Backpacking is a great way to get that much-needed fresh air, exercise, and a deserved escape from the stressful realities of life. However, heading out on a backpacking trip can be dangerous, if you don’t spend time planning beforehand. If you don’t know where to start, you’re in the right place –simply continue reading and observe these seven tips and tricks.

Keep it Simple

You want to enjoy your first backpacking experience, so it’s probably best to skip the several-day trip trekking up mountain faces. Instead, choose a well-traveled route that’s within your comfort zone. By choosing a popular backpacking destination, you’ve got more opportunities of asking someone for support if need be.

Set a Budget

Assuming you’ve never had to buy backpacking gear before, you could end up spending a fortune if you don’t set a strict budget before you begin shopping around. Have a look online at the type of gear you need and collect some rough estimates, and then build a budget from here. However, you have toremember extras including transportation, which will vary depending on where you’re going.

If you need to book flight tickets, be ready to save some money by comparing providers and having flexibility. An easy way to see flight prices is with Google Flights, which pulls information from several different airlines. However, there may be a lot of irrelevant results, so you should learn how to use filters, map view, and more.

Go with an Experienced Backpacker

Backpacking is always more enjoyable when you’re part of a group, so invite some of your more experienced friends along for the ride. Having someone with backpacking experience will help you feel more comfortable because they can support you with planning, packing, and making the most out of the trip.

Practice Navigation Techniques

Most people use Google Maps to get around these days, but you may not have a great signal out in the wilderness. Therefore, you need to spend time researching the lay of the land and learning how to use a map and compass. Both of these navigational skills will help you avoid getting lost, especially if you lose the beaten path. There are plenty of resources online or you can buy a detailed book from your nearest bookstore.

Learn Proper Gear Usage

If you’ve bought new gear for the trip, make sure you read the instruction manuals and get some practice in before you go. If you decide to wing it, it can have serious consequences. For example, if you need to use a water purification system but you’ve zero clue how to use it, you can end up seriously ill.

Prepare for the Weather

Before you set out on your backpacking adventure, make sure you check the weather forecast and pack appropriately. However, you should keep in mind that the weather can be volatile, so be sure to pack for a variety of weather conditions including blistering sun and ravaging storms.

Allow Plenty of Time to Pack

If you have a habit of leaving everything to the last minute, we suggest switching things up and leaving plenty of time to get packed. When you have time to revisit the packing, you’ll be much more confident you’ve remembered everything. To keep track of the packing, write a list and tick it off as you pack it.

If you follow the tips and tricks outlined above, you’ll feel a lot less stressed when you eventually head out on your first backpacking trip. Remember, although trekking through the Amazon rainforest might sound appealing, you should keep your first trip as simple as possible.

Congratulations are in order –  Dani came runner up in “Diddi Driver 2023” which is the award for “Most motivated and driven franchise in 2023”  ‘An amazing achievement, well done you gorgeous girl,‘ cheers on Marion.
Aimee Green’s dancers were not to be outdone, and did fantastically well at the world championships in Blackpool. It is a very complicated marking system for outsiders but Aimee explained it to Marion, so Frost Magazine can now tell you (we think?!)  –  Aimee Green had two finalists: Maisie an under 12 beginner, who lost a life (whaaat? No, no, hang on everyone… ) it’s a good thing, you see,  as she needs to lose three lives to move up to the next grade. As Marion said,  ‘It’s tricky marking. So, well done princess, only two more lives to go.’

Adult championship finalist was the gorgeous Katy seen here with Aimee. The entire group did exceptionally well as they had dancers in the semis, quarters and recalls for the whole school. All  at Columbia are quite rightly extremely proud of these adorable girls and all credit goes to their supremely talented teacher Aimee Green who also celebrated her birthday that day.
On to more mundane, but very crucial matters: Arthur arrived  to complete the decorating snagging; Richard, the surveyor pitched up which was a pleasant surprise. He has not been too well of late, so everyone was glad to see he is on the mend and back to his adorable self.

