J is for Jigsaws

J is for Jigsaws!

Hey Everyone and welcome back to our A to Z countdown of The Hocks! 

This week we restart this series after our holidays with the letter J, Which we have decided is for Jigsaws!

As regular readers to our blog may know, Colin co-owns a jigsaw shop in Southport.

Jigsaws are becoming really popular again as a way of getting children off computers and trying to reignite the old "Family Time" tradition.

+Mind Games  opened in July 2012 in Southport Indoor Market but after 3 years they moved out of the market and into their own shop in Hill Street in Southport Town Centre.

Mind Games Stock only the best quality jigsaws as they see nothing more annoying than a cheap jigsaw where the pieces are paper thin and don't click together. Their suppliers include Gibson Games, Ravensburger and the House of Puzzles

They have also just launched their website where you can buy their selection of Children's stock from. you can then decide whether to pick up at their shop for free of charge or pay for delivery to your door.

www.mindgamessouthport.co.uk

For more information about Mind Games Southport please do any or all of the following!

Like them on Facebook - www.facebook.com/MindGamesSouthport 

Follow them on Twitter - www.twitter.com/MindGamesSPort

Visit their Website - www.mindgamessouthport.co.uk

Visit their Blog - www.mindgamessouthport.blogspot.com

Ring them - (01704) 536200

Visit Them - 2 Hill Street, Southport, PR9 0PF

Mind Games Southport

Hey Everybody, Colin here and welcome to this special post all about the business I co-own with Chris

As any regular readers to our blog will be aware i co-own +Mind Games Southport with a family friend, Christopher Millward.

Mind Games Southport was set up as a business after we were both made redundant from our job in a book shop in Southport. It opened in +Southport Market Hall on Monday 2nd July 2012.

In March we were informed by the powers that be at Sefton Council, who now run Southport Market after a short spell of it being run by Quarterbridge Project Management that at the end of our lease we would have to leave the Market. We were stunned by this as we paid our rent on time and in full every single week and the market management never received a single complaint about us. When asked for a reason they simply said they didn't see Jigsaws as "Commercially Viable" anymore.

Despite contacting the press and lots of complaints from our regular customers the market management stood firm and we vacated our unit in the market on Saturday 30th May 2015

Since the news was delivered to us by Market Management that they were standing firm and we would definitely be leaving we have been in negotiations with several different landlords about opening at a new premises.

We are very pleased to announce that +Mind Games Southport will be re-opening on Monday 15th June at Number 2a Somerset Buildings on Hill Street in Southport Town Centre

We are also very pleased to say that our brand new website is now live and you will be able to buy all of our products off it, This will be a staged process and at the moment only our Name Trains are on their but please give it a visit and let us know what you think - Maybe buy yourself some beautiful letters or numbers and either choose free collection art our new shop or pay for delivery

The website address is www.mindgamessouthport.co.uk

To Keep fully up to date with the new shop and the new ranges and products, like us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/MindGamesSouthport , Follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/MindGamesSPort , email us on mindgamessouthport@hotmail.co.uk or follow our Google Plus page - +Mind Games. You can also ring 07527532645 and ask for Chris or Colin

Keep an eye out on the Mind Games page on our blog too by clicking the tab above that says "Mind Games Southport" Where once we are up and running we will update it with more pictures!

We hope to see you soon in our new location, and we hope to be sending you some products from our website soon too!

 

Top Of The Hocks- Friday 5th June 2015!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to this Friday's Top Of The Hocks post! Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, just search for Life With The Hocks! We do love hearing from you all!

Now lets see what is Top Of The Hocks this week!

1) Website Of The Week

This week we are going for www.mindgamessouthport.co.uk

Mind Games Southport is the business that Colin co owns with his friend Chris. They specialise in selling jigsaws, puzzles, games and pocket money toys. The business started in Southport Market but they are due to open a shop in Southport within the next few weeks so do keep a look out for updates on here!

2) TV Show Of The Week

This week our TV Show Of The Week is going to be Phoenix Nights! Phoenix Nights is a comedy show all about The Phoenix Club in Bolton. It stars Peter Kay, Dave Spikey and Paddy McGuinness. If you have never seen it, do give it a watch, it's hilarious!

3) Joke Of The Week

The person who invented knock knock jokes deserves a no-bell prize!

4) Song Of The Week

This week we are going for the 80s classic " Waiting For a Star To Fall" by Boy Meets Girl. It was on Peter Kays Car Share a few weeks ago and we had forgotten how good it is!

