New Year's Eve Zoomathon

Many thanks to those who joined in our New Year's Eve Zoomathon. Just a few of us, but it was a super enjoyable way to spend the evening in the midst of all the current restrictions.

Based on the Radio Two 'Three-Word Thursday' we began with 'Three Word 2020'. Here are our responses ...

"What, no hugs!!"          "Ohhhhh, no travel 😞"

"Dramas in pyjamas."         "Stuck at home 😠"

"Kitchen - Bed - Computer."

"Flights cancelled again!!" 

"Many long walks"

(FACTOID: between Jan 26th - Dec 31st 2020 Mrs Pauline Jackson has walked 5,847,271 steps!!!)

We had several quizzes  -  Aiste's Christmas Quiz, Cities in the Snow (Joy was definitely the winner here) and 'Zoomed In' which consisted of 12 famous landmark images zoomed to 500%  -  as the image is zoomed out slowly the number of points reduces  -  Aiste & Basel raced ahead of the pack with well over 200 points!!

We also played Blankety Blank and Hangman, both of which worked well 😀😀

We talked about who we would invite to dinner - anyone past or present who we'd want to spend an evening with. What an interesting bunch of people we chose  ...  Einstein, Jesus, Buddha, Cleopatra, Nelson Mandela, Professor Brian Cox, John Lennon, Queen Elizabeth, Mr Bean, Mother Teresa, Terry Waite, Boris Johnson and many more (some of whom I didn't know).

Our evening was brought to a close by us writing together an

A-Z of Hope for 2021 

Happy New Year

2020 was stolen from many but, let's face it, that year is done.

There are glimmers of hope on the horizon - promises yet to come.

So, what does 2021 hold for us?  What do we have to look forward to?

Well, let's start by entering this brand year with our attitude set on 'new'.

New year, new hopes, new adventures ahead, the story is partly ours to write.

So, let's enter 2021 with our vision set on LIGHT.

Light at the end of a long dark tunnel, light the hope for all.

Light to walk with your head held high and not stumble about and fall.

For me that Light is Jesus; it's my faith that keeps me strong.

What about you in this brand new year? What will help you carry on?

Take Ten - Farewell 2020

View Video:

Take Ten - Farewell 2020

What have we learned through this challenging year? If we never take time to stop and evaluate that we are where we want to be, doing what we truly want to do, we become nothing more than a hamster scurrying round and round on a perpetual wheel.

Staying Positive

I just read this excellent article by the BBC on '5 Ways to Stay Positive through the Winter'

The link below will take you to the full article, which is well worth a read. But here's the briefest precis from me ...

1. Get Moving - a great way to boost your mood. The release of endorphines into your bloodstream help produce increased feelings of well-being. It really doesn't have to be any form of formal exercise ... for me it works just to play some loud music and jig about my house for a while.

2. Stop Over-Thinking - don't dwell on the negative. Shift your mental focus, get active, make a plan, distract yourself with more positive and calm-inducing activities.

3. Set a New Target - a project large or small.  Take up a new hobby, try out a new recipe, introduce an activity that will promote your sense of achievement and self-worth.

4. Talk it Over - share your feelings and your struggles with a friend (or contact the Medway Campus Chaplain).  Talking things through with another person can help reframe your thoughts and gain better perspective.

5, Do it Badly! Don't wait - just have a go!  There's nothing much to be learned by always getting it right the first time. 

BBC article:

Five ways to stay Positive through the Winter

Photo Caption Competition - the results

During these strange and challenging times we need to find a bit of humour and some light relief where we can.  Thank you for all those who participated and brought a much needed smile to the lives of others 😂😂😂  A special thank you and well done to all our winners (enjoy spending your vouchers) and also to those who helped choose the final winning entry.

Here's a review of the winning captions...

Winner:
Jamila Mohammed (UoG)

Winner:
Alison Crump (UoK)

Winner:
Aiste Steponenaite (UoK)

Winner:
Claire Friday (GKSU)

Winner:
Charlie Philbeam-Bailey (UoG)

Winner:
Wim Melis (UoG)

Winner:
Alison Bratt (UoK)

Winner:
Alex Pine (UoG)

Winner:
Toby (UoG)

Thought for the week ...

Happy Christmas!!