Tag Archives: talkswindon

by | January 23, 2011 · 2:10 pm

more joys of shopping + London2012

Reading of the desecration of some of my old haunts that is going on in order for the 2012 Olympics to take place (I sold commercial vehicles spares and other things all around that patch back in the 1970s) I was prompted to thoughts of how we could scoop some extra medals from the home event.

Competitive shopping! Once again this weekend the Berkshire Belle and I have been out there scrounging for some nosh in both Cheltenham and Swindon and, as ever, we have had to pick our way through the ranks of those who see the weekly shop as some sort of assault course.

This is not a phenomenon we come across in other countries, so Team GB could be in for some world domination here; we could have different classes for different age groups perhaps. The OAPs hunt in packs, younger folks that can’t shop without the mobile phone clamped to the ear whilst savaging the opposition with their trolleys and so on. And then the men’s class would be for the “I’ll show the other half how it’s done” dash round in record time with points scored for casualties on the way, whilst the lady’s class would be more along the lines of ” can I take so long getting my purse out to pay that everything the next person in line has bought goes past its sell by date”. And there could be a family class for the greatest number of aisles blocked  to other shoppers while we all stand and debate.

If nothing else we should be able to win on sheer naked aggression. Every weekend I go into therapy for ankles clipped by countless shopping carts and friction burns from arms that have been shoved across my face to grab something.

And we certainly play it as a body contact sport. The Berkshire Belle and I  have mutual grounds for divorce after every trip to the shops on the basis that we’ve had far more physical contact with total strangers that we’ve managed with each other.

If Team GB want a good medal haul at London2012 next year then Competitive Shopping is clearly the way to go.

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by | December 31, 2010 · 7:00 pm

My most viewed post of 2010 on John’s Jottings?

As 2010 draws to a close I have been looking back at my Jottings over the last 12 months to see what was popular and what wasn’t so much.

The two clear winners for John’s Jottings are the one on Natural Disasters (Acts of God) and Am I a LibDem, both of which have also had a bit of a resurgence in interest lately, albeit that they were both a bit more topical with regard to the general election. If you missed them first time round please click on the links to have a look.

Anyway, thanks for reading these, and other posts around my blogs. I hope that you all have a peaceful and prosperous 2011.

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by | December 16, 2010 · 3:15 pm

Networlding Masterclass: 7 Steps that successful networkers know and you need to find out

When and Where

Thursday 10 March 2011

0900 to 1700

Village Hotel Swindon
Shaw Ridge Leisure Park
Whitehill Way,
SN5 7DW  Swindon
United Kingdom

Why you should attend

You will discover why:

  • attracting followers is a fallacy that leads to your time being wasted and your productivity suffering
  • your true network, when you discover it, improves your net worth
  • you will never need to go to a boring, valueless networking function ever again

You will learn how you can:

  • stand out from 3 billion people who will trade/be active on the internet by 2020
  • cut your marketing and sales costs by as much as 50%
  • harness the true power of social networking most people will never discover

Who should attend?

If you are an adviser, accountant, board member, SME business owner, consultant, educator, entrepreneur, executive, intrapreneur, lawyer, leaders, manager, not-for-profit leaders, practice leader, politician, though leader, social entrepreneur, speaker, team leader or trainer – you will gain massively from being part of a networlding group.

Click on the link below for more details and to book your place. Early booking discounts are available.

Swindon Networlding

For SME business owners, non-profit organisations, the WHO is always the final challenge when it comes to finding key influencers and customer groups (or fund givers for non-profits).  Limited marketing budget is the reason many SMEs choose to attending networking events in the hope of chancing on a sale. Why rely on chance? As a community of Networlders, we create a Thoughtful Social Networking experience, both in person and online, to help you to build:

  • better business faster (business growth or a thriving non-profit organisation)
  • better collaboration for innovative ventures (better, faster, stronger)
  • better career faster (career growth)
  • better personal lives faster (personal growth)

Networlding helps you to cultivate advocates for your brand

  • Create great content
  • Get talked about
  • Build a tribe
  • Become a trusted resource for your customers
  • Make it easy for people to find, try and buy from you
  • Make your brand understood, relevant, credible and remarkable
  • Make meaning and create an insanely great customer experience


Networlding is a proven methodology that helps you to grow your network relationships and identify connections and key influencers that matter.

