Theatricool Performing Arts

 

Theatricool Performing Arts are in their eighth exciting year. Their ever-popular week-long summer holiday schools for children aged 3-16 will be running again this July and August. Each week the children enjoy plenty of drama, activities and games. It is an opportunity to make new friends and, above all, have lots of fun!

 

The week culminates in a performance for friends and family, so that all their hard work can be appreciated!

 

Previous happy customers have said: “The final showcase was fantastic and a real testament to the talent of your team in enabling a group of young people, who do not know each other, to perform in such a cohesive and professional way in such a short period of time.” (Fiona); “I can’t recommend Sally Fisher and her brilliant team at Theatricool enough, they are all superstars.” (Mrs B) “Lovely, friendly staff who made [my son] feel so welcome and encouraged his creativity!!” (Pauline L)

 

The children are grouped according to age and the younger ones can just have a half-day, if that suits them better. The day runs from 10am to 4pm and the week costs just £130.

This year’s schools take place in Colchester from 24^th to 28^th July, followed by a week at LIttlegarth School in Nayland from 31^st July to 4^th August. Booking can be made online.

 

Theatricool are thriving since their expansion last year. They have a dedicated Studio in central Colchester which is the home of the Theatricool Lower School (ages 4-6) on a Saturday, as well as hosting weekday classes. It is also available as a hall to hire – a brilliant birthday party venue for children.

Theatricool Upper School for ages 6-16 takes place on Saturday mornings at Colchester Institute. Both the Upper and Lower schools offer Theatricool’s popular performing arts training, made up from their tried-and-tested mix of drama, singing and dance. All Saturday school students are taught in age-appropriate groups and are encouraged to find their individual strengths. Friends and family can see the fruits of their hard work at two shows each year – giving students plenty of performance opportunities.

If you think your child would love to act, sing, dance and perform, why not book them a free taster session at either of the Colchester Saturday schools?

 

To find out more about summer holiday schools; Saturday schools, weekday classes, birthday parties and Studio hire, please call Sally on 07736 713909, email sally@theatricool.co.uk or visit http://www.theatricool.co.uk

WIN 6 Months Subscription to Super Geek Heroes

Having fun in turn with a mission to learn! 

Meet The Super Geek Heroes, an interactive and fun way for your children to learn.

There are seven heroes to choose from:

Their seven friendly ‘super-powers’ are derived from the three prime and four specific development areas of the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’.

Which hero will your child pick? Watch here at https://www.youtube.com/supergeekheroes

Parents can learn more about Super Geek Heroes at http://www.supergeekheroes.com/parents.html

Want to win a £15 Amazon voucher and free 6 month subscription to KidsCast APP where you can download and view Super Geek Heroes on the go or cast to your TV? For a chance to win, comment below with what you think of the Super Geek Heroes and the answer to this question:
In the first video on the playlist – which continent is number 7 in Peter Planets lesson?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RDF2mif_VA&list=PLT7CGuhJJBBJEFwFZ_UGXVhxnuC-AQeVh

Competition ends Monday morning (15/05/17)  

Delicious One Pot Dinners For the Family

We’ve rounded up 3 simple (but by no means boring), budget friendly, one pan dinners for your family. Feed a family of four for under £10 with each of these mouthwatering recipes.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Recipe from damndelicious.net

Garlic and parmesan. A match made in heaven. And with the help of a single pan, you can make the easiest, most epic pasta ever.

What you’ll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

500ml chicken stock

250ml milk, or more, as needed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

300g uncooked fettuccine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

85g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

What you need to do:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken stock, milk, butter and fettuccine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired

We recommend adding chopped mushrooms or broccoli at Step 2 for a heartier meal.

Mexican Chicken Tray Bake

Recipe taken from http://www.realfood.tesco.com

Loaded with mouthwatering Mexican flavours, this smoky traybake is perfect for spicing up your midweek meals. Serve with a dollop of soured cream, fragrant coriander and creamy guacamole for a dish that will have people fighting for seconds.   

