The Madness Of May

Let’s face it, May did turn out to be a bit of a mad month – the election was a complete madness in itself! The final result was a bit of a shock to many, not at all keeping with the forecasts; you can read my response at the-election-my-response

Having felt thoroughly disillusioned and fed up with certain issues, I’ve started a new blog as a platform to inform and campaign on certain issues, see www.purelypeoplepower.blogspot.co.uk to read more. Introducing this new blog means that my existing #OfstedNoConfidence campaign twitter.com/hashtag/ofstednoconfidence will move to this new site, and I have also started a petition calling for a review of Ofsted, which you can sign by visiting https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/call-for-independent-review-of-ofsted  Shoppers’ Joy can will now revert back to its original use, which is to showcase product and service reviews, consumer issues and general shopping-related chat.

And so in other news...

This month I reviewed both Travelodge and Pontin’s, having experienced recent short stays in each, both of which seem to have undergone some improvement. Travelodge certainly seem to be upgrading their hotels, and whilst Pontin’s accommodation could do with a bit of an update, other facilities on offer are good. I’ll be interested to see how both progress.

In one post this month, I mentioned that my weekly shopping habits have recently changed, with more visits to Morrisons being the norm. I’m now using Sainsburys’ much less, partly because I now live further from a branch than I did before, but also the miserly lot have reduced the number of Nectar points that they’re awarding! Hadn’t you noticed? They’re now only giving one point per pound spent, instead of two, but the value of points remain the same – so basically you’ll have to spend £2 to get just 1p back! And there are no longer points awarded for re-using your own bags. Not a good move Sainsburys!

Finally, I was thrilled to hear that culottes are making a comeback. I think they’re great, offering the look of a skirt but with the comfort and practicality of trousers. I owned quite a few pairs back in the 80s, and I know they say you shouldn’t wear a fashion trend if you sported it the first time round, but I just couldn’t resist picking up a pair sitting on the sale rail in New Look. At £7 they were an absolute bargain, I just couldn’t resist!

How did May shape up for you?

All About April

Well April’s certainly seen some lovely weather, with warm sunny days that hint more at summer than spring. I’ve certainly been enjoying the warm spell, experiencing my first spring in my new rural home – you can read more at www.ruraljoy.blogspot.co.uk

Of course, one of the big stories of the moment has been the election campaign with all its related debates, broadcasts and inevitable slanging matches – candidates running down the opposition as opposed to concentrating on their own policies. Like many voters I’m finding this a tough one to call, although I think that I’ve finally decided on how I’m going to vote. Key issues for me include saving the NHS, protecting our children’s education and putting an end to the ‘rob the poor to make the rich richer’ mentality!

With regard to education, I’m continuing my campaign to call for a complete review of Ofsted, please join me with that by tweeting #OfstedNoConfidence or lobbying your local MP.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get away for a short break this month, enjoying some time with my daughter and toddler grandson at Camber Sands. The weather was unbelievably kind to us and we were able to build sandcastles on the beach and even paddle in the sea! My daughter had booked us in at Pontin’s, which had caused me a little trepidation as I’d heard some damning reviews in the past, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the accommodation was a little tired, the staff were lovely and the facilities pretty good. You’ll be able to read more about my stay in a future post.

Although I’m only a very occasional visitor to McDonald’s I recently went to my local branch that had recently been refurbished – and promptly despaired at the service! The branch has taken on a new Argos-esque persona whereby you queue twice – once to order and another to collect said order. The waiting time seemed much increased from the old system and the staff appeared more interested in distributing balloons than serving customers. This is no doubt another subject I’ll revisit in a future post.

Hope you’ve all had a great month, soaking up the sunshine and hopefully not becoming too disillusioned by all the political speak. Feel free to share some of your April highs and lows in the comments section of this blog!

Ofsted – Review and Reform

Over the last few months I’ve written a couple of blog posts Are Ofsted Off The Mark? and Ofsted - The Response highlighting the inconsistencies of Ofsted reports and calling for a review of the system. Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have joined in the #OfstedNoConfidence campaign, see hashtag/ofstednoconfidence

 

The reasons that I would like to see a total overhaul of Ofsted stem both from personal experience and the accounts that I read and hear from others concerning inconsistent and unfair reports.

For a number of years I worked in schools as support for the visually impaired. One school in particular that I went to had been given a glowing report, but turned out to be the worst school I’ve ever set foot in. Behaviour was appalling, morale was low (teachers and students) and lessons were not taught with any energy or enthusiasm.

