INSPIRATIONAL magazine
INSPIRATIONAL
magazine ANNE HATHAWAY: FROM PRINCESS TO CATWOMAN EDITION 3
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STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE EXPANDS CHAMPIONS: THE BRAND AGENCY
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
in this edition:
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02 - LUMBERS - BREITLING.pdf
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w David Beckham. A global icon who insists on perfection. Precision and style. A legend forged by accomplishments. On his wrist is the Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime, the ultimate traveller’s watch. Manufacture Breitling Calibre B05, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC, endorsed by a 5-year Breitling warranty. High-performance selfwinding chronograph. Universal time function enabling permanent readings of the time in all 24 timezones thanks to a patented mechanism and a supremely user-friendly crown-operated correction system. Comfort and elegance for first-class travellers. Signed Breitling.
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Editor in Chief Matthew Hayes Creative Editor Sarah Garner Features Editor Victoria Marconetto Advertising Editor Amelia Benskin Advertising Manager Sophia Hayes Advertising Assistant Rebecca Edwards Features Writers Megan Smith Colin Herd Benoît Lawrence Kim Lane Designers Ewen Lewis Jodie Barker Kristian Goodeve Shaun Hanson Photography Kristian Goodeve Antonia Doyle Ellen Parsons Senior Production Manager Sarah Pearson Production Manager Alexandra Buist Web Development Julian Purser Steven Wood
Contributors Libby Johnson Robert Johnson Gillian Wesley Eurojet Janine Edwards
Sally Walder Jason Yeomans Tara Hewitt Richard Vickery Keith Byrne
www.inspirational.uk.com For mailing list and subscription enquiries please visit www.inspirational.uk.com For advertising enquiries please contact: Amelia Benskin on 08453 31 30 31 or email: info@inspirational.uk.com Published By
letter from the
EDITOR This spring/summer edition of Inspirational Magazine comes to you following an extremely testing time for both myself and my team. Since our last edition I have lost a great friend, gorgeous wife, caring mother and trusted colleague. As features editor, she was a fundamental part of the magazine and was responsible for making it a publication that we are all incredibly proud of. She had been with Inspirational Magazine since its birth and had guided and directed all of the incredible features that we included in each and every edition. Our latest Inspirational Magazine is dedicated to her and I very much hope that you enjoy reading the wealth of different features we have put together for you. We document the incredible career of Hollywood starlet Anne Hathaway. Her career has taken her on a journey from teen icon to an Oscar winning performance in Les Misérables and we look at the way her acting talent has shaped many of our cinematic experiences of the last decade. This edition we have also taken a look at some of the most exciting recent business developments and we explore the power of global megabrands. Our business and finance includes at some of the West Midlands’ most notable business developments and we discover the secrets of leading brand agency Champions (UK) plc, providing some of the UK’s leading businesses with the power to boost their brand. This summer promises to be yet another exciting summer of sport and with England tipped to win the Ashes, Matthew Hoggard MBE shares his predictions for one of the world’s most gripping sporting spectacles and we take a look at the career of England rugby legend, Neil Back MBE. Once again, we bring you the very best of the West Midlands’ restaurants; the very best places to enjoy delicious, seasonal food for the summer months and we think that you will be spoilt for choice this season. With the Farmfoods British Par 3 taking pride of place on our sporting calendar once again, we are looking forward to seeing all of the golfing drama unfold at Nailcote Hall’s prestigious Cromwell Course. Ryder Cup legend Tony Jacklin CBE will play in all four days of the tournament and the event is set to be one of the most exciting demonstrations of sporting talent this summer. All of our fantastic features and more are featured on our website, blog and on our Facebook and Twitter page. Like and follow us to keep up to date with our latest offers, competitions and news. I hope that you agree that this is our best edition yet and we have compiled the very best of wonderful jewellery, fine dining, stylish clothes, beautiful cars and a wide range of features that are the epitome of the most luxurious of lifestyles. I’m sure that Laura would have been extremely proud of this edition and would have agreed that everything we have included represents all things truly inspirational. She was always one to enjoy the finer things in life and had immaculate taste, showcased by her exceptional choice of husband! www.inspirational.uk.com
Champions (UK) plc Barrington House, Leake Road, Costock, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 6XA Tel: 08453 31 30 31 Fax: 08453 31 30 32
Matthew Hayes Editor in Chief
www.championsukplc.com Inspirational Magazine® is a registered Trademark of Champions (UK) plc. Please note: Inspirational Magazine is fully protected by copyright; no part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without the complete and expressed permission of the publisher. The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy, however there can be no liability accepted by the publisher for errors or omissions. Inspirational Magazine can under no circumstances be held responsible for any materials, matter or photographical copy submitted for publication or not within the magazine. We cannot be held liable or responsible for any breaches of copyright from adverts, materials, photography or any other matter supplied by third parties. The views and opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or indeed Inspirational Magazine or any featured parties.
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“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Albert Pike
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
FINE DINING GUIDE
Eurojet Aviation .............................. 10
The Ashes ....................................... 50
Pushkars......................................... 83
When Only the Very Best will Suffice
Cricket’s Greatest Battle
Anne Hathaway .............................. 14
Q&A with Matthew Hoggard MBE .... 54
Hollywood’s Brightest Shining Star
Ashes Secrets Revealed
Cielo............................................... 86
Gillian Wesley ................................. 22
The Belfry ....................................... 56
Bespoke Bridalwear
The Brabazon Challenge 2013
Mailbox .......................................... 87
Barbados ........................................ 30
Benjamins Suits .............................. 68
Escape to Island Paradise
Bespoke Tailoring and the Very Best Service
Hotel La Tour.................................. 38
Lions, Tigers and Back ................... 72
Modern and Stylish, the New Approach to Hospitality
Neil Back MBE, World Cup Winning Rugby Legend
Edmunds ........................................ 84
Finest Catch ................................... 88
Inspirational’s Gift Guide ................ 42 This summer’s must have pieces
Stapleford Park ............................... 48 Wonderful Parties in a Beautiful Location
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100
48
94
122
110
LONDON CALLING
BUSINESS AND FINANCE
SOCIAL AND NETWORKING
The Dorchester ................................ 92
Wielding the Power of the Brand ... 100
Socialising.................................... 136
A Stylish and Sumptuous World Class Hotel
Champions (UK) plc at the Heart of Brand Power
Tom Aikens ..................................... 94
The Empire Expands..................... 106
London’s Most Exciting Dining Experience
Hollywood Transactions, Global Businesses
Grosvenor House Hotel .................... 96
Cherie Concannon ........................ 110
Birmingham Sports Awards
A JW Marriott Hotel
Coaching Excellence
An Evening with Shel Macrae
Quinnel .......................................... 98
St. James’s Place .......................... 116
The Kitchen Gallery Opening
Personal Wealth Management, Delivered to You
Johnsons Jewellers Skyfall Premiere
The Red Olive Catering Company .. 122
Inspirational Magazine Visits Pushkar
Audley Retirement Village Unveils Development Johnsons Black Tie and Diamonds Ball Champions (UK) plc’s Best of British Ball
The Best Corporate Catering for Events and Hospitality
amplify ......................................... 126 Hospitality at its Finest
Charles Mitchell Wines.................. 130 The World’s Best Wines
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EUROJET AVIATION : placing sports enthusiasts ‘in pole position’ for 2013
Of the many legacies emerging from last year’s London Olympics, the massive growth of interest in sporting disciplines of all shades endures. For committed fans travelling to prestigious sports events and for some of the competitors themselves, Eurojet Aviation is well-placed to offer the expertise, comfort and bespoke service required to ensure a truly tailor-made travel experience. From the British and Monaco Grand Prix, to the Six Nations Championship, to the Scottish Open, through to the Ashes, Wimbledon and Roland Garros, some of the world’s most high-profile events are just a short flight away. With a calendar teeming with world-beating fixtures, Eurojet Aviation is confident the values of bespoke, hassle-free private travel are as relevant to the sporting enthusiast as they are to the business traveller.
Managing Director Graeme Campbell said: “The flexibility of Eurojet’s service continues to be a huge benefit to professional sports men and women participating in some of the highest profile events in Europe and beyond. The freedom of flexible departure and arrival times, together with bespoke in-flight services, can ensure that all options can be catered for. Avid spectators or corporate groups travelling to these events can also benefit from this highly personalised form of air travel.” Eurojet Aviation is one of Europe’s leading private aviation companies and has built an unrivalled reputation for specialising in travel solutions to a wide range of clients including sports personalities, celebrities, entrepreneurs, public institutions and multi-national corporations.
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Operating over a $100m worth of aircraft and flying its clients to thousands of destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Eurojet has helped enable clients to attend world-class sports fixtures around the UK and far beyond. “We have worked hard over 25 years to earn a reputation for providing highly personalised, premium services based on comfort, discretion and client service. Our services can extend far beyond the airport incorporating hospitality, follow-on travel and accommodation services if required,” said Mr Campbell.
The past 12 months has seen significant expansion at Eurojet Aviation. In 2012, the company opened the Business Aviation Centre at Birmingham Airport – a 41,000 sq ft facility, which includes a spacious lounge and hospitality area for clients. This central location, located minutes away from the major transportation networks, offers travellers the greatest possible choice in moving on to their final destination. Plans are also well-progressed towards further enhancing Eurojet’s capability with new aircraft scheduled to join the fleet during 2013.
In addition to offering private jet charter services, the company also specialises in aircraft sales, acquisition, management and private jet maintenance.
For further information and reservations, contact Eurojet Aviation on 0845 465 0550 or log on to
www.eurojet.eu.com
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Johnsons have one of the West Midlands’ most important partnerships with Rolex, arguably the world’s leading and most desirable watch brand. Inspirational Magazine looks at the Johnsons newest model, The Oyster Perpetual SKY-DWELLER, available in spring 2013 from their Nuneaton showroom. Having celebrated their 115th anniversary throughout 2012, this year has brought with it new and exciting products from the jeweller’s range of impressive brands. Sitting at the pinnacle of the timepiece marketplace, Rolex continue to enjoy a highly successful partnership with Johnsons, Nuneaton. Johnsons are able to accommodate their customers in their exquisitely designed Rolex showroom. Homage to the prestigious timepieces, the specially designated area allows discerning Rolex lovers to choose from the wide array of models in comfort and ease, with the expert advice of Johnsons’ experienced team. The newest addition to the Johnsons collection is The Oyster Perpetual SKY-DWELLER, part of the Oyster collection and provides global travellers with a dual time zone facility and an annual calendar system, SAROS, so called because it was inspired by the astronomical phenomenon that is used to predict eclipses. The watch has been designed to the exacting precision of its legendary Swiss manufacturer, with an intuitively arranged face that allows for simple interaction between the timepiece and its wearer. Perfectly placed and engineered, the SKY-DWELLER displays the time, date and the ring command bezel allows the wearer to select individual functions, as they require.
Developed by Rolex to expand their Oyster Collection, the timepiece offers another great example of Swiss engineering and innovation at its very best, ensuring that the organisation’s ethos is continued in the durability, timeless style and effortless brilliance of the design. The perfect choice for those who favour a balanced combination of ease of use and carefully developed style, the ergonomically designed watch breaks new ground in timepiece innovation.
The dual time zone and 24-hour display are key to the innovative design, allowing the wearer to reference two different time zones at once, a feature that will always prove to be indispensable to the frequent traveller. There is a rotating off-centre disk that informs the wearer of their chosen reference time, allowing for clear distinction between day and night hours. With Rolex’s innovation, the timepiece becomes a vital business tool, allowing the wearer the luxury of knowing the exact time-zone they require.
It is available in 18ct white, yellow and Everose gold, developed and cast by Rolex in their own carefully controlled foundry. The case measures 42 mm and covers an ideal balance between truly beautiful Rolex design and cutting edge technological progress. Continuing a collection that has long been a stalwart of the Rolex brand, the newest addition to the range is a pared back and truly functional example of the brand’s finest creations.
Local time is identified by the traditional, large hands in the centre of the movement, allowing the wearer to have access to the correct time, whenever they need it. Any alterations to the local time have no effect on that of the reference time-zone. The revolutionary annual calendar is unmatched for its precise engineering and the manufacturer’s dedication to achieving such a bespoke design for a classic timepiece ensures that it continually functions with the utmost accuracy. Offering unparalleled ease of use, the Ring Command Bezel has a three-position function that alters the date, local time or reference time, allowing for unrestricted changes as and when the wearer requires it. The self-winding mechanical movement is the embodiment of traditional Rolex technology for a truly modern wearer. Completely developed and manufactured in-house, the luxury watch brand ensures that each of the 380 components completely fulfil the stringent criteria. Supported with seven patents that cover a range of technology, the timepiece offers its wearer a market-leading example of design and innovation, that continues to uphold the Rolex reputation for excellence.
H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
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It’s All in the Timing... Rolex and Johnsons Jewellers are a Perfect Partnership
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Anne HATHAWAY
From Teen Princess to new York Fashionista, Catwoman to Revolutionary Misérable... Oscar winning Anne Hathaway has climbed to the top of Hollywood’s dizzying heights and dazzled us all with her brilliance. Inspirational Magazine charts her dramatic rise to international recognition and critical acclaim.
What is it about Anne Hathaway that has made her so enduringly popular? Is it her megawatt smile, endless dramatic flexibility or polished charm? There is little doubt that Hathaway’s personal charisma is at once completely engaging and she has the rare and much coveted ability to draw the audience’s focus in a cinematic instant, igniting the silver screen with her own unique life force and creating characters that have become as powerful and memorable as the film-world’s they inhabit.
She turns her hand to any role with seemingly effortless aplomb
Over the past decade, we have watched the rise of the Hollywood starlet, from bumbling teen royal Mia Thermopolis in ‘The Princess Diaries’ to the poised White Queen in Tim Burton’s idiosyncratic reworking of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Continually demonstrating her own astonishing ability she took on a role as the comic book icon Catwoman, and has received international critical acclaim as the impoverished and desperate Fantine in Tim Hooper’s much awaited musical classic ‘Les Misérables’. Having put in a truly captivating and heart rending performance as Victor Hugo’s tragic heroine, Hathaway received an Oscar at the beginning of 2013 for her role as Best Supporting Actress. Her portrayal of a young Parisienne who becomes pregnant with the unwanted child of a rich student provides a moving under current of unease to the tale of bourgeois dominance in a dissolusioned, post-revolution Paris.
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THE CAT WHO GOT THE CREAM:
With the impoverished and ignored underclass taking to the streets to proclaim their abhorrence of a corrupt social hierarchy, there was little better introduction to the films harrowing theme than doomed Fantine. Poised for an (albeit musical) uprising, the tragic end to the tale mirrors the early demise of Hathaway’s character and sees her return in a ghostly vision to close the on screen action. Although her character leaves the on-screen action early in the film, its presence haunts the following acting, solidifying her position as both a truly magnetic actress and true artist of her craft. Her complete dedication to her performance and belief in method acting went so far as to see her loose 25lbs for the role, using a diet regime that she is yet to divulge, as well as isolating herself from her new husband. In a Hollywood era that is breaking new technological ground with a variety of 3D effects and explosive sound boosting the on screen performance, Hathaway’s ability to wrack the emotional conscience of the viewer with her honest and paired down performance is simply magical, and there is little doubt that she will continue to be rewarded handsomely with the very best roles in the future. It is her versatility that has moulded her as one of the industry’s figurehead performers, taking to a variety of roles with ease and her own unique style. For many, she is the embodiment of modern Hollywood as it should be; at once quintessentially American, effortlessly beautiful, introspective and adaptable. Her Oscar is sure to be the first of many, continuing to be regarded as one of Hollywood’s royalty for many years to come. Far from the desolate Paris backstreets of Hugo’s classic French tale, her on-screen career has seen her in fantasy lands, hobnobbing with the fashion glitterati in New York, voicing a whimsically charming parrot in Disney’s ‘Rio’ and inspiring the audience with her portrayal of early-onset Parkinson’s Disease sufferer Maggie in ‘Love and Other Drugs’.
A woman who has simply said “But I’m an actress. The celebrity thing just happened.” Hathaway is honest about her brush with the sometimes senselessly chaotic world of celebrity, using her voice to promote charitable causes and bolster global campaigns to promote the rights of women. For Hathaway, her work is a job that takes her on limitless journeys of self-discovery, a chance to provide a translation of some of stage and literature’s most popular characters, bring to life a comic book heroine, and the chance to make on screen-history having her long, mahogany locks clipped to the scalp as Fantine. Her emotional response to her work makes her all the more relatable for her audience and fans. She said that she was “shaking like a leaf” ahead of her ‘one-take’ moment in which a fellow Les Misérables cast member had to ruthlessly crop her hair. Yet another demonstration of her amazing dedication to the work that she lives and loves, Hathaway’s method acting goes further than many would be willing to push themselves. Her uncompromising take on her own position has allowed her the inner strength that is absent in some of her contemporaries’ performances.
Images, clockwise from top left; Anne Hathaway with fellow winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence and Christophe Waltz in the press room during the 85th Annual Academy Awards; Anne Hathaway accepting her award onstage for Best Supporting Actress for her critically-acclaimed role in Les Miserables at the 85th Annual Academy Awards on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California.; Anne Hathaway at the premiere of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at the AMC Lincoln Square Theatre; Anne Hathaway attending ‘The White Fairy Tale Love Ball’ in Support Of ‘The Naked Heart Foundation’ at Chateau De Wideville; Anne Hathaway with the cast of American hit comedy/drama, ‘Get Real.’ From L-R: Debrah Farentino, Jon Tenney, Anne Hathaway, Christina Pickles, Jesse Eisenberg And Eric Olsen; Anne Hathaway showing off her award at the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Sunset Tower Hotel, West Hollywood, California.
Now newly married and thirty years old, her casting seems to be a far cry from the string of “good girl” roles that characterised her early twenties. Having firmly established herself as one of Hollywood’s brightest shining stars, her unique take on the Hollywood world and mentality is refreshingly contradicted by her total disregard for fame or fortune. In a fame-hungry world, it is enlightening to hear her earnest words as she describes her love for what she does, her enthusiasm for life and her love for her new husband.
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Hathaway will appear in Don Jon later in 2013 and is currently filming as the voice of Jewel in Rio 2
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Ultimately inspirational, she received her Oscar with a dedication to her husband Adam Schulman and saying simply in recognition for her award: “It came true”. A consummate professional to the end, her polished image, vegan lifestyle and relaxed approach to the international ‘fame machine’ sees her sit securely among the greats of the silver screen in a modern and truly individual way. Turning her hand to any role with seemingly effortless aplomb and never afraid to communicate her own struggles or triumphs to those who ask, Anne Hathaway represents the honest and wholesome face of global superstardom, a notion that she is thankfully reviving.
It is her own individual style and timeless quality that evokes a Hollywood of old and she has been repeatedly linked to some of the industry’s all-time greats, Audrey Hepburn among them. Similar to the on-screen muses of the fifties, she is favoured by eminent contemporary designers Valentino, Armani Prive and Gucci, inspiring many with her whimsical vintage image and laid back styling that sees her perfectly attired for any occasion. A personal friend and muse of the Italian design house, Valentino, Hathaway had her wedding dress personally designed by the couturier and regularly wears his creations to great acclaim on the red carpet, having received a Costume Designers Guild Spotlight Award early in 2013 for her string of sensational looks.
The darling of Hollywood and the girl next door, it’s hard not to fall for Hathaway’s on screen charms. Effortlessly chic and stylish, with a range that many could only dream of, her dedication to creating cinematic masterpieces sees her at the very top of her industry and the world’s love affair with Anne Hathaway looks set to continue for some time. Here at Inspirational Magazine we are waiting with bated breath for her next on screen triumph. Something tells us that we won’t have to wait too long...
Images, clockwise from top left; From left to right – Christopher Nolan, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and Joseph Gordan-Levitt attend ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ New York Premiere; Anne Hathaway arrives for the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party; Anne Hathaway attends the 15th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel; Anne Hathaway and Cecile Richards attend the after party for the opening night of ‘Ann’; Anne Hathaway and her husband, actor Adam Shulman arrive at the Oscars.
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The world’s love affair with Anne Hathaway looks set to continue for some time and here at Inspirational Magazine we are waiting with bated breath for her next on-screen triumph. Something tells us we won’t have to wait too long...
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It’s that happy time of year again; the wedding season. Armed with a scrapbook full of wonderful ideas and themes, the only thing the beautiful couple need to do is make their dream day together a reality. All weddings are personal and should be individually tailored to match the special couple’s vision and personalities. Ranging from the quiet, intimate and pretty to the extravagant, glamorous and guest-filled, every bride and grooms ideas are completely unique Rest assured, Inspirational Magazine have created our own collection of luxury wedding ideas, helping you to create your dream wedding. Selecting only the most luxurious and elegant honeymoon locations, venues ideas and wedding fashion we have found some of the West Midlands best kept wedding secrets. Make your day more than extraordinary – make it truly Inspirational, with our dedicated wedding guide.
Charliz For the Most Special of Occasions JOHN CHARLES LONDON
carina
ispirato pomodoro
A boutique dedicated to the very best wedding attire, Charliz is located in the heart of Nuneaton’s Attleborough and has been providing elegant clothing for the mother of the bride or groom, as well as unique and glamorous cruise and occasion wear to customers for 13 years.
3 George St
With so many choices from a range of designers, there is an outfit for anyone who wants to look and feel special for their son or daughter’s wedding day, or for those in need of the perfect outfit for a range of different occasions, such as a cruise or celebration.
All of the collections are available in sizes 8-20 and include stunning pieces from designers such as John Charles, Carina, Ispirato, Pomodoro, Leo Guy, Michaela Louisa, Joseph Ribkoff and Frank Lyman.
For the perfect addition to any outfit, Charliz also offers their clients a range of different accessories, including beautiful hats and fascinators, footwear, bags and jewellery.
Michaela louisa
FRANK LYMAN
| Attleborough Green | Nuneaton | Warwickshire | CV11 4JY | Tel: 02476 387 077 | www.charlizboutique.co.uk
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H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
GILLIAN WESLEY DESIGN A fashion boutique in Knowle offering a truly unique bridal shop...
