreased absorption of calcium and in some cases depression also known as the "winter blues". Seniors are at greater risk of broken bones and depressive episodes, which makes vitamin D exposure essential. In addition, higher levels of oxygen from being outdoors is essential for health brain functioning. In the Washington, DC area, caregivers often have more responsibilities and a higher caregiver to client ratio. These conditions decrease the likelihood that clients receive more 1:1 time to ensure their overall well-being. It is essential that families hire senior caregivers that are holistically trained to provide care that treats all of their needs to increase their health and longevity.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a crucial element that aids in the absorption of calcium. As seniors age they are more prone to broken bones from slips and falls. Frequent injuries in seniors are linked to rapid health declines. Many clients have care plans in place to help reduce their risk of slips and falls. However, in some cases this is inevitable. Preventive healthcare regimens are critical in minimizing the risk of broken bones when seniors slip or fall. Studies have shown that vitamin D is also an essential element in impacting serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that decreases symptoms of depression. Depression and other mood changes are common amongst seniors and are linked to rapid physical and mental health declines. Although vitamin supplements can be helpful, vitamin D obtained naturally through sunlight has shown to be the best way for the body to receive its benefits. Thus, getting seniors outdoors is crucial to aid their vitamin D absorption. Holistic caregivers are more knowledgeable on the holistic benefits of getting seniors outdoors in the sun. However, elderly clients are at greater risk of develop sun burns and even skin cancer due to decreased thickness in the skin.
There is no air that feels fresher than summer air. Summer time is the best time to indulge in higher levels of oxygen. A study conducted by the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, showed that oxygen levels change with the season and peak during the summer. This believes to be attributed to higher output of plants that have blossomed. Oxygen is a crucial element for our functioning, as is assist with decreasing stress, Increasing alertness, and energy. Additionally, oxygen deficiencies are linked to memory loss and overall declines in brain functioning. As seniors age energy levels decline and fatigue becomes a common experience associated with old age. However, engaging in deep breathing and being outdoors are great ways to combat fatigue and increase energy. Senior caregivers must provide a regimen that works to increase oxygen levels to maintain healthy functioning. This is even more critical for clients struggling with severe forms of dementia.
Helpful Tips for Senior Caregivers in Washington DC:
- Senior Care workers should plan activities such as puzzle, dominoes and knitting outside.
- For immobile clients, lower the AC and open as many windows as possible in the house.
- Help clients plant new flowers or produce to get them interested in going outside to track growth.
- Invite pet owners in the Washington DC neighborhood, and encourage clients to go outside to pet them.
- Senior Caregivers should encourage clients by teaching them how oxygen improves their health.
- Be sure to put a generous amount of sunscreen on clients to reduce the risk of sunburn.
- Make sure seniors drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of dehydration.


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1. Head over to this page: https://messageboards.webmd.com/health-conditions/f/digestive-health/
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Useful Links
Below are some useful sites that may be of assistance to you just click on each heading/picture and it will take you to the site
- Provides a wide range of services to help you deal with life in France. From registering your vehicle, opening a bank account and much more. Helpful professional service can be assured.
If you plan to buy a property in France this is a very useful site full of information to assist you in the process and lots of properties listed.


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Getting Started
getting started with adobe experience manager - aem v.6
PLEASE NOTE: AEM allows web editors to view (but not edit) all the pages in the BC site. While this allows for easy linking, remember that the content you're creating can be seen (but not edited) by anyone logged into AEM.
Log in at wps.bc.edu:
- Enter your BC (Portal) username and password.
(NOTE: if you are off-campus you need to first log into Eagle VPN. Instructions on how to set up Eagle VPN are at www.bc.edu/vpn.)
AEM Problems or Questions? Please email any AEM support requests, problems or questions to email@example.com.
Welcome Screen
- Once you've logged in you should see this screen below.
- Click on the Web Sites (globe) icon on the far left.
This brings up the Site Admin page.
Icons in the Top Toolbar
Site Admin Icon
The site admin screen is where you'll navigate through your web pages and open them for editing as well as copy, delete and activate your pages.
Digital Asset Manager
This is where your images, PDFs and other digital files are stored.
Site Development Icons
These tools are used by the BC development team to manage the CMS. You shouldn't need to access these areas of CQ.
How to turn off the Multiple Windows setting:
In the Site Admin window, click on your username icon on the upper right hand side of the screen and select Properties in the dropdown menu.
In the resulting dialouge box, select Single Window for Windows Management.


