Aladdin at the Playhouse, Weston

On Wednesday night my 6 year old daughter and I were lucky enough to wrap up warm and join another Mummy and her 6 year old to walk through the Christmas lit streets to the 7pm showing of Aladdin at the Playhouse.

My 6 year old was very excited, in part because we saw Cinderella at the same venue last Christmas, and she was fondly recalling the silliness of the panto on our journey there. As the show started at 7pm meaning we didn't get home until 10.30pm, I would strongly recommend an earlier performance if you don't want tired and grumpy children the next day! Was it worth it though? Oh yes it was!

The show began with hissing and booing as Abanazar (John Challis) entered the stage. "We're only booing him because he's pretending aren't we Mummy? He's not really a bad man." The little wise one reassured, we were set up for the rest of the show. And how we very much enjoyed it! Aladdin (Craig Daniel Adams) in particular lit up the stage with his smile and energy. When he was dancing it really felt as if he - and the rest of the cast - were truly enjoying themselves, which helped us to do exactly the same.

Some of the singing was particularly enjoyable, especially the operatic wonders from the Emporer (Paul Arden-Griffith) What a voice! And such an unusual twist too. The litte ones enjoyed the versions of modern pop songs the cast belted out for us, and the cultured one in the group was impressed by the Gilbert and Sullivan number.

This was panto though - and the highlight for adults and children alike were the VERY silly moments! The policemen (brothers Keith and Ben Simmons who also directed the show) with their word play and disappearing box caused hilarity in the six year old reviewers. But my favourite, without a shadow of a doubt, was the perfectly camp Wishee Washee (Terry Gleed)... "SHOW US YOUR FISHY WISHY!" He did a fantastic job of really getting the audience involved and had my own silly smile spread right across my face as soon as he came back on stage.


The panto is a lovely festive treat, and a big thumbs up is deserved to everyone involved in the production. If you want to enjoy a few hours with your family this festive period and have a good old giggle, you could do a lot worse than this.

- by Holly

Aladdin is on at The Playhouse, Weston, till 8th January 2012

Pitch-a-Tent at Puxton Park

We erected our tent at Puxton Park to overcast skies on a thankfully dry evening. We hadn’t brought very much with us: you learn to camp light when you need to and, anyway, we’d only be here for 18 hours – the doors opened at 4pm on Saturday and all tents were packed away by 10 the next morning, plus the burger bar complimented the fruit and biscuits we’d bought from the Farm Shop there, which took the whole cool box and stove carrying out of the equation, though some people did light their own barbeques.

In all, 17 tents were pitched at the circumference of the ‘Main Arena,’ leaving plenty of space for the kids to run and play, if needed. But really, with so much to do here, we only went to the camping area to sleep.

Our first stop {and one we returned to often over the hours that followed} was the jumping pillow and, with so few people at Puxton, I was able to bounce as hard and as high as I could, delighting my daughter. This may have been the best part of spending an evening as a camper – we felt as though we had the place to ourselves. The Play Barn was open till 9:30pm, which is also when the toilets closed. Throughout the evening, three keen young lads strummed their guitars and sang barely audible numbers at the entrance to the building, next to the burger van on the other side of the doors. We slid, bounced, crawled, swung and squealed our way through a couple of hours.

At 8:30pm we passed the cows, goats, sheep, ponies, chickens and alpacas and all trotted down to the Twilight Zone for a highly entertaining owl display, where we learned a few things about these creatures’ habits. Children and adults got to be hand perches for a range of birds and the Owl Guy, who clearly loves his job, had us all taking part in some way, even if only through our laughter and listening.

Then we went back outside for a sheep race. We were giving betting slips, so C decided on Sheep Number 6, who didn’t win but that was fine because everyone got a lollipop prize. Next we were treated to a slightly wild trip around the Park on a cart, pulled along by a big red tractor, The Wurzels playing loudly in our ears. Completely bizarre and very Somerset. We absolutely loved it.

I barely had time to catch my breath when she pulled me over to the wooden fort as the sun went down. Finally it was time for bed with no resistance from a happily exhausted almost 5-year old.

We awoke to full sunshine, had a touch of breakfast in The Meadows restaurant and then made our way to The Barn for some more sliding and twisting – all by 8:30am. We found our way once more to the jumping pillow, where she perfected her gambol, and then we went to say ‘Hello’ to the adorable new-born piglets, snuggled up with Mummy Pig. A quick look in the Falconry Centre and time for one more swing before collapsing the tent and packing the car. Another stop at the Farm Shop for Sunday’s bread and milk to take to our home, just 10 minutes away.

My only problem with this £10 a night Pitch a Tent at Puxton Park is that they don’t do it more often. We would go at every available opportunity. It’s the most relaxed camping trip that we have ever been on. And that’s saying something.

A big thank you to all the staff, who were so friendly and very helpful. And to Clover the Cow :-}

Puxton Park website

- by Becky

Murders and Ghosts of Olde Weston with Weston Walks

We met under the granite arch on Weston's sea front on an evening well suited to tales of mysterious deaths and long-forgotten murders. The wind was high and so was the tide as it lashed over the sea wall, the spray from it wetting our faces just enough to taste our seaside town, the grey sky accentuating its many colours of brown and grey.

