bringing up charlie

The Jubilee Family Festival

2012-05-26T09:10:00.000+01:00

It can't have escaped your notice that there's something happening next weekend involving bunting, flag waving, anthem singing, street-partying and general public holidaying. This time next week The Jubilee Family Festival in Hyde Park will be about to get under way and I have four tickets to give away. In spite of my own vaguely republican sentiments I'm all in favour of a good party, and the one next weekend promises to be a corker...

Visitors will be treated to live music and entertainment at The Jubilee Family Festival, with the highlight perhaps being a 70 minute finale on both days comprised of Disney songs and characters. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith is organising the festival, which will feature a full programme of activities including celebrity performers, equestrian events, death-defying motorbike stunts and kids' television characters. With seven giant screens showing live coverage of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, crowds in the park will also be able to view the royal celebrations extending to the Queen's procession to St Paul's on Tuesday 5th June. The festival will showcase Britain throughout the decades, with street performers, orchestral recitals, military displays and Commonwealth dancers.

And if the weather holds it'll be even better. To be in with a chance of winning you can either 'like' my Facebook page (and you can do that right here ----->>>), tweet a link to this post, comment below or do all three! But hurry, because the offer closes at midnight tomorrow (Sunday) in order for me to have enough time to get the tickets to the lucky winner.

Volvo V60 Family Getaway

2012-05-24T10:14:00.001+01:00

'Go away for the weekend,' they said. 'Take one of our cars,' they added. 'And not just any car - how about the Volvo V60 D2 SE Lux Powershift? Where do you fancy? York, maybe?' After a moment's deliberation I shrugged and mumbled something vaguely affirmative. After all, someone's got to do it.

And this Sunday that 'someone' could be you!. If you fancy a weekend away courtesy of Volvo then keep an eye on @VolvoCarUK twitter page. From 10am until 6pm this coming Sunday (May 27th) they're running a promoted twitter trend (#V60getaway). As well as giving away family holidays (such as a glamping weekend and a trip to Scotland) there are iPod Touches, Kindles, in-car DVD players and Merlin premium annual passes up for grabs.

But would you want a weekend away in the V60? Is it the family car that it's cracked up to be? I must admit that I had my doubts about the boot...

As anyone with a tiny person knows, once you've packed the necessary kit for the youngest member of the family there's barely room left for a change of underwear for anyone else. At first glance I had my doubts about whether this would even accommodate our pushchair.

As you can see, those doubts were soon alleviated. As were the doubts about fitting in everything else we needed. In short, the boot is deceptively large in spite of not having the depth of our own Toyota Verso.

So, the luggage fits. But do the kids?

Now I know we're probably unusual as a family in having three back-seat passengers, two of whom require child-seats. There was plenty of room for everyone, that wasn't a problem. But the configuration of the seat-belt fittings meant not only that the car seats had to be fitted directly behind each of the two front seats (which is, of course, where you'd want them ideally) but that they sat four-square in the centre of their allotted space, leaving slightly less-than-adequate room for the central passenger.

I suspect if you ask Sally what she thought of the V60's passenger comfort she might demur, slightly. But she's not writing this review. I am. And I was driving. And driving the V60 is a dream.

The automatic we were sent took a little getting used to (I tested the seat-belts several times by stamping on the brake as if it were the clutch) but the smooth, quiet engine and solid road holding meant it felt exactly as you'd want a family car to feel - safe. But it also felt - as you want a car to feel - fun. It handled superbly both on the motorway, in the city and literally up hill and down dale on our Sunday afternoon excursion to Grassington and Burnsall. We certainly put it through it's paces.

And you can too. Follow the @VolvoCarUK twitter stream this coming Sunday, answer the questions using the #V60getaway hashtag and one of these beauties could be yours for the weekend.

Who says there's no such thing as a free ride?

National Walk to School Week

2012-05-21T10:32:00.002+01:00

Britain is, apparently, breeding a generation of 'Car Seat Kids' and the number of children walking to school at all time low. Just 47% of primary school-aged children now walk to school with the figure falling to a paltry 36% by the time they get to secondary school.

Much of this, of course, is inevitable. There's an expectation - as well as need in many cases - that both parents will be working and the closure of small, local schools as well as the pressure on school places makes a car journey a necessity for some families.

Nevertheless I'm always amused to see those who could walk resorting to the car, even more so when - after walking myself - I arrive at the school gates before them. Today marks the start of National Walk to School week, brainchild of the charity, Living Streets and their Chief Executive, Tony Armstrong, writes:

Walking to school is a brilliant way to get exercise and some fresh air into a child’s day. When children are bundled from front door to car door, they miss out on the opportunity to socialise with friends, get to know their community, and burn off some energy before getting their heads down in the books.

We’re urging families up and down the country to give it a go during Walk to School Week this year. We think you’ll be amazed at what a difference a short blast of fresh air can do for you. It’s free, green and easy and above all it works. Schools that have adopted our own Walk Once a Week scheme have recorded higher incidence of walking than the national average. We need to encourage children to get walking now and set healthy habits for the future.

I'll second that. I enjoy the school-run using Shank's pony. With so many cars on the roads it's often quicker. So why not come and join us?

After all, the pavements are empty!

Little actions, big difference...

2012-05-16T09:51:00.002+01:00

That's the motto of this year's Proctor and Gamble Future Friendly Awards. If, like me, you're daunted by the scale of the problem (saving the planet) the zeal of the converted and the awesomeness of what everyone else is doing, it can be difficult to get going.

