Category Archives: Interview

Accessories/Jewellery/Bags, Eco Friendly, Interview

An Interview With Handmade By Tinni

This week I’m featuring a brand – Handmade By Tinni – that is all about sustainability and joyful colours – jewellery and home decor signs using organic cotton rope and yarn. Let me introduce the lovely designer Paulomi Debnath onto the blog….

Hello, I’m Paulomi and I am a textile jewellery designer and the face behind Handmade by Tinni. I create colourful, bold pieces of designs that brings joy and inspire confidence. I am a coffee lover, passionate about jewellery (read obsessed!), slightly eccentric, a pretty good cook (Asian mainly and certified by my other half!) and a proud small independent business owner.

I was born in Kolkata, India, a colonial city with a rich heritage and history. Charming and extremely busy, my birth city holds a special place in my heart forever. When I set up my brand finally in 2020, I drew my design inspiration from the bright colours of nature, amazing places that I have travelled to over the years and most importantly from the rich heritage of India.I studied sales and marketing and started my career in hotel sales in India. I am passionate about travelling and have always found great pleasure in promoting hotels and destinations.

In 2004, I met the love of my life and in 2006, we got married in Kolkata. We both belong to this ‘City of Joy’ and very proud to have strong roots there. Soon, I joined my husband in London to start a new chapter of our journey together. With my experience in hotel sales, I was back in hotel sales management.

It has been a challenge – managing a creative business while working full time as a Senior Buyer, a wife and a mother of a 10-year-old boy (who always keeps me on my toes). You constantly need to learn to juggle a busy work & social life with loads of multitasking. But with constant support from my family, I always have been able to overcome that. When it has come to living my dream, I don’t want to resign into a life of missed callings and dreams.

My brand is all about sustainability and joyful colour. My vibrant, bold designs bring joy & inspire ethical living. I am based in London and make all my designs from my home studio.

What inspired the brand name of “Handmade ByTinni”? What made you decide to concentrate on textile jewellery? 

Tinni is my nickname that my family lovingly call me. It is like my alternate personality – cheeky, full of fun and colourful! When I was searching for an ideal brand name, I really wanted it to represent my soul and my passion for Jewellery. AND…… I am totally addicted to jewellery. My mum often teases me, and says that I am building a secret jewellery museum. And being an Indian by origin, I am spoilt for choices. I am extremely proud of my eccentric collection which is a mix of vintage and contemporary design. 

So, my brand name is my cheeky pet name and echoes that I design every piece of my jewellery home studio based in London. When I started Handmade By Tinni last year, I wasn’t even sure how far I could go with it, because everything was uncertain at the time. But I knew that I wanted a brand name that would mirror my passion and my hard work. My designs are handmade, and hence, it’s Handmade by Tinni. 

I also launched my home décor designs a year back and they have been very popular too. 

I love the Red Knotted Statement Cotton Necklace as well as the home decor signs. What items/colours are proving popular amongst your customers so far this season?

Thank you, Linda. That Red Knotted Necklace – Maya Necklace is one of my first designs and a all time favourite. The design is simple yet classic and very easy wear for all occasion. And not just in red, this necklace (and all others) is available in twenty-eight colours, which makes it popular as a gift too. 

In terms of colour, currently I am seeing an increased demand for Mustard, Fuchsia, Turquoise and Emerald Green. These colours are very vibrant and add glamour to any outfit. So, a great choice if you want something new that is not Red or Black. 

In terms of designs, I am so excited to see customers are increasingly embracing colours and experimentation. I am receiving more and more custom requests with design details, colours, shapes, and whole array of words when buying our custom word necklaces. I would forecast a lot more experimentation and adding a bit of glitz and glamour to classic designs. More and more customers are being open to statement pieces to show off their individual styles. This fashion forwardness really inspires me to create unique designs knowing there are accessory lovers who admire statement niche designs. 

Being a small independent brand, customers are also feeling confidant in approaching the designer to commission a custom, unique design that they will treasure forever. I am blessed to make someone’s dream design for them!

Out of all your collection, do you have any favourites?

It is very hard to pick among all your creations as you put little bit of your soul in each of them. However, if I really must, I will choose the ‘Love’ word necklace.

This was the first design that really earned my place in our creative community and became my signature design. I have since created several custom word necklaces as I can make any word (4/5 letters max recommended) like your name or belief or fun words, into wearable pieces.

This is a unique piece of jewellery which is perfect to gift to a loved one. It makes a great valentine’s day gift, a Mother’s Day gift or a anniversary gift.


As you are based in London, are your products available to purchase overseas? 

Absolutely. We can deliver worldwide. I would always recommend choosing tracked shipping when buying from international designer for additional peace of mind. 

We are also stocked at various boutiques in Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, France, Italy and of course in UK. 

It always gives me greatest pleasure if I am introduced to a jewellery lover from overseas. Just a little appreciation for social media here, as without that, many small designers like myself might not have achieved a bit of global recognition. My own Instagram is so colourful with stunning, inspiring posts from all over the world, makers and buyers combined. Just make me very happy to see so much love for small creative industry especially over last 2 years. 

When designing jewellery to add to your collection, do you take into account your own tastes, your customer base, requests, or bits of all those?

When designing a new collection, I do not follow any rules. I am influenced by nature and colours around nature. I keep myself updated around the colour trends and design influences around the world like minimalistic or geometric and incorporate that in my designs. I do rely on Pantone colour trends and colour charts when considering new colour collections. 

My custom designs are really a mixture of what the client envisioned and my creativity. It is so exciting to create someone’s dream design with a bit of my own twist. 

What do you enjoy most about making textile jewellery? What was the hardest piece of jewellery to make or the most unusual request you have had? 

There are some who would say you don’t choose the craft; the craft chooses you.

I love the whole look and feel of knotted jewellery but I am also very drawn to the art of repetition. I love the feel of knotting, the comfort of making the same movement over and over, and the oozy happiness when you create something with it. I take great pride in making modern wearable pieces of art using this traditional craft technique.

I’m self-taught in the art of rope knotting and I spent many days perfecting and learning the craft. Even today, I get excited about learning a new knotting technique, which I may or may not be able to use in my upcoming designs, but it is thrilling to do something new. The experimentation of mixing and matching different knots excites me too. Some of these techniques are ones I learned when I was trekking in the Himalayas.  

Hardest piece of Jewellery – Without a doubt my cotton wrapped collection. This wrapping technique is time intensive and requires precision. Each piece is unique and timeless. The delicate craftmanship makes them really ‘hard to find’ jewellery pieces. 

Most unusual request – I have designed plenty of custom designs and each are unique. From brand name to first name to their favourite word to special tangled designs, I have really done a spectrum of unusual designs. This particular designwas6 unusual as it challenged me to recreate a necklace design to a pair of anklets for a special customer. I had to carefully redesign to make it as close as to the original design they loved. 

 What are your top tips on looking after your Statement Textile Jewellery?

Very good question and I have a website section dedicated to product care. 

Please treat your jewellery / accessories with care, whilst it is durable, handmade jewellery / accessory still needs love and care! So, look after it well & it will last a long time.
 • Avoid contact with water, oil, lotions, insect repellents & perfume

• Please store away from extreme heat, strong sunlight, water or high levels of moisture & try not to drop it!

• To keep your Textile jewellery shiny clean, always use a super soft cloth to get rid of any smears & smudges. A microfibre cloth, similar to the sort you get with your reading glasses is a good choice  

• Jewellery with Magnetic Closures – Kindly open and close the magnetic clasps by holding the metal section only. Try not to pull the rope endings. They are glued and strong pull might unglue the magnets

. • Always ensure the cloth is clean, dust free & rub lightly to avoid losing the shape of the product. For more stubborn marks, a little bit of water or baby wipe should help

  • Avoid contact with body oils, and other chemicals, including household cleaners. 

• Remove when sleeping, exercising, or doing other physically strenuous activities

• Do not use chemical jewellery cleaners.(

• Do not wash. 

Storing jewellery whilst not in use: 

• Kindly always store the necklaces flat when not in use to maintain shape. 
• Try to keep them away from children’s hands as the shape is written in calligraphy way and manhandling can ruin the letters and / or writing.

• Store your accessory in a cool dry place.

Your company has partnered with Ecologi. What does that involve? 

When I began creating my statement jewellery, I knew that I had to do so sustainably. Protecting our planet is no longer an option, it’s essential. As a small business, I ensure I’m eco-conscious in every decision I make. I chose cotton as my main design medium as it is sustainable & bio-degradable, soft to wear and anti-allergic. My zero-waste collection ensures that every offcut is used so that I’m not wasting materials. Handmade By Tinni is also committed to sourcing materials ethically and continuing to find ways to reduce my business’s carbon footprint. One way we do this is by supporting Ecologi, a wonderful organisation dedicated to reforestation. Together with Ecologi, Handmade By Tinni enables the planting of 32 trees per month.

See Handmade by Tinni Forest here.

Growing up, did you always want to be a jewellery designer or did your aspirations lie elsewhere?

I am totally addicted to jewellery from early days!  I designed and dressed up my own collection. My aspiration was always around jewellery and I wanted to become one as soon as I finished studies. However, I followed my second passion at that time and started working in travel industry. 

I am a bohemian traveller at heart, and I have been very lucky to have travelled to many places over the years due to my work or simply holidays. Nothing inspires you more than the multitude of traditional art and craft, the people and textiles from different countries and cultures.

So, imagine my excitement when I could finally launch my own jewellery brand inspired by nature and the places that I have travelled over the year. 

Could you explain your creative process?

