Bristol Shop Local: An Old Curiosity Shop aka 'The Reclaimers Reclamation Ltd'

Nestled away on Gloucester Road sits an old curiosity shop named The Reclaimers Reclamation Ltd.  Full of delights, The Reclaimers Reclamation Ltd offers a glimpse into days long gone.  I ventured there with my children one recent ice-cold day and together we stepped back in time.

A little dank and dusty and containing many battered and unloved objects, it is also a treasure trove for Bristol residents, waiting to be delved into.  Thus, The Reclaimers Reclamation Ltd - situated at 347a Gloucester road - gives my Bristol Shop Local Campaign series a twist.

My children roamed the yard, delighted by hanging tables, rusty sets of keys and old cutlery.  They were fascinated by a gleaming black and gold Singer sewing machine, an ancient washing mangle, copper kettles, rickety old bicycles, disgruntled looking statues, battered old suitcases and bongos thrown into the mix.

If you are converting a property and are seeking furniture or accessories to furnish it, I advise you to take a wander down to The Reclaimers Reclamation Ltd.  

And if you are not seeking finds for your home, then I advise you to take a visit there anyhow, along with your children. They will enjoy a glimpse into days past and objects featured in lives long finished.  The Reclamation Yard offers a bounty of interesting objects, just waiting to be discovered by you.

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Ecouraging Children and Young People's Passion for Music: The Rock Project Bristol

I come across all sorts of interesting activities for children and young people to do in and around Bishopston. I have recently been on the lookout for activities for older children to write about as well as ones for pre-schoolers.  

Thus I have discovered The Rock Project Bristol, an activity especially interesting since it differs from more traditional activities for young people.

The Rock Project provide after-school music lessons for children aged 7 - 18 years of age. Children can be of any musical ability, all that is needed is an interest in music. The Rock Project operates in three different settings around Bristol: Horfield Baptist Church in Bishopston, Redmaids School and QEH School.

I visited a recent Rock Project session held in Horfield Baptist Church to see and hear kids and tutors in action.  It is exciting, edgy, different, fun and at times, deafening! Music included Green Day, Foo Fighters and Metallica.

Classes are split into two main age groups. Classes for 7 - 11 year olds at 4.15 - 6.15pm and classes for 11 - 18 year olds at 6.15 - 8.15pm.

In each class, the first hour is for group instrumental lessons in guitar, bass guitar, drums or vocals. The second hour is called ''Plug and Play'' where bands are formed and students get a chance to perform together.

While watching the students perform, I was struck by how my own children are not too many years away from being able to take part in the Rock Project, too. It made me think ahead about the kind of activities they will be doing in a few years time. I like the idea of them doing something different like the Rock Project.

Watching and hearing The Rock project in action also made me think about the importance of mentors to young people.  It seemed that the Rock Project's tutors - all professional musicians - inspired respect from the students while still being 'cool enough' so that young people could relate to them.  

The Rock Project also provides a safe environment for children and young people to build on their passion for music as all of its tutors are fully CRB checked.

While I may have come away from the Rock Project Bristol that evening slightly deafer than when I first went in, I came away inspired and excited to have discovered it.  The Rock Project rocks!

For more information about The Rock Project Bristol, please email matt@therockproject.com

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Professional Photographs of My Children by Frances Taylor Photography

We have been meaning to arrange for some professional photos of my children for a long while.  Our house is filled with photos of my little boy when he was a baby, yet I am ashamed to say we have far less of my daughter.  My husband was worried that my daughter would grow up with a complex!

We had originally planned to get some professional photos taken last year but then we found out my daughter needed a hip operation and then a spica cast for 17 weeks so that threw a spanner in the works.

So finally we have had some taken, courtesy of the lovely Frances of Frances Taylor Photography.  Frances has been a professional photographer for over 15 years and is a mum to a little boy.  As you can see her photos are beautiful and I wanted to share some of them with you. 

Frances was very patient and good natured about my children's squabbling while she took her pictures!  She told me that the best bits of her job are being creative and meeting new people, working on images and seeing them come to life and knowing when she has caught an incredible shot.

Well, Frances certainly caught some incredible shots on this photo shoot.  Thank you Frances, we are so pleased with our pictures and it was lovely to meet you!


Disclosure: This was a gifted post written in return for a free photography shoot by Frances Taylor. However, as always, my views are my own and, as you can see for yourself, Frances really does take beautiful pictures!

