Category Archives: Culture

Kate Middleton Tops Vanity Fair Best Dressed List

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Kate Middleton has Topped Vanity Fairs Best Dressed List again. Katie Nicholl has also written an in-depth story on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. According to Vanity Fair.

“There’s a happiness in the House of Windsor generally at the moment for the first time ever,” a royal pal tells Vanity Fair contributor Katie Nicholl in the September issue. “Charles and Camilla are genuinely happy. William is happy because Charles is troubled less, and he has Kate to share his future with,” the friend adds. And while the pair have dazzled Britain and Olympic watchers the globe over with their Games-related appearances—Kate’s fashionable turn in Christopher Kane at the opening ceremony only confirms her status atop the 2012 International Best-Dressed List—they innately prefer a life out of the spotlight, one categorized by homey activities like cooking and walking puppy Lupo three times per day. Nicholl gets their friends and those in their orbit talking for a those in their orbit talking for a blockbuster piece on Kate’s married life—revealing, among many other details, that:

Despite their lean physiques thanks to deerstalking, tennis, and Buckingham Palace swims, Will and Kate are foodies, and tuck in regularly to homemade roast chicken (Kate does the cooking and shopping, and employs no cook at their home on the Welsh island of Anglesey). They also own a sausage-maker (!) to make their own links, and for the holidays, Kate puts away jars of homemade strawberry jam and plum preserves to dole out as gifts. On the average day off, the pair just potter around, “making tea and toast,” per a family friend who recently swung by to find them living a simple home life on Anglesey.

They splash out for DVD box sets. Right now, the royal couple are obsessed with The Killing, which they recently devoured in a marathon session—and they often stay in to binge on various new series rather than hit up society events.

The duchess’s schedule requires up to five clothing changes per day. The rigorous outfit swapping attendant to royal protocol is said to stress out the duchess—not that the stress shows.

And even though the bill for her couture and jewels was printed in the tabloids with raised eyebrows earlier this year—$55,000 for six months of duties—Kate defrays the cost by bargain-shopping. The duchess also continues to decline the services of a royal dresser, preferring to personally shop for herself at chains like Topshop.

Gore Vidal Dies: His Greatest Quotes

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Gore Vidal died yesterday at the age of 86. Frost has gathered some great quotes, a story and a video of his wit and genius. Enjoy and RIP Gore. The New York Times’s brilliant obituary has this gem:

In 1968, while covering the Democratic National Convention on television, he called William F. Buckley a “cryptofascist.” Buckley responded by calling Mr. Vidal a “queer,” and the two were in court for years. In a 1971 essay he compared Norman Mailer to Charles Manson, and a few months later Mailer head-butted him in the green room while the two were waiting to appear on the Dick Cavett show. They then took their quarrel on the air in a memorable exchange that ended with Mr. Cavett’s telling Mailer to take a piece of paper on the table in front of them and “fold it five ways and put it where the moon don’t shine.” In 1975 Mr. Vidal sued Truman Capote for libel after Capote wrote that Mr. Vidal had been thrown out of the Kennedy White House. Mr. Vidal won a grudging apology.


“As the age of television progresses the Reagans will be the rule, not the exception. To be perfect for television is all a President has to be these days.”

“A good deed never goes unpunished.”

“All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting to encounter yourself.”

“Andy Warhol is the only genius I’ve ever known with an IQ of 60”

“There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.”

“Sex is. There is nothing more to be done about it. Sex builds no roads, writes no novels and sex certainly gives no meaning to anything in life but itself.”

“The more money an American accumulates, the less interesting he becomes.”

“The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so.”

“Congress no longer declares war or makes budgets. So that’s the end of the constitution as a working machine.”

“We should stop going around babbling about how we’re the greatest democracy on earth, when we’re not even a democracy. We are a sort of militarised republic.”

“Think of the earth as a living organism that is being attacked by billions of bacteria whose numbers double every forty years. Either the host dies, or the virus dies, or both die.”

“There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture of impulses if not practices.”

“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.”

“Fifty percent of people won’t vote, and fifty percent don’t read newspapers. I hope it’s the same fifty percent.”

“I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television.”

“It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.”

“A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.”

“Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically by definition be disqualified from ever doing so.”

“Democracy is supposed to give you the feeling of choice like, Painkiller X and Painkiller Y. But they’re both just aspirin.”

“Envy is the central fact of American life.”

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.”

