The Rock magazine edition 6

C E L E B R AT I N G T H E B A I L I W I C K O F G U E R N S E Y

THE

ROCK

WINTER 2012

ATHOME WITHKIRSTIE HOW TO BAG A SALE THE ALLSOPP WAY

WINATRIP

WITH CONDOR

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EDITION SIX

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EDITOR: Jon Taylor DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Sarah Taylor PHOTOGRAPHERS: Sam Field, William Johnson, Tim Feak, Chris George PRINTING: Herald Print

CONTRIBUTORS Stephen Henry, head of Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited comments on whether entrepreneurs are born or made.

Jill Chadwick,interviews Kirstie Allsopp Michele Hilton tells us how to transform your home with an interiors masterclass.

Alison Robins meets the guys and girls from St John Ambulance service Gareth Corbett tells us how to avoid sports injuries Claire Hendy leaves the kids at home and heads to Paris.

The Waitrose competition in Rock 5 was won by Ben Le prevost

PUBLISHERS: Lighthouse Media Guernsey c/o Herald Print, The GP Building, Braye Road, St.Sampsons, GY2 4WX T: 01481 201200 E: info@lighthouseci.com W: welovetherock.com Subscriptions To receive your copy direct to your door subscribe online at www.welovetherock.com Or email subscribe@welovetherock.com Conditions The Rock is published by Lighthouse Media Guernsey. The GP Building, Braye Road, St Sampsons, Guernsey GY2 4WX. Copyright 2011 Lighthouse Media Guernsey. All rights reserved. Any reproduction without permission is prohibited. The Rock Magazine contains editorial content from external contributors which does not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The Rock Magazine does not accept or respond to unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The publishers do not accept responsibility for errors in advertisements or third party offers.

Happy Christmas and have a prosperous new year from all atThe Rock

LOVE SUSHI LOVE THE ROCK GARDEN Sushi Tuesdays Due to popular demand Tuesday nights at The Rock Garden will be sushi nights.

From Tuesday 8th January Japanese inspired dishes will give diners a taste of eastern cuisine. Hungry….come check it out every Tuesday from 5:30pm until 12pm Like us on Facebook

Fermain Valley. St Peter Port. 235666

Say “I do” in 2013 for only £2,013

A DIAMOND OF AN OFFER! Based on 40 guests, our £2,013 package includes:  Services of our Wedding Co-ordinator  Exclusive use of The Venue for the

day and evening reception  Hire of the red carpet and dance floor  Master of Ceremonies  Glass of Pimms and canapés on arrival

 3 course Wedding Breakfast (select from 3  Complimentary night’s accommodation for

choices per course and half a bottle of the Bride and Groom house wine per person)  Complimentary first anniversary night  Glass of sparkling wine for the Toast accommodation for the Bride and Groom.  Cake stand and cake knife  Preferential accommodation rates for guests

For additional information please contact our Events Team at The Venue.

Available for new 2013 bookings only.

The Venue, Fermain Valley. Telephone 213281. Email events@fermainvalley.com. Visit www.fermainvalley.com.

WIN A TRIP WITH

CONDOR SEE TRAVEL SECTION FOR DETAILS Everything featured in the pages of this magazine is availableALLSOPP AND HOW TO SELL CHRISTMAS JILL CHADWICK GUIDES YOUR MAN THROUGH WHAT YOU WANT KIRSTIE YOUR HOME BOXING DAY SWIM THE NUTTERATI COME OUT FOR CHARITY FOOD LEOPARD BAR IS REVIEWED ROCK locally

CONTENTS

GARDEN EXCITING TIMES DOWN THE VALLEY WHAT IF A TSUNAMI STRUCK GUERNSEY ECOHOMES BUILDING THE ECO-HOUSE OF TOMORROW, TODAY TRANSFORMATION PROCESS MICHELE HILTON ON INTERIOR DESIGN THE MILK MAN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW TABEL FROM GUERNSEY DAIRY 2013 ECONOMY WITH STEPHEN HENRY ST JOHN’S AMBULANCE ALISON ROBINS REVIEWS THE SERVICE SNAP, CRACKLE, POP SPORTS INJURIES ON YOUR DOORSTEP PARIS AND AMSTERDAM WIN CONDOR TRIP TO UK OR FRANCE

‘I do know a bit about Guernsey as Phil has been there and loves it,’ KIRSTIE ALLSOPP

EVENT OF THE SEASON:

BOXING DAY DIP As you’re contemplating the burden of clearing up after the festivities of the day before, spare a thought for those clinically mad people of Guernsey who strip to nothing more than a bathing costume and novelty Christmas hat and charge into the icey waters at Cobo for the annual Boxing Day dip to raise money for Guernsey’s Cheshire Home.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIM FEAK

According to records, there were approximately 1000 local people certified as clinically mad in 2011. Some of these ‘psychos’ live amongst us as ‘normal everyday folk’ but they hide a dark secret.

One of the thousand has a lust for wearing luminous mankini’s in public, another thinks it’s normal behaviours to swim across a large expanse of water and collect his bus pass and some of them are pillars of society who spend there lives going about there business as normal, but one day every year, they completely unravel and lose the plot. They go stark raving mad! As bonkers as a bag of spanners!

King George III lost his mind and many believe he was poisoned causing him to go doollaly. My investigations into the chaotic behaviour of the ‘Guernsey Nutterati’ lead me to an event that occurs every Boxing Day. If you head down to the Rockmount on the 26th you’ll witness various local residents leaving said pub and behaving in a very odd way indeed. Perhaps, they too have been poisoned and this is the cause of their obvious insanity. The next event you witness has dumfounded even the most qualified physco analylists. This ‘deranged mob’ strip to nothing more than a swimsuit, and the occasional Santa hat, and charge off into the icey seas at Cobo for a dip! Pardon me for speaking on behalf of the average sane member of society but this is not natural behaviour. The waters at Cobo in June can be a bracing affair so why on god’s green, wood burning stove, underfloor heated earth choose to make a splash in the midsts of winter. To raise money for Guernsey Cheshire Home apparently.

The Boxing Day dip is now firmly established in the calendar of every raving lunatic on the island. Like an episode of the extremely dangerous American TV show Jackass, at around 10.00am on 26th December the escapees from the asylum will be charging towards another icey dip. £8000 was raised in 2011 so the charity are hoping even more brave local will be swimming in the sea for a good cause.

My investigations into the chaotic behaviour of the ‘Guernsey Nutterati’ lead me to an event that occurs every Boxing Day.

THERE’S SO MUCH MORE

BEHIND FRESH GUERNSEY MILK

Did you know More than half of all available agricultural land on Guernsey is used for dairy farming.

Over 3,000 individual fields are used by the Island’s dairy farmers.

All dairy farms on the Island have their own Biodiversity Action Plan that maintains wetlands and traditional wildflower meadows, encouraging wildlife to flourish.

By buying local dairy products you are helping to support a viable dairy industry on the Island and preserve Guernsey’s traditional landscape.

www.guernseydairy.com

GUERNSEY DAIRY FULL PAGE (ROCK).indd 1

28/11/2012 15:50

PHOTOGRAPHY TIM FEAK

The 13th Annual Guernsey Cheshire Home Boxing Day dip will take place at Cobo Bay on Wednesday 26th December 2012 with dipping time at 10.00am. Last year’s very successful 12th anniversary dip raised in excess of £6,000 for the Guernsey Cheshire Home. The Cheshire Home now has a Just Giving page which you can upload sponsorship money or donate to the Home www.justgiving.com/ guernseycheshirehomes The dip is for all ages and fitness and is not a swim but more of a brave dip into the icy waters of Cobo Bay opposite the Rockmount Hotel. Dippers can afterwards head into the bar for refreshments, mulled wine and soft drinks courtesy of The Rockmount and hot mince pies courtesy of Warry’s Bakery.

In common with previous years fancy dress although not obligatory is encouraged to add to the festive party spirit of this great community event.

For more information contact Dave Chester on 255352 or Aimee Brehaut on 07781 134861. You can also download a sponsorship form at boxingdaydip.gg

Real cider Real taste Fermented from 100% apples, Traditional Rocquette is a full bodied cider free from articial avours, colours and sweeteners. Guernsey’s unique climate of long summer days and fresh Atlantic breezes help produce the intense fruit avour that Rocquette is famous for.

www.rocquettecider.com

I’LL TELL YOU WHAT

SHE WANTS WHAT SHE REALLY REALLY WANTS

A Christmas gift is viewed by a woman as the emotional barometer of the state of her relationship so this is not the time to buy her a yoghurt maker.

By Jill Chadwick

A close friend (recently divorced), knew that her marriage was in its death throes two Christmases ago when her husband proudly presented her with a set of saucepans. Packed in three huge gold boxes and tied with ribbons it proved a major disappointment and was certainly not the thoughtful treat she had been expecting.

The practical cooking pot may have been top of the range but she says, it showed that the romance had gone and for her the day ruined.

‘It set me thinking of how he perceived me and our life together and I suddenly realised that we really had opinions on what to cook and eat during the week – no wonder that he

could only think kitchen equipment.’

Within the year she finally called time on their 10 years together and this year with a new man in tow she is quietly confident that there will be a few more exciting gifts coming her way...

So think on. If you are one of the many males who blindly head off on Christmas Eve searching for that mystical gift to put you in the festive good books, do a bit of homework and get out there good and early.

A few of our tried and true basic tips should put you straight – and have her smiling at you all the way through to New Year...

‘Within the year she finally called time on their 10 years together’

A bit of Bublé might not quite cut it this Christmas, unless of course you can get the real thing.

Option

1

Sound her out Ask her to give you a few pointers.

Managing expectations is the name of the game. If she is secretly hoping for diamond earrings, silver bangles or new boots. If you stump up with an iPod you are in trouble.

Option

2

Go late night window shopping I know, a real pain, but a well worth exercise.

How much easier if you casually stroll through town on the way to the pub or dinner and invite her to linger outside her favourite jewellery or clothes stores.

Option

3

Ask her best friend Every man who takes the time to call up her best friend for advice will get massive brownie points. Her friend will not only know what your woman is desperate for – but will be able to tell you where to get it and how much it will cost you. If you are really sneaky you may even get her to do the buying for you!

Option

4

Throw money at the problem: Buy chocolates champagne and her favourite perfume and give her a large juicy cheque and a flight ticket (for her and a friend) to the January sales. Nothing like a post Christmas shopping trip to lift the winter blues and it won’t be lost on her that she will probably be able to buy twice as many bargains after the Christmas crush.

BECAUSE SHE’S REALLY WORTH IT Yellow Gold Cobogo Bracelet by Carla Amorim at Mappin & Webb. Carla Amorim’s stunning Cobogo bracelet features an intricate circular design in 18 carat yellow gold with a rock crystal backing. £7500.00

In light of our lovely royals getting married lets discuss engagement bling.

Most people have diamond solitaires, some have gigantic sapphires, and some, have two, a gold and a platinum one depending on which outfit she’s wearing. Genius. I think it would be fun to have a stack. I love this collection of rockage from Mappin & Webb. More the merrier, you could build on them each anniversary, until they reached her knuckles. Christmas engagement I think.

Encapture range starting from £1250.00 White Gold DNA Bangle By Carla Amorim at Mappin & Webb Carla Amorim’s beautiful DNA bangle features a textured double helix design in 18 carat white gold with black rhodium plating. Also available in yellow gold. £4500.

A pair of Hearts On Fire diamond stud earrings is a must in every woman’s jewellry box. Available in a selection of sizes and prices, they are classic, beautiful, timeless ... you won’t find any diamond studs more brilliant, and she’ll wear them forever!

Available in platinum, or 18K white or yellow gold earrings from Ray & Scott.

It used to be common place to drive a Tank up her arm but Cartier’s Santos is now out selling the previous favourite. Prices from £2750.00 at Mappin & Webb.

BECAUSE YOU’RE THE MAN Look how happy she is! A quiet walk in the Guet on Boxing Day and two nasty wild things try and steal her new Mulberry handbag she received from you the day before. You fight them off and now she wants her very own little wild things! With you.

Mulberry Bayswater handbag from £139.00

Mulberry Trout Satchel Bag from £1,100.00.

Mulberry is available at Au Caprice

Lulu Guiness Romilly Large Leather Shoulder Handbag, Black. £395 from Escape

BECAUSE YOU WANT HER TO BE PAMPERED

Don’t be afaid to visit the Beauty Therapist as they’ll have a host of Christmas presents . Hayely at Bella Spa will know exactly what to get her and Bella’s award Temple Spa Christmas gift sets are beautifully packaged.

If you want your girl to look like a desperate housewife then you need to invest in a GHD Christmas Gift Set. Take my word for it, she’ll look lovelier than Eva Longaria after a week at the hairdressers.

GHD is available from Power Cuts at the top of Victoria Road.

Tel 720563.

BECAUSE SHE WANTS IT BIKER STYLE If they’re good enough for Che Guevera then they should be top of your list for her.

Belstaff is a global luxury lifestyle brand but is more about fearless explorer. Founded in 1924, in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire with the innovation of the first water resistant wax cotton. Belstaff has been embraced by the likes of Ewan McGregor, Jemma Kidd and British trial racer Sammy Miller. Belstaff’s classic belted wax cotton 4-pocket jacket became an instantly recognisable staple for the racing set throughout the 20th Century.

Available from Samuel Pepys.

Biker chic/k is the 2013 trend and with the Vazon cafe reopening she’ll look like one of the crowd. Think biking chick in terms of Victoria Pendleton rather than Suzi Quatro.

She’ll welcome the cold in these bad boys. The Timberland Earthkeepers range are made from recycled materials and premium faux fur - these eco-concious boots deliver warmth, traction and no shortage of style.

Women’s Earthkeepers® Nevali Hiker £135

Women’s Earthkeepers® Apley Tall Waterproof Boot £170

Women’s Earthkeepers® Bethel Buckle Mid Lace Boot £130 Timberland is available at Beghins.

At home with Kirstie

With your house up for sale in what can only be called difficult times for the property market who better to have on your side but Location Location guru Kirstie Allsopp. Jill Chadwick caught up with Kirstie as she prepared to head off to her West Country retreat but not before she dished a few choice nuggets about the best way to get that all important sale in the bag and get your home on track for Christmas.

K

irstie Allsopp was having a busy day and juggling lots of plates - some of which she had probably made herself-, when she took time out to talk through her projects for Christmas. And the list is a long one.

A new gift range for M&S and a TV series on getting your home ready for the festive season plus a plan to organise a quiet away from it all family celebration were just a few items on her current agenda.

But property is her passion and when she got wind that my house was on the market she went into overdrive.

“I have always loved finding homes for other people, matching them up and there is no doubt that it can be a tricky business. But it’s such an exciting time and a stressful one too!”

She has worked for 13 years with Location Location co-host Phil Spencer, and she says their off screen friendship is as real and close knit as it looks on TV. “We really do miss one another when we are not working together. He is exactly as he looks and sounds on television, a really decent guy who cares very much about getting it right for people. He is kind and thoughtful and great to work with. We are best friends and as we always do, we will go to our works Christmas party together – but I will buy all the cards and get all the gifts. Phil will simply nip to the loo to sign all the cards just before I give them, then he will stand there smiling and take all the praise and the thankyous! “ She explains that Phil is flying off to Australia soon leaving

her to head off on her own to pursue her new filming projects – and plan a small family Christmas for the first time in ages.

“Phil’s wife is Australian so they like to get out there regularly and he has done the Location Down Under thing which was fun and gave his wife and her family the chance to touch base.”

But she is keen to talk about her new home in the West Country where she and her family will be celebrating a very different Christmas this year.

“My other half came back one day and announced he had bought a run down house in Devon. It had been empty for 37 years and was in a bit of a state but I fell in love with it on sight. I knew that we could create the most wonderful home for us – our two boys and my two step sons. We are quite a gang but its fun and this year it looks like it will be only the four of us as my two step children will be going to their mother for ‘Christmas. Right now I think it should be a quiet one – but you never know.

Kirstie can’t wait to get started planning her festive colour schemes and adding seasonal cushions and throws.

“A house must look the part and it’s the bit I love best.”We have lots of friends in the area so it’s likely they will pop around over the holidays and New Year is going to be busy no doubt.

But the house is a fabulous place to entertain – its warm and welcoming and cries out to be decorated and made homely for the festivities.”

But Kirstie was keen that I get my home sold - and a new

one bought in time for Christmas even though I explained that the market generally slows down here as the holiday season begins.

‘But never forget that you only need the right one person to walk in the door and fall in love with a house. Its all about listening to the feedback you get from viewings and acting on it if you need to.’

If you can imagine your furniture in a new house and you can already visualise where you will put the Christmas tree you are halfway there.”

