Tag Archives: liverpool

SUNDAY SCENE: DANIELLE OWEN-JONES ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM STONE BROKE HEIRESS

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It was as I walked along the tree-lined Princes Boulevard, a leafy avenue in the heart of Toxteth, while the warm sunshine dappled the emerald leaves, that I admitted defeat – I was seeing the area with new, sober eyes and I was ashamed of how fast I was to judge it at first.

The boulevard was a hive of activity on such a beautiful day. Cyclists pulled over from the designated cycle lanes and gulped from fluorescent sports bottles. Visitors stopped to marvel at the art installations and read the plaques that revealed the history of the area. I stood alongside the groups and pored over the amazing heritage. Each plaque explored a different topic – the religious buildings reflecting its multi-faith community, its once thriving nightlife, the history of activism and the legacy of Liverpool’s role as a major port city.

Through my ignorance, all I’d associated Toxteth with was the riots, but here it was, resplendent in its regeneration and the proud community basking in its glory.

An installation at one end of the boulevard – just before the inviting, gold adorned gates of leafy Princes Park – was especially eye-catching, with striking golden text and gilded patterns inscribed in the stone stating: ‘Our Home, Our Life, Our Future’. Would it be my home, my life and my future too?

The freshly laid, pastel grey pavement was decorated with the occasional mosaic showcasing inspirational quotes. I stood above the one featuring words once spoken by Nelson Mandela: ‘The greatest glory in living is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’

I had my answer; Toxteth had given it to me. I turned and headed back to my flat – back home.

My debut novel, Stone Broke Heiress, was originally set in London. It was my agent’s brilliant idea during pre-submission edits to change the location to Liverpool, Toxteth specifically. It sounds like a total cliché, but that really was a lightbulb moment. The new, Northern setting that I knew so well transformed the book in every way. From a pitch perspective, it gave the book an interesting angle for publishers when Clare took it out on sub (it was picked up by Bookouture in a two-book deal). But the setting also affected every aspect of the book and the more I wrote about the city I loved, the more the ideas flowed and the story grew stronger.

There was something else important to consider too. Unfortunately, the first thought that springs to a lot of minds when people hear ‘Toxteth’ is the 1981 riots. When I was researching the area for my book, I knew I had to include a reference to the riots forty years ago, together with the challenging years the area experienced afterwards. However, Toxteth has undergone an exciting period of transformation over recent years and I made a conscious effort to highlight the positive changes when writing those scenes.

A significant development in the area is the £4million, newly renovated Princes Boulevard – a leafy, tree-lined avenue that runs through the centre of Toxteth. The history of the area, both good and bad, is told through installations and information plaques dotted along the stunning boulevard. This example of regeneration is a vital part of Toxteth – combining both its history and its future. That’s why I chose the boulevard as the backdrop to a key scene in my book, when the protagonist, Bella, sees the area through new eyes and regrets how fast she was to judge it based on first impressions.

 

www.danielleowenjones.com

 

 

An Orphan’s Christmas by Katie Flynn

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An_Orphan's_ Christmas_ Katie_Flynn

 

Katie Flynn’s latest novel will no doubt be eagerly awaited by her many fans.  Molly Penelope Hardwick is abandoned and living in Haisborough Orphanage in Liverpool. She befriends another orphan, Lenny Smith and together they sneak out to roam the streets of Liverpool.  Flynn gives the reader a gentle insight into life in the orphanage, the rules and regulations, the deprivation and hardship that is met with stoicism and humour. Even though the sun was blazing away outside I was soon swept into the chill winter of 1936.

Molly is feisty and curious and before long runs into trouble. When she is forced to leave the orphanage Lenny has no idea of where she has gone. When war is declared Lenny signs up with the RAF and soon forgets about his childhood pal, turning his focus to fighting the war from the skies.

Molly is desperate to join the war effort and with her sights set on joining the WAAF chances are they will see each other again.

Katie Flynn is the UK’s biggest selling saga author, with every novel a top ten best seller. This is likely to do exactly the same.  It’s a warm, feel-good novel, a story that races along leaving you wondering whether the two friends will meet and if they do, will love be in the air? A relaxing, easy read, with lots of twists and turns, lively characters and enough detail to give a flavour of wartime without slowing the story down. A welcome in many a Christmas stocking for sure.

