Last week I had the bizarre pleasure of visiting the opening of the Phobophobia , The Ventriloquist Nightmare show at the London Tombs. I hadn’t been at the tombs before and to be honest I wasn’t sure of what to expect, however, this show has been put together especially for the half term and in particular the run up to Halloween.
Now I love my ‘jump scare’ horror films and to be honest any sort of horror film, as does my teen son, but that does not mean that I wouldn’t be scared. My husband does not ‘do’ horror in any way and looking back I cannot believe I actually got him to go first in our group when we entered!
The evening started with drinks ( which were definitely needed before entering the show) and socialising with large reptiles, so look away now if you do not like snakes……….
It’s that creepy time of year again where ghosts and ghouls come out to play.
I obviously cannot talk for everyone but I have always loved celebrating Halloween since having the boys. I have a gorgeous picture of them as little wizards when they are only about 5 and 3 years old. We always had a party with friends and their children and then we went out en masse for a bit of Trick or Treating! We have always used the kids as an excuse to have a party anyway.
The boys are now at the awkward ages of 13 and 15 years old and so don’t really want to do the trick or treating/ dress up, however, they still love opening the door to all those that do to give out sweets.
I’m hoping that as they get older we will be able to start again with ‘proper’ parties where we all dress up as adults and have a disco going and they can all invite their friends! We think that by celebrating these events then the boys themselves will celebrate them when they are grown and have their own kids. I love the dressing up, the warming food and treats and the chance to decorate the house!!
Tell me, am I the only horrible mother in the world that has breathed a sigh of relief now the kids are back to school?
Surely I’m not on my own here. Yesterday was like heaven in the respect that I had no TV on, no radios or Ipods blaring, and most of all NO ARGUING! ( Well that was until they came home from school to get organised for Halloween. Which truly ended up as a ‘Benny Hill’ style fast forward video as I had friends round and needed to feed everyone, play games, take kids trick or treating and then have them ready and changed for Scouts by 7.20pm!!!
No easy feat I can tell you……………………….
Last minute.com pumpkins done the night before!!
The motley crew!
Before we knew it we were off trick or treating and then the boys were whisked off to scouts for more mess and games!!
All we needed was some comedy music and it wouldn’t have been out of place on a Benny Hill episode.
But after a hectic week over half term I’m kind of glad it’s all calmed down a little………….well for this week anyway. I’m totally enjoying ( rightly or wrongly) the peace during the day. Now I may be able to catch up on all the stuff that’s been put on hold since the start of the holidays.
Love it or hate it almost everyone has an opinion on breastfeeding! Did it work for you or did you feel a failure for either not giving it a go, or trying but being unsuccesful? Do you breastfeed in public?
With kids comes exhaustion, we have all experienced that. Do you have a child with a sleep pattern from hell?
Halloween- do you celebrate? Do you think it’s over rated? How do you keep your kids entertained over Halloween?
The panel discuss all of these issues on the show on friday 14th Oct @ 13.30
No one understands these issues more than our panel of mums for the next episode of Mums Half Hour. Joining us live and answering your questions, are Penny Jenner, Pamela Hey and Amber Spain. With half term looming, the panel will be discussing breastfeeding from pumps to positioning, how to tackle disruptive sleep patterns and sharing their own personal experiences and tips on what’s worked for them.
This webTV show will be live and interactive, with the panel taking your questions and thoughts so if you have something to say, they want to hear it!
Our panel join us live online atwww.youtube.com/startriteshoeson Friday 14th October at 13.30 to discuss breastfeeding, and dealing with difficult sleeping patterns.
Don’t forget you can click on the link and submit your questions in order to be involved with the show
For another chance to win a year’s supply of Start-rite shoes, log onto www.youtube.com/startriteshoesand submit a question along with your contact details
What do Ghoul School, Woolworths and Jeff Brazier have in common?
Jeff Brazier has been recruited by Woolworths.co.uk to become the Head Teacher of a Halloween venture called Ghoul School to find the scariest kids in the UK!!
Kids from all over the UK are being asked to don their best Halloween outfits including their ‘scariest faces’ and ‘monster attitudes’ for the new online event to find a ‘Head boy and girl’ through a series of tasks at the Ghoul School. Head Teacher Jeff with be helped by his monster team ‘The Woolies’ to help him on the day!
So how do I know all this?
Well I had the opportunity to interview Jeff about this venture in conjunction with Woolworths.
I have never interviewed anyone before, so to say I was a bit nervous was a huge understatement! But I thought that I would take note of all the ‘self help’ style jargon and ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’!
However, I needn’t have worried in the slightest as he was an absolute pleasure to chat to. In fact he made the job easy for me as I had finally met someone who could talk as much as me. He was really down to earth talking about the new venture with Woolworths. How he enjoys celebrating Halloween with his boys and how he tries to ‘recycle’ some of their sweets they get Trick or Treating and save them from rotting teeth!
Anyway I thought I would share a few of the questions with you and then I have been brave enough to include the audio of the interview with you
However, there are rules………………………
1. Don’t be too critical as it was my first ever interview!
2. No laughing at the comedy Irish accent……….that’s mine not his!
3. No leaving comments telling me I sound like one of the kids off ‘Why Don’t You’ (those readers of a certain age will remember the programme)
Here are a few of the questions I managed to ask……….
Do you dress up and try and scare away the kids Trick or Treating at your door?
No, I dress up and go out with the kids and everyone knows that it’s me where I live, if you get what I mean, and my door is probably busier than most. So I think they assume that because I work on television that I’ve got a shed load of sweets and a shed load of money, and neither of those statements are actually true. But no I really do need to stock up and I know where I will be going to get the sweets as well.
For the kids who want to get involved with the event what exactly do they have to do?
Ok, so what it is, is a one off event actually run by Woolworths.co.uk the Ghoul School is their creation and we’ve basically found a wonderful manor house, a Tudor mansion up in Liverpool called Speke hall, and we would like 10 finalists to join us where on the day we’ll play lots of challenges, play games and basically try our very best to find our Head Boy and Head Girl.
Kids have until Sunday to get their entries in. What they need to do to prove that they are the scariest kid in the UK, they need to dress up and get their face paint on, and they need to be as scary looking as possible and parents need to send their picture by email to Woolworths@thebrooklandsbrotherspr.com with 140 words explaining why the kids think they are the scariest in the UK.
Are you going to be a ‘wicked’ Head Teacher or are you going to try and be nice to the children?
No, I’m going to get rid of Jeff Brazier for the day. I’m going to be the Head Teacher of the Ghoul School, I’ve yet to think of a name, my alias. I’m going to make it my personal mission in life to scare them all the time and really put them to the test!
But to hear the interview in full just click on the link below to download and listen. He talks about all things Halloween, his kids and sweets!!!!
Jeff is currently working with Woolworths.co.uk to find the nation’s scariest children to attend the world’s first ever Ghoul School which Jeff is head teacher of. Ghoul School will be held at Speke Hall, Liverpool on 8th October 2011 where Jeff will help Woolworths.co.uk name a Head Boy and Head Girl of Ghoul School.
Visit Woolworths.co.uk for further details and to meet The Woolies.
**REMEMBER CHILDREN ONLY HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY TO ENTER**
