Greenwich Theatre presents a family-fun Summer repertory season of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Pinocchio Greenwich Theatre,

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Greenwich Theatre presents a family-fun Summer repertory season of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Pinocchio at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ES

Thursday 5 th August – Sunday 5th September 2021

The rescheduled adaptation of Joan Aiken’s acclaimed novel The Wolves of Willoughby Chase will run alongside a brand-new retelling of family-favourite Pinocchio. Both directed by Greenwich Theatre’s Artistic Director James Haddrell, the productions will combine captivating music and magical storytelling for some much-needed escapism.

Greenwich Theatre’s favourite pantomime villain Anthony Spargo (Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain Part One and Two, Garrick Theatre; co-writer of Olivier nominated Alice’s Adventures Underground for Les Enfants Terribles) will join a fantastic ensemble cast, taking on numerous roles across both productions. Further casting includes Alice DeWarrenne, David Haller, Cassandra Hercules, Serin Ibrahim, Adam Karim and Reice Weathers.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase tells the story of two brave and determined girls as they encounter unforgettable characters, take on ferocious wolves and battle through snowy wastelands. Bonnie, Sylvia, and their friend Simon the Goose-boy soon realise that the wolves roaming the forests outside may not be as dangerous as the wolfish adults plotting inside.

Carlo Collodi’s iconic tale of a talking puppet, Pinocchio, has been adapted specifically for Greenwich Theatre by Anthony Clark. Packed with puppetry, a wood-influenced score, and a sense of adventure, the production is a beautiful reimagining of the original material. Join Pinocchio, a talking cricket and a whole host of characters, as they discover the impact of their actions and lies. James Haddrell,

Artistic Director and Director comments, I am delighted to be working with writers Tony Clark and Russ Tunney to launch this ambitious new venture for Greenwich Theatre, a summer repertory season which this year features Tunney’s adaptation of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Clark’s version of Pinocchio. Family theatre has always been incredibly important to us at Greenwich Theatre. From the launch of the Greenwich Children’s Theatre Festival in 2008 to the year-on-year growth of our Offie award-winning pantomime, audiences have come to expect exciting, innovative family shows in Greenwich every season, so this new signature moment in the year is set to become a must-see moment in the capital’s cultural calendar. Greenwich Theatre is excited to bring quality entertainment back to the area.’

The theatre continues to adhere to the ongoing government guidance, with social distancing potentially in place for indoor performances. Should the restrictions and circumstances change they will look to adjust accordingly.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Pinocchio Dates Thursday 5 th August – Sunday 5 th September 2021 Location Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ES

How to Get There: The nearest train stations are Greenwich Station, Deptford Station and Cutty Sark Station (DLR). Running Time Both productions are 90 minutes

Box Office: Tickets are available from £21 (Concessions £18.50, Child £11, Family Ticket £54) on www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Twitter @greenwichtheatr

Instagram @greenwichtheatre

Facebook /GreenwichtheatreLondon

Vogue Williams shares her ‘Must Have’ Baby Products with The Baby Show Live @ Home

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Vogue Williams, radio & TV presenter, model and mum shares her must-have parenting products with The Baby Show:

Bouncer

I love the BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss. We had one of these when we had Theodore and they are brilliant. You can get a toy attachment for it too, so that it can turn into a little activity chair for your baby. We recently got the new Leopard print one for Gigi which I love, but this bouncer will last you through all of your kids as the covers are washable!

 

Buggy

The Bugaboo Fox buggy was the main buggy we got for Theodore and then Gigi used it after she was born. It’s very long lasting and super comfortable, plus you can attach a seat to the back, which is where T sits now!

 

Baby Gym

I always find myself looking for ways to occupy Gigi. We got a gorgeous wooden play gym from Scandiborn and I just think they have the most gorgeous toys for all age groups.

 

Travel steriliser

I use the Avent Travel Steriliser. This steriliser is really compact, you can take it away with you and you can store it away in a cupboard, so there’s no need to have a messy steriliser sitting out.

 

Baby Clothes

In terms of clothing, there are so many baby brands I love, but some of my favourites are Rachel Riley, Pop My Way, MORI, Mini Rodini, Oliver Baby, Mini A Ture and Il Gufo. All of these brands are really good quality, so will stand the test of a messy baby!

 

Muslins

I think aden + anais do the best ones. You will need lots of these, we use them for everything, you can never have too many!

 

Breast Pump

My favourites are the Medela Swing and the Elvie. They are expensive, but have lasted me two babies so far and if we have more I will know I will be able to use them again.

 

High Chair

I really love the Stokke Trip Trap as you can use it from newborn upwards plus it’s easy to clean.

 

Sheets

Snuz do a lovely range of super soft sheets.

 

Moses basket

We got a really beautiful Moses for our sitting room from The Little Green Sheep.

