Beige Magazine Vol 2 Issue 1

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beige volume 2 issue 1

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

HUGH JACKMAN Australia’s Hottest Export

TONY SHELDON Bright Lights, Big City

MATTHEW MITCHAM Aussie Olympian

Idina Menzel Singing Her Songs

Behind The Label ♦ Art - Tim Perkins ♦ Theatre ♦ Property Front page.indd 3

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AUSTRALIA www.ristefskymacheda.com

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beige vol 2 iss 1contents from the Editor Thanks to your feedback over the past few months are about to undertake some changes here at Beige. Over the next few months you will get to meet some of our new editorial staff and see those developments and few features in the magazine launch.

Quite by accident this month’s issue ended up having an Australian flavour to it. We were delighted to speak to Matt Mitcham following his huge Olympic success last year. He’s an incredibly down to earth young guy who is such a great role model to all and we wish him all the best with his future career. Whether it is in the field of acting, fashion or sport the Aussies are certainly setting a pace for the rest of the world and we salute them.

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I hope that you enjoy this month’s edition, Best regards, Martin Louw Editor

Features

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8 HUGH JACKMAN

Going from strength to strength, Hugh Jackman is taking on the world and winning.

14 MATTHEW MITCHAM We catch up with Matt in one of his first interviews post Beijing.

18 TONY SHELDON Priscilla starts previewing in the West End this month with this fab Aussie star reprising his role as Bernadette.

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52 GODS OF SPORT Photographer Pedro Virgil is back again with his sexy Aussie Football calendar.

58 TIM PERKINS

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regulars

We talk to Brit artist Tim Perkins about his inspiration.

60 idina menzel We talk to Broadway’s first lady about her career and her new album.

cOMMENT 30 V 50 FASHION TRAVEL Finance law PROPERTY homestyle WWW HEALTH fitness

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THEATRE DVD BOOKS MUSIC RESTAURANTS BEHIND THE LABEL COMMUNITY

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30 v 50: RETIREMENT

With the recession now firmly with us and redundancies and unemployment rife, we asked our 30 v. 50 boys to look ahead at the subject of retirement. Is anything guaranteed anymore? Pension saving plans seem less stable and retirement age seems to be getting later and later, what lies in store ........

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The TENSION SCHEME

by Sam Peter Jackson

Ernest Hemingway once called ‘retirement’ the ugliest word in the English language and proved his conviction by blowing his brains out with a shotgun two years into his buss pass.

Oh, hello. Too morbid? Fine, let’s start again.

Look, I have nothing against the concept per se. In fact, I rather like the notion of living in some five-star gay ex-showbiz nursing home in Florida in my 80’s whiling my days away playing Showtune Poker with Simon Amstell and Will Young, occassionally bumping into Lindsay Lohan on my way to the Viagra dispenser. But when I hear people on my side of 50 talking seriously about retirement plans, I can’t help but think they should probably quit their job and start again. Because what’s the use of saving for a rainy day if you are willing to drag yourself through a 60 year snowstorm to get there? As the old Guy Lombardo song goes - “Someday you say you’ll have your fun when you’re a millionaire - imagine all the fun you’ll have in your old rocking chair”.

And yes, maybe that’s naive. I guess living in a rented flat in London and being an actor / writer who grew up in a slightly Bohemian creative family, I never quite felt that the concept of retirement was something I’ve been sufficiently prepped on. Whilst my old school friends are getting mortgages and life insurance and aiming for their two point four children, the only thing I’m putting away for a rainy day are my old Converse in case they become fashionable for a third time.

It’s not that I don’t think it’s wise to plan ahead, but unless the recent Wall Street collapse makes artists the new bankers, what am I to do? I know I’ll have to face certain facts and make arrangements for my ‘golden years’ at some point, for now though, I choose to enjoy the whole of my life. Not just the end of it. www.sampeterjackson.com

“IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T THINK IT’S WISE TO PLAN AHEAD BUT UNLESS THE RECENT WALL STREET COLLAPSE MAKES ARTISTS THE NEW BANKS, WHAT AM I TO DO?”

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THE PENSION STRAIN

by Tony Tansley

I have never understood why we knock ten bells out of our prime time of life between 25 and 35 years by suffering intense stress and working all year for weekends off with 28 days holiday. Surely common sense tells us this period is the best time to spend in retirement, when we are at our peak both physically, mentally and sexually requiring every hour of the day to pursue the associated leisure goals.

When your P45 (do you get one in retirement?) is handed over with your office leaving gift, the one from all the colleagues that hate you but keep smiling and can’t wait to see the back of you by spending at least 50p, it usually signals the end of your life, as most tend to give up or feel that others have given up on them. Admit it, would you look forward to a later life as a B & Q helper or trolley pusher?

It’s difficult enough to convince employers that there is still at least 20 years of activity left when you reach 40, so imagine the challenge at 50 plus. There must be a special course where young interviewers are told to not look into CV’s, ask questions about early life or look into tired eyes for fear of not knowing what the hell you’re talking about. Of course, that really is the point, we do know exactly about life, experience and people. We too, live in a 24 hour society, and still have working faculties, active social lives and intense opinions on everything from blue cheese to George Bush to Ibiza clubs.

So, there are still questions like: not; why do we all have to go to work at the same time? Why do we have to do the same job every day, every week, every year and do we really HAVE to wear a tie at the office?

Invites from nice employers very welcome......

“SURELY COMMON SENSE TELLS US THIS PERIOD IS THE BEST TIME TO SPEND IN RETIREMENT WHEN WE ARE AT OUR PEAK BOTH PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND SEXUALLY...”

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PHWOAR FACTOR

Hugh Jackman is already on par for a spectacular 2009. Having just turned 40, the epic film Australia was released in January and the world is eagerly awaiting the release of X-Men : Origins due for release soon. Ilena Young met the man himself....

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beige interview One of Australia’s most successful recent exports, Jackman is considered by many to be a triple threat. He sings, he acts, he can dance and he’s one of the new breed of actors who is happy with his metrosexual label, even winning a Tony Award for his portrayal of gay songwriter / performer Peter Allen on Broadway. beige: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO MAKE AN EPIC FILM LIKE ‘AUSTRALIA’?

Hugh: When you make films whether they ask it or not everyone is sort of wondering what’s the movie going to be like. Is it a good one or not? With this film it was sort of beyond that. I remember Nicole and I on many occasions talking to each other and really pinching ourselves that we were part of a movie that may not be made again.

I mean movies on this scale, these big epic romantic adventures don’t happen very often and with filmmaking as it is now and with the advent of a lot of green screen and things like that, to trek out to the Outback is rare especially given the distances involved. It takes a long time to get there, add to that the logistics of having to drive 1500 head of cattle sleeping in caravans and tents, it was just massive.

And it kind of really takes someone like a Baz Luhrmann, his audacity, his brilliance and let’s face it his craziness to try and get it across the line. In every way it felt really special, of course even more so being Australian and being part of an Australian movie which was on a scale that has so far eclipsed anything that’s ever been done down there. beige: WAS IT PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING AS WELL? Hugh: Yeah. My character’s called The Drover and if you don’t know what that is; a drover is basically an Australian version of a cowboy.

And you are taking cattle a long way across the most inhospitable parts of the planet really for a long period of time and these men who do this are as tough as you can get. I had to learn how to ride, actually while I was introducing the film. Every actor you’ve ever met says they can ride a horse and of course when Baz asked me I said, “Yeah of course mate, I can ride.” I’d done a little bit in a movie called ‘Kate and Leopold’ but I didn’t read the script and this is how I described my character’s horsemanship: “The drover, astride his horse like a knight in shining armour corralling a 100 wild horses at the back of the homestead by himself.” That freaked me out to begin with. On the day, of course being Baz it was 200 wild horses. Then the next page is says, “the drover rides low in the saddle pursuing a scrub bull across the plain. Then he leaps down, grabs his tail in one fluid movement he heaves his weight down upon it, to throw the massive beast on to its side. The drover takes out a bush knife, grabs the bull by the balls and slices them.” At the point I realised I had a lot of work to do. I actually probably trained and rode everyday for at least a year leading up to the film and then everyday while we were filming. Baz set up an arena event at Fox Studios. When we were in the Outback we were riding horses every morning so if you add it all together it was about four a half years of riding. But really it was an amazing opportunity. beige: DO YOU HAVE ANY CONVICTS IN YOUR ANCESTORS? Hugh: No my family are English. Both my parents are English and we came out in 1967 and I was born the year after. They were what were called Ten Pound Poms. Back then the Australian Government was trying to get educated English, or Canadians or basically white people, let’s be honest. They were trying to get a lot of educated white people out to Australia so they offered them incentives of citizenship and a whole lot of things and for the very small meagre sum of ten pounds for which you could sail your entire family out. So that’s what my father chose to do. beige: DID THEY AGONISE OVER THE DECISION? Hugh: My dad is pretty closed lipped about a lot of things but you know I’ve asked him about it and he just said it seemed a wise decision for the family. He already had three kids with a fourth on the way. I was number five. He worked for Price Waterhouse so he wouldn’t have been on a lot of money, but he was doing okay, but to live in London with potentially five kids I think he just thought, oh this is going to be a nightmare and so he moved out. And back then, not dissimilar to the movie, Australia was still a bit of a frontier. There was that idea of the idyllic nature of Australian space and opportunity and things like that which I think drew him. beige: HOW MUCH DID YOUR LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING OF AUSTRALIA DEEPEN AND STRENGTHEN MAKING THE FILM? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? Hugh: I learned a lot actually and of course I did a lot of research.

And Baz, if you know Baz at all, he’s meticulous in his research

and what he made available to the actors was amazing. But there’s an element of the film involving our indigenous brothers and it was amazing learning about them. Particularly how important they are to that northern part of Australia and how the work went on. I knew that Australia got bombed by the Japanese. I didn’t know we got bombed 64 times. I didn’t know it was twice the size of the fleet that bombed Pearl Harbour. In fact it was exactly the same fleet but doubled, that bombed Pearl Harbour a month later bombed Darwin. And back then 3,000 people are recorded as having died. But no aboriginal people were officially put on that list. So it’s an interesting point in Australian history. And I actually knew about that era. I’ve spent some time in the Outback but to go out there and really study and meet those people and work with them, you just get a great appreciation of how tough it is and yet what an indomitable spirit they have out there. beige: WHY DOESN’T YOU CHARACTER HAVE AN ACTUAL NAME? Hugh: The Drover is essentially an outsider because in his back story he was married to an Aboriginal woman who died. And he’s what’s called a Combo, as in ‘combination’. It was illegal to marry an Aboriginal woman back then, so you were not accepted in white society or fully accepted in Aboriginal society either because you were white, so he was truly an outsider. He lived that way and became known as the best drover around and so he just got known as that.

Also I think the character harkens back to those great westerns like the kind of Clint Eastwood parts. He does actually have a name but I believe that bit of the film got left on the cutting room floor. beige: In Australia you were working with that other famous Aussie export Nicole Kidman.

Hugh: Yeah, Nicole and I have known each other for almost 15 years. She was best mates with my wife and when she first went to Hollywood she was flatting (flat-sharing) with my wife, so I’ve known her for a long time. We work really well together. beige: WAS IT KIND OF ODD WORKING WITH HER AFTER THAT LENGTH OF TIME? Hugh: No, I know what you mean but no. We were both training to horse ride together in a place called Kangaroo Valley in Australia. We were going for a long ride and on our ride together we both talked about how we’re friends but this is a different relationship we have on screen. These area two people who are literally from opposite ends of the planet, that really don’t get on very well at all and take their time to get to know one another. And look we’re actors but it was just good to say that and move on from that and to know that we were safe with each other. But really trust me when you just get on with someone and you instinctively know each other well, that’s 50% of the work in terms of chemistry. I’m certain of that. beige: HOW WAS WORKING WITH NICOLE AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM HER? Hugh: It was amazing to work with her. Again, knowing her for so long it’s very interesting to see somebody… by the way we shot for a long time, the better part of a year. So you get to know each other very well and no matter how much you know somebody, unless you’re in a relationship with them, you don’t know them until you’ve done a film with them. Because you see people under a lot of stress and it was physically very tough. We were in locations where it was near 50 degrees Celsius some days and we were wearing ridiculous costumes and riding and sleeping out in tents. It was not a pampered kind of lifestyle, so we got to know each other very well and without a doubt the first thing that comes to mind with Nicole is her professionalism.

I actually don’t use that word lightly. I’ve been trained in a way in the theatre where to be professional is probably the highest judgement of your work, in that every day she absolutely works to the bone to get everything out of every scene with every character, no matter what. Trust me, there’s no harder worker. I’ve been lucky to work with some great actors and some great directors and all the ones that have longevity like Nicole have a spirit like they’re just out of drama school with all the wisdom of somebody whose been around for a long time. She’s very enthusiastic, she’s demanding of herself. I went to drama school for three or four years, but really what you learn from is working with these actors and you watch how they go from take two to take three, or watch how they get that bit of direction and how they work it. You watch sometimes how they ignore the director and sometimes how they embrace it and watching her was absolutely fascinating. vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 9

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Photo: James Fisher beige: DID YOU GIVE HER OR KEITH URBAN ANY PARENTING ADVICE? Hugh: I didn’t give Keith any advice because anyone who’s actually had kids knows there’s nothing more annoying than all the advice you get on how to do it. Because you know you’re going to stuff it up in some way or other and everyone goes, if you’d just done that….

Actually the best bit of advice that I do sometimes pass on was from the guy who delivered the baby, when my first son Oscar was born and we were there. Oscar’s actually adopted but we were there in the delivery room and it was his birthday and I remember him saying, “It’s a great day to be born, a great day.” And he came in and the birth happened about two minutes later and as he was leaving he said, “Congratulations, don’t rock the baby,” and walked out. And we were like what? Right. What did he say? “Don’t rock the baby?” Cut to two weeks later, the baby won’t sleep - we’re rocking it. That’s the only advice I give. Don’t rock the baby because you end up spending your life doing it! beige: SOME OF THE SCENES IN THE FILM, REMINDED ME OF ‘LAWRENCE OF ARABIA’ AND ‘ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST’. HOW DO YOU THINK THE FILM WILL BE JUDGED IN 10 OR 15 YEARS? Hugh: Wow. I wish I knew how it would be judged in about six months. I don’t know mate. beige: WHAT’S YOUR FEELING? Hugh: I’m still excited about it. Tom Rothman who is the head of sthe studio had seen it before me and I very nervously asked him what’s it like? I’ve known Tom ever since ‘The X Men’ movies so I knew he’d be a straight shooter and he said, “Hugh, you’re in a movie that gets made once in a blue moon, and when your grandkids ask your kids what did grandpa do, they ought to sit them down on the couch and put this movie on.” I thought okay, I can live with that. beige: AUSTRALIA IS QUITE ROMANTIC AND EMOTIONAL IN ITS SCOPE. DO YOU CRY IN THE CINEMA AND WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE THAT MADE YOU CRY? Hugh: Yeah I do cry. I wouldn’t say I’m an easy crier. I wouldn’t say I take tissues with me but the last film I had a really good go was ‘Tsotsi’. The end of ‘Tsotsi’ really got to me and another big one was ‘Shadowlands’. That last scene with Anthony Hopkins in ‘Shadowlands’ absolutely slayed me. I mean you guys know Baz, there’s nothing Baz does that doesn’t have love at its central core.

Love and passion is in every movie he’s every done. It couldn’t be more passionate with love at its core so I’m pretty certain that you might want to tuck one or two tissues in the back pocket on this one. beige: YOU MENTIONED THE PERFECTIONISM OF BAZ. DO YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE FROM ON SET?

Hugh: To talk about someone being a perfectionist like Baz, it’s a given. He wants everything to be right. You sit down and he goes, “Let’s discuss a scene…” and before you know it a cup of tea is brought in front of you. And it took me about three months to notice that it was exactly the same cup and exactly the same tea that was my favourite tea that I’d mentioned to him in pre-production when he asked, “What tea do you like?” you know, when we were chatting.

“Oh you know I like whatever, Lapsang Souchong whatever…” and bang it’s there. And without fail it’s always there and the cup I had on the first one. That’s a very small detail but Baz notices things that you do. He notices everything and he will not let a scene go until it’s done exactly the way he wants it. And in a way it must be very difficult to be the head of a studio because what seems like half a day shooting can sometimes be four. What sometimes seems like three days can be one. It’s sort of so hard because until he feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up, he won’t move on. beige: IS THAT USUAL? Hugh: It’s so rare in film. In theatre you get it. Not always the whole show but at some moment you feel it’s all coming together.

