Devon Social Media

A blog is a blog is a blog! Or is it?

May 18, 2012 Kevin Woodward No comments

Over at the North Devon Business Alliance they have a blogging competition going on – plenty of details can be found here - http://www.ndba.org.uk/awards/ndba-blogging-competition – and I know for a fact that there are plenty of people in North Devon who write blogs, but so far the number of entries appear to be quite low!

It is the first month of six monthly competitions, with a winner of winners announced later in the year at the awards event that the NDBA will be a hosting! Competition will hot up as the months go by and so the first month will be probably the best chance of getting into a podium finish, but do people realise that their blogs are actually blogs and that they can enter, whatever the subject matter. Be it gardening, photography, writing, hobby related, retirement related, plus many more, all of these blogs are of interest to the rest of North Devon and beyond.

Have you wondered how you can get more people to visit your blog on a more regular basis?

Having a go in a competition has to rank as at least one way to get noticed – it doesn’t matter whether you win, people will want to know more about you and will find your main blog – mainly because you’ll put a link in it so that people can find it – links are good aren’t they for promoting your website and/or blog, so just from that perspective it is worth having a go, isn’t it?

I have entered this month & it focuses on my llamas – just in case you would like to read it – you can find it HERE! What do you think – a winning entry – could you do better – go on – have a go!

Should shops open for shorter hours?

May 17, 2012 Kevin Woodward No comments

This past weekend I did something that I rarely do, and that was to amble around a shopping centre looking at things and wondering whether to spend my money on stuff that I might need. I did actually buy something but that’s another story!

What made me think though, was the fact that most of the shops were devoid of customers – yes, it was 9:30 on a Thursday morning, but I am not sure that has anything to do with it – and I wondered whether it was like that most mornings.

The coffee & breakfast shops were fairly busy but the department stores, the chemists, the clothes shops all appeared to have none or very few customers.

So, why open – why don’t these shops open at say 10:30am or even later?

The cost of opening at 9:00am – the utilities, the staff costs etc… must mean that it is economically sensible to stay shut.

When you think about it, most of the working world are … well working … they are not available as customers, most of the parents at home are …well just got back from dropping children off at school … they are not available as customers, most of the non-working student are … in bed … not available as customers, most of the the shopkeepers are … in their own shops … and not available to customers, so why are they open?

At 5:30pm when most of the workers have finished work and are available as customers … guess what … the shops are shut!

So, why don’t the shops open at lunch time and stay open until a bit later – surely they’ll more likely get more customers!

Maybe that is too radical – are you a shopkeeper? Are you afraid to not open, just in case it is busy? Or, am I missing something?

Roy Hodgson for England manager?

May 01, 2012 Kevin Woodward 5 Comments

I think being England Manager in any sport is going to be a tough job, and with the national sport being football, then the manager of that team is going to be even harder. Whatever you think of the individual in any circumstances, you have to give him/her the chance to do the job before starting to criticise.

As with most jobs it is the task of the employer to go through the talent pool available and decide on who should get the role. So, if it fails then it should be them that get the lambasting as much as the individual.

The press will no doubt be critical of each & every decision that Roy Hodgson makes but in the end it is him that has the job and not them. If we aren’t good enough to win a tournament, we aren’t good enough, and in my opinion the players don’t have the same pride and passion playing for England as they do for their paymaster clubs, they play too much football, often lack sparkle at major tournaments, and that is where our problem lies, not so much whether we have a good manager, so let Roy alone, let him do the job, and give the FA, the clubs, the sponsors and our players the hard time for wanting to play far too much football!

Salt….does it hide or enhance flavour?

April 29, 2012 Kevin Woodward 4 Comments

Another culinary question?

In our house we don’t have much salt on our food – not sure why – nothing to do with all the health warnings, we just like to eat the food on our plate without it – on my palate the salt tends to hide the flavour of most foods – although there are some foods that must have salt – boiled egg with soldiers – there must be salt on that egg! I like the crispy fat on roast dinners to have a bit of salt – pork crackling in particular.

Of course bacon is cured in brine and is salty and I love that flavour!

I see a lot of the top chefs expounding the virtues of salt by bringing out the flavours – that Jamie Oliver doesn’t just add a pinch he chucks a load in – but for my palate, as I said above the salt tends to hide the underlying flavour and with a lot of salt that is all I can taste!

What do you think – do you add salt – at the point of cooking, or onto the plate, or like me do you leave well alone and enjoy the flavours as they come?

Just interested!

I didn’t laugh, I winced!

April 26, 2012 Kevin Woodward No comments

Humour is a strange thing!

The weekend just gone I went along to my sons stag do! A weekend in Bristol, the plan was to have a session on the go-carts, a few afternoon beers, a curry, a trip to a comedy club and then for those with the stamina a visit to a nightclub.

I participated in all of it except the nightclubbing bit, by 11.30pm it was already an hour and a half past my normal bedtime, I had drunk a few pints more than I normally do of an evening and felt it was a good time for the youngsters to do whatever they do in nightclubs! It was never my thing even when I was younger – the loud music always made it impossible to have a conversation, and hanging around looking a bit lost was never an attraction.

