Caravaggio_ Landscape. (Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025)

Full disclosure, I am the person who some years ago needed a euro, in order to have a Caravaggio painting illuminated in a darkened church in Rome, and asked for change from the person seated outside a church, hoping to receive a few coins from worshippers and art lovers alike.

I tell you this, so that you understand I am predisposed to look kindly on anything that sheds light on one of history’s most brilliant, complex and controversial figures. However, it also makes me a harsh critic of anyone who does not treat the subject with the reverence it deserves.

I need not have worried, this dramatic biography of mystery, intrigue, beauty, passion, murder shines a new light on Caravaggio.

Five years in production, Film Caraggio is the most extensive film ever made about one of the greatest artists of all time – Caravaggio. Featuring masterpiece after masterpiece and with first-hand testimony from the artist himself on the eve of his mysterious disappearance, this beautiful new film reveals Caravaggio as never before.

Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath 1609-10 (Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025)

Multi-award-winning filmmakers David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky delve into the hidden narratives of Caravaggio’s life, piecing together clues embedded within his incredible art. The intriguing self-depictions within his works — sometimes disguised, sometimes in plain sight — offer a rare window into his psyche and personal struggles.

Whenever I have seen a work by Caravaggio, something was missing. Maybe the lighting? The chance to step back and fully appreciate the work rather than been jostled by crowds, or perhaps not understanding all of the composition, and sometimes I feel that the experience would be perfect with the right music.

Fear not, the film gets all that right, and more besides.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces are some of art’s most instantly recognisable works. No one else uses his signature blend of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. His incredible paintings have captivated audiences for centuries. But there lies a deeper mystery. One that still beckons us to explore. Religious subjects, bathed in divine light, draw in the viewer, but with the aid of knowledgeable art historians, further layers of understanding are revealed. The dynamic explosions of colour must look incredible on the big screen (I have only seen it on my laptop so far.) and the big screen is where this film should be seen, in the cinema.

The film opts for a slow reveal of the composition of each painting, so the viewer is not distracted by other elements contained in the painting. The blackened feet of some of the subjects draw the eye, reminding the viewer that these are real subjects and that Caravaggio’s use of light reveal the visceral emotions of those depicted.

The music accompanying some of the pictures is Allegri’s Miserere, and if you are not familiar with it, I recommend that you download it immediately. I never want to see another Caravaggio, without this playing in my ears. What do these masterpieces reveal about the man behind the brush? You will have to watch the film to explore the intriguing clues that help us to finally understand the life – and death of this remarkable man.

To get the full effect, one needs to sit in a darkened cinema and revel in Caravaggio’s brilliance.

Caravaggio is in cinemas from 11th November 2025

The Nappy Gurus, an eco-friendly independent brand making reusable products.

The Portable Changing Mat (£15.99) is useful for so much more than nappy changing. New parents can use it as a playmat, perfect for tummy time or nappy-free time, a bath or swimming towel, a picnic blanket, or under high chairs to catch spills. This mat is double-sided and made with a waterproof layer sandwiched between absorbent bamboo towelling on one side and a super soft plush pattern on the other side, preventing any moisture leakage.

Plush Bamboo Reusable Face And Hand Wipes (£26.49) are super strong and gloriously soft on the skin. They’re absorbent and naturally antibacterial, making them perfect for cleaning up little hands and faces while ditching single-use wipes.

SMARTMAX | My First Safari Animals | RRP: £19.99 | Stockist: SmartToys&Games

These were a huge hit with the children. This Christmas little ones 1-5 years will love mixing and matching with their very own first safari animals!  Easily build and play with these delightful, zoological creatures to create the craziest combos! The safe and soft animals simply click together, meaning they are ideal for teeny tiny fingers. 

Maped Paint by Numbers | RRP: £14.99 | Stockist: Amazon

A true classic the Maped Paint by Numbers Set allows little ones to create masterpieces using clear lines and numbers. Thoughtfully designed for beginners aged 7 and up, this set makes it easy and fun for children to take their first steps into the world of art.

