The Dilemma By B. A. Paris Book Review

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Catherine Balavage

The Dilemma is a book that stays with you. The characters are so rich and the premise of the novel is so breathtaking. I would label The Dilemma is a psychological thriller albeit one in the domestic setting of family. After all, is that not where the most complex things are? I dare you to put this novel down. I raced through it, my heart in my mouth. It is beautiful, sad and vivid. Perfect.

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

One day that will change a family forever, The Dilemma is the breath-taking, heart-breaking new novel from the million-copy-selling, Sunday Times bestseller, B A Paris

The Dilemma is available here.

4 Reasons Your Skin Is Looking Dull – and What You Can Do About It

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Aidan

There are many reasons why your skin might be looking dull, but there are just as many solutions. Dull and unhealthy skin can lead to a tired and wrinkled appearance, and no one wants that! The good news is that simple changes can make a big difference when it comes to combatting a lackluster complexion. Here are some common reasons why your skin might be looking dull – and what you can do about it.

The Environment

The air both inside and out contains many pollutants and small dirt particles, all of which are bad for your skin as well as your body. When dirt clings to your skin and clogs the pores, it gives it an uneven texture, which also diffuses light. This can make you look even more tired, and as though you have more wrinkles! The only way you can remedy this is to make sure you cleanse your face thoroughly at night before you go to sleep. If you don’t, all that dirt will start to cause untold damage to your skin. So, remove all traces of makeup with a gentle makeup remover, followed by a splash with warm soapy water.

Your Diet

What you drink and eat can be contributing factors to your dull complexion. Of course, drinking plenty of water should be common sense, as it helps to hydrate the skin and increase blood flow to your face. Additionally, any wrinkles you do have will appear deeper in dehydrated skin, so water is a great way to help reduce them. However, while drinking enough water is important, you should not neglect your diet, assuming that your water consumption will offset any negative effects. If you continue to eat foods high in sugar, salt and fat, you will reduce your skin’s ability to retain any moisture. So, try to eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs.

Stress

Stress is also a major reason why you may be suffering from dull-looking skin. And when you are worried about your appearance, it can lead to more feelings of stress, leaving you in a never-ending cycle. If you aren’t looking your best for an important presentation at work, a first date, or another special occasion, your confidence levels will suffer, and your fight or flight response will kick in. This means all your blood flow will be concentrated on your vital organs and not your skin. It’s easy enough to suggest avoiding stressful situations, but this is not always impossible. In these cases, you can try giving yourself a facial massage to help get the blood flowing. You should be left with plump looking skin and a more glowing complexion, which in turn will boost your self-esteem.

Not Using the Right Products

You might already have a skincare routine and still suffer from dull skin. In this case, it may that you are using the wrong type of product. For example, if you usually have dry skin, you should avoid oil-absorbing products, as this will simply exacerbate the problem. Also, products that contain PEG (polyethylene glycol) should be avoided, as it is said to reduce or alter the skin’s natural ability to retain moisture. It’s best to look for products that contain natural ingredients; for example, here’s a facial serum with vitamin C that helps to brighten and even skin tone and reduces inflammation, with additional ingredients such as green tea and aloe.

By taking the tips listed on board, dull skin can be a thing of the past!

Good news: A BRAND NEW ONLINE RADIO PLAY RAISING FUNDS FOR THE THEATRE INDUSTRY

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Margaret Graham

BROADCASTING ON WEDNESDAYS 20^TH MAY AND 27^TH MAY

Produced by the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield:

THE UNDERSTUDY

By Henry Filloux-Bennett, based on the best-selling novel by David Nicholls

STARRING

Stephen Fry, Mina Anwar, Layton Williams, Emily Atack, Russell Tovey, Sheila Atim MBE, Sarah Hadland & more

The Understudy is a brand new radio play that will be broadcast in two parts on Wednesday 20^th May and Wednesday 27^th May to raise funds for the theatre industry which is facing a devastating impact from the Covid-19 health crisis. The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield will split proceeds of this project with charities including the Theatre Development Trust (SOLT and UK Theatre), Acting for Others and Equity Charitable Trust.

