tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17181980637557815802024-02-19T16:34:41.322+00:00Life at the topLife in the penthouse of a Glasgow Tower block.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-87062002786887108252017-09-10T07:17:00.000+01:002017-09-10T07:51:55.230+01:00Window shopping and relationships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQb8b8BbvyhUcux6xzuEE4aML9LFgqmHEV9Sn9WQ87Uy4POK5_DsX6zdyNkGF1rLwCW_w4KNheCWaeYmSMhJx8flOLdWhkMie2x7aLYryzS0Z07rgQ5fRxCQYkQBo8CnsD9wjbIE7bng/s1600/Looking+In.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Windows to the world" border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="640" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQb8b8BbvyhUcux6xzuEE4aML9LFgqmHEV9Sn9WQ87Uy4POK5_DsX6zdyNkGF1rLwCW_w4KNheCWaeYmSMhJx8flOLdWhkMie2x7aLYryzS0Z07rgQ5fRxCQYkQBo8CnsD9wjbIE7bng/s320/Looking+In.jpg" title="being a grandparent" width="320" /></a></div>
Have you ever looked in through a shop window from the outside and seen beautiful things? Wondered at how they were made, or where they had come from? Have you seen something through a shop window and thought "That is so beautiful, I want one too"? Well, I have. As life has passed, I have realised that the saying - all that glitters is not gold, to be true.<br />
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We often look into other peoples relationships from the outside and presume theirs is perfect. We observe couples holding hands, or being publicly affectionate. How many times have relationships broken down to the shock of friends and family, who all thought "it was perfect"?</div>
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I became a grandparent for the first time just over a year ago. It has been a roller coaster ride. My daughter fell pregnant unexpectedly. All of a sudden I was sucked into a situation where I had a constantly sick teenager. The father who subsequently became her husband was living 6000 miles away and was studying. So through most of per pregnancy I had to drop what I was doing and help her. She had emergency surgery during the pregnancy due to a mass on one of her ovaries. </div>
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I travelled across the sea to see her married and then travelled back. And then my grandchild arrived. I didnt become a grandparent. I became a surrogate parent. I taught my daughter how to bath a baby, supported her breast feeding, helped her prepare bottles and when she went back to work gave up much of my income to support her.</div>
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It got really crazy, and caused severe financial hardship. My daughter works shifts and I could not predict my availability for clients from week to the next. Stress set in. Resentment set in. Yet from the outside we simply looked like a strong supportive loving family. </div>
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We waited a long time for my son in laws Visa to be approved. Well it was approved last Wednesday and he will be here in two days, just over a month after his childs first birthday. This of course is a huge relief for me, as I will be able to go back to work properly. It will be better for my daughter because she will have her little family unit, back together as one unit. And my grandchild. Well yes, I can go back to being her grandmother. That in itself is a very exciting prospect.</div>
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I will have my own home back, and perhaps some order as well. I can sleep just that little bit more and get my social life back, And just to be sure, I have decided to move. Yes I am going to leave the tower block and move down, planting my feet firmly on the ground.</div>
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I am hoping to move to Brecon, close to the Cathedral where I can worship as often as I need to. And soon, I hope to be blogging from the countryside providing another window to another life.</div>
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Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.721638000000006 -4.5745294999999881 56.006836 -3.9290824999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-17125881410396317512017-06-17T12:21:00.000+01:002017-06-19T21:35:54.245+01:00Tower block fire - A very real fear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZ7sAKsfWcfMxItUNYBzCIn-UnEA5ZH4jrLUG7Yk6tjXIjJ3Z0Qi9KgeB8BPRUnmblqKwvhmVWsfWm2pu7pi5KUWk1YWGnF9aeJHks2k4xvvfXIxzT72v12ojX2jv2I6ml5z6Q5KrgeM/s1600/Lincon+Flats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Grenfell Tower Fire" border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="913" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZ7sAKsfWcfMxItUNYBzCIn-UnEA5ZH4jrLUG7Yk6tjXIjJ3Z0Qi9KgeB8BPRUnmblqKwvhmVWsfWm2pu7pi5KUWk1YWGnF9aeJHks2k4xvvfXIxzT72v12ojX2jv2I6ml5z6Q5KrgeM/s320/Lincon+Flats.JPG" title="Lincoln Avenue Flats" width="320" /></a>Tower Block fire - A real fear for people like me. I like to say that I live in a penthouse - with the best<br />
of views across Glasgow.<br />
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My flat is fantastic, spacious and in reasonably good internal condition. I have always worried however that I couldn't escape in the case of a fire.<br />
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I too have massive concerns about those that live in my building.<br />
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<b>Fire Doors or Decoration?</b><br />
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Sure my front door is fire proof for an hour, but what about the adjoining walls with my neighbours. Not all the walls are concrete. Our bathrooms are made up of plasterboard style walls. I can hear everything that takes place in my neighbours bathroom, from showering, bathing and even when they go to the toilet. There is definitely not a concrete wall between our two flats at significant points. In fact most recently when my neighbours were banging on the walls, they blew all my electrics. How is that safe? So what use is a fire proof door if the wall next door is as good as a chocolate teapot?<br />
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<b>Fire proof maybe but what about the smoke?</b><br />
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There is a vent that runs through the building vertically to ventilate our bathrooms. When the people on the 16th or 17th floor are smoking weed in their flat, i can smell it in my bathroom. Should a flat below catch fire on any floor, my fireproof front door is going to be useless when the life threatening smoke comes through my bathroom vent and those vents in all the bathrooms below me.<br />
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<b>My building IS different.</b><br />
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My building has two fire escapes. Both fire escapes face onto the exterior of the building, offering better opportunities for rescue. Our dry risers are checked and serviced regularly. I know because in the two years that I've lived in my flat, I've bumped into the fire department performing crisis exercises on at least two occasions. Ive seen Engineers checking the Dry Risers too.<br />
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<b>BUT...........</b><br />
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I have worries about the fire doors. There have been issues with the fire doors ever since I moved into the buildings , all the doors have closing mechanisms, but they are regularly vandalised and the reasons for this I will come into later in this post.<br />
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The closing mechanisms are supposed to be soft close. In the two years that I have lived in the building the doors on my landing and the floor below slam shut. Apart from the fact that we are woken up repeatedly during the night when someone opens a door, the constant slamming subjects the frames to stress that can and has caused cracks - a huge risk to the intumescent seals that are integral to these door structures.<br />
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To get an idea of <a href="http://www.jbkind.com/info-centre/fire-doors/key-facts-about-fire-doors" target="_blank">how fire doors work have a look here</a>.<br />
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<b>Evacuation or not?</b><br />
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I'ts quite interesting that the fire advice in my building says nothing about remaining in your flat, although I recall my housing officer mentioning that the flats are designed to be safe for at least an hour.The only way to know this for sure is a live test. No housing Association is going to deliberately set a flat on fire to see if it spreads, but that said, we've already had our very costly test case haven't we? At the Grenfell Tower.<br />
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<b>Is it the same? Wrong question.</b><br />
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The high rise towers in our local area in Glasgow have been re-clad over the last few years and GHA have informed us that we can rest assured that the cladding on our buildings is not the same as that used in the Grenfell building.<br />
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I don't care whether the cladding is or is not the same. I care about whether the the cladding on my building is flammable. I don't care whether or not it is made by the same company or not. Even if it is made with different materials are those materials that our cladding was made with - the "bare minimum"? I really care whether the building is likely to burn. Don't try to compare oranges with apples. Ask if the the whole orchard is rotten?<br />
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Is the cladding structured in the same way, with a gap between the cladding and the building? If this is the case we have a ventilation shaft to feed a fire all around our building. Exactly the same as the Grenfell building had, and whether or not the cladding is made of different material, we run the same risk of fire spread. Fire feeds on oxygen and that will be provided with a ventilation tunnel regardless of width..<br />
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My question therefore is not only about the materials with which my building has been clad, but also the structure and design of the cladding and is my top floor flat therefore the cherry on the top that will make a pyre of human sacrifice for cost cutting?<br />
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<b>Practical Considerations</b><br />
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When people seek housing they are placed into groups. I have never understood the reasoning behind placing a person in a wheelchair or with severe mobility difficulties in a high rise flat. But there are flats in the Glasgow High rises that are allocated to mobility impaired individuals because they provide a home all on one level. I can understand how the need to have a home on one level is important. I am an epileptic and risk life threatening falls if I have a seizure on the stairs. What nobody seems to think about, is how is the Group 5 (Mobility impaired) Housed individual is going to get out of their 11th floor flat down the stairs in their wheelchair?<br />
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The Grenfell case indicates that firemen could not reach flats above the 13th floor. What is also very worrying is that the fire department was unable to access critical data about the occupants of the flats when it mattered the most.<br />
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Our Housing association has a register that names every tenant and every registered occupant in their home including the children. I would like to believe that if my building caught fire, the fire department would be able to pin point really quickly which are the Group 5 flats, with occupants that cannot evacuate without help.I wonder how true this is? This is data that the fire department should have access to the moment there is a crisis in any high rise building.<br />
