Afternoon Tea at Laura Kate, Welwyn .... vintage deliciousness.

My friends and I just came home from a lovely afternoon tea in the village of Welwyn. I have been to quite a few afternoon teas over the past year and have written about them on my blog - The Conrad St James, The Milestone, The Ampersand  all lovely posh places in London. Today I thought I would try a rural tea in leafy Hertfordshire.

We chose Laura Kate in Welwyn. It is a tiny Tea Parlour set on the High Street, seating about 16 people. We thought it would be interesting to see the sort of tea available, especially as the Laura Kate tea costs £14.95 - half of the cost of most London teas.

We arrived to friendly smiles and were shown to our table. The shop is pretty, mainly white with fresh pink roses and displays of their delicious cakes - all made on the premises by the team.

Our waitress took our orders for tea. My friends had English Breakfast Tea while I ordered Peppermint Tea. They both arrived in pots, loose leaf tea, which, during the course of the afternoon, were refreshed frequently. Delicious! There was a good tea menu, offering the teas we had alongside Assam, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Chamomile and more.

Our tea stand arrived and the contents were explained to us. We had previously been asked whether we would like to choose the flavour of our cupcakes or be given a surprise. Being quite courageous types we went for the surprise option!

I loved the quirky tea stand - made of stiff cardboard and so pretty! When we booked (booking is essential) we were asked about our dietary requirements and they took note of my friend being a vegetarian. Everything is served on quirky vintage plates with funky cups and saucers too.

We began with the sandwiches ...

Beef with horseradish, egg mayonnaise, cucumber & cream cheese, brie & cranberry.

They were all delicious, on soft, soft fresh bread, but I think my favourite was the beef ... or possibly the egg ...!!

Next we moved onto the freshly baked, warm scones. It is a fact universally acknowledged that scones should always be served warm from the oven, and I was very pleased to see that these were!

There were two scones each, served with lashings of clotted cream and raspberry jam. The waiting staff were incredibly attentive and friendly without being intrusive. We were asked if we needed more jam or cream and although there was enough of both we were feeling rather greedy and asked for even more.

By the time we had eaten our scones we were starting to feel a tad ... well, to put it bluntly ... stuffed!

And yet we still had the top layer to go ...

Banoffee shots

Millionaires shortbread bites...

 Raspberry white chocolate, chocolate, vanilla cupcakes.

I have to admit that we simply could not finish our cupcakes, but the lady serving us noticed this and offered to wrap them for us so we could take them home. They were brought back to us wrapped in cellophane and ribbon. How lovely!

We spent our afternoon laughing and chatting, totally relaxed and having fun. The afternoon tea at Laura Kate is absolutely delicious! All the cakes are baked on the premises and everything we had to eat and drink was beautifully presented, wonderfully fresh and scrumptious!! I have to say that the tea was one of my favourites, coming in second after the Conrad's Festive Tea. Everything from the welcome to the service and, of course, the food was really super. I highly recommend, if you are in Hertfordshire, that you make a booking for tea, or just pop in for a cuppa and a crumpet ( Marmite provided!) or a homemade cupcake. 

And, just in case you are wondering ... we paid full price of £14.95 for our tea and were most happy to do so!

The Gallivant Hotel ... quirky retro by the sea.

You might have read my post a few weeks ago about our friends wedding at Camber Sands. I thought, with Half Term coming up, that you might want to see where we stayed. Its a lovely little hotel called The Gallivant.

Our friends had organised their wedding around the hotel and had both the ceremony and their reception there. It has obviously, in the past, been a little seaside motel, but the current owners have styled it beautifully - very beach chic - and it is a little gem of a place.

It is located just over the road from the stunning golden sands of Camber.

Each of the rooms are clean, simple and very comfortable.

photo courtesy of The Gallivant

There is a certain retro feel to the place, with quirky touches here and there like a beach bag and a large honesty larder in the corridor, packed with everything from artisan popcorn to flasks of milk for your tea and coffee.

We stayed two nights and the breakfast was delicious! I chose pancakes with maple syrup and bacon while my husband went for the full English. Both were freshly cooked and absolutely scrumptious.

One of the things I really loved was the thoughtful extras. For example the Recovery Station at breakfast, which we obviously did not need as our bodies are our temples ...

