Category Archives: Culture

Cheap and cheerful sun in Gran Canaria

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When you want to escape the cold and gloom of a northern European winter, you generally have to think about travelling a long distance to get some heat and sunshine. The Caribbean, Thailand, India all offer warmth and great holiday resorts, but it takes a long flight to get there, and though there are deals to be had, they generally aren’t cheap.

An alternative that will save both travel time and money is to head to the Canaries – a group of Spanish islands that are situated off the north-west coast of Africa in the Atlantic. Known for their fantastic climate, they are sometimes nicknamed the Fortunate Isles and their climate is referred to as ‘eternal spring’. In fact, the climate varies little during the year, and while the winters are warm and mild, the summer temperatures don’t ever get unbearable.

The main islands are Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and they have been dedicated to mass tourism for the last sixty years. Consequently, these places are really ideally set up for holidaymakers looking for beautiful beaches, hotels with great facilities and lots of different things to do. The Canaries make an ideal location to take the family for a ‘fun in the sun’ holiday, but you can also find quieter resorts if you’re after a walking or hiking holiday.

The biggest and most popular resort on Gran Canaria has to be Playa del Ingles, where you’ll find the biggest concentration of tourist attractions like waterparks and hotels such as the IFA Continental which all boast excellent facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts and spas and are designed to make your holiday relaxing but simultaneously full of entertainment possibilities.

Whoever you’re going on holiday with, you’ll find a resort in Gran Canaria that is suitable for your party, and the fact that you can get there so cheaply and easily makes it an ideal place for a sunshine break any time of the year.

 

No knocking please, we’re British!

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Social Media Mistake

Is it time to be more friendly?

Millions of Brits don’t know their neighbours – and are too busy or too nervous to introduce themselves, a study has revealed.

Research carried out among 3,000 adults by The Big Lunch – a Lottery funded initiative encouraging neighbours to share a few hours of food, friendship and fun on Sunday 2 June 2013 – found that more than half of those surveyed don’t know their neighbours, with one in four having no idea what their names are.

The key reasons holding people back from knocking next door include a lack of time, shyness, or worries about getting on with their neighbours.

However, the study also found that three quarters of people would like there to be more community spirit in their area, with 52 per cent of those saying it would make their neighbourhood feel safer while 53 per cent simply want to make new friends.

Sir Tim Smit, Co-Founder of The Big Lunch, said:  “There was a time when everyone was very friendly with the people living next door.

“But as time has gone on, this seems to be becoming rarer, and it’s a shame to see that there are many people who haven’t got the time or are too nervous to get to know their neighbours. We’re keen to change this and were delighted when 8.5 million people took part in successful Big Lunches in their communities last June.

“If you get to know your neighbours, not only does it create a happier, safer environment to live in, but you will probably find they are happy to help you out with your pets or water your plants when you go on holiday. You never know, you might even end up with a new best friend, simply from knocking on your neighbour’s door to say hello.”

The study found one in five has never knocked on their neighbours’ doors, and when they have knocked, the main reason has been to collect a parcel.

It emerged that 36 per cent of Brits don’t think they would have anything in common with their neighbours. Almost a quarter said they are too busy while 18 per cent said they never see their neighbours to even say hello. More than one in ten even admitted they are too shy or scared to start up a conversation.

However, over half of us who have knocked on a neighbour’s door have had something surprising happen to us as a result, such as making a new friend, being helped when in trouble or even starting a new hobby.

Behavioural Expert Judi James, said: “It’s staggering that over half of us don’t know our neighbours, especially when we live in an era of crowded isolation, where we are often communicating with people via e-mail and text, at the same time as suffering feelings of loneliness.

“This research shows that the benefits of making bonds with our neighbours are practical, in terms of heightened security, and emotional.  When we know our neighbours we can feel safer and happier. Our boundaries expand and our sense of loneliness and isolation shrinks.

“There’s no need to feel you’re taking a huge plunge when you start to get to know your neighbours. It’s the ice-breaker effect that is needed to convert strangers into possible friends or acquaintances. We need a good reason for knocking on the door and The Big Lunch is just that, the perfect ice-breaker that gets everyone involved in a positive experience.”

