Over the years, many things have happened to me, I have had many experiences, I have visited many places, some have been good, and some have been bad.

My life is and has been a rich tapestry, and the work as I look at it is unfinished, for I know my work of art has a long way to go.

As I look back at this tapestry, my mind goes back to when I was a young lad.

At the back of the family home, at the bottom of the garden, was a field, not large, but a place full of fun, it was our play ground. It was uncultivated, just a few well trodden paths crossing beds of short coarse heather, with their little mauve flowers which attracted many bees gathering the nectar and pollen.


Beds of heather in  Isabella's Plantation Richmond Park
Click here to see video

In those days, my mind seems only to remember summers with no bad weather, only warm sunny days, and in some daze as I lay in an oasis of green patches of grass, looking up into the sky, I would watch clouds slowly drift over me, ever changing their shapes and shades of white and gray, producing faces, animals, landscapes, my imagination ran wild. They were real to me, and they gave me messages, insights to what could be my future, and what had happened to me in my past.

Little did I know that this learning would become useful to me in my future life, in my training of NLP.

I realised then at that early age, that these images I was seeing in the clouds, were only clouds, that it was my mind that was making a meaning out of them, creating an understanding. I did not understand about the way the brain, how it deletes, distorts and generalises to make meanings of our experiences. I did not know about George Miller and his 7+/- 2 theory of how much the human mind can take in at any one moment, I did not even know there was such a phrase as transderivational search, where we have to go back in our memory banks, our filing cabinets of past experiences to get an understanding of what is happening to us.

I did not know that one day as I sat down in the heather on a cushion of soft grass, that a bee had chosen to rest there too, and quite rightly, it stung me, right on my bottom.

I ran to the house in extreme pain to my mother, and she pulled down my short knee length trousers, my underpants to reveal the bees stinger, still embedded in my bottom. She quickly used a pair of tweezers and removed the sting, and applied a medicine to remove the pain.

Do not ask me if the cure had any scientific bases, I still do not know. I knew mother had the power to remove pain, I believed in her abilities.

The medicine was a small, blue, round, rock like block, contained in a piece of muslin clothe. It was used on wash days to put into the whites only wash, to make the whites look whiter.


Blue Dolly Bag
Once applied, mother paraded me up and down the street, pulling down my trousers to show the housewives my blue bum.

I still remember my embarrassment to this day.

But now I laugh at the incident, the pain of the sting has long gone, the embarrassment now is just funny, I do not dwell of the negative, in fact I have changed the past, my memory now is funny. It is of a small boy with his trousers round his knees, being pulled up and down the street, with a bum the colour of the summers sky. I even giggle at the thought of it.

It is an attitude of mind. I could dwell in the negative, and have a phobia of bees, of blue dolly bags, or wash days, but I choose to change my memory, my history, and so my attitude to now and the future changes.

And so, as I look at my rich tapestry, there are times where I have been hurt by people, done wrong by them, where I had done wrong to others, where there have been times and had bad experiences, and it is my attitude to know that those times are in the past, finished, and like the clouds, I can change them to become whatever I want.

Today, many things have happened already that tells me that if I go into the future with a positive attitude, good things will happen, as I forge a new partnership into my trainings.

I know I will not need to show my blue bum again, because what ever has happened in the past is finished with, I have learned from those times, once bitten twice shy, and a new era has started, as one door closes and new door opens, and I am willing to go through the door with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart.

Note:- Blue bags can be obtained from Retonthenet

        

One year ago I had to buy some more glasses, (see previous entries), and as I had used a local branch of SpecSavers where I live in Kingston upon Thames, in the UK, for some years, I returned to them.

The offer of two pairs of glasses for the price on one, (really?), suits me, as I can carry both pairs around the world, if I break, damage or lose a pair, I have another ready to take its' place. Another great asset is that one pair has green frames and the other has blue frames, so I could be colour co-ordinated.

I do not wear the all the time as they are for reading, but being bi-focal, I can keep them on, but as I do a lot of reading, I really do need them.

Three weeks ago, one of the arms off pair of glasses one, dropped off, no problem, I had another pair. I must be my fault, perhaps I sat on them, perhaps I could have abused them. I could not remember doing so, but then am I aware of every thing I do?

I wore my second pair, and live continued as normal, a trip to Italy, to Turkey and then on to Bahrain to give courses.

Whilst in the training room in Bahrain, I took my second pair of glasses off to give the presentation, and put them in my shirt pocket. When the time came for the participants to do the exercise I wanted them to do to reinforce their learning, I reached inside my pocket to get my glasses, put them on, to realise that the arm off these glasses had become detached.

Now this time, I know I was not abusive to my glasses, I had treated them with the love and affection they deserved, after all, they were now my only pair. Yes the frames were thin, light etc, but then we have to use them, wear them, that is what they are for.

Like many modern consumer goods, cars, TV's, computer, they have a life expectancy, and it must be the same with these glasses, as both were the same style of frame.

Now I was in a mess, no glasses, four days of training left for me to give, e-mails to answer, and the latest book I was reading, The Complete Works of Sherlock Homes to finish.

Oh Poo Poo.

There was no way to get them repaired, I tried and the shopkeeper did not want to know, or did not have the correct equipment.

I purchased a pair of off-the-shelf reading glasses. Not bad, not the correct strength, but I could read.

On returning to the UK, I went straight to SpecSavers, and of cause they presupposed that I had damaged them, and it was suggested that it was the way I took them off, until I pointed out that on one pair the right arm had come off, and on the other it was the left.


SpecSavers broken glasses

Now I went into the shop with an attitude of non confrontational, to be friendly, to seek help, and that is what I got in return.

Without any to do, my records were called up, and immediately I was offered new frames, placing my existing lenses into new frames. Unfortunately they had no frames in stock.

Oh Poo Poo.

But, they would get some more, and as soon as they did, they would call me.

Today, one week later, they did telephone, but only one new frame had arrive.

Still now I can see properly to read and type, even if I have to readjust my eyes back to my old pair after using the off-the-shelf ones for two weeks.

Well done SpecSavers. I will await the blue frames, so I can go out in the streets colour matching with my eyes.

        

In life we have high-level generalisations, those that describe criteria or what is known as our values, those that are important to us.

Although we think ourselves as being rational people, we are more often driven by our emotions, which can be defined as our values or criteria, and these drive our behaviour, even though we may not be aware of them, they are working away at the subconscious level.

Values or criteria will be different in each and every one of us.
 
Some people drink alcohol because it makes them feel relaxed, reduces their inhibitions, to enjoy company of others, a social gathering, to escape from reality, the intoxication feeling, or to enjoy the taste, these are the values or criteria, that drive them or changes their behaviour.

Others, do not like the intoxication feeling, loosing control, deep seated beliefs maybe from a religious upbringing or culture.

Some people want to fulfill the value or criteria of looking good, to be seen as trendy, up-to-date, to fit in to society at work, school or holiday. Thus they buy fashionable clothes.

Others will want to be comfortable, to change their character, create a different persona, to hide their body.

The criteria we use, or the values we place on our behaviours, will drive us towards or away from doing something, often without us knowing why we are doing that something, as our criteria and values are operating at a subconscious level.

Get to know your own values and criteria, notice your thoughts, feelings, your internal representations, and if things are not working, change them now.

See Once Bitten, Twice Shy .  This will help you notice your own values and criteria.

        

It is amazing how things change so quickly, not only in the NLP sense with people, but countries too.

I used to travel to Shanghai, China to deliver courses practically every month, and was astonished as to the speed roads and bridges were built, how buildings sprang up, of grandiose designs. I would see a new building nearly every visit where once there was just waste ground the month before.

Bahrain, even at this time of the credit crunch is much the same.

New roads, lined with palm trees still wrapped in their protective covering. Shaded temporary structures tor the masses of Asian workers to keep out of the burning sun. Buildings growing from the reclaimed sea, there is construction everywhere.




New construction everywhere in Bahrain, and loads of new palm trees
The skyline will soon be like New York, with high rise offices, hotels and apartments. Some of these buildings are of strange designs and shapes, like the Bahrain World Trade Center, and they add to the modern character of this island. On the outskirts of the main area of Bahrain, vast housing estates are still being constructed, and the University is being expanded.

And yes there are the poorer areas, where I am told there is trouble brewing nearly every night, something I have not witnessed, but getting lost one night being driving home, I did feel somewhat intimidated as we drove through a village, with narrow streets and backstreet cafés packed with men just after prayer time.

I look forward to return in the future to see how much more the Kingdom of Bahrain has expanded, and I know there will be reminders in what I see everywhere of friends and times gone past, even in rare traffic less streets.

 
Even a road has reminders for me

        

I enjoy learning new things, digging down (chunking down in NLP) to find new information about things I see, hear, feel, taste or smell, and I love reading the monthly magazine published by the BBC in the UK called FOCUS.

The FOCUS magazine gives articles on science, technology and the future, sometimes giving background information on programs the will or have been broadcast. I love it.

In the FOCUS issue 204, July 2009, there is the usual section called "MegaPixel", perhaps six pages of high quality photographs, one photo per page, and with a small inset which explains the photo. They publish some amazing pictures, great enough to make you want to look deeply into the very depth of the image.

One photograph caught my eye straight away, it covered two pages. It was a building very close to where I have stayed whilst in Bahrain giving NLP, PhotoReading, Mind Maps and memory courses.

The building is the Bahrain World trade Center, located on the King Faisal Highway, being a twin fifty-storey building, of a very unusual design.

Between the two oddly shaped towers are three connecting bridges, each housing a 95 ft (30m) wind turbine, which the article said captures the wind's energy blown in from the Persian Gulf. The electricity produced 11-15 per cent of the twin towers' energy consumption.


The Bahrain World Trade Center
showing only two of the three wind turbines between the twin towers.

How do they know? Because ever since I have been going to Bahrain, and that has been many times, starting before the building was opened, I have never seen the blades of the turbines turning. Asking my colleagues, they said that they have never seen them turning either.

Even in the most informative and trusted publications, I have learned not to take what I see, hear, feel, smell or taste as the truth, even as I am reviewing the work of Richard Bandler, the Co-founder of NLP, are his stories true? But, if the stories have the desired effect, to make us think, to make changes, perhaps it is OK.