The Recovery Station - photo courtesy of The Gallivant

I thought it was funny to offer vitamin c tablets and "make your own" Bloody or Virgin Mary kits for breakfast at a wedding venue.

I think that the only down side to this charming hotel would be the lack of experience staff wise. The staff we came across were all very young and all very lovely. Everyone, without exception treated us with a friendly smile and couldn't do enough for us. However, I heard a few of them talking amongst themselves about the lack of staff and about how ridiculous it was that they be expected to cope with the number of guests present. Breakfast seemed a particular area of difficulty.

I always think that any complaining done infront of guests is rather unprofessional.

And yet this was an understandable failing and one that did not bother us as, as I have mentioned, the staff were great. Perhaps a bit of training is needed - things like never going back to the kitchen with empty hands... taking orders on a pad rather than trying to remember them ... 

I would definitely go back to The Gallivant. Its situation was brilliant - less than 5 minutes walk to the beach and the food was really delicious. We slept well, ate well and felt really at home. If they iron out the tiny issues of inexperience they will be fabulous.

photos courtesy of The Gallivant

Science Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel .... a gorgeous birthday treat!!

Did I mention that its my birthday this week?? Well, if I hadn't brought it to your attention before then let me tell you now!! This week I am 50 years old!! In fact yesterday I was 50 years old!! And by way of celebration my week is filled to the brim with treats!!

I began my self indulgent week with a bloggers Afternoon Tea. The lovely Selena had been invited to the Ampersand Hotel for a bloggers afternoon Science Tea and she kindly asked me along too!

The Science Tea was at The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, London - within shouting distance of the Science Museum and about 100 metres from the Tube Station so very easy to get to! I made my way into The Drawing Rooms to find gorgeous mirror tables laid for 16 of us, complete with retro milk bottles for flower vases, linen napkins and sumptuous turquoise leather armchairs!!

Each place was set with white china cups and saucers, complete with silver tea strainers. All rather lovely as befits a birthday girl!!

As you can see we indulged in a glass of champagne and then chose our tea of the day. I chose fresh mint, but I could have had anything from English Breakfast to Earl Grey, from Jasmine to Lapsang Souchong and many more inbetween.

The service was friendly, but discreet and we were all made to feel that nothing was too much to ask. My coat was whisked away to the cloakroom so I didn't have to feel loaded down by it. The Drawing Rooms themselves were quirky, but light and chic, with fascinating objects placed in cabinets like scientific exhibits.

Tea arrived with a touch of theatre!! Dry ice turned stuffy English Afternoon Tea into a delicious and fun version of a Science Lab and the food itself was hugely imaginative!!

Science Afternoon tea

Served from 2.30pm – 5.30pm

£32.50 per person £44.50 with a glass of Champagne

Savoury Gougères

Gloucester old spot ham, sauce gribiche

H. Forman & Son London smoked salmon, dill & cream cheese

Coronation chicken

Cheese with fruit chutney

Homemade white chocolate scones served with

Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve

Pastries

Hazelnut, walnut and chocolate cake with mango mousse volcano and

Chocolate dinosaur

Pistachio macaroon with cherry sauce pipette

Raspberry cake planet

Citrus cocktail in a beaker

Cream tea

Homemade scones served with

Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve

With your choice of tea £7.50

Head Pastry Chef Ji Sun Shin

I have recently been on a bit of a bread free health kick so the arrival of savoury gougeres - choux pastry buns filled with the most delicious tasting combinations - made me feel rather virtuous! They were so light, but packed with flavour. I think I am in love with whoever invented them!! 

I headed next for the white chocolate scones ... served with clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve ... Do you put cream on first? Or jam? Or do any of us really care when they taste so darn good??

I have to say that at this point there wasn't a whole lot of talking going on!! It was a case of concentrating on the scrumptiousness and savouring every mouthful!!

At this point the chef, Ji Sun Shin, came out to see us. The Science Tea is her creation and she advised us of the best way to apply the cherry sauce. This may seem silly, but have you ever seen a pipette filled with cherry sauce before??

