This shoot took me into Manchester city centre for urban family portraits over in Castlefield, where the city began.
The morning of this shoot I opened the curtains to lucky March sunshine. It was first thing on a Sunday, the city still waking up. There were mum, dad, and three beautiful boys, running and playing around the Roman fort of Castlefield, where Manchester’s history began.
It’s also where this family’s history began; Lynda and Chris lived here when their eldest was born. We chatted about bringing up city kids, they played frisbee and football and the smallest eyed me up with a cheeky little stare.
I loved the co-ordinated outfits of this family. They weren’t too matchy matchy, but dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, in bright primary colours which complemented one another perfectly.
Chris and Lyn also picked our photoshoot location, which was perfect – there were wide open spaces to play, with arches and turrets to explore. And… I hear… family friendly restaurants for post-shoot pizza. Perfect.
If you enjoyed Castlefield family photography and fancy a fun family photoshoot with me, do get in touch to find out more.
It’s that time of year again! Time to get all snuggly on the sofa on a Sunday evening after a good weekend’s Christmassing. But oh what to watch?
First on the list: NOT Toy Story. My kids actually hate it. Perhaps the animation is a bit dated. Maybe the scary broken toys bit put them off. It could be that they just need… time.
But basically there are films I always thought my kids would love and they don’t – whilst on the other hand they adore some real stinkers. I’ve had to get creative with our home viewing choices, I’ve had to do some investigation.
And now I am sharing my research as my gift to you. Sort of like an online Santa.
I plan to edit and update this list as The Arbers work through our Christmas film bounty so if you get stuck with viewing choices please feel free to check back from time to time.
A whopping 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. My nearly 8 year old boy finds it a little twee these days but it was a firm fave in our house back in the day – plus I still have a soft spot for it. It’s not an annual watch but I’m hoping to tempt 4 year old Etta with it this Christmas.
EDIT: on a rewatch it was far more popular with my son. It’s quite talky, but the humour is great, and he can appreciate it a bit more now he’s older.
This film totally mesmerises both my kids every year. There’s a sequel to keep them entertained for even longer. The story ticks many boxes in terms of kid drama – there’s a dead dad, sibling squabbles and weird elves. Plus there can be no doubt that Kurt Russell was born to play Santa.
This has just become available on Netflix and I’m going to give it a go – it’s got rave reviews, and Irish characters which is all the incentive I need. The hand drawn animation makes it look gentle but it’s rated PG so I’ll be on the lookout for mild peril.
A body swap comedy that my kids found and love. Let’s not pretend this is a classic film… it’s fairly watchable and I have been known to get sucked in too. It’s fun, easy, kind of awful and very pleasant at the same time.
It’s not Christmassy but I just really like the randomness of this film. The animation is quirky and so is the humour – we found it a great film for everyone to enjoy.
Great colours, great music. The critics gave it a bit of an ill deserved ‘meh’ – well I think it’s fantastic and so do my children, and that’s why they watch it all year round (which is admittedly a little disturbing in June).
A very successful pick that engrossed both kids and has been watched multiple times over Christmas. It’s charmingly English and great for getting in the Crimbo spirit.
Okaaaay I know it’s obvious but perhaps one of you has forgotten. Everyone loves it so it has to be on every Christmas film list. They just don’t make ‘em like that any more.
My favourite Christmas film of all time. This fact alone is enough to put the kids off every year, but the little animation at the start soon grabs their attention and then we are IN. A perfect blend of humour, slapstick, corniness and magic.
The often overlooked sibling to Frozen – actually rumoured to be the most expensive animated film of all time. I’m a big fan – the songs aren’t as catchy as Elsa and Anna’s big numbers BUT the story is exciting and fun and it’s pitched perfectly as a classic fairy tale romp.
If you haven’t already checked these out, they’re a great way to keep the kids quiet while you get some wrapping done. They’re stage musical adaptations of famous stories and fairy tales, all acted out by the CBeebies team. Mine love The Snow Queen and Robin Hood in particular.
From the same team that brought you The Snail and The Whale and Stick Man (another great Christmas classic) is Julia Donaldson’s Tabby McTat, which is my daughter’s absolute favourite of the series, and sure to warm cockles everywhere.
Other successful mentionables: The Jungle Book, Paddington.
A rent or buy, but I would definitely buy. Kids love watching other kids. Kids especially love watching other kids humiliate adults. There’s a lot of that in this film. Hence why, although it can be a bit talky for very littles, there’s enough going on for children to absolutely love this movie. It’s lucky really, cos I love it too.
Sorry, this one is also a rent or buy… it’s available to rent for £16 or buy for £19.99 so it really isn’t cheap. However, it’s a guaranteed winner. My son Rory is already a big fan of the books and this is a great adaptation. It’s the most stunning film with many layers and gripped two 40+ year olds, one 7 year old and one 4 year old – all of whom still talk about this movie from time to time. Yes… I wept. Enjoy.
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