The hardback book the Little Book of Monarchs by Tony Boullemier is jam-packed with interesting historical snippets about the men and women who have ruled England since The time of the Normans right down to the present day.
With some amusing illustrations by Adrian Teal this book takes an entertaining gallop through the 947 years of the various monarchs, kings, queens, empresses and other rulers who have ruled England, some well and wisely, others not so.
Read about Matilda and the 'great Anarchy' the fate of Richard I, how King John caused a war with France, how Richard II died, learn who presided over the 1705 Act of Parliamentary Union, find out about the longest-serving monarch and many other fascinating facts.
The Little Book of Monarchs is a fascinating book of 120 pages and will make at excellent and well-informed stocking filler at a remarkably good price of £7.99.
It's published in hardback by Matador and the ISBN is 9781783060856
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Give your children the magic of the rainbow for Christmas
.jpg)
The truly wondrous My Very
Own Rainbow from Brainstorm is the perfect way to light up your
child’s Christmas.
Everyone loves catching a glimpse of a
rainbow and now you can treat your child to a rainbow every day. The
enchanting My Very Own Rainbow (RRP £24.99) light projector
transforms any room using multi-coloured LEDs to display a rainbow
coloured arc on walls and ceilings in a darkened room. It’s perfect
for parties and sleepovers and also makes a soothing night light to
help your child drift off and have sweet dreams.
The Rainbow comes complete with two
modes, one which turns the whole multicoloured light show on at once
and the other which fades the rainbow in and out. It also features an
auto shut-off mechanism to help preserve battery life. Now that kids
grow out of toys earlier and earlier, My Very Own Rainbow will also
appeal to kids well into their tween and teen years.
The My Very Own Rainbow can also be
brought to life during the day as it comes with a stunning
sunlight rainbow crystal. Simply hang the crystal on a sunny window
and watch sunlight make natural rainbows dance around your room.
As well as entertaining children, all
Brainstorm toys educate in a fun and engaging way. The projector
comes with a fascinating, colourful education booklet about the
phenomenon that is rainbows.
The My Very Own Rainbow is available
from Amazon, Hamleys, Harrods and selected Toymaster stores.
Saturday, 5 October 2013
It's the Christmas Gift with a Difference! Have you kids grow Aqua Dragons!
Looking for a really different and utterly unique Christmas gift for
your little animal lovers? Aqua Dragons from Brainstorm are a
brilliant present guaranteed to keep children entertained long past
Boxing Day.
The award-winning Aqua Dragons allow
kids to hatch, grow and care for their own prehistoric pets. Aqua
Dragons have lived on Earth for millions of years making them around
at the same time as the dinosaurs roamed the Earth – and that’s
cool in any kids book!
Each Aqua Dragons kit contains live
eggs that hatch into real live aquatic creatures. Just add water to
their special tank and they miraculously hatch in just 2-3 days and
grow to up to 2cm long. The Deluxe Aqua Dragons Kit (RRP £19.99)
also features beautiful blue LED lights in the base of the tank and a
magnifier to observe your hatchlings. The illuminated Aqua Dragons
tank makes a really funky room decoration and children can watch as
the Aqua Dragons swim while bathed with light (Batteries included).
They are fascinating to watch as they swim and play graciously in
their aquatic underwater world
If you are looking for a stocking
filler, children can experience looking after Aqua Dragons with the
Aqua Dragons Underwater World Kit (RRP £11.99). As well as looking
after the Aqua Dragons, children can learn all about these unusual
creatures who’s scientific name is Artemia Salinas.
From the crustacea family, Aqua Dragons
look like tiny three eyed, long tailed, hairy headed dragons that
grow up to 2cm long. Their eggs have an amazing capacity called
cryptobiosis which means they can dry out and stay alive only to
hatch many years later. Tests have found eggs kept in air sealed
containers for up to 20 years still hatched when they were returned
to water.
Aqua Dragons are available from Smyths,
Amazon, Hamleys, Harrods and selected Toymaster stores.
Brainstorm has an ideal Christmas gift for your budding astronomers
.jpg)
Want a meaningful but awesomely fun
Christmas gift for your future astronomers? Then you need look no
further than the wonderful range of Space inspired toys from
Brainstorm.