Published by Century on August 25th

Hardback £20.00

Also available in ebook

www.katieflynn.com

Carluccio’s Metquarter Liverpool Restaurant Review By Dawn L Foster

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Carluccio’s is one of the more up market Italian Restaurants in Liverpool City Centre and it shows. I went for a meal with a friend on Friday evening. As well as having the restaurant they also have a shop.
I am a wheelchair user and found the entrance door a bit heavy to open so it was good I had my friend with me.
Restaurant Review - Carluccio's Metquarter Liverpool
The staff were very attentive and gave us both time to decide what we wanted to eat.  My friend needs to eat Gluten free food and was very pleasantly surprised to see that the restaurant have a full menu of Gluten free food.
For our starters my friend had Ham with Mozzarella and I had Calamari which was very close to being the nicest Calamari I’ve ever eaten.  For our main meal Hayley had Rib Eye Steak and a side of Potatoes Gratin, my main meal was Chicken & Lemon Risotto which again was lovely and I really enjoyed it, my side was Garlic Bread. For our sweets Hayley ate Chocolate Pudding and I had Ice Cream with a Carluccio’s wafer, the wafer actually had the name of the restaurant on which I thought was a great touch.

For drinks Hayley had Peach Juice and I had a glass of wine.

 

We both had a great night and would definitely recommend Carluccio’s to anyone.

 

 

By Dawn L Foster

 

Jah Wobble Presents Jasmine Flower Fusion

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Event Date: Saturday 12th July 2014

Venue: Pagoda Arts Centre, Henry Street, Liverpool, L1 5BU

 

Presented by global music collaborationist extraordinaire Jah Wobble, the Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra and Liverpool Signing Choir come together in a fusion of Chinese folk, dub, grime and reggae.

Jasmine Flower Fusion

Six years ago, Jah Wobble’s Chinese Dub enthralled audiences all over the UK with its hugely successful fusion of Eastern and Western music and dance.  Inspired by this unique project, the Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra worked with Jah Wobble to create Jasmine Flower Fusion, an unprecedented mix of Chinese folk song and grime.  Little did Jah Wobble realise that this acorn project would continue to grow and thrive, and five years on, he returns to witness the progress of the youth orchestra, leading the evening performance with award winning songs from Chinese Dub, Jasmine Flower and something new to the young people – Reggae!

 

The International Festival For Business, hosted in Liverpool this year, is funding Jasmine Flower Fusion.  Liverpool’s Resonate Music Education Hub and Our Big Gig, a national celebration of music are also at the heart of the event as Jah Wobble and the Pagoda Youth Orchestra invite the public to join them in the creation of Chinese Music.  The workshop, to be held at the Pagoda Arts Centre, Liverpool runs on July 12th from 2-3pm where people are invited to learn how to make Chinese music on Western instruments and try some of the Chinese instruments for themselves.

 

The evening performance, also at the Pagoda Arts Centre, begins at 7.30pm.  Tickets for each event are £10, admittance to both events costs £15.

 

Commenting on the performance, Jah Wobble promises “a heady brew of East-West fusion as Chinese music gets the dub treatment”.

 

 

Artistic Director of the Pagoda Arts Centre Zi Lan Liao said “Everyone at Pagoda Arts is very excited about this project and looking forward to bringing the orchestra into a new musical phrase.”

 

 

Survey Reveals Men Are Healthier Than Women

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Men are healthier and happier than women in general according to a new survey. 

battle of the sexes

Health and Happiness, a nationwide study of 2,000 men and women found that men reported a higher rate of happiness when it came to their weight, shape, appearance, and the way they are perceived by others (55%). Women, on the other hand, were more self-conscious and slightly less satisfied with their happiness levels at around 49%. Women are also much more likely to try dieting (71%) compared to men (47%).

Men don’t feel stressed as often either. Almost 60% of male respondents said they only felt stressed once a month, whereas 60% of women said they felt anxious once a week or more.
Over 70% of men also claim they rarely felt depressed or had mood swings, compared to half of women (50%) who admitted to feeling low or unhappy at least once a month, if not more.

