VIVA MANCHESTER & CHESHIRE WINTER 2014 ISSUE 19

& TER HES NC MA

VIVA IRE ESH CH

big s ’ A V I ‘V Christmas er hamp ay

w giveade’ insi

ALL THAT GLITTERS! Make a statement with this season’s hottest party looks

MEXICO Riviera Nayarit, mexico’s new holiday destination on the pacific coast

CHERYL There’s something noticeably different about cheryL

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

& HAPPY

NEW YEAR!

Christmas dining and NYE parties

VIVA WINTER 2014 / 15

C

an you believe it’s nearly Christmas and this is our last issue of 2014?

What an absolutely fantastic year it has been in Manchester. This city just gets more amazing each year and we love it!

This is VIVA’s big festive party season issue. Inside these festive pages we have Christmas cuisine and some winter wonderland tipples, NYE ultimate party guide and we’ve gone all metallic with this year’s party look in our fashion pages.

One of the biggest shows on the planet hit our TV screens a few weeks ago. Yes, I’m talking about X factor and Cheryl has come back as the feisty fourth judge this year, we just had to get an interview with the newly-wed Mrs Fernandez Versini. (what a brilliant surname) As Kate Moss said on celebrity Gogglebox, ‘Once X factor is on TV you know it’s time to start your Christmas shopping!’ Well this year you may not have to do any Christmas shopping as VIVA has its big Christmas hamper up for grabs! We’ve got everything in it; from clothes to bottles of Snow Leopard vodka, to beauty products, to a ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ travel game. You’ve got to be in it to win it so make sure you enter and you could be that lucky winner having an extremely great Christmas!

We gave the legendary voice of UB40, Ali Campbell, a little call to chat about the new album ‘Silhouette.’ UB40 will be playing Manchester Academy on December 21st. We can’t wait!

If you didn’t see all over Twitter and Facebook this August, we sent VIVA Ems and Sam on a little trip to Riviera Nayarit in Mexico! These two partied like rock stars at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vallarta and were treated like royalty at the Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita plus they did everything Mexican in between. Read their travel trip story in our travel section.

On another note, come January there will be a little VIVA baby girl arriving as VIVA Becs is expecting on the 6th January! Check out our new VIVA kids pages and keep up to date with the latest baby products and tips.

A big thank you to you all for subscribing and reading VIVA throughout 2014. It’s been an amazing year for us and we hope it has been for you too! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2015!

Big Love VA Team VI

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 03

VIVA INSIDE

FEATURES

FASHION

16_ Exclusive interview feature with Cheryl 22_ Winter fashion story: All That Glitters!

62_ Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s new holiday destination 82_ It’s nearly New Year’s Eve party time!

86_ Interview with Ali Campbell, the legendary voice of UB40

13_ 15_ 33_ 35_

Catwalk trends: Winter Wonderland Catwalk trends: Mad for Monochrome Shop the highstreet: Marvellous Metallics Shop the highstreet: Arctic Adventurer

BEAUTY + HEALTH & FITNESS

37_ Christmas must-have beauty essentials 38_ Get the look this party season with Cassie Lomas 46_ Keeping trim this party season with Sam Witter 47_ Drink Kangen Water and have a Happy (hangover-free) Christmas

HOME, LEISURE, BUSINESS & TRAVEL 50_ Xmas cribs, ‘with bells on’ 58_ Business success story: Jennie Platt 60_ VIVA’s ‘Italian job’ charity challenges for kids rally 2015

FOOD AND DRINK 68_ Festive feasting in Manchester 70_ A winter wonderland tipple 72_ Your must-have seasonal drinks with William Grant & Sons

VIVA LAS MANCHESTER & CHESHIRE

LIVE MUSIC, THE ARTS AND FILM

73_ Mark Wright was all heart at Rosso 76_ Droppin’ it like it’s hot at Snoop Dog’s Birthday party 78_ Manchester gets an early white Christmas at Atlas Bar 80_ MCR was kickin’ cancer with Chico & The Happy Mondays

88_ On the VIVA music radar: Black Rivers 89_ Kermit Leveride takes over the VIVA ipod 90_ Ten Manc’s by Karin Allbinsson: Chris Sievey

TEAM VIVA Give us a little tweet...

The editor emma WILKINSON @VIVAEms

Art director REBECCA LEGON (not a social networker)

Sales & marketing LOUISE ADKIN @AngelMediaLou

Senior designer Ed Wilkinson @eddiewilky

Copy sub-editor KEITH McDONNELL @geraldthejag

Head of photography KARIN ALBINSSON

Follow VIVA: facebook/vivamagazines twitter.com/vivamagazines instagram.com/vivamagazines youtube.com/vivamagazines

Issue 19 published November 2014 Fashion editor ROSS FORSYTHE @rossforsythe

Feature editor SAM BRAMWELL (a secret tweeter)

Health & fitness editor SAM WITTER @samwitter1

Motoring editor JACK MARSDEN

Food editor emma CHADWICK @ChaddersLife

Beauty editor CASSIE LOMAS @cassielomas

Drink editor David marsden @DrinksEnthusist

VIVA London KIRI BLOORE @KiriBloore

CONTRIBUTOR WRITERS Annaliese Watkins Claire Sinclair Jennifer Skehan Laura Nicholson Tereza Pevna CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Annmarie Stothard Elspeth Mary Moore Georgie Glass Shani Hodson

VIVA Magazine, Part 2nd Floor, Fourway House, 57 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 2EJ Tel: 0161 2280065 email: info@vivalifestyle.co.uk website: www.vivalifestyle.co.uk A readership of 60,000 in the Manchester and Cheshire areas

Film editor DARREN R L GORDON @DarrenRLGordon

VIVA TV TOBIAS LONGMATE @henrysradiator

VIVA website SHABIR hussain @shabby218

For annual subscription rates, please ring our enquiry line on 0161 2280065 or email info@vivalifestyle.co.uk. VIVA Manchester magazine is published quarterly (4 times a year) and is distributed in and around Manchester and Cheshire which includes Manchester city centre, Didsbury, Hale, Wilmslow, Altrincham, Chorlton and Salford.

Unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, photographic prints and transparencies are accepted only on the understanding that VIVA accepts no liability for loss or damage. No responsibility can be accepted for any breaches of obligation by advertisers. Strictly copyright all content VIVA Magazines. Reproduction, in part or whole, is forbidden without the express permission of the publishers. All prices included within this publication were correct at the time of print. All expressions and opinions demonstrated within this publication are those of the editor(s) including contributors.

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 09

VIVA R A D A R

GUEST ON

The Radar

HOT: Jake Bugg I have an eclectic taste in music and, even though I’m a country singer, I enjoy lots of other genres. My friend Viki and I went to a lot of festivals this year but our favourite was Leeds fest, mainly because we loved Jake Bugg’s set. I think he has a very distinctive voice and is a talented songwriter; great to have such an awesome talent from the UK. We were lucky enough to hang out with the bands backstage at Leeds Fest and Jake was so down to earth, polite and lovely.

Made us like him even more.

This issue ’s guest ra dar was brought to you by singer and actre ss Carolyn ne Poole

Red Lipstick

Carolynne Poole

I love red and usually wear red lipstick for a night out on the town. I don’t really like fussy, sparkly dresses.

I always keep it quite simple and just add the glamour with red lips or red shoes. My favourite is Red by Dita Von Teese, Art deco.

WHAT’S HOT & WHAT’S NOT My Dentist Rob Hughes Being a singer means having my mouth open a lot, ha! My smile has always been OK but not perfect and I have always been a bit of a softy when it came to sitting in the dentist chair from some bad experiences.

I’ve had root canal treatment in America and fillings in Harley Street but some were just terrible! I’ve finally found a dentist who isn’t scary. He has proved I can have treatment without pain and has given me a natural smile that can give the Americans a run for their money! So far I’ve had Invisalign braces and whitening with a pain-free root canal! My dentist, Robbie Hughes at Dental Excellence in Liverpool, is awesome and even better than that, he’s in the North!

My Futurelocks portable phone charger Texting, emails, twitter... all drain my iPhone battery so much, I constantly had it plugged into the wall.

Love putting this little portable charger in my bag so I can charge it on the go. Perfect for the festivals! It’s saved my skin a few times up to now!

Thom Evans... say no more! ha!

NOT HOT: Sunbeds I hate them and am always telling my friends off when they go on them. I think it’s important to look after your skin and who wants to look seventy when they’re fifty! It’s much nicer to just have a flush of colour and not to be super-tanned. You can always tell when people don’t have a natural tan and have used sunbeds because they look more pink than brown!

Rude Celebs Hate rude people in general but rude ‘Celebs’ who behave terribly because they are a little well known just make me cringe. It’s so unattractive to parade around an ego when manners cost nothing!

Big drawn on eyebrows Girls, if your friend has painted her eyebrows on and they look like massive slugs, be a friend and tell her!

Big eyebrows are nice but not if they’re painted on with pencil. It just makes your face look like a clown. I can never understand why girls do that.

Social Media trolls!

It always amazes me why people get kicks out of being mean from behind a computer. I was always taught that if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. I’ve got a pretty thick skin when it comes to people’s comments and opinions on line but there’s just no need.

Toms shoes I have a thing for Toms shoes. I can’t stand them! I always assume that those that wear them have smelly feet for some reason, probably because they wear them with no socks. They look like you’ve put your foot in an envelope and are certainly not attractive - on guys especially! yuk!

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 11

VIVA c o m p e t i t i o n s

WIN A Signed Michelle Keegan

Offical 2015 Calender...

The official 2015 Michelle Keegan Calendar is on sale in HMV, Clintons, Amazon, Play.com or danilo.com. But Michelle has given VIVA 3 signed calenders to giveaway to 3 lucky readers!

To be in with a chance to win answer the following question: Q. WHAT WAS THE NAME OF MICHELLE’S CHARACTER IN CORRIE?

Email your answer, name, telephone number and the subject title Michelle Keegan Calender’ to: competitions@vivalifestyle.co.uk

Photo credit: strict copyright www.vitalmanagement.co.uk 12 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

VIVA C A T W A L K T R E N D S 1. twood AW 20 14

2.

Vivienne Wes

3.

4.

Sacai A/W 2014

Winter Wonderland!

Winter is that time of year when all you want to do is hibernate under a duvet with a cup of tomato soup and a soppy romance novel.

Help is at hand this season with designers sending out collections that will warm even the frostiest of ice queens. Seen at shows such as Marni, Vivienne Westwood, Etro, Burberry, Prosum and Salvatore Ferragamo, the key to this season’s look is to think massively oversized wrap scarves and ponchos; chunky biker boots; intrepid, explorer-inspired backpacks and the biggest shearling coat you can find.

1. Hood Checked, Wool Cape, £89.99. Zara 2. Poncho Coat, £149. Zara 3. Sacai Shearling and Leather-Panelled Coat, £1965.

Selfridges 4. Wyeth Purple, Roll Neck, Wool Jumper, £705. Altuzarra 5. Halo Black Leather, Skinny Jeans, £485. Helmut Lang 6. Sansa Wool Cape, £490. Tuesday Night Band Practice at Hervia Bazaar 7. Ash Tempt Black, Studded, Biker Boots, £315. www.ashfootwear.co.uk 8. Cara Delevingne Bag, £995. Mulberry 9. Innis Checked, Wool Jumper, £345. Theory 10. Shearling Trimmed, Chunky-Knit Cardigan, £895. Karl Donoghue

6.

7.

words: Ross Forsythe

9.

Marni A /W 2014

5.

8.

10.

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 13

VIVA C A T W A L K T R E N D S

1.

3.

2.

Mad for Monochrome!

to A/W 2 Yamam o

4.

5.

Y-3 Yoh ji

1. Giuseppe Zanotti, Hi-Tops, £585. Selfridges, Mcr 2. MCQ Alexander McQueen, Razor Jeans, £295. Flannels 3. Versus Versace X Anthony Vaccarello, Iconic Print Jeans, £395. Flannels 4. Black, Lamé Jacket, £1245. Dsquared2 5. Moncler, Mountain Print Backpack, £880. Selfridges, Mcr 6. Deconstructed, Zipped booties, £79.99. Zara 7. Trapstar, Black, Marble Print, Cotton Bomber Jacket, £460. Harvey Nichols 8. KTZ Geometric Jumper, £185, Harvia Bazaar 9. Square-Print, Silk Shirt, £525. Saint Laurent 10. Comme Des Garcons, SHIRT Striped, Wool Jumper, £265. Hervia Bazaar

014

Light and dark / Yin and Yang / Day and Night, everything has its opposites in life and where better than in your wardrobe? Monochrome garments have always been a statement in a modern man’s clothing collection. With designers such as E. Tautz, Dior Homme, Tillmann Lauterbach and Kris Van Assche marching their models down the runway in this enduring trend, keep it simple yet sophisticated with these high-end hits.

words: Ross Forsythe

6.

7.

9.

Agi&Sam A/W

2014

Casely Hayfo

rd AW 2014

8.

10. www.vivalifestyle.co.uk | VIVA | 1 5

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VIVA I N T E R V I E W

S

ince returning to her seat for her fourth year as a judge on X Factor, having been away for what seems like more than four years, there’s something noticeably different about Cheryl. And it’s not just her new double-barrelled surname, Fernandez Versini...

The judge has come a long way since receiving a text from Simon Cowell’s people sacking her from the US version of the show. What, you forgot about that? So did we!

Back then, Simon himself even said that Cheryl was a ‘different person’ and that ‘she’d lost her confidence’ after turning up for the first round of auditions of the US show in ‘that’ infamous outfit.

After a rather public humiliation, she isn’t willing to take any chances moving forward with Simon Cowell warning him ‘never to let her down again.’

Returning to our screens every Saturday night feistier than ever, she’s adored by women. Not because of her sense of style, her petite frame or cheek but her reputation precedes her. With her head held high and her past forgotten, she’s working with recording artists to produce a totally new sound.

This is a woman who is a fighter and knows exactly what she wants - given her trials and tribulations. She wants to the set the record straight.

Cheryl herself confirms that she’s moved away from the days where perhaps she might have been in ‘crazy stupid love’ – a nod to her former partner.

Now it seems, she’s not afraid to show this completely new found persona and, if Saturday night live shows are anything to go by, her attitude is causing a stir among the judges and contestants alike. This assertiveness is clearly reflected in her new music.

Her new single, ‘I Don’t Care’ has a very up-beat dancy feel to it but we can’t help asking ourselves what or who the lyrics are really about? Is that cynical of us?

“It means exactly what it says on the tin!” she assures us. The song is, apparently, ‘One of those feel free, have fun, one of those don’t-really-give-a-sh*t-vibes.’

How she really feels about life right now, apparently.

Yes, Cheryl, we all get those days when we feel like, well, we’ve just left the office after a long week and we’re in need of a Lambrini or two!

Is this another response from the female artist still scorned by her former lover or, in fact, Simon? It seems not. When quizzed about how happy in her life she is right now and if this is the message that she wants to convey to her fans, Cheryl explains that she ‘hasn’t cared for a long time really.’ “You can’t live your life worrying about what other people think or say about you. Even if I do hope that people enjoy what I do, I can’t make that the sole focus of my life because that would make me miserable.”

Her modesty continues, shrugging off her second fashion distraction very well - after Simon’s ‘Kermit the Frog’ snide comment - despite warning Cowell. “I couldn’t care less, honestly. It’s not a big deal and I loved that dress. It was nod to the eighties.”

In her new video, Cheryl has a make-up-free appearance, which is stark contrast to her Saturday night dress code and well groomed mien.

From observation, it seems that this new-found attitude extends to her physical appearance. She is now, more than ever, comfortable in her skin and so she should be. After all, this is a woman who has been through the mill. Poor pet! “It’s quite liberating. In one scene I have make-up on from the night before, like when you wake up and you’ve forgotten to take >

“You can’t live your life worrying about what other people think or say about you. Even if I do hope that people enjoy what I do, I can’t make that the sole focus of my life because that would make me miserable.”

