Our Favourite Christmas Ads 2016

One of the most magical and most anticipated things surrounding Christmas is the big stores TV ads.

This year most of them seem to fall a little short for me but there still a few gems this year

Here are our favourites;

6. Barbour~The Snowman & The Snowdog

This is one of Oisìn's favourites and while he hasn't actually seen
The Snowman or The Snowdog yet he is totally in love with this sweet ad
This is an updated version of Raymond Brigg's classic all it is missing is the
Walking in The Air theme to go with it.
It has made me realize that Oisìn is ready to watch The Snowman
Now I can't wait to snuggle up and watch it with him

5. John Lewis~Buster The Dog

This sweet offering from Christmas ad maestro John Lewis is about Buster and his love of jumping!
Looking at all the wildlife animals jumping around on a trampoline can't help but bring a smile to your face. Yet I think it's missing something and for me its not as good as previous years.

4. Waitrose~Coming Home

I personally like Waitrose offering more than it's sister company this year
Waitrose Christmas ad is a very cute story of a little Robin
and the little girl waiting on it to come home
It is filmed like a David Attenborough documentary with a sweet tear jerkier ending

3. Aldi~Kevin The Carrot

This is Oisìn's favourite ad this year he loves Kevin the carrot!
This is a tongue in cheek version of The Night Before Christmas.
It sees Kevin get through a maze of food until he ends up on Santa's sleigh
It's an original funny sweet ad and one of our all time favourites 

2. Marks & Spencer~Mrs Claus

This is one of the best offerings from any store this year
Directed by Tom Hooper this ad has Mrs Claus in the staring role when a young boy Jake
who is not often very nice to his older sister asks for Mrs Claus help to replace a pair of his sister's shoes. Mrs Claus is a very stylish woman with lots of high tech at her disposal, the ad itself is filmed beautifully. I like it because I can relate to being that older sister who has a little brother who drove her crazy growing up but had a heart of gold!

1. Salisbury's~The Greatest Gift

Once again Salisbury's has won in our house last year Mog The Cat captured our hearts
This year it's hard working Dad Dave who's time is escaping him, work is busy, commuting is a nightmare, he has lots of Christmas shopping to do and all he wants to really do is spend time with his family.
He makes toy versions of himself so that he can be with the ones he loves at Christmas time. The song is sung by James Corden who does a great job at narrating the struggling Dave.
Myself and Oisìn watched it first together when Oisìn snuggled into me and said that's my Daddy it brought tears to my eyes. For Oisìn I think the fact that Dave wears glasses like his Daddy's reading glasses, that made him think of his Dad. For me it was the fact the Paul like Dave works hard every day to give us the things we want and need, like Dave he struggles with busy work and commuting to and from it. Like Dave he would much rather be at home with us and for us the best present we get at Christmas time is his company and love.

What is your favourite  Christmas ad this year?

Autumn TV Shows I Can't Wait To Watch!

With Autumn fast approaching I am really looking forward to some new shows 

along with some new seasons of my favourite TV Shows 

Here are some of the ones myself and hubby are looking forward to this Autumn/Winter

Victoria~ITV Sunday 28th August 9pm

Jenna Coleman of Emmerdale, Doctor Who and Me Before You, fame has finally got her own starring role in this ITV show. in this eight part drama it follows Queen Victoria's early years and her marriage to Prince Albert played by Tom Hughes.
I think this will be a racier version of the movie Young Victoria with Emily Blunt.
It's been labelled as ITV's new Downton Abbey
as it's taken Downton Abbey's Autumn prime time Sunday night slot but it will only have one week alone in that slot as BBC have there own period drama which they hope will fill the gap Downton has left!

Poldark~BBC1 Sunday 4th September 9pm

For those who don't want to watch the life of Queen Victoria
BBC have there own fight for Downton's viewers with series two of Poldark!
I have tough choice of what to watch and what to record! I think for me Poldark wins!
Clondalkin (my hometown) native Aidan Turner is back as Ross Poldark for this ten part second season. It follows on from last season after the loss of Ross and Demelza's child, Poldark's mining company has gone bankrupt and he has been arrested! Fun stuff all round so!

