Last week, I shared Minty’s journey as he honed his craft, abilities & skills. This week I share my own experiences.

We’d just sat down to our meeting yesterday when a woman  at the table next to us leaned over & asked Minty if he remembered doing a reading at her house with 4 other friends. Of course he did. She asked if he remembered telling them they’d have a baby in the family, a baby boy. Of course he did. She said, ‘My sister is having a baby & they just found out they were having a boy.’

And that’s what I love about these things – the little synchronicities that pop up just to remind you. She may have forgotten what Minty had told her if she hadn’t randomly bumped into him yesterday.

I asked Minty if he had any messages for me. ‘I’m not trying to get a freebie reading, I just think I can’t write about this without experiencing it.’

He asked for something of mine as he also practices Psychometry, known as token-object reading. It is a form of extrasensory perception characterized by making observations of someone by using an object close to the subject to channel these messages. I didn’t have any jewellery on, I don’t own a watch, all I had was my purse. He rubbed his hands over the purse & asked me if I had a big move planned, I was moving?

Er nope.

I tried to stay poker faced. Although I absolutely believed in his ability what he said didn’t really resonate & I didn’t want to give anything away, which is daft because I believe it is all energy, so my poker face ain’t going to defeat to the Universe, Quantum, energy. I was planning garden renovations; perhaps he sensed my higher energy  because I have been talking with a friend who is very green fingered about this as  a project over the summer.

‘You’re very green fingered & love having your hands in the soil.’

Er very much nope. It is one of those mindful activities I know has SO many positive health benefits but gardening to me is housework. But I have definitely been fantasizing about making my garden more zen.

He gave me some other pointers about things that will be resolved that do monopolise my energy & thoughts. I thought I had a much better handle on them. Minty asked why I had been feeling anxious.

‘ I didn’t think I had been.‘ I replied. 

I thought I’d been keeping those anxious thoughts at bay. But it was a timely reminder about watching the energy of those thoughts as there was obviously enough anxious energy whirling around for him to pick up on. But it also gave me some hope about things being resolved & maybe even sooner than I imagined.  And that’s the crux of it, I believe it’s all about belief & hope, trust & surrender. If one has hope, our vibrations are higher so  matches are going to be higher & things may well get resolved. If we trust & believe we are creating space for things to change.

I was a little sceptical as I returned home. The house thing was bugging me til I realised my dream is to buy the house we currently rent & because I  have started to see & believe in it as a reality I have been imagining, visualising what I’d do to the house should it happen. It will be a massive reno job, need under-pinning, the works. Dreams and imaginings, eh. That was the energy Minty picked up on: the dreams & imaginings leading to higher vibrations,

What I found equally interesting was that Minty steered away from obvious things like messages from my Dad, who died decades ago, or messages about my business. Instead they were subtle messages that were possibly easy to dismiss.  As I took some time to reflected on little things he’d said. I noticed how there was a grain of truth, a whisper of energy in everything Minty had picked up on. .

Minty said really all he does is give people hope. But that’s the power of hope: it can change your energy and therefore  your life. Hope is a huge gift.

If you’d like to contact Minty about readings, he works in person & remotely with people all over the world – that’s the great thing about energy, it’s not confined to this time & space!

Minty May – 07842 856552, facebook.com/mintystarot

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

It’s all energy!

Minty is a medium & tarot card reader. When we first met he told me there was quite the underground spiritual community in Evesham. I had recently been questioning this. His comments gave me hope.

Strangely I started to meet more people who were on their own spiritual journey; they started walking into my classes & reaching out to me via email or Facebook more, people I had never heard of before. Many with wonderfully diverse but equally fascinating spiritual, cosmic  experiences or beliefs.

But I only realized  when I sat down to write this piece that the catalyst for these beautiful souls coming into my time & space was this conversation with Minty. He gave me hope & hope opened up the space for more people on a similar but different journey to me to come into my life.

