We had a lovely e-mail on Friday from a client complimenting our blog!
We enjoy writing for the Gemini PR blog & do take time and effort to regularly update it with interesting/topical/amusing (we hope) articles so it is always nice to get feedback!
Thanks very much, keep reading!
Ruth
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Friday, 26 September 2008
Goose Fair
I was sat in a meeting yesterday with one of our newest clients, the Djanogly City Academy, at their premises on Gregory Boulevard, and couldn't help sneaking a look out of the window at the log flume being constructed just across the road. It reminded me that Goose Fair is only a week away. I’m pretty sure my two children will want me to go with them – if for no other reason than to pay for the rides for which I’ll probably need a bank loan!
My son though who’s 15 will probably want to go with his friends but my daughter who’s 11 has already said she wants to go but with strict instructions that we go on the big rides – which I am sure we will! Maybe I’m just a big kid but I can’t help being a little bit excited about the prospect of the fair. It brings back fond memories of my childhood in Loughborough, when a fair used to (and still does) take over the town centre for a few days in November. I can still remember rides of the Waltzers listening to Hot Chocolate – that shows my age!
The only dilemma is when we manage to squeeze in a trip to Goose Fair. With a public meeting for one of our clients, Evans Concrete, about the proposed redevelopment of their site in Ripley on Thursday evening, a centenary party for Nottingham Northern Swimming Club of which I am chairman on the Friday and the Club Centenary Gala on the Saturday, not quite sure when we’ll manage it – but I’m sure we will! And with the forecast for the weekend looking good, it would be a shame not to wouldn’t it!
Dianne
My son though who’s 15 will probably want to go with his friends but my daughter who’s 11 has already said she wants to go but with strict instructions that we go on the big rides – which I am sure we will! Maybe I’m just a big kid but I can’t help being a little bit excited about the prospect of the fair. It brings back fond memories of my childhood in Loughborough, when a fair used to (and still does) take over the town centre for a few days in November. I can still remember rides of the Waltzers listening to Hot Chocolate – that shows my age!
The only dilemma is when we manage to squeeze in a trip to Goose Fair. With a public meeting for one of our clients, Evans Concrete, about the proposed redevelopment of their site in Ripley on Thursday evening, a centenary party for Nottingham Northern Swimming Club of which I am chairman on the Friday and the Club Centenary Gala on the Saturday, not quite sure when we’ll manage it – but I’m sure we will! And with the forecast for the weekend looking good, it would be a shame not to wouldn’t it!
Dianne
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Love poetry
I've just read that the charity Booktrust is planning to give reception pupils a book of poetry to inspire a love of reading.
I love this idea, when I was younger I used to read all the time, my parents frequently read to me and I had a great collection of poetry books, many of which I've kept to this day.
Although I'm a lot busier now than when I was when I was five, I still find time to read as much as I can.
I honestly think that reading so much helped my vocabulary and spelling when I was growing up and led me to the career I'm in now. At Gemini PR we can often tell if a candidate for a job is a reader because the standard of their CV and their writing is much higher.
So I'm all for this, I'm just disappointed I don't qualify for the free book!
Helen
I love this idea, when I was younger I used to read all the time, my parents frequently read to me and I had a great collection of poetry books, many of which I've kept to this day.
Although I'm a lot busier now than when I was when I was five, I still find time to read as much as I can.
I honestly think that reading so much helped my vocabulary and spelling when I was growing up and led me to the career I'm in now. At Gemini PR we can often tell if a candidate for a job is a reader because the standard of their CV and their writing is much higher.
So I'm all for this, I'm just disappointed I don't qualify for the free book!
Helen
Monday, 22 September 2008
Speak clearly, Darling
I don’t know if anyone say Alistair Darling’s interview on the BBC this morning, it was an excellent demonstration in avoiding answering questions...trainee/wannabe politicians should take note.
When Bill Turnbull asked whether our income tax is going to be increased, three times he managed to waffle of for a good five minutes, without actually answering the direct question. Flirting around the subject but, as tax payer I still don't know if my taxes are going up or not?
