I have just had one of the best days out with the kids ever and it only cost £2. It was great for the following reasons:

1. It was cheap (meaning we can do this often);
2. The kids didn’t whinge once and had a great time;
3. It wore them out completely;
4. It was very educational;
5. It was an outdoor and healthy day;
6. I thoroughly enjoyed it myself too, rather than just enjoyed their pleasure in a childish activity (which is what I normally do).

So what did we do?

Well as the title probably suggests we went to Trosley Country Park, just by Trottiscliffe and Vigo. Parking for the day is £1 (half the budget gone!) and for a further £1 we invested in an orienteering course around the park. The £1 gets you a map, instructions, a plastic protector wallet and SEVEN different courses to try. Obviously we only did one today, so we’ve still got six trips left without any more expense (other than the car parking).

Trosley Country Park is run and maintained by Kent County Council (KCC) - much as I find myself normally slagging off KCC (think Highways department here), I have to congratulate them on a fantastic service. The park is accessible to all (including young Travis in his pushchair), puts on loads of events throughout the year, has lots of fun ‘trim trail’ equipment as you go round, and to top it all off is slap bang in the middle of some of the most beautiful countryside… all this and practically on my doorstep.

When you arrive there is a visitors centre with a log fire burning away to keep it heated (presumably this doesn’t run in the summer!) and some really friendly staff that run a cafe in the centre. Obviously you don’t have to spend any money at all to walk around the park and there are several maps and plans of different suggested walks of varying difficulty. Personally though, spending that additional £1 on the orienteering course meant that I could easily keep the kids occupied (in looking for our next marker) while I enjoyed the tranquility and beauty of the place.

For more information call 01732 823570, click on this link, or pop into the Tourist Information office in town and pick up a leaflet.

Following the sad deaths of so many, through Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff) Maidstone Hospital has been in the press for all the wrong reasons in the last few weeks. Because of this I really didn’t want to take baby Travis for his outpatient appointment (to have his squint checked) today.

Since my last visit (a couple of years ago) things have changed. The first thing you now see when you walk in through the big doors is a MASSIVE display asking you to clean your hands with the alcohol sprays provided there. There’s at least 8 bottles - all at different heights so everyone can use them. In addition, there are leaflets to be found on C. Diff and hand hygiene in many points around the hospital. The alcohol sprays are to be found all around the hospital and at the entrance to every ward.

I watched for a short while, (before going to Travis’ appointment) all the people entering the hospital. I was horrified to see less than 50% of people stopping to clean their hands. Whilst, I obviously believe it is imperative that Doctors and Nurses ensure that they keep their hands clean and use the sprays between each patient, illnesses and germs such as C. Diff will only go if EVERYONE gets on board and starts using these sprays.

I only met Rose Gibb once - during a council scrutiny meeting. She is an incredibly articulate woman who spoke clearly on her vision for the hospital, however I did find the meeting rather like being spoken to by a brick wall. She spoke and then ignored every question and suggestion made. Her mind was clearly made up on the changes that were proposed with a real ’stuff local worries’ attitude about herself. Now I don’t know if these ‘clean your hands’ stations were placed in the entrance and all around the hospital while Rose Gibb was in post. If they were, having seen people ignore the oppurtunity to clean their hands today, I actually feel that the blame cannot lie with her and the trust alone. We as patients, visitors, volunteers, in fact anyone entering the hospital MUST take our part in hospital hygiene seriously.

All we are being asked to do is clean our hands and we must do this.

It takes seconds, isn’t sticky, doesn’t smell and helps ourselves, our loved ones we’re visiting and indeed the hospital itself….

… rant over - and if you’re interested, the lovely orthoptic doctor has given young Travis the all clear with the squint!

Once again, I’ve reached the point in the year where I’m down in the dumps and less focused on what I normally manage to easily. And, once again, I haven’t realised what’s the matter for weeks meaning I haven’t really achieved anything for at least a fortnight….

