Bucks &amp; Oxon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122349.728-1000x667.jpg" alt="Sian Blores by the river in Henley" class="wp-image-177472" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122349.728-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122349.728-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122349.728-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122349.728.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-wakes-you-up-in-the-morning">What wakes you up in the morning?</h2>



<p>I always set my Alexa alarm because it has quite a gentle sound but I usually wake up before it. around 7am. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-very-first-thing-you-do-on-waking">What’s the very first thing you do on waking?</h2>



<p>Stretch. I don’t like lying there too long, I start over thinking or writing things in my head &#8211; might as well get up and do it.&nbsp;If my husband hasn’t annoyed me the night before I might cuddle up to him for a bit!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-first-thing-you-drink-eat">What’s the first thing you drink? Eat?</h2>



<p>Cup of tea &#8211; always. I can’t function until I’ve had a cup of tea. I gave up taking my husband one some time ago. It’s what I love but he doesn&#8217;t really so leaves it to go cold. It took me years to realise it. I don’t have anything to eat during the week. I’ve got this weird thing I’ve had since I was a teenager that if I have breakfast I’ll carry on eating all morning, but if not I&#8217;m not hungry til lunchtime.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-set-the-mood-for-the-day">How do you set the mood for the day?</h2>



<p>I do have quite a routine. I don’t have my work emails on my phone deliberately. If clients need to get in touch I’ll give them my personal email but it isn&#8217;t good to see work stuff straight away. I&#8217;ll look at my What’s Apps because none of the children are at home any more so I check in case they’ve sent messages late at night &#8211; invariably it is when they communicate. Then I read <em>The Times</em> app &#8211; conscious that it’s taking up a lot of time &#8211; but I find it quite relaxing and it keeps me informed. Sometimes I shout at Alexa to put on Radio 4 first thing when I come downstairs. If it’s all a bit depressing I won’t listen too much. Otherwise I don’t really want music first thing during the weekdays &#8211; that&#8217;s for weekends. It’s a huge contrast to life before and now &#8211; a really calm start to the day.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-else-shares-your-morning-space">Who else shares your morning space?</h2>



<p>My husband doesn’t really as he’s a night owl and I’m more of a lark. I don’t see much of him first thing and my life these days is totally different from how it’s been for the last 30 years when I had four children at home. 10-15 years ago it was total chaos in the morning. It’s very chilled and relaxed now compared to before. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-first-thing-you-do-outside">What’s the first thing you do outside?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="670" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T154426.262.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-161911" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T154426.262.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T154426.262-800x536.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T154426.262-400x268.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marsh Lock, Henley</figcaption></figure>



<p>Provided I haven’t got any urgent stuff, I try to go for a walk by the river every day as we live really close to it in Henley. If I&#8217;ve not got too much time I get to Marsh Lock, probably 30 minutes walking, but if I have longer I’ll go the other way to Temple Island, which is an hour’s round trip. You see the seasons changing and it’s gorgeous. Walking round the pavements of Henley isn’t quite the same. I listen to podcasts while doing that &#8211; I used to listen to <em>Fortunately </em>but now Jane Garvey and Fi Glover are on the <em>Times Radio</em> podcast so I&#8217;ve switched to that. I also listen to <em>Desert Island Discs</em>. Then I dip in and out of chatty ones or ones about better health.&nbsp; And one of my sons is a podcast producer and has just produced one for Radio 4 called <em>Something to Declare</em> so I listen to that as a proud mummy!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-do-you-first-check-your-emails-phone-etc">When do you first check your emails/phone, etc.</h2>



<p>I’ll delay doing this until after my walk. I have worked in my own firm now for over 20 years, based in my garden office. So I make myself a coffee, come in here and see what emails await.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-first-job-of-your-working-day-nbsp">What&#8217;s the first job of your working day?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Urgent, pressing, anything that&#8217;s come in overnight. Also I belong to Phyllis Court club in Henley. It has a good fitness centre and if you want to get onto lunchtime classes you have to book at 8am a week ahead so I must do that in the morning. Some emails I can deal with quickly but most I want to take more time over. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122440.589-1000x667.jpg" alt="Phyllis Court, Henley" class="wp-image-177473" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122440.589-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122440.589-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122440.589-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Untitled-design-2024-11-19T122440.589.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Phyllis Court, Henley</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-a-routine-to-your-day-or-is-every-day-different-nbsp">Is there a routine to your day or is every day different?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>There’s no fixed&nbsp;routine to my day &#8211; I do work full time but if someone says &#8216;are you free for coffee?&#8217;, I’ll do that because it’s important to see friends when you can. Plus, the sort of work I do, friends are a good referral for clients. I might meet a financial advisor or accountant as a business contact &#8211; that’ll happen in the morning. </p>



