Frost loves The Hape Discovery Box. It keeps little ones entertained for hours. Colourful and well made, it lets little ones play and learn at the same time. It packs a lot in considering what little space it takes up. Brilliant.
Worth £32.49 from Amazon. Suitable for 24 Months + Five sides of activities keep little hands in constant motion including wire bead maze, abacus, mirror, color wheel and spinning face, a wonderful learning and play station.
I spent a fabulous weekend with my friend Maggie in Haworth, ages ago now, and stayed in the pub overlooking the graveyard, as yer do. And stormed across the moors, and imagined Heathcliff.
Ill Will, The Untold Story of Heathcliff by Michael Stewart is worth a read if you like gothic fiction. Stewart explores the untold story of this anti-hero, who does brooding like no-one else. Stewart captures the tone of Emily Bronte’s novel, which was so reflective of the bleak moor itself. Heathcliff has left Wuthering Heights, and travels across the moors to Liverpool in search of his past. He finds time time to save Emily, the less than ladylike daughter of a highwayman. Together they lie and steal, and cheat before Heathcliff is finally in a position to return to Wuthering Heights. I always felt that Heathcliff was understandable, he’d been dealt an outrageous hand. This is interesting. Well worth reading.
Ill will by Michael Steward. pub HQ hb.£12.99 ebook and audio.
Her Mother’s Secret by Rosanna Ley.
Yet again a novel which is partly set on the Cornish coast but not for long, for Colette heads to her home in Southern Brittany when her mother’s health begins to fail. Once there Colette’s ghosts of the past reveal themselves – here it comes, the secret. Aaah. It is one she is determined to unravel at any cost. The sun is out, the tone lighter. Not a Heathcliff – lighter and feel good.
Pub. Quercus. pb. £7.99
Workhouse Angel by Holly Green
A saga which takes Angelina from the Workhouse to an adoptive family who are not the benevolent guardians one might wish for. Then hope spring eternal when Angelina hears of a man who visited the workhouse looking for his daughter. So perhaps Angelina isn’t an orphan after all.
This is the second in the Brownlee Workhouse series.
pub Ebury Press £5.99.
I have lost my Way by Gayle Forman
This is told over the course of a day from three different perspectives. I love this sort of book. It’s one I give my groups often, because it helps them imagine themselves deep into several personnas.
Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a tragedy leaves him isolated.
The three of them reveal the parts of them past when they collide in Central Park, and then find their way back to who they’re supposed to be.
Lovely jubbly. Great jacket, good premise. Give it a go.
pub Simon and Schuster UK pb £7.99
When we think of Switzerland we think of precision instruments – Swiss Army knives and expensive watches (Oh, and chocolate – I always think of chocolate). Well now you can add Rubis tweezers to the list.
Rubis is an old family firm, which originally made tweezers for prestigious watchmakers, including Rolex, who used them for placing the tiny rubies inside the watch mechanisms. Naturally, the accuracy required for this work necessitated high quality tools, and Rubis tweezers have been hand-made, using a 45-step process by skilled employees, for many years.
So when Fides Baldesberger, the daughter of the original owner, turned her sights on the beauty business, she developed some of the best tweezers, scissors and manicure tools ever. Made of surgical steel, the tips of the high-quality tweezers close perfectly, and they have precise edges with arms of just the right tension and resistance.
Keen to test these mean machines, I searched for a stray hair on my chin (sadly, it wasn’t too difficult) and honed in on it. Normally I find this a deeply frustrating experience, which involves stabbing repeatedly at where the hair seems to be, but missing, catching skin, stomping around the bedroom and eventually giving up. Somewhat sceptical, I aimed at my hair with the Rubis tweezers, grabbed hold straight away and pulled – to my amazement they had hit home and the hair was gone – painless and quick. Was it a fluke? I tried again, and a second stray hair was no more.
But don’t take my word for it – top make-up companies love them too. Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder and MAC all swear by Rubis. Bobbi Brown refers to them as ‘the Ferrari of cosmetic tweezers’ and Vogue called them the ‘best of the best’.
At around £20-30 a pair, you can certainly buy cheaper tweezers, but these will last and last and take the pain and distress out of a necessary little job – treat yourself.
https://www.rubis.ch/ch-en/cosmetic-tweezers.html
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
The Old Religion by Martyn Waites.
Another book set in Cornwall. This time in a village which is the sort of place people come to hide. Tom Killgannon is an ex-undercover cop and in the Witness Protection Programme has done just that. Some people would like to find him, but he has a chance here.
But then Lila, a teenage runaway comes along. This is unputdownable. Does he help her and risk his own security? Dark, fast, hide behind the sofa or chew your nails. Your choice.
The Old Religion by Martyn Waites. pub Bonnier Zaffre. hb £12.99
Death Notice Zhou Haohui
Sergeant Zheng Haoming of the Chengdu Police Dept has been haunted by a case for years. But is the ruthless killer back?
