Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 44
April 24, 2015
Fancy a chat?
I thought the name Letts - as in Quentin - had a familiar ring. He, you might recall, is the Daily Mail columnist I crossed swords with on the Jeremy Vine show some time ago.
That was about paternity leave, too. Well he's nothing if not consistent. Prince, pauper, commoner, or (next-in-line-to-be) King, they're all the same to him and now he's got Prince William in his sights for daring to take the full six weeks paternity leave. He seems to regard it a badge of manhood to want to spend as little time as possible near your own children. Well, here's my take on the whole thing, published on the Good Housekeeping blog today.
In other news a friend tells me of her brand-new online store selling hand-made jewellery. As someone constantly in need of inspiration when it comes to gift-buying I thought the least I could do is share it with you. There really are some very lovely pieces. Here's the link:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/suzieandjack?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Finally, this Friday, another factoid (number two in the occasional series that began a couple of months ago with this post about the origin of the term Bluetooth). The more attentive of my two readers might recall my mentioning the fact that I'm currently writing a war book - that is, a book about The Great War or - more accurately - a book about the immediate aftermath. (Should you wish to have sneak peak, you can do so here.)
Anyway, in the course of my work I've been re-reading what is quite possibly the greatest book about The Great War ever - and certainly my favourite - Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy. But in the second volume I spotted (yes!) the tiniest of errors. Those who know it might recall Billy Prior (the fictional patient sharing a psychiatrist with - among others - Siegfried Sassoon in the first volume) going back to his home town, Salford, and walking empty streets where - before the war - women would be standing in doorways chatting to each other of an evening.
Except, they wouldn't. Well, they might have, but they wouldn't have called it that. Chats were the nicknames given to the lice that infested the uniforms of almost every soldier serving at the Front. There was no way to get rid of them (short of burning uniforms) but they could be kept at bay by running a candle flame or thumb nail along the seam of clothing, burning the lice and crushing their eggs. A sedentary and mindless activity, usually performed in company and accompanied by conversation - which soon became linked to the activity - chatting!
Have a great weekend.
That was about paternity leave, too. Well he's nothing if not consistent. Prince, pauper, commoner, or (next-in-line-to-be) King, they're all the same to him and now he's got Prince William in his sights for daring to take the full six weeks paternity leave. He seems to regard it a badge of manhood to want to spend as little time as possible near your own children. Well, here's my take on the whole thing, published on the Good Housekeeping blog today.
In other news a friend tells me of her brand-new online store selling hand-made jewellery. As someone constantly in need of inspiration when it comes to gift-buying I thought the least I could do is share it with you. There really are some very lovely pieces. Here's the link:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/suzieandjack?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Finally, this Friday, another factoid (number two in the occasional series that began a couple of months ago with this post about the origin of the term Bluetooth). The more attentive of my two readers might recall my mentioning the fact that I'm currently writing a war book - that is, a book about The Great War or - more accurately - a book about the immediate aftermath. (Should you wish to have sneak peak, you can do so here.)
Anyway, in the course of my work I've been re-reading what is quite possibly the greatest book about The Great War ever - and certainly my favourite - Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy. But in the second volume I spotted (yes!) the tiniest of errors. Those who know it might recall Billy Prior (the fictional patient sharing a psychiatrist with - among others - Siegfried Sassoon in the first volume) going back to his home town, Salford, and walking empty streets where - before the war - women would be standing in doorways chatting to each other of an evening.
Except, they wouldn't. Well, they might have, but they wouldn't have called it that. Chats were the nicknames given to the lice that infested the uniforms of almost every soldier serving at the Front. There was no way to get rid of them (short of burning uniforms) but they could be kept at bay by running a candle flame or thumb nail along the seam of clothing, burning the lice and crushing their eggs. A sedentary and mindless activity, usually performed in company and accompanied by conversation - which soon became linked to the activity - chatting!
Have a great weekend.
