And On Piano Nicky Hopkins By Julian Dawson

“In a media landscape that focuses almost exclusively on the tiny minority of musicians who make headlines or achieve millionaire status, Nicky’s career path marks him out as an Everyman, representing the thousands of background players whose talents are vital to the successes of others.”

In the forthcoming biography, And On Piano….Nicky Hopkins, Julian Dawson looks back on Nicky’s illustrious 35-year career as a musician, song-writer, singer and producer.

Session pianist Nicky Hopkins appeared with so many artists during his life that a complete discography is probably impossible, but a list of his better-known clients includes The Beatles (both together and individually), The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, David Bowie, Steve Miller, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Donovan, The Jeff Beck Group, Harry Nilsson, Joe Cocker, The Yardbirds, Alexis Korner, Ella Fitzgerald, The Easybeats and the list goes on.

Singer songwriter Julian Dawson boasts a veteran musical career himself having worked with the like of Richard Thompson, Vince Gill, Lucinda Williams, the Roches, Nicky Hopkins and Dan Penn. He has written songs with many of these artists as well as with Rosie Flores, Jules Shear, Willie Nile, Clive Gregson & Dennis Locorriere (Dr. Hook).

In addition to his own work, he has guested with artists from Del Amitri & Glenn Tilbrook to Gerry Rafferty & the Roches. His first production job was for country legend Charlie Louvin’s ‘90s comeback album, ‘The Longest Train’ and he is currently producing tracks with folk-rock legend Beverley Martyn.

Audiences may have seen him at festivals such as Newport (USA), Winnipeg (CA), Cambridge, Glastonbury or Cropredy (UK), on TV’s ‘Rockpalast’ with his own band, on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ with the Richard Thompson Band or on his many tours.
Dawson met Nicky Hopkins in the spring of 1994 and wrote and recorded one song with him before Nicky’s untimely death in Nashville on September 6th that year. He has spent years researching and collecting memorabilia and information about rock music’s greatest pianist and has conducted more than 130 interviews with Nicky’s friends and colleagues.

For more information please contact Impressive PR on 0207 284 3444
Online PR: ian@impressivepr.com

Flats in Leeds city centre reviewed at flatsinleeds.co.uk, read before you buy or rent you next apartment.

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Party People: How We Make Millions From Having Fun By David Jamilly & Tammy Cohen

Putting the ‘fun’ into the fundamentals of entrepreneurship

For millionaire David Jamilly, life’s one big party – literally. Now for the first time, the entrepreneur reveals how he and little sister Kim built up one of the UK’s leading event management companies from scratch.

Party People is the inside story of London-based Theme Traders, which for the last 21 years has been behind some of the capital’s biggest, brightest – and most memorable – parties.

Today, Theme Traders is a multi-million-pound events empire with some of the biggest celebrities and corporate brands on their books. The company has helped orchestrate events for the likes of Virgin, band Iron Maiden and even the Queen, for her 80th birthday.

It’s a far cry from the late 1980s when David and Kim, who both left school aged 15, were  earning a crust by organising children’s parties dressed as a spaceman and red elephant.

With some hastily-found props, inspired ideas and a hell of a lot of hard work, the siblings quickly established their reputation as the premier purveyors of note-perfect parties, whether it be by design or happy accident!

For as David shares in this refreshingly-honest ‘warts-and-all’ read, success comes as much through mistakes and lessons learned, as first-time triumphs. The ability to think on your feet also helps, as one particular anecdote concerning a painted crocodile and an unexpectedly green-coloured swimming pool attests to.

David has a wealth of similar stories to share, along with invaluable hard-earned, practical insider tips on all aspects of party planning, making the book ideal for budding entrepreneurs, aspiring socialites and events management professionals alike.

David said: “Working in the exciting, ever-changing world of parties isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle, and I never stop feeling privileged to be part of it.

“Through Theme Traders, Kim and I have learned a fantastic amount about business, parties and ourselves and it’s a real buzz to be able to pass on some of that knowledge in this book.”

