Italians have their pizza and Japanese have bentō, but for countless years Brits have tucked into sandwiches. From (slightly squashed) egg and mayonnaise on the school trip, to ham and tomato, made by mum for a first day at work, sandwiches trigger a host of memories. But boy have they changed recently.

Those rather plain but nutritious staples have made way to an incredible choice of both international and traditional delights, often available just two minutes from the work-place. From small sandwich businesses to supermarkets and national chains the choice is almost overwhelming.

And after a year of many making lunch at home, the sandwich outlets are poised with great new selections for when we pop out of the office.

So let’s celebrate British Sandwich Week (16th-22nd May), organised by The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, the trade body representing interests of food on the move businesses.

Creative sarnies are judged in the prestigious Sandwich & Food to Go Designer competition (part of the annual British Sandwich & Food to Go Industry Awards – the ‘Sammies’). Some of the winning designs are quite incredible, like The Poacher’s Pocket, created by Catherine Farrell, of Park Royal (featured above). It’s based on a Mission Foods chocolate flavour vegan tortilla, with Venison Jus Mayonaise, Blackberry & Juniper Chutney, Seared Venison Steak, Shoestring Potato & Nettle Fries, Lambs Lettuce and Pickled Walnuts – worth a Michelin star all by itself.

If you do make your own sandwiches check out these tips based on research by the University of Leeds.

A nationwide survey has shown that the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is officially the UK’s most popular sandwich for the second year running. And I can recommend a delicious combination, the Boots BLT, Prawn Mayo and Chicken salad pack. I’ve just taste-tested Boot’s Vegan No Duck & Hoisin wrap too and it’s the best duck & hoisin wrap I’ve ever tasted, actually better than one with real meat.

So treat yourself with something different this week – and if you want to try making some of the winning sandwich recipes yourself they can be found at British Sandwich Week

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Frost Magazine asked our resident medical doyen Dr Kathleen Thompson to explain clearly and simply that though restrictions are starting to relax because the Covid rates have fallen, that is not the end of the story, and we STILL need to be careful, and mindful for ourselves and our communities.  So over to Kathleen:

Many of us rather fancy ourselves as amateur Epidemiologists nowadays. After all, we know about R rates, virus variants, flattening the curve – just tell us the data and we’ll decide ourselves what to do – how hard can it be?

Actually although Epidemiology appears deceptively simple – it isn’t, there are many hidden complexities and potential pitfalls. This is why expert Epidemiologists always interpret data with supreme caution and sometimes make recommendations which armchair practitioners don’t really understand.

So as Covid rates have fallen, and restrictions start to relax, I want to explain Exponential Growth. A bit of maths I’m afraid, but I’ll try to keep it interesting.

When we think of increases, we tend to think of straight-line growth (first graph) – it’s what we learned in school and what we do see in everyday life.

However growth in nature is usually achieved by doubling, which if unchecked, creates a graph like the second one.

Bacteria (single cells which cause infection) are a good example. One bacteria splits into two; then each of these split again, making four, then there are eight and so on. Importantly it takes the same time for eight bacteria to double to sixteen as it does for one bacterial to split into two. For quite a while, it looks like there isn’t much happening in the second graph, but then very quickly the rate of increase takes off. If you look at the numbers on the vertical axes of the two graphs, it takes the same time for 1 to grow exponentially to over 524,000, as it takes for 1 to grow to just 20 with straight-line growth.

It’s not just bacteria that grow by doubling – cancer cells do too. People think cancer is fast-growing. Actually it doesn’t grow particularly fast, but cancer cells don’t stop growing. Normally, our bodies control our cells – once we reach adulthood, our bone cells are instructed to take a rest so that we don’t become giants. However if we break a bone, these bone cells are activated again, to produce just enough bone to repair the damage. Cancer cells ignore our body’s instructions and just keep growing, not fast, but continuously doubling. So, whereas a 0.5cm tumour won’t grow that quickly, by the time it reaches 5cm, it will then grow to 10cm in the time it took to grow from 0.5 to 1cm. This is why catching it early can make such a difference.

With Covid, it’s more about how many people are getting infected, and without interventions like social distancing, vaccination etcetera, this infection rate will also tend to double exponentially – so 100,000 infected people rise to 200,000 people as quickly as one infected individual rose to two.

Exponential Growth partly explains why, yes, it’s safe to cautiously expand our social interactions as per the Roadmap, but so long as Covid exists in the community, it’s by no means all over, and a sensible approach is essential if we are not to slip back. So please take care and stay safe.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Like any other parent will be aware, every birthday and Christmas with young children not only produces a mountain of hastily torn wrapping paper but even bigger mountains of boxes and of course plastic from within those boxes plus the pesky wires used to secure the toy in place.  The mess is endless and unfortunately most of it is not recyclable.