Coming together at a time that matters the most, the stellar line-up of actors currently confirmed to perform in The Understudy includes Stephen Fry, Emily Atack, Sheila Atim, Layton Williams, Russell Tovey, Sarah Hadland, Mina Anwar and many more. The cast and creative team involved in The Understudy will take part completely in isolation and actors will record their lines at home that will be brought to life by an exceptional sound design team.

The public will be able to tune in to listen to The Understudy by buying a ticket, all of which will go to help individuals and organisations struggling because of Coronavirus.

Based on the novel by the best-selling author David Nicholls, The Understudy tells the story of an underdog – a failed husband, a failing father, a failing actor, and the impossible choice he’s going to have to make between stealing the show and stealing another man’s wife. Directed by Giles Croft, this is a stage adaptation written by Henry Filloux-Bennett that was originally commissioned by The Lowry. The sound, music and effects will be brought to life by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, Annie May Fletcher and Sophie Galpin.

Commenting on this timely project, Stephen Fry said: “I am just so delighted to be working on Henry Filloux-Bennett’s superb adaptation of David Nicholls’s The Understudy. I do hope lots of you will listen in and combine a good time with support for our wonderful theatre industry.”

David Nicholls comments: “I’ve always had soft spot for The Understudy and was hugely excited to see it come to life on a new online stage, and with such a great team. So much is changing, at such speed and I’m full of admiration for the way it’s now being reimagined. I can’t wait.”

A spokesperson for SOLT and UK Theatre said: “We welcome this initiative and are delighted that money raised will be donated to support theatres across the country – particularly outside London where the industry needs it most. It has never been more vital that our industry pulls together, and it is fantastic to see artists and performers using creativity and ingenuity to help support the theatre workforce through this difficult time.”

Synopsis

Actor Stephen McQueen has just landed a dream West End role. Well, that’s not quite true – he’s going to be is understudying film star (and 12^th Sexiest Man in the World) Josh Harper in the brand-new show ‘Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’, but still…Whilst he’s waiting for his time to shine, he reflects on his career – one that has spanned everything from (non-speaking) Rent Boy 3 in ‘The Bill’ to his recent starring role as Sammy in the (low-budget) regional tour of ‘Sammy The Squirrel’s Seriously Silly Safari’.

With this new job Stephen’s stage career may be destined for the dizzying heights, but not everything is going quite as well. Stephen’s wife left him two years ago, wondering if he’d ever grow up; his daughter wonders when he’ll get an actual job; worst of all, he’s starting to fall for the leading man’s wife.

Part 1 of The Understudy will be released on Wednesday 20^th May and Part 2 of The Understudy will be released on Wednesday 27^th May. For more information, see www.understudyplay.com

Title The Understudy

Dates Part 1: Wednesday 20^th May 2020

Part 2: Wednesday 27^th May 2020

Website www.understudyplay.com

Social Media @theLBT, @ActingForOthers,

Writer Henry Filloux-Bennett

Director Giles Croft

Sound and Music Alexandra Faye Braithwaite with Annie May Fletcher and Sophie Galpin

Produced by Lawrence Batley Theatre with support from Anthology Theatre

Cast: Stephen Fry,Russell Tovey Emily Atack,,Sheila Atim, Layton Williams, Sarah Hadland, Mina Anwar

Jake Ferretti, Sasha Frost, Marie Lawrence, James McNicholas, Lizzie Muncey

SISTER SCRIBES: CASS GRAFTON REVIEWS SYRIE JAMES’ NEW RELEASE

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Jane Cable

Regular readers of the Sister Scribes’ contributions to Frost won’t be surprised to hear that I’m a huge Jane Austen fan. Aside from enjoying repeated readings of her novels, I also enjoy books that have Jane as either a part of the story or where there is a strong Austen association.

I’d read and loved author Syrie James’ contemporary novels, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen in the past, so when I was invited to read and review her latest novel, (released through Avon Impulse on 25th February 2020), I leapt at the chance.

Duke Darcy’s Castle is a historical romance, set in the latter part of the Victorian era, and although the title hints at the story being a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, it isn’t, though certain similarities can be detected, not least in the duke’s inability to propose in a way likely to be accepted!

