Tag Archives: where to buy

Work in London, but can’t afford to actually live there? Work out exactly which commuter town is best for you

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Work in London, but can’t afford to actually live there? Frost loves TotallyMoney.com’s brilliant new property ladder calculation tool. It lets you work out exactly in which commuter town you could own your first home…

London property, property outside London, affordable housing, where to buy, property, homes, owning

Many of us have had our dreams of actually owning a property in London firmly shattered; lack of affordable housing in the capital coupled with pay freezes and mortgage company demands for increasingly large deposits means that most people in their 20s and 30s have accepted it might never happen. In fact, recent figures show that the number of families on a modest income owning their own home there has more than halved over the last decade, falling to just 13 per cent.But London is still where most of the work is – so what’s the answer?

 

If you don’t fancy paying cripplingly huge amounts of rent to unscrupulous landlords, many people look to buy or rent just outside of the big smoke, in a town with a reasonable commute. But where do you actually start? There’s bound to be a lot of research to be done into finding out what average house prices are elsewhere, how long a particular commute would be, which towns are even desirable (and have at least one local pub) – the list is endless, and in the meantime, house prices are only going to be ticking steadily upwards…

 

Well, panic not, for help is at hand. Money comparison site TotallyMoney.com has just launched its new online tool for people who want to get onto the property ladder, and work in London, but can’t afford to buy there. In one simple process, you can set parameters to reflect the maximum time you’d be happy to spend on a commute, how much you can afford to spend on train travel, the value of the property you could afford to buy, and the amount of your disposable income. Then you’ll be presented with a selection of towns which match your criteria – meaning you can start searching for a new home in earnest.

 

TotallyMoney.com has even put together a list of the top ten best commuter towns, and High Wycombe – with a London commute time of only 30 minutes, travel costs of around £4,180, and suitable for those with a disposable income of around £23,341 – is in first place. If you’re keen to keep train time to a minimum, however, Esher, in Surrey (ranked 8th), is a mere 27 minutes away from London, with annual travel costs coming in at about £2,124. If you’re looking for a bargain in terms of property, Erith, in the London borough of Bexley is ranked at number 7, with the cheapest average property price at £238,459, and an annual travel cost of only £1,912 (although it would take a little longer, at 44 minutes).

 

# Town County House Price Season Ticket Time Average Disposable Income Per Head. Per Year
1 High Wycombe Buckinghamshire £346,197.00 £4,180.00 30 £23,341.00
2 Woking Surrey £433,235.00 £3,080.00 27 £21,437.00
3 Staines Middlesex £349,604.00 £2,484.00 35 £21,539.00
4 Amersham Buckinghamshire £542,856.00 £3,368.00 34 £23,341.00
5 Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire £792,177.00 £3,328 28 £23,341.00
6 Walton-on-thames Surrey £524,145 £2,412 33 £21,437.00
7 Erith Outer London North & West £238,459 £1,912 44 £21,539.00
8 Esher Surrey £878,831 £2,124 27 £21,437.00
9 Redhill Surrey £338,593 £2,696 38 £21,437.00
10 Horley Surrey £340,407 £3,208 35 £21,437.00

 

 

 

OCÓO The Beauty Drink Review

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unnamedI had heard about the new beauty drink, OCÓO, before we were asked to review it, and it really caught my attention. Being your best self usually requires time, effort, and money. So something you can just drink which makes you more beautiful? I’ll take it.

Now the review. The packaging is beautiful as I would expect, the colour looks like cola and the smell is not awful like a lot of drinks. It tastes nice too.

I did feel healthy after I drank it as it is fulll of vitamins, however, just being sent one bottle to review means I cannot know whether or not the drink has a real impact on my ‘beauty’.

OCÓO Left a good impression on me. I think it could be a quick and easy way to get the nutrients you need. It is certainly a good idea.

 

OCÓO The Beauty Drink is based on scientific proof that beauty care is more effective from inside the body, rather than from outside.  Bringing together natural and beauty boosting ingredients, OCÓO contains 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and vital substances to boost the appearance and health of skin, hair and nails.

