Children’s Book Week is a yearly celebration of reading for school children aged predominately between the ages of 4-7 which acts as a initiative to promote reading and has been running for the past 80 years which is just phenomenal. During Children’s Book Week, schools, libraries and other venues around the UK hold events and activities aimed at encouraging children to enjoy reading and even start writing themselves. Other initiatives such as the “short story “competition that takes place on Chris Evans’s BBC radio 2 breakfast show encourages children to engage with reading and literature by sending in their own short stories.
Each year Booktrust makes available a range of resources available to teachers, including activities and book recommendations to help schools and libraries to plan their own agendas. This year even Blue Peter got involved to help promote book reading by awarding two Book trophies – one for its annual Book of the Year and one for the Best Children’s Book of the Last 10 Years. Voting has now closed for the awards with the results to be announced on March 1st (5.45pm, CBBC).
Dressing up is a now a major part of children’s book week and it’s not only for children but teachers too! This year book week kicks off on the 1st of March and running for one week, children and teachers attend school dressed as famous characters from various Children books. Among the popular outfits worn by adults include many costumes from our cool selection of fairytale fancy dress. This week we have been mega busy getting orders out to eager parents and teachers who have purchased costumes to participate on the big day. If you’re in need of some book week costumes then our purpose built children’s book week page is perfect for coming up with those all important ideas! In our very own book week costumes page you will find fancy dress suitable for book week along with finding a permanent place in the trusted dressing up box! With Book week becoming one of the biggest fancy dress dates in the school calendar, we’re constantly on the look out for new outfits so this section is definitely one to keep an eye on! With two days left to go until book week we’re still able to ensure that your kid’s outfits arrive in time, provided you select our next day delivery service which will be with you the following day between 9am-5pm (although usually delivered before 3pm). Dressing up for book week has never been so fun and easy!
It’s Shrove Tuesday today and we all know what that means…time to get out the frying pan and get busy in the kitchen mixing together the special ingredients to make those magic pancakes! For anyone who has been hiding under a rock and needs some background info on what pancake day is, thanks to Wikipedia here you go:
Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day) is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is observed mainly in English speaking countries, especially Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and Canada but is also observed in Philippines and Germany. Shrove Tuesday is linked to Easter, so its date changes on an annual basis.
In most traditions the day is known for the eating of pancakes before the start of Lent. Pancakes are eaten as they are made out of the main foods available, sugar, fat, flour and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent.
Here’s a fantastic classic pancake recipe for you to use this evening:
Ingredients
140g plain flour
200ml whole milk
2 eggs
25g unsalted butter , melted, plus a little extra for greasing
Makes 12
Preparation and cooking times
Prep 10 mins
Cook time
Cook 20 mins
plus resting
Method
Sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a medium-size bowl and make a well in the middle. Mix the milk and 100ml of water together. Break the eggs into the well and start whisking slowly. Add the milk and water in a steady stream, whisking constantly and gradually incorporating the flour as you do so.
Whisk until the batter is smooth and all the flour has been incorporated. Set the batter aside to rest for 30 mins, then whisk the melted butter into the batter.
Heat the pan over a medium heat. Very lightly grease the pan with melted butter. Using a ladle, pour roughly 2 tbsp of batter into the pan and swirl it around so the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. You want to use just enough batter to make a delicate, lacy pancake. Cook the pancake for about 45 secs on one side until golden and then using a palette knife or fish slice, flip the pancake over and cook the other side for about 30 secs until it freckles.
Slide the pancake out of the pan and either serve immediately or stack on a plate with baking parchment in between. Continue until all the batter is used up.
(Recipe from BBC good food).
Well it’s half way through the week and we hope you have all had a wonderful Valentines Day! We have been buys as normal here at Ace HQ and in recent weeks we have been in contact with customers who are on their travels for routine holidays away skiing! We have had some interesting inquires from customers regarding costumes suitable for the slopes, so with this in mind we felt inspired to write a blog post about fancy dress and skiing! With some keen skiers here amongst the Ace Fancy Dress staff, we thought we would share some of our wisdom on both top European skinning destinations and fancy dress costumes ideal for skiing in!
4 Excellent European Skiing Destinations:
Zermatt Switzerland: Based in the heart of the mountains, the skiing village of Zermatt is one of the best ski and climbing centres in the world with a fantastic reputation. Located in a deep valley between steep snow infested mountains, it’s dominated by the huge pyramid of the Matterhorn which boasts fantastic beauty.