A unique mix of autobiography, business guide and events ideas book, Party People will inspire, inform and entertain in equal measure. Easy to read, hard to put down, the incredible story of Theme Traders takes in boom times and hard times, champagne highs and lay-off lows, to show how making your fortune can be great fun in the process.

Party People: How We Make Millions from Having Fun – the Inside Story of Britain’s Biggest Events Empire by David Jamilly and Tammy Cohen (Indepenpress Publications), is available now, priced £8.99. Visit: www.indepenpress.co.uk | Buy From Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Jamilly co-founded Theme Traders, the renowned London-based party planning and prop hire company, in 1990. Growing up in the ’70s, he became heavily involved in theatre, music and throwing great parties. A philanthropist throughout his life, in 1988 David founded POD – a charity that now holds 2,500 parties a year in children’s hospital wards and hospices throughout the UK. Two years later, he founded Business Theme Traders, which is now a market leader worldwide.  In 2010, David appeared on Channel 4 series Secret Millionaire. Party People is his first book.

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African Fusion Cooking By Nina Gaskell

NINA’S MOVEABLE FEAST

African Fusion Cooking takes your taste buds on a voyage of discovery!

They say travel broadens the mind, but in exciting new cook Nina Gaskell’s case, it has widened the palate as well.

Like the culinary equivalent of a magpie, the grandmother-of-three has picked up ideas from around the world, starting in her native Nigeria and taking in the tastes of Asia, the Americas, Europe and the UK – her home for over 40 years.

“My recipes are for everybody who loves the thrill of trying new tastes and flavours. I hope my book will help bring African food into the mainstream, as Chinese and Indian cuisine has gone before it.”
he result is Africa Fusion Cooking – a unique tour for the taste buds that presents a wealth of delicious dishes infused with the distinctive flavours, textures and ingredients of the Africa Nina knows and loves.

Never one to hold back on experimentation, the author has created a mouth-watering array of starters, mains and desserts that give a new spin to well-known meals, incorporating African staple foods such as blackeyed beans, coconut milk, okra and sweet potatoes, as well as egusi seeds and plantain – one of the most versatile fruits around.

Written with Western appetites in mind and ever-mindful of the purse strings, Africa Fusion Cooking presents over 100 flavoursome, colourful and easy-to-follow recipes that will enliven mealtimes and dinner parties without breaking the bank.

Bubbly Nina, from Kent, has an enthusiasm for cooking that is highly infectious. This companionable guide offering friendly advice and tips throughout, along with accompanying full-colour photography, that will have you shouting bon appetit in no time.

African Fusion Cooking by Nina Gaskell (Pen Press), is available now from Amazon UK, Waterstones.co.uk and all good book shops, priced £11.99. Visit: www.africanfusioncooking.com

Paperback Pages: 138 pages Price £11.99 Available: Now ISBN-13: 978-1780030074

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Nigeria, grandmother-of-three Nina Gaskell has lived in the UK since 1963. Africa Fusion Cooking is her first book.

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Undercover Curry By Dave Loyden

A British curry lover has penned the first comprehensive cookery ‘bible’ about Indian cuisine – after going undercover in a Scottish restaurant for more than three YEARS.

Dave Loyden, 46, posed as a wannabe chef in a ”high-profile” Aberdeen eatery in a bid to gain access to its secret recipes.

He spent up to 50 hours-a-week ”slaving” in its kitchen, where he recorded every spice and ingredient in each dish.

Married Dave said he ”risked life and limb” after a colleague threatened to expose him as a mole.

But the dad-of-one escaped unharmed earlier this year, and was finally able to put pen to paper.

The aptly-named Undercover Curry, – which hits the shelves this week – reveals the tricks, techniques and closely-guarded trade secrets that Indian chefs ”don’t want you to know”.

Dave, from Aberdeen, said the 154-page title would “debunk the myth” that restaurant curries can not be reproduced at home.

He said: “Posing as an aspiring chef isn’t easy, especially when you’re smuggling out confidential information about the dishes.

