Hit TV Shows Spark Baby Name Boom

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There’s no doubt that TV has a massive impact on our culture. It affects the music we listen to, it can change our ideas of what we may perceive as what is right or wrong, it influences how we dress and can even change our attitudes towards certain issues.  There is no greater testament to the power of TV however, than its ability to dictate how parents’ name their children.

Of course, TV isn’t unique in this sense but the prevalence of blockbuster TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and True Blood mean that TV is now right up there with movies and celebrity culture when it comes to influencing parents’ naming choices..

With is in mind, below are some of the biggest shows that have influenced baby names over the last few years.

game-of-thrones

Game of Thrones 

The hugely popular HBO series has captured the public’s imagination like nothing else that’s currently on television. Its mix of fantasy, drama and violence which makes it a unique offering and given its popularity, it’s no surprise that there have been a growing number of babies named after its main characters.

Tyrion and Theon both made it onto the 2013 list of baby names. Apparently the names were given to 3 or more boys, with 6 Tyrions and 11 Theons making the list. Whilst relatively speaking these are quite small numbers, given how obscure these names are, it’s very difficult to deny the influence due to the popularity of Game of Thrones.

It’s not just boys’ names that the show has affected though. In 2011, Arya was 711th in the top 1000 baby names in the US. The following year however, it jumped all the way up to 413th, representing a huge leap in popularity.  The name is similarly popular in the UK, with 187 girls named Arya in 2013. There were also 50 baby girls named Khaleesi last year, the same number of babies named Peggy. The popularity of the name is doubtless inspired by the character of Daenerys Targaryen.

The fantasy epic wrapped up its fourth season this year and with the fifth soon to follow, there’s no doubt that it will continue to have an impact on how parents name their babies over the coming years.

breaking bad

Breaking Bad 

Coming to a close last year, Breaking Bad enjoyed both great critical acclaim and immense popularity with audiences around the world. Whilst it had a cult following for its first few seasons, the more intense the show became, the more people loved it and by the time it reached its fifth and final season it had become a phenomenon.

As you would expect, the names Walter and Skyler have both seen surges in popularity thanks to the  show. Last year there were 58 boys named Walter and 72 girls named Skyler. The fact that Walter would previously have been considered to be a fairly old-fashioned name shows how much a TV show can change peoples’ perceptions in regards to names.

How much influence does TV have? 

Whilst TV shows certainly have an impact on how parents name their children, it’s important not to overstate the influence it has. If you look at the most popular names for both boys and girls it’s clear that in general, parents stick with safe and traditionally popular names, regardless of how trendy a certain name might be at any one time.

It’s no surprise when you think about it – Just because a particular name might be in vogue at the moment, doesn’t mean that will always be the case. Names that are particularly obscure often put parents off. Of course there are also some parents who take the opposite approach however and feel that giving their child a unique name will help them to stand out. These parents are usually the ones who are most likely to give their children offbeat names that are inspired by popular TV shows such as Game of Thrones.

It’s also worth mentioning that it’s sometimes hard to quantify how much of an influence TV shows have, especially when it comes to common names that are generally popular anyway. However as can be seen by the evidence here there really are clear cases where the surge in popularity of a name is down to the influence of a TV show.

 

 

 

Falling By Emma Kavanagh Book Review

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fallingemmakavanaghA plane falls out of the sky. A woman is murdered. Four people all have something to hide.

This debut psychological thriller from former police psychologist Emma Kavanagh is stunning indeed. An engaging and exciting novel. This novel is brilliantly executed, it is a confident debut written by an extremely talented writer. You can tell that Emma Kavanagh was once a police psychologist: her novel is believable. She knows what she is talking about. The characters are incredibly well written and the nuances of life, grief and marriage are all well observed by the eye of a very adept writer.

The story itself is thoroughly engaging, drawing you in and making the book unputdownable. I love how the characters are woven together, how they end up dipping in and out of each other’s lives. This is a crime thriller that belongs on the same shelf as Nicci French. It is high praise indeed, but well deserved.

 

Jim is a retired police officer and worried father. His beloved daughter has disappeared and he knows something is wrong.

Tom has woken up to the news that his wife was on the plane, and he must break the news to their only son.

Cecilia had packed up and left her family. Now she has survived a tragedy, and sees no way out.

