Nice one Ric the new year should definitely prove an improvement for your near neighbours having removed the Evil One!

2020 Had started out well for most of us I think.In Feb. March the war for us started the unseen enemy had arrived around the world striking fear in most of us.We are soldiers in this fight we must help each other to get threw this pandemic using our volunteers is not a sign we are weak it's a sign we realize we sometimes can't do it on our own and do need help.
The forum membership is from around the world we have a common interest in our hobby.We build to show our work.We help each other by reading or posting comments.We laugh or cry with each other.
Let us keep helping one another.
Rick

Praying for you all across the waves. Locally we are seeing cases rising in Ontario but none in my immediate area. Social distancing, masks, hand washing is the norm here and most people are following the rules.

🙏😷😎

Ron

Hi Guys,

With the rest of England going back in to lockdown and tighter restrictions enforced i just want to say don't let it get you down.
We are here so Please do not be worry about coming forward even if you just want someone to talk to.

Just click on the Volunteers icon and you will be taken to that persons Private Messaging System.

We all need to help each other especially in difficult times like this.
REMEMBER ALL COMMUNICATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL.

Martin555.(Mental Health and Wellbeing Volunteer)

So right we are lucky.My sons and their wives have been safe and working.My grandchildren have been safe.We must not let our guard down thinking we are safe we still need to protect each other.
Rick

Hi All.
This is a brilliant idea.
For me,I am lucky,a great and supportive wife and family.
This pandemic however has not been without its problems...Two of my three children faced redundancy,but seem to have dodged the axe although one of my sons still is not sure when he will fly again (BA Pilot)
Like most of us,if my children feel pain so do I.
This site gives us all the ability to share our hobby and have some light hearted entertainment.
Keep it up Ladies and Gents.
Regards.
Bill

Hi GARTH,

It is good that building and sailing the model helped you.

As these lockdowns are getting more restrictive more and more of us are unable to go out to enjoy our hobby or even to socialise.
So it is even more important that we all talk and not bottle things up as that could lead to all sorts of troubles.

So if you are lucky to be able to go out and about then please remember HANDS, FACE, SPACE.

Stay safe.

Martin555 (Wellbeing Volunteer)

I just want to write that doing a blog & building a model last March help a lot with this pandemic & doing some model boat sailing also helps but being social creatures we forget to protect ourselves. Someone will ask a question and may be a little too close to you & you forget to tell them to not get so close and you aren't wearing a mask so we all need to remember to protect ourselves .😀

I'm lucky that talk comes easy to me.If I have difficulty it's in the written word.Not everyone is able to get out what bothers them and having this volunteer format is a good way to get help.Some times it's hard for us to say we need help or we need a little support. I have a good support group around me and use it when in need.
As members you have a support group around you use it as it will help not only you but those listening.Lets help each other help all.We are in this pandemic together.This is my way of thinking out loud.
Rick

I know the restriction are very high in England!

Covid 19 is nothing to joke about!

I have decided to become a Mental Health & Wellbeing Ambassador!

Because a little over a year ago.

My Mother passed away!

I thought I could handle it!

But, I was becoming Depressed about the situation!

I needed to talk and I've been good friends with Martin555!

I confided in him!

We spoke on many occasions!

And this talking really helped me!

Although this has nothing to do with the restriction in England!

I just want to say If your feeling down and depressed!

Confided in one of us as your ambassadors of M.H & W.V.!

Lets talk about it!

It really helps and talking about, it really does help!

Cheers, And good mental health!

Ed-

By the way Guys and Galls,
If you haven't already twigged it-
Just click on the volunteer of your choice above (you won't see 'em if you're not logged in!😉) and you can then send a Private Message directly to him😊
We're all in the same boat (🙄) so go for it if you're feeling blue. We don't bite😁😁😁
Cheers, Doug😎
RNinMunich

Hi guys,
Just a little reminder with the lockdown rules changing and getting tighter especially in the U.K.
Remember if you Are feeling low and want a chat we are here if you need us.

Martin555. (Wellbeing Volunteer)

Just read this article - there may be some bits to pick out that may resonate with you...

"you sit down at your desk, ready to dive into whatever is on your plate. Then the white noise of every worry you have right now starts to make itself heard in your brain. Pandemic. Economy. Unemployment. Politics. Current events. Holiday shopping."

"humans generally aren’t well-suited to living in a highly prolonged state of unpredictability, and it’s showing"

