The Argus, news, sport, events, jobs, homes for Brighton, Hove and Sussex

Alice, 38, lives in Hove with her husband, young son and dog. Our Reluctant Housewife will try anything once, even if it’s only to get her out of the house!

Ad agencies bear-bait my son

My son, like most four year olds, has a big imagination. In his head he plans to visit many countries, can speak many different languages and has over 100 brothers and sisters. But he is also rooted in an unshakeable reality that whatever he sees has to exist or be happening somewhere and be accessible to him. Which makes watching adverts a bit of a problem…

I don't believe in ghosts... but I used to live with one

Last Halloween my husband and I went on a tour of the ‘Haunted’ Preston Manor, billed as a Ghost Tour we thought we’d certainly get to see or sense something spooky. But despite being conducted in the dark on the night of the year the veil between the living and the dead is supposedly at its thinnest the only scary thing that happened was the fact the pubs were already shut by the time it was over.

Happy Brighton Christmas

I'm always thankful to live where I do, I love Brighton and Hove and all that goes on here. And there is no greater time than Christmas to remind me just how diverse, archaic, fun, exciting and lovable this place is.

PupAid 2011 Raising Awareness of Puppy Farming

This weekend saw the family visit PupAid 2011. An annual event on Brighton’s dog calendar and a must- attend for anyone who loves or owns a hound. PupAid is a like a mini one-day festival that takes over Stanmer House and its private garden and everyone is welcome, especially our four legged friends.

Don't Fence Me In

I recently travelled by tube. I took London ’s famous underground train from Victoria to Oxford Circus, only a couple of stops with no changes. No big deal you might think? Well maybe not for you but I haven’t travelled by tube for over ten years! Which is odd considering up until recently I had lived in our nation’s capital for the better part of two decades. No, I don’t have a problem with transport in general, I am claustrophobic.

Bluebell gets me all steamed up!

Apparently I travelled on the Bluebell Railway as a child, I don’t remember it, which I know does little to recommend it, but as a nearby attraction on a rainy day we thought it was time to check the fully functioning steam railway out as adults - and take our 3year old along for the ride – maybe he’d even remember it!

Do diners have a right to quiet?

Crying babies cause us all anguish, whether they belong to us or not. In a waiting room, a shop, an aeroplane – the appearance of a red-faced little squealer has us all wincing and grimacing. But would you attack someone who suggested you took your wailing baby home?

TOP TEN: Signs Mummy is having a Mid-Life Crisis

I’m 40 next year. I’ve started noticing some changes in my behaviour. Could I be having a mid-life crisis?

Morbid mother in the grip of madness? (Or how Abba and EastEnders ruin my day!)

I’ve been watching the ridiculous ‘swapping the dead baby’ story on EastEnders recently and of course it has played on my mind a little bit. There have been a few times when after the credits rolled I’ve had to go upstairs and kiss my own little boy, just because.

The Tube is a Cultural Tourism Bus For Kids!

Now that my son is moving on from the simple, good messages in CBeebies TV shows to the more commercial, overt do-gooding of the Disney Channels it has got me thinking about how you move through the ages with your programming and how you respond socially or culturally.

Celebrating Labour Day

It is our son’s birthday next week and we will have a great time, the day will be about him and celebrating his life. The day before it however, I like to celebrate myself and what happened on the day I struggled to give birth. I know I have only been through it the once but I bet others who have been through it many times can still recall each and every one. Last year I had cocktails in Soho and called it my Labour Day