Next came the men from Flowing Energy Solutions, to start to put our solar panels together ready for installation. Marion, of course, told them, ‘No shirking mind as I have you on CCTV.‘ Great blokes, working away merrily, apparently, as Marion shared with Frost Magazine. An engineer from Plus Net nipped in to sort out the badly behaved airwaves which keep encouraging the internet to drop in and out.

The next task was to clear the cellar as the CCA has been using this space to store everything during the refurb. And what a find … Surely these IZAL toilet rolls should be considered historical artefacts? Could they be worth a fortune? Oh, please, please… Marion wanted to auction off to the highest bidder. Or perhaps Beamish could use them. Or could they be framed? Just promise they will not be used because many remember IZAL well. We wait to hear the decision.

Bookings are great, as rooms are usually full, and Marion mentioned that CCA were visited by a lady who teaches Chair Based Yoga and is very keen to offer her services to the community. ‘I do believe this will generate a lot of interest, especially for the likes of me who can quite easily get down on the floor but cannot for the life of me get back up.‘ says Marion.

Jeane Coxon popped in to deliver some “ Forget me Not” plants, which Margaret, editor of Frost Magazine thinks are essential for every garden. They need to be potted up – another job to put on the list.

Food arrived as usual for the CCA Friday coffee morning, quiche, sausage rolls, mince pies, corned beef pie, cheese cake, lemon cake, cream scones. The lads fitting the solar panels couldn’t wait to tuck in and the team just love feeding the troops on the basis that happy workmen get the job done. On that point, solar panels are now up and running and providing all the electricity the CCA needs.

The weekend brings another jammed packed two days with dancers and the lovely Redeemed Christian Church of Christ.

But as always, the last word goes to Marion: From our house to your house have a wonderful week end no matter where it takes you.

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is fundamentally a play about things not being what they seem and how they are transformed by moonlight, by love, by magic. So, quite frankly, where could one find  a more appropriate setting for Figure’s production than Holland Park as evening fell.

Magic at any level is particularly tricky, but where better for Figure to create that kind of atmosphere than in a large tent in the park with dusk falling on stage, at the same time as it did outside in the park.  There you go – it could almost be the woods outside Athens…

The stage wraps itself around the orchestra pit, and the actors used it to great effect in this energetic production. Lengths of billowing or taut white material became trees in the forest, columns in the palace and even the embodiment of the dream state.

As is traditional, Theseus and Oberon and Hippolyta and Titania were played by the same two people, in this case Ray Fearon and Anna Leong Brophy, but additionally this cast had to work extremely hard as the Rude Mechanicals double up as the Fairies, and even Puck briefly becomes the Master of the Revels. This is a very physical performance and the cast give their all especially in the dance of the Mechanicals. Of course, they are all  miked up and on the first night there were some teething problems with the sound, but these will doubtless be ironed out.

As they should, these Midsummer lovers, take centre stage, and I must give a special mention to Eleanor Sutton’s Helena, who missed no opportunity to flex her comedic muscles to the great amusement of the audience.

One thing that stays the same in this always changing world of ours is that Shakespeare’s work continues to appeal across the generations, and it seems as though Figure is succeeding in bringing new audiences to this play and for this they  are to be congratulated. It was noticable that the audience appreciated that at the end of Act 3 the cast broke into a rendition of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get it On.’ Figure is not afraid of following 19^th Century classical music with 1970s soul.

Mendelssohn’s score, however, remains the star of the show, and I would love to have had more of it.That said, it would be difficult to see how this might be achieved without impacting on the running time. What I found particularly interesting was that the orchestra performed on musical instruments modelled on those used in the 19^th century at similar performances. This added yet more magic to this production as darkness well and truly fell over the park.

