The great thing with Hape toys is great quality and this lovely Crane Lift is no exception.  Around 55cm tall (22 inches in old money) and painted bright yellow, it is striking, and I have personal proof from my own young road-tester that children will run across the room to play with it.

It has an accessible operator’s cabin and a crane arm which swings around. Children can load the platform with the (provided) blocks of wood and raise them, lower them or move them along the length of the crane arm, using a pulley and turning knob system.  The road barriers and cones are attractive and allow the child to create an imaginary construction scene.

My grandson absolutely loved it and was soon lifting and lowering all sorts of toys on the wide wooden platform.

If you are wondering what to get your youngster for Christmas, he will adore this toy, However, watch out, he may have to fight off his Dad and uncles too – definitely one for the ‘Big Kids’.

Available at Argos for £34.99 or various other stockists.

By Dr K Thompson, 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

The Frost Magazine team loves the genius of David Hockney’s work; the light, the precision, the empathy so we were not  surprised to hear of the record-breaking David Hockney auction.

‘Pool with Two Figures – ‘It  proves that “real masterpieces do not need gimmicks,” affirms renowned art dealer, Stephen Howes.

The comments from the founder of Thomas Crown Art, the world’s leading art-tech agency, come as the British artist’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold Thursday for $90.3m in Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York City.

This beats the $58.4 million record previously set by Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog in 2013.

Mr Howes observes: “This is truly one of the most iconic paintings of the 20th century and has justifiably smashed the world record for the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction.

“This momentous sale further galvanizes the piece’s rightful place as a true masterpiece and further cements Hockney’s place in the highest echelons of art history.”

He goes on to add: “This record-breaking David Hockney auction proves that real masterpieces do not need gimmicks – they stand and deliver on their own merit.

“It flies in the face of that hideous recent pantomime when Banksy’s famous Girl With Balloon ‘self-shredded’ as the hammer came down at auction.

“Bizarrely, that prank has apparently made that piece’s value soar – which, it can be reasonably assumed, Banksy knew would happen.

“That stunt was not about the art at all, it was all about the art of publicity. The whole trick was plainly embarrassing and those involved must be called out for it.”

He goes on to add: “Should David Hockney’s masterpiece have been shredded today, it would have rendered it pretty much worthless  – unlike Girl With Balloon which apparently increased in value.  Why? Because one piece is a work of fine art and the other is a stencilled publicity stunt.”

Mr Howes concludes: “David Hockney’s artistic genius has been signed, sealed and delivered. It is likely that it will be many more years until another living artist beats this record-breaking auction.”

And so say all of us.

As someone who recalls those student parties through a prism of cheap boxed wine, ‘When in Rome,’ the UK’s first premium ‘bag in a box’ wine company certainly have their work cut out, trying to convince me to relinquish my cherished bottle of wine and rethink the concept of wine in a box.

Their eco credentials are certainly impressive; recyclable cardboard rather than glass bottles, economic storage in the fridge, and a smaller carbon footprint than their glass competitors.

Each box contains the equivalent of three bottles which seems more like magic than science to me, given the size of the box.

Whilst I can shamefacedly admit to a misspent youth as a student, my wife rarely drinks alcohol. To open a bottle, I have to commit to drinking it over two sittings, or use up what’s left in cooking. (First world problems I know)

In the box, the wine remains as fresh as when first opened for up to 6 to 8 weeks. I can now have just one glass with supper and no pressure to drink more, ‘so as not to waste it.’

Being sold on the packaging is all very well, but what about the wine itself?

The wine we are here to taste is Grillo from Sicilly and where better to taste it than in a Sicilian Restaurant in the heart of London’s West End, where Enzo Oliveri, the chef and owner of ‘Tasting Sicily, Enzo’s  Kitchen’, created delicious food to show off the versatility of Grillo.

The Grillo Grape more usually associated with Masala wine but here presented to great effect as fresh, crisp and dry, easily cutting through Olive tapenade, Arancini and roasted and salted vegetables.

On the tongue Kumquat, lemon grass, wild flowers that speak of spring and early summer and yet somehow perfect in winter.

I can see this as a great addition to picnics, trips to the beach or boating on the river and those Christmas parties when you don’t know how many guests to expect.

The Grillo retails at £25.99 (one box is the equivalent of 3 bottles)

Whilst enjoying the Grillo it would have been rude not to taste the red, Nero D’Avola, which is the perfect accompaniment to pasta in tomato sauce, so I for one will be looking out for both.

Available at Waitrose, Harvey Nicholls and some independent wine merchants.

When in Rome can be contacted at www.wheninromewine.co.uk

Enzo’s kitchen can be contacted at Info@tastingscicily.returant

As a child I used to dream of having a TV in my bedroom. Just a small black-and-white one would have been the ultimate luxury. (Yes I am that old, I’m afraid – and life was a little tougher in those days).

But how things have moved on?

I have just had the pleasure of road-testing the Soundasleep. It looks, and feels, like a simple, rather attractive, white pillow, but, hidden beneath the soft quilting is a mini-heaven for anyone who dreams of duvet days on a regular basis.

A micro USB charging port with power switch are hidden in a secret zip pocket. Once charged and switched on, the pillow mutates into an entertainment system AND phone, and more. The pillow will remain charged for around 5 to 7 day – depending on how long you can bear to turn off the Soundasleep features and grab some sleep.

Having paired the blue-tooth with either your phone or other audio device, you can press the ‘On’ button, hidden in the top corner of your pillow and listen to music through the inbuilt speaker, either directly from your device, or Spotify for example. You can set the music so it is loud enough for you to hear, but won’t disturb your partner – unless of course you want to ramp up the volume so you can both share. Insomnia will never be a burden again, as you hum along to dance music (not too loud, remember), learn a language, or listen to that ‘How to stop smoking’ hypnosis track someone once bought you for Christmas.

But you can do so much more than listen to music or audio tracks.

Imagine just waking up in your bed when your phone goes. Oh damn, you remember it is Monday morning and you should be in an important meeting. That call will be your boss. No need to panic, jump out of bed or search for your phone – just press the ‘on’ button in your pillow, roll over and talk to your boss from your bed – thank you Soundasleep.

If this isn’t enough, there’s a free Soundasleep App available from Google Play or Apple Store.  It has numerous useful features including a sleep tracker, smart alarm and snore management function, plus a range of sounds and music to fall asleep to. You can also use it to monitor the impact of alcohol, caffeine, exercise and stress on your sleeping patterns. The pillow is also compatible with other apps, such as Calm and Headspace.

AND, as if all this were not enough, it supports Amazon Alexa – you really won’t need to ever leave your bed again.

Available from https://soundasleeppillow.co.uk/ at just £50 – the perfect Christmas present for the person who has everything.

By Dr K Thompson, 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