North West Evening Mail | News | Teacher recalls joy of receiving gift box

North West Evening Mail | News | Teacher recalls joy of receiving gift box

Just done my boxes, 1 for an infant boy and the other for a girl aged 5 to 9. I was disappointed last year, that we didn't get notified of where the boxes went, but only hope that the children got some joy out of them... Reading this is inspiring, and when you think about disaffected youth here, and the relative luxury and opportunity we all have, it is very humbling.

Happy Christmas to children of all faiths and backgrounds, all over the world.

NickyWardArt and The Bower Wirks

I was quite good at art at school.. I found it therapeutical and fulfilling. However, since leaving school, many many years ago, I've never pursued the interest. Having children is wonderful for sparking off those forgotten interests, in an effort to interest/inspire/distract ...

Funny how going to Mass was and remains a very integral and treasured hour of the week, since having my children..and now I'm uncovering past authors and books, Enid Blyton, Peter Rabbit, Green Smoke, Tom's Secret Garden, Catweazle and other favourites, which I believe are fast becoming lost in a world where the children do not even remember the name of our Queen.

Well! Art is a delicious thing to re-enter, and even more fulfilling when enjoyed by your children. We were lucky enough to happen upon Nicky Ward at Chesterfield Canal Trust Fair during the summer 2012. My older son was instantly attracted to the Chesterfield Canal Collage, where he proudly beholds his contribution.

Yesterday, we participated in the Funny Faces workshop at Nicky Ward's own Bower Wirks. What an amazing art experience! Nicky is an afficianado of recycling, something I admire and aspire to . Her works are inspired, full of life and glowing with talent.

Nicky has recently held several workshops for adults and children. Her space is a veritable cove of enchantment. Check out the Bower Wirks on Facebook for pictures and more information...

Matlock Bath...and Pavillion Trust

Anyone know has visited Derbyshire, or who lives in the area will know about Matlock Bath. A historical site, for medicinal purposes in faded days gone by. the baths are still there to be visited, along with an aquarium and gallery of interesting artefacts and pictures. This facility is free to visit and a good place to visit with children.

Along with a bikers paradise, plenty of good fish and chippies, there is an interesting array of shops including gifts and crockery, hippy clothes, biker wear, books and more, plus the famous riverwalk, ornamental fish and fantastic play areas for children, aswell as being close to Gullivers Kingdom and the Heights of Abraham.

Being the enthusiastic purveyor, collector and peddlar of books,( incuding but not exclusive to Usborne, Children's Publisher of the Year), I was happy to participate in a Craft Fair recently, with my Usborne books, at Matlock Bath Pavillion. I was shocked to lug my heavy loads up several flights of stairs, to a derelict hall, filled with puzzled and disorientated stallholders trying to make their wares look attractive within the dingy surrounding...crumbling roof and boarded up windows did not serve to display the hard work of the participants that well...
However, it was due to the volunteer worker, Trina that I was enlightened regarding how much actual work had already been done to save this listed building, and how much more there was to do...
I started to feel proud to be included on the first craft fair that was to raise funds for the Trust, and the atmosphere was cheerful. Call it the Dunkirk Spirit, but everyone took pride to display their wares to the fullest potential. Gregor McGregor, the man of the day (and the website, a Trustee) escorted interested parties for tours around the huge place, explaining the ambitious project and the potential to be had. I am all for it! Please support the next Craft Fair and browse the website for more infomation  ...http://www.savethepavilion.co.uk/

Undercover Boss USA

This is my absolute favourite programme of the moment..I happened upon it last week and have watched it about 3 times this week. I saw the UK version a couple of months ago, which was about the Ann Summers boss. Thought it was ok but a bit watery compared to the USA version, plus I'm not the biggest fan of A.S, not that I'm against anyone buying tacky underwear etc etc, more about having issues with their advertising campaigns in busy high streets (with lots of kids).
I think what impressed me about the yanks, during my previous time working as an Au Pair, was a) their pride in being American, and b) the encouragement and celebration of the fruits of hard work. In this country, if you are not already down, you are not too far away from a cynic who will put you down!
Absolutely love the tears when the bosses realises that they have some cracking employees and havn't so far done them proud..and that these same employees get the recognition they deserve, plus a good old wad of cash to help them in their ambitions (eg, to put their children through college, to enlarge a family home, to study, to pay off study loans etc.)
Heartwarming stuff...different from the depressing garbage churned out by the brits in the daytime (and the yanks are good at garbage also, just better at some things than we are.)
The brits are not all bad..after U.B.U.S,A, there is A Place is the Sun....Ah, if only.....!

Future Queen Topless Pics!

Funny how this is one of my most viewed posts (tee hee!)

Is there anything more likely than the latest headlines to send lots of surreptitious searches from guys (and probably gals) on the internet to look and see what the scrumptious Duchess looks like clothed off?
I do feel sorry for the Prince, the poor guy obviously didn't remember, despite past indications that the French, or for that matter, any press have long zoom lenses and have no morals or boundaries... this is entirely forgivable, as he's also, obviously a trusting sort of chap. How wrong can you be.
I guess I am a cynical so and so, and think that if I were famous, I may have chosen an even more secluded spot (indoors with curtains closed, maybe?) before getting naked. Must be a stifling situation, if you want to go topless then you should be allowed without the glare of publicity..life, however is full of annoying stuff that prevents you from doing as you please.
I think that age, and probably the appearance of children will make the couple as distrustful and cautious as others, for better or worse.

Secret Millionaire - Bradford

Who could not fail to be moved by the young successful poker player, Andrew, and his lovely Mother, who has cherished and shielded him (even from the knowledge of what an onion looks like). Sounds like I'm being critical, but I know exactly where his parents are coming from...the boy is a gambling prodigy, but also actually a doe eyed innocent who would be taken for a ride by every tom dick and harry who set eyes on him.

