Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

How To Write Engaging Social Media Posts

One thing to do on social media is to write content for your posts. Posts are what keep your social media active and your audience engaged. However, it’s imperative that you have a strategy so that you can get the most out of your social media interactions.

Understand Your Customers

You need to know who your target audience is so that you can recognize what type of posts will get more traction with them. For example, some audience members will be insulted by certain types of comedy. Others will respond very well to it. Know who they are so that your posts can be targeted.

Watch Your Competition

It’s always a good idea to check out what your competition is doing in regard to social media posts. Don’t just copy what they are doing. Instead, observe whether or not the competition is getting a result or not from their actions, and note how you can do it better or differently.

Know the Goal of the Post

What action do you want your customers to take when they read the post? Do you want them to click through to read more? Do you want them to like, follow and share? You need to be clear about what you want them to do in order to get action.

Add a Relevant Image

People respond best to relevant images on social media. You can make memes and infographic using free software like Canva.com for your social media posts. A nice image, watermarked with a relevant quote will do wonders.

Write Content that Gets Attention

When you share a meme or a blog post or other type of post write content about it, and what you want your readers to do about it.

Ask Your Audience to Share

Never forget to ask your audience to share your posts. You can also invite them to take memes and infographics off your website to share. Just set up a new page that lists all the watermarked images that your audience can share.

Respond to Comments

Don’t just ignore the interaction that is happening on your social media pages. Always respond, and add comments to the discussion. Answer questions, and be kind. Even if someone is rude, don’t respond rudely. If you have to, delete the rude comment and let it go.

Writing social media posts that get a discussion going and inspire people to share and interact is an art. You’ll need to try different tactics to see what works with your particular audience. But, be sure to always have a call to action on the post so that your audience knows what to do.

$5,000 Personal Loans With Bad Credit: Consider Some Alternative Solutions

Getting cash injection from time to time can be hugely beneficial when trying to get through the myriad of financial demands of everyday life. But with bad credit rating, getting approval for even modest loans can be tricky. However, it is possible to get even a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit.There is no doubt that a sum of $5,000 can prove to be extremely useful. It can finance a vacation, pay for college fees and also be used to clear some existing debts. But securing loan approval is impossible if the basic criteria set by the lender is not met, and tricky if the application is not approached correctly.People with poor credit ratings also need to accept some compromises if there is to be a chance of these personal loans being approved. But there are alternative loan sources to traditional banks that offer better terms.Family LoansLenders can place a number of conditions when granting a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit, ranging from higher interest rates to strict repayment schedules. The problem is this ensures the pressure is on to make repayments on time every time. But there are more informal loan options.Going to a family member, for example, can be a better choice. For a start, securing loan approval is easier because a family member is unlikely to turn another down. The only question is whether a member of the family has $5,000 to lend. Also, in most cases, there is no interest charged on the loan, making it also the most affordable loan option.But remember, it is a good idea to write the terms of any family loans down, and have both interested parties sign it. That way everything is kept clear and there is no risk of confusion. Such personal loans should not end up coming between family members.Consider Payday LoansThough rather expensive, one of the best loan options when in a hurry for fast cash is a payday loan. Getting a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit is pretty simple, with no credit check needed, and the lender approving the application within a hour. That means the financial emergency can be dealt with within 24 hours.However, the size of the loan can be a problem. Many lenders are reluctant to lend any more than $1,500, unless there is a special arrangement made with the borrower. Sometimes, borrowers may need to take out a series of payday loans instead. This can prove extremely expensive with each loan having interest as high as 30%.On the plus side, securing loan approval is almost guaranteed, and the repayment term is so short that there is no lingering debt over a number of years. In fact, 90 days is usually the longest term on this kind of personal loan.Consider a Company LoanOften, this is the last option considered by those seeking a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit. But, in fact, it is probably the most logical one. Your boss may be willing to advance the equivalent of 2 or 3 months salary, since it will have to be paid anyway. They may even be able to make a slight profit by charging a small interest rate.In terms of getting their money back, they can simply deduct the due repayments from the salary check each month. But securing loan approval is not just a good thing for your boss. As a bad credit borrower, the interest rate will be lower than that charged by any lender. Therefore, costs are lower and the loan itself is more affordable.On the down side, however, repaying this personal loan will have no effect on your credit rating, as the loan did not come from a recognized lender.