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<b>Understanding Social Housing</b><br />
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Social Housing a bit like a chameleon and takes on a colour and a character of its own depending on how the housing is being utilised by the relative authorities. I live in a building where drug abuse and violence is commonplace.<br />
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There is a substantial provision by the GHA to the Glasgow City Council for emergency homelessness accommodation in tower blocks. While there are homeless tenants that are accommodated due to breakdown of a relationship or inability to find new accommodation after a private landlord has taken possession of a property, a huge proportion of the homeless households in the building appear to come from those that struggle to maintain a tenancy due to drug addiction and other severe social difficulties. And there are those that are released from prison that are treated as vulnerable, I was assaulted last December by a GHA tenant in an adjoining building that was out on licence. This was a completely unprovoked assault and is dealt with in a blog post elsewhere.<br />
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We have had a number of kitchen fires in our building as a result of a drug addict getting high, passing out and leaving the oven or stove on. I therefore believe that my building is particularly vulnerable to the events that took place at Grenfell Tower this week.<br />
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I don't paint my building as a den of drug addicts and criminals because we have a varied social mix. I am a digital strategist, there are nurses, tradesmen, office and retail workers that live in my building too. Just regular people with regular lives. But are we at additional risk because of the Glasgow City Councils homelessness teams failure to monitor and provide adequate support for their very vulnerable tenants in the theiir homeless flats?<br />
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<b>Who is accountable?</b><br />
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Should a fire in our building be started who would be held accountable? The manufacturers of the cladding? The decision makers at the Wheatley group who then pass decision making down to city building who then pass the buck down to the GHA? And is the council responsible for the tenants that they place in the building with no risk assessment in relation to the neighbouring tenants and the housing environment.<br />
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We have violent criminals released on licence being housed next door to the disabled and those unable to fend for themselves against violent attack, How much more vulnerable are they in the event of a fire, when risks such as looting and criminal opportunity become more prevalent?<br />
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<b>A closing thought</b><br />
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When I was assaulted, I had to wait over twenty five minutes for Ambulance crew after suffering a head injury, because they refused to enter the building without a police escort. It appears that my life is cheaper because I live in a tower block. It's not a great leap when it comes to considering decisions that need to be made regarding the life of the rest of us in the block particularly when we look at enforcement of fire door safety.<br />
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I live next door to a flat that has been allocated as temporary homeless accommodation. It has been nothing short of hell. Apart from the endless noise, the neighbours regularly vandalise the common area, have damaged my front door, and abused my family. I really believe these tenants are a problem because they have no long term investment in the community in which they live. They damage the fire doors repeatedly. They break the windows in the common area looking out across the golf course.<br />
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Does the Housing Association care? Who knows. We have a window that has been hanging open on the top floor for MONTHS, despite repeated reporting,<br />
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After all I only live on the top floor in a building with no sprinklers and no external fire alarms, new cladding and dogged with anti social behaviour - What kind of risk could I possibly be at.?<br />
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I work, I pay tax, I obey the law....and because of where I live, I matter less. That's the bottom line.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-5117034193173558172017-04-16T11:15:00.000+01:002017-06-17T17:39:37.103+01:00Music Selection April - 2017<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tc0wzUfCX79tJ0xTJXhyvogU4pGElv94NxXU91Rr-W0ArjOrcUdFIxAJejcKQZNJe0NhnSXkOcUWAZRfcawxgJ4FrlpYNeEISLvvqLc8O9eQcJzQG-Ia-fMfU_PUkIQiyuhry4e1qvM/s1600/Forgiveness+Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Forgiving friends" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tc0wzUfCX79tJ0xTJXhyvogU4pGElv94NxXU91Rr-W0ArjOrcUdFIxAJejcKQZNJe0NhnSXkOcUWAZRfcawxgJ4FrlpYNeEISLvvqLc8O9eQcJzQG-Ia-fMfU_PUkIQiyuhry4e1qvM/s320/Forgiveness+Friends.jpg" title="Songs about forgivness" width="320" /></a>Its been a while since I've posted about Music. Music seeps into the corners of ours lives all the time. <br />
We remember what song was playing at significant events in our lives, or what song was top of the charts at certain times.<br />
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The last two years have been a period of exceptional challenge and growth. My children have shared music with me, and I have discovered that they even like some of the older classics that were hits long before they were even born.<br />
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So for April, being a really significant month, I'm going to choose quite a few pieces of Music to make up for my lack of attention in selecting some music for thought over the last while.<br />
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April is a transitional time for me for all sorts of reasons. This year part of April took up lent and then we celebrated Easter. So April has been about about reflection, self discovery and spiritual awakening as well as hope, love and forgiveness and of course a double whammy of celebration because I have a birthday too.<br />
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Last year I placed a friendship in jeopardy because of a stupid decision that I made. One of the lessons I have learned in life is that if you want something, you have to be prepared to give it. This was a forgiveness that I have needed and so I have had to discover the true ability to let go. This Lent it has been an incredible journey and so here are two songs about forgiveness.<br />
<a href="spotify:track:7d6HTGCKXjckwKSaqDhLvD" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="spotify:track:7d6HTGCKXjckwKSaqDhLvD" target="_blank">Taylor Swift - Back to December</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000000OVP/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B000000OVP&linkCode=as2&tag=lattg-21%22%3EPinkerton%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lattg-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000000OVP%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Butterfly by Weezer</a> - a particularly symbolic song of apology<br />
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And of course I cannot forget <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000001DTM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B000001DTM&linkCode=as2&tag=lattg-21%22%3EAchtung%20Baby%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lattg-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000001DTM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">U2 - ONE</a><br />
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Im ending this months selection with <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000FOQ0PA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B000FOQ0PA&linkCode=as2&tag=lattg-21%22%3EGood%20Vibrations%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lattg-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000FOQ0PA%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Beach Boys and Good Vibrations</a> - because once we let go, the goodness seeps in too.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.864237 -4.2518059999999878 55.864237 -4.2518059999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-73081730833852040892017-04-09T09:57:00.000+01:002017-04-17T10:00:56.216+01:00A walk in a Glasgow Park<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz3w2EcTmgqv1CismfUeMCjAfB16RaZ8PcHAHelX6emmeG9abTOSum_yLnPvl7Zty0iv2zew8gGYoEugottUxvLDyqDWRCM78UjLH7HbGZ1lYJwaINjjI0lphRtXq3oA7FWURoX-0Tiw/s1600/victoria+park+Glasgow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria Park Glasgow" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz3w2EcTmgqv1CismfUeMCjAfB16RaZ8PcHAHelX6emmeG9abTOSum_yLnPvl7Zty0iv2zew8gGYoEugottUxvLDyqDWRCM78UjLH7HbGZ1lYJwaINjjI0lphRtXq3oA7FWURoX-0Tiw/s320/victoria+park+Glasgow.jpg" title="Life at the top - visiting Glasgow" width="320" /></a>Glasgow is one of the Greenest cities in Europe and allegedly has more green space per capita than any other city in the UK. Despite the<br />
consistently damp weather, Glasgow has some of the finest parks worth visiting.
Just down the road from the "penthouse suite" there are two parks of note. Of note, because they both have ponds. UK park designers love ponds and you'd be hard done to find a park that doesn't have one in some form or other.<br />
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Victoria Park nestled between, Jordanhill, Scotstoun and Dumbarton Road is not large by Glasgow Standards but certainly is an attraction, with a well kept pond. This one is quite large and reputably quite deep too. Even the unfittest of us can do a circuit of this park although with a fabulous outlay of sprawling paths the are plenty of shortcuts. A bowling green and tennis courts can be easily accessed on the Jordanhill side. large wide open grassy spaces that facilitates everything from nursery play-days to Rugby practice and of course the quiet enclosed gardens for those seeking a peaceful retreat.<br />
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The park is dog friendly and visitors will find many a dog owner exercising their pet here. With plenty of shade offered on a hot day and a regular drinks/ice cream vendor there is little to fault on this wonderful space. perhaps its popularity is its only downfall because it can become crowded on a hot holiday weekend. But getting in early is the key.
If your'e looking to lose a few pounds or up your fitness, Run in the Park have a weekly event where you can have your time recorded and of course the object to is improve your own time and not necessarily to compete. This happens most Saturday mornings ( I think Christmas and Easter are exceptions though.
There is a fabulous little fossil grove there, that is really worth a look at especially on a rainy day.<br />
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With excellent facilities for children and public toilets that are maintained and kept clean, it really is worth a visit especially if you have some time to pass and looking for a less "touristy" side of the city. The locals are friendly and will stop for a chat too.<br />
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Remember though that Glasgow has a community policing "Stasi" and heaven forbid you should drop a piece of paper, you'll almost certainly face a £80 fine. Don't mistake these guys for the police. They look like cops but they don't have police powers as they have civil authority. How do visitors tell the difference?<br />
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Well for a start those caps they wear have yellow checks rather than white ones and most of the time they have an identifying badge label that says something like community enforcement officer on it. Simply be very careful with your litter.
Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comVictoria Park, Glasgow G14 9NW, UK55.8766816 -4.333389600000032337.323256599999993 -45.641983600000032 74.4301066 36.975204399999967tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-24484593108818407732017-04-06T10:15:00.000+01:002017-06-17T13:04:05.410+01:00Rugby in Scotland, Where my loyalties lie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4tiATAgP-0IDvSyvg79RGhJTJ1svPH6xvqRf9pigmh0tD256DsOplSjOZ85rhc2E98TLA9T__F4b0-A37l__WXfXAmaeOYAEzpEi0WClhguZrepzdg5VmnNIG28oGJVhRM0DWU5ZLsQ/s1600/RBS+6+Nations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="RBS six nations Rugby" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4tiATAgP-0IDvSyvg79RGhJTJ1svPH6xvqRf9pigmh0tD256DsOplSjOZ85rhc2E98TLA9T__F4b0-A37l__WXfXAmaeOYAEzpEi0WClhguZrepzdg5VmnNIG28oGJVhRM0DWU5ZLsQ/s1600/RBS+6+Nations.jpg" title="Rugby Loyalties Scotland South Africa Wales" /></a>I am a South African, with a very strong sense of Scottish association and identity. And I love Rugby. <br />
I grew up on Rugby. I knew what a drop kick and try was before I could say those words. So I find myself living amongst a group of Rugby playing nations, and to top it all, the Penthouse suite overlooks the Warriors Stadium where, a large majority of Scottish national Rugby players seems to come from.<br />
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Often I don't have a problem with who Im supporting. When the Springboks play, I support them, When the Scots play, I support them. Now I have a new problem. I have developed a love and a relationship with Wales. because I have been developing business links with Wales and now have a little place to hole up in at Llangorse when I travel to my Cardiff office to do business, of course I find myself entwined in Welsh Rugby too.<br />
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With the most recent Six nations I found my loyalties becoming torn and of course things start becoming a bit blurred. The irony of course is that my claim to British nationality is through my English father - and I definitely don't support the lions. In fact its often whoever is playing against England that I tend to support. With one exception - Australia - Don't know why.... I just don't like those guys. Maybe it was the loss of the Scots against Australia where the game as robbed from them in the 2015 World Cup. Broke my heart.<br />
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So now the time has come to update my Rugby Jerseys. Thing is I have made the mistake of walking into a Welsh pub wearing a Scotland Jersey, although in all fairness, I have to admit that the Welsh at least are not a bunch of violent yobs. Not with their hands anyway. I however have learnt some choice Welsh terms for supporters of the other team daring to sport their colours on Welsh ground....<br />
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The Welsh have taught me well. I wont make that mistake in Glasgow. Although I understand the relevance of colours in Glasgow It isn't quite as tricky as walking into a pub full of Celtic supporters in a Rangers shirt - something I wouldn't recommend especially in the East End. Much the same could be said for strolling down the street in Larkhall sporting a Celtic top too though....<br />
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Waiting in anticipation for the next world cup.....<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.864237 -4.2518059999999878 55.864237 -4.2518059999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-12534486757415517262017-04-02T11:41:00.000+01:002017-04-17T11:42:42.155+01:00Rugby World Cup 2019 - Japan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NK_n6oPz0CaBpEIVdtLRU9IpC4u4t71gv7dDAivnnhDD2PtK7OmmvfQ9bJQ7-rQSGxXgvcvDtcQRY6k1yXd5doEagj5Wfj38EM6cSWY0IF1rn7TK31IORxP5fnF1ebMS6s6kBsCUWnw/s1600/RWC_2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Rugby World Cup 2019" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NK_n6oPz0CaBpEIVdtLRU9IpC4u4t71gv7dDAivnnhDD2PtK7OmmvfQ9bJQ7-rQSGxXgvcvDtcQRY6k1yXd5doEagj5Wfj38EM6cSWY0IF1rn7TK31IORxP5fnF1ebMS6s6kBsCUWnw/s320/RWC_2019.jpg" title="Rugby World Cup Scotland Wales South Africa " width="320" /></a>Well that's it I've decided that my 50th Birthday gift to myself is going to be a trip to Japan to watch <br />
the 2019 Rugby World Cup. So if you're into Rugby and can tolerate me for a few weeks, perhaps you'd like to come with.<br />
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Of course a trip to Japan to watch Rugby will be filled with all sorts of other touristy things and I'm sure it'll be lots of fun. I have simply decided I need to do something different. I have a thing for going places where I cant speak the language and the Alphabet is impossible to read.<br />
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Naturally there's going to be planning, budgeting, selecting an airline and all sorts of similar things. One thing I'm NOT doing is flying cattle class. I'm getting too old for that, so I'm going to save and scrimp and sell snake oil (just kidding) to get that business class ticket. All for the love of Rugby.<br />
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So if you're on this page because you love Rugby - (It brings out the instinctive impulses in me) Please support me and send me some work, by having a look at my hire me page above. Of course I'll also end up making stained glass rugby balls and all sorts of other bits and pieces to make it come to fruition. I've budgeted about £3000 in all - that's about £130 a month from April 2017, so lets see whether we can make it happen.<br />
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Don't forget to get my book, when its released on Amazon - The big internet lie.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comCardiff, UK51.481581000000013 -3.179089999999973851.481581000000013 -3.1790899999999738 51.481581000000013 -3.1790899999999738tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-23159906840300775782017-03-05T20:32:00.000+00:002017-03-08T21:42:50.788+00:00Byres road , Never boring<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFytm60ht_QXsxKplWHysDwfY_O5ijc2QQZIPfdOgJgsOabEaKxmaCVj0yYuV15NEoSaqYUZVmiRNnJoyG7xeBu-pVvgCQytyUsEqA8Z_jm0cWH5waDmsYOVIGPTPtHeUzVM4oHQftV00/s1600/20170308_123258+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Ruth Richards-Hill Byres road Glasgow " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFytm60ht_QXsxKplWHysDwfY_O5ijc2QQZIPfdOgJgsOabEaKxmaCVj0yYuV15NEoSaqYUZVmiRNnJoyG7xeBu-pVvgCQytyUsEqA8Z_jm0cWH5waDmsYOVIGPTPtHeUzVM4oHQftV00/s320/20170308_123258+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Nics NYC Deli and Donuts" width="237" /></a>Shops on Byres road in Glasgow, are never left unoccupied for long. During the summer it is home to<br />
festivals and events and the late and long Scottish summer evenings keep the population out at street cafes into the night.<br />
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My daughter Sarah-Lea and I discovered Nics New York Deli and Donuts, one of a chain of three or four around Glasgow. This is a relatively new contender in the area for the patronage of the cafe occupiers, as Sarah recalls her days at Notre Dame high school not too many years ago when the Deli wasn't there.<br />
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With a fantastic affordable yet tasty menu, and a coffee that was drinkable without sugar (My sugar limitations aren't just over lent), I dare say we'll be going back there for the summer.<br />
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Then I discovered their rainbow pancakes and that they are considering a stall for pride. Well that won me over. I couldnt see anything that I could eat - because of the gluten free thingamy I am having to live with, but suffice to say it will be a great place to take the children.<br />
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The staff were fabulously friendly and even entertained wee Lailah a short while, getting lots of grins and giggles from her.<br />
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I cant wait for the long summer days so that we can saunter to this place after a walk in the Botanics or buy a few delicacies to eat on a picnic blanket on the way to the gardens.<br />
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If you decide to visit this place, Theyre not far from the corner of great Western road just a few doors down from Oran Mor. and for a quick preview heres their Facebook Page, Their Twitter stream and their Instagram account. Share folks - this ones a gem!Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-75394528886822187922017-02-10T14:11:00.000+00:002017-06-17T17:45:19.346+01:00Venus Factor - losing weight the proper wayRecently I met with a new medical professional. She kind of looked at me and smiled - "What can I do for you?" she asked. "Well" I said, "I'm an asthmatic, arthritic epileptic depressive - and I need to lose weight".<br />
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I have suffered the yo-yo effect dieting for the last twenty odd years and I finally decided that despite trying to sell the products I've been using and knowing that somehow there was something wrong with the way it was working out,I needed to do something decisive.<br />
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Somebody close to me said to me that apart from the calorie counting and deprivation, I needed to do some exercise everyday that made me sweat. She said that while walking in the park will definitely burn some calories, it doesn't quite have the same effect as building up a sweat. I balked.<br />
<h4>
Exercise</h4>
Finally I decided, that I have to do something, so I'm trying the exercise thing. Its fifteen minutes every other day. Actually what I do takes half an hour. fifteen minutes building up a sweat and fifteen minutes showering and cleaning up afterwards. I have also decided that the best time for me to do this is a few after hours after I wake up as I wont be too tired and make excuses later in the day. This would make exercise time around 9:00 am.<br />
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I have followed John Barban's programme before and it ALWAYS works. Its a common sense programme, with support in terms of how you eat - NOT what you eat and how much. I vouch for the Venus Factor because as long as you're committed it works.<br />
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My problem is that I lose the weight and then let the supporting lifestyle slip. This time I have done it differently. I have developed lifestyle habits as a default.<br />
<h4>
Diet</h4>
I follow a mostly vegan diet. I say mostly because I do like to indulge in non vegan treats from time to time. I prefer to eat raw food, it saves on the electric bill. It is possible to make convenience vegan food, more about that in another post. When we eat food at source and as close to source as possible, we get the most nutrition from it. Simple.<br />
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Eating meat should not contribute to your weight problems unless you're eating it covered in a sugar based sauce. Meat is protein and very good for your muscles if you're increasing physical activity/<br />
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No gym membership required</h4>
If you are really serious about losing weight and improving your health, then fifteen minutes of home based exercise every other day will not be a major sacrifice. Yes, it can be difficult, but if you're sweating you know you're burning calories.<br />
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If you can't commit to fifteen minutes of intense exercise three times a week in the comfort of your home, then you're not serious about losing weight. HIIT - high intensity interval training speeds your metabolic process by starting the burn, and it continues for hours afterwards. That's why you only need to do it three times a week. I personally think that once you've done it every other for three weeks, you'll be OK with a daily routine and using a set exercise routine, you'll lose inches quickly.<br />
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Note I said inches. because as you burn fat, you'll gain muscle and muscle is heavier than fat. A lot of people think that their diet is failing when the scales show a flatline. Actually whats happening is they're becoming fitter. DON'T TRUST THE SCALES. TRUST YOUR INSTINCT,<br />
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Venus Factor also have a fabulous forum where others using the programme support each other. And they have plenty of promotions and competitions too.<br />
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Eat Sensibly</h4>
You will also find loads of information on the forum abut eating sensibly. Personally I struggle in the morning with food so I have a smoothie all made from 100% fresh fruit and veg. Some smoothies are straight into the blender, but for nutritious drink during the day, I also use a juicer and make drinks in one of those.<br />
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So if you want to try out the <a href="http://venusfactor.co.za/" target="_blank">Venus Factor</a>, go to <a href="http://venusfactor.co.za/" target="_blank">this page</a> - you can either sign up straight away or watch the video - which is a fantastic explainer .Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.721638000000006 -4.5745294999999881 56.006836 -3.9290824999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-24079193615502927592017-02-03T22:57:00.001+00:002017-02-03T22:57:49.365+00:00Thats an amazing job! Is it?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKyLo7-XcjNT-3IbX9Vk82EYev4WhqBw1-CJnd2WQnOC0plOYTXAYm-x2k2lUJJvZlORO0zctLXUzfY5-sUaU5le9rJim-rdCJ94VUtj73jwxFONOb6fS_1QEBcmZ3ZCiv2vdmGJt0j0/s1600/Digital+Strategy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Ruth Richards-Hill digital strategist" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKyLo7-XcjNT-3IbX9Vk82EYev4WhqBw1-CJnd2WQnOC0plOYTXAYm-x2k2lUJJvZlORO0zctLXUzfY5-sUaU5le9rJim-rdCJ94VUtj73jwxFONOb6fS_1QEBcmZ3ZCiv2vdmGJt0j0/s320/Digital+Strategy.jpg" title="Digital Strategy" width="240" /></a>When I tell people what I do, I often hear a sharp intake of breath and then a comment along the lines<br />