For about eight years now (diagnosed five years ago) I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Thankfully I don’t suffer too badly, but it does affect my working life (and now these days being a Councillor) a lot.

My main symptoms are;
I struggle to get out of bed and when I do get up I’m really tired no matter how many hours of sleep I’ve had. I feel miserable, fed up and then guilty because of all the stuff I haven’t achieved. I’m an even more grumpy git than normal and then to cap it all off I have no interest in talking to or socializing with anyone.

However, every year as soon as I actually ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ as it were and realise it’s just ‘that time of year’, I’m as good as cured! All I have to do is pop over to the chemist and buy some wonderful homeopathic solutions and ensure that I start making the most of every moment of daylight there is! This year, I’m going to buy some ‘daylight’ bulbs too, which I used to use, but have all since blown and need replacing.

So, to cut a long story short - I’m back! and here to stay (at least until this time next year…)

Today saw the start of Brunswick House Primary School joining the ”Walk On Wednesday” scheme. At it’s simplest, the idea is that pupils walk to and from school on Wednesdays. My kids couldn’t wait, as you get a sticker every time you walk. After so many stickers, you get a certificate.

It’s a well known fact that kids will do ANYTHING for a sticker, so this morning saw the kids up, dressed, washed and teeth cleaned with hardly any nagging. Even Mr. Mouse (Ryan’s imaginary friend) got ready without putting up a fight which makes a big change. Putting on our wet weather over clothes took more time than anything else, so we didn’t leave until 8:20am. Thankfully though we made it to school just in time (the walk took about 30 minutes) although we did have to walk at a very brisk pace.

As we walked into the school gates, I shouted for Rachael to run on ahead (her class starts 5 minutes earlier than Ryan’s) and encouraged Ryan to go with her. However, he pointed out that his running legs were worn out and he only had walking ones left!

Anyway - we did it - and the kids will be getting their first sticker added to their booklet. I have also requested a sticker, but it appears parents don’t qualify!

What a fantastic idea this is. We’ve (the kids and I) been toying with the idea of setting up a walking bus but in all honesty I just can’t face the walk there and back, twice every day - especially with all the car and bus fumes that we have to pass. However, once a week is certainly achievable and Rachael and Ryan really did enjoy it - I think even Travis (in sling) did too. On the back of this initiative, I’ve already hooked up with another mum, that lives around the corner, and agreed with her that we will set up a walking bus just for Wednesdays. We’re all going to walk to school, grab a cake (we’ll have earnt it) from Dunelm Mill, then walk home.

I’m sure other mums and dads will be doing exactly the same - well done whoever it was that thought up this idea!

The highly contested, controversial, multi-million pound incinerator at Allington was shut down today following further problems. For some weeks local residents and those that drive near the area have been overwhelmed with a truely awful stench eminating from the incinerator. This has allegedly been caused by a backlog of waste to be burnt.

Thousands of tonnes of stinking rotting rubbish have piled up and are now an explosive risk due to methane build up. This rubbish will now have to go to landfill.

Due to what can only be described as major design faults (the lining of the furnaces are falling off), the incinerator will be closed for up to 6 months. As well as burning our waste, the incinerator is designed to generate electricity. However, this too has broken. Parts that needed to be, were not being oiled - this was missed due to an electrical fault on the system that should have warned them! Apparently this will not be fixed for up to 12 months.

As Cllr Malcolm Robertson (who represents Allington) said on Meridian news this evening, this time we’ve been lucky… it may cost in excess of £1 million to fix, but at least there has been no damage to human health.

According to Kent County Council, the millions of pounds it will cost to repair the incinerator will not be paid by tax payers. Well who will then? At the end of the day, whether it’s via higher running costs in the future, or in some other way, of course we’ll end up paying for it…

Further information can be gained by calling the incinerator’s “community line” on 0845 803 8845 or by emailing info@kentenviropower.co.uk

No joking here… for those of you with a sensitive disposition, please don’t read the rest of this post…

If you’re still reading, but not sure if it’s going to be for you or not, I’ll tell you now it’s about periods. They’re half taboo and half just bloody embarressing to talk about, but lets be grown up about this - they are just a part of nature - and an important part at that - however, please don’t read anymore if you’re in anyway going to be offended, upset or just grossed out.