April 22, 2015
Suited and booted
Choose a suit, they said. Test it to the limits. We've introduced a new range with some clever innovations designed to keep you looking smart and feeling comfortable all day long.
Have you seen my commute, I asked them? Turns out they hadn't, but it didn't matter. When M&S said 'test it to its limits' they meant it!
Cycle to work? No problem. The crease resistant fabric will ensure you arrive looking smart no matter what your commute. And the added stretch in the fabric will keep you feeling comfortable however fast you're pedalling.
Ok, so what if it rains? Well, they said, the Stormwear™water resistance will certainly ensure you don't get too wet.
All right, I said, you're on. What can possibly go wrong?
So I've been wearing the suit on my daily commute with the kids. I've worn it with a nice pair of Stretch Jeans with Stormwear™too for my equivalent of dress down Friday. And it certainly withstands the rigours of a cycle ride. Remarkably so. Add a smart non-iron pure cotton shirt with 2in longer sleeves and you don't even get that awful, bare-armed look as you hold the handlebars.
Verdict: comfortable (very) and incredibly smart. (Sorry about the cycle helmet!)
Ok, so it's bound to rain during the trial period, isn't it? I'm bound to get wet and have chance to test out that Stormwear™water resistant fabric. This is Britain, after all.
Well, it has rained since I was sent the suit to test. It rained a bit on Saturday. And on Sunday. But on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the sun has shone, the sky been a lovely shade of blue and the temperature a very pleasant 18 degrees.
So, sorry M&S. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I'm not about to do a rain dance. No. Enjoy the sunshine, that's what I say. Find yourself a nice spot in the garden after work - a hammock, say - and relax...
Kids!
Have you seen my commute, I asked them? Turns out they hadn't, but it didn't matter. When M&S said 'test it to its limits' they meant it!
Cycle to work? No problem. The crease resistant fabric will ensure you arrive looking smart no matter what your commute. And the added stretch in the fabric will keep you feeling comfortable however fast you're pedalling.
Ok, so what if it rains? Well, they said, the Stormwear™water resistance will certainly ensure you don't get too wet.
All right, I said, you're on. What can possibly go wrong?
So I've been wearing the suit on my daily commute with the kids. I've worn it with a nice pair of Stretch Jeans with Stormwear™too for my equivalent of dress down Friday. And it certainly withstands the rigours of a cycle ride. Remarkably so. Add a smart non-iron pure cotton shirt with 2in longer sleeves and you don't even get that awful, bare-armed look as you hold the handlebars.
Verdict: comfortable (very) and incredibly smart. (Sorry about the cycle helmet!)
Ok, so it's bound to rain during the trial period, isn't it? I'm bound to get wet and have chance to test out that Stormwear™water resistant fabric. This is Britain, after all.
Well, it has rained since I was sent the suit to test. It rained a bit on Saturday. And on Sunday. But on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the sun has shone, the sky been a lovely shade of blue and the temperature a very pleasant 18 degrees.
So, sorry M&S. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I'm not about to do a rain dance. No. Enjoy the sunshine, that's what I say. Find yourself a nice spot in the garden after work - a hammock, say - and relax...
Kids!
April 20, 2015
Sony MDR-1A Smartphone-capable Headphones review
In my continued efforts to avoid the saturation coverage of the General Election, a request from Sony to test-drive their latest smartphone-capable headphones is nothing if not timely. Combine that with music and downloads (and even FM radio) on a smart new Sony Walkman® High-Resolution Audio player (the NWZ-A15) and my aural isolation - and listening comfort - is complete.
For a start, with up to 30 hours of playtime the Walkman® High-Resolution Audio player isn't likely to leave the listener stranded without anything to listen to but election coverage. Second, combining it with the amazing MDR-1A headphones means not only comfort (they're billed as among the 'most comfortable' headphones on the market - a claim I'd certainly endorse) but quite stunningly authentic audio reproduction, delicately balanced and with a purity I've never before found in a pair of headphones, thanks to what Sony describes as High-Resolution audio - a collection of digital processes allowing the encoding and playback of music using higher sampling rates than those used in CDs.
