Sounds Right Phonics Dartford

Like so many of us, I found the news from the weekend devastating. I did not know Caroline Flack, and I did not watch a single episode of Love Island. But I did watch every performance of hers in Strictly Come Dancing, including the final in 2014. This final stands out to me, not just because of Caroline’s sensational dance performances, but because this was the Christmas where I had literally just found out that I was pregnant with my daughter, Julia. As I watched Caroline absolutely smash the final, I did not know that I had started a journey that was going to have lasting consequences for me, far beyond the day I went into hospital to give birth. I know like many survivors of severe depression, reading about her death has stirred up memories and given me flashbacks to a time when I too felt there was no other way out. Caroline’s death has shown that mental illness is real, and it kills. This is why I finally feel ready to properly share my story with you all. I had suffered from...

Whenever anyone asks for my favourite book from early childhood, before I discovered the world of Narnia or The Faraway Tree and certainly long before the doors to a certain school of witchcraft and wizardry were open, it has to be the simple but gorgeous story of a tiger and a little girl called Sophie. The first reason why I think every child is enchanted with this book has to be the visual appeal. The drawings are stunning, especially the use of colour. If I close my eyes, I can see the orange fur of the tiger, the purple of Sophie’s dress, the red icing on the cake and the beautiful street scene in the dark at the end. You can see the loving detail that has gone into every single image, and this is what makes the book live and breathe. The second is the charming story that the book tells. The visit from the tiger who eats all the food is funny and exciting for a young child, and a figure that could be threatening suddenly becomes a figure of fun and joy. Rather than hurting anyone,...