Dear W H Smith

Dear W.H.Smith,

This is a difficult letter to write, considering how long you've been a part of my life, but the truth is we need to talk.Now before I go any further I don't want you to panic, I'm not breaking up with you, I just think it's about time you and I have a little chat about our relationship. Things haven't been great for a while have they? And yesterdays Which? Survey voted you the U.K's worst high street store.

Ouch. That's got to hurt.

I'll be honest, I've seen the signs over the past few years, but you see i'm not willing to give up on you just yet. I think you and I could STILL have a long future together, but you've got to listen alright. No sulking, no rolling your eyes. Don't try to distract me with the half price chocolate at the till, that's one of the reasons we got here in the first place.

I think I knew you were always going to be a part of my life when I was about 7. I used to visit your store in Chester every Friday after school with my Dad and little brother. We would go to McDonald's for our tea, and then would come straight to you afterwards. We were allowed to pick one book or magazine each whilst Dad went off to read the Boxing News. I used to go upstairs to the section that's now a Costa coffee and spend ages picking my book, I would spread them out all over the floor whilst I pondered which Enid Blyton,or later which Sweet Valley high book to read next.
A nice lady, with a perm and glasses would always come over and help me. The reality was that she was ensuring I wasn't shoving one up my jumper, or wiping snot inside the covers, but whatever the actual reason was for being there  she never rushed me, she knew what she was talking about, and would help me chose my next book. And then take me back down to my Dad (Again probably ensuring there was not going to be any snot wiping or book smuggling)
She made the whole experience a pleasure and it became the favourite part of my week, I used to enjoy seeing her each week. I forget when I stopped seeing her now and that makes me a bit sad.

Chester  branch of W H Smith

After a few years my trips to come see you became less and less, but I always remained fond of you, I still believed in you and would ask for vouchers for Christmas and my Birthdays.
The changes, they happened gradually didn't they. One day I came in and you had put in a fancy new lift, then you ripped out my favourite section upstairs and put in the Costa. You did this whlst I was away at University. I felt like I had lost an old childhood friend isn't that sad?

The biggest shock for me was when you changed your logo from brown and orange to blue! My Dad had to warn me on the walk there, he was so worried about my reaction.

It didn't go down well.

You know I always come back you though don't you? You pull on my heart strings.
One of my favourite things to do is still to come in and see you. I buy a book and sit in Costa (I soon forgave them ripping out my favourite section when I found out it was one of the easiest places to go with the pram and sip an Americano) I probably do it once a month now payday it's not enough I know but it's all I can give you at present. I won't lie to you, either as I got older I met someone else. Amazon. I always feel a bit guilty if I use him for books, you see I still get the same excitement buying a new book, as I did as a child. However, sometimes I have no choice.  I went into your store to buy Hurrah for gin, you wanted £9.99, he (Amazon) wanted £3.99! 
But it's not just money problems making our relationship difficult,  there are other things too....

Where's the staff? Where did they go? 

In Chester store, there is usually one member of staff manning the tills downstairs, and one hovering by the self service tills, and then that's pretty much it for the entire store! I'm going to be honest the self service till panics me. I'm shouted at to use it and hurried through if I'm so much as 5ft away from the thing, still deciding on my purchase. 

Maybe that's the cunning plan?

There are never any staff upstairs either, not even in the actual 'Book' department, No nice lady's with perms and glasses to advise on book purchases. you can't give great customer service without any staff to give it.

Or any customers, obviously.

Chocolate at the tills 

Sometimes I think I've stepped into Willy Wonka's choclolate factory, not W.H.Smith!
I'm going to be honest If I've managed to avoid eye contact/pretended I've not seen/blatantly ignored requests to use the self service tills, then I'm asked a hundred and one questions at the till. And confectionary is almost always involved! Do I want stamps? A bottle of water? Half price chcocolate Oranges and mini bags of Thornton's Chocolate? Jelly Beans?  No! I can probably get them cheaper in Tesco.

Overpriced
I went to but the Divergent books for my little Sister (and when I say little Sister I mean me) and they were £7.99 each. The Works had all for £10 it was a no brainer. Yes sometimes I use The Works too, I'm a bit of a tart.

Vouchers
There's too many vouchers I can't be arsed with them all, it's usually 20 per cent off something I've just bought anyway. I always take them as I feel I'm being rude if I don't .A loyalty card would be better, didn't you used to have one? What happened to that?

People selling things in front of the store
I physically have to dodge them sometimes to get in, A.A (not the boozy one the car one) Make up, phone providers, there is no getting away from them they pounce as soon as I approach the entrance. I can't cope with the pressure of making up a lie as to why I don't want overpriced make up I've never heard of, it's very off putting.

