Author Archives: Frostie

One Beer, Das Horn | Cool Things

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Here is one for the boys: Quite simply, Das Horn is beer for heroes. Drink with real class, not a glass and drink 709ml (24oz) of refreshing juice of your choice. Made from BPA free plastic it has a stainless steel finish with a Bavarian neck strap and stand. Great for parties or showing off in your home.

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Features:

Channel your inner Viking conqueror and make your next beer epic!
Includes neck strap and display stand
Colossal 709ml/24oz capacity
BPA free plastic with stainless steel rim
Hand wash with warm soapy water
Not intended for use with hot liquids
Dimensions: 9.5 x 12 x 32.5cm

Das Horn costs just £24.95 from www.prezzybox.com.

UK’s Historic Architecture On “Identikit” Collision Course

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David Twohig Living in Wonderland: Urban development and placemaking by David Twohig, Battersea Power Station Development Company Head of Design and Placemaking, offers a unique look at urban development and placemaking and makes the case for a radical change in how this should be approached ~

 

Britain is home to an extraordinarily eclectic array of buildings. From its magnificent public buildings to its iconic skyscrapers and cutting-edge developments, the wonderland that is British architecture defines a nation and continues to shape the lives of those within it.

 

But according to author and expert David Twohig, Head of Design and Placemaking for the Battersea Power Station Development Company, that could all change within 15 years. Twohig, responsible for one of the most high-profile urban regeneration projects of the century, warns that the UK’s cities are on a collision course to be overrun with “bland, homogenous developments”.

 

Global cities including London are in danger of being swamped with “identikit” shopping centres, office towers and sprawling, analogous housing estates as uninspired and cost-cutting developers increasingly seek “one-stop” solutions to the built environment.

 

This, Twohig predicts, will compromise people’s health, wellbeing and general happiness, as well as pacifying a city’s unique identity – a key attractor for foreign investment and economic success.

 

The arguments are laid out in Twohig’s astonishing new book, Living in Wonderland: Urban development and placemaking (Harriman House), which explores the challenges facing urban development on a global scale. Twohig’s argument for change – and the need to explore “non-default” development solutions – is based upon the study of real-life projects in residential, retail and workplace environments.

 

This thoroughly-researched title fills the gap between superficial coffee table books and theoretical academic papers, and has been described as a “must-read” for anyone with an interest in development, architecture, town planning and the urban environment.

 

“Over the next 15 years China is set to urbanise 300 million people and build the equivalent urban area of North America,” Twohig says.

 

“London alone is set to grow by two million people by 2030. This is the greatest period of urbanisation in human history and yet the buildings and places we are designing and developing leave a great deal to be desired.”

 

Living in Wonderland: Urban development and placemaking (Harriman House) is published on March 24, 2014.

 

Ricky Tomlinson To Star In New Mike Bassett Film

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Ricky TomlinsonEngland’s most notorious football manager Mike Bassett is heading back to the big screens with a sequel to the cult classic comedy planned for production later this year.

Director/Producer Steve Barron will return for the sequel, titled, Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, with Ricky Tomlinson as the foul-mouthed Bassett. This time Bassett is brought in to the England camp as number two to the tactically brilliant German coach Jorgen Mannstein who has the England team playing like a dream. Not for long!

Steve Barron said: “Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semi’s then, who knows what we could achieve this time? I’m very excited to be back with the team including football legend Andy Ansah who cut his teeth on the first film. As the years have gone by Bassett seems to have dug deeper into football folklore. There is hardly a manager in the game that hasn’t been compared to him. Usually at a low point. Sometimes a very low point.”

The movies development at London-based Riley Productions has been funded again through the BFI. Newly launched Goldfinch Pictures, headed by Harrigan producer Kirsty Bell, has been appointed to raise £2.5m from EIS investors to help fund the film. The original Mike Bassett was the highest grossing film at the UK box office, grossing £3.5m, in it’s original 2001 year of release.

Mike Bassett: Interim Manager sees the return of writing duet Rob Sprackling and John R Smith, who penned the first film and also co-wrote Disney blockbuster Gnomeo and Juliet.

