Decades at School with Marks and Spencer

Do you have any favourite memories of school? Milk in bottles with little straws, recorder lessons and the school dentist, getting your five meter swimming badge and one computer for the whole school, wheeled in and out of the rooms on a trolly.

Well, times have changed, milk comes in cartons and each class has a few computers and even iPads, but sending your children off to school for a new year will still be the same.  That pang of sadness at not getting to spend time with them even if they were causing you to tear your hair out at times, that dread of early mornings and lunch box making.

New uniforms, shoes, bags and lunch boxes and now it seems we need to add a pencil case to the mix and it got me thinking about what it was like for my parents when I was at school? What hopes, dreams and feelings did they have for me starting a new year?

I remember going to look for a new school uniform and new shoes with my mum, it was one of those defining moments of the school holidays and nothing got the excitement going more than a crisp new pair of shoes and school uniform. Trying them on when we got home and showing dad when he got in from work, just to get the approval.

I took that approach when my son started school and it was a big occasion for us to go and look for school uniform, however it wasn't as easy as i'd hoped and we couldn't find everything in his size, it was a little stressful to say the least, that happened for a few more years and then last year as much as I would miss the shopping ritual with my daughter I decided to order everything online.

We'd had uniform from Marks and Spencer since my son started school and they always lasted and stood the test of time, so with everything in one place I ordered all the school uniform for next day delivery and we had the same excitement levels, albeit in a different place, when two bags of clothes arrived.

We went through them and tried them on, I cried a little and my daughter told me I was being silly, it was a new experience and I suppose an updated and modern version of my memory.

For me my memories are happy ones and are deep in my core memory, they are what makes me tick and so I hope I can pass some of them on to my children, even if they are as different as our one computer at school to the whole row of them in each class now.

Nothing says the first day of school like a baggy jumper and shoes too big for those skinny legs, here is me surprisingly smiling for my first day at secondary school.

This year Marks & Spencer have yet another brilliant uniform collection, in a range of sizes, colours and styles. There are some neat touches to their uniforms, including, Stainaway™ shirts, made with a special finish to help make stains disappear, adjustable hem trousers to adjust the hems without a needle and thread and machine washable jumpers that stay bright and bobble free.

My two children love their new uniform from Marks & Spencer, they are just what we need to allow them to run, jump and explore. With ribbed cuffs, easy to do up buttons, zips and hooks and fabric that moves with them, I am sure these will last them the year as they have always done before.

Our holidays only started this week and they will be back at school earlier than everyone else too, with just five short weeks for their summer, even so, we hope to fit lots in. I am sure the time will come for first day back photos before I know it and most likely tears from me as I see the changes in them and the different a year makes.

Marks and Spencer are currently looking at school uniforms throughout the decades, they have changed so much and it is fascinating to see what we used to wear, you can even share your own memories with them over on Twitter using the hashtag #MySchoolYears

What was your favourite school memory?

NB: This is a collaborative post.

Following The Zebra Trail in Southampton

Since we were heading down to Southampton to visit the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas we decided to make a weekend of it and head down the day before, we've never been to Southampton before so we thought it would make a nice little weekend break.

I had seen about the Zebra trail on the Southampton Tourist Twitter page, so was looking forward to visiting them whilst we were there, there are many parks in Southampton city centre, so we decided to walk down through the parks and then on to the City Art Gallery before heading out for dinner.

To be able to walk through some wonderful park land, with plenty of space for a picnic, a huge park for the children and a little fair on for the summer, was a great way to entertain the children and as it was hot we stopped for an ice cream too.

The zebras were everywhere, we found one in the city centre and then they pretty much popped up everywhere we walked after that. This one was by the band stand and it wasn't until afterwards I noticed the delightful bit of rubbish standing with it.

We walked down towards the the art gallery and found this beauty, with zebras eating ice creams it was the perfect zebra for the day, with so many different Zebras and no two alike, they got us talking about the shapes and colours used.

I hadn't realised you weren't allowed to take photos in the gallery but managed to snap this beauty before my husband told me it was no photos, thankfully this meant I side stepped the shame of being asked not to take photos by the staff there.

