Letter To An Autistic Boy , A Letter To Owen #Autism

You see these letters in social media about the kindness that has happened to those who have Autism or the families of those who have Autistic family members , and you think that will never happen to me. it is almost as if the situation can't or won't happen to you but me assured that it can and it will and it did. Here is the wonderful thing that happened to be on Tuesday the 25th October.




Dear Owen

I was just waiting for my train home.

I was quietly waiting in the heated waiting room on York station just content in my own little world, my phone had just run out and someone else was hogging the only socket in the room. And you know what Owen I am rather glad that the socket was occupied otherwise how would I have known the wonder of you.


I was sat far away from anyone , yet you came to sit next to me you were wearing your ear defenders , you were with your parents and little brother Jonathan. You spoke to me it wasn't quite politically correct


"Hey red neck lady "


I didn't mind , you mum quietly and told you patiently that that wasn't politely , you called me it a few more times and again your mum spoke to you softly that it wasn't polite.


Then you started speaking to me about what you were doing there , what you were there to see , about every train that ever existed in the known universe. I sat and listened and talked back to you , your mum apologised to me I said


"That's Ok I work with an autistic child , I didn't want to presume that your son was autistic "


The mum said that was fine.


She explained to Owen that I worked with a boy like him and he was even more engaging.

The boy told me his name which was Owen and I told him mine which is Claire and we must have spoke for a good hour on and off , which included conversations with his parents and little brother Johnathan.


Owen didn't like the noise of the outside due to his Autism but his delight at the train and the steam trains was a moment in time that will be etched on my memories forever.


I learnt more about myself in that hour that I think I ever have , Thank you Owen .



Thank you for the wonder of #Autism and how it can not be a negative situation to engage with .


I hope you Owen and your family have a wonderful life.


PS I now know more about trains than I ever did before xx

Lottoland Review

You'll probably noticed Christ Tarrant  popping up in the TV adverts lately most notably in the new Lottoland advert.

Now I'm not of a gambler in fact I'm rather partial to the lucky dips you find at fairs and the such like , usually winning something that will end up back as a prize 6 months later . I'm sure there must be some lucky dip prizes / raffle prizes that just play the circle of doom all the time !

I'm sure you would have dreamed of what would happen if you won the lottery , I know I have , it's nice to dream on occasions . It's the same as myself going on big holidays drinking cocktails.

You are not actually purchasing a physical lottery ticket gone are the days of having to traipse down to the newsagents!, instead you are betting on the outcome of the lottery. This new concept is a form of betting that gives you the opportunity to play along and bet on lotteries that are not normally accessible to us from all corners of the globe.

You are not playing the game direct, instead, you can bet on the results of official lottery draws from around the world, from the Oz Lottery to the Irish Lottery and many more including the Powerball which is an American lottery which had a 1 billion jackpot earlier this year!

Look here to see how  Lottloland works.

So do pop along if you fancy a go and you never know you could be lucky !!

Just remember me when you win !!

This is a PR collaboration.

York On The Cheap

York is utterly wonderful , I love it , I adore it * twirls ,firstly York can be as cheap as chips ( depending on of course where you get your chips from! . It is very luxurious to play the tourist without being overly touristy in a tourist type of way if you catch my drift. I think York has a slower pace than London and in fact you can allow yourself to get lost and to meander here there and everywhere . I only had to ask directions once and that was when I was buying some very cute cat silver earrings from a lovely bespoke gallery shop that was not pretentious in anyway shape or form.

I did have a planned  lunch time visit to Bettys tea rooms ( which is defiantly not cheap ) but prior to that and after my time was my own to wander as I saw fit . I didn't get bored at all on my own , you ,might have though being on your own I would get overwhelmed not in the slightest.


Getting Lost Is The Best Adventure

Getting lost is the best adventure you can possibly have within a city and understandably getting lost can be tired and thirsty work. While happily getting lost I happened upon a church where tea and cake was being sold in aid of some bowling club, and never one to turn down a charity plea I had to indulge. I didn't have a cup of tea as I was going onto Bettys to have rather pricey tea so i opted a small sausage roll and a little cake in the church surroundings. I did get questioned on why I wasn't having a cup of tea ( a question of sanity I suppose )

York Minster 

York Minster isn't free to get into but it is free to look at !