The top layer of the tea was the piece de resistance. Chef Ji Sun Shin has created a tea the likes of which I certainly have not come across before! She presented citrus cocktails in mini glass science beakers, pistachio macaroons with blood-like cherry sauce ( don't worry - it tasted yummy!) and chocolate dinosaurs climbing a chocolate cake with mango volcano!!

I loved having Afternoon Tea here and would definitely go back. The Ampersand very kindly gave us this tea as a complimentary treat so that we could review it, but it started my birthday week off brilliantly and I genuinely thought it was the best tea I've had for a long time. I loved the setting, but most of all I loved the imagination used to create a fun and delicious meal. 

If you are going to be in London over the next few weeks, perhaps visiting the museums or shopping, then I would recommend this as a special treat. The Science Tea is available up until the 21st March, but I am certainly going to keep an eye out for future menus and plan to take my husband there for Tea for Two!! He is partial to a little bit of yumminess!!

What were the Highs and Lows of 2013?

Over the last year I have connected in real life with some of the bloggers I read. Its an odd thing ... to finally come face to face with someone you have only known on line previously. I briefly met Kate from Kate on Thin Ice at BritMums Live, where she was hosting one of the meeting rooms. I had been aware of her because of the hard work and dedication she puts into the Charity connections BritMums is involved with. I think both of us were a bit shy in real life, but as the year has gone on I have chatted with her on Twitter quite a lot and she has tagged me to write this post. As its New Year's Day today seems like the right time to post my version... so here goes!

1.What was your happiest event in 2013?
I think I can safely say that my happiest moment was when I graduated in the summer of 2013.I dropped out of university where I had been studying History of Art with Italian and Classics when I was 22, having completed 2 years of my course. 20 odd years later I started at the Open University in the hope of gaining my degree. I did and I did better than I could ever have dreamed, gaining First Class Honours. The day in June when I went to Ely cathedral to graduate was one of the best days of my life. I collected my gown and was helped to dress correctly for the ceremony. As the gown was placed on my shoulders the tears streamed down my face. I remember the man saying "I hope those are happy tears?" All I could sob was "Its just been such a long time coming..." My heart was so full of joy, of pride, of the realisation that after all these years I had achieved something I had thought impossible. That was my happiest day.

2.What was the saddest thing to happen?
I am hoping that this will turn out not to be sad, but inspiring, but I have felt sad this year... Although the year started with all my friends healthy and well, the close of 2013 sees four of them undergoing treatment for cancer. Their courage in the face of suffering inspires me and their positivity fills me with hope, but it is human nature to worry and to fear for the future.

3.What was the most unlikely thing to happen, but which actually went ahead and did?
Well ... I would imagine you could put down my graduation for this one!! Who would have thought??

4.Who let you down?
I don't think anyone has let me down ... I count myself very fortunate to be surrounded by damn fine, loving people.

5.Who supported you?
When you ask this question the first person who rushes into my mind is my man. He is kind and loving and he is my best friend in the world. I miss him when he's not with me and I look forward to seeing him. He knows how to make me feel safe and takes the micky out of me when I get too serious.
But, you know ... when I consider this question I know that he wasn't the only one to support me. My boys are there for me when I need them, with hugs and cups of tea, with straightened cushions and laughs. My friends at work know when I need a pick up or a prosecco, they let me be me and I laugh with them. And fellow bloggers, fellow Twitter friends, some I know in real life, others I don't, are there for me when I rant about my children in the middle of the night.
All in all ... I am very lucky.

6.Tell us what you learned?
I have learned a lot this year. I've learned that when it comes to people I love or people who are in trouble I am patient, calm, loving. When it comes to people I consider lazy, selfish or dishonest I am absolutely intolerant. I don't suffer fools and I am very bad at hiding my feelings. I speak my mind when I see something I think is unjust, without always thinking through the consequences.

7.Tell us what made you laugh.
Lots made me laugh this year. I have laughed until I cried with my friends.Celebrating my friends' 40th birthdays we ate lunch, opened 40 presents and drove the waiter mad with our helpless laughter. My husband makes me giggle like a nutter sometimes. Children in the playground have told me jokes and other children have made me guffaw out loud in the library when I've marked their spelling sentences and they've risen to the challenge of "making their teacher laugh out loud". I laugh a lot.