Do not believe everything you read.

        

Whilst in Bahrain, after finishing the Society of NLP Master Practitioner course, I was taken to the 5 star Banyan Tree Restaurant and spa for a wonderful lunch, actually and afternoon snack, and as we drunk glasses of champagne, a question arose. What makes the bubbles in a glass of champagne?


Champagne Bubbles

Now I know that bubbles in a glass of champagne is due to the carbonation of a white wine, by adding bubbles, either by the fermentation of the wine, and adding extra yeast and sugar after the first fermentation has stopped thus starting another, or that carbon dioxide is added to the white wine as it is bottled and corked.

Once the bottle is opened, say at a table, the trapped carbon dioxide is release slowly, or in the case of the winners of the F1 races, rather quickly.

Simple.

But why do the bubbles once the champagne has settled still come from the bottom of the glass?

Could it be that the weight of the champagne forces the bubbles out of the liquid? That would mean that the bubbles would be from the deepest part of the glass, but when looking at the glass above and below, that is not true. Also by tipping the glass so that there would be a lower part of the glass, the bubbles keep coming from the same place, in fact bubbles can be seen emanating from many parts of the glass.


Why don't the champagne bubbles come from the deepest part of the glass?

Why are there many sources of bubbles? All emanating from their own unmoving source.

Is it because there is a flaw in the glass? Surely not every glass has a flaw?

I am confused. I need answers.

Please if you can answer, drop a comment below.

        

It was back at the start of the 1980's that I was invited to join the evening Rotary Club of Peterborough in the UK, at that time being the youngest member. It was an experience that would stay with me ever since, the friendship, the support, being able to in my small way, contribute to the community both locally and internationally.

My membership was short lived, as I had finished my task of computerising the toy manufacturer Peter Pan Playthings, and was offered the opportunity to work with Texas Instruments distributor in Saudi Arabia, as Software Manager, looking after customers who had purchased a TI computer, creating solutions to their individual needs. It was a job which would see me in Saudi Arabia for over five years.

Unfortunately, Rotary Club, and any such organisation was banned in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as was amateur radio (ham radio call sign G8YJQ) and other such hobbies or pastimes.

It was recently, that I became aware once again of Rotary, and in conversation with a member of the Kingston upon Thames Rotary Club, was invited to attend their meetings, and as time went on was invited to join once again.

Today was my induction into the Rotary Club at the Thursday lunch time meeting.

Although my work as a trainer, presenter, coach, takes me to many countries, being away from the UK, I am sure I can contribute to the club, to fellow Rotary members both in the Kingston Rotary Club and with members worldwide, including Malaysia.

A new chapter opens in my life, which I am looking forward to with eager anticipation.


Wearing with pride the SHH and the Rotary Club Badges
after being inducted into the Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames
by the Club President Peter Thompson

Oh, to Richard Bacon of the BBC's Radio Five Live late night show, and his Special Half Hour club (SHH), I can now wear with pride both badges.

Previous SHH Entries
Even more on the Special Half Hour Club of BBC Radio 5 Live 
Special Half Hour, Radio 5 Live
More on the Special Half Hour badge of Radio Five Live
All Entries

        

Today I finished the Society of NLP Master Practitioner course here in Bahrain, and it is always sad to say goodbye to the participants, never knowing if we will meet in the future.

Although a small group, I found them particularly interesting participants, as there were so many personalities, so many dynamics playing their part, so many different needs to be covered.

I would thank those participants for their input and hard work they put into the course, because without them, I could not do my job.

It is now back to the UK, instead of Istanbul, as my next scheduled course was to be held there for Coaching, but although I had turned down other work, other trainings to be there, it was never confirmed, and I waited until Saturday to decide whether to take a chance and be in Istanbul or not, just in case the organisers had got people on the course. It seems not, as they have not contacted me.

It seems nobody loves me in Istanbul.

Oh well, Italy will be my next port of call, the seaside resort of Rimini. I must remember to pack my swimming trunks, as the sea will be really warm and full of bikinis.


A rather odd angled photograph of some of the participants from the
Society of NLP Master Practitioner course, in Bahrain June 2009

        

In English we have a saying or idiom, once bitten twice shy, which means that if someone is hurt or something has gone wrong, the next time the same or similar thing occurs we would be more careful.
 
Malcolm Gladwell, a writer of three good books, Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliners, refers to the subconscious, the automatic running of once bitten, twice shy, referring to a fire chief, who had sent his crew into a major fire which appeared to be in a room on a certain floor level. The fire chief then ordered his men to quickly leave the building, to stop fighting the fire. Shortly after exiting the building, the floor where the fire crew had been standing collapsed. The seat of the fire had been on the floor below.

How did the fire chief know to order his men to evacuate?

It was because of all the accumulated learnings, knowledge, of fighting other fires, the little signs, which at a conscious level were not noticeable, told his subconscious or intuition, that disaster was about to happen.

Another great person I ave had the great privilege to learn from is Dr Win Wenger and Project Renaissance.

In his work Win wenger teaches us to be aware of our Side Bands. To become aware of our own internal feelings, thoughts, ideas, by noticing the little signals that we give off, maybe a quick glance, a quick intake of breath, an indication of a hand movement, to stop and ask, 
                                    "what happened there, what did we notice, why did we do what we did?"

It is becoming aware of these signals, that we will become more aware of our own intuition, and we will see more, feel more, hear more, as we do with Phillip's Sausage.

It was wonderful to get feedback from the participants of the Society of NLP Master Practitioner course I am running here in Bahrain. After returning from doing the Side Band exercise, they had had different experiences, each noticing more, bird songs, items in the hotel entrance that they had used many many times.

Notice your side bands, it could help in controlling your state, being aware of others states. Use your side bands in meetings, negotiations, work and especially relationships. I must use them myself more often. (see previous entry.)

But I still love my work.

        

This is the second time this has happened to me, and it has meant I have had to look at life in a different way.

Whilst I was unhappy when this happened to me, I was inoculated as against the anger, rage, sadness of loosing such an old trusted friend, and I knew that if I stayed calm, the hands of my clock would still turn round, a solution would be found, and friends, people I know, would no doubt offer advice and perhaps support in my hour of need, or perhaps not.

There would be light at the end of the tunnel, if I waited, got on with life, and enjoyed the present day. Carpe Diem.

Whilst at college at the Staffordshire College of Commerce in the West Midlands of the UK many years ago, I came across the Latin saying, Carpe Diem, which means seize the day, or as I interpret it enjoy the present day, and whenever I can I try and remember to do that.

I spent over 35 years in the computer industry, being the computer expert, supporting customers who had purchased computers, designing the systems, writing the programs, installing the software, training the staff, for I worked for computer manufacturers, NCR, Sperry Univac, Texas Instruments. I was the expert, I have loads of knowledge and experience.

When my trusted computer broke down, a computer that had lasted me only 18 months, 18 months ago I was really upset. I found a solution around the problem keyboard by using a removable one, but that could only be temporary, so I purchased a replacement computer.

That has lasted 18 months and now that too has developed a fault on the keyboard, so although I have found a temporary solution, I had learned from my past experience and replaced it with another.

Having now needing to wear glasses for reading, when I replace my glasses I purchase two pairs at the same time. If anything happens, I have a backup. I could loose them, scratch them.

Two years ago, one of my pairs of glasses, broke, but I had the second pair, I was safe. But within weeks the second pair broke as well, in the same place, so I had to buy another two pair of glasses.

Two weeks ago, on of these replacement glasses the arm fell off. No problem, I have a second pair. Yesterday, the second pair of glasses had the same thing happen, the arm fell off.

Something told me this may happen before I left for the trip I am on now here in Bahrain, but I dismissed it.

Thankfully, on our way to find a sandwich last night, my host Philip Edwards took me to an optician to see if the glasses could be repaired, but no. We had a solution, off the shelf reading glasses, I can still see to read.

Carpe Diem.

Life is full of such incidents. 

        

Further to my previous entries of wearing the badge of the Special Half Hour (SHH), for the Richard Bacon program on BBC Radio 5 Live, I wore it with pride in Bahrain at an NLP Master Practitioner course I was giving.

Of course, I left the participants eager to know what was the Special Half Hour, but as in other countries, they will have to tune in to the internet to listen.


Bridadier Abdulla Saif Al.Naimi and Amira A. Rehami with Phillip Holt wearing the SHH badge.
Two participants from the Society of NLP Master Practitioner course, Bahrain, June 2009

Previous Entries
Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames
Even more on the Special Half Hour Club of BBC Radio 5 Live 
Special Half Hour, Radio 5 Live
More on the Special Half Hour badge of Radio Five Live
All Entries

        

It is now 7:41 am in the morning in Bahrain, 5:14 am in the UK, I just don't want to know what time it is in other parts of the world, as I will start the NLP Master Practitioner course here at 9:00 am.

The flight from London yesterday was much the same as any other flight, but more on British Airways BA0125 later.

I will be staring in the home of Leila and Philip Edwards of the Make Over Experience, who are promoting my Society of NLP, PhotoReading and Mind Mapping courses and other courses in Bahrain.

My life style and travels mean that I have slept alone for many months, and I am used to having a bed, in which I sleep no more than ten consecutive nights, all to my self.

At 4:14 am in the morning, I became conscious and my eyes opened, and met with a wide pair of eyes staring back at me.

I did not panic, because they had love written into them, they had the look of friendship, longing, companionship in them.

I just said hello, and the owner of the eyes jumped onto the bed and snuggled up to me, and after a little cuddle and small talk, it was not long until we were both in a deep sleep.

Ah, heaven.


The Eyes

        

It seems like a small break since being in Gaziantep, and a lot has happened, meetings, meals, work, lots of washing and ironing of shirts.

I am sure someone is wearing my shirts, and letting me wash and iron them. I can not be going through so many.

My suitcase is packed, ready for my next trip to Bahrain with The Make Over Experience.

It will be another early start to get to Heathrow, a six hour flight to arrive in Bahrain Saturday evening.

We will start the Society Of NLP's Master Practitioner on Sunday morning, and I look forward to meeting many from the previous NLP Practitioner course. Perhaps I may meet some of other participants we have had on other courses.

