Badge Design Competition

After searching the town, high and low, for talent amongst the little people of Weston-super-Mare, we are pleased to announce that we have our winners.

A very cheery thank you to staff at the Purple Sheep Cafe in Hughenden Road and Baby Break Parent and Toddler Cafe at Victoria Methodist Church for hosting fun Arts and Crafts sessions for us during February and March and to all those who took part.

The finalists were displayed at the Children's Corner of Central Weston Library and here's to Librarians Tricia and Tricia for hanging the entries on their wall and for encouraging members of the public to vote.

The badges will be used on our Community, twitter and Facebook sites and .....

here they are:

WINNER - Caitlin Heathcote

Family ticket to Court Farm Country Park

Runner Up - Neve Tait

Family Ticket to Puxton Park

Runner Up - Celeste Condron

2 Film Passes to the Odeon, Weston

Introducing Amy Nation!

Amy Nation, tells us all about life as a Weston-super-Mum to her baby daughter, Lexie.

Hi Amy! How's life? A bit topsy turvy but OK.

What do you like about living in Weston? I like the fact that there are plenty of child-friendly places to take children and that you can go down onto the beach and have a bit of fun before all the tourists turn up.

Anything you’d change? I think I would change the selfishness of people when you are trying to walk around town with a buggy, also the lack of slightly cheaper baby clothes shops

Where would you like to be right now? And who with? I would like to be at the Harry Potter Theme Park over in America with Lexie, her dad and her godparents.

You’re involved with the Children’s Centre in Central Weston. Tell us about that It's great. I take Lexie to the ‘Stay and Play’ every Monday morning. It lets us meet other mums and their children and I’m able to get my confidence up. It’s a brilliant place for Lexie as well, as she gets used to the environment of having other children around, some older than her and others the same age so she gets to grow up and make friends her age. The Centre also holds a health visitor drop in clinic, allowing us to get Lexie checked up easily without having to go to our doctor’s.

So how, as parents, can we take ownership of what happens in our local community? I guess by making our voices heard about important issues, as we need to make sure this community is safe for those growing up in it. By either making a Parent Committee that meets up once a month, then having one or two representatives and taking our concerns to the Council.

Tell us about your work at Weston Hospital. Well, I do paid work there at the holiday club. There is a nursery at the other end of the building and more often than not the children come to us from them but, in the past year and half or so, we have started taking on children outside of the hospital so everyone is welcome. I often work from 8am - 6pm about 2 days a week and have done for the past 5 years. During the summer holidays, we take the children on two trips. Just to break it up a bit. We also do things at Christmas and Easter and we make the weeks themed as well so we do different activities on different days like cooking or arts and crafts. The kids love coming every holiday, they sometimes don't want their parents or who ever brings them to leave but, once they start playing with the other children, they go home with the biggest smiles on their faces, most of all when they have made something. It’s a fantastic feeling to know that you have helped them make something. It’s a long day but its themost rewarding job and its made me realise that I want to go into childcare full time.

Share a Mummy Moment with us. When I go into town for something and I don't get Lexie a little toy or some clothes, I feel guilty. Also when she is crying for me and she launches herself from her daddy's lap just to get to me faster then gives me a filthy great big grin.

What are your hopes for the future? For Lexie to grow up big and strong and to be herself.



Click here to see what's on at your local Children's Centre

Introducing real-life super-Mum, Karen Blake

What makes you smile? Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh, Bill Bailey, Vic and Bob, and my baby girl Ruby, who is swiftly developing into a little comedy genius to match those already mentioned!

What annoys you? The current obsession with “celeb culture”, amongst so many other things, but that is a whole blog post in itself!

Where, in Weston, do you like to take Ruby? – She is a real outdoors girl, so we are loving all this good weather. We like walking in the woods, on Sand Bay, around Knightstone, and up to The Old Town Quarry where I have my art studio. Also love going to Grove Park, which is near where I live. It’s all got so much more interesting now she is crawling!

Who has been your biggest inspiration personally? I can’t pick out anyone specifically, but I was really inspired by all the artists I met and had the opportunity to work alongside whilst I was a volunteer artist at Studio Upstairs, a mental health charity and arts community based in Bristol. (http://www.studiosupstairs.org.uk/)

Who has been your biggest inspiration professionally? An American artist called Keri Smith. She is into guerrilla art, (nothing to do with monkeys!) and writes about how to free your creativity and get out of creative ruts through being more playful and rebellious in the way you work. She is also a fairly new mum like me, and I can really relate to her struggles to keep on being creative whilst balancing her role as a mum.