Children are fascinated by the planets
and the Remote Controlled Illuminated Solar System (RRP £34.99) will
answer all the questions you can’t answer. Children can explore the
wonders of the Slar System from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
The illuminated, motorised solar system
features eight rotating planets and a full Sun. Not only does it
teach them about the solar system in a fun, engaging way but the
coloured planets actually rotate on three independent orbits.
So this makes it what has to be the
coolest Night Light ever! Mount it to your child’s bedroom ceiling
with the enclosed fixings and watch as the illuminated Sun adds a
comforting glow to the room. It also features auto shut-off to save
battery life.
The Solar System also comes with a
colour booklet to teach children all about the different planets –
mums and dads will love this too.
The 2-in-1 Globe Earth &
Constellations (£39.99) is an amazing way to educate your children
about our planet and the constellations in Space. Inspire your own
budding astronomer or mini explorer! The 22.8cm daylight Earth globe
clearly shows political boundaries, natural features such as lakes
and rivers, capitals and major cities but at night it really comes to
life!
The illuminated night globe shows key
stars and constellations with their Latin and common names.
Place in your child’s bedroom on Christmas Day and its advanced light sensor automatically turns on the LED illumination whenever the ambient light in the room reaches a trigger level of darkness. There is also an on/off switch which allows you to turn off the night-time view conserving battery power. Each box contains a specification to enable you to purchase an adaptor so you can also power it from the mains.
Place in your child’s bedroom on Christmas Day and its advanced light sensor automatically turns on the LED illumination whenever the ambient light in the room reaches a trigger level of darkness. There is also an on/off switch which allows you to turn off the night-time view conserving battery power. Each box contains a specification to enable you to purchase an adaptor so you can also power it from the mains.
This is more than your average globe
and the perfect gift for inquisitive minds and those you want to
inspire. It sits on a sturdy, stylish silver base and as well as
being a unique learning tool, it’s a great addition to any child’s
bedroom.
The 2-in-1 Globe Earth &
Constellations is available from Amazon, Hamleys, Harrods and
selected Toymaster stores.
The RC Illuminated Solar System is
available from Smyths, Hamleys, Amazon, Harrods and selected
Toymaster stores.
Brainstorm has Christmas gifts for your
budding astronomers
Want a meaningful but awesomely fun
Christmas gift for your future astronomers? Then you need look no
further than the wonderful range of Space inspired toys from
Brainstorm.
Children are fascinated by the planets
and the Remote Controlled Illuminated Solar System (RRP £34.99) will
answer all the questions you can’t answer. Children can explore the
wonders of the Slar System from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
The illuminated, motorised solar system
features eight rotating planets and a full Sun. Not only does it
teach them about the solar system in a fun, engaging way but the
coloured planets actually rotate on three independent orbits.
So this makes it what has to be the
coolest Night Light ever! Mount it to your child’s bedroom ceiling
with the enclosed fixings and watch as the illuminated Sun adds a
comforting glow to the room. It also features auto shut-off to save
battery life.
The Solar System also comes with a
colour booklet to teach children all about the different planets –
mums and dads will love this too.
The 2-in-1 Globe Earth &
Constellations (£39.99) is an amazing way to educate your children
about our planet and the constellations in Space. Inspire your own
budding astronomer or mini explorer! The 22.8cm daylight Earth globe
clearly shows political boundaries, natural features such as lakes
and rivers, capitals and major cities but at night it really comes to
life!
The illuminated night globe shows key
stars and constellations with their Latin and common names.
Place in your child’s bedroom on Christmas Day and its advanced light sensor automatically turns on the LED illumination whenever the ambient light in the room reaches a trigger level of darkness. There is also an on/off switch which allows you to turn off the night-time view conserving battery power. Each box contains a specification to enable you to purchase an adaptor so you can also power it from the mains.
Place in your child’s bedroom on Christmas Day and its advanced light sensor automatically turns on the LED illumination whenever the ambient light in the room reaches a trigger level of darkness. There is also an on/off switch which allows you to turn off the night-time view conserving battery power. Each box contains a specification to enable you to purchase an adaptor so you can also power it from the mains.
