General Chat

I have just read that Tony Blair and wife are charging Parents of children who are invited to Son Leo's birthday party £10.00 toward the coach to take them to the venue.

I have never been asked to contribute to any party my Children went to when they were young or expected any one to pay to come to theirs.

Maybe this is a new trend :-D

Teresa

Maybe it is because they are sulking because they have lost some of their police protection, leaving them with (I believe) only 2 police protection officers at their house instead of the original six. All paid for by us.

If my kids had a party at home we had lots of friends round. If they wanted to go out somewhere we took less as we couldn't afford it otherwise. Maybe the Blairs should not of invited so many !

Anyone would think that a couple with a speculated combined wealth of over £60m would be able to afford a coach.

But as you say Cooper, times are hard.

Asking guests to pay is just rude :-( but would you be the parent (of a guest) who said no?

The Blairs aside, I remember when guests brought a small gift for the birthday child and went home with a piece of cake wrapped in a paper serviette. Who turned kids parties into money spinners? Goody bags my @rsk :-(

I read that yesterday. Didnt realise how well off they were

Stingy B's,they should be ashamed of themselves.

Marion

An interesting article regarding "Why has everything become a costly milestone event?" from birthdays to end of school proms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13809134

I'm not a great fan of birthday parties which expect goodie bags and expensive presents..LOL "we didn't have them in my young day" ;-) I was more than happy with jelly and ice cream <3

I'd rather give the child a card with the £10 in it and tell the Blairs to go away.

Even parents with little money don't begrudge the funds they can afford to spend on their child's celebrations. Sounds like these pair of tight fisted wotsits do begrudge the money.

When mine were small we had pool parties at our training pool with home prepared food afterwards and definitely no goody bags :-P

Lets face it they are both as tight as a Ducks Backside,And thats Watertight.**M**.

He is the one Prime Minister who, to my knowldge, has made a large fortune from being in office. There again I do not believe we should provide protection for former Prime Ministers. Trouble is that parents of young Leo's guests will pay up rather than upset their child.

The child was going to be 11. The headteacher of the school said none of the parents had expressed any objection to paying for the coach, it would save them driving there and back twice.

Gwynne

HI everyone,

I had to pop out after posting and have only just got back on line.

I think parties have got out of hand in some areas nowadays.
Thankfully my eldest is 20 today and does her own thing with her mates.
The last party she had was her 18th when they decided to pitch their tent and have a mini festival in the back garden. The Neighbours were given prior warning and had no objections thankfully.
We provided the buy one get one free Pizza and birthday cake and breakfast in the morning for those who could face it! and her mates bought the drink.

My youngest has his birthday towards the end of the school summer holidays and has never been one for parties. OH takes him and a mate to the footy( championship club) as his treat :-)

Teresa :-)

I did a party for my youngest's birthday this year and last year....

she's 8 now and the party bags were mostly sweets and balloons...with the odd pencil and rubber thrown in for good measure..square route of nowt really.

It was held at a local *play* centre..with climbing stuff and ball pits.....each child had a hot cooked meal.....worked out at £9 per child. ...was 2 hrs of pure fun for all.

She knew she could only invite a limited amount of kids...and she was fine with that........she had that instead of a big birthday gift....there was nothing particularly she wanted for her birthday except for guinea pigs which Nanny and Grandad got for her.

Didn't come cheap..but didn't cost a bomb either..but the main thing is that she had a ball and has memories galore of a really fun time. A trip to the zoo for the four of us would've cost far more !!!!!!!

I wouldn't have dreamt of charging the kids to get to her party ..HOWEVER...much as i am NOT a fan of the Blair's in any way shape or form..from the way I understand it...they couldn't have cars arriving willy nilly for security reasons hence the bus........and I'm not altogether clear that it was for the son's birthday...I got the impression it was a kind of *year 6 leaving do*(before high school) that they volunteered to have at their place......which puts a slightly different slant on it.

AND I am happy to be proved wrong on that...honestly

*wanders off thread feeling slightly murky for having stood up for the Blair's * lololol x

I've just googled...and Leo Blair was born in May...so I really think the year 6 *do* is the reality..much as it pains me lol x

Thanks Muffy,

Im not a fan of Tone and cherriee :-D

It was on aol that I saw the "news"

Ill hobble of in pain as well :-D

Teresax