NE1 Magazine - January 2012 by Bluuprint

The must-do, must-see, # THE SHOW

NE1 is an online, glossy magazine published locally in the North East digitally every month for you and your area. Our magazine can be accessed and read online at your convenience, with page-turning and browse features just like a "real" magazine, but without the paper. So we're kind to the environment too! In addition to the look and feel of a "real" magazine, with NE1 you can instantly click on any of the highlighted items to open up a new window, whether to a movie trailer, an interesting website or an advertisers product, then, when finished, just close this new window and return back to the magazine at the page you were browsing. So NE1 brings the magazine reading experience into the 21st century!

NE1 Magazines Published by : ne1magazine.com Information: info@ne1magazine.com Advertising: ads@ne1magazine.com Design & Editing: NE1 Design Contibutors: Aiza J. Brooks, Jareth Fox Photos : NE1, PhotoXpress, Getty Images CoverFoto: Alena Ozerova/PhotoXpress Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy and legality, the Publisher accepts no liability or responsibility for the material published herein, the views of our contributors are not necessarily the views of the Editor. The Publisher further accepts no liability or responsibility for errors in content or quality that occur beyond all reasonable control of the Editor. Furthermore the publisher accepts no liability or responsibility for the publicity content which in all cases remains under the ownership of the advertiser, and can not be held responsible for the content or actions resulting from accessing webpages outside the control of this publication. The contents of this publication are the property of the publisher and nothing may be reproduced, stored in a retrival system or transmitted in any form without express permission in writing from the editor.

You've still got time to get your tickets for next month's show at the Sunderland Empire where Sarah Millican returns to the North East with her Thoroughly Modern Millican Tour. After selling out all 120 dates on her debut tour, Sarah Millican is back on the road. Ever wondered how to make a home made treadmill? The practicalities of an orgy? Or what to do when you don't like parties but do like party food? Wonder no more. If your glass is half full, she'll top it up.... Second date added, now 22nd and 23rd February, 2012. Don't miss out... Get your tickets now.... Priced at £21

# THE CONCERT Surely one of the most anticipated concerts of the New Year, you'll need to move fast to get tickets for Snow Patrol at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle on Sunday 5th February 2012. Following on from the release of their new studio album ‘Fallen Empires’, Snow Patrol announced details of their 2012 UK Arena Tour, which runs through January and February, with them making a much appreciated return to the Arena with Special Guest Support Everything Everything. Containing the hit single ‘Called Out In The Dark’ and current single ‘This Isn’t Everything You Are’, ‘Fallen Empires’ was released on 14th November, 2011 on Fiction Records. The Irish/Scottish five piece have sold over 11 million albums and have been responsible for several era-defining singles, including Run, Chocolate, and Chasing Cars (which spent an incredible 104 weeks in the UK Top 75 and was voted song of the decade in a Channel 4 poll). Their albums have been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, Grammys and MTV Europe Music Awards, with Final Straw landing them an Ivor Novello Award in 2005..

must-have things for you this month . . . . # THE SACD (Super Audio CD) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - The 35th Anniversary Edition The breakthrough success of Dark Side of the Moon made Wish You Were Here a crucial follow-up in strictly commercial terms. Further pressure came from it being Pink Floyd's first recording for a new label, Columbia. Yet the demands on the band only provided Roger Waters more fodder for his lyrics, which glanced at the band's roots as well as their new responsibilities. This long-awaited special 35th anniversary edition of the original recordings is remastered to bring out the magnificent etheral quality of the original Abbey Road Studios recording. A Super Audio CD player is required to play this CD. This item will not play on standard CD players.

# THE GIFT SET Chocolate Ballotin Assortment Bath Gift Set by Bomb Cosmetics. Luxurious gift set containing six # THE DRINK

chocolate themed bath products. All contain natural cocoa butter and essential oils. All products are mixed, pressed, moulded, rolled and shaped by hand, and contain the very finest perfume oils which means they leave your bathroom smelling fantastic, even when they are not being used.

St Germain Elderflower Liqueur Rob Cooper has been working on creating a high quality elderflower liqueur since 2002 when he realised what an important cocktail ingredient the non-alcoholic elderflower cordials were. Handpicked small white blossoms from the French Alps where elder bushes grow abundantly were preferred. St. Germain's packaging reflects the artisan nature of its production. The shapely eight-sided bottle was created as a tribute to the vibrant art deco period in St. Germain. Each is finished with a heavy stopper and individually numbered and marked with the vintage year.

# THE MOVIE Watch a new silent movie! In black and white too! Give The Artist a chance, as it is anything but mute, with a lush orchestral score, fewer movies this year reward listening - and watching - so lavishly. The Artist encapsulates everything we go to movies for: action, laughs, tears and a chance to get lost in another world. It just might leave you speechless. How can Oscar resist?

NE1magazine.com

contents lifestyle - entertainment - features - regulars - reviews 4 The must-do, must-see, must-have things for you this month

25 NE1's Top Fives Our top five lists of movies, dvd's and albums

12 Guide to What's On Live this month Our quick guide to live acts and shows in the North East this month

14 The Saturdays sparkle at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena Review of The Saturday's concert in the North East last month

17 26 UK Premiere Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton at the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol premiere in London 34 At your local cinema Find out what's on where and when...

18 Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour 2012 See the stars of the TV show dance live and judge for yourself at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena 20 Talking About My Generation Today you can access music without limits... but this wasn't always the case! 8

January 2012 lifestyle - homestyle - features - regulars - reviews 38 Fashion: Austin Reed brings epic event to Regent Street Celebrities and guests at the grand opening of the flagship store 44 Fashion: Sara Coleman Spring - Summer 2012 Collection

32 New this month at a cinema near you Previews and trailers of the new releases of "Underworld: Awakening", plus Steven Spielberg's "War Horse", both out this month 36 Coming Soon! Cinema releases for the next few months Previews and trailers of "Wrath Of The Titans" and " Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengence" starring Nicholas Cage

63 NE1's Top Fives Our top five lists of ebook downloads, plus paperbacks and hard back, fiction and non-fiction 64 Book Review Kathryn Stockett - The Help Sinclair McKay - The Secret Life of Bletchley Park

32 9

January 2012 lifestyle - homestyle - features - regulars - reviews 66 Sport: Barcelona win the FIFA Club World Cup The best team, with the best players, sweep all before them in Japan

69 S.A.F.C. Fixtures 71 N.U.F.C. Fixtures

82 North East Profile - Cheryl Cole At 28 years-old, an amazing 10 years at the top for Newcastle-born Cheryl, all the way from Pop Stars: The Rivals in 2002

