Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award Part 3

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Over the last two weeks we’ve highlighted First and Second Place in the recent WforW Independent Author Book Award. Today we have the final winner, Eric Sinclair who achieved Third Place.

As I keep saying to people, The Independent Author Book Award has been a revelation. There are just so many good writers out there, which made our task hugely enjoyable, if difficult. At last we decided on those who were to be commended, highly commended, and then – the winners. In the end, our decision was unanimous. Great books all of them. Thank you all so much for entering – rest assured that 100% of the entry fees go to the wounded.

Thank you, Palamedes PR for sponsoring a professional press release for the winner, and the opportunity of a discounted press release for 2^nd and 3^rd. Thank you Frost Magazine for publishing a review of the top three

The great good news is that Felicity Trew, of the highly respected Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, is now representing the winner, Jane Cable.

Felicity Trew will also be our final judge for the 2015 Independent Author Book Award. The excitement is immense.

3^rd place

Man, Dog, Stroke by Eric Sinclair

This is the story of one man’s experience of the devastating effects of a major stroke, and his attempts to recover from it. It is also the story of a dog’s experience of life with unpredictable, irrational human beings.

Judges’ comments: Man, Dog, Stroke is a beautifully written and moving memoir of a stroke victim, with a chapter from time to time from his whippet’s point of view. This is a whippet who sees life, and events, from his side ‘of the pond’ and is a fantastic idea.

We laughed out loud, held our breath, and longed for Eric Sinclair to survive, and to thrive. Man, Dog, Stroke brought out the isolation experienced by stroke victims, the powerlessness when their lives are changed in just a few seconds, in of all things, a strange hotel room. The fear, the long fight back. ‘…The trouble was I didn’t seem able to move my legs or arms at all. With growing fright and disbelief I tried to roll over.’

It made us understand what a patient needs, and how absolutely crucial is good post stroke therapy.

It could happen to any of us. Read this. Laugh, and learn. It’s beautifully written.

Proceeds from the book will be donated to The Stroke Association.

Biog.

Eric Sinclair is a writer and education consultant living in Aberdeenshire who has worked in schools and colleges in West Africa, Turkey and Germany, as well as the UK. For ten years he was Head Teacher of Kirkwall Grammar School in Orkney, and subsequently was Head of Aboyne Academy, Aberdeenshire, before setting up his own education consultancy and training business in 2000. He was a part-time selector with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Assessment Team in London from 1989 – 2004.

Since suffering a major stroke in 2004, he has undertaken voluntary work for the Stroke Association, and is vice-chair of their Scotland Committee. In December 2011, he published – Man, Dog, Stroke – describing his experience of recovering from stroke in Oslo and Aberdeen. The sequel to this book is a blog of the same name. He has also published a number of articles in The Scottish Review.

Eric has been a public partner with NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland and has extensive experience of managing change in a variety of settings, as well as the lived experience of dealing with a chronic health condition. In January 2015, he was appointed by the Scottish Government to the Board of NHS Grampian, which provides health and social care for Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland.

Eric relaxes by walking and communing with his whippet, Archie, and by singing in a local choir.

Anna Friel Interview for The Saboteurs

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Frostie

What can you tell us about the series?

It’s following in the footsteps of the great Scandinavian television – it’s very much revered. It’s about how the Norwegians stopped Hitler from building a nuclear weapon by the production of heavy water. They sabotaged the factory that produced something called heavy water that had the potential of creating a German atomic bomb. It should be a very, very well-known story but it’s not.

You play Julie Smith, how would you describe her? What attracted you to the role?

After getting the script I flew to Norway and met with the writer. The fact that it was a Danish German British and Norwegian production was just incredible. It’s an incredibly different process to ours – it’s amazing what they do.

I play a fictional character and the only girl who’s surrounded by men, so we knew she had to have a lot of guts and strength. I really admired that it’s an alternative take on a love story too, with Leif Tronstad (played by Espen Klouman-Høiner) the fact they never get together is really heart-breaking.

