Win Tickets To The London Homebuilding & Renovating And Home Improvement Show

The London Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show makes its national debut at Olympia with new feature highlights and experts and Frost Magazine has tickets to giveaway. 

London, 26-28 September 2014

 

Credit: Steve Burden

Credit: Steve Burden

http://london.homebuildingshow.co.uk

 

As the property market regains its confidence, the UK’s fastest growing home show is coming to London for the first time as a combined event designed for both self-builders and remodelers. The new London Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show will take place from the 26-28 September at Olympia, London. The exhibition will offer visitors the chance to benefit from an extensive range of products and recommendations from more exhibitors than ever before and tips and bespoke advice from an extended expert panel on how to successfully complete a project from start to finish.

 

Credit: Steve Burden

Credit: Steve Burden

Piers Taylor, award-winning RIBA architect and co-presenter of BBC2 series ‘The House that £100k Built’ will be making his first appearance on the London expert panel to inspire visitors with quality interior design and architecture recommendations to help homeowners make the most of their projects. Charlie Luxton, sustainable architectural designer and presenter of More4’s ‘Building the Dream’, will be making his awaited comeback to the London event and will also appear alongside other homebuilding and home improvement professionals including Michael Holmes, editor-in-chief of the Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine.

 

Another new feature for this year’s event is the updated Interior Design and Decorating Clinic, brought to you by Dulux Design Service. Visitors will be provided with insightful ideas on how to decorate their homes through the use of appealing colour schemes, wall coverings and furnishings. Dulux consultants will be offering free one-on-one appointments to bring attendees one step closer to their aspirational house.

 

The Ask the Architects area will provide a space for dialogue between certified RIBA Architects and visitors curious about the design and construction process of their project. After a consultation with a member of the team, homeowners will leave with the assurance that their plans will be ready to be implemented by well-guided contractors.

 

For attendees undertaking major works, changes and additions to their property, a meeting with planning permission expert, Sally Tagg, is vital to ensure that they understand the complex application process. Sally will be waiting at the Planning Clinic for individual consultations with visitors to offer them professional advice.

 

Come prepared with your plans and ideas and benefit from the wide range of experts that can offer individual sessions at the Ask the Experts zone. This year, the panel of property specialists includes: Michael Holmes (editor-in-chief of Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine); Jason Orme (editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine); Piers Taylor (award-winning RIBA architect and co-presenter of hit BBC2 series ‘The House that £100k Built’); Charlie Luxton (sustainable architectural designer and presenter of More4’s ‘Building the Dream’); Julia Kendell (Interiors and Decorating expert from DIY SOS and ITV1’s Daybreak); Matt James (designer and expert on ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’); David Snell (Homebuilding & Renovating magazine’s self-build and plot finding expert); Tim Pullen (eco expert at Homebuilding & Renovating magazine), Bob Branscome (chartered surveyor and builder); Chris Reeves (Homebuilding & Renovating magazine’s Legal Expert and chartered builder and lawyer) and Roger Hunt (award-winning writer and eco expert).

 

Standard tickets are £12 in advance or £17 on the door (children under 16 go free). For further information visit http://london.homebuildingshow.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0871 231 0824.

 

To be in with a chance of winning these fabulous tickets follow @Frostmag on Twitter or Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz.Then comment below saying what you did. Competition closes mid-September.

 

 

 

 

University Fees-ability by Josh Edwards

Another period of A-level results has passed and thousands of students will be heading to University over the next 4 weeks.  But is a degree strictly necessary? For many it isn’t. It wasn’t for me initially, but as my career aspirations altered, a degree became the minimum requirement for my next goal.

universityfees

Three years ago, I decided to end a successful career in retail and become a student, studying Education. I became poor overnight and left behind a lifestyle of exotic holidays, new cars and weekly shopping trips to Topman. So how can university be financially possible for the majority of young people?