Male respondents reported that they were less likely to have trouble sleeping at night – 51% said restless sleep occurred around once a week or more, compared to 60% of women.
Headaches, bloating or poor digestion were less of a problem among men. Almost half (49%) said they rarely got headaches, compared to 64% women who said they experienced them at least once a month or more. For 70% of men, bloating and poor digestion would only occur once a month or less, but almost half (43%) of women said it was a weekly or daily problem.
Men also reported higher satisfaction levels when it came to their professional lives, from job security (51%) and salary (45%) through to career prospects (46%) and overall finances (50%).

 

Londoners rate themselves the healthiest
Londoners rate their city the health capital of the UK, with 59 per cent of people describing themselves as ‘healthy’, the highest proportion in the UK and above the national average of 54 per cent.   The average units of alcohol consumed per week was relatively low at 5.5 units, compared to Manchester, which saw the highest average of 6.7 units. 79 per cent are non-smokers, and only 12 per cent classed themselves as regular smokers.  Londoners are also keen exercisers, with half doing at least 20 minutes of exercise twice a week or more. They have a high sleep average of 6.7 hours per night and get their serving of five a day an average of 3.16 times per week, compared to the lowest average of only 2.6 times a week in Belfast.

 

Sleep leads to happiness in Sheffield
Sheffield has been revealed as being home to the happiest residents, probably because they are most likely to get the right amount of sleep. 40 per cent said they get a healthy average of seven hours sleep per night, compared to the national average of 34 per cent. Under half (48 per cent) said they were only likely to experience difficulty sleeping once a month or less.  That might be why one in ten said they never feel stressed or anxious. They were also happiest  in the country with their  family life (75 per cent), where they live (66 per cent), shape and weight (54 per cent), and appearance (55 per cent), compared to their respective national averages of 69 per cent, 62 per cent, 52 per cent and 52 per cent.

 

Feeling glum in Brum
Birmingham was revealed as the unhappiest and most stressed city in the UK. The city had the highest number of smokers and its residents suffered the most ailments in the country.  Brummies had the lowest average when asked to rate their happiness in terms of their relationships (56 per cent), family lives (63 per cent) overall health (55 per cent) and their appearance (50 per cent), below the respective national averages of 60 per cent, 69 per cent, 60 per cent and 52 per cent.

 

Over 30% are smokers and the city has the second lowest quitting rate.  When it came to stress and anxiety, 62 per cent said they experienced one or the other once a week or more. Jobs were cited as the biggest cause of stress (31 per cent) closely followed by money (29 per cent). Brummies also suffer the most ailments, with 48 per cent experiencing bloating and poor digestion, 44 per cent having headaches, and 47 per cent complaining of low moods once a week or more. Nearly half (44 per cent) reported difficulty sleeping most nights.

 

Unhealthy but loved up in Belfast
Almost half (46 per cent) of respondents from Belfast described themselves as ‘unhealthy’ when asked to rate their current health status – the highest percentage in the country.  Over half (53 per cent) complain of difficulty sleeping once a week or more and one in ten say they get daily headaches. More than one in four (27 per cent) experience low moods or depression once a week or more, and 37 per cent admitted that they would only do 20 minute workout sessions once a month or less. They were also the least likely to get their portions of five-a-day each week.

 

Although Belfast had the fourth highest number of smokers in the UK, it also had the best quitting rate, with a quarter of people saying they have given up smoking – the highest in the country. They also came top of the poll when questioned about how happy they were in their relationships and love life, with an average happiness score of 67 per cent. They also reported the most satisfying sex lives, with an average happiness rating of 55 per cent – above the national average of 51 per cent.

 

Cardiff is the capital of cardio
People living in Cardiff are the exercise pros of the UK with over half (54 per cent) doing at least 20 minutes of exercise twice a week or more, the highest percentage in the country. But despite high levels of exercise, Cardiff residents are the least content with their shape and weight, with an average happiness score of 49 per cent, just below the national average of 52 per cent.
When it came to money, however, the city was the happiest with their overall finances, with an average happiness rating of 52 per cent, compared to the national average of 49 per cent.

 

Sleep deprived Scots
Edinburgh is home to anation of sleep deprived residents with nearly 1 in 10 people only getting up to four hours sleep a night, a good two and half hours below the national average. When they do sleep, over 70 per cent said they have restless nights or difficulty sleeping. Feelings of stress and anxiety were a weekly occurrence among 47 per cent of respondents and money was cited as being the biggest cause of stress (39 per cent). The city also experienced a high proportion of daily ailments with one in five suffering from arthritis and joint problems every day – the most in the country.