In film you often don’t get that feeling, maybe once a week, maybe once a fortnight but with Baz you feel like every day you’ve had a magic moment. Something magical has happened and you feel like something special has happened. You have to forgive me I’m a little jet lagged. We just finished filming ‘X Men’ about 48 hours ago and I’m here with my family and I was doing fine except my daughter was up about 2.30 this morning and it’s always good being in Holland because it always reminds you how conservative wherever you are is when you live here, after I played for about an hour with her I just thought I’m going to sneak some shut eye while I put on some cartoons. And I turned on the telly, it’s about 3.30 in the morning and it’s like soft porn and this is just free to air, trust me. So I turn it on and I’m trying to find the clicker, it’s not working and I go up one channel and it’s more soft porn and girls and phone numbers everywhere. I couldn’t get off it and my daughter - all she kept saying is, “Daddy, when is it bath time?” So bath time tonight is going to be a very interesting story. That’s my excuse for waffling on. I’ve forgotten my example but really working with Baz is a dream. beige: DID HE TELL YOU A SET TIME GOING INTO IT? DID HE SAY IT’S GOING TO BE NINE MONTHS OR A YEAR OR WAS IT OPEN? Hugh: No but he never did. There was this sort of joke around set because at one point we had five weeks to go and for the next three months it was five weeks to go and it sort of never changed. But I’m honestly used to long runs. I’ve done theatre, I’ve done shows where I’ve gone for a year. I could have gone for two years because working with Baz is that good. As an actor it’s challenging and it’s kind of everything you ever want. Let’s face it I’m in Australia. I’m in

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beige interview my hometown in Sydney. I live about ten minutes from the studio when we were shooting on the studio. Then we were shooting on these locations that if I had six months off I would dream to go to but you probably never do for the rest of your life. So there was nothing about it I wanted to move on from. I’m not just saying that. If he’d said, we’re going for another month I would have gone, great. For an Australian actor this was the perfect storm shall we say. beige: FOR ‘X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE’, HOW DO THE CLAWS WORK? ARE THEY GLUED TO YOU? MY 8 YEAR OLD SON ASKED THAT! Hugh: So you tell him they’re real and I’m a friend of yours and if he ever does something wrong, I’ll come over. That’s what you say when they’re 8. I can show them to you later. I actually brought them along for something else but they’re just a practical thing that was made with a piece on the palm of the hand and some wires that go around and the blades attach. It’s deceptively simple when you see it but it works very well. beige: THERE HAVE BEEN RUMOURS OF THE DIRECTOR CLASHING WITH THE STUDIO, THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE A MORE VIOLENT MOVIE? Hugh: It’s gritty. Bad assed, does that sum it up? I think that sums it up the character pretty well. It’s funny. I’ve been in the middle of the movie, so I don’t really know about any of the rumours about it.

It felt really good to me. This is my fourth time putting the claws on and it felt really good. Look I think everybody agreed, the studio and everybody that we needed to make a slightly grittier movie. That’s the nature of this character. It’s not an ensemble piece; it’s about this guy and there’s some darkness to it. Of course it’s fun and I think Wolverine has some lighter moments but I always laugh when I read those things. There were clashes and now that I’m a producer, I get it. If there are no clashes you’re more than likely to turn up a big pile of tepid, average muck. If everyone’s going great, I’ve never been on a movie where that’s happened. If you want to talk clashes, if I could take you through every ‘X Men’ one and two, trust me there were clashes but I think ultimately that probably brings out the best. beige: HOW DID YOU FEEL RECEIVING A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME? Hugh:The Hollywood Star? I’ll be honest I was touched by it. I’m an Australian so that whole thing, the Hollywood Star, you’ve seen a million times and of course I’ve been there and I remember going to see all those great names. First reaction is a little bit of shock and don’t they know that I’m just that kid from the northern suburb of Sydney? Why are they giving one to me? And it slowly dawns on you that even when you’re busy it’s just a moment to stop and just go wow. This is a moment to remember. I think it was my dad - my dad as I said, he doesn’t say much but I think he hugged me like it was the last time he was going to hug me. He was really proud of it so it meant a lot for that.

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HOT AUSSIE FASHION Beige was sent these sneak peaks of the latest swimwear and underwear being launched by successful Aussie labels Aussiebum and Ristefsky Macheda.

Further new styles and ranges can be purchased online at www.aussiebum.com and www. ristefskymacheda.com

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HUMBLE HERO

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MATTHEW MITCHAM

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beige interview

Olympian Matthew Mitcham has become a gay icon the world over. But he hasn’t let it go to his head, reports Peter Hackney, who caught up with the diver for an indepth chat.

In Australia recently to promote her new reality TV series, Pamela Anderson held a press conference in Sydney. But her reality show wasn’t the only thing on her mind. “Matthew Mitcham” - I was hoping to meet him!” she whined, bemoaning the fact that he was holidaying in Europe.

Such is the world of extreme fame that Matthew Mitcham finds himself in since the Beijing Olympic Games. Matt, in case you’ve been under the proverbial rock, was the only openly-gay-male competitor at Beijing.

He was also the first openly-gay Australian to compete in an Olympics, achieved the highest single dive score in Olympic history - won a gold medal, and is the first openly-gay male to ever win Olympic gold.

“Well, I don’t know. It’s not for me to say. All I know is that I don’t ever wanna be a different person than I was. Apart from what just comes naturally with growing up and getting older and wiser.”

And there’s a big part of the appeal of Matthew Mitcham, crystallised in that one simple response. Sure, he’s an Olympic hero; sure, he’s easy on the eye; yes, he’s a good role model for the gay community. But perhaps the most appealing thing about the Brisban born-and-bred diver is his humility in the face of success.

Since that litany of firsts, if it’s not Pammy wanting to meet him, it’s celebrity blogger Perez Hilton calling him a “yummy, yummy screw” (Goodness!). If it’s not Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd congratulating him, it’s Sir Elton John wanting an introduction. One day he’s on the cover of The China Daily newspaper and another, he’s on the front of American gay magazine The Advocate.

In a world where everyone seems to be on the make, Matthew Mitcham is a refreshing change. Unlike some other athletes that come to mind, he’s not milking the Beijing experience like a frenzied cow. He’s not selling his story to the highest bidder, for instance, but is instead speaking to the gay press, and a community that has strongly supported him. He’s not hitting the party circuit, but has slipped back comfortably into his training at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, practicing the sport he loves, spending his spare time (what little there is) doing ordinary things like catching up with friends and family, and hanging out with his partner.

Many a celebrity has been sent into paroxysms of narcissism by such attention - but not Matthew Mitcham.

Speaking of whom, how is the other half - the enigmatic Lachlan Fletcher - taking to all the attention?

“I’m not really that famous” he told Beige in his first major interview since Beijing, and a subsequent holiday in Europe to wind down. “I’m just not anonymous anymore, that’s all.”

“He’s still shy.” Matt chuckles. “He hasn’t done any media really. He’s just taking it in his stride as well, with me doing my training, and having to go away to all these functions and events. He’s just helping me along, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

It all sounds so “nice” and “normal”. Controversy is the last thing that comes to mind when Matt and Lachlan’s relationship is broached. Yet controversy is the only word for the aftermath of US television network NBC’s coverage of Matt’s historic win.

Photos: AAP

“I do get recognised a bit. Escpecially when I go shopping in Bondi. It’s nice and humbling, but it still takes me by suprise. Someone will walk past and do a double take, then come back, shake my hand and say, “Congratulations”. And for a split second, I’ll think, “Have they got the right guy? Who have they mistaken me for?”

So with all that attention, how does he stop himself getting a big head?

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beige interview While other networks around the world ran interviews with Matt after his win, flanked by his Mum (Vivienne) and Lachlan, NBC didn’t. And despite intense coverage of other athlete’s families, the American network failed to explore Matt’s background, and did not refer to Lachlan.

In the resulting storm of protest which ensued, there was nothing for NBC to do but apologise. Gary Zenkel, President of NBC’s Olympic coverage, issued a statement saying: “We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham’s story. We apologise for this unintentional omission.”

But in true Mitcham style, Matt seems unfazed by the fuss.

“I was so busy with the Olympics at the time, so I was pretty much oblivious to it”, he recalls. “I did get sent links about it, so I found out about it, but in all honesty it wasn’t really my fight, and I wasn’t offended.

It was other people that were making complaints and who were really into it”.

“I don’t know whether or not NBC did it on purpose - I don’t really care.

I’m pretty thick skinned.”

As for the endless speculation over sponsorship deals and advertising.

Mitcham has just signed on as an ambassador for telecomunications giant Telstra. The arrangement will see Mitcham represent the company at a wide range of corporate and community events. “It’s a huge relief”, Mitcham said” I was starting to think sponsorship was never going to happen so this is very welcome”. Many had speculated that Matt’s lack of endorsements was related to his openess about his sexuality - a view that Matt himself rejected. “I don’t think it’s a reflection on my sexuality, I think more than anything, it’s a reflection on the current economic climate. It’s hard to get commercial endorsements in the current climate, for obvious reasons. Even before this, I did have some quite considerable support from both individuals and companies, which I’m very thankful for.”

Rumours abound that Matt may lead this years Mardi Gras parade and a couple of other projects that Matt has committed to for the future.

And as for Pamela Anderson “I really want to meet Pamela”, he laughs, “I’d kill to meet her! She’d be a really cool, interesting person to meet, and if very she’s in Australia again and wants to meet, I’m free anytime!”

Even for Matthew Mitcham, fame has its perks.

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Photo: John McRae

Below: Matthew and partner Lachlan in Sydney recently

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Kitty wears Mermaid Halter Swimsuit supplied by Ed Hardy Paddington • edhardy.com.au • Photography by Grant Fraser

Miss Kitty Glitter Iconic drag queen and DJ… famous gay Australian.

If you’ve never been down under, now is the time to escape the winter cold and come to Australia during summer and experience the gay and lesbian festival season. Be part of three of the biggest events in the international gay calendar: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Melbourne’s Midsumma and Adelaide’s Feast Festival. Party at some of the world’s biggest and best GLBT parades and parties and see the rest of what Australia has to offer.

Come on - what are you waiting for!

Midsumma Festival

Melbourne, Jan 18 – Feb 9 2009

Mardi Gras Festival

Sydney, Feb 18 – March 7 2009

Feast Festival

Adelaide, November 2009

For more information on all the events and more go to eevolution.com.au

Australia’s choice in gay media

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TONY SHELDON

Priscilla, the iconic pink bus together with it’s cargo of drag queens arrives in the West End this March. A ready remedy for gloomy economic times the show is an explosion of life that has taken Australia by storm. Beige took time to speak with Tony Sheldon who is re-creating the role of Bernadette here.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical made its world premiere in Sydney in October 2006 and has subsequently wowed audiences and critics alike in Melbourne and New Zealand to become the most successful Australian musical of all time. Based on the hugely successful film of the same name, this fabulous new musical will star Aussie performer Tony Sheldon taking on the role made famous by Terence Stamp in the film.

The theatre has been in Tony’s blood almost since birth, he’s been in some huge productions including Into The Woods and Torch Song Trilogy. So what are his first impressions of London. “I was here when I was four for a very brief time with my mum and dad who were both performers. They came here to try their luck and I hated it – all I remember is grey, grey, grey and nothing else. I was quite apprehensive about coming over but this time it couldn’t be more different. From the moment I landed I’ve been running around like Marlo Thomas or Mary Tyler Moore throwing my hat in the air if you get what I mean. This is heaven and I’m having the best time.”

Given that the film used the huge expanses of the Australian desert as its backdrop, the adaptation of the film posed some interesting problems to the creative team. “Well we don’t have the desert. It was the major drawback, so much of the film was centred around the desert itself. But what they’ve done is concentrated it on the fact that the story is about four people – a chamber musical almost about the three people on the bus and Bob the mechanic they meet on the way. So pretty much the story happens inside the bus and the places that they stop where they get off.”

“They’ve replaced scenery from the film with huge production numbers.

They’ve taken the songs from the soundtrack and turned them into these huge Ziegfield-like fantasies. When we are ourselves on the bus we sing as ourselves, but when we are performing in our drag show we lip synch to three fabulous divas who are onstage. All of these staging decisions came out of the original workshop three years ago of which I am the only surviving member. At that point a decision had to be made about whether to commission an original score, which was a major decision. But we realised that a lot of people associate the film with the songs that are already there like I Will Survive. Obviously, you won’t please all the people all the time, but it’s not a jukebox musical. We are working with the original score from the film, and I think ultimately it was the right decision because the audience seem to respond to it.

Tony is quick to point out that Priscilla is not Dirty Dancing where the film script has been recreated on stage virtually word for word. “It’s been reconceived and vastly improved. We had to tone it down a tiny bit. That was something I felt strongly about in the workshop because like it or not we get a lot of families coming to see the show. Of course, there’s a child in the show who plays Tig’s son and I knew we had to do something, because it was getting embarrassing to have the kid around at rehearsals. We realised that if we were worrying about him then we had to tone it down a bit and I think that decision has stood us in good stead. A lot of the language has been calmed down, so when it is used for shock effect it has more impact.”

So how are the English members of the cast handling the Aussie accents and local colloquialisms?

“We have three Aussies in the cast plus me, so it’s a very small contingent. Some of the accents are very spectacular let me tell you, some are very good and very convincing. There’s a certain level of worry about whether London audiences will get some of the references but luckily you guys get Neighbours and Home & Away so you have a headstart. Let’s face it removing some of the distinctly Australian references would make the show an amorphous blob with no character at all. My thing is that Aussies understand Billy Elliot without necessarily being completely informed about Thatcherism and the rights of miners, but Priscilla is a story and you just have to sit there and go with it.”

Having played the role of Bernadette now for many years, how does Tony feel about bringing the show to London? “You think over the years should I just up sticks and move to London, but to not have to go through the whole thing of starving in a garret and doorknocking to find agents and auditioning is a downside. So to be brought over in a role

I always say our secret weapon is that people don’t know how good the show is going to be, they get sucked in to the story. Sometimes, the audiences get a bit unruly at the start of the show – they’re there for a party, so you get a lot of screaming and shrieking and clapping along with the songs and then suddenly the penny drops, and they get drawn in and emotionally involved. At that point we know we’ve got them.” vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 19

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beige interview that I have played in and was tailor written for me and that I’ve had input into doing – I couldn’t ask for more. It’s like being polished up like a jewel and put on a velvet cushion for presentation.”

So would he like to stay and work in London? “I Have no illusions that this is going to lead to anything, a lot of my friends are sure I’m not coming back but I keep saying to them I’m in a dress! People won’t be able to see through the makeup. They’re hardly going to look at me and think he could be Willy Loman in Death Of A Salesman. I’m more likely to get invites to play Widow Twanky in Birmingham. I’m just going to enjoy it for what it is and for the honour of playing the West End.” Tony will be staying with the show for a year and is pretty sure the time will fly by. He has a reputation for being like the indestructable Ethel Merman. “I never go off in anything I do, it’s just not me.

My attitude is that I’ve worked very hard to get here and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let someone else play my role. It’s taking some getting used to being told I have to take holidays and time off. I have to miss 32 performances and that’s a bitter pill believe me!!”

So what does Tony get up to in his spare time here? “I’m having a lot of fun exploring the little pub theatres, its great when I mention these places to people here and they’ve never heard of them! But that is where all the interesting work is happening. So much in the West End has been on stage for such a long time, that you have to go to the smaller theatres to see new stuff. I am here with my partner, who is also an actor and we got to a point where we said we’ve either seen everything or been in everything. Hopefully, for that reason Priscilla will do well because it is new and its a feel good show.”

“I want to explore everything in London, I’m one of those people who just loves to get on a bus and going to look at everything. I’ll find funny little out of the way museums devoted to brands of advertising or 18th Century furnishing and all that sort of stuff so I’ll be in my element clutching my copy of time out and hitting the streets.”

With only a few short weeks to go before opening night Priscilla is certainly a hot topic of conversation at the moment, but he’s quick to ask, “Is it just me though or is London in the middle of a drag glut???”

