Happy New Year to our readers and to everyone who has helped us to help keep That's Christmas bringing news and stories to the world.
Tuesday 31 December 2019
Happy New Year to all our readers
Happy New Year to our readers and to everyone who has helped us to help keep That's Christmas bringing news and stories to the world.
Friday 20 December 2019
Tuesday 17 December 2019
You can be over the drink drive limit. Without drinking
It appears that the answer is yes.
Because a special experiment by CarTakeBack.com found that drivers can you be tipped over the limit by boozy food, if you’ve had just one standard glass of wine!
A spokesman said: "We tipped ourselves over the UK drink-driving limit with a full Christmas meal consisting of entirely supermarket-bought food.
Watch what happened here: https://www.cartakeback.com/blog/in-the-know/christmas-food-shock-cartakeback-finds-you-can-eat-yourself-over-the-drink-drive-limit
Rebecca Ashton, IAM RoadSmart Head of Driver Behaviour, said: “When enjoying a Christmas lunch, remember the alcohol content within your delicious meal. The brandy within that slice of Christmas cake along with everything else could just put you over the limit. Food containing alcohol needs to be carefully considered if you are planning to get behind the wheel. Ultimately, there is no safe level of alcohol in the blood if you intend to drive.
"The simplest message is none for the road. Plan your night out so you can enjoy yourself and not have any stress about the journey home by pre-booking a taxi. If you have consumed a large amount of alcohol remember you could still be over the limit in the morning so arrange your day carefully.”
Rebecca Currier, spokesperson for CarTakeBack.com, said: “Following our shock survey that found 1 in 5 think it’s OK to drink-drive if they feel unaffected, we wanted to raise awareness about unknowingly drink-driving this Christmas. Most people think all the alcohol is burned off during cooking, but we found that’s clearly not the case. Stay safe over the festive period and pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking before you get behind the wheel.”
Monday 16 December 2019
Countryfile Live Gift
Book them a Countryfile Live Festival ticket and they'll receive a fantastic BBC Countryfile Live festive gift wallet, plus the tickets for one of the events next year.
There are two events, one in Castle Howard, York and the other in Windsor Great Park in August 2020)
To learn more and to make a booking please visit https://www.countryfilelive.com/.
Sunday 15 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Hippocrocohog
That's Books and Entertainment: Hippocrocohog: In the new book from Adam Nuth, Hippocrocohog , readers of all ages from 0 to 90 are introduced to the Hippocrocohog. Poppy and Lilly ...
That's Books and Entertainment: Step Into Darkness
That's Books and Entertainment: Step Into Darkness: In Step Into Darkness , a thriller from David Fletcher, we meet Dan. Dan is a troubled man, his life now has absolutely zero meaning. It&#...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Mulholland Files
That's Books and Entertainment: The Mulholland Files: In the debut thriller from Sandy Jones, The Mulholland Files , we meet Edward. Edward is luxuriating in his partial retirement enjoying...
That's Books and Entertainment: All Six Legs
That's Books and Entertainment: All Six Legs: Got a dog? Know someone who has a dog or dogs? Then you need to buy this book All Six Legs. Written by dog behaviourist expert Denise Mc...
That's Books and Entertainment: Seventy Thousand Camels
That's Books and Entertainment: Seventy Thousand Camels: Seventy Thousand Camels is a very moving and inspiring memoir from Angelica A. Brewer. Angelica was born in Rome in 1965. Unfortunately ...
That's Books and Entertainment: Appetites
That's Books and Entertainment: Appetites: Appetites is a new collection of 19 short stories from the imagination of author Maggie Ling. The book's sub-title is stories of lov...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Stolen Planet
That's Books and Entertainment: The Stolen Planet: The Stolen Planet is the second children's fantasy novel from author Pearl Denham. It's part of a trilogy. Readers will meet aga...
Saturday 14 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Doreen Warinner's War
That's Books and Entertainment: Doreen Warinner's War: Doreen Warriner's War is a book by Henry Warriner about his aunt, Doreen Warriner. It tells the captivating story of an extremely g...
