Today I attended the Fluent Coaching North East Lincs Business Breakfast held at Forest Pines. It’s always a pleasure meeting local businesses and hearing the inspiring talks. Today was no exception and also very apt with it being Mental Health Awareness week…….
Vicki from Pocket Rocket Housekeeping Rescue took centre stage speaking about the pressures of life in general and being a working parent.
I am not a parent so I don’t understand the pressures of parenthood, but I do understand pressures of life and the things it throws at us. Most of us now juggle working full time, family, friends, events, paying bills etc. and that’s not including the unexpected things that pop up in our paths, life can be tough! But it can also be amazing!
Taking time to think about what is important to us and what makes us happy is essential. It’s your life and you should feel comfortable in the things you do and how you spend your time.
Also taking time to ask for help weather than be in business or in your personal life! I’ve noticed such a strong, supportive business community being back in Cleethorpes and people generally want to help which is amazing!
With all the pressures in life we need people we can reach out and talk to, it’s easy to spiral and get stressed, anxious or depressed. It’s also so important to take time out for ourselves to recharge. I attended an event a while back and the chap speaking said “protect the asset” the asset being us! I’ve never forgotten that and now always take some time for me whether that’s a lazy day in watching tv shows with John, a bubble bath, or pamper night, a walk in nature. Just a little bit of time for me to take stock and refresh.
John Borland of Fluent Coaching asked the question “how honest are you?”, how honest do you think you are? How many times have you agreed to something or attended something you didn’t want to because you felt like you had to? How would you feel saying “no I don’t want to come to your party”? In life sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to, but sometimes it’s OK to say no! Sometimes what we want and need is the most important thing.
I am going to try and be more aware of when I am saying yes to something that I really don’t want to do and try to be more honest with myself about what I want or don’t want. Make Your Yes Mean Yes and Your No Mean No!
As I previously mentioned I am running Race for Life with my Dad in a few weeks time, so this has meant having to get my bottom off the sofa and into my running shoes again. It’s for an amazing cause and one that is very close to my heart after loosing my wonderful Nan to cancer.
I love to run it’s one of my favourite things to do when I am feeling stressed or anxious to clear my head, it also just makes me feel great! There’s something about putting on some music and hitting the pavement to clear my head. However, I do struggle to get that motivation to get out there and do it, I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like this!
So last week Dad came round after work and we got our running shoes on for a run in my local green area, Sydney Park. The rain decided to make an appearence but we persevered and completed our Couch to 5k session, we also got a few hello’s from the locals walking their (very cute) dogs.
Whilst running and inbetween chatting to my Dad (no, even running doesn’t stop me talking) I got to thinking how lucky we are to have places like the park in which we can spend time. Be that for a run, a picnic, a stroll with the dog or just time with the kids on the play area. Parks are such a hub of fun and community!
The parks in the areas seem to have had a sprucing up over the years and are more of a pleasure to be in so I hope that people continue to respect our green areas to allow people to continue enjoying them! I myself am really looking forward to the summer so I can spend more time outdoors, having picnics and enjoying the fresh air.
When I moved back to Cleethorpes I was pleasantly surprised to hear one of my old colleagues Patrick Salmon was the proud owner of Alfred Enderby’s on Grimsby Docks.
Alfred Enderby has been smoking fish in a traditional way for over 100 years since it’s inception back in 1918. It has enjoyed many years of success thanks to the Enderby family and in 2016 Patrick took hold of the reigns and has continued that success.
Impressively they have won numerous awards including runner up for “Best Individual Product” in the Slow Food London Awards, in 2017 they won Producer of the Year at the Lincolnshire Life Magazine Taste of Excellence Awards and have also received two Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Foods in 2018. Most impressively their Grimsby Traditional Smoked Haddock has being awarded PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status which protects a regional food that has a specific quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to that area.
After bumping into Patrick at a networking event he invited me down to the smoke house for a tour. So, on the 2nd April I put on my wellies and headed down to Grimsby Docks to see where the magic happens. It’s been a long time since I visited the docks and felt a little nostalgic with this little trip down memory lane.
