THE POST - SPRING 2018

THE UCLAN INTERNAL MAGAZINE
SPRING 2018
THE LURE OF
THE SEA
Why we love to be beside
the seaside
CASTING A
SPELL
ON YOUNG MINDS
The magic ingredients of
classic children's fiction
VOICES
FROM THE VALLEYS
Protests and pageantry
in the Yorkshire hills
KINDNESS
MATTERS
Compassion in leadership
SNAPSHOT:
INVESTIGATING
THE SCENE OF A CRIME
CSI
PRESTON

THE POST SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 THE POST
MESSAGE FROM
THE EDITOR
POSTED
04 05 06
“ Welcome to
your new-look
staff magazine”
Welcome to the Spring 2018 edition of The Post. You'll have noticed that
we've had a spring clean since our last issue back in October 2017. It feels
good to be back and hopefully you like our new look. From now on you’ll
be getting a new issue of The Post every quarter. Work on our summer
edition is already underway.
The changes we’ve introduced to your magazine aren’t just cosmetic.
We’ve tried to keep everything you loved about the old version intact - you
clearly appreciate having a staff magazine which is lively, has a sense of fun
and doesn’t take itself too seriously. We will continue to shout about your
successes. Ever since our first issue back in March 2016 we’ve fought hard to
avoid carrying the sort of dull, bland, corporate content that has led to so
many other staff magazines becoming an inconsequential snoozefest.
We want you to read The Post because you think it’s a great magazine,
not just because you work at UCLan.
So what’s new? Aside from the fresh lick of paint, you’ll notice a much
greater focus on feature articles. Each of them stars one or more of your
colleagues who all have fascinating stories to share. We can think ourselves
lucky to be working alongside so many individuals and teams who have
achieved, explored, witnessed and discovered some incredible things.
Their stories are variously intriguing, surprising, enlightening, inspiring and
hilarious. Over the following pages you’ll gain some memorable insights into
the cast of characters you work alongside every day and find out what makes
them tick. In this issue we’ll take you on a trip to the seaside, explore the
scene of a crime, uncover tales of protest and pageantry along rain-soaked
Yorkshire hillsides, and delve into the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
So grab yourself a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!
UCLAN LIFE 04
THE LATEST STAFF NEWS AND
SUCCESS STORIES
CSI PRESTON 08
INVESTIGATING THE SCENE
OF A CRIME
KINDNESS MATTERS 10
PROFESSOR MIKE THOMAS ON
KINDNESS IN LEADERSHIP
VOICES FROM 12
THE VALLEYS
PROTEST AND PAGEANTRY IN
THE YORKSHIRE HILLSIDES
CASTING A SPELL 14
ON YOUNG MINDS
THE MAGIC INGREDIENTS OF
CLASSIC CHILDREN’S FICTION
THE LURE OF THE SEA 17
WHY WE LOVE TO BE
BESIDE THE SEASIDE
WORK HACKERS 22
HOW TO BECOME A
‘PRODUCTIVITY NINJA’
08-09
12-13
10-11
14-16
17-21
A DAY IN THE LIFE 24
WITH RACHEL CRAGG, PVC
(ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT)
Dan Mills
Publications Officer (Editor)
dmills1@uclan.ac.uk
A ROYAL VISIT 26
WHEN PRINCE PHILIP
CAME TO PRESTON
WHAT DO
YOU
THINK?
ON THE COVER
Kevin Pritchard, Senior Lecturer in the School of Forensic Sciences,
investigates a ‘crime scene’ in one of the University’s Crime Houses
which are used to teach the CSIs of the future.
FULL STORY: SEE ‘CSI: PRESTON’ STORY ON PAGES 8-9
22-23
24-25
26-27
Tell us what you think of your
staff magazine and how we could
improve. Also, if you have an
interesting story to tell then
we’d love to hear it.
CONTACT:
dmills1@uclan.ac.uk
THE POST (SPRING 2018 ISSUE) THE UCLAN INTERNAL MAGAZINE
Marketing, CommunicationsMarketing and Engagement and Engagement Office, Chandler Office, Building, Chandler Preston Building, Campus, Preston The Campus, University The University of Central of Lancashire Central
Lancashire ENQUIRIES: ENQUIRIES: dmills1@uclan.ac.uk dmills1@uclan.ac.uk | EDITOR: | Dan EDITOR: Mills, ext. Dan 4420 Mills, | ext. Design: 4420 CDM | Design: CDM

UCLAN LIFE SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 UCLAN LIFE
UCLAN
life...
CELEBRATING STAFF SUCCESS
05
LEND A HAND...
THE VOLUNTEERING STARS OF UCLAN
LUBAINA CELEBRATES TURNER PRIZE TRIUMPH
Lubaina Himid, 2017 Turner Prize winner, brings iconic artwork to Preston.
Back in December, Professor of Contemporary Art,
Lubaina Himid MBE, was awarded the 2017 Turner
Prize, one of the most prestigious international
visual arts awards.
Lubaina is known as one of the pioneers of the
British black arts movement and her work shines a
light on the trade in enslaved people and the
contribution made by the people of the Black
Diaspora. At the ceremony, Lubaina was praised
by judges "for addressing pertinent questions of
personal and political identity".
Now you can see Lubaina’s iconic work for yourself
at The Harris Museum in an exhibition titled ‘Hard
Times’. Featuring ‘The Fashionable Marriage (1986)’
and ‘Inside the Invisible (2002)’, the exhibition title
is a reference to Charles Dickens’ novel, which was
inspired by his visit to Preston during the workers’
lock-out of 1853. You can check out the exhibition
until Sunday 3 June.
But Lubaina’s success is not just limited to praise
in Preston. Her work has been picked up by British
Vogue Magazine and was featured in their April
issue. You can read a snippet on Vogue’s website at
bit.ly/Lubaina-vogue
YVONNE BATTERSBY, BUSINESS
SUPPORT ASSISTANT
I’m a member of the 99th Garrison, a group of fundraisers who spend most
weekends dressed as Star Wars characters collecting money for charity.
With over 200 members, we buy or make our own costumes, which are as close
to the films as we can get. For a small donation, we pose for photographs and
selfies at charity events such as supermarket bucket collections. Darth Vader and
stormtroopers are hugely popular with all ages.
In 2017 we raised £39,336 for various charities including Dreamflight and the
Walking With Giants Foundation. I’ve been with the group for about four years
and have three costumes, but have the most fun dressed as a stormtrooper.
The 99th Garrison has attended the Lancashire Science Festival for the last
two years raising money for Cystic Fibrosis Trust and will be back at the
festival for 2018.
FANCY VOLUNTEERING YOURSELF?
Why not cash in your Time to Shine day and dedicate your time to
helping out the community? Staff are free to volunteer wherever
they wish, from dog kennels to homeless shelters. Find out more
at uclantimetoshine.org.uk
THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK,
CARE AND COMMUNITY
On Sunday 14 January a group of staff from the School of Social Work, Care
and Community ran 10k in memory of Jo Cunningham, who was the Head of
the School, as well as a wonderful academic and a beloved friend.
The group were raising money for the East Lancashire Hospice where Jo spent
the last weeks of her life. The team managed to raise a fantastic amount of
£1,862 and with the addition of Gift Aid the total has come to £2,293.75!*
*Total correct at time of writing.
QUADRUPLE SUCCESS AT
EDUCATE NORTH AWARDS
UCLan has been celebrating quadruple success
after scooping awards in four categories at the
2018 Educate North Awards.
The awards are a celebration of excellence and best
practice in the education sector in the North. The
University won big in the UK Leadership Award
category with Professor Mike Thomas, Vice-
Chancellor named as the winner for demonstrating
outstanding leadership qualities as well as an
inspirational and innovative approach.
The University’s work with the American University
of the Caribbean (AUC) secured an award in The t
International Partnership category. The other gongs
were for the International Transnational Education
award for the University’s delivery of the BSc (Hons)
Architecture course in Hong Kong, and the
Innovation award was given in recognition of the ‘In
The City’ project. ‘In The City’ is a community hub
delivered by the Marketing, Communications and
Engagement Team to bring local people together
through a variety of free events and activities.
The awards were judged by a panel of leading
industry professionals and experts and announced
at a ceremony in April at the Radisson Blu
Manchester.
Professor Mike Thomas (Vice-Chancellor),
Dr Liz Granger (Public Engagement Manager),
Lee MacNeall (Marketing Assistant).
Dr Liz Granger, Lee MacNeall