That's Books and Entertainment: Doreen Warinner's War
That's Books and Entertainment: Doreen Warinner's War: Doreen Warriner's War is a book by Henry Warriner about his aunt, Doreen Warriner. It tells the captivating story of an extremely g...
That's Books and Entertainment: Umtata
That's Books and Entertainment: Umtata: Umtata tells the story of Barney. Barney is very well qualified for his chosen career. Unfortunately his chosen career was that of a tra...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Legacy of Mr Jarvis
That's Books and Entertainment: The Legacy of Mr Jarvis: The Legacy of Mr Jarvis is a new novel from Jude Hayland which is based on a true story. In 1966 Mary Foster is 12 years of age and her ...
That's Books and Entertainment: Charlie Palmer Says
That's Books and Entertainment: Charlie Palmer Says: In Charlie Palmer Says author Beverley Bowry introduces us to Nathan Clark. Nathan is ten and he is given the gift of a metal detector for...
That's Books and Entertainment: Stiff Guy Yoga
That's Books and Entertainment: Stiff Guy Yoga: Stiff Guy Yoga is a new book from Yoga expert Nikki Lynds-Xavier which is a guidebook for older, stiffer chaps who need to regain their g...
That's Books and Entertainment: Poetic Justice: Oxford
That's Books and Entertainment: Poetic Justice: Oxford: In Poetic Justice: Oxford author Fran Raya brings us the latest instalment of the story of Randal Forbes. It's what he, Randal Forbe...
That's Books and Entertainment: Geraldine
That's Books and Entertainment: Geraldine: In the novel Geraldine by John Mead, Inspector Matthew Merry and Sergeant Julie Lukula are tasked with investigating the death of Geraldi...
That's Books and Entertainment: Despite the Darkness
That's Books and Entertainment: Despite the Darkness: Despite the Darkness In his debut novel David Maughan Brown takes a look back to the dark days of the South African Apartheid regime. Time...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Ring's List
That's Books and Entertainment: The Ring's List: The Ring's List is a new mystery novel from new author Jade Nicole-Bracken. The protagonist, Steven M. Johns spent the entirety of t...
That's Books and Entertainment: Girl Without a Face
That's Books and Entertainment: Girl Without a Face: Girl Without a Face is a posthumously published novel from established author Nasser Hashmil. Laura Danes, a happy, perfectly normal, h...
Wednesday 11 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Gold Dust: How to Become a More Effective Coach, Q...
That's Books and Entertainment: Gold Dust: How to Become a More Effective Coach, Q...: Gold Dust: How To Become A More Effective Coach, Quickly was released on November 28th and is now a #1 Best Seller on Amazon in the UK. I...
That's Books and Entertainment: How to Live Your Life
That's Books and Entertainment: How to Live Your Life: How to Live Your Life is subtitled Guidance from Georgie. It is written by Julie Lewis and her co-author, in spirit, Georgie. It bring...
That's Books and Entertainment: Pickle & LIly
That's Books and Entertainment: Pickle & LIly: Pickle & Lily is a wonderful collection of superbly illustrated stories about a delightful and very lovable black and white cat called...
That's Books and Entertainment: Hey Dog! Sniffs Are For Feet!
That's Books and Entertainment: Hey Dog! Sniff Are For Feet!: Hey Dog! Sniffs Are For Feet! is the companion to Hey Dog! Let's Talk! Hey Dog! Sniffs Are For Feet! is aimed specifically at parent...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Mystery of Martha
That's Books and Entertainment: The Mystery of Martha: The Mystery of Martha is a debut novel from Eliza Harrison. It's a spiritual fiction that deals with the two stories of two Marthas, w...
Tuesday 10 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: The Rooks Die Screaming
That's Books and Entertainment: The Rooks Die Screaming: The Rooks Die Screaming is a new Inspector Edwards mystery from Clive Tuckett. It's Bodmin, Cornwall, in 1921. And people are dying....
That's Books and Entertainment: Life's a Banquet
That's Books and Entertainment: Life's a Banquet: Life's a Banquet is a guide book for your life. The author, Robin Bennett, reveals the techniques that are useful for helping us negot...