Sir Tim continues: ‘’With 8.5 million people taking part in The Big Lunch last year, there is clearly an appetite for getting together and having fun. Taking place on 2nd June this year, the idea is simple; if people start talking to each other, we see stronger, friendlier communities emerging in which people start to share things, from conversation and ideas to skills and resources.

“Feedback from previous years has shown that almost everyone who takes part feels closer to their neighbours as a result with two thirds going on to hold other events in their community afterwards proving it is not just about one day it’s about what happens before and after the event. We’ve been through some difficult times recently and if we start those conversations now and build stronger communities, we will be better equipped to face the future together.

“So what are you waiting for? Put your reservations behind you and take that first step towards creating a friendlier community, by knocking on your neighbour’s door.” 

Researchers also found that just 35 per cent of people introduce themselves to a neighbour as soon as they move in somewhere new.

Forty six per cent admitted they want to get to know their neighbours better so they can ask them to keep an eye on their home, garden or pets when they go away.

Twenty per cent need to live somewhere for a while before they feel ready to meet the rest of the neighbourhood – taking an average of seven months before saying hello for the first time.

And almost two thirds of Brits think they are more likely to get to know their neighbours if they are around the same age.

Another 72 per cent also think you are most likely to have some kind of relationship with your neighbours if you both have children around the same ages.

Over a third of people associate chatting across the garden fence with older generations despite the under 30s being cited as the most likely to talk to their neighbours.

Another 31 per cent think it would mean a safer environment for their children to play in with another 59 per cent saying it would make people happier.

Bringing generations together and giving the area a better reputation were other reasons for wanting more community spirit.

Forty three per cent said the Olympics and Jubilee led to them talking more than usual to their neighbours, with 22 per cent attending some kind of community event during 2012, including The Big Jubilee Lunch with 8.5 million people taking part last year.

Taking place on 2nd June 2013, The Big Lunch is an idea from the Eden Project funded by The Big Lottery Fund, encouraging neighbours across the UK to come together on one day to share a few hours of food, friendship and fun.

For further information or to request your free pack containing invitations, recipes, posters and other materials to help organise your Big Lunch, visit: www.thebiglunch.com.

Starcraft 2 – Heart of the Swarm Review

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Starcraft 2 – Heart of the Swarm is the expansion to the critically acclaimed Starcraft 2 – Wings of Liberty. In the single player of Heart of the Swarm you take control of the nightmarish Zerg. The constantly evolving alien arthropods which operate together as one telepathic hive mind with a desire to seek, destroy and consume. The game has 20 missions (+7 smaller bonus missions) as opposed to the 29 in Wings of Liberty. But much of Blizzards focus has been on the multi-player side of the game. In multi-player you can play as all three races, Zerg, Terran (Human) or Protoss (Psionic Alien). The multi-player features new units, maps and interface changes.

Kerrigan back to lead the swarm

Kerrigan back to lead the swarm

Single Player

I found single player disappointing. The story had no real bite and the dialogue and plot were poor. The same was true of Wings of Liberty. The gritty brutal realism of the old Brood War was absent. The characters weren’t so interesting and some of their motivations were confusing.

One of the things which really annoyed me is how the story kept trying to morally justify the characters actions. For example at one point Kerrigan pulls the swarm back from a bunch of wounded marines after having slaughtered hundreds of them unnecessarily  I just couldn’t get behind her character in the same way as the old queen of blades who was evil, cunning and totally ruthless. She had no problem in infesting marines in the way this Kerrigan does. It’s perhaps not surprising then that the best character is the one not bothered by ethics. Abathor is the mastermind of creating new Zerg strains. He is obsessed with perfection.

Blizzard went to extreme lengths to try and portray Kerrigan and Raynor as the good guys and Mengsk (The head of the Terrans) as the bad guy. It was totally unnecessary. The writers really lost their way here. The story almost felt like it had been made for a younger audience. Most disappointing of all old characters felt like a pale comparison of their former selves and barring Abathor there were no new decent new ones. Very little was made of the history characters have with each other (except for one mention of Fenix)

There were some nice ideas. You learn about the origin of the Zerg, which was great, and the story was somewhat saved by Blizzards incredible cinematics which seemed to have all the darkness and realism the rest of the game lacked.

