Kids loving building bricks. I think this is one of the truest sentences in life. So this big set of bricks from Strictly Briks went down well with the toddler. It is an 84 piece set with 4 different colours. They work with all large bricks so you can mix and match brands. This is a great starter set and really lets your childs imagination go wild. Recommended.
Strictly Briks 84 piece set available here.
Me and My Girl
Chichester Festival Theatre (until 25 August)
Tickets: 01243 781312; cft.org.uk
Credit: Johan Persson
Chichester Festival Theatre director Daniel Evans (also at the helm of the show) earned groans of disappointment in response to his on-stage announcement that Matt Lucas was under Doctor’s orders to rest his voice and would not be appearing. But all was not lost, he quickly reassured us. With just two hours’ rehearsal the understudy had gamely agreed to step into the role.
Ryan Pidgen can surely now step into any role he pleases. In a totally self-assured, flawless performance, had we not known that Lucas was the intended leading man then we would have been none the wiser. On note, in step and word perfect, not for a nanosecond were we even remotely short-changed.
Playing the South London cheeky chappie Bill Snibson who suddenly needs to ‘posh up’ in order to take up his birth right as the unlikely heir of Hareford, Pidgen was not merely competent. Giving Bill warmth, exuberance and sweetness, he bounced around the stage like an adorable scamp of a puppy and, as the kids say, performed like a boss.
The plot may be lightweight, but elsewhere performances are also rock-solid. Clive Rowe as Sir John twinkles in tweed, later revealing a shy and long-nurtured love for Caroline Quentin’s splendidly redoubtable Duchess. A feisty old matriarch with a good heart, by golly she can’t half hoof, too!
Alex Young as Bill’s ‘girl’ Sally is in sweetly soaring voice and balances cockney chirpiness with a touching vulnerability.
When it comes to musical numbers it is fair to say that the majority (give or take The Lambeth Walk and The Sun Has Got His Hat On) are not especially memorable, but the dazzling choreography (nice work, Alistair David) and superb singing (and you, Gareth Valentine, Doug Besterman and Mark Cumberland) make the very best of the raw material.
Lez Brotherston’s stunning set manages to be both traditional and fairy tale – Downton meets Hogwarts, interspersed with the London skyline and beautifully lit by Tim Mitchell.
The night, however, belonged to the heroic Mr Pidgen. As an understudy who endured several ‘thrust-into-the-limelight’ moments (albeit without anything like such professionalism and sheer talent) I absolutely salute you, sir.
The perfect shot-in-the-arm antidote to all things Brexit and Trump, Me and My Girl teems with Pearly kings and queens and exudes triple espresso energy. An unashamedly frothy and feel-good extravaganza, cor blimey you’ll miss out if you don’t nab a Wilson Pickett!
Frost loves The Hape Discovery Box. It keeps little ones entertained for hours. Colourful and well made, it lets little ones play and learn at the same time. It packs a lot in considering what little space it takes up. Brilliant.
Worth £32.49 from Amazon. Suitable for 24 Months + Five sides of activities keep little hands in constant motion including wire bead maze, abacus, mirror, color wheel and spinning face, a wonderful learning and play station.
The amazing city of London, which we’re lucky enough to live in, is known for its celebration of cultures and Cubana celebrates culture like no other.
Just a stone’s throw from Waterloo station, Cubana is pretty tricky to miss when you pass it on the street due to its wall murals, brightly coloured outdoor seating area, authentic Cuban music blasting from its speakers and the traditional food stand out front (which you can purchase at insanely low prices). As soon as you head inside, you feel like you’ve been transported from London to Cuba, with Mother Mary statues and bold bright colours covering every single surface.
The highlight of Cubana, aside from its décor, has to be the food. Cubana does everything from main stand out dishes through to sharing tapas and individual bites and sweet, delectate desserts. You could definitely manage a few sides to go with your main and given the flavours are so good here, I’d definitely recommend it. The chorizo croquettes, lime covered chicken wings and yukka chips (a bizarre texture to grasp if you’re unfamiliar but incredibly tasty!) and the Pollo Criollo (free-range chicken, seared and casseroled in fresh orange, onions, garlic and sherry) was sweet and delicious. Definitely order yourself a side of their slaw too. It’s creamy, well-seasoned and goes with everything.
We ordered a few of our bits as starters and were getting a little nervous when we were waiting a while but it turns out everything was brought over as art of the main so definitely be really clear if you want your food staggered. In all honesty though, we really didn’t mind because it meant more of a feast to pick at!
The drinks menu is really reasonably priced and they do a two for one happy hour which even holds on a Saturday (quite difficult to find in the City!) which is from 4pm – 7pm and offers two for one on certain cocktail glasses and also jugs. A great bargain which we found drew the crowds in as soon as 4pm struck. If you fancy embracing the Cuban culture I’d recommend the strawberry and mango colada which genuinely just tastes like a smoothie (so drink responsibly!) but you also can’t go wrong with the jug of mojito to share. Absolutely packed with mint (and rum!) this is insanely refreshing and quite easily one of the best mojitos in town.
The venue is really open with high ceilings and is staggered across two floors which are split into three rooms. If you can, we suggest trying to get one of the podium tables. They’re both raised up and are really secluded so you have your own, sectioned off taste of Cubana (you’ll need to book these though because they only have two in the venue).
