Retro Swizzels Sweets Review

When I was growing up I spent a large amount of my pocket money on swizzels sweets. Their iconic sweets are all included in their Sweet Shop Favourites tin and gift box: love hearts, refreshers, fruity pops, drumsticks, parma violets. The tin also has fizzers, two double-dips and two of the latest additions: drumstick and refreshers squashies. If you haven’t tried them yet, you don’t know what you are missing. They also have a One Direction tube of love hearts. Perfect for any 1D obsessed family members.

Iconic family-owned British sweet makers Swizzels have an array of Christmas crackers available this festive season. They are great stocking fillers and they also have amazing tins for the whole family to share.

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Available from tesco.com

 

 

The Best of Tech | Christmas Gift Guide

For those who you truly love giving the gift of great sound, music or even just a retro Mad Men style telephone is going to make you truly popular indeed. We have been blasting music and making calls galore. Our neighbours probably hate us, or they were dancing away as much as we were. Time will tell. Either way: here is out best of tech.

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Stellé Audio Pillar

£249 / Available from Apple stores and selfridges.com

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The Stellé Audio Pillar was a lot of fun to test. It was very easy to use, had amazing sound and could even be used wirelessly. You can even take calls on it. We have fallen completely in love with it. Just AMAZING. The Stellé Audio Pillar is for those who refuse to compromise style, boasting high-quality sound and fashion a  subwoofer connecting to any Bluetooth enabled device in a 50ft range. With a built-in microphone, users can enjoy handsfree calls and 15 hours of continuous play. The Pillar is currently available in four colours; Hi Gloss White, Brushed Aluminium, Matte Black and Pewter.

Stelle Audio Brushed Aluminium Audio Pillar Bluetooth Speakers

 

Stellé Audio Couture Pillar Carriers in Leather and Suede

£99 / Available from Stelleaudio.com

Stellé Audio Couture DwellStudio Pillar

Great for carrying around this amazing speaker. Effortlessly stylish. Available in four styles, black and white python, black and midnight blue cross hatch and Pantone’s new Colour of the Year, radiant orchid, these bags have been designed to securely transport the elegant Audio Pillar.

Libratone Loop 

£399 / Johnlewis.com and on Apple Online

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The sound on this unique and beautiful speaker is amazing. It is also wireless and has a lot of connectivity options. Some of us found it hard initially to connect it wirelessly and some of us also had technology that was too advanced. It is still brilliant, has amazing sound and is perfect for people who are not as inept technically as some of us are.

Create the perfect Christmas soundtrack with the Libratone Loop. It’s not only a powerful sound source, equipped with Libratone’s signature FullRoom™ technology and numerous connectivity options including DLNA, PlayDirect™ and Apple’s Airplay, it also really stands out, whether mounted on the wall or free standing thanks to its svelte cylindrical design. The Loop comes in three colours – pepper black, salt grey and raspberry red.

 

View Quest ColourGen Retro Radio

59.99 / Available from viewquest.co.uk

viewquestretro viewquest

We love this radio. Retro is very much in at the moment. That doesn’t mean there is any compromise on sound or quality however. It has the best of both worlds. The much-loved Retro radio is now available in a smaller and more compact form. Offering both DAB and Bluetooth functionality this radio is sure to put a smile on the face of any loved one. 

 

View Quest Emma Bridgewater Black Toast radio 

Available from Apple for 129 

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There is also this unique one from Emma Bridgewater: With an in-vogue vintage look, the Emma Bridgewater Black Toast Retro radio features all the latest technology and functionality for unbeaten audio quality.

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Pure Evoke D2 Digital Radio

Also retro and very cute. Is small and portable along with great sound. Has Bluetooth which enables wireless music streaming both inside and outside the home. Is ideal for small spaces. Equipped with kitchen timers and alarm function. Additional features include an aux input for iPod/iPhone and the option to purchase a chargePAK for portability.

Pure Evoke D2 Portable DAB/FM Radio is available here.

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 Leitz Complete Professional Bluetooth Stereo Speaker £134.91 Via Amazon.co.uk

This stereo speaker is absolutely gorgeous. Just slick and glamorous. It allows you to listen to music anytime, anywhere via wireless Bluetooth technology. The sound is crystal clear and the adjustable base and treble give perfect sound From Amazon.