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Photo: James Morgan

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Angkor Wat 44 | beige | vol 22 issue 2 issue 6 1

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Nestled between rice paddies and stretched along the Siem Reap River, the small provincial capital of Siem Reap Town serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Khmer Empire. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srey and the legendary Angkor Wat whose artistic and archaeological significance and visual impact put it in a class with the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and the Taj Mahal. Unlike many other world class monuments, the ruins of Angkor are as yet unspoiled by over-development. This will not be true in a couple of years. Though the major temples are relatively well touristed these days, it is still possible get away from the crowds, to explore the area and discover Angkor.

Siem Reap Town is where you will stay during your visit to Angkor. The area has been receiving foreign visitors to the temples for over 100 years. The town is actually a cluster of old villages, which originally developed around individual pagodas, and later overlaid with an French colonial-era center. Note the colonial and Chinese style architecture in the town center and around the Old Market. Nowadays, Siem Reap offers a wide range of hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops including several upscale hotels and dozens of budget guesthouses.

The Angkor Archaeological Park is home to the magnificent Khmer temple ruins of Angkor, including the legendary

Angkor Wat, Bayon and dozens of other ancient ruins of the Angkorian-era (9th-13th century) Khmer Empire. The Park encompasses more than 400 square kilometers just outside Siem Reap City in northwestern Cambodia and is a World Heritage Site.

The temple ruins of Angkor contained within the Angkor Archaeological Park represent the remnants of the millennium-old Angkorian-era capitals of the ancient Khmer Empire. The Khmer people were and are the dominant ethnic group in Cambodia. The name ‘Angkor’ refers to the Angkorian-era Khmer Empire that stretched across much of mainland Southeast Asia between the 9th and 15th centuries A.D., and also refers to the capital city of the Empire that was centered north of Siem Reap Cambodia. The Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses the main temple ruins of the Angkorian capitals located in the Siem Reap area. Most of these temples were constructed between the 9th and 12th century A.D. and represent the pinnacle of ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. At its height, the Age of Angkor was a time wealth and power for the Khmer Empire.

The capital city at Angkor was populated by more than a million people, Khmer kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples and the Empire’s military, economic and cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia, as well as much of Thailand, southern Vietnam and Laos. vol 2 issue 6 1 | beige | 45 23

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Beng Melea Temple

Angkor Thom, as seen in Lara Croft

The Amazing faces at Bayon Temple

Suggested temples to see There are dozens of temple ruins in the Siem Reap area. Your temple itinerary depends largely on how much time you have and your level of interest, though some temples are ‘must sees.’ Any itinerary should include the legendary ruins of Angkor Wat and the giant faces of Bayon. These two temple ruins offer the most spectacular and unique examples of Angkorian art and architecture. On the road trip to Bayon, you will also see the South Gate of Angkor Thom and some other minor ruins. As it is within walking distance of Bayon, most itineraries can easily include central Angkor Thom, with its artistically interesting terraces and massive ‘temple-mountains,’ Baphuon and Phimeanakas. Due to lighting conditions, it is best to visit Angkor Wat in the afternoon, so most itineraries begin in the morning with the South Gate of Angkor Thom and Bayon.

Places to stay

Shopping

Hotel de la Paix +063/966-000 Located near the central market on Achamean St and the royal residence on Pokamoor Ave. www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com

Please note that all prices are quoted in US dollar, with the Cambodian Riel worth so little, it is very rare to pay in riel..

Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor +063/963-888 1 Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Siem Reap www.raffles.com Victoria Angkor Hotel +063/760-428 Central Park www.victoriahotels-asia.com Getting there Flights via Singapore starting at £680

Hotel de la Paix

The Old Market (Psar Chas) One of the busiest markets, catering for locals and visitors alike Centre Market (Psar Kandal) Located on Sivantha Street, opposite from the Hotel de la Paix, this market more aimed at tourists than locals.

Artisans D’Angkor Renowned woodworking, stone carving, gilding and silk painting workshops. Free tours of the classes and workshops offer a glimpse into the unique skills of the artisans who were trained in the techniques and styles of classic Cambodian artistry.

Village with rice paddy

Siem Reap Town

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Helping you make the world So Gay Amro Worldwide makes news for its groundbreaking efforts to give you just what you want.

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Online booking for flights and our collection of worldwide places to stay.

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Gay Travel. Tried and Trusted.

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consider Stockholm this summer Paul Barnes is eyeing a return visit to Stockholm this summer following his brief trip last year

On a warm summer’s day in 1628 crowds of excited Swedes lined the beaches of Stockholm to witness one of the greatest sights they would ever see – the launching of the world’s largest warship.

Around midday on Sunday August 10th the 64 gun Vasa slid down the creaking, straining wooden ramps, slowly at first as the final blocks were removed then gathering speed as it crashed into the Baltic, slicing deep into the water with a boom and hiss of spray.

The ship’s 150 crew rushed to unfurl the sails and take control of this huge wooden beast. Gunports were thrown open and the batteries of 24 pounder guns were loaded and pushed out to fire their inaugural broadside in salute to their absent king.

The boom, the loudest noise anyone had ever heard, resounded around the Swedish capital raising a huge cheer from the crowd, proud of this new symbol of their imperial power. But something was wrong. The shock of the huge starboard broadside rolled the massive ship onto its portside.

Cold Baltic water gushed into the open lower deck portholes pulling the ship further down. Within half an hour the pride of the Swedish navy lay 30 feet beneath the surface, taking with it 50 of its crew and the careers of most of Sweden’s senior navel personnel.

Three hundred and thirty three years later the Vasa broke the surface and saw daylight again. Now this magnificent ship forms the centrepiece of a museum built around it’s beautifully restored frame.

The Vasa Museum is one of the highlights of any visit to the Swedish capital.

For a long weekend break, Stockholm is a dream.

The city is big enough to keep you busy but small enough to enjoy without feeling rushed. The Old Town has that 18th century quaintness that we got used to seeing when all those newly formed Baltic States started to win the Eurovision Song Contest – tall, narrow buildings in bright colours with stepped triangular roofs. It’s imperial past gave it huge palaces and public buildings. And the all-encompassing Baltic, flowing around the city’s 13 islands, gives you the feeling of romance, calm, adventure or industry, depending on your mood.

In three days we squeezed in a boat trip (with a gay and lesbian themed commentary – I can now point out all the cruising areas in Stockholm), a visit to 26 | beige | vol 2 issue 1

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the “National Romantic” style City Hall, where the Nobel Laureates receive their prizes each year from the King, an amazing afternoon walking through the sculpture garden and house of Sweden’s most famous sculptor, Carl Milles, and a tour around the immaculately preserved Hallwyl Museum. This last stop is a palace left to the nation with all its contents so that you can see exactly how upstairs and downstairs lived at the turn of the 20th century – including the exploits of the owner’s favourite gay grandson and his ballet dancer boyfriend.

We were there for Europride, a relatively worthy and earnest affair after last year’s mega-party in scorching Madrid. After weeks of sunshine in Sweden, the light rain was refreshing, as was the return to a more political emphasis to the parade with some genuinely moving displays, including hundreds of marchers with duct-taped mouths representing those around the world who were not allowed to speak of their homosexuality.

The huge closing party was held in the over-the-top rococo ballroom of one of Stockholm’s institutions – the very gay friendly Berns Hotel. Watching Weather

Girl Martha Walsh booming out “It’s raining men” surrounded by partying gays in the most kitsch room ever was a great end to a great weekend.

This clean, polite, friendly and beautiful capital of Sweden undoubtedly deserves its place as one of the great cities of Europe.

Checkout www.stockholmtown.com for more details.

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TIMELESS STYLE Wanting to escape for the weekend? Beige took a weekend out to stay at Flemings Mayfair and experience a few hours of pampering at The Refinery and highly recommend the experience. flemings hotel

Flemings Hotel, located right in the heart of Mayfair, has a timeless sense of style. The hotel is an oasis of calm in the middle of a busy city yet remains within easy reach of shops, restaurants and theatres.

Perfectly styled and situated to appeal to affluent gay travellers Flemings is fabulously appointed yet retains its boutique charm – the library lift lined with books, which would look perfectly at home in a Harry Potter film is just an example of its individuality.

The hotel features ten luxury apartments ranging from one, two and three bedroom suites with their own individual VIP entrances for complete discretion. Most rooms come complete with beautifully equipped private kitchens (chefs to cook dinner in your suite are available), luxurious bathrooms with all the latest mod cons, seperate lounge, movies on demand and the most incredibly comfortable beds.

luxury welcome gift and a gourmet breakfast to enjoy at your leisaure.

Flemings have also negotiated discounts and deals with bars, restaurants and other local businesses that are available to its guests.

The ‘Oscar Wilde Package’ costs just £295 (+VAT) per room, per night based on two adults sharing. To book this package or get further information please contact reservations on 020 7499 2964 or email reservations@flemings-mayfair.co.uk. For further information check out: www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk/weekend-breaks/oscars_mayfair.php Flemings Hotel Half Moon Street, Mayfair, London W1 www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk

Whether you are in London on business or just the ultimate luxury weekend break, Flemings is a great base for your activities. The Bodeca Bar & Restaurant are a great place to chill out with one of their heavenly cocktails and just let the world go by. One small glitch for us on the night we stayed related to our inabilty to get a broadband connection in the room despite several S.O.S calls to the hotels tech guys.

Flemings is currently offering a special package for it’s gay clientelle called The Oscar Wilde Package. Inspired by the renowned playwright whose faithful ‘friend’ Robert Baldwin Ross owned a house in Half Moon Street. In addition to the discrete accomodation, the Oscar Wilde package includes a chilled bottle of champagne on arrival, a 28 | beige | vol 2 issue 1

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THE REFINERY

Just around the corner from Flemings lies The Refinery, a one stop grooming emporium for men. To succumb to the charms of the Refinery is to forget the world and spend an hour or so being rejuvenated, pampered and spoiled in a fabulous setting. Beige paid a visit to the Refinery recently and was treated to a few hours of pure escapism. If you are going to make a visit ensure that you take time to fully experience what’s on offer, this is not something to be rushed.

Turn your phone off, clear your diary and just enjoy. On our visit we enjoyed a masterful haircut whilst being manicured in the glorious atrium that is the barbers room before being taken for a sublime deep tissue massage and a relaxing facial treatment. The Refinery offers a range of other treatments and even boast their own grooming product range. Located in Brook Street , W1 but also now at Harrods in Knightsbridge, find an excuse to escape the rat race and credit crunch and pamper yourself. www.the-refinery.com

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beige finance

TOP TIPS FROM MONEYSAVINGEXPERT.COM

Would you leap around the living room cheering “I won, I won”, because your savings account had been credited with monthly interest?

I doubt it. Yet this effectively what happens every month around the UK, when people celebrate small Premium Bond ‘wins’.

Premium Bonds are the nation’s favourite savings product, with over £30 billion held in them, yet sadly, the return is pants. Most people are LOSERS not winners, as in real terms money in premium bonds is shrinking, and returns are beaten by the top savings.

So the 20 million plus people with Premium Bonds need to sit up, take note and realise what the real odds are. Rates have been slashed In January 2008, the Premium Bond interest rate was 3.8%. It’s since been slashed by more than half to just 1.8%.

That said, there are some shafts of light. After whopping media pressure, the rate has been frozen at 1.8% for at least February and March, despite the likelihood of more interest rate cuts. Plus, there’s a good chance a new £25 prize will be introduced in April, meaning more winners (more on this in a bit) You need to be lucky to win even 1.8% While 1.8% doesn’t sound much, actually you would need to be lucky, to earn even that.

If you have Premium Bonds, you might be saying “hold on, I thought it was a prize draw? What is an interest rate anyway?” Let me explain The basic concept of Premium Bonds is quite simple. You put your money in and every month there is a prize draw. The amount of prizes awarded in that draw depends on the interest rate.

So with a 1.8% interest rate, £1.80 is awarded, over a year, for every £100 in the draw. In other words, 15p a month.

So you may think, put in £100, and you should be getting back £1.80.

But that’s impossible, since the smallest possible prize you can win is £50. And to pay for that win, LOTS of people need to win nothing. In fact, save £100 for a year, and the current odds are that roughly 32 out of every 33 people win NOTHING. There’s a good chance a new £25 prize will be introduced later this year, which should mean more individual prize winners in each draw. However, on average, everyone will be winning less than at the moment How the Premium Bond spiel works.

Imagine I set up a contest offering a million tickets at a quid each. Then I pay the winner a million pounds.

Using the logic that Premium Bonds provider, NS&I uses, I could argue the average payout is £1 a person.

That makes it sound as though everyone gets their money back. Of course, it doesn’t work like that, as 999,999 people get nothing, and one person gets a million.

Premium Bonds work the same way; for a tiny proportion of people to

get big prizes, most people need to win nothing.

It takes an astrophysicist Actually calculating the true Premium Bond odds is a mass of virtually impenetrable complexity. Yet, as a pet project, just over a year ago I built a tool to take it on.

The maths was so complex, that to do it, I needed to hire a postdoctoral cosmology statistician, someone who normally calculates star movements. The results are fascinating.

The real odds.

If you had £1,000 in for a year, you’d probably think you’d be unlucky not to win anything … wrong! Those with average luck win nothing. In fact, just over seven in ten people with £1000 of bonds for a year will win nothing, 28% will win £50 or more and 5% win £100 or more.

You can test out your own chances on the calculator at HYPERLINK “http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/premiumbonds” www. moneysavingexpert.com/premiumbonds On a radio show recently, I spoke to a woman who was saying how good bonds were, as her husband won £50 every other month with his £20,000 of bonds. And this psychology takes a lot to overcome.

Yet you need to be clinical: £50 a month is £300 a year; as an interest rate on £20,000, that’s 1.5% after tax. Over the last year, a top savings account would’ve paid out around 4% after tax. With money in that, her husband would’ve ‘won’ nearly three times as much.

While the Premium Bond spin makes us think of it as ‘winning’, technically it’s just earning interest, and even taking into account the interest is tax free, it’s still low.

The safety argument: Many people retort to my premium bonds are pants stance with “yes, but they’re a 100% safe”. Quite right: the parent NS&I is a Government-backed institution, which means that your money is totally government guaranteed.

Yet, the maximum amount you can have in bonds is £30,000 and the government now promises that money in any UK savings account is protected up to £50,000 per person, per institution. Thus, your money is no safer in Premium Bonds than it is in the bank.

Of course, there’s a small chance that the bank will go bust, but in the past, payouts have been made quickly and included interest up until the point the bank collapsed. So, the safety dividend is very small indeed.

To drive my point home, here’s a few more facts from the calculator.

Imagine you had the full £30,000 in Premium Bonds. Over a year, you’d be almost certain to win £100, and would have a 60% chance of winning £500.

It all sounds pretty good, and that’s why many are happy to stick with Premium Bonds, but let’s think about a basic-rate tax payer.

In a top savings account they could earn, even now, £900 a year after tax (www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings) The odds of someone with £30,000 in Premium Bonds beating the top savings accounts over three years is one in 200. In other words, the vast majority will earn less from Premium Bonds than they would by putting it in a top savings account.

So, do I say you should take your money out? That’s a decision you’ll have to take yourself. Of course, the one thing savings accounts don’t give you is the ability to win a million. But remember, the odds of winning a million, per £1, on the National Lottery are 1 in 14 million. Per £1; on any individual Premium Bond draw it’s one in 18 BILLION. So the odds of winning the jackpot are negligible.

I’ve never been a fan; if you’ve a substantial amount of money there are better places to put it. But if you’ve just got a little bit of cash and want a relatively safe gamble, it’s not too bad.

TOP TIP

British Gas cuts gas prices by 10% … but don’t switch!

British Gas is cutting 10%-ish off standard, online & dual fuel customers from 19 February. Monthly direct debits should automatically drop by 10% too.

Yet now is NOT the time to switch. Energy providers have a herd mentality, so others will probably cut in the next six weeks, some possibly by more, so wait till there’s a level playing field to compare or at least to find out if others will cut. Plus comparison sites don’t yet list BG’s new tariff.

I will announce when it’s time to switch in my weekly email (sign up at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips) For those who capped in July, are locked into a LOWER price than BG’s post-cut standard rate so you’ve already saved, continue to do so & have price safety.

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ADDUR

COLO

Customer Services

Sales & Marketing

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT MATCH

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Finance & Human Resources

Project Management

Shepherds Bush Housing Group offer affordable lifestyle solutions to diverse communities in West London and surrounding areas. We’re proud of our work and we’re looking for more hard working enthusiastic individuals with a range of experience.

