The Romsey Show



Romsey Show 2011
(photo of steam locomotive on the left taken by Jared Withington; I took the tractor pictures on the right. Everyone loved the shiny red Porsche tractor, but I really liked seeing the steam-punk looking machinery on the antique farm vehicles.)

It's not exactly shopping, but the Romsey Show was a great day out.  There was just so much to see and do for all age groups and interests.  Just a few of the attractions we enjoyed were:

• the livestock.  Farmers were there with sheep, cows, goats, all types of birds, etc.  There was also a bat hospital and falconry group, as well as equestrian displays (including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs performed on horseback.)
• the local food.  You could sample and buy everything from local watercress burgers to wild boar sausages.
• the arts and crafts.  The Romsey Art Group had an exhibition there, and many other craftspeople had beautiful products on show (and sale) ranging from hand-woven clothes to ceramics to handmade beeswax candles.
• the antique and farm vehicles.  My kids especially loved seeing the diggers, tractors, and old fire engines.

If you're in the Hampshire area, I think the Romsey Show is a family day out worth the money.

For more pictures from our visit to the Romsey Show, click here.

Britax Evolva 1-2-3 Carseat

I'll be brief.
I love this carseat.

We have a Britax Evolva for our daughter.  It's a grow-with-you style so it will last them for a long time.  It's super safe, comfortable, and practical.

To find out more about the Britax Evolva 1-2-3 carseat, click here or here.http://www.britax.co.uk/
(The Britax Evolva is similar to the Britax carseat shown.)

My AA Nightmare

I have heard it said that one mistake can ruin a hundred rights.

If AA had only made one mistake, I would have forgiven them.  Unfortunately there were way more mistakes than that.  I'll explain.

Having a car with a lot of miles and young children, we decided to get breakdown coverage.  We went with AA--even though they weren't the cheapest--because they were the most widely known and respected company.

We had a few small events where we called them out (car in the driveway wouldn't start, etc.) and they were fine.  Then came the event where we really needed them.  We had car problems and were forced to pull over on the motorway (interstate).  We were in a dangerous position and forced to wait by the side of the road with our baby and toddler.

We called AA and were assured that we were a high priority and help was on its way.  Unfortunately, we waited for hours for help to come.  AA blatantly lied to us every time that we spoke with them and never followed through with the actions they promised.  When a tow truck finally came, the operator was very rude and abusive to us.  After being stranded out for hours and hours, AA finally told us to get a taxi and that they would reimburse us for the cost.  They never reimbursed us.  They never really apologized to us.  The whole experience was awful, and it lost AA my business.

To read my full experience, click here.