Author Archives: DorkyMum

Take Action: Nestle and Danone

April 1, 2013 By in Activism Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Save the Children

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the launch of Save the Children’s campaign on breastfeeding, and their report Superfood for Babies, which details some of the barriers to breastfeeding in the developed world.

The focus of the campaign has now shifted to concentrate on one of those barriers in more details; the marketing tactics of multinational breastmilk substitute companies.

Despite 30 years of guidelines, there are continued reports of some breast milk substitute companies marketing their products in an unethical manner.

You can read Save the Children’s full briefing on Nestlé and Danone here, along with this article in the Guardian from Zoe Williams which details the situation in Indonesia, but I also wanted to pick out a couple of things from the report that really shocked me and highlight them in a post. Continue reading →

Hoo’s Kids Book Fest

March 27, 2013 By in Guest Posts Tags: , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

I was really pleased to find out that there’s a children’s book festival – Hoo’s Kids Book Fest – taking place next month, just up the road from us.

Today’s guest post on the blog is from Guy Parker-Rees – a children’s writer who will be appearing at the festival. Guy’s post is an introduction to his latest book, Tom and Millie’s Whizzy Bizzy People and he writes about how he creates Tom and Millie’s world.

For the chance to win a family ticket to the festival, check out the competition at the end of the post. Continue reading →

Alternative Government: The Bloggers’ Cabinet

March 26, 2013 By in Blogging Tags: , , , , , 28 Comments

I have been trying for weeks to write a long and serious post about our current Government. Not a morning passes when I don’t turn on the computer, see the latest headlines and literally want to puke when I see the latest piece of havoc they are wreaking on the country. Having bulldozed their way the through the NHS, the education system and the welfare system, I can only wonder in fear what they’ll turn to next.

But this post isn’t going to be that long and serious examination of the issues. There are so many people far more knowledgeable and eloquent than me writing excellent, passionate and well-informed articles about current affairs, that mine can wait. (See the bottom of this post for a link or two)

Instead, I’m going to present you with an alternative Bloggers’ Cabinet. You tell me that these folk couldn’t do a better job than the shower of shites we’ve got at the moment…

Continue reading →

I Am Not A Poet

March 25, 2013 By in Poetry Tags: , , , 14 Comments

I used to collect poems, like some people collect postcards or glass paperweights.

I’d keep a notebook, and if I read or heard or found a poem I loved then I’d scribble it down, as though by writing the words out myself I could somehow own them.

Sometimes it wouldn’t be a whole poem, it would just be a phrase.

“a gossiping stream full of blethering pebbles”

“a shotgun sprinkle of freckles”

“I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.”

Good poetry – even a line or two – takes your breath away a little bit. Good poets make you feel like they have peeked inside your memory and plucked out an experience that you have lived, but then gone on to express your feeling or describe your scene better than you ever could yourself.

Continue reading →