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February 2010
Keeping kids safe on the internet
The big news story just now for parents and grandparents is the action being taken to protect small children from internet predators. Have a look at the CEOP cartoon, designed to warn five-year-olds and help them use the internet safely.
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Autumn 2009
Hallowe'en Happenings
With Hallowe’en coinciding with half-term, why not treat the grandchildren to a spookily-themed day (or evening) out. Here’s our selection of some of the best Hallowee’en happenings around the country
Day of the Dead – British Museum, London
Sunday November 1st, 11.00 to 17.00
Celebrate this annual Mexican festival with free family performances, dance, workshops and carnival parades. This special event marks the finale to a week of half-term activities relating to a season of exhibitions and museums at the British museum focusing on Mexico. Download the full schedule from the British Museum website
Spooky Caves - Wookey Hole, Wells, Somerset
24th October to 1st November
Wookey Hole has gone all ghoulish for half-term, with its new witch in residence, special Hallowe’en circus, live shows and creepy competitions. Kids in Halloween fancy dress costumes get in for just £5. Find out more on the wookey website
Enchanted Forest – Piotlochry, Perthshire
16th October to 1st November 17.15 to 21.15
Bringing Scotland's history to life, the Enchanted Forest in Faskally Wood is an outdoor sound and light show, with faeries, witches, kelpies and bogey men, as well as stunning water features, lighting displays and fabulous pyrotechnics.
Lots more information on perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk
Hallowe’en activities – Alnwick Garden, Northumberland
25th – 31st October
Every day sees a different Hallowe’en themed activity at Alnwick’s stunning gardens this week, including magic spells and potions workshops on Tuesday and Thursday; pumpkin carving on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and that perennial favourirte, trick or Treating on Saturday. It culminates in Hallowe’en Dinner in the famous treehouse on Saturday October 31st, with two sittings at 5.30 and 8.30 pm. The full schedule of events is available here.
Ghost tour – Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire
31st October 20.00 – 22.30
Older children might find Joseph Cobb’s ghostly tour of Caldicot Castle rather thrilling. The light-hearted walking tour promises the possibility of ghostly encounters with the grey lady, the hooded monk or the mischievous poltergeist, culminating in a candlelit dinner. Not suitable for under-15s. Details here.
Celebrate Grandparents Day
This year Grandparents Day falls on October 4th. What better way to celebrate that with a wonderful new book “Grandparents” which has been compiled by Sarah Brown, the wife of the PM and includes a contribution from your very own Good Granny, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall. In this delightful book, Britain's national treasures share their personal anecdotes about grandparents. Some recollect fond childhood memories of their Granny or Grandpa, while others share with us their own experiences of what it is like to be a grandparent. Profits from the book are going to support the charity PiggyBankKids , of which Sarah is president. It recently launched the Jennifer Brown Research Fund to seek solutions to pregnancy difficulties and help save newborn lives, and supports a wide range of charitable projects which create opportunities for children and young people.
To read extracts from the book publiched in the Daily Mail, click here.
Jane's perfect weekend...
...consists of fresh sushi, Sunday roasts and card games with the grandchildren. Find out what else here.
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July/August 2009
Beach magic
With the forecasters promising us a proper summer this year, and many of us feeling the economic pinch, what could be nicer than a traditional UK bucket-and-spade holiday? And even if you can’t get away for long, most of us live within a couple of hours’ train ride of the coast, so pack up a picnic and head off for a day trip to the beach with the grandchildren.
While the emphasis should always be on having fun at the beach, do remember, particularly if you have small children with you, that beaches can be very dangerous too.
So it pays to take a few minutes to review the excellent safety tips posted on the RNLI website. It’s got clear explanations of what the different coloured flags mean, where you can swim safely under a lifeguard’s supervision, how to spot a dangerous rip current, and much, much more.
Most people know that a blue flag is a sign of quality for a beach. It’s awarded to coastal destinations which have achieved the highest quality in water, facilities, safety, environmental education and management. There are more than 2,500 in the UK -- To find one near you, click here.
If surfing is your thing (and we know people in their 70s who still body surf) or something your grandchildren are keen on, then the surfing genie will tell you all you need to know about where to catch the best waves. We particularly like the way you can filter a beach search according to your own preferences … from ‘close to nightlife’ to ‘more cows than people’.
Granny Jane’s grandchildren love to spend a couple of hours out on a boat mackerel fishing … followed by a piscine barbecue as the sun sets. Finding a boat and skipper to charter is easy at ukcharterboats.co.uk which handily lists them by resort.
Have a wonderful time, don’t forget the suncream and try and avoid sand in the sandwiches.
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May/June 2009
Get stuck in at the Children’s Food Festival
If your grandchildren turn their noses up at everything you offer them at mealtimes, then the Children’s Food Festival is for you – or rather for them. This celebration of food and cooking is designed to turn fussies into foodies and is devoted entirely to young people. Adults will have fun too, but this is one occasion where the kids are in charge of the dough.
The festival is being held on 27th and 28th June at The Northmoor Trust Farm, ten miles south of Oxford. Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall will be on hand to dispense her grandmotherly wisdom and share some of her favourite recipes from The Good Granny Cookbook. The Festival is fronted by Patrons Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson, who will also be giving hands-on demos, inviting children to help them chop, stir, smell and taste.
Children of all ages are invited to become adventurers in the world of real food and they will be able to get their hands into plenty of ingredients from pizza to pesto and sushi to sausages. Children who already love food and cooking can show off their skills to their peers and explore their passion further. Highlights include: open fire cookery, bicycle-powered smoothie-making, the observation beehive and the Smell and Taste Experience with the Academy of Culinary Arts.
For more information, visit www.childrensfoodfestival.co.uk
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April 2009
Bluebell bonanzas
This year’s cold winter followed by an early spring means that conditions are at their best for some amazing displays of bluebells during late April and May around the country.
No matter where you are, there are bound to be some woods near you with a beautiful bluebell carpet. To get the most of it though, why not support one of these worthy causes at the same time.
Enjoy the spectacular displays of bluebells in Kew Gardens and raise money for Cancer Research at the same time, at the annual Bluebell Walk on Sunday April 26th. It’s an easy 3-mile stroll. More information here.
Meanwhile the Ramblers are joining forces with the Natural History Museum and Plantlife to help save the native British blue bell which is thought to be under threat from hybridisation with introduced Spanish bluebells. Walkers are encouraged to join a bluebell walk, help 'spot' bluebells, and enter their findings into a Natural History Museum online survey when they get home. Experts will use this crucial data to build a map of where the different types of bluebell are thriving. Details of more than 100 different walks can be found here.
Doggy charity Canine Partners, which provides specially trained dogs to help people with disabilities, is holding sponsored Bluebell Walks at various locations throughout the UK in April and May. To find your nearest, or to volunteer to organize your own walk, visit the website .
You can also support the National Trust by visiting one of their properties where the woodlands are thick with bluebells. Find a list of the Top 10 bluebell sites on the National Trust website .
Grandparent of the Year - final results
Christine Levin from Falmouth‚ Cornwall‚ has been crowned the UK's best grandparent in Age Concern's Grandparent of the Year Awards.
She was nominated by her granddaughter Parris Sharika Smith who says‚ "My nan has no idea how valued she is and how much I love her. She is a truly beautiful woman who is consistently perfect and never paid the same in return or thanked enough. Her popularity is a reflection of how wonderful she is to be around."
Grandparent of the Year is a celebration of how important grandparents are to family life. It is an annual competition now in its 18th year. It gives grandchildren the chance to say thank you for all the love and support they receive from their grandparents.
Courtesy of Age Concern in association with Specsavers‚ the national finalists enjoyed an all expenses paid trip to attend the Grandparent of the Year award ceremony at the Houses of Parliament on March 25 2009. The red carpet was rolled out in their honour‚ and the ceremony was hosted by TV Presenter and Age Concern Ambassador Fiona Phillips.
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March 2009
Grannies Get Connected
If you thought facebook and myspace were just for the grandchildren, and don’t know the difference between blogging and twittering, then this could be for you.
Age Concern is declaring 16th to 20th March ’myfriends online’ week, with events offering free tasters of online social networking for the silver surfer brigade being organised across the UK.
While Facebook, Friends Reunited and ‘chatrooms’ are sometimes seen as the domain of younger people, using social networking sites offers both young and old a cheap and easy way to keep in touch. ‘Myfriends online’ week, supported by BT, will have an international focus and hopes to connect older people across the world.
More than nine million over-55s are not yet computer-literate, so Age Concern is calling on younger people to step up and teach their grandparents how to keep in touch online during the week, to introduce people of all ages to social networking sites and other digital technology. The evidence shows that once older people start using the Internet, the majority use it almost everyday to communicate with others.
To find out more, phone this free number: 0800 100 900 quoting ‘myfriends’, or visit the Age Concern website .
Grandparent of the Year – regional finalists
The 13 regional finalists for Age Concern’s annual grandparent of the year awards have been chosen, and will be travelling to London for the final on 25th March.
They include Peter Schaay, from Diss in Suffolk, who with his wife Rosemary has fostered 135 children, raised six of his own, adopted a son and welcomed children from Belarus for summer holidays… and Christine Levin, from Falmouth in Cornwall, who took in her daughter and grandchildren when they faced homelessness.
To read the inspiring stories of all 13 finalists, click here.
The grand final will be held at the House of Commons and hosted by TV broadcaster Fiona Phillips. She says, “Seeing first hand the love‚ wisdom and support the finalists share with their grandchildren is an extraordinary example of us all.”
Vote Earth
On Saturday 28th March, the World Wildlife Fund is urging people across the world to “Vote Earth” by switching the lights off for an hour at 8.30 pm.
“Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming,” says WWF. It hopes to reach a target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.
To find out more and pledge your support, visit www.earthhour.org
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February 2009
Beat the Big Chill
This winter’s deep hoar frosts and blankets of snow at times have transformed our landscapes into real-life Christmas card scenes.
The UK has been experiencing its coldest winter for more than a decade, and some parts of the country have had their heaviest snowfalls for 18 years.
But while it may look lovely outside, it’s particularly important for older people to take extra care of their health during these extreme weather conditions.
If you are feeling the chill, there’s lots of really useful advice on the government’s Directgov website Keep Warm Keep Well .
Their suggestions include keeping one room really cosy if you can’t afford to heat the whole house, wearing lots of thin layers rather than one or two thick ones, and wearing a nightcap in bed (which admittedly might be a step too far for more fashion-conscious grannies).
There are downloadable booklets targeted at the over-60s and families, and lots of guidance about financial help for keeping warm as well as making sure your heating system is operating safely.
The NHS direct website also has a useful factsheet on how to fight the freeze here.
Snowdrops on show
If you decide to venture out during this bleak midwinter, then a visit to a garden known for its snowdrops is one way of banishing the winter blues.
Some of the finest displays can be found at National Trust properties Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, Dudmaston in Shropshire, The Argory in County Armagh, Kingston Lacey in Dorset and Penrhyn Castle in Gwynedd.
Details of opening days and times can be found on the National Trust website .
Other spectacular shows of snowdrops can be seen at Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire: www.snowdrops.co.uk; East Lambrook Manor, Somerset: www.eastlambrook.co.uk; and Painswick Rococo Gardens, Gloucestershire: www.rococogarden.org.uk.
Kids go free ...
Whether it’s snowdrop season or roses in full bloom, visiting a garden or flower show with the grandchildren just got cheaper, with the Royal Horticultural Society deciding to admit under-16s to many of its attractions for free.
Not only will the kids go free to all RHS gardens, as well as to Cardiff, Hampton Court and Tatton Park Shows, but special events are also being laid on at many venues. So at Cardiff you can enter a wheelbarrow competition, while Hampton Court is holding a scarecrow contest. Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; Hyde Hall in Essex; Rosemoor in Devon and Wisley in Surrey will offer a schedule of child-oriented activities throughout the year.