UCLAN LIFE SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 UCLAN LIFE
life...
UCLAN
CELEBRATING STAFF FEEDBACK 07
TOP TECH TIPS
Email and keyboard shortcuts to save you time.
We knew the Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Team (TELT) would
be keen to help out when asked for some of their top tech tips. If you need
some quick keyboard shortcuts, read on…
1. Manage your Outlook mailbox with Quick Steps. This feature applies multiple
actions at the same time to email messages. For example, if you frequently
move messages to a specific folder, use this feature to move the message in
one click!
• From the Outlook Home tab, in the Quick Steps group,
• Click the ‘More’ arrow at the bottom right of the Quick Steps box
• Select Manage Quick Steps and click on the New button
2. Need to lock your PC screen in a flash? Use the Windows key + L to lock
your workstation
WANT TO SEE
YOUR NEWS AND
STAFF SUCCESS
STORIES
FEATURED HERE?
Submit your story to the Staff Intranet
using the form at
bit.ly/uclan-submitnews
(you'll find the link near the
bottom of the news area on the Staff
Intranet homepage).
We'll consider your stories for
publication across our Internal
Communications channels including
the Staff Intranet homepage,
The Round-Up newsletter and
The Post magazine.
3. In Outlook, if you want to mark a selected message as unread and revisit it
later, use Ctrl + U
4. Snap apps to the side of your screen using the Windows key and directional
keys together
5. Windows key + K lets you jump straight to connecting to a wireless receiver.
Here’s a comprehensive list of shortcuts which could save you time:
bit.ly/keyboardtricks
To book courses or to access self-study options and a range of support materials
provided by the Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Team, try their new e3
hub at uclan.ac.uk/e3
You can engage with the team on Twitter: @UCLanTELT
WALK THIS WAY
Now that spring is here, why not resolve
to get out into the fresh air?
There is a selection of doable, enjoyable campus walks so
you can use your lunchtime as an opportunity to move
away from your workspace and get some gentle exercise:
bit.ly/campus-travel
The Lancaster Canal walk is a great example – at only 1.5
miles it should take around 20 to 25 minutes to complete.
It starts at the Praying Hands on Fylde Road, takes you past
St. Walburge’s Church and on to the start of Lancaster Canal.
There are others you can try. If there’s a walk around campus
that you enjoy, let us know so we can publicise – we’re even
happy to share your lunchtime walk snaps!
Send your favourite walks and snaps to
editorsdesk@uclan.ac.uk
MAKING YOUR FEEDBACK COUNT
There have been plenty of opportunities recently for
staff to make their opinions known.
The Staff Survey went live in January and the fantastic
response rate of 73 per cent showed how many of you
took time out to report on your staff experience at UCLan.
Other recent events have allowed staff to meet face to
face with the Senior Executive Team (SET) and exchange
opinions with other attendees from across the University.
A ‘Meet Ken’ session in February saw staff discussing
subjects such as mandatory training, workloads and career
progression with the Ken Lee, Executive Director of Human
Resources.
The Staff Experience Group also met at around the same
time where discussions focussed on what the University
should be doing to make UCLan a place where we are all
proud to work.
Following the release of the results from the Staff Survey
in March, an open invitation was extended to all staff to
attend a special event to hear the overall results and
to give their feedback. An overview of the results,
presented by Ken Lee, can be viewed in this video:
bit.ly/staffsurveyresults18
Watch out for future ‘Meet SET’ events and other
opportunities (promoted via the Staff Intranet news
section), where you can make your voice heard and
establish connections with others from across UCLan.
The next Staff Experience Group takes place on Monday 11 June.
COMPETITION
CORNER
Where am I
on campus?
If you recognise where this
photo was taken then you have
the chance to win a £50
voucher of your choosing!
This could be for anything you
fancy: Debenhams, Waterstones,
Amazon, even your local
supermarket.
Email your answer to
InternalComms@uclan.ac.uk.
The winner will be picked at
random and then featured in the
next edition of The Post!*
*Staff who help produce The Post are not
eligible to take part in this competition.

SNAPSHOT SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 SNAPSHOT
09
KEVIN PRITCHARD
Senior Lecturer in the School of
Forensic and Applied Sciences
W
hat do forensic investigators look
for when they encounter the scene
of a serious crime? Kevin Pritchard,
Senior Lecturer in the School of Forensic
and Applied Sciences, explains the
techniques used to track down vital
evidence and identify the culprits…
PRESTON
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
One of the first tasks for a crime scene investigator is to take photographs and
record the scene before anything is moved or disturbed. It is now commonplace
to use 360 degree photography that can be ‘stitched’ together and viewed on a
computer screen or through a virtual reality headset. The use of drones is
increasing due to advantages such as cost (compared to deploying a police
helicopter) and easier access to dangerous or difficult locations.
FINGERPRINTS
Usually found at the point of entry, they can be a unique identifier of a possible
suspect. Investigators search for and recover them at the crime scene using a
variety of powders. Items that offenders may have handled can be chemically
treated in the criminalistics laboratory. Criminals have been known to attempt
to remove their fingerprints by various methods, only to find that scarring
actually makes them more identifiable.
THE CRIME HOUSES
The University was the first in the UK to use Crime Scene
House facilities for teaching purposes. The School of Forensic
and Applied Sciences has three of them, plus a forensic
warehouse containing four vehicles and a blood spatter
interpretation room.
They enable us to teach the budding CSIs of the future
using realistic environments. Crimes from burglary to assault
and even gruesome murder scenes can be simulated using
various props and lifelike mannequins. The rooms in the Crime
Houses are kitchens, lounges, post office, pub, bedrooms and
bathrooms - complete with a bloodied corpse in
the bathtub!
To take a 360 degree virtual tour of the Crime Houses visit
http://bit.ly/crimehouses
PHOTO: KARL HOPKINSON
FOOTWEAR MARKS
As no-one is capable of levitating, in theory footwear marks should be found at
every crime scene. They can be as distinctive as fingerprints, providing
intelligence such as the number of offenders, make and model of shoe, and
movements around the crime scene. There are various methods of searching for
and recovering marks depending on the substrate they are found in. It’s not
usually possible to identify gender or body type from footwear marks.
TOOL MARKS
These can be found and recovered where doors and windows have been forced
open. Screwdrivers or jemmys (crowbars) are often used, leaving distinctive
marks around the frame. Examining the marks gives us intelligence such as
whether the tool has a round or square shaft and the size of the tip, helping to
identify the instruments used.
FIRED CARTRIDGE CASES
Fired cartridge cases can be linked back to the weapon used. Each firing pin on
a weapon leaves its own unique mark on the cartridge case. Other parts of the
weapon such as extractor claws and ejector pins also leave distinctive marks.
HAIR
Humans shed between 50 and 100 head hairs every day. They can easily be pulled
out when headwear is removed. Hairs provide vital intelligence about criminals -
hair colour, whether it’s straight or wavy, their ethnicity and even how long ago it
was cut and the instrument used. If the root is present then DNA can be obtained.
Traces of any drugs used by offenders can be found in the hair as it grows, so
investigators can work out what substances were taken and when.