https://www.fastcompany.com/90559385/4-steps-to-regaining-your-focus-when-youre-totally-stressed-out?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Bejesus Bill, tis another miracle!
I had a sneakin' feelin' you weren't native to Dundalk!
Carried away by a darlin' Coleen were we?😉👍
As I understand our family history I must be about 1/4 Irish so that may explain why I sometimes make some unusual logic jumps and come up with the right answer!
And wearing my heart on my sleeve also fits🙄
Apropos accents; my problem on my first visit to Eire was not to unintentionally start to mimic the local accents. I seem to have the inborn talent/curse of easily being able to mimic voices and accents that I hear around me! If I'm not very careful I'll slip into it, which of course can be taken as insulting although it is not at all intended🤔
Sorry, Just passing by Blarney Castle is just NOT ON Bill!
Put ya foot down next time! That's an order Chief!!😎
I was only there once, and sensed that I would likely never be there again.
So I let myself be suspended by the ankles over the famous stone and kissed the damn thing!
You can see the effects in some of my posts here😁
I was quite the shy type before that experience.
Know what you mean about the road signs Bill🙄
I trundled about southern Eire long before the days of GPS and without the current AA Book of the Road I'd have been a four wheeled version of 'Up the creek without a paddle'!
Only way we are gonna find out how our accents sound 'on here', as you put it, is to phone!
PM me if you wish. I haven't bothered with Skype up to now, but in terms of this thread I can see it's potential and can install if needed.
All the best, Sláinte chugat. Doug 😎
"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again.
May (your) God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Ah I know what you mean Doug, when I go home to visit my brother and come back here, Val can't understand a word I'm saying for about a week.
I'd love to know what my accent here sounds like 😊.
I lived in your part of the world for a couple of years in Beckenham in Kent, good times 😊, I just remember that it hardly ever rained, unlike my native Glasgow 😊.
I remember as a kid going on holiday to the North, I thought it was great seeing all that stuff, the army, guns, helicopters, armoured cars, all very exciting, typical boy 😊. I was just to young to understand at the time.
But I do like the way the Irish live for the moment, and wear their heart on their sleeve.
In my 18 years here I've been lucky to see a lot of the island, and had some great nights and lock-ins down the country, and of course the Guinness is great.
I haven't kissed the Blarney stone, Val considers it paddywhackery and wouldn't let me go in even though we were passing right past it once 😊, I fully understand what "well You can go in if you want" means 😊.
When I first moved up to Dundalk I was following the instructions on how to get here and when you come off the motorway, at the top of the ramp is just one road sign and that says simply Crossmaglen 16Km, I took one look, a big gulp and thought to myself "I will not be going there" or words to that effect 😊.

Take care

Bill

Hi Rick,
"What a wonderful idea of one on one that is what is needed once in a while."
What seems to be needed by us all once in a while is either
a verbal kick up the derrière
or a sympathetic ear,
or both administered virtually simultaneously!
I know I get the first from Gisela, and it's usually justified😔, and then the second❤️😊
Carry on, steady as you go shipmate👍
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Bill,
I'm a 'Sassenach', born in the south eastern extremity of England, Folkestone, Kent.
So wadda I know about northern dialects!?
Nowt!😁
A looooong time ago I went through Dundalk, on my way from Belfast to Dublin.
Border crossing was a hairy experience back then! Watch towers, barbed wire and the whole caboodle!
But not so bad as my visit to the Londonderry Police HQ the day before!
First and last time I conducted negotiations behind mortar nets.
That REALLY focusses your thoughts!
Enjoyed some lively experiences in Dublin 😉 and then moved on down to Waterford and Cork.
Yes! I kissed the Blarney Stone, I'm sure that helped me in my later contract negotiations!!!
There's nothing like a bit o the ol Blarney to smooth troubled waters😉
(My Mrs of the time, also a Valerie!, declined, she'd forgotten to wear trousers!😮🙈)

Learned a lot about life and how to live it from you guys during my all too short visits!👍
Níos mó cumhachta do do bhille uillinn !!😉
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Doug,

Good find, I read that article, it's hard to believe that it's only been in common usage here since the 50's ??, it's certainly in everyday usage now, as in "ah the craic was ninety" meaning that a good night was had by all, where the ninety comes from still remains a mystery, interestingly though it says that "craic" has Scottish and northern English origins, so I'm going to enjoy informing a few local friends of that, (obviously I won't impart that snippet to my wee darling Val, "I may be daft, but I'm not stupid")

Bill

I'm lucky in so many ways just being a member of this forum.Thanks to the volunteers for putting their name up to help others.What a wonderful idea of one on one that is what is needed once in a while.
Rick

Well said that man!👍
Sign me up Stephen!
As Group, Section and Department Leader at various times in my career I saw this as part of my responsibility in such positions.
Not so easy to apply the principles to one's self though!🙄
The first step is to recognise that there is a problem!
I like to think that, in this respect, I have already privately helped support at least two members through difficult patches!
And have also received such inspiring support from members, for which I am extremely grateful. So if I can give something back ...!
Cheers, Doug 😎
PS For those not familiar with Bill's term craic (as I wasn't😮)-
"Craic (/kræk/ KRAK) or crack is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. It is often used with the definite article – the craic – as in the expression "What's the craic?" (meaning "How are you?" or "What's happening?"). The word has an unusual history; the Scots and English crack was borrowed into Irish as craic in the mid-20th century and the Irish spelling was then re-borrowed into English. Under either spelling, the term has great cultural currency and significance in Ireland. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craic

Hi Martin and Stephen,

I think that this is a great idea, we're all feeling that isolation and a loss of social interaction, but Jonathon's thread on the Hermes over the last few days seemed to ignite a spark, and a lot of us took that opportunity to come together just for the craic, I know we kind of hijacked his thread a wee bit but I'm sure he won't mind, the benefits are all too clear.
Some of us, like myself live alone, and enjoy the friendship shown here.

Keep up the good work.

Bill

Hi All,

It might sound daft at first to have this forum thread, but most of us are currently spending more time at home than ever before. All events are cancelled, all clubs are shut, we're being encouraged to isolate ourselves as much as possible. The down side to this is our mental health and wellbeing.

At my workplace there has been a huge push on mental health first aiders. The majority of staff have been working from home since March, some people working from spare rooms, kitchen tables and even from the loft! It's not a fantastic working environment and you can sometimes feel isolated, focusing solely on work and losing the general camaraderie you used to have with colleagues.

Martin suggested the idea of having a similar approach here, where people who already share a common interest (model boating) can reach out to these volunteers and talk about absolutely anything in confidence.

Likewise, if anyone is interested in becoming a mental health & wellbeing volunteer, please get in touch and I'll add you to the list.

All volunteers are shown at the top of this forum thread.

None of us are experts, but if we can help anyone feeling alone and finding it tough then it's worth it.

Stephen