The best Laid Plans...

Yvonne Hannan

I considered myself lucky to have been able to be a stay-at-home mum to my three young children. However, it meant that painting and decorating and minor repairs were down to me too. Undaunted, I would 'plan' projects. If my mum or sister, Liz, visited for a few days, one of them would do the cooking and look after the children while I embarked on a maintenance task. By the way, I do have a loyal husband but one who is 'blind' to shabby walls, broken furniture and an untidy garden. He said quite firmly from the outset, that, 'If you wanted a handyman, you should have married one!'

I acquiesced.

And so, on one ordinary week-day morning some nineteen years ago, a plan for the day firmly in my head, I drove to school, dropped off the two older children, and on my return, sat the youngest down with a wee paint brush and some paper for painting a picture. He could watch Liz and I transfer the contents of the dining area into the open plan lounge so that the walls could have a much needed freshen up with some emulsion paint: cream of course. It goes with everything.

Now, when we bought our house, there was a very modern range of shelving called Ladderax. To ensure stability, the shelving units had only one leg! This was so that the shelves could be leant against the wall, thus eliminating any problem with uneven floors. However, tackling painting the walls behind them is a nightmare as they cannot be pulled out and stood in the middle of the room! Carefully we manoeuvred them and laid them on the floor. I ran a fine piece of sandpaper over the walls, hoovered up the dust and began emulsioning. Just then the telephone rang. It was 11.30am.

'Hello, this is Linda, one of the researchers from the BBC. I'm pleased to inform you that your son has won a prize in the latest Blue Peter competition.' My brain was working overtime.

'He will have the opportunity to ask the first British astronaut, Helen Sharman, his question while she speaks to Blue Peter viewers from Space. The programme will be broadcast live on Friday.' I tried desperately to focus. I remembered young Tom entering the competition; what question had he wanted to pose? The voice continued and I was struggling to take in all the details. 'Hold on!' I managed to halt the flow momentarily and grab a pen and scrap of paper.

I gasped as I put down the phone. Linda would phone back in a few minutes. She was arranging for a local photographer to visit the house after school to take Tom's photograph and wire it to the BBC. I was to find suitable objects to illustrate Tom's interest in space! I tried to keep calm. Liz and I scoured Tom's room. There was a huge poster illustrating the solar system on the ceiling, a plastic model of the space shuttle on the windowsill and a telescope. No problem there then.

I hurried back downstairs. I could not leave the paint open any longer! Thank you to whoever invented the paint roller!

The 'phone again. A photographer would be with us at 4.00pm. In addition, Linda had sent out by first class post details of Tom's prize and airline tickets! He was to spend a day and night in London. There would be a half day visit to the Blue Peter studio, hosted by one of the presenters, a visit to the Science museum to see the first space shuttle and a tour of the sights of London. Could we travel down on Sunday evening? Help! It was Wednesday today!

Oh no! The 'phone again! The photographer would be bringing along a reporter from the local paper. Would I be willing to answer a few questions about Tom and his interest in Space?

By now, I could see my plan for the day would have to be jettisoned! I threw the paint tray into the sink, washed my hands and decided that my little boy's lunch would have to come first and anyway, doing something routine would help calm me down. Why does everything happen at once?

Where was there space for the prize winner to be photographed? The sitting room was choc a block with the contents of the dining area, there was newspaper protecting the floor, masking tape around the doors and windows - and it was pouring rain, so nothing could be done outdoors.

Finally, we managed to clear some space, pin the poster on the wall and set up a small table with Tom's telescope and model of the space shuttle on it.

The photographer duly arrived.

Heavens, just how much photographic equipment is needed to take a picture of one small boy standing beside a telescope?

Clearly, there was not enough space for a large tripod, a huge white 'umbrella' plus cables!

Once again, I heaved some furniture about until the photographer was satisfied. Tom arrived - looking completely stunned and struggling to take in everything that was going on. I insisted on taking him into the kitchen for a few minutes to calm him down before his 'interview.'

Moments later, Tom explained why he was interested in space, why he wanted to speak to Helen Sharman and why he felt the question he wanted to ask would be of interest to other children. 'What is the most difficult everyday task you have to perform in space?' His answers were far better than any I could have provided and he posed perfectly for the camera.

4.45pm. The visitors had just left. We crowded into the study and flopped down on the old settee. Nobody (not even the children) spoke for several moments. We were all exhausted, the house was in chaos and the decorating abandoned.

Three years later, the lounge and dining room were in turmoil again - but a professional decorator was wielding the paintbrush!