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First Ballet Lesson

Yesterday my little girl and I entered a brand new, all-girl world of ballet shoes, tutus, leotards and lots and lots of pink.

My daughter loves music and dancing so when I saw an advert for pre-school ballet lessons held at The Church of the Good Shepherd, Bishopston, I phoned up to find out more.  

The teacher told me that while all the other girls were three and four years of age and therefore older than my 2 1/4 year old, I was welcome to bring her along for a trial lesson.  She explained to me that age was not so much of an issue; it was more a question of whether my daughter could stand in line, wait her turn and follow instructions (no chance, I thought!).

While I know some parents may steer their children away from ballet, I have been looking forward to taking my daughter to her first ballet lesson for a long time.  And it was all the more special to take her to a dancing lesson as this time last year she had just had her hip operation.

 

Church of the Good Shepherd hall where the ballet lesson took place

The ballet lesson began with piano music and all of the girls collecting hoops and laying them down in a long line down the hall and forming a queue.  The task was for each child to take turns to walk on tip-toe, hop, skip, jump and even 'flamenco' over the hoops.  Later they did 'Good Toes, Bad Toes', which reminded me of the ballet lessons I had when I was little.

Another task was for each girl to take their turn to walk the hall with a beanbag on their head, obviously to encourage walking straight and tall; just like a ballerina.  My daughter, however, preferred to practise her throwing skills with her bean bag.

My daughter with said bean bag

No matter, my daughter LOVED her first ballet class.  She smiled and giggled throughout, actively participating with evident delight.  She loved the older girls, their ballet costumes and all of the dancing.

While my daughter clearly doesn't yet understand the concept of queues and lining up, I was pleasantly surprised at her ability to follow instructions and fit in with a class of older children, despite her age. And while at the start of the ballet lesson, a few girls objected to her blatant and unashamed queue jumping, they soon formed a motherly brood around her, fighting over who was to hold her hand.

The ballet teacher even approached me at the end of the lesson and told me that if I wished, I could continue to bring my daughter to the ballet classes!

My little girl thoroughly loved her first ballet lesson and I enjoyed watching her just as much :)

My daughter's trial ballet lesson cost £3.  If you would like to find out more about the ballet classes at The Church of the Good Shepherd, please visit www.balletwright.co.uk.

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Ready, Steady, Bake! A Bishopston Mum Raises Money for St Peter's Hospice

If you are a regular reader of Bishopston Mum, you will know that I am a BIG fan of cake.  So when my friend, Charlotte, invited me round her house last month for a cake sale and coffee morning, I could not refuse.  

But there was a sad reason Charlotte was hosting the cake sale.  Charlotte's mum died from cancer a year and a half ago and, along with her two sisters, Bridget and Rachel, Charlotte was taking part in St Peter's Hospice's 'Ready, Steady, Bake!' campaign to raise money for the charity.

Charlotte and her sisters, Rachel and Bridget

As Charlotte explains:

'We lost our mum to breast cancer just over a year and a half ago, so cancer charities are very dear to our hearts. 

Mum lived in Cumbria and had amazing support from St John's Hospice in Lancaster.  She remained at home right to the end which was what she wanted, but that was only possible with the support of several people including the 'Hospice At Home' team from St John's.  

But as well as supporting mum, they always had the time to talk to myself, my dad and my sisters'.

Charlotte, Bridget and Rachel spent many hours baking cakes for their cake sale.  In fact, some of Charlotte's neighbours even helped out with the cake making by donating eggs from their chickens!  

Cakes included Victoria Sponge, Caramelised Apple Cake, Caramel Shortbread, Chocolate Roulade, Carrot Cake, Biscuits and cupcakes.  

Charlotte even involved the children in the coffee morning by setting up a little table complete with cake decorations so they could decorate their own cakes. 

My daughter decorating her cupcake

Charlotte's 'Ready, Steady, Bake!' morning was a success and raised £121.50 and an enjoyable morning was had by all.  As Charlotte explained: 'It was great fun to do and lovely to get to know the neighbours a bit better through it, too'.



If you would like to donate money to St Peter's Hospice, please click here.  

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Discover DinoZoo 2 at Bristol Zoo Gardens!

My children and I couldn't possibly receive an invitation more exciting than one to attend the DinoZoo 2 launch at Bristol Zoo Gardens before it officially opened to the public! 