5) Quote Of The Week

6) Video Of The Week

This week we have gone for Ask PetesJams by PetesJams. We loves Petes YouTube channel, he always makes us laugh!

7) Picture Of The Week


This week we have been planning and getting super excited about our trip to Center Parcs Whinfell Forest in 6 weeks so we thought we would share this picture of Rosie horse riding when we visited there for Winter Wonderland!





8) Movie Of The Week


This weeks Movie Of The Week is Cast Away. It stars Tom Hanks who's character finds himself alone on a desert island after his plane crashes into the sea. The movie is all about how he survives alone on the island alone with nothing but a football that he names "Wilson" for company. The movie is very very well made and Tom Hanks acts fantastically in it as always. It's well worth a watch!

9) Shop Of The Week

This week our Shop Of The Week is Matalan! They do lovely clothes and homeware for great prices, what more can we say!

10) Restaurant Of The Week

This week we are going for Hungry Horse. Hungry Horse have lots of restaurants around the country that do HUGE portions of Classic British Pub Food for super affordable prices!

So there we have it, that is what is top in the world of The Hocks this week!

Look out from a special post from Colin on Sunday!

Much Love,

The Hocks

xx

Hocks A to Z - C is for Colin!

C is for Colin!

Hey Everyone, Welcome to this weeks Hocks A to Z post Where we are up to the 3rd letter of the Alphabet, C, and it is going to be C for Colin. 

Colin was Born in Ormskirk General Hospital on the 30th June 1984.

He is a massive +Liverpool FC fan and loves watching the majority of sports

He is a proud uncle to Rosie

Colin Co-Owns +Mind Games Southport. 

Mind Games started in July 2012 and was a stall in +Southport Market Hall 

However, Only 2 days ago (Saturday 30th May) Mind Games Southport closed its market stall in preparation to open an actual shop. Final details are still being finalised on this but it looks like Colin's Co Owned business is moving up to Bigger and Better things! Be sure to keep your eye on their Facebook page or their Twitter  Page for the most up to date information on their relocation.

Here are some Pictures of Colin

So that was C for Colin 

Look out on Wednesday for a Hocks Holidays posts with a huge difference!

See you then! 

The Weekend Review - Sunday 1st February 2015

 

Welcome to this weekends review of our week.

 

The week has been quite a routine one for  the Hocks, Rosie has been in school every morning and everybody else has been busy working. Aren't we an interesting lot!!!!

 

Don't forget that Colin's Market Stall, Mind Games Southport has its own blog now too, just visit www.mindgamessouthport.blogspot.com where the latest post is all about the history of one of their main suppliers, Gibson Games!

 

At the beginning of the week however we did launch our new Facebook Page for the Hocks! Any Likes are appreciated, just pop over to the page and click the like button by clicking the picture below!

 

 

Allan and Anna still haven't got their new car yet, but hope to pick it up on Saturday (7th Feb) before they go away for  a couple of nights (As mentioned in this weeks Getting to Know the Hocks - Allan Wilcock Post)

 

Rosie attended her first session of a sports class after school earlier in the week and seemed to enjoy it. the class is run privately by A Star Sports. On Thursday evening she was lucky enough to receive a collection of Shrek Toys that Anna had found on EBay and used some of Rosie's Christmas money to buy. She was made up with them!

 

 

 

Yesterday (Sat 31st Jan) Tommy, Michelle and Colin visited Allan, Anna and Rosie in Wrexham for a few hours. We went into the town centre to sort our Rosie's passport photographs and we have to say the staff in Max Spielman were great at getting the correct photo. After a few attempts we got these pictures and headed for BHS for dinner! Apart from Rosie and Tommy we all had Jacket Potatoes and they were yum! Tommy had Fish and Chips and said it was delicious! Rosie also got her first ever Library card and inevitably loaned out some Peppa Pig Books!

 

After Dinner and a quick visit to the entertainer we all headed back to Allan & Anna's for some relaxation time. Allan & Anna have been trying to improve Rosie's concentration levels and with this in mind Colin lay down with Rosie and they read her two books from the library

 

 

After the reading, Rosie then decided to dress Grandad Tommy up, and we think this is the perfect way to finish this weeks Review, So let us introduce you to,

Tommy "Woody" Wilcock!

 

Don't Forget, Tomorrow will see Anna deliver us her Simple Slimming Supper as well as some great news regarding their Weight Loss and on Wednesday we will see the latest in the "Getting to Know the Hocks" Series. So keep tuned to the Hocks Blog!