Haig Club – a festive single grain scotch by Milly Adams

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My dad was a scotch whisky drinker, especially at Christmas. ‘What is Christmas without a scotch,’ he’d say.

One year his son came to see him. They had lost touch many years before, and up he popped. So there they were, Young Bill, and Old Bill both sitting there like two peas in a pod, sipping their single grain scotch whisky, wearing similar clothes, similar spectacles, with similar mannerisms. Both whisky drinkers, particularly at Christmas.

So whenever I test a new whisky I think of those two, and know they’d leap at the chance to test but I have a secret weapon – ‘him indoors’ is almost a chip of my dad’s block, with a rare nose for a single grain.

Haig Club is the iconic Single Grain Scotch Whisky from the House of Haig, created in partnership with David Beckham. Will we all be able to score a spectacular goal? I fear not, but having tested Haig Club let’s just say you’ll feel you could. We drank it straight, though it lends itself to a cocktail if you wish.

 

Dad and Young Bill would of course, have removed any nonsense and simply savoured – and enjoyed it.

The Haig Club Deluxe in its distinctive square blue bottle design and copper detailing contains single grain whisky which has a smooth  but crisp taste with notes of citrus, which is blended with butterscotch and toffee. The result is a light, new generation Scotch that pairs perfectly with any mixer, or classic/contemporary cocktail – this does seem to be the thing this festive season.

 

Completing the House of Haig Collection, CLUBMAN inherits the same boldness of HAIG CLUB. Encased in a distinctive elongated square bottle with a stand-out silhouette – CLUBMAN’s design reflects HAIG CLUB’s tradition, innovation and style.

Interestingly, CLUBMAN is apparently aged in ex-American Bourbon barrels and you can taste again the smooth light flavour of toffee, and hint of butterscotch. This gives it a unique, smooth and light flavour base. The result works well mixed in long drinks or poured simply over ice – it is the ultimate stylish gift for Christmas.

I will be giving bottles to my favourites. Be nice to me, very very nice.

HAIG CLUB 70cl: RRP £45 (Available from Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Amazon)

HAIG CLUB CLUBMAN 70cl: RRP £25 (Available from Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Amazon)

 

Milly Adams’s latest novel is the last in The Waterway Girls – Hope on the Waterways pub. Arrow.

 

 

 

Holiday fun – sigh…

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And here we have a photo of Margaret Graham, AKA Milly Adams showing the kids how it’s done on a holiday in Italy some years ago. Let’s be honest, I dye my hair, well, who wouldn’t? And the water bleaches it, and so does the sun, hence the hat, and the head up in the air, looking ridiculous, stance.

It was one of those holidays which showed clearly the demarcation between the generations and indeed the sexes, if one can even mention the sexes in this day and age. The teenagers lounged round the pool of the Italian house we’d rented, or dived elegantly into the pool.  Margaret the Mummy swam arduous lengths in a hat, hoping to chase away the galloping cellulite, whilst the teenagers refused to believe they could be related to this apparition.

Meanwhile, Dick the Daddy lingered in the kitchen, reading his electronics magazines, out of the sun entirely, and out of hearing distance of the Female Mafia.

This absenteeism was quite possibly brought about by an unfortunate episode when Margaret the Mummy was navigating around Florence (why did we drive? Why? Why? We should have flown and grabbed a taxi). Well, I say navigating when I should have said, I was supposed to be navigating. Instead I was sitting frozen in the passenger seat in a state of terror as Italian drivers swept in and out, here and there around and in front of us, all at great speed, and much honking of horns.

We reached a cross-roads. ‘Where now?’ barked Dick the Daddy.

Margaret the Mummy had forgotten all about navigating, so:

  1. a) had to find the map.
  2. B) the the page.
  3. C) Turn said page up the right way.

All the while the cacophony of horns grew ever louder, as did the ‘What the hell are you doing?’ within the car, from him to my right, and the teenagers behind.

So, there we were, an island of Britishness amongst a sea of furious Italians. Hey, let’s take a look at that sentence again. So there I was, an island of one English woman, trying to work out where we actually were on the wretched map, while inside and out there were furious, gesticulating ‘others’..