 

Seven Steps to Spring Clean His Skin: Beauty Tips For Men

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With Spring having sprung, ladies up and down the land are scrambling to shave their winter legs and pedicure those forgotten-about feet. But what about the Gents? Skincare Expert and Facial Therapist Amanda Elias has the solution, with Seven Steps to Spring Clean his Skin:

  1. Soften that winter skin with a gentle moisturiser that contains alcohol or perfume, particualrly after shaving. It’s essential to moisturise so that you rehydrate the skin; shaving will strip the skin of its natural moisture.
  2. Don’t have a cleansing routine in place? Spring’s the time! Use a face gel/wash for oily, combination skin when cleansing – and a cream cleanser for dry skin. Cleanse daily; once in the morning and twice in the evening.
  3. Shave off that winter face fuzz but never dry shave; this can seriously irritate and dry out the skin. Always use a shaving gel or oil. If you have sensitive skin, avoid any products that contain menthol.
  4. Consider new products. When it comes to your spring skincare, you don’t have to use just the brands targeted for men. If you have similar skin complaints to your girlfriend/mother/sister ask to try their products to see how they work for you.
  5. Get rid of those dry lips by applying a lip balm regularly throughout the day. A stick lip balm is easier and quicker to apply then the balms in little pots. Why not leave one on your desk at work as a reminder to apply?
  6. Dispel of dry hands with an exfoliator to remove the dry, dead skin and then moisturise. Start by mixing a little sugar and olive oil together and scrub your hands for roughly a minute, rinse off and then apply some of the olive oil in to your dry hands. For best results, gently warm the olive oil (warm not hot), apply to your hands and then cover your hands with a pair of cotton socks. Leave for a few hours or for even better results, leave on overnight. If you’d rather leave it to the professionals, why not treat yourself to a Man-icure?
  7. Don’t leave sweaty skin after your new year workouts. If you notice breakouts on your body after exercising, use a medicated wash to cleanse the skin as soon as possible after each session. If you don’t have time to shower, quickly wipe over your skin with a clean, cotton flannel and change out of your sweaty workout clothes. Always use a clean flannel and towel.

Streets of London Launch New Charity Auction

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GET YOUR HANDS ON MERCHANDISE SIGNED BY SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN MUSIC

 FROM 9pm THURSDAY 20TH – SUNDAY 30TH MARCH

Homelessness charity Streets of London will be holding a special online auction to raise money and awareness for homeless people in the capital. Bidding on eBay kicks off at 9pm on Thursday 20th March and runs until Sunday 30th March. Items include Artwork, CDs, T-Shirts and Vinyl. Taking part in this amazingcause and supporting the charity are an incredible array of world-class names including The Rolling Stones, The Killers, Biffy Clyro, Emeli Sande, The Vaccines and many more! For more information and to get involved, visit www.streetsoflondon.org.uk

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Justin Young from The Vaccines said: “After the bad weather of the last few months, more than ever is it easy for me to appreciate just how tough and awful living on the streets without structure and support is. And I think whatever people can do to contribute to making the lives of those people easier goes an incredibly long way.”

 

Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones said: “We’re delighted to support Streets of London and their wonderful work helping London’s homeless.”

 

Ian Steuart Fothringham, director of Streets of London said: “We’re excited to have the support of so many major artists – including some of the biggest names in music – for this important cause. We fund specialist support for people who are homeless in London, ensuring that they have the advice and support they need to be able to move on and make lasting changes in their lives. Every penny raised at this auction will help. 2014 is shaping up to be an exciting year for us. We’re finalising the line-up for our next Concert for Homelessness, and we’ll be announcing the details in the coming few weeks!”

 

Streets of London puts on exciting live events, including annual charity concerts, giving music fans the opportunity to see big-name acts performing in intimate venues. It uses the proceeds to fund support for homeless people in the capital, ensuring they receive the advice and supportive guidance needed to move forward with their lives. The charity also works to increase general understanding about homelessness, challenging preconceptions and stereotyping.

 

To join in supporting this amazing worthycause, head to www.streetsoflondon.org.uk for more information – the eBay auction starts at 9pm on Thursday 20th March.

 

@StreetsofL

 

 

Coldplay’s New Album Art By Mila Furstova For Ghost Stories

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On the 3rd of the 3rd 2014 Coldplay unveiled their 6th studio album, Ghost Stories, with album art by the great Czech artist Mila Fürstová. Mila said: “I let the etching flow listening to the lyrics”.

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Album Artists present these works by Mila in collaboration with Coldplay, as an original series of etchings and limited edition prints.

The Five Key Supplements Every Woman Needs This Season

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The Capsule Collection: The five key supplements everyone woman needs this season.

We enlist the help of Nutritionist Cassandra Barns from www.nutricentre.com to give us the latest on what’s hot in health.

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Blue shirt, maxi dress, oversized floppy hat; our classic spring/summer wardrobe never lets us down. But what about our skin, hair, nails and waistlines? What supplement staples do we need to have in our kitchen cabinets this summer? Cassandra has developed the ultimate S/S Capsule Collection to keep us looking and feeling great….

Nowadays there are hundreds of different types of supplements available in health food stores and online, and the choice can be very bewildering. Although some may be designed for specific purposes or health goals, there are a few key supplements that most people could benefit from and that can be helpful to have at home.