But get going I have. Earlier this year, you might recall, I bought a compost bin. That's quite something for a bloke without a garden. It's big. (It's bloody HUGE!) But it's already filling up nicely with all the stuff I'd normally chuck out after preparing the family supper. And there's a lot more of that than there was before. Because, in an effort to save both money and the planet as well as feed the family healthily, I've taken to preparing meals from scratch. I even make my own chips. (Yes, I know I said healthily but come on, man cannot live by lettuce alone... and we're saving that for the tadpoles.)

Anyway, your own chips make a lot of potato peelings. And making everything else makes a lot of mess, too. Mess that before would have gone to landfill. Mess that is now making my very own compost. Think Mr Bloom, only smaller. (The Compostarium, that is, not me. I think I've got at least a foot on Mr Bloom judging by the way he hardly has to bend his back to greet the 'Tiddlers'. And if you've no idea what on earth I'm on about, ~~join the club~~ have a look at this.)

And not content with that, Charlie persuaded me to buy a little windowsill herb garden the other day. (I wasn't kidding about not having a garden, you know.) It can go with all the other things he's growing, like random beans and a sunflower. Because growing things has been the theme at nursery just recently. Well, farming actually. We're doing it on a micro scale, that's all. Boutique farming, that's what it is.

Anyway, all this bucolic rambling is by way of alerting you to the Proctor and Gamble Future Friendly Awards because YOU ONLY HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY TO ENTER! Do it here, right now. Go on. Do it.

Admit it. I've inspired you with all that rubbish, haven't I?

Oh, ok then...

Then maybe you can inspire me to even bigger, better 'little' actions? What are your best 'Future Friendly' tips both for saving the planet and saving the pennies? Leave a comment below and share your ideas and you could win one of FIVE special 5 P&G Future Friendly product hampers consisting of:

Ariel Gel
Ariel Stain Remover
Lenor
Fairy Platinum
Fairy Liquid
Flash

...each of which can be used to help you be even more Future Friendly by saving energy, water and reducing waste. (Please note the Pampers aren't included - sorry!).

Anyway, if you'd like to be in it to win it you have until midnight on Sunday to share your own favourite little actions. Remember, together they could make a big difference.

Missing - one passport.

2012-05-14T09:50:00.000+01:00

Last seen doing completely unnecessary service as supporting document to a CRB application. Another CRB application. Because despite already having one (a CRB certificate, that is, not a passport - I had one of those until recently, but not any more); in spite of my CRB still having a year-and-a-half to run; in spite of the fact that I've probably had more Criminal Record Checks than you've had hot dinners (pardonable exaggeration) thanks to many years working in a classroom, it was deemed necessary - nay, essential - for me to undergo the procedure yet again when I volunteered to become a member of the committee at Charlie's pre-school nursery.

Now I'm not against security checks. Where children are concerned there should be no compromise. But I fail to see the need to have two valid certificates running simultaneously. It's like being asked to take another driving test if you move to another county. Or needing another passport every time you visit a different country.

I hardly need a CRB check at all in my role as nursery school committee member. All I do is attend meetings, run their website and Facebook page (do take a look, by the way) and help out updating policies. I'm never - nor would ever want to be - in a position where I'm alone with any of the children. And provided there is other (vetted) adult supervision that's really all that matters. There's an awful lot of misunderstanding when it comes to adults in a school or nursery environment. I've heard that some school refuse author visits if the person concerned isn't CRB checked, in spite of the fact that - unless they're going to be in a situation where they're unsupervised at any time - they shouldn't need to be.

It's all rather heavy-handed and unnecessary. Meanwhile, I've just had to queue at the Post Office for another passport application form (Why do they make you go to the counter for them?) as well as fork out five quid for some passport photos. 'Adopt a neutral expression', the machine said and 'don't smile'.

Don't smile? Don't make me laugh. Being told your new passport is going to cost over seventy quid is hardly very amusing, the more so as the circumstances surrounding the loss of the old one were so utterly avoidable.

No wonder I look grumpy in the passport photos.

The Baby Show is Back!

2012-05-10T14:53:00.001+01:00

Test, try and buy the UK’s best baby products at The Baby Show Birmingham NEC, 18th-20th May 2012

Yes, The Baby Show is back, offering a shopping haven for new parents and parents-to-be. Forget the hassle of the high street, The Baby Show takes the stress out of shopping for your baby by bringing the UK’s biggest baby brands under one roof. You can try before you buy, compare and much, much more.

In association with Prima Baby and sponsored by Fisher-Price, The Baby Show is an exciting event filled with the latest and greatest products in food & feeding, pushchairs, nappies & wipes, toys, clothing, furniture, car seats and carriers, from major brands. Parents who come to The Baby Show will also find substantial offers and savings that cannot be found elsewhere.

Show Manager Melanie Hall states: 'The Baby Show is the destination for expectant and new parents. It is a fantastic day out; offering first class information, a chance to talk to like-minded mums and see the UK’s best baby brands all in one place. Our aim is for each parent to come away feeling happy, informed and confident in what they have chosen.'

There's even a free Fisher-Price crèche where your children can enjoy the latest toys while being supervised by fully trained and professional carers. And giving parents more time to sample the show's delights. The Baby Show at Birmingham NEC takes place between 18th–20th May 2012 and tickets are available in advance for just £12 each from www.thebabyshow.co.uk.

And the organisers are offering readers of Bringing up Charlie a chance to win one of two free pairs of tickets to the show. All you have to do is leave a 'pick me' comment below and the winner will be announced on Sunday evening. To be in with more than one chance of winning, you can 'like' my Facebook author page (click the button on the right >>>>>) and tweet about the competition. You have until Sunday evening.

Good luck!

How to make a robot costume

2012-05-08T07:23:00.001+01:00

Simple pleasures eh?

