Dogs, man’s best friend, like one of the family, faithful to the end.

There’s no doubt we do love our canine companions as a nation however some people really do need reminding that while yes they are like a close relative to them ,they are still in fact animals that require a certain amount of responsibility to be involved in their care .

Like children, they need to be allowed to run free and let loose, both for exercise and to alleviate boredom.

They need to feel the grass under their feet and have space to roam to prevent them from becoming tired and irritable.

And they need someone who can keep control of the situation calmly and efficiently should any problem or altercation arise.

Many dog owners are aware of that and take the relevant precautions to make sure their daily regime is a pleasurable experience for all, not just themselves and their hounds but the general public also, however as with most things there will always be those who think they are the exception to that rule .

They will argue with you that their dog is so soppy, wouldn’t hurt a fly , a big softie and that’s why they don’t  need to  walk it with a lead on but do they really know what could happen in the blink of an eye or a split second .

Humans are not adverse to out of character meltdowns should something take them by surprise or they are pushed to their uppermost limits so could we really be sure our darling ,dopey pets wouldn’t react the same should an unexpected red mist descend ?

Unless we have studied the dog psyche greatly I’m guessing no would be the answer to that question so i think it would be wise given events recently that if you own a dog it is better to exhibit responsibility in knowing when and where it is suitable to let them off the leash without there being danger to others because who knows no matter how great or small your pooch might be you can never quite be sure if they will unexpectedly exhibiting the primal urge of the pack mentality .

 

Come in young sir, what can we do for you?

A new suit you say, no problem , may we ask what for?

You will be entering the sixth form when you return to school in September, so you need something smart and practical to set you apart from those younger students that will still be wearing the required uniform.

Ooh lovely Sir, well you’ve certainly come to the right place if you want quality goods , just feel the texture of those fabrics , not only do they look good but they are certainly hard wearing .

You will be making an investment when purchasing from us Sir , our garments will see you through the sixth form and beyond , you won’t need to replace them for a good few years and if there are any problems, please don’t hesitate to call on us again, we are happy to help with whatever they may be .

What absolutely marvellous customer service I hear you say, please tell me where this gents outfitters is they sound delightful and so happy to be of service to those looking for something of quality.

However cut to November and I’m sure that you’ll be changing your tune on this tailoring recommendation.

For the young sir in question’s grandmother had to return to the retailer who had been so happy to help ,when after just under 3 months usage the hard wearing material they’d been so keen to brag about had worn away to gossamer thinness in the seat of the trousers and split quite embarrassingly in front of lots of people.

Upon presentation of the defective item, the staff for whom no problem was too great for them to deal with when vast sums of money were being placed into their till, informed her quite snottily that this was down to normal everyday wear and tear and that because no receipt was available for presentation there would be no refund granted on this pair of trousers that would have put Christina Aguilera’s 2002 leather chaps wearing phase to shame.

Now forgive me for being picky but surely if you’ve paid out extra for an investment piece you should at least be able to rely on it seeing out the year before it falls apart after all he’s only a young man going about his daily business not Nicki Minaj twerking  those seams for all their worth.

A faulty item is, as far as i remember from all my years in retail, an item that is unsuitable for its job and is refundable regardless of whether there’s a receipt or not.

So maybe the staff of this particular establishment should take that into account.

For surely a suit that isn’t able to be a suit is perhaps the most perfect description of that definition of faulty if you ask me.

 

 

Collapsing after suffering a massive fit brought on by the complications of pre eclampsia .

Spending a couple of days in intensive care after being cut from here to there so my twin boys could be brought into the world whilst the surgeons diligently battled to save the life of their mother .

Projectile vomiting exorcist style across my own bedding after insisting crossly upon waking from my induced coma that i really needed a cup of tea and it reacted badly with whatever medication id been given .

Trying to walk just days later to get some breakfast with my partner and discovering the emergency caesarean I’d had had left me feeling like my chest was stapled to my knees.

You certainly couldn’t accuse me of bringing my children into the world via a “natural birth” and as such for a good few years after they were born i did beat myself up quite badly over the fact I hadn’t done it the way that was perceived and promoted to be the best way.

As other mums shared all the gory details and stories of what had happened as they delivered their offspring all i could do was sit and nod for when it came to mine i had nothing to share as apart from the details described above my recollection of events that day are pretty sketchy as i spent most of it out for the count on an operating table.

However gradually I learnt to accept the fact that while I hadn’t been able to be the textbook earth mother bringing forth life down the correct route of the birthing canal it didn’t make me any less of a mother and that in fact delivering them the way i had had to was the difference between whether both mother and babies had lived to tell this tale.