 

The goodness inside

A renowned team of leading dieticians and dermatologists played a key role in OCÓO’s three-year development.  OCÓO’s active ingredient complex contains anti-oxidative power from vitamin-rich Power Berries (pomegranate, açaí, aronia, blackcurrants, red grapes and cranberries), extracts of green and white tea, ten essential vitamins and traces of zinc, selenium, copper, iodine, essential B-vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12) and vitamins C & E.

 

·         Pomegranate: Powerful antioxidant and supports the immune system

·         Acai Berry: Contains omega fatty acids and anthocyanin to help boost healthy collagen

·         Aronia Berry: Contains the highest oxygen-radical absorbance capacity value of all the ‘super food’ berries

·         Red Grapes: Harness anti-oxidative potential that is 20 to 50 times higher than Vitamin C or E

 

Why it works

With its active ingredient complex, OCÓO works from the inside out.  Synergetic effects make the ingredients work even better together than if they were to stand alone. Because the ingredients come as a delicious fruit juice – as opposed to tablets – they reach the body in the form of a solution, which enables greater absorption.  Unlike traditional beauty products, such as creams and lotions that do not penetrate deep into the skin, OCÓO supplies even the deepest layers of the skin with important nutrients, precisely where these vital nutrients are needed!

ocoo beauty drink Harvey Nichols

Key beauty benefits*

·         Anti-Aging: Zinc and Selenium contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative, environmental damage.

·         Skin Care: Niacin, Biotin and Iodine contribute to the maintenance of normal skin.

·         Collagen Formation: Vitamin C contributes to increased collagen production in the skin improving function and increasing skin’s elasticity and firmness.

·         Hair: Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation; while Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.

 

* Permitted Health Claims, see EU Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012, published in UR-Lex Journal, Volume 55 (2012). www.ec.europa.eu

OCÓO is available from Harvey Nichols and Amazon

Spanx Launch Denim Collection | Fashion News

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Spanx have some exciting news; they are expanding their slimming empire by unveiling skinny jeans complete with their secret shaping technology. These gorgeous denim jeans have combined the ease of a legging, the classic look of jeans and the shaping power of SPANX to create ‘revolutionary denim leggings that keep you slim and on trend.’

The jeans have a wide, slimming waistband and side sipper to ensure a flat fit, smooth silhouette and comfortable shaping. The faux front pockets make thighs appear slimmer while carefully-placed back pockets have been added to create a more pert rear.

spanx, spanx launch denim collection

nx launch denim collection, spanx,

nx launch denim collection, Spanx

At a cost of £63-£100 these gorgeous styles are available on spanx.co.uk and in Harrods, Selfridges and NEXT. Styles come in the following colourways: Wax Denim, Teal, Indigo Wash, Blue Lapis, Brick and Black.

Will you be buying some?

Avlaki Freshly Bottled Organic Olive Oil Review

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olive oil, olive oil review, avlaki, organic, freshly bottled, unfiltered, extra virgin, greeceI love olive oil. I eat some pretty much everyday. Despite just how much olive oil is on the market, what is clear when you try lots of different brands is this: not all olive oil is created equal. And Avlaki, freshly bottled organic olive oil from Greece is certainly not your run-of-the-mill olive oil. It is unfiltered and unadulterated, and is bottled within weeks after the olives are picked at their peak condition.

I like to think I know good quality olive oil but I made sure I had a second opinion so their was no bias. We tested two different bottles of Avlaki Olive Oil. Here is our findings:

Avlaki New Season Single Estate Extra Virgin Unfiltered Avlaki Groves ‘Grassy & Fruity”.

The packaging is great, with a handwritten detail on the label. It even tells you who produced the oil. The oil is amazing. It is fresh and clean. It tastes expensive and delicious.

Avlaki New Season Single Estate Extra Virgin Unfiltered Agatheri Groves “Complex & Sophisticated”.

This is also brilliant quality. We both choose different favourites and then we switch at different times. There is a very slight peppery taste to this olive oil, while the other one tastes fresher, this one has more going on, more complex flavours working together. Sometime I prefer this one, and sometime the Avlaki Groves.

Result: World class olive oil. Get your hands on some.

Avlaki Freshly Bottled Olive Oil – from branch to bottle within weeks

Avlaki olive oil is exactly how Deborah MacMillan and Natalie Wheen believe an excellent olive oil should be. The olives are picked at the peak of condition, milled immediately and then the oil is bottled, unfiltered and unadulterated, as soon as possible – all within a few weeks.