Yes, I am no different, and the trial by cooking, as I've heard is the norm on this programme, often produces similar results....millionaires and prodigies are not the same as us mere mortals, and do not need to know what the different veggies are (is it an onion, a garlic, or even a ginger?), or how to operate a can opener...they are too busy making lots of cash!

I'm sounding like I'm criticising again, but sincerely am not. I cried buckets during this programme, and, as accused by my Mum as being a God botherer, couldn't help but think how very happy God must be to see the lessons learned during the making of this programme, and the amazing life changes experienced by Andrew and those that met him.

All who we met in the programme are inspirational people, the ex addicts, working with those that need help by way of a publication..for no material gain whatsoever...and the youth worker, obviously a priveliged young man who saw a need for supporting young people in the area, and sacrificed a career in music.

I couldn't help but think that the Children's Cancer Hospital man (with his 6 year old sick grandson, an enthusiastic fund raiser, again with nothing to materially gain) had his suspicions about Andrew....I may be a rusty old cynic but the whole demeanour of the man pointed towards thinking that he thought Andrew possibly maybe a secret millionaire...if so and if not, and just plugging his cause on a telly programme, good on him for promoting his cause rightly and justly.

If you havn't seen it, go on the internet replay and prepare to weep!

The Anniversary of the Bailey Report/Parent Port

Does anyone know what this is?

Let's take a moment to remember the Panorama programme 'Too Much Too Soon' last year, which was the first and only time I heard the above mentioned. It appears that the results from the Report and the Port have underperformed to the degree of minus Flop.
No-one knows about it...well, a few do, and these people have complained that it's such a complicated process to wade through the wordage, and it's so difficult to make a complaint about advertising that it's very offputting.
It's almost as if the government is not really that bothered about the loss to the faltering economy through the banning of immoral sales techniques...how cynical of me.

Please read below, the shorter the better after trying to wade through the Parent Port eh?!

I wore make up and short skirts as a teenager...not to school though, make up, jewellery and short skirts were not allowed and I think this is better for a learning environment, (ask me why if you think this is insane).  My Dad was not happy but my Mother was supportive. However, times were more innocent.

Make up kits and dressing up are great for creativity. However, mimicking sexual behaviour watched on tv, playing violent/watching violent console games with adults who think this is ok may backfire on a child not old enough to have the judgement to separate reality from tv, music video or computer game. Also to realise the consequences of actions whilst role playing the games they've viewed in the school yard or elsewhere.

Many of the girls I went to school with embarked on more adult behaviour than they were mature enough to handle. I suffered from low self esteem and anorexia as a result of this. These things should not be whitewashed.
Anorexia and self harming in girls is on the up. The incidence of violence by young men towards young women is also on the increase, and possibly this is unreported as being mirrored, girls violence to boys. The spread of STD's over a broad age spectrum have been on the rise for years.

Recently, in a parliamentary discussion about the recent court case where Asian men living in the UK had used young girls for sex, it was claimed that the young girls had no innocence and were highly suggestible. The retort from an MP was that it is no wonder that some young women today that they act as they do whilst some having poor upbringings, are vulnerable, and being bombarded by so many sexualised images in the media.
Sex sells and the young are being targeted as 'fair' marketing game, due to the fact that they have the most available cash.

Things are much worse nowadays, music videos are disrespectful to women and the images young women are supposed to mimic are of shallow celebrities. The latest ipad. ipod or console game is more important than the African children who do not have clean water or any education (this is still very common)...
Last year I listened to a programme described Chinese factory workers who have committed suicide due to the pressures of producing huge numbers of Ipads.

Is this right?

Surely not;  social awareness is very blurred at the moment as to what is and is not important in the social education of a child. I want my children to see a GCSE and an NVQ as a valuable goal. I will feel disappointed for them if what they get before these is an STD.

I've witnessed a family of a mother and 3 children who all had matching BRAND trainers but did not have an oven to cook food on, and had been lent money for a takeaway...the 6 year old daughter had a tin of sweetcorn for breakfast as there was nothing else.

I recently rejoined Facebook for business purposes, after a very short initial registration period years ago, as I have never been comfortable with social media. Many stories I hear about Facebook with regards young people, are e-bullying and the sexualisation of young people.

 In addition to this is the habit of teenagers of 'clothing off' and publishing photos of themselves, ready for the interests of any male who cares to browse...irresponsible when you take into account possible future repercussions, whether it be in a professional or personal sphere.

It's with disgust that I removed 2 acquaintances as they'd displayed photos on their pages of half naked teenagers, one of these men has even older daughters, but the girls who posted these pictures may not stop to reflect until they are older. Maybe they will some regrets and want to bring their own children up differently.

Peer to peer links on porn websites and private browsing, available on most browsers are a dangerous combination to vulnerable children, who for some unimaginable reason are still not protected from peadophiles on the internet. As stated in the John Venables case last year, he was charged for downloading child porn, 'This is not a victimless crime'.

The danger of being called a prude is insignificant when the cost of the national youth destruction last year is taken into account. Is it all about the lack of jobs? Or is some of it about the intensity of commercial marketing and the almost complete lack of focus and support regarding positive moral teaching, about sharing with those less fortunate, focus on education instead of how you look for school, team and community spirit etc.
These things are supposed to be highlighted as a result of the nation's 'austerity' measures. Yet the sentiment is very faint - almost inaudible, except in the exceptional cases of this years' Jubilee celebrations and focus on the Olympics, which have been fantastic so far.

If we are to get back to basics, the government needs to be more serious about guiding the media and advertising moguls into more responsible behaviour. If not, the economy may gain but to what long term personal cost for today's youth?