Family Living Magazine Dec 09 Issue by simon atherley

Issue No. 1 - December 2009

Family Living is the magazine that brings the family together

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JaMiE olivER talks about scHool dinnERs and His FavouRitE cHRistMas REciPEs

PETER ANDRE

PUTTING THE KIDS FIRST

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Win a Redken gift box and also an Elemis Perfect Radiance gift box From M&M Hair

oRganisE tHE PERFEct cHistMas PaRty FASHION - TRAVEL - HEALTH & BEAUTY - MOTORING - ESSENTIAL GUIDE - FOOD & DRINK - CURRICULUM - OUT & ABOUT

WElcoME... After months of hard work we are pleased and proud to be able to bring you the first edition of Family Living Magazine and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who have helped to bring the magazine together. Family Living Magazine really is your essential guide for family lifestyle in the East Midlands. Every issue will be packed full of fashion, the places to eat and where to enjoy fabulous days out, we bring you the very best that East Midlands has to offer! The magazine will be bi-monthly and will be full of relevant features and articles written by our award-winning writers and supported by fabulous photography and celebrity contributors. We also announce the launch of our groundbreaking new online video TV channel, www.familyliving.tv. This innovative new technology allows you to have a look at the very best that the East Midlands has to offer, whilst keeping you up to date with all of our articles, features and a behind the scenes look at what we are getting up to. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our advertisers and readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next timeâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś

Simon Atherley Simon Atherley

Publisher Editor Creative Director Marketing Director Sub Editor Advertising Sales Editorial Editorial Editorial

Simon Atherley Helena Hughes Alistair Price Kevin Davis Rachel Charvill Lennie Hughes Rebecca Thomas Richard Brooks Jonty Simons

simon@familylivingmagazine.co.uk helena@familylivingmagazine.co.uk alistair@familylivingmagazine.co.uk kevin@familylivingmagazine.co.uk rachel@familylivingmagazine.co.uk lennie@familylivingmagazine.co.uk

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0844 357 57 96 info@familylivingmagazine.co.uk www.familylivingmagazine.co.uk

Advertising and Editorial Offices: Eaton House Barn Elm Lane, Eaton Leicestershire NG32 1SS

contEnt Issue No. 1 - December 2009

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tHE PERFEct XMas PaRty A successful party lives on in everyone's memory.

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Putting tHE kids FiRst Peter Andre talks about his kids and why they always come first.

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JaMiEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scHool dinnERs Jamie makes radical changes to the school meals system.

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MakE youR cHRistMas go WitH a bang A step-by-step account of how your favourite champagne makes the journey from grapevine to glass.

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tRuly Wild giFts Does Grandpa really need all of those new socks?

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tHE 12 gaMEs oF cHRistMas The best games to get this Christmas for the kids or one big kid!

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sHinE tHis sEason

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Short and sparkly dresses are one of the top trends this season and are great for that all-important Christmas party.

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luncH datE Family Living spoke to PizzaExpress to find out what they were doing for families.

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WHats on Whats going on in your area over this Christmas.

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St ar

When You Wish Upon a

Celebrating 18 years of creating smiles

For the past 18 years When you Wish upon a star has been granting the Wishes of children across the uk aged between 2 and 16 year old, all of whom have a life threatening illness. the charity was founded in nottingham in the East Midlands by our very own Fairy godmother barbara White obE. All children have Wishes, but for these children and their families that Wish is so much more precious. For the duration of their Wish these children are able to forget about hospital routines, doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointments and gruelling treatments, and smile, laugh and enjoy life like any other child.

daughter doing what they have always dreamed of, sadly too many families go through this heartache with children who are not as lucky as some. To make that vision a reality the charity relies overwhelmingly on the generosity and hard work of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters. Quite simply, the more money they receive, the more Wishes can be granted. Which is why Family Living Magazine has pledged to work with the charity to donate 1% of all revenues, but perhaps more importantly to tell the stories that help to keep When You Wish Upon a Star at the forefront of all of our minds, especially at this time of Year.

The pictures on this page show just a few of the 'Wishes' that the charity have fulfilled for very special children, and brought a smile to what can sometimes be a very traumatic time, not only for the child concerned but also for the families. If you could see these children, you would be touched by their courage and some with the prospect of many months, sometimes years, of very painful treatment. When You Wish Upon a Star aim to bring a sparkle into their lives no matter how big or small. If you have happy healthy children you know what joy it brings to see them smile. This is something we should never take for granted; When You Wish Upon A Star deals with those other areas where a sick child's Wish actually becomes a reality in what may sadly be a short life. To be able to fulfil a Wish is an incredible achievement, this can bring a huge smile to a child's face! Also to the parents who have taken time out from the visits to doctors and hospitals to actually have time to enjoy life with their son or

