Go on...Treat yourself

The coffee cups have turned red, TV adverts are reducing us to tears and every spare bit of land has been turned into an ice rink. This can only mean one thing…its Christmas!!!

A statement that can cause a range of reactions, from jumping for joy to adopting the foetal position, running to the shops to just running away. It may be the season of joy and jolliness for some of us, but not for all. For many it can feel as if the financial worries, family tensions, relationship problems, grief and trauma that we cope with the rest of the year, combine forces to hit us in one ridiculously large bow wrapped package come December. To try and help cushion this blow and allow people to enjoy the sounds of bells jingling and tills ringing without breaking into a cold sweat. I’m going to talk about the ‘Advent of Treats’ and suggest some ways to improve well-being and look after yourself during the Christmas period.

The Advent of Treats began life in the winter of 2012 as a way to combine my passions for crafting, my love of Christmas and my constant desire to treat myself. The core idea is to adapt an Advent Calendar to include 25 different ways you can treat yourself – one each day in the run up to Christmas. Whether you’re at work, 50 miles from home or in a bad financial place, there should be a way you can give yourself a little ‘pick me up’. Looking after your mental health and wellbeing doesn’t have to take hours, cost a fortune or affect your responsibilities. 

In fact, there is a very simple and effective way to give yourself a daily treat and boost your mental health – using ‘The Five Ways to Well-being’ model. Developed by the New Economics Foundation (nef) from evidence gathered in the UK government’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing, The 5 Ways are a set of simple actions we can do in everyday life to promote wellbeing. These actions are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give, and their benefits are detailed by nef as:

• Connect…With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them.

• Be active…Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

• Take notice…Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

• Keep Learning…Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do.

• Give…Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.

Over a series of blogs I will share you the stories and adventures from my ‘Advent of Treats’ and how they have helped with my own wellbeing, I will also look more closely at the importance of the 5 Ways and the evidence to support it. But more importantly I will talk about the 1 in 4 of us who are living with a mental health problem and the additional difficulties Christmas can bring. For many of people dealing with intense feelings of depression, anxiety and isolation on a daily basis, the Christmas period can really heighten these feelings. Last year the Samaritans received around 15,000 calls every day to their helpline over the Christmas period. And though The 5 ways is a step in the right direction for better wellbeing, it’s not enough. So I will aim to share with you a better understanding of mental health, give practical advice and signpost to available help.

I hope that I’m able to inspire others to create their own ‘Advent of Treats’ and to think about the little things in life that help to make you feel better. To start your thinking I will list a few treat suggestions and ways to play the game.  But whether you take up the treat challenge or not, I do implore you to think about your own mental health and ways in which you can improve your wellbeing. From picking up the phone and calling an old friend, to taking a walk and enjoying the view, we can all do things everyday to make us feel better.

Happy treating

Becky Mumford

Treat Tips

Suggested treats:

• Enjoy a glass/mug of … [insert favourite beverage that you don’t have every day. Mine include whiskey, wine, store brought coffee]
• Enjoy a festive glass/mug of …. [insert favourite FESTIVE beverage – it is the season. Mine include mulled beverages and eggnog ]
• Eat … [insert favourite food that you don’t have every day. You’re treat food. Mine include cake, steak, bacon sandwich, cheeseboard]
• Eat a festive … [insert favourite FESTIVE food – it’s still the season]
• Be active…. [insert enjoyable exercise/active session. Remember it’s different to your everyday life, so make it an extra long/tough/fun session. Or if you exercise every single day – then your treat could be a day off]
• Hug at least 3 people today [my favourite one. If you work or live alone it will give you the excuse to connect with friends or family that day. Or make new friends]
• Make contact with someone you haven’t spoken to for a while. [text/call/email/ facebook someone that you don’t speak to regularly. Get that friendship going again]
• Enjoy a really long catch up with a friend [find the time to meet up with a friend]
• Give someone an unexpected bunch of flowers [another favourite. Think of someone in your life, office, house that goes unappreciated]
• Make a Christmas Card for someone [if you’re not a fan of the glitterpen, you could print a photo or image and make that into a card quite simply]
• Watch an episode of [insert favourite TV programme]
• Listen to … [insert favourite album and find the time to play from start to end]
• Find out about something new [read an interesting article, watch a documentary, go to a lecture or watch online]
• Look through a memory box/photo album [I know that not everyone hoards everything in old shoe boxes like me. But you could look through some old Facebook albums or Flickr accounts.]
• Read for an hour [If reading is a pleasure of yours take the time to really enjoy it. Not just the scraps of time you get on your commute or before bed]
• Visit a Landmark [if you’re in London or a tiny hamlet in the middle of nowhere. I’m sure there is a church or a monument or a great view that you can visit]