Freya is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. But as she delves into his past, she may not like what she finds.

 

Falling is available here. Read our Day in the Life piece on Emma Kavanagh here.

 

 

The Life of a Banana PP Wong Book Review

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Novels that bring an insight into race and culture can be sorely lacking. PP Wong is the first British-born Chinese novelist to be published and I find that very sad indeed. It does not say much for diversity. We can’t necessarily blame publishers, they only buy what they think will sell, what the public want. So maybe it is time we opened our eyes more to other cultures and the absolute horror of racism.

After the heavy opening paragraph I hope you don’t get the wrong idea, The Life of a Banana is a (mostly) funny tale of a young Chinese girl growing up in London. It is written in her style, something that is very hard to do, and harder to do well.

Of course, not everyone is racist or a bully and racists and bullies just embarrass people who aren’t racist and bullies, but some of the things Xing Li goes through are truly horrible and shocking. This is an excellent book on identity and the end of childhood. I really enjoyed reading it and it is a triumphant first novel.

thelifeofabananabookreview

Xing Li is what the Chinese call a banana – yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London, she never feels like she fits in. When her mother dies, she moves with her older brother to live with venomous Grandma, strange Uncle Ho and Hollywood actress Auntie Mei. Her only friend is Jay – a mixed raced Jamaican boy with a passion for classical music.

Then Xing Li’s life takes an even harsher turn: the school bullying escalates and her uncle requests she assist him in an unthinkable favour. Her happy childhood becomes a distant memory as her new life is infiltrated with the harsh reality that comes with adolescence.

Consumed by secrets, violence and confusing family relations, Xing Li tries to find hope wherever she can. She realises that in order to find her own identity, she must first discover what it means to be both Chinese and British.

The Life of a Banana is available here.

Christmas Gift List For Your Favourite Person

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Christmas Gift List For Your Favourite Person

Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

Exotic and beautiful and that is just to look at. It is an all natural liqueur without preservatives.

Domaine de Canton is the world’s first ultra premium ginger liqueur and is handmade in small batches in Jarnac in the heart of Cognac, France. Perfect as an aperitif over ice, after dinner or as a cocktail. £33.00 available at thedrinkshop.com, Harvey Nichols stores, Selfridges.com and Booths.

 

Heidi Klein Beach Candle £36

Gorgeous, stylish and it smells divine. Perfect for any women in your life.

 

Doro – PhoneEasy 632

This would be the perfect gift for grandma. It will also be a gift that lasts as you can call her all of the time. Available here.

 

AromaWorks – Yang Candle

Beautiful and it smells amazing. Is 100% organic and is a relaxing blend of seven different aromatherapy oils including Ho Leaf and Nutmeg. Available here.

 

Spineless Classics – Cinderella print

Spineless Classics – Cinderella print

Spineless Classics are both beautiful and unique. They have the entire works of your chosen novel and a piece of art all on one print. A great gift. From iwantoneofthose.com and houseoffraser.co.uk

 

 

The Yeovil Literary Festival – An Author’s Perspective By Kate Kelly

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If you braved the rainclouds and ventured into Yeovil in the first weekend in November you might have noticed large green banners flying outside a number of venues, for this was the weekend of the Second Yeovil Literary festival. The first Yeovil Literary Festival took place last September, and this year I was delighted to be taking part again.

yeovil2014 Liz Pike, one of the festival organisers.

I was in fact involved in three events across three of the festival venues. They were three very different styles of event, and were only a tiny fraction of what the festival had to offer.

The first event was the Yeovil Prize Winners event on the Friday Morning. The Yeovil Prize was founded by bestselling author, Margaret Graham, with James Mitchell to raise funds for the arts of the area. When Margaret moved from Yeovil, crime writer, Penny Deacon took her place until handing over to Margaret’s ex-student, Liz Pike and her team. It is now in its 11th year and continues to grow. It is an internationally renowned competition, and since its earliest days it has been watched closely by both editors and agents, and as the list of success stories continues to grow it is clear why.

I am one such author – Red Rock was Highly Commended in 2010 and I’m convinced that this helped tip the balance with the agent who was considering it at the time. This year it was lovely to have a number of winners in the poetry category in our midst. We took turns to read our winning entries and talked about what the Yeovil Prize has meant to us.

