Dear Learner, Welcome to Keeping Connected, our weekly newsletter. This last week has seen a significant lifting of some of the restrictions that have been in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of you will be relieved to get a haircut or enjoy a drink/meal in a local establishment. I am also aware some of you may feel more anxious, especially if you are shielding or have health problems. Whichever camp you fall into, it is important to acknowledge not just how you may feel but how others do as well. Change can provoke fear as well as excitement. Neither is wrong or right. Like many of you, there are countless things, I would like to get back to how it was before but by contrast there are things I am happier with now. I guess we all have to adapt to an ever-changing world and accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and wisdom to know the difference (that sounds familiar!) Stay safe and read on! Matt Ellis, Principal 10 July 2020 Keeping Connected With Kirklees & Calderdale Recovery Colleges We would love you to share your own good news stories or how you are keeping yourselves well during this difficult time. Please get in touch / submit articles to: [email protected]or write to us at Recovery College c/o Folly Hall Mills, St Thomas Road, Huddersfield HD1 3LT. Please note all content correct at time of writing. Just Another Day in Lockdown by Michael.N, Volunteer “It’s a lazy life - up at 10am. First job is to make some fresh strong coffee, I can’t face the day without it. Then check my emails (mostly junk) and see how much energy we used the previous day and how much our solar panels have produced. It’s an excing day if I have an email from Brish Gas asking for my Solar energy meter reading as it means I’ll receive a cheque from them! I’ll have a glance at Facebook before seling down to read the paper online. Quick pause to get some breakfast - fruit if I’m being good! Aſter, if the weather is nice I’ll venture out into the garden to check on the veg or do some work. If not, I may do some lego or connue with the never ending job of sorng paper work; going through 30 years worth of receipts takes me! Depending on the day I might even do some dusng! By then it’s me for lunch (usually a sandwich) while watching some stuff on YouTube. Followed by all the outdoor jobs if the weather is fine, like grass cung, hedge trimming, painng the fence…. the shed …. the summer house. I built the summer house the year I rered, which I always thought was in 2009 but I found paperwork the other day showing it was the year before. Either way, it seems like such a long me ago. By 6pm I start to make the evening meal, unless we are having a ‘freezer tea’ followed by an evening spent in front of the TV, a shower then to bed with a good book. I guess what I am looking forward to most when this is all over is a nice meal out with all the family—and hopefully that isn’t too far away. Recovery College Recommends…. How to Fail podcast with Elizabeth Day & Matthew Syed hps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/ podcast/s8-ep3-how-to-fail- mahew-syed/id1407451189? i=1000478302305
Transcript
Dear Learner,
Welcome to Keeping Connected, our weekly newsletter. This last week has seen a significant lifting of
some of the restrictions that have been in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of you will be
relieved to get a haircut or enjoy a drink/meal in a local establishment. I am also aware some of you
may feel more anxious, especially if you are shielding or have health problems. Whichever camp you
fall into, it is important to acknowledge not just how you may feel but how others do as well. Change
can provoke fear as well as excitement. Neither is wrong or right. Like many of you, there are countless
things, I would like to get back to how it was before but by contrast there are things I am happier with
now. I guess we all have to adapt to an ever-changing world and accept the things we cannot
change; courage to change the things we can; and wisdom to know the difference (that sounds
familiar!) Stay safe and read on!
Matt Ellis, Principal 10 July 2020
Keeping Connected
With Kirklees & Calderdale
Recovery Colleges
We would love you to share your own good news stories or how you are keeping yourselves well during this difficult time. Please get in touch / submit articles to: [email protected] or write to us at Recovery College c/o Folly Hall Mills, St Thomas Road, Huddersfield HD1 3LT. Please note all content correct at time of
writing.
Just Another Day in Lockdown by Michael.N, Volunteer
“It’s a lazy life - up at 10am. First job is to make some fresh strong coffee, I
can’t face the day without it. Then check my emails (mostly junk) and see
how much energy we used the previous day and how much our solar panels
have produced. It’s an exciting day if I have an email from British Gas asking
for my Solar energy meter reading as it means I’ll receive a cheque from
them! I’ll have a glance at Facebook before settling down to read the paper
online.
Quick pause to get some breakfast - fruit if I’m being good! After, if the
weather is nice I’ll venture out into the garden to check on the veg or do
some work. If not, I may do some lego or continue with the never ending job
of sorting paper work; going through 30 years worth of receipts takes time!
Depending on the day I might even do some dusting!
By then it’s time for lunch (usually a sandwich) while watching some stuff on
YouTube. Followed by all the outdoor jobs if the weather is fine, like grass
cutting, hedge trimming, painting the fence…. the shed …. the summer
house. I built the summer house the year I retired, which I always thought
was in 2009 but I found paperwork the other day showing it was the year
before. Either way, it seems like such a long time ago. By 6pm I start to
make the evening meal, unless we are having a ‘freezer tea’ followed by an
evening spent in front of the TV, a shower then to bed with a good book.
I guess what I am looking forward to most when this is all over is a nice meal
out with all the family—and hopefully that isn’t too far away.
us with another fabulous verse, which is rather apt after
this weekend’s weather.
Hurricane Pegs Are Needed!
The wind is howling through the trees
Still laden, full of summer's leaves
My washing blows upon the line
My hurricane pegs are doing just fine.