‘I do know a bit about Guernsey as Phil has been there and loves it,” she says. She was keen to hear about the state of our local market versus open market, and had a lot to say about what she would expect from an estate agent were she to need one.

‘You have to trust them and keep on their case…..keep asking for feedback and when you get it you must act upon it where budget allows. Sometimes it can be something very simple that is holding back a sale. Presentation is important and getting the balance between making something homely and comfortable but avoiding cluttering up the space.’

‘The onus is on your agent to get the deal done, to know what to say about your home and how best to sell it. It’s all about building relationships and knowing everyone’s situations.

There is she says, a real art in selling a home – or selling the potential of the life a family could expect from a new house.

And, if all else fails she is going to be on that plane and do the job herself –and she says, Phil would have to come too.

‘Sometimes it can be something very simple that is holding back a sale. Presentation is important and getting the balance between making something homely and comfortable but avoiding cluttering up the space.’

‘I do know a bit about Guernsey as Phil has been there and loves it.’

TIPS ON SELLING YOUR HOUSE

HOW TO CREATE THE CHRISTMAS LOOK – FAST!

Have a thorough de clutter. Throw out worn rugs or battered furniture.

If you have small children then make sure you keep toys packed neatly away in hampers or storage units.

If you have feature fireplaces invest in pine swags and adorn with red gingham ribbons and wooden hearts for the Scandinavian look.

Freshen up paintwork and clean carpets, blinds and curtains.

Try to present a neutral colour palette – loud colours will make a room appear smaller.

Put into storage any excess furniture. Try to create distinctive living and eating areas.

Ensure that kitchen s and bathrooms are spotless. Store jars and dishes out of sight and make sure tiles and sinks are sparkling.

Use fresh smelling deodorising plug ins especially the seasonal cinnamon and orange Christmas selections.

Outside space is important. Clear garden borders, store old pots and garden furniture and tidy garden sheds.

If you have open fires or burners, make sure that they are blazing with pine logs on cold days. Make your would-be buyers feel as if they would love to curl up with a magazine and warm up.

Always make sure bedrooms are tidy. Invest in throws and cushions and make sure dressing tables and wardrobes are neat and try not to display too many personal photographs. Your buyers have to imagine their family in the space so depersonalise walls and surfaces.

Take the theme through to the kitchen or dining room and adorn mirrors and the staircase.

Add fresh holly sprigs, ivy and cinnamon sticks for that all important wow factor.

Lights and candles make a home Christmassy – so go mad on cream and gold and red candles.

Place baubles in glass vases and add battery lights.

The effect will be stunning if you place them on window sills or on dining tables.

You can’t beat red when it comes to Christmas – so if you have a feature wall in your dining room, why not invest in one of the B&Q scarlet emulsions.

A decorated tree or ornate gilded mirror will look fabulous against it.

Real pine Christmas trees make a home smell beautiful – and if you have space, try to invest in two trees – an impressive over the top one for the main living area – and perhaps a smaller one which the children can go to town on. Pop it in a wicker basket to give a real traditional effect.

You can always tweak the look once the kids are in bed!

Scented cinnamon and orange candles will also give off a festive fragrance to greet your guests.

Guernsey Gas are offering Vaillant ‘A’ energy rated condensing boilers installed from just £27 per month with 5 years Interest Free Credit.† We’ll also give you a Free CombiSave Energy and Water Saving Valve, worth £129, when you buy your boiler.

Call 724 811 or visit The Energy Centre, Admiral Park. www.gsygas.com † Subject to survey and status, conditions apply.

PLUS 5 years warranty

THE PATH TO BECOMING AN

ACTRESS, MODEL, SINGER

IS AS INDIVIDUAL

AS THE JOURNEY FOR ONE YOUNG GUERNSEYWOMAN

The path to success is as individual as the people who make the journey.

The journey undertaken to date by young Guernsey woman, Chloe Dorey has seen her tread the boards in the West End, attend one of the UK’s leading drama colleges and regularly perform at Guernsey’s Eisteddfod. She shares the DNA of a West End professional and explains to us why she feels Christianity is misunderstood.

Tell us about yourself and what you’re doing right now?

I’m Chloe and I am twenty years old. I grew up in London and moved to Guernsey when I was twelve. I’ve been schooled here, been to college for three years and have done a 6 month course in Musical Theatre at Drama school, which I finished earlier this year. I am now working in a local shop in town doing retail.

What inspired you to get the acting bug?

I’ve always enjoyed acting and singing from a young age and having an aunty who was a professional West End actress certainly played its part in inspiring me. I remember being taken to see my aunty perform in shows and being taken with my brother by my aunty to see shows. I remember watching one show, I can’t remember what it was but when all the actors came out for the curtain call and the applause at the end I just felt a rush of excitement and thought ‘ I want to do that.’

Since than I did loads of performances with school, outside school activities and kids drama groups.

My parents enrolled me into a local drama group called Stagecoach that was held up at my school in Richmond where we lived and it’s actually a very well known kids drama school throughout the UK. It on a Saturday morning and was three hours long, you’d do an hours singing, and hours dancing and an hours acting. The singing and acting were the ones I looked forward to.

Who has mentored you locally?

Performance wise, after doing a oneyear Childcare course at college, which I really didn’t enjoy, but did it because my parents wanted me to, I decided I was going to do a course in what I wanted to do. So I applied for the two year National Diploma Performing Arts course in 2009 and absolutely loved it. I made lots of friends (for the first time in a while!) who all shared the same interests as me. In fact, I loved it so

much I didn’t want to go home at the end, I would’ve been happy to stay there all night if I had to. When the teachers announced the end of the day I would complain. Everyday was a bonus, because each day held something I loved doing and with people I loved being around. My confidence shot up and my parents even commented on how much happier I appeared. At the beginning I came home day after day telling my parents how I’d had ‘the best day ever.’ So I guess the teachers who made the course what it was, deserve a lot of credit.

‘I’ve always enjoyed acting and singing from a young age and having an aunty who was a professional West End actress certainly played its part in inspiring me.’

I also had regular singing lessons with a lady who I see at church who is an incredible classical singer herself. She taught me for three years and entered me into the Guernsey Eisteddfod 3 times. I was also part of the Guernsey Youth Theatre for a few years and GYT singers.

What music do you like to listen to?

I’m quite girly, but I listen to a variety of

artists/genres. I’m a big fan of country music so listen to people like Taylor Swift, Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Nanci and Griffith. I like pop artists like Adele, Delta Goodrem, Ellie Goulding and loads more. Van Morrison, UB40, Lighthouse family, Beatles are all artists my family like, and what I grew up listening to, so I listen to them.

You studied at Oxford Drama College, which the BBC regards as one of the top five drama colleges in the UK. What opportunities did your time at the college give you?

Really? I didn’t know that (laughs) but that’s good to know! We got to work with lots of great people who work in the business themselves and worked with famous names. We had a professional West End choreographer work with us for two terms, graduate students from Guildhall and actors currently working in the West End and film.

We got to see the Three-year acting course students perform (who were very good!) We were given loads of advice from our teachers who were working professionals, and a stage combat teacher (stage fighting, one of my best lessons) who worked with big names.

Aside from school, being there was my first time properly away from home, so that was a big challenge for me on my first weekend there. I didn’t feel good, I was very homesick, but luckily it only lasted for two days as being at school all day leaves no space to feel gloomy. Plus, being a Christian, I got involved with a church 2 minutes from where I lived which was super convenient and really helped. I went there the weekend my mum drove me up and that day I was invited to their weekly Bible study group. For non-Christians that would sound so boring and the last thing one would want to do, but it really wasn’t. People have a misconception about what Christianity is really about, at the group there were about eight of us, mostly in their late 20’s early 30’s but all very nice

and very welcoming and quite immature, so it wasn’t hard to fit in. We’d all have a meal together and then look at a passage or two and discuss the meaning and hidden messages. I did that for the whole time I was there, which was such a blessing.

What advice would you give to someone trying to get into a leading drama college?

Do lots of character research about the material you need for the audition as they can ask you any question about it and you need to look prepared in order to impress, and it makes the audition a lot easier when you know what you’re doing. Also, just do your best and enjoy the process, because even if you don’t get in it’s great experience.

You’ve performed in the West End as part of a summer school. What part did you play and what did you learn from the experience?

I did the summer school in 2008 and my stage (Stage 2, there were three stages, for kids, teenagers and the older kids) did The Jungle Book, and I played a wolf cub called Warner, which was next to one of the main parts. The school was a weeklong and the performance was at the end of the week.

I have to say that although the course was good I did learn that the West End isn’t what I want to do, as I prefer TV and Film, to stage.

The route to stardom can follow a reality path. Do you see yourself appearing on the Xfactor or The Andrew Lloyd Webber vehicle?

No, I used to watch the X factor regularly but have gone off it now. It just seems like a cheap way to get famous. You build up your fame over a few months and then when it finishes half the artists are never heard of again. I think over the last 4-5 years only a few artists (the runners up, and two winners) have actually managed to keep going, and not dry up.

I don’t want that, I’d rather work for success and earn it than have it given on a TV

show.

It’s the same case with the Andrew Lloyd Webber, apart from Connie Fisher who won the Maria series for the Sound of Music.

You write your own songs. Does Guernsey feature in any of your music?

I have a journal that I write all my song ideas down in with as much info as possible so that if I’m lucky enough to put any of it out in the future, I remember what it the idea was about. I have written quite a few songs so far and actually finish a few recently.

I do have a song idea in my journal which will feature Guernsey’s name, but haven’t got round to working on it yet. The song eventually will be about change, as in some aspects I’m don’t like change. So it would be about big routinely things in my life that I’m used to making my life what it is, one by one changing, or stopping and…I don’t like it, ha.

After counting, there are eight or nine different genres of music I want to do at some point. And my journal contains about maybe three to four albums worth of songs ideas. I’ve typed up 16 songs and edited them all down from 5 pages long to two / two and a half pages. What I’ve found is that the songs I liked the least, out of cheesy, cliché lyrics, I’ve rewritten parts and those songs are now some of my best.

When I’m in the zone of writing and I know what I want to say, how to say it, make it sound good, rhyme, as well as it being something people actually WANT to listen to, then it becomes such a joy to do and very exciting.

When in a writing phase, this is when my brain works at its best and I can excel at something, as I’m not very academic, but I’m very creative. I’m good with patterns and can learn anything creative very fast so having a good memory certainly helps!

I get song ideas all the time, but it’s the ones that hit me and won’t get out of my head that end up being written about. I’ve

got a big scrapbook that I just fill up with drawings, written ideas, pictures I’ve found from research, anything I think will be good to use for my work in the future.

One thing I have to say that really got me excited, was I was cycling home from work back in July and got these two visions of myself in the future, doing what I wanted but in a better way than in this modern day cheap celebrity style. That same week I went to my church study group (this is in Guernsey now) where we were doing prophesying to God, which is always fun and exciting to do and what the two other people in my group told me they got, caught me off guard, completely. They had no idea I had had these visions, and they basically quoted them back to me, and with Biblical quotes too. So I knew it wasn’t fake, it had just been confirmed.

‘Do lots of character research about the material you need for the audition as they can ask you any question about it and you need to look prepared in order to impress, and it makes the audition a lot easier when you know what you’re doing.’

3 for 2

Mix & Match

On wrap, tags, bags, toys, gifts, candles, wreathes, crackers and cards

M&S www.yourmarksandspencer.gg

WHAT if ...

In a new series of articles we hypothesise about what would happen to Guernsey if certain events or natural changes in our environment were to occur. In this very first edition, we ask if Guernsey could ever be hit by a tsunami?

I

t has been the scare mongering of tabloid journalists but when energy businesses start investing £200 million to protect U.K. nuclear reactors from previously inconceivable events and eminent scientists warn of impending dangers, perhaps we should be more aware of the unpredictability of nature.

Or should we really take notice of an energy producer with shareholders to appease following the Fukushima disaster or scientists who have spent too long in a lecture room. The Rock investigates.

EDF needs to know its nuclear power station on England’s North Sea coast can withstand a chunk of volcanic rock dropping into the ocean 2,000 miles away in the Canary Islands. The collapse of an island off northwest Africa is among the most likely causes of a wave big enough to threaten, the UK and most of Europe’s west coast, according to British Geological Survey marine geologist David Tappin.

EDF, the largest producer of atomic power, is preparing for so-called black swan events, crises that are almost impossible to predict, following the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima atomic complex in Japan. While such a wave hasn’t hit Britain since around 6,000 B.C., public concern over nuclear safety has combined with escalating costs to push EDF stock down about 40 percent since the Japanese crisis.

‘We didn’t want to say: ‘Because we don’t sit at the edge of a tectonic plate and won’t have a tsunami, everything is OK’,’ plant director Jim Crawford said at Sizewell, 100 miles northeast of London and 700 miles from Europe’s most active seismic regions.

EDF, which has a 10-meter-high sea barrier at the site also runs our closest nuclear neighbour, Cap de la Hague.

EDF wants to be prepared for any disaster after the Fukushima crisis prompted countries including Italy and Germany to scrap nuclear energy. The Paris-based utility has already committed to stricter safety measures at home and a program to keep existing plants

‘If the volcano collapsed in one block of almost 20 cubic kilometres of rock, weighing 500 billion tonnes (roughly six times the size of Guernsey), it would fall into water almost four miles deep.’

running for as long as 60 years. Including a new plant at Sizewell. ‘What Fukushima really represents is a failure of imagination,’ John Ritch, director-general of the World Nuclear Association, said in London. ‘It has taken every regulator and industry vendor back to trying to imagine the unanticipated, the unimaginable, and making sure the reactor is safe even against highly unlikely events brought on by nature or human malice.’

If the unimaginable were to happen how, when and in what form would it occur?

According to the World Nuclear Association, the last major quake to cause a tsunami on Europe’s Atlantic coast was in 1755 off Portugal. The last UK tsunami, a wave about 10 meters high, struck Scotland’s east coast more than 8,000 years ago.

Geologists gauging the risk of a similar event have modelled volcanic activity off the Canary Islands that indicate a major eruption could cause part of La Palma to break free of its bedrock, slipping into the sea and causing a tsunami. Such an event may affect Atlantic coasts far from North Africa.

Recently, a University College London scientist reported that the UK could be affected by a Tsunami, which is likely to begin on one of the Canary Islands. Dr Simon Day, who works at the Benfield Greig Hazards Research Centre, University College London, says that one flank of the Cumbre

Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, in the Canaries, is unstable and could plunge into the ocean during the volcano’s next eruption.

Dr. Day said: ‘If the volcano collapsed in one block of almost 20 cubic kilometres of rock, weighing 500 billion tonnes (roughly six times the size of Guernsey) it would fall into water almost four miles deep and create an undersea wave 2000 feet tall. Within five minutes of the landslide, a dome of water about a mile high would form and then collapse, before the Mega Tsunami fanned out in every direction, traveling at speeds of up to 500 mph. A 330ft wave would strike the Western Sahara in less than an hour.’

Europe would be protected from the fiercest force by the position of the other Canary Islands, but the tsunami would still bring 33ft waves to Lisbon and La Coruña within three hours.

After six hours it would reach Britain, where waves with the potential to reach up to 40 ft high would hit southwest England, travel a mile inland and obliterate almost everything in its path. Even Britain’s more sheltered shores, will be struck by smaller but still significant swells, causing widespread flooding in major coastal cities.

Dr Day isn’t the only eminent scientist to predict this natural disaster. George PararasCarayannis, an American vulcanologist and former advisor to the United Nations and

was in charge of tsunami research in Hawaii, stated in the British National press in 2004, that he forecast during the next few decades there was a probability of a tidal wave, hitting the American Eastern seaboard. He went on to explain that this would be caused by a series of three volcanoes on La Palma, in the Canary Islands, exploding, propelling a piece of faulted material, into the North Atlantic Ocean.

But wait a minute, two scientists who aren’t recent observers of said geologic activity should take a lesson from those who are. Marine geologists studying ancient landslides in the area say typical Canary Island landslides of this nature, i.e. chunks of land breaking off in bits, would not happen in one dramatic plunge. Researchers taking part in a three-week research cruise aboard Southampton Oceanography Centre’s research ship, the RRS Charles Darwin, said the threat is far lower than previous warnings would suggest.

Doug Masson, who has been researching Canary Islands landslides for 20 years, said Dr Day’s predictions were the worst in worst-case scenarios. Coring equipment was used to collect samples of rock sediment deposited by underwater avalanches that were in turn caused by previous landslides on La Palma. By looking at layering in the sediments, the scientists can work out

‘But wait a minute, two scientists who aren’t recent observers of said geologic activity should take a lesson from those who are.’

whether the debris landed on the ocean floor in one big lump or in several smaller stages.

And the Southampton researchers said that other samples from the Canaries suggest their ‘bit-by-bit’ scenario is common, if not ubiquitous to these landslides.