How to play:

There are no rules…

The treats can be a surprise. You can think of 25 treats that work on any given day. So it doesn’t matter if you have to go to work, spend the day with your in-laws or it’s still not payday yet. Be creative, ask people for help, adapt your plans and make new discoveries. However, this can be difficult to do with a hectic schedule or a lot of responsibilities. So you can plan your treats. Place certain treats on certain days when you know you’re going to have time to enjoy it. The core idea is to enjoy yourself, so stressing out in order to enjoy a treat, is quite contradictory. Or maybe allow yourself a certain number of swaps. So if that treat is just not possible on that day then swap it for another.  

It also doesn’t have to fit the Christian Christmas Advent Calendar, the idea can be taken and adjusted to work with any religious celebration, or any time of year. Maybe do 31 treats in January when things are always a little dark and gloomy. Or even 365 days of the year. It’s not the packaging that’s important but the taking of little steps to improve well-being. 

Guess who's back?

She’s been fad is back. Like The Lone Ranger, B*Witched and crop tops, I’ll be joining the list of questionable comebacks of 2013. With 9 blog entries over 3 years, I think it’s safe to say that writing a ‘weekly’ blog might have been a fad. But my love of talking about myself, looking down from my metaphorical high horse, and writing in the rule of 3 have stayed with me. So I’m starting up my blog again. Yeah!!! To start us off and fill in some of the gaps from the last 3 years I’m going to post several pieces of writing from my time in Honduras. For those of you who don’t know in the Spring of 2011 I spent a month living in Honduras volunteering with the charity Global Vision International (GVI). Due to the ‘demand’ from friends and family to keep them updated, the need for a therapeutic outlet of my thoughts and feelings, and to conquer the loneliness I sometime felt, I sent a series of group emails sharing my experiences. These emails will now be posted on shesbeedfad to be shared with all. But wait! These self-indulgent emails from my ‘Gap Month’ are not the only old pieces of writing I’ll be regurgitating. Oh no, I’ll also be sharing a couple of blogs I’ve written for TimeBank. Working for the charity TimeBank as a Project Co-ordinator for the mental health mentoring project The Switch, I have written a number of blogs covering the importance of mentoring, volunteering and mental health discrimination. So over the next few weeks (I don’t want you to splurge on Mumford musings all in one go) I will post these finely matured blogs from the past. Before hitting you with brand spanking, up to date, current affairs littered blogs. Including the philosophy and experiences of my ‘Advent of Treats’ where every day is a literal treat. I bet you can’t wait. Happy reading Mumf xxxxx

I got a bogey and won a hole

There are three reasons why I now like golf. Number 1: Its light exercise, you feel energised but not sweaty. Number 2: It’s full of innuendo potential (bogies, balls and holes). Number 3: I’m good at it. And I only like things that I’m good at. I don’t have time to feel useless with a hobby that I’m not good at. Why waste time being rubbish when I can fly high with trampolining or feel righteously angry when watching Arsenal.

Don’t me wrong I’m no Tiger Woods. For starters I couldn’t manage the amount of affairs he can. Not the morality of it but the logistics. I would need a spreadsheet. But I did do well for a first timer. As the title describes I got a bogey and won a hole, which is not too shabby. In case you don’t know anything about golf, I’ll explain why I keep talking about hardened snot like it’s a positive thing. Each golf course has a ‘Par’ which is the amount of strokes a golfer should take to complete a hole. For instance, if you were to play on a 3 par course and it took you 3 strokes (hits of the ball) to get your ball in the hole then you are on par. If it takes you 2 strokes then you are one under par which is nicknamed a birdie. If it takes you 4 strokes then you are one over par which is nicknamed a bogey. So it took me 4 strokes on a 3 par course to complete a hole, which is a bogey. But on that particular hole it took my fellow players Steve and Rob more strokes. Which means I also won the hole as I took the least amount of strokes to complete the hole. Yeah me.

