Richard Charkin has always been forward thinking. I was lucky enough to witness this first hand at Heinemann which published many of my early novels. Lord they were so forebearing with a new author who was inundated with 4 children, and probably whiffed of fish fingers. Nonetheless, led by Charkin, they all, and my fabulous editor Sue Freestone, taught me all I know. He is also superb company but that goes without saying. Now, as CEO and Founder of Mensch Publishing he breaks exciting ground yet again, as he tells Frost Magazine that all titles will be produced and distributed using PoD technology and decentralised distribution, in partnership with Ingram Content Group.

in partnership with Ingram Content Group from 1st December. Charkin, who is also co-chair of the IPA’s climate committed programme ‘Publishing 2030 Accelerator’, described the decision as driven, most importantly, by the much lower environmental impact, as well as high quality production values and global, constant availability. After working closely with Bloomsbury over the last four years, the move marks an important next step as the business expands.

Richard Charkin, said: “In four years Mensch has grown with a roster of authors and books to be proud of and has developed a number of innovations in the speed and processes of the book industry. I couldn’t be happier with the unstinting and brilliant support from Bloomsbury worldwide without which we could never have achieved our and our authors’ goals. Now we are starting a new chapter in keepingwith the necessity to build a more environmentally sustainable business whilst growing sales. We have been working with IngramSpark in parallel with Bloomsbury and now is the time to take the plunge and
use Ingram’s global comprehensive distribution and production infrastructure for all our titles, past, and future. In addition we shall be using state-of-the-art automated advertising in conjunction with Shimmr enhancing discoverability and sales.”

David Taylor, Senior Vice President at Ingram, said: “We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Mensch and it’s exciting to be able to help them even further as they grow their publishing programme. Ingram’s growing global network of wholesale distribution points linked to state-of-the-art print-on-demand allows publishers to get books to their readers in ever more effective and innovative ways. Simultaneous global publishing in multiple markets and formats is a powerful tool for publishers to use – and they are increasingly doing so. Mensch are in the vanguard of this trend.”

Mensch has been responsible for numerous successes in recent years, including I Fear for this Boy, a memoir by renowned jewellery designer Theo Fennell, which was named 2022 Book of the Year by Spectator World and reviewed by William Boyd and Stephen Fry; Delia Smith’s You Matter, a call to action for self-awareness and confidence in the 21st century from Britain’s most-trusted food expert; and We Danced on Our Desks by former Sunday Times Magazine writer, Philip Norman, about his experiences at the publication during the height of its popularity in the 60s and 70s.The first book to be published under the partnership will be Good Scammer by Guy Kennaway ( today – 7thDecember), whose backlist with Mensch will be simultaneously released in paperback.

Described as one of the UK’s best new writers, Kennaway’s previous books include Bollinger Wodehouse Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction winner The Accidental Collector, his acclaimed memoir about assisted suicide, Time To Go, and his most recent memoir Foot Notes, co-authored with his relative Hussein Sharif. So on soars Mensch, going from strength to strength – why are we not surprised. Bravo Richard Charkin.

There are some marvellous plot twists and unexpected effects, but you will find no spoilers here”

“

Pantomime in Watford? Bring it on!!! … But hold on a cotton-picking minute… ‘Traditional’ this isn’t. It’s set in 1999 – and a new millennium happens at the stroke of midnight. Eek – additional peril!

Most of the expected jokes, characters and routines are present, but Teresa Burns’ script is allowed free imaginative rein and the vast majority of the songs are 1990s classics. Cinderella’s best friend isn’t Buttons – no, it’s her toy Furbey, brought to life by the Fairy Godmother Fanny G. Of course!!

[Fanny G and Cinderella with dancers]

Terence Frisch plays Fanny G and controls most of the action with a very steady pair of hands. Cinderella (neatly played by Soleil Quarless) is joined by an unusual BFF, the afore-mentioned Furbey brought to life by the excellent Mark Pearce – who doubles up as the King, too.

[Cinderella with her BFF Furbey]

The Prince is beautifully nerdy, brought to life by the brilliant Samuel Wolstenholme.

[The Prince]

Drizelda makes her presence known, as you would expect. Along with her daughters: Britney and Christina (Lucyelle Cliffe, Lucia Vinyard and Luke Farrugia respectively). There are some marvellous plot twists and unexpected effects, but you will find no spoilers here!! … oh, no you won’t!

[Britney, Drizelda and Christina]

Although it runs at 2 and a half hours – a tad too long! – the sets and costumes are glorious and extremely colourful. Cinderella hits the spot and the audience loved it. Many of the 1990s references may only make sense for the adults, but there is more than enough for the children to enjoy…

4 stars

Paul Vates.