The director uses music very cleverly in his work and I think it’s really emotive to the character. It showed a very gentler side to a hard exterior.

What was it like being part of such an international co-production, and with lots of different languages spoken amongst the cast?

I’ve always wanted to go to Norway, to see the Northern lights – it’s one of my dreams – and I just thought the cast was incredible. In literally a green room full of men I was the only woman, I often find myself in that situation – I must be a boyish girl at heart! But they were great, I joined in with all their banter and they were so welcoming.

Were you familiar with the story before taking on the role and did you do any research on this period in history to prepare?

I wasn’t aware of the story but I did some research, read books about the team that went on the journey and I am familiar with the time – I think this is my third job that’s set in the 1940’s.

As the series is based on an important moment in history, were you anxious about taking on the role at all?

You’re anxious when you take on any job but I knew that I was in incredibly capable hands. They got the top actors from other countries and I really love now that they’re mixing the British actors with the Danish and the American actors with the British and that we’re all becoming a bit more international. They all have very different approaches and I’ve been in the industry now since I was sixteen years old, I Iove learning from other cultures and from different actors’ approaches.

Was there training involved before filming? Did you have to do any stunts?

I didn’t really do any stunts but getting into that uniform was sort of like one! There is a scene where I use a gun and have to hit every target so there was some training for that. Weirdly enough my last few jobs have been military and my next job is also military.

What was the shoot like, did it take you to any interesting locations?

Norway and Prague doubled for Scotland, our base, and the huge factory. So I think if you added it all up I’ve spent a year and a half of my life there – Gracie (my daughter) has spent 6 months of her life in Prague so I knew it very well. Our director of photography was absolutely incredible, a real genius.

What’s your favourite memory from the set?

It’s probably when we used something called an opticopter, which is like a drone. They all had this toy for the first time and it has a little camera so it could fly up and do these big sweeping shots. I remember about 4 or 5 years ago you’d have to get a huge crane out to film scenery like that and it was very time consuming but that day everyone was so excited despite it being freezing cold!

The Saboteurs starts on Friday 19th June at 9pm on More4

Could you be The Next Landscape Photographer of The Year?

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Frostie

The search for the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 begins

L to R, from the 2014 Award: Heather in Bloom, North York Moors by John Robinson and Sunrise at Winnats Pass, Derbyshire by Sven Mueller

Entry for the ninth annual Take a view Landscape Photographer of the Year Award is now open and entrants have until July 12 to submit their photographs of the British landscape. The Landscape Photographer of the Year is one of the world’s most exciting photography awards and the brainchild of renowned landscape photographer, Charlie Waite. The competition is open to everyone, with a special class for those younger than 17, and each entrant can submit 25 photographs across four categories. There is a prize fund worth £20,000, including £10,000 for the overall winner and additional prizes within each category.

As in previous years, an exhibition of shortlisted and winning entries will premiere in the late autumn. Previous locations for the annual showcase have included the National Theatre and London Waterloo Station. Shortlisted entrants will also be published in stunning coffee-table book Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 9,published by The AA, and described by The Times as a ‘coffee-table staple’.

Last year’s winner was Cumbria-based photographer Mark Littlejohn, who won with an enigmatic shot of a mountain stream in Glencoe, Scotland.

The Landscape Photographer of the Year is unique in that is celebrates the United Kingdom only, offering photographers worldwide an opportunity to showcase their images of Britain. From stark moorland to angular cityscapes, and from rocky coastlines to lush woodland, Britain’s remarkable landscape and volatile weather provides generous material to fire the imagination.

Photographers living outside the UK are encouraged to enter and there is a special prize offered by the competition’s sponsors for the best image from an overseas entrant (The Countryside is GREAT award).

The 2015 Awards are being held in association with VisitBritain and Countryside is GREAT. Jasmine Teer, VisitBritain’s Photography Manager, said: “Photographs that showcase the best of Britain play a vital role in VisitBritain’s mission: to raise our profile and inspire people all over the world to come and experience this beautiful country. We are very proud to support the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards and hope that, as part of Countryside is GREAT, we will encourage not only UK entrants but photographers from all over the world.”

