What a man gets up to in his Shed..!

This woodwork took my eye today in the Uxbridge Library this afternoon.  What amazing work, it was an exhibition from the Middlesex Woodturners Club.. But the colourful work in the corner really attracted me as to how this was done and was so beautiful.  It appeals to my like of ethnic art.... 

There sure are a lot of talented people in the London Borough of Hillingdon.  

I enjoyed looking at all the products that had been wood turned with so much love for the wood and with so much creativity.

It was such a wonderful moment to find that the artist was present that had made this colourful collection. This is Ben, builder by trade but his hobby is to disappear in the shed and do all this wonderful wood turning.  He is so so clever experimenting with different techniques and blending techniques together.  A very imaginative and creative person for sure. 
He was explaining the different techniques from burn etching the wood to drilling and soaking and then colouring... I just love this work and I am sure you my readers are enjoying it too... Ben has a website and facebook page to contact him if you want to learn more or get any of his crafts for your home and gifts for friends.. 
http://www.wonderofwood.co.uk/  

Here is some more of his work too..with all sorts of useful gadgets and jewelry from wood..such a rich selection of woods... You can feel his passion for his work and the respect and knowledge and wisdom he has for the wood...

Below is some of the work on display from other members of the club. Well done lads now we know what a man gets up to in his shed...lol and we like it..!

Yes, the wonder of wood, creative minds & expert skills.

Meeting to meet needs refugees

Strange how life goes around in the 1980s I was a nurse member of the Medical Campaign against Nuclear weapons.... tonight I was in a meeting to look at meeting the medical needs of refugees.... and the group was Medact they have evolved from the MCANW and merged with the Medical Association for the Prevention of War.... tonight we had a skype link up in Holland with a doctor that helps in Calais, Dunkirk and Brussels..... so was a very stimulating evening of sharing projects with all those working with refugees.... I was able to present my Family Link Up project....and the doctor on Skype was happy to see they the family now located in Belgium from Eleonas Camp was well..  I hope I can go with them to the camps and help with reports.... and would be great to get to see Boshra Leen and Celine too.... 

I seriously need some funding for all that I am doing however.... there is so much that I can do to build on my knowledge and expertise and help with networking to link all groups together. In September in York there is a two day conference on Health through Peace..... but this costs to go to...

Family Link Up - be part of the story

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Walk by the River

Such a lovely sunny Tuesday afternoon that I walked from Vauxhall to Tommys before going on to another meeting....London is London on the way on the embankment the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby walked by me...so many famous people we see that we just take it all in our stride. lol obviously he was not wearing all the regalia.  But had I not have had a good proactive time with my last meeting I may have stopped him to talk about the need to care for women more and tell him about my petition.... but today just enjoyed the walk by the river. 

Where there is Tea there is Hope

Absolutely brilliant afternoon with a doctor I used to work with at St Thomas's Hospital... Prof Susan Bewley I have worked with and seen her dedicated career develop from Registrar in Obs & Gynae to Consultant and to now Prof... a very well respected doctor by all midwives as she would listen to us and respect our decisions and concerns on cases....But then that was working in the birth centre we were like a professional family and the hospital still feels a professional home for me even though not practiced as a midwife since 2008... I sorely miss shifts at Tommys.  Today was a good catch up day as Susan has been instrumental in raising concerns of domestic violence in pregnancy and has written papers and edited books on the subject.  Through her work we set up the Mozaic multi disciplinary team to help women.  So today was a day of catching up on my expert by experience of being abused and my campaign to improve the pathway of healing and rebuilding women's lives after violence.  It was helpful for me to and lots of information shared...

Love this Tea House Theatre where we met up .. great selection of teas and cakes.... The message over the door is apt for me as the Yorkshire lass and her tea drinking.... "Where there is tea there is hope!".... actually felt my mothers energy around as pouring the tea through the strainer and the loose teas reminded me of my mother and her tea leaf readings! They usually were spookily correct too! 

The tea was lovely a black tea with rose petals.... and the cake very yummy.... Millie enjoyed with us too bless her she is a lovely dog ..