2 The Yeovil Prize Winners Panel.

If you are interested in reading some of the poetry and fiction that has been shortlisted over the past couple of years, then the Yeovil Prize Anthology is now available.

3Marcus, manager of Yeovil Waterstones with copies of the Yeovil Prize Anthology.

That evening I was honoured to host “In Conversation with Jason Hewitt”. Jason is a debut novelist and The Dynamite Room was published earlier this year. It is a World War 2 story, but one with a difference and is absolutely superb. Set on the Suffolk coast in July 1940, a German officer swims ashore and breaks into a boarded up house. There he finds Lydia, and 11 year old escaped evacuee hiding in the attic. Over the next five days Lydia is held hostage in her own home – but there is more to the German that meets the eye – for how is it that he knows her name?

4In Conversation with Jason Hewitt.

I really enjoyed meeting Jason and chatting to him. The ‘In Conversation’ style of event was a lot of fun, very relaxed, and Jason had so many interesting things to tell us that the time simply flew!

5 Jason Hewitt and “The Dynamite Room

The following day was my third event, and quite a change from what had gone before. This time I was in the Yeovil Library running a writing workshop for children.

6 Outside Yeovil Library.

The event was well attended and I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of kids to work with. They were all so enthusiastic and imaginative and half an hour after the event had ended were all still sitting scribbling away. I suspect there might have been some budding authors in their midst.

Of course, these were only three events in a packed programme. The organisers have really built on last year’s success and I can’t wait for next year.

 

 

Only 2% of Britons Know How Rich They Really Are

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moneyWe are not sure if you saw Channel 4’s How Rich Are You Show last night but it was interesting. Take the quiz and find out how rich or poor you are below. The poll is also an eye-opener.

In a new poll commissioned by Channel 4, people in the UK were asked to guess how their income compared with the rest of the country’s, and then answer a series of questions to calculate the true result. Only 2% of the people surveyed guessed correctly.

The poll was commissioned to accompany How Rich Are You (1 x60) which airs at 8pm on the 10th November. Presented by Richard Bacon, this one-off special will show each of us where we stand in the great money map of Britain – and what that position means. With the help of leading experts, a studio audience and individual case studies, the show builds up a shocking and surprising portrait of the country that is now – officially – the most unequal in Europe.

Alongside the programme, the channel has launched a website app which will enable every viewer to take the ‘How Rich Are You’ test at home. Visitors to channel4.com/howrichareyou can answer a set of simple questions to determine if they are as rich or as poor as they think they are. The data for the app has been provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

As many as 67% of the people surveyed underestimated their income compared by more than 10%, indicating a serious lack of understanding as to the economic state of the nation. Only 7% of people overestimated their income compared to the UK – but nobody overestimated by more than 10%. Just 2% correctly estimated their level of income vs the UK population.

The survey reveals that despite the struggles of the current economic climate, 75% of adults say that they manage financially, with 16% stating they struggle to get by.

Despite this there is still a bleak picture of life in 2014, as 61% feel that life in Britain has worsened over the last 20 years. Just 13% feel that life has improved.

The survey shed light on our embarrassment at talking about money. It revealed that 31% of adults surveyed would not be happy to discuss how much money they earn with family and friends, while 19% are not sure how they feel about it.

Interestingly, it is younger people who are more willing to discuss finances, with 60% of those aged 16-24 happy to talk about how much money they make.

When asked about inequality across the UK, the majority of adults (84%) think that the wealthy should pay higher taxes.

Those that feel they have enough money in their household (rating themselves as ‘well off’) feel less strongly on this matter, but still display strong agreement at 73%.

The survey also asked people about average salaries of other professions including a nurse, MP, care worker and average CEO. The results were fascinating with 70% of people overestimating the salaries of a CEO and more than half overestimating the salaries of an MP.

  • An average Nurse in the UK earns just over £26,000. Half of the adults that we spoke to correctly chose this amount, a quarter over estimated how much they earn, while a further quarter under-estimated their wage. Interestingly, those who were struggling in their household underestimated a nurse’s wage the most, while those that were well off overestimated their wage the most.
  • Just 27% of adults correctly knew an MPs current wage of £66,400, while a further 31% thought that MPs were on their soon to be higher wage of £72,000. A further 26% thought that they were paid nearly £20,000 more than their current wage.
  • An average care worker in the UK earns just under £13,000, 42% of adults correctly chose their wage. 50% thought that their earnings were at least 30% higher.
  • An average CEO in the UK earns an annual income of just under £118,000. Just 13% of the adults we spoke to correctly picked this amount, the majority (70%) thought their wage was significantly higher.

