Travel, aunshine, role models for girls!

Well, my sister and I travelled to London yesterday, managing to avoid anti-Trump protesters. We were mildly chastised by a lady for talking too loudly in the quiet coach. Nobody accused me of talking too loudly before. I am fairly sure we were not being loud and rowdy but maybe the lady in question had sensitive hearing. Maybe she was over-tired. She did put her head down and go to sleep before we got too far into the journey. But we spoke in whispers after that, just in case.

We caught a train on the Metropolitan line to Chesham. When we arrived there we saw young women with placards, obviously fresh from a protest. And apparently Trump flew over Chesham in his helicopter but we didn’t see him.

We left rain behind in Manchester, or rather in Oldham for by the time we arrived in Manchester it was all clearing up and we were able to pack our raincoats away.

And the sun was shining in London.

And in Chesham, where we stood in the garden and marvelled at six or eight red kites flying around, drifting on thermals and letting out raucous cries. Later we sat out eating chicken salad and sipping wine late into the evening.

The sun was shining again this morning, so walked into the town centre to have breakfast. Then we strolled round the market and popped into Waterstone’s bookshop. There we saw one author, an adults’ author, being interviewed for local radio and children’s author doing book signings.he turned out to be the father of a small girl who goes to pre-school with our granddaughter. So we were invited to sit and listen to a reading of the book, “Space Bugs and Selfies”, a story intended to remind little girls to be their OWN selves and not give in to the pressure to conform to looking pretty and feminine all the time.

He explained that he wrote the story after a six-year-old girl of their acquaintance coming home from school in tears, having been told by her classmates that her thighs were too fat! At the age of six! There are lots of books for older girls aimed at encouraging them to recognise their own self worth but he felt that there was a need for something for even younger girls. So there it is! A gap in the market has been plugged!

And I bought a copy so that my daughter can use it with her primary school class and with her own small girl.

 An interesting morning!