I first tried these out while on holiday over Easter - staying in a caravan with my wife, her mother and our two children. It was a large, generously-proportioned caravan - spacious, comfortable and modern. But still, it was a caravan. With small children. And my mother-in-law. I thought that'd be about as good as it gets in terms of testing both the quality, fidelity and noise-insulating properties of the headphones/walkman combo - and I was right.
I downloaded music, transferred some albums (the NWZ-A15 supports LDAC high resolution codec downloads with a Mac) and even uploaded a few audio books - more than enough for the times when I needed to retreat into my own space but didn't have the (physical) space to do so.
Unfortunately, the amazing aural quality of the Hi-Res audio downloads through the Hi-Res headphones was so good that my isolation was occasionally too complete to meet with the approval of the rest of the family. There are only so many times you can be asked whether you'd like a cup of tea/mind getting up and dealing with the kids/take the rubbish out or wash the pots while smiling beatifically and waving your arm in time to the music before someone comes and lifts up one of the lovely, closed-back, soft leather ear-pads and shouts the question in your ear.
But even if they were to let the cup smack back against your head after getting your attention, it wouldn't hurt. Believe me. (It's not part of any trial spec. Sony would have set, but I have empirical experience to prove it!)
Of course, it's the audio quality that clinches the deal. There are any number of technical developments and innovations that escape my ears (and believe me, they are discerning). But the High-Res output from the NWZ-A15 Walkman® and the superb reproduction of the MDR-1A headphones is a winning combination.
Every dad should have one.
Especially if staying in a caravan.
For a start, with up to 30 hours of playtime the Walkman® High-Resolution Audio player isn't likely to leave the listener stranded without anything to listen to but election coverage. Second, combining it with the amazing MDR-1A headphones means not only comfort (they're billed as among the 'most comfortable' headphones on the market - a claim I'd certainly endorse) but quite stunningly authentic audio reproduction, delicately balanced and with a purity I've never before found in a pair of headphones, thanks to what Sony describes as High-Resolution audio - a collection of digital processes allowing the encoding and playback of music using higher sampling rates than those used in CDs.
I first tried these out while on holiday over Easter - staying in a caravan with my wife, her mother and our two children. It was a large, generously-proportioned caravan - spacious, comfortable and modern. But still, it was a caravan. With small children. And my mother-in-law. I thought that'd be about as good as it gets in terms of testing both the quality, fidelity and noise-insulating properties of the headphones/walkman combo - and I was right.
I downloaded music, transferred some albums (the NWZ-A15 supports LDAC high resolution codec downloads with a Mac) and even uploaded a few audio books - more than enough for the times when I needed to retreat into my own space but didn't have the (physical) space to do so.
Unfortunately, the amazing aural quality of the Hi-Res audio downloads through the Hi-Res headphones was so good that my isolation was occasionally too complete to meet with the approval of the rest of the family. There are only so many times you can be asked whether you'd like a cup of tea/mind getting up and dealing with the kids/take the rubbish out or wash the pots while smiling beatifically and waving your arm in time to the music before someone comes and lifts up one of the lovely, closed-back, soft leather ear-pads and shouts the question in your ear.
But even if they were to let the cup smack back against your head after getting your attention, it wouldn't hurt. Believe me. (It's not part of any trial spec. Sony would have set, but I have empirical experience to prove it!)
Of course, it's the audio quality that clinches the deal. There are any number of technical developments and innovations that escape my ears (and believe me, they are discerning). But the High-Res output from the NWZ-A15 Walkman® and the superb reproduction of the MDR-1A headphones is a winning combination.
Every dad should have one.
Especially if staying in a caravan.