When we met next he told me about his ability, how it was nurtured. We of course talked about energy because essentially his skill, his craft, his ability is to see & interpret energy. So is it a gift? Not as such.  Everyone can do it but it has been conditioned out of most of us by society & generations who have not honed their own abilities.

It was Minty’s Nan who recognised her own abilities in her 5 year old grandson. She saw him talking supposedly to himself, but could see that it was in fact to her brothers. So could  Minty really see the same? ‘Who are you talking to?’ she asked.

‘‘Uncle Tom & Uncle Fred.’

I forget their real names, that’s not important.  What is important is that they had both died before Minty was born. His Nan asked him what they looked like & he described them perfectly.  From then on Minty’s Nan nurtured & nourished Minty’s ability ,‘Although,’ he laughs, ‘I could never master tea leaves – much to her dismay!’

These skills she had learnt from her mum & her mum before her & so on for generations. Minty went on to explain that all he can do is see, perceive, hear, feel, smell, and sense energy.

And everything is energy. We are all energy. We exist in a very material world but quantum science supports the view that we are more energy than matter. We used to be more consciously aware, more intuitive & in tune with nature, more connected to our bodies, & as such our energy was higher & we would have found it easier to perceive energy.

But as I mentioned before, it has been conditioned out of us & this art is no longer available to us all. Minty likened it to art & drawing. Not all of us are artists but we can all pick up a pen.

Minty is an artist of intuition & energy.

Find out more next week as Minty gives me some insights.

If you’d like to contact Minty about readings, he works in person & remotely with people all over the world – that’s the great thing about energy, it’s not confined to this time & space!

Minty May – 07842 856552, facebook.com/mintystarot

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

If you would like more information on how to practice mindfulness, meditation & yoga message her at alex(at)alexbannard(dot)com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively please check out her website: alexbannard.com

Frost Magazine, as our readers will know, became particularly interested in the importance of community during Covid.

Thirsk’s wonderful community hub was highlighted as prescription deliveries, and every other form of help was provided. The small shops turned on a sixpence overnight, to make it easy for people to order, and out the vans would go. Bliss, a local cafe delivered meals, and always the neighbours… It was wonderful heartwarming evidence of community at work.

So, what about Thirsk’s sense of ‘community’ today, now the emergency is, we hope, over?  Again Frost Magazine has written of just one facet that continues, though there are many more. Thirsk has the Yarnbombers brightening our lives and raising money for causes various, latterly Ukraine. This gang of 100 knitters come in stealth overnight, and when we enter Thirsk the next day, the bollards, and assorted piller boxes and various town squares are dressed in a particular theme, see above, the Jubilee. Yes, the Queen’s foot is resting on the top tier of cakes, but heavens, after the year she’s had, why not?

Now let’s have a look at the response to Covid in other areas, and where better to look than at one of my absolutely favourite places; my mum’s birthplace, and home, and where I spent many of my childhood summer holidays – Brady Square in the pit village or perhaps town of Washington.  Washington in Tyne and Wear, is where George Washington’s ancesters were born and lived. (The Old Hall is well worth a visit – lovely tea room too)

Brady Square

My adored Uncle Stan and Auntie Isobel ran the family shop, called locally I think -memory is fickle – The Long Pull in Brady Square, featured above to the left of the white shop. A train ran through the square back in the day, just to the right of  Stan’s shop.  Uncle Stan had brown sauce on his breakfast fried bread and my sister and I were also allowed, and they took us, with David their son, to the seaside – oh, those endless beaches.  But on the downside we had to buy our sweets!  My mother was known as Little Annie Newsome in her childhood. She and Stan were orphaned when their da died when she was 11. Community was there for the bairns. Is it still?

Mum and Stan in hired clothes for an photographer’s photo following her mum’s death, probably for her da, who was still at 1WW war.

I was lucky enough to grab Marion Taylor’s arm, holding this powerhouse still for long enough to tell me how the community fared during Covid, and were faring now.

