Here we are, in the sixties, and this evocative novel summons up the small Lancashire mill town of Horwich, (the author’s long ago home town) and has three young women carrying the complicated but enthralling and cogently plotted story, which is an exploration of the strength needed to find a way though difficulties.

Joyce Roberts is working hard in the local mill and loves Dave Yates. Is it to be happily ever after? I do hope so, as they discover Dave has a life-changing illness.

Then there’s Sally Roberts, married to Joyce’s brother who is in the RAF. Living so close to an air base means that Sally cannot avoid the reality of the Cold War threat. What’s more, she has left her two younger sisters back at the family home where she hopes life is running along untrammeled. But is it? Of course not. Can they cope without big sister?

Meanwhile Kathy Armstrong, who is engaged to Nick, the eldest of the Roberts brothers, is frustrated at work at the local newspaper where she feels she takes second place to the men.

As if all this isn’t enough, our author, Anne L Harvey quite rightly brings in antagonist,  bad bad Jud Simcox who is about to leave prison …

Roll of drums.

Yes, it sounds a frenetic plot, and it is complicated – for the author – but not the reader. It works …

I enjoyed it, I found the period refreshing, because the 2^nd World War is being done to death, even by me. This period, the sixties was ground breaking, tense, frightening, and is ignored. What’s not to like as a setting: the world on a knife edge with the Cold War (which quite frequently veered perilously close to a hot war). Female equality (which had come just so far) was still not quite there as women joined the workforce in great numbers and  the fair pay, fair opportunities struggles developed.

Grist to the mill for an author, and new fields to discover, or be reminded of, for the reader.

Read it: interesting, fluent, cogently plotted. One to buy for the Christmas stocking. Quick quick, still time.

Such a Time as This by Anne L Harvey  available here

Bernie Stevens is to be congratulated on the evocative cover design.

Annie Clarke: Heroes on the Home Front series.

‘Men are so difficult to buy for,’ say all the women in my life, at this time of year, who quite clearly overestimate us boys.

Much as we men love to receive socks and ties other options are available, and they don’t need to break the bank.

Carling, is serving up an original gift idea for beer lovers everywhere. The game-changing glasses, which caused a stir when they first launched in pubs up and down the country earlier this year, are now available in special four glass gift packs and single pint gift boxes.

Carling’s new four-glass gift pack (£19.99) and single pint gift box (£7.99) are available to buy from carling.com.

The innovative design incorporates vertical grooves which help the glasses interlock together, whilst embossed lettering creates a tactile grip.

The glasses are wider at the top and thinner towards the middle which creates a natural gap, allowing hands to easily wrap around.

The clever design makes it easier to carry four pints at a time, the perfect choice for Christmas parties and festive get-togethers.

Still not convinced?

Feel that we boys need some science?

Well, the nucleated bottom keeps the pints of beer carbonated for longer.

The easy carry glasses can be purchased directly from the Carling website making it easier than ever to spread a little bit of festive cheer amongst friends, family and beer fans this Christmas.

Price/stockist: New four-glass gift set (£19.99) and single pint gift box (£7.99), free delivery and available from carling.com now.

at the Spiegeltent, Leicester Square Gardens, London

‘the chance to see a walking, talking, singing T-Rex’

Based on the popular books by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto, Les Petits Theatre Company take over the Spiegeltent every afternoon to bring this story to life, using energy, noise, colour, puppets and props.

Miss Pie is trying to do a school play, but the children are playing up a bit. After a few false starts, she storms off – leaving the cast (Flinn, Pearl and Tom) alone on stage. A quick nod to each other and they play it out ‘for real’. They are brave pirates on the sea – until one by one they are kidnapped by Mr T the T-Rex, the captain of the Pirate Dinosaurs. All because he wants The Magic Cutlass from the bottom of the sea. So, threatening to turn Pearl and Tom into sausages, he forces Flinn to dive down to the sea bed to retrieve it…

Strangely, it is quite a complex story for the eager audience. Billed for ages 3 and above, I do think it is better for 6 and above. The books may be for the youngest of children, but brought to life, the characters are brash and loud and the dinosaurs are full-on for a small child to take in. I would suggest smaller kids sit at the back … even though they are keen to see a dinosaur when they enter – but when Mr T is there, he is huge and scary!

The cast are amazingly energetic – and arrive with a real bang! Mark Middleton, Ellie Pawsey, Tom Myles and Stephan Boyce (with supportive crew) deserve a huge pat on the back.

Director Hal Chambers hurls the story at the audience, seldom giving us a chance to breathe. The songs are, sadly, forgettable and there is nothing for us to join in with. The production is ‘for’ the children, not ‘with’ them – so, somehow, it is lacking in charm. A great shame as, technically, the staging and design have brought the books to life in such an imaginative manner.