Do I get a taxi, or leave even earlier to catch a bus and drag my suitcase all over Heathrow?

Oh well, bed calls, I will decide whilst cleaning my teeth.

.

        

One of my up and coming training sessions will be held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on 22nd July 2009 for the company LexisNexis with the title of Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Human Resource Professionals.

The workshop will be held at the Crowne Plaza Multiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpa, from 9.00am till 5:30pm, on Wednesday 22nd July 2009.

The workshop will contain :-

• Introducing Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
• Managing Behaviour in your Organisation with NLP
• Using NLP Techniques to Enhance the Skills Required in HR Practice
• Enhancing Negotiation Techniques with NLP
• NLP as a Coaching Tool for HR Professionals
• Utilising NLP in Interviews to Reduce Staff Turnover

More details can be seen from clicking on the icon below, by visiting my NLP web site www.nlpnow.net , by visiting the LexisNexis web site or by telephoning (006) 0378823559.


click to view
It will be good to meet old and new faces in Malaysia, at this workshop. My only problem is that I will be finishing an NLP Master Practitioner course with NLPItaly in Rimini, Italy on Sunday 19th July, flying back to the UK on the 20th, catching the night flight on the same evening to arrive on the 21st July. But then this is my lifestyle, and something I often do and enjoy.

        

From my last course on PhotoReading (Fotografik Okuma) in Gaziantep in Southern Turkey, (click to see pictures), a participant Şule Can, came in with five books I ask all attending to do, each of about 300 pages, One of these books she had read, and the other four were on a subject she did not know but wanted to know about, or the four books should be on a related subject.

Şule came with four books on the history of the Ottoman Empire.


Şule Can PhotoReading
PhotoReading is the ability to absorb 20,000 - 30,000 WPM (Words Per Minute), that is about a page a second, and involves a process which is taught over a two and a half day course. It is a course I have taught all over the world, China, Sri Lanka, India, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy and the UK, so many people know how the process works.

PhotoReading is not reading word for word, although certainly we do do that, but only when required to gain specific information, and as I said, to absorb information into the inner or subconscious mind and not the conscious mind.

That last sentence means that after the page turning, turning the pages over at a page a second, we would probably not know what we have read, what is that content of the book or article. Even after over ten years of PhotoReading, I still have this experience, it is only after we start to activate the information, that is to start to gain access to that inner, subconscious mind, that we know we know.

Şule trusted what I said, and as we activated, gained access, the information from the four books on the last day, although she was talking in Turkish, I knew she was speaking with authority as observed all the participants.

Since then Şule has sent this feedback to Mehpare Kileci of GAP Danışmanlık who organises the courses in Gaziantep and Southern Turkey.

Quote:- English

"Yesterday I was chatting with my colleagues at work. We were talking about arguments and fights between siblings. All of a sudden, I started to link the reason of this matter to our ancestries, same same things had happened during the Ottoman Empire etc... It was -as Phillip said- a "bllluuugh!!!" effect. Me and talking expertly about history!!!??? When I realised that, my husband was looking at me, smiling. Thank you very much you two!"

Quote :-  Türkçe


Unquote.


Oh I love my work.

If you would like to organise a course in your country, please contact me by email holt@nlpnow.com or telephone +448451306213 or Skype or Gizmo me by clicking on the button on the left.

* "bllluuugh!!!"  :- To talk without thinking with authority, words just pour out of our mouths, it is as if we already knew the subject.

        

Whilst working in Gaziantep, Southern Turkey, I am very lucky to be allowed to stay in the home of Mehpare Kileci of GAP Danışmanlık, and from my lounge diner, I have wonderful views over the local countryside, with a business park, fields of plantations, mountains in the distance and valleys with sparse vegetation.
,
View from Mahpare's home in Gaziantep, Turkey
In the morning, I would stand in the garden waiting to go to the Mind Mapping and PhotoReading courses held at the Gaziantep Tennis Club, enjoying the early sun already reaching temperatures requiring me to remove my suit jacket, taking in the sights and sounds of a lone car straining to climb the little used road from the town in the valley below the house, and the smells, the fragrances, the perfumes of the plants and flowers.

In the evening, after completing another day of training, sometimes being greeted by the family dog Zeus, we would climb the steep stairs leading from the garage to the entrance to the house, again the smells of the garden met the nose.

Mehpare, pointed-out one plant that she and her husband Necdet loved, but did not know the English name.

Silly me did not have a good look at the plant or flower, but my mind took me back to memories of previous experiences, (NLP, Transderivational Search), and to a particular night in Antalya, again in Southern Turkey, a popular holiday resort, and where I gave an NLP Practitioner course.

I walked around the harbour one evening with my translator Asu, and there I was confronted my many Jasmine plants, with a wonderful and powerful perfume coming from the blooms.

Taking some of the bloom, I laid them on my pillow, and I still remember the perfume as I drifted off to sleep.

I could not though as I stood next to Mehpare the name of that plant.

I tried everything I could to remember the name of the plant, me a person that will train others to gain better memory skills, but nothing. The more I tried the more frustrated I became, and that is why I became consumed in searching for the name as I stood there, instead of taking a closer look at the blooms of Mehpare's plant.

It was whilst dragging my suitcase back to my home in the UK, Norbiton Hall, on my return trip from Gaziantep, thinking what I could eat for my evening meal that the name of plant came to me.

As I teach, it is when the mind is relaxed, distracted, that it really gets to work. At a subconscious level, unknown at a conscious level i.e. we are not aware, it is still working on problems, searching for answers.

Jasmine.


Jasmine flowers

When I contacted Mehpare, she had already done her searching and took a photograph of her plants blooms and told me it was Honeysuckle.


Honeysuckle flowers and plant
In my mind I was still convinced that it was Jasmine, because it invoked a strong memory from my past, especially Antalya.

I think you are correct Mehpare, but my memory of Antalya is still stronger.

        

I recently went for a walk in the wonderful Richmond Park, which is only a small walk from my home in the UK, Norbiton Hall in Kingston upon Thames.

There are some beautiful sights, sounds and smells as you walk in the countryside so near to the heart of London, and it seems strange that in the distance you can see the City of London, the towering office blocks with people crammed into a small area, yet you are with wild animals, fantastic gardens like the Isabella Plantation, and strange sights.

Here is the Push Me, Pull Me animal. It is an animal that sometimes reflects life.

 
The Push Me Pull Me animal.
I have often had clients who have had a relationship problem, and recently it was a couple who from appearances loved each other a lot, but they could not become one, a couple.

They were both giving the right signals to each other, they helped each other through difficulties, but that is where it stayed.

When I listened to their individual stories, I could begin to understand.

The lady was making signals that said to the man, I am available, come and get me, I want you, contact me, help me, and the man responded. She was pulling him towards her.

When the man responded, there was the feedback, I am not available, I am out tonight, etc, from her. She was pushing him away.

Just like the Push Me Pull Me animal, she did not know which direction to go.

Now I could not tell either of them which direction to go. It would be incorrect for me to do so as a Coach. It is a coach's duty to get the party or parties to come to their own answers, yes to be a guide, but for them to resolve the issues.

I had a friend John, who was married, and unfortunately there was a medical problem with the wife, which meant she lost her womanhood. The psychological problems that caused her, meant that she had to lay blame for her loss, and in her mind it was the husband, who had no responsibility for what happened.

The wife hated the husband for what had happened to her, and yet she could not let him go, there was a love hate relationship with her. He stood by her until he became ill, he did not know what to do, should he continue in the marriage or divorce for the sake of both their sanities.

She did not know if she loved or hated the husband, he did not know whether to end the relationship or continue. Push Me, Pull Me.

Sometimes it is good just to talk the issues through with a coach or councilor, or to talk honestly with each other, to tell ones feelings thoughts, not to be a Push Me Pull Me, leaving the other partner not knowing what direction the other wants to go.

In NLP there are techniques to coach people through the Push Me Pull Me situation. Perhaps the best one Perceptional Positions. Seeing the situation from others point of view.

If the Push Me Pull Me is not resolved there will be conflict, and that leads to misunderstanding, mistrust and unhappiness.

Firstly, try talking.

        

GAP Danışmanlık’dan Zihin Haritaları Ve Fotografik Okuma Eğitimleri

GAP Danışmanlık dünyaca ünlü eğitimcilerle mesleki ve kişisel gelişim eğitimleri düzenlemeye devam ediyor. Bu hafta Gaziantep’e gelen dünyaca ünlü eğitimci Phillip Holt; Zihin Haritaları (Mind Maps) ve Fotografik Okuma (Photoreading) eğitimleri veriyor.

1960’ların sonlarında Tony Buzan tarafından ortaya çıkarılan zihin haritaları günümüzde, zihinlerini daha etkin kullanmak isteyen, gencinden yaşlısına kadar milyonlarca insan tarafından kullanılıyor.
.

Zihin haritaları, yol haritalarına benzer bir biçimde:
 Geniş bir alana / konuya yukarıdan bakmayı,
 Doğru karar almayı, nerelerden geçtiğinizi ve nerelere gideceğinizi görmenizi
 Büyük miktarlarda veri toplayıp bunları tutmayı
 Yeni ve yaratıcı yollar göstererek problem çözümüne katkıda bulunmayı sağlıyor.

Zihin Haritalama tekniği; bakması, okuması, üzerinde düşünmesi ve hatırlaması eğlenceli bir teknik. Gözü ve beyni uyararak dikkatini çekiyor ve hem resmin genelini hem de detayları aynı anda görmeyi sağlıyor.

Zihin Haritalarının Uygulanması

Zihin haritaları, hayatın herhangi bir öğrenme ya da düşünme gerektiren çoğu alanında uygulanabiliyor. Kişisel olarak: planlama; yapılacaklar listeleri; projeler; iletişim; organizasyon; problem analizi ve çözümü bunlardan bazıları. Ayrıca öğrenme sürecinde hatırlama, not alma, not oluşturma, raporlama, denemeler, sunumlar, sınavlar, düşünme ve konsantrasyonda da etkili. Zihin haritası, çalışmayı, işi ve düşünmeyi daha zevkli hale getiriyor.