Finally, in desperation Dick the Daddy swung the car into the curb, snatched the map without saying please. Spent half a minute looking at it, then handed the map to a teenager, and drove on without a word, while the teenager navigated.

I sulked. Said teenager muttered, ‘You’re lucky you weren’t left at the side of the road.’

Well!! Well!!

Now we are happier. Each journey doesn’t end with threats of divorce, because we have Sally the SatNav, and the teenagers have children of their own, who sit in the back of granny and gramp’s car and ignore where we’re going, because they have social media and are chasing ever more ‘friends’.

This leads me free to:

a) press the imaginary break when I feel Dick the grandpa should be doing so.

b) suggest that Dick the grandpa should just get into the boot of the car in front, and be done with it, as he’s driving so close.

c) Or drive myself, which is liberating because I can sing-along to Smooth radio only interrupted by Sally the Satnav suggesting I should have turned right, but to do so at the next turning – IF YOU PLEASE.

I do feel she shouts sometimes, but one can’t drive a SatNav to distraction, surely. Answers in writing.

 

 

We Have To Stop Telling Parents To Enjoy Every Moment

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parenting I am over thirteen months into being a mother of two and there are no words for how hard it is. Since using words is my entire job description that is serious indeed. In those thirteen months I have not had one good nights sleep and my bones feel like they are eighty. Yet I am constantly told by people to ‘enjoy every moment’. As if I am some kind of monster if every moment with my children is not complete joy. Now I love my children more than anything else in this world, (Well, tied with my husband), but pretending parenting is nothing but sweetness and light does no one any favours.

At the moment my daughter is making it hard to write this post because she is doing an adorable peek a boo game and smiling at me, but earlier today she screamed for hours and I could do nothing to comfort her. She is teething and it is one of the hardest things ever. In truth, an unbelievable amount of pressure is put on parents, and on mothers in particular. The standard to be a good mother is one so high you would need a seat on a spacecraft just to reach it. So I write this piece in defiance of the standards that are impossible high, and for all of the people who tell me to ‘just enjoy it’ when I am having a bad day. I mean, when they are doing something they hate, going to the dentist for example, do I tell them to enjoy it because life is short? No, I don’t. Telling sleep-deprived, exhausted parents that they are lucky and to just be happy does no one any favours. Especially as some of them might have post-natal depression. Putting pressure on people to be happy, instead of acknowledging how hard parenting is, just creates unhappiness and pressure for people who are already under a huge amount of pressure.

To be fair I do remind myself that my childrens littleness will go in a flash and I should enjoy it as much as I can. But I am a human being for FFS. Not a robot that can take every crappy moment with a smile. I do not enjoy it when my children are in pain and I cannot comfort them. I do not enjoy the endless sleepless nights and the SAS-like torture of it. I do to like it when my children squabble. I also do not love wiping bottoms, cleaning, tidying or all of the accidental head-butts and scratches. Nor do I enjoy dealing with tantrums, or even a myriad of other domestic crap. And that is okay. It really is.

Q&A with Children’s Author, Natalie Savvides

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Natalie Savvides is a staunch anti-bullying campaigner whose series of Henrietta and Henry Heartbeat books focus on imparting positivity, good behaviour and kindness among young readers aged up to six years old. In this exclusive Q&A, Frost Magazine speaks to Natalie about her new Meet Henrietta Heartbeat books and about her plans to spark a “kindness revolution”

Frost Magazine (FM): You published your first Young Adult (YA) novel, Full Circle, in 2016. How did you find the transition from writing YA to young children?
Natalie Savvides (NS): To be honest, the transition came very naturally, I didn’t even think about it. I never thought I’d write children’s books but as soon as I felt something needed to be done to educate the youngest generation in kindness, the process was utterly spontaneous. The characters just came to me, as did the stories. I’ve always loved poetry, writing in rhyme and having been a teacher of English to foreign students for some years my mind is accustomed to getting messages across in the simplest most understandable way. I wrote about what I saw with my own children, so the topics were many and presented themselves.