Russell Wynn, who led the research cruise, said it meant there is a lot less to worry about if a landslide is triggered. ‘If you take a brick and drop it in a bath you’re going to generate quite a big splash. But if you break the brick up into 10 pieces and drop them in one by one you’re going to get 10 much smaller splashes.’

None of this impresses the team that proposed the original tsunami theory. Bill McGuire is director of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London. He argues that evidence on the surface of the Canary Islands shows that previous landslides have been catastrophic.

On the island of El Hierro, a semi-circular escarpment of rock left behind after a landslide is covered in melted rock.

Conclusive evidence, says Bill McGuire, of a dramatic event.

‘This thing moved so quickly that it heated the rock through friction and melted it.

That is a catastrophic event,’ he said. Other evidence that Canary Islands landslides have had a colossal impact has come from the Bahamas themselves where boulders of rock have been discovered 20m above sea-level.

How they got there was a mystery until

‘If you take a brick and drop it in a bath you’re going to generate quite a big splash. But if you break the brick up into 10 pieces and drop them in one by one you’re going to get 10 much smaller splashes.’

scientists now believe that landslides in the past have triggered deadly tsunamis.

So Bill McGuire is sticking to the predictions his team have made. Making no apology for backing a worst-case model, he said: ‘There’s no question of hiding things. If you’re planning for any future disaster you’re not going to consider the least disastrous scenario, you’re going to consider the most.’

When the Southampton marine geologists returned to the UK, they brought with them compelling evidence that landslides in the Canary Islands are more gradual events. It would appear common sense would be to align our own understand to an argument that is backed by scientists who have extensively and importantly, at first hand, built a case to dispel the myth of tsunamis striking us in the English Channel.

So it would appear 40 feet high waves crashing into the Ship and Crown are highly unlikely. A more serious and impending concern should be whether we’d be impacted if Jersey finally takes the plunge.

the timing of their deposition was linked to a past landslide - in the Canaries. Many

The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, in the Canaries, is unstable and could plunge into the ocean during the volcano’s next eruption.

investec

‘This all sounds like we should be upping sticks and moving to the higher parishes but wait a moment. Two scientists who aren’t recent observers of said geologic activity should take a lesson from those.’

Christmas turkey orders taken until 9pm on Tuesday 18 December.

Waitrose Food & Home Admiral Park, St Peter Port Waitrose Rohais, St Peter Port

Food

A NIGHT IN THE VALLEY

The influences might span the globe but The Rock Garden is very much grounded in local values.

Can the restaurant’s ‘new dining’ experience get us down the valley?

Jon Taylor goes grazing at The Rock Garden.

I like the idea of menu grazing.

My ultimate dining fantasy is to be served everything on a restaurant menu so I’m not limited to one dish or broke as a result. OK so some dishes might excite me more than others but the concept of trying a range of food indulgences is quite an appealing proposition.

On an island where tradition is popular and servings can attain gargantuan dimensions, The Rock Garden is the antidote to traditional restaurant fare. The menu is inventive, including carefully considered dishes at reasonable prices. It is part Tapas, part sushi, part sashimi, part sharing, part do-it-yourself and as the couple next to my table demonstrated, part orgasmic. Once I had grown accustomed to the swooning neighbours love in, ‘oooh try this’ and ‘oh my goodness this is unbelievable’, along with my fellow diners I studied the menu with interest.

The menu is full of amorous sounding dishes but can they inspire a local audience that is used to a formation of starter, main and dessert. The Rock Garden menu is suited to those who want to experience a food indulgence. No dish comes out of the kitchen without its contents being placed in perfect symmetry. Heston himself would be proud of the architectural tendencies of the chef.

Every plate is undeniably pretty but does it taste any good? Sensational is not too strong a word to describe some of the menu and what I enjoyed most about this particular food concept is that it leaves you wanting more. Just as I’m about to order another hot Tapes dish of Confit of belly pork, served with crushed garden peas, Madeira jus and crackling, the waitress arrived with a plate of seared scallops, served on a red lentil dhal, coconut and apple salad. A series of moans and eyebrow raising ensued as my fellow diners and I sampled the delights of the Tapas menu. Each of us found heaven in a dish. I won’t claim to have fallen in love with everything we tried but the great thing about a menu such as this is, if you’re a plate-half-full kind of person, and I generally am, you might say this is a good thing, as it means you get to try many different flavours and textures in one sitting. For example, I’m no fan of sushi but my dining companion is, and more the point, they are a connoisseur having spent time working in the far east where pickled fish served in vinegar is considered everyday fare.

His teachings, as we shared a sushi platter, observed the authenticity of each aspect of the dish. But he further explained that defining good sushi from the also-rans was a tricky business; He then enthused how the thumb-length pillows of rice with raw fish on top in front of us should be just warm, each grain capable of falling from the other with barely a nudge.

The rock garden menu is defined by quality not quantity. If you love food as theatre then this is the perfect place for you. However, I would argue that there is something for everyone here and the bravery of this place should be heralded.

There’s nothing run of the mill on The Rock Garden menu, just a tight range of cold and hot

Tapas, sharing platters, hot plates and desserts.

The gastronomic spark that has pulled off a concept that Guernsey is embracing in greater numbers is Portsmouth born Adam Maker. Adam is 24!

I could just about boil an egg correctly at 24.

On some mornings at that age, I’d struggle to open the cornflakes box so Adam is clearly a more remarkable individual than your average twenty something. When asked where he had previously worked, based on his tender years, I was half expecting a list of establishments as short as a Sushi chef’s thumb. It transpires he’s worked for Michelin starred chefs, 5* Rosette establishments and my favourite of his employers, the Five* Stoke Park Hotel famed for entertaining Daniel Craig in the film Layer Cake. His vision for The Rock Garden appears to be simple. ‘Our vision is to become the first choice in Guernsey for bustling yet sophisticated hospitality. Above all the aim is for customers to have fun and be entertained, achieved by maintaining high food standards whilst keeping the menu interesting. I’ve not come across anything like this in the Channel Islands, I just hope our relaxed way of grazing has the appeal it deserves,’ explained Adam.

In a stylish L-shaped room with appropriately comfortable and fashionable décor, Adam’s menu suits the Rock Garden. Its diners were on their best behaviour, rather like extras in a romantic comedy, such is the ambient lighting and sophistication.

The surprise is the diners were a mix of couples, groups of friends and in our case, three gentleman making noises that should be confined to one’s private quarters. Moans cropped up from every table as the buzz of good food and company warmed the atmosphere. The barristers know they’re cool, but they’re also polite and engaging, avoiding any cliché’s of mirroring Tom Cruise like bartender antics from the film Cocktail. Adam is ably supported front of house by Tom Vanson and Atilla Juhasz the bar manager.

As my fellow diners and I prepare to leave, a group of young women are ordering from the cocktail menu. Atilla provides advice as if he’s helping them select a fine wine. He proceeds to create a series of cocktails with a casual unpretentiousness. He follows the recipe with a

‘The Rock Garden is out of the ordinary but as an ordinary restaurant enthusiast, I didn’t feel out of place. In fact, I felt rather at home’

quiet efficiency but great care is taken to mix each drink to an exacting standard. One of the party describes the menu as the equivalent to a cocktail holy grail as she sips on her Tom Collins, a classic long gin based cocktail created by the father of American mixology, ‘Jerry Thomas’.

The Rock Garden is out of the ordinary but as an ordinary restaurant enthusiast, I didn’t feel out of place. In fact, I felt rather at home. I like the fact the menu isn’t a traditional approach and that you can share a range of exquisite dishes with your fellow accompanying diners. I also like the relaxed but attentive approach to service, I welcomed the passion from a very young chef clearly a talent honing his skills in a very fine local restaurant and above all I liked the freedom, value and choice that dining from a grazing menu brings.

The backdrop that are the giant media screens are just one of the ingredients that make this particular Guernsey eating venue a marriage of sophistication, convenience and conviviality.

Quite simply if you’re looking to graze on a range of taste experiences while relaxing with friends or a loved one, then a trip down the valley is well worth it.

Table reservations for the restaurant can be made by calling 235666 Open Tuesday to Saturday 5:30pm – late Wednesday to Saturday Enjoy live music from at The Rock Garden every Thursday night Courtesy bus available to The Rock Garden from town on demand, subject to availability.

For reservations: Tel: 01481 235666 www.therock-garden.com

THE ROCK GARDEN MENU COLD TAPAS

SHARING PLATTERS

Flavoured mini focaccia breads, virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar / £4.50

Mixed platter of sushi and sashimi, pickled ginger and wasabi (10 pieces) / £15.50

Trio of sushi pieces / £6.50

Selection of charcuterie / £15.50

Roasted pumpkin and goats cheese salad, pickled ceps and candied walnuts / £5.50

Serrano ham, Parma ham, salamis, saucisson, chorizo, pickled vegetables and home baked bread

Smoked duck breast, pak choi, toasted pistachio, radish shavings and sweet chili / £6.50

Add vegetable antipasti / £5.50

Crab, lobster, king prawn, avocado tian with a cucumber and pink grapefruit dressing / £8.50

Whole baked Camembert cheese with croutes baked in olive oil V / £13.50

Sun kissed tomato and red onion salad, balsamic vinaigrette / £3.90

HOT ROCK

Beef Carpaccio, horseradish panna cotta, parmesan shavings and chives / £7.50 HOT TAPAS Roast coriander and chilli pork balls with red wine and tomato chutney / £5.80 Tandoori king prawns with cucumber and mint raita gazpacho / £7.50 Stir fried squid with red pepper, spring onion, shitake and oyster sauce / £5.50 Marinated piquillo peppers stuffed with feta finished with pesto / £5.50 Tempura fritto misto, crispy parsley and saffron aioli / £6.50 Seared scallops, red lentil dhal, coconut and apple salad £7.50 Poached free range hen egg with spiced baby chorizo in red wine reduction / £4.50 Confit of belly pork, crushed garden peas, Madeira jus and crackling / £6.50 Frites with garlic, salt and thyme / £3.00

Add Serrano ham / £5.00 Hot Rock, served with frites, mixed salad and the following dips: mayonnaise, saffron aioli, Marie Rose, sweet chilli and coriander, soya and ginger / £18.50 per person (min 2 persons) Meat Hot Rock: beef fillet, corn fed chicken breast and pork fillet Seafood Hot Rock: scallops, king prawn and salmon Surf and Turf Hot Rock: beef fillet, king prawns and scallops DESSERTS Iced peanut parfait, Granny Smith sorbet and toffee popcorn / £5.95 Crème brûlée of the day, Viennese biscuit / £5.95 Chocolate fondue for two people served with a choice of 3 of the following: pineapple, strawberries, banana, marshmallows, fudges, profiteroles / £12.50 Selection of British and French cheeses served with fig compote, membrillo, walnuts, celery and biscuits / £7.90

LOVE SUSHI, LOVE THE ROCK GARDEN DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND TUESDAY NIGHTS AT THE ROCK GARDEN WILL BE DEDICATED TO SUSHI. From January Japanese dishes will be taking over the menu every Tuesday, dishes have been created to give diners a taste of Japanese cuisine, educating them on the history and flavors in the relaxed and social environment of The Rock Garden.

If you haven’t tried Japanese before, this is the perfect opportunity.

Many people are put off by the thought of raw fish in sushi, but sushi isn’t entirely raw - the fish is usually marinated, pickled or lightly seared. Those who have entered the sushi world do so not only for the taste but also for the high nutritional value, so it won’t get in the way of your New Year diet. The Rock Garden menu includes traditional sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi made with fresh seafood, and dishes like chilled soba noodle salad, seared beef tataki and green tea prawns with cucumber salsa. Hungry come check it out every Tuesday at The Rock Garden.

Food

THE LEOPARD BAR Where can you dine out in style and tick the chilled out box, but not at the cost of the ultimate customer service experience?

The Leopard Bar and Restaurant of course. The Rock kicked back and enjoyed a night out at one of Guernsey’s newest and most chic eateries.

It’s just past cocktail hour and the atmosphere is decidedly chilled at the Leopard Bar and Restaurant at The Duke of Richmond Hotel. Early diners are getting comfortable as they linger over the menu choices and there is a great mix of peoplesome enjoying an after work cocktail, others checking out the wine list in readiness for an intimate dinner.

The whole dining out experience is heightened by the fact that you can enjoy a front row theatre style view of the chefs creating your meal, courtesy of the glass fronted kitchens adjoining the restaurant.

The a la carte menu is an extensive one – with tempting daily specials and the Chef’s signature dishes crying out to be sampled.

Service – from the very moment you take your seat in the bar – is second to none. No detail has been spared to ensure that your meal is a memorable one – for all the right reasons.

Noting that one of the party was having trouble reading the menu, as he had forgotten to bring reading glasses, Bars Manager Orland Abreu swiftly produced not

one but three pairs to save the day!

“It’s policy” he said smiling and taking time to talk about the fantastic selection of wines available which include offerings from the hotel group’s own boutique vineyard in the Walker Bay area of South Africa.

So down to the important part of the night – the time to order from what is a tempting array of tantilising specials. Starters proved too delectable to miss, and crab cakes with wasabi mayonnaise proved a popular choice. The main course was an even trickier decision.

Chef Mustafa suggested Bea Tollman’s signature dish of Rotisserie Half Chicken – a ‘to die for’ roasted meat which melts in your mouth and is served up with creamy mash and delicate fresh garden salad.

Others opted for the seafood special scallops and tiger prawns served with pancetta and mash.

And amazingly everyone still had room for dessert – the chef’s Eton Mess was a must as was - perhaps the hit of the night - the signature dish of baked vanilla cheesecake.

Dishes are beautifully cooked and artfully simple – if you are simply in the mood for a

burger than look no further than the classic selection on offer – but be warned, if you opt for the BIG burger option – two burgers served with crispy bacon and cheese and tomato marmalade, it is wise to have fasted the day before!

This is a place to see and be seen, sit and relax and drink in the plush surroundings – and be treated like royalty. It’s a place where you feel the need to spend time .The leopard skin throne and complimentary bar nibbles help make your lunch or dinner date complete.

‘The whole dining out experience is heightened by the fact that you can enjoy a front row theatre style view of the chefs creating your meal, courtesy of the glass fronted kitchens adjoining the restaurant.’

Christmas at The Duke of Richmond/OGH

The Christmas Fayre Lunch menu 1st to 23rd December £19.95 per person for a three course choice menu with tea and coffee The Christmas Fayre Dinner menu 1st to 23rd December £24.95 per person for a choice three course dinner menu with tea and coffee

Christmas Day Lunch menu Enjoy a sumptuous Christmas four course menu – with welcome glass of Prosecco Treviso Pasqua and coffee and mince pies to end the meal for just £75 per person. Children under 12 half price.

New Year’s Eve – The New Orleans Big Easy Look no further if you have not yet decided how to welcome in 2013.

Enjoy a sumptuous five course ‘soul ‘banquet, groove the night away with top UK Blues Band Big Marts Big Easy and let us lead the countdown to midnight with Big Ben beamed live from London.

Priced at £65, individual tickets can be purchased but all will be grouped onto tables of 10.

Stay overnight from £130 per room per night to include English breakfast To book please call 726221 www.dukeofrichmond.com

New Year’s Day Jazz Brunch at the OGH After a night of fun and celebration what better way to start the year than with our jazz brunch event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the OGH Hotel Big Marts band will be there to get the party going again!

Priced at £25 per head, children under 12 half price.

To book please call 724921

Executive service on your doorstep "U *OWFTUFD XF PGGFS mOBODJBM FYQFSUJTF DPNCJOFE XJUI PVU PG UIF PSEJOBSZ MFWFMT PG TFSWJDF GPS MPDBMMZ CBTFE DMJFOUT MPPLJOH GPS TQFDJBMJTU CBOLJOH TFSWJDFT As an experienced team, we work closely with our clients, delivering fresh opportunities and innovative financial thinking every step of the way.

To find out more about our executive offering, including our specialist banking products, local mortgage product, wealth and investment and treasury and foreign exchange services, call Laura Preston on 01481 706 436 or Kay Parnwell on 01481 706 483 or email MBVSB QSFTUPO!JOWFTUFD DJ DPN or LBZ QBSOXFMM!JOWFTUFD DJ DPN

#BOLJOH t (SPXUI "DRVJTJUJPO 'JOBODF t 4QFDJBMJTFE -FOEJOH t 4USVDUVSFE 1SPQFSUZ 'JOBODF 5SVTUT t 8FBMUI .BOBHFNFOU Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited, registered address Glategny Court, Glategny Esplanade, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 1WR (Registration number 5845) is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission and is a participant in the Guernsey Banking Deposit Compensation Scheme; details are available on request. Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited is a part of Investec Specialist Bank and a subsidiary of Investec Bank plc.