I've blogged before about the enormous pleasure to be had from a cardboard box. Kids love 'em, there are often exciting things in them and if they're big enough, at the end of the day knackered parents can hide in them. You can also use boxes of a certain size as lids for your little ones (think mute for a trumpet) which is where we got the inspiration for this Bank Holiday craft project.

Take one cardboard box; cut two holes for the eyes; cut two more for arms; paint the whole thing grey; decorate, and - bingo! You've got yourself a robot costume.

Easy as...

1. Cutting the holes

2. Painting the box

3. Adding some robotic decorations...

4. ... and a clothes-hanger for the antenna

I'm not into detailed instructions and step-by-step guides but I'll just add that it makes sense to try the box on your little one's head and mark the best place for eye/arm holes first. Oh, and don't attack the cardboard with the scissors while they're still inside. And finally, a little tip I picked up recently but I suspect the whole world has known about for ages. But in case - like me - you didn't, a little drop of PVS glue mixed with the paint prevents it flaking and chipping during the inevitable rough handling such a toy is likely to get.

Simple!

A life-long love-affair with reading

2012-05-03T11:18:00.001+01:00

Back in February I was invited to this building (80 Strand, the former Shell Mex House)...

Along with these people...

To help choose the contents of the 2012 Booktime Book Packs. With views over the Thames like this it was a wonder we got any work done at all!

But - under the chairmanship of Jake Hope - work we did and the fruits of our deliberations are announced today.

Most parents are familiar with Bookstart, which offers free books to children at two key ages before they start school. Since 2006 Booktime - run by the same charity Booktrust along with educational publisher Pearsons - has extended the programme to give a free book pack to every eligible child soon after they first start primary school, along with guidance for parents and carers on shared reading.

All the books are chosen for their potential to promote the pleasure of reading by encouraging families to have fun reading together and are intended to be instantly appealing to children. That's quite a tough ask, as you might expect. So it's an indication of the strength of the children's book market that there were so many strong contenders and selecting just two books to go into the Booktime pack was extremely hard. But tremendous fun!

And I'm sure when the books are distributed later this year both the children who receive them and their parents/carers will find them equally rewarding. One of them's a classic. The Tale of a Naughty Little Rabbit is a playful and funny retelling of Beatrix Potter's original Tale of Peter Rabbit. It's a special anniversary edition to mark 110 years since Frederick Warne first published the original tale. The other book is a is a lively and entertaining story about the mischief that little monkeys can get up to when they're bored. With simple rhyming text and expressive illustrations, Tim's Din - by Monica Hughes and Bill Ledger - gives children the chance to try telling a fun and simple story themselves.

This year Booktime will be giving away its six millionth book, while Booktrust itself celebrates its twentieth anniversary. And I'm delighted to have played a small part this year in helping them achieve their aim of encouraging children in a life-long love affair with reading.

Write on!

2012-05-01T11:00:00.000+01:00

We're all writers, right? We write blogs, letters, shopping lists, books and more. Or less. But there are times when doing something as simple as putting words down on a sheet of paper (or on computer) seems about as difficult as dry-stone walling with your hands tied together. And blindfolded.

This is one of those mornings. I've loads of ideas (this isn't one of them!) and no inkling about shaping them into something as ephemeral as a tweet, let alone a blog post. Of course, they say a problem shared is a problem halved. And a problem not only shared but solved is not a problem anymore. So, I'm asking for your writing tips. In particular, I'm asking for the strategies you use when you are stuck.

Ted Hughes advocated writing anything - gibberish, rubbish - just scrawling on the paper until the real ideas, the real words, started flowing. I was fortunate enough to be able to interview a number of authors (Bill Herbert, Talli Roland, Tamsyn Murray, Gary Murning and Guy de la Bédoyère among them) in the process of compiling my latest book and they all had some fascinating things to say about the process of inspiration, writing, revising and publishing.

But probably because I was 'on fire' at the time, brimming with ideas and at a stage where the words were flowing I didn't think to ask them anything about writer's 'block'. I did, of course, cover it in the book. But perhaps I failed to give it due attention. And now the muse has done a runner and I need your help.

Share your tips below and I'll give my favourite a copy of the book. It needn't be scientific or profound or even original. As long as it works. Because if it works for you, it might do the same for me. And at the moment I need all the help I can get!

Sunday Supplement

2012-04-29T11:58:00.001+01:00

Car seats, computers (the back-up, thereof) and carbohydrates this Sunday. Oh, and a bit of skinny-dipping too for good measure (though it's hardly the weather!).

More of that later. First up today, we have car seats. Having outgrown her infant carrier we were delighted when someone from Britax got in touch and asked if we'd like to try the new Trifix Group 1 car seat, heralded as the 'safest and most beautifully engineered car seat from Britax yet' and the first to feature 'a revolutionary ISOFIX + installation system.'

For the record, the seat looks good and boasts 'compete and unrivalled protection for your little one' by combing three unique technologies including what is known as a V-tether, which acts as a third anchorage point and which absorbs frontal forces. Never having had an Isofix seat before (I'd never not have one now!) I had to check first that our car actually had the relevant clips. It does; they're here, tucked between the seat cushion and the back rest...

Once you've found them, fitting the seat is simplicity itself and the ISOFIX receptors make a satisfying 'clunk' as they click home. And once they do, you're safe in the knowledge that the seat is safe and secure. And - in the case of the Trifix - comfortable too with plenty of added protection built in.

Here's how Which? tests child car seats. Be warned - the footage is quite harrowing, in spite of using crash test dummies. But when you've seen it, you want to know that the seat you've got is among the best. And I'm certain that this one is. I've never been 100% confident in the safety (or my competency) in threading a seat-belt through slots in the back of a car seat. And with Isofix, this isn't a problem.

