FamiliesBedsMayJune2019

FRE E

TAKE M

E HOM

E

Bedfordshire IT'S OUR

40th ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE ●

Annual Party Feature & Party Directory

● Childcare ● The

Future of Work – What Can We Do to Prepare our Children?

● Parenting ● May Half ● WIN

in School Holidays - Piecing together the Puzzle for your Children’s Mental Health

Term & What’s On Guide

a copy of ‘The HappySelf Journal’ – see page 2 to enter

Happy Father’s Day!

Issue 40 May/June 2019

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

familiesonline.co.uk

contents

COMPETITION

In Support of Mental Health Awareness Week, Francesca Geens is giving away 3 copies of The HappySelf Journal.

To WIN a copy of The HappySelf Journal, answer the following competition question: How many reviews have been left on the HappySelf Facebook page? a) Over 50? b) Over 100? c) Over 150?

Visit www.facebook.com/happyselfjournal for a clue to the answer.

Competition Deadline: Fri, 27th June 2019.

Please send your name, contact number and answer to: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk.

The 3 winners will be contacted by telephone.

To advertise in this magazine contact:

3-5

News

6 -7

Party Feature

8

Childcare

9

Education

10 -11

Clubs & Classes

12

Family Health

13-16

What’s on & May Half Term Days Out

Find us and folllow us on:

Michéllin Store - Editor m: 07824 377175 e: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Sarah Harmer - Designer www.familiesbedfordshire.co.uk

Facebook.com/familiesbedfordshire @FamiliesBeds families_beds18

Make sure to pick up the July/Aug Summer Edition.

Out on the 1st May 2019.

LOVE

?

SO DO WE!

Bedfordshire

That’s why at Families Bedfordshire we love going the extra mile to give you MORE! MORE readers Families Beds reaches over 16 000 involved parents and carers in Bedfordshire

MORE targeted Families Beds distribution is cherry picked to reach the right kind of people

MORE success Families Beds has an over 75% re – booking rate, so we do work.

MORE value Families Beds offers great value, tailor – made packages & added extras

MORE relevant Families Beds deliver content on the things that matter to most parents

MORE quality Families Beds is more durable so your ads look great for

If you think we’re on the same page, contact Families Bedfordshire Magazine today and see how we can help your business do more.

Email Michéllin for details: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Families Bedfordshire is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

Families ® is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Bedfordshire are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Bedfordshire. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but the franchise company, Families Print Ltd, Families Bedfordshire and Lifecycle Marketing cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

2 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

www.familiesonline.co.uk

NEWS & VIEWS

It's Official! Our Readers Prefer Families Magazine to the Internet!

Last year, we conducted a survey across the UK asking readers to tell us what they find useful about our magazine and how likely they would be to respond to advertising in it.

We were delighted to receive almost 500 responses and by the wonderful feedback you gave us...

More than 70% of our readers said they were highly likely to respond to advertising in our magazine or had already done so.

That’s fabulous news for our advertisers and for our readers, because it means we can carry on making the magazine better and better!

A whopping 79% of readers told us that they use the magazine to research ideas for local family activities or classes and clubs for children and an equally impressive 74% said they use it to plan family life.

Many of you also told us that you find it easier to plan family activities

and entertainment using Families Magazine than using the internet! You told us that using the internet to research and plan can be time consuming and confusing, involving lots of trawling online for useful information.

A common complaint seems to be the “endless trawling” that digital research involves.

A reader in Portsmouth told us:

“I have given up on googling what is happening over the school holidays as I just get bombarded with hundreds of websites. It can get exhausting and time consuming clicking on each one.”

Readers also told us that they really value having a physical magazine in their hands in which all the information relevant to family life has already been

collated and is presented to them in an easy-to-digest format.

A typical response came in from our readers …

‘We find Families Bedfordshire magazine has a great balance of adverts for local attractions, clubs and activities and interesting articles with top tips and strategies. It is well presented with clear fonts and vibrant colours and a handy What's On guide at the back for easy reference and planning’.

We were also really happy that large numbers of you reported that Families Magazine makes your lives easier, less stressful and saves you time.

I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our readers who volunteered their comments.

I treasure all of your warm and valuable comments.

With deep gratitude, Michéllin – Editor of Families Bedfordshire Magazine

If you are interested in taking part in one of our Reader Forums, please email info@familiesmagazine.co.uk with your name, phone number and post code. *Readers names have not been quoted for privacy reasons.

Foster a Luton child Do something amazing this year – become a foster carer.

We want to keep brothers and sisters together who need a stable nurturing home, can you help?

To find out more, call the Luton Fostering Service on 01582 547569 www.luton.gov.uk/fostering www.familiesonline.co.uk

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

Bedfordshire 3

NEWS DATES TO CELEBRATE: May Day – 1st May. Celebrate with Spring Flowers!

World Red Cross Day – Wed, 8 May National Mills Week – Sat, 11 May – Sun, 12 May International Nurse’s Day & National Children’s Day– Sun, 12 May Mental Health Awareness Week – Mon, 13 – Sun 19 May National Walk to School Week – Mon, 20 - 24 May

Breastfeeding Out and About in Bedfordshire? Check out NEW tech In 2016 Ros McFadden an IBCLC (Lactation Consultant), midwife and director of Breastfeeding Hub Ltd developed an App; Breastfeeding Hub MK, after winning a Citizen Award in technology run by Our MK, in conjunction with the Open University MK: Smart project and

the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

It’s a 24h virtual breastfeeding supporter and trip advisor for breastfeeding friendly places with an Information Hub and Breastfeeding Friendly Places interactive map. The early days of breastfeeding can be hard to navigate and helpful information, tips, video clips and signposting to helpful articles and local and national breastfeeding support can

be invaluable.

Version 2.0, launched March 2019 with the new branding Breastfeeding Hub and Bedfordshire Community Health Services were the first NHS provider to add their breastfeeding services to the App. All Baby Brasserie breastfeeding groups feature on the map and mums can add places they found comfortable to breastfeed.

For more info visit: www.breastfeedinghubmk.co.uk

Walk to School Week 2019

Thousands of children across the UK will celebrate the benefits of walking during national Walk to School Week from 20 to 24 May. Families will be encouraged to walk to school for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps: from

healthier and happier children, to fewer cars outside the school gates.

Walking to school is an easy way for children to fit more activity into their day whilst also helping them to develop vital road safety skills.

As awareness grows of the dangers of air pollution on our health, walking to school is a positive action people can take to help clean up our air.

Special Walk to School Week classroom packs are available for school pupils containing wallcharts, stickers, diaries and fun walking journey activities.

For more about Walk to School Week, visit www.livingstreets.org.uk/wtsw

Ban Cars from Idling Near Schools

Cars should not be allowed to idle with engines on when parked near schools, a report has proposed.