“Children are at the heart of the Royal Horticultural Society’s mission and we’re providing both educational and fun initiatives to engage them in gardening and outdoor activities,” said Stephen Bennett, RHS Shows Director.
Meanwhile the RHS Campaign for School Gardening aims to encourage and support schools to develop and fully use a school garden.
Visit the RHS website for more details.
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January 2009
91-year-old wins top UK literary award
Writer and editor Diana Athill, 91, has won the Costa Biography Award for Somewhere towards the End, described by the judges as “a perfect memoir of old age.”
Born in 1917, Ms Athill worked for the BBC throughout the Second World War and helped establish the publishing company Andre Deutsch. During her career she worked with many distinguished writers including Norman Mailer, John Updike and V. S. Naipaul.
Never less than vivid and frank, she writes with intimate honesty about friendship, love, sex, and sore feet. Somewhere Towards the End addresses what it means to be old and to face death every day, but still have the strength to strive for life with an unquenchable curiosity for all that it brings.
The judges described the book as "Candid, detailed, charming, totally lacking in self-pity or sentimentality and above all, beautifully, beautifully written."
... and a Thrifty New Year
With all this talk of credit crunches, recession and depression, those old-fashioned, traditional granny qualities of thrift and frugality have never been more relevant as we embark on 2009. “Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves,” may be an old adage, but we know there’s more than a grain of truth to it.
Of course, many grandparents will already be experts at setting a budget and sticking to it, but for those of us with more spendthrift tendencies there’s plenty of good money-saving advice to be mined online.
One of the best known and most comprehensive websites to help you manage the family finances efficiently is Martin Lewis’ www.moneysavingexpert.com. It’s free of advertising so you can be sure its advice is unbiased.
Frugal Living in the UK does exactly what it’s name suggests – it’s full of helpful suggestions for saving money, both at home and on days out, and has a great section on food and recipes. Find it at www.frugal.org.uk.
Thrifty Living is very easy to use and has a huge range of tips on shopping, phone and TV, transport, free stuff, swapping, price comparison and entertainment, with lots of useful links to other money-saving sites. Visit www.thrifty-living.org.uk
You can also carry on saving money on shopping long after the January sales have finished by taking advantage of the latest online discounts available at www.myvouchercodes.co.uk . And if you prefer to shop in person rather than online, there’s a page of vouchers you can print off and take with you.
New Year recycling tips
Twelfth night -- the last day of Christmas -- falls on January 6th and is traditionally the day by which all Christmas decorations should be taken down. All good grannies will be recycling as much as possible – here is a reminder of what to bear in mind.
Unwanted gifts
Instead of leaving any unwanted presents gathering dust on the shelf, take them straight to the charity shop. Larger items can be offered on freecycle -- a community-based scheme to keep usable goods out of landfill. Just type "freecycle" plus your local home town into your internet search engine to find your nearest. Or you could raise some cash by selling your gifts on Ebay.
Wrapping paper
Of course, the greenest option is to save it and reuse it. If it’s been torn or crumpled beyond recovery, some kinds can be put in the recycling bin for collection -- but you should separate out any metallic or glittery paper and cellophane as they can’t be recycled. Don’t forget to save ribbons and remove tags for recycling with the cards.
Christmas cards
Can be cut up and used as tags next year or even as cards – Friends of the Earth sells special labels for this. Otherwise, don’t put cards out with the normal recycling but take to one of the collection points available at many High Street stores: WH Smith, Tesco, TK Maxx and M&S are all accepting cards on behalf of the Woodland Trust in January.
Christmas Trees
If you didn’t buy a potted tree which can be replanted in your garden, then it should be taken to your local recycling centre where it can be turned into mulch or compost. Click for details of your local facilities in London , Bristol and south Gloucestershire , Manchester and Glasgow.
You can also take the tree to Kew Gardens in West London for recycling where you will be rewarded with a 2 for 1 voucher to use in January, which you could use for a lovely low-cost day out with the grandchildren.
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December 2008
I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas …
A Good Granny is also a Green Granny and will want to do her bit to make sure her grandchildren inherit a healthy planet. Why not set a good example by making some environmentally responsible choices this Christmas?
Choosing a tree
The greenest option is to choose a pot-grown tree, which you can keep outside and re-use from year to year. If you don’t have the space, then a locally-grown cut tree is the next best thing. Artificial trees are an environmental no-no, because although they can be re-used for several consecutive years, once their life span is over they will linger in a landfill for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Ideally, your tree should be grown by someone registered with the British Christmas Tree Growers Association. www.bcgta.co.uk has a useful list of local suppliers. If you buy direct from the supplier your tree is likely to be fresher and last longer too. The Forestry Commission also publishes a list of sustainably-grown Christmas tree suppliers in England and Scotland here.
After the festivities are over, it is important that your tree is disposed of properly – the most eco-friendly option is to have it chipped and turned into mulch for the garden. Nowadays many local councils make this easy by offering a kerb-side collection service.
Choosing cards
When it comes to Christmas cards, the greenest option is the online one, and the number of E-card suppliers is growing all the time. Jacquie Lawson does delightful animated cards, while Cancer Research UK and Farm Africa enable you to also make a charitable donation.
For many, an e-card may still be a step too far, and there are plenty of eco-friendly paper options available. Cards from The Woodland Trust are printed on card which is 50% recycled and 50% FSC-certified; Papergrain has a selection of cards which are 100% recycled; and www.ethicalsuperstore.com has a good range of cards which are recycled, fairtrade and FSC-certified.
When buying charity Christmas cards, it is far better to buy direct from charity shops as a far higher percentage of the card price goes directly to the charity concerned than if you buy from another retailer. If you can’t get to the high street, then the Combined Charities Christmas Shops has an exhaustive list of charity card suppliers, all of which can be ordered online, and includes details of their eco-friendly status.
Winter Wonderlands
You don’t have to travel to the North Pole to find yourself in a winter wonderland this Christmas. The cities of London, Edinburgh and Cardiff have all laid on their own Christmas spectaculars for 2008.
London’s Winter Wonderland takes place in Hyde Park from 22nd November to 4th January, 10 am to 10 pm. Admission is free and prices of most attractions have been frozen at 2007 levels. Traditional treats include a carousel and helter skelter and youngsters can take a ride on the Reindeer Express. The Winter Wonderland Wheel offers panoramic views 200 feet above ground, while the traditional German Christmas Market and Bavarian Village offer a continental yuletide experience. Visit www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com for full details.
Edinburgh’s Winter Wonderland transforms the East Princes Street Gardens into an exciting world of ice and snow, with a stunning ice rink, the Edinburgh Wheel and a Belgian Spiegeltent. Other attractions include a giant snow slide, snowball cars and special shows for kids. Open from 28th November to 4th January (closed Christmas Day) from 10 am to 8 pm Sunday to Wednesday, till 10 pm Thursday to Saturday. For more information go to www.gildedballoon.co.uk/wwonderland.
Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland takes place at the Cardiff Civic Centre from 12th November to 4th January. The open-air ice rink is the focus for skaters and spectators, but there are plenty of other attractions around the arena for all the family including the ice café bar; heated terrace overlooking the ice; traditional children’s carousel and rides; the Admiral Eye and free festive entertainment. Details of prices and opening hours on www.cardiff.gov.uk .
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November 2008
And the nominations are ...
The search is on to find the nation’s favourite grandparent to become Grandparent of the Year 2009 .
Age Concern and Specsavers have teamed up again to sponsor this annual event, which recognises the important contribution made by grandparents and puts them at the heart of family life.
Many grandparents are positive role models for their grandchildren as they have age and experience on their side, say the sponsors. They give their grandchildren their love‚ friendship and time‚ playing an unforgettable part in their lives.
Nominations are open not only to relatives but also to a special older person, who must be over 50, who has influenced your life.
If you know someone who you think deserves this coveted title‚ you can nominate them online at www.ageconcern.org.uk
Five national finalists will be invited on a VIP trip to London with their families. The grand final will be held at the House of Commons hosted by TV broadcaster Fiona Phillips.
Remember, remember …
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot
While the grandchildren are probably getting excited about sparklers, fireworks and collecting pennies for the Guy, it’s important that they understand the reason we celebrate bonfire night every year.
There’s an excellent summary of how Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 on this website: www.bonfirenight.net
To find an organized firework display near you, Classic fm has a brilliant firework finder– simply click on the map or enter your postcode. www.firework-finder.co.uk
If you are planning to set off fireworks at home, then be sure to follow the firwork safety code, here.
And for indoor fun, the activity village website has plenty of bonfire-night themed activities for little ones to complete at home – from making sparkly fireworks pictures to a step-by-step guide to making a guy. www.activityvillage.co.uk
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October 2008
Barack Obama and his grandmother
It comes as no surprise that Barack Obama is taking precious time off from the crucial final days of his presidential campaign to visit the grandmother he calls “Toot” (from Tutu the Hawaiian word for grandparent). Wouldn’t any of us do the same? Specially for a grandmother who had done as much for us as Madelyn Dunham did for her grandson.
She and her husband helped to raise Barack in Hawaii from his birth until he left for college. At the Democratic Convention he expressed his gratitude: “She poured everything she had into me.” Obama’s mother died in 1995, so for the past 13 years his grandmother has been the only maternal figure in his life. Now she is 85 and unwell. No wonder he is dropping everything to be with her.
He recognises the special relationship between grandmothers and their grandchildren - the two-way unconditional love that starts in babyhood and continues, for the lucky ones, into adult life.
To read the full article, click here.
Too much or not enough?
‘Do parents have a right to expect grandparents to give up their time to help with the children?’ Jane has written an article about this perennial problem in The Times (Body and Soul section) on Saturday, 11th October. If you missed it, you can read it here.
Grandparents documentary to blast off
Blast Films is making a three part observational documentary series for BBC4 exploring the unique relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, and would like some help from www.goodgranny.com members. Grandparents now play an increasingly important role in families – be it through child care, financial support, emotional support. The film-makers want to reflect issues that impact on grandparents particularly and all three generations of their family in general. This is a great opportunity to make a sensitive and emotionally intelligent series which gives a voice to a generation rarely heard from on television. They are at early stages of research and are keen to hear from as many people as possible. To find out more, please contact Barney, Amy or Jo on 020 7267 4260 or families@blastfilms.co.uk.
Special celebrations for Grandparents and Older People.
Grandparents Day is on 5th October here in the UK, hard on the heels of Older Peoples Day on 1st October. Various events are taking place across the country to mark the two dates. Here’s a selection:
Bristol City Council’s Celebrating Age Festival culminates with a celebration day on October 4th 2008, with events and activities ranging from the light hearted WW2 musical Doodlebugs and Bogeymen, to workshops teaching the latest Salsa moves. More details here
A Grandparenting Course Day is being held at Denman College, Abingdon, on October 1st, from 10 am to 4 p.m. Grandparents will show how traditional skills and activities are still relevant today, covering many subjects, including science, measuring and maths. For more details contact valwoodgaiger@aol.com
The Isle of Wight’s Celebrating Age Festival runs from 1st to 4th October, offering over ‘50s the chance to try a range of free or affordable activities, including pilates, tai chi, Nordic walking, cookery, mosaics, pottery and basket making. For more information visit www.island pulse.co.uk .
York’s 50+ Festival runs from 27th September to 5th October 2008. Expected to have over 80 individual events with an audience exceeding 2,200. The festival involves adults of all ages, plus their children and grandchildren, with plenty of opportunities to meet and have fun with new people, share a hobby with others, or join a new group for the rest of the year. More information on www.yorkassembly.co.uk.
