Chris Parsons’ Blog

Hello, A busy lunch today. As so often, the meal starts off quietly, a few grumpy folks, but the food’s good, chat breaks out, then laughter and more chat. Wonderful. I’m looking around (as I do),…

Hello, I thought you may like to hear a range of questions that have been put to me over the last month and read my replies… Chris, is it true you are about to retire? No, it…

Hello, As news feeds from around the world deliver ever more depressing bulletins, there is one bright note singing out…. Its source – The LandWorks Wood Workshop. The crooner – Graham. The reason – He loves (loves)…

Hello, The messages just keep getting clearer. Like somebody is sending a sign. All around us feels fractured. Dave tipped petrol on himself. A desperate cry for help. I know… I’ve read the emergency service transcripts….

Hello, Sasha’s phone is ringing. She signals for me to listen in. “Hello, it’s the Mental Health team here. I can see it has taken a bit of time for us to get to you… Oh…

Hello, “Man, I love cake”, is often the shout at around 10.30am, just before tea break. Cake, for high days, celebrations, anniversaries, you name it, a cake is here. Cream, fruit, sponge, chocolate, iced, parsnip, carrot…

Hello, “Chris, do you think stuff just goes around, is life just a circle of continuous events?” That’s an interesting lunchtime question (I like these, gets everyone chatting) and this from a man who often poses…

Hello, Building trusting relationships can, on the one hand, be deeply satisfying, on the other, it can be like sand slipping through your fingers. You just have to be there, through the ups and downs, just…

Hello, Sometimes it just goes wrong. Even though everything is going right. Josh came here in the Autumn last year. It had taken months to get him to engage. He couldn’t deal with authority. Traumatised from…

Hello, I’ve been wondering for a while how to start this email. Best keep it simple… I guess over the last ten years (I will stop going on about it after this email) for me there…

Hello, Day 3,637 Jimmy, one of the first cohort (then a day release prisoner), just sent the following text… “I know that I’m hard work but something that you said and done that hit home with…

Hello, “Mate (Aussie accent), I’ve read your little blog thing for years and mate, all you do is moan. Why don’t you ever say how you would fix it?” Right-oh, good – always encouraging to get…