‘We had been there for over 12 hours. The man was still 30 feet up a tree, balancing on a branch directly over one of the main railway lines out of one of the busiest train stations in the country. He refused to talk to us, threatening to jump if we came too close. To him, we were the enemy. My job was to preserve his life.

The most dangerous time in any negotiation is when you think you’re winning.’

From kidnappings to terrorist incidents, violent armed stand-offs to talking someone back from the ledge: all these make up the day-to-day life of Nicky Perfect’s job as a crisis and hostage negotiator.

One of the first on the scene in situations that most would run from, Nicky is deployed to defuse the most volatile and fraught situations imaginable.

After a decade on the frontlines, confronting the extremes of human behaviour, these are the stories and cases that have shaped a career spent on high alert, where life often hangs in the balance. It’s about finding yourself and following your passion, and of a life lived to help others.

Review

This book is sensational. I will warn you that once you’ve started you will struggle to do anything else until you have finished. Nicky starts off with her early career and as the book progresses so does her experience, it is amazing to be taken on that journey with her. The other thing that struck me was Nicky’s compassion and understanding, her wish and desire to help people on the worst day of their lives.

With Crisis, Nicky also shares her personal thoughts and emotions, I felt like I knew her once I had finished it. I didn’t, I knew her story. I took it upon myself to follow Nicky on social media, and I am so pleased I did , for she shares weekly tips which really have helped me. Nicky Perfect is an impressive woman and I recommend this book to everyone. If you enjoyed Fighting For Your Life by Lysa Walder and The Prison Doctor by DR Amanda Brown then you need to add Crisis to your reading collection.

Crisis by Nicky Perfect. Pub Harper Collins. £8.99 for paper back.

eBook and audio are also available.

Chris Pulham’s railway paintings bowled me over as I toured the model railway exhibition held in the  Thirsk Town Hall recently, so obviously I had to pin down this extraordinarily talented woman: why railways?

Readers, I found her and, as with many of us, Chris has liked steam locomotives since she was a small child. For her, it meant she was going somewhere exciting. So, jumping to adulthood we find Chris held true to this interest, which was as well for Rob had entered her life, and he was also an aficionado of steam railways. Off the pair of them would go – to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway – and watch the trains go by,  probably waved at the driver, and certainly, as she said, smelt the smoke, and  hot oil. Even as she said this, I could see and smell the trains myself. So evocative; and wonderful that these glorious steam trains have been saved by enthusiasts, and what’s more, transferred to stretch canvas by Chris Pulham.

Chris has been painting and drawing for as long as she remembers, though to begin with, it was horses. She continued painting once she was working full time, but after seeing Sir Nigel Gresley come out of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway shed following his overhaul. she shifted her attention to railways.

Chris had taken photos of Sir Nigel Cresley, and used these to paint Sir Nigel’s portrait in oils. Rob, of course, loved it, and commissioned many more…  (There are now the most magnificent steam engine paintings festooning the house). It transpired that it was indeed fortunate that  Chris had developed this love of a particular subject as life a took a tricky turn when ill health dealt her a blow, and full-time work became an impossibility for some years. So, art became central to her life – a lifeline if you like.

Wakefield Shed

I was curious to know which was Chris’s favourite painting, and it transpires that it is a scene at Wakefield Shed, showing an ex LNER B1 locomotive called Harry Hinchcliffe – named after a LNER director. She included 2 schoolboys peering in to see if the foreman was around. She used the boys to emphasise the size of the engine. It is her favourite because she used Rob as a model for the boys.

Though Chris started her artistic career using oils, she became allergic to turpentine and switched to acrylics. Adjustment took a while as oils stay wet and pliable on the canvas and colours can be blended easily. Acrylics, on the other hand, dry almost immediately once brushed onto the canvas, and can’t be wiped off if mistakes are made. So, nothing daunted, Chris developed her own acrylic techique, and used a bacon box and pump spray to keep the paint moist, enabling her to apply many layers of paint to achieve the depth of colour she required. Atta girl.

