Much more than sheep at the mart as FOUR top kids' shows come to town!

The words ‘Skipton Auction Mart’ and ‘kids’ brings to mind fond childhood memories of accompanying my various farmer relatives on trips there, toddling around ‘helping’ them show the cows and sheep around the ring.  At the time I thought I was really grown up doing an important job but looking back today I have a feeling I was just there for the cute factor, most likely as a ploy to attract more bids for the livestock.  Nevertheless, I had great times and excitingly, for the new generation of little ones, there are even more ways to create great childhood memories there.  The Auction Mart has expanded its repertoire to include a variety of theatre shows at The Mart Theatre, many of which are aimed at young children and their families. 

The first child-friendly production to grace the stage this year is the Blunderbus Theatre Company’s production based on the Jill Tomlinson book, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark.   The star of the show, Plop, the baby Barn Owl was afraid of the dark, and so Mrs Barn Owl suggested he venture from his nest to investigate the dark for himself.  This leads to a series of exciting adventures for Plop, which are recreated using ‘an irresistible blend of live music, puppetry and storytelling.’  This production is aimed at 3-7 year olds and their families and is already proven to be a hit with the Blunderbus Theatre Company reporting ‘record-breaking ticket sales at every venue we have swooped along to, including a sell-out run at The Lyric, Hammersmith’.  This review of an earlier production reports that ‘the Blunderbus team consider all-comers, with children enthralled by the action, and accompanying adults chortling at the witty adlibs from this friendly and likeable company.’  Sounds good?  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show on Saturday 21st April at 11.30am and 2.30pm. (Tickets £7.50 adults, £5 Children, £20 Family of 4). 

Given that toddlers love a good race around, it’s rather fitting that the next production, (aimed at children 2-7 years and their families), is an adaptation of Aesop’s fable, named Hare and Tortoise.  The show tells the classic tale of the racing hare and tortoise and ‘opposites, time and friendship’ and promises to bring you ‘this much-loved story brimming with ideas, characters, live music and wonderful physicality.’  This production is a creation of Leeds-based company tutti frutti  whose success with this production on tour last year has lead to a 2012 retour, which kicks off at The Mart Theatre on Saturday 28th April at 11.30am and 2.30pm.  With a review in the Guardian of last year’s show declaring that ‘Catherine Chapman's attractive, brightly coloured design niftily embraces the changing seasons as ice melts, flowers bloom and butterflies flutter, and the songs are jolly’ it sounds like it will be a great hit with the nippers.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets £7.50 adults, £5 Children, £20 Family). 

Following a sell-out run at the Lyric Theatre last Christmas, Snow Play by the Lyngo Theatre Company is ‘a showdown between Spring and Winter over who gets to stay and who has to go’ when Mr. Green discovers Mr. White has taken over his house and tries his hardest to get Mr. White out into the garden whilst Mr. White busies his self covering the house in snow.  The show is aimed at 3-7 year olds and their families and sounds like fantastic fun as the audience gets to join in building a snowman and can even participate a big snowball fight - which this review describes wonderfully; ‘shrieks of pleasure accompany them ploughing onto the stage to cover Mr White in false snow or pelt Mr Green and his tennis racket with snow balls.  Best of all, there’s no damp, soggy mess to clear up afterwards.’  Toddlers are bound to love the randomness of snow in spring as the show comes to The Mart Theatre on Saturday 5th May.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets: £5 child, £7.50 adult, £20 family). 

If your toddler is anything like mine, they will be massive fans of anything ever written by The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, with The Snail and the Whale being no exception.  We are therefore thrilled to hear that Tall Stories are bringing their stage show of The Snail and the Whale to The Mart Theatre on Saturday 28th July at 11.30am and 2.30pm.  This production retells the story of the snail’s trip around the world on the whale’s tail and their numerous adventures and brushes with danger, (or should we say ‘mild peril’ - don’t worry your toddler won’t be scared)!  Tall Stories promise that this show ‘combines physical storytelling, live music and lots of laughs’.   I’m inclined to believe them given their track record of touring with their various Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler collaborations across the globe from the West End to Broadway, Dubai, Australia and Europe.  This review of one of their earlier productions confirms that Tall Stories bring you ‘a truly theatrical feast that leaves both adults and children fully entertained’.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets: £5 child, £7.50 adult, £20 family). 