That's Books and Entertainment: Verbatim
That's Books and Entertainment: Verbatim: In Verbatim Andrew Hill introduces his readers to two different writers. There's Carol, who is an intelligent woman, known for bein...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Trial of Lester Chan
That's Books and Entertainment: The Trial of Lester Chan: The Trial of Lester Chan is a light-hearted novel from retired barrister Martin Wilson QC. It examines what happens when Lester Chan, ak...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Ears of a Cat
That's Books and Entertainment: The Ears of a Cat: In his novel The Ears of a Cat Roderick Hart takes a look at a world very, very similar to our own. It's the future, but not the far...
That's Books and Entertainment: The Legacy of Crystal Island
That's Books and Entertainment: The Legacy of Crystal Island: The Legacy of Crystal Island is Book Two Truth and Courage by Colleen O'Flaherty-Hilder. Orla has returned to Crystal Island. With ...
That's Books and Entertainment: Kitchen Confidence
That's Books and Entertainment: Kitchen Confidence: In Kitchen Confidence prize winning baker and expert cook Catherine Sloman shares her knowledge and passion for cooking with her readers. ...
Monday 9 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Dancing the Skies
That's Books and Entertainment: Dancing the Skies: Dancing the Skies is an autobiographical accoount by former RAF pilot David Roome. It records the flying career of RAF Group Captain Da...
That's Books and Entertainment: Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers?
That's Books and Entertainment: Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers?: Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers? is described as a dramatised memoir. When he was just four years old Barry Chambers is deposited by...
That's Books and Entertainment: Trust Me, I'm a Care Worker
That's Books and Entertainment: Trust Me, I'm a Care Worker: Trust Me, I'm a Care Worker is a collection of recollections from Chris Bulteel's time as a care worker. Gloucester born Chris a...
That's Books and Entertainment: Copernicus! What HAVE You Done?
That's Books and Entertainment: Copernicus! What HAVE You Done?: Copernicus! What HAVE You Done? is collection of very humorous poems from Don Behrend. Don takes a fresh, new and amusing look at some t...
Foodie Heaven Christmas gift
Learning with Experts is embracing an anti-consumerism, and ‘back to nature’ sentiment this Christmas, by launching online courses with the world’s top forager and authority on wild foods, Miles Irving. These online courses make the perfect gift for foodies and aspiring chefs and can be gifted from today onward.
Irving has worked with some of the world’s top chefs and restaurants. These include Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, Rene Redzepi, Magnus Nilsson and the Hix restaurants. He is a pioneer in the Wild Food Renaissance and has extensive knowledge of the unique flavours and stories of wild foods. Irving is also an internationally acclaimed public speaker and the author of ‘The Forager Handbook’ - hailed by many as ‘the forager’s bible’.
Learning with Experts has launched two new online courses taught by Irving. You can gift these courses today for Christmas gifts, and the classes start from March 2020 onwards.
A course at the ‘Expert’ level costs £109, and you will get feedback on your cooking and foraging from Miles and his team.
Foodies will watch videos, chat to classmates, discuss topics with Miles, and get feedback on your assignments (submitted with text, video and photos). For £29 you can still follow the course curriculum, with videos, notes, and compare notes with classmates too as you go through.
Elspeth Briscoe, Learning with Experts CEO, explains: “You’re taught in the Learning with Experts online classroom, with 20 other students. In your online class you’ll watch videos where Miles takes you on a journey of delights of wild foods and foraging.
"During the lessons Irving shares secrets of how top chefs are starting to cook with wild and foraged food, and the tastes and recipes they’re trying. He then sets you assignments for both cooking and foraging, based on what you’ve learnt during your lessons. If you choose the expert version of the course, Miles and his team will personally mark your assignments and give you feedback in the online classroom. A unique opportunity to be taught by a world expert in wild food and foraging, wherever you are in the world. We’re already seeing people gift these courses to their food loving relatives, as well as enthusiasts, aspiring and professional chefs signing up to these courses.”
