Christmas Gift List For The Book Lover

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Frostie

Frost: That Was The Life That Was. The Authorised Biography by Neil Hegarty. The authorised biography which has been written with the help of the Frost family. A true insider look of the life of a man who was part of history. Riveting. Frost: That Was The Life That Was: The Authorised Biography is available here.

David Downton: Portraits of The World’s Most Stylish Women. A beautiful and stylish book. Featuring a host of gorgeous women from Cate Blanchette to Dita Von Teese. The portraits are as gorgeous as the women. David Downton: Portraits of the World’s Most Stylish Women is available here.

The Who. The Official History With Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey. The official history of The Who with two of The Who. Excellent stuff. The Who: The Official History is available here.

Nora Roberts Shadow Spell. Book two of the cousins O’Dwyer trilogy. A great fiction novel for a loved one to get into on boxing day. Shadow Spell: 2 (The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy) is available here.

Nick Middleton. An Atlas of Countries That Don’t Exist. A compendium of fifty unregonised and largely unnoticed states. This is a brilliant and well designed book. Perfect for the coffee table and as dinner party fodder. Genius idea. An Atlas of Countries That Don’t Exist: A compendium of fifty unrecognised and largely unnoticed states is available here.

Daniel James Cole and Nancy Deihl. The History of Modern Fashion. A gorgeous book for the fashionista in your life. In-depth and knowledgable without being boring. The History of Modern Fashion is available here.

Henry Carroll. Read This if You Want To Take Great Photographs of People. Essential and entertaining. Carroll really knows his stuff. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of People is available here.

The Mindfulness Colouring Diary. An adult colouring book AND a diary. Keeping you calm and organised: brilliant. The Mindfulness Colouring Diary: An illustrated diary of anti-stress colouring is available here.

Jason Brooks. London Postcards.Contains 20 detachable postcards from the stunning work of Jason Brooks’ from his London sketchbook. London Postcards is available here.

Peter Duggan’s Artoons. Over one hundred funny cartoons on the world of art. As entertaining as it is original. This is a perfect present. Peter Duggan’s Artoons is available here.

Mortlach Whisky Sponsors Private Viewing Of The Cycle Revolution Exhibition At The Design Museum

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Tuesday 17th November 2015 saw Mortlach whisky take pride of place at the private viewing of the Design Museum’s newest exhibition, CYCLE REVOLUTION, an exhibition which celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain, from everyday commuting to Olympic level competition, and looks at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.

The exhibition runs from 18th November 2015 through to 30th June 2016 at London’s world leading Design Museum, celebrating the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition, looking at where design and innovation may take the riders of the future.

The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ –

the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds…

the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains…

the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile…

and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels.

The private viewing event was attended by over 300 guests, who were invited to try a choice of two Mortlach Rare Old serves.

Mortlach, the luxury single malt Scotch whisky is notorious for its powerful, complex and unique flavours that have earned it the title of ‘The Beast of Dufftown’.

The private viewing was opened by Deyan Sudjic OBE – Director of The Design Museum

Frost Magazine correspondent Corinne Tuddenham-Trett with Georgina Bell and Sir Terence Conran

Mr and Mrs James Giles

The Design Museum’s passion for celebration innovative design concepts and individuals reflects Mortlach’s own design-focused approach and echoes the whisky’s history of innovation from its birth in the golden era of Victorian industrial engineering and design.

Guests enjoyed two Mortlach cocktails:

Acciona: Mortlach Rare Old, Lillet Blanc, Merlet Lune d’Apricot gomme, Regan’s orange bitters

Mortlach Rosemary and Honey Sour: Mortlach Rare Old, Manuka honey, fresh rosemary, lemon and barrel-aged bitters

Edward Taylor, Georgina Bell and William Butler-Adams OBE (CEO Brompton Bicycle)

Georgina Bell (Brand Ambassador for Mortlach Whisky), Andrew Ritchie MBE (Inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle) and Beatrix Ong MBE (Fashion Designer and Patron of the Design Museum)

About Mortlach Scotch Whisky…

This unique and astonishingly complicated distillation process, which commentators have attempted to explain as ‘2.81 distilled’, produces a whisky so flavoursome that whisky commentators have referred to it as the ‘Beast of Dufftown’ – a bold, rich and powerful spirit tamed for years in the finest oak casks.

