Well we are out of the old year and into the new.

The quasi respite of the festive period is gone and it is back to this new constantly changing norm.

The restrictions are becoming tougher again.

In Aberdeen, Scotland anyway where I now call home.

Where I live, and where my 2 teenage kids spend half their time with me.

It’s just 8am and I have already felt the wrath of boy child and tried to raise the girl child.

It’s their first week back to (home) school.

Imagine the mind games we would have had trying to do your chemistry homework when you had your new Pacman game on your Atari console staring you in the face! Tough times.

Haha.

The changes are affecting us all in different ways.

And we all react differently.

But at the end of the day it is all about SURVIVAL.

Fight or flight.

Thankfully, from a personal perspective, we can still get out for exercise and get those primitive urges out of our systems.

Now that exercise is limited again to exercise to as close as your home as possible, it normally involves walking up to the local woods.

Being in touch with nature, even just a little, is a godsend for me.

And for all of us I think.

Your head can become a bit ‘done in’ being cooped up indoors.

Whether it’s marketing, working on getting guests in to cover the bills, doing home schooling or playing on your Xbox.

The big screens aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Or little ones!

So I’m grateful for those hours of outdoor time throughout the week.

We’ve seen our local Kingfisher regularly and some deer.

But I am also missing my old hometown.

The place that moulded me as a person; South Shields.

I’m missing the river, the beaches and the clifftops.

And the people.

I’m grateful I had them, but two brief one week working visits between lockdowns in July and October is the smallest amount of time I’ve spent there in a year since coming to Aberdeen for work in 2001.

It’s looking likely that by March we will have had a year of varying states of restrictions.

So I know that I will not be the only one feeling the yearn to return to the place I grew up.

SEPARATION from your loved ones, friends and family can be though.

And when you’re working hard to make things work, like businesses and jobs, to get through this period it seems counterintuitive to SOFTEN UP your approach.

When there’s friction in the house it takes a strong person to take a deep breath, count to 10 and diffuse a situation.

Whether it’s waking up a grumpy teenager to start their day or limiting their time on electronics in the evening.

But it’s essential, now more than ever to soften our approach.

Mental wellbeing isn’t just an important factor at home but also at work.

And from a business perspective we continually do it.

Trying to help our guests.

Offering refunds for those who can’t travel due to self isolating.

Generally just doing our best to look after people.

And it seems to be paying off.

We are continuing to host BUSINESS travellers staying for work and training purposes.

We are still receiving enquiries, more or less exclusively direct via our current website or Facebook business pages. And if you’d like to connect with us on social media have a dig around our website and you’ll find the links.

The guys from Malta here for armed forces training (who armed with our personal guide to the area are loving their daily exercise along the coast), and others from the wind turbine, fire protection, health and food industries.

Most of these heard of us through our social media.

Through you.

So thanks AGAIN.

For helping keep us afloat.

And this week we have just reviewed the first draft of our brand new website.

It still needs a few tweaks but we are really excited about it and hope it will lead to us getting even more bookings to get through this tough period.

So remember that when you can return to South Shields or Aberdeen.

We are fighting to still be here for you.

And with your help.

We’ll keep the fire burning for you.

Take care and stay safe.

Colin