FM: Tell us more about the Meet Henrietta Heartbeat series of novels and who they will most appeal to.
NS: Henry & Henrietta Heartbeat, It’s cool to be kind is the series, of which the first book currently on sale is “Meet Henrietta Heartbeat” and is an introduction to one of the main characters. Henry & Henrietta are brother and sister in the Heartbeat family and they go about their days showing people how to be kind, by demonstrating what to do, how to act in situations of conflict or confusion with other children. The series of books which are all very short stories, in rhyme and heavily illustrated are set to appeal to the critical formative years 0-6…. The idea is to make being kind a way of life and a natural, spontaneous behaviour by it being learnt, understood and most importantly enjoyed at the earliest stage of education. It is proven that early PSED (personal social emotional development) has a huge impact on well-being, achievement, and happiness later on.

FM: How did the series come into being?
NS: The stories came about when I realised that in order to protect my children’s life experience outside of the home and those of all children something had to be done about instilling kindness before unkind behaviour appears. The trigger was when my son told me that some of the boys that he liked at nursery didn’t want to play with him and he simply didn’t understand and was terribly upset by it. It broke my heart. There is no need for this type of behaviour and I wanted to try and show children that. I wanted to find a way to educate children in a fun way that it really is cool to be kind to everyone and that we all benefit when everyone is happy. I realised there was a need for something visual that children could relate to, refer to in order to bring the message to life and help it sink in. I felt cartoon characters would be the most obvious answer. I created Henry & Henrietta Heartbeat as big happy hearts with strong characters that appeal to young children as transporters of this increasingly important message of acting with kindness. Henry & Henrietta subtly but clearly educate children though simple rhyming stories showing how to always act with care, inclusion, acceptance, love and kindness and how everyone is happier when living this way.

FM: Some parents (and teachers) believe that dealing with unkindness (and to some extent with bullies) is a rite of passage and one that prepares them for the real world. What is your view on this?
NS: Whilst that may be true at the moment – that is exactly what I’m trying to change! It’s a little defeatist to say let’s get them prepared for what’s to come – because large parts of the ‘real world’ are relatively unkind – instead of accepting this and ‘preparing’ our children for it, why not try to change the future for the better. If we manage to educate the younger generation in kindness until it’s a spontaneous way of life the future would be brighter! We wouldn’t need to prepare them for unkindness as there would be less of it. L. R. Knost sums it up nicely here: “Its not out job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”

FM: You believe that society could benefit from a ‘kindness revolution’; what do you mean by that?
NS: Yes, I believe that society could benefit in many ways from a kindness revolution. Acting with kindness is scientifically proven to benefit our physical and mental health our wellbeing, achievements, success and happiness in general. What I mean by a kindness revolution is exactly that: to transform our society by beginning a change that will reshape our environment into a more caring and positive one. This is not something that could happen overnight, obviously, but eventually.

FM: Can bullying ever be eradicated in all of its various forms and, if so, over what period of time? Will we see it in our lifetime?
NS: I don’t know – I would seriously like to think so to some degree… I am sure there will always be some, but our aim is to minimise it… we need to start from the root to make a long-lasting change. We can but try… If everyone does what they can to educate kindness it can certainly only help.

FM: To what extent should schools generally, and teachers specifically, be held to account for the actions of bullies in their care?
NS: I am no expert on how to deal with bullies hence I am focusing on a theory of prevention rather than cure. However, I do believe that where a child has been identified as a bully if there is no change after three warnings, I believe that the child should be first suspended, thereafter upon return if there is no improvement the child should be expelled.

FM: In what practical ways can schools and teachers educate children about the importance of being kind, and should children be marked or assessed on their propensity towards it?
NS: They can hold kindness work shops where scenarios are set out and children participate in role play then do feedback sessions, try to step into the shoes of the bullies and victims to see how it feels, lessons learnt! Yes, children should be marked or assessed on their propensity towards it. Kindness is as important as any other behaviour or performance children are assessed on.

FM: Should ‘kindness lessons’ be adopted by and continued through high school?
NS: Yes absolutely – the content is endless.

