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Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a job seeker

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Adrian Phelan

Post 55

Hire me

Failte

The post this week is a bit Irish centric because of the way things have landed. However, there is a bit more besides. I cover The Ali G movie, and we’ll have the usual good cause. Going local for a moment I want to go straight in with a massive ‘Bravo’ to all involved with organising the Stevenage 80 Youth Music Concert at The Gordon Craig Theatre on Saturday. It was brilliant. It’s safe to say the future of quality music in the local area is secure, and reassuring that the council and the local music industry has its back. A big shout out to all the artistes who performed: @izzystrevens.music @sleeptillsunrize @samuel_topping @elimorris.music @official.publicliability You were all superstars.

The K Club

I need to extend a big Happy Birthday to my older brother Ken who turned a non-specific age today (26 October). He’s just back from a trip to Killarney. That’s what you do when you’re 53. Oops I didn’t mean to give the year away.

There was always a U2 v R.E.M. war in our house growing up, with Ken being a big fan of the latter. Ironically (because of endless campaigning) we each became fans of both bands. Everything was blown apart a bit when Oasis came along but that’s a blog post on its own if we can ever get bloody tickets.

Philip Cairns – a significant anniversary

For the benefit of non-Irish readers and perhaps even some younger Irish readers, the disappearance of Philip Cairns aged 13 in 1986 is one of Ireland’s most hard-hitting unsolved cases. None of us who were alive and old enough at the time have ever forgotten him. He literally vanished into thin air on his way back to school after lunch one day, his school bag turning up randomly in a nearby laneway a short time later. Every now and again, developments in the case are reported by the media, and this week has brought another one, on what is the 40th anniversary of his disappearance. Both of his parents have now passed away which is heartbreaking with his mother dying only last year.

The case must continue to bring heartache to a family desperate for closure, so as unlikely as it is I want to do a tiny bit and ask that if anyone reading this has information about Philip’s disappearance, please call Rathfarnham Garda Station on 01 666 6500.

The filim bit – Ali Geez, What did we just watch!

I took my son to watch the Ali G movie (Who Iz I?) at the weekend and I’ve been walking around in a daze ever since. No spoilers but the conversation on the way home was about who was in on it – i.e. acting – and who was taking part thinking it was real. If we’re to believe the credits, there weren’t many people acting, which makes the content absolutely shocking. The protagonists were persuaded to carry out some extreme acts that even choice–editing could not excuse. It was simply mind-numbing.

The film has all the usual crude humour you might expect from an Ali-G movie, and one definite plus is the rapport between Baron-Cohen and Morgana Robinson who plays m’Julie.

I did laugh out loud a lot during the just shy of an hour and a half, but overall, I came away shocked at the behaviour of our cousins in Trump’s America.

In a way the movie was selfless, with Baron-Cohen sacrificing some of the character’s thunder to show us what we could be capable of if under the wrong influences.

I’m rambling, but I’ll end by saying, as ever, you should watch it and make your own mind up, but approach it with caution, it’s not for the faint-hearted.

RIP Donal Lunny

I’m going to do this from the heart and not Google facts or figures. I’ve seen Donal Lunny perform live about three times including with Christy Moore and Declan Sinnott and with Afro Celt Sound System. I’ve also seen him numerous times on telly and have learned more in recent days about his many other collaborations. The country might have used up a lot of its available grief when Glenn Hansard passed a few months ago, but rightly we have also paid fitting tributes to Donal. He was the quiet man of the Irish music scene. I am more familiar with Planxty and Moving Hearts than The Bothy Band but people over the last few days have been talking a lot about the latter.

Anyway, we have lost another Irish institution, and although he went about his business quietly, he made enough noise to mark his passing. Thoughts are with his loved ones. RIP Donal.

Do Good Well – Intersex Awareness Day 2026

Intersex Awareness Day is observed on 26 October to highlight the experiences and human rights of intersex people, who are born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

I’m very happy to raise awareness of this campaign which I hope supports intersex people to feel included and safe.

Check out all the important campaign information on the awareness days website.

Goodbye and thanks

I’ll end with another plug for my CV page. Enjoy your half term (Mid-term break in Ireland) but the first thing you do when you get back is hire me.