I was infuriated when we bought our son a £70 dinosaur toy for one of his birthdays only for it to be broken 3 months later, resulting in a upset boy and a utterly annoyed me, I wasn’t annoyed with my son but myself for insisting we spend that much money on a toy that despite being advertised for his age icould not withstand his rough play. Lesson learnt.

Earlier on this year I discovered Dantoy make a Bioplastic wide range of toys, made of at least 90% sugarcane which is a sustainable material and the Bioplastic is 100% RECYCLABLE. It is a breath of fresh air to find an eco-conscious range that is also high quality, colourful, sturdy and most importantly fun .

The beautifully simply design encourages endless imaginative games together and independently. Building children’s confidence and physical development through play.

The lovely people at Dantoy sent me a playset, I say me but my daughter is the key critic here. She received the Beach time Fun set which includes a bucket, spade, rake and watering can. So far we have not had chance to test it on a beach – however great fun was had playing with the set at Bath time and of course in her bedroom where she fully engaged her imagination and was building unicorn sandcastles on a magical beach.

My daughter said the colours are “pretty” and she has had endless hours of fun and I am confident that her toys will stand the test of time. We can only recommend such a sustainable and child proof playset. 

https://dantoy.dk/en/

JOFFE BOOKS AT THE SUMMER FESTIVAL OF WRITING

18 July | 19:00 BST / 14:00 ET

Digital-first publishing is a growing trend in the industry. This panel of expert digital-first publishers Sara-Jade Virtue, Jenny Geras and Jasper Joffe will be discussing the benefits and the process and answering questions from the audience and Harry Bingham.  Find out more here

Meanwhile back at the ranch, or rather Joffe Book of the week…

NEW FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR PATRICIA MACDONALD

Discover this nail-biting psychological thriller today for only 99p / 99c (half price during the launch)

Blair’s best friend was murdered, and now a shocking confession reveals the wrong man has been in jail for fifteen years.    If he didn’t kill her, who did?

And now one or two more – just love Joffe’s covers.

 Hell’s Half Acre by Jackie Elliott  99P / 99C

One betrayal two suspects  three murders…

After being shot, Andi Silvers has been ordered to take it easy by her boss at the Coffin Cove Gazette.
But she’s back to drinking and refuses any help. Instead, she’ll do what she knows best and follow her next lead. Ricky, the former mayor’s son, has disappeared and Andi seems to be the only one who cares.

 Constable Around the House by Nicholas Rhea  £1.99 / $2.99

Sergeant Blaketon has ruled the roost in Aidensfield for longer than anyone cares to remember. Now comes the bombshell that he’s ready to retire. Who’s going to keep order in the village?
Constable Nick has some big shoes to fill . . .

“It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures.” Yorkshire Post

Lots to keep you busy, and a Summer Festival to organise.  Enjoy.

More information from Joffe Books here

There were over 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster and their horrific experience has captivated readers and moviegoers for over 100 years. But what was it actually like for a woman to say goodbye to her husband? For a mother to leave her teenage sons? For the unlucky many who found themselves in the freezing Atlantic waters? Titanic Voices is the most comprehensive collection of Titanic survivors’ accounts ever published and includes many unpublished and long-forgotten accounts, unabridged, together with an authoritative editorial commentary. It is also the first book to include substantial accounts from female survivors and those travelling third class.
The Titanic sunk 109 years ago, tragically killing roughly 1,517 people. There  is little doubt that it was the biggest maritime disaster and because of it, laws on lifeboats were introduced to prevent it ever happening again.

Thanks to films and TV shows we have an  insight into the doomed maiden voyage, but what was it actually like ?

Hannah Holman beautifully presents the accounts of men and women in first class, second class, steerage and the crew members. I have savoured this book, it is accessible because you can read each account individually.

Each chapter belongs to a lifeboat – starting with the first lifeboat launched and the accounts of those survivors and ending with The Carpathia and its passengers.

It is a an eye-opening experience: you feel the anxiety, the heartache, the uncertainty. All the time you are reading you are thinking this is awful yet remarkable.

Admittedly I did have a slight shock when reading this as one of the survivor account was that of a passenger called Margaret Graham, I knew it couldn’t be the same Margaret Graham who is a Editor of Frost Magazine but it did give me goosebumps and I had to email her to confirm it!

I fully recommend this to anyone who has a interest in history, bookworm or no this is a book that you will not want to put down

Available as paperback or eBook here