Mortlach has been considered a secret weapon amongst whisky blenders, going into some of the world’s most treasured and beloved blended whiskies. With its thick, rich, robust character the whisky provides backbone, body and character in the blending world. It’s also highly prized by whisky lovers across the world – highly sought out but, in the past, hardly found. That was until in 2014 the distillery was given the limelight and recognition it not only deserves, but one that it truly has earned with the launch of 4 new luxury single malts.

www.mortlach.com

About the Cycle Revolution Exhibition…

The last decade has seen a revolution in cycling, on a scale not witnessed in the UK since the Second World War. Cycle Revolution celebrates the diversity of contemporary cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic level competition. It brings together bicycles, clothing, accessories, equipment, film and photography to explain where cycling is now and where it might take us in the future. The exhibition looks at cycling subcultures through four ‘tribes’ – the High Performers who reach Olympic speeds, the Thrill Seekers who take on all terrains, the Urban Riders who pedal our cities mile by mile, and the Cargo Bikers who work on two wheels. British bespoke bicycle frame building is showcased in the exhibition in a recreation of a bicycle making workshop featuring artisans from across the UK. Cycle Revolution closes with a glimpse into the future of cycling – how it is changing the infrastructure of the city, and how architects, designers and urban planners are responding to the needs of twenty-first century cyclists?

Enjoy the ride! Don’t miss the specially-commissioned Ben Wilson bicycle sculpture in the museum’s Atrium, cycling films in the 1.5 Gallery and series of cycling related talks and events.

Continue the conversation on social media and feature on the exhibition’s Social Wall @designmuseum #CycleRevolution.

Highlights of the bikes on display include:

Sir Bradley Wiggins’s 2015 Hour Record bike and 2014 World Championship Time Trial bike
A number of Team Sky’s Pinarellos from the 2015 Tour de France, as well as kit and equipment from the team’s 2015 Tour de France win
Sir Chris Hoy’s Great Britain Cycling Team London 2012 Olympic Track bike
The Lotus Type 108 ridden by Chris Boardman at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
Eddy Merckx’s 1972 Hour Record bike Francesco Moser’s 1984 Hour Record bike, loaned for the exhibition from the personal collection of Sir Bradley Wiggins
The earliest prototype Brompton in existence
A 1978 Breezer Series 1
A 1969 Raleigh Chopper
Bike builder’s workshop – showing the tools, materials and skills that combine to create a bespoke machine. Six independent British bike builders are profiled – Donhou Bicycles, Toad Custom Cycles, Hartley Cycles, Robin Mather Cycles, Mercian Cycles and Shand Cycles.
High profile cyclists including Lord Norman Foster and Sir Paul Smith discuss their passion for cycling and hopes for its future in the closing film.

Pre-book your ticket now (Members and children go free) – £13 Adult £9.75 Student £6.50 Children (6 to 15 years old inclusive)

For group bookings, contact +44 (0)20 7940 8783. Prices include optional donation. Tickets are subject to a £0.50 booking fee.

There are a small number of cycle racks outside and beside the museum, and limited space to park bicycles along the riverside railings.

The museum has a cloakroom with limited space for folding bikes, helmets and panniers. 1 ticket for 3 exhibitions.

Related events…

22 Nov 2015 11:00 Cycle Culture Tour Take a Cycle Culture tour with Artouride and discover some of the gems of London’s design-led cycling scene.

28 Nov 2015 14:00 Stories from the Saddle: Jon Day’s Cyclogeography. The Stories from the Saddle series invites cyclists of all stripes to the museum to share their story of life on two wheels. These monthly talks are part of the Cycle Revolution programme.

01 Dec 2015 19:00 Breaking the Cycle: A Slow Journalism Night The editors of slow journalism magazine Delayed Gratification host an evening which delves into some of the disruptive technologies and innovative designs that are challenging the status quo.

06 Dec 2015 13:00 – 16:00 Jingle (Bicycle) Bells. To coincide with the museum’s Cycle Revolution exhibition, everything you need for the festive season, on two wheels. Plus don’t miss Santa on a Bike and Christmas Carols.

10 Dec 2015 19:00 Home is Elsewhere: 50 years around the world by bike Long-distance cyclist and touring legend Heinz Stücke reflects on fifty years on the road to celebrate the launch of his book.

Images: Shane Finn (Visual Devotion) and supplied

corinne@frostmagazine.com

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

@ladycdtt

Dashing Through The Snow by Debbie Macomber Reviewed: Tracy Baines

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Ashley Davidson is desperate to spend the holidays with her mother in Seattle. Dash Sutherland has an interview for the job of a lifetime in Seattle and must arrive by 23 December. Both frantic to book a last minute flight out of California, Ashley and Dash collide at the airport to learn that there are no flights and only one rental car available.

