One Man’s Everest by Kenton Cool by Frances Colville

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Margaret Graham

You don’t have to be an expert, or even a novice climber to enjoy Kenton Cool’s memoir, One Man’s Everest. I’m a wimp of the first order when it comes to heights, particularly if there is a sheer drop in the vicinity. So was this book for me? Yes – I couldn’t put it down.

Kenton Cool (what a fabulous name for a mountaineer) has devoted most of his adult life to climbing, whether completing challenges, or as a climbing guide. He writes with humour and self deprecating understatement which belies the enormous achievements of his career, the summit (no pun intended) of which has not in his opinion yet been reached.

Cool keeps technical language to a minimum and while I’m sure his fellow mountaineers and climbers would find much to enjoy in the book, there is also plenty to interest the rest of us. For this is the tale of one man’s determination to conquer not only the highest peaks in the world, but also his own physical handicaps and his self doubts about what his choice of lifestyle does to his wife and young family. He talks about motivation and about the hardships he and fellow climbers endure. He writes too of the toll the increasing popularity of ‘big peak’ mountaineering takes on the environment and the dangers casual commercialism brings to climbers and their support networks. Poignantly he also talks about the terrible impact of the recent earthquake in Nepal and the devastation it has caused to a people he clearly holds in very high regard.

I’d have liked more information about how he recovered sufficiently from his ear ly accident – after which he was told that further climbing was completely out of the question – to be able to climb Everest on several occasions. You can’t please everyone.

Perhaps appealing to a wide range of readers is one of the best tests of a successful memoir and One Man’s Everest achieves this. It is readable, inspiring, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

One Man’s Everest will be published as a Preface hardback on 27^th August 2015.

http://www.prefacepublishing.co.uk

Pimm’s Cider Cup & Pimm’s Summer Crush Review

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Frostie

It is a bank holiday and to start you off we have reviewed two new additions to the Pimm’s family: Pimm’s Cider Cup and Pimm’s Summer Crush. Pimm’s Cider Cup is a very British combination that tastes great. Refreshing and perfect for a hot summers day. It even has hints of strawberry and cucumber. Cider AND Pimm’s in one? What is there not to love about it?

The new Pimm’s Cider Cup is a wonderfully British combination of the crisp taste of English cider and the glorious flavours of Pimm’s. It wouldn’t be the same without a hint of strawberry and cucumber, so the makers of Pimm’s have kindly added that in too. There’s no need for chopping – it’s a union made in heaven.

Simply pour straight from the bottle onto lots of ice, gather your friends and enjoy the fruits of Pimm’s labour in the very latest and tastiest creation wherever, whenever.

Now available in retailers across the land, the new Pimm’s Cider Cup (RRP £2.29 for 500ml) will also be available in pubs and bars with an RRP of £4.50.

Pimm’s Cider Cup is available to buy in Morrisons.co.uk, Tesco.com and Asda.com in a 500ml bottle (4% ABV, RRP £2.29), or in pubs / bars for £4.50.

Pimm’s Summer Crush is delicious and refreshing. Perfect to cool off and can be even eaten as a dessert, or put in a glass to drink. It tastes great and even though it is frozen, it doesn’t taste watered down. The taste of Pimm’s is there along with a hint of strawberry and cucumber. Just wonderful.

Offering another brilliant way to enjoy a Pimm’s O’clock moment this summer, Pimm’s Summer Crush – best served in a long glass with friends – is the ultimate summer refresher.

All you need to do is pop the pouches in the freezer for eight hours and squeeze the ready to serve frozen drink into a glass – what’s more, they also double up as a Frozen Granita dessert!

Pimm’s Summer Crush (4.7% ABV) is available to buy as a 250ml pouch in Tesco and all major retailers for RRP £2.99.

Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Review

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Frostie

The best way to let someone know just how much they mean to you is with chocolate. Well, that is what we think anyway. This gourmet chocolate pizza is not only unique, but it also tastes great and can be personalised. There are a few different ones to choose from and it comes in a cool pizza box. Made with Belgium chocolate and topped with other delicious ingredients…Frost loves.

Chocolate choppers assemble and indulge in a devilish delight you will adore. This all new range of Gourmet Chocolate Pizzas are every food fanatics dream.

