Two big, belated, thumbs up - the north south divide, not.

So I've been tardy, not a surprise to any regular readers of this column, which is a shame as now I've got two BIG posts to do in one go.


The most recent first as it's more time-sensitive - the wonderful folk at the Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness.  

I went to see the current - running until 20th January 2020 - West Coast Photography exhibition (beautifully curated by Phil of Signal Film & Media) but met such lovely people and was so impressed with the museum a blog post was a must. 

First, there was Paul, who I asked to explain what I was looking at and told me about the 'graving dock' and the history of the museum but with such enthusiasm, I fell in love with it.

Paul has the nickname (at least that's what John says!) of 'pinup Paul' but is also known as the Museum Assistant. 

Some pictures of the inside of the Museum but first, to the exhibition, I know I don't usually promote anything here, not least as the blog is generally not time-sensitive and this is, but because I really was impressed with what's going on there, and the blog is meant to be about people but.... well it's my blog and I'll post if I want to.

But, instead of my words, at the bottom of the post are a load more photos to tell the story of the exhibition but please read the rest first?

Anyway, after the exhibition, I went back upstairs and then met John, the Manager.  

Now, although John had given me a nickname for Paul, Paul was too shy? gracious? well-mannered? to give me one for John! You had to laugh.

The two of them were both so jolly and obviously, in love with the museum and their work, it was infectious.

Thank you both for the smiles and the laughs.

Leaving Barrow-in-Furness I was on the train to Lancaster and met a lovely woman called Rebecca. She didn't want her photo taken and she's not on the web so she won't ever see this, but her attitude to life was inspiring, so thank you, Rebecca.

Unfortunately, there is a thumbs down on this post and that's to the youth travelling from Glasgow Central to London in carriage B who was apparently going to a tv talent show in London and although spoke with a northern accent, is I suspect Portuguese by origin.   He was rude and unhelpful and, well, you're not going to get very far with that attitude in 'show business'.  You know who you are, so thumbs down. 

But enough of that, on to the second big thank you and thumbs up of this post.

I finally got to see the show Hamilton and although, yes, I did talk about a museum and exhibition above, that was the exception so here, it is going to be all about the people again.

Both my friend and I were so impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London.  

There was the security guard who searched our bags as we went in, he was fun and smiling, (no name or picture sorry).

Kirsty

All the bar staff, who could not have been more patient and helpful to everyone and some of whom despite the frantic rate of service, kindly stopped for a photo for me: Maeli, Karen, Jonathan, Kirsty and Salome.  

Karen

Salome

Jonathan

There were more bar staff but they were all so busy and serving people, I couldn't get all their names.  But thank you to them too. 

Maeli

There were also three ushers in the ladies' loos (including a very helpful young, redhead) but I didn't get a picture of them(!) helping make sure the queue moved efficiently and smoothly.  One would think not a great job but the staff were smiling and laughing in here too. Thumbs up to Victoria Palace as I've never seen this before and it certainly meant the panic for a pee in the interval was in fact very relaxed.

Luke

Then, there was the usher, Luke, when asked where someone could leave their glass, he said just give it to me.

My friend and I weren't alone in noticing the excellent level of friendliness in the service, we got talking to a woman at the bar, and she said the same thing.

So, to all the staff, thank you and thumbs up and to the Victoria Palace Theatre and Delfont Mackintosh, well done on however you are training and supporting your staff.

Victoria Theatre

So lots of thumbs up and thanks to lots of people for making our days that little bit better.  Do look at the pictures below but before you go, remember, If you would like to write a post to thank someone or tell us something nice that happened just get in touch and we would love to hear from you and to spread the thanks.  You don't have to know how to do the formatting and stuff, we'll help you with all that.  We just need some nice smiley photos (don't be like me and forget to take them!) and some words. 

Photos from the West Coast and Sankey Collection exhibition

Try and read the signs if you can, they will tell you a lot about the Sankey collection and also the Open Call for next year's exhibition  

Ivor Nicholas photo radioactive milk 15 Oct 1957 

Eve Arnold

(apologies, video without soundtracks)

London for locals and tourists

Some more everyday smiles and helpfulness in London Town.  The place that everyone says is so cold and unfriendly.  Have you tell you guys I’m a born and bred Londoner and I think London is as friendly or as cold as any other city on this earth, depending on what you’re expecting.  Having said that, I think all modern cities can be very lonely places. But moving on....

So first off is Tarkam.   I had some keys cuts a while ago but they weren’t quite right so I went back but the original guy wasn’t there and the whole key cutting operation has been taken over by a new operation, The London Cobbler.

Tarkam, and his father, Mehmet, now run the key cutting and shoe repair shop sharing space with Magic Dry-cleaners in Golders Green.

I haven’t met Mehmet yet, but I’m guessing he will be as lovely and helpful as his son.  Tarkam is third generation shoe repairer and key cutter as Mehmet followed in his father’s  footsteps.

Thank you to Tarkam for your helpfulness and smiles.

Meanwhile, on a beautiful day in July, I found myself back in the Houses of Parliament, looking at the beautiful Westminster Hall ceiling, https://www.parliament.uk/palace/westminsterhall/.  and the carved angels that the lovely Helga particularly wanted to see, having seen some in Norfolk and she had been researching them and the work of Hugh Herland.   ---  Also with us was “grumpy/curmudgeonly” (his words, not mine) Rob.  He wasn't either of those things but he really wanted to make it into the blog but didn't want to smile! So now you're in here Rob, hope you like it. Okay? ---- 

But back to the post...   I couldn’t get pictures of the amazing ceiling because of I only had my ‘phone with me rather than a proper camera and there is a bit of scaffolding there that day but if you’ve never been to Westminster Hall, so long as you book, anyone can go in.  If you want to know more about the Hall, you can read about the hammer-beam roof and the architecture here www.parliament.uk/westminsterhall/architecture/the-hammer-beam-roof-/ and if you want to visit there are all different ways and you’ll find them here https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/.

