Here’s a story about a family named… Babe? When my eldest was around two years old, I have memories of him standing at the bottom of the stairs and yelling ‘Babe!’ I’m not sure if he was calling for his mum or dad because we both called each other ‘babe’ and still do. You might forgive him for any confusion.
The seeds for Babes about Town were planted even earlier than this (read our origin story below). When I came up with the name for the blog, I thought it was pretty clever. Years later, I still get questionable Google searches and the occasional smirk when I introduce myself. ‘Babes about Town eh? Tell me more!’ (wink wink).
It’s a parenting blog, people! I write about grown stuff too but the essence of the blog is about family life. My family is at the heart of everything I do. Allow me to introduce…
UJU
That’s me. The voice and vision behind the blog. I’m into dancing (sometimes with a hula hoop), making lists, finding people’s gifts (in every sense), creative expression, guilty pleasure TV and a tall glass of Pimm’s. You can read more about me here.
EZRA
(launch date: 2006)
Possibly the most quotable kid on the planet. He digs football, gaming, munching egg fried rice and clowning around. He’s also a word nerd (like his mama).
He’s a teenager now but when I started this blog, he was only 4 and we had conversations like this. When Ezra turned 8, I got quite emotional and wrote him this letter.
JED
(launch date: 2009)
My teddy bear gangsta. He’s got natural born swagger. Ladies love cool Jed.
Jed used to believe cuddles could save the world (they can!) and that ketchup was a food group. He’s in secondary now (gasp!) but I’m still getting over when he started big school and left me with a half empty nest.
THE MISTER
Better known as Abiye of Big Apple Hot Dogs. His hot dogs have been celebrated by everyone from Tom Cruise to Emma Freud to David Hasselhoff.
Abiye likes beer, saucy banter, Arsenal, hanging with his boys and being the BAHD man on the grill. Time Out thinks he’s one of the 100 Best Dishes in London. Giles Coren thinks his hotdogs are the best in Britain.
I think he’s a very silly sausage.
How it all Began
I started Babes about Town back in 2010 when Ezra was almost 4 and Jed was about to turn 1.
It was an idea I’d had since Ezra was a baby. After relocating back to London 7 months pregnant, having lived in Lagos for 2 years (and previous 4 years in New York), my friends and family were all over the place. Nobody around me seemed to have a baby and I felt isolated and adrift as a new mum.
Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if there was someone who could show me where to go and what to do with a child in tow, stuff that wasn’t just fun for him but for me too?
That’s how this blog was born. Read my very first post.
Babes about Town started as a simple blog and city guide for under 5s but has grown into so much more and keeps on evolving.
I’ve always had a parent-centric approach, seeking out ways to help new mums and dads ‘recover their cool and recapture the buzz of big city life’.
The Babes LOVE…
London museums and family theatre, street parties and family festivals, cool stuff for kids and parents, street food and child friendly restaurants, baby discos and daytime raves, steam trains and forest walks, pyjama days and movie nights, dates with dads and weekend escapes.
We love sharing anything that makes family life a little easier and a lot more fun. Babes about Town has been a catalyst for our adventures and hopefully for yours too. Come and play!