I am a dreamer! I dream a design and then work my way to it. Ideas can hit me at any time, so I carry my small sketchbook with my everywhere. It’s full of scribbles and sketches of designs. I also keep an eye on popular colour trends (Pantone has a helpful library of colour palettes to experiment with). Once I have an idea, I play around with the material, colours, different knots and patterns to find the best combination to create a wearable piece – although some of my designs are so intricate, they are only for galleries and exhibitions.

I like to find a quiet corner and just get busy with my ropes and accessories. Some days it’s easy and I can make the final design in one go. However, there are days when I need to work longer and harder before I can transform that thought in my mind into a design. Some days, I must start again from scratch. I guess that’s the life of an artist! It’s the best feeling, though, when you see your idea coming to life exactly how you imagined it

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Hypothetically speaking, if you could nominate a famous person (dead or alive) to be the “Face of Handmade By Tinni” who would you pick to represent your brand and why?

I am a HUGE fan of Iris Apfel. Her trend setting eclectic style of layering bright colors and patterns while pairing oversized accessories together, especially her signature black glasses, just makes me supercharged and inspired. Every time I see an image of Iris, I find myself just ogling! 

Given a chance, I would love to raid her wardrobe and just amass every accessory! (Iris Mam, if you are reading this blog, don’t judge me please. Many fashionistas have the same dream, believe me!)

So, it is only my dream to have Iris Apfel as the face of Handmade by Tinni. 

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

My brand reflects my personal style. Colourful, edgy, structured! 

Work-wear – I am huge fan of vibrant colours paired with eternal classics like blue denim or pleated skirt. For a more polished look, I just pair my outfit with a cotton blazer. I own quite a few structured jackets in an array of colours. 

Another look that I really love is printed dresses paired with jackets or blazers. 

I love prints and abstract colour combination. Most of my clothes are handpicked and from good brands to ensure long shelf life. 

Of course I always pair all my outfits with statement jewellery pieces. 

Holiday Look – Floaty dresses, pair of classy shades, long beaded / tassel necklaces and dark lippy. 

Indian wear – Due to my heritage, I am fortunate to own a huge collection of handloom sarees and Indian dresses. They are handcrafted, some are handstitched all over the body and just purely stunning. I dress up quite often when attending cultural events. 

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites? (Apart from your own!)

I am a huge fan of Kate Spade New York and Desigual. I have a weakness towards designer bags, and I celebrate my big wins with a fancy purse few times. I have a Desigual coat, and it is a head turner! Whenever I wear that, I get compliments, and everyone wants to know where I got it from. Ted Baker – OMG! I love their design essence and own quite a few dresses, skirts, tops etc. Just love the simple, classic yet colourful designs. 

Is the rest of your personal jewellery collection is as bold and colourful as your work?

I have always been an avid collector of antique and hand-crafted jewellery. Here are some of the pieces from my own collection that are truly treasured and valued antiques. They hold very dear memories for me…

Pic 1: Gifted on my wedding by my Grandmother-in-law, who received this as a wedding gift from her mother-in-law. This armlet is at least 100 years. It is one of my treasured vintage pieces. I am truly humbled to own it.

Pic 2: Another weird-shaped silver piece! This was part of an elaborate Indian anklet. I only received this part and wear it as a choker. Thankfully, I don’t have thick neck!

Pic 3: This was a gift from my mother-in-law. The armlet belonged to her great grandmother. The main piece of the earring is a bit bent as it is part of an armlet (I only got them as those pieces) and I then designed it as a earring pair.

Pic 4: This was an heirloom hair accessory used by aristocratic ladies in a traditional Indian household. I transformed it into a statement neckpiece.

Pic 5: An original piece of antique Afghan jewellery, I bought this necklace and anklet set on a trip to Dubai, from a little shop in the souk. I absolutely love this piece – it’s entirely unique and was very hard to find. 

Pic 6: Look at this riot of colours! This awesome piece is from Sorrento in Italy. It features original Italian semi-precious stones and is very heavy but such a head-turner. 

Pic 7: An amazing piece given to me from my sister who bought it from a local designer in my hometown of Kolkata. I love the colours and simplicity.

Pic 8: This is another gift from my sister and was chosen by my little boy. My darling sister took him to a jewellery exhibition and apparently, he wouldn’t leave until my sister bought this necklace for his mumma. He knows I would LOVE it.

Pic 9: This is pure silver jhumka. It is extremely dear to me, although it’s quite heavy and not for the faint hearted! Gifted by my Ma.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I have spotted a Kate Spade quilted bag and that is definitely on my shopping list.  Also, I am eying the Kurt Geiger rainbow bag that is a stunning showstopper.

Boots or Shoes? 

It used to be shoes but slowly and steadily I am moving away from pointy heels, stilettos and replacing them with comfy, stylish boots or flat slip-ons. I own a pair of Kate Spade sparkly boots and a pair of Mulberry flats. Really comfortable and awesome style quotient. Love them both.

Links you would like to share e.g.website/Facebook/twitter etc so that readers can find out more about Handmade By Tinni. 

Website – https://www.handmadebytinni.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HandmadebyTinni

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ByTinni

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/handmade.bytinni/

What exquisite jewellery and I just love the colourful vibes! Thank you Paulomi for the wonderful tour of your jewellery loves and lusts!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of Handmade By Tinni

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Accessories/Jewellery/Bags, Interview

An Interview With Catherine Marche Jewellery

Add a little bit of ” Ooh La La” to your jewellery collection, as my guest this week is London based but originally from France – Catherine Marche Jewellery. Her jewellery is desirable with a French chic twist that simply oozes style. Without further ado, let’s say hello to the lovely Catherine…


Bonjour ! I am Catherine Marche. I love creating precious little things. I have been described as an ebullient, fun, passionate and elegant person and also as “very French”. Whatever that means, I take it as a compliment! I have been an expat most of my life. Growing up in 14 different houses and 3 countries. I feel like an eternal globe trotter, I love discovering new places, meeting new people, helping my friends, listening and playing music, dancing and eating good food. 

I feel happiest when near turquoise waters, bright blue sky, palm trees and white sand. I also love “sports de glisse” i.e. ski, waterski, snowboard, ice skating, roller skating, surfing … 

What inspired the setting up of “Catherine Marche Designs”?

I fell into it by chance. During a trip to Alderney, one of my friends purchased a set of jewellery pliers as she was thinking of enrolling into a class. I got one too and enrolled into a class on my return to London. Thinking about it, jewellery has always been part of my life. I used to make tiny necklaces for my dolls and designed my 1st gold piece when was 9, as my mother wanted my input for my communion cross. Thereafter, I used to purchase or commission jewellery wherever I went on holiday as a memento. I still have earrings from Carnaby Street I purchased on a school trip aged 11.

I guess I will always be fascinated by the world of colours, shapes and the way they make you feel. Jewellery is a great medium to express your creativity freely. Furthermore, jewels tell stories and are tokens used to represent emotional milestones. I realise I love the way jewellery spreads joy and love around. 

I do adore your Keshi Pearls Luxurious Cuff and the Queen Of The Sea Cultured Freshwater Pearls Bracelet. What items are proving popular amongst your customers so far this season?

The Keshi pearls are quite popular indeed. This season, my clients have also loved the mini gold stacking rings, which they mix with colourful gemstones cocktail rings, the dotty collection and statement sculptural rings.

Out of all your collection, do you have any favourites ?

My favourites keep changing. At the moment, I am very fondof the Calypso ring with a muted orange spessartite garnet and a set of 18ct gold stacking rings. I am also layering several talisman necklaces on chains of different lengths and wear long gold earrings with carnelian. Seems I need a pep of colour to go through winter. I admit I like mixing them with items from my personal collection: creations by other designers, gifts from family and friends, jewellery picked up during trips abroad…

As you are based in London, are your products available to purchase overseas? 

Yes indeed. I have a few online and brick and mortar stockists in France, USA, and Australia. 

Thankfully, international clients are able to indulge online from my website as I do ship to many places around the world.

When designing jewellery to add to your collection, do you take into account your own tastes, your customer base, requests, traditional pieces, or bits of all those?

It does depend on the piece. I have to say bits of all those infused with my design flair. When I have a commission, what matters most is the person who is going to wear it. His or her input will fuel the design. For me, it has to complete them and they must enjoy wearing it with pleasure. I am always anxious when a client opens their little box to discover what I created for them. It is so fulfilling. I must say it might be one of my favourite moment in the process, when my client discovers the creation and is overwhelmed with emotions. I also receive lovely letters and photos which fill my heart with joy and keep me going. I am very grateful.

I know that you are an eco- responsible jewellery designer, working with recycled 18k gold, 22k gold, sterling silver, natural gemstones and pearls. You also enjoy remodelling old jewellery.  What was the hardest piece of jewellery to make or the most unusual request you have had? 

One of the trickiest piece is jewellery encompassing several techniques. For example, I made a hinged bangle which also features diamonds and rubies and 24K gold Keum Boh. It is textured with photo etching and has lovely fish details. Many hours of labour were involved in its fabrication.

Most unusual… I had a client who came with a beautiful piece of wood charged with meaning, which I  turned into a jewel for his dulcinée. I quite enjoy the special relationship with my clients around creating something special and when the commissioning process takes me beyond the realms of my usual daily routine. 

If you could go anywhere in the world for inspiration to create a new collection, where would you go and why?

I think I‘d like to go to India. There is so much ancient art, palaces, colours and history there. I have met and worked with so many people from India in the past who told me wonderful tales about their country and regaled me with stunning photos of their world. I am definitely enthralled and willing to visit it myself. Added bonuses: The food is delicious, the weather is amazing and it is a treasure trove for gemstones too.

I guess it will have to be in a few years once the pandemic is over (or has calmed down) and travelling feels safe again.

As you are originally from France, now based in London  -have you noticed any differences in jewellery tastes between France and the UK? 