So what’s it about?

Lance Granville, the reluctant Tenth Duke of Darcy, has given up his much-loved naval career to inherit the family title, along with substantial estate debts and an ancient castle in serious need of renovation. Time to find a wealthy wife, perhaps?

Kathryn Atherton is determined to become the first woman architect in Britain. Marriage and children are not part of her plans—ever. Despite family and society opposition, she’s managed to complete her training; now she needs experience. When the architect who has given her a chance is incapacitated, she’s sent in his stead to Cornwall to do the initial sketching for a remodel of Lance’s castle. The last thing Kathryn wants—or needs—is to be attracted to its handsome owner.

Lance is soon entranced by Kathryn, and when he learns she is an heiress whose fortune would save the estate, he sets out to win her hand. But duchesses can’t be architects. And Kathryn has fought too long and too hard to give up her dreams…

With romance novels, the reader often picks up on who will end up with whom before the characters do, but the pleasure is gained from following the path to happiness, and this book does not fail on this, delivering several twists and much to keep the reader engaged along the way.

The book is also a fascinating insight into the late Victorian era attitude towards women pursuing an education, having careers and the restraints and attitudes they came up against.

With beautifully evocative descriptions of the setting, there’s no denying the location of St. Gabriel’s Mount, where the castle is situated, is inspired by St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, and the sense of place permeates through the pages.

I think my favourite aspects were the bond of love and friendship Kathryn has with her sisters and also the character of the Dowager Duchess of Darcy, Lance’s grandmother.

As for the story, can two such strong characters, both with conflicting motivations, face up to the need for compromise? Will Lance ever get his proposal right, and will Kathryn’s final decision be to follow her head or her heart?

Duke Darcy’s Castle is well written and very well researched, and I recommend it to those who love historical romances with plenty of passion.

NB: Recommended for mature audiences only, as there are several scenes of an intimate nature.

Syrie James is the USA TODAY and Amazon bestselling author of thirteen novels of historical, contemporary, and young adult fiction. A member of the Writer’s Guild of America, Syrie is also an established screenwriter and playwright.

Follow Syrie on Twitter @SyrieJames

Don’t Let Lockdown Stop You Getting Quality Meals

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Catherine Balavage

I have had to use my initiative to get food during the COVID-19 pandemic. March saw shelf stripping and even now online food delivery is (for me at least) impossible.

So the people at Love Yourself sent us some food to try. They make gourmet food which is delivered to you daily. They have different diets so you will find the right one for you. We tried the Keto diet.

The food arrives in trays and has the calorie count and nutritional value on it. You can heat things up in the microwave or some things can be eaten cold. So far so easy, but how does it taste?

Amazing. My husband is notoriously hard to please and even he said he had never eaten so well. I have reviewed hundreds of restaurants and this food is restaurant-quality. It is expensive with a starting price of £21 but I would recommend it if you have the money.

The sight of bare shelves in your local supermarkets is something we are all becoming familiar with, we want to avoid these busy shops and overcrowded public transport at all costs. So while your continuing to find your feet with home-work life and new ways to get some exercise into your day it can be a challenge to think of nutritional balanced meals daily. Take the weight off your shoulder and allow your meals to come right to your door with Love Yourself. Dedicated to the health, happiness and well-being of their customers all the hard work is done for you. No cooking is required simply place in the microwave to heat up following the instructions provided then your free to reap the rewards of these delicious yet nutritious meals. To help strengthen those motivation levels and achieve those daily goals rather than giving in to the temptation to sit on the sofa and binge watch a box set.

As restrictions mean we are spending much more time at home, with such uncertainty it is so important to maintain the attitude ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ that way you can face the day well-nourished with a sense of positivity and motivation whatever comes our way. LoveYourself provide the most immune boosting meals safely, straight to your door. Calorie-controlled premium diets freshly prepared, using an exciting array of seasonal ingredients containing no processed meats, additives or preservatives. If you’re wondering what is beef jerky and whether it fits into a healthy lifestyle, LoveYourself focuses on meals that offer nourishing, whole food options instead of processed snacks.