Stats:
Population 5,720 (Dec 2010)[1]
Density 24 /km2 (61 /sq mi)
Area 242.69 km2 (93.70 sq mi)[2]
Elevation 1,608 m (5,276 ft)
Postal code 3920
SFOS number 6300
Mayor Christoph Bürgin (as of 2004)
Localities Blatten, Findeln, Gornergrat, Ried, Schwarzsee, Z’mutt
Interesting facts About Zermatt:
- 29 mountains soaring over 4000m (13,100ft)
- Nine of the ten highest mountains in Europe
- The highest (ski) lift in Europe – Klein Matterhorn (Gobba di Rollin) 3899m (12,830ft)
- The largest summer skiing area in the Alps (all year 9 ski lifts / 25 km runs)
- The longest winter skiing season in Europe (late November to early May)
- The longest consistently open ski run in Europe (Klein Matterhorn to Zermatt 13 Km – open late November to mid April)
St Anton Austria: St. Anton is a much sort after ski village and resort in Tyrol, western Austria with a population of around 2,500 people. It is situated at over 4000 ft above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps and has long been a top skiing destination in Europe kitted out with vast chalets, restaurants and ski lifts. Back in 2001, St. Anton even played host to the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2001. One thing to keep in mind is that St. Anton is not the most suitable slope for beginners.
Stats:
Country Austria
State Tyrol
District Landeck
Mayor Helmut Mall (ÖVP)
Area 165.81 km2 (64 sq mi)
Elevation 1,304 m (4278 ft)
Population 2,548 (1 January 2011)[1]
Density 15 /km2 (40 /sq mi)
Kitzbühel Austria: Keeping it all things Austria, Kitzbuhel is another popular skiing destination situated in Tyrol and is the administrative centre of the district (Bezirk) Kitzbühel with a population of around 8000.
Stats:
Country Austria
State Tyrol
District Kitzbühel
Mayor Klaus Winkler (ÖVP)
Area 58.02 km2 (22 sq mi)
Elevation 762 m (2500 ft)
Population 8,207 (1 January 2011)[1]
Density 141 /km2 (366 /sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence KB
Postal code 6370
Area code 05356
Website Kitzbühel
Chamonix France: Possibly one of the most well known destinations amongst English Skiers is Chamonix. Known for its multinational community of skiers, Chamonix is a fantastic family skinning resort where you’re likely to find a range of languages spoken. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France, this skiing Mecca is popular with English snow worshipers because of its close proximity to the UK. This is one of our favourite destinations (hush don’t tell anyone)!
Stats:
Elevation 995-4,810 m (3,264-15,780 ft)
Land area1 245.46 km2 (94.77 sq mi)
Population2 9,514 (2006)
Density 39 /km2 (100 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 74056/ 74400
(Stats information taken from Wikipedia).
Top 3 Costumes For Skiing:
1. Adult Morphsuits: Morphsuits are a fancy dress phenomenon and are popular all over Europe. They’re made out of full latex body suit, which includes a full facial mask that is designed so that you can see and drink through it! We stock over 25 different Morphsuits, so these outfits are great for groups. Be warned – people who feel the cold easily should stay away!
2. Superhero Costumes : There’s something quite ironic about seeing superheroes using their super human powers not to fight crime but to meander down the slopes in a sensible fashion! We stock one of the most comprehensive selections of Superhero costumes online for both men and women all at competitive UK prices. If you’re going skiing in a group, superhero outfits are great choice as you can make up the entire gang of one particular movie such as the Marvel hero characters.
3. Pirate fancy dress: Pirate costumes have been popular fancy dress garments since the inception of fancy dress and thanks to our various suppliers we have been able to maintain an extensive collection of pirate costumes. Why not go one further and purchase some of the cool accessories such as pirate cutlasses to add to your ski attire? We stock all the classic style costumes including some well known faces such as Jack Sparrow!
Just for good measure we thought we would throw in this amusing video we found on YouTube of some people putting fancy dress to good use whilst on the slopes!
Adelle swept the board at yesterdays Grammy awards that took place in America. The Essex singing sensation, real name Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, shed tears as she received her final award for album of the year “21″ which was incredibly last year’s top-selling album with more than six million copies sold and still holds the top spot on this year’s charts. The larger than life singer won a total of six Grammy awards which levels her achievements tied with Beyoncé as the most wins by a female artist in one evening.
Performances throughout the evening included a dance track by Chris Brown and a jaw dropping performance by Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, who opened the show by performing a new song from his new album “We Take Care of Our Own,”.