Now, let me talk a bit more about the guys who let me share their hobby with them. Their names are Steve and Rob, and they’re members of North Foreland Golf Club in Broadstairs. They have been going to the club for about 7 years now, are both members of the committee and Rob has been made captain for the Northcliffe Course. From my day out with the guys on the course, I can see the appeal of both the game and their club. The club is situated on the Broadstairs cliff tops with beautiful views of the sea and lighthouse. It’s a very social place and many members don’t even play golf they just hang out in the clubhouse and go to the socials. Which I personally think is a bit weird but who am I to judge? No wait a minute that’s what these blogs are all about, trying other people’s hobbies and judging them. I love judging. Which reminds me, my trampoline club is sending me on a judging course, so I can judge at competitions. How amazing? Being asked to judge people and speak my mind.

Back to golf now, where I was actually a little bit worried about being judged myself. The day before I went to play golf I had some panicked conversation with friends about what to wear. I was told that I would need to wear smart trousers which are a big problem for me. Not because I’m some weird bottom halved nudist but because I live in skirts and dresses. The only trousers I have are pyjama or jogging. Oh and two pairs of linen pairs, one of which I had to throw away as they had a massive hole. And the time, effort and cotton cost to sew them would cost more than their Primark value. So I had to ask my housemate to borrow some of her black trousers which were bad for three reasons. 1: She is average height while I have the legs of a small child so they were a little bit too long. 2: She is slimmer than me so I had problems breathing whilst sitting due to the digging in 3: Black trousers bring back my waitressing days and coming home smelling of sweat and toasties. But as I travelled up there with Steve I realised there was no need for this discomfort as I found out that non – members don’t have to dress as smart and can wear jeans (or a pair of non holed linen trousers in my case). The only clothing rule for non members is that the men must wear a top and not go topless. This is a worrying sign of today’s society when you have to make a rule about men keeping their tops on when in England.

I was also worried about the golfing stereotype that it’s for middle class men only. I tend to react badly around posh men who expect their women to be seen and not heard. I just want to swear really loudly. I would be the worse trophy wife ever. Apart from the short, chubby thing, I would be constantly fighting the urge to sing the chants I learnt on my 18 – 30 holidays. And those lyrics have no place outside of Malia and Kavos. But it wasn’t intimating at all. Okay, I went round the course with two friends but the place had a real relaxing and welcoming feel to it. Though I did discover that it was only a few years ago that the rules were changed so a woman could stand at the bar by herself. Which upsets me in ways I find hard to explain without swearing. But things have changed and women members are more than just the wives of players now, they are players in their own right.

So all in all it’s difficult not to enjoy a Sunday afternoon that involves walking along the Broadstairs cliffs with a couple of friends. By being allowed to work out your frustrations by hitting a ball with a club and watching it sail through the air. I also enjoyed the innuendo potential, one particular highlight was being told by a grown man that I could “Wash his balls” (There’s a little machine on the course where you can clean your golf balls). Then finishing the afternoon up with a lime and soda in the clubhouse. But unfortuanly I can’t take up another hobby at the moment. They conflict enough already, the other night I had to cancel trampolining to watch the Arsenal v Barcelona match. I have also cancelled two sport club/centre memberships in the last year. British Military Fitness because it was too hard and Kingsmede Leisure Centre because DW Gym is prettier. So I can’t afford to become a member of anything else. But I would defiantly play again…but in comfier trousers. Thanks to Steve and Rob for showing me a good time.

Next fad: Burlesque dancing

Fever Pitch v Bridget Jones Diary

Let me start this blog with an apology. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write and upload this blog. It’s not because I didn’t love this fortnight’s fad, not at all. I’ve just been a very busy bee. In fact my last fad has changed me. I’m not just a Mumford, I’m not just a fadder, I’m a Gooner. Yeah, that’s right, I’m now a fully fledged Arsenal fan. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration. When I was quizzed on who Arsenal’s strongest central midfielder is I just listed the names of players that I know; hoping one of them was a central midfielder. But when I was at the Emirates last week, I felt like a Gooner and I screamed profanities with the best of them.