What you’ll need:

1kg pack chicken thighs and drumsticks

olive oil, for greasing

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 yellow peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

90g jar Chipotle Chilli and Paprika paste

100g barbecue sauce

750g sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

100ml soured cream

coriander leaves, to garnish

guacamole, to serve

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Slash the skin of each thigh and drumstick 2-3 times. Place in a large greased roasting tray with the peppers, garlic and red onion.
2. Mix together the Chipotle paste and barbecue sauce. Spoon over the chicken and vegetables and toss well to ensure everything is coated. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Carefully turn and baste everything in the juices and cook for a further 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender and starting to char. Remove from the oven and gently turn the vegetables again in the juices.
3. Serve straight from the roasting tray, with spoonfuls of soured cream, coriander leaves to garnish, and guacamole on the side.

Tip: Using a whole jar of Chipotle paste makes for quite a fiery dish. If you prefer a milder flavour use half a jar – it will keep in the fridge for up to 28 days.

Salmon and Potato Casserole

Recipe taken from http://www.countryliving.com

This summer casserole is bright with citrus flavors and assembles quickly once the potatoes and lemons are sliced. Fresh basil, added right before serving, enlivens the flavor of the salmon.

What you’ll need:

4 salmon fillets (buy frozen fillets to save money)

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

500g new potatoes

5 tbsp. olive oil

1 lemon

12 pitted black olives

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. fresh orange juice

2 tbsp. chopped basil

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

What you need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Season the salmon fillets with half a teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon pepper on both sides. Place the potatoes in a single layer in an 8 1/2- by 11-inch casserole. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and layer half the lemon slices over potatoes. Lay the fillets over the lemon slices, top with remaining lemon slices and olives, and return to oven. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F and roast until salmon and potatoes are cooked through — about 40 minutes.
3. Whisk the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, remaining salt, and remaining pepper in a small bowl. Stir in the basil and thyme and drizzle over the warm salmon. Serve immediately.

Weirdest Things Discovered Inside British Sofas – Bag of Dead Skin + Dead Hamster Make List

You may not want to be eating when you read this……..

New research has revealed that the average British household cleans out the inside of their sofa an average of every four to five years, allowing plenty of time for nail clippings, food and more disgusting debris to accumulate underneath where they sit.

 The detritus discovered down the back of Britain’s sofas ranges from the usual suspects of small change and food crumbs to one or two unexpected scares, according to new research by an interiors brand.

 www.hillarys.co.uk carried out the survey of 2,394 British parents aged 18 and over, all of whom stated that they live with their partner and at least one child under the age of 11 years old.

 Initially, all respondents were asked ‘When was the last time that you cleaned out the inside of your sofa (i.e. down the back/sides)?’ to which the average response was revealed as ‘four to five years ago’. All respondents who said one year or more were then asked why they didn’t do it more often, to which the most common responses were ‘I forget to do it’ (39%) and ‘I only tend to do it when I lose something and end up searching through the sofa, which is not often’ (33%).

 All respondents were then asked what they had found down the back of their sofa when either feeling around or giving it a clean. When provided with a list of possible responses and told to select all that applied, the most commonly found items were:

•  Small change – 65%
• Finger and toe nails – 51%
• Food crumbs and chunks – 47%
• Clumps of pet fur – 31%
• Empty food wrappers – 26%

What’s more, when asked to state the more unusual or disgusting things that they’d found down the back of their sofa, some of the weirdest discoveries stated by respondents were revealed as follows:

• A deceased hamster that had gone missing one month earlier
• Nokia 3210
• Years old, uneaten chicken nuggets from a popular fast food chain
• Multiple pieces of dried up, chewed gum
• A bag of dead skin

 

According to the poll, 10% confessed that they regularly tucked things into their sofa to keep them safe or so as not to be found by people coming into the room, with one third of those (35%) admitting that they’d forgotten that they’d done this until a later date. 