OPINION SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 OPINION
11
Kindness
ROFESSOR
MATTERS
P
MIKE THOMAS
DISCUSSES WHY THE OLD
‘MACHO’ MODELS OF LEADERSHIP
HAVE NO PLACE IN MODERN
UNIVERSITIES AND WHY A
COMMITMENT TO KINDNESS
AND COMPASSION WILL LEAD
TO GREATER SUCCESS…
Anyone who’s tuned in to watch
TV’s The Apprentice will be familiar
with Lord Sugar as the media’s
personification of what effective
leadership looks like. Emanating
masculine bravado and an
intimidating scowl, it’s rare that the
Amstrad founder openly exhibits
anything resembling kindness,
compassion or empathy on screen.
The media repeatedly states that
success in today’s business
environment demands ruthlessness
and ice-cold decision making.
There’s no time for emotion in
this game, we are told. Contestants
who make elementary mistakes
can expect little mercy on Sugar’s
watch and viewers delight in the
weekly ritual of him pointing an
accusatory finger across the
boardroom followed by “You’re
fired!”
Time and again people are seduced
by the ‘heroic model’ of charismatic
leadership which asserts that those at
the helm of successful organisations
must be combative and ruthless.
The late Apple chief Steve Jobs, a
charismatic figurehead, acquired an
almost messianic status thanks to his
visionary genius which revolutionised
the face of consumer electronics. Yet
despite this, former associates have
recalled a leadership style which
bordered on tyrannical. It doesn’t stop
when leaders leave either. The more
macho organisations are often
self-replicating, with leaders tending
to promote ‘clones’ who share and
espouse their own values.
Despite this prevailing view, the success
stories of Lord Sugar and Steve Jobs are
high profile anomalies. The great
majority of the world’s most successful
businesses – those which have survived
and prospered over many years – have
been led by successful leaders who
placed enormous value on treating
their employees with kindness,
compassion and dignity. Almost none
of the companies which managed to
survive the economic catastrophe of
2008 had a ‘charismatic’ leader in
charge. Rather, those which emerged
unscathed shared some remarkable
characteristics. In the fiery heat of the
crash they had refrained from ‘pulling
up the drawbridge’ by exercising
austerity, slashing their research and
development budgets, or jettisoning
their marketing departments. Instead
they held firm in their commitment to
nurturing and developing their staff.
In recent times many universities have
taken the step of trying to emulate the
more charismatic leadership models of
the commercial market. Major change
projects have sometimes overemphasised
productivity at the
expense of educational quality.
Their search for an imagined nirvana
of ultra-efficiency rarely ends happily;
instead there is lowered staff morale,
the dissolution of trust between
managers and their teams, and staff
departures taking their vital skills,
knowledge and experience elsewhere.
Universities are not capitalist
enterprises and leaders forget this at
their peril. Business models purloined
from the private sector will always be
an uneasy fit. We occupy a distinct
position in society, straddling elements
of the public, private and charitable
spheres. We’re arguably ‘public’ in the
sense that we derive some of our
funding from central taxation and
support of student loans, yet we’re
‘private’ in the way in which we’re
independently governed, have active
commercial interests, and derive the
greatest portion of our tuition fees
from student choice rather than central
government. We also enjoy charitable
status and work for the greater benefit
of society by providing opportunities
which open up access to higher
education amongst traditionally
disadvantaged groups. The pursuit of
money for private profit will never be
the be-all-and-end-all of genuine
transformational education.
PASSING ON THE FLAME
I’m an advocate of the ‘stewardship
model’ of leadership in universities.
I tend to regard Vice-Chancellors as
‘keepers of the flame’ – custodians of
institutions which exist for the greater
good of society that are much bigger
and more important than any one
individual. During my tenure I’m
charged with ensuring that the
University of Central Lancashire
continues to succeed in its remit, to
offer people the life-changing benefits
of higher education and enable them
to achieve their potential. Eventually,
when I depart the University for
pastures new, I will ‘pass on the flame’
to another Vice-Chancellor who will
become the next custodian of its
mission and values. These values are
important as they provide the
foundation of our activities.
KINDNESS PAYS OFF
Gradually the world’s top firms are
starting to realise that an altruistic
ethos is not only ‘the right thing to do’
morally; kindness also has a positive
impact on their bottom line. Yes, it’s
true that organisations operating under
a ‘macho’ culture enjoy a surge of high
productivity at first, but this only
typically lasts for about three years.
Staff quickly burn themselves out and
many leave.
People have started to recognise that
the ‘kinder’ companies have a much
lower turnover of staff in the long-term.
We’re beginning to see that non-profit
organisations have higher productivity
than many of their contemporaries in
the private sector. This has been
attributed to colleagues having
shared values, a sense of togetherness
and being committed towards
philanthropic goals.
Kindness, compassion and trust - three
of the core values we strive for at our
University, should shine through in our
everyday lives at all levels of the
organisation. I want all staff to feel
valued and confident that the work
they do every day makes a direct and
tangible contribution towards our
wider mission to benefit society,
whether that’s through transforming
the futures of our students, making the
world a better place through our
research, or working closely with our
surrounding communities. Fun and
goodwill are also important. I want
colleagues and students to enjoy
coming to the University, to be
cheerful in their daily work and be
good to each other.
These values are not just ‘pie in the sky’
-I’ve seen them in action all over the
University in recent months. Last
October’s ‘Acts of Kindness’ Day, where
staff went out into the City of Preston
to do good deeds and spread goodwill,
showed our values in full flow. In
December our Winter Celebration event
and the University Stars Awards gave
us an amazing opportunity to come
together, celebrate our shared
successes and have fun. Then there’s
our recent efforts to relocate hundreds
of students from the hurricane-hit
American University of the Caribbean
which illustrated that we are a
compassionate University, happy to
offer the hand of friendship to people
across our societies, whether they’re to
be found on our doorstep or on the
other side of the world.
Lord Sugar may delight in his acerbic
soundbites and leading people through
fear. It makes great television after all.
But we’re forging a different path.
Kindness and compassion are the
values we are going to need to
strengthen and sustain us as we
celebrate our 190th anniversary and
look forward to our future, where
we will continue to transform
people’s lives.
Professor Mike Thomas
Vice-Chancellor

