Morphosis – A New Album From Boris Carloff

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In new music news, award-winning producer, musician and a highly respected artist Boris Carloff releases his second solo album ‘Morphosis’ on February 16th 2015, exactly two years after the release date of his debut ‘The Escapist’ a record which won three music awards and featured Doug Yowell (drummer for Lana Del Ray and Suzanne Vega) and singer Ghetto Priest (Asian Dub Foundation, Massive Attack). Check out some of his music in the video below.

Nine track record ‘Morphosis’ is a sophisticated blend of electronic and indie sounds with smooth vocals. Carloff recorded the album in the Icelandic studio of producer Bardi Johansson who gives the music its Icelandic signature sound.

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Boris explains his choice of producer saying “I wanted to find out what the sound of my album would be if I were not the producer of it. Originally I was thinking of a British producer but then I said to myself that I was actually into a different sound than those currently coming from the UK. I researched many  North European bands and ended up in Iceland”.

Bardi Johansson is mostly known for his work with Bang Gang, Olafur Arnalds and new project Starwalker that saw Bardi working with Jean-Benoît Dunckel from the French electro pop duo AIR.

About Boris Carloff:

Winner of 2 Czech Music Awards Andel 2012 for the Best Video and The Best Electronic Album from 5 nominations ( The Best Singer,The Best Album, The Best Newcomer, The Best Video and The Best Electronic Album) in the Czech Music Awards.

Winner of the Czech Critics Award Apollo 2012 for the Best Album of 2012.

Boris Carloff is a producer, composer, engineer and musician whose musical style is hard to pinpoint, it takes in the flavours of classic music, indie rock, pop and electronic music. Boris, who has played as a musician in Norway, UK, Germany and Italy, comes from the Czech Republic and has a classical violin education.

Combine all this with a childhood musical diet of the Jazz classics and it’s easy to recognize his musical inspiration and discipline. His debut was on London based label Tracktion with a project called Palm Beat. Then he signed to Red Salamanda records as an artist and released the ‘Good Stuff EP ‘. The EP was received well from all corners of the world’s tastemakers, most notably were  the airings on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide BBC show of the track ‘First Joy‘. Boris has also released in Japan with label NURO, whilst locally in his native Czech Republic he was also nominated for a Czech Grammy in 2006.

 

 

Nipa Thai London

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Nipa Thai is one of the hidden gems of London.  A fairly small and intimate setting with exceptional staff and decor.

Nipa (meaning pretty lady) is quite frankly amazing and has won the prestigious Thai Select award from the Thai Government for the highest standards of quality and fine food. There are only 14 other award holders in the whole of the UK, the equivalent of a Michelin star!

Once you have entered the hotel take the stairs up to the stunning terrace and enter the restaurant. We where lucky enough to visit when all the decorations where up and looking festive and pretty.

You will be welcomed with open arms when entering the restaurant by the most delightful and beautifully dressed staff.

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Nipa Thai-24 Nipa Thai-23The gorgeous menu will have you salivating and excited right from the start. We promise you wont be disappointed with any dish.

Once we had sat down the staff suggested some great wine to accompany our meal. We where treated to Vegetarian pad thai. Steamed sea bass with chilli and garlic sauce. Sweet and sour chicken along with sticky rice and a bowl of delicate jasmine infused plain rice. Nipa Thai-13 Nipa Thai-11 Nipa Thai-10 Nipa Thai-9 Nipa Thai-8 Nipa Thai-7

The intimate ambiance of the entire restaurant will leave you feeling relaxed and totally satisfied. Further more the staff have to be the best in London. The food was mind blowing and we have been totally spoilt now due to the delicate and incredible flavours and textures of the sumptuous sea bass. The best we have ever had and we love our fish.

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The pad thai was perfect and complimented both dishes so well. Crisp and delicate at the same time.

We then moved on to pudding….now this has to be said by the time we had eaten so much wonderful food I really didn’t think it would be possible to top the meal…Well I was wrong.

A hot clean towel to freshen up in between service.

Then feast your eyes on these babies below. Deep fried ice cream and a selection of tropical hand carved fruits. The highlight of the evening. Such talent in the cooking and presentation will have you gushing about this place for weeks once you have eaten here.

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We leave you with this image and its safe to say it was the BOMB!!!

We give Nipa Thai 10/10. Make sure you plan a visit to this wonderful hidden oasis of flavours very soon.

Nipa Thai Restaurant Lancaster Terrace London W2 2TY T: 020 7551 6039 nipa@lancasterlondon.com

Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 5.00pm – 10.30pm.

 

The Charity Chic Series Brings You The Charity Shops of Lyme Regis

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FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY  by Wendy Breckon

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I’ve got an addiction.  Can I share it with you?  Charity shops.