Leeds celebrates the International Day of Older People from 6 – 10th October. Over 40 events are taking place throughout the city, including, tea-dances, meals, themed-events, Eid parties, healthy walks and coffee mornings. More information can be downloaded from The Older People’s Forum.
Manchester’s Full of Life Festival from 29th September to 10th October has over 60 events citywide, including academic seminars, local community events, cultural and leisure activities. To see a full schedule click here.
Warwick University is hosting The 1948 Experience, a festival of stimulating talks, films, information stalls, activities and discussions about the many significant things that started in 1948, on November 1st in The Ramphal building, Coventry. Details available from acworkingathome@aol.com
A comprehensive list of events can be found on DirectGov’s Full of Life website.
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September 2008
Meet the Good Granny
Jane is giving a talk, ‘The Good Granny’, and signing books at Rye Arts Festival on Sunday 14 September at 3 pm. For tickets see the website www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk or ring 01797 224442
She will also be giving a talk, ‘Good Grannies’ and signing books at Abergavenny Food Festival on Sunday 21 September at 11 am, and taking part in a discussion ‘Don’t teach Granny to Suck Eggs’ at 3.30 the same day. Ticket hotline: 01873 850805, or see www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com .
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July/August 2008
Walk on the Wild Side
A walk with the grandchildren becomes so much more than just fresh air and exercise if you turn it into an exciting wildlife-spotting expedition.
At this time of year, the English countryside is full of wonderful opportunities for spotting wildlife– from dragonflies and butterflies to kingfishers and swallows. To help you find the best places and identify some of the more unusual species you might encounter, the National Trust has published some handy guides on its website.
Just click on the following links:
Top tips for wildlife spotting – such as bring binoculars and avoid wearing bright colours.
Places to visit for wildlife – from Box Hill in Surrey to the Farne Islands, Northumberland.
What to look out for – damsels and dragonflies, spiders and crickets.
Granny-friendly Shopportunity
As grandparents, we have probably all struggled at one time or another to understand all the paraphernalia that seems to come with a new baby. At last, help is at hand. A new website has been launched which aims to demystify the baffling world of baby equipment for the older generation.
GrannyTakesAGrip.com is an online store selling baby products for hands-on grandparents. It’s the brainchild of Gloucestershire grandmother Fran Yorke, who decided on the idea whilst shopping for her first grandchild.
“Very few baby and child products are designed with the older generation in mind – yet in the UK, more and more of us grandparents are taking an active role in childcare. So we set out to find products that are easy to assemble, easy to lift and easy to store – and to make them available for grandparents to buy online from one safe, easy to use website”, says gran-trepreneur Fran.
All products sold on the website have been extensively tested by focus groups of men and women aged 60+ - and of course all products have granny Fran’s personal seal of approval.
The site will sell almost everything that grandparents need in order to care for grandchildren at home and away – from pushchairs and potties, to travel cots and tot seats. However, what makes the site special is that it offers a handpicked selection of the best products for the target audience – rather than overwhelming shoppers with choice.
To find out more, visit www.grannytakesagrip.com or click on the link in the good granny shop.
Curtain Up for some Outdoor Theatre
This summer, why not sit back and enjoy one of the National Trust’s outdoor productions against a stunning backdrop of captivating castles, magnificent manors and glorious gardens in full bloom.
With over 80 performances taking place, heroes and villains ready to entertain the whole family, bring a picnic and a comfy cushion, sit back and enjoy a magical and unforgettable experience.
Here’s just a few of the productions on offer around the country for families:
Treasure Island, Bodiam Castle, East Sussex
12 July 6.30pm - 9pm. Gates open at 6pm
Tel: 0871 527 1886
An exciting tale of pirates, peril and pieces of eight from Quantum Theatre. More info here.
Sleeping Beauty, Killerton, Devon
26 July from 7pm. Garden open from 6pm for those wishing to bring a picnic.
Tel: 01392 881 345
A new interpretation of a fairytale classic performed by the Chapterhouse Theatre Company. More info.
Peter Pan, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire
30 July 6.30pm
Tel: 01670 773 939
An enchanting production of this magical children’s classic. From 11.45am- 5pm there will be Peter Pan themed children’s activities taking place, including face painting, balloon modelling and an adventure trail. More info.
Treasure Island, Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
2 August 6.30pm - 8.30pm.
Tel: 01909 511 061
The thrilling adventures of Jim Hawkins and his search for the buried treasure of the notorious Captain Flint, presented by Quantum Theatre. More info.
Peter Pan, Attingham Park, Shropshire
6 August from 6.30pm. Gates open 6pm.
Tel: 01743 708 162
This famous story of the little boy who never grew up is brought to life by Heartbreak Productions. More info.
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June 2008
Grandparents Apart off on tour
Britain’s first Mobile Family Information and Education Centre sets off on a tour of Scotland on Monday 9 June.
Created by Grandparents Apart UK and funded with £10,000 of lottery money the mobile centre will be promoting 'The Charter for Grandchildren' and 'The Parenting Agreement' along with other family literature.
Grandparents Apart UK is a Scottish Registered Charity staffed completely by volunteers and has another group in Kilmarnock. Similar groups are being set up in Chorley and Plymouth.
For more information visit www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
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May 2008
Museum Month
May is Museums and Galleries Month, and the theme for MGM 2008 is ‘Ideas and Innovation.’
Take the grandchildren to visit your local museum or art gallery and you may discover something unique or unexpected. Museums at Night weekend runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 May when many venues across the UK will open their doors after hours for unique twilight access.
For example, The Bowes Museum in County Durham will be hosting a special screening of Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers, and there will be a competition for children who dress up as sheep.
Dulwich Picture Gallery is holding a half-term workshop for making mixed media mobiles, and at Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery children can get creative with themed activities such as Strike a Light and Toy Time.
This year Chinese Art and Design will also feature strongly throughout the month, with special exhibitions at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich and the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, among others.
For more information about what will be happening near you, visit www.24hourmuseum.org.uk
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March/April 2007
Lambs at play...
Easter may be over already but Spring has only just begun – and many farms are opening their doors to give you a peek at their newborns. So why not take the grandchildren along during the school holidays to coo over some cute baby lambs or piglets. Here are a few events happening around the country:
Wimpole Home Farm, nr. Royston, Cambridgeshire is open for Lambing between 29th March and 3rd April. The 18th century rare breeds farm is also home to goats, cattle, pigs and horses.
Details here.
Lambing week runs from 8th – 13th April at Tatton Park Farm, nr Knutsford, Cheshire. The farm also has some adorable Tamworth piglets on display at the moment. Details: here.
Eastbrook Organic Farm near Swindon, Wiltshire is holding a ‘piglets to pints’ day on Saturday April 26th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tractor and trailer farm tours to see the piglets, sheep, calves and dairy cows. More information here.
Berkshire College of Agriculture, Maidenhead holds its Open Day and Lambing weekend on 26th to 27th April from 10 am to 4 pm. Details: here.
NB Pregnant women should avoid close contact with sheep and lambs during lambing season because of the risk of infection, and children should always be encourage to wash their hands after petting any farm animals.
Grannies take a trip
A growing number of older Britons are indulging in risky holiday behaviour, the Foreign Office has warned.
It said it had witnessed the rise of an OAP -- "overseas and plastered" -- phenomenon among the over-55s.
People in this age group are taking more foreign holidays than before, but a fifth of them are taking risks they would not contemplate at home.
Bungee-jumping, parasailing, water-skiing and moped-riding are just some of the activities on the holiday itineraries of today's older generation.
More than half of those drink more alcohol than usual while on holiday, and a third said they would indulge even more in an all-inclusive resort, according to a poll of 1,020 British adults for the Foreign Office.
Almost a fifth of couples say they or their partner have been injured abroad, 14 percent are less worried about their personal safety abroad than at home and more than a tenth do not follow the safety advice they would give to their children.
Foreign Office minister Meg Munn said: "The FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) is all for over-55s having fun on holiday, but it is crucial that they make some simple preparations to help avoid encountering difficulties whilst abroad.
"Acquiring adequate travel insurance is a must and health scares abroad can be avoided by visiting a GP and having a health check before embarking on a holiday." -- Source: Reuters
Saturday’s big switch off
Between 8 and 9pm on 29 March millions of people around the world will turn off their lights for an hour as part of Earth Hour 2008.
The initiative sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) began last year in Sydney as a way of inspiring people to take action on climate change. It was a resounding success as 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses switched off the lights for an hour. Their collective effort reduced the city's energy consumption by a whopping 10.2% during that hour – equivalent to taking 48,000 cars off the road.
This year, Earth Hour has gone global with WWF-UK urging people across the United Kingdom to join in with millions of others across the world.
Famous UK buildings, from Brighton Pier to Highgrove House, are joining iconic global landmarks such as the San Francisco Bay Bridge and The Sears Tower in Chicago by promising to switch off for Earth Hour.
WWF urges participants to have fun with the lights off – whether it is having a candlelit pint in your participating local pub to organising a party at home with games in the dark, or simply taking time to look at the stars.
For more information and to register your support for this fantastic global phenomenon, visit the WWF website.
Easter eggcitement
Cadbury’s chocolate and the National Trust have joined forces this Easter to create some special Easter Egg hunts at sites across the country, from 21st to 24th March 2008.
The website www.eastereggtrail.co.uk has details of all the trails, as well as some great ideas for Easter activities you can do at home with the grandchildren – walking on eggshells is our favourite.
If you are near London, then Easter egg hunts will also be held at The Imperial War Museum, Kew Gardens, Battersea Park Children’s Zoo and Hamleys toy shop. Details of those events and others can be found on the View London website.
If the Easter weather takes a turn for the worse and you need some inspiration for indoor activities to keep the grandkids busy, then there are some great ideas on the activity village website , from decorating Easter bonnets to making handprint chicks.
And for something a bit different … the annual Nutters Dance is being held on Easter Saturday at Bacup near Rochdale, Lancashire. Hallaton, Leicestershire is home to the annual Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking ceremony on Easter Monday. Also on Easter Monday, the annual World Coal Carrying Championship takes place at Gawthorpe in Yorkshire. Hocktide is celebrated in Hungerford, Berkshire on the second Tuesday after Easter, with a special parade through the town culminating in the showering of pennies and oranges on children outside the Town Hall.
Kids today “grow up too quickly”
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, author of the Tracy Beaker children’s books, is worried that youngsters are growing up too quickly.
"I think children act like adults at an alarmingly early age," she said. "It's good that we want the best for our children nowadays, but perhaps we should remember they are only children and need a little loving guidance."
Her remarks came as a poll suggested that more than half of parents believe childhood is now over by 11.
According to the results of the survey, carried out by ICM for Dame Jacqueline's publishers, Random House:
• 72% of parents confess to giving their children a much easier ride than they received when they were the same age
• 71% of parents allow their children to drink alcohol at home before they turn 18
• 45% of parents let their 16-year-old children sleep the night at a boyfriend or girlfriend's house Source: BBC
Have your say on the Good Granny forum. Are your grandchildren allowed to get away with more than their parents were?
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February 2008
Leap into green action
Don’t forget that 2008 is a leap year. As all good grannies know, tradition dictates that on February 29th a woman may propose to a man. It is said to date back to a law passed in 1288 by Queen Margaret of Scotland, which also stated that a refusal by the man would incur a fine, ranging from a kiss to a silk gown, in order to soften the blow.
The National Trust is making the extra day count in a very different way... All its 54,000 staff are being given the day off to reduce their carbon footprints.
In a campaign called “Leap forward for the climate”, the Trust hopes its staff will use the opportunity to spend the day at home or in their local community, making changes to improve the environment - from switching to energy-saving lightbulbs to establishing a compost heap.
