Simon Duringer's Blog, page 14

Isn't blogging strange!

So, after 18 months to get to 1,000,000 page views on the blog I suddenly get 75,000 more in 4 days! LOL.... Marvellous, does that mean 2,000,000 by next month? Wouldn't that be nice!

My thanks have to go to the extraordinarily talented authors that allow me to interview them... Thankyou so much!

http://www.simonduringer.com

NHS Fiasco

I was there largely of my own doing, but untreated Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has a habit of messing with your head and since I've paid taxes for near on 25 years I sort of assumed there was a service available which I have paid for?

Then again... Think again!

http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...

Chris Martin and Marianne Azizi

If you missed the radio show with author/playwright Chris Martin​ and author/activist Marianne Azizi​ on the 23 June... It was a good one (well, they all are! LOL) Here's your chance to revisit it... On the 102.8 Chorley FM​ Arts and Lifestyle show with moi and Hannah Winstanley​... Enjoy!

http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...

Interviewing Chris Martin and Marianne Azizi

Well on the 23rd June what a fun show we had!

But on a more serious side we interviewed the author and playwright Chris Martin and Marianne Azizi straight back from her Israeli trip!

Chris Martin

Marianne Azizi

Both can be found on Amazon… It’s all explained in the show… and there’s great music too!

You can also find them on this very site in separate interviews… Chris a member of the TCC and Marianne amongst the Simons 10 Q Interviews…

Enjoy!

CFM 102.8 with Interviewees Chris Martin and Marianne Azizi by Simon Dusty Duringer on Mixcloud

Simon Duringer is an award winning blogger, interviewer and author. He is the presenter of the Chorley 102.8 FM Arts and Lifestyle Show and Treasurer of The Lancashire Authors Association. His books can be found on Amazon by clicking any of the following icons…

Graciously Revisited!

Graciously Revisited.

On February 17 I wrote the piece entitled ‘Grace Under Fire’. So if you wondering what the title relates to then click across to http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/room-42/grace-under-fire/

Let’s just say 2014 has been challenging so far and in the last 48 hours I managed to see quite a few people who I remember and several more that remember me…. But it wasn’t all good!

During the last 48 hours… 20.30 hours I think on BBC 1 there was a fairly damming account of the state of our NHS (National Health Service for my overseas friends)….I saw the adverts but couldn’t watch it as surprise, surprise, somebody from the staff turned the telly off. But the facts were already known to us huddled in the room as we had been there a while! A very, very long while… But here’s the link!

Well, let’s see where it started…. Rather ill I headed off to A & E (Accident and Emergency – Sorry if that is suck eggs stuff!) A little bit of difficulty in walking. In fact, I regret to say I probably could have given Oliver Reed or Georgie Best a run for their money.

Now, I’m not a medical man, although very nearly CPR to one of bosses in the works car park one day back along. But I am an operations man of some 17 or so years. A Silver commander and a leader… You learn a little bit in that time i.e. How to organise things and people, how to endear yourself to those around you; from cleaners to ministers. What the purposes of good processes are for. How to make money work for the greater good and not to further the greed of fat cats.

In the NHS it’s all gone so wrong!

In May there was a procession to keep the hospital open. By the way I love the NHS and would have joined in had it not been for another wonderful event ‘What’s your Story Chorley?’ so I was in the main library conference room giving a presentation to book lovers and would be self-publishers.

But what’s the truth?

I arrived at A & E at around 20.00 hrs (Sunday)

At around 00.15 hrs (Monday) I was first seen and was told there were no beds

I sat in an A & E cubicle for let’s say 6 hours (Exact individual times seem fairly irrelevant, the final one is the biggy!)

Fairly groggy and very tired, I was sent up to MAU (Medical Assessment Unit) is that what 06.15 hrs or so… ermmm to sit in another chair? Oh, by the way I don’t blame staff for this….

Well, junior staff anyway, (Staff Nurses, Nurses, Porters, Security etc) they’re great!

There I was shuffled in to a room… No beds… I’m not a good sleeper and in this time, I met some great people. Funny how that always happens!