of ....... Wow that's an amazing job! Well actually - I love what I do, but it has its complexities.<br />
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So what is it that I really do? I am a digital strategist. I form the plans and strategy for clients that want to be found and often make money on the internet. I can assure that its not an easy job. Developing the plan while not childs play is easy enough and well... its what I do. Its the implementation that can create headaches, actually migraines, maybe even aneurysms.<br />
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In a nutshell my client pathway works a little like this; after contacting me and initial discussion, I have a meeting called discovery. The first meeting is always a discovery. My client discovers whether they really want to work with me and I discover loads. Discovery means different things to different people, but to me its about 80% psychoanalysis and 20% business. Really.<br />
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The biggest lesson I have learnt in my business is to clarify that my client actually understands the technical jargon that gets bandied across a table during discovery. We talk about return on investment, key point indicators, web assets, content creation and management, paid search, organic search and more. If you're in a technical industry add fifteen minutes to your first meeting exactly because you need to ensure that the client can define his perception of the technical jargon being used. And you both need to be on the same page.<br />
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I once had a client that thought an affiliate link would result in a microsite! Its all about perception.<br />
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Your first meeting is all about reading the client. Are they going to be able to take advice when it conflicts with their idea of what should happen. And when they don't are you going to put in writing that this is against your better judgement? I have terminated new client relationships at the first meeting because I could see that I was dealing with someone that felt qualified to tell me how to do my job.<br />
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In order for me to take responsibility for my work, I have to be free to do it the way I know how, obviously within the parameters of the clients branding, business culture and product lines.<br />
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Following discovery, I then develop a strategy document that outlines exactly what I think the client should do, what tools they should use and what methods should be implemented. Simple - yes?<br />
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Not really. I even create videos so that my clients can follow to the letter what I'm asking them to do. When the client is a digital agency, well it gets easier and sometimes also more difficult... They understand what I'm instructing and in most cases they even know why but sometimes an ambitious new developer wants to simply add a bit here and there.........<br />
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I have a policy of reminding them that if they deviate from the plan without my agreement, I'm not responsible for the outcome. That usually does the trick, but not always.<br />
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And then the other freelance nightmare - examples of work. You build the all whistles and bells gold standard digital box of tricks for them and three months later they change it. Apart from the screenshots and original code you have archived, you would never send prospective clients to the website because the changes they have made often reflect design, and strategy that you would never advise or implement.<br />
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When it works, and it works well - Then its wonderful. Its the unpredictable nature of the human being that makes my job interesting.<br />
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If youve landed on this page as a result of a google search then please feel free to visit my business website at <a href="http://brayve.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b>Brayve</b></span></a><br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.721638000000006 -4.5745294999999881 56.006836 -3.9290824999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-46959321290250238842017-01-02T09:47:00.000+00:002017-01-16T09:49:20.113+00:00Glasgow City Chambers - city contrasts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGb_EkLOJiN92wO53rLDcPcMUPTuYC3MaLolFRw_YiytlnXwrP8LN6AV9EAkHWlxtxQz-g5RH2bTCjmy9qQp9LyF7aUSVRoANd2Hlpsl3VDFw55pR7Rk-cVY1MrraKZ0lD5qw3e7LNqo/s1600/Glasgow+City+Chambers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Ruth Richards-Hill life at the top" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGb_EkLOJiN92wO53rLDcPcMUPTuYC3MaLolFRw_YiytlnXwrP8LN6AV9EAkHWlxtxQz-g5RH2bTCjmy9qQp9LyF7aUSVRoANd2Hlpsl3VDFw55pR7Rk-cVY1MrraKZ0lD5qw3e7LNqo/s320/Glasgow+City+Chambers.jpg" title="Glasgow City Chambers" width="320" /></a>The Glasgow city chambers is probably the most opulent building in the City of Glasgow available for public access at no cost.<br />
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Even if you're not into displays of such grandeur everyone that lives in or comes to the city should visit it at least once. It strikes me as a massive contrast when you are aware of the grinding poverty within the city itself and particular some of the neighbourhoods that surround the city centre.<br />
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What a lot of people don't appreciate however is that this is one of the remnants of the great shipping and trading wealth that once made this city tick. In Scotland while Edinburgh has always been seen as the centre of finance and banking, Glasgow the core of industry and trade, the beauty of Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian architecture and before remains.<br />
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This is one of the few remaining cities where you simply need to turn your head up while walking through the city to admire some of the most breathtaking architecture and sculpture.<br />
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There are free guided tours daily. If you live in the city simply hop onto the bus, as the chambers are only a few blocks away from the main Buchanan bus station. From out of town, The nearest main station is Queen Street, however by coming in at Central you will be able to enjoy the varied architecture as you walk toward George square and the Chambers that face on to the square.<br />
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A really good source of information about the chambers and getting about in Glasgo can be found on the <a href="https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/things-to-do/top-attractions/city-chambers/glasgow-city-chambers" target="_blank">People Make Glasgow </a>website.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comKnightswood, Glasgow G13, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974455.890695000000008 -4.3809059999999747 55.908521000000007 -4.3405659999999742tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-43083692332029901852017-01-01T23:34:00.000+00:002017-02-03T23:35:50.202+00:00Change happens anyway<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_-aXqw6yDmFcrpLgz-1DgNGSJqjlJ6_xFZm41rZLCRK_8TJ1IuIv-AISCmIZ2ZOPYPiTbOmLqOi0GgeRU5YsNLn2T01eF2zOlO8QotlAEXx2XBvgDgrjA8ZKBiYSGB5-feNO_pH34f4/s1600/Divorce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="simplified divorce" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_-aXqw6yDmFcrpLgz-1DgNGSJqjlJ6_xFZm41rZLCRK_8TJ1IuIv-AISCmIZ2ZOPYPiTbOmLqOi0GgeRU5YsNLn2T01eF2zOlO8QotlAEXx2XBvgDgrjA8ZKBiYSGB5-feNO_pH34f4/s320/Divorce.jpg" title="Divorce in Scotland" width="320" /></a>My marriage broke down beyond repair for all sorts of reasons that I suppose will become clear to <br />
readers over time.<br />
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I really wanted to save that marriage. I don't think I have ever loved anyone the way I love/d her. And yet as time apart has progressed, I have realised the reality of how imperfect we are as humans. In April last year I travelled to South Africa as my mother was allegedly very seriously ill. (That's a story for another day)<br />
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My return to Cape Town was exceptionally difficult, again for a number of reasons, but the single greatest reason was because I had very deep down in my soul buried a hope that even after fourteen months apart I could salvage my marriage. How naive of me.<br />
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My estranged wife and I went out several times during my stay in Cape Town and in hindsight I now recognise a recurring theme in how we engaged with one another. She had started to smoke, something I absolutely detest. She also continuously told me that she wasn't going to change and didn't see the need to. But all along her prerequisites for us to save our marriage was that I needed to change.<br />
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Each time that we met, when I said something that made her uncomfortable, she would use it as evidence that I hadn't changed, in fact I realise now that she needed to construct some reasoning that I hadn't changed because she didn't want the marriage to survive. But I beat myself up about the fact that I wasn't "improving" or changing myself fast enough. And that - my dear friends is the stark naked obvious evidence of emotional abuse.<br />
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She had not really interacted with me meaningfully in over a year. How could she really have known, By then I was already not eating meat and consuming very little sugar.<br />
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Thing is I also couldn't really tell if she had changed in any way at all except of course for the smoking and the copious amounts of alcohol that she was consuming. It was clear to me that either she was just behaving in the selfish manner I had become accustomed to during our marriage and taking advantage of the huge income she was generating and not having to share to live in a manner she preferred or she was behaving like this to cover up her pain - possibly even from herself.<br />
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By this time I had already stopped eating meat. I still ate fish and drank some alcohol socially. But my respect for my body was real and despite the fact that she was spending a significant amount on a personal trainer, she was still abusing her body. I knew my inner change was happening and so was hers, we were simply moving in polar opposite directions and yet the pain of relationship breakdown was so intense that I continued to feel like a failure. During this time was my birthday. She didn't send a message, a card, a greeting, a text. Nothing. I still send her a message. even if its just my a messenger App. But I do it nevertheless. Its an act of respect to me and our relationship and to her too, that her existence matters to me, even now,<br />
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Its nine months later and I see things very differently. I have progressed to nearly vegan status. Its no big thing and few others know, after all its for me. It didn't happen overnight. I simply started eating less meat, and then even less and even less. The whammy to this is that I'm also gluten free. That was also a personal choice and an experiment and again it has been a gradual change. Both these things she will probably never know. She will never see the change it has made to my health (despite that being one of her prerequisites), the slow change to my weight and also the way I see myself.<br />
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On Tuesday I will have my hair cut. Short. For me. I have always kept my hair long to please others. My mother, my brothers, my husband and my wife, and then even my children. But I have always preferred short hair. So for me I am going to cut my hair short.<br />
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In the last two years, I have become a vegan, lost weight, started to love myself, as I love others, I have started to wear contact lenses, buy clothes I like, and now I am committing the final act of forging my independent identity - me, what I want, who I am by cutting my hair short. very, very short.<br />
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I have always felt the need to reinforce my femininity. As a child I was a tomboy. Even as a teenager I used to race BMX. I rode motorcycles. I preferred boots and jeans and secretly wore them when I could get away with it. Even when I finally came out as a lesbian, I retained the strong feminine identity. Why? because I felt that I needed to to be able to relate to my partner. What utter rubbish and again how naive.<br />
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I am now emerging as me, myself. I still struggle with aspects of myself and yet I have changed, because change happens anyway.<br />