Gillian Wesley Design in Knowle is a bridal shop unlike any other. Step through her Victorian Arcade style shop front and you instantly feel like you are somewhere magical, with exceptional service to match. Every bride deserves to be treated like royalty in the run-up to their big day, and at Gillian Wesley Design, that’s exactly what they get. With a wide range of vintage style wedding gowns, bespoke couture, ready to wear dresses and bridal corsets and skirts, there is everything a bride could wish for in preparation for their big day. Brides get the exclusive use of the charming private boutique to themselves and all bridal appointments are held with a designer not a shop assistant, so that brides benefit from genuine advice about styles and fitting from someone who knows the industry inside out. The friendly and knowledgeable staff go out of their way to guarantee that brides get exactly what they
want, making the experience truly memorable… and fun. It’s not just a case of shopping for a wedding dress, it’s a unique experience all of its own and at Gillian Wesley Design, that’s a priority. In delightfully traditional black and white uniforms, a team is always on hand to help with fitting when required. You couldn’t be better looked after! While the bespoke service is the ultimate in luxury, the rail of ready to wear wedding dresses also offers the opportunity to look truly unique on your big day. Gillian Wesley designs these dresses in her studio and they are often unrepeatable, so that even buying ready to wear, you can still look sensational and unique. For those looking for a vintage inspired wedding gown, Gillian Wesley Design stock fabulous luxury wedding dresses from designer Nicki Flyn. Vintage laces and Hollywood glamour provide the inspiration for these unusual wedding dresses and they compliment Gillian’s corset designs perfectly.
brides within six months of their wedding, unlike many other bridal shops, Gillian Wesley helps in any way she can in the lead up to the day, making the process as smooth as possible. She is even able to suggest other suppliers who she has worked with often and knows she can trust. To make the experience even more special, brides, bridesmaids and families are offered a half price afternoon tea after the appointment in the renowned Catwalk Café, which is on the premises. With a sweeping red carpet and fashion-themed photographs on the wall, The Catwalk Café is a unique venue for truly luxurious and indulgent treats. If you want to really celebrate the occasion, a bottle of Gillian Wesley Champagne is the perfect accompaniment!
What sets Gillian Wesley apart for weddings is her accommodating and generous service. Catering for
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“While we do cater for the traditional “white wedding”, we are also able to reflect the individual style of our customers through coloured dresses and accessories. It’s really a case of what the customer wants- with our bespoke bridal wear, the options are endless.” - Gillian Wesley Every bride wants to look truly unique on their wedding day. Gillian Wesley Design stocks a fabulous range of vintage style jewellery, as well as designing and sourcing unique statement bridal accessories to complete the look. Devine Italian lace boots are a favourite of brides and they are simply divine, offering spectacular elegance and luxury! Showcasing truly spectacular pieces from boutique designers that you would never find on the high street, Gillian Wesley is able to ensure that all her brides look and feel sensational for their big day. A huge advantage of corsets and skirts as a wedding day option is that as well as looking simply stunning on the big day itself, the corset can be worn again after the wedding. Hugely versatile wardrobe essentials, corsets can be paired with skirts for big occasions or dressed down with jeans. This means that while you still get that glorious wedding day style, they are much more economical than buying a “worn once in a lifetime” gown. Many brides love to be reminded of their wedding day by wearing their wedding corset again for special occasions for years after! In today’s vibrant world, where couples often choose to tie the knot abroad or in unconventional ceremonies, many brides-to-be are looking beyond the traditional dress and for something that more reflects their
personalities. That’s where Gillian Wesley Design comes into its own. Where other bridal shops will only cater for traditional white dresses, Gillian Wesley offers a wide range of colours and fabrics to suit the taste of the bride, and to suit all climates. This flexibility can be particularly useful when dressing the bridal party, ensuring that the bridesmaids look almost (though not quite) as divine as the bride! With the unique selection of gifts and accessories, Gillian Wesley Design is also the perfect place to pick up gifts for the bridal party to thank them for their support on the day itself. When it comes to the big day, it’s essential that everything goes without a hitch. Luckily, Gillian Wesley stocks her unique “Wedding Day Survival Kit”, which is quite simply a must for all weddings. Equipping the bride and her entourage with a range of handy supplies designed to ensure that minor inconveniences don’t turn into major events on the special day. For inspiration ahead of the big day, Gillian Wesley’s Catwalk Café will host an exclusive bridal fashion show on the 25th September 2013, where brides to be can see the most beautiful styles for their wedding gowns and dresses. However for a more informal browse
through all the latest options for wedding outfits, the How to Find the Perfect Wedding Dress evening on 10th October includes the opportunity to hear completely unbiased advice about styles and fitting from people who know, a fantastic goody bag and a glass of Champagne! With such exceptional dedication and service, it’s no surprise that many of Gillian Wesley’s bridal clients become close friends and often make their way back to the boutique to model in exclusive bridal shoots and fashion shows… the ideal opportunity to relive your big day!
Gillian Wesley Design and The Catwalk Café To book a bridal appointment, call into the shop or telephone: 01564 779491 For exclusive offers, invitations and events, join Gillian Wesley’s mailing list on:
www.gillianwesley.co.uk
Kenilworth Road, Knowle, West Midlands, B93 0JA Opening Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm
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H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
Elegant Blacks & Whites
White White Gold, Gold, Onyx Onyx & & Diamond Diamond Collection Collection
H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk/picchiotti
H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
C haracter C harm
&
Situated in the heart of the beguiling Warwickshire countryside, Nailcote Hall is one of Britain’s most romantic, charming and elegant country house hotels. A haven of relaxation and style, the supremely comfortable, individually designed bedrooms of the hotel make it the perfect place to leave behind the stresses of everyday life and indulge in wonderful food, regular entertainment and the fully equipped leisure club, or play a round on arguably the world’s best Par 3 course, The Cromwell Course. With quintessentially luxurious hospitality and a warm welcome guaranteed, Nailcote Hall offers truly unforgettable breaks.
Nailcote Hall, Nailcote Lane, Berkswell, Warwickshire, CV7 7DE, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 2476 466174
www.nailcotehall.co.uk
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MAhI MAhI SUITE To B AG o l U x U R Y h o l I d AY A C C o M M o d AT I o N
An IdyllIc
BEACHSIDE CArIBBEAn rEtrEAt A luxurious Caribbean paradise offering an ultimate retreat for honeymooners, families, or up to three couples, the luxuriously furnished secure Mahi Mahi Suite sits on one of the most romantic beachside locations in the world. Nestled in its own private gardens on the warm sands of the extensive Grafton Beach, the first floor corner apartment offers breathtaking views and sunsets over the emerald waters of Stonehaven Bay. From enjoying breakfast on the elegant balcony to an afternoon’s rest in the sumptuous suite’s décor, the apartment is a delightful Caribbean Eden that you’ll never want to leave. You can swim, snorkel, boogie-board, stroll on the beach, or relax with a book by the garden pool. For a romantic lunch or dinner, renowned restaurants and cafés such as the famous Seahorse Inn and Fish Pot Restaurant are just minutes walk away. Watching the birds feeding as the sun rises over the Grafton Caledonia Bird Sanctuary or the occasional visiting nocturnal turtle are magical experiences, uniquely Tobago. It is also the perfect place from which to explore the stunning natural beauty and wildlife of the rainforest and its scenic coastline or enjoy other Caribbean specialities like the Sunday school food-fair at Buccoo Reef with steelband accompaniment. Free airport transfers, welcome pack, maid service, full air conditioning, and wifi are provided. For more information about the Mahi Mahi Suite, prices, availability and booking please visit:
TobagoBeachApartment.com For an independent review go to www.mytobago.info/reviews/mahi_mahi_suite.php
UK contact information:
MahiMahi@ TobagoBeachApartment.com Telephone: 07544 051 991 e-mail:
Proven not promised www.royalwestmoreland.com
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World Class Holidays
Homes from US$ 500,000
LOCATED ON THE STUNNING WEST COAST OF BARBADOS,
REGARDED AS THE FINEST ADDRESS IN BARBADOS FOR
ROYAL WESTMORELAND IS ONE OF THE ISLANDS MOST
ALMOST 20 YEARS, ROYAL WESTMORELAND CONTINUES
PRESTIGIOUS AND EXCLUSIVE SANCTUARIES CENTRED
TO DELIVER A LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE THAT IS THE
ON ONE OF THE WORLDS FINEST GOLF COURSES.
ENVY OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
It is here, her as a guest that you will experience the exceptional service from our Elite Concierge Team, within the privacy and comfort of your own villa. You can chose from a stylish one bedroom apartment to a custom designed magnificent seven bedroom villa.
The lush 750 acre gated community centred around the finest golf course in the Caribbean offers complete peace, privacy and well being. Elite Concierge, Private Beach Club, Golf, Spa & Tennis are yours Pri to enjoy.
UK Reservations Office +44 (0)1524 782503
UK Sales Office +44 (0)1524 782649
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Luxury Destinations Inspirational Magazine’s guide to the world’s very best destinations for a truly luxurious getaway this summer.
barbados A sparkling jewel in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Barbados offers its visitors the holiday of lifetime. With some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, dense forest, vibrant culture and delicious food, the island is a true paradise that draws guests from all over the world. The island is home to so many different cultural destinations and visitors find themselves immersed in the sights and sounds of the unique Barbadian lifestyle. Whether sampling cocktails in one of the exclusive hotel bars, exploring a traditional marketplace or chartering a private yacht to take part in deep sea fishing. Renowned for offering leading water sports, the island is equipped to offer everyone a truly aspirational holiday. 32
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One of the most exciting and diverse country’s in the world, Brazil offers the discerning traveller a dynamic and memorable experience. From coast to mountain, bustling city to uninhabited rainforest, the country offers a cultural experience unlike any other. Home to the 2016 Olympics, Brazil is proving to be an ever more sought after luxury holiday destination for the rich and famous and many flock to its vibrant capital to experience a taste of Rio de Janeiro’s unique offering. Whether strolling along the vibrant and world famous Copacabana beach, taking in the nightlife at one of the city’s exclusive clubs, dining in some of the world’s finest restaurants or enjoying the luxury of one of the chic boutique hotels, Brazil’s capital offers a truly wonderful vacation experience. For those wanting a more adventurous escape from their everyday reality, Brazil’s expansive footprint encapsulates unchartered rainforest, distinctive archipelagos, diverse cityscapes and cultural landmarks. The iconic Christ the Redeemer offers a focal point for many tourists and epitomises the unique and spectacular identity of one of South America’s most iconic countries.
braZIL
With over 7,000 beautiful islands to choose from, The Philippines offers expansive coast line, beautiful beaches and a lifestyle that revolves around the crystalline turquoise waters of the South China Sea. With delicious food, secluded beaches, some of the finest of the world’s hotels and a wide range of different activities and excursions, the country is proving to be one of the world’s most exciting and diverse destinations for 2013 and beyond. Siargao Island in particular offers a range of exclusive boutique hotels, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. A true paradise surrounded by calm, sparkling waters, the island provides the ultimate escapism, evoking the tranquillity of a desert island. Guests take long walks along the expanse of white sandy beach, swim in the cool waters and enjoy a variety of different activities designed to make their time on the beautiful island truly special.
THE PHILIPPINEs
A destination of choice for the rich and famous, the exclusivity of some of the Maldives most exclusive hotels sees guests enjoy the clear waters and perfect snorkelling and diving opportunities. With little else to do but relax, the islands are the perfect way to relax and unwind, offering the Indian Ocean’s very best archipelago of beautiful holiday destinations. With its highest points barely two metres above sea level, the island’s unique geographical structure adds to its oasis-like identity and it continues to be a popular Honeymoon destination and its world leading hotels continue to offer the ultimate in luxury hospitality.
THE MaLdIVEs 33
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
A vibrant city with a cutting edge entertainment and nightlife offering, Miami continues to embody East Coast glamour and opulence. Entertainment options are seemingly endless and there are a vast array of different bars, restaurants, music venues and activities to take part in. Visitors are captivated by the exciting atmosphere and the city’s diversity, with some of the world’s most innovative art and culture installations taking centre stage in the city’s dramatic every day existence. Travellers, trendsetters and the cultural glitterati flock to the city, experiencing the laid back elegance in the chic boutique hotels, being seen on the beach side board walks and enjoying the nightlife in some of the world’s most exciting hang outs. A truly aspirational destination for the best in luxury destinations, Miami continues to be the place to see and be seen this summer.
MIaMI
A recent and exciting addition to some of the best places to visit around the world, Oman offers the intangible mystery of the Middle East to the seasoned traveller. With new and exciting cultural offerings at every turn, the changeable landscapes, modern cities and ancient archaeological sites provide an assult to the senses that guarantees to leave each visitor completely spell bound. Whether travelling through the atmospheric mountains, taking advantage of a full range of water sports and activities or immersing yourself in the wonderful culture, Oman is set to be one if the most popular destinations for a true taste of Middle Eastern luxury.
oMaN
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Luxury Destinations Stretching as far as the North West coast of Africa, Morroco’s Atlas Mountains offer one of the continent’s most hauntingly beautiful regions. The perfect base to explore the unique culture and wildlife of the region, the Kasbah Tamadot provides guests with the ultimate luxury accommodation. An oasis in the striking and largely arid mountain range, the juxtaposition of one of the world’s very best hotels with such a unique landscape provides a hugely memorable holiday experience for all of its guests. The wonderful cuisine and individual Berber culture makes this destination one of the most exclusive retreats in the world and it continues to grow in popularity, attracting visitors from all over the world for a unique and luxurious escape.
MoroCCo
Renowned all over the world for its beautiful scenery, the Indonesian province offers travellers a truly wonderful vacation experience. Its plethora of five star resorts exudes luxury and the beaches, palm trees and delightfully warm waters offer many their dream destination. The spiritual culture allows Bali to offer a calming space for travellers, a chance to unwind in the exclusive luxury of beautiful coastal hotels. With a unique lifestyle and incredibly varied landscape, there is little to dissuade travellers that this is one of the most truly magical destinations in the world.
baLI
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The Great Gatsby Baz Luhrmann’s eagerly-awaited adaptation of the Great Gatsby has cast its spell over new season trends. To celebrate the launch of the film this May, LISA PIDDINGTON, from Harvey Nichols, picks her favourite pieces with a 20s feel.
Parker Dress £295 Alexander McQueen Clutch £995
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The fashion world is holding its breath in anticipation of this summer’s biggest film release – Baz Luhrmann’s remake of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby features 40 designs from Miuccia Prada’s amazing archives. All very exciting!
And so it comes as no surprise that the latest adaptation of the classic novel, set in the Roaring Twenties, is having quite an effect on this summer’s key trends – the Flapper is certainly dapper for S/S13.
It’s easy to see why today’s designers are inspired by this “anything goes” era, after all these were the original fashionistas who shortened hemlines, slicked back their hair and had a charming sense of recklessness about them.
Seen on the catwalks at Badgley Mischka, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and, of course, Prada, this trend is feminine, sexy and oh-so sassy. Team sequins with lace and silk in playful prints for a look worthy of any silent movie heroine.
Butter London The Full Monty nail lacquer £12
DKNY Box clutch £140
McQ Alexander McQueen Laser-cut pouch £175
McQ Alexander McQueen Sandals £385
Gestuz Sequinned jacket £190
Diesel Sequinned chiffon top £195
Michael Kors Pearl faced watch £185
Michael Kors Patent leather sandals £145
Parker Beaded dress £325
All items featured are available from Harvey Nichols Birmingham.
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CLASSIC HOSPITALITY WITH A MODERN
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Stylish, chic and sophisticated, Hotel La Tour made its debut on the UK luxury hotels scene with a new opening in Birmingham.
Setting out to deliver classic hospitality with a modern twist, the entrepreneurial team behind this new brand are celebrating a great first year and now have their sights on developing four more city centre properties across the UK. Hotel La Tour Birmingham represents a £24m development and offers a brasserie-style restaurant and cocktail bar which are inspired by Michelin-starred Chef Marcus Wareing, a business and events floor plus 174 sumptuously furnished bedrooms and suites.
Indeed, with Marcus as its inspiration, Hotel La Tour’s Aalto Restaurant quickly achieved a must-book status amongst diners from the city and further afield. Just six months after opening, it was ranked as the city’s best restaurant by customers of the online review site TripAdvisor and the culinary stars – including renowed chefs Andreas Antona of Simpsons and Will Holland of La Bécasse - came out in force for the launch of the glossy Relish Midlands cookery book which the hotel hosted.
And it’s in a great location: just a short stroll (even in designer heels) to retail emporium Selfridges and all that Bullring Birmingham has to offer. For Harvey Nichols and The Mailbox you’ll have to stretch your designer-clad leg a tiny bit further (or take a four minute cab ride). The city has many other retail and cultural attractions to keep you busy: think Hippodrome (the UK’s busiest theatre) NEC, ICC, Town Hall & Symphony Hall, and the nightlife of Broad Street.
It has also become a firm favourite on the afternoon tea circuit with its elegant High Tea which offers a return to elegance with a smorgasbord of afternoon savouries and sweet treats served on eye-catching three tiered silver stands. Initally launched as part of a “Best of British” season to celebrate HRH the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the sporting triumphs of London 2012, High Tea proved such a hit it is now served every day, and with a tinkling piano accompaniment on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
It’s the designer styling which sets La Tour apart. This towering addition to the city’s emerging Eastside has a striking glass and polished granite exterior giving way to chic interiors, featuring signature colours of grey and raspberry, and flooded with natural daylight.
Elsewhere at La Tour, Alvar Bar, with its outside terrace, is fast becoming the place to be and be seen while The Auden Rooms conference and events floor is the stylish city alternative dedicated to successful corporate events.
Situated on the first floor and approached by a glass spiral staircase, Aalto Restaurant serves British classic dishes presented with a modern twist. Marcus Wareing, whose eponymous restaurant at The Berkeley proudly holds two Michelin stars and is a consistent favourite with the critics, is its inspiration. He’s a regular visitor, oversees the menu and works with the hotel to train its people and oversee ongoing service standards. Hotel La Tour MD Jane Schofield said: “Our association with Marcus is something which I take great personal pride in. He is one of the brightest stars in British cooking, is extremely passionate and pays meticulous attention to detail which makes him a great match for Hotel La Tour.” In a city which holds more Michelin stars than any other in England outside of London, appealing to the foodie palate is clearly important. Birmingham’s gourmet scene continues to build its reputation and La Tour’s ongoing work with Marcus Wareing was described by Birmingham Post food critic Richard McComb as a “culinary coup.”
A common theme running through all the hotel’s operations is the ambition to deliver five star service. Jane Schofield explained: “For us, it starts with recruitment. We invest a lot of time and resource into finding the right people to be on our team. We take care of all our employees and in return they take care of our customers. It’s a simple premise but it works. Our aim is to deliver an outstanding and memorable experience for all.” And that applies to the person who walks in from the street to ask for directions, the doting dad who’s looking for a chic wedding venue for his modern daughter and her partner, the all-girl party on a shopping and pamper break or the MD who needs a smart venue for his annual conference. Discover more www.hotel-latour.co.uk 0121 718 8000 Albert Street, Birmingham, B5 5JT
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Birmingham’s most exclusive luxury shopping experience, the mailBox, has everything you need to get this season’s hottest looks, for you… and your home!
Fashion style gurus and fashionistas alike
Toni & Guy EssEnsuals
Get the look! flock to the mailBox for the latest trends from stores including harvey nichols, l.k. Bennett, emporio armani, hugo Boss, thomas pink, daniel footwear and many more…
home make your pad as stylish as you are with some striking conversation pieces from castle galleries, a leading specialist in faBulous contemporary fine art.
Beauty with nicky clarke salon, toni and guy essensuals and le petit spa, the mailBox is the perfect place to Be pampered in utter luxury! enjoy two hours complementary parking when you dine, shop or get pampered at the mailBox, visit mailBoxlife.com/freeparking for more details.
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Emporio armani Tan handBaG £540 lK BEnnETT Floral drEss £225
lK BEnnETT rETro drEss £245
lK BEnnETT sprinG summEr CollECTion
lK BEnnETT livia drEss £225
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lK BEnnETT ‘suziE wEdGEs’ £175
Emporio armani slinGBaCKs £570
lK BEnnETT‘BruTon hEEls’ £185
daniEl FooTwEar ‘snaKEprinT slinGBaCKs’ £159
Emporio armani JaCKET £2,230
Emporio armani sprinG/summEr CollECTion
daniEl FooTwEar dKny BaG £229
Thomas pinK rosalinE drEss £250
Emporio armani sprinG/summEr CollECTion
Emporio armani mEns lEaThEr BaG £900
01/05/2013 17:30
BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Alexander Wang Grained Leather Bag
£649 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
Valentino Valentina
Sophia Webster
EDP
Cut-out sandals
£40 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£455 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
www.harveynichols.com
www.harveynichols.com
Christian Lacroix Printed notebook
£15 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
OPI Nail Varnish
£11 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
Christian Louboutin Metallic Sandals
£535 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com 42
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McQ Alexander McQueen
JustC avalli
JustC avalli
Moth Print Dress
Stretch Satin Jersey Dress
Printed Silk Satin Dress
£445 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£325 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£335 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
www.harveynichols.com
www.harveynichols.com
HER
www.harveynichols.com
Cambridge Satchel Company Leather Satchel
£95 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
DanielF ootwear Snakeprint Slingbacks
£159 www.mailboxlife.com
Daniel Footwear Daniel Sookie Clutch
£175 www.mailboxlife.com 43
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
True Religion
Hooded Sweatshirt
Big Pony 3 EDT (75ml)
Cargo Shorts
£145 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£35 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
www.harveynichols.com
www.harveynichols.com
£165 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
DSquared2 Shirt
£170 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
Just Cavalli
Jimmy Choo
T-shirt
Glitter Slippers
£120 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
£425 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
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Ray-Ban Sunglasses
£115 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
Diesel Hooded Jacket
£215 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
HIM McQ Alexander McQueen
McQ Alexander McQueen
Plimsolls
Shirt
£250 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£205 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
www.harveynichols.com
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Ti Sento
Omega
Hearts on Fire
Ti Sento silver and gold plated accent
Ladies stainless steel Omega Ladymatic mother
18ct white gold Hearts on Fire Beloved
CZ dropper earrings
of pearl diamond dial on a bracelet
cluster diamond ring
£210 www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
£5390 www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
£2735 www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
Swarovski Crystalline Treasure Box
£249 www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
Crystal Head Vodka Rolling Stones anniversary pack
Prices from $89.95 www.crystalheadvodka.com
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TrueR eligion Quilted Gilet
£220 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
Balmain Parrot T-shirt
£235 Harvey Nichols Birmingham www.harveynichols.com
HAVES Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph
£4475 www.johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
Gucci
McQ Alexander McQueen
Trilby
Bomber Jacket
£275 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
£615 Harvey Nichols Birmingham
www.harveynichols.com
www.harveynichols.com
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
T h e P e r f e c T Pa rT y i n L e i c e s T e r s h i r e ’ s M o s T i c o n i c s TaT e Ly h o M e
The perfect destination for short breaks, a day of golf, a spa experience or a truly fantastic party, Stapleford Park combines the tradition of the beautiful stately home with a dedication to exquisite service that matches that of the very best five star hotels.