Layout.
It's just so cluttered now, I walk in to the Chester store and I'm met with greeting cards not books, you're not Clintons what's that about? Then there are displays of Sharpies, everywhere, the basement which used to house music and DVDS is now a bargain basement with 50p post it notes, and autobiographies from realty TV stars.
I like your top floor though, it's nice and open plan and I enjoy shopping there.
I do not enjoy shopping downstairs, it feels like an obstacle course.

You hike up the prices in airports and Train Stations.
Come on now, admit it.

So now you know how I feel where do we go from here?

I want you to know I'll always be here for you, I'll continue to come in and see you, but that's just me W.H.Smth and my personal connection to you, You need to consider other people as well, I'm sure other's feel the same way as I do, we don't want to lose you and see another shop disappear from the high street.

I've got faith in you W.H.Smith, don't let me down. If you don't want to change for me, then do it for yourself.

Love  Rachel x

P.S When I was about 12, I did once accidentally rip the back page of a Sweet Valley High book called Double Trouble, I wanted to see how it ended and our Tom jumped out and scared me so his fault really but It's always played on my mind. 

Sorry.

Nobody puts Baby in the corner

These are some of my favourite baby things of Serens! Hand knitted booties, beautiful soft sleepsuit and the best quote I've seen on a babygrow #NobodyPutsBabyInTheCorner.


As I mentioned in my previous blog I have a serious problem when it comes to getting rid of books, particularly my own (Although if I never see another Horrid Henry joke book again then I'll be OK with that)
My books really do feel like old friends, and this is possibly because during my early childhood I didn't actually have many real life friends,
I did once have an imaginary mouse named Marcus but that is a whole other blog! Books were and still are a huge source of comfort to me. If I pick up a certain book it instantly transports me back to a certain time and place.

Take any of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books for instance, they immediately take me back to being Seren's age at my Nains house, where my brother and I would play with our cousins.I'd insist that we act out whichever of the books I was reading at the time, and my Dad would play the villain (which he'd take great delight in doing making us all squeal) I always wanted to be the tomboy George and my poor brother was forced to play Timmy the dog more times than was probably fair on him.

The Diary of Anne Frank reminds me of sitting underneath the tree in the garden of our childhood home, I can literally close my eyes and remember every detail of that afternoon. My Mum would bring me out cups of tea and I'd refuse to move even when it got dusk,because I didn't want to put the book down. I think it was one of the first books I'd ever read where it didn't have the happy ending I had always been used to.
I was a sensitive child anyway but my Mum had to hide that book away so I couldn't see it, as every time I saw Anne Franks face on the front cover it would make me cry.

Adrian Mole reminds me of laughing so hard that my sides hurt, and again was one of the first books I'd read where the family wasn't quite 'perfect' like the families portrayed in so many of my childhood stories. Although the family in the 'Famous Five' does make me raise my judgey pants a little. Packing young children off to an abandoned island with nothing more than lemonade,corned beef sandwiches and a shaggy dog? Asking for trouble if you ask me.

Wuthering Heights reminds me of falling in love for the first time, Bridget Jones Diary reminds me of starting University, and the Yummy Mummy guidebook reminds me of when Mark and I first decided we were going to try for a baby. Then we had a baby. And I launched Liz Fraser's book down the stairs.
Turns out after being up all night with a colicky baby, getting up the next day to throw on some Clarins beauty flash balm and pop to Starbucks and then out for lunch isn't that easy after all. (I still have the book though obviously)

But my difficulty parting with books is nothing compared to how hard I find it to be parted from my daughter's baby things. It is quite frankly obscene the amount of things I have kept,
Things came to a head before Christmas when Mark had to empty the back of the loft. He bought down box after box of baby things, boxes I didn't even remember we'd had.
One entire box was for shoes, yes baby shoes (and it wasn't a small box either) Baby wellington boots for instance. Did I think I was taking my baby splashing through puddles at 3-6 months? Baby trainers, baby peep toe sandals, and even baby clogs. There were some lovely hand knitted baby booties too the only thing on her feet she did actually get the use of.

Then there are the clothes, so many clothes! Beautiful baby grows and cardigans, and some quite frankly ridiculous outfits that I only have myself to blame for. There is a lace and denim outfit that must have been purchased when I was seriously sleep deprived, or I was planning on entering her into a baby Dolly Parton lookalike contest.
There are all her cards from when we were expecting, cards from when Seren was born. newspapers from the day she was born, blankets.toys and yes even the cast that she wore after she had her hip operation.It was gross then, it's still pretty gross now.

As we looked at everything Mark asked me did we need to keep it all. And it made me wonder why I insisted on keeping literally everything up until now.
Originally I kept everything because we thought like many might do, that we'd have another baby straight away. But then Seren needed an operation on her hip at six months old, and caring for her for the following six months literally took up 24 hours a day. There are a handful of people who know how difficult those months were, but suffice to say there was no time to even think about trying for a baby never mind actually having one.
Then, well things didn't go quite the way we'd planned but again, that's a whole other blog for a whole other time.