So, there we are: Chris had sorted her painting materials, her illness was behind her, and though she volunteered with the Guild of Railway Artists for a while, art is now her sole focus.  Where can people see her work?

Chris is will be at the Village Hall, Station Road, Newton-le-Vale, Bedale, Lower Wensleydale, DL8 1SP for her exhibition RAILWAYS ON CANVAS. 9th and 10th September – 10am  – 4pm. Free Entry with refreshments  in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

I implore you to go along. Her work is fabulous.

Let’s leave the last word to Chris Pulham: ‘I hope to continue painting well into my dotage, with perhaps one or two exhibitions along the way. I’m thinking I may paint other subjects from time-to-time. I quite fancy painting wild life. There is certainly a lot to inspire me living in the Dales.’

www.chrispulhamrailwayartist.co.uk

I’m feeling rather smug at the moment, having just returned from trekking in the Bulgarian mountains – lovely forests and fabulous wild-life, plus a rare excuse to stuff myself guilt-free with carbohydrates. However, since my return, every single muscle has been screaming accusations at me every time I try to move.

So what a great time to give those poor muscles some love and try out Neom Organics’ newly released Perfect Night’s Sleep Bath Milk. And I’m so glad I did – in fact my limbs have almost forgiven me, with the proviso that I never abuse them like that ever again.

But what’s so special about Neom Organics Bath Milks? Well, pretty much everything. Neom Organics was founded by Nicola Elliot, whose long hours as a journalist were leaving her permanently exhausted. She retrained as an aromatherapist and started creating fabulous aromatherapy-based products aimed at improving her own wellbeing and that of her family – now she is sharing the love with us.

So what’s her secret? Well she creates 100% natural fragrances using only the purest possible essential oils, blended with organic oils.

Not only do these two new Bath Milks smell amazing – I can vouch for that, having almost fallen asleep in my luxurious bath, but they also contain nutrients to benefit and relax your aching muscles and feed your skin.

Perfect Night’s Sleep Bath Milk treats us to Lavender, Chamomile, Patchouli, Jasmine, Sweet Basil, Lavandin and Cedarwood (are you beginning to see why it was so hard for me to pull the plug out and get dressed?). This blend not only smells amazing – so many different layers of beautiful perfumes – but these particular essential oils are known to help better sleep, reduce stress, boost energy and lift mood.

And if you’re desperate for a destress – check out Real Luxury Bath Milk – with a different great blend of aromatherapy oils including Jasmine, Sandalwood and Clove Bud.

But that’s not all – oh no – these Bath Milks are also infused with magnesium which has a direct effect on tired muscles – relaxing and preventing cramps, plus organic jojoba, argan and olive oils which are packed with antioxidants and vitamins to soothe and smooth your skin and Aloe Vera too, making your skin even softer and smoother. My skin felt and looked great afterwards and my muscles were so relaxed that I’m almost tempted to sign up for another mountain holiday (but please don’t tell them).

So do give these amazing Bath Milks a whirl – your body will truly thank you and you deserve it. Launch Day is 1^st September 2023, when you can buy both of these on the Neom Organics website and at major retailers, RRP £40 for a nice 300 ml bottle.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Last year a psychic told me I loved gardening, not to mention dirty hands covered in soil. This couldn’t have been further from the truth – my garden was, quite frankly, like the Day of the Triffids with head high weeds dominating  the space the trampoline didn’t monopolise. Gardening felt like housework and it was the one mindful activity I just couldn’t embrace.

But his words had sown a seed:

I had  been exploring a more Ayurvedic approach to life and menopause. Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga, steeped in ancient tradition, and is recognised by the WHO as one of the oldest medical systems. It’s a beautifully holistic, whole-body approach to physical, mental & emotional wellbeing, with herbs an essential part of Ayurveda: cooking with them, herbal teas & infusions, herbal tinctures for specific aliments.

