When the days aren't so good

This was so not the blog I wanted to write today, but I feel I must. 

There are those days where everything goes smoothly without a glitch and days like today that I'd like to forget.

Today hasn't gone well, to begin with my son decided he would not do as he is told stressing my mum out and then we end up arguing, so we all had the hump at the start of the day, and then picking him up from school, was told that he was hurting other children to the point they were scared of him.

He kicks off because as punishment he couldn't have his tablet or dart board, but then apologises but still kicks off so decided to take him for a walk for some fresh air, if you can call it that with the heat wave we had today, and then I ordered the wrong drink in Cafe Nero, but drank it anyway so it wasn't a waste of money, and just now whilst watching Not Going Out I get a tummy upset after eating an ice cream.

Happy days! NOT!

What would life be like without bad ones, who knows but so glad that, and I hope I am not jinxing this as I say it, finally got Henry to get to bed and go to sleep after second attempt, and now feel like sh*t because of that poxy ice cream.

It was one of those days that even though I had new clothes on I felt overweight and fat, so now I am determined to go for more walks and do more fitness training, I can't seem to get my Mojo or energy to run at the moment, so walking it is, to lose those pounds put on because of the bloody Lockdown, and yes I want to blame lockdown as face it most things are my fault, so nice to blame something else other than myself.

You just have to take some days as they come without planning too much, and as much as I tried to be productive today, like I wrote in my Building Confidence post today,

https://buildingselfconfidencetud.blogspot.com/2020/06/living-more-productive-life-to-help.html

I didn't end up making my bed, instead I got back in it as I just couldn't get any energy this morning after the battle I had this morning to do any writing, so took a nap instead.

However it is the weekend so Henry will be looked after by his father to hopefully give myself a break and be able to have some me time once again.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring but I just hope it is better than today.

I hope you all have a good weekend too and remember to stay safe.

Many thanks for reading,


Carrie X

Real Heroes

This week I am talking about Real Heroes those who inspire other people because of their misfortune, to help create a positive outcome.

On Wednesday I watched a programme on BBC 1 called Defying Gravity and it was about this young girl called Lily Rice who does Wheelchair Motocross and how she is using her sport to raise awareness to help others who are in wheelchair to do the same, to help give them a purpose in life too.

I thought it was so inspirational that for me it is people like Lily that are real heroes in our world, even though they may not see it that way. It amazes me that people like Lily have been missed under my radar because it is like "How comes I didn't know about you?" because watching that programme on BBC 1 was such an eye opener to the fact that just because you have a disability you can still do stunts just like those on bikes and scooters, in a wheelchair.

I think it is truly amazing and goes to show that anything is possible, not impossible, it is about determination and drive.

I remember I had a pen friend in Scotland called Sammy and she was such an amazing person, and we became friends through visiting my Uncle who had, had a stroke and she liked Bon Jovi and I sent her some Bon Jovi posters, because she had tried to get some at her local music store but because there were stairs and no lifts she found it hard to gain access to this area to buy one so I bought a few for her and sent them to her.

Her writing was so beautiful that if you didn't know her, you would not have had any idea that she was disabled.

She was so full of life and so happy all the time, that I remember thinking that if she can be happy with her own skin, then so can I.

I think watching this programme gives hope to so many. I remember when I did the Great North Run and there was a guy there doing the run on two sticks and he was so friendly talking to people as he went including myself and then suddenly him and his friends cheered me on as we all carried on doing the 13 mile run.

It was a fantastic boost of confidence and one that I will treasure for ever. When doing these sorts of events like music and sport, it brings so many people together that it restores you faith in mankind.

So I want us to take a moment and think about these kind of people, as they should be given knight hoods and OBE's because of how inspirational they can be.

Many thanks for reading,


Carrie X

What I have been able to do during Lockdown

Hello and welcome to another Newsletter blog, sharing my thoughts and advice for the week. 

Lockdown is still going for some and others are slowly moving into some sort of normality. I will admit I am getting a little frustrated over it all, and bored of it now.

I know we still have to stay safe and healthy but I just feel like I want to be able to have a meal in McDonalds or order a Chinese takeaway. It is amazing how you miss the little things in life.

The one thing that I have found I have been able to do, is save money and only pick up bits and bobs I really needed.

The other thing I have been able to do is spend time clearing out my emails. I can end up having thousand of emails no lie, and makes me want to avoid looking in my inbox, but having some time out I have been able to search through my emails and go through any emails I no longer need.