Towards the end of the 60-minutes show the toddlers were getting restless, but for action, sound, lights and the chance to see a walking, talking, singing T-Rex, this is a manic, energetic show that does not conform to traditional pantomime. It is a seasonal production that doesn’t even mention Christmas. Such a relief…

Photographer    Gail Harland

Producer           Les Petits Theatre Company

Adapted by       Oliver Lansley

Director            Hal Chambers

Composer         Jack Graham Thomas

Puppet Design  Max Humphries

Set Designer     Zoe Squire

Running Time   60 mins

Ages                 3+

Performances   until Sunday 5th January 2020 – at 3pm

Venue               Spiegeltent, Christmas in Leicester Square, Leicester Square Gardens, London

WC2H 7NA

Tickets              Available from Christmas in Leicester Square at Tel: 03333 444 167 or online at

www.christmasinleicestersquare.com – priced from £8

Twitter              @PetitsTheatre, #FlinnCutlass, @LeicesterSqXmas

Facebook          /LesPetitsTheatreCompany @LeicesterSqXmas

A free Captain Flinn Activity Pack can be downloaded from www.lespetitstheatre.com

On Saturday the 7^th December food and drink traders lined the streets of Burnham on sea high street. It was the first Christmas food and drink festival. The big man himself was even there to greet children.

With many sellers offering Christmas special products such as mince pie flavoured vodka , warm and extremely tasty mulled cider and even a Christmas dinner nap which consisted of Turkey, Cranberry sauce, stuffing and bacon. What more could you possibly want.

EAT organises food festivals throughout the West Country and recently Festive Food festivals have been organised and this year was the first one in Burnham on sea, lots of locals attended to support local producers. Everyone was in high spirits and one couldn’t help but to get into the festive spirit (the mulled Cider and Christmas Carol’s certainly helped)

I attended the festivities with my parents  however it was completely family friendly with lots of activities for children and it was free to attend. I do hope that the festival is a annual event.

Organisers.

It’s rare gift indeed that can bring harmony to the Rowan household, especially at Christmas, so I am particularly indebted to Dundas and Burgun for this clever spectacle holder.

When we go out, my wife presents me with an edict in something of a double bind, ‘Make sure you bring your spectacles’ she instructs, followed by, ‘what have you got in your pockets they look ridiculous bulging like that?’

Now until recently I have suggested that I simply pop my reading glasses into her hand bag risking a withering stare and exasperated sigh, but now that small clutch bags are on trend, my wife has announced that enough is enough.

Happily  and just in time for Christmas, comes this stylish leather wrap around that protects the glasses but takes up very little space in your pocket, handbag or Christmas Stocking.

The Dundas & Burgun Lensrappa, is a thin leather glasses case design to fit any spectacles and stay as thin as possible. They come in 6 great colours and make a great Christmas gift or stocking filler.

Lensrappa £20 from https://dundasburgun.com/

Available to order online and will arrive before Christmas.

A story of personal growth through the challenges of life in modern day China

Frost Magazine is fortunate. The reviewing team sometimes receives a book for review that we fight over.

The Biggest City You’ve Never Heard Of by Dr Andy Wynn is one of these. Imagine this:

A new job, a new town. The thing is, the town is in China. It proved to be an eye opener for the author and his wife, Julie and in this memoir, written with verve, insight, humour and respect  Wynn reveals the day to day cultural experiences to which they had to adapt. Experiences which sometimes revealed uncomfortable (at first sight) norms which challenged their western concepts. Actually, delete ‘sometimes’, I think probably ‘invariably’ might fit better.

They were forced to look into themselves, accept A N Other and open their own world to the people of China, and step into theirs, living and laughing along with them.

As I read I found myself alongside Wynn, learning to swim and navigate through, and ultimately into the Chinese world,  peering, albeit second-hand, into my own inherited norms and culture, just as he did.  I realised that one is so familiar with the nitty gritty minutiae of one’s own life life: behaviour, manners, and humour that to sink into this difference is exhausting, challenging, and ultimately uplifting, and broadening. It creates  change within a person.

I found this turbulent, throbbing world fascinating, since my first and last view of China was reading The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, about a missionary, Gladys Alywood living in China in the 1930s and 40s  during massive upheaval. Indeed, she came to speak at our school, and was small, and impressive, and enthralling. You might remember the film, The Inn of the sixth Happiness. (Actually her hostelry was called the Inn of the Eighth Happinesses)

So it was high time Frost Magazine explored the changed Chinese world. So glad I bagsed the book.

Written with great thought, panache, an eye to detail, humour and above all imbued with honestly and insight  – this is a book to be savoured, enjoyed and one which will leave you pondering your own norms in this increasingly global world.