Now the only thing left to do is decide which one to go to - I have a funny feeling we’ll be having several family trips to The Mart Theatre this year!

Blog kindly written by brilliant MooBaaKid, Stefni Oliver!

Happy Easter with love from MooBaaKids!

After Christmas and birthdays, Easter has to be the most egg-cellent (sorry, I just can’t help it!) time of the year for toddlers. There are so many egg-citing events on too this year, with an Easter Egg Trail at Bolton Abbey, more Easter Egg Trails plus crafty activities at Thorpe Perrow and East Riddlesden Hall and a full crafty Easter weekend at Harewood House. If your little ones are fans of little animals, you can feed the Easter lambs at Malham Tarn, visit the new lambs and other animals at Hesketh Farm Park or try out Thornton Hall Farm’s Great Easter Fun Day, which promises much fun by combining baby animals with family shows, circus workshops and a free Easter egg for every child. 

Sheep Egg featured on
familyfun.go.com

To continue the eggy animal theme at home you can get cracking (that’s the last one I promise) creating your own farmyard of eggy animals. I love these Sheep Egg, Egg Bunny, Pig Egg and Purple Cow Egg ideas.


If that seems too fiddly for tiny fingers, there’s always a good old spot of hard-boiled egg painting. You can even start off with coloured eggs by dying them first by adding food colouring to the boiling water. For smaller toddlers putting the eggs back in the box helps them to hold the eggs still to paint them, they will have just as much fun painting the box itself aswell!

Coloured Eggs
featured on familycircle.com

Once the paint has been well and truly dawbed on the eggs and has dried off, you can’t beat a traditional egg hunt. If you don’t have a garden the kids can still do their hunting, just in the house instead. Remember to place the eggs well within a small person’s eyeline – toddlers like to look at the floor when searching and so eggs perched even a tiny bit higher than their line of sight tend to remain unseen forever!


The beauty of toddlers means that you don’t need to buy a basket to collect the eggs; my little ones much prefer to use their doll’s prams and their mini plastic shopping trolley for the job. Once the eggs have all been collected, they can try running around with an egg and spoon as future practice for primary school egg and spoon races! Large plastic cooking spoons tend to work best for this job as there’s more room for the egg to roll around before it inevitably wobbles off.

Paper Plate Easter Hat
featured on alphamom.com

If you would prefer to have an egg hunt that is easy to re-use, (and that doesn’t go rotten!), why not use up some scrap paper to paint as many eggs as you need, and decorate them together with your toddler. You can then cut them out and stick them to card to make them sturdy (or laminate them if you want to use them outside too) and get hiding! They’ll fit easily into a large envelope for storage, ready for hiding around the house any time you want to get those little legs running around on a rainy day. If your toddler is young enough, they won’t notice you stealing the pictures back out of their basket and re-hiding them whilst they are still searching to make the game last longer!


If you don’t have any straw hats lying around your house, then making an Easter crown is a great quick and free (and unisex!) alternative to Easter bonnet decorating, with the added bonus of giving you the ability to make it the right size for your toddler’s little head. Cut a zig-zag that will make the top of the crown down one length of a sheet of card or paper, decorate one side of the card with your toddler, fit it to his or her head decorated side outwards and staple the ends together where appropriate (making sure to remove the crown from your little ones head before stapling of course!). Believe it or not, paper plates also make fantastic instant hats or crowns that you can fit to the smallest of heads; click here for some great inspirational ideas.

Handprint Sheep Card
featured on craftsbyamanda.com

Everyone loves a home-made card from a toddler, and Easter is a great opportunity to bring a smile to someone’s face with a card made with love. These egg-shaped cards are perfect for toddlers to decorate and even the youngest toddlers can make their mark with cards like these finger and footprint and handprint ideas.


