The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings broods, if you get my meeting – there’s an ambience which pervades. A good book, exploring obsession, loss and longing, and set against the North Cornish coastline which I know well.

The Davenports, with their fast cars and fabulous clothes are living as many would wish in a perfect house overlooking the sea. But they are watched from a distance through her bins, by Tamsyn… If only, she thinks.

In spite of the sun – it broods as I have said. A compelling read.

The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings. pub by HQ HB £12.99. ebook £5.99 audio £12.99

Another from HQ:

Turn a Blind Eye by Vicky Newham

A twisted killer has a deadly riddle for DI Maya Rahman to solve – this is the first in a series set in East London.

A headmistress is found strangled in her school, she is the victim of a brutal and ritualistic act of violence. The only clue, an ancient Buddhist precept written on a scrap of paper.  A page turner… But not a cosy crime read.

Turn a Blind Eye by Vicky Newham HB £12.99 ebook £5.99 Audio £12.99

The Girl in the Green Dress by Cath Staincliffe

I had the pleasure of reading a bit of Cath’s first novel years ago now, when Maggie, one of her group members asked my opinion. Great, I said then. And she is.

One June evening teenager Allie Kennaway heads off to her school’s end of year prom. She doesn’t arrive home again. Could it be because of her transgender identity? Love, hate on many levels. Clever clever…

The Girl in the Green Dress by Cath Staincliffe. pub Constable £7.99 pb. And as an ebook.

The Memory Shop by Ella Griffin will uplift you after immersing yourself in crime. It’s all about love, family and the joy of making new memories. And you know, it is joyous. Nora escapes from London and heads for her home in Dublin where she hears that her grandmother’s home is being sold with all her belongings. As she unlocks her grandmother’s past, she starts to let go on her own. Great stuff.

The Memory Shop by Ella Griffin. pub Orion paperback and eBook. £7.99.

Tom’s story

In 1997, Bob Griffin founder of Tomcat, met his wife Anne, and her son Thomas who had Angelman’s syndrome; a profound disability, typified by severe learning difficulties, sleep disturbance and poor coordination.

One day Anne made the casual remark that would change not only their lives, but the lives of disabled children worldwide. “If only we could tire Tom out”, she said, “he’d sleep all night and so could we!”

Tom required 24 hour supervision so exercise or outdoor activity was all but impossible on safety grounds. Cycling seemed the answer, but in 1998 special needs trikes were crude contraptions; little used outside school for weight and safety reasons. Something revolutionary was needed!

An invention with a purpose

Six months later Bob built the very first trike for riders with learning difficulties and visual impairment; furthermore, it did not look like a trike built for disabled children. It had lightness for ease of use and lightning fast transportability and a revolutionary rear steering and braking arm with park brake and speed regulation to put the carer in control.

Suddenly, Tom’s many problems evaporated and he cycled an astonishing three miles on his first attempt, laughing all the way. Bob recalls the day as a “wonderful, safe, rewarding, memorable, sunny day.”

Life changing trikes accessible to everyone

Tomcat trikes certainly turned the tricycle industry on its head by offering a bespoke solution to those families who thought cycling was entirely beyond their reach. So, what was initially a good idea turned into an innovative business.

Over the past twenty years Tomcat has become the leading light of the trike industry, with many innovations becoming industry standard by which all other trikes are judged. Tomcat has also been recognised for the difference it has made to people’s lives by the many awards it has won; including Britain’s highest business accolade – The Queen’s Award for innovation.

Quality isn’t expensive it’s priceless

The impact that Tomcat trikes has had on the disabled community would not have been possible without the funding support of charities like Gloucestershire Disability Fund and in Guy’s  particular case Words for the Wounded, (WforW helps ill and injured veterans) Guy’s trike was presented by two members of the Tomcat team in the company of Guy’s friends, members of the supporting charities and family.

Photography credit: GloucestershireLive

But Guy, himself a mature student at the University of Gloucestershire tells us that the original impetus came from a third year University of Gloucestershire student George Helder who started a GoFundMe page to raise money towards the bike after Guy had attended a Wheels for All at the Prince of Wales stadium and saw something that would benefit him enormously – exercise and transport. Another friend, Tracey approached the trustees at the Gloucestershire Disability Fund for help and Guy contacted Words for the Wounded.

Guy, who was placed third with a poem in a Words for the Wounded writing award some years ago says: I have Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Polycythemia Ruba Vera which puts in me in the LINC unit of Edward Jenner at Glos Royal every two weeks – it’s a red blood cell cancer / disorder, and Chronic Thrombo Embolic Pulmonary Hypertension (try saying that after a visit to the pub) which is a lung disorder that puts pressure on my heart. Rest assured, I’m off to get a heart rate monitor this afternoon.

So the obvious thing to do, as my son would say, is ‘go hard or go home’.

I plan to spend my future running and promoting the charity I’ve set up called Shepherding the Mind using dogs, horses and poetry for unlooked for mindfulness. And being a clown, I’ve got the badges to get away with it.’

Guy has set himself a gobsmacking challenge for himself, and his Tomcat trike. Painted pink in aid of breast cancer awareness – the trike, not Guy though Frost Magazine wouldn’t put it past him – Guy is intent on not only being able to walk his wonderful companion, the German Shepherd, Zen, but – and here’s the challenge – he is intending to cycle the entire length of the A40 on a charity fundraising mission. During the journey he hopes to have a Riding for the Disabled Association pony with him as well as Zen.

Bob Griffin of Tomcat says “Tomcat will always try and find a way for disabled children and adults to integrate into mainstream sport activities like cycling because it has so many health and social integration benefits.  At its best, cycling can change the future from life spent in a wheelchair to walking, and that is a rite of passage to us all.  For us as engineers, there can be no better reward than that.”

http://www.tomcatuk.org    Or phone: 01452 616900

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

www.shepherdingthemind.org.uk

http://www.fearfulodds.co.uk

Sometimes I just love my job, and ‘having’ to review RosehipPLUS® products was one of those occasions.

Our skin absorbs much that is applied to it – good and bad. You’ve probably used painkiller creams, which pass through your skin to ease joint pain.

For this reason we need to be careful what we use on it, and it’s great to know that RosehipPLUS® products contain no toxins, chemicals, preservatives or other nasties.

The rosehip oil, which is the basis of their range, is cold-pressed from seeds,  which are wild harvested in the Chilean Andes, and thus it is 100% pure, natural and organic.

When I was a child, mothers dosed their youngsters with rosehip syrup daily, as it has always been known to have beneficial effects. In fact, rosehip oil contains natural bioflavonoids, which are potent anti-oxidants. They combat free radical skin damage and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains essential fatty acids (omega 3,6 and 9) which help keep the skin hydrated, moisturised and younger looking.

The Nourishing Night Cream also contains a blend of cocoa seed butter, jojoba seed oil and shea butter which help to lock in moisture and deeply nourish the skin’s surface.

Naturally I was keen to test my night cream and pure rosehip oil samples.  I was not disappointed. The rosehip oil is supplied with a dropper, and felt wonderful as I tested it on my hand.

The night cream was rich and luxurious. Both products had a pleasant light perfume and disappeared easily into my skin without leaving any residue.

The verdict – my skin is saying ‘thank you’

https://www.rosehipplus.com.au/our-range/

 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 sun is out, the school holidays are not far away, so we’ve put together a few collections that might appeal to you, as much as they did to us.

Liam Callanan’s Paris by the Book: One day Leah finds more that her wheaties in the cereal box. It’s a note from her husband who has gone missing. It leads her to that mosy romantic of city’s, Paris. But is it romance that brought him here?

She discovers an unfinished manuscript written by her husband.  Leah takes over a bookshop with her two daughters hoping for more clues. But is he alive, or not? A lovely book by the author of The Cloud Atlas and All Saints. Yes, you’ll enjoy it.

Paris by the Book: Liam Callanan. pub HQ pb £12.99 and in e-book and audio.

Anything for Her by G.J. Minett is a satisfying psychological thriller by an author with a devoted fan base. Billy Orr bumps into his ex-girlfriend, Aimi,  when he returns to spend a bit of time with his terminally ill sister. Back ‘when’ he’d have done anything for Aimi and still would. And does. But who is Aimi now? Has he done the right thing? A speedy twisty read.

Anything for her by G.J. Minett. Pub. Zaffre. pb £7.99

It was Her by Mark Hill

An adoption story which works well. Tatia was adopted into a well-off home and was happy enough until the youngest boy dies in an accident, and she is blamed. Is that deserved? She takes over the homes of families on holiday, but death follows her, or does she cause it?

It was Her by Mark Hill. pub Sphere £8.99

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl

Cecilia Wilborg has the perfect life: great husband, lovely daughters, fabulous house in a lovely town. What could possibly go wrong? Tobias arrives… and this is what could go wrong.

Good thriller. Twists, turns and secrets. Give it a whirl.

ebook pub 1st May £7.99. (print 12th July)