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My ex will never know or see the changes, but others will meet someone that she never has. They say that every cell in your body replaces itself every seven years. withing five years now, she will never have toched my body at all - how enlightening.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comGlasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.721638000000006 -4.5745294999999881 56.006836 -3.9290824999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-10909170090645388032016-12-31T20:17:00.000+00:002017-01-23T20:32:58.768+00:00Violence - An unusual gift rewrapped<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRakwVRmnUv6rukvzD3nX1xwidAdCXCKgryAVlndJ9FxvFtVAaz_UIAeVOVZSSIJgqIR2YpKkv-M6gCwH4tuQG6U9RyxJm86yoIGILumg3uzRtrMCG0WG-6OAIIcL9Ch0bnSZGWBFfyfY/s1600/Glasgow+Violent+City.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ruth Richards-Hill Christian Ministry" border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRakwVRmnUv6rukvzD3nX1xwidAdCXCKgryAVlndJ9FxvFtVAaz_UIAeVOVZSSIJgqIR2YpKkv-M6gCwH4tuQG6U9RyxJm86yoIGILumg3uzRtrMCG0WG-6OAIIcL9Ch0bnSZGWBFfyfY/s320/Glasgow+Violent+City.jpg" title="Glasgow Violent city" width="320" /></a>Life in one of the most violent cities in Western Europe eventually catches up with us even when we <br />
cocoon ourselves in our own safe little lives.<br />
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As the blog implies, my home is at the very top of an ex council tower block in Glasgow. The block is now owned and managed by GHA (Glasgow Housing Association). In the old days when the tower blocks were first built to help alleviate the slums and enable to demolition of the slums to pave a way for social progress, a tower block address was a very desirable thing.<br />
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When the slums were cleared and the mostly working class of Glasgow sought to be rehoused in what was then luxury accommodation by comparison to where they had come from, three references were required to be considered for a flat in these buildings.<br />
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Even now the housing officers call them streets in the sky. However life in the tower block is not what it was 50 years ago. These days its mostly people without references and the accommodation allocation is hugely varied. To aggravate the situation GHA allocate a large number of flats to the Hamish Allan Centre Homelessness team. These allocated flats have transient occupants that have no desire to invest in the communities they have been housed amongst.<br />
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Of course a large number of homeless individuals that are being allocated the flats in the tower blocks cannot get accommodation anywhere else. They are often newly released from prison, cyclical homeless addicts that don't pay their rent but have to be rehoused because they are vulnerable. I am not for a minute saying these groups are not needy and in fact, I suspect that they are being provided for on paperthin budgets that keep the system afloat with a sellotape like effect on continuously reducing budgetary allocation.<br />
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This blog is not about them singularly and the social condition that perpetuates their existence. That's for another day. It appears that the system has become one of pot luck however. When I accepted my flat on the top floor of one of the best views in the city, I didn't realise that only two of the six homes were permanent. The other four flats are homeless allocation and I can find myself with new neighbours as often as three or four times a year in one flat alone. Multiply that by four - and you'll get the picture - no consistency for me, my family and other permanent neighbours.<br />
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Of course you would expect the council to consider a duty of care when they house violent offenders next door to vulnerable people with disabilities and small children, but that seems to be something that local authorities are exempt from. Aside from that its wholly irresponsible to house a person with a sever psychotic mental health problem on the top floor, unless of course its deliberate because by him jumping, there would be one less case for the overworked homeless officer to worry about. I kid you not, If I hadn't of called in the GHA housing officer there would almost certainly have been an unnecessary death.<br />
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Unsurprisingly it was only a matter of time before it became my turn to be on the receiving end of violence. Attacked at my front door by a drug addled, inebriated offender on licence. Only 20 years old and his life is already a certain misery. I survived the attack, patched up by the local hospital and fled to a safer haven to lick my wounds. He wasn't a resident in my building,but he got in nevertheless. I know the addicts in my building. I know the alcoholics. I pray with them often enough. These people need someone to listen, to care and never to repeat their darkest thoughts that they share. I really understand the hidden humanity of these people, their inner turmoil, their struggle, their anger and frustration and why they get caught in these terrible cycles that system keeps them in.<br />
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A short while after the attack, I was visited by no less than 18 other people from within the building asking me not to leave, They said I was the closest thing to a dog collar that has been in the building, one of them quite adamant that he hadnt seen one for at least 15 years (excluding the ever persistent Jehovah's witnesses). I was taken by surprise by this.<br />
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I sometimes worried that my offers of prayer were seen as intrusive and something they didn't really want. But it turns out that actually for them it was often the only ever opportunity for conversations of absolute confidence. One neighbour said that social workers and doctors write everything down and use the information against them later on, Their friends that consume drugs and alcohol with them blurt out their confidences when the effect of these substances loosen their tongues, but for them for eighteen months I was the one person that never repeated their words to another soul. They knew it was safe and by sharing in prayer with them, I gave them hope. They would never turn up at my door drunk or high because they knew this was the one boundary not to cross. If they did while coming down or trying to lift themselves up, I would usually send them to bed until they felt we could manage a coherent conversation later.<br />
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Several of them, with substantial prison histories asked me if I wanted my attacker "sorted" out in prison. Apparently it could be be arranged with consummate ease. It was the only way they felt that they could return my very small acts of kindness. And so to their confusion I asked for something quite different. I asked that if "sorting him out" was such an easy task, could they arrange for him "to be kept safe"? A couple of days later I heard a knock on the door and was told that he was safe as long as he didn't break the rules inside.<br />
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Violence came as a twofold gift for me last Christmas. It shed light on my calling. The ministry that I received through baptism. I engage well with those trapped in a world of inequitable social environments, whose only way to get through it is with drugs and violence and moreso because I was able to show just one or two of them that they can use that little bit of power that they have to non violent ends. Whether it is in the townships of South Africa or the drug fuelled estates of Glasgow, I engage and am accepted by those around me. My ministry is amongst those that have no access to Christ.<br />
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The second gift was to channel the violent retribution on my attacker by those who expressed my value to them into the exact opposite. A second chance and a safe one. The messenger who knocked on my door asked me out of curiosity why I asked for his safety rather than his head and I replied: Because when he is sober enough and clean enough and able to talk to me, I want to go and visit him and tell him he is forgiven and that when he leaves that prison he and only he can choose never to go back. And that his safety in prison was not mine to provide, but a gift from Christ.<br />
<br />
After all WWJD.<br />
<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0Knightswood, Glasgow G13, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974437.340824500000011 -45.669329999999974 74.4583915 36.947858000000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-40524940661730291002016-12-19T10:21:00.000+00:002017-01-16T10:23:56.084+00:00The Girl with the Dragon tattoo - a great trilogy for a weekend in bed.Most people that read (I accept that there are those that don't read) will enjoy a variety of sources for their fix. Reading is a very personal habit and tells us a lot about ourselves. I read about my interests and ideas in non fiction mostly covering creative ventures such as glass, beading, jewellery, iconography and drawing. These spill over into antiques and collectables.<br />
<div>
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<div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Dragon-Tattoo-Millennium-x/dp/0857054031/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484561221&sr=1-1&keywords=girl+with+the+dragon+tattoo&linkCode=li2&tag=lattg-21&linkId=8793b272aba8dcd352b18208937ced46" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0857054031&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=lattg-21" /></a>However when I start reading fiction the dark side of me often comes out. I absolutely loved the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the two sequels, The girl who played with fire and the girl who kicked the hornets nest. This trilogy is exceptionally violent but in a realistic way that enabled me to relate to my own life.</div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lattg-21&l=li2&o=2&a=0857054031" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Perhaps I'm the exception, but I have seen and experienced some pretty scary stuff in my short life. Narrated as a story, I am able to understand a bit more of myself as I follow the narrative of what has happened to the young woman Lisbeth Salander, in these novels. The way in which she deals with her circumstances and develops her own strength is inspirational and provides some thought provoking material on real courage.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not going to give a breakdown of the plot, You can get it by clicking on the images of the three books on this post. Whats great is that you can the books in<span style="color: blue;"><b> <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1076613429"></span>kindle format<span id="goog_1076613430"></span></a></i>, </b></span><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2iZGYs3" target="_blank"><i>paperback</i></a></b> and also <a href="http://amzn.to/2jfU1q4" target="_blank">hardcover</a>.</div>
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Whats more, this is one of the rare occasions when the filmmakers have kept a storyline as close to the book as possible in all three films of the trilogy. Even if you<a href="http://amzn.to/2iZEUAa" target="_blank"> enjoy video</a>, I recommend reading the books first, It really enhances the visual experience of the exceptionally well made Swedish film version of the story. If you don't like subtitles sure go ahead and get the subsequent <a href="http://amzn.to/2jfWP6F" target="_blank">American film version</a>, As good as it may be, I personally don't think it will compete with the Swedish original.</div>
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Those Scandinavians definitely know how to narrate a riveting story.</div>
Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.comKnightswood, Glasgow G13, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974455.899608000000008 -4.3607359999999744 55.899608000000008 -4.3607359999999744tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-49538066195627508412016-11-13T15:39:00.000+00:002016-11-23T16:22:02.108+00:005 things to consider when buying a new Phone this Christmas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN76juihxITRc7873JeEmtcTO9JfJd5vuKo7waWqOwakv197RLgePmRVBv6I1VIkDeVxKQDpnMghgQSC6F2aBpi6nT_UPVt4_NblIqlQnYMJpgyPGDtfC2665sceFAdVSKpA_rOylfDYQ/s1600/S7+Edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Samsung Galaxy s7 Edge" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN76juihxITRc7873JeEmtcTO9JfJd5vuKo7waWqOwakv197RLgePmRVBv6I1VIkDeVxKQDpnMghgQSC6F2aBpi6nT_UPVt4_NblIqlQnYMJpgyPGDtfC2665sceFAdVSKpA_rOylfDYQ/s320/S7+Edge.jpg" title="Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Black Friday" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Razvan Baltaretu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have blogged and published about Mobile technology for years. I've tried them all, Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, Nokia and even cheap knockoffs when times have been tough.<br />
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But its that time of year again and the rush to get that awesome deal in the leadup to Christmas is on. So what am I recommending this year? Well actually, Im taking a different tack this year. How many of us are awe inspired by all the amazing things these digital gadgets can do and base our purchases on the bells and whistles?<br />