Those of us on tonight's tour of Weston's murky past had our own local ghost stories to tell - mine of a woman who used to visit me in South Road while I tried to sleep, a woman who nobody had told me about, although they all knew. Mike, our guide, invited conversation as we pushed along the front to Knightstone Island.

And so the stories begin. Tales of dead brides in baths, Jack the Ripper suspects, sororicide, butchered butchers, love turned sour, policemen who perished. Accounts of bigamists, cads, thugs, the mentality unstable, the infuriating and the innocents. The perpetrators hung, transported, locked up, acquitted and disappeared.

Mike is a natural story teller, who elicits sympathy for some of his subjects and mistrust of others. He puts the points across and asks tricky questions, "Do you think she killed him?" He describes vividly the characters and the setting (many of the stories are, understandably, from the Victorian era, Weston being a town of little over 100 people at the turn of the Nineteenth Century).

The Weston Walks' Murders and Ghosts tour takes the party up to higher ground, so be prepared to hill-walk a little. I know this town very well but walking around the Shubbery and the areas above Grove Park with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide made me see my home in a different light. I communicated with the topography of Weston and with people I shall never know.

Future visits to some of these crime scenes will get me thinking of Weston's long departed over and again. And I will always wonder whether that stolen cheese was really worth it? But that's a story that Mike should tell you ...

Murders and Ghosts of Olde Weston takes place at 7:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday evening and cost £4 for adults and £3 for children. Booking is essential. Weston Walks also does daily Seaside Strolls, where history and entertainment combine. For more details, see www.westonwalks.co.uk

Written by Becky Condron

Time Out From Anger - Lighthouse.

On 10th March I began a parenting course at St. Paul's church on Walliscote road. The course is led by Julie Lanham, who works for an organisation called Lighthouse. I saw the course advertised on the Weston-super-Mum website and I would like to tell other Mums and Dads about how helpful I am finding it.

The title of the course is "Time out from anger". I think that some people may be put off by this title. It can be really difficult for people to accept that they get angry sometimes. The course is aimed at parents but the issues are ones that we face in all aspects of life. As a parent of over 5 years I understand that some parents feel they need to hide their feelings and pride can stop themselves seeking help. There is no instruction manual for this important role and we are all trying to cope in our own way.

The course is 4 sessions long. The first 2 deal with our own anger (as parents) The last 2 help us to cope with anger in our children. Each week there is discussion about why we feel so upset and ways we can deal with situations (for example, how to explain things to our children) There is also advice about having a break from your children, doing exercise or other relaxation etc.

Many of us who are attending the course have felt a lot better just by talking things through with other parents. We have been very open about our feelings. For instance, It can be reassuring to know that someone else has felt very hurt when their child refuses to eat the meal they have cooked.

For more information on this and other courses available see the web site.

www.lighthouse-weston.org.uk

Review by Weston-super-Mum, Emma Hartley

Prepare to be Entertained - Panto in Bristol and Weston

Hooray: it’s panto season once more. If British campery, shouting at the top of your voice, rubbish jokes and self-deprecation is your thing, then the West is the place to be.

This year, those living in North Somerset are lucky enough to have easy access to two very different and highly entertaining pantomimes: Dick Whittington at the Bristol Hippodrome and Cinderella at the Playhouse, Weston.



Dick

You don’t expect to be handed a pair of 3D glasses when you go to the theatre to see a traditional panto, do you? That’s what happened when we collected our tickets to Dick Whittington at the Bristol Hippodrome. We were in for a treat.

With her trademark tottering walk, her love of huge hair and that high-pitched, unique cackle, Barbara Windsor is an inspired choice as Fairy Bowbells. One of the first things we hear is that famous, and more than a little annoying, giggle of hers, which transports so many of us back to the days of Carry-On humour. And Eric Potts, the scriptwriter, who has cast himself as a proper pantomime dame in the role of Sarah the Cook, don’t ‘alf milk Babs’ lengthy career to delightful effect.

Here she comes, sitting upon a star, floating high above the stage while the well-choreographed and exquisitely dressed dancers move gracefully to the EastEnders theme tune. She tells us all about the 16 year Nightmare she’s just awoken from (yes, you’ve got it), before joining the troupe to do the “Lambeth Walk,” Oi! From then on there are Walford and Carry-On jokes aplenty, particularly ones involving breasts.

And that Dick loves a good old singsong too! Throughout the performance, Owain Williams, in the title role, unleashes his trained-for-theatre voice onto us, belting out a catalogue of songs by anyone from Take That! to Michael Buble (uh-huh).

For the second year running, it’s Andy Ford who truly steals the show as this year’s panto fool, Idle Jack. With his West Country accent, his silly expressions and his perfect timing, he delivers the mostly deliberately terrible gags with comic genius. Eric Potts makes sure Jack doesn’t forget Portishead in his repertoire but my favourite joke of the night (apart from all the ones about willies) is, understandably, when the cast is about to sail the oceans. “Bristol for the Continent,” shouts Jack. “Weston for the incontinent!”