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GPO Classic Rotary Telephone

We are completely obsessed with this phone. The fact we have been watching Mad Men has not helped. It is just so freakin’ cool. This is a wonderful blend of modern tech and retro inspired design that runs through the GPO brand. Sometimes when you can have just about anything, stylish and retro is best. It even has the proper traditional rotary dial up. Each of the products is stocked in GPO’s online store but also NotontheHighStreet.com, Tesco.com, Amazon.co.uk and Very.co.uk so plenty of choice.

GPO 746 Rotary in red is available here.

 

What is your favourite?

 

 

Level 42 – Sirens Tour – Gliding Back To Retro!

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In a world where white and a sparse aesthetic are dominant, a hit of disco styling works as the ideal antidote. The 80s disco period evokes memories of fun and glamour – jumpsuits, bomber jackets and metallic stack heels… good times.
In 2012, Level 42 celebrated the 25th anniversary of ‘Running In The Family’ which was the all-important album bringing tracks like ‘Lessons In Love’ and ‘Children Say’ to notoriety. This year, be prepared to awaken your Level 42 senses with the latest ‘Sirens’ tour, dance-oriented retro but bang up-to-date with a rightful place in the here and now.
Whether you’re listening to a ‘Sirens’ track in a Nikki Beach bar or a Mancunian nightclub, front-row of a slick Chanel runway show or just nipping to Morrisons in your Corsa, this 6-track album offers one-size-fits-all, irresistible easy listening vibes with clever atmospheric mixes by John Morales and Simon T (Ourra), taking Level 42 full circle, back to their roots.

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Level 42 successfully brought disco and dance to the mainstream but many of their older songs lie dormant. Mark told me “lots of songs never got to see the light of day… we’re bringing them out!” so hardened fans will recollect and newbies will be in for a treat… old and new tracks seamlessly stitched together like a pair of Dolce & Gabbana legwarmers.

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The band tours every couple of years and Mark King’s passion for the Level 42 fan-base is evident, his respect for their support is paramount and never taken for granted. “I am nuts about this (tour and album) and I know the fans are too.” He told me “We’re taking the lighting back to the way it was in 1988, boxes on stage with racks of lighting hoisted up on pneumatics.” Combine that with the appearance of a strong brass section featuring the fantastic saxophonist, Sean Freeman… this is going to be a long night of sweaty funk-retro-heaven!

October Tour Dates:

4th    MARGATE – Winter Gardens

5th     READING – Hexagon

6th     LEICESTER – De Montford Hall

7th     BIRMINGHAM  – Symphony Hall

9th     IPSWICH – Regent Theatre

10th   CAMBRIDGE – Corn Exchange

11th   OXFORD  – New Theatre

13th   BRISTOL – Colston Hall

14th  O2 APOLLO – Manchester

15th  YORK – Barbican

17th   GATESHEAD – Sage

18th O2 ABC – Glasgow

20th  O2 GUILDHALL – Southampton

21st  BEXHILL – De La Warr Pavillions

22nd   GUILDFORD – G-Live

24th   SOUTHEND – Cliffs Pavillions

25th   WATFORD – Colosseum

26th   LONDON – Royal Albert Hall

Tickets available from www.livenation.co.uk

Website: www.level42.com

Playful Promises Lingerie SS13

Playful Promises is beautiful lingerie from a London designed brand. Their lingerie is quirky, cool, playful and a little bit retro. I checked out their SS13 range and I loved it. Here are my top choices. What would you choose from Playful Promises?

Playful promisesstockings and suspenders

Gluten Free Ice Cream | Things To Do

From 1 June until the 30 September 2012, a retro ice cream cart will be parked outside Island Grill, opposite Hyde Park, selling Jude’s eco-friendly, gluten-free ice cream, every day from 11am-7pm. The Salted Caramel ice cream is bound to be a hit.

Jude’s uses fresh, natural ingredients, sourced from local producers. Jude’s is undoubtedly the cream of the ice cream crop, supplying world class chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc.