But what happens on holiday? In the hire car or the taxi, for example? While seats like the Britax Trifix are excellent, easy-to-fit and secure, they're not light, or small. They're certainly not portable enough to take away. This, however, is...

The Bubblebum inflatable car booster seat now includes a new shoulder belt positioning clip making it even safer and weighing in at just over one-and-a-half pounds it'll both fit in your suitcase and ensure you stay within your baggage allowance. Winner of numerous awards, this group 2-3 seat is the perfect solution when travelling with children.

Seagate Back-up

And now for something completely different. Having had a Power Book G4 die spectacularly on me recently this next item is especially relevant.

Even without dramatic hard-drive failures like the above, you can’t have young children and do any kind of work on a computer without risking everything. You're courting disaster every time they hear the windows chime.

The other day, in a quiet moment with one at school, another nursery and the third asleep, I’d got about 1000 new words of a new book proposal written. Then Eloise woke up; Charlie needed fetching. By the time I got back home the supper needed prepping; Sally arrived home shortly afterwards, followed by Sarah, Then we ate. Then it was bathtime. Then bed. Then – hours later – I remembered the doc I hadn’t saved on the laptop not plugged in, the one whose battery was about to expire five hours earlier.

What I need, of course, is a secretary, someone at my elbow who picks up the drafts of what I’ve written, tidies them away for me and makes sure that they all live to see another day. Well, my ‘loaf-haired secretary’ would be a trifle expensive. What isn’t is the e-equivalent – in my case, the Seagate GoFlexHome. Connected to your wireless router, this little (and it is - measuring approx. 200mm x 150mm x 30mm) box of cleverness connects to whatever computer you happen to be using and takes whatever documents you're creating or whatever photos you're uploading and tidies them away into the e-equivilent of a giganic filing cabinet of one terabyte capacity! And that's not all. Using the free GoFlexAccessiPhone/iPod or Android app you can access your files on the go from anywhere with WIFI or 3/4G reception. But best of all is this...

The little message you get in the bottom right hand corner of your screen several times a day tells your stuff is safe, backed up and secure. You see, you don't actually 'run' a backup at all. It's running all the time in the background, as unobtrusively and effectively as, well, the most efficient secretary.

Wild Swimming

It's been quite a month for wild swimming. Not personally, unfortunately. But vicariously - first last Sunday with a repeat of Nick Roeg's majestic but mystifying film Walkabout (how I'd love to join Jenny Agutter in that pool...)

Then there was a repeat of Alice Robert's programme based on Roger Deakin's classic, Waterlog, and now this...

If you've never been wild swimming it might be because you find the the water here a tad cold. That's understandable; even Alice Robert's wore a wetsuit before stripping off completely for a bit of skinny-dipping in the Lake District. But the temperature is likely to be less of a problem in France, and this companion volume to Daniel Start's earlier books (Wild Swimming, and Wild Swimming Coast reviewed here) examines the thrill of swimming beneath the great châteaux of the Loire or taking the plunge in the azure-blue pools of Provence. The book contains all you need to relax in the secret hot springs of the Pyrenees and discover the unspoilt crater lakes of the Mont-Dore. As the blurb says, 'France has one of the most diverse and magnificent landscapes in Europe, with a cuisine and culture to match. Its rivers, lakes and waterfalls are sparkling clean and its summers are reliably hot – and it’s all just a train ride away.'

Frankie and Benny's

Finally, we all know that swimming makes you hungry. Well, here's a possible solution. We were asked to try the new Frankie and Benny's menus recently, a difficult job I know but someone has to do it. Although other members of the family have all been at various times before, for some reason I seem to have missed out. This was my first ever trip to a Frankie and Benny's - but it won't be my last.

They say they pride themselves in offering customers 'a wide range of dishes' and with not one, but four new menus on offer that's certainly a valid claim. We found plenty to choose from, opting for the Lasagne al Forno (pasta sheets layered with Cousin Mario’s beef ragu, creamy béchamel sauce and mozzarella cheese) and (in my case) something called a 'Black and Blue' which was essentially burger glazed with melted blue cheese and served with lettuce, tomato and dill pickle. According to the menu it also comes with spicy onion rings although they were absent from my plate yesterday and I've only just - in checking the menu - realised. Pity. Because otherwise the service - and the food - was excellent and we were especially impressed with the value and quality of the children's meals - just £3.95 for a main, a desert and refillable soft drink!

Oh, and should you need the 'bathroom' (as the Americans say) you get the chance to learn a little Italian, too - a fact which amused Charlie almost as much as the first-class fun pack (pencil, puzzle book and jigsaw) that kept him quiet while waiting to be served. Which wasn't - in spite of it being a busy Saturday in Spalding - very long.

As I said, I'll certainly be back. If only to claim my onion rings.

Have a great Sunday. And don't get too wet!

UK in Double Dip Recession

2012-04-26T08:15:00.002+01:00

So, it's official. We're in recession. Again. In spite of everything that's been said and done, in spite (or should that be because?) of the austerity measures a decline on 0.3% in the first quarter of 2012 means we've hit a double-dip recession, we've super-sized the slide and ordered extra fries on the side.

Oh dear. If, like me, you've got a family to run things aren't going to be easy. But there are strategies you can employ and there is help to be had. One source of money-saving tips, advice and assistance is My Family Club and they're giving away a free e-book packed with advice for balancing the family budget and making what you have to spend go further. Written by Debbie O'Connor (@motivatingmumuk) it contains suggestions for keeping control of your shopping, strategies for saving money by couponing and a host of self-assessment questionnaires and tools to give you a better understanding of your spending habits. And - like membership of My Family Club itself - it's free!

