Rick Astley makes Swing music cool again at the Usher Hall, Royal Albert Hall and other venues. If you ever get the opportunity to see him and his big swing band in future years, I highly recommend it. I saw him at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
Rick Astley gigs are like a dose of wellbeing to your heart, mind and soul. They’re a terrific, memorable night out!
“Fly Me to the Moon”, I was certainly on cloud 9 at this gig and loved every second of it. It was a relaxed gig in a formal setting, which was perfectly executed. Rick Astley dazzled the audience with a mix of Christmas songs done swing style and the classic swing songs. Solo and group instrumental parts were a delight as he allowed his band to showcase their talents and what they could do with instruments such as the saxophone, drums and more…
He put together a great repertoire that flowed well. It included songs Christmas songs such as “Winter Wonderland”, “Santa Clause is Coming To Town”, “White Christmas”, romantic songs such as “Strangers in the Night”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” “As Time Goes By” and many more…
As Rick Astely sang, his voice for all his songs was exquisitely deep, rich, silky smooth and perfect for this style of music. I honestly couldn’t fault any of it as he emulated the original crooners. I was incredibly impressed!
The gig had heart, humour, poignancy and most of all, fun. He mentioned his mum and sang some of the songs she liked, he had a shot on drums himself and danced around. There was a festive, positive energy throughout. There were some audience singalong parts, of course, the major one being his 80’s hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”. He didn’t conclude on this, the last song was “White Christmas” and then you knew the festive season had officially begun. The gig started on a high and finished on a high. Not one bit of it waned. Everything he sang, everything he
Rick Astley has great longevity and deservedly so, especially as he does things how he wants to do them now. I’ve seen his Pop concerts and now this Swing concert and both styles show his enormous talent and a great sense of uplifting fun like he wants to be there and you don’t ever want him to leave.
If you ever get a chance to see any of his gigs, I highly recommend them. You won’t regret it and nor will you be disappointed. They’re a joy to the heart and soul.
Getting Away With Murder My Unexpected Life on Page, Stage and Screen By Lynda La Plante
Written By Louise Cannon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Getting Away with Murder is what Lynda La Plante has been doing on page and screen for a fair bit of her life. Now, as a reader and viewer of the books, fan are in for a real treat and a real eye-opener to her varied career. I was incredibly fortunate to have been on a Zoom call with her earlier in the year with a small group of people. It was fascinating what she had to say. I am so pleased to share the book that followed.
Blurb
‘Screamingly funny and deliciously candid, full of wisdom and joie de vivre, this is memoir with the grip of a thriller‘ ERIN KELLY
Lynda La Plante has lived an illustrious life and has the stories to prove it.
From her early days in Liverpool to her unexpected acceptance into RADA, joining peers Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Ian McShane; from beginning her scriptwriting career with Widows and Prime Suspect and becoming a BAFTA award-winning writer and producer, Lynda’s tales of stage and screen will have you gasping in shock as well as laughing in the aisles.
Lynda has an important story to tell, one of breaking down stereotypes and blazing a trail for others along the way. Starting her writing career in the eighties, an era of entrenched gender inequality both in front of and behind the camera, Lynda faced innumerable obstacles to her vision.
Getting Away with Murder shows how she overcame them to create generation-defining television and become a multi-million-copy Sunday Times bestselling author. Still at the very top of her game, Lynda shares her story on her own terms, in a way that’s guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and be inspired to live a life without limits.
Review
Lynda La Plante, a household name from Liverpool with her creation of Widows, Prime Suspect and most recently, the Tennison series. She was and still is seen as a trail-blazer for women. She, like the characters she created is a strong woman who has been in positions to break down stereotypes. She hasn’t always had things easy, it was the 1980’s and women and girls had many more inequalities than they do today to overcome… Oh the people she’s met though and the stories she can tell, which are fascinating to read. She has been fortunate to work with some of the greats, spanning a hugely long career that isn’t over yet… That’s part of the more glitzy part of her life, if you like. It all sounds such a dream, but really she’s had much to conquer and lived through a lot. People haven’t always made easy pathways, other people don’t always and she’s had her relationship problems and go through divorce. Despite the adversities, she has overcome them to win top awards. She doesn’t sugar-coat things though and I think that’s a good thing.
There’s much to discover as not everyone knows much more than what they’ve seen on tv and in her biggest sellers in books. It’s an absolutely compelling read and you can even see and feel what she’s talking about in-between the lines. That takes real skill to write like that.
There’s humour, warmth, emotion and just fascinating information to be garnered from reading this. Ultimately what she says makes you admire her even more. Even now, she is doing things on her own terms, such as telling her life story with what she wants to write. It’s quite remarkable in still, a world where people want to tell you what to do and how to do it. She had found routes to do it her way and that’s inspiring.