The Biggest City You’ve Never Heard Of by Dr Andy Wynn https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1081867035

Annie Clarke is the author of the Home Front Girls series. (Arrow)

Yardley is renowned for their luxury fragrances, bath and body products. I received a charming gift set that included 5 10ml floral fragrances which includes English Lavender, English Rose, Lily of the Valley, English Bluebell and English Fressia. The fragrances were beautifully packaged in a little gift box.

I sampled the perfumes and they are absolutely gorgeous, my favourite being English Rose. Each scent is light and not at all overpowering. The fragrances stayed on my clothes all day often resulting in compliments of the floral fragrance.

As there is a mixture of fragrances I believe that they would make a beautiful gift for most women who appreciate delicate floral scents.

The gift set is just £10 from www.boots.com .

1 The Market, WC2E 8RA, London.

Covent Garden is one of the best places in London to people watch and I must have passed Ladurée a hundred times, situated as it is, on the busy corner of Covent Garden Market.

I have often admired the pastel coloured macaroons in the window and watched people choosing from the breakfast or lunch menu, seated outside amongst the original cobbles.

So how is that I have never sat down to enjoy a breakfast or lunch Parisian style?

These are questions that I am unable to answer, but I know for certain that as this Christmas approaches, this is the place you are most likely to find me.

This year Ladurée has teamed up with the Canadian Chef, Patrice Demers to bring a unique and scrumptious approach to Christmas.

In my childhood Yule Logs were more traditional than tasty, so imagine my delight to discover the fabulous range offered by Ladurée. Any of these Yule Logs would make a showstopping centre piece for the Christmas table.

Their signature Yule Log, ‘Atoca’ has a beautiful balance between sharp cranberry and sweet maple syrup with Chocolate Mousse and Chantilly Cream. (£8.00 for an individual Yule log or £36.00 for a log serving 4 people).

‘La Marquise’ features a hazelnut dacquoise and pieces of hazelnut in a Sachertorte sponge, crisp hazelnut wafer and hazelnut cream and a velvety milk chocolate mousse. . (£7.50 for an individual Yule Log and £32.00 for a log serving 4)

‘La Favorite’ has a base of pistachio macaron and buttercream infused with pistachio together with a delicately flaked praline as subtle as it is delicious. (£7.50 for an individual Yule Log and £36.00 for a log serving 4)

More traditional flavours possibly, are to be found in ‘La Duchesse’ Yule Log featuring a Genoese sponge soaked in aged dark rum, chestnut mousse and candied chestnut pieces. (£7.50 for an individual Yule Log and £36.00 for a log serving 4)

The show stopping ‘Marie Antoinette’ Yule Log is described by Ladurée as iconic and having tasted this I am unable to disagree. A mouth-watering confection of macaron, rose infused buttercream with a raspberry and lychee jam. (£7,50 for an individual Yule Log and £52.00 for a log serving 6)

There is for me but one problem and that is, which to choose. Each Yule Log is as elegant as it is delicious and I simply could not choose a favourite. The individual logs are available from 4^th to the 31^st of December whilst the larger logs go on sale from 11^th to 31^st of December so plenty of time to try them all.

What would Christmas be without Mince Pies and this year Ladurée has launched its take on this festive treat. Bite sized puff pastry with a traditional spiced fruity filling and a crumble topping offer a melody of textures that go perfectly with a cup of delicious tea or coffee. (£1.95 each or £8.70 for a gift box containing 4 mince pies, available from the 4^th of December)

Continuing the theme of partnership Ladurée have also teamed up with Moet & Chandon to produce two stylish hampers containing both champagne and elegant comestibles. Beautifully packaged these hampers would make the perfect give for loved ones or clients and are bound to delight. (£66.00 and £96.00 available from 6^th of November.

If like me you know Ladurée for their macarons you will not be disappointed by their Christmas selection which includes Pecan and Maple Syrup; Haskap (the Canadian Blue Honeysuckle); dark chocolate and Labrador Tea. Beautifully packaged with maple and pine branches motif there is no need to wrap this gift.

Gift boxes are available containing 8, 12 and 24 macarons and are priced at £19.50; £28.00; £52.50 respectively.

A special mention for the L’eau de Nil and gold coloured Treasure Chest, containing 200 glorious macarons some of which can be customised with a name or simply ‘Merry Christmas.’ The hamper costs £620.00, so it is a gift for someone very special, but what a show stopper.

If all this Christmas shopping has made you weary Ladurée have carried their Canadian theme one step further with their Christmas and Canadian French Toast (£14.00) or make an occasion of it and treat yourself to their Christmas Afternoon Tea. (£42.00/£48.00 per person and available from 4^th to 31^st December)

A trip to Ladurée, Covent Garden is a deliciously indulgent treat, but with all the hard work involved in getting ready for Christmas, surely you deserve it?

www.laduree.co.uk