IN FOCUS SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 IN FOCUS
12
13
Voices
From the Valleys
A
chance encounter in a church vestry led Amy Binns to uncover the fascinating
history of Yorkshire’s non-conformist chapels, the radical spirit which led them to
transform society, and the inspiring women at the heart of their communities…
The yellowing booklet, discarded for generations, was found amongst a hoard
of paraphernalia - orders of service, photographs and newspaper clippings - in
the depths of Birchcliffe Baptist Church in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Amy
Binns, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, thumbed through the faded pages and
examined the delicate scrawl. Here, presented in inky strokes, were the detailed
plans of one Grace Cockcroft to stage a ‘Pageant of Noble Women’ - a grand
performance which would involve a huge cast of churchwomen starring as
heroines who changed history - from Greek mathematician Hypatia to wartime
nurse Edith Cavell. ,Grace’s masterpiece, ,penned in 1932, ,was one of over 100 plays
and pageants performed by collectives of women between 1915 and 1953.
Amy explains: “School textbooks, statues and stained glass windows lauded
the achievements of overwhelmingly male figures. These feminist plays sought
to inspire audiences by elevating a new pantheon of heroic women.”
In 2013 Amy self-published her book Valley of a Hundred Chapels, packed with
stirring tales of pageantry and protest amidst the shadows of rain-soaked
Yorkshire hillsides. Its remarkable characters packed out the pews of the 100+
non-conformist chapels which formed the backbone of their lives. It restores to
life a forgotten world of firebrand preachers and revolutionary zeal which
challenges the churches’ contemporary Jam-and-Jerusalem image.
“I was drawn into the histories of these
chapels which once dominated the Yorkshire
hillsides. Many have long disappeared, but
their stories deserve to be told.”
“Organisations like the Methodists and Quakers were founded in a spirit of
political activism,” Amy says. “In the nineteenth century they built schools and
supported working-class movements like the Chartists, who campaigned for
universal suffrage and other workers’ rights.
“While women were fighting for the vote, they venerated militant characters
such as Joan of Arc and Boadicea. When they won, they had to negotiate a new
identity. Now they were citizens rather than outsiders. These pageants were a
way of creating that new identity, and staking a claim to their new role. They
needed to prove that they had a right to this new status.
“Strong female characters were already prominent in chapel life, and the nonconformists
had traditionally been accepting of female preachers, so it’s likely
that audiences would have been receptive to the feminist ethos of these plays.
There are no records of similar pageants being staged in the more patriarchal
Roman Catholic church.”
Amy, who lives in Heptonstall, was inspired to write the book after visiting the
historic octagonal Heptonstall Methodist Church near her home. She started
mapping the dozens of other local chapels, and realised a whole movement had
been slowly demolished piece by piece. While rummaging through dusty
vestries and dank cupboards filled with cobwebs she found this incredible cast
of characters. Their stories came to life through the pages of old letters,
speeches, notes from church meetings, scripts, posters and newspaper
clippings. She said: “I was drawn into the histories of these chapels which once
dominated the Yorkshire hillsides. Many have long disappeared, but their stories
deserve to be told.”
Amy also set about trying to map out evidence of similar pageants and plays
using the British Historical Newspapers online archive and other sources. Only
fragmentary evidence remains – a full script has yet to be unearthed and many
of these performances went unreported. Pageants were typically staged in
poorer working class regions - small town Britain of coal mines and cotton
mills. Non-conformist chapels proved popular venues in villages which were
often remote, cut-off from the major cities and from theatres, cinemas or art
galleries. People were forced to make their own entertainment and the
chapels filled this void with aplomb.
"Chapels became the thriving heart of social life," says Amy. “In areas where
the Temperance Movement fought against the evils of alcoholism, chapels
provided an attractive alternative to gathering in the pub. They performed
plays, organised social groups and ran youth clubs. They were safe, femaledominated
spaces in an era when no respectable woman would enter a pub.”
This world is far removed from Amy’s usual research. Lately she has written
extensively about the dark side of the web, from ‘trolling’ to ‘revenge porn’
and intimidation of women online. She currently teaches print and digital
journalism, having spent ten years as a reporter on regional newspapers
including the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and the Yorkshire Post.
Grace Cockcroft’s play clearly took inspiration from pageants and parades
staged years earlier by the campaigning suffragettes, who themselves were
drawing on long-standing church traditions of Whit Walks, processions of
witness, etc. Amy researched how the recurring characters in such pageants
evolved over time, particularly after women gained the vote and adjusted to
full citizenship inside the establishment they had battled so hard against.
Militant figures like Boadicea, Joan of Arc and Saint Genevieve were supplanted
by Christian figures such as Susannah Wesley (mother of Methodism) and
Catherine Booth (campaigner for the rights of women to preach to mixed
AMY IN HEPTONSTALL METHODIST CHURCH (PHOTO: KARL HOPKINSON)
“In areas where the Temperance Movement
fought against the evils of alcoholism, chapels
provided communities with an attractive
alternative to gathering in the pub.”
congregations) in the post-Suffrage church pageants. But the non-conformist
zeal was still in evidence. The chapel pageants often included oncecontroversial
individuals who had transgressed societal norms in pursuit of
their work, such as Elizabeth Fry (campaigner for prison reform) and Josephine
Butler (who was vocal on the taboo subject of prostitution).
Regrettably, the legacy of Yorkshire’s non-conformist chapels is in danger of
being lost forever as congregations have dwindled. “They have been
notoriously bad at preserving their history,” says Amy. “They often had no
central archive. Their writings and treasures were looked after by senior
parishioners. When the chapels closed down they brought those objects home
with them and they lingered in drawers and cupboards for many years. When
the individuals died these items were often lost forever, discarded or sold in
house clearances.”
Amy hopes her book can go some way towards restoring the reputation of
these remarkable institutions and their congregations: “The women who
inhabited Yorkshire’s chapels were not just passive observers of history.
They were strong-minded individuals who played a central role in their societies
and sought to inspire future generations of women. It’s important that their
stories are not forgotten.”
AMY’S BOOK ‘VALLEY OF A HUNDRED CHAPELS’
IS OUT NOW.

VIEWPOINT SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 VIEWPOINT
15
DR HELEN DAY
Senior Lecturer in English Literature
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
DANIEL BÜRKLE
Lecturer in Psycholinguistics
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
CASTING A
ON YOUNG MINDS
What makes a classic children’s book? What is the
difference between a forgotten work of fiction that sits
unread and unloved on a shelf, and one that enraptures
generations of children? Four experts discuss the secrets
behind the greatest works of children’s literature…
“One of the reasons that children’s books endure is that parents
and guardians pass on books they enjoyed to their children. The
popularity of Enid Blyton, for example, may well be down to this.
When I was about eight my mum gave me a set of her books - Little
Women, Good Wives, What Katy Did - all hardbacks from a time
before covers were an integral part of the marketing of a book.
I loved What Katy Did (1872) by Susan Coolidge, the story of loud,
boisterous Katy who could never do as she was told and who one
day fell from a swing that she had been told not to use and injured
her back. I didn’t see anything wrong with the implication that Katy
was being punished for her behaviour, nor with the notion that it
was only when Katy had learned to be good and to make herself
‘the heart of the house’ that she was rewarded, years later, with
the gift of being able to walk again.
As an adult re-reading this book, this narrative of disability and
cure seems, at the very least, uncomfortable. I am definitely not the
only one to feel this way. Contemporary author Jacqueline Wilson
decided to take What Katy Did, a book that she also loved but felt
was ‘inappropriate,’ and rewrite it as Katy (2015).
When Wilson’s modern-day Katy has a terrible accident she finds
out that she will never walk again. Katy has to learn not to be
saintly but to be tough, to leave the safety of hospital, use a
wheelchair, adapt to how her friends and family treat her, and to
adjust to who ‘Katy’ now is. I have been reading it with my niece
Nell and we both agree that it’s sad and uplifting at the same time.
Katy is still a touch didactic, and perhaps future readers will find
some of Katy’s ways of surviving a little stereotypical, but such
rewritings remain a fascinating way in which beloved books can
endure but still be relevant.”
“
A good children's book is a book that gets read. Numbers for actual
readership are hard to come by, but we know that sales of
children's books are on the rise, especially around Christmas.
Parents hope that a book will be entertaining as well as
educational (that's why I loved getting books as presents when I
was a lad) – and made-up words are one reason it often is.
Made-up words are a mainstay of children's literature, from
Edward Lear's Quangle Wangle to the game of Quidditch in
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Linguists call these
pronounceable but not previously meaningful words
"pseudowords". Researchers have used pseudowords for decades,
because they allow us to rule out participants' previous knowledge
or other factors that are difficult to control.
One intriguing finding is that pseudowords, despite not being
‘real’ words, sometimes have a tinge of meaning. I can't exactly
picture a ‘slithy tove’ from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky, but I know
I wouldn't want to pet one!
The meaning of a pseudoword in a children's book is often clear in
the story, even if it's never defined precisely – and research has
also shown that children are naturals at extracting this meaning
through comparison and categorisation. They also often find
pseudowords funny and fascinating, making it all the more likely
they'll continue reading.
This may be in part because pseudowords are an exercise of
phonemic awareness. Despite not being "real" words,
pseudowords often have a clear pronunciation. Any competent
speaker of English would pronounce the pseudowords ‘flimp’ the
same. This pronunciation draws on our knowledge of the sounds of
our language and how these correspond to letters. Children are still
learning and perfecting this knowledge, and pseudowords are a bit
of playful practice in that process.
“