This is more than your average globe
and the perfect gift for inquisitive minds and those you want to
inspire. It sits on a sturdy, stylish silver base and as well as
being a unique learning tool, it’s a great addition to any child’s
bedroom.
The 2-in-1 Globe Earth &
Constellations is available from Amazon, Hamleys, Harrods and
selected Toymaster stores.
The RC Illuminated Solar System is
available from Smyths, Hamleys, Amazon, Harrods and selected
Toymaster stores.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Toast Christmas with Tanqueray Gin
Tanqueray is made with the finest botanicals including refreshing
juniper, peppery coriander, aromatic angelica and sweet liquorice and
its smooth yet bold flavour means it has become one of the world’s
most awarded gins, making a luxurious and classic gift.
There’s no better way to enjoy Tanqueray than with tonic, fresh
lime and lots of ice in one of the signature green stem and black
base copa glasses. This oversize copa glass evokes the golden age of
gin cocktails and its shape allows for the aromas of Tanqueray’s
key botanicals to circulate for full appreciation of the drink’s
flavour.
Tanqueray London Dry Gin comes in a striking and iconic green bottle
inspired by the traditional three-piece cocktail shaker. Stockist
suggestions: Tanqueray London Dry Gin £26.60 (1L bottle) at Waitrose
or £22.50 (70cl bottle) gift boxed at Alexander and James Tanqueray
Copa Glass £12.00 at Alexander and James.
(EDITOR: My wife will not allow
Tanqueray Gin to be used in cocktails. “Too precious for that,”
she tells me!)
Give them a Christmas gift that's 1,050 metres long!
With a track of 1,050m, three times the length of a regular karting
track experience speeds of up to 45mph on the 80m straight along the
track and be the first in the country to drive RIMO Alpha Go Karts,
the premium brand used at Michael Schumacher‘s centres in Germany.
A great gift for the whole family – with Go Karts for everyone –
from single adult karts through to two seater Go Karts for beginners
or those with less confidence, or the disabled, this truly is a gift
which everyone can enjoy.
Compete against friends and family to find out who will earn bragging
rights by celebrating on top of the podium.
Only 15 minutes from central London, Capital Karts is easy to get to
for anyone based in the capital, or outside.
Individual
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2 x 15mins) = £32.99 per person (weekdays before 4.30pm)
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2x 15mins) = £42.99 (weekdays after 4.30pm and weekends)
Grand Prix -50 minutes (10 mins qualifying and 40 mins race) = £54.99
Team Event
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £99.99 per kart (weekdays)
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £129.99 per kart (weekend)
Group
Exclusive track hire -
1 hour track hire (16-50 drivers) £57.60 per driver
2 hour track hire (51 - 75 drivers) £51.60 per driver
3 hour track hire (76 - 100 drivers) £47.99 per driver
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2 x 15mins) = £32.99 per person (weekdays before 4.30pm)
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2x 15mins) = £42.99 (weekdays after 4.30pm and weekends)
Grand Prix -50 minutes (10 mins qualifying and 40 mins race) = £54.99
Team Event
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £99.99 per kart (weekdays)
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £129.99 per kart (weekend)
Group
Exclusive track hire -
1 hour track hire (16-50 drivers) £57.60 per driver
2 hour track hire (51 - 75 drivers) £51.60 per driver
3 hour track hire (76 - 100 drivers) £47.99 per driver
To book and for more information visit: www.capitalkarts.com
Festive Recipe Ideas for Luxury Christmas Pâtés from Castle MacLellan
To celebrate the return of the range, which complements its core
selection of luxury Scottish pâtés, the company has developed a
number of tasty recipes. The collection includes mouth-watering meals
and canapés that demonstrate how the much-loved product can be used
to make show stopping festive treats, as well as being the perfect
topping for oatcakes, crackers and blinis.
The recipes include Mini Duck, Port and Plum Chutney Pies with a
delicious ham hock and pâté centre encompassed in a golden pastry
crust; crispy Chicken Parcels with cranberry sauce; and gourmet
Salmon Cakes with a warming pinch of nutmeg.
The convenient Christmas pack is designed to allow the pâté to be
easily turned out onto a plate as part of an elegant buffet spread.
