Jackie Jackson | JAQUO Lifestyle Magazine

The Murder of Elsie Frost

Who murdered Elsie Frost? Although it happened in 1965, the murder of this fourteen year old girl hasn’t been forgotten in Wakefield, Yorkshire. There are still many people who remember it well. Her brother Colin and sister Anne will never forget, of course, but why are they – and the public – being denied access to her files after all these years? And why are these files closed and their contents unable to be...

Memorial service for cow

Memorial service for cow shot by police. Okay, I’m prepared to admit the the police might have over-reacted a little. When three cows escaped onto an English road, police were concerned for the safety of the public. I’ve researched this and oddly, cows escaping is not an unusual phenomenon. Cows being shot by the police is hardly unusual either. In the most recent case, two of the three escapees were successfully captured...

Quiz: Pin-up Girls

Do you recognise these wartime pin-up girls? When we think of pin-up girls, we tend to think about the days of the Second World War. Hundreds and thousands of glamour shots were sent around the world and adorned the lockers, bunks, cabins and walls of servicemen everywhere. The girls in the photographs were often actresses – or were in the fringes of Hollywood and stardom. Many went on to be huge stars. There are eight examples...

Graphic author resource boxes

Graphic author resource boxes: Why and how. Why should you have a graphic author resource box? If you’re an online writer, you know how important it is to have a ‘signature’ for your articles. In addition to other considerations, it’s a valuable aspect of the brand you are creating. Mostly, this will be a text resource box (see the bottom of this page) but there are several good reasons for having a graphic...

Fruit Salads

Fruit salads What could be more healthy, refreshing and delightful than wonderful fruit salad? In honour of National Fruit Salad Day, here are our favourites: Summer Fruit Salad with Creamy Honey-Lime Dressing Summer Fruit Salad with Creamy Honey-Lime Dressing Do you love fresh fruit, especially spring and summer fruits? Those luscious strawberries, melons, blueberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, all just call my name at...

Do you use the Yellow Cab phone app?

Calling a cab: It ain’t what it used to be. Do you remember the days when you actually had to pick up the phone and call for a cab? THat was the old days. Now just use the app on your phone. We don’t use cabs very often. But there are times – the car might be in the shop or we need to get to the airport and don’t want to pay the parking fees there. Or of course,if you’re eating out, a cab does away with...

Royal Baby: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Royal Baby: It’s a girl! May 4th: The new princess has been named. It seems that the British punters were right when they placed their bets. (I got only one right). Welcome to Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. May 3rd: We have a conspiracy theory! A Russian newspaper is claiming that the duchess actually gave birth a few days before. They say that this is because Catherine looked too well-groomed and gorgeous when she appeared...

Double Fudge Brownie Murder: Review

Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke. This was my first introduction to the books by Joanne Fluke and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be reading more in her series. This book is delicious in more ways than one. Delightfully, this is more than just a murder mystery because there are almost thirty excellent and thorough recipes within the pages of this novel. You see, the book features and amateur investigator who also...

James May leaves Top Gear

Is this the end of Top Gear? It’s certainly the end of the show as far as many of us are concerned. To recap, in case you don’t know what I’m blathering about, Top Gear is one of the BBC’s most popular television programmes. Or was. Probably. You see, in March 2015, the BBC in its ‘wisdom’ decided that they wouldn’t renew the contract of one of the presenters, Jeremy Clarkson. (And you can...

Online Writing: The Summer Slump?

Does the summer slump really exist for online writers? Some people think so. I disagree. I received an email today from a website that was telling its writers to prepare for the ‘summer slump’ meaning a reduction in hits. People, the email tells me, are far too busy going to the beach or they’re away on vacation or enjoying outdoor pursuits. They’re not on the internet. Absolute rubbish This is nonsense. And...

Should the throne go to William and skip Charles?

Should William be king instead of Charles? Every time the press bring up the idea of the queen abdicating – as they do increasingly as she was born in 1926 and getting no younger – there are invariably those who say that if she was to do so, the throne should go directly to Prince William and miss out Prince Charles altogether. Why? I simply don’t get it. Quite apart from the fact that succession simply doesn’t...

Did your website survive Google’s changes?

Google’s mobile update. Did your site survive? In February 2015, Google made the unusual move of telling is in advance of a major change they were about to make to their search algorithms. The change was scheduled for 21st April, 2015 and Google expected it to have a ‘significant impact’ on search results. The previous year, it had been announced that more than 60% of Google searches were being made from cellphones...

How to see your site on other devices

Use Google Chrome to see your site on multiple devices Now that Google is so concerned about how websites look and behave on mobile devices, it’s handy that Chrome also gives us a useful way to find out how our sites appear and function without having to own every type of phone or tablet. We’re a reasonably online household so we can physically check sites on various generations of iPhones, an iPad, Kindle and of course,...