It seems to me that people in France wear more gold and that silver is sometimes considered like costume jewellery (less precious). Children also wear gold. It is common to gift babies a gold medal or a name tag bracelet and offer children gold jewellery as different milestones. It is also quite traditional for a mother in law to welcome her daughter in law with heirloom jewellery or to offer, for example, a pearl necklace when there is a new baby.

Most people will say that gold below 18ct is not even gold as we have been used to 18ct and legally anything under was not able to be labelled gold.

One thing I have also noticed is that women in France definitely indulge in more impulse self-purchase than in the UK.

When French women like something, they do not need any justification or their friends or husband’s opinion to buy it. French women enjoy looking stylish and wearing items they hunt down and will not see on anyone else. They love using their hard earned cash to indulge in precious little things for themselves and people they love and are going to enjoy life on their terms as much as possible.

Growing up, did you always want to be a jewellery designer or did your aspirations lie elsewhere?

As most children, my aspirations have been changing thought the years. When I was little and  Claude Francois and Karen Cheryl were all the rage, I wanted to be a dancer and singer. Hopefully a Clodette. Later on, I wanted to be a school teacher in maths and drawing. (did both). In fact, I ended up studying computer science, maths and physics and worked many years as  an IT consultant for international companies. I was always inspired by arts and also studied arts and music in parallel. Some of my art is in private and public collections and I still enjoy playing a bit of saxophone.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Oh la la! I am not sure I have a definite normal… I can be a bit unconventional. I take fashion like a chameleon, I embrace change.

I love wearing vintage dresses, especially in summer when I can wear bright colourful fabrics in the sunshine. Thinking of a big flower power print dress? I have a few. 60s clothes? yep. Lamé dresses for the evening too. I grew up watching Bewitched and loved their fashion. In the winter, my main thing is being warm. I will layer silk, cachemire, wool, tweeds. I love combining them with long woollen trousers, Aline woollen skirts and boots. You will always see me with hat, scarf and gloves. And either woollen or fur coat. 

When I was pregnant, I definitely wanted to be able to close my coat on my bump. I tried a few coats but being tall, they did not fit me well (sleeves are usually too short). I ended up at a French fur factory designing and commissioning a special shearling coat made to my specifications. It has extra extra long sleeves and is super long too, almost touching the floor.  I still enjoy wearing it. So warm, comfy, soft and really just one made for me. Makes me feel ecstatic when I find and wear something special; Especially when it is one of a kind.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites? (Apart from your own!)

Since a girlfriend introduced me to thrift stores when I was a student, there has been no going back. I love American thrift stores. Especially the ones in Florida where retired old ladies will sell their amazing wares. Here, I like shopping in charity shops too. It is fabulous to be able to give another life to garments which will not end up in landfills and knowing that I do not contribute to fast fashion is a good feeling. For shoes, I love LK Bennett. For classic pieces, it can be tricky as I have to read every label to ensure there are no (or few) synthetics involved and the brands need to fit my tall stature. Some of the brands I favour are Hobbs, Max Mara, Calvin Klein, LK Bennett, Roland Mouret… Some brands make me dream like Oscar de la Renta. For special items, I like the website 1stdibds. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Ooh, my list. It is ever expanding. I hope my husband is not reading this. He would love for my wardrobe to be smaller.

A very long, soft and luxurious bootleg type cotton velvet pair of trousers. Being a 36 in seam leggy woman, it happens not to be an easy hunt as I have ruled polyester out.

I also like shopping second hand. Definitely the best to ensure we help to safeguard the environment and for not seeing similar clothes on other people.

French navy style wool sweater and trousers (+ very necessary navy handbag of course), vintage Pucci silk top, another Hermes square, something feathery, a Westwood bustier dress or top…

Although I admit to having more than 50 pairs of shoes (ahem), there are always new things to add on to my little collection; for example: Some raffia and leather summer sandals, preferably with some shells, a pair of zebra print pony leather flats, tan leather square-ish toe pumps with a 60s vibe…

Boots or Shoes? 

Oh ! Do I really have to choose? In a way, I should say both. My wardrobe has many more shoes than boots. However, with the unpredictable weather we have in London, I realise I am wearing boots more often than shoes. I am sometimes going around in boots with a pair of shoes (usually a rather delicate, heeled leather affair) in my rather large handbag, doing a swift exchange when coming out of the tube.

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Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers can find out more about Catherine Marche Designs. 

Hoping to tempt you and connect with you, do get in touch, I love a little talk about fashion, jewellery and style.

My website http://catherinemarche-designs.com

To keep in touch via my newsletter : https://catherinemarche-designs.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=83a338d27cea890507e43b941&id=9d0301a04a

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/catherinemarche/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Catherinemarchejewellery/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/catherinemarche

Twitter https://twitter.com/catherinemarche/

I also get trees planted using tree nation, here is a link to my little Forest. Maybe you’ll get inspired and start your own https://tree-nation.com/profile/catherine-marche

Thank you ! Merci beaucoup !

Merci beaucoup to you Catherine for chatting about your jewellery and your love for fashion & shoes! I absolutely adore your fashion & shoe choices (as well as your jewellery, of course!)

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of Catherine Marche.

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Books, Interview, Music/Entertainment, Reviews

An Interview With Jessica Bell

My guest this week is the multi-talented Jessica Bell : she is author of the fantastic dystopian novel “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness”; a poet with 3 poetry collections under her belt; a writing/publishing coach; graphic designer; voice over actor; daughter of iconic Australian indie rock legends; singer-songwriter; and singer with the ambient electronica band ”Keep Shelly” (where she is known as the ballsy alter -ego Bruno). Phew! How does she do it all?! First, let me tell you about her book, ”How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” …..

MY BOOK REVIEW

I was sent a copy of the “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” book by Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing for reviewing and are my views are entirely my own. “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” is written by Jessica Bell.

Let me admit from the start – I’m a thriller fan that also likes to read the odd historical novel, travelogue and classic literature. So, when Ben approached me with this book, a dystopian genre offering, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’m glad I welcomed the book with open arms though, as the story kept me riveted from the very beginning to the very last word. The story is set in a near -future world that is ruled by happiness and the pursuit of happiness is everybody’s goal in life – without happiness you are doomed to die young; with happiness you are granted immortality. But finding real happiness isn’t easy especially when time is running out. Selma Beyett runs the new local bakery, and her husband, Jerome, must die in six months unless he finds perpetual happiness. He has a loving family, a job he adores … so why can’t he find happiness. Icasia, a misfit and ”tatter” doomed to die young for the crime of her child’s unhappiness. Icasia gets food for herself and her son by bartering, and when she walks into Selma’s bakery to barter new customers for food, Selma and Icasia strike up on an unexpected friendship. In a desperate effort to save Jerome from death, the two ladies go on a profound search for happiness and what they discover leads to some questions about what we take for granted and what happiness really is. Very thought provoking, highly entertaining and a great read. Loved it. 9/10

THE INTERVIEW

I’m so pleased to be able to welcome Jessica onto the blog! Hi Jessica!

Hello 😊I am Jessica Bell and I’m an author, designer, singer/songwriter and publisher and I work from a little corner in my loungeroom. I’m also a mother of a two-year-old boy named Madoc Maximus, whose first spoken phrase was ‘half a moon,’ and who once claimed the renovation banging next door, was ‘the heartbeat of building’.

“How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” is set in a near-future society ruled by happiness. Where did you draw the inspiration to write this futuristic novel? 

I was watching The Giver. And I wondered what would happen in these kinds of stories if the characters didn’t fight against these totalitarian societies, but instead learned to live happily within them, and of course, whether that would make an interesting story. Would these dystopias potentially become utopias, or a mix of the two? And how/why?

I loved the variety of characters – Who were the hardest characters to portray? Who were the easiest?

I love getting inside the heads of my characters, so I wouldn’t say any were particularly hard or easy. I did very much enjoy writing Jerome’s character, though, I think because I love the challenge of writing a person who is totally different from myself. I think I most enjoyed the very first time he attended DeathCare Therapy. I also loved writing the secondary character of Phyvwonoh, the therapist that behaves a little like AI … but perhaps isn’t!

I loved the main character Icasia Bloom –  and I did have a soft spot for Selma’s husband, Jerome, too. Do you have favourite characters?

Jerome is a clear favourite. But since the antagonist of this story is actually the Globe and not one particular person, I pretty much fell in love with all them for one reason or another.

You have, so far, written, a memoir, 5 novels, 3 poetry collections and a “Writing In A Nutshell” series and a variety of publications. Were there any aspects of writing “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected? 

This is the first book that has ever started with a clear outline and chapter summaries. I usually write by the seat of my pants, but this book needed clear organization. When reading the final product, the world doesn’t actually seem very complicated, but in order for everything to make sense, and slot together, a lot of backstory needed to be written that actually didn’t need to end up in the book. It was very hard for me to cut it all out! I’m going to provide access to all that backstory to subscribers of my newsletter soon.

 If “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” was to become a TV film, who would you pick to represent the main characters eg Icasia Bloom, Selma Beyett, Jerome and Leila?

Oh gosh, I never do this. I always create a unique picture in my head. Okay, after a bit of Googling, I’d say the following:

Icasia: Claire Foy

Selma: Nicole Kidman

Jerome: Matthew McConaughey or Colin Farrell

Leila: Sophia Lillis

Music also plays a big part of your life – being the daughter of iconic Australian indie rock legends as well as being a singer/songwriter and singer in the ambient electronica band “Keep Shelly”. Have you always wanted to have a career in writing or in music or did you actually have other career aspirations?