The Great British Bake Off~BBC1 Wednesday 24th August 8pm
The Bake off is back, who doesn't like a bit of the fab four! Mel, Sue, Paul and Mary make the strange foursome that just seem to make this show!
I can wait to met the bakers and see all the lovely cakes, breads and goodies they bake
but also if there is going to be some drama over, soggy bottoms, non risers and melted ice cream!!
Ready Steady Bake!!!

Goodnight Sweetheart~BBC1 Friday 2nd September 9pm
There are other revivals and prequels on the BBC this Autumn due to the celebration of
60 years of the sitcom, but I am looking forward to revisiting Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart the most. I have fond memories of watching this at tea time with my parents and brother when I was younger. The last episode aired in 1999 and it is a bit bitter sweet that the special will be airing on what would of been my brother's 30th birthday!
I am looking forward to see what happened to Gary as the last episode saw him stay in the 1940's with his WW11 wife Phoebe as the time portal closed and he never got to see his modern wife Yvonne again!
It looks like all the cast is on board and set to be in this special so I am looking forward to seeing what happened to Gary and co!

50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy~SKY 1 Wednesday 28th September 9pm
This funny Irish man and his Mammy are back for a third season
It looks like this time he is not only trying to kill his own Mammy but also other people's Mammy's!
Not alot known about this series yet but if it's anything like that last two it will be just as funny!
Nancy is a legend who else would sky dive, wrestle crocs, scuba dive, shoot guns, fly a plane, and jet ski plus a whole lot more at the age of 72!!

Westworld~Sky Atlantic October No Set Date
This is one the hubby is really waiting for he is a big fan of the cult 70's movie
so he is really excited for this TV drama version. This Sc-fi Western series tells the story of a futuristic theme park called Westworld. The cast is quite amazing with the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ben Barnes
I am expecting really good things from this, think Total Recall with out the cheese!!

The Walking Dead~Fox Monday 24th October 9pm
A lot of fans where very annoyed with the season six finale cliffhanger
While I wasn't too upset with it, personally I have seen cracks in the show
since season five.
I felt that there was drop in the script writing and story arcs with endless cliffhangers
which have made the show a bit of a caricature of what once actually made it great.
That said I am hoping with the adding of Jeffery Dean Morgan as Negan to the show
along with different characters and storylines this will added to the dept and quality of the season
Now if they just stop with the cliffhangers fan can stop going ape shit crazy!

Gotham~Monday 19th September 9pm
Not much is known about this next season of  this comic book based show
I really enjoy this show and out of all the comic book shows we watch this is my favourite
It's darker than then others but also quite cheesy which I like!
Last season ended with the crazy dangerous patients of Indian Hill being released on Gotham
so we can expect strange villains such as The Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, and The Tweed Brothers
There is once again no air date for here in Ireland but we will be watching online!

Arrow~SKY 1 October No Set Date
Legends of Tomorrow~SKY 1 October No Set Date
The Flash~SKY 1 October No Set Date
These three DC Comic book show all air in the states in October but the UK/Ireland
are normally a couple of weeks behind. The only DC show we don't watch is Supergirl we tried a few episodes but weren't fans at all so that was quickly dropped.
Arrow follows on after Laurel's death and the attack on Star City from Dhark after a very weak second half of season four here's hoping the storylines pick up and the flash backs are dropped!
Legends first season was quite hit or miss, some episodes where great fresh and new but most where rehashed, dull and boring. Season two has a whole host of new characters which will bring new storylines and action. Here's hoping the budget was upped for more sets as all the different time zones and countries started to looked the same in season one!
The Flash had a good strong second season with cameos, plot twists and fun villains but with the now time jump and different Earths the writers can go and do what they want with these characters.
We already know that Wally West becomes another version of The Flash and that there are some really exciting villains coming our way! I can't wait!