We promise respect, as well as a great team-working environment. Contact us now to see how well we can work together:

0208 996 4200 Housing Specialists

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www.sbhg.co.uk/jobs

23/02/2009 26/5/08 10:34:37 11:00:03

beige law

You want to live there?

For some, the fall in house prices means getting a great deal on a property. Yet Richard Roberts reminds us of the issues to be cautious of in these uncertain times.

For 25 years I have helped clients move both up and down the property ladder. I almost always ask them “why have you chosen this property?”

I like to understand why clients have chosen a particular house or flat as their home, and their prime investment. It surprises me sometimes how little research they have done on the house or the locality. We lawyers can advise on legal issues that might arise, such as who owns the boundaries or how much is the service charge? But those are not the only aspects of property buying that we need to consider. You, the client, are the lawyers eyes and ears so you need to tell them about the property and the neighbourhood and then jointly decide if further investigations are needed. One day you will sell your home and you need to know it will sell to others.

Don’t just buy the first property you see, especially in these uncertain times – some clients chose the first property that comes along and do not compare it with any others both for condition or price. Try to look at 10 or 20 properties, even if they may be unsuitable. You will then be able to compare and think which is best. And take your camera on viewings; don’t be afraid to take pictures to remind you of the things the agents particulars don’t show!

If you are buying a flat think about the block; do the communal areas look well maintained? Don’t use the lift, but the stairs and see what the decoration is like. Are the corridors littered with bicycles etc? Is there noise from other flats? Who organises the communal maintenance? Are the floors wood laminate through which stiletto heels and other noise will travel?

What is the condition of the roof and the exterior? You can do lot of investigating without instructing surveyors. Take a pair of binoculars and look at the whole building from roof downwards; look for slipped slates, peeling stucco, dropped gutters, rust marks on the walls, and especially walls out of plumb. Then if you still want the property ask your surveyor to look at those areas specifically.

street about 5 or 6 times on different days and at different times just to see what the noise levels were like – if you can’t sleep soundly you will hate the place.

Nowadays you can read the Home Information Pack online and so look for entries about planning permissions that might impose conditions; look at an Ordnance Survey plan showing the property and see what is nearby – are there schools, or factories which could give traffic problems or noise issues. Look for open land nearby where there might be new developments of social housing. It might not bother you, but it could be an issue when you come to sell.

When looking at the local search part of the HIP remember it will only deal with planning issues that affect that property not whether any of the neighbours are making planning applications for development. A colleague of mine fell in love with the most enchanting country property, had her offer accepted and was about to buy it when she discovered that they were to build 6 wind turbines in the field opposite! None of that had been revealed in the HIP so make a nuisance of yourself at the local authority – speak to the planning officer and if you have doubts, tell your lawyer.

Lastly don’t forget to tell your lawyer if you intend to use your home for a specific purpose as there are still many properties that have restrictive covenants, e.g. not to carry on a trade or business from home.

Reading a HIP intelligently can save you surveyors and legal costs and the prospect of buying a property that turns out to be a nightmare.

Be hypercritical when you look at properties, and ask friends to be hypercritical. Lastly, don’t be afraid to walk away from a purchase if you feel uneasy about it.

Richard Roberts is Senior Director of Gedye & Sons, specialising in Wills and property matters.

Geyde & Sons Solicitors (www.geyde.co.uk) Telephone: 01539 53 23 13 (Richard@gedye.co.uk)

And please remember that just because it looks idyllic at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon it may be the rat run for early morning or late night traffic. Before I bought my flat in Covent Garden I went to stand in the

DON’T FORGET TO TELL YOUR LAWYER IF YOU INTEND TO USE YOUR HOME for a specific purpose as there are still many properties that have restrictive covenants e.g. not to carry on a business from home. vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 33

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beige property

SHOW PROPERTY OF THE MONTH Barnsley House, Gloucester.

Are you in need of a relaxing break this winter? Beige continues in its search for some of the UK’s most stunning properties, and stumbles across a gem in the Gloucester countryside.

Set in one of the prettiest villages we have ever seen, the lovely Cotswold stone façade of the boutique hotel Barnsley House contains an innovative modern heart. Combining traditional flagstones with contemporary fabrics, colours and furnishings gives the interiors an edge that is both refreshing and uplifting. Party in the bar with its dramatic fabric walls or relax in the adorable airy sitting room.

You will also want to spend plenty of time luxuriating in the fabulous bedrooms – some are large suites, all with modern en-suite bathrooms and many with state of the art TV and DVD equipment. Various rooms feature wood burning stoves, personal hot tubs, double showers, private patios and galleried mezzanine levels.

the garden is the cinema. Hold a private screening and enjoy your favourite movie in style. Equipped with big sofas it is easy to settle in and enjoy this truly unique experience.

Barnsley House, which is 90 minutes from London, is fully staffed so there is no need to lift a finger. In these credit crunch times though, parting with £30,000 for exclusive weekend use may be a little too adventurous. The other option is to book during the week where prices are considerably lower. Either way, you’re sure to have one of the best experiences of your life.

For more information, visit www.thecountrycastlecompany.co.uk for a list of exclusive properties. Or call 01225 436230

If you have a special occasion planned, you have the money, and have enough friends to fill the 18 bedrooms, you can book Barnsley House for exclusive use through The Country Castle Company. No hotel rules, no curfews, exclusive use. The spa will be yours and yours alone. Set in the beautiful gardens, the Spa is a wonderfully designed creation with a glass walled relaxation room looking out across fields. Hidden in another part of 34 | beige | vol 2 issue 1

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KEEP YOUR

COOL MOVE TO

UPTON

ONE

BALANCE OF HOMES WITH UP TO ÂŁ50,000 OFF Award winning 4 & 5 bedroom townhouses

Upton ONE, 16 High St, Upton, Northampton NN5 4EA

Marketing Suite Open 7 days a week 10.30am - 5.30pm

Tel: (01604) 752180

www.paulnewmannewhomes.co.uk

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Dalston Square.

Richard Gordon at Dalston Square.

Barratt leads the London renaissance in Dalston and Kennington.

For Richard Gordon, buying a home at Barratt’s new Dalston Square development is more than just a new start – it’s a chance to get on the property ladder in an up-and-coming and fashionable area of London.

He’s also convinced he’s following a trend that has long been set by the urban gay community: “Quite often, the first people to recognise and move into up-and-coming urban areas are the arts and gay movements, which often overlap anyway.

It’s significant that both are already quite well-established around the Dalston area of Hackney” says Richard, 23.

Dalston Square is not the only Barratt development proving popular with gay buyers. Kennington Park Square in London SE11 offers new apartments within strolling distance of the Houses of Parliament at under £420 per square foot – outstanding value on the fringes of central London’s Zone 1 where per-foot costs of £600 or more have been common in recent years.

Both schemes offer new homes at firsttime buyer prices in superbly convenient locations, along with an unrivalled package of help for buyers including help with deposits, part-exchange on existing

properties, or help with Stamp Duty and legal costs.

Dalston Square is one of London’s key strategic regeneration schemes, providing over 550 new homes, shops, a library and archive, plus a brand new station for the East London line extension at Dalston Junction. The square itself is a major new town centre space around which the homes, shops and restaurants are being built in a range of striking modern buildings.

Richard Gordon is working for Barratt in the marketing suite at Dalston Square and has bought there because, he says: “Dalston has got everything going for it, a really bright future. The new East London tube line will make the transport links fantastic and the 2012 Olympics will give it a real lift.

“Having worked here for a while, it’s clear to me that a revitalised Dalston will lift Hackney into another league. It’s surrounded by areas that were once rundown corners of the East End but are now really fashionable, like Hoxton, Shoreditch, London Fields and Bethnal Green. It’s a really happening place” said Richard.

Richard purchased a £245,000 one-bedroom apartment and will move in later this summer. He currently lives with his father in Hornchurch, Essex, but is looking forward to living closer to the London gay scene.

The current phase of homes at Dalston Square offers one-bedroom apartments at prices from £249,995. Two, three and four bedroom apartments are also available, from £312,995.

L K fi in b A te

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Any promoted Barratt Homes offer is subject to contract, status, selected plots only, subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other Barratt Homes offer. Computer generated image, show apartment and lifestyle photography shown.Prices correct at time of going to press. barratt.indd 2

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Kennington Park Square.

Kennington Park Square is a £42 million new development comprising a range of stylish buildings rising to a maximum ten storeys. The development includes some private parking, a daytime concierge plus newly-landscaped open space.

Like Dalston Square, all homes at Kennington Park Square have fullyfitted designer kitchens, complete with integrated appliances and en suite bathrooms in the two-bedroom homes.

All apartments have balconies or terraces from which to enjoy the views.

Prices at Kennington Park Square start from £262,500 for a one bedroom apartment, two bedroom apartments from £319,995.

Computer generated image of Kennington Park Square.

Dalston Square Marketing Suite and Show Apartments open daily 10am to 6pm Roseberry Place, Off Forest Road, Dalston, London E8 3DY Call 020 7241 1833 www.barratthomes-dalstonsquare.co.uk Kennington Park Square Marketing Suite & Show Apartments open daily 10am to 6pm Kennington Road, Kennington SE11 6BZ Call 020 7820 8020 www.kenningtonparksquare.co.uk

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65 Abbeville Road Clapham SW4 9JW 020 8673 0572 www.eclecticinteriors.co.uk info@eclecticinteriors.co.uk

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beige homestyle

1.

LIGHTEN UP

Let’s face it lighting is everything, it’s important to keep your home lit with the best products. Beige sources some nifty items to create the perfect ambience.

1. FENIX SPOTLIGHTS These smart up-to-the-minute circular ceiling fittings with glossy black pearl plate and spotlight housings will compliment any room. Price £60. www.johnlewis.com 2. TOM TABLE LAMP A U-shaped metal base with a chrome finish, topped with a black cylinder shade. Bringing a touch of chic to your lounge. Price £50. www.johnlewis.com 3. CUBA WALL LIGHT Chunky cubes are all the rage at the moment. This wall light in a brushed chrome effect, with resin cubes which have the appearance of an old fashioned flash bulb will create a touch of class to your room. Price £35. www.johnlewis.com 4. ILLUMINATED PLANTER POTS Go that one step further with these simply stunning planter pots. LEDs inside provide a bright light and will add to your houses kerb appeal. Price £31.75. www.lightingstyles.co.uk 5. EXTERIOR TIN WALL LIGHT As your guests approach your house, give them something to talk about. This stainless steel exterior wall light will throw light up and down your wall to create the perfect ambience. Price £35.95. www.lightingstyles.co.uk

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beige homestyle

Clocking off

Are you constantly late? Is the display of time in your house limited to a led display on your microwave? Have a think about displaying time with one of these stylish wall clocks.

BACK TO THE 80s No more annoying ‘ticks’ with this black and Perspex wall clock with a dash of 1980s masculinity, as the hand sweeps along silently. Price £30. www.johnlewis.com PHOTOFRAME CLOCK This metallic silver clock has small circles on each hour to insert pictures of your family and friends.

Perfect for a modern home. Price £20. www.hometemptations.com

CAFÉ DE LA GARE Get the ‘French look’ with this charming clock. Ideal for your kitchen, this Roger Lascelles Café de la Gare clock in cream has clear Arabic numerals with stylish black hands. Price £30. www.johnlewis.com RAINBOW WALL CLOCK This steel wall clock with rainbow coloured hour markers is perfect for brightening up a bland room. Price £27. www.hometemptations.com

SUNSHINE CLOCK This silver wall clock is designed by Karlsson.

Cast in brushed stainless steel with a pendulum mechanism set behind the clock face, this clock will have your guests beaming with envy.

Price £45. www. perryperry.com

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beige property

POCKET SIZED HOUSING Now you can Pocket a home in Camden just ten minutes from Hampstead Heath. Beige looks at how Pockets affordable housing scheme looks set to start a revolution .

Providing a much needed boost to affordable housing in the Capital, Pocket opens its flagship development this month in Camden. In the first development of its kind, Pocket offers a ground-breaking solution to help the thousands of Londoners priced out of the property market and salaried out of social housing – own a home of their own.

Designed for singles and couples on a household income of less than £60,000, Pocket flats are sold outright at a price that is at least 20% cheaper than that of the average home in the same area. Pocket homes remain affordable as the next purchaser also has to have a household income of less that £60,000 – making Pocket homes a real addition to affordable housing stock.

Pocket builds grant free affordable housing which is different from government backed shared equity schemes. One of the most striking distinctions is that Pocket buyers will own 100% of their home.

Pocket regenerates often quirky and overlooked small infill sites, it’s development in Weedington Road NW5 is built on the site of a former taxi repair workshop and includes four studio and eighteen one-bed apartments built around a communal courtyard. The location has excellent public transport links and is only a short walk from Chalk Farm tube.

Commenting today Director of Pocket Marc Vlessing said: “Pocket’s development in Camden is a first for housing innovation. Affordable homes for Londoners without funding from the public purse. Even in the current economic climate 35% of working London households aged 20-39 cannot afford to buy in their area and are not eligible for housing benefit. In zones 1-3 this rises to 40%. Furthermore 50% of people leaving jobs in London do so because they cannot afford to buy here. This is bad news for the economy.”

“Through clever design and developing small infill sites, Pocket’s housing model can help first-time buyers own a home of their own in the capital. We are a private company working closely with local councils to provide affordable housing.”

Pocket’s approach has been recognised by property agents Savills, who have signed a deal to become the exclusive agent for Pocket homes across London. The deal is supported by four major lenders – who recognise the importance of working with innovative affordable housing schemes in the first-time buyer market – and who have agreed to offer up to 90% mortgages to those purchasing a Pocket home. Prices start from £150,000 for a studio and ££195,000 for a one bedroom flat.

For sales enquiries please call Savills 0207 409 8756

The flats are of very high quality and design which includes floor to ceiling windows, built in cupboards, and underfloor heating. Each flat can rent additional storage if they need extra space, a key feature in many homes in Holland. vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 43

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beige world wide web

WORLD WIDE WEB A LOOK AT SOME WEBSITES THAT CAUGHT OUR INTEREST! BUY-JEANS.NET If like me you like certain styles of jeans in certain styles, sizes and colours that most mainstream store just don’t carry then pay a visit to buy-jeans.net. This great site carries brands including Levi’s Dockers, Ben Sherman, Lee, Wrangler and Diesel amongst others. Prices are great for the budget conscious but best of all the sit seems to offer the full ranges of the manufacturers in colours seldom seen in some stores.

Having used the site over Christmas we can vouch for the service which was excellent. You can also buy gift certificates if you want to give the gift of denim.

ASUITTHATFITS.COM Warren Bennett and David Hathiramani have set up shop online offering a individually hand tailoring service at prices that have to be seen to be believed. You can get a tailored suit for as little as £220 for a two piece and £290 for a three piece suit. They also tailor beautiful shirts and a range of other garments. The site is cool and easy to use and guides you through the process to help you get the suit you want made to your specifications.

PIEMINISTER.COM This site has the potential to be a regular source of satisfaction for the Aussies amongst our readers.

Started by Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg, this site offers delicious home made pies delivered to your door. You can order them in boxes of twelve and have them delivered in temperature controlled boxes. Flavours available include Minty Lamb, Chicken of Aragon, Porky Pie, Thai Chook, and the infamously named Heidi Pie – which is nowhere near as evil as it sounds!!

DOPPLR.COM Ever been stuck in a city on business where you didn’t know anyone? Well DOPPLR takes Facebook and networking sites to a new level. This is a great new site that allows you to enter your travel itinerary and hook up with other friends and people who are in the same place as you. It’s already becoming a favourite of consistent business travellers so on your next trip why not register and give it a whirl.

HOMOVISION.TV A new gay news and views site that we’ve really taken to lately. Billed by its creators as a site that doesn’t bow to advertisers and contains no flim flam, we have been enjoying reading the editorial and responses from readers over the past few months. The site contains some great video interviews and is incredibly easy to navigate. Pop in and take a look and start contributing.

Congrats guys!!

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beige health

DROP YOUR PANTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER The broadcasting dynasty, ‘The Snows’, has come together in support of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in March. They will front a high-profile, in-store campaign in M&S stores across the UK as part of the retailer’s partnership with The Prostate Cancer Charity.