8.Tell us the things that made you cry.
I may laugh a lot, but I have to admit that I cry a lot too.... My family say I cry at adverts ... true. I think its good to cry. I cried when I found out my friend had lost her hair from chemo. I cried when my friend was diagnosed with cancer again 18 years after beating it for the first time. I cried at my graduation. I cried last night when I stood 5 feet from Diana Ross and she started to sing "Ain't no Mountain High Enough", I cried when I read the thank you letters from the children in my class last summer, I cried when I got lost in the fog on a mountain in Italy. I cried as I stood before The Burghers of Calais at the Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin exhibition. As I said, I cry a lot.

9.Tell us 3 things your children did to make you feel proud.
I am always proud of my boys because they are good, honest, kind young men. Sometimes they drive me bananas with their hormones, but they are fundamentally wonderful. My youngest son has blossomed this year, gaining in confidence and enjoying his music again. He is funny and kind and so very loving.He is loyal and caring. My oldest son is in his GCSE year and has just completed his mocks. We have yet to receive his results, but he amazes me with his laid back approach. He is so incredibly calm and relaxed. He is also very loving and supportive. Both boys fill me with love.

10.Tell us the things that made you proud of yourself.
This is a funny one, because, if I'm honest, I don't often feel proud of myself. I try my best to be a good and kind person, but I always find myself wanting. I was, of course, proud of myself at my graduation (did I mention that??!)

11.Tell us the challenges you overcame.
This year has been a good one for me. I don't think I really have faced too many big challenges. Really my challenges have involved trying to support other people without breaking down. After all, if you are ill or in trouble the last thing you need is a friend blubbing. I have dug my nails into my thighs several times to stop myself getting upset and then blubbed in my car alone, but that's not really a challenge is it? Our escapade in Turkey where we narrowly avoided being conned into carrying prescription drugs through customs was a challenge. I'm glad that although I am honest I am also not a fool and I questioned what was asked of us. I am still trying hard to be a kind person. As I said earlier, I don't suffer fools and its a challenge for me to be patient and tolerant ... an ongoing challenge!

12.Tell us the things you would like to change about your life in 2014.
This year sees my husband and I turn 50. I am determined to hit my birthday as fit and healthy as possible. I have been exercising 6 days a week and eating far less for about a month now and have lost 7 pounds as well as inches from my waist, hips and boobs. I want that to continue.I am brushing up my French which has become un peu rusty over the last few years. I want to make the most of every opportunity, perhaps do more painting and drawing and possibly join a choir. I want to declutter my house, keep it beautifully clean and neat (yeah right!!) and work hard in my garden this year. I also want to see much more of my mum. She is 77 now and having been through a health scare this year with her I have realised just how much she means to me. I want to be a good mum and a good wife, a good friend.


So... that is my review of 2013. I hope you found it interesting. If nothing else it has made me think. I am not going to tag anyone, but I would love to read your take on this topic. Thank you Kate for tagging me - this has been an interesting exercise for me.

Happy New Year to all of you who read this. I wish you health and happiness. I plan this year to keep a jar in my kitchen and I will fill it with the best moments of 2014 written on little pieces of paper. Hopefully I will have lots of good moments and I hope you do too. Its daunting, as I get older, to look at my diary and wonder what will have happened by the end of its pages. I just want to keep my loved ones safe and well, to laugh and cry and reach next year in one piece!!

Book Review - The Ladies Book of Baking.

Its the Summer holidays and obviously its raining here. When the weather is gloomy and grey my mind tends to turn to food. Any food. Its a boredom thing I suppose. My kitchen shelf is weighed down with cookery books, bought in the hope of a) alleviating that boredom and b) providing my family and I with tasty dishes. Most are dog eared and well worn. I have my favourites, of course, but I'm always on the look out for something new.

When I went to BritMums Live this year I met a very lovely lady from Parragon books who asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing a couple of cookery books. Well, obviously, at the mention of "cookery books" my ears pricked up and although my blog is not specifically a cookery blog, I thought "Why not?"

So I headed home with a sparkly new book called The Ladies' Book of Baking. Now, before I tell you about it you need to know that my opinion is unsullied by the fact that I was given it for free!!And I am not being paid to write about it ... so read on, safe in the knowledge that you are getting a very honest review. Ta dah!