Even writing the words, makes me want to wiz round the room faster than a small child on a red scooter.

Something happens when I catapult myself, bottoms up through the door, clutching the bag that can hold everything.  “I’ve got a theory. Have you got a minute?” Maybe, giant magnets inside the door suck us in, rendering us incapable of rational behaviour.

“Can I help you?” says the volunteer looking down with curiosity at my jellyfish like movements and inane grin. Yes, there is no place I would rather be than rifling through the bits of material and matching buttons in the bin at the back.

Some people dismiss the idea of charity shops with a bit of a sniff, (although less so these days) so why don’t I?  It is probably FAITH that when I turn up at five to five the volunteers will take pity and usher me in. HOPE that the dress I wriggled into yesterday is still there, in my size today and CHARITY; do not forget when you are searching for a bargain that sliding money over the desk is helping those less fortunate.

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Charity shops can test the fragility of personal friendships.  Take for example, “one husband and a leather jacket”.  One morning when browsing in one in Hertfordshire, my other half tried on a brown jacket that he really wanted.  Slight problem. He didn’t have enough cash so put it back on the hanger.  Later on we went for a walk and spotted the very attractive brown jacket moving towards us.  Guess what?  His best mate was wearing it.  But… hey… whatever, they are still good friends.

We have two charity shops in Broad Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset.  Both are in the perfect position for a saunter down to the sea afterwards with the smell of coffee following your path.

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Today I am visiting the Tenovus charity shop.  This is a British charity committed to the control of cancer through quality research  / education counselling and patient care.  It was established in 1943 by ten business men, (hence the ten of us).  Tenovus scientists have been recognised for their pioneering work.  They have a free phone cancer support line (0800 800 100), free counselling and benefits advice.  Check out the official web site – www.tenovus.org.uk.

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It was bitterly cold outside, but beyond the door there was a friendly welcome from Sam Green the manager and her two volunteers Sue and Rosemary.  Vibrant colours, great displays and lots to buy at excellent value.  I needed very little encouragement to take home the papier mache rocking horse that was part of the window display.  Now it rests gently on the ledge beside my stained glass window.

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 So what is my passion? Jugs, all sizes, shapes, chipped not a problem.  Bit of a history, fine with me.  No holes in the bottom, even better.

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Old frames, where I remove the print inside and replace with photographs and a funky surround.  Wallpaper, wrapping paper, shells or fossils.  All you need is a trusty glue gun.

Now let us not forget the magical world of the charity shop bookshelves.  Faded paperbacks, celebrity hardbacks, pop-up or pop-out books. How To Make Sand Candles Or Origami Figures, One Dark Night In Lyme Regis or a Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Cobb.  I’m an avid reader and love them all.

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After a good night’s sleep dreaming of my purchases I awake refreshed.  The thought that the money spent is playing such a vital part to the relevant charity, is never far from my mind.  If you have any spare time, why not consider volunteering, or at the very least, buy some fantastic bargains from them.  Whenever we go through the door we can make a difference to someone’s life.

 

 

 

 

Gustave by Arnaud Bédouet

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Théâtre de l’Atelier, PARIS

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With Jacques Weber

and Philippe Dupont.

 

There are moments in the theatre when one is privileged to observe something which is – in the truest sense of the word – extraordinary.

 

Gustave, as performed by Jacques Weber, is one of those.

 

For most French people, the name “Gustave” will immediately evoke either Eiffel or Flaubert.

 

Gustave Flaubert is known to English speakers mostly for “Madame Bovary”, a character which has become an icon and a point of reference; but his list of works is much longer than that.  He wrote for the theatre as well as other novels and also a work unfinished at his death and concluded and subsequently published by his friend the publisher, Louis Conard, entitled “Dictionnaire des Idées Reçues” (A dictionary of preconceived ideas) in which, with a black humour, he mocks the society of the day.

 

In the introduction to the play Arnaud Bédouet, the author, describes Flaubert as “an anarchist in the body of a bourgeois” and describes the anger of a free spirit trapped in society’s constraints.

 

By using passages from Flaubert’s letters and with reference to his published works, M. Bédouet has created an impassioned monologue which rails against mediocrity in all its forms; artistic, social and political.  Whilst the references are firmly grounded in Flaubert’s world, the resonance for today’s society and particularly the artistic world are stunningly appropriate.  One line, for example, ‘Success is a result – not a target’.

 

Jacques Weber has been one of France’s leading actors for over 40 years in film, TV and theatre.  His presence on the stage is overwhelming and his performance in this play is nothing short of spectacular.  He moves through a range of emotions;  drawing us deeper and deeper into Flaubert’s world, sharing agony, joy, despair, delight (at a thunderstorm), cynicism, fury (at the mediocrity he sees in published works) … the evening is a roller coaster ride which M. Weber shares with the audience in a total commitment to the character.

