Bury Family Life Magazine....

When a local blogger and her partner ask if you'd like to review their magazine Bury Family Life, and then invite you to a party and ply you with alcohol and food, how can you refuse?
I clearly did the right thing too, as when Heather from Note From Lapland came round with some copies of her magazine, she also brought chocolate.

In order to raise the cultural profile of my blog I've interspersed some things that also come from Bury.

Danny Boyle, that bloke who directed Slumdog Millionaire and the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

If (like me) you live in an area where you didn't grow up, you try to learn what's going on through osmosis, but you never pick up all the insider knowledge that comes from being a native. You don't know where the soft play is, which park has ducks or when the next insanely ridiculous local event is going to take place.

Bury Family Life Magazine has all of that - and loads more answers to questions your children didn't even think of yet

The Black Pudding ~ they even have Black Pudding Throwing Championships and veggie pudding, which is lovely

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Bury Family Life is free of charge and available to anyone online. It is also a paper magazine given out to people within the Bury area of Greater Manchester.
It's more than just a local magazine though, that's less than half of it. Alongside the money off vouchers for local attractions and 'What's On' are loads of general articles and features. They are all really relevant to most parents, like 'How to take better photographs' and 'Why your child should learn to swim'.

Elbow ~ just a coincidence they had the theme song of the Olympics? I think not.

The magazine has regular features such as a 'We love....' which in the latest edition is 'Father's Day', and showcases loads of great present ideas. There are 'Bury Mum' and 'The Dad Diaries' parent columns which are very light and humorous.

The RSPCA shop and a signwriter who must have known what they were doing

The magazine also features competitions, with current prizes including a Bowling party for 10 children (2 winners) and a really cute Kids Baking Set.

Robert Peel ~ the inventor of the modern Police Force and the nickname 'Bobbies'

I actually already picked up and read this magazine before I knew it had anything to do with a local blogger. I entered the competitions online and read the articles. I scoured the 'What's On?' for something to do with my kids cheaply and I laughed at the stories of life with children and the sods law that prevails.

I really like it....but don't tell her I said so or she might stop trying to bribe me with chocolate....

The gorgeous Victoria Wood

I received a bar of Cadburys Bubbly Chocolate in return for this review (unless they dropped it in the envelope just because they like me, or it fell in by mistake).