This is how I did it. I applied in 2011, just before the Government planned to increase tuition fees. Although the increase in fees would not have necessarily discouraged me, if I wanted to avoid paying up to nine thousand pounds a year I had to bite the bullet and submit my UCAS application.   Knowing my parents would not be able to financially support me, and aware that my maintenance loan would not be enough to live on, I had to work out how to support myself.

Josh Edwards

Luckily, my local Starbucks was recruiting so I decided to attend the day of open interviews. It went well and I was asked to start the following week. Although, somehow I had convinced people that I was a coffee lover, I wasn’t at the time. A great number of awkward coffee tastings followed, but that is another story. I soon realised that Starbucks was a revolving door for students, with many working weekends and between lectures which enabled us to earn extra cash. Throughout my three years at University, I typically worked between 16 and 25 hours a week. Without being able to work part-time, for me, University just would not have been possible.

university

For most, student loans are an inevitable part of the University experience, especially now. Only the very fortunate are able to leave University debt free. Many are put off by the huge sums of money they have to borrow, but I considered it to be a risk free investment. Only a small percentage of the loan is taken from your pay-check based on your salary, and repayment starts when you are earning twenty-one thousand pounds or more a year. If it all goes pete-tong and you never quite meet your earning potential, then you never have to pay the loan back.

I expect thousands of students will be in the same boat I was in three years ago. So if you need some extra money to help you through university, why not check out your local Starbucks, or Costa, or anywhere else that accommodates student hours. As well as helping financially, it’s good for your cv, and is fun.

I am now a graduate, with a degree under my belt, and a more than manageable level of debt. I am on the job trail, and who knows, I might get back to that sun-filled, fun-filled lifestyle, or just head towards a mortgage, or even both. Either way, I have had three years of mind stretching education, and have acquired great coffee making skills which keep me going in between interviews. Life is good.

 

 

American Pop Culture & Fast Food Fashion Leaves Brits Hungry For More

Have a crazing for some fast food? Well, what about some fast fashion: The fash pack’s tastes for food-inspired fashion, sees a super-size demand for delicious designs on eBay

Since Andy Warhol transformed a Campbell’s Soup can and boxes of Brillo soap pads into Pop Art in the 1960s, artists and fashion designers alike, have looked to everyday domestic products and beloved food brands for inspiration. This season has seen an explosion of Brits favourite ‘food on the move’ brands translated into must-have clothing and accessories, like never before.

caraonesiepepperoni

mileycyrus

ritaora

From Rita Ora modelling the McDonald’s ‘Golden Arches’ around London, to Vanessa Hudgens gracing the cover of super cool US magazine NYLON, swathed in Coca-Cola sequins, us Brits can’t get enough of all things kitsch and delicious – with sales of similar women’s apparel rising on eBay.co.uk 119%* over the summer months.

Most recently model and red carpet regular Cara Delevingne was seen taking the trend to another level. Whilst journeying home from her wild birthday celebrations she was snapped wearing an outfit inspired by what’s inside your fast food wrappers and rocking a pepperoni pizza patterned onesie. Across the pond, Katy Perry was spotted the week before wearing a similar all-in-one to The Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 

So where did this tasty trend begin?

 

British designer Ashish sent models down the runway for Spring Summer ’14 drenched in Coca-Cola t-shirts and vests, emblazoned with the brand’s unforgettable logo in his signature sequins. Not forgetting his UK roots, looks were complete with sequin shopping bags reminiscent of designs by superbrands ‘Tesco’ and ‘M&S’.

Autumn Winter ‘14 saw Moschino Creative Director, Jeremy Scott, showcase the chicest of McDonald’s uniforms, perfectly paired with ‘french fries’ iPhone cases and handbags, sparking a craze on eBay.co.uk with over 50** types of fast food phone cases available to buy instantly. Not just for ‘McFashion’ fans, Scott also created show-stopping silk dresses with prints taken from beloved food products including: Fruit Loops cereal, Hershey chocolate and Cheetos chips.