18 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

VIVA I N T E R V I E W “Obviously I’ve been in Girls Aloud for 10 years and pop has been a big part of my life and it’s important. However, I wanted to include a little bit of everything; me, pop and hopeful messages which I hope come through on this new album.” your make up off.” Yes, Cheryl – as if any woman likes to be caught on camera the morning after the night before! “In another scene I’ve got no make-up, running along the beach carefree. Like we all do in life.”

Ahem.

We do, however, admire how she’s encouraging us all to feel the exact same way about ourselves too.

“Enjoy life and stop worrying about pointless little things. Stupid things,” she explains. Hear hear, Chezza!

Going back her to album, there’s a strong R&B theme running throughout and she believes that this is now, perhaps, her sound. “It’s the kind of music that I grew up listening to. It’s who I am influenced by and that I enjoy.” will.i.am has had ‘a ‘massive influence over her solo career’. And having worked with Calvin Harris on the last Album, who is she willing to collaborate with next?

Keeping her career interesting, she has an ear to the ground and is heavily influenced by ‘people closest to her’ which is key to ‘staying relevant as an artist’ apparently. Cheryl confirms she has been working with Liam Payne from One Direction when writing her songs. “We worked on a ballad that was interesting and I wanted to put that on the album despite it not making the cut.” Liam recently remixed her latest single which is delighting fans in both camps.

Given the urban influences behind the songs on the new album, Cheryl proclaims that she doesn’t have a club record when she’s out partying regardless of the melody mixed in her new track and an interest dubstep. Although she remains true to her pop career.

[Never forget where you come from, lass!] “Obviously, I’ve been in Girls Aloud for ten years and pop has been a big part of my life and it’s important. However, I wanted to include a little bit of everything; me, pop and hopeful messages which I hope come through on this new album.”

It’s evident that Cheryl isn’t afraid of exploring new sounds or ventures. On Jonathan Ross Show, the singer and Mel B spoke about the idea of Spice Girls Vs Girls Aloud X Factor and is on ‘Simon’s case to make it happen.’

Even if the girl-band weekend tribute doesn’t progress further in the near future, Cheryl has already performed on the show even if it was on her own.

It’s hard for Cheryl to choose a personal favourite track from the album, changing her mind more often than she does her dresses. One thing she is certain of though, is her discovery of philosophy to help influence her fans and music which could be the reason for her new ‘I don’t care’ method. Her first track on the album opens up with snippets from philosopher, Alan White. “I was really blown away by it. I really related to it. I know lots of young teenagers and young kids online and on my social network platforms that are confused about life and which way to go or which direction to take. I felt it was a powerful message to put out there.”

Despite seeing herself as a recording artist first and foremost, television is an add-on and a part of what she does. “It is an extension of what I do. It’s still music related even if it’s not me. It’s me helping someone create what I do. It’s helping somebody and giving them to opportunity to have what I have. Look at One Direction, Cher Lloyd or even Ella Henderson, people who have come from the X Factor. To be part of a journey like that, it’s just as much fun as doing it yourself.” And this year’s winner of the X Factor is in her category – Cheryl firmly believing that one of her girls stand a chance.

So what does the future hold for Cheryl? Right now, she’s in discussions with her management to potentially tour the UK in 2015, after her role as a judge ends but in the long term, she is interested in considering management or running a label. Wow! There’s no stopping this woman who ‘doesn’t seem to care.’ ■ words: Sam Bramwell

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 21

Joseph Wears: Raf Simons Printed Shirt, £360. Hervia Bazaar Maison Martin Margiela Shirt, £215. Saint Laurent Jeans, £260. both from Selfridges, Manchester Sophie Wears: Benoit Missolin Diana Headband, £105. Hervia Bazaar Kenzo Dress, £640. Selfridges, Manchester

ALL THAT GLITTERS!

Make a statement with this season’s hottest party looks. Whether it is dark floral or mighty metallic, dress to impress and you’ll be on everyone’s V.I.P. list at The Milton Club.

Fashion Credits Photography & Post Production: John Rawson www.therawsonpartnership.net Art Direction: Adam Bryant adam@ethoshairdressing.com Stylist: Ross Forsythe Assisting: Elliott Callum ross@vivalifestyle.couk Hair: Sharon Peake us@ethoshairdressing.com Make-Up: Naomi Joy @ Creatives Agency Using, Charlotte Tilbury Models: Joshua Elliot & Sophie Bailey www.bossmodelmanagement.co.uk Location: The Milton Club Manchester www.themiltonclub.co.uk VIVA TV: Tobias Longmate

Joseph wears: Supertrash Jacket, £155. Blood Brother Shirt, £125, both from Harvey Nichols Manchester McQ Alexander McQueen Trousers, £320, Selfridges Manchester. Shoes, Stylist’s Own

Sophie Wears: Benoit Missolin Scarlett Rabbit Ear Hat, £190.

Gareth Pugh Corset Dress, £815. both from Hervia Bazaar Coach Mini Crosby Tote, £295. Harvey Nichols, Manchester Shoes, Stylist’s Own

Joseph Wears: Vivienne Westwood Suit, £655. Selfridges, Manchester Sophie Wears: Junya Watanabe Wool Patchwork Net Top, £775, Hervia Bazaar Patent Midi Skirt, £18. AX Paris

Sophie Wears: Biba Faux Fur Coat, £199. Adriana Papell Dress, £230. both from House of Fraser, Manchester

Sophie Wears: Pucci Dress, £1,235. Selfridges, Manchester 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Bag, £655. Harvey Nichols, Manchester www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 29

Joseph wears: Sibling Jumper, £420. Hervia Bazaar Sophie Wears: Biba Neckpiece, £65. House of Fraser, Manchester Jumpsuit, £40. AX Paris. Gold Belt, Stylist’s Own

Sophie Wears: Designer Laboratory Crop Jumper, ÂŁ100. Selfridges, Manchester

1. Iridescent sequin, three-qu arter sleeve, midi dress, £55. ww w.axparis.com

VIVA T R E N D S

3. Crinkle, Foil Kimono, £32. Oasis 2. Sequin Marl Tee,

Marvellous Metallics!

Anything that sparkles is a winner in my eyes and, with the party season fast approaching, bedazzle your contemporaries in these simply mega metallic garments.

Whether it is a full-on bling-fest from top to toe or a shiny statement accessory, play around with colour and tone to create a coruscating ensemble.

ss, £120. M dycon Dre

£45. www.axparis.com

Shop The Highstreet

4. Roberta, Bo

11. V-Front, Sequin Dress,

iss Selfridge

£30. Warehouse

5. Gold, Jacquard Trousers, £38. Miss Selfridge

words: Ross Forsythe

9. Motel Clutch Zip, 10. Metallic, Shift Dress, £70. Warehouse

£28. www.motelrocks.com

8. Rose Gold, Metallic Leather, Mini Skirt, £100. River Island

6. Mordred Boot, £90, Aldo

7. Gallop, Metallic Court Shoes, £58. www.topshop.com www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 33

1. Ultra-Light, Down Parka, £69.90. Uni

qlo

VIVA T R E N D S

2. Patterned Bobble Hat,

3. Knit Jumper, £29.99. H&M

10.

Shop The Highstreet

4. Pickford, Roll-top Backpack, £75. The North Face

Coated Jeans, £48. River Island

£18. Selected Homme

Arctic Adventurer Snowboarding, skiing or just braving a trip to the corner shop, winter can be quite an adventure! Go tech-savvy with an ultra-light, down parka or fashionably comfortable in some leather mountain boots and survive this season in style with these wonderfully warming pieces plucked from the high street. words: Ross Forsythe

9. Scarf, £18. Topman

8. Padded Jacket, £39.99. H&M

5. Heavy Rib, Roll Neck, £145. Whistles

6. Leather Mountain Boot, £89.99. Zara 7. Turtleneck Sweater, £45.99. Zara www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 35

VIVA P A M P E R I N G & G R O O M I N G FOR THE BOYS 1.

2.

NEW Murad Celebrate Firm Skin Christmas Kit . £155.48, from House Of Fraser.

NEW Benefit Candy Coated Advent Calendar £60, exclusive to Boots and Benefit Cosmetics, £60

3.

NEW MAC Red Lip Bag. £32, from Selfridges.

s a m t s i r ChUST HAVE M

4.

5.

ntials...

Beauty Esse

NEW Illamasqua Vintage Metallix Cream-gel Eye shadow (Bibelot colour) £16.50, from Selfridges.

6.

NEW Bare Minerals Ready Convertible Eye Shadow Palette. £35, from Selfridges.

Revitalise & Refresh...

NEW Crème De La Mer The Illuminating Powder. £70, from Selfridges.

NEW Jo Malone Limited Edition Pomegranate Noir Cologne.

100ml, £86, from Jo Malone

1. Ted Baker Grooming Room Cologne. £15, from Boots.

2.Lancôme Energiser Total Men. £39, from Boots.

3. Creed Green, Irish Tweed, Shaving Bowl. £50, from Harvey Nichols.

4. Dr Jackon’s Face Oil. £55, from Harvey Nichols.

5. The Gentleman Range,Pomegranate Face Wash. £15.00, from Harvey Nichols.

6. Dsquared² Potion For Man, Hair and Bodywash. £22, from Harvey Nichols. www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 37

Get the look this party season with Cassie Lomas, VIVA’S Beauty columnist and make-up artist to the stars!

It’s the party season, so it is time to get creative with your make-up. Throw away any fears and really go for some seasonal sparkle this Christmas and New Year. It’s that time of year when you can break all the rules.

LOOK ONE: When choosing a foundation you need staying power, so go for something with substance. Applying with a flat, dry brush will add more product.The Kevyn Aucoin, liquid airbrush foundation is a luxurious and flawless finish.

LOOK TWO: Keep skin illuminated with a radiant primer under your foundation. This not only helps your foundation stay in place all night but gives your complexion a gorgeous glow. I am a huge fan of the Dolce and Gabbana, Sheer Radiance make-up Base.

Eyes can sometimes look more dramatic with less work so brush a loose pigment eyeshadow all over the lid and socket, blending upwards with a fluffy brush so the colour fades as it meets the brow.

A smoky eye is always on trend but make it count with some added glamour; Pat Mac 3dD black glitter over a black, cream shadow.

Suck in your face in all the right places with a contour. Applying a darker colour than your base into the hollows of the cheeks will sculpt your face.

A bronzer works well for this.

If you are going for a golden eye then really set it off with a vampy lipstick.

Berries are huge this season so pick a texture that suits you. Glossy finishes are much easier to wear.This one is Gothika from B. When going for trend colours, stick to the high street.

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A nude lip is great for all-night partying as it doesn’t need constant touchups. Go for convenience with a quick slick of Nars satin lip pencil.

Keep your eye out online at www.vivalifestyle.co.uk for Cassie’s regular beauty reviews, news and events.

Follow Cassie on Twiter @cassielomas www.cassielomasmakeupacademy.co.uk

photos: Jay Mawson make-up: Cassie Lomas, using Kevyn Aucoin & Face Lace, assisting: Emily Clarkson @ Creatives Agency model: Milly Holmes, www.nemesisagency.co.uk

VIVA b e a u t y Every face tells a story for Dr Vik at Dermaskin...

‘The man behind keeping Manchester so youthful’!

Mancunians epitomise the ‘work hard, play harder’ ethos. It’s fair to say that (on the whole) we are a city of grafters and we certainly know how to party!

T

his is all well and good but, inevitably, the telltale signs of a few too many late nights, possible sun damage and general wear and tear begin to appear slowly over time.

Fortunately, there are non-surgical treatments available to rewind some of the side effects of our busy lifestyles.

Dermaskin Clinic, based in Spinningfields, is a centre that specialises in skin rejuvenation. Dr. Vik, along with his brother and their team, are at the forefront of age-reversal therapies and offer a range of effective treatments.

Laser Skin Resurfacing is a popular choice at the clinic for those wanting to avoid surgical procedures. This technique uses a Carbon Dioxide laser to remove fine lines and repair pigmentation and sun damage.

With no injections or substances used during treatment, Laser Skin Resurfacing is a powerful remedy giving permanent results as it targets the top two layers of skin resulting in the laying down of new collagen and promotion of cell renewal.

5. And this is the surprise tip - don’t moisturise. Dr Vik explains that expensive moisturisers are effectively a waste of time and money and will only give you the appearance of healthier skin.

They do not actually repair any damage, in spite of their bold claims. If you want to treat dry areas, then simply use a waterbased baby lotion which will allow the skin to breathe.

Ultimately we should maintain good general care of our face and be kind to our skin. After all, every face tells a story.

Dr. Vik and his fresh-faced team are on hand to offer their expert advice and share their years of experience with those who are considering Laser Skin Resurfacing. Dermaskin Clinic can be found on Quay Street in the heart of the city centre.

Dermaskin Clinic, 66 Quay Street, Manchester M3 3EJ Tel: 0161 850 5060 | Email: info@dermaskin.co.uk Web: www.dermaskin.co.uk words: Jennifer Skehan

Despite Laser Skin Resurfacing being a non-surgical procedure it is still a big decision that requires sound advice from the professionals. A consultation is always highly recommended to gain a solid understanding of any process of this nature. Always seek advice from trusted specialists when considering your options.

Here are Dr. Vik’s top tips for staying young and youthful this party season...

1. Try to drink a minimum of 4-5 glasses of water per day.

2. Top up your vitamin C and E levels; green vegetables and oranges provide a great natural source.

3. Avoid using a sunbed. Full stop. However, if you must, always keep your face away from the rays.

4. It is worth remembering this simple point - UVA rays age the skin whilst UVB rays burn the skin. Sitting indoors behind glass can still expose you to the sun’s UVA rays so although your skin won’t burn, it will still be ageing. Not many people know that.

Before and after Laser Skin Resurfacing treatments at Dermaskin Clinic

NEW ARRIVALS; WINTER MUST-HAVES AND POST-BABY FITNESS Tina O’Brien reports...

GIVING BIRTH FOR THE SECOND TIME: I’ve recently given birth to a healthy baby boy and I’m so happy that I now have both a girl and a boy! With Scarlett, I had a really fast labour. I was only in labour for three and a half hours.

So I was a bit nervous this time around because they say that boys can be faster which was right because I was only in labour for two hours! It was really quick although I’d had a few niggles a couple of days before and was a massive eleven days overdue. So I was very relieved when he finally came out!

CHRISTMAS QUIFFS AND SEASONAL SPARKLE from Tatiana Hair Extensions

With Christmas just around the corner we asked the expert for all things hair, Tatiana Karelina, for some festive inspiration. The creator of Tatiana Hair Extensions put together some creative style ideas to rock around the Christmas tree this winter.

Tatiana Hair Extensions is home to the world’s finest hair extensions and they are world-renowned specialists. Speaking of her vision behind these festive looks Tatiana explained, “We wanted to create a look that was perfect for the party season. Our clip-ins are a great, multi-purpose, beauty essential, creating waves, a sleek pony or worn in a creative braid for a versatile look that is bang on trend.’”

VIVA loves Tatianas’s take on that 1950’s vintage classic the ‘rockabilly quiff.’ If you’re looking for a glamrock, fashionista style with a hip, urban twist for your otherwise sophisticated look then you should definitely give this a try. What’s more, the quiff trend can be both a day and night-time look, working with all different lengths of hair. Rather than just leaving the hair smooth, achieve an even more sculpted look with crimping, suggests Tatiana. “To give the sculptural style even more movement.”

Another VIVA favourite is the amazing Ombre hair evolution. The glitter-tipped, clip-in extensions are a fun take on the original dip-dye which has been massive this year. Not just a festive oneoff; Tatiana suggests that the extension tip dipped in glitter should be a “part of your winter beauty artillery for the ultimate, ice-princess, party look this Christmas!” The extensions are so versatile and can be worn as a subtler, sparkling look or styled to wow at any Christmas party.