April 17, 2015
A spring in our step
One from the archives this morning, inspired by having seen for the first time the new CBeebies Springtime theme - a charming medley of music and iconic images of the season - spring lambs, daffodils, darling buds of... April, actually. You know the kind of thing.
But no matter how good these CBeebies seasonal songs are (and they're always good) there'll never be one to compare to the 2009 version (in my opinion) - which featured tail-coated children conducting the music of the season on a spring hillside with a generous sampling of Vivaldi (Spring, of course, from - what else? - The Four Seasons) and a tiny little version of my son and eponymous star of this blog joining in.
They grow up fast, don't they?
But no matter how good these CBeebies seasonal songs are (and they're always good) there'll never be one to compare to the 2009 version (in my opinion) - which featured tail-coated children conducting the music of the season on a spring hillside with a generous sampling of Vivaldi (Spring, of course, from - what else? - The Four Seasons) and a tiny little version of my son and eponymous star of this blog joining in.
They grow up fast, don't they?
April 15, 2015
Under pressure!
Regrets, I've had a few. I've had a few pressure washers in my time, too. And they've often been a source of regret.
First, the hose. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep it kink or tangle-free. Then there's the wire - too short, too long, too stiff, too much of a trip-hazard. And then there's the noise. My current machine sounds like a Eurofighter Typhoon being scrambled from one of the nearby RAF bases which wouldn't matter too much if the pressure (of the washer) matched the decibel level. But it doesn't. They seldom do.
Discretion (and fear of litigation) prevents me from naming and shaming the manufacturer but suffice to say it isn't Kärcher. Maybe that's where I've been going wrong. Until now.
Because to celebrate their fifteenth birthday this week Ideal World TV, Britain’s biggest home-grown TV shopping channel (Sky channel 654, Freeview 22, Virgin 747 and Freesat 812) has not only sent me a brand-spanking new Kärcher K4 to play with, they've sent the latest K4 Silent which boasts 50% noise reduction compared to standard while maintaining more-than-impressive (not to mention fully adjustable) washing pressure. Key features include:
· 130 bar of pressure
· 420 litres per/hr water flow
· Powerful 1800w water cooled motor
· 50% noise reduction compared to standard Kärcher K4 pressure washers
· 6m anti-kink and anti-twist high pressure hose
· An elastic hose strap for easy storage
· Retractable trolley handle and wheels for convenient storage and easy mobility.
Having put it through its paces I can confirm it is very, very quiet. Think purring cats rather than barking dogs. And it can clean - boy, can it clean! What's more, the adjustable pressure settings mean it can clean more than might normally be pressure washable. I've used it to spruce up the rather grimy plastic roof of the decking as well (gently) on the wooden decking itself. The results are certainly sparkling.
And there's more! Because you too could be the proud owner of the Kärcher K4 Silent. It might be Ideal World TV's birthday but they're giving one away to one lucky Bringing up Charlie reader. All you do have to do to enter is choose one (or more) of the Rafflecopter options below and cross your fingers, while mentally compiling a list of all the cleaning you'll be doing once the Kärcher K4 comes your way.
The Karcher K4 Set costs £199.99 and is available from www.idealworld.tv from Monday April 13th. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday April 19th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
First, the hose. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep it kink or tangle-free. Then there's the wire - too short, too long, too stiff, too much of a trip-hazard. And then there's the noise. My current machine sounds like a Eurofighter Typhoon being scrambled from one of the nearby RAF bases which wouldn't matter too much if the pressure (of the washer) matched the decibel level. But it doesn't. They seldom do.
Discretion (and fear of litigation) prevents me from naming and shaming the manufacturer but suffice to say it isn't Kärcher. Maybe that's where I've been going wrong. Until now.