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1. The Omega-3

EPA and DHA are two omega-3 fatty acids with specific health benefits that are also great for glossy hair, strong nails and supple skin. In foods, they are found mainly in oily fish and fish livers, with small amounts of DHA found in seaweeds such as nori. However the typical western diet often contains too much omega 6 in relation to omega 3, and we need a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 for optimal health.

Omega 3 fats can also help burn body fat. How? Omega 3 helps your body respond better to a hormone called Leptin. Leptin tells your brain to suppress your appetite as well as increases your metabolism. Leptin also causes your body to burn fat for energy, however if your body isn’t responding to Leptin correctly then the reverse happens, you’ll be hungrier and you’ll store more fat.

Find standard fish oil supplements too fishy? Check out the new VeryWise range of 6 fruit based Omega 3 shots providing a nutritious and tasty alternative. As well as the general fish oil supplement OmegaWise, there are 5 targeted oils JointWise, CardioWise, MetaboWise, EnergyWise and BrainWise, each of which contains added fruit sterols, vitamins and minerals relevant to that particular health goal.

VeryWise’s new range of Omega 3 oils start from £5.95, available at www.verywisenutrition.co.uk

Other health benefits include:

• Brain health, memory, learning and concentration.

• Eye health. DHA is also concentrated in the retina of the eye and has an essential role in its function.
• Heart health. Fish oils are well-known for their heart health benefits, and numerous studies back this up.

• Pregnancy and the developing child. Because of its role in brain health and development, DHA accumulates in the brain of the foetus in the later stages of pregnancy, and in the new-born baby. Studies link levels of DHA in the mother during pregnancy – and the use of DHA supplements – to benefits for the brain and nervous system in the child after birth11.

• Controlling inflammation and pain. EPA and DHA are thought to have several anti-inflammatory actions, including working against a specific omega-6 fatty acid (arachidonic acid) that can encourage inflammation.

Vegetarian or vegan, or just prefer to avoid fish and fish oils? There is now an excellent Omega 3 supplement derived from marine algae, Vegamega-3, £14.95 from www.nutricentre.com This is the first supplement on the UK market to provide decent amounts of both DHA and EPA from a non-fish source: two capsules contain 310mg and 155mg respectively, an amount comparable to that in many standard fish oil supplements.

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2. The Multivitamin and Mineral supplement

A multivitamin supplement is an obvious first choice. This is principally because these products contain multiple nutrients, which can help to fill in the gaps in our diet and may benefit our health in many ways. A high proportion of the UK population is falling short of the government’s RDA of vitamins & minerals. And remember that the RDA levels are just minimum requirements, not optimal amounts. So it’s worth taking a good quality multivitamin to fill those gaps and act as a good ‘insurance policy’.

Want more energy for that Rave workout? A multivitamin can be a good choice for anyone to support energy levels and the immune system, areas where most of us need help from time to time. For normal energy production, we need to take in sufficient levels of several B vitamins, vitamin C, and the minerals iron, iodine, magnesium, calcium, copper and manganese. And for the immune system, we need to get enough of vitamins A, C and D, B6, B12 and folic acid, as well as copper, zinc, iron and selenium.

For a comprehensive, high-strength multivitamin and mineral supplement for adults, try Nature’s Plus ‘Source of Life Gold Gummies’. This food based supplement also contains plentiful antioxidants, as well as enzymes, amino acids and whole food extracts, and is a particularly popular choice for energy support. Source of Life GoldGummies available from all good health stores like Holland & Barrett

3. Co Enzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 or Co Q10 is your anti-ageing secret weapon, both inside and out. The antioxidants within Co Q10 can withstand and help reverse skin damage, preserving the collagen and elastin within your skin cells to make you appear younger. Co Q10 is a vitamin-like substance, present in every cell in our body, which is vital for energy production.But although the body makes its own Co Q10, levels have been found to decrease from the age of 20 onwards!

More and more products on the market, particularly skin-care creams, are adding Co Q10 as an ingredient because of these properties. Co Qu10 also supports brain health and helps protect against age-related memory decline as well as quenching free radicals that damage cells and age the skin; a very powerful antioxidant, decreasing the ageing process in our cells, arteries, hearts, gums and brains.

Quest Vitamin’s Ubiquinol Qu10 contains 100mg of CoenzymeQ10 in an innovative new formulation to guarantee efficacy. £18.55 for a month supply from all good health stores and www.questexcellence.com

4. The Probiotic

Probiotics are supplements of ‘friendly bacteria’ such as lactobacillus acidophilus that aim to support the populations of healthy microorganisms in our digestive tract. Probiotics are best known for encouraging good digestion, keeping you regular and helping with problems such as bloating.

