The Goldster Magazine Show

Excite your tastebuds as well as your mind with this book about the sensuality of food and its preparation. A modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, the story revolves around Laura, an American exchange student in Rome; a handsome waiter named Tomasso, who allows Laura to believe he’s the restaurant’s chef; and the actual chef, Tomasso’s shy friend Bruno. 

The Food of Love was Anthony Capella’s first novel. He is a fabulous writer and has gone on to write several more books, usually with a culinary element, including The Wedding Officer, The Empress of Ice-Cream, The Various Flavours of Coffee and Love and Other Chemicals. He has also written a novella, entitled Undressing. 

Take time to savour The Food of Love, with its delectable descriptions of life in Italy, as well as its seductive recipes, and then come along on 30 April to discuss the book and its characters with Lucinda. 

Our Book Club events are open to all, whether you’ve had the chance to read the book or not. These events are not recorded, everyone is unmuted and everyone gets the chance to meet other Goldster members.

Dr James Ray is Emergency Medicine Consultant at Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Governance Lead for NHS 111 in Oxfordshire. His main current interest is to improve the urgent care pathway by making it as accessible as possible without compromising safety and effectiveness to improve the patient experience. His aim is to spread out the workload across services, encourage team working throughout providers and continue to develop the workforce needed for the ever-increasing demand. James is an advocate of all doctors and nurses, from all backgrounds, whether primary or secondary care, working together with the sole aim of providing the same goal which is to put the patient first. Such idealism, he says, is the key to success of the NHS.  “As an Emergency Medicine Consultant, I understand and feel the constant pressure on the front door of the hospital,” says James. “It is the ED Consultant’s responsibility to make sure all patients arriving in the department are safely seen, treated and either referred or discharged within a four-hour target.”   How difficult is this to achieve? What is really happening to our Accident and Emergency units and what can be done to face the NHS’s many challenges.  Join James in conversation with Humphrey Hawksley on The Goldster Magazine Show at 1pm Tuesday May 7th 2024.

Until last year, Professor Alf Collins was NHS England’s Clinical Director for personalised care. His mission in health and well-being is to build around an individual’s needs bringing in shared decision-making, care planning, self-management support, social prescribing and that Goldster concept of ‘rethinking medicine.”  Alf worked for a decade with the Health Foundation, helping lead applied research and implementation programmes in person-centred care.

He has researched and written widely on the changing the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals and he led on the NHS’s implementation of ‘Universal Personalised Care’ one of key initiatives to change thinking in the way we view our health. Alf has also been a community consultant for many years in pain management. How can we best live with chronic pain?  Alf has honorary fellowships from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners and is a Visiting Professorship in Healthcare Policy at Coventry University. Join Alf Collins with Humphrey Hawksley on The Goldster Magazine Show at 1pm on Tuesday May 14th 2024.

We all see news headlines and wonder about our future -- war in Europe and the Middle East and the rise of China.  Many worry or don’t watch it. But what can each of us do to help keep us as safe as can be. Sir Julian Brazier is a former government minister and a scholar in Maths and Philosophy from Oxford. He served for thirteen years as an officer in the Territorial Army, including five with the Special Forces. He is chairman of a security company, and a distinguished fellow of Royal United Services Institute.  He is active in defence-related charities and currently joint patron of the Ukraine Freedom Company, a not-for-profit organisation which delivers equipment, vehicles and medical supplies to the Ukrainian Army. In this Goldster Magazine Show, Humphrey Hawksley will explore with Sir Julian ways in which, as individuals, we can contribute to the safety and well-being of our communities and, hopefully, help avert any war.  

Measures range from supporting and joining military reserves -- whereby those in civilian jobs can bring their skills to a military setting -- to learning first aid, keeping ourselves fit and making our homes as self-reliant as can be.  Join Humphrey with Sir Julian Brazier for a fascinating inside look into Britain’s defences and our own role in safeguarding the country.  Goldster Magazine Show 1pm Tuesday May 21st 2024.