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I would love a mobile phone that could make me a cup of tea in the morning (And if you connected the right technology together, this is now actually possible) However, I love my mobile phone because it enables me to work on the run and a lot of my work is other peoples play.<br />
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My mobile phone connects me to all the relevant social media platforms that I am monitoring, enables me to search for shareable content, research while on the go, send emails and of course make the humble phone call from time to time. So how did I choose my recent phone?<br />
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<h4>
1. Resilience</h4>
The more you use your phone, the higher the probability of an accident. thats the law of probabilities. The more you spend on your phone the higher the risk of damage. Thats Murphys law.<br />
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So having over the years dropped my phone:<br />
<ul>
<li>From considerable, height,</li>
<li>Into the bath (and once into the loo as well)</li>
<li>In a cup of tea</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
I have also<br />
<ul>
<li>left it on the roof of my car and driven off,</li>
<li>left it on a bus, in a pub, in a public toilet, a restaurant and on a plane</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
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So my interest in a new higher end phone has been directed to the survival statistics of the model. Is it water resistant, bang, bump and bomb proof (in other words shock proof) and can it handle my clumsiness both in terms of hardware and software.</div>
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<h4>
2. Operating system</h4>
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With Smartphones this boils down to a choice between iOS and Android. This post being written about new phones Im going to assume that the latest iOS will be installed on the Phone. its important to remember this because as new models are released, old stock is sold off with older OS versions installed. This is most likely not a train smash, especially if the OS can be upgraded to the latest version, but if functionality is important be sure to check.</div>
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3. Capacity </h4>
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This is not only the amount of on board memory but also memory that can be added, usually in the form of a micro SD card. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32Gb with a 128Gb SD card. This means that I can install most apps to the SD card. Also meaning that the phone runs better and quicker when not running its own memory to capacity. The S7 can now mount SD cards up to 200Gb.</div>
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Apparently the iPhone 6 and 7 models also have the same water resilience as the Samsung.<br />
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<h4>
4. Availability of Apps</h4>
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I used to operate an Android tablet, but my phone has everything I need. All the Microsoft apps, an efficient email client, excellent image, audio and video capability, Social Media apps and additional apps that enable management of mobile apps as if they are on the desktop. Both the Apple and the Samsung product lines offer an abundance of apps, but I always return to Android because of the almost neurotic way that Apple controls the available apps from its store. Don't forget if the warranty on your Phone is something you're willing to compromise Apple phones can be jail broken and third party iOS apps installed. This is only recommended if you have a good iOS developer available should anything go wrong.<br />
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<h4>
<b>5. Cost;</b></h4>
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I have always adopted the approach that you can never expect to pay plastic prices for gold. When it comes to phones, I find that this approach applies with no exception. Its unusual for me to buy a new model on the day of release. I always wait for the as yet unidentified bugs to be ironed out and I wait three months at the bare minimum. By the time a model is pushing six months since release we know pretty quickly if its met all expectations and works as it says on the box. </div>
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Most necessary product recalls have taken place if they become necessary. When paying something between £500 and £700 for a phone we want to be sure we're getting value. Also remember The higher the model specs the longer you can use it before it becomes obsolete. Spending that extra cash usually pays off.</div>
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Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0Knightswood, Glasgow G15, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974437.348773500000007 -45.669329999999974 74.450442500000008 36.947858000000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-29500959692300230402016-11-11T08:10:00.000+00:002016-11-11T08:14:27.321+00:00Murder She wrote<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi691_Iam0dtrj_Hrt2m4Z3Q6vyOSC5_Ai3gsr_AD09MiFt_5c8WGdLkkiVVPqiqaxB1JYqizpSyuHvdV0Ta6Tq4LLwOqZMZ4UF3fZrRneYDh5wBwSipDvTZ0MgMNgiplqjP7HHnduY5L4/s1600/murder+she+wrote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brian Martin Knighstwood Murder victim" border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi691_Iam0dtrj_Hrt2m4Z3Q6vyOSC5_Ai3gsr_AD09MiFt_5c8WGdLkkiVVPqiqaxB1JYqizpSyuHvdV0Ta6Tq4LLwOqZMZ4UF3fZrRneYDh5wBwSipDvTZ0MgMNgiplqjP7HHnduY5L4/s320/murder+she+wrote.jpg" title="Brian Martin Knightswood murder victim" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of AJ Cann</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Life at the top of a tower block in a pretty rough neighbourhood is definitely not boring. But <br />
sometimes boring is actually what we all want. On Monday evening when I took the dog downstairs for his pre bedtime ablutions, There was a detective hanging about. Only the following day did I work out that he was waiting for the SOCO (Scene of Crime Officer) - for everyone who watches telly that means CSI.<br />
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Since I live in a place where someone gets robbed or beaten with unsurprising regularity, this detective did not look out of place. I didnt bat an eyelid. The following morning I went out and there was a far more visible police presence and I knew something more than simply the average assault was going on. nevertheless when my daughter turned up later in the afternoon she told me that it was "teeming" with cops downstairs and so we learned that there had been a murder...<br />
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Again, 113 apartments in the block, plenty of which are suncontracted by the local authority to rehabilitate homeless families and individuals, many of whom have a history of drug dependency - of uts going to happen - This would be one of the first places to look....<br />
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But I have lived in these tower blocks for four years. I have slowly come to know the people. And its a mix like you dont get anywhere else. Refugees from the far flung corners of the world, Iraq, Syria, DRC, Somalia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Women fleeing domestic violence, Low income hard working families, Economic migrants from The Orient particularly China, eastern Europe and the previous Soviet Bloc, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Csechoslovakia.<br />
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And then there is the drug problem....... Heroin and Cocaine with plenty of weed thrown in, except that of course I am a liberal and think weed, its use and control are deeply misunderstood. The hard stuff like Heroin and Cocaine well that's another matter.<br />
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Of course to the average Joe who lives in pretty suburbia and is generally veiled from the realities of addiction, dealing and the violent underbelly of our society, drug dealers and junkies are just objects, not real people, with real lives. But I know these people too.<br />
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They are incredibly difficult to live around. They are a reflection of the failure of the rest of society and not just their own mistakes. I am not saying it is OK to take drugs become an addict and then blame the rest of functioning society. I am saying that the formula to tackle the problems that drug and alcohol abuse bring, clearly isn't working.<br />
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I really believe that our local and central authorities should be held to account for their strategy development in dealing with these problems, but those voters that matter generally dont live in places where they are affected first hand by these ills and thus these policies and strategies are not higher up their priority list.<br />
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In one of the flats on our landing are a couple housed by the local authority. They have a lifelong history of drug abuse and were clean for several months until a dealer moved into the flat below them. very quickly the were shooting up and became a problem. Addicts when high lose sense of their surroundings in any context. I have been offered lots of deals on shop lifted merchandise, but what gets me the most is that I get knocks on the door at five in the morning or midnight. There is no understanding that actually those of us that work cant catch up on sleep during the day!<br />
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This blog is actually written for <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14877805.Murder_probe_launched_to_find_killer_of_man_in_city_flat/?ref=arc" target="_blank">Brian Martin</a> because I am convinced that he will be demonised by whoever was responsible for his death, once they are caught. The truth is that he never caused me a problem. he was courteous, friendly and even offered a good laugh from time to time. It is incredibly sad that he lay dead in his flat for several days before he was found and I should have noticed. I know we were merely acquainted by virtue of where we live, and by any other criteria we would probably not known each other. He however never caused me a bother, was gentle and kind and made good conversation. He was a breed apart. While he allegedly also had a drug history, I never saw him high in the communal parts of the building and I never saw him behave badly.<br />
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Brian was somebody's brother, somebody's child. Like all of us, he had his problems, but he will be remembered by someone with a positive memory.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0Knightswood, Glasgow G13, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974437.237586000000007 -45.845110999999974 74.561630000000008 37.123639000000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-71103866014667661222016-09-28T22:36:00.000+01:002016-09-28T22:55:01.906+01:00Where is the mission? In relation to living in a very deprived area (Glasgow Tower blocks just exude poverty) My own faith is very important to me, I find it keeps me grounded.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5OJiTQvm4OzK0NNtDXPx1fIDHWYjSULEV86aZveeU8Ds6-bpcFj_CGPG3J8J8GbgA9wNhFCfGnsVOBa3z6FbS_LIjq_QkBmLWfJSRTpqZLP20sHZ97sWMh6gy4RbWZOm7FTX6mzIeEw/s1600/Mission.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Where is the mission" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5OJiTQvm4OzK0NNtDXPx1fIDHWYjSULEV86aZveeU8Ds6-bpcFj_CGPG3J8J8GbgA9wNhFCfGnsVOBa3z6FbS_LIjq_QkBmLWfJSRTpqZLP20sHZ97sWMh6gy4RbWZOm7FTX6mzIeEw/s320/Mission.jpg" title="Where is the Mission - Ruth Richards-Hill Brayve" width="240" /></a></div>
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We are surrounded by drug abuse, domestic violence and petty crime. Most people would say "Why dont you move?" Financial considerations aside I believe Im meant to be here. I have faith and with it comes ministry. Around us so many people simply shut their doors to keep the world out. I really believe that clergy fear to tread on this estate. Yet I have sat and prayed with drug addicts , convicts for murder and theft and wife beaters, yes the ones in my very own building. </div>
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I wonder where is the mission?<b> </b>We are surrounded by churches, two blocks away in each direction is a catholic church, a Church of Scotland church and believe it or not a Baptist church. </div>
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While the population within the buildings (There are four buildings each with between nineteen and twenty three floors, each with six flats in a close - do the math) is made up of exceptional diversity, there are Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus who live within this community too. But Christianity isnt exclusive. These are God's children too and the lack of visibility of their clergy and faith activity is somewhat noticeable.</div>
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<div>
While secular social activism is admirable and there is a clearly some effort to improve the conditions for specific sectors of this community, mostly making some play provision for the children, there is nothing that is completely inclusive and certainly nothing that provides for the bare bones needs of the people who live here.</div>