Homes

FUTURE PROOF THE ECOHOME OF TOMORROW THAT’S BEING BUILT TODAY

Modern, technologically advanced and super energy efficient homes are no longer the preserve of grand designers. The Rock magazine interviewed Norman Piette’s Ecohome expert Steve Powell to discuss how they’re building the home of tomorrow, today.

There are over 100 SIPs panel energy efficient homes on Guernsey now, so the concept of Eco home efficiency is real – not a pipe-dream. An eco-house is like a fourdimensional puzzle. Each aspect from the three dimensions of the house itself to the powers and substances that flow through it is continually being re-invented by architects and designers around the world as they strive to create the carbon zero property. Assuming you’re a millionaire with an environmental conscience, the concept of carbon neutrality is a reality.

However, if you’re like me then the perception is eco-homes are all very well and good but they’re more likely to appear on the pages of Grand Design magazine than a Clos near you.

Or so I thought.

The ideal eco-house will be carbon neutral;

it will use power (from a number of different green sources) efficiently and imaginatively; it will be perfectly insulated and possess air filtration systems. It will be a far cry from the draughty 1930’s constructed box in which I now reside, but according to Norman Piette’s Ecohomes manager Steve Powell, anyone can have an eco house right now.

‘There are unlimited options when it comes to improving the energy efficiencies and environmental credentials of your property, whether that’s improving an existing home or building a completely new one. With an existing property insulation is the first step: our houses are leaking tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every minute - but if you get your home properly insulated you can reduce that (and your fuel bills) a great deal. You can also

Norman Piette’s purpose built Ecohome showroom is well worth a visit

consider double/triple glazing using sustainable wooden timber which is now available in a range of materials and styles,’ said Steve.

‘If you’re considering building a new home then we also have a complete service and one to suit a range of budgets.’

Steve Powell has been with Norman Piette for over fifteen years and therefore has extensive knowledge of building processes. He believes the Ecohomes division of Norman Piette is set up to provide a complete solution for clients whether they’re private individuals or the more commercially minded residential developers.

‘Ecohomes at Norman Piette provides low energy and low carbon buildings that combine highly insulated and low impact building materials with renewable sources of energy.

These homes are unparalleled in energy efficiency and low site wastage and make them the obvious choice for the construction of residential, commercial and public properties,’ said Steve.

Ecohomes offer two methods of sustainable construction; Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and Timber Frame. Both says Steve provide high levels of insulation, offer flexible design and are renowned for their time saving builds, with a high proportion of components manufactured in Norman Piette’s manufacturing plant at Bulwer Avenue.

These construction systems have already been successfully put to use in local developments including the Guernsey Housing Association at Victoria Avenue with 59 new build homes. Steve Williams of the Guernsey

‘The ideal eco-house will be carbon neutral; it will use power (from a number of different green sources) efficiently and imaginatively; it will be perfectly insulated and possess air filtration systems. It will be a far cry from the draughty 1930’s constructed box in which I now reside but according to Steve Powell, sales manager for Norman Piette, many of us have the budget for an eco-house’

Housing Association said tenants at the Victoria Avenue site were already providing positive feedback. ‘The tenants we have spoken to since the development was completed in 2010 are delighted with the efficiencies of their homes, particularly in relation to utility bills. Many have noted a significant reduction in the amount of energy they are expending in heating and the provision of hot water,’ said Mr Williams.

The energy efficient performance is matched by the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Steve Powell explained that an average timber framed or SIPs home can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 400kg per year and reduce hot water heating costs by up to 60% annually.

Steve says they have been involved with 700

Construction in timber frame and SIPs gives you the freedom to create dramatic vaulted rooms without the requirement for complicated steel work.

Timber frame or SIP construction can be made to look like a conventional Guernsey property.

timber framed and 100 SIPs houses in Guernsey.

Some as far back as the 1960s. ‘We supplied the timber frame panels for what was at the time the UK’s largest timber framed property, the King Edward Hospital. Therefore, the building process has been around on the island for a while.’ The speed of build, the environmental credentials and energy efficiencies means a timber frame or SIPs home ticks many of the planners’ boxes.

As our government encourages us to reduce carbon emissions, energy saving buildings represent the most viable future for construction. The combination of highly insulated and low impact building materials with renewable sources of energy produces homes and developments that are able to easily meet and often exceed current building regulations.

Steve is quick to point out that just because the buildings perform efficiently doesn’t mean they compromise on design. ‘You can design whatever you like. We’ve built ultra modern

‘The combination of highly insulated and low impact building materials with renewable sources of energy produces homes and developments that are able to easily meet and often exceed current building regulations.’

homes with vaulted ceilings and walls of glass but we’ve also constructed homes sympathetic to Guernsey’s traditional style of property.’

‘The flexibility of design can maximise internal space without compromising on external aesthetics. Our sustainable construction systems are generally quicker to build than traditional masonry projects, reaching wind and watertight and first fix stages earlier. They also benefit from very low running costs making them an attractive prospect both for the builder and the end user. We employ our own in-house designers, who can create drawings and 3D modelling examples of your house design.

We work closely with local architects, and once the project and budget is agreed, can build a home from start to finish. Our new range of kitchens and bathrooms which compliment the range of doors, flooring options and finishings means we can also furnish a great deal of your property from top to bottom,’ concludes Steve.

One of the Ecohomes displays demonstrates how timber frame houses are built

Victoria Avenue project including 59 new homes

The Ecohome showroom at Norman Piette provides examples of sustainable timber frame and SIPs construction techniques along with a range of other energy saving ideas and products

ECOHOME TECHNOLOGY To gain a greater understanding of exactly what an energy efficient Ecohome consists of, Steve Powell provides The Rock with his guide to building with the future in mind.

SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) Increasingly stringent Building Regulations requiring lower U-Values and a demand for more environmentally friendly construction methods have resulted in an increased demand for Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). The system was first seen in the UK in the 1970s but has been used in North America and Northern Europe for almost 50 years. Modern SIPs panels comprise two outer boards of composite wood (OSB), from sustainable forest sources, with a CFC free Polyurethane foam filling. The resultant ‘sandwich’ forms a light and strong structure offering excellent structural load bearing and superior insulation.

Able to be used for walls and roofs, SIPs enables the maximum amount of space to be utilised, a huge advantage when plot space is at a minimum. Aesthetically SIPs are able to be finished with a wide range of materials to fit in to a traditional environment or to stand out as a modern statement. Render systems can be applied to the outer skin or the panels can be covered with timber cladding, granite or brick. Roofs can be finished with both pantiles and slate. The applications of SIPs does not stop at new builds. They can also be used in extensions to form a large, warm roof space over a traditional construction.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are the next generation of construction. Their unparalleled energy efficiency, high build speed and low site wastage make them the obvious choice for the construction of residential, commercial and public sector projects.

Timber framed construction

KINGSPAN SIPs PANELS

Advantages of SIPs •

•

• • •

Superior insulation (40% better than current building regulation requirements) and increased air tightness leading to greater energy efficiency and a more controllable indoor environment Saves construction time and cost. Off site production of large components results in less on site labour and high speed build.

Wind and watertight stage achieved earlier Flexible design and maximising of habitable space Lower environmental impact

TIMBER FRAMED CONSTRUCTION WITH KINSPAN INSULATION

As the name implies, timber frame is a method of construction which uses a timber frame as the structural support instead of internal block work. The timber frame is filled with high performance insulation then covered internally by plasterboard and externally with vapour/ moisture proof membranes. Clad with granite, brickwork or rendered block, the finished article is indistinguishable from traditional masonry construction, with doors, windows and roofs being the same for both. There is, however, a major difference where time and costs are concerned. Precision engineering of the timber frames in our manufacturing division ensure the highest level of accuracy and quality and simplifies construction on site.

Because the timber frame is a dry form of construction, it requires no drying-out period and subcontractors can get on site and underway more quickly.

The high level of insulation will easily meet current building regulations and indeed timber frame has been a preferred method of construction for homes in both Northern Europe and America, where considerably colder climates prevail. However, it is also used in hot and humid climates such as Australia and South East Asia ensuring a comfortable living environment, whatever the climate.

‘Our sustainable construction systems are generally quicker to build than traditional masonry projects, reaching wind and watertight and first fix stages earlier. They also benefit from very low running costs making them an attractive prospect both for the builder and the end user. ‘ Metal web joists Made from parallel stress graded timbers joined together

by V shaped galvanised steel webs, they combine the strength of steel with the lightness of wood to produce a system that performs better than traditional all-timber joists, is lighter than an all-steel equivalent and has the added benefit of improved access for services. Also able to be used as rafters, the system is lightweight and can reduce installation time by up to 50%.

• • • • •

Benefits include: Variety of depths, compatible with standard joist sizes Made to measure, reducing wastage No need for surface run pipe work, even soil pipes fit through joist webs Easy access for retrofit of new services Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery

Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) is a system that provides a healthy living environment and can make considerable savings on energy bills. The MVHR unit extracts stale warm air, for example from a bathroom, recovering the heat to pre-heat fresh air, prior to circulating it throughout the building. MVHR is ideally suited to new build dwellings particularly those with a high standard of air-tightness such as SIPs constructions.

Electric combi boilers

For electric to succeed, it is vital that every watt of input finishes up as useful hot water and heating. The new range of E-Tech S Tank-in-Tank thermal storage units is designed to do just that. Three conveniently sized models are available and each benefits from the clever integration of our stainless steel Tank-in-Tank technology with an equally advanced electric boiler control system. Cupro incoyloy elements within the primary water provide the electrical energy.

An inner stainless steel hot water storage tank draws heat from primary water circulating through an outer tank which is heated by heavy duty elements. As they’re immersed in primary water only, the heating elements are unlikely to be affected by scaling and input to them is modulated by a dual stage thermostat to reduce cycling and load switching.

The special design of the inner DHW tank not only helps ensure scale-free operation, but also avoids the sediment problems that plague conventional cylinders. To fully utilise generated energy the Tank-in-Tank unit is wrapped in a generous 70mm of polyurethane insulation.

Solar energy Specifically designed and manufactured to operate in Northern European climates, Thermomax vacuum tube solar thermal collectors deliver an unrivalled transfer of solar energy into heat. The system consists of two separate circuits: one in each individual tube inside the heat pipe and one through the manifold into the hot water tank for excellent efficiency and the ‘plug and play’ design is easy to install. Ecohomes also supply and fit flat plate panels.

Norman Piette and the Ecohome showroom is open Monday - Thursday 7.30-5 Friday 7.30 - 4 Saturday 8.00 -4 and has plenty of onsite parking

Homes

THE SIGNS ARE OUT THERE In the fashionable and competitive world of home design, can a traditional DIY retailer really cut it in the designer world of interiors?

As I am involved in a business that is intrinsically linked to the world of advertising, I am fully aware of the power of communication. The key to successful advertising is creating advocates for your brand that help spread positive comments about your products and services within their social group. We’re an island of communicators, taking to social media like ducks to water and populating local online news forums with our thoughts and opinions. Word of mouth has never been more popular and we also love a good gossip.

If you take us as individuals, our own ’brand’ is judged by the circles you mix with, the car you drive and most important of all, the type of signs that appear at the entrance of your house anytime you have building or decorating work carried out. If you’re in the higher echelons of society your trade professional boards are likely to refer to ‘interior designers’, ‘facility managers’ or ‘bespoke joiners’. Whereas for the rest of us, they’ll be weathered and faded signs for an electrician your brother recommended in the pub who prefers jobs cash in hand. On over 200 occasions so far this year you would have also seen a board promoting B&Q kitchens.

B&Q seamed to jump head first into the new millennium with gusto. A tired and compact showroom in the Grand Bouet, became a space age retail venue at Admiral Park where staff welcomed you with a smile and a hello on entering and magic stairs carried you up to a vast area of home installations including

bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and everying you would require to dress them. Exquisite bamboo flooring sits proudly next to quick fit laminate planks, linen curtains adorn the shelves next to wide slatted wooden blinds and it doesn’t matter who you are, the pleasure of navigating the self service isle without another smiling assistant having to unlock your screen because Gripfill is a harmful substance that should not be taken out of the shop by somebody with such a youthful complexion, makes you per with a confidence that says ‘Yes! I can conquer technology in public places and not look a complete tit because I forgot to leave the plank of two x four in the shopping trolley after scanning it!’

‘You can do it’ is the stores advertising slogan and it would appear more of us than ever, from all walks of society, are taking this literally. ‘Two hundred kitchens fitted in 2012, and I couldn’t count how many bathrooms and bedrooms we’ve sold this year.

The most surprising aspect of the sales is the range of budgets we’ve noticed. I’ve personally worked on design schemes that range from a few thousand and up to £50,000,’ said design consultant Paul Dodd. Paul has also had his worked cut out organising deliveries. ‘We have fitted kitchens all over the place. I’ve been up lanes in the higher parishes I didn’t know existed.’ Paul and his team have travelled far this year but it is the quality and value for money on offer that is attracting customers from all backgrounds.

The Cooke & Lewis brand was developed by B&Q to give

their kitchen, bathroom and bedroom ranges a lifestyle context that had been missing prior to its introduction. B&Q were never renowned for designer kitchens before Admiral Park opened so the transformation to a one-stop shop for all your building, decorating and interior needs has been remarkable. The store has aligned itself in recent years to sponsoring TV shows such as Location, Property Ladder and Grand Designs. ‘This change in image would have only been possible if we had the product to back it up. I’m confident we can now not only beat competitors on price but also quality and style,’ said store manager Mike Penney.

There are four distinctly different groups of kitchens in the Cooke & Lewis range including ‘Multicolour’ which is a range of bold and vibrantly colour kitchens full of design, the ‘Authentic’ range

is inspired by natural materials for a warm and homely feel, the ‘Contemporary’ range is sleek and design-led and finally the ‘Heritage’ range echo’s elegance, soft colours and outstanding quality. Customers will find lots of extra quality from the Cooke & Lewis range including designer Franke sinks and taps and customised granite worktops, which are laser measured and then precision cut to the exact shape requested.

Furthermore, with the B&Q IT kitchens range, the company also offers value, huge choice and style, ranging from truly traditional to the latest trend.

It’s all very well having a fine range of kitchens but can a company recognised as a DIY Superstore truly offer designer showroom service?

‘We have all the latest CAD technology so we can design 3D drawings of your chosen kitchen,

bedroom or bathroom. ‘We employ our own fit-out team who are independently audited and manage all aspects of the fit including any electrical or plumbing works. We provide customers with a final folder containing all the relevant gas and electrical information and each kitchen comes with a five-year workmanship guarantee. We don’t want you to see another sign outside your home unless of course you’re so happy with our work you want us back to do another room,’ said Paul.

The chances are B&Q may well be back in. It would appear what starts with a kitchen invariably end up with a bathroom and bedroom. ‘There are synergies between the Cooke & Lewis ranges is self evident so we are finding customers are coming back for more than just one makeover.’

The bathroom and bedroom ranges encompass

‘It’s all very well having a fine range of kitchens but can a company recognised as a DIY Superstore truly offer designer showroom service?’

‘We have all the latest CAD technology so we can design 3D drawings of your chosen kitchen, bedroom or bathroom.’

traditional and contemporary design and many are unique to Cooke & Lewis. ‘Homebuyers are expecting all the latest in bathroom technology from soft close toilet seats to whirlpool baths. We have the lot and at a price that won’t blow your budget,’ said Mike with confidence.

There is an undoubted confident air around B&Q. They have reinvented themselves into a lifestyle brand for us all. They have become so much more than a DIY retailer and achieved this through bringing in skills that compliment their value for money approach. It’s become an acceptable ‘style’ brand. So much so that Kirstie Allsopp designs wallpaper for them and ITV’s This Morning have fitted a Cooke & Lewis kitchen in the studio for live cookery demonstrations. A brand that has become so universally popular that you are as likely to find a Cooke & Lewis sign in the lanes of St Peters as you are in the suburbs of town.

Store Address: Admiral Park St Peter Port GY1 2AS www.diy.com www.cookeandlewis.co.uk Tel: 01481 713005

Homes

The stuff of life

He’s never been fully convinced of the notion that making a house into a home puts significant value on a property. However, could a recent trip to Spring Willows, a new house that has been lovingly crafted into a beautiful home change his mind. Jon Taylor reports.

PHOTOGRAPHY SAM FIELD

M

uch of our enthusiasm for improving our housing stock is articulated in talk of bedroom numbers, square meterage and curtilage. What price you put on a paint finish or a piece of bespoke joinery within a home is entwined with subjective. However, after viewing a pretty but not inordinately spectacular home in the Vale I have come to the conclusion that we must give room for, and remain mindful of, the stuff of life: the memories, personalities, joys and sentiments which make a house a home.

