BNI National Director Charlie Lawson signs The Shirt

It was a great pleasure to meet up with Charlie at a superb Excelsior visitors day in Chelmsford where he was keen to add his signature to the BNI shirt. A huge boost to the project! Thanks, Charlie.

The meeting was a huge testimonial for the power of BNI. There were more than 40 visitors in a packed room and a number of guests including the Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Alan Arnot who became the third mayor I had the opportunity to tell about the project. He listened intently and was delighted to receive the project’s pin and sign a shirt. Thanks.

Then, it was a huge dash to Colchester for a stadium visit prior to the England U21 game. It was good to get pitchside and although I saw the teams I am afraid the refugee budget did not stretch to a match ticket. I had hoped to get to Ipswich Town but my little legs were not up to it so that will be on tomorrow’s agenda.

MAGNIFICENT DAY

I had a terrific meet with the South East Essex Football Company.

I also got invitations to Colchester Utd and Ipswich Town and TheBestOfNorwch. Thanks alll.

GREAT DAY

What a great day!

1) I got a sponsor for today and tomorrow from Dining Club 500 AND a Ukraine national shirt and

2) The day of the Ecademy cricket match has finally arrived. It was a pleasure to meet Thomas and Penny Power again together with Milton and Baju who had worked so hard to organise the day. It was also a great pleasure to meet the Powers’ two sons as well as a good number of Ecademists and their friends. A great day was had by all. I had not played cricket in 35 years …..and it showed. My bowling was appalling and my batting worse but that did not stop me having a great day. Yes, in between a miserable spell of bowling and some woeful batting where I managed a paltry one run, I got the important wicket of Milton Rodrigues who was superby caught by Thomas Power just as it looked as if he had played himself in.

So, a real fun day which I am sure everybody enjoyed and an early finish meant I could get some quality to time on the net to update everything.

Huge thanks to Milton and Baju for organising the day and I hear that next year’s match is already being planned. Guys, you are welcome to invite me to make up the numbers! Thanks also to Penny for acting as score-keeper and Kevin Wright for umpiring. Two thankless tasks …. so thanks again!

Gillingham ….35 years on

Outstanding BNI meeting in Copthorne, near Gatwick

Stayed with Colin & Jean Heath – he’s possibly the most interesting person I have met on whole journey. He’s cycled extensively both solo and tandem and gave me masses of tips. A classic which I would love to known before I started is, “Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty”. They don’t teach you that at university ….sadly. They are the parents of proactive BNI AD Tracie Shippey who most definitely went the extra mile to see I was well looked after so HUGE thanks to the whole family! Your support is most appreciated. Tracie is also an active cyclist and recently completed London to Paris in 4 days so knows exactly the challenges of life on the road.

Cycled on to Gillingham, Kent. Arrived late at a YHA and fell asleep during first five minutes of England versus Bulgaria. Woke up 1-0 up and I stayed awake for the rest. Good performance and bodes well for the sterner test of Switzerland next week.

BNI Flagship, Copthorne

“Down to the Brighton, where it’s hot” (The Kinks?)

I wake in the shadow of Fratton Park and know it’s going to be a “long one”

Brighton here I come!

It’s a Game of Two Halves

Fantastic weather – few hills but little luck at the clubs. Longest day ever – Dorchester, Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth almost exactly 90 miles but After more than 3 hours in the cycle there was nobody to see me at Bournemouth and the receptionist showed little interest. 21 hours later the “promised” call still has not been received. Then on to Southampton through the gorgeous New Forest. Lovely afternoon ride but got to the St Marys stadium at 5,30 …..and everybody had gone for the day. To stay or to go? I have to be in Crawley for this evening which is 105 miles from Southampton so I pressed on. I arrived at Fratton Park at 9pm so it was just a quick swing around the ground and into the Etap next door.

Early start today to Brighton and then Crawley so will have to update this post and add photos later.

A highlight day

BNI Ivel get me in to stadium at Huish Park and meet Yeovil Town manager Terry Skiverton. Thanks to Jon Majeika, Paul Clegg and ex-Yeovil star and chapter member Michael Spencer for organising this. Photos to follow.

Then to meet Lawrence Dagnall BNI AD in Weymouth/Dorchester who is learning Spanish. Happy to help. Coincidentally, Lawrence opened the very first chapter I went to – Hogarth in Chiswick, London. Small world.

It’s all good news!