I am also increasingly drawn to natural surroundings, and the seasons. I began to admire those living more self-sufficiently,  perhaps even off the grid. In fact I discovered someone in Melbourne who had been off the grid and self-sufficient for 15+ years and  felt inspired. After all, if it could be done in the middle of a city surely/maybe I could do the same in the Vale of Evesham.

So I decided to plant a small herb garden & Project Greenfingers was born.

I was mindful that a small herb garden was a realistic start. It wasn’t plain sailing as my Percy Thrower-ess is severely limited: I bought marjoram instead of oregano, then potted & unpotted mint only to discover it was sage. There were many other comedy moments.

I bought  house plants for some much needed interior greenery.  The kids began to think I devoted more time to the plants than to them as each day I dreamed of how I could extend the transformation of the garden.

Then one day, completely out of the blue one of my neighbours asked if I wanted some sleepers and top soil. I hadn’t anticipated my dream would manifest so quickly but 2 days later my son and his best mate transported it all around the block. I piled on manure to fertilise it and bought packs of wild flower seeds which I scattered on top. Suddenly I was being given all sorted of plants, sunflowers, pumpkins, squash, courgette, tomatoes, more herbs.

It’s all higgledy-piggledy and very random but I have loved every minute of creating, planting and getting my hands dirty. I have watered and nourished my plants, watching them blossom and bloom.

I had no idea when I embarked on Project Greenfingers how quickly it would evolve and how much I would truly enjoy creating a more natural haven in our garden. It had not – ever – occurred to me that I would be a participant in the joy of creation, but indeed I was, and grateful beyond measure for the seed of inspiration the psychic shared.

Alex is a yoga teacher, mindfulness coach & menopause mentor & you can find out more about her antics on my socials or blog:

Website: alexbannard.com

For free resources check out:

Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

YouTube channel: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

Are you reaching that point where getting the kids back to school sounds more tempting than you care to admit? You’ve gone through your list of fun things to do and it’s starting to look a little threadbare.

‘Oh not that again Mum?’ ‘I’m bored’ ‘What can we do?’ – Striking any chords?

Well if you haven’t discovered Geomag yet, this could be the answer to your prayers. In fact these toys are such fun for all ages that I’m sorely tempted not to share.

Like most of the best toys, they’re simple but clever. Magnetic brightly-coloured plastic rods and metal balls, with variously-shaped bases – that’s it.

But what fun – the magnets are powerful, making it really easy to construct all sorts of stable buildings -from houses and towers to pyramids – even a dodecahedron (yes I had to look that one up too).

You can also use them on a flat surface to make stick men, flower shapes and stars – the only limit is your imagination. This means that kids from 3yrs upwards can enjoy them at different levels – and this includes big kids too, did I mention that I just can’t stop playing with them?

But there’s more – they’re also great for helping school age kids with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths). You can build all sorts of geometric shapes in either 2 or 3 dimensions and these toys help kids understand magnetic polarity – if you try to attach two positive ends together you’ll see what I mean.

I personally love the Supercolor set with brightly-coloured rods. The 42 piece set is perfectly big enough for hours of fun and makes a great introductory set, although larger sets are available too.

If kids are looking for something a bit different the Glow set pieces contain natural plant minerals which absorb sunlight and then start to glow – fun for night-time.

The sets come with small storage boxes which mean they take up almost no room at home and are really easy to take on journeys. The other big plus of the magnets, is that individual pieces are less likely to fall – thus avoiding the ear-piercing screams and demand that you stop immediately on the motorway and retrieve pieces from the car footwell (or is that just my painful memory?)

You can add to the sets too, with lots of different selections suitable for different age groups.

You’ve probably noticed, I simply love these. If you want to grab some for the rest of the holidays check out the links below but you’d better hurry – there’s a serious risk I’ll be buying out all supplies myself. Well I am in the middle of building a rather impressive space craft.

Geomag Supercolor 42 Piece, £29.99 from ToysRUs.co.uk

Geomag (329) Glow 42 Piece Set £19 from Amazon

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.