50 4 Easy Steps to Get Out of that Rut You're In A New Years resolution to make each day a little better 58 All good recipes start with a good chicken stock Once you know how to make a good stock you can use it for an almost endless variety of recipes

50 72 Travel: Prague: Czech Out All This City Has To Offer Looking for a great value city break in 2012. Then look no further than this fantastic tourist destination, and the "in place" to be 80 Late Package Deals from Newcastle This month with Jet2 11

Guide to Whats On, Where, 16th to 21st January 2012 Dreamboats and Petticoats 24th to 28th January 2012

SAOS's The Full Monty

29th January 2012 Russian State Ballet's Sleeping Beauty 31st January to 11th February 2012 Blood Brothers

sunderlandempire.org.uk

and Who's On . . . Live this month 28th & 29th January 2012 The UK Wedding Show 2012

metroradioarena.co.uk

To 2nd January 2012

Aladdin

10th to 15th January 2012 Whitley Bay Pantomime Society presents Dick Whittington 15th January 2012 Grimethorpe Colliery Band - Performance to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Hartley Pit Disaster

playhousewhitleybay.co.uk

To 2nd January 2012 Dick Whittington: Pantomime 27th January Suggs: My life story in Words and Music

thejournaltynetheatre.co.uk 13

review

The Saturdays at the Metro Radio Arena Newcastle December 10th, 2011 The Saturdays brought their All Fired Up Tour to the Metro Radio Arena last month and wowed the local crowd with their coming-of-age arena tour. This is the bands third headlining concert tour, but their first of arenas, and began on 2nd December in Bournemouth and ended on 19th December 2011 in Ireland and the O2 in Dublin. Vanessa, Rochelle, Una, Frankie and Mollie revealed they would be touring again later in 2011 whilst on The Headlines Tour earlier in the year, and the tour dates were announced on the band's official website in June 2011. Originally consisting of eleven shows across the United Kingdom, it was later announced that the tour was to travel to Belfast and Dublin taking the total number of dates to thirteen. The revelation of Una's pregnancy in September 2011 meant that fans began to question whether she would still appear on the tour. Healy, however, confirmed that she remained fully committed to the band, including all the tour dates, and was as good as her word.

The show began with the girls making their entrance in a cage wearing white tops and black skirt secrataries outfits and launched in to one of the stand-out performances of the night with "Notorious", then continuing in the office theme with "Work".

The Saturdays returned to the stage to perform the song "Faster" wearing colourful dresses with hoods, and continue with "Ego" followed by "Do What You Want With Me".

It was obvious from the start that the girls were going to have fun with the larger settings that arena's afford, and they continually had the audience dancing and singing along. The first costume "change" comes when the dancers rip off the secratrary dresses revealing black, red and pink colured leotards, as they launch into "Get Ready, Get Set", "Forever Is Over", and "Wish I Didn't Know", before leaving the stage for a "full" costume change.

It was at this point, due to the heavy choreography, that Una took a short break, which, considering her condition, is completely understandable. Una returns to the stage and the show moves on with the "Way You Watch Me", "Issues", then this section finishes with "Just Can't Get Enough".

The Saturdays at the Metro Radio Arena

review

The third part of the set began with a video introduction of the Wideboys remix of "Up" during which the group are then raised onto the stage and perform the song wearing silver dresses. "If This Is Love" is performed as a mash up with the Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's hit single "Moves like Jagger". They then perform the song "For Myself", before an extended intro of "Last Call" is played, and the girls rise back on stage on a white Chaise Lounge, still wearing the silver dresses, and perform the rest of the song. After performing the song "Missing You", they imitate the "All Fired Up" single cover, launch into "Promise Me", and finish with "All Fired Up". After a short pause, the theatrical finale had the dancers return to the stage wearing santa trousers, and holding small presents, after which the girls appeared on stage popping out of bigger Christmas present boxes wearing Santa coats with hoods to perform an almost jazzy version

of "Winter Wonderland", a song they previously performed in Live Lounge in 2009. They then completed the encore with their latest single "My Heart Takes Over". Tracks from their third album, On Your Radar, were mixed with older hits to provide a fast-paced and colourful spectacle of a show, and The Saturdays have surely made the gap in the girl band market vacated by Girls Aloud their own.

safc.com/pages/concerts2011 17

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Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour Dates: Tuesday 7th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th February 2012 Notice to all Strictly Come Dancing fans. You will have an opportunity to witness at first hand the newly crowned Strictly Come Dancing winner Harry Judd on the UK Tour which takes over the Metro Radio Arena on Tuesday 7th to Thursday 9th February 2012. Following on from his impressive scores across the four dances in the final, watched by more than 12 million viewers last month, McFly heartthrob Harry will now strut his stuff live on the Strictly Come Dancing Tour. The other finalists Chelsee Healey and Jason Donovan will be joining Harry, as will EastEnders legend and national treasure Anita Dobson, former footballer Robbie Savage, the glamorous Nancy Dell’Olio and ex-Olympic swimmer Mark Foster from last years series. The celebrities and their professional dance partners will be performing in front of the judging panel which features Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood, who is also directing the arena tour for the second year running, and Kate Thornton who will be returning to host the live show. Harry Judd said: "I'm really looking forward to the tour, although I imagine it will be very different to touring with McFly! I can’t wait to test my new found dancing skills and as I'm quite competitive, I intend to win every night!" Anita Dobson added: “I joined Strictly to learn to dance and it is magical that I am. I feel so lucky to be part of the TV show and now to go on the tour and continue dancing with my partner is just a dream come true. I hope the audiences will enjoy the touring show, as much as I will enjoy dancing at every performance.” Robbie Savage said:”I'm enjoying each week more and more and I'm really glad to be continuing the experience on tour. I can't wait to be out on the floor every night, hopefully there won't be any cameras to crash into this time!" 18

2012 Tickets for the 2012 tour went on sale in September and have been selling fast ever since. Over the last four years the tour has sold more than 1.3 million tickets. On tour Strictly fans get to watch their favourite dancing couples compete live for votes and the all important feedback of the TV judges.

Arena audiences will get to experience all of Strictlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glitz, glamour and breathtaking choreography, right in front of their very eyes.

The audience members can even vote themselves via their mobile phones.

The television format, also known as Dancing with the Stars in the USA, entered the Guinness Book of World Records two years ago as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful reality television show and has been sold by BBC Worldwide to over 35 international broadcasters.

Talking Access to music

In today's 60 second download, social networking, YouTube generation, it seems that just about anything is accessible at any time. However, this wasn't always the case...