While day to day live may become monotonous for the creators at Love Yourself it continues to be of paramount importance to keep things exciting in the kitchen, changing diet menus on a weekly basis so you’ll never get bored, which encourages weight loss and an improvement to your overall health.

No time to go to the shops? Shops run out of stock? Love Yourself has you covered catering to your dietary requirements whether that be vegetarian, gluten free, keto or pescatarian. All food is prepared in a clean, sanitized facility with strict hygiene procedures in place. All food is packaged in sterile, food-grade containers, with an airtight seal to ensure its freshness and uncompromised hygiene until it is opened and enjoyed in your own home.

Looking for recommendations to help boost your immune system, read in full at; https://www.loveyourself.co.uk/blogs/news/immune-boosting-foods-that-ll-help-fight-off-the-coronavirus-and-more

The Love Yourself Meal Box, is available to buy online from £21.00 (daily) at LoveYourself.

HighTide reveals further details on industry leading response to crisis by Annie Clarke

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Margaret Graham

HighTide reveals further details on the industry leading response to the crisis and announces stellar cast for Love In The Time of Corona

The cast for the five monologues written for Love In The Time of Corona, as part of HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme, have now been released. Aisha Zia’s (No Guts No Heart No Glory, UK tour, BBC 4, Fringe First Award winner) piece will be performed by Jade Anouka (Last Christmas) while Katie Lyons (Manhunt, ITV) takes on Olivier Award nominee Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s work in the first of the monologues to be released on Thursday 9 th April.

Sophie Melville (Bang, S4C) will share Ben Weatherill’s (Jellyfish, Bush Theatre and National Theatre, now in development with BBC) piece, BAFTA nominee Dawn King’s will be presented by Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, ITV) and spoken word artist Debris Stevenson (Poet In Da Corner, Royal Court and UK tour, Evening Standard Best Newcomer nominee) will perform her own monologue.

All five of the writers of Love In The Time of Corona are currently developing full-length plays for Suba Das’s inaugural HighTide Festival in 2021.

Filmed and edited through support from HighTide’s sponsor Lansons, one of the world’s leading reputation management companies, the first of these digital productions created by HighTide will be available for free from next week on their channels.

The scripts will also be available royalty free for actors and directors to make their own digital versions and will be showcased on HighTide’s social media channels. HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme consists of free, brand new projects and programmes for artists, audiences and communities, specifically created to bring light in the weeks ahead.

HighTide are the first NPO to launch such a comprehensive programme of support for the sector, offering a range of programmes to help artists. These strands reflect the values that sit at the heart of HighTide: to introduce audiences to new work that speaks to the times we live in by the most exciting and diverse writers in the UK; to support emerging writers on their journey; and to engage communities in their home region in Suffolk.

Artistic Director of HighTide, Suba Das comments, Over 200 individual artists and companies have engaged with our Lighthouse Programme since we raced to create this new support programme the week that the theatre’s began to close; and our supporters have already donated £16,000 to these efforts, totally smashing all of our expectations. That tells us plainly that what we’re doing matters. It’s a strange and distressing time, but we’re so heartened that we’re helping provide a sense of focus and community. It’s an honour to have world class writing talents like Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Ben Weatherill; and actors such as Jade Anouka and Katie Lyons supporting our efforts. It’s equally important that we’re reaching and supporting an emerging generation who risk losing the opportunity to fully develop their talent with the shutdown in place.

So whether that’s with Dawn King’s livestreamed playwriting classes; or our Cancellation Catalogue through which we hope to rescue some shows that will no longer go to Edinburgh; or the online participatory work we’ll be doing with the Suffolk Young People’s Health Project; we hope that isolation doesn’t also mean silence. The Lighthouse Programme also includes: For writers from the East of England and/or from a socio-economically deprived background, Write That Play is a new programme to help new and emerging writers learn about playwriting craft and work towards completing a first draft of a new play. HighTide writer and BAFTAnominated Dawn King will lead a live-streamed weekly workshop over ten weeks taking the group through playwriting exercises and tasks. At the end of the course, their completed draft can be submitted for notes.