”How I got away with it for so long is a mystery. I’m just so relieved that I was never caught. Chefs are firing fellas at the best of times – especially when you’re exposing their trade secrets.”

Dave quit his job in the courier industry and joined the Indian restaurant in 2004. He began work as a ‘delivery driver’, but worked his way up the ranks to the role of kitchen porter.

Dave refuses to divulge the name of the restaurant for ”safety reasons”, but revealed it is in the ”city centre area”.

“I would give up my mornings to come in and peel garlic or prepare veg while taking sneaky peaks inside food tubs and observing chefs at work,” he said.

”I was the James Bond of the kitchen – the perfect spy.”

After three years ”living on the edge”, he had enough material to write his cookery book, which contains 31 easy-to-prepare Indian recipes.

Dave, who splits his time between Aberdeen and Brunei, added: ”This book is packed with hard-won knowledge that will allow curry lovers to put together fantastic meals and serve them at restaurant speed at home.”

Undercover Curry: An Insider’s Exposé of British Indian Restaurant Cookery is available now, priced £12.99. Visit: www.undercovercurry.com

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To Know A Lion By His Claws By Sarah Badders

It’s one of the UK’s biggest historical mysteries: Were the Princes in the Tower actually murdered by their uncle as legend suggests?

Most historians believe so, but a new book on the murders suggests that far from being killed at the end of the 15th century, young Prince Edward actually escaped his royal prison and re-invented himself as one of Europe’s greatest Medieval scholars.

To Know a Lion By His Claws presents the case that Edward V, son of Edward IV, was in fact assisted by his supposed killer King Richard III and secretly transported across the Channel, where he would later re-emerge as the theologian and humanist thinker Erasmus.

Author and psychic Sarah Badders says she has relied on “higher guidance” to get to the likely truth of what became of the 12-year-old prince, who disappeared with his younger brother Richard, aged nine, during the summer of 1483.

She argues that her insights point to Richard III being innocent of the crime he is most commonly accused – that of killing the princes to eliminate them from claiming the throne – and reveal him to be a caring uncle who fully lived up to his role as protector of the brothers.

According to Badders, who lives in America, Richard wished to remove his nephews to Europe as England at the time was a troubled country, fresh out of the War of the Roses and threatened by rebellions that could bring down the royal family at any time.

The author’s shock revelations came to her over a number of years spent away from the distractions of modern society in the pursuit of spiritual wisdom.

She says that after visiting the Tower of London she is now convinced that the princes did not die unhappy deaths, smothered while they slept, but instead enjoyed new lives and identities.

Edward, known for his bookishness, grew up to become Erasmus, using his influence to help steer the Protestant Reformation while Richard re-appeared as Perkin Warbeck, the so-called pretender to the English throne who was sadly put to death by King Henry VII in 1499.

Commenting on her work, Sarah said: “I am proposing a novel hypothesis never before imagined. If an inquisitive mind still has the right to probe for truth, then maybe what I found is real – a secret story hidden by the shadows and substance of medieval politics capable of unlocking a mystery that remains the most celebrated unsolved crime in English history.”

The Story of Jeremy the Giant and Humphrey the Big Hairy Wolf By Les Tempest

It’s not all toon and gloom for new authors…

A father-of-two from Congresbury was yesterday hailed as the West Country’s answer to Walt Disney – after his debut novel was spotted by animation movie producers.

Les Tempest, 60, is in ”serious discussions” with filmmakers Freelance Animator about his critically-acclaimed children’s novel, ‘The Story of Jeremy the Giant and Humphrey the Big Hairy Wolf’.

The Bristol-based firm is ”considering” adapting the paperback for the Big Screen and releasing a feature-length animated movie next year.

Incredibly Les, who has Multiple Sclerosis, completed the 62-page title using dictation software on account of his inability to type or write.

Such ‘intelligent’ software recognises speech and converts it into text on a computer screen.

Both Les and Freelance Animator were yesterday tight-lipped about the deal.

But Les revealed: ”It’s too early to talk about it at the moment, but I can say that a production company has been in contact.