York Minster is a Gothic masterpiece of which the moment you clap eyes on it you will be in awe, the Minster dates from the 1400s.

The Shambles

Personally I would ignore the fuss you might have seen on Trip Advisor recently saying the Shambles were overrated , they Shambles are indeed busy and if you want to see the Shambles virtually free than you really need to head there first thing in the morning or later in the evening ( before dark )

Looking in the shops costs nothing ( Mr T has yet to notice the cardigan I brought and the cat earrings ) Where as I notice everything ;-)

I love popping into the Bettys tea room shop which reminded of Ollivanders Wand shop in Diagon alley , Betts tea room shop is perfect for taking your little piece of Yorkshire way with you with perhaps a Fat Rascal Treat & some Bettys tea blend .


City Walls

The stone walls surrounding York were built in medieval times upon Roman foundations and it makes for a lovely afternoon walk.

Retro Charity Rumble 

I  do love a good charity shop rumble in fact I can lose myself for hours in chairs shops and the ones in York are particularly fascinating .

National Railway Museum

No trip to York is complete without popping into this museum to see and appreciate the steam age and beyond, there is even a Bullet train from Japan there ( where I took a quiet rest weary from walking around all day )

Sorry Autumn

Sorry Autumn


Sorry I have been missing you


Sorry I have been eyes down as I scurry by your beauty


Sorry I stepped over you when your magical crunch blew to my door


Sorry I didn't look up to all your a canopy of rainbow delight



I am sorry Autumn I will try with all my might to capture you here and there abouts




You are never to be ignored when your surreptitious wonder is knocking at my door 

I will look up Autumn I promise you once more and gaze through the window of your gorgeous dappled leaves once more.

Surprise Trip To Hadrian's Wall #GiftToFamily

It is nice to think that little bit extra about your friends and family at times especially about the little extra things they do for each other. And that is why Saga inspired by the movement of random act of kindness they are encouraging bloggers like myself into gifting family member something special they deserve . It was very heart warming to #GiftToFamily and to see their reaction , even I have learnt something the need to talk to camera  ( of which I am very shy ) 

Mr T has been working very hard at work putting in extra hours when needed , helping out colleagues being the manager for the day ( which means having to buy the better biscuits you know the ones with the chocolate coating  , the real chocolate coating at that ! ) Also MR T has been running us run the country due to my son going to University open days which does mean going from one end of a country to another. Oh how we laughed that day when we discovered we had been sat in the wrong university for 40 minutes !

We do what we do for the love of our families and to see them strive, as parents we want our son to strive and be the very best he can be and to indulge him within reasons ( and many times beyond that ) so he can achieve his hearts desires and dreams. And thank to Saga and their #GiftToFamily campaign I have been able to do this , ideal as my son wants to be an archaeologist .

What is Equity Release ?

Equity release is a way of unlocking a portion of  the value/equity of your home in return for a tax free sum without having to move home. I have known some friends who have done this ( but they did seek advice from the right channelsas anyone should do if they are thinking of this ) So it is best to speak to an expert and see which option will work for you . The Saga equity release service  can ensure that you will have access to the providers and plans that you might need . Your adviser will recommend the product best suited to your circumstances and needs .

What are the benefits of Equity Release ?

When you have a home you love it can be very difficult to thinking about moving on. Equity release  allows you to release funds as and when you need it , slowing you to make adjustments to your home as you need it . , using the funds as you need them unlike a loan which can tempting to use all at once as it comes in a lump sum.

I am only in my 40's and so is my husband ( whispers even though he is 2 and half years old and believe me that is big enough gap when it comes to music ) . Our son is about to go to university next year for a 3 year course in university and maybe a masters and PHD ( who nows ) and at which time I will be creeping towards 50 * insert silent scream * . My son will no doubt be looking at settling down somewhere and may be might need some help in the future.

Again I must stress that everyones circumstances are different , it is very important to seek advice from the right channels before making such a big decision . I have a mortgage that is linked to my bank account the more I put in, the lower my mortgage is and I can borrow off it as well. My options may very well change in 20 years or so when I need to make some home improvements for what ever reason.