Britmums I came , I saw I conquered

Britmums I went with anticipation despite having gone before , I really was scared witless at the event it's a melting pot of people , personalities not everyone will necessarily like each other for what ever reason. But even if you end up being next to someone you ( or they )don't see eye to eye with (yourself )or if you see someone from afar being at Britmums forces you into being together.

And it's a real testament to yourself and other people to be polite not a false politeness but a professional what I say blogging attitude. After all don't worry about what you can't change, concentrate on what you can.

Some sessions those perhaps of the keynotes will and do take you out of your comfort zone upsetting yes but without social and personal challenge sometimes we will not grow ourselves.and there is no shortage of blogging friends that will offer you a shoulder to cry or just a hug. Now I am not a huggy person but I seem to have been hugged left right and centre, now usually I would recoil from such a situation but not this time as it was a social solidarity.

I have fears

Of course I do ..

After all I am only human

And I was Ill at Britmums (I really was) 

I hope no one reads anything into this.

I try my best and always will.

I'm marmite to some people I really am.

But Britmums friends become like family.

"Death by social media " I'm trying my very best not to.

Coming to grips with situations I cannot change.

I want to live my life not fight against it!

Britmums for me pulls these threads together as thoughts are very much like threads jumbled in a mess quite a lot of the time and it's a social situation like Britmums that weaves them together.

I hope this makes sense.

And I'll see you next year.

Butlin's holiday memories

I remember when my son was four and he was a small speck of a child ! we took him to Butlin's at Skegness for the day and he had such fun ,I remember going on the Noddy rides that were there. Noddy was a favourite of his at the time though, if I was to mention this to him now he would no doubt cringe with embarrassment. We had only gone there as day visitors and I remember thinking on what was a practically hot scorching August day as we saw families laughing and smiling on their way to the pool. How I wish that we had book ourselves into Butlin's, as everyones faces were a picture of happiness , the day was magical and no request was to big or to small for the Butlins staff. 

My husband is from a large family, he is the youngest of seven children ( he 's now 43 but don't tell I told you his age !) , six boys and one girl so his parents had a very busy time with that large brood and when they took their holidays their place of choice was Butlin's . The reason for this was cost and satisfaction guaranteed,and with a great variety of activities no one was ever bored.

Butlin's Skegness in the 1960s.

Four of my husbands siblings at Butlin's Skegness.

Husbands twin brothers at Butlin's!

Ballroom dancing at Butlin's Skegness 1960s.

Dancing competition at Butlin's Skegness 1960s with a fairground in the background.

Butlin's Skegness accomodation 1960s.

My husbands late mother at Skegness Butlin's.

In those days there such competitions as lovely legs! but nowadays the competitions are much more suitable! 

The range of activities at Butlin's these days is mind blowing there's nothing that you can not do there , from live entertainment. a traditional fairground and even luxury spa treatments. Butlin's really does, span the generations from young to old everyone will feel right at home. Unlike the 1960s the traditional fairground is now a permanent feature.

There is a choice of accommodation to meet peoples different tastes from comfy rooms, well equipped apartments or one of their contemporary hotels.




So you see the Butlin's aim is still the same as it was all those years ago in the Billy Butlins era to make sure you get your sparkle back as a family.




Disclosure Sponsered post I was not told what to write, all thoughts words and opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday with Jack Black

Magpie Monday The Cake edition

Today was an inset today and I needed to  relax, rest and unwind still after an arduous week emotions can take you prisoner if you let them and people can and will take what you say out of context  . THE ANSWER ( sorry bit shouty  there ) the answer is cake . I took the bus into town where I went to Costa to use a gift card I had won and had a healthy sandwich and a latte and watched the world go by.

I had tried earlier in the week to use my Costa gift card at the local cinema where obviously there is a Costa only to be told it was a franchise Costa and not a real Costa Coffee. SO  they had Costa uniforms, sold Costa Coffee and had humongous signs that said "Costa Coffee" ... Oh well.

I mooched around town dipping into the charity shops as I do I was just beaten to some antique type scales by a Norwegian lady ... darn. But I managed to pick up an old style mincer the type that "Grandma" used to have and reminiscent of the times I remember when she was making Cornish pasties though if you wanted her to make you some ( you had to buy your own mince ) she was a mad as a box of frogs mind .

I then after buying some glass chopping boards(cupcake designs) which were half price at £4.99 from the local posh store Bennett's think Grace Brothers from "Are you being served?" and you are not half wrong. I then went for a cup of tea and cake at the Cathedral tea room that serve their tea is real bone china and again a slice of cake and pot of tea will set you back around £4.30.

Thinking I hadn't got anything in for tea I headed for good old M & S or as my mum used to call it Marks and Sparkles. The £10 meal deal was on and I picked chicken breast , potato croquettes and some millionaire desserts, also a Strawberry cake that had 25 % off just happen to leapt into my basket!

With the meal deal comes a choice of wine either alcoholic or non alcoholic but there was only a angry looking red on the rack ( one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse of bad  wines) I spotted another customer stalking an M & S employee who was after a better bottle of plonk ( for the want of a better phrase) So I joined in the stalking the M & S employee who was called John 20 minutes later after John had gone through the good wine selection I came away with a nice peachy number by that I mean a bottle of wine and not the M & S employee. I said that a cakes had happen to fall into my basket to which he said" There is always a need for cake"

I agree .. don't you

The cake was £3.74

Disclosure ( I am not to blame for any calories you intake after reading this blog post )

My Field of Dreams

Its a tenuous link at best but I love the iconic film the "Field of Dreams" if you haven't seen it then you must , feeling somewhat blue this week and by Thursday /Friday I was ready to implode . What pulls me back from the brink is family, friends and views like this .

Its the first time in ages I have joined in with project 365 ( i was feeling guilty for not doing so , and I realised that in taking part it gives me a focus in my week ) I take pictures naturally anyway . I don't always have a plan of what I doing it is often a flight of fantasy.

For these pictures I hijacked my husband Nikon DS3100 and the second picture down is using the camera on manual. I have ordered a camera for Fathers day for myself  husband funny that isn't its just what he I wanted.