Crowded places, kids, and fear

I'm off up to London with DD at the weekend. I'm meeting up with my brother and his family at Comic Con and I am really looking forward to an excuse to wear my Morphsuit and dress as Deadpool again, I even bought some plastic ninja swords to add to the look.

But after the Manchester attack and the tragic loss of life at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, maybe even scared. Obviously I'm going anyway. As daily news stories point out, I could just as easily die on the drive in to work as in a terror attack, and terror is of course what these evil people hope to cause.

The whole thing has upset me, as I'm sure it's upset everyone. I sway between tears as I read about the beautiful people who died, on a night where they were with friends and family having fun, and then laughter as social media does it's best to snark at terrorists and fight light in the darkness. (see more on the hashtag #BritishThreatLevel on twitter)

I take great solace in reading of the things people did, and continue to do to help others, from kind words, free taxi rides, helping the injured, donating to help with hotel bills and funeral costs.

It is in the aftermath we see the truth of people, many will say we see the best of people, sadly we also see the worst of people, the vile and the racist and the spiteful, this sort of event displays the best and worst of humanity, so I hang on to the images of love and kindness, I look for the helpers.

Talking to DD about London, among my quips about dying wearing a Deadpool costume (oh the irony if that happens, but at least the blood won't show) I talked to DD about plans for us if there was a terror incident, I said that she should use me as a shield, that if we couldn't get out she should lay under me to stay safe, she looked into my eyes, her own eyes wide in surprise, saw my sudden seriousness and nodded, "yes, OK" she said, "but if we are OK, if other people are hurt, we are going to help, I'm going to wear an extra T shirt in case we need bandages..." and there it is, the best of people. I'm proud and heartbroken in equal measure. Not all super heroes wear capes, not even at Comic Con, some wear an extra T shirt.

Copyright: blojfo / 123RF Stock Photo

So I fully expect a fun day out, and I'm trying to keep fear to the back of my mind and keep love and kindness to the fore.

I'll be sharing Comic Con photos after the weekend. Stay tuned.

Teaching a teen to drive with minimal screaming

As the lovely DD has turned 17 her thoughts naturally turned to...nope not marriage, driving.

The first thing I discovered was that adding a new driver (even just a learner) to your insurance makes the price go up. I'm not talking a tiny bit either, my insurance company told me that they don't want to insure young drivers so my quote went from £300 a year to over £800 a year. Obviously I high tailed it to Compare the Meerkat to get another opinion! I am now with a different company, insured for £300 ish again. What a weird world. (oh and I get a free meerkat toy, so win win)

I have a Fiat Panda so it's a nice small car to practice in, has a great driving position with excellent visibility, and DD isn't scared of it, of course my fear factor when she takes the driving seat is on another level all together.


What I can't offer DD is a driving lesson. I'm not a qualified driving instructor and I passed my test (first time, *proud face*) way back when I was young (25 years ago) so I have no idea how much of what I was taught is still in the test, and of course there is a theory test now that I didn't have to worry about.
But I can offer DD some basic pointers and time to practice. And so after a few tense minutes talking about clutch control and braking we went out for a drive.

As the 'reponsible' driver in charge of a learner (I know!) I had to behave exactly as I would when driving. So no tweeting, no having a glass of cava to steady my nerves, in the eyes of the law, *I* am in charge of the car.

But so that you could enjoy the mayhem fun, we set my phone up on the satnav holder, out of the way, and set it to record before we set off. Note my calm and relaxed posture, the lack of screaming, the smiling...I think I did pretty well.

Of course we have invested in 'proper' lessons too. And after a hunt around for someone that
   a) had availability (many teachers are booked up months in advance) 
   b) we could afford (prices ranged from £15 - £30 an hour and some could only be purchased as a bulk booking of ten or more)
   c) DD got on with OK (a 'trial' lesson should be possible with most instructors as teaching styles should ideally be matched to the pupil's learning style)
we settled on a teacher. He is taking DD out once a week in a dual controlled car so that his blood pressure hopefully won't rival mine after an hour in the car with her.

Have you taught a teen to drive? Will you be allowing your child to drive your car? Share your horror stories below.

Teen gift idea and Printed Sweatshirt Review

Finding something for a teen for Christmas is always tough. Partly as we live in an age of having much more than we need, and partly as teens have money to get what they want when they want it, and so many things that were 'saved for christmas' or your birthday when I was a kid are now just seen as essentials and bought during the year.