Find out more on the National Trust website.
Mum’s the word
This year Mother’s Day falls on March 2nd. And with Spring just around the corner, a visit to a special garden would make a lovely treat. Here’s our roundup of some of the best:
At Waterperry Gardens, nr Wheatley, Oxfordshire, mums are admitted free on Mother’s Day. For an extra treat, why not buy her lunch at the Pear Tree Teashop (advance booking essential). www.waterperrygardens.co.uk
At Trelissick Garden, nr Truro, Cornwall you can join in a fun quiz for all the family, celebrating Mum's special day with the chance to win her a beautiful arrangement of flowers. Details.
Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd is hosting a special display of sugarcraft skills for Mother’s Day. More information here.
Mount Stewart house, garden and Temple of the Winds in County Down is hosting a Marvellous Mums Day, with music, lunch in the Bay Restaurant and a free plant. Details.
At Acorn Bank garden and watermill in Cumbria you can take mum for a special Mother’s day tea. Find out More.
Finally, get the kids to add their own personal touch to presents and cards. You will find plenty of ideas on the activity village website, from handprint hearts to recycled vases: www.activityvillage.co.uk
Pancakes at the ready
This year Shrove Tuesday falls on February 5th. So get out the flour, eggs and milk and show the grandchildren how pancakes should be made properly. Granny Jane’s top tip is always let the batter rest for at least half an hour before using it.
Why not take the grandchildren along to see a traditional pancake race – these take place in towns and villages throughout the country, check your local paper for details.
One of the most famous pancake races is held at Olney in Buckinghamshire and dates back to 1445. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. More details here .
In London, pancake races take place across the city, some of the best known are the Spitalfields race and the All Hallows race which happens outside the Tower of London. Find out more here.
Another tradition, the Pancake Greaze, takes place every year at Westminster School in London. A pancake, reinforced with horsehair is prepared in advance and on Shrove Tuesday tossed into the air “up School”. The boys at the school then attempt to get as much of it as they can.
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January 2008
Free home insulation for over-70s
A new government initiative offering free home insulation to the over-70s, regardless of income, and people on benefits has just come into effect.
British Gas is launching the scheme, with other power providers expected to follow suit.
To take up the offer, ring British Gas on 0845 6052535 (quoting code JOU). Effective insulation could translate to savings of around £200 on the average home's annual heating bill.
For more details, see this article in The Guardian.
New Year recycling tips
Twelfth night -- the last day of Christmas -- falls on January 6th and is traditionally the day by which all Christmas decorations should be taken down. All good grannies will be recycling as much as possible – here are a few things to bear in mind.
Unwanted gifts
Instead of leaving any unwanted presents gathering dust on the shelf, take them straight to the charity shop. Larger items can be offered on freecycle -- a community-based scheme to keep usable goods out of landfill. Just type "freecycle" plus your local home town into your internet search engine to find your nearest. Or you could raise some cash by selling your gifts on ebay, always welcome at this time of year.
Wrapping paper
Of course, the greenest option is to save it and reuse it. If it’s been torn or crumpled beyond recovery, some kinds can be put in the recycling bin for collection -- but you should separate out any metallic or glittery paper and cellophane as they can’t be recycled. Don’t forget to save ribbons and remove tags for recycling with the cards.
Christmas cards
Can be cut up and used as tags next year or even as cards – Friends of the Earth sells special labels for this. Otherwise, don’t put cards out with the normal recycling but take to one of the collection points available at many High Street stores: WH Smith, Tesco, TK Maxx and M&S are all accepting cards on behalf of the Woodland Trust in January. If you use Tesco's home delivery service their drivers will even collect your cards when they drop off your shopping. What could be easier?
Christmas Trees
If you didn’t buy a potted tree which can be replanted in your garden, then it should be taken to your local recycling centre where it can be turned into mulch or compost. Click for details of your local facilities in London , Bristol and south Gloucestershire , Manchester and Glasgow.
And if it is too difficult to transport your tree yourself, residents of Bristol, Bath, Birmingham and London can pay a small amouint to Any Junk to remove your tree and ensure it is properly recycled.
Finally, you can take the tree to Kew Gardens in West London for recycling where you will be rewarded with a 2 for 1 voucher to use during your next visit – details here.
New year, new you
The last mince pie has been scoffed and the eggnog dregs have been drained. Time to turn your mind to New Year’s resolutions.
According to a 2007 study by Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University you are more likely to succeed if you make just one resolution, have a specific goal in mind and share your intentions with others. So whether you are planning to lose weight, drink less or spend more time with your grandchildren, sharing your resolutions with other good grannies on our forum will help you stick to your guns. To participate in Prof Wiseman’s 2008 survey, click on the quirkology website. It could be good fun.
And if you need inspiration, Enjoy England has a few ideas, from getting outdoors more often, to indulging yourself. For details, click here.
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December 2007
Visiting India with Help the Aged
I’m back from my week in India, and what a week it was!
We were to visit villages on the Bay of Bengal badly hit by the Tsunami three years ago. I had braced myself to encounter serious poverty, and to hear heart-rending personal stories, and we found both. Many families live in very basic accommodation: just one or two small rooms, no electricity, and the nearest water supply coming from a pump at the end of the street. Some of the men and women we met had lost their families as well as their homes and livelihood to the Tsunami, and nobody with an ounce of compassion could fail to be moved by their plight. But, three years on, alongside tragedy, we found great optimism. Many have successfully reconstructed their lives, and their courage and dignity is truly inspiring.
When disaster strikes, the elderly cannot always access the aid that follows. Help the Aged ensured that food, clean water, shelter and clothing reach this vulnerable group without delay. Immediate help was followed by long term projects, vitally important in helping the elderly Tsunami victims learn new skills or resume old ones. The aim is to give them the ability to support themselves and sometimes their families too.
Help the Aged focused on the traditional occupations of fishing, farming and cottage crafts. They replaced boats and nets destroyed in the Tsunami, so that fishing families could work again. In Sothikuppam village, we watched the men beach their boats at dawn and disentangle their night’s catch from the nets. Then the fish is auctioned on the beach. This is women’s work, and listening to the noisy, vehement bargaining that went on, I began to understand how ‘fish wives’ have acquired their reputation! The women also gut the smaller fish and lay them out to dry in the sun, before taking the rest of the catch to market. Later we saw them in the covered market in Pondicherry. Most highly prized are big, juicy Tiger prawns. We ate them grilled, fresh from the sea, at a beach café.
On the coastal farms, restoration of livelihoods has progressed more slowly. The land’s fertility, ruined by salt water, has still, after three seasons of desalination, reached only one third of its former crop yield. But livestock are grazing again. Savibhin, a grandmother widowed by the Tsunami, introduced us to her cow, Lakshmi, given to her by Help the Aged when about to calve. Lakshmi’s horns had been lovingly oiled and polished, and her coat and that of her calf shone with health. ‘She gives three litres of milk in the morning, and another two in the evening!’ Savibhin declared with a proud smile.
Help the Aged distributed seeds as well as livestock, enabling farmers to resume growing rice, fruit, vegetables and flowers. At Palpanacherry village, a farmer described how he and his family survived Tsunami by climbing a tree. After desalination, he was back on his one-acre farm, able to feed his family and take a small surplus to market. ‘After Tsumani, one meal each day,’ he told us, ‘now, three meals.’
The women in the photograph are all grandmothers, members of an Elders Self Help Group, set up by Help the Aged. We attended their meeting, sitting cross-legged in a half-circle. They began with a softly chanted prayer, the Hindu equivalent of the W.I.’s ‘Jerusalem’. Each member runs a home business: drying coconuts, making pickles (delicious, I smuggled a jar of mango chutney home), weaving palm mats or making furniture polish. Each pays a small subscription, and the capital is lent, at 2% interest, to members in need of financial help. As a result, the pernicious system of high-interest money-lending, that co-exists with poverty the world over, has almost disappeared in this region.
After the Elders’ meeting, we all drifted down to the beach, and the women stood with waves lapping at the hems of their saris, laughing, joking, and splashing one another. Remembering what havoc the sea had wrought in their lives, I couldn’t hold back the tears, but one of my fellow-grannies, seeing my distress, grasped my hand and raised it, saying, with a smile, ‘Be happy!’
It was heartening to see what Help the Aged had achieved there, in Tamil Nadu, and now, with colleagues in Help Age International, they are dealing with the aftermath of the Bangladesh Cyclone. To find out more, go to www.helptheaged.org.uk. -- Granny Jane
Christmas lights
Visit an enchanted woodland for a change from the usual gaudy High Street displays, and let the children marvel at the magical effects of coloured lights illuminating ancient trees and landscapes.
Westonbirt Arboretum, Glos has a 1 ½ mile illuminated trail, with Santa and carol singers too. You can also buy a sustainably sourced Christmas tree here.
Kew Gardens, London has free festive late nights with carol singing and a special Planto at Climbers & Creepers.
Spetchley Park, Worcs, has new lighting effects and a new route this year.
Sheffield Park Garden, E. Sussex has enchantingly lit trees and lakes.
Erddig, Wrexham, Wales. Beautifully illuminated gardens plus Santa in a woodland grotto.
Newcastle Gateshead For something a bit different, Glow 07 is a series of seven contemporary artworks and illuminations projected through light.
Get your skates on!
England's growing number of outdoor ice rinks are the coolest places to visit this winter with your grandchildren. What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than gliding about under the stars, surrounded by fairy lights and Christmas trees.
The Enjoy England website has details of some of the best temporary outdoor skating rinks including Hampton Court Palace, Bristol and Chester Zoos, the Eden Project and Warwick Castle.
Christmas surfing
Here are some of our favourite Yuletide websites:
www.northpole.com has a host of Christmassy activities, including writing a letter to santa, a good deed calendar and a naughty or nice list.
www.santaspostbag.co.uk lets children send an email to santa, after all, as the site says, sometimes the weather in the North Pole is so bad the postman only visits once a month.
On www.noradsanta.org you can track Santa live on Christmas Eve as he makes his journey around the world.
www.whychristmas.com tells you everything you might need to know about Christmas traditions, so you can have your answer ready when your grandchild asks you when the first Christmas card was sent or why we have Christmas trees.
The following sites will send your grandchild a personalised letter from Santa: www.santaletters4u.com , www,fatherchristmasletters.co.uk , and at www.santa.co.uk you can arrange for them to get a letter, phone call or text message from the man in the red suit
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November 2007
Help the Aged in India
Granny Jane has been invited by Help the Aged to go with a small team to south east India to visit projects which they set up in the aftermath of the Tsunami.
In many developing countries, older people routinely suffer poverty, isolation and neglect. Help the Aged has been working worldwide to help vulnerable older people for more than 40 years. With HelpAge International and other local partners, they uphold the rights of disadvantaged older people, ensuring that they are included in development efforts and their voices are heard.
When the Tsunami hit the Far East in 2004, Help the Aged made sure that older people were considered within disaster and emergencies plans for the region. Three years on, the Disaster and Emergencies Committee (DEC), have given HtA a grant to show how their work has helped older people and grandparents recover from the disaster.
Close to Pondicherry, near Chennai (Madras), Help Age India has helped older people re-establish their livelihoods and become self sufficient through. Projects include the desalinisation of crop fields, establishing basket weaving projects, cattle and livestock breeding projects and the reconstruction of fishing boats and nets. HtA also established a mobile medical unit especially for older victims of the tsunami. Alongside the tsunami work, we will look at the Sponsor a Grandparent project, which develops long-term income generation schemes, restoring older people's dignity and self-respect, often where grandparents have become the sole carers for children who have lost their parents to AIDS.