I have to say that at first glance at the book's pretty, glittery cover I thought "Well this probably isn't that great a book - more style over substance..." But, you know what? I was wrong.

The book is full of useful tips and hints and each recipe is set out neatly and succinctly so that its easy to follow. I like the step by step method rather than long paragraphs.

The recipes are a mix of classics such as Viennese Fingers and Red Velvet cake and imaginative twists on originals like Raspberry Crumble Muffins. All are easy to follow and follow the theme of afternoon tea bakes.

I also like the photocopiable pages of labels and cake flags which are pseudo vintage and I would imagine would look pretty as a picture on a cake.

The book is well laid out and the pages wipe clean - which to me, as a bit of a messy cook is a bonus! Usually my recipe pages are splattered with chocolate and the battle wounds of the kitchen!!

I think the only down side of The Ladies Book of Baking is the print. It may be my age, but I found myself squinting to read the delicate typeface on the pastel pages and had to resort to my specs, but I think this is a failing I could learn to live with!!

All in all this book is a good buy - perhaps as a gift for a young cook. If you are an experienced cook then I would imagine that its contents will already be covered in your cookery book shelves, but I like it and will be attempting, possibly, the Chocolate Mint Cake Pops at any moment!!

Dr Michael Mosley's Fast Diet ... I have begun!!

I am currently sitting at my laptop in the kitchen eating a bowl of porridge. It is delicious! It is also my breakfast of choice these days, even on my fast days. ... Yes, I did say 'fast days'. I might have to explain that ...

I had noticed a couple of friends at work looking particularly well and rather slimmer than usual - not that they were particularly overweight to start with - and I mentioned how well they looked. It turns out that they had started Dr Michael Mosley's Fast Diet and were enjoying the benefits of said regime. At first I was skeptical  but as the book was selling for only £2.95 and my friends were so enthusiastic I bought it, read it and decided to try it for myself.

Now you may be thinking "fast?? That sounds a bit radical and unhealthy" but this idea is not about starving oneself. It is also known as the 5:2 diet or eating plan and involves intermittent  low calorie days. The book explains far more eloquently than I can here how it works, but, briefly its like this ...

In days gone by we humans would eat well some days because we had hunted well and then we might not eat as well or at all for a day or two. Over the last fifty years or so we have, in the Western world, developed a grazing habit. We are rarely hungry ... we eat because its time to eat and we eat portions that are too large. We eat too much meat, too much processed food. Dr Michael Mosley researched into the history and science of fasting and came up with the Fast Diet idea. This was not a flash in the pan and he self experimented with startling results. Not only did he not die of hunger, but as well as losing weight  ...and  most important of all, his blood test results revealed fascinating changes in his make up:

• His fasting glucose levels had gone down. 7.3 down to 5.0
• 
  
• His cholesterol levels had reduced.
• 
  
• His Triglyceride level had gone down ( high levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease) 1.4 down to 0.6
• 
  
• His IGF-1 level had reduced from 28.6 nmol/l to 15.9 nmol/l (I am no scientist but this is apparently a measure of cancer risk and may also be a marker for biological ageing)
• 
  
•  His BMI had gone from 26.4 to 24
•  His body fat from 28% to 21%
• His waist size from 36 inches to 33 inches
• His neck size from 17 inches to 16 inches

He looks upon this scheme as not so much a diet as a way of life forever. You eat normally for 5 days a week and then on 2 days you eat a quarter of your normal daily intake. For normal daily intake women should be eating about 2000 calories a day and men 2400. So, on split days you eat 500 calories as a woman and 600 as a man.

I started the diet last week. On Monday I ate porridge for breakfast with a teaspoon of honey and a cup of peppermint tea. This came to just under 200 calories. The trick (probably a bad word that and not terribly scientific!) is to leave 12 hours between your intakes of food so for the next 12 hours I drank water and peppermint tea only. Then I ate an Innocent curry which I knew was 316 calories. This was yummy but not ideal as I don't like eating foods I haven't cooked myself from scratch, but the range is fresh and I wanted to be absolutely sure of the calories.