Snack on a scrumptious slice, these pizzas can be used for every occasion. So say it in style with Birthday Pizzas, Congratulations Pizzas, and even Personalised Pizzas – give the gift with a difference this year.

These beautiful and delicious pizzas are the tasty treat for every chocolate lover. The novelty pizza takeaway box, keeps your mouth-watering dish fresh and fun looking!

Made with gorgeous Belgium chocolate and topped with a number of ingredients from white chocolate curls, to handmade chocolate hearts, and sweet treats you can virtually have any combination you choose.

This flavoursome food is for everyone! Ranging in Heavenly honeycomb, Crunchy Munchy, Jelly Bean Jumble, Yummy Scrummy, Must-have Marshmallow and Delighfully Dark – we’ve all the fantastic flavours you can imagine.

With up to 24 characters to personalise your pizza, you can create a message like never before, with the unique, handmade plaques your gift will not only be distinctive but delicious.

Delivered straight to your door by www.prezzybox.com only for great prices from £11.95 to £16.95

My Stratford Friend – Dominick Reyntiens by Frances Colville

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Taking the reader back to the time of Shakespeare and setting the scene of his early years – what’s not to like? Once the author Dominick Reyntiens gets into his stride, he captures the essence of the period and creates believable characters and settings.

I love the way Reyntiens integrates actual names and phrases which appear in Shakespeare’s writing. For example on page 1 we learn that Tom’s horse is called Prospero (an important character in The Tempest), and later on we meet the matched pairs of horses, Lysander and Hermia, Helena and Demetrius, all names used by Shakespeare for characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A man wearing the head of an ass appears as a precursor of Bottom. And we’re introduced to a Robin Goodfellow otherwise known as Puka – a clear link with Shakespeare’s Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is clever stuff and makes for a fascinating read. I found myself constantly looking out for references to the plays, and at the same time wondering just how many I had missed.

I don’t know, not having done extensive research on Shakespeare’s life myself, whether this is the true version of events. But I don’t think that matters. It’s definitely a possible version, an interpretation of the evidence we have, and a personal view of what might have happened, and that after all is what historical fiction is all about. What’s more, it’s a fast paced well-plotted story. And I very much look forward to reading the next instalment.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

George Clooney, Rande Gerber And Mike Meldman Host Launch Of Casamigos Tequila Spain

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

On Sunday 23rd August 2015, Casamigos Tequila Founders Rande Gerber, George Clooney and Mike Meldman, along with their wives Cindy Crawford and Amal Clooney, attended the official launch of Casamigos Tequila in Spain at UP!, Ibiza Sky Society, the rooftop bar at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel.

“Brought To You By Those Who Drink It”, the best-tasting, smoothest tequila was shared and enjoyed with friends of the Founders and movers and shakers of Ibiza at UP!, Ibiza Sky Society magnificent rooftop at Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel, flagship hotel of the Palladium Hotel Group.

The private event for 120 people saw guests enjoy Ushuaïa’s signature cocktails, the ‘Unexpected Casamigos’ and the ‘Espresso Casamigos’ as well as the founders favourite Casamigos Reposado on the rocks.

In true Ibiza style the founders kept it casual with linen shirts and jeans whilst the leading ladies dazzled, Amal Clooney in a magnificent gold metallic Vionnet dress and shoes by Dior, and Cindy Crawford in a Botegga Venetta black dress paired with Alaïa heels.

As the sun began to dip and the night began to cool, guests feasted on sumptuous canapés created by the hotel’s Head Chef as they watched the sun set over the mountains from the rooftop while listening to Balearic beats. Fire-breathers, acrobats and dancers wowed the founders and other guests, circling around the tables and providing mesmerizing entertainment for the night providing the perfect intro to the nights later festivities. Old friends Rande Gerber and James Blunt – a local Ibiza resident, caught up over a few tequilas whilst Cindy was ensconced in a fashion royalty conversation with Sam Knight and Mario Testino. Amal caught up with friend, another Ibiza resident, Charlotte Tilbury as they reunited after Charlotte did the make-up for Amal on her wedding day. Surround by their Ibiza House of Friends, at 10pm the party drew to a close and the group moved down to the VIP table to watch superstar DJ AVICII play his resident Sunday night set. Surrounded by Casmigos Tequila, the owners decided to open up their ‘House of Friends’ by sending all other VIP tables a bottle of the award winning Casamigos Tequila to enjoy the show.

The VIP attendees included:

George Clooney, Rande Gerber, Mike Meldman, Cindy Crawford, Amal Clooney,

James Blunt & Sophia Wellesley, Charlotte Tilbury, Mario Testino, Sam McKnight, Taio Cruz, Karmen Pedaru, Marpessa Hennik

The guests enjoyed cocktails

featuring the Casamigos brand:

‘Casamigos Espresso’

‘Unexpected Casamigos’

Casamigos Reposado on the Rocks

Chefs prepared accompaniments, showing their culinary skills using the elegant tequila…

* Grill loin rib marinated with tequila Casamigos Añejo

* Foie Mid-cuit over brioche and jelly tequila Casamigos Reposado

* Cube Lamb confit with tequila Casamigos Añejo, cinnamon and yuzu sauce

* Hamachi ceviche with lemongrass and white Tequila Casamigos · Passion fruit gazpacho with white tequila Casamigos foam

* Osmosis cherry rested white tequila Casamigos style, covered with sanguine orange snow

About Casamigos Tequila…

Brought To You By Those Who Drink It. Privately owned by George Clooney and longtime friend, bar and restaurant mogul Rande Gerber, and Discovery Land Company CEO & founder Michael Meldman, tequila-filled nights with friends is how Casamigos was born. Launched in the UK in March 2015, these small batch, ultra-premium tequilas are made from the finest hand-selected 100% Blue Weber agaves grown in the rich red clay soil and cool climate of Mexico’s Jalisco Highlands for a minimum of seven years. Casamigos Blanco is crisp and clear, with subtle hints of vanilla and a smooth finish, Casamigos Reposado is smooth and clean with hints of caramel. Casamigos Añejo is aged 14 months and has a beautifully pure and refined complex aroma, with soft caramel and vanilla notes.

Casamigos is available in the United States, Bahamas, Canada, Hong Kong, and the UK, and has garnered the highest accolades from the spirit industry’s most well respected authority figures. Awards and ratings include the highest rated gold medals from Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, The Beverage Testing Institute, The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, The Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition and many more. Additionally, Casamigos was rated “Excellent, Highly Recommend” by The Ultimate Spirits Challenge, received the coveted 5 star rating from BevX Magazine, “A perfect tequila,” A rating, from Good Spirit News, named “Best Tequila in the World” by Men’s Journal magazine and Oprah Winfrey lists Casamigos as “The Smoothest, The Best.”

In the UK the brand can be found at top establishments like Nobu, Zuma, Groucho Club, Soho House, 5 Hertford St, Chiltern Firehouse and the Maybourne Group, to name but a few.

Casamigos Tequila is available to purchase at Selfridges and online at www.selfridges.com from £62.99

About Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel…

Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel is a luxurious 417-room hotel comprised of two buildings: The Ushuaïa Club, featuring an amazing poolside stage, and The Ushuaïa Tower, offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. Ushuaïa is dedicated to providing the best outdoor entertainment venue coupled with a modern, cutting-edge hotel experience, designed for the discerning traveller seeking the fun and entertainment associated with Ibiza.

For more information, visit www.ushuaiabeachhotel.com.

About Bedrinks…

Bedrinks is a new brand of Zumos Naturales S.A., a company with over 45 years of history on the island of Ibiza that began by producing shakes, juices and soft drinks, and currently distributes some of the most important national and international beverage brands.

Casamigos is distributed exclusively in Spain by Bedrinks.

corinne@frostmagazine.com

@ladycdtt

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

The WforW Grannies Raise More Money…

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Photographs: Kate Pain

‘OK, let’s get down and dirty, then.’ The decision was made. We’d do the military assault course Mud Challenge at www.actiondaysout.co.uk to round off charity Words for the Wounded’s 2015 fundraising activities.

We? Margaret Graham, Jan Speedie and Penny Deacon, are the grannies who run Words for the Wounded. We choose to conduct strategy meetings at The Wellington on the Strand, and decisions seem so easy over the second glass of wine. ‘Yes, there’ll be a bit of mud. Yes, we’ll get the families involved. Yes, it’ll be a bit of fun – and easy peasy.’

Easy peasy? For goodness sake.

On the whole our charity, Words for the Wounded, raises funds by offering opportunities to readers and writers: the annual Independent Author Book Award, the LitFest Day. But we also like to do something different. Last year was the sky dive, this year MUD.

With our long-suffering children and grand-children on the team we met up at Action Days Out, Henfold Lakes, Dorking, in the rain. Ah well. Ian and Callum Marshall briefed us, which is when ‘easy’ and ‘The Wellington’ seemed a million miles away, and teamwork was emphasized as crucial to the escapade. Off we trooped, to the warm up obstacles.

Ho hum. Warm up, indeed. Then it was 1,2,3, and off we went. Mud? Oh yes. Water? Oh yes? Small obstacles? Oh no. BIG obstacles.

Ian and Callum were there all the way, (on the bank). We ranged in age 11 to 70, and everyone helped everyone else. Was it like one great mudlark? Not exactly, one has to say, in fact, just feeling a little faint at the memory.

I found dragging my feet out of the mud was half the battle, but there was the other half of the battle looming as I tried to find somewhere to put the foot that would actually help me hoof up the bank. Frequently it was on some poor soul’s knee. But then I took the weight of a few so all is fair in a mudbath.

So, easy? NO. Fun? Oh yes. I haven’t laughed so much for years, even when Ian asked us to link arms and run across the next few inches of water, which we did. It was actually several feet deep. Then there was crawling through water beneath barbed wire, throwing ourselves through tyres (frantic searching to find one big enough for my bum – oh, the humiliation had I stuck)

Finally the end, and yes, you guessed it: debrief over lunch at a pub down the road, The Royal Oak Stonebridge. Adrian and Beverley Waterworth looked after us like troopers. Try it.

A success? Fantastic day, a great team, we all know one another far too well, having trodden/thrown, tugged one another into and out of obstacles. We surely must have soft skin from the all- over mudpack.

Action Days Out – Ian and Callum are a great team. Boris, Callum’s 5 month old Norfolk Terrier came round with him, and found a false boob from the previous day’s Stag Mud Challenge. Yes, indeed, Stag and Hen parties do it here too. Crikey. It’s fun, give it a whirl, but be prepared to throw your clothes away afterwards. Of course, we’re all looking at Norfolk terrier puppies now.

£1750 raised so far. Remember every penny Words for the Wounded raises goes to where it should, as the grannies absorb all costs. If you fancy helping the wounded. Go to:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/granniesmudchallenge

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

www.actiondaysout.co.uk

Facebook: royaloakstonebridgedorking

A Day In The Life / Hester Young

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Today finds me far from the New Jersey suburb that I call home, in the midst of a research trip for my second novel. My husband and I have left our kids with my mother and journeyed to Arizona. The timing isn’t perfect–my first book, THE GATES OF EVANGELINE, has a lot going on publicity-wise as we prepare for our U.S. release. But the sequel needs some love, too, so here I am!

Today, we begin the morning at a B&B on the edge of Tucson, a city I used to live in. I take a 5 AM stroll on the trail out back and watch the sun come up. Lizards, birds, and rabbits scuttle and hop about, and I even spot an antelope jackrabbit. I make notes on the different types of cactus and desert plants I see so that I can accurately describe them in the book later.

My husband and I enjoy a breakfast of tortilla chips, black beans, and nopalitos (a type of cactus)at a place called Coyote Pause. I scan through publicity and marketing emails regarding THE GATES OF EVANGELINE while he frets over the weather reports. Looks like we will be braving temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius! My first novel required research trips to Louisiana during Mardi Gras–this is not quite as cushy. We chat and review our plans for the day, and then I sneak in some writing time with a notebook in the courtyard before it gets too hot.

Next, we head an hour south to Nogales, an Arizona town that borders a Mexican city by the same name. I’ve arranged a tour tomorrow with an officer at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to get info for the book. Today, we are meeting Scott Nicholson, an American charity worker who has offered to guide us through the Mexican side of Nogales and show us one of the city’s poorest communities.

Scott brings us to Tirabichi, a garbage dump once home to thirty families who made their living recycling found materials. The dump has recently been shut down by the government and its dwellings destroyed by a pair of suspicious fires that killed one resident. Few families remain. My work-in-progress has a scene set here, so I get a good look around and speak a bit with the caretaker in my stilted Spanish.

Over lunch, we chat with Scott about his life and work. Though American, he lives and works at a Mexican community center called HEPAC, which offers free lunches for local children, adult education courses, and a new affordable child care center. In his free time, Scott hikes seven miles through the desert to leave water for desperate migrants who might otherwise die as they seek to cross the border. I am amazed by his big heart. Meeting interesting individuals with powerful stories is one of my favorite parts of being a writer.

My husband and I return to the U.S. mid-afternoon and check into a local hotel. I spend a couple hours writing while he naps. When he wakes, we do a Facetime call with our children, who breathlessly relate their day’s adventures.

Although we aren’t expecting high cuisine from this dusty border town, we find a surprisingly delicious Italian restaurant in a neighboring town. It’s strange to go from the poverty of Mexico to sipping wine and nibbling an eggplant appetizer, but I suppose this is what writers do: move in and out of worlds. Tonight I am particularly grateful for all that we have. I can’t wait to integrate the things I’ve seen into my latest novel.

CORPORATE KINDNESS: Jane Cable shares the second in a series of blogs about organising a charity litfest

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Jane Cable

Author and Frost contributor Jane Cable shares the second in a series of blogs about organising a charity litfest in aid of Words for the Wounded. Last month the all-important dates and speakers were organised (17-18^th October, Elizabeth Buchan and Margaret Graham) but what about venues… and sponsors… and publicity…

Christopher Joyce, chief Chindi and my co-conspirator in this crazy venture, has gone into overdrive with his contact book. Not a native of Chichester by any means, in the relatively short time he’s lived in the area I think he must have met – and charmed – everyone. And as a result he has three venues for three events sorted.

The one that I was supposed to organise fell flat on its face. Chichester Library, normally our best venue for anything and biggest supporter all around, was unable to host the planned bookish treasure hunt because it’s in aid of charity. West Sussex County Council policy. So we’ve quietly let that one drop.

In the meantime Chris has persuaded Woodies Brasserie in the city centre to close its restaurant to the paying public on a Saturday lunchtime, no less, and put on a special buffet at a cost which allows a generous £7 donation out of each £25 ticket sold. Luckily I have been able to contribute something as their wine merchants, Mason & Mason, are good friends of mine and they are donating a glass of something deliciously organic for every guest.

Chris has also been twisting arms at his local, The Park Tavern, and they’ve given us the run of the place on Saturday evening to shake buckets and sell raffle tickets. And the raffle prizes… so far our top catches are a £60 voucher for a tasting from Hampshire Wine School, a £150 voucher from author Claire Dyer for her Fresh Eyes manuscript review service and a hair cut from Benjamin James Hair Vision. Recovery on Sunday morning is being hosted by Carluccios who again are giving us a fixed price package for our bookswap breakfast which allows a £5 donation from each £15 ticket.

Last but not least Chris has twisted arms at Chichester Design to put together a wonderful leaflet. I’ve been able to get a decent price for the printing but we still need a sponsor so if anyone has a spare £90…? Please…?

But at the end of the day it isn’t entirely down to Chris’s charm and advanced persuasion techniques that businesses have been so generous – it’s a great deal to do with the charity. People simply want to help those who’ve suffered through putting their lives on the line in the name of duty. I had a sharp reminder of some of the issues recently when, as part of my research for the novel I’m currently writing, I met an ex-serviceman who’d served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to know what combat was really like from someone who’d been there. I wish I hadn’t had to ask. We don’t know what those brave men and women have gone through; we can’t even begin to imagine it. All we can hope to do is help.

Learn more about…
Words for the Wounded: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
Chindi Authors: www.chindi-authors.co.uk
Woodies Brasserie: www.woodiesbrasserie.com
The Park Tavern: www.parktavernchichester.co.uk
Carluccios Chichester: www.carluccios.com/restaurants/chichester
Chichester Design: www.chichesterdesign.co.uk
Christopher Joyce: www.creaturesofchichester.com
Jane Cable: www.janecable.com

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