Typecast

Soundtrack To My Life - Jean

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

We're ploughing on to another Soundtrack To My Life and this week we have Jean sharing her musical choices. I've met Jean on a couple of occasions when we have been involved in blogging projects (we are both Northern bloggers - YAY!). She is a fantastic single parent to two girls and (in her own words) is a soppy dog owner. All Jean's links are at the end of the post but, for now, here are her tunes.

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David Bowie - Let's Dance

I had to include one song by my favourite singer, and although it's not my favourite Bowie track (which is probably Drive-In Saturday) this one reminds me of my first serious boyfriend. It was a song we both loved and we'd have it on loud in the car driving to North Wales for the weekend. Great song, great first love.

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

The first time I heard this song on the radio I was mesmerised - I'd never heard anything like it before, and then when she performed it on Top of the Pops I thought she was so different. I've loved Kate Bush ever since and her Hounds of Love album is a work of genius.

George Michael ft Muyta - This Is Not Real Love

This is such a fantastic song and the vocals (particularly George's) are sublime. He's a really good singer and conveys such emotion in this song which is about the end of a relationship.

Justin Timberlake - Like I Love You

This is from the album 'Justified' which I bought just before we went on our first holiday to Wales as a single parent family. We had this CD on in the car for what seemed like the whole holiday, and now every year since then we've continued to take it with us, and we still love it.

Alicia Keys - Lesson Learned

Fantastic song from the As I Am CD and it features another of my favourite artists, John Mayer. There's no particular reason for including this one, other than I love the song and the message in the lyrics.

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Jean can be found blogging at Not Supermum. She's also on Twitter as @notsupermum and her as a Facebook page with the same name. That makes it easy for us all to remember, doesn't it?

If you want to join in with Soundtrack To My Life in 2013 you can complete this form (the link will open in a new window/tab) and I'll be in touch when your feature is due to go live. Click on the mix-tape to the right to read all the "Soundtrack To My Life" entries.

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:41:00 +0000

Over at The High Tea Cast...Favourite Film Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Time for another post at The High Tea Cast. Today, I'm talking about my favourite films and film moments in Girl, On Film. I'd love to hear what you think.

Find all my articles on The High Tea Cast here

Eurovision Song Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:30:00 +0000

It is that time of year again. We submit our most mediocre song of the year to the biggest song contest on our continent and attempt to win a hugely political vote.

I don't normally write about the Eurovision Song Contest. I just sit with my laptop on my knee and tweet my observations, fuelled by a bottle of wine or two. I follow the @BBCEurovision account and have all the #Eurovision tweets live streaming.

It is actually one of THE BEST night of the year on Twitter. I'm convinced this type of social interaction is what Twitter was made for. And with the semi-finals that have been introduced, you can build up to the Saturday night excitement on BBC3. It's a party that lasts all week - genius! You can find your Eurovision Bingo Card at the bottom of this post, courtesy of Bob Bardsley of Phronsis Freelance.

This year, my friend Paula has excelled herself with a challenge we discussed earlier in the year. Here she is singing the alternative Eurovision Song Contest entry. And if we're struggling to find an entry (song and singer) next year, may I suggest that we pass the baton to Paula? The lyrics are below the video so you can sing along too.

Also, if you're at a loose end this evening, you might like to play along with the Friday Twiz (it's a quiz, on Twitter, on Friday - clever, huh?). Tonight's theme is... *checks list*... "Eurovision", obviously!

I Believe In Meat

You say you don't believe your beef's strictly bovine

You laugh at the thought that Tesco says it's fine, like wine.

You never eat lasagne, reckon that it's filled with horse, of course

And as for value burgers, no idea of their source, that's worse.

But that's all fine if that's how you want it to be

But if you're feeling hungry, a sausage could be all you need.

Believe in meat, yeah x 2

Believe in, the crap they're selling you and it may poison you.

You're finding bits of hoof so now they lie to you.

If you just believe Shepherd's Pie isn't eyes and knees

Believe in meat.

You've got a dicky tummy and staying near a loo is wise, that's why

The seconds and the minutes of the days of your life go crawling by.

But that's all fine if you're trying to lose a pound or three

But if you're feeling alone and afraid and you can't breathe.

Believe in meat, yeah.

Believe in, the crap they're selling you and it may poison you.

You're finding bits of hoof so now they lie to you.

If you'd just believe Shepherd's Pie isn't eyes and knees

Believe in meat.

What ya gonna do when your pie is sinking?

And you're crying out for help and paramedics listening

In the dark of the night, in the middle of a shite

When you're reaching out for loo roll and there's nothing.

Believe in meat, yeah

Believe in, the crap they're selling you and it may poison you.

You're finding bits of hoof so now they lie to you.

If you'd just believe Shepherd's Pie isn't eyes and knees

Believe in meat.

Eurovision Bingo Card

Supporting The Katie Piper Foundation, by Tracy

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Occasionally I lend my blog to my friends. Friends that need a space to shout, friends that need a space to be anonymous from their world, friends that need a bit of support, friends that are doing good in the world. This is one of those occasions. I'd love for you to read Tracy's post and help out at the end if you can. Thanks.

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Hello! It’s Tracy here, friend and massive fan of Nickie and her world, just adore her blog and everything that she does. Anyway! I've asked to come on here and share a wee bit about my most recent awesome experience - Nickie very kindly obliged, so here goes.

