A Body at the Farmhouse by P.F. Ford

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The wedding day. The day the bride and groom get to pledge till death do us part. But before they even have a chance, the groom finds his bride hanging dead in the farmhouse.  Could it be murder?    As the list of suspects grows, Detective Norman and his team must work quickly to uncover the culprit before more wedding guests meet a grisly end . . .

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*This special launch price is available for a limited time only. Please check this price offer is live and available in your location before purchasing.

Death in the Dunes by Pauline Rowson   £0.99/$0.99

DISCOVER A BRAND-NEW CAPTIVATING WWII MYSTERY.   1951, Dungeness, Kent.  A woman is discovered by a local fisherman — strangled and left dead in the dunes.   The fisherman soon becomes the prime suspect. But when he disappears and Ryga digs deeper — he uncovers clues that point to spies at work . . .

All on a Summer’s Day by Judy Gardiner   £0.99/$0.99 An excellent WW11 saga

Liverpool, 1930s. Miranda Whittaker makes a dear friend in Natalie Ellenberg, the daughter of a Jewish family. For a time, life is good.   But on the eve of World War Two a tragedy threatens to change their lives forever . . .

A Fete Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith  £0.99/£0.99

Lovely-Jubbly 1920s COZY MURDER MYSTERY.

Discover a charming historical whodunnit that conjures all the intrigue and glamour of the roaring ’20s.  Filled with fabulous flappers, magnetic aristocrats and enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the final page. So enjoyable.

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Talk to Me By Jules Wake   £0.99/$0.99

A FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS ROMANCE, which resonates: Olivia Middleton has been in love with her best friend Daniel Caldwell for as long as she can remember. It’s just never been the right time.  So Olivia reluctantly tries her hand at speed dating. But it doesn’t quite go to plan . . . Will Daniel finally come to her rescue and his senses?

NEW FROM LUME

The complete DCI Fyfe Mysteries by William Paul  £0.99/$0.99

Such great value: FIVE SCOTTISH CRIME MYSTERIES SET IN EDINBURGH.

On the grey, rainy streets of Edinburgh, DCI Fyfe has seen it all. But in these gripping crime mysteries he continues to bring evil-doers to justice.   ‘Will grab the reader’s attention and hold it to the finish.’ Kirkus Review

NEWS

Introducing: Joffe Books Merch. Heavens, another new project from Joffe Books, who are pleased to announce the opening of the Joffe Books Store.  ‘We are currently trialling some new merchandise from the whole Joffe Books family. Check out what we have so far and let us know what you’d love to see.’

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE JOFFE BOOKS STORE

You will find more information about everything: HERE

Marion and Bob went shopping at the weekend for garden trellis etc. which they have found perfectly camouflaged the graffiti on the walls – problem solved.  Though it was not for want of trying, as the council lads tried very hard to remove it but it had been there for so long it just didn’t want to budge.

As always, Monday at the Columbia Community Association centre hit the ground running – well, perhaps a poor choice of words as the first meeting was with Helen to discuss arranging some armchair yoga. Helen delivers “Gentle Years Yoga” for those people who have difficulty with floor exercise. ‘That describes me,’ Marion says, because once she gets down – there she must stay.

More plants were re-potted and a new hanging basket erected, it is looking so nice, which is calming, thank heavens, since Marion’s laptop has had a prolonged hissy fit and , as I write,  on its way to Laptop Hospital. Doctor  IT  reckons the dear old thing needs a good overhaul (the laptop, not Marion – heaven forbid – though they both suffer from the same malady, Frost Magazine feels )  as they are both  trying to solve too many things at the same time, which is at the bottom of it,  Doctor IT suspects.  Marion is inconsolable, as she misses her like crazy.

Fortunately Marion’s grandson bestowed another laptop on her before he went off to Texas, but she confesses, ‘It’s not easy getting used to new fangled stuff.’

Wednesday brought a lot of forms to sign, etc.  in relation to the lease alongside the usual classes. Andrew from MBC delivered two boxes of pottery the children made earlier, which they have one week to collect as Marion and Bob need the centre spic and span for the grand opening on the 28th of the month

Belle dropped in with another bag of hats knitted by the ladies from Plain n Purl, Sister Mary will be delighted. Andy has agreed to collect them Thursday afternoon. Marion has written a note ‘to self’ to remember to ask Sister to take a photograph of her beloved Seafarers wearing these beautiful knitted hats. Margaret and her team make notes to self. Lots of them. Some work, some don’t.