Making Easter treats at home can be as easy as a chocolate cornflake (or shredded wheat for a more authentic look) cake ‘nest’ topped with mini eggs like these, or as intricate as these lovely sheep and bunny lollypops. If you would prefer to make healthy treat, these carrot patches look great fun.


Whatever you choose to do this Easter, I hope you have a fantastic time doing it!


Happy Easter! x

We can’t wait for Bolton Abbey’s Easter eggstravaganza!

Exploring the woodland by the River Wharfe, where it flows through this spectacular, narrow gorge, is a brilliant experience at any time of the year. But throw an Easter bunny and chocolate eggs into the mix and you’ve got the perfect day out with the little ones.

Bolton Abbey is holding its fantastic Easter Trail on the 6, 7, 8, 9th April, at any time between 10am and 4pm. For the standard entry price of just £6 per car, you collect your free map of the egg hunt from either the Sandholme car park or the Cavendish shop and follow the Easter bunny’s trail of eggs.

As you hop from one colourful egg to the next, you’ll meander to the Strid and back – about two miles in total on pram-friendly trails, taking in the backdrop of the woods in Spring time as you go. There will also be an anagram displayed along the route to keep you occupied.

The beautiful trails are great for letting children let off steam in the fresh air and there’s plenty to see aside from the egg search as you go. From the fast flowing waters, to the trees and wildlife, there’s something at every turn to keep little ones entertained and enthused as they enjoy the ancient trails. The Easter bunny will be waiting outside the Cavendish Pavilion with mini eggs for all children who complete the hunt. We can’t think of a more perfect way to round off an egg-citing day out! x

Raise a toast to Mothers’ Day with Terroir Languedoc – and read on for details of a fantastic MOOBAAKIDS special offer…

Gemma Crangle of Terroir
Languedoc, based in Skipton

Motherhood can be a thankless task. And while a cheeky smile, an unprompted kiss or a funny way with words that can make the most mundane sentence sparkle keeps us more than motivated, we’re not going to lie – we still want pampering on Mothers’ Day! (note to dads – it’s March 18!)

Homemade cards and gifts (ideally edible!) are the best in our book but this year we also plan to raise a little toast to ourselves and all the family and friends who support us. Who better to ask about what to fill our glasses with than local mum of two and wine expert Gemma Crangle.

Gemma has been running her award-winning business Terroir Languedoc from Skipton for the past six years. Terroir Languedoc specialises in France’s innovative Languedoc Roussillon region. Gemma’s passion for quality lead her to the area and her business thrives on knowing the region’s best, often pioneering growers and offering excellent wines to her customers, at incredible value to suit all pockets.

You don’t need to take our word for it – her client list takes her everywhere and her wines are poured at top-notch restaurants across the country. We’re delighted that Gemma has shared her knowledge with us and has recommended three of her top tipples for a celebration.

1) Mas de Daumas Gassac rose frizant £16.95 

Gemma says: This is the perfect summer drink (although it will work well in Spring too!) for a touch of decadence, as an aperitif, at a picnic, with strawberries or just for general drinking! A wonderful alternative to rosé Champagne for special occasions (it went down very well at our wedding!). Fresh and vivacious raspberry and strawberry fruit with lovely balance and finesse.

2) Domaine Begude Sauvignon Blanc £9.95

Gemma says: An excellent example of SB produced using bio dynamic methods so ultra natural without chemicals or sprays. They have to ship in tons of animal dung to use as fertiliser! One half of the couple who produce is a Yorkshire lass and actually went to same school as me!

3) Chateau d’Oupia £7.95
Gemma says: This is a brilliant introduction to typical Languedoc reds. Being a blend of the traditional Languedoc grape varieties it is full bodied with spice, herbs and juicy red fruit and is the perfect match to red meat (especially lamb or game) but is also very easy to quaff without.