To receive your copy, I'd like you to share your money-saving tips. Leave a comment with just one - your best - piece of recession-busting wisdom and the book is yours. Only, do make sure you don't sign in anonymously as I'll need to be able to email you the book by return.

Oh, and if anyone has any tips for George Osborne too I'm sure he'd be very grateful. Looks like he needs all the help he can get.

This post is sponsored by My Family Club - money saving for families made easy.

And then this one time...

2012-04-24T08:34:00.003+01:00

All this talk of BlogCamp recently is making me nervous. Like anything (like blogging) you've been doing for a while, people start to assume you must be something of an expert.

photo courtesy of Lachlan Donald (@lox)

Well I'm going to come clean. I'm not. I know a bit of stuff and I enjoy learning bits and pieces more. I've helped several people now to establish blogs of their own on a variety of platforms. But when the tweets start flying from events like BlogCamp I start worrying.

Here are just some of the things I'd like explaining, not all of them by any means confined exclusively to the world of blogging, but all of them with some connection.

First, crowd-sourcing as in 'crowd-sourced posts' or 'crowd-sourced speakers'. Now I think I might know what this means, but I'm never certain; nor am I certain why - if I've understood it correctly - it seems to cover groups of people ranging from the small to the unfeasibly large.

Anyway, next up is a word that I'm utterly baffled by. In fact, the word is 'word', key word to be precise. Now I kinda know what these should be are but I always get the feeling that definition is inadequate. Because the so-called key words brought up on searches or when Google AdWords 'crawls' my site (urghh!) bear no resemblance to my blog content whatsoever. Let's just say I was using AdWords to suggest the key words most relevant to my site. Would they really be things like pie, balloon and bookcase? And if they were, what in the name of all that's good am I supposed to do with that information?

Next, Tags. And meta-tags. I assume the former is an online version of that game we used to play as children ('you're it!). And the latter? A bigger version of the same thing? Search me... but if you do, make sure you use an appropriate engine.

Permalink - like permafrost, something to be avoided at all costs I would've thought. Unless, that is, you know different.

Search terms. Of all the things that confuse me about blogging and the interweb of intrigue, this is perhaps the worst. I mean, how - please tell me, how - does the term 'first pregnant man' relate to my blog? I have, of course, used all three words on many occasions in sperate contexts. But never together. Never even in close proximity to one another. So how (a) does this search term get you here, and (b) does knowing that help me in any way? And there are worse, dear reader. Much worse.

Finally, there are those referring sites. Now Google I can understand. And Twitter too, and Facebook. But why some random coach hire company in London should be top amongst sites leading to Bringing up Charlie is perhaps the biggest mystery of all. Especailly as - when I search the site - I can see no reference to my blog at all.

You know what I need? I need BlogCamp. In the meantime, if you can help any any of the above I'd be very grateful. There may be cake in it for you.

On this day...

2012-04-21T06:51:00.000+01:00

In 1964 a house, with a door and windows - one, two, three, four - asked if we were 'ready to play' for the first time and continued to do so - in the warm, safe, welcoming tones of Brian Cant - for another quarter of a century.

I've blogged about the golden age of children's television before, most recently when our collected 'Ivor the Engine' DVD arrived. And the more I watch it, the more I begin to think that there was something soothing, calming and secure about children's television then that isn't always present any more.

Anyway, if - like me - you're of a 'certain age', you'll certainly recognise this:

and this...

My Family Club - Saving Families Money

2012-04-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

I've been asked (yes, this is a sponsored post) to share something with you today. I'm happy to do so because it's good. And it's something we all want (or need) to do: to save money; be thrifty; make whatever we've got go further.

The first thing My Family Club suggested was that I share some of my own money-saving advice. So that's what I've done, in the form of this short video...

Ok, I know I know. Not rocket science, is it? And not all that sophisticated, either. In fact, it makes me realise that I really ought to start doing a little bit more. Which is where the My Family Club website comes in. The site is full (in their own words) of '...the best deals, discounts, freebies, money saving tips and free activities… just for families.'

There's advice from an online team of experts, a weekly newsletter, free ebooks, a savings calculator, time-saving tips and a whole lot more. You don't have to pay a fee - you can sign up for free - and at present when you join there's a chance to win an iPad/iPod bundle of Apple goodness into the bargain. They do charge for something called a Savings Pack which costs £9.95 but claim that 'using it will give you the opportunity to make the cover price back many times over.' That's if you choose to buy it.

Sometimes some of these sites seem too a little too good to be true. But if there's a catch, I've yet to find it. (And if I do find it I'll certainly tell you about it!) It really does look like someone's come up with what is going to be a 'must-read' site for families everywhere. You can browse the articles, read the blog, pick up the tips and see what's on offer and where without even becoming a member. But joining means you access certain 'member's only' benefits (the free ebooks, for example) as well as be in with a chance of winning the Apple goodies. You can even join via the Facebook page if you want to.

Which is what I've just done. Because it's full of just the sort of ideas and inspiration I need. Well, you've seen the video; you know.

And talking of ideas and inspiration, MyFamilyClub is holding a twitter party today to celebrate their launch and to tie in with #thriftythursday. It's between 1-2pm, and the best thrifty tip wins a fruit & veg box.

See you there!

David Hockney's Trees

2012-04-17T10:54:00.001+01:00

We were in Bridlington last weekend. In as much as I'm from anywhere, I suppose Bridlington's my home town. (We moved around a bit when I was growing up.) My parents still live there; it's lovely to go up and stay by the sea; and David Hockney is now a resident.