As ever, thanks for sticking with the blog and I’ll see you next week.

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Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a job seeker

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Adrian Phelan

Post 54

Welcome to this week’s post. There should be something for you in here. Enjoy.  

The job bit

My website’s new CV page is getting hits which is great. It didn’t take long to create and it’s certainly earning its keep. We’re coming into the jolly season so if you have any seasonal campaigns that need an extra pair of hands do keep me in mind. I am open to all sectors and happy to land anywhere my skills will transfer.

Also, if anyone reading has links to any useful job seeking or career resources then do send them my way as well.

As ever, your support is much appreciated.

Thinking of Dad

It’s hard to type but it’s six months since my dad passed, and just under six months for my mother-in-law. I was compelled to jump on and mark it. I remember when he died saying ‘blink and six months will go by’ and they have.

Christmas is just around the corner and a big part of Christmas for our family was watching my dad’s excitement grow over the year. His build up literally started on 26 December and he was the All-Year-Round Christmas Shop’s number one customer.  His illness robbed him of a lot of the Christmas build-up last year. He was in hospital for much of December, including just after Christmas Day. He was determined to make up for it this year. Alas, it wasn’t to be. I think we have an important job to do in keeping his Christmas spirit alive, so even though Halloween hasn’t been yet, let me extend to you the compliments of the season.

The music bit

Unusually – given my background – I don’t rattle on about music too much in the blog, but a couple of album launches to note this week across two very different genres. The first is Just Like a Black and White Film by Dave Sutherland and the second is Dopamine Chamber by Fontaines DC.

I bought Fontaines DC’s Dopamine Chamber on vinyl for my son who said he loves it and I’m definitely a fan of the tracks I’ve heard so far. They’re a (post-punk) band who’ve been around for years but to my shame I have not paid much attention to their music, albeit they sing in their own accent, my accent. Plenty to discover and I can’t wait. Liam Gallagher has said this week that they don’t have any tunes, but I think this album goes a long way to prove the opposite.

And so, to Blackheath Halls where friend and Americana musician Dave Sutherland launched his new album Just Like a Black and White Film. Ably supported by Lewisham band True Believers and Oxfordshire-based singer/songwriter Ags Connolly, it was a great night of the aforementioned Americana, Country and Folk. I bought the album on the night and look forward to giving it a proper listen.

The Wembley Way

It was a busy weekend and my trip to Blackheath was followed on Sunday by a jaunt to Wembley to see The Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Houston Texans. One of the highlights of the day was meeting up with an old school friend who I had not seen for years. He was visiting for the day from Dublin with a colleague. We managed to squeeze 30 years of catching up into a couple of drinks. He had news of friends I had lost touch with (and vice versa) so it was great that the stars aligned and we could meet.

The game didn’t quite go to plan with The Texans taking it 34-31 but the annual pilgrimage to see the Jags is always a great occasion and this year did not disappoint.

The filim bit

I went on a bit of an online rant after watching Digger on Friday night. I’m disappointed by the poor box office performance, not because I want people to like the film but because people have not gone and made up their own minds about it.

It would be difficult to describe the film in a paragraph let alone a sentence but if I were to try I’d say it’s a pseudo-dystopian story about the rehearsal of a grand play showing the catastrophic consequences of drilling for oil on an ice shelf near Greenland and the money and politics that surround that.

But that’s almost not as important as the point that this was a brave move by Tom Cruise to star in and produce a project like this when we are so used to seeing him in action movies or playing the romantic leading male.

I know the cinema isn’t cheap and you want bang for your buck but if you’re into film, go and see this and join the debate. Although it has been widely panned, those who do support it think it will stand the test of time and I think it will too.

Do Good Well – ADHD Awareness Month

October is ADHD Awareness Month and the campaign is in full swing with a mixture of fun and educational online and in-person events. Here is a link to campaign info for Ireland. There are also tons of resources on this campaign site from our American cousins and here’s what’s happening in the UK.

Do help to raise awareness of the condition where you can.

Goodbye and thanks

I’ll end as I began, with a plug for my website’s CV page. If your project could do with an extra pair of hands, do get in touch.