Awards founder, Charlie Waite, added: “Now, more than ever, I think we are realising how important the British landscape is to our wellbeing. The feeling that we get when we shut the office door and escape to a green space, whether it be a small park or a vast mountain, is unique and of vital importance. Our landscape is a place in which to breathe and to create.”

Entries for the Landscape Photographer of The Year competition are now open until July 12, via www.take-a-view.co.uk. This year’s competition is run in association with Visit Britain and Countryside is GREAT.

Ice Cream, Gas Masks and God – the perfect summer read

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Vicky Edwards

Ice Cream, Gas Masks and God
A young girl grows up in the war years

By Joyce M Lovely

PUBLICATION DATE: 22 June 2015
Mereo Books www.mereobooks.com

A funny, touching and heart-warming portrait of war time and beyond, Ice Cream, Gas Masks and God is the author’s trip down memory lane to 1940s Liverpool, where early reminiscences include not just the hated gas mask, but also the regular night time spells in the air raid shelter as the bombs fell.

A beautifully drawn portrait of the place and its people, from Calder High School Joyce went on to work at the Eagle Star Insurance Company and the office of the Dunlop Rubber Factory. Missing out on being one of the first to see The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club (because she didn’t fancy the sound of them from her sister’s description!), she moved to London to study Nursing at St Bartholomew’s. Marriage took her on to the Shetland Islands – where life as a parson’s wife meant that prayer was sometimes relied upon to provide dinner – and then to the West Riding of Yorkshire, before finally settling in Maine, USA.

A natural storyteller, Joyce’s recollections of people, places and events are effortlessly recounted. From the exotic neighbour who had been in the German Resistance (but whose priority was now pudding) to her splendid Spirella Corsetier grandmother, Ice Cream, Gas Masks and God is a gentle, fascinating and humorous personal history, rich in colour and detail.

Gloriously nostalgic and beautifully written, this is the perfect summer read.

Sneak preview extracts

“Jerry made one heck of a mess here, didn’t he?” said Dad. “And all my best willow pattern china has been smashed” Mum sniffed, trying not to cry again. Dad put his arm around her. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll get through this.” And we did, even though I heard a few days later that eight people had been killed in their air-raid shelters, along with many others, including some in the public shelters. Much later I learned that 2000 Liverpudlians had been killed in just that week, with thousands more injured and homeless.

I sat stunned. First I felt the pricking of tears, and then I began to laugh. There lay my ancient, despised, childhood World War II gasmask. It rested there staring at me eerily, the eyepiece still displaying the oval sickly-brown cellophane, which wasn’t even cracked. I sat back. My eyes closed, and the memories streamed back…

I remember vividly growing up in Liverpool, amidst air raids, bombs and gasmasks. My story is from a childhood perspective, leaving the grown-ups to worry about battles and shortages. We observed strict morals as a teenager in the fifties, yet still had boyfriends, stolen kisses and fun. This memoir concludes with my marriage to a minister and our adventures in the distant Shetland Islands. Here I experienced the islanders’ expectations of ‘yon minister’s wife’ often resulting in unexpected humorous consequences…

Humour, tenacity, sharing and resourcefulness, especially by the women on the home front, kept life normal for us children. We laughed, cried, hoped and dreamed, but we never asked for more than what we knew was around us.

About the author

Born in Liverpool, Joyce M Lovely now lives in Maine, USA. She has had numerous articles and stories published in magazines and periodicals and she is a member of a writing group. Joyce worked in education for many years, as a teacher and then later in administration, working with teachers and leading workshops.

And So To Bath | Travel

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Jane Cable

In the first of two articles author and Frost contributor Jane Cable explores the possibilities of a weekend in Bath

Think of a weekend in Bath and what do you think? Georgian elegance – that’s what – and staying at the Bailbrook House Hotel on the edge of the city does not disappoint.

At first the friends we travelled with were nervous about booking a hotel outside the centre but I relish my peace and quiet. And one look at the menu in the Cloisters Restaurant won them over in seconds. All the same I had my fingers firmly crossed as we unloaded the car that the Bailbrook would live up to the reputation of the Handpicked Hotel chain of which it is part.

I need not have worried on that score. The reception area was crowded with new arrivals but we didn’t have to wait – the concierge settled us on a sofa and brought the paperwork to us to complete. Then we were escorted to our rooms in the hotel’s modern wing to find them large and luxurious with every home comfort including a capsule coffee machine and a dinky bottle of milk in the fridge.

Alas, the milk was off. But all this did was provide this marvellous hotel with an opportunity to give us another example of its fabulous customer service. Having telephoned housekeeping I put the kettle back on, more in hope than expectation, but the replacement milk arrived before it had even boiled. Surely the charming lady who delivered it must have been lurking in the corridor for just such an eventuality.

Pre-dinner drinks were served in an elegant drawing room overlooking the grounds. The house champagne was reasonably priced for a hotel at just over £50 a bottle so we treated ourselves and settled back on a comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace to nibble canapés and peruse the menu. Again, at £39, the three course table d’hôte looked like excellent value for money.

Excellent was indeed the word – not just the food, but the service was also spot on. The front of house manager read the mood of our party perfectly and joined in with our banter, the rest of his staff following his lead. With couples enjoying romantic dinners they were warm but discreet.

The food was completely fitting for a 2 Rosette restaurant. To start we variously enjoyed local asparagus with duck egg, gravadlax and a wonderfully light cheese soufflé with a salad of heritage tomatoes and radish. Three of us chose the 21 day aged slow roast fillet of beef and the fourth wished he had. Not that there was anything wrong with his sea bream on crushed purple potatoes, but the beef literally melted in our mouths and was so full of flavour. The only small criticism is that perhaps a few more vegetables wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Despite the lemon posset having sold out, dessert was a triumph when we almost all selected the honeycomb parfait. Husband, of course, headed straight for the cheese and was rewarded with a selection of three generous chunks accompanied by home made chutney.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning we set off into the city and discovered:

Café Lucca in Bartlett Street for coffee on a sunny terrace and amazing salads for lunch.
Sotto Sotto in North Parade for good solid Italian cooking: gets raved about on TripAdvisor but for us was at the better end of average, if fairly priced.
You have to pay to go into The Parade Gardens but there is a fabulous park on the other side of the river, tucked away on the Henrietta Mews side of Great Pulteney Street.
You don’t have to eat at Sally Lunn’s to be able to visit the tiny museum in the basement which shows the different pavement levels of the city through time – fascinating.
If you want to stay central then Three Abbey Green looks to be a great alternative.
If you go to Bath and find somewhere you can park for more than four hours then please let me know.

Baked Figs with Honey and Balsamic Reduction

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Christian Gott

For many people of my parents generation their experience of figs used to come baked in a small sweet pastry case the ubiquitous ‘ fig roll ‘. Now I am all for a fig roll, they are quite moreish with a hot cuppa, but today most people have access to the fresh fruit. The fresh fig is far from as humble as our little biscuit, throughout history the fig has been worshipped as a powerful aphrodisiac. In pictorial representation Adam and Eve are clothed in the fig’s leaves, it is said to haven been Cleopatra’s favourite fruit and heavens above I don’t even want to go into the symbolism that runs through the D.H Lawrence poem. They are a particularly high source of iron and potassium but I don’t know if that has any causal link with their supposed qualities.

So how does one tackle a fig ? Some people find the texture can be a little off-putting ( maybe they read D.H.Lawrence ), so I would stew them down to a sticky, sweet compote with a little orange zest and a Star Anise pod. The result is delicious stirred into thick Greek style yogurt, if you have a sweet tooth you can grill them, drizzled with honey, then spoon in some chilled Mascarpone and sprinkle with chopped nuts and chocolate shavings for the easiest of desserts . For the more savoury minded why not settle down to a plate of figs, Manchego cheese, fine Iberico ham and a chilled glass of Fino sherry or simply figs and Prosciutto.

Perhaps the most popular fig dish you will see on high street bistros and restaurant menus is the classic combination baked with Goats cheese. So here is my simple take with a little tomato and olive oil salsa style dressing and a Balsamic reduction. Use two figs as a rich, indulgent starter or three for a filling lunchtime snack. The Balsamic quantities are rather generous but it is easier to make in larger quantities, smaller amounts tend to burn, it is great to have around as a simple salad dressing, to accompany grilled lamb cutlets or just a splash or two on ripe strawberries. The size of the cup is not important just use the same measure each time.

Baked Figs with Honey and Balsamic Reduction serves 4 for lunch

8 Ripe Figs

3 Soft Crottin de Chavignol

2 Handfuls of mixed Salad Leaves, washed and thoroughly dried

( Rocket, Baby Spinach, Lamb’s Tongue, Curly Endive )

12 Mixed Baby Tomatoes, Cherry, Plum and Yellow

1 Very small Red Onion, peeled and very finely diced

2 tablespoons of the best quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ teaspoon Caster Sugar

Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

For the Balsamic Reduction

1 Cup of good Balsamic Vinegar

1 Cup Honey

½ Cup Oloroso ( Nutty ) Sherry

To make the dressing place the ingredients into a small, heavy bottomed pan and gently heat. Stir until the honey dissolves then bring up to a gentle simmer. Reduce by half and leave aside to thoroughly cool. The result should be a dark, glossy syrup which you can store in the fridge in a sterilised, airtight container. Before use remove from the fridge and bring up to room temperature.

For the Baked Figs

Preheat your oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas Mark 4. Carefully cut the figs into quarters, from the top almost to the base, and arrange on a non-stick baking tray. With your fingers break up the goat’s cheese and divide between the figs. Place in the oven and bake for ten to fifteen minutes until the cheese is melted and tinged brown.

While the figs are baking cut up the tomatoes and place in a small bowl. Add the finely diced onion then sprinkle with the caster sugar and season generously. Mix together thoroughly. When the figs are done add the olive oil to the tomatoes and mix once more. To serve place the salad leaves in the centre of the plate and circle with the simple tomato salsa. Carefully place one the baked figs and using a teaspoon flick over some Balsamic reduction. Enjoy.

Madame LA LA West Coast Bronzing Face Serum Review

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Frostie

Not all fake tan is created equal, in fact, too many of them leave you looking orange and smelling like a biscuit. Not so Madame LA LA West Coast Bronzing Face Serum. It smells divine and gives a brilliant bronzed look, all whilst infusing the skin with goodness.

It has a thick consistency and a little goes a long way. It is easy to apply and although it is a tinted formula, it gives a dark and rich colour. It gives a beautiful, deep, sun-kissed look. It is not only an amazing bronzer, but it also leaves skin hydrated and noticeably brighter- we love it.

Brilliant stuff available from feelunique.com

What they say:

Madame LA LA is an American-Brit self tan and skincare brand inspired by LA, Malibu beach, the Hollywood lifestyle, wellbeing and modern tanning. West Coast bronzing serum is a new and innovative instant self tan pick-me-up for the face, producing an LA-worthy glow. Infused with Coco Water & Green Tea to hydrate and brighten. Antioxidants Vitamin C and CQ10 combine with Vitamins A, E to protect skin and fight signs of ageing, boosting cellular renewal and collagen for a smooth complexion. The easy-to-apply tinted formula adapts to all skin tones and develops gradually. The serum can be used day or night.

Blooming Brilliance Pop-Up Bar Creates New Summer Sanctuary In Knightsbridge…

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

BLOOMING BRILLIANCE POP-UP BAR CREATES NEW SUMMER SANCTUARY AT THE RIB ROOM BAR & RESTAURANT

• OPEN DAILY FROM 4PM, 8 JUNE-2 AUGUST
• LAUNCH OF SEVENTEEN BOTANICAL-INSPIRED COCKTAILS & SEASONAL LIGHT CUISINE
• EXCLUSIVE TASTING & SHOWCASE EVENINGS IN JUNE

On 8 June 2015, The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant at Jumeirah Carlton Tower in the heart of London’s Knightsbridge unveiled Blooming Brilliance, its first pop-up seasonal bar, offering an enchanting escape from the heat of summer in the city with a series of innovative botanical cocktails and exclusive tasting evenings.

Creating a direct connection with the manicured splendour of Cadogan Place Gardens, guests will experience a floral journey from the moment they arrive outside the hotel, through the lobby into the restaurant and bar itself. The decoration reflects a summer theme with imaginative planting of botanical herbs, vibrant flowers and citrus shrubs that add an intoxicating fragrance.

Guests may also enjoy sipping al fresco in The Rib Room’s outdoor terrace.

As part of this seasonal spectacle, Saverio Vicari, the Rib Room’s Head Mixologist has devised a specially crafted menu offering seventeen cocktails with a botanical twist.

The menu will incorporate classic English favourites, plus some contemporary concoctions featuring summer staples of Bombay Sapphire Gin and Grey Goose vodka, with some refreshing non-alcoholic choices as an option.

Just some of the botanical cocktails to launch will include; the thirst-quenching Jack and Shrub – a horticultural concoction of Gentleman Jack Bourbon, Amaro Lucano and strawberry shrub with dashes of lemon juice and Peychaud bitters, sweetened with sugar and served in a copper mug decorated with mint and strawberry.

Inspired by the fragrant herb, the Basil Sour is a heady mix of Beluga vodka, lemon juice and ginger syrup complemented with a teaspoon of basil olive oil. Lavender Cutie offers a non-alcoholic summer bouquet of blueberry purée mixed with equal measures of lavender syrup and lemon juice, topped up with soda water and garnished with blueberry on a stick of lavender.

For the cocktail aficionado, Blooming Brilliance will host a series of showcase evenings including; a Sipsmith Gin experience on the 18th June, Cocktail Creations on the 25th June, and on the 2nd July a summer botanical food demonstration for £30.00 per person.

Michele Caggianese, Manager of The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant said: “Blooming Brilliance creates a casual ambience for enjoying carefree summer evenings in the heart of Knightsbridge – whatever the Great British weather. Our imaginative drinks menu, savoury treats and experiences promise to refresh and reinvigorate, and restore seasonal bloom.”

Blooming Brilliance at The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant opens daily from 4pm, 8 June to 2 August. Visit theribroom.co.uk or call 020 7858 7250.

About The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant…
The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant is located on the ground floor of Jumeirah Carlton Tower, in the heart of London’s Knightsbridge. Awarded three AA Rosettes for culinary and service excellence, The Rib Room Bar is an intimate destination for drinks and bar cuisine, bringing together expert mixologists and contemporary design to evoke a chic ambience of indulgence. Located on the corner of Sloane Street and Cadogan Gardens, The Rib Room Bar serves a superb selection of world wines and cocktails – including Cocktail of the Month, and premium gins and bespoke bitters. The al fresco terrace offers a cocktail menu and a cigar menu. See: theribroom.co.uk

About Jumeirah Carlton Tower…

A beacon of British style and sophistication, Jumeirah Carlton Tower is a renowned five star hotel in London, located in the heart of the city’s central area.

Located on Sloane Street, the hub of Knightsbridge, this luxury hotel is one of the best hotels in London and boasts 216 guest rooms including 58 suites. These include the exclusive Royal Suite, offering superb views of the London skyline and spacious Executive Suites, ideal for business travellers.

Home to one of London’s most exclusive health clubs, The Peak Health Club and Spa, you can enjoy a relaxing spa treatment or invigorating workout in the gym. Combined with award-winning restaurants and elegant bars, Jumeirah Carlton Tower is the ideal destination for your next London city break.

Key attractions close to Jumeirah Carlton Tower include Hyde Park, and the city’s finest luxury shopping at Sloane Street’s boutiques and Harrods and Harvey Nichols are within easy walking distance.

See: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/london/jumeirah-carlton-tower