”We’re now in serious talks about the book, and I’m looking forward to reaching an outcome in coming weeks.”

Les dreamt up the plot for his novel more than 20 years ago following the birth of his children Lani, now 33, and Thomas, now 23.

His fully-illustrated book tells the heart-warming story of Jeremy, a friendly giant, and his unlikely friendship with Humphrey, a vegetarian wolf.

The duo embark on a series of adventures and, with each other’s help, overcome the loneliness they had felt for being ‘different’.

Les, whose condition means he can no longer use a computer keyboard, spent a year creating the work using state-of-the-art voice recognition technology.

Despite having no formal writing experience, he sent the manuscript to publisher Melrose Books – which signed him on the spot.

Since its publication in 2008, the title has gone on to win the hearts of adults, children and critics alike.

It hit the local headlines in April last year, and has won praise from reviewers for its ”engrossing” and “imaginative” plot.

Now Les could see his name up in lights after he was approached by Freelance Animator, an independent graphics company, about making a cartoon version of the title.

If a deal between the two is struck, Les’ loveable creation could be on the Big Screen in as little as 12 months.

“It seems unbelievable to me that so many people are interested in characters I made up to get my son, Thomas, off to sleep when he was a boy,” Les said.

“It was actually Tom who suggested I make them into a book, and even while I was doing it I didn’t really believe it would get published.

“When I found a publisher I was amazed and so very grateful. But that feeling was magnified a hundred fold when I was contacted by Freelance Animator.”

Dan Barker, managing director of Freelance Animator, refused to comment about the negotiations on confidentiality grounds.

But he said: ”The book is a great read, and one that lends itself to an animated version.

”It’s still too early to tell if anything will come of this, but we would like to congratulate Les for achieving so much is such a short space of time.”

Reader and fan Will Massingale, who lives in Wrington, Somerset, said: ”Les’ book is fantastic and I for one will be keeping my fingers crossed that a cartoon version is made.

”If it is, Les’ storytelling ability will mark him out as Congresbury’s very own Walt Disney.”

The Story of Jeremy the Giant and Humphrey the Big Hairy Wolf is available now from amazon.co.uk priced £8.99

Dark Souls By Sarah Strudwick

Avoiding The Dark Souls Among Us

Former victim of damaging relationship pens Dark Souls: a spotter’s guide to psychopaths and how to escape their toxic clutch.

For Immediate Use: After suffering an abusive childhood, all author and respected lifecoach Sarah Strudwick wanted as an adult was a loving relationship. Instead, she ended up the victim of a psychopath.

An estimated one per cent of the general population can be described as ‘psychopathic’ – callously and unremorselessly treating people as objects for their own sick gratification.

As Sarah discovered, loving one of these ‘dark souls’ can be mentally, emotionally, spiritually, even physically, harmful.

It took time for Sarah to finally recognise partner Oliver for the narcissistic psychopath he was, but in powerful new book Dark Souls, she draws on her own painful experiences to help other victims avoid falling into the same trap.

Combining memoir and self-help book, Dark Souls provides a comprehensive, well-researched guide to dysfunctional personality disorders (psychopathy, sociopathy and narcissism), red flags to watch out for, and how victims can regain control and heal their lives.

Powerful and liberating, this is a must-read for every woman concerned about the nature of their partner’s ‘love’.

Sarah Strudwick is a respected spiritual life coach and NLP practitioner specialising in personal growth, self-esteem and relationship issues. She has appeared in the Daily Mail and on BBC Radio 5 Live discussing dysfunctional relationships.

“Dark Souls is a must-read if you’ve ever been involved with an exploitative personality, and a recommended read even if you haven’t. It examines in great depth who these personalities are, what makes them tick, and why they are so dangerous. Most importantly, it addresses, very effectively, how to avoid these insidious individuals and, if this is too late, how to recover from them. A welcome, important addition to the literature on violating personalities.”
Steve Becker, LCSW, CH.T Psychopathy Expert and LoveFraud.com columnist

Format:  Paperback
Publisher:  SS Publishing
Price:  £11.99
Pages:  265pp
Available:  Now
ISBN:  978-0-9566458-0-7

AN atheist author is calling for religious texts including the Bible and Qur’an to be censored in Britain, saying they “breach” laws and social standards by promoting intolerance and religious terrorism.