Top books for Formula One fans

Formula One books for every fan or enthusiast Are you looking for a gift for someone who loves Formula One motor racing? Or are you – like me – a fan yourself? There are so many books available about the sport today that it’s difficult to know where to start, especially if you’re looking for gifts. You see,part of the problem is that many fans have an affinity to particular drivers or teams. If you don’t...

Online Writers: Should you write with search engines in mind?

Online Writers: Should you write with search engines in mind? Statistics have varied over the years but there’s no doubt that a great number of your website visits will come from search engines. So when you’re writing an online article, should you write specifically for search engines? Or should you simply write and hope for the best? The fact is, that you should be doing both. The good news is that you don’t have to be a search...

Mercedes fan?

Mercedes fan? Dress the part Sport isn’t generally known for being stylish but Formula One is the exception. This is only to be expected for the series that travels to some of the most wonderful, glamorous places in the world. Motorsport is no longer associated with greasy, dirty overalls and smelly fumes – today, racing has style. Even the mechanics are impeccably turned out and have you seen those garages? They are more...

Ask yourself these questions before you tweet

Before you post to Twitter, ask yourself these ten questions. Is your tweet message ready to post? Well, before you send it, ask yourself the following questions. Twitter is a great way to promote our businesses or our work. It’s so very easy to do and takes only seconds. And that’s part of the problem. Because it is so quick and easy to do, it’s also the case that we often forget to take quite enough care with our...

Twitter’s new quote feature

Now tweet with a quote. On April 6th, 2015, Twitter users saw a new feature when they went to their accounts. Twitter hasn’t exactly been hasty about rolling out new features but at last,we have one which is very welcome. When Twitter first began, retweeting was a messy and inconvenient copy and paste procedure. Not only was it awkward, tweets often (usually) had to be truncated to fit into the one hundred and fifty character...

Writers: Make the most of mobile local search

Writers: Make the most of mobile local search statistics. If you write on the internet – maybe you have a business site or a blog – it’s important to pay attention to the latest news that comes from search engine announcements, studies and statistics. We heard in early 2015 that Google was intending to take a website’s phone-friendliness into account in its search algorithm and that it would have a...

Do you inadvertently have doorway pages on your site?

Do you inadvertently have doorway pages on your site? Yes, it’s true that no-one deliberately creates doorway pages any more in order to ‘fool’ the search engines and website viewers but there are obviously enough of them out there for Google to have made the decision to crack down on them further. The problem only arises for the legitimate webmaster when and if they have pages that Google might class as doorway...

Free daily content for your website

Free daily content for your website Ever since the web started, experts have been telling us that to keep our readers interested, we have to provide fresh content on a regular basis. Ideally, your visitors will love to see fresh content every day – or several new and intriguing article daily. That’s a tall order. As the years have gone by, we have discovered how important visual are on the web. Sites such as Pinterest and...

How to own your search engine results page

Your brand name should dominate the SERPS This applies whether you are a lone blogger or a major corporation. When someone searches for your brand name (even if this is simply the name of your blog) you should be in control of what is displayed in the search engine results pages – at least on the first page. You can see above how Google displays JAQUO Magazine. The first result dominates the entire page on my laptop (or iPad...

Save the red telephone box

Save the red telephone box When you think about British icons, what comes to mind? Maybe red double-decker buses, perhaps Big Ben, possibly the city gent in a bowler hat. But for many, it will be the iconic red telephone box. And they are now an endangered species. In their heyday, there were over 92,000 scattered throughout the UK. In cities they were in rows, in the countryside there’d maybe be one per village. Today, there...

Art: The Beauty of Birds

Seabird artwork by Andy Royston Even ancient man was fascinated by birds. Prehistoric cave paintings often feature birds and other winged creatures and since ancient times,they have been used symbolically in many cultures. And we still continue that fascination to this day. It’s hardly surprising – birds represent a freedom that we don’t have; the ability to soar into the air, go anywhere, fly to their dreams (or...

The king, the prince and the caterpillar

Edward VII and his grandson Edward VIII Edward VII, before he became king, was known as the playboy prince. As the eldest son of the long-lived Queen Victoria, he had a long wait before he ascended to the throne. And he spent much of that time to his own advantage. Well-dressed, fun-loving and wealthy, he enjoyed his earlier manhood to the utmost. He enjoyed parties,gambling … and his mistresses. His parents had regarded him as...

JAQUO in print: Spring 2015

JAQUO in print: Spring 2015 We are delighted – well, more like ecstatic – to announce that the first edition of JAQUO print magazine has been published. Featuring a selection of articles, the magazine is available to view or purchase online. The majority of our regular writers have been included, so the chances are that you’ll find your favourites. Plus, you’ll get the chance to explore further. The print...