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About My Generation! without limits... but this wasn't always the case! Children of today will grow up believing music to be available with a single click, and will find it hard to understand that "in the old days" you had to purchase a piece of plastic called a CD. And, if you tried to explain the idea of cassette tapes, or even worse, a circle of black vinyl with grooves that you scratched a needle in, they would look at you as if you had totally lost your mind. You can "search" and find almost any track nowadays, but not so long ago, our access to music, in its physical form, was strictly governed by the authorities of the day. The British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC to you and me), allowed itself to ban materials that deviated from "certain standards of civility". During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here are just a few examples and the stories behind them. In 1977, when England was celebrating the Queens Jubilee, the Sex Pistols had released their second single titled God Save the Queen.

The single includes controversial lyrics that rhyme the national anthem title with a fascist regime. Moreover, the original record cover displayed a picture of the Queen with a safety pin stuck in her nose. 21

feature The Sex Pistol's single was found to offensive to be air played by the BBC, yet it did not stop it from reaching number two on the BBC official singles chart. According to the myth, God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the UK at the time, but it was held back from the number one spot to avoid controversy. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin "scandalous" duet Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus, translated: I love you... me neither, was the first ever number one hit to be banned by the BBC. Although at the time of its release, in 1969, the sexual revolution was in full swing, the British radio still was not able to cope with such explicit lyrics, not to mention Birkins moans and groans. The BBC ban and a denunciation from The Vatican did not stop Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus from being a top selling single in the UK and worldwide. In October 7, 1969, the single reached number one in the BBC official singles chart.

After counting 23 faked orgasms performed by Summer in Love to Love You Baby, the British Broadcasting Corporation banned the song. However, it did not stop it from becoming a massive hit. Love to Love You Baby reached number four on the UK single charts and went on to number two on the U.S. Billboard pop chart.

Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus was a major influence on another BBC banned single, Donna Summers disco pioneer from 1976 titled Love to Love You Baby.

Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is one of the most controversial singles as well as commercially successful singles in history. The BBC not only banned the song, but one of it's Radio 1 DJ's, Mike Read, publicly expressed his feelings of disgust from the single's explicit lyrics. In 1984, Relax stayed in the UK singles charts for 42 weeks. In five of them, it stayed at number one. By the end of 1984, the embarrassed BBC removed the ban. Relax is still very popular worldwide and it is one of the most recognized symbols of the era. Arguments as to whether it gained such a huge success despite the BBC ban, or because the ban helped to promote it, still rage today. 23

's Top fives films uk

SALES

1. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

£6.7M

2. Arthur Christmas

£16.6M

3. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn P1.

£30.3M

4. Puss in Boots

£5.4M

5. Hugo

£5.8M

dvds uk 1. Bridesmaids 2. The Hangover: Part II 3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II 4. The Notebook 5. The Kings Speech

albums uk 1. Lioness: Hidden Treasures 2. Christmas 3. In Case You Didn't Know 4. Heaven 5. Talk That Talk

Amy Winehouse Michael Buble Olly Murs Rebecca Ferguson Rihanna

The figures quoted are approx. at time of publication 25

premiere

Main picture: Atmosphere of the Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol UK Premiere at BFI IMAX in London. Insets: Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg. (Photos by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International

UK PREMIERE 13th December, 2011

The premiere of the new Mission Impossible film, Ghost Protocol, the fourth in the series, was held at the BFI Imax in Waterloo on the 13th December as part of a world tour of premieres taking in Dubai, Moscow, Madrid, Munich and Rio, prior to it's opening at UK cinemas on Boxing Day. Upon arriving at the premiere, the film's star Tom Cruise stuck to his usual routine at such events by spending hours meeting his many fans before making his way inside. There had been speculation that Cruise's wife Katie Holmes would be joining him at the London premiere, but instead the star went solo on the red carpet and was still to be found posing for the hordes of cameras outside the Imax, as others had long since headed inside. Indeed, as other guests made their way up the red carpet, Tom went straight for his fans, who had been waiting outside in the cold and the rain for a glimpse of their idol, and he stopped and chatted with them, posing for photos, and generally connecting with as many of the throng of his supporters that he could. Tom was joined at the premiere by his co-star Simon Pegg, who was with his wife Maureen McCann, and was looking smart in his light grey suit. Paula Patton joined her co-stars for the premieres in Dubai, where much of the film was actually shot, as well as in Germany and Spain, and so was sure not to miss out on the big London date in front of thousands of screaming fans. 27

premiere In fact the 36-year-old was so excited to be there, she didn't even appear to notice the cold, as she posed for the cameras in a short and slinky glittering silver and cream dress.

Another co-star also attending was Lea Seydoux who plays Sabine Moreau in the film, and who looked stunning in a simple but elegant long black dress. Gillian Anderson was also on the guest list and looked more than a litlle festive in her long red dress with black trim with split cleavage. Also attending was Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson who arrived with his daughter, as well as copresenter from the show, Richard Hammond who was accompanied by his wife Mindy. 28

Main picture: Producer Bryan Burk, Director Brad Bird, Paula Patton, Tom Cruise, Lea Seydoux, Samuli Edelmann and Simon Pegg attend the Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol UK Premiere at BFI IMAX in London. Left: Paula Patton. (Photos by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International

To visit the official website or see trailers and downloads for the movie 29

premiere

Cruise posed with both Clarkson and Hammond after having become friends with the pair while taking part in the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segment on the BBC show last year while promoting his movie Knight And Day.

It was produced by Lost creator J.J Abrams, who actually directed Cruise in the third instalment of the movie franchise.

Other guests attending the star-studded event included Sinitta and also Caprice, who defied the freezing temperatures in a very short strapless red dress. This new MI film sees Cruise's character Ethan Hunt take on a new mission after a bomb attack on the Kremlin in Russia forces the U.S. President to initiate 'Ghost Protocol', which means that the entire Impossible Missions Force, a fictional independent espionage agency employed by the US government, has been disavowed. The film also marks the action debut for director Brad Bird, who is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

Clockwise: Lea Seydoux, Richard Hammond, Gillian Anderson, Caprice. (Photos by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images) Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International

In this film, as with others, Cruise once again set fear into his various insurance agencies by insisting on doing his own stunts, and in this film he is seen dangling precariously 2,000ft up as he clings on to the Burj Kahlifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world. Even by his standards, this was Cruise's most dangerous stunt yet, but he maintains that he just wants to entertain the audience and part of making these movies is to do his own stunts.

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NEW THIS MONTH AT A CINEMA NEAR YOU "Underworld Awakening" brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. Kate Beckinsale, star of the earlier films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Underworld: Awakening (also known as Underworld 4) is actually the second sequel in the Underworld series (with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans being the prequel to the first film Underworld and Underworld: Evolution being the first sequel). Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein directed the film for Screen Gems (Sony) Studio, and the film stars Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley and Charles Dance.