Some had only been there for ECG’s… I’ve had a few of those in my time. They take around 5 minutes to complete. X-Rays – not much longer. Others were much more seriously afflicted, requiring blood transfusions and the like…. It was like a circus. The funny thing is that in the face of diversity people are drawn to each other and we sat uncomfortably chatting…. We’d all been there for around 12 hours or more.

I finally saw a very helpful man, nurse etc that I knew from days of old…. He’s an everything – Porter, helper, cleaner, coffee maker, pacifier, God knows what else and I asked if we could eat or at least have a coffee and as soon as he could, he obliged… Dude you should run that place… Well, actually you probably do!

We were all seen piecemeal by fools and stallers and we ended up ‘picnicking’, for there is no better word for it, huddled in our uncomfortable chairs in a corner of an ever filling room swapping food… Still no beds! It’s funny there no beds since they’ve been shutting wards whilst at the same time building an entire new wing…

After some time, I realised I’d been sitting in a chair for some 24 hours. I was told by the manager I had not…. OHHHH…. She meant in the MAU, not the entire hospital…. Must be a departmental target! I went for the only cigarette I had… snuck out surreptitiously almost fell up the stairs on the way back, but was quite happy to have survived this long! I was sicker now than when I arrived…as were many others. Those who weren’t were just irate!

Having been in the same clothes for some 36 hours and having waited over 24 hours, one also wonders if people were noticing the honk of my sweaty feet… Can’t have been nice. But one doesn’t go to hospital with full wallets, changes of clothes, food and drink and/or to pay the exorbitant prices of watching television, buying reading materials…. In fact I didn’t even have my phone!

At hour 25, bearing in mind I hadn’t slept for at least a day or two, I was being moved to a ward… I said my goodbyes to these new friends/acquaintances and was hauled off by a very nice porter. It is always the low paid employees that are the best and most friendly… Less targets to achieve, yet probably the busiest!

He took me into a ward where all the beds seemed/were empty….

It’s not the beds being empty that scarred me, but if I’d had my phone I’d have called every one of my new acquaintances to inform them the beds were all empty…. It’s the management, the finances… The lack of good process. Dare I say the incompetence of some higher beings (Pah, higher my arse….the fools!) Sorry did I say management, I meant miss-management and I don’t mean the general staff.

I was told by three… THREE advisors to go home and get drunk. Only one English doctor talked sense to me and he was little older than my eldest son! Good on you buddy…

Of course the highlight were two people… One, who I swear has the profile of George third (judging by the coins anyway!) and two, in the morning Grace was there chirpy as ever…

How the hell do these people put up with the pressures and targets which clearly must be ridiculous!

SAVE THE NHS GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO DO WHAT THEY’RE THERE FOR. TO HELP PEOPLE. BECAUSE THEY BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS FIASCO!

Simon Duringer is an award winning blogger, interviewer and author. He is the presenter of the Chorley 102.8 FM Arts and Lifestyle Show and Treasurer of The Lancashire Authors Association. His books can be found on Amazon by clicking any of the following icons…

Life…

Pens. Words. Fiction. Who’s the depiction…. Love. Hate. Which provides bait. Which is the reality that provides the fiction….. Life and love. All that stuff. All we need. Is it enough… Fit. Wit. All that shit. What provides that true grit….Passion? Hmmm. I see you. Feel you. Sense you. Can heal you…. Me. Torn. Angry. A little scorned…. Heather. Beautiful. Scented. Like the weather…. Vino. Cappuccino. Which is best. Oh easiest like the rest… Fortunes. Hmmm…. Money. Wealth. Change a chingling. Allis worth an easy mingling… New friends. Old friends. Sour and subtle. Worthy of a rebuttal. …. Best of life. A comforting wife. Easy times. A sharp knife… An easy feel. Good to conceal. Good fortune. An easy life….

Just me!

Pens. Words. Fiction. Who’s the depiction…. Love. Hate. Which provides bait. Which is the reality that provides the fiction….. Life and love. All that stuff. All we need. Is it enough… Fit. Wit. All that shit. What provides that true grit….Passion? Hmmm. I see you. Feel you. Sense you. Can heal you…. Me. Torn. Angry. A little scorned…. Heather. Beautiful. Scented. Like the weather…. Vino. Cappuccino. Which is best. Oh easiest like the rest… Fortunes. Hmmm…. Money. Wealth. Change a chingling. Allis worth an easy mingling… New friends. Old friends. Sour and subtle. Worthy of a rebuttal. …. Best of life. A comforting wife. Easy times. A sharp knife… An easy feel. Good to conceal. Good fortune. An easy life….