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Advancements in technology have made the present home or building a hub of remotely controlled buzzing devices manipulated by the touch of a screen. A building fitted with advanced technology is considered to be up to speed with the trending technology. One may need to update your smart technology or desire to install a new or additional system to their existing one. You will require getting a viable solutions provider such as GRS services to install a system that meets industry standards. Here are five tips to hiring a smart technology installation company.
Hiring A Smart Technology Installation Company
Certification is Mandatory
When hiring a company to install your smart system, you will need to ascertain they are certified to conduct this work. There are a couple of reasons why they need to be certified. One is that since they are dealing with electrical systems, they need to be well versed with safety standards to leave your building safe. The NICEIC is one body that certifies companies adequately trained in electrical installation. CEDIA is another relevant body which licenses companies who do custom electronic design and installation.
Evaluate Different Companies
Once you have determined and eliminated the companies that are not certified you need to check if the companies left can offer the solution you desire fitted. This will require you to be very specific on what you need. For you to get what you need you will need to visit these companies for a demonstration. This is one of the most valuable tips to hiring a smart technology installation company. Here, you get to check their portfolio and engage with their past clients to get a feel of the enterprise.
Check Pricing
Once you are confident, the companies you have picked are certified check the pricing of each for the package you desire done. This will give you a proper estimate of how much it will cost you to get the solution fitted. Do not be too quick to sign the dotted line. Ensure you read the fine print as technological systems can have a rather steep price tag. You need to get what you have paid for.
Create a Schedule
Installing a smart system is a project. This is depending on how complex it is. A simple sound system could take as short as a few hours to three days while installing a full home smart system may take up to several weeks depending on various factors. It is important to work out a time scope with the company to have a schedule to stick to, and a fall back promises if the company lags behind. Be sure to draft a contract that you both sign that includes a project scope with time limits.
Determine Security Capabilities
Smart technology more than often works on a wireless network. This means that it is prone to cyber attacks. Whichever company you choose ought to have the expertise to create high-level firewalls to keep your system safe. A breach in the system could mean having your alarm system disarmed remotely for easy access to burglars among other risks.
These five tips to hiring a smart technology installation company give you a way to the right company.…


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Posted in About me, Fear
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Posted in About me, Every day's stuff, Friends, Web info
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This is a personal blog.
It contains my own thoughts, visions and ideas.
All comments made by me are personal and not directly aimed at any reader. If you feel I have offended you, please do note it is NOT my intention NOR necessary.
If you seek help, please use a site like Google to find support in your local community.
Thanks for reading this blog, thanks for your interest.
Feel free to comment. I will NEVER allow spam.
Have a good day, LW
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A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum
A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum" by Mark Wessels is the most comprehensive method available that simultaneously provides instruction for rhythm reading, technique fundamentals, rudimental training, coordination and musicianship necessary for today's well rounded percussionist! The downloadable play-along tracks makes practicing fun by utilizing percussion instruments and grooves from around the world (click here to visit the Accompaniment Download page to access the tracks).
And to help you throughout the book, Mark Wessels has recorded 82 FREE VIDEO LESSONS are available on YouTube! Having video lessons on every topic through the book is a great way to supplement lessons from your teacher –OR the best way to learn to play the snare drum on your own!
View and Download a Free Sampler from A Fresh Approach to the Snare Drum:
Click here to view or download a PDF
Listen to a sample of the audio accompaniment:


