Hail Sofia the first

I finally did it...I dipped my toe in the swamp of commercialism and it was really rather fun. I blagged an invitation for Pickle and I to attend an event to celebrate the launch of the new Disney series, Princess Sofia.

It was a little girls dream come true. we were greeted at the doors of the May Fair Hotel's crystal Ballroom by footmen baring wands and tiaras. This was Disney selling the dream, and they were doing it well.



Pickle had colourful hair extensions set in a cloud of glitter, a balloon sculptress extraordinaire made her a fairy, she was photographed on a throne and best of all she attended Princess Felicity's Princess school. (oh don't mess with Felicity, she was discipline in a satin frock). There was shrieks of delight as little girls had glitter tattoos, made wands and crowns and raided the fancy dress boxes for feather boas.

A treasury of Princesses then proceeded to the screening room to see the presentation. You may be surprised that we subscribe to Disney Junior already (but I am careful about being an active Mum and not TV before bathtime in the evening), but she is too old for CBeebies and too young for CBBC and now Disney Junior is her channel of choice. She has already seen the introductory episode about Princess Sofia and she loves it.

The next episode we saw brought to mind Dorothy Parker's review (in her Constant Reader column) of Winnie the Pooh (now, groan, part of the Disney stable too) 'Tonstant Weader threwed up'. Dear old Sofia is so perfect, the story lines so moralistic that it is quite vomit worthy, but then everything for children seems to aspire to be either educational or a morality tale. What wrong with things just being fun for the sake of it, like Elouise who is roundly condemned on Amazon for being profane but makes me laugh like a drain.

Having said that I am a filthy hypocrite, the last film she saw was Barbie and the Popstar that had me cringing to the core! (Although I did laugh at the scene Barbie walked through her wardrobe commenting on all the costumes for her past careers astronaut, doctor, Olympic rider etc.) I don't really want this kind of Barbie crap in my house, although I know the time will come when I can resist it no longer so Princess Sofia is a great alternative

As we left the Pickle mentioned the central theme of the episode 'it is just like you say Mummy, girls CAN do anything that boys can'. What can I say but cynicism be damned: all hail Princess Sofia, she has made am unwilling concert of me.

Finally thanks to the lovely people at,Disney, they made Princess Pickle feel regal beyond compare - she floated out of their event on a cloud of glitter and pure delight!