Retirement Roadshow

There is a Retirement Roadshow being held in Torquay at the Rivera Centre on 17 November from  10am  till  4pm,  aimed at over 55’s in the bay.  

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There will be many local and national businesses including NHS, government and charities attending with over 50 stalls all with a wealth of information.  

This is a free event to attend.

See: http://www.rivieracentre.co.uk/events/252

The Torquay 55+ Retirement Roadshow is to be held at The Riviera International Centre on Sunday 17th November 10am-4pm; located in the heart of South Devon and just a short stroll from Torquay seafront.

The beautiful English Riviera stretches along twenty two miles of unspoilt and spectacular coastline and covering the three unique towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

This year Torbay received more Blue Flag awards for water quality and cleanliness than anywhere else in the UK and a Purple Flag award which recognises excellence in the management of towns and city centres at night.

Torquay is the home town of the famous Agatha Christie. The Agatha Christie Mile runs along Torquay seafront between the Imperial and Grand Hotels and features a number of landmarks significant in the author’s life and works. 

Explore the Agatha Christie Literary Trail through the English Riviera and South Devon, which reveals the inspirations she took from the local area and featured in her novels. There is currently an exhibition on at Torquay museum where you can view the Agatha Christie Gallery. 

This exclusive exhibition is the first of its  kind in Torquay for many a year. We have researched and selected local and national businesses to be able to provide the local community with a wealth of valuable information to help guide them in preparation for their senior years.

There will be approximately fifty versatile businesses attending including NHS, Government and local charities.

The aim is for the Roadshow to be informative for all our visitors and presented in a fun and vibrant atmosphere to the local community so they can see and speak to all the wonderful exhibitors and find out what help and support is available to them locally and all  from one room!

We want the Torquay Roadshow to have a wonderful display of many types of businesses so there will be something for everyone. Typical exhibitors will be promoting and giving advice on the following topics:

Health * Finance * Legal * Property * Care * Leisure * Education * Fashion * Beauty

Asda has kindly offered to help promote the Roadshow and will be contributing in the form of a fashion show, displaying their current Christmas Season lines.

We have invited Ariella Raqs 'Bay Belly Dancers' and 'Charleston Dancers' to perform their current routines and promote healthy living and exercise in a fantastic vibrant display!

Charities attending are Blue Cross and Crossroads Care, both very much needed charities which do amazing work around Torbay.  We welcome them to our Roadshow.

Refreshments

Teas, coffees and cake will be available on the day within the arena. There are toilets and a lift for your convenience. If you wish to stay locally for lunch there is a fabulous restaurant on site 'Bay Brasserie' overlooking the Bay and Torre Abbey Gardens.

There are many local restaurants and pubs close by within walking distance if you wish to have refreshments off site. 

Parking

The Riviera International Centre has a large onsite pay and display car park and are also conveniently located near Torquay Train Station as well as a number of local bus stops.

The Torquay 55+ Retirement Roadshow is FREE to attend. So please book this date in your diary or mark it on your calendar 'Sunday 17th November' as this is an exhibition not to be missed!    We look forward to seeing you there.......

From: http://retirementroadshow.co.uk/index.php?node=torquay-2013-11-17

The Paignton

Embroidery

Exhibition

(Westcountry Embroiderers)

6th and 7th September 2013

Open 10:30 - 16:30 daily

50p admission

There will be trade stalls and refreshments

Furrough Cross United Reform Church Hall,

Babbacombe Road, Torquay, TQ1 3SE

For other ideas, see: http://pinterest.com/shushab/embroidery/

Tonight's views taken at dusk:
Above: towards Torquay
Below: towards Brixham

Torbay Geopark Status

Great news via Creative Torbay.
http://creativetorbay.com/englishrivierageopark/geopark-revalidation-results/

The report of the two UNESCO evaluators that visited the Geopark back in June recently went before the European Geoparks Network Coordination Committee in Norway.

Great news! The English Riviera has been awarded another 4 years membership of the rapidly expanding UNESCO supported Global Geoparks Network.

Nick Powe, chairman of the English Riviera Global Geopark, said: 

“This is a great success for Torbay. We may be the smallest Geopark in the world but we are recognised across the global network as one of its gems. Many aspiring Geoparks are encouraged to look at the English Riviera for best practice when it comes to combining geology, the natural environment and tourism.

“The Global Geopark designation, endorsed by UNESCO, is hugely important to Torbay’s ambitions for economic regeneration. During the revalidation we were able to list £5.4million of inward investment projects secured for the resort as a direct result of the Geopark designation.

Geopark Coordinator Melanie Border said

"The inspection with the UNESCO evaluators was an intensive experience for all involved but they where really impressed by the strength of the Geopark Partnership and all of the achievements that have been made over the last 4 years.