Photoreading eğitmeni Phillip Holt dakikada 25.000 ila 30.000 kelime absorbe edebiliyor. Diğer bir deyişle bu saniyede bir sayfa anlamına geliyor. Holt, ayrıca Buzan Merkezleri’nin “Zihin Haritaları” ve I-Mind Mapping bilgisayarlı zihin haritalama konusunda lisanslı eğitmeni.

Gaziantep’de son 3 yıldır Gap Danışmanlık’ın organize ettiği eğitimleri vermekten memnuniyet duyduğunu belirten Phillip Holt, fobilerin, sigara içme, fazla yemek yeme gibi istenmeyen alışkanlıkların ortadan kaldırılmasına yardımcı birebir seanslarla da hizmet veriyor.

03 Haziran 2009 meydantep

        

Sitting here in the UK, watching the F1 Grand Prix taking place in Istanbul, I began to feel for last years World Champion, Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton could not be beaten last year, yet this race he has just been lapped by Jenson Button in the Brawn Mercedes. How will Hamilton feel? How is his confidence?

Not only is it Hamilton who drives the Mercedes-McLaren that is down in the race placing, but so is Massa who drives the Ferrari.

What is happening?

Like anything we do, we have to have the right tools to do the job as well as having the knowledge, experience and competence.

We also have to have a good team behind us to support us.

Without all components in place working together to the full potential we will not win.

There has been other things I have noticed. Although the F1 drivers are racing each other, fighting to gain a place, there is respect for each other.

Perhaps there is much to learn for us all. 

        

It was 6:30am this morning, asleep in my own bed for a change, when I was awoken by the sounds of torrential rain, ponding the bedroom window.

Shortly after, although dawn had already passed, the bedroom was lite-up by lightening, and shortly followed by a long sounding clap of thunder, it seemed to go on forever.

The thunderstorm continued for some time, and I was aware of the lightening and thunder, as I drifted in and out of sleep.

At 8:30am, I awoke naturally, and got out of bed. People who have attended and been on my NLP course will remember Strategy Elicitation, and what is my strategy for getting out of bed in the morning.

The rain had stopped long ago, there was puddles in the road, but the sky was clearing, the clouds were floating away. It is going to be a nice day.


Puddles of water after the sun came out following a thunder storm in Kingston upn Thames

I had a quick shower, some breakfast and walked down the road to a local car boot sale. Not that I buy anything, I like the atmosphere, it is a chance to have human contact, and watch the bargain hunters trying to haggle down already low prices, for the most times on items that have passed their sell buy date, and should have been thrown out, disposed of years ago.

Usually, there are over 100 cars at the car boot sale, parked in every available space, but today if I said there were twenty, I would be exaggerating.

It took me 10 minutes to wander around the car boot sale, old baby clothes, hand made jewelery, a stand with home grown plants, old dresses and shoes, odds and ends that no-one wants any more, yet people were like sharks in a feeding frenzy, people of every nationality, Indians, Chinese, Africans, Polish, their languages filled my ears, their style of dressing, their smells, curries, spices they had eaten the night before oozing out of their pores.

        


At the car boot sale in Kingston upon Thames, with many nationalities and unwanted items to buy and sell.
Perhaps those people who had heard the rain at 6:30am, and decided that it would not be worth packing their cars with goods they wished to sell would now regret not setting-up shop, because the buyers had money to spend, and spend they were doing.

Like relationships, learning , there are going to be times when there are dark clouds, there are times when there are thunder storms, and we lay awake disturbed by what is happening. But, if we see things through, wait, the sun will come out, and it is those that persist, do not give in, follow their dream, that will gain and benefit in the long run.

        

Another course come to an end, and the PhotoReading course in Gaziantep in Southern Turkey, (click to read feedback) was an especially fulfilling one for me, as we had fun, we learned so much together, and the participants all gained knowledge from the 5 books they PhotoRead during the three days we had together. It was as if they had spent perhaps months of study, as I listened to the feedback as they described the contents of their books that they had no knowledge of prior to coming on the course.

     
Some of the Photoreaders page turning on the PhotoReading course in Gaziantep, Souther Turkey.

We had a lovely girl of eleven years old, Zeynep, who held her concentration on the course the whole time, participated in all the exercises, which gave her wonderful results on the last afternoon, even amazing the adults who helped her and each other during the activation stage.

The course was for Turkish people, unfortunately, I speak no Turkish, well perhaps I can count from one to six, and know a few words like "aşkim" pronounce "ashcum", I need translators like Mehpare Kileci of Gap Consultancy who organises and promotes my courses, to efficiently and accurately translate my training which I deliver in English. I have been very lucky in finding such people, who sit by my side and work from 9 in the morning till 6 at night. I admire their abilities and their tenacity in putting up with me.

Being that I deliver all my courses, no matter what country I am in, it means that English speaking participants can also join the course. And so Gianfranco Pozizzi, an Italian who is working for a short period of time with Gap Consultancy to teach Italian, joined the PhotoReading course.


Gianfranco Pozizzi working on Mind Maps and PhotoReading

Gianfranco brought with him five books written in Italian to learn PhotoReading, and one exercise I love to teach is to get a participant to swap a book which they have already read and understand with another participant who likewise has read and understands their book. I ask that the persons receiving the book should not have read the book or know the subject matter it contains.

Non of the Turkish participants had any knowledge of the Italian language, so I stepped in.

I have been teaching and training in Italy for over ten years, and my knowledge of the Italian language is slightly better than Turkish, I can count to ten and order a cup of tea with milk. But, I have PhotoRead the Italian-English-Italian dictionary, and by belief is that this information is in my inner subconscious mind and is available to me, plus my belief that I am a good PhotoReader enabled me to work with Gianfranco.

He took my book written in English by Owen Fitzpatrick on time management and I took Gianfranco's to PhotoRead. This was on day two of the course, and we did not activate, or start asking questions until day three.

When I started telling Gianfranco about his book, the book I had PhotoRead, the book which I had had in my hands for perhaps twelve minutes, his mouth dropped. I had to smile to myself inside, because once again, I was able to take a book in a language I cannot speak, in a language I cannot read, but have had exposure to, and was able to know the contents.

I was even able to give Gianfranco Italian words which were important within the context of the book and which were within the book, but I did not know the meaning of.

What a convincer for Gianfranco and others on the course as he relaid what had happened after the exercise to the participants. I just hope that the book I had given him, which he was able to tell me about, will make a difference in his life to manage his time better.

        

        
Participants on the PhotoReading Course in Gaziantep explaining their four books on Mind Maps and Syntopic Reading

Oh I love my work. It is just a pity I had a bad tummy on the last day. Never eat salads in a foreign country. Oh big Poo Poo.


Photoreading Participants Gaziantep June 2009

Contact Gap Consultancy for more courses.



PhotoReading, Feedback from Gaziantep. Fotografik Okuma (Click to read)

        

Phillip Holt, beynin bir şeyi üç kez öğrenmesi gerektiğini, eğer üç kez tekrar edilirse o konunun hatırlanacağını söyledi.

Dünyaca ünlü NLP uzmanı, zihin haritaları ve  hızlı okuma teknikleri alanında lisanslı eğitmen Phillip Holt, beynin bir şeyi üç kez öğrenmesi gerektiğini, eğer üç kez tekrar edilirse o konunun hatırlanacağını söyledi.  

Özel Sanko Okulları’nın veli ve öğrencilerine yönelik ikinci kez düzenlediği  ‘’Ailece Sınava Hazırlanıyoruz’’ konferansına katılan Holt, hatırlamak ve daha verimli ders çalışma becerileri  konuları üzerinde durdu.

Her bireyin beyin kapasitesinin  dünya hafıza şampiyonu Tony Buzan’ın beyin kapasitesiyle aynı olduğunu, farklılığın beynin kullanılma biçiminden kaynaklandığını vurgulayan Holt hafızanın kullanımı için nesneleri hayal edip onu resme dönüştürmenin önemini belirtti.

Verimli öğrenme ve hatırlamanın tekrarlamalarla mümkün olacağının altını çizen Holt ‘’Beynin bir şeyi üç kez öğrenmesi lazım, eğer üç kez tekrar ederseniz hatırlarsınız’’ dedi.

Holt  düzenli uykunun öğrenilenin özümsenmesi için şart olduğunu, rahatlama tekniklerini bilmenin ise stresi azaltacağı için öğrenme ve hatırlamayı kolaylaştıracağına dikkati çekti.

Holt, sunumunun ardından dinleyicilerin sorularını yanıtladı.

As in the Gaziantep Telgraf

        

Two weeks ago I was in Milan, Italy, whilst giving a course in NLP, and as promised to Richard Bacon, the Radio 5 Live presenter of the Special Half Hour between 00:30am and 01:00am, I wore the SHH badge with pride. (click to read)

Yesterday I gave a course on Mind Maps organised by Gap Consultancy in Gaziantep, a town in Southern Turkey, and again wore the SHH badge with pride.

Like the ring I wear, (click to see), the badge draws attention, but as the Special Half Hour rules dictate, I cannot divulge what is the SHH, and I have to direct the people to listen to the radio program to find out themselves.


Don't look me in the eye.

A bit of a problem really, as the radio signals do not reach outside the UK, but then anyone can listen via the internet. (click to listen).

That raises another problem, as here in Turkey we are two hours ahead, that means waking up at 02:30am, I think the participants would rather sleep as I do. I need my beauty sleep. Or perhaps they could listen to a podcast.

So, just to show that I am honouring my part of being part of the Special Half Hour, here is a photograph of the Mind Mapping course in Gaziantep at a loss to understand the SHH.


What is this SHH? (Special Half Hour) Participants in the Mind Map course Gaziantep, Turkey

I will have to see where else I can wear the badge.

Other Entries
Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames
Even more on the Special Half Hour Club of BBC Radio 5 Live 
Special Half Hour, Radio 5 Live
More on the Special Half Hour badge of Radio Five Live
All Entries

        

Today, Sunday I am off again. An early start to catch one of the first flights of the morning from Heathrow airport, I hope Turkish Airlines give a better offering than the non meal Alitalia served on my last fight with them on Monday, because I will need my breakfast..

The trip to Southern Turkey, the town of Gaziantep with Gap Consultancy, will be for Mind Maps and PhotoReading, courses I love to run, but the trip will be for only five days, then back to London.

