My right hand is better than yours!* a.k.a A day out at Britain's Got Talent.

Thursday meant my annual trip to the filming of Britain's Got Talent. I woke up to find the roads were covered with snow but that wasn't going to stop me. After dropping Squiggle off at school I set off on the 45 minute journey to Manchester.

2 and a half hours later I arrived safely in Salford and parked up at The Lowry Shopping Outlet. There was not a snowflake in sight! I headed towards The Lowry Theatre with excitement but intrepidation, were we going to have to queue up outside in the cold for hours on end on the off chance we would get a seat? No! Thankfully the staff were on hand to give out tickets this year with seat numbers on, so after a quick exchange of paperwork we had tickets in hand and a few hours to kill before the doors opened and filming began.



After a very quick mooch around the shops and the mandatory visit to the Cadbury store to stock up on some chocolate, we headed over the other side of the docks to Media City to have a quick look round there. Of course I had to check the T.A.R.D.I.S was still where I left it in the BBC reception area - one day I will be The Doctor ( well I might as well aim for the top job, I don't like being told what to do so being a companion just wouldn't suit me!)




Then as we headed back towards The Lowry, I noticed a sign for the Blue Peter Garden so decided to go and have a look at it. Now unless we didn't find the correct one, it was little more than a fishpond and a little bit underwhelming. I was expecting something on the larger side, a bit like what I remember seeing as a child when it was in London. Granted I haven't watched Blue Peter in over 20 odd years so I have no idea what they use the garden for nowadays and it might just have been the right one!

Next we passed time in the Imperial War Museum and we definitely want to go back as we were quite rushed and it was a very quick trip. There is quite a lot to take in, plenty of films to watch, displays to look at and information to read. There are replica tanks to look at and a dressing up area to recreate the look of the war. I would love to take Squiggle when he is a little bit older as I think he is too young still to understand what it's all about.



We finally made our way back to The Lowry Theatre and saw people were already queuing and being let inside, and by this time it had started to snow so we decided to go and join the queue and try to get in quickly. The queue was moving quite well until we got to the door and were promptly stopped by having a barrier put in front of us. Many people around us started whinging until it was pointed out that the judges were on their way, moaning quickly changed into excitement as it dawned on people that we were at the front of the queue, and in the best place to see them arrive! First to come was Amanda Holden who looked very cold in her very short dress, high heels and coat. She didn't hang around long and was soon escorted inside. Next to arrive was the lovely David Walliams, and bless him, he took about 15 minutes to get fromt he car to the door - why?, because he went and met his fans. he took the time to have photographs taken and shake hands with the public, and this is why my right hand is better than yours, because David Walliams shook it! Yes I managed to get a full blog post out of that one random fact, but believe me it was worth it, I'm not normally one to get star struck but by golly I haven't shut up about it since!

It's David Walliams!

We didn't get to see or meet Simon Cowell or Alesha Dixon as we were hurried inside shortly after David, but I don't think I'd be as hyper about meeting them as I was him ( no offence meant to Simon or Alesha ) We did get to see them along with Ant & Dec on stage once we were sat down, but there wasn't much interaction with the audience this year as in previous years.

Anyway the talents came on, did their bit and either got booted off or sent through to the next round. I'm not going to spoil it for you by telling you what acts we saw or how they did, you shall just have to wait for it to come on telly.

*unless of course your right hand has shaken hands with other famous people!

Juneathon 2014 - Day 6

Well what a scorcher it's been today, I made the most of it by parking the furthest away from the hospital and had a nice meander through the grounds on route to my UVB appointment. I was apprehensive about going because it's getting hotter and hotter in that cabinet, I feel like I should wrap myself up in tin foil and sell myself as an oven ready chick!

Anyway I persevered and  a minute and half later was back out getting dressed and deciding what to do with myself.

I took my son to playgroup and spent the rest of the morning listening to Michael Jackson on repeat. Squiggle has taken a shine to Thriller and Bad and just wants to listen and dance to them all the time.
This afternoon he decided he was well enough to go to nursery so I spent the afternoon in the garden putting a few more plants in! Before I knew it, it was 4 pm and time to pick Squiggle up.

Tonight we were very naughty and had tea at McDonald's but on the plus side thanks to their app we got 2 free frappacinos!

Peach & Passion fruit or Chocolate Chip

The chocolate one was by far the better of the two, possibly because it contained chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, whereas the other was just fruit!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a more exercise worthy day - I'm off to the Ideal Home Show at Manchester, so will be spending all day on my feet walking around and hopefully getting inspiration to sort my house out!