As Seren got older these keepsakes became less about having another baby,and more about keeping the baby we had if that makes sense. If Seren is to be our only child how could I bear to be parted with any of her special things? But there is special and plain odd and lets face it the smelly plaster cast is odd.
Now Seren is growing up becoming so independent whether my nerves like it or not, she isn't a baby she is growing into an utterly and wonderfully unique young lady, As someone far wiser than me told me you can't keep holding onto the past, but embrace the future. So that's what I'm doing.

Now my Mother, who has threatened to never speak to me again if she appears in any of these blogs (but she doesn't do 'the internet' so how she'll ever find out I'm not sure) is good at many things and one of them is decluttering so she has come down to help me sort out all of Serens baby things.
Mark and I picked the clothes that were extra special to us and will be looking at turning them into a keepsake cushion (or cushions there were a lot of 'extra' special ones ahem)
If anyone has any good links to places that could do this I would be grateful!And anything we could give away to a good cause we have done.

The cards well I couldn't be parted with some of them. Seren was born after such a sad and difficult time for our family, that she bought us all a little bit of sunshine and the cards we received during this time were truly touching so I couldn't let them go, instead I've purchased a huge art file to store them all in which will hopefully stop them from getting as damp and musty too. I'm also going to do this to store all the many paintings and drawings she has done over the years.

The cast has gone! And so have the shoes - if I can give any new Mother out there any advice from me it's don't buy baby wellington boots or peep toe sandals, it may shock you but they won't wear them. I'm mostly annoyed that my Mother was here to witness the shoe collection gathering dust "I told you she'd never wear them" she said and she did. Damn it I hate it when she's right.

The problem is although this decluttering has left me feeling some sense of accomplishment now I've got to start on  everything else and you wouldn't believe the amount of cuddly toys up in that loft..
















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A Mum who blogs? So that's new!

Mr O has been making some pretty loud noises recently about what my plans for the future might be workwise. Do you remember that bestseller I was going to write whilst I was on maternity leave? Well it hasn't actually been written yet and S is now 8 years old. Actually I tell a lie, because I have started many, many books. In fact the house is littered with hundreds of unfinished manuscripts. They are on the laptop, on the pc, scribbled in notebooks and the back of envelopes, my problem is I simply haven't finished any of them. I keep telling myself that at least one of them has the potential to be a bestseller right? 

Well until I find that bestseller and finish the damn thing I'm going to blog.

Unless there are any publishers reading this who want to skip straight to it and offer me a book deal? Only joking. Well kind of.

I know that there are already a lot of these 'Mum's who blog' out there. I have read many of them and watched a lot of vlogs, I love them. I am genuinely intrigued about what other people do every day, what they cook, what they are buying, what they are wearing and yes even what the inside of their fridge looks like. Oh who am I kidding? Especially what the inside of their fridge looks like. The majority of them are most certainly more witty, glamorous and fun than my day to day life. 

No they really are I'm not just saying that.

More than one of these blogs have made me want to burn all of my clothes and run straight into the brightly coloured comfort of Joules, some even made me rearrange my fridge, but ultimately each of them made me realise that we're all doing the best we can in this mad crazy journey of life, love and motherhood.

Mr O and little Miss O

Yes we really are this cool in real life....

So if you haven't been directed here by my Facebook page in some kind of disgruntled loyalty then here is a little bit about me.

I'm Rachel, I'm 30 (ish) years old and I have been married for the past 10 years to the very calm, patient and understanding Mr O. We have our beautiful daughter who is 9, a grumpy old cat, an atopic dog and we live in the Cheshire countryside. Between us we have a big family and our small house is always busy. I love any excuse to throw a party and I do like a theme! I'm at my happiest when the house is full with people, food, laughter and wine. Obviously.. I work part time for a major high street retailer this one and have done for the past 19 years. As you have probably gathered by now I am a frustrated writer at heart, I studied English literature at university but sadly never finished my degree. It is one of my biggest regrets in life.
I love to read and have an obsession with books, I refuse to either throw them out or give them away, which I know is crazy! I just find it hard to be parted from them, I just can't do it, they feel like old friends.

I love nothing more than spending time with my family and my friends and in no particular order..... 

Adventures, films, holidays, fun, fresh air, literature and coffee. Cooking, eating out, eating in and just food in general. Discovering new places and re discovering old places, wine, movies, a good debate and anything sci fi and zombie related. 
I'm not scared of creepy crawlies, nope none. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth and I always have a smile on my face.
Just don't ask me to read Goodbye Mog, ride a bicycle or draw a straight line as I physically cannot do any of those things.

So that's me, and a little taste of what these blogs will be about. If you have anything you'd like to me to blog about in particular or any questions then feel free to leave a comment on here, I love a natter! And don't forget to follow me on Facebook Instagram or Twitter.

Rachel 

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