Applications for this exciting opportunity close on Tuesday. Playwright Crisis Support Programme will see HighTide’s incredible alumni, including Luke Barnes, Kenny Emson, Anders Lustgarten, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Vinay Patel and Nick Payne, adopt an emerging writer. Over twelve weeks, the small group of writers will be looked after by the HighTide team and an alumni. The focus is artist wellbeing during this period of crisis and individuals goals will be set with each playwright; these could range from completing a new draft, facilitating for a writer to hear their work out loud, navigating the financial support available to freelance artists. Preference will be given to applicants from the East of England and/or from a socio-economically deprived background and applications close on Wednesday.

To further support playwrights moving forward with their practice, HighTide’s newly appointed Associate Artists, Aisha Zia, Chinonyerem Odimba, Chris Sonnex and The Queer House, have committed to regularly reading and feeding back on scripts. The Script Reading Service is open to all UK playwrights during submission windows, however priority will be given to writers who are based in the East of England and/or are from socio-economically deprived backgrounds. A hundred scripts were received in the first submission window last week, further windows will be announced in late April and June. HighTide’s Cancellation Catalogue is for premiere runs of British new writing that were cancelled due to Corvid-19. Giving shows new life where opportunity was ripped away by circumstance, the pieces will be placed on a priority list for programming in the next HighTide Festival in Spring/Summer 2021.

In partnership with the Suffolk Young People’s Health Project (4YP) and Company Three’s groundbreaking Coronavirus Time Capsule programme, HighTide will create an online youth theatre space for some of the most vulnerable and isolated young people in the East of England. With sessions and content delivered by some of the UK’s most exciting theatremakers, and linking up similar youth projects all over the world, Let’s Create seeks to widen participants’ horizons, even during a time of lockdown. Throughout the crisis and in partnership with Nick Hern Books, HighTide will share a regular programme of simple playwriting tasks and exercises created by great playwrights past and present to help keep boredom at bay. The traditional period of a quarantine was 40 days so HighTide will be sharing 40 simple standalone playwriting tasks across their social channels with 40 Plays / 40 Nights. They invite all writers with a wi-fi connection to share their responses for feedback, discussion and celebration.

Twitter @_HighTide_ Instagram @HighTideTheatre Website www.hightide.org.uk

Donations www.hightide.org.uk/support-us/ Write That Play Apply: https://hightide.org.uk/lighthouse-programme/write-that-playplaywriting-programme/.

Deadline: Tuesday 7th April, 10am Playwright Crisis Support Programme Apply: https://hightide.org.uk/lighthouse-programme/playwright-crisissupport-programme/ Deadline: Wednesday 8th April, 10am Cancellation Catalogue Submission: https://hightide.org.uk/lighthouse-programme/cancellation-catalogue/HighTide

HighTide is a theatre company and charity based in East Anglia that has an unparalleled twelveyear history of successfully launching the careers of emerging British playwrights. Their alumni include: Luke Barnes, Adam Brace, E V Crowe, Elinor Cook, Rob Drummond, Thomas Eccleshare, Theresa Ikoko, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Anders Lustgarten, Joel Horwood, Ella Hickson, Harry Melling, Nessah Muthy, Vinay Patel, Nick Payne, Phil Porter, Beth Steel, Al Smith, Sam Steiner, Molly Taylor, Jack Thorne and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. They have staged productions with the highest quality theatres across the UK, from the Traverse in Edinburgh, to the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Theatre Royal Bath and the National Theatre in London. They discover new talent, provide creative development opportunities for playwrights and other creatives, and stage high quality theatre productions both in their region and nationally through their festivals and touring. They enable new and underrepresented playwrights to express their visions of contemporary politics and society, demonstrate their creative potential and therein showcase the future of theatre.

Ways to recover after partying all night

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Aidan

The morning after the night before can sometimes be a bit of a painful one depending on how hard you push it. Like so many other party animals, you can get a bit carried away, then you’ll be pleased to know there are certain things you can do to speed up the recovery process.

While the obvious advice is to take it easy in the first place, that might not be right for you mainly if there’s a big celebration afoot. Take a look at some cheats for life when you hit 20 and few suggestions below, and hopefully, you’ll be able to conduct damage limitation and feel human again sooner rather than later!

