Free Gifts

I love a free gift – who doesn’t? But in these times of austerity genuine freebies are not as forthcoming as they used to be.

There are still some nice little gift packages available with make-up purchases in shops such as Boots and Debenhams and of course the proverbial ‘Bogofs’ in supermarkets, but some of the little freebies that I used to love have all but disappeared.

Years ago, it was possible to accumulate a wealth of free items purely by purchasing modestly priced magazines. I’m not just talking glossies and dearer monthly publications (some of which do still sometimes appear with the odd gift), which often came with cosmetics, bags, paperback books, etc, but even weekly mags sometimes came up with interesting offerings.

Favourite publications such as ‘Woman’ and ‘Woman’s Weekly’ (of Victoria Wood bottom beating fame) on occasions came with spatulas or stitch holders – not glamorous gifts I admit, but freebies just the same!

And I seemed to acquire a huge selection of holdalls of varying sizes, assorted clocks and the odd radio just by placing a small order with a mail order catalogue from time to time. Remember those days?

Today prices of much of what we buy continue to rise (except for food items in the current supermarket wars) but gifts are less forthcoming. It’s true that we can get reward points, which are much appreciated, at certain supermarkets and enter various prize draws, but there’s something magical about an instant free gift in your hand. Not something that you may or may not get by entering a draw, but a guaranteed, on-the-spot, thank-you-here-and-now gift.

Are there certain free gifts that you miss?

Toddler Toys

I’ve had great fun shopping for toys recently, ready for my grandson’s first birthday. Although I have to say, the onslaught of noisy, flashing, brightly coloured toddler ‘gadgets’ greeting me in the shops has become a bit overwhelming.

Much as I can see that many of these toys are educational and fun, I think there is a limit to how many of these ‘full-on’ toys any one small person needs.

My first purchase was an eye-catching fire engine from Carousel. Yes it does have a flashing light (it’s a fire engine), yes it does make a noise (it’s a fire engine) but it also has several features for a child to operate manually – i.e. you push it to make it move and it has little doors that open up to reveal activities.

When choosing a second toy I was looking for something with a bit less ‘bling’, electronic learning toys can be great, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The only problem was everything I touched in the shops seemed to beep and flash at me, rather than hint at more traditional play. 

Of course, I’m of a generation whose toys had very few beeps and flashes and batteries were very seldom required. Many toys just needed pushing, building, playing ‘pretend’ or manual operation. Although I do remember my parents giving me a clever little train engine, that moved around the floor until it hit something, whereupon it emitted a whistle, flashed a light, reversed and headed off to repeat the whole process again. As far as I remember that was the most ‘high-tech’ toy I had as a child, and indeed the only one of its kind that I had.

But back to the present. With my mind firmly on trains I selected ‘My First Train Set’ from Tomy, which consists of a little track, tunnel, trees and a train with moving eyes. How does it work? Friction. You just pull back the little engine and watch it go – no batteries, no beeps, no flashes!

A very young me with said train engine

Flushed with success I decided to quit whilst I was ahead and completed my gift shopping with more traditional purchases of books and some character pyjamas.

Electronic toys can be fun and educational, but we must choose more traditional ones too, in order to promote motor skills and, most importantly of all, imagination!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This April I’ve been …

… writing very few blog posts. My excuse? In a word, ‘life’. You know that thing that John Lennon sang “happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. It’s been one of those months, umpteen viruses circulating in the household (I’ve experienced three myself), car problems of a major nature resulting in the purchase of an ‘emergency car’ to go on a planned break, some sad news and preparations for a big life change (more about that in future posts).

… opening up my static caravan in East Anglia after its winter sleep. I always love going back to it after not being able to visit for so long, and on this occasion the break was more welcome than ever. I call it my ‘happy place’ as its somewhere I can just relax, forget about the stresses of life, enjoy the sea air and countryside and just chill.

… playing pirate adventure golf, great fun and a great stress reliever!

