My Day at the Ideal Home Show...the Real Story!!

I've written reams about my day as a Harveys' Blogger at the Coronation Street House yesterday.  Being given the opportunity to interview TV stars and have exclusive access to the show with my press pass was something I could never have imagined happening to me!  The blogging adventure that I am on is a thrilling and unexpected journey.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

We had a horrific train journey into London.  We missed our first train by a whisker which put us 20 minutes behind schedule before we begun.  As Fred is still breastfed and we spent the night before down south to break up the journey, my team came with me!  Harveys were really accommodating allowing Ian to come too.  Thank goodness he was with me.  Freddy was a nightmare.  He was so over excited by the train experience he wanted to get out at every stop and screamed loudly when he couldn't.  The poor commuters were not used to a hyper toddler running around the carriages and tantrumming at every station as he bolted to the electric doors in hope of escape.  But...despite the shameful journey we did arrive to meet our contact Lucy and jump the queues into the show....the power of the Press Pass!!

Before the crowds descended, we had a bit of fun at the Rovers Return.  There were plenty of really friendly PR ladies on hand to fuss over Freddy (who is a real sucker for a pretty lady!) so we had a short time to be baby-free and just enjoy it without worrying about Fred trashing the joint!

It was absolutely mad being asked if I wanted to interview William Roache and Tracy Ford.  I had nothing prepared as I had no idea it would happen...I thought I might get to shake their hand and say hello...but to have 5 minutes on the purple Harvey couch made me feel like I was on GMTV!  It was only at the end of the interview that I realised they thought I was an ITV journalist.  They must have been wondering who on earth had employed this ridiculous, bumbling, unprepared woman!  But I winged my way through it and eventually explained that I was a Mummy Blogger and was invited by Harveys to cover the show for my blog.  I wish I had explained at the start...it would have made it a lot easier!  But they were both generous with their answers and chatted and laughed with me about the Corrie house mock-up and the new eco-build next door.

The Blogger's Lounge was great.  There was chocolate and wine for a start!  (Although being tee-total and on a diet meant there was no over-indulging for me!)  I sat and Tweeted and blogged and felt quite important!!  I met two fellow Bloggers Karen from The Rubbish Diet and Mirka from All Baby Advice.  It gave me a taste of what Cybermummy will be like...meeting the women behind the blogs that I know and love.  I'm even more excited about it now.

Interviewing George Clarke was a real highlight.  I explained who I was from the start and he was absolutely lovely.  I actually said I was "just a mum" to which he replied that mums do a fabulous job and aren't 'just' anything! He was passionate about what he did and explained things to me about sustainable living and about fun recycled products he had used in the house.  He was really warm and friendly and gave me a lovely hug at the end!  Ian was keeping an eye on me to make sure I wasn't enjoying his attention too much!!  I hope his tips that I have written about here give some useful advice to anyone who reads my post.

We had a look around the show but Freddy wanted to swim in a fountain, climb on a £4000 garden statue, bash the 72" plasma TVs and grab expensive, bespoke rugs from a display.  The temptations were just too much.  We decided it was time to go when he lay down on the floor and refused to move after we wouldn't let him get in a hot tub!  My boy is high maintenance!

Our journey home was better as the trains were empty...no one to witness his high jinks!  The second he got back to our car he fell asleep and stayed spark out for the 3 hour drive home.  What a day!!

Green Tips for Sustainable Living

My Interview with George Clarke

Another part of my amazing day with Harveys at the Ideal Home Show was having the opportunity to interview George Clarke, the architect and interior designer behind the remodernisation of 1 Coronation Street.  I asked him to explain to me what he considered to be the best advice for us in order to be more eco-friendly in our homes.

George was very passionate about the concept of sustainability.  He said that although the highly aspirational carbon neutral new build eco-homes on Grand Designs are fantastic, they are clearly out of the reach of the average person.  In Great Britain there are 25 million homes, many of which are unsustainable Victorian terraces such as the Barlow home on Coronation Street.  Using this iconic old house as an example for what could be done to make your home more eco-friendly gave out an important message.