Inspirational artist Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Whitney Houston who had died the day before by singing quite possibly her biggest hit “I Will Always Love You.” Dressed in black, with only the accompaniment of a piano, Hudson appeared to fight back tears as she sang the song, ending with the line, “Whitney, we will always love you.”
Here’s the list of winners:
Album Of The Year:
21 – Adele
Record Of The Year:
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
Best New Artist:
Bon Iver
Best Country Album:
Own The Night – Lady Antebellum
Song Of The Year:
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
Best R&B Album:
F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown
Best Rock Performance:
“Walk” – Foo Fighters
Best Rap Performance:
Jay-Z & Kanye West (ft. Otis Redding)
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Someone Like You” – Adele
Here’s her performance of award winning single “Rolling in the Deep”
Well done to Adele representing for the UK- fantastic!
One hot topic of conversation that has been running rife on the radio over the past few days is the Queens reign of 60 years and to mark the special occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, the UK will enjoy an extra long weekend in June on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th which means Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 6th will be classed as a nationwide bank holiday! So here’s a little bit of background information on the dates of her past jubilees:
- The Queen took to the thrown on the 6th of February 1952
- She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977
- She celebrated her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002.
- 2012 she will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee (60 years).
Thanks to the don daddy of information websites Wikipedia, here’s some info on Elizabeth II:
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926[note 1]) is the constitutional monarch of 16 of the 54 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations, and Head of the Commonwealth. In order of foundation, the 16 independent Commonwealth realms are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. As the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Elizabeth was born in London and educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne as George VI in 1936 on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. When her father died in 1952, she became Head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Her coronation service in 1953 was the first to be televised. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence and realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics.
In 1947 she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with whom she has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. In 1992, which Elizabeth termed her annus horribilis (“horrible year”), Charles and Andrew separated from their wives, Anne divorced, and a severe fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. Revelations continued on the state of Charles’s marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, and they divorced in 1996. The following year, Diana died in a Paris car crash, and the media criticised the royal family for remaining in seclusion in the days before her funeral. Elizabeth’s personal popularity rebounded after she appeared in public and has subsequently remained high.
Her reign of 60 years is the second-longest for a British monarch; only Queen Victoria has reigned longer. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; her Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated during 2012. (Wiki).
A mega extravaganza pop concert will be held outside Buckingham Palace on June 4th to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, which will be shown live on BBC1 and broadcast on BBC radio 2. Pop sensation Gary Barlow from boy band Take That has been busy this week acting as organiser for the concert and speaking in the press this week Gary revealed that a line up of world-class music acts are being lined up to perform for the Queen including Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Jessie J and Ed Sheeran. Following a decade theme, the event will showcase the best of pop, rock, classical and musical theatre from each decade that the Queen has been in power. It’s understood that ten thousand tickets are to be given away free through a public ballot. Gary said that his own experience of celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 where people from all walks of life came together was his inspiration for this event ‘That’s what we’re trying to do here, make this concert all-encompassing for everyone involved, that’s why I was so keen on moving it out of the back of the palace… and out the front.’
Here at Ace HQ, we think that fancy dress will play a strong role in celebrating the Queens Diamond jubilee. The lucky party goers who manage to secure a ticket for the concert will be keen to go all out for this event and there’s no better way to do this than to wear some outrageous fancy dress. We have some suitable fancy dress attire that would go down well at this event including our royal family masks and ever-popular Gerri Halliwell union jack dress. Not only will there be party goers decked out in fancy dress from head to toe, but many venues across the UK will be hosting their own jubilee parties. So if you’re thinking of holding or attending a jubilee event in June then be sure to have a look at our fantastic selection of costumes to give you those all important costume ideas.
It doesn't get more British than this outfit!
The ballot opens from today until March 7 on www.bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee or by postcard to The Diamond Jubilee Concert 2012, PO Box 798, Manchsester M60 1WU.
Good day fancy dress people, we hope that you have had a good weekend and are looking forward to the weekend. The sports fans out there can enjoy this years Super Bowl on Sunday evening between New England Patriots & New York Giants. For anyone that knows very little about the teams here’s some information taken from Wikipedia:
The New England Patriots, commonly called the “Pats,” are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971, although Foxborough is a suburb of Boston, 22 miles (35 km) away. (Wiki link)
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team plays its home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, which it shares with the New York Jets in a unique arrangement. (Wiki link).