A few years ago my son’s school was put into special measures by Ofsted, despite it being a high achieving establishment with a sense of pride and belonging. When I challenged Ofsted they admitted they had marked the school down on teaching and behaviour purely for it to score low enough to be put into these measures. Their main gripe was financial management, but as the school had no bursar or finance department, perhaps all that needed to happen was to agree to instigate one or the other. For some reason their agenda included getting rid of the (great, to my mind) head, by promising him that if he resigned other posts would be safe. As soon as he was clear of the school all the governors were dismissed and certain teaching staff ‘disappeared’ overnight. So much for making that deal good.

More recently there have been some other appalling, and quite sad, stories in the news about popular schools that have been condemned by Ofsted to the incredulity of staff, parents and pupils alike. Think Durham Free School, Bisham Primary School and The Ilfracombe Academy, to name a few.

Appeals and complaints directed at Ofsted themselves cut no mustard and The Department of Education seem to think that it’s nothing to do with them. So it’s down to us – the parents, teachers and students – to make enough noise to force an independent review of the situation.

It would appear that Ofsted don’t always work to the agenda that you would expect. Are some schools merely condemned just so they can be controlled by some of the dubious trusts that exist? To quote the Green Party, “Ofsted has become a political tool, as schools put into special measures can be fast-tracked to Academy status”. This is just one point of view, but I personally believe Ofsted have a different motive than is first apparent.

What reforms do there need to be? Well, here are a few ideas for starters.

- Change the existing forms designed for parents to complete, from tick boxes to forms that allow free and full comment.

- Include parents in the inspections themselves, holding a discussion session that can be attended by all those who would like to have their say.

- Ensure that all Ofsted teams are made up of a fair mix of inspectors from different backgrounds, beliefs, ages etc

- Ensure that all relevant data and comments are considered during the inspection, to include press (good and bad), parental complaints, evidence of community involvement, details of particularly difficulties that the school has had to overcome and so on.

- If a school genuinely falls down on a particular category, assistance should be provided to overcome that particular issue, rather than dismiss the head/close the school/put the school in special measures when there is often a solution available.

If there are ideas that you would like to see added to this list, please leave a comment on this blog, or tweet me @blogsbyjoy

Thank you for your support, please remember to use #OfstedNoConfidence on Twitter!

Ofsted – The Response

Last month I wrote a post about my exasperation at the inconsistency and unfairness of Ofsted reports, which I backed up with communications to the PM and various government ministers. (Read Are Ofsted Off The Mark? for more).

Thank you for all of you who read this post (a record number) and those of you who commented via my Twitter account @blogsbyjoy If only politicians had been as forthcoming with their responses!

After much delay, I finally received a reply from the Department For Education, washing their hands of the whole affair. It seems they really don’t care how unfair some of the Ofsted reports that schools receive really are, their basic belief is, “It’s nothing to do with us!”

Here is an extract from their email to me:

“I should explain that Ofsted is an independent, non-ministerial government department, and therefore I am unable to comment on their processes. If you have not already done so, you may wish to follow the Ofsted complaints procedure which you can find details of on the Ofsted website at: www.ofsted.gov.uk/contact-us/how-complain<http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/contact-us/how-complain”.

Now, I don’t care how ‘independent’ Ofsted are reported to be, someone has to be responsible for overseeing their conduct. It’s not acceptable for them to be self-regulating as they are so obviously flawed! Reports are inconsistent, they don’t respond well to parents’ views and concerns and many inspectors appear out of touch with what students, parents and teachers really want and need!

I would also like to point out, that in my original email (which had been addressed to the PM) I had explained that I’d already attempted to complain to Ofsted – on at least three occasions! I had been mostly ignored and on the final occasion purely received an empty promise that was never followed up. Is it any wonder that I’m so totally exasperated?

I’ve also been appalled to hear about a school that had been investigated and flagged as a problem by the local council, following parents’ complaints of harsh treatment of young pupils, recently being given a ‘good’ report by Ofsted. Work that one out! It appears that the school was made an academy during the initial investigations, meaning that the council report could then be disregarded, although gross misconduct of staff at the school had been declared! The police were also involved yet sadly could not gather enough evidence to press the case. But what the hell were Ofsted inspectors thinking to add insult to injury by issuing a good report?

And so the fight goes on. Ofsted is completely overdue an independent review. If the government doesn’t give a damn, then perhaps an investigative journalist or current affairs programme would like to step in and get to the bottom of the whole debacle.

