Natalie has dreamed of being a serious photographer ever since she got her first camera at 8 years old. She aspires to be like her heroine, Annie Leibowitz, and take fabulous soulful pictures. But then she took the picture that would shoot her straight into the world of celebrity culture and the pages of Heat. Natalie couldn’t resist snapping ace footballer Brett Ballentine in a clinch with his childhood sweetheart. Selling the picture to the tabs was a no-brainer. Now she can set herself up with all the best equipment. Poor naïve Natalie didn’t realise that the media would turn her into a wannabee celebrity monster, falling out of cabs, half cut and half dressed. Nobody’s interested in her photography. Natalie’s only option is to take a controversial undercover job as a paparazzi, earn enough money to free herself from her devious agent, and resign herself to life in ‘ordinaryville’ again. On an exclusive beach on location, Nat can’t resist capturing beautiful model Jen Jones as she bends to snort a line of coke as the sun sets. When Jen begs her to delete the picture Natalie flashes back to what got her into her mess in the first place. She gives Jen what she wants, and Jen’s story begins …

As the first book was so easy to read, I curled up with this one the night after and once again finished it in a matter of hours. I found the main character in this one harder to like or relate to than Katie, but I think that was the author’s way of showing her distaste for the cult of celebrity. Again, the book was a really easy read and flowed nicely from chapter to chapter. Each book gives the chapter of the next at the end, which i’ve resisted reading so far in case I end up reading all 6 in one go!

17-year-old Katie is overwhelmed when she lands a job as a nanny for Premier League footballer Brett Ballentine and his wife Kassie’s kids. Arriving at the Ballentine mansion in London, Katie feels as though she’s living in OK magazine. Plus, she’s got a whole floor of the house to herself, her own car, and the inside scoop on Britain’s most notorious celebrity couple. But there is a downside. Katie has to learn to keep her mouth shut when it comes to some of Kassie’s strange and desperate behaviour. And Brett is like the ice man - he barely acknowledges her. As time goes on the ‘happy couple’ reveal their true colours, and the true state of their volatile marriage. Kassie has a twisted secret, and Brett’s getting too fond of ‘playing away’. Katie feels like she and the kids are caught in the middle of a war zone, culminating in a shocking revelation about Brett. Katie knows that what she knows about the Ballentines could mean she never has to work again. But while Katie struggles with her predicament, a budding young photographer snaps the picture the tabloids have been waiting for and catapults herself into the limelight …

This is the first in the six book series called ‘Consequences’. I borrowed the set from Donna a few months ago, but they’ve just been sat in the living room untouched since. But when I finally got round to picking up the first book, I found it such an easy read that I finished it in a matter of hours. The series is aimed at a teenage audience, but this book will strike a chord with most adult readers as well.

So I’m doing well so far and remembering to update everyone about my projectz, which I was very bad at last year..

1/. Get more out of Parkrun

I could’ve done much more with this one this month and taken advantage of Bramhall being cancelled due to the bad weather and visited Woodbank Run instead. However, on the cold snowy mornings that Bramhall was cancelled, my bed seemed a much nicer option than running a strange course, which I know has hills in it! In February, I’m planning to visit the Heaton Parkrun and take part in that and then the 10k Love Run. That’s the plan, but I’ve not actually signed up yet…

On the plus point, I am nearing my 30 minute target shaving another 8 seconds of my previous pb on Saturday and am feeling it getting easier each week. I’ve now done 14 races, so am 36 away from my 50club t shirt - well on target to get it this year

2/. Read and review at least 2 books per month.

Done, just under the wire, but still done! I’ve got Blood River in my bag to read on lunch breaks at work, but I tend to go for the paper instead. I’m going to make a start o9n the series that Donna has lent me as well, which is going to a journey firmly into chick lit!

3/. Do at least 1 new thing a month.

Done lots for this so far, the 5k turned into a 4k, which is a distance I’d never ran before, but the main ‘new things’ were the 2 Stockport museums I’d never visited before and the BMF class, which is something I’d definitley look into doing again

4/. Go swimming regularly.

Not started on this one yet…

5/. Keep in better contact with friends and loved ones.

Not really made a great start on this one either, I did have Rupert round to watch a football match, but that’s about it. i will spend tomorrow making better plans for this month!

I’d asked Kath to buy me The Paulo Coelho collection for Christmas after being so impressed with The Alchemist , unfortunately I can’t say this lived up to the same standard. At times I felt I was reading it for the sake of reading it, rather than enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I feel it was a very well written book, but I just didn’t feel it spoke to me or had anything I could draw from it. Perhaps if I was a more religious person this would be different and I hope it doesn’t put me off the rest of the series.

