Ceyda Bolsoy

Yes, it is that time of year again. For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, it is time for the gentle strumming of the junior guitar, or ukulele. It is native to Hawaii, a nation known the world over for its idyllic beaches and relaxed yet deeply spiritual way of life. So this instrument pairs perfectly with these amalgamations of islands.   In fact, the ukulele was actually brought over to Hawaii, by Portuguese immigrants in the 1800s. Yep, they came from Cape Verde, the Azores and Madeira via the SS Ravenscrag. 2 weeks after they…

January is the month of reinvention. People say out with the old, in with the new. Or maybe we just need to detox by discarding those things we feel unnecessary to hold onto. Then, by default, the things left behind, will be things we will ACTUALLY use. So it’s time to stretch all the bones and take a deep breath as we organise for 2022 and keep a clear mind with no clutter. One MASSIVE tip is to designate a day to start this clearing out process, perhaps a day that you’re not working so you have no distractions. WWW.onecalendar.nl…

Yes, it is that time of the year. A time of year that should be everyday of the year: International Women’s Day. It was only in 1918 that women over the age of 30 were allowed to vote in the UK.  In fact there are many countries in the world where, although women can legally vote, society pressures them not to.  That is why I will shine a light on women from different industries to show the way our body is built should never define the path we take in life. —>Comedy<— Lucille Ball We start with a legend of…

The year is 1996. Oasis were controlling the charts, Changing Rooms had got people stuck into DIY and footie fever struck with Euro ‘96. While all of that was kicking off, a little party of Pocket Monsters were just hatching. That’s right, I am talking about the birth of Pokemon and today is all about them as we celebrate world Pokemon day.   Pokemon Animated Series  The Pokemon animated series is a GINORMOUS universe that has been in action for 25 years now and really brought Japanese anime style dubbed cartoons to the forefront. The characters are also classic for cosplay…

The year is 1962. Bobby Vinton was dominating the charts, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game and Wal-Mart opened its first store in Arkansas. While all of that was occurring, the dynamic duo of Stan Lee and his illustrator partner Steve Ditko concocted a character that had great power, but with that came great responsibility. Yes, it’s the one and only Spider Man. Although the first original Spider Man comic was released in 1962, there have been three notable iterations of the superhero on screen in live action. So,  we are going to break down this…

The year is 1980, boomboxes burst onto the scene, Dynasty reigned supreme on TV and leg warmers and shoulder pads were all the rage. While all of this was kicking off, a certain Hungarian inventor was busy at toy fairs all over the world selling one of the most GENIUS toys that have kept people entertained for generations.   No, I am not talking about the ITV show hosted by Phillip Schofield. This is another famous cube. A cube that begins its life completely discombobulated and it is up to the holder of this cube to reconfigure each face so that…

The year is 1952, Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads were crooning away, Singin’ In The Rain tapped into our hearts, and King George VI had just passed away. While all of this was happening, a certain Ian Lancaster Flemming was in Jamaica, creating the world’s most famous fictitious spy.   Yes, while Flemming was sipping cocktails and soaking up the sun, he formulated this character that was inspired by all the secret agents and commando types he met in the Naval Intelligence Division. In fact Ian even hated the name! He said it was the dullest name he’d ever heard…

This has to be said; we have survived the miserable Mondays and terrible Tuesdays of January and are comfortably in the shortest month of the year, you know what that means? That spring is right around the corner.  Well, that statement will separate the realist from the optimists. One thing is for sure, is that we all have our preferred videos to watch on a particular website, whatever the weather may be.  So allow me to take us back to 2005, U2 were rocking out at the top of the charts, Friends had just finished but The US Office was…

      Indeed, love is in the air and the flying cherub known as Cupid will be whizzing around and putting a shift in. So let’s lighten the load for him as we climb aboard the ValenTours plane and explore just how other countries celebrate love.     Brazil  Dia Dos Namorados, or Valentine’s Day, is a more sunny affair in Brazil as it is commemorated on June 12th. They follow quite classic practises by having dinner and exchanging presents with their significant other. HOWEVER, on the 13th of June, singletons gather to honour Saint Anthony, the saint of marriage…

People say there’s now a day for everything but I think this choco-nutty treat has earned its 24 hours of fun. Yes, it was world Nutella day over the weekend (4th Feb) and this spread may not have existed if not for wartime shortages. That’s right. Because of the war, Italy was lacking cocoa beans. So they decided to make gianduja, a bar of blended hazelnuts similar to fudge.  Then in 1951, Pietro Ferrero made a smooth paste of this called Supercrema gianduja. Delicious but that’s not all! 12 years later his son Michelle thought “I want to sell this…