… discovering that lots of shops seem to have had a spring change round. Some of them I can understand doing so, as they’re in the middle of refurbishment, but others I’m sure have changed things just to be awkward! For example, my local Marks and Spencer Outlet shop has put all the men’s clothes where the women’s used to be and vice versa. What’s the point of that?

… reading the series of Lake District mysteries by Martin Edwards. The books, featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind, are full of twists and turns in the plots and make for gripping reading.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This March I’ve …

… seen the Lego Movie, which was essential as my son is absolutely mad about all things Lego. It was actually really quite fun, although I thought the appearance of ‘real people’ towards the end spoilt the atmosphere somewhat. And for days afterwards I went round singing, “Everything is awesome!” – an annoyingly catchy tune!

… been drinking Lemsip Max Wild Berry and Orange cold relief drink, having succumbed to a bout of the sniffles. I’ve always found the lemon version too acidic; this is more like drinking mulled wine – although of course without the wine.

… started the spring-cleaning. Like many people I’m not a fan of all the scrubbing and deep cleaning, but I love a good sort out. In fact any time of year I will happily dejunk cupboards and drawers and rearrange things into neat boxes – I find it very therapeutic. I’m definitely not a hoarder.

... been doing lots of present shopping. In addition to Mothers' Day and Easter, there are a lot of family birthdays to buy for this time of year, but I love trying to find novel gifts.

… discovered the books by Elly Griffiths, a series of crime mysteries set in Norfolk featuring DCI Harry Nelson and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. There are some gripping story lines that take many twists and turns, making compelling reading.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Sweet Memories

As a child, like many of us, I loved my sweets. I was spoilt for choice when visiting the local sweet shop, keenly clutching a couple of pennies in my hand.

It’s true to say that my children grew up eating far fewer sweets than I ever did. A shift to healthier eating and more awareness of dental care means that we have tended to limit the amount of sweets eaten by our own children. Occasional sweets have always been a treat, but not to the extent that I can remember having them.

Saturdays in particular were always a big sweet day for me. I used to go to my local library to change my books (I was an avid reader even then) and then call in at the neighbouring Aladdin’s cave of a sweet shop. This trip in itself was a bit contradictory as I was always aware of the big sign in the library that read, “Sticky sweets are fun to eat, but please don’t eat them in the library!”

I always used to spend ages pondering my choice of sweets – there were just so many on offer. Jars of sherbet pips, Tom Thumb drops, aniseed twists, cola cubes, banana splits (which resembled lemon slices for some reason), apple tarts, rhubarb and custard – the list was endless. Then as if that wasn’t enough there were all the penny sweets, that you could mix and match into one big bag – flying saucers, chocolate tools, fruit salads, traffic light lollies, fizzy cubes and so on.

Finally, there were all the pre-wrapped bags and bars of goodies. One of the strangest of these was Spanish Gold, a ‘sweet tobacco’; goodness knows what the sugar content of that was alone. More commonly I opted for Spangles (particularly Old English or Fizzy Cola), Opal Mints, Treets or a Pink Panther strawberry candy bar.

Today I really don’t eat sweets, except for the odd TicTac or fruit sweet on a long journey, although I still adore chocolate, in all its forms. However, I still have fond memories of my visits to the local sweet shop.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This February I’ve …

 … been using Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray (bought on offer at Superdrug) after getting a great new hairstyle, which has meant I’ve gone back to blow-drying my hair. The spray is easy to use, smells pleasant and doesn’t leave my hair feeling sticky – just spray onto hair prior to blow-drying to keep hair shiny and protected.

… browsing the many and varied independent shops of Whitstable in Kent. Whitstable, famed for its oyster fishing, is a lovely seaside town that has a unique charm and interesting selection of independent businesses. If you’ve never been there, make plans to visit.

… enjoying Marks and Spencer Cherry Liqueurs, part of the Valentine goodies brought for me by my husband. They are absolutely my most favourite chocolates in the whole world – and I’ve tasted a lot of chocolate!

…watching ‘Death In Paradise’, the detective drama set on the island of St Marie. I really didn’t get into the earlier series of this programme, but have to say I really like Kris Marshall in his role as DI Humphrey Goodman. I’ll be sad when the series ends.