My tour started with Patrick showing me where they bring in the fresh fish each morning from Grimsby Fish Market, so early starts all round! It’s then filleted by their expert filleters removing all the bones. The following stage is the curing which is brining for haddock and salting for salmon. Next the fun bit, the smoking! The fish is placed into huge smoking chimneys, smouldering sawdust is placed over fresh sawdust and the smoking begins. Naturally formed tar is inside the chimneys and I must say I have never seen tar look so pretty! The fish is then packed and chilled ready for delivery.
Not only do Enderby’s deliver to wholesalers across the country, supply Michelin star restaurants in the big smoke, they also deliver across the UK straight to your door!
I was able to take some of this gorgeous smoked fish home with me. I cooked the haddock that evening which (as per Patrick’s recommendation) I cooked with spinach, cream and a little mustard. All I can say is WOW it was the best fish I’ve ever had. He also recommended other recipes I am yet to try out and I am secretly hoping an Alfred Enderby cook book will be on the horizon (hint hint).
It was fantastic to see the smoking process and the impressive chimneys in the smoke house. I would 100% recommend popping down to see how it’s done. Massive thank you to Patrick for showing me his world!
Companies like Alfred Enderby are a credit to our local business community and I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves in the future.
So this week I have been back in my lovely hometown after a fab holiday! It’s been a week of relaxing and spending time with family.
Sunday was a very lazy day for John and I we literally closed the curtains and had one of those awesome lazy Sundays catching up on all the TV we missed whilst away. Caught up on Game of Thrones (OMG can’t wait for the next episode) and Line of Duty (I think I heard the whole nation gasp at the end.
Monday we had a day sunning ourselves in John’s folks garden, a lovely walk for ice-creams around People’s Park although was a little sad to see quite a bit of rubbish in the water as it’s been done up so nicely and is such a lovely park! Litter is one of my pet hates! John’s Mum cooked us a lovely tea (thank you John’s Mum).
The rest of the week has been back to work, had the usual holiday blues but fortunately I love my job at HCUK Training, I am a Staffing Consultant there so get to spend lots of time out meeting businesses and networking which is ideal for me as I am definitely a people person.
I did manage to pop into one of my favourite shops this week, Forw4rd (on Market Street) to pick up some Stance socks (we have a bit of a Stance sock addiction) and had a chat with the lovely Laura (check out Forw4rd here @forw4rd).
The folks also came round this week for a cuppa and a catch up. Had a chat with my Dad and his training plans because he’s running Race for Life with me this year and has never run a day in his life so he’s been giving it a go this week and doing well I might add! Well done Dad! It’s the first year they are letting men enter and I think it’s AWESOME. It’s something I’ve done every year for around the last 4 years. So really excited to be doing it with him this year. Need to get my running shoes back on though as it’s been a while and he’ll be out-running me if I don’t get into shape!
This week I also joined a fantastic group after a kind invite, Totally Locally NEL (@totallylocallynelincs) who are spreading the word on local businesses. After popping a post about the blog on their Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TotallyLocallyNELincs/) about potential interviews I was amazed by all the fantastic businesses in the town who want to get involved. I am not going to be short of a cuppa or something to do for the next few months so watch this space for all the exciting things I have planned.
I am writing this with a very full tummy after a lovely home-cooked roast from John’s Mum (we do feed ourselves sometimes, honestly) and after a movie morning with John and his son at Parkway Cinema watching Avengers End Game which without giving away spoilers made me blub into my popcorn.
I’ve been lucky enough over the years to work for, meet with and work alongside some fantastic businesses in the big cities of Manchester and London, as well as attending numerous networking events and conferences.
I thought I’d have a HUGE shock to the system moving back to my little old hometown of Cleethorpes and shock I did have……in a good way! I have been pleasently surprised by the business community of Cleethorpes (and surrounding areas).
The business community here is thriving, with compaines such as Siemens Gamesa, Orsted etc. growing their hubs here in North East Lincolnshire as well as lots of independent businesses growing within the town.
I have had the pleasure of meeting with a number of these so far both at individual meetings as well as at networking events like the Fluent Coaching event I attended this morning. Fluent (https://fluentcoaching.com/) run a monthly event at Forest Pines, it’s really informal (which I love) and they also run their AoSBO (Association of Small Business Owners) session which are fantastic for people who run their own business but want that support and community. Definitely an event to check out if you’re local. John Borland is particularly engaging with his talks at the end of the sessions, this week it was getting us all to think about our cryptonite.
