Capable Child

It’s true – Rudolf does have a very shiny nose! Despite the fact that, in this case, it was a bicycle light, we were left in no doubt who this strange beast, who had literally fallen out of the sky, actually was. The performance at Midlands Arts Centre, situated within the boundary of Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston, told the delightful tale of a rather under-utilised safari park which was, to much amusement, based in the locality of our very own Brummie City. Following a tremendous storm one winter’s night, the safari park is visited by a grey furred, antlered sort of antelope with a nose which makes the other residents of the enclosures think that she is from outer space. As this creature has also suffered a bout of amnesia due to her fall, she is unable to set them straight. The story unfolds with our cloven friend meeting the other animals in a bid to try and persuade them (and herself) that she is one of them. It takes a beautiful snowy owl to help her discover her t...

Photo Credit Bella Kotak What a treat! Seeing Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker was a great start to the festive season. The Hippodrome was full for the first performance of this classic yuletide tale. The curtain rose to an impressive Christmas Eve scene complete with a giant Christmas tree. “I want a tree like that,” whispered my husband. The costumes in this production were a delight - some clever, some beautiful and all intricate. The dresses and tutus looked amazing as the ballerinas danced. However, it was some of the more unusual costumes which we loved most: the ‘Jack in the Box’ costume with enormous springy trousers worked brilliantly as the dancer sprang around the stage. The Rat King’s costume was also eerily realistic and when his tail got trapped in the cage as he was captured the audience winced. Photo Credit Bill Cooper If you haven’t been to a ballet before, the fact that there are no words spoken throughout creates a certai...

Last New Year, I headed off to Lapland with my family. It was a fantastic experience which I recommend. Here are just a few insider tips that the brochures don’t tell you. Food The food is expensive in Finland. This is no surprise, but what options do you have? I recommend taking plenty of snacks. Cold children are hungry children and being able to placate them with a cereal bar makes everyone’s life easier. We also took sandwiches that we had purchased just before our UK morning flight so that when we arrived at lunch time we had food with us to eat as soon as we got to our hotel. Most Lapland packages from the UK are half board. This is a great option as you can eat a substantial breakfast and evening meal. At lunch time many restaurants and hotels do a soup and bread lunch for just under ten euros or you can try a fast food restaurant. The food in the hotels is good and varied so even children with a limited diet can usually find something they like, such as fish ...