“I feel immensely privileged to be asked to join their small team,” Jane says. “I know that some of what I see will be pretty grim, and there will be some heart-rending stories. But the dignity and faith with which older people support their families and grandchildren through high levels of adversity can also be inspiring. I’m greatly looking forward to meeting them, granny to granny.”
Christmas Shopping
We’ve given the Good Granny Shop a new look – click here for links to Granny Jane’s favourite online etailers and a range of unusual presents to suit children, parents and grandparents. A young child would be delighted with a cd of nursery rhymes personalised with his or her name or a live action dvd about diggers or trains. A special bathtime towel/apron makes a brilliant gift for a new parent. And for grandparents, a rug handmade from a child’s special painting will be something to treasure for ever.
We’ve also got a special pre-Christmas offer on Good Granny books: order signed copies of the Good Granny Cookbook or Good Granny Guide and postage and packing is free within the UK.
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October 2007
Family Battlegrounds
Jane has a new series in Body and Soul in The Times on Saturday, called FAMILY BATTLEGROUNDS - a light-hearted look at common domestic problems and how to solve them. Read more about your domestic hotspot on the links page.
Granny Jane cooks up a storm
The Good Granny Cookbook has been going down like, well, hot cakes. The Daily Mail described it as a “brilliant family cookbook.” Another reviewer said, “There’s nothing in it that I wouldn’t like to eat or to cook.”
You may have seen Jane chatting about the book on the sofa on BBC Breakfast TV, or heard her being interviewed by Libby Purves on Radio 4. You can still catch Jane at the Grosvenor Literary Lunch at Chester Literature Festival on 11th October. To buy tickets, click here.
But if you can’t make it along to a book signing, then you can buy a signed copy from the Good Granny shop. And do try Jane’s delicious recipe for cheese straws on pat-a-cake.
Could you be Grandparent of the Year 2008?
The search is on to find the UK’s Grandparent of the Year 2008. The contest, which is sponsored by Age Concern and Specsavers opticians, will select nine regional winners from around the UK. From these, five national finalists will be chosen.
The finalists will be invited to London, along with their nominating grandchild, on an all-expenses paid trip to take part in the awards ceremony and visit some of the capital’s top attractions, including the London Eye.
The winner’s prize includes £3,000 in cash and free eye and hearing care for the next ten years.
Nominations are not only open to grandparents but may also include a ‘special older person’.
To nominate someone, click here.
Don’t forget your flu jab
A reminder that October marks the start of the flu season – and the government advises the over-65s and people with some chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes to visit their GPS for a flu vaccine.
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September 2007
A chance to meet Jane
On Friday 14 September, Topping Booksellers of Bath are giving a reception to launch THE GOOD GRANNY COOKBOOK at 7 for 7.30. For further information, contact Topping & Company Booksellers, The Paragon, Bath BA1 5LS. Tel 01225 428111. www.toppingbooks.co.uk
On Friday 21 September, Jane will be giving a talk and signing at 7PM at Azuza Coffee Shop, Hungerford, (next to the Hungerford Bookshop). Complimentary wine and refreshments from Jane's cookbook will be provided. Tickets are £3 from the Hungerford Bookshop (redeemable against the price of the book on the night). For further information, contact The Hungerford Bookshop, 24 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0NF Tel: 01488 683480 www.hungerfordbooks.co.uk email: sales@hungerfordbooks.co.uk
On 11 October meet Jane at a Literary Lunch at Grosvenor Hotel, Chester. For further information, contact Chester Literature Festival Office, Viscount House, River Lane, Saltney, Chester CH4 8RH . Tel. 01244 674 020 info@chesterlitfest.org.uk
Finding granny-friendly baby gear
Left in charge of your grandchildren, have you ever struggled to open, or worse still close, the modern pushchair? Have you strained to lift the so-called travel cot, and then been defeated by the task of putting it up or collapsing it? You find yourself saying that baby stuff was much lighter when you were young. And you’re right! The early baby buggies, those ubiquitous striped pushchairs, weighed only 6lbs. Most of today’s ‘lightweight’ buggies tip the scales at double that.
Would you like to keep some equipment at your own house for visiting grandchildren but wonder where to find kit that folds easily and can be tucked away tidily between visits? Where do you go to find a folding high chair, a collapsible playpen, or a user-friendly travel cot?
Do have difficulty lifting your grandson out of the bath, or your granddaughter into her carseat? Are manufacturers out there thinking about us?
With these concerens in mind, Francine York is setting up a business catering specifically to the needs of grandparents. ‘Easy to use, easy to lift, easy to store’, will be its motto.
She would like to invite goodgranny.com members to help research precisely what grandparents need, and has prepared a short questionnaire which should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. All completed questionnaires will be entered into a draw to win a case of wine. To obtain a copy of the questionnaire, please email Francine at grannytakesagrip@aol.com
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July - August 2007
Great-great-granny’s academic achievement
A 94-year-old Australian great-great-grandmother who left school at 12 is said to have become the world’s oldest person to earn a university Masters degree.
Phyllis Turner, from Australia's Adelaide University, began studying for her Medical Science Masters postgraduate degree when she was 90 and received her award this week. “I feel very very happy after five years of study, but sorry that I am just a little bit immobilised,” Mrs. Turner, who uses a walking stick, told Australian newspapers.
Mrs. Turner left primary school at 12 to help her mother look after her siblings after her father left the family. She returned to studying almost 60 years later, enrolling at the prestigious Adelaide University to study anthropology, gaining an honours degree in 2002 before moving on to her masters. Source: Reuters
What’s your ideal holiday?
If it’s not just lying on a beach soaking up the sun, and you would rather use your holiday time to do something positive and give something back, then a new book, Hands-On Holidays,by Guy Hobbs, probably has an idea in it to suit you.
It could be a long weekend alpaca farming in the USA or three weeks helping out at a rainforest conservation project in Brazil, or coaching sports to refugee children in Australia.
Targeting responsible travellers who want to use their holiday time to do something
positive, the book taps into the current trend for “voluntourism” or “responsible holidaying”. The publishers say it is particularly suitable for retired people who can spare a whole month, or for those with commitments such as pets, and gardens who can only go for a week or less.
It covers a range of budgets and includes lots of real-life case studies. Published by Vacation Work, an imprint of Crimson Publishing.
The Granny Economy
As childcare costs continue to spiral, more and more working families are relying on good old gran to mind the children, according to research carried out by the Skipton Building Society.
The research showed that almost two-thirds of families now rely on grandparents for childcare, saving them an average of £2,685 a year, or a third of typical annual nursery costs.
Parents also believe that the older generation are passing on some good old fashioned values to their grandchildren, including gaining a sense of family identity (79%), learning to respect their elders (47%) and appreciating the value of money (13%).
Family matters – calling all grandparents
The Family Matters Institute, an educational charity specialising in research and training programmes to strengthen marriage and family life in Britain, is working with the University of Hertfordshire on a project researching the role of grandparents. The project will examine the importance of grandparents in family life today and the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren. The FMI is looking for grandparents who are willing to complete a questionnaire about their relationship with their grandchildren, and also those who would be prepared to give more details which could be used as case studies. If you are a grandparent and would like to be involved with this research click here to download the questionnaire.
For more about FMI, visit the website www.familymatters.org.uk
Pack up a picnic
There's no better way to celebrate a spot of sunshine than packing a picnic and chilling out with family and friends – especially when your picnic spot is magically beautiful.
Fancy picnicking in a historic park? On an island? Or in the grounds of an atmospheric abbey or castle ruin? The National Trust highlights its top 10 idyllic picnic hot spots that are ideal for celebrating summer in style. From Brownsea Island in Dorset to Wallington in Northumberland, each place is something special. More information here.
Tell us about your own favourite picnic spots on the talk board.
Amazing maize mazes
This summer, why not get lost with the grandchildren in a cornfield maze? As well as the challenge of navigating your way through the towering eight foot high maize, lots of other fun kids’ activities and refreshments are often available. Remember, a maize maze will only last until the end of the season when it's harvested for cattle fodder so don’t leave your visit too late.
Here are a few suggestions:
Applejacks Farm, Stretton, Cheshire. 7th July – 3rd September. www.yougetlost.com
Lakeland Maize, Raines Hall Farm, Sedgwick. 24th July – 16th September. www.lakelandmaze.co.uk
Fishwick Mains maize maze, Berwick-on-Tweed. 14th July – 15th September. www.discovertheborders.co.uk/places/101.html
Maize Maze, Cawthorne, Barnsley, Yorks. 21st July – 30th September.
www.maizemaze.co.uk
Abersoch Maize Maze, Cim Farm, Abersoch, Pwllheli, Gwynedd. 21st July – 1st September.
www.abersochmaze.co.uk
Hemsby Mega Maze, Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. 15th July – 15th September.
www.hemsbymegamaze.co.uk
Hidcote Manor Farm Maize Maze, Hidcote Bartrim, Gloucestershire. 21st July to 9th September. www.hidcotemaze.co.uk
Tulleys Maze Fun Park, Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill, Nr Crawley, W. Sussex. 7th July– 3rd September.
www.tulleysfarm.com
Padstow Maize Maze, Trevisker Farm, Padstow, Cornwall. 21st July – September.
www.padstowmaizemaze.com
A complete list of UK maize mazes designed by Adrian Fisher can be found
here
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June 2007
Green Tea may alleviate Rheumatoid Arthritis
There are already many health benefits accredited to drinking green tea but now another one looks likely to be added to that list - reducing pain in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
A study is being carried out at the University of Michigan to determine if green tea can reduce the inflammation in joints which is the main cause of pain in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition created when the lining of the cartilage found within joints gets degraded and inflamed which results in ongoing damage and great pain to the patient.
Although further research is being conducted and there is no final conclusion on the extent drinking green tea can specifically help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, the researchers recommend that patients should drink green tea anyway as it also has several other well known health benefits
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May 2007
Pensioners’ mounting debt mountain
The average person over 60 owes more than £35,000 in unsecured debts, according to a survey by equity release specialist Key Retirement Solutions.
Almost two-thirds of those aged 60 and over have unsecured debts -- such as credit card and loan debt --according to the survey of 4,620 pensioners.
Taking account of outstanding mortgage debts carried into retirement adds a further £31,000 per pensioner to the debt mountain, according to the research.
Recent figures from financial education charity Credit Action showed that the number of over-60s with money worries increased faster than among any other age group last year, as pensioners grapple with rising energy and council tax bills.
Dean Mirfin, a director of Key Retirement Solutions, said: “It is likely that some people have long term debts that they've failed to shrug off in to old age, but, for many, the allure of direct mail on their doorstep from lenders offering them ‘easy’ credit to help ease the rising cost of living, has certainly added fuel to the fire.”
Chris Tapp, deputy director of Credit Action, added: “Retirement should be a time for some well-earned relaxation, but for all too many it is a time of financial stress.”
If you are concerned about your own debt levels, you will find help and advice from the charity, Credit Action.
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March 2007
Improving care home choice
Have you been involved in choosing a care home, either for yourself or for a family member? If so, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) would like to hear from you.
The CSCI is surveying older people and their relatives about how much support they were given when choosing a care home, and what information they received about the costs involved and the facilities and services on offer.
As the social care watchdog, the CSCI registers and inspects care services in England and aims to improve social care and stamp out bad practise.
Click here to complete the survey on the CSCI website. The survey closes on 7 March 2007.
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February 2007
Going to Granny's
It begins with, “Mum, would you mind having the children for half-term? We thought it would be really nice for you and dad to spend some quality time with them.” Before you know it, the car pulls up in front of your house bursting with the grandchildren, their luggage and the ‘granddog’, that no one had remembered to mention.