As ever, thanks for reading and I’ll be back again with you next week.

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Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a job seeker

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Post 53

Welcome to this week’s post. There should be something for you in here. Enjoy.  

Job bit 

I’m continuing to network, looking for an ‘in’ wherever there is an Adrian-shaped hole. A big thank you to friends who shared my details on LinkedIn last week. You are superstars.  

As well as the substantial hunt, I’m also exploring a little side-project that will keep me out of trouble, but more on that as it develops. 

The next few weeks will see changes one way or another, so remember I am as keen as ever to ‘get stuck in’  

I’ve added a page to this site with all my work details on it. Please check it out.  

As a quick addendum to this, I’ve found out that the library one town away from me opens from 12-4 on Sundays and that is so helpful as an option to go and get the head down on ‘The Lord’s Day’ when everything used to be shut. It was busy as well so maybe the powers that be could consider extending this to more libraries. If you’re reading… 

Jobby bit (you’ll see what I did there)  

I’ve had my first over 50s health letter this week, for bowel cancer screening. The NHS was straight out of the blocks with this one. This will be the second bodily sample I have sent by post in my lifetime. Little do the post people know what they’re handling.  I wish anyone who has ever stolen a tenner from a child’s Christmas card would break into one of these packages instead.  

I promise not to do a blog section on it once it’s done but I’ll keep you abreast of what they come for next.  

The filim bit 

I saw The Social Reckoning on Friday, and I thought it was very good. It is a follow-on from The Social Network, but you don’t have to have seen that to enjoy this one, which follows Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen as she partners with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz to expose the company’s internal documents and secrets.  

Now I know we’re all grown-ups but to see the influence Facebook has had on radical thinking – not just on large groups but on individuals – is a bit frightening. Not long after this, Facebook changed its company name to Meta although this will not be among any official reasons.  

Any way the casting is good in this one. Jeremy Allen plays Horwitz, Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg and of course the star of the show is Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen. There is also a good comedy turn by Betty Gilpin who plays newspaper boss Christina.  

This is one you could enjoy on the telly but why wait! 

For the climates they are a changing  

Staying with things American for a moment, I once spent a summer in New York City on a J1 work visa and occasionally out of nowhere and in no time at all clouds would gather and dump a week’s worth of rain in about 15 minutes. It was quite the spectacle. To whoever might be around at the time I would say, ‘You’d never see rain like this where I live.’ I couldn’t say that now. More often we are getting dumps like that, the most recent being last Thursday.  

So I have no doubt that the climate is changing as the years go on. There are often reports that hot summers are not as unusual as we make out, with 1976 always being brought out as an example of a biggy. But the massive dumps of rain over the last few years are enough to convince me, and I do think ‘76 is slowly losing its crown. So do take it serious folks. Play your little part to slow this thing down.   

Do Good Well – OCD Awareness Week  

I think we can often be flippant about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), associating it with being pig-headed about something. So, OCD Awareness Week I think is the perfect opportunity to learn more about a condition we often jest about.  

The campaign itself says it: ‘is a worldwide event that serves to dispel myths about obsessive compulsive disorder, break the stigma around mental illness, and provide education about the disorder and how to support those affected.’ 

The ask this week is not to donate but to learn a bit more about this condition. There are tons of very useful information on the website to keep you busy.  

Goodbye and thanks  

As ever, thanks for getting this far. It would seem the blog just won’t go away. Certainly enjoying year 2 so far.  

I hope to see some of you next week.  

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Post 52

What a difference a year makes  

I published the first post of this blog a year ago and put out 51 in the 52 weeks of the year. It was a year that felt a long time in the making and then at the end of it felt like it went by in a flash.  

My 50th birthday (in week 52 of the blog calendar) was one of the most special times of my life. Nudged on by friends I arranged a couple of get togethers for English friends and I was overwhelmed by the turnouts and the amazing heartfelt gift everyone clubbed together for.  We had a great couple of dos that could easily not have happened if the cocktail of low self-esteem and procrastination had had a slightly stronger potency 😊.  