Not only has Gemma shared her top tips but she’s also offering all MooBaaKids users a fantastic offer on all orders placed before 10pm on Sunday - March 18 2012. There’s a HUGE 20% off all orders. She will also throw in a free bottle for orders of 6 bottles or more and 2 free bottles for a case of 12. Simply quote MOOBAAKIDS when you call or email to order. T:01756 700512 or email:enquiries@terroirlanguedoc.co.uk

Spring has sprung in Aireville Park…

Is it just us or does it feel like Spring has definitely sprung?! A little walk in the dales today was a treat with daffodils about to come out and lambs gambolling galore! There are signs of the seasons changing everywhere and you don’t have to head into the dales to find them. A walk round Aireville Park in Skipton with your little ones will also make cold dark mornings fade into the distance.


We’ve taken our cue from the Woodland Trust’s Nature Detectives top nature spots for March and will be keeping our eyes peeled for blue tits. Apparently these tiny colourful birds start building their nests in early spring so should be flitting about any time now to the delight of eagle-eyed toddlers.

It’s about now that hedgehogs surface from hibernation so if you’re walking along the shrubbed paths of the park and the end of the day you and your little ones might be lucky enough to catch sight of them – our two year old was thrilled to see one shuffling past at about 6pm the other week. Apologies to anyone who heard the ensuing tantrum when we refused her calls to take him home with us!

The small tortoiseshell is one of the first butterflies to appear in early Spring so keep a look out as you go past Gawflat Conservation Meadow in the park to spot them drinking the nectar of wildflowers and laying their eggs in nettle patches. Although best to keep enthusiastic toddlers away from said nettle patches…

And finally the fantastic horse chestnut trees of Aireville Park – that provide great conkering in Autumn – will be bursting into bud. Their large sticky buds will open in March to allow their leaves to grow.

With Mother Nature doing her bit to keep us and our little ones entertained on walks – we just need to keep our fingers crossed the weather lasts! x

Loving all the seasons at Bolton Abbey!

We did the St Valentine Trail at Strid Wood last month and fell head over heels in love…with the entire Bolton Abbey Estate!

Actually, our love affair with this gorgeous place actually started a long time ago, when we were little and we’re loving taking our own children to explore what we think is a gem on our doorsteps.
So much so that we are now in possession of a Season Ticket. It’s £60 and allows the holder free unlimited admission to Bolton Abbey for 12months (from the date of purchase), for all the family travelling in one vehicle during opening hours. We think this is fab value – and there are some great discounts and vouchers that come along with it too!

The ticket arrived in the post today and we can’t wait to enjoy everything that the estate has to offer – from the priory, to Barden Tower along the beautiful nature trails and riverside setting.
We’ll be first in line for the brilliant events that are planned this year: the Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Trail, Father Christmas and 12 Days of Christmas. Not to mention picnics in the Summer, lazy days paddling and trying to spot the elusive deer.
We’re also going to check out Messy Mondays, Wild Wednesdays and Funday Fridays, as well as the Priory Fete.


As an unexpected bonus – not only do you get unlimited access to Bolton Abbey but (at the time of writing, Feb 2012) there are also discounts at the Village and Cavendish Shops and Pavilion eatery, plus a buy one drink get one free offer at MooBaaKids users’ favourite - Buffers.


As well as that there are vouchers to use at the Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel and Spa and the Devonshire Fell. Two for one afternoon tea anyone?! For our little train enthusiasts, the icing on the cake is that with the season ticket, one person travels FREE when accompanied by a full fare paying passenger at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. (This offer does not include Bank Holidays and special events)

For more information about season tickets and to check the latest offers and discounts click HERE or call 01756 718009.

We plan to make lots of use of ours and will let you know what we think when we’ve checked them all out! We’ll see you there! x

Pancake ideas for flipping good fun!

The theatre of the big pancake flip on Shrove Tuesday (Feb 21) is enough to catch the imagination of most pre-schoolers. Heap on top of this excitement, an array of toppings as far as your imagination can stretch and it’s no surprise why pancake day is much anticipated for little ones across the country!
Thankfully, it doesn’t take the skills of Heston Blumenthal to whip up a delicious pancake batter. Just follow any tried and tested recipe and then go to town on your topping.

