Yes, that’s the Powwow Troll pictured with newly-crowned Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton in the background.

It seems it pays to have a sister who works for BBC Radio 5 Live. Especially when she’s the pit lane reporter for the station’s Formula One coverage.

We have no idea how it happened but Jennie Gow, sister of Powwow Down South organiser Alan Gow, travelled to last weekend’s Drivers’ Championship decider in Abu Dhabi with the Powwow Troll in tow.

And what a weekend Troll had: Posing with – among others – Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo(right, above) and taking a tour of the Mercedes-Benz team’s garage (right, below).

But does that mean Jennie Gow – a motorsport broadcaster with 5 Live and host of ITV’s Formula E coverage – will be the unlikely winner of a Powwow Troll picture competition? A competition which, strictly speaking, is only open to paraplanners?

Well it’s time for you to decide. It’s time to CAST YOUR VOTE in the poll to find the best Powwow Troll picture that’s been snapped since September’s Paraplanners Powwow. It’ll just take a minute so, to vote, just click the button below.

Meanwhile, here’s a selection of Powwow Troll snaps that you’ll be voting for (or not).

Say ‘cheese’! It’s the Powwow 2014 portrait

Look! It’s the school photo from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow!

If you click on the image, it should open as a larger version which our photographer, Ady Kerry, says you are welcome to save on to your PC or mobile device. In other words, consider it yours; like the Powwow was.

By Jo Hague: Paraplanners joined together again recently to gather for Powwow Up North – the second in a series of opportunities for like-minded paraplanners to share their thoughts about the good, bad and ugly of paraplanning.

The evening began with two group discussions voted for by participants before the event – one for sharing technology tips and another to discuss potential minimum standards for paraplanners.

Our technology catch-up revealed some hidden gems that you may or may not already use including uktaxcalculators.co.uk and invidion.co.uk (links as promised to participants on the night).

But paraplanners are more than just technicians. We also found our way to a meaningful discussion about how to choose and use cashflow modelling tools and how we use risk tolerance questionnaires once the client’s results are in.

The minimum standards and qualifications discussions showed that there is a problem in recruiting the right type of paraplanners when just using Diploma as a benchmark; that is the question of overlooking experience. There was a healthy debate and general acceptance that training and competency routes for paraplanners need to be more clearly defined; there is also considerable need for quality paraplanner-specific CPD.

The subject for our main Powwow group session was voted for on the day – “Making complex stuff simple” won out and led us into discussions about how we can cut out jargon whilst staying compliant.

As we find on our Powwow journey, the group discussions are all the better for paraplanners who are willing to speak up and, as it turns out, Northerners are more than happy to share their thoughts! Who’d have thought?

If you were there – thanks! You were smashing!  Have you seen the pictures yet?

We want to hear what you have to say about your own Powwow experience on 15th October so please tell us about it by completing this quick survey.

And, as the sun sets on Powwow UpNorth, it rises in the South (there’s something not right there…). If you’re interested in getting involved with Powwow Down South, take a look at the latest news about the event and – if you’ve got a moment – to help decide when and where to hold the event by completing this VERY quick survey: Where and when should be hold Powwow Down South?

Hot on the heels of the first ever Paraplanners Powwow last month, the first ever Powwow Up North took place last night at The Chambers in central Leeds. No teepees this time but plenty of interest from paraplanners across the north of England (and Scotland, believe it or not) and here are the pictures to prove it!

If you’re interesting in hosting your own Powwow, take a look at the two-part post we’ve published: ‘How to start your own Powwow: Part one’ and ‘How to start your own Powwow: Part two’.

Well, we think it was a bit of a historic occasion.

Anyway, here’s the portrait of the pioneers from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow. If you click on the image, it should open as a larger version which our photographer, Ady Kerry, says you are welcome to save on to your PC or mobile device. In other words, consider it yours; like the Powwow was. (And IS. Have you seen details of PowwowUpNorth on 15 October 2013 in Leeds?)