“Some writers take to drink, others take to audiences.”

“The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return”

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”

And check out this great video:

Sky’s The Limit. Cavendish And Wiggins | Book Review

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This book has come out at the perfect time: sports-mad, Olympic time in London. Mark Cavendish may have failed to get a medal for Great Britain, but this book is a well-researched, insider view of Team Sky. Author Richard Moore has been given unprecedented access to the inner workers and all of the main players, an esteemed author and cycle blogger, he really knows what he is talking about.

Incredibly well researched Moore’s book takes you through the journey of last year’s debut season. The book has exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes access. It is neither official nor unauthorised, which gives Moore lots of freedom. Sky’s the Limit follows the management and riders from training to their debut at the Tour Down Under in January 2010, and then their debut at the Tour de France in July 2010.

Sky’s The Limit is a brilliant for cycling enthusiasts and sports fans alike. An incredibly enjoyable and informative book.

‘This is new. It’s something people haven’t seen before. We’re setting out to create an epic story – an epic British success story. Now it’s down to business: to find out what it’s going to take to win the Tour de France with a clean British rider.’

Dave Brailsford

Brailsford is the mastermind behind the phenomenal success of the British track cycling team which dominated the Beijing Olympics in 2008, winning seven gold medals. But road cycling is a very different ball game. It has the lion’s share of the sport’s history and legends; it has the bulk of the fans, television and media interest; and it has, far and away, the biggest pot of money.

It is a sport that is rooted in mainland Europe – a land that is, in so many literal, metaphorical and cultural ways, foreign to Great Britain. British victories in the Tour can be counted on the fingers of a mitten. The closest anyone has ever come is Robert Millar and Bradley Wiggins, who were fourth in 1984 and 2009 respectively, but no Briton has seriously challenged for the maillot jaune – the yellow jersey of overall winner.

Sky’s the Limit follows the gestation and birth of a brand new road racing team, which is the first British team to compete in the Tour de France since 1987. Team Sky, as it is known, since it is to be backed by the satellite broadcaster Sky, set out on the road to Tour de France glory in January 2010.

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews, Sky’s the Limit will follow the management and riders as they embark on their journey – witnessing their first training camp and team presentation in December 2009, their debut at the Tour Down Under in January 2010, and their debut at the Tour de France in July 2010 – and as they then set out to write their ‘epic story’.

Sky’s the Limit: Wiggins and Cavendish: The Quest to Conquer the Tour de France

The Endurance Launches Food Spectrum, An Innovative New Foodie Concept

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Food Spectrum is an initiative which sees renowned Soho pub, The Endurance, opening its doors to young, creative, passionate and under-the-radar chefs. Acting as a platform from which they can showcase their talent and achieve the credibility they deserve, Food Spectrum not only gives young chefs a head start in the fiercely competitive restaurant industry, but it satisfies an ever growing culture of food enthusiasts.

The main catalyst behind the concept is the lack of space for young restaurateurs who have the skills, dedication and passion but not necessarily the contacts, business skills or investor backing to embark upon the costly – not to mention risky – process of setting up a new restaurant. With Food Spectrum each chef will move into The Endurance kitchen for a month and will be given the opportunity to see their vision fully realised with free reign over the menu’s offerings. Every extreme of their creativity will be explored through a number of different sittings throughout the week which will add a different dimension to the food on show.

Primarily, there will be a lunch service from Monday to Friday where the chefs will choose a number of dishes specially selected to highlight the pinnacles of their expertise. Every Saturday they will run a full day service allowing the possibility for something more along the lines of a taster menu, acting as an extension of the skills exhibited during the week. One Sunday a month the chefs will be given the freedom to choose which kind of service they will run, allowing them to fully unleash their creativity and ideas to bring an experience to the diner which epitomises their approach to food. A drinks menu specially selected by a sommelier to match the food offerings will complement the whole experience.

The plan allows the chefs to test their food-making skills in a normal restaurant environment and customer interaction will be at the forefront of the experience. The project will serve as a great opportunity to learn and for this reason feedback will be encouraged. A regular blog and a meticulously monitored Twitter feed will prove key in the interaction between customers and the restaurant; an essential priority to any modern day start-up which should not be overlooked. The diner will participate in a restaurant experience which will not only let them sample food from the culinary names of tomorrow, but they will also play an integral part in establishing the foundation from which these young chefs can move forward. The use of good, honest, locally sourced produce means that Food Spectrum is tapping into the current trend for mid market, non-mobile, street food by bringing an option to diners that is simultaneously experimental, high quality and affordable.

