The Success Chain

Located in the town of Gloucestershire, in the magnificent Cotswolds of England is a wildlife reserve that is sure to delight the young and old, the children and the adults alike.  That is the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Center.  Among the many species of plants and animals, the center boast the largest collection of ducks, geese and swans in the entire world.  The programs in the park continue all year long, so any time one finds themselves in a Gloucestershire hotel in need of an outdoor activity, any time is a good time to visit Slimbridge.

The programs consist of workshops, lectures and events, art openings, special tours and a vast array of the chance for encounters with members of different species.  This is one of the best ways for people to connect to and relate to the world surrounding us.  The center was the brainchild of artist and naturalist Sir Peter Scott.  This is also the world’s headquarters of the international organization of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.  Experts and world renown scientists use this center as their home base for research and consultation regarding aspects of conservation and wildlife protection.  Many species found at Slimbridge are either rare specimens or those that are endangered and on the verge of extinction.

The center serves as a breeding center in the hopes of protecting those species that are in danger, as well as protecting the areas of the world from which they are native.  One of the fun and interactive sections of the center is the School for Cranes.  This is were the chicks are being raised by hand.  There is a marvelous safari, where the view from the canoe offers up a different perspective, as well as a heated enclosure for tropical species not accustomed to the colder climate of the United Kingdom, for not only are local species housed in Slimbridge, but those from around the globe as well.

While Salisbury, England is known as one of the country’s cathedral cities, it also has a reputation for housing many haunted buildings. This entices thrill and supernatural seeking tourists to the city every year. Particularly through October, the Salisbury hotels are packed with eager ghost hunters and individuals looking for some additional excitement to their travels. Salisbury is not the only city in the world that is reputed to be haunted, though it is certainly one of England’s top ghost hunting towns.

The city’s ghost reputation is so strong that there are special haunted tours available and many tourists partake in these as an essential aspect of their visit. One of the main buildings reported to be haunted is the Odeon Cinema. It is located in the old House of John Halle, which is believed to be the oldest building in the United Kingdom that houses a cinema. Another popular ghost haunt is the Debenhams department store. This haunting has a story attached to it. It is the location of a famous beheading that occurred in 1483. Henry Stafford, the second Duke of Buckingham was beheaded there, and it is his ghost that is believed to wonder the halls.

Ghost hunting is a common and popular activity in many parts of the world and with many cultures. While for some it is more thrill seeking in orientation, to others it is more of a sacred journey or respect for those that have come before us. Most states in the US have areas or buildings that are reported to be haunted. Arizona is well known for two small towns that are supposed to contain ghosts. Bisbee is one of these, located in the southern portion of the state, and Jerome, which is a former mining town north of Phoenix, is another location. Both of these towns, as well as is Salisbury, are proud of the ghostly legends associated with them, and capitalize on this aspect of tourism and visitor interest.

Windsor is a well known name in England, however if using it geographically, it actually refers to three different locations. Windsor in Berkshire is the most well known and it has the distinction of housing Windsor Castle. This is the largest and probably the most famous inhabited castle in the world. The castle itself dates back to the time of William the Conqueror, which contributes to its status as the oldest continually inhabited castle. It is extremely popular with tourists, and guests staying in one of the fine Windsor hotels will certainly make a visit to the castle a top priority of their vacation.

The castle is one of the primary residents of the current Queen Elizabeth. She also resides in Buckingham Palace and the Holyrod Palace in Edinburgh Scotland. She spends many weeks out of the year in Windsor and the castle is used for official state purposes as well as private functions and parties that occur on a grand scale. The castle has seen many revisions and additions through the centuries, and most of the kings and queens of England have had a major role in its evolution. This makes the features of the castle easy to trace through a chronological comparison with the timings of the English rulers.

One of its notable uses occurred during the reign of Elizabeth the first who retreated with her court to the castle following a great outbreak of the plague in 1563. The plague was extremely common during her reign and outbreaks occurred on a regular basis. Elizabeth had a gallows erected in order to control visitors from London would likely to be bringing the plague with them. She also cut back on trade and pubic gathers to decrease the spread of this dreaded disease. Theatres were also closed down during great plague outbreaks and actors and playwrights would often have to scramble to replace the their means of income.

You may find that when your organization implements a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system you will observe that the number of customer complaints increases. This often happens after the implementation of complaint handling systems.

Very often organizations and businesses actively discourage complaints because their processes and procedures end up being so barrier-ridden that customers will move to another company’s products rather than negotiate this confusing landscape.

By using a customer complaint management system integrated with a CRM will provide a strategic asset which can also provide an income source.

I live in Los Angeles, a true American example of urban sprawl. Miles and miles of strip malls and convenient stores. Thinking that a place to be picturesque seems like it could only enter ones mind as a child’s fantasy. Don’t get me wrong, Los Angeles does have it’s moments of beauty. The ocean, natural lush environments in the mountains and amazing desert-scapes. A mediator’s ideal dream. But, one can drive miles around Los Angeles in a desperate hunt for graceful, thoughtful and inspiring design and go home disappointed.

Now, Bath in England, is almost so prefect and so pretty, I was overwhelmed with it’s picturesque beauty. Being an unsophisticated foreigner, my minds eye almost went into over-load. Bath was so charming, so much eye candy everywhere I looked. I really had a hard time believing the City of Bath was real. The only thing that kept me from deciding this city was fake was coming back to my Bath Hotel room every day.

Before I stayed in Bath for a few days, I stayed in Birmingham for over a week. An industrial city. So, when I took the 2 hour train ride to Bath, I expected to see pretty much the same industrial city as Birmingham. But, when the train pulled in to Bath, I felt like I was transported to another era. The City of Bath, originally, was founded because of the natural occurring hot springs. Then, when the Romans occupied Bath, they built the now famous baths and temples. Upon, visiting the Roman baths today, I was surprised just how well preserved the Roman baths are. Many of the original structures are still intact, and the engineering is a marvel to behold.

The city was popular as a spa resort which in turn, the best examples of Georgian Architecture was constructed. Which earned the City of Bath, in 1987, the World Heritage Site. I can see why, everywhere my eyes land is very pleasant to see. As I walked around the City of Bath, I did see signs of modern construction, highrises and a large shopping mall. I don’t know, once these structure are finished, if they will ruin just how perfect Bath is, but even if they do, it’s only two unsightly buildings in an entire city.