Moonbeams will present Paul Liddell this Friday, 17 January, at The Bell Hotel, Driffield

Organiser Leila Cooper said: I am very much looking forward to having Paul back with us at Moonbeams Nights. Paul performed at the Moonbeams Festival last summer, and many before that, and he is always a hit. He will be supported this evening by Driffield’s own Dogfinger Steve. Tickets are £8 and available from.moonbeamsevents.co.uk (£10 on the door!)

Paul Liddell is a working musician/singer/songwriter/recording artist based by the sea in the North East of England. His current album, the excellent ‘Milestones And Motorways’ is a proudly home-made and independent release. Paul is an experienced live performer with an unstoppable work ethic, clocking up on average 20 gigs a month both solo and with his band ‘Delphians’. Live, his unique voice and unpretentious delivery combine with the use of live sampling, guitar percussion and vocal harmonies to provide a great platform for his wonderful songs to shine. Paul has toured in America, whipping up a storm in several little coffee houses across California. While there he performed on a TV show filmed in Time Warner studios in Hollywood, and got his song ‘Brighter Lights’ placed on a nationally distributed and TV advertised folk compilation CD.

Other live highlights include a show-stopping performance on the main stage at the Beverley Folk Festival, and a memorable show at the Piperine Free Festival in Milan. Other artists Paul has shared billing with include Billy Bragg, Turin Brakes, Beth Rowley, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Karine Polwart, Polly Paulusma, Calvin Harris, Nick Harper, Nerina Pallot, and Florence And The Machine.

Other notable achievements include making it through to the final 10 of Q Magazine’s Glastonbury competition, being named as the hardest working, most gigging songwriter of 2009 by the PRS, and selling over 3000 albums and EPs solely at live performances.

Paul is currently unsigned and unrepresented, building a cottage industry into something more in a purely independent, DIY fashion.

Paul is a smooth and capable guitarist, and his low-key vocals tackle social injustice and media corruption with wry compassion. The vivid splashes of grungy electric riffage that punctuate this album add welcome force to this sharply etched portrait of life in modern Britain – GUITARIST MAGAZINE

“Milestones And Motorways” is a real troubadour album, one that throws life and experiences right back at you, ready to challenge your thought processes and move on. Politics both personal and global aren’t shied away from, Liddell is not about to sell himself and his listeners short by compromising yet still contrasts his aggression with recocilliation – FATEA MAGAZINE

An artist in the bloom of their creativity – FOLKING.COM

Milestones and Motorways is a very upbeat, acoustic self journey with a twist of pop. High energy tunes like Kill-O-Gram seem to lead the way for mellow finger picking and political views. This reminds me a little of The John Butler Trio. I can’t wait to see Paul Liddell live! 10/10 – FOLK, BLUES AND BEYOND

Liddell’s guitar playing is extraordinary throughout this set as he employs percussive, hammer-on, slide, and a wide array of finger-picking techniques most reminiscent of Lindsay Buckingham — a master of melding pop melodies and flash. This record has the potential to break Liddell into the mainstream — that is, if the masses can turn off American Idol, X-Factor or The Voice and pay attention to a bona-fide, honest artist! – MINOR 7TH

The album is bejewelled with glittering nuggets with the shiniest being the cutting wit of ‘Game Show Host’ and ‘Kill-O-Gram’, the lilting ‘Footprints’ (very Seth Lakeman) nagging riff of ‘Trash’, gorgeous ‘Peace of Mind’ and deceptively simple but memorable closer ‘Red Apple’ – ALLGIGS.CO.UK

Lyrically, the songs come armed with a social and political conscience (bankers, the media, Catholicism, instant gratification culture,) as well as exploring self-doubt and the human condition….. capable of sharp observations and on the lovely Footprints with its ‘walking in circles footprint wheels’ line, unbridled romanticism. – NETRHYTHMS

With eleven original songs, Paul makes no effort to disguise his roots on each of the songs, with his distinct North Eastern accent clearly audible, which brings to those songs a particular identity. With a clear guitar sound the album opens with the stylish A Means to an End, displaying his fine command over song structure and arrangement. – NORTHERN SKY MAGAZINE

In an age of frantic texting and short, impersonal emails, the elegant tradition of letter writing has become a dying art form…

And yet epistolary novels like Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa (1748), Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782) and Aravind Adiga’s Man Booker prize-winning The White Tiger (2008) are some of the greatest in the literary canon.

It’s a genre which allows writers greater flexibility as it reveals so much of a person’s inner character and life without recourse to an omniscient narrator, and adds a layer of intense realism to unfolding stories and dramas.

Novelist, screenwriter and playwright Nigel Williams knows all about letter writing… he is one of the sixty-something generation which was virtually born with pen in hand and trained from early years to put down all thoughts and communications on paper.

What most of his contemporaries have not been able to do, however, is become a comic genius of the epistolary novel, creating caustic, outrageously rude and funny satires out of the dark side of suburbia.

And after an absence of ten years or more, the author of The Wimbledon Poisoner is back with a brilliant black comedy that has a laugh-out-loud moment on almost every page.

Unfaithfully Yours is an exuberant, witty and yet richly melancholic tale of love, lust and intrigue related entirely through letters between four mismatched, middle-aged couples.

As the correspondence flows so too do the unedifying details of a murky, inter-linked past involving shared Mediterranean villa holidays, shared wives, a suspicious death and dark secrets that have hitherto definitely not been shared.

‘I am writing to you because I think my husband may be having sex. I am not sure with whom he is having it but it is certainly not with me.’

When starchy schoolteacher Elizabeth Price writes to private detective Roland ‘Orlando’ Gibbons in her quest to find out the truth about her lawyer husband Gerald’s suspected affair, she unwittingly sets off a chain of correspondence that reunites four formerly close-knit couples.

They all live just a few streets away from each other in Putney, a well-heeled London suburb where relationships can so often prove to be ‘red in tooth and claw.’

Three of the couples are still married, one is a widower after the death of his wife in ‘suspicious circumstances’ ten years earlier but all are now strangely estranged from each other.

In a series of letters – the preferred form of communication for those who believe that emails don’t ‘make the smallest attempt at honesty’ and that ‘your prose style tells the world more about you than almost anything else’ – each of the principal players is far more self-revealing than they would ever be in person.

From the arrogant, sexually rampant barrister Gerald Price to Sam Dimmock, the dull dentist whose sexually frustrated wife declares he is ‘really only ever excited by teeth’ and the lonely, bitter widower Mike Larner, whose BBC wildlife documentaries were eclipsed when David Attenborough ‘smarmed his way into total control of all animals everywhere,’ this is a cast of misfits who all married the wrong person.

Their letters – from love notes to condolence messages – together paint an uproarious and moving portrait of four disastrous marriages, and a story about how little we really know about those closest to us.

With its theatrical blend of farce, misunderstandings, revelations, hilariously cruel humour and unexpected poignancy, Unfaithfully Yours has all the makings of a West End hit.

As scriptwriter for the successful 2005 TV drama Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren, Mr Williams could perhaps now apply his undoubted talents to what could be a triumphant stage version.

In the meantime, the book is the perfect warm-up act…

(Corsair, paperback, £8.99)

She’s not pretty, she’s certainly not glamorous and she struggles with the whole concept of subtlety… but boy, is she clever.

