Once upon a time, if you had any sort of wooden building in your garden, there was every chance that it would be a shed. It would be used purely for storage, and would literally be a place that you would use to dump anything that had nowhere else to live. Useful, yes, but coveted as an extension of your home space – not really. But now things couldn’t be more different, as wooden garden rooms become more popular, bespoke and luxurious. Created to your plans and your needs by companies like Solid Sheds, these garden rooms both extend your home space, and also take your home into your garden,…

Throughout their lifetime, your child is going to meet a wide variety of people, each with different backgrounds and stories to tell. With that said, it’s important for children to learn to respect those around them; an ability that they are unfortunately not born with but must learn as they go through life. Taunton School have the following tips for parents who want to teach their children to respect their peers. Parents should always lead by example when trying to teach their kids a model way of behaving. If they hear you making racist or sexist comments, even if they are said as a joke, they will grow up to…

Your child starting school can be an overwhelming experience, especially when it is your first child. There is so much new information that you need to learn that you had never even thought about before. Education and your child’s school life should not add to this. St Hildas, an independent girls school in Harpenden has put together some handy information to help you learn about your child’s curriculum.   The National Curriculum is split into five different Key Stages based on the age of your child. The Key Stages are categorised as follows: Key Stage 1: Aged 5-7, Years 1-2 Key Stage 2: Aged 7-11, Years 3-6 Key Stage 3:…

Last week saw the grand opening of a stunning new gallery space in Birmingham’s beautiful Mailbox complex. Castle Fine Arts have moved into the former Harvey Nichols store, more than doubling the space of their previous Birmingham gallery, and held a special launch event, giving specially invited guests the chance to take a first look at the gallery. It has to be said, it is a truly impressive space, with many brilliant examples of modern art from the World’s foremost artists. The first thing you notice about the new gallery is how spacious it is, as well as how light and airy it is, a perfect space to display and…

Last night the Birmingham Royal Ballet Summer Season opened with Unleashed, a series of three short ballets, all with female choreographers.  Lyric Piece, Sense of Time (a brand new work from Ballet Now) and Peter and the Wolf, showcase the diversity and brilliance of ballet, bringing a contemporary feel to the traditions of ballet. Lyric Piece The beautiful Lyric Piece by Jessica Lang takes the wonderful music of Edward Greig and sets it against a series of moods that seem to encompass joy and sadness, love and grief and light and shade. It is visually striking, the starkness of the bare backdrop juxtaposes brilliantly against the use of a black,…