Michael Rowan is for once lost for words following his recent visit to the breath-taking: ‘Deep Time- Uncovering our Hidden Past’, the inaugural exhibition of artist Angela Palmer.

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It is difficult, almost impossible, not to be overawed by some of the works in this exhibition. Sculptures featuring stone and wood that were on this earth, some from three billion years ago, others much younger at a mere one or two billion years.

The work is tactile, inviting to the touch, demanding to be stroked and caressed, but where that takes you is up to you, but take you it will.

For me the echoes of time were embodied in the stone and wood, and the artist invites you to touch each piece, at first tentatively and then more surely.

Deep Time reveals the extraordinary, but little known three-billion-year history of our nation, told through the rocks that lie unnoticed beneath our feet.

The rocks exhibited in Deep Time are the oldest materials on earth which we are ever likely to encounter.

 

 

One of the exhibition highlights is Tower of Time, a 2.5m high sculpture featuring 16 rocks from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and one which includes a 2.5-billion-year-old White Anorthosite rock which is the same type of rock found on the Moon and brought back by the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. On top of this tower the artist has placed a highly polished stainless-steel element symbolising the Industrial Revolution which also reflects the image of the viewer, head tilted back, to him or herself.

 

The standout piece for me, and one that kept drawing me back on several occasions was Torus of Time (Torus – a surface or solid formed by rotating a closed curve, especially a circle, about a line which lies in the same plane but does not intersect it (like a ring doughnut)). In other words, it is possible to slide one’s hand over the entire piece without ever having to leave the surface. This is a one metre diameter ring presenting the country’s 3 billion year history as a ‘circle of time’. Having all geological periods represented within one country is rare.

The hole at the centre of the piece draws the eye, and in my case at least, it was as if one could have dived through it and be transported to another time. Too much sun? Possibly. Too much science fiction? Again possibly, but this is a piece deserving of the highest praise, its surface smooth, and cool to the touch, a ring made up of various coloured pieces of polished stone, at once tactile and aesthetically pleasing.

Other pieces blend polished and rough untouched surfaces to great effect, there is so much to explore here that I suspect that one visit may not be enough, and my wife has already demanded that I accompany her, so that she can explore the exhibition for herself.

Elsewhere in the gallery, and no less breath-taking, are several sculptures made from teak. The teak was enroute from Yangon (then Rangoon) in July 1917 to Liverpool Dockyards when its cargo ship was torpedoed in the Irish Sea. Undisturbed for a century before it was raised and brought to the artist’s attention.

These works are very much a collaboration between Angela Palmer, marine wood boring insects and the sea. Such is the density of the teak the outer layer has scarcely been penetrated. The artist has polished the preserved wood in order to highlight its richly varied red hue, whilst leaving, untouched, nature’s carving to great effect.

This is an important exhibition and one well worth seeking out.

Deep Time: Uncovering Our Hidden Past

An exhibition of Sculpture by Angela Palmer

Wednesday 21st June – Saturday 16th September 2023  10.00am – 6.00pm

The Pangolin Gallery, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE BOOK REVIEWS: JUNE 2023

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Jessie Cahalin:

Summer of Secrets by Adrienne Vaughan

Take several leading ladies, a mermaid, Cinderella and a fairy godfather. Let the dreams take you to the magical coast of Ireland. Mysteries linked to the characters’ lives and the history of the place are cleverly interwoven. Like a skilled seamstress, Adrienne Vaughan has sewn the narrative together. Everything is held together by the wonderfully flamboyant Archie, a Hollywood screen legend. Before things change forever, Archie, wants to ensure, those he loves – especially Mia – are given the chance to fulfil their dreams. And to do this, secrets need to be told and their revelations resolved. I could not stop reading to discover if Archie was Mia’s father. Long after you have finished this novel, and the credits roll, you will be thinking about the magic of this story.