… reading lots as always. Latest books include:

‘The Shadow Collector’ by Kate Ellis. I absolutely love Kate’s Devon-based detective, Wesley Peterson, who investigates crimes that seem to hark back to the past. This was as gripping a read as ever.

‘Murder On Summer’s Day’ by Frances Brody, another great tale from the Kate Shackleton series. This is another great story of intrigue featuring the 1920’s sleuth who is herself such a great character.

‘The Detective’s Daughter” by Lesley Thomson. Although this book has received some acclaim, it didn’t quite work for me. I guessed much of the outcome quite early on, and the actions of some of the characters just left me wondering “why?” I was too busy thinking what the characters should have done, to really lose myself in the story.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

The Stork Cookbook

When I was young, I used to love browsing through my mother’s rather tatty old copy of The Stork Cookbook. It had been published long before my time and had been well-thumbed, but I loved the pretty pictures of cakes and biscuits and loved to plan what I would serve at the perfect tea party.

As I got a bit older I actually got to bake a few of the recipes, although they never quite looked as good as in the pictures. Perhaps it was this early love of baking that encouraged me to take ‘O’ level cookery (or Food and Nutrition as the course was actually called) at secondary school.

As we prepared to start the course, my teacher announced that it would be necessary to buy a certain book, in order to have access to all the vital recipes – The New Art of Cooking, from Stork!

This was the 1978 edition, as opposed to my mother’s copy that must have been published some 20 years before, but it still contained similar photographs of finished dishes and many of the same recipes that I’d pored over in my younger days.

I still own my slightly yellowed copy of this book, which has stayed far more intact than my mother’s version, despite constant use. It is still a major source of reference for me when cooking today. Indeed, I have tried other recipe books but always seem to return to that trusted Stork Cookbook of all those years ago. Apart from the occasional recipe gleaned from the odd magazine, its recipes, along with the pencil-written comments added by my 15-year-old self, are truly the inspiration for most of the dishes that I make (with small variations) today.

What trusted tome do you swear by?

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This January I’ve …

… Been doing lots of baking, not because I’ve got Great-British-Bake-Off-Fever, but because it’s a cheap way to keep the family provided with cakes, buns and other goodies. With Tesco Everyday Value flour costing only 45p for a 1.5kg bag, you can keep the family supplied at a really low cost.

,,, Bought Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine, which comes with a cute card kit and is full of fun cross stitch designs. I got the bug for making cross stitch cards in the lead up to Christmas and am still keen to make more!

… Received my first reward voucher from my Together loyalty card (The Works book shop). If you’re an avid reader this is a great card as you earn 5 points for every pound that you spend, with each point worth 1p. This is better than a Tesco Clubcard where you earn 1 point per pound or a Sainsburys Nectar Card, which awards 2 points per pound, but it takes 2 points to make one penny. But of course, you won’t spend so much in The Works anyway, will you?

Enjoying Carling Zest with a hint of winter berries, the latest edition to their delicious range of flavoured lagers and by far my favourite. Grab a box of 12 bottles for just £7 at Tesco!

… Reading lots of books as usual, including:

‘The Memory of Midnight’ by Pamela Hartshorne, an intriguing tale that combines the modern day life of troubled Tess and the hardships of Elizabethan York as experienced by Nell Appleby. A gripping tale that really gets you hooked!

‘The Flower Reader’ by Elizabeth Loupas. A tale of danger and intrigue set in the court of the young Mary Queen of Scots, which takes a lot of twists and turns before all is revealed. It’s compelling reading.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

So That Was 2013

“What have you done, another year over and a new one just begun…” to quote John Lennon. Indeed another year seems to have whizzed by, and now is the time to look back on its highs and lows and think what we would like to do differently, or perhaps more of next year.

Collectively we welcomed the new Pope and the newest addition to the Royal Family, Prince George, and said goodbye to the legend that was Nelson Mandela. Goodbyes were also said to Lady Thatcher amongst much controversy: I may not have loved her politics, but at the end of the day, I held on to the thought that she was a mother too, much missed by her family.

