It’s always worth having a box of essential kid’s craft items packed away in a large plastic storage box so you are ready for those creative adhoc crafting afternoons. Being prepared can allow your kids hours of creative and imaginative fun! So, what exactly are the best craft items to have to hand for your kids to get creative with?  Below, I have put together a list 10 essential crafting items… I hope you find it useful! Coloured Duck Tape Duck tape comes in many different colours.  The brightly coloured designs make Duck Tape such a fun way to tape together inventions and creations. Why not try covering a shoe…

We all want our children to respect school rules but how can we help our children do this? A thriving prep school in West London creates a school culture underpinned by kindness and respect and they offer the following advice for helping you teach your child to respect school rules… Firstly, what is respect? Respect is showing regard for something or someone. It is critical for children to learn respect so they can successfully communicate and negotiate themselves throughout their lives. Children will model the behaviour of those that they spend time with, this includes of the adults that they live with and look up to. For a child to learn…

In August I was lucky enough to spend a very warm and sunny weekend in Malvern. It was our wedding anniversary, and we had decided to have a night away while Joe stayed at his Nan and grandads for the weekend. Malvern is a place that interested me, my sister had got married at one of the hotel’s there, but that had been our only visit, and I was interested as I knew the town had some Art Deco worth seeing. Great Malvern is a stunning mixture of architecture, grand Georgian and Victorian pieces, some examples of Art Noveau glasswork, along with more modern Deco pieces. There is also a…

Jeffrey Holland is a home grown Midlands star who starred in some of the greatest comedies of the 1980s and 90s, including the classic Hi-De-Hi. This autumn he is returning to the Midlands, reunited with his Hi-De-Hi co-star Su Pollard, as he takes a leading role in the Wolverhampton Grand’s Panto Dick Whittington. Last month I chatted to Jeffrey at the official panto launch about all things panto and comedy. FM: Can you tell me anything about this year’s panto, and your character in it? Jeffrey Holland: Well it’s Dick Whittington, one of the 4 big ones (along with Cinderella, Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk). It’s a good story,…

One of my favourite things about visiting Wales is the chance to get back to Barmouth. And, once in Barmouth, there is one shop that I always have to pay a visit to, as you never know quite what you will find when you venture past the doors. Luvit in Barmouth is a real independent to celebrate, as it is a store that also celebrates independent artisans, jewellery designers and artists, with a little bit of vintage thrown in for good measure.It is a shop that is perfect to visit when you are looking for a special present for someone, or if you are just looking to treat yourself. It…