<p>I can adapt all of this if I need to get to a meeting because although I&#8217;m always answerable to my clients , I can be pretty flexible as I&#8217;m my own boss. It’s why I chose to start my own firm&nbsp;all those years ago &#8211; so I could fit in with the children, but now it can be the walk, coffee or exercise class that I&#8217;m working around. Also, it&#8217;s not healthy&nbsp;to be glued to a&nbsp;chair from 9am to the end of the day. So, yes, every day is different. Every client and every email&nbsp;is different. Some days I focus on one client if a court hearing is coming up but other days I deal with lots of different clients. It never feels routine at all. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-choose-what-to-wear">How do you choose what to wear?</h2>



<p>I wear jeans pretty much all the time unless I have a client meeting then it’s work clothes. I&#8217;m aware that life has changed a lot in the general office environment but I tend to wear a dress, suit or smart trousers for meetings. When I first started working for myself it was a revelation how comfortable it is to work in relaxed clothes, not the suit and heels that I used to wear in the office. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-your-meetings-mostly-face-to-face-or-waist-up-zoom-calls-nbsp">Are your meetings mostly face-to-face or waist-up Zoom calls?&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Very few of my meetings are Zoom because I meet clients face-to-face. I don’t do many court hearings because I see one of the aims of my job is to try to resolve disputes without court, but when required, a lot of court preliminaries are now &nbsp;on Zoom, which is a huge benefit in time saved and reducing the cost to the client. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-local-spot">What’s your favourite local spot?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="670" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T155131.519.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-161912" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T155131.519.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T155131.519-800x536.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/Untitled-design-2024-05-17T155131.519-400x268.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bistro at The Boathouse</figcaption></figure>



<p>I sometimes meet friends for breakfast at the weekend and we’ll go to <a href="https://www.bistroattheboathouse.co.uk/#/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bistro at The Boathouse</a>, <a href="https://www.spoon-deli.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spoon</a>, or <a href="https://www.cote.co.uk/restaurant/henley-on-thames" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Côte</a>, all in Henley.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-could-wake-up-anywhere-amp-with-anyone-who-would-it-be">If you could wake up anywhere &amp; with anyone, who would it be?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;d have to say my husband and kids because we don’t all get together as often as we’d like to and somewhere by the sea would be perfect. Either somewhere hot or just somewhere windy and wild on the coast.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-stay-on-top-of-work-and-its-stresses">How do you stay on top of work and its stresses?</h2>



<p>The clients I deal with inevitably are going through very stressful situations and at different times over the years, this has rubbed off on me. With time, I&#8217;ve got much better at dealing with this and accepting that you can’t change people and solve every problem. Helping the client come to terms with the situation is part of my role.&nbsp;</p>



<p>&nbsp;The fact I have a garden office and am not working in the house is important for this separation. When I&nbsp;started,&nbsp;I was in a spare bedroom at the top of the house. I could still hear when the phone rang &#8211; or it was so long ago &#8211; the fax machine going. Now I use <a href="https://www.chilternhouse.biz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Chiltern House Business Centre</a>  in Henley for meetings with clients &nbsp; and they’re brilliant. I use their meeting rooms and now my calls go through there so I never miss one. Generally, I find the key to managing stress is to do as much as you can away &nbsp;from the work environment &#8211; seeing friends and family, walking, exercising are all&nbsp;so important. &nbsp;</p>



<p>I sing in a choir which is also great for relieving stress &#8211; we&#8217;re the <a href="https://www.jamtheatre.co.uk/classes/singing-classes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jam Theatre Show Choir</a> in Marlow, though it can be stressful in itself when I&#8217;m trying to learn words and moves for concerts! And my husband and I have taken up ballroom dancing &#8211; we’re hopeless but it’s such fun and we love it. We’re lucky enough to share a little boat with friends and there’s nothing nicer after a day in the office than to take Iris and a bottle of cold rosé out on the river!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-sounds-like-you-ve-nailed-the-work-life-balance">It sounds like you&#8217;ve nailed the work/life balance </h2>



<p>It was the primary reason why I stopped being a partner in a large London firm -commuting&nbsp;in from Henley five days a week, before the days of part time or flexible&nbsp;working, just wasn’t compatible with having a family.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Even so, it&#8217;s still taken time to get the work/life balance right and I&nbsp;come back to the fact that it’s so different now to how it has been &#8211; the children are always there in my mind, but now the older three have&nbsp;moved out and the youngest is at uni. Getting four kids out of the door before starting work was very different to enjoying&nbsp;a lovely walk by the river first thing as I&#8217;m able to do now but it was as worth juggling every nano second of the day when the children were younger. Work can still be stressful, but it has been and still is worth it.</p>



<p><em>Want to find out more about Siân&#8217;s work? Check out <a href="https://www.blores.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blores Family Solicitors</a>.</em></p>


Morning routines of happy women: Oxon solicitor Siân Blore

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