Laurence Kalnin believes religious passages that demand the “murder of non-believers” should be treated in the same way as material that incites, causes, encourages and glorifies acts of terrorism – all criminal offences under the UK Terrorism Act.

The writer and successful businessman, 64, says that until the government move to close this “religious loophole” the risk of homegrown acts of terrorism like 7/7 will remain high.

Speaking from his home in London yesterday, Mr Kalnin said: “The unignorable truth is that the sacred books of the world’s biggest religions – Christianity, Islam and Judaism – all preach intolerance.

“Religions always ask to be tolerated but are built on a bedrock of intolerance to others who do not worship their god or follow their religion.”

He says that though there are other books on the subject, including The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris’s Letter to a Christian Nation, his is the first to rise above “verbal assault” and provide a “reasoned” way forward.

It is a “timely” publication in view of the “known increasing threat” of religious terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction, he adds.

He said: “Though I am atheist I respect the right for people to follow any religious ideology be it with one god or as many, as they wish.

“But ‘religion’ is defined as a practice that is faith and worship-based. Religious texts which incite murder of non- believers (infidels) are based on fear, not faith. These texts are arguably
outside of the definition of religion.

“They are in direct breach of our laws and social standards, and should come under the laws and covenants of our land.

‘These dysfunctional texts do not form part of religious ideologies, and thankfully most devotees ignore the ‘godly’ commands to murder infidels.

“Accordingly, the only purpose of these texts is for extremists to act out these atrocities. There is no acceptable reason for the injustice of lawless/dysfunctional religious texts or the associated security threat to all citizens.

“Citizens want our societies conducted in accordance with the laws of our lands, from which no entity is exempt, including religion.

“Even if followers in the main ignore or reject it, it only takes one impressionable mind to accept these texts and act upon it to result in the deaths of many innocent people.”

To illustrate his case, Kalnin cites multiple “inflammatory” passages in the Tanakh (Judaism), Bible (Christianity) and Qur’an (Islam) that should come under the remit of British law.

“Both the Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Bible, for instance, call for the the murder of non-believers through being put to the sword, buried or burned alive,” he said.

“The Qur’an, meanwhile, says ‘Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you’. It makes for alarming reading.”

Kalnin identifies that it is unlikely that religions will ‘self-regulate’ in accordance with “our laws and social standards”, as it is not “in their interest to accept or tolerate other beliefs”.

Kalnin’s book has has been praised for offering a “well-referenced, common sense, practical guide” with recommendations that governments ensure all religions comply with the laws of the lands and are socially functional.

He added: “Today, only six per cent of people in the UK regularly attend religious services while the vast majority have little or no interest in religion.

“Atheists – reported to be over one billion worldwide – appear to greatly outnumber those regularly attending religious services in many Western countries, including the UK.

“By passively accepting lawless and socially dysfunctional religious texts and teachings, we are all part responsible for the ongoing problem of religious terrorism and intolerance.”

But not everyone agrees.

Dr Sanjay Jain, the author of A Psychiatrist Discovers the Life – Changing Power of God and a leading expert in religious ideology says some people will always “twist” religion regardless of its message.

He said: “Religions are in general an overwhelming force for good and I have seen many examples of how religion has transformed a person’s life for the better.

“But the sad fact is that some sick people will always twist religion for their own ends and this will happen whether or not holy books are censored.

“They simply see what they want to see and hide behind religion as a shield.”

The Gods Truth by Laurence Kalnin is available now, priced £9.95. For more information, visit: the-gods-truth.com.

Book News - Truth By Kai

A controversial new book about Buddhism and the role of shamanism has hit the shelves.

Truth: Part 1 is described as a ”radical, out-of-the-box” resource for those looking to ”enrich their lives”.