The Crown~Netflix Friday 4th November
Netflix have big plans for this show already planing another six seasons
and with huge budget! The Crown is a drama based around Queen Elizabeth II England's longest ever reigning monarch. Claire Foy will play Queen Elizabeth and Matt Smith as Prince Philip
The first season will focus on the younger days of the Queen and her wedding to Prince Philip with plans in other seasons to follow her  right up to present day.

Gilmore Girls A Year In The Life~Netflix Friday 25th November
I can't not mention The Gilmore Girls who I grew up with, who I watched every Sunday from it's first episode 2000 until it's last episode in 2007. Sunday afternoon's for me where a cup of tea and Gilmore Girls an hour out of life to see what was happening in Stars Hollow, with mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory. People say Irish women talk fast well I think these women give Irish women a run for there money in the dialogue stakes! I love this show and I have so many memories of crying with Rory about her love life and the huge crush I had on troubled Jess!!
I can't wait to see what has been happening with the Gilmore Girls and the people at Stars Hollow

So that's the shows we are looking forward to how about you?

Weekly Favourites

I thought of doing this new post every Friday or Saturday (you know when life gets in the way!)

It will be a little recap of what I have been loving that week! So here goes!

Book

Spectacles-Sue Perkins
This week I had alot of different hospital appointments but this book

got me through them! If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen the post I put up

Thursday morning when I was waiting in a hospital waiting room, drinking a dye thing before a CT scan and was laughing my arse off at some of the stories in this book, I was getting very funny looks from some of the other patients but I didn't care! I actually read this in two days and really really enjoyed it. I will be reviewing it in my July book review.

TV Show

Gotham
Most of our favourite shows have finished there current run

and Outlander is on a week break but that means a two week break

from our screens in Ireland. So we have been watching the last half of season two

online of Gotham as it's not being shown here in Ireland for some reason!

I am enjoying this dark comic book show!

Blog

mylittlebabog

I really love this blog of this Irish family of five soon to be six!

It's a blog that is new to me but I am really enjoying the post and the pregnancy updates

Movie

Labyrinth
When Oisìn is asking for the TV but I fancy watching something too
I always but this movie on, we first watched it together when David Bowie passed
away in January, of course its been my favourite forever but Oisìn loved it.
It has just the right about of puppets, singing and dancing to keep him amused!

Instagram

Sadie C
Sadie is new to Instagram but I love looking at her
beautiful and ladylike pictures...I am really enjoying watching her Instagram account grow as
this woman takes some beautiful pictures

Album

Trouble In Shangri-La - Stevie Nicks
I have dug out this cd and re-listened all week
I do have the album on my ipod but I just love the artwork on this album
Although later Stevie said it isn't one of her favourite albums and it was very hard to work on, as the studio had one idea and she another, she said she felt like some of the creative decisions where made for her. Which is why it took her another ten years to release a solo album, and in that album she was the boss and it was recorded in her home. 

Trouble In Shangri-La is a bit of a mix bag with country, pop, dance and rock influences. Some songs date back to the early 70s Candlebright and Sorcery are from the days before Fleetwood Mac when she and Lindsey Buckingham where a duo. My favourite song Planets of the Universe is a song from Rumours which never made it out of the demo stages. But most of my favourites are Fall from Grace, Bombay Sapphires and Love Is where written the time of recording. 

Vlogger

The Michalaks
This channel is quite new to me, but I love it!! The Michalaks are a young family of three who do weekly vlogs. I really enjoy watching what they get up to around London, there vlogs are very well edited and beautifully shot which make it so easy to watch. Myself and Oisìn love watching there little boy Grayson who around the same age as Oisìn so we have lots of toddler giggles when we are tuning in! I don't normally like over styled vlogs but I really like this down to earth family

Store

Iclothing

I recently bought this beautiful dress for a family wedding and was so happy with it

Everything I have brought from this store is so glam but also really comfortable and of course affordable prices.

So that's my favourite for this week

Now someone pass the prosecco it's finally FRIDAY!!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Like I thought back at the start of January due to scheduling changes I fear this show

will leave with a whimper instead of a bang! More scheduling changes see this show now

moved to Thursday and Friday nights I have completely lost track and am relying on sky plus to record it for me!

