The Columbia Community Association team had a welcome surprise last Saturday when the scaffolders arrived in force. Happy to work round the centre’s buzzing day the blokes got down to it and in no time the scaffolding was secure with all H & S aspects adhered to. Without a pause the team were then up and at it, delivering letters to their neighbours apprising them of the up coming situation.

Of course, within the four walls  the business of the week continued without pause, with the MBC amazing everyone as usual with their fantastic ceramic creations; bird feeders. Most appropriate as Spring is ‘just around the corner.’ Margaret was tempted to sing it for you, but how unkind that would be. Not content with MBC, Cultural Creatives were also strutting their stuff. The team is in awe of all this talent operating under their roof. Frost Magazine is pretty impressed too. Even the dads joined in!

Jim Benson, Principal Designer (H & S) nipped in to see how things are progressing, and the lovely Pam Telfer popped in to collect some computer cartridges. Meanwhile the bloke with the Red Shoes, Bob, shredded paper for the hampers Marion intends to make and raffle for the Ukrainian appeal. She has posted on social media asking for food donations, knowing that her community never lets them down, and sure enough, donations are coming in. But more very very welcome.

Marion was thrilled to see the roofer here at the crack of dawn during the week, and work was well under way on the Air Raid shelter roof. All the while, within the centre, the good fun continued, with a birthday pary and disco, not to mention the quizzes and laughter on Wednesday. Lord, so many eggheads, and clearly thinking is thirsty work. Tea! I mean. No gin in sight.

The Warm Spaces users were all eager to take part in the anonymous Sunderland City Council surveys, the results of which will be analysed, responses identified and future WS projects developed accordingly to meet all needs.

Aimee and her dancers were using the school holidays to get some extra tuition time and Marion can’t get over how they invent new shapes with their bodies.

On Thursday, morning meetings filled all rooms, though the afternoon belonged to the Forever Young ladies, with their homemade scrumptious cakes, and Bingo. Linda told Marion she was going to give the standup bingo a try. More the merrier, and each of these events are certainly merry and fun filled.

Meanwhile, Red Shoes Bob was still shredding, and Marion was filling boxes, seven finished so far, but there is a real problem sourcing boxes. Melanie, who has just taken delivery of her Scentsy order provided a few, and to Marion’s utter delight, even it must be said, hysterical delight (pull yourself together, pet) Christine Thirlaway from the local store sent hubby Graham to deliver a massive donation of gorgeous food. ‘Another Brady Square lass who never lets the community down,’ says Marion.

As always, there was the food to order for the Friday coffee morning: mince pie, quiche, double cream… and Phil told Marion his cook Claire has a big surprise for us. Di’s Diner is really so good to the CCA and it is VERY much appreciated.  Phil has even promised to sell some raffle tickets for the CCA – ‘Now that’s what community is all about,’ says Marion who wanted Frost Magazine to make clear that the Apple turnovers were delicious and barely saw the light of day.

Frost Magazine thought it interesting that Chris Todd, of Sunderland College, slipped in during the week to explain that he would like to offer a variety of training to the community. Marion, of course, bit off his hand, and asked for more details. When she has them you will be told.

Equans have just delivered a new 600 wall unit for the office; ‘Thank you so much we are delighted, Liam,’ said Marion, explaining to Margaret that Liam is the easy on the eye joiner though Margaret remembers that fact very well. After today the team can store their files away. Well, let’s rephrase that: they can once the decorating is done, the new flooring down, blinds are up… But the important thing is that the CCA is definitely ‘getting there’.

It sounds as though it was a manic week, but as Marion says again and again,  it is great fun, and she’ll be back on Monday, batteries charged, and ready for the fray.

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

Are you looking for a fabulous perfume to celebrate Spring, Easter and New Beginnings? Look no further – I’ve just discovered Clinique’s Happy, currently in fabulous limited edition packaging. I love it. Like me, you may equate Clinique with their amazing skin products – however ignore their lovely fragrances at your peril.

But what makes a good perfume? Let me share what I know with you (it won’t take long).

Perfumers blend different fragrances, making use of their different volatilities to control how long the fragrance lasts and how the scent evolves. The component perfumes are chosen to hit the air at different times, and these are what is known as the top, heart and base notes in perfume descriptions. 

Spring and summer scents tend to be fruity and lighter, they last longer and are less overwhelming and Happy ticks all these boxes. It’s absolutely packed with different floral scents:

Top notes: Vibrant citrus including Ruby Red Grapefruit & Bergamot.

