Health

My Experience: Body shaming 7 year olds

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Children, Food, My Experience, Parents, Wellbeing 0 Comment

On Saturdays, after Miss NHM’s swimming lesson, her and Mr NHM go out for a “Daddy Daughter” date, so they can have some quality time together and have a chat.

It was during their “Daddy daughter” date on the morning of the Royal Wedding when Miss NHM suddenly said to my husband: “Daddy, I need to be skinnier”. Just matter of fact, in the way that my daughter is.

It was so out of the blue and not related to what they were discussing and he was so shocked that he just asked her why she thought that.

She said “Because ***** says I’m too fat and I need to be skinnier”.

He continued to be so shocked that he just changed the subject. When he got home he asked to talk to me in private and told me what had happened. I was just as shocked. I had NOT anticipated dealing with things like this when our daughter has just turned 7 years old.

We agreed that we wouldn’t make a big thing about it but would try to re-iterate a positive body image.

However at dinner the next evening I made a flippant comment about it being really healthy and Miss NHM piped up with: “good, I’m glad it’s really healthy as I’m too fat and I need to be skinnier”.  I was so shocked again, but slightly more prepared, so I told her that she is definitely not fat and her body is just perfect as it is.

(Miss NHM already has challenges with food because of her coeliac disease and she is anything but fat.)

I emailed the head teacher on Monday who had asked me to keep them informed previously, as it’s not the first time that Miss NHM has had things like this happen to her.

The head teacher confirmed that body shaming at 7 years old isn’t as rare as you would think.

A few days later I spoke briefly to some trusted parents in the playground and a couple of the Mum’s of girls said that their 6 or 7 year old daughters had also said, at one time or another, that they were “fat”.

WOW. Just WOW. What is our society coming too?

I was very naive in thinking that because we don’t have a TV Miss NHM would be avoiding this type of thing. I hadn’t expected some of her peers to be projecting it instead!

Miss NHM hasn’t mentioned it again since that weekend but she’s being kept away from the other child in school because of their negative impact on Miss NHM anyway.

I’m sharing this not because I have any answers. I don’t have any, but in case any other Mum’s and Dad’s are freaking out about their young children saying things like this, you are not alone.

If anyone has any specific professional advice about what to do with this, then please do let me know.

I don’t know whether it’s right to not make a big thing about this with Miss NHM or whether we should be talking to her more about these things.

Why is parenting so hard at times?

Louise: I wrote this a few weeks ago and I’m not as worried about it anymore as Miss NHM hasn’t mentioned it since but it does make me a little concerned about the future and what that might bring. 

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NHM Reader Recommendations: Tips for Staying Cool

Posted by juliet on in Family, Health, NHM Readers, Summer 0 Comment

I recently asked the NHM Community “Given the glorious weather that we are having, what are your top tips for staying cool and/or places to go that are baby/children friendly and has fierce air con?” Thank you for all your replies, listed below:

NHM Reader’s recommendations for staying cool

Wendy said “M&S food hall!”

Kelly said “Supermarket freezer aisle is where I will be this lunchtime lol”

Rebecca said “I go back to work today and my office has fierce air con (and no windows so I won’t even see the sun)!”

Stephany said “Air con is not mega healthy. Stay in the shade with a breeze. I have lived in Asia and the Middle East and allowing your body to regulate to air temp is much better for you. Avoid extreme temps.”

LK said “Only one answer – ice lollies”

Steph said “Waitrose! Aircon in there is fab and you can have some cake in the cafe”

Catherine said “you could be stuck in an office working with freezing aircon wishing you could pick up from school and run to a splash park and enjoy the weather!”

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NHM Readers Recommend: Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin

Posted by juliet on in Family, Health, New Parents, NHM Readers, Shopping, Summer 0 Comment

An NHM Reader recently asked “I’m looking for a sunscreen recommendation. It needs to be suitable for the face, sensitive skin. Ideally non greasy, non clogging and not full of chemicals. I don’t like it to feel sticky or slimy and if there is such a thing as a matt one that would be amazing. What do you use on your faces ladies?”

Thank you to the NHM Community for all your responses, listed below in no particular order:

NHM Readers recommend sunscreen for sensitive skin

Wendy said “General rule for Sun cream, the ones that are nice to put on are not nice for children’s skin. Mineral ones are better for sensitive skin and you need to patch test each year as skin changes. Also factor 30 is better for sensitive skin, offers almost the same protection but doesn’t clog the skin up the way 50 does.”