After a rocky start, the two reluctantly agree to drive to Washington tighter. But their journey isn’t without obstacles, and a misunderstanding with the law threatens to ruin their holiday plans altogether.

Settle down to be entertained and ride in the back seat of the car that Ashley and Dash are sharing. It moves at a swift pace and the dialogue is sparky. A light and frothy romance with a happy ending. If you’re looking for a little escapism you’ll find it here. Many of Debbie Macomber’s books are made into TV movies and as I was reading I could see it fitting very well into the 3.00pm slot on Channel 5.

To be published 19^th November 2015 by Arrow

Taking Pity – David Marks Book Review

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Margaret Graham

They have taken DS Aector McAvoy’s family, and DCI Colin Ray’s foundation. They have taken DS Trish Pharaoh’s fight. Now the criminal network with Hull in its clutches, and not known for it ‘gently gently’ approach, intends to take everything that remains from those who dare to stand in its way.

Taking Pity is a police procedural thriller that is as merciless as its criminals. It whacks along on the backs of three officers who have reached the end of their tethers, and who chase the villains, knowing that by doing so, they are risking everything.

David Mark has been a journalist for fifteen years, including seven as a crime reporter with the Yorkshire Post in their Hull Office and has created a complex and at times devastating world.

Taking Pity is extraordinarily compulsive, though dark, reminding me of Rankin and the author, David Mark has created protagonists with a core of humanity. This humanity is severely tested as they forge a way through the twists and turns which must be the lot of all detectives.

How can they do this in such a merciless and base world, and still retain any integrity or compassion? I ask this question seriously, and admire those who work within the law-keeping forces.

Taking Pity is that sort of novel, it makes you think, and question. It’s gritty and realistic and I’m glad it’s not me out there, trying to make sense out of grim acts and their perpetrators.

If you like Rankin, you’ll like this.

Taking Pity by David Mark. Paperback. £7.99 Quercus. Also available as an ebook.

The Food of Love, Book 1 Laura’s Story by Prue Leith Reviewed by Jan Speedie

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Margaret Graham

The Food of Love, Book 1 Laura’s Story by Prue Leith

Reviewed by Jan Speedie

Prue Leith has had 5 novels published and has now embarked on number 6 which is to be a trilogy of stories about the Oliver family: Book 1 Laura’s Story. Prue Leith is well known as a cook, restaurateur, business women and judge on the television series Great British Menu. Having published 12 cookery books she decided to turn her writing skills to fiction.

The Food of love is the story of the Oliver family and their lives during and after the Second World War. Donald Oliver has moved his family to a Cotswold farm where he hopes to be accepted by his aristocratic neighbour but his domineering attitude makes this impossible.

Laura Oliver has always doted on her father. She is beautiful, spoilt and tempestuous so when she falls in love with Giovanni, an Italian POW, her father is outraged.

Laura and Giovanni flee to London to start a new life together. They struggle with poverty, hardship and destitution but their love for each other remains strong. Slowly they realise their dreams but not without consequences to other lives.

Prue has woven a story about food and survival during wartime rationing and the introduction to the British nation of Italian themed cooking in Giovanni’s restaurants. The smell of garlic, pasta and tomatoes rises from the pages.

Who will feature in the next episode of this trilogy about the Oliver family?

Prue Leith has played a key role in changing our eating habits in Britain. She lives in London and Oxfordshire.

Published by Quercus in September 2015

Available in Hardback: eBook: at £19.99

Month 10 of My Reading Challenge By Frances Colville

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Frostie

The first book I picked up this month was a biography of Thomas Hardy by Claire Tomalin, entitled Thomas Hardy: the Time Torn Man. This is not a quick read. It’s lengthy, detailed, and packed full of information about the life and works of Hardy and the people around him. But it’s not a difficult read. It’s well-written, the information is interesting and for me provided new insights into the work of a great author. I particularly liked learning more about his first wife Emma and trying to understand how their relationship deteriorated over the many years they were together.

Earlier this month I went to a talk at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature by Paula Hawkins, author of the best selling The Girl on the Train. It’s always interesting to listen to an author talking about his or her work. Unfortunately on this occasion an unguarded question from a member of the audience told me the ending of the book before I’d got to it. And that is something you don’t want to happen with a psychological thriller. Despite the spoiler, I did enjoy the book. It’s a fast-paced, keep-you-on- the-edge-of-your-seat read. I got a bit fed up with all the changes from one date to another, and I found the three female characters rather too similar. But I still recommend it – and I gather it’s being made into a film as well.