Made from the finest Scottish ingredients, the seasonal range comes
in three delicious varieties:
Chicken Pâté with Brandy - soft, indulgent and enriched with butter
cream and brandy, delicately finished with hints of thyme and sweet
notes from the Galloway Bramley apple jelly.
Duck Pâté with Port - a smooth, rich,
decadent and very “moreish” duck liver pâté with hints of sweet
ruby port.
Smoked Salmon Terrine - a luxurious blend of smoked and poached
salmon, cream cheese and crème fraiche, delicately flavoured with
horseradish and lemon.
Castle MacLellan has been making the
finest fresh luxury pâtés since 1982 and is dedicated to sourcing
the very best local ingredients from small, independent companies
rooted in Scottish heritage and provenance. The company remains an
established and trusted brand, working with
a number of local suppliers, which include Rannoch Smokery and The
Orkney Fisherman’s Society.
Castle MacLellan Christmas pâtés range is available in supermarkets
and independent stores throughout the UK from the end of November,
priced around £2.99.
Ingredients:
500g Packet Short Crust Pastry
1. Preheat the oven
to 200oC.
2. Roll out the
pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Cut out 8x9cm circles of
pastry for the base and 8x7cm circles for the top of the pie.
3. Take a muffin tray
and brush the moulds with a little oil. Push the pastry base into the
muffin case.
5. Spread a thin layer of the Castle MacLellan Duck
Pâté on top using about a tsp on each pie. Then drop the same
amount of chutney onto top.
6. Brush the outer edge with milk/egg and add a
pastry lid. Pinch the sides to seal and make a small hole in the top.
Ingredients:
1.
Preheat the oven to 200’C
2. Scoop the pack of Castle
MacLellan Chicken Pâté with Brandy into a
mixing bowl and stir in the cranberry sauce.
3. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on
a lightly floured surface and brush with melted butter. Work quickly
as the pastry will start to dry out.
4.
Place a quarter of the pate mix in the centre and pull the diagonal
corner to the middle to form a parcel.
5.
Pinch the pastry in around the pate
and let the top fall over.
6.
Brush the parcels with butter again and place in a small muffin tin.
8.
Bake the parcels for 10 minutes or until pastry is crispy and golden.
9.
Once removed from the oven place on a
piece of kitchen paper to absorb any excess butter.
10. Serve and
enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 Pack of Castle MacLellan Smoked Salmon
Terrine
1/2 Spring Onion
Pinch of Nutmeg
35g Breadcrumbs
1tbsp of Flour
1tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Spring Onion
Pinch of Nutmeg
35g Breadcrumbs
1tbsp of Flour
1tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1.
Finely chop the spring onion.
3.
Add the spring onion and mix well.
7. Coat bottom of frying pan
with olive oil and fry the cakes over a medium/high heat for 2-3
minutes on each side until golden brown.
8.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges and sweet chilli sauce.
Get Funkin Cocktails for your Christmas and New Year Parties!
Fancy a cheeky cocktail? Then the
Funkin Cocktail range is just right!
The new 750ml funkin cocktail
mixer range includes funkin Brazilian®, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri
and funkin Mojito (RRP £2.99)
The 1l funkin cocktail mixer range
comprises funkin Brazilian®, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri, funkin
Mojito Funkin Sour Mix, funkin Cosmopolitan, funkin Strawberry Woo
Woo and funkin Margarita (RRP £3.99)
Funkin cocktail mixers are also
available in a variety of flavours in single serve 120g pouches,
including funkin Bellini, funkin Bramble, funkin Cosmopolitan, Funkin
Margarita, funkin Mojito, funkin Pina Colada, funkin Raspberry
Mojito, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri and funkin Strawberry Woo Woo (RRP
£0.99)
The full funkin range is available
nationwide at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado,
Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Majestic Wine, Harrods, Amazon and
www.funkin.co.uk
Keep up to date with the latest party
tips and cocktail recipes at www.facebook.com/funkincocktails
and www.twitter.com/funkincocktails
http://www.twitter.com/funkincocktails
Here's one you can try
Funkin Winter Punch
25 ml Absolut Vanilla
75 ml Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri
cocktail mixer
Sparkling Wine
Orange Peel (to garnish)
Method
Fill a tall glass with ice and leave to
cool. Then fill a cocktail shaker with the vodka and Funkin
Strawberry Daiquiri cocktail mixer and shake to mix up. Pour the
mixture into the glass and top with sparkling wine and orange peel to
garnish. Enjoy!