Until such a time, I believe that more good schools will be ‘written off’ for all the wrong reasons, whilst some of those that treat students and parents appallingly, will get glowing reports because they’ve managed to tick the right boxes on forms!

Please join the fight to review Ofsted by approaching your local MP or the culprits themselves, or tweeting me using the hashtag #OfstedNoConfidence If enough of us make a noise, hopefully something will change!

Are Ofsted Off The Mark?

It seems that Ofsted is mentioned in the news on a fairly regular basis, often with regard to schools that they have deemed to be ‘failing’, when judged by their existing criteria. But is the current inspection system itself in need of a major review?

There was a time when I may have taken an Ofsted report at face value. If a school was put in special measures, I may well have believed it was well deserved. Similarly, I would have lapped up every word of a glowing report, believing that it was the type of place that my children should attend. But not any more.

Following a few personal experiences, I would like to raise the question, what is Ofsted’s real agenda? Let me explain the basis for this reaction.

Several years ago, I worked for a school that had only just received a ‘good’ Ofsted report. On the basis of this I had no qualms at joining the support staff at said school. But within days of starting work, I was flabbergasted as to how the establishment had managed to be rated so highly. Behaviour was appalling, staff members were apathetic and results only vaguely reasonable. Perhaps the lad who turned to me one lesson and said, “They sent all the naughty ones out the day Ofsted came”, was not merely speaking in jest.

Following a particularly bad behavioural incident, I felt the need to speak to a member of the management team, who basically couldn’t give two hoots! Things got worse and I decided to leave, but not without communicating to Ofsted my concerns about the school – only to be ignored.

Fast forward to more recent times. I was pleased to get my son into a great grammar school, where the staff members were helpful, results good and the atmosphere friendly. The year after my son started at the school, it topped the results table for the county and I was really pleased with his individual progress.

Then Ofsted came along.

Overnight, the school was put into special measures, the lovely head disappeared without a ‘goodbye’ and new one blustered in like a bull in a china shop. The schools individuality was stripped, as the school became part of a trust that just seems to want to ‘clone’ the school. When it comes to education, one size does not fit all!

As a parent I protested, taking the time to express my concerns to Ofsted. Their first reaction was that I’d had my chance for my say by filling in their questionnaire. Have you ever seen the Ofsted questionnaire? It’s just a series of tick boxes, with no room to expand on or explain any of the issues that you really want to address.

I persisted with communications to Ofsted, including sending a letter to Sir Michael Wilshaw. Eventually I wore them down enough to get a slightly longer reply, including a promise to meet with me on their next visit to the school. Like that happened!

I’ve never agreed with the decision to put my son’s school into special measures, or had the opportunity to discuss it properly. The ‘good’ news is it is now deemed by Ofsted to be a good school, which is somewhat surprising as to my mind it’s not a patch on what it was. Communications and admin are far worse than they ever were, but fortunately teaching is good – just as I’d always thought!

Time and again I hear of more schools receiving poor reports and being put into special measures. Most recently, Durham Free School have hit the news, threatened with closure despite a recent Department of Education report, declaring it to be “A successful free school securing good teaching.”

It’s true some schools may be struggling, but others I feel are being judged too harshly. It seems that Ofsted wants all schools to fit a mould – any deviation from their tick box system, however good results and student’s and parent’s views of the school, and Ofsted storm in.

As a result of this our choices of school for our children will become more limited, as each one becomes slowly cloned, lead by a series of Ofsted’s ‘yes men’ (and women, of course).

None of us want our children to suffer through poor educational standards – we’d like them to achieve their best – but we also want them to feel happy and safe, and experience a sense of belonging in the process.

Come on everyone! Let’s press for a total review of Ofsted, and stop good schools from receiving damning reports that actually can mean a change for the worse!

Please feel free to leave comments on this post – I will be lobbying MPs and other appropriate bodies – and your support is appreciated.

What Price An Opinion?

I was absolutely incensed to see, when I turned on the TV this morning for a spot of news, a couple being interviewed after being ‘charged’ for writing a review about a hotel in which they had stayed.

The review in question had been somewhat negative, but listening to the report, it would appear rightly so. The couple had experienced a number of problems with their room, which they had reported, but had not been solved. Disgruntled with their stay, they consequently wrote a review commenting on their experience, which I believe they were perfectly within their rights to do. OK, so they didn’t pay a premium rate for their room, but it should still have been fit for purpose.