VIEWPOINT SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 THE LONG READ
“
“
17
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
DR THERESA SAXON
Recruitment and Resources Manager
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
DEBBIE WILLIAMS
Associate Professor in Publishing
School of Journalism, Media and Performance
Every child should read Charles Dickens. And every adult should
too. I first encountered Dickens in Louisa May Alcott’s Little
Women. He was still alive when it was written and Alcott’s heroine,
Jo March, a character I admired, was a fan. Because of their love of
Dickens, Jo and her sisters formed the “Pickwick Club” to while
away lazy summer days. Intrigued, I read Dickens’ first novel,
The Pickwick Papers, whose title had inspired the March sisters,
(The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club) which I found on the
bookcase of my own home alongside several more volumes of his
works! My love affair with Dickens’ fiction began.
Dickens’ most famous tales weren’t published as children’s fiction,
though most were about children. From his second novel, Oliver
Twist (1837) to his final tale, the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin
Drood (1870), children of all types, backgrounds and attitudes
populated his work. His fictional children suffered greatly at the
hands of corrupted adults in authority, from abusive relations to
cruel teachers. He also drew model families, like the Cratchits of A
Christmas Carol, who were poor but honest and, above all, loved
and worked for each other. Dickens’ motivation seemed so noble –
to teach society not to abuse children and show families what they
should be - loving and happy units of affection and harmony.
Life is never that uncomplicated. Later I found out that Dickens was
not an ideal father. A number of his ten children did not lead very
happy lives. Far from being an ideal husband, he actually wrote an
open letter to The Times accusing his wife – the mother of their
children – of mental instability. He farmed Mrs Dickens out to an
apartment on her own, with little or no access to her children (at a
time when married women had no rights of divorce or custody). We
now know that Dickens separated from his wife in order to embark
on an affair with one-time actress Ellen ‘Nelly’ Ternan.
In retrospect, I understand that Dickens’ fictional families were
social constructs of his middle-class concepts of a family unit that
would keep everyone in their place and the machinery of capitalism
turning. His progressive attitudes therefore are prophecies of
twenty-first century neoliberalism. While I know this, I still can’t help
feeling those same emotions that my childhood self experienced.
Every time I read a tale by Dickens, my heartstrings are plucked afresh.
It is difficult to imagine a world without the most famous
children’s books in history. Before then, reading was uncool and
children’s publishing was for people who couldn’t get a job in
literary fiction. I was lucky enough to become a children’s book
buyer at Waterstones in 1997, the year the first book was
published. I read the proof and loved the book but none of us
could have predicted how it would change the world of children’s
fiction forever.
The “Harry Potter effect” (as it is now known) was not instant,
however. I remember running signing events with J.K. Rowling
where hardly anyone turned up and so we chatted for hours. She
was just happy that her book had been published and that
someone had recognised her talent for writing. That person – Barry
Cunningham –is a bit of an unsung hero. He had no doubt about
the potential of the books because everyone he could persuade to
read them fell in love with the stories and the characters.
The success of the books was mostly down to word of mouth.
There was something about them which sucked you into their
world, made you believe the characters were your friends and
offered a sense of wonder and magic. No amount of marketing
spend could buy that.
My job at Waterstones Head Office grew exponentially following
the huge success of “the boy who lived.” No longer was the job
of children’s book buyer the poor orphan of literary fiction. I was
in demand for TV, radio and media interviews. I was juggling
million-pound marketing budgets and campaigns.
Etched on my memory is the moment I realised just what a
phenomenon the books had become. Stood on the roof of our
newly opened Piccadilly branch in central London at the midnight
launch of the sixth book, I looked down on the queue and could
not see the end of it. A group of children had spent two nights
camping outside to be first in line and we were obliged to look
after them. When we finally threw open the doors some were so
excited that they had fits and we had to call an ambulance.
Hours later, when everyone had their copy of the book, I left the
building only to see hundreds of children sat on the pavements of
the capital reading. That was the moment I knew the true power of
books. One had transformed my life and was busy transforming the
lives of thousands of children. And that’s real magic.
PHOTOGRAHY : CHRIS COATES
THE LURE OF THE
SEA
A DAY OUT AT THE SEASIDE OFFERS MUCH MORE THAN JUST FUN AND
FRESH AIR. THREE UCLAN ACADEMICS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THE
EXPERIENCES OF TOURISTS VISITING THE MUCH-MALIGNED COASTAL TOWN
OF MORECAMBE TO EXPLORE WHY PEOPLE KEEP COMING BACK, DESPITE ITS
WELL DOCUMENTED DECLINE. THE LURE OF THE SEA,
IT SEEMS, IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL…