 

Morton S Gray:

The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan

Faith Hogan does it again! I have now read all of her published titles and enjoyed each one and The Guest House by the Sea is no exception.

I loved Esme with her vulnerabilities and wise words for all of her guests. I admired Cora, was rooting for Niamh and Rob, empathised with Phyllis and Kurt and was suspicious of Tanya and Paschal. I cared about them all and even worried about how much Marta was doing. Really think Joel Lawson needs his own story please!

Faith Hogan has a way of writing that flows and carries you along as you get closer to the many characters and care about them as their stories unfold. By the time the book is finished, you wonder how you will get by without regular updates on their progress through life. Real issues and problems tackled in a gentle way. Bravo!

 

Jessie Cahalin:

Second Chances by Miriam McGuirk

The sun began to shine as soon as I met Molly. The mystery of her life intrigued me, but her kindness touched me. It is wonderful how she engages in the community, while dealing with her own problems. I also loved Florence, Boudie and Colonel Bryce Beckwith. This delightful multi-generational narrative, and you do not want to leave the people. The author places each single word with care and there is a poetic quality to the style. It was a joy to escape to India and the places in Kent. This is a novel with a great big heart.

 

Jane Cable:

The Book-Lovers’ Retreat by Heidi Swain

This is Heidi Swain’s first standalone novel, and I hope it won’t be her last. She has such an easy, accomplished, style of writing you feel as though you are being told the story by a friend, which only adds to the charm of this escapist book.

Best friends Em and Rachel have been looking forward to a very special holiday in the Lake District for years, but when Tori drops out at the last minute their plans are in jeopardy until the owner of the property gives her some options from her waiting list and after an exchange of emails they’re happy to choose Alex. Except this Alex turns out to be a man.

In the best traditions of friends’ fiction they all have secrets and they all need to revaluate their lives. Inevitably there are ups, downs, and misunderstandings – as well as the occasional curve ball I did not see coming. A really enjoyed joining them on their journeys and had just the tiniest book hangover the morning after I finished it.

 

 

 

 

PUBLICATION DAY SPECIAL: THE GILDED CAGE BY LUISA A JONES

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The Gilded Cage emphatically introduces Luisa A Jones as a fresh and modern voice in historical fiction. It’s hard-hitting, pulling no punches in the way it deals with the domestic violence that is at the heart of this Edwardian story, and the author doesn’t hold back when it comes to the love scenes either.

When Rosamund’s circumstances force her into marriage with Sir Lucien Fitznorton she is too young and innocent to even imagine the horrors that await, sharing her life with this controlling man. At the beginning of the story she is broken, with no allies, but that slowly begins to change when she uses Sir Lucien’s absence to learn to drive. Society and the servants consider her a little mad, but to her it represents a freedom she could never have imagined and she begins to recover at least a little confidence.

Although the story is a little slow to start, later it rattles along, its depiction of life in an Edwardian country house meticulously drawn, and by the end I was quite breathless to know what would happen.

What lingers most in the memory about this book are the brutally realistic depictions of the violence Rosamund has to suffer, particularly contrasted with the tenderness in some of the scenes which follow as she discovers her sexuality for the first time. I asked Luisa why she had chosen to write the book this way.

I was aware when approaching publishers for this book that certain aspects would be too strong for some readers, but I felt it was essential to tell Rosamund’s story honestly, and not to shrink away from depicting the harrowing impact of abuse. It was important to me to have her ultimately finding her own agency, and for her to experience tenderness and pleasure, despite her earlier dreadful experiences.

Rosamund’s story was inspired by several people I know well who have been raped and/or otherwise abused. I was, and always will be, incensed by the idea of anyone deliberately subjecting another person to sexual, mental or physical harm. A disturbingly high proportion of women report that they have experienced at least one incident of sexual assault in their lifetime. Rape within marriage was only made illegal in Britain under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, and until at least the 1990s the law held that by marrying, a wife was effectively consenting to sex whenever her husband wanted it. Marital rape is still legal in many countries.