During the first course, ‘Foraging’ Miles celebrates new yet ancient flavours, rediscovering the nutritional properties of wild plants and reconnecting with the land. Irving explains: “This vital link means we thrive, eating well and working with the wild ecology of places”. The course has four lessons in it with clear learning outcomes for each lesson.
Whilst examples used in this course are in Miles’s own food web, a habitat which happens to be in the UK, the principles of this course apply to foraging all over the world. You are encouraged to share your own environments and discussion on wild foods throughout the course, wherever you’re located.
During the second course, ‘Cooking with wild food’, Miles has teamed up with some of his favourite chefs and together they take you through the journey of foraging, cooking and tasting the following wild foods: Stalks and stems, Wild aromatics, Seaweed and Edible flowers
CEO Elspeth Briscoe continued: “The Learning with Experts campaign ‘Gift Learning Not Clutter’ is attracting attention this Christmas, especially for those who value education and experiential gifts over and above the over indulgence of collecting more goods or possessions that many people really don’t need. Miles Irving is known as a pioneer in the chef’s community, and we’re excited to be able to bring his expertise to a global audience through these online courses.”
www.learningwithexperts.com.
This is a video of a presentation by Miles:-
That's Books and Entertainment: Shamus Dust
That's Books and Entertainment: Shamus Dust: In Shamus Dust Janet Rogers takes her readers back to the war damaged City of London of 1947. It's Christmas time and a murder has b...
Sunday 8 December 2019
Talking Bing the Rabbit and Talking Sula
Bing the little bunny rabbit is a sure fire hit with young children when they see the little chap on BBC TV's CBeebies channel.Bing is a smartly dressed pre-school bunny rabbit who gets into all sorts of adventures as he learns about the world around him.
And now parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles can really please the little ones this Christmas, because they can buy them their very own talking Bing bunny rabbit.
This cute and cuddly Talking Bing Soft Toy is perfect for hugs as it’s made from super-soft textured fabric. Talking Bing has over 15 fun phrases to delight and entertain fans such as ‘Hi, I’m Bing! What’s your name?’ Simply press Bing’s button to hear him talk and giggle. Bingsters will love to re-create their favourite Bing stories, listen to Bing talk and interact with him.
Bing is available from good toy retailers and from on line retailers, too for about £16.00, RRP.
It's been noticed that some boys tend to prefer Bing and that some girls tend to prefer Sula.
So, why not buy Bing and Sula at the same time?
Bing and Sula are made by a British company called Golden Bear.
Golden Bear point out where you can buy them and their other products from here:- https://www.goldenbeartoys.com/pages/retailers.
That's Books and Entertainment: 101 Positive Pictures
That's Books and Entertainment: 101 Positive Pictures: 101 Positive Pictures In his book, Robert Valentine brings his readers a small, but perfectly formed, book of happiness which is illustrat...
That's Books and Entertainment: Lotus in the Sand
That's Books and Entertainment: Lotus in the Sand: Lotus in the Sand is a novel from Peter Maroza. It poses an interesting question. Which should a person chose? Honour or revenge? Hami...
That's Books and Entertainment: NA GÀIDHEIL
That's Books and Entertainment: NA GÀIDHEIL: NA GÀIDHEIL is a book by Catrìona Zappert which is an illustrated introduction to Scottish Gaelic for children. It's aimed at childr...
Saturday 7 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Three Little Mermaids
That's Books and Entertainment: Three Little Mermaids: Three Little Mermaids is a new book for children from Louisa MacVeigh. Lilly, Claire and Nina are all given an invitation to the birthday...
That's Books and Entertainment: Aya and Papaya Keep Trying
That's Books and Entertainment: Aya and Papaya Keep Trying: Aya and Papaya Keep Trying is another well written and well illustrated book for children from MQ. Aya wakes up smiling. Why? Because sh...
That's Books and Entertainment: Aya and Papaya Learn to Imagine
That's Books and Entertainment: Aya and Papaya Learn to Imagine: Aya and Papaya Learn to Imagine is anther in this wonderful series of books for children. Aya awakens to the sound of raindrops pitter p...
Nibble your way to a happy Christmas with Nibble Protein Bites
It's based on a traditional recipe from Sweden and will help you get into the Christmas spirit, but they are more healthy than some other available snacks.