Legendary presenter, Peter Snow, his son, Dan, and Peter’s cousin, Channel 4 News’ anchorman, Jon Snow, were selected to front the campaign to highlight that a man’s chances of developing prostate cancer are two and a half times greater if a close relative, such as a father or brother, is diagnosed. Although Peter and Dan have worked together regularly on historical documentaries, this is the first time they have worked alongside Jon Snow.

The partnership between The Prostate Cancer Charity and M&S is now in its third year. This year, M&S will donate 10% from the sale of the Autograph range of men’s underwear for the first two weeks of March to the Charity. Trolley tokens and pin badges, for suggested donations of £2 and £1 respectively and each bearing the Charity’s blue man emblem, will also be on sale.

“Not many causes could tempt me to pose in my pants, but I was very keen to support The Prostate Cancer Charity. I was particularly interested in making men of my age aware that if you have a father or brother diagnosed with the disease, you could have an increased risk of developing it. Family is what matters to me - I love working with Dad on our documentaries - so the cause struck a real chord with me. I hope men, as well as their wives and girlfriends, will show their support and make sure they visit their local M&S store throughout the month.” Dan said.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month will aim to increase awareness, not only of prostate cancer, but of some of the inequities surrounding the disease, under the banner, ‘it matters’. 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK and one man dies every hour of the disease. Despite the scale of prostate cancer, the Charity believes there is still a long way to go to improve men’s experience of the disease.

Jon Snow said: “Although prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, all generations need to be aware, which is why we were all so happy to be involved. I think it is so important, not only that men know about prostate cancer - but that we all mobilise and do what we can, be it volunteer, donate or spread the word, to show our support for the Charity’s drive to increase investment in research, make support and information more readily available and to raise awareness. It matters. It was great fun to work with Peter and Dan, not something we have ever done before in all of our years of broadcasting. It was a historic day, in fact.”

Thousands of individuals and groups across the UK will join forces to show raising awareness of prostate cancer matters to them. Aside from visiting an M&S store, there are numerous ways to get involved, from staging an information day to signing up to the Real Man Cup, a five-a-side football tournament, to raising funds. Anyone wanting to participate in Prostate Cancer Awareness Month can request an information pack from prostatecancermatters@prostate-cancer.org.uk or by calling a dedicated Helpline on0208 222 7141.

2005 National Audit Office report, “Tackling cancer: improving the patient journey”, showed that men living with prostate cancer report the worst NHS experience of all common cancers. During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, The Prostate Cancer Charity is urging people to show ‘it matters’ to them.

Thousands of individuals and groups across the UK will join forces to show that raising awareness of prostate cancer matters to them. There are numerous ways to get involved, from staging an information day to signing up to the Real Man Cup, a five-a-side football tournament, to raising funds.

Anyone wanting to participate in Prostate Cancer Awareness Month can request an information pack from prostatecancermatters@prostate-cancer.org.uk or by calling 0208 222 7141.

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beige fitness

Wellness and the Consequences of Modern Living There are a few obvious signature problems of modern living. This month we will look at posture and the amount of time that we spend seated with our shoulder drawn forward and our upper backs arched over as we work at the now ubiquitous computer or sit behind the wheel of a vehicle. Drivers and office workers take note ! By Danny Newton.

Many regular exercisers make the mistake of not balancing their exercises, guys especially get caught up with exercising the chest and often don’t do enough back exercises. The most committed need to be especially careful that the work out they are doing isn’t compound postural problems with their bodies rather than helping to correct them. The subtle but slowly very damaging effects of these modern postural distortions are easily off set with a few good exercises and stretches.

The body is designed to move from a state of neutral balance where the bones, connective tissues and muscles rest in a balanced posture. When talking about muscles this is also known as a lengthtension relationship.

Muscles are very reactive to their habitual length and if they spend too much time in a shortened state they begin to set that way. For example; the front of the shoulders drawn forwards from typing or driving all day. The result of this is too much tension in the shortened muscles and weakness in the opposing muscles which are now resting in an unnaturally long state. Tightness in the chest and shoulders are the two most common postural problems, and if you are that person doing too much chest and not enough back exercises then you are pushing yourself towards an injury. Many of us feel tension in our necks and shoulders because of this, but the length and tension of the buttocks and front of the hips is not so often felt or considered but is also extremely important.

A simple set of exercises that I recommend to correct these imbalances are Chest Stretch Shoulder Stretch Hip Flexor Stretch Squat Exercise Scapulations Exercise View these exercises at www.pocketpt.co.uk/beige So why is this so important? Let’s look at the seated position and the glutes.

When the body sits in a chair, the thighs are raised so the “hip flexor” muscles (front of thigh and hip) are in a shortened state while the muscles of the buttocks the “Glutes” are lengthened. This ultimately will result in a forward tilted pelvis as the weakened glutes slowly give way to the shorter and tighter hip flexors and the balance of tensions becomes uneven. The result is an increased lumbar arch and increased external rotation of the thigh, which in turn has a rotational effect on the knees and the ankles and the whole of the lower limbs.

A subtle difference in tension that results in mal-alignment. It’s easy not to notice but exercise hard on this mal-alignment and you are asking for a slowly developing injury. Other results of this mal-alignment are tension in the back and headaches as well as shortened hamstrings (rear of thigh) which then exacerbate the condition.

So if you find yourself with headaches, tight shoulders and back, lower back ache or knee problems it may be of help to perform the above list of stretches and exercises at least every other day even if you miss the most part of your session. Add a warm up and a cool down, throw in a little gentle cardio and you’ll have the basic recipe of a good a twenty minute workout too.

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The ‘Gods of Football Australia’ 2008/9 calendar is latest tantalising publication from acclaimed Australian fashion photographer, Pedro Virgil. Following the worldwide success of his ‘Naked for a Cause: Australian Footballers’ 2007/8 calendar, this season, Virgil brings us another visual feast featuring some of Australia’s sexiest sportsmen from the macho worlds of rugby league and Aussie Rules. The models featured are high-profile athletes Down Under, and have taken part in the project to support The McGrath Foundation breast cancer charity, which the calendar and associated products benefit.

Conceptually entitled ‘Footballers After Dark’, the calendar portrays the players as they depart their daytime existence of physical training and playing on the sports field, and enter into their own private world. It is a time of reflection, relaxation, excitement, anticipation….of what lies ahead as the evening begins.

Virgil beautifully captures the mood of these young, muscular hunks in a series of sensual, tastefully nude portraits each depicting its subject in his own twilight setting. Shot in colour, the images are seductive, erotic and lure you in, leaving you wanting a taste of more of these real Aussie, straight sportsmen.

The Gods of Football 2008/9 calendar is a premium, 22 page, 16 month calendar product (Oct 08-Jan 11), lavishly printed in full colour. Already a smash hit the calendar has inspired a behind the scenes DVD which is now available. vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 53

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beige : interview

Life and Art : Tim Perkins Tim Perkins is a artist and designer who is constantly collaborating and developing striking art. From pop culture portraits to fashion, Tim is leaving his mark on culture. Tony Tansley took time to talk with him.

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After training in fashion and textiles in Liverpool, Tim moved to London in the late eighties and became a freelance costume designer, working on pop videos and television commercials and as a stylist for Vanity Fair magazine.

He began painting in 1999 and has mounted four highly successful solo exhibitions. His work has featured in television advertising campaigns and he has undertaken many private portrait commissions. A popular range of greetings cards bearing Tim’s images has been sold internationally.

In between paintings he currently co designs the b-rude clothing range with Boy George and Mike Nicholls which has been shown in New York, Moscow and London.

Q. Would you define your art as pop, modern or commercial?

A. All three Q. Who, or what have been your major influences and have they affected your life in any way?

A. Ludwig of Bavaria, Quentin Crisp, Des Essientes (hero of a rebours), Marlene Dietrich and Pedro Almodovar and of course all my friends, and yes they have all influenced me in some way although it’s always difficult to perceive exactly how, I think it’s all about mutual sympathies.

Q. Are you always satisfied with the end project or do you continually look for perfection at any cost?

A. Never satisfied I’m afraid,but sometimes you have to accept that what you may perceive as flaws are actually adding character and texture to what you do. I always like paintings that have a touch of spontaneity to them like Boldini.

Q. Hollywood icons account for many of your subjects.

A. They do for now. I was always interested in the artificial ‘reality’ of Hollywood as well as the gaudiness of film posters.

Q. If you could choose any artist to paint your portrait who would it be and why?

A. Probably someone from the nineteenth century, like Boldini or Sargent just because I like the style and of course they would be hugely flattering, if not maybe Antonio Lopez the fashion illustrator for the same reason.

Q. Do you think that up and coming artists have any chance of recognition?

A. Yes, I think they have a very good chance, the only problem is that the search for the next big thing in any field means that artists aren’t able to develop properly and can find themselves pigeonholed before they’ve found their direction.

Q. Is Britart the best in the world or are we just a nation of copycats?

A. I think what Britain is brilliant at is subversion and throwing away the rulebook, I think that’s very healthy but I don’t think you can say we are the only country to produce great art, by any means.

Q. You have also designed clothes for Boy George and Erasure are there others you would like to see with one of your creations or is art more important to you?

A. I’m still very interested in clothing and would love to costume a play or film at some point, I think what I love is to make things whatever the medium.

Q. What does the future hold for you, any other projects?

A. What I would love to do now is stop the Hollywood portraits and focus on people from my day to day life with more focus on realism, less airbrushed. Also to spend a lot longer on paintings and really focus on each one. Probably still portraiture though,I find it really stimulating.

You can see more of Tim’s art at www.timperkinsart.com vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 59

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beige interview

There are a few amazing talents in the world that have managed to forge cross over careers in an industry that is determined to pidgeon hole artists. Performers such as Streisand, Midler, and Minnelli have made their mark on the worlds of theatre, film and recording. Idina Menzel is fast emerging as a talent to be reckoned with. Not content to stick to the norms she is engaged in building a career that encompasses all of her passions. Beige took time to speak to Idina and discover the woman behind the talent.... beige: Welcome back to London. How do you find London audiences compared to US audiences?

Idina: I had the time of my life doing Wicked in London. It was a chance for me to rediscover the role after Broadway and I had a bit more confidence and allowed myself to take some more risks. They had forewarned me that the British audience might be more reserved, but I didn’t get any of that, what I found was a desire for the show to succeed and an incredible warmth from the audiences.

beige: Tell me a little bit about your background pre – Rent and Wicked.

Idina: I’m a bit of a hybrid – indie, pop, Broadway. I struggle with it sometimes. When I was young I studied classically, and when my parents were divorced I was 15 and I got the chance to audition for a wedding band in Long Island. I thought well that sounds glamorous, so I told them I was 18 because I thought that sounded more professional, and I went out and bought all these dresses and did my hair (this was in the 80’s so you can imagine) and I learned the minimal amount of songs you could to get through, so 2 Motown songs, 2 Jazz Songs, a Bosa Nova, whatever the Madonna and Whitney song of the moment was and Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You. Then each week I’d learn ten more song and so forth, so I went from a classical background to diversifying into all types of music and in the process building a tough stage persona because let’s face it people don’t listen to you when you are singing at these weddings.

Something weird about singing other people’s material when you are so young is that you can either lose yourself in it or find a way that you can interpret their songs. From that I started song writing.

My dreams kind of shifted from classical to wanting to be a rock star. So I did the wedding thing for a few years and I couldn’t get a break. Then Rent came along and I did my last wedding on New Years Eve just before we opened Off Broadway. I got the job in Rent because of my rock background and my ability to be very instantaneous and raw even though I was classically trained. beige: Given that “instantaneous” quality in you how do you cope with the rigid structure that sometimes has to be imposed in the world of theatre?

Idina: I have a hard time with it, because I think the best actors are the ones that are in the moment and I do find that theatre audiences are 60 | beige | vol 2 issue 1

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beige interview sometimes more impressed with range and the length of a high note and the virtuosity of something rather than that thing that gives you goosebumps. I’m not sure they are one and the same. If you listen to rock and roll it’s not always perfect, it’s a challenge to try to work out how to keep both the technique, without sacrificing the moment and the raw emotion that comes across. I try to be as genuine as I possibly can, so through all the roles whether you are playing a gay performance artist in the East Village who is somewhat arrogant and has no perception of just how bad she is or you if you are playing Elephaba where everyone hates her, it’s helped me as a woman to find myself and I think that’s true for all performers. Each project teaches you something about yourself. I am always fighting my own insecurities and the self destructive, sabotaging voices in the back of my head. These characters in some ways have forced me to sort of fake it til you make it. I have to be something that maybe I’m not in real life and then I try to infuse it into my real life.

belittle your ability to cross over into different genres quite a bit.

Idina: In the rock world, I come from the theatre, in the theatre world I’m a rock singer. You can’t win.

beige: We recently watched a documentary about the Broadway season that encompassed the openings of Wicked and Avenue Q. Part of that film was a dinner with critics who seemed to have written Wicked off even before it had opened. How do you take that sort of criticism?

Idina: I was lucky with Wicked to have Joe Mantello as director who was just the best. I just threw my hands up and said “How do I be great?”, And put myself in his hands. I trust his opinion over any critic. By accident, I just read a review of me and there were a few adjectives in there that just got to me and as a result I found it really hard to sleep for several hours. I try not to read things. My best girlfriend at home read me a review which she thought was good, but I read things in it I didn’t like. It’s hard, I find myself stuck in the cracks sometimes, and I want to be different whilst paying tribute to the amazing women who have gone before me like Elaine Paige, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. I want to make my own mark.

beige: You have a

beige: They do try to over classify you sometimes don’t they? They seem to

beige: And then there’s Disney! (Idina recently appeared in Disney’s smash hit film Enchanted).

Idina: Yes (she laughs).

Versatility can be a curse sometimes, people don’t want to be confused. I try to keep my voice as the common denominator, sometimes I play with keys, a much higher key will brings out a different quality in my voice but I try to stay true to my style.

reputation as a performer who gives their all on stage, what’s it like working in a recording studio where the emphasis isn’t on projecting to 2000 people?

Idina: I love that about recording. I can’t sing in the low keys on stage because they don’t project the same way. I can put that into my album by singing big melodies with loads of emotion and passion and a dash of theatricality.

beige: The one thing we liked about your new album “I Stand” is that the songs seem to have a certain theatrical quality to them. They have incredible intelligence. Given that you wrote most of the material on the album just how much of you is in those songs?

Idina:Well the song “My own worst enemy” is all me!!, I get melodies in my head, on a plane, in the shower, out and about. I have my own anxieties, my own ways of sabotaging myself and getting in my own way.I used Annie Lennox as a template for me, whilst she doesn’t do theatre if you’ve ever seen her live you realise that she is extremely theatrical and she has this great soulful, big voice but her songs are very visual and dramatic.

She doesn’t have the stigma of coming from a Broadway show, (it’s not such a big thing here in the UK, more so in the USA).

beige: We’ve seen a fair bit of you in London in recent months. What have you been up to?

Idina: I just have to keep going and doing stuff I really love, I came over here and was honoured to be asked to sing at Andrew Lloyd Webber 60th Concert. I did Chess which was so scary. We got into the Royal Albert Hall on the day and I got lost. I was running in my gown and it felt like I was just going round and round and as I result I missed my entrance!! It was such a great time. It was great to work again with Adam Pascal. He’s an old friend, we actually grew up around the corner from each other. beige: You originated the role of Maureen in Rent and not so long ago got to reprise the role for the film. What was it like going back to Rent after all that time?

Idina: We just kept pinching ourselves.

We couldn’t believe that 10 years later we were being allowed to do it. I was so happy that my skin hadn’t sagged so

idina

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beige interview much!! I met my husband in rehearsals for that show, so it was such a joy. It was also my largest role on film to date.

It was great to be on set and learn the technicalities of film making. Most times when you are a supporting role, you don’t know the crew and you feel a bit funny asking lots of questions about the process. With Rent, I got the chance to really enmesh myself in the process and learn.

beige: You are married to actor Taye Diggs. You both have successful careers.

How do you cope with the separation that inevitably comes with your careers?

Idina: Well, sometimes we’re brilliant and sometimes we’re not. We’ve been together for 12 years, 5 ½ years married but 11.5 years living in the same apartment – one little hiccup in their though! I think because we met in Rent before it really took off, we got to know each other and we were able to be our truest selves with each other. Sometimes we are a little bit too hard with each other, but you grow with each other and you also grow when you are apart. He holds me to a different level and standard, which is a real challenge. When you travel a lot without each other, you meet new people and experience new things and you develop your art, when you come back to each other there is a period of re-acquaintance which can be romantic and sometimes scary. We’ve decided now that we won’t spend more than three weeks apart, after that one has to come and see the other. beige: I suppose everyone asks this but when you were involved in Rent did you have any expectation of just how huge it might become?

