Leo Bancroft Party at The Ivy

On the 22nd of November I went to The Ivy with the lovely Nadia Gilani for the launch of Leo Bancroft’s accessories range for Tesco. The evening was a lot of fun and Leo has made a brilliant range of accessories. The celebrity hairdresser was joined by Made in Chelsea star Kimberley Garner (who is very friendly and gave me the biggest smile) , Eastenders actress Tanya Franks, the lovely model and presenter Jules Wheeler, cast from The Valleys, entrepreneur Tom Gearing from The Apprentice, and business man Richard Caring.

Check out Leo Bancroft’s haircare at Tesco.

QVC Spring Summer 2013 | Frost’s Pick

We popped along to the QVC SS13 press day to find out what you will be buying next season.

I love Lulu Guinness. Her quirky bags are beautiful and original.

Stationary from Anna Griffin. Very elegant. Stationary says a lot about a person. This says all the right things.

I love this Honora bracelet.

Jack Murphy Clara Quilted Jacket.

Kelly Hoppen Buddha.

These Marta Jonsson Peep Toe Court Shoes are divine. I love the red detail.

Nails Inc nail polish. Always a classic.

Nina Leonard Maxi Dress.

Perricone MD Necolletage. Pricey at £123 but it really works.

Tiana B Geometric Print Maxi Dress.

Strivectin Advanced Overnight Serum. Good stuff. Relatively easy on the wallet.

The sun won’t be out for a while, but when it is you will want Ultrasun Tinted Moisturiser.

I love these Lotus Catherine Sandals with a beautiful flower detail.

Brilliant detail on this beautiful cuff bracelet from Rush by Denis Charles.

Londoners Life – Overheard by Phil Ryan

Londoner’s life 47 – Overheard by Phil Ryan
I am exhausted this week as it’s been a busy old time and next week is worse! But it has shoved me out into the world a lot and of course I had my ears attuned. And I ended up with two Overheard’s but chose the one you’ll see today. My brief overheard phone conversation line I got at a course I attended in Romford. I was waiting in the foyer of a very nice hotel sat a side table having a cup of tea when I saw a middle aged woman in a very spangly outfit (it was 10.00 in the morning). As I read my paper she said in a very loud stage whisper “Georgy I won’t tell you again. Sex is not a weapon”. Ooh er missus! Anyway here we go for this week’s Overheard.
I was at an art gallery launch and it was quite an upmarket affair. I was loitering by a buffet food table and admiring some huge black and white cityscapes when this occurred.
Elegant woman in black: “It’s not as if she’s a real Buddhist anyway. She had sex with her plumber for goodness sake” Elegant woman in silver: “Yes lovely but I’m not sure that’s bad for a Buddhist is it. Of course I’m not one so I’m just guessing really” Elegant woman in black: “Oh god yes darling. It’s a dreadful thing for a Buddhist. Her energy in the universe gets diminished and she won’t be able to reach any kind of inner peace. Her meditations are almost worthless after that sort of thing” Elegant woman in silver “But her marriage is in trouble. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. Have you met him though. He seemed quite a sweetie to me” Elegant woman in black “(diffidently)“You know I almost married him before I met Tony” Elegant woman in silver “(Shocked) “No really. You kept that under the radar. I had no idea!” Elegant woman in black “Oh yes we had a brief dalliance but to be frank he had a terrible body hair problem” Elegant woman in silver “Ugh I cannot deal with that sort of thing. Poor lamb it must be very difficult for him. Couldn’t he have some sort of laser thingy. He’s certainly got the resources”. Elegant woman in black (very calmly) “Well I did mention it once but he seemed oblivious to the issue. To be honest darling it was like fucking a rug” At this point they both broke down laughing and I was collared by one of the organisers.
BREAKING AND VERY IMPORTANT PHIL RYAN NEWS: WORLD FIRST!!!!!!!!!
As a writer for the past countless years I have written columns like this, plays, film scripts, sitcoms, books, short stories and comedy scripts for stand-up comedians. HOWEVER up until then I had never written a joke. And by this I mean a joke you could tell BUT yesterday as I was walking through John Lewis in Bond St I thought of a complete joke.
At a Medical Centre the Head doctor is at the morning meeting with all the other doctors. He points out all the new Xmas decorations and the tree in the lobby and asks them to thank the receptionist for the festive look. He tells them a guy from the NHS is going to spend time with them today to check on their patient handling skills. He says just co-operate as its part of their yearly inspection. So the first Doctor goes into his cubicle and greets the man who has a clipboard. A patient comes in complaining of a bad knee. The first Doctor examines it and then smiling he says “Oh we’re going to have to give you some special reindeer cream so when Santa’s reindeer comes with your presents you can kneel down and give them a biscuit” The patient laughs and smiles and takes his cream and leaves still smiling. The man with the clipboard tells the Doctor “That was excellent” and he goes into the second Doctors cubicle. The Second doctor greets him and then a patient comes in and says he has a bad neck. The Second Doctor says “Oh well I’m going to give some special Santa Claus neck ointment so you can see Santa’s sled coming when he brings your presents” The patient laughs and smiles and takes his ointment and leaves still smiling. The man with the clipboard tells the second Doctor “That was excellent” and he goes into the third Doctors cubicle. The Third doctor greets him and then a patient comes in and says he has a bit of a rash. The third Doctor tells him to pop behind the curtain and the man with the clipboard hears the Third Doctor behind the curtain say “Yes. I’ll give you some pills. Off you go” And he pulls the curtain back and points the man to the way out. The man with the clipboard nudges the third doctor and gestures to him. The third Doctor sighs heavily and rolls his eyes and then calls out to the departing patient “Hang on” (this part is sung to the tune of ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Xmas’) and singing he goes “It’s beginning to look a lot like herpes….
YES FOLKS THAT IS THE FIRST JOKE I EVER WROTE Date 24th November 2012 at 5.00pm.