Whilst over in Paris, Lagerfeld’s Chanel runway was converted into a high-end luxury supermarket, with grocery aisles constructed in the iconic Grand Palais. Models including new face Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and pal Rihanna, shopped the aisles with Chanel wire baskets and trolleys, and sported a range of tongue in cheek grocery ‘accessories’, from Chanel egg tray clutches to Chanel milk carton shoulder bags.

 

 

Suki Waterhouse Shows Off Her 111SKIN Selfie

It’s not every day that we’d take beauty advice from a self-proclaimed ‘Facemask Monster’ but Suki Waterhouse took to Instagram last night to share an insight into her skincare regime.

sukiwaterhouse

Suki showed off the 111SKIN Bio Cellulose Mask via video, and while admittedly not her finest look, the mask is a quick and effective weekly treatment that brightens and hydrates – a great choice pre fashion week to ensure catwalk clear skin.

The 111SKIN Bio Cellulose Mask is available from 111SKIN.com and Harrods £20 for a single mask or £85 for a pack of 5

 

 

Frost Editor Catherine Balavage To Be Interviewed By Orla Barry On The Green Room

Frost Magazine’s editor, Catherine Balavage, will be interviewed about her new book by Orla Barry on The Green Room this Saturday between 9-11pm. The interview will air on Newstalk 106-108FM (Winner-PPI Radio Station of the Year 2013). Irish readers can catch the interview live while a link to the podcast will be posted for non-Irish residents. 

acting, acting advice, how to be an actor, how to be a successful actor, hollywood, castings, auditions, casting directors.

Orla Barry is a BBC World Service Broadcast Journalist, Broadcaster of The Green Room Culture Show on Newstalk 106-108FM, Columnist and Documentary Maker.

Catherine will be taking about her new book, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, which has been selling well and getting rave reviews. Grab a copy if you are an actor or want to be.

Other guests Orla has interviewed include actors George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Jessica Chastain. Comedians Ricky Gervais, Phil Jupitus, Ruby Wax, Bill Bailey and Monty Python’s Terry Jones.  Film Directors Mike Leigh, Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan, Kathryn Bigelow, Guillaume Canet, Morgan Spurlock and Michael Apted.  Authors, Joyce Carol Oates, Man Booker winner Howard Jacobson, Hanif Kureishi, John Banville, Jo Nesbo, Michael Palin and Garrison Keillor. Photographers Greg Marinovich, Steve McCurry, Giles Duley and performers Kristen Hersh,  Neil Hannon, Emmy-Lou Harris, Seun Kuti, Lisa Hannigan and Stevie Nicks.

So our editor is in good company!

 

 

Autumn Book Special

So many books, such little time. Don’t know what to read? Here is our little guide of books to read this Autumn. Each one is a corker.

autumnbookspecial

 

Festive In Death J.D. Robb

 

The kitchen knife jammed into his cold heart pinned a cardboard sign to his well-toned chest. It read: Santa Says You’ve Been Bad!!! Ho, Ho, Ho!

It’s Christmas, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in no mood to celebrate. While her charismatic husband Roarke plans a huge, glittering party, Eve has murder on her mind.

The victim – personal trainer Trey Ziegler – was trouble in life and is causing even more problems in death. Vain, unfaithful and vindictive, Trey had cultivated a lot of enemies. Which means Eve has a lot of potential suspects. And when she and Detective Peabody uncover Trey’s sinister secret, the case takes a deadly turn.

Christmas may be a festival of light, but Eve and Roarke will be forced once more down a very dark path in their hunt for the truth.

Nora Roberts published her first novel using the pseudonym J.D. Robb in 1995, introducing to readers the tough as nails but emotionally damaged homicide cop Eve Dallas and billionaire Irish rogue, Roarke.

With the In Death series, Robb has become one of the biggest thriller writers on earth, with each new novel reaching number one on bestseller charts the world over.