Idina: Everything just fell into place. I think it was just fate or serendipity or whatever you want to call it. We knew what we were doing would be special but had no concept that it would become the phenomenon that it became. For me, that experience (especially this year as its just closed)was amazing because we were all really young and it really grounded us all.

Everyone could have been going crazy with agents but it gave us something

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outside of ourselves and bigger than ourselves, because Jonathan had passed away and it became about making sure his work and his story got out there in the truest way possible. We never went below 100%, no one took a night off sick for the first six months, which in theatre terms is just unheard of – especially in a show like Rent, and believe me they really worked us hard. It was hard, we were going through a lot of stuff, physically and emotionally, all of a sudden one day they bought us out before the show and told us Jonathan had won the Pulitzer Prize and we just sat there feeling so lucky to be part of it and gutted at the same time because he wasn’t here and you feel unworthy. I try to keep that experience with me through every other experience in my life. It is all about being in the moment.

on a tour bus and each night is different.

You can stand on stage and go off on tangents, or the crowd yell something out, it’s fun. I am confident about that spontaneity, perhaps it comes from those days doing wedding singing; singing my heart out and hearing the clinking of champagne glasses, you just don’t take it seriously. I used to sing in the East Village at a place called the Bitter End. You were only allowed back if forty people showed up for you, so you’d have to beg all your friends, and this was before email so you’d have to make up flyers. You hated having to ask your friends because they were struggling as well and they couldn’t afford ten bucks to get in. The great gigs were where my dad would turn up and I could hit him for $20 to help me pay the drummer if I was short. You just learn to roll with it.

beige: You’ve originated two of the biggest roles in recent musical theatre history. What’s it like to find projects after you have created such “benchmark” performances?

Idina: That’s really a compliment. I trust the creative team implicitly. I am trying to find new projects, new stories to develop into musicals. I love the process so much.

We were working on Wicked for 4.5 years with workshops and reworking. It was an amazing process and I guess to a degree with both Wicked and Rent the show does get tailored to some of the actors who go through the process. For me there is nothing like standing around the piano with a composer whilst he is trying to figure out how to solve a problem, it’s a beautiful thing. I miss that so am working on a couple of projects that I am trying to get people excited about, let’s face it, there aren’t that many revivals that I’d be suitable for. I do take seriously the fact that I have originated roles and that’s a pattern for me. I want to be back on the stage but it’s just not worth doing crap. I just have to find the right thing.

beige: So what’s next?

Idina: I just want to do everything – I

beige: The one thing that is coming across as we chat is that you really do like the whole “Live” thing.

Idina: Doing anything live is great. I’ve been out doing a tour and travelling round

want a family too – I know my husband will appreciate that! The older I get the less regimented I feel about how things have to go. Let’s face it when you try to follow a blueprint it never happens. I love live performance and touring, so if I can do that and see the world that’s great.

Touring enables the artist to get some control over their career. If anything does happen to the label (and it’s happened before), I have the ability to go out and play and make music for a living, it’s very empowering.

I had fun with Chess and Andrew’s 60th.

Of course, I’d love to be invited to sing in a Sondheim concert but that hasn’t happened as yet!! I try not to worry about labels and just keep challenging myself.

beige: What about writing your own musical?

Idina: I’m not sure I’m a good enough songwriter to write my own musical but hopefully I can inspire people to write for me. I want to be challenged.

Beige: So we’ll be seeing you here in the UK a fair bit then in coming months?

Idina: I love living in the UK. I made some friends for life here.

Idina’s album I Stand is out now.

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Daily Express

Saying Furwell

28 March 2009

call 0844 482 5141 • www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk noel coward Theatre St. Martin’s lane london wc2n 4au

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THEATRE

SPRING AWAKENING

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith Spring Awakening is a new original musical based on Frank Wedekind’s play of the same name originally published in 1891. Its subject, disaffected adolescents and teenage sexuality, subjects so shocking that it wasn’t until 1963 that the play cleared the censors for performance in Britain.

What’s so unusual about Spring Awakening is that it is firmly seen through the eyes of its young characters. It’s no ordinary musical either – the songs are presented as interior monologues – each perfectly scored. Add to this mix a cast of actors who are fresh out of drama school and bring to this work an intensity and drive that sometimes eludes seasoned actors and you have something amazing indeed.

A driving rock score by Steven Slater and Duncan Sheil and stunning choreography

by Bill T Jones create the joy of teenage discovery and the angst and frustration felt by these teens at the hands of the adults (all brilliantly portayed by just two actors).

Michael Mayer’s long search for a suitable British cast has paid off handsomely.

Melchior (Barnard) is an intelligent boy who has discovered sex and atheism and as a reward is sent to a boys reformatory. Moritz (Rheon), a simple soul driven to isolation by a system that consistently picks on him and Wendla (Wakefield), the young girl whose mother staunchly refuses to explain the facts of life to her ultimate detriment.

Aneurin Barnard, Iwan Rheon and Charlotte

Wakefield are stunning discoveries.

Songs like The Bitch Of Living and Totally Fucked really drive home the frustration of youth as the cast leap around the stage, stomp their feat and rebel against the system mimicking adults with the lyrics “Blah, Blah, Blah!!”.

Place all this action on a set which is part modern, part period with an expressionist twist without all the usual gimmicks and you have something very special indeed.

It’s been said that this is one of the great rock musicals and I have to concur. A very youthful audience on the night I attended were lapping it up and were totally engrossed in the story being told an incredible feat for a story written in 1891 being retold in 2009.

Spring Awakening comes to London from Broadway where it was awarded with eight Tony Awards. A transfer from the Lyric must be an inevitable happening. It’s been a while since a musical really made me sit up and take notice and this is one of them. It’s nothing short of brilliant!! This production deserves a very long run in the West End.

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Duke Of Yorks Theatre

2009 looks set to be a bumper year for theatre with the opening of so many great productions thus far. It’s really great to see a stunning production of Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge join the collection of great musicals gracing the Capital’s stages.

One of the greatest American dramatists Arthur Miller’s plays are often mythical in approach and rightly hold their place in the cannon of classic American dramas.

A View From The Bridge is no exception.

Eddie Carbone joins Willie Loman in Miller’s catalogue of tragic heroes. Set in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, Eddie is a longshoreman in love with his own niece who turns informant on a pair of illegal immigrants because one of them wants to marry the girl. Narrated with a heavy sense of tragic foreboding by lawyer Alfieri – beautifully played by Allan Corduner, Ken Stott’s “Eddie” erupts with passion and pain screaming for the “respect” that he feels he deserves.

Eddie’s wife (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), an actress who I last saw in Man Of La Mancha on Broadway, is at the end of her tether balancing her love for Eddie with the reality of the situation. The set in a simple but soaring tenement which highlights the cramped conditions that incubate the emotional and tragic explosion at the end of the play.

This is pure drama. Rich, tonal and incredibly satisfying. You’ll be riveted from start to finish.

LA CLIQUE

London Hippodrome It is truly fantastic to see the London Hippodrome returning to its roots with the presentation of La Clique. Think Burlesque, Circus Sideshow, Cabaret and Comedy and you are only beginning to scratch the surface

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of this fabulous entertainment.

This tour de force show has taken the world by storm and now it’s London’s turn. The show in its essence is a compilation of a series of acts compiled with one aim – to entertain. On any given night the acts change so repeat visits to the show always offer something fresh and amazing. The acts we witnessed included Mario – Queen of the Circus with his Freddie Mercury infatuation; Miss Behave doing the most incredible things with a rose and her tongue; Captain Frodo – the weirdest contortionist you will ever see and the English Gentlemen – who’s ripped bodies exposed the sheer stretch of the balancing act they were performing.

Our favourite on the night though was the incredibly sexy David O’Mer, the German gymnast who has taken the art of the aerial straps to new erotic heights. Denim clad David, emerges from his bath, raises himself above the audience and then sails through mid air to the squeals of delight from male and female audience members alike.

As the poster for this production states “Impossible To Explain – Just Go!!” and we have to concur. This is a brilliant night out, it’s hugely entertaining, it comes at a credit crunch price that won’t break the bank, and its the perfect jumping off point for a night out in Soho. Get a group together, grab a bottle of wine (you can take it into the auditorium)

and have a great time!! This sure fire hit should be around for a while so check it out regularly to see what new great acts have joined the bill. www.lacliquelondon.com

OLIVER

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Lionel Bart’s rip roaring musical Oliver is back in the West End following an absence of nearly ten years. There’s very little chance that anyone in the UK has missed the preopening fanfare for this enormous production following the BBC televised hunt for an actress to play Nancy and the announcement that prior to opening the show had garnered the biggest box office advance in West End history.

So does the production live up to it’s expectation and hype. The answer is a resounding YES! This has to surely be the near perfect production of Oliver. Rowan Atkinson delivers and incredible Fagin. He’s slimey, manipulative and as money hungry as ever. Indeed there were times that you thought you were looking at Golum protecting his “precious”. Jodie Prenger as Nancy shows that the people chose the right person for the job. Her vocals are soaring and yet incredibly emotive and her stage presence mesmerising.

The sheer size of this production makes it noteworthy. I have no idea exactly how many people inhabit the stage during this production but at times you’d swear it was hundreds. In “Food, Glorious Food”, line after line of starving orphans trudge onto the stage and during numbers like “Consider Yourself” you would swear that half the population of Dickensian London was on view. How is this possible? It has a lot to do with the ingenious utlisation of the sizeable stage at the Theatre Royal. One of the biggest commercial stages in Europe has been cleverly divided and utlised by Anthony Ward. False perspective gives the impression that this stage goes on forever, even St Pauls is majestically depicted in scarily realistic glory.

This is a toe-tapping triumph!! I had forgotten just how many sheer showstoppers there are in Oliver. I left the theatre, along with many others experiencing a joyous buzz. At the time of writing your chances of getting a ticket this side of July seem slim but pardon the cliché when I say that you should beg, borrow or steal to get a ticket to see Rowan Atkinson alone. The fact that you get the rest of this incredible cast and this amazing production is just pure cream!!

What are you waiting for?

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beige DVDS

DVDS PICK OF THE MONTH HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 There is no doubt that with the release of this third instalment in the High School Musical franchise, Disney have created a cultural phenomenon that has caught the imagination of children and (although many won’t admit it) adults alike. Disney moved this final instalment from the small screen to the big screen and now it’s out on DVD. If you loved HSM 1 and 2 you’ll go bananas for HSM3 which has been given the big budget treatment. Everything from the music to the vibrant design looks like a million bucks. The opening basketball game shows just what a decent budget can do just from the point of view of photography. It’s brilliantly filmed.

This is the final year for the class of Troy, Gabriela & Co, gifting the director with a grand prom scene and tearful goodbyes as the characters stand on the brink of adulthood.

There’s nothing particularly new plot wise, these teens struggle as teens often do, but they do it to a soundtrack that has a real S Club 7 style beat to it. Kenny Ortega works his magic once again on the huge dance numbers that characterised the first two films.

A veteran of dance based films it will be interesting to see what his remake of Footloose starring Efron will be like.

Efron and Hudgens once again achieve acceptable chemistry singing their respective numbers with style. We do have to ask though what were the writers thinking with the introduction of a new British student which sadly didn’t quite come off. It was great to se Ashley Tisdale as Sharpee steal the show once again.

All in all though, this was a great finale to the trilogy of High School Musical films. Bravo Disney for making a great family film that has something for everyone – even us gay blokes.

the release this final instalment from the small screen to the big screen and the

BOYS ON FILM

This long awaited compilation showcases ten incredible short films and documentaries that deal with all aspects of modern gay life, created by some of the hippest directors and hottest actors around.

Amongst all the gorgeous eye candy and hot encounters, these imaginative and challenging shorts tackle a wide range of contemporary topics - the pitfalls of online cruising, falling in love with your straight best friend, long distance lovers, growing old and gay gracefully - not to mention a fantastic mix of gay rodeos, sexually frustrated zombies and hunky Australian men in Speedos!

With over 2 hours worth of content and featuring some shorts which have never been shown in the UK before, `Boys on Film’ is essential viewing and more importantly, contains something for everyone of every persuasion!

DANTE’S COVE – BOXED SET

Readers of Beige will know we have a soft spot for this camp, fun and overtly sexual mystical, horror spoof. If you haven’t gone out to buy a copy yet you now have no excuse with the release of Series 1 -3 in a boxed set format. Billed as “a guilty pleasure” the boys from Dante’s are hot, the clothing sparse and the plot farcical, but who cares.

Don’t savour this gem alone, gather up your friends and make a night of it. You’ll find as we did that the more people you view it with, the better it gets.

QUEEN SIZED

After her knockout performance in Hairspray, this film could be a major career blow for Nikki Blonski as she seems destined to be pidgeon holed as the “fat” girl. Blonski plays Maggie Baker, the stereotypical fat girl in school. When Maggie is nominated for Prom Queen as a prank, she decides to go ahead and fight to win against the advice of just about everyone around her. Based on a true story, this film tends at times to get a bit preachy but ultimately it narrowly escapes the trap of becoming formulaic to become an entertaining film. When Blonski manages to break free of the stereotype she really shines but it’s not quite the follow up to Hairspray that I had hoped.

MARC ALMOND IN BLUEGATE FIELDS

Recorded in 2008 at the fabulous Wilton’s Music Hall, this is a dramatic concert selection of songs performed

by Almond and an amazing group of backing musicians. Artistically filmed, you sometimes get the feeling that you are watching an old time performance by torchlight in this most fabulous of venues. There’s no doubt that Almond is on fine form here. Our favourites included Suicide Saloon, Bluegate Fields (inspired

by Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray and written especially for this concert), and Yesterday When I Was Young.

This DVD comes in a box set with a CD of the concert and is a must for any Almond fan and an eye opener for anyone who has never experienced this side of a truly remarkable performer.

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beige DVDS

BROTHERS AND SISTERS THE SECOND SERIES

Fast becoming a staple of our television viewing schedule, the second series of Brothers & Sisters is about to be released on DVD. With a knockout cast including the fab Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Matthew Rhys, Rob Lowe and Calista Flockhart, this series also features appearances

by Chevy Chase and Danny Glover.

The Walker’s are a real one of a kind example of Californian family disfunctionality at it’s best and we love them for it. Every family scret is exposed, every family function ends in a verbal brawl but there’s no doubt that this series has some real heart. Add to that some seriously sexy male characters and you have no choice but to watch and rewatch this great series. Bring on Series 3!!!!

BRIDESHEAD REVISITED

This movie adaptation of the 1945 novel by Evelyn Waugh is a stunningly beautiful re-telling of the classic story that most know from the acclaimed mini-series. Let’s just start by saying that you should put the mini series aside and look at this tale afresh. This is a beautifully directed, acted and designed period drama that tells a tale of forbidden love and the loss of innocence. Whilst the cast features brilliant performances from Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, and Greta Scaachi it is the young cast that definitely steal the limelight in this film. Ben Whishaw as Sebastian and Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder are perfectly cast alongside Hayley Atwell as Julia. Shot in England and Venice, this is a sumptuous film in every respect.

3 DAY WEEKEND

ANOTHER GAY SEQUEL GAYS GONE WILD

Long term couple Simon and Jason, along with Cooper and his latest boytoy, meet annually for a three day getaway. Looking to spice up the tradition, they add a twist – each invites one attractive, single friend.

The mix of guests adds drama and emotional turmoil, making this 3 day break one they won’t soon forget.

Watching this film there are huge comparisons to be made with Terence McNally’s brilliant play Love, Valour, Compassion! And indeed it’s even referenced in the script. This is no L,V,C! But it’s an entertaining film that has some hot guys and some good performances which certainly kept me watching for a few hours.

Why, why, why did anyone ever greenlight the making of this movie?

Who thought it was a good idea?

Whilst the first instalment of this series was vaguely amusing, this film has to rate amongst the worst gay films ever made, actually amongst the worst of all films ever made. You know you are in trouble when half of the film is used as an infomercial for brands like Aussiebum. There is absolutely nothing that redeems it. One to avoid like the plague!!

“An unashamedly camp, cult hit” – Out in the City

Get ready for a triple shot of this decade’s hottest, trashiest and most addictive gay drama series as the Dante’s Cove: 5-disc Collector’s Series comes to DVD!