9 Bar | Food Review

I am on the go a lot so I like to have some snacks in my bag. Cereal bars are a particular favourite.
9bar have re-launched with a sleek new makeover and I tried their 5 varieties – Original, Nutty, Pumpkin, Flax and Organic. 9bars are gluten, dairy and wheat free. 9bars are handmade in Wales.


Original

The original bar is crunchy and delicious. It is also very filling. A brilliant snack. This bar is substantial and not too sweet.

Nutty

This bar is filled with nuts and seeds. Really good cereal bar, and with chocolate on top. Yum.

Pumpkin

I love pumpkin seeds. This bar also has a brilliant carob coating. You can see all of the seeds. It tastes sweet and is filling.

Flax

Flax seed is very popular with the health conscious. Flax seed is a super food, making these bars even more healthy. Tastes brilliant too.

Organic

This organic bar is tasty and pure organic heaven. Topped with chocolate and full of seeds. The perfect on the go bar.

The 9bar range is available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores nationwide. All varieties are available in 4 x 40g multi packs, RRP £1.89, and in 50g singles, RRP 70p.

The Shakespeare Conspiracy | Theatre Review

 The Shakespeare Conspiracy by Andrew Shepherd is not only a brilliant piece of theatre, but it will also keep you guessing all the way through. Full of twists and turns, the Shakespeare Conspiracy is original and incredibly intelligent. Triumphant theatre in two wonderful acts.

The play is superbly directed by Jack Bowman, Bowman has created a well oiled machine which never dips or loses its energy. Full of pop culture references and brilliant gags, The Shakespeare Conspiracy is riveting.

A special mention must be given for the impressive and realistic fight scenes. They really are something to behold.

The play focuses around Martin Shakespeare, the last remaining descendent of Shakespeare, who is working as a travel agent in Stratford. Martin gets caught up in a  400 year old conspiracy involving The Royal Shakespeare Company, which far from being a theatre company, is actually a branch of government like MI6, and a prison, The Globe Theatre. It turns out that Shakespeare’s characters are real.

The cast of twenty are all well cast and brilliant at their parts. A special notice should be given to Jack Baldwin and Libby Evans as Benedict and Beatrice. They have amazing chemistry and I could not watch them without thinking of the brilliant film, His Girl Friday. Richard Armah as Garfield Oberon and Lee White as Edmond also deserve a special mention.