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So, Hank. You think it's a "Yankees Nation" do ya?
Obviously, you've never been to a Boston Red Sox game at Rangers Ball Park in Arlington. You would see more than half of a sold out stadium (almost 50,000 capacity) chanting "Let's go, Red Sox" in near perfect unison while Rangers fans sit on their hands.
Sure there are plenty of Yankees fans at Rangers Ballpark when the Evil Empire comes to Texas, but they are nowhere near as plentiful, nor are they as united. You see, there is a bond in the "Red Sox Nation" that is not found anywhere else in sports. When one sees another hat with the characteristic "B" on the front, one knows that he/she has an instant friend. Not so with the Yankees brand. Matter of fact, when one sees the annoying "NY" on the front of a hat, there is a 50/50 chance that that person is a thug or gang member.
You are right...the Yankees brand is popular, but apparently, it is for entirely different reasons than the Red Sox brand.
But you, sir, are entirely wrong when you say that ESPN "invented" the Red Sox Nation. Although it is true that the official entity that is called "Red Sox Nation" has only existed for a few years (I am even one of the "founding members" according to my first card), the true Red Sox Nation was founded by one Michael T. "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, owner of the "3rd Base" bar, just up the road from Huntington.
Heh. The words of a Dropkick Murphys song keep coming to mind, for some reason...
Anyway, you show your extreme ignorance, Mr. Steinbrenner, with the comments that you have made. Learn your history, then take your honorary Red Sox Nations membership from John Henry and shut up.
Oh, yeah...I almost forgot:
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Dear Mr. Steinbrenner...
So, Hank. You think it's a "Yankees Nation" do ya?
Posted by Bickley at 1:53 AM
4 comments:
- Ted D said...
Hey Bickley!
I had no idea you'd linked me to your blog, but I'll add you as well.
Nice post. Hank is proving to be quite the George, circa 1977.
And you're spot on about the Sox fans who travel. When I go to Baltimore to see them play, it's basically Fenway south.
- March 6, 2008 at 1:49 PM
- Tex said...
tickets to Arlington - check
tickets to Houston - check
tickets to Boston - Check
Wooo HOOOOOOOooo
- March 6, 2008 at 8:54 PM
- Bickley said...
Dang...I'm still waiting for my tickets...but I'm about to pay the balance on my Red Sox Destinations trip in July to see them sweep the Evil Empire at Fenway! Huzzah!!
- March 7, 2008 at 12:53 AM
- Krystle [RSO] said...
I don't have tickets to games this year =[. But that's a long story and I don't want/need to go into it.
I'm going to say this, Hank will make it fun - no doubt about it.
- March 7, 2008 at 3:02 PM


