Nantwich Mums United

Goodbye Nantwich Mums, hello Love Nantwich

2011-03-27T00:22:00.001Z

The clock has struck midnight and Lovenantwich.com is now live!!! So it is with a heavy heart that I sign off from this online journal on which I have cut my blogging teeth fairly successfully and have enjoyed writing for nearly 3 years now. But rest assured it’s in name only – my blog will carry on as normal over at www.lovenantwich.com It’s time I not only promoted Nantwich Mums but also the role of this town in playing its part in family life. I’m hoping all my faithful followers will stick by me and follow me there. See you over at www.lovenantwich.com shortly! Sarah x

Spring has sprung!

2011-03-24T11:58:00.004Z

The sun shone hazily, rabbits scurried and butterflies fluttered before me as I went for a run during Bebe's nap this morning. I felt like I'd gatecrashed a scene straight out of Mary Poppins. And on my return I made myself a whopping bowl of homemade muesli which was scrummy and continued those feelgood feelings. My new healthy homemade breakfast is thanks to Hugh Fearnley's series about healthy fast food which I enjoyed greatly (the cornish pasties, made from leftover bolognaise or chilli and shop-bought puff pastry is another big favourite in our house, especially with Zac) This is sooo good for you - did you know nuts and oats have been classed as 'superfoods' due to their health boosting properties? And in contrast to shop-bought muesli, the homemade version is ultra cheap - see recipe below:

Ingredients
200g porridge oats (if you want to be really eco-friendly use our local Mornflake oats)
150g mixed fruit such as raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, dates or prunes
100g nuts
4 tbsp seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame

To serve:
1 eating apple (Coxs are perfect)
juice of 1-2 oranges
honey
Plain yoghurt (or Greek!)

Put around 50g muesli in your bowl. Coarsely grate apple, including skin, and add to muesli. Add juice of oranges, stir and leave to soak in for around 10 mins. Trickle over honey and add a big dollop of yoghurt. Yum :)

Anyone else know of any other healthy fast food ideas?

Goodbye Elizabeth, gone but never forgotten

2011-03-24T10:58:00.000Z

A beautiful and talented woman, probably the first victim of many at the hands of the trigger happy papparazzi, our modern day public executioners.

Children's artwork on show at museum

2011-03-23T08:35:00.002Z

These are some of the things which give me ultimate pleasure - breastfeeding, spicy sausage pasta, a spontaneous hug from any or all of my children, Gourmet Gray’s chocolate soufflé, cheesecake, having my feet massaged, reading a great book, a cold beer on a summer’s afternoon and looking at children’s pictures. Children just know how to draw. There is no pretension in children’s artwork and no major effort involved – they naturally draw fluidly and each and every picture is fab. So I can’t wait to take a trip to Nantwich Museum for its Children’s Art exhibition. The pictures were submitted for an art competition run by the Rotary Club, which attracted around 200 entries from nine primary schools.

The exhibition will run in the Community Gallery until 7^th May.

www.nantwichmuseum.org.uk

Take a stroll with the buggy buddies

2011-03-22T16:32:00.000Z

Nantwich Baby Group member Caroline has started a group called Buggy Buddies Nantwich. They meet at 1pm each Tuesday at the Funky Monkey Cafe, Cog7, London Road (the old theological college site) for coffee, cake and a catch up, before setting off for a walk. They would love mums to join them and ask for a £1 donation to go towards funds at the special care baby unit at Leighton Hospital. The group has so far held four walks, raising just over £125.

Our wildlife is in trouble - it's time we all did our bit to halt the decline

2011-03-22T13:45:00.002Z

The face of our countryside has changed dramatically. Eighty per cent of lowland heathland has disappeared, 100 hectares of saltmarsh are being lost each year, almost three quarters of rivers in England and Wales are failing European standards and in 60 years we have lost 95 per cent of our wildflower meadows. Across the world our rainforest continues to be destroyed, the global temperature is rising and marine life is under constant threat from overfishing.

Farmland bird populations have fallen by half, some of our best loved native birds including cuckoos, house sparrows and nightingales are in sharp decline and once widespread species like corncrakes, turtle doves and red backed shrike are desperately clinging on in small pockets. And to make matters worse, in 2010 the world failed to meet a global target to halt the decline in biodiversity.

All is not lost however as the UK has signed up to help meet a new target set by the EU for 2020. And now the RSPB is asking everyone to help the new target to be reached.

The RSPB’s Stepping Up for Nature campaign aims to set out a roadmap to 2020 and encourage government, businesses and individuals to Step Up and play their part for nature.

Mike Clarke, RSPB chief executive, said: “When we missed the 2010 biodiversity target we failed nature. We can’t let that happen again.

“Over the next decade we have the opportunity to fix the problems that are causing the loss of wildlife in the UK and across the world. But this is a process we must all be involved in. Everyone can do their bit. If we can encourage people from all walks of life to take millions of steps for nature, then those we elect will be forced to sit up and take notice.

“From schoolchildren creating a wildlife garden in the corner of their playground right up to ministers creating a vital piece of legislation that protects our natural environment, we all have a part to play between now and 2020.”

Rspb.org.uk/volunteering

Picture caption: Red-backed shrike, male feeding chicks in nest (Mike Richards - rspb-images.com)

Make sure you have your say on local childrens' services

2011-03-21T15:49:00.004Z

Did you know there was a Cheshire East Children’s Trust? No, nor did I. But it sounds like something we need to get involved in. Apparently the trust is currently drawing up a new Parenting Strategy to outline its commitment and support available to parents and carers across the borough.

The Children's Trust Board is made up of senior officers from across children's services including the local authority, police, health services, schools, colleges and the voluntary sector. The purpose of the Trust is to bring all partners together to agree a common strategy on how they will cooperate to improve children’s well-being and to ensure services work closely together.

And parents and carers are being asked for their views. As part of the survey parents are asked to rate a range of services, including:

Schools
Youth services
Children’s centres
Leisure facilities
Advice and guidance

Anyone wanting to contribute is asked to fill in an online questionnaire before the consultation ends at 5pm on Thursday, 31^st March.

Further details and a link to the online survey can be found here.

The BBC, Brian Cox and a phantom sock snipper

2011-03-20T10:35:00.009Z

Being interviewed live on the BBC was a walk in the park compared to the gargantuan task of transporting a ravenous 20-month-old, a temperamental four-year-old and a whining 12-year-old to Stoke for 8am yesterday morning.

But due to a little planning the night before it went surprisingly smoothly and I joined Lee Thomas on the breakfast show relatively unflustered while Gourmet Gray ushered the kiddies to McDonalds for breakfast.

I arrived 15 minutes before I was due to go ‘on air’ so managed to enjoy a lovely cup of tea, listen to the Jam’s Going Underground (No 1 in 1980) hear the news about our close encounter with the moon and watch Brian Cox being interviewed on the BBC (I couldn’t hear what he was saying but enjoyed watching his luscious lips in motion, probably telling us not to miss last night’s close up of our fabulous moon and tonight's exciting installment of his latest series - don't miss it, BBC2, 9pm) I thought to myself, ‘wow, not only are Brian Cox and myself both made of stardust, we are both being interviewed by the Beeb at the same time!’ (I don’t have many claims to fame in my life so I have to clutch at the most tenuous examples when they happen to come along – and Coxy is my current God)

I even managed to enjoy my chat on air despite my nervousness (I’m not the smoothest talker) and I don’t think I dropped any major clangers, although when asked for the latest gossip concerning this blog all I could think of to talk about was the case of the phantom sock snipper which Darren Gough had told me about during an interview on his visit to Nantwich the day before!

You can hear my interview here (The show was 6am until 9am and I was on at 8.15 so move the counter over to the right hand side and listen out for the Jam and Chicago which were the tunes leading up to my interview)

My chat with Darren Gough, the all cricketing, all cooking, all dancing star from Yorkshire

2011-03-19T15:03:00.012Z

Darren Gough would fit really well into our house. He loves cheese. And not just because of his job. He lives, eats and breathes cheese - the best way to live if you ask me.

I got a phone call from Darren as he arrived at Crewe Train Station before making his way to Nantwich Civic Hall for the Strictly Come Dancing schools contest yesterday tea time. The former England cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing star is now ambassador for Colliers Cheese, who organised last night's big dance-off, the Supreme Collier's Dancing Competition.

This is his fourth trip to Nantwich - the last time being special guest at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich last summer when he demonstrated how to prepare the perfect Welsh Rarebit. He is mad about cheese, namely Collier's Cheese. When I said he was good at his job he assured me that his love of this particular blend of cheese began long before he had any contact with the company. He said whenever he was asked in an interview to name his favourite cheese he always said 'Colliers' which led the company to get in touch with him about becoming an ambassador for them. The interview continued with the questions below:

Tel me about your culinary skills. Greasy spoon or Masterchef potential?

Oh, Masterchef potential most definitely. I can cook, dance and sing, what more do you want?

Given the choice, what would your final meal be?

To start with, Collier's Cheese on warm, fresh bread, nachos 'el grande' to follow and a chocolate pudding and custard.

How happy are you?

I'm always happy! I've got a lot going on. I love my job. I laugh every day at work. Working at a radio station (the drivetime show at Talk Sport radio) we have lots of reasons to laugh. We get lots of people sending us silly emails in which make us laugh. It's good to laugh isn't it? Other than that, my last big laugh was Peter Kay at the O2 two months ago. It was absolutely unbelievable. I laughed non-stop.

Did you always know you were going to be a world class sporstman?

I always knew. I was asked what I wanted to be in those career things at school and I always said I was going to be a sportsman. They always said 'No you're not - only 1% of people become professional sports people.' But I just had the belief that I was. Although I never thought it would be cricket - I was always much better at football. So the fact that I ended up being a cricketer was quite amazing really.

Dancing style before strictly?

10 to 2! That's the only time I ever used to dance when I was younger - when it was time for a smoochie!

So it's possible for all men to dance well?

Without a doubt. If I can do it everyone can. I always say to people, it's good fun. And it gets you fit, there's no doubt about that.

Favourite dance?

I do like the quick step because it's fast and energetic and the music suited me, it was right up my street. But in the final I did foxtrot to Big Spender and loved it - I think it all depends on the tune - pick the right tune and you can really get into it.

It's hard now, because everywhere you go, everybody expects you to be brilliant at dancing because of being in the TV show but it actually makes it worse because everyone is there watching, it's quite intimidating.

Any tips for dealing with teenage boys (Darren is father to 13-year-old Brennan and 16-year-old Liam)

Oooh - you need a good wife or girlfriend! The 16-year-old's becoming easier now but the ages 13 to 16 are tough.

Parenting style?

I'm a very loving parent but probably not good on discipline. I'm too much of a softy.

Do you use grooming products?

Yes always - I use them all. I'm 40 now!

Your house is on fire and you can only save one item - what would it be?

My first England cap.

Can you tell me any wind-ups which your team mates played when on tour?

We had a sock snipper for about three years. We still don't know who the sock snipper is. We used to call him the Yorkshire Snipper. He used to snip the ends of everyone's socks off.

What sportsman outside of cricket do you most admire?

David Beckham

Hero outside of sport?

Nelson Mandela (I met him in 2000)

First crush?

Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock.

Life changing moment(s)?

Without a doubt when the children were born. I wasn't around when my first arrived. When I returned from Australia I was passed a kid who was six weeks old. It was hard. I made sure I was around when the next one came along.

With that Darren dashed off to rehearse for his Brucie stint at Nantwich Civic Hall. With a lot of belief the boy from Yorkshire has come good - and despite all the fame and glory he has a lovely friendly nature. I don't think Collier Cheese could have ever found a better ambassador.

www.collierscheese.com

(Pictured from l-r: AJ Pritchard, Chloe Hewitt, Darren Gough, Theresa Kerr, Director of Collier's Cheddar, Alice MArtin and Curtis Pritchard at the inaugral Collier's Supreme Dancing Competition on Friday)

Happy Red Nose Day!

2011-03-18T08:16:00.002Z

Tumble Tots sack races have been ongoing all week to raise funds for Comic Relief - help Ann reach her fundraising target.

www.comicrelief.com

Last minute fundraising ideas: www.rednoseday.com

An Education is another triumph for British cinema

2011-03-17T12:15:00.005Z

I had one of those magical movie moments last night at Malbank’s community cinema watching An Education. You know the one - when you become completely immersed in someone else’s life/lives and before you know it the credits are rolling as you wipe your eyes hoping no-one else has noticed what a wuss you really are.

It was brilliant. I know it was made two years ago but it completely missed my radar, being one of those small British films which the multiplexes abhor (Although I was reassured when I saw the screenplay was by Nick Hornby of High Fidelty fame) An Education has flaws aplenty but it is a brilliant film never-the-less. The story focuses on a very bright sixteen year old, Jenny Mellor (stunningly played by an incredibly youthful looking 24-year-old Carey Mulligan) who lives with her parents in the London suburb of Twickenham in the 60s. She feels her life, driven by her parents’ Oxford ambitions for her, is incredibly dull and lacking in excitement (as most 16-year-old girls do)

Enter David Goldman (in a brilliantly sweet rainy scene) the handsome elder guy who is smooth, savvy and eager to expose Jenny to all the culture she seeks (beautiful clothes, art, music and anything French!) He even hits it off with her parents (for me one of the film’s major flaws – however smoothly David woos them, I’m not sure any doting parent would allow their 16-year-old to abscond to Paris with a 30-something quite so easily)

But the scene is set wickedly, the characters are so well cast – I even liked Rosamund Pike’s performance as the airhead Helen - and she irritated the hell out of me in Die another Day. Although, some of her lines in this were sometimes far too dumb to be believable.

But I nitpic. This was thoroughly entertaining, heart rending and thought provoking in every way. You can’t fail to be touched by some of the lines in the film and wonder about where your own life is/isn’t going.

Emma Thompson only had a small part to play as the headmistress but she relished the role and delivered her fantastic lines with aplomb. Jenny’s dad Jack was brilliantly played by Alfred Molina (Letter to Breshnev, Raiders of the Lost Ark) His poignant showcase scene is delivered through Jenny’s bedroom door – a speech we can only aspire to when those moments come along in every parents’ life. In that moment you see a family come together to appreciate the strength of a broken heart and the true blossoming of a girl.

And it’s fairly befitting for me to enjoy An Education as I celebrate a very happy 10 year milestone in my relationship with Gourmet Gray who has indeed provided me with my own education in life and helped endow me with a love of great food, wine, music and babies!

Happy 10 years to us! St Patrick’s Day, 2001, was the night of our very first date when I swore there would be nothing more in our get together than friendship. And here we are 10 years later, still enjoying (nearly) every minute :)

Cheshire's dream venues for those planning a wedding

2011-03-15T23:10:00.004Z

"It's Prince William's wedding and we're all going to have a party" Poppy announced out of the blue after returning from pre-school today. When it comes to the attention of my 4-year-old, I can be assured royal wedding fever really has gripped the nation. And with love in the air circulating in the highest of social circles I think it will also be a bumper year for regular weddings which I guess is why Cheshire East has released a brochure highlighting the best of what Cheshire has to offer in the way of wedding venues. And even if you're well and truly hitched like me, it still makes interesting reading as you fantasise about being princess for the day as every girl does every now and again.