 

The Baby Show Live @ Home takes place from Friday 19 – Sunday 20 June, 2021. For more information visit https://www.thebabyshow.co.uk/live

 

WHO-approved Reusable Facemask Uses Patented Silver-based Technology to Protect Against Covid-10

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Silver Life Face Coverings – providing ultimate, scientifically proven, sustainable protection

As the UK launches itself out of the latest lockdown and life returns to normal, it has never been more important to wear a facemask, which guarantees full protection against the Covid-19 virus.  Fabric face coverings and ‘fashion masks’ offer some minimal protection but now a team of healthcare scientists have developed The Silver Life Face Covering. This facemask uses silver-based 3D knitted technology, and meets the World Health Organization’s recommendations for use against the current microbial pandemic.

 These masks are stylish and well-made. We had some compliments when we were wearing them and people asked where we got them. They are also comfortable. face mask, reusable,

The Silver Life Face Covering uses silver as an integral part of the thread of its fabric, due to silver’s antiviral and antibacterial properties.  The mask also filters incoming air and the outgoing breath through a mesh size of just 3 microns (whereas ten microns is the current WHO standard) and is an effective filter in reducing air pollution particles, as well as airborne viruses such as Covid-19.

 

The Silver Life Face Covering is also reusable for up to 100 washes and is made from 36% recycled material making it better for the environment, than standard issue personal protective equipment masks which are neither reusable nor recyclable. Globally 129 billion face masks are used every month and more and more of these masks are finding their way into the ocean.

 

Dr Alan Green, environmentalist and founder of SP Science Limited (the owner of The Silver Life Face Coverings) says: “Facemasks have become virtually compulsory both here in the UK and elsewhere throughout the world.  Unfortunately, this has led to the estimate that the UK throws out 53 million face masks per day, and everyone has witnessed people throwing face masks onto the ground – our supermarket forecourts and entrances are littered with them!

 

‘The consequence is that face masks are now found in our high streets, rivers, meadows, oceans – almost everywhere.  Of course, we’re already aware of the huge pollution problems from plastic wastes that are literally choking our oceans, as reported by Greenpeace and others, and now coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are also suffering from “face mask pollution” too.”

 

“Single-use or disposable face masks are made using a variety of plastics, including polypropylene, polyethylene and vinyl – which means they can take up to 450 years to break down.  Even then, the plastic stays around as tiny microplastics.  These microplastics are causing fundamental problems to our world-wide ecosystems and have even been found in the Antarctic and Arctic environments.”

“This mask has been developed by experienced healthcare scientists and has safety, the environment, recycling and manufacturing standards at the core of its design. Sustainability is at the essence of The Silver Life Face Covering, as it also meets US Environmental Protection Agency standards for disposal – the only silver-based textile that does so.”

 

The mask is manufactured with a sculptured design for comfort and long periods of wear. It has a soft feel on the skin and the integrated nose wire helps prevent fogging when wearing glasses, and adjustable ear loops making it a one-size-fits-all product.  It is also ideal for indoor, outdoor and sports activities as is fully effective when wet – unlike the existing PPE masks.

 

The Silver Life Face Covering, was created by 3-D knitting technology experts, and SP Science Limited helped finalise the product for real-life use and undertakes sole source marketing and sales activity throughout the world.  SP Science Limited is a company formed by a group of highly experienced scientists, and public healthcare specialists, with long term experience in the healthcare sector. Their aim is to provide a range of barrier protection products for use by the general public, which are carefully selected for environmentally sustainable and use recycled materials in their core manufacture.

 

“Since November 2018, we have undertaken a world-wide review of the anti-microbial marketplace” says Alan. “We have now secured the use of ground-breaking, proven international technologies.  These technologies provide the protection our customers are seeking in this time of concern about viruses, and infections – and offer an ideal solution to disposable PPE face masks, which are now having a detrimental effect on our environment.”

 

 

Silver Life Face Coverings cost £14 for 2 plus postage (discounts are available for bulk purchasing). They are available in black and other colours will be available early in 2021. Visit https://www.silverlifemasks.com/ for more information, and also available for purchase on Amazon.co.uk, E-Bay and ETSY.

 

New Launches for ESPA & Christophe Robin

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We are super-excited about two new launches from Christophe Robin and ESPA. First up is Christophe Robin Healthy Glow Duo – RRP: £17.00

This contains minis of Cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt and Hydrating melting mask with aloe vera. The perfect ritual for a healthy scalp and deeply hydrated, shiny hair. A 2-step routine to gently detoxify the scalp and deeply hydrate and illuminate hair. This duo really works wonders. It smells great too. We cannot recommend it enough.