Unless you are the sort of parent that buys £600 phones as gifts (I'm not) you'll probably be looking at Christmas albums (interesting aside, vinyls are now outselling downloads, so maybe getting a retro record player should be on your list!), maybe books by their favourite reality stars (DD was thrilled to receive a signed copy of Hannah Hart's book for her birthday this year) or clothes.

I've heard some people say that clothes aren't a real gift. And I sort of see where they are coming from with that, obviously getting a new school skirt or some plain grey socks might not cut it, but clothes that you wouldn't normally buy yourself might be just the thing, especially if they can be personalised.

Don't worry I'm not suggesting you get your teen a T shirt with their name on like you did when they were 4,  but there are things that only you know about your teen that can make a T shirt or sweat shirt into a rather fun gift. Teens like slogan tops (so I have been told by my own teen who recently pinched my 'Nothing But Tea' T shirt, a slogan that amuses her as she's teetotal) and so why not have one specially printed?

I've always thought T-shirt printing places (the online kind, not the seaside 'I'm with Stupid' kind) were for promotional brand stuff or for teams, maybe if a group of you are going to run a marathon, or hang out as a hen group in the town, but they can be used to print individual stuff too, and they are not as pricey as you'd think.

Garment Printing make printed T shirts and sweatshirt and other things too, and the prices are around £24 for a single printed T shirt  inc. delivery and all set up and design help. (of course if you ARE running a marathon as a team then it gets cheaper per item if you order more). Standard delivery is 7-10 days but they provide an express service, and can print and deliver next day if you've left it late.

You can choose your base colour and then decide if you want a picture, logo or other design and if there is any text you fancy.

"Yes mum I cleaned my room!"

"I'll be back whenever"

"My parents made me wear this, to keep my kidneys warm" ~~ seriously considering this for the future!

"Can you lend me £10"

or one of many other well known teen and family phrases.

Garment printers have a team of designers who will make a mock up of the design and send you an image to approve. When they made the one they sent me for review I let them pick the font though I supplied the image, and it works really well, DD loves it, but you can do the design however you want. Once the design is approved, the garment is made and delivered.

DD Can't even think straight

DD and I are really pleased with the quality too. The sweatshirt is nice thick material, it feels llike a quality product. It wears well and has washed well too. The print doesn't fade or peel. I'm really happy with it.

So for a fun teen gift (or for anyone really) why not consider unleashing your sarcastic wit on an unsuspecting T shirt or sweatshirt. Garment printers have a best price promise and will confirm your quote in 5 minutes. (and with a 20% discount for charities - if you are planning doing any fund raising in 2017 as a new years resolution, they'd be a great company to work with)

Best advert for this company I think is DD who has barely taken the sweat shirt off since it arrived! (so it has been washed several times!)

Five ways your teen is the same as a toddler

So maybe you are reading this as the parent of a teen, in which case I expect you will nod along with at least a couple of these. If you are reading this, still in the innocence of life as the parent of a toddler, happily expecting things to change as they get older...well we are sorry, really we are, but sadly somethings never change...

• Your day still revolves around them

It used to be that you had a schedule based on feeding, naps and potty times. You ran them to music groups, mum and baby groups (or dad and baby groups). You organised play dates and marked craft time on the calendar. Now however, while the things you are organising have changed, you are still running your day according to the teen. You are nagging about homework, telling them to get up out of bed, to remember to put their washing in the laundry (or if you have them better trained than I do - nagging them to actually do some washing). You resist drinking alcohol in the evening in case you need to be a taxi later. And you are up late worrying and trying not to text too much when they are late home...which brings us nicely to:

• Sleep (or lack of it)

Once you used to find getting them to bed a chore, the never ending rounds of stories and drinks of water. The checking for monsters under the bed and the 'one more kiss'. And then, always just after you yourself had nodded off, the cry of 'MUM' or 'DAD' and a tiny crying body who had a nightmare, or wet the bed (I knew that last glass of water was a mistake), or just needed a cuddle, appears at the side of the bed, you either make room are get up and carry them back to their room, but both options usually result in not much more sleep. Now you would imagine that having a teen would put paid to all that, they can do it themselves, you'd think, but no. Now you have the constant getting them to bed battle but with added backchat of "I don't need to, I'm a grown-up" and once they are in bed, the eerie glow of a mobile as they check snapchat into the wee small hours, despite you calling to tell them to turn it off, only for them to complain they are too tired to get up for breakfast. And this is with out the perils of the teen 'going out' and not coming home and your own bedtime creeping by with no text or word from them..should you go to bed? should you stay up? Are they coming home at all? How can you sleep even if you do go to bed? and then...they are home! at 2am and they need a snack and a chat and dear lord will parents ever sleep again