A quick stopover both inbound and outbound via Istanbul will not allow me time to go into the city, just to stay in the airport, but perhaps the next time, my next trip, then I can meet old participants and friends in that great city.

But here's looking to seeing and meeting all my friends, past participants, new participants and the great eating places with a wonderful array of foods, some I have never experienced before.

        

Since I posted the article on the South West Train's train pulling into Norbiton Station (click to view) in South West London, there has been over 3,000 views, so for those who want to see the normal class of train which SWT's use on Kingston route, here is another video.

This I believe is the Class 455, which are quite old, but have been refurbished and brought into the 21st century.

Oh whilst filming, there was a visitor on the platform, wait till the end.

        

Residents and business's in and around Norbiton Hall, London Road and surrounding roads were sent a letter (May 2009) from the Directorate of Environmental Services of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, titled:-

PROPOSED NEW TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND CYCLING IMPROVEMENTS IN LONDON ROAD BETWEEN QUEEN ELIZABETH ROAD AND STATION ROAD
Ref KT/YH/LSS/LR
In this proposal, the council wish to introduce shared use surface cycling facilities, on the footpath. In other words, the existing pedestrian footpath will be reduced in width so that a cycle way can be introduced.

The introduction of cycle ways within London is part of the Mayor of London's scheme to get people on bikes. I believe there are incentives for the local authorities who create cycle ways, even if they are only 10 yards in length.

On many occasions I as others, have been confronted by cyclists who insist in using a FOOTpath to get from A to B, so bike riders already use the FOOTpath involved.

So is this proposal a waste of money?

In the space of one hour I took a few photographs that Mr Roy Thompson (Service Director, Royal Kingston) and Younes Hamade (Traffic Engineer, Kingston Town Traffic Engineering Team) may consider. Email :- younes.hamade@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Firstly, closer into Kingston town center along London Road, there has already been installed a cycle only facility, that is a green sectioned portion of the road.

In ten minutes I observed two people on bicycles using the green cycle way, but others not, they are still using the FOOTpath.

        

        


Bike riders using the footpaths in London Road, even though a cycle way has been provided
What about other obstructions?

Street furniture, that means lamp posts, traffic lights and their control boxes, telephone and communication boxes, vehicle entrances to buildings and the Norbiton Hall Estate, will have to be moved at great expense.

How about the normal day to day traffic and parking?

The local offices have many deliveries during the day, with vans and lorries parking on the FOOTpath, deliveries to the apartments facing onto London Road of Norbiton Hall also have deliveries, again meaning lorries and vans often park on the FOOTpath restricting usage.
        

        
Lorries and vans parked on the footpath outside Norbiton Hall and Clarendon House, London Road, Kingston upon Thames
How about parents with pushchairs, they take-up most of the FOOTpath now, so what will happen with even a narrower FOOTpath.

Then there are the many mobility cart users. They often use the FOOTpath as a raceway.


Two mobility vehicle users and street furniture including traffic lights control box
There is only one cycle way leading out of Kingston towards London, and none entering or on the opposite side of the road. Should cyclists use the only cycle way, as there would be not enough space for two bikes to pass each other?

I consider that the proposal is flawed and needs more consideration, and a strict enforcement of what is in place already, as a FOOTpath should be what it says for feet and pedestrians.

FOOTpath ='s Footpath (right of way), in the UK, a path on which the public have a legally protected right to travel on foot.

        

I have a fascination for things, items, places, anything I do not understand, anything I have not seen before, or why something has changed.

For many years I have been visiting Italy for over ten years on a regular basis with PNL Italy and Gianni Golfera, providing training services in NLP, PhotoReading, Mind Maps, memory skills and more, and I am noticing changes taking place, buildings, shops, fashion, the population make-up, it is becoming but not as much more multicultural as the UK.

I think I am using Phillip's Sausage more than I realise, it has become an Unconscious Competence.

The latest colour fashion seems to be what I would call violet, with many shops in Milan displaying clothes, especially female, in that colour.


Violet colours, the new colour for 2009? I think Milan says so.
It was whilst walking to the last course I co-presented at the Hilton Hotel, the PNL Master Practitioner, and as I sat for lunch at the New York Bar and Restaurant, that I noticed there was something missing, and nearly everybody I asked had not noticed the change, and were not interested. It was only the owner of the New York Bar that could offer and answer to the missing items.

It was the green trams, rattling along the rails placed in the cobbled streets.

My friend and translator Elena, I think was getting rather fed-up of my curiosity as to the disappearance of these trams, only the old aging trams were to be seen.

The waitress in the New York Bar, just laughed at me, because I think, only an Englishman would be interested in such information. Participants laugh at me when I explain some of the hobbies of British people, train spotting or collect train identifications, aircraft watching again collecting details of aircraft.

It appears that the Lady Mayor of Milan, Her Excellency Mrs Letizia Moratti, removed the new green trams from running in central Milan because of braking issues, there could have been some fatalities in an accident, so they would return to the reliable older trams.

Then I remember what a success my little video, - over 3,000 views - of a Desiros 450 type train of South West Trains entering Norbiton Station (click to see SouthWest train arriving at Norbiton Station), and decided to capture some of the trams I see in Milan, as I am sure there are hobbyists out there who would love to see and hear them.


A collection of video shots of trams in Central Milan, near Stazione Centrale (the Central Railway Station)

See also photographs of the Taxim Tram in Istanbul, Turkey, a wonderful service taking a passenger from Tunel to Taxim Square. Click Here.

        

I wrote about the gentleman I talked to in Italy about his experience in the Second World War flying in the Italian Air Force, and I felt that part of my history was missing.

We talked about how he downed two Hurricane aircraft into the sea, and escaped to fight another day. (click to read article).

He talked about The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (SM.79) and I searched for more details on the aircraft, hoping that perhaps there may be one in one of the many aircraft museums in the UK, visiting the Imperial War Museum in London and Duxford and RAF Hendon, but nothing.


The Italian Airforce Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

I then decided that perhaps there maybe a plastic model construction kit I could find, and by building it I would learn more about the aircraft. That was nearly as difficult as finding a real aircraft. But after a lot of searching I found a model shop near to RAF Hendon, North London, with one last kit. The shop Hannants is on a small industrial estate, not really a shop as it does not even have a shop window, but it does have a good range of kits.

From building this aircraft, the SM.79, I felt so much nearer to the history I was told, but no-where in the books I read was there any mention of two Hurricane aircraft being lost to a SM.79. I even asked at RAF Hendon, something I will follow-up in coming months.

It is strange how we are only told we need to know about our history, and this tends to be one sided, that from the viewpoint of the country we are being taught in. Seeing the foot over the British Isle on the world globe on the statute in the Vatican, (click to see here). The history of slavery in America (click to see here).

I am learning to take what I am told with a pinch of salt, an English saying, which means, we are not being told the truth, or only a little of what we need to know.

The three engined Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, or Sparrowhawk, was designed before the start of the Second World War as a passenger transport and fast postal link airplane, but was modified to become a torpedo and medium bomber with great success. It had a hump behind the cockpit which was able to retract to reveal a two 12.7 mm guns. It was flown by many countries.

        

Discovering past history has led me to be able to visit some historic sites. For example, buildings once home to Hawker Siddeley in Kingston upon Thames, makers of many great aircraft including the Hurricane, Brooklands one of the first airfields in the UK and the famous motor racing track, RAF Hendon in North London the Museum, RAF Duxford, an old RAF airfield and now part of the Imperial War Museum, and many more sites.

Not only have I visited sites, and read many articles and books to research more, but speaking to people who were directly involved with history or who have a greater knowledge base than mine, is helping me even more to understand.

A special person I met was Gianni Golfera's grandfather who flew with the Italian Air Force during the Second World War in the elegant SM.79, and who shared with me some of his memories.

Another site I visited was the working Royal Air Force (RAF) base at RAF Uxbridge in West London.

RAF Uxbridge has had a remarkable history since being established in 1917, much to write about here. It has never been an airfield, but a base for many departments and RAF organisations, and especially one that fits another piece into my jigsaw, The Battle of Britain Operations Room.

With members of the Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames, we were invited by prior arrangement, to visit this historic site, from where the air defence of South East England was co-ordinated, especially on September 15th 1940, Battle of Britain Day.

The Ops Room, also known as "The Bunker" or "The Hole", is an underground facility, some 60 feet or 20 meters below the surrounding buildings, where personnel, mostly Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) members called Plotters and Tellers, would mark enemy and allied aircraft movements on a large sloping table called the Plotting Table, so that Controllers and other personnel, like Operation Clerks, Intelligence Clerks, members of other services like the Army and Navy, and personnel from the Observer Corps, anti-aircraft and searchlight sections would all co-ordinate data.


The Battle of Britain Operations Room entrance, RAF Uxbridge
Pushing marked blocks, containing information of aircraft over the Sectors of the Plotting Table, Controllers who sat high above the Plotting Table at a dais or curved glass fronted rooms or cabins, would have a 15 minute window of an air battle, thanks to information feed to the Plotter's and Teller's from aircrew, observers on the ground, and RADAR stations which were said to see the skies as far away as Paris.


The Battle of Britain Operations Room entrance, RAF Uxbridge

Behind the Plotting Table on the rear wall is the Tote Board, (nothing to do with NLP TOTE Model), which showed the readiness of aircraft at the various RAF airfields within 11 Group's control, the weather situation, cloud hight and coverage, the position of barrage balloons, and a coloured sectioned wall clock which would tell the Ops personnel how up-to-date information was on the Plotting Table.


The Battle of Britain Operations Room Tote Board, RAF Uxbridge
Seen from the Controllers Cabin with readiness lights and coloured segmented clock

Throughout "The Bunker", in rooms which have been restored to the day of The Battle of Britain, (September 15th 1940), there is a museum containing a historical record of the facility, and is worth extra time exploring.

I had heard that the curator and guide, Hazel Crozier, would be leaving the museum, but I did not realise that RAF Uxbridge would be closing, to be moved to nearby RAF Northolt. I hope that this historic site will be preserved, especially The Battle of Britain Operations Room, as without history, a nation does not exist.