I have to say I found that first day quite hard. I felt ravenous, but my hunger reached a certain level and then got no worse. I did get a headache, but I think that's because I didn't drink enough water. I was determined to reach the 12 hour mark and felt quite a sense of achievement when I did. Cooking my curry I looked at it in my bowl and was amazed that even after one day of fasting the quantity looked huge!! I savoured every mouthful ... chewing slowly and enjoying every burst of flavour! When I finished I felt really full ... bizarre!!

The following morning I woke an hour earlier than usual and felt oddly alert and full of energy. I can't quite explain it, but all this week I have felt somehow ... cleaner, more awake. And although this was not a fasting day I had no desire to cook a huge fry up for breakfast. On non-fast days you can eat what you like, but I enjoyed my normal healthy fare. I did get a twinge of guilt as I made myself a milky coffee, but then remembered that on this day I could drink milky coffee if I wanted. The feeling of glee was lovely!!

My second fast day was Thursday and as I was at work all day it was somehow easier. I suppose the trick is to just keep busy. I made sure that I drank lots and the dreaded headache did not appear. In fact I felt great! I ate 500 calories again and it was definitely enough. The great thing is also that even when you feel hungry you know that tomorrow you can eat normally again. Anyone can make it through one day can't they?? And you feel a sense of achievement when you do finish the day.

Before I started I measured myself ... weight, waist, hips and I also treated myself to a posh weighing scale which measures fat percentage, water, bone, muscle. I worked out my BMI and, as I already knew, I am obese. God, but that's hard to write ...

I am not going to reveal my measurements to you yet, but I do plan on keeping this blog updated with my progress and opinion and if it goes well I shall reveal all!! Stats that is ... don't get too excited. One of the things that I really like about this is the health benefits that the plan appears to have. I am heading towards 50 and if I can reduce my weight while at the same time reducing my risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes then that is fantastic. I also love food, love cooking so this will enable me to still enjoy the odd cheese board without pangs of terrible guilt. The strange thing is that I don't crave anything at the moment, other than healthy foods ... 

So ... my thoughts on the Fast Diet at the moment are very positive. If you are doubtful then I recommend you read the book and perhaps keep checking back here to see how I do!! 

Book Review of The Silk Box by Shirley Mihoko Hairston

There are times when you just get a feeling about a book when you read the bumph on the back cover. When I read the blurb about Shirley Mihoko Hairston’s novel The Silk Box I knew that I had to read it and I hoped that it would live up to my expectations. I am extremely happy to be able to say that it did.

It is the true story of the writer’s parents – Mi-Chan, her mother, was a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb and Sonny, her father, a young black American stationed in Japan during the Korean War. Both have to cope with the prejudices of their society and yet, when they meet, the two societies fade away in the strength of their love – love at first sight.

The story of their lives unfolds like the petals of a flower, beautifully drawn by Shirley Mihoko Hairston. Most of the novel follows Mi-Chan and Sonny separately, showing the reader their lives and struggles, through flash backs, and by the end I was praying for them to be able to get together. Both face their trials and tribulations with integrity and honour. The thread of their story is intertwined with many other lives, occasionally touching each other’s lives and bound with the absolute certainty in both their hearts that they were meant to be together.

This is the story of their journey to be with each other.

The vivid images of Japan, America, the suffering of so many people and the joy earned through experience and love will remain with me for a very long time. Hairston writes like an artist, splashing gorgeous colours of emotion throughout The Silk Box, creating a story that flows effortlessly, a story I could only put down when other duties or sleep called. Her love of her parents and the incredible love they had for each other envelopes everything. To know that this is a true story is even more moving.

It is remarkable to read such an honest and well written book. It is one thing to have such a story to tell, it’s yet another to be able to write it in a way that guides the reader invisibly and enfolds them in the story you are writing. Shirley Mihoko Hairston does just this. As I reached the last pages of The Silk Box my heart ached. I just did not want it to end. I wanted to know everything about Mi-Chan and Sonny’s lives after the book had closed and I hope that the author will write a follow up book so I can immerse myself again in the lives of two amazing people and their family.

I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It both touched and inspired me and I would recommend it to anyone.

Article first published as Book Review of The Silk Box by Shirley Mihoko Hairston on Blogcritics.

Book Review of Your Daily Walk with the Great Minds: Wisdom and Enlightenment of the Past and Present. (3rd edition).