Marion is a native of Brady Square, Washington, and she tells me that:  ‘The local community did not waver during Covid and although people were house bound, we worked with a local business and delivered essential items over a five-week period of free food to over 400 houses a week. My husband along with other volunteers did the deliveries and I organised all the routes so we could cover the whole of Washington and not just Brady Square or Columbia as it is known today. Elderly people along the way were caring for each other and prepared to share a box of eggs or only accept a single apple so the lady next door could have one too. Although Covid was crippling it didn’t take away the community spirit and the need to care for each other.

Asked whether she had any special memories of that time, Marion didn’t hesitate: ‘Easter Sunday 2020 we delivered 3,000 Lindt chocolate bunnies to the elderly and house bound people of Washington. A team of volunteers worked from 8am until every bunny was delivered – a spectacular achievement which brought so much happiness to the people who couldn’t be with their families that day.

‘When the council eventually took over, we concentrated on delivering hand sanitizers and masks to the care homes throughout the North East, travelling as far as Morpeth to ensure people had the PPE they needed.

‘I created a facebook page “Polly’s Patter Page” and set various fun tasks and puzzles, inviting people to join in to help keep their minds active. We still have this page.’

So, obviously the next BIG question from Frost Magazine was: what now? Pollys Patter Page remains, but has the rest disappeared into the ether?

Heavens, I might as well have asked, have you sworn off gin?

‘Certainly not. To start with we have two Columbia pages where we share information, post photographs and advertise our events. These pages have contact numbers so people can contact any member of the committee if they need advice or help with anything.

‘Columbia uk Community Forum   and Columbia Community Association

‘We also have the Columbia Community Centre, and  our new committee used the facebook  pages to introduce ourselves to the community and invited them to visit the centre where we welcomed their input into what activities they would like and how we could move the centre forward. It was a case of bringing the people together after the social isolation they had experienced and make them feel part of the community again. Bit by bit we gained their confidence and their belief in what we wanted to achieve for the community.

‘Our Memories of Brady Square facebook page is  very popular, and is where we can reminisce and it’s great for the community to chat and see old photos of what it used to be like in Brady Square.’ 

So that was Little Annie Newsome’s daughter, Margaret, well and truly told! But wait: next week we will hear more about the Comlumbia Community Centre; its activities, and  fundraising to restore the building, the… No, that’s enough, read about it next week. I tell you what, though, my mum would be thrilled to bits to hear that community is alive and well in dear old Brady Square, now known as Columbia.

Columbia Community Association will be open Monday to Friday from 8am – 4pm from July 11th
This is to accommodate the residents who are having to vacate their properties during refurb.
Everyone is welcome to pop in.

Margaret Graham is editor of Frost Magazine, and an author of 28 novels and a couple of books on writing.

.She writes under her own name, and Milly Adams also Annie Clarke. Her latest as Annie Clarke is The Home Front Girls series (Arrow) set in a north east pit village. Her mum was amazed that her dilly daydream daughter managed to complete even one book yonks ago, and had to have a gin. www.facebook.com/margaretgraham4

It was an ordinary school day, the day I lost my little brother. One moment he was on the roundabout and then was gone. Gone. Missing.

They all blamed me. I was in charge. Even though I was only ten years old. They sent me away. The hurt, the shame, the questions. The not knowing. I tried to move on.  It’s been nineteen years in exile and now somebody wants me back.

Someone with a dark secret. They hold the keys, they know the truth.So, I need to return to the Welsh village of my childhood to find out who, because I have a secret, too…

I did something bad…

In reviewing My Little Brother I have to declare I have a very personal attachment to this book: during lockdown I attended a virtual book launch for Diane Saxon’s book ‘The Ex’. During the launch Diane revealed that some lucky attendees would have the opportunity to pick a name for a character and another would pick two random objects for her to sneak into her next book. I said to myself ‘If i get to pick a character’s name i would use my mum’s name ‘Caryn’ as she has never been able to buy things like a mug with her name on, as it is so rare.

