The festive season is upon us – confirmed for me yesterday when Santa rocked on up on the vintage steam train we were on. Albie is obsessed with his trains at the moment, to the extent that he’s climbing atop his train table and taking apart the track like a Gozilla figure (climbing not so…
The Very Hungry Caterpillar takes over bedtime
Reading a book a day will expose Albie to hundreds of thousands of words by the time he starts school, according to research, but I’m not sure he’ll manage that considering The Very Hungry Caterpillar contains just 240. Not all of those are unique, either… The arrival of Albie’s second birthday last weekend coincided with…
Back with a Bing: Hey Duggee addiction, tantrums, treats and turning two
We’re back after a blogging break – with two Bings, a TV addition and a sixth sense for McDonald’s!
Pitch, Worthing: Review of our night out at MasterChef champion Kenny Tutt’s debut restaurant
Masterchef has showcased the wondrous world of delicate dining to the mainstream millions. It seemed fitting, therefore, that our first foray into the world of higher-end cuisine was in the capable hands of Worthing’s own MasterChef Kenny Tutt, champion of the 2018 BBC cooking contest. Reality TV often delivers precious little; the spark fizzles out…
Love Island: why are my papers covering it?
There’s plenty of things in this world I don’t like – and ITV’s Love Island is firmly on the list. The programme divides opinion. Of all the ways to find love, it must be among the more questionable options. At one time, though, internet dating struck me as an odd concept and I can no…
A milestone for Headline Spews – and an update
Just over a year ago I set up Headline Spews as a way of providing a family scrapbook, informing people about Albie’s allergies and shining a light on the world of local journalism. Some 86 posts and thousands of views later I think we’ve generally hit the mark on all three – and thanks so…
Wotsits, flapjack and more projectile spewing
Albie’s current TV favourite is Hey Duggee – and the notorious Stick Song is a hit. For the uninitiated, the Stick Song is largely based on the lyrics ‘Stick, stick, stick, stick (x2), sticky, sticky, stick stick’. But in our house at the moment, it’s more a case of ‘sicky, sicky, sick sick’. Our old…
Life as a journalist: behind the scenes on election day
Such is the political climate at present, precious little comes as a surprise. But after more than six years of covering politics in the traditional Tory heartlands of Sussex, yesterday’s local elections results really did go beyond the predictable. One of the councils I’ve spent many an evening at, Arun, has been under Conservative rule…
Why Game of Thrones played a key part in my parenting journey
The long-awaited Game of Thrones Season Eight is upon us – and while it is adored by many, the bloodthirsty fantasy epic has a particularly poignant place in my heart. The first episode of the 68 televised to date aired way back in 2011 but it wasn’t until some time after November 3, 2017, in…
Milk ladder progress and turning a corner?
If I’d penned this post just a couple of days ago, the tone might not have been overly positive. I’m nearing the end of my first week of annual leave, which was much needed after the three of us spent recent memory swapping infectious diseases. The week didn’t start well, with Albie losing weight yet…