Assuming you are clear about the WHAT, WHY, WHEN and HOW of your goals … you should have a list of WHO’S WHO that you feel can help you (your primary connections).  We are not talking about who you would pay to help you.  We are talking about advocates that will tell others how remarkable you are.

What they say about Networlding

“I have always found myself frustrated with business networking over the years and never really sure why. I have give of myself and done my best. Often coming away with massive numbers of contacts, but this has rarely turned into solid business. Today I think I found out why.  With Networlding you learn from the ground up how to present yourself according to your values and most importantly how to find and keep hold of those precious contacts that suit those values; the ones who will bring you real and valuable future relationships. The ones who care about you not just crash and burn business. In short how to find the other ones like you! What a revelation. Kwai certainly know his stuff and can demonstrate this with personal success too.

And it was obvious I was not alone when the revelation came. Every single person in that room was not only convinced but was by the end of a single day passionate about making each other’s lives better. I have never seen that in any networking group of any kind and I have done them all.  So if you are frustrated with the vapidity of the 50 people in one room but need more than meeting the same six to twenty people over and over again. Can I suggest you consider changing your approach entirely. Don’t be a networker, be a networlder. Take the training day, like I did and work out just where you might have been wrong all these years!” – Jeremy Cobb, Owner of want2change and hypnoslim

“Like all other sectors, charities can benefit from thoughtful social networking.   Kwai’s networlding masterclass is a lovely way of beginning to get your head around the potential for your charity and how you might move forward in good company.  I am thinking through how best we can develop from it.  Thank you.” – Dr Rhetta Moran, Matron, RAPAR

“Superb day! Much of it very different to what I do now.  I see it will enable me to reach so many more people.  Many thanks.” – Roger Jackson. Business For Breakfast Knutsford.

“A must do. Very thought-provoking.” – Ken Lee. BusinessLink Northwest Skills Advisor

“Very interesting and well presented event which promoted great exchanges.” – Eileen Coldrick.  Owner at http://www.worksmartvpa.com

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by | November 27, 2010 · 3:55 pm

Over a year of weekly column writing

It is more than a year since I started writing my weekly column on the Monday Musings blog, and almost a year since I started to make it a 600 word column to try and get some further discipline into my writing.

Others have to be the judge of success, but Monday Musings has been picked up by a professional journal and gets a mention on their web site and in the magazine, so I have acheived something in the way of producing a worthwhile output every week.

When I first blogged about 18 months or so ago I had no concept of finding myself with half a dozen blogs, nor of them generating any revenue, let alone to have written over 275 blog entries. All I wanted was to practice my writing and see where it all led.

Monday Musing number 54 gets published at 0600 UK time next Monday. I hope that I can be celebrating the 100th musing somtime next Autumn.

Thanks for following my words. I hope that they have helped, amused or inspired.

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by | November 14, 2010 · 4:03 pm

Police helicopter to move – more fun with the media?

“Police helipcopter to move” screams the headline on the placard!

Goodness gracious! What could this mean? Has it been on static display outside Police HQ all of these years? Have they finally found the budget for enough fuel to fly it? Are they going to take it away on a truck?

The thing has been in regular movement since they got it. It has been flying around where I live for years, so has the local rag only just got wind of this or could it be another example of sloppy standards in journalism?

The latter of course. Yes, I know roughly what they mean in that there are ongoing issues about the shared service with Wiltshire NHS, but why should I have to interpret a simple headline? Surely accuracy would be better? “New base for Police helicopter”, for example, says it all.

Please stop dumbing down. We need better standards if we are to get this country back on its feet. The media are in the front line along with teachers and, first and foremost, parents.

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by | August 4, 2010 · 9:57 am

It’s a wet day in Swindon – Wildlife Report

The day started dull, but the sun came out for a while around 0900 for me to walk over to the newsagent and enquire where our paper had gone (school holidays – delivery tends to get a bit erratic).