Heart: Exotic Morning Dew Orchid and Boysenberry Bush Flower.

Base notes: Tropical, sensual ingredients like Hawaiian Wedding Flower, White Crinium Lily, Chinese Golden Magnolia and Spring Mimosa.

Are you starting to see why I’m blown away by it? The scent lasted all evening on me and frankly, made me feel good. When I first sprayed, the clean fresh citrus hit me, but after an hour the fragrance was much gentler and rounder – lily and magnolia mainly – beautiful.

If you’re looking to buy for someone special (Mother’s Day is around the corner) do grab the limited edition bottle. It’s signed ‘You are enough‘ by Global Ambassador Emilia Clarke. And guess what? Clinique is making a 30% donation to Emilia’s charity SameYou for brain injury recovery survivors. Emilia herself survived two life-threatening brain haemorrhages and a stroke in her twenties.

So do check out the Clinique website. The 50ml perfume limited edition bottle is £50. Make your mum Happy – she deserves it.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning 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.

February 24th 2023: Vilnius, recognized as the UNESCO City of Literature, has bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen on one of the country’s most distinguished authors, Kristina Sabaliauskaitė.

Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, Estonian, and Dutch audiences, among others, have praised her literary work, while the author’s bestselling series Silva Rerum, depicting the 16th-18th century Vilnius, made it to the top lists in numerous European countries. The author is also collaborating  on a musical piece for the city’s 700th anniversary.

The title, awarded since 1996, marks the exceptional accomplishments and merits of various Vilnius ambassadors—creators, authors, public and political figures, and others. Valdas Adamkus, former president of Lithuania, Ronald Reagan, former president of the USA, and Czesław Miłosz, the Nobel prize winner, writer, and poet, are some of Vilnius Honorary Citizens.

Ms. Sabaliauskaitė, a Vilnius native, is an art historian, art research PhD, Honorary PhD of Vilnius Art Academy, and one of Lithuania’s most famous modern authors.  Her historical series Silva Rerum, which follows the life of the 16th-18th century Lithuanian noble family, was published in 2008 and became an instant bestseller, scoring another 13 republications. The novel’s rich, multilayered narrative depicting Vilnius’ landscape of that age was found to be utterly compelling by readers, literary critics, and cultural historians. The novel quickly gained widespread recognition among the international readership in numerous European countries like Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Netherlands, and others.

The novel was translated into the Latvian language and made it to the top 100 most popular books in Latvia of all time. Later it was translated into Polish, and the translation was listed among the 30 most important books in Poland in 2015.

Another widely recognized novel by Ms. Sabaliauskaitė Peter’s Empress, published in 2019, tells a story of a Lithuanian noblewoman who was the wife of Peter the Great and the first empress of Russia, Catherine I. The book has won the Estonian “Book of the Year” award and has been among the most-read lists in the Netherlands.

“The greatness of Vilnius is the combination of the notion of beauty developed by many cultures that lived and created in it,” Ms. Sabaliauskaitė said. “Vilnius reflects Europe. Therefore it cannot be recreated to serve one nation. If you want to learn the history of Vilnius, you need to know Polish, Russian, and Yiddish languages,” added Ms. Sabaliauskaitė, attributing her inspiration for the novels to Vilnius’ multicultural spirit, fueled by its rich history and the co-existence of different nations.

City of Literature

Vilnius has been recognized as the UNESCO City of Literature, therefore naming the author as an Honorary Citizen carries a significant meaning to the city. Upon bestowing the title, Remigijus Šimašius, Mayor of Vilnius, said that the author initiated the wave of Vilnius culture and depicted the city’s historical layers, as well as its prosperity periods.

“Vilnius has experienced its golden age twice throughout its 700 years of existence—the first time 400 years ago and the second one right now. It is very important that Vilnius is rediscovering things it used to be all those centuries ago, thanks to Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s novels and Silva Rerum. It is a huge lesson about why Vilnius prospered then—because it stuck to its code and its genes: the city was respectful, lively, open to the world, collaborative, and even had the most robust protective alliances like the Union of Lublin then, and NATO now,” the Mayor added. “Therefore, if we want to prosper now, we have to draw experience from our past and present, and Kristina is a person who cannot only show it but inspire us to do that.”