 Infantino Rainbow Foldable Foam Mat | RPR: £35 | Stockist: Amazon

The Infantino Rainbow Foldable Soft Foam Mat is compact, light, and has a fold & go design, making it ideal to take on-the-go or pop up in the living room when mum is trying to cook Christmas dinner. The soft texture mat gives a bit of cushion while creating a perfect spot for learning new skills like rolling, crawling and sitting. With unique pop-up sides, it stops toys from rolling away and the double-sided boho-inspired design helps keep it visually fun for baby. With its wipeable surface, it is ideal to shake off any crumbs or clean any spillages!

You can never go wrong with a book.

I’m Going To Eat a Polar Bear by Karl Newson and Nicola Kinnear.

“I’m hungry! Fish are boring! I want something new. Something soft… and fluffy!”

Meet a little penguin who is super hungry but totally bored of eating fish. An older penguin recalls hearing of a fluffy creature called a ‘bolar pear’, so the little penguin sets off on an adventurous mission to find and eat this ‘mystery’ creature.

On arrival at the North Pole, the penguin can’t see a polar bear anywhere and eventually turns back home, hungry as ever. Little does penguin know that an equally hungry polar bear is following right behind…

This story will have readers gleefully shouting ‘it’s behind you!’ as this hilarious story unfolds. The reader can follow oblivious penguin on every step of its journey as it narrowly escapes being gobbled up by the polar bear.

A fantastic and engaging story. Available here.

Original Squishmallows The Official Baking Book

Discover your new favourite treat with 50 delicious recipes inspired by your adorable Squishmallows. 

Squishmallows: The Official Baking Book is the only place you will find delights such as:

Cam’s three-colour dough cookies
Hans’s chocolate truffles with sprinkles
Lesedi’s cinnamon rolls
Bethany’s Linzer love heart cookies
Mac’s pumpkin spiced whoopie pies!

The ultimate recipes for buttercream, caramel and Squishmallows marshmallow are also included, alongside a selection of delicious and refreshing drink recipes for all seasons.

Each recipe includes a fabulous illustration of your favourite Squishmallows alongside colourful photos of each of the bakes.

Squishmallows: The Official Baking Book is suitable for bakers of all abilities and a perfect way to spend more time celebrating these loveable, super soft plush companions with family and friends.

A fantastic book full of delicious bakes. Available here.

The Story Orchestra Musical Puzzle: The Planets.

New from the best-selling Story Orchestra sound-book series: Musical Puzzles!

• The Planets musical jigsaw puzzle: Featuring four 10-second sound clips of an orchestra playing from Holst”s original score, a perfect gift for music lovers.
• Sturdy gift box contains: 48-piece puzzle (44 regular pieces, plus 4 shaped pieces with cut-outs that give access to the musical buttons on the included frame) and an educational poster; finished puzzle measures 11.7 × 8.3 in.
• 4 musical buttons to press: Complete the puzzle to see how the story ends and press the musical note inside the shaped pieces to hear the music.
• Edutainment for ages 4–7: Includes a puzzle frame that gives a concise retelling of Holst”s The Planets and a double-sided poster with puzzle reference image plus information about the story, music, and the composer. 

Take a musical journey through time and space with The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Musical Puzzle, an interactive adventure that turns Holst’s famous score into a creative hands-on experience for your little reader. 

This is so clever and brilliant. I cannot recommend it more. The perfect educational toy which is also fun. A jigsaw that plays music. Adults love it as much as children. Available here.

Weirdosaurus: Prehistory’s Most Peculiar Dinosaurs by Philip Bunting

Welcome to the world of Weirdosaurus… 

Meet a dinosaur with a built-in megaphone. Spot the one with metre-long, sword-like claws. Say hello to a flying carnivore as tall as a giraffe! 

This book is bursting with the strangest, silliest and downright weirdest dinosaurs that ever stomped the Earth. From frilly heads to feathery tails, toothy grins to enormous claws, every creature inside is wonderfully odd in its own way. 

Travel back in time and meet over 80 prehistoric peculiarities, each with its own vital stats, dino scale diagram, Latin name (and how to say it) and some seriously strange features. With Philip Bunting’s hilarious illustrations, cheeky jokes and eye-popping facts, every page is packed with surprises. 