Prone to summer sniffles and hayfever? You could benefit from upping your friendly bacteria. One of the most important roles of the good bacteria is its involvement with our immune system. It is thought that as much as 70 to 80% of the body’s immune cells are found in the walls of the digestive tract, and the trillions of bacteria in our gut come into very close contact with these immune cells. They are also thought be necessary for reducing or controlling the response where there is no real threat, as occurs with allergies and autoimmune conditions (where the immune system over-reacts to the wrong things).

Other – perhaps surprising – areas of our health that may benefit from probiotic support include:

• Joint health – through their link to the immune system, the good bacteria may help prevent the autoimmune reactions that can inflame our joints, as well as generally controlling inflammation in the body.
• Oral health – by helping to control the populations of ‘bad’ bacteria that can cause dental caries (tooth decay).
• Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is filtered out of the blood by the liver and enters the digestive tract in the bile. Although some of the cholesterol is reabsorbed, some of it is excreted, and it is thought that the healthy gut bacteria have a role in ensuring this happens. A successful clinical trial has been carried out using the probiotic strain lactobacillus plantarumfor helping to lower cholesterol.

• Low mood and anxiety. Many nerve cells (neurons) line the walls of the digestive tract; so many in fact that the gut is sometimes referred to as our ‘second brain’.These nerve cells are directly linked to the brain itself via a nerve called the vagus nerve. This strong connection means how we feel can directly affect our digestion, but the reverse may also be true – the state of our gut could affect how we feel. Clinical trials have found that probiotics may be supportive for low mood, anxietyand ‘psychological distress.

For good quality probiotic supplements, try the new ‘ProVen probiotics’ range. All ProVen supplements are made with the ‘Lab4’ probiotic strains (of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria) that have been extensively tested in UK studies. The range includes different probiotic supplements for adults, children, babies and toddlers, for women during pregnancy, a specific product for travelling abroad (to protect against bacteria and the unbalancing effects of unfamiliar foods), and even versions that combine these probiotics with multivitamins.

Try ProVen’s new Adult Probiotic Plus Total Immune & Energy Support, £8.95 from www.provenprobiotics.co.uk

5. Magnesium

Mineral Magnesium is one of the nutrients whose intake commonly falls low in the UK population, with 40% of females and 36% of males getting less than the EAR (Estimated Average Requirement).

Magnesium has many roles in the body – in fact, it is known to be necessary for over 300 enzyme reactions, including those that generate energy from the food that we eat, and those that produce DNA and RNA for normal cell growth and reproduction. It is also necessary for allowing our muscles to relax, as it blocks the flow of calcium into the muscle cells (a process that causes muscle to contract). About half the magnesium in our body is stored in our bones, and it plays a role in bone strength. It may also play a role in blood sugar regulation.21 Magnesium is also necessary for normal function of the nervous system, and normal psychological function. Because of all these different roles, deficiency in magnesium has been linked to many symptoms and conditions. These include cramping or twitching of the muscles, fatigue, insomnia, lack of appetite, confusion and poor memory.Low levels of magnesium are also associated with conditions such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis and diabetes, migraines, PMS and even depression.

Try Quest’s Synergistic Magnesium, £4.99 from www.questexcellence.com with vitamin B6, which enhances the absorption of the magnesium.

 

The Mother Monologues: A Mother’s Day Event | Theatre

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theatre The Hen and Chickens Theatre

 

30th of March at 3:00pm

 

Tickets: £15

 

 

For all the mothers out there!

 

From growing up with a mother, to becoming a mother, to losing a mother, nine writers have written ten personal accounts describing their thoughts and feelings about what ‘mother’ means to them.  Through a series of monologues and duel monologues, this special, one night only event on Mother’s Day, gives a rounded look at matriarchy through the eyes of both men and women in the UK and America.  Sure to make you laugh, cry, or both, The Mother Monologues is a great gift to give your ‘mum’ this Mother’s Day.

 

Writers include, Irene Bradshaw, Mike Carter, Caro Dixey, Serena Haywood, Josephine Keefe, Laraby, Chukwudi Onwere, Sarah Pitard (Artistic Director), and Jonathon West.

 

Directors are Liz McMullen, Sarah Pitard (Artistic Director), and Cat Robey (Production Director).

 

The cast includes Irene Bradshaw, Tim Carey-Jones, Gabrielle Curtis, Rachel Dobell, Dare Emmanuel, Niki Hatzidis, Tim Jones, Laraby, Lee Lytle, Barbara Nicolaou, Rachel Packford, Cherise Silvestri, Jonathon West, and Anne Zander.