Louis Wain A Cat Compendium

This book is charming and perhaps slightly alarming, too, in a way. Louis Wain's life was filled with poor health of that of his own self as a child (poor health stopped him from going to school until he was 10) and the breast cancer that took the life of his wife at a tragically early age.

To help his wife whilst she was dying over a three year period, Louis bought he a cat, called Peter. and it was Peter who became the inspiration for Louis to paint and draw thousands of cats.

But he didn't merely draw cats in natural settings, though he executed these kinds of drawings. Louis Wain became better known for the fantastical depictions of cats. Cats playing cricket, golfing, boxing, enjoying staging High society parties, hosting dinner parties, playing cards, in fact Louis Wain's cats enjoyed just about every vice and virtue of human society in the Edwardian era in which Louis Wain lived and worked.

Sadly, Louis became mentally ill to the extent that he had to be placed in Bethlehem (aka Bedlam) Mental Hospital for his own good.

Yet the staff encouraged him to continue with his artistic endeavours, which he did. Almost up to his death in 1939.

This book contains many of the illustrations for which Louis Waine was justifiably famed, yet even in some of the earlier drawings of cats we see that their is often a haunted and somewhat manic tint to their visage. Perhaps signs that Louis Wain always had a touch of madness as well as a touch of genius?

But the delightful book is more than a collection of images. It also contains a very useful biographic section on the life of Louis Wain.

It will make an ideal Christmas or Birthday present for the lover of cats, of fans od Louis Wain and also people who are interested in Edwardian history as the book does charmingly parody many of the stratas of Edwardian society that Lous Wain knew so very well.

The book is written/edited by Peter Haining and is published by Peter Owen.

ISBN-10: 0720616379
ISBN-13: 978-0720616378

Catalogue price £11.99 paperback.

http://www.peterowenpublishers.com

It is available through all good local bookshops and via Amazon.

Feel good and do good this Christmas by supporting the Chelsea Pensioners

Bertie the Bulldog; this British Bulldog dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner in scarlet coat and RH initialled black hat is a beautiful soft toy hand-made by Keel toys in Kent.

He is hand-washable and Bertie the Bulldog will make someone that you care about very happy this Christmas.

And this very real feel good factor will also be extended to the giver too!

Why you may ask? Because all profits go to the registered charity, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners.

Bertie is a remarkably keen £14 or a very reasonable £25 for two.

You can only purchase them through the Royal Hospital Chelsea shop, http://royal-hospital-chelsea.myshopify.com/products or www.chelsea-pensioners.org.uk.

Timeless Scottish Gifts from Glen Tanar Estate

Tweed is timeless and it is not just for Christmas. The elegance and traditional style of Glen Tanar Estate’s new range of handbags and purses ensure that your loved ones will cherish them long after the festive period.

Created exclusively for the estate by young Scottish textiles talent, Araminta Campbell, these quality, limited-edition gifts celebrate the heritage and tradition of Glen Tanar, which is nestled close to the Royal Deeside town of Aboyne.

The tweed was designed by Araminta, who took inspiration from the subtle, natural colours which run through the landscape of the estate.

The handbags some in four different sizes, ranging from a small pocket purse through to a large shoulder bag. They are sophisticated enough for special occasions, yet their design makes them ideal for everyday use.

Placemats made from the Glen Tanar tweed are also available, a perfect way to help transform you dinner table with a traditional Scottish twist.

These limited, bespoke accessories are available to purchase in the Glen Tanar Estate Christmas Shop, which is open to Monday 22nd December, seven days a week from 9am-4pm. They can also be bought online at www.glentanar.co.uk.

Prices are: Rectangular placemat set of 6 - £50; Large circular placemat set of 6 - £54;    Small circular placemat set of 6 - £50; Shoulder Bag - £210;   Handbag - £150; Clutch Bag - £94; Purse pocket - £15.

Angling for the perfect gift for the fish loving foodie this Christmas? Then here it is!

This Christmas, treat the foodie in your life to a gift they will really love and will be truly thankful for.

Set them up with the opportunity to learn some awesome cookery skills at Billingsgate Seafood School.

It's located at one of the world's most famous fish markets, London's Billingsgate.

Led by cookery school director, CJ Jackson, the Billingsgate Seafood School offers a class for every person, every budget and every occasion.

There's the fish lovers classes, where visitors can learn the essential knife skills needed for fishmongering, plus some truly ace recipes.

Then there's the shorter morning and evening classes, where the guests can enjoy a glass of wine and will be given the opportunity to test run some new recipes using fish that is responsibly sourced.