However, the hotel still had their credit card details from when they had paid for their room, and apparently helped themselves to a payment of £100 in light of the comments the couple had made. They justified this by saying it was in the small print (very small print as it appears) that anyone writing a bad review would incur a charge. How ludicrous!

This case throws up a fair number of important issues.

We shouldn't pay for others shortcomings

Firstly, I believe that as consumers, we should all have the right to speak as we find. If we receive bad service or shoddy goods, we should firstly exercise our right to complain to those concerned (as the couple in this case did), but if our grievances aren’t resolved, we should be able to warn others of the shortcomings, to prevent others having to repeat our bad experience.

A second, connected point is that we should all be able to exercise freedom of speech, with the exception of the use of abusive or threatening comments.

Thirdly, it should not be, to my mind, legal for anyone to take further payments from a debit/credit card just because they were once given the details as part of a separate transaction. I believe this is just another breach of consumer rights.

Of course, this whole subject is close to my heart, as I regularly write reviews on goods and services – good and bad – and believe I offer a service in doing just that! If businesses want to avoid getting bad reviews, they should, quite simply, ensure that they maintain basic standards and that the goods and services that they supply meet all health and safety regulations, and are fit for purpose. Where mistakes are made or standards are lacking, they should endeavour to rectify the situation promptly and with good grace – this can turn a potentially bad review into a more positive one!

On the other side of the coin, it would appear that some people threaten to write damning reviews unless they are offered a discounted price. This is equally wrong. Just as we expect to be treated respectfully by companies, we should act responsibly as customers. Reviews need to be truthful in order to be helpful to others, sticking to the facts and be made in order to put across a fair point, as opposed to seeking personal gain.

Reviews of products and services can be beneficial to all – potential customers and businesses alike – so let’s protect our right to speak out when things are wrong, without the threat of being ‘fined’ for so doing, as this just rubs salt into already painful wounds!

What do you think?

Mini Oven Review

(It’s the oven that’s mini, not the review by the way)

Due to our current, somewhat strange living arrangements ( read more here ) we decided to invest in a mini oven, which would allow us to cook some of the foods that we’d been missing, and were unable to conjure up on our basic camping stove and grill arrangement.

After doing a bit of research and reading various customer reviews, we plumped for the Andrew James Mini Combi Oven from Amazon. With a two-plate hob and multi-function oven, it seemed a good buy.

I’m pleased to report that we’re really getting on quite well with it and have appreciated all that it has to offer. On the downside, it does take longer than the average oven to heat up (the hob too) but once it gets going it cooks really well. In fact, pastry for example, cooks much better than it did in our previous oven, becoming a lovely even, golden brown colour, of which any Bake Off contestant would be immensely proud.

The oven capacity is a decent size, enabling me to cook a full roast dinner, and the internal dimensions allow enough space for a large pizza tray.

With a choice of five oven settings, however, it seems a shame that the instruction booklet doesn’t explain which setting would best suit which type of dish. The settings consist of: upper heating and low heating with fan; upper heating and fan; upper heating and lower heating; lower heating; upper heating. The instructions merely advise that four out of the five settings are suitable for baking, with the other function acting as a grill. So we’ve resorted to good old trial and error to work out which arrangement is best for which dish, and slowly but surely we’re getting there.

So if you’ve got limited kitchen space, are looking for a temporary cooker whilst living in a shambles, sorry doing a renovation project, or just fancy an economical change, then I can recommend the Andrew James Mini Oven, despite its sketchy instructions

DS Game Review: Salem Secrets

One of the most recent DS games that I have played has been Salem Secrets, a hidden object game featuring additional puzzles and minigames, surrounding the suspicions of witchcraft in Salem in 1692.

I enjoyed this game from the start, the level of difficulty of the hidden objects scenes was just about right. Items could be realistically found, without it being too frustrating, or all of them being obvious. Some of the objects that you find are kept for future use, you just have to determine where and how to use the items, with some being more apparent than others.

There were some great puzzles throughout the game too, although a few instructions for some of these would have been nice. Although I mostly managed to work out what was required, in a couple of cases it was trial and error, before the penny finally dropped. One particular puzzle I never did quite get the hang of, but it is possible to skip puzzles that you can’t complete. Personally, however, I would have preferred some guidance or the chance to see a solution, rather than just pass a puzzle by.

I really enjoyed this game, which had enough of a story, without all the time being taken up telling it, but my main criticism of the game is that it was actually too short with a very abrupt ending. Having found all the missing girls in the story, its main aim, I thought I would then have to battle the witchcraft element a bit more. But no. One minute I thought I was entering a whole new part of the game, the next the credits were rolling.