The orchestra, the sopranos: Rowan Pierce and Madison Nonoa, and the chorus were undoubtedly on top form and fully deserved the enthusiastic applause given by an appreciative audience who were left wanting more.

Images courtesy of Nick Rutter

 https://www.figureensemble.co.uk/events

Yep, better do my job thought your editor as she nipped along to St Lawrence Church in the village of Carlton Miniott, on the outskirts of Thirsk to review the concert presented by Music at Junction 50. Featuring Chamberlain and Haywood it promised a couple of interesting hours of music with a break for refreshments, or so she hoped, but one never knows.

‘Sit down, sit still, Dick and don’t fall asleep,’ was Margaret’s instruction to husband, praying she wouldn’t nod off either because she had stepped in as her Music Critic was reviewing A Midsummer Dream concert in the south.

Then in through the external door sauntered Michael Haywood playing clarinet as he continued down the aisle ( give that man a starring role in a drama emulating Frank Sinatra someone.) A great stirring of interest…

From the left of the alter not to be outdone, Paul Chamberlain sauntered in playing the accordian. Together they made extraordinary music; the church hummed with energy, excitement, enjoyment. No sleep for Dick, because he didn’t want to miss a moment. There was a general stiffening of spines all around, as attention was held by these two talented musicians who managed to combined excellence with a showmanship that reached out, and engaged the audience. Feet were tapping, people were smiling and wondering how on earth an accordian could mimic an orchestra? How on earth could a clarinet soar and sink, laugh and cry, as it seemed to do? To be replaced by a saxophone, a violin, a series of whistles.

On it went, with Paul Chamberlain, who a mere eighteen months ago underwent a successful heart transplant – yes, that’s what I said, a heart transplant, squeezing the buffers as I call them, in and out, while pressing a million different buttons, even recruiting his chin to press a button which produced a particular note (if memory serves). Meanwhile, Michael Haywood switched instruments with careless abandon, as the pair of them gathered us up into their spell, moving from Mozart, Galliano – Song for Joss (one of my favourites), and particularly Cafe 1930, then Paul’s composition inspired by a spell on Orkney which has many 1WW battleships sunk beneath the sea. So evocative, moving, and successful. Then over to Michael Haywood for the Wee Whistle Set, which was amusing, lighthearted, but didn’t in anyway disguise his skills.

Refreshments were a dream, chat chat, very full glasses of wine were sipped, and sipped again – ooh, lovely jubbly, leading to even more excited chats while Dick buttonholed Michael to talk about the Penny Whistle which Michael played. I didn’t understand a word, so can’t repeat. There were fabulous eats from the Baldersby ladies, because Baldersby’s St James’ congregation were to host the event but then the roof fell in – yes really – and the guys weren’t  even putting themselves through their paces, so we can’t blame them for raising, – or crashing – the roof. Baldersby’s loss was indeed Carlton Miniott’s gain.

The 2nd half was a similar romp, with Brahms followed by Angelis’ Romance, which made me cry, then Khachaturian, jazz, Tango, Polka, Monti – the end.

Oh no, don’t stop, so an encore and finally we let these young men, with big hearts, and even bigger talents as musicians and composers, give a final bow. But, we so didn’t want them to go. What a triumph. Encore, encore, come again, p-l-e-a-s-e, Paul and Michael, or we will all have to be groupies and follow you to every gig of the Hotscotch Ceilidh Band, in which you also play.

But they did promise to return. Yes, they did, so we will keep them to it.

Hearts lifted before everyone traipsed home, fortified by wine and eats, when the audience learned that Music at Junction 50 would welcome Mary Reid (harp)  and Ainsley Hamill  (vocalist) on 2nd September 2.30. And The All sorts on 28th September 7pm (Vocalists). Quite where, we have yet to hear.

Really truly we are spoiled in Thirsk, and surrounding area. We truly are.