Childs Farm Suncream:

Emma said “I use the new Childs Farm suncream on my baby and I tested it myself and it’s brilliant. All natural ingredients, approved for use of sensitive skin & eczema sufferers and as a bonus is made in Sherborne St. John so it’s a local business!

https://www.childsfarm.com/products/50-spf-sun-cream-fragrance-free-125ml

Jo asked “How many stars does it have with regards to uva and uvb protection?”

Emma replied “Jo, just went on their Facebook page and found this in the comments…

“Childs Farm: Hi Rachel, sunburn is caused by UVB rays, so the level of UVA protection won’t defend against sunburn. However UVA 3* is a high level and meets the EU requirements on sun protection. The SPF reading shows you the level of protection against UVB rays. Our sun care range is SPF 50+, however in testing it came out as SPF 71 – this is very high protection against UVB rays, which are the cause of sun burn. We hope that helps”

“Childs Farm: Hi Lisa, the UVA star rating system was developed by Boots, it is not an EU requirement to have a UVA star rating. Our UVA star rating according to the Boots system is 3 which a good level of protection and meets the EU requirements for UVA protection – this is displayed on the back of the packaging as a symbol with UVA printed in a circle. As far as we know, all sunscreens that are suitable for sensitive and also eczema-prone skin have achieved a 3* rating, as it is has not been possible to achieve a 5* rating using ingredients that are suitable for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Hope that helps””

Vicky asked “Emma, can I ask if the Child’s Farm was greasy on looking / feeling at all on your face? I used a Piz Buin one specifically for the face on Saturday and within a couple of hours my eyes felt like they were on fire!!”

Emma replied “Vicky, I haven’t found it greasy. It sinks in really quickly and feels more like a moisturiser than a suncream to me. But I think it’s one of those things – everyone’s skin is different”

Herbalife nutrition:

Leah said “I work with herbalife nutrition and we have a big skincare range. Within this range is spf30 cream. I use this on all of us, incl the kids. It smells nice, is not greasy & kind to sensitive skin”

Sunsense:

Colleen said “We’ve used Sunsense in the past. Very good and non-greasy, and the roller-ball is great for application. However, it’s quite pricey so we’re trying the Aldi Extra Sensitive one, no reactions so far but am keeping a close eye.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunsense-Ultra-SPF50-Sunscreen-500/dp/B000LNG1J0/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1525784899&sr=1-1&keywords=sun%2Bsense&th=1

They seem to have updated the packaging since we bought it – now indicates that it has 5* UVA, which I was never sure about.”

Neals Yard

Zoe said “Neals yard do a nice one. It takes a little while to absorb but doesn’t irritate my skin or slip into my eyes.”

https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/corp/area/shop-online/category/sun-care/product/0761/wild-rose-moisturising-spf-30-50ml/

Christa replied “I use this one too, like Zoe, It’s lovely and light, Organic and smells beautiful.”

Soltan – Boots

Rachael said “Soltan from boots it’s 5 star for uva protection and really nice to wear”

Libby said “We use boots soltan once because it provides 8 hours of protection so covers the school day. It is thick but it needs to last!”

Wendy replied “And it doesn’t sting sensitive skin”

Ruza “So my understanding is from a dermatology perspective factor 30 is the maximum you should be using. Factor 50 does not allow the skin to breathe, clogs up pores, it can cause the skin to overheat and doesn’t allow for any natural skin defense to occur. I use boots factor 30 once (kids) for myself as well as my son. I can wear it on the face, but my son really doesn’t like it, so he has a big wide-brimmed hat, that shields the face.”

Ultrasun:

Sarah said “We use Ultrasun as my daughter has eczema and can’t use suncream with perfume/chemicals in and the Ultrasun is ideal for sensitive skin. It is not greasy at all, but is a bit pricey at about £20 for 100ml but is worth it.

https://www.ultrasun.com/en-GB/shop/body-sensitive-skin/product/family-spf-30-2/100

Charlotte relied “We use this!”

The Green People:

Alison said “I use the Green People suncream on the kids and they have a great adults face suncream spf30 which is brilliant and doesn’t feel greasy at all. Not the cheapest tho ….”