Because to celebrate their fifteenth birthday this week Ideal World TV, Britain’s biggest home-grown TV shopping channel (Sky channel 654, Freeview 22, Virgin 747 and Freesat 812) has not only sent me a brand-spanking new Kärcher K4 to play with, they've sent the latest K4 Silent which boasts 50% noise reduction compared to standard while maintaining more-than-impressive (not to mention fully adjustable) washing pressure. Key features include:
· 130 bar of pressure
· 420 litres per/hr water flow
· Powerful 1800w water cooled motor
· 50% noise reduction compared to standard Kärcher K4 pressure washers
· 6m anti-kink and anti-twist high pressure hose
· An elastic hose strap for easy storage
· Retractable trolley handle and wheels for convenient storage and easy mobility.
Having put it through its paces I can confirm it is very, very quiet. Think purring cats rather than barking dogs. And it can clean - boy, can it clean! What's more, the adjustable pressure settings mean it can clean more than might normally be pressure washable. I've used it to spruce up the rather grimy plastic roof of the decking as well (gently) on the wooden decking itself. The results are certainly sparkling.
And there's more! Because you too could be the proud owner of the Kärcher K4 Silent. It might be Ideal World TV's birthday but they're giving one away to one lucky Bringing up Charlie reader. All you do have to do to enter is choose one (or more) of the Rafflecopter options below and cross your fingers, while mentally compiling a list of all the cleaning you'll be doing once the Kärcher K4 comes your way.
The Karcher K4 Set costs £199.99 and is available from www.idealworld.tv from Monday April 13th. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday April 19th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 13, 2015
Election Special!
I wake, as is so often the case, to the sound of fighting. No, not the children. Not this morning. Jim and John and Justin (Webb, not Mr Tumble) fill my ears as I rise, the wireless being tuned as it usually is to Radio Four.
But today, in addition to our own election coverage (I've heard enough of that already) they start reporting - prominently - a story about who might stand for US President in two years time. And you know what that means, don't you? Yes. The moment they've got our lot done and dusted Jim and John and Justin will be jetting off to the U.S.A to talk for two years about who may stand, where they might win, what primary they need to secure a nomination - for an election that isn't even ours and isn't happening for another two years. Two years!
Now maybe I'm alone in my frustration. I'm used to being alone. I'm on my own in regarding ITV as a cultural waste-land, or anything with 'talent' in the title being a contradiction. I'm alone (it would seem) in my view that Test Match Special has been despoiled, sullied and rendered unlistenable since the employment of Charles Dagnell at the microphone. I don't mind being in a minority of one. And in drawing the following conclusion about election coverage I may well be wrong.
But is there anyone out there - anyone - who is really that interested? Is there anyone outside the political bubble who studies the every utterance of our political leaders with the same sacred scrutiny as the political junkies on the TV and radio? Does anyone else care if they sometimes say something that doesn't quite stand up to the forensic dissection afforded by the likes of Jim Naughtie? (But Prime Minister, when you were seven years old you swore undying love for Margery Daws - it's on the record. How do you account for your blatant u-turn in marrying your wife? You're see-sawing with the electorate aren't you- admit it?)
I have a theory. It is this. They're in it for themselves. They don't do it for us. They're not digging and delving and destroying political reputations (nice work Jeremy, you bully) for our sake - but for their own. There isn't enough news in politics per se to fill the airtime and to justify their contracts and their salaries. So, in the best free market tradition, the journos make their own news by analysing everything, endlessly.
Well, not any more. Let's face it, whoever gets in here on May 7th we're in a mess. It's all relative. So my manifesto is this. Let's starve the politicos of their navel-gazing narcissism and have a simple statement from each one of them -vote for me, because I'll do this... Because (unlike Russell Brand) I do think we should go and put that little cross on the ballot paper. I do think voting is important. I even once thought politics was mildly interesting. But the endless exegesis is extremely irritating and - what's more - unnecessary. We don't need endless interview attempts to trip politicians up (they do a good enough to job themselves) and we don't (imho) need hours and hours of analysis, of people telling us what someone else will say before they've said it and then afterwards analysing it as if it's come down from Mt Sinai. And please - I don't want to hear about a foreign politician deciding that she might like to be the candidate for a party in an election that's a whole two years and 4000 miles away.
Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof, as The Bible has it.
And in the meantime, I'm re-tuning my radio!
But today, in addition to our own election coverage (I've heard enough of that already) they start reporting - prominently - a story about who might stand for US President in two years time. And you know what that means, don't you? Yes. The moment they've got our lot done and dusted Jim and John and Justin will be jetting off to the U.S.A to talk for two years about who may stand, where they might win, what primary they need to secure a nomination - for an election that isn't even ours and isn't happening for another two years. Two years!
Now maybe I'm alone in my frustration. I'm used to being alone. I'm on my own in regarding ITV as a cultural waste-land, or anything with 'talent' in the title being a contradiction. I'm alone (it would seem) in my view that Test Match Special has been despoiled, sullied and rendered unlistenable since the employment of Charles Dagnell at the microphone. I don't mind being in a minority of one. And in drawing the following conclusion about election coverage I may well be wrong.
But is there anyone out there - anyone - who is really that interested? Is there anyone outside the political bubble who studies the every utterance of our political leaders with the same sacred scrutiny as the political junkies on the TV and radio? Does anyone else care if they sometimes say something that doesn't quite stand up to the forensic dissection afforded by the likes of Jim Naughtie? (But Prime Minister, when you were seven years old you swore undying love for Margery Daws - it's on the record. How do you account for your blatant u-turn in marrying your wife? You're see-sawing with the electorate aren't you- admit it?)
I have a theory. It is this. They're in it for themselves. They don't do it for us. They're not digging and delving and destroying political reputations (nice work Jeremy, you bully) for our sake - but for their own. There isn't enough news in politics per se to fill the airtime and to justify their contracts and their salaries. So, in the best free market tradition, the journos make their own news by analysing everything, endlessly.
Well, not any more. Let's face it, whoever gets in here on May 7th we're in a mess. It's all relative. So my manifesto is this. Let's starve the politicos of their navel-gazing narcissism and have a simple statement from each one of them -vote for me, because I'll do this... Because (unlike Russell Brand) I do think we should go and put that little cross on the ballot paper. I do think voting is important. I even once thought politics was mildly interesting. But the endless exegesis is extremely irritating and - what's more - unnecessary. We don't need endless interview attempts to trip politicians up (they do a good enough to job themselves) and we don't (imho) need hours and hours of analysis, of people telling us what someone else will say before they've said it and then afterwards analysing it as if it's come down from Mt Sinai. And please - I don't want to hear about a foreign politician deciding that she might like to be the candidate for a party in an election that's a whole two years and 4000 miles away.
Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof, as The Bible has it.
And in the meantime, I'm re-tuning my radio!
April 11, 2015
Suck it and see!
I have to be careful what I say on this blog about domestic gadgets. There are those among its readership who (*ahem* quite rightly) regard yours truly as a successful author, literati and all-round culture-vuture. I do so hate to disappoint.
So I will contain myself. I will adopt a haughty 'couldn't really care less' tone when I tell you all about the absolutely fabulous Vax Air Cordless 2-in-1 Upright Vacuum Cleaner which is quite possibly the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned and is wonderful and marvellous.
Ahem. I do beg your pardon.
There was, once, a vacuum I may - may - have preferred. It was this - a short-lived loan of a robot vac with an absurdly small dust box and limited suction power but the unrivalled ability to vacuum the floor without me lifting a finger. Or lifting anything else, for that matter.
The VAX 2-in-1 is cordless, too. Ingeniously, it integrates a hand-held vac in its body. So it too - necessary - has a limited dust box and (I speculated) perhaps limited suction power to boot.
Well, no. Not a bit of it.