Out Now! Available at

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2 FOR 1 ON TOP TWO PRICES

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BOOKS DEBT RESCUE by Gary Webster Best known for his acting roles in Minder and Family Affairs, Webster has put pen to paper to recount the financial circumstances that lead to his personal bankruptcy. Interspersed with financial advise from Ian Cadlock, you can’t help but get the impression that this book is a little light on information and more of an excuse to tell Webster’s own story and hopefully make a few bucks from the sale of the book. It’s a light read and ultimately you wonder just why you picked it up in the first place. There are certainly a lot better books available if you really need help with debt.

WHO RUNS BRITAIN? by Robert Peston Over the past few weeks Robert Peston (Business Editor for the BBC)has become a bit of an economic celebrity. His insight into the current economic situation and ability to reveal the behind the scenes machinations have made headlines and caused more than a stir.

This book is essential reading for anyone in business or anyone seeking a better understanding of how the system works. This is real eye opener as Peston looks at our elected officials, the establishment and the financial system that has bought us to where we are today. A compelling read!!

MY WORD IS MY BOND – An Autobiography by Roger Moore In keeping with the Bond theme of this issue we couldn’t resist picking up this recent release by one of our favourite Bonds. From his life in South London, Moore tells his story and tells of his recollections of some of the great names he has worked with including Hepburn, Taylor, Coward, Sinatra, Elvis and The Spice Girls (We kid you not!). Beautifully published, it features a large number of photos taken from Roger’s private collection, there is no doubt that Roger set the standard for British suavity. A must have for any fan of Bond or The Saint.

AT MY MOTHER’S KNEE (And Other Low Joints)- An Autobiography

by Paul O’Grady In his own inimitable way Paul O’Grady has put pen to paper to tell the story of the early part of his life in Birkenhead. This is a larger than life autobiography perfectly suited to the man who bought us the larger than life Lily Savage. O’Grady really has a knack for putting his experiences and the characters that populate them onto the page. This is a funny and moving tale that is compelling and a joy to read. If this is a mere taste of O’Grady’s life story, we can’t for what is to come. Highly recommended!

THE SECRET TUNNEL by James Lear We thought we’d sneak this one in as we found it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The Secret Tunnel is a work of gay erotic fiction enveloped in a murder mystery set in 1928 aboard the Flying Scotman and later in a seedy London. As you can imagine being a work of Erotic fiction it is suitably graphic in all the right places. An elegantly written mystery with suitably sexy characters, The Secret Tunnel is a great book to curl up with on a miserable Sunday in bed. I dare anyone not get turned on by the stunningly sexy Mitch Mitchell, his over sexed companion Betrand, the secret pleasure of Boy Morgan or any of the soldiers, police or train staff encountered along the way.

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MUSIC MARIAH CAREY – THE BALLADS

Mariah Carey has always been associated with the ballad as a song form, and this collection brings together some of her finest moments operating in the genre. Hits from her long career including ‘Hero’, ‘I Still Believe’ and ‘Always Be My Baby’ showcase Carey’s elastic vocals and sensitivity with dramatic, emotional material.

Similarly, collaborations with artists such as Westlife (‘Against All Odds’) and Luther Vandross (‘Endless Love’), while the bonus track of ‘All I WantFor Christmas’ is bound to bring back memories for fans of a certain age.

A SPOONFUL OF STYLES AND DREWE

Recorded at the concert gala last year, this recording contains many of the highlights of the concert celebrating the writing partnership of Anthony Drewe and George Stiles. Featuring a selection of songs from their musicals including Honk!, Mary Poppins, Just So! and some previews of new work including A Private Affair, and Soho Cinders, a modern re-telling of the classic set on Old Compton St with Gareth Gates playing Cinders no less! If you are a fan of musicals this album is an absolute must. Fronted by a stellar cast including Alison Jiear, Leanne Jones, Oliver Thomsett, Julie Atherton, Joanna Riding, Claire Moore, and the composers themselves, each song is a small gem to be savoured. Hats off though to Gareth Gates his Soho Cinders numbers - Gypsies of the Ether and They Don’t Make Glass Slippers have us eagerly awaiting the stage show!!

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE – SOUNDTRACK FROM THE TV SERIES

One of favourite television programmes from 2008 has spawned this great soundtrack cd. The soundtrack features artists such as M People, Gina G, Sinnita, Spice Girls, Pet Shop Boys, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Kelly Rowland. Perhaps the highlight though is Kylie & Danni Minogue’s recording of Abba’s The Winner Takes It All. This soundtrack selection is every bit as camp and fun as the TV series.

CELINE DION – MY LOVE (THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION)

It’s a big month for Diva’s this November. This second greatest hits collection from the colossus of pop follows 1999’s ‘All The Way: A Decade Of Song’ and comes hot on the heels of her 2007 comeback album ‘Taking Chances’. Featuring all of her massive hits, including songs from the new album and French-language tracks which have previously been relegated to specialist compilations, this is a truly career-spanning collection from an artist who leaves no music lover indifferent. Includes the new single ‘My Love’ and all of her mega ballads including My Heart Will Go On, All By Myself, The Power of Love and Because You Loved Me amongst others.

IDINA MENZEL – I STAND

After starring in Broadway musicals such as ‘Rent’ and ‘Wicked’, American singer/songwriter Idina Menzel releases ‘I Stand’, her third studio album. Menzel drafted in such luminaries as Glen Ballard (who produced Alanis Morrissette’s monster-selling ‘Jagged Little Pill’), and appears as co-writer on all but one of the ten tracks on the album. This is one almighty showcase for this versatile performer. Each of the songs is imbued with theatricality and pop personality which makes the album immensely enjoyable. Favourite tracks in the Beige office included the title track I Stand and My Own Worst Enemy.

SPRING AWAKENING

We loved Spring Awakening so much we’ve included the cast recording here. The only recording available at the present time is the Broadway Cast which was studio recorded. This is most certainly the best rock score of modern times. As all good cast albums should, it perfectly captures the drive and emotion of the show. Highlights inlcude And Then There Were None, My Junk, and the incredibly moving finale - The Song Of Purple Summer. We found it’s one of those recordings that ends up on repeat mode int he cd player it’s incredibly addictive. We can’t help but wonder though what this show would sound like if it were to be recorded live? It would surely be the only way to improve upon perfection.

RADIO ONE’S LIVE LOUNGE – VOL 3

Fast developing cult status, the Radio One Live Lounge is where big name performers come and perform their own takes on other performers tracks. This compilation continues to deliver with a variety of unique tracks featuring artists such as Duffy, Sam Sparro, Adele and Goldfrapp. It’s well worth buying this album for The Ting Tings version of Standing In The Way of Control alone.

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RESTAURANTS

GOODMANS I have always been an unashamed fan of the humble steak. A good piece of well cooked beef to me is heaven. I was therefore delighted to be invited to dinner at Goodman’s in Mayfair recently.

Goodman’s is the London incarnation of a Russian steakhouse that has been flourishing in Moscow since 2003. Executive chef Yankele Schein has scoured the world looking for the best cuts of beef to undergo his in house dry aging process, before being hand cut and cooked to perfection.

Let me start by saying that this painstaking search for the best cuts really pays off in spades. Stepping out of London’s bleak winter, it’s really great to settle into a booth table and start enjoying the fabulous service which for us complimented the fabulous food we were about to consume.

We finished our evening with a superb Warm chocolate fondant with pistacchio ice cream and x. It was a real chore finishing off this course after what came before it.

Don’t rush a meal at Goodman’s. Take the time to enjoy the service and savour the food. Price wise you are looking at approx £5 - £8 for a starter with most steaks coming in at £25 with the occasional special offering going up to £35. At risk of repeating myself given the quality of the cut a meal at Goodman’s is well worth the price and I for one will be returning to try other offerings from the aging room.

Goodmans 26 Maddox Street London W1S 1QH T: 0207 499 3776 www.goodmanrestaurants.com

We stared our meal with a Beef carpaccio with micro cress, shaved parmesan, aged balsamic and olive oil which offered an equisite mix of flavours complimenting some wafer thin beef that was only a hint of what was to come. My guest enjoyed a Caesar salad which was fresh, flavoured and well presented. Our Entree’s were coupled with a gorgeous glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

At Goodman’s each customer is presented with a meat platter to view and select the prime cuts on offer each evening. Each cut is explained by the serving staff to help make what is an incredibly difficult decision.

We finally decided on Scottish grass fed rib eye on the bone aged for 110 days and an Irish Fillet Mignon both cooked to melt in your mouth perfection. There is no doubt that Goodman’s aging process is allowing diners the opportunity to indulge in some of the most extraordinary streak that you will taste in the capital. Each diner is presented with a choice of sauces to accompany your choice. Could we take this opportunity to rave about the Stilton sauce which was an absolute knock out. vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 71

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Pure

Luxury

James Bond may insist on his vodka Martini being shaken, not stirred, but would he be man enough to taste the difference when it comes to super premium vodkas. Mark Ludmon reports There was a time when vodka was just vodka, when all you had to do to show a bit of discernment was to order Absolut or Stolichnaya instead of accepting standard Smirnoff Red. The everfastidious James Bond always insists on his Vesper Martini being shaken, not stirred, but he never frets about whether the vodka is triple distilled from Italian wheat using pure Swedish spring water or just picked up down the cash and carry.

Earlier this year, vodka overtook whisky as British shoppers’ most popular spirit for the first time, according to research company Nielsen, following the trend in bars and pubs.

This growth reflects the bewildering plethora of new brands that have arrived and stormed the market in the past few years. Russian Standard was launched in the UK only a year ago but has quickly challenged the popularity of other premium vodkas like Absolut, Stoli and Wyborowa, while drinkers are continuing to trade up to newer premium brands such as Skyy and Sobieski.

But as the number of different vodkas grows, the category is blowing itself apart into smaller pieces, and the past year or two

has seen an increasing focus on the so-called “super premium” or “ultra premium” vodkas. Best known among these are Grey Goose, which pioneered the super-premium segment after being invented for the US market in 1997 by billionaire Sidney Frank. While Russia, eastern Europe and Scandinavia are the best known sources of vodka, Grey Goose is made from French winter wheat and distilled in the French region of Cognac in alpine spring water that has been filtered through the limestone plateaux of France’s Massif Central.

In September, Harrods went all out to mark its listing of Akvinta, a superpremium vodka that was launched in a few select bars in the UK a year ago. Described as “the first Mediterranean luxury vodka”, it is made in Imotski, one-and-a-half hours inland from the picturesque port of Split in

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beige behind the label Croatia. Its clean-tasting smoothness is said to be down to it being a combination of high-quality spirit and pure spring water from Dalmatia. It is purified with a five-stage filtration process, passing through charcoal, marble, silver, gold and platinum, which probably explains why it costs over £30 a bottle.

Harrods was also the first to sell Snow Queen vodka, one of a range of about 60 vodkas produced by Kazakh company Geom. Although these are big in Russia, Snow Queen was released in the UK only three years ago, again gaining word-of-mouth popularity by being seen in exclusive bars and clubs. According to Matthew du Cann, its director of brand development, this was just before the country was put on the map for all the wrong reasons by Sasha Baron Cohen, and Kazakhstan still had an exotic appeal. It is produced from organic wheat and spring water from the foothills of the Himalayas, and birch charcoal is used in its five-time “Distillation” distillation process.

In spite of Borat, Snow Queen has proved very popular in luxury bars and upmarket retailers. Du Cann believes

A temporary bar set up at Harrods to launch Akvinta

When mixed in a Cosmo, the difference between a premium and super-premium vodka is hard to distinquish

there is a particular demand from British consumers who want high-quality aspirational products. “People get fed up with the mass marketing of the big brands and don’t want what they can see in all the pubs,” he says. “This year, we are focusing on retail as there is a real shift towards people buying more luxury spirits to take home.”

The world of super-premium vodkas is next set to be shaken up by drinks giant Diageo, which is preparing to invest in developing its newly acquired Ketel One vodka, produced at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam in the Netherlands. This will join the Diageo Reserve Brands portfolio, which includes another super-premium vodka, Ciroc.

However, while the quality of the near-tasteless spirit may be important in Kazakhstan, Russia or Poland where it is traditionally drunk neat, its popularity in the UK comes from its mixability. The number of times it has been filtered through precious metals counts for little when it’s mixed with cranberry, Cointreau and lime to make a Cosmo. Katie Warren, UK marketing manager for premium vodka Skyy, says that, when sipped neat at tastings, her product “holds its own against super-premium vodkas”, but no-one would suggest that serving vodka straight up would catch on for even the most expensive products, such as the diamond-filtered Diva, which retails at between £2,000 and £540,000, depending on your choice of jewels inside the bottle.

As with this diamond idea from Blackwood Distillers, much of the growth in super-premium vodkas lies in their marketing and packaging. Snow Queen has received a luxury cachet by associating itself with celebrities, although its choice of glittering names has swung from George Clooney and Scarlett Johannson to Britney and Paris Hilton. Many have linked up with fashion and design, such as architect Frank Gehry creating a bottle for superpremium Wyborowa Single Estate.

But the biggest-selling vodka in the UK continues to be Smirnoff, which paved the way for many of today’s brands when it linked up with the first James Bond film, Dr No, in 1962, when the villain makes Sean Connery his trademark Martini using Smirnoff. “This monumental moment in film literally changed the way Martini drinkers made their cocktails, shifting from the traditional gin to a vodka-based drink and popularising the vodka Martini the world over,” according to Diageo’s marketing and innovation director, James Thompson, the former president of global marketing for Smirnoff.

But the last word should go to another president, Jed Bartlett in TV’s The West Wing. In one memorable exchange with his personal aide, he goes some way to explaining why 007 would be unable to tell his Smirnoff Red from a Snow Queen. “Shaken, not stirred, will get you cold water with a dash of gin and dry vermouth,” Bartlett snorts. “The reason you stir it with a special spoon is so not to chip the ice. James is ordering a weak Martini, and being snooty about it.” vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 73

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Community up and coming...

MARCH

Monday 2 March HOUSE OF HOMOSEXUAL CULTURE - Andrea Stuart: Showgirls. An evening of discussion, live performances and celebration of the showgirl, one of the most resilient erotic icons of modern times. Blue Room, £7.50 | Waterloo Friday 6 March GLP CIRCA MARCH DRINKS PARTY - Join us for a glass of wine with our compliments at The Arts Club & continue the night at Shadow Lounge.

Free admission & there’s a lucky draw for a painting. You may bring up to 3 guests. 7pm- midnight / FREE | Mayfair 7-15 March WINTER PRIDE - BRIGHTON & HOVE - Beat off the Winter blues in Brighton. A week long calendar of events in the famous seaside city. Something for everyone from clubbing to comedy. All week series of events run by Brighton Pride, bars, clubs, businesses and the voluntary sector | Brighton Saturday 7 March JUSTIN CAMPAIGN’S FOOTBALL FESTIVAL - The Justin Campaign Table Football Festival - a very exciting event being held to raise awareness about homophobia in the game. The Festival takes place in Brighton’s Jubilee Square and Library on Saturday 7 March, opening at 1pm with an outdoor tournament and coaching session hosted by the Sussex Football Association. At 3pm, we shall be unveiling the Justin Fashanu All-Stars - a unique team launched by the Campaign and sponsored by chart-topping musician Norman Cook. The event also features an art exhibition by campaigner Jason Bartholomew Hall, a screening of Ian McDonald’s gay football documentaryBrighton Bandits and a talk by author G. J. Buckell on Justin Fashanu’s life as a gay footballer. In the evening, there will be a table football tournament hosted by performer Jonny Woo and a number of LGBT musicians playing in the Jubilee Library, from 1pm. | Brighton 7-8 March SUGAR & SPICE 2009 - To celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8), the Lesbian and Gay Foundation announce their third annual conference for lesbian and bisexual women - Sugar & Spice 3, Me, Myself and I, which will celebrate the inspirations and aspirations of lesbian and bisexual women, while empowering them to feel good about themselves and aspire to be all that they can be. Sugar & Spice is the biggest health and well-being event for lesbian and bisexual women in the UK. It acts as a fantastic opportunity to bring women together, to share knowledge, ideas and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. | Manchester Sunday 8 March NATIONAL STUDENT PRIDE - 2009 is set to be the biggest and best yet, combining with the Multi Uni Pub crawl, an annual LGBT event hosted by Brighton and Sussex Universities, with National Student Pride. Three Part event: 1-6pm in Oceana; 6-10pm pub crawl based from Revenge with live music; and 10pm-4am from digital. | Brighton Monday 23 March LIGHTHOUSE GALA AUCTION - A black cab tour of the East End with Barbara Windsor, with a dinner party hosted by Sarah, Duchess of York, and a chance to meet Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic are just a few of the enticing lots on offer at this year’s Lighthouse Gala Auction at Christie’s on March 23.

The auction, supported by Snow Queen Vodka raises money for Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). Tickets £135. | 020 7812 1686 | Christies, London Wednesday 25 March LGBT JOBS FAIR - a place for lesbians, gay men, and trans people to meet employers and find work that counts in an organisation that doesn’t just accept, but positively values them. No more uncertainty about employers - at the LGBT Jobfair it’s a welcoming place. It’s a great opportunity to meet and talk directly with employers and find out more about the careers and opportunities they can offer - whether you’re choosing a career, starting out in your first job, looking for new opportunities, a change of direction, or simply interested in new workplace trends and directions. | London | more info ...

Wednesday 25 March REACHING LGBT VOLUNTEERS - Do you want to include Volunteers in your organisation but not sure how? Do you want to ensure that everyone feels they can volunteer at your organisation? FREE Consortium Training Programme 1 day Event, The focus of the day will be how to reach LGBT individuals and increase their positive involvement as Volunteers. With workshops looking at removing barriers to LGBT people that are disabled and/or from BAME communities. 10:00am to 4:30pm. Contact 020 7064 8383 | London 25 March - 8 April LONDON LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL -The largest Festival of it’s kind in Europe. Based at the National Film Theatre and attracts an audience of over 22,000 people each year, who come to see our 120 film premieres, as well as shorts, masterclasses and interviews. We also need Sponsors to help make this Festival bigger and more exciting than ever before. Ring 020 7815 1323 for any enqiuries. | Waterloo

(www.gaytoz.com) - the search engine for gay Britain. Find thousannds of gay an lesbian businesses, organisations, listings and events in the GAY to Z Directory

UK LESBIAN & GAY IMMIGRATION GROUP The UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group, formerly the Stonewall Immigration Group, is a charity providing information and advice on immigration rights for same sex couples and support for lesbian & gay asylum seekers. Civil Partnership legislation, which came into force on 5th December 2005 has finally given us immigration equality with heterosexual couples, after nearly 12 years of patient work. Resources are now being focused on providing support for those with the most pressing immigration need at this time – lesbians and gay men seeking asylum due to a fear of persecution in their home countries.For more info visit www.uklgig.org.uk

ADVICE & HELPLINES Antidote - at Hungerford Drug Project 020 7437 3523 (www.turning-point.co.uk) Bede House - Domestic abuse hate crimes 020 7232 1107 (www.bedehouse.org)

Dazz-elle - drug and alcohol support for women 020 8257 3068 (www.dazz-elle.org.uk) Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - FFLAG 0117 942 9311 (www.fflag.org.uk) Frank - information and advice on drugs and drug use. 0800 776 600

(www.talktofrank.com) GALOP Shoutline - for victims of hate crime 020 7704 2040 (www.galop.org.uk)

London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard 020 7837 7324 (www.llgs.org.uk)

Mobility Advice Line 0121 486 2155

(www.mobility-advice.org.uk)

UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group 020 7620 6010 (www.uklgig.org.uk)

choirs & Music Diversity Chamber Choir 07976 896 809 www.diversitychoir.org.uk)

London Gay Men’s Chorus 08458 382 059 (www.lgmc.org.uk) London Gay Symphony Orchestra LGSO 07963 853 099 (www.lgso.org.uk) Manchester Lesbian & Gay Chorus 07931 703 371 (www.mlgc.org.uk) Rainbow Voices - Birmingham’s Lesbian & Gay Chorus 07841 755 379 (www.rainbow-voices.org.uk)

CLINICS Ambrose King Centre Whitechapel 020 7377 7307 Camberwell Sexual Health Centre Kings College Hospital, Camberwell 0207 346 5000 Jefferiss Wing Centre for Sexual Health Paddington 020 7886 1697 Marlborough Clinic Royal Free, Hamsptead 020 7830 2047 Mortimer Market Centre Off Tottenham Court Road 020 7530 5050 Victoria Clinic Westminster 0845 811 6699

COMMUNITY GROUPS Barnet Lesbian and Gay Group (BLaGG) 07845 055 966 (www.barnetgay.co.uk) Bearhug 07967 101 887 (www.bearhug.net)

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community Croydon Area Gay Society - CAGS 020 8686 1550 (www.cags.org.uk) Ealing Gay Group - EGG 020 8870 4549

FFLAG: Parent support

(www.ealinggaygroup.org.uk)

Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a national voluntary organisation and registered charity dedicated to supporting parents and their gay, lesbian and bisexual sons and daughters. FFLAG offers support to local parents groups and contacts, in their efforts to help parents and families understand, accept and support their lesbian gay and bisexual members with love and pride. FFLAG members are parents of lesbian, gay or bisexual sons and daughters.

These young people and their families face serious homophobia in our society, which brings in its wake prejudice, bullying and alienation.

East London Out Project - ELOP 020 8509 3898 Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club (www.gaybiker.co.uk)

Gay Birders Club 01732 360 527

(www.gbc-online.org.uk) Gay Outdoor Club - General Enquiries 01673 861 962 (www.goc.org.uk)

Gay Surrey 01932 571 286 (www.gaysurrey.co.uk)

Gay West 01225 858 528 (www.gaywest.org.uk) GUMMI – rubber club

(www.gummi.org.uk)

Herts Gay Community 07071 880 103 (ww.hertsgaycommunity.org.uk) HuGG - Huddersfield Gay Group (www.hugg.org.uk)

For more info visit www.fflag.org.uk

Hull LGBT Forum 07743 520 928

(www.lgbtforum.co.uk) Icebreakers - Manchester 0161 235 8035

(www.icebreakersmanchester.org.uk)

Jewish Gay & Lesbian Group 020 8952 0137 (www.jglg.org.uk) Kairos in Soho 020 7437 6063 (www.kairosinsoho.org.uk)

LMG - London Monday Group 020 7229 8272 (www.slago.org.uk) London Gay Reading Group (www.lgrg.org.uk)

Long Yang Club

- for guys and girls

from the East & West 020 8311 5835 (www.lyclondon.com) Manchester Lesbian Community Project 0161 273 7128

(www.midlandmavericks.com) MSC London – Motorcycle Club

(www.manchesterlcp.org.uk)

(www.msclondon.co.uk)

Bear Pride (www.bearpride.co.uk) Birmingham Gay Pride Festival

Out & About 020 8989 5295

(www.birminghampride.org)

(www.outandabout-london.org)

LGBT History Month 07960 493 544

Metro Centre - Greenwich 020 8305 5000 (www.metrocentreonline.org)

Midland Mavericks Line Dancing

Group Birmingham 0121 454 4245

Outsiders - for people with social and physical disabilities seeking partners (www.outsiders.org.uk)

Plymouth Pride Forum 01752 265 653 (www.plymouthprideforum.co.uk)

South Asian Group 020 7791 2855

- Himat

(www.positiveeast.org.uk)

South London Gays - SLG 020 8674 5191 (www.slago.org.uk/slg) Surrey and London Assocation of Gay Organisations -SLAGO 020 8660 5619

(www.slago.org.uk) TAGS - The Arun Area Gay Society 01273 204 050

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

(www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk)

London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 020 7928 3232 (www.llgff.org.uk) Manchester Pride 0161 236 7474 (www.manchesterpride.com) Pride in Brighton & Hove 01273 775 939 (www.brightonpride.org) Pride of Leeds (www.leedspride.com) Pride London 020 7494 2225 (www.pridelondon.org)

Queerupnorth 0161 234 2942 (www.queerupnorth.com)

HIV & AIDS Crusaid 020 7539 3880

(www.tagsonline.org.uk)

(www.crusaid.org.uk)

Wandsworth LGBT Community Network 07967 101 887

Elton John AIDS Foundation 020 7603 9996 (www.ejaf.org) Food Chain 020 7354 0333

(www.wandsworthlgbt.org.uk)

West London Gay Bridge Club 020 7537 2481 (www.wlgbc.co.uk)

COUNSELLING PACE - Project for Advice Counselling & Education 020 7700 1323 (www.pacehealth.org.uk)

DANCING Boot Scoot Line Dancing 07912 641 562

(www.foodchain.org.uk)

GMFA - charity for Gay Men’s Health 020 7738 6872 (www.gmfa.org.uk) National AIDS Trust – World AIDS Day 020 7814 6767 (www.nat.org.uk) Sexual Health Information Line 0800 567 123 (www.playingsafely.co.uk) Terrence Higgins Trust THT - helpline 08451 221 200 (www.tht.org.uk)

HOUSING

(www.bootscoot.co.uk)

Gay Gordons Pink Jukebox at the Loom Bar 07774 443 627

Albert Kennedy Trust - Housing Advice for L&G Teenagers London - 020 7831 6562 Manchester - 0161 228 3308

(www.pinkjukebox.co.uk)

(www.akt.org.uk)

(www.thegaygordons.org)

DINING CLUBS Gusto Dining Club 07941 045 102 (www.gusto-dining.co.uk)

Lewisham Housing Support Team 020 8463 1170 (www.thamesreachbondway.com)

Stonewall Housing 020 7359 5767 (www.stonewallhousing.org)

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OLDER PEOPLE

GAY OUTDOOR CLUB: Getting active

CAFFMOS for older, mature gay men (www.caffmoscommunity.com) Polari 020 7255 4480 (www.polari.org)

The Gay Outdoor Club operates throughout the UK and provides a wide range of outdoor and indoor sports and recreational activities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender men and women. These activities include walking, cycling, swimming, badminton, rock climbing, canoeing, caving, mountaineering, and skiing. GOC has over 1500 members and offers up to one hundred meets per month, in this country and overseas.

PARENTING Group For LGBT Adopted Adults 020 7284 0555

(www.postadoptioncentre.org.uk) LGB Post-Adoption Group 020 7284 0555

(www.postadoptioncentre.org.uk) Pink Parents - Bristol 08701 273 274 (www.pinkparents.org.uk) Rainbow Families - for lesbian parents (www.rainbowfamilies.co.uk)

POLICE LIASON

For more info visit www.goc.org.uk

Islington LGBT Forum 07989 747 824 Out in Southwark 020 7525 5659 (www.southwark-lgbt.org)

POLITICAL Abortion Rights 020 7923 9792 (www.abortionrights.org.uk)

Birmingham Community Pride Trust 0121 236 0537 (www.trustinpride.org.uk) Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence Service 08452 604 460 (www.broken-rainbow.org.uk)

Consortium of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Voluntary and Community Organisations 020 7064 8383 (www.lgbtconsortium.org.uk) DELGA - Liberal-Democrats for Lesbian & Gay Rights 020 7227 1395 (www.delga.libdems.org) Hall-Carpenter Archives 020 7955 7223 (www.hallcarpenter.tripod.com)

Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism LAGCAR 020 7247 9907 (www.naar.org.uk/lagcar)

Outrage! 020 8240 0222 (www.OutRage.org.uk)

School’s Out! 020 7635 0476 (www.schools-out.org.uk)

Stonewall 020 7593 1850 (www.stonewall.org.uk)

Stonewall - free info line 08000 50 20 20

PROFESIONAL GROUPS

RELIGION & HUMANITY Absolute Freedom Group of SGI-UK Buddhists 07950 900 516

(www.sgi-uk.org)

Brightwaves Metropolitan Community Church 01273 681 101 (www.BrightwavesMCCBrighton.co.uk)

G&L Humanist Association - GALHA

Duns ‘n’ Roses Hockey Club Iain - 07931 984 930 (www.pinkhockey.com)

International G & L Skiers & Snowboarders Association IGLSA

(www.gayskiers.org)

Irons Golf Society (www.ironsgolf.co.uk) KB Fitness 020 7681 0114

(www.kbfitness.co.uk)

KB Kickboxing 07881 957 977 (www.kbkickboxing.co.uk)

Kings Cross Steelers Rugby Football Club 07761 045 654 (www.kxsrfc.com)

London Amateur Wrestlers 020 7388 5463

(www.galha.org)

LGBT Catholics’ Mass 020 8986 0807

(www.sohomasses.com)

L&G Christian Movement LGCM 020 7739 1249 (www.lgcm.org.uk) LGCM - Roman Catholic Caucus 020 7226 0847

Metropolitian Community Church of Brixton 020 8678 0200 (www.mccsouthlondon.co.uk) Quaker Quest 020 7251 0376 (www.quakerquest.org)

QUEST

- G&L Catholics 0808 808 0234

(www.questgaycatholic.org.uk)

SOCIAL GROUPS Bromley Gay and Bisexual Men’s Group 01689 866 698 London Friend - LGB Art & Social Group 020 7837 3337 (www.londonfriend.org.uk)

OUTeverywhere 08450 060 050 Circa UK 0906 716 0098 (www.circa-club.com)

Gay Business Association - GBA 0844 562 4005 (www.gba.org.uk) Gay Police Association - GPA 07092 700 000 (www.gay.police.uk)

GLADD Doctors and Dentists (www.gladd.org.uk)

Jake 020 7268 3476

(www.JakeTM.org)

(www.outeverywhere.com)

SPORTS GROUPS 4Play Squash Club (www.4PlaySquash.org)

GALA Badminton Club 020 8952 8293

Gay Cycling Touring Group 020 8747 4640 (www.gaycycling.wfour.co.uk)

Suit & Tie Society 020 8883 0394

Gay Outdoor Club GOC 01673 861 962 (www.goc.org.uk) Gay Sailing Group - Brighton 01273 721 933 Goslings Sports Club 020 8802 9639

village drinks

Grace’s Cricket Club 020 7278 3294

LAGLA Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association 020 7940 4000 (www.lagla.org.uk)

(www.suitandtie.org.uk)

(www.villagedrinks.co.uk)

(www.GoslingsSportsClub.com) (www.gaycricket.org)

vol 2 issue 1 | beige | 77

Community.indd 3

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beige community

Community (www.law-wrestling.org)

London Frontrunners 07092 346 340 (www.londonfrontrunners.org)

London Raiders Softball Club 07931 721 377 (www.rainbowraiders.com) London Spikers Volleyball Club 020 8281 6295 (www.londonspikers.org)

Manchester Stingers WFC (www.manchesterstingers.net)

Moseley Shoals GOC Swimmming Group Birmingham 0121 622 6589 (www.moseleyshoals.org.uk)

Out to Swim 07843 616 100 (www.outtoswim.org)

Pride Games

- Manchester

Remnants Hockey Club 020 8850 9518

020 7064 8383

(www.unison.org.uk/out) Unison - North West 0161 211 1000

(www.remnantshockey.org.uk)

Stonewall Football Club 020 7565 4254 (www.stonewallfc.org) Village Manchester Football Club 07976 939 205 (www.vmfc.co.uk)

(www.freestylelondon.org.uk/youth)

MOSAIC LGBT Youth Project 020 7328 7172 ext 5

YOUTH GROUPS BLAZE - Walthamstow 020 8509 3898 Allsorts - Brighton

TRADE UNIONS

(www.mosaicyouth.org.uk)

Queer Youth Alliance - Manchester (www.queeryouth.net) SNAP - Greenwich 020 8265 3311 (www.

(www.allsortsyouth.org.uk)

Freestyle London 020 7064 8383

Fire Brigade Union L&G Support 020 8541 1765 (www.fbulgbt.org.uk) GMB LGBT 020 8947 3131

themetro.dircon.co.uk/youth_snap.htm)

Step Out at Step Forward - Islington 020 7739 3082

(www.freestylelondon.org.uk)

Inside Out Project at 42nd Street Manchester 0161 832 0169 (www.

(www. members.lycos.co.uk/gmblgbt)

Spectrum - TSSA LGBT Group 020 7249 7996 (www.tssa.org.uk) TUC 020 7636 4030 (www.tuc.org.uk) Unison National LGBT Committee 08453 550 845

(www.stepforward-web.org)

fortysecondstreet.org.uk)

LGYM - Lesbian and Gay Youth Manchester 0161 273 7838

NOT LISTED? Please email your information to info@ gaytoz.com

(www.lgym.org.uk)

London LGBT Youth Council

(www.pridegames.org)

roger@beigeuk.com

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