And then my extended Irish family gave me a great night out in Ashbourne, and a wonderful celebration in the family home the next day. This was after U2 had given me a private concert on Grafton Street on their own 50th birthday. 1976 was some year.   

If you’re approaching a milestone birthday, I couldn’t recommend celebrating it more strongly. I think you’ll regret it if you don’t and it might be just the tonic if you’re having a challenging year.    

The moral of the story is that if you’re umming and awing about doing something (like this) then do it. You will ride on the wave of gratitude for a long time. It will certainly carry me through until I’m 60.  

The job bit – about me  

This blog started with the tagline Fairytales of a jobseeker, and I am changing it back to that now. I’m doubling down on my efforts to find something.  

A reminder that I am a communications and public engagement manager with significant campaign experience mainly in the NHS but across charity and central government as well. I have worked in complex multi-organisational structures alongside trusted community voices to influence behaviour change, particularly increasing engagement with health services among groups where there has been hesitancy.  

I’m open to working in all sectors and both contracting and permanent roles. Here is my CV and LinkedIn profile. Take a look and drop me an email at adrianphelan@hotmail.co.uk or call me on 07974669338.  

On the slide 

We took a trip to the Olympic Park on Sunday and went on the slide that is part of that big red sculpture thingy (Official name Arcelormittal Orbit). Suffice it to say it was fast. It claims to be the longest tunnel slide in the world as well. When I arrived, every fibre of my being said ‘Don’t do it’ but I donned my big boy pants and threw myself down it. You have to wear protective gear, so everyone looked like Petr Cech and now we know where he got his hat.  

The boys enjoyed it too, so if you’re looking for something a bit different to do with your older kids, check it out.  

Stratford, including Westfield is also cool to hang out in, especially in an Indian Summer. We’ll definitely go back.  

Do Good Well – Breast Cancer Awareness Month  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 59,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. This October, get active to help change that. 

Set yourself a challenge. Raise funds. Help change lives.  

All copy borrowed from the website but from me, do support the campaign if you can.  

Goodbye and thanks  

As ever, thank you for taking the time to read this post. The blog now enters its second year and I’m very proud of that.  

Thanks again to everyone who made my 50th birthday celebrations special, but remember most of all, do keep me in mind for any roles that come up in your networks.  

See you next week.  

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Post 51

50 to 1 shot  

I’ve been rambling on about my birthday for so long now I think most people are relieved it’s here in hope that I will shut up. And I will. I’ll sign off the 50 to 50 thing and then we can all get on with our lives. 

But I think it was worth doing. Clicks on the charity links in each blog issue have been modest so I wanted to make sure that even if we are not driving traffic to the sites, that people were aware that support is available if they need it.  

I want to give a heartfelt special thank you to the organisations that engaged with my posts. It meant a lot and helped quieten the doubts I had about doing it in the first place. 

It began as a ‘nothing ventured…’ labour of love and has concluded as something I’m very proud of. I might look and see how it can develop into a longer-term sustainable option.  

For I’m a jolly good fellow   

And so to my birthday itself which at the time of writing is tomorrow. Compared to the last two weekends it will be relatively low-key. I’ll have breakfast with the boys, then take a mid-morning trip to the cinema (Sense and Sensibility), then in the evening we’re heading to the local for some grub and a catch-up. Ok so there’s a bit going on but you’re only 50 three times.  

Thanks to everyone once again who came to the Hamm in Hitchin, who came out at the weekend and to my amazing family. You have all spoiled me rotten and I truly am grateful.  

JH 

I went to a recording of Later… With Jools Holland on Tuesday and without spoilers on the artistes that featured it was one of the best live music experiences I’ve had in years. It was like The Kashmir Klub with cameras. I’ve always wanted to go to a recording, so I was fulfilling a long-held ambition.  

To say it didn’t disappoint is a massive understatement. The crew was huge, the filming gear probably the slickest that money can buy and the quality of the music was unsurprisingly top drawer. 

No notice of when it will be on telly, but I can’t wait to watch it.  

You Too 

So U2 celebrated their 50th anniversary in some style, with two surprise gigs in Dublin; one in their old school where they met and then an hour-long show in Grafton Street that evening. I was at the latter and it was brilliant. They did an 11-song set of greatest hits and new song Silencio.  