Now I’m not talking about the soft focus portrait of the family circa 1990’s that seems so popular above many local fireplaces or the Llewelyn

Bowen paint effect that still inhabits your daughters bedroom, I am of course talking about the recipe of life that make up the perfect interior that puts pounds on properties.

Interior design is somewhat subjective, minimalist for one, shabby chic for someone else, but what makes a good interior great is the personality of the individual who creates it. The scheme if you like is the starting point. The interior colours, wood finishes and architectural elements and furniture.

How you then blend these together with your own style is the key to a strong and ‘profit making’ interior scheme. I viewed a house once where the individuality of the interior designer shone through

lime green tiles in a kitchen. Personally, it’s not to my taste and judging by the length of time the property stayed on the market, the individuality was too strong and unconsidered.

Spring Willows is a home that captures bespoke joinery from Bonsai throughout which includes doors, staircase and furniture. The distressed oak floor flows throughout and its rich depth is complemented in the kitchen by a wall of dramatic plum. Or Sanderson’s Wortle to be exact which has been expertly applied by a master of his craft, Mark Migasiuk of Paper & Paint. The real wow factor is all in the ‘moment of truth’, that instant intake of breath as you walk through the front door and witness a staircase that has been custom built. It is neither ultra modern nor timeless. It’s more than both of these descriptions. Subtle LED lighting is discretely positioned under each tread, the grain in the joinery washes through the whole structure as if it is a seamless piece

Bonsai’s ‘Sensu’ and ‘Timber Windows’ ranges bring timber right up to date with the latest technology and materials

‘The real wow facture is all in the ‘moment of truth’, that instant intake of breath as you walk through the front door.’

‘It defines the house and is a statement of intent as to what will follow.’

of architecture. The owner promises me it was worth every penny but in relation to what an off the shelf stair case unit would have cost her; it was good value for money. It defines the house and is a statement of intent as to what will follow.

The master bedroom features a bed straight out of a film set, gas strutted bed which automatically opens the bed to allow for storage. Again, discrete lighting underneath and luxurious walnut makes this a room beyond any six star hotel grading.

Joinery Shop Manager Leigh Taylor worked closely with the owner to realise her aspirations of her interior scheme and he believes Bonsai’s philosophy was key to a successful working relationship. ‘Bespoke is the heart of our organisation giving us the unique ability to tailor solutions according to the needs of any client. We have a can do attitude but we’re also grounded in what can add value to a property. Spring Willows is a perfect example of how a new house, albeit it a

very nice one, can become a truly stunning home,’ said Leigh.

Timber is at the heart of everything at Bonsai and though they value traditional craftsmanship they also welcome the chance to mix timber with unusual and exotic materials such as glass, leather, metals, resins, concrete and composites.

‘We have a strong creative streak and enjoy the challenge of making something unique,’ said Leigh. This character is on show throughout this home. From the leather inlays in the bedroom furniture, to the technology the company uses to monitor underfloor heating systems and the adaptability of their craftsman to create furniture that compliments existing pieces in the home. ‘The owner has a particular cabinet she loves but wanted to replicate the look, feel and craftsmanship in a matching display cabinet. We used the same woods and detailed carpentry skills to match the existing piece. Essentially

anything the client asks of us, we will try and deliver. We appreciate that what we do is not off the shelf, so much of our work for property owners is surrounded in combing the clients personality and demands, with a level of investment in technology and expertise in order to realise their aspirations,’ explains Bonsai director Lee Stillwell. ‘Ours is a small and specialised operation dedicated to high quality, exquisite attention to detail and consummate craftsmanship over mass production. Our comprehensive service covers initial consultation and design through to manufacture and final installation.’

Bonsai take attention to detail extremely seriously, whether it be the type and method of finish that is applied to the timber across a whole project; the way they create matching step, junction and perimeter details to ensure a client’s floors appear to flow seamlessly; or the precision with which they combine.

The combination of a client who possesses an ability correlate an interiors scheme that is both unique in design and broad in appeal is a talent in itself, together with skills of local craftsman is

‘We appreciate that what we do is not off the shelf, so much of our work for property owners is surrounded in combing the clients personality and demands, with a level of investment in technology and expertise in order to realise their aspirations,’

For further information on Bonsai Group’s range of services and products visit their extensive showrooms at Southside, St Sampsons or call 200011 to arrange an appointment. www.bonsaigroup.gg

This ‘fresh traditional’ farmhouse scheme was devised for a client with an appreciation for bold colour and luxurious, textural fabrics.

Given the home’s low ceilings and easterly orientation, certain rooms were designed to incorporate soft greens, embracing the quality of light reflected off the adjacent lawns.

TRANSFORMATION PROCESS

Planning for stylish interiors

by Michele Hilton, Principal, MHD

Your home is likely to be your most important asset. It’s tangible, it’s where you spend at least a third of your time, where you relax or entertain, and create valuable memories with family and friends.

That said, it behooves a homeowner to ‘feather the nest’ with the elements that can allow you to benefit from the property as soon as possible.

As an interior designer I am passionate about helping clients imagine and realise the possibilities for their ideal, personalised interior.

Whether investing in home improvement, or moving into a new property, putting your personal stamp on an interior can be an exciting, however costly and time consuming process that is best achieved with a roadmap and team of specialists. Here are some points I suggest to clients preparing for the transformation:

Framing the vision Collect images or share associations with your interior designer so they can help shape the vision.

Work backwards from your current or envisaged lifestyle in the property before addressing the stylistic parameters.

While a designer’s focus is generally to create a cohesive plan and look for the property’s interior, collaborating with an architect on existing plans can expedite progress and identify if additional electric outlets, integrated lighting or support for future window treatments may be needed before the build stages, for example. For refurbishments, the process is less formal but still requires a designer’s time to plan and carefully source the right finishes and furnishings to suit.

With my own client’s residential or commercial projects for example, I start with a “solutions-oriented” approach considering the property’s location, light

levels and architecture before addressing the aesthetic goals and budgetary parameters.

Whether the scheme requested is classic or contemporary in general, I look to include the freshest possible “ingredients” appropriate for modern living.

This ‘fresh traditional’ farmhouse scheme was devised for a client with an appreciation for bold colour and luxurious, textural fabrics.

Given the home’s low ceilings and easterly orientation, certain rooms were designed to incorporate soft greens, embracing the quality of light reflected off the adjacent lawns.

For this period townhome, rustic floors and fine architectural details lent a neutral backdrop to highlight sumptuous velvet sofas and metallic finishes with a vintage sheen.

Bespoke seating and a coordinating feature wall were upholstered in fine, textural wools and finished with nail head detailing to exude a tailored look.

This ‘fresh traditional’ farmhouse scheme was devised for a client with an appreciation for bold colour and luxurious, textural fabrics. Given the home’s low ceilings and easterly orientation, certain rooms were designed to incorporate soft greens, embracing the quality of light reflected off the adjacent lawns.

Understanding value Place a premium on quality services and enduring products Today, because the design industry offers such a fantastic, if not overwhelming range of materials and products ranging from affordable to luxurious in price, a professional can help navigate through the process.

Selecting the right team to execute your vision is essential because industry expertise can help you edit through the “clutter” and avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Should you choose to work with an interior designer as part of your team, look for an experienced eye, product knowledge across the main soft furnishing categories, and familiarity with price points, at least relevant to the style they are most comfortable executing.

In summary, employing the services of an interior designer to realize your vision through to completion can result in a rewarding journey, as well as in savings for a coordinated professional service and unique furnishings solution that often costs less than retail.

Considering the cost.

‘Today, because the design industry offers such a fantastic, if not overwhelming range of materials and products ranging from affordable to luxurious in price, a professional can help navigate through the process.‘

Include “interior design” as a line item on your budget to extract maximum value from the property.

Similar to the build process, a complete interior design scheme relies on smart planning and innovative ideas; as well as a careful orchestration of the relevant suppliers, manufacturers, shipping agents and subcontractors. Needless to say, the larger the budget and square footage committed upfront, the greater the cost saving a designer can achieve on your behalf.

As a guideline, to complete a soft furnishings and finishes scheme to medium specification, including new furniture and upholstery fabrics, window treatments, decorative lighting, carpets, and select decorative accents, expect to allocate on average 8-15% of the value of your home.

Bespoke seating and a coordinating feature wall were upholstered in fine, textural wools and finished with nail head detailing to exude a tailored look.

For inquiries regarding personalised interior schemes for new build, refurbishment or investment properties, please contact Michele Hilton to arrange an complimentary initial consultation at: info@michelehilton.com

Michele Hilton spent her formative years in urban capitals including Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Paris before graduating from The George Washington University with a degree in the History of Art. She accepted a position on Wall Street in New York City before transitioning to the design and home furnishings realm to pursue her true passion. While continuing studies in Interiors at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, Michele honed her product knowledge and management

skills on the supplier side of the business working for design giants such as Martha Stewart, Sotheby’s and a luxury interior textiles group purveying fine furnishings across the retail, trade and luxury hotel segments. Michele’s collaboration on global advertising and show home productions led to a handful of private commissions which inspired her to start a small practice in New York before relocating to Guernsey, Channel Islands with her family in 2008.

Business

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS GEORGE COURTESY OF VISIT GUERNSEY (GUERNSEY IMAGES LIBRARY)

‘To this end the Dairy embarked on a successful corporate re-branding initiative that saw the introduction of the current packaging design reflecting old world charm with the gingham and contrasting black panels to give it a premium look.’

THE MILK MAN Andrew Tabel is a former engineer who found that redundancy gave him the opportunity to do something different.

Nine years on and he’s guiding the Guernsey Dairy through one it’s most challenging times.

Tell us about yourself and how you went from being an engineer to the Dairy manager?

Having left school with a handful of GCSE’s and not really knowing what I wanted to do I found employment with a locally based manufacturing company and then proceeded to embark on a 5-year engineering apprenticeship. This provided me with a solid foundation on a wide range of skills that could be transferred across different sectors of industry and commerce. Career progression took me from first-year apprentice to Production Manager over a 20-year period when in 2003, due to the business relocating to the UK, I found myself faced with redundancy. I joined the Guernsey Dairy as Operations Manager in late 2003 and became the General Manager in 2008.

Since you started at the Guernsey Dairy what has been your proudest achievement to date?

One of the challenges faced by the Island’s

dairy industry is to ensure the continuity of supply of fresh liquid milk is maintained throughout the year and that the premium quality of local dairy products are represented by the packaging – quite often considered the ‘decision-maker’ when developing brand preference. To this end the Dairy embarked on a successful corporate re-branding initiative that saw the introduction of the current packaging design which reflecting old world charm with the gingham and contrasting black panels to give it a premium look. By working closely with a local Advertising Agency the Dairy was able to provide a panel on the milk carton for advertising that offered the business an alternative and additional revenue stream.

The advanced sale of advertising space meant that the re-branding initiative didn’t cost the Dairy any money, and would have the added advantage of raising additional funds for the business.

mandated to operate commercially within the context of government intervention designed to maintain Guernsey’s traditional countryside.

Our aim is to provide a modern processing facility for the local dairy industry that supplies a range of high quality, fresh local milk, and milk-products to meet local demand at an acceptable price to the consumer. This has to be achieved every day of the year and if we can’t supply enough (or in an extreme situation, any local milk, the result will be the importation of milk into the island. This could have an impact on the local dairy industry and its viability.

What is the most challenging part of your job and the most rewarding?

Is it time for the dairy industry to introduce a code of practice between dairy, farmer and retailer?

The Guernsey Dairy is a “Trading Board”

Generating an operating surplus to fund the business’ five-year rolling CAPEX programme is fundamental to the continued success of the Dairy and the industry on the island. The rewards and satisfaction come from achieving these objectives.

The Dairy, which is owned and operated by the States of Guernsey, sits between the Producer (Farmers) and the distribution/supply chain (Milk Distributor) both of which are independent privately operated businesses.

Primarily the three main protagonists (four if you include the retail outlets) are mandated to operate under various pieces of legislation – for example, the Milk Law and subsequent Ordinances date back as far as 1955. Service Level Agreements and Terms and Conditions that detail supply and distribution criteria are in place and periodically reviewed as efficiencies and improvements are sought. We have quite detailed codes setting out the way milk distribution links to Dairy customers, with farmers having various additional codes on countryside management and welfare.

So it is fair to say that the relationship between the Dairy and Farmer, the Dairy and

Milk Distributor, has been in place for many years and is set out in quite detailed policies.

‘The risks associated with a more competitive market place and the need to satisfy the demand for processed fresh local milk at an acceptable price to the consumer suggests a continual review of the situation is maintained, and identified risks mitigated.’

The risks associated with a more competitive market place and the need to satisfy the demand for processed fresh local milk at an acceptable price to the consumer suggests a

continual review of the situation is maintained, and identified risks mitigated. The Dairy, being at the hub of the industry, gets involved in most aspects of this work.

Do you think the local community fully comprehends the challenges facing the dairy industry and what can we do more to help apart from buying more milk?

There is a lot more to the Island’s dairy industry than meets the eye. In a simplistic view, its all about cows in fields and milk cartons on doorsteps but its not until you start to unravel and tease out the various facets that you start to appreciate the complexities involved in maintaining a viable industry on the Island, and the impact this has on the Island’s rural landscape for which we, for now, remain its custodians. It is this legacy that with careful consideration and planning, we can preserve for future generations of Islanders to enjoy.

Supporting the “Original and Best” and “Guernsey Assured” ethos is fundamental to the continued success of the Island’s dairy industry. By buying locally produced dairy products you are ‘recycling your £’, helping to support the continuation of the world famous breed of Guernsey Cow in her Island home, and contributing to the Island’s economy.

Influences outside of our direct control have the potential to disrupt matters. The difficulties faced by farmers this year with the unfavourable weather conditions have highlighted how vulnerable the Island is to fluctuations in raw milk production. The delicate balance between raw milk production and that needed by the Dairy to sustain continuity of supply cannot be taken for granted, with any shortfall having the potential to undermine the local dairy industry by leading to the threat of milk imports.

Overall, I would say that the community does understand the broader issue and always responds in a supportive way to these threats and challenges.

If the Dairy was to commercialise how do you see Guernsey Dairy Limited developing?

As a Trading Board under the direction of The Dairy Management Board, the Guernsey Dairy’s mandate is to operate commercially within the context of government intervention designed to maintain Guernsey’s traditional countryside. Its main objective is to provide a modern processing unit for the local dairy industry, that supplies a range of high quality dairy products for local and export markets, and to satisfy the local demand for processed fresh Guernsey milk at an acceptable price to the consumer.

The current business model allows the Dairy to continue its development by investing any operating surplus from its trading activities back into the business which forms the basis of its rolling 5-year CAPEX programme.

As a Trading Board, the Dairy is self-financing and operates as a quasi-commercial business.

Having more autonomy from the States of Guernsey may deliver small efficiencies but these would need to be carefully balanced against the potential risks that may threaten the long-term viability of the Island’s dairy industry.

In the interim, the Guernsey Dairy will continue to perform a vital milk processing and marketing role, operating at the interface between the raw milk producers (Guernsey’s dairy farmers) and the people of Guernsey, as customers. In this way it can continue to act as a key factor in protecting the Island’s dairy farming industry and preserving the unique nature of the Guernsey countryside.

I think a commercial Guernsey Dairy would evolve carefully as it would undoubtedly be charged with acting in a responsible way that supported and maintained our very special dairy farms. The Dairy has a good deal of

independence to act on a day-to-day basis so greater commercialisation (and it does depend what is meant by that) would enable it to make any changes in a measured manner as it already endeavours to operate in a very cost effective manner.

The World Guernsey Cattle Federation Conference takes place in the island next year. Some would argue it’s as big a deal as Potato Pie Film so what is the dairy or and States of Guernsey, doing to help support this exciting event?

The Dairy has been involved in early discussions about how it can help support and raise the profile of the 14th World Guernsey Cattle Federation Conference being held in the Island next year. This prestigious event will also see members of the Guernsey Global Breeding Programme descend on the home of the Guernsey Cow from all corners of the world. Since its launch the GGBP has actively

encouraged discussion and co-operation between the member organisations of the World Guernsey Cattle Federation. The outcome of this has been the involvement of some of the world’s leading cattle institutions in the development of a globally sustainable breeding programme to establish the Guernsey as a modern dairy breed of true global economic importance.

It may surprise some Islanders how famous the Guernsey breed is around the world and the fantastic reputation that it has amongst its peers.

Cattle breeders will be travelling to Guernsey see our cows in her island home and meet the farmers who follow a long line of tradition by helping to support, maintain, and promote the breed. They are all tremendous ambassadors for Guernsey and we will be helping the organisers to make their stay on the island very welcome.

THE WORD IS COMING The 14th World Guernsey Cattle Federation Conference will take place in the island next summer. Specialist breeders and geneticists from all over the world will be visiting Guernsey and the rest of the Bailiwick from 1st-12th July.

Local farmer Ray Watts, who is president of the Royal Guernsey Agricultural and Horticultural Society and the World Guernsey Cattle Federation, says this is a significant occasion for the breed and for the island: ‘Islanders should feel proud of the wonderful reputation that the Guernsey breed has around the world as a highly durable animal that can produce the very best products in difficult conditions. We are expecting many highly-regarded breeders from the UK, USA, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to visit local farms all over the Bailiwick and discuss the challenges and issues that the modern dairy farmer has to face.’

‘Every three years the federation meets to discuss breeding policy, potential problems and how we develop a breed that will suit conditions in different countries and is right for modern day farming methods.’

Infertility is an issue in the USA where geneticists have advised a halt to in-breeding.

The visiting delegates are very keen to look at Bailiwick herds where breeding has been well-documented and substantial records have been kept. They believe that local practices may shed light on information that could lead to a solution to the problem.

Mr Watts says that the Guernsey breed is held in very high esteem around the world and the most profitable herds in Australia and South Africa are Guernsey. ‘Breeders who keep Guernseys know the quality. We get requests regularly to ship animals out all over the world but we can’t as it would deplete the stocks here. As farmers in the Bailiwick, we are governed by milk quotas and land availability for keeping animals. The breed is also a crucial element of traditional island life, we have to justify to Guernsey people that it is worth maintaining.

We are expecting many highly-regarded breeders from the UK, USA, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to visit local farms all over the Bailiwick and discuss the challenges and issues that the modern dairy farmer has to face.’

I

t seems hard to believe that it was back in 2007 that the financial crisis started with the failure of Northern Rock and Lehman Brothers, followed by part-nationalisation of RBS and Lloyds.

At that time there were apocalyptic predictions of a 30s style crash, with unemployment soaring and soup kitchens on every street corner. While the economy is struggling these dire predictions have not been realised, in the UK at least.

Having dipped back into recession in 2012 due to a lack of finance, credit availability, the Eurozone and fiscal consolidation, the outlook for next year is likely to improve following the latest announcement that the UK has come out of recession having previously contracted for six consecutive quarters.

We expect the economy to grow in 2013, albeit at a moderate pace, as consumer spending and net trade increases, making a positive contribution to growth.

The outlook going forward is likely to be one of only moderate growth with the economy expanding at below trend rates, while European troubles are likely to remain the biggest downside risk.

The main impacts on the UK consumer and economy are: Eurozone, Consumer confidence /spending, Unemployment, Housing, Inflation , Interest rates, Bank lending The Eurozone remains the greatest unknown, and potentially the largest, risk to the UK economy.

EU banks still need to be recapitalised and the bank bailouts, necessitated by large property exposures have now moved attention to sovereign debt.

Meanwhile the underlying structural issues such as lack of competiveness in a number of Euro countries remain a strategic challenge. These issues will require a European consensus, which is far from being achieved; indeed the EU policy response will need to extend beyond liquidity facilities and financial support. The difficulties in achieving that political consensus across Europe are highlighted by a backdrop of unemployment in Germany at 8%, but 25% in Greece and Spain.

Consumer spending has remained depressed this year, as confidence and pay growth have remained weak, and inflation has eroded purchasing power.

While we do not expect this picture to see a rapid reversal, the outlook should be a little brighter next year as consumer spending experiences a mild rise, +1.5% in 2013 and real household net income grows by +0.5%.

Predictions from some economists that unemployment would rise to four million, or more, have not come to fruition. In fact the number of people out of work in the UK has recently fallen to 2.5 million. Despite the economy’s weak performance, the labour market has remained remarkably resilient. Latest data shows employment having risen 510,000 over the past year, while

ECONOMIC

OUTLOOK 2013 CEO of Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited Stephen Henry looks ahead to what the economy may bring in 2013.

‘Our relative resilience amid the UK and Europe’s turmoil owes much to our small size and activities within the finance industries, our lack of debt and high per capita GDP. In fact, some of our success could be our biggest weakness in that it could be the source of more frequent and powerful attacks by the EU and UK.’

unemployment has fallen to 7.9%. Given the prospects of a modest recovery over 2013, we expect to see a continued improvement in the labour market with the unemployment rate falling to 7.1% by year-end.

The inflation outlook is set to remain difficult.

Despite the recent moderation in Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to 2.2%, its lowest since November 2009, we do not expect this positive news to last for long. For 2013 as a whole, we expect CPI inflation to remain above the Bank of England’s 2% target averaging 2.7%, a touch lower than in 2012.

The banks continue to receive a bad press for miss selling of products and the deemed reluctance to lend to companies, which is causing a drag on the UK economy. While many banks have sufficient liquidity to lend, the reluctance or inability to lend is due to difficulties in historic loan books and reduced capital from losses.

UK authorities announced measures this year, the most important being the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) whereby the Bank of England will incentivise banks to boost their lending to UK households and non-financial companies. It will do this by providing funding to banks and building societies for an extended period, at below current elevated market rates and with both the price and quantity of funding provided linked to performance in lending to the UK non-financial sector.

The FSA’s recent decision to relax the capital treatment of loans, made as part of the FLS,

is set to ease regulatory requirements further.

Capital constraints rather than liquidity pose the greatest hindrance to lending. Cheaper wholesale funding costs combined with easier regulatory requirements should provide an environment more conducive to a pick up in lending in 2013. It should be noted however that concerns regarding credit risk and uncertainty over the economic environment would still weigh on lending decisions during the year.

The UK housing market remains depressed and prices remain stagnant while activity remains well below long-term trends. Continued tight lending conditions, particularly for first-time buyers, and high loan-to-value borrowers continue to drag on the UK housing market. As a result the outlook remains relatively weak. Schemes such as FLS and particularly the decision by the FSA to relax the capital treatment of loans made under the FLS should be positive for the housing market.

We expect a gradual pick up through 2013 with activity likely to rise, helped by greater mortgage availability, while prices should experience some upward momentum. Our forecasts envisage prices rising 1.6% in 2013.

Given the economic outlook we expect the Bank of England to maintain the base rate steady at 0.5%. In fact we do not currently envisage a tightening in policy until Q1 2014, where we see the base rate rising to 0.75%. This is clearly good news generally for the economy as it remains over borrowed although clearly not good news for the

savers among us.

Closer to home, in October the States of Guernsey launched the consultation phase of the Economic Development Strategy which will be used to develop the States Strategic Plan in 2013.

There will also be a separate Finance Development Strategy, which will dovetail into the ‘umbrella’ Economic Development Strategy, so we look forward to seeing the outcome of these.

In comparison to the UK, Guernsey’s GDP fell by 2.9% in 2009 but grew last year by an estimated 1% and this year is forecast to flat line, with a return to positive territory expected in 2013.

Our relative resilience amid the UK and Europe’s turmoil owes much to our small size and activities within the finance industries, our lack of debt and high per capita GDP. In fact, some of our success could be our biggest weakness in that it could be the source of more frequent and powerful attacks by the EU and UK. The future will depend on our ability to continue to grow our economy by moving into new markets, products or even completely new lines of business. Given the limited employee base for Guernsey, care needs to be taken before we launch into diversification into new industries.

But generally, the outlook for 2013 is moderately brighter than it has previously been.

‘Generally, the outlook for 2013 is moderately brighter than it has previously been.’

SNAP

CRACKLE AND POP The staging of the Olympic Games in London in 2012 seems to have spurred many people to take up, or resume, some sporting activity – but with any sport, there is always the risk of injury and recovery needs to be carefully managed – as Gareth Corbett of The Medical Specialist Group discusses.

It is great to see people going sports mad and the resulting increase in sport participation in the Bailiwick.

All sports, whether team or solo, can be great fun to do, very sociable and provide massive health benefits.

Unfortunately though, there is always a risk of incurring an injury that may leave you unable to participate in your sport while you rehabilitate – or may even lead to permanent injury.

In the UK in the last year, the NHS has seen a 14% rise in sports injury cases and more than half of these were males between 10 and 29 years of age.

An injury may put people out of their sports for a period of time, but serious injury may mean that they are never able to compete at the same level again or even force them to change sports or give up sport altogether.

There are two classes of serious injury: Acute Injuries These occur suddenly and include bleeds, broken bones, dislocations, torn cartilage, torn or rupture ligaments and head injuries; these are more common in sports where there is sudden impact, such as a football tackle, a judo throw or a twist playing netball.

Chronic Injuries These build up over time that can be serious if not dealt with early; they include overuse syndromes, inflamed tendons, bursitis and arthritis.

Chronic injuries often relate to bad technique or previous injury and they occur in all sports and can put athletes out of a sport completely.

Nb. Head injuries are an acute event, but both single or repeated injuries can lead to chronic issues such as headaches, balance & coordination problems.

‘In the UK in the last year, the NHS has seen a 14% rise in sports injury cases and more than half of these were males between 10 and 29 years of age.’

Serious injuries will require specific treatments to get the athlete back to their sport and a GP should be consulted before embarking on rehabilitation.

One of the main aspects of the rehabilitation process will include some very specific exercises that may be given to you by your doctor, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. It is important that you do these exercises regularly so that the body can recover its strength and coordination.

As an Exercise Physiologist, many of my most commonly injured clients are not always young men – with some being “weekend warriors” who do no activity or training during the week then push themselves to the limit at the weekend!

I also see a lot of “returners”, who had spent many years not playing sport due to family and work commitments – then decide to go back to it at the level they used to play at, but without any build-up or preparation.

It is always best to try and prevent injury from occurring in the first place and the following tips are designed to give you the best

chance of remaining injury free.

TOP TIPS TO AVOID INJURY: Warm up Spend at least 10 minutes gradually building up from walking to jogging to some short sprints. Once you are warm, do some dynamic (moving) stretches that are sport specific. This warm up will not only help prevent injury, but will also improve your performance.

Don’t over do it If you are returning to sport after some time off, start at a lower level and build up gradually; for endurance sports, increasing effort by no more than 10% per week is a good target.

It is best to return to training at a lower level and build up a fitness base before pushing yourself.

If you are unsure of how fit you are, then see a professional experienced in sport specific fitness testing. If you have been off sport for some time (or if you are working at elite levels), it may also be prudent to have medical and cardiac screening.

Performance strength and conditioning Get an exercise physiologist, in conjunction with yourself and your coach, to set a programme tailored to your sport that includes improving your cardiovascular fitness, strength, power, flexibility and reactions.

Avoid dehydration and over-hydration Getting dehydrated can lead to decreased performance, as your mental and physical performance will be impaired.

You can tell if you are well-hydrated by the colour of your urine – which should be a light straw colour.

Another way is to weigh yourself before and after competitions and training; your weight should not drop more than 2% - and you should definitely not put weight on as this can be a sign of over-hydrating, which can be dangerous.

Use the right technique Talk to your coach or an exercise physiologist and have your technique checked, as this can often reduce the chances of chronic tendon

‘Spend at least 10 minutes gradually building up from walking to jogging to some short sprints. Once you are warm, do some dynamic (moving) stretches that are sport specific. This warm up will not only help prevent injury, but will also improve your performance.’

Image courtesy Powerade

‘We also hear stories about sports people who push on through their event with serious injuries – such as the USA sprinter Manteo Mitchel, who ran the second 200m of his 400m relay leg with a broken fibula!’ or ligament conditions; it is important to then practice new techniques, so that they become automatic when you are in competitions.

Use proper equipment Sporting equipment is varied and it is vital that it is properly set up or fits well; if a helmet doesn’t fit properly, it is not going to provide full protection; if a bike saddle is not at the right height you may end up with a chronic knee issue; if you haven’t got the right footwear for the conditions or floor type, you are more likely to sprain an ankle; and so on.

Cool down Spend between 5-10 minutes cooling down after a vigorous game or training session, as this gives time for the body to clear by-products and also reduces some stiffness; it also gives a chance for the heart to slow gradually, which takes a lot of stress off it.

Sometimes injuries cannot be avoided no matter what training you have and are just down to the nature of the sport or to sheer bad luck. Prime examples are Bradley Wiggins recent road accident on his bicycle, followed only a day or two later by his coach Shane Sutton also having a road accident on his bicycle!

We also hear stories about sports people who push on through their event with serious injuries – such as the USA sprinter Manteo Mitchel, who ran the second 200m of his 400m relay leg with a broken fibula!

He drove through the pain of a broken bone in his lower leg because he knew he was being relied on by his team-mates to get a qualifying time.

Often we mere mortals will try to do this too and push on even though we are in pain; but if the competition isn’t something to which you have dedicated your life, then it is best to listen to your body and stop.

Stopping immediately will decrease the chances of the injury developing into something more serious that will put you out of the game for even longer; it is better to miss half a game or event than to miss the next few events – so stop, assess and seek medical advice if needed.”

First Aid for Acute Injuries If you incur a sprain or strain, the initial treatment should include rest, ice, compression, elevation and toleration.

Over-the-counter anti-inflamatory medication or pain killers can assist, but if it doesn’t show signs of improvement, it is best to see your GP. Obviously for more serious injuries, it will be necessary to go swiftly to the Accident & Emergency Department at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Remember that, even though you may have prepared well for your sport, there is always an inherent risk of injury involved – even if the health and social gains of leading an active life do far outweigh being sedentary.

So get out there and enjoy sports, but look after yourself – and listen to your body!”

Gareth Corbett recently moved to Guernsey with his local wife and young family and he works as an Exercise Physiologist at the Centre for Modern Medicine, a subsidiary of the Medical Specialist Group.

Gareth, 37, has a Masters Degree in Exercise and Sports Science and uses exercise prescription to aid with the prevention and management of chronic conditions.

He studied for a BSc in Zoology at the University of Liverpool between 1992 and 1995, while at the same time serving as a midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserves.

He then worked in the UK pharmaceutical industry for four years, before moving to Sydney in Australia to continue that work for a further five years.

‘I never felt completely happy in an office environment and so decided to return to university in 2005, this time to complete an MSc in Exercise & Sports Science,” he said. “On becoming an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, I then opened my own gym, called Over Forty Fitness, and built it up from a hobby business to a viable facility with over 500 regular users.’

While running the gym, Mr Corbett also supervised University of New South Wales students for their practical placements, which earned him the title of Conjoint Associate Lecturer.

Gareth Corbett

AT YOUR SERVICE

The St John Ambulance and Rescue Service Guernsey. We often see the name as we drive up and down the Rohais but who are they and what exactly do they do?

Alison Robins reports for The Rock.

At 5pm on the 2nd of June 1936, with a handful of volunteers, a second hand ambulance and as part of the old St John Ambulance Brigade, the Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue Service responded to its first casualty. Seventy-six years later this unique organisation has become an essential, and sometimes overlooked part of island life.

The St John Ambulance and Rescue Service of today responds to over 4,600 emergencies a year, including call outs to Herm and Sark. Eighteen paramedics and 24 Emergency Medical Technicians are on hand to help with these call-outs as well as three full-time Patient Transport staff who transport 7,000 non-emergency patients each year.

The Service also has a Cliff Rescue team with staff on the team trained in cliff rescue techniques and casualty evacuation using recognised climbing and mountaineering equipment.

Then there is the in-shore rescue boat which operates around Guernsey’s coastline and the adjacent islands and is also provided by the Ambulance & Rescue Service.

Two inshore boats, on call 24 hours a day, are housed at the Ambulance & Rescue Headquarters, ready to be dispatched overland to the launching slipway nearest any reported incident. The Service also maintains a small inflatable boat for dispatch to inland flooded areas or water-filled quarries.

And there is the marine ambulance: the Flying Christine III is a 45-foot marine ambulance. Launched in 1994, it is one of the few vessels in the world built to a unique design specifically for the high speed provision of medical aid at sea.

Possibly one of the least known areas of the Service is the Healthcare Equipment Centre. Based at the Ambulance Headquarters, it consists of two lower showrooms, with a smaller show area upstairs. It literally sells hundreds of products from wheelchairs to walking sticks, made-tomeasure recliner chairs, mobility scooters,

‘At 5pm on the 2nd of June 1936, with a handful of volunteers, a second hand ambulance and as part of the old St John Ambulance Brigade, the Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue Service responded to its first casualty.’

slippers plus many other products.

In addition to items which help disability, there is also a comprehensive display of first aid kits and supplies. The Centre assembles first aid kits to suit any situation, whether a large office, a passenger-carrying ship or a personal kit for the home. Kits can be supplied to comply with legislation in any country. A service is offered where people can bring a first aid kit to the Centre for checking, so that used or out-of-date items can be replenished.The Centre also offers a full maintenance back-up with experienced enginners.

As a non-profit charity, all proceeds from the Centre contribute towards the other areas of the Ambulance and Rescue Service.

Malcolm Mechem, Senior Manager at the Centre describes it as like Harrods ‘where we try to find any product that is needed!’

The Centre works closely with all the community occupational therapists, along with HSSD and SSD and also supply

As a non-profit charity, all proceeds from the Centre contribute towards the other areas of the Ambulance and Rescue Service.

Malcolm Mechem, Senior Manager at the Centre describes it as like Harrods ‘where we try to find any product that is needed!’

products to Alderney, Sark and Herm.

The Rock came away thinking of something that had been said in a recent Pilates class about a particular muscle strengthening exercise: ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it.’

The St John Ambulance and Rescue Service doesn’t receive any funding from the States of Guernsey to support these rescue teams. Each year £126,000 is needed to keep these services operational.

The existence and operation of these essential rescue services relies entirely on financial support from local businesses and donations from the public. Without this tremendous support the continuation of the Service would not be possible.

The Service’s work relies on donations, “We are asking for a little bit extra, but we’ll provide a lot more in return”. Malcolm Mecham ended our tour with a heartfelt plea ‘We would ask the public to get involved, visit the Healthcare Equipment Centre, or donate today. Their support will make a difference!

‘We would ask the public to get involved, visit the Healthcare Equipment Centre, or donate today. Their support will make a difference!

s te rry u in e fe m e 5 th ly om to th n O fr 10 ps lk d ho s wa an

We love our Neighbour!

Special rates for Channel Island residents.

As we celebrate our 5th birthday this November we want to commemorate the year YOU were born! For Channel Island residents, room rates are simply based on the year of birth of the oldest guest in the room.

So if you’re born in ‘64, your room will be ÂŁ64, or if you’re born ‘72, your room will be ÂŁ72.

The highest rate on this offer is ÂŁ79 so all those ‘80s / ‘90s babies out there won’t pay more than ÂŁ79! This is one offer where you won’t want to lie about your age! +YIWX 6SSQW ERH 7YMXIW ˆ 1EVXIPPS &EV 8IVVEGI ˆ ;EXIVJVSRX &VEWWIVMI 8IVVEGI 3RWMXI K]Q TSSP WEYRE ERH WXIEQ VSSQ ˆ :MWEKI 7EPSR JIEXYVMRK )PIQMW ERH .IWWMGE 2EMPW 'SQTPMQIRXEV] SRWMXI GEV TEVOMRK ˆ 0MZI QYWMG 7EXYVHE] IZIRMRKW ERH 7YRHE] EJXIVRSSRW Room only rate includes use of the leisure facilities. ÂŁ25pp for 2 course dinner and breakfast.

8 'W ÂŻ :EPMH *VMHE] 7EXYVHE] ERH 7YRHE] RMKLXW JVSQ YRXMP ID required on check in. Guests must have a valid CI post code.

Quote ‘the Rock’ at time of booking.

The Waterfront, St. Helier

radissonblu.com/hotel-jersey

On your doorstep

in association with Blue Islands

JE T’AIME The capital of L’Amour and the ‘shexiest’ of cities will be on your doorstep next year thanks to Blue Islands. Claire Hendy explains why a break in Europe’s best short break cities is like taking your relationship for an annual service.

Direct flights from Jersey with great connections with Guernsey. It’s the fastest, most efficient way to get there, avoiding transfers through the UK.

‘Once a year, spend at least one weekend away with your spouse, without children. Even if you have to leave them under the stairs with a jumbo bag of Senners doughnuts to munch on for two days, make sure you escape.

Call it a relationship service or annual MOT. Check under the bonnet, change the spark plugs, don’t forget the ant-freeze and make sure your pipes are in good working order!’

You may have to dress it up in a way that doesn’t make him think it will involve two days of hand holding around museums or negotiating pleasantries with waiters artfully wielding too large a peppermill. As long as he thinks of it as an interesting way to escape a weekend of Dad taxis, DIY or dinner parties round at the vegetarian neighbours, then happy days.

Our destinations of choice are Paris or Amsterdam. Selected because Blue Island flies direct to both cities via Jersey starting 2013. Make your man feel like it’s an expedition, ask him to plan a route from airport to hotel. Logistics, men like that sort of stuff. You might want to drop into conversation that his favourite actress Jennifer Anniston is a regular visitor to Paris or that Beyonce is partial to the Dylan Hotel in Amsterdam. If Amsterdam’s sexy reputation is raising an eyebrow now would also be a good time to remind him that those two months of John Le Tocq boot camp you have just completed have many, many benefits. Now he’s bought into the concept of escaping then err on the side of romantic caution. The truth is, it’s a fool’s errand to plan too many romantic scenarios. The fact you’re not arguing over the kids homework or heating bills, is a good place to start. Let it build from there but where to go. ‘Shex in the City’ or ‘From Paris with Love’.

Paris

For all the talk of spring in Paris, the city is actually truly perennial. In autumn and winter, when tourist crowds are smaller, the city’s cafés still hum and the streets throng with natives. This everyday Paris found in sidewalk cafés or in the bookstalls lining the Seine — is equally exciting as any of the city’s grand monuments. If hubby wants to do little but people watch then you’ve picked a great city at this time of year. Paris is an abundance of amazing food, shopping and was the birthplace of boutique hotels. Plan to do at least one sight seeing excursion in the morning because if you find the right place for a cosy lunch and a wood burning stove, time may take over and your day will soon pass into night and that’s when the clock winds back and you find yourselves feeling twenty something again. Then, you can let the romance begin.

Flying with Blue Islands Paris has lots to offer whether you have time to plan a trip to Disneyland or if you’re only there for short stay, a Paris Pass is your one stop shop for everything you need for a fantastic trip to Paris. It’s a specially designed sightseeing package that provides you with everything you need to discover the city.

Paris airport Charles de Gaulle has connections to more foreign destinations than any other airport in the world, operating flights to New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and many more. Why bother with Gatwick and Heathrow connections? Next time you’re planning an international trip, consider starting your trip with our flight to Paris, saving you time, money and stress.

Blue Islands offer direct flights from Jersey with great connections from Guernsey.

Prices from £99 including flights to Jersey.

Flights four days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat).

‘This everyday Paris found in sidewalk cafés or in the bookstalls lining the Seine — is equally exciting as any of the city’s grand monuments’

Hotel le Bristol bar Menu: French canapés and hautecuisine bar snacks including beef carpaccio and urchin taramasalata. English Tea daily 3–6pm with pastries and sandwiches.

Prices: Canapés €£12, caviar £70, bar snacks €£25. Beer £10, wine €£15 or €£60–€£400/bottle, cocktails €£15–€35.

C’est magnif ique Paris is still the culinary capital of the world and if you’re planning a trip the best has just got even better.

Even for a hotel of almost mythical extravagance and size, The Bar in Hotel le Bristol is staggeringly luxurious. Dripping with chandeliers and studded with flower sculptures, the large marbled room manages to remain on the safe side of gaudy with a tasteful and calm atmosphere that belies its grandeur. Plush antique settees offer space for guests, while aproned waiters glide silently between tables to refresh the cocktails for which the bar is famous.

Those concoctions do not come cheap, however, as the well-off patrons can attest as they sip longtime bartender Cyril’s storied Drako, a curious treasure of gin, lime, passion fruit, and tarragon.

A night of decidance. Once in a lifetime experience but according to those who have, it’s well worth it.

Le Fumoir

If design is a subject that means a lot to you, try Kong. The restaurant at Maison Kenzo revealed by Philippe Starck. Kong’s outdoor terrace, gallery and smoking room feature Louis XVI furniture. It encourages to dine, drink or simply socialize in the alfresco space

Any restaurant-bar located near the Louvre Museum should be a tourist trap or overpriced. Remarkably, Le Fumoir is neither. Le Fumoir serves brunch and dinner daily, and stays open late for a fine martini — or three. Try the stand-out appetizer, herrings marinated in xérès (sherry) with creamed cucumber on spiced bread. The restaurant’s decor is discreet, with dark leather and smooth lacquer, and the book-lined rear dining room is wonderfully intimate. With Wi-Fi and a generous spread of international newspapers and magazines, it’s also the ideal place to lay your plans for attacking the city’s sights, many of which lie within striking distance (the front door of the Louvre is steps away).

Situated in the 16th district, Bon design restaurant comes back for the autumn season with a new “world cuisine”-inspired menu dominated by Asian flavours. In terms of decor, at Bon, there is a choice between several fun and trendy areas: the new wine-room with its huge panoramic window, the intimate boudoir, the cosy “chimney” room, the “library” room lined with books and enormous bookshelves and, for smokers, the comfortable and surprising smoking room.

Bon

Hotel Pulitzer

AMSTERDAM The city that is now on your doorstep via Blue Islands has attracted the wrong crowds in recent years but it appears things have changed by the canal.

Amsterdam is a gem of a city that will keep both of you enthused, mixing cool café culture with sharp shopping, flea markets, gourmet restaurants and a high-gloss nightlife scene.

The stag parties have long ago moved on to cheaper Eastern European destinations, leaving Amsterdam for the two of you to enjoy. It is the perfect short city break: easily navigated on foot, filled with history and dripping with beauty. While Amsterdam is well known for its liberal policies, forget everything you’ve heard about the city’s reputation as a party destination and instead discover one of Europe’s most underrated cultural destinations with worldclass museums, 400-year-old canals, excellent cuisine and warm hospitality. On this occasion the romance can start in earnest as the cultural theatre on offer can amaze even the most skeptical visitor. Grown men have been seen in floods of tears leaving the Anne Frank museum so hubby may need you shoulder to cry on.

The geographic heart of the city is Amsterdam’s world famous UNESCO World Heritage-listed canal belt, which arcs out in concentric circles from the city centre.

According to Virtual Tourist’s reviewers (who rate it as the third best thing to do in the city), no visit is complete without a canal tour and it’s

a great way to get acquainted with the city.

Amsterdam has an outstanding collection of art museums. Highly recommended is a look through the top floor studio of Rembrandt House, the collection of Dutch Masters at the Rijksmuseum and next door, the magnificent Van Gogh Museum. Head to theKeukenhof flower gardens, located a short bus ride from Amsterdam if tuplips are your thing. If you can’t make it during tulip time, the Bloemenmarkt Floating flower market in the centre of the canal belt is open year round.

The remarkable Anne Frank House, where diarist Anne Frank and her family hid during the German occupation of World War Two remains an important pilgrimage point for most visitors to Amsterdam. For those keen to know more about this time, the Dutch Resistance Museum, is also a must and is an action packed history of second world war that your loved one will enjoy.

For things to do shopping can be an intriguing experience. A world away from your average European high street, Amsterdam has a quirky shop on every turn.

The Waterlooplein flea market (every day except Sunday) is a local institution, while The 9 Straatjes (or the ‘9 Streets’ that run

from Leidsestraat and Raadhuisstraat) is the boutique shopping quarter. For convenience, Amsterdam’s oldest department store, De Bijenkorf, on Dam Square has a wide selection of international fashion brands and local designers under one roof, while the the Moooi Gallery is the city’s hippest furniture storecum-interior design mecca. At Boerenmarkt (Noordermarkt; Saturdays 9am to 3pm), you can pick up organic produce and sample Dutch delicacies. In the evening, the sexy Supperclub is still the place to head for; there’s a small dance floor, where you can party until 4am. Recover on Sunday with brunch and live jazz in the Art Nouveau surroundings of the Eden Amsterdam American Hotel or try the brasserie fare at Mazzo.

Accomodation in Amsterdam is diverse. The Hotel Pulitzer has a picture-perfect location in the old city. Enjoy a cocktail in the Pulitzers Bar, or try the hip environs of Pulitzers Restaurant.

For a push-the-boat-out sort of occasion, The Dylan is still the city’s sexiest hotel (despite recent competition from the newly opened Canal House), while for something a little more affordable, but still offering plenty of style, Hotel V is a really good bet.

‘The stag parties have long ago moved on to cheaper Eastern European destinations, leaving Amsterdam for the two of you to enjoy. It is the perfect short city break: easily navigated on foot, filled with history and dripping with beauty.’

BLUE ISLANDS

BOOK NOW STARTS FEB 2013 From

£89

Direct flights from Jersey with great connections from Guernsey.

KITSCH, CLOTHES, FLOATING FLOWERS, TREASURE HUNTING AND A WHOLE LOT MORE Shopping in Amsterdam is an experience to savour and the markets are one of the best ways to soak up the local culture.

Amsterdam’s markets are alive with the colours, smells and sights that define this multicultural city. Discover the village atmosphere of the city’s neighbourhood markets, most of which are open year-round, rain or shine.

E

veryday shopping with the locals.

Amsterdam has a number of lively neighbourhood markets filled with food, flowers, clothes, housewares and often a bit of kitsch.

Whether you call it eco, bio or organic, Amsterdam has a number of markets that feature only sustainably produced products. The focus is on food, but you’ll also find everything from clothes to cleaning supplies. These markets are generally held once a week: head to the Nieuwmarkt or Noordermarkt or Saturday, or the Haarlemmerplein on Wednesday.

You’ll find Amsterdam’s best-known flea market on the Waterlooplein six days a week. The variety of stalls almost defies definition – there’s everything from spray paint and bicycle parts to vintage clothes and pillowcases. Serious treasure hunters should head over to the IJ-hallen in Noord. With 750 stands, this monthly event is the largest flea market in the Netherlands. Queen’s Day might just be the best flea market ever.

The entire city turns into one gigantic market with residents lining the streets to sell their second-hand goods.

If you’re looking for something in particular, Amsterdam also has quite a few speciality markets. For example, the floating flower market is one of the city’s top attractions, offering cut flowers, plants and bulbs, plus plenty of souvenirs. Local artists display their work once a week on the Spui and book lovers can browse used titles on the Spui on Fridays or six days a week at the Oudemanhuispoort – a charming covered alleyway.

On Mondays, the Westerstraat focuses on textiles – including both clothes and fabric sold by the metre. Stamp and coin enthusiasts will find something to add to their collections at the small market held every Wednesday and Saturday. Finally, the Westergasfabriek is home to two fun markets that pop up once a month. The Sunday Market features everything from gourmet treats to handmade jewellery, while the Neighbourfood Market sells delicious food from local producers.

£25 OFF

WestQuay shopping

For all those planning a trip to the UK or France for New Year Shopping sales or Ski Trips you have until the 20th December to quote ‘25RK’ and receive a £25.00 discount!!

OFF YOUR ROCK You don’t need to go far to have an action packed break away.

Gather friends, family or just you and a loved one for a short break to Hampshire and the surrounding area. There’s an amazing amount to do AND The Rock has selected a handful of activities to keep you busy during your break away…

Shopping outside the box West Quay is the favourite of many an islander but Hampshire has so much more to offer including excellent farmers markets, a gigantic IKEA and antique reclamation yards.

IKEA Enjoy long opening hours at arguably the UK’s best IKEA superstore. You’ll find all of IKEA’s 12,000 products and there’s plenty of covered parking. The crèche is open for three to eight year olds and a clearance sale starts December 20th and continues well into the new year. You’ll find IKEA on West Quay Road.

IKEA

ACE RECLAMATION

Hampshire Farmers Market

WESTQUAY WestQuay is located in the heart of Southampton city centre, boasts over 90 stores spread over three shopping levels. With major stores including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis and leading fashion retailers such as French Connection, Coast, Dune, Zara and River Island, you can be certain to find exactly what you’re looking for.

DORSET RECLAMATION For an alternative new year sale head to Ace Reclamaition in Dorset for an eclectic mix of interior and exterior architectual elements.

Set on just over an acre and based in Hurn, , very close to the Hampshire border. Ace Reclamation has always specialised in both demolition and reclamation leading us to have one of the largest ranges of varied reclamation

and architectural antiques. Whether you are looking for a period basin, a grand fireplace or simply some inspiration for you Guernsey home then you may well find it here. Address: Pine View, Barrack Road, West Parley, Hurn, Dorset BH22 8UB Opening Times: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm & Saturdays 9am to 2pm Hampshire Farmer’s markets Taking place all year round come rain or shine, in Petersfield, Winchester, Romsey, Alton and Southsea, these markets feature an ambundance of Hampshire produce from wine to pies, sauces, honey and everything in between.

Half term adventure Set in a Great Park with Adventures for Everyone. There’s no doubt you’ll leave Moors Valley Country Park with a monkey sized grin.

‘This Tree Top Adventure features zip wires and some 1000 metres of crossings. www. go-ape.co.uk

Lainston House Hotel

Langrish House

Chewton Glen

Treehouses at Chewton Glen

Chewton Glen

Where to rest

Spa at Chewton Glen

Langrish House Voted one of the best loved hotels in the country in a nation wide poll.

Home to the Talbot-Ponsonby family over 7 generations, Langrish House is much more than a Traditional Country House Hotel, it is a private home as well. Built during the Civil War, and in its heyday during the Victorian era, it is full of history.