FITNESS REGIMES FOR GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE: When I get the all-clear from the doctor, I’ll definitely want to get back onto my fitness game. I’ll be making sure that I’m keeping fit and healthy towards winter. I’ve actually missed exercising and I’m really looking forward to getting back to full fitness. My partner, Adam, is massively into fitness and has an online health and fitness magazine, so I’ll definitely be taking some advice and tips from him. Once I get started, I’ll probably ease myself in, starting with weight training programmes before moving onto cardio, such as jogging. I’ve frozen my gym membership at the minute, because you can’t really do anything too strenuous whilst pregnant or for a couple of weeks after but I’m definitely very excited about getting back into the gym.

KEY WINTER WARDROBE ITEMS: I’ve got myself a big old bobble hat for this season - I love them they’re just so cosy!

You know when it comes out that it’s getting really cold - not forgetting the winter boots, an absolute essential for cold weather.

You can’t go wrong with a good pair of winter boots. I bought a pair of black boots that sit just under my knee but I really struggle with these kind of boots because they’re either a bit too wide on the leg or just a bit too long. (because I’m only short!) I’ve seen a lot of people wearing over-the-knee boots at the moment which look great but you can’t go wrong with a good pair of ankle boots.

I have quite a few pairs as they’re a definite winter must-have!

WINTER HAIRSTYLE: My hair’s been that sort of ombre style for a while now, darker on the top and a bit blonder at the bottom but I think, for a winter hairstyle, I’m looking to perhaps go a little bit darker and keep it all one tone. I used to love putting coppery highlights through my hair but this time around I think I might just choose a dark blonde colour.

Tatiana Hair Extensions home to the world’s finest hair extensions and world renowned specialists for more details: www.tatianahairextensions.co.uk

To book your appointment call: 0161 236 4467 or visit the salon in Manchester on Port Street in the NQ.

ina@tinx aob Love one T twitter

Follow m

/TheEarlyBirdsCazMatthewsEmmaWilkinson

@earlybirdsmcr

THE EARLY BIRDS WITH CAZ MATTHEWS & EMMA WILKINSON

TUNE IN EVERY

TUESDAY FROM 8AM TO 10AM

VIVA k i d s

Parent in style with the new Joolz Day Quadro collection...

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f you have young children or a baby on the way then it will surely be of the utmost importance to you to be always pushing the coolest pram there is, right?

Well, look no further because the Joolz Day Quadro Collection is here to answer all of your fashionista-parent worries. Joolz have done it again with an exquisite new pram design that is, quite frankly, an absolute must-have.

The warm, welcoming nature of the collection takes its inspiration from the timeless traditions of Italian culture and, as far as pram vibes go, this one is definitely at the top of the cool, calm and collected. The pram is guaranteed to provide complete comfort, featuring a sensationally sleek design including leatherette handles that are both soft on the eye and soft to the touch.

out there including the nursery bag, (remember, co-ordination is key) foot muff and parasol which finishes off that look of timeless elegance. (as well as massively boosting your street cred) The Joolz Day Quadro Collection is now available to buy with an RRP of ÂŁ799, available from my-joolz.co.uk words: Laura Nicholson

Joolz Day Quadro Complete Set, (Carbon Colour)

The stylish pushchair also comes in an array of different colours - including Carbon and Denim - and includes the chassis, cot, seat, shopping basket and rain cover.

There are additional accessories available to ensure you are the more stylish parent www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 43

VIVA’s top baby products that are must-haves!

The coolest gadgets and things from our favourite brands for your baby from 6 months and up...

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s you all know, one of the VIVA directors is having her first baby. So, by following her journey in our dedicated baby features we aim to help our readers to make the right choices of what to buy. Our top recommendations simplifying an otherwise confusing and daunting market.

This shopping list has been tailored for babies who are six months old plus - when their little personality is growing and they want to interact and play, as well as when they get much hungrier!

Introducing your baby to solid foods, often referred to ‘weaning onto foods,’ should start when your baby is at least six months old. It is a really important step in your baby’s development and it can also be great fun exploring new flavours and textures together.

As well as the ‘weaning period’ you should have moved your baby into their own room, so there is lots of fun stuff on this page suited to this very special time in your and your little one’s life.

Happy shopping Mums!

THE LITTLE GREEN SHEEP’S ORGANIC COTTON BEDDING SETS: It’s time to move baby out of the moses bed and into their cot and you will need some quality bedding. The Little Green Sheep’s organic bedding sets are perfect, 100% chemical free and natural. Each set includes two fitted sheets, a mattress protector and jersey blanket. £69.95, from thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance Soft: This award winning baby bouncer is not only chic and contemporary in design but provides ultimate comfort with extra-soft fabric and full head support. Your baby will enjoy rocking while developing motor and balance skills in a natural way, and, of course, a happy bouncing baby equals a happy, handsfree mum! The bouncer is fully-assembled, lightweight and can be folded completely flat.

Perfect if you love to travel. £119.99, from John Lewis Stores

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VITAL BABY WEANING KIT: This weaning kit includes everything you need. The press ‘n’ pop freezer pots are ideal for storing baby-sized portions.

The weaning set is a clever bowl with a spoon that clips into the lid – ideal for when you are out and about. There’s also a pack of their best-selling, soft tip spoons, some food pots and baby’s first tumbler! £16.50, from vitalbaby.co.uk

GRO EGG: I’m really looking forward to using this gadget. It changes colour to let you know, at a glance, whether the temperature in the baby’s room is too low, too high or just right. This helps you to maintain a safe sleeping environment for your baby and, as an added bonus, it even works well as a gentle night-light. £21.99, from gro-store.co.uk

COOCHI BABY & TODDLER HOODED TOWEL: Bath times can be so much fun but always upsetting when it’s time to get out. This soft hooded towel will keep your baby warm and snuggly from birth until four years old. It is high quality, made from 100% cotton and dries quickly. £19.99, from babyandmore.co.uk

SEEDLING HIGHCHAIR: OXO Tot has launched the new Seedling Highchair that provides babies, from four months to three years old, with a safe and comfortable seat during mealtimes. It comes in three fun colours, Mocha, Green and Graphite, the stylish seat cover is stain-resistant, and wipeable for a quick and easy clean. It also features a threepostition recline for very early stages of eating and an adjustable five-point safety harness for maximum safety and a comfy fit.

This highchair is perfect for us busy Mums and, with its polyurethane wheels and locking castors, it can easily be moved around without scratching wooden or tiled floors. £159, from John Lewis Stores

ray bath thermometer: This essential and fun bath-time gadget has been cleverly designed to double up as a playful, floating bath toy. With its large, clear LCD display, that enables easy reading, it delivers temperature results in an instant. We know that a comfortable bath reading is 37 degrees, so, if the temperature reaches 39 degrees plus, the LCD will blink ‘HOT.’ Brilliant! £14.99, from Boots Stores

HUNGRY CATERPILLAR NECK SUPPORT: Every toddler loves the Hungry Caterpillar and I love this super cute neck support. Vibrant in colour and very, very soft and snuggly, it fits perfectly around the neck and provides brilliant support when travelling. £9.99, this fun range also includes a window shade £14.99, and a seatbelt cover £6.99, all from Amazon or goldbug.eu

PERSONALISED RAGGY-TAG: This adorable, soothing comfort blanket from Raggy-Tag is so cute and I love their entire collection. All beautifully handmade and designed to help babies feel contended. The comforters are made using a range of soft, comforting, contemporary fabrics which can all be personalised for that extra-special touch. £16.99, from raggy-tag.com

MOBILE HETTY: Bed time will be so much more fun with this musical mobile, part of a co-ordinated range for baby girls and boys. It will gently circle overhead with its cute tunes and characters, helping little ones drift off into a good night’s sleep. £29.99, from gro-store.co.uk

BRAUN AGE PRECISION THERMOMETER: It’s very stressful if your baby is unwell and it can be extremely daunting for a new parent. Luckily Braun has launched their new ear thermometer with ‘age precision’ that matches the temperature reading with the age of the child. (so what is an acceptable temperature for a four year old, would be classed as a high fever for a newborn) This new technology allows you to set the age of your child (from 0-3 months, 3-36 months and 36 months-adult) to provide an accurate result. It is extremely easy to read the results when using their simple colourcoded display. £49.99, from Boots Stores

PAPU STORIES SNAPSUIT: If you would like cool, individual style for your little ones then you must check out the range of bold, fun independent, reasonably-priced, clothing and accessory brands (which you will not find on the high street) at The Dandy Kid. VIVA loves this funky snow scene, Papu Stories Snapsuit. £22, from thedandykid.com

LOVE FRUGI KATIE DUNGAREES: It’s always important for your baby to look super cute and baby shopping is lots of fun for us Mums too. That’s why we love Frugi’s new Christmas collection - perfect for baby’s first Christmas!

Everything is made from organic cotton and these adorable reindeer dungarees are fully jersey-lined with button-up, elasticated straps and handy pockets. £28, from welovefrugi.com www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 45

VIVA h e a l t h & f i t n e s s

Celebrity Personal Trainer & VIVA columnist, Sam Witter with his Health & Fitness Tips for keeping trim this party season!

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utumn has now arrived and many of you will want to switch your focus from looking good on the beach to looking great in your Christmas party outfit. After all, it’s the season for looking your very best .

I wanted to focus this column around getting ready for winter and making sure you keep the focus in the run-up to Christmas.

Close-fitting summer gear is packed away for another year and comfy-baggy is back in style but this is no excuse to pile the pounds back on.

So how do you keep focussed in the winter months and not spoil your hard work?

1. LIFESTYLE - Dieting is a thing of the past. Changing your lifestyle is the key, not just doing another ‘faddy diet.’ Healthy habits should be here to stay. Keep them up and you will continue to see results week after week.

2. Eat more super foods - in winter your body needs more antioxidants and vitamins to fight off colds. Blueberries, strawberries and dark green veggies are all packed full of antioxidants.

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3. Beat hangovers - It’s party season which means looking good is key but also hangovers will be making lots of you feel ropey over the festive period. Choose what you drink carefully and stay hydrated throughout the night. I have recently invested in a Kangen water machine, this filters my water ionising it and changes the PH of my drinking water to a high alkaline which helps my body to naturally detoxify every day. On the plus side it also helps to cure hangovers or prevent them if you stay hydrated with Kangen water during your night out.

4. Keep your goal in sight 5. Take your winter supplements - Multi-vitamins help to naturally detox the body each day and keep the immune system healthy.

6. Zinc - Keeps the immune system strong and turns off a process in the body called aromatise that turns testosterone into oestrogen.

Making these changes will help you to keep your energy levels high and to ward off the winter bugs. Don’t write off the rest of the year and think you will start again in January. Hit the ground running in the New Year and be ahead of everyone else starting a long, hard journey in January.

Keep in touch and stay motivated. Sam Follow Sam on Twitter @samwitter1, or visit him online at mynutritionplan.co.uk

Drink Kangen Water, and have a Happy (Hangover-Free) Christmas and New Year!

SAM WITTER REPORTS

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hile we could never actually encourage you to drink too much, we do understand that, when it comes to Christmas parties it is traditional (and in some cases almost compulsory) to over-imbibe ever so slightly. The party season is almost upon us and we know (from personal experience) that letting your hair down completely is so very hard to resist. It’s something we look forward to but, while the drinks, nibbles, music and all-round happy feeling are such a buzz, there is a downside. The merrier you get, the bigger the hangover the next day and, if the next day happens to be a work day, that can be a problem.

The headache, the sweats, feeling sick and even the very thought of food makes you feel nauseous. All this makes work the worst place to be the morning after the night before. It’s hard to join in the laughter when the Facebook pictures of you dancing on the table do the rounds of the office. (probably even more so if you fell off) So how do you survive the rigours of the party season?

THE HEALTH BENEFITS This is where Fitness Water could save the day!

The more you drink, the more dehydrated you become – this is because alcohol inhibits the action of the hormone ADH. (antidiuretic hormone) This extremely important hormone keeps the levels of water in the blood constant and so keeps your body hydrated. As you fill up with alcohol the levels drop and you start to get rid of water you can’t really afford to lose - becoming dehydrated. At the end of a long drinking session you might be down as much as two litres and seriously dehydrated AND what are the most noticeable effects of dehydration? Nausea, headaches and dizziness or, to put it another way, a very nasty hangover.

Now what would you say if we told you we had the perfect way to prevent hangovers?

“Microwater has become so popular in Japan that bars and nightclubs now make all their ice and mix all their drinks with alkaline, ionized microwater. Japanese drinkers claim that when they mix their whisky with microwater and use microwater ice cubes, they never get hangovers the next morning, regardless of how much they drink that night. This is because negatively charged, alkaline microwater neutralizes the acid byproducts of alcohol metabolism and flushes them out of the body before they get lodged in the liver, brain and other tissues.”

Drink two glasses of Kangen water before going to bed and another two as soon as you wake up (on an empty stomach) and hangovers will become a thing of the past! In fact, if you follow this simple routine you could be ready to do it all over again the same night - it is the party season after all! Unfortunately Kangen Water can’t do anything about those embarrassing photos of you dancing on the table. It can, however, help with the healing process if you did fall off and bruise more than just your ego!

in size, allowing them to be absorbed by your body at a cellular level and thereby deeply hydrates your body. Drinking alkaline, ionized water ‘the day after’ helps your body eliminate the toxins you have consumed and created by over-consumption the night before. While you should never drink alkaline ionized water higher than a 9.5 pH on a regular basis, many find that a glass of stronger alkaline water helps ease stomach upset.

Enjoy the benefits of Kangen fitness water - no hangovers, fresh skin, renewed energy and more! No wonder some people call it miracle water!

VIVA tested the theory at the Atlas Bar Christmas party - and to our surprise, it worked! No hangovers for the VIVA girls and you know we like to party!

Kate O’Brien & Sam Witter at the Atlas party

Drink alkaline water and use Kangen ice and you will stay hydrated while you party! This micro-clustered water hydrates the body six times faster because the water molecules are reduced www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 47

Why wait for the new year to kick start your fitness routine Special offer for VIVA readers: Join now pay nothing until January 2015 when signing on 12 month contract New refurbished gym: Functional Training Area, Free Weights area Over 70 classes a week including: Insanity, metafit, Yoga, Pilates, Circuit Training, Boxfit Sports Clubs: Badminton, Volleyball, Basketball, 5-a-side, Rugby Fives Swimming pool, sauna, steam room, ladies only sauna All facilities and activities are included in the price

The Way Of The Y

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t was surreal going into The Y Club as there is a full-on revamp going on but it seemed to be ‘business as usual’ as far as the staff and members were concerned. People were training, swimming, chatting and generally getting on with it, the workmen were working and, to all intents and purposes, it was just another day at The Y. The reason? The Y Club listens and its members said that they don’t want the club to close while the work is done. They like the place, they like coming to The Y and, perhaps, they want to keep an eye on the work as it happens because they feel invested. It’s their club, following their suggestions and it matters to them.

The campaign to increase female membership is paying off big time, not just for the club but also for all members - both past, present and future - and why?

Because they asked people their opinions. In a world where we, as consumers, are used to companies who use the veneer of caring to fleece us and pretend that we have any kind of say, it is so refreshing to find somewhere where they not only listen but actually act upon the things we tell them but that is The Y all over and why (Y?) their latest campaign is paying such dividends.

So what have the members asked for and what are they getting?

Basically, it’s about making the club more member-friendly - which is an achievement in itself as the Y is the most member-friendly club I have ever visited - and so they are giving members more. More space so that people feel less crowded; more facilities for the members - especially the new female contingent - altering the spa - including new pamper packages; (there is already a new female-only sauna in place) more classes utilising the latest technology in exercise and more programmes including the latest TRX Suspension Training. As if all that wasn’t enough they are bringing in a Nutritionalist to give more help to members in their quests for fitness.

