‘On the Road’ – a collection of sombre landscapes from the northwest coast of Scotland – more here
Category Archives: Culture
Win a Bundle of Summer Books
Nothing to read? Let us fix that. We have a free copy of all of the books below for a lucky reader. Enough to keep you entertained this summer, and probably next too.
With the heat wave set to last until August, Harlequin UK is on hand to provide their readers with the very best books to stay entertained in the sun. Whether you want to escape with some fabulous women’s fiction, indulge in a brilliant bonkbuster or sample some of the hottest newcomers’ debut novels, Harlequin has something for everyone. With tales of love and loss, sauce and scandal, check out what are set to be five of this year’s biggest summer reads.
To win follow @Frostmag on Twitter and Tweet, ‘I want to win the summer book bundle with @Frostmag’ or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. You can comment below which one you did if you want an extra chance of winning.
For fans of rom-coms…
For fans of bonkbusters…
For fans of romance…
For fans of chick lit…
For fans of erotica…
For one night only, discover the Natural History Museum’s hidden wonders
Science Uncovered, the annual free after-hours extravaganza, returns on Friday 27 September 2013 with more on offer than ever before.
The Natural History Museum is throwing open its doors and giving you exclusive access to its world-class scientists and rarely seen parts of its collections. Science Uncovered is your chance to discover more about the Museum, hear about the latest research and enjoy a drink in the grand setting of the Museum’s Central Hall.
For many, meeting Museum scientists is one of the most surprising highlights of the evening. Normally behind the scenes, our scientists tackle issues of global importance – from malaria to species loss. Science Uncovered involves 375 researchers from the across the Museum and from other leading organisations, such as the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Antarctic Survey.
Discover what goes on beyond the galleries at this world-renowned centre of research, learn more about the life of a scientist and find out something unexpected about the natural world. You can get involved in more than 200 different activities on the night, from the Science Bar and Nature Live talks, to visiting the Science Stations and taking part in exclusive behind-the-scenes tours. The evening is also a chance to see some of the extraordinary specimens from the Museum’s collections not normally on display.
New this year:
- Live link with NASA – the Museum’s resident meteorite expert, Dr Sara Russell, hosts a link-up with the Mars Curiosity Rover team at NASA. Hear what has been discovered one year into the mission and have the chance to ask your burning questions.
- Get sporty – join the world-leading sport science team from Loughborough University to find out more about the advances in sport, health and their work with the British Olympics team.
- Predicting weather – meet meteorologists from the Met Office and quiz them about how forecasting is done and what is happening to our weather.
- Science Fess Up – don’t know what DNA is? Never heard of Alfred Russel Wallace? Sceptical about climate change? Confess your deepest, darkest science secrets and discuss them with our scientist in a private booth.
- Science Stations – get up close and personal with groundbreaking science at the Science Stations. Check out live animals, including the hedgehog-like Madagascan tenrec, inspect a new 3D map of an ancient human burial site with our world-leading human origins researchers and race maggots with our forensic entomologists.
- Stamped on Science – collect all six stamps from around the Museum on the night to be in with a chance of joining a field trip to the New Forest. You will get to take part in an important study of British wildlife with Museum scientists and enjoy the great outdoors with a pasty or two.
Science Uncovered is part of EU Researchers’ Night, when institutions in more than 360 cities across Europe reveal the exciting scientific research taking place and celebrate the people who make it possible.
There will be activities suitable for everyone but from 18.00 the event is most suitable for adults. Space is limited for some activities and free tickets for certain events will be available on the night on a first come first served basis.
| Date and times: | 27 September 2013, 16.00 – midnight |
| Visitor enquiries: | 020 7942 5000 |
| Admission: | Free |
| Nearest tube: | South Kensington |
| Website: | www.nhm.ac.uk/scienceuncovered |
Historic Church Tours | Things To Do
The Churches Conservation Trust
13th August – 5th October 2013
Suffolk – Somerset – Northamptonshire – Lincolnshire
| · Stunning photographs of England’s most ancient churches available· Fascinating programme of four themed tours:
‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’, ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’· 12 historic sites visited |
The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), the national charity protecting ancient churches at risk, has launched a programme of fascinating Historic Church Tours across the country.