The Business Hive (https://businesshive.net/) are also a great resource for businesses. I met with Jo Taylor their Deputy Manager a little while ago to find out more about what they do and it’s clear they are passionate about local businesses. They offer a number of services to local businesses and recently opened a hub in Scunthorpe. The Business Hive also hold some fab events for non-members around different sectors which are always really informative and interesting.
I also visited Alfred Enderby (https://alfredenderby.co.uk/) recently and their owner Patrick Salmon (yes that’s his real name) was kind enough to give me the tour! Honestly, go down for a visit it is very impressive. They recently joined forces with another local success Docks Beers this Good Friday mooring their ‘Ro Ro’ boat serving their yummy fishcakes to Docs customers. It’s fab to see local businesses collaborating and working together.
That is definitely one thing that has stood out to me in the business community around here, the support that companies give each other, really wanting each other to do well and succeed. It’s fantastic seeing how the town is growing and that there is a strong business community here, one I am proud to be a part of!
I am always open to attending new networking events in the town so if you know of any please do let me know about them!
So this week was a little different I spent it in the beautiful Lake District with John, his three children, then later in the week his Mum & Dad came down too. We stayed in a beautiful cottage in Braithwaite somewhere John came with his Grandma and Grandad as a child.
I know this is a little off subject (and not about Cleethorpes) but here is a list of places I’d recommend visiting in the lakes:
Whinlatter Park: this is an awesome place for adults and kids. So many fun things to do including Go Ape and lots of different trails through the forest. Also some BEAUTIFUL views over the lakes.
Derwent Water (Keswick): Derwent is one of my favourite places to go in the lakes. We hired a boat this time which is something I’ve not done before and a great way to cruise across the lake. We have previously done the walk around Derwent Water which took around six hours, with lots of places to see along the way (I won’t ruin the surprise).
Lingholme Kitchen: we stumbled upon this place last time we visited the lakes at New Year and was great to go back and visit again. It’s a lovely little cafe in the middle of the woods, they have a Beatrix Potter garden and do yummy homemade sausage rolls. Also a fab Earl Grey tea!
The Lake District is a very special place for me, being there this week has made me realise how much I love being inthe outdoors and how good it makes me feel being out in such beautiful surroundings, in the fresh air. So, we have made a promise that we will find some time each week to get outside.
Do you have any places to recommend for local walks? I’d love to hear about them.
I am a bit late posting this week, sorry this should have gone up Sunday but I am currently in the Lake District on my hols. posts I thought for my weekly posts write about my week and what I have been up to.
Last week was a busy one, as I write this I am in the Lake District with John on our hols! So this week has been a crazy one of last minute shopping, washing and packing, all whilst getting things tied up at work. So a lot of this week has been spent between Hull and Cleethorpes.
I still managed to fit in a lovely Cleethorpes jaunt before heading off. I was lucky enough to work from home on Friday so at 4:00pm when I’d finished it we jumped in Johns car and head down to the beach near the yacht club where we sat and ate our tea. It was one of those perfect Cleethorpes days where the sun was shining but with a crisp chilly breeze.
Whilst there we got onto the subject of how amazing it is to see all the small, local businesses popping up in Cleethorpes. From the cafes, to the jewellery makers like Clee Glass (@cleeglass) who are my go to for seaglass jewellery, the consortium businesses like Original Emporium (@originalemporiumcleethorpes) and Arrtopia (@arrtopia_cleethorpes) who house some awesome local artists and businesses, to the clothes shops like Forw4rd (@forw4rd). I love how Cleethorpes is becoming a little, thriving hub of independents and also how the local people support them it’s so lovely to see! I can’t wait the see more companies pop up in the future.
It’s been a busy week so I am going to leave it there and go enjoy my glass of red I have waiting for me. I’ll be back with a post Wednesday, in the meantime check out some of the places I’ve mentioned and as ever if you have any places you recommend I try out please let me know in the comments!
