Mr Ydir

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Oh well I do feel better but looks.like I forgot to click publish! Perhaps word press could include a feature to automatically publish when writers have fallen asleep.

Who ever invented tumble dryer balls deserves a YDIR. Simple idea, reduces drying times and the need for fabric softener. Dull but practical

Right time for bed

Mr Ydir

I have had a report that Five The Beach is a really nice café in Clevedon, which as the name kind of gives away is situated quite close to the beach. (It is also situated quite close to Clevedon pier, which featured in the film never let me go, which I gave a YDIR to a few posts ago, for now I will put that down to a coincidence but if any future YDIR winners have a link to Clevedon pier, I think that will prompt further investigations)

Anyway, what did Five the Beach do to deserve a YDIR, well my source tells me it had very good tea, decent cappuccino and very tasty flapjacks and shortbread. But that is pretty much standard for most half decent cafés, so what prompted an award of a YDIR?

It was a relativity small thing but sometimes the small things can make a big difference. You see my source had stopped for a drink whilst walking his dog, the drinks and snacks were served then out of the blue, one of the waitresses offered them some dog treats. As I said a small thing, but now my very grateful source is raving about this café to anyone who will listen and he fully intends to visit again to try out more of their offerings.

I have had a look at their website (as mentioned before I do like to research potential YDIR winners) and it is just as welcoming as their café. It’s worth a look to see the care and thought they put into their food, plus you can see that they offer more than your standard café.

Last thing to mention then is their web address:  fivethebeachcafe.co.uk

Five The Beach, You’re Doing It Right!

Anyway now that hopefully not too preachy / patronizing start is over, I can get on with the job in hand, giving out YDIRs.

As you might of guessed today’s YDIR is related to cycling, in this particular case it is for the people involved in Life Cycle UK.

Life Cycle UK are a Bristol based charity that helps people take up cycling.  As they have had more practie describing what they do I’ll borrow a quote direct from their site to give you a bit of an insight into what they are all about.

Our belief is that people want to cycle but are held back by lack of knowledge, concerns about safety or simply by being unsure of how to begin. Overcome those obstacles and people will take to their bikes and enjoy the benefits.

So hence Life Cycle UK was set up, the projects that come under their banner are equally great ideas, such as Two’s company, which gives visually impaired and disabled people in Bristol opportunities to come cycling on the back of a tandem, and their bike recycling project at Bristol prison.

One of the ways they raise money is by selling the bikes that are made at the recycling project, and they have a bike sale coming up on 22nd February. They have children s bikes starting from £10 with adult bikes mostly between £40-£100, but with some higher end bikes costing upto £200. You really should go to the buy a bike page fro more info and the sale by clicking here and even if you don’t live near Bristol you should visit their site to see what fantastic work they do and perhaprs get some ideas for setting up your own cycling project near you! (click HERE to go there)

Right last bit, just need to tell the founders of Life Cycle UK they are doing it right, but I can’t seam to find out who they are! Although I did find a list of staff who are obvisualy vitaly important in making it all work, so Charlie Bolton,  Poppy Brett,  Josh Katz,  Sally Oakes and Tamar Thompson , You’re Doing It Right!

The big lunch is an eden project (another great idea, that I’m sure will get a proper mention at some point, as it deserves more than just a bracket mention) and a fairly simple idea,  which I’ll quote from their site “The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun.” 

I’ve probably not made it clear, but one of the driving forces behind my blogs are to bring people together, to get to know your neighbors (everyone on the planet) and just do little things that make your bit of the planet a better place to live.

Which means this big lunch idea ticks all the boxes required to a get a YDIR, and if you or someone you know organizes a big lunch let me know and I will put your/their name in LCD lights for the world to see. ( you should also let the big lunch know, as they clearly have a great PR team)

So how do you get involved or find out more about this great iproject? You might have worked it already but I’ll put in a link for ease of access,  visit their site by clicking here or if you want an info pack, you can go directly to that page by clicking here

If you are one of our international readers, I don’t think you can request a pack but I don’t think you should let that stop you, visit the site get some ideas and hold a big lunch in your community.

the big lunch, You’re Doing It Right!