The fact that the BBC didn't show more love for this show is a shame as the acting and casting

as been top notch. The drama is really taking up a gear in the last couple of episodes. Frances and Honoria from Dickens Bleak House novel really came into there own this week. Honoria went into early labour with only cold, horrible sister Frances to help her. Frances did deliver baby Esther and for a moment we thought the maybe the ice has melted from Frances heart but it was not to be and when the baby finally cried she chose not to tell her sister and lead her to believe her baby was still born. Thus starting a series of events which will come to ahead in the novel Bleak House.

We also found out who the murderer was this week so really we could stop watching now

but no there is three more episodes left and mostly centred around Miss Havisham my most favourite Dickens character so I will not be missing that!

While I still love this beautiful heart warming show I have to admit

I feel like its missing something this season. I am really missing the characters

of Jenny and Chummy and am missing the true story lines of Jenny Worth's books.

I am also not liking where Trixie's storyline is going, I don't like the Tom and Barbara romance. Yes Trixie and Tom are an odd couple but that's why there good together. In real life Trixie did become a Vicar's wife and sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, which is where this show is going now less of the true life stories of Worth's east end and more fictional stories.

Saying all that I did enjoy this episode even if there was less of the midwives or nuns and maybe a bit too much Fred! It was mostly about Roseanne a new Mother who cant let her past go and thinks she is not good enough to be wife or Mother. This episode reminded me a little of some of the more hard hitting storylines of season one or two. The other major storyline was Doctor Turner's  realisation that cancer can be connected with smoking. As a heavy smoker (he is pictured with a cigarette in almost every scene the past couple of seasons) he is shocked and scared by this,so decides to go cold turkey. I really do like Patrick and Sheila Turner together it is one relationship that as grown over the years, and it may not be as gripping as season two it still one of my favourites in the show. Call the Midwife may not be as true or gripping as past seasons but its till my favourite thing to watch on a Sunday night.

As a person of a certain age I remember the trail of OJ Simpson

maybe not very clearly but I remember my parents watching it alot

the live stream from LA seemed to always be on our TV!

So we decided to give this show a go mainly cause the hubby is a huge Cuba Gooding Jr fan

He is very good as the main role but the first episode itself was quite slow

but there was some good performances David Schwimmer is great as Robert Kardashian

(funny how Robert's daughters are now more famous than him and OJ)

but to me Schwimmer will always be Ross and his hair in this show is very Ross-ish!

I didn't think the mid season finale of my favourite zombie show was up to much

it was a disappointing end to the first half of the season

Wow did it make up for it when it returned to our screens Monday night!

Daryl Dixon was back on form after spending a whole season grieving

he wiped out half of Negan's gang in a second!!

In Alexandria the dead are roaming the streets and Rick's group are walking with them

trying to come up with a plan. Young Sam is not in a good head place and as only the walking dead can a whole family are wiped out in minutes!

Then of course there is that scene the one everyone is talking about

fans of the comic books have been waiting on. I haven't read the comics so was shocked and in awe when it happened. As Carl looks up at Rick with a rather large hole where his eye should be and yet his sheriff hat remains still on his head was a rather awesome scene and up there as one of the top walking dead moments. If I am being honest I think this was one of my all time favourite episodes of The Waking Dead, but after an episodes like this its always hard to keep the pace up, but with a Rick and Daryl centred episode next week I am hoping the pace will not slow down just yet!

On The Box This Week

We have been enjoying alot of period drama this week on TV
Here is what we watched!

BBC drama Dickensian has been a hit in our house over the Christmas time
With a who done it murder mystery of Jacob Marley
I am enjoying seeing the different Dickens characters intertwined and the acting has been amazing
but the scheduling for me has been a problem while it's lovely to see the snow covered streets
of Dickens's London at Christmas time I'm not sure it will have the same appeal in the long weeks of January. We are only on episode six of twenty! It started with a bang I hope it doesn't end with a whimper!