I don't know who was more excited to discover the new dinosaurs, myself or my children!  We loved last year's DinoZoo at Bristol Zoo and I can safely say that this year's dinosaurs are as satisfyingly scary!

We were greeted by a friendly DinoZoo 2 ranger, complete with a baby dinosaur which was friendly enough to be petted. 

Here are this year's fearsome dinosaurs, starting with the Suchomimus.  I wouldn't want to get caught in those teeth!

Here is the Stegosaurus...

The Quetzalcoatlus...

The Parasaurolophus and her nest, complete with a baby dinosaur hatching from an egg.  But watch out for those pesky Compsognathus predators approaching...

The Therizinosaurus...

The Dilophosaurus who spits at you in aggression. My new camera caught her in action...

My favourite, the Citipati, just because I love the name...

The Tyranosaurus Rex made a comeback this year and was no less a fearsome sight to behold...  

The Edmontonia...

The Carnotaurus...

DinoZoo 2 has a Fossil Dig on site for ancient dinosaurs to be unearthed...

DinoZoo 2 is fantastic and the dinosaurs as spectacular as last year!  

For more information, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk.  Do comment below about what YOU think of DinoZoo 2!

Our visit to DinoZoo 2 was gifted to us in exchange for a review on Bishopston Mum, however, my views and opinions are my own and the dinosaurs really are super scary!

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Possible New Bristol Steiner Academy to Open in 2014

In September 2014, a new Bristol Steiner Academy may open. With a surplus of more mainstream, traditional schools in Bristol, the Bristol Steiner Academy will provide an alternative for parents who wish to send their children to a school which places different values on education.

Sarah Horne

I was interested to find out more about the Academy so contacted Sarah Horne (who deals with supporter recruitment and marketing of the project) and she kindly agreed to answer my questions.  I must confess, from interviewing Sarah, I found that I had misconceptions about Steiner education. It was therefore interesting for me to find out about Steiner education and I was impressed with the values and reasoning behind it.  

I hope you find this interview interesting, too.



Where will the Steiner Academy be?

Location, location, location!  We recognise this is one of the biggest issues for everyone interested in sending their children to the school,  We are looking at sites across Bristol, but won't know where the school is until next year.  We need funding agreed by the Department of Education before we can make firm plans and we will let everyone know as soon as we can.


What age will the school cater for?

The school will cater for ages 4 - 16.  Initially we need to grow the school at a steady rate so will open just a few classes in September 2014 (hoping we receive funding).


How big will the school be?

We will open with about 125 pupils and by the time the school is full in 2024, there will be 624.


Will it be a fee-paying school?

The Steiner Academy Bristol will be a 'Free School' which means it will be funded directly by the department of education and be 'free' from the local authority.


What are your own personal experiences of education?

Everyone on the steering group comes from a different educational background.  Personally, I went to a fee-paying school where I received an excellent academic education that I describe as being 'dead from the neck down'.  Other people went to the local comprehensive while others had an entirely Steiner education.


Is there less emphasis on formal academic qualifications at a Steiner School?

Sometimes there is a perception that a Steiner education will not support academic achievement.  People might like to know that the two people who went to the Steiner School now work for Deloittes International Accountancy Firm as a Project manager and as a Site Manager with a first class degree!


Will the new Steiner School offer GCSEs?

Yes, the new school will offer GCSEs; in future we may also offer new qualifications as they emerge but we will always offer qualifications that enable pupils to follow their chosen path through A-levels and other post-16 education.  

We do think that most state schools overload pupils with GCSEs.  Our curriculum will be based around a Baccalaureate system of a minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) in academic subjects (Maths, English, foreign languages, sciences).  Alongside that we will provide a range of other subjects which will be accredited as GSCEs or in other ways.  This system will give pupils more freedom to learn by doing - to learn drama by writing and acting not just by writing essays about plays; to learn about the arts through sculpture, metalwork, painting and drawing without an excessive emphasis on a fixed curriculum of theory.

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *               

I hope you found this interview helpful.  If you would like more information about the new Academy and/or would like to register your support, please visit http://steineracademybristol.org.uk There is also a Steiner Academy Bristol Facebook page.

Have YOU any experience of Steiner education? What do you think about the Bristol Steiner Academy opening?  Please do comment below!

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A 4th Birthday Party at Boing! for a Big Boy

Today marked a special event: my little boy's 4th birthday party.  This year we had decided to try a new venue for his birthday party.  In previous years we have hired Rimando's for his parties and have been very pleased with the results.