Don’t just consider Cabana as a daytime eatery though. We’re told the weekend evenings get LIVELY with live music and salsa dancers. Should you be heading down there soon, expect to see us back there!
You can book Cubana here: https://www.cubana.co.uk/
We were guests at Cubana restaurant and asked the owner to describe what’s good about the venue in his own words. He said: Cubana is London’s freshest, juiciest bar-restaurant, where you can enjoy authentic Cuban and Latin-American dishes, freshly-prepared with free-range produce, the very best Mojitos and fresh tropical cocktails and late night live Salsa – all at reasonable prices
Frost loves the Hape Anywhere Art Studio. This tabletop art studio is double sided. One side is a chalk board and the other end is a magnetic whiteboard. You can also have a piece of paper on it with the Hape magnetic. It looks fab and keeps children entertained for hours. Highly recommended. It comes with 2 pieces chalk, 1 eraser and 1 magnetic wood piece.
Play with colors. Use crayons to learn the names of new shades.
The Hape Anywhere Art Studio worth £32.49 from Amazon. Suitable for 3 Years +
Frost loves The Cube. It is a brick building set and storage container. You just put the pieces together to make your cube. Once you have your cube you can use it as a container, or, even better, use it for lego or mega blocks and build, build, build. It works with pretty much any brand name building bricks and is perfect for children and adults alike. Such a brilliant idea.
THE CUBE by Strictly Briks. This Brick Building Set and Storage Container has 6 Interconnecting Double Sided Large and Small Peg Plates sized 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 6.5″.
Strictly Briks® classic building bricks play nice with other toys and are 100% guaranteed to be compatible with all major brands. Our classic size products are a guaranteed tight fit with any standard size building bricks, no matter what existing brand of building bricks or construction brick sets your child already owns.
THE CUBE by Strictly Briks is available to buy online from Amazon.co.uk for £15.99
Children seem to come with a lot of paraphernalia. Even when they are out of nappies and off to nursery. No parent wants to go out without a snack and some crayons. Frost loves the LittleLife Toddler Backpack. Fun and fabulous, they also come with a detachable Parents Safety Rein. The backpacks make your tot feel independent but the reins and the great handle on top give safety. This brilliant backpack is a rather cool unicorn. There are other styles available. Frost recommends.
Unicorn Toddler Backpack. Ideal for both nursery and family days out and about, the Unicorn Toddler Backpack doubles as an approved British Safety Rein, perfect for helping mini-explorers to find their feet.
The ultimate choice for unicorn-mad children (and their parents!), the magical new backpack features a pretty rainbow and star pattern paired with a special, sparkly silver horn and fluffy pink wings. Retaining all of the much-loved features usually found in a LittleLife Toddler Backpack, the bag has a 2-litre zipped compartment that can be used to store toys, an extra layer or a snack for days out and about. A name and address label on the interior of the backpack means it is less likely to go astray at pre-school or nursery.
Designed to comfortably fit children aged between 1-3, the Unicorn Toddler Backpack features fully adjustable and padded shoulder straps in a striking ice-blue colour. These are combined with a pink chest strap that can be tightened securely to prevent the backpack from slipping off little shoulders. Offering parental security without impacting on your toddler’s newfound independence, the backpack comes with a detachable Parents Safety Rein that transforms the fun bag into a BSEN-approved set of reins.
The Safety Rein can be clipped on when greater control is needed, yet detached to allow them to toddle free when desired. For even greater practicality, the backpack has a top grab handle – perfect for balancing children as they learn to walk.
For more information about the Unicorn Toddler Backpack visit www.littlelife.com.
Present Laughter
By Noël Coward
Chichester Festival Theatre
Tickets: 01243 781312 www.cft.org.uk
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Actor Garry Essendine’s clique is a tightly-knitted motley crew. From the wife he has never got around to divorcing to his feisty PA, also in the mix is a brace of philandering producers, an eccentric hobbling housekeeper and a valet with a penchant for strippers. Enter a love-struck ingenue, a bored wife hell-bent on seduction and an intense young writer and the stage is set for chaos.
Incapable of so much as breathing without turning it into a full-on performance, Garry is played by Rufus Hound. An exhausting role that makes light and shade a tall order, all credit to Hound for stamina and for (mostly) achieving the gear changes.
The cast meld with easy fluidity and the physical comedy is especially well choreographed and executed.Tracy-Ann Oberman as the long-suffering assistant Monica is excellent – a one-woman masterclass in comic timing – and Katherine Kingsley as not-quite-ex-wife Liz is also superb. Exuding elegance and as sharp as a whip, she stage manages proceedings with an air of being thoroughly entertained by the ensuing drama and nonsense.
But while there are plenty of examples of Coward’s wit and his brilliance for turning a phrase, the humour is too often laboured and repetitive – self-indulgent, even. There is a lack of sophistication and Sean Foley’s production would benefit from dialing down the panto slapstick in favour of greater subtlety.
That said, for undemanding entertainment and sheer glamour (Alice Power’s gorgeous set is a scene-stealer in its own right) Present Laughter slips down as easily as an iced G&T, complete with the bonus of a musical finale.
Until 12 May
Vicky Edwards