I have been focusing a lot recently on self-care and what brings me joy after listening to Georgie Morley’s Chasing Joy podcast (check her out on iTunes she’s awesome). So I thought I’d share my “go to” list of things that make me feel good in this lovely town:
1. The Beach
Number one has to be the beach (and think it probably would be for most locals). I am a self-confessed beach baby! Any excuse to be by the seaside. When I first moved back to Cleethorpes one of the first things I insisted on doing was drive down to Cleethorpes Beach and dip my feet in the sea. There is something about being by the sea that instantly calms me and makes me feel happy. The feel of the sand in your toes, the cold sea lapping against your legs, the pretty seashells by the coastline. Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!
2. A Cleethorpes Sunrise
There are many places around the world where you can see a beautiful sunrise and Cleethorpes might not spring to mind for most people in the country but it definitely will for us locals. Search #Cleethorpes on Instagram and you will be inundated with pictures of beautiful Cleethorpes sunrise. We’re so lucky that we get this on our doorstep and it is definitely something that makes me feel joyful and relaxed in a morning. Especially shining over the sea. Bliss.
3. Independent Coffee Shops I love that there are lots of independent coffee shops and cafes in Cleethorpes. I am determined to try them all. Two of my favourites are The Globe on Cambridge Street (Insta: @theglobecleethorpes) and Riverhead Coffee on Seaview Street and Victoria Street (Insta: @riverheadcoffee). Both have really relaxing and chilled vibes. The Globe have the yummiest hot chocolate and Riverhead do a mean avocado on toast! When I’d moved back and wasn’t working I could spend hours sat in these cafes (thanks for the wifi guys), job hunting, writing, people watching and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
4. Paddle Boarding I was introduced to paddle boarding by my man! It was actually our first date (albeit not in Cleethorpes, sorry hometown). I say paddle boarding in the broadest of ways, I basically sit and he paddles. But there is something to be said about floating on the sea on a nice hot sunny day with the one you love! ❤
5. Pamper Day Who doesn’t love a good pamper day! The other half and I recently went to Forest Pines (Insta: @doubletreeforestpines) which isn’t in Cleethorpes but is only a short drive away. We spent a lovely few hours laid by the pool, swimming, using the sauna and jacuzzi. It was nice to take a couple of hours away from technology, chill and spend some quality time together.
6. Walk on the fittie Up by the fitties is one of my favourite places in Cleethorpes. For you non Cleethorpians the fitties are a number of small chalet like houses that people live in / rent out for __ months of the year. It’s a little community down there and they are all unique in their own way. I am sure most locals have their favourite, I know I do. The beach down by the fitties tends to be quieter too and has lots of little unique surprises if you go for a walk round there (I won’t ruin them).
7. Fish and Chips
How could there be a list without fish and chips? Grimsby do the BEST fish and chips in the world (big claim I know). But ask anyone who lives (or has lived) around here and they’ll tell you the same. It brings me so much joy sitting down to a plate of battered haddock, chips, mushy peas and gravy! My mouth is watering typing this (John you know what we’re having for tea later haha).
8.Antique browsing Vintage Lincs (Insta: @vintagelincs) is an antique shop on Wilton Road in Grimsby. It is a treasure chest of unique antiques. I love walking around there seeing all the old, pretty and sometimes fun items they have. Some of it brings back memories of my Grandparents, a china plate set, a quirky little stool, an old style wardrobe. It’s the sweetest place and definitely worth a visit you never know what goodies you might unearth. They also have a lovely little cafe attached that serves you tea in an old china teapot. Very vintage!
Vintage Lincs
9. Feeding the ducks on the Boating Lake Nothing brings back childhood memories more than getting wrapped up on a cold, crisp but sunny day and going to feed the ducks at the Boating Lake. Then getting a nice cup of hot chocolate to warm you up!
10. Being close to my family & friends
After living away for seven years, being closer to my family and friends is one of the best things about being back here. My old school friends who I have known for forever, my brother, his wife and my niece, my lovely little Nan and of course my fabulous Mum & Dad who have supported me forever. I am now close by to spend more time with them (I’m not sure they’d say that brings them joy though haha) and also dog sit our little Puddin.
I’ve really enjoyed writing this list as it has given me a chance to reflect on some of the things that make me happy! If I’m in a bit of a slump, or feeling a bit down writing lists of things that bring me happiness and joy always perk me up!
