Giving it away...

We're good at giving things away here. I've never sold a thing on eBay; I've given away so many copies of my book I'll never get to buy that yacht, and my one experience of car-booting will definitely be my last. Sally's had a sort out recently and - as soon as my weight-training programme takes effect - I'll be hauling these sacks of her old toys to the charity shop.

I think she's making room for Christmas!

Anyway, you didn't come here today to read this prattle did you? No. You came to see who'd won a hot date with Stewart Copeland('s book) and bagged the little people's gardening kit. Well, I won't disappoint you. In true time-honoured fashion, the lucky winners were drawn at random from a Tombliboo truck and then stuck to Charlie's t-shirt.

And the winners are (in case you can't see properly - Charlie stuck it upside down)...

GoonerJamie (Strange Things Happen)

and

Catharine Withenay (gardening kit)

It might not be the £90 million Euro-lottery, but hey - congratulations anyway!

I'm going to call a halt to giveaways for a while. (I've nothing left!) But before I do, a plug (and a giveaway) of Marsha Moore's new book 24 Hours: London, the book that lists what you can do in London hour-by-hour and day and night.

But who would want a guide to the capital that tells you what you can do at five in the morning?

That's right, folks - EVERYONE with young kids! I've been that parent, wandering the streets at first light with a pushchair in order to give the other half a bit of sleep. If only I'd known that Bar Italia was open, or that Smithfield Market's buzzing from 4a.m., that all the park gates are unlocked at six, or that the Woolwich Ferry's plying back and forth from seven every morning. The book is packed with things to do in London. And there really is something for everyone, at all hours of the day and night. I thought New York was the city that never sleeps. Well, Marsha Moore has proved that London's right up there with the Big Apple. And... she has very kindly donated a signed copy of '24 Hours: London' to readers of this blog. All you have to do is leave a comment, saying what you're favourite London destination is before midnight on Thursday, after which one lucky entry will be drawn at random. Only, I think I'll do that job myself this time!

Food for thought

'So they don't come from Brussels then?'

Er, no.

'And that's the way they grow?'

Correct!

'See, I told you they don't come in a bag like frozen peas!'

You had to be there I suppose, in the queue at Boston market. And and in the immortal words of Mr Tom Jones, such things are not unusual.

'We get that all the time,' the woman on the veg stall told me. 'People even take photos of 'em sometimes...'

Really?

Yes, folks. Really. So just to be clear: this is where brussel sprouts come from. Not Iceland. Not Brussels. Boston market.

And while we're on the subject, meat doesn't come from the supermarket, and milk isn't made in milk factories. I haven't always been this food savvy, but living in the middle of the country's main veg producing area, you can't help picking up a few choice facts.

Apparently such knowledge isn't universal, which is just one reason why The Potato Story is touring schools and educating kids about food provenance. In the wake of recent e-coli outbreak, trips to farm parks have declined dramatically. Some children grow up without knowing anything about where their food is coming from. A survey by McCain discovered 1 in 10 children between the ages seven and eleven think that chickens lay potatoes, and 1 in 5 have no idea that chips come from the humble spud. As someone whose motto has always been that ignorance is seldom bliss, I'm more than a little worried. Because not knowing about the stuff you eat stacks the odds in favour of the manufacturer. And - much as I'd like to believe otherwise - most of the time its their balance sheet that's uppermost in their mind, and not your health.

It's worth checking the ingredients on those packets, sourcing that supply of eggs and meat. And while you're at it, iPod and iPhone users can niftily compare the salt and sodium content of their food with the new FSA Salt Application. Crunch the numbers and it tells you whether what you're eating is ok for everyday consumption or should - at best - be something like a rare treat. Shake it, and it gives a range of handy tips about cutting down your salt intake, substituting healthier alternatives without sacrificing flavour. It's simple to use and can be age specific, making it handy to have while family shopping in the supermarket.

Ultimately, I suppose the best way to teach kids about food and healthy eating is to get them to get their hands dirty. And - thanks to The Potato Story - I've got a lovely little gardening kit to give away. It's the perfect thing for getting little fingers green (or worse). All you've got to do is leave a comment between now and Tuesday. It's that easy. What do you do to keep your family food savvy?

And you know what grows from little acorns, don't you?

Yes, you've got it - Brussel Sprouts!

Police! Camera! Action!

Whoever said that drummers are a breed apart was dead right. If the all-action percussion maestro of the eighties rock band 'The Police' is typical of the breed then they play polo, write film scores, meet pygmies, make movies, and - of course - play damn fine drums.

Describing himself as 'the nervous twitch from hell', as a child Stewart Copeland channelled his energy and musical ability into drumming. Drummers are often musical mavericks, but Copeland's innovative style was grounded in a solid musical education. The opening chords of 'Does Everyone Stare' (one of Stewart's songs from his 'Police' days) were even written as a homework assignment at music school in San Diego.

All this and more comes courtesy of Stewart's autobiography, Strange Things Happen. And they do. Frequently. There's a childhood spent scaling the walls of ruined castles in the middle-east, there's the CIA (hush hush - why do you think the band was called 'Police'?) there's Major Ronald Ferguson and 'Planet Sumner' (Sting) to name a few. And you can read about them all, because Stewart (we go back a long way) has very kindly agreed to donate a copy of the book to one lucky reader of Bringing up Charlie! All you have to do is leave a comment below. Random-factor (Charlie) will then take over, and I'll announce the winner shortly. You've got until midnight on Saturday to enter. In the meantime, Stew (we're like *that* y'know) has kindly agreed to give a short interview. So...

Knowing me, The Dotterel, knowing you Stewart Copeland, ex-drummer of eighties rock band The Police... A-HA!

(Only joking)

Stewart was in the UK a few weeks ago, having written the music for the live 'Ben Hur' epic at the O2 Arena. I asked him what attracted him to it...

Why Ben Hur?  What, are you nuts? I have been blazing away at orchestral pieces for decades now while earning a living otherwise.  I don’t know why big Mac [Sir Paul McCartney] didn’t get the bug. 

Next, I wanted to know who Stewart's drumming heroes or inspirations are. I also asked him about his latest work - a percussion concerto...

Well now that’s tricky because I have several favorite percussion ensembles, but my next percussion concerto will be premiered by D’Drum and the Dallas Symphony. They’ve got the gamelan bells.

And finally, I had to ask about him about 'Planet Sumner' didn't I? The spats between Sting and Stewart Copeland have become the stuff of rock legend.

Me: I guess someone like Sting might cast a fairly long musical shadow. Do you feel your song-writing was limited during your time in 'The Police'? Is life 'outside the force' better, or will the recent reunion be the start of a longer sentence?

Stewart: Yes, Sting did set the bar impossibly high but inspiration springs eternal. I learned a lot from Sting and we learned a lot together but I do have more fun with my music when he’s not around. I’m out on parole for good behavior right now and have no desire to serve any more of my sentence.


So there you have it. Strange Things Happen. And none much stranger than me getting to interview one of my all-time childhood heroes. Thanks, Stewart. The book, written in the present tense, has all the immediacy and impact of Stewart's drumming... and every word was written by the man himself!

Want to read more? It's easy. All you have to do is change a nappy!