Out pile three small children with very runny noses along with travel cot, steriliser, stairgate, highchair, ride-on tractor, pushchair, doll’s pushchair, bicycles, three car seats and an assortment of carrier bags stuffed to the brim with wipes, rice cakes and nappies. You are instantly handed a detailed routine for the baby and talked through a list of instructions, “No fried food, no marmite (too salty), no juice (too sweet), no nuts (possible allergies) and limited television.”
The parents finally leave, with the grandchildren totally unfased. You return to the kitchen to find the list has been thankfully chewed to shreds by the ‘granddog’. For the next five days you barely have time to listen to The Archers or watch your favorite television programme and certainly have not read a newspaper. You struggle to answer the phone and when you do, you cannot hear who is on the other end anyway. Your civilised evenings, chatting together over a carefully-prepared supper and a nice bottle of red are replaced with leftover cheesy pasta, a Petit Filous, an extra large gin and tonic and total silence as you have both nodded off on the sofa in the middle of The Bill.
However exhausting they are, not many grandparents would change it for the world. Grandpa has a team of helpers in the garden and on trips to the rubbish dump, and Granny has had a kitchen full of helpful chefs who have crammed tins full of peppermint creams and cookies. They have eaten the odd fish finger, nut, lightly spread marmite soldiers and a few DVDs, but all in moderation. They are well-exercised, happy, allergy-free and their teeth are intact (just). Typically, the minute their parents pull up in the car, all three grandchildren promptly dissolve into floods of tears. --Sophie Pender-Cudlip Reproduced by kind permission of Blackmore Vale Magazine
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January 2007
Building a nest-egg.
Grandparents who contribute regularly to their grandchildren’s child trust funds
could make a large difference to their financial future.
Recent research reveals that 85 per cent of grandparents would be willing to contribute to their grandchildren’s financial future, while 55 per cent of parents feel uncomfortable asking for such help.
The Children’s Mutual reports that if both sets grandparents contributed £20 a month to a child trust fund, their grandchildren would be £14,400 better off in the future.
David White, chief executive of The Children’s Mutual, said: “We’re urging families to use the government’s child trust fund week as an opportunity to bring the subject of money back to the dinner table.”
He added that the weeks following Christmas had already seen a 300 per cent increase in the number of one-off cheque payments to the company’s CTFs.
Last year, Engage Mutual Assurance reported that five per cent of grandparents make regular contributions to their grandchild's CTF.
Calling grannies to be …
Looking for an unusual present for a daughter or daughter-in-law expecting her first baby? Mum-of-two Patricia Carswell runs courses for pregnant women on Becoming a Mother - life's big change and how to cope with it.
“I've spoken to so many mothers who've said they felt completely poleaxed by becoming a mother, and totally unprepared for life after birth,” Patricia said. “They complain that the NCT and hospital ante-natal courses stop at the birth and breastfeeding and don't prepare them for the emotional challenge of motherhood. This course is designed to remedy that.”
The course is all about the emotional challenges of becoming a mother – discovering a new role and identity, finding your parenting style, the Perfect Mother syndrome, keeping relationships healthy, body image and mental health and making good career decisions.
It’s being held at St John's Undercroft, Lansdowne Rd., London W11 on 3rd March and at The Hill Centre, Abergavenny 15-17 June. Prices start from £50 … and Patricia is offering a 10% discount for grandparents who buy a course as a gift if you mention www.goodgranny.com when booking.
For more details, visit her website, www.coachingformothers.com
Recycling Christmas stuff
With Twelfth Night on January 6th it is time to take down all the Christmas cards and decorations if you have not done so already.
One of our New Year’s resolutions is to recycle more in 2007. The grandchildren have spent a happy rainy afternoon cutting up some of this year’s cards to make gift tags for next Christmas. The remnants are being taken to a Christmas card recycling scheme.
WH Smith, Tesco and TK Maxx are all accepting cards for recycling on behalf of The Woodland Trust from 2-31 January. For more information click here. Branches of Sainsbury’s are also collecting cards throughout January on behalf of the Forestry Stewardship Council.
As for the Christmas tree, check with your local authority as many will have a scheme for chipping and composting trees to produce mulch or soil improver. Click on one of the following links for information about where to take your tree in London, Manchester or Liverpool.
Kew Gardens in West London is offering free entry for anyone bringing a Christmas tree to it’s Brentford Gate, provided you are accompanies by another adult paying full price, until January 14th, or a 2-for-1 voucher which can be used up to February 2nd. Sounds like a great excuse to get some fresh air and exercise in London’s loveliest botanical gardens.
December 2006
Did you know …?
The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London, 1843, who had introduced the Penny Post in 1840.
Featuring a picture of a family with a small child drinking wine together, 1000 cards were printed selling for a shilling each; in December 2005, one of these cards was auctioned for nearly £9000.
The origins of the mince pie date back to a medieval pastry, chewette which was either fried or baked and contained liver or chopped meat mixed with boiled eggs and ginger. Dried fruit and sweet ingredients would be added to the chewette’s filling for variety. By the 16th century mince or shred pie was considered a Christmas specialty. The liver and chopped meat was replaced by suet.by the 19th century.
Check out our recipe for suet-free mincemeat on< pat-a-cake.
Santa Claus is based on the historical figure Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra (now part of Turkey), who used his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. His red outfit trimmed with white fur is thought to be derived from the bishop’s episcopal vestments.
Retirement at 65 rule goes to European Court
The right of employers to force workers to retire at 65 will be considered at the European Court of Justice after a judicial review of the measure, which forms part of the government’s age discrimination laws.
The High Court has decided to refer the case after the National Council on Ageing -- the body behind charities Age Concern and Heyday -- argued the regulation contravened a European Directive outlawing age discrimination.
Under legislation which came into force in October, workers have the right to work up until the age of 65 and cannot be made to retire before then.
But these protections cease once workers reach 65. Employers can force workers over 65 to retire -- even though they have the right to ask to work longer -- and can also refuse to employ anyone over 65.
“Forcing people to retire is denying people the right to work -- a right which everyone should have, regardless of age,” said Neil Churchill of Heyday.
The group’s lawyers argued that up to 25,000 people a year faced retirement against their wishes.
Employment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick has said the government will review the retirement age in 2011.
“If the accumulated evidence then shows that we don't need the default age, we will do away with it and the associated provision allowing employers to decline to recruit someone near or over 65,” he told an employers' conference earlier this year.
The matter will now be considered by the European court for clarification on legal points before it returns to the High Court for a ruling. Source: Reuters
Cost of kids outstrips house prices
The cost of bringing up children is rising even faster than house prices, with education going up over a quarter in the past year, according to a recent survey.
The cost of kids has soared 28 percent in the past four years and 9 percent in the last year alone -- outstripping an 8 percent rise in UK property prices.
Parents will fork out more than £180,000 per child from birth to age 21 -- equal to £23.50 per day -- the Liverpool Victoria’s annual “cost of a child” survey says.
Soaring education costs are a big factor. They have risen 26 percent in the past year to almost £47,000 per child, following the increase in university tuition fees in England and Wales. Putting a child through university education now costs almost £32,500, including fees, books and living costs. Parents who choose to privately educate their children can expect to spend an extra £71,000, if their child is a day pupil, or £130,500 more, if their offspring boards.
Childcare costs are the second largest expense. They have risen 7 percent in the past year and now cost parents over £49,000 per child.
A further £16,000 will be spent on food, £12,000 on clothing, £11,000 on holidays, £9,500 on hobbies and toys and £5,500 on pocket money in the first 21 years of a child’s life.
Almost two-thirds of UK families said both parents had to work to help cover the costs of raising their children, but 12 percent of them said they still had to rely on regular financial support from other family members.
Parents said they made other sacrifices too, with two-thirds putting savings on hold, 60 percent compromising on holidays and the same proportion cutting back on socialising.
Source – Reuters
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
Just one group of very well behaved trick-or-treaters rang our doorbell on Halloween, six little girls dressed up in their best. On closer inspection their smart tops, skirts and tights were all in variations of black and white, and their faces were rather weirdly made up. When asked what they were dressed as, they said, “We’re dead!”
Now Halloween is over and it will be Bonfire Night on 5th November. It marks the historic occasion in 1605 when thirteen conspirators, led by Robert Catesby, plotted to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament. One of the conspirators wrote to a friend, warning him to stay away from Parliament. His letter reached the king and, on 5 November, a search was made and Guy Fawkes was found in a cellar beneath the House of Lords, with 36 barrels of gunpowder. The arrest of Guy Fawkes and the prevention of the plot are commemorated every year with fireworks and bonfires on which his effigy is burned.
For safety advice on your own bonfire night celebrations, go to www.fireservice.co.uk. If you are seeing your family on 5th November, remember that small children are just as happy with a packet of sparklers as with a more elaborate display.
November also sees Poppy Day, when, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we remember those who gave their lives in World WarsI and II, and other wars since. The Queen lays a wreath in their memory at the Cenotaph, the official War Memorial in Whitehall in London, and veteran servicemen march and salute in a very moving ceremony. .
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October 2006
Happy Halloween
As October 31st approaches, good grannies will be busy carving their pumpkins and putting the finishing touches to their witches’ hats. The grandchildren will probably be dressing up to go out trick-or-treating.
But there are lots of other interesting Olde English Halloween traditions you could tell them about.
When apple bobbing, the first apple to be caught should be peeled and the peelings dropped into the water barrel. Whatever letter was formed by the peelings would signify the initial of your first true love.
Apple tarts were baked with a coin inside to bring good luck.
Witchballs were hung up in houses either by the back door or windows and are said to glow when a witch passes by.
It was also said that on Halloween elves would ride on the back of cats so people used to shut their cats inside so the elves could not catch them.
But nowadays the most important thing to remember is to have a supply of sweets waiting by the front door for when those diminutive ghosts, pumpkins, skeletons and witches come knocking.
What other Halloween traditions can you remember? Post any interesting ones on the forum.
Flying south for winter
Two thirds of Brits plan to spend their retirement abroad, according to a new survey.
A whopping 67 per cent of people questioned say they would rather spend their autumn years in another country rather than the land of their birth.
That’s despite the fact that 24 per cent of those planning to retire to the Sun have never visited the country they want to move to, according to the research by Foreign Currency Direct.
Asked why they want to leave Britain for good, 83 per cent of respondents said they think the quality of life in Britain has declined dramatically over the last decade and they would rather take their chances somewhere else.
And a staggering 89 per cent say they believe it will get even worse in the future.
What do you think? Are you one of those who can’t wait to leave, and if so, where is your dream home? Give us your views on the forum
The Good Granny Diary 2007
We’re very excited about the diary and think you’ll love it too. It’s full of ideas for things to do and make with the grandchildren each month; rhymes, songs and notes about historic anniversaries; and biographies of historic grannies (read about Queen Victoria, Grandma Moses and Granny Smith of Apple fame). Best of all, there is a ‘Good Granny Gallery’ of pictures and descriptions by children of their grannies.
The Good Granny Guide is now available in paperback.
Meet Jane in person
Friday 6th October 11-12am, Jane is on The Times Body and Soul panel to debate “Is modern life ruining our Relationships?” at the British Association for Counselling and Therapy Conference at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London. After the debate Jane will be signing her books in the Body and Soul chill out room. All are welcome.
Monday 9th October 11.30 am at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Jane will discuss Family Life with Times experts Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson. At the Town Hall, Cheltenham, followed by book signing.
Friday 20th October 1,30-2.30 pm at The Baby Show, Earls Court, London. Jane will be signing her books at Waterstones stand.
If you can’t make it to any of those events, you can hear Jane on the radio:
Friday 6 October at 12.20pm with Mary Harboe on Radio Europe Mediterraneo.
Tuesday 24 October at 8.30 p.m. on We Are Family BBC Radio 2, 88-91FM
Thursday 2 November at 1pm with Anna Raeburn on LBC
Age discrimination outlawed
The government’s new age discrimination laws came into force on October 1st.