Is the Clean Reader a good idea?

Is the Clean Reader a good idea? It sounds like a good idea but is it really? couple have developed an app which censors out certain words from books that you are reading on a phone or device. These words are mostly what some would describe as ‘profanities’ but are also body parts – for instance, in one example I saw, the word ‘breast’ was replaced by ‘chest’. The app,say the developers, allow...

Is Meat-Free Week a good idea?

Meat-Free Week Meat-Free Week is an initiative that started in Australia. On March 23rd, 2015, the UK began its own version. This is due to be an annual event. Even though I don’t eat meat, I’m not convinced that these initiatives are really such a great idea. Not eating meat has become a militant thing – something that seems to be getting a little holier-than-thou. Most of us who can read, see or hear are fully...

What names would you choose for the new royal baby?

What names would you choose for the new royal baby? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Catherine – are expecting their second child in April, 2015. This baby will be the sibling of George Alexander Louis, born in the summer of 2013. In the UK, bookmakers are taking (and will presumably make) a fortune as people bet on a) the birth date b) whether the child will be boy or a girl and c) what the names will be....

Will you still watch Top Gear?

Will you still watch Top Gear? You have probably heard that Top Gear presenter, ‘bad lad’ Jeremy Clarkson, has been fired by the BBC. Or, as they put it, they are ‘not renewing his contract’. If you missed the original story, I wrote about it here. This popular and controversial presenter was in what was described as ‘fracas’ in a pub (not at work) with another BBC employee. The latest reports say...

Start your day with the easiest, healthiest breakfast

Start your day with the easiest, healthiest breakfast Who on earth has time to make a fresh, healthy and easy breakfast every morning? For many years, I’ve read about the importance of breakfast. They say that it’s the most important meals of the day and I can believe it. But it’s that old problem – time. Grabbing a bowl of cereal is so much easier. Skipping breakfast, which was my previous habit, is even...

How to create a Google ad

How to create a Google ad Do you use Adsense? Would you like to have Google ads on your site or blog? All you need is a free Google Adsense account and then it’s simplicity itself to add your own money-making advertising to your website or blog. How much money will you make? It depends on how many hits your website gets but every penny you earn is welcome. To be eligible for an Adsense account, the first thing you need...

Memory loss prevention

Memory loss prevention from Dame Judi Dench In February 2015, actor Michael Gambon announced that he was giving up acting after a long and prestigious career. The reason he gave for this is that he could no longer memorise his lines. This prompted Dame Judi Dench to reveal how she manages to memorise her lines and keep working. Note that she is six years older than Michael Gambon – they were born in 1934 and 1940 respectively....

Those fat people with no heads…

Those fat people with no heads… You know the ones I mean.Every time you see an article about how as a society we are getting more and more overweight, there’s going to be a photograph of someone’s middle section. Or someone with no head (well, not a visible one, anyway) like the one you see here. And I’m getting a bit concerned about them… I mean, you’d recognise yourself, wouldn’t you? I...

William & Kate: Baby number two

William & Kate: Baby number two On March 20th, 2015, it seems that American magazine were tired of waiting the required nine months for the expected royal baby. Not one but two of them reported that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, had given birth to a girl in dramatic circumstances. See the screenshot below from the Daily Mirror, a British newspaper. As you can see, it was announced that the baby had been born, that it was a...

Inventing the Victorians

Inventing the Victorians Interesting. We think we know all about the Victorian era and the people who lived in that period. We have definite ideas about their morality, their pastimes and their way of life in general. Could it be that we’re wrong? Maybe we have a completely false idea about the way people lived in Victorian times. Perhaps we know less than we think we do. In fact,maybe we are very mistaken in our ideas. In...

De Havilland aircraft & the film Rebecca

What’s the connection between the de Havilland aircraft & the film Rebecca? Movie trivia: Here’s little piece of trivia with which to bore your friends. There is a strong connection between the aircraft company that made, amongst other things, the World War Two Mosquito bomber and the fabulous Alfred Hitchcock movie, Rebecca. Rebecca, one of the best films ever, starred Joan Fontaine in the leading female role....

Love thy neighbour?

Love thy neighbour There are several things about modern day life than have the ability to annoy me, if I let them. Old people – and I suppose I’m definitely getting there – regret that we have lost our sense of community. Sadly, this is true. Even in my wonderful neighbourhood. There was a perfect example today. A certain discarded item found its way onto the parking lot of our building. It had been spray-painted...

Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif: Eggplant cook-off

Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif: Eggplant cook-off Actress Sophia Loren admits freely that she loves food. Indeed,she attributed her looks to the plentiful consumption of pasta. If only… It is true though that a Mediterranean style diet is highly recommended for health and Sophia Loren does seem to be the proof of the pudding. She has what you would call a healthy appetite. In her autobiography she tells a story of an event that...

Omar Sharif’s Lamb Fatta Recipe

Omar Sharif’s Lamb Fatta Recipe Omar Sharif was more than just heartthrob actor. He adored food. He grew up loving food from his own country, Egypt, and when he moved to the United States fell in love with Italian food. In 1968, he was quoted as saying: ‘Cooking is the preparation, the preliminary, to the great ceremony of eating. And eating is one of the highest pleasures person can experience.’ Probably mindful of...

The Boer War: Presented by Bovril

The Boer War: Presented by Bovril Advertising in Victorian times was in its heyday. It was more or less unregulated too,offering manufacturers, business and the unscrupulous many opportunities. Much of this was what we’d call guerilla marketing today. The population was growing tired of the advertising hoardings that bombarded them. Because advertising was so often misleading, if not downright fraudulent, then they looked at...

Miracle in the Andes: Survival

Nando Parrado was part of the Young Christians rugby team in Uruguay and when the team intended to go to play a match in Santiago, Chile, he was chosen for the team. In October 1972 a plane took off for Chile carrying the young men of the team, plus some of their families and supporters. There were forty-five people aboard. When flying over the Andes Mountains – that treacherous and inhospitable land – and due, it’s...

Ready-to-eat boiled eggs

Ready to eat boiled eggs: The craziest convenience food? Coming soon to supermarket near you … the ready-to-eat soft-boiled egg. This must surely be the daftest convenience food ever. ‘All’ you have to do, to get a perfect soft-boiled egg, is open the plastic container in which the egg is packaged, pour in boiling water,leave for five minutes and, as they say, enjoy. Hang on a minute… If you’re making...

Okay, who did the ‘smelly poo’?

British Airways and the ‘smelly poo’ Yes well, sorry, but that how the BBC described it and if it’s good enough for the BBC, it’s good enough for JAQUO. This is because of the news story that broke on March 12th, 2015. A British Airways flight from London to Dubai had been in the air for about half an hour. The captain put out a call saying that he needed to see a ‘senior member’ of the cabin crew....

Fugu Fish: Last meals

What is fugo fish? Most cities in Japan have at least one restaurant that serves fugo fish almost exclusively. The problem is that, unless it’s prepared extremely accurately and professionally, this fish is poisonous. The most poisonous part of the fish – which incidentally is a type of puffer fish- is the liver. But other organs can contain the toxin too. For this reason, the fish is not for sale to the general public and...

Why don’t we repair goods any more?

Why don’t we repair goods any more? Have you noticed that over the years, there has been a huge decline in businesses that actually repair things? I know I’m knocking on a bit but when I was a kid, every high street had businesses that repaired clocks, shoes, furniture; there were stores that sharpened knives, made clothing alterations or fixed electrical appliances. I just don’t see them any more. A couple of years...

Menu-speak

Ten menu clichés Have you noticed how very flowery the language on restaurant menus has become? It seems that chefs (or possibly restaurant managers) are trying to outdo themselves and that there’s some secret competition to see who can develop the fanciest language. There was time (see the image above) when restaurants were content to describe their food plainly. You would be unlikely to see ‘stewed tomatoes’ on a...

The Travels of Daniel Ascher: Review

The Travels of Daniel Ascher: Review I have so much enjoyed my review copy of this wonderful book and I’m delighted to share it with you. Hélène, the main character,introduces us to a selection of fascinating characters as she gets drawn into resolving the mystery of The Black Insignia series of adventure books – and her own family history. Hélène is studying archeology in Paris and she has just moved into new lodgings...

Last Meals: The Lusitania

The last meals before the sinking of the Lusitania Unlike the Titanic, that struck an iceberg in the middle of the night, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sank by a German U-boat just after lunchtime. We know what the final dinner consisted of on board the Titanic but lunch menus weren’t generally recorded in the same way as the lavish evening meals. But we do know that the meals were equally luxurious on both ships. Here’s...

Love, Nina: By Nina Stibbe

Love, Nina: By Nina Stibbe This book didn’t just make me chuckle. It wasn’t the case of a quick chortle. No, this book made me laugh – a lot. In 1982, Nina Stibbe was twenty years old when she moved to London to work as a nanny. The family she worked for were delightful – and incredibly funny – as were their neighbours and friends. And Nina wrote letters home to her sister describing it all. What you...