 

Manchester drinks the most

Manchunians have admitted to being the biggest drinkers in the UK with the highest weekly average units of alcohol consumed. Residents admitted to drinking an average of 7 units of alcohol per week, compared to the national average of 5 units, and 15 per cent disclosed that they consume on average over 15 units per week.

Despite this, almost half (49 per cent) of residents described themselves as healthy when asked to rate their health status. Manchester was also revealed to be the second keenest city when it comes to exercise. Nearly one in four claim to do at least 20 minutes of exercise four times a week or more, closely behind the highest which was Cardiff at 26 per cent.

There is also a relatively low rate of smokers, with only 12 per cent of people regarding themselves as regular smokers.
Bristolians best at beating the bulge
Bristol is the city of successful dieters, with 42 per cent saying they have tried dieting and that it has worked for them. 17 per cent of respondents said they hadn’t tried to diet but would be willing to give it a go. They get their serving of five a day on average three times a week but happiness levels are below the national averages when it comes to their salary, career prospects, appearances, job security and overall finances.

 

Liverpool high anti-diet rate
Liverpool has the highest rate of anti-dieters with a quarter of residents saying they would be reluctant to try one – the highest in the country. Only 14% who had never tried one before said they would be open to the idea, still the lowest percentage in the country.  They are also one of the least likely cities to get regular exercise with 36 per cent reporting 20 minutes of exercise once a month or less.  76 per cent said they felt stressed once a month or more, the second highest in the country after Birmingham.

 

Leeds stressed and losing sleep
Over half of Leeds residents (54 per cent) experience stress once a week or more. Money was cited as the biggest cause of stress (34 per cent), followed by jobs (24 per cent) and then family (14 per cent). Leeds also experiences frequent levels of sleep difficulty, with 64 per cent saying they have trouble sleeping once a week or more.  Over one in ten admitted to only getting up to 5 hours of sleep a night.

 

HotelTonight, the app for last-minute hotel stays, launches new destinations

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hotelHotelTonight, the app for last-minute or spontaneous hotel stays,

launches new destinations in France, Italy, Spain and Mexico

 

HotelTonight, the first ever last-minute hotel booking app, has recently added more than fifteen new destinations to its roster of vibrant cities worldwide. This brings the total reach of the app to 12 countries and 100 destinations worldwide.

 

To tie in with the peak travel season in Europe, HotelTonight is adding popular European destinations, including Lille, Lyon, and Marseille in France; Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga/Costa del Sol in Spain and Florence, Rome and Milan in Italy. The last minute hotel booking app is also offering its over five million global users new destinations in Ireland, Mexico and for those who prefer holidaying closer to home, HotelTonight has added Brighton to its list of best UK hotel deals.

 

This recent international expansion is part of its pledge to be ubiquitous and accessible to all last minute travellers and follows last week’s global announcement of new features including “Snap Your Stay” which allows customers to photograph and share images of their hotel with friends and other HotelTonight users, and the “HT Price Guarantee,” which guarantees its rates against competitors’ offerings.

 

HotelTonight is now partnering with almost 2500 hotels across the globe in the  ‘hip’, ‘luxe’, ‘charming’ and ‘solid’ categories. Hotels include the stunning 5 Star The First Luxury Hotel in Rome, and the charming Palazzo Vecchietti in Florence, the Kempinski Hotel Bahia Estepona on the Costa del Sol and the hip Music Hotel in Marseille. These hotels and others across Europe are perfect for an impromptu weekend break. There are also many more hotels more on the mid to basic level which are perfectly suited to business travellers’ needs.

 

At the same time as adding these new destinations, the company has also expanded its European operations, relocating to a new, larger office in London’s Covent Garden and building out the team with new Country Managers for Italy and Spain.

 

The Hotel Tonight app offers unbeatable deals on hand-picked hotels, with bookings opening at midday and closing at 2AM. Last minute travellers can book a hotel in less than ten seconds with three taps and a swipe, starting that day for one night or more.

Visit www.hoteltonight.com for more information and to download the free app.

