Salmon fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Aug30

Salmon fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday

Salmon fishing in the Yemen… Think about those words. They make no sense. How can you fish for salmon in the Yemen?! I’ll be honest, those words bored me for quite a long time. This book sat beside my bed for nearly a year before I decided to read it. It’s a boring title and a boring cover.But it’s very, VERY funny. A ‘fisheries scientist’ (boring job) Dr Alfred Jones is asked to look into the...

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(Not so) Brave
Aug30

(Not so) Brave

When we saw the trailers for the film Brave, I knew we had to go. We love Pixar films. They are so beautiful, so moving and have such brilliant stories, especially the Toy Story films and Up. Up! One of the best films ever, just thinking about it can bring tears to my eyes…The Disney leading ladies have been getting stronger and feistier in recent years – I’m thinking of Rapunzel in Tangled (with her frying pan) and...

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Food, cars, travel
Aug29

Food, cars, travel

I never wanted to be one of those families that didn’t go on foreign holidays because they didn’t like foreign food (or ‘foreign muck’ as it would no doubt be described in a sitcom). But that’s pretty much what we’ve become. And you can add foreign drink to the foreign food.I’d like to say it’s just the kids, but I have to admit it’s me as well. I love Indian food and Thai food....

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Some holiday questions
Aug28

Some holiday questions

In honour of my recent return from holiday, here are a few of the kids’ best holiday-related questions…If you don’t know Padstow, it’s on an estuary. When the tide goes out, the sea virtually disappears.LG age 4 1/4: Are there any creatures in the sea? Whales? Sharks? (In Padstow)LG age 4 1/4: Did we bring any ice creams with us? (On our picnic, to the beach)LG age 4 1/4: Do you think we will meet Italy...

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The kindness of strangers
Aug27

The kindness of strangers

Our first day on the beach near Padstow was, typically, a bit chilly. The sky was grey and it was blustery to say the least. I realised my kids were the only ones on the beach not wearing wetsuits. They have those sort of two-part swimming costumes designed to keep the sun off them (if we’re lucky enough to have any) and keep them slightly warmer than regular swimming stuff.The tide was high, the waves were BIG and my younger...

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