Public Health England has recommended local authorities “consider a range of interventions” to protect children from the harmful impacts of air pollution.

The report says air pollution was the biggest

environmental threat to health in the UK. Air pollution is linked to up to 36,000 premature deaths in the UK each year and more than 2,000 schools and nurseries are near to roads with damaging levels of motor emissions.

This report has been followed by a survey of teachers by YouGov which found that nearly two-thirds would support a ban on cars outside school gates during school drop off and pick up times.

More than half (59%) of the teachers surveyed want the Government to take urgent action to improve air quality near schools.

To find out more visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-outdoor-air-quality-and-health-review-of-interventions

Enjoy an Adventure at the Museums at Night Festival Families can explore art, history and heritage after dark with the Museums at Night bi-annual nationwide festival which runs across a wide range of venues from 15 to 18 May. Every year in both May and October, museums, heritage sites and historic properties, as well as smaller cultural venues throw open their doors after hours to showcase their

treasures in unexpected ways.

Discover new exhibitions, take torch lit tours, enjoy live music in historic surroundings, and engage in a range of free and ticketed night-time activities.

Visit The Shuttleworth: Sat, 18th May for the May Evening Airshow OR The Swiss Garden at Night: 1st – 2nd November 2019.

To find other events close to Bedfordshire visit www.museumsatnight.org.uk 4 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

www.familiesonline.co.uk

NEWS

-

DATES TO CELEBRATE: National Children’s Gardening Week: Sat, 25 May – Sun, 2 Jun Foster Care Fortnight: Mon, 13 – Fri, 26 May International Children’s Day – Sat, 1st June Father’s Day – Sun, 16 June World Environment Day – Wed, 5 June Summer Solstice – Fri, 21 June

NEW! Horizon Nannies childcare service in Bedfordshire.

Horizon Nannies is based in Bedfordshire and provides nannies and other childcare professionals to families in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London. Emma Hodson worked extensively as a nanny for local families, worked her way around the globe for high – profile clients.

Emma founded Horizon Nannies so that she could eventually be at home with her own children and put all of her

energy into them, just as she did with the families she worked for over the years. Horizon Nannies are offering a 20% discount to all new families on their first placement fee, once the right nanny is found.

Foster care in Luton “Fostering has never felt like a job. The children become a part of our lives and join in with everything we do as a family.

The best bit about being a foster carer for me is making a difference to the lives of children, some of whom are from difficult backgrounds and seeing those children transform and move on to their forever homes.” Valerie Harris, mother of four, formerly a teacher, fostering for 15 years.

Do you have a spare bedroom and the willingness and ability to care for a child

in Luton? Then we want to hear from you. Luton council is looking for foster carers to care for children 10 years and older, siblings, and children with special needs and disabilities.

Visit www.horizonnannies.com for more information.

Contact: 07544 951008 or 01234 766507 or Email: info@horizonnannies.com

If you are interested in improving the lives of children in care in your local community then call us on 01582 547569 or visit www.luton.gov.uk/fostering

Go wild at Jungle Jim’s Playland!

Get Your Garden Buzzing this Summer

Go wild at Jungle Jim’s Playland, Bedfordshire’s Soft Play & Party Centre. The Jungle two tier play frame includes a Creepy Climber, Two Lane Wavy Slide, Toddler & Baby Area and much more to keep the little ones entertained.Grownups can sit back and relax with some delicious refreshments from the Jungle Shack Café whilst enjoying our FREE WIFI. There are many party

options including the Jungle Party, Jungle Cubs and the Jumbo Party, with many choices available for Theming and special Character Visits including Paw Patrol, Peppa, Frozen & lots more.

To find out more visit www.junglejimsplayland.co.uk

Join in the campaign to get the UK’s gardens buzzing this summer with Hozelock’s Plant a Pot campaign.

By pledging to plant a bee-friendly plant you can be part of a mission to help save Britain’s bees.

Bees are disappearing at an alarming rate and having no bees would mean virtually no flowers, no gardens and very little food.

By planting a container with bee-friendly plants, bulbs or seeds, and keeping it watered and

healthy throughout the foraging season, you can have a huge impact on the availability of bee food throughout the year.

What’s more, if you visit www.plantapot.info and pledge to plant a pot you can be in the running to win £5,000 of prizes as well as monthly gift vouchers.

Parent school holiday fines at record level The number of fines issued to parents in England for taking children on term time holidays has risen to record levels, according to figures from the Department of Education (FfE).

Penalty notices for unauthorised absences rose to 260,000 in 2017-18, an increase of 110,000 compared with the previous year.

"Unauthorised family holiday absence" was the most common reason for attendance fines, the DfE said. www.familiesonline.co.uk

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

In September 2013 the government changed the law so head teachers could only grant a leave of absence to pupils during term time in "exceptional circumstances", such as funerals.

Councils can require parents to pay £60 each per child taken out of school without permission.

This rises to £120 if not paid within 21 days, and after 28 days parents can be prosecuted.

Bedfordshire 5

PARTY FEATURE

It's Party Time!

Claire Winter takes a look at some different party ideas to inspire you – See page 7 for your local Party Directory Planning your child’s birthday can involve deep-breathing and military-style planning.

This annual event has kids jumping for joy but many parents breaking out into a cold sweat.

Food Parties Kids love food, so why not theme your party around it? A pizza making party is always a winner. You can go to your favourite pizza restaurant or hold a DIY party at home. Cupcake decorating parties also go down well and the guests can take home the tasty treat instead of a party bag. How about a doughnut themed party?

Why not set up a Doughnut Wall covered in a variety of doughnuts?

Serving food with a surprise element can be fun too - A cake that is full of sweets when you cut it or ice cream cones filled with savoury fillings. You could also mix up healthy food with treats, such as marshmallows and

fruit kebabs or tortilla chips with hummus and crudités. Number cakes decorated with fruit, meringues, and flowers are also all the rage. They make a great centrepiece on a party table.

Active Parties According to Pinterest searches for scavenger parties are up by 302%.

These are similar to treasure hunts and start with a list of things to find (or do) and a time limit. But there is no set path as players scavenge around and search for all of the items on the list. The player or team who finds everything on the list first or finds the most items before the time is up wins.

These parties can be great fun and relatively inexpensive - you could hold one in your garden or a local park or wood.

You can also search for local party providers to create a stress - free party such as A for Active or Clue HQ in Bedfordshire.

Local Leisure Centres also provide a whole variety of different activities. They often offer a variety of swimming, inflatable and sports parties.

Why not pick a sport your child loves? You could also check out your local trampoline park to see what party packages they offer. Other easy activity parties include paintballing, bowling, laser quest and go-karting.

