We’re now on the school summer holidays and instead of putting them into childcare every day, I have really enjoyed bringing them along to various events and workshops in London so they can get a really good view of what I get up to when they are hard at work at school!
First up was a photoshoot for members of Enterprise Nation on Monday in the stunning building of Somerset House. I am an Adviser member and have been invited to various events as a PR Adviser as well as to  deliver a PR Masterclass webinar – all really good ways of connecting with the buzzing Enterprise Nation community.
I took the opportunity to bring along my 9 year old daughter Nina who calls herself my Marketing Director! We regularly do Sunday Papers Reviews and she is certainly knows her stuff!  I remember going to lots of photoshoots and events with my entrepreneurial mother and this really gave me the entrepreneurial streak! (I was selling guinea pigs in Bridgnorth market aged 8!)
Flying the flag for Enterprise Nation!
I rewarded all her hard work with a stop off in at the Film Poster Exhibition at Somerset House where she learnt about printing plates and how posters are made! My idea of heaven (no joke!). There was a really informative and creative film by The Print Club London showing how posters are made with the printing plates. She chose a book with letter stencils and my new summer reading book is Let’s Talk Type – well I am trying to finish To Kill A Mockingbird but this will be a creative diversion!Â
We then walked 311 steps up The Monument and clung onto the sides of the centre as we peered down at the streets below. It was amazing to see all the landmarks from up high and out in the open. Can you spot London Bridge? Walking back down was more scary than going up – just don’t look down the spiral staircase whatever you do!
That is looking up the staircase…looking down is a whole different kettle of fish.
Getting the kids off the ipads the next day to do some art with the new book!
On Wednesday we took train back to London along with Felix my 10 year old son and Oli my nephew as we had been invited to Natasha Tiwari’s lunchtime seminar on ‘Your child’s imagination’ at We Work, Old Street. She runs The Tutoring Team and has some amazing insights into sparking creativity in kids and helping them keep stress levels in check with some brilliant mindfulness techniques. Have you heard about the balloon one? Or the box?
I love these creative illustrations by Slyvia Duckworth that Natasha used in her presentation. I think I must be a creative person as it resonates quite a lot! I hate the RULES!!!!
We Work is such an amazing place to work – we recorded a Facebook Live, check it out here. The kids totally ‘got’ why I love coming to work in London with such cool people who are entrepreneurs. Felix can’t wait to start work, so watch out, he may join the workforce at 15! Even the dump-trucks are funky outside We Work!
We ended the day going up the super fast lift to the Duck and Waffle on the 40th floor – better than a ride at Alton Towers and had a celebratory drink to finish off our day. Now I have ‘permission’ from my kids to keep on going to London for my meetings as they know what I get up to and the kind of amazing people I work with!
What are you getting up to this summer holiday?