I wanted to become a dancer as a pre-tween. I would make up my own choreography in my bedroom to artists like Madonna, Prince, MC Hammer and Technotronic! As a teen, I wanted to become a rock star. That dream has never left me. I still want to become a rock star! But I guess I’m getting on a bit now, so I’ve accepted my fate. As a young adult I aspired to become an archaeologist, so I started out at university studying archaeology. But I was terrible at maths and continued to fail the research methods modules, and therefore quit. I then asked myself, what do I already know how to do? (I was a lazy young adult!) and decided that I already knew how to speak English, so signed up for a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in English. Ha!

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

The last two years since having my son have been difficult to find time to read, but before that, oh yes. I devoured around one book a week. I’m open to any genre if the writing hooks me. I do especially love speculative fiction, especially Margaret Atwood’s. Also a big fan of Marilynne Robinson, Rebecca Miller, Roz Morris, Jeanette Winterson, and Magdalena Ball.

 Is “How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness”  availableto purchase worldwide?

Yes!

If you could travel to any place on Earth to get inspiration for your next novel, where would you go and why?

I will most likely be diving into the sequel to my memoir ‘GO: A Memoir About Binge-drinking, Self-hatred, and Finding Happiness’. The sequel is tentatively entitled, ‘STAY: A Memoir about Self-love, Changing Your Life, and Living Your Dream’. So, the place I would ‘travel’ to again, is the STAGE. I’ve really missed performing live since the pandemic.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Pre-mother/pandemic days:

Outfit one: ripped black faded jeans, a band t-shirt and a black pair of laced ankle boots from Camper (flat no heels).

Outfit two: Bright coloured leggings, and a body-fitted casual black mini dress, and black converse sneakers.

Post-mother/pandemic days: Barefoot, viscose lounge wear from Oysho!

For Pinning Later

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Love Oysho for me, and Mori Baby for my son.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

To be honest, to fit back into my performance outfits! I haven’t been able to get back to my skinny self since having a baby. My favourite is a pair of black sequined fitted pants and an apricot-coloured semi-see-through tank. Yes, I wear a lot of black.

Boots or Shoes?

Boots! More rock ‘n’ roll.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Best I just share my portfolio site iamjessicabell.com where you can access all the different facets of me and all my socials. 😊

Fabulous chatting to you Jessica! I love your style of writing and you’ve probably converted me to including some dystopian genre books to my reading list! Thanks also to Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing for sending me a copy of ”How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness” to review.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Jessica Bell.

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Being Lean

”Lean” is a well known and scientifically proven idea that has transformed businesses for decades – a methodology for focusing on what is really important. According to my guest this week – Lean business expert Michelle Leong – Being Lean means living efficiently and not wasting time, energy and money on the unimportant. I caught up with Michelle recently to find out more about Being Lean. Hi Michelle!

Hello! I’m Michelle. I’m a self-confessed Lean fanatic & dedicated Lean practitioner with almost 20 years’ experience in changing people’s lives and businesses for the better. I am a very health-conscious keen traveller, a monumental food & drinks fan and it may be a midlife crisis thing but I make every effort to look good for myself all the time.  My quest for perfection in living life to the fullest makes my staunch advocacy and adoption of Lean in everyday life inevitable & necessary. 

Your book, “Being Lean”, is truly inspirational. What made you decide to write your book in the first place?

Actually, Being Lean is the result of my laziness and impatience about doing things twice or taking the long way around. It is basically all about how I increase productivity of my fun time. I hate housework, I hate exercising, I like, but don’t love work. This book is 20 years of how I managed to do lesser of what I don’t enjoy AND still get the same if not better results. 

I was already naturally organised, I’m a keen planner, I’m a fantastic time manager but it was only when I started using Lean as a methodology & a structured approach, that I realised that all this time, I’ve been so effective in wasting my time & effort. I was basically just tidying up clutter, when clutter is clutter no matter how neat they are.

I’m a terrible person. I remember secretly judging my colleagues & peers, all those years, for not being truly Lean. I felt they only do it at work, like switching the lights on & off. Outside of work, I remember thinking “what process slobs” they are 😜! I’ve been collecting scribbles & thoughts along the way, knowing I had to put it on paper in a structured manner…to boast about my processes if anything! I only actually sat down to write this book at lockdown.

Lean  is a well known and scientifically proven idea  – a methodology for focusing on what is really important, and being lean means living efficiently, using time and energy and money effectively … when did you first realise this empowerment that being lean can have over businesses and life in general? 

Lean has been around & popularised here in the West by the car manufacturing industry since the very early 90s. Thanks to discovering Lean 10 years later for my work in construction that I’ve been living Lean for almost 20 years. I started consciously applying the methodology “Doing Lean” for work mainly but once I got my Lean glasses on, it felt applicable to all processes including outside of work. Gradually, I evolved to doing Lean outside of work and since then evolved again to “Being Lean” i.e. naturally rather than contrived.

Your book is jammed pack with hints and situations which will help to apply the lean approach in all aspects of life – workplace, wardrobe, home life, travel food and health- even down to sorting your laundry! I was quite pleased to see that my method of sorting out washing  being endorsed!  Were there any aspects of writing “Being Lean” that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected? 

I realised that applying Lean to work is SO much easier. There are many relevant examples and much expertise out there for us to learn from and even duplicate. At the same time, we are held accountable for our productivity and quality of work so we do it more consistently as it is necessary for our livelihood. We push ourselves more and we try harder. Whereas, privately, we only have to account to ourselves. There are no immediate consequences, or if there are, we deem them to be of less magnitude as time loss is less apparent than the loss of cold hard cash from a paycheque. Hence, application of Lean outside of work is so much less consistent. I am actually surprised after-the-fact that I have enough to structure this book in a coherent and hopefully, easy to follow way. When I finished it, I felt incredibly lucky that I had been doing Lean for such a long time and so consistently that I was able to follow through, fill out that many chapters and achieve the flow. 

You have been advising businesses on lean practices for 20 years and you were part of the team that introduced lean to the construction industry in a government funded Construction  Lean Improvement Programme (CLIP).  What sort of lean recommendations were introduced?

We started from scratch with Construction. Everyone was strongly sceptical. CLIP offered the industry free consultancy & lean projects hoping to get wide uptake of the thinking & practice. We went out touting companies to apply Lean to their construction projects. Construction teams are dynamic & they change with each project so you can imagine how difficult it is to achieve sustainable organisational results. You keep starting from scratch with each new project, teaching them the theory & methodology then applying it practically on site – learning by doing. We persevered & slowly noticed the difference when project percentages slowly evolved from 90% on building sites & 10% in boardrooms to 50%-50%. This meant the industry was starting to adopt the Lean approach of looking at the bigger picture, doing a diagnostic i.e., identifying waste in the process & doing the business case of prioritising where best to invest in improvement efforts. It’s always leaner eliminating waste further upfront the process when they aren’t as big, before they snowball & become more expensive problems down the line i.e., manifests when you are actually constructing the building. 

What aspects of Being Lean did you personally find hardest to adopt and adapt into your own lifestyle?  What aspects did you find easiest to incorporate?

As human beings, we rotate towards the easiest to do. For me, with Lean, it was a gradual process. It started out with huge concerted effort to learn & then to do. But with each effort, like everything one does, it got easier & the interest grew because the benefits prevailed & I wanted to know more. It became a challenge to be better at it & a lifestyle and quest to make as much of my processes leaner. Suddenly, I’ve become anal retentive, which I take as a compliment. I have to say it is a creep process & still creeping! Unlike weight creeping up with age, this is a positive creep from flexing & using the Lean muscle. I just transitioned from consciously Doing Lean to Being Lean. I ended up getting flow in my processes without thinking about it. I see waste & combat them bit by bit, it’s no effort for me but might be a crazy effortful to a beginner. Whatever my processes are now, it’s taken 20 years of Being Lean. I’ve even process mapped my relationship, doing risk analysis to look for issues & their impacts. I use root cause analysis to manage my “flare-ups” to maintain that precious relationship. I’ve just celebrated my 31st year anniversary with my husband 🥰😎.

Growing up, what career aspirations did you have?

I was born in Singapore & became a “Singapore Girl” (flight stewardess) very young at 18 so never “had time” to aspire to be anything else. I regretted not going into higher education then as there was no such thing as mature student in Singapore in those days. Once the opportunity passed you by, it’s gone! Thankfully I met my husband & got a second chance when I moved to Sweden in the very early 90s. I learnt the language & took the university entrance exam & never looked back. It is thanks to this, that life led me to Lean. 

Is “Being Lean”  available to purchase worldwide?

The book is available for sale on Amazon & many bookshops like Waterstones online. On the Being Lean website, the hardcopy is available worldwide, IF one is willing to pay postage at cost. The e-book is available on the website for download wherever you are in the world & the audiobook is underway and will be available on the website soon.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

When applying Lean Thinking to our Health. Lean states that ill-health & bad lifestyle are defects in a System, our System. Whether it is self-inflicted or due to circumstances or environment, the point here is not to blame but to find out why. What are the wastes & what are the root causes? If we apply the methodology & use the Waste Glasses, we will get a diagnostic of the causes of these defects so we can work on preventing or managing them. I’ve worked really hard on my health & fitness. As an outcome of Being Lean, I’ve been fasting & lifting heavy weights for the past 10 years. I am at my tippest-toppest condition having just turned 50 this year and planning to keep it that way.

I adopt the Lean visual management tool to maintain status. My wardrobe has been designed to induce my correct behaviour. I no longer have baggy clothes that allow me to hide the consequences of long-term unhealthy living or bad choices, whether this is food, fitness or the mental confidence to rock an outfit. I only wear snug clothes to restrict the amount I can indulge in. Snug clothing visually displays quickly and obviously when I over indulge in one meal but also when I have been lax over a longer period. This triggers me to rein things back. My reward for the consistency is looking & feeling strong & powerful.