Photography Greta Zabulyte

Writer Teresa Burns

Director James Williams

Choreographer Erina Lewis

Designer Cleo Pettitt

Musical Director Ellie Verkerk

Running Time 2½ hours (with an interval)

Dates until Sunday 31st December 2023

Check with the theatre for show times

Venue Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford WD1 7UZ

Tickets https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/events/cinderella/

£13 – £38.50 (£11 – £36.50 concessions)

Social Media @WatfordPalace

As Christmas swiftly approaches, you may find yourself scrambling to find fun and unique gifts for the cocktail fan in your life. I am never one to shy away from a cocktail and I have spent many years working behind a bar and I have to say that these items are purely genius.

First up are these quirky glasses that are a bottle opener , they are sturdy and slender , perfect for camping and travelling.

Le Corbusier’s Glasses Bottle Opener, £15 from Royal Academy – www.shop.royalacademy.co.uk

Next up is a game called corks, this is not a quiet game – it will lead to lots of laughter and fun. This can be enjoyed by all the family or amongst friends during a festive get together. The fun is infectious.

Corks Game, £21.99 from Ginger Fox www.gingerfox.co.uk

As soon as I heard of this one I thought to myself ‘why hasn’t this been done before ? It’s so simple , especially now that most straws are paper and fall apart quickly in your drink, which is not ideal when you’re drinking a long drink or cocktail and it needs the occasional stir. This is a reusable metal straw with a heart on the bottom which acts as stirrer, so you have a straw and stirrer in one, these would be a great addition to any home bar.

Heart Spoon Straw, £7 from Kikkerland – www.kikkerlandeu.com

If you are like me and prefer to measure your spirits when you’re drinking at home then this measure and stir spoon is for you, the top allows you to accurately measure your drinks in either ml or oz, which ever you prefer, then once you have added the mixer you can use the spoon to stir and enjoy.

Measure & Stir, £13 from Kikkerland www.kikkerlandeu.com

Into Thirsk we went, by bus of course. Yes, we could have walked but we had a day off and meant to enjoy ourselves. First we tumbled into The Golden Fleece, https://goldenfleecehotel.com/ famous for its coffee and three Maltesers. But hey, this is December, so the Maltesers are out, and in with mince pies. Yep, we’re in the Christmas month.

After sinking into our armchairs, to eat our first mince pies of December, it was time for a saunter. There in the Market Square, opposite The Golden Fleece, we saw that the Yarnbombers had decorated for Christmas.

After a bit more of a toddle, surely it must be lunchtime. So back to Carlton Miniott and The Old Red House for a pub lunch. Oh yes please, after all it was a very small mince pie with our coffee. But let’s keep with the pie theme, eh? Pie and Chips? Well you can’t get much more pubby than that. Was it good? I should say so, the wine too though Dick had beer. The Old Red House operates beneath the calm hand of Kirsty who is lovely, and it is really the station pub, as it’s just opposite the junction. It was there we had stood last week, to see a steam train come through. https://www.facebook.com/theoldredhousethirsk/

But heavens, our day was not done, indeed not. The dogs were to be walked, so off we trotted, and some time later returned, puff pant, and managed to pick up a packet of Grandma Wild’s Brandy Mince pies from Carlton Stores and Post Office. Well, it is the month of Christmas and the short pastry is sublime, and the filling pretty darned good.

How lucky we are to live in Carlton Miniott, Thirsk. We really really are.

The debate on filtering drinking water rumbles on. Just turning on a tap and drinking safe water is a privilege enjoyed by relatively few in this world. So should we go one step further and add filtration between tap and lips?

Well there are pros and cons. Tap water does contain various ‘added extras’ – chlorine, which can be unpalatable but is used to kill microorganisms, and fluoride to combat tooth decay. Tap water also contains varying amounts of minerals, depending on where you live. Some can be harmful and are kept within safe limits by the water companies, some are safe or even beneficial. A good example is calcium, which in hard-water areas can cause deposits (furring) in kettles, but it doesn’t harm us and in fact we need some calcium in our diet.

One unwelcome addition to both drinking water and also food is microplastics. These are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm long.  Microplastics definitely aren’t beneficial and could well be harmful as they can act as hormone disrupters, leading to cancer and infertility.

For me, the microplastics are the most persuasive argument for a water filter. However if you use filtered water regularly it’s probably wise to use fluorinated toothpaste to replace fluoride removed by the filter.

So are all water filters equal? In short, no. If you’re looking for the most effective system, ZeroWater® is hard to beat, removing 99.6% of detectable dissolved solids, whilst other leading brands only remove 50% or less. Importantly ZeroWater® guarantees to remove almost all microplastics. It’s so effective because it has a five-stage filter, as opposed to the more usual two-stage systems (see diagram below). Importantly ZeroWater® jugs are BPA-Free.

ZeroWater® has a great range of sizes and designs, but the 12 Cup, 2.8l Ready-Read Jug is particularly useful and very easy to assemble and feels solid and stable. I love the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter which fits neatly in the jug handle so you can check the water purity as you pour from the spigot, and the water really does taste good. Normally priced at £44.99, it’s currently on special offer at just £33.74. You can test your unfiltered water with the TDS meter to estimate how long your filter will last and ZeroWater® operate a filter replacement service by subscription.

