Our Name
Once upon a Northern Lifetime
The surprising story of how we got our name...
In a land far away and long ago - well Newcastle in 2011 actually, Occupational Therapist
Terry Mallon found himself facing adversity.
Out of the blue he tragically lost his job and then his mother in short succession. It led him to reappraise where he was at in his life.
Spurred on by his wife Ella, Terry opted to meet this significant challenge head on, opting to capitalise on his previous work experience and go it alone by forming a new company in the healthcare sector.
So far so good, but what should he call the new venture? A lot can hang on a name of course, and Terry's response in deciding on a name was very personal.
He drew on his musical inspirations. You see Terry was a keen musician - playing gigs here and there since taking up the guitar aged 17 - but he admits the music side of things 'didn't really go anywhere'.
His musical tastes are wide-ranging, though he reserves a special appreciation for meaningful and evocative songs. He's a fan of Roxy Music, XTC and particularly the American four-piece band founded in 1975, Talking Heads.
Few would disagree that perhaps the most evocative of the Talking Heads lyrics appear in the song, 'Once in a Lifetime'.
The track first appeared on the band's 1980 'Remain in the Light' album, but received little acclaim at the time. However, it has since achieved seminal status, having gone on to influence many musicians and be included in numerous lists of the most influential songs of the period.
The lyrics spoke of existential crises to Terry and made him reflect on how fickle and fleeting life can be - something he knew only too well from his work as an occupational therapist.
One moment life can seem sublimely set fair, and yet your very next step can lead to a chain of events that can change everything.
So it's perhaps no surprise that the below lyrics from 'Once in a lifetime's' opening verse particularly chimed with Terry.
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?"
Terry is a proud Northerner too - born and bred and currently living in England's northeast. So he decided to call his new company 'Northern Lifetime' and nod to solid northern traits like directness, friendliness and compassion.
They are two simple words when on their own, but put together with conviction and aforethought, and 'Northern Lifetime' conveys real meaning - a personal evocation to meet life's unexpected changes and challenges head on, and to wherever possible make the most of them.