 Additionally, more than a third (34%) of the relevant respondents stated that they had, at least once, caught their child trying to hide food items within the sofa that they didn’t wanted to eat. A further 15% stated that they’d caught their partner trying to put/hide disgusting items down the side/back of the sofa, such as nail clippings.

Tara Hall, spokesperson for www.hillarys.co.uk, said:

“Knowing the grim reality of what lurks down the back of Britain’s sofas is enough to put anyone off rooting around for a lost pound.”

The Best Eye Creams For Your Budget

The skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of ageing and with all these late nights and early morning school runs, the lack of sleep can really take a toll. As skin under the eyes is far more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face, we recommend giving your eyes some extra TLC.

Whether you’re after the best eye cream to banish dark circles, puffiness or keep wrinkles at bay – we’ve got you covered.

The cream of the crop:

La Mer The Eye Concentrate, £150

If you fancy splurging on an eye cream which promises dramatic results, La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate is one to invest in.

Retailing at £150 this little pot doesn’t come cheap, but it promises to visibly diminish dark circles. Enriched with hematite, a naturally magnetic mineral which works to stimulate the production of collagen and improve circulation.

The Eye Concentrate comes equipped with a specially-engineered, silver-tipped applicator which helps cool the skin and immediately gets the circulation going around the eyes.

Zelens Triple-Action Advanced Eye Cream, £75

Want to give your eyes some extra lift and luminosity? This eye cream is packed full of botanical extracts and amino acids.

Active amino acids within the eye cream have anti-swelling properties which are proven to reduce the appearance of puffy eye bags as well as reducing water retention and protecting collagen.  Alongside this are some impressive clinical results including a 45% improvement in wrinkle depth and a 44.4% improvement in skin moisture levels.

By Terry Cellularose Liftessence Eye Contour, £65

Next we’ve got the winner of 2017 Glamour Beauty Awards for Best Eye Cream.

This product from By Terry promises to maintain optimal water content in cells. The formula is packed with Rose Native Cells, which intensively activate collagen and elastin production to help lift, firm and tighten the eye area for a more youthful appearance.

The budget friendly:

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream, £22

If you’re after a good eye cream that won’t break the bank, Clinique’s peptide cream is at the top of our recommendations.

This eye cream contains caffeine – which surprisingly shows amazing results when applied topically, as well as Shea butter and glycerin, two ingredients which work together to retain and lock in moisture.

Nip+Fab Bee Sting Fix Eye, £14.95

Don’t let the name scare you! A tiny dash of bee venom has been added to this formula to help plump and firm the eye area, whilst amino acids will help brighten up your peepers and leave them looking instantly refreshed.

Grab yours at Superdrug for half price!

 

Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Eye Cream, £15.75

Nivea’s Cellular Anti-Age Eye cream promises to give you youthful skin and younger cells. Their star ingredient, hyaluronic acid, keeps skin stable, safeguarded, and constantly renewed. Hyaluronic acid also has the capacity to attract and hold vast amounts of moisture.

The old wives tale:

If you Google Haemorrhoid cream, you’ll see that women all over the world are using it for their under eyes. Creams such as Preparation H work by restricting blood vessels – making an area less inflamed. They often contain an ingredient called hydrocortisone, an anti-inflammatory that can also reduce puffiness.

So does it work? For a short term fix – yes. However, other ingredients in the cream could cause some serious damage if they get into your eyes so if you’re going to try this at home, please practice caution!

By Saman Javed

PARTY ON PUPS!

A staggering 3/4 of dog owners admit to celebrating their pooch’s birthday

– Study reveals dog owners are throwing fancy paw-ties for their pups and showering them with gifts
– Two thirds of Brits spend more than £10 treating their dog to an extra special day
– Over half treat their canine companion  to a special birthday feast

A new study by Lily’s Kitchen, Creators of proper food for pets/ or who make proper food for pets, found that over half of doting dog owners admits to throwing a birthday bash for their pup, and nearly 60% howl out the iconic ‘Happy Birthday’ musical number (58%) to their dogs on their special day. Pooch parents are happy to splash the cash when birthdays roll around, with almost two thirds (64%) of those surveyed spending more than £10 on gifts and decorations, making sure their hound has the celebration it deserves.