To visit the official website and watch a video trailer preveiw of the movie

OPENS JANUARY 20th 2012 32

OPENS JANUARY 13th 2012 DreamWorks Pictures' "War Horse" director Steven Spielberg's epic adventure, is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. "War Horse" begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets, British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter, before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land.

The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse, an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. "War Horse" is one of the great stories of friendship and war, a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is currently on Broadway. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by Steven Spielberg, one of the great directors in film history. The cast includes David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston, and Peter Mullan. The film is produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, and executive produced by Frank Marshall and Revel Guest.

To visit the official website and watch a video trailer preveiw of the movie 33

ODEON Metrocentre. 48 Garden Walk, Gateshead, Tyne And Wear, NE11 9XZ Phone: 0871 224 4007 Visit website

TYNESIDE CINEMA. 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG Phone: 0845 217 9909 Visit website

EMPIRE. 4 Lambton Street, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 1TP Phone: 0871 471 4714 Visit website

CINEWORLD. Boldon Leisure Park,, Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear, NE35 9PB Phone: 0871 200 2000 Visit website

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FUTURE CINEMA RELEASES Wrath of the Titans

UK Release Date: March 30, 2012

Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson star once again as gods at war in "Wrath of the Titans". A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Worthington), the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson) is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10year old son, Helius.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus' godly son, Ares (Edgar RamĂrez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans' strength grows stronger as Zeus' remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the longruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the underworld.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon's demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Ghostrider: Spirit of Vengence Opens in UK February 17th, 2012 Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in Columbia Pictures' and Hyde Park Entertainment's "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance." In the successor to the worldwide hit "Ghost Rider," Johnny - still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds).

To visit the official website and watch the trailer 37

At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy - and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. Starring: Nicolas Cage, Fergus Riordan, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor

Grand Opening of the Austin Reed and Viyella Flagship Stores on Regent Street (Photos by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Austin Reed) ÂŠ 2011 Getty Images

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Austin Reed Brings Epic Event to Regent Street Last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Austin Reed event at 100 Regent Street saw the ultimate in style showcased to an audience of press, celebrities and business icons. Marking the opening of the Austin Reed and Viyella flagship stores, guests were entertained by The Overtones, magician Christopher Howell and singer Mike Davies. Guests were treated to a blitz of Britishness encapsulating the 111 year British luxury heritage of Austin Reed. Traditional British fare and heritage cocktails were the order of the evening. A brand film showcased the British tailoring brand to the attending audience, highlighting a history that includes the likes of Winston Churchill, the Beatles and Elizabeth Taylor.

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Guest on the night included cricketing legend Alastair Cook, Sir Philip Green, Harold Tilman, Dylan Jones (Editor of GQ), Stuart Rose, Courtney Lawes Nick Hollingworth CEO says of the store launch, “The new store allows us to present our brand vision for the future and our next generation retail concept. Austin Reed has a fantastic history spanning over 100 years and we are looking forward to the next 100 years delivering affordable luxury with exceptional customer service.” The new Austin Reed flagship store in Regent Street reignites the spirit of British heritage tailoring, transforming the retail landscape on Regent Street with a new store and a new retail concept. Offering an aspirational blend of heritage, craftsmanship and modernity, Austin Reed has an enviable history on the British tailoring highstreet. A byword for style and elegance since 1900;

highlights through the years include concessions on famous passenger liners the Aquitania and the Queens Mary and Elizabeth - frequented by celebrity customers such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

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Austin Reed also made a name for itself with the production of uniforms for servicemen during World War I and World War II. Winston Churchill personally asked Austin Reed to design a suit that could be thrown on as sirens sounded the alarm for an air raid, giving rise to the infamous one-piece sirensuit. Never behind in innovation or moving with the times, Austin Reed took the revolutionary step of introducing a quality, value for money, ready-to-wear suit in 1925, thereby making sophisticated, polished dressing more accessible.

The Overtones and guests served with traditional British food at the Grand Opening of the Austin Reed Store on Regent Street (Photos by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Austin Reed) ÂŠ 2011 Getty Images

Today Austin Reed has over 80 stores across the UK, including Newcastle Boundary Mills here in the North East, and spearheaded by the architecturally stunning store on Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regent Street. Austin Reed also operates licence agreements in the USA, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, India, Turkey, Colombia, Brazil and the Middle East and has over 1,400 stockists around the world. 43

SARA COLEMAN COLLECTION

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SARA COLEMAN COLLECTION

Spring / Summer 2012

This month we take a closer look at the Sara Coleman collection for Spring/Summer 2012. ÂŠ 2011 Getty Images

These styles were first seen at the recent Cibeles Fashion Week in Madrid. Colours were natural and earthy, with organic tendencies but feminine shapes. While dresses were mainly solid colors, they were often accessorised with a belt or a jacket. Later, knitwear pieces were draped over the sheer fabrics for a unique effect. The collection obviously takes it's inspiration from nature, as even the runway was decorated with trees made of metal cylinders (by artist Xurxo Gold). Sara Coleman is a designer brand specialising in cutting edge fashion for women, which emphasizes the use of natural fabrics with a very unique design and a refined organic style offering a product with outstanding value. The fashion design brand Sara Coleman was created in 2007 and since that time the great enthusiasm and positive energy of the designer are highly valued by critics and press from all over the world.

ÂŠ 2011 Getty Images

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SARA COLEMAN COLLECTION Spring / Summer 2012

Sara Coleman´s professional career started with Plastic Arts and continued with Pattern Technology Cutting, Costume Design for Cinema, Theatre and TV, Master in Fashion Management (Escuela Superior de Diseño y Moda Felicidad Duce, Spain) and Experimental Fashion Drawing in Central St. Martins (London). She took her first steps in the fashion industry with Roberto Verino and later worked as a free-lance designer and pattern cutting for several companies. © 2011 Getty Images

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SARA COLEMAN COLLECTION Spring / Summer 2012

Her artistic experience branched out into Costume Design and different workshops in Textile Technics, working closely with Kei Ito, Elisabeth Salgado and Teresa Rosa Aguayo. Later she worked as a teacher for Escuela Superior de Diseño y Moda Felicidad Duce for three years. Sara Coleman has presented her own label in different fashion shows at Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week, Valencia Fashion Week, and Meliá Bilbao Fashion Show (Spain).

Sara Coleman has also participated in different national and international trade fairs, for example Pure London (UK) and SIMM (Spain). 49

lifestyle

4 Easy Steps To Get Out Of That Rut You're In At this time of year, our thoughts often turn to New Years resolutions, and we look to turn around the things we are not happy with in our life and make each day a little better. But it's simply a fact of life that some day's we feel less than great. Miserable, grouchy, fed-up, and bored are all words you could use to describe what you feel like on those days and you are probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of what we all have to deal with as part of life. There will always be off days, and we just have to get on with it, right! But what happens when you get those off-days merging together, maybe lasting weeks, months or even years? Many of us would say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, fed-up, or bored. We admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change.

