A couple of years ago, I went to the launch of Emma Kennedy's first book; How To Bring Up Your Parents. I had a great time and got drunk with the stars of stage and screen. Emma was absolutely lovely and the book was very funny. I’m not sure who suggested we read this book for our book group meeting but I shall be eternally grateful and I’m very glad they suggested it! Because I can’t recall crying this hard in a long time and I believe that laughing until you cry can be a cathartic experience. Of course the downside of crying whilst reading is that is that one’s eyes fill with tears and blur one’s vision.

can’treallyrememberbutIput“Areyoulivingthroughyourscreens?”andtalkedabouthowfalseadvertisementscanleadtospendingmoreonfarawayholidays.Foragainstiputthatsomearelivingthroughtheirscreensbyjustwatchingtheseplacesonatravelshowwhenyoucangooutandseethemforlifeexperience

Rain!'hesaid,wipingthewetfromhiseyebrow.'Let'sgetthetableandchairsinsidebeforeitreallycomesdown.Emma,yougetthecupsandplates.Andbecareful,Brenda.Don'tupendthetomatoes.Allthetunawillfallout.' Emma Kennedy's hilarious memoir of wet and windy family trips, NOW ADAPTED FOR THE MAJOR BBC ONE SERIES THE KENNEDYS. It's rare that I laugh out loud whilst reading but the first family holiday had me in stitches. I'm astonished that they tried again - but they did. And I'm glad. If they hadn't this would be a much shorter book. If you've ever been camping, or had holiday disasters, read this. You'll know exactly where she's coming from! She writes with a real flair for comedy and I finished it in a couple of days as I just couldn't put it down for very long. I spent the majority of this book laughing, but there was also some cringing, and even a little retching.

Most grown-ups are never happier than when they have someone to look down on, and the Cooper Island Farsiders couldn't have been more delighted that they had the Cooper Lowsiders to despise. As long as the Farsiders had their immediate neighbors to oppress, they were saved the exacting inconvenience of recognizing their own shortcomings.” Whenourtramperscome,lateintheafternoon,tothebankofalovelylakewheretheypurposetoentertheprimitivelife,everythingiswaitingfortheminvirginexpectation.Thereisalittlepromontoryjuttingintothelake,andslopingdowntoasandybeach,onwhichthewatersidlylapse,andshoalsofred-finsandshinerscometogreetthestranger;theforestisuntouchedbytheaxe;thetendergreensweepsthewater'sedge;ranksofslenderfirsaremarshaledbytheshore;clumpsofwhite-birchstemsshineinsatinpurityamongtheevergreens;thebolesofgiantspruces,maples,andoaks,liftinghightheircrownsoffoliage,stretchawayinendlessgalleriesandarcades;throughtheshiftingleavesthesunshinefallsuponthebrownearth;overheadarefragmentsofbluesky;undertheboughsandinchanceopeningsappearthebluerlakeandtheoutlineofthegraciousmountains.Thediscoverersofthisparadise,whichtheyhaveenteredtodestroy,notethebabblingofthebrookthatflowscloseathand;theyhearthesplashoftheleapingfish;theylistentothesweet,metallicsongoftheeveningthrush,andthechatteroftheredsquirrel,whoangrilychallengestheirrighttobethere.Butthemomentofsentimentpasses.Thispartyhascomeheretoeatandtosleep,andnottoencourageNatureinherpoeticattitudinizing. The tone of this story is brilliant and I can promise very accurate. I HATE, LOATHE and DETEST Camping. I loved every minute of this book, it eked out the last drops of Summer for me (I realise I'm in denial there!). There were many times reading this book, where I irritated my husband by actually guffawing! I just loved this book. It was set in my era, and my mum is not that different to Brenda, so I could totally 'get' that.

Retailers:

StudentConsensushaslongseensleepingasunnecessaryandfrivolous,somethinghealthprofessionalsmeaninglesslyrambleonabout.Thisseemssomewhatunfaironboththehardworkingmedicalsectorandourownwell-being.Farfrommeaningless,sleepoffersasolution:itrejuvenatesourbodiesfromthemercilesspressureteachersexertuponus.Sleephasthepowertoenergiseandprepareusforourupcomingexams-sowhyarewedesperatelytryingtostayawake? Thismessageisvitalforallofusstudying,typing,readingandscrollingonourphonesallnight:letsallmakesurethattonight,andinthenightstocomewerestourinuredbodies.

This is an hilarious book written by Emma Kennedy about her and her parents calamitous camping holidays in the UK and France. This book reminded me of family holidays where everything that could go wrong did. They are terrible at the time but funny when you are safely home. For Emma Kennedy, and her mum and dad, disaster always came along for the ride no matter where they went. Whether it was swept away by a force ten gale on the Welsh coast or suffering copious amounts of food poisoning on a brave trip to the south of France, family holidays always iknowforafactthegradeboundariesaregonnabesolowthisyearforEnglishlanguagebeforeyouaskmewhy,thinkwhy.Andmovetothemhewill,thenextseason,ifnotthis.Forhewhohasonceexperiencedthefascinationofthewoods-lifeneverescapesitsenticement:inthememorynothingremainsbutitscharm. As an actress Emma has appeared in many award-winning comedies including Goodness Gracious Me, People Like Us and Miranda. Emma won Celebrity Masterchef in 2012 and is a Guinness World Record holder. It is not often I feel that I am so in tune with an author. However on this occasion her descriptions of travelling to Wales ring loud alarm bells in my head, for I too am a girl from the valleys born behind the gasworks, well no not literally, but in my grandmother’s house in Caerphilly, complete with outside carsy and coal bunker the size of a small shed. I feel I’m almost part of Emma’s film set or rather that she was part of mine, really quite scary on so many levels. Hadmymotherlearntnothing?Holidayswerenotwhatyoumadethem.Holidayswereinthehandsofmalevolentforceshell-bentonwreakingchaosateveryturn.Holidayswereassaultcoursesofthemindandbody,endurancetestsdesignedtobreakspiritsandshatterspleens.InmynineyearsontheplanetIhadlearntonething:goingonholidaywasawful.Itwasasmallcrumbofcomforttomethatmyfatherwasnowcomingroundtomywayofthinkingandaswesat,chuggingalongdownthenowfamiliarpoplar-linedroads,sunflowersinthefieldsoneithersideofus,Ithought,'Yes,itISnicetolookat.Butinthesamewaycheeselooksniceinamousetrap.'