The tours will guide visitors through stunning countryside vistas, whilst breathing life into England’s shrouded ancestry and exquisite ancient architecture. Four intriguing themes included in the special Historic Church Tours are ‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’, ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’
Taking place at selected churches across the country from Suffolk to Somerset, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, Historic Church Tours encompass a comprehensive geography of British architectural and social heritage.
The next tour, Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials, will take place in Suffolk, 10:30am–4:30pm on August 13. Starting at All Saints, Little Wenham, a 13th-century flint church often described as one of Suffolk’s best-kept secrets, visitors will be in awe of the stunning wall-paintings and canopied ancient wall monuments. After a light lunch, move onto St Mary’s, Badley, a truly remarkable Medieval church with an atmosphere of great peace and stillness. With nothing for company but a 16th-century farmhouse and the wildlife of its pretty churchyard, St Mary’s is a breath-taking retreat for any passer-by. The final stop of the tour will be St Peter’s, Claydon. Overlooking the Gipping Valley, this church will astound visitors with its vibrant stained glass and extravagant carvings; a spectacular site to end this tour.
Historic Church Tours taking place in 2013 are as follows:
AUGUST
Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials – Suffolk
The three churches on this tour were selected for their stunning artwork in the form of extravagant carvings, stunning wallpaintings and vibrant stained glass.
SEPTEMBER
Churches at War – Somerset
Three of the CCT’s most stunning and iconic churches are positioned in Somerset. All three have been unwittingly caught up in a time of war, from acting as a hideaway during the Monmouth rebellion, to being solitary observer of mid-air disaster, the churches have seen all and kept their counsel.
Carvings – Northamptonshire
CCT churches in Northampton have an abundance of carved treasures on display. For this tour, CCT have selected three of the best from St Peter & St Paul’s in Preston Deanery, stunning carvings of animals, to the Norman St Michael’s, Farndish, which boasts gorgeous carved corbels and elegant arches, and the stunning 900 year old St Peter’s in Northampton, which is full of carved treasures.
OCTOBER
Monuments and Memorials – Lincolnshire
This tour will explore the stunning and spectacular monuments and memorials in three Lincolnshire churches. Take in the breath-taking interior of St Lawrence’s, Snarford, the unusual red-brick chapel of St George, Goltho, which stands alone amid acres of corn and oilseed rape with only a few trees for company, and Milton Mausoleum, the only surviving mausoleum in Nottinghamshire.
All guided tours are priced at £40 per person and will include a light lunch and coach transportation to and from a local train station.
Tickets are available on general release now. To book tickets, go to http://www.visitchurches.org.
28 Quotes On Happiness
“Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness.” Christian Dior.
“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” Charlotte Brontë
“Happiness leaves such slender records; it is the dark days that are so voluminously documented; but we see no reason to add to the darkness now. Happiness is precious, beyond all other riches, there to be cherished, however fleeting, and in finding the courage to be happy, we may also find the strength to be true to ourselves.” Truman Capote.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama
“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln
“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” John Barrymore
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. Mahatma Gandhi
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” Oscar Wilde
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama
“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” Benjamin Franklin
“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson
“Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness”. George Bernard Shaw
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” Epictetus
“I think happiness is a combination of pleasure, engagement and meaningfulness”. Ian K. Smith
“If we did not look to marriage as the principal source of happiness, fewer marriages would end in tears.” Anthony Storr
“It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy”. Philip Sidney
“You can run, run, run away from a lot of things in life, but you can’t run away from yourself. And the key to happiness is to understand and accept who you are”. Dale Archer
“Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind”. Alice Meynell
“I always remembered that when I saw people get married they got on a rocketship and went to Planet Happiness, Population: Them.” Marc Webb
“We all of us deserve happiness or none of us does”. Mary Gordon
“My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I’m grateful for that. Money is the longest route to happiness.” Evangeline Lilly
“Happiness consists in activity. It is running steam, not a stagnant pool.” John Mason Good
“There’s a happiness that comes from writing that I won’t live without”. Maria Semple
“I learned that people everywhere are basically the same and have similar goals that we do. They want health and happiness and the opportunity to provide for their families”. Steve Kerr
“I think money helps us. It helps us. It’s our – it’s our exchange system. But it does not buy you happiness. It doesn’t buy you health”. Victoria Osteen
“The secret of happiness is to find a congenial monotony”. V. S. Pritchett
“Too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware. Happiness should be like an oasis, the greener for the desert that surrounds it.” Rachel Field
Do you have a favourite quote on happiness? Add it below.