I have been wearing a LBD (little black dress), benchmarking (a Lean tool) for my 40th, 45th & 50th birthday. We’ll see if it fits on my 55th!

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

I used to shop quantity above quality & have loads of unused clothes that I’m still going through. Nowadays, I only shop online and for specific style/design that I know flatters me and I never follow trends. I’ve taken on board the Lean concept of modular dressing i.e., having a few different basic accessories & layers of clothing, mixing/matching & getting triple the look from them to suit all occasion & seasons. I’ve got a few websites bookmarked including The Outnet, Joli Closet, TK Maxx, Selfridges (when on sale), occasionally ASOS etc. and charities like Sea Shepherd, which don’t have much of what I want to wear but I buy for presents periodically to give them support. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I’ve got more clothes & shoes enough to wear a different outfit every day of the week! But I’m also a huge accessories person so I’ve got a couple of items on my wish list currently including a Gucci Lionhead gold-toned brass and bead ring & Maje’s Precious Day of the Week ring.

Boots or Shoes?

I’m a wedge (ankle & knee) boots for autumn/winter & wedge sandals for summer, kind of gal. Wedge being key because it started with me having plantar fasciitis from training too much and not being able to wear flat shoes. Now I can’t be without them because they are very Being Lean! It allows me to not compromise on “quality” as they are comfortable, looks good (feminine the way I like it) & gives me the height to make me look tall & slender. I can walk on wedges for hours on a glorious fun London shopping day out! I’ve got 3 colours of the same Hush Puppies wedge sandals that are very comfortable.

For Pinning Later

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Personal Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011056549136

Being Lean Website: https://beinglean.net

Being Lean Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/beinglean.net

LeanPac Website: https://www.leanpac.co.uk

LeanPac Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LeanPaccouk-1614091645336481

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-leong-94837918/

My thanks to Michelle for agreeing to be interviewed and to Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity for a copy of Michelle’s book “Being Lean”. All photographs have been published with kind permission of Michelle Leong (apart from the Pinterest & header pics which are by Linda Hobden)

Linda x

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Books, Interview, Reviews

American Goddess

Over the last couple of months I have read some really great books, as you may have already gathered over the last few book posts and “American Goddess” is no exception. I was sent a copy of the “American Goddess” book by Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing for reviewing and are my views are entirely my own. “American Goddess” is written by L M Affrossman, an author who is also known for work in drama and journalism.

MY MINI REVIEW OF AMERICAN GODDESS

There is a secret, a dangerous secret, known as The Woman’s Secret. And it is in Edinburgh that Peter and Ellisha Kelso meet Dr B McBride. Dr McBride knows about The Woman’s Secret. Once Peter and Ellisha discover The Woman’s Secret, they decide to use what they know to heal the planet and produce a kinder, gentler world …. and it isn’t too long before the idea becomes viral and Ellisha becomes the new face of hope for despairing people everywhere. BUT…. oh yes, there is a BUT…. there is still heartache and despair….

I found the storytelling riveting…. a simple plausible idea, an idea that goes viral and spins out of control. A delicious mixture of ancient thoughts, religious fervour and modern day drama. Believable and likeable characters, a storyline that isn’t far fetched but is “different” and a great book to lose yourself in for a few hours. I loved it. 9/10

THE INTERVIEW

After reading the “American Goddess”, I was buzzing with questions and I was fortunate that author, L M Affrossman agreed to satisfy my curiosity to chat all things “American Goddess”, books and her dream wardrobe! Welcome Lesley! 😊

Hi, I’m Lesley. I live in Scotland where I spend my days writing and being harassed by local wildlife, who see no reason to hunt when they can knock on my back door and demand breakfast.

What was the inspiration behind “American Goddess”?

I suppose the core inspiration was the way in which, as humans, we construct reality through stories. And most significantly, what happens to a person once they buy into a particular mythology. It’s very hard to walk away from the stories that define us, even when we are faced with facts that contradict our world outlook.

I loved the variety of characters – Who were the hardest characters to portray? Who were the easiest?   

I think Ellisha was the hardest. She is in an unprecedented position, and it was hard to show her becoming more and more remote from the world, while keeping her real. There had to be something unearthly about her, while at the same time, she had to be a recognizable modern day woman with desires and fears and hopes and dreams. Her husband was also hard to write. He was such an arrogant fool at the start of the book, and it was hard to like him until later.

I loved Dr McBride –  for her eccentricity and I did have a soft spot for Peter, especially when he tried to regain his relationship with Ellisha. Do you have favourite characters? 

I have to confess Dr Babs McBride was my favourite. I thought of her as a sort of debauched Mary Beard, though much more wicked and calculating. Every woman knows there is a point where you become invisible. I wanted to show a woman in that position who still had bite.

Were there any aspects of writing “American Goddess” that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected? 

Everything about the book was hard. Essentially, I had to come up with a new mythology and show how it would get inside people’s heads. I wrote 21 versions of it before I was happy to show it to reviewers. I’m like that with everything. Never shop with me.

 If “American Goddess” was to become a TV film, who would you pick to represent the main characters eg Peter, Ellisha, Miriam, Perdita, Duncan, Dr McBride?

Funny you should ask that. Someone recently said to me that the book could be seen as an allegory for Meghan Markle. It wasn’t my intention, but if Meghan’s looking for some acting jobs the part of Ellisha is waiting… Peter would naturally have to be played by Richard Madden (Robb Stark of GoT) , a very versatile Scottish actor. I love Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve). She could be either Perdita or Dr McBride. She’d be brilliant at either of them.  Rory McCann has to be Duncan MacCaa … because who else could do it?  As to Mariam, I’m going to go a little bit out there and say I’d like to see Olivia Gillies, a young drama student I know, do the part. I think she’d bring such a fresh perspective to it

Have you always wanted to have a career in writing or did you actually have other career aspirations? 

I’ve had other careers but never other aspirations. Writing is what I live and breathe, though I take time off for chocolate.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

I’m more of a book sand worm (lovers of Dune will get that one). I don’t have a favourite genre. I think you can write about anything if you do it well, and the most exciting ideas can be dull if handled badly. I’m reading a novel called, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan at the moment, which takes place in nineteenth century China and deals with the practice of foot binding. It’s dreadful and fascinating in equal measures. I’m definitely a Kindle fan. I didn’t think I would like it at first, but without it, I would have no room to move in my house. My partner is also thrilled as it means he doesn’t have to carry a small library of my books on his back when we are travelling.

 Is “American Goddess”  available to purchase worldwide?

Yes. The book is available in all the usual outlets.

If you could travel to any place on Earth to get inspiration for your next novel, where would you go and why? 

My next novel follows an individual’s past lives, and I would love to visit China or Egypt to do some research. I love to get a sense of cultures quite unlike my own. Though anywhere that challenges my perceptions would do.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I really want to make it sound like I dress like Carrie from Sex and the City, but in truth as I spend most of my time squinting at a laptop, I like comfortable slouchy clothes so The White Stuff is a haunting ground for me. 

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Well, as I said, The White Stuff is a favourite. Their clothes are comfortable but still have that feminine floaty feel. When it comes to going out, I like Brora. I prefer timeless pieces that I can rewear. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Well, my middle son is graduating this month, and this naturally means that I need a new outfit. I’m probably off to Reiss for a coat and probably a blouse and maybe some trousers…

Boots or Shoes?

Boots. You can’t splash through puddles in shoes.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

For Pinning Later © Linda Hobden

www.sparsilebooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/sparsilebooks

Twitter: @SparsileBooks

It was fabulous to chat to you Lesley and I look forward to reading your next book!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of L M Affrossman (apart from the Pinterest picture which was by Linda Hobden) . Thanks also to Ben Cameron (Cameron Publicity & Marketing) for the copy of “American Goddess”.

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Spotlight On IDD Therapy

IDD Therapy – “Intervertebral Differential Dynamics” is the fastest growing non-surgical spinal treatment with over 1000 clinics worldwide – 34 of them in the UK alone. I talk to Michael Furlong, an osteopath for over 20 years and Clinic Director at Balance Health Centre in Liverpool. Michael is passionate about spine care and so is the perfect person to answer my questions about IDD Therapy and back pain in general. Hi Michael and welcome! 😊

Hello 😊 My name is Michael Furlong. I am 55 years old and have been a registered osteopath since 1999. I have two sons and the younger is also training as an osteopath, and two cockapoos: Bobby and Dexter.

What are the common causes of back pain?

The most common causes of back pain I see regularly are predominately muscular skeletal lower lumbar sacro-iliac with related disc problems. This then causes symptoms throughout the body causing knock-on compensatory symptoms. 

Why is it important to get treatment as soon as possible for back pain, neck pain & sciatica? 

It is important to seek help immediately once you are in pain. If you leave it too long, the problem becomes chronic. Chronic pain basically means the problem has been there for 6 months and longer. 

That means you have been living with pain for a long time, this becomes harder to treat and takes more time to improve due to compensatory changes in the body.

There does seem to be an order for back pain. The patient will try medication, then their GP, who will refer to a physiotherapist, then the client will try acupuncture and / or sports massage. Then they end up at the last chance saloon, which is me. This pattern only changes once the person has attended my clinic.

One of the treatments you offer is IDD Therapy – what is this treatment?

IDD is a non-invasive spinal disc treatment. Basically, it means non-surgical spinal decompression! In other words, it’s a very specific scientific traction that works on a particular segment of the spine and not just general traction. This allows the discs to heal naturally in a controlled, safe way.

IDD has been a revelation for me personally. I discovered IDD after I had a disc problem causing complete numbness from my knee down into my whole foot. I attended the Buxton clinic where Phil sat with me, explained everything and recommended two sessions a week, with a minimum of 10.