He said that although homes like the Barlows' are steeped in nostalgia, they are generally hugely ecologically inefficient.  This is costly to the homeowners and to the planet.  But George said that there were simple steps that could be taken which are affordable and which will improve your carbon footprint and reduce your household bills.

1. His first piece of advice was to double glaze.  Not only would it make your house warmer and quieter, it also reduces the heat lost through the windows.
2. If you have a boiler that is over 10 years old, get it changed for an energy efficient model.  Old boilers are unsafe and can cause carbon monoxide poisoning in some instances which can be fatal.  Only 40% of the gas used is actually converted into heat.  They are very wasteful to both your pocket and to fuel reserves.
3. Use energy saving light bulbs.  The old style bulbs use electricity to produce only 10% light to 90% heat. The heat is just wasted...you are paying for something that is not even used!
4. Insulate your loft as thickly as you can!  George quite rightly said that you wouldn't go without a nice, warm, thick coat in the winter...so treat your house the same.  Do as much as you can afford...it saves cash in the long run.
5. If you do any modernisations, take advantage of the situation and add cavity wall insulation wherever you can.  It keeps the heat in and makes your heating work more efficiently for you.

Sound advice from George indeed.  Remember there are grants available to help with these some of these costs in some instances. (Just Google Energy Saving Grants for more information.)

Another step you can take is to install Solar Panels.  Even if it just tops up heating your water, it is a great step towards more sustainable living.  The government's Feed In Tariff gives you payment back for any excess energy created that is returned to the grid.  This could provide a fixed tax free income and save money off your household bills.

George talked me through a couple of his favourite features in the modernised, sustainable Corrie House. The kitchen and dining room had been knocked through to create a larger, airier living space.  The glass frontage allowed the light to stream through and made a wonderful architectural feature to the terrace. 

The worksurface in the kitchen was made of recycled glass bottles from London's pubs and restaurants and from Tube Train windows.  The effect is a sparkling, unique design that adds real magic to the kitchen. 

One of George's favourite pieces of furniture was a desk and chair in the revamped bedroom.  It was made using timber from sustainably felled trees and a material made out of compressed recycled coffee grounds sourced from coffee houses around the country!  What a fabulous use of Starbuck's waste!

It was an absolute pleasure to hear George enthuse about his work at this year's Ideal Home Show.  I'll certainly be thinking long and hard about any areas where I can make my home more sustainable.  We might not be able to make our houses completely carbon neutral, but we can certainly make differences that will be beneficial to us and to the environment.

A Makeover for Ken Barlow!

The Ideal Home Show is kicking off of Earl's Court tomorrow.  I am incredibly excited that I am going to be attending as a VIP guest of Harveys Furniture Store!  Harveys are the sponsors of Coronation Street and this year one of the highlights of the show is the recreation of No 1 Coronation Street aka Chez Barlow.  For the first time ever the house is getting a facelift!

TV presenter and architect George Clarke will be modernising Corrie's favourite abode with a glass extension and a loft conversion...what would the neighbours think!  It would certainly get Eileen's tongue wagging wouldn't it!

The remodernisation of this iconic dwelling will certainly be interesting for Corrie fans.  I will have exclusive access to the new design as well as getting to meet gorgeous George and two fantastic, huge Corrie Stars.  I can't wait!

So check back on my blog for details, exclusive pics and news from the Ideal Home Show.

The show runs from the 11th to the 27th of March at Earl's Court.  It's well worth a visit and is a great family day out with more than 600 exhibitors, demonstrations, unique shopping opportunities and lots of celebrity guests.

Check it out at  http://www.idealhomeshow.co.uk/

*In more Corrie related news...the winner of my Typhoo and Coronation Giveaway is....Mummy24 (@ashallan)...CONGRATULATIONS....I'll be sending out your goodies shortly!  Please DM me your address details!*