A little while ago I wrote a review of Now:Embracing the Present Moment by Richard Singer. I was thrilled when the author himself contacted me to ask me if I would write a review of the third edition of his book Your Daily Walk with the Great Minds:Wisdom and Enlightenment of the Past and Present.

Now I am in a dilemma because I believe that honesty is paramount and I want to write an honest review of the book. When I read Now:Embracing the Present Moment it touched a part of me very deeply. I absolutely loved it. I have to say though that Your Daily Walk with the Great Minds:Wisdom and Enlightenment of the Past and Present is not for me.

Both books embrace the same ethos - that of seizing the moment, but where the first is a book that one can dip into, the second, to me, is more a recipe for daily life. It seems to be designed to be read every day and to be used as a tool for self improvement, self enrichment.

Each day of the year is provided for with a book of the month to read and a daily meditation on which to ponder. The reader is guided through each day with gentle suggestions that lead towards positivity and an emphasis on living in the 'Now'. Personal journalling is encouraged and the book is not a short term quick and easy read. This is a book aimed at people who are prepared to put in a lot of care, thought and effort.

Some of the monthly book suggestions are books that I have found inspiring - for example Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven.The sentiments of the book are genuine, heartfelt and will definitely inspire people. Unfortunately, however, I just don't think its for me. 

Maybe its because I am a bit of a cynic or maybe its because I don't feel I need that much improvement (that does sound a bit arrogant doesn't it??) but the book left me cold. Where Now:Embracing the Present Moment inspired me Your Daily Walk irritated me with its use of language. Perhaps its my down to earth Englishness but sentences like 'Today I will remember that I have a vital purpose in this universe and that it is my responsibility to fulfil this obligation.' are not my cup of tea.

Now, having said all this don't let me put you off. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you might not find Your Daily Walk fantastic. This book is in its third edition and Richard A Singer is well regarded, but I am not going to lie and say that I loved it because I didn't. 

Book Review of NOW Embracing the Present Moment by Richard A Singer.

In 2007 I began to train for the London Marathon. I am not a natural athlete so the training was hard. As I started to run longer and longer distances I found myself breaking them up into manageable chunks in my mind and I focussed on NOW. All I allowed myself to think about was the NOW – if I am feeling ok right NOW then I am doing alright.

If only I had read Richard A Singer’s little book at that time it would have confirmed in my mind that this was not only a way of training well for a marathon, it was a way in which to live my whole life well.

The book is split into two sections. The first is a group of 99 quotations from various writers and philosophers, intended to be dipped into daily. Singer adds a post script to each quote to explain how to adapt its message to your life. The second section is a collection of essays, each focussed, again, on how to live one’s life in the moment.

As Paul Coelho is quoted as saying, “No matter how long you wait, it will never be tomorrow. The only time to be happy, peaceful or joyous is Now; this present moment is all that will ever be.”

The philosophy of the book is so simple and yet stunningly meaningful. The only thing we really have control over in life is ourselves. If we live every moment as if it were our last, give our full attention to the people and things around us then will we be truly happy.

Thinking, living in the moment seems to slow everything down. I have been trying to live my life this way since Singer’s book arrived on my doormat and I have to say that I have experienced some beautiful moments. Stopping in the hubbub of the day to sit in the sunshine and listen to a little girl read, really listening to my son as he talks about his worries, breathing in the fragrance of the buddleia tree in my garden …

Richard A Singer’s NOW Embracing the Present Moment is a book of simple thoughts that touch deeply. It is easy to read, enjoyable to read and it is a precious addition to my library.

Article first published as Book Review: NOW: Embracing the Present Moment by Richard A. Singer on Blogcritics. 

Take That at Wembley - review.

This Friday just gone I put on my comfy boots, bought myself an over the shoulder bag and headed off to Wembley to see Take That. I went with 10 other women, all of us as excited as teenagers. We got there early, early enough to get great seats level with the stage and settled down in the sunshine to munch on expensive but revolting cheeseburgers and chips.

The Pet Shop Boys came on first at 7.15pm. I was never a great fan of them but they were good - you forget how many hits they actually had. Then, at 8.30, there was a countdown to The Show beginning. Over 75,000 people, mostly middle aged women, counted down to the beginning and then Take That hit the stage with Rule the World. I can honestly say that I have never experienced anything like it. 75,000 people screaming, cheering, singing ... unbelievable!!