Buy your smoker a SKYCIG Freedom gift set for Christmas
If you have a smoker in your life,
isn't it time they went electronic for the New Year? And what better
way to do this then by purchasing them the gift of a SKCIG giftbox
this Christmas?
It's designed to simulate the act of
smoking but by taking away the nasty cocktail of 4,000 chemicals in
the smoke from normal cigarettes! And cleverly only leaving a metered
and measured dose of pure nicotine, delivered in water vapour and not
clouds of choking smoke!
SKYCIG employs special 'push-to-charge'
technology which means more 'smokes' as it has longer-lasting
batteries. In fact, the freedom pack from SKYCIG conveniently lets
users charge whilst their on the go, and with much more simple
charging methods.
SKYCIG has seven great flavours to
choose from: Crown Tobacco, Tobacco Gold, Crown Menthol, Vanilla,
Crown Cherry, Cinnamon and Classic Tobacco.
SKCYIG e-cigarettes allow them to enjoy
the physical act of smoking, without the obvious health implications
associated with smoking tobacco, they contain nicotine, delivered in
the form of water vapour.
They are said to be the most realistic smoking experience available,
and are designed to be enjoyed virtually anywhere they see a ‘no
smoking’ sign.
With a range of products now available, from the newly launched White
Pack, the original Freedom Pack and the brand new, berry flavoured,
nicotine free NRG Pack, there is an e-cigarette to suit their needs.
What’s more, SKYCIG e-cigarettes costs up to 80% less than
traditional cigarettes, leaving them with more money to enjoy the
finer things in life!
SKYCIG Freedom are available in three
strengths, Bold, Regular and Light.
A Rechargeable Case containing 2 batteries on the right and 5 empty
slots for cartridges 5 on the left
The SKYCIG Freedom is priced at £49.99 and is available to buy
on www.skycig.co.uk
Go nuts for Christmas, with Cambrook Nuts
You'd almost think it was the result of
an ancient law, the fact that, every Christmas, almost every family in Britain buys a large
bag of nuts from the supermarket or the fruit and veg stall and
places them on the coffee table or the sideboard... and there they
sit, unloved and uneaten due to their musty, stale taste, until
someone decides to throw them out for the wild birds. And is it a
coincidence that soon after they Christen the washing on the line?
Probably not!
But it doesn't have to be like this!
Abandon the stale and the mundane and treat you, your family and your
Christmas guests to some really delicious Christmas nuts this year!
And they make great presents for foodies, too!
Because whether you’re mad about
macadamias, crazy for cashews, or passionate about peanuts, artisan
nut lovers everywhere will be delighted to find a bag of deliciously
moreish caramelised nuts from Cambrook in their stocking this
Christmas, or in a bowl on the coffee table or sideboard. But don't
expect them to stay there for long!
Because, using traditional artisan
techniques in Cambrook’s Hampshire factory, each nut is coated in a
beautiful fine golden glaze and has a distinctive crunchy texture
with a hint of salt, making it the perfect gift for foodie friends or
a gloriously luxurious snack when you’re feeling a little bit
peckish. Whichever one you choose, each and every bag brings an
explosion of honeyed, nutty goodness that is hard to resist.
Cambook caramelised nuts are the brainchild of Dormen’s founders
Michael Brooks and Angus Cameron, who perfected the recipe in a shed
at the bottom of Angus’s garden using a French copper roasting pan.
“We borrowed artisan methods used on the Continent and set out to
create our own distinctive brand of caramelised nuts, and it seems
our recipe of a fine layer of sugar and honey with a pinch of salt
has been a great success,” says Angus. “We are delighted to be
able to say that we are now stocked in some of the best fine food
retailers across the country.”
The new Cambrook caramelised nut range includes Cashews, Sesame
Peanuts, Macadamias and Mixed Nuts, and costs from £1.79 RRP to
£2.99 per 80g bag; available at delis, farm shops and speciality
food stores, including Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and
Wholefoods.
For further information, visit
www.cambrookfoods.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)