After revelations last week that Bee has been to Wookey Hole, I thought she might also be interested to know, (although I think she does already), that her first proper outing, aged about a week old, was to Glastonbury.

I’ve always liked Glastonbury and although I wouldn’t consider myself a particularly spiritual person there is something about it that draws me in when I’m feeling a little restless or like I need to recharge or refocus. It has a soothing effect on me, calming me and making me feeling more positive about things.

Like with all places you’ve been visiting since a child, certain rituals and routines become established, and a visit to Glastonbury for us always means lunch at the Blue Note Cafe. I’m pretty sure it’s not the best cafe in Glastonbury, but it’s just where we have always gone. As a child, I particularly enjoyed asking for the code for the toilets and going out to the courtyard, around the corner past the dragon holding a ball, and feeling like a spy, inputting the numbers on the metal panel.

Things to do in Glastonbury View Post

Follow:

family holiday in walesWe’ve been to quite a few holiday parks in Wales – can you tell from the picture? – and so we are old hands at knowing what to pack. Here are nine essentials:

1. Clean pants

If you ever go anywhere without packing clean pants then there is something wrong with you.

2. Credit cards

For when you run out of pants. In all seriousness, I do tend to think that as long as I have remembered a credit card I can always buy the things I forget. For some reason I always forget a hairbrush, wherever we go. I think it’s because I normally keep them in the kitchen rather than in a sensible place with all of the other toiletries. View Post

Follow:

This weekend we went up to Bristol for the afternoon. I took my big camera with me so that I could take some pictures and felt very grown-up walking around, snapping away; like one of those cool lifestyle bloggers who always has adorable shoes with buckles and a vintage handbag. (Except I had neither of those things.)

I love Bristol. I love just mooching about, peering into shop windows and watching the people. There is something about the people in Bristol; they look far more interesting than people in any other city I have ever visited. I think it might be the facial hair.

Bristol is far more colourful than Taunton too and although I’m settling back into small town living, I do miss the vibrancy of a city. I had forgotten for example how much street art there is in Bristol – it adds a certain something when you’re walking around and suddenly see a beautiful painting or funny cartoon on a blank white wall.

Bristol street art View Post

Follow:

Following on from my interview with Antonio Banderas and review of the new SpongeBob Movie today I have the second in my series of interviews from New York. This one is with Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke, the real, actual voices of SpongeBob SquarePants and his best friend, Patrick Star.

spongebob and patrick

Bill and Tom were both lovely and it was hard to get them to stop talking; I only had to ask a few questions and they were away, bouncing off each other. I could see the assistant in the corner of my eye, gesturing for me to wind things up, but it was hard to get a word in edgeways; Bill and Tom clearly have a fantastic relationship, both on and off screen.

I was a little disappointed that neither of them admitted to accidentally slipping into character in the bedroom, but they were fantas

I flew to New York with Paramount to see the new SpongeBob Movie and interview the cast.

Follow:

Yes, that’s right, Antonio Banderas. And me. Face to face. In New York City.

Boom.

I was in New York to talk to Antonio Banderas about his role as Burger-Beard the Pirate in The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out Of Water and the location for my interview was The Ritz Carlton, overlooking Central Park. I’d dressed up nice and brushed my hair and had a notebook and pen. I’d put together my questions at breakfast that morning and was imagining myself as pretty cool.

Although I was feeling reasonably well prepared for this interview, having already interviewed the director and figured out how things worked,* I was completely thrown the minute Antonio Banderas opened his mouth as he IS Puss in Boots.

If you’re not sure what I mean, listen to this short clip before you listen to my interview. It’s rather disconcerting to feel like you are actually interviewing a cat. View Post

Follow:

Last week you got to hear what my boyfriend thought of the Harptree Court treehouse, now it’s my turn…

Harptree court treehouse review

I feel a little bit under pressure going second with the review writing. First off, a lot of the lovely things about Harptree Court treehouse have been said already; I can’t tell you all over again about the lovely food we were left, or the comfy bed, or the fact that I won the chess tournament. (Oh dear, I appear to have mentioned that again anyway.)

I mention the chess though not to gloat over my victory, although I admit there is a certain amount of pride there, especially as, unlike some people, I have never actually been the captain of a chess team. I mention it because it was one of my favourite bits of our stay. I know chess isn’t everyone’s idea of fun on a romantic night away, but I love a bit of mental battling; I’m super competitive and don’t like losing, so there is also something about things like chess that leaves me feeling strangely vulnerable and exposed. I quite like that. It feels like it’s probably good for me.

Of course this isn’t meant to be a glimpse into the depths of my psyche, it’s meant to be a review of a treehouse. View Post

Follow:

I saw some people out at the weekend in t-shirts, which means it’s time to start thinking about summer festivals – hoorah!

This year we are off to Standon Calling. We’ve never been before, although it’s been going for ten years now, and it looks pretty cool – a perfect summer escape for festival-lovers and families alike, offering an intimate three day celebration of renowned and upcoming acts, art, comedy, fancy dress for all, the hilarious Standon Dog Show(!), workshops, family entertainment and of course its own heated outdoor swimming pool! I can safely say I have never been to a festival and packed my swimming costume before!