With well-known favourites and dinosaurs you’ve never heard of, Weirdosaurus is the perfect book for dino-mad kids who love the weird and wonderful. If you thought you knew dinosaurs… think again!  An excellent book.

Available here.

Dive Into The Ocean. Immersive 3D Viewer.

See 30 ocean animals in incredible 3D with Dive into the Ocean: Immersive 3D Viewer.

• Incredible 3D ocean viewer: See 30 illustrated ocean creatures in magnificent 3D.  
• Screen-free fun for aquatic adventurers aged 3+. 
• Learn through play: Packed with fun facts and observation games. 
• 3D viewer box contains: 3D lenses, cards featuring 30 animal illustrations and fun facts, instruction and games leaflet; box size is 18 × 6.5 × 6.5cm. 

 
Choose a creature card and place it in the box, then look through the lenses to start your underwater adventure! See a great white shark’s rows of teeth, a clown fish nestled in an anemone, an orca leaping from the water, and many other aquatic favourites in three dimensions. Turn over the cards to discover fun facts about each wild and watery creature. 

The immersive 3D viewer contains 3D lenses, 30 creature cards and an instructions and games leaflet.

We loved the Enter The World of Dinosaurs Immersive 3D viewer last year. This one is just as brilliant. Available here.

I’m so old that I can remember when advent calendars were a simple Christmas scene on an A4 piece of cardboard, covered in glitter with cut-out numbered doors, and a cute picture behind each door. My brother and I had such pleasure opening a new door each day, admiring the revealed picture and counting one day closer to Christmas. When my children were young, the calendars started to contain chocolate treats. This seemed so wrong, and I’d hunt for chocolate-free calendars for my kids. I’m not convinced they totally bought into this deprivation, but I wanted them to enjoy the simple pleasure I had experienced, without need for chocolate.

However, that was all a long time ago and I admit to having totally given in to temptation with The 12 days Of Tracklements. Chocolate is one thing, but a different jar of Tracklements unique and delicious condiments behind each door is simply irresistible.

Tracklements, a Wiltshire-based family company, create quality food, using simple, honest ingredients. Their products are made by hand in small batches, using traditional and modern recipes and many locally-sourced ingredients and they have an incredible and innovative range of products. I’m gradually working through them all – it’s a challenge but, oh, so worth it.

So how perfect is their 12-jar The 12 days Of Tracklements? An attractive box containing a different yummy jar to tuck into every day until Christmas – just open the door. Let me enjoy the recollection for just a moment as I run through the selection:

Chutneys: Apricot & Ginger, and Tomato & Chilli; Ketchups: Proper Tomato and Sweet Mustard; Strong English, and Robust Wholegrain Mustard; Quintessential Brown Sauce and Caramelised Onion Marmalade; Strong Horseradish Cream, Rich & Creamy Mayonnaise, Sticky Fig Relishand finally Chilli & Red Pepper Relish.

I can verify that each one of these is absolutely heavenly (yes, OK, I admit to having already opened each door and I’ve tried them all) but after much deliberation I’ve chosen two favourites. Proper Tomato Ketchup – perfectly named as this is how tomato ketchup should taste. Over half the ketchup is pure tomato purée, creating a deep flavour-rich thick ketchup, with raw cane sugar, spirit vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, cloves, allspice and black pepper. As with the other jars, simple pure ingredients for a perfect condiment. It tastes so different from the usual supermarket offerings. Firstly it actually tastes of tomatoes, but the subtle spices turn it into something very special.

My next favourite is the Apricot and Ginger Chutney. Chutney is such a traditional English condiment – perfect with cheese, and as with all Tracklements foods, uses only natural ingredients. Apricots comprise a third of the chutney, mixed with apples, cider vinegar, raw cane sugar, sultanas, ginger, sea salt, garlic and chillies. The bite of the ginger and chillies really complements the natural sweetness of the fruits. I love ginger anyway and the combination is truly delicious.