Sprinkled with chopped almonds they are lower in sugar (there's under 1 gram of sugar per nibble, so are a guilt-free treat.
There's a special blend of spices, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Sugar is also included, but 30% less than other standard natural protein bars or balls.
There's 21% protein and less than 100 calories per bag, so they'll make an ideal stocking filler for the people who you are about.
They are made from a whole host of delicious and vital ingredients, including dried plum puree, slow digesting pea protein, spices and almonds.
They are free of gluten and are vegan friendly and cost £1.49 per pack. You can buy them from www.nibbleprotein.co.uk, from independent retailers and Amazon. Other flavours are available.
Wednesday 4 December 2019
That's Books and Entertainment: Star Matters II
That's Books and Entertainment: Star Matters II: In Star Matters II by David John West we read what happens when a special code is sent out that informs the military authorities that the ...
That's Books and Entertainment: Peter Pixie Visits the Rescue Centre
That's Books and Entertainment: Peter Pixie Visits the Rescue Centre: In Peter Pixie Visits the Rescue Centre younger readers (and their mummies and daddies) will learn all about Peter Pixie. Peter Pixie l...
That's Books and Entertainment: Time Transfer
That's Books and Entertainment: Time Transfer: Time Transfer is a book by Mark Roland Langdale which is aimed at younger readers. It's a magical story about football. But what i...
That's Books and Entertainment: Free From the World
That's Books and Entertainment: Free From the World: In Free From the World author John Johnson takes his readers back into the 1960s, a time of great social change, including within the mas...
Monday 2 December 2019
Interplay games wins awards
Fuzzi Street won the Gold award in the prestigious Best Art/Craft Toy category. The range encourages children to decorate their very own Ice Cream Parlour, Pizzeria and Post Office, and each play set comes with a brand new fuzzikin animal to colour in. Like all Fuzzikins they are washable, so each set offers hours of creative fun!
Meanwhile Orangutwang, recently launched as part of the new Interplay Games range, won Silver in the Best Board Game for 3 Years + Category!
Already a hit in the USA, Orangutwang involves hanging fruit and jungle friends on the orangutan, but watch out! Once he's holding too much he'll spring up and send the fruit and friends flying... you just never know when!
Made for Mums Toy Awards
MadeForMums is the UK’s number 1 site for parenting product reviews, with an outstanding reputation for expert, honest review content, so a MadeForMums Toy Award is recognised by parents and retailers – and the national press – as a sign of a toy’s outstanding quality and play potential.
The winners were announced after 8 weeks of home-testing with more than 500 child and parent judges, several judging days involving influencer family judges with a combined YouTube following of 600,000, plus the wisdom of toy industry experts.
To learn about their amazing range of toys and games and to order them, please visit https://interplayuk.com/collections/interplay-games.
Winter Wonderland Set to Return To Manchester This Christmas
Following last year’s hugely successful event which saw over 85,000 people visit the Christmas festivities, Santa’s little helpers have worked with the event organisers to launch this year’s Winter Wonderland, promising it to be the best yet!
Winter Wonderland 2019 will see five amazing festive attractions including: A massive real ice rink, a wondrous Christmas circus, an incredible panto, a vast indoor funfair and of course, Santa Claus, too!
As well as all these attractions there will be plenty of food and drink available, catering for a wide range of requirements including vegan, vegetarian, gluten and lactose free options. Refreshments will also be available to get visitors into the festive spirit.
For parents of young children, there will be plenty of space to park any prams as well as a quiet breastfeeding area and baby changing facilities throughout the venue
Winter Funland event director, Andy Windmill, said: “Last years event was a phenomenal success and this year promises to be bigger, brighter and full of even more festive fun. We have pulled out all of the stops to ease queues for Santa, quicker service for food and of course, brought in even more exciting funfair rides.”
Families who have children who are on the Autism Spectrum will be pleased to learn the organisers have created a special autism-friendly sensory experience as part of the Winter Funland which will be available exclusively for autistic children and their family to enjoy on Monday 9th December.