There-in lies the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that leap.

On the next few pages are four fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb out of the rut and jump-start your way to achieving something better for yourself. 51

PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLISHING

lifestyle

Step 1: Use Your Intuition Your intuition is a powerful ally, and we all have it even though you might not recognise it. The dictionary definition of intuition says it is: 1. The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition. 2. Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight. 3. A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression. One of the biggest assets you'll ever have in life is your intuition, and tuning in to it and learning to trust it is something that can have some truly remarkable effects.

• Practice making wild guesses in your everyday life. Guess what a salesperson's name is, what a new person or place will look like or who's calling on the phone. It doesn't matter that you are getting it wrong, just that you're working that muscle.

Accessing your intuition is a bit like working and developing a muscle, but unfortunately it can be a lot harder to locate than that. Here are some quick tips for accessing and trusting it –

• Try a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. Whether you're in a restaurant, on a train, in a bar, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behavior in others. Look for shifts in posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo, etc. Guess how they're feeling or what they're talking about.

• Practice maintaining an open-minded, playful, experimental, non-judgmental attitude. This is the most fertile ground to tap into your intuition.

lifestyle Step 2: Nourishment Imagine you’re walking home from the supermarket with a couple of bags of groceries, but the bags have holes in them. You’re walking along merrily leaving a trail of your things behind you, then when you get home you unpack what’s left and ask, "Didn’t I have more than this?" Nourishment is about plugging those holes in your life and making sure you have things that keep you feeling nourished – nourished in your head, nourished in your heart, and nourished in your stomach. Remember that you can’t give away what you don’t have, and can’t spend energy you’ve already spent. It doesn’t have to be the big things in life that nourish you and it’s often the simplest little thing that strikes a chord, makes you feel like yourself again, or makes you smile from ear to ear – calling a friend, talking a walk in the park, or listening to your favorite song, watching your favourite film, for example. So what keeps you balanced? What relaxes you or makes you feel peaceful? What makes you feel like you again? The fact is that you’re important enough to spend time taking care of yourself and it doesn’t matter what it is, just take the time to do it. If necessary, go as far as booking time in your diary. You’re the only one of you there is, so it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re okay.

Step 3: Do Something Different Life tends to run smoothly when we establish systems and routines for things, but the problem comes when things run too smoothly and we become blinded to any ideas or choices that sit outside of our routine. All the stuff we do every day becomes normal, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our whole world. So start with making one or two simple changes to your day - be it at breakfast time, your radio station, route to work, lunch routine, etc. It doesn't matter whether the changes are right or wrong, just make a couple of simple choices that will achieve the desired effect of doing something different. Changing parts of your routine, instantly takes you out of the norm and allows you to shake off the things that make you feel confined. Step out of your routine and you’ll be in a position where you’re able to make different choices, see things differently and get different results. 55

lifestyle

Step 4: Fun Fulfilment and Freedom The Three F’s – Fun, Fulfilment, and Freedom encompass a lot of what people are looking for in life, and also contain the solutions to having, doing and being those things. Here are some definitions, Fun - A source of enjoyment or pleasure; playful activity. Fulfilment - To bring into actuality; to complete; a feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires. Freedom - The capacity to exercise choice, free will; frankness or boldness; the absence of constraint in choice or action. Read those again. Those things are huge, deep, and broad, and yet are a lot simpler than we actually make them. Where are you in relation to each of the Three F’s? How much of each do you have right now? How much of each do you want? Whatever gap there is, recognize that it can be closed, and that you can close it. What would things be like if you were to close that gap? What would happen if you climbed just a point or two on the Fun scale? What if you could add a point to your level of Fulfilment or Freedom? How would that feel? Pretty good, right? So what one thing can you do right now to help you get more?

By themselves each of the Three F's are a powerful thing, and can really help to move you forward, enjoy where you are, and feel alive. But when the Three F's come together . . .well, just hold on to your hat!

Rut? What rut? Do something about it now!

homestyle

All Good Recipes Start With A Good Chicken Stock The basis of a good recipe is usually a good stock. Once you know how to make a good stock, you can use it for an almost endless variety of recipes and in particular for a fine selection of homemade soups. This is a typical recipe for chicken stock that's easy to make, and tastes delicious. You should always make extra, and freeze what you don't use, as it can form the basis for your meals for months. What you will need: 1 Whole Chicken, just over 3 pounds 8 cups water 2 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces 2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces 1 medium onion, cut into large chunks 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 2-3 sprigs of parsley 1-2 sprigs of sage 2 sprigs of rosemary 2 sprigs of thyme 2 tsp. salt 59

homestyle

Chicken Stock

First cut the chicken up into pieces, then place these, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.

Don't feel constrained by the ingredients and amounts listed in this recipe. Make as much as you can handle and store as a good chicken stock is a quick base for many a fine meal. You can also use other herbs for a different flavour. You could even add ginger peel and lemongrass for an Asian flavour. Just let your imagination run wild.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer slowly for 3 hours. Remove the chicken, and place in a separate bowl to cool.

You don't need to use a whole chicken either. You can buy chicken breasts on the bone, and remove the bones before cooking the breasts. Just put the bones aside in a plastic bag, and put them into the freezer, then when you're ready to make the stock, just take the bones out and use them in place of the whole chicken as above.

Now pour the stock through a sieve or colander (possibly lined with cheesecloth if the holes are too large), set aside the sieved liquid which will become your stock, and allow to cool and then chill. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and freeze or refrigerate the chicken meat for another use.

Once you've learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as a basis for many different recipes and in particular soups such as chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, or once again, just let your imagination run wild with it, and enjoy!