It’s Monday the 13^th of May, late in the evening, and yesterday I completed the Glasgow Women’s 10k with my amazing friend Lynn - we did it in one hour twelve minutes, and we are very proud of this given it was our first 10k race. A great wee achievement, and a real honour and privilege to see so many other women complete it too. If you haven’t done this race before I’d highly recommend it - the route weaves through gorgeous parts of Glasgow, and thousands of locals turn out to cheer and shout words of encouragement. The sense of support and respect from all the other participants feels so tangible, and Lynn and I still managed to have a good proper gossip all the way round! What’s not to love?!

Image Credit | Channel 4

I completed this race to raise money for The Katie Piper Foundation, as I am a burn survivor with significant scarring on my upper body. An accident when I was a baby has left me with skin grafts, aches and pains. But I’m the lucky one. I survived. Barely - I went into shock, choked on my vomit, stopped breathing, and was resuscitated just in the nick of time - but I survived. I can walk, talk, I’ve got my own hair, and I can just about get away with telling children (and some gullible adults) that I got bitten by a shark. Trust me, that always grabs their attention in a good way!

Now, the reason why I feel so strongly about supporting the work that Katie Piper does is because of the impact she has made on everyone’s perceptions of burns, scars, disfigurements, and disabilities. In the 30 odd years that I've had this scar, I have never known such a powerful change in people’s interest and curiosity in the story behind how it got there, since Katie started filming, publicising, sharing other‘s stories the whole mindset has changed. Whereas some people used to avert their eyes, point, gasp, mumble, now a unique mark is something to be proud of, something fascinating, something that absolutely should not be covered up or hidden for the sake of other people‘s reactions. And that, to me, is awesome!

And I must point out - even with my own shark bite, erm I mean burn, I would still have moments of eye averting, the odd pointing - we all have, we’re only human. (Never a point and gasp though - I remembered how horrible I felt when it happened to me all too well…) Not now though, now I want to know their story, I’m fascinated, and want to know the story behind it. Human nature promotes curiosity, and I feel that the polite (and sometimes not so polite) oppression has lifted now in a very positive way. I welcome questions, queries etc - again, the Katie effect, and while I can’t speak for every burn/mark/scar owner I’m pretty sure that anything you would want to ask is welcomed.

I’m now a very eager and enthusiastic volunteer for The Katie Piper Foundation, and I hope to carry out much more fundraising and awareness raising. I've asked Nickie to post this in the hope we can have a discussion about the subject matter as I’d love to hear your thoughts and views on your own body perception, any scars you have, how they have impacted on your sense of self, how you feel about Katie Piper and her story, anything at all!

Some links I’d love you to have a look at -

Firstly, my Just Giving page; if you’d like to make a donation I’d be utterly delighted, every penny is going to such a worthwhile cause!
Secondly, my friend Lynn’s JustGiving page; she’s raised an astounding amount!
And last, but most important - Katie’s website, where you can see what she’s achieved, how much of an impact she has had on people, and where the charity hopes to go forward.

Lots of love from Tracy xxx

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PS from Nickie. You can follow Tracy on twitter as @TracylovesEdie - show her a bit of tweet-love.

PPS from Nickie. Regular readers will have 'met' Tracy before on my blog. She has guest posted about Drugs, Alcohol, Prostitution and Families and I used a text from her to ask a WWYD question about make-up for children.

Soundtrack To My Life - Debbie

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Debbie has patiently been waiting since October for me to publish her Soundtrack To My Life. She is mum to three children and lives in South Wales with a small menagerie. Debbie blogs just because she can and her details are at the end of this post. But let's start with her tunes (there's even one of my guilty pleasures in this list and I have a story for Seasons in the Sun too - but more of that another time)...

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Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun

My mum and dad really introduced me to music. Thursday nights at 7pm were sacred. A bit like being allowed to sort through button boxes and jewellery boxes, every now and again on a Sunday night, after we had all been bathed, I was allowed back downstairs to listen to LPs with my mum. Now, with my own daughter, I am not sure who was fooling who, but I remember the more records I lined up to listen to the later I got to stay up, until my mum would realise the time and I'd go straight to bed. This song just takes me right back to that moment.

The Levellers - One Way

Not only a good track but probably the one I credit most for how I turned out. It defined my teenage years. All those moments when I felt I had to stand for what I believed in, for difficult decisions that had to made, I fell back on this song for motivation. And, for those who were there- for Metro's: the 'nightclub' with the drippy ceiling.

Counting Crows - Mrs Potters Lullaby

A track where the lyrics mean as much as the music. What most defines it to me: "If you've never stared off in the distance, then your life is a shame". To this day I love travelling by train. I don't care who sits next to me if there's a window to look out. It's sort of the song that makes it ok to feel lonely, to be happy in your own company. It doesn't have to be that way, but when if happens, it's not a bad thing.

Christina Aguilera - Fighter

Another which has helped me through difficult times. This is the track I play when I know I'm going into a situation where I need to do everything in my being not to break down and cry. It is probably the most random choice for my top 5 tracks, but it is the track I always turn to. Now, mainly in a work context. And that's not good.

Blue October - Calling You

I found it most difficult to choose a Blue October track. Blue October are sort of 'our' band. As in, Mr J and I. I would have to admit that he introduced them to me (don't ever tell him that) and that he is probably the bigger fan (or that!). There are so many amazing lyrics, from becoming a father, coping with drug abuse, separation. I love the emotion of 'Hate me', and how 'Blue does' just defines, to me, having a daughter. This song, this was our 'first dance' at our wedding. Our song. And when I asked Mr J what would be in his Top 5, this was the only one we had in common- it was meant to be!

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Debbie can be found blogging at Johnson Babies and is on Twitter as @_johnsonbabies.