Samantha Squirrell was round again for breakfast and is hopefully snug back in her drey now. The sparrows were fairly swarming. Whatever the decline may be we are certainly not seeing it in our garden. There are usually at least 9, and sometimes 12+ (it gets hard to be sure becuase by the time you’ve counted to 12 they’re all on the move again). The starlings have also be in with the juveniles starting to get their adult plumage.

All of the birds seem to be on their second broods of the season and this new batch are just about staring to feed themselves. The magpies are also doing well again and there were well into double figures around by the footbridge as I walked to the shop. Not being supersticious I don’t salute them (or count them too closely).

My efforts at thwarting the pigeons seem to have worked for now and they are spending a lot of time sat in the cherry tree trying to work out how to get at the bird food. They’ll have to make do, like Samantha does, with what falls on the floor. At least I’ve given the smaller birds a better chance at getting their fair share.

We’ve not had a fox in residence for the second year running after being on the Good Earth guide for about 5 years. In their absence it rather looks as though the bees have taken up residence under the deck, so maybe I can reclaim the compost bin. I’ll have to cut the honeysuckle back to find it, so that can go on the autumn job list.

Anyway, that’s it for now as the sky has got a bit lighter and I can see what I’m doing with the decorating again. Time to go back to work.

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by | July 21, 2010 · 7:49 am

The tale of That Consultant Bloke – how I got the tag

People keep asking, so a short video clip telling a little of the background to the That Consultant Bloke name tag. Filmed on the laptop rather that my Flip cam. Click on the link below to check it out on YouTube.

The tale of That Consultant Bloke – how I got the tag: The tale of That Consultant Bloke

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by | July 20, 2010 · 2:11 pm

and yet another MRI scan!

Yes, I’ve been down the tube again. Is that 6 times now? I’ve lost count.

They have given up looking for signs of intelligent life (I think) and this time wanted to have a look at my hearing gear as they’ve worked out what my recent problems have been all about and are going to have a bash at a minor operation to get me back to, if not as good as new, then at least as good as I ought to be.

A 10 minute lie down in the drainpipe this time; about average really, and they are nothing to be afraid of if you are facing one. Just lie back and relax and it will soon be over and done with.

If anyone reading this does have their first scan coming up and are bothered. Feel free to get in touch (Leave a comment here or click on the link to my web site where you can email me) and I’ll be happy to try and reassure you that it’s not that bad.

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by | June 13, 2010 · 3:14 pm

letters to the editor number 6 – bad language in public

Sir

Filling up the Jaguar with unleaded this morning the Wonder of Wokingham pointed out a bumper sticker on the car in front. I’ll not repeat it here, but it contained a four letter word that we both felt should not have been there.

How is it that the Police can prosecute a child for chalking a hopscotch pattern on the pavement and yet others are freely allowed to print, sell and display offensive bumper stickers?

Yours faithfully

Disgusted of Dorcan

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by | May 5, 2010 · 7:00 am

more fun with the national health service

I had to go over to my local health centre last week for a periodic check up. As I’m getting closer to three score years it’s good to keep a check on how the old body is doing, and I’m pleased to say that it’s not too bad at all. A couple of things I need to watch, but I’m doing better than maybe they thought, and this is the issue. I knew that I was doing better than the numbers that they told me I needed to be around because I had the same set of blood tests a couple of months ago at the hospital.

Bearing in mind that we are talking about two establishments both part of the Swindon NHS trust and barely two miles away from each other as the crow flies why is the information not shared?

How much time was wasted on two appointments for the tests, two more appointments for the results, two sets of postage to send the samples plus all of the consumables involved, two lots of tests?

I know the anti big brother mob are rabidly against centralising information, but this is an area where surely it would have made sense to have made the first test results available to my general practioner’s office? With all the waste in costs why oh why does this sort of thing go on?

When I had the first of the two operations at the NHS hospital I signed a form and that released all of my notes and test results from the private hospital that I had seen previously about that health issue, so if we can swap data between the private and public services, why can’t two parts of the same public service do the same?

What saddens me most is that money and time has ben wasted on me that could have benefited somone who really needed it. This government has done so much damage to the NHS it is hard to believe that it was a Labour party idea in the first place.

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