Freeze wrapping paper

In the spirit of Christmas, Michael Rowan discovers some gifts that really do go on giving, thanks to Arthouse Unlimited a charity that presents the artistic talents of adults with learning and physical difficulties, needing varying levels of support; and where 100% of the retail revenue goes towards supporting the charity helping it to grow and evolve.  

Sometimes the stars align and a great idea is born. This could not be truer than in the case of Arthouse Unlimited

This is the brainchild of Becky Sheraidah, herself an artist who was keen to enable social inclusion for those susceptible to exclusion from the arts.

Arthouse Unlimited is a group of artists working alongside people with disability to produce a range of products ideal for Christmas gifts; stocking fillers or a gift at any time of the year.

Artist Elanor Sinden

Be quite clear these pieces are truly art and represent good value for money.

Best of all not only will you have the knowledge that you have bought an interesting gift but you will also be supporting a great initiative.

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I am loving the Lady Muck Range which includes Body Scrub with Bergamot and Lavender and retails for £20.00. Or try the Angels of the Deep with the life affirming motto ‘You’re splendid’ and who amongst us doesn’t need to be told that once in a while? This is a smooth scent with natural balmy, heady notes of Lavender and an airy citrus overtone.

Dark Honeycomb Bar

For those of us with a sweet tooth, try the Underwater Handmade Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Crispy Crunch which is handcrafted in the UK by a specialist chocolatier using cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, this chocolate is an indulgent treat for the taste buds. This chocolate features artwork created by a collaboration of ARTHOUSE Unlimited artists. https://arthouseunlimited.org/shop/underwater-handmade-dark-chocolate-with-sea-salt-and-crispy-crunch/

Organic Plant Wax candles in a fabulous range of scents and an even more fabulous artwork. Price £16.00. https://arthouseunlimited.org/product-category/home-fragrance/candles/

In and of themselves, similar items may be sourced elsewhere, but not so the art work, which is in turn, beautiful, quirky and witty. Guaranteed to be the sort of packaging that you won’t mind hanging around the house until well into the New Year.

Order online at ARTHOUSEUNLIMITED.ORG

If you look carefully at the photograph you will doubtless observe the artfully half opened box displaying six of the eight vegan friendly alcoholic cocktail sweets, but I really wouldn’t want you to think that I had already eaten two, before remembering that I was meant to be photographing them first.

Similarly, the photograph of the sweets with two empty wrappers is purely done for artistic effect, rather than me having tried one, not been able to resist a second.

Before I knew it, I had sampled that first delicious sweet, an Amaretto Sour since you ask, followed by the Prosecco Mandarin Spritz.

The striking red and white candy-striped packaging and pull out black drawer gives this a sophisticated look that makes it a perfect gift or stocking filler and retails at £15.00.

Perfect for brightening those long train journeys and I can imagine them being a very good start to a Hen Party.

Fear not if you are unlikely to find yourself on a train or attending a Hen Party, just curl up in front of the fire watching your favourite film, but make sure that the box of ‘Eat Your Drink’ is within reach.

The sweets consist of smooth jellies sprinkled lightly with sugar and delivering an alcohol kick. These award-winning gummies are made from fresh fruit, herbs and real premium spirits that impart and adult kick of 7% ABV, the equivalent of half a shot per sweet.

The four flavours (two sweets of each) are the Prosecco Mandarin Spritz, Amaretto Sour, Cherry Hibiscus and Bramble Gin and Mocha Espresso Vodka Martini.

Because of my dedication to Frost Magazine I forced myself to sample each flavour and thoroughly enjoyed them all. However, special mention must go to the Mocha Espresso Vodka Martini which manages to balance each flavour so that nothing is overwhelmed by the Vodka.

This is just so cute.  A jolly coloured three-armed octopus-spinner which sticks to the bath tub or tiles and twirls round.  The spinner has a friendly orange octopus body in the centre. There’s a twirly sun which spins within one of the arms, and two happy chappies – pink and green, smiling and winking at you from the other two arms. The happy chappies are hollow and can be filled with water, turned upside down to empty the water, or spun around if your child wants to make a big splash. Of course they can spin the whole toy around too, with water flying even further.

The colours are eye-catching and the friendly faces endearing. This is great to occupy a child from around a year through to pre-school – good simple bath fun.

I love this toy  – maybe a bit too much.

RSP £12.99  Stockists include; Smyths, The Entertainer, Amazon, Independents, Hamleys, Shop Direct and John Lewis

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

It is one of the events that I look forward to every year and have done so since my family moved to the area in 2002. The Bridgwater carnival is a stunning display of many floats strewn with choreographed dancers and hundreds of bright lightbulbs. Each float has its own unique theme, music and dance routines. Themes vary from ‘Frozen’ to Father Christmas and each float has a different theme year after year.

Bystanders will wait for hours just to get a front row seat of the stunning events. Each year around 150,000 people flock to the streets of Bridgwater, Weston Super Mare, Burnham on sea, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury to watch in awe and to help raise money for a variety of different charities.

The Bridgwater Carnival first updated in 1881 and was originally lit by lamps; electric lights were first introduced in 1913. Bridgwater carnival now entails of a display of over 40 large vehicles up to 100 feet long, festooned with dancers and up to 22,000 lightbulbs that follows a 2.5-mile route over two to three hours.

The carnival’s purpose is to raise money for local charities from money collection carts in the procession. Between 2003 and 2007, around £115,000  has been raised.

A carnival concert takes place in the weeks leading up to the carnival. At these concerts, carnival clubs perform on stage wearing their costumes and using pieces of scenery taken from their carts. The carnival concert has become a highly popular attraction in recent years, with tickets to see the event in a Bridgwater hall selling out very fast.

The carnival typically visits Burnham on Sea on the first Monday of November following an annual firework display on the seafront the evening prior. It is a event that is enjoyed by families both locally and those that have travelled to watch the carnival.

I can highly recommend it, however I will suggest that you wrap up warm, take lots of spare change and a slither of patience which is made completely worthwhile. Each year the procession is stunning and never ever repetitive.

Do you have a special little person to buy for? Well check out JoJo Maman Bébé. They make beautiful, quality products, which are also eco-friendly.  The baby clothes are delightful beautifully-made, classical designs – I just love that smocking – a touch of the young princes and princess maybe? Many of their lovely toys are made of wood – from sustainable sources. Table Top Kitchens, Doctor Patient Playsets and Plant and Pick Veggie Patch sets stimulate your little one’s imagination and look so attractive.

And if you are looking for children-orientated furniture and accessories – or just stuff for the young at heart, check out the Great Little Trading Company for some lovely beds, bookcases, toy boxes and much more, including some fabulous toys with an old-fashioned, wooden feel, such as the Star Beans Coffee Shop and the Willow Toy Farm.

But what about for you?  Well how about the travel bags from Gate 8?  Different options take into account the cabin-restrictions of major airlines whilst ingenious designs maximise convenience.  For example, the 2-in-1 bag is a single bag when you take it on board, but then splits into a smaller and larger one when needed. The bags can be personalised with embroidered initials, name or logo to make a super gift.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would it say ?

Some years ago, The Big Issue began asking people that and since then, some of the most brilliant and successful people from the worlds of entertainment, politics, food, sport and business have had their letters published in the magazine.

This collection of 100 of the most incredible letters includes Paul McCartney writing on how he found inspiration, Olivia Coleman on overcoming confidence problems, Mo Farrah on the importance of losing, Arianna Huffington on knowing your motivations, Jamie Oliver on trusting your instincts and many, many more, including Rod Stewart, Margaret Atwood, Buzz Aldrin, Tracey Emin, Michael Palin, Melanie C, Dionne Warwick and Ewan McGregor.

Letter to my younger self is a moving, inspiring and powerful insight into the wisdom that age brings and how you can use this knowledge to shape your future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have never read anything like this before, it is truly unique. Many of the ‘letters’ are inspirational. I especially enjoyed reading about people that I wouldn’t otherwise have heard of and discovering what they went through, what they were like when they were 16, and how they got to where they are now.

I equally enjoyed reading about the people I have heard about, I learned new things about them. Each story was empowering and encouraging. This book was so easy to read as each letter is relatively short and if you wish you can pick and choose what letters you want to read.

So if you’re in  need of some motivation, empowerment or if you’re just curious to learn more about some truly inspiring people then this is the book for you

Letter to my Younger Self:  Hardback- £16.99

Don’t you just envy that person who gives the most beautifully wrapped Christmas presents? You wonder how they have the time and energy to find those gorgeous gift bags and chic bottle boxes. Well fear not, as now you can be that person the ultimate gifting guru with the help of Vanilla Reindeer.

No matter your needs Vanilla reindeer has something that will suit your needs they offer a range of products and designs ideal for Christmas for all ages from gift boxes to advent calendars and chocolate truffle boxes.

I was fortunate enough to sample the chocolate truffle advent calendar. I was able to personalise it with a picture of my children and a message and design of my choice and even able to choose the recipient and have their name added. The result is beautiful, the picture was clear and of a great quality, the chocolate truffles were divine and bigger than I expected.

The chocolate truffle advent calendar is a must for fellow chocoholics who need an excuse to have a chocolate truffle a day throughout December, it will also make a great gift for that someone special as you can make the calendar completely unique. A gorgeous calendar that will impress everyone.

Red Truffle Advent Calendar £22.99

Snowman Standard Advent Calender £11.99

www.vanillareindeer.com

Award winning author, Oliver Eade opens his latest novel with a prologue concerning Professor Peregrine Pringle. What a name to get your teeth around. What a whoosh to get you reading chapter 1. What a joy to read the galloping tale set in Scotland, and why not, for this is where Oliver Eade resides.

Dylan believes his dog-phobic dad has destroyed his chance of ever impressing Alice, the girl next door – for the girl next door, has a DOG, called Bouncer. Arghhh.

But …. But… the Bouncer goes missing. Is this Dylan’s chance? Well, yes. Together they set off to find Bouncer, but where is he?  They seek him here, there and everywhere until finally they arrive at a decrepit manor house, Number 24 \and there, outside is Bouncer’s collar.

But they have a problem with Number 24 as it is where Alice’s big brother went missing, and Dylan’s little sister too. So if they enter, will it be the end for the two of them as well. Or, by being courageous and resourceful will they find not only Bouncer, but their siblings?

Into the house they go, and end up in a dimension where human and dog roles are reversed, and where Alice becomes Bouncer’s pet. But that is not all, because like all good stories there is an antagonist, or is that plural? For this stalwart pack of dogs and humans have to save the deposed Top Dog, Bosona.

And what happens to Colin? Who’s Colin you ask. Well, read Number 24 and see.

It is a fabulous novel for the Christmas stocking, written with Eade’s usual elan, and structural confidence. Loved it, loved it.

And you can meet the author at the Triple Book Launch for Silver Quill PUblishing Borders Writers. Not just Oliver Eade but Pamela Gordon Hoad whose latest novel, The Prophet’s Grief is launched, and a collection of short stories by Iona Carroll Other People’s Lives. Such a feast of talent and expertise. Such fun authors.

Melrose Corn Exchange Market Square, Melrose TD6 9PN – November 7th. 7-9. Free drinks and nibbles.

Number 24 by Oliver Eade pb £7.99

Annie Clarke’s latest novel is Heroes on the Home Front