As 2023 is the 700th anniversary year for Vilnius, the prominent author is also collaborating with a modern music composer, Gediminas Gelgotas, to create a piece of symphonic music, The Sarabande of Vilnius, which will be performed by the Lithuanian Symphonic Orchestra and Vilnius Municipality choir later this year. According to the project’s authors, the symphony will be a compelling minimalistic musical piece that will convey Vilnius’ essence and its survivalist spirit.

I have been to the buzzing Soho Theatre so many times over the years. I’ve been to a wide variety of events – from an intimate evening with Cybill Shepherd (if you don’t know who she is I will simply sigh and point you to the internet…), to a meeting of the local branch of Equity (the actors’ union). The theatre is cocooned in the heart of London’s West End and is apparently always brimming with activity, stuffed with people who always seem upbeat and confident in the knowledge that they know what they want from a theatrical event, they expect to receive it, and, when, having gorged on the show, leave fulfilled.

Age Is A Feeling gives them exactly what they paid for. It’s witty, it’s poignant, it’s short. Seventy minutes of humour and pith. It hits the mark, does its job, makes them laugh, makes them weep.

Does it make them think, though? Is this monologue simply entertainment or is it deeper?

Haley McGee performs with a surety of a seasoned pro, taking her time, confident. Her story tells the tale of a woman – it could be you! – with a degree of accuracy that leaves the audience spellbound. How does she know?!? Taking the minutiae of life she takes us through the decades from a 25-year-old to death. Up and down her ladder, she’s like a master puppeteer, tugging on strings, leading us along alleyways of merriment and, sometimes, sadness.

There are twelve specific stories, themed for all to see on cards. Three times she offers these cards to the audience and half are removed – the cards, not the audience. We never hear those rejected stories, partly because there isn’t enough time and, more prosaically, because no-one really knows everything about you. There are some stories that go untold. That’s a lovely touch, until, after the bows at the end, in true Brechtian-fashion, she announces the ‘lost’ six stories are available in the script which is on sale in the foyer! Clever, brash, funny. The show is on a par with the salesmanship. And that’s the point at which I pause and wonder – is there a little too much thinking in this show and not enough heart? Do I leave thinking about the futility or beauty of life? Or should I tap my card on the reader and make sure I buy the script? – ‘Ooh, she has a book, too.’ … Perhaps I’m being overly-cynical?

Maybe you could go another night and watch her again. The randomness of the story-picking will mean there are many different versions of the show on offer. Even Haley has no inkling what the evening will be until the themes are chosen. Clever. Brash. Funny … Heartfelt?

Photography Erin Hopkins

Writer/Performer Haley McGee

Producer Soho Theatre

Director /Dramaturg Adam Brace

Writer Eleanor Bergstein

Scenic Designer Zoë Hurwitz

Lighting Designer Daniel Carter-Brennan

Running Time 70 minutes (no interval)  Age Guidance 16+

Dates until Saturday 11th March 2023      Venue Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE

Tickets From £23 via www.sohotheatre.com/shows/age-is-a-feeling  Or by phone on 020 7478 0100

Social Media @yeshaleymcgee, @sohotheatre, #ageisafeeling

Joffe’s book of the week highlights bestselling author Helen H. Durrant’s brand-new crime mystery featuring detectives Lennox and Wilde — THE WRONG WOMAN is out this weekend for the special launch price of just £0.99 | $0.99.*
Lennox and Wilde are back!   A woman’s body is found dressed like a Victorian doll. She’s identified as Lori Lansing, who was kidnapped three weeks ago. Before too long another woman disappears . . .   Could Harry and Jess be hunting a serial killer? 

Just a taster of what else Joffe have on offer:

The Solent Murder Mysteries by Pauline Rowson. Books 1 – 3  £0.99/$.99  GREAT-VALUE BOX SET OF THREE BESTSELLING CRIME MYSTERIES.  Fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, Rachel McLean, Helen H. Durrant, Angela Marsons, Elly Griffiths, Karin Slaughter, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave will devour this series of absolutely gripping detective mysteries

The Augustus Mandrell Thrillers 1 – 3 by Frank McAuliffe  £0.99/$.99  PREMIERING IN BOX SET. INTRODUCING A CLASSIC SPY THRILLER SERIES FEATURING ASSASSIN-FOR-HIRE AUGUSTUS MANDRELL.
“Exciting, hard-edged, full of tradecraft, whimsical eccentricity and rough-hewn philosophy.” Lee Child

Murder at the Willows by Jane Adams £0.99/$.99  BRAND NEW COZY MYSTERY FROM A BESTSELLING AUTHOR.   Meet amateur sleuth Rina Martin – Famous artist Elaine appears to have passed peacefully in her sleep but something about the death doesn’t add up. The clues soon point to murder.  Elaine’s grandson is determined to uncover the truth and hires Rina to investigate.