Chaotic but charismatic detective Vera Stanhope, the shambling, shapeless Tyneside police inspector made famous by Brenda Blethyn in ITV’s Vera, returns to solve another puzzling case courtesy of her extraordinary crime writing creator Ann Cleeves.

Middle-aged, overweight and married only to her job, Vera is an inspired creation and she’s back on the beat with her trademark tweeds, wry humour, caustic bluntness and razor-sharp brain.

The doughty detective’s patch is the dark, atmospheric countryside of Northumberland and her passion is not hearth, home, family and friends but the buzz of solving crimes and rooting out the truth.

Vera still clings to memories of her long deceased father Hector and with no personal life of her own, she likes nothing better than digging around in other people’s private worlds.

In the sixth book in this classy and classic whodunit series, Vera sets sail for shadowy, downbeat Harbour Street, a tight-knit, uncommunicative small town community which could, ironically, be harbouring a murderer.

It’s just ten days until Christmas and as the snow falls thickly on Newcastle, the laughter of revellers breaks the muffled silence as they move in a shifting tide onto the Metro train heading out of town.

DS Joe Ashworth and his daughter Jessie are returning to their home after a carol service and are swept along with the jostling crowd. But when bad weather halts the train and the other passengers fade into the swirling snow, Jessie notices that an old lady in the corner hasn’t moved. Seventy-year-old Margaret Krukowski is dead, fatally stabbed as she sat on the crowded train.

Nobody saw the stabbing take place and her killing appears to be motiveless so why would anyone want to harm a reserved and elegant old lady?

DI Vera Stanhope is relieved to have an excuse to escape the holiday festivities and soon Vera and Joe, the sidekick she regards as her protégé, surrogate son and ‘her conscience,’ are on their way to Margaret’s home at a guest house in Harbour Street in the Northumberland town of Mardle to begin their enquiries.

Just days later, a second woman is murdered. Vera knows that to find the key to this case and to prevent another killing, she must understand what had been troubling Margaret so deeply before she died. She can feel in her bones that there’s a link.

Retracing Margaret’s final steps, Vera finds herself searching deep into the hidden past of this seemingly ordinary neighbourhood. But why are the residents of Harbour Street so reluctant to speak and at what point do silent witnesses become complicit to a crime?

Cleeves, a master storyteller with a forensic eye for small detail, is fast becoming the new Agatha Christie with her fiendishly clever plotting, compelling characterisation and earthy, authentic dialogue.

But like all good crime writers, Cleeves never lets the private lives of her principal players get in the way of a terrific whodunit. She allows Vera’s colourful character to shine without her personal and professional conflicts eclipsing the enjoyment of some good, old-fashioned detective work.

The result is a perfectly crafted murder mystery… don’t miss it!

(Macmillan, hardback, £16.99)

The Blue Bell Hotel in Burton Agnes has unveiled plans for a new big-money darts competition which is designed to be one of the most prestigious events in East Yorkshire.

York Darts Promotions and landlord Alan Wilson have joined forces to create the tournament which boasts a massive guaranteed prize fund of £5,510.

The event sees four qualifying stages, all held at village hotel, being played over two weekends where all the semi-finalists qualify for the grand finals.

Neil Hart from York Darts Promotions said: “We believe this is an ideal opportunity for players of all standards to get involved in an event which boasts major prize money and gives not one but four opportunities to qualify.

“There is prize money at each qualifying stage and also further prize money for the grand finals where the last four players in the competition will play off against four professional darts player to become the 2014 Blue Bell Hotel Invitational Darts Champion.”

Players will be offered discounted accommodation at the Blue Bell in a bid to attract top-class players from far and wide, and all those who enter the qualifying stages will be entered into a draw to win an overnight stay on the weekend of the grand finals.

Qualifying rounds will be held on February 1 and 2, and March 8 and 9, with the action starting at 4pm on the Saturdays and 1pm on the Sundays, and registration closing an hour before the first matches.

The grand finals will take place on April 19 and will start with the last 16 games from 2pm.

The winners of the four quarter-finals in the afternoon will then go forward to take on the four BDO professionals, who will be involved from 7.30pm.

Losing players in the last 16 round will take home £65 with £100 for the losing quarter-finalists. The overall winner of the invitational tournament gets £1,500 , with the runner-up winning £750.

Ascot has announced that big-money backers QIPCO have entered into a fresh five-year partnership with the racecourse.

And their support is headlined by sponsorship of one of the best races of the summer, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, staged towards the end of July and won last year by the exciting German raider, Novellist.

The arrangement will see the existing sponsors of QIPCO British Champions Day and the British Champions Series extend their portfolio of sponsorship in British racing to an unprecedented level of investment and commitment.

The £1 million King George, sponsored by QIPCO, will become the third seven-figure value race annually at Ascot under their backing, joining the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes and £1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which are also supported by the company.

Breaking new ground, QIPCO, as an official partner at Ascot, will also enjoy annual branding rights across the Berkshire site, including at the royal meeting in June, with benefits such as stalls and stalls handlers’ branding for all six races on the opening day (Tuesday 17th June).

Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al Thani, director of QIPCO Holding, said: “My brothers and I are delighted to extend our relationship with Ascot through QIPCO’s sponsorship of the King George. The race is the defining midsummer middle-distance contest in Europe and, in recent years, it has become a truly international event.

“On account of the course being the home of QIPCO British Champions Day, together with the heritage and the quality of racing at the royal meeting, Ascot means a great deal to us, so it is a privilege for QIPCO Holding to become an official partner.

“The addition of the King George into QIPCO’s sponsorship portfolio works very well for us because not only is the race of the highest quality, but also the timing is excellent.

“QIPCO are already proud to sponsor the launch of the British Champions Series with the Guineas Festival at Newmarket in May, so the addition of the King George, together with the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, provides a perfect midsummer platform before culminating with the season’s finale and the most valuable day’s racing in Britain, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot.”

Charles Barnett, chief executive at Ascot, said: “We are delighted to be extending our already very strong relationship with QIPCO Holding and would like to extend our thanks, particularly to Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani and Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al Thani, for their continued patronage of and vision for British Racing.

“The Al Thani family has, in a very short period, changed the face of British Racing both as sponsors and owners, and they were instrumental in establishing the QIPCO British Champions Series and QIPCO British Champions Day.

“It is very exciting for us to be working with QIPCO Holding on the promotion of Europe’s midsummer all-age premier race, the King George, and we welcome them too as official partners.

“I would like to thank Betfair for their five-year sponsorship of the King George, during which time we have seen some tremendous performances and participation from horses from all over Europe and from Japan. I am particularly pleased that they will be remaining as sponsors of the Betfair Ascot Chase in February.”

Mark Ody, Betfair’s brand director, added: “We look forward to another great Betfair Ascot Chase in 2014 and a continued relationship with one of the most pioneering racecourses in the world. By offering customers in-running betting and Cash Out, Betfair is helping horserace betting evolve and compete with other sports to ensure it is as exciting as possible for punters and racegoers.”

‘I know what it is to hide a secret and pretend that I can be like any other man… I believed that in denying the truth, I would be safe.’

At the court of Queen Mary Tudor, spying is a perilous game and no one knows that better than Brendan Prescott, an agent in the service of the Protestant Princess Elizabeth and a man whose past poses as much danger as the present.