Me and my brother made a day of it, doing a tour of their old haunts including Rosemount Avenue, Windmill Lane and The Dockers pub. But the highlight was undoubtedly the pop-up show. Grafton Street was suitably packed for it with people of all ages from all around the world.  

Congratulations to the band. I say all the cool kids celebrated 50ths this week.  

Do Good well 

Your mission this week if you will indulge me is to go on to my Instagram channel and scroll through some of the videos I have done for the 50 to 50 and maybe click into the websites of one or two good causes. That would make me very happy. A special mention to the last one we did on suicide prevention. The links to the Ireland and UK charities are in the usual places.  

Goodbye and thanks 

So this is Post 51, the final in the first chapter. We have done a blog every week for 52 weeks except for the week my Dad died and like with the 50 to 50 I am very proud of that.  

Again I need to thank everyone who has read some or all the posts and considered my CV.  

Don’t forget I remain available for work and in the spirit of what the blog was set up for, I’ll leave it there.  

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Post 50

Intro| Happy Birthday to me| 50th post| Organ Donation Week| Goodbye and thanks| Social links| Links to past posts

Welcome to my 50th

It’s been a busy week so today’s post is a blogette, but there are a few important things to cover so I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it.  

It’s also the 50th post, so quite the milestone.  

I hope you enjoy it.  

And so say all of us  

I’m opening with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it to The Hamm in Hitchin for my birthday celebration at the weekend. I was overwhelmed by the turnout. A special shout out to Bruno and Alison for keeping everyone topped up and to those who travelled from outside of Hitchin to be there. The big day itself is on 29th and I will be saving some of the champagne for then.  

All are welcome.  

50 is nifty  

50 seems to be the magic number currently and this indeed is the 50th Adrian’s All post. That’s a lorra lorra content over the last (almost) 12 months. I’ve laughed, you’ve cried and we’ve promoted some good causes along the way.  

In its end-of-year appraisal, I would say that the blog has partially fulfilled its purpose. It did give me work to do but alas has yet to find me that elusive role. But we keep trying and here’s my CV for your files. Maybe this will be my lucky week.

I had two blog wins this week though. A former colleague got in touch to tell me that they visited the Gravediggers pub in Dublin having read my recommendation. Another friend also booked a blood donation which we have covered regularly throughout the year.  

The spin-off 50 to 50 posts are still gaining traction as well. I had an acknowledgement from the lovely team at Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity when we plugged them last week. So all in all, I’m a happy bunny.  

I’m looking forward to celebrating the blog’s first birthday next week.  

Do Good Well – Organ Donation Week  

In a week where I have given my most recent blood donation I’m signposting to NHS Blood and Transplant once again for Organ Donation Week. They say, “Organ Donation Week is an annual event, and a chance for us to focus attention on the importance of organ donation and the need for more donors. 

This year, we need your support more than ever as over 8,500 people are currently in need of a transplant to save or improve their lives.” 

I am currently not a registered donor but am strongly considering becoming one. In the past I’ve thought they can have everything apart from my eyes (They’re a rare sapphire green) but I think the lot can go now, however I do feel sorry for whoever gets my liver.  

In all seriousness, do spread awareness of the campaign where you can, and consider becoming a donor yourself.

Goodbye and thanks  

So I am bursting  with gratitude after  the turnout for my birthday yesterday and as I said at the start, I’m keeping this one short as I navigate through my 50th birthday celebrations. A trip to Dublin beckons at the weekend where I will be indulging in my favourite band U2’s own 50th birthday celebrations. I can’t wait. Then I take the plunge myself and alas the blog turns one and a new decade beckons.  

Until then have a great rest of your week. Enjoy the Indian summer.  

Adrian  

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Post 49

Intro| Saoirse and Oasis| Here comes the bride| Youth Mental Health Day| Goodbye and thanks| Social links| Links to past posts

Back to school

It was the first full week of the normal routine, and the rhythm is slowly returning. For one week only the brand-new school shirts will look and smell fresh and that will be it. I’m not sure they’ll be cleaner than a joke on children’s hour again. If you get that reference, you’re showing your age. Anyway, we went to a cracking wedding in Nottingham at the weekend and caught a couple of movies at the cinema. Read on to find out more.  