The last few weeks have been absolute disasters financially and I have really struggled to get sponsors. For that reason I was delighted when Carolyn Williams oragnised a raffle at the Swansea events last week as otherwise the refugee budget would not have been able to cover this weekend’s accommodation. Thanks Carolyn and thanks to all at BNI Waterfront. You saved the week. Today I got some great news that I have a sponsor for the next week! I think Rob is a bit shy about being thanked but it’s a HUGE thanks to you, Rob. You know who you are even if you don’t want the world to! Eighty euros should see me through until next weekend and I hope to have some more sponsors as I get nearer London where I have many friends and contacts. Here’s hoping!

BUT BUT BUT ….. much more important Bjørn has announced his plans for NEXT summer.

On his blog he writes

Norway is ca 2500 km. If you take Norway out of a map and turn it, then it goes al the way to Italy, so yes!! it is a long country…

I have found that you first have to say it, then write it on the wall, then hang a note on the refrigerator.

Then comes the vision writing, goals, a methodology of “tools” and start training and planning.

Now I’ve said it and written it and hung the note on the refrigerator. New patches and huge sheet shall be made, made and hung on the wall. There is 1. Vision 2. Goals and 3. Methods

Vision
Visions Nr one has started: “what should I do and see – what shall I make – for me and who?”.

Objectives;
“How, how fast / slow, what should be achieved, for whom and how much can be measured? Should I create pr / media for UNHCR/NRC and @refugees as in 2009/10, or any other? Should I do other collection? I know one thing and that is that “The Shirt”, will be extended and used. I do believe it is the world’s greatest symbol of uniting and it should be extended.

Methods and tools;
Ski, kayak, bike?
Pr, media, presentations to raise awareness?
Spinning shows in 20 cities? (Spinning Norway to South Africa in an hour with pictures and cool music)
As last time without sponsors or with?
Fast and play super fit – or slowly and experience? ”
What should I collect other then football shirts? Stories, food, culture, photos, beer signs, flowers, sunsets??
What does collections lead to?…

I know I’m going to collect more examples and metaphors of motivation, willingness, exploring, and controlled insanity. I know I’ll make more on the topic of “community” and “methods for the PR and media.” I know that communication is a core …

Norway lengthwise is to be carried out and I hope you join the journey from today. Thats the writing on the walls and notes on the refrigerator..

😉

Bjorn Heidenstrom

Meanwhile, back in the saddle. A VERY early start before a tough day. Actually it was my earliest ever start for the toughest ever day. It started with a slow 6 mile climb and progressed to steep hills and then steeper hills. Delighted to arrive ahead of schedule in Yeovil – safe and well. The bike is parked up for the night at a pub with the friendliest landlord of the trip. Say “hi” to Pete at The Quicksilver Mail in Yeovil. He thinks I’m mad but quickly sorted food and drink, so that’s good enough for me. If you, your car or bike can make it, the pub is at the top of Hendford Hill and it’s worth the climb! Loads of CAMRA certificates and the cheapest water and blackcurrant in the UK. Something for everybody then!

Gorgeous weather and the first time it has not rained in 10 days. Life is sweet …..oh and Man City lost last night. It does not get better LOL.

Looking forward to BNI Ivel after a good night’s sleep!

La Liga starts

Guys, if you think I am fanatical about English football think again! La Liga started in Spain this weekend as did the Segunda, Segunda B and Tercera which are the second, third and fourth levels of Spanish football. For the first time in 10 years I am not there willing my two teams on. Yes, as in the UK with Manchester United and Gillingham so in Spain do I have two teams Real Madrid and FC Torrevieja. Actually in Spain I have three who I follow as I moved down to Málaga two years ago and quickly fell in love with the team from La Rosaleda. For the first time in many years I was only 20 minutes away from a top flight club ……. and I was quickly sucked in to the day to day involvement which is simply impossible with Madrid 500 kms away. So, it all felt kind of strange not being in a noisy, smoke-filled bar with 7 screens showing 5 different channels (and often a few radio stations for good measure!) Barcelona won convincingly with Villa scoring on his league debut whilst Madrid struggled on Mallorca. My beloved FC Torrevieja from the Alicante province won and after a few months that are memorable only for off-field “issues” it was great to see the 1-0 scoreline being texted through to me. ¡A por ellos!

I’m all packed up, with (hopefully) emails, blogs, newspaper articles all up to date on what promises to be one of the toughest weeks of my life. At dawn I set off for Yeovil and then I am off to Dorchester, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Crawley and Gillingham before I reach Benfleet next Saturday. On Sunday it is “The Big One” AKA The 2 Annual Ecademy Cricket Challenge where I am expected to play for King and Country and where my only intention is to catch up on sleep from the terraces!

Have a great week and if I struggle to keep the blog up-to-date I apologise in advance.