Prices for classes typically vary from £40 to just under £200, there's the chance to indulge the food enthusiast in your family to a genuinely unique experience, giving them the chance to experience one of Britain’s oldest markets and London’s traditional institutions.

All vouchers are available online (http://www.seafoodtraining.org)  or can be brought by calling 0207 517 3548 and each voucher is valid for 12 months after purchase.

(EDITOR: The school is established as a charitable company, with the aim of promoting the awareness of fish in young people.)

Tantalise your guests with a Black Cherry Trifle this Christmas

Hartley’s have decided to launch a new and thrilling extra to their range of jellies.

Black Cherry flavour is available just in time for Christmas.

So, apart from making a black cherry jelly  (I rather like how that rhymed, there!) What else can you make with it?

How about a delicious Black Forest trifle?

It's a great new desert recipe and it's quick and easy to prepare, too!

Ingredients
Sugar (for decoration)
Madeira cake
Canister of whipped cream (EDITOR: That's fresh whipped cream)

To make the jelly
Hartley’s 135g Black Cherry jelly (or a flavour of your choice)
1 pint of water

To make the syrup
300g of fresh raspberries (keep a handful aside for decoration)
1 jar of Hartley’s Raspberry Jam

To make the custard
300ml milk
300ml double cream
2 large eggs and one egg yolk
50g caster sugar
50g cornflower
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
For the desired look you will need 8 glass cups.
·        Wipe a wedge of lemon around the edge of each cup
·        Dip the cups in a bowl of sugar, moving it round clockwise until the rim is covered in sugar
·        Set aside until they are ready to be filled

Method
·        Make the jelly according to the packet instructions

To make the syrup
·        Add half a pot of Hartley’s raspberry jam to a sauce pan with your fresh raspberries
·        Cook on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to cool

To make the custard
·        Add the sugar, cornflower and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Next add the eggs  and egg yolk before whisking until the mixture is blended
·        Pour milk and double cream into a pan and heat gently until hot but be careful not to boil. Pour this over the egg mixture and immediately whisk until blended
·        Wash pan to remove any scum from milk, and then pour the mix back into the pan heating gently and stirring constantly until thickened. Do not panic if the mix is lumpy just continue to heat and whisk until it is thick and smooth.
·        Finally pour into a jug and cover with cling film to prevent any skin from forming, and then set aside to cool

Making the trifle
·        Cut 8 1cm slices of Madeira cake, place one slice into the bottom of each cup, pushing down to make sure it covers the bottom
·        Next pour the raspberry syrup generously over the Madeira slice
·        Take the chilled jelly from the fridge and spoon into the cup on top of the Madeira cake
·        Spoon in some custard on top of your jelly layer
·        Next whip cream and apply over the fresh custard
·        Finally place a couple of fresh raspberries on top and pop in the fridge to chill for two hours before enjoying with friends.

The One a unique British Isles spirit

For the first time in centuries, there are distilleries all over the British Isles, where experts in this ancient and revered craft (some even argue that its origins lie deep within the religion of the early British tribes) are now crafting and creating some very fine whiskies. Some very fine whiskies, indeed!

But then along came the Lakes Distillery in the English Lake District. A small, traditional, yet modern, distillery with a fairly unique take on things.

They fell to thinking and pondering. What if...? What if...? What if they went to all of the distilleries in the British Isles... and what if they brought together the best of the best of these different whiskies?

And what if... they spent month after month blending and tasting again and again until, finally, the had created a veritable admixture that would be justifiably called The One, combining the best  of all the British Isles whiskies?

And that is it. That's exactly what The One is.

Before we start, a question. So, after all that work what does it taste like? Did all that effort pay off?

That's actually two questions and I'll answer the second question first, for no better reason than I can!

All that effort did pay off.

As for the taste, it's not easy to be definite about this.

But it is very pleasing on the tongue. It has all the hallmarks of a great whisky. There are hints of spices, it reminded me of the delicious spices that are used mainly at Christmas. Although there was also a hint of nuttiness, too, with perhaps a tang that reminded me of citrus fruits? Malty smokiness also came through and the finish was surprisingly, sweetly attractive.

To learn more about The One visit http://www.lakesdistillery.com/en/.

And don't forget they also produce Cumberland's first and only Vodka and Cumberland Gin, too!

A 70cl bottle of The One costs £29.95 on the site.

Baru at Christmas

Baru have produced one of the best confectioneries known to man and woman kind.

They take their awesomely delicious honey and vanilla bean Marshmallows, and then make them even more awesomely delicious by giving them each a topping of proper burnt sugar caramel with just the right amount of genuine Fleir de Sel sea salt from Guerande.