Ok, so the dust box has to be small enough to be carried when the unit is used as a hand-held but, believe me, what it lacks in annoying, trailing wires, in weight and in whatever else big heavy vacuum cleaners have, the VAX 2-in-1 more than makes up in versatility, manoeuvrability, adaptability and flexibility - not to mention sheer usability. I'm not often moved to hyperbole in the description of domestic appliances. But the Vax Air Cordless 2-in-1 is quite possibly the best vacuum cleaner I have ever owned. And I've owned a few.
Highly recommended.
It makes vacuuming a pleasure. No, really!
So I will contain myself. I will adopt a haughty 'couldn't really care less' tone when I tell you all about the absolutely fabulous Vax Air Cordless 2-in-1 Upright Vacuum Cleaner which is quite possibly the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned and is wonderful and marvellous.
Ahem. I do beg your pardon.
There was, once, a vacuum I may - may - have preferred. It was this - a short-lived loan of a robot vac with an absurdly small dust box and limited suction power but the unrivalled ability to vacuum the floor without me lifting a finger. Or lifting anything else, for that matter.
The VAX 2-in-1 is cordless, too. Ingeniously, it integrates a hand-held vac in its body. So it too - necessary - has a limited dust box and (I speculated) perhaps limited suction power to boot.
Well, no. Not a bit of it.
Ok, so the dust box has to be small enough to be carried when the unit is used as a hand-held but, believe me, what it lacks in annoying, trailing wires, in weight and in whatever else big heavy vacuum cleaners have, the VAX 2-in-1 more than makes up in versatility, manoeuvrability, adaptability and flexibility - not to mention sheer usability. I'm not often moved to hyperbole in the description of domestic appliances. But the Vax Air Cordless 2-in-1 is quite possibly the best vacuum cleaner I have ever owned. And I've owned a few.
Highly recommended.
It makes vacuuming a pleasure. No, really!
April 6, 2015
Make a Scott Tracy Thunderbirds Cap
The new Thunderbirds animation on Saturday went down rather well with Charlie. It also pleased me (although I didn't watch) as it's suddenly (and unexpectedly) revived interest in my 'Make your own Tracy Island' post of yesteryear.
So, for those of you who have already made your own International Rescue HQ, here's another 'how to' post - this time making your own Thunderbirds costume. It's alright - you don't have to tie strings to your little one's wrists. The animation's all done on computer these days, anyway. But if your little one would like to look like Scott or Virgil or any of the others, this easy-to-make International Rescue cap might help.
First, two A4 pieces of blue card or stiff paper, sellotaped together. Simply cut a shallow curve from one sheet, use it as a stencil for the other, and you're half-way there.
Next, the fiddly bit - the lettering. I chose to cut out an oval of black paper and stick it down...
...after which my assistant cut out the letters 'I" and 'R' drawn on white paper:
Once the letters were ready my (second) assistant (you didn't seriously think those were MY fingers did you?) glued them on to the black oval:
And that was pretty much that!
Charlie's pyjamas - with the addition of a sash (which is actually a reversed height chart that we had hanging on his bedroom wall) - complete the outfit.
It's what all the best-dressed animatronic supermarionation puppets are wearing this season.
Thunderbirds are go.
Again!
So, for those of you who have already made your own International Rescue HQ, here's another 'how to' post - this time making your own Thunderbirds costume. It's alright - you don't have to tie strings to your little one's wrists. The animation's all done on computer these days, anyway. But if your little one would like to look like Scott or Virgil or any of the others, this easy-to-make International Rescue cap might help.
First, two A4 pieces of blue card or stiff paper, sellotaped together. Simply cut a shallow curve from one sheet, use it as a stencil for the other, and you're half-way there.
Next, the fiddly bit - the lettering. I chose to cut out an oval of black paper and stick it down...
...after which my assistant cut out the letters 'I" and 'R' drawn on white paper:
Once the letters were ready my (second) assistant (you didn't seriously think those were MY fingers did you?) glued them on to the black oval:
And that was pretty much that!