THE LONG READ SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 THE LONG READ
18
DR SEAN GAMMON
Senior Lecturer
Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise
DR DAVID JARRATT
Senior Lecturer
Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise
PROF RICHARD SHARPLEY
Professor of Tourism
Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise
“The panoramic vistas of Morecambe
Bay inspire a sense of awe”
19
Following decades of slow decline, Morecambe’s humiliation was
complete in 2003 when it was awarded the dubious honour of third
place in Sam Jordison’s provocative book Crap Towns: The 50 Worst
Places to Live in the UK. The publication was conceived after the
Lancashire-born journalist paid a visit to the seaside town and was
horrified by what he saw. The pages of his humorous yet damning
compendium are crammed with photographs of derelict seaside
attractions and pitiful tales of decline, political blunders and faded
dreams. Derided as “the seaside town they never should have opened,”
Morecambe shared the podium of shame with the Scottish ‘new town’
of Cumbernauld (in second place) and the ‘winners’, Yorkshire’s
perennial whipping boy, Hull (although, thanks to its role as UK City of
Culture in 2017, its star now appears to be on the rise).
The Lancashire town’s public shaming came during a spell when the Council
were still licking their wounds from an ill-fated endeavour to regenerate
Morecambe’s economy. They had recently been forced to cough up around £2m
(including legal fees) following a bitter wrangle with television personality Noel
Edmonds; the fallout from their decision in 1994 to invest millions in the new
‘World of Crinkly Bottom Theme Park’ which opened to much fanfare in July that
year before closing for good only months later. Clearly its backers had overestimated
the pulling power of a pink spotted menace named Mr Blobby and his
creator, Edmonds. The pursuit of this bearded messiah brought little salvation for
struggling Morecambe.
It had all been so different. The golden age of the resort lasted from the early
19th century right through until the middle of the 20th century, peaking either
side of the Second World War. It became a popular watering hole for the
holidaying masses who descended on the seafront to take in the coastal air and
unwind at fun-filled attractions like the Summer Gardens (opened in 1878),
Winter Gardens (1897), The Tower (1898), Alhambra Palace Theatre (1901) and
the Central and West End Piers (1869, 1896). Thrill-seekers could ride the boneshaking
rollercoasters that zipped through the West End Amusement Park
(opened in 1906, later given a ‘Wild West’ makeover and re-launched as Frontier
Land in 1987). Over 100,000 tourists thronged the length of the promenade for
its lights switch-on events in the lead-up to Christmas 1949 and 1950, while the
Miss Great Britain contest in the open air swimming baths was a major draw.
FADED GRANDEUR
Gradually, the rot set in. Domestic competition intensified. As the popularity of
the motor car soared, holidaymakers could freely explore the length and
breadth of Britain where previously their travels had been confined to resorts
situated conveniently along railway lines. Cornwall, the Lake District and other
scenic hotspots thrived at Morecambe’s expense. As the 1970s arrived the resort
sank into an apologetic shadow of its glory days. Its prized assets were stripped
away one-by-one. The Alhambra, West End Pier, lido and others closed, leaving
behind a sorry succession of hollowed-out dwellings. By the 1980s cheap flights
and package holidays were more affordable to ordinary working people and
holidaymakers spurned Morecambe in favour of the Costa del Sol and other
sun-kissed foreign shorelines.
Hundreds of guesthouses whose stubborn ‘No vacancies’ signs had once
illuminated the seafront in neon lettering began to close as visitor numbers
nosedived. A chronic lack of investment (particularly compared to Blackpool, its
glitzier coastal sibling) compounded this decline. Its shoreline still twinkled with
the alluring lights from grubby bingo halls and gaudy amusement arcades; the
sea air still carried the evocative aromas of candyfloss and fish and chips. But
the magic had gone. By the late 1980s Morecambe could hardly call itself a
tourist destination any longer. Visitor spending collapsed, from £46.6m in 1973
to £6.5m in 1990. By the time its second pier closed down in 1986, all but one of
its major attractions had gone. At its lowest ebb the town couldn’t even sustain
a single cinema – this closed in 1988. Frontier Land, with its white knuckle
thrills, staggered on until 2000.
Unemployment in some wards soared to over 50% in the 1980s, earning
Morecambe the regrettable moniker ‘The Costa del Dole.’ A raft of socioeconomic
problems blighted the town. An abundance of cheap temporary
accommodation in the form of hundreds of empty guesthouses encouraged
some authorities to treat troubled seaside resorts as dumping grounds for
society’s most problematic and disadvantaged people. Hotels which once
thronged with holidaying families now harboured drug addicts and
ex-offenders.
THE TIDE IS TURNING
In recent years, however, Morecambe has been fighting back. “Over the past
decade or so there have been some encouraging green shoots of recovery,” says
Sean Gammon, Senior Lecturer at Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise.
“Some areas of the resort, notably around the promenade, have benefited from
significant investment. When the iconic art deco Midland Hotel was re-opened
by Urban Splash in 2008 it became a beacon of hope for the town.”
Crucially, visitor numbers are on the rise, partly due to Morecambe’s success in
capturing the ‘grey pound.’ “Senior citizens have always been an important
demographic for Morecambe,” explains David Jarratt, Senior Lecturer in
Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise. “As the number of people
reaching retirement age grows, we have seen thousands of people over the age
of 65 descending on Morecambe to enjoy its cafes, restaurants, bingo halls and
guesthouses. They have been a constant, reliable and loyal asset to the local
economy over many years. These are often individuals who feel a strong
emotional connection to Morecambe because it holds so many nostalgic
memories for them. Many will have holidayed there with their parents when
they were young children. Now, with much more leisure time on their hands,
they come back again and again to enjoy similar experiences with their own
children, grandchildren and friends.” Coach operators have always brought in
senior day-trippers from across the country, although most repeat visitors come
from the surrounding north-west region. It’s a phenomenon which has saddled
Morecambe with an image problem (the pejorative nickname ‘Costa Geriatrica’
does it no favours) but older tourists are the lifeblood of Morecambe’s
resurgent economy.
So what compels people to keep coming back? In 2016 Jarratt and Gammon,
together with Richard Sharpley, Professor of Tourism and Development, set out
to find answers. They carried out a series of semi-structured interviews with
regular visitors to Morecambe aged between 55-75. It quickly became clear that
Morecambe’s stunning coastline remains its star attraction. Tourists posing for
photographs on the regenerated promenade alongside the smiling sculpture of
Eric Bartholemew (the entertainer whose stage alias, Eric Morecambe, paid
tribute to his origins) are rewarded with spectacular views.
“The panoramic vistas of Morecambe Bay inspire a sense of awe,” explains
Jarratt. “Across the Bay you can admire vast stretches of sand, salt marshes
teeming with life, rich cockle beds and the seemingly endless expanse of the
Irish Sea beyond.” One respondent said it best: “You look across that bay,
particularly on a summer’s evening when the sun’s going down, and it’s over
the bay and there’s such beautiful sunsets and beautiful views that you can’t
help but be moved by it.”
SOUL SEARCHING BY THE SEA
That sense of wonder which stirs inside the soul when we are in the presence of
something vast and seemingly infinite has often been likened to a spiritual
encounter, explains Sharpley. “Many of those interviewed expressed a deep
yearning to re-connect with nature or creation. In the coastal landscape of
Morecambe Bay they are encountering something awe-inspiring and thoughtprovoking.
In Western societies people often describe an almost primal longing
to return to the sea. They feel compelled to escape; to detach themselves from
the industrial, urban environments of their everyday grind and flee to another
landscape which in contrast appears natural, timeless and infinite.” Even in our
increasingly secular age, those of us who do not bow down before celestial
gods can still revel in a quasi-spiritual encounter in the presence of something
great and unknowable.
Geologists recognise that coastal environments are perpetual shape-shifters,
their undulating tides carving out their forms over millennia through the
unceasing processes of erosion and weathering. To most observers, though, the
seascape around Morecambe Bay seems ancient, unchanging, vast and eternal.
“This encounter with the seemingly infinite somehow invites us to draw
comparisons with our relatively brief lives and reflect on our mortality as we
measure our existence and importance relative to the whole of creation,” says
Sharpley. “We may also feel a sense of helplessness as the sands of time slip
irretrievably between our fingers.” One elderly interviewee, who has since
passed away, lamented: “When we’re not here they’ll still be…the tide will ebb
and it’ll flow.”

THE LONG READ SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 THE LONG READ
20 “Down on the beach we can allow the child
“Morecambe can be optimistic about
inside all of us to come out to play again”
its future”
21
HEALTH ABOUNDS
Morecambe’s recovery comes at a time when the restorative effects of the
seaside on our psychological health and wellbeing are increasingly being
recognised. The resort’s motto, “Beauty surrounds, health abounds,” sums this
up neatly. “The benefits of being in close proximity to natural ‘green’
environments such as forests and wilderness are well documented,” explains
Jarratt, “But the value of ‘blue space’, the defining asset of seaside resorts and
other aquatic environments, has attracted little attention until now. Our
research is beginning to address this.”
But simply being in close proximity to the sea may not be sufficient to boost
your sense of wellbeing. “The seaside is the ideal place to put your worries to
the back of your mind and let a sense of calm and contentment wash over
you,” says Sharpley. “But being alongside the sea is not necessarily going to
benefit your physical and mental health if it’s your place of work, the site of
your daily commute, the place you associate with everyday toil and drudgery.”
Gammon agrees: “To really maximise the benefits of being in this environment,
to fully immerse yourself in the ‘blue space’ experience, you really need to
approach it as a site of pure leisure. You really need to kick off your shoes, feel
the sand between your toes and breathe in the sea air.” In contrast to the
breakneck pace of our urbanite working lives, life really is a beach when you
come back to Morecambe.
NOSTALGIA TRIPS
The research uncovered that the overriding emotion that lures people back to
Morecambe and other seaside resorts is nostalgia. “Returning to Morecambe
provoked bittersweet pangs of nostalgia in almost everyone we spoke to,”
remembers Jarratt. “People talked very movingly about carefree childhood
visits to Morecambe – walking hand-in-hand with their mum and dad along the
promenade; fun-filled afternoons splashing in the sea; building sandcastles on
the beach; and feasting on ice creams under a burning sun.
Many of them were moved to tears by these memories as they recalled blissful
days spent with parents and grandparents who have long since passed on.
” This nostalgic experience can be bittersweet and melancholic, provoking deep
feelings of loss – for their childhoods, their families and the untroubled lives
they once enjoyed.
Such emotions are brought to the surface by the illusion that the seaside is
‘timeless’. It can leave visitors feeling as if they have stepped through a portal
into a bygone age. Many of the shoreline’s most distinctive features – the aweinspiring
coastline, the Midland Hotel, traditional cafes – appear almost the
same as they always were to the untrained eye. The sensory environment; the
smells that fill the nostrils - salty sea air, candyfloss, fish and chips – can be
incredibly evocative, conjuring up vivid reminiscences of childhood excursions
to the sands.
“Down on the beach we can allow the child inside all of us to come out to play
again,” says Gammon. “It’s one of the few arenas where adults and children
can engage in shared activities – sports, sandcastle building, paddling – on
equal terms. Family members can bond with one another through shared
experiences. It’s an open playground which invites people to play together, to
experience that childlike sense of freedom once again, to ‘regress’ to a more
juvenile iteration of themselves and let the worries of their working lives melt
away, if only for a fleeting time.”
NEW HORIZONS
It would seem that things are finally looking up for poor old Morecambe. Even
the compilers of Crap Towns have calmed their vitriol. Ten years after the first
edition ruffled feathers in town halls and tourist boards all over the UK, a sequel
emerged. After occupying third place in the first edition, Morecambe escaped
being named and shamed in the long-awaited sequel, Crap Towns II: The Nation
Decides. The author even admitted in an interview with The Guardian that
Morecambe was slowly turning its fortunes around.
“Last time I visited Morecambe I saw tourists tucking into tapas along
the seafront,” remembers Jarratt. “It’s a sign that influencers are
starting to recognise the untapped potential in Morecambe that Bill
Bryson identified back in 1995 in his acclaimed travelogue Notes from a
Small Island.” More than twenty years on, the author’s words seem strangely
prophetic: “With a little priming and a thoughtful long-term plan,” he wrote,“
I am sure [Morecambe] could attract the sort of people who would want to
open bookshops, little restaurants…maybe even tapas bars…Morecambe
could become a little northern English equivalent of Sausalito or St Ives.”
“Morecambe can be optimistic about its future,”Jarratt believes.
“Business Improvement District (BID) and others are pro-actively
investing in initiatives to boost tourism and restore the seafront,
while Morecambe Bay is being branded and marketed as a
destination of outstanding natural beauty. There is growing
recognition of the importance of our seaside heritage, as the
regeneration of Dreamland Margate and Blackpool’s Museum
Project attest. Domestic tourism is booming and the Government’s
Coastal Communities Fund is promoting economic growth in seaside resorts
across Britain.” In April 2018 it was announced that discussions were underway
to open a new £60m attraction inspired by Cornwall's Eden Project in
Morecambe Bay. The move could be a massive coup for the region.
The lure of the sea, then, remains powerful. The shoreline offers us a comforting
refuge from the pressures of our everyday lives. “That’s why we feel compelled
to keep coming back,” says Gammon. “We live in a fast-paced, ever-changing
world which can often leave us feeling stressed, bewildered and yearning for a
time when life seemed so much simpler. Retreating to the seaside, and
indulging in the nostalgic and spiritual experiences that it evokes, provides the
perfect antidote.”

