We, the “ordinary” Mums…..

Dear politicians…..we, the “ordinary” mums are not a frontier to be conquered.

I for one would not be won over by a postcard if I resided in “the marginals”.

I do not care if Cameron leaves skidmarks in the loo.

I feel NO affinity for SamCam whatsoever. I much prefer and admire the work of Sarah Brown yet cannot frankly bear her husband.

I don’t trust a lot of the old guard. I feel the need for change. I want to work and have a family but I don’t want to choose which one to destroy.

I go on Mumsnet or Babycentre to talk to other mums, not politicians. I read the papers, I listen to the radio, but I am often feeding a baby, sorting out car insurance, doing the Tesco shop or wiping someone’s bottom at the same time so forgive me for missing some of your policy points.

I want fairness. I would prefer it if you paid me or my husband rather than grandparents to stay home with our children.

I am aspirational but also realistic.

I don’t want it all but I want to succeed in the areas I choose to pursue. I don’t want to work badly enough to tread water for 10 years while my kids are young and watch my male counterparts overtake me in every area of the workforce.

I don’t want to live in London but I do want a career.

Most of all, I want to be represented.

All male debates are no more than panto politics to me and do not engage me. “Personality politics” surely disadvantages the majority of politicians….?

I will not be patronised by politicians.

I care about the environment but I care about my children being taught by a teacher, rather than a teaching assistant more.

I care about the treatment of prisoners and the reources for the armed forces but I am more worried about the lack of midwives and the inability of social services to focus on social issues due to the volume of paperwork they seem to have to do.

I think, I write, I campaign, I contribute and I try my best to engage.

And finally, there is NOTHING ordinary about this, or any other, Mum.

spring has sprung

…down in Cornwall at least and the news today about a massive UK shortage of daffodils this year, showed the difference in climate we have down here in the SW compared to the rest of the UK.

Some fab photos over at the Eden Project site showing Cornish daffs at their finest as well as some beautiful shots of the biomes.

If you are planning a trip down to these parts this year, The Eden Project is an essential port of call….the Eden Sessions this year sees Calvin Harris, The Doves, Mika and Jack Johnson all putting gigs on against the fabulous backdrop of the Eden project this year.

For more family oriented activities, the Eden Project has a great Easter 2010 line-up for children including Freaky Nature from 2-18 April where events cover:

…activities, workshops and interactive exhibits.

Take a look at the world of poisonous plants, spiky plants, sticky plants, carnivorous plants and even exploding plants!

So here’s a list of what you can look forward to experiencing:

Crafty creatures

Some creatures are pretty clever at camouflaging themselves – see how many you can spot, then dress up to play them at their own game!

Seed Bombs

Squirting cucumbers are just one of the plants that disperse their seeds by exploding. Make your own seed bomb, take aim and fire at the plant landscape scoring zone.

Designer Life

Plants don’t look the way they do by chance – each feature is carefully designed to help the plant survive. Follow the Freaky Nature Trail to discover more, then head back to the lab to create your own designer version.

Big it Up

Check out plants on a dramatically different scale using powerful microscopes.

Nature’s Flying Machines

Can you better the design of the sycamore seed? Join our Green Engineers and design your own flying seeds, then send them on a test flight in our hourly fly-past.

Bug Vision

You’ve tried 3D glasses, now try bug glasses! Get a bug’s-eye view of the world and see if you can pollinate a flower.

Plants Behind Bars

Illegal plants, carnivorous plants and plants that kill – the bad boys!

Freaky Nature on Film

A cinematic view of the world of plants.

Sticky Survival

Become a burdock seed and hurl yourself at our Velcro wall to learn how stickiness can help your survival. Additional charge applies. (Additional charge applies for this).

my noughty life

Don’t usually do personal posts but was just thinking about the fast approaching end of the noughties and what an amazing decade it has been for me…..here’s why:
2000 – had just broken off engagement to Fiance, sold house, began reliving lost 3 years of potential party girlness

Dec 2000 – met and totally fell for then boyfriend,now husband

Jan 2001 – moved into London (from burbs) worked and played very hard

Sept 2001 – bought flat in Brixton with then BF

Sept 2002 – walked out on good job as associate director after sh1t tube ride to work and generally bad week.  Set up own freelance PR business – ran it for 4 years

Oct 2002 – won PR Week Young PR Professional of the year award – greatly helped freelance business 🙂

Dec 2002 – got engaged

June 2003 – bought little cottage in Cornwall and began co-locating between London and Cornwall

Nov 2003 – got married in London, month in Thailand afterwards

Holidays, surfing lessons, snowboarding trips – (many), playing out with pals, festivals, far too many good nights out, credit card damage

Mar 2005 – 30th birthday

Mar 2006 – sold London flat and bought ski apartment in France – not yet been able to afford to stay in it but hopeful for future 🙂

June 2006 – daughter arrived

June 2007 – back from maternity leave to current company permanently as head of division and worked hard again !

Dec 2008 – moved up north for 6 month stint then sharply relocated back down to Cornwall

May 2009 – moved into current house in Cornwall

June 2009 – fell pregnant again

Dec 2009 – started maternity leave………
What a brill decade it has been, both personally and professionally….Happy New Year to anyone who reads the blog and here’s to the next 10 years…

PS…blogger pals – I’d love to hear about what the last decade meant to you personally too….

office views

view-from-study

Would strongly advise against moving house just before Christmas but anyway, we did it and survived.

We have swapped our old office with its nice wallpaper and views over a lovely Cornish harbour (well it was more of a “suspicion of a harbour view” in estate agent speak) for a fab rural view out across a farm towards the River Dee and Wales in the distance.