There are savoury options but frankly, they don’t float our kids’ boats so we’ll just mention a few (!) of our favourite toppings…sugar and lemon, sugar and lemon with melted butter, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry – in fact any berry! – nutella, chopped banana, raisins, syrup, peanut butter, chocolate chips, chopped nuts…we’re making ourselves too hungry to carry on but you get the idea!

If mixing and flipping at home isn’t enough for you, and your little ones have done all they can do in the way of pancake day activities then there’s a pancake day race in Ilkley along The Grove on Tuesday. Frying pans at the ready! x

Kelly's Little Treasures!

We love supporting local businesses and when it’s a business inspired by the arrival of a little one, it’s even more exciting! Kelly Oldfield set up Kelly’s Little Treasures in April last year after her second baby was born.

The business focuses on handmade wooden items great for nurseries and gifts. From wall letters to wooden bunting, memory boxes to door signs and lots in between, Kelly’s Little Treasures keeps the focus on personalised gifts made in Skipton with creativity and care.

She says: “I love being a full time mummy and want to be there to see everything my children do, so decided the best way to be able to do this would be to set up my own business and work from home. I love every minute of my work I find it extremely relaxing and the best part I can wait till my children go to bed to do it. Our most popular items are the scripted wall letters and our wooden name buntings.”

Kelly has offered to make one MooBaaKids user a scripted wall letter sign to the name of their choice for our latest competition. 
To win simply tell us what your favourite local places are to take the kids – can be as near or far as you consider ‘local’ to be and anything from a park, a walk, a cinema, eatery, play centre, class, group, tourist attraction or any of the hundred other possibilities! 

Scripted wall letter sign

Let us know by 10pm on Friday 17th February 2012 and we’ll select a winner at random. You can enter via our facebook wall or you can email your answer to us at moobaakids@hotmail.co.uk Oh, and the more times you enter the more chances you have of winning. Good Luck!


To find out more about Kelly's business check out her website: www.kellyslittletreasures.co.uk 

LOVE is in the air…

Why should loved-up grown-ups have all the fun on Valentine’s Day? For toddlers, there’s plenty in life that they LOVE and the 14th February is a great excuse to celebrate it! If you fancy heading out, there’s the Valentine’s Trail at beautiful Bolton Abbey where you meander along the pram-friendly paths searching for love – or symbols of it at least!


To look for love closer to home, why not play Hide the Hearts – a simple fun game for pre-schoolers. Cut out hearts from red or pink paper. Hide the hearts all around the house and start the clocks to give them five minutes to find as many as they can! The child who collects, the most hearts wins a prize. If you feel like cuddling up and staying in, then there’s always homemade popcorn and a love-themed film – we’re loving Tangled at the moment!

Painted hearts on stones

And if you’re little one is looking for a creative outlet and a chance to let someone know how special they are – there are a million ways to say I love you. Why not paint hearts on stones and then put them outside for people to find: click here for inspiration. 

Potato print heart cards

For a more traditional approach there are lots of ways your little one can make a gorgeous card. They’ll love creating something special for a loved one, and then heading to the post box to seal it with a kiss! Either these hand print cards or potato print heart cards would be perfect!

Love Heart toast (love!)

And as far as treats to eat, there’s plenty in the way of things to make…if you have a small heart-shaped cutter or are creative enough to go free-hand then a sweetheart fruit salad (great for finger food) could fit the bill nicely. Not quite as good for you but as nice as it is naughty, these love heart toasts look fantastic! 

Sweetheart fruit salad

Happy Valentine’s day all! xo

New clothes from old as a local mum gets creative with her innovative business!

At the start of any new year, many of us are throwing out the old and looking towards the new. But one innovative local children’s clothing business is cleverly using the old to create something new!



Qualified dress maker and mum of two girls Rowan set up her business eco-dinky a couple of years ago, when trying to find fun clothes for her children to play in. She now makes fantastic creations for girls aged 6 months to 8 years old using old fabrics, buttons and threads and also offers a custom-made service.