Healthier, tastier pastry

Healthy pastry recipe using olive oil For the last twenty years or so, the average consumer has demanded healthier, ‘guilty-free’ menu items. We were delighted to find this pastry recipe. What’s more, it’s quick and easy. This recipe creates enough pastry for a ten inch quiche. Here’s how to make the pastry Stir together one and a quarter cups of flour and half a teaspoon of salt. I use a mixture of...

Agatha Christie: The Secret Adversary

Agatha Christie: The Secret Adversary This book opens aboard the Lusitania on May 7th, 1915. Yes, that’s the day the ship was torpedoed and sank. As the passengers gather on deck, a young American girl is approached by a stranger. He too is American and,knowing that the tradition on a sinking ship is ‘women and children first’ entrusts her with a sealed package to carry with her to England. He tells her that this is...

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: Stephen King

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: Stephen King Here’s another change to read this compendium of Stephen King short stories that was first published in 1993. Even if the book is new to you, you might have read some of these stories before because they have been in various other collections and in some cases,published in magazines. It contains several of my own personal favourites, three in particular. (I think my absolute favourite...

Man pays £10,000 to investigate kitten’s murder

Man pays £10,000 to investigate kitten’s murder Little Farah, a black kitten, was shot by someone using an air-rifle. The likelihood is that she was shot when playing in her owner’s garden. She died a painful death. She belonged to a young English medical student and the girl’s father, Neil Tregarthen, promised to do what he could to find out who was responsible. He had to, because the police said there was nothing...

Colour notes: Perception

Design and colour Colour selection is extremely important. And professional designers don’t choose colours that simply ‘look pretty’. Colours have meanings; colours evoke moods. Colour has been the subject of many expensive and extensive research projects. Colours can also fool you. Colours mean different things to different people. White, the symbol of purity in the western world, signifies death in eastern...

Who was Dodi Al Fayed?

Who was Dodi Al Fayed? In 1997 Dodi Al Fayed, aged forty two, died in a car crash in Paris. With him was his new love, Princess Diana. But how had this relationship started? Largely, it was engineered by his father, Mohamed. Mohamed Al Fayed had been a friend of Diana’s father, Earl Spencer. Diana didn’t know him well at that time but later, when as the Princess of Wales she shopped at Harrods in London, Mohamed would be...

How to make your BigOven recipes public

How to make your BigOven recipes public Are you using the fabulous BigOven system to collect your JAQUO recipes? If so, then you’ll know how easy it is to create grocery shopping lists, develop weekly meal plans and quickly calculate the nutritional value of the meals you serve to your family and friends. When you have a BigOven account- which is free – you can use either your computer,your phone or your tablet to collect...

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders: Review I enjoyed every minute of this mystery novel. It features Samantha, an middle-aged editor working for a London publishing house. Single and living alone, she hardly has an exciting life but is nevertheless dragged into a mystery by one of the author’s whose work she edits, Kit Lowell. The first sign that something is about to happen is when a police inspector calls on Samantha (Sam...

Everlasting Lane by Andrew Lovett: Book Review

Everlasting Lane by Andrew Lovett: Book Review Author Andrew Lovett admits that he had problems with his relationship with his mother when he was in his twenties.In part, that sparked the idea of his novel. Set in the 1970s, the book tells of Peter, a ten year old, whose life is turned upside down when his father dies. His mother – much younger than his father had been – decided that they will move to a country village....

Websites on phones and tablets

How does your website look on a phone? Are you reading this using your phone? If so, you know how great it looks and works. If you’re using a computer, then the image on the right will demonstrate to you how great it looks and how easy it is to use. Smartphones seem to have been with us forever now. I’d love to give you statistics about how many people are now using them, but by the time I get to the end of this sentence,...

Use BigOven to save your recipes … and more

Use BigOven to save your recipes … and more We’ve partnered with BigOven to let you easily save recipes on JAQUO to your phone or tablet, to make grocery lists and menu plans. BigOven is a great free recipe organizer and grocery list used by millions of cooks. It’s available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone and the web. When you visit a recipe on this site, we give you two handy options. You can print the recipe –...

Where to buy Petrol in My Blood

Where to buy Petrol in My Blood by Eric Jackson Eric Jackson’s biography, Petrol in My Blood, is available worldwide. Below, you’ll find the links for most of the sites from which you can buy this true adventure story. Worldwide shipping direct from the publisher You can buy both hardcover or paperback versions of the book directly from the publisher. The company has distribution plants in the USA, Europe, the UK and...

Fernando Alonso: Testing accident 2015

Fernando Alonso: Testing accident 2015 If you know me at all,then you are aware that all Formula One drivers -past, present and more than likely future – are heroes in my eyes. Although like most F1 aficionados, I will secretly admit to having particular favourites, one of which is Fernando Alonso. That’s why I’m very puzzled by the testing accident he had in February 2015. With the season starting in just a few...