The Winter Funland will be closed to the general public on that day and transformed, making it a welcoming and exciting space for young people affected by autism. Not only will there will be fewer crowds around, but the volume of the attractions will be lowered, the lighting and flickering lights reduced and a special space to chill out if any aspect gets too overwhelming will also be available.
Last year’s event gave over £100,000 worth of tickets to local charities & underprivileged families and they'll do the same again in 2019!
Winter Funland is taking place at EventCity, opposite intu Trafford Centre and there are over 3,000 free car parking spaces.
The doors will officially open to the public on 6th December and will remain open until 4th January 2020 with tickets available right now,
All-inclusive admission tickets are £23.50 per person and under 3’s go FREE. Fastpass tickets to visit Father Christmas at Santa’s Ghrotto are also available from the website here www.winterfunland.com.
This Christmas the mischievous Elves Behavin’ Badly are back and naughtier than ever
The countdown to Christmas is now well underway. It’s time to think about decorating the Christmas tree, hanging the mistletoe and decorating the house.
But! There’s just one (or rather several) small things that you simply must do in order to get in the true Christmas spirit, pick up the striped legs of a pair of elves from the Elves Behavin’ Badly gang and get mischievous!
This December the iconic elves are back and they’re behavin’ even more disgracefully than ever before!. Dismissed from Elftoria and given their P45s, they are looking for revenge.
In light of this the team behind Elves Behavin’ Badly, PMS International, are making a public call to tell people ‘Don’t Bring Your Elves to Work…but they might just invite themselves!’ That’s right, this very naughty pair of elves are hoping consumers will purchase them to help Elfie and Elvie, the troublesome pair at the centre of the chaos, cause mayhem in workplaces and homes all over the UK.
This year the elves aren’t alone in their mischief, Joey Essex is getting a slice of the naughty and ‘salty’ Christmas action. In a mischievous film, Joey is seen falling victim to the elves’ pranks, and now wants consumers all over the UK to pick some up and play some pranks of their own. From leaving an elf poking out of the drawer of your colleague’s desk, to putting the elves in a risqué position as your mates come over for dinner - get creative, get naughty and have some fun, after all, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
It seems that this Christmas it’s not all about making the nice list, the naughty list is double the trouble and double the fun. These cheeky characters make the perfect secret Santa gift, stocking filler or even for yourself. Look out for the red and white striped legs of Elfie and Elvie in most major retailers and online from November where they’re looking to cause pre-Christmas pandemonium.
There is an exciting range of products with the Elves having an RRP of around £3.99 and accessories starting at RRP of £1.00. The huge range of accessories includes a sleigh, dress-up outfits for the dolls and a fake CCTV camera which appears to spy on the kids and report back to Santa.
Keep an eye on social media too for hilarious footage of Joey and the elves as well as a series of daily December dares prompting pranks and chaos!
For more information visit: https://www.elvesbehavinbadly.com.
Their social media tags are:-
@Elvesbehavinbadly
#NoElfControl
Elves Behavin’ Badly is owned by PMS International, the UK's leading manufacturer, importer and distributor of a wide range of consumer products; including Plush Toys, Dolls and Christmas Decorations. Elves Behavin’ Badly has grown considerably over the past few years and what started out as a bit of fun has now become a nationwide Christmas ritual. Since bursting onto the scene, parents all over the country have started experiencing the fun to be had with Elves Behavin’ Badly - the brand has become popular with adults and children alike.
That's Books and Entertainment: Ten for the Devil
That's Books and Entertainment: Ten for the Devil: Ten for the Devil is a novel from Trevor K. Bell. It tells the story of ten people who have been brought together by an offer that they co...
That's Books and Entertainment: A Mummy Running
That's Books and Entertainment: A Mummy Running: A Mummy Running is a wonderful new book from Graeme Longstaff and illustrated by Helen Williams. It tells the story of a mummy who loves...
That's Books and Entertainment: Vikings to Virgin
That's Books and Entertainment: Vikings to Virgin: Vikings to Virgin is a book from author Trisha Hughes. You may have read her previous books Virgin to Victoria and Victoria to Vikings . ...
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