I hope you enjoy this week’s issue.  

The big filim bit 

A picture of popcorn in a white and red box with the words pop corn on it

I saw the Oasis movie ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ on Wednesday. I didn’t get tickets to any of the concerts, so I don’t have that connection, but I was still mildly giddy with excitement at the prospect, and very curious as well.  

I had read enough reviews in advance to have my expectations managed and I think they were pretty much spot on. It is a very polished, sentimental offering; Liam and Noel sharing equal billing with fans from the various countries they visited.  

One of those countries was of course Ireland with a good showcasing of Croke Park as a venue, and the road outside for that matter as footage showed fans without tickets joining in the sing-song anyway.  

My brother was at one of the Croker gigs, and he liked the film enough to want to go and see it a second time if that helps you decide on going or not. 

It would seem an announcement about tickets is imminent so here’s to hope not killing us for a second time. I’ll let you know how that goes, next week.  

Saoirse Ronan’s apples  

I caught a preview screening of Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan last Sunday and it left me with mixed feelings.  

In it, Ronan plays Maria, an Irish Year 5/6 teacher at a primary school in a quiet village in the English West Country. The film unfolds as she takes matters into her own hands by kidnapping the token disruptive kid in her class (Danny, played ably by movie debutant Eddie Waller) at the outset of an Ofsted inspection. It follows the developing relationship between the two as he is held captive in her basement, and the occasional curve balls that might expose her secret.  

It’s described as a dark comedy which gave it licence to be a bit ridiculous. The ending is farcical and overall, the story in the film would just never happen.  

However, it’s saving grace are the turns by the debutant actors, Eddie Waller mentioned above and Nia Brown who arguably steals the show as class oddball, Pauline who is a fly in Maria’s ointment, as she tries to contain her situation.  

I thought Saoirse Ronan was too big for a production at this level, much like Ralph Fiennes in 2025’s The Choral.  

But that is more a personal than professional opinion so referring back to my mixed feelings, this film comes out on Friday and I think there is just enough to invest in the price of the ticket.  

If you do go, I’d love to know what you think. I gave it 2.5 out of 5. If you would add an extra star or two, let me know.  

The kindness bit – wedding at Batman’s  

We’ve just spent two nights in Nottingham for the wedding of our good friends Ally and Chris.  

It was a brilliant occasion, held at the stunning Wollaton Hall. The distinct looking building is a classic example of gothic architecture making it no surprise that Christopher Nolan chose it as the location for Wayne Manor in the 2012 Batman movie Dark Knight Rises.  

But back to the wedding itself, it was the perfect day. Everything was timed to perfection and all the planning paid off as we got to enjoy the splendour of the venue, have delicious food and drink and spend quality time with friends old and new.  

And of course, dancing. It seems like every time I go to Nottingham there’s a boogie on offer which is great.  

A big standout for the day for me was the speeches.  All were very eloquently delivered with good humour and grace, and Ally’s son Josh brought the room to a standstill when on behalf of him and his brother Joe, he gave a heartfelt welcome to the family to their new stepdad. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.  

Congratulations Ally and Chris. As the old saying goes, may all your troubles be little ones.  

Do Good Well – Youth Mental Health Day 2026 

When looking for awareness days for this week I came across Youth Mental Health Day 2026. Youth Mental Health Day brings together young people, schools, families, professionals and organisations across the UK to focus on helping young people thrive. It’s held on 18 September every year and the theme this year is Build Future You. Find out here how you can support the campaign. The key hashtags are #BuildForYou and #YMHD.  

I know the internet helps but there just wasn’t enough around this when I was young so I’m glad there is for young people now.  

I hope someone finds it helpful. 

Goodbye and thanks 

We’re rocking ever closer to 29 September and then post 51 of this blog, marking the end of our first year. Thanks so much for sticking with it and if you would like to find out more of what I have to offer, check out my CV.  

I’ll see you next week.  

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