After the mid week exercise, I was worried about how well I’d do in today’s race, but apart from sore stomach muscles, I didn’t ache as much as I was expecting, just felt slightly sluggish. Now I’ve worked out where the km markers are (yes I know it’s only taken me over 10 weeks), I’m finding it easier to keep track of how I’m doing throughout the race and wearing the watch I got with Runner’s World to time the race, definitely gave me the last push I needed to break my pb this week. Finger’s crossed for another improvement next week, when i’m hoping to run without the tired legs, it’s just finding the balance between exercising mid week and resting enough to not impact on the weekly run.

I’m not sure about the new look race results, i miss my star for beating pbs But on the plus point I can link to my personal results page, which is always motivation when I see I’ve improved since my first Parkrun

A few months ago the Facebook group for Bramhall Parkrun sent a message around about BMF saying it might be something we’d be intereted in, I had a look thought it looked interesting and then promptly forgot all about it.

Then last week, Amy, who I’ve not seen since leaving school over a decade ago, posted on FB that she was thinking of signing up, so I took another look. As the first class is free, I agreed to go to the one tonight and promptly talked Gra into joining us!

Usually I have at least 6 months from signing up to something to realising it isn’t a great idea, but this gave me just over a week, so today was spent nervously anticipating what may happen this evening. It didn’t help that when we got in the car, I realised it was pitch black outside and that Bruntwood Park isn’t floodlit, and then when I stepped out of the car it was straight into a puddle which made me scream like a girl!

There were about 12 new starters including us tonight and whilst you are worked hard, afterwards I did get a real sense of achievement and I will look into signing up properly once I have a bit more money to spare each month. This plan’s subject to change if I can’t move in the morning!

To find your nearest lesson, click on the BMF banner above

Sherlock Holmes has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of Dr. John Watson, his trusted ally, the renowned “consulting detective” is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists. But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted…and just the challenge he’s looking for. After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer: the unrepentant Lord Blackwood. As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood — who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces — warns Holmes that death has no power over him and, in fact, his execution plays right into Blackwood’s plans. And when, by all indications, Blackwood makes good on his promise, his apparent resurrection panics London and confounds Scotland Yard. But to Holmes, the game is afoot. Racing to stop Blackwood’s deadly plot, Holmes and Watson plunge into a world of the dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic is sometimes the best crime-fighting weapon…but where a good right hook will often do the job.

Anna found parts of this film to be a bit slow, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and not just because it features Robert Downey Jr fighting topless and handcuffed to a bed naked!

This is 2 museums in the one building, found in the Market Place in Stockport. i have to confess I’ve probably walked past here lots of times, but have never taken much notice of what’s inside.

The first on theleft is Stockport Story and entry is free. As the name suggests it tells the story of Stockport from over 10,000 years ago to the present day. At staircase house, there is an entry fee of £3.95 for adults, but for this you get your own audio guide. This simply works by pressing a button upon entry into each of the rooms and the guide gives you an explanation of the setting followed by an acted out sketch between people believes to have lived in the house at the time each room is set, with optional extras along the way.

Whilst Stockport Story mainly has it exhibitions behind glass, Staircase house is very much hands on, with only one room behind ropes and yu are encouraged to explore each room as much as you wants touching and smelling the items contained in them.

In the Counting Room, you get to try your hand at writing with a quill, I’m sure this is something that every school kid in stockport has tried through visits from Bramhall hall and tatton park, but Anna never had before today, so i think this is very good for her first attempt

The tourims Office is also found here, with lots of leaflets available for other attractions in stockport, Manchester and further afield, needless to say we took many of them home!

Link to Staircase House

link to Stockport Story

After 5 week’s absence due to the Xmas swap and appalling weather we’ve been having, the Parkrun finally restarted at Bramhall this weekend. I wasn’t really concerned that the break may have a impact on my fitness, as I did Edinburgh a few weeks ago, have walked to work and back and been playing on the Wii Fit during the time off, so I was really suprised to find my legs were really sluggush and the run felt a lot more difficult than normal. The only other time it had fel this way was after walking to work and back the Thursday before one of the races, which got me to thinking, maybe the 20- 25 minutes of playing on the Wii fit each night after work this week was actually making me more tired than I’d realised! Still at least I didn’t get a pw, but I do think I’ll leave the will alone this week coming, especially as I’ve got the BMF fitness assessment on Wednesday! Gra was a marshall this week, so no time or pics for him.

This shows how cold it still is, whilst the actual snow and ice have gone from most of the park, the lake is still frozen!