County Donegal

Nottingham – Castle and Pubs

Nottingham is getting some bad press recently with inner city problems of gun crime and burglary. Whilst there is no doubt these problems exist, Nottingham remains for me a great city full of interesting places to see both old and new.

Nottingham is located in the centre of England and is often referred to as The Queen of The Midlands. The City has always been strategically important.

Nottinghamshire countryside provided good hunting grounds for Kings and the forest provided good shelter for outlaws most notably the famous Robin Hood. Although much of the forest has disappeared now, Nottinghamshire still boasts some of the finest woodlands in England with ancient oaks, the oldest of these being the Major Oak. Legend has it that Robin Hood hid in the trunk of this very tree to escape the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

The city of Nottingham has a rich and colourful history. Here are just a couple of places to wet your appetite.

Nottingham Castle

At the heart of the city stands Nottingham Castle, set on a rocky outcrop of sandstone high above the city. The original castle was erected here by orders of William the Conqueror in 1067.

Henry 1 later replaced the wooden structure with an imposing stone castle. This was to remain for hundreds of years as one of the most important castles in England.

The notorious Sheriff of Nottingham lived here when Richard The Lionheart was on the ‘Third Crusade’, providing the setting for the legendary final showdown between the Sheriff and the Robin Hood.

The castle provided a rallying point for Charles 11 during the English Civil War. Charles erected the Royal Standard near the castle to mark the beginning of the war. A stone in the centre of the roadway at Standard Hill marks the spot.

There are a labyrinth of caves and tunnels under the castle. The most famous of these is Mortimer’s Hole where this usurper to the throne of Edward 111 was captured and later executed.

The original castle was all but destroyed. What you see today is a seventeenth century mansion built on top of the original site. Since the late nineteenth century it has been a museum of world renown, housing thousands of artefacts and art collections. With its dungeons and children’s activities Nottingham Castle is well worth a visit.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

Carved out of the sandstone rock beneath Nottingham Castle this is reputedly the oldest pub in the world. Established in 1189, the inn provided rest and refreshment to the Crusaders of Richard the Lionheart during the ‘Third Crusades’.

Walking inside is like taking a trip back in time. The pub is associated with many fascinating legends which you can discover over a fine pint of ‘real ale’. The pub is said to be haunted – you have been warned!

Nottingham by Night

Whether you want to relax with a drink and good conversation, take in a show or party the night away – Nottingham has it all!

Forget the negative, visit Nottingham with an open mind, a sense of humour and watch out for the famous Nottingham welcome “Hey up me Ducks”…

Can there be any better way of getting under the skin of a foreign country than living alongside local residents? Probably not. The problem for most people however is that they don’t have the time to duck out of life for a year or so to go and live elsewhere – you can’t be a student forever! So what about those of us who have family and career responsibilities, how can we get an authentic taste of what it’s like to live in another place?

Going on holiday is of course the obvious answer, but hotels are expensive and they are all the same the world over – bland and characterless; you could be anywhere. Moreover that kind of holiday tends to be hijacked by people wanting to organise you onto tours of so-called “traditional” sites and relieve you of your hard-earned cash. And can you imagine living in hotel rooms for a few weeks with young children?

One solution is to rent a house or a series of two or three houses. That way you get more of an opportunity to experience life in that particular country first hand. You might even get the chance to be sick and have to visit the local doctor rather than see the hotel doctor. That way you get an insight into the Health Care system! (Yes, we have one).



A number of excellent companies have emerged in recent years which have helped to put Ireland on the map as far as this kind of self-catering holiday is concerned. Several reliable web sites offer houses and cottages for short term rental all over Ireland in places that can give customers a real sense of being in charge of their own time and experiences. By choosing well a foreigner can rent a house or cottage in as many different locations as he wishes, giving the chance to spend time everywhere from large cities to remote wilderness.

The company I have used about 7 times is Imagine Ireland (www.imagineireland.com) and is well worth a visit even if your planned visit to Ireland is no more than a pipe dream – you never can tell!

Imagine Ireland acts as an agent for private property owners and is based in England. They also have rental property in France.

Having rented cottages in counties Donegal, Mayo, Sligo and Galway I can say that the descriptions are 100% accurate, the cottages are all furnished and equipped to a very high standard, and using the site is very straightforward.



Some things need to be remembered however:



TV reception is very poor in remote areas – you can’t depend on setting the kids in from of the TV when they get bored.



It WILL rain, but that should not be seen as a serious problem – look at it as local colour!



Cafes and restaurants tend to be expensive – not a problem since you have your own kitchen and you will get to rub shoulders with ordinary Irish people in ordinary Irish shops.



Road signs don’t always point up the road that leads to your destination, but getting lost is part of the challenge and Ireland’s not that big anyway.



My favourites are the cottages in the wilds of the Gaelic speaking areas of Donegal and Galway. I know I’m not a foreigner, but I keep going back year after year, always to different cottages of course, and my kids love it.

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Copyright (c) 2008 Pat Brill

Most employees start out as a new employee, develop competency in their roles, and then move forward to the expert stage. As you work with employees on development, it can be helpful to look at the stage they are in to appropriately plan with them their career development.

Why is employee development so important? If you want to retain your strong contributors, you have to know where they are at and what they need. There are many major studies focusing on employee development, and this posting is the very simplified version for a busy manager’s schedule.

==>One-Year-Old Employee

I am addressing the employee who has been in their position around a year. This employee is competent and contributing to the success of the department. Competency at this level means they are able to perform the essential functions of their role and are ready to take are new responsibilities within this role.

Note: I use one year as a marker for this employee….they now show competency. This employee is contributing but still has room to grow. Depending on the role, this can occur at 6 months or in roles that are more complex one year. Whatever the case, you know this employee because they are still happy and enthusiastic with their continuous learning.

==>Continuous Learning

All employees are more productive in a learning environment. A basic premise about retention is if the employee is increasing their knowledge, skills, and abilities while they are working, you got their attention and loyalty.

With an employee in this stage, you don’t have to do very much except offer the learning opportunities. Obviously, you still need to direct them, though they should be working independently.

==>Recognition

It has been proven in many studies that managers that build recognition in their every day interactions with their team members are more successful in meeting their business objectives.

Recognition is an important retention motivator for this group. Why?

–They are experiencing success in their roles.

–Are still enthusiastic about what they can learn.

–Are willing to go the extra mile to attain what they want.

–Are close to understanding the challenges in the role and are looking for additional training and development

You can make your like easier by building in time to provide appropriate recognition.

==>So what can you do as their manager?

–Insure they are contributors in problem solving issues within the department.

–Suggest they create a vision on how to build their professional reputation.

–Expect that they will participate in their own career development…suggest they do their research.

–Support them in building their expertise in their role.

–Recommend that they participate in appropriate professional organizations.

–Encourage them to learn on their own

==>Final Note

It is not all up to you, as the employee also must take responsibility for their professional success and satisfaction. What is important is that you drive this process so you can retain your strong performers.