• Fussy Eaters

This post was actually triggered by a real life event (not that the others aren't real - they just didn't trigger this post) on Saturday. One of DD's favourite meals is a chicken dish in tomato sauce served with rice. (remind me to post the recipe sometime) any way, the ingredients vary a bit depending on my mood and store cupboard, last time I made it I bunged in a few olives, which she diligently picked out, "I don't like the olives in it" she opined. So this time when I slung the olives in (because, dear reader, I like olives) I was prepared for the teenage moans..what I was not prepared for was "It's yummy, shame there aren't more olives in it though". So yes, you have a fussy 2 year old that happily eats a breadstick on Sunday only to cast it to the floor in furious displeasure on Monday, and you are hoping for this to settle down...well DD is 17 and there is, as yet, little sign of it.

• Clearing up after them

I assume you've heard about messy teen bedrooms? It's not a myth. Things grow in there. Green things in bowls and the base of coffee mugs, socks go there to die. Picking up a few stickle bricks is nothing, nothing I tell you, to the horror of a teenager's bedroom...let's move on...

• Adoring them

I know, I'm a slushy mum, but you know how you look at your angelic toddler sometimes (when they are being angelic or are asleep usually) and you just sigh with the perfect beauty and love of them? Yeah well that. When you teen emerges out of their pit room and is all dressed up looking gorgeous and young and vital, and they smile and say "I'm off out, back later" and you love them and feel that familiar warm glow of being a parent...which lasts right until you peek into their room...or are still up at 3am wondering where the hell they are...

Do you have a toddler or a teen? Or both (I'm praying for you) Do you recognise any of these scenarios? are are there any I've missed?

Does Parenting Change When You Have a Gay Teen?

My daughter, the lovely DD is 16.

She has really blossomed lately, budgeting for herself, suddenly deciding (against her parents wishes) to have her waist length hair cut to shoulder length, becoming more outgoing, getting herself to and from college without always relying on 'mum's taxi', letting us know when she'll be late and making new college mates and hanging out at coffee shops. In short she has become a teenager at last. So 'almost an adult' that it hurts to think about it.

My baby is testing her wings.

As a parent I know that this is what it's all been about, preparing her for life and for leaving us, but as a parent I also feel the pain of that 'almost loss'.

I'm so proud of her. She did well at her GCSEs, is doing all the A levels she wanted to, is making new friends, and is looking happy. Happier than she has in a while, and she's always been a happy child. Maybe this happiness is linked to the fact that she finally plucked up the courage to come out to her friends as well as her parents.

Yes dear reader, I am the mum of my own little gay! She told me by accident in a mistaken Facebook message back in January, and, well, I behaved fairly predictably. First I checked she sent me the image to tell me something, and not just because it was cute or funny (she often sends me weird memes via messenger) , and then when that was confirmed, I just said "OK" and on we went.

Wordy Wednesday - a break from the interviews

Hello all, for reasons too numerous the mention (but laziness may be one of them) I have no author interview for you today so I'm going to have a natter about reading, about not reading enough and asking you what you are reading.

I used to read loads. As a teen in the 80s (I know!) I didn't have the internet to distract me, the only friend I had who lived in another country was Costas, a Greek penfriend. Penfriends were all the rage back then, but writing letters and waiting, while fun, was not the distraction that the instant conversations of social media are today.

I'm a friendly soul and so I love to chat online, it makes it hard to break off to read a book. Coupled with the feeling that I don't really enjoy books that are written now. It used to be so easy - I loved horror stories for a while in my early teens, couldn't read enough James Herbert and Stephen King, but went off of those as I grew up. Then I fell for Sci-Fi and I still love science fiction, but rarely like the modern tales, that seem overly moralistic or depressing. I know the classics can be that too, but there was a lot of looking for utopia in science while now distopias seem more common.