Now, skim the fat off the chilled stock, and you can use immediately, refrigerate or freeze for another time. This should leave you with about 6 cups of stock, as well as some tender chicken meat set aside for another dish. 61

's Top fives e-books downloads 1. Locked In

PRICE

Kerry Wilkinson

£0.98

Ben Cheetham

£0.98

Carol Grace

£0.86

Paul Connelly

£0.99

Kathryn Stockett

£3.99

2. Blood Guilt 3. The Millionaire's Nanny 4. Against All Odds 5. The Help

books fiction paperback

SALES

1. Tick Tock

James Patterson

55,200

2. The Help

Kathryn Syockett

758,700

James Patterson

165,100

3. Don't Blink 4. The Fifth Witness 5. Sanctus

Michael Connelly

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Simon Toyne

27,900

books non-fiction paperback

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1. An Idiot Abroad

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167,700

2. Secret Life Of Bletchley Park

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3. The Best of Matt

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4. Catching Babies

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5. I Shot Daddy

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books non-fiction hardback

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Guinness

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Jamie Oliver

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Lee Evans

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4. Home Cooking Made Easy

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5. World Of Downton Abbey

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1. Guinness World Records 2012 2. Jamie's Great Britain 3. The Life Of Lee

The figures quoted are approx. at time of publication 63

review

Books The Help Kathryn Stockett (Author) This is a brave book that views the American Civil Rights movement largely through the eyes of the people at its sharp end - the black maids who looked after white folks children. This gives the book an authentic period feel and draws the reader in so that they feel transported to the early 1960s - the period the book is set in. The author also draws some impressive white characters - especially the poor, ill-educated Miss Celia. The book is funny in places and certainly makes the reader feel empathy towards the poor, the put upon and the neglected.

Kindle Paperback

£2.99 £3.86

The Secret Life of Bletchley Park Sinclair McKay (Author) What has always seemed so unusual about the story of Bletchley Park is how it has remained so 'secret' for so long. This book goes a long way to explain why that is. The book looks at the lives of the people who worked at the Park during the war, how they came to be there and what it was really like. These are actual accounts from the people themselves. It is a very easy to read and facinating insight into a massive secret operation that more than likely was a major factor in winning the war.

Kindle Paperback

£3.47 £3.86

Prices quoted were correct at time of publication 64

sports

Puyol (centre) lifts the trophy to round off an incredible year for Barcelona 66

Barcelona win the Fifa Club World Cup December 18th

sports Barcelona were crowned the Fifa Club World Cup winners in Yokohama, Japan, when they demolished top Brazilian side Santos 4-0.

The simple truth is, that no one is surprised any longer when Pep Guardiolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side achieve yet another incredible feat, and always in sensational style. This latest triumph at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan broke records, wowed crowds and earned generous acclaim from their outclassed rivals. For Barcelona, the extraordinary has now become ordinary, as this win capped a quite remarkable year for the Spanish side in which they also won the Champions League, the title in La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup. Lionel Messi scored two outstanding goals with Xavi and former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas also on target for Champions, easily cementing Barcelona's place as the best club side in the world.

Their final against Santos had been billed as a showdown between the European and South American champions, and in particular the current king of football Lionel Messi, and one of the principal pretenders to his throne, the 19-year-old Brazilian star Neymar, who has himself been linked with a transfer to either Barca or Real Madrid. As it turned out, even Neymar himself was gracious enough to admit that, for now at least, Messi and BarĂ§a are simply in a class of their own, with Messi being named the tournament's most valuable player, and Barcelona winning the competition for the second time in three seasons. 68

In fact Pep Guardiola's club has now won 13 of the 16 trophies it has competed for under his charge, and easily triumphed in FIFA's Club World Cup with the highest number of goals and with a record winning margin in the final itself. Messi may be the star in a team full of stars, but the Argentinian still managed to become the first

S.A.F.C. FIXTURES

for this month . . . and next . . . January 2012 1 Jan 3 Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 31 Jan

Sunderland v Manchester City Premier League Wigan Athletic v Sunderland Premier League Chelsea v Sunderland Premier League Sunderland v Swansea City Premier League Sunderland v Norwich City Premier League

plus coming up in February 2012 4 Feb Stoke City v Sunderland Premier League 11 Feb Sunderland v Arsenal Premier League 25 Feb West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland Premier League * At the time of going to press, Sunderland v Manchester City and Sunderland v Norwich City are scheduled to be shown live on Sky Sports

sports player to score in multiple FIFA Club World Cup finals, and brought his tally for the season at 29 goals from just 26 appearances. However, this wasn't just a one-man or even a one-team tournament as the other participants will also be able to look back favourably on the year-end competition. Even Santos, once they recover from their final humiliation, will be able to reflect on a fine 3-1 semi-final win over Kashiwa Reysol that was secured by a trio of truly magnificent goals. Then there was Asian champions Al-Sadd, who proudly flew the flag for Qatar, which became the 20th nation to be represented at FIFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club showpiece. The FIFA Club World Cup Final between Santos and Barcelona at International Stadium Yokohama, Japan on December 18, 2011 Photo: Lintao Zhang Copyright 2011 Getty Images

Beating their African counterparts Esperance of Tunisia in the quarter-finals was a feat in itself, but the fact that they went on to secure third place came as a major boost for the game in this emerging football nation. Kashiwa Reysol were the team Al-Sadd beat 5-3 on penalties to secure their third place, but the Japanese champions had already completed a fairy tale season, having just won the J.League, becoming the first newly-promoted side to do so, just four days before competing in their FIFA Club World Cup opener. 70

N.U.F.C. FIXTURES

for this month . . . and next . . . January 2012 4 Jan 15 Jan 21 Jan

Newcastle United v Manchester United Premier League Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers Premier League Fulham v Newcastle United Premier League

plus coming up in February 2012 1 Feb 5 Feb 11 Feb 25 Feb

Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United Premier League Newcastle United v Aston Villa Premier League Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United Premier League Newcastle United v Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League

* At the time of going to press, Newcastle United v Manchester United, Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle v Aston Villa are scheduled to be shown live on Sky Sports

travel

travel What more needs to be said about Prague other than it's the ‘in’ place to be, and compact enough to explore on foot with a few stops at the many bars on the way! With stunning architectural gems around every corner, there is so much to see and do that you'll be spoilt for choice on a Prague city break. . Prague rests amongst the gentle landscapes of the Bohemian plateau, across the Vltava River. The city is actually a mixof five historic towns; Hradcany, the castle district on a hill above the west bank; Mala Strana, the ‘Little Quarter’ between the river and the castle; Stare Mesto, the gothic ‘Old Town’ on the east bank’ Josefoy, the former Jewish ghetto and Nove Mesto or 'New Town'. Cross one of the 9 bridges, which stretch over the Vltava River and witness many different faces of Prague… from the old centre of the city, which takes you on an almost virtual tour over the ages to Prague Castle, and winding streets and secret passageways with little bars tucked away in every corner! The most famous landmark in Prague and a good place to start any sightseeing adventure of the city is the Charles Bridge, which connects all these historical districts and is a definite must-see for any visitor. The bridge is for pedestrians only, and is lined on both sides with stalls, artists and musicians over it's entire length, with plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars to entertain it's many visitors conveniently sited on either bank.