Alarmingly, a survey in 2018 by YouGov revealed that a third of British people believed non-consensual sex wasn’t rape if it didn’t involve violence, even though anyone with any understanding of psychology will tell you that freezing and flopping are common responses to threat, along with the perhaps more well-known responses of fight or flight. The same survey showed that a quarter of Britons believed non-consensual sex within marriage isn’t rape. I can’t read those statistics and not feel deeply angry.

I am aware that many will find aspects of Rosamund’s experience uncomfortable to read. If I upset any reader, I feel for them. Those scenes are included in the hope that her story will challenge people to rethink, and highlight that nobody should be used as another person’s sexual plaything. Everyone should have the right to decide who touches their body, whatever they wore when they went out for the evening, no matter whether they’ve flirted with the other person, and whether or not they once agreed to marry them.

Most of all, I hope I have honoured the real-life survivors I know and love, and that readers will not perceive Rosamund solely as a victim. I hope they will rejoice with her when she experiences kindness and feel uplifted at the end of the novel. For me, she is a victor.

WRITING CAREER CROSSROADS BY SUE MOORCROFT: PART 3

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Working with my new agent

In my last two pieces, I explained how I’d set myself the goal of getting a publisher who could get my books into supermarkets, which had led to me finding a new agent. Telling my old publishers that I was now agented effectively changed our relationship because they didn’t work with agents. They would continue to publish my backlist but, inevitably, after the book we were working on, they’d concentrate on their front list authors.

Credit: Silvia Rosado Photography

I wrote the first few chapters of what became The Christmas Promise. I roughed out a few other things I thought would happen – more of a vision than an outline. Juliet offered to represent me! I was over the proverbial moon. I could not sign that Agreement letter fast enough. All the years of writing and running workshops and then, shazam! I was the client of a big agency.

All I had to do was:

  • write the rest of the book
  • whilst continuing to write short stories and serials, and run workshops for income to add to my royalties from my novels

An important note here: relaunching my novel-writing career eventuated in a distinct dip in income for two years. To have a spouse with a steady income and supportive attitude helped a lot. I also got the opportunity to convert my writing guide, Love Writing, into an online course. Though it felt as if I was spinning my wheels, I took it because every penny was welcome.

The novel was written. I sent it to Juliet. The editing process began – and it was rigorous. I think I did three structural edits, influenced not just by Juliet’s suggestions but by comments from other people in the agency who read the book too. For anyone who thinks of being edited as someone interfering or instructing, I should point out that a process like this is something likely to happen to any book in any publishing house. I think of editing as other people helping me write the best book I can. I listen. I negotiate. I talk through ideas.

Takeaways from the edit:

  • this deep-dive process is not for wimps
  • it feels like a lot of structural work yet, in the end, the changes are nuanced
  • the book is a lot better
  • I probably didn’t know as much as I’d thought
  • my agent is on my side (This has become so important to me)

I began the next book, which became Just for the Holidays, sparked by a friend saying to me, ‘Let me tell you about my summer holiday from hell,’ and me replying, ‘Yes, please!’

Juliet sent the first book out to editors. We got a lot of interest, only one flat ‘no’ and some meetings to attend. As an aside, just to let you know how character-building the process was, some major interest led nowhere because the editor in question was going on maternity leave and guess who was coming from another publishing house to cover? The one person who’d given the flat ‘no’. But I wouldn’t want an editor who wasn’t wowed by my writing, so I took that on the chin.

The exciting day of meetings dawned, and I turned up in London to meet Juliet who was, of course, coming with me. The first was with Avon Books UK, HarperCollins. Just as it had at that first meeting with Juliet, everything clicked. The Avon team and I got on well, we shared similar visions. They gave me chocolate cake. By a stroke of good fortune, a slot for an author writing a winter book followed by a summer book had arisen on their list, just as my agent rocked up with a winter book and a summer book! The winter book was ready and the summer book not, so that played into there being a longer dip in income than might otherwise have been the case but still, once outside I said, ‘I think it’s going to be Avon.’ Juliet got down to terms with them for a two-book contract.