It's well worth noting that The Residence, the Crown Hotel and 'Reaseheath Hall' in Nantwich are now registered for civil ceremonies. But don't forget the venues a little further out which are simply stunning - Crewe Hall, Wrenbury Hall, Combermere Abbey and Peckforton Castle.

Dream on at: www.yourceremony.org or download the brochure here.

Sack racing tumble tots will raise funds for Comic Relief

2011-03-14T14:49:00.003Z

Ann Barr, the local Tumble Tots co-ordinator, will be raising funds for Comic Relief all of this week by holding sack races during her regular sessions. Parents will be asked to consider making voluntary donations of £1. It doesn't have to be just tumble tots taking part - any children will be able to go along and join in at one of the sessions (the Nantwich sessions are held at the Vagrants Rugby Club on Wednesdays) - you just need to check availablility before hand by calling Ann on: 07810 513845.

You can also sponsor our local tumble tots by logging onto their fundraising page.

Nantwich Civic Hall will host Strictly Come Dancing event for local schools

2011-03-14T14:30:00.003Z

Former international cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing star (and more recently, daredevil challenger to Freddy Flintoff) Darren Gough has been visiting Nantwich schools to offer moral support to those taking part in the first UK strictly-style schools dance competition this week.

Four local secondary schools – Shavington, Brine Leas, Malbank and Bishop Heber – are nearing the end of a gruelling six-week training schedule and will strut their stuff before a panel of judges at the grand final on Friday (March 18^th) at Nantwich Civic Hall.

The competition will be presented by Darren Gough and split into two dance sections for the cha cha cha and the quickstep and then split by age groups. Each competitor is seeking sponsorship to raise money for Comic Relief as March 18 is also Red Nose Day.

This is an in-school thing but I have been assured that if you want to cheer along our school dancing stars you should be able to buy tickets on the door on the night (first come first served) The event is from 6pm but school children will be giving a musical performance between 5pm and 6pm. Admission is £5 for adults and £3 for students. Alternatively, if you would like to reserve a place in advance you can turn up to Malbank School’s reception between 10am and 2pm and ask for the performing arts staff and buy a ticket that way.

Enjoy the show! (And don't forget to donate some pennies towards Comic Relief.)

New campaign promotes the importance of talking to babies

2011-03-12T10:32:00.004Z

Did you know that by the age of three, 80% of a child’s brain will have developed?

I spent most of my time as a new mum gazing dreamily into my baby’s eyes marvelling at the wonder of creation. I don’t think I did a lot of talking to my baby, thinking she was as content as I was to just be.

But a new campaign is encouraging parents to begin chatting away to their babies as soon as they are born.

Did you know this year is the National Year of Communication? And to mark this, the National Literacy Trust is launching a new website for parents and carers which emphasises the positive role they play in helping their baby develop communication skills.

www.talktoyourbaby.org.uk provides information on the importance of communicating with children from birth, with useful tips on incorporating talk time into everyday life. There are also fun activities to do, such as listening to podcasts and colouring in pictures. It states that from day one of a baby’s life talking, listening and responding to your child will lay the foundations for them to be able to express themselves, listen, learn, read, write and socialise better. The website is crammed with vital information and tips in helping parents to communicate with their babies well.

To get parents thinking about how they can make small changes to their daily routine which will have big benefits for their children, there are also 150 free books on offer to those who make a pledge to spend more time communicating with their children. There are also 300 Driving My Tractor book and CD sets to give away to parents who hold a ‘Talk To Your Baby party’. The idea is to encourage get-togethers with friends and their young children to spend fun time singing, reciting nursery rhymes, making shakers and talking together. There is a party plan on the website with song sheets, picture cards and instructions.

The team would love to hear thoughts and feedback from parents on the new Talk To Your Baby site. Once you have taken a look, drop them a line on the email address below and tell them what you think.

W: www.talktoyourbaby.org.uk

E: talktoyourbaby@literacytrust.org.uk

Nantwich Baby Group raises funds in memory of baby Ellie

2011-03-12T08:09:00.001Z

Members of Nantwich Baby Group have raised more than £100 from their ‘wear it purple’ event in memory of baby Ellie.

Funds of £62.90 were raised from the sale of cupcakes, gingerbread and donations.and a further £45 was made from the selling of purple necklaces, wristbands and a ‘name the teddy’ competition. The money will go towards furnishing a room on ward 17 at Leighton Hospital in Ellie’s honour.

In addition, the group has had a donation of a limited edition, brand new, boxed HappyLand Royal Wedding set to raise further funds. You can email a bid to the group here: nantwichbabygroup@hotmail.co.uk All bids to be received by 15^th March.

Nantwich Baby Group meets each Tuesday morning between 10.30am and 12pm at the Baptist Church in Market Street. All are welcome.

One of the founders of Nantwich Baby Group, Alison Bowett, has been training over the last few months to become a childminder. She is now Ofsted registered and ready to start. If you are looking for a childminder, take a look at her website and get in touch: www.nantwichchildcare.co.uk/

Exciting news!

2011-03-11T07:53:00.005Z

In the words of my 4-year-old: 'I'm trying to sit down but I'm much too bouncy today!'

I’ve got some big news. I have been quietly working on expanding this blog into a website and am now hoping to launch it on March 27^th – Census Day.

The launch will coincide with this important national event because after filling in their official form, I’m hoping everyone will log onto my new website at lovenantwich.com (not yet live) and take part in a simple ‘happiness’ poll to assess the mood of the town on March 27th.

There has been enough doom and gloom reported in the last year to last us a lifetime but does this naturally lead to unhappy people? Or do we manage to keep our happiness clocks ticking away despite the odds? This is what I intend to find out with a ‘happiness’ poll on the first day of my website.

The website, dubbed ‘A Survival guide to family life in South Cheshire’ will also feature this blog, which has gained many faithful followers in the three years it has been running. In addition, a What’s On Guide will have activities and events for families around the town on a day-to-day basis, providing a one-stop shop of information for parents, especially those looking to entertain their pre-school tots.

I am hoping the website will be a constantly evolving resource. I want users to comment on the people and places that make the town great, as well as provide inside info on the things which make family life a pleasure in Nantwich. Once you have filled in your Census form on March 27th, please get the ball rolling by taking part in the happiness poll at www.lovenantwich.com (not live until midnight on 27th)

Trees, trees, trees

2011-03-10T10:40:00.001Z

I love trees. We popped over to the Peacock after tea for a sneaky glass of wine while the girls had a run around and I took a photo of the ancient old guardian of the play area (see pic) Is this the most giant tree in Nantwich?? If you find any to rival it, please take a picture and send it over.

We’ve had a couple of trees (one plum, one elderflower, but I have no idea which is which!) given to us by Poppy’s pre-school. They were leftovers from a wonderfully generous pack of free trees provided by the Woodland Trust as part of its ‘Give it some welly’ campaign on 4th March, encouraging people to plant trees.

Connected to this, we received postcards with several links to useful websites which I would like to share with you:

Discover a wood – 14,000 woods to visit. Find one near you:
www.visitwoods.org.uk/places

Free things to do - 1000s of ideas to try out with the family this weekend:
www.naturedetectives.org.uk/woods

Watch the seasons – learn more about wildlife:
www.naturescalendar.org.uk/signs

Inspired by trees – become a member of the Woodland Trust and enjoy the benefits:
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

And keep your eye on this great campaign:
www.MoreTreesMoreGood.org.uk

Nantwich British Legion moves in to Willaston Social Club

2011-03-10T10:16:00.000Z

The Nantwich & District Branch of The Royal British Legion has made its new home at Willaston Social Club and will be celebrating with a Gala Caberet Night 'Music from the Movies' on 1st April. There'll be music from Mamma Mia, The Blues Brothers, Sister Act,, to name but a few so it should be a fabulous night. Tickets are £10 each and include refreshments. Call the club on: 01270 569062.

British Legion meetings take place on the second Wednesday of every month from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. Membership is open to everyone, whether they have served in the Armed Forces or not. Becoming a member also provides the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of activities and events held locally, regionally and nationally throughout the year.

The legion provides financial, social and emotional care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces, past and present, and their families. Founded in 1921, it is not just about those who fought in the two World Wars of the last century, but also about those involved in the many conflicts since 1945 and still fighting for the freedom we enjoy today.

www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/nantwich

There's spooky goings on down at the Lion and Swan

2011-03-09T20:12:00.003Z

If you like being spooked you may fancy taking part in a ghost hunt on Friday (11^th) at the Lion and Swan Hotel in Congleton.

Built in the 16th Century, the half timbered coaching inn was the penultimate stop in the London to Manchester stagecoach service. It is now the venue of several hauntings including a naked girl tending a ‘fire’, a ‘presence’ in Room 20 which has led to guests requesting a transfer in the middle of the night and a cellar where crying is heard and a spooky painting brings on the demise of all those who touch it, or so the spooky legend goes.

The ghost hunters are returning to The Lion and Swan after a period of several years due to an ‘increase in paranormal activity.’

Their Eerie Evening package (£49) at The Lion and Swan, running from 8pm until around 2.30am, includes a welcome drink, two course evening meal, history talk and ghostly tales, a séance and refreshments throughout.

Accommodation can also be booked at the hotel, although I’m not so sure I’d want to stay there after all that!

www.eerie-evenings.com

Pancakes chez Egerton

2011-03-09T15:30:00.001Z

Hana's helpline didn't help us much this morning :(

2011-03-09T11:38:00.002Z

I don’t like to admit to running parts of my life by what is on telly but I know that when Hana’s Helpline finishes, it’s time for the 10 minute walk to pre-school (I have to time it spot on as Bebe gets really fed up in the buggy if we’re waiting outside for too long)

Poppy has always enjoyed Hana’s Helpline, which is a great programme about a duck agony aunt who helps children deal with any problems which may crop up in their daily lives. Usually they are fairly trivial problems, with often comical consequences, such as the octopus whose arms get mixed up and the bird who kept losing his way. Unfortunately, this morning it chose to deal with the issue of death. It was actually done very well (someone was sad because his grandad had died) but it’s not the ideal subject for a mum who has to bundle a 4-year-old and a 19-month-old out of the door soon after.

Poppy’s subsequent questions on the way to pre-school went like this: ‘why do people die?’, ‘will you die?’, ‘will me and you die together?’ and then ‘will I get to take blankie?’ I answered these questions as truthfully and as briefly as I could, along the lines of ‘all things die eventually but you don’t have to worry about that because such things won’t happen for a very long time…’ But she started to cry at the thought of me dying at all. At which point I completely back-pedalled and said ‘Oh baby don’t you worry, you and me won’t ever die – we’ll be together forever.’ And tried to make everything alright with a big squeeze. Aaarrrgggh.

Thanks a lot Channel 5. I could have done with a bit of warning and time to prepare in advance of your decision to tackle such a big subject just before our journey to pre-school.

Name new café at Queens Park and have your name set in stone

2011-03-09T10:11:00.003Z

Work is well underway on the new cafeteria pavilion at Queens Park in Crewe and the public are being asked for their ideas of what to name the building which will replace the 34-year-old Jubilee Cafeteria.

The timber structure is now in place (see picture) and the design will enable users to view the internal timbers when using the new facility. The wall materials on both the cafe and games pavilion have been carefully chosen to match the sandstone on the two lodges located at the park’s main entrance.

The details of the winners will be engraved on a plaque within the building and they will also be invited as the first people to enjoy a meal in the new facility, together with up to five of their friends and family. The council would also like suggestions for items to go in a time capsule which is to be buried in the park grounds. Those with the winning suggestions will receive a voucher for coffee or tea and cake for two at the cafe.

When you have thought of a fabulous name for the new pavilion or items to go in the time capsule, pop it on a postcard and send to park manager Elaine Dodd at Pym’s Lane Depot, Pym’s Lane, Crewe, CW1 3PJ. Don’t forget to include your name, address, daytime telephone number and email address. Entries to be received no later than Friday, 18th March.

Queens Park is undergoing a £6.5m transformation to bring it back to its former glory. The Heritage Lottery Fund is providing a £2.7m support grant with the rest of the investment coming from Cheshire East Council. Within the park’s 45 acres are walkways, trees, shrubs, planting, children’s play area, crown green bowling, putting, boating lake (currently drained for construction works), grassed areas, memorials and cafeteria. For further information on the restoration project, visit the Queens Park web pages at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk – then click on ‘leisure, culture and tourism’, then follow links to the park pages

Happy pancake day!

2011-03-08T13:32:00.001Z

Incase you need reminding:

110g plain flour, sifted

pinch of salt

2 eggs

200ml milk mixed with 75ml water

50g butter

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl with sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl. Gradually add milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will disappear).

Melt 50g butter in a frying pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using kitchen roll to smear it round before each pancake. Now get the pan really hot and turn heat down to medium and ladel a couple of tablespoons of mixture into pan. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side and coat the base with batter. It takes only half a minute or so to cook - lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold and flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will only need a few seconds - then slide onto a plate.

Sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or simply roll them up.

Or make some simple chocolate sauce!

55g caster sugar

splash hot water

30g cocoa powder

Whisk the sugar, water and cocoa together in a small pan over a gentle heat. Add extra water depending on how thick you require the sauce.

Drizzle liberally all over pancakes. Yum. Happy Pancake Day!

Enjoy the sight and sound of newborn lambs coming into the world

2011-03-08T11:53:00.001Z

Make your way to Reaseheath College for its next lambing weekend on Saturday and Sunday (12^th and 13^th)

Between 10am and 4pm you can enjoy the tender sight of newborn lambs enjoying their first moments alive as well as watch the actual birth of others. Admission is below:

* Adults £5

* Children and Concessions £4

* Family £15 (2 adults and 2 children) Children under 3 free

* Family Weekend Ticket £25

Please note the event is not suitable for expectant mothers.

www.reaseheath.ac.uk

Reaseheath’s animal centre was the first college based centre in the country to be awarded a zoo licence and houses over 167 species of animals. It is not usually open to the public but will be open for the college’s Open Day on 15^th May.

Brian Cox, king of the cosmos

2011-03-07T22:05:00.003Z

“We are the cosmos made conscious.”

Wow. Lines like this streamed constantly from between Brian Cox’s luscious lips on Wonders of the Universe on the Beeb last night and I for one was moved and astounded.

In his last series, Brian tackled the Solar System, and this time round he is tackling the entire universe. Last night’s episode covered the concept of time, ie the tiny amount of time mankind has been around compared to the rest of the cosmos. And the sheer unimagineable amount of time itself – there’s a lot of it about you know, and our share’s pretty measly in the grand scheme of things. There were red dwarves (stars that burn slower and longer) Stars like our own sun which burn brightly and relatively quickly - and ironically, will one day collapse into a white dwarf. I half expected Dozy and Grumpy to crop up at some point but Cox instead moved onto the whole whopping scale of the life span of our universe. At which point I had to steady myself with another glass of red (purely to put things in perspective you understand)

And just like us, the entire universe, stars and all, will eventually die! Aaargghh! (although we can take comfort in the fact that it won’t happen for a number of years measuring in the countless trillions, whatever that may be) How humbling to be reminded of one’s own mortality and insignificance but at the same time be blessed with the ability to begin to comprehend the majesty of it all.

It was perfect Sunday night telly ie a long lie down was required afterwards - I can't wait for next week’s instalment – don’t miss it - Wonders of the Universe on BBC2, Sundays, at 9pm. In the meantime, view the last episode on iPlayer.

Looking forward to an Easter of Jazz...nice!

2011-03-07T14:05:00.001Z

Looking forward to a happening Easter in Nantwich, don’t forget to make a note in your diary for the 15th Nantwich Jazz Blues & Music Festival. And this year, Nantwich Town FC and Gregory’s will be extending the line-up of festival venues throughout the town.

Gregory’s will be hosting “Greg’s for Grownups” on Saturday (23^rd April) and Easter Sunday (24^th April) with bands playing during the afternoon until early evening on two stages. Nantwich Football Club will have live music from 1pm until midnight on the Easter Sunday.

The event will open at The Civic Hall (pictured) from Thursday (21^st) with Thea Gilmore supported by Marcus Bonfanti (I saw this guy when he supported Sandi Thom at the Crown and he was fabulous) On Good Friday (22nd) The Marmalade and The Equals bring the 60s to town and on Saturday (23^rd) fast forwards to the 80s with China Crisis and Ex Simple Minds taking the stage.

Easter Sunday also sees Alvin Stardust and his Rock and Roll show along with Local Elvis Tribute Paul Larcombe accompanied by The Passionettes. There will be two shows on Easter Monday (25^th) with the ever popular Nearly Dan (playing by popular demand) in the afternoon (1:45pm-4pm) and Paul Jones with the amazing Blues Band in the evening.

The Crown Hotel welcomes back Connie Lush with her powerhouse blues style and Ian Parker playing a solo acoustic set on the Friday and the supremos of swing and soul, Zoot Serious & a Bellyful of Bop will be playing on the Saturday. The Crown will also be running the Sunday and Monday daytime music sessions which have proved so popular in previous years.

The free gig in Nantwich Square on Easter Saturday will be King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, beginning at 12pm and local Ceroc dance group will be joining in with the dancing.

For tickets and a full gig line-up visit: www.nantwichjazz.com

Wristbands, giving entry to all the festival pub gigs on all festival days including the Crown all day Jazz + Blues sessions on Sunday 24th April and Monday 25th April, can be purachsed for £5 from the Crown Hotel from April 21^st.

Poppy's Picks: The Rascally Cake by Jeanne Willis

2011-03-06T20:03:00.002Z

Rascally Cake is an absolute cracker of a book for toddlers and older children. Poppy found this all by herself in the library and it has become a firm favourite. We both love the wicked sense of humour and Poppy pretty much knows it all off by heart, taking great delight in reeling off the revolting ingredients (it's not for the squeamish) that go into the cake which comes 'alive' and attempts to eat Mr O'Parsley.

It's a wonderful book for any child who enjoys rhymes about yukky stuff (is there a toddler out there who doesn't?) The illustrations are fabulous with lots of details - you will still be seeing things for the first time on your umpteenth read!

If you have a slightly twisted sense of humour you will love this book - one of those that you really will enjoy reading to your child night after night.

International Women's Day celebrates the role of women while campaigning for those who are oppressed

2011-03-06T10:50:00.004Z

"Be part of it. One woman can change anything. Many women can change everything.”

Tuesday (8^th) will mark the 100^th anniversary of International Women's Day which marks the economic, political and social achievements of women.

As the birthplace of women's suffrage in the UK, Manchester is today (6^th) celebrating the occasion with a series of free events taking place at the Town Hall between 1pm and 4pm. As part of the celebration, women are being asked to take part in the 100 Years 100 Voices campaign by joining a filming session today or uploading a 2 minute video to: www.youtube.com/2011IWD

On a more serious note, Women for Women International (WOWI), which provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, will be holding a Join Me on the Bridge event on Tuesday (8^th)

The idea stemmed from the country directors of Women for Women's programmes in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo - two countries which have seen some of the most devastating impacts of war in recent years and where atrocities such as rape, torture and violence against women are commonplace. Women decided to come together on a bridge which borders the two countries in the heart of the conflict; to stand up for peace and an end to violence against women.

WoWI is encouraging people to get involved whether it's 2, 200, 2000, or more, to join together on bridges across the world, holding up banners and making a public statement that 'Stronger Women Build Bridges of Peace' and supporting women in war-torn areas. They will be calling for women to have a greater say at the peace negotiating tables and for countries to honour the UN goals they have signed to bring an end to violence against women in areas of conflict.

Kate Nustedt, of Women for Women UK and organiser of the global Join me on the Bridge campaign says: “We’re calling for everyone who wants to make a stand against the brutalities inflicted on women in Afghanistan, and in areas of conflict around the world, to join us on a bridge on the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, 8th March 2011."

It's a little late this year but perhaps we can organsie something for next year - the only suitable bridge that springs to my mind right now is the one over the ugly A500 bypass. Let me know if you have any other ideas and would like to get involved.

www.internationalwomensday.com

www.womenforwomen.org

International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900's when great unrest and critical debate began occurring among women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women on to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. The following year, in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's was observed across the United States.

Following an international Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910, calling for an international women’s day, the following year (1911) International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events.

Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. It is now an official holiday in many countries. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

Mums wanted for TV documentary

2011-03-05T14:08:00.002Z

North One Television is currently producing a documentary for Channel 4 about motherhood. The programme is a positive and celebratory look at modern women adapting motherhood for a modern world. The crew will be filming a broad range of mothers who approach motherhood in different ways. They are especially seeking mothers who adore motherhood, and who feel passionately about both being a mum and their ‘parenting techniques’

They are looking for mums who have unique parenting styles and are especially keen to meet those who encourage their children to reach their full potential – ideally by involving their children in extra curricular activities such as advanced academic tuition, music classes and dance lessons. A full-time mum who also gets help from a nanny or au pair is also being sought.

If this sounds like you and you fancy telling the world about how much you enjoy being a mum, contact assistant producer Fran Davies on: 020 7502 5838 or email: fran.davies@northonetv.com

Hedge planters wanted for the Dabber Dome

2011-03-05T14:01:00.001Z

Nantwich Town supporters are being urged to dig out their wellies and shovels and take part in Plant a Hedge Day by planting a row of hedges and trees to screen the ground from the road.

The special event will be held on Sunday 13th March and the club is calling for fans and other volunteers to go along and help out. Those taking part will receive a free ticket to the Dabbers’ league match against Marine on Saturday 19th March.

Anyone wanting to take part can just turn up at about 10am. Don’t forget your wellies!

www.nantwichtownfc.com

Goodbye beautiful little Miss Ellie

2011-03-05T13:52:00.002Z

Little miss Ellie died the day I wrote about her. I found out yesterday so refrained from posting as a tribute to a beautiful and courageous little girl. Her incredible parents are continuing to raise funds for the children's ward at Leighton Hospital. Please donate here: www.justgiving.com/Ellie-Prince

http://littlemissellieprince.blogspot.com/

The Census: A snapshot of modern life in a day

2011-03-03T21:21:00.001Z

The census takes place on a particular day every 10 years and this year, we are expected to complete it on Sunday, 27th March. And for the first time we can fill it in online.

Postal copies of the census, compiled by The Office of National Statistics (ONS) will be delivered to every household this month. People who wish to fill theirs in online simply need to key-in a code, which will be on the front page of the paper form. If you haven’t received yours by 18th March, request one by contacting the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101 or visit www.census.gov.uk

Ideally, everyone should complete their census on this date. If this is not possible, residents are asked to remember where they were or where they will be on this date and fill in their census accordingly. The idea is to get an exact ‘snapshot’ of the population on that day.

Filling in a census is a legal requirement for everyone living in the UK – not filling one in can result in a fine.

The information received from the census goes towards the planning and funding of future local services, such as schools, hospitals, roads and emergency services. It helps to establish the current population, potential growth and, for Cheshire East, identify what future services to provide in the future to improve community life.

Ideally, everyone should complete their census on this date. However, if this is not possible, residents are asked to remember where they were or where they will be on this date and fill in their census accordingly. The idea is to get an exact ‘snapshot’ of the population on that day.

Completed questionnaires should be returned before the 6th April 2011.

All census information will be processed in Manchester and is securely protected. It is kept confidential for 100 years

www.census.gov.uk

The census has taken place in England and Wales, since 1801. For many people, the census has helped people to re-trace family connections through the ages. The information is kept confidential for 100 years but after that, it is available for anyone to look at and discover their ancestry. Cheshire East Council’s libraries contain a wealth of information on local history, including census information from 1801 to 1911. There is a dedicated family history section on the census website www.census.gov.uk which also has its own Facebook page. Residents can also add their own family history to the website and share their ancestry with others.

The Cheshire archive contains a wealth of information, including information on family histories and archived photographs: www.archives.cheshire.gov.uk.

Help raise funds for little miss Ellie Prince

2011-03-03T15:45:00.001Z

Little Ellie Prince has a very rare disorder called Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy and is not expected to live beyond her first birthday. She lives on Ward 17 at Leighton Hospital and her parents are raising money to furnish a room in her honour by encouraging groups to hold 'wear it purple' days and help to raise funds.

Next Tuesday, (8th) Nantwich Baby Group (10.30am – 12pm at the Baptist church in Market Street) will be taking part by encouraging all visiting mums, dads and babies to wear purple on the day. There will also be a 'name the teddy' event and they will be selling purple cupcakes. The event will also coincide with the Baby Group’s second birthday party so parents are asked to bring some food for a buffet.

Purple little miss Ellie bands are available from Ward 17 or by emailing: dan.prince@live.co.uk

http://littlemissellieprince.blogspot.com

www.nantwichbabygroup.org/

Pancake day – do we give a toss? (Or just use a spatula :)

2011-03-02T20:39:00.002Z

Hands up who can toss a pancake? I’m notoriously useless, I’m afraid a fish slice does the job in our house – unless Gourmet Gray’s around. To tell you the truth I’d rather be shaking my booty in a tequila-induced haze celebrating ‘Mardi Gras’ or ‘fat Tuesday’ in New Orleans. But I make do hunched sweatily over the stove creating a production line of pancakes and wishing I could flip each one straight out of the frying man onto the plate of each drooling child in turn, Dr Seuss style. And as is tradition I always say we should be eating far more pancakes and not leaving it all to a sheer glut-out the following Shrove Tuesday. But we never do.

Nantwich Museum will again be joining in and dishing out the pancakes next Tuesday (8^th) with Pancakes and refreshments available between 11am and 1pm in the Joseph Heler Room (upstairs) The cost is £3 for two pancakes with sugar and lemon plus a cup of tea or coffee. I’ve read that tickets are currently on sale at the museum but I’ve always wandered in and been kindly bustled into a chair, paying on the door. The popular event is organised by volunteers and helps to raise funds for Nantwich Museum Trust.

I think a pancake race through the town would be great fun. The nearest one I can find is in Knutsford on Sunday 6^th (www.knutsfordheritage.co.uk)

And after that we’ll be heading into Easter. Before I forget I’ve seen a great event planned for the Easter weekend (April 23^rd - 25^th)at Tatton Park. The Alice in Wonderland Easter Festival will invite children to join Alice, the White Rabbit and Mad Hatter and take part in lots of activities across the park. They can step through the looking glass in the mansion and follow the trail through the beautiful State Rooms, then follow the White Rabbit to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in the Gardens. The clock's stopped at 6pm and a cast of curious characters riddle and rhyme their way through tea. At the Farm the Queen of Hearts will be weaving some magical stories. Meet the lovely spring lambs and follow the Cheshire Cat trail - there's even more magic dust in the Stableyard where the White Rabbit will appear for Poz the Magician and Mr. Bimbamboozle will dazzle with his Alice themed Punch & Judy show!.

www.tattonpark.org.uk

The magic of composting

2011-03-01T21:02:00.003Z

I met a very friendly master composter, Kevin Kearney, at Nantwich Children’s Centre’s family fitness event on Friday.

Kevin was part of a group of volunteers recruited by Cheshire East Council who took part in a free training course at Crewe Hall Hotel to spread the word about composting across the county. Apparently hundreds of people applied and only 20 were picked so there is certainly a lot of people out there who want to know more about the fascinating subject of composting.

And it really is fascinating! I have composted my kitchen waste for several years now and I never cease to be amazed at how a stinky old bin full of rotting vegetable and fruit peelings, soggy tea bags, egg shells and shredded newspaper can be magically transformed - with the help of a bunch of wonderful worms (I have hundreds now in residence) – into the richest, chocolatiest, nourishing earth for my vegetables to grow in. But to make great compost magic you need a bit of knowledge - ie you need to build it up in wet and dry layers to avoid a compost bin swamp!

And I am so glad that Cheshire East’s trained composters, such as Kevin, are playing a vital role in sharing that magic, while also helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Kevin is available ‘to hire’ out to groups who would like to know more. You can drop him an email: Kevin_kearney@talktalk.net or drop him a line on: 0790 029 1943.

Cheshire East’s website has a Composting page providing further info and a very informative newsletter.

Order a compost bin (£14.99) by telephoning the Home Compost Bin orderline on 0844 571 4444.

Around 30 million eggs are eaten in the UK every day. Why not try crushing and composting your egg shells? They won’t breakdown completely but they add a valuable source of calcium to the soil.

Did you know up to 30% of an average household’s waste is organic and can be turned into compost?

Did you know even regular home composters still send an average of nearly 70kg of compostable waste to landfill each year?

Did you know that bedding from pets, such as hamsters and guinea pigs can be composted?

Don’t forget coffee grounds can be composted, alongside the filter paper.

Farmers Market day was a feast for the senses

2011-02-28T14:08:00.004Z

I’ve read that toddlers will surprise you by eating some very strong flavours but I was amazed to see Bebe wolf down half a burger smothered in onions and English mustard on Saturday morning.

The occasion was the Farmer’s Market (last Saturday of every month) and the location was outside Clewlows, which has now started doing a fast food burger stall on Farmer’s Market days. Being one so weak in the face of temptation when it comes to the wonderful aroma of sizzling burgers and onions, I was forced to indulge, even though it was only 10.30 in the morning. When Bebe caught sight of my burger, not content with a sporadic bite, she squawked until I handed it over, whereupon she devoured the lot, mustard (mixed with ketchup), onions and all!

The town centre was a feast for the senses. The market was lively and there was plenty of produce to feel and taste. The musical backdrop was a panpipe serenade provided by a wandering Peruvian who had set up outside Ye Old Vaults pub to ply his meditative CDs and educate us about the Ten Indian Commandments – see below. I didn’t catch his name but he is a true wanderer, he told me this was his third month travelling through England and he would soon set course for Switzerland. I have no idea how such people end up in Nantwich but it’s so great that they do.

Did we have a good time? Oh yes we did!

2011-02-27T10:29:00.004Z

We had great fun on Saturday night at Shavington Leisure Centre as we enjoyed the panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Although it was a lovely birthday present from grandma to Poppy for her 4^th birthday, I was a little dubious that it would struggle to achieve the impact that the very slick production of Aladdin did at Crewe Lyceum at Christmas.

But my doubts were unfounded – members of Shavington Village Festival Committee (SVFC) gave us a professional and thoroughly enjoyable evening. The costumes and makeup were brilliant - wicked Queen Evilena was fantastic and wow, what a voice! Snow White and Prince Lancelot were also excellent singers – I was amazed at the wealth of such great talent on the stage.

My personal favourite bits were Muddles – absolutely brilliant – the giant skeleton with detached limbs boogying to Thriller in the scarey wood scene and I laughed until my sides hurt at the ‘If I weren’t in panto’ song – it was pure genius! There was lots of audience participation and Queen Evilena played up brilliantly to the boos and hisses which came her way.

All the kids went up on stage at the end and Poppy even got a special rendition of Happy Birthday alongside the Festival Princess which was wonderful and I’m sure will stay with her ever.

The only thing I would say could be improved is the length – nearly 3 hours is too long – trim a few songs away and knock it down to 2 and it would be perfect. Oh and we would liked to have seen Queen Evilena properly finished off rather than consigned to the life of traffic warden (although I agree the latter is probably a far more dreadful scenario) My 12-year-old Zac was a little disappointed she wasn’t squished by a giant rolling rock but maybe that’s a little too much violence for panto…

Thank you so much SVFC for a superb night – you now have at least four new regulars who are greatly looking forward to your next show.

In November 1976, villager Ken Jones invited all local organisations to a meeting in the local scout hut to discuss how the village would celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. As usual on such occasions, the meeting was sparsely attended, but those who did attend more than made up in enthusiasm and commitment for the lack of numbers, with the result that a committee was formed to organise a Village Festival in the summer of 1977.

The impetus created by the first Festival demanded an annual event and the first May Day Festival was held in 1978. From there, the idea of a village pantomime was born, with ‘Babes in the Wood’ being staged at the leisure centre in 1979. This proved so successful, both artistically and financially, that it too became an annual event, involving over 150 adults and children on stage and behind the scenes, and being watched by an annual audience of around 1500. The Festival Committee has now gone from strength to strength for 34 years, an amazing feat for an organisation set up for a one-off event.

www.svfc.info/main.html

Popular local radio station gets an FM licence

2011-02-25T14:53:00.006Z

After only five months of broadcasting online, local online station RedShift Radio has been awarded a 28-day test licence by Ofcom.

Since their launch back in September 2010, RedShift has gone from strength-to-strength. With over 45 presenters, including Hullablaoo Sharon (Toddler Talk) and Malbank’s Mark Brisbourne (a late night rock show) the programme schedule has grown to fill 14 hours of live output every day.

Its founders, Gavin Hammond and Liz Southall (pictured) have effectively used Facebook and Twitter to help build up their listeners. Over Christmas, they even found time to raise £547 for The Children's Adventure Farm in Altrincham by hosting a children's Christmas film party in association with two other sponsors, Hullabaloo Kids and Malbank School. Over £450 of this was raised during an 11 hour “KickStart” show in January.

RedShift is dedicated to it's strapline of ‘Bringing Communities Together.’ An example of this is the Polish Insight show which is broadcast live in both Polish and English. Another popular show is Charities Today which has recently been sponsored by www.ploink.co.uk, the online donations site. Six times a week children between the ages of nine and 17 also produce and present their own shows.

Listen out for Redshift's 87.7 FM launch on 4th April until 1st May. The broadcast range is approx 10miles out from Crewe (120,000 people)

Sharon, who hosts Toddler Talk, is always on the lookout for mums and dads to talk about family and children issues. If you would like to chat about this or any other subjects on air, drop an email to: info@redshiftradio.co.uk.

Confessions of a stamp collector

2011-02-24T14:41:00.003Z

I have two guilty secrets which I finally feel brave enough to share with the world – I love musicals and I used to be a stamp collector (I always felt philatelist was far too grand a word)

And the reason I am telling you all now is, that although I managed to crack the stamp collecting habit many years ago, when I saw that the Royal Mail had today launched a new set of stamps celebrating UK stage musicals, without any hesitation I was on the phone to Royal Mail ordering a first day cover. I felt just as shady as if I’d sneaked down to the local shop for a pack of Embassy No 1 (I gave up smoking 10 years ago)

I am hoping Gourmet Gray won’t read this as he will never, ever forgive such an impulse purchase but I’m afraid that’s addictions for you – they just never quite go away (From time to time I get a burning urge to light up after a great meal or other moments just as satisfying…this is a family blog after all)

I’m sure no-one out there has cravings such as mine but children do enjoy collecting (read hoarding) things and stamps are so pretty (there I go again) So a first day cover would make a lovely gift for some special little person - the first day cover even comes with a postmark of dancing legs (sorry, I’ll nip it in the bud right there)

The commemorative stamps feature We Will Rock You, based on the songs of Queen, Monty Python's Spamalot, West End classics Blood Brothers and Oliver, Me and My Girl, The Rocky Horror Show, Billy Elliot and Return to the Forbidden Planet.

www.royalmail.com

The pressure was on, but I think we pulled it off

2011-02-23T09:55:00.001Z

I’ve had a lovely break from the internet as the half term coincided with Poppy’s 4^th birthday. I was aware that for the first time I had to make a proper effort –birthdays 1-3 are easy - you can get away with inviting a few friends over for cupcakes and a play and the birthday star just enjoys all the attention. But by the 4th, they’re expecting something a little bit more. So the pressure was on.

When we asked her where she would like to go for her birthday she simply said ‘the beach’ So we set off for Llandudno yesterday morning with great trepidation as the weather reports were far from pleasant. Fortunately the British weather was kind to us - it was even warm enough for just our pirate shirts (did I mention the day also had a pirate theme?)

We spent a great morning walking along the beach, throwing away money in the not- so-much-a-penny arcade, and lunching at KFC (which is not half as bad as I thought – they even do corn on the cob, albeit a little mushy but the baby enjoyed it) We didn’t seem to do that much but Poppy had a fabulous time. There is something about the sea isn’t there? I felt truly happy sitting on the beach while Bebe devoured ice cream and the others enjoyed a furthest/highest/make the biggest sploosh stone throwing competition.

We got home in time to have a few friends over for tea and further pirate adventures. And Poppy went to bed with a big smile on her face. It was then that Graham said: “You know, it didn’t matter if we’d spent loads and loads more money on Poppy’s birthday she wouldn’t have enjoyed herself any more than she did today.” And then we breathed a big sigh of relief and fell into a coma.

Charlie's story

2011-02-20T10:28:00.002Z

Charlie Benjamin Mann was born a healthy baby boy on the 15th July 2010 to Katy and Chris and older brother James. At three months of age, Charlie developed a high temperature. Things quickly took a turn for the worst and Charlie died of meningitis on 28^th October. Instead of giving up and retreating from the world, Katy has turned the biggest horror in any mum's life into something truly positive and inspiring. She contacted the UK Milk Bank and offered to donate her breastmilk, which she incredibly managed for two and a half months. Then, together with husband Chris, she launched herself into increasing awareness of meningitis and raising funds for the Meningitis Trust. She is truly an inspiration to us all.

On her blog, Charlie Cheeky Chops, Katy gives a brutally honest and moving account of Charlie’s tragically short life: Read it here: http://charliecheekychops.blogspot.com/

Donate to Charlie’s Fund here:

Find out how to donate breastmilk here.

The Lion King was a real treat at Malbank's community cinema this morning

2011-02-19T20:20:00.005Z

We went to see The Lion King at Malbank’s community cinema this morning – as it’s only days away from Poppy’s birthday we included it as a birthday treat and invited some friends along too.

First I must say a big thank you and well done to Mark Brisbourne and Hullabaloo Sharon for a great event – there was facepainting, drinks, popcorn, mini rolls, gummy things and all for free (instead we all left a donation for the Meningitis Trust, in memory of Charlie Mann who's life was sadly taken away at only 3 months of age)

And wow – this has got to be THE BEST coming of age movie ever!! I can’t believe I waited so long to see it, although I’m definitely glad I saw it for the first time on the big screen, it really added to the wow factor.

Having never seen this film, I really had no idea that Mustafa dies – let alone so soon into the film and knowing Poppy’s emotional capacity, if I'd known, I probably wouldn’t have brought her (I’d been giving Bambi a wide birth until Poppy was a bit older) However, I’m so glad I did, although when Mustafa gets trampled in an extremely scarey stampede scene, Poppy was very upset and bawled uncontrollably. But on recovering, she was completely absorbed and loved the story. As is Disney’s way, it’s all done very positively - I love the emphasis on the ‘circle of life’ and the idea that all the kings of the past are watching over Simba from their stars.

I love how mean old Scar is, wonderfully voiced by Jeremy Irons, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so we don’t so much mind his demise in the hands of the hyenas. Rafiki, a wise old mandrill-baboon hybrid who lives in a baobab tree, is the real star of the story – I’ll leave you with, for me, the most memorable quote from the movie:

Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back will mean facing my past. I've been running from it for so long.

Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick

Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past.

Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.

Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.

[swings his stick at Simba again who ducks out of the way]

Rafiki: Ha, you see

(If you are as sad as I am and have yet to see this amazing movie, make it your priority)

Shop doctor comes to town but is Cheshire East missing the bigger picture?

2011-02-18T09:01:00.003Z

The ‘shop doctor’ is coming to town next month to help our town centre shops survive in the current difficult climate. And while I have no doubt businesses will find such advice extremely useful, I still feel that Cheshire East are missing the bigger picture here.

I feel the problem with our town centre is that there are far too many businesses of a similar nature (read my earlier post about the town centre becoming ‘hair central’) and not enough variety. We have umpteen hairdressers, beauty salons and charity shops and not enough independent shops providing quality but non-expensive products.

The same has to be said about Nantwich market. It’s a fab venue and I always make an effort to support it but apart from the craft stall and a very rare visit to the hardware stall for picture nails, I really have no need to go. It should be a paradise for gifts in there.

A few months ago I emailed our town council to ask if there was a way for councillors to actively attract a more diverse array of businesses – maybe the local colleges/universities could be contacted and students offered an attractive start up package. Or they could always start with a market stall – did you know it is only £15 to hire a market stall on a Saturday? Come on students – show you can take up the challenge – you might even make a decent bit of money to help fund your studies.

The shop doctor is in town on 22^nd March. He will also be giving a Shop Doctor masterclass on March 23, at the Ramada Encore hotel, on Crewe Business Park, from 6.15pm-9.30pm. This is open to all businesses. For town centre events, contact business engagement co-ordinator Jacqueline Wilson on 01270 685911 or email: jacqueline.wilson@cheshireeast.gov.uk (although she's on leave today)

Nantwich Children's Centre to feature a special family fun half term session

2011-02-17T12:50:00.001Z

Nantwich Children’s Centre will be holding a fun family fitness event at its Friday morning session during half-term next week (25^th) Aimed at the under 11 age group, the session, between 9.30am and 11.30am, will show how everyone can have fun and keep healthy at the same time.

The event will bring together different council teams and NHS partners to provide a varied two-hour programme of events to promote healthy living in a fun and informative way, with events for all the family. Everyone attending will be able to enter a draw for a family leisure pass at any Cheshire East Leisure Centre.

The events are part of the children’s centre’s promotional ‘What will you Discover’ campaign which will soon be promoted on buses and through ‘ad-bikes’. The little cutie featured in the campaign (pictured) is three-year-old Matilda Goman, known as Tilly, a children’s centre regular.

Public meeting to discuss ideas for the town's green spaces

2011-02-17T12:39:00.001Z

Following on from the great news of recent funding, members have called a public meeting to discuss the exciting future of Greenspaces South Cheshire (GSC) in renovating some key green spaces in the town.

In partnership with Riverside Concern and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, GSC has received a £3,000 grant from Cheshire Community Action to maintain the riverside and a further grant of £1,000 from Nantwich Town Council for other improvement works.

GSC’s James Thompson said: “We feel this is a great example of community empowerment and shows we can continue investing in and maintaining our local green spaces despite local and national funding cuts.”

The public discussion will take place at the Red Lion Pub, Barony Road on Monday (21^st) from 7.30pm to hear local views and ideas for 2011. All are welcome.

Volunteers are always being sought: email Tony at riverside.concern@btinternet.com (Riverside Concern) or James at greenspaces@hotmail.co.uk (Greenspaces South Cheshire)

Look out for the Aurora Borealis in our night sky!

2011-02-17T11:20:00.002Z

If it’s clear night, we may be lucky enough to experience a spectacular Northern Lights style display in the night sky from tonight! According to the British Geological Survey the largest solar storm in four years is expected, which could also disrupt communication networks.

Find out more here.

Thanks Jamie - spanking pomegranates is a great way to start the day!

2011-02-16T11:26:00.003Z

I don’t care what anyone says – I think Jamie Oliver is wonderful. Yes, he has become somewhat of a global marketing phenomenon and his face is infuriatingly everywhere but you cannot deny that what he does comes straight from the heart.

I hugely enjoyed his 30 minute meal programme last night – every single item of food he prepared or cooked was the kind of food Gourmet Gray and myself love to eat. Big time. With Jamie’s help, I now finally - at the great old age of 38 - feel qualified to host a dinner party without leaving it all to my incredible and very able husband. In fact, I can’t wait!

My favourite bit was when he ‘spanked’ the bottom of half a pomegranate with a wooden spoon to scatter a beautifully jewelled topping of pomegranate seeds on a rocket and watercress salad. As luck would have it, with an ever-ready eye for a bargain, the day before Gray had picked up two discounted pomegranates at Asda (since Sainsbury's has been renovated we've become Asda converts - how did we ever afford to shop there?? Sorry Sainsbury's, we won't be back on 2nd March when your new store opens) Zac adores them but I’ve always felt the work involved in distracting those bloody seeds always far outweighs the pleasure of actually eating them.

Not any more – this morning, there I was, happily spanking a pomegranate's bottom with a wooden spoon to pep up my morning bowl of muesli. It was delicious and very, very satisfying. Thanks again Jamie for transforming the mundane in my life.

Brimming with vitamins A, C, E and iron, the pomegranate has been cultivated since pre-historic times. Scientists have shown that drinking a daily glass of the fruit's juice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It features in mythology as a symbol of birth, eternal life, and death, owing to its abundance of seeds and ability to 'bleed'

Jonathan Pryce CBE pops by to show his support for a new town centre theatre and arts venue

2011-02-15T12:03:00.008Z

One of Britain’s finest actors, Jonathan Pryce CBE, visited the Nantwich Players on Saturday to see the last night of their sell-out production, ‘We Happy Few’ and show his support for a new theatre and arts venue.

Jonathan, who starred in the James Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ as media mogul Elliot Carver, and more recently as Governor Weatherby Swann in Pirates of the Carribean, has many other films, stage productions, including Miss Saigon and Evita, and a string of awards and nominations to his name.

The Nantwich Theatre Project will comprise the creation of a theatre and arts venue at the Players’ Love Lane site in the centre of town. Throughout this year, the Players will be busy applying for capital grants and sponsorship in the hope of opening the new venue by 2014.

The Players’ award-winning Youth Company is presenting the next show, ‘A Theban Trilogy’ by Sophocles, between 30th March and 2nd April, with tickets on sale from 7th March at Nantwich Tourist Information Centre.

www.nantwichplayers.com
Link up with The Players on Facebook here

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:12:00.003Z

I must be one of the very few people who got to enjoy breakfast in bed this morning!! Poppy's beautifully crafted Valentine's cards for daddy and bro went down very well (made at the Children's Centre on Friday) I'm wondering if Zac will get any Valentine cards this year, and if he does, will he show me? Looking forward to a romantic dinner in for two tonight, beginning with a tomato, mozarella and basil starter, following up by the most amazing beef stew, made delightful with the addition of prunes and lashings of red wine. Mmmmmmmmmm...