Karen Baugh Menuhin is the #1 bestselling author of The Heathcliff Lennox series. She started writing at the age of sixty when the stories and characters simply started pouring in.  Karen loves the 1920s, cozy crime, traditional detectives and Downton Abbey. Her husband, Krov Menuhin, is a documentary filmmaker and is the eldest son of the violinist, Yehudi Menuhin.Read about Karen’s writing story below and learn all about Major Heathcliff Lennox.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN KAREN BAUGH MENUHIN’S HEATHCLIFF LENNOX READERS CLUB AND GET A FREE EBOOK AND A FREE AUDIOBOOK!

The Tomb of The Chatelain by Karen Baugh Menuhin: £0.99/$.99

A 1920s COUNTRYHOUSE MURDER MYSTERY.   A suspicious accident, a dead man’s gun and a lost tomb. Strange events disturb the peace of Lanscombe Park, the magnificent country seat of Lord Godolphin Sinclair.   A game of cat and mouse is afoot, Major Heathcliff Lennox and ex Inspector Swift are called to Lanscombe Park to investigate.

Let’s hear more from Karen about her work:

What do you think readers find appealing about your books? 
The mysteries are complex, the murders realistic, the characters well rounded and there’s a fair amount of dry humour. I’ve described the series as “Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a dash of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction”.
I write stories that appeal to my rather old-fashioned tastes, and happily they seem to appeal to readers too.

The Heathcliff Lennox series is set in the 1920s, has it been a difficult period to research?
I love history and this is reflected in all my books, but the 1920s was a period more difficult than I’d anticipated. I’ve had to learn everything from how people dressed, spoke and travelled, to inventions, communications, police methods and the law at that time. I even had to discover how fingerprint powder was made, where poisons could be obtained, how hard they were to get hold of and how easy, or otherwise, they were to detect.

What’s the strangest murder weapon used in your books?
A soprano in The Black Cat Murders, and diamond dust in The Birdcage Murders. I was particularly intrigued by diamond dust, and it took a great deal of digging to understand how it affected the body and what was known about it. Twilight Sleep was another interesting substance, it was used as an anaesthetic, and quite deadly in the wrong hands.

You began writing aged sixty, what inspired you?
My husband, initially. He’d been asked to write his autobiography, but then his publisher went broke. The book was finished but needed to be collated and formatted, so I helped out, and once the book was published I found I really missed working with words. I decided to write a murder mystery — my favourite genre — and the result was Murder at Melrose Court. With just under one million copies sold, there are now nine books in the series, with more to come.

What has been the biggest highlight of your writing career?
Sharing the journey with like-minded readers. I really enjoy devising puzzling, complicated murder mysteries. I’m fascinated by the complexities of human nature and exploring motives that lead to murder. And I share this with people who enjoy reading the books as much as I enjoy writing them.

You’ve been a number 1 best seller in the USA, how difficult was it to reach readers in the beginning?
Bringing a book to the attention of readers is a huge challenge. Providing good quality, entertaining stories is key. Gaining recognition for this and being included in curated book lists, which match books to readers, really makes the difference.

How can readers find you?
I have a website here: https://karenmenuhin.com/
A Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/KarenBaughMenuhinAuthor
And if anyone would like to contact me direct, here’s my email: karenmenuhinauthor@littledogpublishing.com

Finally: fabulous news.  #1 bestselling author Joy Ellis has surpassed 3 million copies sold. Hearty Congratulations to Joy.  Read the full story of Joy’s incredible milestone on the Joffe Books blog: https://www.joffebooks.com/blog-1/joy-ellis-sells-3-million-books

More information on the books Joffe have available here

Heavens what a start to the week that was, Marion tells us. The walkers’ early morning meeting went well and from the feedback the CCA will be hosting many more.

Cultural Creatives and Equans followed on, more knitted hats were delivered courtesy of the lovely people from Plain n Purl. There is a birthday party booked in for December.

Exciting news came by way of Julie Milne, who asked if we were interested in hosting a Basic Sign Language course and if so, she would provide free training. A date has been scheduled for March 8th – how marvellous is it to be being able to broaden your communication skills.