Across the world there was cause for sadness and shocks, as we witnessed some awful human acts and natural disasters that sometimes claimed lives. However, as is often the case in these situations, we must take comfort from the way ordinary people pull together, raising funds and supporting aid charities to help where possible.

On a personal level I celebrated a ‘milestone’ birthday, saw the birth of my first grandchild (a gorgeous little boy), questioned Ofsted and complained at the loss of Hypermobility classes from my local NHS physiotherapy department.

My blog looked at a range of products and services including make-up, cleaning products, toiletries, DS games and supermarket cafés. I looked at the whole issue of supermarkets using meat from sources other than the UK or even the EU, something that I’m still keeping an eye on.

Next year I’ll be reviewing a whole new set of products and services, continuing my ‘Random Thoughts’ and generally offering up my opinion on shopping and consumer issues.

But for now here are some of my winners and losers for 2013:

A Shoppers’ Joy thumbs up for: Tesco Clubcard, EDF Complaints Resolutions Manager, Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara, the staff at the Morrisons café Cambourne, Avon Solutions Ageless Bloom Neck and Chest Treatment SPF15, the staff at Travelodge Middlewich, the Tower of London and the Nutmeg clothing range at Morrisons.

A Shoppers’ Joy thumbs down for: ‘Which?’ magazine’s subscription department (and the magazine come to that), Aldi, companies that make money from your PPI claim (you can do it for free yourself), Ofsted, people who speak loudly on their phones on public transport and the poor service I received at the Marks and Spencer café at Hempstead Valley.

Who will be in my good and bad books for 2014?

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy  

So That Was December

OK, so I know the month’s not quite over yet, but I’m saving the last day of December for my 2013 Review.

So how was December for you? Was it a month filled with fun and festivity or chaos and endless Christmas shopping? Was it, in fact, a sad time for reflection – I know I always miss loved ones more this time of year (my dad and two of my sisters).

Whatever you may have done, I hope you’ve had some good times and enjoyed some of the festivities on offer, without breaking the bank. You may have read my Christmas On A Budget blog to help keep costs down, and hopefully the bargain drink prices will help you see in the New Year too.

Amongst my other posts this month I’ve told a tale of British Gas engineers, reviewed ‘Which?’ magazine, had some ‘Random Thoughts’ and reviewed eyeliner – a real mixed bag.

Not quite the scene this December

I’m a big kid when it comes to Christmas, I especially love seeing all the twinkling lights and watching my (not so small) children opening their presents. The added bonus this year was that my seven-month old grandson was around for all the fun too. However, my heart went out to those who were unable to celebrate a traditional family Christmas due to flooding and/or loss of power.

As we all prepare to see in the New Year, I’ll leave you with a few little thoughts, and hope you’ll keep reading next month, and indeed next year.

Best thing I’ve tasted this month: Tesco Finest Belgian Chocolate Assortment, absolutely delicious! Yummy chocolate containing, amongst other things, whole cherries marzipan and nuts.

Best thing I’ve seen this month: People’s faces as they’ve opened their presents.

This month I’ve been reading: Some slushy, feel-good Christmas books including ‘All I Want For Christmas’ by Amy Silver and ‘Sleigh Bells In The Snow’ by Sarah Morgan.

Stop Press! I've just bought Tesco Finest Italian Sour Cherry Pralines for just £1.25 for a 150g box and they are delicious!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

The New Card On The Block

I’m a big fan of loyalty cards and have quite an impressive set, as previously blogged in my loyalty card ratings but now I’ve discovered a new card on the High Street.

As an avid reader I often take a trip to The Works to buy multiple books at reasonable prices, so imagine my joy when I was offered a loyalty card for that very shop! I didn’t hesitate to accept the offer, taking the proffered card home and registering it online.

Within a few days I was sent an email including a selection of vouchers to use instore but I have yet to see how the long-term benefits actually stack up.