The 4 came on first and did a set and then Robbie Williams came on to do a set a set of his own. He was brilliant in a self indulgent kind of a way. It must be very difficult not to develop a God complex when you have 75,000 people, night after night, screaming in adoration at you. I did find myself after a little while though thinking "ok - enough now - I have actually come to see Take That, not just Robbie". Still, when he sang Angels and asked us all to think of people we have lost, I found myself with tears streaming down my cheeks ...

Then the rest of the band came on and the longest set was all 5 of them.You forget how many great songs Take That have written. I did have a discussion with a musical friend on the relative merits of Take That compared to 'real musicians'. I had to say that I would imagine most 'real musicians'
would give their right arm to sell out 8 nights at Wembley stadium as well as all the other sold out stadia around the country. And how anyone can not recognise Gary Barlow as an absolute musical genius is beyond me. To fill over 2 hours with hit after hit, album after album, to which every person in Wembley could sing along to is no mean feat. There is a place for all sorts of musicians in the world and just because you like Take That doesn't mean you're a sentimental old fool!

There were times during the concert where it felt like we were all old friends getting together again after time apart. It was comfortable, funny and at the same time bloody spectacular. I have been to a lot of gigs over the years and I reckon, to be honest, that Pink Floyd at the old Wembley 20 odd years ago is the best one I have ever seen - made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. But on Friday night I found myself thinking at times that these were some of the most wonderful moments of my life. I was swept along by incredible music, fantastic showmanship and a sense of emotional belonging.

Heading back to the tube to wend our way home we commented on how this must be the easiest police operation ever to see all of us middle aged, middle class ladies back home!! No fights, no drunken behaviour, just a heady feeling that all was right with the world. It may not be as cool to be a Take That fan as to head off to Glastonbury with your wellies and a tent, but I think there is room enough in the world for us all... don't you?

Book Review of Go the F*ck to Sleep ...

A little while ago I received an email inviting me to write reviews for the Blogcritics site. I was really pleased to be asked and have written a couple of reviews so far. The following review appeared on Blogcritics today. I have to say that I really loved this book - it actually made me laugh out loud!

Article first published as Book Review: Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach on Blogcritics.

A Review of Go the F*ck to Sleep, by Adam Mansbach

As a mother of two boys now aged 11 and 13 I can only wish that this book had been written when I was struggling through sleepless nights and ghastly bedtimes with my little dears! I think that any parent with young children will recognise the tone of voice in which this book is written – recognising the frantic desperation and ever present guilt suffered by parents. I would have loved, as I cried myself to sleep, to have known that I was not alone in being “fed up”, to say the least, with being a mum!

I laughed out loud at the beautifully written lines which would give a Gruffalo a run for his money! The juxtaposition of gorgeous illustrations, courtesy of Ricardo Cortes, and the poetry that mimics many a children’s story book taps into the rebellious side of any parent. Each stanza ends with a desperate, but wickedly funny line that had me giggling with guilty understanding.

At a glance Go the F*ck to Sleep with its bright paintings of babies, kittens, moonlight and mountains  would slip into any nursery bookcase, but maybe this would not be a wise idea. It’s more a guilty pleasure – to be savoured away from young eyes.

I think that this book should definitely take its place as a compulsory gift, given about three weeks after becoming first time parents. It’s about this time you realise that having a baby is not a laugh a minute and the guilt over the thought that maybe having a baby wasn’t such a great idea after all, is just kicking in. Haggard and exhausted parents the world over would benefit from a read of this, accompanied by a glass of wine or a large bar of chocolate. Possibly both.

Adam Mansbach has taken a bold step in writing a book that totally understands an unspoken part of parenthood. I don’t imagine there are too many parents who can honestly say they don’t identify with Mansbach’s take on the art of being a mum or dad and haven’t spent time trying desperately to get a child to sleep. Part of me cringes at the use of the “F” word like this, but somehow it works. It’s funny – very funny. Placing an expletive in the title of what appears to be a children’s book is a real taboo, but obviously, this is not a children’s book and when you are drowning in a never ending stream of nursery rhymes in the sugary sweet realm of early parenthood Go the F*ck to Sleep is a refreshing shot of reality.