Friday 31 July 2015

Toyologist Review - Thunderbirds 1

Review - Thunderbirds 1


Thunderbirds 1 to the rescue! Our latest toy review is for the TB1 vehicle which is 10.5cm long. It's just the right size to fit in a child's hand and also fits inside the Tracy Island Playset which can be bought separately. The vehicle was easy to remove from the packaging.  


TB1 has retractable wings and our reviewer found the base easy to turn which activated the wings.

 
This vehicle comes complete with action and rescue sounds and this is what stood out for our reviewer, she counted five different sounds and phrases and pressed the button to hear them as she played with the toy.

 
Our reviewer played with the toy for around 30 minutes before asking to put it away. She didn't sit down to play for long and took the toy with her to fly around the house and garden making her own sounds. She did say that she would like to play with the island too as she spotted it on the back of the TB1 packaging! 
 
 
The toy is easy to tidy away and doesn't take up too much room in a box alongside other vehicles. We recommend this toy for a child from 3 years to around 8 years.
 
 
 
Thunderbirds 1 is on sale at Toys R Us Toys R Us for £9.99
This review is part of the Toys R Us’ Toyologist programme 


 


Tuesday 28 July 2015

Quomps Splashpark - Christchurch

Quomps Splashpark - Christchurch

 
 
 
The splashpark is situated on Christchurch Quay and is open daily from 9am-7pm . There is a carpark next to the splashpark - Mayors Mead car park BH23 1NY 
 
Charges for 2015 are 1 April - 31 October 2015 and March 2016
 
2 hours£2
4 hours£3.30
12 hours£6

If you don't have much to carry then there is also parking  5/10 minute walk away at Willow Way car park BH23 1NU  which is cheaper.

2 hours£1
4 hours£1.90
12 hours£4

There are toilets nearby and a refreshments stand selling drinks and icecreams. The splashpark is enclosed by fencing and has a small paddling pool and many water features.


 
Outside the splashpark is a children's play park and lots of grass for picnics.


 

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Drawing competition!

DRAWING COMPETITION WITH
THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN ONE OF TWO I PAD MINIS!!

 
 
Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID) has funded and
launched a 'seaside scene' drawing competition for children with the
opportunity to win one of two i Pad Minis. The competition will run
from now until the end of August. There will be two age categories; 7
years and under and 8 - 13years. Competition entry forms can be picked
up from Westbourne Post Office or downloaded from the web site
 
Entries can be made by uploading a picture of the drawing to the
Discover Westbourne 'seaside scene' competition post or by dropping
the entry in to the competition box at Westbourne Post Office.

Review - Grease at Bournemouth Pavilion


 
Talented local company BBLOC present the blockbuster smash hit Grease this summer at Bournemouth Pavilion.

We went to see this show on it's opening night, it's the third time I have seen the stage show but it was first time for my 17yr old daughter who is also a Grease fan and loves the movie.
I had previously explained to her that this is an amateur production as stated on the Pavilion website.


Everyone who loves Grease the movie will already be familiar with the hit songs from this show and the cast carried them off brilliantly. We were surprised to find Paul from the popular shoe shop Mathews in Christchurch playing Kenickie and a fabulous job he did too!

Rizzo, Danny and Sandy were just a few of the other characters with outstanding voices and very realistic to the movie, although the whole cast were amazing.

We were very impressed with the dance routines, singing and quality of the acting and this certainly did not come across as an amateur performance.

Brilliant set designs although a little slow to change at times, they were worth the wait.
The first night was dress up night and there were lots of pink ladies in the audience which added to the atmosphere.

We recommend this summer sizzler which will appeal to every Grease fan young and old.

The show is on at Bournemouth Pavilion from 21 – 25 July 2015, under 14's must be accompanied by an adult.

You can buy tickets here

Saturday 4 July 2015

Speak out to stop scams

Poole residents are being asked to expose scams and help stop other people from falling prey to clever cons which are aimed at stealing their hard earned cash.

The national Scams Awareness Month, launched on 1 July, highlights how scams continue to flourish when people stay silent. On average less than 5% of victims report scams to the authorities. Poole Trading Standards Officers are encouraging residents to report suspicious activities, get advice if they think they have been conned and to warn others to help stop the scams from spreading.

Scams can come in many forms, from high pressure doorstep sellers to fraudulent online investment offers. Fraudsters may impersonate banks to collect their victim’s bank details, or by bogus companies offering computer services. Online scams include fake job adverts and offers for goods and services that do not exist, while mail scams may ask victims to pay fees in order to claim their winnings from a prize draw they have not even entered. Poole Trading Standards are aware of over 300 local residents who have responded to scam mail during the last few years.

The month long awareness campaign is asking people to keep two things in mind when they receive an unsolicited approach or when they are looking for goods or services: don’t be rushed and don’t be hushed. People should take their time to make a decision and get their facts together before parting with their money or personal information, and speak out when they think they have spotted a scam.

Peter Haikin, Regulatory Services Manager, Borough of Poole, said: “Scams thrive on the silence of victims. Fraudsters know that even if they realised they’ve been conned, victims are often reluctant to share what happened to them, meaning that scams can continue to spread unchecked. As part of this national campaign we’re urging people in Poole to help lift the lid on scams and start talking about suspicious emails, scam mail, online ads or unscrupulous door-to-door sellers operating in their area. We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a scam approach to report it to Trading Standards.”

The traditional view of scam victims being elderly or vulnerable is not always true. Fraudsters have also recently targeted Trading Standards themselves by trying to scam exhibitors at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute conference in Bournemouth. Exhibitors received letters requesting information, but hidden in the small print was an agreement to sign up for a directory listing costing thousands of pounds.

Peter Haikin explained: “These scams are run by professional con artists who use a different approach to suit their target victim. For example a bogus concert ticket sales website will appeal to a different market than a fake clairvoyant mailshot. We all need to be on guard, regardless of our age, as it can be very hard to know what to look out for. If you’re contacted out of the blue in particular be on your guard, and never give your bank details out unless you are certain you know who the person is and that you can trust them. If you think you have been scammed, contact Citizens Advice on 03454 040506 for help or to report it to Trading Standards.”

Poole Trading Standards are recommending residents follow their top tips for avoiding scams:

●      If it sounds too good to be true it probably is
●      It you haven’t bought a ticket – you can’t win it
●      You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize
●      If in doubt, don’t reply. Bin it, delete it or hang up
●      Contacted out of the blue? – be suspicious
●      Don’t be rushed – resist pressure to make a decision straight away
●      Never send money to someone you have never met
●      Walk away from job ads that ask for money in advance
●      Your bank will never phone you to ask for your PIN or your online banking password ●      Don’t suffer in silence – speak out about scams



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