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<div>
This community needs a food bank of its own. It needs opportunity to earn, but most of all it needs a listening ear. Most of the people that are in my community are here as a result of life circumstances. I understand this all too well myself. I walked away from a broken relationship - with nothing and have been rebuilding my life since. Most of the people here are rebuilding their lives in some way or trying to put themselves in a place where that can happen for them. Some are refugees, some are people whose lives are the consequence of an accident of birth and other have simply given up.</div>
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So where is the mission? I do not like the Jehovahs witnesses, but I have to hand it to them. They come into my building regularly and talk to people, sure theyre evangelising , and definitely in a way that rubs me up the wrong way, but they dare to tread on the Estate.</div>
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This Estate needs a soup kitchen, a tea run, a listening ear. Help for the tired and hungry.</div>
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Its bad enough that I havent seen a community police officer in here in nearly six months, so where are the churches? </div>
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Can someone please tell me - Where is the mission?</div>
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Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com3Knightswood, Glasgow G15, UK55.899608000000008 -4.360735999999974437.241104000000007 -45.845110999999974 74.558112000000008 37.123639000000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-28347915869523480882016-08-12T02:22:00.000+01:002016-09-28T10:57:25.501+01:00Incredible joy - a grandchild.I have become a Grandmother! I really didnt expect the euphoric wonderful loving feelings that I felt <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rQ0u534rbOvJYgZQ-k3WWqxihNtQEzDTn3_AwFAQQ12kilgsgJpN-d12zcFuMjRSu_LmNwQmWGIzAG-vY5VFZ2wwmPhwpAazEwH94JBuVCjbvm8kgktMHiad_ufN8QbmGTZ1rpnftJY/s1600/Lailah.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rQ0u534rbOvJYgZQ-k3WWqxihNtQEzDTn3_AwFAQQ12kilgsgJpN-d12zcFuMjRSu_LmNwQmWGIzAG-vY5VFZ2wwmPhwpAazEwH94JBuVCjbvm8kgktMHiad_ufN8QbmGTZ1rpnftJY/s320/Lailah.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
towards this child when she was born. I know and have experienced the mother baby bonding process and understand that nature has to work that way for our species to survive.<br />
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Perhaps it was because Lailah was born by emergency C section and I was the first to hold her. I completely fell in love with her. Of course she and I now have an established bond which has become undeniable. She will however always be her Mummy's girl. </div>
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My daughter was really ill throughout her pregnancy and the rapid improvement after Lailah was born leads me to believe that babies really are not a good idea for the young. Although Sarah was already 19 her body simply didnt cope. This led to an average loss of four hours a day driving around looking after Sarah and thus losing a substantial cut of my income.</div>
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In the end, it has all been worth it. My daughter is healthy again, My granddaughter is breathtakingly beautiful and again our lives are changing and taking a course in a new direction.</div>
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With the baby'sfather currently resident in South Africa completing his diploma in fitness and personal training, there will be a few challenges that lie ahead. However he will come to see his child, spending most of his time with her and split only to keep up with study work.<br />
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Our household routine is about to change. I think the fact that I am a carer of a carer is going to be interesting to say the least. My daughter is on the autistic spectrum and I believe will be a wonderful mother, however in terms of self care, there is still substantial support that is required. but shes getting there.<br />
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Its a wonderful life...<br />
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Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0Glasgow, UK55.864237 -4.251805999999987855.720867000000005 -4.5759024999999873 56.007607 -3.9277094999999878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-5042428382746878052016-06-23T16:13:00.000+01:002016-09-28T20:18:18.268+01:00Music Selection - April 2016This months Selection is based on two areas of my life:<br />
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The first is the meeting that I had with my wife, last week. She played some music constantly while she was with me. The Album was Jo Dee messina and the two songs were I wish and I'm Alright. I dont think I misread the message, but have a listen and let me know.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A3GngKOLHLO6WpLBxGvNveH" width="300"></iframe>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=lattg-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00008XS1A&asins=B00008XS1A&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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The next selection of music is Church music. I was baptised in April 2010 and the anniversary is always significant to me.<br />
<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-62374953776348090532016-01-20T01:22:00.000+00:002016-01-20T01:24:33.244+00:00Music Selection - January 2016Over the next 30 days, we will see Valentines day preceded this year by Ash Wednesday.<br />
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I thought that this months music selection will revolve around love. 2016 is a year of hope for me. I hope to either reconcile or find love. My selection of Love songs voice how I feel about my marriage, but also my hopes for this year. I have chosen songs that I like, that my children like and that my friends like.</div>
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I have started meeting people and making new friends. Some of these songs are for friends too. The ones who rather than judge my baggage, are helping me to unpack it.</div>
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For my wife for whom I have unrequited love, - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009AL7JAO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B009AL7JAO&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" target="_blank">Pink - Just give me a reason</a></div>
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For my children, the friend who judged me the least and has always stayed close to my heart -Jeanette and to my new friends like Elle who give me hope for the future despite my cluttered and questionable past. - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001J9EMOG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B001J9EMOG&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" target="_blank">Westlife - Flying without wings.</a></div>
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For the sake of it and because its a classic that I love. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/href=%22http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GLEYGX6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00GLEYGX6&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" target="_blank">Bette Midler - The Rose</a> </div>
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As we all know, when relationships go wrong, we have to accept responsibility for our own demons so here it is, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B40C8JQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00B40C8JQ&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" target="_blank">Imagine Dragons -Demons</a></div>
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This one is for my friend Marion Bolton who died a year ago in Cape Town on the 15th January 2015 from a very aggressive Melanoma. 15 days from Biopsy til she died. I still feel so empty - She loved <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001KEB1NU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B001KEB1NU&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" target="_blank">Abba and Mama Mia</a> .</div>
Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-68937618826079286342016-01-18T22:38:00.000+00:002016-01-18T22:38:03.237+00:00Back to the grindstoneWell I'm back at work and finding the work environment a little daunting. When I have a look at these calls for proposals, Im beginning to wonder....A lot of these people dont realise how much time and effort is in fact really involved in digital work, whether its Graphic art or Social Media Management.<br />
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I use an online freelancing portal called People per Hour and you can see my <a href="http://www.peopleperhour.com/freelancer/ruth/richards-hill/social-media-strategist-and-campaig/854539" target="_blank">profile here.</a> A lot of Freelancers object to having to compete with Indian freelancers, but actually dont realise that once they start to rise in the rankings, the competition begins to thin out substantially. There is substantial demand for English mother tongue speakers based either in the USA or the UK.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuTZyasOIY2IGBiRaxPCYDwTCcJ7bNPWi02Z8DIt3b1InIl4OSfx8lP5cAJF7HqPpR0g_ZMiyY3zRTwplyFWGgX8jQWMzvmn74XufdOM24R6x4rceIY1LyL8yJOrmH1aq4eVgVqBc7jg/s1600/pph-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="people per hour freelancing" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuTZyasOIY2IGBiRaxPCYDwTCcJ7bNPWi02Z8DIt3b1InIl4OSfx8lP5cAJF7HqPpR0g_ZMiyY3zRTwplyFWGgX8jQWMzvmn74XufdOM24R6x4rceIY1LyL8yJOrmH1aq4eVgVqBc7jg/s1600/pph-logo.png" title="" /></a></div>
There is nothing like good web copy written by a mother tongue speaker.Evidently even those who employ coders that dont speak English for the backend are nevertheless sensitive enough to realise that good copy affects SEO and also the professional presentation of their site.<br />
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If a prospective client doesnt want to pay you a reasonable fee for your skills, move on, because there are those that do appreciate educated skilled digital workers and the long term value that they bring.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-25103050571275499312016-01-06T08:17:00.004+00:002016-01-08T16:49:09.302+00:00Getting OrganisedI believe that I can comfortably say that the single greatest key to my productivity and thereby the results that I experience in terms of personal success has to do with organisation. I really suffered over the festive season when my home became very cluttered and I was still wrangling with the leftovers of the house move.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yq1LMeGZFipu_cT2dzA1Yicfr8i8cEjCLYygm4IaTvWfBfHZV7ZiHrW9BwMknLwxy-bS5IslntjWNz65wz71w8opYvJt0Zp01cx8q_k1KPw0rWIARPaVDVC5mstLURYFDJ-PVUb5m-s/s1600/productivity.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Yq1LMeGZFipu_cT2dzA1Yicfr8i8cEjCLYygm4IaTvWfBfHZV7ZiHrW9BwMknLwxy-bS5IslntjWNz65wz71w8opYvJt0Zp01cx8q_k1KPw0rWIARPaVDVC5mstLURYFDJ-PVUb5m-s/s320/productivity.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tonight hails the end of the festive season for my family when we attend the Epiphany service at <a href="http://thecathedral.org.uk/" target="_blank">St Mary's Cathedral </a>on Great Western road. The Christmas tree is down, the paper, the glass and the plastics have been either upcycled or recycled and I have cleaned the house and overcome the massive laundry challenge.<br />
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Life at the top is indeed stirring back to normality. The product planners at <a href="http://aldi.co.uk/" target="_blank">Aldi</a> have displayed some insight into the fact that there are probably millions like me that will need to reorganise their homes and gain some sort of sanity by finding a place for everything. I purchased two of their mini drawer sets and nine of the underbed box containers.<br />
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Michelle and Sam no longer need to lug a huge suitcase onboard the plane now when they come to visit as they has the fundamentals of the essential wardrobe put away for them here.<br />
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For me its giving everything a place and keeping things in their place that increase productivity. As I write this, my phone charged overnight, my laptop is fully charged and I woke up on time to get the objectives of the day completed.<br />
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I have a long list of things that need done. Some only once in a long periods of time such as the stripping of the last of the wallpaper in Jonty's room and others that will require repetition to meet the desired outcome such as colouring my hair. As far as work goes however I am easily distracted and I have had to use a spreadsheet to list my objectives and then mark them off on a daily basis as I go along.<br />
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I have sufficient organisation now to ensure that as many car trip tasks are combined into a single trip e.g. A trip to the supermaket and a journey to the lockup are mixed into one, with a stopoff on the way. This not only saves petrol but it also means that I am now able to take public transport where possible in order to make more savings. So now my work objectives are becoming enmeshed with my home objectives. They are one could say beginning to progress in concert.<br />
