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Looking For a Panto Treat? – Head to Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire pantos are renowned for being one of the best on offer each year. ‘Oh, no they’re not’ – Oh yes they most definitely are!
And while taking my two (nearly three!) year old daughter to her first pantomime, I couldn’t have wished for a better introduction to the theatre.
This year the east London theatre welcomed Joanna Riding to star in Dick Whittington and his Cat. The show was full of laughs, especially with Steve Elias in the role of the panto dame and Tony Whittle as Alderman Fitzgerald – they were the perfect comedy duo – and while my daughter definitely did not warm to the King Rat played by Kat B, he was also hilarious; playing up to the audience’s boos and hisses.
I must admit, even I was scared when a giant gorilla/king kong type character clambered on stage using some sort of puppetry/stilt walkers inside (although I still haven’t quite got my head round how they did that!), but my little one took it fairly well and didn’t bat an eyelid.
Vocally it was Dick Whittington’s love interest Alexia Khadime who stole the show alongside Elias who could more than hold a note or two.
All in all a great show and what better excuse to support your local theatre? Go check it out.
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
Hair wars…
I have what you’d call a love/hate relationship with my daughter’s hair. I love it when it looks neat and tidy, I hate it when I have to plait, wash or comb it – and so does she.
When she was younger I could almost get away with doing it while she slept, but as she’s got older we’ve gone from me chasing her around the house with a comb in my hand, to her sitting down for half of the ordeal before deciding she’s had enough. Oh, and did I mention how she hates to have water or shampoo touch her hair?
With her kinky afro hair I’m always on the lookout for any brands claiming to have an ‘easy comb’ or ‘detangling’ effect to make at least one aspect of the hair-dressing procedure less harrowing.
I’ve recently been trying Mini Naked De-tangler Shampoo and while it wasn’t an obvious choice – ie not aimed at afro-haired children – I was surprised (and glad) to see it did the job. Part of the Naked range, but specially for little ones, it’s almost completely (97%) made from natural ingredients.
Admittedly I wasn’t too keen on the smell when I first started to use it, but I think that may have been the combination of lavender oil in the ingredients alongside aloe vera – I’ve never been a fan of lavender and it always takes me a while to get used to the aroma!
It retails at about £3 which isn’t too bad, especially as afro hair doesn’t need to be washed every day – which is quite lucky really as I don’t think I, or my daughter, could cope with the trauma!
Congratulations Adele! Singer, mother, trendsetter…
Just days after the Rumour Has It singer gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, she now has the second delight of having a dress named after her.
Peaks of London, who specialise in creating fashionable items of clothing for breastfeeding mothers, have christened a piece from their S/S13 collection, the Marilyn Adele dress.
Yay for Adele, now what do I have to do to get something named after me…?
Anyway, the elegant dress for special occasions is perfectly designed to allow breastfeeding mothers the best of both worlds – the chance to not look like a dowdy frump while giving hungry babies easy access.
And while the dress doesn’t come in Adele’s signature black, the style – over the knee, with a cinched waist and mid-length sleeves – is very much something you could imagine her wearing.
The Marilyn Adele dress retails at £150 www.peaksoflondon.com
Drowning in toys? The BHF Easter Toy Amnesty has arrived!
NO matter how hard I try, with two kids my flat is ALWAYS overflowing with toys! So, if like me you’ve had enough, why not give the British Heart Foundation a call?
The charity which funds vital heart research, has put together a dedicated team to come to your door to collect up all those unwanted pre-loved toys.
From Monday April 8 to Friday April 12, a fleet of van drivers will be on hand to pick up toys – both big and small – simply give them a call to book.
To add a personal touch, they’re encouraging you to label up the item and write a little about the toy, so its new owner can find out where it came from – a fun activity to get the children involved in!
There’s also the chance to get active on social media with the hashtag #MyToyStory to talk about the toy you’re donating.
Last year, the event raised a massive £3m!
To book a free toy collection, call 0808 250 0220