Parties at Home If you want to host a party at home, you might want to consider hiring a company to help. These days you can even get specialists to come in and set up a sleepover party! They will put up tents in your garden or your home, and some even supply breakfast on a tray!

Some specialists offer to host Science parties where someone comes in to do experiments and makes goo with the children!

They’ll even clean up afterwards.

(Contact your local: Mad Science Parties: https:// hertsbeds.madscience.org/ OR Little Science Labs on Facebook)

hit a Piñata and have plenty of themed games.

Art Parties If your child loves making things, an arts and crafts party is the perfect choice for them. You can go to pottery centres, art studios or get a party provider to come to your house to host a craft party. Do a huge variety of things like mosaics, pottery, painting and jewellery making. Your potential Picassos will also get to take their masterpiece home instead of a party bag.

Themed Parties Magical forest and flowerthemed parties are great fun to host if you like being creative.

A perennial favourite is also a superhero party. It ticks a lot of boxes and offers great fancy dress options for boys and girls. There are loads of great decorations you can make, or buy if you don’t have the time!

Another popular party is a Harry Potter party. You can make up lots of magical games to recreate a mini Hogwarts at home. Mexican themed parties are colourful and awesome too! Decorate the house with Cacti, serve guacamole and dips,

Remember not to stress too much! Your child will remember your efforts whether you hire a circus performer and a bouncy castle; host a fun party at home or organise a trip out to the cinema or a trampoline park.

Enjoy it and embrace the mayhem; they grow up quickly!

6 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

www.familiesonline.co.uk

PARTY FEATURE

Gift Suggestions A gift for creating happiness For 6–12-year olds The HappySelf Journal The Benefits of keeping a journal

By Francesca Geens Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the most well-established happiness practices and the easiest to do. Practicing gratitude is central to the HappySelf journal the daily pages encourage children to write down three top things for the day.

Research has shown that practising gratitude through

a journal increases a sense of happiness as well as a range of physical, psychological and social benefits including stronger immune systems, higher levels of positive emotions and being more helpful, generous and compassionate.

With up to 40% of our happiness totally within our control it’s important our children learn the skills and tools to impact

this for themselves and gratitude is a great place to get started. The HappySelf journal brings together various happiness practices and combines these with growth mindsets principles and gives children a positive and mindful end to their day. And just by taking a look at the reviews that parents have left of the HappySelf Facebook page you will see the real-life results for yourself.

3 Families stand a chance to WIN a copy of The HappySelf Journal – turn to page 2 for more details on how to enter to WIN! Or if you would like to purchase a copy visit www.happyselfjournal.com

A gift for dancing in the rain & splashing in puddles – For all ages If your children, nephew, niece or grandchildren love dancing in the rain and splashing in puddles, do take a look at the NEW Spring/Summer 2019 Kidswear Collection by Mountain Warehouse!

Visit: www.mountainwarehouse.com/kids/ OR find your nearest Mountain Warehouse store: www.mountainwarehouse.com/stores/

The gift of an Experience Herring Green Falconry Centre Activity Days Choose from a variety of activity days – Eagle encounters, Owl & Hawk, Alpaca walks and Field Sports experiences. www.birdsofpreycentre.co.uk

Local Parties Directory Live Escape Game Parties: Clue HQ – 5 Tyne Road, Middlefield Industrial Estate, Sandy, Bedford. www.cluehq.co.uk/bedford 01767 699199 bedford@cluehq.co.uk Indoor Children’s Play Centre & Party Venue Jungle Jim’s Playland Ltd Offers jungle themed party.

Children and their guests can go wild in Jungle Jim’s two – tiered, fun – filled Jungle themed paly frame.

01767 682808 info@ junglejimsplayland.co.uk www.junglejimsplayland.co.uk

360 Play 360play.co.uk SafariMK www.safarimk.co.uk Ice–Cream Parties: Gallone’s Parlours Ice – Cream Party Factory experience 1, The Arcade, 2 High St, Bedford MK40 1NS www.gallonesparlours.com Leisure Centres and Active Parties: SLL Houghton Regis Leisure Centre Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5PY. enquiries.houghton@sll.co.uk

Make your child’s party the talk of the playground Choose a theme and let A for Active create a taylor-made party with memories to last a lifetime Aged 3 to 8 years Call Heather: 07732 473396 Email: contact@aforactive.co.uk www.AforActive.co.uk www.familiesonline.co.uk

SLL Flitwick Leisure Centre Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Beds, MK45 1TH enquiries.flitwick@sll.co.uk SLL Saxon Pool & Leisure Centre Saxon Drive, Biggleswade, Beds SG18 8SU enquiries.saxon@sll.co.uk Trinity Arts & Leisure Bromham Road, Bedford, MK40 2BS www.trinityleisure.co.uk A for Active For more info visit www.AforActive.co.uk 07732 473396 contact@aforactive.co.uk Sleepover Parties: SleepUnder Parties – Bedfordshire & North Herts www.sleepunder.co.uk/ bedfordshire-northherts Pj’s Little Sleepover Company www.pjslittlesleepovercompany. co.uk Outdoor Parties Forest of Marston Vale Offers Disco & Nature Party options.

Marstonvale.org Treetop adventure party at GoApe Goape.co.uk Woburn Safari Party www.woburnsafari.co.uk

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

A gift for gamers of all ages and comic book readers Support your local Comic & Games Store – Aah Geek Out www.ahhgeekout.co.uk A gift for keepsakes – For all ages Support your local gift shop - Me Me Me www.mememe.com

CLUE HQ

Can your team of explorers retrieve the Cluetan Crystal and escape the Tomb of Cluetankhamun? Clue HQ Bedford, Bedford’s Live Escape Game is the perfect exhilarating, entertaining, escape the room experience… Teams of 2-7 are locked in a room, given 60 minutes to find clues and solve puzzles and try to work out a way to escape.

Suitable for friends, family, colleagues, stag & hen parties & team building. Also, a great idea for Birthday Parties for children over 9 which can also include Puzzle Party Bags and a Mission De-Brief Buffet after the game. For more info please visit www.cluehq.co.uk/bedford

Bedfordshire 7

CHILDCARE

Childcare in School Holidays Piecing together the Puzzle

By Gabrielle Nash

What do the summer holidays mean to you? Ice creams in the park? Lazy mornings with the kids? Or a carefully constructed puzzle of parental annual leave and various childcare options?

When your children reach school age, the burden of full-time, stay-at-home parenting begins to lessen allowing both parents to work. Then the school holidays arrive and there are long weeks of childcare to find. For many families this is a painful financial burden and with holiday childcare costs rising by 4% last year that burden is set to increase.

In their latest survey, the Coram Family & Childcare Trust found the average price of holiday childcare in Britain to be £133 per child per week. Megan Jarvie, the head of the trust, believes now is the time to urgently address the issue.

