Up All Hours Launch
What’s the time Mr Wolf?
On monday evening I tried to set the alarm clock on my phone.
I genuinely did not know how to do it! This was not because I am a technophobe (well, maybe I am a bit), its because we haven’t had to use it for over 5 and a half years, (the half is important). This is the first time I have had to use one since the birth of our eldest daughter. Since August 2008 our alarm clock has been a baby’s cry or a small child’s poking finger.
I needed to be up early as I was off to London for the launch of a brand spanking new online community called Up All Hours: A modern, interactive parenting website and global support community that stays awake when you do. “It’s good to know you’re not alone!” is the Up All Hours strap line – it certainly rings true to me, given the nocturnal existence I have experienced with our 3 tots.
I know some people hate the busy commuter zip wire that is the 7am Leeds to London train, but I have to admit the 2 hours solo journey was a luxury. Being able to dip into the newspaper, emails or what ever social media took my fancy without the children’s intervention was a tonic. Usually by 9am William has already asked about 150 questions, I tell a lie, he has asked about 5 questions, and repeated them 30 times.
Fast forward and I arrived at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Piccadilly to a warm welcome from Sam, the CEO of Up All Hours, where she introduced me to several parent bloggers. The venue was a hive of activity with many people including media and several familiar famous faces too – I was shaking like a leaf when I met the lovely Ben Shephard, presenter of Good Morning Britain and yes he picked up on it – quite the cool cucumber aren’t I?
Sam’s inspiration for creating Up All Hours was conceived whilst being wide awake in the night with her young son. She tweeted a picture and got an instant response and realised that she was not going through this enforced insomnia alone. Up All Hours is an online community support resource where parents can interact with others in the same situation.
We were fortunate enough to be given a sneaky peak at Jamie Oliver doing the ‘Nappy Change Challenge’. Well worth a watch.
As Jamie Oliver was present I took the opportunity to chat to him about the issues mainstream restaurants face in trying to cater for clients with Coeliac Disease (and food allergies as well). Dining out is often with friends or family and so for every 1 Coeliac dining out they are potentially bringing many more customers with them – maybe not such a small market after all?
What ever time works for you, make sure you check out http://www.upallhours.com/
Never a truer word said. Time for me to catch 40 winks.