Outside the gallery was I think one of my favourite Zebras, covered in wonderful bright bees with a hidden Where's Wally style bee, you can just see him hiding behind my sons shoulder.

After our evening stroll down to the quay, we headed back to the hotel but not before stopping to see a few more Zebras, the shark was my second favourite after the bees and such a fabulously zany idea  but every single one of them was brilliant and as beautiful as the last.

I loved this idea, it gets people exploring areas of a town they may not have seen before, looking at other peoples ideas on a different kind of paper. So if you happen to be in Southampton this summer then do check out the Zebras, they are well worth a visit and I only wish we'd had the time to explore more of this wonderful city.

Intelligent Waste with the Totem 60 from Joseph Joseph - Review

When we moved into our new house our grubby old bins came with us, we'd had them for years and although they were cleaned, time had taken its toll on them. With two separate bins, one for rubbish and one for recycling we had to keep one in the garage and one in the kitchen, it wasn't an ideal situation.

So when Joseph Joseph asked me if I would like to review one of their Totem Intelligent Waste Systems I obviously said yes, anything that meant I didn't have to go through two doors and back to put something into the recycling bin!

The bin has a sleek design and being square, it fits more neatly into our kitchen than the old round one did. The Totom 60 is available in several different colours but since our floor and units are white, we went with the white and silver option.

From looking at the bin, it is hard to see how it is bigger than our old one and I expected we'd be emptying it more, however it does have a big capacity for rubbish, something I think is helped by it being square rather than round, so I have only been emptying once, twice at the most a week, although we don't really make a lot of rubbish anyway.

The recycling section, although not as big as what we used to have, is plenty big enough to hold most of what we make and is emptied every few days, the biggest plus point for me though is having the rubbish and recycling all in one place.

The simple slide out door of the recycling section means I can lift out the box and pop out to the bin with ease, it can also be split into two sections meaning you can have paper in one and glass in the other. The top section also has a handy food scraps box which sits in it, great if you have a compost heap, and with the lid having an odour filter, those nasty smells don't escape into your kitchen.

With our old bin, when you put a bag over the inner section as you slid it down into the bin itself the bag would unhook itself and wouldn't quite be a snug fit, and on removal it would always seem to rip as you tried to remove it from the bin, with this the lid is such that it fits over the edge of the inner bin and you don't have any problems on placing into the bin or on removal.

It really is intelligent waste, with nothing in its design that I would change, my husband has a different view and he would prefer a foot pedal, for me though this was always one of the worst places for dirt and half the time it wouldn't lift up or would fling the lid back against the kitchen wall. This has no nooks and crannies for dirt to get trapped in, making cleaning easier and more efficient.

This bin looks great in our kitchen and thinking about our families and their bins, they could all do with something like this, with two bins or a bin and a pile of recycling to put in the outside bin when they go past it, this is the perfect solution that would fit in any home.

People may look at the price of this bin and say it is too expensive, but if it is anything like our last one it will still be with us in 8 or 9 years time. This is an investment and something to last many years, with easy cleaning I expect that it will look as good for those years too. 

The bags for the bin cost £6 for 20 which is more than I was paying for our old bin bags, however they are much sturdier meaning no rips and leaks, which in my book is worth paying for. My only concern with this bin is whether the bin bags will be made in the next 8-9 years and what we will do if they aren't.

We have several pieces of Jospeh Jospeh in our house and they are practical, modern and functional, this is no different and I actually don't mind taking the rubbish out for once.

NB: We were given the Joseph Joseph Totem Intelligent Waste System in order to create this post, all words, opinions and pictures are my own.

Words and Poetry at Newstead Abbey

We've been to Newstead Abbey many times now, in the spring, summer, autumn and winter, each time it shows us something new, this time it was inside of the house, an important part of the Abbey that we have never seen before.

With either the sun shining or adventures to be had outside, the house has just never been on our radar. So when they had a day of fun, poetry and music with tours around the house, it sounded like a fantastic way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. With access to the house and gardens for just £10 per car this sort of event is the perfect opportunity to explore more of this wonderful piece of history.