Courses on flower arranging are in the pipeline and a date is set for the next CPR & Defibrillator training. The CCA have received amazing donations from Liz Gaskin and Ann Stephenson which have all been put to good use and for which they are most grateful.

JLA Lewis, chief honcho              Darren                             Liam

A phone call came through from JLA to say that the Electricians would be back on-site from Tuesday 14th. Heaven be praised, they were indeed, and fitted new sockets throughout: tick.  Completed work on the intruder alarm and fitted a light in the loft: tick. Intruder alarm activated: tick. Fobs allocated and ID programmed in: tick. (This spells f-u-n  until everyone gets used to it) Joining in with the ‘lock’ scenario  going on, Red Shoes Bob took himself off to Screwfix to purchase a Yale Lock for the office door. (Marion fears it’s to  lock her in) Time will tell. She got extra keys cut just in case.

The new volunteers started this week and a good job they did too as Marion nipped off to have her  nails done before compiling some case studies relating to the Warm Spaces Project. She finds she types much faster with newly polished red nails! Well, who wouldn’t. There was even a visit from the contractors to look at the external wiring prior to the start of the roof refurb. Apparently, the wires need to have sheath wrap around the outside of the cable to protect the conductors inside and enable electricity transmission.

Whilst all this was ongoing the CCA were of course operating business as usual. Warm Spaces, dancers, exercise classes, Bingo and the Gold and Silver Road Show were there on the 16th & 17th. Marion placed the order with Phil for the catering of the Friday coffee morning: corned beef pies, mince pies, fruit Scones with fresh cream. She also sped out to buy a jar of jam.

Then, Linda arrived with her lush cakes and oh dear me… she  only  brought the man with the red shoes a corned beef pie. This spoiling must stop, as it seems to have gone to his head, and the smug smile is highly irritating. (Marion’s words, not mine, Bob, though I feel, frankly, it is foolish to spoil husbands. They get so out of hand – just saying)

After discussions the team have decided to change the Warm Spaces days : so, from  Monday 20th Warm Spaces will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to fit in with other venues. However, as Marion emphasises, the kettle is on the boil every day of the week at the CCA,  from 8am to 4 pm. Just pop in!

It is clear that all those at the CCA ended  the week full of positivity knowing they are moving forward and have the support of their wonderful Brady Square community and as Marion’s dear old dad used to say “There is no I in team, pet”

Indeed there is not.

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

Frost Magazine has had a really good look at Danish Dantoy’s intriguing, and delightful bioplastic recyclable tableware, which was given a test drive by our editor’s 2 year old pal, who even with a limited vocabularly certainly approved, evidenced by ‘Nice’ and whack with the spoon in the bowl. Followed by  ‘More.’  Margaret Graham can therefore vouch for its stability, strength and appeal.

 Tiny, the Danish Dantoy tableware for little ones  is produced in bioplastic  from sugar cane, a 100% sustainable raw material. The entire series is 90% Swan-labelled, which means that the toys are environmentally friendly and free of dangerous chemicals, always good to know when children are involved.  Margaret  explained the ins and outs to our 2 year old tester, with limited success, but his mum was intrigued: the  production of bioplastics reduces CO2 in the atmosphere, The sugar cane is grown on controlled, non-toxic plantations. The Bioplastic is produced from sugar cane, a 100% sustainable raw material.

To which our tester again replied. ‘More.’ Whack whack.

Frost Magazine particularly likes the fact that the set’s plate allows parents to divide the food into type, colour or size. If the 2 smallest spaces of the plate are not used for food, the bowl and cup can instead be placed in these spaces and used as a tray to carry food and drink together.

The  recyclable dining set has a long life, as it can be used right from the child’s first meal, and from there it can be adapted as the child’s skills and motor skills develop.

The set consists of 7 parts in fine, natural colours. Recommended age 0+ months, let’s detail it here:

• Produced in Denmark
• Bio-based material
• 100% recyclable
• Food approved
• Contains no harmful substances
• Withstands machine washing up to 70 °C
• Can be microwaved up to 70 °C

With Danish Dantoy’s quality dinnerware, Dinnertime, the child can explore food. I should say so: Whack. The plate’s 3 compartments make it possible to sort the food and give the child a well-arranged meal. Combine different sets and colours from the Dinnertime series and achieve a lovely selection for the home.

The Dantoy Tiny BioBased Dinner Gift Set costs £18 from Coolshop.co.uk