Verdict: great game, shame about the length.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

DS Games Review: Mah Jong Quest Expeditions

I’d never played the game of Mah Jong until I played it on a DS game a year or so ago. It appears as a minigame in James Patterson Women’s Murder Club, Games of Passion – a feature that I’d really enjoyed. So when I spotted Mah Jong Quest Expeditions I decide to give it a go.

For those of you who have never played Mah Jong, it is a tile matching game. The trick is to match and remove the tiles in the order that enables you to clear the whole board.

You can play three different versions of the game in Mah Jong Quest, with different modes available in each. In Kwazi’s Quest you don’t have to clear the whole board, just sufficient to match the black and white hat tiles, and there are all sorts of special tiles available, to enable you to make additional moves in order to clear more tiles. You play against a timer, work your way through a number of levels collecting points and have a limited number of lives available (you lose one whenever you run out of time) but do collect more along the way. Some of the boards in Kwazi’s Quest are quite challenging, but that’s what makes them so good.

If you choose to play the puzzle game, you a presented with a series of boards of increasing size, that don’t have to be completely cleared, but once again you need to match the black and white hat tiles.

The classic game is completely what you would expect, the traditional game of matching tiles to clear the board.

I really enjoyed the challenge of the game, with Kwazi’s Quest being my preferred method of game play. You do have to be a fan of Mah Jong however, as there is nothing else involved in this game – no other puzzles, no hidden object scenes – it’s just Mah Jong in all it’s glory.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

DS Games – Jewel Quest Mysteries 2

In my first DS game review of 2014, I’m looking at Jewel Quest Mysteries 2, ‘Trail of the Midnight Heart’.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed playing the original Jewel Quest Mystery, ‘Curse of the Emerald Tear’, which combined hidden object scenes with jewel matchboards, as opposed to Jewel Quest games that only have the jewel boards, such as ‘Expeditions’. As Trail of the Midnight Heart offers the same kind of game play, I was eager to give it a go.

However, although the game did indeed contain some of the very elements that made me enjoy the first of its kind, I was disappointed that the inventory lists on the hidden object levels appeared somewhat shorter than on the previous game, meaning that I was able to complete them that much more quickly. I also found the objects themselves easier to find as the graphics did not seem quite as detailed as in the earlier game.

However, I did like the new addition to the game,  the moving scene where you have to collect 20 versions of a given object. This at least presented a new challenge, which I found a little tricky at first, but improved at as I progressed through game.

As with the first Jewel Quest Mystery, you collect jewels and coins as you progress, which you can use as hints and to boost your points.

I did still enjoy ‘Trail of the Midnight Heart’, but have to say I found it that much less of a challenge, and finished it in a shorter time than the previous game, If a third version is made, I would like it to contain the best elements of the two versions to date combined.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

DS Games – Professor Layton vs May’s Mysteries

Regular readers to my blog may know that I’m rather partial to puzzles and DS games, with DS puzzle games the ideal combination. It’s some time since I wrote a review on any games, so I thought it was time that I reviewed and compared a couple of my favourites.

Many of you may be familiar with the Professor Layton series, where the animated Prof and his trusty assistant (or assistants depending on the story) set off to solve a mystery and encounter many puzzles along the way. I’ve played most of the Professor Layton games, with the exception of the most recent, as I tend to wait for the price to come down – I’m always after a bargain!

I really love the puzzles in Professor Layton games, but I have to admit to finding the stories a little long-winded and tedious, not to mention a tad bizarre. I play for the puzzles themselves, not for all the weird chitchat. I also find it a pain tapping on all the scenes to find hint coins, although I do to try to avoid using these if possible. There are some great puzzles in the games, and I like the fact that they are of different levels of difficulty, worth different numbers of points. Of course, once you have played a game all the way through, you can replay the puzzles without the story, and there are bonus puzzles too.

I also really like some of the fun minigames in Professor Layton, such as creating cunning rail tracks and assault courses for a pet hamster. Despite the dodgy storylines, I am a fan of Professor Layton games.

I was interested, therefore, when browsing on Amazon, to discover another game called May’s Mysteries, which was billed to be another Professor Layton. I promptly ordered ‘The Secret of Dragonville’ at the bargain price of around £3, and was not disappointed.