But this year we fancied venturing further afield than Bishopston and doing something different.  We opted for Boing!, a multi-activity centre in Lockleaze.  I like Boing! because while it has a good soft play area, it also has a 'free play room', complete with activities for children of all ages and stages from 0 - 5.

The children all had a geat time!

Here is my son enjoying the soft play...

Here is Boing's party host organising the party games...

My little girl enjoying the birthday tea...

And her ice cream dessert...

I had to share this photo of my little boy's face as his cake arrives...

Here he is blowing out the candles...

There are three options of party package at Boing! to choose from which range from £75 - £200 (however it is cheaper if you live in Lockleaze).  We opted for the 'Silver' option which included a dedicated party host, food for twenty children and unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits for adults.
 
I noticed differences in my son's 4th birthday party from the birthday parties he has had in previous years.

The first difference is that this year my son actually chose many of the children whom he wanted to invite.  In previous years, most of the children that have been invited to his birthday parties were children of my friends.  But in the last year he has formed his own close friendships at pre-school and this year he was quite specific as to who he wanted to be invited. 

Another change I noticed this year was that, for the first time, several parents dropped their kids off rather than staying with them for the duration of the party.  

Lastly, this was the first time that my son and friends of a similar age were able to play party games properly and all enjoyed the musical statues and musical bumps.

Such changes make it clear to me to me that my little boy is growing up and that he is not quite so little anymore.  I think Boing! was a fitting venue for a big boy's 4th birthday party :) 

If you are interested in hiring out Boing!, please email lockleazep.boing@bristol.gov.uk

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Supporting Bristol Shop Local Campaign: Birthday Party Preparations at Totally Toys

One of our family's first most important events to take place each year is my little boy's birthday.  Only this year, he is not quite so little anymore and in January turned four years old.  Time has gone so quickly over these last four years and his going to 'Big School' in September doesn't seem quite so far off anymore :(

No matter, a child who is turning 4 cannot not have a birthday party so I have been busy with birthday party preparations recently!  

Because I wanted to continue my regular 'Bristol Shop Local Campaign' Posts which started with C. & T. Licata & Son in January, I decided to 'shop local' for my son's birthday present and birthday party, too.

Totally Toys on 109 Gloucester Road, Bishopston was the obvious choice to buy my son's birthday present from as this particular shop is his idea of HEAVEN.  We sometimes pop down Gloucester Road for a spell in Totally Toys and both my children will remain happily occupied for ages exploring the many toys, instruments, books, jigsaws, costumes, etc.   

 
One cold, sunny morning in January, I had some rare one-to-one time with my little boy while my dad looked after my daughter.  I took the opportunity of taking him out down Gloucester Road with the special purpose of him choosing his present at his favourite toyshop.  On entering, he went straight for the section where all the figures of knights and monsters stand as is his habit when we visit Totally Toys. However, he actually settled on a present elsewhere in the toyshop, a strange character from the Star Wars section of the shop: his new found love (and that of all his fellow little friends at pre-school at the moment).  

Here is a picture of my son with his present which we wrapped up and gave to him on his birthday...

 
Totally Toys also sell party bags and party bag items so it was easy to buy my son's birthday present and all the party bags in one go.  I enjoyed choosing party bag items: crayons, notepad and a slinky (remember those?) for each child's bag.  I even bought my son's birthday card in here too (a 'Ben 10' one, of course).

While in Totally Toys, I chatted to the owner and he told me the shop has been there since 1988!  He also mentioned that Totally Toys has been busier than ever and feels this is down to Gloucester Road having 'reinvented itself' in recent years which was good to hear.

When we later returned home, I decided to involve both my children in packing the party bags because I felt this would be an 'enjoyable' activity.

However, less than 5 minutes into this activity I was faced with squabbles and screaming, a huge mess and an even bigger headache.  Thus I finished of the party bag packing by myself (much easier).

I am glad we shopped local and used Totally Toys to buy my son's present and the party bags.  I think it was good for my son to have enjoyed choosing his birthday present at Totally Toys as well as receiving it on his birthday and I enjoyed choosing goodies for the party bags (even if the experience of packing them with my children wasn't quite so enjoyable!).

I hope Totally Toys is still doing well in another twenty-five years! 

Next post: Birthday Party at Boing!   

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