This is a thrill-seeking unputdownable thriller. A great read from beginning to end. We loved it.

 

 

Festive in Death is available here. Out on September 11th.

 

Seven Wonders Ben Mezrich

 

From the New York Times bestselling author Ben Mezrich comes Seven Wonders, a globe-trotting thriller in the vein of The DaVinci Code – rife with historic secrets, conspiracies, intrigue, and a whole lot of adventure.

When the reclusive mathematician Jeremy Grady is murdered, it’s up to his estranged brother Jack to find out why. His search leads him on a far-flung journey – from Brazil, India, Peru, and beyond – as he unravels the mystery that links the Seven Wonders of the World, and discovers that Jeremy may have hit upon something that has been concealed for centuries. With the help of scientist Sloane Costa, they discover a conspiracy to hide a roadmap to the Garden of Eden – and the truth behind a mythological ancient culture.

With a heart-pounding pace and panoramic backdrops, Seven Wonders is an electrifying read, and will be the first in a trilogy.

A fast-moving thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Enjoyable and a huge credit to the imagination of Ben Mezrich. This book is the first in a trilogy so if you enjoyed it as much as we did, you will have more books coming along soon. It is also being turned into a film directed by Brett Ratner.

Seven Wonders is available here. Out on September 11th.

 

The Last Boat Home Dea Brovig

 

Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a mother’s love. If you loved The Light Between Oceans or The Snow Child, this is for you.

On the wind-swept southern coast of Norway, sixteen-year-old Else is out on the icy sea, dragging her oars through the waves while, above her, storm clouds are gathering. Surrounded by mountains, snow and white-capped water, she looks across the fjord and dreams of another life, of escape and faraway lands.

Back on shore, her father sits alone in his boathouse with a jar of homebrew. In the Best Room, her mother covers her bruises and seeks solace in prayer. Each tries to hide the truth from this isolated, God-fearing community they call home.

Until one night changes everything.

More than thirty years later, the return of an old friend forces Else to relive the events that marked the end of her childhood.

Explosive, dark and tender, The Last Boat Home is a devastating novel about sacrifice, survival and a mother’s love.

This is an intriguing, dark novel. It really grabbed us and would not let go. A very good debut novel, fresh and definitely worth a read.

 

The Last Boat Home is available here. Out on August 14th.

 

Ghost Child Caroline Overington

 

From the bestselling author of I Came to Say Goodbye. Can you ever escape the secrets of your past? Perfect for fans of Susan Lewis

The photograph shows four smiling children. But look closer and you can tell that one of the boys has been crying.

Weeks later, that little boy is dead. His mother and her boyfriend are in prison for his murder, and his brother and sisters have been fostered to separate families.

No one knows for sure what happened that day, except, possibly, the three remaining children, and they’re not talking.

But the past cannot be buried forever, and years later, when the truth about what happened is revealed, will it bring a final healing? Or will the legacy of fear that the children have lived with for so long, finally destroy them?

An amazing story told in an original way. A very good read and the characters are written so well. Recommended.

 

 

Ghost Child is available here. Out on September 11th.

 

Five Days Left Julie Lawson Timmer

 

Destined to be a book club favorite, a heart-wrenching debut about two people who must decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice for love.

Mara Nichols is a successful lawyer, devoted wife, and adoptive mother who has received a life-shattering diagnosis. Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher, has been fostering an eight-year-old boy while the boy’s mother serves a jail sentence. Scott and Mara both have five days left until they must say good-bye to the ones they love the most.

Through their stories, Julie Lawson Timmer explores the individual limits of human endurance and the power of relationships, and shows that sometimes loving someone means holding on, and sometimes it means letting go.

This is a deeply moving debut. This book is about heartbreak and human endurance. Unforgettable, thought-provoking and controversial. A brilliant debut.