I tried reading some YA (young adult) fiction, thinking maybe it would be more cheery...ha! It seems if you don't have a life threatening condition, a major disability, a traumatic home-life, or possibly all three you are not a YA hero. I even asked twitter (that distraction) for some happy YA - no one could name one..."oh it's sweet...but yeah..he dies"

Fantasy kept me entertained, I loved the stories of the Dragons of Pern (is that sci-fi or fantasy?) and Terry Pratchett wrote a world of comedy genius filled with trolls, goblins, witches and elves. But lately I really struggle to find something I can get properly lost in.

Recent books that have captured me have included, The Martian, The Girl in the Red Coat, The Golem and the Djinni, Down Station (hurry up and write part 2!), and The Lollipop Shoes. And the thing all these had in common was that I didn't read them....I had them read to me via audible audio books. It's a great way to consume books while I'm driving, double tasking! With the added bonus of not listening to Radio 4 and their obsessive politics.

So what else should I be reading or listening to? Tell me the good stuff I've missed. Pop over to my Facebook page and comment on this post there, or let me know on twitter. Until next week.

Giving yourself a bit of a VÖOST with vitamins

Having a teenager and being a working mum it can be easy to sometimes slip up in the 'balanced diet' stakes. Not very day but sometimes. And the media love to scare us daily with fears around missing our vegetables, getting rickets, scurvy, and the like. The latest scare is around not getting enough vitamin D because we use sunscreen! We really can't win can we!

Since DD was small we always supplemented her diet with vitamins just in case, I realise that if you have a proper balanced diet you don't need them, and that more is not any better than 'enough'; but as I said before, it's easy to find days slip by with no fruit and hardly any vegetables, and all that sunscreen....well..

As DD got older of course the vitamin requirements changed but also so did the tablets, away with the cute chewy jelly type and in with the hard 'swallow whole' sort that DD hated. So I was really thrilled to find VÖOST multivitamin and mineral effervescent tablets that make vitamin taking into a task as simple as a taking a drink (extra points for making the teen drink more) and I bought some to try. Imagine how keen I was to try the others in the range when asked! It turns out that VÖOST has a full range of vitamins and minerals, each with a different flavour and all easy to take in a drink.

We have been trying out the various ones sent to us for free. And I think I shall be carrying on with the multivitamins and maybe the Vitamin C and D too. I'll let you know if I feel boosted when I've been taking them for a few weeks!

Designed exclusively for busy modern lifestyles, the VÖOST range is ideal for anyone who feels like they need a vitamin or mineral boost. Effortlessly slipping into demanding lives, they simply fizz away in a glass, turning plain water into a great-tasting, nutrient-packed drink. Created by experts who are passionate about health and wellbeing, the VÖOST range has proven to be a hit Down Under, selling over 3.5 million tubes since it launched there three years ago. Effervescent tablets really are one of the most effective ways for people to get a vitamin or mineral boost when they aren’t getting what they need from their diet alone, and it’s been widely reported that many Brits aren’t getting enough on a daily basis.

VÖOST’s extensive range is designed to meet the needs of each individual in order to help them live life to its fullest. The range boasts a Vitamin B Complex to help unlock energy from food, Vitamin C to help maintain a healthy immune system (because who has time to be ill?!), Magnesium to help maintain normal function of the muscles and nervous system, Vitamin D and Calcium + Vitamin D to help maintain healthy bones and teeth, and a Multivitamin, which contains RDAs of a whole host of vitamins. The vitamins and minerals also contain no added dairy, lactose or yeast, so are they are ideal for people on specialist diets or with dietary requirements. Available in Asda, Superdrug, Waitrose and Morrisons, VÖOST’s effervescent tablets are sure to put a fizz inyour step.

Find more info and the full rang at http://www.vitaminhaus.com.au/

Disclosure - I was sent 6 tubes a VOOST to try them for myself!

A Fashion Haul (not really just some clothes I bought for DD)

In the Easter holidays we popped over to Brighton supposedly to buy a few things for DD for when she starts college in the autumn. Because of course she has nothing to wear. And all the other girls will have all the things (eye roll)

We went to a lot of shops but spent most of our my hard earned cash in Primark and H&M. I love Primark some days and hate it on others. It's a bit of a jumble sale and horrendously busy with little room to move, and there are queues to try things on and then more queues to pay, but the prices make it worth the wait.