It’s stocked in many good bookshops in paperback, hardback, signed editions and in libraries.
The Older I Get How I Repowered My Life By Fern Britton
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Review written by Louise Cannon (Lou)
We all age, for most people it’s a fact of life. Fern Britton, known for presenting Ready Steady Cook, This Morning, reboot of Watercolour Challenge, My Cornwall, writing novels and more… has lived through a lot of life’s ups and downs and survived. Now, she’s written a non-fiction book that’s not quite a traditional self-help book, more a gentle, wise, guide to the changing phase in life, with lived experiences that has a very human, relatable touch. She is in a stage of repowering her life and shows that anyone can do this in their lives too.
Blurb
Fern had recently entered her 60s when a series of life-altering events threw her into the eye of the storm. Both her parents passed away, her 20-year marriage ended, and the pandemic was looming.
Faced with an uncertain future, Fern decided that if she wanted to start over, now was the time. She moved to Cornwall, where she reconnected with her true self and instead of fearing getting older, she chose to create a glorious new life full of friendship, fun and adventure.
Fern explores the joy and challenges of aging with warmth and humour. She reflects back on all she has learnt, from enduring tough times to embracing new opportunities and learning how to be kinder to herself. This wasn’t a moment of empowerment, for that would suggest she never had any power to begin with. As women, we often put our needs aside, and she feels strongly that it’s time for us to repower and rediscover our happiness.
In The Older I Get, join Fern as she candidly shares her experiences of grief and loss, rebuilding confidence and exploring new passions, as well as the importance of finding friends you can put the world to rights with over a couple of Cosmos.
Review
We all just keep getting older and life changes for everyone, whether you’ve had children or not. Stuff happens! As Fern Britton says, in an aptly named chapter, When the Sh*t Hits the Fan”. She’s been through bereavement, divorce, kids flying the nest, moving house, forging a different part of life. It seems to me like she’s been there and lived it all. We all go through a lot, as she acknowledges, but she shows not everything has to be doom and gloom. She has chosen to repower her life, embrace new and old friendships and has a new place to live.
I like that term, repower. I’ve never heard of it before. Just that word is inspiring, re-energising. I’ve a lot of “get up and go”, but this gives me even more energy in my heart and soul to keep going, no matter what. Keep trying things out, doing things, meeting people, some I know lots about, some I don’t know so well. That word, repower spurs me onwards, some how, even though I am tired as I write this review, after a long, challenging week.
This book harnesses so much honesty and realistic positivity about growing older. Fern Britton doesn’t hide behind a facade, and I love it! What Fern Britton and this book embodies is how she is truly living life and is blooming all over again with her repowering of her positive energies. She explains clearly, in down to earth terms what this actually means, and the perks getting older brings.
The book feels like Fern Britton has taken your hand and said that one way or another, through all the ups and downs of life, ultimately, you’ll be okay. She bravely writes about mistakes, imposter syndrome and confidence. What she writes is relatable and human. She doesn’t hide behind a facade. She talks about taking care of yourself (I’ll admit to being a must get better at that part in life). Here she uses another new term, “selfist”, which is an interesting concept and one I hadn’t heard of before. Maybe it’ll make people feel a bit better when they’re taking time out for themselves. I may try thinking about it like that. I like bits about lists. I’ve had lists since I was a teen of places to visit and people I’d like to meet or meet again, some way or another. I’m not in for manifesting, but some of the more seemingly impossible things have happened, like the people I’ve met and now I’m hoping that will somehow happen again. There are sections about making new friends and living in new places and discovering something different about yourself and your surroundings and the people you meet.
It’s an easy book to read, digest and follow in that it isn’t full of jargon. It feels like it comes from the heart with everything flowing out in a way that makes sense. Helpfully, there are bullet points at the end of chapters that summarise what has just been read.
I am possibly not the exact target audience for this book, but in a way, being in my 40’s and also been through a lot, perhaps I am. It’s that next stage in life that isn’t too far into the distant future. There are many concepts that can be used for all of life, whether you’re a person at a similar age and stage of life as Fern’s or not. I felt the book is relatable to anyone, some parts naturally more so than others, but it’s nonetheless fascinating, practical and positive.
If you’re contemplating in reading any book in this genre, this is a brilliant one to get into. I can see that word “Repowering” becoming a bit of a trend. It has energy and heart and spirit lifting properties. As we look closer to a new year, this may be the book which helps to gradually change things for the better.