OK - You’ve been warned. This post is about “Moon cups” - for those of you that have already discovered and are possibly using Moon cups - why didn’t you tell me? I found about these quite by chance from a friend on the school run today (many thanks Andrea!).

Moon cups are a healthy, hygenic, environmentally friendly alternative to tampons. You buy one, wash and reuse time and time again. A moon cup is about 2 inches long, and as the name suggests like a small cup, that collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbs it. Every 4 - 8 hours, it’s removed, contents emptied down toilet, rinsed and then reinserted.

I’ve told Ryan’s teachers about them already, half the mums on the school run, the two lovely ladies in the school office (Donna and Sue - real diamonds who are forever helping/bailing out the PTA - many thanks guys!) and the receptionists at Mote Park Leisure centre where I went swimming this morning.

 More information about moon cups can be found at their web site here. Check it out and spread the word!

Last night, I experienced first hand Maidstone A&E - and it was very good.

While on the phone to husband, Travis started crying. Rachael went off to talk to him and the crying stopped - Rachael deserves a lot of credit for the help she is - although last night she ended up in a heap of trouble. About 40 seconds after Rachael had wandered off, there was an almighty crash. I was in the room before any crying had even started…

It turned out that Rachael had taken Travis out of his rocking chair and climbed up on to the coffee table so he could see himself in the mirror (a trick I often do - without needing to climb on the table). Unfortunately, Rachael fell off the table whilst carrying Travis…

He mostly landed on her, but typically his head didn’t, and from Rachael’s explanations, his head hit the table edge on the way down.

After about a 15 second pause, Travis started screaming and I mean really SCREAMING. I cuddled him, rubbed his head, bounced him up and down, tried a dummy, tried to feed him, more cuddling, more head rubbing, couple of nursery rhymes and still he continued screaming. After about 15 minutes I got on to NHS Direct, but they were all busy, so I phoned Maiddoc (Maidstone’s out of hours Doctors). They registered my call, and I was to wait for a call back.

I waited, but still he screamed. I was getting more and more panicy… at this point I made the decision to go to hospital - just a short walk from our house. Kids got dressed while I continued to try to settle poor Travis. We walked out the door just as Maiddoc phoned back and agreed with them to take him to hospital.

Travis settled about 30 seconds before we arrived at hospital - after at least 50 minutes solid screaming, I think he was just worn out. I registered him, beginning to feel like a timewasting fool and sat down. He was probably quiet for a total of 5 minutes and then the screaming started again. Again, no matter what I did, he screamed - we were seen after an hour, which in my opinion is really fast for a busy evening in an A&E ward. Possibly they were all getting headaches.

Shining a torch in Travis’ eyes finally stopped the crying and gave them (and me) an oppurtunity to really check him over. Because of all the crying and screaming, his face had gone really red, so it had been difficult to see if there were any bruised areas. When he calmed down, it was pretty obvious he had a bruise above his left eye but nothing else of concern. The Doctor checked his pulse, checked his general awareness/alertness and assured me all would be fine, but what signs to look out for. I was simply advised to give him a calpol and keep an eye on him.

As we left the cubicle the screaming started again and I think everyone was glad to see the back of us! All’s well now and after a good nights sleep, even the bruising has gone down.

While there, I noticed  that it’s A&E has been renamed “Emergency Care Centre”. I hope this isn’t a sign that the much feared withdrawal of ‘blue-light’ services will happen. Although Travis turned out to be absolutely fine, I’ve always had serious reservations about the assurances that moving such an important service so far away will not have an impact. If I hadn’t been using the services last night, I would have been (where I was supposed to be) at a scrutiny meeting with the Kent & Medways Primary Care Trust (PCT) discussing their revised plans for the future of the hospital. I will have to watch back the meeting which was webcast to find out what I missed. You can view it here.