Marion was so pleased  to see Simon from SCC who popped in to take photographs of a few snagging issues, then they had the most enjoyable visit from Margaret (editor of Frost Magazine) and Dick who came bearing gifts. ‘They are so kind to us.’ Marion says. ‘We do wish they lived closer, as our chin wags are precious.’

Margaret feels the same, though Thirsk is only a quick whizz up the A1.

Marion is now on a mission to find a local maker of balloon arches for our grand opening, any assistance would be gratefully accepted. Pauline has offered to source the Prosecco 25% off at Sainsbury’s. Mind you that’s when you buy 6 bottles. So a quick calculation was carried out, and it was decided that quite a number of bottles will be required. ‘How can we not, as one  must raise a glass on such a day of celebration of community.‘  Well quite.

Bingo day took place as usual, and so too, the eating of home made cake, made by the lovely Linda. As Marion has said in the past, ‘It would be so very rude to refuse.‘

Now to the Sponsored walk: Aimee Greens dancers will be doing a 5k walk on the afternoon of the 22 July, walking from Seaburn to South Shields. These wonderful little troopers have no funding and need to generate funds for expenses for the dancers upcoming dance festivals. Anyone can donate through the CCA centre, and do remember, every donation helps.

Food has been ordered for the Friday coffee morning and a sneaky mouth watering cheesecake. The  hamper has also been prepared, and looks great when you think it’s a £1 stake. ( Marion does ask that the winner returns the basket for next time).

Final words from our Marion:

‘Thunder storms due for the week end but hey ho we here in good old Brady Square have learned to dance in the rain. If you can do this my friends, you can withstand any storm.’

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

It can be no coincidence that 7^th July has been designated World Chocolate Day, and as Chocolate and Coffee have a complimentary relationship, these chocolate flight and coffee pairings take the coffee drinking experience to a whole new level.

It is rare for me to get this excited, simply by opening a box, but that was exactly my reaction the minute I removed the lid of the Ultimate Coffee Selection from the Artisan Coffee Tasting Experience.

Beautifully laid out, this is without doubt the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life or, in case my wife isn’t reading this, the perfect way to treat yourself. At £34.99 this will be a birthday or Christmas gift for a number of my coffee drinking friends this year.

Beautifully presented, the large box contains six different blends of coffee as ground coffee, coffee bags and coffee pods, which you may think is more than enough for a gift but then Artisan Coffee go one step further and pair each coffee blend with the very best chocolate pairing.

However, if you know which is your favourite, then you can buy smaller amounts of your blend of choice.

Coffee expert and Co-Founder of Artisan Coffee Co., Ashley Palmer Watts has carefully curated chocolate flights that are tailored to match each of Artisan Coffee Co.’s signature coffee characters and amplify the coffee in your cup.

With each coffee character you purchase, Artisan Coffee Co. includes the paired Chocolate Flight to match, they are also available to purchase individually.

However, it doesn’t matter how good the presentation, the taste of the coffee is what is important, and the Artisan Coffee Company does not disappoint.

This tasting experience allows you to carry out a personalised tasting with other people, but I am afraid that I am too grumpy in the morning to share coffee, and this was far too delicious to do so anyway.

My personal favourite was ‘Big Shot’ (yes you can make up your own jokes, as indeed my wife already has). Big Shot is rich and smooth with dark chocolate and vanilla taste. The notes made mention of gooey fudge brownie which I couldn’t detect but perhaps my palate is not as refined as I like to believe. The rich dark chocolate was a perfect accompaniment to the ‘Big Shot.’

The Enigma also lived up to the billing with a rather (at least to me) unusual (in a good way,) flavour, which was at once jammy with a rich chocolatey base. I loved this one almost as much as the ‘Big Shot’ and I thought, maybe a hint of liquorice, which illustrates why it is named The Enigma.

‘The Genius,’ was another sure fire hit, nutty with chocolatey undertones and delicious notes of pecans and raisins. Delicious

The three mentioned were my standout winners but I would happily drink any of the others again (and again and again.) and I suspect that were I to taste them again my top three could change.

If you like coffee and have a particular favourite brand, then I would suggest that these are a must try. There is even a decaffeinated coffee reassuringly called the Dreamer which I have yet to try because I need this other coffee to leave my system to give it fighting chance.

If you are reading this and thinking to yourself, surely, he can sip the coffee and then spit it out, before trying the next, let me just say that once I had tasted this coffee there was no way that I wasn’t finishing the cup, even If I didn’t sleep for days and I strongly suspect that this will be the same for you because it is so delicious.

https://www.artisancoffeeco.com/

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