He did well, he managed to run out of time so the interview was stopped...I might employ this technique next time my boyfriend asks me to cook dinner, “well, listen its not that I don’t want to cook dinner but now is not the time to start taking food out of the fridge. It will improve, dinner will be made but not by any specific technique and not taking food out...” you get the idea
But what I really want to know, ARE OUR TAXES GOING UP?
Ruth
When Bill Turnbull asked whether our income tax is going to be increased, three times he managed to waffle of for a good five minutes, without actually answering the direct question. Flirting around the subject but, as tax payer I still don't know if my taxes are going up or not?
He did well, he managed to run out of time so the interview was stopped...I might employ this technique next time my boyfriend asks me to cook dinner, “well, listen its not that I don’t want to cook dinner but now is not the time to start taking food out of the fridge. It will improve, dinner will be made but not by any specific technique and not taking food out...” you get the idea
But what I really want to know, ARE OUR TAXES GOING UP?
Ruth
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
PR in the dark
According to a recent report we could all be working in the dark in five years time if the country's energy policy isn't reviewed.
The Fells Associates report says that old nuclear and coal stations are being decommissioned but not being replaced fast enough. And with the loss of this energy generating capacity will come blackouts, anarchy and chaos apparently. Oh, and a three day working week.
The Daily Express reports that underground trains would need to be stopped regularly to save energy, schools would have to close, hospitals wouldn't be able to carry out operations and food prices would increase further.
So will we all be writing our press releases by hand in a candlelit office? What will we do without the Internet? Email? Phones?!? Bring back the carrier pigeon I say.
Helen
The Fells Associates report says that old nuclear and coal stations are being decommissioned but not being replaced fast enough. And with the loss of this energy generating capacity will come blackouts, anarchy and chaos apparently. Oh, and a three day working week.
The Daily Express reports that underground trains would need to be stopped regularly to save energy, schools would have to close, hospitals wouldn't be able to carry out operations and food prices would increase further.
So will we all be writing our press releases by hand in a candlelit office? What will we do without the Internet? Email? Phones?!? Bring back the carrier pigeon I say.
Helen
Monday, 15 September 2008
Final Bell
It's the end of an era today, popular TV show Grange Hill comes to an end this afternoon after 30 years.There must be few folk between the ages of 15-45 who haven't watched at least one episode of the popular show.
Bosses say that the show no longer reflects modern children's lives, I imagine filming kids playing playstations & interacting online with virtual friends isn't as captivating as addressing serious issues such as drug addiction, kidnapping etc.
I wonder what the next classic will be...
Ruth
Bosses say that the show no longer reflects modern children's lives, I imagine filming kids playing playstations & interacting online with virtual friends isn't as captivating as addressing serious issues such as drug addiction, kidnapping etc.
I wonder what the next classic will be...
Ruth
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
No sign of a Big Bang here
We're all mightily relieved here at Gemini PR that we're still standing after the start of the Big Bang experiment this morning.
All the fuss and usual 'the end is nigh' talk appears, for now, to have been wrong. Although a couple of us did have a headache that we immediately put down to all those whizzing particles in Geneva.
I'm even quite glad that I was around to witness the start of such a ground breaking experiment. Don't get me wrong, I'm no scientist and I couldn't begin to tell you how it works, but that machine looks pretty impressive to me.
So for now Nottingham remains intact and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Until we get sucked into the Indian Ocean in four years time.
Helen
All the fuss and usual 'the end is nigh' talk appears, for now, to have been wrong. Although a couple of us did have a headache that we immediately put down to all those whizzing particles in Geneva.
I'm even quite glad that I was around to witness the start of such a ground breaking experiment. Don't get me wrong, I'm no scientist and I couldn't begin to tell you how it works, but that machine looks pretty impressive to me.
So for now Nottingham remains intact and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Until we get sucked into the Indian Ocean in four years time.