Not everything is changing but that is, as we have said before, the way of the Y. While they are never scared to try new things (albeit new things that really work as opposed to trendy fads that don’t) they are happy to maintain traditional methods and machines that members love. “It’s about helping people to find what they want and then giving it to them,” says Rich Brodie. “It’s personal to each and every member.”

As the work is ongoing (“It should be finished in five to six weeks,” said Kate Bourne, Y Club Manager) the staff at the Y are still listening to members’ comments and requests so there might yet be a few more surprises to come. There are rumours of a “Quiet Room,” a place for pre or post-exercise mellowing; somewhere seriously transcendental. The details aren’t finalised because they haven’t asked everybody - YET! When the work IS finally done there will be a ‘Taster Weekend’ allowing members and visitors a chance to see the new Y and have supervised sessions on the new equipment. Details will be available on the club’s website and on VIVA’s own website. vivalifestyle.co.uk

Y. Club, Liverpool Rd, Manchester, M3 4JR Tel: 0161 837 3535 Web: www.yclub.org.uk

Xmas Cribs, 2.

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Angel Wing Wall Sconce Candle Holder. Can be used at home as well as in the garden, £68. www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk Bell Scraplight Pendant. Creates different lighting effects around the room, £219. www.naken.co.uk Christmas Card Box. (Santa please stop here) Ideal for keeping gifts under the tree, £16. www.next.co.uk A beer a day leading to Christmas, yes please! Beer Advent Calendar. £115. www.notonthehighstreet.com Tom Dixon, Hex Copper Champagne Bucket. Perfect for chilling champagne, £175. www.liberty.co.uk

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‘ With Bells On’ 7.

8.

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6. Dolce rug. Can be customised as it is made to be cut, £3,451. www.madeindesign.co.uk 7. Frosted Birch Wreath. A versatile piece, which will fit into any home, £45. www.johnlewis.com 8. Hunting Trophy Door Light. Senses the door opening and automatically lights up, £14.99. www.thefowndry.com 9. Stag’s Head Hessian Cushion. Revamp any chair! £34. www.notonthehighstreet.com 10. Infinity Mahogany Mirror. Made from excellent quality mahogany finished in gold leaf. £409.98. www.furnitureuk.co.uk

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 51

VIVA c o m p e t i t i o n s

WIN Finished ‘What’s The Story’ Deluxe 3CD Set PLUS Limited Edition Bound

Oasis notbook, Beermats, Sticker Set and Badge Set. The second in the new Oasis Chasing The Sun series - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? was released in September on Big Brother Recordings.

Demand for the legendary Manchester band remains as strong as ever and VIVA has a load of Oasis goodies to give away to one lucky reader!

To be in with a chance to win, answer the following question: Q. WHAT IS LIAM GALLAGHER’S FASHION LABEL CALLED?

Email your answer, name, telephone number and the subject title ‘Oasis’ to: competitions@vivalifestyle.co.uk www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 53

WIN A VIVA Christmas Hamper That is filled with all the goodies below! We have two to give away, one set each for girls and boys. To enter answer the following question: What TV show is our front cover girl Cheryl a judge on? Email your answer, name and telephone number to: competition@vivalifestyle.co.uk

GIRLS WIN: 1.

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14.

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Girls Hamper Includes: 1. The Lakes Gin, 2. The One Whisky, 3. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Pink Edition, 4. Kipling Shoulder Bag, 5. Guylian Chocolate Sea Horses, 6. Accentuate Game, 7. Digi Beanie, 8. Peeking Santa Christmas Jumper, 9. Sekonda White Editions Watch, 10. Red Hummingbird Pen, 11. Swiss Cross Pendant, 12. Singha Beer Box, 13. Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Wine, 14. Hair Today Treatment, 15. MURAD Celebrate Firm Skin, 16. AYO Pure Joy, 17. The Collection Gift Box Set, Ladies Pringle Owl Design Cotton Socks, 18. Reve D’Anthala By Evody

BOYS WIN:

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Boys Hamper Includes: 1. Black Rollo Knit, 2. Ted Baker Ted’s Grooming Room The Claim To Flame Gift Set, 3. MURAD Celebrate Firm Skin, 4. Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Wine, 5. Snow Leopard Vodka, 6. The Lakes Gin, 7. The ONE Whisky, 8. Singha Beer Box, 9. Accentuate Game, 10. Pringle Skiing and Bobble Hats Novelty Cotton Socks, 11. Guylian Chocolate Sea Horses, 12. Bulldog ‘Be Loyal’ Expert Collection, 13. Bois Secret By Evody, 14. Chester Barrie Silver Cufflinks, 15. Gents Black Steel Bracelet By Fred Bennett, 16. Snowglobe Rudolph Nose Jumper

GIVE SOMEONE SPECIAL A TOUCH OF LUXURY THIS CHRISTMAS WITH

BEAU BASKETS

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or a gift with difference this Christmas, look no further than Beau Baskets. Their gorgeous range of luxury gift hampers and gift baskets includes the perfect gift for anyone of any age.

Their renowned bespoke service means that you can personalise your gift. Why not take advantage of their personal shopping service to add your loved one’s favourite perfume or a piece of jewellery to make it the ultimate thoughtful gift? Plus, each gift hamper is beautifully presented so all you have to do is present it!

Beau Baskets carefully choose all their products and aim to fill each basket with high-quality products sourced from luxury brands that are either of a British, Organic or Natural origin. The hampers can be shipped to all parts of the UK and Ireland.

But they are not just for Christmas, as any special occasion should go hand-in-hand with a fabulous and memorable gift, so for a special new baby gift, birthdays, weddings and many more then Beau Baskets are the right people to help you.

2013 was an incredible year for Beau Baskets. They were named as a Finalist for Best Start-Up Company at the Mumpreneur UK 2013 AWARDS and October 2013 saw them launch a sister company beauconcierge.co.uk at Conde Nast’s ‘Brides The Show’ in London. Beau specialises in luxury wedding gifts. This year got off to a fabulous start too as Beau was given a #WOW award by Jacqueline Gold of Ann Summers.

So what are you waiting for? Create the perfect Christmas present with Beau Baskets today at: beaubaskets.com.

VIVA G A D G E T S 1. THE IKETTLE: A hot drink is essential to the sanity of any human being, we all need a coffee fix or a hot mug of tea now and again but boiling the kettle is the annoying spanner in the works of this idealistic situation. Not anymore. The world’s first wifi kettle is here to answer your prayers, allowing you to boil your kettle with your smartphone from anywhere in your home. Just simply download the app onto your phone and away you go. No more awkwardly standing around waiting for that kettle to boil. The phone app even acts as the perfect life partner, asking you, as you wake up, whether or not you would like the kettle boiled. Absolutely revolutionary. The iKettle can be bought from firebox.com for £99.99.

2. AIRWHEEL X3: This, ladies and gentlemen, is an electric unicycle. Because walking is so 2011, this futuristic transportation device uses self-balancing technology so the built-in gyro keeps you upright at speeds up to eleven miles per hour. The device comes with stabilisers and a safety belt for the less agile among us and, for those of you with green fingers, the gadget is an environmentally-friendly alternative to a car. It costs £494.95 and can be bought online at red5.co.uk or from Selfridges in the Trafford Centre.

3. X3 BAYAN AUDIO SOUNDBOOK: The sound book x3 is the latest edition to the soundbook range of bluetooth wireless speakers. Listen to your favourite music through extremely powerful speakers anywhere you like. Not only do they look super slick, coming in black or silver, they have a built-in fm radio and deliver audio playback from a range of devices. At £249.99 it may seem expensive for what they are but trust us, the sound quality is second to none. buy online at bayanaudio.com

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VIVA FINDS the latest & coolest things from the world of

Gadgets!

4. LG LIFEBAND TOUCH FITNESS TRACKER: The future of fitness is here with LG’s Lifeband Touch Activity Tracker. The device is basically a super-sleek and subtle fitness monitor that is worn on the wrist, tracking everything from calories burned to miles covered. At £129.99 you get a lot for your money. It is a timer, stopwatch and alarm clock and also handily allows you to monitor incoming calls as well as change your music. In fact there’s not really much this bracelet can’t do. (apart from maybe cook you a three course meal with several bottles of wine) Watch this space… It can be bought from argos.co.uk or in store.

5. THE MOPHIE SPACE PACK: Sick of having no storage space on your iPhone? (first world problems) Worry no more! Made for iPhone 5 and 5s the Mophie Space pack is the world’s first phone case with built in storage. The design is super slim and comes in four different colours. It guarantees to eliminate all boredom as it can store up to nine thousand songs and fourteen hours of films. Oh and it also charges your phone.

Perfect. It isn’t ridiculously priced either, £92.50 from mophie.com.

6. THE SELFY STICK: The world has officially gone selfie crazy and what better way to celebrate everyone’s favourite craze than the Selfy Stick. This is basically what it says on the tin, a long stick with a phone holder on the end. The stick houses a bluetooth shutter button and extends so the perfect selfie can be taken from the perfect distance. The stick also makes for a great group shot - which kind of defeats the object of a ‘selfie’ but hey, we’re loving it. (even better it was created right here in Manchester) At just £14.95 this is a massive steal. Buy yours online at theselfystick.com

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words: Laura Nicholson

VIVA i n t e r v i e w

VIVA BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY...

Jennie Platt, Estate Agent to the stars (and us mere mortals)

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ive years after putting the chic into estates agents, Jennie Platt, founder of the celebs’ go-to ‘City Centre Chic,’ has opened a second property business - this time in Prestwich. Within a day her new Jennie Platt Estates and Lettings company launched in the heart of the newest ’burb with buzz, sold its first house and for the full asking price. The ‘IT’ girl - for movie moguls, boy-bands and goal-scoring giants - has been doing her homework, boosting a property empire and setting an example to us all in how to put the extraordinary into entrepreneur and she’s just thirty-five.

VIVA caught up with the blonde mum-of–two (yes she’s a mummy as well) to get some tips, insights and inspiration, especially as she is that most dreaded of things – AN ESTATE AGENT. It’s not every little girl’s dream to be an estate agent, how did you get into it? I’ve always had a huge interest in buildings and architecture. My Dad is a structural engineer and we lived on many ‘building sites’ while my parents renovated the house we were actually living in – I loved it! I remember we had to do a school project on a famous person and, while my mates were doing people like Bros, I did Christopher Wren! It’s just always been a passion of mine.

How did you start your first business? I studied marketing in London and worked for a bit in PR but it was when I came back to Manchester and saw a lot of beautiful buildings being made into apartments and an enormous amount of creativity in basically re-energising the city centre that I decided I wanted to learn the property business. I worked for an estate agency, learning about the basics of property sales and lettings in the city, before going freelance and managing a diverse portfolio of properties - including a huge amount of terraces that needed doing up and re-selling. That’s where I really learned the rough and ready side of it.

When the credit crunch came I saw it as a huge opportunity. People had these fabulous apartments in the city centre but they couldn’t sell them because the property market had crashed. I knew that I could rent them out and that’s what I did. Setting up Manchester City Lettings which then became City Centre Chic. CCC went from strength to strength and today we’re the ‘go-to’ for everyone - from celebrities to corporates - who know we will look after their clients. As well as lettings, we now do sales and CCC sold the first million pound apartments in the city centre since the credit crunch hit.

Why Prestwich? It was the right time to expand. Property prices are on the increase and things are moving again. There’s also a lot of help for first time buyers. Prestwich is an emerging market. I’ve got the inside track on it, being born and bred here but it wasn’t about sentiment. Prestwich has great houses, great schools and has everything from a country park, forest conservation area to award-winning restaurants. It’s its time and we moved our head office here and opened up a full-service, estate agency. Again, we’re doing things differently and it’s a huge success. We’ll be looking at other areas we can go into in the near future so watch this space.

How do you see the business going? What’s the end goal? We’re always on the lookout for the next emerging area and we’ll always be in front, one step ahead of the trend, keeping an eye on what people want. I’ll also be expanding my passion for restoring beautiful older properties. It’s something I’ve always done. I’ve just bought a stunning, three-storey property that was converted into flats and I’m making one gorgeous house out of it.

What lessons have you learned? To trust my gut instinct on every decision. Think about what’s going to happen next, don’t just stay in the present. Customer service is absolutely key and will separate you from everyone else.

Any regrets? That I rented when I was younger, before becoming a mum, when I should have found a way to buy the properties I lived in.

What do you enjoy outside of work and being a mum?

Travelling to new cities and being part of the community here at home.

We sponsor Cheetham Hill Boys Football Club and I’m also part of the community design team for the regeneration of Prestwich – I think it’s important to try and give something back. On a more flippant note, I love fashion and shoes, especially shoes! ■

Jennie Platt Estates & Lettings 371 Bury New Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1AW Tel: 0161 713 1003 | Web: www.jennieplatt.co.uk

What do you do that’s different? Put simply, we do things differently. We’re stylish but we also have substance. We look at properties and market them differently and we keep one step ahead of trends. I think the essence is that we present properties in the best way for the best sale and we’re not afraid to stand out.

Who was the best celebrity you ‘housed’ and the worst?

We have confidentiality agreements with many of the famous people we work with but of the ones I can talk about I’d have to say the Hoff was a personal favourite! I got the call to show him an apartment when I was going to a black tie event and turned up in a ball gown and the full works.

He didn’t bat an eyelid! I guess he’s just used to people dressing up for him and when we moved him into the apartment he was great with my sons, a real gent.

‘The Hoff was my fav celeb! I got the call to show him an apartment when I was going to an event and I turned up in a ball gown, he didn’t bat an eyelid’! words: Emma Chadwick photos: Georgina Glass 58 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

VIVA m o t o r i n g

Beautiful Turin, Italy

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VIVA’s ‘Italian Job’ Charity Challenges for Kids Rally 2015 Rally Itinerary...

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an you believe it was forty-five years ago that a young, sharp-suited and sharp-witted Michael Caine uttered those classic lines, “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.” in the iconic 1969 movie, ‘The Italian Job?’ The film showcased ‘the best of British’ from the swinging sixties; the mini-skirt, a world-cup-winning England football team (remember 1966?) and, of course, the MINI. So what better way to mark this milestone than by Viva joining the guys from Charity Challenges for Kids, running the ‘Italian Job’ for real and raising money for charity while we do it?

YOU CAN JOIN US FOR THIS TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Charity Challenges for Kids, who are based in Manchester, raise money for children that need either life-improving treatment or equipment not readily available to them and you can see exactly where your fundraising goes and its positive impact on the lives of the children they support. So when they asked us would we be interested in joining them on a super, five day jaunt to Italy next March then, of course, we said “Si!”

Day one: Our rally will race from Dover to Dijon whilst ‘Going for the Gold’ with the teams presented with challenges en route.

Day two: The teams dash to Turin through the spectacular scenery of the Alps and Mont Blanc before arriving in Italy.

Day three: ‘Steal the Gold’ in Turin before watching Juventus FC in their magnificent stadium.

Day four: Make your escape to Paris for the final round of challenges!

Day five: Paris to Calais, catching the ferry back to Blighty!

To join us on this fantastic, fun, charity fundraising trip of a lifetime please contact nicola@ccfk.co.uk

Now this wouldn’t be an ‘Italian Job’ if we just turned up in our Mondeos or Astras. So the rule is YOU MUST DRIVE A MINI (of course!) and we will be driving from the UK through France and Switzerland. (the Alps) On arriving in Italy, we will treated to watching Juventus FC at their stadium just north of Turin the city that was famously brought to a standstill by Mr Bridger’s gang of Mini-driving bullion thieves!

Taking part in an ‘Italian Job’ rally is one of those bucket list activities that should be on everyone’s list. Gentlemen (and ladies!) start your engines!

Driving through the Italian Alps

words: Jack Marsden, The GT Driver

Driving through the French Countryside

VIVA T R A V E L

Riviera Nayarit Mexico’s new holiday destination on the Pacific Coast that’s attracting the well-heeled stars and socialites alike.