Review : 2.9m Telescopic Ladder from Maplin

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Ladders are a necessity in this house as we have very high ceilings. Also, being an end terrace means that we get the brunt of the weather so outside touch-ups are an annual activity. We have a huge set of metal ladders that reside outside, chained to the fence for security. This review will compare the use and build of a telescopic ladder in comparison to our existing metal ladder.

The ladder can be found in the Home & DIY section of the Maplin website.

The Review

The ladder is extremely light and portable. The specifications say that it weighs only 8kg (the equivalent of eight bags of sugar). When closed down it easily fitted under my arm and could be carried all over the house and the garden.

What stands out immediately is that the ladder does not need to be extended to its full reach; it can be opened to any convenient height for the job that you are doing and it is still really sturdy. For this, I'd advise extending the ladder from the top so that the weight of the unopened rungs is at the bottom. We've had the ladder out in the garden reaching right up to our upper window (painting the windowsills) and up to the loft (as you can see in the pictures).

The plastic clips that trigger the spring mechanism for closing the ladder felt a bit fiddly at first but you get used to the way they work after using them a few times. Also, the retraction is quite quick because of the weight of the ladder sections so I'd advise caution the first few times you use the ladder so that you don't get your finger trapped like I did (I'm ok, don't worry)!

As you can see from the pictures, when in the closed position the ladder is secured by a strap (velco fastening) and can be stored in a waterproof bag (supplied).

Overall, we're really impressed with the ladder. We had our reservations at first but I would really recommend this as a purchase for both indoor and outdoor use. It's also a great size for throwing in the boot of our car for use up at the allotment.

Additional Specificiations

Weighs only 8kg
Height when closed: 79cm
10 steps
Maximum load: 150kg
Tested to European Safety Standard EN131
Available from Maplin stores and online priced at £99.99. At the time of writing the ladder was reduced to £59.99 - a huge saving of £40!

I was provided with a set of ladders for the purpose of this review. Please view my disclosure page for more details

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sun, 12 May 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Radio GaGa

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I always knew that I had a face for radio and I can talk the hind leg off a donkey when it's a subject I'm comfortable with. So from ringing up for random quiz shows and late night chat shows to appearing as a guest on BBC Lancashire, I found myself in a Preston FM studio being interviewed in a work capacity by Will Buckley for the Chat City programme.

The second I pushed the set of guest headphones over my ears I knew I'd found a comfort zone. The show recording passed all too quickly however Will talked me into returning to Chat City on a couple more occasions. It has been a great place to promote work in a local setting and also to learn that I definitely do love the medium of radio presenting.

Preston FM is a community radio station. Presenters are volunteers and are from the local area. They have free-rein over topics and music that is featured on-air. So when the station offered the opportunity to train as a presenter I jumped at the chance. Obviously!

Five sessions lead by Darren Jenkinson of DigiEnable were interesting and taught at a comfortable speed and level. Interview techniques were honed and show themes were designed. The final two sessions were very 'hands on', learning about equipment used in the studio and planning an actual half hour show.

Now, half an hour doesn't sound like a long time but you soon realise that you have to plan the presentation from the first second of air-time to the last and have to include a certain amount of jingles, promos, a specific chat-to-music ratio you also realise that you can't just walk into the studio, flick a switch and do a bit of talking and spinning some wheels of steel.

I was paired up with Mark and we attempted to plan a show. We started off with a HUGE idea that involved music in some way - a subject that we'd both mentioned we would like to base our shows around in the future. With a bit of brainstorming we came up with a concept that we were confident would work. You can have a listen if you like.

Timeless - Preston FM (Trial Show) by Nickie O'Hara on Mixcloud

So what's next? I have three shows to plan and record (for May, June and July) and then come up with a show idea. I'd love to take Soundtrack To My Life to radio but I am also trying to think of a concept that hasn't been done yet. Maybe an open mic session for local writers/poets or something that incorporates my love of the 1980s? I know inspiration will just hit me between the eyes one day and I need to practice, practice, practice. I'm just so excited to be realising one of my dreams.

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sat, 04 May 2013 23:30:00 +0000

25 things from 25 years ago

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Today is my birthday. It is not a special birthday with a zero on the end (that was last year) but it is twenty five years since I left school (and the first time that anyone took GCSE's).

So, in the year that Alexandra Burke, Jessie J, Rihanna, Tinie Tempah and Tulisa Contostavlos were born

and in the year that Kenneth Williams, Percy Thrower Roy Kinnear, Roy Orbison and Russell Harty died

all of this was happening.

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1988

Films I watched were...

The Accused, Big, Moonwalker, Rainman, Young Guns

Music I was listening to was...

Blue Monday by New Order, Faith by George Michael, Need You Tonight by INXS, Sign Your Name by Terence Trent d'Arby, The Only Way Is Up by Yazz and the Plastic Population

The TV programmes I was watching were...

Neighbours (because it moved to the 5.25pm tea time slot), Red Dwarf, Roseanne, This Morning (with Richard and Judy), The Wonder Years

In the news...

Edwina Currie caused havoc by stating the most eggs were infected with solmonella, Paul Gascoine became the first £2million footballer by leaving Newcastle United to join Tottenham Hotspur, The Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie killing 270 people, the North Sea oil platform, Piper Alpha was destroyed in an explosion and Margaret Thatcher became the longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th Century.

And elsewhere...

Tales Of The Unexpected and Crossroads ended, the pound note ceased to be legal tender, A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking was published, Ben Johnson ran a drug-assisted 100m in 9.79 seconds and, on the same day, Carl Lewis ran the 100m in 9.92 seconds.

What were you doing in 1988?

Top Ten TV Theme Tunes

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

There have been many a great TV theme tune; it's a talent that cannot be surpassed. You have approximately 30 seconds to set the tone of the show and create something catchy and instantly recognisable.