 

This is one of those “must see” productions, but it only runs until the 31 December.

 

 

A Kiwi Christmas By Julia Charity

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Te timatanga (The ‘opening’)

“Mum!! It’s Christmas!!”

Jingle bells jangle in my ear.

I hear my voice thick with tiredness, where blankets of sleep still lie heavy.  This child – the one who Monday through Friday sleeps till 8 o’clock – has woken me.

It’s 6.36 am.

“Mum! It’s Christmas!”

From my dreamy sanctuary, Alice pulls me to my feet. Clutching her small hand, I stagger downstairs. Descending through sleep’s cloud my heart softens in anticipation of my favourite ‘Mummy’ moment of the year.

Her excitement is palpable although for now I only let her open Santa’s sack. I was right about the Lego; (the new ‘Friends’ campervan was irresistible) and the watch was bang on.

We eat Santa’s chocolate, snuggle and wait for the rest of the family: my partner Phillip; his daughter; two Grandmas; Grandpa and the dog, so we can enjoy the ‘opening’ together.

Alice and I make our gifts. My mother laughs at our first book, ‘The Best Nest’ – a comedy about our adventures at Lake Tarawera in Rotorua. Alice is a natural cartoonist. For other loved ones we have reproduced her artwork on Calendars, mousepads and diaries.

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I have made her a mermaid’s tail, with fins and a sequined bra. It’s more than she can cope with. I bury my head into her little shoulder so no one sees my tears of pride as she squeals appreciation with delighted hugs.

“You’re the best Mummy!”

Months of working relentlessly, saving ferociously and creating furtively, are satiated in that single moment. Truth is, I always engineer it so Santa comes off looking ‘adequate’ while I get the credit for the ‘good stuff’.

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Te Kai (The feast)

Lured by the magnetic mountain and intoxicating waters of Lake Tarawera, our summer days are warm and long. One of our Christmas traditions is to catch trout. This year we secure a 9 pound record – a true monument of the season. My skipper is proud and my girl learns well.

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The Christmas Day Feast celebrates the abundance of our land, our waters and the generosity of my family. Its decadence is of a magnitude I barely comprehend. There is Hot smoked trout, manuka honey-glazed ham, green-lipped mussels, rack of lamb, barbecued chicken kebabs, minted green peas, and a myriad of green salads. Strawberry Champagne. pilsner and ales, chardonnays and Pinot Noirs flow readily. We embellish the table with fresh pohutukawa flowers – blazing red, a national symbol of a kiwi Christmas.

Phillip rings out his welcome and karakia (prayer) in the language of our Nation’s first people – te reo Maori. Humility and reverence give way to voracious consumption, laughter and ultimately, contentment.

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Te Moana (The Lake) 

As the afternoon transpires, we migrate to the lakefront. Catering and shepherding three generations takes some orchestrating. We alternate between swimming and kayaking in the sheltered bay. I live vicariously through my daughter’s discovery she actually is a mermaid.

Post by Julia Charity.

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As I throw myself on to a towel in the sand, the sun blesses my wet skin and I sink into bliss. It’s the perfect Christmas.

“Where’s the soap Mummy?”

I don’t know how long I was asleep but I’m struggling to grasp comprehension. I need to lay off that champagne.

“Grandma said a naughty word.”

I cock my head up at my Mother who feigned shame. I return mocked punishment and we laugh shamelessly.

5.45 pm. Time for dinner? I throw picnic blankets and arrange a visual symphony of delectable offerings (a.k.a ‘leftovers’).

Then as all good shepherds do. I gather. I bring in shivering children, the Aunty who I have a long chat to, the kindly neighbour, who we must see more of. And my dog.

My dog, regrettably, is the first one that gets the message that dinner is ready.

11.07 pm. I’m done in. Even my hair is tired.

“You did good babe.”

Phillip gently retrieves me from the kitchen and I sink against him. I barely feel myself being steered back up the stairs.

Whether this season brings you turkey and snow or trout and sunshine – Merry Christmas from ‘down-under’ to ‘up top.’ 

 

Julia Charity is a New Zealand-based Mother, Entrepreneur and Writer.

 

 

What Do You Love About Christmas? By Mary Cooper

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What do you love about Christmas? Choosing the perfect present? What do you hate about Christmas? The noise and bustle of the crowded shops? But how do you have one without suffering the other?

 

I have a solution to all of this and it hasn’t cost a penny, and could well be an answer to the waste at this time of year. As with so many things it started as a problem to be solved. I share the house with my mother, and we needed to clear the spare room for my son and his family who were joining us for the festivities. But no, she said. We can’t throw anything away.

 

My new grandchild was going to have to learn to clamber far earlier than she otherwise might, over the games, jigsaws, knick-knack and books left from Christmases past.