Welcome to the world of 16th century espionage and the second novel in US author Christopher Gortner’s Elizabeth’s Spymaster series which weaves edge-of-the-seat thrillers out of one of English history’s most exciting and turbulent periods.

High romance and court politics are at the heart of these richly detailed and imaginative stories which brim with treachery, death and intrigue and feature some of the leading players of the Tudor age.

In 1554 a harsh winter grips the realm and at Princess Elizabeth’s home at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, royal ‘minder’ Prescott is enjoying the company of the new love in his life, Kate Stafford, the ward of William Cecil, the princess’s protector and spymaster.

Mary Tudor is now queen and her enemies are imprisoned in the Tower but rumours of a plot to depose the queen are swirling around Elizabeth, the one person many consider to be England’s heir and only hope.

When Cecil brings news that Mary is planning marriage to the Catholic Prince Philip of Spain and that one of the terms of the betrothal is the return of England to the Catholic faith, Prescott is ordered back to London on a dangerous mission.

Simon Renard, the Spanish ambassador to the English court, deems Elizabeth a heretic and ‘menace to the queen’ and will stop at nothing until the threat she poses is removed.

‘We can guide her to her destiny – you and I,’ Cecil tells Prescott. ‘But first we must keep her alive…’

Haunted by his past and obliged to return to the palace at Whitehall where he almost lost his life, Prescott finds himself working as a double-agent for Queen Mary who orders him to secure proof of Elizabeth’s treason.

Plunged into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious opponent who hides a terrifying secret, he must race against time to retrieve a cache of the princess’s private letters knowing that in this dark world of betrayal and deceit, where power is supreme and sister can turn against sister, nothing and no one is what it seems.

Impeccably researched and packed with powerful emotions, The Tudor Conspiracy blends history and mystery in a fast-paced, multi-layered story with more twists and turns than the dark alleyways of 1550s London.

Prescott is growing into a well-rounded central character… flawed, vulnerable, resolute and courageous as he negotiates a fine line through the malevolence and machinations of a country torn apart by religious rivalry.

Roll on his next adventure…

(Hodder, paperback, £8.99)

It takes a wicked and powerful imagination to conjure up stories like Chocolat, the best-selling book which was turned into an equally seductive film, so expect something deliciously different in Joanne Harris’s new collection of short stories.

The title for these beguiling, occasionally bizarre and loosely interconnected tales was founded on Harris’s choice of three essential items for her ‘desert island’ – a cat for company, a hat to keep off the sun and the string for a multitude of purposes.

Each, she felt, could also inspire scores of stories so on that basis, she set to work on these 16 magical flights of fancy, all designed to either move, amuse or surprise, and every one a work of art in its own special way.

This is her first short story collection since Jigs & Reels and some of the characters featured here – like Faith and Hope, the feisty and unforgettable pensioners from Meadowbank old folks’ home – are allowed a welcome reappearance.

Desperately trying to keep their sense of humour and innate dignity in a sea of jobsworth, bullying carers, the two elderly ladies enjoy an unexpected treat when they are left out of a coach outing to Blackpool for briefly escaping from the home.

Stories featuring the everyday jostle with tales of the unexpected so that at one point we are visiting a house where it is Christmas all year round and the next we are worrying about a young girl in the Congo who rides the rapids to entertain foreign visitors and earn a crust of bread.

We meet the ghost who lives on a Twitter timeline, find ourselves spooked by a newborn baby created with sugar, spice and lashings of cake and spy on Norse gods battling each other for survival in modern Manhattan.

‘Dee Eye Why’ relates a man’s relationship with resident ghosts as he obsessively restores a dilapidated old house after his marriage breaks up, and ‘Ghosts in the Machine’ features a lonely woman’s fantasies about a DJ she hears on the internet.

Each short story is preceded by a brief introduction from Harris, allowing readers a fascinating insight into the sources of her inspiration and the psychology behind the characters’ thinking and actions.

Harris is an audacious writer and there are stories here that are guaranteed to unsettle but her message is overwhelmingly one of reassurance that much of the world around us is dependable if not always rational and predictable.

‘Stories are like Russian dolls,’ she tells us,’ open them up, and in each one you’ll find another story.’

Warm, wise, witty and wonderful!

(Black Swan, paperback, £7.99)

Six members of Driffield’s Woldsway To Health are jumping for joy after collectively losing an incredible 100 inches after completing a 12-week training plan designed to suit each of their individual needs.

Vicky Scott (local pig farmer), Diane Clixby (paramedic/ambulance driver), Abby Gordge (teacher), Joanne Nicolson (teacher), Yvonne Raynor (mother of two young children) and John Boyes (occupational health therapist) are all thoroughly delighted with results that they have achieved with the help and support of Woldsway to Health.

James Iveson, Co-owner of Woldsway to Health, said: “We would like to say how proud we are of all the hard work undertaken by all of them.

“They have followed a 12-week plan designed by us. The plan is nothing new to what we have always done at Woldsway To Health but what is different is that we’ve put all the different parts of our training systems together into one 12-week plan to suit each individual’s needs.

“We recognise that everyone is different and what suits one person doesn’t necessarily suit the needs of another.

“So using a combination of weight training, boot-camp, group training, triathlon training and cardio training we adapted a plan, no longer than an hour each session, to incorporate all of our training systems.

“We weighed, measured and took pictures at the outset of the 12-week plan so we could track the progress of each person and monitored them every four weeks to ensure all were keeping on the correct path.

“We are about to start another 12-week plan with another group of people this week and we look forward to seeing more success stories there too.

“If anyone is interested in joining the club or would like more information our team of helpful and friendly staff are ready to help you, just call 01377 253333 to book your free guest visit!

Yvonne Raynor

“I have not been a member of Woldsway to Health all that long and when I heard about the 12 week plan I was keen to take on the challenge.

“Not only have I lost a total of 17 inches I have more energy and I feel so much better about myself.

“I am no longer taking antidepressants and I feel so much more confident in my own skin as I have achieved so much in a short space of time.

“The team have been highly motivational and given me myself belief. The gym has such a fantastic friendly atmosphere, not only do I feel comfortable there but I have made loads of lovely new friends.

“I am going to continue the plan for another 12 weeks as I have enjoyed it so much and I want more!”

Vicky Scott

“I was approached to do the 12 week plan and straight away thought it was a good challenge for me. 

“I had trained hard all year but had never really given a lot of thought to losing weight. 

“After talking to the Woldsway team it became apparent I needed too, so I stepped to it. 

“I slogged my guts out for 12 weeks and lifting the weight of two grown men repetitively twice a week on top of my triathlon training, unsurprisingly weight started to fall off me! 

“I did not miss a session and became more and more motivated to succeed and prove to myself I could complete the course. 

“It has been a challenge in terms of fitting the training in but I have really enjoyed it and it has been made all the more worthwhile by people’s positive comments and words of encouragement.

“I am determined to carry on. The team at Woldsway have throughout been brilliant and have always been on hand to help me set up weights, advise me and motivate me.

“I have nothing but praise for all they have achieved with me and hope they will continue to help me push myself and win a triathlon, Ha ha,  – or just beat my sister.”

John Boyes

“This has been a real life changer.

“With the constant support and professional help of the Woldsway team I have achieved results in 12 short weeks that I never thought were possible.

