Day Fourteen: The Plan

Self-employment
Having been employed by the University of Sunderland for the past eight years, my plan is to return to self-employment: I set up and ran my own business, Alpha Word Power, in 1985. For fifteen years my small business, which also employed several people, one full-time and others part-time or on piece work, offered word processing and publishing services. Nearly thirty years ago, we were at the beginning of desk-top publishing. We produced quite a number of books, sometimes for other people, sometimes under the imprint of Blue Button Press.

Authentic Counselling and Training
I also set up, and ran concurrently with Alpha Word Power, a counselling training organisation called Authentic Counselling and Training, which is still in existence. As well as having delivered training in counselling, we also deliver a variety of personal and professional development short courses, such as stress management, assertiveness training, team development, group leadership and participation skills, and so on. Part of my plan is to relaunch Authentic Counselling and Training in south-east England, adding further professional development courses to the portfolio.

Holiday Let
On an entirely different level, we intend to let part of our new house for holiday lettings. The house is ideally suited to being separated into our own living area, on the one hand, and generous holiday facilities for a couple or a small family. There is even a sizable separate garden. We intend to market the holiday let at several market segments: a) walkers and cyclists; b) people who want a countryside holiday, but with proximity to a wide variety of places to visit; c) people who want a short break with the opportunity for some personal coaching, counselling and spiritual development; d) people travelling to/from elsewhere in Britain/France who require one or more overnights close to the Channel Tunnel. 

Recreation
The Elham Valley, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a gorgeous place in which, and from which, to walk, with countless lanes, by-ways, bridleways and local footpaths, as well as three long-distance footpaths (the Elham Valley Way, 22 miles from Canterbury to Hythe on the south coast of Kent; the North Downs Way, 153 miles from Farnham on the Hampshire/Surrey border to Dover on the south east coast of Kent; and the Saxon Shore Way, that follows the Kent coastline for 160 miles from Gravesend in north Kent to Hastings in East Sussex). The area is very popular with cyclists, with regional cycle route 17 running from Dover and the Channel Tunnel via Elham to Canterbury and beyond. Close by there is the wild and ancient Lyminge Forest, in which it is possible to wander for hours watched only by buzzards; or for people who have mobility issues, the Royal Military Canal runs westwards from Hythe. Also starting from Hythe is the delightful Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway that runs as far as Dungeness, Britain's only official desert.

Places to Visit
There are far too many places to visit to mention here. They include Folkestone (beach), 8.5 miles; Howletts (famously humane zoo), 10 miles; Canterbury (history, shopping, dining out, etc.), 11.5 miles; Dover (history), 13 miles; Leeds Castle, 30.5 miles; Sissinghurst Gardens, 32 miles; Calais (France), 45.5 miles; Pooh Corner, 55.5 miles; London, 70 miles. An hourly bus service runs each way along the Elham Valley between Canterbury and Folkestone. Both Canterbury and Folkestone are on high speed rail lines into London. From nearby Ashford International railway station it is possible to be in Calais in 30 minutes, and in Paris in under two hours.

Counselling, Personal Coaching and Spiritual Development
The house we now have is quiet and peaceful, making it an ideal venue for continuing, extending and developing the therapeutic work in which I have been engaged for more than 25 years.

Herbs, Spices and Vegan Ingredients
Again, on an entirely different level, I intend to set up a consumer-facing online business supplying herbs (culinary and medicinal), spices and other vegan ingredients by mail-order. As part of this venture, I also intend to grow less common culinary herbs for supply fresh to restaurants and companies that prepare food.