An email arrives from my mother. “Hi John, any house news?” she asks, a reference to our plan to move to a new family home. If she were with me in person, I can just imagine her cheery tone as she asked that question. Alas, she’s not with me and so I respond in writing, informing her that there is no further … [Continue Reading..]
Family Life and Lifestyle
Stuck in a chain and moving nowhere
An email arrives from my mother. “Hi John, any house news?” she asks, a reference to our plan to move to a new family home. If she were with me in person, I can just imagine her cheery tone as she asked that … [Continue Reading...]
A rare view of sunset
This may sound like an odd thing to say, but it's very difficult to see the sunset where we live. Last night I ventured out to take photographs of some nearby meadow land that has come to life with flowers in the … [Continue Reading...]
Track Days: Exciting fun for all the family
While there is nothing quite like the open road, it has its limitations. You can’t really test a car’s true performance unless you take it for a spin on a track. … [Continue Reading...]
Reviewed: the EverBrite solar powered security light
As I revealed a few weeks ago, we recently had a horrible experience when someone tried to get into our house while we were all asleep inside. I went to town the next day putting a number of extra security measures … [Continue Reading...]
The Interchangeable Parent and what happens when dad does the childcare
The world has gone mad for shared parental leave (SPL). Thanks to the Government’s #sharetheleave campaign and the Women and Equalities Committee’s intervention, SPL has been making the headlines a great deal … [Continue Reading...]
The cost of family life
A dad I know once gave me a fascinating insight into the true cost of family life. He was reeling off a list of items he was buying his teenage kids for Christmas. … [Continue Reading...]
Family Finances
The cost of family life
A dad I know once gave me a fascinating insight into the true cost of family life. He was reeling off a list of items he was buying his teenage … [Continue Reading...]
Groupon: There’s an online discount code for EVERYTHING
When you think about online discount codes, what do you think of? I generally think of cheap hotel deals, maybe money off a meal or getting an … [Continue Reading...]
Fathers’ Issues / men’s issues
The Interchangeable Parent and what happens when dad does the childcare
The world has gone mad for shared parental leave (SPL). Thanks to the Government’s #sharetheleave campaign and the Women and Equalities Committee’s intervention, SPL has been making the headlines a great deal … [Continue Reading...]
Dads in the delivery room? Sounds like a good idea to me.
“You can see the head is coming,” remarked the midwife. As she spoke, she stepped out the way and indicated with her head that I should take a closer look. … [Continue Reading...]
At last: Recognition that dads are trying to ‘have it all’
Several years ago, I gave up my career and left full time employment. The reasons are complex, but I found I couldn’t balance fatherhood and family life. After years of writing this blog and engaging with mums and … [Continue Reading...]
Mums Enterprise Roadshow. Dads encouraged to attend too!
With my youngest daughter having recently started school, I faced the conundrum of whether to find a job I could fit around school hours. Deciding this wasn’t viable, I decided to concentrate on freelancing and … [Continue Reading...]
The problem with shared parental leave: No ring-fenced leave for dads
I was minding my own business early yesterday morning, my head full of ideas to entertain my kids on the first day of the half-term break from school. I then spotted a news story on the BBC website. Had I been … [Continue Reading...]
Cars and Automotive
Track Days: Exciting fun for all the family
While there is nothing quite like the open road, it has its limitations. You can’t really test a car’s true performance unless you take it for a spin on a track. … [Continue Reading...]
Where are all the hot hatches now?
As a dad, I confess I haven't driven a hot hatch or had any desire to own one for some time. For me it's all about space, MPG and ease of moving car seats around. … [Continue Reading...]
Parent and child parking. How old should the child be?
I pulled into the parent and child parking space and looked up at the sign. It clearly stated the spaces were designated for “parents and toddlers.” … [Continue Reading...]
Groupon: There’s an online discount code for EVERYTHING
When you think about online discount codes, what do you think of? I generally think of cheap hotel deals, maybe money off a meal or getting an electrical item cheaper than on the High Street. … [Continue Reading...]
The Redex Experiment. How did it work out?
I have been conducting an experiment for the past few months. Every time I’ve filled up the family car, I’ve been adding a bottle or two of Redex fuel additive to see whether it improves the car’s performance. The … [Continue Reading...]
Reviews
Reviewed: the EverBrite solar powered security light
As I revealed a few weeks ago, we recently had a horrible experience when someone tried to get into our house while we were all asleep inside. I went to town the next day putting a number of extra security measures … [Continue Reading...]
Travelling aboard the Coca-Cola London Eye
The Coca-Cola London Eye is more than simply a tourist attraction. It's a well-established part of the London skyline and a fantastic piece of engineering. I have been on it a few times and love it, but would my … [Continue Reading...]
A challenge from Subway: Entertain and feed the kids for free
Imagine going out for a day with your children and not spending any money on them. Can it be done? This was the challenge I was set by sandwich retailer Subway and it was easier than I thought. … [Continue Reading...]
Honest Kids: Spending organic family time outside
Over recent days, many families have had a perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy time with each other. A combination of snow and closed schools has seen many mums and dads, myself included, out in the white stuff … [Continue Reading...]
Reviving our carpets with a Rug Doctor
Going back several years, Mrs Adams and I made a big mistake when we failed to put a mat underneath our dining room table. After a few months of young children eating at the table and dropping food on the floor, it … [Continue Reading...]
Photography
A rare view of sunset
This may sound like an odd thing to say, but it's very difficult to see the sunset where we live. Last night I ventured out to take photographs of some nearby meadow land that has come to life with flowers in the … [Continue Reading...]
Nothing like the White Cliffs of Dover
We have just returned following a short break in France. The four of us plus my mother in law stayed in a small town between Calais and Dunkirk and I went with all my camera equipment with the intention of getting … [Continue Reading...]
A visit to Box Hill proves the land is waking up
I don't know what it's like where you live, but we've had some glorious sunshine on the London / Surrey borers and temperatures have soared into double figures. The land is waking up after this long, grey winter and … [Continue Reading...]
An eye-catching light installation and the story of the massive spreadsheet
I had such grand photographic plans for my blog this week. It was to feature bright flowers to mark Easter. As you can no doubt tell from the image below of this eye-catching light installation , that never came to … [Continue Reading...]
An experiment: Shooting into the mist
Although it may not be immediately apparent, this photograph is possibly one of the most experimental I have ever taken. As is often the case with such images, I had something entirely different in mind when I set … [Continue Reading...]