Swarm Hosts can be used to siege enemy bases

Those burrowed Zerg units are the Swarm Host and the little units are locusts which will keep coming in never ending waves until the Swarm host moves or is killed

 

Newer players may not mind so much. Older players will feel very disappointed.

The missions themselves are much better. They are for the most part fun and well designed. One thing I didn’t like was a lot of the missions have some sort of time limit. It’s fine to have a few missions like this but sometimes you want to sit back experiment and explore the game. The installation missions felt a bit too linear. There were some really good missions though, my favourite was wear you fight on a Protoss ship. Another more minor complaint is that the game was too easy. Blizzard does a great job off offering four difficulty settings but veteran players will not be challenged by even the hardest setting. Another gripe is the fewer number of missions compared to Wings of Liberty.

The Tempest the new long range Protoss capital ship

The Tempest the new long range Protoss capital ship

The Zerg interface lacks the ship like feel of the Hyperion but the game does excel at feeling Zergy. Upgrading and evolving your units by completing bonus missions was a great addition.

Given Blizzard has been developing this expansion for almost three years I really expected something more. However the reason for some of the shortcomings are probably because of Blizzards focus on multi-player.

Multiplayer

Once again Blizzard has proved themselves the masters of the art of balancing. The game is already close to being balanced and Blizzard is constantly watching and updating. The game doesn’t play as differently to Wings of Liberty as you might think but at first glance the new units really seemed to have added something.

Blizzard has talked a lot about slimming down the ‘ball of death’. In Wings of Liberty it was common for players to mass their units in one large ball. This led to a lot of posturing and huge battles where it was often difficult to see what was going on. Blizzard has done a great job. Bringing back mines for Terran was an excellent idea. The game already feels more enjoyable both to play and watch. In many cases action is now constant with battles going on all over the map. Games between professional gamers are already looking more interesting. Better skilled players also seem to be better able to differentiate themselves from weaker players.

The Widow Mine

The Widow Mine

New Multiplayer Units

Terran

Widow Mine – A mine which reloads and keeps going off. Hits air and ground

Hellbat – Upgrade of the hellion making it much tougher

Zerg

Swarm Host – A unit which burrows in the ground and spawns and unlimited number of units

Viper – A new casting units which has a host of useful spells such as abduct which pulls in enemy units and blinding cloud which reduces ranged units to 1 range.

Protoss

Oracle – A new flying Protoss spell caster. It can also create detection and has a devastating attack against workers.

Tempest – A new capital ship which has a very long range and big damage but slow rate of fire

Mothership Core – A new flying unit with a host of abilities such as recalling units, slowing enemy units down and turning buildings into powerful defensive structures. Can upgrade to a full Mothership

Changes have also been made to some existing units.

The Viper

The Viper

Blizzard has also had added a host of excellent new features to multiplayer. You can now watch replays with friends and even pick up in the middle of old games. There are new maps as you would expect. You can now save multiplayer games to protect against a loss of connection. There have been major changes to the game editor and you can even play against players in other regions. Blizzard has also added a new leveling system.

Conclusion

Blizzard nailed multi-player. They’ve got the balance of everything just right. The new features are great for the most part. The story of single player was a real disappointment and almost feels like an afterthought. The script and story writers need to get it together. Nevertheless the missions were fun and Blizzards cinematics were superb as always.

Luckily Blizzard got multiplayer, the most important thing, right. Most players will probably spend a lot more time on multi-player. If your just planning to only play single player the expensive price for an expansion isn’t worth it. if you plan on playing a decent amount of multi-player it is.

Single Player 6/10 Multiplayer 10/10 Overall 8.5/10

 

 

Sophie Kinsella’s best-selling Sleeping Arrangements adapted for the musical stage

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sleepingarrangementsAria Entertainment Presents
Sleeping Arrangements
Landor Theatre
17th April – 12th May

Sophie Kinsella’s Sleeping Arrangements adapted for the stage

 Sleeping Arrangements, a new musical based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella, author of Confessions Of A Shopaholic now has a full cast.

The exceptionally high calibre cast includes Fascinating Aïda’s Liza Pulman and West End favourite Jenny Gayner who has trodden the boards as Roxie Hart in Chicago amongst other high profile roles and Sabrina Aloueche who is best known for playing the character ‘Scaramouche‘ in We Will Rock You.