We tuned into the new big BBC drama War and Peace on Sunday

I have read the mammoth book and had high hopes for this drama

but for me it fell a little flat. The first episode of course sets the scenes for much of the drama to come but for me this episode dragged. Hubby asked was this meant to be Russia as it all seemed a little Jane Austen England! I will keep watching as I'm a big fan of Stephen Rea and Lily James hopefully it will pick up the pace next week

Another period drama we watched on Sunday night was RTE drama Rebellion
The first of programmes marking the 1916 centenary
It tells of three female friends the involvement in the 1916 rising and how it
effects their family and friends. I was really impressed by this homegrown drama
the acting and actors where very good, especially Charlie Murphy, Brian Glesson and Sarah Greene
Really looking forward to the next episode. 

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

This year's I'm a Cele has been a little crazy with Lady C going full on nut job mode!
The atmosphere seems to be horrible with the celebs actually really happy to be vote out!
Chris Eubank the person who everyone thought would be good a doing a Bushtucker Trail has yet to volunteer himself! Lady C seems to hate everyone in the jungle especially if you have a different opinion or dare to stand up to her. My favourite is Kieron he seems like a really nice bloke

I enjoyed this episode to The Muppets it brought back a little

of the madcap of old to the show

Kermit is feeling a little under the weather due to stress so he takes

a spa day to relax. Scooter takes over with some horrible results!

Some very laugh out loud moments which I really enjoyed

But it was the end which I really enjoyed a nod to the original Muppet show

To help deal with the stress Kermit has brought a bit of the swap to his back garden

where he sits on a log and sings The Rainbow Connection

Finally Haley and Andy kissed!! Just need them to be a couple now
the will they won't they is running a bit thin
I would love to see them as a couple and the funny scraps
they get into, it would make this storyline fresh again
as it's getting a little stale. 

So the mid season finale hit our screens on Monday evening
The walls have fallen in Alexandria and all hell is breaking lose
Rick and Deanna are trying to fight them off until Deanna gets bite and
the gang hide in Jessie's house.
Ron and Carl have fisty cuffs in the garage. Till the walkers hear and the back door gets smashed in! Stupid Ron get a grip! Carol and Morgan fought over the Wolf, Morgan has locked up. Not great timing there are hundreds of walkers outside the door and Carol picks this time to resolve this? It doesn't end well for either party, Morgan knocks out Carol and then the Wolf gets free and knocks out Morgan!
To be honest nothing much else helps this episode, Rick and the gang cover themselves in walker blood to get out of the house, Deanne dies but not without going out in style and Sam has a break down just as the gang are waking with the dead "Mom, Mom, MOM!!"
There was an after credit scene that shows Daryl, Abe and Sasha getting stopped by a biker gang telling them the truck they are driving belongs to a man called Neegan. Setting up a new gang and villain for the second half of the second.
I did enjoy this first half of season six but I felt like the last few episodes where lacking something we met a lot of new characters in the first few episodes but where have they gone? Heath, Nicholas, Aaron and Eric where not in the mid season finale. The episode felt rushed and lacking something, saying that I am looking forward to February 15th to see what happens next to our gang!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

I love Adele while I seem to enjoy different tastes in music
Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, Sarah Brightman, Stevie Nicks, and Sam Smith to name a few
Adele is one of my favourites back in 2011 before Adele was a huge as she is now we has one of her songs as one of our Wedding songs
So when I knew there would be a one off special with Graham Norton I knew I had to watch
I loved this, listening to her amazing voice and doesn't she look fab the three year rest seems have agreed with her! It's hard to believe that Adele is still only 27 years old she can write songs that everyone can relate too.
What I really like about her is she is willing to laugh at herself too the sketch where she impersonates herself is very funny and her fans reaction is classic

We tuned into Nigella again this week to see
what tasty recipes she had this week
This week it was fish tacos, chocolate tart and chai muffins
We also learnt that Nigella doesn't like to get her hands dirty
and wears gloves for the sticky messy recipes
Now there seems to be some kind of up roar that maybe
this isn't the cleanest of things to do!
I have to be honest I have been doing this for years!
Doesn't seem to have done us any harm
as for Nigella's chia muffins might have to try giving them a go!