“Not only have I lost weight and inches, I am fitter and have more energy.

“I am now doing classes which 12 weeks ago I would have genuinely said I could never manage in a million years.

“But the most important and lasting benefit of the program is how it has changed my behaviour and attitude to exercise for the future. I’m hungry for more. Thank you Woldsway!”

Abby Gordge

“I was sceptical that this plan could work for me but everyone at Woldsway encouraged and supported me all the way. Now, 12 weeks later, I have lost 24 inches and I feel great!

Jo Nicholson

“After gaining weight following an injury to my hip I joined Woldsway to Health.

“I was unable to fit into most of my clothes and felt tired and unfit.

“I signed up to the trial and the 12-week plan which was hard work, fitting in four sessions a week alongside a job and three children.

“Although it was tough going with help and enthusiasm from the staff and fellow 12-week plan recruits I lost a stone in weight and 17 inches!

“I feel fitter, stronger and have more energy than I have had for a long while.

“Thanks to all the staff at Woldsway to Health.”

Di Clixby

“I first decided to join Woldsway to Health in august 2012 after struggling to climb four flights of stairs at work with all the heavy gear.

“I thought I would join just to get a little fitter. I have now lost 3 1/2 stones and gone from a size 20 to a 14, with the combination of the gym and a healthy diet.

“Woldsway gym is a really friendly clean gym with very friendly staff, who are very encouraging.

“When you join the option is there to have one to one sessions, which are also excellent for spurring you on all the time, also the option is included in your fee to do the classes available each week too. I really enjoy these.

“I have another two stones to lose before April to get to my higher target but I know it is achievable with the encouragement of the staff at Woldsway to Health.”

I’m sure many readers will know the Bing Crosby song, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”, so you’ll immediately realise the play on words that I have used for the title of this month’s article – and many of you will now be humming the tune in your heads for the rest of the day!

Getting a more accurate picture of the Christmas story helps us to get away from the ‘Once upon a time, in a far-away land’ approach that so often takes place in our schools, homes and even our churches.

It enables us to appreciate the real circumstances into which Jesus was born.

Jesus’ birth can, indeed, seem a very nice story, at a superficial level.

This is especially true when we hear it on a warm, candlelit evening, singing carols with family and friends, watching children in the Nativity play.

We so often enjoy listening to the familiar story as we sit in the prettily decorated church or school hall, thinking of presents and food, some of us even dreaming of a white Christmas!

But what about dreaming of a RIGHT Christmas?

Jesus was born at a time when Bethlehem was under Roman occupation. It was a time of political unrest.

It was a time when the lives of ordinary people were under threat – and a time of much poverty.

A careful reading of the scriptures tells us that the circumstances of Jesus’ birth were, at the very least, very basic and crude – a stable (or cave), a manager, no mid-wife, poor sanitation, very unhygienic - not the best of places for the Son of God to be born!

And even today we have people throughout the world who need the help, practically as well as financially, of others as they struggle in countries torn apart by famine, war and natural disasters.

There are those in our own country who have been (and continue to be) adversely affected by the recent inclement weather conditions. They will also need help and support as they re-build their lives and do all they can to return to ‘normal’.

The birth of Jesus IS a time for celebration – I have, once again, enjoyed watching my wife, children and grandchildren getting excited about their presents as well as joining with others to sing carols, attend services, share meals and generally have a good time.

But we need to remember that the event which we have just celebrated is one which, if we simply restrict our images to cards and Nativity plays, loses the true essence of the occasion.

I hope that this year we have gone some way in getting the story right.

With very best wishes for a prosperous and peaceful 2014.

Take a deep breath and get ready to fall in love… with a book!

Lovelorn teenagers will be fighting to get their hands on the latest reading sensation as debut novelist Stephanie Perkins dishes up a romantic teaser that restores our faith in the sweet and addictive charms of young love.

Anna and the French Kiss is all those things that girls long for… a fun, refreshing and life-affirming story which convinces us that love really does make the world go round.

Take a 17-year-old all-American girl, send her on an adventure to the eternally romantic city of Paris and you get a youthfully exuberant rom-com with a charismatic cast and a French feast of feel-good, feels-real love play.

Anna Oliphant from Atlanta has been enrolled at the School of America in Paris because her famous novelist father has declared that living abroad for a year will be ‘a good learning experience.’

Wise Anna suspects that ‘this whole international boarding school thing’ is a lot more about her father than it is about her. Since his cheesy books have become bestsellers and money-spinning movies, he has been trying to impress his friends with how cultured he is.

Whatever the thinking, she has been dumped in a school for ‘pretentious Americans who don’t like the company of their own children’ and she’s missing her best friend, her part-time job, her fabulous new boyfriend and her little brother.

Fortunately she’s making some amazing new friends, including Étienne St Clair, the half-French dreamboat with suitably messy hair, a crooked-tooth smile and a ‘swaggery walk.’

Every girl in the school is in love with him even though has a serious girlfriend. It’s not exactly love at first sight for Anna although she is soon finding it difficult to concentrate in class, she feels his stare ‘as if it were the heat of the sun’ and he makes her wish she wasn’t just another stupid girl holding out for something that will never happen.

‘Argh! Boys turn girls into such idiots!’ she despairs but that doesn’t stop her falling for his charms. And in Paris, anything could happen… will Anna’s year end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

Perkins works some real magic in this beautiful, perfectly pitched, contemporary and yet achingly traditional teen romance which captures all the angst, sexual tensions and unparalleled joys of young love.

Throughout, she plays a subtle game, allowing the funny, fascinating and fiercely intense relationship between awkward, unsure Anna and the hilarious, handsome St Clair to unfold in heart-melting, slow-motion detail.

The supporting cast of good guys and bad guys, the ‘will-they, won’t they’ conundrum and the excitement of Europe’s City of Light add to all the entertainment, ensuring that there will be no pause until the last page has turned.

And the good news is that there are two more books to come in this sparkling series – Isla and the Happily Ever After and Lola and the Boy Next Door.

So who said romance was dead?

(Usborne, paperback, £6.99)

‘Runners don’t do it for their bodies, but for their minds,’ says Alexandra Heminsley… and she should know!

Defeated by soulless gyms, bored with sanctimonious yoga teachers and intimidated by glossy tennis clubs in her efforts to keep fit and sane, the intrepid thirty-something journalist and broadcaster decided she was going to run.

Her first attempt to circumnavigate the block near her London home via an embarrassing mishmash of running and walking did not end well but six years later, she has completed five marathons on two continents and never looked back.

Well, not until now… armed with experience of all the pain and the gain, she has decided to give other aspiring runners – and those who falsely believe they are predestined to forever be a potato couch – the will to get out there and give it a go.

And as she so successfully proves, this charming, funny, brutally honest and inspiring book is not a mission to persuade us all that we should run but quite simply that we can.

By her own admission, Heminsley was a ‘curvy girl’ with little or no competitive spirit who dutifully went to the gym but could never fall in love with exercise. For her, running was about ambition, self-belief and the search for fulfilment – pushing herself that bit further not just to improve her figure and fitness but to enhance how she lived her life.

She doesn’t promise an easy ride, admitting early in the book that ‘Running is awful. It feels unnatural, unnecessary, painful. It can hijack you with breathlessness, cripple you with panic and overwhelm you with self-consciousness. It’s cold and hard and unforgiving.’

But it also brings wonderful rewards and as her dad wisely says, you run with your head as much as with your legs.

After years of suffering crippling depression, weeping bouts and erratic sleep, Heminsley discovered that ‘a good run has a magical ability to unravel a knotty problem that has been vexing you for days.’ It offers the pleasure of being outside on a sunny day or feeling your body temperature rise despite the crisp winter breeze.

So although this is ostensibly a book about running, in reality it’s not just about running. It’s about relationships, self-discipline (getting out of bed on a rainy Sunday morning), enjoying not feeling trapped in an overweight body and feeling lighter of spirit (as if someone has popped in your head ‘and run a duster around it.’)

It’s also about Rudyard Kipling’s two imposters… triumph and disaster, the determination to try and exceed your expectations, and the strength to accept that sometimes you might not.

Wry, entertaining, high on emotion and with an eminently practical section on everything from buying the right bra to exchanges with intimidating staff in sports shops, this is just the book to inspire you to put on your running shoes or simply take a brisk walk round the park.

Either way, it could be the start of a new you for a new year…

(Windmill Books, paperback, £8.99)

A funeral service for Malcolm Thomas Yates was held at All Saints Church Holme Upon Spalding Moor on January 3, conducted by Bronny Broadhurst.

Malcolm died peacefully in Hospital on December 22 2013 aged 58 years.

He lived at Weaverthorpe until he was 13 years old when the family moved to Holme Upon Spalding Moor. When he left school he worked on a farm and later worked at what was Northern Diaries until January 2011. He loved the outdoor life, spending as much time as possible at his caravan in the Dales and also visiting the agricultural shows, traction engine rallies and horse fairs, especially Appleby Fair.

Malcolm will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

Chief Mourners: Mrs Mary Yates (mother), Tina Maynard & Richard (neice & partner) Phillip Maynard (nephew), Mr & Mrs B Maynard, Mr & Mrs C Waddington, Mr & Mrs P Thurlow (sisters & brothers in Law), Jill Drury, Jane Thurlow, Chris Waddington & Mandy Waddington (nieces & nephew). Leanne Thurlow, Ashleigh Drury & Josh Drury (great nieces & great nephew), Mrs Betty Wells, Mrs Joan Heslinglon, Mrs Mary Jackson & Mrs Jean Yates (aunties), Mr & Mrs P Yates, Martin Yates, Mr & Mrs A Skelton, Mr P Heslington, Mr & Mrs S Skelton, Mr & Mrs A

Jackson, Mr & Mrs D Jackson, Mr & Mrs M Jackson, Mr & Mrs M Denton, Mr & Mrs P Flintoft, Mr & Mrs M Jackson (cousins).

Others present: Bob, Andrew & Phil Davison, Ann & Mike Hall, Mr & Mrs B Russell, Mrs T Woodall, Mr M Woodall, Mr S Adams, Mrs A Adams, Mr M Adams, Mr S Atkinson, Mr B Makey Mr K Huddleston, Mrs M Aconley, Mrs S Dixon, Mrs J Fisher, Mr & Mrs P Fisher, Mr & Mrs S Williams, Mr & Mrs R Richardson, Mr & Mrs K Brown, Mr & Mrs J Ramsay, Mr & Mrs R Humphrey, Mr & Mrs P Mallinson, Mr & Mrs P Stainforth, Mr & Mrs G Rooke, Mr & Mrs A Scott, Mr & Mrs A Wild, Mr A Nicholson, Mr B Howland, Mr G W Raper, Mr J Youngman, Mr A Eden, Mr & Mrs M Allen, Mr & Mrs P Hinch, Mr T & Mrs Florriestainforth, Mr & Mrs J Whatling, Mr & Mrs Petch, Mr & Mrs L Wright, Mr & Mrs M Wright, Mr & Mrs J Walton, Mr & Mrs R Williamson, Mr & Mrs C Oxtoby, Mr & Mrs T Wilkinson, Mr & Mrs A Fisher, Mr & Mrs C Thomas, Mr J P Purkis, Sandra Eccles, Mr & Mrs C Buckley, Mr & Mrs M Larsen, Mr E White, Mr S Clough, Mr S Smith, Mrs J Johnson, Mr M Harrison, Mrs C Skelton, Mrs A Bannister, Mrs Enid Keen & Carole Keen, J Pattison also rep Duncan & Brian Pattison, Mr G Levitt, Mr B Lund, Mr & Mrs B Redford, Mr & Mrs H D Pitts, Mr & Mrs K Tinker, Mr & Mrs P Anderson, Mrs Judy Brookman, Mr R Brookman, Mr & Mrs R Smith, Mrs V Lakin, Pete & Brenda Craven, Mr & Mrs A Lakin, Mr & Mrs E Johnson, Mr S Williams,Kevin Marshall, Sindee May, Mrs S Smith, Andrew Eden, Margaret & Paddy, L Woods, J Maguire.

Mr & Mrs Broadley were unable to attend.

A by-election to fill a vacancy on Skirlaugh parish council will be held if 10 electors of the parish write to the chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council at County Hall, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 9BA, by Wednesday, 5 February claiming an election.

If the chief executive does not receive such a request, the parish council will be informed that it may fill vacancies by co-option, which means that the council members will elect a new member from those who have expressed an interest in joining the council.

If you would like to discuss the role, please contact the parish council by contacting Sarah Towne, Clerk, 31 West Street, Leven, Beverley, HU17 5LE or call (01964) 544067.

Hull & East Riding Citizens Advice Bureau, which has an outreach office in Driffield, will next week be out and about helping people to cut hundreds of pounds from their energy bills.

CAB is offering free advice to help consumers save energy, cut their bills and get all the support they are entitled to.

Big Energy Saving Week is a national campaign running from 27 to 31 January. Run by Citizens Advice and supported by charities, the Government and the energy industry to help consumers check they are on the best deal, switch tariff or supplier and take up help to insulate their homes and reduce their energy usage.

By taking action to check, switch and insulate, consumers could make savings on their energy bills: £325 average saving from insulation and other energy saving measures; £100 average saving paying by direct debit rather than cash or cheque; Up to £200 saving for switching tariff or supplier if you have never switched before.

Advisers from the Energy Saving team will be in shopping centres and supermarkets in Beverley, Bridlington and Goole to help residents find out how they can make sure they are not spending any more than they have to on their energy bills.

On Tuesday 28th January people can drop into the Bridlington Promenade Shopping Centre, in the afternoon, to find out how to save on their bills. People can also head to Tesco’s in Beverley on the morning of Wednesday 29th January for more top Energy Saving tips, or to Morrisons in Goole in the afternoon of the 29th to speak to the Energy Saving team.

Members of the public can also drop into the Hull & East Riding CAB Bridlington Office in the afternoon of Thursday 30th January for a free 20 minute ‘Energy Saving’ appointment with the Big Energy Saving Week adviser.

Matthew Cawley, Consumer Empowerment Partnership Officer at Hull & East Riding CAB, said: “During Big Energy Saving Week we’ll be helping consumers to check, switch and insulate to bring their energy costs down. The rising cost of living means that more and more people are finding that their household budgets won’t cover day to day essentials. We’re keen to make sure that no-one pays a penny more than they need to on energy costs. There are practical things that people can do to reduce their energy bills and help ease financial pressure.”

Consumers can also get help and advice online at www.bigenergysavingweek.org.uk or from their local CAB at West Garth on Mill Street.

By the 7th century, the Roman Empire was in tatters… Rome was a pile of rubble, Greece was virtually lost, Spain was overrun by barbarians and Saracens from the East were on the march.

Centre of this fast-crumbling empire was Constantinople, a glittering city of wealth, poverty and decadence, and the ideal power base for Richard Blake’s cynical anti-hero Aelric to wheel and deal his way through one of the murkiest periods in world history.

These decidedly unglamorous dying days of the Roman Empire have proved an original and atmospheric backdrop to Blake’s darkly funny and hugely entertaining series whilst delivering a fascinating insight into a little known corner of the past.

The Curse of Babylon is the sixth outing with the aged, earthy and cantankerous Brother Aelric of Jarrow, better known in his younger days as Lord Alaric, an English adventurer whose Machiavellian cunning raised him to the lofty heights of the Roman Senate.

Brother Aelric is now aged 98, living back in England but still causing trouble, still making murder his ‘speciality’ and still looking back down the long years at his adventures… and misadventures.

Here we join him in 615 AD as an ambitious 25-year-old Roman legate and spy virtually running Constantinople for the absent Emperor Heraclius.

Without any apparent opposition, Lord Alaric dominates the vast city from his magnificent fortified palace, pushing forward reforms which are the empire’s only hope of survival and the only way to restore its wealth and greatness.

But his domestic enemies are waiting for their moment to strike back and the world’s most terrifying military machine – the vengeful Persian tyrant Chosroes and his army of up to 50,000 men – is assembling in secret beyond the mountains of the eastern frontier.

The plot to destroy the English upstart, considered by many in the city to be no more than a ‘barbarian immigrant,’ begins when he is sent the fabled 1,000-year-old Horn of Babylon, an ancient and cursed treasure.

As the danger mounts, Alaric must face kidnap, revolution, a brutal invasion and a defiant and headstrong young woman called Antonia who has fallen on hard times.

Alaric will have to call on new and unexpected forces to try to save the empire but will he find the personal happiness that has so far eluded him?

The Curse of Babylon sees Blake and his lawless, self-serving star on top form as he runs amok through the East with his motley cast of corrupt cohorts… and devoted fans need have no fear that a little love interest for Aelric has softened the edges of his caustic wit.

What next for our Roman master of mischief?

(Hodder, paperback, £8.99)

As another year dawns at Driffield Golf Club it’s business as usual on the practice ground

Saturday mornings seesthe beginners’ class all gearing up for the season ahead.

With a bit of practice it could lead to a splendid future of striding up and down the sunny golfing fairways of the world!

Advising golfers on how to improve their game and see improving scores is part of any golf club professional’s role.

Driffield professional, Kenton Wright, said: “I take great pride in helping pupils to get as much enjoyment out of the game of golf as posssible.

“I am passionate about helping the development of Driffield Golf Club and am fortunate to have been involved with golf since my early junior days at Hornsea Golf Club.

“Once qualifield as a full PGA member my first role as a Head PGA Professional at 21 years old was at the newly opened Wuemme Golf Club in Germany.

“Despite many years of experience I am still learning, not only for my own golf but also on how to gain the best results for my pupils. I am confident that my enthusiasm for this wonderful game will continue to develop and I will help to spread the mesage that becoming a golfer can be a great part of a healthy lifestyle. “

If you feel that you would like to join in and ‘get into golf’ or that your golf could do with a boost to ‘drive’ your potential give Kenton a call to set up an assesment lesson and start 2014 on a ‘green’ healthy environment. For more information contact Kenton on tel: 01377 253116 email: kenton.pga@btconnect.com or visit the club website: www.driffieldgolfclub.co.uk

Driffield Golf Club – East Yorkshire’s Finest Parkland Course.

Hull FC’s accountants and financial advisers have renewed their sponsorship deal for the 2014 season.

Chartered Accountants cba, were appointed to the position last year and the firm’s own Hull FC fan, Chris Brown, is delighted to be able to continue support from both a professional and sponsorship role.

Chris said: “This year we are sponsoring first team player, Fetuli Talanoa who has just arrived in the UK from Australia and will be making his debut in Sunday’s Derby game.

“I have always been a huge fan of the Black and Whites and very much enjoy working with them.

“Being a club sponsor has many benefits, and we are able to raise awareness of our business to the fans.

“Hull FC is very supportive of its sponsors and now that the season is underway, I look hope to see Hull FC climb their way to the top of the league.”

Lounge Bar 6

Driffield Town 4

Driffield Town slipped to only their second defeat of the season, losing against their title rivals from Bridlington.

This action packed match started at a frantic pace with Mills chipping the Lounge keeper from 30 yards inside the first five minutes only for Lounge to equalise after Rodgers unluckily diverted into his own net two minutes later.

Both sides weren’t really able to play much football due to the terrible playing surface, as both teams competed in this scrappy encounter. Rodgers was adjudged to have brought down a Lounge player in the box, and the penalty dispatched past Parker.

The scoring for the first half was completed when Addinall pulled Town level after a good delivery from Jackson and he nodded past the Lounge keeper.

Mike and Tate were trying to link upwith Hornsey and Mills with Foster, Rodgers and Colquhoun winning the aerial battle and it was Foster who gave Town the lead again poking home after the keeper spilled Hornsey’s free kick.

Back came Lounge Bar and Addinall was cruelly penalised when the ball bounced up against his chest, only for the referee to award Lounge another penalty, much to Town’s astonishment. The penalty was tucked away to make it all level again at 3-3.

Manager Parker introduced Nath Parker and Thompson to help Town push for a winner and five minutes later Nath Parker gave town the lead when he prodded past the keeper only for Town to let Lounge draw level again. Ollie made a good save only for the ball to fall to a Lounge striker to roll into an empty net.

Then in a crazy last five minutes Town pressed the self destruct button once again, allowing a hopeful ball across their box and it crept into the corner.

And then as Town pushed for an equaliser they got caught on the counter attack as Lounge broke away and scored a sixth to wrap up the victory.

Manager Parker said afterwards: ‘ We were our own worst enemies. We gifted Lounge the victory.

“But we still have the reverse fixture to play and im sure we will put in a much improved performance and its only the second defeat of an otherwise promising season.”

Man of the Match: Jack Rodgers - unlucky in an otherwise solid performance.

Leven Members Club Res 2

Little Driffield 2

For the second consecutive week the result ended 2-2, but Little Driffield fully deserved a share of the points against third place Leven.

Both sides looked threatening and created early chances.

Little Driffield’s best chance came when D. Blair’s free kick skimmed the cross bar. This was later followed by J. Berriman heading over a Pickering corner. Hilmi up front was causing all sorts of problems with the Leven defence struggling to handle him.

At the other end Long produced a stunning save from a looping effort as the home side looked to take advantage. Oxlade at full back was being tested with the speed of the Leven wide players but also linked up well to support the away side going forward at every opportunity.

The opener came on 33 minutes when Pickering challenged well and the ball fell to Hilmi who produced a great cross to the back post in which the Leven goalie should have done better and M. Blair nipped in to score from a few yards out.

Leven replied in the second half on 56 minutes when they broke fast from a Little Driffield attack and a long ball was latched upon and finished well into the bottom corner.

However the Little Driffield response was immediate with an absolute screamer from 30 yards into the top corner from D. Blair for a goal of the season contender on 61 minutes.

Again Leven came back at Little Driffield and after blocking a few shots a loose ball was then smashed in from 25 yards for another great goal in which Little Driffield could do very little about on 70 minutes.

Both teams pushed for the winner but were made to settle for a point.

Referee’s man of the match: J. Berriman.

Team: Long, Pickering, Watts (S. Raines 46mins), J. Berriman, Oxlade, Beston (Palmer 55mins), Bateman, D. Blair, M. Blair, Hilmi, M. Berriman (Whatling 50mins).

More senior football on page 67

Every picture tells a story… and in some books, every picture tells a dozen stories!

Phoenix Yard Books, the award-winning children’s publisher located between the wobbled, cobbled walls and wooden beams of a 17th century converted brewery near King’s Cross in London, returns with a ‘house speciality’ – something completely different.

Proud to boast that they deliver distinctive, innovative and original picture books and fiction for children ages three to 13, Phoenix Yard Books present an exciting and outrageously quirky debut picture book from the very talented Linda Sarah.

Packed with enervating anarchy, puzzling prose, intricate illustrations, charismatic characters, a pull-out poster and, most importantly, a feast of fun, Mi and Museum City offers imaginative children a magical brand of constructive mayhem.

Mi lives in Museum City where every building, apart from Mi’s house, is a museum. Now with so many museums to visit, you would think Mi would have lots to do but he’s bored and lonely because the city is full of museums about uninteresting things and the serious people who own these uninteresting things.

One day a beautiful sound leads him to Yu, a big, tall creature, who is playing a huge one-stringed instrument and making the loveliest music he has ever heard.

They are soon best friends and together they set out to persuade the Mayor to open museums about some of the more enjoyable things in life, such as The Museum of Starlit Benches Arranged at Different Heights for Pebble-Dropping and Other Fun Things.

It won’t be easy and there is no guarantee that they will ever succeed in revolutionising Museum City…

With its amazing pull-out A-Z poster of Museum City and a real journey of discovery on every busy, bustling, action-packed and intricately detailed page, this eccentric and enchanting book will inspire and entertain any child age five and over.

(Phoenix Yard Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8-12:

Kingdom of Silk: Perry Angel’s Suitcase

Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King

And there is another wonderful journey of discovery in the third instalment of the award-winning Kingdom of Silk series from an Australian author who uses the rural communities and landscapes of her homeland as a rich source of inspiration for her tender, lyrical stories.

The extraordinary and yet, in many ways, ordinary Silk family live in Cameron’s Creek – mother, father, grandmother, five sisters and little brother Griffin Silk – and their lives and adventures explore all-important themes of love, family, home and relationships.

Millard’s beautiful, gentle stories, brought to life by Stephen Michael King’s whimsical illustrations, have won handfuls of awards in Australia and it’s easy to see why. Their simplicity, warmth and charm speak volumes about sharing, caring, self-discovery and the importance of family and belonging.

It has taken Perry Angel almost seven years to find the place where he belongs. He arrives in the Kingdom of Silk one day on the ten-thirty express, carrying only a small and shabby suitcase embossed with five golden letters.

What do those letters mean and why won’t Perry let go of his case? Perry is a foster child, and he never expects to stay in one place for any length of time. But the extraordinary Silk family are quite determined that they have enough room, and love, for one more person.

And it turns out there could be no better place for Perry Angel than with Griffin Silk, his family and his best friend, Layla.

Following on from the success of The Naming of Tishkin Silk and Layla Queen of Hearts, Millard’s new mini-novel wraps up the same winning blend of love and adventure in a rich and enthralling package.

A wonderfully imagined series…

Both books are published on February 6.

(Phoenix Yard Books, paperback, £5.99)

At the start of the current jumps season, I nominated 22 horses to follow.

Now that we have reached the halfway point of the campaign, with the big spring festivals just around the corner, it’s an ideal time to check on their progress and give you an update.

Here are the original 22, 14 of whom have already won at least once this term.

AL FEROF

2m4f/3m chaser

Form so far: 13

After a pleasing victory at Ascot to mark his comeback from a long absence, Paul Nicholls’s grey was well beaten in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. The feeling is that he was inconvenienced more by the testing ground than the 3m trip, and connections are still holding out hopes that he will make the Cheltenham Gold Cup. They will give a final decision after a run at Newbury next month but, to my mind, the Ryanair Chase is a more suitable Festival target.

ANNIE POWER

2m/2m4f hurdler

Form so far: 11

Willie Mullins’s exciting mare remains unbeaten after claiming the scalp of Zarkandar in a couple of high-class 2m4f hurdle races. Now the big question is whether she will drop in trip to go for the 2m Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival or go up in trip for the 3m World Hurdle instead. In actual fact, the race she is tailormade for is the 2m4f Grade One Aintree Hurdle in April. But wherever she goes, I suspect she will need plenty of juice in the ground to be competitive against the best at the minimum trip.

BUDDY BOLERO

3m+ handicap chaser

Form so far: F276

Original plans to go for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury were shelved -- and two subsequent performances suggest trainer David Pipe made the right call. Even on his favoured testing ground, the eight-year-old has not made the anticipated progress from last season. The only positive to be gleaned is that his handicap mark isn’t suffering for when the time comes to tackle 4m-plus, which he’s looking in need of.

BURY PARADE

2m4f handicap chaser

Form so far: 1R1

It was hugely satisfying to see Paul Nicholls’s eight-year-old produce a smooth winning performance at Ascot last Saturday -- and at a tasty price. The £100,000 purchase had blotted his copybook when refusing to start on his previous outing, but the application of a hood seems to have contained his quirks. At his best, he oozes class and remains lightly-raced, but Nicholls hints that he might miss Cheltenham to stay on right-handed tracks.

CARRAIG MOR

2m/2m4f novice hurdler

Form so far: 12

Alan King’s stable has been under such a cloud that he shut down completely earlier this month, which might go some way towards explaining why this rangy youngster was beaten at odds of 1/8 at Ascot on his second start over hurdles. King is unlikely to rush him back, given that he is viewed as a chaser, long term. But there is little doubt that he will be good one day.

CLONDAW KAEMPFER

2m4f/3m handicap hurdler

Form so far: 93

Given that Donald McCain believed this six-year-old to be well handicapped at the start of the season, he must have been very disappointed by his two performances so far -- particularly at Aintree in December when he was heavily backed. Mind you, the yard has been quiet all season and for a horse who has still raced only six times, he might need more experience. It is worth reiterating that he beat The Liquidator (hot favourite for a Grade One earlier this month) on his debut in Ireland.

DIAMOND KING

2m/2m4f novice hurdler

Form so far: 131

As mentioned above, Donald McCain’s stable has yet to fire on all cylinders this term, so it is probably to the credit of this six-year-old that he has successfully made the transition from Bumpers to novice hurdles. In fact, he would still be unbeaten but for a bluinder at the last flight at Bangor last month. His next appearance, up in grade, will inform us whether he’s capable of lining up at Cheltenham and/or Aintree.