But why, after so long? Can modern police techniques catch the killer when mere mortals failed? The first in a trilogy. Cat and mouse police procedural. I liked it. Enjoy.
Death Notice by Zhou Haohui pub Head of Zeus hb £18.99
Resort to Murder. by TP Fieldon. I include this because it is a great comfort read, all his are. We love him. So cool down, let the adrenaline disappear, to be replaced by a softer reaction as you enjoy the a gentle humour.
Set again in the West Country, this time Devon, with its golden sands, and old seaside towns, Miss Dimont, such a character, an eccentric, and boon in this hectic world stumbles upon a crime scene. She drives the local ‘cops’ mad – think Father Brown, and relax as the crime is solved.
Resort to Murder A Miss Dimont Mystery by TP Fielden. pub HQ. pb £8.99/ebook £7.99
A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry. A feelgood story from Henry – food, family and friends, what could be better.
Laura Griffin is preparing for an empty nest and though wondering how the change will work ,she’s looking forward to a calmer time with husband Dom.
But along ‘it’ comes, that secret that is so beloved of authors. To cope Laura turns to her grandma’s recipe box and starts to carve her own path but along the way she finds she needs people as much as they realise they need her. Enjoy. Eat. Forget the calories.
A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry. pub Orion. pb £7.99.
Frost took the Rockit with us when we went on holiday and were very happy indeed. It rocks the pram just so and baby falls into a peaceful sleep. We managed to enjoy a good meal while the Rockit took over parenting duties. Highly recommended for frazzled parents everywhere. A great invention.
Travelling tech for weary infants and worn-out parents.
Pack this on your pram to stop their sleepless nights (and your arm ache) with this ingenious gadget the Rockit – Portable Baby Rocker.
Soothe your babies tiresome tantrums and help them drift off to sleep with the Rockit device, designed to gently rock the pram with it’s adjustable speed setting and thirty minute automation.
This astronomical inspired baby gismo is ideal for new parents to put their baby to sleep wherever they are as it’s universal bracket is easily adjustable to any pram or pushchair.
Keep moving and snoozing with this simple space like product for bouncing babies. The super-quiet motor ensures your baby isn’t disturbed, and it’s even rain showerproof suitable for inside and out.
The liberating Rockit assists busy adults by freeing up their hands for those tricky moments where you’re unpacking the food shopping or enjoying a coffee with friends.
As seen on Channel 4’s TV show Buy It Now – just £39.95 now at Prezzybox.com.
Matt Dyson, inventor of Rockit said: “Rockit was designed by three dads with seven children between us. Nick Webb came up with the initial concept when his three-month-old daughter Abby refused to sleep in the pushchair at the supermarket checkout.
“He noticed this problem affected other weary parents but couldn’t find a product available on the market that was cost effective and portable to help. One evening he had a lightbulb moment. He took an old printer apart, salvaged the motor and soldered together a simple circuit. The resulting prototype worked and the very next day Abby remained asleep even when the pushchair stopped moving.
“After two years of hard work and support from the Design Council, Rockit has now become an award winning product that is helping babies to sleep all over the world.”
Frost had a treat at the Flexmore Barn, Flexmore Farm Bottrells Lane, Chalfont St Giles HP8 4EQ. Not only did we have coffee out of bone china cups and a good chat with the exhibitors but oh, dear reader, we bought… Of course we did.
At the entrance to the barn Zoe, one of the exhibitors added three strips of material to a rope line to show that they had another 3 viewers, so a glorified bunting keeps tabs on numbers. First stop, Zoe Albright’s fused glass. She is to exhibit again in November and I do think I could pick up some really classy fused glass Christmas decorations. I thought them clean, evocative and understated, and especially with light shining through them, they are works of art.
Continuing on the glass theme Mary Joliffe’s glass panels were striking. Mary creates traditional and contemporary panels for the home and garden, specialising in individual commissions.
There was Carolyn Worrall’s calligraphy, some framed, and obviously with a narrative and Carol Saunders with her quirky ceramics, Georgina Peachey Saunders exhibited her mixed media and collage, inspired by the natural environment, and Bronwen Corrall was there with her domestic hand thrown and wheel-thrown ceramics.
Heidi Fenn was there with her felt creations and Sarah Rupesinghe with her pastels of pets wildlife and portraits, + paintings in mixed media. Intriguing handmade horseshoe themed gifts, from Nicholas Selby, were quite unique and so too Sheila Sather’s work, – objects from nature, dried them and arranged to draw attention to their uniqueness. Such a variety of high class art and craft.
Finally Sharon Bennett, one of Frost’s favourite artists was also exhibiting. Sharon creates one of her works a month, and uses a combination of acrylic palette knife and collage. Margaret and Dick Graham are collectors of her work, and yes, we came home with another, of course we did.
Dartmouth at night by Sharon Bennett
The Bucks Arts week is on until 24th June, and this particular exhibition is very well worth a visit. Not just because of the exhibits, but also the exhibitors who are fun, friendly and willing to talk about their work. Their enthusiasm lights up the barn, which is a truly great venue. Do go.