Every session there was an improvement until I had feeling back. Amazingly, I had so much more movement in my spine that I actually started laughing in my yoga session at the increase.

Who are the typical candidates that you would recommend for IDD Therapy?

Typically, a candidate for IDD needs an up-to-date MRI scan. This will show up people with trapped nerves, bulging discs and arthritic changes in the lumbar spine causing bony growths known as spurs which pinch the nerves. Age is not a factor. I have had 20-year-olds up to 90-year-olds. As long as it’s safe to do so, you can treat anyone.

Although you are based in England, is IDD therapy available to use throughout the UK and worldwide?

IDD is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. In the UK it is becoming widely available, with more clinics adding this amazing treatment to their new and established clinics.

 You have been an osteopath for over 20 years – have you always wanted to be an osteopath or did your career aspirations lie elsewhere?

When I was younger I was a youth player with a professional football club. I received an injury that effectively stopped me from playing. Quite simply, it was an injury that wasn’t diagnosed properly. After 3 years of incredible pain I ended up at the door of an incredible osteopath, who not only diagnosed my problem but eventually relieved the suffering.

That was it! I wanted to be an osteopath. There was no internet or mobile phones to research courses but, after a few years, I eventually got accepted into Oxford Brookes. I have never looked back. I love my job and I am learning new things constantly. 

Apart from IDD, what other treatments do you recommend for back pain?

Apart from IDD I truly believe that any therapy that helps you personally has a place in treatment. Obviously, I am an osteopath but physiotherapists and chiropractors all do incredible work. Massage and acupuncture both work. I am a firm believer of prevention, so yoga, Pilates and tai chi are also high on my recommended to do list.

For Pinning Later

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I am from Liverpool, so there seems to be a uniform ethic with clothes. The influx of students brings an amazing, eclectic style.

During the week, for getting to work and dog walking, I am a North Face Berghaus style; comfortable weather proof. I love North Face reaction t-shirts.

At weekends, its more jeans or chinos, but definitely Hugo Boss. I love their fit and the quality is very good.

I am a bit off a coat freak. I have way, way too many coats but I love to layer my coats when I can.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

I am always amused, every year how a fashion brand can update the good old polo t shirt. I have tried so many styles, but Hugo Boss fits me perfectly. Ralph Lauren and Sunspot do nice polos.

When it comes to sunglasses, Oliver Peoples does amazing designs and Persol always look classy.

Online, I use a site called Thread. They give you a personal shopper and tend to style for age, I have bought from them a few items.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I have just ordered a nice Harrington jacket from, again for layering and am getting into new balance trainers. They do some nice designs for the older person.

Boots or shoes?

Boots all day. I love Ben Sherman desert boots and have 4 pairs in all colours. They look amazing and feel amazing. I like the lightweight Timberland boot for everyday wear.

Links:

www.balancehealthcentre.co.uk

www.iddtherapy.co.uk

Web: http://iddtherapy.co.uk/

Facebook: IDD Therapy Europe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IDDTherapyDisc

Thank you for explaining all about IDD Therapy, Michael, and it is really a privilege to meet a coat freak !!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission from Michael Furlong / IDD Therapy UK

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Books, Interview, Music/Entertainment, Reviews, Travel

An Interview With Author Martin Gore

British theatregoers relish the theatre all year round but at Christmas time, nothing can beat the lure of a traditional pantomime and at the height of summer, the seaside revues. The Cromer Pier Show is an iconic piece of British theatre that is of the standard of a London West End production. Author Martin Gore set himself a real challenge – a work of fiction set in a real place, namely Cromer Pier. Having written, to date, 9 pantomimes, 3 plays (and 3 novels), as well as dabbling in Amateur Dramatics himself, I believe Martin is possibly well placed to write such a book. And what a lovely, feel good read it is too! This book has it all : a goody, a baddy, a misunderstood, a love interest, a starlet, a has been and a hero. The ideal book to curl up and read during the Winter before planning your road trip to Cromer, of course. I caught up with author Martin to find out about the lure of Cromer …. Welcome Martin….

Hello, I’m Martin. I’m a 64 year old Accountant who semi-retired in 2015 to explore my love of creative writing. In my career I held Board level jobs for over twenty five years, in private, public and third sector organisations. I was born in Coventry, a city then dominated by the car industry and high volume manufacturing, but when I was nine years old I told my long suffering mother that as I liked English composition and drama I was going to be a playwright. She told me that I should work hard at school and get a proper job. She was right of course.

I started as an Office Junior at Jaguar in 1973 at eleven pounds sixty four a week. I thus grew up in the strike torn, class divided seventies. My first career ended in 2015, when I semi retired as Director of Corporate services at Humberside Probation. My second career, as a Non Executive Director, is great as it has allowed me free time to travel and indulge my passion for writing, both in novels and for theatre.

The opportunity to rekindle my interest in writing came in 2009, when I wrote my first pantomime, Cinderella, for my home group, the Walkington Pantomime Players. I have now written nine. I love theatre, particularly musical theatre, and completed the Hull Truck Theatre Playwrite course in 2010. My first play, a comedy called He’s Behind You, is now available on:

https://www.silverbirchingtonplays.com/product-page/he-s-behind-you-by-martin-gore

Pen Pals was my first novel, but the two that followed, The Road to Cromer Pier, and the newly published sequel, The Road from Cromer Pier, are based on family holidays as a boy, including trips to the end of the pier show, known then as the Summertime Special Show.

I’m an old fashioned writer I guess. I want you to laugh and to cry. I want you to believe in my characters, and feel that my stories have a beginning, a middle, and a satisfactory ending.

“The Road From Cromer Pier” is the follow up book to your previous novel, “The Road To Cromer Pier” – although it can be a stand alone book –  the story is set in 2019 in Cromer.  How difficult was it to write a work of fiction based around and about a real place? 

Very difficult, for a number of reasons. When I approached the theatre in 2017 they kindly invited me to a meeting to discuss the current show, and I discovered that far from being an archaic piece of British theatre it was, in point of fact, a West End standard show. This in itself required a pretty fundamental rewrite as I needed to do justice to the show and its cast. Another practical difficulty were names. To inadvertently portray a person with the same name as a baddie was one of my biggest fears, so I went for relatively obscure names, and googled them first. On the other hand, readers who love Cromer love the story too, so being set in a real place does have an upside. Some places are renamed too – in particular you won’t find a Majestic Hotel in Cromer!

What was it particularly about Cromer Pier, Cromer and its Theatre that inspired you to write your novels?

My father was from Norwich, and we lived in Coventry, about as far from the seaside as you could get! So, for a seaside holiday Cromer was an inevitable choice, given his love of fish & chips and Cromer crabs. We stayed in several different holiday flats, included Mrs Rippingales on the sea front, called Bloomingdales bed and breakfast in the first book. As I grew older I came to love musical theatre as my father did. I’ve been involved in the Amdram world for sometime as a writer, sound technician and actor, so writing what started out as a play about the end of the pier show seemed interesting. I liked the idea of someone suddenly faced with a life changing disaster running away to a place where life was so much simpler, the safe haven of his childhood holidays.

I loved the variety of characters – are the characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced ?  Who were the hardest characters to portray?

Having spent a good deal of my career in financially troubled companies I guess Tom Stanley is a bit autobiographical, so the business stuff in the book has a basis in first hand experience. Portraying his feelings for his wife in bereavement was very difficult of course, but comments I received suggest I pulled it off. As a male writer, writing female characters is inevitably challenging. The second book deals with stage fright and domestic abuse, so I researched those topics very carefully to make sure that the story line was credible. 

I had a soft spot for the widowed turnaround expert Tom and for Janet, Karen’s mother. Do you have favourite characters? 

Lech Wojiek is probably my favourite, as he makes a journey from hapless magician who could barely speak English at the start of the first book to successful mainstay of the show in the second. Lauren’s developing relationship with Cyril in the first book, in particular when he turned up at the railway station and talked her out of leaving, is probably my favourite moment, and it was the lack of Cyril’s back story that gave me the idea for the sequel, which I never intended there to be.

You have, so far, written 9 pantomimes, 3 plays and 3 novels. Were there any aspects of writing your Cromer Pier book series that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected?

To be honest I’m most surprised that I’ve written three full length novels at all! I’m delighted that they have been well rated on Amazon, and earned the lovely comments people have made about them. I learned a good deal through my first novel, and the work of my editor, Alice Bayton, who ruthlessly culled my tendency for repetition. I guess that commencing my writing journey with pantomime was a good way to start, given that you start with the framework in place. The most difficult pantomime to write was Beauty and the Beast, because there is no natural comedy in the story, but it’s still my favourite. Hearing people laugh at what you write is simply wonderful. My biggest frustration is that I haven’t managed to get the play version of the first Cromer Pier book performed, but I haven’t given up yet!  

If “Cromer Pier” was to become a TV film, who would you pick to represent the main characters eg Tom,Karen, Lionel, Cyril  ? What about the singers, Hannah & Amy?

Well obviously, they’d need to be Britain’s greatest! Emma Thompson as Janet? Bill Nighy as Cyril? Jim Broadbent as Lionel? Lily James as Amy? Colin Firth as Tom? Kate Beckinsale as Karen? Kate Winslet as Hannah? Well, I can dream!  

Have you always wanted to have a career in writing or did you have other aspirations? 

Only as a nine-year-old, then the reality of earning a living and raising a family took over, and I don’t regret that. As a council house kid who made it from Office Junior to Director, I’m committed to building aspirations and life chances of our young people, and launched the ‘Song for Hull’ project as part of HullCity of Culture, linking schools with NHS careers via a rock concert experience. The last one featured 400 kids and an audience of 1100 at Hull’s Bonus Arena.

