Gordon’s Explosive Start

Well it’s just day two into Gordon Brown’s reign as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and terrorism is already on the agenda as London’s West End has become the target of a car bomb attack. Is this just want Gordon needs to push through his anti-terrorism laws that actually infringe upon privacy and civil rights?

With “anarchic” re-shuffle of the cabinet Gordon Brown promises to “create a government of all the talents”. We shall see… departments are being abolished and transformed and outsiders are being brought in from the cold, what has Gordon got up his sleeve? Only time will tell.

Party in the Playground!

Being the Chair of the PTA of the largest primary school in Hertfordshire is some task and I think that this might just be my last year! But to be honest it has been a pleasure and last weekend was the culmination of months of work, stress and goodness knows what else. Party in the Playground is what others would call a summer fair or fete, for us it’s a bit of everything: craft fair, well being, craft tent, fun fair, entertainment, inflatables, beat the goalie, ruby challenge, afternoon tea, late BBQ lunch and much, much more.

The PTA in any school comes with it’s ups and downs, cliques, hard workers, shirkers and and wide range of experiences that challenge any corporate environment. BUT!! and this is a big but… when together with the help of so many dedicated people you can pull of an enjoyable family day out, with fun for everyone, help from local services, business and dedicated parents and you raise enough money to help your school get vital playground equipment then it is all worth it.

If you don’t currently get involved in your school’s PTA then you should! Your skills and talents are much needed and the impact made on the children’s lives is overwhelming. There really is nothing like it… warts and all!

Beautiful People: Leon Timbo & Kendra Robinson

Well Souled Out was a raging success and I can truly say that I had a great time, regardless of my gammy knee. What was a real pleasure was meeting two beautiful people in the form of Leon Timbo and Kendra Robinson.

Leon is just lovely, our whole family warmed to him and boy did he make us laugh. A really warm and inviting person who can be silent but deadly!! What struck me was his gift of music and ministry and the fact that he can draw everyone and anyone into worship. I will never see Luther Van Dross’s “I don’t wanna bore you with it” in the same light ever again. Absolutely awesome. Leon has to come back to England and soon. He has a work to do!

Kendra Robinson, in some respects is a younger version of me, she is a strong gifted woman who is not afraid to say it as she sees it. I think I may have mellowed though over time, Kendra is still raw, but has a beautiful inclusive spirit which is very endearing. She is some lady, she’s a publistic who introduces artists “to the world” and she’s a mean cook which she painstakingly proved to me as she introduced me to real southern macaroni pie!! One look at it is enough to put 1/2 a stone of fat on your hips! It was gorgeous but surely something your could not eat every day!!

I feel privileged to have spent time with these two, hard working, committed to the cause beautiful people and I hope to send time with them again some day soon!

Surfing the challenges

Well what an experience. This month’s Souled Out gave us so many challenges I really don’t know where to start! Between the problems on the M25, delayed flights, sick artists, a triple booked venue, the PA system trapped in the elevator, the ongoing wedding reception and well just about every other problem an event could come across this month’s Souled Out was a raging success.

It’s funny, when you submit to the problems they over take you and you are unable to cope. We realised that these problems meant that something great was about to happen and so we took out our surf boards and rode the storm. We laughed at the things that happened and recognised that if the event wasn’t worth doing we most probably wouldn’t be experiencing the attack that we were under. In the end the event was awesome and Leon Timbo in particular made a huge impact.

I’ve learnt something really powerful through this experience, challenges will always raise their heads especially when you are doing something worthwhile. The challenge only has power over you if you give it that power by focusing on it and allowing it to destroy your drive and vision.  I’ve learnt to smile through problems and have faith, believing that they will pass as long as I put them in the correct context. Problems will always occur our attitude to them determines whether they break us or make us.

Surf on!!

Beautiful People: Mark Butterwick

OK so, I was in Sainsbury’s petrol station today and I saw this car and this guy and I immediately felt attracted to him. No… not like that, just that he had a magnetism about him and I knew that he owned at least one business most probably more, that he had worked hard and that he had integrity. So I thought “I’m going to ask him what he does for a living”, we both washed our cars,  me in the car wash and he jet washed his and then it was time to leave. I thought.. I really should go and ask him, but I decided to leave, but the thought wouldn’t leave me and I felt the Holy Spirit giving me a right kick!