Prague Castle, which dominates the skyline, is so vast that it can't really be enjoyed in just one day. It is the size of a small town itself, and includes churches, galleries, gardens and state apartments. It dominates Prague and can be seen from most parts of the city, and is definitely a must-see attraction whilst on a short break in the city. The Staromìstské Námìstí or Old Town Square is also a magnet for tourists, and is surrounded by places of interest including the Old Town Hall, palaces and churches. The square is an enjoyable place to stop for lunch with tables set out on the square particularly during the summer months, and on the hour you can join the crowds to marvel at the 15th century Astronomical Clock's movements on the Old Town Hall's tower. The Jewish Quarter of Prague is home to some interesting sights including a synagogue reputed to be the oldest in Europe, a gallery and a museum. 74

Prague - City of history and culture The Obecní Dùm (Municipal House) is an architectural gem and was constructed in 19051910. This building is home to the Prague Symphony Orchestra and is one of the major venues for concerts during the Prague Spring Festival. The building also houses a café, bar and restaurant.

For a romantic break in Prague, you can wander around the cobbled streets of the city and soak up the Czech culture, admire the historical architecture, or take in the sights in style in your very own horse-andcarriage ride. .

In fact Prague boasts three full-time opera theatres, four major orchestras and countless smaller ensembles, so there's no limit to a cultural night out. At nightfall, the city lights up and takes on a mysterious and magical feel, and a great way to appreciate this is by taking a stroll along the landmark Charles Bridge at night.

Enjoy a romantic stroll around picturesque Prague Castle where you could even take a picnic and find a secluded spot in the extensive grounds for lunch or take an evening Prague Dinner River Cruise with live music to see the castle lit up at night.

You can also see all of these fantastic buildings at once if you take a ride on the funicular up to Petrin Hill where there is a park, Petrin Tower (which is a scaled down version of the Eiffel Tower), an observatory and a café to stop for a bite of lunch.

travel

In fact when it comes to dining, Prague has so many restaurants that cater to all culinary tastes from traditional Czech to French, Italian and Chinese that you are bound to find somewhere to enjoy a romantic meal. You can sit in fantastic surroundings and look out onto the city's Wenceslas Square with it's amazing views, and in the warmer weather you can dine al fresco under the stars.

travel

Prague

Prague is also well known for its vibrant nightlife with key areas of the city providing a different night out. Throughout the Old Town there are many British and Irish themed bars, plus some more traditional options which are great for a taste of the local brew.

Prague has a multitude of cultural and historical places to visit and can be an ideal place for the whole family to enjoy. A typical day out can involve a trip up the Funicular to the top of Prague where you are met with panoramic views of the whole city and there is plenty of room for the kids to play.

As with any large city there is a wide selection of restaurants on offer, from gourmet fare to budget grub. For true Czech food, the traditional restaurants serve up typical Czech fare such as roast beef with cream sauce, half duck, roasted with sauerkraut and bacon and bread dumplings.

For another great viewpoint. Prague Castle is a magnificent place to explore and the kids will love running round the old grounds which are the perfect setting for a picnic in the summer and perfectly safe and enclosed.

If you fancy a bit of retail therapy and shopping is what you live for, then the variety and quality of Czech crystal and glassware on offer in Prague is fantastic value. You can find some great crystal jewellery at bargain prices across the city, plus crafts, hand embroidery, leather goods and speciality wooden toys.

If the weather's a little colder then don't worry, you can take the kids inside where they can enjoy the toy museum, and as puppetry is also a Czech specialty there are always several theatres in the town playing regular shows. Or head to the town square on the hour when crowds gather to watch the Astronomical Clock with its animated figures which is a strange sight to behold! 79

travel

Prague

The city also has a few parks of which Stromovka is one of biggest and best, where you can feed the ducks in the lake, and next to Stromovka is the exhibition ground known as VĂ˝staviĹĄte which has the Lunapark Funfair as well as regular fairs and shows throughout the year. Prague also has its own Zoo in Troja where you can see hundreds of different species providing a great day out for all the family! A relaxing way to see the city is via a boat tour along the River Vltava, where you can sit back with afternoon tea and take in the surroundings.

Other top tours always available in Prague are; The Prague City Walking Tour and River Cruise (Explore Prague's historical landmarks and attractions on this walking tour and on a river cruise...). Photography Tour and Castle Walk (Capture the tourist attractions of Prague on camera and discover the essence of the city...). The Legends and Ghosts Walking Tour (Explore some of the prettiest parts of the island like Valldemossa and Soller...).

profile North East Profile

CHERYL COLE AN AMAZING 10 YEARS AT THE TOP AND STILL GOING STRONG There surely can't be many who have successfully made the transition from girl group to solo star. But one woman who has, and made it seem utterly effortless, is Cheryl Cole. Cheryl rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that she had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls Aloud.

Last year it was announced that Cole would leave the UK version of The X Factor for the American version of the show alongside Simon Cowell, however, just a few weeks into filming the auditions, Cole left the show amid a great deal of press coverage at the time, butis rumoured to be making a welcome return to the UK X Factor this year.

Cheryl has been part of the group's twenty consecutive top-ten singles (including four number one singles) in the UK and five platinum albums (two of which went to number one) and earned five BRIT Award nominations from 2005 to 2010. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise". In 2009,

Cheryl has become a recognised style icon, often photographed for the covers of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, while also becoming one of the faces of cosmetic company L'Oréal. And there are plenty of women who really do want to wear their hair like Cheryl’s. So many that Cheryl has landed a place alongside other A-listers such as Beyonce, Eva Longoria and Gwen Stefani as a L’Oreal spokesmodel. Cheryl fronts the L’Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 haircare range, sales of which rose from 10,000 in September 2009 to over 250,000 by the end of November 2009 after her adverts first appeared.

Girls Aloud announced their musical hiatus and Cole went on to release two solo albums, which both went to number one in the UK: 3 Words (2009) and Messy Little Raindrops (2010). She achieved a number of hits, including two number one singles: "Fight for This Love" and "Promise This". Cheryl Cole became a judge on The X Factor in 2008, and during her time on the show, became the winning judge twice out of the three series she judged on, with Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry respectively.