How do you juggle your art and motherhood? It’s difficult trying to fit it all in, but my art is such an important part of my life I have to try. I remember just before Ruby was born lots of people said with absolute certainty that I would abandon my art as soon as she arrived. I’m pleased to say I proved them wrong, and I’m currently busier than ever. It helps to have a great support network of grandparents, and her very “hands on” dad who relishes time with Ruby at weekends so I can get to my studio.

How would you best describe your paintings? That’s a toughie, as my work is pretty abstract. I always tell people to have a look at my website so they can see what I do. So! If you want to know, go to http://www.karenart.co.uk/.

Tell us what’s happening in the world of Karen Art then! Like I said, I’m pretty busy right now. I am currently designing some fabric for American company Pansy Maiden Bags (www.pansymaiden.com) for their Autumn collection. I am also involved in the forthcoming Donkey Parade (www.donkeyparade.co.uk) that will be hitting the streets in Weston over the summer. 40 life size donkeys will be appearing in a sculpture trail all over town, and I am painting one of them! Lastly, I have an exhibition coming up with Camilla Stacey at Loves Café in September as part of Weston Arts Week. Phew! It’s manic!

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever had? A woman who approached me during an exhibition and told me that she had felt inspired to paint again after 20 years because of seeing my work. That felt great!

What are your hopes for the future? Simple really. To keep painting, to watch my family grow, to stay true to myself and to be happy. I want Ruby to be proud of her mummy!

Wordless Wednesday - Tyred Pool on WsM Beach

Introducing real life super-Mum, Claire Palmer

At home, Claire is mummy to her 3-year old son, Leo. At work, Klair is a singer with soul. Here, the Dutty Girl gives us a window on her busy life.

What makes you smile? My little son Leo :)

What annoys you? Judgemental people who don’t give you a chance!

Where, in Weston, do you like to take Leo? In the summer, the beach and Grove Park and other times, Baby Break Cafe and the Purple Sheep Centre

Who has been your biggest inspiration personally? My parents: they are awesome. They are grafters and they give so much love to all of our family.

Who has been your biggest inspiration professionally? My dad. He was in a band when I was growing up. He now has a recording studio and has always helped me to focus on becoming a professional singer. He helps me out a lot. Thanks Dad!!!!

How do you juggle work and motherhood? It’s hard sometimes, but I manage. Leo’s a good boy and my parents are superstars!!

How would you best describe your sound? Soulful, Heartfelt and Powerful!

Tell us about Dutty Girl. Dutty Girl are a crew from Bristol that musically span a multitude of genres from Hip Hop, Dubstep to Grime, Drum n Bass, Bassline, Funky and Dancehall. We do things our own way, with our own sense of home-girl haute couture style! Providing our audiences with an alternative from the overtly male-dominated scene and bringing a light-hearted, cheeky and feminine approach whilst always taking seriously our music and our audience's enjoyment.

What’s the weirdest gig you’ve ever done? Probably my first big gig with my friend Emma. That felt weird!!! It was a charity gig in Clevedon ...... on a trailer!! One minute the place was dead, the next thing we knew the entire sea front was full of people watching us! We even got called back on to do another set!!!

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever had? “You’re the best singer we’ve ever heard!’’

Who would you most like to meet? Beyoncé

What are your hopes for the future? Simply to make a good living out of what I enjoy doing, to be happy and to make Leo proud of me



Klair will be performing her very own set live at Grove Park Bandstand, Weston, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 31st, 14:30-16:30

Weston-super-Mum Does Sports Relief

A few of us met at the Silica, aka the Carrot, so that we wouldn't get lost in the crowds, though the way a couple of us were dressed, that was unlikely to happen.

For Sports Relief this year, Debbie Smith organised a small but dedicated group of Weston-super-Mums to join the rest of Weston in running a mile from the Grand Pier to the Seaquarium along the beach and then back again on the promenade.

We were all so excited to step onto the half-built Grand Pier dressed as Superheroes, among us Wonder Woman, an unimpressed 9-month old Princess Leia, two Supergirls (one of whom maybe should know better, the other was three years old), Sportacus, SuperFairy, an extra cute Superbaby and Glasto Girl, plus one dad and three Supergrannies without costumes but with amused expressions.