 

 

Five Days Left is available here. Out on August 28th.

 

Which ones will you read?

 

 

Jean-Luc Colombo Special Wine Review

Jean-Luc Colombo is a relatively young company by French wine standards. With family origins in Marseille, Jean-Luc moved in 1982, with his wife Anne, to Cornas in the heart of the Rhône Valley, to set up a pharmacy and oenology lab. Four years later he bought his first vineyard – Les Ruchets – and celebrated his first vintage in 1987. His business went from strength-to strength and in 1993 Anne and Jean-Luc sold their pharmacy to focus on the wine business, investing in more vineyards and a house on the Cornas hillsides, as well as working as a negociant in this famous region.

Today, as well as owning vineyards in Cornas, they are pioneering vineyard development in the stunning ‘Blue Coast’ area and have their own winery, offices, bottling line and oenology laboratory in the centre of Cornas. They are renowned for their great wines from the northern & southern Rhône and the Mediterranean region, and export to over fifty countries.

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We got sent three bottles from Jean-Luc Colombo to review. Here is our verdict.

Jean-Luc Colombo 2013 Les Abeilles De Colombo Côtes Du Rhône

This is dry and quite smooth. It is fruity and light straw in colour. It is intensely floral with herbal and mineral notes, along with a floral aroma of peach and melon. It is well balanced and complex. It is crisp with flavours of citrus and pear. Delicious.

Enjoy with grilled lamb, pork and assorted cheeses.

RRP £9.99

2013 Les Girelles Picpoul De Pinet

This wine is rich and subtle. Crisp and dry and beautifully lemon scented. It has fresh notes of white flowers. It is very well rounded wine. It is also fresh.

Enjoy With: Grilled and roasted white meats, fish/shelfish, salads and picnics, mild creamy cheeses and oriental food.

RRP £9.99

2012 Les Abeilles De Colombo Côtes Du Rhône

This light straw coloured wine is fruity and floral. Light, crisp and clean: it is well-balanced and complex. Very good wine.

Enjoy with: grilled lamb, pork and assorted cheeses.
RRP £9.99

We were very impressed with Jean-Luc Colombo’s wine. We look forward to trying more. Very impressive.

Available from Oddbins, Trivoli, Bacchus Wines, The Bottleneck, DeFINE Food and Wine, Sunninghill Wine Merchants, The Butlers Cellar, Famous Wines, The Halifax Wine Company and Islington Wines.

Soleve Sunburn Relief Review | Health

Summer may feel like a distant memory but there are still a few lucky ones on holiday. In the hope of some future summer days, or future holidays we have reviewed Soleve Sunburn Relief. It is the first licensed product of its type specifically formulated to ease the pain and discomfort of mild to moderate sunburn. solevesunburnreliefreview Here is what they say:

Soleve Sunburn Relief is a lotion applied to mild to moderately sunburnt skin to relieve the pain of the sunburn and to moisture the skin. It combines two active ingredients to deliver effective relief right where it’s needed: an effective analgesic, ibuprofen, and an emollient, isopropyl myristate.

Ibuprofen is a well-known Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID) that is a powerful painkiller and reduces inflammation. Soleve is specially designed to deliver therapeutic levels of ibuprofen directly into sunburnt skin – precisely where it is needed.

Isopropyl myristate, is an emollient which effectively soothes and moisturises the skin by trapping water. Rehydration of sunburnt skin is very important to promote the normal healing process and to make the skin feel more comfortable by reducing both the skin tightness of sunburn and the frictional irritation between sunburnt skin and clothing.

 

This lotion goes on easily and a little bit goes a long way. It absorbs well and you can use it up to eight times a day. Does it work on sunburn? Yes, it eases and soothes. It is quite pricey at £9.95 but it does work, both moisturising and painkilling. It doesn’t smell bad and is not overpowering either. Recommended as a first-aid kit essential, good stuff.

 

Available from Boots and Boots.com