Kickstarter’s project of the day is Love Ever After, in which Lauren Fleishman plans to create an art book sharing the love stories of couples who have been married for at least 50 years. You can read about (and donate if you wish) her project by clicking here

And it was that tweet that made me realise I had to award today’s YDIR to Beryl and Les Matthews, who are today celebrating their 72nd (seventy second!) wedding anniversary. You can read the full story by clicking on this link it is well worth a read as it makes getting older that little bit less scary. Beryl who is 92 still cooks their meals, and although Les does need regular care, he is still living in his own home.

I’m not sure what it is that you are doing but Mr and Mrs Matthews, You’re Doing It Right.

Mr Ydir

So in the interest on balance I want to give a YDIR to all those involved in the March to Molineux. On Sunday supporters and former players from West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanders marched from The Hawthorns (West Bromwich Albion’s ground) to Molineux ( Wolverhampton’s ground) to raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice. A former player of both clubs planned to start the march wearing a Baggies (West Bromwich Albion’s nickname) kit before changing to a Wolves (do I need to explain this one?) kit half way through.

I have to assume it went well, as they don’t have a website, and if it had ended up in a big fight It would have defiantly been on the news! I will try and find out a bit more about how it went and update the site when I find out.

Molineux Marchers, You’re Doing It Right!

P.S Apologies to non football fans/ International readers who might be concerned by the use of completely alien words, normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

The way I came across today’s YDIR winner is a bit convoluted,  and perhaps unnecessarily long winded ( I to like find out a bit more about the person or company and what they have done to be deserving of an YDIR to ensure they really deserve it, and that I would feel comfortable shaking their hand) so I won’t go into that story and just get on with the job in hand.

Today’s YDIR goes to kickstarter.com if you follow the Internet a bit better than me you might already be familiar with the concept of crowd funding, but I only discovered it today. Kickstarter are the world’s largest platform for funding creative projects, I am sure there is bit more too it but basically you tell them your idea and how much you want to raise, they put it on their site and you wait for the donations to roll in!

Once you hit your target (within the specified timescale) you can then use the money to bring your project to life. It’s a win, win, win, win situation. You win as your project gets it’s funding, your donators win as they get some sort of experience or mention, Kickstarter wins as they take a cut of the donations (fair enough, without them you might not have gained any donations) and the wider community wins as I’m sure your project was designed as good thing, otherwise you wouldn’t have got enough donations from strangers.

Now it does seam that at the moment it is only US based projects that can apply to feature on the site, but hopefully that will change soon enough and I can quit my current job and devote more time to making the world a better place.

Kickstarter.com, You’re Doing It Right!

Mr Ydir

P.S I received an e-mail from Vania Apps who I mentioned a few post ago (Barrier Free Playgrounds, what a good idea!) which I thought I would share with you to show the positive affect a simple YDIR can have.

Dear Mr. Ydir,
Thank you so very much for your kind attention to the Fraser First Booster Club,Inc. As president it means so much to me to let the club members know what a great job they are doing. This is a big undertaking and It mean lots of hours of work from the members. With everyone lives being so busy I know your blog will be a great pat on the back to all of us at the Fraser First Booster Club. Thank you again.

The actors (both male and female), directors, writers all definitely deserving a YDIR (which is worth more than golden globe, but not quite as much as an Oscar) but what about all those people behind the scenes, the ones who names scroll up at the end but never even get read, they were quite possibly doing just a good a job, or perhaps an even better one!

Did the catering assistant provide such a good bacon roll  to Andrew Garfield he was able  perform excellently, in the wonderful but haunting Never Let Me Go.

If award winners were to thank everyone that in some way helped them win, award ceremonies would end up running for weeks at a time, so I can understand why acceptance speeches are given time limits*

So perhaps if I award YDIRs to the films rather than the individuals, everyone who worked hard to  make  them will be equally rewarded for the job they did in making them happen.

Never Let Me Go and UP, You’re Doing It Right!

Mr Ydir

*If your acceptance speech was cut short and there are people you want to  thank, please get in touch and I’ll make sure they get a mention

So today’s YDIR goes to the Anonymous (but still fantastic) person who provided a kit for an entire football team that is made up of teenagers and young adults with learning difficulties. That act of goodwill has no doubt given a lot of joy to a number of people.

It is simple acts of kindness like the above that make the world a better place to live in.