So I doubled back and found him in the Pizzahut car-park. I said Hello and asked him the question! What a wonderful guy. Now some of you are wondering who the hell is Mark Butterwick. Well he started and built the company currently known as Compass Finance Group  which is the leading mortgage and homeowner loan broker. They also have a division called the debt adviser which helps people get out of debt. Mark left the company last year and set up another company called Your Case Signed which offers a document delivery & collection service to the Financial Services Industry.

If you look out for Mark on the internet you will know that he is no small fry. This man made my day this morning, by taking the time out to speak to me, answer my questions and show interest in me and my battered car!! LOL  Now for those of you how don’t have faith you may not understand it, but for those of you that do, Mark reminded me that you can’t ever loose the faith, you that have to keep believing, he reminded me that business isn’t just about making money, it’s about meeting a need, making a difference and being fulfilled in what you do.

For me Mark oozed with integrity and warmth that has a brought a really big smile to my face. I know his business meeting this morning will have gone well and I am sure that what he touches will prosper. Not because he is some super human being, but because amongst his success he hasn’t forgotten that he is a human being.  Publicly, I’d like to thank Mark for taking the time out to speak to me and those of you who need his kind of service, get yourself to the Your Case Signed website and get in contact with them.

Have a great day!

Katie Hopkins: You’re Fired !

I don’t think that anyone really knows what they are doing when they go into the Apprentice. They don’t realise how the experience have the effect of bringing out the worse aspects of their personality or the best. I believe that Katie Hopkins is a classic example of this. Not only was she the pantomine villan in the show, her relationship track record supported the role. Unfortunately, whilst she saw her ability to get the man she wanted (regardless of the fact that he was married) as a a strength it seems to have become her biggest weakness.

The Met Office whom Katie has been working for gave her, her marching orders with no hint of regret. It seems that probation periods still have their uses and lying on national television about your income is a sure why to get yourself sacked; Katie has been the cause of her own downfall!

Maybe it’s time for Katie to take a good look in the mirror and ask herself some hard questions. Everyone wants to build a positive career out of the Apprentice, Katie it seem’s has missed the point!

Stepping into your purpose!

This week I sat and spoke to a friend who told me about her vision to help children. I was deeply touched as she spoke and knew immediately that she was the right person to fulfull this awesome good that she could do. So we set together brainstormed and looked at how this vision could become a reality. Her vision would change the world for the children she was interested in helping. However as we talked there were a number of “buts” that came up to smash the hope of that vision ever becoming a reality.

I am sure that you can relate to this, there is something you know in your heart you have to do, a purpose or vision that you alone can fulfill. Yet there are many “buts”, excuses and detractors that hold you back from really fulfilling your purpose. It’s human nature to second guess your intuition and to step back from being all that you can be. It’s not easy, especially when you know that there are some big hills to climb when it comes to achieving your goals.

In order to fulfill your purpose you have to step out! That’s when like a chess board things move into place. You can’t stand still and expect things to happen. You have to exercise faith and step out. When you believe you can do it and mind the gap between where you are and where you want to be you will find that you will achieve more than you even imagined.

So no matter how scary it looks step into your purpose, it’s the only way to live a fulfilled life.

The Apprentice: Katie Hopkins game player…played

Well what a palava!!

Forget Lohit or Tre’s world domination, Katie Hopkins the ultimate player got played!!
I was horrified when Sir Alan said that she was in the final, I called Gayle and the two of us agreed that it was wrong on so many different levels! (Gosh years ago I remember laughing at my aunt in Barbados on the phone with her friend throughout one of the 20 years behind episodes of “The Young and the Restless.” Who was to know I’d do the same thing years later!!)

Right… moving on swiftly…

Bordan Tkachuk cheif executive of Viglen computers summed Katie up nicely, I thought, she had no reason to be there, it was all about the win. Being capable isn’ t the only asset in being an apprentice, it’s not about another notch on your belt.