Glen is alive and I was wrong we found out before the mid season finale!
We found out what happened to Glen right at the start of the episode
(I try keep away from spoilers for TWD but I called it and said to the hubby way back when we thought the Glen was dead that I thought there was more to it. Hubby point blank said no Glen was dead. I love being right!)
Glen hid under the dumpster and it was Nicholas that was getting tore apart while on top of Glen. Glen then finds Enid who left Alexandria while the Wolves where attacking. She is kind of annoying character but don't they all start out like that in TWD?! Glen makes her come home with him even though she doesn't want to she even pulls a gun on him! In the end she sort of agrees to go with him
Back in Alexandria the dead are surrounding the walls. Morgan is still keeping a Wolf locked up in a house, Carol is getting more and more suspicious of him.
Rick teaches Jessie's son Ron how to use a gun, think this will come back to bite Rick and Carl on the arse. As I think Ron is not over Rick killing his Dad and Carl stealing his girlfriend! Just as Maggie sees a sign that Glen is alive (he released some green balloons) an old burn church collapses with the weight of walkers pushing against it, bringing the walls of Alexandria down
I enjoyed this episode and overall the first half of season six of The Walking Dead
wish we could of seen a little more of Daryl, Carol, Michonne and some of the new characters.
Looking forward to seeing the mid season finale next week think some serious stuff is going to go down!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

 Paul and I have been watching this show for a couple of years now

and like Gogglebox it's really become a hit the past couple of years.

It's basically a restaurant that just carers for people on first dates but there is a twist all of these people are blind first dates! This episode saw Alex come back for a date with a guy who she flirted with last episode. I like this show not all dates go smoothly and it's funny to see when the dates go wrong!

This episode had car racing, a proposal for Edith and all the hard luck we can throw at Thomas!

Not sure if everything will be wrapped up in our last episode before the Christmas finale but then again I'm not sure I want it to be!

The family all headed to London to see Henry car racing. Mary was a bag of nerves and of course something went wrong. There was a car crash...Mary panicked but it wasn't Henry that was killed it was his best friend. This brought horrible memories of Matthew's death back for Mary, and although she didn't really want to, she end things with Henry much to Tom's disapproval 

Edith was offered marriage but is unsure to tell her new beau about the really story behind Marigold her "ward"! I am hoping that he will accept Edith and Marigold. 

Poor Thomas I am hoping that something really nice happens next week. As Andy's secret came out this week and everyone was so understanding, but not one person not even Andy thanked Thomas for teaching him to read! I have a feeling Thomas might have already have left Downton and Mr Carson will see the error of his ways next week and ask him back.

One episode left how the last seven weeks have go so fast!

Favourite quotes of the week

"What have we here? Can anyone join in" "No Mr Barrow they can not!" 

~ Poor Thomas just wanted a bit of company Mr Carson!

"You and I will get hurt again...it's part of being alive"

~Tom to Mary

After the fast pace of the last few weeks The Walking Dead slowed it down this week with a 90 minute flash back episode which showed us what happen to Morgan since season three.
Morgan was crazy when Rick last saw him back in season three then he turned up last season very at peace with himself and declared he does not kill people anymore. We saw this in episode two when he wouldn't kill any of the wolves.
It showed us that Morgan felt he had to "clear" everything in his path walkers and humans it didn't matter as everyone turned in the end. He met a man named Eastwood and he took him in, fed him and told him his story.
I loved this episode when the creative team for the walking dead are on form they can pull out a beautiful episode like this. I really enjoyed this two man episode, if the past few episodes have been like Grand Thief Auto this was like The Shawshank Redemption. It was a beautiful well acted piece of the jigsaw that is The Walking Dead







On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

So The Big Bang Theory finally came back to our screen
last Wednesday (Thursday UK on E4) it followed up directly after last seasons finale. Penny and Leonard finally made up the aisle in a Las Vegas chapel! Things of course didn't go to plan and soon Penny was wishing they hadn't got married! Amy decided that her and Sheldon are finished for good. I hope this isn't for long as I really like this couple's quirkiness and love there chemistry together.