        

Perhaps it is my lifestyle, perhaps it is because I need my own space after a full day of training, perhaps because at heart I am an introvert, but when I have a day without any training, presentations or talks, I often find myself by myself in a foreign land.

So it was in Milan. I was not going to be training everyday, and I found myself with no-one to talk to, no-one to share my time, so it was to read Owen Fitzpatrick's book, to walk a lot, and try to see The Last Supper without success.

Although I have said there is not a lot to see in Milan, there are some great sights to see, and some that are not.

I am quite interested in aircraft, so the display at the Museo Nazionale Della Scinza e Della Tecnologia, Leonardo De Vinci, (National Museum of Science and Technology),Leonardo De Vinci disappointing with only three aircraft was disappointing, compared to some museums in the UK (see links).

Some of the sites and buildings are well worth seeing, like Duomo, Teatro Alla Scala, Milan's famous opera theatre, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a glass roofed shopping area off Duomo, and Castello Sforzesco with the fountain that they call The Wedding Cake, and more are worth a visit, but they do seem to be spread-out, being far and few between.


Duomo Basillica, Milan Italy


Detail of Duomo Basillica, Milan


The Wedding Cake fountain, Castello Sforzesco , Milan

        

A fellow trainer of NLP and friend of over ten years, Owen Fitzpatrick, we shared some training in Italy recently,

It was during our brief encounter over the last few weeks, Owen gave me one of his books that he has written titled Not Enough Hours.

It was obvious that a lot of research and work was devoted to this book. It is written in a well constructed and easy to read and understand way.

It was interesting for me to read that most other books on time management say that tools like diaries, to do list are a waste of time and that they do not use them, yet when you read them, there they are.

Owen tells us how to manage your time, to take control, what is the concept of time, how our body clock works, with tips on how to implement his concepts.

With examples from his TV series on Irish televison RTE, it is easy to see how you can take control of your time management.

A good read and system. 

        

Unfortunately I did not check the time the NLP Master Practitioner course finished in Milan yesterday, and booked my flights as if we were to end at 6pm, but we finished at 1pm. Oh Poo Poo. I had a 8pm flight.

No problem, I can have some lunch at the New York bar and restaurant and get to the airport early, perhaps they would get me on an earlier flight. No chance, I had a ticket which was not changeable. Oh well, hour hours of sitting around in the small Linate airport.

I like Linate Airport as it is very close to Milan center, perhaps 15 minutes taxi ride compared to Malpensa which is about one hour from Milan center, about a 20 Euro taxi fare compared to a 100 Euro fare.

I sat there in the airport near a café, and watched and observed people, some leaving home to go away on holiday, some finishing their holiday, some meeting people, some saying goodbye. There was a mixture of emotions, happiness, sadness, anxiety, stress, relaxation, frustration, love, care and compassion, it was all there.

When it was time to give my suitcase to Alitalia, two hours before departure, I did so with a sore backside, sitting for so long on a metal chair began to become uncomfortable, and I went through security at departures and through the inevitable duty free shops, finding a coffee bar. This time my cappuccino had no smiling face (see previous article).

After passing through passport control, there were the same metal seating, but I can use my self hypnosis to remove the pain in the backside whilst I wait, as I again I watched my fellow passengers. Some were musicians carrying like they were babies their string instruments, some were business people reading the notes they would need in the business meetings, some were models perhaps just finishing a photo shoot in fashionable Milan, some were on the mobile phones pacing up and down, some were going or returning on holiday.

Then the departure time changed on the gate, not 7:40 but 8:15. 

No announcement, just the change on the board as the person at the gate held her head down.

No point in me loosing my cool, laugh it off, make a joke of it. Then it came to me.

ALITALIA stands for Always Late In Take-off And Late In Arrival.
8:10 came and still no bus came to take us from departure gate to the aircraft, and people started to get fidgety, and with no announcements being made going to the dispatchers, who firmly kept their heads down.

With only about 26 passengers, once we were put onto a bus, it was a quick process, but then more delay as we waited in the bus beside the aircraft for what seemed an age, even the bus driver was getting frustrated by the wait.

Some passengers were getting concerned as it was not an ALITALIA plane but and Air One aircraft. Perhaps they did not know that the two airlines had merged to prevent ALITALIA going into bankruptcy.

By this time I was getting hungry, my poor stomach was as if it was cut open, and I think other passengers were the same. Most airlines give a drink and a sandwich, but I had flown Air One before, and I think they are cutting costs.

Eventually we took off, and after climbing over some angry looking clouds over the Alps, they came round with the trolley.

A drink and some biscuits, thats was it. My hunger would have to wait until I got home.

But wait, just before we landed, we were offered a sweet.

    
Air One food, biscuits, crackers and a sweet.

        

It was smiling faces all around at the end of the NLP Master Practitioner course in Milan, Italy as I closed the course.

The course was given by a number of trainers, Patrizia Belotti, Claudio Belotti, Alessio Roberti, Owen Fitzpatrick and myself, had given the participants a wealth of knowledge, styles and chances learn from experts with years of training behind them.


NLP Master Practitioner course in Milan, Italy

After a bottle of champagne had been shared in celebration and a photograph which the participants wanted as a memory, Elena Martelli the translator and myself were hungry, so we went to a local restaurant and bar called New York just behind the Hilton Hotel where the course was held and next to the tram terminus andStazione Centrale (the Central Railway Station).

New York offers a good range of food and buffet, and I finished my meal with a cappuccino coffee.

The owners and staff although busy, always have time for a conversation with me and a smile, but when I was served the cup of cappuccino, it the sight of it brought the biggest smile of all from me.


New York bar Milano, offers a good range of food and buffet, and I finished my meal with a cappuccino coffee.

        

I have another day off in Milano, Italy, whilst another trainer takes the NLP Master Practitioner course and people have said that I should go and see the sights. Well there are not many tourist sights to visit in Milan despite the age of the city.

Physical places like Duomo, Teatro Alla Scala, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Castello Sforzesco and more are worth a visit, but they do seem to be spread-out, being far and few between.

I had taken the City Tour bus to get an idea of the layout of Milan, thus allowing me to spend my own time to view what I decided to see.

I had work to complete in the morning and at mid-day I set out to walk from Stazione Centrale (the Central Railway Station) to Santa Maria Deile Grazie the home of The Last Supper painting. It is a painting on my list to see, and this was my opportunity.

After a long walk following a map through the back street of Milan, I arrived at Santa Maria Deile Grazie, and after a search to find the entrance, I offered my money to enter, but was told there were no tickets available, and they were fully booked until June, that is nearly two weeks waiting time.

Visiting other tourist and religious sites throughout the world, I have never come across such a long waiting time, even the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Rome yes one has to queue for a lengthy time, but not two weeks.

So do not visit Santa Maria Deile Grazie to see The Last Supper unless you have booked your place, or willing to wait a long time maybe weeks.

A little upset, but OK, get on with life, I had seen on the City Tour bus tour I had seen near bye the Museo Nazionale Della Scinza e Della Tecnologia, Leonardo De Vinci, (National Museum of Science and Technology), Leonardo De Vinci.

When I got to the museum building, an old 16th century monastery, I could not see an entrance, I could see no signs, so I set out and walked around the block, that way I would find the entrance. Trust me to go the wrong way, the long way round, but eventually I found the entrance.

Bus loads of school children were going into the building, and I nearly gave-up trying to get in, plus I wondered if it would be worth the time with so many children inside. But I stuck to my plan and paid to get in.

Was it worth it? Yes and no.

They seem to be under going a lot of rebuilding work, and many areas were empty or restricted. I only saw three aircraft behind a makeshift barrier, the railway engine shed had some good examples, but again many exhibits were restricted or only viewed from a distance.


Three aircraft at Museo Nazionale Della Scinza e Della Tecnologia, Leonardo De Vinci, Milano.

There is a submarine on display, but that too was restricted, and an extra charge of 8 Euro to view the inside. It must have bee quite an effort to get it from the sea to the inland city of Milan.

A submarine at Museo Nazionale Della Scinza e Della Tecnologia, Leonardo De Vinci, Milano.
Although there were many children visiting, they were all well behaved under the control of I presume their teachers, and were often to be seen in rooms where there were interactive exhibits.

I enjoyed the exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci housed in one long gallery, giving a brief history of his work with models of some of his ideas.

Also, I did see a fresco of The Last Supper painted in 1626 by Giovanni Mauro Della Rovere, as against the one in Santa Maria Deile Grazie by Leonardo Da Vinci painted between 1495 and 1498. So all was not lost.


The Last Supper painted in 1626 by Giovanni Mauro Della Rovere
After that visit, it was a long walk back to Stazione Centrale and my hotel. I had been walking or on my feet for nearly six hours.

Now I deserve a pizza or a plate of gnocchi.

        

A question often asked of me is how can I erase a memory.

My answer is that at this time, (perhaps in the future this will change, and I think it already has), we cannot erase any memory, any experience that we have learned or had. The memory pattern, the neuron pathways will always be there.
The problem is, can we access them.

OK, there are going to be times when memories will be deleted, when people abuse the brain with alcohol, drugs, through an accident or brain damage, a stroke or the ageing process and degenerative deceases like Alzheimer’s. I am talking about the normal functioning brain.


All memories are started by some stimulus, a firing of in NLP terms an anchor. It is when that stimulus occurs and the brain searches the memory banks or goes on a transderivational search, it is the strongest match to that stimulus that will delivered to our consciousness, and a memory is brought to our attention or an unconscious reaction will occur.
I have had in recent times two examples of how our brain works.

The husband Necdet, of my colleague and sponsor Mehpare of GAP Consultancy in Gaziantep in Southern Turkey, took me to a football match between Gaziantepspor and Beşiktaş J.K. (click to see entry). He had a box available, a room with a big glass window, so we could sit in comfort and warmth, eating nuts and drinking, without sitting with the normal supporters in the cold.

Now unlike some people, a football match is not a sport I would go out of my way to watch, even when on TV, I have little interest, but I am not uninterested, I will watch a game on television and have over the years.