Logistically, the plan has all the ingredients of a good one; simple, innovative and effective. With a fully equipped kitchen, a front-of house area with 54 covers, waiting staff, a management team, cleaning staff, a website portal and a PR team, Food Spectrum banishes the usual logistical challenges and costly obstacles of setting up a restaurant, offering a package that rationalises the prospects of making the dream possible once again. Whilst a proven history or established reputation are not at all required, owner of The Endurance, Billy Drew explains that, “The three characteristics for a good chef are determination, passion and talent – and they have to be deeply ingrained in that individual. The rest can be learnt.”

Through a combination of talent, flair and commitment from the chefs, along with customer interaction and support from the Food Spectrum team, The Endurance is set to be the stage from which aspiring chefs can build upon their own experience towards an established reputation and successful career within the Restaurant industry.

And They’re Off! The Olympics 2012 Starts

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Starting from today, London is the most exciting place in the world. The Olympics has started and Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony is underway.

Evoking Britain’s green and pleasant land, choirs sang the national anthems of each country in the United Kingdom with their respective flowers which were: Danny Boy, Flower of Scotland, Bread of Heaven and England’s rose, Scotland’s thistle, Wales’ daffodil and Northern Ireland’s flax. There was even 70 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens and nine geese.

Then the set was stage as a volunteer cast of two and a half thousand people acted out the Industrial revolution. The cast are dressed like peasants and rich men from another era gave the audience a history lesson to the rousing beat of the drums. The theme of the opening ceremony is the Isles of Wonder, inspired by William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. Mark Rylance had to drop out of the main part performing a monologue from The Tempest as his step-daughter died. Our heart goes out to him.

Direct descendants from the suffragette movement also took to the stage. Then there was a moment of silence for all of those who have sacrificed their life for their country. The epic opening ceremony cost £27 million

Then there was a splash of colour for the 60’s. 60,000 people inside the stadium watched the spectacle and another 4 billion watched on TV.

Molten Olympic rings were forged by craftsmen and then rose from the ground, creating an amazing spectacle. An emotional moment. The Olympic rings represent the five continents.

Then Daniel Craig as James Bond went to Buckingham Palace to get the Queen (yes, that one) with the corgis snapping at his heels. A helicopter ride later across London’s landmarks lead to The Queen and James Bond parachuting from a helicopter.

The Union Jack was then carried in by servicemen from the RAF, Army and the Navy.

Then the NHS and achievements of children’s books were represented while Mike Oldfields played ‘Tubular Bells’. This included Peter Pan and JK Rowling was there. NHS was then displayed in lights. Kids jumped on beds while nurses danced. Then children’s nightmares were represented by Lord Voldemort, Cruella De Vil and child snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Then a few Mary Poppins were dancing on stage and the nightmares were chased away. 10,000 people have taken part in the Opening Ceremony in total. The audience roared as the homage to the NHS ended. All of the nurses and doctors were real NHS workers! They all rehearsed for 350 hours.

Then Rowan Atkinson (as Mr Bean) played along while the National Symphony Orchestra during Chariots of Fire. Then scene from the film were played with Mr Bean cut into them. Very funny.

Then a typical British household was represented along with British TV shows and music from the past. Gregory’s Girl, Charlie Chaplin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who and David Bowie were all represented. Every audience member was taken through their childhood.

The Sex Pistols, texting, Soul II Soul and The Eurythmics played as the dancers rocked out and an actor and actress texted each other and then kissed. Famous kisses were then played in the background. Including that of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The journey of music and dance was told from the 60’s to the present day. Danny Boyle even got Trainspotting, the film that made him famous, in.

Then East London’s Dizze Rascal took to the stage. Dizzie was a good choice and then Amy Winehouse played. A homage to the singer who died last year.

The inventor of the internet Sir Tim Berners-Lee appeared and was paid homage to as everyone cheered. David Beckham, East London boy, brought the torch to the Olympic Stadium.

There was a minute silence for those who have passed away and then Emile Sande then sang Abide By Me. The dancers were amazing and there were some brilliant Tai Chi moves.

Then the athletes arrived. The athletes from each country arrived at the stadium carrying their flag as their country was called out.

The opening ceremony was full of British in-jokes and fantastic performances. Frost Magazine are proud to be British and will constantly be blogging about the Olympics. Let us know your opinions and thoughts.

