So Great Britain and indeed the rest of the world is currently gripped in royal baby fever.
I wish the new family every congratulations ( I think they read this blog , why wouldn't they ? )but I feel that the media frenzy needs to calm down a bit now.
I have never had a baby but I'm told on good authority that it is a little bit tiring and it hurts so I imagine that the last thing most new mothers would want is the worlds media taking their photograph.
Yes , this comes with the territory when you are a member of the royal family but it would be nice if people could remember that William and Kate are also first time parents who would like to spend a little bit of private time getting to know their new Son and adjusting to their new roles as Mummy and Daddy.
Another thing that annoys me is the marketing opportunists linking the new baby to every product from toilet roll to Pizza dough balls !! Within minutes of the announcement yesterday I had emails urging me to 'Celebrate The Royal Birth' with all sorts of products !! I'm sorry but a royal baby is not going to make me need a new Hotpoint washing machine xxx
I've watched Big Brother for years , I've watched all of the 'civilian' ones and only missed one 'celebrity' edition but has it had its day?
Many people said that Channel 5 should never have resurrected it but I don't agree. I thoroughly enjoyed last years series and thought it was up there with some of the best.
Obviously the show has changed significantly from series one, I remember Craig , Caggy etc not actually knowing if anyone would actually be watching this 'social experiment' but the over the years the participants have all got agents and managers before they enter the house , some have previous experience with the media and many have an agenda to be the next big thing when they exit the house.
It has become a platform , much like The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent to launch careers and I'm not sure this is a great thing. The ladies know they will get a Zoo or Nuts feature on their departure and the guys might get noticed for their talent , be it music , sport or just being good looking !!
This year I had favourites on the first couple of nights . I liked Dan , the policeman , also Woolfy , Jack 'n' Joe , Sam and Michael ( who turned out to be an actor ). I took an instant dislike to Dexter , Gina , Sallie and the Mother & daughter duo , Jackie and Charlie.
Now that it has been running for a while I still like Dan but also find Gina funny in a 'Nicky Graham' kind of way , I can't figure out Callum and I feel Sam is too quiet to win. The twins have turned into whingers , Michael has gone and Woolfy , an early favourite, turned out to be nothing like I first thought. I still find Dexter a bit creepy and still stick by my original feelings towards Jackie & Charlie.
So who do I want to win this year ??
Errrmm , good question , and one that I don't really have an answer to . I don't have strong enough feelings towards any of this years housemates and quite frankly I don't actually care at this point who wins .
Obviously this may change due to plot twists and turns but it's not looking likely. I have even missed several episodes this year , something that would never have happened in previous series .
Maybe it is the end of the road for Big brother but I suspect that while the phone lines still keep raking in the money they will flog it to the death xxx
So as promised in an earlier blog , another one of my favourite things ..........snow !!
Yes I know that the UK has had the hottest day in ages today but that only makes me want a walk in the cool crisp whiteness even more.
I am a person who likes cold temperatures , I love getting bundled up in coat , boots , scarf & gloves ! No hat though , not keen on hats !! And then coming home and putting on a onsie , socks and slipper boots before curling up in front of the fire with an extra blanket just in case .
Friends who live 'ooop north' think I am slightly ( okay , very) insane to like snow as they have to 'endure' it for weeks on end , but for someone living in Essex snow is great.
When I was growing up we had it occasionally , enough to make memories of snowman building with my older Brothers and getting snowballs thrown at me until I ran in crying to my Mum but now I enjoy it more.
The anticipation of it , the smell in the air when it's coming ( yes there is a specific smell to snow) , then when it falls , the quiet everywhere.
The world seems to have been wrapped up in a blanket and everything is peaceful. I've gone out for walks very late at night before in the snow and you can almost believe that nobody else in the world exists. Some people might find that eerie but I think it is wonderful.
Last year I did build a snowman . He stood proudly in the front garden and I called him Dave. Dave wore a black fleece scarf and matching hat and watched over the street. Yes I did get a few funny looks when I was making him , but lets be honest , wouldn't the world be a lot better place if people stopped being stuffy and serious , listened to their younger self and got out and built a snowman ? I think so , and if we are lucky enough to get snow this winter I will make another snowman and I hope everyone else does too xxx