Are you a  bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

No, I’m not really. I tend to read more biographies to be honest, on ebook. When I read fiction, I tend to go to Hailey, De Mille and Goddard, but my wife is trying to broaden my horizons. My writing is rather Archer like by way of genre; family sagas with lots of interwoven story lines.

Is “The Road from Cromer Pier”  available to purchase worldwide?

Yes indeed, via the mighty Amazon.

For Pinning Later

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Smart casual is a far as I go really, even for Teams meetings in my Non-Executive board meetings. I haven’t worn a suit in two years, and I don’t like formal wear like DJ’s. I do have a couple of formal pairs of shoes, one brown and one black, but I mainly wear casual now.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I wear a lot of Crew, but I do like shopping, unusually for a bloke. I like independent shops, and Jarroldsin Norwich and Cromer have stocked my books when others will only accept orders. I like to support the smaller guys whenever I can.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

To be honest I daren’t buy any trousers as I’ve put on some lockdown weight and won’t admit it! My golf shoes are pretty near worn out, so my trusty Echo’s need replacing. I have big size eleven feet with a wide fitting!

Boots or Shoes? 

I only have walking boots, so casual shoes are all I need now.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

www.martingore.co.uk / @authorgore on twitter / Martin Gore on facebook / instagram

Fabulous chatting to you Martin! Thank you for the copy of The Road From Cromer Pier for reviewing.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of Martin Gore.

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Interview, Travel

An Interview With Travel Expert, Mark Bibby Jackson

At the moment, travelling anywhere is pretty restrictive wherever you live due to the pandemic and various rules imposed by most countries. However, you can still dream and plan those trips – and this week I’m chatting to travel expert Mark Bibby Jackson whose knowledge of those far flung places knows no bounds! Hi Mark and welcome!

Hello. I am Mark Bibby Jackson, the editor of the websites Travel Begins at 40 and London Begins at 40, as well as the award-winning author of three thrillers set in Cambodia (one of which is yet to be published). I write about travel for a number of publications around the world.

You have lived in Cambodia for over a decade and travelled extensively around south east Asia – what made you decide to move from the UK to South East Asia?

Initially I came to Hanoi in Vietnam as a VSO Volunteer in 2004 and settled in the region. I discovered that I could re-invent myself as a magazine editor and freelance writer having spent far too many years chained to an office in London. It also gave me the great opportunity to explore the region I had first visited in 1992.

You have written 3 thrillers set in Cambodia. Why did you decide to write books of this genre based in Cambodia?

I have always liked the thriller genre, although I read little of it in my youth. When I had lived in Cambodia for a number of years I realised the wonderful material it provided for a thriller novel. I am a massive fan of the late Andrea Camilleri. I felt that I could create slightly comic thrillers set in the same tone as the Montalbano series, rather than adopting the noir tone of many novels set in South East Asia. 

You’re passionate about travelling and South East Asia, especially Cambodia, is close to your heart. What are your top 3 tips for travellers venturing to that part of the world? 

My top tip to everyone for all regions is not to rush your travel. This applies to Cambodia as it does to everywhere else. Take your time and try to discover the real Cambodia, you won’t regret it. My second tip is again pretty generic – push your comfort zone. Whether it is eating spiders, sleeping on a mat in a monastery or driving a tuk tuk through Northern Thailand you gain so much more by pushing yourself just that little bit. Finally, although I normally advise people to try to get off the beaten track, if you are in the region you really have to visit Angkor Wat. There truly is nothing comparable with this majestic temple. Halong Bay in Vietnam and Luang Prabang in Laos, are the other unmissable South East Asian destinations. 

So, as we are talking travelling, where have been your favourite places you’ve visited or lived in so far? 

I normally answer Nepal to this question. The first time I visited was in 1994, and I was immediately blown away by the mountains. I still think this is my favourite travel destination, although for travel experiences the Galapagos Islands tops the lot. 

Having been to Thailand myself, food is a big thing and the spice markets are a lovely assault to your senses! Your 1st novel based in Cambodia is “To Cook A Spider” – and spiders/other insects are certainly on the menus! What was the most unusual meal/food you have eaten?

My big confession is, despite my earlier advice, that I have never eaten spiders! I did drink snake blood once on the streets of Vietnam, and often ate strange dishes that turned out to be the intestines of some animal or other. I always try the local food and drink wherever I go, but especially now that I no longer eat meat, I don’t really try anything too exotic. I did eat Cholera in Switzerland, but this turned out to be a very tasty potato, cheese and apple pie that the locals had developed during the time of cholera when food was scarce.

If we were in a cafe/bar/restaurant in Cambodia, about to indulge in a drink and nibbles/meal – What would you recommend we ordered?

Most tourists try the amok which is coconut paste dish normally made with fish. If you really want to try what the locals eat then you should go for the prahok fermented fish. It tastes far better than it smells. However, I would recommend you go to Kep and eat some crab in the local crab shacks overhanging the sea at the crab market. Try one of these cooked in Kampot Pepper. It really is quite magnificent. 

When it comes to your personal reading delights – what genre/authors do you read? Kindle or book? 

I mainly read thrillers nowadays. However Dostoevsky, Camus and Hardy are my favourite authors. The Outsider is one of the most amazing books I have read, and I think it changed my life in many respects. The Brothers Karamazovis the best novel I have ever read, although it took me at least three attempts just to get over the names. I haven’t managed to get into the Kindle craze. I just love the feeling of holding a book in my hand and flicking through the pages. 

 You are also Founder & group editor of websites – Travel Begins At 40 and London Begins At 40. In your opinion, what are the top 5 things that people over the age of 40 consider important when choosing a travel destination? Is there much difference from the desires of younger travellers?

I think it depends very much on the traveller, and there are many 40-year-olds who travel just like they did in their teens. However, I think that the 40+ traveller is more inclined to be interested in the food, culture and history of the people they are visiting. Although younger travellers are very much interested in food and sustainability, when travelling they are more likely to look for bargains in order to make their money last longer, as well as places with a lively nightlife. The older you get as a traveller the more likely you are to look for places away from the crowd rather than trying to find the crowd. Beaches are for leisurely strolling as the sun sets, rather than for partying under the full moon. 

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I’m a jeans and t-shirt guy. I have a massive neck so shirt and ties really never worked for me. I am also totally informal, although I do like wearing hats. I have had the same suit that was tailored for me in Cambodia quietly collecting dust in my wardrobe for a decade – it probably no longer fits me. Again my footwear choices are determined by necessity rather than fashion, as I have very wide feet and a high instep. So, its trainers and comfortable walking shoes for me. Although I am partial to Campers. 

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I normally buy my clothes at stores like Mountain Warehouse or Blacks. However, I recently got an Azuaya Panama hat. I think this will definitely be my hat for the summer. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Some comfy walking shoes, preferably ones that can cope with the English winter.

Boots or Shoes?

Neither. Trainers work best for me. But I never buy boots as I hate the feel of something rubbing against my ankles. It’s a big foot thing.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

For Pinning Later

Web: https://www.travelbeginsat40.com/

Twitter: @TravelBegins40

Facebook / Instagram: @TravelBeginsat40

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bibby-jackson-aa541613/

Thank you Mark for your fascinating insight into the world of travel – I’m hoping that the world will soon open up again so that the many wonders of this world can be experienced once again.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of Mark Bibby Jackson

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Interview

An Interview With Brand Relations

I’m having a chat this week with Richard Horwell of Brand Relations, a specialist food and drink marketing and branding company. Brand Relations has been behind the launch and development of over 100 brands in the UK. Hi Richard and welcome ….

Hello. I am Richard Horwell and I am the Managing Director of Brand Relations, which specialises in Branding and Product development in the Food & Drink Industry. Brand Relations has been in business for 13 years and to date has been behind over 100 brands.

What inspired you to launch “Brand Relations”, specialising in food and drink marketing and branding? 

I initially developed the 4 Minute Wine Cooler called VinChilla and won the Electrical Product of the Year Award in 1999, I later sold the company and moved to Miami, but after three years of partying there I decided to return to a more sedate lifestyle in London. As I already knew the food and beverage (F&B) industry well, I decided to set up Brand Relations, originally as a marketing company to help start up F&B brands. Over the years we’ve evolved into rebranding international brands entering the UK market and helping entrepreneurs, looking to get into the F&B space, take their dream from idea to reality. I developed my own drink Ibiza Ice, a sparkling wine cocktail in an aluminium bottle. This was sold all over the world and especially at festivals. Two years ago, I sold the brand to a Dutch billionaire – every brand owner’s dream. 

Are there certain types of food recipes that are easily adaptable for mass production than others?

Yes, no doubt. Anything that can be stored at ambient temperatures tends to be much easier to produce and develop. This is because chilled goods are high risk and have high wastage. We work with an amazing recipe developer who has been in this industry for a long time. She is great at replicating any recipe into something which is healthy, tastes great and costs as little as possible, but still using the best ingredients. It seems nearly every client these days has a challenge for us when they walk through the door, but we usually find a way.

Copyright © Brand Relations

What type of initial research would you recommend before looking to manufacture that old faithful family recipe? 

Market research is the key to the success of any brand. It’s very easy to think of an idea and think it’s going to make millions within the first few years, but without proper research how do you know whether or not it has been done before or if there is even a market for it? How do you know what’s worked and what hasn’t? you need to be sure you don’t repeat other people’s mistakes. Research is key – before you do anything, before you spend any money on creating the product, do your research. A family recipe that works at home in grannie’s kitchen doesn’t necessarily work on a mass-produced scale, so my best suggestion is research the market and speak to professionals about taking your idea to the shelf as quickly and smoothly as possible at the lowest price. Finally, try to avoid preservatives if you can, in this day and age, the market rejects them 

On average, how long does it take to prepare a food or drink product from the initial recipe stage to being marketed in supermarkets?  What are the main points that a supermarket would look for? 