The card is called the ‘Together Rewards Card’ and you actually earn 5 points for every £1 spent, with vouchers issued four times a year, providing you have a balance of at least 50 points – you actually receive your first 50 points when you register! Every point then equals 1p, so it depends how frequent a visitor to The Works you actually are, as to whether you gain much during the course of a year.

Still, as a rival company would say, “Every little helps”, which is why I collect all the loyalty cards that I can!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Autumn Reads

During the past month I’ve been having a bit of a reading fest, so rather than just name my best read at my end of month round-up, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite titles with you.

The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell

An intriguing story that illustrates how the actions of our past can have such a big impact on our future. In the present day Lila is given an isolated cottage by a mystery benefactor, but why? Events that took place during 1980 are slowly revealed to provide the answer to this question, whilst uncovering some startling secrets. I was hooked.

The Silent Tide by Rachel Hore

I love all of Rachel Hore’s books, mixing the past and present, joining two threads in time to reveal different elements of a shared story. In this book Emily Gordon’s much-loved publishing job sees her digging into the past of a revered writer, learning some surprising truths about his life and the lives of those he has left behind. A great read.

Fever by Mary Beth Keane

Based on the historical character ‘Typhoid Mary’ a cook accused of infecting a number of her employers and their families with typhoid in the course of her food preparation, this story surmises what Mary’s life and personality may really have been like. My feelings for Mary alternated between sympathy for her personal situation and scorn at her disregard for the rules, although I do feel she was given an unnecessarily tough time. Decide about her for yourself by reading this great book.

 

The Light Behind The Window by Lucinda Riley

Another great blend of past and present, encompassing the exceptional bravery of British agents in 1940s war-torn France and the personal struggle of Emilie in more recent times. Emilie feels at a loss as how to proceed in life following the death of her mother, her subsequent inheritance and revelations about her family history. It was one of those books that I just didn’t want to put down!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Maps Vs Satnavs

In life, there are two groups of people, those who use maps and those who use Satnavs. I have to say, I fall into the ‘maps’ category.

On any journey I am assigned the roll of navigator, which I love. Hubby comments that in our car we don’t have a TomTom, we have a JoyJoy!

I simply love maps. I love planning the routes for our journeys, working out the most interesting, scenic or easiest routes. If we hit a problem when travelling, all I have to do is check the map for an alternative route and make a detour. We never get sent down dubious tracks or through places that we’d rather not go. Oh no, I certainly wouldn’t swap my map book for a Satnav any day!

Armed only with a road atlas, we have travelled over a large part of the UK and through France without getting lost, and have found some little gems of places along our chosen routes.

How ironic then that earlier this year I won a Satnav in a prize draw! Needless to say I wasn’t thrilled when my prize arrived, but then I saw how it could actually benefit me. I left the box sealed, advertised it on Amazon as ‘new and unused’, priced it a few pence lower than other sellers of new Satnavs and found a buyer within 24 hours! Just think of how many map books I could buy with the proceeds!

So despite my win of the year, you will still see me poring over my road atlas in anticipation of our next journey. After all, hubby can rely on his JoyJoy – even though unlike a Satnav I can answer back!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

What Makes A Bad Shop?

In a recent ‘Which?’ survey, shoppers voted WH Smith the worst retailer (‘messy and expensive’), with TK Maxx scoring pretty low too.

I believe that over the years WH Smith has deteriorated, with some of their stores feeling less inviting and more cramped. A branch in a neighbouring town has been reduced to half its size, resulting in everything being ‘shoe-horned’ into a much smaller area. Taller shelf systems were installed, forming narrower walkways, and I now avoid going in there as it makes me feel quite claustrophobic.

Before this change I was a much more frequent visitor to the store, which was spacious and well organised. Ok, so having less floor space has obviously reduced overheads, but has possibly also meant a further reduction in customers and so profits. Of course, one of the reasons that consumers may no longer rate WHSmith is that one of the main items that it stocks, books, can be bought much more cost-effectively from the supermarket shelves.

