Have you visited Wales on holiday, or are you fortunate enough to live here? May 11th marked the first anniversary of our move to Machen, Caerphilly, just north of Cardiff and on the other side of the M4 and the Mountain!
Before sharing a few thoughts on what I’m enjoying most, here are a few top recommendations for you:
Top Non-fiction Book Recommendation (Reading): Talk by Alison Brooks Wood. She goes into a lot of details, but it’s well worth reading if conversation is a mystery to you! If it’s too much information, I have posted highlights on LinkedIn since I started reading it.
Top Non-fiction Book Recommendation (Audible): A Woman’s Voice. This is an insightful and important book that looks at the world through the lens of Voice, from both a historical and international perspective. It’s a fascinating read and the last three chapters contain exercises that will easily identify why she is my voice and speech guru!
Top e-learning platform: Of course, it’s Breathtaking Communication Online Academy. Published on 8th May, I’ve been delighted to offer the Beta Tester Course at a discounted price of £97 for learners who are prepared to provide feedback on their user experience. There are a few places left if you would like to avail of this, so reach out for the code offer. Otherwise, the full price of £497 is still fantastic for the entire series of four courses. Both include the option of fortnightly drop-in group coaching sessions.
I was asked what I love about Wales recently. Without missing a beat, I replied, “wonderful water, friendly people and a reassuring police presence.”
The water in South Oxfordshire (SO) is classified as hard and I welcome the taste of the water here, as well as it’s positive impact on my hair, skin and household appliances that come in contact with water! I’m also convinced, that although damper than SO, there is very little difference in the rainfall, as I’ve been travelling back to Harwell twice a month to meet with clients. This dampness is probably due to the beautiful fields, woods and streams which surrounds us – the beauty of Wales is a huge tourist attraction and we’re just 45 minutes from a good beach.
The people are very friendly. I love being back amongst Celts and everyone seems more relaxed and kinder, perhaps because the pace of life is a little slower (literally, it’s 20mph anywhere near houses!) We’re in a lovely neighbourhood and with a cycle path next to the house, there’s someone to chat with every day on my lunchtime dog-walk.
I’m enjoying building relationships in Cardiff and Caerphilly, with Cardiff Business Club attracting top notch speakers and Caerphilly Business Club with a great local network of business. I’ll be speaking at their Expo at the end of June and you can book here if you’re free. I’m also ‘sharpening my axe’ at Cardiff Speakers Club and supporting PSA South West in Bristol.
The reassuring police presence seems like an odd choice, even to me. But seeing police cars every day is a reminder of safety and protection that I’ve not encountered since my childhood in Ireland. Although I know from local news that South Wales has its fair share of social problems and crime, it’s not something I experience.
A final reason I’d like to share is that I feel a little closer to heaven here. Not only are we living on top of a hill, but the first shop in both directions is an ice-cream parlour!
On that note, have a lovely summer and I hope we speak soon. Perhaps you can tell me what you love about where you live.
