There are very few contemporary children's characters as iconic as the Gruffalo; however, ask my 5-year-old and any others, and I am certain they would also list an array of characters created by the duo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Unsurprisingly, therefore, their key characters are all celebrated in a soft play setting.

Dudley does something productive.

Visitors to Chester Zoo will be able to spend the whole day and evening at the attraction this summer, with the zoo’s popular Afterglow event included in standard daytime admission for the first time.

Dudley take a hydration break. More details about Karen (and Dudley) can be found here www.karenveramcmillan.com

The sad passing of David Hockney made me take stock of my life. As I approach 78, I realise I must fill each day with something meaningful. Ok, Hockney was what people call 'a good age', whatever that means. He was the sort of icon you imagine to be immortal, like David Attenborough and the Queen. I was surprised how many children were affected by his death.

Our visit to Tutankhamun: The Immersive Experience at the NEC was nothing short of extraordinary. My son, Calum, aged 9, has been studying Ancient Egypt at school and is absolutely fascinated by the subject, so this exhibition was already high on our list of family days out.

Fan Fest is returning to Metrocentre for a third summer, bringing iconic characters, famous movie rides and epic set displays from some of the biggest global franchises to Gateshead. Likened by previous festivalgoers to a ‘mini Comic Con’, the free family-friendly event will take place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June with Metrocentre’s malls transformed into themed fan zones.

Blackpool is celebrating Father’s Day in style this year with an exclusive one day offer giving Dads free entry to five of the resort’s most iconic attractions on Sunday 21 June. Families can treat Dad to an unforgettable day out from thrilling slides to celebrity encounters, sky high views and spine tingling scares.

It’s time to grab the bricks and start clicking! LEGOLAND® Discovery Centres Birmingham and Manchester are dialling up the excitement following World Play Day with a full month of hands-on building experiences, showing that the click of two bricks can open a world of playful, creative possibilities.

Jones Myers highly experienced family lawyer, Sarah Barr-Young, has been appointed as a board member to help drive the vision and objectives of the Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID).

A significant number of people looking after a family member or friend do not feel that their role as an unpaid carer is understood or valued by their community.

Perceptive children’s writing demands a counter-intuitive rigour: created to serve the freeform juvenile imagination, text and illustrations have to be crafted to tease sparks into lucent flames, metaphors into new and enticing forms.

The leaders of children’s cancer charity Candlelighters are applauding the success of a chemotherapy service, which they have funded, to provide chemotherapy to children at home rather than in hospital. Following a successful two-year pilot period of the service at Leeds Children’s Hospital, the service is now set to continue permanently with hospital funding.

Day 12. Met a local. Have learnt a new word. Ginger. Karen McMillan is a York-based illustrator, cartoonist, designer and creative communications expert working across wellbeing, culture and community-focused projects. Dudley is her ongoing cartoon series exploring the curious experience of being human.

Going into residential care is far from inevitable – statistics show that only 10.8% of those aged 85 or over live in a residential care setting*. For some it is a freely made choice to enter a residential care setting, bringing peace of mind and a respite from housebound isolation. For others it will be a traumatic experience, imposed upon them through the lack of any viable alternative.

The welcome days of floor-to-ceiling sunshine have also come with its downfalls. The soaring temperatures brought families outdoors, and who could blame them? But there were consequences with the dangers of sunburn and the temptations of the refreshing cold waters of lakes and other waterways.

This was the moment our tiny visitor decided he needed a human name if he was going to observe Earth mostly unnoticed. Naturally, he chose Dudley. More details about Karen (and Dudley) can be found here www.karenveramcmillan.com

Most people who represent themselves at financial remedy hearings do so not because they want to, but because they have looked at solicitors' fees and decided they have no choice. Under the direct access scheme, you can instruct a barrister to advise you, prepare your case, or represent you in court without a solicitor acting as an intermediary.

No one quite knows where Dudley came from, Dudley included. What we do know is that he finds the human condition quietly fascinating. Honest, occasionally impatient but persistently curious, Dudley spends his time observing the world with a raised eyebrow (if he had any) and a surprisingly sharp sense of insight.

Six emergency and rescue organisations will gather under one roof in Hull this May half-term as the popular H2O Heroes event returns to The Deep for a fourth consecutive year.

With exam season in full swing, millions of children and young people across the UK will be beginning to feel the stress of upcoming tests. Students are often under pressure from an early age to succeed, with the repercussions of under-achieving feeling incredibly significant.

I was honoured to be invited by an ex-student of mine to her final degree presentation. I have known Lydia since she was a young girl in primary school, where she joined my art club, so it's been wonderful to be part of her journey through to adulthood and see everything she has achieved.

Thomas Alexander Homes has shown its support for Sharow CE Primary School and Nursery with the creation of a new, construction-themed active learning area for early years children, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting the communities in which it builds.

Niche family law firm, Jones Myers, is enhancing comfort and wellbeing for cancer patients with a vital Airglove unit which warms and raises veins in patients’ arms. Patients at the Sir Robert Ogden MacMillan Centre in Harrogate will benefit from the air warming system which also reduces discomfort and stress for the nursing staff treating them.