Another day in paradise?

Another day in paradise? Well… Subtitle: A bucket, a skipping rope and a coconut Yes, but today was a day in paradise with a difference. The phrase is one that we Floridians use a lot – after all, we live in one of the most beautiful places with wonderful weather. But this morning was an interesting one… I get up before it’s light – I like to get an early start on the day – and I don’t know...

One Summer: Bill Bryson

One Summer: America 1927 1927 wasn’t a particular landmark year for the United States. But it was a time when the affluent ‘jazz age’ was meeting the looming Great Depression. In this book, Bill Bryson explores the events of just that one year and notably, the summer. It’s truly amazing what was happening in the States during such a short period of time. Throughout the book, you’ll meet real people who...

As American as apple pie?

As American as apple pie? In our tiny apartment I can often hear the TV when I’m cooking and the other day, on an ad, I heard someone say “It’s as American as apple pie”. Hang on, I thought. Where did that come from? Apple pie isn’t American. I happen to know (oh the trivia that rattles around in my head) that the first literary reference to apple pie was in Chaucer (would that be the thirteenth century?)...

A Touch of Stardust: Kate Alcott

A Touch of Stardust: Kate Alcott Julie is what used to be known as a ‘small town girl’ but like so many others during the Golden Era of Hollywood, she is attracted there by the movie industry. But unlike the others, Julie doesn’t have ambitions to be a movie star – she wants to be a writer. She finds herself a job in a studio working as a lowly office girl for the David O.Selznick organisation. At the time she...

Yes, Big Brother is watching you

Are targeted ads intrusive? If you live in a ninth floor apartment with no balcony, the chances are that your mailbox never features gardening catalogues. But if you’ve had a baby recently, the chances are that you’ll get mail – both paper and email – advertising baby products and services. That’s simple good sense. Why waste the planet’s resources sending ladies’ footwear catalogues to an...

Lasko Tower Heater

Lasko Tower Heater: My favourite appliance I am totally in love with this space heater. Believe me, if a heater can keep this chilly person warm, then it will keep everyone cozy. I’m convinced that no-one in the world feels the cold the way I do and yet with this wonderful heater, I’m toasty. Until yesterday, we had no heating in our home at all. You see, we live in Florida and 99.9% of the time, we are beautifully warm...

Delancey: By Molly Wizenberg

Delancey: By Molly Wizenberg Have you ever daydreamed about owning a restaurant? I have. Molly Wizenberg started her blog in 2004; a blog with a definite food bias. In time, it was lauded as the best food blog ever. She was asked to write for prestigious publications and even met her husband, thanks to her online writing. Brandon Pettit was a composer and saxophonist. He had several interests which might seem a little offbeat to some....

Friar’s omelet recipe

Try a Friar’s Omelet recipe from 1886 I have in possession a battered old leather-bound notebook. In the front page is lady’s name and the date – 1886. It is a collection of hand-written recipes from England. Many of these recipes were given to her. Some are marked ‘Mother’, others are from ‘Alice A’, ‘Sissie’ and ‘Florrie’ amongst other contributors. I’m...

The River Home: Dorothy Weil

The River Home: Dorothy Weil Dorothy Weil became a writer, poet, painter and award-winning documentary producer. But her early life held no clues as to what she would later achieve. She was brought up as a ‘river rat’. She was born in 1930 and her first memories are of a three tiered steamboat. Her father was employed as the captain of the Valley Queen and the family – Dorothy, her brother Jim and her parents...

How to make proper English pancakes

How to make proper English pancakes I’ve seen many an English person try to hide their bafflement when, on visiting America, they have ordered pancakes and syrup for breakfast. Instead of what they expected, they were served with thick little cakes rather than the delightful plate-sized English pancakes they were expecting, slathered in lemon juice and Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup. I’ve never tried to make American pancakes...

Stuffed cabbage rolls: Recipe & ideas

Stuffed cabbage rolls. So versatile Once you have mastered the art of cooking stuffed cabbage rolls, you have a wealth of recipes to work with. The reason is that so many foods are suitable to use as a filling. Even better, this is a quick-to-make dish and very simple. It’s even planet-friendly. Let me explain more. What are the advantages of this delicious recipe? Depending on the filling used, it’s a remarkably...

Mobile Library by David Whitehead: Review

Mobile Library by David Whitehead: Review I would fully understand if you read a precis of this book and thought that it wasn’t for you. That’s what I did. Reading the outline of the book on the back cover I had absolutely no idea just what a fabulous book this is. The list of characters sounds uninspiring. The plot hardly seems fascinating. And yet this is a terrific book that I recommend highly. Bobby is twelve years...

