Abolition of the slave trade

A new book of stories and poems has just been added to the fiction collection available in Richmond House Library. Unheard Voices; a collection of stories and poems to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act - click on this link for info about the act from the National Archives GovUK site) Other sites to look at include the Directgov Abolition of the Slave Trade and the BBC Abolition site.

You might have read the excellent trilogy of novels written by the collector of Unseen Voices, Malorie Blackman. The titles are: Noughts and Crosses (winner of several book awards and recently adapted as a stage play that is currently on tour), Knife Edge and Checkmate. Click on the 'trilogy of novels' link above for online catalogue details- as you'll see, they are very popular and two are currently out on loan, but you might want to reserve a copy for when they are returned.

Another book on order (for Richmond House) is Abolition! the struggle to abolish slavery in the British colonies written by Richard S. Reddie, so keep looking on the new book stand for when it arrives.

Other books available at Summer Row Library on the subject of 'slavery' can be seen by clicking on this link.

The Asian Bride Show - Manchester 2008

For those of you who are interested in Asian beauty, hair or fashion The Asian Bride

Show will be held on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th March at the City of Manchester Stadium.

There will some of the biggest make-up and hair stylists at the show. You can experience a Make Over, and find Henna Art, Skin Care and Beauty Information- as well as a fashion catwalk show. Click on the link for more details.

The Worlds's 100 Best Spas
There is a Conde' Nast Traveller -March 2008 issue- Spa Special in the Library which has details of the Readers' Spa Awards 2008, with lots of glossy pics and info, and is worth having a look at. If you prefer to view the info online, follow the link above and click on 'Spa Awards'

London Fashion Week 10-15 February 2008
London Fashion Week , the bi-annual showcase of British Designer fashion, opened yesterday with a champagne reception for press and buyers. Follow the link above for the chance to see the Autumn/Winter 2008 collections catwalk reports, images and video footage from the show, plus other information related to this event. Vivienne Westward is one of the designers showing a collection this Thursday, after an absence of nine years.

There will be a London Fashion Weekend event being held on the lawns of the National History Museum in South Kensington, London from Wednesday 20th February- Sunday 24th February. It is sponsored by Grazia magazine and will include a Catwalk Theatre, designer clothes at a fraction of the price, make-over sessions, beauty tips, and hair care advice. Click on the link for more information and how to book tickets. Note that under 18's have to be accompanied by an adult (maximum of 2 U18's per adult).

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year (4706 and counting...) starts today- happy new year to any Chinese bloggers visiting in the year of the Rat.

新年好 If you are interested in celebrations taking place in Birmingham, click here for the BBC info link.

Continuing the Chinese theme, you might be interested to know that we have books in the Yellow Zone at Richmond House Library about Chinese medicine and beauty feng shui techniques. Here are some titles to browse through:

Beauty Feng Shui: Chinese techniques for unveiling your inner beauty, on the shelf at 646.726 CHE

Encyclopedia of Chinese Medicine: an essential guide to the traditional & natural therapies and remedies from acupressure to herbal medicine at 610.951 GAO

The Illustrated Elements of Chinese Medicine (offers a natural way to health through acupunture, herbal remedies, diet, meditation and exercise) at 610.951 WIL

More on Cut-Price Anti-Wrinkle Creams...
Following the success of Boots' No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum last year, another budget anti-wrinkle cream has resulted in more than 20,000 women a week rushing to Aldi to buy their own-label day cream- The Siana Moisturising Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream, priced at just £1.89. The cream is said to work by temporarily freezing the skin and filling in fine lines and wrinkles. For more information on this 'miracle cream' click on this link to the Daily Mail article

Beauty Index 2008 and Cosmetics Directory 2007/8
There is a copy of the Beauty Index 2008 available at Richmond House Library. This is an annual directory giving details of UK suppliers, associations, colleges, and beauty training providers. It also has the results of the Guild News Beauty Industry Survey- this includes things like numbers of clients, rates of pay, and age demographic of clients.

You can also see the 2007/8 Worldwide Directory that is published by Cosmetics International. This will be useful if you want to access information about cosmetic industry manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, research companies or designers of cosmetic products throughout the world.

Please note that these are for reference only and not available to take out on loan.