Annie Get Your Gun!

Those lovely people at ShowFilmFirst.com invited me to a night out at the Manchester Opera House to see the new production of Irving Berlin's - Annie Get Your Gun, starring Jason Donovan as Frank Butler, Emma Williams as Annie Oakley and Norman Pace as Buffalo Bill!

The story revolves around the legendary Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and two sharp shooters, Frank Butler and Annie Oakley, fighting against each other to be the top shooter and against their love for one and other.

Filled with all of the classic songs, There's No Business Like Show Business, Anything You Can Do, The Girl That I Marry, You Can't Get A Man With A Gun, and many more.

I last saw Jason Donovan in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat many years ago and thought he was very good, sadly Jason's voice wasn't the strongest in this production and at times he was drowned out with the ensemble. Emma Williams can certainly hold a note as demonstrated in Anything You Can Do, you could hear the audience gasp for air as she continued to sing " any note you can sing, I can sing longer" and she certainly could sing it longer!


I thought Norman Pace was virtually unrecognisable as Buffalo Bill with his beard, and should have had a little more stage presence but alas the musical isn't really about him is it?!

The songs were certainly foot tapping and surprisingly I knew a lot more than I realised, however I did think There's No Business Like Show Business was slightly overused, it was used in the opening number, then a couple of reprisals in the first half, then again in the second, before using it in the finishing song so much so that I woke up singing it the next morning.

The main stage layout is of the circus tent with the orchestra sitting on stage, the different acts of the musical are announced along with the location and then it's all hands on deck as the layout is changed to accommodate the location. Lighting and boxes are used to depict the train scene and the boat scene, boxes are stacked to depict the hotel's doorway and Annie Oakley's dressing room all whilst the circus tent is in the background.

Given that the show is in it's first week, I have to say I did quite enjoy it, but it wouldn't have been something I would have voluntarily paid to watch given that the tickets ranged up to £45.

*I was invited to see the show for free, I was not asked to write a review but have done so of my own free will.

Review: Nair™ Argan Oil Shower Power Cream

Having suffered from psoriasis for many years, I find shaving a painful experience with cuts and nicks all the time on my legs, when I heard Nair^™ Argan Oil Shower Power Cream was going to be the latest BzzAgent Campaign I jumped on board, eager to try it out.

Photo courtesy of Bzz Agent

I have tried hair removal creams in the past but they made my skin sore and irritated, but Nair^™ Argan Oil Shower Power Cream was different. It was a lot kinder to my skin.

I did think it was quite smelly and messy to apply. The instructions said to spread a thick layer over the skin using the spatula, but all it did was to move the cream around my legs, so I ditched the spatula in favour of rubber gloves and found it far easier to apply by hand.

The spatula left uncovered patches!

The product says it can be used in the shower but prolonged exposure to water should be avoided as it will wash the cream off. Hmm how to shower without getting wet, well I struggled, I tried to shower standing at an angle but the cream still started to wash off so I decided to jump out and wait a bit longer. The cream can be left on for up to 10 minutes before it needs to be removed.

The spatula did do its job at removing the cream after the allocated time, but although the cream comes off the skin easy I did find that it wasn't easy to then wash it off the spatula and the cream just landed in blobs in my bath. It also didn't wash down the plughole easily, so I had to make sure I thoroughly cleaned the bath before the next person used it!,

But on the plus side, thanks to the Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and Cocoa Butter, my skin felt like it had undergone an intensive moisturising treatment, they were smooth and soft, something that my legs have never been in my life! I enjoyed about 3-4 days fuzz free days before I noticed the hair was regrowing.

Photo courtesy of  Bzz Agent

I would probably use it again when I need nice cut free legs, ie for a wedding or holiday but wouldn't use on a regular basis as it's too time consuming and such a faff to use.

Disclaimer - I was sent a full size sample of  Nair^™ Argan Oil Shower Power Cream to try out in return for a review. All words and opinions are my own, professional photos are courtesy of BzzAgent and have been credited where appropriate.

'Not For Human Consumption'

I recently ordered a sample of cat food off the internet for Leo which arrived this morning. It was covered in messages stating 'Not For Human Consumption'

This got me pondering about what type of people would order free samples of cat food or any pet food for that matter to eat themselves!

I am a bit of a "cat woman" myself, they seem to follow me around and I have on occasions had a tribal gathering of them in my garden. Does this mean I possess some feline qualities, am I fully human? And what about the people who undergo body modifications to look like more like animals than humans? for instance the Cat Man and Lizard Man, could they be classed as more animal than human.