It depends on the product but usually 3-6 months from idea straight through to shelf. Supermarkets shouldn’t be your first port of call, as they can kill a brand, consumers shop in supermarkets pretty much knowing what they want and so don’t take the time needed to look at new ideas. If you go to the Premium Retailers and Health Stores to start with, then those consumers who are looking for new ideas and brands can engage with your product. This builds loyalty and over time, when you have a following, you can go to the big boys and be sure your product will sell. 

Copyright © LindaHobden

You have lived and worked in the UK, USA, Australiaand the Middle East.  Are there any major differences between the countries when it comes to marketing & branding? 

I have found that the UK, USA and Australia are similar in their tastes and desires from the food and beverage market, whereas the Middle East market is very different. At the end of the day, it’s about communicating with the local audience and each market wants to buy something local and so this needs to be reflected in the branding, as well as the communication of the brand.  

Do you enjoy cooking?  If so, what is your speciality

I’d love cooking a lot, my favourite styles of food are French and Italian, but all that said my partner is a Thai chef so I have to say I get fed the best and freshest Thai food ever.

© LindaHobden
  1. Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing ?

I was in Miami just over a year ago and went into a specialist running shop where I was kitted out with Hoka One One trainers. It was like walking on air. Now I have a whole range of them that I wear with suits or jeans; wherever I go, they go too.

  1. Do you have any favourite shops or online sites? (apart from your own!) 

I love quality fabrics on clothes and fashion that doesn’t really date. I am too old to be trying to wear the latest fashions, so I stick to the likes of Tom Ford, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli to go from smart to casual. 

  1. What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I don’t really have a wishlist, if I see something and I like it I buy it. I did see a Joseph Cashmere coat for the winter which I will be buying, their clothes are always great quality and full of style. 

  1. Boots or Shoes?

As I said, I love my trainers but I do love cowboy boots too, sadly they don’t love me too much as after a few drinks one night I tripped and hit the pavement outside Raffles in London, cutting my head open and needing stitches. I now only wear them on nights I am abstaining!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BRAND RELATIONS:

For Pinning Later © LindaHobden

www.brandrelations.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-relations-ltd/

https://www.instagram.com/brandrelations/

https://www.facebook.com/brandrelationsltd

Twitter: @brandrelations_

Thank you Richard for an interesting insight into food and drink mass production and marketing. I don’t think I’ve perfected my family favourites enough yet to go into mass production! 😊

Linda x

All photographs have been credited in the article.

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Books, Interview

An Interview With Author Paul Ver Bruggen

I am so pleased to welcome author Paul Ver Bruggen onto my blog tonight. Every now and then, you come across a book that totally blows you away ; a book that has you totally engrossed from start to finish; a book that you could read again and again and never get tired of it. I would rate The Gaming Room by Paul Ver Bruggen, as one of the best books I have read this year. In fact, if I had to name my top 10 all time favourite books it would definitely be on the list along with classics such as Daphne Du Maurier’s “Rebecca”, F Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and D H Lawrence’s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”.

BOOK REVIEW

The Gaming Room is a fusion of history, romance and psychological thriller. There are two intertwining stories – one set in the 21st century; the other 18th century – both separate stories yet linked . In the 18th century we meet John Law, gambler extraordinaire, who aspires to become banker for the French monarchy….. and then, in the 21st century we meet his descendent, Theo Law, who also takes a gamble as he launders money via on the Dark Web for the Russian Mafia as well as the Vatican. And a trip to Venice they both take … 11/10 for me 😊

INTERVIEW

Hello Paul and welcome!

Hi. I’m Paul and I’m that unusual person: I live in London and I’m actually from London.

I’ve been happily married for many years to Carin, an American, originally from Detroit, Michigan, and we have one daughter, Skyler. 

I work as a freelance video producer/director and a writer of fiction.

I love singing, cinema, cycling, reading, playing tennis and baking bread.

“The Gaming Room” is my first published novel.

Who or what inspired you to write your excellent book “ The Gaming Room”? 

I was first inspired by the extraordinary real life of John Law, a gambler and financier in the early 18th century, who killed a man in a duel and was forced to flee London. He became the most powerful man in France, made and lost a vast fortune and spent his final daysin a notorious gaming room in Venice, overlooking the Grand Canal. 

I then decided to interweave his story with that of a fictional moneyman, his 21st century descendant, Theo Law, an investment banker turned major money launderer for the Russian mafia. 

Then came the biggest inspiration of all – I had them haunt each other across the centuries.

I really enjoyed reading your book, “The Gaming Room”.  I loved the way the modern day chapters featuring Theo Law entwined with the 18th century John Law and although both were distinctly different “stories” it was surprisingly easy to immerse yourself into both centuries equally! I loved the characters equally too – John and Theo and surprisingly, Maggie!  Which character was the hardest to write about?

Theo was actually the hardest. Almost all the others were either based on historical figures or someone I knew or had met, including Maggie. (An ex-girlfriend’s alcoholic mother, from the East End.)

Also, Theo speaks in the first person – you hear most of what’s going on inside his head and he has to carry that whole section of the book.  He’s a tricky combination. He’s behaves badly, but he also has to be redeemable, and to some extent likeable, so that you care enough about him to want to stick with the story.

Were there any aspects of writing The Gaming Room or indeed, writing about any of the characters, that surprised you, pleasantly or otherwise?

One of the things that surprised me was the way the two stories seemed to echo each other quite naturally, without my having to force things. And then there was the decision for the two main characters to haunt each other and eventually meet in a kind of parallel universe. Like so many decisions in writing fiction, theyseem to be taken for you, as if your unconscious is at workthroughout.

In terms of characters, John Law’s partner Catherine really took me by surprise. My wife, Carin read an early draft of the novel and thought the women were all too passive. I set about making Catherine a rival to Law as much as his advisor. Suddenly she took off as a very strong character and, indeed, seemed to take over the whole story! She was so real to me that I was actually in tears when I wrote her final letter to the dying Law.

What era of the story did you enjoy researching or writing about the most – the 18th century John Law or the 21st century Theo Law?

As regards research, the 18th century story was obviously the hardest. It was a mountain of stuff, not just on the macro, political level, but on the more micro and every day – what did they wear? what did they eat and drink? what card games did they play? Exhaustive and exhausting!

On the plus side, there was a real historical story that I could base my own narrative on.  Sometimes it felt like I was channelling the spirit of John Law and that was very enjoyable.

Overall, I derived a real sense enjoyment from how and where the book was written. It was mostly in long hand, on trains, buses and station platforms, or at lunchtimes, in local cafes. There’s somethingoddly satisfying about scribbling a scene at the court of Louis XIV in Versailles or some steamy lovemaking with a courtesan in Venice, whilst travelling on a very crowded tube train between Queen’s Park and Oxford Circus!

Growing up, did you have aspirations to become a writer or did your career hopes lie elsewhere?

I really wanted to be a novelist from my mid-twenties and wrote a couple of duds, as you do. Gradually, as my career as a Producer/Director took off, I set fiction to one side, and didn’t return to it for over 20 years. I then had to write another couple of duds before I got to The Gaming Room. It’s been a long journey.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

Now that I write more, I’m less bookish – I just don’t have time to read as much as I used to and I usually only manage to read our book group choice, or something that’s part of my research for the current novel. 

I think The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is probably as perfect as a novel gets. 

I must be getting younger instead of older, because I used to be a stickler for actual books and now I usually read them off my phone. Help

 Is “The Gaming Room” available to purchase worldwide?

It’s available on Amazon UK and US in Kindle and paperback.

If you could visit any place in the world to give you inspiration for your next book, where would you go and why?

The novel I’m working on is set in Italy during the Renaissance. My first ports of call would be the Arena Chapel in Padua and the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, both of which are important locations in the story. 

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing? What’s lurking your wardrobe? Boots Or Shoes

If I do say so myself, I’m a snappy dresser. When I was travelling regularly into Soho and the West End, I put a lot of money and thought into it, especially the colour palette. Now I put less money, but just as much thought.

Then, my wardrobe ranged from anything Italian to the Jermyn Street shirt merchants – T.M Lewin, Charles Tyrwhitt, Pink etc. – to the smart casuals like Ben Sherman and Banana Republic. These, together with the odd foray into TK Max, particularly for shoes –suede Chelsea and Chukka boots – and the posher charity shop and stalls in Notting Hill and Portobello, for cashmere woollies and tweedy coats. 

Now, it tends to be ‘vintage’/charity shops for everything – and they’re not always so posh. And it’s not always cashmere.

Sadly, the Ben Sherman shops folded a few years back, but for personal, biographical reasons, they were my true favourites. Along with a mohair suit and sharp pair of brogues – even now, I have many pairs – a Ben Sherman shirt was de rigeur for a smart, trendy young geezer growing up in East London in the ‘60s. 

But there’s also another side to my fashion sense. No, I’m not a cross-dresser, but I do cross the Atlantic.  I’ve spent a lot of time in the US down the years – hey, I married one – and I take a shine to that Western look that includes vintage Levis, suede waistcoats,cowboy shirts and fancy cowboy boots. (I leave off the spurs – although I am a supporter…) At one point, after I’d spent some time on a filming job in Texas and Louisiana, the Western style almost took over my whole wardrobe. YeeHaw!!! I had to work hard to haul it back towards the classic English preppy and it now remains a mellow blend of the two

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Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed today; thank you for the copy of your book The Gaming Room for reviewing; and thank you to Ben Cameron for introducing me to you and your writing!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of Paul Ver Bruggen

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