Andrew Shepherd as Iago  was also brilliant. Andrew is eloquent with a wonderful stage presence. There is a funny part int he play when Iago blames his mother for making him a villain. ‘You never had a mother Iago, you are fictional’ he is reminded.

This play is intelligent and witty. You can easily follow it if you concentrate, and you should concentrate, so you do not miss even a second of this stunning play. A must see.

 

Twitter: @tsc61112
Venue: Chelsea Theatre (on the King’s Road – nearest tube Sloane Square Underground, or 11, 22 Bus to Edith Grove/World’s End)
Production Company: www.ascrandom.co.uk

Nim’s Fruit Crisps | Food Review

I love to snack. I have been trying to eat healthier snacks but I must confess a weakness for crisps. I know they are not good for me, but I love crisps. Can Nim’s Fruit Crisps be a good and healthy alternative? They are certainly healthier. Instead of being made from potatoes these crisps are made from dried fruit. It might sound like it won’t work, but it does.

Nim’s Fruit Crisps are free of additives and preservatives. Fat and gluten free, high in fibre, have no sugar, no added sugar and only between 62-76 calories per pack. They are also one of your five a day. But do they taste nice? Thankfully yes. I try the Apple & Kiwi and the Orange and Melon. They taste good and are also surprisingly filling. Perfect for a snack. The crisps are dried, not fried. I am definitely a fan of Nim’s Fruit Crisps. They are a great delicious, natural snack. Top marks.

This is what Nim’s say about their fruit crisps.

Pining for a packet of crisps without the guilt? Then look no further than delicious Nim’s Fruit Crisps. With only less than 70 calories per pack, Nim’s Fruit Crisps are the perfect healthy snack for every occasion. Whether you’re on the go or relaxing at home, these healthy bags of zesty goodness are the ideal snack to indulge your sweet tooth. Each bag is made from 100% natural fruit, using a unique air-drying process, meaning that each bag retains as much nutritional content as possible.

 

Nim’s Fruit Crisps are currently available online at www.nimsfruitcrisps.com / www.flavrbox.com / www.loveyourlarder.com / www.planet-v.co.uk / www.auravita.com / www.realfoods.co.uk / www.winnaturally.com and at Planet Organic, HealthZone stores and independent delis, health food stores, and farm stores.

£1.25 per mixed pack (20g)

£0.85 per single pack (18g)

Christmas Magic By Nora Roberts | Book Review

Two magical Christmas stories from the New York Times Bestselling author who has over 400 million books in print worldwide.

All I Want For Christmas is a story of a single father raising his six-year-old twin sons after his wife walks out. He has built a barrier around himself, but can his sons new music teacher melt the ice around his heart?

All I want for Christmas is an adorable story. As fun and escapist as a Hollywood rom-com. The characters of the twins, Zeke and Zach, are particularly wonderful.

This Magic Moment has Ryan Swan, the daughter of a tough entertainment businessman trying to prove her worth to her father, falling in love with a magician. But Ryan has never needed anyone or anything, can Pierce Atkins and Ryan get over their baggage and fall in love?

Christmas Magic by New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts is the perfect weekend read. Just open the pages and relax.

Christmas Magic (Mills & Boon Special Releases)

A Merry Little Christmas By Debbie Macomber | Book Review

Beth Morehouse asked her husband for a divorce and he didn’t protest. Years later, she still misses him and knows she made a mistake and hopes to reconcile with her ex-husband. Her children are aware of this and plot to get their parents back together. But her ex-husband, Kent, brings along a friend to the family Christmas, and the local vet, Ted, has a thing for Beth. Hilarity and drama ensues. Will everything be sorted out so everyone can have a merry little Christmas?

Well, you will have to read the book to find out. There is also another story in this book, about a young women who falls in love with a soldier, just like her grandmother did many years ago. Will it work out for the young lovers? The story makes you invested enough to care.

This book is an enjoyably read. A happy, fun, well-written book. This book would also be a good gift to give as a Christmas present.

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. But will a visit from Beth’s ex-husband ruin everyone’s plans for the perfect celebration?

A Merry Little Christmas (A Cedar Cove Book ft 1225 Christmas Tree Lane & 5-B Poppy Lane) (A Cedar Cove Story)