www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk Tel:Â 0115 978 1500 5

tHE PERFEct cHRistMas PaRty

a successful party lives on in everyone's memory long after the last glass of punch has been sipped and the last bite of dessert eaten. but the fuss and frustration of planning can be a big party pooper. all the details -- What kind of party should i have? Whom should i invite? How should i decorate? What do i serve? -- can make even the most experienced host or hostess a little stressed. If you add to this equation the many demands and complications of the Christmas season, you have the recipe for a real headache. Though the rewards of a successful Christmas party will carry on all year, some people might feel that the planning and execution is just too much of a burden. That's why we've included lots of party themes, ideas, and tips that make it easy to pull off a spectacular event. Our tried-and-true secrets for entertaining will ensure that your party is one to remember! Decorating for a Christmas Party The sound of a crackling fire. The joy of newly fallen snow. The anticipation of Santa Claus. The smell of a cedar tree. The taste of a freshly baked Christmas cookie. At its very 6

essence, Christmas is a holiday that excites our senses. How things sound, look, feel, smell, and taste evoke memories of holidays past, flooding us with emotions. The best way to re-create these memories -- and to create new memories for our families and friends -- is to surround ourselves with things that remind us of the season. Decorating is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. Whether you are planning a small get together or a large party, decking your home in seasonal splendor will satiate the senses and fill all your guests with holiday spirit. The Colours of Christmas Christmas is all about colour. Glowing strings of lights, festive stockings, and beautifully wrapped gifts take center stage. The colors you choose to emphasize in your Christmas decorations can impact the feelings they evoke. Consider your goals -- icy and intense, cozy and traditional, modern and fresh, elegant and luxurious -- before deciding on a colour scheme. Cool blue looks icy and cold, like the light of winter after a heavy snow has settled. The spectrum ranges from pale blue so light it shimmers to shocking cobalt. Whether you choose to use various shades all together or stick with one main colour, blue will electrify and intensify your decorating

scheme. White or silver is often added to enhance the decor; mixing in greenery and other naturals can also accentuate the various hues of blue. Seeing red -- and green: Conjure up memories of Christmas past, and you likely envision a holiday decked out in red and green. These colours are synonymous with Christmas; they're the traditional colours most often associated with the season. Technically, red and green work well together because they are opposite each other on the colour wheel. In practice, red and green go together in almost any setting in your home, from a mantel festooned with a natural garland and flanked with red stockings to a table centrepiece that highlights Christmas china. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas: A white Christmas can be classic and traditional or glamorous and fresh. That's the beauty of decorating with such a versatile colour. With contemporary interiors, an all-white Christmas is en vogue: current, up-to-date, modern. With traditional decors, all white lends a homespun feel to the holidays. Twinkling white lights and touches of silver are spectacular accents to an all-white decorating scheme. Flickering candles or a roaring fire add warmth to pure white and play up the shimmery effect of any gold or silver accents. Now that you have your decorations picked out, it's time to plan your party. Planning a Christmas Party Any event planner or caterer will tell you the key to a successful party is planning. It's not enough to simply make a few dishes and send invitations. A little advance planning saves you time and headaches later so spend five or ten minutes envisioning the party and walking yourself through as a guest. When party time comes, both you and your guests will have a night to remember! Dreaming of the Perfect Party The holiday season is packed with parties, so it's a good idea to send invitations three weeks in advance. The sooner you send your invitations, the less likely it is that your guests will have committed to another event. Your invitations should state the starting and ending time of your party and should mention the food you will be serving, whether it is light holiday fare or a traditional sit-down dinner. And don't forget to include directions! Choose a menu for which many of the items can be made ahead of time. Some appetizers and desserts can be made and frozen several weeks in advance. Other recipes can be mixed together a few days before and stored in the refrigerator. Simply bake and finish the day of the party. Remember that parties aren't the time to try a new recipe. Either test a new menu item before the party, or stick with tried-and-true recipes. Opt for heavy finger foods instead of recipes that require dinnerware. Foods that can be eaten without a fork and knife keep spills and dribbles down, and they reduce the amount of dishwashing you have to do later. If you do serve dishes that require dinnerware, make sure you have table seating for guests to sit down and eat. Make it easy on yourself. If you dread cleanup, opt for nice plasticware that can be tossed in the trash. Think about traffic flow. Place your bar close to ice and water. Place trays of finger foods on side tables and buffets throughout your entertaining area. Provide enough

blue will electrify and intensify your decorating scheme. White or silver is often added to enhance the decor; mixing in greenery and other naturals can also accentuate the various hues of blue.