But this cafe I had never known about and the pleasure gardens they are opposite the MI5 in Vauxhall and there is a City Farm too...

Vibrant Listener...

Met Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary for the first time in person. The moment she entered the room at the Uxbridge civic centre yesterday she was with the people, engaged with the people, listening to their concerns with full attention and with her concern for their pain shared.  She has a great sense of humor too and so alive and vibrant- a real light in our Labour family. Well impressed with this dynamic lady that is full of passion to improve the lives of the many in this country and for our international family too...

In the "Unseat Boris" event we found a look alike with the hairstyle but far much far cuter than the human version... Ziggy stole the show in the crowds.. such a lovely puppy and a joy to be around..lol Emily tweeted her cuddle with the much more cuter Ziggy.... 

We ain't to impressed with the human version for his neglectful way he treats his constituency, allows poverty and foodbanks in his constituency with no concern..lets his Tory council threaten eviction from OAP sheltered bungalows, hassles women that have been abused with bailiffs for said arrears when it was the DWP failing that failed the victims.... all this and Boris soldiers on to his own agenda... of Foreign Secretary to target PM - but not in a seat that cannot happen... and it is shameful that he thinks he could do this on the back of a well respected local man Sir John Randall and think it a safe seat, Sir John, a Tory yes but well respected for his care of the community as a local man.  Sir John would team up with John McDonnell to address and challenge issues that would cause too much social pain in the borough.... So the locals are not impressed with Boris and his assumption all will fit to HIS plan not the many that need help and care and hope for a future. Hence a big turnout yesterday...

Taxing thought

A snapshot from the coffee room in Portcullis House parliament yesterday. I was waiting to attend the APPG on Poverty meeting. Yes Poverty in the UK in 2017..

But take a look at this photo can you see what I can see? It is a snap shot of a small area of London and the UK.   Look at the crowds, they are made up of tourists, residents and workers in London.  Every time you put a foot on British soil you start to pay tax.  VAT on goods bought. Then there is tax on earnings and on every move you make. The buildings in this picture earning tax, rent on apartments and office spaces, council tax too but yet when you look you see the hospital needing tax and NI contributions to provide the care  within.  But the staff earn and pay tax and NI, the drugs used earn tax or should be if the companies are paying their dues. The companies providing the technology and equipment for care should be paying tax on their profits and the factories and outlets earning tax too. There is land registry tax and road tax. You cannot see in this picture but to the left of this picture is the Marriot hotel and then the embankment with the London Eye.  All bringing in revenue.   Money is coming into the treasury then circulating out and back again. Even people on benefits pay tax with the VAT on goods they try to purchase with the left over of £73.10 a week minus housing benefit cap of £9.50 a week minus council tax expected to pay.  The tax is then earned on electric supply and look all clothes worn by the crowds and the mobile phones they use.. if the communications companies are paying their dues..  There are services to provide policing but they earn salaries that are taxed and they pay tax on goods they buy and interest on any mortgages they have and investments.  I could elaborate more on this one photo but then pan out in your mind and see the whole of the United Kingdom... even the 1.5 billion paid to the DUP will be earning tax back in the services it is supposed to be providing in the deal with northern Ireland.... 
So unless the money from the elite is going off shore to other accounts like Panama - where is all the money going and can we see the accounts for every £1 as why are we having problems with poverty, debts and cutbacks?  Even with the fairy money citizens use that of the Goddess Visa on credit cards still earns tax. But then pushes folk into debt - though the earnings from the debt with exorbitant % payments should be bringing in enormous funds as companies make profit margins.

It all to me suggests very bad management of government! for surely poverty, folk going without food and shelter in any land is diagnostic of failed leadership. 

Disproportionate share of wealth is diagnostic of failed leadership. 

Infrastructures failing to support the community is diagnostic of failed leadership. 

I am reminded of the American Indian tribes - the Chief and his council would make decisions for the benefit of all the tribe. No one went without food, clothing and shelter. 