Anyhow, the comedy club, we were entertained by three comedians – two warm up acts followed by the main billing – I had never heard of any of them and don’t ask me to name names as I cannot remember what they were called. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a prude, I laughed at a lot of the jokes, put up with overuse of the really unnecessary swear words, enjoyed the banter between the hecklers & the comedians but…

The first warm up act was a gentleman from Ghana – as is becoming quite popular these days he takes great delight in saying things that others might not get away with – some quite racist jokes that were close to the belt, but trying to make jokes out of Africa’s poverty & suffering was a step too far! I wasn’t the only one in the audience that felt like that and at least one was met with near silence!

Are you prepared to laugh at anything, or are there some things that are taboo?

Toast – grill or toaster?

April 19, 2012 Kevin Woodward No comments

We have a holiday cottage – not for long as we hope to sell it in the near future, technically it is sold subject to contract – great news, but in the meantime it is still rented out as a holiday cottage!

Bad news, the toaster in the cottage went kaput! So, we had to put our toaster into the cottage – well there was no point buying a new one if it wasn’t wanted in 6 weeks time!

This morning I fancied toast for breakfast – I’m not joking – I had completely forgotten that we didn’t have a toaster, so I made my toast under the grill!

Do you know what, I think it makes better toast, maybe we don’t need to have the toaster back!

What do you think – toaster or grill – which makes the best toast!

Setting off on another stage of the journey to . . .

April 17, 2012 robertz No comments

I’ve just posted a parcel.

An object that came into my family some 70 years ago is starting a new stage of its journey. Where it will end up?

70 years ago, an old man brought a wooden toy to my grandfather’s shop to be repaired. Time went by and the man never returned and my grandfather’s shop closed. I don’t know what the arrangement was, but the toy hadn’t been repaired.

No one knew what to do with it so it was brought home. It sat on a shelf, then was put in a box and moved house several times and passed through the family. No one wanted to throw it away as it was made and decorated by hand.

10 years ago my Mum took it to an open antiques valuation, but the ‘expert’ was sniffy and didn’t rate it. It went back into its box for another decade.

Several weeks ago, while clearing out, I thought that someone must want and value this toy so I brought it home and posted in on an eBay auction. It has now sold, not for a great sum, but nine bidders obviously saw value in it. The buyer will have to do a lot of work to restore it, but then it will be worth even more. At least it did not go to the tip to be broken up or burnt.

I hope that in a few days it will reach the buyer and soon return to a state where it can be displayed and enjoyed again. I wonder what child treasured it 70 or more years ago. It feels good that it faces a definite future.

Where did it come from and where will it go? That’s the mystery of life’s journey.

How hard is it to eat 5-a-day?

March 19, 2012 Kevin Woodward 2 Comments

I always assumed that I eat quite healthily – I grow my own veg, we eat plenty of vegetables – Sunday roast is meat and about 5 veg, but actually when I sat down and worked it out, I was getting nowhere near 5-a-day!

Toast & an egg for breakfast, or maybe toast with some home made jam, or a bowl of cereal – none there!

Lunch tended to be a sandwich or a roll, normally with meat in, occasional coleslaw or a tomato – about a half!

Dinner, could be a stir fry, or meat and potatoe with a veg or two – maybe 2 portions there!

In all, on average I was eating just 2 and a half portions, no where near the 5 I am supposed to eat.

The thing is, I love fruit, but never really ate any!

Things have to change, we now have fruit in the basket, we have orange juice in the fridge (that counts as one regardless how much you drink), and we have a salad for lunch!

Hopefully, that’ll sort me out!

Do you eat 5 a day, how easy is it?

New NDBA magazine

March 16, 2012 Elaine Isaac No comments

Yesterday at the B2B event in Barnstaple I picked up the latest copy of the North Devon Business Alliance magazine. I had a chance to have a quick read this morning and must say it’s a very good read. This copy focuses on Twitter and has some great articles on Twitter basics and getting the most out of Twitter.

The magazine has articles written by local North Devon business people, but I must single out one of them. Robert Zarywacz not only wrote articles he also edited, designed and arranged the publication of the magazine. This obviously takes time and I would like to offer my personal thanks to him for all the effort and hard work that he puts into it as well as his other business activities.

I use South West Office Supplies

March 13, 2012 StaceyP No comments

Over the years in business we have really struggled to find a great stationery supplier that provides great value products matched with great customer service – Well at last we have found them!

They are a company called South West Office Supplies

Their customer service is great and if there is something I need a bit of advice on I know I can give them a call or send them an email and they are only too happy to help. Their delivery is also fantastic and super quick and products are great quality and value for money.
The final bonus is they are local and it’s great to support local business!

Thanks for the great service Sue and Lance – looking forward to many years of placing orders!

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The dog’s plan worked

The hidden treasures of North Devon

Why do home-baked cakes taste so good?

Should shops open for shorter hours?

Roy Hodgson for England manager?

Salt….does it hide or enhance flavour?

I didn’t laugh, I winced!

Toast – grill or toaster?

Setting off on another stage of the journey to . . .

How hard is it to eat 5-a-day?

I use South West Office Supplies

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