chairs so that at least half of your guests can be seated at a time. Position several rubbish inconspicuously near the food tables and bar to prevent precarious pileups of plates and traffic jams in the kitchen. If you don't have time to deep clean your home the day of the party, hit the heavy traffic areas such as your living room, dining room, and bathrooms, and leave the rest for later. Set the mood with holiday music playing in the background and lit candles sparkling throughout the house. Personalize the night with a special activity. Invite your guests to write a holiday wish in a guest book displayed on your coffee table or ask them to join you for some caroling. Little details such as these help make your party an event to remember. Guests love party favors. Send yours home with a little something extra: a small ornament, a bag of cookies, even a candy cane with a bow is a sweet way to say happy holidays. Inspired Invitations An invitation is your guest's first impression of what your party will be like. To build the excitement, don't settle for a phone call or purchased invitation. Instead, use your party's theme to inspire your own quirky creations. For a nice personal touch, use a photo from last year's party as the front of your invitation, or send one with your family dressed in holiday garb or outfits that complement your party's theme. You might also have your child draw a picture of the nativity scene, your party, or a present. Scan the photo onto a computer and print onto cardstock. Get guests into party mode by making a custom CD of holiday music or other music that goes with your party theme. Write the party details on the CD label and send in a bubble-wrap envelope. If you'd like an invitation with a hand-crafted look, purchase holiday stamps, and use them to make custom invitations. Stamps are available in a variety of seasonal motifs, making them ideal for expressing a particular party theme. No time to make your invitations? Purchase nice note cards, and write a handwritten invitation with black ink. This is an elegant and personal way to announce your party. Themed Chistmas Parties There are many different Christmas parties you can plan aside from the traditional tree-trimming parties. Here are some colourful alternatives. Feliz Navidad: Mexicans celebrate the nativity and birth of Jesus with the Posadas, the nine days of preparation where the story of the nativity is reenacted. These days lead up to Noche Buena, or Holy Night of Christmas Eve. Most families go to mass, then head home for dinner with family and friends. The highlight of the evening is placing baby Jesus in the manger in the nativity scene. Decorate your Mexican fiesta with pottery; bowls of fruit; brightly coloured paper ornaments; colourful confetti; tinsel-trimmed maracas; small lanterns and candles; star pi&ntilde;atas filled with peanuts, oranges, tangerines, and sugar canes; red, green, and silver tablecloths; and of course, a nativity scene. 8

St. Lucia Day: St. Lucia Day, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated throughout Sweden on December 13. Blue and white are the main colours of the celebration. White dinnerware with blue napkins is always appropriate, but you can also embellish the table with white candles, greenery,

off with a box containing gifts and food, hence the holiday "Boxing Day." Today, people continue to celebrate by taking the day off to visit family and friends. This event is a combination of Christmas festivities and those of Boxing Day. Decorate the table with pine boughs, holly, mistletoe, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, oranges with fragrant cloves, bowls of fruit, and tiny Christmas trees. Wrap small boxes with metallic and holiday paper and use for decoration or add small gifts that your guests can open after dinner. You can also fill English "crackers" (coloured paper tubes) with candy and small presents. For a unique Boxing Day invitation, write the party information on a piece of paper, fold it up, then place it in a small, wrapped box to hand-deliver to guests. Le Reveillon: What was once a simple meal after midnight mass has blossomed into Le Reveillon, a nighttime dinner for French families with many of the same dishes as those served on Christmas Day. Some families use the event to decorate the tree or give presents. Like many other nationalities, the French often decorate with a nativity scene, greenery, and candles. An old-world Christmas: Celebrating the season is a month-long tradition in Germany, with festivities culminating on Christmas Eve, the night the Christmas tree is unveiled. Children are not allowed to see the tree until a bell is rung and it is brought out, fully decorated with cars, trains, angels, tinsel, lights, and ornaments. Families sing Christmas carols and place presents underneath. The night later gives way to a feast so lavish that the evening is often called "Dickbauch," or "fat stomach." Legend has it that those who do not eat well will be haunted by demons during the night. Invite guests to an old-world party by printing out an invitation, leaving the front blank. Then glue greenery to the front in the shape of a wreath. Clippings from your tree, mistletoe, and ivy are easy choices to work with. On the day of the party, decorate with nuts, fruits, greenery, marzipan, and adorable carved, wooden figurines of angels, trees, and Santa. Don't forget candles and trimmings. Party Time!

set the mood with holiday music playing in the background and lit candles sparkling throughout the house. Personalize the night with a special activity.

and ornaments on blue velvet ribbon hanging from the chandelier. Boxing Day: In merry old England, servants were required to work on Christmas Day. However, they were given reprieve the day after to visit family. Their employers would send them