"There are now 87 Global Geoparks in 27 countries around the world and it is fantastic to think that our place within this growing global network is secured for another 4 years. This designation is not just about one or two sites of geological importance but recognises the significance of the entire bay, celebrating our natural environment alongside our history, heritage, art and culture. It places the English Riviera on the map with some of the most stunning places around the world"

For more information visit http://www.englishrivierageopark.org.uk/

We are making embellished bags at a Westcountry Embroidery Dayschool here in Paignton tomorrow.  I've been looking around for ideas and think that being beside the seaside that this could be a good influence.  The colours seen often here are terracotta, turquoise, blue, darkish green and beige.  As it happens (so they say) these colours go very well together, so it's a good starting point.

I've also looked on this website: http://www.interiors-tides.co.uk/.  
They have lots of great ideas: 

beach huts, driftwood, fishing boats, 

sea, lighthouses, sea birds, yachts, sky, fishing ports,

rope, nets, sand, rocks, fish, shells, 

flags, seaweed. 

And there's also red Devon soil here in Torbay.

(looking north from Babbacombe)

The first item I need is some plain cotton fabric - no can do - everything here is either patterned or not cotton.  So will make do, take a few bits along and see which is most suitable.  I have a lovely small bag of beads in interesting blue and turquoise which will have to be incorporated somewhere.

6pm, well I've just got home and had a look at the effort so far today - and it has absolutely nothing to do with the sea.  It's more like cogs in a wheel, and the fabric doesn't even suit the project.  So, into the (fabric) bin and I'm going to start again!

VIEWS

Time to put on a few views from our house:

 This series of pictures was taken at 6.03am on 31 August 2011, funnily enough the 'red sky in the morning' didn't hold as it turned out to be a lovely sunny day!  The first pic is looking SE towards Brixham, the second is looking due East towards the sea the the last two pics are looking NE at Torquay.

Looking towards Brixham on a sunny August evening - about 8pm

 Lancaster Bomber going around

Towards Torquay

Looking towards Brixham

Front garden

HMS Bulwark saluting us - 22.7.2011

a cloud

 David contemplating, building his wall.

Annual Brixham Trawler Race at the end of June 2011.

 Part of a rainbow

 Stupendous Sunrise one January morning

 And equally stupendous moonshine over Tor Bay

View from the decking

If you weren't there - who would care?

If you weren't there - who would care?

Yes, that's me 
standing in the foyer of Sainsburys, dressed in rather unusual garb

Last year Sainsburys invited members of the Torbay Care Trust to go into their stores at The Willows, Torquay and Brixham Road, Paignton to publicise the Torbay Carers Card.  This is a card for people who help look after a family member, friend or neighbour who could not manage without that help. 

Carers carry these free cards around with them and, in case of emergency, there's a telephone number on the card which can be rung.  When the call is received at the Centre a nominated family member or friend is contacted by the Centre, who can ensure that the cared-for receives any help needed.

Carers on the Register receive a regular newsletter, they are offered discounts in certain shops and are invited to take part in relevant trainings and social events, should they wish.

So far we've carried out this publicity three times - last November, then again in February and now this week - it's hard work - but very worthwhile when we are able to tell people who would not otherwise know about the scheme.

All of us who do this work are either carers (or ex-carers) or work with unpaid carers, which does help when talking to people.

Following the success of these events, Sainsburys 

is now planning to expand this scheme 

to another 120 stores across the country.

PS Paignton now has a Carers Centre, it's based at the Library, upstairs in room 17 (which is of course next to room 2!) - May 2013. 

see: http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/pictures/Healthwatch-Torbay-Paignton-Carers-Centre/pictures-18882123-detail/pictures.html

For those living in Paignton there's also a group to do with carers which discusses issues relating to carers in this town.  We meet at Paignton Hospital once every two months for a couple of hours.

and also see Torbay Carers (online) Forum: http://www.torbaycarersforum.co.uk/events.php

Torbay Views and Inspirations

 Coverdale Tower in Paignton is adjacent to Paignton Parish Church 
and is named after Bishop Miles Coverdale, who published 
an English translation of the Bible in 1536. 

 Crabpots at Paignton Harbour, looking north towards Torquay

 Oldway Mansion, built by Isaac Merritt Singer, of Sewing Machine fame

 Paignton Harbour, again looking torwards Torquay

The cliff at Goodrington

Torbay viewed from the seaward side, when out with a boat trip with the Paignton Lions

Looking up for rain one day - what vegetable growers are often 

seeking - I saw these seagulls. It's unusual, as we live high up 

we often look down on seagulls as they fly past, which is really weird.