Brown Windsor Soup

Brown Windsor Soup? No, not really Have you heard of that famous British dish, Brown Windsor Soup? You’ll see references to it on the internet. They’ll tell you that it was much beloved by Queen Victoria, hence the name. They say that it was popularly served in Victorian British households and in plush railway dining cars. Oh, it was so popular, evidently. It was also horrible, they say, but the English, being notorious...

Easily create Facebook call to action buttons

Easily create Facebook call to action buttons Which is more likely to be clicked? A plain link or a call to action button? We all know that the call to action button is going to work better. But did you know that you can easily add them to your Facebook pages? To add a button, like the one you see on the right, takes only about a minute more than making a regular post with a link only and it’s easy to do. Now, the reader has...

British custard tart recipe

British custard tart recipe In 2006, we watched a BBC series on television that was fascinating. A banquet had been planned to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The banquet, for three hundred people, was planned for June 16th. The theme of the banquet,naturally enough, was British foods. The television programme showed various well-known chefs as they competed to have their dishes chosen to be served at the...

King Edward VII: The King in Love

The King in Love: By Theo Aronson Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, had to wait until he was sixty to become the king. Before he did, and when he was the Prince of Wales, there was a danger that he would be under-occupied. Unlike today’s royal family, there were no overseas tour to undertake, no media to satisfy and no supermarkets to open. To Edward’s discomfort, his mother the queen wouldn’t allow his...

How much do we know about the world’s cuisine?

Isn’t it amazing that we know so little about the world’s cuisine? We are more ‘global’ than ever before. We can pick up a telephone and speak to someone in any town or city in the world. We communicate every day with people in other countries via email. Using the internet, we can learn about other cultures from the source. So many households have a TV turned on during every waking hour that the house is...

Is your kitchen designer a professional?

Ten ways to check your kitchen designer’s skills If you’re remodelling your kitchen, you’ll more than likely be using a professional designer. After all, it’s an expensive home improvement and you want the best. The cliché tells us that the kitchen is the ‘heart of the home’ but it’s also the most dangerous room in the house. Every kitchen has electricity and water – which can be a...

Quick and easy pizza recipes

In our household, pizza is just one of those staples – something we have for dinner when there’s little in the fridge or when inspiration simply doesn’t strike. For many years that simply meant picking up the telephone – you know what it’s like – it’s just so easy, isn’t it? Well yes, but eventually I realised that it’s healthier, much cheaper and much, much quicker to make pizza...

UK care home plans 1950s room for Alzheimer’s sufferers

UK care home plans 1950s room for Alzheimer’s sufferers I found this news to be very interesting. A hospital in England is planning to create a 1950s style lounge in their facility especially for patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The rationale is that many of these patients are now in their nineties and the 1950s will evoke memories and comfortable surroundings. I find this incredibly intriguing. Will...

Now they’re messing with Newcastle Brown Ale

Now they’re messing with Newcastle Brown Ale Now don’t get me wrong. I live in the United States. I love the country. But I do with that they would stop messing with English food. Only a couple of weeks go, I had to rant about them changing Cadbury’s Creme Eggs. Now, they’re messing with Newkie Brown. I do think that the country has its priorities bit mixed up. As it is, foods like haggis and certain French...

Etta and Otto and Russell and James

Etta and Otto and Russell and James: By Emma Hooper Otto is an old man now. He gets up early one morning in his windswept Saskatchewan farm to discover a note from his wife, Etta. In the note she explains that she has never seen the ocean so is on her way there. She hasn’t taken the truck, she explains, she’ll walk. The ocean is over three thousand kilometres away …and Etta is eighty three years old. She writes that...

Pasta Alfredo – a lighter, healthier version

Pasta Alfredo – a lighter, healthier version We try to eat as healthily as possible. And I prefer to cook food that takes little time – we’re all so busy these days. But sometimes we simply crave for some delicious, creamy pasta. Something like a Pasta Alfredo but oh, those calories. Have you ever looked it up and seen how many calories there are in the usual version? So in order to satisfy our cravings, and eat...

Prince Charles – New biography

Charles: Heart of a King The author of this new biography about Prince Charles claims that it was authorised and that she had exclusive access to the prince and to members of his household at Clarence House. The BBC is reporting that this simply isn’t true. They say that they have been informed directly from Clarence House that the book certainly wasn’t authorised by the prince, the palace or the royal family. The book,...

Colour notes: Do we all see the same colours?

Do we all see the same colours? Probably not. You and I might look at a rose and describe it as ‘red’ but that’s because we’ve been taught that’s the name for that colour. But if we looked through each others eyes we might see completely differently. Remember, not everyone sees colors the way you do. In fact, one person is twenty is medically classified as colour-blind. Most of these people are men...