The date has finally arrived. Guests will be arriving on your doorstep in minutes! You've prepared as much as possible ahead of time to ensure your plans run smoothly. A few finishing details should be all you need to make the event memorable. Anticipate the comfort of your guests. Set appetizers in the living room, on the buffet, and in other places that make it easy to nibble. Play music and light candles for ambience. Take guests' belongings when they arrive. Introduce people by pointing out what they have in common with each other. Accept any gifts graciously and take to a discreet place so that other guests won't feel guilty if they didn't bring one. Finally, stay out of the kitchen as much as possible so you can mingle with your guests and enjoy the party. And most importantly of all, you should enjoy yourself. Your holiday party should be for you as much as it is for your guests. 9

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PEtER andRE

Putting tHE kids FiRst

breaking up with a long term partner is never easy, as well as dealing with the emotional element of separating, there are the practical, everyday things to sort out that just seem to make the whole thing worse, bank accounts, property etc. This is all amplified a thousand times if you have kids, but what happens if you’re also in the public spotlight? Peter Andre and Katie Price made a career out of bickering on TV, but when Pete walked out on the former page 3 model, generally blaming her for the split, it soon became apparent that they were just like any other normal couple, the only difference being that we have watched their struggle to move on through the media. Now three months on Pete seems to be emerging into the light with a successful new album, TV series, sell out UK tour and his dream job of movie presenter on This Morning, so we thought it was time to catch up with Pete and find out his thoughts on his family and the future. On new relationships – Despite rumours to the contrary Pete denied that he was in a new relationship, but did offer up this insight into how he felt he might introduce a new girlfriend to the kids ‘the way that I would do it, is that I would introduce them as friends in amongst other friends and they (the kids) would get to know that person as a friend amongst friends. What I don’t want to show is intimacy in front of my kids, within the first month or two months of being with them, you know that’s a very slow process, personally that’s my opinion’. Pete refused to be drawn on whether this meant he disagreed with the way Kate had behaved. On Harvey and Dwight Yorke (Yorke called Pete a muppet) 'I do not hate Dwight and I didn't realise he felt that way about me. “But I have been a real father of Harvey and he calls me Daddy. I guess that sticks in Dwight's throat”. The song Unconditional is about Harvey. "He taught me to be a father before I became a dad, and I sing about wishing I'd been there for his first breath”. On Katie – I will always, always love her as the mother of my children and I will never hate her and that’s important, but I would never get back together with her. Pete has long been considered a good role model and father and won the 2008 Daddies dad of the year award and it is clear to anyone who watches his new show on ITV2 – The Next Chapter that despite his numerous work commitments, his family always comes first, which in our view makes Pete an alround top guy! For details of Peter Andre’s UK tour please visit his website www.peterandre.com His album Revelation which went gold in September is available in all good shops and online reatilers.

“but i have been a real father of Harvey and he calls me daddy. i guess that sticks in dwight's throat”. 13

Holiday

on icE olyMPic skating cHaMPion Robin cousins MbE is tHRillEd to bE bRinging Holiday on icE back to biRMingHaM

Holiday on ice, spirit is coming to the brand new lg arena, February 26th-28th 2010 and artistic director Robin cousins MbE can’t wait to bring the show back to the West Midlands. An exhilarating fusion of fire, air, earth and water is the theme of the sensational new production. Robin and choreographer Karen Kresge have co-produced a cultural extravaganza of inspirational ice skating, combining the natural beauty of the four elements with global traditions and modern rhythms. Robin’s love affair with Holiday On Ice goes back nearly 30 years. After winning Olympic gold at Lake Placid in 1980, he won the World Free Skating Championship gold medal three times, along with World Championship silver and European Championship gold. A highly successful career as a professional skater followed, which included a starring role in Holiday On Ice, and he says coming back to Birmingham will bring back a lot of memories: 'I actually performed with Holiday On Ice in Birmingham, we also used to have the World Championships for figure skating in Birmingham. Birmingham is a huge skating city. Growing 14

up, I remember the old rink on Pershore Street, there was also the old Bearwood rink and Solihull Ice rink. I’m thrilled that Holiday On Ice is coming back to Birmingham, in the new LG Arena, but also the show that’s coming back is Spirit. I’m very proud of it.' Holiday on Ice, is the world’s most visited ice show and is five times winner of Best Event For Groups. If you like Dancing On Ice or Strictly Come Dancing you are going to love their new production Spirit, which offers a complete entertainment experience for all ages, with an international award winning set, dramatic scene changes, creative lighting and a dazzling collection of over 350 extravagant costumes. Skaters tumble from the sky in amazing, airborne gymnastics and spiral and dance on the ice with dynamic energy, performing some of the most dramatic lifts ever choreographed in a Holiday On Ice production. Joining the cast of Holiday On Ice is former Dancing On Ice winner and ex England Rugby star Kyran Bracken MBE. After a highly successful Rugby career, including 51 international caps and being part of England’s victorious 2003 Rugby World Cup squad, Kyran starred in and won ITV1’s celebrity ice dancing competition, Dancing on Ice in 2007. Kyran is now putting his skates back on to appear in the sensational new Holiday On Ice production, Spirit. Tickets are on sale now and range from £14.50 to £29.50 with all children under 16 at £10 (subject to a booking fee). VIP rink side seats are available at LG Arena, Birmingham – no child discounts on these seats. Big savings for groups – buy 20 tickets and get 1 free! Groups save up to £4 per ticket. Book by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 338 8000 or online at www.theticketfacory.com

