Happy birthday @Andrew Charlton Have a fab weekend

What a fabulous opportunity to see such a unique yet vital service

Welcome Chloe

Nice to see so many people. I think I managed to tick off the 'to do' list over the weekend. Looking forward to the PR masterclass tomorrow. and i'll get the onboarding bits done with the email this week. That is something I've been meaning to do for a few months but never did, so now is the perfect opportunity, with some support/help thrown in.

Hi I’m Julie I’m the person behind Strawberry Grange, a small 19 plot development in Aberdeen where instead of picking a house off a plan, you start with a plot and create something that actually suits how you live.. I’ve got a few different things on the go. I’m also a travel coach and writer, mostly working with people in midlife who are starting to think, “ where has the time gone and I need to change things to do more of what I want to do.” Using travel as a way to help people reset a bit and reconnect with one another. Travel, for me, isn’t about rushing around… it’s about experiencing places properly and coming back with a bit more clarity. In addition to Strawberry Grange I’m in the process of starting up serviced accommodation for contractors working on major projects across the north and north east of Scotland. Proper, comfortable homes where you can walk in, put the kettle on, and not feel like you’re living out a suitcase, Gearing entirely for longer stays for construction and engineering sectors . Then there’s Blaircara, a charity I’ve set up to create a dementia-friendly hamlet, bringing together older people and families who’ve experienced domestic abuse. bringing, with shared spaces run as social enterprises. Big idea, early stages, but one I’m properly committed to. It’s ambitious, and currently up for consideration in the Local Plan, but it’s one of those things you just know is worth doing. There are also a few agricultural diversification ideas bubbling away in the background (as if I needed more to do), all building towards the bigger goal, a retreat space in rural Scotland where people can properly switch off and think straight for a minute. So yes… a slightly unusual mix. But it all comes back to the same thing, creating places (and space) for people to live a bit better. What I bring here is fairly simple: opportunities and connections. I’m always open to collaborating on: - property projects (land, serviced plots, different ways of doing development) - hospitality and hotels, cruises.and scenic train travel - travel experiences and retreats, especially for the over-50s market - venues and spaces that bring people together in a more meaningful way - and of course, partnerships around Blaircara as it grows

@Andrew Charlton Heehee well you'd be surprised what we might manage in the house. .. model railway above the garage, big lobby/hallway with a nice big mirror at one end doubling up as a dance studio maybe?? Games room that's easy 👌. Funnily enough whilst the gardens are big they might struggle with a horse, even a little one to replace the mower, but if you did get around to buying one there's a field with a stable already in it you could rent, and there's even another field with a flat bit at the bottom where the local aircraft modellers used to meet, so you could resurrect their 'runaway' and invite a few pals over of a Saturday..For 'big' toys we're 10 minutes from the airport and about 40 minutes from the gliding club at Aboyne..So hold on to those dreams @Andrew Charlton where's there a will there might just be a way ! All about having that conversation and putting it out there, maybe there is a solution just waiting to be unlocked afterall.