It has been over forty years since I did go on a semi regular basis to watch Wolves (the English Wolverhamton Wonderers), and I would shout and jump up and down with the best of their supporters. Since then, I have grown out of that way of life, I have been confined to watching matches on television

It was during the football match in Gaziantep, sitting in comfort in the box, that Necdet and myself said couple words to each other, and during in this brief conversation, a goal was scored, and I missed it.

Now I am so used to watching football matches on TV, that I was very aware of my brain saying, “no problem, you can watch the replay”. But at the same time, I was also aware that there was no TV screen, the glass window of the box was not a TV screen.

My brain was in conflict. It took some time for me to instruct my brain that there would be no replay as there would be in my home.

One of the best meals of the day for me, especially when I am in a hotel, is breakfast. It is a time I can sit and relax, watch others interacting with the world and others around them, and for me to be drinking a hot cup of tea with milk, and a fresh orange juice.
In the Hotel Auriga here in Milano, Italy, a small 4 star central hotel, I help myself to some cereals and go to the jars of juice. It is now my brain is in conflict, confusion occurs.


Which is Orange Juice and which is Ace (mixed fruit) juice?
Which is the orange juice?

All my life I have learned that oranges are the colour orange, and the inside segments of oranges are orange coloured, as is the juice. My brain, my memory is conditioned to these facts.

The red juice will be strawberry or raspberry juice. I am not that interested in that taste or drink, so I help myself to the orange juice, even saying “the orange juice” tells the brain it is derived from oranges, but when I taste it, it is not oranges, it is mixed fruit juice or in Italian, ACE juice.

The next day I serve myself the red juice, and guess what, it is orange juice.

Even drinking it now every morning, my brain still is in conflict, it still recognises and expects a different taste that should be associated with the red colour. Strawberry.

So we will have learned that the brain Deletes, Distorts and Generalises information it receives. My eyes had seen the signs near the jars of juices clearly indicating what was in each jar, so the brain Deleted that information,  it took the resulting depleted information and went on the Transderivational Search to make an understanding, found matches that said that orange coloured juice will be orange juice and red coloured juice will be strawberry, thus Distorting the information, then it Generalises that this is the truth.

I am still aware that this process, this conflict goes on in my mind my brain every morning, and I cannot stop it.

        

It is another day off here in Milan, as another trainer, Owen Fitzpatrick, takes his turn in the NLP Master Practitioner course.

It is rare that I have chance to do the sight seeing tours, but today I think I will get to know a little bit more of Milano after over ten years of visiting this Italian city.

On previous visits to Italy, as other countries, I have scheduled my arrival and departures so that I walk off the aircraft and go straight to the course venue, and at end the course, to go directly to catch the plane home.

The one exception of note was with Gianni Golfera, the Man with the Biggest Memory, with whom I co-operate and work with, delivering Mind Mapping and PhotoReading training in Italy. (click to see dates)

I gave some training in Rome, with Lucia Falang as my translator to a lively group of participants. It came as a surprise to know that Lucia, an Italian who knew Rome well, had never been to the Vatican, to St Peter's Basilica. Being only a fifteen minute walk from the course venue, there was no option but to take Lucia to see and experience this center of the Roman Catholic religion, a place I visit often to take in the atmosphere, history and to learn more, even if I am not a member of the church.


Lucia Falanga, one of my Italian translators at Saint Peter's, Vatican, Rome
As we walked into Saint Peter's, I noticed tears in Lucia's eyes, and I left her for a moment to absorb the atmosphere and go through any emotions she needed to.

As we walked around the basilica, I became the tour guide I often find myself as, pointing out the sculpture of the The Pieta, Mother Mary holding Christ (see previous entry click here), another monument where the Italian artist Bernini created a world globe, hiding the UK with the foot of one of the human figures, as the Vatican was against the British at the time as the Crown, the King, had broken away to form the Anglican Church (click to see here).

It was a quick tour of the Vatican, as Gianni, Lucia and myself were to drive up from Rome to Milan, the next venue for the PhotoReading and Mind Mapping courses, with a stop-over in their home town of Luca.

Along the way we passed though many historic and beautiful towns, stopping on occasions to take-in and saviour parts I Italy I would love to learn more about some day.

   
The steep walls of the town of Aorte


    
The narrow streets of Aorte

My jouney through Italy would take me down many twists and turns and bring me more experiences which I will write about soon. 

        

With Jill Lawday last week, we had a day at Woodlands School, Great Warley, in the Essex, teaching Mind Maps and memory skills.

The whole of year 6, took part in the day, and with their two teachers, we went from the basics of mind maps through to making Mind Maps versus using lists, using a Mind Map as for revision, planning with Mind Maps and more.

For memory we learned how to remember facts, lists of fifteen random words, and recall them in order after only being told the words once. Not only were they able to recall the list of words given them in the order I gave them, but they could repeat the list backwards.

Mrs Harding, the Head Mistress came into the classroom at the end of the day, and the children were able to demonstrate to her what they had learned during the day, plus being able to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese. I am still struggling to count up to 7 in Turkish after over five years of giving training there, and up to the number 5 in Italian after over ten years delivering training there. I think I must apply what I teach to my own learning.

It was a wonderful experience shared with Jill to deliver the training to the twelve year olds, but also to go back in my memory to my school days, sharing the school lunch with some of the youngest pupils at the school sitting at tables designed for their body size, and trying to squeeze into a vintage school desk without success.

    
Jill and Phill trying to fit into a desk at the Woodlands School, Great Warley.
It was after lunch that Jill and myself walked around to the playing field, where children were playing, and we were approached by some young pupils who were preparing for a competition of hoola hoops (also spelt hula hoops). A hoola hoop is a large plastic ring, which you spin around the waist. The last time I had tried it successfully was when I was these children's age, using my cousin Glynis's hoop, now my physic, my body shape is not conducive in spinning the hoola hoop around my tummy when encouraged to have a go.

        

It was a privilege and honour to have recently been on the BBC's Radio 5 Live, Special Half Hour of Richard Bacon nightly show.

The Special Half Hour is aired between 00:30am and 1am in the morning on Richard Bacon's week day (really nightly) show, and protocol dictates that I cannot tell you the contents of the SHH (Special Half Hour). So, if you would like to know what is the SHH, I am sorry you will have to tune-in or go on-line via the internet and listen there.

Being on the show, I was awarded the Special Half Hour badge, and I said I would wear it with pride at a training course I am now giving here in Milan, Italy, the NLP Master Practitioner.

Of course, the participants being Italian, will have no idea about the Special Half Hour, and even if they ask, I will not be able to explain to the what they are missing, or perhaps what you are missing.

The only answer is, stay up, tune-in and listen to Radio 5 Live of the BBC, 0030 hours until 0100 hours, and find out.





Phillip Holt training the Master Practitioner NLP course Milan wearing with pride the Special Half Hour badge.

Other Entries
Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames
Even more on the Special Half Hour Club of BBC Radio 5 Live 
Special Half Hour, Radio 5 Live
More on the Special Half Hour badge of Radio Five Live
All Entries

        

The is nothing like getting ready for a trip, but I have the tendency to put things off until the last moment, so as I sit in my hotel room at the start of a ten day tour of giving training in the UK and Italy, I know I am ready.

The Boy Scouts have a motto which is Be Prepared, perhaps I should have been a member of that organisation, but I was a member of the Boys Brigade which had the motto Sure and Steadfast., and I think I am that. See picture of me blowing my own trumpet.


Boys Brigade Badge
Yesterday trying to get prepared resulted in ironing some twenty plus shirts, a number of trousers, watering the plants, tidying-up, meetings, banking, and travel. It was a rushed day.

But I am ready to face a group of school children for the day to teach them memory skills and Mind Maps.

        

It is not a good day with regards to the weather today in Kingston upon Thames, the clouds are low and it is drizzling that fine rain that gets you wet.

I had to be at the dentist at 9am, and they were running late, so I did not leave until 10:30am. Not good for the nerves.

Walking back to the town center along the River Thames, I felt is if I was the only person in the world, well apart from a lone runner in the far distance. There was just me and the wildlife, the ducks, coots, geese and swans. Perhaps I am the only person in this world and others are just a figment of my imagination. I wonder. Just a thought.


A drab and drizzling day in Kingston upon Thames, along the River Thames, devoid of people.
Compare the photograph above to the video I took some time ago. Click here.

Oh well, might as well iron my shirts and prepare for the next train sessions, school children in the UK for Mind Maps and Memory skills, and NLP Master Practitioner in Milan, Italy.

It will be the start of over two months of nearly non stop training sessions I will be giving, taking me to Italy, Turkey and Bahrain. So I look forward to meetings all my old participants, and meeting new ones.

It is a good job I love my work.
Managing Agent around Kingston

        

It was whilst delivering the final day of the NLP Practitioner course in Vicenza, Italy, that I realised that the participants had remembered what I had taught them on my last visit.

Not only had the remembered "Antonio" ("Fred" or "Mustapha"), but "Oh Poo Poo" and "Phillip's Sausage".

A FaceBook group has been created just for "Phillip' Sausage", called "La Salsiccia di Phillip", so sign up now.


La Salsiccia di Phillip


Phillip's Sausage

If you do not know what is Phillip's Sausage, you will have to come on a course. Visit web site nlpnow.net

        

It was only for a few hours, but what a privilege to work with the participants in Vicenza, Italy on the NLP Italy NLP Practitioner course, realising they had taken in what I had taught them on a previous meeting. (see next blog).

I had opened the course a couple of weeks ago with a bad chest infection, and being part of the training team within NLP Italy, it was other trainers to guide the participants through the course, and I returned to the UK to give other courses.

Sunday saw me on the British Airways flight from London's Gatwick airport to Verona. (see My Trip to Verona as a Tourist)  

A very expensive 10 minute taxi ride (30 Euro) to the railway station from Verona's airport, and then a relaxing train journey to Vicenza saw me at the Tiepolo Hotel where the NLP Practitioner course was being held, and it was a strange sensation to see faces I recognised, I did not know I was to work with participants I knew.

Even more strange was to see Owen Fitzpatrick, a fellow Society of NLP Trainer, who I had not seen for a couple of years, and I was to take-over from on the course. Owen and myself, along with Alessio Roberti had started the road of NLP at the same time many, many years ago.