My four year old was made up with this trip to the theatre and particularly with Dick’s dancing cat, courtesy of Omari Bernard. She shouted at the stage along with everyone else and, when it was time to put on the 3D glasses, she gasped, “They’re coming in my eyes. Are they coming in your eyes? They’re magic glasses.” Spellbound.

The set is spectacular in all its symmetry and sparkle and the costumes simply beautiful on one hand and outrageous on another: I’m thinking here of Sarah the Cook’s outfits, particularly her terrible lime green bikini! Cue Carry On Camping with absolute predictability but, hey, this is pantomime.

At the end of the show, we all have a sing song in ship-shape Bristol fashion. Oh, what fun to shout “Gurt Lush,” and “Cheers Drive,” as loudly as you can and with no inhibitions. Ooh, saucy.

Cinders

The Playhouse, Weston, delivers a less lavish production than the big city 20 miles up the road, but it’s no less enjoyable because of this. I noticed it last year; the way panto in Weston juxtaposes ballet and dance with absolute tomfoolery to great effect.

And because this year the Playhouse brings us Cinderella, we get two pantomime dames for the price of one in the form of those delightful Ugly Sisters: Ravishing Rita, played by Mark Two, and Wicked Wanda (Jamie Steen). And they cause havoc, those two hags – spraying the audience with super-soakers or with water from their boobs and at one point threatening us with a hosepipe (“Thanks, Linford”), tormenting poor Cinderella, and dressing in the most hideous outfits of leopard and Dalmatian skin, Christmas tree/cracker, cakes and birdcages, among others.

The scriptwriters, Keith and Ben Simmons (with additional material by Lee Waddingham) have done their homework on the local area and jokes about the Bourneville and Bleadon are thrown in, as well as mentions of the outlaying villages. Buttons is played convincingly enough by Sean Wilson (Martin Platt from Coronation Street) and his on-stage presence demands unavoidable reference to Corrie and sour-faced Gail.

Costume design is good, with glitter and twinkle in all the right places. The best scene must be when the girl in rags turns into a princess, accompanied by falling snow and a very cute white Shetland pony. “Did they come from the beach?” asked the four year old who once again wiggled, sang and shouted her way through the show, as much of the audience did.

In the role of Cinders, Kelle Bryan, formerly of the band Eternal, gives good voice to many a tune, the majority of which I’d thankfully never heard before, and this is when the production really comes together, so convincing are Kelle and the cast of dancers, with children from the Tina Counsell School of Dance and Drama completing the family feel.

We boo-ed, we hissed, we cheered, we laughed, we screamed, we shouted our “Behind yous” and our “Oh, no, he didn’ts” but the biggest hysteria from the adults came when the Ugly Sisters, Baron Hardup (John Lyons of A Touch of Frost fame) and Buttons failed to get to sleep in a haunted house. Deliberately misplaced props and costume calamities caused uproarious laughter from the audience, who had completely thawed out by this point.

And now we’re on fire. So much so that I think we’re going to go to the ball all over again!

Oh yes we are!


HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Dick Whittington is on at the Bristol Hippodrome until 9th January 2011
Cinderella is on at the Playhouse, Weston until 9th January 2011

Weston's Outdoor Treasures on Foot or by Bus

Weston is the ideal location for getting out in the open air and for walking, running and exploring. For the price of a picnic (we take one everywhere with us) and maybe a bus fare, leisure pursuits in this town are many. Two years of being a non-car family has really shown me how much there is to do in Weston with young children, at very little cost. All these hills mean that you will develop strong legs and sturdy kids; we've certainly become a family that isn't afriad of a little rain, or a lot of rain come to that.

Bus routes up to South Road mean that the Old Town Quarry and Weston Woods are easily accessible to all, although a slow walk up through Grove Park and to the top of Queen's Road will also lead you there, and this area is no more than ten minutes on foot from the High Street. Alongside the Quarry entrance is a path to the woods that will lead you to Water Tower or the Encampment (Iron Age Fort), depending on whether you take the left or right path at the top.

Old Town Quarry

Weston Woods, Encampment

If you have a whole day, drop down by the Water Tower and head over to Sand Bay, which isn't as far as you might imagine, though for this you will need food and drink as there is nowhere in Sand Bay to buy anything at all, which for the budget-conscious parent must be a plus! And any energetic child will be in his element here, with all those sand dunes to slide down and millions of tiny shells to find. If you don't fancy the walk back, the Number 1 bus runs half-hourly from the beach, along the magical toll road and back to Weston town centre.

Winter at Sand Bay

Going the other way, catch the 14A or the 5/5A/5B from Worle or Weston to Uphill and check out the boats in Uphill Boat Yard, climb up to St Nicholas Church and take in those magnificient views (you can see Glastonbury Tor from here!). Wildlife aplenty and lots of room to run.

Brean Down & Boat Yard - View from Uphill

It's comforting to know that all of these Weston treasures are really easy to get to, even without a car!