Also the more you tell somebody ( me ) not to do something, the more they ( me ) want to do it!

So what would happen if I ate the sample myself?, Would I be undoubtedly sick as I expect or would I sprout whiskers of my own and start purring in front of a nice warm fire?

Cheshire Cat & White Rabbit

I neglected to actually eat the cat food but remembered this picture from a fancy dress party I attended with my brother, could this be the future if mankind was to eat cat and rabbit food marked 'Not For Human Consumption'? 

Would we all turn into our pets?

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

Review: Always & UNESCO

I was sent a new Bzz Kit this month to review.

Always have teamed up with UNESCO to help support girls get an education. Their aim is to help empower women all around the world, so for every pack of Always sold, Always will donate a school lesson to a girl. For the past two years Always have supported girls in Senegal.

In the UK Always are planning to donate more than 7 million lessons to support girls education. Why? should I get involved I hear you ask - well, educated women and girls can earn up to 15-25% more wages than uneducated women and girls, and it is shown that when women and girls earn income in these poorer countries, they reinvest 90% of it into the health, education and well being of their families, much more than their respected male counterparts. For us going to school is a way of life, as is our monthly period ( well for us girls anyway ), so why not switch brands and help give the gift of education to someone less fortunate.

The campaign is going to run util March 2014 and thereafter until UNESCO marked packs have sold out.

Ok, so onto the product.
The first thing that hit me when I opened the box was the sweet fragrance of  flowers. As I took out my items I saw that one of the boxes was Always dailies discreet 30 incredibly thin scented panty liners.

I was also sent sent 2 packs of Always Ultra with odour neutralising Actipearls.

The Always Ultra are bigger than regular sized towels and I found they were better at preventing leaks, the dailies discreet were quite small and flimsy and to be honest I wondered what the point of them was, but they held their shape and stayed in place all day.

Both packs smell really fresh, I don't know if they mask odours because I've never suffered with that problem, they do the job they are designed for and I'm happy with that. Plus I've noticed that by keeping the Always Dailies Discreet in my underwear drawer, the fragrance has been passed onto my underwear so they smell lovely and fresh when I get dressed in a morning!



Disclaimer, although I was sent the products to create a buzz about, all words and photos are my own.

Rod Stewart - Live the Life Tour

I was privileged to receive 2 complimentary tickets from Show Film First to see Rod Stewart live in concert on Sunday night at the MEN Arena in Manchester! WOW! Speechless! OMG!

I still can't quite believe I was there - it was amazing!

My first impressive moment was getting the tickets and finding that they were in the first block on the right hand side of the stage, which was amazing in itself because I've only ever had tickets on the left side of the stage, trivial I know but I knew this was a sign of a good night.

The support act for the night was Moya a singer songwriter from London, and although the acoustics and sound were not very good, she was a very good singer, and I thought she did a great job of opening the show.

After a quick set change it was time for the man himself to make an appearance, having front side seats we were able to see him come on stage before everyone else and we were very excited.
Rod opened the show with Can't Stop Me Now and proved that yes even as an old rocker - you definitely cannot stop him at all. The night was filled with laughter, dancing and a few poignant moments as we remembered the soldiers fighting in various wars.

As Rod came back on stage after a quick mid way costume change, his belt snapped, and bless he couldn't apologise enough for the interruption, so as a treat he agreed to sing an extra song for us all at the end of the encore and sang Stay With Me. So the full set-list for the night was:

1. Can't Stop Me Now
2. You Wear It Well
3. This Old Heart Of Mine
4. Twistin' The Night Away
5. Rhythm Of My Heart
6. The Killing Of Georgie
7. Tonight's The Night
8. Forever Young
9. The First Cut is The Deepest
10. Have I Told You Lately
11. Brighton Beach
12. I Don't Want To Talk About It
13. Finest Woman
14. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
15. Soul Man ( sang by the backing singers as Soul Girl )
16. Hot Legs
17. You're In My Heart
18. Maggie May
19. Baby Jane

Encore:

• Sailing
• Do You Think I'm Sexy
• Stay With Me

Just before the end Rod distributed about 50 signed footballs kicking them into the audience at the same time as he was singing, we weren't lucky enough to grab one but the man two rows behind did!.

The concert was brilliant and I really enjoyed myself and the fun continued all the way home as my mum and me sang along to a Rod Stewart CD in the car! - I can't wait for the next concert.