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ith year round sunshine, luxury hotels and thrilling activities Riviera Nayarit is the hottest new beach destination to escape the British weather.

Just minutes north of Puerto Vallarta International Airport, where Thompson (TUI) has been flying its new Dreamliner service from Manchester since early this year, the region attracts a diverse cross-section of travellers.

Well-heeled superstars jetting-in to ‘vacay’ include ‘Kim-ye,’ Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Simpson, whose credibility has been helping to secure ‘world-class’ investments to the area more recently.

Although you don’t have to be a VIP to experience the new, modern – yet truly authentic beach destinations that this part of Mexico has to offer. It will satisfy vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B and B inns.

Stretching along one hundred and ninety-two miles of pristine coast - framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains - the region includes the resorts of Nuevo Val-

larta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, (where the stars holiday) picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Visitors fly in from all over the world for activities such as; PGA golf courses, whalewatching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, bird watching, international cuisine and the traditional artwork from the local Huichol tribe.

Never did we believe what was planned could be experienced in just eight days. Follow VIVA’s itinerary and you can’t go wrong!

Thursday 14th August: Within forty-five minutes of landing, we arrived at Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta. A four diamond award property which is a part of the TUI product.

We relaxed with a Sunset Cocktail before freshening after checking-in to our very own ‘Rock-Star’ Suites. This is a luxury allinclusive resort and all rooms have private spa tubs, include ‘premium beds’ nowhere near the size of a pint sized pop star, (these beds are big enough for three large bears) with views across the bay. We were, however, more interested in the fully-stocked bar and the musical instruments for hire from

reception to play on your very own stage in the room. Service is on demand in this place and we really were treated like rock stars.

Friday, 15th August, 8am: The next day, the schedule included a visit to San Francisco which is better-known as ‘San Pancho.’ Surprisingly we were up early given the jet-lag. Home of the famous Polo Club, the town comes alive during polo season between November and May. This place has an old-world Mexican charm and offers horseback riding, diving, climbing, yoga, seasonal turtle rescue programmes and jungle excursions.

Its beach is like those in Jamaica, white sand where waves crash on the shore, with lush vegetation just a stone’s throw from the tide and laid-back sounds and vibes echo from the beach bars. There are several small boutique hotels, B and Bs and charming restaurants as well as a thriving expat community.

After a tour of the colourful town, we had breakfast at the Bistro Organico at Hotel Cielo Rojo. Food served across the kitchen pass in the establishment is healthy, organic and delicious. Food that pays tribute to the

Left to right: Hard Rock Hotel, Rock Star suite | Hard Rock Hotel poolside | San Francisco | Bistro Organico breakfast. www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 63

area’s abundance of fresh seafood and indigenous produce. Breakfast was, quite simply, delicious.

12:00pm: By lunchtime, we were already in nearby town of Sayulita.

Internationally recognized for surfing and water sports. Sayulita is a somewhat bohemian art colony – a hippiechic town!

Visitors enjoy browsing the fine art galleries and stylish, colourful shops with clothing, handicrafts, decorative items, handmade cosmetics and jewellery. Huichol Indians display their colourful art in the plaza in the heart of town. There are also several beachfront restaurants. We had lunch at Don Pedros, overlooking the beach where they serve real Mexican soft-shell fish tacos along with fresh local ceviche.

It’s fair to say our guide, Richard - who has more knowledge about the region that the Hiuchol Indians - helped us to relax allowing us to sample local beers. Well needed following our paddle-boarding lesson. Costing £25 for an hour, paddle-boarding is more difficult than it looks and was even more difficult after beer!

Time was ticking on, it was six o’clock and there was more to see before the end of the day.

The sun sets early in Mexico, around 7pm. We recommend watching the sunset over dinner from the Insu Sky Bar at the Marival Five Star Residences and World SPA. The hotel is a fifteen minute cab-ride from Hard Rock Puerto Vallarta.

The hotel Sky Bar is well worth a visit for the panoramic view of the bay where you can see the famous green flash of light [only in Mexico] as the sun sets. In winter, you can see humpback whales jumping out of the water, ‘dancing’ apparently. After sampling 64 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

sharing plates of mini-burgers, lamb cutlets, and more ceviche, the really cute manager persuaded us to try the entire cocktail menu. How could we possibly resist? The hibiscus martini is a must but never ask for a strawberry in this place – it’s considered uncouth!

Feeling intoxicated, we returned to Hard Rock where we partied on our stages with our musical instruments well into the early hours.

Saturday, August 16, 2:00pm: After topping up from the night before, we joined Johnny Depp’s pool-party – not too dissimilar to what you’d expect on ‘Spring Break.’ Richard came to collect us for our three hour drive to San Blas. As you can imagine, only Team VIVA can create an after party on a bus!

San Blas is where Mexicans holiday. It’s a small town full of character and a rapidly- growing tourism destination, thanks to its many beaches, colonial history, Spanish fort, excellent restaurants and an abundance of migratory birds which attract ornithologists from around the world.

The La Tovara National Park nearby is a federally-protected mangrove forest with

birds, crocodiles and turtles. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the La Tovara National Park and mangrove eco-region in San Blas is “one of the most important winter habitats for birds in the Pacific, home to eighty percent of the Pacific migratory shore bird population.” A paradise for bird enthusiasts, this eco-region has the highest concentration of migratory birds and features over five hundred species, including the black-bellied tree duck, great blue heron, roseate spoonbill, and endemic birds like the bumblebee hummingbird and the Mexican woodnymph.

5:00pm: We arrived at Hotel Garza Canela, our home for the next two days.

Garza Canela Hotel is a family-operated

VIVA T R A V E L

Left to right: Paddle-boarding | La Tovara National Park | Rincon de Guayabitos | Villa Corona Del Mar | Sayulita town | Insu Sky bar at Marival Five Star Residences | Pool party at Hard Rock Hotel | Garza Canela Hotel | Chef Betty Vazquez

residence – very quaint. It provides guests with good accommodation close to the estuary and nearby beach. Betty Vázquez, the owner and chef of El Defin restaurant, prepares the most exquisite dishes with Mexican flavours, textures, scents and colours at the heart of the cuisine. Betty runs food masterclasses. We learned how to make traditional guacamole and curried ceviche. Betty and her sisters, who run the hotel, truly make you feel welcome and a part of their family.

Sunday, 17th August: The following day, feeling reinvigorated, though slightly frightened by the captivating electrical storm we witnessed the previous night, we travelled to the birth place of the Aztecs; Mexicaltitan.

Mexcaltitan is a small island – an oval shaped village of no more than a hundred people. It’s surrounded by floating mangroves, canals and lowlands and accessible only by boat and, given the recent storm, the streets can only be compared those in Venice following wet weather.

The name of this island means “in the house of the Moon” given its round shape.

This mythical place is considered the ‘cradle of Mexican identity,’ the ancient Aztlan from where the Mexica or Aztec people set out to trek to central Mexico and where they founded the city of Tenochtitlan. It’s around an hour and a half drive from the hotel and a day trip in itself.

Monday, 18th August 10:30am: After checking out, there was a quick tour of Chacala Bay in San Blas, which is filled with British pirate stories before heading back down the coast south to Rincón de Guayabitos .

This area has a large bay, natural swimming pool, perfect for families. It is one of the favourite places for people visiting Nayarit.

The waves are very gentle, the waters are warm, blue-green and transparent. The soft, fine golden sand is an invitation to just lie down and enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the sunset over the Pacific. Rincón de Guayabitos is without doubt an ideal tourist stop.

We arrived just in time for lunch. We stayed at Villa Corona Del Mar – a private Villa with 7 bedrooms in the main house with three quaint bungalows . The Villa has been converted into a fully selfcontained vacation complex without sacrificing luxury or comfort. The property includes a tennis court, a large pool with swim-up bar, as well as a smaller pool, which is where we sat the whole day.

A charming bridge over the canal and through the bird sanctuary connects the main house to the pools and landscaped grounds. It also boasts a restaurant-size outdoor kitchen with breathtaking views.

That evening Richard, our tour guide, surpirsed us with a last minute activeity which was a once in a lifetime experience we will never forget.

We were taken down to Rincon de Guayabitos beach front and helped release the first of the season’s newlyhatched baby turtles safely into the ocean.

Turtle Camps throughout Mexico play a key roll in the survival of the turtles with nursery facilities incubation sites.

Locally, volunteers from Los Grupos Ecologistas de Nayarit comb the expansive length of beaches nightly looking for nests, eggs, and mature female turtles. The eggs are collected, taken back to protected hatcheries and, after fortyfive days of incubation, the baby turtles hatch. The hatchlings are released into the ocean at the water’s edge to avoid disorientation, at night to increase the survival rate - by reducing the number of predators like birds, crabs and dogs and to decrease the risk of the hatchlings burning in the hot sun.

The general public is welcome to participate in the releases. Being able to hold a baby turtle in your hands, seal it with a kiss, and wish them farewell, is the experience of a lifetime. www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 65

VIVA T R A V E L

Tuesday, August 19th 12:00pm Our itinerary takes us to Punta Mita, where we check-in at the Four Seasons Punta until the end of our stay.

Punta Mita is a jagged finger of land that juts seaward at Bandera bay’s northern tip. It straddles the Pacific Ocean with rocky coves and gorgeous sandy beaches. For now, Punta Mita is the exclusive home to the Punta Mita development, destined to become Mexico’s leading luxury enclave.

Access is restricted and only those with a VIP status or a big budget are likely to stay here. The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is a one of a number of five star standard hotels in the area which is well renowned for its golf courses.

Here we enjoyed a spacious casitastyle luxury accommodation with an ocean view but, if you want to live like Jessica Simpson, you can checkin to presidential ‘Luna’ suite with your own private beach and pool.

The resort offers a range of water sports and activities, including flyboarding, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, surfing and you can even charter a private yacht that belongs to the hotel.

Its restaurants capture the distinctive flavours of regional Mexican cuisine. And what happens when Asian cuisine meets regional Mexican cooking? Drunken antics, of course! Away from the tequila tasting, we were treated to sample menu at Aramara restaurant. Its chef, Jorge Gonzalez and his team, have developed “Chino-Latino” cuisine, a happy combination of Asian flavours and ideas with local ingredients and traditions.

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To understand the concept, behold the famous Duck Tacos: slices of duck breast, plus a whole duck leg, (because it’s that good) cucumber, baby onions, hoisin sauce and cilantro leaves are presented in a bamboo container with condiment bowls and tortillas, so guests can make their own tacos.

With Executive Chef Philippe Piel – already a big fan of native cuisines – recently arrived from France by way of Southeast Asia, you should seriously look for more exploration of Chino-Latino cuisine on the menu.

We lazed away the last few days in the sun infinity pool and lazy river. However, just offshore, inside Banderas Bay, rests a group of small, volcanic islands known as the Marietas Islands. These islands, made famous by oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, provide the perfect environment for an entertaining eco-adventure. Experience wildlife above and below the water as you kayak, snorkel and explore the unique ecosystem with its informative and fun guides and crew. If relaxation is what you are after, its world class spa is famous, offering a range of pampering treatments to indulge

the senses. We chose the cacoa treatment.

The two hour therapy begins with a scrub using grains of chocolate before showering in chocolate and finishing with a chocolate massage. Heaven! Staying true to Mexico, VIVA Ems chose the tequila massage – where mescal was used as an oil to condition the skin. She was slightly inebriated after leaving the treatment room. You literally don’t have to lift a finger, or even move without help from staff at this hotel. You can even opt for your own in room butler for additional extravagance.

Final Thought: For us, it felt like we had made a conscious decision to leave the rest of the world behind when we checked in to this resort and you will truly feel that removal from life’s pace with everything you

Left to right: Jessica Simpson’s suite at Four Seasons Resort | Infinity pool at Four Seasons Resort | Port in Nayarit | Cocktails at Eva Mandaria Beach Club | Beach front at Four Seasons Resort | VIP beach pods with personal service | VIVA Ems saved turtle, ‘Little Strewberry’

do in Riviera Nayarit. Well, until you have to step back to Blighty, that is!

P.S Don’t forget to stop by the Eva Mandaria Beach Club in Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit for the ultimate cocktails on the beach. We could have stayed there all day but had to catch a flight back to rainy Manchester!

What the website say Festivals: This season is also a perfect time to embrace the vibrant street scene and soak up the electric atmosphere at one of the many fiestas.

Celebrate Puerto Vallarta’s ‘birthday’ during the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe which sees the town come to life in religious celebrations, in particular at the cathedral downtown that bears the name of the patron saint.

Food enthusiasts from all over the world go to the Pacific Coast of Mexico, from the 13th-23rd November to take part in the International Gourmet Festival, located in Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit and Tepic.

Visitors can get involved in cookery classes and wine tasting, as well as attending the grand, concluding polo tournament, hosted in Riviera Nayarit.

For keen surfers and lovers of Mexican food and drink, music and film, the Sayulita Festival (January 14th-18th) is a top attraction.

Those with an appreciation of 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music are also in for a treat at the Vallarta-Nayarit Classic Rock Festival. The event is the first of its kind, with big name acts in the industry rocking the sound waves all weekend long (December 11th14th) at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Nayarit.

Wildlife: Animal life thrives in the winter season, both on land and in the water.

Whale watching season starts in December and these majestic creatures can be seen diving gracefully out of the water on tours that run around the iconic Banderas Bay. Visitors can also experience a memorable journey by taking part in one of the area’s Sea Turtle release programmes, as the last Olive Ridley turtles are released back into the sea in December. Over 315 different species of rare birds also reside in the regions, making them prime locations for bird watching enthusiasts.

Crafts: Craftsmanship that can be found in Riviera Nayarit is elaborated by Huichol and Coras who dwell in the Sierra Madre

Occidental. Beautiful figures representing the gods, of the sun, rain, and others, are common from the zone.

These ethnic groups are distinguished by their colourful clothing, embroidered manta garments, hats crowned with feathers, as well as wrist bands, rings and collars of crystal beads with which they express their beliefs.

In images colourful and dramatic, the Huichol Indians of the Sierra Madre Mountains depict their spiritual reality. It wasn’t until sometime after mid-century that many of the works of art began to filter into the Mexican and foreign communities. In time, more members of the Huichol communities, one of the few tribes that has retained original customs and traditions, began to migrate toward cities such as Tepic, Guadalajara and Mexico City and locally in Puerto Vallarta.

Food: At the Nayarit Riviera, visitors will find exquisite oyster sopes (fried gorditas with different toppings) and enchiladas, shrimp tamales, grilled fish, which is one of the delicious specialties within the region, as well as the Tlaxtihuilli, (shrimp soup) aguachile ,(seafood served with a spicy lemon mix) fish rinds, the famous grey mullet grilled on mangrove wood, among other delicacies.

Grilled fish is the most traditional dish in the Nayarit Riviera, and its origin comes from Mexcaltitan Island. This Nahuatl delicacy is preferably prepared with snapper fish since it contains little fat, which keeps the meat from becoming dry when exposed to heat.

For more information about this holiday destination, and for all hotel contacts visit: rivieranayarit.com word & photos: Sam Bramwell www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 67

Festive Feasting In Manchester...

Cracking Christmas Comforts At The Bakerie >>

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he Bakerie prides itself on providing hearty meals that deliver the delights of home comfort. So what better place to visit during Christmas - the ultimate season of indulgence.

With its simple yet effective décor and amazing wine jukebox, (yep, Wine Jukebox) the Bakerie avoids fancy-shmancy and delivers straight-to-the-point, good, honest food. With a £25.95 set Christmas menu, (of fabulously sized portions) that offers three courses of pure goodness for all different preferences, (meat eater, vegan, fish lovers, etc.) you can’t go wrong.