Olive oil is the juice of the fruit: the fresher it is – the more taste, nutrients and health benefits it has. Avlaki oils come from two separate single estates. They each have a distinct flavour and finish, for people to enjoy with different foods. Most commercially available oils come from production that has been standing in tanks for many months – and more. This oil is a mix from various farms and locations, harvested throughout the season. It is filtered before processing and then blended to make a uniform product.

Avlaki oils are different – they have a freshness to them; full of grassy, fruity notes, with a peppery zest and are perfect ‘finishing’ oils for fine dishes. Drizzle on hot vegetables, soup, pasta, fish and salads. Or serve simply, just by themselves – with a good bread for dipping.

The Avlaki adventure…

Deborah and Natalie were simply buying a small place to escape from London stress: making olive oil was not something that they set out to do. Deborah is a painter and Natalie a writer and broadcaster on the arts and classical music. After buying their tiny piece of Greece – the small property is just above the sea on the Greek island, Lesvos – they discovered the repairs they had made to the little ruined house broke all of the planning regulations, due to a lack of land. Fortunately they could buy small parcels of land from their neighbours to add to the plot – all had sadly neglected olive trees growing. They applied their knowledge of British gardening practice to the trees – pruning, mulching, manuring – and also researched the latest information about olive farming from the internet. Avlaki Groves, the home fields, were the first to start producing a good crop in 2000 and a few years later Deborah and Natalie bought the mountain fields of Agatheri Groves, 5/600 metres above sea level. Having witnessed the questionable quality of traditional farming practice, they converted their fields to strictly organic farming (certified by Bio-Hellas) – also practising permaculture and encouraging bio-diversity. Avlaki’s fields are now full of wild flowers, insects, birds and all kinds of wildlife.


Why is Avlaki Olive Oil different?

Avlaki’s olives are only harvested in December, when the olives are a perfect mix of ripeness: green, turning to pink and black, all helping to create the lively Avlaki tastes. They are hand-picked, raked off the trees into soft nets and cleaned of any leaves and twigs and damaged fruit, before being taken to the mill immediately – in shallow crates to avoid bruising. Deborah and Natalie closely watch their olives through every stage of the process and the freshly milled oil is stored straight away in air-tight churns. Once the grove is completely picked and the oil tested by Bio-Hellas, Deborah and Natalie ensure that it is all bottled as fast as possible – every bottle is dated. All small olive farmers take home fresh oil for the family, straight from milling – the rest is left in the communal tanks at the mill to sell on after the end of the harvest. During this time the oil can become a featureless blend from different kinds of production; from high fields and low, spicy early pick and bland oily late pick – lacking any characterful taste and losing nutritional properties. The olive varietals used in the final oil, also make a difference – ‘Kolloví’ and ‘Andramytianni’ are particular to Lesvos and are the only olives used in Avlaki oils. These give the island a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) from the EU, for their naturally golden oil – which has a light consistency and distinctive taste. It is well known in Greece: Avlaki now brings this excellent quality and fabulous tasting oil to the UK.

Deborah and Natalie were once amateurs trying their best to improve the land that they had acquired but have become passionate advocates of real olive oil and the difference between their fresh olive oil and many of the products on the shelves. Consumer education is vital, as Natalie explains; “The description ‘pure’ olive oil conveys an impression of purity but in fact this term is used to describe oil that is not considered fit for human consumption until it is pasteurised. This is just one misunderstanding and we hope that when people try our Avlaki oils they will be converted like us. They will understand the difference and why we feel that it is so important to treat the olives as naturally as we can, to really have the purest product possible.”

