Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Darren Errol Clarke Obituary

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Frost Magazine was in shock when our writer and friend Darren Errol Clarke died on Friday, 15 August. Darren was only 45 and always very fit and healthy. Unfortunately, Darren had a stroke and later died of complications. 

Darren Errol Clarke

Darren was one of the most wonderful people you could ever meet. Charismatic, smart, gentle, kind: he was all the best of humanity in one big loveable giant of a man. His death has been widely felt not just at Frost, but also in the acting community, the RAF where  he was an aircraft engineering technician and in the Judo community. An outpouring of grief was all over social media after he died and many are still in shock. Darren was an outstanding individual. His intelligence was on another level and he was an actor who had been in many popular TV shows and films. I asked some of his friends to send their memories along. Here they are:

 

Nina Meecham:

I met Darren about 12 years ago, he was amazing, truthful and the best guy a woman could ask for. As time flew past our relationship, though long distance. moved away but having him as a best friend was amazing. Our love for each other was strong and he always talked me out of the blue days. I still can’t get my head around not hearing your voice seeing your smile, never talking to you again. I found a white feather on my floor today out of nowhere could this have came from… so i believe it was from you… showing me your ok and you’re still around me … thank you for loving me . I will miss you always x

 
Darren Errol Clarke

Colin David Reese: 

I first met Darren at an evening organised by our common agent – Miles whom I have known for many years. As I don’t live in the UK and had come over partly for this social evening, I knew nobody else in the room. Feeling a bit shy and awkward as everybody knew everybody else, I was somewhat left out. Darren came over to me and introduced himself. Nobody else had. We had, in fact, exchanged a couple of banters on FB and so there was a previous contact. Darren then took me round the room and introduced me to many people – which Miles was rather too occupied to be able to do. Our friendship was born at that moment as he broke the ice for me. Since then we became constant friends on FB and nearly every time I was in London we would meet over a pint …

 

These lovely memories came from Amanda Caffry-Hughes:

 

Darren was just 19 years old, serving in the RAF (at Locking, Weston Super Mare), when we first met at a nightclub. He was that confident, cool, well dressed guy who was breaking some moves on the dance floor: Grabbing the limelight – as his presence always did!

 

Just a short time spent in his company, I soon discovered what an amazing individual he was.  We hit it off immediately and within weeks became very close. Smart, good hearted, a gentle man, Daz was always compassionate, kind and considerate to others. My parents adored him! We didn’t always share the same opinion or see eye to eye – Daz could be stubborn at times, but was always very forgiving of my indifference and ignorance (!)

 

With time we went our separate ways but we never lost touch and stayed in regular contact, communicating most weeks. Throughout the last 26 years, we’ve shared personal tragedies – as well as our successes.  Always there for me, Darren was the most generous, loyal, trustworthy, honourable friend whom I miss today and will miss forever.  Losing one of my best friends is pain beyond belief but I know I was blessed to have known Darren’s love and friendship.

 

I’ve cried a thousand tears over the last few weeks…I know I’ll cry thousands more over Darren in the future: But today I’ve cried tears of laughter as I reminisce about the times we spent together. Always special times, we had so much fun: So many laughs – like the time Daz persuaded me to buy a state of the art car stereo system with the promise that he’d install it.. “Trust me Mand? I’m an aircraft technician: I work on Harrier Jump Jets all the time” he said, “It will …be a doddle and the sound will be quality!” Well he was right on that one. Driving to our chosen nightclub that night we certainly had fine tunes booming out at a million decibels BUT what Daz had failed to check was when the stereo was turned ON, the headlights turned to high beam AND the hazard lights flashed constantly! We had our very own mobile disco down the M5! How we made the entire journey from Chard to Exeter (and back) without being pulled over by the cops is beyond me! Well Darren returned to RAF Bruggen without fixing the fault (!) and I spent the following month driving at night in silence. Maybe that was his intention because my thoughts always turned to him… as they do now. Bless you Darling. Xxxx

 

That beautiful smile is etched on my memory forever. (Along with the sulky expression with the puppy dog eyes and bottom lip: Melted my heart and made me smile and laugh every time!) Gonna miss my dear friend but weren’t we the lucky ones to have known such a beautiful soul. Forever in my heart. R.I.P darling Daz.

 

I can see Darren now….Sunday morning in front of the hall mirror, plucking white cat fur from his afro!  My fluffy persian “Gizmo” so loved to sleep on Darren’s pillow! I remember one evening at our favourite night club – the strobe and ultraviolet lights lit up the white fur around Darren’s head like an angel’s halo. I did laugh.  Daz didn’t.  He didn’t call my cat by his name “Gizmo” ever again!