And then just to make the whole process even more deliciously decadent, they cover them in thick, rich dark chocolate.

The result? A truly wonderful experience for the chocolate lover in your life.

They come in boxes of four, so please don't expect them to share them with you! That would be far too cruel!

Our best suggestion is that you should buy two boxes, one for you, one for the recipient. But here's a tip, don't try them before you make the presentation, or you will eat both boxes yourself!

They cost £6.40 for a box of four.

By the way, other flavours and other delicious treats are available, learn about them at http://www.baru.be/en.htm.

Soft Brew. Brewed for discerning adults

Just because you are driving or on antibiotics or just because you do not want alcohol is no reason why you should be condemned to a life of drinking fizzy pop!

Because it's no longer the bad old days when you would find yourself, as an adult, drinking some awful rip-off cola like drink at a party whilst all the other adults were drinking stuff that, you know, actually had a taste of something?

The bad old days of yesteryear have been replaced by the good new days and a new range of tasty, adult drinks that, although they are proud of their brewing heritage actually contain zero alcohol.

Whilst the Soft Brew range lacks alcohol the drinks contain a whole lot of taste and character.

There are three flavours to choose from: Apple, Lemon and Lime and Elderflower.

They are brewed to bring out the full, soft flavours of the fruits, there's a delicious aroma of hops and a full, satisfying flavour that is free not only of alcohol but also of preservatives and additives.

Chill the bottles (not too much) Gently shake the bottle (not too hard!) to make certain that the fruit is properly mixed throughout the bottle and then pour into your glass and enjoy.

Which one would you like best? Well, as for me, Lime and elderflower is probably the best, though Apple and Lemon come as join seconds, though not far behind.

To learn more about this delicious addition to the Christmas and New Year party scene please visit
http://www.alfresco.co.uk/ourbrands/soft_brew.

Peter's Yard when only the best artisan products will do

You have the finest butter that you can buy, you have the best cheeses that you could find, some really wonderful choice cold cuts, with the tastiest chutneys that are available. 

All helped along by some of the finest organic wines, beers, ports and sherries that you could possibly bring to the table of your guests this Christmas, because you love your guests and want them to be more than happy, you want them to be ecstatic with the food at the party you are hosting.

So what crackers do you supply them with? What? Really? Seriously? Those crackers? The ones over... there?

Oh, no! But surely ordinary cheese biscuits made in an industrial complex rather than a real bakery cannot be served at your party?

That's right, common decency says that they can't! 

So, what to do, instead? What you do is you get yourself to Peter's Yard, Britain's premier Swedish artisan bakery. And buy some real, honest-to-goodness real and properly baked crispbreads!

Your guests will love you for going to www.petersyard.com and either buying direct from this Shropshire-based centre of baking excellence or learning on the site the location of your nearest stockist.  

And Peter's Yard are also on the lookout for savvy folks to stock their range of crispbreads in their shops, delicatessens, garden centre foodhall, supermarket, farm shops and restaurants, so please do enquire!

Wilkinsons for gifts, decorations and much more

Wilkinson's was founded by James Wilkinson back in the 1930s.

Since then it has served well the generations after generations of shoppers who have visited its hundreds of stores or in more recent years have shopped on line via its easy-to-use and shopper friendly website.

Each year every branch of Wilkinson or Wilko as it is know more widely known, and its website gear up to provide its customers with all the kinds of things they could need to ensure that they, the customers, can give their friends and family members they type of Christmas they deserve.

You'll find the Christmas shop at www.wilko.com but  for those of us who still enjoy shopping in the High Street for our Christmas goodies, you can use the handy Store Locator button on the top of the website's first page.

What will you find on line or in your nearest Wilko branch?

Christmas crackers, toys, gifts and more, Christmas decorations (for example, The Wild Wood NOEL decoration that is pictured is available from Wilko at a remarkably modest £5.00) and there are Christmas lights (both for your indoor and outdoor trees) aftershave, perfumes, stocking fillers, that lovely new table that will sit all of the family round it in one sitting, with nobody feeling left out!

See, at Wilko you can not only get what you know you want for Christmas, you can also get things you might have never have even considered as being needed at Christmas but, once you own them, you really can't imagine how you even coped without them, before!

For some really good hints of how to make your own Christmas please take a look at 

www.wilko.com/christmas-decorations/make-your-own-christmas/icat/make-your-own-christmas.

There are even specially recorded TV programmes to give you hints and ideas like this one!

So this December follow the link to the Wilko website or follow your feet to the nearest branch. And by the way, if you spend £50 or more, the delivery is free. Please ask for details.