Rowan explains: “I dusted off my sewing machines and got busy. I started to make fun, playful, clothes for my own children. Neighbours and friends then started to ask me to make things for their children, then their friends would want some too and it just grew from there.


“The environmental side of my business just sort of happened really. I just naturally gravitated to making clothing from things that were already in existence; old clothes, table cloths, chair covers, fabric which was damaged and roll ends. I bought threads which had already been used then thrown away to make way for the next season’s colours, bags of mismatched buttons. started unpicking zips from clothes with holes in, chopping the good parts of fabric away from the worn out bits etc. It just was how I wanted to make things. There is far too much waste in the fashion industry and I really didn’t want to add to it. “My customers also really appreciate this ethos – they often have an item of clothing their child has grown out of which they loved and can't bear to get rid of. They send outgrown baby grows or clothing from their children, or baby slings they no longer use, or even items of their own they can no longer wear, and I incorporate the fabric into a new item for their child.”



Rowan has been a qualified dressmaker for over 15 years and, before having her daughters Bunny and Frankie, worked mostly in women’s wear, makings all sorts from bridal to club wear, also costumes, corsets and dance wear. She now works from home in East Morton in West Yorkshire to suit the needs of her family. She adds: “Working from home also means Bunny and Frankie get to see what it means to work and to see the process of something being made from start to finish, which is actually a rare thing these days. For her 5th birthday Frankie drew me a picture of a beautiful dress she wanted me to make (the sleeves came out of her head in the drawing but we worked around that!), she told me the colours she liked and instructions on how much the skirt should twirl and where I should sew on jewels. She then saw the drawing become a pattern, the pattern become pieces of cut out fabric, and finally the fabric being sewn into the dress she had designed.”




 This is a service Rowan now offer to people for their children – they love designing their own and get very detailed and involved. She continues: “My most popular dress design though, is the wing dress. This is a very versatile dress as the basic design can be made in any colour, and any designs can be sewn on as decoration. For example, I once had an order for a pair of wing dresses for identical twins. One liked spaceships and the other liked fairies. I did a silver spaceship dress for one and a gold fairy dress for the other.” 

The age range for pre-made clothing tends to be 6 months to 8 years, with the ages split up into 6-12 months, 1-2 years, 3-4 years, 5-6 years and 7-8 years. Dresses range in price from £20 to around £35 depending on the design. Custom made clothing can be made in any size. Rowan explains: “I’ve had everything on the spectrum! 5 year olds as tall as a 7 year old but as thin as a 4 year old, short, wide 3 year olds, giant 6 year olds. If a child is local I will tend to measure them but I am happy to take measurements from relatives over the phone or just give me an idea of what size clothing they normally wear eg. A size 3-4, or like the above example where they are 7 year old height but 4 year old width. I can work with that.”


Prices for custom made clothing range, as above, from around £20 - £35 to make up the garment with the additional cost for pattern cutting which is usually about £15 - £30. A custom made item can take anything from a couple of hours or up to a couple of days but Rowan discusses time frames with all her customers – especially if they have a specific occasion in mind for the outifit.


For more information visit Rowan’s website at www.eco-dinky.com

Love is in the air!

We love Coffee and Clay on the High Street in Skipton and it seems they're loving the MooBaaKids gang too...they're offering a brilliant £20 pottery prize to one of our lucky users (they don't take bookings and there is no studio fee, just go along and paint, for more info on last entry last entry or to see how buy they are just give them a call on 01756 792132). 


And seeing as there's so much love in the air, we're running the competition in time for you to redeem it for 14th February and make something extra special with your little ones for their Valentine! 


Simply tell us what local family event or activity you're most looking forward to this year and details if we've not already included it on the website. You can enter by emailing us at moobaakids@hotmail.co.uk with Coffee and Clay in the subject header or by writing on our facebook wall.  As always, the more entries you submit, the greater chance you have of winnning and the winner will be selected at random. Closing date is Sunday 29th January 2012 at 10pm. 

