Page 8 The British Weekly, Sat. February 7, 2015Brits In LA: Meet A MemberMeet a Member: Alexandra AfryeaMEET A MEMBER:Alexandra Afryea hailsfrom Nottingham,England and moved to LAin 2014 to pursue heracting and producingcareer.How did you hear aboutBrits in LA?A few of my friends livein LA and told me aboutBLA about three yearsago, so I joined online. Iremember seeing invitesfor Brits Breakfast andThe Toscars thinking, ‘Iwant to be a part of that’,well I just completed myfirst Toscars short as anactor and producer and Ihad a blast!What one thing do youmiss from home?I miss my family andmy fiancé, but I’ll beheading back home soonto marry him, but I’ll beback! I also miss howexcited everyone getswhen the sun comes out!opportunities; LA is veryopen-minded andcollaborative, or perhapsthat’s just the people Ihang with.Do you have a hiddengem in LA that youwant to share with us?My good friend told meabout the SAGFoundation, a place thatis very supportive ofactors. I also give backby being part oftheir Book Pals program.What does communitymean to you?Community is being apart of something thathas your back - a truesupport network. Youcan call upon people andlikewise, be called upon.It’s home away fromhome, and for some, abetter alternative! Thankyou guys for thisamazing communityhere at Brits in LA, it’struly fabulous.buying cars, etc. andsave, save, save becauseyou are limited to thework you can do on anO1 visa and there are alot of hidden costs in thisindustry, which aredifferent to the industryin the UK. Also comewith your best self - theattitude here is differentto the UK so don’t beafraid to let people knowwho you are - just backup the goods!Lastly, how can we findout more about you?Are you on the Internet?Yes, my websiteis www.alexandraafryea.com. Or you can tweetme @AlexAfryea andlike me atwww.facebook.com/AlexAfryea.RECENT TRANSPLANT: “Community is being a part of something that hasyour back - a true support network,” says Alexandra AfryeaThe British Weekly Crossword #151What do you find thebiggest difference isliving here versusNottingham?The sunshine, obviously,and also theWhat would yousuggest to others whoare thinking aboutmaking the move here?Do your research intoagents, managers,This week’sexchange rate:£1 = $1.53updated 6pm 02/05/15The British Weekly Sudoku #19
The British Weekly, Sat. February 7, 2015Page 9Stargazing with Annie ShawARIES: Your financial situation could be getting a boost as early as this week ahead.Look for an opportunity to add to your circle of contacts, business or otherwise. Yourboss Mars is in the watery sign of Pisces, so you will feel more emotional.TAURUS: The sun in Aquarius will bring a situation that is unresolved for some timenow to a head. Therefore it’s best to not take on any responsibility that is not absolutelyrequired.GEMINI: You will be travelling (emotionally or otherwise) to a place where you canput things in order. Your ruler Mercury is strolling faster through your life in the middle of the week so travel andreunion can be expected.CANCER: Movement is good for you and this week it’s all around you and also in the family. Be kind and behonest with the person who asked for your opinion. There are always gentle ways to say unpalatable truths…choose to be compassionate.LEO: Tackle what is a priority and then spend your downtime relaxing not stressing .The best weekend of themonth is next week so catch up on work until then. Don’t be a nag if someone is not doing things your way.VIRGO: Ask yourself if you are working on your best plan for the next couple of weeks. If it is a problem now toplan ahead better believe it will be a bigger one when Mercury your boss starts a forward march next week.LIBRA: Venus your boss is now moving gently through Pisces and will bring some tantalizing and possiblyemotional situations your way. Take your time deciding….you have until month’s end. You may have to make aquick change of plan so be prepared.SCORPIO: Your energy is all over the place this past week or so. This is due to the fact that your boss planetMars is in your cousin sign of Pisces. Take time to relax and be peaceful as the second part of February is verydifferent now Venus has joined Mars.SAGITTARIUS: Your boss Jupiter is sitting in your cousin sign of Leo so be good as he will be watching you andyour level of commitment to the task at hand. That means nothing and no one should stand in the way of whereyou want to be. The full moon this week has opened a lot of new doors. .CAPRICORN: The will to go it alone is very strong this week and you should use this energy to assist you to getthe job done. This month is a great opportunity to complete a long overdue project. Whatever this may be, resteasy as you are in a good cycle.AQUARIUS: This is an important time of general rejuvenation and you will get information coming at you fromall directions. The clue is not to think too much and to go with your gut feeling. Work situations are much onyour mind however all will be ok by mid-March. Happy Birthday!PISCES: You have too much energy to waste it on wishing and hoping! Find the creative doorway you have beensearching for and open it this month. As Jupiter is in your money house it’s a rare opportunity to swell yourcoffers. Family is always important to you, however take your turn this month.Jolly Good• Bangers• MeltonMowbray Pies•Ready-to-BakeSausage RollsHistorical cookery + mystery = delicious readExclusive interviewwith Martine Baileyand a review of hernew novel, AnAppetite for Violets,about a young cookcaught in a murdermystery in 18thcentury ItalyRating: HHH“I came across a historicaltidbit about the sex livesof Georgiana, Duchess ofDevonshire and her bestfriend Lady Bess Foster,whose sharing of theDuke’s favours is shownin the film The Duchess,”says An Appetite forViolets author MartineBailey. “The moviedoesn’t show that in thedays before contraception,both women had to hideillicit pregnancies bytravelling abroad andleaving their babies withforeign foster families.That gave me the idea ofwriting from the point ofview of a cook to anaristocratic young wife,who has no idea amurderous conspiracy isbeing hatched on amysterious journey toItaly.”Biddy Leigh isunder-cook at MawtonHall. She wants to marryher childhood sweetheartJem, leave the Hall andrun a tavern with him. Butthen her new mistressturns her worldupside-down. The newLady Carinna is unwelland must go abroad forbetter weather. Biddy isforced to go with her newmistress, leaving Jembehind. They first travel toLondon where Biddymeets her mistress’syounger brother to whomshe is attracted. As theytravel, Biddy learns hermistress’ secrets. Her lifemay be in danger. Biddy issmart and can write. Shedocuments heradventures and recipes.An Appetite for Violetsis part mystery, partcookbook, and set in 18thcentury Europe. Theauthor places recipes atthe beginning of eachchapter. The culinaryaspect of the book adds tothe story and there aresurprises but sometimesso many things are goingon that it can be confusing.“I became obsessedwith historical cookery,”says Bailey. “I originallystarted baking to savemoney and feed my son,by making local Englishspecialities like thosefeatured in The GreatBritish Baking Show, suchas Bakewell Tart,gingerbread androly-polys. When I hadmore opportunities totravel, I became fascinatedby foreign cuisine and oneday entered a MerchantGourmet contest with aSpanish dish for a SmokyAustrian Stew. I wasamazed to win and theprize was a cookerycourse in Provence,France.”Bailey says her mostunexpected praise wasfrom the author FayWeldon. “She said I hadcreated a new genre,Culinary Gothic,” saysBailey. “As my twin lovesare historical food and theGothic atmosphere ofnovels such as Jane Eyreand Rebecca, I am over theMEAT PRODUCTS“Always the Best”Tel: (323) 290-2265A Very Psychic Tea .......with Annie ShawIn the Tea room at Ye Olde Kingshead with famed star-gazer andpsychic Annie Shaw.For bookings call: (310) 392-1681moon.”In 2013 Bailey becameWriter in Residence at atiny 17th century cottageoffered by The HoskingHouses Trust atStratford-upon-Avon. In2011 she was given aCreative Artist ResidencyScholarship in aneco-house in a palm forestat Muriwai, New Zealand.An Appetite for Violetsis Bailey’s first novel. It hasyet to be optioned for TVor film. Bailey has writtenbooks under thepseudonym Laura Bloom.The Wedding Diaries is ahumorous journal of theplanning and celebrationof her marriage. One ofher money-savingattempts was to bake herown white chocolatewedding cake. In 2007 shewrote The Grown-up GapYear Diaries, about hertravels to Indonesia,where her mother wasborn and her Dutch familyhad lived since 1768.Book Corner withGabrielle PanteraBailey has finished hersecond novel, The PennyHeart, that is set in the1790s in the north ofEngland, Australia andNew Zealand, in which aformer Botany Bay convictis unwittingly employedby a naïve young wife at aremote Hall in Yorkshire.Martine Bailey is basedin Chester and was born inLancashire.An Appetite for Violets byMartine Bailey. Hardcover,400 pages, Publisher:Thomas Dunne Books; FirstEdition edition (January 13,2015), Language: English,ISBN: 9781250056917 $26.99
Change language