Dr Fazia Shaheen, Economist and expert on How Rich Are You? commented: “These numbers serve as a reminder of how little we understand about each other’s lives. We are failing to see the bigger picture – too busy trying to get by on our own wages to notice the growing gap between the very rich and the rest of us.”

John Hay, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 commented: ““I’m convinced that years from now we will look back on the growing gap between rich and poor as the most significant issue of our age, and I think there’s a real hunger to understand it better (as well as to find out how much our neighbours earn). Richard and the team at Electric Ray have a gift for making important television that doesn’t feel like homework, so I hope this will be both revelatory and addictive viewing.”

Take the quiz here.

 

Remescar Review

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Scars and stretch marks can really get you down. We should all love our flaws but sometimes it is not easy, especially when in a prominent or inconvenient place. We reviewed Remescar and Remescar Stretch Marks to see if they made a difference.

Remescar says it is a clinically proven treatment that offers a completely new approach and remarkable results in treating new and old scars.

remescarreview

Remescar stretch marks is an innovative silicone based cream which improves and corrects all types of stretch marks.

A clinical study performed by an independent laboratory showed that it reduces up to 50% of stretch marks severity on stomach, hips and legs in just 28 days!*

By releasing a long lasting and thin silicone barrier it will not only cover the affected skin but also protect the skin and moderate inflammation. It will lead to an excellent integration of the cream into the skin as well. In addition, the moisturizing and reconstructive ingredients will generate immediate and long term hydration of the skin, and optimize the skin’s natural moisture balance.

Thanks to these properties and to its medical device technology, Remescar stretch marks will also reinforce and visually improve the skin surface.

Features
Silicone based cream for the treatment and prevention of stretch marks

Medical Device Technology
Treats existing stretch marks
Reduces up to 50% of stretch marks severity in just 28 days
Prevents new stretch marks
Silicone film treatment
Immediate and long term hydration
Visually improves the skin surface
Makes the skin stronger and more resistant
With skin reconstructive properties

Does it work? Yes, it gives a genuine improvement. Stretch Marks look much better and do fade, it also seems to stop new ones appearing. 

Remescar Silicone Stretch Marks Scar Cream is available here.

 

Remescar is an easy to use silicone stick designed for scar care. Remescar releases a transparent, thin and silicone base film which creates an ideal healing protective barrier. This helps to maintain the skin’s moisture balance, while aiding the healing of scar tissues resulting from surgery, burns, injuries, acne and stretch marks.

Use Remescar to reduce a scar’s length and height, to soften and flatten the scar tissues, to restore the skin to a more normal colour and texture and to relieve burning, tingling and itching sensations.

Remescar combines the best of both the medical and cosmetic worlds.

The easy to use silicone stick leaves behind an invisible, transparent thin film which creates an optimal protective barrier for the scar to heal and helps to maintain the skin’s moisture balance.

The patented composition of Remescar is based on 3 ingredients that are clinically proven to have a beneficial effect on scars:

The silicone film shield hydrates, protects and restores the upper layer of the skin and stimulates collagen production. It increases the scar elasticity and reduces the redness and itching.
β-glucan has strong calming, protective, and hydrating properties. Besides these properties, it’s an excellent film former. The combination of β-glucan with polymeric film formers such as PVP (Polyvinyl pyrrolidone) and PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) help to accelerate the wound healing process.
Besides the film formation, which is the first and most important action of Remescar, it also contains strong UV filters. It is widely known that scars need to be protected from UV radiation. That is why Remescar incorporates powerful UV-A and UV-B filters.
Features
Remescar reduces new and old scars.
It smoothens and softens the scar tissues.
It helps to restore the skin to a normal color and texture.
It relieves burning, tingling and itching sensations.
It’s a convenient and easy to use stick applicator.
It’s for all areas of the face and the body.
It’s invisible upon application and can even be worn under make up.

 

Does it work? So far we think so. It has made a visible difference to skin. We will continue to use and give an update in a few months.  

Remescar Silicone Scar Stick is available here.