Certain branches of Clintons card shops have had a similar ‘make under’, with some very tall shelving being installed in cramped aisles. At least they have started pricing their cards individually, meaning that you don’t have to hunt around for annoying price codes and charts any more.

Although TK Maxx does offer some good bargains, I can’t help feeling that I’m walking into a jumble sale when I enter the store. Sorting through rails of mismatched clothing very quickly becomes boring to my mind, and I soon lose all patience, give up and go somewhere that displays their clothing in a more user-friendly way.

Surprisingly to me, pound and 99p stores rated quite highly in the survey, although personally I have found many of these shops disorganised and uninviting, with the exception of a few good branches. True, prices are low, but I expect a shop to be welcoming and offer good, friendly service – I don’t want someone to just shout, “Next please,” and proceed to stuff my purchases into a bag whilst wearing a bored expression. Hold the complaints about that comment; I do speak from genuine experience.

So what makes a bad shop? Well of course there can be a lot of variation between different branches of the same store, but I believe chaotic displays, cramped environments, unhelpful staff and goods that are unrealistically priced all make a bad shop, but what do you think?

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Second Class Service

I only ever buy second class stamps and have always preferred to buy them in books of six. However, on a recent visit to the shops, everywhere that I requested a book of ‘six second class stamps’, I was told that they now only sold them in books of twelve.

I found this extremely annoying as I really only wanted a maximum of six. One assistant did tell me I could have a book of six – if I bought first class, but I use second class post on principle.

Many a time I have posted a card or letter sporting a second class stamp for it to arrive at its destination the next day, so by using first class post I would have paid extra for nothing! OK other times it takes two or three days, but I just ensure that I post letters in good time to save expense. After all, second class stamps cost 50p each and first class cost 60p, with the difference between the two amounting to quite a bit over time.

Of course, I can remember the time when a postage stamp cost about 2p, and when stamps were first introduced they cost just one old penny. But at least we no longer have to pay for the letters that we receive, which is how the system operated in its early days. Imagine having to pay to receive the bills and junk mail that you are sent! Although you could actually refuse to receive your post rather than pay the fee.

It just appears that now I will either have to relent and buy a book of twelve second class stamps in one go, or join the mammoth queue at the Post Office to obtain any number that I choose to name. Either way, what I refuse to do is send my letters first class!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This June I’m Loving…

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, a wonderful read. I love Kate Morton’s books and really enjoy the way that she combines stories from the past and with what’s happening in the present. This book tells Laurel’s story, portraying her current life in 2011, whilst haunted by memories of 1961, which prove quite disturbing. These memories along with new information make her curious about her mother’s life in wartime Britain – a real page-turner!

Boots Zingy Lemon Shower Gel, a creamy, refreshing body wash, which reminds me of the lemon sherbet that I used to buy as a child, costing just £1.

The current (dated July) issue of Red Magazine containing a great selection of articles, beauty and fashion pages, and now on sale for just £2 at Tesco, as opposed to the normal cover price of £4. This issue includes a free 15ml tube of Elemis Pro-radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, which ‘tightens and brightens’, ideal for giving your skin a real boost.

Aero chocolate biscuits (especially the orange variety), which are really tasty and are only 99 calories per biscuit!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Bookstart

When my daughter registered my grandson’s birth a couple of weeks ago, she was presented with a pack containing some delightful board books courtesy of Bookstart.

Bookstart is run by Booktrust, an independent charity given funding by the Department of Education and aimed at encouraging people of all ages to have access to and get enjoyment from books. Visit http://bookstart.org.uk to learn more.

I’m an avid reader and certainly don’t have to be told the value of books, but think this is a great scheme to encourage more reluctant readers to become interested in all that books have to offer.

I read and looked at books with all three of my children from a very young age and felt ‘robbed’ when they became too old for bedtime stories. My mother read to me daily when I was young, and I was taken to the library on a regular basis, to choose books on my dad’s library card. When I was old enough to go the library with my own card, to choose my own books (accompanied by big sister), I made a beeline for the section marked ‘older children’. The librarian, on noticing this, peered over her desk and pointed out, “The books for younger children are over there!” To which my young, very precocious self replied, “Yes, I know, but I’ve read all of those already!”

