by editor | Dec 19, 2011 | Lifestyle
Old Scores Are Settled
On And Off The Pitch…
16 Dec 11
Old Scores (review copies available)
Leigh Dallas Rose
27th January 2011
£17.99 Hardback
978-1-84624-645-6 216 x 135 mm
The murky underworld that lurks beneath top-flight football.
The ins and outs of top-flight football don’t come much more exciting than this.
Paul Breakwell may be a gifted player, but he lacks ambition and direction and looks as if he’s stuck in a Sunday parks team. That is until he meets Nigel, washed out, washed up and down on his luck – but with an eye for the game and the ability to spot potential. Once jailed for fraud, Nigel now rediscovers his own passion for the beautiful game while igniting Paul’s, and sets about making his discovery of football’s latest hot property.
For Paul and his wife Carly things seem to go from strength to strength – new jobs and exciting prospects with local on-the-up club Barrowcliffe, more money, a new car and an expensive big house in footballers’ row. It’s as though all their dreams have come true; but are things ever quite that good for real?
While they enjoy fast-paced football matches and a meteoric rise up the leagues, Paul, Carly and Nigel uncover scandal after seedy scandal underneath the club’s cover. What really goes on behind closed doors across the road at club owner Billy’s house? Why has former player Stan Page reared his ugly head again? And what do they do when the answers leave them fighting for their lives?
Leigh Rose, originally from Derby, combined a career as a PE teacher with roles at several top-flight football clubs, including coaching and scouting for Southampton, Reading and Derby County. He lives with his family in Belper, on the edge of the Peak District.
NOTES
- Taps into the huge loyal football fan market
- Will also appeal to female fans of Footballer’s Wives
- Author has scouted and coached for several top football clubs including Southampton
by editor | Dec 19, 2011 | Lifestyle
Dave Spikey Confirms Spring Dates For
‘Words Don’t Come Easy’ Tour 2012
15 Dec 11
” ‘I wish I hadn’t worn mascara’, my companion remarked as she wiped away the tears as Dave Spikey left the stage. Immediately likeable and with spot on observations, there was certainly one word that came easy for the audience. ENCORE!” – Manchester Evening News
Double British Comedy Award winner Dave Spikey, who recently scooped an audience award at the inaugural COFILMIC Festival for his 10 minute short Buzz Dish, returns to the live arena in 2012 with the addition of 19 dates to his critically acclaimed Words ‘Don’t Come Easy’ tour. As anyone who has ever seen Dave Spikey live or read his best-selling autobiography Under the Microscope will know, words come very easily to this hugely popular comedian.
“Not only a very funny accomplished comedian, but one of the finest raconteurs around” – Time Out
Inspired by the fantastic audience response to his deconstruction of song lyrics in his 2008/09 ‘Best Medicine Tour’, and his fascination with the vagaries of the English language, this hilarious show examines many of life’s situations where words really don’t come easy. These include tongue-tied parents explaining the facts of life, ridiculous newspaper stories, magazine poems, adolescent chat-up lines, weird hospital speak, learning a foreign language and an extended selection of song lyrics that range from the lazy through surreal to the ridiculous. Throw in a “Champion the Wonder Horse” sing-a-long, ancient Abyssinian contraception, rubbish school trips, Epidural Anaesthesia and The Last Supper and you have all the ingredients for a rich and spicy comedy casserole or as Dave would describe it “a sort of Lexicon-carne…. sorry!”
“Down to earth genius” – Liverpool Echo
Since winning the nation’s hearts as cabaret star Jerry St Clair in Phoenix Nights, which he co-wrote with Peter Kay and Neil Fitzmaurice, Dave has been a regular on our TV screens as well as in theatres and comedy clubs around the UK. Aside from Phoenix Nights, Dave also wrote and starred in Dead Man Weds and Magnolia, hosted the new series of the TV classic Bullseye and is currently one of the regular hosts of the TV Book Club on Channel 4.
“Pure Comic Gold” – Lancashire Evening Post
by editor | Dec 19, 2011 | Lifestyle
Blow Away The Post-Christmas
Blues With A Steam Train Ride
15 Dec 11
The Kent & East Sussex Railway in Tenterden is offering a great value day out to visitors between Wednesday 28 December 2011 – Monday 02 January 2012 when everyone can hop aboard and take a nostalgic return steam train ride from Tenterden to Bodiam station.
This is the perfect opportunity to perhaps combine a visit to the attraction with a little shopping in the picturesque High Street in Tenterden.
The all day hop-on, hop-off Rover fares allow unlimited travel along the full 10 ½ miles (16.8 km) of the railway. You can stop off to explore at any station along the way.