Win tickEts!!! Holiday on Ice, and their new production Spirit, offers a complete entertainment experience for all ages, with an international award winning set, dramatic scene changes, creative lighting and a dazzling collection of over 350 extravagant costumes. Skaters tumble from the sky in amazing, airborne gymnastics and spiral and dance on the ice with dynamic energy, performing some of the most dramatic lifts ever choreographed in a Holiday On Ice production. To be in with a chance of winning a family ticket for 4 people to opening night at the LG Arena on Friday February 26th 2010, just answer this simple question: In which year did Artistic Director Robin Cousins MBE win Olympic Gold in the figure skating? 1. 1970 2. 1980 3. 1990 To enter simply email your name and the answer to competition@familylivingmagazine.co.uk. The closing date will be 7th January 2010 and we will make sure that the winners receive their tickets soon after the closing date. Please don’t forget to add your name, age and address and a contact number.

‘best I’ve ever seen...irresistible entertainment for all the family’ Mail on Sunday

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JaMiE’s scHool dinnERs For the past couple of years Jamie has been campaigning to ban the junk in schools and get kids eating fresh, tasty nutritious food instead. He is the first to acknowledge that he can’t do it without your help though – so start a revolution in your school and help us prove that school meals can be better. It’s all about making radical changes to the school meals system and challenging the junk food culture by showing schools they can serve fresh nutritious meals that kids enjoy eating. What we eat affects everything: our mood, behaviour, health, growth, even our ability to concentrate. A lunchtime school meal should provide a growing child with one third of their daily nutritional intake.

JaMiE’s scHool dinnER ManiFEsto Local and national government need to come up with a ten-year strategy and some real money to re-educate people about proper eating habits. This is what I think needs to happen now: 1. In schools: make cooking and life skills classes compulsory for all kids so they learn about food and good eating habits while they're young. 2. For teachers: recruit and train new cookery teachers, otherwise the new right that kids have to cookery lessons just isn’t going to happen. 3. For heads: empower heads to make every school a junk food free zone. 4. For parents: educate parents and help them to understand the basics of family cooking and responsible nutrition. 5. For dinner ladies: invest in dinner ladies with proper training and enough paid hours to cook their food with fresh ingredients. 6. Commit to a ten-year strategic plan and fund a long-term public campaign to get people back on to a proper diet and empower/persuade (and possibly scare, if needed) the public to make better choices. With obesity costing the NHS more than smoking, it seems logical that a similar campaign should be appropriate.

killER Facts In the last decade, the number of school children who are overweight or obese has nearly doubled. One third of our kids are now too fat. • One quarter of teenagers are already obese. • 14% of boys and 17% of girls between the ages of two and 15 are overweight. • Nearly one quarter of adults are already obese. • Kids with fat parents are twice as likely to become obese. • Kids who are obese by the age of 12 are 85% more likely to remain obese into adult life. • Kids who are obese in their early teens are twice as likely to die by the age of 50.

kEy FiguREs About 3.25 million school dinners get served every day. Meals cost £1.54 in primary and £1.62 in secondary school, 4% more than a year ago. About half of the cost goes on labour. Last March, the government pledged £280 million over three years for school meals. The estimated capital cost of refurbishing school kitchens so they can prepare food from scratch again is £290 million, but this only covers schools that already have a kitchen. The estimated cost of installing new kitchens in schools would be £350 million. Many kitchens are also badly in need of an upgrade and new equipment to enable them to handle fresh ingredients. This autumn, the government pledged further funds to subsidise ingredients for healthy meals, to set up a regional network of training kitchens for dinner ladies, to build kitchens in schools that currently have no faclities and to enable secondary school children to learn to cook at school.

kids WHo aRE obEsE by tHE agE oF 12 aRE 85% MoRE likEly to REMain obEsE into adult liFE.

