Cathy’s Blog

Now it’s been a while since I got excited that the school holidays are here but this time I feel able to due to the fact I have managed to secure a few days off myself.

In the past, when the children were small and I was a stay at home mum, school holidays were a constant pressure to entertain and amuse, referee arguments and generally play the waiting game until it was time to go back to school. Of course, I love my children dearly and love to spend time with them but six weeks, I ask you? Six weeks of summer holidays where the beach holds their attention for about oh, a week or so, and then you’re back to square one of hearing ‘muuuuummmm, I’m bored!!’

My grandson is 2 years old and, compared to his peers, talks very little. At least, thats what we thought until we were driving past these new houses the other day. He prefers to communicate at home through a series of screams and squeals because that initiates the quickest reaction. We have repeated words to him over and over again to no avail. Of course, he has a limited reportoire containing phrases like: ‘No’, ‘go way’, ‘bottle’ and ‘night night’ but please? hungry? tired? wet? all evade him. Instead his poor mother frantically runs through a series of things to passify him.

We’re all looking for a bargain these days but none more so than those in need of a car. The car has become a necessity of everyday life – we spend hours getting from A to B, often sat stationary in traffic for silly amounts of time – but we can’t do without our cars. The world has become a smaller place and we are expected to navigate it on a daily basis. So, whether you’re looking for a brand new Lexus or a used Honda there are places to go where you can still bag yourself a bargain that means you don’t have to rely on public transport.

If there’s ever an ideal time of year to incorporate new product design onto the market, it has to be in the lead up to Christmas. Shoppers are on the lookout for something new, for something a little different and sometimes just the plain quirky. This is how many new businesses will either make their mark with enough clout to continue after the festive season, or they will just make their money and disappear after Christmas.

For new product design this year, keep on the lookout for these gift ideas:

It makes me mad when people vilify single mothers for, what they describe as, sitting on their backsides raking in benefits and being too lazy to go to work.

I’ve been in the situation and now my daughter is too. There would be NO single mothers if it weren’t for the useless men that disappear and reject their responsibilities. Yet, it is more often men that suggest that women are single mothers so they can get benefits and free housing.

I have just come back from a three day break in Edinburgh that I arranged as a surprise for my gorgeous husbands 49th birthday.

I have to say, as secret plans go, this couldn’t have come together any better! We flew up onthe Friday morning to be greeted by beuatiful sunny skies and a cheery atmosphere. With a room booked at The Witchery by the Castle, we knew a little of it’s background but were in for a few more surprises. The hotel is a stunning place and we were lucky enough to occupy a whole suite that spanned the entire front of the building on the first floor. The hotel is known for its celebrity guests and tourists loitered around outside hoping to catch a glimpse. We had some fun with these, peeking out from behind curtains like we wanted to hide and seeing them snap away just in case.

In the abscence of any more Riverdance shows in the UK for the time being, we decided to go to the theatre in Clacton on Sea and watch the Essence of Ireland show.

Now Clacton is not the best of towns and not reknowned for it’s entertainment but the show was on for one night only so we decided to give it a go. and I have to say - we were extremely impressed!

We all know the idea of the Essex police force and the justice system (so called)  is to uphold law and order and punish those who don’t do so. They regularly publish figures declaring how well they are doing but I beg to differ.

They claim that the incidents of domestic violence has not risen, that they are keeping it under control. How do they know? In so many cases where women have reported these incidents to the police, they have either not been acted upon or come to an unfavourable conclusion for the victim.

Her favourite chocolates are hidden on the top shelf of the stationary room and, unable to resist, she climbs aboard the colour copier to sneak a few for herself. Just at that moment, she kicks the button that fires up the copier and her boss walks in to find her in a compromising position with copious amounts of incriminating pictures printed.

Now, this position is often seen as humurous but to get to the chocolate? It’s just one of those adverts I totally understand but just comes across as a little bit rubbish. A little like the ape playing the drums in the chocolate advert. Now, most men I know totally love this advert but to me it makes absoultely no sense whatsoever. Good music though!

What the hecky peck is going on with the traffic in Colchester??

I know this is a large busy town and that you can expect delays in during the rush hours, it’s been that way for as long as I can remember, but something is afoot. Something has definitely changed. It doesn’t seem to matter what time of day you go out in this town, you will queue and queue and queue in traffic.