We tucked straight into the menu, starting with a delicious, sweet yet tangy, goats’ cheese tartlet with poached pears. The crispiness of the pastry complementing perfectly the creamy goats’ cheese. Chef Andy Wilson did not disappoint with the next dish. The nation’s favourite beef wellington, definitely a people pleaser and we were definitely pleased. Soaked in a rich gravy and surrounded by the traditional Christmas veg, (sprouts, carrots, parsnips) the tenderly cooked, perfectly rare beef went down an absolute treat as we experienced Christmas with every mouthful.

Dessert was a mouth-wateringly boozy Christmas take on the Italian classic, Tiramisu. Instead of using the usual sponge fingers, the base is Christmas pudding which was absolute genius. The wonderfully sweet cream and the fiery, fruity taste of the alcohol-soaked Christmas sponge was definitely a winner, presented appetisingly in an ice cream glass. Of course, we ate the whole thing. A home away from home, The Bakerie is an absolute gem and well worth a visit this Christmas.

BAKERIE Competition - ‘Breaking bread since 2011’ To celebrate Bakerie’s third Birthday, we are giving you the chance to WIN £250 credit to play with on their wine jukebox.

Bring your friends and we will also provide you with a selection of classic Bakerie boards to complement your wine tasting.

To enter email VIVA your name and contact number to competition@vivalifestyle.co.uk, and quote ‘Bakerie’

THE BAKERIE 45, Lever Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M60 7HP Tel: 0161 236 0914 Web: bakerie.co.uk

VIVA c u i s i n e

<< Don Giovanni’s Christmas Cuisine...

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IVA headed down to the amazing Don Giovanni’s to sample the chef’s Christmas menu specials and Chef Raymond wowed us with two of his personallycreated, taste sensations. First on the menu was Salmon Adriatico. The salmon is delivered fresh every morning, along with juicy vine tomatoes direct from Italy and is accompanied by locally produced asparagus. The aesthetically pleasing dish (we couldn’t wait to stuff our faces) tasted as good as it looked, with the creamy white wine sauce the perfect accompaniment to the succulent, lightly-cooked salmon. Incredible vine tomatoes, placed poignantly at the side of the dish, added just the right amount of kick to the subtle flavours of the salmon and the richness of the sauce.

Chef Raymond is always eager to try out new tastes, flavours and ingredients and, when asked why he chose to cook this particular dish for Don Giovanni’s

customers at Christmas, he explained that it was definitely a seasonal dish and, more importantly, a likeable one.

Another delicious creation of Chef Raymond’s was Ravioli Lobster. (we saw the lobster alive and so can definitely vouch for the fact it was delivered fresh that morning) The reason for his choice of Ravioli is that Raymond is keen to introduce fresh, homemade pasta to the menu. This dish was actually tried and tested by the public and won its place on the menu and we couldn’t think of a more deserving winner, with the plate actually donning the head of lobster. The presentation of this dish is epic and once again accompanied by those amazing tomatoes. Experience Christmas cuisine at its best with Don Giovannis!

DON GIOVANNIS 1-2, Peter House, Oxford St. Manchester, M1 5AN Tel: 0161 228 2482 Web: dongiovannis.co.uk words: Laura Nicholson | photos: Georgina Glass

A WINTER WONDERLAND TIPPLE! The Dalmore 12yr Whisky

Rhum St Barth Chic Agricole Perfect for rum and whisky lovers, Rhum St Barth is an agricole made using (sugar) cane juice from the French West Indies. The Chic has been aged for four years in recharred bourbon barrels and limited to five thousand bottles annually.

Subtle spice and vanilla on the nose, smooth, slight sweetness and a little dry on the finish with slight spice.

The Dalmore brand has been around since 1839 in the Highland region of Scotland, with this particular expression a firm winter warmer. Aged for ten years in a Jim Beam cask and then two years in a Matusalem sherry cask, there is a nose of vanilla and honey with orange citrus and a more subtle hint of vanilla, cocoa and marmalade on the palate.

Available at The Whisky Shop, RRP £38

Available at TheWhiskyExchange. com, RRP £60

Photo: Shani Hodson, shanihodson.com Location: Great John Street Hotel, Manchester

Sibling Gin Newly launched in June this year and hailing from Cheltenham, four siblings have created a triple-distilled gin with notes of vanilla and orange on the nose. The blueberry and vanilla flavours hitting your tongue create a bold, fresh offering.

Available at Harvey Nichols, RRP £45

Brought to you by Manchester-based Dave Marsland, aka. the Drinks Enthusiast...

Snow Queen Vodka Award-winning vodka from Kazakhstan using organic wheat, sand-filtered artesian spring water and charcoal from the birch trees of the Kazakh forests.

Try the Snow Queen Martini Glass - Martini Ingredients - 60 ml Snow Queen vodka 10 ml Dry Vermouth Method - Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain in chilled Martini cocktail glass. Squeeze oil from lemon peel onto the drink.

Available at MasterOfMalt.com, RRP £31

Frontera Wine This holiday season, deck the tables with bottles of Frontera, the world’s bestselling Chilean wine brand. The Merlot shows off aromas of cherries and pepper with a smooth, long aftertaste. This full-bodied wine complements perfectly when matched with roast turkey or chicken. The Pinot Grigio has aromas of fresh pear and apple with a crisp acidity that pairs well with vegetable dishes or Boxing Day bubble‘n’squeak.

Available in stores nationwide RRP £5.99

Seven Bro7hers IPA Seven brothers of Manchester started with an inspiration from their father’s home brewing days and they have just released an IPA weeks after their official launch.

Their Indian Pale Ale is a mixture of hops and malt with added citrus and grapefruit, creating an ale that’s more bitter than sweet at an ABV of just five percent.

Available from sevenbro7hers.com

VIVA L A S M A N C H E S T E R

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ssex n um the pa ber one par rty ty radio s started dow boy, Mark W n at Ro right, g tation Michell o N s her ma e Keegan als orth West la so for the H t o atten eart unch. G n, alon ded th g with Happy irlfrien eb oth M d Carpe onday’s singe er celebrity ash to suppo ts’ Clin r, rt g u R e o s w t s Nicole e t in Barber Boon; Holly tta; XFM’s an cluding: o -Lane a d nd Jorg aks’ McQuee Inspiral Go The fo rmer T t Talent winn ie Porter plu n ladies, OWIE ers, Co every F s Brita s in’s ll show. M riday and Sat tar is bangin abro. g out c urday e ark ex lu v p first ex b class ening o lained boy wh perience on that the Hea n his new ra ics d r t a h t t e F a M r r e adio. W numbe show is io the thr e re “Hmm one, party b e main ingre asked the pa his rt oy m d love to .You either lo ? With a litt ients for bein y le chuc he love party.” When ve to party kle he g a o s s then li coming to R visiting Manc r you don’t a aid, kes to n h o dI e s s s t o e r, fo move t he par r dinner and Mark says ty on t d r in ks and Pa o nacea. Neighbour and hood

Celebs Holiday In The Hamptons At Victor’s VIP Launch In Hale vers and , media mo , footballers e gloriously green ts le ar st z howbi ed to th launch of rates flock city corpo lebrate the ce to e al H e,Victor’s. suburb of rant ventur test restau ley Road la s sh d’ A o n o ho ant eatery Neighbour eg el bstance e su th e, ring t styl Guests ente e Hampton’s affluen emco th to find nt - inspired by tion - were delighted ant br vi a in tica inks and sophis lectable dr hts. ine and de dance delig ess, al ic porary cuis us m h it tr w ac s’ ce ak en o bi am ed Holly ests includ nne Poole; Celebrity gu g; songstress Caroly ; arin sa Corrigan Stephanie W te Scouse-wife, Alis Smith la o ra ic N pe ; es isse former D on; Jude C sley.

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www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 73

VIVA L A S M A N C H E S T E R words: Annaliese Watkins

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Here Come The Brides!

MCR National Wedding Show

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Selfridges Escalate Their A/W Collection

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he beginn ing of Oct obe Exchange Square A/W r saw the Selfridge s place. The Fashion S even how take across th e men’s an ing was a fantastic success d women show star ’s we ted with models co ar floors! The escalators ming dow and sashay n ing aroun of the me d the cen the n’s tral area Varsity, A floor. Designers in laia, Balen cluded YS ciaga, Ale L, Red Lanvin, D xande ior, B Spotted in elstaff and Maison r McQueen, Martin M the fashio argiela. nable cro favourites wd were Cath Tyld Corrie esley, Bro McGleynn o , Ryan Th omas and ke Vincent, Katie brother A dam from Emmerdal After the e. stu womensw nning show we ve ntured up ear floor stunning to where we cocktails were treat the co u ed to rtesy of T York Stre he Alchem et and th en, ist Jacqueline awestruck, we wat New ched Bissett sk etching.

words: Louise Adkin

VIVA L A S M A N C H E S T E R

ay Viva It’s Frid At The Milton Club

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photos: Dave Dullage

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northmanchester.fm

Welcome Back To An Icon *Enjoy over 125 different gins and an unrivalled selection of draught beers in this atmospheric bar in the Deansgate railway arches at the entrance to historic Castlefield *Open from 7.30am for breakfast, brunch and lunch *Specialists in private and corporate events *Perfect pre-theatre place to meet and enjoy our special offers *Heated and covered terrace for allweather drinking and parties ATLAS BAR 376 Deansgate, Manchester T: 0161 834 2124 E: james@atlasbarmanchester.com

@TheAtlasBar

/Atlas-Bar

VIVA V I P E V E N T S

Book Christ your m

as party at At now las Ba r!

Manchester Gets An Early White Christmas At Atlas Bar

M Party.

overs and shakers of Manchester donned their Christmas jumpers and headed to Atlas Bar Pre-Xmas, Xmas

Atlas bar did not disappoint and was complete with fake snow, presents and a Christmas tree, with party-goers enjoying (one too many) glasses of mulled wine as they danced to Christmas classics such as Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas.’ What could be better?

The Christmas guest list was on point with Ex on the Beach’s, Ross Worswick; Happy Monday’s Rowetta; prankster, Karl Power and celebrity chef, Andrew Nutter amongst the celebrities that attended. Also there to enjoy the festivities were Shameless’ Ciaran Griffiths, Daz Jones, celebrity make-up artist and actor Armand Beasley and professional skater Ben Grove.

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If the presents under the tree weren’t enough, (they were real, promise) there was a snow machine. Actual (ish) snow covered the heated decking which gave the whole party a certain air of grottolike enchantment as Atlas captured the essence of a winter wonderland and surely snow without the cold is a dream in itself?

Guests were greeted with a hearty, strawberry-filled gin and tonic and even the ice cubes had a VIP edge. Kangen ice was used which meant that everyone would (supposedly) be hangover-free in the morning. After a night of drinking and tasting different types of gin from the Atlas gin bible, (yes, bible) we can definitely say this stuff is a revolution and actually does work. (hallelujah) There were selfies galore at the party (of course) as guests posed in the snow with ‘The Selfy Stick.’ (also a revolution) Never again will bad angles be an issue.

As the night went on, we saw VIVA Ems in the DJ booth and amazing performances from singers Princess Jordan and Wayne Devlin. Manchester legendary band 808 State also made an appearance after playing at The Manchester Food and Drink Festival and deciding to join us in the festivities for a Christmas-themed after party. The mixture of Christmas, house and chart music meant everyone was up for a Christmas boogie.

As the night came to a close, Christmas goody bags were handed out left, right and centre with amazing gifts and offers from Trevor Sorbie, City Escapes and B Beauty. Despite it being September, Atlas Bar definitely proved that it is the place to be this Christmas, so get planning your parties now! Hey, it’s never too early. words: Laura Nicholson photos: Karin Allbinsson

To book your Christmas party call 0161 834 2124 or email james@atlasbarmanchester.com, www.atlasbarmanchester.com

VIVA L A S M A N C H E S T E R

Mani from The Stone Roses DJing

Chico’s sister Amelia & Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets

Bez & Chico’s Mum Angela

Chico with Uncle Shaun & Mark Day from Happy Mondays

Manchester Was Kickin’ Cancer With

Chico & The Happy Mondays

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t was a Happy Mondays’ family affair as one of Manchester’s biggest bands pulled together to host a charity event for Chico’s Kickin’ Cancer. All in aid of Paul Ryder’s son, Chico, who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma a couple of years ago.

Chico flew over to Manchester two weeks ago with his family from Los Angeles - where they live. In the lead up to this event, the Ryders have been doing all manner of campaigning for the use of cannabis oil treatment to be made legal as it is back home (for them) in LA. Chico even went to meet MP Norman Baker at the House of Commons last week.

The fundraiser was organised by Chico’s Mum, Angela Smith, with help from Chico’s sister Amelia Ryder.

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Full dinner tickets were priced from £75 with all money going straight to Chico’s Kickin Cancer charity. There was an incredible line-up of Manchester’s finest musicians which, as well as the Happy Mondays, included: Northern Uproar; Peter Hook; DJ sets from Mani of the Stone Roses; Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets; 808 State and surprise support from Northside. On the night a live auction of signed memorabilia also raised thousand of pounds with guests bidding for signed guitars, books, paintings, maracas, albums and even a night out on the town with Bez. Hosted by Chico’s favourite Los-Angelesbased comedian, Tony Cascio, the evening was full of fun and laughs. Chico and brother Sonny took to the stage with Uncle Shaun, Dad Paul, Rowetta and the rest of the band, shaking macracas and dancing like Bez

alongside little Leo, Bez’s son, who has certainly picked up some dancing moves from his Dad. While thousands were being raised from the fundraiser at the Palace Hotel, on the other side of town Amelia Ryder was hosting another event for Chico at the Ruby Lounge.

In this line-up were The High Nines, Lucky T Jackson, Thieves Like Us, Danny Mahon and there were DJ sets from Clint Boon, Beat Boutique DJ’s, Stevie (Revolver) and Vince Vega.

Manchester was definitely Kickin Cancer that Friday night!

If you would like to donate to Chico Kickin Cancer charity go to: chicoskickincancercom.webs.com

@chicoscampaign

Chico on stage shaking macracas with Bez

Chico & brother Sonny

Chicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dad Paul Ryder with friend

Northern Uproar

Rowetta & Shaun

photos: Karin Albinsson

Leo on stage with his Dad Bez

IT’S NEARLY NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY TIME!

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he biggest night of the year is almost upon us and VIVA has three of the best places that will guarantee you bring in the New Year in style. Whether you are stuck for something to do or looking for a huge party, help is at hand with VIVA’s party guide to New Year’s Eve.

Don Giovanni’s

Basking in all things Italian, the amazing Don Giovanni’s does not fall short when it comes to festive celebrations. If you’re looking to enjoy NYE supper in the city a with a sixty-five pound rustic set menu of four freshly-cooked courses and a complimentary strawberry Bellini or award-winning organic Prosecco on arrival, you are guaranteed a delicious start to the year. Expect dazzling décor to be displayed around the restuarant’s stunning interior.

The live music begins after half-past seven and from eleven there will be a DJ to help you bring in 2015. *To book tickets for Don Giovanni’s NYE call 01612282482.

Atlas Bar

Following VIVA’s epic Christmas party, Atlas Bar will definitely not disappoint for New Year’s Eve celebrations. This year it’s time to don your best black tie attire as they host a not-tobe-missed Rat Pack ball. Step back in time as the champagne corks pop and indulge in a night of glitz, glamour and, above all, good times. Atlas Bar has recently been refurbished and its stunning interior definitely provides an unmissable party. > 82 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

The bar is also Manchester’s biggest specialist in gins from around the world so, if that doesn’t guarantee you a good time we don’t know what will! Join partygoers as performer Wayne Devlin recreates the golden Rat Pack era alongside party tunes that will provide an unforgettable start to the New Year and be sure to have you dancing the night away. Tickets are just five pounds which includes a glass of Prosecco on arrival. So what are you waiting for? *To book NYE at Atlas Bar email james@atlasbarmanchester.com or call 0161 834 2124.