The Confessions Of A Shopaholic novel was adapted into a film released in 2009, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy but this will be the first of Sophie’s popular books to be adapted for the stage.

“I am so excited to see my story on stage in such a hilarious and tuneful musical”
               Sophie Kinsella

This exciting new musical will play at the Landor Theatre in Clapham London for four weeks starting in April 2013 (17th April – 12th May)

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the musical tells the tale of Chloe who desperately needs a holiday. She’s sick of making wedding dresses and her partner, Philip has troubles at work. Her wealthy friend Gerard has offered the loan of his luxury villa in Spain – Perfect

Hugh is not a happy man. His immaculate wife Amanda seems more interested in her new kitchen than him and he works so hard to pay for it, he barely has time for his children. Maybe he’ll have a chance to bond with them on holiday. His friend Gerard has lent him a luxury villa in Spain – Perfect.

Both families arrive at the villa and realise the awful truth – Gerard has double-booked. What no-one else realises is that Chloe and Hugh have a history, and as tensions rise, old passions resurface. It seems that Gerard’s ‘accidental’ double booking may not be an accident after all…

 

A New Way to Celebrate Irish Culture: Most Inspired Irish Audiobooks for St Patricks Day

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  1. Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde – Written by Oscar Wilde – Narrated by Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Sinead Cusak, Joanna Lumley, Samantha Bond, Robert Harris, Geoffrey Palmer, Donald Sinden, Elaine Stritch

Here is a collection of the Oscar Wilde’s famous fairy tales, read by a cast of leading British actors.

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  1. Ulysses – Written by James Joyce – Narrated by Jim Norton

Ulysses is regarded by many as the single most important novel of the 20th century. It tells the story of one day in Dublin, June 16th 1904, largely through the eyes of Stephen Dedalus (Joyce’s alter ego from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman. Both begin a normal day, and both set off on a journey around the streets of Dublin, which eventually brings them into contact with one another.

 

  1. Let the Great World Spin – Written by Colum McCann – Narrated by anon

It is August, 1974, and a tightrope walker is suspended between the twin towers, watched by thousands in the streets below. Elegantly weaving together their seemingly disparate lives, McCann’s powerful novel comes alive in the unforgettable voices of the city’s people, unexpectedly drawn together by hope, beauty, and the tightrope walker’s “artistic crime of the century.” Featuring a stunning ensemble performance by the narrators.

 

  1. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha – Written by Roddy Doyle – Narrated by Aidan Gillen

Paddy Clarke is ten years old. Paddy Clarke lights fires. Paddy Clarke’s name is written in wet cement all over Barrytown, north Dublin. Paddy Clarke’s heroes are Father Damien (and the lepers), Geronimo and George Best. Paddy Clarke has a brother called Francis, but Paddy calls him Sinbad and hates him because that’s the rule. Paddy Clarke knows the exact moment to knock a dead scab from his knee. Paddy Clarke loves his Ma and Da, but it seems like they don’t love each other, and Paddy’s world is falling apart.

 

  1. Round Ireland with a Fridge – Written by Tony Hawks – Narrated by Tony Hawks

Whilst in Ireland for an International Song Competition, Tony Hawks was amazed to see a hitch-hiker, trying to thumb a lift, but with a fridge. This seemed amazingly optimistic – his Irish friends, however thought nothing of it at all. ‘I had clearly arrived in a country’, writes Tony, ‘where the qualifications for ‘eccentric’ involved a great deal more than that to which I had become used’. Two years pass but the fridge incident haunts our author. Until one night, heavy with drink, he finds himself arguing about Ireland with a friend. It is, he insists, a ‘magical place’, so magical in fact, that a man could even get a lift with a fridge. The next morning there is a note by the bed. ‘I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitch-hike around the circumference of Ireland with a fridge within one calendar month’. The document was signed. The bet was made. This book is the story of Tony’s adventures through that incredible month. The people he meets, the difficulties, the triumphs. The fridge.

 

  1. Irish History for Dummies – Written by Mike Cronin – Narrated by Patrick Moy

Putting history into a perspective, Irish History for Dummies is an engaging, entertaining and educational trip through time, packing in equal parts fun and facts, providing listeners with a riveting history of this ancient land. The history of Ireland has shaped the world far beyond its borders. And few stories have a greater need for a balanced and light-hearted telling than the complex and often controversial saga of Ireland and her people.