We got our foot in the door of the Pier, amid the near-frenzy of hundreds of fellow Westonians, some serious in their running shoes and shorts and others, like us, in ridiculous fancy dress: the prize really should go to the man dressed as a Curly Wurly, even though he scared the superpants off of one of our younger team members.

You could tell that our team was more serious about dressing up and having fun than about coming in in record time as we waited, fizzy drinks in hand, chatting instead of doing our warm up exercises. And then we were off. Well, in fact, we weren't because we thought we should wait until those with stopclocks and determination on their faces got their race well underway first so as not to get trampled underfoot.

We dutifully took our place near the back of the hoards, pushing buggies and holding tiny hands. The sun shone down gloriously, quite remarkable considering the weather 24 hours before. Wonder Woman was thrilled that Theo Paphitis spoke to her as we passed him but 3-year old Sportacus got a strop on about a totally unrelated incident, I'm sure.

We didn't run the mile, we didn't even walk it, we toddled - our very own Sports Relief Toddle. One circuit equalled one mile and so we were overtaken by the fit people running the three mile race: in fact, some madmen and women overtook us twice! A very nice man dressed as a horse chased Superfairy and Sportacus until they looked a little worried and we witnessed 5 girls painted blue tied together so they only had six legs between them fall over time and again.

It was great fun and we all deserved an ice-cream at the finish line! Furthermore, we raised over £150 for Sports Relief: Ker-pow!! A super-douper thank you to everyone who sponsored us.

All Aboard

Activity is high at Weston-super-Mum, with memebers really making the place home, joining in discussions and organising events. Super Grandmother, Kay Blake, created the group Into the Arena, where we can tell others about those bargains that we have seen around town and household tips that we just can't keep to ourselves. On our Forum you can share tips on how to be green-minded. Some funny comments have appeared on the discussion "Mummy Moments," about those odd times when it really hits home that you're a parent - like when you go clothes shopping for yourself and come back with bagfuls of stuff for your little one instead!

Karen Blake hosted a play-date at Central Weston Children's Centre and Emma Tait organised a super-Mums get together at Milton and Old Worle Children's Centre, while Gin got a few of us together for a picnic at Ashcombe Park, for which, miraculously, the sun shone bright!






















The Arts and Crafts Afternoon at the Purple Sheep Cafe in Hughenden Road brought in a number of colourful entries for our Logo Competition - many thanks to Chris, Claire, Shane and Kayleigh at the Purple Sheep, who all made us feel very welcome, and to all of you who manned the event or who brought your children along. The competition hasn't closed yet, so there's still time to get your entries in!

In fact, it's all gone a bit Competition Loco over on the Community. We're running a blog writing competition for our Weston Mercury online slot. So if you want to be in with the chance of winning a family ticket to Puxton Park, tell us all about a place you like to visit in North Somerset with the kids and mail it to us at info@westonsupermum.com Closing date is 14th March.

At the end of March, one lucky Community member, picked at random, will receive a game of Cluedo, which has been kindly donated by Lloyds Toys in Weston High Street. To enter the draw, simply sign up as a member of Weston-super-Mum :)

We're organising charity events too - Debbie S has brought us together to dress up as superheroes and raise money for Sports Relief on our Toddle from The Grand Pier to Seaquarium with other entrants from all over the region. It's not too late to sign up. Alternatively, if you'd like to sponsor the Weston-super-Mum Team, you can do so here: http://www.mysportrelief.com/TeamPage.aspx?Lang=en-CA&TSID=17280

Please support us!

Exciting news from Weston Hospicecare! Olly Joseph and the team at WH are ready to organise a Family Fun Day in the summer, with entertainers, face-painting and the like. We need as many people to sign up for the group dedicated to Weston Hospicecare so that the event can go ahead. Olly welcomes any suggestions you may have to make this a day designed for YOU and would also like to know whether any of us would like to take a more active role in the preparations and staging of the event. Sign up to the group to ensure that the Fun Day can be staged and tell us your views on it.

In other WsMum news, Kelly has launched her very own website, http://www.notjust4baby.co.uk/, which sells homemade nappy cakes and beautiful wooden gifts, perfect for Mother's Day and beyond. And Claire Palmer aka Klair appeared on HTV news in her role as one of the Dutty Girls and and their excellent work in "encouraging young women to express themselves through music to boost confidence and self esteem." View it here!


If you have any news you'd like us to share with the Community, sign up to our site and tell us all about it.

Happy Parenting in Weston!