Tom Gates Live - Theatre Review Bristol Hippodrome

We are very lucky to be able to review the stage shows at the Bristol Hippodrome on a pretty regular basis and, having different aged children, we have seen a wide variety of shows over time. Nothing piqued my curiosity quite like Tom Gates Live on Stage, though. Having read the books to my son many times when he was younger, I couldn't help wondering how Liz Pichon's unique animation style would transfer to the stage. It turned out, however, the author herself was very much involved in the production and stamped her particular style all over it with gusto! This is our review of this brand new show from Birmingham Stage Company. Tickets were gifted in return for our thoughts on this production.

Getting Help with Home Adaptions for Disability

This is a difficult subject for a lot of people, as getting any kind of help with a problem flies in the face of the British 'stiff upper lip', 'make do and mend' philosophy. This means there is often a psychological barrier to getting help, as well as a physical one, when you don't know where to start or who to approach. In this post I hope to tackle both, looking at what aids and adaptations are available and who can help you get them, as well as dealing with the emotional side of taking the step to seeking and accepting help. If you are struggling at home, but are used to soldiering on, maybe it's time to think about some simple adaptations to make life easier. 

Managing Long Term Chronic Pain - Course Notes Week 3

This was my second attendance of the Pain Management course, which was week 3 of the 8 week programme. There were a few new members who I didn't recognise, because they had attended week 1 (which I didn't go to) and skipped week 2, which I did go to, but I guess a pain management course is going to be a bit hit and miss with attendance. It is advised to try to attend all parts of the course to get the most benefit, but it is a little bit flexible as going anywhere when you suffer from pain can be a struggle, particularly when it's a set time each week. This week's theme was Problem Solving.

Growing Old Gratefully - The Anti-Ageing Debate

There have been a few social media 'challenges' recently. The 10 Year Challenge, The Puberty Challenge and The Ageing Challenge. The first is fairly self-explanatory; you post a picture of yourself now and a picture of yourself ten years ago, to see how much you've changed. In the second, you post a photo of yourself now and one from your youth, to illustrate what puberty can do in terms of features, mood and fashion sense. The third is particularly brutal; you post your first ever social media pic, and your most recent, to see how much you've aged.  These are all variations on a theme and have been interpreted very differently by those taking part.

Managing Long Term Chronic Pain - Course Notes

I have been suffering from a chronic pain condition for over 10 years now and I continue to fight it every day. I experiment with nutrition and exercise to keep the pain under control and always live in hope that one day it will go away altogether. I am an optimist. However, since seeing a rheumatologist last year, I've been informed that, medically speaking, there is nothing more that can be done and I'm stuck with it. I've now been referred to a Pain Management course and I thought maybe it would help other pain sufferers to hear what happens, so these are my notes on part one of a group therapy course designed to help sufferers cope with long term pain.