I’d love to hear about some of the Cleethorpes things that bring you joy?
In the Summer of 2018 I decided to move back to my hometown of Cleethorpes after living away in both London and Manchester for seven years. At first I was a little aprehensive. Would I find an exciting job that I enjoy? Would I settle back into life in a smaller town after living in two big cities?
I enjoyed the big city life whilst I was there but I can honestly say hand on heart moving back to Cleethorpes was one of the best things I have ever done. Here are some of the reasons why:
Family & Friends: After moving back in the Summer I reconnected with an old friend, who’d I’d not seen for nearly 17 years (or more), we went on a paddle boarding date and the rest you could say is history we’ve been inseperable ever since. I am able to spend more time with my family who I only really got to see every few months when I lived away and also see my friends and their families a lot more. My family are the most important thing to me and being able to spend more time with them is priceless.
The Business Community: I’ve been lucky enough to find a job I really enjoy, working with businesses across the whole of the Humber and it’s been amazing to be immersed in the business world of Cleethorpes and seeing how it’s grown since I left in 2012. There are so many independent businesses thriving here as well as the growing renewables sector where lots of exciting and big things are happening. The business community in Cleethorpes is also very close knit, I’ve noticed people really want to see other businesses do well and will help each other out when they can which is amazing to see.
The beach: I love being back near the seaside, being able to walk out of my door and be near the water in a few minutes is heaven. My favourite kind of days are waking up early (ish) to a bright, sunny day, heading down to Browns cafe for a fry up with the other half, then having a walk down the seafront all the way down to the fitties. Cleethorpes beach has recently been voted the number one beautiful place outside of London and I know why!
Through this blog my aim is to speak with local people, report back on local events, discover new places and my general life living by the seaside! I hope you will enjoy it.
I have recently been thinking about how we are (or aren’t) kind to ourselves! We spend a lot of time trying to make others happy and are taught to be kind to others. BUT what about ourselves?
I watched The Secret a while ago and although I found parts of it a little extreme (I wish I could think about having more money and cheques flood through the door) I am a believer in the power of positive thinking and what you put out there you get back! If you are always thinking life is rubbish, you’re not good enough, you have a rubbish job, you’ll never be happy etc this kind of thinking effects your mood and in turn you won’t look for that new job, speak or meet new people, have fun or grab those opportunities.
After attending a Business Breakfast recently held by Fluent Coaching one of the speakers, John Borland (LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2SvAceY) really got me thinking about the names we give ourselves and how these affect us in life. If you tell yourself you’re shy what will you be? If you tell yourself you’re rubbish at maths, what will you be? The same goes for more personal insults we fire at ourselves, I’m too fat, too thin, too old, too ugly, not good enough!
So, this leads me onto being kinder to ourselves, someone said to me recently the biggest fight you will have is the one in your head. It’s so true, we’re our biggest critics but we can also be our biggest cheerleaders, if we change our mindset. This is easier said than done and I certainly don’t have this down, it’s something I struggle with every day. It’s hard to tell yourself you’re good enough, you’re worthy of being loved, you deserve to be happy……but you know what…….you are!
I spoke to my Instafriend Vana Feliciano after listening to her podcast (check it out here: https://thequietbrave.com/) about making time for me and for the things that make me happy. It’s hard to fit these things into our daily lives but we need to spend time looking after ourselves physically and mentally so that we can enjoy this wonderful life that we have!
Explore what feels good to you, try new things, open your mind to new adventures, or just grab a good book, curl up in bed and have some you time! Whatever makes YOU happy! Here’s some ideas of things that I love to do to boost my mental and physical state:
Listen to uplifting, positive podcasts
Write (journal, blog)
Snuggle up with my man and watch a good movie
Walk on the beach, or just in nature in general
Meditate before bed with a Jason Stephenson guided meditation and my aromatherapy diffuser pumping out relaxing lavender
Have a soak in the bath with a good crime thriller
You’re not being selfish by looking after you, I feel that if we’re kind to ourselves then we feel good and in turn we give people the best of ourselves.
How do you like to take some time out for yourself? How do you help keep a positive outlook on life? I’d love to hear your ideas / thoughts!