The reforms make any form of age discrimination in the workplace, with a few very limited exceptions, illegal. Companies found guilty of discriminating on age grounds will face punishment by unlimited compensation awards.
Under the terms of the new law, employers will no longer be able to advertise for jobs in a way that could be perceived as age-related, ruling out terms such as "youthful" or "experienced". Companies will not be allowed to set a normal retirement age below 65 and will be required to at least consider requests from staff who want to work beyond this age.
The changes herald the biggest shake-up in employment law since the sex and race discrimination laws of the 1970s.
For more information about how the new rules might affect you, you can download a factsheet from the Age Concern website.
If you think you may have been discriminated against because of your age, the charity Help the Aged has been running a campaign against age discrimination. For more information click here.
Don’t forget your flu jab
A reminder that October marks the start of the flu season – and the government advises the over-65s and people with some chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes to visit their GPS for a flu vaccine.
However this year, again, it appears there may be a shortage of the vaccine in some clinics. The Department of Health has said that some surgeries may not receive their vaccine supplies until December.
The British Medical Association said surgeries faced a challenge to immunise everybody who is at risk, and is asking patients to wait to hear from their doctor rather than pick up the phone.
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September 2006
Are you a Racy Role Model or Quiet Reminiscer?
Research by the Future Foundation Think Tank explodes the myth of the grey haired reserved grandparent and paints a picture of an active, energetic and social group. The foundation claims to have identified five types of grandparent from Adventure Seekers to Hearts of Gold.
Adventure Seekers are defined as more affluent, predominantly female, leading hectic and full lives. They are keen on traveling and new experiences, and are very concerned with their appearance. Set to be the fastest growing group in the years to come, they account for 2.5 million (19.5%) grandparents in Britain today rising to 4 million by 2020.
Racy Role Models are mostly male, still employed and active. They enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and have a varied and active social life drinking, flirting and dancing. They account for 5 million grandparents in Britain.
Hearts of Gold are kindly, friendly grandparents who stand out in terms of the amount of time they devote to their grandchildren, often in the form of unpaid childcare. There are 750,000 of them and although sociable with their immediate friends and family, they tend not to seek out new friends and experiences, probably because they do not have the time.
The 4 million Traditionalists are likely to be older grandparents, mostly women with a vastly reduced range of pastimes. They generally have more grandchildren but because they are less active, are less able to participate in their care.
Quiet Reminiscers are the smallest cluster and are made up mainly of grandfathers. As the least active group they do not choose to spend much, if any, time with their grandchildren. They are also less likely to socialise or have hobbies or pastimes than other groups. There are about 750,000 of them in Britain.
The survey, which polled 2000 people over the age of 50, also found that the average age of a first time grandparent is now just 49, and most are likely to be grandparents for at least 35 years.
Happy Grandparents’ Day!
The UK’s 13 million grandparents will be celebrating Grandparents’ Day on Saturday 23rd September.
On that day, families across the nation are asked to recognise the important role grandparents play in offering experience, expertise and fun, while acting as positive role models and providing almost £4 billion worth a year of childcare.
Jane has joined forces with BAFTA award winning CBBC show Jakers! and its celebrity grandparents Mel Brooks and Joan Rivers to mark this special day.
“I love being a grandparent – spending time with my grandchildren gives me immense pleasure. I feel grandparents today have a different approach to those of previous generations,” Jane says. “Although many of us are still working, we are more ‘hands on’ than our parents were. Most grandparents nowadays have a very modern outlook, and think nothing of going online to communicate with their grandchildren and other grandparents. We feel we are members of a big, friendly club, and Grandparents’ Day helps us share in celebrating all the fun we have with our grandchildren.”
Featuring the voices of celebrity grandparents Joan Rivers and Mel Brooks, Jakers! celebrates the traditional gift of storytelling and the joy of childhood adventures. In each episode, Grandpa Piggley regales his contemporary, city-dwelling grandpigs with stories from his childhood spent on Raloo Farm in 1950s Ireland. He strengthens the bond between the generations and gently imparts important life lessons along the way.
Entara’s Jane McNally says, “We want to highlight Grandparents’ Day because it reflects the nature of Jakers! and shows the joy that intergenerational bonding can bring to families, and the important role that grandparents play in a child’s life.”
You can send a Grandparents’ Day card by email or post by visiting the Jakers! website at www.jakers.co.uk.
Keep in touch during Grandparents Week
As part of Grandparents Week (18th to 23rd September) the Basic Skills Agency is launching a pack of materials to encourage grandparents to forge closer links with their grandchildren’s schools, as well as to help long-distance grandparents keep in touch.
As the agency says, more than a third of the UK’s 13 million grandparents now spend the equivalent of three days a week caring for their grandchildren. For many young children, grandparents are their major carers and the adults they spend most ‘one-to-one’ time with. Many grandparents also take their grandchildren to school or collect them – yet schools do not actively communicate with them or encourage them to help their grandchildren to develop their basic skills.
The agency hopes to address this problem with its pack of materials which includes a Keeping in touchpostcard pack, A jargon-busting ABC of primary schools to keep grandparents in touch with ideas like mind maps and extended schools and It doesn’t take much to stay in touch booklet for grandparents living away from their grandchildren.
For details, visit www.basic-skills.co.uk/learning_with_grandparents
Grandparents’ Week – Special Events
Age Concern is inviting members of the public to vote for their favourite Grandparents’ Day Card among six regional finalists selected from hundreds of entries across the UK. The regional winner’s designs are on display in Age Concern’s online gallery. Voting is easy, log on to www.ageconcern.org.uk/competition and select the card you want to win. Voting will close at midnight on Monday 18 September and a national winner will be announced on Wednesday 20 September.
The Bluebell Railway, a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, is holding a Grandparents’ Day Cream Tea on Sunday 24 September. Limited availability so advance booking essential: £20.00 per adult and £10 per child for cream tea plus steam train ride - Phone 01825 720800 to book.
Age Concern Cymru, together with several other Age Concern Organisations, is holding special Grandparents’ Day Sponsored Walks across Wales on Sunday 24 September 2006. Age Concern Cymru is holding its Sponsored Walk at Roath Park, Cardiff; starting from the Lighthouse at 11.00 a.m. Children, grandparents, family and friends are welcome to take part in this event and all money raised will help Age Concern Cymru continue to make a vital and real difference to the lives of older people. This is not a race and participants of all ages walk at their own pace. (Pushchairs and Nordic Walkers are welcome!)
The Letchworth Grandparent and Toddler Group is organising a Teddy Bears Picnic on Wednesday September 27th. All grandparents, senior carers, pre-school children and parents accompanying grandparents are invited, as well as teddies labelled with their owners name. Activities for under fives, with picnic food and drink provided. At Noel Family Support Centre, 1 Norton Way North, from 9.45am to 11.15am. Entry is free. Contact Zena Noculak on 01462 686723 or Heather on 01462 484292
The online childrens’ activity website www.underfives.co.uk is marking Grandparents’ Day with some special pictures of grandparents for colouring in or cutting out to make cards. To download them, visit the website
If you know of any special events marking Grandparents’ Week that you’d like publicised on www.goodgranny.com, please email the details to sophy@goodgranny.com
Grandparents smash stereotypes
It won’t come as a surprise to any of the modern-minded grandparents visiting this website, of course, but the days of dreading boring visits to Grandma on a Sunday are long gone, according to a survey of over 300 north-London based school children aged 8-11.
The survey showed today’s kids relish the time they spend with their grandparents, with 85% describing them as active, fun and young at heart. A quarter rated being taken on outings as the thing they value most about their grandparents, contradicting the belief that time spent between children and their grandparents is inactive and dull.
Going to the park (32%) and swimming (28%) topped the list of activities children enjoyed the most with their grandparents, with slightly fewer (24%) preferring theme park trips, and visits to the cinema (6%).
Friendship between grandparents and grandchildren appears to run even deeper, with 25% of children admitting to telling their grandparents things that they would not tell their parents.
Peter Girling, Chairman of Girlings Retirement Options Limited, who commissioned the survey, says “While traditionally, grandparents have been perceived as disciplinarians, today’s retired person is healthy, fit and independent. The modern retiree is a role model, counsellor and companion who can relate to young people, bringing joy and adding value to a child’s life.”
A is for …?
Jane has a new column on family relationships in the Times on Saturdays. To read what she’s written so far in the A-Z of Family Life, on Arguments, Babies, Cousins and Daughters-in-Law, click on the links page.
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July - August 2006
Happy Holidays
Going away with another family can be great fun — or a nightmare of crying children and arguing adults. Click here for advice from Jane on ensuring happy holiday memories. And why not share your own stories of holidays with your grandchildren on our talk page.
Grandparents victims of divorce
Hundreds of thousands of grandparents are losing regular access to their grandchildren as a result of Britain’s rising divorce rates, according to government consultant Geoff Lawler.
He told the Townswomen’s Guilds that around one million grandparents are denied contact with their grandchildren, resulting in misery on both sides. Although 82 percent of children receive some care from their grandparents, and five million grandparents spend the equivalent of three days a week caring for their grandchildren, he said the government does not properly recognise their role. Very few have legal right of access to their estranged grandchildren.
The Townswomen’s Guilds is committed to raising awareness of the role grandparents can play in children’s lives, as well as legal rights of access for grandparents.
For more information on this issue, click here
History Matters – Pass It On
As grandparents, we provide the closest link to history for our grandchildren.
So, as part of a new campaign, “History matters – pass it on”, sponsored by several major heritage organisations, people are being encouraged to fill in postcards answering questions like, “What would you most like to pass on to your grandchildren.”
The public is also being asked to vote for their favourite historic places by text message, and hundreds of events will be taking place across the country offering opportunities to get involved and show support for history.
The campaign, launched on July 3rd, has attracted a raft of celebrity endorsements, including historian David Starkey, politician Boris Johnson and civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabati.
"If you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know who you are and then it is almost impossible to move forward,” said Tony Benn.
It is the first time that the whole heritage sector has come together to work on a single, unifying campaign. The founding partners are the National Trust, English Heritage, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Historic Houses Association, Heritage Link and the Civic Trust.
According to the National Trust, one of the sponsors of the campaign: “History Matters - pass it on is all about raising awareness of the importance of history in our everyday lives and encouraging involvement in heritage in England and Wales. Our goal is to build public support and interest in looking after our history and heritage - today and in the future.”
More details on the campaign website, www.historymatters.org.uk. .
Noonoo creator wins Business Woman of the Year
Jo Ashburner, creator of Noonoo comfort blankets for children, has been named Business Woman of the Year by Grazia Magazine and 02.
Jo launched her business making felted lambswool comfort blankets less than a year ago and they are now sold as far afield as the USA, Japan, Dubai and Australia – as well as in the GoodGranny shop.
“She brings a fresh perspective to children’s accessories,” said Jane Bruton, editor of Grazia. “Using her son Zac’s scribbles as a basis for the designs, Jo has shown an astonishing business vision, commitment and unsurpassed passion.”
“(She is) a prime example of the new breed of entrepreneurial, creative British women who aren’t afraid to take risks in the pursuit of doing something different,” added 02’s Peter Rampling.
Noonoo Comfort blankets are individually hand-embroidered with children’s artwork and felted to produce practical, soft, tactile and sturdy comfort blankets. They make wonderful christening presents or new baby gifts. To order, or see some other great gift ideas for kids, click here.
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June 2006
Message from Jane - CAN YOU HELP?
I’m at work on a new book, For Better for Worse to be published by Short Books Ltd. next spring. It is for all age groups, describing the everyday trials of married life and how to deal with them.