A stunning country house nestled in beautiful Leicestershire country side, Stapleford Park has been home to some of the country’s most important families and has a long tradition of holding wonderful celebrations, parties and weddings. Offering the very best in food, relaxation and truly memorable events, Stapleford Park has been named one of the country’s top 50 wedding destinations and celebrates the best of classic British hospitality in elegant surroundings.
With so many different options for guests, Stapleford Park offers so much to accompany the very best parties. The championship golf course will keep guests entertained with its challenging holes and the luxury Clarins gold spa provides the perfect centre for relaxation, providing full days of holistic treatment packages, stress relieving massages and a range of different skin treatments, all designed to leave the body refreshed and revived.
Boasting its own Church of St Mary Magdalene in its grounds, Stapleford Park makes for a unique wedding destination; offing couples the benefit of a full wedding package that can offer everything from a traditional wedding ceremony, to a modern celebration in beautiful surroundings.
Truly a home from home for its guests, Stapleford Park provides a wide choice of rooms and suites, each of the 48 individually designed and evoking a different mood. The grounds also offer two country cottages, guests benefitting from more private lodgings in a scenic parkland surrounding, before enjoying a great celebration and fabulous food.
The perfect choice for a wonderful party, Stapleford Park offers fine dining from the two AA rosette restaurant and excellent hospitality, with a range of beautiful private rooms available to accommodate guests for the very best of celebrations. For anniversary’s christenings, birthday parties or any special occasion, the historic stately home is able to offer the formality of the Billiard Room or Harborough Room, or the more relaxed surroundings of the Pavilion, situated in 500 acres of the estates atmospheric parkland. For large parties of 180 guests, the Grand Hall is the perfect setting for the most spectacular of celebrations. The delicious food offered by the acclaimed culinary team is the perfect accompaniment to the regal setting and the very best backdrop to the most special of occasions. The culinary team place great importance on sourcing the very best meat, fish and produce locally, creating seasonal menus that evoke the very best of the surrounding county. The wine menu is a selection of award winning labels and provides even the most dedicated oenologists with the perfect accompaniment to their meal.
The 500 acre estate boasts a range of country pursuits, offering guests the opportunity to take part in shooting, archery, falconry and even duck herding for younger members of the party, ensuring that everyone has a hugely enjoyable stay at the estate. Stapleford Park’s staff have a wealth of game keeping experience and their knowledge and insight into the countryside in and around the estate offers an insightful and unique glimpse of Britain’s continuing traditions and heritage. The house itself is steeped in history, recording dwellings present on the estate as early as the 5th century AD. Its history lends the perfect level of prestige to any event, enthralling guests and memories to treasure, forever. The perfect destination for short breaks, a day of golf, a spa experience or a truly fantastic party, Stapleford Park combines the tradition of the beautiful stately home with a dedication to exquisite service that matches that of the very best five star hotels.
For further information, please contact: Stapleford Park, Stapleford, nr. Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 2EF Telephone: 01572 787079 Email: sales@stapleford.co.uk or visit www.staplefordpark.com
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IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
The Ashes
Pitting England and Australia against each other in one of the world’s fiercest and most enduring sporting rivalries since 1882, it can only be The Ashes...
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IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
Always intense, always exciting and beloved of sports fans across the country, The Ashes is competition at its very best. The stage on which legends such as Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Plum Warner, Graham Gooch, Sir Ian Botham and many more have made the greatest impact and modern greats such as Shane Warne, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff have made their own, The Ashes are the stuff of legend. As England and Australia lock horns once again this summer, we look back at the history of one of world sport’s most fabled rivalries. The first Ashes series took place in 1882, following a defeat by England at The Oval in 1881. Following the humiliation of that defeat, a satirical journalist from The Sporting Times wrote a mock obituary for English cricket, writing that English cricket had died, and that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media took up the metaphor and called the next English tour to Australia in 1882 The Quest to Regain the Ashes. Led by the legendary Ivo Bligh, England won back the Ashes and with them a specially crafted urn that had been created during the test in response to the fervour with which public imagination had been captured about the series. Epitomising the importance and fervour of the series, the name The Ashes has stuck ever since and the rest, as they say, is history… Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, England were mostly dominant in The Ashes, with cricket legends such as W.G. Grace, Bobby Peel and Johnny Briggs putting in heroic performances to earn England victory after victory. The tide turned in 1897, however, as Australian legends Harry Trott and Joe Darling ensured the team from down under won the next four series, a period of Australian dominance that was unpicked when Plum Warner captained England to an unexpected victory in 1903/04, and Stanley Jackson did the same in 1905. With The Ashes now a firm fixture in not only the sporting calendar but in sporting folklore, the period from 1905 to the First World War was
hotly contested and exciting. Following the war, the Australian teams that faced England were largely inexperienced and struggled to make an impression against England. However, this would all change due to the talents of one man in particular: the incomparable Donald Bradman, or, as he came to be known: The Don. So prolific was his batting prowess that Nottinghamshire and England’s Harold Larwood developed the controversial and much debated ‘bodyline’ bowling technique, designed to put even the most skilled batsman in a very difficult position. During the 1932/33 Ashes series, Larwood’s newly developed technique of ‘fast leg’ theory bowling proved to be a useful tool in England’s cricketing armoury, both intimidating and unsettling the Australian side. England ultimately won the series, four games to one, perhaps thanks to Larwood’s inspired, if a little contentious, on pitch innovation. England’s victory did little to undermine the international respect for the Australian side however, and Donald Bradman’s impact was immense throughout the 1930s. He became truly great after the enforced hiatus of the Second World War, making him The Ashes’ and cricket’s best test batsman ever. Aged 38 in 1946/47, he reluctantly joined the team in spite of having been ill during the war, managing to lead the Australians to a 3-0 victory. In 1948, he led the famous “Invincibles” squad as they toured England undefeated. Throughout this period, Australia took cricket to new heights of achievement and quality. This test series resulted in one of the most memorable Ashes moments when the legend that was Bradman bowed out of the game. Requiring just 4 runs to end with a career average of 100 runs, he was bowled by Eric Hollies, sending him into retirement with an average of 99.94. In 1953, England finally managed to regain the Ashes, winning a very tightly contested series 1-0 after winning the final Test at the Oval. Heroes of this series included captain Len Hutton, Dennis Compton,
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Left page, clockwise top left: Ricky Pontin, Don Bradman, Harold Larwood, 1986 England team. Right page, clockwise top left: Australian batsman Michael Slater is clean bowled by England paceman Darren Gough, Andrew Strauss lifts the Ashes in 2009, David Gower lifts Ashes in 1986, Bob Willis.
Colin Cowdrey, Jim Laker and many more. A golden period of England cricket ensued and the initiative in the Ashes was passed between England and Australia with closely fought and competitive contests throughout the 50s. However, in the 1960s, Australia had a stranglehold on the urn, with England not achieving their next victory in the series until 1971, closely followed by a retention of the series in 1972/73. The 1970s Ashes series were disrupted due to the advent of World Series Cricket, seeing both teams lose players. England managed to win the 1981 series, which is memorable in part for Ian Botham’s short stint as captain and the remarkable return of Mike Brierley. The rest of the 1980s saw Australia and England share the spoils with impressive performances on either side ensuring the competition remained fierce. However, during this period, from the 1960s onwards, England and Australia both played second fiddle to other forces in world cricket such as the West Indies in particular. The great Australian teams of the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in a period of extended Australian brilliance, thanks to the genius of figures such as Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Merv Hughes and others. Their dominance left England without a win for 18 years until 2005, when a plucky, confident, charismatic and ambitious England side were hungry to end the losing streak. Including greats such as Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen and Marcus Trescothick, and more. The whole country was transfixed by what was one of the most exciting series ever, going right down to the wire on the fifth test.
When England sealed their victory at The Oval, England rejoiced with unprecedented enthusiasm about this most extraordinary sporting event, resulting in an open-top bus tour of London and a meeting with Tony Blair, the then Prime Minister, at Downing Street. The Queen also recognised the achievements of the team members in her Honours List. Following on from the huge success of 2005, England were brought down to the ground with a bump as Australia won the 2006/7 Ashes 5-0 in convincing fashion. England got their revenge though in 2009 when they won the series on home soil and followed this up with a draw of the series in Australia in 2011. That leaves the stage set for a hugely anticipated 2013 Ashes series, which Australia will be hoping to win to re claim the Ashes for the first time since 2007. However, with England currently 2nd behind South Africa in the Test Cricket rankings and Australia 4th, the home side will be hoping to achieve another memorable victory. It is certain, however, that The Ashes will be a sporting occasion to remember.
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Q&A
MATTHEW HOGGARD MBE Inspirational Magazine interviews Matthew Hoggard MBE about this seasons’s cricket and the upcoming Ashes.
MH: I don’t think that it will bother them. Andy Fowler is astute enough to know what they need to do and he won’t let them get carried away. I’m sure that they will put in a great performance and concentrate on each game as it comes.
AM: What do you think of the current England team?
AM: Test matches will be played at Chester Le Street, Durham – not a traditional test venue, what do you think to the ECB’s decision to select this kind of venue?
MH: I think that the current team is a fantastic squad of players. There are 15 or 16 great players to pick from this time, rather than just 10 and I think that they are a very good representation of the quality of English cricket that we are seeing at the minute. AM: Do you think that this team is as good as the team in 2005? MH: I think the team is better than 2005, they have much greater strength and depth and I think that they will be a formidable challenge to the Australian side in the upcoming series. AM: Who will be the standout players for both England and Australia for the upcoming series? MH: For England, I think that Alastair Cook MBE, Graham Swann and Jimmy Anderson should be the standout players. They are great representatives for the sport and I’m looking forward to seeing how they perform. Australia should see excellent performances from Matthew Wade, Peter Siddell and, of course, Michael Clarke. AM: England are the favourites for this year, this is unusual– how do you think that this will affect the team and how will they react to the expectation of their fans?
MH: I think that it’s great to get cricket into different venues. A lot of money and time has been spent on ensuring that the new venues offer something really excellent to both the players and the fans and it’s a great opportunity to hold high profile test matches at different grounds. AM: Australia have recently experienced some disciplinary issues, how do you think that they will cope with this situation? MH: I think that Australia’s issues were hilarious! There must be some bad feeling there, but ultimately I don’t think that it will affect their performance. Michael Clarke is a good leader and he’s honest with the team. I think that the time will come over to England with a lot of fight and with great team spirit, and perform as they always do. AM: What makes an Ashes series different to any other? What makes it different to tests against other international teams? MH: I think that the Ashes history plays a big part in how important it is. Of course, there are the same age-old rivalries and it’s always a competition of
two very good teams who both really want to win. Beating Australia is never easy and it’s something that really means a lot to the England team. AM: What can England take from their recent test series against New Zealand? Some have said that England underperformed – how can they move on from this? MH: We went to New Zealand expecting to win and it didn’t happen. New Zealand played really well on quite benign services and came out on top. England put in a fantastic performance again India and won unexpectedly so that’s a huge positive for the team. I think the England side will be looking to put right what happened in New Zealand and I am looking forward to seeing how they do it. AM: The big question – who will win the Ashes and why? What are your predictions for the final result? MH: England will win. They have a stronger batting side and a really good team. I don’t think that it will be easy though and they need to make sure that they put in a really good performance throughout the series.
To book Matthew to speak at your event call 08453 31 30 31 or visit www.champions-speakers.co.uk
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Corporate Golf Days “Augusta does not compare with Nailcote” Brian Barnes (below, left), 1995 & ‘96 Senior British Open Champion, 6 times Ryder Cup star and Super Seniors Champion at the Farmfoods British Par 3, 2012.
Nailcote Hall is the perfect venue for a corporate event. Our golf course offers exceptional golf, located in the heart of Warwickshire and surrounded by the region’s exceptional views. Our Cromwell Course really is one of the best Par 3 courses in the world, and we are proud to offer it to you and your corporate guests for a business experience. What better place to mix business with pleasure than a championship course described as ‘better than Augusta’ by Brian Barnes.
Ian Woosnam OBE, Tony Jacklin CBE, Jasper Carrott OBE and Peter Schmeichel MBE seen playing at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship held annually at Nailcote Hall.
Our bespoke packages offer a variety of choices, including 18 holes of golf on our championship course, food and drinks. For companies looking to create a special golfing day we can offer selected menus, professional organisation of your event and sporting guest speakers. Whatever you need to make your day work, our team are here to make it happen.
For more information please call Rick Cressman on: 07974 386380 Nailcote Hall, Nailcote Lane, Berkswell, Warwickshire, CV7 7DE Telephone: 02476 466174 • Facsimile: 02476 470720 • Email: info@nailcotehall.co.uk Nailcote Ad V2.indd 55
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Have you got what it takes to tackle
the brabazon challenge 2013? Do you and your golfing partner think you’ve got what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Ryder Cup legends and take on golfers across the UK in The Brabazon Challenge 2013? Well, the four-time Ryder Cup host venue, The Belfry near Birmingham is giving you and a golfing buddy, friend or family member the chance to take the glory on the world-famous Brabazon course. The Brabazon Challenge tests the skills and matchplay nerves of golfers from across the UK who compete in one of the five qualifying rounds, where the 5 winning teams and 2 runners-up will progress to the Grand Final in October.
The qualifying rounds will all take place on Tuesdays – 7 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August and 10 September 2013 – where pairs will compete in a betterball stableford format and the leading pair, plus the two highest-scoring runner-ups from all qualifiers, will win a place at the Grand Final.
the brabazon
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To explore all The Belfry has to offer, call in or go to: www.TheBelfry.co.uk www.twitter.com/thebelfryhotel www.facebook.com/thebelfryhotel
The leading pairs will then be invited back to the hallowed turf at The Belfry for the knock out stages of the competition across the 18th – 20th October. This is where golfers will be treated to the full Ryder Cup experience by competing in a matchplay format across the world’s only four-time Ryder Cup host course – The Brabazon – where greats of the game have done battle, including Tiger, Faldo and Seve! The successful teams that battle their way through to the semi-finals will be rewarded with a unique golfing experience with dinner, bed & breakfast at the fourstar hotel. Competitors will be able to roll out of bed onto the tee for their semi-final matches and finalists will receive a further night’s accommodation before the final takes place on 20th October. Ahead of this year’s challenge, we caught up with The Belfry’s Director of Golf, Ian Knox who commented on the unique experience that this competition provides for amateur golfers, “It’s not everyday that you get to experience the life of a Ryder Cup player and The Brabazon Challenge giving you the chance to relive some of those famous Ryder Cup moments. Do you have the nerve to go for the infamous 10th green? Will you be able to hold your nerve over the final few holes and hole that winning putt to take your match?”
the brabazon
challenge 2013 Pairs can enter The Brabazon Challenge for £199 per team, which also includes the option of a special practice round rate of £70 per golfer the day before your qualifying round, while preferential accommodation rates are available from £79 per room including breakfast. To put your skills to the test, you can enter by calling 0300 500 0405 or visit www.TheBelfry.co.uk for more information. 57
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LEGENDS LEGENDS AND RISING STARS
Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship has become one of the most hotly-anticipated highlights of the golfing calendar, a magnificent spectacle featuring both legends of the past and stars of the future…
LEGENDS Legendary golfer Tony Jacklin CBE will return to Nailcote Hall to host the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship 2013 this year. The two time major winner and Ryder Cup Legend will be in attendance throughout the four days of the championship, competing in the Pro-Am and joining with leading celebrities and amateurs for the two Celeb-Am Days. Jacklin’s heroics in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s made him one of golf’s all time greats. An icon and an inspiration to generations of Europeans that followed in his spike-marks, he has made more of a contribution to golf in Europe than any other player. He spearheaded the foundation of the European Tour, which has gone on to become one of the world’s most prestigious and respected tours, a hotbed for major winners and world number ones. Attracting some of the world’s greatest ever players, the championship is ome of the legends who have competed in the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship in 2012 include: Masters champion Ian Woosnam OBE, 6-time Ryder Cup player and two time Senior Open champion Brian Barnes and Senior Tour legend Tommy Horton MBE. Last year’s championship resulted in a thrilling climax as two time European Tour winner DJ Russell managed to hold off a challenge from Barnes, Wolstenholme, The Golf Channel’s Big Break champion Mark Murphy and overnight leader Simon Lilly. In its 80 year history, the championship has celebrated true greats of the game including former Open champion Max Faulkner, former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Hunt, all time senior tour career money earner Carl Mason and many more.
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RISING STARS The Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship is a fantastic opportunity to see rising stars of the game compete against some of golf’s all-time greats. The Norma C Herd Silver Salver recognises the highest placed amateur and in recent years has become a hotly-contested prize with some exceptional new talent. The 2012 prize was won by up and coming Midlands based ladies golf star Charley Hull, who played in the 2012 Curtis Cup and has also appeared at events including the 2012 British Women’s Open and the LPGA Tour Kraft Nabisco Championship. Charley performed brilliantly around Nailcote in 2012, shooting a -2 under par aggregate over the two rounds, leaving her not far adrift from eventual winner DJ Russell. Current European Tour regulars and rising stars of the future alike compete for the coveted Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship trophy. Among some of the European Tour stars who have enjoyed success at Nailcote Hall before going on to other great achievements around the world is Robert Rock, who won the event in 2001 and has since gone on to become a two time winner on the European Tour, beating a world class field to take the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship in 2012 having been tied for the lead with Tiger Woods going into the final round and holding off a challenge from Rory McIlroy. In 2007, European Tour star Graeme Storm competed in the championship, honing his short game skills in what would be his best season to date including the biggest victory of his career, the Open De France Alstom, which he won by 1 shot from Soren Hansen. Graeme went on to compete for Great Britain and Ireland in the victorious Seve Trophy team. Last year, European Tour favourite Scott Jamieson was among the field teeing it up at Nailcote Hall and relishing the unique challenge of the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship. The short game skills practiced at The Cromwell Course have helped Scott to have an incredibly fast start to the 2013 season, winning the very first tournament of the season, the Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa. Since then, Scot has continued to climb the World Rankings and is currently among the world’s elite players, competing in World Golf Championships around the world.
PRIZE FUND INCREASE As Europe’s most prestigious Par 3 tournament celebrates its 80th anniversary, organisers Champions (UK) plc, event hosts Nailcote Hall and sponsors Farmfoods continue to take the tournament to a new level each year. This year, by increasing the prize fund to £100,000, they have doubled the amount on offer to competitors in this hugely popular tournament. Televised on Sky Sports and Challenge TV and covered extensively in national media including The Daily Telegraph, Talk Sport and Golf Monthly, the championship provides great sporting entertainment for spectators and home viewers alike. Rick Cressman, owner of Nailcote Hall, is excited by the increased prize fund and the ongoing development of the event: “80 years since the championship was first played, it is fantastic to see that The Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship continues to go from strength to strength. With an international field represented each year, it is truly a global celebration of Par 3 golf. The scale of the event is only possible with the enormous support of our sponsors and the efforts of the whole team at Nailcote Hall and Champions (UK) plc.” – Rick Cressman, Owner, Nailcote Hall
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BE A PART OF THE ACTION
Celeb-Am Days 6th & 9th August 2013 Glamorous and stylish, the Celeb-Am Days at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship are the ideal marriage of sport and entertainment, offering the opportunity to participate in a televised golf tournament. Celebrities who have participated in recent years include legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman, Ashes-winning cricketer Matthew Hoggard MBE, Coronation Street legend William Roache MBE and Sky F1 pundit Johnny Herbert. In the evening, celebrities, players and their guests are invited to join Tony Jacklin CBE at a sensational black tie dinner. The evening will provide guests with the chance to mingle with other teams whilst enjoying fine dining and excellent entertainment long into the night. • • • •
Team of 3 to play 18 holes on Cromwell Course with leading celebrity Each player receives 1 VIP guest pass for the event, including access to VIP lounge for food and beverages and tented village for luxury shopping opportunities Black Tie Gala Ball- a lavish 4 course dinner for each player and their guest in the company of their celebrity plus spectacular entertainment, hosted by Tony Jacklin CBE Exclusive players’ pack
COST: £2,500+ VAT PER TEAM To secure your place in the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship 2013 Celebrity Amateur Challenges please contact the Champions (UK) plc team by calling 08453 31 30 31 or email bp3@championsukplc.com. 61
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Pro-Am Championship The Pro-Am format is similar to that of the renowned and highly successful Dunhill Links competition which forms part of the European Tour schedule each year. Each professional golfer will team up with an amateur over the two days of the competition and the better ball score for each team will count towards a fantastic Pro-Am Team prize. Participating in the Pro-Am is a once in a lifetime experience, during which amateur golfers can experience the highs and lows of participating in a professional golf event. Featuring major winners, Ryder Cup players and golfing legends alongside leading European Tour, Champions Tour, European Senior Tour, Challenge Tour and Sunshine Tour professionals.
7th – 8th August 2013 • • • • •
Two 18 hole rounds on Cromwell Course with your professional 1 guest VIP pass for two days of the championship including access to VIP lounge for food and beverages and tented village for luxury shopping opportunities Inclusive overnight accommodation for evening of 7th August Players’ Banquet on 7th August for player plus guest, in the company of your professional and hosted by Tony Jacklin CBE, including entertainment Exclusive players’ pack
VIP Players’ Banquet Wednesday 7th August After the first day’s 18 holes are played, the players and their guest are invited to the magnificent VIP Players’ Banquet to conclude the day in style. The evening will include a delicious gourmet dinner, numerous celebrity hosts and live entertainment from the best entertainer in the country, Graham Jolley - allowing the players to let their hair down and prepare themselves for day two of play!
Prize Giving Ceremony Thursday 8th August Following completion of the final 18 holes of the Pro-Am event, Tony Jacklin CBE will host the prize giving ceremony, where the Farmfoods British Par 3 Champion will be announced. Professional golfers, celebrities, amateurs and their guests will all be invited to attend this wonderful concluding event of the Pro-Am.
COST: £2,000+ VAT PER PLAYER
To secure your place in the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship 2013 Professional Amateur Challenges please contact the Champions (UK) plc team by calling 08453 31 30 31 or email bp3@championsukplc.com. 62
BRITISH PAR 3 CHAMPIONSHIP 6th - 9th August 2013 Nailcote Hall, Warwickshire
HOSTED BY THE LEGENDARY TONY JACKLIN CBE Tickets (6th, 7th, 8th, 9th August) £10 per day (50% discount for children under 14 and OAP’s) Season Ticket (all 4 days) £25 (50% discount for children under 14 and OAP’s) For the ultimate experience, premium hospitality packages are also available on request.