“For too many families, the long summer holiday is a time of stress and expense as they try to patch together a solution despite gaps in availability and financial support.”

What are the Options?

Annual Leave Most parents do not have sufficient annual leave to cover the entire school holidays, so it’s worth investigating if your employer can offer additional parental leave. A less desirable option is “shift parenting” whereby you and your partner

each take annual leave separately. The downside, of course, is that you don’t see each other, although this option does cover a large portion of the holidays.

Flexible Working Can your employer offer the option to work flexibly? If you work shifts, can you work a different shift pattern to assist with holiday childcare? Katie Abdullah has five children and started her own business because of the tricky work/school balance. “I can tailor my work around the children. I try to take extra hours during the term so I can have more free time during the holidays.”

Family Assistance If you’re fortunate enough to have extended family nearby, willing grandparents can play an integral role in school holiday childcare. What about asking a sibling, aunty, uncle or even a friend to provide the odd day or even week?

Childminders You may be lucky enough to find a childminder who handles term-time wrap around care and covers school holidays.

Alternatively, for more ad-hoc hours, try getting some regular,

NEW SEPARATE BABY ROOM AT ACORN DAY NURSERY! We have passionate, highly qualified staff.

We are friendly, with a homely atmosphere, our large gardens offering our children a wonderful outdoor experience all year round. We have a new separate baby room, which takes babies from 3 months onwards.

TO BOOK A TOUR CALL 01582 574390 OFSTED: OUTSTANDING 2017 2 – 4 Roman Road Luton LU3 2QT E-mail: sabrina.admin@acorndaynurseryluton.co.uk Manager / Proprietor: DR C E Fisher 8 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

friendly babysitters on board.

Take a look at organizations like www.sitters.co.uk Holiday Nanny/Au Pair If you have term-time wrap around care sorted but require holiday care, another option is to find a childcare provider who can provide care in your home just for the holidays. These can be more affordable than you think. In Bedfordshire try: www.horizonnannies.com (see news piece for more information on page 5 or www.childcare.co.uk Holiday Clubs It’s unusual not to find several local holiday club options, with specializations ranging from sport to drama or a mix of lots of activities. Some are run privately, others by your local authority.

Local authority provision is less expensive but limited so it’s wise to investigate all options. If you have a disabled child, access to local authority schemes is even harder.

Another option is Americanstyle residential holiday camps.

Barracudas will be running Piecing It Together If your family are just at the beginning of school life, then the key is early planning for childcare that will accommodate, if possible, both school holiday and term time needs. But if you are already in a situation where you have term-times sorted but not school holidays, there’s still time to make this summer easier: Budget – what can you realistically afford to spend?

Research – what is available from your council? Are there local schools offering holiday camps? What other private local holiday camps are available?

(Tip: make sure they don’t involve too much travel).

Reach out – can extended family help, even just for a few days? Perhaps a family member

Activity Day Camps over the Summer Holidays! Visit page 2 for more information or visit barracudas.co.uk. You can also try www.campexperts.co.uk.

For more parenting tips and advice, read Gabrielle’s blog @londonishmum

‘Aqua Park at Barracudas

that doesn’t live locally might come and stay? Speak to local friends. Can you share childcare with one another?

Co-ordinate – for children who are resistant to attending holiday camps or clubs on their own, try signing them up with friends. This can make the experience more enjoyable and you might be able to share travel.

Schedule – when you’ve got your plans together, draw up a schedule and make it available to all the family.

Book early – the most popular holiday camps book up very quickly. Don’t leave your planning until the last minute!

With some forward preparation, there can still be relaxing down time with ice creams in the park! www.familiesonline.co.uk

EDUCATION

The Future of Work

What Can We Do to Prepare Our Children?

By Gabrielle Nash think that giving our kids a head start with coding, for example, will equip them with the kind of skills they will need for the future, this is surprisingly not the case.

Surprisingly, whilst fostering a curiosity about technology and digital fluency is paramount, gaining complex skills like coding is not the recipe for success (partly because machines will do that very well); instead it’s more personal or “soft” skills that will help our children excel.

The key things to remember: 1. Interpersonal and communication skills are vital, because the human factor in a job will still be valuable 2. The ability to adapt is crucial. One set of skills will not last 20 years, so teaching a child to be resilient and comfortable with change will help them to continuously learn and evolve.

So, if your child seems like they’re not excelling in traditional measures of excellence, don’t panic Instead focus on developing their other skills and exploring all pathways. A child who is behind on math and English might, in fact, have fantastic potential people skills. If they’re empathetic and kind, or adaptable and able to find solutions, that could take them further than their academic ability and give them the foundation to tackle a myriad of roles in the future.

For more from Gabrielle Nash, read her blog @londonishmum

It is exciting when your child heads off to school for the first time. What will their first day be like?

What will spark their interest? The goal of school is to give your child the necessary tools and skills to enter our grown-up world and ultimately find a job. But what kind of job will that be?

The world of work is undergoing a transformation and future careers will look very different to the those of today. Many of the jobs our children will do don’t currently exist, just as the top ten jobs in 2011 didn’t exist in 2004.

As new technologies explode onto the scene, new job opportunities are created. According to Randstad, it is estimated that today’s students will have 10 to 14 jobs before their 38th birthday!

What Type of Jobs?

Just as our parents had never heard of job titles like “social media manager”or “app developer” neither can we as parents fathom what our children might grow up to do. Redundant is the traditional question:“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Our children will need to keep an open mind about their career path. Predicting what jobs will be in demand is difficult. They could perhaps include biomedical engineers creating artificial organs; interpreters (a growth industry despite automated translation tools becoming popular); or new healthcare roles looking after our increasing number of over-65s. All of these industries we know have a future.

Naturally our images of the www.familiesonline.co.uk

future workplace are dominated by artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. And whilst it is predicted that the “march of the robots” will remove a quarter of jobs, experts believe that the future of AI is not to replace humans but to change what humans are capable of.

Interactive Scientific, a British software company, believes that we can teach children key skills like good communication, persistence and problem solving, all before knowing what future technologies will look like.

These skills will be vital for our children to navigate an unpredictable jobs market.

What Can You Do to Prepare Your Child?

However good an education your child is receiving, there are very few establishments with a futureproof curriculum, one that can wholly offer the development of skills needed for getting a job in 15 to 20 years’ time. This is perhaps why more and more emphasis could be placed on vocational education.

The Edge Foundation works on developing the future of education. They argue that old certainties like a university degree

will no longer guarantee a job.

Edge Chief Executive Alice Barnard believes “We need to support young people to capitalize on their creativity, develop the problem-solving, communication and teamworking skills that employers are crying out for.”

