Moving to Scotland

I've just started work with SCoJeC on the Being Jewish in Scotland project. This has involved moving back to Glasgow, at least for part of the week. i'm currently staying in a friend's spare room in the wonderful West End, and hopefully will be moving into a flat in Shawlands in the new year.

Yesterday I was walking down Byres Road and saw a 'generic homeless person' (ie someone sitting on the floor by a bus stop with a cup held out) so my immediate reaction was to cross over the road. Following the example of the wonderful Alison Cook, for years I have been stopping and talking to people begging in the street and finding out their stories - which often is very elucidating and always has an element of 'there but for the grace of god'. Anyway yesterday my heart sank cos I saw this guy ahead of me, and I was thinking 'I just can't bear to stop, I feel dreadful, this is going to be horrible'. But when I got up to the bus stop, my heart LIFTED, cos it was the really nice alcoholic who used to sit at the top of the Kelvinbridge subway station, who I got to know last year when I was living here for 6 months. He was sometiimes the only person I spoke to in a whole day (I was writing up my phd and didn't want to get involved in any social activities while I was here then) - and he was always really cheery, considering his situation. He was very pleased to see me, and I was very pleased to hear he now has a flat, with his girlfriend, and is supplementing his income by sitting by the bus stop with a cup in his hand, to pay the electricity bills etc. Scotland is FREEZING in winter - I remember one day last year when I tried to walk to the gym, I was wrapped up in about 6 layers, and had to give up and go home again cos it was too cold, even with gloves on, to take my hands out of my sleeves to hold the stick I'd brought with me to keep my balance.... so i was concerned about him being out at night.

Anyway - I walked home feeling very cheered up.

fab open lectures at Lancaster Uni

Have you ever thought you'd like to learn some new stuff and expand your mind a bit, but not by watching the telly? This is news from the Continung Learning group at Lancaster University that I used to run and which is now put together by a fabulous energetic group of volunteers . The programme provides access to weekly lunchtime lectures fron an amazing range of university academics and their latest research and teaching activities. It's loosely for older people of 50 plus, but that's not fixed and the membership currently runs from people of 35 to 93. The lunchtime talks are all free with a voluntary contribution of £1.00 to cover admin costs. This week's lecture unusually is followed by a trip on Saturday - read on. They also run an open 'research circle' where you can get motivation and support to carry on with your own private projects. To go on the mailing list to get this information regularly email seniorlearners@Lancaster.ac.ukPlease pass it on to anyone you think may be interested! ---------- Forwarded message ----------From:Date: Sunday, 16 October 2011Subject: [senior-learners] Lancaster University CLG News (16-10-11)To: senior-learners@lists.lancs.ac.uk
Hello,
Last Wednesday we began our new term with a Welcome Day.
Everyone had a chance to hear about the workings of the library and ourplans for the new term as well as outlines of the Lunchtime Lectures,Research Circle and Open Lectures. We spent some time looking at theSenior-Learners-Forum website and we discussed research ambitions past,present and future.
It was great to see some old faces again after quite a time, and also towelcome new people to the group. We're hoping that everyone enjoys theselection of lecture titles we are lining up for this term and hopefullythere are some good ideas of subjects we may want to explore as personalresearch projects for discussion at the Research Circle.
This Wednesday (19th Oct) we have Brian Hodgson of the LancasterUniversity Ruskin Centre returning to give us a lecture entitled 'AnExploration Of Furness Abbey'.
Brian will look at the social and economic as well as the ecologicalimpact of the Cistercian monastery of St Mary's of Furness. He willexplore how the wilderness was tamed and became the Furness Plain and how,after the dissolution of the monastery under Henry VIII, the economic andsocial life of the area was changed together with the farming practice andthe subsequent effect on the environment.
Then on this coming Saturday (22nd Oct) CLG students, and others with aninterest in history are invited to join Brian at the Abbey where we willbe able to look at the picturesque ruins in situ and relate it to varioustheories on how the site was laid out. Brian will be available to answerquestions and there will be a chance to explore the visitor centre, whichhouses an education centre and an extensive exhibition about the historyof the Abbey.
This promises to be a fantastic opportunity to enjoy this stunning ancientbuilding with the help of Brian, who has a wealth of experience in Gothicarchitecture and historic design. Brian recommendeds bringing your camerasto take full advantage of the beauty of the surroundings. Full detailswill be given at the Lecture.
The Lunchtime Lecture will take place in Fylde Lecture Theatre 3 from 1pmtill 3pm, there will then be a tea/coffee break and this will be followedby the Research Circle (also in Fylde Lecture theatre 3) where we will beable to discuss any research projects we may want to undertake during theterm.
Full details of events can be found on the S-L-F (website)
http://senior-learners-forum.wikispaces.com/
If you want to attend the CLG but didn't make it to the Welcome Day, don'tworry, just come along any Wednesday and take part. You will be welcomed.
Regards,
Dave
(on behalf of the CLG Steering Group)

Marketing for Hippies! Workshop in Lancaster, Wed 5th October 10-12 and 2-4

MARKETING FOR HIPPIES! - pay what you can/pay what it's worth to you/ from Free to £20.00.

Are you a holistic and idealistic person trying to make a living doing stuff you believe in, who

doesn't want to get involved with traditional marketing because you think it's too commercial?

You are invited to a workshop on Wednesday 5th October 2011, 10-12 and 2-4, at DACRELANDS Centre for Health, Aldrens Lane, Skerton, Lancaster, LA1 2DU - a 20 minute walk from the centre of Lancaster, near Ryelands Park.

[THE MORNING WORKSHOP HAS SOLD OUT BUT THERE ARE STILL PLACES IN THE AFTERNOON]

Read on, and then if you're interested, contact DAWN KEYSE to confirm your place - email her on dawnkeyse@gmail.com , phone 07515 426670.

(Nb there are some stairs up to the room currently booked: please let us know if you have mobility issues and we will arrange an alternative venue).

The seminar is with Tad Hargreave, a Canadian who founded www.marketingforhippies.com. He's over in the UK for a short time, and most likely won't be coming back for a while. You can get a load of free stuff about marketing from his website www.marketingforhippies.com and get a feel for what the seminar is about - or read on, below.

This 2 hour workshop is for you if you're a Holistic Practitioner, or in the Healing Arts, perhaps you are selling a natural, eco-friendly, cruelty-free or otherwise healthy product, or maybe you’re a local business owner that just plain cares deeply about your community, nature and social justice? . . . and you want to be a better marketer, but you struggle with it. You just don’t get great results.

In this workshop, you will be learning:

-the underlying principles of how marketing for holistic practitioners works (don't worry, it's not pushy or gross or expensive).

-an overview of the top ten, foundational marketing things every holistic practitioner must have (and they're not business cards, brochures, fancy logos or ads in holistic magazines).

-the biggest two blunders that practitioners make when trying to describe what they do (and a simple, fill in the blanks phrase you can use to have people immediately 'get' you).

See more info on http://marketingforhippies.com/ You can also follow Tad Hargrave on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hippymarketer and on Twitter @hippymarketer. Please do that - and please circulate the link to this blog and tell your friends about this opportunity!

best wishes

Fiona and Dawn

don't forget to reserve your place by getting back to Dawn Keyse on dawnkeyse@gmail.com or phone 07515 426670

or for further information, call Fiona Frank 07778 737681

(There may also still be places on a workshop the night before in Bentham if you're interested but can't make the Wednesday morning. Ask us for info).