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Review 2018: HAIRaffair Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Babies, Basingstoke, Clothes, Date Night, Local Mum Businesses, Mums, New Parents, Parents, Post Natal, Pregnancy, Reviews, Reviews of Things to do, Things to Do, Wellbeing 0 Comment

I recently received a message on facebook from Aideen, asking me if I would like to have my hair done in exchange for a review on NorthHantsMum.

I jumped at the chance! 😀

(There is a special offer for NHM Readers at the bottom of this post :-D)

HAIRaffair Basingstoke

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a “girly girl” but I do take an interest in how I look. I haven’t had my hair cut in a salon in over 10 years as I have always found hairdressers to be very intimidating places, especially as I’m not into fashion.

It turned out that at a recent fundraising raffle I had won a voucher to get my hair cut but hadn’t realised it that it was with Aideen. I actually gave the voucher to a friend who needed pampering more than me, so when Aideen got in contact it clicked that I’d given away my voucher!!!! lol.

I explained to Aideen that I wasn’t really a girly girl and she was absolutely lovely about it. I did know that I wanted my hair to be coloured but I didn’t want her to be anymore out of pocket, especially as she’d been so generous with her raffle donation.

I explained that I just wanted a trim and colour and we agreed that I would cover the cost of the colouring and she would cut my hair in exchange for this review.

About

Aideen decided on her career path when she was traveling around Australia for a year after studying at college and university. She’s always loved playing with hair but at the time she thought that she would end up in a different career. Then she saw that lots of fellow travellers cutting hair and making money flexibly and it confirmed her career decision.

Once back from Australia she worked and trained at Arc in Basingstoke town centre and then progressed to a salon in Odiham where she was assistant manager and senior stylist. Then a couple of years ago, after her son was born, she decided to convert a room in her house to her salon and she hasn’t looked back!

We had a chat when I arrived and Aideen chose the best colour for me based on what I’d told her.

Aideen then applied the foils to my hair whilst we continued chatting.

Once the foils came out, Aideen washing my hair in her fancy hair sink and gave me a lovely mini head massage.

Then Aideen cut my hair and layered it a bit. I didn’t realise how long my hair was as she cut off about 4 inches and it was still really long! lol.

We basically didn’t stop talking for the whole two hours!!! It was really lovely to chat to her and she’s a great listener.

She did a fantastic job with my hair and blow dried it straight as my hair normally has a bit of a kink about it.

I came out of Aideen’s salon literally bouncing. There is literally nothing like having 1.5 hours of being pampered and coming out with a fab new hair colour and hairstyle!

My FAB new hair!!!

When I got home Mr NHM said “something’s different…” which is high praise in our household! lol.

Miss NHM kept telling me how beautiful I looked. She’s not used to me having my hair down.

I felt amazing for the rest of the weekend with my fab new hair!

Tips

Aideen normally works only on Saturdays but if you are desperate, she can fit you in at other times.

Facilities

Aideen’s studio is attached to her house but it’s fab because you literally have it ALL TO YOURSELF!!! She only has one to two people at a time so you have her full concentration.

Baby Facilities

Babies are very welcome at Aideen’s studio.

The perk of Aideen only having one client at a time means that you can take your baby along as there is room for a baby car seat.

If you let her know in advance that you are taking a baby with you, she said she will allow extra time in case you need to focus on your baby at any point. How fab is that!

Aideen is very understanding as she has two small children of her own.

Parking

Is free and on the drive and streets near Aideen’s house.

Prices

Prices are what you would expect for an independent hairstylist with her own studio.

For example, a cut, style and finish is £35.

Rating out of 5

Aideen did SUCH an AWESOME job! I absolutely love it!!! My hair looked amazing.

I will easily give her 5 out of 5 because she made me feel so welcome and really looked after me.

I love the colour and the cut was a really good cut. It was such a luxury to have my hair washed AND dried.

If you need a new haircut and are looking for some pampering at the same time, I highly recommend visiting Aideen’s salon!

Aideen can be reach on 07808316933 for any bookings. She also has a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HAIRaffairbasingstoke/

Aideen is also very kindly offering NHM Readers a first time discount £5 off cut and £15 off colour and cut booked together.

Thank you Aideen!!!!!!

Disclaimer: This post is a review of HairAffair Hairdressing. My experience was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.