So, after a conversation on Twitter and Facebook I decided to compile my Top Ten TV Theme Tunes (bit of fantastic alliteration for you there). There are many that didn't quite make the grade and they are listed at the bottom.

What would make the top spot on your list?

Let me know in the comments.

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Six Feet Under

The South Bank Show

The Muppet Show

Grange Hill

Jonny Briggs

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Blossom

Dallas

Hawaii 5-0

Scrubs

The ones that didn't quite make it...

The Golden Girls, Cheers, Taxi, Hill Street Blues, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Brush Strokes, Lovejoy, Murder She Wrote, True Blood, Quincy, Sorry, Ski Sunday, Butterflies, Roobarb & Custard, The Littlest Hobo, Cagney & Lacey, MASH, Dr Who, Moonlighting

Is yours on the list? What would you add?

The UK Benefits System Discussions - An Update

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:00:00 +0000

At the beginning of April I wrote a post about Iain Duncan Smith and his throwaway comments regarding the welfare reform system entitled "How (Not) To Survive On Benefits". It went off at a bit of tangent and I talked about my 19-year old son who is currently unemployed (albeit in the Territorial Army) and mentioned a bit about my daytime job (working with 16-25 year old NEETs).

Events snowballed a bit after I hit the publish button so, at the end of the month, it seems appropriate that I round everything up. The original post hit a chord with many people and there are some very personal stories shared in the comments (comment thread). It was also suggested that a round table discussion should take place which would collate the many opinions that were being heard on the social media channels.

So I did just that. I organised a Google Hangout On Air with four other people from very different walks of life and with very different personal situations. A planned half hour discussion (with a vague agenda) turned into an hour and a half conversation about finances, housing, savings, benefits, tax credits and so much more. It's a long time to set aside to watch/listen to the whole conversation but if you are signed into Google then YouTube will save your place each time you watch so you can come back to it at a later date.

With thanks to +Chrissie Saunders, +Jax Blunt, +Lynn Schreiber and +Ruth Douglas for their participation on the night and also to everyone who was watching live (or has viewed since) and interacted on G+ or YouTube.

After a conversation with Katie Haworth on Twitter (she is assistant to my local MP, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP) I sent a link of both the Hangout and my blog post to our local Labour Party contact email address. Last week a letter arrived from the constituency office thanking me for the email and also enclosing a copy of a letter that had been sent to Iain Duncan Smith, highlighting specific sections of my post and the hangout in relation to his recent comments.

So where do we go from here, especially when we consider that this week two events specific to benefits and the cost of living are very much in the news?

Firstly, the new Universal Credit is being rolled out over the next four years (source: BBC News) and is something we touched upon in our Hangout discussion. Benefit entitlement (for job-seeking claimants) will be merged and paid monthly, the intent being that it will replicate a monthly salary so the move to an employed income will be smoother. This will include rent and council tax entitlement (instead of being paid direct or deducted) and will rely on honest, appropriate budgeting and the availability of a basic bank account. This is going to be a huge change for many families. A month is a long time, even for those of us who are paid a salary. I still get my Family Allowance and Child Tax Credits weekly to help my own budgeting system.

Secondly, this week is #livebelowtheline week (ref: Live Below The Line UK) where people are encouraged to live off just £1 per day for a week to highlight global poverty. The BBC details how easy it is to live off this amount with appropriate planning but the breakdown of costs relies heavily on the fact that cheap(er) pricing is available through bulk buy and store cupboard essentials. Something that is not always possible on tight budgets. Maybe this is where IDS got the idea from that he could live on £53 a week?

There is never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution because we are all so different. Guidelines are great as long as they are achievable and manageable long-term and this discussion is ongoing. In a world where unemployment is rising, many jobs are reliant on having digital/online knowledge (ergo, retraining is needed for many) and the school leaving age is rising there are still many changes that we have to embrace. It can feel very overwhelming though, can't it?

Soundtrack To My Life - Cathy

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I first 'met' Cathy in a Google Hangout last year. It was my first HOA and I was a bit nervous. Cathy's online persona is 'Wandering Sheila' which derives from the fact that she is from the land of Oz and has found herself in the UK after travelling through Italy. She says that her name also comes from the fact that she loves to discover new places. I'll link to Cathy's particulars at the end of the post. Here are her song choices...

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Muse - Starlight

My sister introduced me to Muse and this would still have to be one of my favourite songs of theirs.

Christine Anu - My Island Home

Anu is an Australian singer. She didn't write this song. It was written by Neil Murray and first recorded in 1987. It makes me think of my home country, Australia (and if I am truly honest, a touch homesick).

Zero Assoluto ft Nelly Furtado - Appena prima di partire

Having lived in Italy for over 7 years in total, I have gained an appreciation of foreign music. I found this song when I was looking at Zero Assoluto songs in general on youtube. Occasionally you come across songs in two languages. This one features Nelly Furtado singing part of the song in English. 'Appena prima di partire' means just before you leave.

Fairground Attraction - Perfect

I love the fact that English radio stations play some songs that date back many years. This took me back in time when I was living in Australia and listening to Rage on Saturday mornings.

Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine

I love listening to this song on a sunny day. We've had a fairly bad summer here in England, but there have been a few days where sunshine has been present and I've listened to this song.

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You can find Cathy talking about her life away from Down Under over at her blog, Wandering Sheila. Catch up with her on Twitter as @cathylpowell or on her Facebook page.

Limited Edition Chocolate Soreen

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:03:00 +0000

Soreen are celebrating 75 years of malt loaf goodness by creating chocolate malt loaf and I've had the chance to try it! Now, you know I don't recommend anything unless I love it and this is definitely something a little bit different.

I promise you - get this before it disappears, never to be seen again.

The original recipe remains the same since Soreen first began baking malt loaf in 1938! It's lovely with a little bit of butter on or toast it for a mix of warm squidge and cripyness! I also love their lunchbox loaves which are fab for sticking in my handbag for snacking on the move (banana flavour is a huge hit in this house) - great energy boosters!

To find out more you can follow @SoreenHQ on Twitter or like them on their Facebook page. You can also enter their competition to win one of 75 Chocolate Soreen Loaves.

Limited edition Soreen Chocolate Loaf is available from 25th April in most main Asda stores but is only being stocked for six weeks! It is available from 20th May in Morrisons for three weeks and from 23rd May in Sainsbury's also for three weeks.

This is a promotional post in conjunction with Soreen. For more details please see my disclosure policy.

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Over at The High Tea Cast... Family Survival

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Get yourselves over to The High Tea Cast. This time I am sharing some of my infinite wisdom and survival techniques in 'How To Survive As A Family'. I'd love to hear what you think.

Find all my articles on The High Tea Cast here

Top family fun in the great British countryside

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

As soon as the weather shows the first signs of improving, our thoughts immediately turn to long weekends spent rambling around in the countryside. From adrenalin-fuelled sports to lazy walks amongst nature, nothing feels more precious than those warm weekends spent relaxing as a family in the Great Outdoors. There really is so much to see and do, so here are some great ideas to make your family weekends ones to remember, even after the sun has disappeared for another season.

Visit a working farm

Families used to keeping their weekend breaks UK centric, know just how much children love the taste of authentic rural living. And with so many working farms now open to the public it’s the perfect time to let them experience the thrill of a working farm. The early months of spring are lambing season. Many farms open their nurseries to allow children to watch the lambs being born. You can even bottle feed them too. It’s an eye opening experience that’s not to be missed. Later on in the year farms are busy bringing in the harvest, giving children a real insight into how the food they eat everyday arrives at their table.

Go pony trekking

Saddle up and head out into the woods for a leisurely hack through some of the UKs finest beauty spots. If your children haven’t tried it then make sure that this is the year they finally do. There are riding schools across the UK, all of which provide a gentle introduction to novice riding. Pony trekking family holidays are amongst the most memorable of all. And it isn’t just fun that your children will have; spending time with horses really boosts their overall confidence levels too.

Learn bush craft

If you have slightly older children then a day spent learning bush craft is bound to be something you can keep coming back to over and over again. It’s a chance to develop some great skills, and by the time you finish you’ll all be having long family discussions about the different species of plants and fauna to be found on the forest floor. You’ll soon know all about their beneficial (and not so beneficial properties) too, and one or two of you might even master the art of fire making too.

Take a bird watching nature trail

With around 574 different species if bird in the UK it will take your family quite a while to spot them all. But this shouldn’t stop you from getting out there and experiencing the many pleasures to be had from seeing birds in their natural habitat. As the days get longer bird spotting opportunities improve across the UK, with the crows and blackbirds of winter making way for merrier sounding species such as Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. Definitely not to be missed.

Quad biking

If animals and nature are a little too sedate for your family, then you could all have a go at this high octane four wheel motor sport. There are quad biking centres all around the UK and many of them cater for junior quad bikers from as young as six, so there’s a chance for the whole family to get involved. It’s noisy, messy and a lot of fun, and after just a few practice laps with an instructor you’ll be handling the dips and bumps of a standard track with ease. It’s definitely one to leave the whole family feeling happy and tired by the end of the day.

If any of the above has got you yearning to get the whole family outdoors and active, a family holiday at CenterParcs could be just the ticket, with activities for all palates you can be as active as you like.

This is a featured article provided by CenterParcs

For more information about article placement please see my disclosure policy

How to make Grandparenting full of Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:10:00 +0000

Being a grandparent means that you get most of the good stuff in short, manageable bursts (sometimes). But there has to be a plan so you can appear to be The Best Grandparent In The World. And, whilst they are young enough to have the wool pulled over their eyes, you might as well take advantage of it.

Post-It Notes

A block of Post-It Notes and a pencil make an instant art gallery. Quick drawings on small pieces of paper that can be stuck to the wall without fear of creating marks that will stay there until the next time you decorate. And if you really want to go retro then amaze your grandchildren with a stickman flip-book using another block of Post-It Notes!

Hexbugs

I was sent Hexbugs to review AGES ago and the batteries are still going strong. A toybox staple and used to enthrall and scare in equal measures. A Hexbug down the vest is cause for great hilarity... and that's just Grandad!

Treats for the dog

It's hard when you introduce a puppy to young children who aren't in the house all the time. Especially when both puppy and afore-mentioned children are a bit too young to sit quietly for any length of time. We are building up trust between both by taking the dog to the park together and allowing for lots of treats. Time out in the crate works well too. We make the decision of whether it's children or dog depending on who is most excitable...

Not wearing shoes on the park

Just as the children whip off their shoes less than a minute after walking into the house, they do the same on the park. Apparently it makes the slide slidier, the roundabout faster and the swing higher.

Dance to Gangnam Style

It might be the worst song in the world but you will always be amazed that your four year old knows the dance moves and when to come in with the final "Eh, eh, eh, eh". (Hearing her sing Olly Murs' 'Troublemaker' to herself whilst doing jigsaws is pretty cute too!)

Wear unusual clothes

The best sound in all the world is the exclamation of "Oh Nana, I LOVE your pink shoes" or "That's your monkey jumper!".

If you're a grandparent, what's your ideal "Full Of Win" activity?