So how and why did I go the Emirates? It’s all thanks to the lovely Kate Greenaway a hard core life time Gooner and friend of mine. Supporting Arsenal is more than just a fad for Kate, it’s a lifestyle choice. A football team is not just Christmas it’s for life. It will make you jump for joy, kick inanimate objects in anger and bleed your bank account dry. To be an Arsenal fan you have to pay £30 just to be a red member, then pay for each ticket on top of that. And those tickets are expensive. We paid £40 each for our tickets and that was for a low importance match at the back of the stadium. Most tickets costs between £50 – 75. “Why not just get a season ticket?” I hear you cry. Well, to get a season ticket for Arsenal you have to join a waiting list of nearly 30 years. Which is just ridiculous, my attention span barley lasts 30 minutes, I can’t promise that I would still be interested in something in 30 years time. (Which is slightly worrying for my marriage prospects). Then once you reach the top of this list you have to pay nearly £2,000 for your season ticket. OMG. My car didn’t even cost that. Kate tried to explain that the season ticket thing is different for other teams and the waiting list and expense is not as much for other teams. But I didn’t really understand what she was saying and then thought “who cares?” if I’m going to buy a season ticket it’s not going to be for any other team than Arsenal.

“Poppycock” I hear you saying. If I had been taken to a Tottenham game by a Spurs fan I’d be one of them. But Arsenal and I have history; their name is the only team name (apart from England of course) that I have shouted at the TV. When I was growing up my brother, sister and best friend all supported Arsenal. So I was always aware of the players names, finals they were in and cups they won. But I didn’t really care so couldn’t really call myself a fan, in the ladder of fandom I was very much on the bottom rung. Along with all the others that say, “If I had to pick a team it would be…” A few rungs up there’s the, “I enjoy watching the matches and check the results when I can’t watch them,” rung which is where I now sit. Then there’s the “I know their strengths and weaknesses and the best formations to play,” rung, which is where I hope to sit after I’ve watched more matches. Then the top, “I bleed when you bleed” fan, who takes their football team with them wherever they go in their hearts and their heads.

To be this level of football fan you have to make sacrifices, with your finances and your time. The finances have already been discussed, though I’ve not even touched on the travel expenses and merchandise costs. There are shirts, scarves, clocks, toasters, baby clothes and cuddly toys, basically anything that could be made red and white or have a Cannon stuck on it. Then with a premier league match every weekend and cup games during the week, that’s a lot of time. Obviously you might not be able to get to the match every time, but if you’re a real fan then you will find a TV somewhere. None of this matters though to the true football fan, because it’s your team, you’re family. Family may seem like a strange word to use when talking about a group of people that you’ve never met and changes on a yearly basis. But I know that’s how my football fan friends feel, they share the ups and downs together. Last month Arsenal player Aaron Ramsey had his leg broken in a nasty tackle and Kate cried for two hours. A strong reaction you may think, but he’s feels like a family member to her and his leg bone was poking out of his skin. These players are family to their fans which is why it’s devastating when they leave for more money and glory. (Yes Ashley Cole I’m taking to you – Kate told me what you did) Players that leave on good terms for valid reasons are still loved by the fans, their still part of the family. But a true fan can never give up or walk away, even when faced with constant disappointment. Fans are more forgiving of their team then they are their partners, you don’t divorce your team, you stick the hard times out.

It’s hard to be lonely at a football match, as you’re surrounded by thousands of people who all love what you love. That’s an incredible feeling. As I sat on the tube and noticed fellow passengers in red and white scarves I already started to feel like I was part of something. This feeling continued as I walked from Finsbury Park Tube to the Emirates with a sense of anticipation and excitement. My greatest joy coming from the fact I got to walk in the road. I love walking in the road. It’s only on really special occasions that one gets to walk in the road without risk of death. You know you’re in for something special when the Highway Code is thrown out of the window. Then there’s the magnificent Emirates Stadium, a gleaming architectural feat of beauty and purpose that pokes out between the roofs of terrace houses. My particular highlight being the giant letters spelling out Arsenal that sit outside the Stadium. I defy someone not to smile while sitting on a giant E. A bacon, cheeseburger with fried onions and a cup of tea was another treat.