So i’m glad that The Royal college of midwives has dropped its 12 year campaign promoting “normal” births admitting that it made some women feel like failures for having to use medical intervention .

For there is no wrong or right way to give birth , normal and natural should mean using whatever procedure is necessary for little ones to make their appearance into the world safely.

 

By the time you read this it’ll all be over for another year for most of us, I think .

Those lazy lie ins and gently paced , relaxed days of the past six weeks will seem but a distant memory by the time this weekend rolls around and those of us with kids find ourselves having to get back into the swing of strict scheduling and top notch organisation skills at the start of a brand new term and school year.

The new uniforms have been bought and pressed to within an inch of their lives , sports kits are clean and ready for whatever will be thrown at it and stationery equipment lays resplendent still in its virgin state just waiting to be used on for the purpose of education .

It’s not going to be easy and  I expect there will be a few little hiccups along the way but don’t fret it’ll work itself out in the end .

Parents everywhere , don’t worry you’ve got this .

Buses, the choice of transport for most of my life.

From day trips out with my mum and Nan neither of whom could drive, shopping bags in tow and with a treat from D&A toys in the Pentagon shopping centre if we’d been good .

Through to the school years and the legendary Chatham Grammar school for girls bundle for the 132 to Hempstead valley that occurred every day outside St Augustine’s church just after half 3.

At 16 I took up my first employment in a small stationery shop on Canterbury street , the 115 took me on my daily commute and my bus pass was paid for by the company because the £22.00 a week would’ve eaten considerably into the 87.5p I made an hour on the Youth Training scheme .

It wasn’t all work , work , work related travel though , double and single decker transport also loomed large in my leisure pursuits, many a fun trip into town with friends was supported both day and night by the services of Maidstone and District then later on Arriva .

And you may think now after having passed my driving test finally that using public transport would be the last port of call for me.

 However you’d be mistaken for upon finding that there was no onsite parking at my shop and doing the arithmetic it was duly noted that car park fees per day would be almost twice the cost of a bus ticket so the decision to let someone else drive me to and from home was a no brainer really.

The price of a Medway day ticket is reasonable I think considering it means I can get on any bus I like all day for one price and not have to buy separate tickets for each part of the journey.

I do have one gripe for the bus company that I think they should look into though and that is £5.50 for all day travel anywhere I want to go is brilliant so how come on the odd chance i only have to purchase a single ticket home it is at 4.20 only 1.30 cheaper .

For if even your driver is saying crikey at that price when it comes up on his ticket machine to go one way maybe it’s time to reassess the amount you’re charging, don’t you think, Arriva?

And while we’re on the subject of parenting as it’s coming up for Mother’s day, let me take this opportunity to be a bit self indulgent and say something special to my amazing offspring.

My boys,

 Well here we are, you’re teenagers now, taller than me by far but still just as kind and gentle as you’ve always been.

Please always retain that great quality about yourselves despite the fact those pesky teenage hormones and other things can make you feel a bit awkward and irritable and sometimes cause you to doubt yourselves and your abilities.

 Your intelligence and outlook on life astounds me every day, I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve achieved ,  I will always be there for you if you need me and if I can’t rest assured know I will be there to help you pick up the pieces .

I love you so much and will eternally, never doubt that.

Love Mum x

Bringing up children, you don’t have to be an expert in East Asian affairs to know that while at times it can be the best and most rewarding time of your life it can also be the scariest emotional rollercoaster and sometimes mortifying.

From the moment Professor Robert Kelly’s daughter gate crashed his live interview on BBC news about the impeachment of South Korea’s president Park Geun –hye and we watched him struggle to keep his stern demeanour as a comedy of errors unfolded behind him, parents all around the country sat sympathising knowing full well of the humiliation that can be dealt by small children with their impeccable knack for comedy timing.

They are amazingly unpredictable creatures with no cares for the social etiquette of the world that adults live in as Marion and little brother James proved with their joyous escapades after seeing their daddy on the TV screen and deciding to seek him out in his study.

Marion swaggering in in what was later described as her hippety- hoppity mood with James like a mini Davros from doctor who in his baby walker following in hot pursuit were a delight to see, while the wry smile Mr Kelly tried to stifle as wife Jung-a Kim attempted to rectify the situation knowing full well that this bit of film had all the potential to be an internet hit just proved to me to show how much affection he has for his beautiful family.

And that’s an amazing thing to possess, the ability to love despite what life throws at you, to know that while you might have had a sense of humour failure somewhere along the line you will very soon be able to laugh it off as just one of those things and your children will always feel comfortable to come to you with anything.

For while time marches on and the calendar changes along with their ages, it doesn’t matter how old they are they will always be your babies.