Cheryl was married to England footballer Ashley Cole from July 2006 until September 2010, when she divorced him.

profile

CHERYL COLE Cheryl Ann Cole (nĂŠe Tweedy) was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 30th June 1983, and grew up on the estates around Walker and Heaton. She is the fourth of five children of Joan Callaghan, and the eldest child of Gary Tweedy and has a younger brother, Garry and three elder maternal half-siblings: Joseph, Gillian and Andrew. As a small child she was particularly interested in dancing right from an early age, beginning sequence dancing at the age of four, and going on to join The Royal Ballet's summer school at the age of nine. As a young girl she won many modelling competitions, including the titles of Boots Group's "bonniest baby", Mothercare's Happy Faces Portrait competition, "Best Looking Girl of Newcastle", and "Most Attractive Girl" at the MetroCentre. She also appeared in two adverts for British Gas, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry. She attended Walker Comprehensive School in Newcastle, and left at 16, when she got a job working as a waitress in a restaurant. Cheryl Cole (Tweedy as she was then) auditioned for the reality television show Popstars The Rivals in 2002 with the song "Have You Ever". Several thousand applicants attended auditions across the UK in hope of being selected, until the final ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists by judges Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. These finalists then took to the stage, participating in weekly Saturday night live performances which alternated weekly between the girls and boys. Each week, the contestant polling the fewest phone votes was eliminated, until the final line-ups of the groups emerged, with Cole joining Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh to form the new girl group Girls Aloud in November 2002. The group's debut single "Sound of the Underground" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the 2002 Christmas number one.

The group released their debut album, also titled Sound of the Underground in May 2003, entering the charts at number two, and going on to achieve platinum status later the same year. Since then, Girls Aloud have released twenty additional singles, with all but one charting within the top ten, and 15 reaching top five positions. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" all charted at number one. Two of their albums have reached the top of the UK Albums Chart: their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and 2008's Out of Control, both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold. They have been nominated for five Brit Awards, and in 2009 won "Best British Single" at that year's Brit Awards for "The Promise". The group has sold some ten million records worldwide, and have become one of the few UK reality television acts to achieve continued success.

profile Girls Aloud performing in Manchester on their Out of Control Tour, 2009

In July 2009, Girls Aloud announced they would take a break from the band in the pursuit of solo projects, and their fans are still waiting for a much anticipated reunion. Cheryl's first solo performance was on will.i.am's "Heartbreaker" in 2008, and by April 2009, she had started working on her own material. Her debut album, 3 Words, was recorded in Los Angeles and London and released in the UK in October 2009. It was principally a collaboration with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, who was also the album's executive producer, and marked a departure from the group's sound as it crosses from contemporary R&B, dance pop, house as well as a more general pop sound. 3 Words spent two weeks at number one, and the first single from the album, "Fight for This Love", was the fastest-selling single of 2009 following on from a performance on The X Factor live results show.

Cole's second single "3 Words", which features will.i.am, went to number 4 in the UK, and in 2010 was released in Australia where it charted at number 5 and was certified platinum. The third single, "Parachute", charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland, with the album going on to be certified triple platinum after selling almost a million copies. From May to July 2010, Cole was the opening act for The Black Eyed Peas at the British shows (as well as some European dates) of The E.N.D. World Tour. Cheryl Cole's second solo album, titled Messy Little Raindrops, was released in November 2010, alongside the album's first single, "Promise This", which became her second number-one in the UK. In addition to her role as a judge on The X Factor, she also performed "Promise This" on the show. Two BRITs nominations followed on from this solo success, and then ultimate accolade arrived in the winning of the coveted Best Music Act at the ELLE Style Awards 2011. 85

CHERYL COLE

profile

Cheryl was given a one-off television programme for ITV1 entitled Cheryl Cole's Night In, on 19th December 2009. The programme, hosted by Holly Willoughby, featured music and interviews with Cheryl and some of her favourite performers, with Alexandra Burke, Rihanna, Will Young, Snow Patrol and will.i.am making appearances. Cole returned for the sixth series in 2009 and was given the boys category (made up of male contestants aged 16 to 25), and emerged as the winning judge for a second consecutive year after Joe McElderry was crowned the sixth winner of The X Factor.

Cole told the press, "I couldn't be happier that ITV have asked me to round off the year with my own show, working with some of my favourite artists". Cheryl then went on to make a high-profile appearance on the fourth series of Piers Morgan's Life Stories which aired in October 2010, in which she discussed her marriage and divorce with Ashley Cole and her life-threatening battle with malaria, sending the show's ratings to an all-time high.

She returned for a further series in 2010 to mentor the girls category (made of female contestants aged 16 to 28) and faced intense scrutiny from the public and the media over her choices to go through to the live shows. This season would also mark the first that Cole was not the winning mentor, after a contestant in her category (Rebecca Ferguson) lost out to Matt Cardle (who was mentored by Dannii Minogue) in the final.

Cheryl's TV career began as a member of Girls Aloud, when she appeared in the fly on the wall documentary Girls Aloud: Home Truths, the E4 documentary series Girls Aloud: Off the Record, an episode of Ghosthunting With..., and a one-off variety show entitled The Girls Aloud Party.

Cheryl Cole contributed to the book Dreams that Glitter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Our Story, an autobiography with her Girls Aloud bandmates, in October 2008. The book was written with a ghostwriter and featured unseen photographs, insights into the members' personal lives, their success together, style tips, and "everything they've learned about life, love and music." The title Dreams that Glitter comes from a line in the group's 2007 single "Call the Shots".

However, her big TV break came in June 2008 when, it is said, she was personally handpicked by Simon Cowell to replace Sharon Osbourne as a judge for the fifth series of The X Factor. Cole was given the girls category (made up of female contestants between 16 and 25) and subsequently ended up as the victorious judge when Alexandra Burke was crowned the fifth winner of The X Factor in December 2008. 87

profile

CHERYL COLE

Then in February 2011, she launched her own charitable foundation with The Prince’s Trust, following a meeting with HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. The Cheryl Cole Foundation will provide vital funds for The Trust in the North East, helping disadvantaged young people from the region.

Cole's first official book, entitled Through My Eyes, was published in September 2010 and is described as "a series of stunning exclusive new photos plus informal shots from her own personal collection ... a revealing and intimate portrait of the world of Cheryl Cole". Through My Eyes offers a glimpse of Cole in the recording studio, backstage on tour, behind-the-scenes at The X Factor, at photo shoots and at award ceremonies. She said the book is "filled with pictures that capture those moments, memories and the people she's closest to". In February 2009, Cole appeared on the cover of British Vogue, with the media coverage of her appearance boosting the magazine's circulation to 240,000, its best ever February figure. She also appeared on the November 2009 cover of the UK's Elle magazine.

“Too many young people grow up thinking no-one cares and don’t believe they can make anything of themselves,” says Cheryl, who did much of her growing up in public. “They have so much potential – but can go off the rails without the right care and support. I want my Foundation to help them realise their potential and get their lives on track. I have always been a great admirer of the work of The Prince’s Trust with disadvantaged young people across the UK. It’s the perfect charity for my Foundation to support.”

In March 2009 Cheryl was in a team of celebrity friends who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief. The trek raised £3.4 million for the charity.

All this. And the Nation’s Sweetheart too. Not bad for a girl who has achieved so much but is still only 28. 89

9 0 AT TIME OF PUBLISHING PRICES CORRECT

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