Details of regional Paraplanners Powwows have been unveiled with the announcement of the first ever ‘Powwow Up North’ in Leeds on 15 October and plans in the pipeline for a ‘Powwow Down South’.

Powwow Up North organisers Jared Bowers, Claire Goodwin, Jo Hague and John Redmond, who will all be participating in the nationwide Paraplanners Powwow on 19 September, said they wanted to adopt the organising principle behind the Paraplanners Powwow – of gatherings designed for paraplanners by paraplanners – and apply it to smaller gatherings that were closer to home.

Powwow Up North will take place at The Chambers in central Leeds on the 15 October 2013 beginning at 5pm.

Thanks to the support of UBS, complimentary tickets for up to 20 paraplanners are available for the event and are now available to order using the event’s online booking form.

Powwow Up North will adopt a round-table discussion format in which paraplanners can get together to talk about the practicalities of day to day paraplanning life. Ideas for topics that will be up for discussion at the first Powwow North include:

The quartet of paraplanning organisers hope to announce a Powwow Down South event later this year.

You know how, during the coffee breaks at more conventional conferences, your auditory senses are assaulted by mind-numbing, middle-of-the-road, plinky-plonky music?

Well, we’re giving Powwow participants the opportunity to subject their Powwow peers’ auditory senses to their very own pick of mind-numbing, middle-of-the-road, plinky-plonky pop for 19 September.

We’re inviting Powwow-ers to select up to two tracks, which we’ll download from iTunes and add to the #PowwowPlaylist.

Of course, this means that participants can encounter a truly unique experience at the Powwow: they’ll like at least one or two songs that are piped through the speakers during breaks at a financial services event.

Paraplanners attending the event are able to take advantage of this once-or-twice-in-a-Powwow-time offer, either: by completing this online form or, if they’re on Twitter, just tweeting their choice of tracks – making sure they add the #PowwowPlaylist hashtag.

Whether you’re attending the Powwow or not, feel free to join in. (Although, only the tunes selected by people actually participating in the Powwow will be included in the final #PowwowPlaylist.)

Today we’re publishing a stack of new information about the schedule, the topics that will be up for discussion and – for some, the focus of unhealthy attention – the menu selection for the Powwow.

Following a survey of Powwow participants, the first half of the day will be broken down into a series of three Small Hadron Collider-style sessions on due diligence, report writing and a special campfire session with event supporter, L&G. The Powwow population will be divided into three tribes who will rotate around the topics.

During the second half of the day, participants will have to forget their tribal differences and gather together as one big group in a mashup of Small Hadron Collider and Show and Tell format sessions covering topics including cashflow modelling, technology and platforms, the Powwow itself before closing with Mr Mark Polson’s Guru session.

Experts, including Platforum’s Emma Napier and boffins from AXA Elevate and L&G, will also be on hand throughout the day.

You can see full details of the schedule and description of each session.

We’ve been receiving a lot of requests from Powwow participants who are curious to know what’s on the menu on 19 September. So we’ve published it below. If you’re attending the Powwow and are a vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, which you haven’t already let us know about, please send us an e-mail to let us know.

Breakfast

Back bacon with soft rolls, ketchup or brown sauce cooked and served at the teepees

Freshly baked Danish pastries and croissants

Tea and coffee

Lunch

Homemade 6oz 100% Beefburgers

Locally made pork and herb sausages

Sauteed onions

Ketchup and mustard

Soft and crusty rolls

The fajita bar

Cajun chicken fillet strips

Guacamole

Vine tomatoes with red onion

Crispy leaf salad

Sour cream

Tortilla wraps

For vegetarians

Vegetarian burgers and sausages

Soft rolls

Sauteed onions

Refried beans

Guacamole

Vine tomatoes with red onion

Crispy leaf salad

Sour cream

Tortilla wraps

Afters

Ice cream cornets with real vanilla ice cream and Belgian chocolate ice cream

Chocolate flakes

Chocolate and strawberry sauce

Teas, coffees, soft drinks and a selection of fruit & other goodies will be available throughout the day.