Across the street I view the trees
Upon this raunchy late summer breeze!
I venture out, then come back in
My hair is now a monstrous thing!
The mirror cannot tell a lie
I laugh at the site until I cry.
Out the window, I see fly by
A host of jumble in the sky
A swirl of leaves, a paper cup
Last weeks paper has no luck
It’s sheets are strewn along the floor
A pile accumulates by my door!
I think of all the leaves to fall
I know with history what's to be,
A mountain falls from every tree
And somehow, and I don’t know why
They seem to whizz, swirl and fly
Not a mountain on a tree, but on my doorstep they will be!
Shovels and bags a weekly chore
Oh good God, what a bore
At least my pegs have stood the test
For the shirts, the knickers and an old string vest!
The Importance of Failure
Society has led us to believe that failure is
unacceptable. However, those times when
things don’t go to plan can be the best
opportunities for us to grow and develop as a
person, as long as we reflect on where we went
wrong. Failure is obviously not something we
should set out to do but nor should it be
something to be afraid of, or worse still, ashamed
of. When we don’t succeed we have a tendency
to beat ourselves up: why did I do that? How
stupid am I? I should know better! Fear of not
succeeding can increase our anxieties and
feelings of low self- esteem and make us
reluctant to try new things. The truth of the
matter is that we all make mistakes and the
important thing is to learn from them.
It is only when we step out of our comfort zones
that we can truly grow. Remember the first time
you walked through the Recovery College doors
and how petrifying that was? Yet, you pushed
yourself to do it and hopefully it resulted in a
positive outcome. Consider this:
The sooner you fail, the less afraid you’ll be to
fail again.
When you aren’t afraid anything seems possible!
Failure helps us better ourselves.
Through failure we can learn how to improve
and evolve as a human being.
Failure can show us what we truly want.
It allows us to see how hard we are willing to
work to achieve our goals.
Failure makes us stronger.
Overcoming obstacles and picking ourselves up
demonstrates strength and courage; qualities to
be proud of!
More often than not our fears and worries are
never realised so go on, push yourself, do that
online course you were nervous about, try that
thing you always fancied doing but never dared
because as someone once said “if we did
everything we were capable of we would
astound ourselves!”
The Early Bird Catches the Worm!
There are still a few craft packs available for Calderdale
learners who wish to take part in this marvellous Bird
Project delivered by Handmade Parade. Email us, before
they get gobbled up and we will wing a pack over to you!
Climb Every Mountain!
After weeks of being cooped up and once some restrictions were lifted, I
decided to head further afield for my daily exercise and find some hills to
climb. I’ve always loved walking but until fairly recently if I came to a hill, I
did my upmost to find an alternative path! I later realised taking the easy
route isn’t always the best option (in life, as well as on a ramble). So I put
my big girl pants on and stopped avoiding the inclines. Not only did my
fitness improve but the bigger the hill the greater the sense of achievement
(and, weather dependant, the better the view).
Although hill walking can be hard work, it is also immensely rewarding. It gives me a goal to work towards and not
only during my hike when I see the summit looming above me. I enjoy scouring the pages of walking magazines in
search of the biggest and more challenging peaks. I even have a fancy spreadsheet filled with all the names of the
summits I have reached and all the ones I’ve yet to climb.
Admittedly, I know walking doesn’t sound like the most exciting hobby in the world but it can be a real adventure,
scrambling up rocks, getting lost or caught in extreme weather, sometimes all at the same time! It may not sound
like fun to you, but to be stood at the top of a hill, with the rain lashing down and the wind howling around me
makes me feel truly alive – and free! After weeks of being stuck indoors I can’t imagine a better feeling.
For any fellow adventurers, the OS Maps app is a brilliant tool. It may not be cheap at £27 but it’s great
value for money and gives you access to every OS Map in the UK – you need never get lost again!
Desert Island Discs
This week’s Castaway is Russel,
Volunteer and Fabulous Facilitator of
our Golden Age of Hollywood Course.
Fave Book: I like books by H.G Wells which can be a bit dark. I
guess my favourite would be ‘The Invisible Man’ which is a short
story.
Fave Song: I’ve just got into music from the 1920’s. I really like a
song called “Button up your Overcoat” (Russel kindly gave me a
short rendition over the phone)
Fave Films: (we couldn’t not ask Russel this question!)
1. The Adventures of Robin Hood (see across)
2. The Great Race
3. Double Indemnity
4. Jason and the Argonaughts
5. King Kong
Luxury Item(s): Projector, Screen & Films!
Celeb (Dead or Alive) To Be Marooned With: Robinson Crusoe, I know he is fictional but he would know what to do in order to survive!
Movie Night! For those of you who don’t
know, Russel (of Desert Island Disc fame)
literally knows EVERYTHING about old films.
He has provided us with a brief overview of
his absolute favourites, which we will share
with you over the next few
weeks. So get the popcorn
ready, sit back and enjoy the
show……
The Adventures Of Robin Hood 1938. Starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland & Basil Rathbone. The film that set the all-action standard by which other screen swashbucklers would be judged. Originally diminutive star James Cagney, was to play Robin but he walked out on Warner Bros thus giving Errol Flynn his best remembered role. Also among many highlights is the climatic swordfight between the villainous Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) and Robin Hood (Errol Flynn). Above all is the quality of the sparkling 3-strip Technicolor cinematography — an innovation in 1938.
