Last Friday we had the time of our lives(!! couldn’t resist) at Baby Power Ballads.
Image from Gateshead Library
I’m not so sure I would’ve ventured to something like this on my own (which in hindsight is a trifle sad as I would’ve missed out on what was an epic afternoon out).
One of the mammy friends who I met at Pregnancy Yoga (which was awesome – shout out to Lush Tums) invited me along and how could I refuse? An hour of introducing Ella Bells to power ballads while I unleash my ‘voice of an angel’. Perfect!
Tickets were £4 with a £1.07 booking fee and I booked mine online through a link on the Facebook page. I intended to print the ticket off but got caught up in all the mental checklist of things to do to get a baby out of the house that I forgot. This dawned on me as I drove towards the Tyne Bridge with a whingeing Ella in tow (drive time was meant to equal nap time – but no. I blame myself, I put her car cover down so I could see her in the mirror. She took this as an invitation to fight for my attention instead. Not ideal when fighting Friday afternoon traffic).
Image from Gateshead Library
The event was held at Gateshead’s Central Library in their Caedmon Hall and ran by a company called Chalk.
Chalk are Jen, Jilly, Roxy and their mini Chalkers who are the inspiration behind the family focused organisation based in the North East.
Image from Gateshead Library
The Baby Power Ballads was part of their Cineplay Festival held 19th-21st August across Newcastle and Gateshead.
Gateshead Central Library had plenty of parking but it did fill up quick. Luckily there is on street parking and a smaller car park just opposite. There is a lift from the ground floor to the first floor but it’s only big enough for one buggy at a time. This wasn’t a problem for me, I seem to think lugging a car seat around is an Olympic sport at the moment – which I’m sorely regretting!
Never the less, I needn’t have worried about my ticket, a lovely lady from the Chalk group greeted me at the door of the Caedmon Hall with ‘The List’. Flashbacks to numerous-not-getting-into-VIP-areas-in-clubs ensued. But have no fear – my name was well and truly on this list. Hurrah!
By this point Ella was on top form, flashing her biggest smile with no trace of the whingey
Image from Gateshead Library
tired baba from the car journey. We got settled in the middle of the floor, where there were musical instruments laid out on a circle of rugs and cushions in front of a projector screen.
Songbooks with lyrics were handed out – I think I squealed in delight. One of the members from Chalk sat with us and played the guitar, leading the tune-fest that included (I’ve had) The Time of My Life, I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton’s 9-5, Here’s To You Mrs Robinson and – wait for it – Bohemian Rhapsody! That was hilarious introducing that one to Ella.
Even more exciting was that the films the songs belonged to were projected onto the screen! The atmosphere was incredibly jovial; babies happily playing with instruments while the mammies pelted out the songs – like we used to with a hairbrush in front of a mirror (or was that just me?) It seems that by having a child, you loose your inhibitions somewhere along the way.
Ella loved it and powered through for forty-five minutes of sitting on my knee doing what she does best – people watch. I saw the signs that an imminent hunger cry was threatening to escape and quickly shoved a bottle in her mouth – to which she promptly passed out just before the end of the event. She lasted longer than my friend’s little boy – he slept through the whole thing! Way too cool for school that kid.
Once it ended, we were encouraged by the Chalk team to sit around for a bit and not rush off, which was nice. Especially as Ella had done what she rarely does and fallen asleep on me – I didn’t want to move. But it was short-lived and as soon as she was awake, out the car seat came and along with it the suggestions of what to do next.
Image from Gateshead Library
So us mammies did what we did best – sought out the nearest coffee and cake establishment, which fortunately happened to be downstairs in the library. It just took a while to get there as the mammies got in the lift one-by-one hurrah hurrah. Gotta love a coffee and a chocolate brownie after a baby event.
This is why I need to run.
Which I did yesterday. I’ll tell you about it sometime.
Thanks Chalk for a fab afternoon.
Love Missuswolf xxx
Missuswolf 
I haven’t tried a Chalk event myself but every single thing I’ve read about them has been positive – I think when you have kids any of that shyness that might have held you back goes out of the window and you had a ball!
It was our first event and I absolutely loved it! Shyness well and truly out the window and I’m embracing being a big kid now Ella’s here.