Goodness the CCA is motoring along at speed…

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With CCTV to be sorted, the Columbia Community Association were so grateful that Simon was on hand to help with mounting the CCTV cameras, which is a massive help for Red Shoes Bob

 

Simon

CCA’s dear old friend Brain Mason, Car styling, was there to make our signs. He never lets the CCA down. Probably that Brady Square blood flowing through the veins, thinks Marion.

Kam and his lovely wife Regina, CCA’s wonderful Polish friends, came to clean, seal not to mention buff the hard floor in our Cross Streets room. Corey was scheduled to do the flooring on our store rooms.

The CCA have a deadline for claiming the funding for solar panels, so as always it’s been all systems go. As usual the world over, it is outside influences that hold things up, but fingers crossed the CCA will be successful and meet the criteria. Clayton, is calling round to discuss the issue this week.

Bob erected a 10ft shed, and as always he just gets on with it. ‘Where on earth would the refurbishment be without Marion and Red Shoes?‘ wonders Frost Magazine. While Bob was beavering Marion was busy with new plants to re-pot. She is so delighted at how the little patio area is developing and in time it will be a peaceful place to relax. Thank you to Gloria Nesbitt, who popped in to the centre with a  watering can. It is amazing what you can acquire through social media, especially the “Washington Wombles” site, where everything is free. Believe it or not  lovely Edith called in with yet another watering can, which the CCA was desperate to get hold of.

The CCA needs to collect quotes for cementing the area behind the new gates. Their  thoughts were if it is not silly money, maybe they could get funding, but it is just knowing who to go to. They have decided on a policy of let us wait and see. As Marion says they have learned along the way: Rome was not built in a day.

Bingo ladies were back this week and everyone was so pleased to see them all and sincerely hope they enjoyed their holiday to the Isle of Wight. Along the lines of travel the exciting news is that on Sunday, the CCA is funding a coach trip to Whitby, so fish, and chips for lunch that day. Frost Magazine hopes they have the most wonderful time. May the weather hold, as we hear talk of thunder storms.


Aimee’s dancers are practicing their socks off for the Biggy next weekend in Blackpool – only the World Championships. Just look at splendid bendy Wendy making incredible shapes.

The drainage team from Sunderland City Council arrived to clean the drains. Then, hot on their heels Corey Barnes brought his tape measure and sample book, and now only the fire exit and cupboard floors are left to do, then the CCA will have replaced every inch of flooring in this centre. The buffet arrived on Friday for the coffee morning as marvellous as usual. What could be better than: good food, great company and, in Marion’s words,  ‘Lorra lorra laughs, especially when you know who does the bingo.’

Everyone at Columbia Community Association hopes you are all enjoying the glorious sunshine, long may it last, stay safe everyone.

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square

The Summer Solstice falls on the day when the sun is highest in the sky… by Alex Bannard Wellness and Wellbeing Editor

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The Summer Solstice falls on the day when the sun is highest in the sky. It’s the longest day & shortest night. The sun’s potency is said to be at highest & as such it a s time of powerful healing.

International Yoga Day also falls on this day this year. It has been celebrated for 10 years after the UN proclaimed 21st June as International Day. The theme for this year is harmony.

The number 108 is often associated with Summer Solstice. 108 is known as a sacred number & has been revered thousands of years in many spiritual traditions. It is considered to be the most auspicious of numbers.

In yoga the number 108 refers to spiritual completion; there are 108 mala beads for mantra recitation; sun salutations are often completed in 9 rounds of 12 poses or 108 in total; pranayama can be practiced no more than 108 rounds.

108 is said to represent oneness, wholeness, unity.