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The prestigious American College of Physicians (ACP) has challenged the American Diabetes Association (ADA) when it comes to how to treat type 2 diabetes. It's the internists against the endocrinologists. The result of this conflict is likely to be confusion for patients.
The ACP is the largest medical specialty group in the U.S. It is comprised of over 150,000 internists, internal medicine subspecialists, residents, fellows and medical students. The organization issued new guidelines about how to treat type 2 diabetes (Annals of Internal Medicine, March 6, 2018). The bottom line is that the experts for the ACP are encouraging their colleagues to treat type 2 diabetes less aggressively than before.
The president of the ACP, Dr. Jack Ende, summarized the evidence-based guidance statement this way:
"ACP's analysis of the evidence behind existing guidelines found that treatment with drugs to targets of 7 percent or less compared to targets of about 8 percent did not reduce deaths or macrovascular complications such as heart attack or stroke but did result in substantial harms. The evidence shows that for most people with type 2 diabetes, achieving an A1C between 7 percent and 8 percent will best balance long-term benefits with harms such as low blood sugar, medication burden, and costs."
You might not think the difference between a goal of 7 to 8 percent vs. a goal of less than 7 percent would be such a big deal. Au contraire. This represents a huge fight between specialists. The ADA recommends getting AIC levels below 7 percent (Diabetes Care, Jan. 2018). The experts for the ADA go on to suggest that:
"Providers might reasonably suggest more stringent A1C goals (such as less than 6.5 percent) for selected patients…"
The difference between 6.5 to 7 percent and 7 to 8 percent may not seem like much to you. But it is the difference between aggressive blood sugar control and a more relaxed approach to the way doctors treat type 2 diabetes.
Doctors abbreviate Hemoglobin A1c to HbA1c. Then they shorten it even more to A1C. This blood test, also referred to as glycosylated or glycated hemoglobin, is a measure of average blood sugar control over three months. Many health professionals prefer this metric to daily blood sugar readings. That's because it gives them a rough idea how their patients are controlling blood glucose over a longer period of time.
It's all about the more aggressive vs. less aggressive way to treat type 2 diabetes. Intensive control of blood sugar has been a goal of the ADA for years. Many endocrinologists believe that this approach will lead to fewer complications of diabetes. We can imagine that there are patients for whom this approach would be desirable. But an aggressive approach to treat type 2 diabetes can have unexpected consequences for some people.
The feud between the internists and the endocrinologists centers around interpretation of research results. One of the biggest and best trials of the effects of intensive treatment (AIC levels of less than 6 percent) compared to standard therapy (targets of 7.0 to 7.9 percent) produced controversial results. The ACCORD trial upset the apple cart (New England Journal of Medicine, June 12, 2008).
The group of who were randomized to treat their type 2 diabetes aggressively had a:
"22% increase in all-cause mortality, a 35% increase in cardiovascular related death, and a 3-fold increase in risk for severe hypoglycemia. More intensive treatment also resulted in increased weight gain of more than 10 kg (27.8% vs. 14.1%) and increased fluid retention."
You can learn more about the ACCORD trial in this article:
When patients don't treat type 2 diabetes adequately they become vulnerable to many serious complications including eye damage, peripheral neuropathy and cardiovascular disease. Overly aggressive treatment, though, can put them at risk for dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Historically, this is usually considered a risk for people with type 1 diabetes who have to take insulin. A new perspective published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (March. 5, 2018) suggests that it can also be a problem for people with type 2 diabetes.
When blood sugar levels drop too low, the patient may become shaky, spacey and experience sweating, headache and blurred vision. If allowed to continue, hypoglycemia can lead to fainting, seizures or coma. This can become an emergency, requiring hospitalization. Worst case, hypoglycemia can lead to death.
The authors call for personalized patient management strategies that will help all people with diabetes avoid the dangers of hypoglycemia. That is also the recommendation from the experts at the American College of Physicians. These internists are concerned about the complications of hypoglycemia. They too call for a personalized approach to treat type 2 diabetes.
We have written an article about this very question. Click on the link below to get The People's Pharmacy perspective.
We have always loved the revised story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. That's because it is a wonderful tale about moderation. Goldilocks rejected the first bowl of porridge because it was too hot. She rejected the second bowl because it was too cold. When she tasted the last bowl she said:
We think the way to treat type 2 diabetes requires a careful balance so the outcome is just right…or as close as we can get to that goal. That means aiming to prevent the serious consequences of diabetes while simultaneously avoiding adverse drug reactions and dangerously low blood sugar levels. Exercise and thoughtful eating can help.
We have also written a Guide to Managing Diabetes that provides some practical tips. Here is a link.
Share your own story about how you successfully treat type 2 diabetes below in the comment section. If you have ever experienced side effects from diabetes drugs we would like to know about them. What about hypoglycemia? Has that ever been a problem. Share your story so others can benefit.
Join our daily email newsletter with breaking health news, prescription drug information, home remedies AND you'll get a copy of our brand new full-length health guide — for FREE!
We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.