I have also been able to catch up on TV and Youtube like I am now whilst I write this blog. I have to have some sort of noise when I write my blogs as I find I get more inspiration that way.

This weekend I am going to take advantage to do some exercise again and see if I can get back to my workout routine.

Let me know what you are planning this weekend by leaving a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,


Carrie X

Why I love a double act

Hello and welcome to another newsletter blog, where I share my thoughts and advice for the week.

This week after watching Car Share on BBC 1 I was inspired to write this blog about the famous double act, and why I love them so much.

My favourite double acts were Cannon and Ball and Little and Large, who were massive in the 80's. Sadly Eddie Large died this year, and will be sadly missed, but his partner in crime is still going strong Sid Little along with Cannon and Ball.

Eddie Large and Sid little did a lot of impressions and took the mickey out of famous pop groups like New Kids on the Block.

If you are a fan of Lee Mack's show Not Going Out then you'd know that Bobby Ball plays Lee's Dad in it.

Cannon and Ball did I'm a Celebrity get me out of here, aswell as the Coach trip and most recently performed out in Las Vegas, is the TV programme The Last Laugh in Vegas.

Sid Little and Tommy Cannon have both been contestants in Celebrity Masterchef, and if you have seen the Not Going Out Finale where Lee and Lucy get married, Tommy Cannon played the vicar.

I have loved double acts since I was a kid and would watch endless films with Laurel and Hardy and Abbot and Costello. They are special and the most recent act is of course is Ant and Dec, who have been partners since they were kids and both starred in Biker Grove.

To be a good double act you have to be able to talk through the audience instead of at them and bounce off each other, not literally but in terms of getting the audience involved.

I loved Cannon and Ball because it was so funny seeing Tommy bully bobby and my favourite sketch of there's is when they took the mickey out of West Side Story.

I used to love Christmas time when they had their Christmas show and no one was allowed to murmur otherwise they'd get a dirty look but they were allowed to laugh. I loved the opening titles of Cannon and Ball with the two stars and their theme tune I still love to play today.

Their theme tune just hits me right in the heart and back again, and is memorable that I would get so excited and still now whenever I hear it, and there is an episode of Car Share where they talk about them, and even that made me beam.

I even had the pleasure of going to see them in 1986 in the Pantomime Babes In The Woods at the London Palladium. I thought we had gone in without a ticket and hadn't realised we had actually got tickets, it was only ten years later that I realised it was a surprise and part of my Christmas present that year.

Now they perform in many places now, and still doing their act in front of live audiences, and I still watch their film Boys In Blue, which has a brilliant theme tune to that aswell.

Laurel and Hardy were always getting themselves in trouble, and I good double act will have a catchy tune and often a catch phrase too "That is a fine mess you got me in" Oliver Hardy would bellow Stan Laurel, but they were so lovable that there legacy along with Burt and Ernie and Morecombe and Wise still lives on today. 

So who is your favourite double act I would love to hear from you, you can leave a comment below.

Please stay safe and many thanks for reading,


Carrie X

Life and times of Butlins Holiday Camp

Hello and welcome to my weekly newsletter blog sharing my life and times of Butlins Holiday Camp, where I worked from May 2002 to November 2005, in Bognor Regis.

I also met the love of my life there Lee McKillop also known as Lee Mack there and my life has changed so much.

It was my dream since a kid to work at a holiday camp, as my family would make yearly visits to one in Clacton-Upon-Sea in St Osyth's.

I went there to initially join the entertainments department, but ended up working in the Residential Catering Department.

It was a fantastic job and I loved it, especially at night after my evening shift where I would go to Centre stage, Skyline and Jaks.

They are great places to work as you live on site in the staff lines, get meals on site and all entertainment is free, well it was when I worked there. So all you end up paying for really is your drink after your shift is finished.

When working there you would tend to do split shifts, four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening, and then have the evenings and afternoons to yourself.

We weren't allowed to drink in or off site around Bognor Regis until 6:15pm, but hands up I didn't always follow these rules and neither did many of the workers you just made sure you were out of uniform when doing so.

It was a different world but one that was brilliant. I never got my dream of being a red coat in the end, but still enjoyed my time there and met some wonderful people in the process.

There is Butlins Facebook group if you would like to join to share your story of working at Butlins at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4290489164/

Many thanks for reading,


Carrie X