I've yet to see the great man, but I've got a lot to thank him for. Since moving from L.A. David Hockney has put Brid on the map. Which is good for me because I now no longer have to explain - when people ask - where it is. I've had to do that a lot in the past; so much, in fact, that I got tired of it and told everyone I was from Scarborough instead. It's near enough. And people seem to know where that is.

Of course, they now know where Brid is, thanks to David Hockney and his trees. His mother lived in the town and he was a frequent visitor when she was still alive; his brother lived up the road at Flamborough before moving back to West Yorkshire. But now, Britain's greatest living artist lives by the sea on the Yorkshire coast in a previously little-known resort with a small harbour and a rather larger Augustinian Priory.

And he paints trees. Lots of trees. Big trees. Trees in leaf; trees in blossom; trees with branches bare and trees in autumn. I might not have seen him on my latest visit but I did see some rather nice trees. Here's one of them.

Rather nice, don't you think? Perhaps I should start painting them? On an iPad, maybe? Or maybe not. Although I have dabbled (here's one I half-made earlier... can you tell what it is yet?) I'm no competition for the likes of Hockney. Or indeed, anyone. None of my paintings are headed straight for the Guggenheim Museum following a sell out exhibition at the Royal Academy.

But I can look. And - I have to say, having seen his trees - I do look at them differently. Of course, in Brid I can see the same trees he paints and that helps. I've seen them for years, and in all weathers. But the paintings, the video collages and the installations have shown me things I'd never seen before. It's not quite seeing through someone else's eyes but it is a bit like seeing with someone else's brain.

They say that seeing is believing. And I believe the man's a genius. I might not have seen him but I've seen his paintings and I've seen his trees and I'm now looking at things a little differently.

Thanks, Mr Hockney!

Sunday supplement

2012-04-15T10:14:00.002+01:00

Quite an eclectic mix this morning, from vacuum cleaners to canvas prints to online shopping.

To begin at the beginning... vacuum cleaners. I seem to be getting a reputation as a specialist vacuum cleaner blogger. (And I'm not complaining!) I've been rude about a Miele, fallen in love with a Neato and trained Charlie to use a mini version of the Dyson.

Our main household cleaner has hitherto been a Dyson, and I can't say I've ever had any complaints. But the Dyson is a lumbering beast of burden besides the Vax Mach Air Reach.

The latter is as nippy as a sports car by comparison - light, manoeuvrable but with one hell of suck (of you'll pardon the expression). It also has a hose that reaches right to the top of the stairs. And as this was what did for the old Dyson, that's a definite advantage.

I suppose you could quibble about having to attach the hose each time (rather than just pull it out) but that's a minor point. The Vax is every bit the Dyson's equal in terms of suction, a lot lighter (they don't claim it's the lightest full size vacuum for nothing) but with a main thingy-wotsit small enough to fit under furniture and radiators. In short, highly recommended.

From sucking to shopping. Online shopping, that is. First, Bonusprint kindly offered the chance to try their online canvas print ordering service. If doing anything online is going to be better than doing the same thing on the high street it's got to be quick, reliable, good quality and competitively priced. And that includes delivery.

Well, I can't fault the Bonusprint site for ease. Having used it once before it was simplicity itself to upload a photo, tweak it a little and then place the order. And the order was delivered just days later.

Of course, should anything go wrong with an online order you want to be able to return and/or replace things quickly and efficiently. So, to try out the services of Zolando recently I decided to buy some shoes (never easy without trying on). The order comes complete with the guarantee that you 'only ever pay the price shown in our online shop' - in other words, no shipping costs and no returns. As someone who is still baffled by Amazon's free shipping if there's an 'R' in the month and you remember to click the right button and/or order from the right supplier that gets my vote straight away. And - true to their word - the order comes complete with all the instructions you need (and not buried in the small print) to send the goods back should there be a problem.

I haven't actually sent them back. Because they fit, and I like them. But it's good to know how easy it would be if I had to.

Finally, it's time to announce the winner of the crock-pot slow cooker (offered as a giveaway last Wednesday). And for the first time the random factor of Charlie's finger has chosen someone from my Facebook page (just there on the right, just there - see?) and I notice the winner works for Honda Manufacturing in the UK.

To contrive a rather tenuous link, that's the same company my brother-in-law works for (or did). He hasn't changed jobs for years but has represented first Honda F1, Brawn GP and now the Mercedes team at race circuits across the globe. And - on an unscheduled visit to China (he doesn't do all the races any more) - he seems to have tweaked the buttons of the winning car. So congratulations Nico Rosberg, his sparky (and Charlie's uncle) Rob and Nathalie Marshall, who has won a crock-pot slow cooker.

Whatever and however you're cooking this Sunday, do enjoy it.

Have a lovely day.

Authonomy

2012-04-13T18:42:00.000+01:00

I'm guest posting on the Authonomy blog today. Come and have a look and see what you think...

Slow cooking heaven with Crock-Pot®

2012-04-11T08:16:00.000+01:00

We go back a long way, slow cookers and me. Back to my student days, in fact, and the digs Eric Joyce and I once shared and which he - at my request - broke into.

Anyway, being the well organised but poverty-striken student that I was, and having the healthy appetite I've always had I used to get up early (well, ten minutes before I absolutely needed to) fry up some cheap meat and throw some veg into a pot and leave the whole thing simmering away while I attended lectures or taught practice lessons somewhere.

There was something deeply satisfying about knowing - in the midst of whatever chaos I was causing in the capital's schools - that my supper was cooking. It had its drawbacks, of course. The rest of the student household, suitably aroused by the aroma, often appeared on the scrounge just as I began serving out my supper. But, you know what? It didn't matter. There was always enough for everyone. And that habit has stood me in good stead, years later, for feeding a hungry family.