We were taken on a tour by, Becky Cullen, the Abbey's poet in residence, she read out poems inspired by the house, written by staff and members of the public. We were also allowed to explore the house ourselves, which was a fantastic experience.

Although a lot of the original furniture had been sold off many years ago, it has been replaced by similar pieces from other collections, it gives you an idea of how it would of looked back in the day. There are many rooms to look at with many memories, deeply ingrained in the wood carvings and stone that sprawl about the house.

The impressive staircase as you walk in is truly a piece of art in itself and the wood that covers that great hall must have seen so much in its time.

It would be rude to visit Newstead Abbey and not find out about it's famous previous owner, and so, we visited the bedroom of Lord Byron, or the 6th Lord Byron as he was officially named, this housed a replica of his bed with it's domed roof and a pistol by his bedside, which he kept their due to unrest in Nottinghamshire at that time. Although these rooms are slightly different to how it would have been during his time here, it has been restored to be as original as possible.

The library housed his boxing gloves and a toothpick in the form of a tiny sword, as well as many of his other possessions, you can only begin to imagine what those things would say if they could talk. Walking through the library you are taken on a journey through Lord Byron's life, loves and friends you then move on through the house and learn about the families that lived in the house as the years went by, before it was handed over to the council for all to see.

The gardens looked wonderful, full of colour and for once there was water in the pond behind the Abbey, which meant you could see the house reflected in it. With the sun shining, we headed through the rose garden, had a quick go on the park then decided to head back to the car as the storm clouds were brewing, well, it was an English summer's day!

We headed home after a wonderful afternoon out, with a beautiful insight into the house and the people who would have lived there. To see those objects and understand what could of possibly inspired Lord Byron to pen the words he did was exciting, to see the gardens from the windows and to see why the occupants designed them the way they did added another dimension to one of our favourite places to visit.

"She walks in beauty, like the night 

Of cloudless climes and starry skies; 

And all that’s best of dark and bright 

Meet in her aspect and her eyes; 

Thus mellowed to that tender light 

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.....

- Lord Byron (George Gorden)

NB: We were given complimentary tickets to the event, all words and opinions are my own.

Exploring Hardwick Hall

Last weekend we were invited to Hardwick Hall, one of many beautiful National Trust properties , whose occupants over the years have played a huge part in shaping the history of the area. We visited Hardwick many years ago pre-children and although the house itself hasn't changed, there are now some new stories to learn about.

From Bess's troubled granddaughter and once heir to the thrown, Arbella, to the last Lady of Hardwick, these two new exhibitions give us even more insight into Hardwick Hall's past.

First up though we stopped for lunch, the Great Barn Restaurant has a selection of light bites as well as hearty meals, there is also a fabulous menu for both adults and children.

I chose the cheese and leak scone with ham salad, it was fabulous, a full plate and packed to the brim with tasty salad and accompaniments.  My husband chose the full English breakfast which is served up until 12pm and my son had the cottage pie, all really tasty and big plates. My daughter chose one of the children's lunch boxes, for £4.50 it came with a nice big ham cob, crisps, a drink, some fruit and a chocolate bar as well as a box to colour in, some crayons and a booklet.

There were some wonderful cakes to chose from, so we had a couple of pieces to share, they offer cream teas too and plenty of drinks, both hot and cold. Once you've placed your order, you can take a seat and relax, there are plenty of tables and chairs available, inside or in the cobbled courtyard. The food was served quickly and we all had clean plates at the end.

After lunch we went over to the house, it was a warm day but inside the house was cool and so a welcome relief on the hot summer day. On entering we were welcomed by a member of the team who explained about the house and gave us a quiz sheet for the children to complete as they walked around the house, as well as a sheet of naughty history for the adults.

The new exhibit takes you through the life of Arbella and the history of how she didn't make it to become Queen of England after Elizabeth I died. The story is a sad one and ends with her lonely demise as a prisoner in the Tower of London.

It is a moving story and through the imagery and artefacts presented you really get a feel of what it must have been like for her, I felt extremely sorry for her and what she must of gone through.