In nature, the Fibonacci sequence is related to the golden ration, representing 108 ways of representing the wholeness of existence. It governs the dimensions of everything from the Great Pyramid of Giza to the Nautilus seashell & is called nature’s code or nature’s universal rule.

108 is also significant within our solar system: the distance between the moon & earth is 108 x diameter of the moon, whilst the distance between the earth & the sun is 108 x the diameter of the sun.

In numerology 1 represents new beginnings & higher truth; 0 represents nothingness & completeness & amplifies the energies of the other 2 numbers; 8 represents eternity. Adding them all up gives us the number 9 which is regarded as being a highly spiritual number.

It’s said that there are 108 nadi’s converging at the heart chakra. In Ayurveda it’s believed there are 108 Marmas.

According to Buddhism there are 108 defilements., 108 earthly temptations, prayer beads have 108 mala beads. The Buddha has 108 names & 108 lamps devoted to him. Most Buddhist temples have 108 steps & 108 columns. Angkor Wat is a great example built around 108 huge stones.

Tibetians have 108 sacred books & believe there are 108 sins & 108 delusions of the mind. Tibetian legends are made of 108 Masters & 108 initiates.

In Astrology there are 12 zodiacs & 9 planets: 12 x 9 = 108.

The Sarsen Circle Stonehenge is 108 feet in diameter.

In both Buddhism & Hinduism it is believed that there are 108 different feelings: 36 associated with the past, 36 with the present & 36 with the future.

So, how are you celebrating the Summer Solstice?

I am offering a FREE Summer Solstice Yoga Practice on Wednesday 21st June at 6pm on Zoom & I invite you to join us. To sign up click here:

https://mailchi.mp/2eff5b848158/summer-solstice-free-practice

Alex is a yoga teacher, mindfulness coach & menopause mentor & you can find out more:    Website: alexbannard.com

For free resources check out:  Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

YouTube channel:

https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

Last Object Laundry Detergent Sheets – Ocean-Friendly And Space Friendly – by Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Is your kitchen sink cupboard chock-a-block with laundry products? Detergent, pre-detergent, stain remover, laundry deoderant, freshener, conditioner, laundry antiseptic, and so on and so on? Personally I have to wedge the cupboard door closed just to keep the throng of dirt-busters from spilling all over my kitchen floor.

At risk once again of sounding like an old fuddy duddy (no comments required, thank you), when I was young we just had one box of washing powder, which left plenty of space for pots and pans too. I don’t quite understand why our clothes now need an army of sanitisers, cleaners, anti-pong agents and conditioner following every wear? And what damage are all these chemicals doing to our oceans?

Rant over, I am delighted that Last Object have provided an excellent solution to protect our environment (and alleviate my sink cupboard explosion) with their fabulous Laundry Detergent Sheets.

Last Object’s founder, Isabel Aagaard, frustrated by all the single-use products in our lives, decided to design innovative solutions to wasteful habits which make a lasting positive impact. Based in Denmark but shipping internationally, their products are made to last and to have minimal environmental impact. They include clever reusable alternatives to make-up cotton swabs, reusable tissues and menstrual pads.

And then there are their laundry sheets which I love. Firstly 60 detergent sheets come in a box which is about the size of an 8oz box of chocolates. Not only does this take up almost no space at all in my cupboard, but it’s made of biodegradable cardboard. Did you know that every year, more than 700 million plastic jugs are dumped in landfills and oceans and it’s estimated that by 2050 the quantity of plastic in the ocean will surpass that of fish? So using Last Object Laundry Sheets makes an important contribution to reducing plastic waste.

The sheets dissolve rapidly and you can either put them under your washing in the drum or add them to the dispenser drawer. You can also hand-wash with them as they’re free from harmful chemicals such as phosphates, sulphates, parabens and more. You may wonder how such a tiny sheet without any chemical nasties can be effective? Well regular liquid washing detergents are up to 90% water, whereas the laundry sheets are much more concentrated. The sheets are vegan, hypoallergenic and lower your carbon footprint by 90%, so in every way they’re better for you, your skin and the environment. I road-tested the sheets and my washing came out beautifully clean and soft. I used just one sheet, but you can use up to three sheets if your washing is very dirty.