Coffee and Clay caters for people of all ages and abilities with the focus on getting creative and having fun! Spend your prize decorating anything you fancy from a plate, a mug, a bowl or even a scary dinosaur, using a special range of 20 different coloured paints. There's a wide range of stencils, stamps, sponges to inspire you and friendly staff are at hand to help. Once you have decorated your piece, it is glazed and fired in a special kiln and it is ready to collect within a few days. 

For more details - including their fab children's parties - visit  www.coffeeandclay.co.uk

Pantomime season is well underway and on behalf of MooBaaKids, Kathy Grillo took a trip down memory lane to the Alhambra panto in Bradford and liked what she saw.

MooBaaKids users can ring up for tickets to Robin Hood- The Pantomime Adventure NOW and simply quote MOOBAA OFFER to secure the following fantastic discount: Best seats (stalls & dress circle) £15, that's a saving of up to £9.50 on these dates / performances: Tues 10 Jan - 6.15pm; Tues 17 Jan - 6.15pm.
The offer is on a first come first served basis and therefore subject to availability and booking fees.


Robin Hood – The Pantomime Adventure at the Alhambra Theatre, review by Kathy Grillo.


Little and Large in 1981 with a guest appearance from Norman Collier (does anyone else remember his broken microphone act?) and a memorable rendition of the rather annoying ‘Shaddup You Face’. That was my last visit to an Alhambra pantomime.


So with slightly jaded memories of the concept I needed convincing, even though many have sung the praises of stalwart comedian Billy Pearce’s regular appearances in the annual show.


But I needn’t have worried – myself and my six-year-old daughter were completely blown away by the spectacle.


From the moment the lights go down the show grabs the audience by the lapels and takes it on a journey of magic, adventure, belly laughs and camp musical numbers.


Pearce, despite being at least 20 years older than many of the cast bounces through from beginning to end with the energy of a schoolboy and a rapport with the audience very few could achieve. From the moment he lands on stage, dangling from the ceiling, he is welcomed by many like an old friend.


Hilary O’Neil as the Sorceress, another panto regular, effortlessly lurches from impersonations including Stacey Solomon and Joe Pasquale to belting out big songs.


The villain of the piece, the Sheriff, played by Jay Worthy was brilliantly camped up and over-acted. And Andrew Ryan’s outrageous Nurse Nelly competes with Pearce for laughs with his/her increasingly eye-popping costume changes, such as a crazy striptease which became a washing line and turns as both Susan Boyle and Anne Robinson.


The laughs came thick and fast with topical jokes (“I’m taking her to a deep, dark place. No, not Skipton!”) and slapstick like Jamie Capewell’s vainpreening, Will Scarlett wooing Maid Marion (Emma Cannon) with a cheesy version of Bryan Adams’ ‘Everything I Do’ with Pearce trying to pull him off the wall he is sitting on.


The wonders of modern panto technology are also on display with a beautiful ‘waterfall’ which spells out words and a flying dragon.


We left the theatre as pantomime converts, chatting about it all the way home. But for younger children, an earlier performance is a must, as the show is nearly three hours long, with a 15-20 minute interval for frantic toilet trips.


Runs until 5 Feb – www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

New (MooBaa) Kids on the block!

We know lots of people who hear about MooBaaKids for the first time have discovered us because they’re expecting a baby. As this is being typed, our 6 day old baby is (for the time being!) snoozing peacefully. So our thoughts have been focussed on giving birth and the early days with a newborn for quite a while now!


If you or a friend is expecting this year or next then please introduce them to MooBaaKids for useful information on our pregnancy and birth pages as well as classes and groups to join once they’re in the swing of it all!



One of the services on our page really piqued our interest – those of the doulas we list. Not knowing much about them and having never used one ourselves, we spoke to one local doula about her work and also got some great tips to share with you for both the birth and the first days and weeks at home.


Lisa Sykes, mother of Emily, Hebe and Sid, has worked as a doula for the past year – including with families from Skipton and the surrounding area. Pronounced ‘doola’, the word means caregiver in Greek and is the name given to a woman who gives emotional and practical support before, during or after childbirth.