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NHM Reader Recommendations: Pregnancy Massages

Posted by juliet on in Babies, Basingstoke, Gifts, Mums, New Parents, NHM Readers, North Hampshire, Pregnancy, Things to Do, Vulnerable Mum's, Wellbeing 0 Comment

An NHM Reader asked: “Can anyone recommend anywhere locally to get a massage while pregnant. I need my shoulders /neck done as they are very sore.”

The responses from the NHM Community are below, thank you for your contributions. Please note, they are in no particular order!

Thank you very much also to Juliet who put this post together!

NHM Reader Recommendations: Pregnancy Massages

The Courtyard

The Courtyard, Hampshire

Hannah says “The Courtyard, or Beechdown, went to Courtyard had a full massage and facial it’s a mother and bump package it’s soo relaxing would definitely recommend”

Yvette says “The Courtyard in Hatch Warren do an amazing pregnancy massage. I ended up having it done 3 times it was so good!”

Leah says “The Courtyard, absolutely amazing & you feel truly pampered when you leave & relaxed!”

Beechdown Health Club

Beechdown Health Club

Hannah says “The Courtyard, or Beechdown”

Lizzie says “I went to Beechdown when I was pregnant, it was lovely.”

Beth says “I went to Beechdown, lovely!”

Leah says “Beechdown.”

D&D Beauty

D&D Beauty

Clare says “DD Beauty in Sherfield park”

Lola says “Nicola Louise Ascroft from D&D”

Truly Scrumptious Beauty Salons

Truly Scrumptious Beauty Salons

Hayley says “Truly Scrumptious … Overton or Basingstoke”

Kirsten says “Yes I agree, amazing”

Different Strokes Massage

Different Strokes Massage

Kate says “Different Strokes Massage”

Ashley says “she’s fantastic! and specifically qualified in pregnancy massage.”

Charlotte McDonald Sports Massage

Charlotte McDonald Sports Massage

Rachel says “Charlotte McDonald she works from the regents offices in Chineham is brilliant. More sports massage than relaxation massage.”

Charmaine Sala Massage Specialist

Charmaine Sala Massage Specialist

Carla says “Charmaine Sala”

Claire says “Highly recommend Charmaine Sala Massage Specialist”

Sarah says “Charmaine Sala is fabulous”

Heather says “Charmaine Sala”

Winchester Spine Centre

Winchester Spine Centre

Mary says “Not sure if Winchester is too far, but I had an excellent pregnancy massage when I was overdue with my first baby here. Well worth travelling for”

Body Focus

Body Focus

Stevie says “Ali at Body Focus”

Thrive Massage

Thrive Massage

Nicola says “Hi I hold specialist pregnancy massage qualifications. I’m based in Chineham. My website needs to be updated with more pregnancy treatment descriptions, but please contact me if you need any information.”

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BASINGSTONES: Top Tips

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Basingstoke, Children, Family, Free, Holidays, Older Children, Outings, Pre School, Things to Do, Toddlers, Walks, Wellbeing 2 Comments

The Basics

All you need to do is paint a stone and write “Basingstones” on it. Then hide it somewhere safe for someone to find and hopefully brighten their day!

If you find a Basingstone, please post a photo of it on our Facebook Group page so we can see how far it travels. Either keep it and replace, or just hide it again somewhere new.

 

The Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/basingstones/ The magic of Basingstones is what happens off social media ie the spending time together, being creative, getting outdoors, sharing and the small acts of kindness concept.

Our facebook page allows the wonderful Basingstones community to come together online to share photos and smiles but it shouldn’t be the focus.  That said, here are a few tips on using the facebook group page:

  • Pinned Post

Please make sure you have a read of the Pinned Post – lots of important information in there!

  • Searching

There is a SEARCH bar which allows you to search out key words in posts – very helpful for when you are looking for a particular post by an individual or regarding a certain topic. Just type the person’s name for example and hit SEARCH.

  • Reporting posts

Please help us to keep the page free of sales posts, unrelated page links and spam. If you see anything inappropriate or disrespectful, please press the three dots in the right hand corner of the post, then select the option to “Report post”

  • Sharing photos

Note that this group is public and can be seen and accessed by anyone, so please be mindful when sharing details and posting pics. Do NOT post photos of other people’s children.

Did you know…?