Of course, not being a student any more my equipment has improved immeasurably. And now I've reached the pinnacle of slow cooking technology with the arrival in our household of a Crock-Pot® - The Original Slow Cooker. Here's a little something I rustled up the other day...

And if you'd like to join me (not literally, there's none left) in Crock-Pot® heaven I've got one to giveaway. For a chance to win a Crock-Pot® Cook-and-Carry like the one in the film (rrp £49.99) all you have to do is one (or all) of the following:

Leave a 'crock pot' comment in the box below
'Like' me (or rather, my author page on Facebook - here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTimAtkinson
Tweet a link to this post

The competition closes midnight this coming Saturday, so get those entries in quick. Good luck.

And if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do some more (slow) cooking.

Ivor the Engine

2012-04-09T10:56:00.003+01:00

Ah, Bank Holiday Monday!

Personally, I can think of no better way of spending a wet one than in the gently nostalgic embrace of Ivor the Engine - a bank holiday bargain at just £3.49 (of my own money - this ain't no sponsored post) or else The Clangers or some other piece of Smallfilms perfection from the genius team of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. So far this morning, Ivor's hatched a dragon, sung in the Eisteddfod and saved a fox. All in a day's work on the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited.

Later we'll be making the acquaintance of the soup dragon and the iron chicken, or perhaps paying a trip to Camberwick Green, singing 'Time flies by' on the train to Chigley and joining Captain Flack in the Trumpton Fire Brigage roll call (Pugh, Pugh, Barney MacGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub).

Over the years I've made quite a collection of classic children's TV programmes. Sometimes (like this morning) I even let Charlie watch them. And I'm glad to say he's as captivated by them as I used to be. (What am I saying, 'used to be.' Still am!)

All of which leads to the inevitable conclusion that we were lucky - so lucky - to have them all as a part of our childhoods. We may only have had a short slot before the news at six o'clock or an hour or two on a Saturday morning but perhaps because the time was so short, the programmes were so good.

Of course kids today have the untold riches of CBeebies. Personally, though, I can't help thinking that the old ones are the best. And you can find most of them somewhere on YouTube. It makes a happy hunting ground on a wet Bank Holiday Monday. Here's one I found earlier...

What will you go hunting for today?

...and something better than the box

2012-04-06T08:30:00.000+01:00

Further to the box which has been keeping us amused so far this week (see Tuesday's post if you think I'm referring to some little-known Eric Sykes comedy) I thought today I'd tell you about something else that's been giving us hours of innocent entertainment this holiday. We do buy toys for Charlie, occasionally; we don't always make him play with refuse. But in the case of the LeapFrog Tag we didn't even have to buy it as they sent us one to review.

The best way I can describe the Tag Magic Pen is this: it's like a computer game, only without the computer. Or maybe like your very own, hand held robot teacher, patiently enunciating all the words while gently asking questions and imparting information. The pen reads stories, makes characters speak and brings static pages to life.

You need to download the relevant software, of course (think teacher doing a lesson plan) as well as get a special book - or in our case, map. There's an impressive range available from classics such as Paddington Bear and Cat in the Hat, to contemporary characters like Ben 10, Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo and a whole lot more.

As well as books there are interactive displays like the Tag World Map they sent to Charlie (appropriately enough with a mum who's a geography teacher and a dad who's the author of a couple of geography text books). And you can see for yourself what he thinks both of the map and the sample book in this short video.

I think you'll agree we might just have found something more interesting to play with than a cardboard box!

The Box

2012-04-03T11:10:00.002+01:00

It's true what they say about kids and toys. Give 'em five minutes and they'll be playing with the box. Although this box contained not toys but the new Britax Trifix Group 1 car seat, billed as the 'safest and most beautifully engineered car seat from Britax yet' and the first to feature 'a revolutionary ISOFIX + installation system.'

For the record, the seat looks good and boasts 'compete and unrivalled protection for your little one'
by combing three unique technologies including what is known as a V-tether, which acts as a third anchorage point and which absorbs frontal forces.

But the box, well...

The box is great.

Secrets will be revealed!

2012-03-30T17:13:00.001+01:00

'Secrets will be revealed' they say. And they certainly are at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter. The newly-constructed J & K studios (coincidence, apparently!) at the Leavesden film complex include just about everything from the films, from the set of Hogwarts to the Hermione's hair-clips.

Whether you're a hardened Harry Potter fan or - like me - someone with no more than a passing interest in the books or whether - like Charlie - you're so young you've barely even heard of the Potter phenomenon, there'll be plenty to not only keep you interested, to satisfy you that the ticket price (£28 adults, £21 children or £83 for a family ticket) is money well spent and to have you 'phoning friends to say you'll be at least an hour later leaving the attraction than you'd planned, but - to use an entirely appropriate cliché - it will also leave you spell bound!

There's simply nothing like it: sets, costumes, props, displays, special effects are all there in abundance. You can fly on Harry's broomstick, chop the Weasley's carrots or do their washing up (by magic, obviously!) as well as board the Knight Bus, walk down Privet Drive or window shop in Diagon Alley.

And yes, secrets are revealed. But what they are would be telling. Anyway, none could perhaps have been quite as big as that being revealed by this post. Because the thing is, I kept our visit last weekend from my Harry Potter-obsessed sister. Having been offered a couple of review tickets, my guest place had to go to Sarah's mum who lives nearby and who put us up for the weekend.

Sorry, Nic - but never mind. Here's a small taster. And it's worth the money!

STOP PRESS!