The artefacts, beds and furniture in the house oozed sophistication and grandeur, as we moved through to the Last Lady of Hardwick exhibition, you could see tastes and styles change, however the opulence still remained.

Not only do they tell you about those that lived here, but they do also go on to tell you about what the National Trust do in order to look after the artefacts in the house, how they are cleaned, repaired etc. It is very interesting and the kids loved it too.

A final visit to one of the most important rooms in the house, the kitchen, here the children could get involved in some carpet weaving, napkin folding and see what was needed to keep the members of the house fed. All throughout the house in fact, there were things for the children to get involved in, gone are the stuffy days of not being able to touch anything and walking round like soldiers, the staff members got involved, engaged with you and for me this brought to life what the house was about for the children and adults alike.

After we'd visited the house we went outside into the beautiful rose gardens, the smell hit you before we even got close, it reminded me of my grandparents house growing up, they would make some excellent rose petal perfume.

The children amused themselves running around the garden, playing under the trees and looking in the pond. Had we had more time, it would have been a lovely place to sit and read a book as the sun shone down.

The rest of the gardens were equally as beautiful, running amongst the trees and looking at all of the vegetables and beautiful flowers was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon, with plenty of benches and spots to eat a picnic, Hardwick Hall is a wonderful place to spend the day.

We'd had so much fun and even when it got to leaving time, we still hadn't seen everything, there are so many areas to explore, you could really could make a full day of it, from opening until closing.

Our final stop was a trip down Lady Spencer's Walk, with some rope swings, an obstacle course, forest games and dens it was a delightful way to end the day. My daughter didn't want to leave she was enjoying it all so much.

Hardwick Hall is a fantastic way to spend a day out, perfect for the summer holidays too, it is easy to get to, being only 5 minutes off J28 of the M1. With plenty of space to run around, have a picnic and with a great choice of food, there really is something for everyone.

NB: We were given complimentary entry and food tickets for the day, however all words, photos and opinions are my own.

Gin Explorer Box Review

We first saw the Gin Explorer Box at the Gin Festival in Nottingham earlier this year, they offer a monthly subscription, where you receive a box of four different gins to try, with a bottle of tonic and a little treat.

The box was delivered by Parcel Force and although I wasn't in to sign for it, it was taken back to the local post office the next day, so there is no waiting around for re-delivery or having to travel too far to pick it up.

Gin Explorer Box at the Gin Festival

Arriving in a little cardboard suitcase, it looked like it's ready to whisk away on a gin tour. The gin was accompanied by some Joe & Sephs Gin & Tonic Popcorn as well as a few sweeties and printed information about each gin.

In June's box, we were treated to the following, a 50ml bottle each of Pinkster, Lakes Explorer Gin, Anno Kent Dry Gin and Masons Yorkshire Gin, along with a bottle of Peter Spanton Cardamom Tonic. 

The bottles each contain two measures of gin which means you could share them if you really want to!

I love the simple labelling on the bottles of gin, they are clean and easy to read, it was great having the booklets on each gin so you could read a bit about them. We both agreed that we loved the Lakes Explorer Gin, it had hints of lemon and grapefruit and was really easy to drink, either on it's own or with some Fever Tree Indian tonic water, the Pinkster wasn't for us though, with no real flavours coming out, just alcohol, it was our least favourite of them all.

We both loved Masons Gin when we visited the Gin Festival, it is full of flavour with the juniper really coming through, my husband received some of their Yorkshire Tea Gin for his birthday this week, this was especially tasty with the cardamom tonic. And finally the Anno Kent Dry Gin, on its own or with tonic this gin had a wonderful flavour with with the lavender and hops coming through.

The Gin Explorer box is £24.99 a month (slightly cheaper if you pay for 6/12months) which gets you the four bottles (containing a double each) as well as a mixer, and some extra goodies. If you are looking for a present for someone who loves gin, then this would be great, and if you were looking to give some gins a try without having to buy a whole bottle then this is a great way to do that, it's also something to look forward to each month.

We loved trying some of the gins in this months Gin Explorer box and they are definitely on our list of bottles to buy in the future.

NB: We were sent this box for the purpose of the review, all words and opinions are my own.