  1. W. B. Yeats: Selected Poems – Written by W. B. Yeats – Narrated by Donald Sutherland

William Butler Yeats, the first Irishman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, is not only one of the greatest poets of the 20th century but one of the most widely read. The landscape, myths, legends, and folklore of his homeland lie at the heart of his poetic imagination, and the unique musicality of Ireland adds to the richness of his verse. But the themes of his poetry are universal and timeless: the conflict between life and death, love and hate, and the meaning of man’s existence in an imperfect world.

beckett

  1. Waiting for Godot – Written by Samuel Beckett – Narrated by Sean Barrett, David Burke, Terence Rigby, Nigel Anthony

There is now no doubt that not only is Waiting for Godot the outstanding play of the 20th century, but it is also Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece. Yet it is both a popular text to be studied at school and an enigma. The scene is a country road. There is a solitary tree. It is evening. Two tramp-like figures, Vladimir and Estragon, exchange words. Pull off boots. Munch a root vegetable. Two other curious characters enter. And a boy. Time passes. It is all strange yet familiar. Waiting for Godot casts its spell as powerfully in this audiobook recording as it does on stage.

  1. How the Irish Saved Civilization – Written by Thomas Cahill – Narrated by Liam Neeson

From the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne – the “dark ages” – learning, scholarship, and culture disappeared from the European continent. The great heritage of Western civilization – from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish and Christian works – would have been utterly lost were it not for the holy men and women of unconquered Ireland.

 

  1. The Irish Americans: A History – Written by Jay P. Dolan – Narrated by Jim McCabe

Jay Dolan of Notre Dame University is one of America’s most acclaimed scholars of immigration and ethnic history. In The Irish Americans, he caps his decades of writing and teaching with this magisterial history of the Irish experience in the United States. Although more than 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, no other general account of Irish American history has been published since the 1960s. Dolan draws on his own original research and much other recent scholarship to weave an insightful, colorful narrative. He follows the Irish from their first arrival in the American colonies through the bleak days of the potato famine that brought millions of starving immigrants; the trials of ethnic prejudice and “No Irish Need Apply”, the rise of Irish political power and the heyday of Tammany politics; to the election of John F. Kennedy as president, a moment of triumph when an Irish American ascended to the highest office in the land.

Mo Farah, Robbie Williams, Ewan McGregor and Sienna Miller join forces to demand George Osborne keep his promises on aid

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Mo Farah, Robbie Williams, Ewan McGregor and Sienna Miller join forces to demand George Osborne keep his promises on aid

 

Chancellor George Osborne will be in the good books of a host of stars – including Mo Farah, Robbie Williams, Ewan McGregor and Sienna Miller – IF he keeps his promises on international aid in the forthcoming Budget on March 20th.

 

Stars from the world of music, film and sport have joined forces to write a joint letter to George Osborne, urging him to take action to help end world hunger. Nearly thirty high profile individuals beseech him to keep his promises on international aid and crack down on tax dodging by big businesses working in poor countries.

 

The letter:

Dear Chancellor,

 

I am writing to thank you for your leadership in protecting the aid budget. By announcing in the Budget that the UK will give 0.7% of national income to life saving aid, you’ll be making good a 43-year-old promise and helping millions of people in their fight against poverty and hunger

 

In 2012, the UK demonstrated inspiring global leadership and community spirit through our hosting of the Olympic Games. This year, the UK Government has an opportunity to build on that promising legacy, when it hosts a major summit on food and hunger and chairs the G8 in June.

 

Keeping our word and doing the right thing are part of what Britain stands for. We can be proud that, in the face of crises, in good times and bad, the British public show great strength and generosity. Because of this, we can be collectively proud that huge strides have been made in reducing poverty and 14,000 fewer children are dying each day than in 1990.

 

The world is at a tipping point where we could abolish absolute poverty but hunger is threatening to reverse these achievements. Food prices have been higher than ever in recent years, affecting people everywhere and climate change is making things worse.

 

By matching the strength of spirit of the British people, we could be the generation that starts to end hunger.

 

No budget decisions can be taken lightly, but investing in the long term will be cheaper for all of us. We simply can’t afford hunger to rise to the emergency famine levels we saw in 2011.