We watch this show every Friday it's a very funny show
it now has different versions all around the world with a rumour that Ireland is to get it's own version!
This week Gogglebox reviewed Jamie Oliver Sugar Tax, Downton Abbey, The Gift of Life and First Dates! Yippee Steph and Dom are back I have missed them this season! Watching them get drunk while watching telly is somehow very entertaining! However with the lack of Steph and Dom this season, Scarlet Moffat is fast becoming the new star of this show!

How to follow last week's blood filled episode of Downton? By opening the doors to the public that's how!

A very pale looking Lord Grantham is back in Downton on his sick bed! He had to listen to the never end storyline about the hospital from Lady Cora! The Dowager Countess has been replaced with Cora as head of the board at the hospital only problem is no one knows how to tell her!

Mary and Tom (still not giving up on these two as a couple) have arranged it that Downton is to open it's doors for one day in aid of charity. These two are starting to become a force to be reckoned with even Robert couldn't stop them opening the doors! Mr Carson didn't like the idea one bit, but that could be because he hasn't been eating right since he got married as in his opinion poor Mrs Hughes can barely make coffee!

A nice little storyline between Ms Pattmore and Mr Mason is being ruined by jealous little Daisy! Has she had a personality transplant or is she just more annoying this season? Have a little idea that Mr Mason and Ms Pattmore will end up in her new house complete with phone and maybe Daisy and Andy will end up on the farm. I am feeling very sorry for Barrow never thought I would say that but he is been driven out of Downton as they are cutting staff and he seems to be the only one to go!! He is trying to be nice keeping Andy's secret and teaching him to read, but of course the staff have got the wrong idea. The last scene of him crying heartbroken was so sad!

The big scene of the night was of course Mary and Henry Talbot kissing in a rain storm!! Still not feeling these two and I hope Mary's delay in telling him how she feels is because she knows deep down he is not the man for her. He is lovely, charming, and "a great catch" but after Matthew I think she needs more than that (Tom)! 

Favourite quotes this week:

“Next thing we know there’ll be a guillotine in Trafalgar Square”

~ Mr Carson over reaction about Downton being open to the public

“We certainly talked about what it’s like to cook dinner for you.”

~Mrs Hughes to Mr Carson 

"Mary in the bath?"

~Robert asking Carson what the public expect to see in Downton

The Walking Dead is really keeping up the pace as episode three of season six was another action packed episode! This episode picked up with Rick, Glen, Michonne and the gang continuing there quest to get the herd of walkers away from Alexandrina. When they hear the horn blowing they decide to split into groups Rick decides to run ahead and see if he can help the community, with Michonne helping the rest of the hapless Alexandrians to get home without being eating by walkers! Rick's last words to Michonne echo through out the episode that not everyone will make it home. Most of the Alexandrians are not equipped for the world outside the walls of Alexandria and drop like flies! Just two out of Michonne's gang make it back which is saying something!
Daryl, Sasha and Abe are still leading most of the herd away. When Daryl has a change of heart and wants to go back to Alexandria to see if he can help. This was a pointless storyline scenes of Daryl on his motorbike driving fast to the community only to hear Rick in trouble over his walkie talkie which makes Daryl turn around and head back to Sasha and Abe was completely pointless in my opinion!
Rick does get into trouble when the RV breaks down and some of the Wolf's attack it. Rick manages to kill them but the nose draws out the walkers and soon he is on the roof of the RV completely surrounded by a herd of walkers
Glen and Nicholas try to set a fire to cause a decoy to draw the walkers away from the community. Things don't go to plan Nicholas seems to be going through post trauma stress and has been fading in and out of reality through out the episode. When the two are surrounded by walkers and run out of bullets they climb up on to a dumpster. Nicholas thanks Glen for saving him in the past season and then shockingly shoots himself in the head. Glen in shock loses his balance and falls off the dumpster with Nicholas into the herd of walkers.
There are already theories all over the Internet that Glen is not really dead, that he could escape somehow. Whatever the outcome I though this was an amazing episode and up there with my top ten episodes of the walking dead.
Next week is a 90 minute flashback episode about Morgan so we will not know for sure if Glen has gone to Walking Dead heaven until a few weeks!