CLA Game Fair 2013 In Pictures
We had lots of fun at the CLA Game Fair. We saw the UK’s only Zorse, Zulu, and also saw lots of horses, puppies, birds of prey and great shows. There was also lots of sun and great food and drink around. We also bumped into Gold Olympic medalist Peter Wilson, watched the RDA put on a great show and did some shopping. If you were there let us know if you enjoyed yourself, we certainly did.
Zulu, the only Zorse in the UK. He even gave us a smile!
Top Gear made an appearance. Below is a champagne bar we did not go to. No idea why.
This was a great riding show from the RDA (Riding for the Disabled) . The RDA is a brilliant organisation which helps disabled people ride. There motto is, ‘It’s what you can do that counts.” The people who rode were a little boy with cerebral palsy and a women with MS. Riding helps the disabled both physically and mentally. Visit their website at www.rda.org.uk
Puppies!
Hanging out in the press tent. James and editor Catherine.
Michael Yardley of Positiveshooting.com does his gun reviews.
Zulu gives us a smile.
Shotguns from Caesar Guerini
Bird of prey. There was a great falconry section at the fair. 
Peter Wilson, Olympic Gold Medalist.
Government youth work scheme failing 90% of jobless youth targeted
The Government’s work programme is an “abject failure” according to property maintenance boss Will Davis, MD of Aspect.co.uk.
“The fact that 90% of 160,000 18 to 24 year olds it pledged to put back into work are still out of work is a real cause for concern”.
The Government’s work programme offers business a subsidy of £2,275 for taking on a young person who has been out of work for at least six months.
Mr. Davies who pioneered ‘Boot camps’ in Britain to enable unemployed London youth to vie for a job said “bureaucrats are not getting young people working”.
“Jobs are what we need, not more hand-outs to subsidise companies to hire people to do jobs that are not a real requirement”.
“People will find money to employ people in areas that are a real requirement”.
Figures show that it has only paid wage incentives for 4,690 young people from its start in June 2012 to the end of May 2013 – significantly behind the target of 160,000 over three years.
Shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, said: “The Youth Contract has utterly failed to get our young people back to work. This flagship scheme is on course to miss its target by more than 92 per cent”.
Davies adds: “The government needs to get out of the business of providing business with bribes to create artificial jobs”.
Top Art Galleries In London
London has a lot going for it. With an amazing variety of restaurants and cultural events, London really is the place to be for those who want a rich cultural life. When it comes to art, and a great selection of art galleries, London really does not slouch. There is something here for everyone, from the edgy to the classic. Frost has picked some of the top art galleries in London for you to get started. We will be adding more soon. Put your own suggestions below and join in the art debate.
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, WC2H
An art beacon of London. A trip here is not complete without a visit to this gallery. And if you live in London and have not been, shame on you.
Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P
Classic building, great art. Also has some controversial exhibitions which are quite different.
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s Square, King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW3
Beautiful gallery situated on the King’s Road. Lots of great art here. If you are too busy to go to a gallery then the Saatchi Gallery Online is also where you can find art prints for sale.
Reflected (red canoe) SOLD
Painting
Charlotte Evans
United States
Gagged
Drawing
Álvaro Tomé
Brazil
I Found The Silence (edition of 25; 4 sold)
Photography
Martin Stranka
Czech Republic
White Cube Gallery, 25-26 Mason’s Yard, Off Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1Y
A bit different and edgy. Worth a visit.
Welcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, Bloomsbury, London NW1
Classic art and amazing exhibitions make the Welcome Collection a great stop for art lovers.
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, South Kensington, London W2
Will be reopened on Saturday 8th June 2013. Join us in line.
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London WC2N
Another classic London art gallery. A must visit.
Somerset House: Embankment Galleries, Strand, Covent Garden, London WC2R
Opened in 2008. The building alone is beautiful and worth going to.
Proud Camden, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, Camden Town, London NW1
Has great exhibitions and events. We recently enjoyed their Withnail & I exhibition.
Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
Is a treasure trove of artifacts. A great experience.
What is your favourite museum? Make recommendations below.