FM: Finally, what one message would you share with readers whose own children are being bullied?
NS: Continue encouraging their children that things will get better. Focus on whatever positives there are at school. Always, always listen. Look out for changed behaviour and address it. Raise it with the school (if not done so already) as subtle things can be done to separate the children. Reassure them that it’s not their fault and encourage them to stay confident in who they are! There are also online support groups for victims of bullying

Meet Henrietta Heartbeat by Natalie Savvides (Austin Macauley Publishers) is available now on Amazon UK priced £9.99 in paperback. Meet Henry Heartbeat, the second in the series, will be published in the UK in January 2019. For further information about Natalie Savvides and her work, go to www.nataliesavvides.com

A clutch of books to think of parcelling up and giving for Christmas. by Milly Adams

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Murder in the Caribbean by Robert Thorogood

This is to buy with the  book token you could buy your nearest and dearest for Chrimbo as it isn’t out til 27th December.

A bit of sunshine, and why not as the glorious golden leaves of this autumn are biting the dust as DI Richard Poole and his team set about cracking another murder after a boat explodes in the harbour. Who did it, and why leave a ruby behind at the scene of the crime? As events unfold it becomes clear that one can’t outrun the past. I love a good sunny romp, but there is enough of a dark side not to be cloying. A treat, quite frankly.

Published by HQ £7.99/ebook £2.99/audio £12.99

A Daughter’s Gift by Maggie Hope.

When Elizabeth and her four siblings are orphaned, she and her brother are sent to a children’s home; their younger sisters into foster care. Maggie is determined to make a better life for her and her brother and all seems to be more or less on track,e even when she starts work as a nurse, but does she jeopardise it all when she falls for a wounded officer? Marriage to one so far above her is out of the question and her behaviour must be above reproach if she is to retain her job. Even more stress awaits as her sister is adopted by an abusive farmer. How is Maggie to solve all these dilemmas?

A page turner of a novel set in Catherine Cookson country. Give it a try.

Ebury Press £6.99

The Christmas Sisters by the ever popular Sarah Morgan

This is one of those warm  optimistic novels which is just right for Christmas, with a cracking jacket, though there are problems in abundance as Suzanne McBride’s three daughters return for the festivities in the Scottish Highlands.  But as so often at these reunions things from the past bubble to the surface…

A warm rich story to read by the fireside, with a box of chocolates and a glass or two of wine. Enjoy.

HQ Harper Collins   £7.99

Forget my Name by J.S. Monroe

On quite a different pathway, this thriller from the bestselling author of Find Me-  which Frost also enjoyed – sometimes from behind the sofa it must be said.

Munroe cranks up the tension as ‘she’ arrives in Heathrow after a difficult week at work. All her ID has been stolen. OK, report the theft then, but  how, when she can’t remember her own name? Ah, but she can summon up her address.

But when she arrives, Tony and Laura, a young couple live there. She says it’s her home. They say they have never met her before. Who is lying?

This is the sort of nightmare we are pleased to wake from, and find ourselves still in bed. But what do you do when it’s not that sort of a nightmare. Bite your nails and read Forget my Name, or give it to someone in plain brown wrapping paper (as we’re being told to do this year) and let them sweat it out, and tell you the end.

Head of Zeus pb  £18.99

Milly Adams latest series is The Waterway Girls  – pub: Arrow

 

 

 

Twist and Spritz: Just the job for a Christmas present, or – shhhh –  to keep for yourself: by Milly Adams

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Gold

Here in the Frost Magazine office our handbags are in danger of weighting a ton, so any way to lighten the load appeals. Which is why we liked these, so take a look  – a fabulous idea for a Christmas gift, or any time, really, and reasonable enough to buy for yourself.

 

Twist and Spritz 8ml atomizers save carrying around your favourite 100 ml perfume bottle. Just fill, squirt, replace into your bag, and toddle along. It comes in a choice of 18 shades and at Frost we found it so easy to fill, and in an age where one wonders who actually has time to  stuff a tomato, let alone fiddle about putting perfume into a container, what’s not to like?

 

Pink Glitter

 

With this you simply remove the inner bottle from your chosen Twist & Spritz, before placing the valve over the exposed nozzle of the fragrance bottle.  Pump repeatedly until the inner bottle is full, and then replace the this back into the Twist & Spritz. You now have 8ml of fragrance, which equates to 100 sprays; guaranteed to last your whole holiday, wedding or festival.

Silver

Available in great choice of fashion-forward shades, some with a high-shine metallic finish, and slim, sleek design whilst for the fun-loving festival goer there are hero shades including purple, light pink, blue, green and red. For the discerning traveler, there are sophisticated precious metal inspired hues of polished silver, gold and trend led rose gold.

I filled mine with the relatively new perfume, Signature, which was launched in the spring.

I really like its complex scent of citrus, pepper and rhubarb, but also hints of rose, jasmine and ylang ylang add a floral flavour, with base notes of warm woods, dry amber, musk and vetiver adding an air of luxurious sophistication.

The eau de toilette, available from March in L.K.Bennett stores and lkbennett.com, is available in three sizes – 30ml (£35) 50ml (£49) and 100ml (£69); in a beautiful Art Deco-inspired glass bottle designed with iconic branding.

But do decant into your Twist and Spritz so you have some with you always.

As I said, good presents, and why not treat yourself.

Twist & Spritz RRP £10   www.thefragranceshop.co.uk

 

Leverage in Death By J.D Robb | Recommended Reads

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J. D Robb Leverage in death

The latest book in the series.

What would you do to protect your family?

When Paul Rogan sets off a bomb at his office, killing eleven people, no one can understand why. He was a loving husband and father, with everything to live for. Then his wife and daughter are found chained up in the family home, and everything becomes clear. Rogan had been given a horrifying choice – set off the bomb, or see his loved ones suffer and die.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows the violence won’t end here. The men behind the attack are determined, organised and utterly ruthless. In this shocking and challenging case, both Eve and husband Roarke are heading into serious danger.

Available here.

The Christmas Dinner: Shopping the pain free way!

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The Christmas Dinner 2018

Every year I wait for a message from my friend, Liz Fossu to say ‘ The List is up!’. Those four little words are the signal to go shopping. And I hate shopping!

Shopping as my contribution to The Christmas Dinner is the one exception – instead of misery it brings me joy. Someone else has done all the hard work creating the list and putting it up on Amazon. All I have to do is click. I chose four gifts this time – one on behalf of each of my grandchildren. Gifts range from colouring books for £4.99 to holdalls at £19.99. There are scarves, gloves, earphones and a whole host of other gifts to choose from; and the accumulated effect of choosing these gifts spreads joy and goodwill for a whole lot longer than a cup of expensive coffee that costs about the same price.

I have to admit that this is my favourite part of Christmas and I don’t even have to move from my desk to enjoy it. Who’d have thought it?

The Christmas Dinner 2018 Leeds

A huge amount of work goes into making every Christmas Dinner a success. The project was founded by Lemn Sissay, MBE – a care leaver himself. Each year the project grows as more cities set up their own Christmas List and gather a team of volunteers to make Christmas Special for hundreds of young people leaving the care system. Until Liz began sending me her messages I had no idea. I took for granted my big family Christmases – don’t we all. How often I have longed for five minutes peace after all the wrapping that takes hours and is demolished in seconds. But spare a thought for those young people who leave the care system and would crave a boisterous family Christmas. Many of them live in B and Bs, bedsits, or sofa surf. In the same circumstances would you look forward to Christmas?

All the volunteers have busy lives, frenetic jobs, careers and families; they are teachers, lawyers, photographers, PAs – yet they give up their free time, limited as it is, to plan, organise and deliver a wonderful Christmas Day for young people aged 16-25.

It isn’t just Christmas Day that takes up their time but the hours and hours of planning that making each event a fabulous success. There are venues to be secured, food and drink supplies, decorations, transport, people prepared to cook, people to serve – and wash up – oh yes, and all that wrapping. Can you imagine! I live too far away to join in with the Leeds wrapping (sighs with relief) but I’m sure if I didn’t I would enjoy the camaraderie and infectious enthusiasm that is generated when people come together with good will and generous spirit. Because that’s what Christmas is all about after all, isn’t it?

Why not pop over and discover the Christmas List on Amazon. It’s my kind of stress free giving.

And if you want to see what a great time everyone had last year you can watch this great video below.