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- Lucy ~ http://www.love2createitall.com
- Darla ~ http://www.stampingunderdoctorsorders.blogspot.com/
- Diana ~ http://dianasfreemoments.blogspot.com/ )
- Wendy Kessler ~ http://myscrapbookingblog.com
- Eva~ http://loveofcreating.blogspot.com
- Carolyn ~ http://www.nuts4scrappin.blogspot.com
- Stephanie- http://www.quiltedscrapper.blogspot.com
- Joanne - http://josiesjoy.blogspot.com ........................You are here
- Laura W. http://scrappinsweetiesescape.blogspot.com
- Kindred Hearts - http://itmakestotalcents.blogspot.com
- Pam Stewart - http://i-candy-scraps.blogspot.com
- Carolyn Mendoza ~ http://www.craftingwithcarolyn.blogspot.com
Friday, August 10, 2012
August Art Philosophy Blog Hop
10 comments:
Fantastic job on the layout!ReplyDelete
Amazing!! I was looking at this thru my google reader and just had to hop on over from http://cutonedesignsbyrobin.blogspot.com/ and tell you how great this is!!!! I will defiantly be scraplifing this when I order my cartridge!!!!ReplyDelete
very unique! I really like it. Thanks for posting directions on how to do it as well.ReplyDelete
Love this layout ... I never would've thought of that!!!ReplyDelete
Totally outside the box and GORGEOUS! Thanks for sharing your creativity.ReplyDelete
I love how you integrated the positive/negative of the cricut cuts and them embedded photos into those cuts! Very clever and it turned out beautiful!!ReplyDelete
Love your layout Josie!! Hugs, GloriaReplyDelete
WOW! Love that you cut that image at that size -- great idea!!!! Your layout turned out just beautiful! TFSReplyDelete
This is so cool! I love it!ReplyDelete
Wendy K.
This is stunning!!!!ReplyDelete


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8 Hearty Chili Recipes
When temperatures fall, I reach for my fleece pullover and look up new chili recipes to warm up my insides. For an easy weeknight dinner, pair one of these chili recipes with a stack of baked potatoes for a gourmet potato bar meal. You can also make a batch to dress up nachos for a big football game. Using lean cuts of meat can also help you keep your new year's resolution to eat healthy.
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A Lightened-Up Traditional Chili from My Bacon-Wrapped Life
Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili by Lovely Little Kitchen
Spicy Turkey and Chickpea Chili by My Daily Morsel
Short Rib Chili by Dooley Noted
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Turkey Apple Chili from Tried and Tasty
White Bean Chicken Chili from Pretty Plain Janes
Black Bean and Quinoa Chili from EatGood4Life
What's in your favorite chili?
More Recipes
Traditional Kings Cake Recipe
Easy Cream Enchiladas for At-Home Date Night
5 Fall Soup Recipes


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"Lead, don't follow."
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Bright Collie