 

Darren Errol Clarke 29 April 1969 – 15 August 2014. Rest in Peace.

 

Darren’s articles on Frost are below.

 

Zen Sai review

Dr David R Hamilton… Self Love at BAFTA

Female Superheroes… Why has Hollywood gotten it wrong?

Online gambling, its rise and fall.

Diabetes… It’s Not Too Late To Take Control

MH 370… A Conspiracy?

Patricia Byrne Dies Aged 80

Stephanie Kwolek: A Biography

Matsuri dining experience.

Racism… What exactly is it?

Ageing isn’t just skin deep – Muscular Ageing

In love With Death in a “Secret Garden”

Frost meets Paddy Power and Professor Hawking: How England can win the world cup

The Moratorium: Homeless Veterans

Back Pain: How Low Can You Go?

Fire In Babylon: Facing Devon Malcolm

 

 

 

NHP Nutri Argan Beautifying Elixir Beauty Review

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My hair frequently looks like a frizz bomb. Depending on the weather it ranges from tangled to full-out frizzy nightmare. Finding out about Argan oil has been something of a lifesaver. It truly is a wonder ingredient so I was happy to review NHP Nutri Argan Beautifying Elixir. An intensive, multi-tasking, haircare product. NHP Nutri Argan Beautifying Elixirreview This wonder product can be used everyday and it really does work on my hair. It soothe out the dryness and leaves it looking amazing. You only have to use a few drops so even though it cost £16.80 for 100ml it is still completely worth it. It strengthens hair, leaves it less tangled and protects the hair from free radicals, heat and environmental factors. I can give it the thumbs up, and so can my hair.

 

Based on organic, certified natural oils of Argan and Macadamia, Beautifying Elixir provides extraordinary smoothness, softness and shine. A precious fluid based on a unique blend of fine oils rich in essential fatty acids and natural anti-oxidisers it is instantly absorbed by the hair.


A few drops revitalise the most problem hair, nourishing it from roots to ends with a lightweight, non-greasy feel.
Free from alcohol, parabens, PEG-PPG, mineral oils and artificial colourants it is enriched with anti-ageing Beta-carotene which helps to restore the energy supply to the hair fibre.

A complete hair wellness treatment, Beautifying Elixir:

  • Infuses deep moisture and regenerates the fibre of dry, brittle and coloured hair
  • Strengthens weak hair and controls coarse and untameable hair
  • Improves comb-ability and helps to provide a frizz-free finish to blow-drying
  • Protects the hair from free radicals and shields it from potentially damaging external effects including chemicals, heat, pollution and atmospheric agents.

 

Four ways to use…


Pre-shampoo – apply from root to tip and then massage well to deeply moisturise the scalp and hair.  Leave for 10 minutes before shampooing (ideally with NHP Nutri Argan Hair Bath).  The hair fibre is immediately replenished and loos revitalised.

Before styling – distribute evenly onto towel blotted hair.  Helps to reduce drying time, facilitates styling and contols frizz.  Hair is smooth, soft and protected.

Finishing Touch – apply a few drops to dry hair.  Imparts an extreme shine and protects the hair fibre from daily external aggressors, prolonging colour life.  Leaves the hair silky and manageable.

Intensive salon style treatment – mix with 5ml of NHP Nutri Argan Hair Mask, leave on the hair to absorb for at least ten minutes before rinsing.


NHP – Natural Haircare Program – was developed for professional salon use to care for dry, colour treated or brittle hair in need of superior nourishment to restore the internal balance and to condition the external structure of the hair shaft. Inspired by nature, the NHP Nutri Argan nourishing range is rich in a blend of certified organic Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil to replenish moisture in the hair from the roots to the tips to help regain softness, elasticity and shine.  The scalp and hair are also protected thanks to the exclusion of potentially irritating or aggressive synthetic ingredients such as SLES, DEA, parabens, paraffin and colourants. NHP is also kind to the environment as all packaging is 100% recyclable and products are created using renewable and ecological sources of energy.

 

NHP is available from Giannasso Hair & Beauty Covent Garden, selected hair salons nationwide and online at www.beautybyzara.com. £16.80 for 100ml.

 

 

American Actors Can Get How To Be a Successful Actor For $1.99: One More Day Only

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acting, acting advice, how to be an actor, how to be a successful actor, hollywood, castings, auditions, casting directors.American Actors Can Get How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur For $1.99: One More Day Only

Fresh from a Kindle Countdown Deal for British actors which was very successful, now American actors can get my book for only $1.99 for a limited time only. How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur has been getting rave reviews in America and it has already been selling stateside.