Stuffed Mushroom recipes

Stuffed mushroom recipes Mushrooms are such a versatile ingredient for the cook. And the shape of these little beauties just lends itself to being stuffed.It’s a great idea to have a great stuffed mushroom recipe in your repertoire as they are a good way of using leftovers or oddments. Here’s the start of our growing collection: The Best Stuffed Mushroom Recipe Ever! The Best Stuffed Mushroom Recipe Ever! Are you looking...

Three-parent babies

Three-parent babies:Opening the door for designer children? On February 3rd, 2015, the British government passed a bill to allow a in-vitro conception method using three parents. This proved to be highly controversial. The reason for this move is that some women carry defective genes which can cause horrendous health problems in their children. Mitochondria are tiny compartments that exist in almost every cell in the human body.Their...

Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis

The queen’s dogs: Corgis In many ways, it’s a bit of a joke and a cliché. These Welsh dogs were first introduced into the royal family by Elizabeth’s parents. She grew up with these cute little dogs. She has owned more than thirty corgis during her years on the throne. She even took one on her honeymoon. But this tradition may be drawing to a close. We have to remember that the queen was born in 1926. By any stretch...

Baked Grapefruit recipe from the Chalet Suzanne

Baked Grapefruit recipe from the Chalet Suzanne Bertha Hinshaw started her inn in 1930. It was situated just north of Lakes Wales in Florida. Mrs Hinshaw had a special recipe using Florida grapefruit that was on the menu to start every lunch and every dinner. The meals at the inn were described as unusual and ‘unbelievable copious’. Ingredients of only the finest quality were used. The inn was composed of six clusters of...

Throw pillows as art

Can throw pillows be considered art? There was a time when I was quite snooty about it.To me, art was seen on walls. I was tolerant enough to think that sculpture was art and that some ceramics, jewellery and so on could be classed as art but household items? I didn’t think so. But I’ve changed my mind in recent years. Product design went through a quiet revolution some years ago. Suddenly items such as lemon squeezers...

Baked Alaska: Recipe and history

Baked Alaska: Recipe and history In 1867, ownership of Alaska was transferred from Russia to the United States. Delmonico’s restaurants celebrated the fact with the invention of a special dessert created by chef Charles Ranhofer. You can imagine how these Victorian-era guests were delighted. The dish, named Baked Alaska, consisted of a beautifully light cake covered in delicious meringue. Inside the straight-from the oven-cake...

Bilbury, Gloucester: Clever ad campaign?

Bilbury, Gloucester: Clever ad campaign? Twitter has been a-tweeting this week about a yellow car that has been ‘spoiling the view’ in the Cotswolds village of Bilbury. Bilbury, a sleepy little place, is a known tourist attraction. There are some lovely photo opportunities and one of the most popular is the Arlington Row of cottages. But tourists are taking to Twitter en masse to complain that a yellow car which is parked...

The Kitchn Cookbook

The Kitchn Cookbook That’s not a typo. The Kitchn is is division of the fabulous Apartment Therapy website which I’ve been enjoying on a daily basis for ten or more years. You only have to look at the cover of the book above to see that the style that typifies the entire website is at work here. This is so much more than a cookbook though. It contains down-to-earth yet up-to-the-minute ideas, tips and plans to help your...

The end of the traditional British police helmet?

The iconic British bobby’s helmet. Soon to be obsolete? The traditional police helmet has been worn by British bobbies on the beat since 1862. It has become an icon of the British way of life. Generally, it was only worn by policeman who were patrolling on foot. For many years officers have also been issued with a police cap – far more suitable for wearing in patrol cars and soon. But gradually, various forces throughout...

A day at Sandringham

A day at Sandringham House in Victorian times Sandringham House in Norfolk is a royal residence. You can visit the house these days – it has a museum,splendid grounds, a restaurant – but what was it like in Victorian times when it first came into royal possession? Today’s royal family prefers Balmoral for their family get-togethers and holidays but in Victorian times it was a favourite of the family and the residence...

Anti-rape pants – really?

Pants that prevent rape – really? I suppose that the two women who started this company have their hearts in the right place but really, anti-rape pants? Yes, I know that wearing the modern equivalent of a chastity belt might seem like a good idea but what on earth does it say about society? We’ve all heard the old excuse ‘well, she was wearing a very short skirt and a low cut blouse so she was asking for it’....

So, the Sun was just fooling?

The Sun newspaper publishes page three topless photo On 20th January, 2015 I wrote – as did thousands of other people in the world – that the Sun newspaper had decided to stop publishing its regular ‘page three’ feature. That is, photographs of topless girls. There had been campaigns and questions. There were those who thought that breasts were somehow ‘indecent’ and shouldn’t be published in...