Lisa said: “Giving birth can be the most wonderful experience and I see my role as a doula to prepare, inform and empower women and couples so that they can have a very positive experience and really relax and enjoy it.
“Like a lot of doulas, I came to the work after the births of my own children. My first was a very difficult birth and I realised I needed to come to the next ones better informed about my body and the birthing process.
“I realised that giving birth is not a one size fits all experience and worked out what I wanted as an individual and listened to myself much more. I had the most amazing experiences with my next two births and realised I wanted to support other people in reaching the same thing so decided to train as a doula.”


Doulas also offer post-natal care working flexible hours to suit the family, offering practical and emotional support to the new parents in the home following the birth. There is no formal training path as such but Lisa undertook an accredited course and is listed with the professional body, Doula UK – one of around 600 so listed in the UK.
Lisa added: “We work with women or the whole family at any stage they might contact us be it well in advance or a matter of weeks before their birth. We are not there in a clinical capacity but to offer research-based information along with our own experiences and give practical support to enable people to make their own informed choices. We hope to empower families so they can have the birth they want that’s right for their circumstances.” Lisa has worked with 17 families in the past 12 months and that increasing numbers of people are turning to doula services.


And it’s not just the preserve of the rich. “We have wealthy clients but equally those who are from socially deprived areas. We see all kinds of family units from the traditional to what might be described as very modern – basically anyone who recognises the value of objective and continuous individual support,” explained Lisa.

There is also a Doula Access Fund accessible through Doula UK, whereby people who cannot afford a doula can apply for financial help in securing their services. Many doulas often also consider skill swaps with prospective clients.
Lisa added: “You’ll find that doulas are not in it for the money. They are usually like me – aware of the huge privilege of their work. We really connect with the people we work with and invest a lot of our emotion and time into helping them as best we can. Our work never becomes routine. Without fail I am amazed and delighted at the work I do - at the miracle of the birth of a child.”


Lisa gave us some general advice about preparing for the birth of a baby:

* Ante-natal preparation is vital. Find out as much factual information as you can. Research your options whether you’re giving birth in a hospital, birth centre or at home. The ‘standard’ option is not always right for everyone so really think about what you want.
* Mental and physical preparation is so important. Consider relaxation, self-hypnosis and visualisation if you think it will help you and check out local pregnancy yoga or Lazy Daisy gentle movement for birth classes. 
*There is an excellent Lazy Daisy group locally contact Email amanda@lazydaisybirthing.co.uk or visit www.thelazydaisychain.co.uk for details
*There are some free classes planned in Otley and Harrogate on 20 and 21st December – check out the MoobaaKids events page for details!
* Above all don’t be scared by other people’s stories or pre-conceived ideas. Believe that this can be a positive experience
because it really can be. Giving birth is a wonderful thing and it’s such a shame that people can let fear over-shadow and affect how they deal with it.


And some top tips following the birth of your baby:

* Don’t underestimate the importance of skin to skin contact. It’s vital for bonding with your baby. This close contact just as nature intended had numerous benefits including regulating the baby’s body temperature and getting you used to one another.
* Indulge yourself and your family. Enjoy the ‘babymoon’ as it’s such a special time. Really take the time do whatever suits you and your family and if this means time to yourself or sleeping and just being with your baby then do it!
* Enlist as much support as you can…be demanding! This is your time at home with the new addition to your family. Limit your visitors and ask that those who come bring you something nice be it a cake, Radox or your dinner for the evening! Or ask them to put the kettle on while they’re there. People love to help and offer support and are generally very pleased to be asked!

If you’re currently expecting we wish you all the very best with the rest of your pregnancy, birth of your baby and the early days.



A recent Cochrane review that involved over 15 thousand women concluded that having continuous support of a doula reduced risks in child birth. Women who have a doula are shown to have shorter labours, are less likely to feel that they need pain relief, less likely to have a forceps or c section delivery, were less likely to feel negatively about their birth experiences.

If you’d like more information then please visit www.doula.org.uk or for information about Lisa’s services then visit http://www.everyday-miracle.co.uk/