Christmas for the Whole Family
Dot Art Sticker
The perfect fun and relaxing art project for adults and children over Christmas. Published in association with The National Gallery, the Dot Art Sticker Books from Prestel Publishing allow adults and children to create works of art in stickers. Included is a brief explanation.
This activity pack includes everything needed to make your own masterpiece. You simply need to match the stickers to the outlines found on the poster to recreate the painting. The finished poster will be its own original work of art. It has a handy folder-style flap that allows for easy storage and transportation of the artwork in progress. This is the perfect activity for entertainment, relaxation or meditation. Great for adults and children priced at just £10.99
Available from the National Gallery Bookshop and all good bookstores.
Pub Quiz Books
With over one million books sold to date, Pub Quiz Books from Carlton Books are a one-stop shop for quiz masters. There is always someone in the family who either is, or thinks that they are, the font of all knowledge. Now you can put them to the test! Test your own wit or host your own pub quiz with thousands of questions at varying difficulty levels across a huge spectrum of categories. Whether it’s famous faces, wonders of the world or popular music, there’s something for everyone.
For the General Knowledge and Pot Luck books, classic themes include music, sport, geography, politics and entertainment, while specialist subjects include Gardening, The Olympics, DIY and JK Rowling. For The Pop Music book, musical subjects include genres (indie, hip hop, heavy metal), legendary artists (Elton John, Queen, Madonna) and decades.
All books feature pot luck quizzes with a mix of all subjects, to keep you on your toes, plus tips and advice on how to host your own quiz. Adult and older children prices £7.99
Available from carltonbooks.co.uk and all good bookshops and online stores.
Doctor Who Tardis Desk Tidy.
It doesn’t matter if your Dr was William Hartnell or Jodie Whittaker, Dr Who is a significant part of British popular culture and has even gained cult following. Now you can indulge your fandom and transport your stationery. This eye-catching stationery holder is an official wooden replica of the Tardis, the Time Lord’s iconic blue police box.
Well constructed, to the same exacting standards that The Doctor would expect, the wooden tidy is durable and detailed, with a hinged door and roof.
This is a must-have Whovian gift for Christmas, offering a fantastical way to store your pens and sonic screwdrivers. It might even be bigger on the inside too, but that would be telling!
All ages £24.99 Available from Amazon, tvmnorwich.co.uk and all good stores. For further information visit getretro.co.uk
Playtime Goes Swimmingly
All the fun of water play without getting wet. Introducing the Pat & Play Water Mat, a super cute sea life themed, portable toy that will have your little one mesmerised wherever they are.
The adorable whale shaped mat is sure to keep your infant occupied. Simply fill with water and let the fun begin. Little ones will happily watch the six aquatic characters, including an adorable turtle and starfish, float around in the water. Once they start patting and pressing the mat, they will be fascinated by the marine magic that unfolds!
The Pat & Play Water Mat is truly versatile, ideal to use for tummy time, at the high chair while waiting for dinner, or just when sat in the car seat. Best bit is, once playtime is over simply drain and fold away, it’s a great toy for travel.
For babies aged 3 months+, the Pat & Play Water Mat is sure to stimulate development, encouraging hand-eye coordination and sensory play with the bright colours and fascinating floating sea creatures! Made from BPA Free material, the mat is perfect for playtime. £5.99 Amazon
Passing The Torch
When Mary Peters went to the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 she firmly believed that she could win the pentathlon gold medal. Not many others shared her conviction. She had finished only fourth and ninth in the previous two Olympics and at 33 years old, she was considered to be past her best. Her ultimate victory in Munich not only rocketed her to the height of sporting legend but her mental toughness, self-belief and her committed fundraising for the Mary Peters Trust ever since, have inspired a generation of women.
Passing The Torch is a collection of interviews with past and present sportswomen across a variety of disciplines, all sharing with Mary the highs and lows of their careers and the motivation that propels them forward. It is a book to excite and inspire a new generation of girls to take up sport and to experience the many benefits that it can bring including confidence, camaraderie and particularly important to Mary, physical strength.
Among the interviewees are the Dames Kelly Holmes and Jessica Ennis-Hill, Beth Tweddle, Sue Barker, Fatima Whitbread and Rebecca Adlington. There are also interviews with less well-known women but whose stories are equally enlightening about the challenges they faced over their male counterparts. For instance, Rachel Fenwick, who represented GB in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal for Archery, shared, “I remember at one shoot the fastening on my bra broke. A friend offered to repair it with a safety pin but when I was at full draw with the bow, the pin opened and stuck in my back bone. I remember thinking: “Do I release the arrow or come down and start again?” Either way, it was painful!”
This book is for anyone wanting to read about the relentless determination of women on the road to achieving their sporting goals, to be wowed by the courage of people like Maria Costello who broke 24 bones in her body to become a record breaking motor-cycle racer, and heartened by women like Tracy Edwards who was expelled from school age 15 after the tragic loss of her father but still found her purpose in sailing, coming second in the Whitbread Round the World Race and becoming the first woman to win the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy in 1990.
All the interviews, including Mary’s own story, of practicing on a home-made high jump and hurdle, epitomize the grit and focus required to succeed in sport, but also the huge joy and opportunity it brought to all of their lives. As Mary says in the introduction, “My message to all young people is: If you have talent, or even if you haven’t, have a go. The opportunity for friendship, travel and good health is one which can never be replaced.”
ISBN: 978-1-90247-116-7 All good bookshops, Amazon and Paperback: £12.99
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