DYNASTE

3m chaser

Form so far: 25

David Pipe’s stable star made a brilliant return to action when runner-up to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, which was his first appearance stepping up from novice company. So it was a massive letdown when he flopped in the King George a month later, especially on a track and on ground that seemed sure to suit. It’s worth drawing a line through that effort, but whether Pipe can now get him back to his best for Cheltenham and Aintree is another matter.

DUKE OF NAVAN

2m/2m4f handicap hurdler

Form so far: 64

Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards has not been able to resist trying to turn his six-year-old into a Champion Hurdle candidate after the immense promise he showed as a novice last season. But the gelding has fallen short in both the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, so it will be interesting to see if he now goes down the handicap route (where he would still be fairly treated) or waits for fences next season.

HINTERLAND

2m novice chaser

Form so far: 11

Paul Nicholls’s six-year-old chaser, whom he has likened to the great Azertyuiop, did this list a grand favour when winning a Grade One at Sandown in December at 13/2. The triumph established him as one of the best 2m novices in the country and put him firmly on track for a tilt at the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival. His speed, class and jumping ability make him a force to be reckoned with.

MANY CLOUDS

2m4f/3m novice chaser

Form so far: 121

The RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival is the big target for Oliver Sherwood’s game, consistent and genuine novice -- and on what we have seen so far this season, he won’t be far away. Even the form of his sole defeat, behind Paul Nicholls’s Black Thunder at Haydock, has worked out really well, and he himself returned to winning ways in most emphatic fashion at Wetherby over Christmas. What’s more, he’s still improving.

MELODIC RENDEZVOUS

2m hurdler

Form so far: 151

I was astonished to hear trainer Jeremy Scott tell the Press the other day that he might bypass the Champion Hurdle with his eight-year--old stable star because he would prefer Soft ground. Astonished because, earlier in his career, Scott insisted he wanted better going. And astonished because, days earlier, he had returned from an injury absence to produce a polished winning display at Haydock, even though he wasn’t 100% sharp. In my humble view, the Cheltenham showpiece should be firmly in his sights because he holds an outstanding each/way chance.

MINELLA FORU

2m/2m4f novice hurdler

Form so far: 117

Having looked a young horse of considerable potential in his first two outings over hurdles, including in a Grade Three contest, Eddie Harty’s five-year-old, owned by JP McManus, rather fluffed his lines when stepped up in class at Fairyhouse two months ago. He has not been since, so Harty might be freshening up for the spring or biding his time while the horse strengthens up. Bought for big bucks, I’m sure he’s useful.

OUR CONOR

2m hurdler

Form so far: 3

How connections must be regretting messing about with a run on the Flat towards the end of October with their brilliant 2013 Triumph Hurdle winner. It meant that he was pitched into a full-blown Grade One event against the likes of champion Hurricane Fly for his first taste of hurdles outside novice company -- and badly needed the run, refusing to settle properly for a long way. In the circumstances, he fared OK, and you are sure to see a better horse next time. But time is short if he is to win a Champion Hurdle this term.

SILVINIACO CONTI

3m+ chaser

Form so far: 31

When this list was first published, we spoke of the “deadly blend of speed and stamina” that Paul Nicholls’s chaser possesses. The eight-year-old travels and jumps, but also stays -- as we saw to outstanding effect in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. The extra 2f of the Cheltenham Gold Cup will be right up his street and as things stand, he is the horse most likely to serve it up to reigning champion Bobs Worth. It’s not easy to forget that he was bang there on the premises when coming down at the third last in last year’s Blue Riband.

SPRINTER SACRE

2m chaser

Form so far: P

One of the saddest sights of the National Hunt season so far was that of Nicky Henderson’s majestic champion chaser being pulled up on his seasonal bow at Kempton over Christmas. He was found to have a heart problem which, experts say, has now corrected itself. But huge question marks will hover over his return to the track, which is most likely to be at Newbury next month. If that goes to plan, he should be able to defend his Cheltenham crown in March. If not, stablemate Captain Conan is waiting in the wings to take advantage.

TANERKO EMERY

2m/2m4f novice chaser

Form so far: 25F

A powerful, imposing bull of a horse, David Pipe’s looked certain to make his mark in novice chases this term, especially after a promising seasonal debut at Uttoxeter. But he took a heavy tumble at Newbury last time and has not been seen since the backend of November. Given that he is best on soft winter ground, that has to be a worry. Let’s hope that Pipe, who describes the eight-year-old as “star quality”, can get him back in action soon.

TAQUIN DU SEUIL

2m/2m4f novice chaser

Form so far: 11321

Jonjo O’Neill’s seven-year-old has made the transition from novice hurdles to novice chases with aplomb, rattling off three wins, plus two other fine performances behind top-class rivals Hinterland and Oscar Whisky. A proven Grade One performer, he is likely to go for the 2m5f contest at the Cheltenham Festival, rather than the 2m Arkle -- unless the ground comes up testing. Significantly, he has banked invaluable experience of the track and its fences.

THE NEW ONE

2m hurdler

Form so far: 112

After power-packed victories at Kempton and then Cheltenham, I became convinced that Nigel Twiston-Davies’s was the horse they all had to beat in the Champion Hurdle. But I must confess I was a shade disappointed to see him beaten by My Tent Or Yours at Kempton over Christmas. I’m not too sure it was the right contest for him, especially as they had to give him such a hard race, tactically, to try and draw the sting out of his rival. Therefore the jury is out now on whether he can repeat his superb success at the 2012 Festival when he landed the Neptune for novices.

WESTERN WARHORSE

2m4f/3m handicap hurdler

From so far: 261

After a most promising seasonal return at Cheltenham in November, David Pipe’s big, lengthy six-year-old looked capable of picking up a handicap hurdle or too. But after disappointing next time, Pipe sensibly wasted no time in switching him to fences, for which he was bought. He unshipped his rider and got loose on the day of his intended chase bow. Indeed that rider, Tom Scudamore, now refers to him as “a fruit-loop”. But he behaved himself next time and made all to make no mistake. He’s a lovely, honest galloper.

WONDERFUL CHARM

2m4f/3m novice chaser

Form so far: 1112

I’ve not seen a classier chaser in training this season than Paul Nicholls’s six-year-old. He reeled off an impressive hat-trick of early-season victories and lost nothing in defeat when almost succeeding in giving the top-class Oscar Whisky 8lbs at Cheltenham last time. I’m a little worried that Nicholls now plans to send him straight to the Cheltenham Festival without another run, but I am already on record as saying I will eat my hat if the gelding doesn’t win the Ryanair Chase.

ZUIDER ZEE

2m/2m4f handicap hurdler

Form so far: 20

Although John Ferguson introduces many a decent, well-bred animal from the Flat to the jumping game, too many of them fail to progress from their initial success in novice company. I hope this seven-year-old does not fall into the same category because, this time last year, the 2011 November Handicap winner looked a serious prospect over timber and began this term seemingly well handicapped. Sadly, he ran too badly to be true at Haydock in November and has not been out since.

IF I could add to the list at this stage, these would be the top ten to follow from now until the end of the season -- BOSTON BOB, CALIPTO, CAPTAIN CONAN, FELIX YONGER, KINGS PALACE, MARITO, MY TENT OR YOURS, ROKCY CREEK, THE PAPARRAZI KID and URANO.