Its author, who uses the pen name ‘Kai’, promises his debut work will take readers on a ”never-seen-before journey of self-discovery”.

”It is filled with invaluable and insightful information about the inner workings of our minds and discusses the concepts of the inner and outer worlds – notably, the interconnected relationship between man and reality,” said Kai.

”We all wonder what this life is for. We wonder whether it has purpose, or whether we are just the accidental product of millions of years of highly improbable evolution.

“This is the journey that we are about to embark on together; the challenging and exciting investigation of Truth.”

The author is considered one of Britain’s leading experts in shamanism – a practice that explores the connections between the ‘real’ and spirit world.

Kai, who has practiced shamanism for almost a decade, added: ”The feedback I have received has been unanimously positive.

“I have had some truly moving letters from people who say that the book has changed the way that they think …and ultimately their lives.”

Truth: Part 1 is available from www.amazon.co.uk priced £9.99. For more information, go to: www.truth-book.com

ISBN: 9780956450906

“Streetstyle is my sartorial bible” –

Chloe Sevigny in The New York Times.

Streetstyle By Ted Polhemus

Without the Hipsters, Teddy Boys, Beats, Rockabillies, Rude Boys, Mods, Surfers, Hippies, Punks, B-Boys, Ravers, Harajuku Girls – and all the other streetstyle originals – most of us would be left without anything to wear. But the sharp suits, leather jackets, jeans, kaftans, flares, DMs, slick locks and so forth are only the visible, tangible part of this legacy. Oozing through the clothes, hairstyles, make-up and accessories is an attitude. An attitude which perhaps more than any other set the tone of life in the second half of the twentieth century and which shows no sign of dissipating in the twenty-first.

‘The Street’ is both the stage upon which this drama unfolds and the bottom line metaphor for all that is presumed to be real and happening in our world today. In the past, ‘Western Culture’ was most at ease and most recognisable within grand interiors. Today, as high culture has given way to popular culture in the 20th century’s most significant social revolution, it is the litmus test of ‘street credibility’ rather than that of class, which is crucial. If it won’t cut it on the corner, forget it.

First published by Thames and Hudson in 1994, Streetstyle has been a revelation right from its launch at London’s legendary V&A Museum, where the world’s most respected style pioneers toasted the birth of the world’s flagship styletribe tome. Born in London but successful worldwide, Streetstyle has now been distributed internationally, translated into 3 languages, sold over 30,000 copies and, as a massively popular collector’s item, the 1st edition is now selling for upwards of £100 a copy online.

This fully updated edition will feature nearly 100 extra pages with a four page bound insert, 5 new chapters, including over 250 compelling images, all packed into 224 devilishly stylish pages.

The Streetstyle exhibition and book launch will feature images from the book as well as showcasing a series of talks and discussions with Ted and guests about the past, present and future of Street Style and subcultural fashion.

PYMCA has become renowned for its street culture exhibitions, showcasing images from their extensive archive. Having already celebrated subcultures of Rave and Skinheads, Hip Hop and Taboo club scenes, Their most recent exhibition Unordinary People was held at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall and was the venue’s most popular exhibition of 2009.

April 2010 saw the launch of the new PYMCA website and PYMCA Cultural Research. PYMCA’s spectacular imagery collection is now complemented by extensive research texts from respected authors including Ted Polhemus and King Adz,
plus a collaboration with Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster from DJhistory.com. It is further bolstered by the inclusion of video content from the BBC Motion Gallery and has also hundreds of links to external content. This unique youth culture resource has been over ten years in the making and is now be accessible, on a subscriber basis, to consumers, educational establishments and businesses alike.

For further information on Streetstyle or to book your place at one of our talks please contact PYMCA on 0207 251 8338 or email info@pymca.com

For press enquiries please contact Jolene Adams or Gary Bradnick

Jolene@pymca.com
Gary@thinkespionage.com
+44(0)207 251 8338

Streetstyle News: http://tinyurl.com/streetstyle-news

To Pre-order Streetstyle: http://tinyurl.com/buy-streetstyle