Stockists

UK: George Mewes Cheese – 106 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8TB/ Papadeli – 84 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2DJ/ Pear Tree Deli – Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN/ Duke’s Deli – 22 Duke Street, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 9PZ/ Williams Fish Market and Food Hall – 3 Fountain Street, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire GL6 0BL/ Beetham Nurseries – Pool Darkin Lane, Beetham, Nr Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7 7AP/ Drewtons Farm Shop – South Cave, Brough, E.Yorkshire HU15 2AG/ Much Ado Deli – 7 – 9 Stanley Court, Olney, MK46 5NH

Overseas: Anton & Anton – Oy, Helsinki, Finland

SRP: £18 – £20+ per 50cl bottle

Minimum trade order 12 bottles at £12 per 50cl bottle

£144 per case plus £10 delivery

Avlaki will include a pair of 100ml promotional bottles with each order

‘Taster’ Packs

Sets of 2 x 100ml marasca bottles (1 Avlaki oil and 1 Agatheri oil)

SRP: £10

Minimum trade order of 1 box: £72 (12 packs at £6 per pack)

Historic Church Tours | Things To Do

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The Churches Conservation Trust

 stainglasswindowjesus, god, religion, tour, church, signs, art

13th August – 5th October 2013

Suffolk – Somerset – Northamptonshire – Lincolnshire

 church tour, church, religious iconography, art, religious art, gargoyle, tour, image011

 

·      Stunning photographs of England’s most ancient churches available·      Fascinating programme of four themed tours:

 ‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’,  ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’·      12 historic sites visited

 

 

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The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), the national charity protecting ancient churches at risk, has launched a programme of fascinating Historic Church Tours across the country.

 

The tours will guide visitors through stunning countryside vistas, whilst breathing life into England’s shrouded ancestry and exquisite ancient architecture. Four intriguing themes included in the special Historic Church Tours are ‘Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials’ ‘Churches at War’, ‘Carvings’ and ‘Monuments and Memorials’

 

Taking place at selected churches across the country from Suffolk to Somerset, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, Historic Church Tours encompass a comprehensive geography of British architectural and social heritage.

 

 church, church tour, art church tour, charity, stainglass window

 

The next tour, Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials, will take place in Suffolk, 10:30am–4:30pm on August 13. Starting at All Saints, Little Wenham, a 13th-century flint church often described as one of Suffolk’s best-kept secrets, visitors will be in awe of the stunning wall-paintings and canopied ancient wall monuments. After a light lunch, move onto St Mary’s, Badley, a truly remarkable Medieval church with an atmosphere of great peace and stillness. With nothing for company but a 16th-century farmhouse and the wildlife of its pretty churchyard, St Mary’s is a breath-taking retreat for any passer-by. The final stop of the tour will be St Peter’s, Claydon. Overlooking the Gipping Valley, this church will astound visitors with its vibrant stained glass and extravagant carvings; a spectacular site to end this tour.

 

Historic Church Tours taking place in 2013 are as follows:

 

AUGUST

Wallpaintings, Stained Glass and Memorials – Suffolk

The three churches on this tour were selected for their stunning artwork in the form of extravagant carvings, stunning wallpaintings and vibrant stained glass.

 

SEPTEMBER

Churches at War – Somerset

Three of the CCT’s most stunning and iconic churches are positioned in Somerset. All three have been unwittingly caught up in a time of war, from acting as a hideaway during the Monmouth rebellion, to being solitary observer of mid-air disaster, the churches have seen all and kept their counsel.

 

Carvings – Northamptonshire

CCT churches in Northampton have an abundance of carved treasures on display. For this tour, CCT have selected three of the best from St Peter & St Paul’s in Preston Deanery,  stunning carvings of animals, to the Norman St Michael’s, Farndish, which boasts gorgeous carved corbels and elegant arches, and the stunning 900 year old St Peter’s in Northampton, which is full of carved treasures.

 

OCTOBER

Monuments and Memorials – Lincolnshire

This tour will explore the stunning and spectacular monuments and memorials in three Lincolnshire churches. Take in the breath-taking interior of St Lawrence’s, Snarford, the unusual red-brick chapel of St George, Goltho, which stands alone amid acres of corn and oilseed rape with only a few trees for company, and Milton Mausoleum, the only surviving mausoleum in Nottinghamshire.

 

All guided tours are priced at £40 per person and will include a light lunch and coach transportation to and from a local train station.

 

Tickets are available on general release now. To book tickets, go to http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Historicchurchtours/

 

Morrisons Christmas Range: What To Buy For Christmas

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It may seem strange to see a Christmas article so early but there is a reason: most companies have their Christmas PR days in July. There is always a lead up needed for Christmas articles. It is the same in acting, you film the Christmas specials six months early. By the time Christmas comes I feel I have been celebrating it for at least half the year.