For sponsorship information or to purchase tickets, call or email Champions (UK) plc on
08453 313031 • bp3@championsukplc.com
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BRITISH PAR 3 CHAMPIONSHIP
Exclusive Pampering AT THE TENTED VILLAGE The Farmfoods British Par 3 is more than the nation’s most exciting Par 3 Championship. The four day event offers great golf, fabulous entertainment and the wonderful tented village to its guests.
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The four day tournament transforms Nailcote Hall, seeing it inundated with enthusiastic visitors and the garden party atmosphere continues throughout the event. Every year, the tented village proves to be hugely popular with players, celebrities and spectators visiting the area. The tented village is filled with an array of different retailers, delicious food and, more recently, indulgent beauty treatments. This year, Leicester’s Femi will be providing a pop up beauty salon with a range of different treatments all designed to pamper the players, celebrities, guests and spectators alike. With a salon on the heart of Leicester’s historic centre, Femi is the city’s premier destination for exclusive beauty treatments and clients are able to choose from a wide range of exclusive treatments or select one of the specially tailored packages. The salon also offers non-surgical anti-ageing treatments such as the Pro-Lifting Firming Facial or Micro-Dermabrasion.
Taking the salon experience to the tented village, many present at the golfing extravaganza will be able to benefit from Femi’s expertise and indulgent treatments. Beauty treatments will include manicures, pedicures, massages, facial treatments and much more, providing a much needed pampering opportunity after a hard day on the golf course. The salon uses Décleor products among their range of indulgent treatments and provides a range of cutting-edge techniques that sees their clients achieve fantastic results. Most importantly, both men and women of all ages can benefit from the specifically tailored treatments, making Femi the perfect addition to this year’s tented village. The beauty area has proved to be an increasingly popular part of the hospitality offering years and this year’s variety of different treatments have been designed to provide ultimate relaxation and luxury during the four day tournament.
Femi Health & Beauty 60 Highcross Street | Leicester | LE1 4NN | Telephone 0116 253 2393 Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm, Saturday 9am – 6pm
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As the current holder of VisitEngland’s Large Hotel of the Year, Rockliffe Hall offers a host of luxury breaks for golfers, spa-lovers and foodies - or for anyone in need of some rest and recuperation away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Rockliffe Hall is the North of England’s only 5* hotel, golf and spa resort, on the North Yorkshire and County Durham border. The resort is synonymous with luxury, stunning surroundings and award-winning food. From its 19th Century Old Hall, steeped in history and original features, to the world-class spa and Championship golf course, it’s easy to see why the resort remains head and shoulders above its competitors, rated alongside top names such as The Ritz, The Dorchester and Claridge’s.
Wine, dine, recline... Whether you want to enjoy triple-AA Rosette food in The Orangery,
There’s also a carefully-chosen wine
a la carte dishes in the welcoming Brasserie or a succulent steak
list and cocktails designed by in-house
or grill in The Clubhouse with its stunning views over the golf
mixologists.
course, Rockliffe Hall offers an unforgettable dining experience showcasing the best the North East has to offer.
And when it’s time to put your feet up at the end of the evening, there are
Take a culinary tour of the North with specialities such as
61 individually-designed rooms and even
North-east coast mackerel, Cumbrian lamb, Neasham beef
luxury holiday homes, tucked away in
and local line-caught Whitby cod.
Rockliffe Hall’s 365 acre estate.
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Stay and spa
Tee or tea?
A break away
The 5* way to relax. Rockliffe Hall is
Rockliffe Hall is highly-regarded for its
Build your own perfect break or choose
home to an award-winning spa and
world-class golf course, opened
from getaways specially-designed to let
wellness centre, offering luxurious,
in July 2009, which has quickly gained
you make the most of the 5* facilities.
exclusive treatments developed by
a reputation for being one of the finest
Need time out to relax? Try the Ultimate
some of the top therapists in the country
courses in the UK.
– Murad, Comfort Zone, Leighton Denny, Daniel Sandler and Miller Harris are just some of the big names featured in the spa. Make full use of the facilities – including the indoor swimming and hydrotherapy pools as well as a TechnoGym and thermal bathing suites – and indulge in a signature treatment.
The championship, PGA-accredited
Luxury Spa Break complete with its VIP treatments and Champagne breakfast.
course was designed and constructed
Fancy perfecting your golfing skills?
to the highest specification by
Go for the Sunday Driver or one of the
well-known golf architect,
many Stay and Play breaks.
Marc Westenborg from Hawtree.
Whether you’re looking for a celebration,
Rockliffe Hall’s Golf Academy is home
a business gathering or an event with
to a number of PGA professionals
an unrivalled ambience, Rockliffe Hall
offering unrivalled coaching and also
provides a 5* quality service.
benefits from the recently launched
A great chance to recharge, enjoy sublime surroundings and cocoon yourself in luxury.
Cleveland Srixon Fitting Cart to help improve various aspects of your game such as accuracy, distance or spin control. But if you’d prefer something a little more sedate, Rockliffe Hall’s afternoon teas are a must. It really is afternoon tea as it should be, complete with homemade sandwiches, cakes and pastries.
To find out more…. Getaways cost from £260 per night, per room including breakfast. To find out more visit www.rockliffehall.com or contact 01325 72 99 99
R ockliffe H all hotel • golf • spa Hurworth on Tees, Darlington, County Durham DL2 2DU Tel: +44 (0) 1325 72 99 99 | Email: enquiries@rockliffehall.com Web: www.rockliffehall.com 67
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ELEGANCE AND STYLE The Perfect Marriage
The choice of business leaders, sports stars and celebrities for tailoring, Birmingham-based Benjamin Vaughan is one of the UK’s most esteemed tailors for both men and women. Soon to form an important partnership with legendary Birmingham boutique Nicholls, Inspirational Magazine takes a look at one of the West Midlands most exciting fashion offerings. Since opening his tailoring business in Birmingham at the age of just 25, Benjamin Vaughan has spearheaded a revival in exciting cutting edge tailoring away from the traditional heart of Saville Row. As the region’s most exciting fashion presence, he makes suits and shirts for the region’s best dressed business people, sports stars and celebrities. Wolverhampton Wanderers player and Republic of Ireland international Stephen Ward and his best man Michael Kightly of Stoke City FC recently had their fitting with Benjamin for Stephen’s upcoming wedding. Stephen flew Benjamin to Dublin to measure up two of the wedding party and the
expert tailor is happy travel anywhere in the United Kingdom to make sure that all of his clients benefit from the very best level of service. One of the benefits of bespoke tailoring for wedding parties is that the right balance can be struck between individual style and the need for a uniform smart appearance. While choosing the same ‘off-the-peg’ suit for all the wedding party is likely to result in ill-suited and ill-fitting outfits for some members, Benjamin is able to vary the cut and style to suit each member of the wedding party, using the same material and theme. Stephen has selected a pure wool 120 grade fabric for his suits, giving a fantastic quality and luxury. Small variances across the party mean that all six adults and one child are able to look the part. Individual touches make every member of the party feel special, such as coloured linings and cuff detailing as well as slimmer fittings for the younger members of the group.
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“The tailoring process has been fantastic. Benjamin has looked after everything we need to ensure that we will all be looking smart and stylish for my big day. His dedication, expertise and customer service has been great. From the beginning of the process until now, I have known we are in good hands.” – Stephen Ward “It’s been great. What Benjamin doesn’t know about tailoring isn’t worth knowing. The individual touches in all of our suits have made all the difference and has ensured that all of us look great. The range of options at Benjamins is fantastic. He makes you feel like the options are endless.” – Michael Kightly Benjamins offer tailoring for a wide range of garments including evening attire, casual tailored golf trousers and business suits, for every occasion. Accessories such as cufflinks, handkerchiefs and ties are also offered to complete the unique bespoke look. Whether looking to dress for success or simply to feel great in perfect fitting clothes, stylish men and women are turning to tailoring to stand out from the crowd. Benjamin began his career working with Manchester-based tailor Frank Rostron, as did Michael Lewis of Nicholls. It was there that Benjamin’s design philosophy really took hold and aged just 25, Benjamin decided to launch his tailoring in his home city of Birmingham, to huge acclaim.
Benjamin visits Stephen in his home.
Since then, Benjamin has become the favourite choice of business leaders, executives, celebrities and professional sportsmen alike for exquisite bespoke tailoring. Quickly becoming the toast of the Midlands elite for fashion and style, Benjamin’s style focuses on individual touches and stylish flourishes that really make suits unique, such as elegant detailing and the most exquisite fabrics. So impressed with the service at Benjamins, Stephen Ward and Michael Kightly are now introducing their professional sporting colleagues to the tailors, individuals who are always looking out for exceptionally stylish bespoke suits for their engagements and events. Working alongside Benjamin Vaughan, Stephen is already taking a greater interest in the business. Stephen has further ties with the firm, marrying Michael Lewis’ daughter India, with grand wedding in Dublin this June. India also having her own children’s clothing boutique in Sutton Coldfield and Stephen is keeping an eye on the developments of the Nicholls Benjamins and Lulujax fashion businesses. When his football career at Wolverhampton Wanderers ends, Stephen is looking forward to joining the family fashion enterprise. Having already taken Birmingham by storm, Benjamins is soon to be embarking on an exclusive new partnership with Nicholls, the renowned Birmingham fashion business that is re-launching this year. Having run a successful fashion business for many years, Mike Lewis of Nicholls is excited about pairing up with the tailor: “I am delighted to be re-launching the Nicholls brand in Birmingham alongside Benjamin Vaughan. I am a great admirer of his superb suits and shirts and their style and elegance is the ideal partner to our fashion brand.” – Mike Lewis Established 30 years ago, Nicholls became the last word in elegance, style and fashion in Birmingham, beloved of the city’s best dressed. The boutique will have ready to wear fashion from leading designers alongside Benjamin’s bespoke tailoring, which will be showcased within the store. The return of Nicholls and the partnership with Benjamins is quite simply the perfect marriage. If you would like to find out more about Nicholls Benjamin contact Mike Lewis on 07798 566 665 or email mikelewis01@gmail.com Benjamin & Co Studio, 71 Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6EX www.benjaminvaughan.com
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Offering guests a uniquely elegant hotel experience, the Eden Hotel Collection provides the very best hospitality in the most beautiful surroundings. The boutique feel and close attention to the finest details means that guests are able to relax and enjoy the sumptuous interior of the hotel, take a stroll in the manicured gardens or indulge in the fabulous food on offer. Each hotel in the collection offers a range of wonderful dining options, allowing guests to choose between a gourmet dining experience and more relaxed brassiere style options. Each with their own unique charm and character, the sophisticated boutique hotel collection includes seven hotels throughout the West Midlands and the South West of England. The award-winning, privately owned collection of hotels and restaurants allow guests to relax in comfort and ease, safe in the knowledge that they have access to every luxury of the Eden Hotel Collection. Each hotel is nestled in beautiful surroundings, offering the chance to explore or simply admire the view from one of the truly elegant rooms.
Mallory Court Hotel, set in the heart of historic and scenic Warwickshire, is one of the region’s finest examples of exquisite architecture, sympathetically restored to provide visitors with a truly memorable hospitality experience. With scope for conferences, weddings and a range of different packages for short breaks, the hotel is quintessentially a fine country hotel, with award winning cuisine from head chef Simon Haigh. Guests are able to enjoy a variety of different wedding packages, from small and intimate celebrations to large scale and decadent receptions for large numbers of guests. Licensed for civil ceremonies, couples are able to enjoy their entire wedding in the comfort of the hotel, knowing that all of their guests will be completely catered for by the venue’s wonderful food, perfect ambiance and beautiful surroundings.
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For the Eden Hotel Collection, it is vital that their guests have the very best and most memorable experience possible, enjoying everything that their unique hotels have to offer and making the very most of the selection of historic buildings, beautifully landscaped grounds and delightful selection of rooms. Warwickshire also benefits from another of the boutique hotels within the collection. The Arden Hotel is located in the centre of world renowned Shakespeare country; Stratford-upon-Avon. Opposite the famous Royal Shakespeare Company Theatres, the hotel offers guests the perfect base for a cultural retreat, enjoying the history and wide range of activities that the area has to offer, as well as the very best accommodation and hospitality from the perfectly appointed venue. With the delightful Waterside Brasserie and Champagne Bar, guests will find themselves immersed in a truly relaxing ambiance, able to enjoy spectacular views over the River Avon and ideally located to access all of the wonderful cultural sights and activities on offer in one of England’s most historically rich towns. Rooms range from Feature Suites to Classic Rooms, all perfectly equipped to offer the most comfortable stay with the flexibility to provide anyone with a break they will remember forever. Other hotels in the collection include Buckland-Tout-Saints in Devon, The Kings Hotel in Gloucestershire, The Mount Somerset Hotel and Spa, and The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Gloucestershire. All of the hotels in the collection boast the very best period features, having been sympathetically converted to highlight the charm of their original era. All of the hotels have been the focal point of extensive investment and continue to be privately owned and managed, ensuring that they retain their individuality and timeless charm, as well as providing guests with the very best service, exemplified by the Eden Hotel Collection.
For more information on the Eden Hotel Collection, please contact the Head Office on 08453 51 09 80 Mallory Court Hotel, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Buckland-Tout-Saints, Devon The Kings Hotel, Gloucestershire The Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon The Greenway Hotel and Spa, Cheltenham The Mount Somerset Hotel and Spa, Somerset
www.edenhotelcollection.com
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IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
LIONS, TIGERS BACK... One of the most memorable flankers of all time, Neil Back MBE continues to offer rugby an iconic figure epitomising true dedication to sporting excellence. His on-pitch skill has inspired a generation of rugby fans and he now provides the sport limitless expertise, coaching teams to league success. We take a look at Neil Back MBE’s incredible career so far…
Neil Back MBE has offered rugby union his international playing prowess, expertise and continues to be one of the sport’s most recognisable players, nearly ten years after his official retirement from active play. His seemingly limitless talent saw him play alongside fellow sporting legends Martin Johnson CBE, Geordan Murphy and Martin Corry MBE, and was the oldest player to make the test squad for the British and Irish Lions. One of the most renowned members of the Lions team, he was named in the squad for the 1997, 2001 and 2005 test games, playing his last top flight game of rugby as part of the team. With this year marking the 125th anniversary of the British and Irish Lions, 2013 is proving to be a true celebration of rugby union and the many different developments that the sport has seen over many years. His career has seen him play for some of the most formidable sides in the game and he captained both the Leicester Tigers squad and the England team to victory. With an incredible 15 years at the Midlands club, Back was part of a team so successful that the 2000/01 season saw them collect trophies for the Zurich Premiership and Zurich Championship, as well as the Heineken Cup at Parc des Princes.
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His playing career spanned both the amateur and professional stages of rugby union’s history, experiencing key developments in the game, as they happened. A unique insight into the pivotal moments of the sport perhaps allowed him to play such an influential role in the Tigers and England dream teams and his exceptional ability added to two sides that collected more silverware than practically any other. Back is the embodiment of the huge changes that the sport has seen in recent years. Disregarded early in his career for his size, the flanker continued to prove just how vitally important he was to the England side. With an incredible work rate and unparalleled performance on the field, he quickly became one of the most respected members of the international side and he has been recognised for his contribution to the sport with an MBE and global support for his sporting prowess.
Ten years since England earned World Cup victory, Back continues to represent the very best of the sport. Having famously commented that he would never retire, he remains a respected and iconic member of rugby royalty, appearing at a wide range of events to provide his expert commentary and share his own personal experience as a member of one of the world’s most successful teams with eager audiences. His dedication to sporting excellence and achieving the very best results for his team are legendary and he was frequently recognised as one of the fittest and most proactive players on the field, always working harder and challenging the very fabric of the game with his tenacious will to succeed. A true sportsman and renowned all over the world, he played for the Leicester Tigers for fifteen years, before embarking on a new career as one of the game’s very best and most experienced coaches. Truly inspirational and a paragon of athletic fitness, Back has continually redefined the boundaries of the sport, driving greater discipline and fitness within teams, raising the bar of sporting achievement and supporting some of the game’s crucial players as they received global recognition for their achievements.
Neil Back MBE is now part of Champions (UK) plc’s expansive sport and celebrity management stable For more information about Neil Back MBE, his career and his work as an after dinner speaker, please contact Champions (UK) plc on 08453 31 30 31 73
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Leicester Tigers North Stand Sponsorship
Opportunities Revealed
• Naming rights of the North Stand with appropriate stand branding. • Placement of branding on the stand in prominent positions with a view to maximise National and Global media exposure. • This stand enjoys maximum exposure within the stadium being directly opposite the TV gantry and Press Box. • New BT Vision from next season ensures live games broadcast on mainstream TV plus 69 live games on satellite TV. • Prominent external branding on this iconic structure, capturing passing traffic on Welford Road, Aylestone Road, Walnut Street (access to and from the M1) Tigers Way (access to Leicester Station). • Leicester Tigers Rugby Club is the biggest purpose built rugby club stadium in the UK with a capacity of 24,000 and has recently won Rugby Venue of the year 2012.
For further information please contact : Sponsorship Team, sponsorshipteam@tigers.co.uk, 0116 2171215
Conferences & Events AT V I L L A PA R K
Villa Park stadium is the perfect venue for your next event, whether it be a small meeting or conference, a private party or an exhibition, we have a variety of suites to suit a range of requirements. • • • • • • •
Unique venue Award-winning catering State of the art facilities Free car parking Stadium tours for delegates Events from 2-800 guests Central location - excellent motorway and train links
First-class service from beginning to end, very professional and understanding of our requirements. AWARD-WINNING VENUE
Behind the Scenes at Villa Park LOCAL PROCUREMENT All catering suppliers are locally based within the Five Counties surrounding the West Midlands.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ALLOTMENT Expanding our site and planting more vegetables and herbs.
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN Comprehensive waste management programme is followed in close partnership with Veolia Environmental. CARBON NEUTRAL VENUE In February 2013 Villa Park officially became a Carbon Neutral Venue.
0800 612 0960 (option 2) | www.avhe.co.uk Aston Villa Football Club, Trinity Road, Birmingham, B6 6HE
B&O BeoVision 11 February 2013
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SPORTS INJURIES: WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW Increasing numbers of people of all ages have been heeding their doctors’ advice to get active for all of the health benefits exercise has to offer. But for some people—particularly those who overdo or who don’t properly train or warm up—these benefits can come at a price: sports injuries. Most sports injuries can be treated effectively and most people can return to a satisfying level of physical activity after an injury. Even better, many sports injuries can be prevented if people take the proper precautions.
Who is at risk? Anyone who exercises is potentially at risk for a sports injury. Three groups—children and adolescents, middle-aged athletes, and women—are particularly vulnerable. What is often a bruise or sprain in an adult can be a potentially serious growth-plate injury in a child. Also, a trauma that would tear a muscle or ligament in an adult would be far more likely to break a child’s bone. Female athletes have higher injury rates than men in many sports, particularly basketball, soccer, alpine skiing, volleyball, and gymnastics
What’s the risk? In general, the risk of injury is greater during a competitive athletic event than a practice or scrimmage. Over half of all injuries are related to the legs; around 20 percent of injuries are related to the arms and upper extremities whilst head and neck injuries account for another 10 percent. Spinal cord injuries make up the smallest percentage.
Common sports injuries: Runner’s knee: Knee injuries comprise about 55% of all sports injuries and include torn ligaments and cartilage as well as aches and pains related to the kneecap grouped into the category of “runner’s knee. Runners, cyclists, swimmers, people who practice step aerobics, and football, basketball and volleyball players are most at risk. Prevention & treatment: Replace shoes and insoles regularly; choose a softer running surface such as an indoor track rather than hard pavement; strengthen your quadriceps through weight training; take more rest days between workouts; and cross train to prevent overuse If you injure your knee, don’t exercise for at least two days and take an anti-inflammatory medication. When you resume your workout, make sure to warm up properly and apply ice to your knee for about 20 minutes afterward. Shoulder Injury: About 20% of sports injuries involve the shoulder, including dislocations, sprains and strains. Shoulder injuries are most common in any sport that involves a lot of overhead movement such as tennis, swimming, weightlifting, baseball, and volleyball. These problems are generally due to overuse, which loosens the rotator cuff — the group of tendons and muscles that surround the shoulder. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, and weakness and slipping in the shoulder .Prevention and treatment: To prevent shoulder injuries be sure to strengthen your muscles through weight training before the season begins. If you do injure yourself, RICE and an antiinflammatory medication are your best treatment options. Ankle Sprain: These are very common among soccer, hockey, basketball, and volleyball players and in .sports that involve jumping, running and turning quickly. Such movements can lead to twisting the ankle and even possibly tearing a tendon or ligament or a fracture. Prevention and treatment: Strengthening your ankles by doing exercises such as ankle lifts on stairs, as well as taping the ankle or wearing a lace-up brace can help but can’t completely prevent injuries if you fall hard or make a false movement. Treat an ankle sprain with RICE and anti-inflammatory drugs, but don’t rest it excessively for more than a day. To help your ankle heal faster, you should try to move your ankle gently to get the circulation going and reduce swelling.