Whilst, as parents, we might

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Bedfordshire 9

CLUBS & CLASSES

How to Encourage a Love of Music in Your Child

By Jon Flinn

Listen to the stories of successful young musicians today and they will tell you that they got involved with classical music, in large part, because they were exposed to it from an early age.

It sounds obvious doesn’t it?

Yet no two musical ‘journeys’ are the same and there are many different starting points.

Cellist and former BBC Young Musician of the Year, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, says that it was experiencing live music that really spurred him on (though having five equally talented siblings learning music must have helped too!)

For 10-year-old multiinstrumentalist, Nathan-Asher Oriakhi, it was watching the drummer in his local church band every week and finally being allowed to sit next to him.

Adrianna Forbes-Dorant first became aware of classical music because Classic FM was always on the radio at home.

The reality, of course, is that most musicians are unlikely to even remember their first exposure to music because, as the evidence clearly shows, the process of responding to music starts before we are even born.

After just 25 weeks a foetus has a functioning auditory

system and can respond to sound, for example, by jumping or kicking in response to a very loud noise.

So how do you as parents or parents-to-be nurture your child’s relationship with music?

The British Association for Early Childhood Education has done some great work in this area, showing how parental support for their child’s musical development is underpinned by two simple but vital principles: positive relationships and enabling environments.

Beyond giving warmth and love, relationships which encourage a child’s musical development are sensitive and responsive to the child’s needs, feelings and interests. For example, giving them access to variety of music to hear and play but acknowledging the child’s own tastes. They’re also about supporting the child’s own efforts to express themselves, and being consistent in setting clear boundaries.

Creating enabling environments is about making sure that your child – whatever age – has access to appropriate stimulating resources which are relevant to a range of children’s cultures

and communities, has rich opportunities to learn through play and playful teaching and is free to take risks and explore through music.

There are dozens of great tips on their website (www.earlyeducation.org.uk) – everything from copying children’s vocalisations to show that you hear and value them to using recording devices and creating ‘treasure baskets’ with items that the youngest babies can shake, scrunch or tap.

When it comes to developing your children’s relationship with music, you can’t start early enough – which is why it’s such great news that, when it comes into effect in 2020, the new National Plan for Music Education

will lower the age of children targeted from the current 5/6 years to nursery age.

It’s also why the national Music Commission (www. musiccommission.org.uk) focusses, in part, on the role that parents (whether they are musical or not) can play in their children’s learning. The Learn Music London (www.learnmusic.london) resource can also help parents in London find teachers and local support.

There’s lots that government and agencies like ABRSM can do to help support children to learn to develop their musical skills, but nothing is more important to a child’s musical development than the support of their parents.

The ABRSM is the world’s leading provider of music exams and an organisation which has spent 130 years inspiring the musical achievement of young people. It is currently looking for music learners ages 7 to 18 and their parents from a wide range of backgrounds to take part in a series of online discussions, polls and surveys. If you are interested, register online at www.abrsm.org/parentslearners.

How the Arts can help with exam test stress Students are constantly tested throughout their school life. The period of time leading up to an exam can be particularly difficult for some, causing anxiety in children at even younger ages than before.

Parents may feel that the best way to help their children cope is to reduce the amount of out – of - school hours activities that they partake in.

A recent article in the TES (Times Educational Supplement) is quoted as saying that parents should encourage their children to pursue hobbies they enjoy and adopt a culture of valuing the arts.

Stagecoach Performing Arts Schools have 30 years’ experience of working with young people and has seen many students through the tricky periods of SATS, GCSE’s and A-Levels.

Here is what a principal at Stagecoach shared with us: “We definitely notice a difference in the students around the lead up to exams.

Whether they feel the pressure of achieving high grades or, are really struggling with revision, many will experience some sort of stress during this time. Stagecoach provides them with a safe place where they can let off steam for a few hours, forget about their stresses and focus on something completely different. Sometimes they need that escape with a like- minded peer group of friends other than those at school. Drama can help them express their worries or fears, dance will give them a surge of adrenaline and singing releases endorphins in the body which has proved to reduce stress.”

“Young people need the opportunity to work through their stress levels and learn how

to manage them in a place often outside of both school and home,” During Stagecoach sessions, students will participate in dance, drama and singing lessons. All three disciplines contain many elements that can help students learn to manage their own stress levels and anxieties.

Stagecoach are passionate about inspiring the next generation with a ‘Creative Courage for Life’.

Enrolling now for the Summer term.

10 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

www.familiesonline.co.uk

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ALL OUR INSTRUCTORS HAVE ENHANCED DISCLOSURE AND BARRING CERTIFICATES www.familiesonline.co.uk

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

Bedfordshire 11

FAMILY HEALTH

Parenting for your Children's Mental Health

By Philippa Perry

There is no way to guarantee perfect mental health for your children. But there’s a lot you can do, and be, to help.

BOOK REVIEW The Happiness Diary – Practice Living Joyfully

by Barbara Ann Kipfir ‘An amazing creation of a book – a diary with self – reflecting and grounding exercises, giving you the tools to find harmony and joy on your journey through life.’ – Michéllin Store – Families Bedfordshire Magazine Editor One of my beliefs is, in order for me to parent my own child’s mental health, I should be able to take care of my own mental health too.

I have recently had the honour of reviewing ‘The Happiness Diary’. This book is an incredible tool for parents and young adults. By working through the exercises in my Happiness Diary, I have been able to create space for mindfulness, live in the present moment and, I’ve also found 12 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

myself being able to find joy in life’s everyday moments.

This diary has enabled me to ground myself during challenging moments, carve out space to process and reflect, helping me grow as a person, a human being, mother, partner, friend, sister and daughter. I would highly recommend keeping this book nearby as it truly helps nurture your mind space.

Firstly, parents need to show warmth, acceptance and understanding. They need to be available physically and emotionally. They must be able to love, trust, respect and they need to know how to soothe, play and be generous with their attention and time.

They need to love and to have boundaries.

We have these qualities already: the trouble is, other things can get in the way.

Things like childcare, money, school, work, tiredness, lack of time and busy-ness … and this is not an exhaustive list. But what gets in the way more than any of this is what was given to us when we were babies and children. If we don’t look at how we were brought up and the affect it has had on us, it can come back to bite us. Remember when you last remarked something along the lines of: “I opened my mouth and my mother’s words came out?”

Think back to your childhood: were you ever made to feel ‘bad,’ in the wrong, or even responsible for your parents’ bad moods?

If this happened to you, it is all too easy to try to repair your feeling of being wrong by making someone else feel wrong. The victims of this can be our children. So, we also need to be humble, flexible and admit to our kids when we’ve slipped up. We want them to know how and when to apologize, and not to hold on to being right when they have been mistaken. The only way to really teach our children this, is to show it.