If you’re keen on pure water do check out the ZeroWater® range.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning 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.

When on a commute to London, especially as Christmas approaches or, actually, at any other time, I tend to clutch my bag to me, treating everyone with suspicion. Sad to say I do that in any busy town now because I have had experience of pickpockets busy doing what they do. The cheek – it quite strained my sweet nature (ho hum) – when my bank card went missing. So, all together now: ‘Let’s not make it easy for them.’

This is surely what is behind the design of the UK based RiutBag Crush foldable backpack which offers the ultimate in security and anti theft protection. The innovative design means the zips are positioned against the body thus avoiding any risk of prying hands and the loss of treasured possessions… like my bank card. Yes, I know I’m going on, but really? Truly? Yes, really which is why the RiutBag Crush is so enormously useful, and what’s more, lightweight – I know, I’ve tried it – and it will have to be prized off me. Just the thing also, as a stylish Christmas gift.

RiutBag, pronounced ‘riot’ stands for Revolution in User Thinking and brings an entirely new concept to wearable technology and travel industries. RiutBags, invented by UK designer and commuter Sarah Giblin, first hit the headlines in 2015 for their simple and effective theft-proof “backwards” design with the zips cleverly hidden on the back panel so no one else can access the contents.

Even A-list magician and professional pickpocket entertainer, Matt Windsor has endorsed the bags stating, “Given there are no zips available to me, I wouldn’t even look at it as an option to pickpocket. By having a RiutBag, you make it clear to a pickpocket that you’re aware of what they do professionally and they just think, “I’ll pick someone else. I think they’re very difficult to steal from, if not impossible.”

This lightweight daypack weighs less than 300 grams and has 14 litres of space, so plenty of room for a day’s worth of belongings in a very light backpack. When it’s not in use, it folds down into a small pocket, weighing just 270 grams, which can be kept inside a main backpack, a car or put away neatly at home for when it’s next needed. Whether on a walk through a city, at a festival, in a crowd or market, enjoy moving with total peace of mind with the secure RiutBag Crush. The RiutBag Crush is available for £39.00 from the Riut website here Frost Magazine can’t recommend it highly enough.

Christmas is about one thing and one thing only, family. Everything else is a bonus. The lovely people at Cheatwell games seem to share the same sentiment as I do, they have lots of family friendly games available to ensure extra cheer and joy this festive season.

I was sent two very festive games and my family really enjoyed playing them, we laughed so hard we cried when my goofy nine year old son had a go at charades.

The first game we all played was 8 in 1 Christmas games. With a broad selection of quirky quizzes, cheeky challenges and classic family favourites there’s something for everyone.

What I found really appealing about this game was you could pick and mix what games you wanted to play and everything you would need is included in the box, perfect for when your visiting relatives and want to take something with you , you can just grab and go with these games. This game is £9.99 from www.zavvi.com

The second game was Christmas Express, this is a board game where the players journey through a winter wonderland as you race to be the first to get to the North Pole. The aim of the game is to be the first player to travel along the train track from the Home Station to the North Pole Station.

You’ll have to avoid the Hustle Bustle, the Reindeer Crossings, the Snow Storms and maybe the naughty elf, but keep an eye out for Santa’s sleigh as he could help you on your way. Again we all really enjoyed playing this and I like the fact that instead of using a dice to determine how many spaces you move you pick up a random card from the deck provided it is a unique twist.

Christmas Express is £18.29 from www.amazon.co.uk

More information: Cheatwell.com

The mobile phone did its thing. Margaret answered, to hear: ‘I think there is another author in the family, Anma. I have written an Acrostic poem, and it has been chosen for an anthology.’

‘Oh,’ said Anma. ‘Oh how simply grand, but what is an Acrostic poem?’

Well, such a pause was there, for Miss Delilah clearly could not believe that an author with 28 books to her credit, and heavens above – with a few bestsellers in the mix – did not know such a thing. Miss Delilah you see is 6 years of age, coming on 16, and let’s face it, it seems there is little she does not know, though a great deal of which Anma is ignorant.

Miss Delilah explained, ‘An Acrostic poem is one that creates a challenge. You have to select your words carefully to form a word from top to bottom. The words have to have a connection to the word you choose.’ She sniggered. ‘No, not that bottom, Anma.’ (How well she knows her Anma).

So, readers of Frost Magazine, I present the second author in our family, who will clearly very soon outshine her Anma, if Miss Delilah has anything to do with it, because 6 year olds are extraordinarily competitive and clever, Anma is coming to realise. Soon Miss Delilah will expect launch lunches, and pop to go with it. Anma however, wise in a very few ways, will have a large glass of wine.

I thank her wonderful little school for challenging and informing their pupils (if one may call them this anymore) enabling them to stretch themselves to understand the wonders that education can bring.