Tickets and information:  Sue Brown – c.b.brown398@hotmail.co.uk or Colin Reid – colinreid97@yahoo.co.uk

To find out more about Hotscotch Ceilidh Band with Paul Chamberlain on accordian. Michael Haywood on fiddle and Jim Walker drums go to www.myceilidh.co.uk

Frost Magazine loves this week’s  book of the week from Joffe Books, Let’s just be Friends which is, quite frankly,  the perfect summer romance, from  RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2023 contender Katy Turner  which is out now from £0.99/$0/99  (*for a limited time only)

Holly has a five-year plan. But moving out of London to the Scottish highlands and falling in love is definitely not part of it . . .  Then she comes face-to-face with Greg Dunbar, the owner of the Scottish family farm she’s just moved in to. Neither of them are looking for romance, so they should just be friends . . . right? Yeah, yeah… if you say so. 
CLICK HERE TO GET LET’S JUST BE FRIENDS BY KATY TURNER FOR THE SPECIAL LAUNCH PRICE OF JUST £0.99 | $0.99

             
So what else is on the agenda? Perhaps try:

The West Wales Murder Mysteries Books 1-3 by P F Ford

Fabulous value box set: Detective Norman is out of retirement and back on the beat in a rainy Welsh seaside town. Llangwelli might be short on sunshine, but it’s certainly not short on murders . ..

The Playing Fields A Cotswold Murder Mystery by Stella Cameron

 Frost Magazine’s cup of tea: A body is found sprawled across the stage of the playing fields barn. Then another is discovered at the local cricket grounds.  Village sleuth and pub owner Alex Duggins is itching to help. But it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again.

Both £0/99/$0.99

For those with a more romantic streak Choc Lit has a great line-up. Look at a couple and then go and check out the website 

If you loved Poldark…

The Complete Cornish Tales (1-6) by Victoria Cornwall

FOR £0.99/$0.99 CONSIDER THIS BOX SET OF 6 UPLIFTING ROMANCES SET ON THE CORNISH COAST.

Travel through the eras of stunning Cornwall as you enjoy SIX novels packed with dashing heroes, gutsy heroines and unforgettable romance.

After which read Escape to the Art Cafe by Sue McDonagh

A feel good read FULL OF FRIENDSHIP AND FRESH STARTS.

When Flora Bexton is dumped on the eve of her birthday, she takes off on her now-ex’s motorbike to the Welsh coast. Then Aussie lifeguard Jake comes to the rescue. Is Flora willing to risk getting her heart broken again.

But back to the book of the week: let’s hear from author Katy Turner as she tells us about her journey from agent to author :

I worked at a literary agency in my 20s, and while I was reading widely while looking for clients, I always found myself coming back to romances. And secretly, I wanted to be writing them. In my lunch breaks, I would occasionally jot a few things down, plot out stories. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to write more, so I made a career shift to teaching, thinking I would write in holidays. Only that didn’t work, because training to be a teacher takes up all your holidays, and then — about a month after qualifying — I had my first child. Hardly a break, but I wrote during naps and after bedtime, joined the RNA’s New Writer’s Scheme (which is brilliant) and kept going and going.

What are you currently reading?    I always have more than one book on the go. I’m scaring myself reading Ultra-Processed People (Chris van Tulleken) and crying over Cesca Major’s Maybe This Time. I just finished Cressida McLaughlin’s lovely from Cornwall with Love and next up is CJ Connolly’s newest.

If you could have dinner with one of your characters, who would it be and why?  Can I not have all three? I love Holly, my lead — she’s quite a character, but I might go for Paolo. He’d cook something Italian, with plenty of carbs and some good wine, and would be very easy company.

Are you working on anything right now?  I am (when I’m not herding children). I’m a terrible procrastinator, but I’m about a quarter of the way through it. Which isn’t to say I might not change my mind and start again.

So, that’s it for now, but plenty more books obtainable from Joffe Books. It’s summer, there’s a heat wave, cool down with a good book: Joffe Books