Blast Off and bag pack

This term's choral event with Music for Everyone featured Blast Off! - a short musical telling the story of a school threatened with closure whose pupils attempt to save it with a trip in to space to bring back Jupiter Rock! This wasn't my favourite selection, but did include a range of puns and wider cultural references that we were able to talk through together, and the accompanying selection of songs from The X Factor included Hannah Montana's The Climb, a favourite of Madi's and 'You Raise Me Up', which I can't believe any Mother could watch her child's choir perform without a tear in her eye!

But before heading off for rehearsals, Madi left Nottinghamshire Performing Arts School early and dashed over to Morrison's at Mansfield to take part in a fundraising bag pack. She really enjoys these, and with her friend Holly, was one of the few Rainbows to take part at previous events. This was a joint Guiding/Scouting event though and had a good turnout, and even better for me was a chance meet up with Amanda, whose previously HE daughter returned to school about the same time as JK, for a coffee, chat and catchup in the cafe.

Poolsbrook Pals and the Goose Fair

It's always lovely to meet new home ed friends, and recently we have joined in with some get togethers at Poolsbrook Country Park, not that far from us, but somewhere we had never heard of before.

Some families we had met before in different ways, and others not, but everyone is very friendly, and the children seem to all mix really well in different combinations, and we've been amazingly lucky with the weather!

This week the weather was not looking good and most people had agreed we wouldn't meet up, but in the event it was glorious, so Madi and I took the tram in to the 717th Goose Fair at Nottingham:

Goose Fair is one of Europe's largest travelling fairs with a history that dates back more than 700 years. Amongst the array of Roller Coasters, Water Rides, Giant Wheels, Bombers, Dodgems, Twists, Waltzers and Miamis familiar to Goose Fair there will be a number of new attractions that have not visited Nottingham before.

This year the Runaway Train became the largest ride ever to attend any travelling fair probably in the World! Previously it was a permanent attraction at the American Adventure theme park before the park closed. Since then, it has been completely rebuilt into a mobile attraction by Nottingham-based James Mellors Amusements, using local engineers and craftsmen.

Some facts about the ride: The £1 million ride has 300m of track length and occupies a 2800 metre square area although the height of the train is no more than 8m to make it a suitable family ride. There are eight carriages each seating four passengers with a two-driver engine at the front. The ride proved to be a huge family attraction at this year's Goose Fair.

Along with the traditional Goose Fair food of mushy peas and mint sauce, candy floss and brandy snaps, visitors could eat their way around the world with chestnuts and doughnuts to food from the Caribbean, Chinese noodles, Indian kebabs, Spanish churros, paella and French crepes.

Madi tried several rides, whilst I stuck to my mushy peas and mint sauce at 7th Nottingham Scouts HQ, which is on the Forest Recreation Ground, and where many of our Gang Show friends are based. Madi did have donuts there too, but then couldn't resist a strawberry and marshmallow kebab from the chocolate fountain!

Bunting

This month's Crafty Kids session had a new venue, and a new tutor, and Madi and Evie found a (re)new(ed) enthusiasm too!

They made some beautiful bunting- you can see from the photo how impressed Jo was!- and Madi's is now proudly hanging in her bedroom.

Sadly they were the only two to attend today, so we now have to cross our fingers and hope the group continues.