I had a Fantastic Friday yesterday, largely because the doctor prescribed me industrial strength antibiotics earlier in the week (to treat an infection in my incision wounds from my operation four weeks ago). Within a couple of days I started to feel incredibly more better than I have in months. I also had my beloved Fish & Chip lunch at the Bradford Club (my new favourite restaurant) which I defy Harry Ramsden to criticise.
I was talking to Debra Horsman last night about how I put my life on hold through the last six months, waiting for it all to be over but generally and secretly feeling like the world had ended and there was no future or way forward.
Very unfamiliar territory for me.
I'm one of life's great dreamers. If it's possible to dream large, then I dream gigantic dreams. Largely I blame my parents for this. A childhood spent mostly in garden centres has resulted in a life long aversion to sitting still. Which is a shame, I guess, because I also prefer natural, rugged landscapes to cultivated homes. Though my great love of city spaces is the ultimate irony. I'm sure my parents wonder whether I was truly their creation almost 40 years ago.
So it will come as no surprise to anyone that even on holiday (like in Shanghai last week), I would choose at least some time in a city, particularly as no two are ever the same.
Bradford, for example, is a really interesting city. It has a rich heritage, built on cloth of course. More than that though, it was built upon good old fashioned hard work. I don't suppose a lot of that hard work was downright good fun but its resultant wealth explosion created a lot of seriously solid architecture.
It does have a lido at the moment as well. A rather unattractive hole in the ground shrouded by hoarding. The people of Bradford are rightly not that happy about it because it has created a void in the cityscape that no one wants to look at. Particularly, visitors.
Hmm. Don't think its owners, to be fair, fancy the gamble in the present economic climate. And the other thing that I keep hearing, now that I've spent three months working there (even got a monthly public transport pass this week for the first time in my life) is how it has an image problem - not caused by above said hole.
That image problem is something one Jane Vincent has decided to sort out with her Positive Bradford initiative. Started last year, it brought together a lot of people and was borne out of Jane hearing someone on the radio being miserable about Bradford.
In her fury, she thought 'Right, we'll show you' (or similar) and that lead to a wonderful event last year which is to be repeated this year even larger (and better if that's possible).
In my first three months I have met a lot of new people that have encouraged me to believe that actually Bradford is full of positive people doing their bit for the community they live in but more importantly, love.
Another newcomer to Bradford is the Church of England Bishop. At the Cathedral's annual advent service for the City of Bradford, I had the opportunity to chat with him afterwards (briefly) and he said to me that 'what Bradford really needs, Sarah, are new positive voices' so when I then met up with Jane afterwards for the first time (she gave a reading) to ask how I could help her campaign, it felt an entirely natural place to be.
To say we get on like a house on fire is something of an understatement. I hate to think what would happen to the decibel counter if we ever manage to find the time to add a few drinks in to the mix. They'll be hearing about Positive Bradford in Australia I should imagine. Anyway, I came away with an enthusiasm that knows no bounds for Jane's mission. All I needed then, was to figure out what to do with it.
Six weeks or so ago, a group of people that I've met and my New Team (we all Girls and new to Bradford) sat together over sandwiches and tea to talk through an idea I'd had to showcase those positive people I know are out there, largely borne out of the Bronte Rotary Club meetings at the Midland Hotel that I've been attending when I can (another lovely place that should really be seen to be believed).
Anyway, we came up with a breakfast lecture format, perhaps monthly or bi-monthly, in the run up to Positive Bradford weekend in August. We are starting it this coming week on Thursday which just so happens to be International Women's Day 2012. Err.. no. That'll be totally on purpose as a start date.
I don't want to alienate the men in doing this but if I have for the first event, it's probably because the vast majority of my new contacts have been women and the initial email went out to all the people I'd saved as new contacts more or less from my hospital bed.
Anyway, it's almost here and we shall have fifty guests hearing from my first pro bono client that took my breath away when she told me what she was doing for the community. And if that doesn't inspire them to arms in favour of Positive Bradford then nothing will. Think not what can be done for you by Bradford but what you can be doing for it.
The name for our mini-campaign is Positive Voices. A new Bishop's dream has come true. Hopefully he might mention it positively, the next time he is on the radio.
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