 

In order for poor countries to be self-sufficient, as well as investment in aid they also need their own revenue to spend on fighting hunger. That is why the IF campaign is also calling on the UK and other governments to change global rules to make sure companies pay their fair share of tax in the poor countries in which they operate.

 

Along with others, I am proud that the UK is keeping its promise to provide 0.7% of our income for life saving aid and leading the way on vital tax reforms, which will provide a lasting solution for the world’s poorest people.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Mo Farah, Olympic Gold Medallist; Robbie Williams, Singer; Ewan McGregor, Actor

Bill Nighy, Actor; Jemima Khan, Journalist and Campaigner; Sienna Miller, Actor; Raymond Blanc, Chef; Dermot O’Leary, Presenter; Helena Christensen, Model; Angelique Kidjo, Singer; Michael Sheen, Actor; Eddie Izzard, Comedian; Shazia Mirza, Comedienne; Tamsin Greig, Actor; Tom Hiddleston, Actor; Keeley Hawes, Actor; Joanne Froggatt, Actor; Fay Ripley, Actor; Valentine Warner, Chef; Vivek Singh, Chef; Emilia Fox, Actor; Miriam Margolyes, Actor; Jimmy Doherty, Presenter ; Roger Lloyd Pack, Actor ; Billy Boyd, Actor; Atul Kochar, Chef; Jun Tanaka, Chef, Cat Deeley, TV Presenter

 

 

Jenny Ricks, Enough Food for Everyone spokesperson said:

“Millions of people across the UK backed Make Poverty History and we can be proud that the Government will next week deliver on a promise we made then to the world’s poorest.

“British aid will help many of the 1 in 8 people in the world who go to bed hungry each night.

 

“This Budget can also assist poor countries to help themselves by enabling them to collect taxes from companies refusing to pay their fair share.

 

“Trillions of pounds is hidden in tax havens while people in the UK are struggling to make ends meet and in poor countries two million children starve to death every year.

“Cracking down on tax dodging in this year’s Budget would be a win-win – it will help poor people abroad but also those at home.”

Enough Food for Everyone IF is a coalition of 160 organisations and counting which have joined together to campaign for action by the G8 on the issue of global hunger. The last time we worked together at this scale was for Make Poverty History. Now that the G8 group of world leaders are returning to the UK in June, we are demanding they take action on hunger.

 

Poor countries lose around $160 billion every year to tax dodging, money which could be used to support vital services or invested in agriculture to make sure everyone has enough food. That’s more than three times what they receive in aid and is enough money to save the lives of 230 children under 5 every single day – that’s almost 8 primary school classes

The Government has pledged to make tackling tax avoidance by multinationals a priority for the G8 summit. The UK has an opportunity to show real leadership by putting its own house in order in the Budget.

 

Sign up now at www.enoughfoodif.org and make sure the G8 leaders put food on the agenda when they meet in the UK in June.

Gillian Anderson launches charity’s children’s competition

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GillianPublicityShotAward-winning American actress Gillian Anderson has launched a national school’s competition to raise money for Children with Tumours.
Gillian, the star of critically-acclaimed drama series The X-Files, will judge the charity’s annual Christmas Card Challenge which is open to all primary schools.
Children with Tumours (CWT) is the UK’s first “no frills” charity which launched last year to help raise funds to provide holiday camps for children affected by the condition Neurofibromatosis and to contribute towards vital research.
More than 25,000 people in the UK are affected by NF and every day a baby is born with the condition. NF is more prevalent than Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s Disease combined, but as yet there is no cure.
Gillian’s younger brother Aaron suffered from the rare condition and died from a brain tumour when he was aged only 30.

She said: ‘I’m honoured that CWT have asked me to judge the competition. I think it is such a good idea and I’m sure everyone who enters will have great fun designing their cards.”

The Christmas Card Challenge is open to children of primary school age and there will be six winners. Schools are encouraged to hold an internal competition to choose an individual, overall winner or two winners depending on age (8 and under, 9-11) and then submit them to the national competition.
As a prize, the winning individual will receive six packs of cards of their own design. Packs of all six winning designs will be available in the Autumn on the charity’s website www.childrenwithtumours.org
Schools are encouraged to choose their own theme but suggestions include: The Colour of Christmas, the Joy of Christmas, Christmas decorations and Through a Window. The finished cards will be printed in a 15cm x 15cm size so a square design is essential. Designs can be drawn, painted or computer graphically produced.
To register visit http://www.childrenwithtumours.org/Pages/ChristmasCardChallenge.aspx or for further enquiries email takepart@childrenwithtumours.org.The closing date for entries is 31st May.