Morrisons has launched an excellent Christmas range. The food is well-selected, reasonably priced and sourced by professionals in their field. Here are some reasons why I think Morrisons is great for Christmas….

Morrisons source livestock straight from farmers. They also sell black summer truffles at £99.99 a kilo…which means you can buy your own truffles for £3 or £4.

In 2011 they pledged to have more than 50 promotions each week to make it cheaper for customers to get their 5 a day. They average 93 promotions a week.

None of their fruit or veg goes to waste, what is not good enough for customers is given to animals.

I was lucky enough to taste some food made by Neil Nugent who is Morrisons Executive Chef and Head of Innovation, Ray Craven, meat specialist and Martin Clayton, bakery specialist. I have picked out my highlights below from the UK’s fourth-largest grocer.

Mince Pie & Cream Flavoured Popcorn.
The acronym OMG was made for this popcorn. It just tastes divine. Available from October 15.

Morrisons Best Champagne Brut has won the Which? Best Champagne Award twice.
“I am very prod of our Morrisons Best Champagne Brut as I handpicked the blend myself. It is multi-award-winning and adds a certain elegance and style to any meal or celebration.” Arabella Woodrow, Wine Specialist. I have tasted a lot of champagne and this is now my favourite. It just tastes amazing. No wonder is has been voted Best Champagne twice.

Beetroot Smoked Salmon, Smoked Halibut and Smoked Salmon
This salmon is delicious. I really liked the Beetroot salmon. The halibut was good too. A tip from Morrisons is to buy your salmon in advance and freeze it. Salmon has a long shelf life.

Christmas Tree Tear and Share Bread
This tastes great and it looks fun too. Wrap uneaten piece in cling film to make them last longer.

Panettone
Freshly baked and with 15% more fruit this year. Morrisons makes good panettone. I will be buying this again for Christmas.

Other highlights: Soda bread by Bryn Williams, White Christmas Pudding created by Claire Clarke MBE, Crusted Turkey by Nigel Haworth and Rustic Country Pate created by Pierre Koffmann.

Hot Tights For Summer.

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I love tights and stockings. They are such a brilliant way to update your look. Frost has sourced some cool tights for this season and reviewed them for you.

Black Opaque tights.

You really cannot go wrong with Black Opaque tights. These Charnos 60d ones are comfortable (a rare thing in some tights) the waistband doesn’t hurt and they look great. Full marks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charnos Simple Bare Tights in Nude. These are 7D with the strength of 15 denier. The packaging says that they let legs breathe and they do. The tights feel very nice. They are good quality and they look good. They don’t snag easily and the waistband doesn’t hurt. A big thing for me. Some tights seem to cut you in half at the waist, and that’s not healthy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ava Hold Up has been made to celebrate 75 years of Charnos. It has a Leaf Print Back-seam Hold-up. Which is Silver.

These are elegantly sexy. Really lovely hold ups that stay on and look good. The band is comfy to. The silver leaf print back-seam is a beautiful detail. They are elegant and fashionable. These really do stay up all day. No slipping or sliding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Hold ups. Fan net design. Satin lace top.
These are far too comfy for something so beautiful. The band is good around the leg too. They stay up well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charnos Killer Figure opaque control tights. Tones bum, tum and thighs. Smooths your shape. Comfort waistband. Lifts the bottom.

These are slightly hard to get into but are very comfortable for control tights. The do smooth out your shape. It may be in my head but I did seem a little more toned the next day. They are good tights which look good on. I don’t feel like all of my internal organs are being squeezed together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stocking tights: Stripe mock hold up design tights.

These are huge at the moment; Tights that look like stockings. Lots of celebrities may have been seen wearing them but the look is still fresh. These mock stocking tights look great and are good quality. The are tamer than some of the ones I have seen, more elegant. They are both wearable and glamorous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 pair pack of socks. Eros pink mix. One size.

And let’s add some socks in. These Charnos cotton socks are comfortable and look good. They Eros pink mix is very sweet too. They are just very cute. The socks are good quality and don’t cut off your circulation.

What tights will you be wearing this year?