Being old no longer a teen, I was swayed by DD's choices and we purchased several outfits, with things she can mix and match with stuff she already owns.

Joggers (£9.99 H&M) with casual top (£5.00 Primark)

Loose knit jumper (£14.99 H&M) Boyfriend Rip Jeans (£29.99 H&M)

Tight Black Jeans (£12.00 Primark) Grey T shirt (£2.80 Primark) Fitted Cotton striped Jacket (£20.00 Primark)

Black Shorts (£10.00 Primark) and Vest Top (£4.00 )

Extra tight! Blue Jeans (£12.00 Primark) with Vest Top as before

What's that DD? A kiss? Thank you!

Model wears size 6

We also bought an extra pair of cheap black jeans to rip up at home - a DIY ripped jeans blog post will no doubt follow! I did manage to buy myself a new dress in Primark (£8) and several tops for work. The primark long sleeve tops are cheap but last really well and good on their own or under things, they are my must have staple for the wardrobe and they come in lots of colours.

Do stripes make me look fat? (don't answer) (Primark 4.00)

Easter Plans

It's nearly Easter holiday time! If you are a stay at home parent for any reason you might not feel the same frisson of excitement that I do, but this year I've booked a week off work and so I'm free to stay in bed until noon, drink cava for breakfast and have sex in the garden all afternoon  spend more time with the teen and the husband.

Said teen is a studious soul and currently studying for her GCSEs so I fear she'll be revising a fair bit but I'm hoping I can lure her out for some fun at least once or twice.

I have a few things that I have been wanting to do for a while, and while I know I won't be able to do them all I thought I'd list them so I don't forget and also so that if you had input on whether they were good or bad ideas you could tell me! Ditto if you have reviewed any of them in a blog post - please share! (You can't share here, I switched comments off, but let me know via Twitter or my Facebook page - that would be great - thanks)

First choice for me is Marwell Zoo. We have visited several times now as a family and always love it - even in the cold and rain, though I admit it's better on a dry day so the weather may play a part on this decision. We always learn something new, the cages and environments for the animals are really nice, I especially love watching the giraffes. It's about a 2 hour drive, so takes a bit of planning, but now that we no longer have the dogs at least we don't have to rush home to them.

I am sort of tempted to make the even longer drive to Longleat to drive the safari park, but I'm not sure that DH would stay sane all day in car with DD and me. I do love to watch the large carnivores in the park, particularly the wolves, but DH tends to get twitching and want to be getting on with things, I imagine we would be ill-matched on a safari park visit. I think that might need to be a trip we do when we visit family (who live closer to the park) or when we can camp or stay nearby so we are in the car less of the day.

Next is the Winchester Science Centre. DD and I were there for a blogging conference and so had no time to explore but enough time to whet our appetites. It's easy to get to, has lots of parking and is spacious inside. It didn't look too busy when we were there, but I'm not sure that would be true during a school holiday. Still DD really wants to go, she loves experimenting with stuff, I do wonder though if there is enough there for a day with a teenager? Maybe I could combine it with a trip into Winchester? Have you been? What did you think?

I would also love to make a trip to London. That's a 2 hour train ride away and therefore expensive, I may have to buy a railcard to make some sort of saving, especially since now that DD has turned 16 she counts as a grown up and has to pay not only on the train, but on London transport too - gone are the days of cheap days out to London. If we all go, and if we want to be in London before lunchtime it will cost us over £100 on tickets alone, so anything we do there will have to be free! I have thought about Tate Modern, DD and I have visited and really enjoyed it, DH has yet to experience it so that would be nice. If the weather was good a walk in the parks or by the river would be nice too. I am also looking at driving a large chunk of the way and parking just outside the centre, have you done that? I need to investigate parking and where is cheap, easy and safe! What other free London activities can you think of?

It's been a while since I've been to Brighton as a tourist and so I might think about doing the 'seaside day visitor' thing, with fish and chips on the pier, a walk along the promenade, a trip to the Marina and maybe the Pavilion. I could even squeeze in some shopping in the Laines or Churchill Square - particularly if I don't spend all my money on a trip to London! I know that lovely DD aka the teen, needs some new clothes for college in September and we did promise her a new 'college capsule wardrobe' (ooh there's a blog post just waiting to be written) so that would take up a day by itself.