Charlie's pyjamas - with the addition of a sash (which is actually a reversed height chart that we had hanging on his bedroom wall) - complete the outfit.
It's what all the best-dressed animatronic supermarionation puppets are wearing this season.
Thunderbirds are go.
Again!
April 3, 2015
Get Packing!
Visit Wales (the Welsh Tourist Board) is running a campaign to find out what people would pack for a trip to Wales. Are you prepared for coasteering? Would your kids be packing a toy sword to storm the Caernarfon castle, or a bucket and spade to make sandcastles on one of the superb Welsh beaches?
We're not actually going to Wales this Easter, but we're no strangers to the delights of the Principality, either. Here's Charlie (many years ago) on the Pembrokeshire coast path...
And here's his sister's first real taste of the sea at Newgale beach a few years later...
Packing, of course, generally means preparing for anything. The kids need entertaining - and thanks to their Leap Pads, even long journeys are relatively stress-free. But packing gadgets like these needs careful planning and the handy addition of this nifty (and hefty - but only in terms of the powerful punch it packs) portable battery charger to our rucksack makes the inevitable power problems less of a poser.
We've packed the wellies and the waterproofs (of course) and I've got some paints (watercolours, what else?) We're well prepared. So what do you pack for a trip to Wales? Well, our conclusion is - just about anything. BecauseWales has got just about everything!
Wherever you might wander, and whatever destination you're packing for, have a wonderful Easter!
We're not actually going to Wales this Easter, but we're no strangers to the delights of the Principality, either. Here's Charlie (many years ago) on the Pembrokeshire coast path...
And here's his sister's first real taste of the sea at Newgale beach a few years later...
Packing, of course, generally means preparing for anything. The kids need entertaining - and thanks to their Leap Pads, even long journeys are relatively stress-free. But packing gadgets like these needs careful planning and the handy addition of this nifty (and hefty - but only in terms of the powerful punch it packs) portable battery charger to our rucksack makes the inevitable power problems less of a poser.
We've packed the wellies and the waterproofs (of course) and I've got some paints (watercolours, what else?) We're well prepared. So what do you pack for a trip to Wales? Well, our conclusion is - just about anything. BecauseWales has got just about everything!
Wherever you might wander, and whatever destination you're packing for, have a wonderful Easter!
April 1, 2015
It's a Bing Thing
Since it's debut on CBeebies in June last year, Bing has become a firm favourite here - if not with Charlie then with his little sister. Bing is a wonderfully charming tale of pre-school life as the eponymous bunny and his friends get up to all the adventures expected of the average three-year-old under the gently watchful eye of his carer, Flop (voiced by Mark Rylance). It's even expanded our vocabulary - little accidents or problems are now frequently referred to as a 'clumbo' - the wonderfully onomatopoeic mash-up for a mishap that comes straight from the Bing script.
To mark the launch of the new Bing DVD on March 30th (featuring the following episodes: Swing - Bye Bye - Ducks – Growing - Hide & Seek - Lost Frog – Bake - Atchoo! – VooVoo and including a special ‘Grow With Bing’ height chart) we're delighted to be able to offer this wonderful giveaway containing not only a copy of the DVD but TWO lovely Bing books into the bargain!
To enter, all you have to do is click the Rafflecopter link below and choose one (or more) of the many options.
You know you want to.
It's a Bing thing!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
To mark the launch of the new Bing DVD on March 30th (featuring the following episodes: Swing - Bye Bye - Ducks – Growing - Hide & Seek - Lost Frog – Bake - Atchoo! – VooVoo and including a special ‘Grow With Bing’ height chart) we're delighted to be able to offer this wonderful giveaway containing not only a copy of the DVD but TWO lovely Bing books into the bargain!
To enter, all you have to do is click the Rafflecopter link below and choose one (or more) of the many options.
You know you want to.
It's a Bing thing!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