Soundtrack To My Life - Catherine

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Catherine has been a Twitter friend for about three years now (is it really that long?) and we share a love of all things quizzical which started with the Friday Twiz. Her Soundtrack To My Life is short and sweet but sometimes you only need a few words to get your point across. For now, it's over to Catherine for her tunes...

¨¨°º©©º°¨¨

The Ramones - Baby I Love You

Very special to me because it is the top of "our" songs. I just love the words, the music, everything about it. Makes me cry every time. Which is good.

David Byrne - Don't Fence Me In

This express how I am more than any other song. I can't stand being fenced in, forced to do things I don't want to do, go places I don't want to go to. I want to do what I want and be free to always make my own choices.

Ella Fitzgerald - Manhattan

Everything about this song is perfect to me: Ella's voice: the music: everything. It transports to you to a place of perfect happiness.

Ian Dury - Hit Me With Your Rythym Stick

First song I ever danced to with my husband. It always reminds me of the brilliant and very mad times we all had then. And the sax on it is amazing.

Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

Well, obvious reasons ~ hope my hub is always my first and last and always. But in the days he used to do discos he would finish off with this. Which meant I would then have him back to my (greedy) self.

¨¨°º©©º°¨¨

Cath's official website details her holiday cottage in Ireland - Daisy Cottage. You can find her on Twitter as @DaisyCottageIRL or driving the @MondayMusicQuiz which is, er... a music quiz, on Twitter, on Mondays.

Double Payment Taken By Asda (UPDATE AND CONCLUSION)

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:23:00 +0000

Because I have a voice via my blog and my twitter account - and all the support from the people connected to me in that way - I am documenting the timeline of Asda taking money from my account whilst I attempted to pay for goods in store.

This is to emphasis the level of anger, upset, inconvenience, customer service and all that is connected to this experience. It is not an isolated event as you only have to search for "Asda took money twice" on Google to see almost half a million related searches.

Friday 19th April 2013 - 7pm

Visit to Adsa Blackburn to purchase goods costing £24. Also request £10 cashback.
Debit card inserted into chip&pin machine at the till. Screen reads "remove card", cashier tells me to remove card.
The till does not produce a receipt. I am told that the transaction hasn't taken place so to insert my card again and repeat the process.
The till does not produce a receipt again. I am told to try again.
On the third attempt my card is declined.
I know I have money in the account as I checked before going in-store. I tell the cashier that I will go and draw money from their ATM outside.
The ATM shows that I have a balance of £26 in my account. I request a mini-statement. This shows that two payments of £34 each have been taken in the last ten minutes.
I walk back into store and request to see the duty manager.
The duty manager obtains the till receipt from the till, examines it and explains that Asda do not have my money. My money is apparently in a "holding account" and will be returned to me in about three working days.
The conversation that follows sees me getting slightly angrier and explaining that I now do not have enough money in my account to see me through the weekend.
Another manager is called. He explains that no-one from Head Office is available to assist as they are closed.
After a 45 minute conversation, the second duty manager agrees to refund one payment of £34 in cash to me as "a gesture of goodwill". I will have to wait until Thursday to see if any money is returned to my account and then go in-store to return this £34 if both payments are "refunded".
I give the staff my contact details in case the till is "up" by £68 when cashing up is done later in the evening.
I am not allowed back in store to re-purchase my goods. I am told that I am not banned from the store. The £34 "goodwill gesture" is to ensure that I have enough cash for the weekend.
I go home and take to Twitter to express my anger. Tweet 1 | Tweet 2 (you can read the rest on my twitter account @nickie72)

Saturday 20th April 2013

No contact from Asda
A few people tweet me to ask if anything has been resolved. I have to reply in the negative.

Sunday 21st April 2013 - 11.30am

Asda Service Team tweet me and ask to make contact by phone. I request the name of someone within the team so I can speak to them direct.
Phil, duty manager of the customer service team assures me that he intends to sort this out today with a positive outcome. He is sympathetic, understands my anger, expresses that if it was him in this situation he'd also be angry. He acknowledges my twitter following and again expresses determination to sort the issue out today. He is going to ring the Blackburn store and find out exactly what happened from their point of view.
Phil returns the call a little under an hour later. The outcome is not good. The managers that were on duty on Friday are not in the store today. The duty manager in store today is aware of the situation due to hand-over information. Phil informs me that this will not be resolved today. He is ringing me on Monday at 12 noon to update me on the situation.
I feel deflated.

I am disappointed that the weekend duty manager at the Blackburn store knew of the situation but has not contacted me to confirm if the till balanced or not at the end of the day on Friday. I am even more disappointed by the fact that Phil from the service team was able to make a confident promise to sort this out and then not see that through. Phil asked me how I expected this to be resolved. I explained that I expect it not to happen in the first place. I expect the Asda store in Blackburn to be able to cash a till up and return my money immediately. I expect that this not-so-rare event to have been addressed and for it not to be happening in a day and age where we rely so heavily on electronic systems. I expect to be kept up-to-date with developments without me having to turn to social media and my blog to get attention. I expect customer service to do exactly what it says on the tin and not leave the customer hanging on, waiting, not knowing what the outcome will be.

My main concern is that I do not have enough money now to put petrol in my car to be able to travel to work for the next three days. How is it fair that I am having to be placed in almost financial hardship (albeit for a couple of days) whilst Asda attempt to sort this out?

For those who would query a contingency plan for not having any money available I say to you that my contingency plan is actually having money in my account after budgeting effectively. It is not my fault that there is an electronic fault on the Adsa chip&pin machines.

If you have found yourself in a similar situation please let me know in the comments.