 

For staycations, in the UK, cities include Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

The 16th UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

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this year’s UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (November 1st-18th) which opens in London and Manchester on November 1st with the UK premiere of PARIS-MANHATTAN, the debut of French writer/director Sophie Lellouche. A delightful romantic comedy inspired by the philosophy and comedy of Woody Allen, PARIS-MANHATTAN stars Alice Taglioni and Patrick Bruel (left with Sophie Lellouche) and features a cameo by Woody Allen himself.

This year’s UK Jewish Film Festival rolls out simultaneously to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Glasgow for the first time since Executive Director JUDY IRONSIDE founded the festival in Brighton in 1997. More than 70 feature films, shorts, documentaries, and TV programmes will be shown at this year’s festival including the hotly tipped ZAYTOUN starring Stephen Dorff; the highly anticipated YOSSI, Eytan Fox’s follow-up to his Tribeca winner, Yossi & Jagger; HIS PEOPLE, a poignant, funny black and white silent film made in 1925 which will screen at the Barbican with a live score performed by SOPHIE SOLOMON; the riveting documentary GAINSBOURG ON GAINSBOURG: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT; the absorbing SIMON AND THE OAKS by award winning Swedish director Lisa Ohlin; SHARQIYA an absorbing story about the plight of a family of displaced Bedouins; ROMAN POLANKSI: A FILM MEMOIR; MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV the uplifting tale of a misplaced ballet pupil in the pre-Perestroika Bolshoi Ballet School; and many more.

Events include THE SHARPEST CUT in which David Baddiel, Norman Lebrecht and guests discuss the portrayal of Jews in TV and film; EMERGING FILMMAKERS day with workshops by the likes of Michael Kuhn and Tim Bevan; TEL AVIV ON FILM which celebrates the way the city has been captured on film; PEARS SHORT FILM EVENT which will screen the two winning films and lots of Q&A sessions with filmmakers throughout the festival.

BEAR CAVALRY AND CRUSHING BLOWS GIVE AWAY SPLIT TRACK TASTER PRIOR TO LIVERPOOL & LONDON SHOWS

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BEAR CAVALRY and CRUSHING BLOWS are giving away a split free download single as a taster for their free entry shows together on Sat 20th October at The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool and Tues 23rd October at The Old Blue Last, London.

 

Download, host and share the taster

 

CRUSHING BLOWS

RELEASE SELF TITLED EP Out 12 November  available as pay what you want here via Super Heavy Weight Records


John Robb, Louder Than War –  Kind of punky, kind of electro, a little bit thrash, a little bit pop. Crushing Blows may not be easy to describe but they are definitely worth your time to catch live.”

Artrocker – “Combining jaunty math rock with grungey 80s references and Battles-esque electro noise, they’ve managed to win over a host of radio fans, and it’s not surprising. This EP contains enough variation to keep the busiest of ears occupied.”

The noise pop band from Derbyshire have drawn comparisons to Battles, Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire and have been championed by Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens.

 

Said track, ‘The People Who You Will Never Meet’ was made ‘Track of the Week’ by Simon Raymonde (Bella Union) on his Amazing Radio show.


CB’s tour starts on Friday (19th) so they’ve decided to make their new EP available digitally on their bandcamp page –http://crushingblows.bandcamp.com. You can pay what you like for it. Pre orders of the CD still come with a free vinyl.

 

BEAR CAVARLY

NEW EP ‘Puryss’ on November 5th through Alcopop! Records

 

 

Rocksound – “Bear Cavalry’s music is an optimistic racket, merging math-rock rhythms with danceable sunshine pop.”

 

Musical Mathematics – “A bold statement of a band simultaneously having and eating their cake – a collection of sun-drenched hits in the making, filled to the brim with both angular guitar lines and unpredictable song structures.”

 

Previously championed by the likes of Rocksound who branded them ‘cheery summery math-rock akin to Foals and Tall Ships’,Edith Bowman and Steve Lamacq… Even Skrillex has got in on the act, loving their off-kilter cover of his hit ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ so much that he used it to in his live sets.

 

Meanwhile, Nick Grimshaw, Annie Mac, Kissy Sell Out, John Kennedy and Tom Robinson have all pledged their allegiance too – not bad for a band only a couple of years in the making.