And then a book I’ve been looking forward to reading ever since I first heard it was going to be published. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mocking Bird which is such an iconic book that I wasn’t sure if anything else could live up to it. And my conclusion is that it didn’t. Written before To Kill a Mocking Bird and rejected by publishers, it does read like an unedited early version. It’s more a stream of consciousness than a novel with a plot, and there are some annoying sections when the author switches from third to first person. I could see how To Kill a Mocking Bird had developed from it, and how much better a writer Harper Lee became once she had found the voice of the child Scout instead of the adult Jean Louise in Go Set a Watchman. But that doesn’t mean the latter isn’t worth reading. It deals with important issues in its own right and it’s also a significant stepping stone towards fully appreciating the greatness of To Kill a Mocking Bird. I’m very glad to have read it.

A book I have spent a great deal of time reading and re-reading this year is an anthology of short stories and poetry to which I contributed, and for which I was co-editor and proofreader. It’s called Narrative Threads and is a compilation of the work of sixteen Dorset-based authors and poets, known as Story Traders. Every piece in the book has a connection with the theme of rope, because of the importance of the rope and net industry in our local town of Bridport. Of course I recommend it – for its variety and uniqueness as much as anything – even though just at the moment I’ve had enough of going through it with a fine toothcomb.

Next a thoroughly enjoyable couple of evenings reading The Future is Ours, one of Margaret Graham‘s early books. Set during the aftermath of the Second World War and then the Korean War and the run up to the Cold War, a period which has always interested me, it’s a very human story with a delightful main character Rosie. A book which is very easy to read as it’s well-paced and the writing just flows.

And finally something completely different – a family/travel memoir called Grape Expectations by Caro Feely, which describes the new life she and her husband (with two very young children) carved for themselves in a vineyard in the South of France. Not the best-written book of its type I have read, but it’s a compelling read and I have endless admiration for someone who can achieve so much under some fairly adverse circumstances and still have the strength and enthusiasm to write about it.

Overall, not a bad month in terms of number and quality of words read, and books crossed off my list. Onward and upward!

Jethro Sheeran Alonestar Official Cornerstone Album Launch… Party Central!

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Having hosted several events, Nuraya Kokos (Baby Kokos PR) certainly knows how to draw a crowd…

On Tuesday 10 November, Baby Kokos PR hosted the launch of hip-hop/urban pop singer aLonestar – aka Jethro Sheeran’s new album CORNERSTONE at SW10’s swankiest club, Embargo Republica, sponsored by the premier beauty brand LA Skincare, Wolf Media, H and N Solutions, Catering Heaven, Little Eden, Julie’s Scrumptious Cakes, Wolf security, Celeb FC and hosted by international supermodel Harriadnie Beau.

When I arrived, the entire building was buzzing, an electric conglomeration of sights and sounds, flashing lights and thudding speakers, establishing a constant sense of breathless anticipation.

In other words: With over 480 invited and VIP guests, it was accomplishing the exact goal of a launch event.

“Vibrant sound, Alonestar’s vocals run deep” Venue Magazine

Rapper and producer Jethro Sheeran, who performs under the name ‘aLonestar’ grew up in Bristol, gaining a big following with his style of hip hop music fused with urban pop, written very much from the heart.

He has also collaborated with a number of other artists including his cousin Ed Sheeran.

This album, CORNERSTONE, features ten tracks, five of which are available to download now with the entire album release set for 6 December 2015.

Preview, buy and download songs from the album, including ‘Bristol Pill’, ‘In This Lie’, ‘My Child Master’ (ft Josh Rhys Owen) and many more.

CORNERSTONE album – £6.99 with songs starting at 0.79p:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/cornerstone/id1057265050

VIP and guest attendees included:

Rough Copy, Bupsi (aka Nicola Brown). Paddy Doherty (Celebrity Big Brother), Rashelle, Samantha Kay, Karl Negus, Miss Supranational Wales and England 2015, Miss London Town Supranational, Simone Myers (TOWIE),

Naomi Isted (British fashion and beauty presenter), Alex Reid, Simon Gross, Colin Chapman (author), Melody Munday and James Lewis (ITV’s Deals, Wheels and Steals).