H2Oh-yes

Yes, it is that simple. One of the main issues with a hangover is dehydration so this time when you are drinking, make sure it’s water-based rather than vodka-based! Some sugar can give you an energy boost too so you could choose one non-carbonated sugary drink too and get that down you. You might also want to try some rehydration sachets. They are a rapid way to replenish lost salts that will make you feel lousy.

Eat up

Alcohol depletes our inner resources, so your instinct is to crave high fat, high salt, high badness foods. These can make us feel better in the very short-term, but the likelihood is you will feel worse afterwards. Try to choose foods that will help including

Complex carbs – such as wholemeal bread to give you some energy
Eggs – these contain cysteine, which is an amino acid that helps breakdown acetaldehyde, the root cause of hangovers
Bananas. These are full of potassium and magnesium, which you lose when you are boozing. Potassium will combat nausea plaguing you as well as that awful feeling of fatigue

Pop the pills

While a headache may well be caused by dehydration, it can also be compounded by tiredness, tension and maybe a bit too much load music. And that’s why painkillers were invented! If the feelings of sickness are chaining you to your bathroom floor too then consider trying some anti-sickness tablets. Moreover, if you become somewhat more frivolous with your attitude towards contraception, then you might also want to treat yourself to a morning after pill to be on the safe side. The symptoms of unprotected sex last much longer than those of a hangover if you aren’t careful!

Love yourself

You may have been loving someone special last night or even everyone on the dancefloor but do not forget to save a bit for yourself for the next day. A hangover is always exacerbated by the beer fear and feelings of guilt and shame that frankly, torture yourself with isn’t needed. Most of us have been there, so try not to be too tough on yourself.

In the moment, the next day can feel torturous but remember – it only lasts a day. The memories you recreate from having a great time with friends and family will last forever, long after the hangover has passed. Follow our tips to feel better and enjoy yourself. Just ensure that you are safe while you are doing it!

Fabulous news: Bevan the Teddy Bear and his Companions to Help NHS Heroes

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Margaret Graham

Britain’s oldest remaining teddy bear manufacturer is supporting the NHS and the coronavirus fighting fund thanks to a special souvenir bear and his cuddly companions.

Bevan the Bear, originally created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS, is making a comeback and will be joined by a selection of Merrythought’s traditional, British-made teddy bears to raise funds for the NHS Charities Covid-19 Appeal and SATH, the company’s local Hospital Trust in Shropshire

The ‘Blue Ribbon’ campaign collection also includes Merrythought’s best-selling London Curly Gold bear, together with Oxford, Traditional Cheeky and of course Bevan – named after founder of the NHS,Aneurin Bevan. Paying tribute to the NHS frontline heroes, Merrythought has chosen only teddy bears that wear a blue ribbon, with a minimum of 20% of all online sales to be donated to the charities.

“While a Merrythought teddy bear is the ideal companion to get you through challenging times such as these, choosing a special bear for either yourself or a loved one will now also help the NHS and those affected by Covid-19,” said fourth-generation managing director of Merrythought Sarah Holmes.

“Bevan is a particularly special bear for us and we were very proud of our collaboration with Shrewsbuy and Telford Hospital Trust, our local NHS Trust. We now want to build on this to help the wider NHS as it faces such an unprecedented crisis.

Merrythought, which marks its 90th anniversary this year, is famous for crafting the finest, British-madeteddy bears, which are adored by children and adults across the world.

“We appreciate the difficulties that families and the NHS are facing at the moment, and are keen to see the Merrythought teddy bear giving some financial and emotional support to those affected by Covid-19. Merrythought is very much a business which has been at the heart of the community for the last nine decades, and we hope to continue to be so for generations to come.”

While the Merrythought Shop in Ironbridge has had to close in line with current Government restrictions, orders can still be placed online.

“We are proud that our teddy bears are British made, and we appreciate all the efforts across the community to support British businesses as we all try our best to get through this crisis together.”

Bevan is on sale for £89, and is available alongside the rest of the Blue Ribbon Collection at www.merrythought.co.uk.

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