noRa Those of you who saw the original School Dinners series on TV will remember Nora, here’s what she has to say “I come from Killen near Inistioge in County Kilkenny in Ireland. I started as a kitchen assistant 15 years ago and learnt to be a dinner lady on the job. I work at Kidbrooke School in Greenwich, London where my official title is unit manager but I call myself a cook!” “I met Jamie Oliver in 2004 when he was making his TV series Jamie’s School Dinners. I became his right-hand woman and helped his campaign to improve the nutritional value of Britain’s school dinners. Since then I haven’t served a single chip! Now I have between 500 and 600 kids eating in the school canteen every day where I serve fresh, homemade food”. Nora’s given us a few bits of advice for dinner ladies about what she’s had to do over the last year to make her school meals service a success. You can also find out about the great snacks and healthy food she’s now got on the menu at mid-morning break. Last autumn, after we introduced Jamie’s lunches at Kidbrooke School we decided to get rid of all the junk food at mid-morning break. As I no longer sold chocolate bars and crisps, I suffered a loss of income for the school. I had to work out how we could start selling healthy snacks, things we could prepare quickly in the kitchen on a daily basis, with a good margin and which would sell at snack type prices. It’s really important for the children to have something nourishing to eat at break time, especially as some of themhave clubs at lunchtime and so might miss the lunch time service. We tried selling cereal and fruit bars for a

while, but they weren’t very popular, which I was actually quite pleased about as I was very wary of the additives that were in them. The following snacks were a success:

snacks FoR Mid-MoRning bREak • Baguette with cheese and salad or tuna • Panini with ham, ham and cheese, or cheese • Cheese on toast with tomato sauce using crusty ends of bread • Tortilla wraps with fresh chicken • Popcorn • Fruit salad • Carrot cake • Flapjack • Shortbread

WHat’s HaPPEnEd at kidbRookE - tHE kids This autumn we’ve got the first intake of primary children from other schools in Greenwich serving Jamie’s menus. They came for an induction day in the summer and it was really good to see them all enjoying the healthy food with no fuss at all. I’m really strict about making sure the staff put everything on the plate, so that every child has to take a complete meal. This way, we’re slowly getting the children to eat everything and they’re definitely eating more vegetables. We even ran out at Christmas dinner last year, which shows they’ve changed their habits!

i’m really strict about making sure the staff put everything on the plate, so that every child has to take a complete meal. this way, we’re slowly getting the children to eat everything

JAMIE OLIVER ASIAN INSPIRED TURKEY SALAD Jamie says, "This brilliant little salad is one for all of those people who say they only like white meat. I promise, if you like crispy duck and most people I know do - then you’ll love this because actually, I think this crispy turkey meat is even better! The flavours are incredible and I guarantee this salad will smack everyone in the chops and wake them up after Christmas. The dressing will make quite a lot, but will keep for a few days and also be gorgeous over fish or other salads." Method: How to make Jamie's Asian-inspired turkey salad 1. Shred the brown turkey meat into thin strips using your fingers and put it into a dry pan on a medium heat. Add the cashew nuts, dried cranberries and five-spice. Give it all a good stir then let it toast away while you get on with your salad. Give the pan a shake every now and then to make sure nothing catches. 2. Add the mint and most of your coriander leaves to a bowl with your mixed salad leaves. Make your dressing in a separate bowl by mixing the juice from your clementine and lime. Squeeze the juice from one of your pomegranate halves through your hands to catch any seeds then discard them. Stir in your grated onion. I tend to use 3 parts oil to 1 part acid when I’m making dressings, so look at what you’ve got in the bowl so far then pour in 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Squeeze in all the juice from your grated ginger then throw away the pulp. 3. Give this lovely dressing a really good stir, and have a taste. If you want more salt, add a splash more soy. If you

want more acid, add another squeeze of lime juice. Drizzle over enough dressing to coat the salad leaves then use your hands to toss and dress them. 4. Add the honey to the pan with the turkey meat and stir through until coated. Turn the heat up to full whack for the last few seconds to really crisp up the meat mixture. At this point, make sure your guests are all at the table and ready to eat so you can serve the salad as soon as the hot meat hits the salad leaves. Toss half of your pan-fried ingredients through the salad leaves and transfer to a serving platter. 5. Spoon the remaining nuts, cranberries and crispy meat over the top of the salad and add another drizzle of dressing. Hold the remaining pomegranate half over the salad and knock it on the back with a spoon so the seeds pop onto the salad. Garnish with a nice sprinkling of fresh red chilli, any remaining coriander leaves and serve right away. Asian-inspired turkey salad… with pancakes 1. Jamie says: "If you’ve got a few more mouths to feed, or if you’re just feeling adventurous, take your Asian-inspired turkey salad and use it to make delicious little crispy-turkey pancakes. You should be able to get about 16 to 18 pancakes out of the salad." 2. It’s dead easy; get a few packs of small rice pancakes and put them on a nice wooden platter in the middle of the table with a bottle of hoisin sauce and the leftover turkey salad. Spoon some sauce onto the pancake with a bit of salad and get everyone around the table to get involved and roll their own.

