Back to basics, London again

A few thank yous to a lot of different people rather than a big, subject, post.

I've called this back to basics as I'm remembering the initial idea for this blog; people who do their job with a smile; who bring something extra to the job and their day thereby making your day all the better.

So first of all, to Ann-Marie at Volvo in Swiss Cottage.  Thank you for always welcoming your customers with such a friendly chat and making them feel like they're coming over to a friend's rather than getting their car serviced or repaired.  

You always make it feel like there's time to sit down, have a natter and coffee.  Excellent, thanks.  

(This is where I would have put the 'thumbs up' but as of the last post, we're dropping that from the blog unless people want them back?).

picture courtesy
www.allinlondon.co.uk/images/

Next a couple of thanks without pictures for the moment but hopefully they'll get their own posts in due course.

To Rosey the hygienist who manages to make me smile and laugh while scraping my teeth. Thank you.  I'm hoping I might feature her in a later post with her lovely smiling face.

To the two armed police outside the Chinese Embassy on Portland Place the other day who were smiling and laughing with about twenty nursery school children walking past with their teachers.

And to Ellias of David's Deli Garden.  Ellias and his brother, Sam, run David's in West Hampstead and have now opened a branch in Praed Street.  I bumped into him in the Castle Chemist in Cricklewood Lane and was so enjoying chatting and catching up, forgot to think of the blog and getting a picture of him but he and his brother definitely deserve a post (see RNIB Black Lion Pub Quiz post here read-for-rnib-pub-quiz-thanks-and-photos), so again hope to feature them in a proper post with photos in due course.

Now to the last thank you of this post, it's to Le, Nba and Nimah of the Sensation Café in Fitzrovia.

Lunch hour midweek in the West End of London is fairly manic in all eateries, particularly places doing fast takeaway food for people in offices.  

However, you walk into the Sensation and you are greeted by three beaming smiles and calm descends. 

Le is behind the counter making up the food and taking the orders.  I had a seriously wicked Báhn mi (a Vietnamese sandwich in a baguette).

Lovely, (shy), Nimah was behind him on drinks and I had a good latte.  I think she thought I was mad taking their photos!

and then Nba (I hope I've got all your names right), is everywhere, serving, clearing, smiling and making sure everything's as it should be.  

An oasis of calm (good food) and smiles in the middle of London.  What can be bad?!

So thank you to everyone above and thumbs up for making all our (London) lives that bit better.

Do you want to say thank you to anyone?  Well this is the place to do it.

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 words and preferably some nice smiley photos.  (don't forget to ask if you can take them).  This blog is for you, somewhere for you to have your say.  Thanks.

A Guest Post from Carol Bridgestock - SMILE AND WEST YORKSHIRE SMILESWITH YOU

Big smiles and a big thank you to ‘everyday folk’ who went that extra mile for us and others, on our ‘Snow Kills’ two week book launch tour of Yorkshire November 2013! 

Remember ‘When You’re Smiling the whole world smiles with you!’ ‘What you give you’ll get back ten-fold’ and ‘Treat others as you wish to be treated...’ Some of my wise grandmother’s favourite sayings and the one thing I always remember about my grandma was she was always smiling...

Come with me and meet some of the most generous ‘smiliest’ people we met and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Jake & Peter with 3yr old Thomas!

The Huddersfield Giants – Jake Conner and Peter Aspinall who presented the prizes at our children’s drawing/writing competition event which we organised to encourage youngsters to read and write, and to raise money for ‘The Forget Me Not Hospice’. Thanks guys, we raised £80.

The happy, smiling winners with actress Sharon Holland Taylor who also gave up her time to read out the winning stories/poem!

 Many times Sue battled the tumulus weather in West Yorkshire during Bob’s thirty year police career, to report on the crime scenes Bob was called out to attend. Great to meet up with her and glad to report she is a little warmer in her role in the Calendar TV news room nowadays and still smiling! I was on telly and still smiling! Thanks to the lovely Christine Talbot & Duncan Wood .

   

DI Dylan fans are the best! Phil and Yin Johnson, who also happen to be Inter-national P.I’s travelled from Portugal to be with us at our book launch at Prego, Brighouse, West Yorkshire and Karen Ebdon and Sam Gouldthorp took the opportunity to visit some of Dylan’s haunts whilst there for the weekend from Portsmouth.

On the night of the launch we also auctioned a Manchester United shirt signed by Rio Ferdinand that was given to us in aid of Help For Heroes. Thank you Man Utd – THE only club who came up trumps when approached for an auction prize. £180.00 was raised on the night for the charity .

Thank you to my ‘little brother Stephen’ whose smile always reaches his eyes!

The first time out of London and we were asked to be compere at The Evening of Remembrance at Huddersfield Town Hall. In the style of Gareth Malone Military Wives at least 150 ladies of the Kirklees Mass Choir as well as The Yorkshire Band of the Royal British Legion were on stage and all in good spirits. I can’t say there were no tears as well as smiles that night but we all bursting with pride!
   

And at the BBC Radio Leeds Studio here is one of the the lovely smiley ladies behind our morning host Wes Butters. The gorgeous & smiley Katy Lambert who makes lovely hot chocolate to go with the Isle of Wight goodies we took.

    

The staff at Prego  looked after us wonderfully whilst we were on tour, even going as far to wash some of our clothes. We couldn’t have done it without you! http://www.waterfrontlodge.co.uk/
 
And here is the lovely Kelly! We miss you too guys but we will be back soon!

And the ‘boys in blue’ – although these were  ‘girls in fluorescent’ came out to see what all the fuss what about at Huddersfield Waterstones book signing. Hello! Hello! Hello! Not quite an arresting incident hence the smiles!

And the children had fun too.... 

£1,300 was bid at the HSBC Ball from a DI Dylan fan to be a named character in our next book ‘Reprobates’ - All in aid of The Forget Me Not Trust – Wow!    

We were privileged to be given a tour around the Hospice. We took signed books that I had been collecting from friends who are children’s authors, for the library. David Walliams gave me seven including his latest as well as a signed picture for them... what an absolute gent! I have to sadly report J.K Rowling couldn’t spare one of hers...

Bob and I here with the ‘thrilled’ Jason Costello, Partnership Development Manager. 

We were soon on the last leg of our tour and over at Media City in Salford, Manchester where we were at the read though of the new BBC 1 TV series for 2014 ‘Happy Valley’! Sitting around the table and seeing the familiar faces of celebs and being introduced to the head of drama from the BBC was so exciting – my jaw was permanently dropped! Here we are at the Granada Studio – caught out being a complete tourist by actress Amelia Bullmore! How embarrassing!

And here is the person who is my inspiration and always makes me smile. Bob, my husband, co-author and best friend! Here’s to the next DI Dylan launch in April 2014 Bobby!

Carol Bridgestock & her co author in crime (RC Bridgestock) husband Bob can be found @ www.rcbridgestock.com Facebook RC Bridgestock 

Twitter @rcbridgestock and Linkedin Carol & Bob Bridgestock

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