Nestling in stunning Hampshire Countryside, in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, Langrish House has beautiful gardens, especially during the Spring when the bulbs are out.

Every room is en-suite, with IDD telephone and central heating. Extra beds are available for family use if required.

All the rooms are individually decorated and enjoy views across the grounds and surrounding countryside.

The award winning restaurant, ‘Frederick’s’ serves superb food and cream teas are a speciality!

In the heart of rural of Winchester Lainston, A charming 17th century house hotel standing elegantly in 63 acres of Hampshire parkland. Delicate archways and loggias frame the picture perfect entrance and a small amble reveals a beautiful 12th century chapel ruin and pretty dovecote amidst copious

countryside.

With an abundance of atmosphere and character, your stay can take you on a memorable journey through the elegant lounges and drawing rooms, scented gardens where you can indulge in afternoon tea and wonderfully individual bedrooms with unique Hampshire views.

WIN ATRIP WITH CONDOR

Mr & Mrs Smith favourite Chewton Glen is a luxury country house hotel and spa set in 130 acres on the edge of the New Forest. Each of the 70 bedrooms and suites has been decorated individually to provide the ultimate in luxury A CAR PLUS TWO PASSENGERS TO THE UK or FRANCE and comfort. The combination of unique antique furnishings and magnificent fabrics COURTESY OF CONDOR FERRIES has created a sophisticated and modern classic style.

Vetiver offers a variety of dishes from a selection of menus and has held three AA Simply answer this question and either email the Rosettes continuously since 1993. The style of cookery is eclectic, and extensive use is answer with your name, a daytime telephone number made of fresh local produce such as wild and a postal address to hello@welovetherock.com mushrooms, vegetables and game from the New Forest, and seafood from Christchurch and Lymington. A vegetarian menu is always Or post your entry to The Rock, C/O Herald Print, Braye available. A selection of over 60 exclusive Road Industrial Estate, ST Sampons, beauty and body treatments is provided by a team of GY2 4WX highly qualified therapists and fitness instructors. The club is spacious and luxuriQuestion: ous, and features the latest In the UK, what’s the earliest date that New technology along with the Year Shopping sales start from? A) 1st Jan, highest level of comfort.

B) 5th Jan, C) Boxing Day For all those planning a Recently launched at Chewton Glen are 12 brand trip to the UK or France Terms and conditions: Subject to availability. Expiry new Treehouse suites. Set for New Year Shopping date of prize is 21st March. high amongst the woodland sales or Ski Trips you canopy siz remarkable tree Prize is non exchangeable for cash. have until the 20th house suites are emerging December to quote from their forest setting. The Tree House Suites appear to ‘25RK’ and receive a float across a wooded valley £25.00 discount!! and provide wonderfully unique and luxurious accommodation. www.chewtonglen.com.

THE PRIZE:

£25 OFF

WHAT ON E YOU GONE

ARTH HAVE AND DONE? If you thought Vauxhall cars were restricted by their reputation for reliability and comfort then think again.You can now add to that list desirability as The Rock looks at the new face of Vauxhall.

I

f you thought Vauxhall cars were restricted by their reputation for reliability and comfort then think again. You can now add to that list desirability as the Rock looks at the new face of Vauxhall.

Talk of Vauxhalls struggles have been highlighted in recent years. A marquee that lacks the personality of its rivals.

Good cars but a bland reputation. Like a wounded animal, Vauxhall has come out fighting. Contrary to the popular belief in British media circles that Opel and Vauxhall are brands their parent company General Motors are growing tired of, in 2012 Vauxhall was England’s fasting growing retail car brand. Some would say it’s been a revolution but

motoring journalists are beginning to accept that a brand that moved into more new sectors than any other car manufacturer is one we should be taking note of. So, is this changing people’s perception of Vauxhall?

‘This has been a landmark year for us,’ said Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director.

‘We’re now the UK’s fastest growing retail car brand, taking 9.4 per cent of the retail market, up from 8.6 per cent in 2011. Cars like the GTC and Zafira dominate their respective sectors, and as we head towards our 110th year of continuous manufacturing in the UK, the future’s never looked brighter for new Vauxhall product.’

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ADAM Vauxhall, would admit themselves that they’re heritage is not steeped in fashion. They are a brand associated with working class British values.

Smooth Italian types they are not. That said, they are practical, reliable and steadfast in their driving experience. Not grrreat! But bloody good. If you were to add to this a sprig of style then the ‘Grrrr’ is certainly a possibility. For example, for years Manchester United were a quality football club, universally respected but it wasn’t until King Eric came along that the good became a purring ‘Grrreat’. A team with style, panash and grit in equal measure. Vauxhall now have a big slice of Eric, or in this case - Adam.

Vauxhall’s stylish urban-chic newcomer, is poised to take the fashion-led A-sector by storm when it arrives in Guernsey. The all-new funky three-door hatchback, seats four people comfortably, and is Vauxhall’s first entrant into a segment. Personalisation begins with the selection of one of three trim levels – ADAM JAM (fashionable/colourful) – ADAM GLAM (elegant/sophisticated) and ADAM SLAM (racy/sporty). The next level of customisation comes with the addition of option packs, and from here the possibilities are virtually endless, with the choice of 12 body colours, 15 seat designs, 20 alloy wheel styles, three printed headliners and no less than 18 interior décor panels, to mention just a few.

Ground breaking customisation is matched with forward thinking technology introductions. Exclusive to ADAM, IntelliLink, the new on-board infotainment system, integrates the owner’s smartphone (Android and Apple iOS) with the car, making internet based applications available on the facia mounted touch screen. Other features include a new-generation Park Assist that automatically parks the car, a Side Blind Spot Alert and a power steering system including a ‘light touch’ CITY mode.

‘Thanks to its striking design and class-leading technologies, ADAM will attract young and young-atheart customers from both genders’ said Freelance Motors Rob Cornelius. ‘This car will compete with the best in the sector.’

TOP DOWN

Cascada’s design team, headed by Brit Mark Adams, has created a car with classic lines, redolent of the Grandes Routieres (luxury touring cars) of a bygone age

The new Vauxhall Cascada is a full fourseat, fabric-roof convertible which at nearly 4.7 metres in length is longer than an Audi A5 Convertible and positions Vauxhall in a sector that it hasn’t occupied since the 1930s. Cascada’s design team, headed

by Brit Mark Adams, has created a car with classic lines, redolent of the Grandes Routieres (luxury touring cars) of a bygone age, matched with a capacious cabin and high-quality materials so perfect for a jaunt on the continent. Cascada’s dynamic credentials will be highlighted by an immensely rigid body, which is torsionally 43 per cent stiffer than Vauxhall’s last open-topped car, the Astra Twin Top. It will also use the much-praised HiPerStrut front suspension which was initially used on the 325PS Insignia VXR.

Over 3,000 UK orders have already been received for the new Mokka small SUV. Mokka adds a new sports utility vehicle (SUV) to the Vauxhall portfolio, and into the expanding compact SUV segment.

Compact SUVs fall under 4.30 metres in length, distinguishing them from their larger counterparts. While many other segments are showing limited growth, the compact SUV market has grown by an impressive seven per cent (first half 2011 versus first half 2012). This rapidly growing segment, which includes the Skoda Yeti and the Nissans Juke and Qashqai, allows Vauxhall to break into brand new territory.

With a striking appearance, safe and spacious, the Vauxhall Mokka will appeal to a wide range of islanders. Research has shown that the typical Mokka customer leads a very active lifestyle where leisure activities play a central role in his or her life. That is why the Mokka with its many optional extras, like the FlexFix bicycle carrier, is perfect for people who want to balance their busy daily lives with leisure activities.

‘The Mokka takes its design cues from larger SUVs and integrates them into a compact, yet modern form,’ explains Rob. Potential customers are also predicted to be technology-savvy people who rate safety

FUELLING YOUR DESIRE With recent reports showing a gallon of petrol is set to hit £6.16 across the UK, there’s never been a better time to switch to low cost, eco-friendly, electric motoring. This year’s European Car of the Year − the Vauxhall Ampera − offers the perfect solution.

The Ampera’s groundbreaking propulsion system offers all of the benefits of electric driving without any of the drawbacks.

Providing the battery is charged overnight, there is every chance you could go for months without having to visit the pumps. Add to this the on board range-extender which will supply electricity should the battery be depleted and you have the first electric car suitable for everyday use.

For as little as £1 the Ampera provides a battery powered emissions free range of 25-50 miles. This range is ample for the average daily UK commute which research shows is less than 30 miles. The car also comes with a Lifetime/100,000 warranty.

BEST IN THE BUSINESS

Forget shopping online this Christmas, if you want the latest in home technology you need to head to the heart of the island to find the epicentre in electrical retail and repairs. Jon Taylor, reminds us why keeping it local is your ‘Best’ bet when it comes to technology.

‘The Sound & Vision retail showroom at Bailiffs Cross is a shrine to technological entertainment, a veritable feast of the latest Sony, LG, Samsung, Sonos and Yamaha gear’

C

hristmas is a time for us to relax with family and friends, to over indulge and reflect on the bible’s teachings.

My wife’s family Catholic traditions means the cerebral aspects of this festive period are never far from our hearts but such is the heathen in me I also worship from the alternative bible, the Christmas edition of the Radio Times. The Radio Times is my two weeks of indulging in such treats as The Great Escape, Italian Job and Christmas specials

such as Morecambe and Wise, Only Fools and Horses, Total Wipeout and Top Gear. It is my version of TV heaven. Unfortunately, preChristmas 2011, it proved to be more a case of TV hell after the family Sony Bravia decided to go on the blink.

I surmised a constant prodding of the screen by one brother to the other, over who should be shooting who on an inappropriate Xbox game involving American Special Forces operatives, may have had something to do

‘We retail the finest brands at respectable prices.

Contrary to the perception of internet shopping, we match and often beat most prices online. We’re VAT free and due to our long established relationship with many of the brands we promote, we can negotiate very good deals,’ Andy Best

with the blur that was appearing across our five year old LCD. Fortunately, a quick search on the internet revealed local home electronics retailer Sound & Vision are the manufacturer approved repair agents for Sony so a quick call to them and the next morning a van arrived to collect said LCD. A spring cleaning of the tube core inside the set was enough to bring the screen back to life. An insignificant charge later and out comes the magic marker to attack Radio Times schedule ensuring the whole family are aware of what we’re watching over the festive period.

Sound & Vision have been fixing televisions for over twenty years. The family run business was started by Andy Best in 1988 and has become the epicenter for all things technological for any selfrespecting local gadget aficionado. What is most interesting about this technology store is the fact they fix more than just TV’s.

‘We’re certainly recognised locally for our association with Sony but we’re also official repair agents for Samsung, LG, SMEG and Hoover Candy. Quite simply, any white and brown goods that you own we can, more

often than not, fix!’ explained Andy.

‘Our engineers have an award winning reputation for providing our customers with a fast and efficient repair service. We can service and repair your television, cinema sound system, Hi-Fi components, video and DVD systems as well as mini Hi-Fi and microwave ovens so before you throw your item away please get in touch with us in the first instance,’ said Andy Best junior who is an all round technology encyclopedia.

It would appear growing up in the family business has rubbed off on Best junior.

Sound & Vision will endeavour to provide free estimates on all items delivered to their purpose built workshop at Bailiffs Cross, St Andrews, with all repairs generally being completed within five working days. If your repair requires a call out, then the guys will be with you within two working days.

‘We also provide an installation service if you are worried about setting up your new television or cinema sound system. If you are having problems with your television service we can run a digital health check on your system with a printed report as well as re-tune your television if required. With

wireless technology becoming ever popular we can fully network your property for your television and media components and run a site survey on your wireless signal to check for any interference problems,’ said Andy senior.

A range of services in keeping with the ever changing world of technology. Keeping up with technological trends is a fundamental part of our business. We have to be aware of the now and the next ten years, especially if we’re involved with a complete home entertainment system. The last thing a homeowner wants is a system that’s obsolete in five years time,’ said Andy junior.

The Sound & Vision retail showroom at Bailiffs Cross is a shrine to technological entertainment, a veritable feast of the latest Sony, LG, Samsung, Sonos and Yamaha gear.

‘We retail the finest brands at respectable prices. Contrary to the perception of internet shopping, we match and often beat most prices online. We’re VAT free and due to our established relationship with many of the brands we promote, we can negotiate very good deals,’ said Andy senior.

TECHNOLOGY Two decades in the technology business certainly means he knows what he’s talking about.

Andy Best of Sound & Vision guides us through the must have’s for Christmas 2012 as if he was Santa himself.

European 3D TV of the year The HX85 brings improved picture enhancement technology with X-Reality PRO, to enhance lower quality signals, taking you closer to HD quality as well as making 2D & 3D images clearer. Connectivity to the online world through your TV has never been easier than with the Sony Entertainment Network, it offers unlimited on-demand movies and music while helping you stay in touch with family and friends though the pre-installed apps for Twitter®, Facebook® and Skype. All this while looking super stylish in your living room with newly designed stands and screens.

Sonia Bravia HX prices from £999.99 Available from Sound & Vision

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

SOUND&

VISION 237999

TEL: Bailiffs Cross, St Andrews

Play it again Sonos

VIDEO CAMERA BUILT FOR ADVENTURE Sony Action Cam Full HD, Wi-Fi enabled video camera with SteadyShot, 5 filming modes, waterproof case & hands-free kit.

Price £199.00 Available from Sound & Vision Listening to your favourite music is simple with the Sony RDPX200IP Portable iPod, iPad & iPhone wireless docking system.

Stream music directly to your RDPX200IP with the handy Bluetooth connection, letting you connect to your speaker from PC, iPod, iPad or iPhone without having to worry about wires.ditional tweeters, which help to boost your music and with 40 W of power, your tunes will sound superb.

Price £129.99 Available from Sound & Vision

The Sonos Connect lets you play all the music you want, all over your house, on audio equipment you already own e.g. your home cinema receiver, stereo system, powered speakers, and more. Got an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch? Simply download the free Sonos Controller app and turn it into a full-fledged Sonos Control that works over your home WiFi network. If you want a dedicated controller that everyone in the house can use, the touch screen Sonos Control is available separately.

Got a desktop or laptop? Then use the Sonos Control for Mac or PC for added control. They all work together seamlessly so mix and match to your heart’s content.

The Connect liberates the music on your computer and the Internet so you can play it all over the house.

Wherever there’s a player, you can listen to your entire collection of iTunes music, plus thousands of free Internet radio stations. And it works seamlessly with the most popular music services so you can stream millions of songs and stations from the Internet to the rooms of your choice.

You can even connect the Connect to your favorite audio source such as an iPod or CD player and listen on all the Sonos players throughout your house.

Available from Sound & Vision

ULTRA HD TV LG 84 inch ULTRA HD TV presents a whole new level of picture quality, boasting a resolution four times higher than Full HD. Naturally, it is incredibly immersive, vivid and crisp, even when viewed from close distances. Ultra Definition TV is the future of TV viewing and brings the cinema experience home. £1899.99 Available from Sound & Vision

Step into a world of new possibilities on your TV. Sony and Google have come together to give you the freedom of the web on your big screen with an Internet Player with Google TV. Enjoy easy access to your favourite websites, YouTube™ and more at the touch of a button. Your home entertainment will never be the same.

Price £169.99

Digital recording binoculars The MDR range of headphones are best around. The studio monitor headphones are a high-end choice for professional DJs, musicians and producers. They simulate a sound field which is closer to the sound source, giving a balanced tone and an accurate idea of how your music sounds.

Prices from £19.99 Available from Sound & Vision

Experience the best the great outdoors has to offer, see it all in vivid detail, and enjoy it all the more in the knowledge you can relive it at home as it records in perfect clarity. Digital recordable binoculars from Sony let you get as close as possible to wildlife, sporting action and the great outdoors, with high magnification. Plus, you can enjoy it all again at home in High Definition and 3D. Prices from £1,139.99 Available from Sound & Vision

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

SOUND&

VISION 237999

TEL: Bailiffs Cross, St Andrews

The Yamaha RESTIO ISX-800 is an elegant, new floor-standing style desktop audio system with sophisticated styling and superb sound. It features a built-in iPhone/ iPod Dock, CD player, USB input, an FM/AM Tuner and IntelliAlarm.

Price £399.99

MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS A TECHNOLOGICAL WONDER

SOUND&VISION RETAILER AND MANUFACTURER ENDORSED REPAIRER BAILIFFS CROSS

ST ANDREWS

GY6 8TU (NEXT DOOR TO CO-OP EN ROUTE)

e: soundandvision@cwgsy.net

www.soundandvisiongsy.com

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PROVIDING SLEEP COMFORT AT ITS BEST The new range of beds from Jensen feature beautiful tailoring with a selection of woollen fabrics to choose from. A wide range of headboards and accessories have been designed to complement the beds.

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