The best bit of the day was of course the match itself. The butterflies, the jumping, the chanting, the swearing, the sighs, the screams, all the emotions that coursed through me as I watched Arsenal defeat Burney 3 – 1. I loved those last few minutes of the match when you’re waiting to exhale but can’t until that final whistle has been blown. Which is when I started to wonder if it’s your heart or head that makes you a fan. It may have been the first time I watched Arsenal play live and I might not know half the players names but at least I stayed till the end. Unlike the hundreds of fans who could recite their dream formation but would leave the stadium early before their team’s victory was secured. What if Burnley had secured a cheeky 2 goals in extra time and we had equalised, and you wouldn’t even know until you watched Match of the Day that night. It’s just ridiculous, as is asking football fans not to swear as there are children around – another thing I witnessed that day. I’m sorry but if you don’t want your children to hear swearing then don’t take them to a football match. Simples. There are other bonding activities you can do with your 8 year old child that would involve less profanity. Especially if said child spent the entire match wriggling in their chair, either complaining they’re hungry or reciting the alphabet. Basically doing anything but watching the match you spent over £40 for them to watch.

Granted the foul mouth blokes behind us were idiots and they were either swearing for the sake of it or singing about Harry Redknapp’s twitch. But surely it’s obvious that men who swear so much you feel the need to tell them to stop won’t stop because you asked them to. In fact isn’t it more likely that they’ll direct their swearing at you instead. Especially if you a mild mannered man in glasses that invites the line, “I can’t believe we’re being told to shut up by Harry Potter’s granddad.” Which is incidentally one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard in my life.

A place where I can cry with laughter, bite my nails in fear and jump with happiness is the kind of place I want to visit again. Also, the fact that I now talk about Arsenal in the ‘we’ person and have listened to Arsene Wenger’s post game interview on the internet suggest that this wont be the last time I visit the Emirates. Though I’m not sure I’m ready to be a red member just yet. I’m not sure I can make that kind of financial commitment for something which might ultimately turn out to be just a fad. Only last week after making a big fuss about going down the pub to watch Arsenal v Hull City, I had a nap instead.

I want to thank the lovely Kate Greenaway for sharing her passion with me, for lending me her Arsenal shirt (it’s in my hand wash pile – I’ll get it back to you soon I promise) and scarf. Thanks Greeno – I hope to be down that pub or Emirates stadium again with you soon

Next blog – golf with the guys

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How to woo a werewolf

I’ve been a bad girl. I've had a fortnight to write my blog but it's still not finished. Sorry. But I’ve been an extremely busy bee and just haven’t had the time.

I would have finished it tonight but I had Creative Writing homework to do for tomorrow. I had to write a poem. Which is why I’ve left it to the last minute, as I’m not really a poem kinda girl. I like my clothes pink and my meanings clear. But I thought I better give it a go.

I decided to use the Werewolf poem from the hammer horror classic ‘The Wolf Man’ as inspiration. The poem can also be heard in my favourite Florence and the Machine tune ‘Howl’.

“Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night,
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the Autumn moon is bright.”

So I Mumfed it up and wrote the following poem. I hope it keeps you happy until the next blog on Thursday


Please become a fan of my fan page if you havent already

Many thanks and much love Mumf xxxx

How to woo a werewolf

Even a girl who is pure in heart,
and reads her Twilight by night.
May become loved when the wolf heart blooms
and forbidden passion is bright.

What a load of crap
Knowledge may be power,
but action is success.
To read is not to be.
One must plan
to get their man
slash creature of the night

Hang out in woods,
his stomping ground.
Find a curled up ball
of naked man.
This could be him,
Your wolfy love machine.
Or just a dirty perv.

How’s his steak –
bloody and raw?
His senses sharp,
his movements quick?
Never dates on a full moon?
Go ahead and swoon
Your hunt is done.

For a girl who knows her prey
and has a plan of what to do.
May feel protected when her heart is full
with the werewolf's woo.

Tiger Face, Lemon Face

This may come as a surprise to you, but I quite like attention. Crazy eh? Who would have thought that an ex performing art school student and stand up comedienne felt that way? That a girl who is constantly writing about herself and asking people to be her fans would like people to listen to her. So it’s not really a shocker that I love having my picture taken. But not in a vain way, I promise. If you have seen me in photos, you’ll know that I often resemble a drunken village idiot. Eyes glazed from gin, massive grin and double chins. It’s okay though as I don’t think photos are about trying to look good they’re about capturing a moment in time. But if I manage to hide the chins and smile with my eyes then it’s an added bonus.