Helen
Monday, 8 September 2008
New PR Targets
I've just finished scanning the copy of PR Week and read about an interesting new PR concept the PR department at Cambridge University have launched. Apparently they approached Eastenders and Corrie about featuring a storyline about their University and how it is't as elitist as it makes out.
It is a great idea -and if it is successful - what a way to reach a huge audience. They must have been playing close attention to the recent episodes of Hollyoaks where the writers have addressed common issues such as Bulimia and drug abuse, by running big storylines around these issues.
Whether it will work, remains to be seen but good luck to them I say!
Ruth
It is a great idea -and if it is successful - what a way to reach a huge audience. They must have been playing close attention to the recent episodes of Hollyoaks where the writers have addressed common issues such as Bulimia and drug abuse, by running big storylines around these issues.
Whether it will work, remains to be seen but good luck to them I say!
Ruth
Friday, 5 September 2008
The end of summer!
Without wanting to sound all doom and gloom, after today’s seriously awful weather I think it is safe to say that summer 2008 is now well and truly over.
This doubled with the kids going back to school meaning busier roads forcing me to get up half an hour earlier in the mornings, my summer break to Cornwell now seems a long time ago.
With nights also noticeably drawing in, conversation here at the Gemini office has been about how fast this year is going by. We’ve even been talking about booking our Christmas night out today!
I’m sure it won’t be long now until Christmas trees begin to dominate many a shop window display!
It’s scary really!
Emma
This doubled with the kids going back to school meaning busier roads forcing me to get up half an hour earlier in the mornings, my summer break to Cornwell now seems a long time ago.
With nights also noticeably drawing in, conversation here at the Gemini office has been about how fast this year is going by. We’ve even been talking about booking our Christmas night out today!
I’m sure it won’t be long now until Christmas trees begin to dominate many a shop window display!
It’s scary really!
Emma
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Does less mean more?
A helpful guide on bbc.co.uk/news says: 'Less' means 'not as much'. 'Fewer' means 'not as many'. 'Fewer' when items that can be counted individually. Confused? You will be.
This week Tesco have announced that it's changing the signs at some of its checkouts because of a grammatical error. The '10 items or less' aisle is now set to become 'up to 10 items'. Is it just me, or is this less (or should that be fewer) clear? Up to ten, it that up to and including 10? Or fewer than ten? So no more than nine? So just nine?
Whatever it is, I can sort of understand the reasoning behind it. If you write for a living like we do here at Gemini PR, you might be a bit of a grammar geek and enjoy pointing out glaring mistakes on public signs. Don't these people check what they write?
I'll always remember a sign about good behaviour which was put up in all the classrooms at my old school. It was written by the Headmaster and, embarrassingly for him, was full of grammatical errors - which the pupils gleefully corrected in red pen throughout the school.
Should it really be up to pupils, or more frequently, the Plain English Campaign to tell adults in professional jobs that their writing isn't correct? If schools don't teach this properly, the likelihood is that the situation will only get worse as computer grammar checkers make us even lazier.
Helen
p.s I would very much appreciate it if you didn't check this blog post for grammatical errors....
This week Tesco have announced that it's changing the signs at some of its checkouts because of a grammatical error. The '10 items or less' aisle is now set to become 'up to 10 items'. Is it just me, or is this less (or should that be fewer) clear? Up to ten, it that up to and including 10? Or fewer than ten? So no more than nine? So just nine?
Whatever it is, I can sort of understand the reasoning behind it. If you write for a living like we do here at Gemini PR, you might be a bit of a grammar geek and enjoy pointing out glaring mistakes on public signs. Don't these people check what they write?
I'll always remember a sign about good behaviour which was put up in all the classrooms at my old school. It was written by the Headmaster and, embarrassingly for him, was full of grammatical errors - which the pupils gleefully corrected in red pen throughout the school.
Should it really be up to pupils, or more frequently, the Plain English Campaign to tell adults in professional jobs that their writing isn't correct? If schools don't teach this properly, the likelihood is that the situation will only get worse as computer grammar checkers make us even lazier.
Helen
p.s I would very much appreciate it if you didn't check this blog post for grammatical errors....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