But where to buy these wonderful sheets? Well you can get them direct from Last Object website – either as a single purchase at £22 for a box of 60, or save 30% with a regular subscription. A list of other outlets are also available on the website.

So if you want a great product, more cupboard space and to make a real contribution to the environment check out these great Laundry Sheets from Last Object.

By Dr K Thompson, 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.

Quitting Smoking: 3 Ways to Cope with Withdrawal

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Although more people know about the harm of smoking, many people continue to smoke across the world. As estimated in the Journal of Smoking Cessation, around 40% of smokers in England make at least one quit attempt in any given year, with most being unaided. However, in many cases, smoking cessation fails– with some quit attempts lasting less than a day. This high failure rate is primarily due to the addictive nature of smoking, inducing withdrawal when a smoker stops their habits.

Quit smoking Very few smokers can quit without having the urge to smoke. Common withdrawal symptoms include cravings, irritability, appetite changes, constipation, and difficulty concentrating— all of which can negatively affect daily life and make smoking cessation more difficult. However, even if staying smoke-free is hard, it’s not impossible with the right tools and methods. Below are four ways to cope with withdrawal and quit cigarettes for good.

Nicotine replacement therapy


Overcoming your cravings is one of the biggest challenges of a quitting smoker, so there’s nothing wrong with using nicotine cessation products. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) uses products like nasal inhalers, nicotine patches, and nicotine pouches that contain lower dosages of nicotine than cigarettes, allowing you to ease cravings. Nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly popular around the world, with global tobacco companies British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International heavily investing in pouch brands. Online retailer Prilla showcases the different nicotine pouches from ZYN, VELO, On!, and Rogue, with each brand targeting a slightly different market that allows smokers to easily match their nicotine habit to specific pouches. For example, you can choose various flavours and strengths according to your preferences, from the popular cool mint to tobacco-flavoured options.

Another alternative is nicotine gum. NRT maker FertinPharma has a wide selection of products, including chewing gums and tablets. In 2020, the company produced nearly three billion NRT doses that have helped more than 3.2 million people reduce and quit smoking— showcasing the effectiveness of these smoking cessation products.

Seek counselling


Connecting with loved ones can be a great way to get through the struggles of tobacco cravings. But in some cases where a smoker is struggling, it may be more effective to have a counselling specialist. A study from BMC Primary Care compared the effectiveness of counselling between a general practitioner and an intensive counselling group programme. Final results showed that the latter was more effective in boosting quit rates by 5.8 %, especially when done in lieu of pharmacotherapy.

If you struggle with relapse, it’s best to seek counselling on behavioural therapy. Professionals can aid you with strategies to better control your environment and reduce the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. At the same time, they can also offer encouragement and guidance on challenging days, allowing you to better navigate tempting triggers and address them in healthy ways.

Pick up a new hobby


Many people habitually smoke to relax from the hustle and bustle of daily life. But when quitting, withdrawal can easily ruin the mood. It’s necessary to cope with these negative feelings to avoid going into relapse, so it’s important to invest time into new things that replace cigarette use.

One way to replace this bad habit is to take up a healthier and more productive one. Be careful to avoid idle activities that you used to associate with smoking, such as watching television or drinking. Instead, it’s best to take your mind off cravings by being active, such as gardening, solving puzzles, or engaging in exercise. These activities can also help you ease any stress, lessening the temptation to smoke.

All smokers who stop smoking will inevitably face withdrawal symptoms. But by taking the right and healthy methods to overcome these tobacco cravings, smokers are more likely to successfully quit for good. For more lifestyle advice, we have plenty more articles to read at Frost Magazine.

Article written by Corey Holland.