For Better for Worse will be written in the same light-hearted vein as The Good Granny Guide. The fact that many of the stories and comments in the GGG came direct from the horse’s mouth (i.e. yours and other ‘real-life’ grandmothers!) was a big factor in its appeal, and I hope to do the same in FBFW.
So I am asking you and your husband/partner to help by each filling in a questionnaire. It’s designed to identify the various problems married couples encounter, and I’m looking especially for amusing anecdotes and wise advice on how to stay happily married in spite of the pitfalls.
Any information you give me may end up in the book, but will, I promise, be completely anonymous. Also, if you don’t want me to know who you are, you don’t have to give your name.
If you would like to help, please email jane@goodgranny.com and I will email you a copy of the questionnaire. Or, if you prefer, I’ll post it with an s.a.e. for your reply.
THANKS, AND BEST WISHES
Jane
Tackling Abuse of Elderly People
A new campaign is being launched to highlight the growing problem of the neglect and abuse of elderly people.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15th 2006 will be a global event with organisations in the UK and throughout the world calling on governments and communities to support them in a bid to stamp out the mistreatment of older people.
A recent survey commissioned by BBC Radio 2 suggested that a quarter of people questioned knew an elderly person who had been mistreated. One in 10 cited examples of physical abuse. There were also examples of older people being left unfed and humiliated, with the majority of incidents occurring in care homes and hospitals.
But despite a recent spate of shocking revelations, elder abuse has never been given the same prominence as issues such as child abuse and domestic violence, according to charity Action on Elder Abuse. WEAAD will be the first time the subject will be flagged up globally and given the same weight as other causes, it said.
“We can all help by keeping a watchful eye out for neighbours, friends and relatives,” said Lizzie Jeans, Campaigns Manager at Help the Aged. “”Everyone has a role to play in keeping older people safe from abuse.”
The day is expected to involve a wide variety of fund-raising and community awareness events, ranging from sky dives to coffee mornings.
For more information about how you can help the campaign or events being organised locally, contact Action on Elder Abuse on 0808 808 8141 or visit the website, www.elderabuse.co.uk
Wedding madness?
The spring wedding season is in full swing … and from chocolate fountains to hen and stag weekends in Prague, the big day is costing us a fortune. We’d all be happier — and a lot richer— if we kept it simple, says Jane.
To read more about the latest trends in nuptial extravagance, click here.
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May 2006
Once Upon a Time...
Reading aloud to children is something few parents have time for nowadays – so for grandparents it can be a chance to share some very special time together.
Great Books to Read Aloud, published on May 4th by Corgi, is a guide to 70 books for adults to read aloud to children that everyone can enjoy, and is crammed with sample extracts from entertaining stories for all age groups. With an introduction by Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson and recommendations from celebrity parents as diverse as Cherie Blair, Philip Pullman, Michael Palin and J K Rowling, it also features tips on reading aloud from children’s reading experts. And at a cost of only £1, it should be within most people’s budgets.
To buy the book, click here. And let us know your own favourite books for reading aloud with your grandchildren on the talk board.
Something for Silver Surfers
Nominations are still open for the Silver Surfer of the Year Awards, which celebrate the achievements of older people who have embraced internet technology for their own benefit and that of others. The awards are open until Friday 21 July 2006 to any UK resident over the age of 50. on June 30th. The winner gets £100 and two runners-up will each receive £50.
To find out more about Silver Surfer events happening near you, to organise your own event, or to nominate someone for an award, visit www.silversurfer.org.uk
Things to do with the grandchildren
Visit your local museum
To find out what’s happening near you, visit the MGM website
The National Trust’s summer events for families include Tracker Pack’s to explore NT houses. Try one at several properties including Attingham Park, Shropshire; Berrington Hall, Herefordshire; Dyrham Park, Gloucesctershire; Ickworth, Suffolk and Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. Some NT properties have Garden and Countryside Tracker Packs, and Bodiam Castle in Sussex and Wallington in Northumberland offer Bat Packs for young visitors.
Visit a garden- There is almost certainly a private garden opening for charity near you every weekend from now on, and sometimes on weekdays to. Get ‘The Yellow Book’ which lists gardens open under the National Gardens Scheme county by county – it may turn you into an addict, the gardens offer something for everyone. Some are designed with children and grandchildren in mind, and some encourage picnickers.
English Heritage also have a great programme of events for children (and their parents and grandparents) planned for Spring and Summer at their castles and other properties. Trail themes they offer include the St. George’s Day Dragon, Roaming Romans and Meandering Monks.
Other English Heritage events include a Knights’ Tournament, and Experience Days covering topics including Falconry, Sword Fighting and Archaeology. For all events, check venues, dates and prices at www.english-heritage.org.uk/events
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April 2006
Desert Island Discs
In idle moments (I hear you say ‘you must be joking’) do you sometimes muse about what your choice would be? Why not go on our Talk forum under ‘General’ and give us your list?
These were the discs chosen on Radio 4 by Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes:
If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys
Brown Girl in the Ring by Frank Farian, performed by Boney M
Independent Women by Beyonce Knowles, Samuel Barnes, Cory Rooney and Jean Claude Olivier, performed by Destiny’s Child
Always Been Your Girl by Deborah Cox, Shep Crawford and Lascelles Stephens, performed by Heather Headley
I’m Going All the Way by Ann Bennett-Nesby, Valerie Johnson and Erica Wright, performed by Sounds of Blackness
Red Light by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, performed by Linda Clifford
I Believe by Rodney Jerkins and Fred Jerkins, performed by Yolanda Adams
Angel by Sarah McLachlan
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March 2006
Grandparent of the Year
Britain’s best grandparent is 75-year-old George Birkett from Carnforth, Lancashire, who has been awarded this year’s Age Concern Grandparent of the Year award.
George was nominated by his grandchildren Thomas and Samantha,13, who both have cerebral palsy. Mr Birkett has supported them and their mother since they were born.
Cherie Booth presented him with the £1,000 prize money at a ceremony at the House of Commons on February 28th. “It is a great honour to reward the special contribution that grandparents across the UK make to their families. George is an inspiration – he is an amazing grandparent and a huge asset to his family,” she said.
For more about the awards, visit www.ageconcern.org.uk
Things to do with the grandchildren
The Spring Festival at Kew Gardens from 17 March to 15 April includes the crocus carpet, ¼ million bulbs, trees in blossom. Also ‘Climbers and Creepers’, an indoor interactive play zone much loved by small children, is always open. Take a picnic. www.rbgkew.org.uk
The RHS Garden at Harlow Carr Yorkshire, tel 01423 724680 -
8-23 April, 9.30am-5pm: Family Holiday Quiz Trail
11-12 April 10am-4pm: Family Event: Plant a Vegetable Container
THE NATIONAL TRUST has a lively programme of events for children and families in the coming season.
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February 2006
Top 10 books for children?
The Royal Society of Literature’s attempt to establish a list of the top 10 books children should have read before leaving school was bound to be controversial. Not many adults, let alone children, could claim to be familiar with every title on the lists drawn up by writers J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, and Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, which ranged from Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice to Ulysses by James Joyce.
Which books, on or off the list, do you think your own grandchildren should read? Do you think the writers are being elitist, or are their selections, as Motion said, “profoundly democratic works of art.” We’d love to hear your views on our Talk board.
Here are the writers’ recommendations:
J.K ROWLING
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Animal Farm, George Orwell
The Tale of Two Bad Mice, Beatrix Potter
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
PHILIP PULLMAN
Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
Emil and the Detectives, Erich Kastner
The Magic Pudding, Norman Lindsay
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Coleridge
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens
First Book of Samuel, Ch 17 (David and Goliath)
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
ANDREW MOTION
The Odyssey, Homer
Don Quixote, Cervantes
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Paradise Lost, John Milton
Lyrical Ballads, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
Ulysses, James Joyce
The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot
Something for the Birds
National Nest Box Week is launched on February 14th by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Its aim is to encourage as many people as possible to put up nest boxes in order to help Britain’s breeding birds and other wildlife.
According to the BTO, the natural nest sites on which many bird species depend, such as holes in trees and buildings, are fast disappearing as gardens and woods are tidied and old houses repaired.
If you or your family has space for a box in your garden, you have the chance to give a brood a home. Not only will you be helping with conservation, but you will also have the pleasure of observing the birds you attract to your garden. And, as birds like Blue Tits love to eat caterpillars, you will be encouraging an ecologically friendly form of garden pest control.
Putting up a nest box during National Nest Box Week would be a wonderful project to undertake with the grandchildren, and you should have a good chance of attracting a nesting pair of birds by Spring. Provided you approach quietly and carefully, it is perfectly safe to look into the nest box occasionally to see how things are progressing once the birds are incubating their eggs. Children can also count the eggs and email the information to nest.records@bto.org. However they should never disturb the eggs.
A build your own birdhouse kit, suitable for children from ages 6 to 12, is available in our shop. The BTO website also has information about how to build a nest box from scratch.
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January 2006
Exercise cuts risk of Alzheimer’s
The risk of Alzheimer’s is dramatically reduced by taking just 15 minutes of exercise three times a week, according to the latest research.
A study published on January 17th 2006 by the U.S.-based Group Health Cooperative followed 1,740 of its members aged 65 or over for six years. It found that people who exercised three or more times a week had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared with those who exercised less than three times a week.
“Even those elderly people who did modest amounts of gentle exercise, such as walking for 15 minutes three times a week, appeared to benefit,” said Eric.B.Larson, the lead investigator of the study. “Based on these findings, we can advise older people to ‘use it even after you start to lose it,’ because exercise may slow the progression of age-related problems in thinking,” he said.
To read more about the study, click here. For more information about Alzheimer’s, contact www.alzheimers.org.uk
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December 2005
NEVER TOO YOUNG TO START SAVING
The start of a new year is a time to take stock of financial matters. A quarter of all children have no basic savings account and many more have no savings role model as parents now borrow and spend rather than save, according to a report from Nationwide Building Society
Despite the introduction of the government’s Child Trust Fund there are still 10 million children who are too old for a CTF and too young for an ISA savings account, the building society said.
Under the CTF scheme, children born on or after September 1, 2002, get a £250 voucher from the government. Parents, family or friends can then pay in up to £1200 a year tax-free until the child is 18. However, almost half the two million vouchers issued so far have not yet been used to open an account.
Grandparents might like to start the ball rolling by opening a savings account for each grandchild, with a few pounds in it to get them started. Discuss it with the parents first.
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November 2005
New Good Granny Gifts – check them out in our Shop
Granny Jane has been trawling the charity fairs to find some really special and unusual new baby presents. She was particularly impressed by two new businesses, BabyBlooms and Noonoo Designs, both started by enterprising and creative Mums.
Any new mother is pleased to get a bunch of flowers—but a BabyBlooms bouquet will last long after the last rose has faded. Each hand-made bouquet consists of baby essentials such as socks, hats, body-suits and sleep-suits, hand-rolled in the form of flower buds. Interspersed with wooden flowers and silk foliage, they look at first glance like a real bouquet.
The idea was the brainchild of mum-of-two Lisa Roberts, who spent two years finding the highest quality clothing to make up her bouquets. “I wanted to create a gift that has the visual impact of flowers whilst being really useful. BabyBlooms allows people to give essential items in a stunning way,” she said.
The Noonoo range of comfort blankets are something completely new. They are handmade from soft natural coloured felt incorporating child-like images of animals, with appliqué and embroidery to add textural interest. They were developed by Jo Ashburner to meet a need she observed in her son, Zac, for something tactile that he could call his own and using his own drawings as inspiration. “The first Noonoo comfort blanket was made as a practical and tangible object he could do with what he wanted,” she said.
To buy a BabyBlooms bouquet or Noonoo comfort blanket, or see Granny Jane’s other Christmas present recommendations, click here.
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