THE EXPERT SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 THE EXPERT
22
23
Are you fighting against an onslaught of
project deadlines, changing priorities and
an ever-expanding inbox?
It doesn’t have to be like this! Pete
Shilton-Godwin, Chief Executive of the
Students’ Union, shares the secrets of
how anyone can become a ‘productivity ninja.’
It’s time to take back control, smash through
that to-do list and live a fuller life…
It has been said that many of today’s workforce are
secretly ‘pining for the cake factory’, a time when
everyday work had the clarity and simplicity of
putting cherries on top of cakes along an assembly
line. These days most of us are engaged in knowledge
work, which isn’t so straightforward. In the face of
overwhelming demands on our time, information
overload and constant distractions we need a few
tricks up our sleeve to make sure we can stay
productive and avoid undue stress. These nuggets of
wisdom are loosely based on the invaluable lessons
I’ve gleaned from Graham Alcott’s book How to be a
Productivity Ninja…
RE-CLAIM YOUR BRAIN
Your brain is for having great ideas, not struggling to retain them. Create a
‘second brain’ for yourself – somewhere where you can dump all your to-do
lists, projects, trivia, passwords, reminders and workplace trivia. This will free
up your brain for big ideas and ingenious solutions. Your ‘second brain’
could take the form of a notebook, a spreadsheet, a wall full of post-it notes
or whatever works for you. Mine’s a big whiteboard where I scribble down
my ‘big rocks in the bucket’ – the big impact things I want to achieve – and
a daily to-do list of the less crucial stuff, the ‘sand’, that still needs to get
done. Don’t treat your inbox like a to-do list. Strategy before tactics.
BE THE MASTER OF YOUR OWN MIND
To be really productive you need to think about how you work. Review
your work habits and choices to make sure they are still helpful. If you
always do what you’ve always done then you’ll always get what you’ve
already got! Know yourself and your vulnerabilities. Adapt your style or
your environment to compensate for this. Our brains tend to try and keep
us out of trouble. So be brave and try something different.
TACKLE YOUR ATTENTION, NOT YOUR TIME
Try to keep those attention stealers under control. Turn off the ‘ping’ of
your inbox, shut the door, put your phone in the drawer and manage your
availability. Consider working from home sometimes if you’re able to.
It takes time to get your attention back on track after you’ve been
interrupted mid-flow, so plan times when you can be free from
distractions and others when you’re able to give colleagues your full
attention. Watch out for being present but not productive – answering
tens of inconsequential emails is not progress. Be ruthless. If you need
time out to read and focus then escape from the office and head to a
quiet space in the Library.
MEASURE PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION
You are a human being, not a human doing! Maintaining a ‘have done’
list will remind you how much you’ve already achieved and keep you
motivated. Give yourself whatever you need to stay focused and
productive. A 20 minute walk around the campus can give you some
much-needed time out and you’ll often come up with your best ideas
mid-stroll. Grab a coffee in the Atrium while you tackle your emails.
Sometimes it’s best to get out of work early and pick things up the next
morning after a good rest. Your brain and your body need looking after,
so give yourself time to unwind and re-charge.
ALWAYS BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Not original but a tried and tested reminder. Think clearly about what you
want to achieve before you start and ensure everything you need lines up
behind this. This is one of Steven Covey’s ‘Seven Habits of highly Effective
People’. Put simply, if your ladder is not leaning against the right wall,
every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster!
FOUR OF
THE BEST
These classic reads will send your
productivity soaring and help you
to restore your work-life balance.
HOW TO BE A
PRODUCTIVITY NINJA -
GRAHAM ALLCOTT
Beat procrastination and work
smarter, not harder. Overcome stress
and approach your work with a
zen-like calm.
GETTING THINGS DONE:
THE ART OF STRESS-FREE
PRODUCTIVITY -
DAVID ALLEN
The ultimate book on getting
organised and achieving
productivity through purposeful
to-do lists.
EAT THAT FROG! GET MORE
OF THE IMPORTANT
THINGS DONE TODAY -
BRIAN TRACY
A digestible guide to achieving your
goals faster than you ever imagined.
THE SEVEN HABITS
OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
PEOPLE -
STEPHEN COVEY
A classic in the field, Covey shows
how you can transform your life and
career by adopting the qualities of
the world’s most successful people.
PHOTO: KARL HOPKINSON