In addition my mum spent the first half of her life spelling out her name whenever she made a appointment etc. and then when she married my dad her surname changed from Thomas to Peeke and for the last 34 years she has had to spell out her last name too. 

Lo and behold I won the chance to name a character and true to my word (all be it to myself) i chose Caryn. And as fate would have it my sister won the chance to pick two random objects. She chose darts as her husband plays darts and false teeth which is one of our memories of our great grandmother – she would keep them in a glass in her very pink bathroom and as children we found it hilarious.

You can imagine my excitment when Diane Saxon informed her readers of the book title and release date and that a Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) was available on Netgallly. I was ecstatic when my request to read it was approved.

So, now you know my life story I will progress to the review.

Diane Saxon is a sensational author and her latest book will have you on the edge of your seat because nothing is certain, except that you are questioning everything.

My Little brother is a gripping, tear jerking, nerve racking and exciting read.

The scenery is described with such empathetic detail that you are transported to the rainy valleys of Wales, and almost feel the rain. The characters are so diverse and strong but totally believable, and Saxon flawlessly includes Welsh dialect and accents which not only do not hinder, but actually contribute to the characters’ authenticity.

Diane Saxon is a natural born story-teller and this is reflected in all of her books. Reading My Little Brother reminded me of watching episodes of Johnathan Creek and Poiriot because anything could happen, and frequently did, and it makes sense. This novel is far from predictable and you will not be able to put it down until all is revealed

If you enjoy a good ‘who done it’ then this book is for you. Read it, and see if Saxon has included the false teeth, the name and darts!

My Little Brother by Diane Saxon is available from 11th July in HB, PB. Audio and eBook.

Joffe’s book of the week is THE COWES WEEK MURDERS, the latest utterly gripping detective mystery from bestselling author Pauline Rowson — out now for just 99p | 99c.

Renegade detective Andy Horton is on a sailing trip to France when he gets the news: Sergeant Cantelli’s nephew, Johnnie Oslow, is missing.

Then the charred remains of a body are discovered in a disused tunnel. Is it Cantelli’s nephew?

The search for a missing person soon becomes a hunt for a ruthless killer. And this killer is just getting started.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COWES WEEK MURDERS BY PAULINE ROWSON FOR JUST 99P | 99C.

The Secret of Bagnett Hall by Norman Russell   99p/99c

One dead heiress.
A fortune hanging in the balance.  A cunning guest who’ll do anything to claim the money for herself.  

The brand-new, completely gripping whodunnit from Norman Russell is filled with gripping twists, charming characters and old-school intrigue . Just my sort of read.

The End of a Journey by Grace Thompson    99p/99c

South Wales, 1953. Zena Martin and Jake Williams are happy, in love, and about to announce their engagement. Meanwhile, Zena’s brother, Greg, hopes to persuade the beautiful Rose Conelly to meet his family and begin the next stage of their relationship.

Everything seems to be going well for the Martins. Then their beloved father tragically dies of a heart attack and long-buried secrets come to light, changing everything. As secrets so often do but they are great for plotting, and this is no different.

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I’ve been making fruit vodkas recently. It’s such a fabulous way to preserve the taste of summer, not to mention an excuse for a rather pleasant alcoholic treat. My method is super lazy – simply pop some fruit in a jam jar with vodka, screw on the lid and leave it – for weeks, months – I’m not sure yet, but my research involves copious tastings and may take a while.

My favourite project is lemon vodka. It’s made with the lemon rind – which pleases me as I hate throwing it away. You can add a sugar solution, creating limoncello, or, which I prefer, just leave it au naturel. But this is the rub. Try as I might to slice the thin rind off the lemon, it’s almost impossible not to end up with some pith. The oils in the rind provide the fabulous aroma, smell and taste of fresh lemons, but too much pith adds an unwelcome bitterness. Traditional graters are no better – bulky and awkward and the odd sliced skin incident detracting from the fun.

So how thrilled was I to discover The Microplane® Premium Classic Zester? Who knew someone would invent such a perfect tool for zesting lemons?