 

‘Hey, give all our old things as presents,’ my sister suggested. ‘It will be like packaging up memories.’ I convinced mother, collected up armfuls of ‘stuff’ and deposited it on the floor of the sitting room. Mother and I were soon lost in a nostalgic mist.

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There was Newmarket, where you place your bets then throw the dice, which my mother said was great for children as it taught them the value of money. Mmm, not too sure about her logic.

 

There was a box of Mastermind which, I think, must be one of the originals from the 1970s, and another was Cludo, and jigsaws galore – intact, and masses of books.

 

I found a beautiful paperweight – perfect for my sister in law, and what about this wooden jewellery box for my daughter in law, maracas for a nephew, a belly dancing kit (ha ha) and even a bonsai kit with no seeds; we substituted the seeds with an unopened packet of mixed wild flowers we found on the kitchen windowsill.

 

By the end. the room was alive with precious memories. We had talked, laughed, and recaptured so much that was good about my growing up. It was a privilege to do this with my mother and for the first time I heard the memories from her point of view.

 

Next I went to the local card shop (Oops, I lied about going to the shops) and bought a mountain of wrapping paper, ribbons, gift-cards and bows. I spent the next two days in happy wrapping mode and ended up with a priceless pile of presents under the Christmas tree, each with a short explanation of the pleasure it had brought to their original owners.

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I can’t tell you how invaluable these hours were, sorting and sharing. It was my gift to myself, and I think that she felt the same. It was a moment in time that will, I know, resonate down the years. How many people can say that when choosing gifts at Christmas time?

 

 

 

Peppa Pig Visits Selfridges At The Trafford Centre

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Last week was all about Paddington Bear at Selfridges, this week it’s Peppa!

Peppa Pig will be at the Selfridges ice rink at the Trafford Centre for a special appearance on Sunday 21st December

Skaters will get the chance to have their photograph taken with Peppa Pig and also go home with a Peppa Pig cupcake from Hey Little Cupcake, a new addition to Selfridges Trafford Centre food offering.

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There are two early morning sessions available either 9am-10am or 10am-11am. Tickets are priced at £15 per person and include a skate, meet/greet with Peppa and a cupcake. Adults accompanying children are free of charge where not skating.

Tickets are available here… http://style.selfridges.com/whats-on/ice-rink-selfridges-manchester-trafford

Poppy by Janet Pinder

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Although she’s never made the list in the US, Poppy, as a name, is on a rising graph in England, Scotland, and Wales.  She is also popular in Australia and New Zealand.

In Latin the meaning of the Name ‘Poppy’ is ‘Flower’ and ones first thoughts turn to the colourful garden flowers which the dictionary describes as ‘any of a numerous genus of plants having red, orange or white flowers and a milky sap’.  Google on the other hand talks about a ‘flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers’.  

Another Google quote tells us ‘Poppy flowers can vary largely in colour, but are commonly identified as red. This led to an association with death, and may explain the adoption of the poppy as a symbol for rembrance of WW1 victims.

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The use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance was however inspired by the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ and must be the most familiar subject that we associate with this flower.

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On a recent shopping trip, as I had not yet managed to buy a poppy I left my Husband, reading his Bucks Free Press in the coffee shop, to look for a special one that I wanted.  I returned empty handed only to be greeted with “Prepare yourself for some bad news”.

It was the announcement in the death column of a very old friend.  Poppy; an ex neighbour whom we had known since the early 60s.  She had been a very good neighbour and friend to the family when our boys were very young.  They affectionately called her Mrs Poppy.  She would always do anything for anyone.  Her kitchen was open daily for morning tea to all the regular tradesmen – postman, milkman and others. She organised and ran the village help line for the sick and elderly, shopping for others, arranging lifts for doctors appointments and any other matter in which she could help.  ‘The Salt of the Earth’ was one description given to her at her funeral.

Years ago she had told me she was born on 11th November, I believe at 11 o’clock which is why she was given her name, so it should not have been any surprise to me that with her death being at this time of the year, the family had chosen that same date and time for her funeral although I was puzzled by the start time given in the paper of 10.45.  It was soon apparent that everyone needed to be in the church promptly, for at 11 o’clock, before the actual service started, we were guided to participate with the rest of the country in the two minutes silence that is observed on this day at this time when we remember the gallant men and women who gave their lives in all the conflicts around the world and their family and friends that they left behind.

At this time I also like to add my thanks that I was one of the lucky ones whose Father came home, seemingly uninjured, although he spoke very little of his experiences.  It was a very moving start to a funeral – one I have not experienced before nor probably will again.

I just wonder how many other people in this world have had the same date and time for both birth and funeral and what the probability is of this happening on November 11th- especially to someone called Poppy.