Discover retailers who stock in this Link: Penguin
One Sinha Lifetime Comedy, disaster and one man’s quest for happiness By Paul Sinha
Review by Louise Cannon (Lou)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I once saw Paul Sinha, who lots of us know from successful ITV/STV quiz show, The Chase, doing stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It wasn’t his first and I dare say perhaps not his last, foray into the world of Fringe theatre in Scotland. It was a great afternoon and there’s a great show on BBC Sounds too. During his show he started to float the idea of now being the time to write his autobiography. I am so pleased he stuck with the title from back then, One Sinha Lifetime. It suits him and now reading the book, it suits the content too. Thanks to Paul Sinha for replying to a tweet/post on Twitter/X, I kindly received a copy of his book to review. It’s a fascinating read. Check out the blurb below and then my review.
Blurb
‘That night, I’d survived my life flashing before me, with my dignity intact. Yes, this chaotic life has always been a gamble. … But what a gamble.’
Paul Sinha is an award-winning comedian, a quizzing mastermind and a happily-married husband. But for much of his life none of these seemed remotely imaginable.
As a boy, Paul struggled to find his place in a world where he didn’t quite fit. Who was he? An over-achieving schoolkid with the world’s knowledge at his fingertips? A traditional Bengali son, destined for a career in medicine that he never once craved. A young gay man yearning to breathe freely? Or was he yet another flawed human being on a self-destruct mission?
Amid life’s mayhem, it was frequently Paul’s love of facts in which he found solace, whether funding his lifestyle through quiz machines or simply trying to show off to his mates. Stumbling serendipitously into both a career in stand-up and the clandestine network of competitive quizzers introduced him to a new sense of purpose, a new identity, and, eventually, new love…
A hilarious and moving coming-of-age memoir of one man’s search for fulfilment, One Sinha Lifetime is an unconventional odyssey through love, family, and the joy of general knowledge.
Review
One Sinha Lifetime is a fascinating chance to see the man behind the genius of answering question after question on top quiz show, The Chase and the microphone telling funny anecdotes and gags.
It begins in 2019 after a comedy gig in Glasgow. We’re introduced to the life of a gigging comedian and a competitor in the British Quizzing Championships, still getting on with life, despite a hangover and health issues. It introduces us to Paul Sinha and what he does now… then we are taken back to his parents from West Bengal, who migrated to the UK. With Paul, they had their expectations as soon as he popped out of his mother’s womb. There’s some humour in the way he writes about the “mapping” of his life that his parents had for him, which leads to an unconventional time studying in the medical field, paving the way to much of the career he has now. I like that. The side-steps of life and the twists and turns it can take in a less than conventional manner. There’s something deep and brave about that, even if it isn’t intended. Paul Sinha doesn’t half do the adventure of life successfully. I also like it because I can relate to life not being in a straight line and the unexpected good and bad happening. I’ve just never quite read about it before, so this book is more refreshing and open than you’d perhaps ever imagine it to be.
There is some fun nostalgia in the toys he played with in childhood, the pop culture and some serious things that were happening politically and socially, neatly interwoven as he tells his story. It gives a great rounded perspective and insight into his approach to life and what he was doing at various points.
It’s a very frank book in many ways and shows the complexities of growing up with many expectations, having a big IQ score, working out sexuality and generally coming of age and into adulthood with its trials and tribulations and relationships he has and what happened. Then the entering and exiting medicine into comedy and everything in-between. He ventures into the downs and ups (that way, intended as you’ll see why if you choose to read the book) of being a gigging comedian, including the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the progression from his first time to his return, now he’s more known, before taking a look at some quiz/gameshows that pre-date The Chase. It’s fascinating reading about the mysterious threads of life do their stuff and whose paths crossed, how and when and how certain roads led to The Chase.
When he talks about Parkinson’s and what a year 2019 was, he does so with hope, a desire to go on, but also with a sense of reality ie, it isn’t false-hope he’s putting out there and it does give a sense of hard times. It’s heart-warming to read how he uses his celebrity status in heightening awareness of Parkinson’s.
One Sinha Lifetime is a book I highly recommend and may well have you admire him even more by the end. It’s very well-written and considered as well as being insightful. By the end, you’ll know more about Paul Sinha, why and how he does what he does and how he’s still the leading man of his life, and not letting anything or anyone control that. It all ends on one of the most positive notes that anyone can takeaway into their own lives.
In Search of Beethoven – A Personal Journey By John Suchet
Review By Louise (Lou)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
This autumn/winter, music, journalistic skills and travel are in the air! It’s long been since known that John Suchet has a passion for Beethoven, you could now almost say the two go hand in hand. He’s written books about him before, but this time it’s personal. The reader can now follow in the footsteps of John’s life of discovery and love of Beethoven and how they intertwine in his personal and working life in this part memoir, part factual history, part travelogue as he and Nula Suchet travel around Germany and Vienna.