Behind the scenes with Jennifer Lyon

An interesting look behind the scenes in the world of publishing. Got a manuscript? What to do next before hitting the publish button or submitting to mainstream publishers. Translator, Editor and Proofreader Jennifer Lyon of Lioness Translation (Proofing/Revision) goes under the spotlight to inform authors of the benefits of good editing. Later in the show professional games testers Will Vasquez and Evgenij Shevtsov of Pole to Win International talk about the testing process before games hit the market place and their love for games and anime.
Another author gaining a mention on the show is International Journalist and Spy Thriller writer Jack Hayes who launched his new book 'No Easy Mission' earlier in June.


http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...

Behind the Scenes with Jennifer Lyon

For the past few weeks we have been interviewing some quite remarkable authors such as; the F1 Driver, Formula Ford Champion and Original Stig Perry McCarthy; The ex National serviceman posted to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and who became a member of President JFK’s close protection squad Colin Denby; and the recent two times winner at The Lancashire Authors Association’s prize ceremony, Western writer Jill McDonald (aka Amos Carr and Gil McDonald). We also interviewed the author of the Penny Parker series of crime novels and partner to Stephen Leather, D J Harrison whose latest book and cover are both nominated for National awards and of course my great friend; Secretary to The Lancashire Authors Association and author of the Waterstones Bestseller Unsigned Unscene, John Winstanley.

John also joined me and co-presenter Hannah in reviewing a number of books that we have been reading including; Flat Out Flat Broke: The Original Stig by Perry McCarthy, The Price of Freedom by Colin Denby, Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig, Vixen by Rosie Garland and Drabacus by Susan Ainsworth…

But this week (16/06/2015) what we are focussing our attentions on is what takes behind the scenes for an author before publishing. Firstly, that nerve racking moment when an author introduces their manuscript to those highly feared editors and/or proofreaders for a second opinion. Translator, proofreader and editor Jennifer Lyon of Lioness Translation (Proofing, Revision) goes under the spotlight and introduces the benefits of good editing for those considering publishing a novel.

Following last weeks introduction to co-presenter Hannah Winstanley’s passion for gaming and anime I hit the road to find out more… Completely oblivious to the gaming world I met up in Lancaster with Texas born Will Vasquez of Pole to Win International who introduced me to what takes place before games are introduced to the market place and indeed the incredible amounts of money at stake. We were then invited to interview one of the Pole to Win International Games testers Evgenij Shevtsov on air live on the show. I know my place… that one was all Hannah’s!

We also briefly discussed the latest offering of the International journalist Jack Hayes who released No Easy Mission (Maddox Book 3) earlier in the month and will hopefully be featured on the show in the next few weeks.

If you want to listen to the show ‘warts and all’ then tune in to Chorley 102.8 FM on Tuesday evenings between 6-8pm (UK Time) or listen in live from anywhere in the world on the Chorley FM Internet Player.

So, whether you are an author, publisher, reader, gamer or anime fan, kick up your heels, relax and hit the play button below! Enjoy… Until next week.

102.8 CFM Behind the scenes with Jennifer Lyon by Simon Dusty Duringer on Mixcloud

Simon Duringer is an award winning blogger, interviewer and author. He is the presenter of the Chorley 102.8 FM Arts and Lifestyle Show and Treasurer of The Lancashire Authors Association. His books can be found on Amazon by clicking any of the following icons…

Author Jill McDonald-Constable MA

At last a show without technical issues! *Yayyy*. Great interview with author Jill McDonald Constable. Co-presenter Hannah Winstanley talks about her passion for anime and gaming and guest John Winstanley reviews and discusses current book releases and goodreads. Authors gaining a mention included; Colin Denby, Morgan St James, Rachel Abbott, Matt Haig, Rosie Garland and Perry McCarthy. John is also the Secretary for the Lancashire Authors Association and discussed how and why people should consider joining this writing group which was established in 1909!

http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...