Set in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside from 31st July – 2nd August the festival has already announced a plethora of unmissable acts including a UK Festival Exclusive from The Dandy Warhols, Little Dragon, Basement Jaxx, Ella Eyre Roots Manuva.  View Post

Follow:

Last weekend my boyfriend and I spent a night in the amazing treehouse at Harptree Court. The idea was to tick off the ‘live in a tree’ item on my list of 40 things to do before 40, although it was so luxurious it almost feels like cheating. While we were there we talked about how strange it is that two people can experience the same event and have such different memories of it, and that made me think it might be rather fun to have a boy’s eye and a girl’s eye view from the treehouse.

This is his, mine will follow next week.

Harptree court treehouse

“Do you want to come and stay in a tree house with me?” Josie asked. 

“Yes” was my obvious reply, not just because of the obvious opportunity to spend time alone together, but because Josie has a wonderful way of asking questions – even about mundane, dull things (which this is not) – and making them sound like wonderfully exciting adventures.  Perhaps it’s just a sparkle in her eye and the way her lips twitch with excitement after she’s asked a question.  

If you’ve not come across Harptree Court before, it really is beautiful, nestled in some of the county’s most beautiful countryside. The village of East Harptree ies to the east, and, to the west, the aptly and unoriginally named West Harptree.  One likes to think that the village naming committee was in something of a hurry at that particular naming ceremony.  Perhaps they were exhausted after naming the nearby Nempnett Thrubwell and, feeling that they peaked too soon, decided it to play it safe for a while.   View Post

Follow:

“You’ve definitely lost weight,” says my boyfriend, very sweetly.

“I don’t think I have,” I say, in a way that he would call stubborn and I would call realistic, “you’re just saying that to be nice.”

He looks exasperated with me.

“You definitely have. You look amazing in that dress.”

I try to be quiet because although I’m not entirely convinced I do, I love to be told it and don’t want him to stop saying nice things.

Although I don’t actually own a pair of scales, it may well be true, as January was my ‘get super fit and slim and gorgeous‘ month, aided by the Garmin Vivofit from Halfords. Throughout the month Halfords were challenging people, with their #31fitterdays campaign, to increase their levels of activity with the help of a simple exercise plan. The Vivofit is an invaluable tool as part of any bid to get in shape as it helps you keep track of exactly how lazy you have been.

View Post

Follow:

Looking for cool things to do in New York?

Forget Times Square and the Empire State Building.

Central Park? Sure, it has trees, but who cares? OK, lots of people, but come on, it’s just a park. We’ve all been to a park. Also I visited New York in January and New York in the winter is COLD.

Have you ever taken a ride on a wooden escalator though?

No, I didn’t think so.

When the flagship Macy’s store moved to 34th Street in 1902 is was the very height of innovation and sophistication and its wooden escalators were no exception. Today you can still find several sets of the escalators in the middle of the store, so after checking in at my hotel and giving everyone I saw two dollars just in case, because I don’t understand how to tip, I headed to Macy’s – one more big tick on my 40 things before 40 list.

A few kids have apparently had fingers severed in the steps but that is surely a small price to pay for the preservation of heritage?

Macy's wooden escalatorOne peril of travelling alone is that most of your holiday snaps are massive close ups of your own face, with something interesting just about visible in the background. Like this one: View Post

Follow:

Weather permitting, tomorrow I am flying out to New York to interview some of the cast of the new SpongeBob movie: A Sponge Out of Water.

*acts nonchalant*

Who am I kidding? I am about as chalant as it gets. (Why is chalant not a word? You feel like it should be.)

Firstly, there is the snow. I’m not good in snow. I will fall over and it will be embarrassing.

Second, NEW YORK BABY!! I have only been to America once and that was to go to Arkansas. Even the guards at airport security looked at me funny and asked me why I was bothering.

And finally – the thing I am most chalant about – I have to conduct video interviews with celebrities. When they asked whether I wanted to do written or video interviews I figured ‘in for a penny’ and all that, and so said video before I had chance to think about it. I figured it would look far more impressive and then you would know that I had actually been there and not just sent an interview by email. View Post

Follow:

I have always wanted to live in Bristol. I’m not sure when the feeling started, but it has been there as long as I can remember – a sort of tingle of excitement, mixed with a happy contentment from knowing a place is just right for you.

The move was a long time coming – Bee started using air quotes whenever she said ‘when we move to Bristol’ – but I had to wait for the right moment. It happened though, and although it wasn’t easy moving to a new place, especially with the Chuckle Brothers as our moving team, I never doubted my decision.

Circumstances conspired unfortunately to make living in Bristol difficult for me last year, and so we moved back to Somerset. It sucked at first. I’m adjusting, but I still miss Bristol and hopefully one day I will go back.

While I don’t want to sound negative about Somerset – it has plenty of good points – Bristol is, I’m fairly certain, the city I love most in the world.

Here’s why: View Post

Follow: