life! Saturday, January 17 2009
T he Gazette
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Thrills and spills of the Chinese circus
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INTERVIEW: Page 5
FASHION: Page 15
FAMILIES: Pages 16/17
PLUS: Your complete seven-day TV & radio listings
SEVENDAYS
KIDNAP CASE: DC Connor (Nathan DS Nick Dyer (Geoffrey Constance), DC Miles (Jonathan Streatfeild) and Slinger), Iain Barclay DI Zoe Larson (Eleanor (Hugh Bonneville), Matsuura)
Your complete guide the week’s television to
Old team reunite d
C
rime dramas are these days, but 10-a-penny viewers who enjoyed the 2006 Five Days will be mini-series delighted when Hugh Bonneville and Janet McTeer reprise their roles in Hunter (BBC1, tomorrow, 9pm). The first captivating drama revolved around the disappearance of a young mother, and as the viewers were kept story unravelled, on the edge of their
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Amy Foster (Janet
McTeer), DC Sue
Mailer (Anna Koval),
seats as they learned the identity of the killer and his co-conspirators.
Now, a little over and Foster are two years later, Barclay back, and must Set during a scorching together stick duo Barclay (Bonneville)summer, detective chance if they’re going to have any of catching (McTeer) were assigned and Foster with the pressure the culprits and deal to lead the of investigating investigation into sensitive, politically a motivated crime. disappearance, the young woman’s In the first of the two-part story, Barclay whether she wasand were left questioning called started afresh andabducted or had simply kidnap in to investigate when extremists is didn’t want to be two seven-year-old found. boys and threaten to kill them demands are met. unless their radical
Lumbered with a relatively inexperienced team, Barclay calls on his old friend Foster, who is enjoying Amy her early retirement, to assist with investigations.
With the children’s families demandinglives at risk, the boys’ little evidence with answers and with the detectives face which to build a case, a race against time a moral dilemma and to bring the terrorists to justice.
olgazette.co.uk Saturday, January
17, 2009
life! 25
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THEMOVIES
View all the latest movie trailers at www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk
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In the comeback corner it’s Mickey Rourke as an 80s professional wrestling star. Now, 20 years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centres around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show. But when a heart attack forces him into retirement his sense of identity starts to slip away and he has to choose – the ring or reality, what’s it going to be? Rating: Almost knockout.
SEVEN POUNDS (12A)
Will Smith reunites with the director and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for this emotional drama concerning a gifted aerospace engineer whose quest for redemption after accidentally causing the death of seven people – including his beloved wife – is unexpectedly complicated after he inadvertently falls in love. Assuming the identity of his younger brother, Ben – an IRS agent – sets out in search to right his wrongs. Instead, he discovers true love while forever changing the lives of seven complete strangers. Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Michael Ealy, and Barry Pepper co-star. Rating: Weighty stuff.
BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (U)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (15)
SEX DRIVE (15)
BRIDE WARS (12A)
YES MAN (12A)
BEDTIME STORIES (TBC)
THE WRESTLER (15)
Director Danny Boyle is back on top form and tipped to be back in the Oscar chase with a vivid, choice moving and exciting mingling of fable, travelogue and social commentary. Skins’ Dev Patel stars as Jamal, an orphan from the slums who has made it to the last question in the subcontinent’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Convinced that he has been cheating, game show host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor) goes to painful lengths to prove Jamal is a fake. Rating: Pure delight.
✔
DEFIANCE (15)
life!
The name’s Bielski....Tuvia Bielski. James Bond actor Daniel Craig rings the changes again, this time emerging as one of three Jewish brothers hiding from the Nazis in the woods of Belarus. It’s a sort of Robin Hood with machine guns as the trio recruit a band of like minded refugees using guerrilla tactics against the occupying army. Last Samurai director Edward Zwick tackles the true story earnestly to dispel the stereotypical image of Holocaust victims – though with a little too much gung ho considering recent world events. Rating: Stirred not shaken.
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About to go to college and losing girls to his younger brother, likable 18-year old underdog Ian (Josh Zuckerman) feels he is the last American virgin.Then he meets Ms Tasty on the internet. She’s everything he’s ever wanted in a girlfriend – fun, sexy, and she really likes him – but she lives 500 miles away and thinks he looks like Brad Pitt. At the urging of his best friend, Lance (Clark Duke) and “borrowing” a car from his crazy elder brother Rex (James Marsden), Ian decides to confront his fear of rejection. Rating: Drive or drivel?
Based on a memoir by British author Danny Wallace, the story centres on a man who decides to change his life by saying yes to absolutely everything that comes his way – leading him on a series of unexpected comedic adventures that turn his whole life upside-down. Jim Carrey stars as Carl Allen, a man who signs up for a selfhelp programme based on one simple principle: say yes to everything...and anything. At first it transforms his life in amazing and unexpected ways, but he soon discovers it can have its drawbacks. Rating: Carrey on trying.
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In this DIsney animation a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua named Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) finds herself accidentally lost in the mean streets of Mexico without a day spa or Rodeo Drive boutique anywhere in sight. Now alone for the first time in her spoiled life, she must rely on some unexpected new friends – including a street-hardened German Shepherd named Delgado (Andy Garcia) and an amorous pup named Papi (George Lopez) – to lend her a paw and help her to find her inner strength on their incredible journey back home. Rating: Pretty woof.
Successful lawyer Liv (Kate Hudson) and more subservient teacher Emma (Anne Hathaway) are best friends who since childhood have planned every detail of their respective weddings. At the top of their bridal “must have” list: a ceremony at New York’s ultimate bridal destination, the Plaza Hotel. Now, at age 26, they're both about to get married; they’re about to realize their dreams; and they’re about to live happily ever after. Or maybe not... a clerical error means they're to be married on the same date putting their friendship to the ultimate test. Rating: Chick flick.
A children's fantasy concerning a hotel handyman who gradually begins to realise that the imaginative bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew are beginning to manifest themselves in the real world. Adam Sandler is Skeeter Bronson, whose life is changed forever when the fictional tales he tells start to come true. He attempts to take advantage of the phenomenon, incorporating his own aspirations into one outlandish tale after another, but it's the kids' unexpected contributions that turn Skeeter's life upside down. Rating: Frothy fantasy.
STARINTERVIEW
5MINUTES WITH
Frank Skinner
Mickey Rourke reveals how a role as a retired professional wrestler on the comeback trail mirrors his own return to the screen
F
rank Skinner, 51, made his first standup performance in 1987. He has gone on to forge a glittering career on TV, with chat shows, sitcoms and documentaries. Frank Skinner On The Road: Love, Stand-up Comedy And The Queen Of The Night is out now (Century, £18.99).
L
ife was very different for Mickey Rourke 10 years ago. The 80s star became known for his rebellious persona after starring in films like Angel Heart, Year Of The Dragon and 9½ Weeks. But he decided to leave acting in the early 90s so he could begin a professional boxing career. Within four years, he had to retire from the boxing world due to injuries he sustained in the ring, and wanted to go back to acting – except the film industry had turned their back on him and his unpredictable ways. Devastated, Mickey had to resort to desperate measures. “I was very fortunate. You do whatever you can to survive,’’ he recalls. “I sold all my motorcycles. I used to have nine motorcycles, all kinds of Harleys. After I ran out of motorcycles, I called up a friend and asked for a construction job. “I thought if I go work in an alley somewhere, no one will recognise me. So I called him but he didn’t reply. I thought, ‘Jesus, I can’t even get a construction job’.’’ His former glory did little to help him during that time, which he refers to as his ‘lost years’. “What I did was 20 years ago,’’ he says. “You can’t pay your rent on that, you can’t get laid on that, you can’t have a drink on that. You’re yesterday’s news. You get treated differently.’’ Amazingly, life is now looking good for 54year-old Mickey. While physically he hardly resembles the handsome actor he was in the 80s, he looks smart in a silver striped jacket and red and gold striped shirt, with rings adorning his fingers. He chooses to wear sunglasses even though we’re in a dimly lit hotel room and his slightly unkempt hair has blond highlighted streaks. He admits that at one point he almost gave up on resurrecting his big-screen career. “After 10 years, you go: ‘The party’s over’,’’ he says. “It’s a slow journey back. There were small things along the way. Sean Penn went out of his way to give me a day on The Pledge, (Sylvester) Stallone saw me eating in a restaurant one night, paid for my spaghetti and put me in Get Carter. Tony Scott put me in Domino.’’
FACTFILE
■ Philip Andre ‘Mickey’ Rourke was born in Schenectady, New York, but moved to South Florida with his mother when his parents divorced. ■ His film debut was in Stephen Spielberg’s 1941, but it was his portrayal of an arsonist in Body Heat that brought him to attention. ■ He’s been praised for his performances in 80s classics
HIT MAN: Mickey Rourke as Randy ‘Ram’ Robinson in The Wrestler
Comeback by a battler
His biggest break came when director Darren Aronofsky cast him as washed-up professional wrestler Randy ‘Ram’ Robinson in The Wrestler, a role that has already earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. Randy’s comeback story mirrors Mickey’s own life, but the actor bats away suggestions that the role has resurrected his career. “Everybody talks about that, but when you’ve been out of work for a certain amount of time, a decade or so, you’re kind of wary of it all,’’ he says. “It feels very strange. It’s painfully nice. I was on the bench for 13 years, and after 10 years go by, you start thinking all you have is hope. And when time goes by, you start to think, is it really over like everybody says it is? Especially in a town like Los Angeles,
Diner, The Pope Of Greenwich Village, Year Of The Dragon and Angel Heart. ■ Mickey has written several films under the name ‘Sir’ Eddie Cook, including Bullet, in which he co-starred with the late Tupac Shakur. ■ He has been married twice – to actresses Debra Feuer and Carre Otis.
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where you’re reminded every day of being yesterday’s news. “You’ll be buying cigarettes at two in the morning, and some jerk is going to say, ‘What happened to you? How come you don’t work any more?’ You hear it 24/7. Or somebody will come up and mention 9½ Weeks or Angel Heart. That was a long time ago. It’s like a fighter talking about an old fight at the gym.’’ Mickey is full of remorse for behaving badly when he should have been thankful for the earlier opportunities that he was offered. “I’m at a point where I behaved so terribly when I had a chance, I wasn’t responsible, I wasn’t professional,’’ he explains. “It wasn’t that I was misunderstood – I behaved terribly because I had a fuse burning inside of me I couldn’t put out. I wasn’t happy and I didn’t know how to do that until I went and got the information to understand why I behave the way I do with authority figures and what have you – and not until you do that can you make a change. “I thought I could change in a year or a year and a half, I didn’t realise it was going to take 10 years of working on it consistently, and realising there are repercussions. Before, I didn’t care about the repercussions – there were no rules.’’ Aside from the emotional challenges to play Randy, the twice-married actor-screenwriter had to bulk up with the help of an Israeli exarmy commando and martial arts champion. ■ The Wrestler was released at cinemas nationwide this weekend
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with? The Pope. After we’d been in there for about three or four hours, I think the white hat and cloak would come off and I’d see the real man. We could talk. What is you biggest fear? I have a recurring dream that I’m on stage doing stand-up, and I haven’t planned any material at all. That is bit odd, because I did Unplanned for five series, which is exactly that. Do you have any superstitions? Magpies. I always salute magpies when I see them, but I never say ‘Good morning Mr Magpie’, which I think you’re supposed to say. If you could one song on your iPod, what would it be? Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul by The Fall. What is the most expensive item you have ever bought, not including property? I bought a shirt of Elvis Presley’s for £11,200. It was a shirt of his from 1956. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Nothing is 100 per cent. It wasn’t actually given to me, but I got from that great place to find wisdom, Niall Quinn’s autobiography. It’s very simple, but it’s a fabulous thing to apply to work, a relationship or anything. My girlfriend and I think our relationship 30 per cent rubbish, and 70 per cent good to brilliant. I think every couple should have that conversation. When was the last time you cried and why? It was when West Brom won the Championship last season. The good thing is no one could see I was crying, because I was dressed as Robin The Boy Wonder. There was a superhero theme for the last game of the season. Adrian Chiles was next to me, he was dressed as Batman. What’s your indulgence? Posh soap. That’s the one thing I really like. You can get that stuff that’s called something like olive and bracken soap. Well I had some soap once that had some sandalwood in it, and it put a big scratch in my back. That took quite a bit of explaining when my then-girlfriend saw it. How environmentally friendly are you? When I get petrol, I don’t just use unleaded, I use the super-fancy unleaded. It’s got to help. How many texts do you send in a day? Between 20 and 30. I prefer texting to speaking to people. There’s something very comforting in the distance that you keep by texting. I think I would have made a great mute. I could have had a notebook. What item could you not live without? My satnav. I even occasionally of late use it for walking, which is really pushing the satnav and taking advantage of its flexibility. Who’s the most famous person in your phone? At the moment, probably Jonathan Ross. I would have said Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I think in the current climate, Jonathan wins it. Who’s your best friend in showbusiness? David Baddiel. What one thing would you change about yourself? I’d quite like a chest and shoulders. My arms kind of join at the neck. You know when you see someone like Didier Drogba take their shirt off at the end of the game? You can’t help but admire that. I’d love to look like that.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life!
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WHAT’SON Top organist to perform at church recital
JAMES Davy will be the guest organist at St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lytham, on Friday, 7.30pm. Assistant director of music at Blackburn Cathedral, he will perform a programme of classical music at the monthly concert on the church’s unique classical and theatre voiced Copeman Hart dual purpose digital organ – the only one of its kind in the world. As assistant director of music at Blackburn Cathedral, his duties involve accompanying the Cathedral Choirs and directing the Young People’s Choir, acting as director of music for a term’s sabbatical cover from September 2007. He has played on several recordings, attracting very favourable notices, as well as on national TV and radio, working regularly on the daily service on BBC Radio 4. As well as performing in and around Blackburn, recent recital venues include Sheffield City Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, Ripon and Hereford Cathedrals and Westminster Abbey. He has also worked recently with Tony Christie and Lesley Garrett. Tickets are £7 or £5 for members of the Lytham Organ Society or affiliated societies (on production of membership card) and may be obtained on the door. For more information ring Irvine Bell on (01253) 738070 or email ibell@uwclub.net
STRICTLY LIVE: Rachel Stevens (above) and Jodie Kidd
TV dance stars step up on tour
J
odie Kidd and Rachel Stevens will be dancing their way around the country next week when Strictly Come Dancing – The Live Tour arrives at Liverpool Arena on Monday then Manchester Arena from Wednesday to Sunday. Audiences will get the chance to watch their favourite celebrities, dance champions and those allimportant TV judges. Jodie and Rachel will join fellow dancing celebrities from the recent BBC1 series, Cherie Lunghi and winner Tom Chambers, along with past favourites Gethin Jones, Jill Halfpenny, Julian Clary and Kenny Logan, for the UK tour. Tom Chambers, who swapped the wards of Holby City for the dance floor, hit the headlines with his winning streak and actress Cherie Lunghi, dazzled right up until her departure from the show in week nine. Jill Halfpenny wowed judges with
her dancing in the second series and was crowned champion, with Julian Clary closely following in third place. The 2009 tour will see the celebrities face their dance demons in the form of all four TV judges – Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli – joining each show to voice their professional opinions of the dancing duos. Bruno said: “I am so excited to be doing the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour this time, I really missed out last year due to TV commitments in America. The tour was a huge success, a complete sel-out at all venues across the country! This year, it's going to be even better – skilful routines and beautiful costumes brought together by fantastic live music. It’s going to be great!” The celebrities will be joined on the 45-date tour by their world-class professional dance partners.
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Manchester Library Theatre’s second annual Re:Play Festival opens on Tuesday, featuring some of the best new theatre seen in some of Manchester and Salford’s non-traditional theatre venues in 2008. It begins with A Dog Called Redemption, Matthew Landers’ award-winning production about two vagrants looking for hope beyond the pavements. A further five plays will be performed during the festival. ■ Tickets for Re:Play are available now from the Library
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Series two pro-champion Darren Bennett will dance with Jill Halfpenny. Cherie Lunghi and Jodie Kidd will partner with James Jordan and Ian Waite and Julian Clary will take to the stage with Lilia Kopylova. Gethin Jones will dance with Flavia Cacace and Ola Jordan will partner Kenny Logan. Current Strictly Come Dancing prochampion Matthew Cutler and new dancer Kristina Rihanoff will also tour, performing in the showcase and group numbers. Kate Thornton will once again host the tour, which kicked off last night at the Newcastle Arena. ■ Remaining ticket details for Liverpool Arena – 0844 8000 400 and Manchester Arena – 0844 847 8000.
ROUND&ABOUT
Acclaimed performers Joel Stickley and Luke Wright appear at The Dukes in Lancaster tonight parodying the worst of everyday copywriting in a lively show based on their book Who Writes This Crap? With quirky animation, performed excerpts and mock lectures, they bring to life their compendium of texts – from phone bills and cereal packets to celebrity gossip magazines and health warnings. Who Writes This Crap? was written when Luke and Joel discovered a shared loathing for junk mail . ■ The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster. Tonight at 8.30pm. Tickets: £10 and £7.50. Box office: (01524) 598500. whatson replay
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From the current series, Camilla Dallerup and Vincent Simone will partner Tom Chambers and Rachel Stevens respectively.
Theatre box office in St Peter’s Square, Manchester, on (0161) 236 7110, or via the website at www.librarytheatre.com
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The Shakespeare For Kidz company returns to Preston Charter Theatre on Monday with The Tempest – a mystical, magical, mysterious musical comedy of revenge, a father’s love for his daughter and the misuse of power. Perfect for children studying their Key Stage 2 and 3. Performances are at 10.30am and 1.30pm. Tickets: Adult £15, Children £9 (one free teacher admitted with every 10 children).
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Alan Plater’s award winning Blonde Bombshells of 1943, a warm, witty musical play filled with glorious, live swing band performances, begins its third major national tour at The Lowry on Salford Quays from Tuesday. Brimming with 1940s classics by Fats Waller, The Andrews Sisters and Glen Miller, Blonde Bombshells of 1943 features a live band of eight talented actors/musicians. The Blonde Bombshells, the most glamorous all-girl swing band in the North, loses members every time it plays a GI camp. Now there’s an
important BBC job in the offing and Betty (Charlotte Armer) needs to find new musicians – fast. ■ Blonde Bombshells of 1943. Tuesday to Saturday, January 20-24. The Lowry, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester. Times: Evenings 7.30pm, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees 2.30pm. Box office: (0870) 787 5793 or www.thelowry.com
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Kerrang!’s Relentless Energy Drink Tour 2009 is back and is bigger than ever with 17 shows taking place across then UK this month including Manchester Academy and Liverpool Academy. Headlining the tour is Mindless Self Indulgence – back in the UK after a sold out tour earlier this year. One of the biggest bands in America they have topped Billboard Singles and MySpace charts. Also appearing are Bring Me the Horizon, Black Tide and In Case Of Fire. ■ Kerrang!’s Relentless Energy Drink Tour visits Manchester Academy (0161 832 1111) on Friday and Liverpool Academy on Tuesday January 27 (0844 477 2000). Tickets for all shows are £15 (that’s £3.75 per band).
Merseybeat veteran’s piano in charity auction A PIANO at the heart of the Merseybeat boom of the 1960s is to be auctioned in St Annes to raise money for an autism charity. The baby grand piano, which has been played by many of the famous names from the Merseybeat days, is being put on sale by its owner, original member of The Searchers, John McNally. John bought the piano in the early 60s and
it has been in his home in Blundellsands, Merseyside ever since. Now the baby grand is to feature on David Dickinson’s Real Deal TV show. It was filmed at a Dealers’ Day in Southport in November but the offer made then was rejected and it will now go to auction at Gerrards Auction Rooms, St Annes on Thursday.
The auction will also be filmed and the piano will feature in one of the shows to be screened later this year. ■ The piano will be auctioned at Gerrard’s Auction Rooms, St George’s Road, St Annes on Thursday. It can be viewed there today and Tuesday and Wednesday before the auction.
HEAD OVER HEELS: One of the wonders of the show
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medallists of the future, in a unique collaboration that also offers a snapshot of a rich Chinese cultural heritage. The show features back-flipping acrobats spiralling through rotating hoops and a succession of plate spinning oriental divas. Further spice comes from a candelabrabalancing knotted contortionist, expert demonstrations of Chinese polebalancing and a colourfully costumed performance of the Lion Dance. Legendary fabled characters from the world-famous Peking Opera act as hosts, while narration is by one of the most
BILLY J McGregor and his 10-piece band return to Preston Guild Hall tonight to pay tribute to Elvis Presley.
touring the largest and most prestigious venues throughout the UK, The Elvis Collection has been hailed as one of the best Elvis tribute shows ever.
famous characters in Chinese Folklore – the Monkey King.
And to top it all, the undisputed masters of martial arts, from the Shaolin school of Kung Fu, Wu Shu and Qigong, showcase their skills – ancient discipline and defensive techniques transformed into the most dramatic entertainment, rarely seen outside the cinema. ■ Tickets for The Chinese State Circus range from £18 to £22, with children’s tickets at £10, and are on sale from the Guild Hall and Charter Theatre box office on (01772) 258858.
Music-only tribute to the king of rock and roll
Over two hours The King’s best known recordings are performed live on stage during a roller coaster ride of the 50s, 60s and 70s with musical direction from Alan Wearmouth. No cod Memphis accents, no miming to backing tracks and absolutely no wigs or false stick-on sideburns. After five years
Billy J McGregor is himself a lifelong fan of The King but he is not a lookalike – rather a pure tribute show in the purest sense with his band re-creating the greatest hits of Elvis Presley’s 23-year recording career. Listen to songs like Jailhouse Rock, American
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Trilogy, Suspicious Minds, Johnny B. Goode, Devil in Disguise, Hound Dog and more sung with passion and attention to detail. Says Billy: “With The Elvis Collection we take the legend of The King back to what really counts – the music. “Elvis was such a charismatic guy yet too many Presley tribute shows rely on jokey impersonations that completely miss the point. We don’t do that”
Drink a toast to 99p pint
D
Champs of China he Chinese State Circus is presenting a new show which encompasses world classacrobatics, gymnasts and martial arts from the famous Shaolin Warriors, in a breathtaking show of physical theatre. This action-packed production visits Preston Charter Theatre from Tuesday to Thursday, providing a treat for the whole family. The limits of human achievement are stretched in a two hour extravaganza combining the spectacle of flying warriors paired with amazing acrobatics from potential Olympic gold and silver
DUKE’S DIARY
o you ever despair at what people despair of? I only ask because in my book – or dictionary as I prefer to call it – despair is “a total loss of hope.” I therefore despair at countries which blow up innocent schoolchildren at their desks and I despair of the terrorists allegedly hiding their missiles in those schools. I despair at parents who beat and torture their toddlers to death or who arrange the kidnap of their daughter for the sake of a ransom or newspaper fee. But I do not despair at a pub company reducing the price of two of its beers to 99p a pint. I may be surprised. I may be shocked. I might disagree or I might be pleasantly surprised but I do not, as so many of the great and good of Blackpool seem to have done, despair. When even the editorial writer of The Independent suggests “this summer think local” (albeit recommending the Scottish Highlands, Cornish coast, Lake District and South Downs rather than Blackpool and the Fylde Coast) shouldn’t any move which might attract anyone to these parts be greeted with more than despair? Imagine that you are a working parent, possibly with three kids. You’ve worked hard for a holiday abroad you can’t now afford and don’t know if your job will be there when you return. So you think about a return to the place you enjoyed when you were young – such as Blackpool. I know this will come as a shock to some people but most holidaymakers do actually enjoy a drink or two. They always have. Remember the days when kids could be found outside every Blackpool pub with a packet of crisps and a bottle of lemonade, often looking after the luggage whilst mum and days enjoyed a tipple before finding their lodgings? So what do you choose – a pub where you can have a pint for 99p or one where it costs at least £1.50 and possibly as much as £2.50 or £3? I think the Government’s lectures on economics would side with anyone fancying that 99p tipple – especially as the soft drinks for the kids will be similarly marked down in price. What do the powers that be really want? Shall we ban burgers costing less than a couple of quid because they encourage obesity? Should we up the price of fish and chips to a minimum of a fiver rather than risk binge eating? And what about those wicked Poundwise shops where you can’t buy anything for more than £1 even if you wanted to? Get them to hike things up to Marks & Spencer levels or next thing you know households will be plunged into poverty by people stocking up on bargain coffee, biscuits and whatever else they sell in there. The headlines surrounding the 99p a pint drink deal will have attracted thousands more tipplers to try out the offer. It might have even stopped them buying that awful supermarket stuff which costs less than bottled water – probably because it tasted very much like it. Oh, it’s enough to make you despair. robin.duke@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life!
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FOOD&DRINK LIQUIDNEWS
Take a tour of British wines ●
HOLIDAYING at home will be big in 2009 – try a little domestic wine tourism with a copy of A Guide To The Wines Of England & Wales (BTL Publishing, £14.99). Awardwinning writers Philip Williamson, David Moore and Neville Blech have certainly done their homework – the book includes essential information about more than 100 vineyards, plus interviews with the local industry’s leading winemakers.
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Treat yourself to the new Coeur De Cognac – a modern take on the classic favourite, which you can drink as an aperitif. A bottle of this “voluptuous elixir of apricots and pears infused with sunshine’’ is £35 at Selfridges, Tesco and Sainsburys,
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Winter is a time for a warming glass of mulled cider. Marks & Spencer is bang on trend – its Mulled Cider will restore shattered nerves and bring warmth back to frozen feet. The 8.5% ABV bottle costs £3.99.
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Could Oregano, that well-know and very popular Mediterranean herb used in cooking and salads, be the super herbal remedy of the year? Over the centuries many herbs have been recognised for their healthy properties and become part of an everyday diet. Oregano tea is traditionally drunk to treat colds, fevers and menstrual pain. It can help sore throats and coughs. It has also long been recognised as a digestive helping stomach problems. Recent medical tests may have found that it has anti-microbial properties, meaning that it can help in the fight against MRSA (the hospital bug). The Whittard Oregano infusion is a caffeine-free blend containing apple pieces, rosehips and lemongrass. All contain vitamins that are wellrecognised for their beneficial health-aiding effects. Prepare a light brew using two teaspoons in a two-cup teapot. Infuse for four minutes. The apple gives body and density to the infusion, rosehips add richness, whilst the deliciously refreshing citrus crispness of lemongrass balances very well with the sweet fragrance of oregano. RRP £3.90 for 125g.
YOURVIEW MY RESTAURANT CHOICE
The Queensway in St Annes has never been more popular. The food is always good and fresh, staff are very friendly and there is the added attraction of the salad bar, which you can return to as many times as you wish. There’s plenty of choice and it is regularly topped up. – Betty Moore of Holmefield Road, St Annes.
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L
emon meringue pie is always a winner ... but don’t buy a packet filling, it is so easy to make it yourself and you’ll be able to taste the difference.
INGREDIENTS
30floz of cold water 2 desertspoons cornflour 4 lemons (zest and juice) 8oz caster sugar 3oz butter 4 eggs separated
METHOD
1 Line a 12-inch pastry with sweet pastry, bake off blind. To start the filling, pour the water into a saucepan with 4oz caster sugar and skins of the lemon and boil for 10minutes to make lemon syrup.
EATINGIN
with Marco Calle-Catalayud of Kwizeen, Blackpool
LEMONMERINGUE PIE In a separate mixing bowl add the cornflour and juice and zest from the lemons, and mix to a smooth paste. Use a sieve, place over the cornflour paste, pour over the lemon syrup and
disregard the lemon skins. Pour the mix back into the saucepan on a gentle heat and whisk. Add the egg yolks and whisk, then the butter and whisk, until it starts to thicken, then pour into your pastry case. 2 Whisk the egg whisk until totally stiff and mix in the 4oz caster sugar one third at a time. Now pour meringue on top of the lemon pie and spread out evenly. Pop the pie into an oven at gas mark 2 or 100C for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave for another 15 minutes. To start: Pan fried Goosnargh duck livers, Thai jam To finish: Roast leg of lamb, honey roast potatoes To drink: Liquorice black muscat To book: 290045
FOODEXTRA
The frugal way to throw your dinner party
WHEN it’s cold and bleak outside, there’s no better time to have people over for dinner. They’re always grateful to be fed, it’s a chance to cook something more exciting than the usual weekday pasta and sauce combo, and it’s a good way to return favours or get to know people better. But unless you’re careful, entertaining at home can be a fast-track to economic ruin. Many’s the time when a quick bit of accounting has shown that dining in can cost as much as dining out - and you still have to do the dishes and clean up afterwards. Foodwriter Fiona Beckett (pictured) – whose blog is a source of great inspiration – has got plenty of ideas on how to be a generous host without resorting to beans on toast for the rest of the month. Her new book, The Frugal Cook (Absolute
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Press, £14.99) is packed with recipes and imaginative ideas to turn simple ingredients into meals with the wow factor. She says it is possible to skimp without it showing – you just need to be clever.
“Make up for your lack of cash by inviting friends to a meal that sounds fun,’’ she says. “You could tie it to an event... or focus on a type of food, like a cupcake tea, a jelly and ice cream party, or a soup supper.’’ If she has more than six guests, Fiona says she forgets all about providing dinner and focuses on drinks and nibbles instead. “For six or under it would be supper in the kitchen,’’ she says. “I don’t do dinner parties these days!’’ While it’s fine to give people leftovers at this time of year, Fiona has a few words of caution. “’Come round for leftovers’ isn’t a very enticing invitation,’’ she laughs. “But most of us could run up a delicious meal from what we’ve got in the fridge or the store cupboard. “There are endless possibilities.’’
FOOD&DRINK
EATINGOUT
WINECORNER
by Jacqueline Morley
Anon, Poulton
W
A
meal out is a good birthday present. You don’t have to remember the name of a favourite perfume or aftershave and you don’t have to yet again ask for a waist or collar size. Best all you get to share the experience yourself (assuming you’ve remembered to include your name on the invitation). But with birthdays in the vicinity of Christmas or New Year’s Eve it can have its drawbacks. Just when your partner is expecting a night of candlelit romance he or she discovers your whispered sweet nothings are about to be interrupted by gangs of friends and workmates who probably only meet up once a year to make as much noise as possible, eat as quickly as they can and then head off somewhere else like partying locusts. So these days we take a rain check on my wife’s December 19 celebrations until the last of everyone’s turkey has been curried and the final cracker has sent its Hong Kong trinket hurtling across the table into someone else’s glass of vin plonk d’ordinaire. With the credit crunch and everyone queuing round the clock for sales bargains we thought we’d be safe venturing out a little earlier in the year to one of our favourite bistros. An 8pm booking seemed sensible but Anon owner Tim Waterworth advised a few minutes earlier would dodge the table for 12 already booked in and place us midway between the 10 or so diners who would already be there. That’s pretty much a full house for this intimate eaterie but at least the table’s yours for the night and the speed of service is dictated by the customer not the chef – so we happily agreed. By the end of this month there’s likely to be a choice of three menus most nights – a fixed price two or three course market one, a sensibly sized a la carte and a special selection which can only be ordered in advance to cut down on wastage and guarantee individual service of local produce. Being someone who is slow at both choosing and eating I was happy to be faced with an economically sized new year a la carte selection. This being a birthday treat I was prepared to forego my automatic first choice of starter – Moules Provencal (£6.50) – but needn’t have worried because the serving was actually Moules Mountainous and we ended up sharing both the mussels and their delicious garlic and paprika style sauce. I opted for a smaller serving of creamy garlic mushrooms on toast (£4.75) – very pleasant and bathed in a gorgeous sauce. Like the menu, the wine list is sensibly sized and each has been personally selected (and sampled!) by Tim. The birthday girl can’t handle red on its own so our selection was a 2007 Cotes de Gascogne Blanc Domaine de Rieux (£16) which more than lived up to its description of being light with a soft citrussy taste and with an abv of just 10.5% it’s decidedly moreish without being dangerous. We also had an endless supply of iced tap water on request. We paused before the main courses and
FULL HOUSE: Chef Marc Ineson (left) and Tim Waterworth of Anon
FACTFILE Address: Queen Square, Poulton Telephone: (01253) 893421 Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 6 to 9.30pm for bookings. Friday and Saturday lunch, noon to 2pm. Parking: Municipal car park off Hardhorn Road is the nearest Booking: Essential at weekends, advisable other nights Disabled access: Ground floor – but advance notice is advised Vegetarian: Options always available Cards: Yes Children: No concessions Value for money: 9/10 Life! rating: 10/10
they were more than worth the wait. My sirloin of beef with mushroom and roast garlic (£16.50) had been recommended by Tim (normally I’d have gone for the duck breast) and virtually melted in the mouth. Served as requested – perfectly medium rare – it was packed with flavour – with absolutely no waste. A complimentary glass of fine red wine made it all the more pleasant. Our other main course, casserole of local rabbit in red wine (£13.50) was full of the bones (rabbits have a lot of them don’t they?) and was voted as tasting delicious – especially as it’s one of those dishes you largely avoid preparing at home. This being a celebration we were
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determined to make it through to desserts for once – especially as we could walk off some the excess on the way home. So who could resist the sultana sponge with English custard (£4.50) and Seville orange & whiskey bread and butter pudding (£4.75). Both portions were sensibly sized and both were greeted with equal enthusiasm – the sultana sponge being particularly tasty. Fresh coffee completed the occasion and again proved excellent – including top ups. Service throughout the meal was attentive and friendly and the bill for two including wine and coffee came to around £68 before gratuity. A very happy birthday indeed.
Robin Duke
inter may be sunny in Oz but the country’s capable of producing some great wines, at sensible prices, which really hit the spot and brighten up the long, dark English winter. Here are two which could fool many, at a blind tasting, into thinking them twice the price, and, in the red’s case, of a substantially older vintage.Yet both are still accessible at £8.49 at Majestic. From Wakefield in the Clare Valley, for 40 years in the hands of the Taylor family, committed to the preservation and promotion of regional identity in south Australian wines, comes Wakefield Estate Chardonnay ’07. This is wine from one of Australia’s cooler climates, the area once the bed of ancient inland sea, where the fossilised remains of seahorses have been found. The wine is luscious and mouth filling. It’s the sensible side of off-dry thanks to the peach, and a hint of nectarine, but citrus offsets any tendency to cloy, and there’s a lovely richness to the creamy texture. The cashew character toasts it up a treat, and it complements chicken, risotto, and crispy duck. The sister red, a Cabernet Sauvignon ’06, is one to linger over. Big bold aroma of cherry, olives and black berried fruit, balanced by mint, cedar, cinnamon and smoke, distinctive structure, persistence of fine tannins. Try it with roast leg of lamb with mint sauce and roasties or a cheese platter with dried fruits and nuts. WHAT’S NEW: For another taste of sunshine, try Tuscany’s ever reliable Gabbiano brand. New to Asda this year (and established at Sainsburys) for around £6.49 are Gabbiano Pinot Grigio IGT Della Venezie ’07, Chianti DOCG ’05 and Toscana Rosé, produced (and this will make you drool...) at the 12th century Castello Di Gabbiano, set on a hilltop in the heart of Tuscany. The Pinot Grigio is a typically Italian floral white – peachy, zesty, and ideal as an aperitif or with seafood, chicken, and lighter pasta dishes. The Chianti, again, keeps it light, rather than hefty, and exudes floral and herbal notes, aromas of spiced plum, and dried fruit. A lush black berried ruby red, with a smooth finish. One for winter casseroles, sausage and pasta. The Rose’s rather nice too, made from 100 per cent Sangiovese, the classic red grape of the region, vibrant pink, upfront strawberries, yet dry with a twist of lemon, giving it a soft, elegant, and contemporary edge. A good aperitif, great with white meats, seafood, even salads. COUNTING CALORIES? From just 55 calories a glass, you can curl up, without guilt, with a bottle of Entwine, low calorie wine-based fizzes and spritzers, in three styles: Bucks Fizz, orange and sparkling white, Shiraz Rosé , with light raspberry and strawberry, or a zesty Sauvignon Blanc Spritzer. The Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz spritzers are available at Asda £3.49, the Bucks Fizz from Booths £4.99.
Don’t forget to send your booze news, clubs, favourite finds, swigs and tips to jacqui.morley@blackpoolgazette. co.uk
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life!
9
TIMEOUT NEW FICTION BURIAL Neil Cross
Avoiding drunken, drug-fuelled threesomes in the woods tends to be a good idea. Especially with anyone who has told you that he cannot only hear the dead, but record them. Nathan makes just that mistake in Neil Cross’s stunning thriller, heading out with ghost-hunter Bob and the unfortunate Elise. Sure enough, as the title choice suggests, a burial soon follows, but it is Nathan who finds himself with a ton of dirt over his life. Cross has produced a superior pageturner, which brilliantly takes the reader through a complex web of intrigue stretching from this world to the next without ever selling out to help tie the ends together. Simon and Schuster, £12.99
✔ life!
AND THEN THERE WAS NO ONE Gilbert Adair
The title of the third installment of author Gilbert Adair’s trilogy of detective novels is an homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and Adair sets his drama in the Swiss town of Meiringen, near the Reichenback Falls where Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. If all that was not post-modern enough, Adair himself is the narrator, drawn to a literary festival to present a Holmes short story he has written a few years hence. His detective, Evadne Mount, is then challenged with solving the death of another famous novelist. This author can occasionally come across as too clever. But for anyone partial to a Poirot or a Marple, this is a real delight. Faber and Faber, £14.99
NEW NONFICTION BAD VIBES: BRITPOP AND MY PART IN ITS DOWNFALL Luke Haines
NEWDVDs
going his way he feels a terrible urge to sabotage proceedings. This gleeful exercise in misanthropy is marred only by slipshod editing. William Heinemann, £12.99.
DVD: YOUR DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
CHILDREN’S CHOICE HEROES OF THE VALLEY Jonathan Stroud
Halli Sveinsson is the descendent of an ancient hero whose legendary status binds the valley community. He is often bored in the claustrophobic environment he lives in but is unexpectedly spurred to leave the comfort of his home when the head of another house murders Halli’s uncle. He vows to avenge the death and sneaks away unnoticed to seek vengeance. Halli sets out on a journey of a lifetime. This is an entertaining book full of boyhood adventures, heroes and excitement. Predictable in parts, boys will love its twists and turns. Doubleday, £12.99
PAPERBACK CHOICE COLD IN HAND John Harvey
Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger Award, Harvey is one of Britain’s best crime writers. His latest novel features Harvey’s ageing investigator DI Charlie Resnick. While fruitlessly attempting to head for retirement, Resnick inevitably ends up back on the frontline caught in a cross fire between two gangs. Arrow, £6.99
I
sraeli counter-terrorist commando Zohan (Adam Sandler) harbours a secret: he has little interest in espionage or the slaughter of his country’s sworn enemy. Instead, his burning desire is to cut and trim like his hairdressing hero, Paul Mitchell. So the operative fakes his death during a duel with arch-nemesis, the Phantom (John Turturro), and heads to America where he invents a new identity, Australian crimper Scrappy Coco. He finds lodgings in Brooklyn with shy Michael (Nick Swardson) and his lonely mother Gail (Lainie Kazan), and lands a job in the salon run by Palestinian beauty, Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Scrappy becomes the talk of the neighbourhood. However, Zohan’s past comes back to haunt him when the Phantom turns up in the Big Apple, eager to resume hostilities. You Don’t Want To Mess With The Zohan feels a great deal longer than 112 minutes, lurching from one ridiculous escapade to the next as the hero defies the odds to make his mark in the Big Apple.
MUSIC
New life far from terrorists The leading man’s lack of charm makes a mockery of his character’s ability to sweet talk the female clientele of the hair salon into the back room, where he dazzles them with more than a cut and blow dry. We struggle to muster a smile at most of the lifeless punch lines in a misfiring script that piles on the crass, puerile humour and cultural stereotypes, plus a waft of homophobia. Cert 12, 112 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Comedy/Action/Romance, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/UMD £12.99)
HAIR TODAY: Adam Sandler and Emmanuelle Chriqui in Zohan
BOOKCLUB CHOICE SUBMARINE Joe Dunthorne
Luke Haines’ scorched earth memoir stumbles drunkenly through the nineties with a bad word for pretty much everyone. From the start of his career with The Auteurs, he is openly bitter that acts he considers his inferiors are doing better than him. On the other hand, whenever things are
YOURVIEW
BOOKS
Written from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy who is determined to lose his virginity, this is a funny and perceptive read. Joe Dunthorne has been likened to to other great authors who focus on the thoughts of young men such as Sue Townsend and JD Salinger, and writes with terrific skill and insight. Penguin, £7.99
THE LAST DVD I WATCHED
The Bank Job – a true story and the best film I have watched in ages. It is about a robbery which took place in London many years ago – Poulton sandwich shop owner Alyssa Hinchcliffe, who lives in Blackpool.
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SWEET INSPIRATION
SATURDAYS = YOUTH
To rock fans of a certain age this largely unsung hero of American rock and roll will forever be remembered as the male half of Delaney & Bonnie – old school constant tourers who influenced generations and burnt out on the road. For reasons best known to the man himself it’s taken 20 years to get this blue eyed solo soul set released in the UK. The good news is that it’s Bramlett at his best – the bad is that sounds even older than the two decades we’ve waited for it. Sonic Past
This is French music producer Anthony Gonzalez’ alter egos fourth album and is a deliberately nostalgic look back at his favourite decade, the 1980s. But this is a different take on the time that brought us The Cure and Gary Numan, looking instead to the soundtrack world of filmmaker John Hughes and his ilk. There are also hefty nods to the likes of Air. Bigger and fullersounding than his previous work it starts well but collapses under the weight of its own shoegazeesque haze. Warp Records
Delaney Bramlett
M83
HED KANDI: KANDI LOUNGE Various
The second instalment of HK’s latest series again retreats to the original essence of the brand – cool, cosmopolitan, lounge grooves ideally suited to a time of year when most folk are still partied out and wondering whether they can afford to up the tempo to sunnier climes later in the year. So mix a long cocktail and recall again the sounds of T-Ski Valley’s Catch The Beat and retro rhythms of Franki Valli and Swing Out Sister along with Kandi regulars Reel People. Hed Kandi
TIMEOUT
GAMESGEAR
THE DVD RENTAL TOP 10 1 (1) Hancock 2 (3) The Mummy Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor 3 (6) The Dark Knight 4 (10) Wall-E 5 (-) Mamma Mia! 6 (8) Babylon A.D. 7 (-) Wanted 8 (5) Kung Fu Panda 9 (-) Hellboy 2: The Golden Army 10 (9) The Accidental Husband ■ Chart supplied by www.block buster.co.uk
STYLE VICTIM: Adam Sandler as Zohan Divir
OTHERDVDS
EDEN LAKE
Steve (Michael Fassbender) and Jenny (Kelly Reilly) escape London for a romantic weekend in the countryside, where he intends to propose. They head for a beautiful, secluded lakewhere Steve and Jenny clash with 16year-old Brett (Jack O’Connell) and his thuggish pals. Steve and Jenny flee into the surrounding forest and the youngsters give chase, determined to exact bloody revenge. When her boyfriend is badly injured, Jenny
is forced to draw on previously untapped reserves of strength to find help. (Cert 18, 87 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, Horror/Thriller/Romance, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
APPALOOSA
The dust settles in 1882 and a small New Mexico mining community controlled by sadistic rancher, Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons). Local businessmen entreat city marshal Virgil Cole (Ed Harris), and his gun-slinging
partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), to restore peace using their trademark brand of tough justice. Adapted from Robert B Parker’s novel of the same name, Appaloosa ambles through similar dramatic terrain to Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning Unforgiven, only with a sappy love story supplanting the internal conflict. (Cert 15, 110 mins, Entertainment In Video, Western/Action/ Romance, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
MOTORSTORM: PACIFIC RIFT PS3
A luscious island paradise might seem suitable for a relaxing holiday, but it also makes an ideal venue for offroad racing, and the follow-up to the hugely successful MotorStorm trades the desert for choice golden beaches and verdant jungles that are as dangerous as they are beautiful. It’s that beauty that really stands out in Pacific Rift, even if the game set-up is pretty familiar to the first outing. But it all works like a well-oiled machine, whether you’re risking it all on a dangerous short cut or slugging it out with your rivals on the well-worn routes around a whopping 16 new courses. Splitscreen multiplayer is a welcome addition to the bundle, and this should be one PS3-exclusive that gamers ensure has a parking spot reserved in their collection. 4/5 £39.99
✔ life!
DISASTER: DAY OF CRISIS Wii
Survival is the primary objective in Disaster, as you’re forced to endure nature’s most devastating catastrophes in a devastatingly short period of time. As an unprecedented wave of natural disasters pummels the United States, a rogue Special Forces unit has also taken advantage of the chaos and seized a nuclear weapon, leaving you as Ray, a former member of an elite rescue task force, to sort it all out. And it’s a pretty rip-roaring ride. Starting with a volcanic eruption and crossing 23 stages you’ll take in all manner of incredible disasters in shooter levels, driving, and good old-fashioned third-person adventuring. 3/5 £34.99
LEFT 4 DEAD Xbox 360
SLOW MOTION PICTURES Paul Berry
This being the unofficial year of electronica this former Blackpool band member continues to plough a solo furrow but has probably picked a good time to “release” his latest offering. Twenty years since he last entered the Gazette’s rock competition his synth led sound is still instantly recognisable – with the title track in particular eminently listenable. Available as a completely free download through his website www.paulberrymusic.co.uk. Paul Berry Music
I KNOW THAT NAME
HILL OF THIEVES
The Sheffield-born singer has been about a bit – from Ace to Squeeze and on to Mike And The Mechanics as well as a fruitful solo career. His 14th album on his own carries clout with Don Henley and Timothy B Schmidt of The Eagles on backing vocals but can be filed under “nice,” “inoffensive” or more likely “more middle of the road than a cat’s eye.” Opener Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City is a solid if uninspiring cover of the Bobby Bland classic. Carrack UK
Having taken an unexpected career break after the premature birth of twin sons in 2006 the beautifully voiced Irish singer is back with her fourth album – the first on choice the label formed with her husband and musical partner Sam Lakeman. Returning to her roots with a more acoustic sound has helped produce her most evocative work to date. Charcoal Records
Paul Carrack
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Cara Dillon
✔ life!
Just knowing that Left 4 Dead comes from the same developers as the incredible Half-Life titles will set the bar of anticipation to a pretty lofty level. As a zombieinfested co-operative shooter, this game manages to meet all expectations, remaining superbly polished in terms of presentation and control, as well as the concept itself, which drops you into a play
BEACH ADVENTURE: Pacific Rift area not only crawling with zombies but also four hulking great boss bad guys – Tank, Witch, Smokers and Boomer. If you’re playing solo, the computer can take care of your three companions well enough, but when you go online for human multiplayer help this game really comes into its own, providing a unique multiplayer experience that needs you to take teamwork to the next level. 4/5 £49.99
SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING ROAD TRIP Wii
Wii Fit opened up a whole new range of possibilities on Wii, aside from just keeping yourself trim. From a gaming perspective, interactivity stepped up a notch, and has now turned snowboarding from a sedentary simulation into a full-blown physical challenge. The good news is that the balance board responds beautifully to your every move and once you master the basic controls you’ll be slaloming across the piste in no time. 4/5 £34.99
100 CLASSIC BOOK COLLECTION Nintendo DS
Fancy transforming your Nintendo DS into a fully portable library? Well, for just under £20 you can have access to 100 classic novels from some of the world’s best known and best loved authors – all on one diddy cartridge. Whether you fancy a spot of drama, mystery, fantasy, romance, tragedy or comedy, it’s all here. An interesting new chapter from Nintendo begins... 4/5 £19.99
WEBSITE
BRAGSTER.COM is not a site for the faint of heart. This is a site all about boasting and bragging and the doing of dares. One drinks a pint of sugary energy drink in a minute – while running on a treadmill. Another washes her face with mushy peas. If you’re the bragging type and think you’ve got something to prove, you might well find some interesting new friends.
BROWSING AROUND
■ Sarah Palin satire – palinaspresident.us ■ A spider to call your own http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 11
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HEALTH&BEAUTY SHAPINGUP
Emma Harris, Gazette health writer and qualified gym instructor, with her weekly look at staying healthy THE BIG QUESTION I started running about two weeks ago and am finding my calves ache later that day or the next day. Is there a reason and how can I make it better?
Enjoy a look in the mirror M
ake looking in the mirror a pleasure by stocking up on some of the newest buys for face and body! These beauty headliners are just the thing to make you smile. Beauty prescription: You don’t need a trip to the doctors to get your beauty prescription for 2009. This is a prescribed dose of gorgeousness that’s not available on the NHS. Dermatologist Dr
EXPERTVIEW
BEAUTY TIP
A pumice stone used on feet after showering or bathing while the skin is soft can smooth away particularly rough spots. Use tea tree oil or other natural products formulated to kill bacteria and infection, especially around toenails – Sue Simpson, Blackpool-based beauty expert Let us have your beauty tip. e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
Debra Luftman and psychiatrist Dr Eva Ritvo have come up with a complete formula for looking and feeling beautiful for the year ahead with their book, The Beauty Prescription (left). They describe their prescription ethos as “a lifetime plan for being beautiful, inside and out’’. Published by McGraw Hill, £13.99 (www.thebeauty prescription.com) Like a dame: “Hello beauty possums’’... pick up MAC’s latest collaboration with Dame Edna. The limited edition glitzy make-up collection (top right) is available, priced from £8 (www.maccosmetics.co.uk). Razor redundant: A deodorant that leaves you hairfree for longer. Dove’s new HairMinimising Deodorant (second top) is said to leave your under arm hair finer and easier to remove. “Testing has shown that women notice a difference to their underarms after just a few weeks – shaving time off their
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normal beauty regime,’’ says Sian Jenkins, Dove Deodorant’s brand manager. The aerosol (£2.99) and roll-on (£2.49) are available in all leading chemists and supermarkets. Wrinkle remedy: Olay Regenerist 30-Second Wrinkle Filler, £24.50 (second bottom), is a fab under make-up pick-me-up that works a treat. From Boots. Brush off: This mini brush kit from proto-col (bottom) is an ideal starter or travel kit, containing must have professional make-up brushes, including powder brush, blusher brush, eye shadow brush, lip brush, and the multi use utility brush, all made from the highest quality natural fibres, and packaged in a chic, black, faux leather wrap with tie closure. Each of the brushes dispenses the perfect amount of product to enable a professional make-up technique. £29.95 ( 0844 811 2905 or www.proto-col.com)
If it’s just a kind of dull aching in your calves, rather than sharp pain, it’s probably DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This can occur after any exercise, especially one you’re not familiar with, and the exact cause is not really certain. Running works the calf muscle more than some other exercises and if you’re not used to working the muscle in that way or for such a long period of time, that can be why it aches afterwards. I find myself if I haven’t been running for a couple of weeks, it’s my calves that ache the most after a long run the first few times of getting back into it! The good news is that when your muscles get more used to being exercised by running, usually the less it hurts. And making sure you cool-down properly and stretch after your run can also help. If you have a walk around when you finish running for a few minutes, slowing down gradually, this can help eliminate DOMS. Cooling down gradually helps get rid of lactic acid which can build up during the run and the cool-down also prevents blood pooling the legs. Be sure to stretch all major muscle groups, but especially your calves. If the pain becomes severe or if it is lower down, in the Achilles tendon, it could be something more serious. But for a dull calf ache try icing the calf immediately afterwards and then in the following days, applying heat. Ibuprofen tablets or gel may also help.
RED RED WINE
Research has shown that drinking red wine could reduce the effects of a high-fat diet. After looking into how the French enjoy a relatively high-fat diet but suffer from far fewer heart problems than us Brits, researchers discovered that it’s down to a “healthy chemical” in red wine.
ALTERNATIVE ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture during IVF does not increase a woman’s chances of falling pregnant, scientists claim. An extensive survey into the alternative form of medicine has found no increase in the pregnancy rate of those who try it. Acupuncture is currently the most popular form of complimentary medicine for women undergoing IVF, with some hospitals even setting up on-site centres to cater for the demand.
SUPER CELERY
Celery looks set to join watercress and strawberries as a must-eat superfood after scientists discovered it can help fight mental health diseases. A study has shown that the compounds lutolin and diosmin, both of which occur naturally in celery, could help fight Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 13
WELLBEING
My fight with flab – by Anne Star fights her demons with a new, calmer way of life LIVING WELL
TV presenter Anne Diamond has been on a journey over the past year and it’s taken her to a more peaceful phase in her life, where she’s come to terms with the weight issues that have dogged her for years. In the past she’s suffered wounding publicity about her figure, and most famously quit ITV’s Celebrity Fit Club when her gastric band operation was revealed and she was accused of cheating. Ironically that surgery had been botched and didn’t work. But it’s now corrected and she’s on a successful weight loss path. “It’s been a rocky road at times,’’ she says. “I never intended to become a poster girl for weight loss surgery – which isn’t a magic bullet anyway and has to be coupled with lifestyle changes. But I would have always preferred my surgery to have been a private matter, although when it came out in the open it was a relief in a way. “And it’s helped make me so aware of other people with problems like mine, and led me to, I hope, help.’’ Instead of wallowing in her distress over being “publicly pilloried for being fat’’ Anne resolved to investigate the whole issue of obesity. After meeting and talking to medical experts around the world during the last 12 months she’s produced a new book, Winning The Fat War, which she hopes will help those with weight issues – and those who criticise them – realise that “fat is not your fault,but it is your problem.’’ “I was most angry about the harsh attitudes – particularly by the media – towards fat as a problem. There was still this idea that you can pillory somebody, you can stigmatise somebody because of their weight.
TACKLING OBESITY: Anne Diamond and (above) her new book “So it’s apparently all right to do things like denying obese people airline seats and to discuss whether they should be excluded from certain NHS care simply because they’re fat.’’ She believes instead that compassion should be shown to those who are fat “because the likelihood is they are probably desperately trying to beat it. And in many cases their weight is probably making them desperately unhappy.’’ Her research has been of personal benefit as it introduced her to CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) which has improved her relationship with eating. “I was taught that I had to find things in my life that I enjoyed – that didn’t centre around food. So I have taken up tai chi, cycling, painting and sewing – all activities which are impossible to do while you are eating! “The therapy’s also helped me to become more relaxed about my weight, which weirdly has had the bonus for some reason of enabling me to lose more pounds.’’ It’s also helped her devise other strategies. “I’ve found it helpful to recognise when my vulnerable moments are in a day. Mine used to be in the evening when I liked to settle down with a glass of wine, which led to
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the munchies and so I’d be inclined to think ‘oh blow the diet’, completely ruining all my healthy efforts during the day. “Nowadays I make myself a fruit smoothie which seems to give my body the sugar it needs, boosts my energy and stops me turning to sweet foods for comfort.’’ She’s comfortable with currently being around a size 14, although ideally would like to lose another stone, but says happily: “Suddenly my weight isn’t like this huge issue any more, which is good.’’ But she won’t allow her personal contentment to diminish her efforts to fight for the wellbeing of other obese people and she’s now a patron of the National Obesity Forum. As a mother of four sons she was particularly shocked to find, during her research, that experts are warning that children who are developing Type 2 diabetes because of their obesity are likely to grow up infertile or impotent. “That’s so shocking and motivates me even more to try to talk to politicians and others to see if there’s something that can be done to help prevent that.’’ ■ Winning the Fat War by Anne Diamond, published by Capstone, £12.99. ■ Anne Diamond’s weight loss support website: www.buddypower.net
FEELING WELL
Gillian McKeith – the ‘You Are What You Eat health guru – is possibly not everyone’s ideal companion. She’s opinionated, some would say downright bossy, and has demonstrated a distinct lack of squeamishness by the close attention she’s willing to give to the nation’s bowels. But she could be just the “nononsense” and “no slacking” sort of person to have by your side as you attempt to walk off the festive season flab. Because after highlighting the nation’s bad eating habits, she’s now on a mission to get Britain fit with her motivational Walking Workouts. Four 30-minute downloadable programmes are set to various dance beats, featuring a variety of uplifting tracks from Top 40 Hits, 70s Disco, 80s Hits Remixed and Girl Power Hits. The beats start slow as you warm up into a more intense workout and take bigger strides, before the
calmer cool down tunes. McKeith, who dubs herself the “bootcamp walking workout commander”, hasn’t let her hardhitting image slip. She regularly chips in with training tips barking out “walk faster, faster”, nutritional advice, as well as inspirational words of encouragement such as “You are a sex bomb...see it, believe it, know it, feel it”. The course is aimed at all ages and fitness levels, but be warned if you’re turned off by therapy-speak. At the end she gets touchy feely and offers you a “virtual hug” for a job well done, and urges you to “love yourself”. If you get hooked you could follow Gillian McKeith’s Boot Camp Diet book (Penguin, £6.99) which offers a 14-day intense kick start to a healthy living plan, followed by a six week programme and final cleanse. McKeith’s Walking Workouts are available to download from itunes and www.tescodigital.com and are priced at £6.32. For further information: www.gillianmckeith.info.
FASHION&STYLE
Style in the bag
Y
ou may be shivering and hardly in the mood for shopping ahead for spring, but a bag, belt or bangle is any time fashion fodder! Bag this: A gorgeous slouch bag which will see you through more than one season, the Chatham is from the new spring range at Long Tall Sally (main picture). Worn here with Namibia large trilby £18, Appledore jersey shirt £36, Nevada stretch belt £10 and Oxford wideleg trouser £45. Arm candy: Another good any season accessory, this bangle (right) is £12 from Marks and Spencer.
HEAD START: Head off bad hair days by protecting your locks with a hat. The trilby is £8 from New Look.
GOODBUYS Enjoy window shopping with life! in our weekly guide to tempting offers
Belt up: Accentuate those well shaped hips with this studded hip belt from Jane Norman, £15. Stitched up: Eyecatching quilting for this useful round bag (right), £12, from Littlewoods Direct
(www.littlewoodsdirect.com). Tan fantastic: The slouch bag is very much a feature for spring, but why wait? This tan slouch (left) is from the new season range at Bhs £5.
Study this: Studded tan, shoulder bag (right), which is another great anytime buy. By Red Herring at Debenhams, £15
YOURVIEW e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
STEP UP: Step your way through to spring in some power platforms. Faith’s Lanel lace-ups (right) are £65. MUSCLE WORKERS: MBTs have gone to new lengths to get your body moving. Stronger and leaner leg, stomach and back muscles just got even more fashionable with the star of the new season, Tambo (left). They’ve revolutionised the boot, taking barefoot technology right up to the knee! Made of soft, top-grain leather with a futuristic design that doesn’t compromise on elegance, £199, available from John Lewis and SweatyBetty nationwide or www.swissmasai.co.uk.
FASHION TIPS: Get some old school fashion tips for the New Year. Roaring 20s fashion expert Elise Vallee’s little book of fashion, The WellDressed Woman’s Do’s and Don’ts is back in print after 80 years. It’s a great little read! The book (right) is available now, priced £5.99.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 15
FAMILIES TRIPTIPS
For your week ahead STOP! In The Name of Love and get yourself down to Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery. Families are being urged to shrug off the winter blues by immersing themselves in some Motown Magic. For it might be dreary outside, but workshops being run in conjunction with The Story of The Supremes exhibition are guaranteed to brighten up anyone’s day.There is chance to design an album cover and don seventies-style sequins at a workshop, which is free, is next Saturday, January 24 from 2pm-3.30pm. Families wishing to attend must book a place by going to the Grundy or contacting Kerry on (01253) 478170 or email kerry.hunt@blackpool.gov.uk.
Dockland ‘do’
Planning your big day? Don’t miss The ● Gazette’s own wedding fair at the Imperial Hotel, Queens Promenade, Blackpool, tomorrow,
12noon-4pm. There are fashions shows at 1pm and 3pm. The catwalk shows include bridal, menswear, mother-of-the-bride. Admission to the event costs £1, including a free Just Brides magazine. A giant Holiday and Travel Show is taking ● place at Manchester Central today and tomorrow. It features around 800 exhibitors who represent more than 100 countries. Go to www.holidayshows.com for more information. Also don’t miss The Gazette’s own Travel and Leisure Exhibition, sponsored by Blackpool International Airport, at the Norbreck Castle Hotel on Saturday and Sunday, January 24-25. Free admission and the chance to win overseas flights and other great prizes.
Take your family to the Famous Wild Boar ● Hotel near Windermere during January and you will get your room and breakfast free if it
snows while you are having dinner, or there is more than one inch of snow outside at 8am the following morning. Prices start from £89 per person for a two night stay with dinner included on the first night. The offer applies between Sunday and Friday. For more details: 08458 504 604, www.elh.co.uk
Enjoy a healthy short stroll with park rangers in ● South Ribble every Tuesday. To take part simply turn up at the venue wearing comfortable clothing and sensible shoes for a pleasant two-mile walk along paths or roads. All walks begin at 1pm and start and finish at the same location. January 20: Wheatsheaf pub car park, Croston Road, Farington. January 27: Outside the Vue Cinema, Capitol Centre, Walton-le-Dale
YOURVIEW
MY FAVOURITE DAY OUT One of my favourite places to go is Alton Towers. There's some brilliant rides there that really take your breath away, not to mention laughing at friends poses in those allimportant photos – Student James Parry Let us have your top day out destination. e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR: The Riversway Festival
M
ake a diary date for this summer’s Preston Riversway Festival. Organisers of the annual festival are hoping to build on the success of last year’s event, which attracted thousands of revellers to the Albert Edward Dock. Crowds flocked to see the British Dragon Boat Association, which held its first ever league race meeting, organised by Preston Council and the Ribble Link Cruise. The 40ft boats will be among the popular attractions returning to the weekend event on July 25-26, including Royal Navy ships,lively street performers and music. This year organisers are also hoping to organise corporate and community
DAYOUT
races, to give members of the public the chance to get involved. But Preston Council Festival and Events manager Chris Selkirk, is hoping some new attractions will make the festival even bigger. He said: “We have already been planning and working for the Riversway Festival after the success of last year. “The British Dragon Boat Racing Association will be coming back – it sees this as a unique opportunity to race on such a big piece of water. “We have also been updating the Preston dock history museum, which is pictures
of Preston dock over the last 100 years. “We are talking about having a high speed Royal Navy patrol boat being deployed – the Navy will definitely be involved.” Mr Selkirk added street performers will be carrying out impromptu demonstrations around the docks. Coun Ken Hudson, leader of Preston Council and chairman of the Ribble Link Cruise Committee, said: “It is going to be a wonderful do. “We have already got 40 boats booked in now – it is ship ahoy as it were.” Coun Hudson said the event will continue to expand leading up to the city’s Guild in 2012. He said: “Everything can go better and we have to build on the success – so it is really big for the Guild.”
All your caravan needs under one roof CREDIT-crunched Britons are set to opt for the comfort and convenience of holidays on wheels in 2009 and you can learn all about them at The Manchester Central Caravan and Motorhome Show from Thursday until Sunday. The North West’s favourite leisure vehicle event is returning for its 13th year and the show offers visitors thousands of pounds of savings on new caravans and motorhomes, as well as the chance to win great prizes. With more than 70 exhibitors showing off the latest models at The Manchester show, visitors will be able to see the famously popular accessories superstore and a ‘How to…’ Advice Theatre bursting with free tips The popular accessory megastore will be back, featuring more than 40 companies, and ensuring ‘cara-fans’ can purchase everything they need for a great holiday on the road. Visitors will be able to browse a world of must-have items ranging from essential cooking
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equipment to sat navs, all weather clothing to maps and compasses making sure every part of the holiday is covered. What’s more, there will be exciting show features including a Cookery Area offering fabulous ideas for creating mouth-watering meals on the road and
The Classic FM Take a Break Café. The Manchester Central Caravan & Motorhome Show is open from 10am – 6pm daily (5pm on Sunday January 25) For more information head to the website www.caravanshows.com or alternatively you can call the ticket hotline on 0871 230 1090
Prices to suit all pockets at antique weekend TREASURE hunters can visit a new threeday antique weekend being held in Wigan. The Luxury Antiques Weekend is in the Lakeside Suite of the Macdonald Kilhey Court Hotel, Chorley Road, Standish, from Friday to Sunday, January 23-25. With some 24 exhibitors, the antiques weekend is a small and very exclusive event, featuring a select line-up of specialist professional dealers. Oil and watercolour paintings, town and country furniture, clocks, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics and glass, oriental carpets, maps, prints and many other objets d’art will be for sale. A charity reception is being held on Friday (6-8pm) which will benefit Derian House Children’s Hospice, Chorley. There will be something to suit most pockets with prices starting in the hundreds up to the many thousands of pounds. One of the star pieces is a cabinet made in ash by the major early 19th century cabinet-maker George Bullock (17771818). This fascinating piece, originally made for Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire is priced at £25,000. Another interesting piece of furniture they
Children saving for the future PLAYTIME
TREATS: A rare table and pair of ornate candlesticks are among the star pieces are bringing is an extremely rare West Indian specimen wood table from a Liverpool ship owner’s estate, which combines 36 specimen woods, c1830 (£6,900). Opening times: Friday noon – 8pm, Saturday 10.30am – 6pm Sunday 10.30am – 5pm. Tickets and enquiries: £5, including
catalogue and re-admission. The Antiques Dealers Fairs Ltd - (01797) 252030 or email info@adfl.co.uk ■ LIFE! readers can gain admission to the Luxury Antiques Weekend with a special two for one 1 ticket offer (normal price is £5 plus catalogue). Simply take this article along with you to the admission desk.
All things bright and beautiful ...
DAYOUT
POCKET POWER The average child aged between eight and 15 has £1,049 saved just over three times the £318.76 pocket money they receive each year. Research by the Halifax shows that children in the East Midlands are the UK’s best savers, having set aside the equivalent of four-and-ahalf years’ worth of pocket money. The average child in the region has savings of £1,038, despite receiving only around £231.92 a year in pocket money. Children in Scotland are the worst savers, having an average of only £853. Children in Greater London have the highest savings balances at an average of £1,379. SAFETY FIRST A new road safety campaign has been launched after research showed that children want to know why, as well as how, to stay safe on the roads. The latest THINK! road safety campaign, which is aimed at children aged six-11, was devised after Government research showed that today’s children demand a more forthright approach to road safety messages, including an explanation of the reasons behind them. The new advertising campaign – called ‘The Girl who didn’t Dress Bright in the Dark’ – joins ‘The Boy who didn’t Stop, Look and Listen’ in the Tales of the Road series to explain to children the dangers they can face. SLEEPING PRINCESS If your little princess loved her trip to Cinderella at the Grand Theatre, she will have her dream come true with this magical bed ...a focal point of any little girl's fairy tale bedroom. With beautifully curved canopy posts that are crowned with a decorative wreath, birds and leaves, the cinderella bed is made from iron and hand painted available in a range of finishes (pink, white, black, gold and silver). This indulgence doesn’t come cheap - it’s £2,999 from www.punkinpatch.co.uk
C
hester Zoo is going all exotic - with 500 of the world's most beautiful butterflies. The new Butterfly's Journey attraction houses 30 different species and be the largest zoobased butterfly house in Britain. The display features indoor and outdoor exotic plants plus a stream, footbridge and area where visitors can watch butterflies hatch. Artificial plants with nectar tubes, which allow the insects to feed, have been dotted around the enclosure. The zoo's Kevin Buley said: "Most people think of butterflies as small, delicate creatures. Our visitors will be surprised to see how big and colourful some of them are. The butterflies can be dramatic and bright and give a splash of colour." A book entitled What Am I? Asked Butterfly has been produced to coincide with the new exhibition. It is aimed at children aged three to six.
FAMILIES
TROPICAL STUNNER: One of the butterflies at Chester Zoo
YOURVIEW e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
WEB CHECK The moneyformums.co.uk website, run by Child Trust Fund providers Family Investments, helps parents plan and manage their finances when they’re expecting, and then have, a new baby. It includes calculators to help create a budget, work out childcare costs or discover what benefits they’re entitled to, plus relevant financial information and e-mail updates.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 17
OUTDOORS WEEKEND CHORES ■ On your winter rambles around the garden, take the hoe with you and knock out weed seedlings before they get too big. ■ Spread organic matter such as well-rotted manure or garden compost, even if the soil is rock hard. The soil will soon thaw when the weather improves. ■ Continue to remove leaves from the lawn on a regular basis. ■ Keep an eye on your pond, which mustn’t be allowed to freeze over for long periods, especially if you have fish. If it is frozen, melt a small area of ice with a pan of hot water. Don’t take a hammer to it as the shock waves could kill fish and other wildlife in the pond. ■ Disperse worm casts on the lawn. ■ Check container plants which are sheltered from rain by the overhang of the house eaves and make sure they have not dried out. ■ Move displaced deciduous trees and shrubs, if you haven’t already done so. ■ Plant deciduous hedging plants such as beech, hawthorn and hornbeam in well-prepared ground, if weather permits. ■ Keep climbers such as ornamental vines, ivies and Virginia creeper in check to stop them working their way into window frames and doors or causing damage to drainpipes. ■ Start ordering summerflowering bulbs to give you the best choice of variety. ■ Cover ground which you have dug over, but are not yet ready to plant, with polythene sheeting to stop weeds taking over and to warm up the soil for any young plants to be set outdoors early.
THREE WAYSTO...
N
OW is the time when you may be considering which flowers to grow from seed to create a riot of colour in the months ahead – and there is no shortage of new varieties. The seed catalogues all look so tempting, promising masses of blooms in a vast array of colours, but what you need to know is whether they produce what they promise: long-lasting flowers which will withstand a host of pests and diseases, keeping your garden colourful through till autumn. Friolina trailing pansies and new collections of bacopas and calibracoas are sure to add pizzazz to your hanging baskets and containers, while Echinacea ‘Dreamcoat’ is the first coloured mixture from seed available to British gardeners through Mr Fothergill’s (0845 371 0518/www.mrfothergills.co.uk). New varieties from Unwins (01480 443 395/www.unwins.co.uk) include the longstemmed Sweet Pea ‘Lipstick’, with gently ruffled blooms of vivid red, while themed collections of seeds are widely available. Johnsons has introduced four varieties which are new to its First Year Flowering Perennials range for 2009, all of which will flower this summer from a January to March sowing. They include Foxglove ‘Carillon’, a dwarf (12in/30cm), primrose-yellow variety with large flowers, and Geum ‘Cooky’, which produces bright orange, single blooms from June to September, reaching 16in (40cm) in height (www.johnsonsseeds.com). To see how a number of new varieties fared, Which? Gardening, the Consumers’ Association magazine, trialled 34 new varieties last year, before they came on the market, revealing the results in its January issue. Seeds were sown in spring 2008 in a heated greenhouse at the Association’s trial gardens at Capel Manor College in north London. Young plants were hardened off in cold frames during May and planted out in June. Overall winner was Rudbeckia ‘Cappuccino’, whose enormous flowers were up to 24cm across. When many were planted together, they looked like a carpet of bronze, gold and chocolate brown. Bursting into flower in July, these half-hardy perennials (grown as annuals) continued to flower well into November. See Dobies (www.dobies.co.uk/0844 701 7625), Mr Fothergill’s (www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/0845 371 0518), Plants of Distinction (www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk/0870 460 9445). Other high performers included Marigold ‘Double Mr Majestic’, described by the magazine as a ‘brilliant bedding plant’ with dense foliage, strikingly uniform plants which produced hundreds of dazzling gold and maroon striped flowers (available from Thompson & Morgan, www.thompson-morgan.com/0844 248 5383). Lavender ‘Spanish Eyes’ also received the thumbs up in the trial, producing a haze of sky blue flowers on long, elegant stems. It remained
Turn over a new leaf
RIGHT: Sweet Pea ‘Lipstick’ BELOW: (Left to right) Rudbeckia 'Cappuccino; Marigold 'Double Mr Majestic'; Lavender 'Spanish Eyes'
INTHEGARDEN untouched by disease and flowered from July to September. It’s available from Marshalls (www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/01480 443 390), Nicky’s Nursery, (www.nickysnursery.co.uk/01843 600 972), Seeds by Size (www.seeds-by-size.co.uk/01442 251 458) and Unwins (www.unwinsdirect.co.uk/01480 443 395). Other flowering plants which received acclaim included Cosmos ‘All Sorts Mixed’, which featured picotees (different coloured edging) and plain flowers, singles and semi-doubles in shades
Use evergreens to deceive the eye 1. Make your garden look longer by using the shape, texture and colour of evergreens to alter perspective. Plant progressively smaller plants as you go down the garden. Similarly, plants with larger leaves will seem closer and those with smaller leaves more distant. 2. Emphasise the length of your garden by using pale blues and mauves at the end, to recede into the distance, and bright oranges and reds closer to the house. 3. Hide eyesores by planting evergreens to provide screening all year round.
Attention all garden clubs and societies. Send your 2009 programmes to to life! magazine, The Gazette, Avroe Crescent, Blackpool, FY4 4AU or e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
Thornton Cleveleys Horticultural Society. Keith and Chris Buxton “Borneo – The Land Beneath the Clouds”. Thornton Little Theatre, Four Lane Ends, Thornton, 7.30pm.
of crimson, pink and white, Viola ‘Chicky Chicks’, a lovely mix of early and late flowering perennial varieties with pretty faces in blue, white, apricot, yellow, pink and purple, and Antirrhinum ‘Spangles’, selected to include early and late flowering types for a long display. ■ Which? Gardening is a subscription-only magazine published 10 times a year. For details on how to receive three issues for £3, telephone 0199 282 2800 or visit which.co.uk.
BESTOFTHEBUNCH Dogwood (Cornus)
DIARYDATES
Thursday, February 12 Kirkham and District Horticultural Society. Bill Poole. Bees and Beekeeping with Wild Flowers, Kirkham Grammar School (6th Form Lounge), Ribby Road, Kirkham, 7.30pm.
with Hannah Stephenson
Saturday, February 14 The Alpine Garden Society Southport Group. John Good, “Climate Change Impacts on Alpines”. Emmanuel Church Hall, Cambridge Road, Southport, 2pm. Thursday, February 19 The Alpine Garden Society. Jim Almond: “Propagation: a matter of life and death”. Methodist Church, Greaves, Lancaster, 7.30pm
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IF you clipped some of the colourful leafless stems from your dogwoods over the festive season, you’ll realise what valuable plants they are, producing vibrant stems in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink and purple/black. If you want red stems in winter, look no further than the traditional Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, while for something different try out C. sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, which has orange and pink stems. Dogwoods, which bear clusters of white flowers in spring and white or blue-black fruit in the autumn, can tolerate wet soil well and are useful for planting in clay soil, bog gardens or along riverbanks, as well as normal gardens. They are easy to grow, but when you prune them you must cut out the oldest stems at the end of each winter, as the new shoots replacing them will have the brightest stems.
OUTDOORS
THEWALK
BIRD WATCH
T
he Silverdale/Arnside Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a part of Lancashire that deserves wider recognition but doesn’t get it, mainly because of its proximity to the Lake District. The good old M6 just propels all those visitors north to junction 36 and beyond. Yet here is a perfect landscape in miniature, combining limestone hills, extensive woodland and an enchanting coastline. This walk will introduce you to all these elements as well as the quiet village of Silverdale.
Start: National Trust car park at Eaves Wood, Park Road, Silverdale. Exit 35 M6. Join A6 northbound. Keep on A6 for a little over two miles. Turn left into Nineteen Acre Lane opposite sign for Cinderbarrow Car Park. At the junction turn right into Silverdale Road. Follow Storrs Lane past Leighton Moss RSPB reserve to reach a T junction. Turn right. Pass station on right. As the road leads round bend to right, turn left into Park Road. The car park is a short distance on the right. Car Park to Silverdale via Hawes Water. 5k 3m 1 hour 45 minutes From car park step back into the lane and turn left. At the junction keep ahead and follow road as it bends to right and then turn left into Moss Lane. At the end of Moss Lane enter Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve, passing Hawes Water on your left. At various points wooden causeways have been built to assist walkers. At a junction of paths on the north side of the lake, turn left across a stream. At the next junction turn left onto a bridleway. This will bring you to Ford Lane. Turn left onto Ford Lane. After Challon Hall take a footpath across a stone stile on the right of the road. On reaching a lane turn left then right on a footpath across the railway. TAKE CARE. Keep ahead on a footpath that brings you to the edge of Eaves Wood. On entering the wood keep on the main track. Soon you will encounter waymarked signs indicating directions to the car park, the Pepperpot and the Cove. Your objective is the Cove, but a diversion to the Pepperpot is worth every effort. The Pepperpot is a stone monument built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee with a fine view over Morecambe Bay. After visiting it retrace your steps to a junction of paths where a signpost will put you on track for the Cove. A short distance on, the track divides. Here take the left fork and quickly you reach the cottages of Elmslack. Across the lane look for a footpath sign and follow it as it threads its way to reach Cove Road. Turn right. At the next junction keep ahead to reach a cove. You have arrived at Morecambe Bay. When the tide is out you may find the sands inviting, but straying out onto them is not advised; enjoy the view from the safety of the shore. Follow the Lancashire Coastal Way south with the bay on your right to reach Shore Road. (When the tide is in take the footpath on the left across two pastures to reach Shore Road almost opposite Lindeth Road)
with Julie Vale, assistant manager of the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven Lake
NATURAL BEAUTY: Eaves Wood ... a lovely part of our country walk this week
Woodland and coast
Silverdale to Car Park 5k 3 miles 1½ hours From Shore Road
FACTFILE
Summary: Distance: 12k Time: 3-4 hours Terrain: Mainly easy woodland walking with a modest climb to the Pepperpot. Map: OL 7 Explorer: The English Lakes; South-eastern area
YOURVIEW e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
T
walk up towards the village and turn right into Lindeth Road. After 700m ,when the road swings left into Hollins Lane , go ahead onto a narrower lane that passes Lindeth Tower and brings you to the coast after a 10 minute walk. Pass Jenny Brown’s Point on your right. The lane ends at Brown’s House. Follow the path as it hugs the shore across boulders, then mud flats and then seagrass. In another 10 minutes cross the Coastal Way to enter woodland. Follow this path for 800m to reach Hollins Lane. Turn right and then left into Slackwood Lane. At the next junction turn right into Bottoms Lane. At 150m take a track on the right. Follow this through woodland as it takes a sharp bend to the left. After reaching Lambert’s Meadow, turn right across a footbridge to follow the path to a gate. The path climbs up a low escarpment and will soon bring you to a lane. Turn left to arrive at Park Road with the car park directly ahead.
hirty years is a long time. Back in 1979, Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, Trevor Francis became Britain’s first million pound footballer and the RSPB launched Big Garden Birdwatch. To mark the 30 years we are inviting you to join in to make it the biggest and best yet! For those of you who don’t know about Big Garden Birdwatch, its about getting people out in their gardens enjoying the birds around them. We ask for just one hour of your time to count the birds you see – it’s that easy! For us, not only is it a great way to get people involved, but it also gives us valuable information on the state of the Britain’s garden birds and what we need to do to help them. Last year nearly 400,000 people took part in the survey, making it the biggest of its kind in the world, but we would love to hit the half a million mark on its 30th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, January 24 and 25. Last year the top spot for most common bird in Lancashire went to the starling, followed closely by the house sparrow, which has seen huge declines in other areas of the country. Newcomer to the top10, the long tailed tit, came in at a very respectable sixth. Lancashire has always been up there with the amount of people joining in for the big count, with last year seeing more than 6,000 people taking part. We were just pipped to the post last year on the county front in the North region, with West Yorkshire having 7,680 participants. I am sure that if the whole of Blackpool and Fylde made their voices heard we could take the crown this year for the biggest county participation. To help you along in your bird watch, the Ribble Discovery Centre at Fairhaven Lake is holding a Get Ready for the Birdwatch event tomorrow from 10am-4pm. We will be making bird feeders to attract the birds into the garden and giving you lots of information about identifying garden birds and how to take part in the count. Big Garden Birdwatch is a great way for you to contribute to a significant piece of wildlife research without even having to leave the comfort of your home. You really don’t need to be an expert to take part. Whether you’re young or old, an “expert” or a beginner, there really is no better place to start than the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s simple, easy and anyone can do it. For more information about the Big Garden Birdwatch visit the Ribble Discovery Centre or go online at www.rspb.org.uk To contact the RSPB Discovery Centre, telephone (01253) 796292. ■ Next week: Stuart Meredith of Fylde Bird Club.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 19
TRAVEL&HOLIDAYS
Here’s a selection of Gazette Travel offers... in association with Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Winter warmer BOURNEMOUTH & THE ISLE OF WIGHT Jun 26, four days from £189.95
Enjoy an attractive four day break to Bournemouth and the sparkling south coast on this interest packed tour. Includes return coach travel, three nights hotel stay in a twin/double bedded room with private facilities at The Durley Dean Hotel, dinner and full English breakfast from breakfast from dinner on the first evening to breakfast on the final morning, return ferry crossing to the Isle of Wight, and visits to Salisbury and Poole. Organised by Omega ABTA V4782.
ROYAL ASCOT ON LADIES DAY June 17, two days from £139.95
Royal Ascot is the top event in the London social calendar enjoyed by royalty and all the capital’s fashionable set. It’s a fun filled and fabulous feast of pageantry, colour, fine racing, fashion and glamour. Includes return coach travel, admission to the Silver Ring at Royal Ascot on Ladies Day and overnight accommodation with full English breakfast at an outer London hotel. For a supplement of £45pp you can upgrade your ticket to a General Admission ticket, this provides fine facilities including access to the fabulous new Grandstand and viewing concourse on ground level. Organised by Omega Holidays ABTA V4782.
BRITISH GRAND PRIX AT SILVERSTONE
June 20, two days from £249.95
Experience the excitement of the British Grand prix as it makes it emotional farewell to Silverstone race circuit. It’s a must for all motor racing enthusiasts and offers you the unforgettable chance to see the best world class drivers in action and to enjoy all the noise, excitement and atmosphere of this major sporting occasion. Includes return coach travel, overnight hotel accommodation, dinner on Saturday and full English breakfast on Sunday and a 2 day general admission walkabout ticket to the Grand Prix. Upgraded tickets are also available for a supplement. Organised by Omega Holidays ABTA V4782.
BEACH BREAK: Tenerife averages six hours of sunshine
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veraging around six hours daily sunshine in winter, Tenerife is ideal for a winter break. But there is much more to Tenerife than just the sunshine. In the north part of the island the traditional villages, the UNESCO-listed university town of La Laguna and the lush, tropical landscape have a totally different feel to the arid terrain and commercial resorts found in the south. Award winning tour operator, Preferred Travel Services has put together a winter break at the Quinta Park Suites Hotel in Santa Ursula with a direct flight from Blackpool International. There are a host of reasons for visiting Tenerife – the largest of the Canaries, which the classicists rightly called ‘the Fortunate Isles’. It is an island of contrasts – the miles of sun-drenched coastline surround Spain’s highest mountain (over 12,000 feet), Mount Teide. Accessible by cable car and often snow-capped, the desolate volcanic slopes within Teide’s National Park are a world away from the tropical vegetation of the green Oratava valley, the banana plantations and the botanical gardens below. The holiday includes a guided visit to the town of La Laguna. Here the fine Canarian Mansions
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CONTACTNUMBERS Call our 24-hour brochure hotline: 01772 838080 Other inquiries: Telephone as above or www.gazettetravel.co.uk scattered through the town offer the visitor their bright facades and impressive woodwork, which conceal cool patios and shady gardens. The university town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999. Its layout that of the first non-fortified Spanish colonial town, served as a model for many colonial towns in the Americas. Another included visit is the Botanical Garden of La Oratava. T hey were founded by Royal Decree in 1788 to house the plants being brought from the New World by the “Discoverers” who (Columbus included) used Tenerife as a jumping-off point for their epic voyages. The garden’s role was as a trial ground for plants and trees that would be of important medical or economic benefit to Spain as a whole.
The extremely well appointed four star Quinta Park Suites Hotel is situated on the edge of Santa Ursula village and close to La Oratava. The four mile journey to Puerto de la Cruz is made easy by the hotel shuttle bus. Not only is it the ideal base to discover the delights of northern Tenerife, but also a great place to relax and has attractive views of the sea and of the mountains. Accommodation is spacious in the double rooms which have a lounge as well as sleeping area, terrace or balcony. The two heated outdoor pools, minigolf, table tennis and games room are free while a charge is made for use of the, indoor 33-degree thermal pool, spa baths, squash courts, tennis courts, gym, hairdresser and fully staffed spa offering a wide range of health and beauty treatments. The holiday is half-board throughout. On one night there is gala dinner including wine and entertainment. This holiday operates this holiday from Blackpool International Airport in March 2009. For a brochure giving dates, prices and hotel details, please telephone our brochureline. Organised by Preferred Travel Services ATOL 5537.
YOURVIEW e-mail life@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
Saturday, January 17, 2009
life! 23
SOCIETYDIARY YOUR STARS
With Cassandra Nye
For the week starting January 19 CAPRICORN (22 Dec-20 Jan) People in a higher position can help the most this week, and your gift for chatting can be used to persuade others. Of course, if you need help then you not only have to ask for it, but must be prepared to be clear about what you expect or request. AQUARIUS (21 Jan-19 Feb) With the spotlight on you, make the most of the attention. Leadership may be needed and so be prepared to take the reins when required, as showing your talents now can serve you well in the future. PISCES (20 Feb-20 Mar) Give yourself time to think as this week begins. Avoid having set ideas, which can lead to repeating mistakes of the past. Instead, learn from what has happened before. Get people to rally and work together to show your leadership skills. A suggestion from a friend could set you thinking along business lines, with some extra cash in prospect. ARIES (21 Mar-20 Apr) Socially you are still in a peak time, Aries, so continue to develop those friendships that have most to offer you. Whilst the path ahead is clear in business matters, be determined to get off to a flying start. TAURUS (21 Apr-21 May) Although at the start of the week you may lack enthusiasm, it is certainly a time to progress any business matters. This is especially so for those somehow tied up with your social life. Communication will go well for you if you are persistent. Ask for what you want and you could be pleasantly surprised! GEMINI (22 May-21 June) This week you can have the best of both personal and business worlds. Allow intimacy to develop on a personal level, being more open and honest with your communications. A certain amount of closeness was opened up with someone over the holiday, so try to keep that rolling forward. CANCER (22 June-23 July) Hanging on to those things and people who are not making it happen for you would seem a mistake. Be prepared to give someone a chance who is not your normal kind of friend or contact. LEO (24 July-23 Aug) A good time for both business and romance, which is a great start! However, nothing happens without effort, so be prepared to invest energy and thought into whatever you do. Being able to see ahead clearly gives the advantage of foresight. VIRGO (24 Aug-23 Sept) Keep all dealings on a straightforward and practical level and you will not go far wrong. Make a bit of extra effort at work to engage with others and get things done as a team. Showing enthusiasm yourself is the way to get it back from others. LIBRA (24 Sept -23 Oct) After the holiday you are reminded that the way forward is often to be working with others to a common goal. This can work well for you both personally and in business, so you will know that you are on the right track when in this situation. SCORPIO (24 Oct-22 Nov) Most of your secure feelings seem to be coming from the home at the moment. Aim to develop this by becoming more competent at what you do to earn a living. Of course, extra effort will be needed, but you need to sow what you intend to reap! SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov-21 Dec) Get out there and communicate this week! Tell the world who you are and where you want to go, as others can only cooperate if they know what you want. Keep a strong hold on finances and take up any leads that could bring business success. When luck comes along, run with it and make the most of it. Because of a feeling of security, overindulgence is possible.
Kathleen Hullah, Catherine Perkins, Nena Wright, Janet Shore and Rona Chamberlain
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here were plenty of school day memories as Blackpool Collegiate Old Girls held their annual dinner at the Cliffs Hotel, Blackpool.
Jenny Ashton, Sylvia Prentice, Rita Vickers, Myrna Taylor, Judith Holt, Veronica White, Felicity Greaves, Gill Fennel and Joyce Birtwhistle
Shirley Scott, Margaret Vickers, Barbara Rumsey, June Riddell, Rita Vickers, Yvonne Quarmby and Myrna Taylor
Celia Weigh, Daisy Pollard, Lily Watson, Margaret Johnstone, Dot Fiefield and Kathleen Turner
â– To order any of the photographs on this page, please contact our photo sales department on 01253 361867
Fylde Mayor Coun Susan Fazackerley with Rosemary Eades and president Tony Eades
Arthur and Constance Hall, Wilfrid Walsh, Muriel and Alan Widdup
Bill Barnes, Graham Mullen, Bill Lloyd and vice-president David Cowley
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F
ylde Mayor Coun Susan Fazackerley was welcomed by President Tony Eades to Lytham Rotary Club’s first lunch meeting of the New Year at the Clifton Arms Hotel, Lytham.
Barry Lees with Denise and Geoffrey Nye
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