© 2008 Jamie Oliver Jamie Cooks Christmas Serves 4 - Ingredients • 2 large handfuls of brown turkey meat • 1 large handful of cashew nuts • 1 handful of dried cranberries • 2 tsp ground five-spice • A bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked • A bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked. • 4 large handfuls of mixed salad leaves such as chicory, rocket, spinach, watercress (a mixture) • 1 tbsp runny honey • 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

“I promise, if you like crispy duck - and most people I know do then you’ll love this”

For the dressing • Juice of 1 clementine • Juice of 1 lime • 1 pomegranate, halved • ½ red onion, peeled and coarsely grated • Extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp sesame oil • A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated

tHE

PERFEct Pudding

Jean-christophe novelli is a 5 aa Rosette and multi Michelin award winning chef, who is also dubbed "the nation's favorite French chef". Some of his culinary accolades include ‘5 AA Rosettes', ‘AA Chefs Chef of the Year' 1998, ‘European Chef of the Year' competition representing Great Britain, ‘Face of the Future' The Times 1986, ‘Newcomer of the Year' Carlton TV Awards, Egon Ronay ' Dessert of the Year 1992' for his famous Jack-in-the-Box dessert, many times voted ‘Restaurant of the Year', awarded on numerous occasions ‘Best Restaurant of the Year outside London'. Here he shows us how to make the perfect Christmas dessert for those of us that don’t like, er, pudding!

caramelised Pear and cranberry tarte tatin This recipe can be made using many different fruit – from plums, apples, pineapples and strawberries to tomatoes and onions – as long as you make sure the puff pastry is wrapped tightly round and touching the caramel. This recipe was introduced on Hell’s kitchen and was very popular. Two of my best and favourite contestants mastered the result very well. They happened to be Stein Smart and Kelly. You will need 12cm tart tins for this recipe, which can be prepared in advance, up to the end of step 7 and frozen. 1 Preheat the oven to 220˚C/Fan 200˚C/Gas 8. 2 Heat a heavy-based pan and when hot add two halves of the vanilla pods, cranberries and sugar. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved with the cranberries. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 3 Cut four circles from greaseproof paper, larger than the tart tins. Scrunch them up and place in the bottom of the tins. Sprinkle each one with ground cinnamon and 1 of the vanilla pod halves. Spoon the hot caramel into each and allow to cool for roughly 2 minutes. 4 Peel the pears. Carefully remove a thin slice from the base and cut and discard a third from the stalk end. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the inside of the pears, including the core. Fill with the cranberry compote. 5 Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of 3mm and cut into 4 circles. 6 Place the tins with the set caramel upside down on top of the filled pears, and carefully turn them both over so that the tins are underneath. (The larger base of the pear should be touching the caramel.) 7 Cover the pears with the pastry, press tightly so that that no air is left underneath; the pastry should also be touching and pressed into the caramel. Chill in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes. 8 Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. 9 Return them to the hot oven and bake for a further 15 minutes. 10 Holding the greaseproof paper, carefully tip the pears upside down on to a serving plate and remove the greaseproof paper. 11 Top with vanilla ice-cream, dust with icing sugar and decorate with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately. • If wished, instead of ice-cream, use chilled low-fat crème fraîche. • To make the recipe more simple, use thick honey instead of the caramel.

Serves: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes 3 vanilla pods, halved lengthways 4 tablespoons fresh cranberries, or thawed if frozen 2 tablespoons caster sugar pinch ground cinnamon 120ml hot caramel (see page 00) 4 Comice pears 1 packet ready-made puff pastry To serve 4 scoops vanilla ice-cream icing sugar 4 sprigs fresh mint

Ready-To-Drink

COOKERY MASTERCLASSES FROM £300 'Stunningly Good' - Giles Coren, The Times 'Culinary Perfection' Becky Jones, Leicester Mercury Finalists three years running for 'The best use of Local Produce' and 'Gastropub' at The Leicestershire and Rutland Restaurant Awards

Tel 01590 880 735 www.hammerandpincers.co.uk 5 East Road, Wymeswold, Loughborough. LE12 6ST

MincE

PiEs

MADE THE EASY WAY Mince pies continue to be a family festive favourite, so we’ve been experimenting in the kitchens at Family living and we’ve come up with this unbelievably easy recipe. We know how much kids love getting messy in the kitchen and baking is a great way to learn life skills and practise practical maths in a fun environment! It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe, no matter how much the little angels throw the dough around! 1. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later. 2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. 3. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month). 4. Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. 22

ingREdiEnts • • • • • •

225g cold butter , diced 350g plain flour 100g golden caster sugar 280g mincemeat 1 small egg , beaten icing sugar , to dust

nutRition PER PiE 222 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 30g, fat 11 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 1g, salt 0.26 g

TOP

MincE

PiEs such is the popularity of the once humble mince pie, that it even has it’s own club! Every year the Mince Pie club test and rate mince pies from across the globe, we were interested in what they had to say about our supermarket pies, so that we could steer you in the right direction. if you’re not convinced then why not bake your own with our unbelievably easy mince pie recipe!