When it comes to the all-important birthday meal, more than half of owners (55%) prepare a special birthday feast for their canine companion, based on their own favourite meal. Meat loaf, fish cakes and chicken stew are just a few homemade doggy dinner favourites.

This increased humanisation of our four-legged friends has led to a growing demand for more occasion- based pet products, including celebratory dog meals and treats made with premium ingredients. Lily’s Kitchen has responded to pet parents wanting to celebrate their dog’s “adopted day” or birthday with the launch of ‘Birthday Surprise’; the first ever party-perfect meal for dogs made from three different fresh cuts of steak, potatoes, broccoli and herbs.

According to the study, spoiling our dogs on their birthday is all part of the deep “emotional connection ” we have with them; 41% of pet owners say they celebrate because “their dog is part of the family” and one in eight people feel that “their dog is like their child”.

Henrietta Morrison, Lily’s Kitchen Founder and CEO said: “Our dogs are family and they deserve to have the best day ever on their birthday. And steak dinners usually mark a special occasion for humans so what better way to celebrate than a nutritious doggy equivalent. The trend that sees us treat our dogs more like the rest of our family can sometimes end up in owners indulging their pets with harmful foods such as cake on their birthday, but we urge all owners to serve up proper food that’s safe and deliciously nourishing”.

Want to throw your pup a party? The new Birthday Surprise gift box RRP £9.95, is available to order from May 5th 2017 and will be sold on the Lily’s Kitchen website www.lilyskitchen.co.uk.

 

 

Do you fancy having tea with a tiger?

Well then grab tickets for The Tiger Who Came To Tea at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford from 15 – 16 March. For 3 years +. “The Tiger is the cat’s meow.” The Times ****

Win a money can’t buy prize with LEGO® Friends and Toys R US – Become a LEGO® Designer and see your set in Heartlake City!

LEGO® Friends and Toys R US are running a great competition for Lego fans aged 6-12.

For the first time ever, The LEGO Group are giving children the chance to become a LEGO designer and create an awesome new set for the LEGO Friends range.  This money-can’t-buy prize will see the winning design being put into production and then going on sale at Toys R Us in the UK/Ire and LEGO Retail stores (global distributors may vary).  The chosen set will also include a minidoll of the young designer for that extra personal touch.

Let your imagination run wild
Heartlake City is the fictional home town of the 5 LEGO Friends, Stephanie, Olivia, Andrea, Emma and Mia.  The girls need a new place to hang out in Heartlake City, somewhere cool and fun, what should it be?   The designers in the LEGO Friends team need your help and imagination to design a new place to go.
Big or small, cosy, fun or crazy, you can build something inspired from current Heartlake City building sets, or something completely different – there is no limit to your imagination! 

Visit LEGO HQ
In March 2017, The LEGO Friends team will select 20 semi-finalists, and from this shortlist the judging panel will then select 10 finalists before choosing the ultimate Grand Prize Winner on March 17th 2017.  The judging panel includes girl band L2M, Ellie V. – Youtube toy reviewer, Studio Bubble Tea – Youtube toy reviewers, Kristel Whitaker – fan of LEGO, and the LEGO Friends team.

The Grand Prize Winner will win a week-long trip for up to 4 people to the LEGO Group headquarters in Billund, Denmark, where they will engage closely with the LEGO Friends Design Team to turn their ideas into reality.
From the 26th December 2016 at 10:00am GMT to 28th of February 2017 at 3:00pm GMT, children aged 6 – 12 worldwide can enter the competition via http://www.lego.com/friends or the LEGO Friends Facebook app. 

How to Enter

1.    Create your inspirational concept model about a new social place in Heartlake City. You can use real life bricks or the LEGO Digital Designer software, that can be downloaded with no cost here: http://ldd.lego.com/
When designing your inspirational model, think about: how relevant is your inspirational model for fans of LEGO Friends? What does your set bring to the LEGO Friends range? Does your design look appealing and stand out? Don’t forget the little details – these can enhance your idea!