The game very much has the feel of a Professor Layton, but I found the storyline didn’t drag on so much – there were fewer tedious conversations with characters. There was none of the silly tapping for hint coins either; you earn hints by completing the bonus puzzles that you collect along the way. Many of the puzzles were of a similar type to those in Professor Layton, but there were some interesting additions, such as ‘Hidden Picture’ puzzles, which are somewhat like Hanje puzzles (where you logically work out which squares to shade in to form a picture) and hidden object scenes.

There were a few downsides to May’s Mysteries, however. All puzzles are worth the same number of points although some are so much easier to solve than others. One of the so-called puzzle-types irritated me terribly – the rhythmic game, where you have to tap along in time with a tune. It was the ones where you also had to slide your stylus that got me and I ended up skipping most of these.

But over all I loved May’s Mysteries and will be looking out for more stories.

Can you recommend any good DS puzzle games?

July’s Blog Review

Wow what a scorcher! The temperature rose, along with tempers in some cases, but I’ve had a fun month and hope that you have too! We’ve been out baring our lily-white legs and complaining about the heat in typical British style, whilst making the most of what the great outdoors has to offer.

With the change in weather I managed a spot of camping and am spending much of my summer in my static caravan on the east coast. What are your summer plans?

Back on the subject of rising tempers, some of the things that annoyed me this month were free bus passes being automatically issued to those in their 60s however well off they are, stores putting their returns departments on their upper floors and people having loud phone conversations, peppered with expletives, whilst on public transport.

There were mixed reactions on the bus pass front, with suggestions that there should be some form of charge for issuing the passes to help with admin costs and comments that the qualifying age should be raised to 70, both of which I feel would help the situation.

In response to my ‘Mobile Madness’ blog, bemoaning the loud, explicit phone conversations passengers have on buses, JC remarked that this is a generational thing, which I agree with to a point, although I can’t help but smile when a really upbeat, current tune sounds as a ringtone, and is promptly answered by some grey-haired little old lady on the bus.

Reviews this month included ‘bake at home’ products, body creams, curl treatments and coffee shops. I also took trips to Colchester Zoo and Penshurst Place, both of which I highly recommend.

There’s lots more planned for August, so keep reading!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

June’s Blog Review

‘Flaming June’ it may not have been, but at least some warm sunny days have enabled us to get out and about to various visitor attractions and enjoy some traditional family picnics.

With this in mind, this month I wrote several reviews about places that I have visited and would recommend. These have included Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens, Norfolk (a great fun family day out), The Hop Farm, Kent (offering free admission and reasonably priced rides) and some lesser-known English Heritage sites, such as Burgh Castle.

One of the main irritations that I addressed this month was the way that certain companies ask you to ‘hold for a moment’ then proceed to abandon you for what seems like ages. Comments from readers included stories of extremely long waits, tales of being passed between a series of unhelpful people and complaints about the cost of such lengthy calls. At least companies that use 0800 numbers allow you to listen to their annoying music, stony silence or intermittent recorded messages for free!

Some of the other topics that I wrote about this month were camping (great fun, low cost holidays), moving your static caravan (easier than you would think) paying for public toilets and the worst shops as defined by a recent consumer survey.

It was thumbs up for Avon Eyeshadow Primer and Bookstart, but thumbs down for Belvita Breakfast Biscuits.

Next month there’ll be more visitor attraction reviews, more verdicts on products and no doubt a bit more ranting about life’s irritations.

Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

May’s Blog Review

Finally spring arrived, blossom filled the trees, flowers bloomed in the garden and the sun made a welcome (if sporadic) appearance. For me personally, May proved to be a busy month, with the birth of my grandson (first grandchild) for which I was present, even cutting the cord, being the highlight.

On the downside, the Hypermobility class that I attend at my local physiotherapy department is being reduced from weekly to monthly sessions, which will affect so many of us suffering from the condition (for information on Hypermobility Syndrome click here)

On my blog I once again looked at a diverse range of products and services, highlighting the good and bad and making a few recommendations.

I was disappointed with the change of packaging for some Boots No7 products, which I believe has meant less content in some cases, and inferior packaging in others, making it hard to use a measured amount of product, thus causing wastage. Next month, I will be suggesting alternatives to two of the No7 products that I was most disappointed with – the Stay Perfect Smoothing and Brightening Eye Base and the Beautiful Skin Eye Make-Up Remover.

Some of the more serious issues I touched on were visiting the dentist and health screening. It was lovely to hear from JR of the Mohali Dentist Clinic who commented ‘The Dreaded Dentist’ was an ‘impressive post’ with ‘minute details mentioned and clearly expressed’.

I also pointed out that you do not have to pay to get an EHIC card for your holiday. If you find a website trying to charge for this service, ignore it, be sure to visit www.nhs.uk/ehic where you just complete a simple form to receive your card – no fee involved.

Thank you to you all for visiting my blog. There’ll be lots more going on next month, so keep reading!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

April’s Blog Review

At last spring seems to have arrived, with more sunshine on offer, blossom and blooms making a welcome appearance and temperatures rising sufficiently to ditch the fleecy coats and furry boots.

I hope that my blog has brightened up your days too, with many of this month’s posts sparking some interesting comments.

I spoke up in support of markets this month, taking a nostalgic look back at those I used to love (anyone remember Rochester?) but have disappeared, whilst encouraging you to make use of those that remain. JC recommended some great markets in Marlborough (Wednesday and Saturday), Devizes (Tuesday for antiques, Thursday, Friday and Saturday general) and Salisbury (Tuesday and Saturdays). So get out there and find a market near you!

Talking of support, another much-discussed issue this month was the announcement that French sports scientist, Jean-Denis Rouillon, had conducted a study resulting in the conclusion that we ladies don’t need to wear our bras. Personally I just wouldn’t feel comfortable without one – a sentiment backed up by all those who commented on my post. WR asked, “What would we use to stop us flipping and flopping all over the place?” whilst JS mused, “They can keep their study and I will keep my bra thank you!”

With children enjoying a couple of weeks off of school for the Easter break, I suggested some more great places to visit. My travels took me to Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse (Norfolk), where I had a fun time with my son, as there was so much to see and do. I’m pleased to say that Gressenhall loved what I wrote, tweeting, “You have a great writing style, loved your description of the workhouse.” So, we were all happy then.

I’m hoping for the weather to keep improving during the coming months, so that we can all get out and enjoy the great outdoors. There’ll be lots more happening on my blog too.

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March Blog Review

With double-figure temperatures and sunshine one day and snow blizzards and freezing temperatures virtually the next, March has certainly been a right old mixture weather-wise. It’s been rather a mixed bag on my blog too – hopefully providing something for everyone.

I’ve had quite a lot to say about Travelodge this month, sharing my experience of stays and offering tips to help your stay go smoothly. Travelodges are basically cheap and cheerful (although occasionally lacking the cheerful), but let’s face it, you get what you pay for and they do make very handy stopover points without breaking the bank.

Following the horsemeat scandal, the focus has been on buying British meat, so I was pleased to hear that Tesco are aiming to stock more meat from British producers, as recent visits to the supermarket chain had revealed a huge selection of meat from all over Europe. We really should be supporting our own British farmers. At least fresh meat tends to be clearly labelled with the country of origin, whereas frozen meat does not always display where it is from with any clarity. New government guidelines really do need to be introduced for frozen food packaging.

Other topics that I felt strongly about this month included high cathedral admission charges (I feel that these buildings should be free and accessible to all) and self-serve checkouts (I’m really not a fan). Some responses to the cathedral charge post suggested that those of you who were tourists interested in viewing the architecture, did not mind paying a fee, but it seems agreed that those wanting to visit for some quiet reflection or to light a candle quite rightly did not expect to pay a high admission charge. Suggestions for aiming charges at tourists only include asking visitors to pay for audio or guided tours, photography permits, information leaflets and booklets or to enter special exhibition areas. No doubt the debate will continue.

I’m really hoping that April will see the weather become much more settled and definitely warmer. With the start of the school holidays in reach, I’m now looking at places to visit to keep the kids amused. Many attractions are reopening after their winter break, so hopefully you’ll get to visit a few.

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DS Games – Murder In Venice

The latest of my DS game reviews looks at Murder In Venice, yet another hidden object game (well so many are), which features some novel minigames.

The story switches between 1967 and 2010 and follows a tale of murder, intrigue and a KGB plot of the Cold War era.

Progress through the game by solving hidden object levels, interspersed with a selection of minigames, my favourite of which is ‘gear code’, matching combinations of coloured balls (not unlike Jewel Quest/Jewel Link boards).

In addition to the lists of hidden objects (some of which you use) in each level, you need to find a chess piece in order to collect a full set. You can also earn a number of awards on the way for completing certain tasks to certain standards.

Once you have played in story mode, then you can play the full range of ‘Hidden World’ (hidden object scenes) and ‘Minigames’, which include extra levels not available in the main game.