During the entire week of course I will be drinking more alcohol than usual, staying up later, sleeping in longer and eating more chocolate than usual. It is a holiday after all. What will you be up to?

Come and chat over on Twitter or my Facebook page I'd love to hear from you

Phones at bedtime and teenagers

Teens that take a phone to bed are more tired in the day than teens that don't. Being tired can affect mental health. So a study has revealed. Did we really need a study to tell us that? I have a teen and like me she is addicted to her phone, though for different reasons. I'm a twitter addict while she is all about snapchat and youtubers. As soon as she arrives in a wifi zone (she has limited data) she is clued to a 4 inch screen. It was interesting to see in the study that using multiple devices is common too as Dd often watches YouTube on her laptop while listening to music and snapchatting, and checking Facebook!

At bedtime it's tempting to spend a few relaxing minutes laying in bed reading stuff on your phone (or in her case watching a quick video) rather than reading a book or just going to sleep. The temptation is stronger if the phone sits there by the bed (mine does as I use it as an alarm) and if you are a teen apparently the temptation is then to check each beep during the night.

I don't know about you but I put my phone on to 'silent' (no vibrate either!) at night. So when I do finally say goodnight to the little twitter people in the phone, I go to sleep and sleep soundly until daybreak. It seems though that teens can't do that - if the phone is there it must be beeping at each interaction. (though who the teens are that are awake at 3am and sending you a snapchat I do not know! "Me in bed - should be sleeping LOL") It seems, in short, that teens lack self control. Who knew. At a guess, parents, and possibly teens, pretty much all the people that didn't do the study..or maybe they did know but they needed it to be tested, referenced and evidenced.

It sort of comes with the territory that we, as parents,  are still doing the parent thing. Our children might be growing up, but they are not grown up and so we sometimes have to make difficult decisions they won't address. In our house the answer is pretty simple, the teen's phone has to be left (in silent mode) in another room where we can see it when she goes to bed. She doesn't get to have a phone in her bedroom. After all, the average teen is not going to need it as an alarm, they don't get out of bed without dire threats and cold water most mornings. It's no fun setting rules and being the mean parent, but it's still what we have to do.
Does your child have a mobile phone (or tablet, PC, laptop etc) ? Are they allowed it in their room at night and if so will this news make you change the rules? Do you have screen time rules?

The one where the Teen gets excited about Camp Bestival

DD and I have been 'doing' Camp Bestival since she was 10. As a ten year old she was near the top of the 'kiddie' age group but still found plenty to enjoy. Last year we were worried that she was really 'getting on a bit' in Camp Bestival years and maybe we had outgrown it. Secretly we both still wanted to go but now she is 14...surely too cool to want to see Mr Tumble .. (obviously I want to see Mr Tumble, let's not discuss that further)



As if Rob Da Bank himself had been reading my blog and answering our wildest wishes, this year Camp Bestival is having a dedicated Den for the teens! Specifically designed for those aged 13 to 17 its a dream come true for DD.




I'll let Camp Bestival explain

"This year in conjunction with The Roundhouse,
Camp Bestival is creating a first of its kind area for ages 13 to 17,
curated by a small team of young festival producers. Our genre-spanning
line-up won’t disappoint - whether its contemporary folk, live drum and
bass or house you like, come prepared to hear next year’s top artists. 


Coco & The Butterfields and the folky Nathan Ball are not to be missed.
Andy Robb; author, actor and all round hero will be
talking about his novel 'Geekhood; and we’re also lucky enough to be
playing host to an award winning selection of Associated Roundhouse
artists including Poetry Slam winner Antosh Wojcik, the insanely talented Fran Lobo and Karyma Ellis. 


If you want to hear about Fashion Journalism from The Editor in Chief of
TheCool Fashion, see 21 Ukuleles play simultaneously or try Yoga with a
disco twist; The Den shall be playing host to a range of bizarre and wonderful things. 

We’ve hand picked some of the best bits of the Guardian Literary Institute, Rob da Bank’s Music Club and special guests from around the festival exclusively for you. To top all that, The Amazing Corner will be spreading their positivity over the area; screening films, main stage takeovers and hosting open mic performances.
If that’s not enough, we’ve also thrown in the 10 piece Roundhouse Brass Band for good measure. 


So head over to the The Den to lose yourself in new music and try something life changing!"

Find out more about the acts and how to get tickets for Camp Bestival at http://www.campbestival.net/line-up/2014-line-up/the-den/


This blog post originally Published at http://tentsandfestivals.blogspot.co.uk/

The News. Sense and Sensitivity

*trigger warning for rape on the news link

I should be proud, I suppose, to have a sensitive, caring, teenage daughter. She's not perfect, she shouts and stamps and argues like any normal person, but she is very empathic. (remember the whole Finding Nemo incident!) and so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I went into her room to find her in tears because she had heard about this news story on Radio 1 this morning. She told me what had happened and just seeing the tears running down her face was enough to set me off too. There we were, 6.30 am weeping in the dark. She asked me why I was crying, was it because of the woman's story or was it because she was crying? I told her truthfully that it was mainly seeing her so upset, seeing that bad things affected her so strongly. She hugged me. We sobbed more.

As a parent its hard to think that you cannot always keep your child safe, and the realisation that they can be hurt by sad news even in the home seems so cruel.

How do you deal with bad/sad news stories? Does your child care? Do you keep them from them? (difficult once a teen listens to radio, surfs net, tweets, reads news etc)

I feel sad for a world that continues to be filled with hurt, and for the children that have to learn to 'toughen up' just to be able to cope with living in this world.

Sorry for the gloomy post today. Cheery comments welcomed.

The Joy of Bedsits

The joy of bedsits.

Ah bedsit land, so fabulous that Soft Cell wrote a song about you...

Who am I kidding. The only joy in my teen bedsit was that I was free(ish) to do what I liked (within the confines of the landlords rules). 

So I could 

• play music (quietly,and before 10pm only). 
• Watch what I liked on TV (on a tiny black and white portable and only quietly and before 10pm as with the music). 
• Invite friends round (no parties, all guests to leave by 10pm - ABSOLUTELY NO SLEEPOVERS). 
• Bathe when I liked (not at all true as I had to share a bathroom and while in the bath had to steel myself for the creepy guy from down the hall and his doorknob rattling antics, maybe he hoped that one day I'd forget to lock the door?) 
• Go to bed when I liked (usually 10pm as it was so silent and felt like lights out time in a dormitory) 
• Cook whatever I liked (actually whatever I could afford since the rent ate up most of my money) - bedsit recipes are a *whole* other post!

And there's the rub. I was spending all my cash on rent and my best mate had somehow wangled a mortgage and bought a small flat! She had more that one room! In fact she had an amazing 4 rooms and a hall! She didn't share a bathroom with a mixture of oddballs, she didn't have neighbours that would rat her out to a landlord if she listened to a movie after 10pm. She used to delight in ironing naked (something I never dared to do as my landlord often appeared at weird times to 'check the electricity meter'...) She had a whole kitchen! a lounge and a bedroom too and more importantly she could choose her own wall colour and curtains. I cannot begin to tell you how envious I was and her mortgage was about the same as my rent but she was actually getting to keep something for the deal. And of course she was 'on the property ladder' a weird phrase but accurate as most people climb ever upwards.

Now I'm a grown up and we have our own house, my husband and I. I no longer have curfews, or worries that the electric meter will snarl up on a bent 50p (I think in this modern time they no longer take cash?), I can relax in the bath (not even locking the door!) and choose my own carpet. Of course I have to buy it too but that's a small price to pay compared to the freedom.

I know there are lots of times renting is best, but for me, feeling that the money I'm spending is actually buying something, something as substantial as a house, is a great feeling. Having done both I'd rather pay a mortgage than a rent.  I guess it's the old 'an Englishman's home is his castle' or some such :-)

 We have a teen (just!) daughter and I wonder what the future holds for her. I would love her to travel, to find her place in the world but I would like her to be grounded too. I know that she wants a family and she will probably be keen to settle down, but who knows. I just hope  I will be there to support her in her decisions, a wise head? or a supporting arm, or just someone with a cup of tea to compare notes about being a teen and saving for that first time you can step through a door and think 'this will be mine'. So I need to be prepared. I need to read up on mortgages. I need to be ready to stand guarantor if necessary (that makes me feel terribly grown up) but more importantly I need to browse 'home' magazines, because when you own your own home the world is your oyster.



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This blog post is sponsored but the words and opinions are mine.