The major sporting event seems to get bigger every year with last years Super Bowl gaining over 111 million American viewers and this year we expect no different. The New York Giants are likely to be underdogs with the our friends from Sky Bet giving the following odds:
Sky Bet Odds (Accurate as 03/02/12)
+3 NY Giants 4/5 -3 New England 21/20
To further hinder these odds Rob Gronkowski has now been confirmed as available for the game by head coach Bill Belichick:
“I think he was OK this morning, I don’t think we had any setbacks and we’ll see how he goes out there today, but Rob’s worked extremely hard, he’s had treatment morning noon and night and he’s got better on a daily basis.
“Hopefully he’ll be able to continue that progress today, tomorrow and all day Sunday and see where that takes us, but I think that he’s coming along. We’ll see where he gets to but certainly moving in the right direction, he’s getting better on a daily basis.”
We can’t wait for this game here at Ace Fancy Dress HQ and will certainly be tuning in this Sunday evening and will therefore be bleary eyed on Monday morning! This week we have seen some of American football costumes and cheerleader outfits selling well and we’re guessing these are being worn at Super Bowl themed parties. So don’t forget people Superbowl this weekend – it’s going to be a winner!
For more on the Super Bowl hit the BBC sport site and check out the following preview:
February has arrived and we all know what that means – only 14 days until Valentines Day and this year we’re in the mood for love! According to the powerhouse website for definitions, Wikipedia, Valentines Day is:
Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day,[1][2][3] is a holiday observed on February 14 honouring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”).[1][3] The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.
Modern Valentine’s Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[4]
For many men, thinking of ways to romance the special person in your life is difficult and doing it incorrectly with little va va voom can leave you out in the dogg house! With all this in mind, here’s our top 5 ways to woo your woman this Valentines day:
1. Show your creative side: Women love nothing more than when their partner puts real effort into a gift idea or gesture. One great way to do this to get in touch with your creative side by perhaps writing a poem, framing a photo or making her a CD of her favourite songs. Better still make her a mushy CD of all her favourite love songs!
2. Get the vacuum out: Some people are messier than others but if you’re notorious within your relationship for being lazy or messy clearing up the house will speak volumes. A simple but effective way to get in the good books is to carry out a thorough spring clean. Go one further and run your partner a hot bath ready for when she gets in from work!
3. “Surprise”: Taking your partner by surprise in our opinion is still one of the best ways to be romantic. We have all heard the stories such as engagement rings being laced in cakes and by taking her by surprise you’re going to make her feel special in a way that should resonate for a long time after the initial surprise. Get your thinking caps on fellas…
4. Write a Valentines card: Almost every romantic couple exchange Valentines cards on February 14th. One great way to exchange is to make her think that you’ve forgotten and rather than give it to her directly put it somewhere where she will find it for example slip it in her pocket or handbag!
5. Show off your culinary skills: Every woman loves a man that can cook and a simple night in with a romantic meal is all you need to score some more points. Here’s a fantastic slow cook recipe to try out this year:
Slow-cooked lamb with onions & thyme
- half a leg of lamb (about 1.25kg/2lb 12oz)
- 1kg onions (about 4 large ones)
- handful of thyme sprigs
- 300ml red wine
- large handful parsley
Method
Firstly, prepare the lamb. Heat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Wipe the meat all over and season well. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy flameproof casserole, add the meat and fry all over on a fairly high heat for about 8 mins, turning until it is evenly well browned. Remove to a plate.
Thinly slice the onions. Add to the pan and fry for about 10 mins, until softened and tinged with brown. Add a few of the thyme sprigs and cook for a further minute or so. Season with salt and pepper.
Sit the lamb on top of the onions, and then add the wine. Cover tightly. Bake for 3 hrs. You can make to this stage up to 2 days in advance, and then reheat for 45 mins.
To finish off, strip the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs and chop them with the parsley. Scatter over before serving. For full recipe and more ideas check the BBC good food website.
Over the past year we have been busy adding some very sexy new costume lines to our ladies sexy fancy dress category and this year we think that you ladies should take advantage of our new sultry lines! One of our main contributions has been the introduction of our new Leg Avenue lines. Reputed as the one of the largest costume companies in the world, Leg Avenue has a cult following and are renowned for their skimpy style. If you’re looking for something to wear to spice up things in the bedroom this Valentines day, then check out our selection of Leg Avenue and Sexy fancy dress costumes. We offer everything from sexy referee outfits to dominating cop costumes and the outfits within these category pages are enough to get your partners pulse racing.