…there are often competition basingstones for you to keep a lookout for!
Try searching “competition” to see what you could win

…there is a Basingstones Admin photo album for Basingstones news
hit Albums and select Basingstones Admin

…there is a thread to track international Basingstones so that we can see them pop up all over the world! (This can be found in the Basingstones Admin album)

…Basingstones has been on the radio, in the newspaper and even nominated for a community project award!  Check out the Basingstones Admin Album for details

FAQs

Where can I get stones from?

Lots of garden centres and large DIY stores sell big bags of stones/cobbles for about £5.  Locally, you can try The Range, Wickes, Conkers, Home Bargains, B&M, Bunnings and many more.

Taking rocks from beaches is discouraged and you could actually be fined.  Whilst taking the odd stone will do no damage, we don’t want to have a negative impact on the environment.

How should I decorate basingstones?

You can paint the stone however you wish, perhaps with a pretty pattern, a fun cartoon character, an inspirational quote or an artistic design.

Please avoid sticking things to the stones though which could potentially fall off and be harmful to wildlife. We want to be friendly towards our environment and our furry friends too.

What paint is best to use?

Sharpie pens, permanent markers, nail polish, acrylic paints and clear varnish or spray (to make it weather proof) all work really well.

Why haven’t I seen a photo of the basingstone I hid?

There are thousands of group members and hundreds of posts each day. You cannot keep track of them all.  Also, some people may choose not to share their photos or finds online.

Don’t worry that not all hidden basingstones get a finder post – each one makes someone smile and each one is special!

I hope this helps.

Have fun!

Rachel x
Basingstones Admin

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NHM Readers Recommend: Private Speech Therapists

Posted by juliet on in Additional Needs, Health, NHM Readers, Toddlers 0 Comment

I had a question from a NHM Reader that I asked the NHM Community to help with: ‘Does anyone know of any private speech therapists for children local to Basingstoke? (Already referred)’. Many thanks for your responses, listed below in no particular order:

NHM Readers recommend – private speech therapists

Carina says “Jane Langdon Speaktome is based Fleet way and is great”

Lisa says “Carolyn Oates in Calleva Park Tadley may know someone. She is a private paediatric occupational therapist. Google her”

Sarah says “https://beta.helpwithtalking.com/ this is a good website. My son has been seeing Yvonne Hedgecock who we found via this website”

Christine says “Try the owl therapy centre. Speech therapist based in Aldermaston”

Helen says “Depending on your reasons for going private, you might be interested in this:

http://www.reading.ac.uk/Psychology/Clinics/SLT-Independent-Paediatric-Clinic.aspx It’s a non-NHS clinic but you don’t have to pay. We waited 2 weeks for an assessment. Does mean traveling to Reading though.”

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NHM Readers: Football/dance classes for 2 year old

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in After School Clubs, Children, Classes, Exercise, NHM Readers, Pre School, Sport, Things to Do, Toddlers, Wellbeing 0 Comment

I recently asked the Friends of  my “Louise nhm Smith” profile on Facebook if anyone could help this NHM reader: “I am thinking of sending my two year old boy to football and/or dance classes. Does anyone have any recommendations?”

These were the responses I received. They are in no particular order. Thanks very much to Juliet for putting this post together!!! 

NHM Readers recommend football/dance classes for 2 year olds

Leighann said: Basingstoke Academy of Dance is fantastic.

Fiona said: Lisa Beaumont offers ballet classes

Anita said: Lisa Beaumont School of Ballet is amazing!!! Also, my son goes to Pro-Skills Coaching Basingstoke

Vicki said: Tiny Tykes is great for football.

Christine said: My 2.5 year old really enjoys the football classes at Basingstoke Sports Centre. It’s for 2-4 year olds and run by Achieve Sports on a Monday 10-10.45 x

Heidi said: My son has been going to little kickers football since 18 months. He loves it and it helps teach them so many skills including colours, counting, animals etc.

Jessica said: Little Kickers is great for football.

Claire said: Little Kickers definitely. My son went to one at Carnival Hall when he was 2, gained loads of confidence and discipline and he is still playing grass root Sunday football at the age of 13 for a team with two friends from there.

Wendy said: RugbyTots is also worth considering. Great for hand eye coordination

Katie said: Kids Kan Dance specialise in dance for toddlers and preschoolers.

Claire said: JLD school of dancing.