SPOTLIGHT SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 SPOTLIGHT
I
n April last year Rachel Cragg bid a fond farewell to the roundabouts of Milton Keynes and
headed north to rural Lancashire after being appointed as the University’s new Pro Vice-
Chancellor for Academic Development. Here she tells us what a typical working day involves
and describes how she always makes time for her family amidst the whirlwind of strategy
meetings, community engagements and committees…
25
6.30AM
The alarm goes off and it’s straight out of bed and into the usual
morning routine. Every morning without fail I glance out of my
bedroom window to check the water level of ‘our’ river across from the
house. I’m so pleased to be living in the beautiful Lancashire
countryside and to have found a lovely cottage overlooking the River
Darwen. I moved from Northamptonshire last year after leaving The
Open University in Milton Keynes. After a quick shower I drive the 25
minutes into work.
8.15AM
I get to the office and stop off at the kitchen. It's the best place to say
good morning to colleagues and grab the much-needed first coffee of
the day. I love this time before the day begins. It's the ideal time to
finish off a few emails I didn't tackle the day before and read through
my papers for the day. The agenda for my next 'Day in the life' meeting
has just come through. I try to spend one day every month meeting
students and colleagues in the academic schools. It's a chance to find
out what really matters to them. It's one of the best bits of this job.
9.00AM
Agenda setting for the Student Experience Committee. Academic
governance is important and I’m keen to ensure that the right business
is going through the Committee. The agenda is looking good. I’m
pleased to see a couple of reports from the Students’ Union.
I’m keen to find out how well their Staff-Student Liaison Committees
are working. We’ll also have an update on how Faculties are ensuring
that they’re providing good support to students with disabilities.
10.00AM
Time for a cuppa. Catch up on a few calls. I just need to clarify a few
contractual matters for a new member of staff so that we can get
contracts signed off. I’m told that Finance are ‘after me’ to chase up an
invoice. And a colleague has just left a mysterious ‘Can you call me?’
message on the answerphone. I’m intrigued, but luckily it’s nothing
serious – she’s calling to update me on another project which will lead
to some great innovative practice.
11.00AM
Catch up with the Students’ Union to consider how we can maximise
the value of the Student Feedback Boards all over the campus. Some
are working well, others less so. Any suggestions? 45 minutes later
we’ve come up with some really promising ideas.
12.00 NOON
Pre-meeting for the Lancashire Forensic Science Academy Group.
The team have just developed the ‘blueprint’ for the academy. It looks
really exciting; a great example of how we’re working collaboratively
with the Police force in an innovative way to provide real opportunities
for our students to experience workplace learning while also
supporting the work of Lancashire Constabulary.
1.00PM
Running a bit late. I nip to the Atrium to grab a quick sandwich. Glance
at my phone and wince at the number of emails that have come
through in the past couple of hours. Finding a seat, quickly deal with
some of those in urgent need of attention in-between bites of a cheese
and tomato sandwich.
1.45PM
Back at the office now. My PA pops in to say that one of tomorrow’s
meetings has been cancelled. So there’s no need for me to worry about
at least one of my emails…thanks Katherine!
2.00PM
Meeting with the leadership team in the Centre for Excellence in
Teaching and Learning (CELT). It’s great to hear about the collaborative
work going on across the University and the outcomes of a recent mini
conference. We spend time talking through the emerging business plan
for the Unit, discussing our priorities and how they align with our
Learning and Teaching Strategy. There’s lots to do, but the team have it
under control.
3.30PM
A bit of desk time. I’ve just received the write-up from a recent
workshop we held with course leaders. Great to see that most of them
found the session really valuable. There’s lots more to do, but there are
some great ideas and some great people around to make things happen.
Before leaving for my next meeting I receive an invitation to be a Board
member at a local sixth form college. Yes, I would really like to do that.
4.30PM
Skype call with the Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire and a small
working group. We are part of a group planning educational activities to
celebrate the Commonwealth. Later this year Commonwealth leaders
are meeting in the UK after the Commonwealth Games. The University
has developed a pack of learning to be delivered in local schools and we
have been part of developing a competition for schoolchildren.
5.30PM
Quick telephone call with Antony Barron, our Head of Degree
Apprenticeships. We’re on schedule to submit a bid. Work with our new
partners at Training 2000 is also coming along nicely.
6.00PM
Time to go home. I know I can’t clear the desk and all the emails, but I
do need to give some quality time to family. Quick phone call to Mum
from the car to check all is OK. Nip to pick up a few bits for tea. I enjoy
putting together something simple and sitting at the kitchen table
chewing the fat on the day with my husband.
9.00PM
Grab a couple of hours to do some sewing
in front of the telly. At the moment I’m
using a kit I was bought for Christmas to
make little monkeys out of felt. A line of
three furry simians grin inanely at me
from the top of my fireplace - the results
of a burst of creativity last week – and it
occurs to me that at this rate my living
room is going to resemble the monkey
enclosure at Chester Zoo before too long.
Tomorrow is set to be incredibly busy
again, but for the moment I manage to
push work matters to the back of my
mind and relax.
A DAY IN THE
LIFE

FLASHBACK SPRING 2018 SPRING 2018 FLASHBACK
26
A
ROYAL
VISIT
Preston Polytechnic’s new Library
building received the royal seal of
approval on 30 March 1979 when
HRH Prince Philip paid a visit for the
official opening ceremony…and
treated staff to some of his trademark
humour…
“I just bumped into him -
he’s lovely, isn’t he?
I didn’t have the chance
to say I was sorry.”
T
he arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh
was the culmination of several weeks
of feverish correspondence between
Preston Polytechnic and Buckingham
Palace. Elaborate security arrangements
were in place and the itinerary had been
carefully choreographed down to the
minutest details.
At 11am sharp the royal limousine made
its approach across the piazza towards
the Students’ Union building, flanked by
hundreds of students and schoolchildren
who had assembled early to catch a
glimpse of the royal visitor. Clearly
enjoying their morning off school, the
youngsters waved Union Jack flags
which fluttered in the breeze. Seconds
later the vehicle came to a halt and a
familiar figure (looking tanned and taller
than you would imagine in his pin-sharp
navy blue suit) emerged smiling from
the back of the car and raised a hand to
acknowledge the cheering onlookers.
One member of the crowd clearly
wasn’t familiar with royal protocol. As
the smiling Duke took his first strides
across the paved courtyard he was
briefly caught off-guard by a middleaged
woman wrapped in a purple coat
and headscarf.
Clearly moved by the occasion, she
slipped under the rudimentary crowd
banner, lurched forwards and attempted
to plant a sloppy kiss on the royal
cheeks. Spluttering in surprise, the
Prince took a couple of seconds to regain
his composure as his overenthusiastic
admirer was hurriedly
ushered away. She later told the
Lancashire Evening Post: “I just bumped
into him – he’s lovely, isn’t he? I didn’t
have the chance to say I was sorry.”
First up was a meet-and-greet at the
Students’ Union bar. Declining to sample
their attractively priced cocktail list, the
Duke opted for a refreshing tomato
juice as he shared a joke with the
Union’s sabbatical officers. Assistant
Manager Julie Roberts raised smiles
when she introduced him to her
bedraggled one-eyed teddy bear whom,
she was keen to explain, was her oldest
and dearest friend. To her delight, the
Duke duly grasped hold of the teddy
and shook him warmly by the paw.
The Library building had opened its
doors to students only weeks earlier.
The smell of fresh paint greeted the
Duke and his entourage as they stepped
into its attractive interior. Clearly
impressed, he chatted cordially with
Library staff as he took a stroll through
the first floor, pausing to admire the
cutting-edge catalogue access systems
and microreader facilities.
The party was then escorted to the top
floor where the Duke, his entourage,
senior Polytechnic staff and invited VIPs
enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of potted
shrimps and roast Norfolk turkey
washed down with glasses of Chablis
and Beaujolais.
There was barely time to digest this
feast. After lunch the Duke enjoyed a
tour of the Polytech 150 exhibition at
the Arts Centre, a celebration of the
150th anniversary of the founding of the
Institution for the Diffusion of
Knowledge (the predecessor of Preston
Polytechnic) back in 1828.
He remained in a characteristically
upbeat mood throughout the day, and
thankfully the visit didn’t pass by
without staff being treated to one or
two of his trademark wisecracks.
That afternoon he returned to the
Library to address an assembly of
representatives from local businesses. In
recent months the inexorable rise of
new computer technologies and silicon
microchips had stirred considerable
apprehension over whether workers
across the region could soon expect to
see their jobs rendered redundant,
replaced by automated processes,
chips, circuitry and algorithms.
The Duke, however, was evidently
excited by the enormous potential of
these technologies. In a speech which
appears rather visionary in hindsight,
he delivered a sharp broadsword to any
‘Luddites’ out there: “All this anxiety
about silicon chips reflects a
reactionary laziness untypical of this
country,” he admonished. Then, to
laughter and applause, he quipped:
“Here at last is the chance for the
British to have chips with everything.”
He implored his audience to remain
ambitious and receptive to new
technologies: “I really have one simple
message for Preston Polytechnic,
indeed any other polytechnic…” he
advised. “Just keep looking for
opportunities in the future. And let
history look after the anxieties…”
The royal visitor had one last quip up
his sleeve. Moments before unveiling a
plaque to commemorate the opening
ceremony, he announced, to cheers and
applause: “I have a great deal of
pleasure in declaring this new Library
building open.” Then, moving his hand
towards the lever which would draw
back the curtain and reveal the
inscription, he remarked: “And if this
handle does what I hope it will, it will
unveil the…well at least there wasn’t
the sound of rushing water!”
“Just keep looking for opportunities
in the future. And let history look
after the anxieties…”
FIND OUT WHAT’S
COMING UP
DURING OUR
190TH
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATIONS AT:
UCLAN.AC.UK/190

We are inviting everyone who has been a part of our past and
present to join in our 190th anniversary celebrations. Check our website
regularly for the latest news. Look out for an exciting programme of events
coming later this year. Take a look at our exclusive merchandise.
And don’t forget to share your stories and help us to bring the history
of our University to life.
uclan.ac.uk/190