ESPA , Christophe Robin, new launches

Next up is ESPA Herbal Tea Infusion RRP: £15.00
Partnering with the mood-boosting benefits of the aromatherapy products in ESPA’s Signature Blends collection, these handcrafted wellbeing teas with their delicious flavours and beautiful aromatics are companions for modern living. With a choice of 6 blends in total, each infusion expertly blended to create moments throughout your day to pause, reflect, connect and inspire, from when you wake in the morning until you’re ready to turn out the lights at night.

Everything about this herbal tea infusion is perfect: the caddy is stylish and elegant. The tea is delicious and relaxing.  It brings instant joy every single time you use it. Love.

 

Open Door Retreats is the creation of Hugh Williams-Preece and it ticks all the wellbeing boxes

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Open Door Retreats is the creation of Hugh Williams-Preece who has had the vision to create a space where guests could visit and be immersed in a world of complete wellbeing. With a background in international, bespoke events management, and a passion for fitness and health, if anyone should be running a retreat – it’s Hugh.

The concept of Open Door Retreats is simple though the results should be anything but. Having direct access to a host of experts from across the wellness industry for three days, guests will gain invaluable insights into how to implement positive changes – for life. Workshops will cover the importance of good sleep with best-selling author and journalist Rob Hobson. Sleep affects every part of our lives, and we need to ensure we get the right amount of it. Nutrition is also an integral part of how we feel, and topics will cover how to shop, cook and really enjoy healthful meals. Helen Ford is passionate and highly knowledgeable on the subject of nutrition, not just for the everyday, but also harnessing the power of good food to heal and restore. Using creative art as a way to calm the mind, Jaq Chase will give guests the chance to understand how they can use their creativity. Jaq focuses on each person’s potential and encourages a sense of freedom that builds confidence and joy.

Sunrise yoga is the perfect start to each day at Open Door Retreats. Yoga guru Julie King leads these sessions, using the time to focus on different aspects of movement and breathing each day. Tailored fitness sessions with Kate Rowe-Ham and David Gover are designed for every individual guest to work out well and learn how to take those lessons into everyday life.

Hugh told Frost Magazine: “It’s so important to us that guests feel completely welcome and unjudged. This is not a fitness retreat, it’s a wellness retreat, so any active session is literally for every body, whatever stage of fitness they might be at.

“The setting for our retreats is New House Farm, a country estate nestled in 12 acres of outstanding natural beauty in East Sussex. The open space, stunning views and trail walks and runs from the back door are magnificent and complement the programme content to perfection. Meals are made from local ingredients that are organic wherever possible, and are designed to give our guests the very best of healthy, nutritious and balanced food.”

It certainly does seem that attending an Open Door Retreat will leave guests feeling rejuvenated, renourished and reconnected. In this busy world, they will have had the time and space to look at their wellness and understand which habits need to be changed and how to change them – for life.

Hugh is so right when he says, “There has never been a more perfect time to stop and put ourselves first – all of us deserve the chance to create a more balanced and healthy life. Not just for ourselves but for our families, employers and communities too”.

Find out more aboutHugh’s launch retreat here: https://www.opendoorretreats.com/book-now-open-door-retreats.html#events

 

 

 

Such excitement at Frost Magazine… Joffe Books announces the winner of the People’s Prize … Wait for it…

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Joffe Books is thrilled to announce that Victoria Dowd has won the People’s Book Prize for Fiction this year, and is absolutely delighted that so many readers showed their support, and voted.

THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER (99p/99c) is a worthy winner: a brilliantly fresh take on the classic country house murder mystery that Christie did so well. Readable is not the word. Let me tell you, you are not going to be able to put it down.

A faded country house in the middle of nowhere. The guests are snowed in. The murder begins. Very tantilising.

And a few more of the excellent novels on offer from Joffe Books this week.

 

                                 

Crime in the Kitchen by Catherine Maloney (99p/99c)  will make you think twice about lounging around the kitchen.  Jayne Padgett is a beloved teacher.   So how does she end up dead, neatly posed at the kitchen counter?  Strangled and forced to drink bleach.

Stranger yet, this tidy killer cleared up the scene before clearing off.   Then, another murder with the same M.O. A killer that’s cleaning up the town is on the loose.

The Gentle Art of Murder by Jeanne M. Dams. (£1.99/$2/99 – fabulous title,

All eyes are on renowned artist Gillian Roberts at the Wolfson Art College party to celebrate her arrival, until her loathsome boss turns up dead.  There’s nothing this brilliant sculptress can’t do with a chisel, but what about murder? Cripes – a chisel?!

Plenty of people at this party had the motive to commit the ultimate crime. Dorothy Martin really has her work cut out for her this time.

A Vow of Poverty by Veronica black (£1.99/$2.99

‘We have a secret the Devil and I.”
These are the chilling words on the back of an old photograph that Sister Joan uncovers while cleaning the storerooms.  What she discovers among the dusty antiques leads to her most dangerous case yet.