Luckily, we make mistakes ourselves, so all have plenty of opportunities to model this. I never realised I was modelling every time I said ‘sorry’ to my daughter. I didn’t realize she was learning to do this herself until one day, aged about 4, she said to me: “Sorry I was grumpy in the car, I was hungry, I’m alright now.”’ I said something like: “That’s okay.” But inside I was: ‘Wow!’ Another quality we need is optimism. Optimism that

our children will pick up all the skills we model that everyone needs to get along: flexibility, problem-solving skills, tolerance for frustration and empathy. We all do better when someone we respect believes in us.

Good relationships with our children depend so much on being a good listener and observer. So often we only see and hear what we want to. Or sometimes we think we’ve heard but immediately interpret what they’ve said as an attack. For example, your child might say to you: “We never go out” when just last week you’ve taken them to a theme park. You might want to explode with: “How can you say that, we went to Legoland last week?” This would probably lead to an argument. If instead you listened to the feelings under those words and said: “You sound bored and fed up. What would you like to do?” and then they’d say something like: “I want to go back to Legoland again.” You could then have a moment of connection and say: “Yeah that was fun”.

When we really listen to our children, we will hear that for a lot of the time, they don’t want us to fix them, they want us to understand them. They want to be felt with, not dealt with. If our children can feel heard, understood and seen, and especially if parents can help them put their feelings into words, they will be able to confide in you rather than hide from you.

More than anything what our children need from us is our loving attention; to be taken seriously and understood.

Being seen is a good defence against being driven crazy. More than anything we need to remember that children are not projects - something we get right or ruin, or chores to get through, but people to relate to.

“It is a joy to be hidden, and disaster not to be found.”

Donald Winnacott

Philippa Perry is the author of 'The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read' (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)', published by Penguin Life. www.familiesonline.co.uk

What’s on

Bedford Fringe Festival is Back!

From Monday 15th to Saturday 27th July, Bedford will host the 13th International Bedford Festival Fringe bringing to the town a carefully selected programme of comedy, theatre, live music, film, dance & physical theatre, spoken

word and poetry to your doorstep. This year, events will be held at The Quarry Theatre and The Place Theatre. Expect to see 150 events in 13 days across 5 venues!

Hopefully there will be something for everyone!

Confirmed acts so far include Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers), Simon Brodkin (Channel4’s Lee Nelson), Shlomo (world record beatboxing champ)! There is also a busy children’s theatre programme including The Splash Test Dummies and The Amazing Bubble Man.

This year’s principal sponsor is Bedford School. The Garden Stage sponsor this year is Woodfines Solicitors.

To start your Fringe journey visit www.bedfringe.com! Events on sale now!

Make it hot, hot, hot The only dedicated UK Cheese and Chilli Festival will be coming to Bedford for the first time this year, taking place in Bedford Park over the weekend of Saturday, May 25th and Sunday, May 26th.

The festival is a fantastic family friendly, fun-filled event spiced up with all things cheese and chilli. The two days will be packed with a whole host of tasty treats, amazing entertainment and fiery food competitions for those that can handle the heat - it will also be supporting worthwhile charities, with a team raising funds over the weekend.

Attractions include free

cooking displays, tastings, beer tent, live music, street theatre, crazy golf, human-sized table football, children’s rides, treasure hunts, balloon modelling, craft and shopping stalls and lots more!

Its Free for kids under 16.

Free parking and dogs on leads are welcome.

For more details go to www.cheeseandchillifestival.com

Family Fun with National Children’s Gardening Week

This summer, why not get involved in National Children’s Gardening week?

Happening from 25 May to 2 June, this week-long event sees garden centres around the country providing activities and resources that offer parents a great opportunity to get children outside enjoying nature, plants and wildlife.

Gardening can play a huge

part in a child’s health and wellbeing with over 1.5 million children gardening at school in the UK. As well as simply good outdoor fun, school gardening has been shown to have many benefits to health and wellbeing. These include being more physically active and feeling happier and more connected with the natural world.

There are many ways to get involved with National Children’s Gardening Week from DIY activities at home to attending an event at a garden centre.

Visit our What’s on pages to find out more on the events that The Higgins will be running during National Children’s Gardening Week (Family Creative Activities: Herb Planters, Garden Caddies and Cress Craft).

Flitwick Carnival

This year’s Flitwick Carnival on Saturday 8th June promises to be bigger and better than ever before. This fun, free event for all the family features a host of exciting entertainment as well as the stunning ‘Animal Kingdom’ themed carnival parade.

In the main arena, visitors will be treated to a breathtaking display from the Xtreme Stunt Team, an exciting motorcycle stunt show and cycle bike display.

Prepared to be amazed at the strength of Adrian Smith,

three times winner of the UK’s Strongest Man competition and fifth in the world as he performs his unique show with the help of the audience.

There’s lots of different acts including Ferret World offering visitors the chance to have a ‘live race’ with ferrets in different tunnels for adults, children and ferrets!

Live music, Fun Fair, Food Court, Bus Bar, stalls and lots more guarantee there will be something for everyone at Millennium Park.

For more info call: 01525 631 900

You can also visit www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk for DIY project ideas and details of local events near Bedfordshire. www.familiesonline.co.uk

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

Bedfordshire 13

What’s on

WE AIM FOR ACCURACY BUT DO CHECK WITH THE VENUE BEFORE SETTING OUT IN CASE DETAILS HAVE CHANGED AFTER PRINT. ALSO DON’T FORGET TO TELL BUISNESSES YOU SAW THEM IN FAMILIES BEDFORDHSIRE MAGAZINE.

Father’s Day 16th June Happy Father’s Day to all Father’s, Grandfather’s and in celebration of those who have passed on, whose light still lives on in our hearts.

Father's Day

Whisky Festival Leighton Buzzard Railway, Pages Park Station, LU7 4TG www.buzzrail.co.uk Father’s Day Luton Hoo Hotel Experience Lunch – Dinner – Golf/Spa/Pamper Experience. www.lutonhoo.co.uk Vanilla Tree Cakes 29 St Cuthberts Street, Bedford, MK40 3 JG Good coffee - Baked goods - Bagels www.vanillatreecakes.co.uk

Holiday Clubs:

Playtarium Based at Hillborough Jr. School in Luton Open 8am – 6pm.

Ages: 4 – 12.

Includes a variety of activities. www.PLAYtarium.com Dawn until Dusk May Half – Term: Mon 27 – Fri 31 May Shortstown, Greenfield, Balliol, Fairfield, Lakeview Pre – School.

Ages: 0 – 12. High quality before, after school & holiday care. www.kidsdawntildusk.co.uk

Clubs & Classes

Dreamscape Circus Arts School Circus skills workshops & classes.

Ages: All ages & abilities – for children & adults www.dreamscapecircusarts.com Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade, LU6 2GY 1 – 31 May Marvellous May Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade, LU6 2GY Flowers bloom in the beautiful meadow- Bees dance in the spring sunshine.