I'll leave my faithful followers with THE best love song ever written - 'Something' by the lovely George Harrison - he is actually singing it here too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76wSl8IV0Z0

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Egyptians have shown the way for others to follow - with passion and decency

2011-02-12T10:21:00.002Z

It is so fantastic to see people put up a fight against an unfair system and win. And for me, personally, it is especially great that those people are Egyptians. In my 20s, I spent two months travelling though the Sinai, down to Luxor and Aswan and spent six weeks living in Cairo. During that time I experienced the worst case of food poisoning in my life (following a brief stint on a ‘5 star’cruise down the Nile) realised for the first time that the Pyramids are right next to a city, rather than out in the desert as I’d imagined, watched Lethal Weapon 4 in a fully packed Cairo cinema where I was the only female, learnt to play backgammon (the greatest board game on earth) and had a star performance in an Egyptian sitcom.

I loved Egypt big time. And I love the Egyptians. The greatest, craziest, most madcap race of incredibly decent people you will ever meet (although Indians come very close) I know many people don’t like going to the ‘real’ Egypt as you are constantly plagued by hawkers and conmen who view you solely as a moneybags on legs and you become the target of incessant, often extremely inventive, but incredibly frustrating, schemes to con that money from you. But it didn’t bother me. I made many friends there and while the recent uprising continued I worried about them greatly.

But I needn’t have worried. Apart from the greatness of a people striking out for something they believed in, for me, the biggest story was the attitude of the soldiers, who listened to their hearts rather than their orders. That is what holds this occasion up as a shining example of what a decent race of people the Egyptians are.

With this event, the Egyptians have shown the way for others to follow. It doesn’t take leaders and it doesn’t take a well-organised conspiracy. It simply takes courage of the kind the demonstrators, and soldiers, have shown in Egypt for the last few weeks.

Make great strides with a Nordic walk

2011-02-12T08:14:00.007Z

Have you heard the new craze? Nordic walking!

It all began in the 1930s when competitive cross country skiers in Finland started to use poles in their off season training when there was no snow. They soon realized this was providing them with a massive advantage and that the technique was a perfect training aid keeping their heart and lungs in top condition and ensuring upper and lower body muscles remained in top shape.

In the 1980s we began to use it more and more in this country as a recreational physical activity in its own right and enthusiasts realized they were achieving a whole body workout that was fun and simple to incorporate into every day life.

Walkers use poles to support their weight – meaning their upper body muscles are used as well as their legs – making it more effective than the average walk in the park.

In partnership with Age Concern, Cheshire East Council is introducing Nordic walking to the area with a free taster session at Queen’s Park on 3^rd March between 1pm and 2pm.

To take part, contact the team on 01270 685794 or 01270 685782.

Half term activities at Nantwich Museum

2011-02-11T13:28:00.000Z

Nantwich Museum will be hosting two activities during the half term holiday on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th February.

Inspired by the current exhibitions, the drop-in workshops will take place between 11am and 3pm, providing the opportunity to make mobiles, kaleidoscopes, desk tidies, photo frames and take part in quizzes, with prizes. Admission for each workshop will be £2. For further information, email: education@nantwichmuseum.org.uk or telephone: 01270 627104.

Here's your chance to rub shoulders with Calum Best at charity ball

2011-02-09T22:52:00.002Z

Calum Best, son of late football legend George will be helping a Winsford family to fundraise for the MS Society at a Pirates and Pearls Charity Ball in Knutsford on 26th March.

Together with Joanne Bircumshaw, the pair are aiming to raise thousands of pounds for the charity which helps people affected by multiple sclerosis, a disabling disease of the central nervous system. Joanne’s 66-year-old mum, Pauline Tyrer, has suffered from MS for several years and the family hope the event will raise awareness of the illness and improve the lives of others living with it.

The sumptuous charity ball will be held at Mere Golf and Country Club at 7pm and tickets are £55 each. On arrival, guests will walk the plank to enjoy a ‘piratey’ welcome drink and then join their Captain’s Table for a three-course Caribbean-themed meal. Calum will be mingling with guests alongside Captain ‘Jack Sparrow’ who will share his tales of the sea. There will be live music from Beaver and fire entertainers as well as dancing till 1am. There will also be a raffle draw with some great prizes including a holiday in Turkey, signed football memorabilia, a flight experience, rally day and spa break. At the end of the evening, guests will return home with a personal ‘treasure chest’ bearing goodies from French Connection, cosmetics and other pamper products.

For tickets to the event contact Joanne on 01606 212 958 or email: joannebircumshaw@hotmail.com

Is a 14-year-old responsible enough to babysit? Or does it depend on parenting?

2011-02-08T15:52:00.003Z

We’ve been looking forward to being able to leave Zac in charge of the girls now and again in a few years time but I’m wondering if we now need a rethink following the recent case of a mother receiving a police caution for leaving her 14-year-old son in charge of his three-year-old brother for half an hour.

There is actually no legal minimum age for this and the police are said to use their discretion in these cases, which I guess focuses the debate on the fact that some 14-year-olds are far more responsible than others.

But of course this begs the question - have our children become so molly-coddled that they can’t take on any responsibility these days? My brother-in-law ferries his son to and from his part-time job a couple of miles away – at the age of 19. And yet at the age of 16 I was getting a bus and a train from Tamworth to Birmingham to work in a part-time café job at New Street Station – the late shift would finish at 11pm, when I got the last train back to Tamworth and a taxi (only £2) from the train station home.

And I don’t accept the argument that it’s more dangerous out there these days, although the media would like to have us think so. We let Zac walk or cycle two and a half miles to school by himself at the age of 12 and are extremely confident with him doing so but I know it is rather a bone of contention with the mother-in-laws.

Surely you have to allow children to take on responsibility for themselves as they grow older, otherwise they won’t know how to be responsible when they’re striking out on their own as a young adult?

Nantwich town council reminisce about the Civic Hall and vow to do what they can to take it on.

2011-02-07T22:03:00.002Z

So I popped into Nantwich Town Council tonight and said my piece and was welcomed with wholehearted support. Councillor Arthur Moran spoke of the good old days when the Civic Hall was well run and bringing in the big acts - 'it used to be like Top of the Pops!' and Mayor Joyce Stockton reminisced about the collection boxes and buckets which went round to raise funds to build it: 'I was there when the first stone was laid - all the way down Market Street, you couldn't move for all the people.' What great stories! I've been searching the internet to find such first hand accounts and they're all available at our town council. Councillor Cafferty did however warn that the council tax precept would have to rise rather high to take on such assets - I'm not sure how the people will feel about this but it looks like we all may be consulted now.

Councillor Willaim McGinnis mooted a town council resolution, unanimously agreed, stating that 'the town council welcomes the opportunity to take over town council assets...and undertake wide ranging consultation before decisions are made...' suggesting such a consultation could mean questionnaires delivered to houses: 'We should take every possible means of contacting the people.' I do like the sound of this but worry if people are told they will have to pay much more they won't be so keen. I'm still not so sure this is really necessary. Surely enough can be raised to get it up and running through donations instead?

I was also fortunate to hear Jeff Stubbs, chair of the town's Civic Society, give a wonderfully detailed account of a survey carried out on the town's general state of disrepair, describing the results 'as indeed frightening.' The town needs lots more care and attention and he was concerned if it is not tackled imminently then much bigger problems will rear their ugly heads. He mentioned that plenty of fixtures and fittings, pavements etc need immediate attention and commented on the fact that many of the shopfronts look scruffy, especially the estate agents - so true!

He announced there may be funding available for a 'Spring Clean' project towards the end of March which sounds great - I'm sure the schools and pre-school mums would be happy to get involved.

I've spoken to Jeff before and find him incredibly reassuring - it's good to know there are people like him which are keeping a firm eye on caring for and improving this still beautiful town in the best possible way.

Dean needs a helping hand to get to the Special Olympics in Athens

2011-02-07T14:21:00.003Z

Gymnast Dean Meakin, a member of the Disabilities Squad at Camm Street, will be representing Great Britain in the 2011 Special Olympic World Games in Athens in June.

Dean, who has Down’s Syndrome, has already won a plethora of medals - his finest achievement being a gold medal winner at the British national gymnastics championships a couple of years ago.

He started gymnastics when he was eight years old and as he nears 30, is now the team captain for the national disabilities display team. He has until June to raise enough funds for his trip to Athens in the summer when the Special Olympic World Games takes place between 25^th June and 4th July.

Any donations to help Dean with his journey to Athens can be dropped off at Camm Street reception.

The Emblem of the Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 is a radiant sun, the source of life that underlines the excellence and power of the athlete that takes part in the Games. Excellence is depicted in the olive branch and power in the spiral form in the center of the sun. The colors reflect the Greek landscape and project emotions like passion for life in the warm red, optimism in the orange, determination in the blue, freedom in the light blue and hope in the green.

Toddlers and the age of quirkiness

2011-02-07T09:17:00.003Z

Lying in bed last night we were having a giggle about the quirky/hilarious behaviour of our offspring. Gourmet Gray’s final remark of ‘well, I’d be very surprised if Poppy doesn’t turn out to be a professional gymnast, swimmer or surfer’ had me in a fit of giggles. She’s recently taken to wearing beachwear as often as we allow her, complete with goggles, and continually asks when we can go to the beach. She reminds me very much of the great little character Gertie, played by Drew Barrymore in ET, one of my favourite ever movies when I was young. I remember at the tender age of 10 wondering why she was sporting goggles at the dinner table. Now all these years later, I finally know why!

Quite interesting titbit

2011-02-06T21:51:00.002Z

I’ve just read an amazing story about Belgian guy who yesterday broke a world record crossing the finishing line of his last marathon in Barcelona after running one every day for a year!

Stefaan Engels, nicknamed ‘Marathon Man’, began his challenge in Belgium a year ago and has since run 365 marathons across seven countries notching up 15,000km (9,569 miles) in the process. The great thing is that Engels suffered from asthma as a child and had been told by doctors to avoid sport!!

Before Engels, the record marathon man was Akinori Kusuda of Japan - who ran 52 races in a row at the age of 65 in 2009.

Time to take my civic hall campaign to the town council

2011-02-06T10:25:00.002Z

I’ll be going to tomorrow’s meeting of Nantwich Town Council to make a plea to councillors that we take back our Civic Hall and make it work for the town. I’m not very good at getting my points across succinctly, especially in a short space of time, so I have instead written a little ‘speech.’

I have no idea how it will go down. The councillors could possibly embrace my sentiments enthusiastically and it may subsequently spark a town campaign to restore our Civic Hall to its former glory. Alternatively, the more likely scenario will be some smiles and sympathetic nodding of heads, several comments along the lines of it not being quite that easy but a promise to consider my comments in the process. And then a decision will be made to sell the Civic Hall off to a private company when the time comes.

But it’s worth a try hey? And perhaps along the way I’ll find others who think it’s worth fighting for and collectively we’ll achieve something great. I will let you know how I get on.

A great way to spend a dreary Saturday morning

2011-02-05T14:37:00.004Z

We took Newcastle Vue cinema up on its Kids Am screening this morning and went to see Megamind. The Kids Am club, sponsored by LEGO, means that at 10.30am every Saturday and Sunday morning the admission is £1 for all.

So it was just £3 for Zac, Poppy and myself - although the cheap rate was somewhat annulled when our munches bill of a drink, a ‘small’ box of popcorn and a few jelly sweets came to £9.96!! Why do cinemas feel the need to provide over-sized snacks and refreshments? Popcorn for me, is all part of the cinema experience but I do resent paying so much for such a large quantity. I don’t get it at all.

Anyway, it was understandably busy but we bypassed the super long queue as we’d booked tickets online and used an automatic ticket machine on the wall to the right as you walk in. You just pop the relevant card in and Bobs your aunty’s live-in lover. When we’d walked a few miles down a long carpeted corridor to Screen 5, the seats were plush and comfy and the environment cosy.

The story centres on baddie Megamind who conquers his nemesis, goodie Metro Man but finds his life pointless without a hero to fight. For Zac and myself, the film was great, although a little too long-winded and wordy for Poppy but she enjoyed herself despite this. The dashing and super cheesy superhero Metroman, voiced by the brilliant Brad Pitt, had me laughing out loud – he was hilarious. But the camp and extremely blue Megamind (Will Ferrell) also had plenty of funny moments. For an old rock chick like me, the soundtrack was tremendous, comprising greats from Guns ‘N Roses (Welcome to the Jungle) and ACDC (Highway to Hell) and climaxed with an all dancing scene accompanied by Micheal Jackson’s Bad, which had Poppy and myself jigging away in our seats.

Fab. A great way to spend a rainy old Saturday morning.

View further Kids Am screenings here: www.myvue.com/kids-films/

It's not every day a premiership footballer pops round to admire your kitchen

2011-02-04T14:52:00.005Z

It’s not every day a premiership footballer pops round to admire your kitchen. But that’s what happened to us this morning.

Since having our kitchen refurbished a year and a half ago, we have had many admirers and the local builder and friend who helped put it together, Jack Frost, has had quite a bit of work off the back of it by bringing people round to see it. Word has continued spreading and he is now getting people requesting to see our kitchen! Which is what lead to Stoke footballer Danny Higginbotham and his partner popping by today.

However, it’s now time to spill the beans about our kitchen – it was the vision of Gourmet Gray that has made it so great. Forever incredibly conscientious (I call it anal) when it comes to spending money, he worked on the design of our kitchen (using the Ikea kitchen planner) for months before we got started. We had discussion after discussion about it and while some of the details are most definitely mine (such as the under cupboard lighting and our ‘bespoke’ shelves) he really should take all the credit.

So Gourmet’s Gray’s absolute attention to detail, which I sometimes find a touch frustrating, has played the trump card well and truly this time round, potentially making me a little more accommodating in the future.

Although I am struggling to empathise in the case of our bathroom refit, which has been half finished for three months and counting…

Let's bring the Civic Hall back to the people of Nantwich and make it prosper

2011-02-02T16:44:00.003Z

It’s crunch time as Cheshire East look to make more and more savings – and in doing this, they are thinking of handing control of our great town venues, such as the Market Hall and Nantwich Civic Hall, back to the town.

And it’s about time too! Surely we should never have lost control of such fantastic assets to the town in the first place? Did you know the Civic Hall was created, with the money of Nantwich residents, in memory of those Dabbers who fell in World War II?

It currently costs a lot to run - I understand it’s around £1/4m per year and is making a loss of around £100,000 per year (£2000 per week!) Which I’m sure is why the town council is reticent to take it on again without back up (for more than two years they have been trying to agree a guaranteed dowry with the county which would mean the county helps fund it for the first three years)

Town councillors have said that to keep the likes of the Civic Hall going they would need a rise on the town’s Council Tax precept (the amount the town council claims from each of our council tax – which I think is £29)

And I’m sure Nantwich residents will be willing to pay a little more for the Civic Hall if needs be. But is this really necessary? It’s time we started to run it as a proper business, which would create revenue for the town. For a start, let’s get a nightly programme of fabulous entertainment – I personally feel it is currently lacking somewhat – I love live gigs and theatrical performances but have never seen anything at the Civic Hall which I fancy going along to.

Don’t forget, our open space and play areas currently run by the county are also at risk – now is the time for us to make a list of all those assets and see what can be done with them for the good of the town before they are sold off for - potentially - more housing developments. The deadline date is April 2012 so we have plenty of time to act but we need to start now. Drop our town council an email with your views here.

Council will recycle glass in our silver bins from May

2011-02-01T13:15:00.001Z

At last I am to be spared the embarrassment of staggering round the local bottle skip with carrier bags full of empty wine bottles - Cheshire East has finally decided to include glass in its silver bin collection!

The change will also allow us to include a far greater range of materials in our silver bin, including glass, mixed plastics and film wrap. (The full list of items will be clearly stated on a sticker on the bin lid.) The council will introduce the glass and other plastics collection scheme in phases - phase one will cover the southern part of Cheshire East, beginning in May, and the northern region will start in October.

We’re doing pretty well as a county – in 2009/10 Cheshire East achieved a recycling of 49.46 per cent – the highest in the North West and almost 10 per cent higher than the national average. So keep up the good work everyone!

However, the cost to all local tax payers for landfill tax this year is £3.5m and next year this goes up to £4.2m unless we recycle even more.

Photo caption: Councillor Rod Menlove stands at the foot of a paper mountain waiting to be recycled at the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Pyms Lane, Crewe.

Young dabbers launch poster campaign to improve their image

2011-01-31T09:45:00.004Z

Teenagers in Nantwich are aiming to create a positive image of themselves around the town with a poster campaign. Twenty pupils from Malbank and Brine Leas are currently creating a number of posters with six different designs to encourage us ‘older people’ to think about ‘the true role youngsters play in society.’

The project is in response to a Youth Parliament survey, which found that young people feel they are often portrayed in a negative light by elderly people and forms the beginning of a long-term Nantwich Education Improvement Partnerships (NEIP) project.

I think it’s a nice idea but I imagine older peoples' perception of teens won’t really change until they see evidence of them playing an active role in the community. Far more projects need implementing around the town which bring the different generations together – how about getting them to design the image for Nantwich’s fantastic In Bloom committee to create in the town square? How about them putting on a talent show for the oldies in the Civic Hall? What about an annual carnival and procession – a perfect way to show off the creative talents of our teenagers, and get them working alongside others? Perhaps we could implement a scheme whereby teens go to older people’s houses and help out around the house or garden? Let’s hope this NEIP project really is the start of some great schemes which will see teens and their older peers enjoying each other’s company.

Picture caption: Sam Barker (Malbank), Holly Harvey, Chelsea Boyers (both Brine Leas) Lucy Benson, Jack Gresty (both Malbank) and Darren Griffin (Brine Leas) get their heads together to design posters to improve their image.

Saturday afternoon fun at the Wingate Centre

2011-01-30T10:05:00.002Z

Poppy and I had a fantastic time at the Wingate Centre in Wrenbury yesterday afternoon. The session, which is free of charge, is organised by Nantwich Children’s Centre and takes place on the last Saturday of every month.

The centre is well off the beaten track and you really have to be in the know to find it at the end of an extremely long, winding drive which also leads to Wrenbury Hall, a very popular venue for wedding couples, set as it is in the beautifully scenic Cheshire countryside.

All the best places have to be a little hard to find don’t they? That’s what keeps them so special.

Each summer, The Wingate Special Children’s Trust offers residential breaks to children with profound physical and learning disabilities. Such breaks not only provide a holiday for the children but also give their carers and families a well deserved rest.

Lucky for us, the Wingate Centre is open to all children and regularly runs gymnastic sessions from its amazing gymnasium, which includes full size trampolines, beams, bars, a ball pit and lots of soft play facilities.

Courtesy of the children’s centre we enjoyed an hour of free play before snack which included crackers, cheese, apple and breadsticks. We then took to the brilliant adventure playground outside in the weak winter sunshine. It really was lovely and the children – and several parents – had great fun on the diverse range of outdoor play equipment. The Wingate Centre is a very special place, thanks to the magnificent volunteers that run it and all the local organisations which regularly run events to fund it.

Rapunzel is a modern day heroine in Walt Disney's 50th feature

2011-01-28T14:28:00.002Z

Walt Disney’s 50^th feature, Tangled, is out today and is available to view at both Crewe Reel (only in 3D) and Vue in Newcastle.

However, fairy tale heroine Rapunzel has kicked off the constraints of those who have gone before such as Snow White (1937) and Cinderella, who waited for their handsome princes to sweep them off their feet and proves more than a match for the rogue who breaks into her tower.

When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo set off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

View times at Reel Crewe here.

View times at Newcastle Vue here.

Running Time: 100mins

Some beautiful winter sunshine makes my life seem idyllic

2011-01-28T13:37:00.006Z

I love my life. I had a fantastic walk into town in the beautiful sunshine with my baby and a mini witch called Poppy, although it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, as they say.

We hit Nantwich Children’s Centre running at 10.30am and as soon as we entered Poppy was turning the staff into frogs. I often wonder where she gets that kind of confidence from. Gourmet Gray says she’s a mini version of me but I have never been that confident – I just pretend from time to time. With Poppy it’s real and I envy her big time.

The doors were wide open and the sun was streaming in and it wasn’t too busy so there were lots of toys to play with – even a tent to play in!

“Who’s she mummy? The lady you were talking to?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know…”

Poppy needs to know the names of anyone and everyone we meet. I’ve even resorted to making the names up of people we pass by in the street to keep her happy and it’s actually quite fun coming up with names to suit the face. However, I can’t get away with it at the children’s centre. And then I feel daft because I talk to this particular lady nearly every week and I don’t know her name or the names of her children. And now it feels a little too late to ask!

Like I said, social confidence was never my strong point. Children make it all seem so much easier somehow.

Family Movie Day at Malbank Community Cinema

2011-01-28T08:44:00.005Z

Malbank Community Cinema will be hosting a Family Movie Day with a screening of the The Lion King on Saturday 19th February at 10.30am. Admission is free! There will also be free facepainting by Hullabaloo Kids. Email to confirm your attendance on sharon@hullabalookids.net

A Cheshire taxi ride which was, for once, well worth the money

2011-01-27T12:11:00.004Z

I’ve always enjoyed getting taxis in the past but since moving to Cheshire that enjoyment has gone completely out of the window due to the enormous cost of taking a cab anywhere, eg the charge of going from Willaston to Crewe train station.(a distance of well under 3 miles) is £8! However, I desperately needed to get somewhere with the two girls yesterday and being a one car family we explored the idea of Graham getting to work by train and bike so he could leave me the car. However, the train fare is £7, more expensive than the cab fare for a change. So I got the cab.

And I am so glad I did as it was an example of excellent service, which I feel is so hard to come by these days. The taxi came from Abbey Cars in Hightown in Crewe and my call was answered promptly, my questions answered fully and I was told a taxi would be available within 15-20 minutes. It arrived 10 minutes later and the driver couldn’t have been more friendly, smiley and helpful. He got out of the cab and gently took the buggy off me to pack into the boot, offered to buckle Poppy into her seat and while we rode, chatted in a genuinely interested way. When we reached our destination, without waiting to be paid, he took the buggy out of the boot and even put it up for me. He was extremely patient while I sorted the girls out and eventually got round to paying him.

It was a real breath of fresh air following several experiences I have had with pretty grumpy drivers on the very rare occasion I have needed to grab a cab from the train station.

Following yesterday's experience I would wholeheartedly recommend Abbey Cars, established in Crewe since the 70s and operating a 24 hour service on: 01270 212125.

Enjoy a spot of twitching this weekend in aid of a great cause

2011-01-26T21:21:00.004Z

When Bebe gets me up at some ungodly hour, the only thing to top the sound of the kettle boiling is that of the birds singing outside the kitchen window. I love birds and feed them whenever I can as I know it is an important job in the depths of winter. I enjoy watching them dart in and out of the twisted hazel by the feeders in our back garden. We even had a woodpecker pop in for some nuts a couple of years ago – such a beautiful bird of great character - a sight I will remember for a very long time.

But our poor birds are struggling for survival as their natural habitat is eroded with our ongoing mission to build more and more houses, roads, supermarkets, etc, etc. We've lost more than half of our house sparrows, and three-quarters of our starlings to quote just a few terrible statistics in the bird world.

The RSPB are trying to tackle the problem by encouraging people to provide natural habitats where they can and constantly monitor our feathered friends. And with our help they can continue their great work. Part of that work is carrying out surveys to spot problems and help aid the recovery of each species. And next weekend is an important one for this as the RSPB ask us to take part in their Big Garden Birdwatch (29^th and 30^th January)

All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (if you struggle to identify birds, a printout of the RSPB’s handy bird ID sheet) and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden on either Saturday or Sunday. Then simply record the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, and visit here: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch to record what you saw.

Todays blog is dedicated to happiness

2011-01-25T09:55:00.003Z

Many years ago I read a very old book I found in my parents’ bookcase called The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. It was full of practical and amusing stories using powerful phrases from the Bible and had a profound affect on me at the time. And as I’ve progressed through life I’ve realised more and more that it’s not so much what happens in your life but how you feel about it all that really matters.

You just have to watch babies get huge pleasure out of the simplest things to see how natural happiness is at the beginning of our lives. But somewhere along the line we just seem to lose the knack, allowing ourselves to get bogged down with stress, money worries, fear for our children's safety, ill health, the ironing pile, etc, etc...

For fifty years we have aimed at higher incomes – and got them. But the shocking fact is that, despite being much wealthier, surveys demonstrate that we’re no happier than we were five decades ago. At the same time we've seen an increase in wider social issues, including a worrying rise in levels of anxiety and depression in young people – see earlier blog post here. This surely points to the fact that we need to make a radical change to our priorities.

With this in mind, a new charity, Action for Happiness, is being launched to try to spread the latest research and advice on how to be happier. The story on the Beeb includes a fantastic 10 minute online meditation former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe – enjoy it here

The BBC is asking everyone to have a go at the 'Happiness Challenge' and share their progress.

It wont take much time, there are just three parts to the challenge:

1. 10 minutes of daily mindfulness meditation

2. Writing down good things that happen to you and a letter expressing your gratitude

3. Doing one or more additional acts of kindness each day

Go to the Beeb website and download the Happiness Challenge workbook: www.bbc.co.uk/news/12263893 and read more about Action for Happiness here: www.actionforhappiness.org/

Happy Tuesday!

Get rid of the traffic and bring in the Arts!

2011-01-24T09:55:00.006Z

It's pretty daunting to see that Hospital Street in Nantwich has been labelled as one of the worst roads for air quality in Cheshire East according to a recent report. Tests show the street suffers from levels of nitrogen dioxide above air quality targets, linked to pollution from transport. A range of options are proposed to cut transport emissions, such as improving road layouts, amending traffic signals to reduce congestion, or applying pollution-absorbing paint.

Pollution-absorbing paint?! How about getting rid of the traffic?! Let's turn Hospital Street into THE best road in town for business and entertainment. It's got huge potential but not if everyone who goes down there is choking from fumes on the way.

I personally would like to see Hospital Street, Market Street, Pepper Street and High Street completely pedestrianised between 9am and 5pm, although I know such measures would be greeted with huge opposition. Why can't all deliveries be made before or after these times? And is it really necessary to have any traffic moving through town at any time when there is a perfectly easy route around the outside? Nantwich is a perfect town for pedestrianisation. I don't agree with the argument that business would suffer because people wouldn't come into town - I'm fairly sure that pedestrianising the inner streets and encouraging a more diverse array of businesses would do far more to encourage people to the town centre.

We have a beautiful closed down church on Hospital Street (see pic) which would make a fantastic arts centre - however I understand it has been assigned to death as yet more accommodation and is going to remain closed and out of use for a few years yet because the local development company who have brought it are struggling to implement change of use legislation.

And where Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans have now closed on Hospital Street, we have yet another beauty shop taking its place. As if we need yet another business dedicated to human grooming? I have counted at least 10 hairdressers in the town centre (my new nickname is 'hair central') - three are within 20 steps of each other in Welsh Row!! Surely our town council can do more to encourage a better range of shops around the town. We'd SIN a lot more if there were more places to SIN in! (That's Shop in Nantwich, a town council campaign, incase you were wondering.)

It's time we had our say about the state of our air quality and what can be done about it. The Air Quality Action Plan and the Local Air Quality Strategy consultation runs until March 18. Act now - you can view the documents here: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk and send your comments to: airquality@cheshireeast.gov.uk

The Sealed Knot educated and entertained with aplomb

2011-01-23T10:28:00.001Z

We went along to the launch of Holly Holy Day in Nantwich yesterday morning, which started spectacularly well with a resplendent performance by the Sea Cadets in the town square. Unfortunately the Punch and Judy show didn't start until 15 minutes after advertised (If you've ever had small children you will know that is a very long time to stand around in the cold with nothing else to do) and took place several metres behind a steel fence so most of the children struggled to get a good view. It would have been far better if the magic show followed P&J but it wasn't scheduled until more than an hour later, which for us is far too long to hang around with an 18-month and a 3 year old.

However, the Sealed Knot Society, as always, didn't disappoint and delivered an account of The Battle of Nantwich with vigour and aplomb. I returned later in the afternoon with Poppy in time to see the start of the procession entering the town from Welsh Row (they'd previously marched from Acton, where, in 1643, 1500 Royalists surrended in Acton's graveyard ensuring a Parliament victory)

It was so exciting waiting in the expectant crowd lining the streets, with the faint sound of the drums gradually increasing as the party made their way down Welsh Row. The mist enhanced the electric atmosphere as the Royalists emerged with shouts of 'God save the King!'

The costumes were fantastic and the props so realistic (Poppy was especially impressed by the 'big sticks') We watched them all go by and followed the procession to the town square, although the huge crowd got a little claustrophobic for us so we took a diversion to the sweet shop before heading home. There was no point in seeing the battle as the cannon fire would scare Poppy to death but anyway, there was no need - as soon as she got home she couldn't wait to draw a picture and write about it in her pre-school book to tell everyone about 'the big battle of Nantwich' next week.

Let the Battle of Nantwich commence

2011-01-21T13:04:00.000Z

See history brought to life in the town's annual Holly Holy Day tomorrow (22nd) From 9.30am there will be a free programme of events launched by the Nantwich Sea Cadets band from the square. There will be dancing, music and drama performances on stage by X Academy and the Nantwich Players and the children will also enjoy a magic show, a helping of Punch and Judy and even the chance to ride the cannon! At Nantwich Museum there will be a musketry demonstration, a war game re-enactment of the battle and historical tours of the town for a small fee. The Parish Hall will be the setting for a 17th century music event and a living history exhibition will be erected on the lawn outside. Mounted cavaliers will be parading around town and market traders will be offering samples of port and cheese. There will also be a traditional hog roast and Holly buttonholes will be on sale. Phew!

The battle begins at 2pm on Mill Island - admission is £2 for adults and £1 for children (£5 for a family ticket) However, do bear in mind that the cannon fire is extremely LOUD and some of the little ones won't like it.

For a full guide to what's on, pick up a free programme from the Tourist Info Centre at the Civic Hall. Have a great day!

Zumba has finally come to town and does it rock!

2011-01-20T22:02:00.005Z

Today I took part in the first ever Zumba class at Shavington Children’s Centre. And boy, what a laugh it was. There were only three of us as the crèche facilities had been withdrawn at short notice but I was assured that future sessions are fully booked for the six week course (again, no crèche facilities) I expected to be shown the steps in a little more detail, the instructor just seemed to do her stuff and we copied – or desperately attempted to. It was extremely fast and my fellow zumba participant voiced my fears when she said: ‘I’m afraid I’m wobbling a little more than I’m wiggling.’ I suffered from several fits of the giggles, especially when I became aware that I was becoming mesmerised by the instructor’s shimmying chest – I did try to look elsewhere but it seemed to be the only dance move for a while.

However, I am incredibly smitten. What a great idea. I’ve never been a big fan of aerobics but love to dance – it’s about time someone came up with the ultimate dance style workout. And they did it years ago – apparently it has taken us several decades to latch on over here in the UK and there are currently lots of classes popping up all over Nantwich. I love the style of music – it’s very latino, with Cuban and Indian influences. We even did a bit of Bollywood at one point – I felt extremely under-dressed in my jogging pants. And our fabulous cool down tune was the Banana Boat song by Harry Belafonte. Hands up who remembers that great scene in Beetlejuice?

http://search.zumba.com/classes

Round-up of weekly events at our local childrens centres

2011-01-19T11:17:00.003Z

I often think children’s centres, such wonderful resources for parents with pre-school children, are under-promoted and subsequently undervalued and underused. I often visit both Nantwich and Shavington children centres with my two girls and they always have a great time. If these centres remain underused I’m sure in our current climate they will be closed down. This should never happen – the more we use them, the more they will provide for us - they have regular ‘parent power’ meetings to find out what YOU want so do try and go along if you have suggestions and any good ideas. I have put together a weekly round-up of events at these two vital resources below.

MONDAYS

Bluebells Fun Hour 10am-11am – Shavington CC

TUESDAYS

One Stop Drop-in 1.30pm-3pm – Nantwich CC

WEDNESDAYS

Stay and Play 1pm-3pm – Shavington CC

THURSDAYS

Baby Signing with our Sharon (Hullabaloo Kids) 9.30am-10am – Shavington CC

Baby Café for breastfeeding mums – 1.30pm-3pm – Nantwich CC

FRIDAYS

Stay and Play – 10am-12pm – Nantwich CC
Sensory hour for babies – 1pm – 2pm – Nantwich CC

SATURDAYS

On the last Saturday of each month Nantwich CC hosts a free gym session at the Wingate Centre in Wybunbury (you need to book a place)

For further details, contact Shavington CC on: 01270 371225 and Nantwich CC on: 01270 375390.

Poppy's Picks 16: Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki

2011-01-18T21:37:00.003Z

It’s not often that a film makes it into Poppy’s Picks but Ponyo, directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki, is pretty special when it comes to a children’s movie.

I am overjoyed that this was the first film Poppy ever saw at the cinema (she was 2 and a half) and the jaw-dropping animation held her and her 11-year-old brother riveted throughout. Ponyo is sooo cute and the story is magical, compelling and wonderful.

Environmental issues are on the agenda and the sea is portrayed in many varied guises – many of which bring tears to the eyes due to its stunning beauty, right from the off. I could not recommend this film highly enough – it really is a masterpiece.

Walk with ghosts at Crewe Train Station

2011-01-18T12:58:00.000Z

If you like a good ghost story you might be interested in a spooky tour around Crewe Train Station on Saturday (22nd) 'Strange at Crewe - The Crewe Station Ghost Tour' will also highlight a little known horror story by a famous author set on Crewe Station around the 1920s.

Local ghost walk extraordinaire, Tim Prevett will lead the tour, which will allow access to one of the tunnels underneath the station. The tours will take place at 7pm and 8:30pm. Some proceeds will be donated to Virgin Trains' nominated charity, CLIC Sargent, for helping children with cancer.

All enquires and bookings are being handled by Ghost Walks of Crewe and Nantwich on 07952 984229.

It's time us mums relaxed a little more about our inadequacies

2011-01-17T21:12:00.001Z

I can identify with today’s headline about mothers feeling under pressure to appear perfect or ‘yummy’ when talking to fellow mums. It follows a recent conversation I had with a couple of mums about the amount of television our children watch. I began by admitting how sorry I was at how much I have come to depend on TV as a way of coping on a daily basis. And then one of the mums pointed out that although the telly goes on in the day, it is only in half hour sections and ‘at NO time is it on in the background’ to which I then started to feel a little guilty, wondering how often telly is providing the background buzz in our house. And then I started to wonder was that actually really the case? Maybe she also felt the need to convey that perfect picture of motherhood. Or maybe she really is that good a parent.

Whatever the case, I have on occasion felt awful when mums have gone on about how soon their tots started toilet training (under 2 years? Really??)/talking/walking etc, etc and have felt the crushing feeling of inferiority when my baby has seemed so far behind (never mind my ironing pile/gathering dust balls)

The Netmums website, which carried out the survey, is now launching what it calls The Real Parenting Revolution, encouraging parents to accept the reality of how they live, rather than feeling bad about not living up to a myth of perfection.

Sounds good to me. I unfortunately don’t see my cousin Elizabeth very often but whenever we catch up, she is like a breath of fresh air. She also has three children and is struggling with her son right now, who is approaching teendom. Her comment of ‘sometimes I feel a sense of dread when I hear his footsteps on the stairs in the morning’ was extremely reassuring, as I too have experienced the same feeling with my stepson entering that grunting, non-communicative era. The sense of relief I felt with that one statement was enormous. Being in the position of full-time stepmum to my 12-year-old I was beginning to think that perhaps the ‘step’ issue was beginning to get in the way of my feelings for him and the guilt had subconsciously been building up in the background. All that guilt dissipated instantly when Elizabeth uttered what I dared not say.

If more mums could relax a little more about their inadequacies, life would be far easier for us all.

Enjoy an authentic lunchtime Italian experience at Romazzinos

2011-01-14T20:04:00.004Z

It was Gourmet Gray’s birthday and as the elder two were at school/pre-school we chanced a birthday lunch with our 18-month-old at Romazzinos in Nantwich.

It’s a mystery to me how toddlers are so easily incorporated into the foody cultures of our European neighbours. Personally I currently abhor the idea of any kind of eating-out experience (apart from super fast food places) as the littlest one just hasn’t got the patience for it.

However, feeling starved of social occasions, I insisted it was a good idea with fingers crossed and happily noted the restaurant was empty ie no-one to get upset by an excited toddler - but I imagine that would put most people off.

And what a good move it turned out to be. I experienced THE most amazing spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread. My mouth is now salivating at the thought of the beautiful, aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth experience the bolognaise was. Pure heaven. We also enjoyed a pizza, one half plain for Bebe, the other smothered in pepperoni and olives, which the polite and attentive staff happily accommodated. And I also very much enjoyed a small glass of wine (I didn’t specify any particular variety but it was extremely good)

Bebe sat still long enough to enjoy a good portion of pizza, spaghetti and garlic bread and then had a little walk about, which the staff didn’t seem to mind in the least – one of the waiters was playing peekabo with her over the bar. When she started to get a bit too excited and noisy, we made a move. The entire lunchtime bill came to just over £20 (the incredible bolognaise was a bargain at £5.50)

I can’t think why this place stands so empty at lunchtime. Perhaps it’s because it is hidden away down Love Lane or maybe people just presume it is an evening venue but for whatever reason, it deserves far more custom in the day. Go along and take a look at the menu - I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

I've entered the hallowed realm of cake making

2011-01-12T21:22:00.000Z

You know you’ve hit the big time domestically when you trump the mother-in-law’s Christmas cake.

Gourmet Gray’s mum has always provided our family's Christmas cake as a festive present to her son. But as it has always been ‘his’ present we have had to wait until he decides he wants to share it. And being a Christmas cake lover, I’ve always found this pretty frustrating. So last year, I decided for the first time to have a go at making my own.

In the past, the sheer size and complexity of the Christmas Cake has always seemed out of reach for a novice baker such as myself but I was guided by a more experienced friend towards the holy grail that is Delia’s Classic Christmas Cake - in print since 1978! So I tried it out and the cake turned out fabulous, unfortunately marred by the flat and lifeless shop-bought icing I smothered it in.

So this year I again created Delia’s classic, lovingly ‘feeding’ it with brandy each week (nurturing a cake in this way is very good for the soul) and on December 23rd I slapped on my own royal icing and went to work on creating a wonderfully dishevelled snowscape, in complete rebellion to the bland icing of last year. And it was truly wonderful. A rich, dark and very moist fruit cake, sporting the perfect marzipan/icing topping ratio.

And I wasn't the only one to think so. Where our Christmas cake used to hang around until Easter, I took this picture yesterday (see above) and was even more amazed to see the last few crumbs disappear down Zac’s throat this evening – an Egerton record by far - while mum’s cake remains relatively untouched (she is no silver surfer so I rest assured her honour will remain intact)

The Power of Poetry

2011-01-10T21:32:00.001Z

Every day my spirits lift a little when the postman shoves my daily post through the letterbox. And every day my heart sinks as I grab my meagre bundle of junk mail and bank/utility statements. But today was different. Today, I received a wonderful letter from United Press saying that I hadn’t won the poetry competition (boo) but they loved my poem and, with my permission, would like to publish it in their next ‘book of poetry by creative UK writers like you.’ Like me! Wow!

Well, I’ve been on a high ever since – I’ll be a published poet! I especially liked the bit saying there will be a copy kept at the British Library and other libraries across the UK. I often wonder if anyone will spare a thought for me once I’m gone to the spirits in the sky (apart from my nearest and dearest) and now they will. Every time they read my poem!

So me being on Cloud 9 and thinking poetry is the way forward for all (I’m certainly no seasoned poet, I just jot lines down and loosely group them together as a poem – if they rhyme, all the better) - let’s encourage our young into a love of poetry as soon as we can. As always, the Beeb are on the ball with this great CBeebies website. (PS, Gourmet Gray and I have spent ages playing on it.)

No more new year's resolutions until I master my last one

2011-01-07T14:22:00.002Z

Berthold Auerbach: 'Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life'

I no longer make New Year’s Resolutions, safe in the knowledge that the one I started in 2007 will take me a few years yet to master. And that’s learning piano. I currently feel delirious with joy at just having passed my Grade 4 exam. I was certain I’d failed due to a few major slip ups but the examiner obviously put them down to exam nerves which I suffer from hugely. I have never, ever worried about written exams but there is something about practical tests which make my limbs wobble! Back in the dark ages when I took my driving test, I remember my leg shaking so much I struggled to apply the accelerator – and now one hand involuntarily shakes under the pressure of a 12 minute piano exam.

Following my last exam I declared I would never do another – I could no longer cope with the year-long pressure of learning all those scales, arpeggios and pieces, over and over and over again. And here I am with my Grade 4 certificate already framed, eyeing my Grade 5 pieces with a new hunger and desire to master them. I love it. It’s completely addictive.

In our ‘now’ world, it is wonderful to attempt something which is so difficult and soooo slow (there are 8 grades in all and I’m achieving at a rate of one per year) But the personal satisfaction gained from such a long personal journey is immense.

If you fancy making a similar journey of discovery and achievement, the Guardian ran a cracking guide to learning piano a couple of years back: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/series/piano-keyboard-guide

There's a great piece by Jools Holland where he says if you want to learn piano, buy one: "These days people think nothing of spending a fortune on a computer or flat-screen television, but a piano seems like a luxury. It isn't. It's one of the few things you buy for life. There's not much point in having lessons if there's no piano to practise on. It's also a lovely piece of furniture." Good point!

Celebrate the relationship of mother and daughter through poetry at Nantwich Library

2011-01-04T22:05:00.002Z

While expecting my first daughter I understood the meaning of the pregnancy ‘bloom’ fully and completely for the first time. I was brimming with creativity, and while beginning to learn to play the piano (thanks to my generous music teacher friend) I also penned a few poems about the life I was nurturing inside me.

If you have experienced anything similar you will especially enjoy an event at Nantwich Library on Thursday (6th) when former Cheshire Poet Laureate Joy Winkler will be celebrating the mother daughter relationship in a series of verse.

The poetry begins at 2pm, and there will be refreshments available after the performance. The audience will get chance to discuss Joy’s poetry with her. And if you’re feeling brave, there will be an opportunity to read your own poetry to all things feminine!

The event is free of charge.

Aladdin at Crewe Lyceum provided the perfect climax to a great year

2011-01-03T15:38:00.005Z

I’m ashamed to say I have lived in Nantwich for five years now and have never been to Crewe Lyceum. However, we caught the very last performance of Aladdin there last night and it now looks set to become a regular haunt for us.

I took Poppy (aged 3) and Zac (aged 12) wondering nervously if one was too young and the other was too old – but I need not have worried. The place itself is incredibly exciting with its Edwardian grandeur and exquisite carvings - built in 1911, it will be 100 years old this year!

And the production was stunning to boot. We were in the stalls, fourth row from the front. And from there we had the perfect view of the wonderfully colourful set, props and larger than life characters. Widow Twankey (Leon Craig) stole the show for me. She had the most amazing sparkly lips, superb outfits and was soooo funny and full of life (oh, those poor men in the audience)

But that should not detract from the great performances and professionalism of every other character – they were all fantastic, including the dancing babes, all local children. Aladdin (Jamie-Lee Mason) was gorgeous – get those pins – the dopey Wishee Washee (Craig Hollinsworth) was brilliant (Zac’s favourite) and the bits with Abanazar (Abacazar to us) were suitably dark and ‘very scarey’ according to Poppy, making him her firm favourite, although she also loved the dragon mouthed cave and the full-size walking elephant who ‘did a poo-poo on the stage!’ We laughed, we sang (loved the rub-a-dub song) and constantly told Wishee Washee he was ever so dishy. Poppy embraced the ‘he’s behind you’ bits with aplomb – the man next to her was incredulous that such a big voice can come out of a petit little blondie. In fact we loved every minute!

On leaving, I was aghast to see that it was almost 9pm, meaning a three hour show (with a 15 minute interval in which Poppy and I spent the entire time in the toilet) which I would normally say is a little too long for toddlers to sit, but on this particular occasion, Poppy was enthralled throughout. And even more amazing, my 12-year-old sat there with a smile on his face from beginning to end – I had to do a few double takes during the show – Zac with a radiant smile is a rare sight these days, let alone a three hour long one!

I’ve been to the theatre on many occasions, taking in the glossiest London shows as well as some fairly abysmal back street am-dram events. And Aladdin at Crewe Lyceum certainly takes its place up there with some of my most memorable and enjoyable theatre experiences. As well as my own 3 and 12 year old, I’m certain it will remain a special memory for hundreds of local children for many years to come. Keep the pantos coming Crewe Lyceum – we can’t wait until next year’s.

Life is like a Christmas cracker - you never know what you’re going to get!

2011-01-01T20:55:00.002Z

Never mind Forrest Gump and his ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ – life is like a Christmas cracker – you never know what you’re going to get! This year, in among the usual uninspired collection of jokes, we pulled out a proper festive cracker: ‘How does Good King Wencelas like his pizza? Deep and crisp and even.’ To the most unbelievably outrageous ‘joke’ I’m sure I will ever witness: ‘How do frogs die? They Kermit suicide.’!!! But our personal favourite has got to be ‘What kind of bees make milk? Boo-bees.’

I have struggled to get through the day with three energetic children in tow due to a humdinger of a hangover after celebrating New Year’s Eve in style last night. We were invited to a friend’s (ranch-style) home in Wybunbury and enjoyed a proper family style celebration with plenty of room for the kids to run round and a souped-up karaoke kit for the grown-ups. Bebe went down – surprisingly easily - in the travel cot at 9pm and Poppy and Zac happily partied on through to the night with surprisingly few tears. Poppy was in her element, climbing up on various knees for a cuddle and performing her gymnastics to rounds of enthusiastic applause. So Gourmet Gray and I actually got to relax and socialise for once, able to forget about the children as they were being so well entertained by everyone else. And so we rang in a very happy and rather tiddley new year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Voluntary work may provide the key to improving mental health

2010-12-29T15:31:00.004Z

Bebe is going through an extremely early get-up phase at the moment where I’m lucky to stay in bed past 6.45am (and more often than not, 6.15!)

However, I sometimes catch an interesting news item at this time of the day before switching over to CBeebies.

This morning, it was a feature concerning how unemployment is causing heightened levels of mental health problems among young people, according to a report by the Prince's Trust charity. Its survey of 2,170 people aged between 16 and 25 revealed almost half had problems such as self-harm and insomnia.

This is terrible and something radical really needs to be done. I think the answer is to keep them busy. And I think voluntary work is the key. While studying I worked at a donkey sanctuary for physically and mentally disabled children and although I also had a weekend job in a hospital, it was my voluntary work that I so eagerly looked forward to each week – and was far more rewarding than any paid work I have done since. Then when I left college and had no ideal job to go into (during the last recession in the early 90s) I went to volunteer on a kibbutz in Israel for three months. It was that experience that helped me return home with great self-esteem and I confidently applied and talked my way into the job I’d always dreamed of – journalism (despite having no qualifications in that particular career)

About one in six respondents to the survey said being out of work was as stressful as a family breakdown, and one in eight said unemployment gave them nightmares. Half of young people seeking work said visits to a job centre made them feel ashamed, and more than half said that job-searching had left them feeling disillusioned or desperate.

We need to remove all that pressure from our youngsters – so what if they’re out of work for a while, let’s encourage them to enjoy some rewarding voluntary work while they find the job they want. They don’t need that top career just yet, they don’t even need to buy that house just yet (I never felt the need to buy my home and spent most of my 20s and early 30s renting bedsits or sharing houses) let them enjoy themselves a little. It’s a time to savour before they have all those commitments of mortgages, bills, dependents etc – let them enjoy it.

For info about local volunteering opportunities, contact South Cheshire CVS on: 01270 211545 (10am - 4pm)

You look about the kind of angel I’d get…

2010-12-27T08:30:00.003Z

I enjoyed It’s a Wonderful Life, as is tradition on Christmas Eve, and adore the part when George Bailey is shown how life would have been so radically different if he hadn’t have been born. It is always a timely reminder for me how even the tiniest contact with someone else can change my life and theirs forever. I have been lucky enough in my life to experience a few random acts of real kindness from strangers, details of which you can find in this blog, and this has had a huge impact on my own life and outlook.

So I was delighted to find a wonderful story on the Beeb website yesterday about this very subject - how a man’s life completely changed direction for the better after a train guard showed him an act of kindness. When he asked how he could repay his kindness he simply said: “The next time you see someone in trouble you help them out. That will pay me back amply.” And so one good turn leads to another…

Enjoy the BBC story here.

Have a wonderful Christmas xxx

2010-12-24T21:00:00.003Z

Snow magic and that warm happy feeling

2010-12-22T21:36:00.001Z

What a beautiful winter wonderland we woke up to this morning! It really was magical after a night of snow. I got a phone call from BBC Radio Stoke at 7.40am to ask if I would deliver a live snow report from Nantwich and I happily obliged, reporting snow flakes as big as cornflakes, with no hint of exaggeration. We managed to create a ‘mini’ snowman (pictured) after a valiant struggle with an oh-so-slowly burgeoning snowball bent double with an aching back. Gourmet Gray blamed our snowman’s diminutive stature on the ‘wrong kind of snow’ which made me giggle.

I experienced a warm feeling on reading that the UK’s first ever interactive Christmas tree is spreading the love at Covent Garden this year – it lights up every time a couple kisses beneath it. Using human touch, the kiss tree is activated each time a kiss occurs, triggering over 50,000 white and red lights to pulse through the tree. Each couple leaves a donation of at least £1 which will raise funds for the Princes Trust.

What a wonderful way to promote that wonderful Christmas spirit – apparently it has already generated three wedding proposals! I think we should have something similar in our town square! I am going to email the town council to suggest they could do something similar next year...

When the kids have finally gone to bed, Christmas TV is a joy to behold

2010-12-19T10:37:00.003Z

When the festive excitement has peaked and the kids have finally gone to bed, one of the best things I enjoy doing is to curl up with a glass of wine and delight in TV at its best.

And for me, it all begins tonight with Atonement on ITV at 10.15pm (until 12.30am) Now I’m a big, big fan of Ian McEwan and think that among his great masterpieces was this heart-renching story. If you have any knowledge of McEwan fiction, you will know it is not a story for the faint hearted! I have yet to see the film but the reviews were outstanding when it came out so I have very high hopes of an enjoyable night in. The film’s screenwriter, Christopher Hampton, wrote another of my very favourite films in the dark distant past - Dangerous Liaisons.

The story begins in 1935, the drama focusing on the burgeoning love affair between privileged Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and servant's son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). A love letter is intercepted, then sibling jealousy and an assault combine to tear them apart. Their hopes of reunion are further complicated by the outbreak of war and the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk. Keira Knightley apparently comes of age, blending cut-glass refinement with passion. Will the knockout twist work as well on screen as it did in the book? I can’t wait to find out…

Get set for this year's Santa Dash!

2010-12-17T14:42:00.001Z

Make your way to Nantwich town centre on Sunday morning (19th) to cheer on a bunch of fundraisers taking part in the Santa Dash from the town square at 10.15am.

Premiership footballer Dean Saunders will kick off the event which sees participants running rings around a 5km or 2.5km circuit taking in Market Street, Beam Street, Waterlode and Mill Street

All runners, who are raising crucial funds for the Railway Children charity, will be rewarded with free mince pies (courtesy of Chatwins) and free mulled wine (courtesy of The Residence) And The Residence will host an After-Dash party for Santas to finish the day with a bang.

One of the participants taking place this year is Grace Clements, Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist in the Heptathlon.

X-Factor singer Marie-Clare Scott will be performing songs to warm-up runners and the three Mayors of Nantwich, Crewe, and Cheshire East will also be in attendance to give out prizes to the winners.

During the event, there will be festive entertainment for families in the square, with fairground attractions and a festive colouring competition for children at WHSmith from 10am onwards, as well as Christmas cuddles from the official race mascot – furry friend Wulvern Bear.

All proceeds raised will support the work of Sandbach-based charity Railway Children, which safeguards and protects kids living on the streets, escaping violence, abuse and neglect. The charity’s programmes also provide outreach workers, food, shelter, education and counselling.

Last year's Santa Dash (pictured) was a huge success with over 350 Santas braving the snow.

Let's give Father Christmas his magic back

2010-12-16T12:44:00.001Z

I love Christmas – we have the chintziest tree in the neighbourhood - but utterly resent the whole commercial caboodle that comes with it. The shops, the ads, the overwhelming onslaught of plastic tat. But the biggest thing that gets my goat and for me, spoils any magic surrounding the idea of Father Christmas is that he has duplicates everywhere – in every nook and cranny of every shop, playgroup, school fayre, etc, etc. And he takes many guises – one minute he has a squeaky voice, the next a deep and rather scarey growly one, sometimes he has glasses, sometimes not, sometimes he is fat, thin, short, tall, sometimes he doesn’t even get his lines right – more about that later. It doesn’t take a 3-year-old of average intelligence long to figure out that Father Christmas is actually a lot of different people. This was made blatantly obvious to me last night when Poppy asked me, “Mummy which Santa will visit us at Christmas? The one at Sophie’s party or the one at Pre-School?”

How could I answer ‘there is only one Father Christmas darling’ when there so obviously isn’t? So I lamely said: “The magic one.” Luckily she left it there. Unfortunately she didn’t leave it there when Santa visited her pre-school group Christmas party yesterday. I was informed that Poppy had given Santa a good grilling, with questions such as “Where are your reindeer?” Answer: “In the stables, they only come out on Christmas Eve.” Poppy: “So how did you get here?”

And then on the way home she said sadly: “He didn’t even say Ho-ho-ho.”

Let’s bring back the magic of Christmas and leave Santa where he belongs – in Lapland with his elves until Christmas Eve when you might be lucky to hear his reindeer’s bells tinkling but you will never, ever see him, because he only visits when you’re tucked up in bed asleep.

Community event featured carols and mulled wine...eventually

2010-12-14T12:50:00.000Z

I was invited to the town council ‘meet the community’ Christmas shindig last night. Unfortunately someone neglected to mention that there would be a Christmas Carol sing-along-session before the mulled wine made an appearance. For almost an hour before the mulled wine made an appearance, in fact.

Acton Amateur Operatic Society led the singing, and I did my best with a severely parched throat. The conductor gave us interesting stories about each carol before it was sung, although I was becoming a little sceptical by the time she read out the religious meanings of each gift of The twelve days of Christmas from text pasted from the internet.

The story behind Silent Night was intriguing. Apparently, it was first sung during midnight mass in a village church in Oberndorf in Austria in 1818. The congregation listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Father Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Father Mohr's guitar. The tune had been quickly cobbled together for an accompanying guitar after it was found that mice had nibbled through the bellows of the organ, or so the story goes.

We were treated to the chance to recreate the scene and picture ourselves ‘in a snowed up village church in the Tirrel’ - though the cold weather may have got the better of the guitar’s tonal qualities – or was it simply a lack of mulled wine…

Eventually the wine and a very impressive buffet was produced and an enjoyable night ensued. Thank you town councillors for an enjoyable evening, although please take note – most people are more enthusiastic singers post mulled wine.

Christmas movie fun at Malbank

2010-12-13T13:02:00.004Z

The Snowman and Mickey's Christmas Carol will be showing as part of a free festive event at Malbank's Community Cinema on 21st December.

The event, organised by Hullabaloo Kids, Redshift Radio and Children's Adventure Farm, will take place between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. There will be mince pies and non-alcoholic mulled wine as well as other refreshments. A lucky dip will raise funds for the Children's Adventure Farm which supports disabled and disadvantaged children.

The wonder of nature

2010-12-11T10:47:00.002Z

We caught a stunning scene during a late afternoon trip to Nantwich Library last week. Thousands of starlings swirling together in the sky, constantly changing and reforming like a shoal of fish in the ocean. It was phenomenal. Poppy, Bebe and I stood and watched the show for a good 15 minutes in silence, with Bebe uttering the odd excited exclamation, finger pointing skywards. It was magical. The dark was approaching and the sky was tinged with blush pink hues. I took a picture on my phone but it in no way conveys the incredible scene. However I posted it, feeling it was a befitting picture to show the contrast between the ugliness of a forlorn and unwanted building, boarded up and unloved, with the beauty of nature in all its wonderful glory.

Dino outfit survived the dress rehearsal - bring on the real thing!

2010-12-10T20:38:00.003Z

I did it! I’m not sure how good a job I did but Poppy loves it and that’s the main thing. And everyone else took the easy option – my humble outfit was up against a shop-bought Sully from Monsters Inc and a shop-bought dinosaur headdress - which to me resembled a cockerel far more but maybe that’s just sour grapes. Uhu glue is wonderful stuff – I heartily recommend it! I got through the whole experience without having to resort to a needle or cotton. And even the neon scales stayed intact throughout this morning’s energetic dress rehearsal. However I had forgotten about the backwards roll Poppy has to execute as part of her circuit so they took a bit of a battering. But I guess that is what dress rehearsals are for. All I need do now is a quick repair job with pink felt and Uhu glue. Will let you know how the show goes. All I know is that it will be utterly hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Bring it on :D

The nightmare that is the Christmas show

2010-12-09T14:29:00.004Z

Poppy will be taking part in a Christmas Show at Camm Street in a week or so and I have to put together a Barney outfit before the dress rehearsal tomorrow morning. Aaargggghhh! I was hoping for the easy way out and took a surf to see if I could bag a cheap costume online. But the only Barney - or any other dinosaur outfits for that matter - I can find are around £25! For a 3 minute show where Poppy will probably find more interesting stuff to do than what she is supposed to be doing, I won’t be forking out that kind of cash for something she will probably never wear again.

So after a week of procrastination, I inevitably reach the horrible conclusion that I will have to ‘make’ one. And knowing this is a very competitive area for mums I feel very nervous. Where on earth do I begin? Well, I guess a start is considering that Barney is pink and green?! So the first thing I have done is locate a cheap pink tracksuit (£7.50) at Sports World in Crewe, something that Poppy will love wearing anyway. I have also bought a pack of fluorescent pink, orange and green card for scales(I know Barney is scale free but Poppy would point blank refuse to be a dinosaur without them) from The Works in Nantwich for 99p and some felt for eyes, claws and teeth from the market (36p x 5 is £1.80) Oh, and UHU glue to stick everything on from Nantwich Art Shop for £1.55 (did you know the art shop is happy to order materials in that they haven't available - and in the case of plasticine, it is cheaper there than online!)

Now wish me luck – I imagine it’s going to be a long night…

There’s no business like show business

2010-12-07T21:22:00.008Z

The Nantwich Players (One Love Lane) are putting on a Christmas performance of Dick Barton – Special Agent this year. I think it’s a sellout as usual (10th-18th December) but they have laid on an additional matinee performance at 2.45pm on Saturday 18th December. Tickets can be bought from the tourist office on 01270 537359.

Then there is the Christmas panto of Aladdin at the Crewe Lyceum – I’m so glad to see the short term future of this stunning theatre has been guaranteed by Cheshire East at least. The cheaper £10 tickets are all sold out but there are still plenty of seats available in the run up to Christmas. The website is not the easiest to glean necessary info on what seats are available but if you phone the ticket desk on 01270 537333 and leave your no someone usually gets back to you sharpish with all the info you need.

I love the theatre. I've seen everything from the slickest productions to the most amateurish am-dram and enjoyed every minute.

Two of my very favourite actresses recently got together to celebrate a lifetime award for Sheila Hancock, still going strong at 77.

Sheila received the lifetime award from Julie Walters at the 20th Women in Film and TV Awards at the Park Lane Hilton last week. She said when she started in the business, women were destined to do clichéd and archetypal roles: “I was a dizzy blonde for years. It has changed immeasurably - not enough - but it has changed immeasurably." Julie Walters was ‘thrilled’ that Hancock was receiving the lifetime achievement award, quipping in her usual gutsy style: "It is quite right and not before time."

I remember enjoying a robust performance by Sheila as mum in The Anniversary at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2004. At 71, she was larger than life and amazing, delivering her barbed lines with gusto which really was thrilling to watch. Sometimes a woman positively shines with gorgeousness because she so comfortable with herself and her life. And she is most definitely one of them.