On Hold!!!!

I have an update to tell you, it came at the beginning of July. Our mobilisation to Qatar has been delayed by at least a year due to the significant delay in the building of the new hospital, the expected completion is looking at two years’ time. My position will be required to commission the hospital to ensure a safe opening which is why at the present time I am being told about a year. The reality is the hospital is already four years behind its initial opening timescale and now with a further two years delay. Of course this is if there is no further delay’s!

The reactions I went through was

•  initially ‘relieve’ as at last I knew what was going on
• then ‘shock’ at how long the wait was now going to be
• finally ‘Plan B’ was kicked into action!

Plan B being

•  is back to work for me but into interim management as a self-employed matron gaining work through an agency.
• Jerry’s actions were predictable as he thought ‘car’. He went to a garage Monday morning after dropping Dylan off at school and brought a burnt orange Toyota Aygo – already nicknamed ‘TOYGOCAR’ as the boys little run around.
• Our friendly landlord is very happy and welcomes us to continue our ‘pikie’ lifestyle, at Rose Cottage Camp Site NR18 9PX
•  Dylan will continue schooling at Rocklands  
• Milo is very happy to continue with his studies with his friends at Attleborough Sixth Form.

What I have been doing, beyond the caravan!!!!

Since March to end of summer term I have been a regular helper in Dylan’s class which has been an absolute delight. It has been quite an experience being the lowest level of adult position, being directed, undertaking the clearing up jobs but also a lot of supporting the children with their activities. It has been so ‘off the wall’ to what I usually do and Dylan has very much liked me being around I consider myself very lucky to have been given the opportunity to experience.

I have also nurtured my desire to start doing some writing both through this blog plus in publishing articles. The articles are:

•  Health Service Journal, describes the significant changes/improvements I lead in my last hospital with regard to discharge. The link to this article is

http://www.hsj.co.uk/hospitaltransformation/streamlining-inpatient-processes-can-reduce-discharge-times/5084676.article?blocktitle=Hospital-Transformation&contentID=7839#.VVDZT_lVikp

•  Nursing Management, describes how I went about making opportunities work for me by accessing and using Linkedin. A copy of this article is

•  EDP, is a reflective script on the value of being a parent helper whilst being in the position to observe Dylan at school, quite different from home. I was really surprised when the Education editor was delighted with my idea and then article, so just waiting for it to be published.

I have had the opportunity to prepare a quilt to be displayed in the International Quilt Festival at NEC, number 726 and looking forward to seeing it hanging along with the 1000 other competition quilts.

Then finally we have had lots of days out 'doing and lunching' as well as 'flying' a bit further afield to see places of interest. One of those trips was just up the road visiting ‘Peter Beales Roses’ at the peak of the flowers blooming. Milo has kindly put a video together to enjoy, the significant element missing is the most beautiful aromas as we wandered around the garden.

A Day in Dublin

Jerry and I have taken ourselves off to Dublin for a pint of Guinness and lunch just last Friday (26^th) and what a great day we had. The warmest day of the year so far in Dublin, no rain with a gentle breeze.

Our plane window view!

Again we went from Stansted, on the most expensive day of the week, at £60 each with Ryanair. The congested part of the whole journey to Dublin was the mile or two on the road coming into Stansted airport, after the motorways, the traffic was nose to tail very slow to the car parks. After this point the journey was flowing, even the security queues were moving. The flight was an hour and 5 mins, with a fair bit of walking through Dublin airport but straight into a taxi and chatty Irish man entertaining us for our ride into the city, and we had just missed the rain. The little gem he shared was “…don’t get a taxi back to the airport but use the air-link bus for just 6 euros...” So we did!

We had decided the purpose of our trip was to visit the ‘Guinness Storehouse’ and to get a feel for the city by enjoying a sightseeing bus tour initially before we wandered the streets and took in the music, cuisine and ambiance.

Decorative pint of Guinness

We entered the largest Guinness glass ever to go into the Guinness experience and what a creative, imaginative whilst informative approach the attraction had. The information was easy to follow and engaging whilst tantalizing all senses along with wonderful activities as  

•  Learning to professionally ‘taste’ a Guinness sample
• Attending the Guinness Academy to learn to ‘pour’ your own pint – Jerry attended receiving his certificate!
•  I enjoyed my complimentary pint on the 7^th floor in the Gravity Bar with its 360 degree panoramic view of Dublin, see my video below.

Under the waterfall in the brewery. 

At the Guinness Academy

 

The 'Fish on the Bike' advert - Do you remember it?

 The guided bus tour was really good and took to all the places of interest, engaged with lots of notable gems of dialogue drawing attention to detail which may have been missed. So we felt we had seen the city without having to do anything very much, really easy!  We then thought we should wander the streets and around the River Liffey for a bit before dinner in ‘O’Sheas’, as advised by our informative taxi driver.

River Liffey, in the middle of Dublin.

Our view of Dublin was, what an easy city to be in, steeped in tradition and full of younger visitors/workers. It was kept constantly clean around the streets, the river did not have a nasty impact of smelling whist the air did not appear to be overly polluted with vehicle fumes. The roads are mostly wide lanes full of buses and taxis, apparently Dublin has more taxis than New York! It is a pretty, friendly and welcoming place to be.

Guinness Experience video made by me with Milo supervision!!!

Some interesting facts about Dublin:

• Duke of Wellington was a Dubliner, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
• Phoenix Park is the largest city park in Europe, 1760 acres.
•  In 1759 Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease for the four acre brewery. Each day 3 million pints of Guinness is produced at this brewery for Ireland, UK, Europe and North America.
• The green domed red brick building is known as St Patrick's Tower, its past life was a ‘smock’ windmill.
•  Croke Park is the 4^th largest stadium in Europe, in its time hosted a Muhammad Ali fight.
• Dublin Spire is 120 meters tall commissioned to celebrate the millennium, is known as the ‘Spike’
• Liberty Hall is Dublin’s tallest building at 16 storeys being 59 meters high.
• Dublin’s Convection Centre is the first carbon neutral convention centre in the world.
• Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland.
• Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, was born in Dublin.
• Wicklow Mountain range is the source of 8 million litres of pure fresh water that flows into in to the Guinness brewery.