Butterfly trail, set along our marvellous wildflower meadow. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Wed 1 May – Fri 31 May Heathland Wild Play Trail RSPB, The Lodge, SG19 2DL Den building – Log clambering – Natural obstacle paths www.rspb.org.uk Fri 3 May Forest School Fridays Have family fun outdoors with your toddler. *Fri mornings 10am 11.30am. www.ampthilltowncouncil.org.uk 14 Families Bedfordshire May/June 2019

Canoe Trail River journeys – Canoe/ Kayak Rental – Camping activities. www.canoetrail.co.uk Danish Camp Riverside Chapel Lane, Willington, Bedford, MK44 3QH Cycle hire – Boat trip - Roast www.danishcamp.co.uk Woburn Hotel Father’s Day Afternoon Tea/ Lunch. www.thewoburnhotel.co.uk

Time Travelling magician’s magic extravaganza. 2.30pm – 3.30 pm.

Ages: 5+.

Booking Required. www.lutonculture.com Sat 11 May Traditional Village Fete St. Mary’s Church Grounds, Clophill, MK45 4BE Stalls – Barbeque – Refreshments – Exhibitions – music – Maypole Dancing www.stmarychurchclophill.org Sat, 11 May – Sun, 12 May

National Mills Week Support your local Mill:

Sat 11 May – Sun 12 May 10.30 am- –5pm 5pm 10.30am Sun 5 May Spring Flowers in Maulden Wood 10.30 am – 12.30 pm. Explore Maulden Wood in Spring when it’s looking its best with stunning displays of wild flowers especially bluebells.

Cost: £4 adults, £2 children. www.greensandtrust.org Mon 6 & Mon 27 May & Sun 9Sun Jun 9 Jun Pitstone Museum Family Days Vicarage Rd, Pitstone, Leighton Buzzard LU7 9EY Tractor rides – Model Railways – Craft Stalls – Refreshments www.pitstonemuseum.co.uk Tue 7 May & Tue 4 Jun Tales for Tots Wardown House, LU2 7HA 9.30am – 10.15am – every 1st Tues of the month.

Ages: 0 - 4 years. Cost: £4. www.lutonculture.co.uk Thu 9 May Kite Luton Library Theatre, LU1 2NG 7pm – 8pm. Magical dance & puppetry show with kites and song. Ages: 7+. www.lutonculture.co.uk 11 May & 15 June Who is Bedford?

Interactive show celebrating everything that makes Bedford the vibrant town it is today.

Booking required. Check website for venues & times www.fullhouse.org.uk Sat 11 May Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show Luton Library Theatre, LU1 2NG

Steam Fair & Country Show Stotfold Watermill & Nature Reserve Mill Lane, SG5 4NU www.stotfoldmill.com Bromham Mill Gallery & Community Space, Bridge End, MK43 8LP Mon 27 May Duck Race at Bromham Mill, Bedford MK43 8LP 10am – 4pm Sat 4 May & Sat 1 Jun Bromham Mill Monthly Markets 10am - 3pm Sat 18 May I am Turtle Stockwood Discovery Centre, LU1 4XL 11am & 2pm. Puppetry & live music. A story about the magical world of Sea Turtles with an important message about plastic waste and looking after the ocean. Ages: 3+ Booking required. www.lutonculture.com Sat 18 May Potton Show Plant Sale 8.30am – 1pm. Perennial plants, vegetables & herb plant sale – Cakes & Raffle. www.pottontowncouncil.co.uk Sat 18 May May Evening Airshow Shuttleworth, SG18 9EP www.shuttleworth.org Sun 19 May & Sat 15 Jun Tales from the Yurt The Lodge. RSPB, SG19 2DL 2pm – 3pm. Theatre of Widdershins - Storytelling - Folk & Fairy Tales & Myths www.rspb.org.uk

Sat 25 May – Tues 3 Sep The Beach Newport Rd, Woburn Sands, MK17 8UE www.frostsgardencentres.co.uk

National Children's Gardening Week Sat 25 May – Sun 2 Jun Family Creative Activities The Higgins, Castle Ln, Bedford, MK40 3XD Tue 28 May

May Half Term

Cress Craft 11am – 3pm Decorate a mini house and garden and plant your own tiny salad.

Wed 29 May 11am – 3pm - Garden Caddies Create & decorate a little garden caddy, perfect for carrying your tools and plants in.

Fri 31 May 11am – 3pm - Herb Planters Create and decorate a herb planter from recycled materials.

Tue 28 – Fri 31 May & Sat 1 Jun Fairy Afternoon Tea May Half Dunstable Downs, Term Whipsnade, LU6 2GY 2.30pm – 4.30pm. Create a flower crown. Enjoy fairy themed afternoon tea. Fairy trail map, small flower themed face painting and fairy crown. Bring fairy wings & outdoor shoes for the trail. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Mon 27 May

May Half Term

Charity Day in aid of Keech Children’s Hospice Summerfields’ Miniature Railway, Summerfield Barns, MK45 3BH www.bedfordmes.co.uk Sat 25 May – Sun 2 Jun

May Half Term

Woollen Woods 2019 Find all the knitted woodland creatures native to Bedfordshire along the Sculpture Trail.

Free event. www.greensandtrust.org Sun 26 May

May Half Term

Outdoor Cinema – The Greatest Showman Turvey House, MK43 8EL, 8pm. www.lunaflix.co.uk Mon 27 May

May Half Term

Working with Wool Day Green Dragon Eco Farm, E Claydon Rd, MK18 3LA 11am – 4pm www.greendragonecofarm.co.uk www.familiesonline.co.uk

Tues 28 May

What’s on May Half Term

NTC Bushcraft Activity Day 9am – 4pm. Ages: 11 – 16 yrs.

Booking Required.

Ampthill Great Park, Woburn St, MK45 2GU www.ntcbushcraft.co.uk or www.marstonvaleforestschool. co.uk Tues 28 – Wed 29 May

May Half Term

House Tour for kids at Wardown House Museum & Gallery, LU2 7HA Ages: 8 – 11 www.lutonculture.com Tue 28 May, Sat 1 Jun, SatMay 15 Half Jun Sat 15 Jun Term Lost Property A show about misplaced objects with tales to tell in a little detective’s Lost Property Office.

Ages 7 – 11. Check website for venues. Booking Required. www.fullhouse.org.uk Fri 31 May

May Half Term

Earth Open Day Clophill Eco Lodges, MK45 4BP 12.30 pm – 3.30 pm.

All Ages. Free Event. www.greensandcountry.com Sat 8 Jun Flitwick Carnival 27-37 Coniston Rd, Flitwick, Bedford MK45 1QQ 12 noon – 7pm. Free event. Family entertainment, Live music, Fun Fair, Food Court, Bus Bar, stalls and lots more.