Tennis or Golfer Elbow: Elbow injuries account for 7% of all sports injuries. Tennis elbow consists of tendon degeneration in the elbow due to repeated backhand strokes in tennis. It causes pain on the outside of the elbow. Golf elbow, on the other hand, usually affects the inside of the elbow, although it can sometimes attack the outside. Prevention and treatment: The best way to prevent these ailments is to perform forearm-strengthening exercises, such as wrist curls, reverse wrist curls and squeezing a soft rubber ball. Also, improving your swing technique and wearing an elbow brace can be very helpful. Treatment can be as simple as RICE and anti-inflammatory medications, but in some cases physiotherapy and a prolonged break from the sport may be necessary. Pulled Muscle: Not warming up properly, fatigue, lack of flexibility, and weakness can cause all types of athletes to pull a muscle. The most commonly pulled muscles are hamstrings (especially in sports involving running, such as jogging, basketball and soccer) and calves (particularly in older tennis players). Prevention and treatment: The best way to prevent pulling a muscle is to stretch properly before and after exercising, and avoid working out when you are fatigued and weak. As with most injuries, RICE and anti-inflammatory drugs are helpful, as well as gentle stretches. When the injury has begun to heal, you can begin exercising again, but stop every so often during your workout to stretch until you are completely healed Shin Splints: Shin splints refer to pain on the inner side of the shinbone caused by inflammation of the muscles that surround it. They often affect people who aren’t used to exercising; they can be caused by increasing the intensity of your workout too fast, wearing worn-out shoes or by jumping or running on hard ground. Prevention and treatment: Wearing good shoes, cross training, stretching, and not increasing workout intensity too quickly are the best preventive measures. As for treatment, ice, stretching and antiinflammatory medications are your best bets. Groin Strain: A strained groin or adductor muscles usually happens when you suddenly change directions while running, such as in soccer, hockey, basketball, racket sports, football, and volleyball. Symptoms include sharp pain, swelling and sometimes even bruising on the inside of the thigh. Prevention and treatment: The best way to prevent a groin pull is to stretch properly before exercising, gradually increasing the intensity of the activity rather than jumping into the activity too quickly, and strengthening the groin muscles. RICE, combined with anti-inflammatory medications, is the best treatment plan. Don’t do anything too strenuous for a week or two after the injury, and when you do resume exercising, apply ice to the affected area after your workout until healed. When you are feeling better, start a stretching and strengthening program. Achilles Tendinitis: It usually occurs due to overuse most commonly among runners and athletes who participate in sports that involve running or jumping. It causes inflammation & pain around the Achilles tendon. If this condition is left untreated, it can become chronic and the injury can worsen until it becomes impossible to run. Prevention and treatment: Stretching and strengthening exercises for the calf muscles can help prevent injury to the Achilles tendon. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), an antiinflammatory medication, and strengthening your calf muscles are your best treatment options. Do not resume sports until the injury is completely healed or it may become a chronic condition.
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Preventing most common Sports injuries:
How to Ease Back into Training after an Injury
•
Many people rush back from an injury far too quickly. Letting our bodies fully heal before getting back to training takes patience but it will pay off. Three recommended steps:
• • • • • •
Participate in a conditioning program to build muscle strength and endurance gradually, Follow an appropriate warm-up and cool-down regimen, including flexibility exercises Dress in the most appropriate clothing and safety gear Stay hydrated Eat a well-balanced diet Use proper technique and follow the rules of your sport, Check your sporting equipment prior to participation for damage and proper function, and clear away any debris from your playing area
What to do if you have a sports injury: The ‘PRICE’ principle • • • • •
P — protect from further injury: protect the injured area with a splint, pad, or crutch R — restrict activity - will prevent worsening of the injury I — apply ice - immediately after a common sport injury for 20 minutes every one to two hours for the first 48 hours. Don’t use heat during this time — it encourages swelling and inflammation C — apply compression with an elastic bandage-helps reduce swelling E — elevate the injured area above the heart will also reduce swelling
Over-the-counter pain relievers usually relieve the pain of common sports injuries to a tolerable level.
•
STEP 1: Nutrition: To tighten up how and what you are eating to compensate for reduced activity and increase vitamin supplements to help healing.
•
STEP 2: Cardio: The stationary bike or treadmills are both wonderful starter options for people with upper body injuries, starting with a moderate 30 minute session and progressing slowly but no more than 75% of your maximum until fully healed. Post cardio stretching is a must to help reduce soreness.
•
STEP 3: Workouts: Depending on the severity of the injury, recovery to your original strength could take quite some time, so ‘’take it easy.” Workouts should be planned around machines to start with less sets and repetitions than you would normally do, not be doing anything about 75% of your maximum effort for the first few weeks as your body remembers what it is doing and how it is doing it. Stretching pre and post workout is a must to help re-establish your flexibility.
Take the time to recovery and not fall into the trap of training too soon which can risk further set-backs. Your body will thank you for it. The content of this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other health care professional.
When to get medical attention for common sports injuries: If you suspect a serious injury or if you have any of these signs, see a doctor: • • • • •
Deformities in the joint or bone — it looks “crooked,” or moves abnormally You cannot bear weight or can’t use the limb without it “giving way” Excessive swelling Changes in skin colour beyond mild bruising It’s not getting any better after a few days of PRICE therapy
Mr. Ved Goswami, FRCS MS MCh Orth Consultant Orthopaedic Knee, Shoulder & Sports Surgeon
Spire Parkway Hospital, Solihull
For more information or to make an appointment call
0121 704 5546
info@spireparkway.com www.spireparkway.com
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www.subzero-wolf.co.uk
Exclusively available at Interior design for kitchens Stratford Upon Avon Unit 2, 257 Birmingham Road, Stratford Upon Avon CV37 0BF T: 01789 267 001 Solihull 100 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 3BH T: 0121 744 3953 E: sales@kitchengallery.co.uk W: kitchengallery.co.uk
www.subzero-wolf.co.uk
Exclusively available at Interior design for kitchens Stratford Upon Avon Unit 2, 257 Birmingham Road, Stratford Upon Avon CV37 0BF T: 01789 267 001 Solihull 100 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 3BH T: 0121 744 3953 E: sales@kitchengallery.co.uk W: kitchengallery.co.uk
Exclusively available at Interior design for kitchens Stratford Upon Avon Unit 2, 257 Birmingham Road, Stratford Upon Avon CV37 0BF T: 01789 267 001 Solihull 100 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 3BH T: 0121 744 3953 E: sales@kitchengallery.co.uk W: kitchengallery.co.uk
INSPIRATIONAL FinE
Dining gUiDE
PUSHKAR CoCKtAil BAR & Dining Birmingham
Award Winning Cuisine in the Heart of Birmingham Arguably one of the finest Indian restaurants in the West Midlands, Pushkar has been honoured for its culinary excellence with the prestigious ‘Best Fine Dining’ Award at the Best of Broad Street Awards 2013. Restaurant owner Rai Singh collected the award on the 20th January and was delighted to receive such great recognition for his restaurant’s contribution to Birmingham’s culinary landscape. The restaurant combines the very best of elegant dining with delicious and sophisticated food. Diners are able to choose from an innovative and diverse menu, savouring the exquisite flavours created by the team of chefs and relaxing in the beautifully designed dining room. The restaurant also houses a chic cocktail bar with both traditional favourites and modern classics ready to sample and providing the perfect accompaniment to the variety of dishes on the menu. The dishes take inspiration from Punjabi and North Indian cuisine and diners are invited to enjoy both the classic recipes and modern innovation that comes from Pushkar’s expert team of chefs. There is little doubt that Pushkar represents a truly fine dining experience and the culinary team is headed up by two-time Head Chef of the Year Bishal Raisily. The delightful and intriguing menu takes dinners on a sensory journey, enjoying a truly spectacular taste explosion, framed perfectly by the relaxed yet on trend ambiance of the restaurant.
The design of the dining room evokes a chic city bar, with luxurious and elegant seating, table decorations, mood lighting and the all-important professional and efficient staff. The restaurant is a chance to enjoy the complete Pushkar experience. More than just good food, inspiring drinks menu or innovative design concept, the restaurant is a highly effective blend of all three making for a complete lifestyle experience, and one that clearly keeps the restaurant’s loyal customers coming back for more. Conveniently located in the heart of Birmingham, Pushkar is both a destination for diners from all over the region and a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner for city business executives and shoppers alike. With something for everyone, the restaurant has the magic formula that allows it to provide each individual with a memorable experience that has allowed Pushkar to win another of what undoubtedly will be many awards. The diner’s experience is truly unique and has seen the restaurant continually receive rave reviews from enthusiastic customers and regional publications alike. Since opening in 2009, the high class styling and elegant menu has gone from strength to strength and its course looks set for even greater recognition and success in the future. For more information on Pushkar, please call 0121 643 7978 or email: dining@pushkardining.com Pushkar 245 BROAD STREET BIRMINGHAM WEST MIDLANDS B1 2HQ
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ARTS AND CULTURE
INSPIRATIONAL FINE
DINING GUIDE
EDMUNDS RESTAURANT Birmingham
A beautiful restaurant in the heart of Birmingham’s bustling city centre, Edmunds offers contemporary dining in a relaxing and welcoming environment. The stunning interior is echoed in the wonderful menu from Head Chef Didier Philipot, affording diners the opportunity to sample his delicious gastronomic creations in great surroundings.
Diners are able to hire the entirety of the restaurant on an exclusive basis. There is a delightful terrace for guests to enjoy drinks receptions and the restaurant offers attentive service and the in-house sommelier and events manager provide their clients with the very best hospitality experience for a wide range of events.
Didier Philipot is one of Birmingham’s most renowned chefs, having worked at Brokencote Hall and run a series of successful restaurants, the Head Chef will be instrumental in achieving Edmunds’ next goal; gaining their first Michelin star. Having been largely responsible for providing the catalyst for Birmingham’s fine dining revolution, Chef Didier’s skill is clearly represented in every aspect of the restaurant’s wonderful menu.
The restaurant offers two courses from the menu du jour for £19.50 and three courses from the same menu for £24.50 and the array of dishes
The menu combines modern British cooking with a classic French influence, placing great importance on seasonal ingredients and the very best quality produce. Having been awarded the prestigious title of Best Chef at the Best of Broad Street Awards, Edmunds culinary chief is continuing to exemplify the very best food that Birmingham has to offer.
Food Served: Monday: 5.30pm - 10.00pm Tuesday to Friday: 12.00pm 2.00pm & 6.00pm -10.00pm Saturday: 5.30pm - 10.00pm Sunday: Closed
Menu du Jour Tuesday to Friday: 12.00pm - 2.00pm & 5.30pm - 7.00pm Saturday: 5.30pm - 7.00pm
Edmunds Restaurant Six Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2JB Tel: 0121 633 4944 www.edmundsrestaurant.co.uk
The beautifully designed dining room is the ideal setting for enjoying the very best food and Edmunds is elegantly decorated with muted tones of taupe and black, with striking sculptures and excellent lighting. Guests are able to The restaurant offers a variety of different menus, changing seasonally with the menu du jour, a la carte menu and Didier’s “Surprise” Tasting Menu available all year round.
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SimpSonS ReStauRant
the Flat chicken
Birmingham
Warwickshire
the oak Room at nailcote hall Berkswell, Warwickshire
Simpsons Restaurant brings true fine dining to Edgbaston, Birmingham. The restaurant is a beautiful example of gastronomic innovation combined with effortlessly elegant style. For diners, it is a chance to enjoy the creations of Simpsons’ culinary team in surroundings that are both elegant and relaxed. The restaurant is nestled inside a beautiful manor style house with large Georgian windows, sumptuous private dining rooms and a beautiful alfresco dining space. It is clear the every detail of the restaurant’s offering has been carefully designed to provide one of the most exclusive and memorable dining experiences. The culinary team at Simpsons have created dishes that reveal the level of the head chef’s culinary brilliance. Their ethos is simple; they constantly strive to find the best quality produce and wherever possible they source their food locally. The dishes on Simpsons’ inspiring menu promise truly modern and ground breaking techniques to create the most visually stunning and delicious dish.
The Flat Chicken marks a new venture from an award winning Warwickshire based family owned pub and restaurant business recently opened up in November 2012. Positioned as a trendy casual-dining restaurant, The Flat Chicken will also serve steaks as well as a range of unique starters and classic desserts. Busy commuters, tourists and local residents will be able to take advantage of free-range chickens cooked to perfection on a rotisserie and will even be able to take away if desired. The brainchild of Charles Harris, The Flat Chicken represents his third establishment and the start of exciting expansion plans with the launch of a new restaurant brand in the Midlands that is focused on chicken. The move has been inspired by keeping a watchful eye on new London trends and through witnessing the arrival of a number of high-class chicken speciality restaurants springing up in the capital, which are increasing in popularity.
For Birmingham, Simpsons Restaurant is a shining jewel in its culinary crown. It really is a perfect example of the amazing cuisine on offer in Great Britain’s cities. The culinary team, made up of Chef Patron Andreas Antona, Executive Chef Luke Tipping and Head Chef Adam Bennet creates some of the most spectacular dishes on the Midlands’ culinary landscape.
Nailcote Hall’s impressive Oak Room restaurant provides an unforgettable fine dining experience for its diners. Continuing the hotel’s elegance and luxury, the restaurant is the perfect setting to enjoy the fabulous culinary creations of The Oak Room’s Head Chef, Neal Peers. The welcoming and relaxing environment is the perfect setting to enjoy a special occasion in style. The restaurant has both table d’hôte and à la carte menus, allowing guests to enjoy delicious and seasonal food with a variety of inspired dishes from the restaurant’s culinary team. Set in the beautiful Warwickshire country side, Nailcote Hall truly is one of the most desirable locations in the West Midlands. The hotel’s amazing building and luxury setting are matched by the restaurants food and perfect ambiance. Dining at The Oak Room really is one of the best experiences of traditional British cuisine and international flavours in opulent surroundings. With a rich décor and open fires, The Oak Room welcomes its guests in the same beautiful surroundings as Nailcote Hall hotel and promises them an experience to remember.
Food Served: Lunch: 12pm – 2pm. Monday – Saturday Dinner: every day 7pm – 9.30pm
Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday:- 11:00am-11:00pm Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Food served: Breakfast: 7.30am - 9.30am (Monday - Friday) 8.00am - 10.00am (Saturday & Sunday) Lunch: 12.00pm - 2.00pm (Except Saturdays) Dinner: 7.00pm - 9.30pm
Simpsons Restaurant 20 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3DU Tel: 0121 454 3434 www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk
The Flat Chicken 44 Guild Street, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6QY Tel: 01789 415542 www.theflatchicken.com
The Oak Room at Nailcote Hall Nailcote Lane, Berkswell, Warwickshire, CV7 7DE Tel: 02476 466174 www.nailcotehall.co.uk
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cielo
For more information and for bookings, please contact Cielo on: 0121 632 6882 info@cielobirmingham.com
ITALIAN/MED CUISINE
Inspirational Magazine visits Birmingham’s Cielo. Arguably Birmingham’s finest Italian restaurant, Cielo offers a truly chic dining experience with a variety of delicious dishes and delightful ambience. Focussing on modern flavours and combining with traditional techniques, Cielo brings together Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, delighting diners with a blend of intricately balanced flavours and beautifully presented plates.
Inspirational Magazine visited the restaurant to enjoy some of their wonderful culinary offerings and the acclaimed restaurant lived up to its already sparkling reputation. Overlooking the city’s charming Oozells Square, the restaurant is perfectly placed to welcome diners from all over the city and beyond. The modern exterior is matched perfectly by a welcoming dining room, clearly mirroring Cielo’s contemporary take on traditional Italian food with a range of tonal colours and chic furniture.
The penne salsiccia proved to be a wonderful balance of spicy chorizo sausage, with fragrant basil and garlic, blended with a pomodoro sauce, whilst the branzino con salsa all’astice was a wonderful take on a tableau of seafood, with a fillet of seabass taking top billing, accompanied by prawn crevette and a lobster bisque sauce.
What’s more, the restaurant provides diners with a dedicated cocktail menu, a fresh and vibrant alternative to the great selection of wines available. Classic cocktails rub shoulders with more creative additions to the menu, including a Bomb Fire or a Sea Breeze, providing guests with the chance to sample more creative additions to an already innovative Italian menu. Cielo welcomes diners every day of the week, with a Sunday menu that echoes the British Sunday lunch tradition and combines classic flavours with Italian execution, making the restaurant an ideal destination to enjoy a light and contemporary take on a truly British tradition.
Offering both an a la carte and daily lunch and dinner menus, the restaurant offers diners the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of different dishes, all influenced by the timeless flavours of Mediterranean and Italian gastronomic heritage. Inspirational Magazine enjoyed a range of the Cielo’s wonderful dishes, sampling the beautifully crafted pasta dishes, succulent fish and sumptuous Italian desserts.
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The main course could have proved to be a tough act to follow, but the fondente al cioccolato provided the perfect, indulgent dessert to round off an evening of culinary excellence. With so many flocking to one of Birmingham’s premier Italian eateries, it is not hard to understand the popularity of Cielo’s unique offering.
Opening times: Mon - Thurs: 12-3pm • 5.30-11pm Fri - Sat: 12-11pm Sun: 12-10pm Sunday lunch menu available: 12-5pm
Fixed menu available: Mon - Thurs: 12-3pm • 5.30-7pm Fri - Sat: 12-7pm Sun: 12-7pm From £14.95 for two courses
Cielo, 6 Oozells Square, Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2JB
02/05/2013 11:39
dining
Inspirational visits three of The Mailbox’s restaurants...
Côte Brasserie
red peppers
Bar eperney and Champagne Bar
Côte Brasserie is a relaxed and informal eatery offering exquisite, great value Parisian-style bistro food in stylish and modern surroundings. The menu always offers classics dishes such as steak frites and moules marinières, alongside lighter dishes such as Tuna Niçoise, chargrilled fresh tuna steak on classic Niçoise salad. Crème caramel and crème brulee are house specialities for dessert and are certainly not to be missed!
Offering traditional and authentic dishes from around the world, Red Peppers Grill and Cantina offers an eclectic and mouth-watering menu of global dishes, guaranteed to offer favourites for all tastes.
Bar Eperney and Champagne Piano Bar combines a warm and inviting welcome with exceptional service for a truly memorable dining experience. With the best Champagne List in Birmingham and a restaurant décor that is the epitome of contemporary British flair, Bar Eperney is not only a style destination but a foodies’ favourite too.
What is most impressive about Côte Brasserie is the way that they have managed to capture the buzz of a Parisian bistro in the style and atmosphere of this sensational restaurant, which has received rave reviews from esteemed sources such as The Good Food Guide, Michael Winner, Restaurant Magazine and more.
A trip to Red Peppers is like a heavenly journey around the world of food! The starters menu features pizette, nachos, meze and anti-pasti among many more. Meanwhile, the main course includes delicious dishes such as Latin-inspired burgers, burritos, pizzas, pastas and stir fry’s. In addition, Red Peppers specialise in spectacular grill dishes such as chicken, steak and fish. To get the night going, the in-house mixologist creates an exceptional selection of cocktail classics such as Mojito, Lynchberg Lemonade and Sangria. There’s also an exceptional wine list. The atmosphere is the ultimate in low-key, informal chic, making it the ideal place to enjoy a relaxed night out.
The sensational A La Carte menu includes dishes such as 21 day aged sirloin of beef, baked fillet of salmon wrapped in pancetta and spectacular seafood classics such as fish and chips and moules frites. The restaurant also serves a selection of ‘Light Bites’ and a menu of freshly cooked daily specials. A fantastic traditional roast is served on Sundays. The atmosphere in the piano bar is simply sensational, with resident pianists, who are all students of the renowned school of music - The Birmingham Conservatoire, playing on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights and Saturday/Sunday lunch times.
Monday to Friday 8am to 11pm Saturday 9am to 11pm Sunday 9am to 10.30pm
Sunday - Thursday: 12noon to 10.30pm Friday - Saturday: 12noon to 11.30pm
Monday - Saturday 12noon - 10.00pm Sunday - 12noon - 8.00pm (Traditional Sunday lunch available 12noon - 4.00pm)
Côte Brasserie Tel: 0121 631 1587 www.cote-restaurants.co.uk
Red Peppers Tel: 0121 643 4202 www.red-peppers.co.uk
Bar Eperney and Champagne Bar Tel: 0121 632 1430 www.bar-epernay.co.uk
Park at The Mailbox to visit all these restaurants and many more. Wharfside Street, The Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1RD
www.mailboxlife.com For information please call:
0121 632 1000 Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook
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01/05/2013 19:35
t Restaueraawn ay andopTeankseven eek days per w
Henley in in Arden at You simplY can’t be s, ou a plate of delici
fresh fish and chips.
But it is one of those dishes that has to be done well. The fish has to be fresh, the batter has to be crispy and light, the chips have to be hot and cooked to perfection, and it just has to be served with accompaniments of buttered bread, pickled onions and mushy peas! Thankfully, Finest Catch restaurants offer just that: exquisite fish and chips, exactly as they should be! The menu is full of chip shop classics, such as the very freshest cod or haddock, served with homemade chips, and a selection of other classic dishes, such as Scampi, Chicken and Sausage meals.
-10Pm 12Pm
The portions are certainly generous, but Finest Catch offer smaller portions and smaller meals for customers with lesser appetites and no age restrictions. This is just one example of the excellent customer service at Finest Catch. Whether you are in for a portion of chips or a blow-out weekend feast, you are treated with the same warm welcome by all of the friendly staff. What is even more rare is to find excellent fish and chips in a stylish restaurant where you can also enjoy a glass of wine or a pint of beer in an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere. However, where others fail, Finest Catch delivers again, with an excellent drinks list and an excellent atmosphere, which is just as perfect for enjoying a drink and a portion of chips as it is a family celebration.
Diners have flocked to the Henley in Arden branch since it opened, and many of them have been so impressed by what they’ve found that the restaurant has been propelled to the top of the Trip Advisor rankings. Receiving rave review after rave review about the value, service and exceptional food, Finest Catch has become the Number 1 dining destination in the region.
F
unlREE imit Ed
all FOOd PREPaREd FREshly tO thE custOmER’s ORdER
Bread Butter &
W
WOEally this R FinE is a !!! catch viEW isOR RE tRiPadv
OPEN: 12pm - 10pm Seven dAyS peR week
FREE PaRking availablE
Birmingham Road, Henley in Arden, B95 5QR
Tel: 01564 793783
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01/05/2013 20:22
Resulting the runaway success of the first branch in Henley in Arden, which opened in 2012, the team behind Finest Catch have opened a new branch in Tipton with 250 seats and ample parking spaces, making it an ideal location to enjoy the same fresh fish and chips that are so popular in Henley in Arden.
The food is of the same superb quality as in Tipton and there is an equal dedication to fantastic customer service. Finest Catch offers something unique- a great place to enjoy proper fish and chips along with quality beer and wine from the bar. Manager Adam Wesley commented:
Styled on an American Diner, the interior of the restaurant is quite incredible, with an exceptional bar, stylish booths, tables and comfortable chairs. Neat little touches give Finest Catch an authentically retro appeal, including the superb juke box, which is full of classic songs from years gone by. Diners are invited to spin their favourite hit at their leisure, and it’s difficult to resist taking a walk done memory lane! Perfect for charming your mother in law by treating her to her favourite hit or appalling your children with your powers of lyrical recall!