So if you’re looking for a gift for a special friend, or you just want to treat yourself (and why not?) do grab The 12 days Of Tracklements at just £25 from the website (Gluten free and vegetarian). Also available from fine food delis and farm shops nationwide – this makes an attractive and delicious present for anyone. The challenge is waiting until advent to open the doors.

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.

Brian the founder of Daft as a Brush, Edith Bradley, Marion and Bob Taylor,.

No sooner had the decision been made than Marion and Bob, central to the Columbia Community Association team, promptly set about advertising the event online and contacting local businesses etc.

The Brady Bunch, as she calls them, rallied round in abundance. Marion and Bob also visited Daft as a Brush headquarters where they met the amazing Brian Burnie, founder of this fantastic charity after Cancer struck his wife. Her story, thank goodness, was a success and she overcame this traumatic ordeal. As a result of this Brian told Marion he realized that possessions mean little when your health is at stake and decided to sell his £16 million mansion and all his wares and created Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care. The charity covers Durham, North and South Tyneside and Northumberland and to date 80,000 patients have benefited from this free service.

The charity is run by volunteers who transport cancer patients to and from hospital and frequently stay with them throughout their treatment. Brian’s dream, he said, ‘Is to increase the number who can use the service to 100,000, however, to accommodate this it is essential to fund-raise to make this happen.’

No sooner said than done: the CCA team had raffles and sold Daft as a Brush memorabilia, arm bands, badges, car air fresheners, car window stickers for £1 and sturdy cotton bags for £3.00. The community baked cakes, companies donated cakes and pastries, a necessity for the diabetics, we did not want to leave anyone out.

Local people and ex patriots of Brady Square travelled to be part of the fund-raising day though Margaret Graham, Frost Magazine editor, and with roots firmly embedded in Brady Square, had Covid so had to miss the fun. She was not happy, everyone. Really she was not. Duck!

The tables were set and were spectacular, it was all so scrumptious. How could anyone resist when these delicious cream cakes were shouting “Eat Me” so eat me they did. They also provided boxes for the folks to take the delicacies home with them.

Andy Hayes, a friend to CCA, and a volunteer himself arrived in one of the Ambulances and Marion’s dear friend Brian Mason adorned the building with Daft as a Brush signage.

Local businesses put collection buckets in their premises, and everyone was thrilled to be involved, and of course, the raffle helped things to tick along.

The total raised by this amazing community was… believe it or not… £1,200.

The last thing for Marion to do was to liaise with Daft as a Brush for the cheque photoshoot.

“Smile everyone you are simply the best.”

‘Indeed you all are,’ says Margaret Graham, editor, now back on her feet, and cross about missing such a lovely day. .

Few things are more likely to strike fear in the heart of most cooks, than the words, ‘I’ve invited a vegan to dinner.’

And equally from the other side, there is nothing worse than being invited to dinner as a vegan, and watching everyone tuck into delicious food whilst pretending to be excited by a fruit salad.

Of course these are extreme examples, and all hosts would wish to be more adventurous in the kitchen, but where to start?

Fortunately, Danielle Maupertuis has the answer, for puddings at least, with her latest recipe book. ‘Vegans deserve better than a Fruit Salad.’

Maupertuis is an award-winning Belgian pastry chef who writes as though she was a talented friend, standing behind you in your own kitchen. The recipes are written in an easily understood fashion, offering advice as and when you need it.

This recipe book is divided into sections, Cheesecakes, Chocolate Desserts. English Classics with a Modern Twist, Tarts Cakes and Gateaux, Mini cakes and Petit Fours, Festive Desserts and finally Basics, which covers Creams, Mousses, Pastries, Sponges, finishing with a section on Ingredients and equipment.

What I particularly liked about this recipe book was that nothing seemed off limits, no rare ingredients, recipes not overly complicated, and yet each one mouth-watering and impresive.

This recipe book, containing over 70 recipes, would make an Ideal Christmas or birthday gift, not just for vegans, but also for cooks like me, who wish to extend their range.

‘Vegans deserve Better than a Fruit Salad,’ by Danielle Maupertuis, £11.99.