UPDATES

1 - 22nd April 2013 - 8.30am

Phil from Customer Services phone (early) to request my debit card details. He is going to contact the bank to ensure the payment(s) are returned to my account before our booked phone conversation at noon. It is hopeful progress.

2 - 12.00 (noon)

Phil calls again as promised. He cannot authorise the return of money to my bank account as the transaction number from Friday has not yet been obtained!! (three and a half days, and counting...)
As a(nother) gesture of goodwill he tells me that there is £100 in cash waiting for me at the Blackburn store to collect on my way home from work. This is to keep. Once the original payments are returned to my bank account they are also to keep - I do not have to return to store to 'give any money back'.
Phil has sent me an email confirming our conversation and I explain to him that I want to pick this up again on Thursday to confirm if the money has or has not been returned to my account. This still isn't resolved by long shot.
Phil attempts to reassure me that the "chip&pin transaction error" issues are being looked into.

3 - 5pm - in store

I request to see the on-duty customer service manager who is one of the staff that was part of the conversation on Friday.
She remembers me (!) and hands me £100 in cash as arranged.
She explains that there is no transaction number for the till error as no receipt was printed on the day. I query the fact that there was indeed a receipt because four of us were pouring over one trying to work out the error on Friday. She decides not to respond.
(at the ATM) I check my bank balance and no money has been returned to my account. I shall check each day until Thursday when I shall pick up this conversation again with Phil.

4 - Wednesday 24th April

I notice that a direct debit has bounced, incurring charges of £10. An email is sent to Phil.
I forward an appropriately redacted screen grab of my bank account by email as ordering a paper statement will incur further charges.
Phil responds quite quickly and offers me a cheque for the amount of the bank charges (which could take two weeks to arrive) or a gift card (which could take a week to arrive). I accept the gift card, even though I know it is a bit contrived because I can only spend that amount in store.
I stress to Phil that no money has been returned to my account yet and I would like to book a call with him the following day if we are still in the same situation

5 - Thursday 25th April

No money has been returned to my account!
We are now on the "fourth working day" so I email Phil again and ask him to call me to discuss this as arranged.
Phil feels as let down as me (I doubt it very much!) so has decided to escalate this complaint to the Executive Relations Team who will call me later today.
They have until 4pm as I leave work shortly after that.

6 - Thursday 25th April - 2.50pm

I receive a phone call from Lauren in the Executive Relations Team who tells me that I've been fed bullshit for the past six days (my words, not hers) and that it can take up to five days for my money to be returned to my account.
I wonder if you can guess what my reaction to this was?
She also tries to tell me that it was my decision to escalate this to her team until I read out Phil's email. She then admits that she has the email in front of her.
She sympathises with me and "understands" how I feel. I ask if she's ever experienced this. She replies in the negative so I tell her she cannot understand how I feel.
Lauren is ringing back at 12.30pm tomorrow (Friday) to see if my money has been returned to my bank account.

7 - Friday 26th April

I work in an educational environment. Phones are to be off or on silent. I miss two calls but as the number is private I cannot call back.
I return home from work after 5pm to an email from Lauren:

As promised, I called at 12:30 I’m sorry you were unavailable. I do hope the funds have dropped back into your account. If this has not been the case, you will need to contact your bank as the money is holding with them. These funds must pass through their clearing system in the same way a cheque does. This is what slows the process down and is something we have no control over. The banks ultimately control this aspect of any refund back into a customer's account. We are unable to push this through for you. Thank you for your time, I hope you have a lovely weekend.

I check my bank account and no money has been returned
I have attempted to call my bank but the out-of-hours foreign call centre do not understand what is going on and have advised me to go into my local branch on Monday.
*huge fucking sigh*
I hope Lauren and Phil are having a "lovely weekend". No. Wait! I don't mean that, do I?

8 - Saturday 27th April

The 'missing funds' have appeared in my bank account overnight
The gift card as repayment for the bounced direct debit fees arrives

Conclusion

All appears to have been resolved but I still don't believe that I should have to wait EIGHT DAYS for the return of MY MONEY, regardless of who or what is to blame for the initial error. Someone, somewhere knows what went wrong and how to fix it. There is no such thing as a 'computer error'. All computer are programmed by humans initially.

I deal with payments and transactions at work, can send a money authorisation from our business account and expect it to appear in the payee account almost immediately, or at least within two hours. I can do the same from my own personal bank account but have limited control over that. I do expect it to move within the same working day though. Even Paypal transactions and withdrawals are now almost immediate.

It would be nice to have a continued dialogue with Asda from a customer perspective so that they continue to try and fix this issue as was mentioned by Phil early last week although I doubt very much that will happen. It would also be nice to have feedback from the CEO, Andy Clarke, because, as mentioned right at the beginning of this fiasco, this is not an isolated incident. It happens on a regular basis and some people aren't lucky enough to have a blog to spout off on or a social media following to help share their anger and disappointment.

I have had amazing offers of help from friends and strangers (no names mentioned, you know who you are) and for that I am eternally grateful even though I did not need to take up the offer. As regular readers here know, I am a huge believer in the method of 'paying it forward' so the kindness will continue to ripple.

However, my final word is something I said a few days ago. In the current climate, where many people (myself included) have finances that are stretched to the limit, effective budgeting has been created and there is no emergency fund, it IS NOT FAIR that we are still at the mercy of large, profitable organisations who can choose whether or not to assist.

Thank you for reading, following, sharing and supporting.

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Win a £150 voucher to spend at Zalando UK [NOW CLOSED]

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I'm addicted to Zalando! Regular readers of this blog will already know this. I am like a not-so-secret Zalando dealer after managing to get a few friends completely and utterly hooked too! I can't decide whether it's their choice of designers that suit my sense of style or the fact that the clothing is affordable (and even more so when you check out their sale items). Designers Anna Field and Vera Modo are my current favourites - you only have to look back at my previous posts to see that!