While I was there I thought I would see if Carlos was around to say hello, (see post everdayfolk.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-beautiful-summers-day-behind-scenes), but it turned out he was on leave while parliament was in recess but I’m almost glad he wasn’t there as it meant I got to meet Deidre, Barbara and Gary.

Gary is a visitor assistant and it was he that directed me to Barbara and Deidre when I asked about Carlos.

Gary was working in the central lobby helping the tourists and visitors with directions and answers.  He got very badly smashed up in a car accident a few years ago, shattering his leg below the knee but due to his character, this did not stop him from subsequently completing three marathons, his last and best time being 501, his nickname.

Thank you, Gary, for your interesting stories and smiles.

Over to the Reception desk in the Central Lobby, I asked after Carlos and both Deidre and Barbara were there fielding every manner of request.  Their modern title being a “service delivery coordinator”, (Sorry but it makes me long for politically incorrect titles like, ‘personnel department’, ‘housewife’, ‘waiter’ and ‘secretary’.  That’s me feeling old).  Anyway, when I showed them the blog to explain why I wanted to find Carlos, well it was wonderful, we started chatting like we were long lost friends.

I was sorry I had to go but hope the next time I have occasion to be in the Houses of Parliament they’re both on the desk to say hello again.

Thank you, Barbara and Deidre, for the help, the chat, the gossip and the smiles. 

Since I couldn’t get a picture of Westminster Hall itself, here are a couple of shots from St. Stephen’s Hall, including a plaque to Marjory Hume, the suffragette who chained herself to the statue of the Second VIscount of Falkland and among the expected style of paintings, what I consider a ‘weird’ one possibly featuring death by Charles Sims, R.A.  Sorry they're not better shots but it's quite hard to ge the right angle etc.  Just go yourselves and look at them!

by Charles Sims, R.A.

St Stephen's Hall

by Vivian Forbes

by George Clauses, R.A.

So thank you Tarkam, Deidre, Gary and Barbara for bringing that little bit extra to work with you and smiling while you work.

If you have someone you want to thank, tell us something nice that happened, just get in touch, this blog is here for you.  

You don't have to know how to do the formatting and stuff, we'll help you with all that.  This blog is for you, somewhere for you to have your say, spread the positive and say thank you.  

We would love to hear from you.

Paxos, Italian food and London

It’s funny, I’ve always been good about bigging up strangers but never think to do it for friends.

But then I thought, how did this group of people working in a cafe become friends?  Because of their smiles and excellent service.

Caffe Italiano is a small restaurant cafe bar on the Greek, Ionian island of Paxos.  It is run and owned by the by Bartolo, originally from Bari in Italy.  

I love spending time there when on Paxos as the atmosphere is always one of great friendship; by all the staff making all their clientele feel like friends, they actually become friends.  It is the loveliest cause and effect circle.

There is Fiona, Bartolo’s wife, from Scotland, Daniel the chef, who we thought was Romanian, (not least as we visited him there in Bucharest), but no it turns out he’s from Transylvania and then there is Spyros, who lives in Athens but comes from a small village in Ioannina.  A truly international affair of an Italian restaurant cafe on a Greek island!

I hadn’t thought of doing a blog about them but then Spyros asked me why not and it was one of those lightbulb moments.  I am not a president that shouldn’t big up his own interests. (www.theguardian.com/trump - being written 3.3.19 - check the news of the day - this gets a big thumbs down), and just because they are friends now there is no reason I shouldn’t point out that these are folk that bring that extra smile to work and make everyone else’s day that much better for it, (added to some lovely food - thank you, Dani).

Spyros, Bartolo and Daniel

As well as being able to chill away hours with a coffee and a book, it’s a real hub of a meeting place and you can often find Ian of Il Pareo, https://en-gb.facebook.com/IlPareoPaxos/ the lovely next-door boutique selling gorgeous Indian and Balinese clothes and gifts, sitting at the cafe holding court.  You might also be lucky and catch the ever smiling Sam and Stuart of PaxosWeddings.com there.  Sam writes one of my favourite Paxos blogs Off Season Paxos https://offseasonpaxos.com I will probably get in trouble here for mentioning two lots of folk and then not a lot of others so forgive me, in Oscar’s style speech.

If you want to know more about Caffe Italiano they are on facebook at www.facebook.com/CaffeItalianoPaxosGaios and should be re-opening for the season some time in April until October.  But for now, a big thumbs up to Barto, Fiona, Daniel and Spyro, thank you for the smiles and look forward to more to come. 

And why might you ask has it taken me so long to post this thumbs up; oh life stuff but then this morning lovely Louise reminded me of the joy of thanking someone.  

We were at Prezzo in Northumberland Avenue the other evening, (after seeing the wonderful show Caroline Or Change https://carolineorchange.co.uk) and after we left, we were just getting to Charing Cross Station when the waiter ran up with my ‘phone which I had left in the restaurant.  I wasn’t thinking so didn’t get his name or anything else before he ran back to the restaurant but Louise, being one of the smiliest people I know, did think.  She followed up and wrote to Prezzo and we now know the lovely waiter who ‘saved me’ was Bajram.  So a big thumbs up and thank you to both Bajram and Louise.  

That's the end of a first post in a while but, don’t forget this blog is really for you, so if there is someone you would like to thank for bringing that bit extra to their work and your day, please do get in touch, details below.