It is one of the events that I look forward to every year and have done so since my family moved to the area in 2002. The Bridgwater carnival is a stunning display of many floats strewn with choreographed dancers and hundreds of bright lightbulbs. Each float has its own unique theme, music and dance routines. Themes vary from ‘Frozen’ to Father Christmas and each float has a different theme year after year.

Bystanders will wait for hours just to get a front row seat of the stunning events. Each year around 150,000 people flock to the streets of Bridgwater, Weston Super Mare, Burnham on sea, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury to watch in awe and to help raise money for a variety of different charities.

The Bridgwater Carnival first updated in 1881 and was originally lit by lamps; electric lights were first introduced in 1913. Bridgwater carnival now entails of a display of over 40 large vehicles up to 100 feet long, festooned with dancers and up to 22,000 lightbulbs that follows a 2.5-mile route over two to three hours.

The carnival’s purpose is to raise money for local charities from money collection carts in the procession. Between 2003 and 2007, around £115,000  has been raised.

A carnival concert takes place in the weeks leading up to the carnival. At these concerts, carnival clubs perform on stage wearing their costumes and using pieces of scenery taken from their carts. The carnival concert has become a highly popular attraction in recent years, with tickets to see the event in a Bridgwater hall selling out very fast.

The carnival typically visits Burnham on Sea on the first Monday of November following an annual firework display on the seafront the evening prior. It is a event that is enjoyed by families both locally and those that have travelled to watch the carnival.

I can highly recommend it, however I will suggest that you wrap up warm, take lots of spare change and a slither of patience which is made completely worthwhile. Each year the procession is stunning and never ever repetitive.

Do you have a special little person to buy for? Well check out JoJo Maman Bébé. They make beautiful, quality products, which are also eco-friendly.  The baby clothes are delightful beautifully-made, classical designs – I just love that smocking – a touch of the young princes and princess maybe? Many of their lovely toys are made of wood – from sustainable sources. Table Top Kitchens, Doctor Patient Playsets and Plant and Pick Veggie Patch sets stimulate your little one’s imagination and look so attractive.

And if you are looking for children-orientated furniture and accessories – or just stuff for the young at heart, check out the Great Little Trading Company for some lovely beds, bookcases, toy boxes and much more, including some fabulous toys with an old-fashioned, wooden feel, such as the Star Beans Coffee Shop and the Willow Toy Farm.

But what about for you?  Well how about the travel bags from Gate 8?  Different options take into account the cabin-restrictions of major airlines whilst ingenious designs maximise convenience.  For example, the 2-in-1 bag is a single bag when you take it on board, but then splits into a smaller and larger one when needed. The bags can be personalised with embroidered initials, name or logo to make a super gift.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would it say ?

Some years ago, The Big Issue began asking people that and since then, some of the most brilliant and successful people from the worlds of entertainment, politics, food, sport and business have had their letters published in the magazine.

This collection of 100 of the most incredible letters includes Paul McCartney writing on how he found inspiration, Olivia Coleman on overcoming confidence problems, Mo Farrah on the importance of losing, Arianna Huffington on knowing your motivations, Jamie Oliver on trusting your instincts and many, many more, including Rod Stewart, Margaret Atwood, Buzz Aldrin, Tracey Emin, Michael Palin, Melanie C, Dionne Warwick and Ewan McGregor.

Letter to my younger self is a moving, inspiring and powerful insight into the wisdom that age brings and how you can use this knowledge to shape your future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have never read anything like this before, it is truly unique. Many of the ‘letters’ are inspirational. I especially enjoyed reading about people that I wouldn’t otherwise have heard of and discovering what they went through, what they were like when they were 16, and how they got to where they are now.

I equally enjoyed reading about the people I have heard about, I learned new things about them. Each story was empowering and encouraging. This book was so easy to read as each letter is relatively short and if you wish you can pick and choose what letters you want to read.

So if you’re in  need of some motivation, empowerment or if you’re just curious to learn more about some truly inspiring people then this is the book for you

Letter to my Younger Self:  Hardback- £16.99

Don’t you just envy that person who gives the most beautifully wrapped Christmas presents? You wonder how they have the time and energy to find those gorgeous gift bags and chic bottle boxes. Well fear not, as now you can be that person the ultimate gifting guru with the help of Vanilla Reindeer.

No matter your needs Vanilla reindeer has something that will suit your needs they offer a range of products and designs ideal for Christmas for all ages from gift boxes to advent calendars and chocolate truffle boxes.

I was fortunate enough to sample the chocolate truffle advent calendar. I was able to personalise it with a picture of my children and a message and design of my choice and even able to choose the recipient and have their name added. The result is beautiful, the picture was clear and of a great quality, the chocolate truffles were divine and bigger than I expected.

The chocolate truffle advent calendar is a must for fellow chocoholics who need an excuse to have a chocolate truffle a day throughout December, it will also make a great gift for that someone special as you can make the calendar completely unique. A gorgeous calendar that will impress everyone.

Red Truffle Advent Calendar £22.99

Snowman Standard Advent Calender £11.99

www.vanillareindeer.com