“We’re very pleased to be open in Tipton and offering our customers exceptional fish and chips done the way they should be! Our customers are our number 1 priority and a warm welcome and exceptional service is guaranteed, whether you are in for just a coffee, an ice cream or a complete meal! You can be sure that at Finest Catch you will be impressed by the high quality of our food, our exceptional customer service and, of course, our great value!”
d, t FOO gREaEndly
FRi vicE, sER astic FantOnmEnt! iEW EnviR R REv dvisO tRiPa
OPEN: 12pm - 10pm Seven dAyS peR week
FREE PaRking availablE
FREEds”
n “sEcO
of chips
The restaurant really does offer truly exceptional value for money. A family of four can enjoy a feast, including drinks, milk shakes for the children, desserts and plenty of side orders for under £30, which is very rare these days. However, Finest Catch isn’t just great value, it also provides a great atmosphere and, above all, great fun.
WhERE custOmE R cOmE FiR s st
and come back again !
E FRE ls l i F RE F
all Tea and nks i r d ft o S O
High Street, princes end, Tipton dy4 9JF
Tel: 0121 557 0486 89
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Tipton
LONDON CALLING
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Inspirational Magazine travels to our capital to explore the very best hotels, restaurants and entertainment, uncovering the best of London’s luxury lifestyle offering. Throughout the West Midlands and beyond, we are always looking for the very best places to eat, drink, stay and relax and we have put together our collection of some of London’s very best destinations to share some of the wonderful luxury establishments that the city has to offer to its visitors.
Each edition will now bring with it our exclusive guide to one of the most exciting capital cities in the world and Inspirational Magazine is delighted to share our latest discoveries with our readers...
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ICONIC HOTELS IN ICONIC PLACES
LIVE thE
SUITE LIFE
TIMELESS ELEGANCE. LUXURIOUS LIVING. SUMPTUOUS FABRICS. SPECTACULAR VIEWS. EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. A NEW LOOK UNVEILED. THE DORCHESTER AND PARK SUITES. THE DORCHESTER.
LONDON
TDL0413_Inspirational.indd 1
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+44 20 7629 8888
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DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COm
26/04/2013 16:17
H Johnson & Son, 50-51 Queens Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5JX • Tel: 02476 347 038 • johnsonsjewellers.co.uk
LONDON CALLING
LONDON CALLiNG
Inspirational visits three of Londons hottest upcoming restaurants...
AQUA KYOTO
TOm AiKENs REsTAURANT
AQUA NUEVA
Regent Street
Chelsea
Regent Street
Located in the heart of London’s West End, Aqua Kyoto epitomises contemporary Japanese cuisine of Tokyo’s Ginza district. Head Chef Jordan Sclare has created a menu offering an experience that encompasses unique styles of sushi and sashimi together with a selection of innovative dishes from the spectacular sumibiyaki grill.
In January 2012, Tom Aikens Restaurant, Chelsea, re-opened following the move towards a more informal style of fine dining and interior refurbishment. In October, the restaurant was delighted to learn that Tom’s innovative style and creative interpretation of modern French cuisine was awarded 1 Michelin star and 5 AA Rosettes.
Standout starters include Aqua Kyoto’s signature Tataki sushi platter that offers diners a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. This selection includes delicacies intricately wrapped in cool, fresh paper-thin cucumber giving texture to the dish and topped with unusual marinated flavours such as foie gras, and wagyu beef that are not normally associated with sushi. Mains feature such delights as king crab tempura, saikyo miso black cod, or twice cooked pork belly with langoustines and yuzu pepper from the grill.
Tom and his exceptional team have created a menu displaying exciting and distinctive flavour combinations. The seasonal menu showcases the finest ingredients from the British Isles with stand out dishes including housemade ricotta with green olive juice, honey jelly and pinenuts and piglet belly braised & roasted with baked aubergine and smoked apple.
Aqua Nueva’s contemporary restaurant offers an opportunity to take diners on a passionate journey of Spanish cuisine. The restaurant focuses on refined, contemporary Spanish cuisine from the Northern region with an a la carte and tapas menu offering innovative cuisine. It is overseen by acclaimed chef Alberto Hernandez who trained under the legendary Ferran Adria at what used to be widely considered to be the world’s finest restaurant, the three Michelin starred elBulli in Catalonia.
Rounding off this dining experience are desserts like green tea, chocolate & yuzu mochi ice cream perfect with a refreshing infusion tea such as rosebuds, lychee red or peppermint leaf. Every Sunday from 12.00pm – 3.00pm, aqua kyoto offers guests modern and innovative Japanese dining accompanied by limitless Veuve Clicquot champagne for just £55 per person. Infinity Sunday’s takes place high above the hustle and bustle of busy Regent Street and offers a chic and relaxed haven in central London. Guests can sit back and settle in for a relaxing afternoon on aqua’s spectacular rooftop terrace to enjoy the views across London’s skyline with a topped-up glass of champagne.
Guests who wish to discover the menu in depth are offered a seven course tasting menu, available with matching wines. The restaurant provides the perfect location for a casual lunch with friends or business associates, with a two or three course set menus. An à la carte menu is available for lunch and dinner; Tasting menus - £90 for seven courses (also available with matching wines). Set lunch menu £34 for three courses (£28 for two courses).
Renowned for using only the freshest of ingredients and preparing them in a way that the ingredients speak for themselves, Hernandez’s cutting edge menu at Aqua Nueva features standout starter dishes such as seared foie gras, caramelised hazelnuts and confit of pear and ceps with roasted salsify and shaved black truffle. Main dishes include fillet of beef, ravioli of foie gras and wild mushroom with oloroso sauce and loin of roasted monkfish with garlic soup and paprika. Rounding off this exquisite culinary offering are desserts such as crema catalena, cardamom cream and toffee ice, perfect with a glass of classic Spanish Sherry such as Amontillado Classic, Femando de Castilla. Also on offer is the ‘Aqua Nueva Cava Bar,’ offering guests an opportunity to explore one of the finest selections of Cava in the city. The selection of white and rose Cavas will be available to enjoy by the glass or bottle in the opulent and stylish restaurant space. Leading the experience will be the ‘Castillo Perelada Cava Flight’- where guests can enjoy a trio of delicious Cava’s for £19 per person for three flutes. A bespoke daily tapas menu will be available to order alongside the flight at £18 for three dishes.
Food Served: Monday to Saturday: Lunch 12.00pm – 3.00pm Dinner 6.30pm – 1.00am (last orders 11.00pm) Infinity Sundays: 12.00pm – 3.00pm
Food Served: Tuesday to Friday lunch: 12.00pm to 2.30pm (last orders for tasting menus 1.45pm) Tuesday to Saturday dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm (last orders for tasting menus 9.45pm)
Food Served: Monday to Saturday: Lunch 12.00pm – 3.00pm Dinner 6.30pm – 1.00am (last orders 11.00pm) The Cava Bar will be available Monday – Saturday lunchtimes between 12.00pm – 2.45pm and in the evenings from 6.00pm – 11.00pm with a first-come first-served seating arrangement for the Tapas Bar
Aqua Kyoto 5th Floor, 240 Regent Street, London Entrance on 30 Argyll Street, London, W1B 3BR www.aqua-london.com
Tom Aikens Restaurant 43 Elystan Street, London SW3 3NT Tel: 020 7584 2003 www.tomaikens.co.uk
Aqua Nueva 5th Floor, 240 Regent Street, London Entrance on 30 Argyll Street, London, W1B 3BR www.aqua-london.com
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02/05/2013 11:07
ICONIC HOTELS IN ICONIC PLACES
Captured on iPhone
A MILLION MILES
FROM EVERYDAY
THE SMELL OF LEATHER. A TWIST ON TRADITION. THE CLATTER OF HOOVES. THE ROLLING COUNTRYSIDE. THE MILES OF POSSIBILITY. THE FEELING OF HOME. COWORTH PARK.
ASCOT
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+44 1344 876 600 | DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COm
26/04/2013 15:14
Grosvenor House - A Luxury Stay in the Heart of the Capital
Simply one of London’s most iconic hotels, Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel located on Park Lane, combines its rich history with a truly modern dedication to providing its guests with the very best service and a truly memorable stay. The building has housed so many different residents throughout its fascinating life. Built around 1730, the hotel was originally a private home, outside of the city and housed a single family of rich land owners. More than 200 years later, the resplendent façade echoes the iconic English architecture that has ensured the longevity of the building, preserving it as a luxury destination for visitors to the capital city.
Guests to the hotel are offered a diverse array of rooms, suites and hospitality options to choose from. The newly refurbished hotel provides five star luxury accommodation with many of the rooms overlooking the iconic and beautiful Hyde Park. Grosvenor House is perfectly located to explore the delights of the city, and so many of London’s cultural delights are nearby the historic hotel.
The large hotel also offers extensive corporate opportunities with private events and conferencing space that will guarantee the success of any event. From awards ceremonies, to celebratory dinners or conferences and meetings, Grosvenor House is able to offer the perfect corporate events package. The Great Room offers a maximum capacity of 2,000 guests, rendering it a truly grand venue for some of the city’s most important occasions.
The hotel has a range of exciting dining options, catering for a range of tastes including the JW Steakhouse, an authentic London Steakhouse experience open all day and serving a range of delicious dishes in a stylish dining room. For guests looking for a relaxed dining experience, The Park Room has been designed to evoke the feel of a traditional English home and a casually elegant dining experience.
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Corrigan’s Mayfair award winning restaurant from renowned chef Richard Corrigan provides Park Lane with a wonderful international menu, celebrating the flavours of game, wild fish and seafood within the menu’s innovative and modern dishes. The hotel presents guests a truly memorable experience, offering approachable elegance and a relaxing and luxurious stay that sees them return to the five star hotel time and time again. The hotel’s elegant and spacious suites are among some of the country’s most luxurious accommodations and guests are able to benefit from a full range of fitness and recreation facilities, including the SANRIZZ Hair Salon. The perfect hotel for business or leisure, Grosvenor House is the epitome of British elegance, welcoming guests from all over the world and providing them with a truly relaxing and enriching experience.
01/05/2013 19:39
For more information on Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel, visit www.marriott.co.uk or call 0207 499 6363
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BEAUTY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Business gets a new partner in London the exclusive
way…
Quinnel a select private members club, is based in fashionable Mayfair
Luxury cars, theatre, restaurants, VIP shopping, exclusive meetings
and has access to just about everything that matters to the discerning
with other like-minded visitors - Quinnel offer them all! Naturally,
London visitor, including top hotels, such as The Strand’s ME Hotel,
membership does not come cheap, emphasising the exclusivity of this
chic and elegant, with roof top views of London to die for. For good
concierge and visiting service that puts itself above the rest. Top
measure Quinnel members meet in the lush surroundings of the
membership
exclusive Roof Top Terrace bar in London.
membership card, with platinum and gold membership packages also
Quinnel’s one aim and purpose is to make your visit to London stressfree, enjoyable and convenient. Juliette Webber, the company founder
features
the
all-important,
all-embracing
black
available. Quinnel really does open doors to some of London’s most elite venues and events.
and worldwide socialite, explained: “Besides being an exclusive
With a striking, exclusive website that befits its status in the
members club for individuals and offering a first class concierge
entertainment city of the world hundreds of companies and individuals
service, we also help companies who really value their staff, with
are joining to ensure they don’t miss out on the best that London has
corporate memberships that offer huge benefits. Good staff are hard to
to offer.
find and with Quinnel membership companies can reward those staff who make a difference.”
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info@quinnel.com | 0207 887 4554 | Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BD www.quinnel.com 01/05/2013 19:42
St. James’s Hotel and Club London
With its prefect location, its long history, its stylish and elegant interiors,
interiors finished with handmade silk wallpaper, black lacquered
some breathtaking guest room terraces and a Michelin starred
furniture, handcrafted Murano glass chandeliers and polished natural
restaurant, it is easy to understand why the St James’s Hotel and Club
stone in the bathrooms. A magnificent art collection also features
is one of the most desirable addresses in London.
throughout the hotel.
This luxurious townhouse hotel is located in a quiet cul-de-sac that is
St James’s Hotel and Club is also home to Seven Park Place, the
only moments from Mayfair, Buckingham Palace, the exclusive shops
deliciously small, but perfectly formed 26-cover Michelin-starred
of Jermyn Street, the Burlington Arcade, Bond Street, The Royal
restaurant by William Drabble. The menu is French inspired, made
Academy of Arts, and only a short stroll from the theatres and night life
with the best British seasonal produce, and its intimate jewel box-like
of the West End.
dining room exudes a sense of occasion, touched with modern
With fabulous suites and some of the best guest room terraces in London, the hotel boasts stylish, sleek, contemporary, yet elegant
comfort and a relaxed ambience. William oversees all aspects of the dining concept at the hotel including private dining, room service, the hotel’s William’s Bar & Bistro and, of course, afternoon tea.
ST. JAMES’S HoTEL & CLuB IS A PRouD MEMBER oF SMALL LuxuRy HoTELS oF THE WoRLD.
info@stjameshotelandclub.com | +44 20 7316 1600 | 7-8 Park Place, St. James’s London, SW1A 1LS www.stjameshotelandclub.com quinnel-St James V6.indd 99
01/05/2013 19:42
CREATIVE
MARKETING
PUBLIC RELATIONS
EVENTS
CELEBRITY
East Midlands based brand agency, Champions (UK) plc, is taking the marketplace by storm with its innovative strategies and complete communications packages. Inspirational Magazine looks at how the firm is wielding their own international brand power. 100
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Celebrating both their tenth anniversary and the launch of their new company image, 2013 sees Champions (UK) plc cement their position as ‘the brand agency’. As an East Midlands based firm, their experience and industry insight places them at the forefront of international brand management, working with a wide array of different sectors. The intangibility of brand power is something that hundreds of international agencies have long been trying to harness. For many, the plethora of separate public relations, marketing and creative firms have diluted their clients’ brand impact, proving slow to react to market trends and often providing conflicting advice. Champions (UK) plc are truly unique in the UK marketplace, providing many of the country’s leading organisations a holistic package that effectively manages their complete brand offering, ensuring that they are at the cutting edge of market trends and are always perfectly placed to act upon the unique insights provided to them by the brand agency. Their work with many large organisations has seen them provide a wide range of industry-leading services, from complete rebranding exercises, to targeted product launches, international communications campaigns and celebrity management. Boosting the power and increasing the potential of any brand, the agency has continued to grow, with a range of ever more sophisticated and targeted services available. They create tailor made packages, each comprising of a bespoke and completely adaptable range of services that are guaranteed to achieve the very best results for the organisations or individuals that they work with.
For Champions (UK) plc, their approach offers the marketplace a refreshing procedure to the traditional communications process, continually researching and analysing the needs of their clients and the changing challenges of their industry. The agency’s unique strategies actively drive change, creating trends and leading consumer opinion to ensure that the brands that they are working with are at the forefront of the consumer psyché. Working with the fluctuations and changes in the marketplace and using them as a powerful catalyst for brand strategies that generate measurable bottom line brand success, the agency understand the contemporary challenges of working within industries that must offer a consistent and high quality brand identity to ensure that they retain their position as market leaders. The power rests securely with well-informed consumers, who no longer rely on advertising to select products or work with organisations. The power of instant communication is playing an ever more vital role and brands are calling out for a strategy that allows them to subtly permeate all areas of their relevant marketplace.
For Champions (UK) plc, their broad understanding of today’s fast-paced and ever changing marketplace allows them to use their unique insights and decade of leading market experience to manage and shape the wide array of brands that they work with. The agency begins with a creative process, analysing the consumers’ requirements, generating a concept, identity and strategy that is unique to their clients. They focus on achieving high level impact to their clients, continually increasing their market share and transforming them into a household name.
It seems that now, more than ever, the consumer sits firmly in the driving seat of a brand or product’s success. They are able to choose from a vast array of products, comparing the benefits of each and selecting the right one for them, largely ignoring the advertising that surrounds them in favour of reading reviews, features and gathering their own ‘information’ and forming their own opinions. Champions (UK) plc are providing the market place with that information, targeting key consumers and providing communication that is the most relevant and effective to them, regardless of whether they are individuals or multi-national business giants. Image courtesy of The Leicester Mercury
“It is fantastic to have the hard work of everyone in the organisation recognised by such esteemed bodies. It’s motivating to everyone in our business that our approach is working, but the truest measure of our success is to see the success of our clients.” – Matthew Hayes, Managing Director.
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
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The last twelve months have seen Champions (UK) plc recognised on a national level for their leading work. Their ingenuity and targeted business approach has placed them within The Telegraph 1000 Brightest Businesses, The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, The Recommended Agency Register and features in Insider Magazine’s Growth 100 Table.
They have been instrumental in driving sales for national companies such as food retail giant Farmfoods and leading international thermal sock company Heat Holders. Their innovative approach has engineered the rebranding and strengthening of wealth management experts Mattioli Woods plc, engineering firm Nicholls Colton and CREATE, a comprehensive and flexible employee benefits service from Kudos, to name a few.
Some of the dedicated Champions (UK) plc team at their purpose-built premises in Costock, on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire border.
Image courtesy of The Leicester Mercury
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Their latest large scale rebranding exercise has been an internal affair, transforming the visual identity of Champions (UK) plc so that it reflects their very real influence as one of the country’s most exciting and results-driven brand agencies. Combining unique creativity with an in depth and progressive understanding of the global marketplace makes for a winning combination and they really do have the power to dramatically boost the impact of any brand. Offering something completely different to any of their contemporaries, Champions (UK) plc is structured around five streamlined, in-house departments, managing the Creative, Marketing, Public Relations, Events and Celebrity management requirements of all of their clients, giving them access to all of the industry sectors they require. The benefit of this is clear to all of their clients as it represents an evolution from the practise of sourcing several separate agencies to create one end product: a recognisable and cohesive brand identity and offering.
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Providing clients a brand strategy that is robust enough to be adapted to a changing marketplace ensures that the agency is capable of far out-performing the work of their competitors, maintaining their focus on ensuring that their client is able to dramatically increase their market share. Champions (UK) plc’s five highly specialised teams use their years of targeted experience to drive the brands they work with forward. They have so many of the country’s leading brands in their client portfolio, continually building upon this, giving them ever increasing influence over both the national and international business community. The agency has unlocked the secret to brand success, offering a diverse range of services that encompass everything necessary to realise ultimate success. Encompassing everything from targeted public relations campaigns, bespoke marketing tools, brand and product launch events to sophisticated celebrity management packages, Champions (UK) plc are ideally placed to deliver exactly what their clients need to become industry leaders.
With celebrity clients including international sports personalities, the legendary Tony Jacklin CBE among them, as well as stars of stage and screen, including Coronation Street’s longest serving resident William Roache MBE, their celebrity management services offer their clients a personal and dedicated approach, ensuring that they have access to the very best opportunities and positive exposure, building their public profile and providing endorsement to some of the world’s leading brands. With a client base that encompasses some of the nation’s leading names, including Farmfoods, British Airways, Heat Holders, MacWet, Mattioli Woods, Numark, Vision Express, Mercedes Benz, Blåkläder, Freeth Cartwright LLP, Nicholls Colton Group, and St James’s Place Wealth Management to name but a few, Champions (UK) plc’s diverse expertise means that they are perfectly placed, working without boundaries for ultimate success.
For more information about Champions (UK) plc, visit www.championsukplc.com or call 08453 31 30 31
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When Lucasfilm sold its most profitable asset to Disney late in 2012 for $4.05 billion, the world pondered the impact of such a seemingly bizarre hand over. We take a look at one of the film industry’s most interesting exchanges and plot Star Wars’ future as a global brand.
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
One Of the mOst icOnic
film franchises Of all time...
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Star Wars has continued to captivate global audiences since its first outing in 1977. With an all-star cast, ground breaking special effects and multi-faceted plot that enthralled millions, it was no surprise that so many sequel and prequel films followed over a period of thirty years, allowing the franchise to continually gather momentum. The appeal of the galactic giant is obvious, and it seems that Disney were only too happy to make a purchase of this magnitude. The takeover came at a time when one megabrand of the industry had taken the hit of a series of box office losses. For them, it seems, the safety of Lucas’ brainchild represented an ideal vehicle to guarantee box office numbers in the future, as well as offering the chance to reignite a beacon of the film industry with a new series of films. But what is it about the Star Wars brand in particular that has allowed it to reach such cult status? Of course, the characters have become intrinsically linked to popular culture, continuing to infiltrate modern marketing campaigns and it is unconsciously referenced in everything from casual conversation to fashion trends. For Lucasfilm, the sale meant a monumental influx of capital and a new era for movie making.
Many are eagerly awaiting the next instalments to see if the same intergalactic spirit remains under a new stewardship. Disney, best known for endearing animation and the boundless energy of the characters, will now turn its hand to intergalactic warfare and the seemingly endless menace of the Sith and other inscrutably evil characters, something of a departure from their classic film output. Perhaps more interesting than the drama played out on screen, is that of the battle for global brand domination. With the face of cinema continually changing, it seems that now, more than ever, some of the industry’s biggest names are choosing to work with the relative safety of sequels, prequels and re-workings to ensure that the box office generates enough money to make the film a success.
Brand power seems to be the driving force behind Hollywood’s most recent cinematic offerings, building great story lines and strong performances around the strength of blockbusting franchises. The silver screen continues to draw crowds and new film premiers repeatedly make headline news, so there is little wonder that tougher economic times have driven entertainment producers to build upon the strong foundations of established brands such as Star Wars.
“Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”
When George Lucas told the world he had made his last Star Wars film ten years ago, many fans of the brand would have lamented the end of such a unique saga. Many assumed that they had seen the series’ last innings but now, it seems, Disney have taken to the helm to provide cinema goers and Star Wars devotees with several new additions to the iconic series. With a story line that has the potential to extend to the far reaches of the galaxy, there are still a multitude of possibilities for the tale, using the film’s original collection of heroes and villains to embellish the story further. Quoted as saying “Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”
It is clear that Lucas’ decision to hand ownership to Disney was driven by a desire to see his work of over thirty years continue to grow, even past his lifetime. Eminently marketable and with so many yet untapped avenues for brand expansion, the next film release date is rumoured to be in 2015 and the first of another trilogy. For those wondering what will become of the brand identity under Disney, it seems that George Lucas will remain heavily involved as a leading consultant to the movie making process. His undeniable genius and vision for all of the films is a vital part of their identity and stoic fans can rest assured that the franchise will remain a recognisable part of cinematic history. Disney already have ownership of Marvel, another film group with a cult following that has continued to grow and thrive with a new parent brand at the helm. For the first time, Star Wars is owned by a huge corporation that now has the power to provide the marketplace with a huge array of memorabilia, products and high levels of marketplace presence. Combining the strength of its cult following with Disney’s extensive reach, it seems that now is
the ideal time to push the brand into its newest evolution, attracting new followers from a new generation and continuing to dazzle audiences with Star Wars’ unique story lines, well developed characterisation and fascinating sub plots. Lucas commented that it was “now time for [him] to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers” affirming his own belief in the continued impact of the franchise as a whole. Lifelong fans can be rest assured that the characters and stylisation that they love will remain under the watchful eye of Lucas’ consultancy, and they will benefit from a resurgence of all things Star Wars, a winning combination that cannot fail to fill cinema theatres for many years to come.