“Joan’s wry wit and shrewd observations add zest to the mystery.” Publisher’s Weekly

And finally:

Joffe Books draws our attention to  THE OTHER WOMAN by bestselling author Jane Adams, (99p/99p) which is launching this week. It is a haunting crime drama:   Marcie vows to help her grandfather pull the truth from his nightmares and locate Rebekkah, a raven-haired beauty he’s been chattering about from his death bed.   Is she a fragment of a dying man’s fevered imagination? Or something more?

Marcie never wanted to feel this way about her grandfather. Uneasy, resentful, afraid.   Is she ready to face the killer secret she’s about to expose? Well, is she? Read on…

More information from Joffe Books here

 

 

Eco-friendly Toys by Mondo – Teaching Kids To Save Our World – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Kids’ toys are fabulous aren’t they? Sometimes I covet my grandchildren’s playthings just a little too much. But the amount of plastic in the average toybox would make anyone with environmental concerns shudder. So thank goodness Italian toy company Mondo are taking a big step towards environmental sustainability with their Bioball and ReNew toy lines. How appropriate that Mondo means ‘World’ in Italian.

So, of course I had to road-test these lovely toys (and I may eventually let my grandkids play with them too).

All boys love a ball, and my grandsons are no exception. Mondo’s pvc Bioballs are now made using a bio-based formula, which replaces 50% of fossil-derived substances with a renewable sourced plant derivative – completely recyclable hence reducing the environmental impact by 50%. This is all brilliant news, and it’s great to know that quality hasn’t been compromised. In fact, the balls have enhanced elasticity, making them very bouncy and light and generally a lot of fun. They also come in a range of fabulous designs.

And with Staycations the order of the day, I was delighted with the ReNew Sand Playset. Really attractive, sturdy and well-made, the bucket comes with a lid that doubles as a sieve – to make those really smooth sand castles, and there are holes to poke in the cute spade and rake. And that’s not all –when you take off the lid there’s a sand mould (I got a turtle) and a sweet water jug inside too. Mondo are using a new formula, which includes both standard material and food-grade pre-consumer recycled material. Food grade means that the plastics can’t contain dyes or other harmful additives, so the chemical safety of these toys is actually higher than current requirements. My grandson will love it – and yes, I probably will let him have it, if he promises I can play too.

Let’s hope other toy manufacturers follow Mondo’s lead on sustainability. You can find more information on the Mondo Sustainability website and the Bioball and Beach Sets are both available on Amazon.co.uk.

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.

THE BOOKS THAT CHANGED ME BY HÉLENE FERMONT 


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Ever since I was very young my parents instilled in me a love for literature. We had a big library room at the back of the house, with books by all kinds of authors, Swedish and international, filling the shelves. I distinctly recall my mother’s delight each time someone gave her a new book – she’d read and share it with the members of her book club. She went to great lengths preparing lovely delicious lunches and dressed up for the occasion. Back then, in the 80s, books were special and quite expensive. Some even impossible to get hold of. My parents queued up outside the biggest bookseller for hours on end one night in February every year to browse and buy new books by their favourite authors. They always bought new books for me and my brother and gave them to us on our birthdays. I still remember the excitement of reading a new book.
There are too many authors whose books I loved then, and regularly return to, to list here. My favourite books are the kind of books that linger in my heart and mind long after I’ve finished reading them. As the author of character driven Psychological Thrillers, and a huge fan of character focused books, the following books changed me and inspired me to write.

Loves Music Loves To Dance by Mary Higgins Clark
This book centres around personal ads, and was published before the Internet.
It highlights the dangers of meeting strangers and is a gripping story with great characters. I’ve read all her books and learn something new each time I return to them.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson
After reading this intriguing and very graphic book, I became hooked on the sequels and, of course, the wonderful complex main character and storyline.

Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer
The storyline centres around a famous singer who returns home to look after her mother. The characters are so vivid, complex and human I instantly felt and feel as if they could be part of my life. I always return to this author’s books to inspire me.

Hamilton Beach by Linda Olsson
This is a very sad book about grief and the grieving process, and how loss affects us when we least expect it. The book is written from the main character’s point of view and perspective of what happened years ago and the place they used to love. The characters and emotional journeys are wonderful as is the beautiful scenery. This is a hard book to read but very relatable for people in a similar situation. The author’s books centre around universal topics and unexpected life changing events.

Yes Of Course It Hurts When Buds Are Breaking by Karin Boye
Karin Boye’s one of Sweden’s most famous author and poet. This is my favourite poem as it touches my heart in numerous ways.The words and sentiments are beautiful, very relatable and sad. I think of my beloved parents and all the wonderful times we had together. This was their favourite poem as well.