First News | Family Affairs and other matters

“FIRST NEWS” – THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR KIDS

Friday, September 16, 2011

WOOHOO. My daughter’s article about being in New York for the 9/11 Memorial Service is in the latest edition of First News, the award winning weekly newspaper for children. She is referred to as a “junior reporter”. It’s on the inside front page. She will be very pleased. Here is what she wrote:- WE WILL [...]

DOWNING STREET HOSTS THE LAUNCH OF “MY WAY” AWARDS

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

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What a fantastic evening I had yesterday. AT DOWNING STREET. Just thrilling to be there. I was invited to attend the launch of First News' "My Way" Awards with Henry "The Fonz" Winkler. The beautiful Francis Osborne introduced the event and I stood right next to her husband Chancellor George Osborne (he's taller and better looking than he appears on TV). Then seven children who have all been helping the Government with their plans for special education needs each took to the stage to announce who they had nominated for the "Thanks For Helping Me To Learn My Way" award. Seriously, by the end there was not a dry eye in the house. Their choices included significant teachers, siblings and mothers. It was very inspirational to be there and to hear Henry Winkler talking about how each individual child should be allowed to learn in the way most suitable for them. We had drinks after that and I talked to Frances Osborne's mother all about her daughter's book and Africa and stuff. So interesting. I told her that my Grandmother always claimed to know where the gun was hidden - the one used to shoot Joss Ackland in Kenya during those White Mischief years. Whilst on the balcony we could see the pretty courtyard garden of Number 10. We watched David Cameron finish a casual outside meeting and then stroll down to the play area to mess about with his children for a bit. Here I am with my friends posing outside Number 10. Honestly, not in a million years sitting in Hong Kong drooling over The Fonz whilst watching "Happy Days" would I ever have predicted that I would be standing outside No.10 Downing Street having my photograph taken with him 35 years later. Really not sure why I decided that it would be a good look to pretend that I was Henry Winkler's second head. Even worse than that, immediately after the photo was taken I gave him a huge hug and told him I loved him. I CANNOT believe I did that. Possibly the most uncool thing I've ever done:- Look at this iconic London view that I took from inside Downing Street on our way out:-

“THE FONZ” & THE “MY WAY” CAMPAIGN

Sunday, June 19, 2011

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You have no idea how excited I am. A few days ago I actually met one of my childhood heroes. In my wildest dreams I never thought that would ever happen. I used to sit and watch “Happy Days” illicitly in Hong Kong because my parents for some extraordinary reason wouldn’t let me watch it [...]

TOO OLD

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

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Bloody hell. It’s all happening here. Daughter is doing exams she’s still revising for in the car on the way to school, teenage son needing Dr’s appointments for a damaged rotator cuff, youngest son doing a football tournament this afternoon, in need of an eye test, a dyslexia test and a pair of flares and [...]

HENRY WINKLER’S “MY WAY” CAMPAIGN

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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I am KICKING MYSELF. I missed an opportunity to meet "The Fonz" last week at DOWNING STREET. How did I let that happen? A friend of mine is involved with the "My Way Campaign", organised by the children's newspaper "First News" and Henry Winkler launched the campaign together with Sarah Brown and Ed Balls. The campaign aims to change the culture of schools, focusing on the child as an individual and working towards celebrating the success of learning difficulties". A week later and I am still completely gutted. I LOVED him as a child more than anyone else on TV (not including John Travolta). OK, he's a bit old now and married, with grandchildren but still....even more gutting was the fact that the labour coup was going on during the time they were in Downing Street. Nevermind. Perhaps I'll get another chance to meet him. He's written 17 children's books all about a boy called "Hank Zipzer", the world's greatest underachiever. The books are based on his childhood - an unhappy time where he was an undiagnosed dyslexic. Maybe I'll try and do a competition or something....