It was inspired by a Canadian housewife in the early 90s, who, fed up, like me, struggling with her traditional grater, borrowed one of her husband’s wood-working tools. The current Microplane® Premium Classic Zester is a distinct improvement on a wood plane – so ladies, hide it from your husbands or you may find it’s been relocated to his workshop.

What I love about this zester is firstly it’s long and slim – so much more convenient and easy to use. The stainless steel blade has perfectly regular photo-etched micro-teeth – in fact 400 of them. So sharp that they make zesting completely effortless, but tiny for precision and with a protective cover for safety. I just had to rub the blade very gently against the lemon and in seconds I had a pile of perfect zest, leaving the pith intact on the lemon, meaning I don’t have to use the lemon immediately. The zester was firm and solid with a pretty-coloured soft-touch handle. It also has tiny anti-scratch ‘feet’ on the end so you can stand it in a pan or bowl for more stability. Because the micro-teeth are so tiny and all in the same direction, it’s really easy to wipe clean, but you can also put it in the dishwasher.

So, now my lemon vodka production is taking off with the help of my new toy, I just need to worry about where to put all those lovely bottles.

Of course if you don’t share my addiction for limoncello, you can use the zester for other things too – zest any citrus rind for a pretty and tasty cake topping, or you can use it to grate ginger root, chocolate, spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon – and if you’re really cooking something special, how about truffle? It’s easy to grate tiny or larger amounts.

The Microplane® Premium Classic Zester is available in a choice of attractive colours to suit any kitchen. It’s available from hartsofstur.com for the special price of £21.50 (RRP £23.95). Take a look – you’ll love 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.

Do you find yourself yearning for the old days when life was simple and we ate good wholesome proper food? Or is this just me getting nostalgic again?

Even if you’re not an oldie, a little too prone to reminiscing, you’ll still thank me for introducing you to Tracklements Chutneys. They’re based in Wiltshire, where the founder, William Tullberg, discovered an old recipe for Wholegrain Mustard in the 1970s. He not only had a go at making it, but started selling it in his local pub, then not long after, unbelievably, Harrods took it on.

But he didn’t stop there. He searched out recipes for different savoury jellies, chutneys and sauces (even using a 17^th century recipe from an old book). And now, half a century later Tracklements have over 50 products and export to 24 different countries, and his son, Guy is continuing the family tradition.

So what’s their secret? Well no secret really, they simply choose the best ingredients, sourced from farms and small businesses across England. A fabulous example is the fruit for their crabapple jelly. Primary school children help pick them – the children learn about making traditional English preserves, and the school receives 50p per kg of apples collected, plus 25p per jar of crabapple jelly sold – win win. But it’s not just the fruit, vegetables and herbs which are grown locally, Tracklements have an arrangement with Aspell Cider company – another family business – to make a high quality cider vinegar for their preserves; the beer for the Beer Mustard is made just a few miles from Tracklements in Wiltshire, and the Cider Brandy for the Apple and Cider Brandy Chutney is from Dorset. How brilliant is that? (I’m getting nostalgic again).

 But the part I love most is that, despite having grown over the years, everything is still made by hand, in small batches using traditional recipes. 

Well, I don’t know about you, but having read the Tracklements story, I couldn’t wait to see if the local ingredients and careful production meant great taste. Happily Tracklements provided their Special Edition Coriander and Chilli Chutney for me to try. What can I say? Wow- Just Wow. I have never tasted chutney like it. The coriander was so fresh it was as if it had just been plucked from my herb garden and the flavours blended perfectly with a subtle bite from the chillie to balance the sweetness. The cider vinegar was delicate, complementing, not overpowering the natural flavours. It would go great with Indian dishes, also with a barbeque or even a mild cheese.

Amazingly, despite being hand-made from specially sourced ingredients, it cost just £3.75. I just loved it and I’m scrolling through their on-line shop with credit card in hand as I type – I may go for the chilli jam next.

Do follow this link to their website – you’ll be glad you did.

.

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.