Going for Gold

How fantastic it is to see the Women GB Team achieve such wonderful results and win so many medals at the Olympic Games. Just think it was only in 1900 that women were allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time in Paris at that time there were 997 competitors and only 22 were women. This is the first year that women have been represented in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei and even then only a small minority of women were in their teams. They have taken one small step in the right direction to open more opportunities for other women in their countries making a strong statement that women from these countries are determined to be allowed to take part in these events. However there is still a long way to go before all women can say we have equal opportunities in all areas of our lives and we have to keep fighting for it. I have three daughters and two granddaughters and I want them to have  real equal opportunities so they can work hard and be proud of their achievements.  I am proud to promote women and believe that women should have the same opportunities as men and have a choice. All the time we sit back and let the men control us nothing will ever change for the future generation of women.

Unfortunately the meeting on August 1st had to be postponed due to the lack of response, Jan felt that it wasn't really fair to ask a speaker to come to speak to such a small group of women so we will book David Saunders again sometime next year. The next meeting will be on August 29th when Judy Clements JP and Lena Samuels JP will  discuss their work as Magistrates I hope to have a good response to this event and look forward to welcoming you as their talk is set to be a fascinating insight.

I have just returned from a week in the sun with my eldest daughter and feel refreshed, relaxed and ready to go back to work. I believe everyone should take time out of their business and have the confidence that it will continue to operate without you being there. It is also important for your wellbeing as holidays recharge our bodies as well as our minds and give you time for yourself and with your family.

A date for your diary is Friday September 28th when the Cloud Hotel will be taking part in the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Please do come along and bring your friends to help boost the funds for a very worthy cause for which I am an Ambassador.

Finally wouldn't it be lovely if the spirit of the Olympics continued after they had finished and we all had a much happier and positive attitude to life! You never know how close you are so never give up on your dreams.

Avril

Smell the Coffee at the Cloud

For many years we have only served filter coffee at the Cloud Hotel but we are now able to offer a selection of  popular coffees. Come and unwind and catch up with friends and family in a relaxed environment and smell the coffee at the Cloud. Enjoy either a cappuccino, latte or expresso coffee in one of our cosy lounges, conservatory or secluded garden on a warm summer's day!

The Charity Cream Tea we held on Sunday 15th July as part of Hampshire Fare was a great success and even the sun came out. We raised £800-00 that was shared between Jacksplace at Naomi House children's hospice and the Variety Club Children's Charity. Thank you to everyone who supported us and a special thanks to Linzi Luker of Linzi's of Lymington who donated the scones, 3663 who donated the strawberry jam and Wrights Dairies who donated the clotted cream. Barry Rickman organised a successful raffle that helped to boost the funds.

It's the last call for the NatWest everywoman Awards for inspirational female entrepreneurs. If you have a story to tell now is the time to share it by either nominating yourself or someone else who you think deserves the recognition of their achievements. You have until 5pm Thursday July 26th to get your nomination in so don't miss this opportunity for you to shine. I am one of the judges for the awards and have been for the past 6 years and I know that winning an award or even being shortlisted can help to drive your business forward. More details  NatWest everywoman awards.

Speaking of successful entrepreneurs I am reading Richard Branson's latest book 'Screw it Let's Do It'. Lessons in life and Business. For those of you who have goals and dreams and have challenges you want to chase however big or small this book is a great read and will help you to achieve things you never thought possible. I'm loving it.

The next Wessex Women's Network meeting is on Wednesday August 2nd 6-30 for 7pm. The title 'Drs Who Kill'   but don' be put off by the title because I am assured that David Saunders gives a very amusing and entertaining talk.

Earlier this year Susan Bentley asked if anybody had any pillowcases they didn't want as she makes dresses for the girls in Africa. She has sent me some photos of the girls in their dresses and they just look so happy they make you want to smile. These children are from Kisumu in Kenya which is a notorious slum area in the city. Susan would like more pillowcases if possible as she is hoping to make another 60 dresses in October. I will have the photos of the girls in their dresses available at the next meeting for you to see. If you have any pillowcases for Susan please bring them to The Cloud Hotel and I will make sure she gets them.

This terrible weather has affected some businesses badly but if you stay positive and control your costs rigidly you will survive these difficult times. They say the sun is on it's way so stay positive!!

'Surround Yourself Only With People Who Are Going To Lift You' Oprah Winfrey 


Negative people crush your dreams

Avril

Here comes Summer!

On Wednesday June 20th Wessex Women had the pleasure of hearing Chris Morley tell us about a day in the life of being the Butler to Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. It was not only very interesting but also amusing and we all thoroughly enjoyed his talk, it opened our eyes to how much is involved in the position and the long hours he works but he obviously thoroughly enjoys his job.