If you'd like to hear me discuss what I thought of the attraction (as well as reading about it) I was interviewed briefly on BBC Lincolnshire's Drivetime programme this afternoon. You can listen to the feature (which includes an interview with actor Rupert Grint) here...

Key facts:

All tickets for the studio tours must be pre-booked at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or through an approved supplier. No tickets will be available to buy at the attraction.
Tours are pre-booked into 30 minute timeslots throughout the day to ensure a regulated flow of visitors and take around three hours. Audio guides are available and refreshments can be bought on site.
The studios open at 10 a.m. and the last tour begins at 4 p.m. except at weekends and school holidays when last tour begins at 6 p.m.
Watford Junction station is 20 minutes by train from London Euston and a free shuttle bus takes visitors to Leavesden. There is free parking on site for those travelling by car, and the studios are less than three miles from both the M1 and M25.

Make fresh pasta with Aldo Zilli

2012-03-28T09:30:00.000+01:00

At the launch of MFEST at Morrison's HQ recently we had an opportunity to do something I love - namely, watch someone else, an expert, do the cooking.

I do love watching other people cook; I love cookery programmes on the telly; and it turns out Charlie quite likes watching a chef at work, too. He's certainly not in any way in awe of Aldo Zilli as he makes fresh pasta for the assembled bloggers (Jen, Cass, Annwen).

The basic recipe involves 200g of flour (plus extra for dusting), a pinch of salt, a little semolina,
2 medium eggs plus1 egg yolk and a little water. And you don't even need a pasta cutter. Although Signore Zilli cut some of his pasta on what looked like a small harp, you can simply roll the dough and cut it with a knife (as he did, off camera).

Oh, and talking of cameras, if the footage is shaky it's because I had an excited one-year-old on my knee. It's a wonder I got anything worth watching when you think about it. But worth watching it was. And the result was certainly worth eating!

Should've gone to Specsavers

2012-03-24T10:42:00.001Z

Actually, I DID go to Specsavers - at their invitation - to review the service given to a busy parent with two kids in tow and in need of an eye-examination. Here's what I found:

1. Unlike many shop/service workers (I'm thinking doctor's receptionists especially - or is that just me?) if the people working at my local branch DID object to Charlie trying on every pair of glasses in the shop and to me manoeuvring a push-chair round their rather modest premises, they didn't show it. And I was only making an appointment for an eye-test at the time.

2. On arrival for said appointment (and without Charlie this time but still manoeuvring that push-chair) I was pleased (or so I thought) to be given some material for my review straight away. Aha! Three of us, all booked in at nine-thirty. They're doing an NHS on us and treating us all like hospital consultants do. But no, not only were there three technicians for the initial eye examination, there were three opticians too.

3. Mine was a rather taciturn but thoroughly efficient chap, lacking a little in bedside manner maybe but otherwise fine. And anyway, who wants chit chat? The man has a job to do. And do it he did. Rather well. Still unaware of the voucher in my pocket paying for my review, the optician talked me through the details of my prescription and said I really didn't need new glasses. Everything was fine, he assured me. Come back in two years.

4. I actually went back last week - to pick up the specs he'd said I didn't need. Because - as I was asked the review their entire service, and as they were paying (well, contributing towards the cost - I did end up paying a small amount myself thanks to the small print) and as I fancied a new pair anyway (something slightly stronger, more baby-proof) I decided to test drive their range of frames.

5. The first - well, only - thing to say is that if it says £99 on the frames, that's what you pay. Simple! Having been stung before at an (unnamed) High Street competitor by an additional charge for lenses (as if I wanted a piece of empty facial furniture to wear) I was more than pleasantly surprised and not a little reassured. Because - as I ended up paying extra both for photochromic lenses and for an anti-glare coating - I was pleased that their transparent pricing meant the mental calculations I was doing weren't too challenging.

6. Actually, that was the only drawback as far as I was concerned. Because you - dear reader - would, should you wish, be entitled to free photochromic lenses and even a free second pair of glasses. But the 'not in conjunction with any other offer' small print meant I wasn't. Still, that was a small price to pay (about fifty quid, if you're asking) both for an eye test and a smart new pair of specs.

What do you think?

World Poetry Day

2012-03-21T08:30:00.001Z

It's World Poetry Day today and I've been inundated by at least two requests to share one of my own poetical musings.

It's not something I do, often. Poetry, in Wordsworth's famous definition consists of 'emotion recollected in tranquillity.' I have plenty of emotion; just not so much tranquillity. And my attitude to sharing verse is a bit like that towards letting your children play on the road... far too risky.

But who dares, wins as they say. And although it's not a medium I often use or share, poetry does give me immense pleasure. I love the work of Philip Larkin; admire Hardy; recite whole chucks of A.E. Housman.

When I am inspired (or less feared) I find my other great passion - for music - frequently stirs whatever poetry remains within me. So it is with this offering, entitled 'Spem in Alium' after the forty-part motet by Thomas Tallis variously described as a birthday gift to Elizabeth 1st (on - what else - her fortieth) or more realistically a plea for her to spare the life of the Catholic Duke of Norfolk.

“Spem in alium numquam habui praeter in te, Deus Israel”
I have no hope in any but in you, God of Israel

A thread of silver, spun in darkness:
A lone voice crying in a wilderness
Of silence. One small light, one harbour
Shining in the distance; then another
And another: calling for an answer.
Wave on wave of sound builds
Adding substance to the plea
To save our brother.
Cries for mercy: plea on plea,
Yea forty times a plea:
Have mercy, King of Glory,
Majesty, My Lady
Be not angry.
Spare us, Mary;
Pardon our iniquity.