Advantages: characterisation, philosophy.
Disadvantages: the usual problems that dog adaptations of all kinds...

...Stephen Fry is a national treasure, and not just because he's worth millions. Erudite and witty, he is the man who can make upper middle class intellectualism cool. He's been a comedian, actor, even director, but you get the sense that it's his writing for which Fry will be chiefly remembered. So what if his novels tend to revolve around the naughty antics of sexually ambiguous schoolboys (The Liar) or postgraduate university students (Making History)? They display a flair for the written word not generally seen in this world dominated by John 'budgie-bothering' Grisham and his dull ilk, and 'The Stars' Tennis Balls' is no exception. Ned Maddstone is the most popular chap in Harrow. With a new girlfriend, a place at Oxford, skippering the school cricket team and with a really floppy blond fringe, he is the image of 17 year old... Read review

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Advantages: Not too bad if you're on a diet, lovely crunchy crisps, Buy them anywhere
Disadvantages: A bit salty

...I've not had these for years, and yesterday Mark brought a load of packs home - why? I have no idea cos these aren't the crisps we USUALLY have so I can only assume they were on special offer! lol It's been that long since I ate these that I can't remember is I like them...... only one way to find out. :o) oOoOo THE BAG oOoOo I've selected Ready Salted to sample for this op. I have a red foil pack with the word French Fries in yellow letters in the dead centre of the pack followed by the words 'crispy potato sticks'. The Walkers logo is at the top left hand corner. Now Walkers seems to go through logo's like the rest of us go through toilet roll and this current one shows a yellow sun with the words 'WALKERS Snacks' on a scroll going through the sun. At the bottom of the pack it tells me these are Ready Salted. Also... Read review

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Advantages: insightful
Disadvantages: first 20 years only

...Having read the book, I still only have a vague idea of what on earth the title is going on about, but never mind. "Moab" is an autobiography, recounting the first 20 years or so of Stephen Fry's life. It's an interesting, alarmingly honest sort of book. Stephen Fry was educated in prep schools (in Uley of all places, very close to where I used to live) and public school. It will not shock his fans to learn that he wasn't that good at fitting in to the rugger orrientated world of the public school, that he was always a bit of a pretentious oddball and that he knew he was gay from a fairly early age. Some details about his less pleasant youthfull exploits cast him in somthing of a different light, and his honesty in discussing the less appealing parts of his nature is surprising. "Moab" offers some insight into the Fry family... Read review

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Advantages: Taste Quite Nice
Disadvantages: Quite Expensive, Lots Of Calories And Fat

...Until a few years ago I always stayed well away from Fry's Chocolate Cream Bars for two reasons. Firstly these were manufactured from Dark Chocolate which I found rather bitter in taste and therefore when it came to Chocolate it simply had to be Milk Chocolate every time, and secondly Fry's were the same people that made one of my most hated sweets of all time, the sickly, sweet perfumed Turkish Delight. Anyway, during my adult years I have occasionally found myself delving into the confectionary world of Dark Chocolate and eventually I overcame my fears that anything that Fry's produced would taste like Turkish Delight and so I decided to give them a try. These days I do occasionally buy these and having recently purchased one I have decided to make them the subject of my latest review, but before I begin with the review itself I... Read review

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Advantages: Sneakily delicious
Disadvantages: Sometime you wished you hadn't eaten it

...This may sound a little strange, it might even sound completely weird, but Mrs P is not a huge fan of chocolate. Well, that's only partly true. No, I don't mean that she doesn't like chocolate but she is huge, I mean that she is very particular about what chocolate she eats. One choccy bar than she is partial to, is FRY'S CHOCOLATE CREAM, which she says is quite hard to find. I think she's talking total mince though, I just opened the cupboard and I found a bar, waving to me and shouting, "Go on, eat me, she won't mind!" So I thought to myself, "Wow, talking chocolate. Now that's freaky!" Anyway, like the dedicated opinionater that I am, I slinked off with the aforementiond edible and promptly scoffed it. Now Mrs P will truly know the meaning of 'hard to find'. Speaking of things that are hard to find, I did a search... Read review