To this day I read, on average, a couple of books a week and would encourage everyone to persevere with books even if they don’t immediately get much from them. It may take time to find the type of book that really works for you, but it will be there somewhere.

Now I’m looking forward to reading stories to my grandson and having another generation of book-lovers in the family.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

The Haunting by Alan Titchmarsh

I’m an avid reader and am always on the lookout for different, interesting titles and authors to read. On a recent trip to The Works bookshop I was attracted to a book entitled ‘The Haunting’ and decided to take a closer look.

I was surprised to discover that it was written by Alan Titchmarsh, someone whose books I had never considered reading, wrongly believing that he wrote the type of book that would be of no interest to me whatsoever. However, when I read the ‘blurb’ on the back, I realised that it fell into a category of book that I really enjoy – that where two stories, one past and one present, link together in some way.

I love reading books such as ‘The House at Riverton’ and ‘The Forgotten Garden’ by Kate Morton and ‘Sepulchre’ by Kate Mosse, so was keen to get started on ‘The Haunting’, where stories from 1816 and 2010 come together.

I quickly became engrossed in this book, eager to find out the fates of 19^th century Anne Flint and 21^st century Harry as their stories gradually unfolded in the same places but at different times. The book includes tragedy, romance and the sad effects of dementia on the young and old, all coming together in a very well written, intriguing tale.

OK, maybe part of the ending was a bit predictable, but it didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment of the story.

I really enjoyed reading ‘The Haunting’ and am now eager to try some more of Mr Titchmarsh’s offerings.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

I-Spy Books

As a child I had a large collection of I-Spy books – 'Birds', 'Trees', 'Flowers', ‘In The Street’ etc, and no journey or outing was complete without taking along at least one or two of them.

There was a lot of pleasure to be had identifying and ‘ticking off’ species of wildlife, unusual objects or lesser-seen road signs. For years I treasured these little books, until I moved on to what I considered to be more ‘grown-up’ pastimes.

The original books were published first by Charles Warrell, then by the Daily Mail, but I was thrilled when I realised that Michelin had revived these little books, including many of the original titles, as well as introducing a few new ones to the collection. Eager to recapture the fun with my son, we’ve invested in ‘Birds’ and ‘At The Seaside’ and will no doubt acquire more – personally though I’m not particularly attracted to ‘Car Badges’.

Of course, like everything else, I-Spy books have had to move with the times. Amongst things to find at the seaside, for example, are ‘Alcohol Free Zone’ signs, ‘Hip Hop Drop’ rides and skateboard kites.

These handy little books provide plenty of fun for the whole family on outings and journeys, with editions aimed at specific locations now available – for example, Oxford, Edinburgh and Paris.

If you’ve never tried an I-Spy book, what are you waiting for? Go and buy one today, and have fun!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This April I’m Loving …

The Saucy Fish Co Salmon Fillets with Watercress and Crème Fraiche Dressing. These salmon fillets have a lovely flavour and I didn’t find a single bone, unlike other so-called ‘fillets’ I have tried. The dressing can be served cold or you can warm the sachet in hot water. Really delicious!

The Rose Trevelyan books by Janie Bolitho. Intriguing Cornish mysteries featuring artist Rose, on the trail to solve local crimes including murders, disappearances and burglaries. I really enjoyed these books but was sad to discover that Janie died of cancer back in 2002, so there will be no more of these enjoyable stories.

Asda Chosen By You (frozen) Bramley Apple Crumble, £1. This is a lovely crumble really packed with tasty apple, which makes a great budget, family dessert.

Imperial Leather Oriental Calm Cherry Blossom and Vanilla Bean Shower Cream. It’s lovely and creamy and smells gorgeous!

Walkers Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Crisps. They remind me of the Cheddar Cheese crisps that were around when I was a child.

... and Spring - well the thought of how it should be anyway

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy