The Baby Spa

The Baby Spa has been described as a ground-breaking technique in child development.

Parents’ hearts swell with pride and joy as they eagerly observe their baby’s first unfolding of awareness during independent water exploration. They experience a sense of overwhelming appreciation for their child as an independent and unique little being with a distinct personality while observing in awe as their baby adapts to buoyancy and total freedom that only by being in water can provide.

When babies are happy, parents are happy—an excellent start to the beginning of a close parent and child partnership and joyous journey of swimming through life.

The British in Italy

The British in Italy is a fascinating exploration of the enduring relationship between the English and Italians, dating back to the times of Shakespeare, Leghorn, The Grand Tour, Florence, and Venice, up to the cataclysmic events of World War II. The author draws parallels between Victorian England’s progress and the Italian Renaissance, particularly the British presence in Italy during the 19th century.

In a unique approach, the author embarks on a journey through Italy, beginning in the Alps and continuing on foot and by bicycle from Monviso to Trieste, then down to Sicily. Along the way, he rediscovers the forgotten Anglo-Saxon characters who played a significant role in shaping Italy’s cultural, artistic, and scientific landscape, such as the true Count of Montecristo, textile industrialists, inventors, painters, archaeologists, botanists, and travelers.

Their stories are intertwined with the author’s encounters, memories, lost friends, legends, and conversations, providing a rich tapestry of Italy’s diverse history and culture. The book is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge and insight, revealing Italy's layers of history and culture from a unique Anglo-Saxon perspective. As Doctor Johnson aptly said, “A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.” This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to discover the true heart of Italy and the enduring bond between the English and Italians.

The Last of the Lucky Childhoods

This is the story of my childhood recollections while growing up in Glasgow. The streets were still for kids and we knew how to make our own fun, though some of the mischiefs we got up to may not be classed as fun nowadays.

If we were poor, we didn’t realise it; if we were ill-treated, we thought of it as normal. Kids didn’t complain in those days (or they got a ‘slap across the lug’). Kids knew their place, we just got on with life and enjoyed it to the fullest.

As Billy Connolly would say: “What I’m about to tell you is true…well mostly.”

If any of my old pals, relatives, or friends recognise themselves on these pages, you’re most likely right…but I have changed the names (in some instances) to protect the guilty!

The Outsider's Guide to Christianity

This book provides a short, dispassionate introduction to Christianity in simple terms for people who know little or nothing about the subject, providing insight to the beliefs and practices of Christians. Although written from a Christian perspective, the book aspires to be both objective and inclusive throughout. As well as covering the history and the reasoning behind Christian belief, topics of belief which are difficult for outsiders to understand are covered, such as church in all its various forms, the Bible, Heaven and Hell, miracles, sin, sex and marriage, forgiving others, praise and prayer, and why bad things happen. Christian characters in media fiction are there for dramatic purposes and this usually gives a false impression of what Christians believe and how they behave. This book explains why the Christians we come across in real life believe what they believe, why they read the Bible and go to church and why they do the things they do – things which are not generally understood by non-Christians.

The Source

Secrets ….
DCI Teddy Cartwright has immersed himself into the darkness of Newcastle’s criminal underworld, where money is the root of all evil.
Teddy is keeping a secret close to his chest and one that he is willing to take to the grave. How will it end?

Things Only Get Worse to Get Better

Things only get worse to get better – because they do. This book delves into the reality of the effects of mental health and the feelings aroused by the various, individual conditions. Unsettling, uncomfortable, unspoken – yet, everyday life for many. An all-round taboo topic that affects hundreds of thousands daily. Despite the short- and long-term effects of mental health, it doesn’t have to be an experience of permanence.

Therefore, this book explores self-help references to show that a positive outcome is always possible. Depression, anxiety and anger can lead to contentment, confidence and control. Bringing this topic to light is a step away from silent suffering and one towards a solution for any and all.

Things will Get Better

Normal is as normal does – right? Well, my version of normal seemed to be quite unique. Compared to friends I’d always be the one with the hilarious stories. My friends would flock to hear them, tall tales about my misadventures and awkward encounters with men. 

However, at university, these shenanigans began to take their toll. Euphoric highs and dramatic lows were exhausting and had nearly taken my life.

I’m sharing some of these stories which will definitely make you laugh out loud as well as cringe so you can better appreciate that mental health (good or not so good) is normal.

Hold on in there – things do get better.

Thinking reeds

Thinking Reeds is an evocative collection of contemplations, delving into the vast tapestry of human existence and the intricacies of our emotional landscapes. Through ‘Thoughts,’ ‘Second Thoughts,’ and ‘Afterthoughts,’ readers are invited on a profound journey, exploring the depths of love and hate, the complexities of life and death, the shadows of friendship and enmity, and the stark contrasts between wealth and poverty, truth, and falsehood. This introspective compilation captures the essence of the human experience, painting a vivid portrait of our shared vulnerabilities and illuminating the myriad shades of our collective consciousness.

Thirteen Months of Sunshine

Ethiopians have not completely put that historical famine – of ‘Live Aid’ times – behind them and they struggle to understand or to keep up with the Western world, including their ever-advancing technology. Education there is seen as a key to success but balancing developments alongside embedded tribal and superstitious beliefs is not easy. At least now schools have moved from drawing in the dust under a shady tree, into purpose-built structures – with or without resources.  

It was into this environment Valerie was placed when, following the dramatic changes in her circumstances, she made her momentous decision to put her comfortable English life on hold and to replace it with a year in that developing country. At 58, not only did she use her life skills and teaching experience in the northern town of Mekelle, but she lived through a potentially dangerous political time. Valerie used in-country transport to visit some amazing places which included her medal-winning run in Addis Ababa! Partly to record every little detail but also to maintain some sort of sanity, she kept a detailed diary throughout that roller coaster year. This book gives the reader a combination of an entertaining personal read of diaried key events, alongside her own Ethiopian life with its water conservation, frugal diet, wind, dust and much more. Valerie records an honest and sometimes harrowing insight into the little-known everyday existence of Ethiopians.

This Is 1808

Harriet, Jake and Mathew are enjoying a holiday fishing trip when suddenly a strange mist descends and surrounds their boat. As it clears, the three children find themselves mysteriously transported back to the year 1808. Anchored majestically ahead of them is the mighty sailing ship, The Intrepid, a great man o’ war. Sea shanties echo across the waves as eleven-year-old Jake is captured and taken to serve in the Napoleonic Wars.

Will Harriet and Mathew be able to rescue Jake and bring him safely back to England?

Will they be able to assist the desperately wounded soldiers from the carnage of the battlefield?

Will they survive the grim battles and storms at sea before they are once more returned to twenty-first-century Britain?

Thoughts

Incisive views and comments on news of the day, couched in humour and unfailing compassion.

Rt Hon Baroness D’Souza CMG The Lord Speaker (2011-2016)

Lord (Indarjit) Singh’s talks on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’ have inspired many including Royalty, Prime Ministers, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders.  

One of Indarjit’s talks in 1999 provided the impetus in setting up the Lambeth Group to celebrate the Millennium by setting up a Faith Zone at the Millennium Dome and to Indarjit hosting a National Service of Reflection and Reconciliation in the Queen’s Gallery of the House of Lords. Tony Blair, the then Prime Minister described it as the most moving celebration of the Millennium he had witnessed.

Rt. Hon. Clare Short MP

Secretary of State for International Development

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme on December 2004, on who she would like to nominate in the Programme’s competition ‘Listener’s Lord’, the person listeners would most like to see in the House of Lords.

I would like to nominate Indarjit Singh. He contributes regularly on Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’, and he gives impressive homilies drawing on the wisdom of Sikh teachings to help us think through the moral issues of the day.

Lord Singh came a close second to celebrated musician and human rights activist Bob Geldolf.

Thread of Fate

A friendship first made on a 1950s holiday, a document unsigned at the last moment, the suggestion made by a stranger, a photograph taken in Spain, all elements in a chain of events leading to a totally unexpected romantic encounter quite late in life.

This is the story of a childhood in the 1930s, taking us through carefree days at the seaside, when it is never too young to fall in love. An account of wartime on the east coast and day-to-day work behind a pharmacy counter in those long, dark years, is interlaced with notes on severe winters from a daily 80-year record kept by a dedicated amateur weatherman.

Along the way there are accounts of incidents of a supernatural nature, how a smoking habit may have saved a life which it took away in later years, encounters with fire, in one case a little too close for comfort.

Readers can form their own opinion as to whether the happenings set down in these pages are just a matter of random chance, or is there indeed a guiding thread of predestination leading to a totally unexpected change of lifestyle.