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Advantages: Delicious, crunchy, very moreish
Disadvantages: Fattening

...I am not normally keen on Walkers crisps, as I find them a bit bland and boring. However, Walkers French Fries are the exception to the rule. I absolutely love 'em! I'm sure most people have tried these at some time or other. But for the benefit of those who haven't, let me tell you a bit about them. They are basically just thin, crispy corn sticks which, as you might expect from the name, resemble real French fries. As with any brand of crisp, they come in a range of different flavours, including: • Ready Salted; • Cheese and Onion; • Salt and Vinegar; • Worcester Sauce; and • Fish & Chips My personal favourites are Ready Salted and Salt and Vinegar. I haven't tried the Fish & Chips variety, but it sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Okay, that's enough about the flavours, what about the packaging? French Fries come... Read review

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Advantages: tasty
Disadvantages: They are nothing much like a real chip!

...Well I just got up about an hour ago, and already I have raided the fridge and freezer lookng for something delicious to sink my teeth in to. And what did I come across? These 'Fries To Go'... I have'nt had these in a while but my Mum picked them up while out food shopping this morning so I was pleased to see them back in the freezer. ~What are they and where can I get them?~ Fries To Go are microwaveable (have I spelled that right?) potato chips (although as yet I am unsure of the actual percentage of which these chips are potato). They used to be made by another company that I cannot remember the name of but they are now called McCain Fries To Go. Yes that familiar name we all know that make about 50% of the chips in our supermarket freezers now own the Fries To Go name! They are sold frozen, and I have bought them... Read review

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Advantages: Great for dieting, a non greasy way to cook food
Disadvantages: None

...How can people cook healthy in a frying pan? I used to try to reduce the amount of veg/sunflower oil i was using until i found this ingenious item..... FRY LIGHT EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL SPRAY THE PRODUCT Fry Light helps you cook and fry more healthily using only one calorie per spray, you only need a few sprays per time you cook, the spray is not an aerosol but a pump action spray. Made from extra virgin olive oil this product is aimed to help a healthy eating plan and is also great for slimming, it has no cholestrol , vegetarian and gluten free. PACKAGING A small handy plastic bottle green in colour approximately the size of a can of deodorant with pump action spray lid. Holds 250mls of product which when using only a few sprays per time is very economical lasting months, the product states one canister can replace... Read review

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Advantages: Simply amazing versitility, low fat and lasts for AGES!!!!
Disadvantages: None really...mmmm...nope!

...Fry Light The One Cal Spray Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray Introduction There’s nothing worse than finding your supposedly lightly fried egg turned out onto your plate swimming with grease. Now there’s nothing wrong with the occasional fried egg – true, poached or boiled would be better for you, but as many people (including me) say – a little of what you fancy does you good. Though swimming in oil is not a great start to the summer health kick! So how do you get around it? Well you could always dry fry, but you’ve got to have a very good non stick pan and a great deal of faith before that will work without causing a small bonfire (I tried it once with fish fingers and had to keep all the doors on the ground floor open for an hour to let out the smoke…!) but what we have in this tall green bottle, is the perfect solution... Read review

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Advantages: A good read
Disadvantages: By its nature it contains references which are a little dated here and there.

...Paperweight is mainly a compilation of reviews written by Stephen Fry for various publications during the 1980s and early 1990s. Because of the nature of each article, commissioned pieces designed to fill a set number of column inches, the book is a series of bite-sized digestible chunks just right for short bus journeys, sojourns in waiting rooms and trips to the lavatory. It is a delightful mix of triviality and incisive thought which, I suppose, trademarks much of Stephen Fry's work. The first pieces in the book are taken from talks Fry delivered in the guise of his alter-ego,Dr Donald Trefusis. These were broadcast on Radio 4s "Loose Ends" each Saturday morning. The resulting "Trefusis on Education", "Trefusis on old age" etc. are intellectual slaps in the face, masquerading as comedy. The wisdom that oozes forth is quite... Read review

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