Katie is an intelligent girl and one who wouldn’t have entered the competition if she didn’t think she could win it, but she never adequately considered the consequences on her family if she did. I am not surprised about that to be honest, her views on motherhood speak volumes. In truth, sometimes they make me question her reasons for being a mother in the first place. (But who am I to question?)

Sir Alan knew what to say, he knew that she wasn’t in it for the job or the long haul and that’s why he questioned her right where it hurt. She squirmed like a worm in her seat as he purposely asked her not to waste his or her time. She almost assumed the fetal position as her conscience burned her and that it why I believe that there is a spark of hope with Katie that there is some humanity and humility in her, but the Lord only knows what it will take to come out more often!

With David filming for Channel 4 I truly appreciate that out of 25 hours of filming you may only see 2 minutes on the big screen and that we have not seen all of Katie. However, what we have seen may have put the progress of women in the boardroom back years. Who in their right mind extols the virtues (if there are any) of stealing another woman’s husband… because they want to? What does it positively say about the woman who chooses to do that? Her ruthlessness became less of an asset and more of a curse throughout the programme.

Katie will land on her feet as her ruthlessness will get her through, I’m just not so sure that her real potential will ever be seen with such disregard for fellow human beings. Tonight, Sir Alan was “The Don”, he played Katie for a fool and he beat her hands down!

The Aprentice: The Final Five!

Last week saw the somewhat unfair disposal of Naomi who I believe rose to the challenge but left herself short by omitting to debrief Simon on the decollage product he had to sell and by inadequately defending herself in the boardroom. Simon truly should have gone, the last few weeks for me have shown me just how weak he is as a candidate (although resourceful at times…hip hop!) So what are we left with?

Katie: Part of being an apprentice is working with a team and bringing the best out of people. Whilst Katie might work well on her own, she seems to have a distinct dislike of people especially any one who in not in her social class (whatever she thinks that might be). If Katie won the apprentice I’m sure that there would be a public outcry and that we’d here the cry of Sir Alan around the world.

Simon: Whilst Simon surely is a risk taker, whether he has the talent to be Sir Alan’s next apprentice I am not sure. The quality of some of his work is really quite poor, although I must say I do like him, but I’m not sure if he’s right for the job. The jury is still out on that one.

Lohit: Hmmm well what do we really know about Lohit? Is he an apprentice in the making? He doesn’t really strike me as dynamic enough, yet he surely does know how to put the knife in when necessary and defend himself at the expense of others as Jadine was to find out.

Tre: Well what can we say? Tre is not an apprentice, he already believes he knows everything. In order to be an apprentice you need to be teachable, willing to grow, learn and sit at the feet of your mentor, I don’t see this happening for now with Tre. There’s a humility that’s missing somewhere along the line. I am all for positive thinking and talking up your strengths but not without a little meekness along the way.

Kristina: There is no doubt that Kristina wants this job more than anyone else. I must admit that I have warmed to her over the weeks and I think that with the right guidance she could be a formidable force in the workplace. There is a “but”, I just can’t put my finger on it… maybe she wants it too badly???

Well tonight we shall see as three people go home. Who will it be?

F!RSTBORN PRESENTS: Souled Out! 21st June

Each month Firstborn Media Group puts on a christian show case called Souled Out, which showcases the spectrum of christian music available today. We focus on up and coming artists in the UK and bring in an international artist to add a little flavour. We feel that there are many outstanding artists that just aren’t getting the platform they need to take their music to the next level. Souled Out aims to provide that platform so that the gospel reaches the people.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, if you like good music then you need to find yourself at

Hackney Central (The Old Railway Station) on the corner of Mare Street and Amhurst Road, London, E8 1LL on

21st June 2007

at 8:00pm

with £10.00 to get in!

Artists on the night are: Four Kornerz, Leon Timbo (USA), The Dawn, Clinton Jordon, sugar black spoken word.

It’s sponsored by United by One and Verse II Impress so be there and I’ll meet you on the night! It’s a good way to spend a tenner!