Zoe said: I can recommend Katie at Kids Kan Dance, my girls love her!

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My Experience: Let’s talk about sex…

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Children, Education, My Experience, Older Children, Wellbeing 0 Comment

Yeah, I thought that might get your attention! Hahaha.

It certainly got my attention when Miss NHM came home from school a few weeks ago, talking about “hairy bhajina’s”. It took me about 5 seconds before I twigged what she was going on about!!?!?!?!?!

Then there was a “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I’m not READY, I’m not READY, I’m not READY!!!!” in my head for about another 5 seconds whilst I did some very quick thinking.

Then I realised that I’m never going to be ready for this one, so I corrected Miss NHM with the right wording and said I would see if I could find a book that could help her understand some things.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing when it comes to parenting. I’m making the whole thing up as I go along. We all are and anyone who says they aren’t is a great, big, hairy fibber.

But I do know that it’s important to Mr NHM and I that Miss NHM doesn’t learn about sex from playground gossip.

I know this isn’t strictly about sex but when I was 8 years old one of my best friends, Rachel P, her Mum had a miscarriage. Rachel’s parents obviously tried to explain this awful situation in a way that Rachel would understand. What Rachel took away from this conversation was that the baby had died and that it had been flushed down the toilet. She then told everyone in the playground that this is what had happened. For YEARS I had nightmares about small babies dying and being flushed down toilets, like goldfish.

So I was adamant that Miss NHM doesn’t find out about the birds and the bees or anything like this from playground gossip.

I don’t ever remember having the “sex talk” with my parents. I still have a book that was given to me when I was 6 years old, which explained how things worked.

I discreetly asked a few of the Mum’s on the school run about whether they had come across this yet, and one of my lovely friends (Hi H!) suggested the following book: “Let’s talk about the birds and the bees”.

I got our copy from The Book People, because it was a third of the price of what it was on Amazon or at Waterstones.

It’s a hard back book and really good quality.

The following weekend, Miss NHM and I sat on the bed and read the first few pages of the book.

I can’t say it was an easy read for me. I was cringing  a lot of the way through those pages, which says quite a lot about me I’m sure. Hopefully this didn’t come across as I was doing my very best to read it naturally.

Miss NHM was quite fascinated by it all and she clearly took it all on board because a few nights later she asked about it over the dinner table, which wasn’t quite was I wanted to discuss whilst eating spag bol, but I’d rather she feels safe to discuss these things with us than not.

I have tried to explain to her that we only talk about these things at home. I’d like to apologise to the other school parents if she hasn’t taken this bit on board (face palm).

I have no idea if I’ve done the right thing or not. “Just turned 7 years old” seems FAR too early to me to be discussing things like sex, but then I remember being that age and being quite fascinated by it all.

There is a section at the back of the book for parents, which says that if you talk to your children about sex they are less likely to be hung up about it.

They better be right!!!!

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NHM Readers: Places to take toddlers paddling in a stream

Posted by juliet on in NHM Readers, Outings, Things to Do, Toddlers, Wellbeing 1 Comment

As part of “North Hants Mum Question Time”, I was asked by Juliet “Is there anywhere close to Basingstoke where you can take toddlers paddling in a stream?”

My response, as well as those received from the community, are below.

NHM Readers: Places to take toddlers paddling in a stream

Louise NHM replied “There is a “secret” place in Hook that is safe for little ones to paddle. Plus there is the stream in Eastrop or the streams that are all over Chineham. In fact on Sunday, Mr NHM and Miss NHM walked through several streams in Chineham for two hours and had a blast! I still feel bad about the insects they probably destroyed though! lol”

Hannah said “piggy dams off Newnam Lane is lovely for paddling. At the village hall in basing you take a right down Newnam Lane and on the left there’s a dirt path….if you follow it there’s a stream and little bridgey thing. when we last went someone had put a tyre swing up too!”

Louise said “Hannah – I know exactly where you mean. It’s where the river curves off to the left. There is a footpath sign and a red post box? (I cycle that way a LOT in the summer! lol)”

Saretta said “There’s a lovely stream to paddle in in Overton. It’s down Station Road, once you go over the little bridge it’s just on the left”

Katie said “Saretta – the Overton one is is called Flashetts and is actually the River Test. We were there today”

Charlotte said “The Crabtree there is a little steam my little boy loves it”

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