01525 631 900 John Bunyan Creative Competition: ‘A day in the life of a prison mouse’ Draw a comic strip showing life in prison from a mouse’s view.

For age groups: school years: 1 – 2, 3 – 4, 5 – 6 and 7 – 11.

Prizes in each age group.

Closing date: Mon, 3 Jun www.bunyanmeeting.co.uk/ creative Sat 25 – Sun 26 May Chilli & Cheese Festival Bedford Park - No 98 Kimbolton Rd, Bedford MK40 2PF www.cheeseandchillifestival.com Mon May 22 FOSTERING INFORMATION EVENT: Luton Council Fostering Service will be at Inspire: Luton Sports Village on Wed May 15, 10 am – 3 pm & The Mall, 37 The Mall, LU1 2LJ, 9.30am – 5pm.

Drop by to find out more. See ad on page 3 & news piece on page 5 for more information. www.familiesonline.co.uk

Sat 1 Jun, 11am & 2 Jun,12 12 noon noon Bedford International Kite Festival 12 Noon, The Embankment, Bedford, MK40 3RH. www.bedford.gov.uk

Family Services:

Sat 22 Jun Marsh Farm Library, LU3 3TL The King with Stinky Feet by Widdershins Theatre.

2pm – 2.45pm. Ages: 4+.

Booking required.

Private Baby Clinic NEW private pregnancy scan clinic in Bedfordshire:

Sat 22 Jun

Sun 2 June Rushmere Bioblitz Linslade Rd, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0EB 11am – 3pm.

Mini – Environmental Fair – Family Nature Activities – Guided Walks.

Free event. No booking required. www.greensandtrust.org Sun 2 Jun Flying Festival The Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, SG18 9EP 9am – 6pm. Celebrating flying – Warbirds – Vintage aircraft – Vintage bus rides – Live music. www.shuttleworth.org Sat 9 Jun Teddy Bear Festival Woburn MK17 9WA Fine selection of rare and famous teddy bears will be on display.

Event takes place in Sculpture Gallery Woburn.

Booking Required. www.woburnabbey.co.uk Sat 15 Jun Bletsoe Fete & Dog Show Bletsoe Village Field, MK44 1QJ Bring your dog to take part in dog show – Dog & Duck show (1.30 pm) – Alpacas – Donkeys – Bees – Bouncy Castle – Face Painting – Balloon Modelling – BBQ – Dancers – Drummers www.bletsoe.net St. Giles Church Summer Fair Totternhoe Recreation Ground, LU6 1QP 11 am – 3 pm. Magician – Mageic Shoes – Balloon Modelling – Music – Games – Crafts – BBQ. Free entry. www.tstbenefice.org Fri 21 Jun Ampthill Street Feast 4 – 9pm.

Entry: £1 each or £2 per family www.ampthilltowncouncil.org.uk 22 Jun & 23 June Woburn Abbey Garden Show 10am – 5pm (4pm last entry).

Children 15 and under - free of charge.

Booking Required. www.woburnabbey.co.uk

Pretty Muddy Kids – Bedford Priory Park, MK41 9DJ Ages: 5 – 12. 10am.

Cost: £10. Muddy obstacle course just for little ones. Fundraiser in connection to ‘Race for Life’ Sat 29 Jun Party in the Park Blunham Playingfield, MK44 3ND 3pm – 11pm. Live Music – Family games & side shows – Food Sun 30 June Track Play Shortstown Village Hall, Bedford, MK42 0QL 10am – 4.30pm.

Booking Required. www.trackplay.co.uk

Mon 15 – Sat 27 Jul Fringe Festival Events will be held at: The Quarry Theatre - St Luke's Peter's, 26 St Peters St, Bedford MK40 2NN and The Place Theatre - Bradgate Rd, Bedford MK40 3DE Carefully selected programme of comedy, theatre, live music, film, dance & physical theatre, spoken word and poetry.

Booking Required. www.bedfringe.com

The Aster Baby Scan Clinic is a private pregnancy scan clinic in Bedfordshire providing consultant led private pregnancy scans, antenatal classes and reflexology.

We provide reassurance with early pregnancy scans from 7 weeks to 12 weeks, the nuchal translucency scan, gender or sexing scans from 16 weeks, growth scans, wellbeing scans and 3D/4D scans from 24 to 32 weeks.

Call 01582 943 770.

Visit: www.asterbabyscan.com.

Email: info@asterbabyscan.com Dress Making Based in Biggleswade Lola, your personal designer offers bespoke garment making services, creating a pattern based on your body measurement.

For your wedding, birthday, prom, bridesmaids or any special occasion email: Lola: lola@tealgarments.co.uk or visit: www.tealgarments.co.uk to browse through examples of garments made by Teal Garments.

'Don't miss an issue!

Download the latest magazine and our back catalogue at issuu: www.issuu.com

Flitwick town council presents... /Flit wickcarnival

saturday 8th June 12 noon - 7pm the millennium park Spectacular dunstable road, Flitwick, mk45 ihp

parade leaves the ruFus centre at 11.15am Parade Route: Rufus Centre - Steppingley Road - Dunstable Road - Temple Way

Arena Acts

Bus Bar

Fun Fair Xtreme Stunt Team, Adrian Smith - three times UK’s Strongest Man, Ferret World & lots more!

Live Music from 4pm - 7pm For more details call 01525 631900

The perfect family day out!

email: editor@familiesbedfordshire.co.uk Tel: 07824 377175

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Join us to celebrate at Ridgmont Station Heritage Centre - visit the British Transport Police vehicle & find all about their work! Heritage Centre & Tea Room open as usual. Family & Quiz Puzzle Booklet available.

Bletchley 10:01 12:01 & 14:01 10% discount Bedford in the Tea 10:55 12:55 & 14:55 Room for rail passengers! or join at any station along the Marston Vale L Free entry to Heritage Centre.

Santa Special takes place on the scheduled Marston V Or whyThe not take the opportunity service; unfortunately it is not possible to reserve seats. to visit one of the many other Please avoid bringing non-folding buggies as space is very attractions along the Line or a walk between stations?

Information Line:

Heritage Centre also open 10:00 – 4:00 Tuesday – Saturday.

As an extra May treat there will also be a Bank Holiday service on 6th May!

01234 832 645

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Santa Special Times Marston Vale Santa trains depart: Launch of New Bank Holiday Service

marstonvalecrp PLUS lots of other family-friendly events throughout May as part of the Greensand Country Festival!

For more info visit: www.greensandcountry.com Rated 5 Stars - Jan 2019

they can’t wait to come back!

@marstonvalecrp

01234 832 645 www.marstonvalecommunityrail.org.uk