Chris de Winter of CWT said: “We are delighted that Gillian is judging this year’s Christmas Card Challenge. All the money raised from the sale of the cards will be used to provide care and support to families with children with Neurofibromatosis.
“Building confidence and giving hope are our two key statements in making a difference to the lives of children with tumours. We aim to build confidence through social networking in the UK and overseas and giving hope to our children and families by funding the science that will make a difference to the lives of those affected.”

 

Call Off The Search by Anna and Andrew Wallas Book Review

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ProductImage-7554068The Modern Day Wizard. Call Off The Search is part self-help book, part relationship confessional. Written by real life couple Anna (formerly Pasternak) and Andrew Wallas. Andrew is a spiritual psychotherapist and Anna is a renowned journalist.

First of all let me say that I enjoyed reading the book. I am not a big fan of self-help books, although there are a few that I think are good, but I do like to read about other people’s relationships. Although I am not single I found that some of the stuff Andrew said made sense in an I-should-have-thought-about-it-way. I do think that most self-help books are just common sense written down. Life gets busy and you forget what you should know. I like how the book has been written, they respond to each other and then their is a checklist at the end.

Anna is known for being controversial but must be given credit for being so honest and open. You do get the feeling that she likes pushing buttons and creating debate, but it takes courage to write down your thoughts honestly and truthfully. Most people would never do this, nor be able to deal with the criticism. Indeed, the book has been marketed as the ‘most controversial book of the year’. While I am not sure if it is the most controversial, it may be the most honest.

Anna says: “I truly believe that behind every hardened feminist there is a women who is looking to be loved and saved by a man”. To be honest, who does not want love? Anna and Andrew have been together since 2010, which is when I met my boyfriend. They do seem very much in love. If I were single I would find this book helpful, but even as someone who is in a relationship I still found it interesting. I am not keen on the yurt stuff and have never been a fan of ‘new age’ things. I don’t have to find myself because I know who I am (or where I am), but this book is enjoyable and a good read. With lovely snippets of knowledge along the way. The book says that you should be honest with your partner and feel your emotions instead of denying them. This is good advice. There is also a chapter on ‘core wounding’, finding out what affects you and makes you angry.

Anna Pasternak shocked the British public by exposing the Princess Diana and James Hewitt affair, and subsequently startled readers with her Daily Mail article entitled Sorry, But My Baby Bores Me. Now, along with her New Age therapist-husband, Andrew Wallas (aka. The Modern Day Wizard) she has written an explosive, game-changing account about their struggle to find true love and intimacy.

Anna hated her life as a single mother until her friends suggested that she meet spiritual psychotherapist Andrew. What followed was an intense spiritual awakening as Andrew uncovered her inner loneliness and showed her that she was going to find true love. That this true love was to be with Andrew himself, then married to his wife of twenty-five years, was a huge surprise to them both. They have now written about their relationship, confronting taboos such as sexual jealousy, revenge, hatred and power struggle, to convey their experiences from the front line of true love.

Call Off The Search is a brave examination of the nature of all modern relationships – the messy, bonkers and painful alongside the inspiring and enlightening – unlike any other self-help, spiritual or relationship book.

It is set to be one of the most controversial reads this year.

‘She’s prepared for the backlash, but with her 20-year search for true love now at an end, Anna Pasternak is ready to share her secret. “I truly believe that behind every hardened feminist there is a women who is looking to be loved and saved by a man”.’ Scotland on Sunday

‘I get emails from women who admire my honesty. Like when I wrote about motherhood. Of course I love my daughter. But that doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge being at home with a new-born is boring. I got hate mail for that. One woman said I should have my child taken away. But I find it difficult not to speak the truth and that doesn’t always make me very popular.’ Daily Mail

‘I honestly didn’t think I was going to find an interesting and solvent man over 40, ever. Now I’m the poster girl for hope.’ Daily Telegraph

Buy Call Off the Search: The Modern Day Wizard here