Tandem Talents

Tandem Talents

Meetsomeourtalented colleagues

H E L L O !

M Y T A L E N T S

M Y N A M E I S

I A M F R O M Tanya Rowbotham

The Mortgage Team

I have self-taught myself how to draw and paint using primarily oil paints

but also acrylic and watercolour It has took hours and hours of practice

and patience (especially with myself haha) to get where I am now and

there is so much room for improvement I learn from hours of Youtube

videos, mentors on Facebook groups and from studying other artitsts

works I do pet portraits and wildlife portraits for people as it gives me a challenge and makes me happy if they are happy.

Because I like to keep myself busy, I also have started cross stitching

My mum taught me when I was about 10 to pass the time during the

summer holidays (This was in the 90’s and pre internet and Netflix

haha). I completely forgot about it until I noticed my partners mum’s

(Sheila) cross stitch creations on her wall and it inspired me to take it up again.

Because I always hyperfocus on something, this

lead to me watching hours of tutorials again, joining

often strict and scarey Facebook groups (think

people in their 80’s who are not happy that you

have used a size 26 needle instead of 24), buying

lots of cross stitch magazines and most useful of

all, being mentored by Sheila who keeps me

grounded and stops me flapping haha. Here are

some examples of what ive done recently.

@tanceratops Check out my Instagram

H E L L

M Y N A M E I S

Andrew Rios-Hall

I A M F R O M

The L&D Team

I ’ M A D R U M M E R

So I originally decided I wanted to become a drummer back when I was 11 years old. I was allowed to watch Wayne’s World and I had just watched the scene in the music store where Garth gets behind this beautiful, massive drum kit and rips out an awesome drum solo. I was in awe of the power and skill of it. I turned to my parents and said “I want to do That!” Needless to say, they were less than thrilled at the prospect.

So they made me a deal. If I saved up all the money for my own kit, they would pay for lessons I thought (years later) that this was a pretty savvy move on their part How many preteen boys have enough focus to save that kind of money? Let alone remember what they had for breakfast that day?? Well 2 years later, through tenacity, perseverance and a gruelling, yet short-lived, paper route, I walked through the doors of my local music

shop and bought my first drum kit for £210

I’ ve now been playing drums for almost 26 years and I have loved every single second of

it The feeling of playing with other musicians Working out grooves, beats and fills

Playing live to crowds of people dancing to songs you helped write…

That feeling is it’s own special kind of high Plus, I

get to sit down through the whole thing. So

that’s always a bonus

C H E C K O U T M Y B A N D

ube-Daioni

@daionimusic

W H Y B O X I N G ?

I was injured at the time from my rugby playing

days and needed to find a sport which was still

physically challenging but not a brutal on the body

My brain thought why not give boxing a try �� I

remember at the time my community was doing a

boxing event to raise money for MIND/ a mental health organisation. The organisers were local friends I had grown up with and we really wanted

to inspire and show youngsters in the area a

different avenue to everything we kept hearing locally.

At the time, there was a lot of knife crime popping up in the area and our motto going through the whole event was “Knives down, Gloves up” as we wanted to show the youngsters a different avenue then constantly being on the road and what your street cred was.

This was around 4-5 years ago, the rest as they say is history! 13 fights in, 10 wins and 2 draws later

I think when people think of boxing, they think of the

violence and all the anger involved but it really isn’t

the case I like many other men and women who have given it a go, realise it’s much more than that It’s about control, planning, strategizing. It creates resolve, discipline, confidence, internal understanding of your emotions and the sport itself is a art/science to be learnt and understood

H E L L O ! The

ortgage Team M

I

ahi

M

Y N A M E I S

A M F R O M Rebwar Addoull

M Y N A M E I S

I A M F R O M Mia Javed

The L&D Team

“ F r o m T u r n t a b l e s t o T r i u m p h : O u r

J o u r n e y a s S o u t h A s i a n W e d d i n g

In 2019, my best friend and I embarked on an unexpected adventure: becoming DJs for South Asian weddings. Armed with sheer determination and a love for music, we dove headfirst into a market ripe for our unique skills

Our specialty? Female-only events dance parties, hen dos, and henna parties. The energy was electric, and we quickly made our mark in Manchester, Yorkshire, and Lancashire We even hired two assistants to keep up with the demand

But then, COVID-19 crashed the party Suddenly, our thriving business faced uncertainty With no prior experience, we had to adapt swiftly. Yet, our desire to create unforgettable moments kept us going.

Here’swhatwelearned:

TheDJ’sRole: As South Asian wedding DJs, we weren’t just spinning tracks We set the vibe, bridging generations with Bollywood hits, Bhangra beats, and more Plus, we doubled as MCs, making announcements and introducing the couple.

BehindtheScenes: Our days started early setting up

equipment, doing sound checks, and collaborating with venue staff When guests arrived, we read the

crowd, adjusting the playlist to keep the dance floor

alive

PandemicPivot: COVID-19 forced us to rethink

everything But our determination paid off We found new ways to connect virtually, keeping celebrations alive while staying safe

AMessagetoDreamers: Our journey proves that passion and adaptability can turn the tables even when the world throws a curveball So, pursue your desires, and let the beats guide you. Keep spinning, keep dreaming, and let the music carry you forward!

D J ”

H E L

M Y N A M E I S

Kanchana Thatmee

I A M F R O M

The L&D Team

W H Y S C U B A

D I V I N G ?

Scuba diving has always been a dream of mine, so in

2022, I travelled alone to Koh Samui, Thailand to learn

how to scuba dive Instead of opting for a day trip, I

embraced the challenge and enrolled in a 4-day PADI

Open Water Diver course

However, I underestimated the difficulty of diving I

struggled with basic skills like breathing through the mouth and felt disheartened by my slow progress

compared to others in the class Watching them excel

while I lagged behind made me doubt my abilities and fear of what could happened while I’m under the sea

Fortunately, my instructor was incredibly supportive.

They advised me to take a break and practice more in the pool before attempting the sea dives The next day, I successfully mastered the techniques and ventured into the sea I was very lucky on my first dive, I spotted a whale shark – a rare sighting, especially for a beginner

After four days of dedication, I completed the course