But last week it was time for me to step behind the camera. To be the photographer not the model. After last week’s trampolining photo shoot I was inspired to spend the week enjoying the fad of photography with my friend Lorna Harris. We planned a late night photography session where we could try out some experimental traffic shots. Of course this being England, the weather was not on our side and it rained relentlessly. But in the true British spirit we went on regardless and I donned my ill fitting ski jacket. So I could stand on a bridge, in the dark, in the rain, with a tripod and umbrella, taking pictures of traffic. You can see why Lorna didn’t want to do this photo shoot on her own, as weird shared is weird halfed. Also this may be Canterbury but thieves still exist and tripods are better protected in numbers. Though what I would have done if someone attempted to steal the camera, I don’t know. I’m only confrontational when drunk or just woken up. Also I’m not really a runner, I’m more into my gymnastics and dance classes. And though cartwheeling after a thieve would be impressive it wouldn’t be that effective.

It was on this cold and wet bridge that I learnt how to be a photographer. My first lesson was this: You need a good camera. A professional camera makes a lot of difference; there are certain shots and effects you just can’t get on a basic camera. We wanted to take pictures of traffic so it looked like streams of light instead of cars. Which we achieved by playing with the shutter speed. Yeah! That’s right – I learnt about shutter speed. But now that it’s nearly a week later, 11 o’clock at night and I’m high on sugar from the cupcakes that I just baked. I’m not actually capable of explaining how the shutter speed affects the way a camera takes a picture. I only know that it means you can write letters with your phone light and the camera captures it. How cool?

I also learnt about aperture priority mode (the size of the lense when it opens) and the depth of field. Unfortunaly I’m struggling to explain these photography lessons but if you do want to find out for yourself then I couldn’t recommend a better teacher than Lorna Harris. She was a-mazing, she wrote me a cheat sheet with definitions, she demonstrated how to use the camera, trusted me to use it and more importantly she cooked me sausages and mash for our pre shooot dinner. I really enjoyed the photography session and am really proud of the results. Some of which I’ve uploaded here and the rest you can check out at on Flickr. I’m particularly proud of the boots in the puddle photo that I took. Granted it was Lorna’s camera and Lorna’s idea but I pushed that button. Though I was enjoying my time behind the camera it wasn’t long till the surrounding trees were calling me back in front of it. So I persuaded Lorna to stop taking pictures of puddles and to take pictures of me. Which is how I ended up looking like the green goblin of Dane John Gardens in the featured photo.

My love of photography carried on over the weekend as I played the now infamous party game of ‘Tiger Face’, ‘Lemon Face’. Introduced to me by the legend that is Rachel Tate in a Prague bar. You basically point a camera at someone and ask them to pull a face like a tiger by shouting Tiger Face. Then you ask them to pull a face like you’re sucking a lemon by shouting Lemon Face. Simple but effective. And a great way to meet strangers. Who needs to ask ‘Do you come here often?” when you can shove a camera in their face and ask them to growl like a tiger? My fad for photography continued as I took photos of the London Fashion Week Models from my front row seat. Oh yeah, that’s right - front row at London Fashion Weekend. Granted it was the day for the paying public and I got to sit at the front as I happened to start queuing at the right time. But still, that’s really cool. And as I sat there taking in important life lessons such as, having statement lips and ballerina buns this season. I also managed to take some pictures of the incredibly beautiful models including the picture uploaded here.

Right, I think that’s enough self indulgent showing off for one blog. I don’t think photography is a helpful hobby for me as I’m either showing off that I pushed a button. Drunkenly shouting ‘Tiger Face’ at strangers. Or demanding that others take my photo while I look like a paedo in the woods at night.

I also think that this fad on fads is starting to tire me out a bit. So I’m going to start updating my blog fortnightly. Please do not cry for me fad fans. Though they’ll be a longer wait between blogs the quality will be much improved. I have started at least two sentences with the word ‘and’ in this blog, which I hate doing. But I am very tired and the sugar from my cupcakes has worn off. Also, the next fortnight’s fad is Football and I want to do my ‘Arsenal v Burnley’ blog the justice it deserves.

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Happy hobbying

Lots of love Mumf xxxxxxxxx