Owen Fitzpatrick

In the evening, Owen returned to Ireland, and all the participants and assistants either went home or went about their own business, leaving me to walk the streets of Vicenza on my own, to eat a sandwich in my hotel room by myself. No-body loves me. But it was a wonderful view from my window to the snow capped mountains and rooftops. I can relax.


View from the Tiepolo Hotel, Vicenza

        

Today after bringing to a conclusion a number of issues, including booking a flight to Italy tomorrow for an NLP Practitioner Training I will be closing, I felt I needed to expend some energy, so I took a walk.

I took to the Thames Pathway at Kingston upon Thames, a walkway which follows the banks of the River Thames, stretching I believe some 30 kilometers, in one continuous walk. 

I knew that at odd places along the way, I would be able to leave the Thames Pathway to catch a bus back into Kingston, so I headed downstream towards Richmond-upon-Thames.

I had no actual plan, but I began to enjoy the walk, wondering where the old factory of Hawker Sidley was where they built, tested and launched the seaplanes and the Hurricane, the Harrier Jump Jet among other great planes, then watching the passing river traffic, and other walkers.

At Teddington Lock, the sound of the river crashing over the weir raised my spirits, I love the sound of water, and the forever changing shapes the wild water makes. But I did not stop long, I pressed forth on enjoying the sights.


The weir at Teddington Lock

Keeping my eyes open, using Phillip's Sausage, I saw a heron I suspect waiting for a fish meal, rabbits enjoying the sun, even a green parakeet flashing between the tree branches.

  
A heron and rabbit near the River Thames
I just kept walking.

I then came across Ham House with its' gardens, a house built in 1610 in the reign of Charles I, full of fabulous paintings and history. I had driven passed the sign to Ham House, but never stopped to visit it. Well I had come tis far, why not have a look inside.


Ham House, Richmond-upon-Thames
A rather expensive entrance ticket later, over £9.00, I went into the building, and I purchased (another £1), a single (but folded) sheet guide to the house, and after reading it, toured the house.

I am pleased I visited Ham House and viewed its' contents, but I needed to finish my walk and get home to pack for Italy, and pushed on to Richmond.

By now it was 5pm and my feet were beginning to ache, I had no choice, but walk on as the amount of walkers increased on the pathway as I got closer to Richmond and the chance to catch a bus home.

I had set out at 1pm for a stroll by the river, but now it was over four hours later, oh my feet, but I had gone further than I intended and saw and learned more by doing so.

Thank goodness the bus only took just over fifteen minutes to reach Kingston, back home to rest my legs, and then prepare my evening meal and iron some shirts.

        

After a weekend of training, Saturday and Sunday, I find that today is a Bank Holiday in the UK, May Day.

Unlike some countries around the world that have May 1st as the official May Day holiday, the UK stays with allocating the holiday on a Monday.

Having nothing to do except my washing and ironing, and no-one to talk to, I decided to have a walk down into Kingston upon Thames, and I was soon amongst the celebrations and crowds, families, friends, enjoying the shopping and festivities.

One group caught my eye, some dancers.

These dancers are traditional to the UK, and are called Morris Dancers. It is an English Folk dance, usually accompanied by accordion music, with the dancers, again usually dressed in white, wearing bells around their legs, and flowers in their hats.

The dancing itself is very rythmic, and the dancers usually have some implement, sticks, swords etc, that they use in the dance, and is thought to date back to the 15th century.

In this short clip, you can see the OFF-SPRING MORRIS from Kingston upon Thames.

Yes we have some strange customs in the UK.

        

It was only four days ago that I walked down to the River Thames and saw a goose with her new gosling's sheltering under her feathers, with still more eggs to be hatched. Click to see entry.

Today I walked passed the nest, and they were not there, just goose down feathers and broken eggshells.

I searched for them but found nothing, only some baby wildfowl hiding under the bows of a boat. There was no adult with them, so maybe it was them.


Young waterfowl hiding on the River Thames
I looked further up and down the river for any signs of the missing gosling's, had they swam away, had they been eaten, were they hiding? I could not see a goose with any young.

I did come across a female duck with her ducklings swimming up and down, but the mother had a strange behavior, taking a duckling into her beak and plunging it under water.


Ducklings on the River Thames
Also there were cooks with their young, both the male and female adults taking turns in feeding their babies.


Baby coots on the River Thames

        

The training courses I give, take me to many differing places and countries, staying in a varied array of hotels.

The last two days saw me giving a PhotoReading course in the South of England city of Brighton.

Like many of the UK seaside resorts, they have seen better days, but Brighton is perhaps one of the better placed towns, offering historical places of interests such as The Lanes, the Brighton Pavillion, two piers although one is burnt out, and lots and lots of people enjoying the social and educational facilities.
 
The course was held in the Old Ship Hotel located on the seafront, the creaky floors, and shaking old lifts add to the character of this old hotel. My room overlooked the seafront, giving me the chance of an early morning wake-up call, as the seagulls screech at each other. But why did they turn off the heating at midnight? My room was in the roof space I think, and it became really cold meaning I had to search for more coverings to keep me warm.


The Old Ship Hotel, Brighton seafront

              
The view of Brighton Pier and seafront from the balcony of my room in the Old Ship Hotel.

More trainings follow in the next few days, so no rest for me.

        

There is an English saying "they are blowing their own trumpet".

This saying means that they are boasting or talking about their own abilities, talents, successes and achievements.

So yes I can blow my own trumpet.

I have proof, read the blog, visit my web sites.

Whilst clearing out a storage facility I have been renting to house my old memories, books, toys and more, I came across a very old newspaper cutting dated, October 1963.

In my youth I belonged to a brass band, and was a member of The Boys Brigade, an organisation similar to the Scouts, but we could wear long trousers.
 
My ability to play a brass instrument and especially a trumpet, my own trumpet, meant that on parades, matching through the streets to go to church or chapel, I would be part of the marching band. Our services were always used on Remembrance Sunday, when in the UK and other countries we would march to the War Memorial to remember the fallen. Always a moving experience as we played The Last Post.


Phillip Holt with arrow pointing on parade with the Boys' Brigade, hold his trumpet. 1963


The newspaper article says:-

FOUNDERS DAY FOR THE BOYS' BRIGADE

Character building is the main object of the Boys' Brigade. This way the theme of a sermon by Cannock Chase Methodist Circuit Superintendent, the Rev. S. C. Challener on Sunday.

He was preaching to three companies who had taken part in a Founders' Day parade from High Green, Cannock, to Mill Street Methodist Church, Cannock.

The parade, which was headed by the chairman of Cannock Urban Council, Councillor I. J. Jacques and Captain T. Howard of the 1st Chasetown Boys' Brigade was followed by the 1st Cannock, Chasetown and Lichfield companies.

Altogether 120 youths paid tribute to Sir William A. Smith, who founded th Boys' Brigade 80 years ago.

On the return march to High Green a salute was taken by Councillor Jacques at Cannock Bandstand.

        

The month of March was a month of travel and continuous work, no sooner had I finished a course in Southern Turkey then I took the next available flight to Rome, and on arrival immediately started another course. Once finished Rome, it was a drive to Milan for another course, and when that finished catching the next flight to Bahrain to start the next day another course.

It was a woderful journey through Italy, a chance for rest. Or was it?

It was on this journey that I picked-up a bad chest infection, making me cough, giving a runny nose, a tickle at the back of my throat and a voice which was not me.

It would not defeat me, I must do the training, so I pushed through, as we say in the UK, the show must go on. But, by the time I had arrived in Bahrain, it had got really bad, but with luck, I had a doctor on the course who was able to give me antibiotics.

Despite feeling unwell, under the weather, I pushed on, when perhaps the best approach would have been rest.

At night, I found the best way to sleep was sitting up, this seemed to stop the tickling throat and coughing. Not conducive to a good nights sleep.

It was the flying that played the wrong hand. My station tubes or eustachian tubes, became blocked, and with a couple of flights to take, it only got worse. I could not clear the eustachian tubes, it affected my speech, my hearing, my balance. The whole experience made me feel very unwell, down, depressed, and that did not take into consideration the continuing infection.

It has been a month of stress, of aches and pains, of blocked ears, but last week at last the infection was beaten, and now I can get on with life.

That means cleaning, washing and ironing, tidying up, moving my personal possession from one storage area to another, dumping unwanted stuff, planning for the future courses.

Come on world give me your best, I am ready for you.

I am back.

        

It is wonderful to experience new beginnings, changes, additions, and today has been no exception.

It has been one of the warmest April months in the UK on record, and today as people pounded the streets of London in the London Marathon, I took a more leisurely stroll to the River Thames. (click to see video)

Many people were also of the same mind, perhaps an after lunch walk, a chance to be with friends or family, to take time and see the world go by, a chance to recharge the batteries with energy giving sun rays, or like me to get some exercise.


Crowds enjoying the sun overlooking the River Thames, Kingston upon Thames
We are blessed in Kingston upon Thames to have many wildfowl living on the River Thames, perhaps mostly because people feed them so well.

Not only was it the public who were enjoying the weather, swans preened themselves, as others crowded (click) to have their share of the offerings the public were giving them.


Swans preening on the River Thames
It was the goose with her new gosling's and unhatched eggs which caught my eye, little balls of yellow fluff as two gosling's sheltered under their mothers wings on a nest of duck down.


A gosling enjoying the sun under the its mother

        

Many times over the years living in Kingston upon Thames, I have walked passed the old Empire Theatre opposite to the Wilkinson store, passed a dirty looking alleyway, and paid no attention to what looked to me was a service road to the pub (public house) and the various fast service food shops.


Entrance to the small alleyway to the Toilet Gallery
Other places of interest stand out as I passed them, the Coronation Stone, the Out Of Order falling over telephone boxes, Lovekyn Chapel, and more in Kingston upon Thames, but never the alleyway.

Then I had my Phillip's Sausage working, and an old white building at the end of the alleyway caught my eye, and a small sign The Toilet Gallery, painted on the wall.


The Toilet Gallery, Kingston upon Thames
The Toilet Galley is a disused ladies only toilet, still having the cubicles and basins, but without the usual fragrance, was opened in 2003 as a place for avant-garde artists to show their work.


Inside the Toilet Gallery
Very small, but enough to show some great works. Well worth a visit for people to support.