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
SUCCESS STORIES Adept in the fast-paced corporate environment of Britain’s biggest international organisations, leading executive performance coach Cherie Concannon helps elite individuals achieve career advancement, satisfaction, freedom and success.
If you would like to find out more about how Cherie can help you improve your game contact Cherie on 01509 235 325 or email cherie@cherieconcannon.co.uk www.cherieconcannon.co.uk
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The corporate environment has arguably never been more high pressured or competitive. With many businesses looking for every opportunity to maximise their efficiency and productivity, it’s more important than ever for key executives to be at their peak performance level. Cherie Concannon is a leading performance coach who has huge experience in the corporate environment, working with executives to achieve their best through motivating their team and unleashing their full potential. Ian Clayton from Rexam Plc has worked with Cherie for many years, developing a strong and productive working relationship that has assisted him as his career has advanced. “I have known Cherie for 5 or 6 years and began working with her on the Rexam leadership training. Cherie has an exceptional ability to put her audience at ease and to create an open environment where everyone can feel comfortable to speak openly and honestly. People warm to her and trust in her instantly, which makes her both motivational and inspirational. You are in a position where you don’t have to worry about asking the silly question. That’s the sort of forum she creates, where open channel discussions are possible and productive.” Ian then began working with Cherie as part of a professional development programme, where they worked together to identify gaps in his development and opportunities to make further improvements. “It’s impossible to come out after a meeting with Cherie and not be enthused to get stuck in and make the changes that will make a difference. But it isn’t just Cherie’s outgoing and positive personality that allows her to make such a difference. It is also her knowledge about how organisations work and her business acumen in general. Cherie fully immerses herself in the culture of Rexam. She understands how we work and that insight is invaluable when it comes to removing the barriers to improvements at work. Working with Cherie on a month by month basis allowed me to develop and make positive changes on a continual basis.” Working with Cherie is beneficial not only to individual executives but also has direct impact on the commercial results of the organisations they work for, as Ian asserts: “The tangible benefits to our business of working with Cherie have been extremely impressive. We’ve enjoyed a 23% increase on engagement level and we have also achieved 12 more production records this year.” Richard Lloyd of global wine business Accolade Wines has also been working with Cherie on and off for many years, and, like Ian, Richard sees Cherie’s ability to understand the dynamics of teams as key to the results she achieves. “I first worked with Cherie 10 years ago when I was at Imperial Tobacco, where she worked with both employees and managers in order to make huge improvements to the culture and motivation of the organisation. I then began working with her in individual coaching at the start of my career, helping me to advance and progress effectively. Then, after a gap of 5 or 6 years, I returned to working with Cherie.” “One of the most valuable aspects of Cherie’s coaching is her
ability to effectively manage upwards as well as managing the team. She equips you with all the tools you need to manage the people in key business relationships around you. She creates an open forum to discuss things and to work on increasing motivations, productivity and efficiency. She is very good at developing soft skills, coming up with solutions and dealing head on with any perception issues. This results in a huge reduction of wasted emotional energy.” “Her business experience makes her an ideal sounding board and a great support mechanism for any issues that arise in the workplace. Cherie is honest, open and upfront. She gives you a subjective view of your areas of weaknesses and your strength, but she does so in a way that opens the door for tangible solutions and change. She makes you conscious of the areas where you can make a direct impact on your own behaviour and that of your team.” “One of the areas where I have most noticed a direct positive impact from working with Cherie is in developing an understanding of other people’s behaviour. Rather than seeing the behaviour of others as something totally separate to our own behaviour, Cherie helps you to understand that the behaviour of others is often a direct response to our own behaviour. This respective way of influencing people has been key to improving the way I work with my colleagues and my team. Everyone in my team now also experience the benefits of working with Cherie and I have seen a demonstrable impact on motivation and productivity.” These key areas were central to the work Andy Backhouse from Rexam Plc undertook when he began working with Cherie on a one-to-one executive performance coaching: “Cherie is a powerful personality and accomplished and experienced in the business environment. I first began working with her when I was Operations Director. The working relationship I have developed with her has been extremely beneficial to me in my position in the organisation. She’s a sounding board and a confident who offers honest nononsense advice and isn’t afraid of being frank and up-front.” Following the time working with Cherie, Andy was offered and grasped the opportunity to head up Operations within Asia. The programme included relationship management, sensory awareness, behavioural flexibility development and political management. “One of the biggest benefits of working with Cherie is her great understanding of the things that potentially block productivity in organisations. Very often this can be communication and key relationships within teams. Cherie is exceptionally good at helping to manage and understand people. This is probably the biggest direct influence of Cherie on my career. She helped me to manage the key relationships with other people around me in the organisation and positively impacted on the culture and productivity of all my working relationships.” Working in different ways depending on the particularities of the situation, the culture and the individuals involved, Cherie Concannon provides the support network and the effective performance coaching to achieve excellent business success stories and impressive commercial results. 111
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
MOBILE MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS We all want streamlined and cost-effective businesses. PMGC can transform the way your company works, saving you money and making your operations more efficient and effective.
PMGC Technology Group Ltd is the UK’s largest and fastest growing provider of mobile managed and technology services. Independently owned and operated, they offer fully managed mobile technology services to help clients transform the way they do business. From ensuring your personnel can access the latest information when they are on the road to ensuring management can communicate globally and make vital updates cost effectively while abroad, PMGC deliver the solutions that will help your business grow. Is your business being held back by inefficient working methods and technology? Many businesses today could save money and boost profit by adapting their technology. Particularly if your business has recently restructured or is looking to expand, technology could be the all important link that sees the changes succeed. Similarly, if your business has contracted its personnel, then technology can help you to bridge the gap. Investing in technology at key moments for your business will help you weather economic fluctuations and succeed.
It isn’t just about cost savings. It’s about adapting technology in such a way as to improve working methods. As PMGC Group CEO Jason Yeomans comments: “We make things possible for our clients through technology. We look at their businesses and develop technology to help them grow and succeed, but we also look at existing technologies and new, brighter ways to implement them to ensure our customers really capitalise on complimentary rather than restrictive technology. It’s all about efficiency through Smarter Ways of Working. Technology plays a crucial role in the way businesses work and at PMGC Group, our highly trained experts implement effective and carefully managed solutions for all our clients.” Jason Yeomans, CEO
A successful former professional racing driver, Jason was previously the Managing Director of Premier Mobile, a company that he joined as Sales Director in 2007. Having grown Premier Mobile seven-fold in only 5 years, Jason led the MBO of Premier and the simultaneous acquisition of Phonebox Communications, reversing both into PMGC to create PMGC Technology Group Ltd in April 2012. More recently the group has completed two additional acquisitions, including that of Veecom Systems in Edinburgh, making them the largest Vodafone Platinum Partner in Scotland. By developing bespoke mobile management and technology packages for your business, the experts at PMGC look at your business requirements and develop a tailor made strategy to boost the way you work.
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Are you paying too much for technology you don’t need?
How can PMGC make my business more efficient?
In business, technology is always changing and, in a tough economy, the businesses that really excel will be those that are capitalising on effective technology rather than wasting time, effort and money on inefficient technologies that don’t really work for their business.
Did you know it costs on average £9,000 per month for an employee to work from their desk in the office?
With so much technology available and so many different channels of communication possible, it’s vital you don’t waste time or tie up much needed capital on technology that doesn’t meet the needs of your business and help you expand. PMGC can put together a cost effective package that just provides you with exactly what you need. PMGC can offer a full technology audit for your business. We will develop cost savings, while also guaranteeing that your technology needs are fully satisfied.
4 Station Court Old Station Road Hampton in Arden Solihull, West Midlands B92 0HA 01675 444 320
This is reduced to £6,000 if that employee is enabled to work remotely using mobile management devices while they are out of an office. This is further reduced to £3,000 if that employee is working from home permanently using mobile management to enable them to work remotely.
knowledge@pmgroupuk.com www.pmgroupuk.com Our Locations:
PMGC will help you to provide your team with the technology that will help them work effectively when they are out of the office, improving morale and increasing productivity.
HOw CAN PMGC HELP My BuSINESS?
• London • Birmingham • Manchester • Sunderland • Edinburgh
PMGC take time to understand your business goals. They then develop the fully managed technology strategies that will help you exceed them. By listening and understanding your business needs, the team focus on what communication solution and technology will work for you. It is this dedication to understanding your business that allows PMGC to transform the way you work through the intelligent application of technology.
Services
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Managed Services Secure Mobile Device Management Secur Managed Hosting Vehicle Tracking V Intelligent Mobile Services Smarter Business Communications Smar Business Intelligence Intelligence-ISAAC Remote Office Connectivity R Professional Services P
Contact PMGC now to receive a complimentary copy of their in-depth White Paper on Smarter Ways of Working and to find out how they can help your business – knowledge@pmgroupuk.com
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Care funding in the future ‘Greater certainty, fairness and peace of mind’ – or is it? Tracy Creed, Associate, Sydney Mitchell
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Tracy Creed, Head of Private Client Department at leading Midlands law firm Sydney Mitchell, comments on the proposals put forward by the Heath Secretary, Jeremy Hunt to provide a ‘cap to the amount the elderly have to pay towards their care at £75,000.’ The facTs: • • • •
The average weekly care home fee cost is £564 One in 10 people pay more than £100,000 for care The average stay in care is 4 years Every year between 30,000 to 40,000 individuals sell their homes to pay for care
However when looking further into the recently proposed changes, things are not all that they appear to be at first glance. Critics say that this will only help approximately10% of those who require care and therefore the vast majority of people may still be funding all of their own care costs. As an overview the proposals which are due to be implemented in April 2017 are as follows: • It is proposed to cap the amount anyone will have to pay for care in their lifetime at a maximum of £75,000. This cap relates purely to provision of care rather than the cost of accommodation and food which is understood will be subject to a separate annual cap of £12,500. • It is thought that when applying these caps, the Local Authority will calculate the spend at the rate the Local Authority would pay for that care rather than the actual cost to the individual. An increase on the ‘upper capital limit’ for the means testing of residential care will rise from £23,250 to £123,000.
The ‘protected limit’ will increase to £17,500. In effect, this means that anybody with less than £123,000, but more than £17,500 will still contribute towards their weekly cost of care at a rate of £4.00 for every £1,000 they have over the £17,500 limit. • Deferred payment arrangements will mean that an individual’s home will not have to be sold immediately in order to fund a person’s care. This system is already in existence and is widely used by local authorities. This simply defers the payment of care fees and the resident builds up a debt in relation to the care costs. The local authority will secure this debt by taking a charge over a property. This means that when the property is ultimately sold the local authority will recoup monies due to them. Special rules have been created for circumstances where the person requiring care turns 18 or is pre-retirement age when the care is provided.
Tracy Creed Solicitor, Head of Private Client Department
The government have confirmed that they intend to fund these changes by capping the inheritance tax nil rate band threshold at £325,000 until 2018/19. With these changes due to take place in April 2017 it has never been more important for individuals (or their family or attorneys) to take appropriate advice so that they have the information they need when making choices now that will affect their future. At Sydney Mitchell we understand that many clients are anxious about care funding and planning ahead and are here to provide support and advice for your future needs or at time of crisis. Sydney Mitchell holds regular events, please visit the website to see what new events are up and coming.
www.sydneymitchell.co.uk
If you are in urgent need of advice regarding care home fees and elderly care matters, please contact Tracy Creed on 0121 746 3300 or t.creed@sydneymitchell.co.uk Please quote Inspirational Magazine when calling.
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Advertising Feature
Senior Partner
Janine Edwards
Expert financial advice, personally delivered to you.
Beacon Hill, Charnwood
...Some 25 years later and Janine’s career has seen her work reach the very pinnacle of financial services, recognised as a Senior Partner within St. James’s Place Wealth Management. “I had a good grounding in banking, but I always preferred seeing clients face to face and joined St. James’s Place because I saw it as an opportunity to give clients much better advice, offer a distinctive investment management approach and a more holistic wealth management service,” said Janine. “When St. James’s Place approached me, I knew their reputation was formidable and that they were something special and different.” For the last 12 years, Janine has worked closely with her clients throughout the Midlands, guiding and advising them to make the very best financial decisions.
Janine Edwards was one of the country’s youngest bank managers, running a branch in Market Deeping, Peterborough at the age of 21...
“I’ve built up my Practice over the last 12 years purely from introductions, recommendations and referrals,” she said. “Relationships are vital. I enjoy having a select group of clients, as this means I can spend more time with them, and look in a more in-depth way at individual financial issues. Since the crisis in financial markets three years ago, people today want more face to face contact, more advice and more detail – and rightly so.” Janine is proof the personal approach is key and her role as a knowledgeable adviser and trusted source of wealth management services has been so important in securing such a loyal and satisfied client base. She combines her local work with providing advice to several high profile clients, nationwide. Janine understands the importance of working with her clients and knows that the best approach is one that works on a truly individual basis, building a relationship that will continue to develop over time.
The Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is solely authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.
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Rutland Water, Rutland
Janine takes pride in building lasting relationships with her clients, as well as expanding her work into other sectors of the company. Janine also works closely with the charitable arm, the St. James’s Place Foundation. Since inception in 1992, the Foundation has raised over £30 million and funds hundreds of projects each year. Janine’s passion for charitable fund raising drives her dedication to the St. James’s Place Foundation: “I became closely involved in the St. James’s Place Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life for those people in need as a result of disability or disadvantage. I have been a member of the Foundation’s committee for nearly four years, looking at worthy causes to which grants can be donated”.
Janine with Patricia Brookes of Rainbows and singer, Dana
The Bullring, Birmingham
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Advertising Feature
Town Hall, Nottingham
The Foundation is an amazing and humbling set-up which is in many ways at the very heart of our culture as a business. The Foundation relies heavily on the generosity of partners and staff.
St. James’s Place Wealth Management have recently received many awards and accolades for their standard of service, including Britain’s Most Admired Companies Award, The Personal Finance Awards, FT/Investors Chronicle Wealth Management Awards, City of London Wealth Management Award and UK Stock Market Award.
Over 80% of our Partners and staff make regular contributions to the Foundation via a monthly covenant, and last year a record £5.1m was raised. Since its inception 21 years ago, the funds raised have been distributed to more than 700 charities.
Janine is involved in an annual summer ball for the Midlands area, and the St. James’s Place Foundation Ball at the King Power Stadium in Leicester was attended by 300 people last autumn, raising a total of £50,000. Of this incredible figure, £25,000 was donated to the Foundation and £25,000 was awarded to East Midlands based Rainbows Hospice, a dedicated facility providing vital care and support for children and young people with life threatening and life limiting illnesses. Whilst offering a holistic wealth management service, Janine has particular expertise on Investments and Inheritance Tax Planning, working with a range of private and corporate clients. Janine can also provide advice on Personal and Corporate Protection, Tax Efficient Profit Extraction, Retirement Planning and Long Term Care Planning.
Best Financial Adviser
To find out more about Janine Edwards and St. James’s Place Wealth Management, contact:
Janine Edwards Tel: 01676 530606 Email: janine.edwards@sjpp.co.uk Web: www.janineedwards.co.uk
Representing only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The titles ‘Partnership’, ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are the marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place Wealth Management representatives
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Returning a local landmark to the community Binswood Hall, the new development by Audley Retirement Villages in Royal Leamington Spa, marks the return of a historically significant local building to the local community including luxury apartments, a bar bistro and a restaurant. The development has proved a popular proposition since renovation work began last summer. Currently 85% of available stock from the first release of development has been reserved. A second wave of apartments have now been released, due for completion later this year. The retirement village, with Binswood Hall at its heart, brings a new form of retirement living for older people to the local area and will see an investment of more than ÂŁ20m from Audley Retirement. The project, which is well underway, will see the much-loved historic landmark sympathetically restored and brought once more into use offering facilities to those that live there but also members of the public. Nick Sanderson, CEO, Audley Retirement, said: “We are pleased to announce that additional apartments will be released for sale following the initial success seen at Binswood Hall. We have been encouraged by the warm reception from the local community who rightly hold Binswood Hall very dear and are thrilled to have the opportunity to live in such a significant building.
Audley is fully committed to this wonderful local landmark and bringing the building back to life for the enjoyment of a new community is what drives the whole team. We are very proud of our investment in Leamington Spa and the job creation that this project is generating. The objective is now to provide the very best finish and service possible at Audley Binswood Hall.� Audley Retirement Villages provides people in later life with high quality tailored housing in a vibrant community, allowing them to live independently and in full control of their financial and social lives. When completed Binswood Hall, which is at the heart of the Royal Leamington Spa conservation area, will be the perfect environment for anyone to live out their ambitions for older age in splendid surroundings. The Audley Club will be located in the restored Victorian Gothic hall, which will form the centrepiece of the Village. Located in the main house, the Audley club will include a restaurant, bar bistro, library, swimming pool and health & wellbeing centre.
For further information please call: 01926 25 80 80 or visit our website at: www.audleyretirement.co.uk
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Bringing together a range of the West Midlands’ most influential businesses, being part of the Champions Club is a fantastic way to maximise the reach of your business. Organising a range of annual activities and providing hugely beneficial networking and sponsorship opportunities, the club is a representation of what it is to be truly elite, both in the West Midlands and beyond. Commercial excellence and building strong business relationships is at the heart of the club’s ethos and members directly benefit from both a wide array of hugely enjoyable activities and the opportunity to support great charitable causes and have their work recognised in both the regional and national media.
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lers Since 18
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For the West Midlands, the Champions Club is the epitome of the very finest organisations working together to create a community that will continue to strengthen the region’s contribution to national economy for years to come.
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To enquire about taking your place in The Champions Club, please contact Champions (UK) plc on 08453 31 30 31 or email lduke@championsukplc.com
www.championsukplc.com
Interior design for kitchens
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
east midlands
Winner of the 2012
wedding industry
awa r d s
SUMpTUOUS FOOd & SpaRkling SeRviCe FOR any evenT
The Red Olive Catering Company is one of the Midlands’ most experienced and creative catering services. They provide their delicious food at a wide range of events from magnificent weddings and large corporate events to smaller gatherings and private celebrations. More than fantastic food, the company offers excellent service and years of experience to ensure that The Red Olive Catering Company is the perfect addition to any special occasion or corporate event.
With the very best food from their exper t culinary team, the award winning caterers is a leading example in creating dishes which accompany truly sparkling events. For The Red Olive Catering Company, the quality of their food is of paramount impor tance and they ensure that large scale events with more than 200 guests receive the same culinary excellence as small, intimate gatherings. When The Red Olive Catering Company is involved with an event, the process of organising it is an enjoyable experience for the host and tasting sessions are offered to ensure that the food and service matches, or even exceeds, a client’s expectations. The meeting also gives the host an opportunity to meet the chefs and front of house managers and gives them the confidence that everything will be flawless on the night. With both the experienced staff and capability to produce delicious food regardless of the number of guests, the innovative menus along with modern presentation lend any occasion a sense of luxury and an opportunity to impress their guests.
The Red Olive Team are adept at fulfilling the exacting requirements of their corporate clients and recognise the impor tance of matching the food to the tone and ambience of each event. Ultimately, the company represents their clients in the best possible way to ensure that the guests have a truly memorable experience. By fully informing staff of the event requirements and working seamlessly together, a completely successful event is guaranteed. Highly experienced and skilled at providing the very best service to any of the guests, The Red Olive Catering Company look forward to catering for a full range of events whether they are breakfasts, networking seminars, black tie gala dinners or award ceremonies.
The Red Olive Catering Co
OFFICIAL CATERERS
to the Leicester Mercury Business Awards 2013
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The Red Olive Catering Company’s loyal clients use the company time and again, safe in the knowledge that they will receive exceptional service combined with the most exquisite food. The personal and considerate approach to planning an event is key in allowing the team to understand the unique requirements for each individual or organisation that they work with. Regularly applauded for their food, The Red Olive Catering Company represents the highest standards of outside catering. Their clients know that they can enjoy modern, inventive dishes for any occasion and ensure that every guest is stylishly served delicious food: the perfect accompaniment for every event.
For further information or to speak to someone about your event, please contact The Red Olive Catering Company at: chef@theredolive.co.uk or call 01332 33 18 66 to discuss your specific requirements.
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
TransporTs of DelighT Ensure that your journey is the epitome of luxury and style with Phantom Hire, one of the UK’s leading chauffeur, luxury car hire and private flight service providers.
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Part of the FAB chauffeur group established in 2003, Phantom Hire offer their clients a unique opportunity to enjoy the very best in personal chauffeur services. Clients benefit from a choice of the Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley Flying Spur, Mercedes E Class or S Class. The nationwide luxury car service caters from everyone from wedding guests, to key business people and celebrities, offering each the same level of professional and impeccable service. With the choice of both chauffeur driven transport and a range of luxury cars for clients to drive themselves, Phantom Hire also have a range of sports cars, helicopters and private jets with their own dedicated pilots, all guaranteeing the most exclusive and enjoyable travel experiences.
With such emphasis placed on the need for high quality and seamless service, Phantom Hire represents one of the country’s leading personal transport services. The private helicopter service allows up to four passengers to travel with ease to a wide range of destinations.
The service is dedicated to providing clients with the very highest level of service, offering them a choice of vehicles that will all guarantee that their journey is the perfect combination of effortless, elegant luxury and prestigious style.
experience. Phantom Hire offers their clients the choice of the iconic Ferrari F430 Spyder, among a range of other high profile sports cars, and the vehicle is arguably one of the world’s finest examples of premier Italian automotive engineering. Allowing the driver the prestige of controlling such a powerful vehicle, Phantom Hire offers an exclusive experience that goes a long way to provide one of the most satisfying driving experiences available.
Based in Birmingham and offering a service that extends nationwide, the company has allowed their clients to enjoy their exclusive portfolio of vehicles and chauffeur options for over a decade. Their collection of luxury transport options allows them to offer a full range of bespoke, private transport services, providing wedding cars, parties, proms, airport transfers, events, corporate occasions, days at Ascot, special occasions and VIP security. With ten years’ experience providing their clients with the very best in luxury travel, it is little wonder that they have built up and extensive celebrity client portfolio, continually ensuring that they reach their destination conveyed in style, comfort and exclusivity. Celebrity baker Mich Turner MBE is just one of the high profile clients frequently delivered to their destination in ultimate style and comfort, and she was equally impressed with the quality of the Phantom Hire fleet and the extraordinary level of high quality service. She commented: “…How do you know you’ve made it? When a White Rolls Royce arrives to chauffeur you to Manchester.”
