Watch “Beyond the Gates” and “Eyes on Books” in November

A volunteer program for grandparents and visits to two local eateries keep the Video Club’s TV show, “Beyond the Gates” (BTG), busy in November, 2023, while “Eyes on Books” (EOB) reinhabits the Roaring Twenties world of New York City as it meets the author of a sweeping new historical novel.

Both half-hour shows are produced monthly by members of the club’s Video One Productions team. “Beyond the Gates” airs on Village Television Wednesdays at 11 am and Sundays at 9 am; “Eyes on Books” airs Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 am. The shows are produced by Suzanne Savlov with photography directed by Jack Crawbuck.

At Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine, “Beyond the Gates” host Susan Wheeler (at left in photo) learns from staffer Carly Snyder about a new grandparents program the museum is creating. Included will be monthly classes for grandparents, starting in January. For more info, email carly.snyder@pretendcity.org.

At Vanilla Street Bakery, nearby on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Hills, owner Elena Stasevich, originally from Bellarus, tells how her dream of owning her own cafe has become a reality  with a distinctive menu of breakfast and luncheon items, plus noteworthy mararons.

BTGs last stop in November is Our Place Bar and Grill in Lake Forest, which caters to all ages with nightly family entertainment. Owner Clifford Beaver, a drummer himself, tells host Cherri Farrah how he selects live bands to perform on weekends.

In November, “Eyes on Books” interviews international best selling author, Anita Abriel (who also writes as Anita Hughes), about her new novel, “The Life She Wanted.” It tells the coming-of-age story of future fashion designer Pandora Carmichael, who was born into modest means, but lived and learned among rich clients served by her tennis-coach father during the 1920s in New York City.

Anita (Abriel) Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia. Her writing career began at the age of eight, when she won a national writing contest in THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, and was named “One of Australia’s Next Best Writers.” (She still has the clipping.) Studying in the United States, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College, and attended UC Berkeley’s Masters in Creative Writing program. She lives in Dana Point, CA with her family, where she interrupts her writing to watch the glorious sunsets.