Stefans TV Picks; 6th June

Monday 7th ITV3 – 22:00
Psychological thrillers…so much scarier than horror, which is why The Shining is still the scariest movie ever made, and why I shall be watching the first instalment of The Sculptress. First shown in 1996 this made for TV movie stars Pauline Quirke in a break from her time in the long running Birds Of a Feather to play an altogether different kind of character. The Sculptress, based on the Minette Walters novel, is set three years after a gruesome murder of the mother and sister of, now lifer, Olive Martin who was found blood soaked at the scene of the crime. The story of the murder, the trial and the imprisonment of Olive is the subject of a new book by journalist Rosalind Leigh who, after finding out more about her subject and interviewing all involved, starts to believe in Olive’s innocence. A brilliant turn for Quirke and a series that’ll keep you guessing as you follow the investigation, anyone with a penchant for mystery should see this.

Tuesday 8th ITV1 – 22:35
American dramas can often come across as cheesy an fake, full of beautiful young adults looking ponderously out over lakes while an acoustic indie hit plays over the scene (Dawson…I’m looking at you), but every so often they send out something amazing like John Adams or Carnivàle (which EVERYONE should watch). This is what I’m hoping for in the new to air in the UK, October Road. For 10 years, writer Nick Garret has been away from his home town becoming a famous author and screenwriter. After returning home he must handle the reaction of the people he based his best selling book on, try to re-kindle old friendships and after living a pretty full life in his absence, see if he is really able to return to his old quiet lifestyle. With the second episode running straight after tonight’s pilot, lets hope it can hook us right away. The only problem I can see with this is that it clashes with the second half of The Sculptress (ITV3 – 22:00) so it’ll have to be Sky+ one and watch the other.

Wednesday 9th Channel 4 – 21:00
I have an addictive personality, if there’s something I like I will watch, listen to or play it for ages (currently it’s Assassins Creed II and the music of Broadway show Wicked) after today though, I’m pretty sure it’ll be all about Big Brother. I’ve not watched every series, but the ones I have, I’ve been glued too! So tonight I shall be joining Davina and the braying, cheering, condemning and booing crowds as we are introduced to the housemates of the last ever Big Brother. It looks like we’re in for a glorious summer, but between my Xbox, script writing and Big bloody Brother, I aint gonna see any of it.

Thursday 10th FIVE – 21:00
Robert Rodrigeuz is cool, his house is cool, his music is cool, his hat is cool and his movies are supercool. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the third installment in his (possible homage to Sergios Leone’s Dollars trilogy) ‘Mariachi Trilogy’. Staring Antonio Banderas once again as the nameless mariachi, who is spoken of in Mexican folklore as merely ‘El’ and Johnny Depp as CIA Agent Sands. Based around a loose plot of a military coup against the Mexican President, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is more about the action and the brilliant gun fights that made El Mariachi and Desperado (the first and second in the trilogy) so much fun to watch.

Friday 11th Channel 4 – 19:30
Unreported World has had some horrific episodes showing atrocities from around the globe including slavery, sex trafficking and the plight of people in poor countries. Tonight’s episode travels to El Salvador to tell of the children used as hitmen for the multitude of gangs and who accept the high child mortality rate as part of life as much as they believe in the subjugation and sexual objectivity of teenage girls in the gangs. Never an easy program to watch, but always informative and humbling. Although I find it odd that Channel 4 chose to put this show in a lineup before Glee, Big Brother and 8 Out of 10 Cats, after Unreported World, I’m not sure I’ll be in the right mood for singing and dancing kids, an unpredictable human experiment and Jimmy Carr!

Saturday 12th ITV1 – 18:15
THREE LIONS ON A SHIRT, JULES RIMET STILL GLEEAAMING
I don’t usually like football, but when England play I cant help but get involved, our first game of the season against the USA will be shown live in the World Cup Live, so get some burgers on the bbq and join the nationwide party. This is the only time I get into football so I’m allowed to be excited by it.

Sunday 13th Sky Movies Sci Fi/Horror – 19:20
To coincide with Frost Magazine’s new Retro film reviews I thought a lovely piece of retro cinema would be a brilliant way to end the week, so I bring you The Lost Boys. This 1987 vampire classic revolves around the lives of two brothers, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) as they move to a new town supposedly over-run by vampires. As Sam befriends the self titled Vampire Hunter Edgar (Corey Feldman) the story thickens and after Michael starts showing the sign of vampirism, and with help from Ed, Sam goes on a hunt to seek out the head of a vampiric punk gang, played by a big haired Keifer Sutherland, in an attempt to save his brother. Full of brilliant 80’s humour and an awesome soundtrack, The Lost Boys is a must for any fan of the Retro.