"Hello Mablins Lane" - a short film for the pupils of Mablins Lane Community Primary School

Actually, this is my first effort at using YouTube (can you tell?) and it is a brief recording I made this morning following a conversation with a good friend of mine at Mablins Lane. Cath (that's Mrs Bebbington to any pupils reading this!) will be taking an Assembly with 300 juniors on Friday 26th, and we decided that a farewell message from me would be a nice thing to share, particularly as I used to lead the Friday assemblies.
I'm certainly not an actor, but did this in one take and added a little intro and title. Spielberg, eat your heart out!
Anyway, more soon.
Paul
x

I have a business card!

Who would have thought it? I've never had a card before in all my professional life - and now, as I sit here unemployed (taking a career break as a business friend of mine termed it) I now have my own. My logic is that it will come come in handy as I travel. I'll be able to pass on my contact details and the photo (a rather flattering one from when I had hair) should help them to put a face with the name - though as my friend Andy said "how come you look like an American TV Evangelist?"

Anyway the real reason I am posting this image is I am now practising on my iPad, the device which will be my principle tool abroad, rather than my PC. I want to see how easy it is to use to upload images, take photos, add text and alter etc.

More soon.

Paul

x

'The Great Escape' - 22nd September post

Well, Sri Lanka is just over a week away. I fly out from Manchester at 2.05 pm and (via a short stop in Dubai) arrive in Colombo at 8.45am on Thursday 2nd October. I can't wait, but I am keeping my emotions in check as my excitement is matched by my sense of anxiety. I will be staying in an apartment in Colombo with a lady called Pri, someone I have discovered through the website 'airbnb.com'. She has asked me what I want to do during my time in Sri Lanka and I sent her the following:

• a) I'd like to walk on a beach
• b) I'd like to go scuba diving
• c) I'd like to wash an elephant
• d) I'd like to pick tea in a tea plantation for an afternoon and then enjoy a drink of tea afterwards
• e) I'd like to visit temples, museums and attractions
• f) I'd like to visit a national park or two
• g) I'd like to climb a mountain
• h) I'd like to visit Kandy and Negombo
• i) I'd like to meet with locals and enjoy company, cuisine and culture...

not much really! Can you help?

I hope she can help. The reviews for her place are excellent and everyone says she did all she could to make their Sri Lankan experience a rich one. It helps that she looks kind.

Pri

Anyway - time to see if this uploads to my blog, rather than writing tonnes more and finding out I can't do it!

Lots of love to all

Paul x