This is what American actor Tom Shafer had to say about my book: “An excellent guide for the entertainment professional

I found this book to be an excellent companion to Bonnie Gillespie’s ‘Self-Management for Actors’, which I am also currently reading. The first half of Catherine’s book does a excellent job of distilling a seminar’s-worth of material into a manageable bit. The second half, the interviews, felt more conversational. What was clear, the recommendations made in the first half came, in part, from these interviews. This is an excellent technique, since it reinforces the validity of the recommendations as having come from entertainment professionals who have achieved a perceived level of success. (I like that the definition of “success” was open for discussion, since it can mean different things to different people.)

As an American reading this book, I did find some UK-centric resources and references. But, in this era of global Internet access, I found just as many that were valid for US readers. I was able to take this in stride and see this as a valuable tool in my self-management as a working actor.

Thanks, Catherine, for writing this excellent guide.”

 

What are you waiting for? Get your copy now.

 

 

Scottish History For Dummies Book Review

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Scottish History For Dummies is a rather relevant book to review, with the Scottish Independence vote less than a month away.  As history goes, Scotland may be a small country on the edge of Northern Europe, but it has always punched above its weight. No, I am not just being biased because I am a Scot myself, although I am very proud of my country.

scottishhistoryfordummiesbookreview

This book is nothing if not comprehensive. It charts the entire history of Scotland from the Stone Ages up until modern times (the year 2000).  William Wallace (clearly not a Mel Gibson lookalike) and Robert The Bruce feature of course, that most often talked about part of history told via the historically inaccurate Braveheart, which is now the bane of all Scots who have to put up with ‘Ye cannae take our freedom’ quotes.

The Stewart Dynasty is well covered and the chapter on the renaissance of Scotland is particularly fascinating. It covers 1460-1542 and in late medieval Scotland, life was short. When someone died all of the windows would be opened to let the spirit out. The clocks would be stopped and not started again until after the burial. Families would drape themselves in white, only the great houses draped themselves in black. Then a wake, known as the Lykewake, would happen and last two or three days. Funeral expenses could impoverish the poor so they used a coffin which had hinges that allowed the body to be dropped straight into the grave so they could reuse it. All very interesting.

I also love the chapters on modern Scotland. 1945-2000 is full of great information. Although it does stop there, this book is still brilliant and a must have for anyone interested in Scotland and its history.

The Parts of Tens are as good as ever: basically lists of tens. The one on Ten Things Scotland Has Given to The World was my favourite. They were: the flushing toilet, The King James Bible, criminal fingerprinting, whisky, colour photography, anaesthetic, raincoats, golf, Dolly the sheep and For Auld Lang Syne. A good list, but just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Scottish History For Dummies is available here.

 

 

 

The Girls From Corona Del Mar By Rufi Thorpe Book Review

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The Girls from Corona del Mar review

The Girls From Corona Del Mar immediately hooks you. Brilliantly written, it draws you into a nostalgic haze. It is a brutally honest and sometimes uncomfortable read about the friendship between two women. This books takes a long, hard look at female friendship and reveals how little we can know someone, how life gets in the way and how fate can deal hands that are unfair and unbalanced. It reminds us that life is brutal and hard, but also beautiful and kind. The story is narrated by Mia as she describes her friendship with Lorrie Ann.

Rufi Thorpe’s true talent is how believable the book is, even with the twists and turns, the slights of fate. She has a beautiful way of writing that is almost poetic. But the book is also haunting and brutal. The story may be of friendship but it is a particularly broken one. It is easy to be best friends when you are a teenager, but life gets in the way later, as does judgement and life choices. It is a friendship of guilt, love and jealousy. Mia defines her entire identity against Lorrie Ann, referring to her as her ‘opposite twin’. She always thought she was the bad one, Lorrie Ann the good one. It is love, but it is messy.

The book can give a brutal look at being a woman. Abortion and the regret of having one plays heavily, childbirth is grisly and awful- actually stomach churning. It charts friendship through different countries, reversal of fortunes and personal faults. It is a wonderful book that stayed with me, if even occasionally for a haunting and brutal story. The Girls From Corona Del Mar is haunting, beautiful and hard to put down.

“Why did Lorrie Ann look graceful in beat-up Keds and shorts a bit too small for her? Why was it charming when she snorted from laughing too hard? Yes, we were jealous of her, and yet we did not hate her. She was never so much as teased by us, we roaming and bratty girls of Corona del Mar, thieves of corn nuts and orange soda, abusers of lip gloss and foul language.”

An astonishing debut about friendships made in youth, The Girls from Corona del Mar is a fiercely beautiful novel about how these bonds, challenged by loss, illness, parenthood, and distance, either break or endure.

Mia and Lorrie Ann are lifelong friends: hard-hearted Mia and untouchably beautiful, kind Lorrie Ann. While Mia struggles with a mother who drinks, a pregnancy at fifteen, and younger brothers she loves but can’t quite be good to, Lorrie Ann is luminous, surrounded by her close-knit family, immune to the mistakes that mar her best friend’s life. Then a sudden loss catapults Lorrie Ann into tragedy: things fall apart, and then fall further—and there is nothing Mia can do to help. And as good, brave, fair Lorrie Ann stops being so good, Mia begins to question just who this woman is, and what that question means about them both.

A staggeringly honest, deeply felt novel of family, motherhood, loyalty, and the myth of the perfect friendship, The Girls from Corona del Mar asks just how well we know those we love, what we owe our children, and who we are without our friends.

 

 

The Girls from Corona del Mar is available here.  

 

 

Back Nodger Review | Health

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backnodgerreviewAfter an injury on a film set I am now unfortunately one of those people who are in possession of a bad back. The most annoying thing about it is the limitations it places on you. Pain isn’t fun so anything that helps your back is worth the money and the time.

So we agreed to review the Back Nodger. First thing first: the back nodger is easy to use. Using it is very satisfying. Like always having your partner on hand for a good massage. It really does work, easing tension, soothing muscles, helping aches and stiffness. We are very impressed and our backs are grateful.

We love the Back Nodger and can highly recommend it. I will certainly be using it on a regular basis.

The Back Nodger can be used to relax the knots and tension in all the places you can’t reach; tight shoulders, stiff neck and your aching back

Say Goodbye To Half-Hearted Massages……and Hello To Your New 24/7 Masseuse. Back Nodger goes deep, is on-hand whenever you need it and will never miss the spot (or get distracted).

Your essential piece of kit for hours at your desk, after the gym or just to de-stress at home with your feet up.

Designed With Top Physios to Be Simple and Effective

Clinical Physiotherapist Paula Coates recommends using Back Nodger every day: “We all clean our teeth twice a day to keep our mouths healthy, so why not nodge your knots to keep muscles relaxed, de-stressed, and able to keep up with your lifestyle.”

This video shows you how to use the Back Nodger.

Back Nodger – Quick Guide to Nodge Your Knots from R N Ventures Ltd on Vimeo.

STEP 1
backnodgerstep1

2 hands on your Back Nodger
at all times!

The top hand is for control and the bottom hand is to apply pressure

STEP 2
backnodgerstep2

Hook the Back Nodger over your shoulder.

Place the uniquely designed Nodge head onto a knot or an area of pain or tension

STEP 3
backnodgerstep3

Apply deep, precise pressure directly into that knot or area of tension.

Hold each Nodge for upto 10 seconds (or one breath) and then release the pressure.

STEP 4
backnodgerstep4

Keep Nodging! Once you have Nodged one knot, move onto the another knot anywhere on your back.

 

The Back Nodger is available from Boots.com and eBay.

 

 

You’re A Big Girl Now By Neil Gordon Book Review

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yours-a-big-girl-now-book reviewUpon reading the inlay for You’re A Big Girl Now I was immediately hooked. It has a lot of the stuff I am interested in: politics, privacy, human rights, journalism. I was not disappointed. It grabs you from the start and I also feel like Neil Gordon really knows his stuff. As he should of course, this is his fourth novel and he is also Professor of Writing at The New School and Professor of Comparative Literature and Dean of The American University in Paris. Add in that he is the literary editor at the Boston Review and you have a man who knows a lot about writing. This certainly comes across in his novel.

This novel is a sequel but I only realised that after reading the blurb on the Pan Macmillan website. Despite this, you can read this book as a standalone novel and still understand and enjoy it.

It is a gripping thriller that holds you. It has plenty of twists and turns. The main character, Isabel Montgomery, is not necessarily a likeable person. She is over-privileged but she knows it, gets work because of her family name but knows it, is a drug addict and a flake, but she knows it. I didn’t know if I liked her but the fact is, Isabel Montgomery certainly would not care whether or not I liked her. There is an echo of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo here. I must admit that sometimes I struggled with her character. I don’t know why female characters have to be so broken sometimes. The drug use annoyed me and I couldn’t relate to it. She is in her late-twenties and is still blaming her family for her problems, all whilst making a living trading off their name.

But she has her good points. She is an excellent writer, ballsy, opinionated. If it wasn’t for the drug use and the alcoholism she could actually be a heroine. She just lets her demons overcome her, not realising that many people have had a much worse life then she has.

The book is excellent, relevant and tells an important story about surveillance and politics. It is an enjoyable and educating read, even if Isabel annoys you sometimes.

 

A contemporary literary thriller, You’re A Big Girl Now is the gripping sequel to The Company You Keep, recently adapted into a major film directed by and starring Robert Redford, alongside Shia LeBoeuf and Susan Sarandon.

In 1995, Isabel Montgomery was abandoned by her father in a downtown Manhattan hotel room, and the world of her childhood fell apart. After years undercover, he was exposed as one of America’s most wanted fugitives, for his role in violent anti-Vietnam protests.

In 2011, Isabel is a twenty-seven-year-old star reporter – despite a bad attitude and a substance-abuse problem – and she’s about to put her career on the line by writing a New York Times front-page story on the Obama administration’s unconstitutional surveillance of its citizens.

Forced into hiding after the story breaks, she takes refuge in her grandparents’ abandoned home. There, surrounded by the past she’s run from for years, she makes a discovery that sees her turn her investigative skills on her own family to finally understand the truth about everything that led her to this moment.

You’re A Big Girl Now is a gripping, intelligent thriller that questions the morals and politics of America in the contemporary Age of Surveillance.

You’re a Big Girl Now is available here.

 

 

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Review

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I love Asian food and was quite excited when we got invited to review Moshi Moshi. It was their 20th anniversary, an impressive achievement in London where restaurants can struggle.

20 years ago, Caroline Bennett brought the first Japanese kaiten (conveyor belt) restaurant to the UK and opened in Liverpool Street Station to an astounded and hugely positive reception from critics and diners. It is fair to say that most Londoners had never seen anything like it. Caroline went on to pioneer the ideals of good sushi in the UK and democratised this beautiful Japanese cuisine which 20 years on, has become ubiquitous with the UK dining scene.

Our initial reaction was that the venue was beautiful. Very trendy and in a great location. Where we sat we could watch the trains come and go. The chairs are also very comfortable. After we took our seats we ordered some Prosecco Brut, Terra Di Sant’Alberto NV Italy Bottle. This was very good Prosecco and was a great start to our meal.

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewdumplings

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewprawns

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewliverpoolstreet

For our starter we had Gyoza dumplings, Organic prawn tempura and Cornish crab & avocado sushi. These were all just stunning and came with wonderful sauces. The prawns were nice and juicy. The batter was perfect and crispy: Fresh & plump. The dumplings were amazing and I loved the sauce they came in. The sushi was as amazing as expected.

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Revieweel

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewsteak

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewcola

For our mains we had Rib eye steak teriyaki: 21 day hung Suffolk grass fed beef, sweet potato chips, seasonal greens and Cornish kabayaki: the sustainable answer to unagi eel teriyaki. The steak is very good, it is little pieces rather than a huge chunk of meat. The chips were also amazing and very unique as they were very thin. The seasonal greens were good and the sauce was brilliant but I would have liked just a little more. Not much, just a little.

My colleague had the eel and said she would have liked it to have been softer and more tender. This could just be the Japanese way of cooking it however. The sauce was good, sweet and tangy as expected, but there was not enough of it and she ended up putting some soy sauce on her meal. So, more sauce!

After our prosecco we had some Fentimans Curiosity Cola. We had never had it before and it was brilliant- like a fizzy cola bottle.

For our dessert we had the Dessert Platter.

This included Lemon Panna Cotta, Matcha and Black Sesame Ice-Cream and some Mochi, which is a traditional delicacy from Japan.

Moshi Moshi Restaurant Reviewdessert

The dessert was very different from our usual desserts and was a lot less sweet. The mochi was tasty and interesting. Lots of coconut and a little bit chocolaty. The panna cotta was good, very sweet. The ice cream was interesting: we loved the sesame side but the matcha tea ice cream was too bitter for our taste. It was very unique though and if you love green tea, you would love it.

We liked the food at Moshi Moshi. It was very good and the location and venue were also great. Prices are reasonable. Their sushi is also great and should definitely be tried.

MOSHI MOSHI
Unit 24, Liverpool Street Station, London EC2M 7QH www.moshimoshi.co.uk
Tel: 020 7247 3227
Email: liverpoolstreet@moshimoshi.co.uk
Monday to Friday
11.30am – 10pm last orders Monday to Friday