2.    Submit your entry via the competition website at LEGO.com/friendsdesigner or on Facebook via the LEGO Friends application. Upload 4 images of your model (these must show it from all angles), your product name and brief description outlining what inspired you.
Entrants must have their parents’ or legal guardians permission to go online to upload their creation. Collaborations between builders are not permitted for this competition. For full terms and conditions, restrictions and further information please visit http://www.LEGO.com/friendsdesigner  

ULTIMATE NINJA UK

THE ULTIMATE NINJA WARRIOR EXPERIENCE 

Ultimate Ninja UK, an exciting new sports recreation business, will be opening its doors in Colchester, Essex this Autumn.

Featuring a 5000ft2 state-of-the-art extreme obstacle course and training facilities, it will offer a uniquely challenging experience to anyone who thinks they have what it takes to become an Ultimate Ninja by reaching the end of the challenge.

Conquering the obstacles will require strength, agility, balance, co-ordination and stamina, plus a lot of determination! It will therefore appeal to people from a wide range of fitness and sporting disciplines, including gymnasts, martial artists, parkour athletes, fans of Crossfit training and the huge number of people who regularly compete in outdoor OCR events across the UK.

The first of its kind, the Ultimate Ninja UK facility will offer a twin lane obstacle course, enabling real-time competitive races so that individuals and teams can race each other as well as the clock.

The Ultimate Ninja UK obstacle course will provide challenges similar to those endured by competitors on the worldwide TV phenomenon Ninja Warrior. First screened in the mid-nineties as Sasuke, the Ninja Warrior format follows in the footsteps of other hugely popular extreme obstacle course challenge TV series’ such as Total Wipe-Out and the eighties classic, Gladiators.

Although the ‘elite athlete’ competitors of the Ninja Warrior TV series will be welcome to use the facility for training, Ultimate Ninja UK will be for anyone wishing to experience the thrill, excitement and sense of achievement they’ll get from conquering the obstacles. The design of the course means that it can be adapted to suit children as well as adults, so that children from eight years old will be able to race each other – or their Mums and Dads! Training sessions will also be offered to enable absolutely anyone, regardless of age or fitness level, to tackle the Ultimate Ninja UK course – and improve their fitness, strength and agility as they learn.

The extensive training facilities will also be put to great use during unique and regular Ultimate Ninja UK Charity Challenges. Designed to raise funds for needy causes through personal sponsorship – each Charity Challenge will start with an eight week training course, designed to provide the skills, fitness and agility needed to conquer all of the obstacles, meaning once again that the Ultimate Ninja UK experience will be open to all, regardless of age or fitness level. Each Charity Challenge will culminate in a timed run over the whole Ultimate Ninja UK course – in front of and supported by an enthusiastic audience of family and friends!

Ultimate Ninja UK will be joined onsite by further fitness, martial arts, wellness and beauty facilities – including the Energyze Kitchen café – and boasts secure parking. The site will also offer a range of group activities such as children’s birthday parties and corporate team-building events – providing a complete sports recreation destination for all, under one huge roof!

Theatricool Performing Arts

Theatricool Performing Arts are proud to announce that their students will be performing Alice in Wonderland at Colchester Mercury Theatre on Sunday 26th June.
With over 90 talented children on stage it promises to be a jam-packed spectacular featuring all your favourite Alice characters- from The Tweedles to The Cheshire Cat, not forgetting the White Rabbit and The Queen of Hearts!

With wonderful costumes and colourful scenery, the children are raring to go and rehearsing really hard. It is made particularly special as the show sold out within days of going on sale!

This is Theatricool’s 2nd annual show at The Mercury and is part of a packed year of performances for their students. Theatricool students get the opportunity to perform in a show twice per year. If you would like your child to join them, why not book your free taster session for the September term, or even come along to the popular Summer Schools?

 

All the information is on the website http://www.theatricool.co.uk
Further details call Sally 07736713909
Email sally@theatricool.co.uk