Cycle to Work Safely

When our firm decided to get involved in the governments cycle to work initiative, I was really keen to join in.

The cycle to work scheme is a brilliant programme where employees make big savings on new bikes and employers hopefully get a fitter healthier workforce. Or that is the general idea.

David Allen & Co have been promoting the scheme to all the staff and having got my new bike recently, I have been cycling to work every morning. The other day, I was halfway to work and was turning a bend in the road, when the bike skidded out of control and I landed in a heap having hit the side of my head on the kerb. Of course I was wearing a proper helmet but I still caught the side of my eye.

Luckily a lady out walking her dog, came to my rescue
and having had the all clear at hospital, I went back to work.

I am back on my bike and still keeping fit but
just look at the lovely black eye I got though.
Leanne Donald

Cows on the Mooo-ve

When we were asked by three local young farmers if they could borrow our cow and calf recently we were a bit surprised until they described what they were doing.

The three lads wanted to raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance. The air ambulance is in need of extra funds to cover the increasing fuel costs and it does such a valuable service especially around rural farming areas which are often inaccessible.

Michael Henderson, John Scott and Charles Wood are driving tractors around the county boundary and one of the lads will be towing a cattle trailer which will contain our mum and her baby calf.

They are setting off on Friday 14 November from Carlisle and hopefully will make it back by the end of the weekend having travelled via Kirkby Lonsdale, Kendal and down to Barrow then back up the coast via St Bees at a steady 20mph. They will be stopping at towns and villages in-between selling raffle tickets for prizes donated by local businesses. They are hoping to raise £3,000.

We are not the only firm to lend out items for this worthy cause. Tractors are on loan from Johnston Tractor’s, Lloyd's and Rickerby’s and Scottish Fuels are keeping the tractors re fuelled as they travel round.

Our bull is looking a bit lonely at our office at the minute without the rest of his family. We have had lots of people commenting on the missing animals and checking they hadn’t been stolen. We even had one passer by, who stopped when the cow and calf were being loaded up to take away, to check they weren’t being “nicked”.

Watch out for the lads round the county and of course our cows on the mooo-ve.
Julie Campbell

Top Form at the Races

David and myself had a very enjoyable day out at the races yesterday.

We were invited by chairman of Carlisle Racecourse, Hugh Fitzgerald along with other guests and had a lovely meal and complimentary wine.

We were given tips and form for each of the upcoming races and mingled with other guests like Tony Dobbin and his family.

The best part of the day for me was meeting up with the owner of one of the runners in the fourth Steeplechase of the day. Non other than Alan Shearer (Ex England and Newcastle United footballer) joined us as his horse Akilak ran in his black and white colours.

As you see I managed to get my photograph taken with him, but I am not sure who was giving football tips to who when he began talking tactics to David. Maybe he was eyeing up his first coaching job with Carlisle United or perhaps they were discussing a strategy to get their respective teams back on a winning streak.

Later, David and I got to pick the best turned out horse in one of the races and presented the winner with their prize.

We had a great day and I have got my souvenir photograph now saved to remember the day I met Alan Shearer.
Sandra Gowling

David goes back to school

Last night, I was given the opportunity to go back to my old school when I was invited to be the guest speaker at Solway Community School’s prize giving for the students.

Accountants don’t tend to get asked to speak as we have a reputation of being dull and uninspiring so they must have heard I am not the typical accountant. I was really pleased to be asked though as I have loads of connections still in Silloth with many of the clients who trusted me when I started out, still loyal to me today, plus we have some great staff working at the firm who originate from the town like Sarah Reilly and Julie Osborn.

My memories of school were not particularly good and I never managed to get anything at prize day. I recall Mr Campbell trying to get me to get involved in sports activities like joining the football team but I just wasn’t interested at the time. Who would have thought then, that I would turn out to be one of the owners of Carlisle United Football Club.

I left school when I was 16 and went to work on a farm, then decided I wanted to get into engineering. I went on to do a degree in Electronic Engineering before deciding I wanted to get into Accountancy. I had to start at the very bottom and got things like filing and cleaning up to do but I knew what my ultimate goal was so whatever job I was given I always put every effort into it.

That was the message I wanted to give to the pupils at Solway Community School and for anyone reading this article. If you put the effort in you will succeed and you will be rewarded. Think about the options you have but don’t worry if you suddenly think you are on the wrong route, you can try something different, but you need to work at it.

Be confident and enjoy whatever you do.
David Allen

Borderway Agri Expo 2008

Going

Going

Gone





On Friday 31st October, our agricultural team attended the Borderway Agri Expo annual event at H&H auction mart, Rosehill, Carlisle.

This was the second year for this event of which we are pleased to be a main sponsor of and we also participate with a trade stand. Being the last day of October we would expect cooler weather but it was particularly a very cold day and given that the trade stands are out in the pennage area it was a little drafty too. However we were prepared for this with an urn to hand which kept us, along with our visitors on the stand, supplied with hot drinks.

We had an excellent day with many people visiting our stand giving us the opportunity to discuss business with existing clients or being introduced to potential new business.

Our competition this year again proved popular with " guess the photo " - 10 photo's of agricultural machinery close up's and the winner was Ross Pattinson. The event which we sponsored was the Bucking Bull competition which took place throughout the day and some staff members including David took part .

Overall it was a successful day with a fantastic number of people attending and we look forward to next years event.
Sandra Gowling