The Railway organises special events throughout the year. The website has all event details as well as train times and prices. www.kesr.org.uk
Tenterden Town station has a licensed restaurant and limited car parking with limited allocated spaces for the disabled; there are also toilets for the disabled and a special carriage for the disabled and elderly with wide aisles and ramped access.
by editor | Dec 19, 2011 | Lifestyle
6 Easy Ways To Enjoy Christmas
Without Piling On The Pounds!
15 Dec 11
DECEMBER 2011: With calorie-laden food and drink available in copious amounts at every turn, Christmas can mean all that work done over the year to be ‘good’ can be undone in days and many people start the New Year feeling slightly depressed, slightly flabby & vowing to join a gym… again!
Wendy Powell, founder of the MUTU® SYSTEM (mutusystem.com), suggests bucking the trend this year and enjoying Christmas without the bloating, hangovers and extra pounds. Here’s how:
- Listen to your body when it tells you you’re full! Christmas dinner is notorious for leaving us so full & bloated we can’t move. One serving is a lovely treat, but two helpings takes you from full to bloated – sit back & digest instead!
- When did you ever order 2 desserts after a meal? Christmas pudding, Christmas cakes, trifles, chocolates, mince pies… just because we’re overwhelmed by choice it does mean we have to eat them all! You don’t need to refuse all sweet treats, but just taste them. How about a small plate with literally a bite-sized slice of each dessert you really fancy?
- When you do your food shopping for Christmas, don’t get sucked into this crazy notion that you have to fill your house with more ‘goodies’ than you’ve bought all year… for one day. Choose the treats your family really enjoy, but don’t get sucked in by all the ‘bumper-bargain-2for1-jumbo-family-pack-supersize’ nonsense.
- Move! Christmas for many families means sitting down! Take a break, get off the sofa and go for a walk, get some fresh air, run around with the kids and let off some steam, but don’t just sit and eat and watch TV!
- No one is saying don’t drink, but if you’re drinking alcohol, alternate alcoholic with non alcoholic drinks and try not to spend ALL day with a glass of wine in your hand! Ginger beer, tonic water with a slice of lime or juice like cranberry or pomegranate diluted with sparking mineral water are lovely alternatives and if you drink these you won’t wake up on Boxing Day feeling like a hamster spent the night in your mouth…
- Remember if you want to lose weight, or are planning a new regime for the New Year, piling on the pounds over Christmas makes it even harder. Don’t wait for January 1st to do some exercise! If you’re starting from scratch start a walk/run program TODAY!! Already started? Set yourself a small, achievable goal for the New Year – try a press up – go on! Do it now! How many can you do? Whatever it is – aim to double it by January 1st. Or pledge to make it running all the way up that hill without walking. Or holding a plank position for 1 full minute. You’ll be more motivated to eat well & keep going over Christmas if you’re already exercising, & by Jan 1st you’ll have a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions!
And of course, your friendly nagging personal trainer writer (that’ll be Wendy then) will be right here in January ready to put you through your paces! Happy Christmas!
For more information go to http://mutusystem.com/mutu-system.htm
by editor | Dec 19, 2011 | Lifestyle
‘Kids For A Quid’ Half Term Offer
At The Kent & East Sussex Railway
16 Dec 11
The Kent & East Sussex Railway and Bodiam Castle have collaborated on a special promotion to offer great days out for families at affordable prices this half term.
Available between 14 and 17 February 2012, Kids for a Quid offers families the chance to enjoy rides on the Kent & East Sussex Railway for just £1 per child.
To take advantage of the offers families need to visit the Railway’s website (www.kesr.org.uk) and print off the railway voucher, which allows up to 2 children to travel for only £1 each during half term (14 Feb to 17 Feb) with one full paying adult or senior citizen (£15 and £14 respectively per ticket).
Passengers can board the beautifully restored vintage steam trains at Tenterden Station, which will take them along the 10 ½ mile line to Bodiam station, passing through the Rother Valley.
Bodiam Castle is a short walk from the station and upon arrival families can present their ‘Kids for a Quid’ train tickets to receive discounted entry into the castle where there will be plenty of activities on offer for children to enjoy. A free activity at Bodiam Castle will be included for the children upon production of a second voucher again downloadable from the Railway’s website.
Visit www.kesr.org.uk to print the two vouchers.
The journey to Bodiam station from Tenterden station takes approximately 45 minutes and there is free parking at Tenterden station.
The Kent & East Sussex Railway is renowned for their innovative promotions and this is just one of many on offer throughout 2012, for more information please visit www.kesr.org.uk.
Half Term Promotion Prices
Kent & East Sussex Railway: child tickets £1, adult Rover £15. Senior Citizen £14 (Max 2 child tickets per 1 adult / senior citizen ticket purchased) Visit www.kesr.org.uk to download and print the voucher(s).
For more details telephone 01580 765155, visit www.kesr.org.uk or email [email protected].