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The Transfigurations Helpline closed at the moment due to illness
Tel: Not available at present
IMPORTANT: Please see operational times below
Although we are a Devon based support organisation, this helpline is open to transgender people of all ages, anywhere in the UK. This also includes the parents or guardians of transgender people who also might be needing support – also the partners of transgender people.
If you decide that you would like to meet other transgender people in your own area, we can possibly point you to a local organisation for face to face contact if and when you would like to do this.
Normal Helpline Opening Times:
Opening Times
|6pm until midnight (last call taken at 11:30pm)
|6pm until midnight (last call taken at 11:30pm)
|6pm until midnight (except 1st Wednesday of every month) - last call taken at 11:30pm
Please note that at this moment it is not a freephone number, it is a standard mobile number and any calls you make will be credited to your account (although if you have free minutes available on your phone plan, it will be included in your monthly allowance). We reserve the right to change the operational times should the need occur.
We are also opening up another landline number for those people who might prefer to use a landline. This will be 01803 404500. Please do not use this number outside our helpline hours as it is our normal office number and staff cannot take helpline calls.
Hopefully it will be possible for us to attract sufficient funding for the helpline to be changed to a freephone number at some point in the future.
Please Note:
On days that the helpline is not available, you can send a text message to our mobile number (07476 151717) and we will text you back a.s.a.p. to give you an out of hours time to call. We will not call you back unless you specifically state in your text that it is safe to do so, as otherwise this could potentially jeopardise your security.
All information which you might reveal about yourself (such as your name, address, telephone number) will be kept absolutely confidential and will only be accessible to the Management Team of Transfigurations and held securely.
The only time that confidentiality will be breached is if a child or a vulnerable adult is believed to be at risk of harm (please see our Policy Documents for details). This will only be done after consultation with the Management team and is something that would not be done lightly. Our grateful thanks to Devon and Cornwall Police who originally helped to make this telephone support line possible.
This helpline is now supported by voluntary donations, if you would like to donate a small amount towards its monthly upkeep, you can do so by going to our donations page and helping us keep this important service available to people. Alternatively, you can purchase a Torbay Lottery ticket (£1 a ticket – 50% of which is returned to us) and besides helping us, gives you the chance to win the £25,000 jackpot. Please see our Torbay Lottery page here for further information about this
Thank you.
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To say that my wargaming has for a while now been placed in low priority department would be something of an understatement. Between rather hectic tempo at work, my re-kindled interest in proper model kit making and plain lack of enthusiasm, so far during 2013 I've barley managed to pick up a brush, much less to participate in a game.
I'm pretty sure that we all have those 'low intensity' spells. The question is what to do to get out of them. In this particular case, I've decided to give "new project"-method a go. After all, whatever I have on my plate at the moment (surprisingly short list, now that I think about it – some 6mm Napoleonics, couple of 1/600 airplanes for my flagging Check Your Six Battle of Britain project and couple of terrain hexagons for a Shiloh scenario setup that was supposed to be ready last year) obviously fails to attract my attention. And that's why I've decided to take the plunge into Vietnam era.
Vietnam has always been a war that was very interesting to me and ever since Too Fat Lardies released 'Charlie Don't Surf', the call of the sirens was almost irresistible. There was however one huge speedbump that until now always managed managed to stave my enthusiasm – jungle terrain. I'm a decent figure painter, but when it comes to terrain I'm not only quite inexperienced, I also don't enjoy that part of the hobby all that much. Thus, jungle terrain always seemed beyond my skill as well as my attention span.
Nonetheless, over last couple of weeks I did a bit of research and convinced myself that I should give it a try. Getting the ruleset was the fist step. Next, I've ordered a bunch of palms and trees from some Chinese outfit on Ebay. They arrived at my doorstep couple of days ago and considering the price, they're excellent. Today it was time to take the next step and find some additional vegetation – in other words a trip to IKEA was in order. Yepp, you read correctly, whenever you need something for your wargaming table, IKEA is the place to visit. After a bit of recon I found three types of fake plants that fit the bill. An added bonus consisted of the fact that just a stone throw from my local IKEA there is a huge shop with all sorts of garden plants, including fake ones. A quick visit there resulted in a great find - two rather odd looking balls of grass which look rather useful for my purpose. In total, five different types of shrubs and plants for less than 200SEK.
Now all I need to do is to figure out how to turn them into Ia Drang valley.
Today's loot. Completely confused Spartan hoplites
are present for the sake of scale perception.


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October 14 marked the fifth year of the 90by30 Annual Conference, a chance for community members to come together and rededicate themselves to the goal of reducing child abuse in Lane County 90 percent by 2030. This year, we were honored to have Mary Gordon, founder and director of Roots of Empathy, as the keynote speaker. Gordon's evidence-based program increases empathy in elementary school children by bringing an infant and caregiver, along with a Roots of Empathy faciliator, into the classroom for multiple visits over the course of a year. Lane County has been chosen as one of only a handful of sites in the U.S. to implement the program, and 90by30 will be helping to bring it to both rural and urban schools in 2018.
In addition to the keynote presentation, conference-goers heard status updates from each of the Regional Leadership Teams. All the rural teams have finished prevention planning and are ready to begin implementation of the prevention plans they worked so long and hard on. Eugene and Springfield will leap into asset mapping this fall, and use that information about the community to write their own prevention plans. Workshops on equity and diversity - important topics as we strive to fairly and equitably implement prevention strategies - rounded out the day. Immigrant populations, rural areas, and poverty were given special attention in workshops led by UO faculty, community members, and 90by30 staff.
The day ended with a glimpse at the "Play Your Part" media campaign that 90by30 will roll out next year as a countywide prevention strategy to change social norms around child abuse. Cast members from the Rose Children's Theater's production of "The Lion King Jr." sang us out.
A special thanks is due to our sponsors: Lane Community College, the UO College of Education and Student Diversity Affairs Committee, the Eugene Masonic Lodge #11, United Way, Lane County Public Health, and Friends of 90by30.
PowerPoint presentations from our presenters can be viewed via the links below.