Blurb
From the bestselling author of Beethoven: The Man Revealed, In Search of Beethoven is John Suchet’s latest and most personal book dedicated to the life of this extraordinary composer. Part biography, part memoir, part travelogue, Suchet draws on his own life and career as a foreign correspondent and news anchor to show how Beethoven’s music has accompanied him through the best and worst of times. It was with him as a music-loving and adventurous teenager, as a journalist entering Beirut in the grip of civil war, and as he has continued to explore the old cities of Bonn and Vienna, in search of the man behind the music.
In this novel and compelling book, we see Beethoven brought vividly – and sometimes painfully – to life. Suchet traces Beethoven’s footsteps from his early years in Bonn to his dying days in Vienna, taking us on a journey both literal and symbolic, as he uses his own experience as a Beethoven aficionado to demonstrate the life-changing power of great music.
Review
From the first page, I am hooked into what is a heart-warming prologue, touching upon himself, Beethoven, his Bonnie, Nula Suchet and a project that her James had been working on…. Then readers are taken back in time to 1778, where Ludwig Van Beethoven commands your presence. Each chapter weaves times gone by and the present very well, between John’s footsteps of Beethoven’s life and how he became enthralled by it, where he travels to in Germany.
Beautifully, it truly has a personal feel as you get a bit of a sense of how Nula and John Suchet are when they travel together as well as getting a sense of Beethoven and his family and how they were together too. You get a sense of the geography of Rheingasse, then and now and what’s so important about the Fischer family in Beethoven’s life too.
Intelligently, this isn’t a total look at Beethoven in isolation, fascinatingly, there’s context placed, with other musicians such as Mozart and Haydn, affectionately known as “Papa Haydn”. There is also historical context in both their time and the times when John Suchet visited Germany and Vienna. This offers another dimension and depth to what’s being told, increasing knowledge and understanding, in a relatable way, creating a wider sphere, but with Beethoven naturally at the centre. It all adds to it being a fascinating read.
In Search of Beethoven is accessible. The mix of fact and the heart of the personal and travel side is a good balance. The text isn’t heavy, it pulls you into a bit of a deeper understanding and into a fascinating journey along the way into a book that reads like story-telling, but with everything being true.
I highly recommend you put on a bit of music and pick up this book. It has everything and it won’t disappoint.
You Don’t Have to be Mad to Work Here: A Psychiatrist’s Life By Dr. Benji Waterhouse
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Unlocking the doors of the world of a psychiatrist, this is a fascinating book into a world not everyone has entered for real, but have seen, fictionalised in film and in tv. Find out more in the blurb and what I thought of it in my review below.
Blurb
A woman with bipolar flies from America in a wedding dress to marry Harry Styles.
A lorry driver with schizophrenia believes he’s got a cure for coronavirus. A depressed psychiatrist hides his profession from his GP due to stigma.
Most of the characters in this book are his patients. Some of them are his family. One of them is him.
Unlocking the doors to the psych ward, NHS psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of medicine’s most mysterious and controversial speciality.
Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be a psychiatrist? Are the solutions to people’s messy lives really within medical school textbooks? And how can vulnerable patients receive the care they need when psychiatry lacks staff, hospital beds and any actual cures?
Humane, hilarious and heart-breaking, You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here is an enlightening and darkly comic medical memoir – from both sides of the doctor’s desk.
Review
Humans are so complex beings and some require the psychiatrist’s chair as it were. The human mind fascinates me and I figured that it would interest other people and we’ve all heard of (and perhaps some of you have used to services of) a psychiatrist and seen films with the psychiatric chair, so I felt it would be interesting to explore a book that’s by a psychiatrist and from his point of view.
You Don’t Have to be Mad to Work Here is a book that I dipped in and out of, quietly contemplating and isn’t one I felt I could race through, but in saying that, it truly is a fascinating read and you do get swept a long a bit. Not having used a psychiatrist myself, I am nonetheless interested in the profession and it’s interesting to hear from both sides of the desk. Dr. Benji Waterhouse seems pretty candid in how and what he writes.
It tells about the NHS crisis and how it impacts this important profession and debunks the myths. Dr. Benji Waterhouse doesn’t claim to be perfect himself and has had his own share of time in the patient’s shoes too, which made for interesting reading.
I feel it would make an interesting documentary series. You get a real sense of what it is like to be in a psychiatrist’s office and the people who require this profession to be in their lives.
The book is heart-wrenching and darkly humorous as well as humane and sympathetic and understanding as he tells about patients who go through the door into the ward.
This is a book I recommend to see what life is really like in the NHS in the mental health profession part of it.
Rick Astley makes Swing music cool again at the Usher Hall, Royal Albert Hall and other venues. If you ever get the opportunity to see him and his big swing band in future years, I highly recommend it. I saw him at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
He put together a great repertoire that flowed well. It included songs Christmas songs such as “Winter Wonderland”, “Santa Clause is Coming To Town”, “White Christmas”, romantic songs such as “Strangers in the Night”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” “As Time Goes By” and many more…
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 