For us Northerners, Blackpool illuminations is a rite of passage. It’s a coming of age moment. Right up there with your first Greggs pasty, chip barms and rickets. I’ll not lie, I had high expectations. So much so I may have bigged it up a little too much. In my defence, I’d not been for over thirty years, and whether it was selective memory, rose-tinted Timmy Mallet glasses or that sugar rush you only get from a stick of rock, in my head it was to be the sensory show to end all shows.… read the full post. The post Blackpool Illuminations appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

Which came first, the campsite or the amusement park? As is often the case, my question fell on deaf ears as we arrived at the fabulous Duinrell Holiday Park in the Netherlands, courtesy of Canvas Holidays. To be fair to Janet and the boys, after an hours flight from Manchester and 45 minute drive to the holiday park, this was their first opportunity to walk away from my inane questions so I can’t really blame them.… read the full post. The post Duinrell Family Park – Canvas Holidays appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

As a seasoned stay-at-home dad I should know better than to do a big shop with little helpers. I guess it’s like my relationship with KFC; every few years I just need reminding of why it’s best avoided. The warning signs were all there. Their eagerness to help for a start, that’s not normal. Then there were the items added to my shopping list which were more than a little troubling.… read the full post. The post Big Shop with Little Helpers appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

I’ll tell you what’s not like riding a bike. Teaching kids to ride a bike, that’s what! Maybe I’m doing this whole parenting thing wrong, but am I the only parent whose memorable moments haven’t quite lived up to the advertised ‘awwww’? Take Sonny’s first smile. Definitely wind. It’s the same face he pulls now when sneaking up on his brother before letting one rip.… read the full post. The post Like Riding a Bike appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

The boys Great Grandma turned 100 this week. 100! The secret to her longevity? No idea, she doesn’t speak a word of English. I’m hoping it’s watching Dallas box-sets, reruns of Jamie Oliver and her afternoon naps, in which case I’d better start planning for my extended retirement because that’s not too far removed from my lifestyle now. I suspect it’s more likely to be her healthy living, hard work, regular exercise and a stubbornness to always do things her own way, and who can blame her when she’s chalked up a century of ‘I told you so’s!’… read the full post. The post 100 Years Young appear ..read more

Everyone knows the rules of the pool. No running, ducking, bombing or heavy petting. The latter might seem laughable to any younger readers, but before Easyjet flew you to Magaluf for a sleazy weekend, swimming pools were a hotbed of inappropriateness. A heady mix of plastic palm trees, wave machines, speedo’s and verruca socks. By the mid-eighties, poolside petting had become an epidemic of amorousness.… read the full post. The post Rules of the Pool appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

I didn’t write about the horrific attack on the Manchester Arena at the time. I tried, on numerous occasions, but everything I put down on paper seemed desperately inadequate, blurred further by a myriad of emotions that fluctuated between anger, despair, defiance and sorrow. This was my city. My streets. My community. It felt personal. But over the following days and weeks, one emotion proved stronger than all before it.… read the full post. The post Community Partner Award – Pride of Britain appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

We have an allotment. A sentence that may come as a surprise to those who know me but less so when I explain how it came about. You see, when it comes to buying presents I often struggle for inspiration. Especially for those special occasions that creep up on you when you least expect them. Like Christmas. My usual coping mechanism involves deep breaths and Amazon vouchers, but occasionally the mist of panic clears, through which emerges a sign.… read the full post. The post We Have an Allotment appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

Had an accident in the playground that wasn’t your fault? Better call Sonny. If it was your fault, say nothing and call him anyway. This is a conversation we had a few days ago… Sonny: “Have I got PPI?” Me: “No” Sonny: “You sure?” Me: “Yep.” Sonny: “… think I might have.” Me: “Pretty sure you’ve not.” Sonny: “…… might put a claim in anyway.”… read the full post. The post Better Call Sonny appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more

It seems like only yesterday that my dreams were haunted by the soundtrack to Yo-kai Watch. The auto-correct on my phone has never fully recovered from the boys incessant searching for the favourite foods of Cutta-nah-nah, Slacka-slash and the talking buttocks that is Cheeksqueek. To be fair, my auto-correct never had a problem with Cheeksqueek although why is nobodies business beyond me, Google and possibly my doctor.… read the full post. The post Yo-kai Watch 2 – Fleshy Souls & Bony Spirits appeared first on Tales of Sonny & Luca ..read more