Guests enjoyed performances including Lydia Lucy who appeared as the main supporting act for Jethro Sheeran,

Gak Jonze, Sean Magee and Jason Sharpey Pearce and entertained with the sharp magic talent of Carl Charlesworth.

Catering Heaven (and the clue is in the name), provided elegant canapes and sandwiches, with Julie Matthews (Julie’s Scrumptious Cakes) working her magic providing adorable cupcakes and a celebration cake creation tailored to the event.

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

Corinne@frostmagazine.com

@ladycdtt

Images: Shane Finn at Visual Devotion

Video: Courtesy of Klash Ent TV

About Jethro Sheeran…

Winner of two Exposure Music Awards for Best Male Artist and Best Urban Song, Jethro Sheeran, Alonestar, is an artist fusing both hip hop and urban pop that has seen his live performances described as ”mind blowing – his headline performance at the EMA’s was electrifying!” by Dean Hill of tourdates.co.uk and the Exposure Music Awards.

His 6 track EP, “Warrior”, featuring collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Rosie Ribbons, Ja Ja Soze and Lifford, is available on iTunes with the title track recently performed on TV2 fight night live in Denmark with a live audience of 10,000 and more than three million watching on pay per view. Playing songs from this EP on the summer festival circuit, he has had enthusiastic responses from audiences across the UK.

International club and festival performances have earned him a reputation as a consummate showman, drawing enthusiastic crowd responses from London, Morocco, Spain and Denmark (free-styling with The Game and Black Wall Streets, Clyde Carson) to Port of Spain in Trinidad, as well as radio and TV coverage with his music also being described as having a “dark Bristol sound, a class production” by the Evening Post and as “being reminiscent of our early work” by Massive Attack.
For more information email info@alonestar.co.uk or visit:
http://www.myspace.com/alonestarmusic

http://www.soundcloud.com/alonestar

http://www.facebook.com/alonestar

www.twitter.com/alonestar1

#cornerstone

About Embargo Republica : Chelsea…

Grit and glamour fuse together to create Embargo República’s cool and contemporary Cuban backdrop: enter the club through our cigar shop to an interior shaped by exposed brickwork and timber, graffiti splashed on whitewashed walls, jazz club ceiling fans and eclectic vintage furniture.

If it’s a chilled out vibe you’re seeking, relax under the stars on the open air terrace, the largest rooftop bar in SW10 and a tropical haven that emanates Cuban al-fresco living. Boasting arguably the finest choice of cocktails and rum’s in town!

Music is at the beating heart of Cuban culture and we take pride in the range of live bands, DJs and acoustic acts that take to our stage each week – Victor Hugo & the Mambo Boys, The Cuban Brothers and Salsa Fuego Trio, amongst others, keep Embargo República buzzing from early evening until late with infectious Cuban and Latin rhythms.

533 KING’S ROAD
LONDON
SW10 0TZ

020 7351 5038 Sales: 07793 778 164

Enquiries: enquiries@embargorepublica.com

Reservations: promotions@embargorepublica.com

The Subcarpathian Region of Poland

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Paloma Kubiak

I have been known on occasion to say that Poland’s not just about Vodka and beetroot.

Since my very first trip – a surprise organised by my mum and granddad when I was nine year’s old, we’ve grown up together and each visit has left a lasting impression.

From the serene Mazurian lakes in the north-east of Poland (incidentally where I’ll be getting married next year) to the ‘Polish Alps’ of Zakopane in the South and to Szczecin on the borders of Germany in the west, Poland is a vast country worthy of exploration – even if you struggle to pronounce the city names.

Which brings me on to Rzeszow – the capital of the south eastern Subcarpathian region of Poland – Zakopane’s next door neighbour.

At a presentation to highlight the tourist opportunities in Rzeszow and the region – the first time the province has promoted itself in the UK – we were greeted with red wine grown in the vineyards of the ‘Podkarpackie’ (Subcarpathian) area.

It’s green with two national parks, it’s cultural with its museums, art galleries and wooden gothic churches and it appeals to the thrill-seeking tourists with its dog team races in the snow as well as for the laid-back traveller looking for 5* pampering at the modern Hilton hotel.

And like every great tourist centre, it has its very own market square (Krosno).

At the travel event held in Hammersmith, there simply wasn’t enough time to run through all the areas of interest, the opportunities awaiting tourists and the history of the region.

But with Ryanair flights direct to Rzeszow, it should be quick and easy to get exploring.

I just hope that Rzeszow doesn’t try to compete with the likes of Krakow and Warsaw which are now the go-to destinations for stag and hen-dos.

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