What was the first piece of writing advice you were given?
This wasn’t exactly writing advice as such. It dates back to when I was at grammar school and it was a regular feature of feedback on essays. I had a wonderful English teacher called Mrs Trueman, who taught me for five out of my seven secondary school years. From her I learned the importance of what she called elegant paragraph links – the natural flow of writing. To this day, if I am struggling to move along from one idea to the next, I can hear her voice in my head, insisting on, “Elegant paragraph links, girls.” It has also had an impact on me as a reader. I always notice a jerky transition between ideas. I hope my own writing is pretty seamless in that respect. If it is, it is thanks to Mrs Trueman!
What is the most recent piece of writing advice you gave or received?
Don’t get it right – get it written. I have joined in with the annual madness of NaNoWriMo several times and the advice there is all to do with getting the story down on paper – or on-screen – and worrying about perfecting it at a later date. I know there are plenty of writers who simply can’t do this. They have to get each section right before they can move on to the next; and there have been times when, instead of ploughing on, I have felt impelled to go back and change something in the WIP, because my brain refuses to carry on until I have done that tweak. But if you are able to produce a “dirty draft,” it makes a great starting point for the editing. I know plenty of writers hate the editing process, but I love it and find it rewarding.
What piece of advice would you most like to pass on?
I have offered this advice to a few writers and they have all told me it is a good idea, so I am happy to share it with you here: don’t stop writing today unless you know how you are going to start writing tomorrow. For me, being able to get going immediately is important, especially now that I am writing to deadlines. I recently gave up my day job, but when I was doing it alongside my writing, being able to switch into writing mode and get writing straight away was essential. I’m sure there are plenty of writers whose response to this advice will be to say that it wouldn’t work for them, because they want to be able to leave their writing when it is difficult, trusting that their subconscious will work on it and untangle the tricky bits. For me, following this rule means that, when I hit a problem and the writing becomes difficult, I always keep at it until I have got past the hard bit and things are flowing freely again… so that when I stop, I know how I’ll start again next time.
Susanna Bavin has worked as a librarian, a teacher, a carer and a cook. She lives in beautiful North Wales, but her writing is inspired by her Mancunian roots. Her sagas, The Deserter’s Daughter and A Respectable Woman, are published by Allison & Busby.
London wine bars are two a penny but when you find one you like, just like a lucky penny, you’ll never let it go.
We were invited to try the Humble Grape’s latest opening at the lively Devonshire Square, pretty much opposite Liverpool Street station. Tucked away on Devonshire Row, The Humble Grape is extremely humble in size (see what we did there?) so we’d recommend booking your table in advance but this hideaway is certainly every wine lover’s dream.
Each wall is decorated with some of the finest bottles of wine you could imagine and, what’s more, they’re doing Retail Monday every (you guessed it) Monday. All the bottles can be purchased at their cheaper retail prices. All day long. The team advised us that it’s a hugely popular event and we’re not ashamed to say a Monday visit is already in the diary.
One of the things that surprised us most about this place was its incredible quality of food. Like the venue size, the menu is ‘humble’ but offers a fantastic selection of meats and side dishes, as well as a few mains to line your stomach if needed. The kitchen is tiny and fully visible from the seating area so at first, we were a little apprehensive about how the food would compare with the fantastic wine but we’re delighted to say that we were pleasantly surprised on a ridiculous scale.
The quality of the meats is second to none and the Iberica pork dish was mouth-wateringly tender and packed with flavour. It was topped with the most delicious slice of chorizo we might have even eaten and was accompanied by what we consider to be, quite possibly, the most deliciously crispy garlic potatoes.
Essentially, what we’re trying to say here is that we completely taken aback and fell in love with the food straight away. As a foodie, it was an incredible bonus and while the wine was extra tasty, it would be the food that pulls us back. Quality not quantity is clearly their motto.
We definitely do need to give a nod to the wine though but also the service. The waiting staff clearly knew their stuff and could of course partner every wine with every dish on the menu.
For us, the standout tipple was the Weingut Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc I, 2015, Pfalz, Germany and whilst the wine isn’t especially cheap per glass (roughly averaging at around £10) you definitely won’t be looking back towards your Blossom Hill after you’ve sipped this Sauvignon!
Finally, we’d be doing a disservice if we wrapped up this review without touching on the atmosphere. This bar is cosy, yet sophisticated but unlike some wine bars, doesn’t even have a whiff of pretentiousness. It’s clearly a place you can go to sit back, relax and enjoy some good food, good wine and the good company you’ll be taking along with you.
So, next time you fancy a genuinely great glass of wine or an incredibly tasty and reasonably priced dinner at a place that has a feel like your splashing out but no price tag to match, give The Humble Grape a try.
We were guests at The Humble Grape.
Book here: https://www.humblegrape.co.uk/wine-bar/liverpool-street/