As I reported in my last Blog I was shortlisted in the Women 1st Shine Awards 2012 for a Lifetime Achievement. The award went to Jill Stein the ex wife of Rick Stein who between them have built up a business to include restaurants, a cookery school, a shop and it all started with one fish restaurant in Padstow. I felt honoured to have been shortlisted and I had a lovely evening at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London catching up with friends and enjoying a delicious meal.

I attended the Women 1st conference during the day and again met some interesting women and listened to some inspiring women speakers. All in all a great day.

Just a reminder that we are holding a charity cream tea on Sunday 15th July from  4pm until 5-30pm as part of the Hampshire Food Festival. All proceeds will be divided between Jack's Place at Naomi House and the Variety Club Children's Charity. Both charities do wonderful work for children and are worth supporting. To book your place tel 01590 622165. I'm hoping the weather will have improved so some of you can sit in the garden. The scones will be supplied by Linzi Luker of Linzi's Patisserie

The next Wessex Women's Network meeting is on August 1st when we will welcome David Saunders as our speaker. The title of his talk 'Dr's who kill',  apparently it's a very amusing and entertaining talk so don't be put off by the title! I expect some of you will be on holiday and if you are I hope you have a very relaxing and enjoyable time and find some sunshine!

Those of you who were at the last meeting will have noticed that the Garden Room has been refurbished by Jo from New Forest Interiors in Lymington. I am delighted with the result, Jo is one of our members and took over New Forest Interiors at the beginning of the year. If any of you have a special family celebration coming up maybe you would like to celebrate it in the Garden Room, it has direct access to the secluded garden where you can enjoy a pre-lunch or dinner drink in the summer months.

I continue to be a speaker at various events and meetings and get quite frustrated at the lack of confidence women still have. You all have enormous talents so believe in yourselves and use them.

One of my favourite quotes 'Use the talents you possess because the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best'

'If you cannot do great things do small things in a great way' Napoleon Hill

Hope to see you soon

Avril

Your Voice

On Tuesday May 22nd Amanda Smallbone gave a very interesting and entertaining talk to the Wessex Women on the 'voice'. Amanda impressed upon us how important your voice is and what it says about you as an individual and the impact it can make on another person either in your business or your personal life. Amanda is my eldest daughter and is the head of voice and choral studies at Winchester University. She is passionate about the voice and how so little importance is given to it. Although her talk was not about making us all singers she ended her presentation with getting us all to sing and raise the roof at the Cloud. It was great fun and we thought maybe we could form the Wessex Women's Network choir!!!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations are in full swing and it is lovely to see the way these celebrations bring the community together with street parties and Jubilee lunches. We are all so busy with our lives that we are inclined to lose touch with our friends and neighbours but these events give us the opportunity to get together again.

Business is tough at the moment and it is only those companies who give 5 star service, control their costs and look after their staff who will survive this economic downturn. There is business to be won out their but you need to work hard at it and I really get fed up with all the negative people I meet. Negative people can crush your dreams and I really do believe that positive people create positive results and are a magnet for success.

'Surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher' Oprah Winfrey

I only believe in reporting positive news and although I'm not a great fan of TripAdvisor the Cloud Hotel has earned the 'Prestigious 2012 Certificate of Excellence Award' from TripAdvisor for consistently good reviews and recommendations from travellers who have stayed at the Cloud. Praise must go to my hard working staff. 

After 36 years in hospitality and alot of hard work I have been shortlisted for a Lifetime Achievement Award. Women 1st Shine Awards recognise female achievement in hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism I am up against 4 other very strong candidates but I'm just thrilled to have been shortlisted. The Awards take place on Tuesday June 19th at a glittering gala dinner at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London hosted by Emma Forbes of radio and television. Details of all the awards can be found on www.people1st.co.uk/women1st

The next Wessex Women's Networking meeting is on Wednesday 20th June when Chris Morley - Butler to Lord Montagu of Beaulieu will tell us about "A day in the life of a Butler". 

Finally

'You can't fall if you don't climb but there's no joy in living your whole life on the ground'  

The first step is the hardest but if you don't take that first step you will never know what you might have achieved!

Avril

News

In my last Blog I told you all that the speaker Dennis Tomlin for the March meeting did not turn up and that if anyone had any news of Dennis Tomlin could they please let me know. Jan Hoy has just heard from his son that he collapsed on the day he was due to talk to us and he was rushed to hospital in a coma, sadly he has since passed away. It was such a mystery to Jan as he didn't seem the sort of person to let us down. I thought those of you who were at the meeting that evening should know what had happened
Of course Jan sent his family our sympathy and thanked him for letting us know and for solving the mystery.

I look forward to welcoming you to the next meeting on Tuesday May 22nd when Amanda Smallbone will be the speaker. Amanda will give you an insight into how to build your confidence when making a presentation. Read Amanda's profile on the Wessex Women's Network website to find out how important your voice is and how you present yourself.