Phantom Hire allow their clients to avoid the time delays associated with traffic or airport check-in restrictions and provide a memorable and exclusive experience for transport to weddings, special events and large scale celebrations. For some, the luxury of chauffeured travel is superseded only by the opportunity to hire a high quality sports care, allowing for an exhilarating and high quality driving
Phantom Hire tailor their services to each of the client’s needs and are able to provide a range of quotes to ensure that they are placed to offer the best possible service. The range of sports cars is the perfect way to make a high impact arrival, whether to a key business meeting, corporate event, celebration or simply an opportunity to enjoy driving one of the world’s best vehicles. With a combination of both prestige and performance cars, Phantom Hire continue their reputation for excellence and provide their clients
with an unforgettable experience. To fly their clients to their destination in true style, Phantom Hire uses the Bell Jet Ranger, originally a military grade helicopter and renowned for its high standards of safety and security. Passengers are able to benefit from their own exclusive travel experience, including luxury inflight food and drink, entertainment and the benefit of travelling quickly to a range of national and international destinations. For those in need of an option that caters for a larger party or simply the ultimate in luxury travel, Phantom Hire recommends the iconic Lear Jet 31A, with space for eight passengers.
The jet offers the perfect option for innovative corporate entertainment, private meetings and is arguably the most popular jet for private use. With a range of 1300 nautical miles, clients are able to access a range of destinations, allowing them to avoid the inconvenience of standard flight scheduling and benefit from a desirable and luxury flight experience. With the popularity of their airborne services increasing, Phantom Hire will be moving to Birmingham International Airport, providing the space for the company’s full fleet of luxury vehicles, helicopters and jets on one site and continuing to be ultimately convenient for their national and international client base.
For more information, contact Phantom Hire on 0800 542 1337 or email sales@phantomhire.com www.phantomhire.com
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BUSINESS AND FINANcE
“Simply the best entertainer in the country!”
THE POWER OF THE MIND Mindreader and illusionist Graham Jolley enthrals and entertains audiences worldwide with his incredible feats of the mind
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Graham Jolley and Theo Pap hitis
Blaine ham Jolley with David
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“Absolutely great entertainment, not only did Graham keep 250 people totally mesmerised for the entire act, he kept them rolling in laughter too” - The Mercedes-Benz Club Graham’s truly unique skill sees him achieve incredible feats of mind reading and illusion. He is able to predict responses from his audiences with irresistible hilarity. Impossible to fathom and reliably baffling, his incredible career has seen him perform his amazing mind-reading skills to all over the world, including in major corporate events, television appearances and other venues. With widespread television credits to his name, Graham has most recently fooled the famous Penn and Teller on their ITV show “Penn and Teller: Fool Us!” with his amazing mind-boggling magic. Graham has also enjoyed a number of extremely successful and high profile appearances on BBC’s flagship chat show Wogan, presented by the veteran presenter and national treasure.
ham Jolley
Vince Cable and Gra
In 1996, Graham amazed a national audience when he predicted the National Lottery numbers live on ITV with the presenter Kirsty Young. Other television credits include appearing three times on Phillip Schofield’s hit ITV show “Talking Telephone Numbers”, recording a TV special “Out of Your Mind” and regularly appearing on BBC’s ‘Pebble Mill at One’. Graham is universally acclaimed by all of his corporate clients.
If you would like to find out more about Graham contact Champions on 08453 31 30 31 ext 146 or email jackhayes@championsukplc.com www.mindreader.co.uk
ham Jolley
Penn & Teller and Gra
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In the constant ‘Pursuit of Excellence’ since 1981, Howard Charles Domney and Christopher Mitchell Pacey have supplied exquisite hand crafted wines for discerning wine lovers, whatever their tastes and occasion. In 32 years as Independent Fine Wine importers,Charles Mitchell Wines have sourced the very finest wines, passionately crafted by the most dedicated growers from Europe and the New World.
Based in our fabulous tasting rooms in
With over 200 fine wines on our list, our
Manchester, we offer a unique nationwide
highly personal service is ideal for clients to
service that is personalised to the needs
experience fine wine tasting whether that
of our clients, from tasting the most
be at home with friends or at one of our
celebrated wines in the world, to the
great tasting events. Why not join us on
hidden gems from lesser-known vineyards.
one of our tasting trips to the vineyard for
Wines from Grand Cru family estates, to the maverick multi award-winning New World producers.
an exclusive behind the scenes tour?
WINE BUYING TRIPS “One of the hardships of providing excellence,” Richard Lambourne, the Sales Manager from the Midlands office jokes after just returning from a week’s expedition of three great wine regions in France to sample and select wines for our 2013 Spring/Summer wine list.
We are exhibiting at the prestigious CLA Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Alcester, B49 5NJ from Friday 19th - Sunday 21st July. Please visit our stand and receive a complimentary Champagne and Wine Tasting. www.gamefair.co.uk 130
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Award winning wines selected for your pleasure for 32 vintage years.
First was Beaujolais and Fleurie – Chantell
The next day we travelled further north to
On my last trip here, I was lucky enough to
and Eric proudly showing their top award-
Champagne, joining up with some clients for a
taste the 1964 Barolo, another one of my
winning Fleurie ‘Cadole’, made from 70
tour around the great wineries of this famous
top ten wine tasting experiences.
year old Gamay vines. When served slightly
region. We then visited our great friends at
chilled, will be delicious on those hot summer
the ‘House of Franck Bonville’. Olivier who
evenings on the patio. We also tasted some
is the third generation of the Bonville family
wonderful Moulin ‘A’ Vent with its ripe fruits
to run this small Boutique Grand Cru House
which hit the spot, followed by Morgons. The
took us down to show us the amazing cellars.
day was finished by tasting the local spirit
Then we were taken for a BBQ in the vineyard
‘Marc de Bourgogne’ which is not for the faint
high on the slopes of Avize. A few cases of
hearted... It’s not as easy as it might appear,
his 2009 Grand Cru Rosé are now in my cellar
being a fine wine importer!
at home waiting for the hot summer days!
We then travelled north to Beaune to see our chums the ‘Girards’ for a strenuous afternoon Gevrey Chambertin beckoned...
was time to organise our next trip to Rivetto in
Our ‘Godfather’ of Burgundy, Louis ‘Bourée’,
Northern Italy with 8 more wine loving clients.
A wine tasting followed over a 7 course dinner, and Louis opened some very special magnums of 1976 Chambertin Grand Cru (one of my top ten wine experiences of all time, and I have been in the business for 20 years). It is moments like this when I realise exactly why I decided to work in the wine
with really special wines to taste. Rivetto is famous for its luscious red wines including glorious Barbera D’Alba and Barolo wines, but they also excel when producing exquisite and aromatic Moscato D’Asti and Langhe Nascetti white wines.
Rosé for when the sun is out. When we arrived back home the next day it
with exquisite wines for over 30 years.
wines, this is set to be a magnificent trip
There’s nothing better than a truly high quality
tasting, followed by lunch on the patio. Late
who has supported us along with his family
With Rivetto producing some truly exceptional
TO ALL R E F F O E EXCLUSIV ADERS! E R L A N O I INSPIRAT ND CRU
LE OF GRA * FREE BOTT ERY ORDER V E H IT W NE CHAMPAG en ordering ational’ wh OTE “Inspir PLEASE QU
industry and it is the high quality.
*Subject to availability and while stocks last.
For details of all of Charles Mitchell Wines’ fabulous new range of award-winning wines and a full listing, or to arrange a private tasting, contact Richard on: Tel: 0161 775 1626 | Email: info@cmwines.com | Web: www.cmwines.com 131
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BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Every step is taken to ensure that
The care and nursing homes provide an
experiences of their time there as worry-
everyone is able to enjoy a vast array of
experience that allows older people to live
free and stimulating as possible.
different activities, from jazz evenings to
life to the full in beautiful surroundings with
dances and an extensive annual calendar
friends, family and the dedicated care of the
of social activities. It is vital that there is
facilities’ excellent staff to support them.
a strong emphasis on providing residents with the care, support and activities they need to get the very most out of their time at the home.
The highly trained staff have helped the homes to achieve highly rated statuses, providing both long term care and
Amongst the dedicated care homes are
respite stays for guests with a variety
Lapal House, Grange Hill House, The
of different needs, For the care group
Cedars and Beechcroft all residential care
owners, nothing is more important that
homes and The Poplars, a nursing home.
ensuring that the residents are as happy
The residences comply with the strict
All of The Carlton Care Group is located
and comfortable as possible.
regulations of the Quality Care Commission
in the West Midlands and the residences
and no stone is left unturned in the
are all uniquely appointed and specifically
company’s pursuit of care excellence.
designed to make their residents’
Tony Billingham, a Director of Carlton Care Group is a jazz musician with a long
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‘Quartet’
The of the West Midlands
Comprising of six luxury care homes, a nursing home and mental health rehabilitation unit, the Carlton Care Group offers residents the very highest quality in dedicated and targeted care, allowing them to both enjoy and truly benefit from their time at one of the eight residences.
Each resident benefits from their own en-
suite room, decorated and perfectly appointed with everything that they could need, allowing them to feel truly at home and comfortable in their surroundings. It is vital for the proprietors of The Carlton Care Group, Tony Billingham and Carole Jenkins, that all of the residents have the very best experience, feeling included and an important part of the home that they live in.
career working in the music industry. His
palliative needs means that his array of
community of residents. The warm and
experience at the forefront of popular
West Midlands care and nursing homes
friendly environment provides a carefully
entertainment has undoubtedly given
are homely and inviting, offering guests a
tailored balance of professional care and
him his own joie-de-vivre and this is
range of activities that cater for every taste
independence for guests, allowing them
something that he sees as being so
and level of ability.
to benefit from the support they need,
important for his residents.
All of the care homes benefit from a
Having worked alongside many top stars
visiting hair dresser, a library and mini bus
including the lead of legendary rock band
service, allowing residents the freedom and
Led Zeppelin, Tony’s exciting career is
choice that allows them to be as fulfilled as
now reflected in the wonderful array of
possible in their home. Located in a range
activities available to all of his residents. His
of large period buildings with extensive
dedication to providing care that includes
gardens, The Carlton Care Group offers the
more than attending purely to medical or
very highest standard of care in an inviting
without feeling that they have lost any of their freedom.
For more information about The Carlton Care Group, please visit www.carltoncaregroup.co.uk or call 0121 550 1312
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02/05/2013 11:16
Binswood Hall Unveils Development Progress Friday 19th April, 2013 Audley Retirement Home celebrated the next step in its renovation of Binswood Hall in Leamington Spa, a former grammar school that will be fully converted by 2015. The complex has been designed to provide the very best retirement complex for its discerning residents. The Grade II* listed building will form the centre piece to the village and guests applauded as they were shown the already apparent changes that have been made. Once complete, the complex will offer a truly luxurious retirement opportunity, with 90 one to three bedroomed apartments, as well as a restaurant, bar, library and gym. Available within two years to the over 55’s, Binswood Hall’s latest reincarnation promises to offer the ultimate in luxury accommodation with a range of exclusive facilities and benefits.
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
To see more images from this event and to download images go to: www.inspirational.uk.com/social
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Libby Johnson and Rob Chenery
Mayoress Haynes, Miss England and Mayor Haynes
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Johnsons Black Tie and Diamonds Ball celebrating 115 years Friday 16th November, 2012 Johnsons Jewellers, one of the West Midlands’ finest jewellers and the UK flagship store for Swiss watch brand Rolex held their Black Tie and Diamonds event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Part of a year of events to celebrate 115 years as a family business, the evening saw guests enjoy a delicious three course meal and fantastic entertainment from soul sensation Andy Abraham. Mr & Mrs Bottrill
The evening was made even more magical by illusionist Spencer Wood, an award winning magician with a unique act that plays off the reactions of the audience to make his routine truly memorable. Closing the evening in exuberant style, party band Rang-a-Tang performed modern hits, filling the dance floor with the evening’s guests.
Dancing the night away
The event raised money for the Zoe’s Place Trust, a charity that supports baby specific hospices in the UK, providing respite and end of life care for children with life limiting and life threatening illnesses.
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
Andy Abraham
Mr and Mrs Starmer, Mr and Mrs Clark, Mr and Mrs Carne, Mr and Mrs Brining and Mr D Parekh
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To see more images from this event and to download images go to: www.inspirational.uk.com/social
Mr Johnson and Diamond Prize Winner Mrs Mee
Mr M Cambell and Mrs Challis
Mr and Mrs Campbell, Mr and Mrs Challis and Mr M Campbell and Ms A Williams
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Guests singing along
Upbeat Beatles
Chloe Bass, Kerry Doughty, Laura Thain and Lindsay Doughty
Annual Ball Best of British
Friday 1st February, 2013 Champions (UK) plc hosted their annual charity event at Leicester’s King Power Stadium with a Best of British theme that saw the room festooned with union flags, red double decker buses and beefeaters, all in aid of Rainbows.
Dominic Gomersall, Geoff Sanders and Lauren Duke
The evening is the brand agency’s annual charity event, and a great way to launch fund raising activities each year. Champions (UK) plc have a close relationship with Rainbows, a charity that provides dedicated hospice care to children and young people with life limiting and life threatening illnesses. Their vital work relies solely on donations from the public and businesses to continue offering their incredible care and support.
Charlie Ross
2012 alone saw Champions (UK) plc raise £159,106 for Rainbows and the Best of British event was an excellent way to kick start the fund raising effort for 2013. The evening was hosted by Willie Thorne, who entertained the guests with his charming style and witty repartee, before being joined on stage by television auctioneer and renowned antiques expert Charlie Ross, who held a memorabilia auction to raise funds for Rainbows. Laurence Robinson sang British classics Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem and the national anthem to add to the Great British theme. A British Tenor who has performed the national anthem for international sports matches, Laurence frequently dazzles audiences with his fantastic voice at a wide range of events.
Chloe Bass and Craig Phillips
Guests enjoyed a fantastic three course meal of British classics, including mini fish and chips and a dessert of Eton Mess, before guests were invited to make their way to their dance floor for a true celebration of British musical history from the Bootleg Beatles, as well as enjoying fabulous entertainment from top party band ‘Rang- a-Tang’.
Chris and Theresa Darlington
To see more images from this event and to download images go to: www.inspirational.uk.com/social
PENSIONS & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
PENSIONS & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
David and Mia Simms
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Moir Wade Design
Gillian Wesley and Grace Dengel
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Laura Wilkinson, Pam Dunham and Steve Backley OBE
Lauren Davis and Bob Champion
Laurence Robinson
Matthew Hoggard MBE and Sara Hoggard
Upton Steel and guests
Willie Thorne
John Hayes
RSM Tenon and guests
St. James’s Place and guests
Emma and James Blick
Champions (UK) plc presenting Rainbows with ÂŁ159,106 donation
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Leicester Mercury Sports Awards
January Big Band Ball
Edgbaston
Andy Abraham
Thursday 19th September, 2013 Organised in association with Champions (UK) plc, the Birmingham Sports Awards promise to be the region’s most prestigious celebration of sporting talent, rewarding both professional and amateur players for their commitment to their sport and contribution to the West Midlands’ sporting community as a whole.
Nottingham Post Sports Awards
Leicester Mercury Sports Awards
Willie Thorne
The awards will be held at Edgbaston on the 19th September 2013. The home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, the venue is a fitting tribute to the great sporting achievements of the region and the evening promises to be a glamorous occasion that will welcome a wide range of sports personalities, important businesses and celebrities to highlight the fantastic contribution to sport that the West Midlands makes to the county as a whole. Sporting achievement is such an important tool for bringing small or large communities together and the Birmingham Sports Awards promise a glittering occasion that will continue to influence the sporting activity undertaken throughout the region as a whole. With a wide range of awards celebrating the very youngest sports stars, to the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and recognition of great clubs and teams, the awards will cover every aspect of Birmingham’s sporting activity.
Janine Edwards
The Birmingham Sports Awards are a great way to reinforce the diverse array of sports played in the West Midlands at all levels and will undoubtedly promote greater awareness of the various different possibilities for people of all ages to become involved with a sport they love, as well as celebrating the truly inspirational individuals recognised for their great achievement.
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
January Big Band Ball
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Shel Macrae
Sharon Sparano
Caroline Lawrie with Shel Macrae
An Evening with
Shel Macrae at
Gillian Wesley Design and the Catwalk Café Thursday 1st November, 2012 Shel Macrae, member of legendary British band The Fortunes, joined an audience of designer Gillian Wesley’s customers and friends at her Warwickshire showroom on the 1st November. Her clients enjoyed an evening of fun at Gillian Wesley Design and the Catwalk Café, with wine and an exclusive performance from Shel. The singer was a huge success with the audience, performing classics from both the repertoire of The Fortunes and some musical choices of his own.
Jennifer Bragg
Jacky Lawrence
The Catwalk Café was the perfect setting to enjoy an evening of musical entertainment and guests enjoyed the drinks reception and a chance to visit Gillian’s showroom under such special circumstances.
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
To see more images from this event and to download images go to: www.inspirational.uk.com/social
Sue Bethley and Shel Macrae
Katharine Donnelly
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Guest enjoying the evenings entertainment
Shel Macrae
Catherine Hammong
02/05/2013 09:36
Charlie Thellusson of The Red Olive Catering Company
Guests enjoying the evening
Richard Cambourne and Sophia Hayes
The Kitchen Gallery Opens New Showroom Wednesday 27th March, 2013 The Kitchen Gallery opened its Stratford-upon-Avon showroom doors and invited clients to experience a cookery demonstration from Gaggenau’s Home Economist. Customers old and new gathered at the stunning new showroom to see the beautiful displays of SieMatic furniture on offer, as well as chance to speak about their projects with the designers present.
Nigel and Irene Dunn
Guests were treated to a cookery demonstration from Gaggenau’s very own Home Economist. Showcasing the flexibility of the appliances available, she created a varied range of different dishes using everything from the steam oven to the induction hob and all of the guests at the event were thrilled with the demonstration.
Guests enjoying the evening
In addition to the great cooking demonstration, guests were given an exclusive wine tasting from Charles Mitchell Wines and enjoyed the delicious canapés served throughout the evening, guaranteeing that it was an unparalleled success. For more information on The Kitchen Gallery please visit Stratford-upon-Avon showroom, or log on to www. kitchengallery.co.uk
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
Guests browsing kitchen magazine
Howard Domney of Charles Mitchel Wines with guests
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Guests enjoying Red Olive Canapés
Jack Hayes, Libby Johnson and Tahir Mahmood
Guests enjoying the food demonstration
02/05/2013 09:33
Rob and Pam Johnson
Sitting down Elizabeth Brindley and Kel Ives
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Shaken not Stirred at Johnsons Jewellers 007 Premiere Johnsons Jewellers, Nuneaton Tuesday 23rd October, 2012 Johnsons Jewellers of Nuneaton hosted a glittering charity Skyfall premiere for their valued and long-standing customers, including the Warwickshire business elite.
Pete and Laura Matkin
Showcasing 007’s choice of wristwear, the Omega Seamaster watches, the premiere was a black tie affair in the true fashion of style icon, James Bond, himself.
Libby Johnson and Gemma Brining
Including a meal beforehand (with drinks definitely shaken, not stirred!) this glamorous red carpet premiere was enjoyed by all who attended and the verdict on the film itself was unanimous: “Bond as it should be!”; “Daniel Craig is the best Bond ever!”; “The best film of the year!” Guests were also treated to a unique chance to see one of the Jaguar cars that was actually used in the Die Another Day film. Money raised from the evening went to benefit Mary Ann Evans Hospice at George Eliot hospital.
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
Derek and Judith Ward, Mayor Haynes
Julie and Paul Storer
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Janet Kavanagh- fund raiser for Mary Ann Evans Hospice Libby, Rob, Pam Johnson- drawing raffle
Duncan and Cath Perkins, Trevor and Simone Goddard
Natalie Tolliday and Simone Goddard
02/05/2013 09:37
INSPIRATIONAL magazine
visits Pushkar Arriving at the central Birmingham restaurant, it is easy to see why the Broad Street restaurant has received a series of accolades in the handful of years since its opening. The high quality interior design, a trendy cocktail bar and attentive staff greet diners on arrival, offering them one of the perfectly appointed and elegant tables from which they can truly enjoy what promises to be a fantastic meal. The beautiful interior design becomes the perfect theatre for the delicious offerings of Pushkar’s culinary team. The menu is a delightful range of classic North Indian and Punjabi dishes, blending traditional techniques and spicing with modern presentation and updated combinations. With so many different and equally tantalising choices on the menu, diners have a refreshing choice of starters and main courses that allow for the wonderful flavour palette of head chef Bishal Raisily to be enjoyed across a range of chicken, lamb, fish and vegetarian dishes. Inspirational’s team enjoyed starters of grilled scallop Haryali, a delightful combination of succulent, perfectly cooked scallops with a coconut and herb dressing, and lamb Seekh Kebab which proved to be the perfect blend of wellseasoned lamb with a perfectly balanced spice level. The main course proved to be a further exploration of the North Indian offering and both chicken Methi and Birmingham classic Tikka Masala were thoroughly enjoyed. The food more than lived up to its award winning reputation and the bustling restaurant was alive with diners enjoying the wonderful food and exciting array of cocktails available from the dedicated bar. One of the region’s finest establishments, the restaurant clearly has the winning formula and its success looks set to continue far into the future.
245 BROAD STREET, BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS, B1 2HQ
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The man who changed the face of European golf...
Tony Jacklin CBE is available for a wide range of different appearances, including: • • • • •
After Dinner Speaking Hosting Private Appearances Brand Ambassador Ideal for making your golf day truly memorable
To book Tony Jacklin CBE
08453 TJ Booking V4.indd 146
for your event please contact Champions (UK) plc on 31 30 31 or email info@championsukplc.co.uk
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Filepath: Mac Studio:Current Work:Inspirational:Inspirational Magazine:Issue 3:147 Champions Own Winning:INSP071013 Champions Winning Advert
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INSPIRATIONAL magazine
INSPIRATIONAL
magazine ANNE HATHAWAY: FROM PRINCESS TO CATWOMAN EDITION 3
INSP071013 Inspirational Cover Final AW_V4.indd 1
STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE EXPANDS CHAMPIONS: THE BRAND AGENCY
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
in this edition:
03/05/2013 10:04