Malmaison Manchester’s number one hotel is guar-

anteed to throw an epic party for New Year’s Eve. With its stylish interior and an epic variety of tasty cocktails, Malmaison is definitely the place to be all year round, with New Year’s Eve being no exception. The night will see some quality entertainment from the professional female and male vocal duo, One Night Stand. You will also be treated to a stunning four course meal, from a delectable menu, dishes including an entrée of Jerusalem artichoke and winter truffle velouté.

Sesame seared tuna and peppered duck breast are also among the mouth-watering dishes you can enjoy as a main course.

Tickets for the event are ninety-nine pounds per person or, if you want to make the most of the hotel itself, you can indulge in an accommodation package which is just one hundred and seventy-nine pounds. This will include bed and breakfast as well as the four course meal and unforgettable entertainment. If you can’t wait until then, Malmaison are hosting epic Friday nights in the lead-up to the festivities with ‘Thank Mal it’s Friday.’ With the party beginning at five o’clock, a post-work cocktail (or ten) can be enjoyed along with top entertainment from our very own VIVA Ems as she takes to the decks to wow the crowd with some top house tunes. *To book NYE at Malmaison call 0161 278 1000 or book online at malmasion.com.

With Manchester being the biggest (and best) party place there is, VIVA has no doubt that the city will come to life as 2014 comes to a close. So make sure you have an epic party planned to kick off 2015 and we will see you there! words: Laura Nicholson

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 83

KIRI BLOORE REPORTS: Goodbye summer, hello winter and bring on Christmas! We are getting into the festive spirit down in the Big L...

Dance the night away with

Another Party

Rompas Reggae shack

VIVA LONDON NEWS!

and Rompas

Reggae Shack

The Ultimate Christmas Present for the Man That Has It All

London fields brewery

O

ne of the hardest things at Christmas is the stress of finding the perfect present, particularly for the man that has everything. Well beer can usually solve many a problem and London Fields Brewery just might have created the perfect Christmas package. Spending a day learning how to create awardwinning, craft beer with London Fields Brewery is sure to make anyone smile. londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk/ brewery-school Times are 10.30am-5.30pm First Saturday of each month Cost is £95 per person.

Yes Indeed Sassoon

Is What You Need

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salon SassooN

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ith all this celebrating and partying you’re certainly going to need to look fabulous and the VIVA London girls and I were lucky enough to test run salon Sassoon, just to make sure it’s as good as they say it is. Without doubt there is no other salon in London you should visit. With top colourists and stylists they are sure to make you look fabulous. Take the stress of Christmas away and sit back and enjoy being pampered by the best.

45 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9DG 020 7240 6635, sassoon.com

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he winter months wouldn’t be complete without a party or two to remember.

Rompa’s Reggae Shack has certainly kept our summer alive with sunshine reggae and Red Stripe but the winter is here and it’s time to take it inside and where better to head than Fabric. Mungo’s Hi Fi and all the usual suspects will be filling room 3 as DJ EZ takes to room 2. fabriclondon.com 19th of December 10pm- 6am 77A, Charterhouse St. London. EC1M 6HJ

Well, we said a party or two and December wouldn’t be complete without a party from ‘Another Party.’ 2014 has been an inspirational year for the Another Party crew and, for their final event of the year, the popular Londonbased promoters will toast their milestone with a stellar line-up that features American house legends in the form of Jerome Sydenham, Joe Claussell and Kerri Chandler. anotherparty.co.uk Friday 5th December, Pulse London, Invicta Plaza, Southwark, Greater London. SE1 9UF

VIVA L O N D O N

Christmas Till You Pop

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Somerset house ice rink

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

t seems like just a moment ago we were sunbathing in the parks and enjoying cider in the sunset. With the leaves firmly on the ground Christmas is just a heartbeat away and, although we all sigh a little at the thought of it, everyone’s heart always skips a tiny beat at the happiness and joy Christmas brings.

But it’s not as simple as enjoying one day. The lead up, with its planning and parties, is a solid three month stretch so we have planned your London adventures perfectly, to make the chilly winter nights drift by in utter bliss.

1. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: has become a London Christmas institution and, don’t worry, it’s not just for kids. With two hundred Christmas market shops, ice bars, music spots, ice rinks and funfair rides you will never want to leave. Entry is free but be aware, once inside prices can be steep. However for the ultimate Christmas trip look nowhere else. hydeparkwinterwonderland.com Winter Wonderland opens at 5pm on Friday November Twenty-first 2014 and is then open to the public every day from 10am to 10pm (except Christmas Day) until it closes at 10pm on Sunday January the Fourth 2015.

2. For one day only: Dusty Fingers German Winter Wunderland brings a slice of Deutschland to Hackney with an array of vintage and Christmas stalls and even a Santa’s Grotto.

Twitter.com/DFVintageMarket The date for your diary is the Thirteenth of December. The market opens 11am until 4pm at The Round Chapel Centre for the Performing Arts, 1d, Glenarm Road, London. E5 0LY 3. There is no place like Somerset House: for the ultimate in winter magic, during the day Somerset house is turned into an ice rink to enjoy the Christmas spirit and, at night, the rink hosts the hottest DJs and club nights. Don’t worry, there is a cocktail bar to relax in and enjoy the fun. There is also a Christmas arcade which transforms into a pop-up version of Fortnum and Mason’s flagship Piccadilly store. somersethouse.org.uk/ice-rink The Ice rink opens on the 11th of November until the 11th of January, adult tickets cost around £15 and children’s around £9.

4. And if all that wasn’t enough: for the first time ever Victoria Park will be transformed into a mini-town with its own ice rink, club nights and enough festive entertainment to make it a day and night to remember. Entry is Free but tickets are needed for some activities. winterville.co.uk Winterville takes place from 2nd – 31st of December at Victoria Park, Grove Road, Bow, London. E3 5TB

If you have any exciting London news or would like a chat with the VIVA London Team then please contact Kiri Bloore kiri@vivalifestyle.co.uk.

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 85

“I’m putting it down in this studio and the lady that runs it comes in all dewy-eyed. She says, “Wow, I can’t believe you’re doing ‘Silhouette,’ it was done here, in this room in 1969!”

VIVA I N T E R V I E W

ALI CAMPBELL

THE LEGENDARY VOICE OF UB40 REUNITED WITH ASTRO & MICKEY

A

fter the recent release of a new album, the VIVA girl’s had a morning catch up with the legendary voice of UB40,Ali Campbell, as he relives some of his unforgettable times with the band as well spilling the beans about big plans for 2015 now the renowned trio Ali, Astro and Mickey have reunited…

VIVA Girls: So Ali! Tell us a bit about the new album!

Ali: Yes, it’s called ‘Silhouette,’ recently been released. I actually have a funny story about the track Silhouette. We recorded that in Rak Studios which belonged to the late Mickie Most who used to be on ‘New Faces.’ (basically the 70’s version of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’) Anyway, ‘Silhouette’s’ a song that I knew as a classic by Dennis Brown. Anybody who loves reggae will know ‘Silhouette.’

I’m putting it down in this studio and the lady that runs it comes in all dewy-eyed.

She says, “Wow, I can’t believe you’re doing ‘Silhouette,’ it was done here, in this room in 1969!”

VIVA Girls: No way!

Ali: Yeah I thought that was quite serendipitous and quite funny.

VIVA Girls: That’s definitely fate!

Ali: Yeah man! Spooky! I first did ‘Silhouette’ as a Dennis Brown tribute and it’s always been hanging about in my mind ever since then and when I was asked to do an album of seven originals and seven covers, I knew Silhouette had to feature.

VIVA Girls: Of course! How does it feel to be back touring?

Ali: We’re in the middle of a world tour that started at the beginning of the year in Nigeria. We’ve been all over the world since then places like Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. We’re about to go to Australasia and New Zealand. We’re gonna be touring right until the end of next year. We’re going to be doing Hawaii, of course, because we love it there.

VIVA Girls: Amazing! And what about the UK? Ali: We put some gigs in at the beginning of the year because we didn’t know how

busy we were going to be and now we’ve had to put some in April (2015) due to popular demand! We have some at the NIA and Brixton Academy, places like that.

VIVA Girls: ….and most importantly, you’ll be hitting Manchester?

Ali: Yes! We’ll be playing Manchester 21st December!

VIVA Girls: We’re so excited for that.

When was the last time you were here in Manchester?

Ali: The last time I played in Manchester was with Smokey Robinson and we did a track called ‘Hallelujah Time’ for my album which was about four years ago!

But we did it in a great little studio in Manchester. Smokey graciously gave me four or five hours of his time to put down a vocal which was brilliant.

VIVA Girls: We know that Radio Riddler (Fast & Frank from Fun Lovin’ Criminals) have been supporting you, how’s it been going touring with those guys?

Ali: They’re a great bunch, it was great fun touring with them. It’s funny cos they have a Fast in their group (Brian Fast Leiser) and our drummer is called Paul Slowly, so I really enjoyed introducing fast to slow!

VIVA Girls: Ha! We actually had their track Purple Rain that you were featured on as our VIVA Tunage of the Weekage a few weeks back!

Ali: So it should be! It’s a brilliant cover if I do say so myself! That cover actually pushed me to make a whole album!

VIVA Girls: Really?

Ali: When Frank came to me I was in Basingstoke studios in London. He just said do you fancy doing a vocal on Purple Rain? And to be honest, I’ve never been a huge Prince music fan but I do like his productions. I just thought what an unlikely cover that is, to make it into a Reggae song and when we did it, I loved it, it really worked.

VIVA Girls: Yes! The whole album is really great, we love it at VIVA! Ali: It’s definitely one of our favourite tunes in the set.

VIVA Girls: So what made you guys get back together?

Ali: Mickey and I left the old UB40 six years ago and had been going around the world promoting Reggae. The dark side, as I like to call them, carried on doing their own thing. They decided to do a country album which I thought was a slight loss of direction considering they were the biggest selling reggae band in the world.

VIVA Girls: Ha ha just a bit!

Ali: Well Astro said himself that after me and Mickey left they were kind of like a rudder-less ship. I was the driving force behind UB40 I started the band back in 1989 to promote Reggae, that’s always been my big thing. I grew up with Reggae.

When I started UB40 Reggae was only thirteen years old!

VIVA Girls: What’s your favourite track on the album?

Ali: I don’t really have a favourite, the most ‘interesting’ one is probably ‘Who Will Remember Them.’ I was asked to do a song called ‘We Will Remember Them’ for Help for Heroes and I kind of turned that around. I think it has an interesting sound on things. There’s also another great song on there called ‘Tomorrow On My Shoulder’ which my Dad wrote, basically all about having a son.

VIVA Girls: Oh wow! So your Dad was a musician as well?

Ali: Yep! He was a songwriter, he wrote that song about 30 years ago. He passed away a couple years ago and I had that song tucked away unpublished.

VIVA Girls: That’s so nice that you have a song of your Dad’s on the album. And finally, what’s the plans for 2015?!

Ali: We have loads of projects coming up! We’re doing a documentary about the break up of the band, it’s an old story now so we’re going to bring that back!

‘Silhouette’ was released on the 4th October and UB40 are set to play at the Manchester Academy on the 21st December and playing other dates in the UK in April. For more information and tickets visit www.ub40.co.uk. and follow @WeAreUB40 on Twitter. words: Laura Nicholson www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 87

VIVA M U S I C Capital Breakfast with Rob Ellis Weekdays 6-10 am

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ummer has been busy at Capital and, as October began, we launched our first Make Some Noise day.

Global Radio raised over one point one million pounds which will help some amazing causes for young, disadvantaged people across the UK including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Rob, Rachel and Wingman paid the guys a visit.

We had our second Capital Juice live show down at The Comedy Store in Manchester, with all the ticket money going to Make Some Noise.

It was another brilliant event with Coronation Street’s Georgia May Foot and Emmerdale’s Danny Miller both getting involved.

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival was another great success with Rob, Rachel and Wingman all taking over a city centre restaurant in a competition with Sally Hudson from Capital Drive (4pm – 7pm) and Weekends’ Adam Brown (Sat/ Sun 12pm – 4pm) all going head to head to see who could sell the most gourmet food in one night! Sally won!

We’ll be heading out again soon.

This time for a very unique event; Comedy On The Cobbles will be a stand up gig at Coronation Street – The Tour, with local comedians Rob Rouse, Dan Nightingale and Danny McGloughlin, all helping us raise even more money for Global’s Make Some Noise.

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We’ve had some amazing people through the doors at Capital recently. The Vamps, Union J, Olly Murs and we even had the amazing Jessie J come in and perform some live acoustic tracks for a very select group of competition winners.

As we head for Christmas, we will be bringing back our Jingle Bell Ball. We can’t say too much about it at time of going to press but it will be massive if the previous years are anything to go by. Katy Perry and Lady Gaga took the stage in 2013 and where and who will be rocking the stage in 2014 will be revealed on The Capital Breakfast Show soon.

We will soon be saying a temporary goodbye to Rachel, in December, as The Capital Breakfast Show will be growing its family. Rachel and Fiancé Chris are expecting a baby just before Christmas, so we all wish them the best and we’ll be hearing Rachel back on the radio in the new year when she will be a Mum. Exciting times, with Rob Ellis and wife Lisa also welcoming the beautiful Poppy in August we are getting bigger.

Rob, Rach & Wingman

ON THE VIVA MUSIC RADAR:

Black Rivers

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Rivers!

his winter we are all over the new - actually not so new - band Black

Black Rivers is two-thirds of Doves. (yes, exactly, THAT band who were an opening act for Coldplay and U2) Why is it only two-thirds of Doves? The members of Black Rivers band are brothers Andy and Jez Williams, this time without Doves’ singer and bassist, Jimi, behind them.

According to Andy, there were no arguments or falling outs, the band just played together for about thirteen years. “You have to try new things,” he says.

At the beginning, it was just about fun. “At that time we didn’t have a label. There was really no-one knocking on the door going, ‘write a new single’ or anything.” Andy and Jez were going for their writing trips to Anglesey and seeing where it would take them.

Black Rivers music is different from Doves. The songs have a completely different energy.

Just listen to Age Of Innocence and you will know what we mean straightaway. “We wanted to be exciting to listen to, not too downbeat,” Andy adds.

With the release of their new album in February 2015, we were curious where they drew the inspiration for the songs from. “From life,” Andy says, explaining that they live in this bubble on the road which is not as interesting to write about but life itself is.

When writing the songs the brothers realised that most of the lyrics have a theme of immigration - they are about people moving somewhere better.

Their single ‘The Ship’ got over thirty-two thousand YouTube hits. That’s something the Williams brothers take as a great success because they love to make music and connect with people. That’s what their band is about.

Black Rivers have just returned from a five days tour, playing in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds and, with their single ‘Voyager 1’ being released at the end of October, we are more than confident in saying that these guys are on their way to the top. blackriversofficial.com /BlackRiversOfficial @Black__Rivers words: Tereza Pevna

‘Till I Met Thee’ Cody Chestnutt When I first heard this, it stopped me in my tracks. The whole album that this is taken from is, in my opinion, one of the best albums of the last five years. Beautiful lyrics and one of the most soulful voices I’ve ever heard, a must.

‘On A Clear Day’ The Peddlers What can I say about the Peddlers?

They are one of those bands that, when they are good, they verge on genius and when they are bad they are really cheesy but this, along with ‘Tell the world we’re not in,’ are wonderful examples of sixties’ cool.

‘Pi’ Kate Bush I fell in love with Kate when I was at school, like a lot a boys my age. She was crazy beautiful and strange and this track is all those things. That’s why I love it.

‘Peg’ Steely Dan I’ve been playing this a lot recently, it just makes me feel sooo happy.

It’s one of those ‘getting ready to go out’ choons - most excellent.

‘Many Rivers To Cross’ Jimmy Cliff photo: Elspeth Mary Moore

Black Grape | Blind Arcade

KERMIT

LEVERIDE TAKES OVER THE

VIVA IPOD...

Follow Kermit: /blindarcade @superweirdtweet kermitleveridge.co.uk

This is the song I wish I’d written.

I think it’s perfect, it gets me every time. I saw Jimmy play at Bestival a couple of years back and the voice that came out of him just gave me chills. Probably my all time fave.

‘One Nation Under A Groove’ Funkadelic This is my number one, definite booty shaker. I absolutely adored this tune from the first moment I heard it coming from Coral’s (my big sister) bedroom when I was a lad and it’s been rocking my world ever since.

‘Im A Psychiatrist’ Lee Scratch Perry Lee “Scratch” is a dub-wise savant, a true maverick and this is one of his best. From the opening sound of a Caribbean downpour to the last bass drop, this is a superb piece of roots and culture.

‘Warrior Charge’ Aswad One of the best baselines ever, this just puts fire in my belly and makes me feel invincible. The horn section is amazing and the whole thing bounces along with the confidence of a prizefighter. Awesome.

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 89

Ten manc’s

by Karin Albinsson

My memories of Chris Sievey When compiling my first ‘10 Manc’s’ Exhibition in 1998, it felt important to include Frank Sidebottom. Frank had been a well known and loved character in Manchester since the early eighties. I gave my friend Chris Sievey a call. Frank answered in his typical voice and spoke a lot of nonsense, finally I asked him if he could go and get Chris for me, who then returned with his normal voice!

I asked if he was up for a shoot with Frank. I was going to make a room set - with walls decorated with photos of Frank, mounted in gold frames. Frank was going to be admiring himself, dressed as the lord of the manor. Chris loved the idea and we did the shoot!

While looking through the images from the films taken (that had eaten a big hole into the 10 Manc’s Exhibition budget ) I was still not convinced I had the right image for the exhibition, something was missing - Chris!

Another phone call and I explained to Chris that I would like to capture the man behind the head. Would it be possible to take portraits of both Frank and Chris and display the photos side by side? Chris told me that he didn’t want to do this as the person behind Frank should be kept a secret from the public.

A couple of days later Chris gave me a call. “I was thinking about your idea Karin and I think it’s time to reveal the face behind Frank. I will do the shoot.”

That image is now on the cover of the authorised Biography of Chris Sievey. I spoke to the author Mick Middles, who told me that the book is the strangest he has ever written, as Chris was a strange guy. A man trapped inside a huge childlike papier-mâché head.

He revealed stories of the imaginative child, who grew up continuing to be creative. Sadly he never got the recognition he deserved, he died penniless in 2010 at the age of fifty-four.

When his fans found out that there was no money for the funeral, they got together to help and raised over twenty thousand pounds.

In his home town of Timperley sixty thousand pounds was raised for a life-size bronze statue of Frank and in May 2014 the film ‘Frank’ - based on the character Frank Sidebottom - was released.

The book by Mick Middles, ‘Frank Sidebottom out of his head’ will be launched in November 2014. I’m looking forward to reading the inside stories about Chris Sievey - the comic genius behind the Mancunian legend, Frank Sidebottom.

Photo and words: Karin Albinsson 90 | VIVA | w w w. v i va l i f e s t yle.c o.uk

VIVA RECRUITMENT

SALES TEAM We are looking for outgoing, driven candidates to join our sales team, high commission given WRITERS We are looking for creative, interesting writers to join our freelance editorial team for online and print PHOTOGRAPHERS We are looking for experienced photographers to cover events, gigs, fashion shows plus more! You must have an SLR camera WHAT TO DO! Email your CV to info@vivalifestyle.co.uk

W ords B y DARREN R L GORDOn

VIVA C I N E M A R E L E A S E S

Twitter : @Dar renRLG ordon / @DNA_AC TINGLASS

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Interstellar 7th November 2014

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Dumb & Dumber Two - 19th December 2014

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wenty years after the original (and now classic) movie, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their roles as Lloyd and Harry. If you’ve never seen the first film, I’m sure you’ll get the chance as it will be aired liberally before this new film hits our big screens. In the original there are so many outrageous moments to make you wriggle and squirm while laughing out loud. It is a mix of the silly, the ridiculous and the gross. This film promises the same ingredients, so expect to cringe, giggle and spend moments aghast at just how stupid the situations and conversations are. With some irreverent references, including the return of ‘Mutt Cutts’ van, it is more than a nostalgic visit to past glories and promises to be a lot of fun. This sequel has, after all, been a long time in the making. Speculation about this project has been around for most of that time and the lead actors haven’t exactly disappeared from the scene since 1995 so any suspicions of this being just about the money are unfounded. This franchise is held in high esteem by all that are attached to it, so the concept had to be right before the talent would commit. Definitely worth making the trip to the cinema!

he latest offering from lauded British director Christopher Nolan is all about the attempt to find somewhere else for humankind to inhabit, given the imminent capitulation of life on Earth. Using a recently discovered ‘wormhole’ a group of explorers venture to new realms, covering distances previously thought impossible.

The film, as ever with Nolan productions, is on an epic scale but, within this huge environment, the real story is about family relationships and human intimacy.

The lead cast is just as stellar as the content with, what promises to be, another fascinating and moving performance from Matthew McConaughey, alongside the ever-sophisticated and sharp artistry of Anne Hathaway.

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his film will probably be most recognised as the final project of ‘Sopranos’ star James Gandolfini. Michael R Roskam directs this tense modern gangster film. A strong cast is lead by Tom Hardy, wrestling with his ‘native New Yorker’ accent. Roskam directed 2011 movie Bullhead which was nominated for an Oscar. This film promises to be a gritty, hard-hitting drama with high stakes as Bob (Hardy) becomes embroiled in a gunpoint robbery of money belonging to people you don’t steal from.

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Annie - 26th December 2014

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oxing Day, a day that has now become consumed by sales opening everywhere and huge queues to get into the car park of your local mall, not to mention the shops themselves. Which is something we have learned from our American cousins. Another is the Boxing Day movie release. Family films shelve themselves for this date so they can cash in on the fact that everybody is at home in the ‘holiday season’ and probably climbing the walls. The relief of a visit to a multiplex to watch a movie everyone can enjoy is a great idea! Speaking of ideas, the movie business is desperately seeking new ones and, when it can’t find any, it looks back in order to move forward and we get remakes of old films. This new twist on Annie sees the little ginger songstress become a young African-American who is taken in by a career-motivated Mayoral candidate. (Jamie Foxx) A fun, all-singing-and-dancing, festive frolic which also stars Cameron Diaz.

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The Drop 14th November 2014

Taken 3 8th January 2015

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e is back and let’s pray that the shameful efforts of Taken 2 are firmly put to bed and that Mr Neeson, (lead actor) Mr Besson (writer) and, most importantly, Mr Megaton (director) redeem themselves. My expectations are, though, that this will be another cheese fest.

Bryan Mills (Neeson) finds himself framed for the murder of his wife and is forced to go on the run. The issue here is that the original in this series was directed by a man with a track record of hard-hitting, edgy and violent thrillers, whereas this film is directed by the man that Luc Besson trusted with Transporter 3 and, of course, Taken 2. Don’t hold your breath.

VIVA D V D R E L E A S E S 3

Guardians of the Galaxy 24th November 2014

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his film has been an unprecedented success for Marvel and, in the battle of comic strip movie entities, clearly places them head and shoulders above DC. Even with the Superman v Batman project expected next year, there will still be a massive clamour for the next instalment from this ragtag motley crew of rejects and bounty hunters - including the least wooden performance from Vin Diesel I’ve ever seen. If you missed this at the cinema, it’s a film worth buying. Surprisingly entertaining, extremely well directed, comedic and it features Bradley Cooper as a Racoon.

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The Expendables 1-3 Box set 8th December 2014

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his exciting collection might make a great stocking filler. Basically I couldn’t bring myself to watch the second and third of these films after the first one, so I’m going to describe them in onomatopoeias.

Whoosh, Bang, Fizz, Zap, Vroom, Beep, Tick-Tock, Tinkle, Smash, Crash, Ping, Plop, Stomp, Wallop. I wish I could show you my facial expressions for each of these adjectives but it’s probably a good job I can’t.

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 24th Nov 2014

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aesar is back and now he has his own community established. An uneasy peace exists between the humans and the apes as long as boundaries are respected but a desire for electricity means that a rabble rouser, who has become the leader of his human community, risks upsetting the apes by venturing into their domain to access the power station. Caesar faces problems within his world and the unwanted appearance of humans gives rise to the element of ape society. These films bring together the magic ingredients of a strong project, a fantastic story, compelling performances and creative excellence. The physical movement work done to create the ape characters is phenomenal, meaning that their presence is equally as strong as that of an actor as powerful as Gary Oldman.

The ability of this film to immerse its audience in a world of talking apes and the challenge to the dominance of humankind as the lead species on the planet, combines the stark social comment - made by the original films of the same name - with an integrity and authenticity that means our suspension of disbelief doesn’t need to be triggered. I can’t wait for the next one!

Boyhood 10th November 2014

his is a groundbreaking film, shot over a twelve year period, by director Richard Linklater. It follows the life of a young boy from adolescence through to his late teens and examines the changes in him and the relationship he has with his family and those surrounding him.

As an experiment in filmmaking, it is inspirational and, as a reminder of moments in our own lives and how much we forget about our childhood, it’s refreshing.

Lucy - 15th December 2014

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Luc Besson writes and directs this edgy, fast-paced, action film. Further evidence of just how powerful Besson has become in Hollywood. The film basis is that Lucy, (Scarlet Johansson) through being forced to become a drug mule, takes a powerful amount of a new designer drug that starts to increase her control over her brain capacity. Rather than just the ten percent the rest of us have to manage with, over the course of the film she gains more and more control, finding that this enables her to influence people, objects and actions in ways we can only dream about. Part of Besson’s genius is his ability to find topics and concepts that are easy for us to relate to and turn them into exciting stories. However, much of his material has been tainted by the need to entertain the masses and therefore the projects don’t always have the integrity and honesty that we saw in his early work. Lucy, is an awkward hybrid of sophisticated ideology and soft, sugary commercialised filmmaking. Like my Euromillions lottery ticket, it had so much potential but, ultimately, doesn’t pay off. www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 93

VIVA L I S T I N G S

EVENTS, SHOWS & GIGS NOT TO MISS THIS WINTER

IN MANCHESTER &

Northern Ballet Cinderella

VENUE: PALACE THEATRE DATE: 18th - 22nd nov TICKETS: FROM £12.50 A story set in imperial Russia.

Cinderella is heartbroken from the death of her father and excluded by her step-mother and sisters.

She finds peace on the frozen lake, where she first meets her prince charming but, as the romance blossoms, a magic encounter in a market place changes Cinderella’s destiny..

CHESHIRE...

Pretty Reckless

Lily Allen VENUE: O2 Apollo DATE: 25th November TICKETS: £38

This American rock band, led by Taylor Momsen, (yes, we all remember her from Gossip Girl) is coming to Manchester to turn you reckless with their Going To Hell tour packed with songs from their latest album.

Lily Allen is going on tour throughout November and December to support her new album Sheezus.This is her second No.1 album following the one from 2009 - It’s Not me, It’s You.‘Sheezus’ is quite different from her first album ‘Alright, Still’ as she has shifted from ska and reggae to something more electropop.

VENUE: ACADEMY DATE: 19TH NOVEMBER TICKETS: £53.90

Bryan Adams VENUE: PHONES 4U ARENA DATE: 23rd november TICKETS: FROM £54.45 Bryan Adams is returning to Manchester as part of his tour celebrating the 30th Anniversary of his album Reckless.We can’t wait to sing along to tunes such as ‘Summer of ‘69’ and ‘Heaven.’

At The Gates VENUE: Manchester Academy 2 DATE: 5th December TICKETS: £19.80 Shrek The Musical VENUE: PALACE THEATRE DATE: 2/12/14 to 11/01/2015 TICKETS: FROM £21.85 There is no one who doesn’t know the story - Shrek, and his loyal steed Donkey, are on a mission to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a love-sick dragon.This performance will bring the much loved characters to life, in a live, song-and-dancepacked, theatre extravaganza at Manchester Palace Theatre.

If you are an undying death metal fan then you need to put this date down in your diary. Playing only live at festivals, this is their first full European tour for 20 years. At The Gates will be joined by label mates Triptykon and Morbus Chron.

Snow White And the Seven Dwarfs VENUE: Opera House DATE: 5/12/2014 TO 4/01/2015 TICKETS: N/A yet Professor Green VENUE: ACADEMY DATE: 5th December TICKETS: £20.35 The rapper and author of hits such as ‘I Need You Tonight’ and ‘Monster’ is taking over the UK with his tour to support the release of the new album ‘Growing Up In Public’ - including his No.1 song ‘Lullaby.’ Come on, you know you can’t resist him!

Not only is the favourite fairytale of all time coming to the Opera House, guess who will be starring in it? Naked Gun star Priscilla Presley as the Wicked Queen! The story about Snow White and the seven dwarfs will certainly melt your heart.

Do you wish as much as we do that Snow White will find undying love with the Prince?

EVENTS AND SHOWS GIGS Foxes VENUE: Academy 2 DATE: 7th December TICKETS: FROM £29.69 Come on sing with us! ‘’Cos’ I’m holding onto heaven, Lights fade but I won’t let them, Oh I’m holding onto heaven,When I breathe and it’s only youuuuuu’’ Come down to Academy 2 to support this talented vocals, guitar and drums musician.

We promise nobody will stay calm when listening to her catchy songs including hits such as ‘Youth’ and ‘Holding Onto Heaven.’

Tommy Tiernan VENUE: The Lowry DATE: 7th December TICKETS: FROM £29.69 Who says that Irish folks are boring?

Tommy Tiernan makes jokes which will put you into a laughing spasm.

He dares to take risks other comedians won’t. Don’t miss out on this rare treat!

White Christmas VENUE: Bridgewater Hall DATE: 13th December TICKETS: From £16.50 Little Shop Of Horrors VENUE: The Royal Exchange DATE: 10/12/14 TO 17/01/15 TICKETS: FROM £8.75 We all like a bit of horror and a scare from time to time, even though we don’t admit it.This cult hit, which is one of the longest-running offBroadway shows of all times, will give you just the right dosage! A nerdy florist’s assistant, Seymour, finds his chance of romance with the help of a giant plant who demands to be fed.

The Lion King VENUE: The Palace Theatre DATE: 17/1/2015 TO 22/2/2015 TICKETS: From £20

Russell Howard VENUE: Phones 4U Arena DATE: 20th December TICKETS: £30.95 The creator of ‘Russell Howard’s Good News’ is extending his sold-out autumn tour due to huge demand. Don’t miss this hilarious comedian on the top of the world, doing what he does best.We guarantee you won’t find better entertainment on a chilly and rainy winter evening.

This classic Walt Disney performance is coming to Manchester, full of masks, puppets and eye-catching costumes. Join Simba’s struggling journey to adulthood and becoming king. If you love the animated version then you shouldn’t miss on this incredible theatrical recreation.

Get yourself into the Christmas spirit a little bit earlier this year and enjoy all-time favourite Christmas songs, such as Winter Wonderland, Let it Snow and Jingle Bells, accompanied by a festive, hot-fork buffet with live entertainment and a private cash bar. Mmmm, we like the idea of pigs in blankets and roast turkey, don’t you?

TNA Wrestling VENUE: Phones 4U Arena DATE: 30th January TICKETS: FROM £22

Strictly Come dancing Live VENUE: Phones 4U Arena DATE: 24th - 25TH JAN TICKETS: FROM £49.50

TNA wrestling returns to the UK for its 7th anniversary.With names such as Bully Ray, Magnus, James Storm and many more, this is an event which shouldn’t be missed by any fan of wrestling.

Strictly is back! An event full of glitz and glamour and celebs which will make you want to dance the night away. Do we really need to say more?

www.vivalifestyle.co.u k | VIVA | 95