I enjoyed playing this games, despite it being similar to many others that I’ve played. The picture quality was good and there was a reasonable assortment of activities.

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DS Games – Millionheir

In my latest DS game review, I’m looking at a hidden object game with some interesting twists – Millionheir.

The aim of the game is to solve the mystery of the missing millionaire, discovering the heir to his fortune and the identity of the villain along the way.

You can play the game in three modes within the single player option – rookie, detective and gumshoe (which has to be unlocked by playing the game). Each mode has a different time limit and number of hints available. There is also a multiplayer option, which can be played in hot-seat mode or wireless communication, though I’ve not tried this.

You progress through the game by finding hidden objects in various settings, meeting a number of characters along the way. To add interest in the hidden object rounds, there are additional tools to use such as an x-ray device and underwater goggles. It’s sometimes necessary to interact with objects too e.g. you may be asked to find a lemon slice, but in fact you have to find a whole lemon and ‘slice’ it with the stylus.

In addition to the hidden object rounds, there are spot the difference pictures, jigsaw puzzles, a DNA game and a fingerprinting activity, which offer some variety.

What I really like about this game is that you can play it over and over again, with different outcomes, so you never know who the heir and villain will be.

Once you have solved the main game, you can also play the Treasure Hunt game, in addition to replaying the whole game on a different level.

Millionheir is definitely a game I’d recommend.

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February Blog Review

February can be a strange month, with wintry weather still a big feature, but hopefully the odd glimpse of spring in between. It’s not just the weather that’s been a mixed bag; my blog posts have been very varied too.

Talk of food got off to a tasty start with thoughts of pancakes and suggested toppings. Did you make any? If so, I hope you enjoyed them, perhaps trying some of my suggestions. And did you, like me, vow not to leave it another whole year before making more? Time will tell if we do …

The food theme continued with a plea to use free range eggs and mentions of Tetley Tea Folk cherry scones and Asda Extra Special Extra Juicy Lemonade.

Amongst all the frivolity, I have once again covered some very serious issues on my blog, probably the most disturbing being the diagnosis of dementia (or lack of it). I was really shocked to hear that some GPs have been refusing to test for the condition, which means that sufferers may not be able to access certain services they require. I have just been through the whole dementia diagnosis scenario with a close relative and would encourage others to fight for a correct diagnosis, as it has opened up new avenues of support for us.

Longing for Spring

I also related the horrors of public transport (have been having lots of problems with local buses recently), direct debit payments and the underhand (in my opinion) way that some charities are touting for supporters.

I’m now looking forward to what I hope will be Spring just around the corner, so tomorrow you can read some of the things I’m suggesting to do in March.

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The Ins and Out of Direct Debits

I’ve previously mentioned that paying household bills by direct debit can save you money, with many companies offering a discount for doing just that.

In addition to this it ensures bills are always paid on time without you having to remember to see to them.

But there can be a downside to some kinds of direct debit. I pay all our household bills by this method, with three different variations in use:

Paying the bill in full by direct debit. This applies to my phone bill, for example, for which I receive a quarterly statement, informing me how much will be taken from my account and when, usually giving me 10-14 days notice. Although this doesn’t spread the cost, it does give me a small discount on the bill and ensures I don’t forget to pay.

Paying in equal monthly instalments by direct debit. This is used to pay for services for which a set sum is applied for the year, as with Council Tax. The yearly bill is broken down into equal monthly payments, spreading the cost.

Paying a variable amount (changeable with notice) by direct debit. This method is used by energy suppliers, for example, who set a monthly amount and then review it on a yearly basis, putting it up or down depending on your usage. However, EDF have recently started reviewing our payments with greater frequency and, we feel, quite unnecessarily. We’ve had to argue the point that the idea of this form of direct debit is that the balance is cleared over the course of a year, as opposed to being permanently in credit! The idea is to spread the cost, not only pay in advance.

If your direct debit payments do get raised unexpectedly to an amount you consider inappropriate, then do challenge this. Theoretically direct debit payments and only be taken from your account if you are a) aware of the amount (reasonable notice must be given of a change) and b) have agreed to the amount. If you tell a company not to take a certain amount, they are not supposed to and payments taken in error can be reclaimed. Don’t be persuaded to pay more than you need: it’s better that extra money sits in your bank account, as opposed to the account of the company you’re paying.

Direct debits can be a convenient, money-saving way to pay your bills – but do be aware of the pitfalls.

How do you get on with direct debit payments? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk