A knock at the door but no-one there, instead a bottle of wine, and note from a neighbour. ‘Look after yourselves.’

The day before, a knock at the door. No-one there, instead homemade pate, and a note: ‘Thought you’d enjoy this.’

Texts offering shopping as we old ducks are self-isolating as instructed for those of our age. So, thank you, our wonderful neighbours. We have become an end Crescent full of phantoms who knock knock, leave something, and disappear.

Our local cafe now shut, has creatively diversified, and is delivering homemade ready meals. We had one today. Cottage pie, for two. Actually, it will do for four. Just ten pounds, arriving at the door. Knock knock, no-one there, but a lunch, and in a separate paper bag, chopped sausage for the dogs.

As well as foolish people out there, there are many more who are not. Let’s be thankful for them all.

Thank you, Jacqui and Izzie at Bliss Cafe 

Before

Jenny Kennedy- beautiful, brilliant but troubled- is the pageant queen of New England. From ages Five -Thirteen, she won more prizes than any of her competitors, inspiring admiration and envy in equal measure. Jenny has more than a few secrets of her own, but what thirteen-year-old girl doesn’t?

After

But now Jenny is dead, in a murder that has rocked a perfect town and a perfect family. Virginia Kennedy, whose relationship with her half-sister was far from close, finds herself thrust into Jenny’s spotlight as she becomes a suspect in the brutal killing.

In a small town where death is public property, it’s up to Virginia to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder, and she soon realises that maybe Jenny’s life wasn’t so perfect after all…….

Within the first few chapters I was hooked, Green’s writing style is brilliant, it’s very easy to read as each chapter varies from Jenny to Virginia changing from Virginia’s life after her sisters brutal murder to Jenny’s life and what resulted in her untimely death.

The more I read the more secrets of the “picture perfect family” were unearthed. Green does a fine job in portraying realistic characters, in real life everyone has their own flaws or internal battles and this is also true for the characters from Linda’s(Jenny’s mother) mental state to Calvin’s(the father) deep dark secret that he has kept for 30 years .

I would recommend for fans of ‘Have you seen her’ by Lisa Hall and those who enjoy a good old Who done it.

Paperback £7.99

eBook & Audio available

The Vaults, Leake Street, London, SE1 7NN. Tuesday 10^th – Sunday 15th March 2020

Madison Clare

Photo credit Lidia Crisfulli

Written by Cat Kolubayev and directed by Anastasia Bruce-Jones this is a fast paced, all female dark comedy, a story of loyalty, revenge and secrecy.

Francine and Marla are on the hunt for a new hazardous waste removal apprentice.

Having just escaped a life of misfortune, Belinda walks in, ready for her interview.

The position isn’t quite what it seems and the advert may have missed a few pertinent details. Showing the nasty side of an already filthy job, someone is about to find themselves in a very sticky situation.

Adeline Waby

Photo Credit: Lidia Crisfulli

A new job at a hazardous waste removal company means Belinda’s going to have

to get her hands a little dirty.

Bin Juice romps about with mess and grime and dirt and selfishness, crime and mobs and savagery.

Helena Antoniou

Photo credit Lidia Crisfulli

Expertly mixing the comedic with the macabre, the three women keep up the pace, but a special mention to Madison Clare, who plays Marla demonstrating innate comedic timing.

The forensic interview technique of Adeline Waby’s Francine, would have most human resources departments heading for the exit, whilst Helena Antoniou’s Belinda/ Barney, proves she can more than hold her own both within the play and on the stage.  

Running Time 1 hour

Box Office -Tickets are available priced £10.50 from https://vaultfestival.com/

or 0208 050 9241.

Age Guidance 12+

Twitter@BinJuicePlay#BinJuicePlay #TheSWRC@VAULTFestival

Visitors eat imitation food packaging waste, made from chocolate, at Montezuma’s ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ recyclable chocolate shop, in Covent Garden, London. The pop-up shop lets customers swap old food packaging for chocolate and treats, to celebrate Montezuma’s switch to 100% sustainable packaging across its whole range.     Photo credit: Matt Crossick

You don’t have to be a genius to realise that landfill and carbon footprints are contributing to environmental harm and global warming. However, you probably do need to be a genius to get everyone to think about day to day packaging.

Those clever people at Montezuma’s take their chocolate seriously and their environmental impact just as seriously, which is good news for us all.

Montezuma’s wants people to re-think their daily habits by saying no to waste and yes to chocolate and it’s doing so in the most appetising manner.

Montezuma’s is inviting people to experience the sweet side of eco living, with its ‘WASTE NOT, WANT NOT RECYCLABLE SHOP’ in Covent Garden. To celebrate the launch of the brand’s new sustainable packaging, the award-winning British chocolate company is opening a pop-up shop, where you can swap your unwanted packaging for tailor-made treats, designed to imitate some of the biggest waste culprits in the UK food industry – think grab-and-go salad bowls, sandwich wrappers and those iconic black sushi trays.

Montezuma Chocolate managing director Bruce Alexander at Montezuma’s ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ recyclable chocolate shop, in Covent Garden, London.Photo credit: Matt Crossick

The beautiful, bespoke treats may look like trash, but they are actually formed from Montezuma’s classic white chocolate, filled with its indulgent truffle centre, and hand painted for a realistic finish! All chocolate lovers need to do to get their hands on these decadent chocolates, is simply hand over their used food containers – proving that recycling has more than just the one benefit.

Sitting in the window of the store is a fully edible 3D artwork, made to replicate a bin overflowing with non-recyclable rubbish. The piece will highlight the unrecycled waste that ends up on landfill each year. The indulgent installation will be lit up 24 hours a day, to inspire passers-by to make more sustainable choices when it comes to food.

Photo credit: Matt Crossick

The venture comes in the wake of Montezuma’s newly designed packaging, 100% of the Montezuma’s newly designed packaging is either recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable – a first for a British chocolate company. As well as using recyclable inks, adhesives, stickers and tapes, the company’s best-selling chocolate bars will now be delivered in 100% paper and card cartons, eliminating the non-recyclable metallised wrappers. Look carefully at all the art work as each tells a different story, but you will need to look closely.

Montezuma’s WASTE NOT, WANT NOT RECYCLABLE SHOP is open between 10am and 6pm on 13th and 14th March at 67 Neal Street in Covent Garden, London but don’t worry if you can’t get there because their repackaged fabulously tasty bars can be found in Sainsburys and Waitrose amongst other retailers.

And that solution is? Get back to nature.

The illustrations by Rosie Balyuzi dotted throughout the book, lead you through its meandering pages as Bob relates how he unhooked himself from the negative aspects of his life.

For two years he went off-grid into the Welsh mountains. Sometimes with no electricity, no phone, and miles from, what we call, civilisation.

He reconnected with nature.

Away from the paraphernalia of his old life, he found himself embracing the peacefulness of nature, and the silence of his mind and body.

Bob Hillary is a man of our times, probably ahead of our times as we try to catch up with what he has been advocating for years.

We can’t keep burning the Earth’s candle at both ends.

We have to take responsibility for our actions, and have more respect for each other and this planet we are privileged to inhabit.

Bob gives us twenty-one practices to simplify our lives. From just allowing ourselves to take it easy, to meditation and breathing.

On page seventy-six, he advocates exercise. This can include dancing.

Apparently there is a practice called 5Rhythmsdance a sort of movement meditation where you can dance away your demons.

It reminded me of a session of Laughing Yoga I did with my sister and three other stranger in an open tent at a Sunday market in Ireland — I’m smiling now as I think of it.

The session lasted about an hour, and so engrossed were we in our laughing that we were completely oblivious to the passers-by stopping to watch.

It was a fantastic unforgettable and liberating experience as I think 5Rhythmsdance would be too.

Bob Hillary’s lifestyle is intriguing, and in Simplify, he is very generously giving us the tools to aspire to a better way of life, a life that has been lost in this mad, mad world we have created.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Once upon a time I was scrolling through Instagram and I came across this interesting company called How Novel. What I was drawn to was the fact that they offer Mystery books which are wrapped, complete with illustrations to hint at the book that lies within.

I had many options to choose from and I ended up selecting two books: one was illustrated with hints such as ‘Espionage & Conflict’ and the second was illustrated with ‘ Witchcraft & Family’. I can not reveal what books I received, only that I am extremely happy with them.

I wanted to find out more about How Novel and they kindly agreed to answer some questions.

How the company came to be and why

I have always been entrepreneurial and wanted to run my own business. I started my first company when I was 16, where we provided sports coaching for children. When that came to an end I was on the lookout for a new idea. I was working in a school at the time, as a teaching assistant, and noticed that the children in one particular class loved reading more than any other. I worked out that the teacher was using her own money to buy books that linked to each individual child’s interests. That got my brain thinking and our sister brand, Reading Box (readingbox.co.uk), was born. We ran events for that brand over Christmas 2019 and wanted to offer something for adults too. I had seen ‘blind-date-with-a-book’ type things before, but thought we could do better; I knew a fantastic artist, put the two together and that is how the product in its current state came to be!

What is the ambition of How Novel?  

We want to make How Novel the go to brand for literary gifts. We have so many ideas, the sky is really the limit!

What does 2020 have in store for you all?  

Judging by the amount of orders that are coming in, more artists! As every single one of our Mystery Books is hand drawn, our capacity is limited to the speed at which our artists can draw and we will not compromise on quality. Most immediately, we will be launching our subscriptions, which will be more in line with memberships- you will really be part of a community. Every member will get a Mystery Book each month in one of our gorgeous boxes, along with an exclusive bookmark. Each member will also be given a personal pen pal to whom they can write each month and receive a bespoke response!

Did you have to go through a trial and error before you became established?   

Developing both brands to the point of launch took almost a year. For How Novel, the website, graphic design and product itself has all been done in house. However, once we launched it took off. We sent around five boxes out to people on Instagram with a decent following and within a day of them posting, we had doubled that in orders. The numbers have soared since then. So, even though it was a long slog to get going, once we opened our metaphorical doors people have welcomed us with open arms which has been really lovely. The support we have received has been immense.

How do you decide what books to use?  

Our Mystery Books are chosen either based on the recommendation of one of the team who has read it and enjoyed it, or we have heard great things about. We try and keep them current and in line with what our demographic tend to read, however we have plans to broaden our selection as we grow. Boring things like stock at our supplier are also taken into consideration. Once the books are delivered to us, one of our team chooses the four words that best represent that specific book before they are finally handed over to our Lead Artist, Jess. She usually sighs and gives us the odd annoyed look at us, once she has seen the difficulty of some of the words she has to draw but she always pulls it off! She’s incredible.

More information: https://www.hownovel.co.uk/

F*cked at 40: Life Beyond Suburbia, Monogamy and Stretch Marks

In her latest book, F*cked at Forty, Tova Leigh takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs, and the highs and lows of her life as a single person, a married, divorced and married again woman, the trauma of childbirth to, finally, a place that makes sense to her.

She discovered that she was more than just an extension of society and her family.

This made me reassess what I was striving for in my life, not just what society and family expected of me.

However, extracting the me from society and family proved to be more difficult than you would imagine.

When I was married and the children were small, if anyone asked how I was, I would always reply in relation to how the children and my husband were; if they were happy, I was happy.

Or was I?

Tova Leigh has been where I’ve been, felt what I’ve felt but, unlike me, she has stuck her head above the parapet and shouted it to the world. She changed things, and with an honesty that takes your breath away, has made her life, and the lives of those close to her, richer and happier.

The secret is, there is no secret. Be honest with yourself and, even if it’s painful, be honest with those close to you. Think carefully about the life you want, then get out and have that life. Adapt. Change. Never stop moving forward.

I realise, now, that life doesn’t stop after marriage, children or, even, divorce. There is so much more to explore, and I, for one, am considering a trip to Nepal where, according to F*ucked at Forty, the freedom is terrifying.

Available in HB, £14.99. Ebook and audio.

What a novel: In the Full Light of the Sun by Clare Clark alternately fascinates, and moves,

Three Berliners are caught up in a devastating scandal of 1930s Berlin: Emmeline is a wayward young art student, Julius a middle aged art expert and Rachmann. Well, who is Rachmann? Is he really an art dealer?

A novel based on a true story about Van Gogh’s paintings and the rise of Nazis Germany in the ’30s, one which concentrates on these three characters caught up in the discovery of many unknown paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. But perhaps an equally important ‘character’ is Berlin: so edgy, so louche, so conflicted by the end of the war, so at odds with tradition, so despairing, chaotic, and what’s more, a city that is in the throes of giving house room to the monstrous Nazis regime. In this melee of damaged post war psyches where anything increasingly goes, this novel encompasses not just art, but greed, and always the uncertainty which impregnated post-war Berlinl ife. Masterly. Read it I beseech you.

Available in audio, e-book and paperback. Pub: Virago

Keep the home fires burning – By S Block

1940 Great Paxford, Cheshire, when a Spitfire crashes in the village the lives of an extraordinary community of women will change forever. Francis Barden’s greatest challenge is only just beginning. Pat Simms received a respite when her abusive husband went to war but now, he’s home, Pat doesn’t know who to turn to. And for newlyweds to Teresa and Nick, the plane crash on their wedding day may just be the start of their troubles. Meanwhile the life of the Campbell family will never be the same following a devastating tragedy.

Picking up from where the TV series cruelly ended I was finally able to see what became of the remarkable women of great Paxford, did Pat ever see her lover again? Was the baby OK? What did Francis do with Noah?

I became so invested in the characters and their lives the hurdles that they had to overcome whilst the world is at war. I couldn’t put it down I was gripped from beginning to end, Block describes with accurate detail the trials that people on the home front would face. A stunning story of love friendship and bravery during a horrible time of uncertainty for the people of Great Britain.

Phone off well rounded diverse and complex characters whose lives would never be the same again, leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat, praying for another tremendous instalment divulging into the lives of Great Paxford’s WI.

Perfect for fans of Annie Clark and Milly Adams and those that enjoy TV shows such as Foyle’s war and call the midwife.

The Letter – By Kathryn Hughes

Tina Craig longs to escape her violent husband she works all the hours God sends to save up enough money to leave him also volunteering in a charity shop to avoid her unhappy home. whilst going through the pockets of a second-hand suit she comes across an old letter the envelope firmly sealed and unfranked. Tina opens the letter and reads it, a decision that will change the course of her life forever.

Billy Stirling knows he has been a fool but hopes he can put things right. on the 4th of September 1939 he sits down to write the letter he hopes will change his future. it does in more ways than he can ever imagine.

the letter tells the story of two women born decades apart whose paths are destined to cross and how one woman’s devastation leads to the others Salvation.

if you came across a letter dated over 30 years ago and it remained unposted and unread would you have the courage to read it and do everything possible to find out the story behind it? a beautiful story of love friendship and heartache. a page turner that would leave you believing that everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. written in 2 different time lines exploring the lives of Tina and 30 years earlier the lives of billy and Chrissy a beautiful and complex storyline that I could not stop thinking about, I laughed, I cried and I was left feeling all warm and fuzzy. perfect for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan.

Everything but the truth By Gillian Mcallister

Do you ever check your partner’s phone? Should you?
Are you prepared for the consequences?

Everything but the Truth is Gillian Mcallister’s stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and one woman’s compulsive need to uncover the truth

It all started with the email. Rachel didn’t even mean to look. She loves Jack and she’s pregnant with their child. She trusts him.

But now she’s seen it, she can’t undo that moment. Or the chain of events it has set in motion.  Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn’t Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost?

A truly unputdownable book. I was gripped from the first till last chapter. Gillian Mcallister is a fantastic story teller and I was kept in the know, i needed to know. Everything but the truth serves as a poignant reminder that everyone has their own secret, especially from people they love. You can’t help but put yourself in Rachel’s shoes, what would you do when you discover that the man you love has been keeping a colossal secret but yet, so have you.

I am now and forever will be a Gillian Mcallister fan.