KEVIN MCKIDD & CELEB FRIENDS RELEASE CHARITY FOLK ALBUM

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Scots Grey’s Anatomy actor, Kevin McKidd is to release ‘The Speyside Sessions’, a charity album of folk music this Friday (15th June) with help from friends Bryan Tolland (Del Amitri) and producer/composers, Nick Lloyd-Webber and James D Reid.

The album, which consists of 14 traditional folk songs, also features performances from Paul Anderson, one of the finest Scots fiddlers of his generation, as well as Bryan Tolland and a wealth of Scottish vocal and musical talent. The album was recorded during an intense week at Hogmanay in a house in Moray, on the banks of the River Spey. Kevin recruited an army of local musicians, as well as friend Angus Robertson MP and Scots guitarist, John McCallum. Iain Robertson, McKidd’s Small Faces co-star has also acted as photographer and promoter in between rehearsals for his one man show ‘Angels’ at the Traverse theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe.

The proceeds of the album will go to charity Save the Children, which Kevin regularly fundraises for. Last year he took part in a sponsored fast-a-thon, as well as completing the Tough Mudder challenge – a royal marine styled obstacle course.

Actor Ewan McGregor voiced a short teaser video for the album – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMr0geZZlJQ&feature=plcp

He has lent his support for the venture saying: “I’ve heard it and it’s really special. A great talented bunch of musicians playing Scottish tunes. Kevin has pulled off something great”.

Kevin, who originally hails from Elgin, has recorded the album to pay tribute to his grandfather, who often sang traditional Scots songs to him as child but says “the most important thing is that it’s all for Save the Children”. He added “What’s great about Scottish folk music is that it’s a niche market, but hopefully I’ll be able to get people listening to this that wouldn’t normally”.

The Speyside Sessions are described as ‘a love letter to Scotland’ and is a mixture of traditional ballads, reels and more rousing crowd pleasers. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy heard Kevin’s vocal talents last year, including Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, on a special musical episode of the series.

Kevin did guitar and vocals on most of the tracks on the album and when asked about his favourite tracks, said: I love them all but I feel most proud of ‘These are my Mountains’ and ‘The Muckin’ o’ Geordie’s Byre. On ‘Muckin.. I feel proud because just to get through the song without bursting out laughing is an achievement. It is a very funny song to perform.”

Douglas Hamilton, Save the Children’s Head of Scotland said:

“The album sounds totally unique and we’re honoured that Kevin has chosen to do this for Save the Children. What’s fantastic is that it was entirely Kevin’s own idea and we know that it hasn’t been easy to organise. It’s not just the album but everything else he’s done over the past few years for the charity, raising huge amounts of money, as well as our profile – and it’s brilliant to have him here in Scotland”.

The Speyside Sessions will be touring this summer, for more information, please see – http://thespeysidesessions.com
Amazon MP3 Store –

iTunes Store – : http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id527614034?uo=4

Shared parenting should not be confused with parental rights

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Some interesting information pinged into the Frost Magazine inbox from the Law Society. Did you know that shared parenting should not be confused with parental rights?

Shared parenting legislation, aimed at strengthening relationships between parents and children after separation, could detract from children’s wellbeing, the Law Society is warning.

Responding to a Government consultation, published today, in which ministers are proposing different ways to establish the notion of “shared parenting” after separation, Law Society President John Wotton said: “Introducing a legislative presumption of shared parenting could lead to unrealistic expectations from fathers, with a huge rise in fathers asking the courts for ‘equal time’. This could undermine the Government’s drive towards mediation and out of court settlements. The Government should avoid any implication in the statute of any right to equal time with a child, or any prescription of appropriate amounts of time.

The primary focus should be on the rights and welfare of the children, not those of parents. The principle that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration should be maintained.”

John Wotton pointed out that: “The current legislation does not favour one parent over another, but seeks to ensure that arrangements following breakdown are based on the best interests of the child.

“It is in a child’s best interest to have a meaningful relationship with both parents where it is safe to do so. The benefit of ongoing involvement with both parents is already a factor in the court’s decision-making process.

“There is no doubt, unfortunately, that once a court has made an order for access, and a father finds that the access is being thwarted by the mother, there is no currently effective remedy for the father. The Law Society therefore welcomes the Government’s intention to find more effective sanctions to enforce breaches of court orders regarding care arrangements.”