When I mingle with the crowds and strike up conversations with folk - all folk want is to live their lives with financial dignity and freedom to do things while they are alive.... All they want is to be happy and in peace with their families safe. So why are we not achieving this? afterall £$£$£ are man made not of the Universal creator.. we have an amazing earth to enjoy.  One that reminded us last night in the earthquake that we are a fragile ball of an earth crust over magma, with shifting drifts of plates under ground far more underground than the London underground..... we need in all this mayhem to respect Mother Earth and have respect for one another.  Just be able to live in harmony together.  

But one last thought on this picture can you also see the see the logic and common sense of footfall kinetic energy from Pavegen - special pavement slabs that generate electricity from the kinetics of footfall... neat idea and so logical in crowded areas... !

Goodie Bag

https://collins.co.uk/category/Primary/English/Collins+Big+Cat+Arabic+Readers/
The Collins Big Cat Arabic readers selection is brilliant!  I hope to be able to get some funds to buy some stock for the Syrian refugee family I help.  We have two sites to provide for Belgium and Turkey. Dante can help teach the kids in Turkey and Boshra in Belgium. I need to look at them too - to improve my Arabic learning... 

I think from the pictures this young crocodile has toothache.  lool usually the patient runs away from the dentist but I think in this case the Dentist would run away... 

Family Link Up - be part of the story

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Justin is a Star...

This is another lovely story to read follow the link to find out more on why Justin is a Star...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/17/justin-trudeau-cuddles-child-syrian-refugees-named/

Circus fun and therapy

Love this that I have just found in my email from my Syrian refugee friends here in London. They keep me updated on the global news on refugees.

Laughter rings out and there is an atmosphere of excitement and joyful chaos. Children are perched on stilts, others spin plates or happily perform aerial dances. 

read more follow this link

http://reliefweb.int/report/turkey/circus-skills-help-syrian-refugee-children-settle-turkey

Turkey: Circus skills help Syrian refugee children overcome trauma

Arabic at British Council

had the most amazing Monday at the British Council at the Arabic Language and culture conference. So important for me to learn and to look at ways of helping my Syrian refugees in the Family Link Up project.  It has been such a stimulating day. 

 🤹👩‍🎨Love this use of creative artwork to learn script and language. The idea of the script being like musical notes expressing your feelings is powerful.. and then great way to augment learning with additional group and paired work on the art. La Kalla Walan...http://www.aliomarermes.co.uk/

St James's Park this morning

Nice morning walk in St James's Park with some spooky photos of the Pelicans in the pond..... lool for my English learning friends here is a rhyme "A peculiar thing is a Pelican, its beak can hold more than its belly can.."

Day took shape

Some days take shape without planning. Been a wonderful afternoon of sharing with Afghani sisters here in west London. Love the bakers they showed me in Hayes with wonderful fresh just out of the oven bread to buy..... and then love the way their home is made in traditional Afghani sitting room and wowee love the script of their names done on a visit to Istanbul near the Blue Mosque... There is something as a teacher as well as a nurse and midwife that I love is when peoples confidence grows... and so wonderful to ask a question in English and hear them answer with understanding in new found confidence to speak in English... they are doing well and motivated to learn. . The women are though in early signs of developing a Yorkshire accent...my trademark on teaching English hhhh Sisters cooked me lovely chicken and vegetable fritters.... so yummy... Shukran Allah or Tesserker Allah thank you God for a surprise of a day...

How fascinating this is and one of my names in Norma but spelt as Noorma.

Sami Yusuf – SHINE (Official Music Video)

Travel

This post from Dante makes you think..

" السفر يجعلُ من المرء شخصًا متواضِعًا . حيث تُدرِك كَم ضئيل المكان الذي تشغله من العالمِ . "
- جوستاڤ فلوبير .

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.
- Gustave Flaubert .

Sponsor a Guide Dog

Been in Uxbridge again today and promised these guys to promote the need to sponsor a puppy to train as a guide dog... Was shocked to hear that the Lottery fund does not offer funding because they exclude animal charities... but this is a animal working to help the blind and to help them get out and about and live their lives. 
https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/microsites/sponsor-a-puppy#.WWjhYIjyvIU