Do you like any of these shows? Do you think Glen is now a walker?

Our The Weekend #2

Our weekend was filled with sport, TV and food!

 After a LONG week in work I was so looking forward

to this nice glass of wine while watching Star Wars on Friday night!

Paul and Oisín went off to visit friends on Saturday

so I listened to 80's music while doing the house work!

 We had a yummy Sunday lunch in my parents

my Mam makes a fab Sunday dinner 

 Father and Son watching the All Ireland GAA final

 Then it was home Oisín was bathed, candles where lit, heating on

and prosecco poured ready for Downton Abbey

It's back and bitter sweet what I am going to do

when this is over?

Our Favourite Autumn TV Shows

I love Autumn TV (I love Autumn in general!)
but I just love all the great TV shows that start back in the
Autumn time. I love after a long day lighting candles
with a glass of wine, cup of tea or hot chocolate
drawing the curtains putting the fairy lights on and
settling down to my favourite shows

Downton Abbey

I have made no secret about loving Downton Abbey
and have wrote about it a few times on this blog
I am so looking forward to this starting again on Sunday
especially as now the hubby really like it too,
but it will be bitter sweet as this is the last ever series
Will Mary find love? Will Carson and Hughes marry? Will poor Edith ever get a break? Will Anna and Bates have a child? Will Downton close it's doors for good? We will find out over the next couple of weeks!

The Walking Dead

From gentle costume drama to zombies!
I didn't start watching this show till last year when Paul
finally persuaded me to watch it. I binged on the first four series
and couldn't wait for series five, but to be honest I was disappointed
with series five while there was a few amazing episodes the season felt rushed
with a lots of filler episodes. I am hoping this season will be better with the
return of fan favourite Morgan, plus anything with Norman Reedus in it is a bonus!

Vikings

Vikings we got into this over the summer while some channels
were airing re-runs. It took me a while to get into it we are just finished season two and now Irish channel RTE is airing season three before season four starts on History in the Spring
It's all filmed in Ireland with a mix for European and American actors. The show is about Viking Ragnar Lothbrok who is frustrated by the policies of his local chieftain who sends his Viking raiders east to the Baltic states but Ragnar wants to head west to the rich Britain. I am really enjoying this show and the acting is really good too!

The Great British Bake Off

I love this show I haven't done much baking this year
as I am following Slimming World diet but I still like to drool over the cakes
and Paul Hollywood!!

Gotham

Another show that Paul got me watching and I was hooked after an
episode or two! This is a retelling of the Batman story with the show starting off when Bruce Wayne's parents are killed. The first half of the first season was more of a cop show with the focus on cop team Jim Gordan and Harvey Bullock solving the crime problem in Gotham. I felt like the story shifted in the second half of the season with us seeing more of the origins of the Batman villains, like Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler and The Penguin

Gogglebox

We love this show and have been watching since the first season
It's so much fun and we do laugh so much at each episode
On paper it sounds stupid watching people watch telly but it's so much more than that
and we have got to know the varies families The Tapper family, The Michael family and The Malones our favourites are The Moffatt especially Scarlet she is so funny, Leon and June, Chris and Stephen, and Steph and Dom

The Flash

Another comic show you can tell my hubby is a bit of a geek but that's okay cause it's cool now!
I like this not as much as Gotham but Paul loves it! This season was about Barry Allen who's mother was killed aged 11 and his Father was blamed and sent to prison. Now Barry works in the crime lab but a freak accident makes him The Flash which gives him the power of super speed he uses his power to fight crime! It's a good show but a little cheesy at times!

So these are the shows we are looking forward to returning after the summer break but there are also some new shows I am looking forward to watching this Autumn/Winter like The Muppets it will bring me straight back to my childhood! ITV's remake of Jekyll and Hyde and Scream Queens
What will you be watching over the Autumn or Winter?