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Disposing of the old (preferably in an eco friendly manner) and finding place for the new has enabled me to start the year with a motivation that I can honestly say I did not have a year ago. I am fresh and ready for a year of achievement at work and also feel postive about my home environment.<br />
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So organisation has an impact both emotionally and in terms of work productivity and definitely is a factor in the success of the work from home self employed.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-16391740756494512282015-12-27T15:14:00.003+00:002016-04-19T00:05:44.439+01:00Kickstarting my new lifeWhile I certainly arrived back in the UK and started working almost straight away, 2015 was a very difficult year for me.<br />
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I have decided that 2015 was the foundation, the groundwork for the rebuilding of my life. I achieved quite a lot in 2015 and to be honest despite the fact that we moved flat so that there would be more room, actually I needed to do it in order to reconstruct the world I was living in. It needed to be MY space, my home and yes I needed the control.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsntTiQG1CGPwR5I2LVGGNm2BS767TM7egxbVDMl3JTTiAGpisQhs7ZWxPVapVFi8CeWSO4gylQNntE2GMsLuHGp472XuBAr1r1uEUQ2th7Q99K5HZlclRPSgz1E6XexXlPU47OunVwo/s1600/2016-new-year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsntTiQG1CGPwR5I2LVGGNm2BS767TM7egxbVDMl3JTTiAGpisQhs7ZWxPVapVFi8CeWSO4gylQNntE2GMsLuHGp472XuBAr1r1uEUQ2th7Q99K5HZlclRPSgz1E6XexXlPU47OunVwo/s320/2016-new-year.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My home is safe, warm and I have a view to die for. When my son moves out of his room, I will simply air bnb it (only to women of course) to enable me to continue paying the rent.<br />
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I remodelled my bedroom, bought a new bed, painted it and put up so new pictures. I built shelves to accommodate my tools and glass equipment.I have repaired furniture,<br />
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This week leading up to new year, everything that remains out that belongs to Jaye will be packed away. her books, her chattels, everything. Its impossible to let go when there are little reminders lying everywhere.<br />
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I have rebuilt several websites, all related to my income and I have had at least one major new client, whom I eventually fired. More about when its the right time to fire a client here.<br />
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Having rebranded and created a new brand identity, I have started up a new marketing strategy that is all ready to go full swing starting 4th January. So my work and income is pretty much planned.<br />
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Love has taught me a few lessons in the recent past. You have to love yourself before you can effectively love others. This applies to partners/spouses/children and even your pets.<br />
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I like to believe that I wont be alone forever, but I have decided to be open to opportunity.I have joined a number of social groups both online and bricks and mortar and of course Ive starte to circulate socially, so who knows, if its meant to be, it will happen. I have consciously decided that if I am to find love, I must just let nature run its course.<br />
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The single most important thing to do now is to save and to build up for my old age. This will of course be directly related to my income which is derived both from glass and from web and social media development. As long as the cash flow remains healthy there is little that I wont be able to acheive,<br />
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So my new years resolutions are:<br />
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To work eight hours a day, five days a week. NO MORE.<br />
To go to gym every day, alternating, swimming with workouts<br />
To end 2016 completely Vegan<br />
To achieve a weight of 60Kg<br />
To save £200 000.00<br />
To have all debts paid off.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-11646029382983450002015-12-27T13:29:00.001+00:002015-12-27T13:38:33.419+00:00Christmas at the topWell we did it! We had Christmas at the top. We went to midnight Mass at <a href="http://thecathedral.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Mary's Cathedral</a>, We had a feast of Gammon, Roast potatoes, Pumpkin and sweet potato mash, green beans and peas, followed by a profiterole tree. mmmmm and that was just Christmas Eve.<br />
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Christmas day was roast turkey, potato salad, pumpkin, mixed Salad, more sweet potato mash, carrots and of course the mince pies and more chocolate than we normally digest in six months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ip8KJTUVamrBxGzlcUBLbZEhNiihcPWmlR1SNGQCRB2LbgtqftkjdHuP2FjzLP79-I_HHVO9OTmvtIQPraRBfsPzwBBMQAEqmCLdbJbRIG8YQxLsJBgCWhBn9S1_LN-I1l0zvMea_EQ/s1600/IMG_1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Automatic ball thrower" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ip8KJTUVamrBxGzlcUBLbZEhNiihcPWmlR1SNGQCRB2LbgtqftkjdHuP2FjzLP79-I_HHVO9OTmvtIQPraRBfsPzwBBMQAEqmCLdbJbRIG8YQxLsJBgCWhBn9S1_LN-I1l0zvMea_EQ/s320/IMG_1624.JPG" title="Go Dog Go" width="320" /></a></div>
We opened our gifts, starting with the Kelev's gift and wow does he love it. he still hasn't quite realised for the machine to keep throwing the balls he has to put them in the bowl, but hes getting there.<br />
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For everyone else it was a confirmation that those around us actually do stop to listen to us. The favourite fragrances and books, Cd's all touched the right spot.<br />
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And then we overdosed on NETFLIX. I love this product. I can easily stop or start my account online. I don't need a TV licence and It costs a quarter of what I would pay for a Satellite or cable package. Furthermore, if i want to See whats going on in the world, I can access all the news websites online anyway and the news feeds are far quicker and up to date that broadcast telly anyway.<br />
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We receive Netflix through a SMART DVD player in our living room and I use an <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KAKUN3E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00KAKUN3E&linkCode=as2&tag=ballitoamzn-21" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Fire stick </a>in my room. No TV aerial, No satellite dish necessary.<br />
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Yes we pay for a high speed internet connection, but to be honest, it is a work tool that is simply available after hours. So two for the Price of one.<br />
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So all in all, Christmas was a success. My only tinge of sadness is that my mother couldnt be with us.<br />
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<br />Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-7617172495793650992015-12-18T00:41:00.002+00:002016-01-08T16:50:10.410+00:00Alone at Christmas.I spent Christmas 2013 and 2014 alone.<br />
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On neither occassion was it voluntary.<br />
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How this happened has a complicated history but suffice it to say, I was in a relationship that helped to alienate my entire family. In 2013 my partner then flew 6000 miles away to celebrate Christmas with her children. While she was away my teenage daughter called me to tell me that she wasnt going to come home for Christmas, in fact she wasnt going to come home at all. There is a long story behind what motivated that and it will require a whole new blog post or two. We are now reconciled.<br />
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So I found myself completely alone. It was difficult. I watched some television. But I slept mostly.<br />
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The following year, my daughter and I had reconciled, but she was pressured into staying with her boyfriend who lived 1000 miles away for Christmas. I can honestly say that Christmas 2014 was the loneliest day of my life. My partner had been on a business trip to India, but that is where it gets weird.<br />
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She had spent the previous year with her adult children. This year was supposed to be us. A Christmas for us and maybe some time to work on our relationship. However instead of getting a return flight From Delhi to to Cape Town, she asked her client to fly her to the UK. I challenged her on this and she told me that there were simply no flights back to the UK. Actually her client could have flown her to a number of alternative connecting destinations to get her back to Cape Town. She simply didnt bother to ask.<br />
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It was sitting alone at home on this Christmas day, with nothing but a few Whatsapp messages from her that made me realise, I was alone, completely alone and in all honestly I deserved it.<br />
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This relationship had destroyed my relationships with my family, with my children and with myself. I could barely recognise myself. I didnt like the person I had become. And neither did anyone else.<br />
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So I decided that the first thing I had to do was remove the core of the problem, the DNA, the air supply. In order to change myself I had to remove the single greatest cause of my own logic and behaviour stimulus. You got it - my relationship.<br />
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This is a very difficult thing when you love someone. Even more than yourself. This person had told me she didnt love me anymore because inter alia I was too fat. (I was much the same weight as the day we met.)<br />
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She didnt believe anything about my life history. This became very painful because I had to "prove" my life to her. The loss of my first child - that she said I made up. How messed up I felt after serving in the Israeli army - which she said never happened and much more.<br />
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I initially thought that I had married a borderline personality but after ten months of identifying and treating my own personality deficits, I have come to the conclusion that I am in fact married to a sociopath. Our separation couldnt have come too soon, In fact it came too late for a lot of things.Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1718198063755781580.post-68035884168908502882015-12-09T13:54:00.002+00:002015-12-27T16:16:44.656+00:00Its a dog's lifeMost of those that follow me on Facebook know that I am an animal lover. However raising a puppy on the 19th floor of a highrise (and getting the house training worked out) is no mean feat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00979M3O6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00979M3O6&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Advent calendar for dogs" border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00979M3O6&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=venufact-21" height="320" title="Its a dogs life" width="233" /></a>Kelev has jurned turned 6 months old and will be celebrating his first Christmas this year. He has already caught on that the advent calendars mean a treat a day nd of course we supplied him with his own advent calendar. Now every day when he sees the calendars coming down he obediently gets in line for his treat. I happened upon the advent calendars for dogs quite accidentally but am so pleased that I did.<br />
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Of course there is no chocolate in the doggie advent calendar treats (Chocolate is very bad for dogs) however the treats have both that chocolate smell and aroma. I must be honest I havent tasted any.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005WHBCO4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B005WHBCO4&linkCode=as2&tag=venufact-21" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005WHBCO4&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=venufact-21" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
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One of the difficulties in being arthritic and asthmatic, both exacerbated by very cold weather is that the pup needs exercise. While I definitely do have the aid of my son Jonathan and my future son in law, Kelev's need for exercise can't revolve purely around their busy lives, so I decided to
buy him an awesome Christmas gift. Its called Go Dog Go G4 model. An automatic ball thrower. The Christmas day video will follow.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=venufact-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B005WHBCO4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
click on the image to have a look if you're interested in getting one.
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=venufact-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00979M3O6" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
Ruth Richards-Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14298700110604292878noreply@blogger.com0