A couple of recent purchases have included this Vera Modo jumper dress and this Great Plains maxi skirt, both of which I'm loving more than I thought I would. Not my usual choices but I'm glad I took the plunge and chose something a bit different.

I've also just found out that they have a 'Home' section and now want this plastic bowl or this turntable beanbag! Both are now on my "Wish List" on the website along with a variety of other items to remind me to buy them or just to drool over from time to time.

Win a £150 voucher to spend on the Zalando website.

(just don't blame me when you're devoted and skint after you've spent your winnings!)

Zalando have supplied a £150 voucher to spend on their UK website. To enter please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. If you are using a mobile device or an RSS reader you may need to click through to the web version of this post to enter.

If you're a new visitor here for the giveaway, it'd be great if you could stick around. There are some subscription options in the sidebar.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

This giveaway will begin on 18th April 2013 and close at 00.00 GMT on 29th April 2013 * This giveaway is open to any of my readers in the UK * There is no cash alternative to the giveaway * To enter you must post a comment on this blog post telling me about your favourite item of clothing or a fashion disaster. You can gain additional entries using the options in the Rafflecopter widget * There is one (1) prize in total * The prize has been provided by Zalando UK. The prize winner will be put in touch with a representative of Zalando UK to receive their voucher code * Entries will only be accepted as instructed and any entrant that does not complete the qualifying requirements will be disqualified * The winner will be chosen using a random number generator built into the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted on the email address provided within five (5) days of the draw. If the winner does not respond within seven (7) days a new winner will be drawn.

This prize has been provided by Zalando UK. Please see my disclosure policy for further details.

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

The Gallery : Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:33:00 +0000

Occasionally there is a Gallery prompt that makes me revisit my past rather than post a picture up from recent times. This week, Tara's theme of "Youth" has given me the opportunity to share yet more images that have, until now, been banished to the family photo albums, only seeing the light of day to embarrass friends and family at (in)opportune moments.

Firstly, you can see how I was a social media trailblazer. I went to a primary school in St Annes called Our Lady Star of the Sea so when we entered sports events our name was shortened to "OL". However, as the team line up you can clearly see us spelling out "LOL"! I wonder who else was laughing at us that day?

Next, a shot of a particularly amazing hair style and fashionable shirt. I can't remember where we'd been but we'd obviously enjoyed ourselves. No, I'm not smashed, that's my sultry look. Isn't my husband (not on the picture) a lucky man?

And finally, the money shot! Me in a bikini, on a boat in Ibiza somewhere. I wish I'd flaunted this body a bit more as it's only now that I appreciate it. I should have looked after it and honed it instead of presuming that I'd always look like this (with or without the dodgy perm).

You can join in with The Gallery by clicking on the image below.

You can also see all the other entries for this week's theme on the same link.

25 FANTASTIC Energy Saving Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie O'Hara) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I recently ran a giveaway in conjunction with EON and a compulsory entry mechanism was to provide your best energy saving tip. There were lots of obvious ones which I hope everyone is already putting in place (they are first on the list) however there were more that I believe need sharing and I have collated the best twenty-five here.

If you would like to add your favourite please share it in the comments.

Unplug all electrical items when not in use, especially overnight (but not your fridge and freezer, obviously).
Turn the thermostat down by one degree and add a layer of clothes instead of putting the heating on.
Turn lights off when you leave the room and use energy saving bulbs.
Shut doors to keep the heat in a room.
Put tin foil behind radiators to reflect the heat back into the room (and if your radiator is under a window, tuck long curtains behind the radiator for a similar effect).
Anything that can be charged via USB can be done when you are using the PC or laptop.
Don't charge your phone overnight. It wears down the battery and wastes your electricity,
Always use comparison websites when changing utility suppliers.
Use a glass of water when brushing your teeth instead of leaving the tap running.
Keep a jug of tap water in the fridge. That way, you won’t have to run the tap for a long time just to get a cold drink.
Put lids on saucepans when cooking. The water boils quicker and uses less energy.
Use a vegetable steamer instead of cooking with lots of saucepans. The veggies taste a lot nicer too.
When you turn your oven on, cook lots of things at the same time, e.g. cakes and meals. It only takes a few minutes to warm a meal but a long time each day to cook one.
Turn your oven or electric hop off a few minutes before you need to as there will still be some residual heat to carry on cooking your food.
Leave the oven door open to heat the room after using it.
If your freezer isn't full, plug the gaps with loaves of bread or polystyrene.
Put waste food and vegetable peelings in a composter and feed the birds in your garden with leftover cooked food.
Get a water butt to collect rain water and use this to water your plants and home-growns. Rain water is actually better than from the tap as it has no additives.
Make sure you have good loft insulation to prevent losing heat through the roof.
See if you are eligible for a government/council grant for extra insulation.
Collect up all the old woolly jumpers, towels and so on that you would normally throw away. Unscrew the side of your bath and pack the old clothes around the tub and replace the bath side. Now your water will stay hot for longer and you won't need to keep adding expensive top-ups! Just check it after the first use to make sure the clothes are still dry and you have no leaks.
Recycle packaging and Freecycle all your unwanted stuff (or join my recycling group on Facebook).
Use a wheat bag to keep young pups warm at night. Wrap it in a fleece blanket and they will keep warm and snug for hours.
Spend the day outside in the fresh air. It's good for your health and your wallet!
Have a lie in every day!

You can see all the tips in the comments section on the original post.