Monday 31 October 2016

The seashell girl by Linda Finlay


The seashell girl by Linda Finlay
Rating: 1 out of 5


Seventeen year old Merry lives in a Cornish fishing village and yearn to see more of the world. No She works in a pilchard factory and knits for a wholesaler who is cheating her out of a fair wage. So she goes to Plymouth to try and sell her crafts there successfully and the story goes on about her eventual move to Plymouth, working in a dress shop, etc.

So where to start?
Firstly let's do language - the author hasn't bothered reading about British expressions (Blimey Oh Rimey!! Really??). That put me off first. The characters seemed to be from a Disney cartoon - poor Merryn is surrounded by evil women (Mrs Smale, Miss Brown, etc) but the nice men she works for rescue her from scheming of these awful women. The characters are either too nice or too evil - no shades of grey (reality check! People are not black and white).
Then there is this whole book about her working and being promoted in a shop in Plymouth and she leaves it all to go back to the fishing village once she has decided to get married and look after her Grandmother. I felt cheated! What was the point of showing an ambitious woman who falls for the first Gentleman who courts her!
And then there is her love Carey - a sensitive navy man who adores her. Is it me or the thought of falling for someone who looks identical to your sister is a little disturbing?! I did not like him - he was way too sensitive for my taste.
The ending then started to wander in the realms of the supernatural with souls coming back as flies - it just got worse and worse for me
Do not recommend at all.

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Bockett's Farms, Leatherhead, Surrey

Bocketts Farm
Young Street, Leatherhead KT22 9BS, England
Rating: 5 out of 5





This is a lovely place for a fun family day out. We took baby, who is 18 months old, and there was so much to do even for her. Firstly, it is beautiful, set in a stunning location and reminded me of Disney cartoon farms. It was like stepping in your childhood.








The entry ticket is only ~£10 and you can buy animal food at the entrance too. The price is really worth it. You don't really pay for anything else when you are in except the food, which is also good. The staff are all very welcoming and really friendly.





We were there all day and only covered half of the farm - there really is so much to do.  There were all the animals to see (rabbits, chickens, horses, goats, etc) and you can pet most of them and there was a reptile handling area which baby loved! There was a lovely playground where we spent most of our time and there is an indoor soft play area as well as cafes and a tearoom. Activities include pigs racing, magic show (Halloween), crafts corner, tractor and pony rides. Or if you like you can go for a long walk around the farm looking at kitchen gardens, the cows, etc. 







I think this is pretty much going to be the venue for baby's next Birthday - I was really impressed by them and we can't wait to go back. There are lots of lovely indoor and outdoor play areas for the children to explore so weather conditions are not a major concern. Baby absolutely loved the place so we were very happy!  








Miniature farm






Farm style




so to avoid wearing a heavy coat I layered in:
Jean Paul Gaultier polo neck
Miss Selfridge jumper
Zara leggings
Mulberry shoulder bag






Wednesday 12 October 2016

Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Victoria & Albert Museum
London


I doubt that I can review this wondrous museum in simple words. It is magnificent and beyond speech. However, I will review the sections I visited briefly with lots of pics so here goes. V&A founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and is currently housing over 4 million objects so make sure you wear very comfy shoes!





There are some stunning statues off the main entrance including, Narcissus, Joseph and the Golden Fleece, etc.









Other treasures include a notebook by Leonardo da Vinci on pulleys and weights, a medallion with Michelangelo's portrait, stunning carved woodwork decorative pieces and replicas of famous statues e.g. horned Moses and David by Michelangelo.




Needless to say, I spent most of my time in Europe Renaissance gallery (my favourite!) but there are other galleries for you to enjoy.




Overall, great experience and highly recommend it.







Museum style
Top: Joseph
Jeans: Zara
Bag: Red Valentino
Boots: Chanel
Coat: Coach