A date for your diary is Sunday July 15th when we will be holding a Cream Tea at the Cloud Hotel between 4pm and 5-30pm. All proceeds will be shared between Jack's Place at Naomi House and The Variety Club of Great Britain who raise money for disadvantaged children. Booking is essential and you can book by calling the Cloud Hotel on 01590 622165.

I hope the weather will have improved by then and we will be-able to sit in the garden!

One has to be optimistic, even about the weather


'What a stumbling block is to a pessimist, is a stepping stone to an optimist' Eleanor Roosevelt

Best wishes

Avril

The Wettest Drought for Years

It's been a few weeks since I last wrote my Blog and I apologise for that. In March we were expecting Dennis Tomlin to come and speak to us about being the Queen's Bodyguard. It was a full house of 36 members and as the time went on and there was no sign of him and no response to Jan's phone calls we realised he wasn't coming! However that did not stop us from having an enjoyable evening because as women we are used to dealing with a crisis and the evening gave the members an opportunity to really present their business or charity event. The amazing thing is we haven't been able to contact Dennis since so if anyone can let us know what has happened to him we would like to know.

I had a really enjoyable day on March 15th when my eldest daughter Amanda joined me for an hour's interview with Viv Oyolu on Dream Corner. Dream Corner is a radio show and online hub of interviews inspiring women of all ages to follow their dreams or passion. A subject I'm quite passionate about myself. Viv is full of fun and enthusiasm and in fact it was a more like a chat than an interview but these opportunities do give you the chance to promote your business, an opportunity you should never turn down if you want to succeed. On the same day Amanda appeared on the 'One Show' on BBC TV in her role as head of voice and choral studies at Winchester University, needless to say I was a very proud Mum.

'Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat'  Napoleon Hill

On April 1st I had a wonderful birthday party with family and friends  and I was able to catch up with so many of my friends  I hadn't seen for years.  My 4 children made it a day to remember and the weather was perfect too! I am very lucky to have such a lovely family and I am proud of them all.

I'm pleased to say that the speaker Mr John Cockran  did turn up on Tuesday 22nd April and gave a most interesting talk and slide show on The Role of Women in the New Forest in Both World Wars. It was a full house again and I am really delighted to be welcoming so many new members to the Wessex Women's Network events.

The next meeting is on May 22nd 'Your Voice, Your Message: creating an impact through your voice" presented by Amanda Smallbone who is currently head of vocal and choral studies at Winchester University. More details are on the Wessex Women's Network website www.wessexwomensnetwork.co.uk. This is a subject I'm most passionate about as your voice can say so much about you.

The weather in March was warm and sunny unlike April that has been cold and wet! I haven't even spotted a foal this year I think they must feel it is better to stay put and wait for the warmer weather before they face the world. The rain has been persistent, in fact I think it's the wettest drought for years!

"However "Persistence, patience and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"

 Napoleon Hill

I hope you possess all of these qualities and you especially need patience at the moment with the weather! I look forward to welcoming you to the Wessex Women's Network however large or small your business is or even if you are retired and would like to share you experiences with other likeminded women.

"Remember" If you cannot do great things do small things in a great way' Napoleon Hill

Avril

International Women's Day

It's been a beautiful Spring day here in the New Forest National Park a wonderful day to celebrate International Women's Day. I hope you have all shone and sparkled like the sun and are proud of being a woman. Women have enormous talents and more and more women are running their own businesses and are being appointed to the boards FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 however there is still some way to go before women will be truly represented equally in the workforce.

I am passionate about encouraging women to reach their full potential, very few of us do reach our full potential in our lifetime but in order to be successful we first have to believe that we can and that is the biggest obstacle most women have to overcome. We are our own worst enemies allowing those internal feelings of self doubt to paralyse us and stop us moving forward. So today, International Women's Day, why not take the decision to take that first step towards achieving your goals. The first step is the hardest but once you have achieved something you never thought possible it's very empowering.

I am also a great believer in Networking because many of my opportunities have come from Networking events and not always immediately. I met Lisa Carden from A&C Black publishers at an 'everywoman' conference and 2 years later she contacted me and asked me to write my book 'Delighting Your Customers' which is available on Amazon.

The next Wessex Women's Network event is on Tuesday March 20th when we will hear Dennis Tomlin             talk about his experiences as the Queen's bodyguard, a topical subject as it is the Queen's Jubilee year. These evenings also give members an opportunity to network and exchange ideas with like minded women. I believe business should be fun and that's what we strive to have at the Wessex Women's Network events as well as giving members the opportunity to present their businesses.

I hope you had a wonderful day and your future will be happy and successful.

All of our dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.  Walt Disney


The only limitations we have are those we create ourselves!

Dream big!

Avril