Mr kipling Mince Pies A rather nice pie. Good looking with nice design on the top. It had quite an overhang giving it that 'home made' kind of look. Pastry was quite light a fluffy, but a bit too crumbly, ending up on my lap. Filling was good, sweet and quite fruity, I like that. The overhang made the pie look bigger than it was.

Here’s the Mince Pie clubs top 5 Morrisons the best 6 deep Filled Mince Pies A great looking pie, with nice snowflake design on the top, even sugar coating and a very domed top. Just the singe steam hole in the middle of the snowflake. Could this be an amazing pie? First impressions, good, a little too sweet, but the filling was good. Took a white for the hint of alcohol to permeate through but it was definitely there. Crust was slightly crumbly.... but nice and light. Though it had that domed top, it was not filled full, there was room for more filling. sainsbury’s deep Filled Mince Pies Three steam holes. Could this be a nice full pie? Good sugar coating. Amazing aroma. Pastry a bit dry, hard and thick. Still a good pie though. Waitrose 6 all butter Pastry deep Filled Mince Pies A new box and a new pie for the M&S Connoisseur this year. We always look forward to this pie, a personal favourite of the Mince Pie Club. So much so, that we have a few from last year still in the freezer. We were disappointed with the amount of sugar that had fallen off the pies and in to the packaging. tesco Finest 6 Mince Pies Very nice pastry, note the steam holes, usually a good sign of plenty of filling. Nice tasting too. Not a bad pie.

For more reviews, visit the club website at www.mincepieclub.co.uk

MakE youR cHRistMas go WitH a bang it's hard not to love champagne. With its warm, rich flavour and bubbles that tickle your senses, champagne is the perfect accompaniment for any celebration. but how is it made? Read on for a step-by-step account of how your favourite champagne makes the journey from grapevine to glass. Champagne starts off the way wines do: with grapes. Most champagnes are made from a blend of chardonnay, pinot 24

noir, pinot gris, and pinot meunier grapes. In the beginning, the process for creating champagne is similar to that of wines. However, champagne grapes tend to be harvested earlier, when the grapes have lower sugar content and a higher acid level. Champagne grapes are pressed and fermented to convert the grapes' natural sugars into alcohol, letting any carbon dioxide produced in the process to escape. This creates what is called a "base wine." Once this has been done, the base wines are sometimes blended with other vinwines to combine grape varieties and different

tages. Most champagnes are in fact mixes of different grapes, which tends to produce a smoother flavour. This finishes off the first fermentation process. Then the wine is bottled with yeast and a bit of sugar for the second fermentation. During this process, the bottles are stored horizontally. When the yeast consumes the sugar, it produces carbon dioxide, which in this step is not allowed to escape. This carbonates the wine, making it officially champagne. The champagne is usually aged between one and a half to three years. After the ageing process has been completed, champagne is subjected to a process called "riddling," in which the bottles are rotated slightly each day and gradually moved so that the necks are pointing down. This allows dead yeast and other sediments to collect in the mouth of the bottle, where it can be removed. The process of removing the sediment is called "disgorging," and it takes a great deal of skill to do manually without losing more than a minimal amount of champagne. Nowadays, most champagne manufacturers don't disgorge their bottles by hand; an automated process freezes the liquid in the neck along with the sediment-called "lees" in champagne circles. The plug of ice is removed, and a small dose of sugar or sweet wine is added to the bottle. The champagne is then corked and sold for public consumption. True champagne-that is, the sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France-is required to age for at least 15 months "on the lees," or while allowing the sediment to collect in the bottle, before being made available for consumption. However, many of the higher-quality champagne makers age the beverage for six to eight years before selling it. It's believed that the lees impart a rich and distinctive flavour to the beverage. There are four major styles of champagne: doux, a sweet dessert-style champagne; sec, a little drier and good for general consumption at parties and brunches; extra-dry, a little drier than sec; and brut, the driest of them all - a savoury champagne that pairs well with meals. Champagne gets its name from the region in France of the same name. During the middle ages, wine was in high demand in churches because it was part of the Eucharist ceremony. For centuries, Champagne's wines were widely preferred throughout England, but they were not like champagne, as we know it today. Before 1700, champagne was a still wine, appreciated for its light and crisp taste. The first sparkling wines were produced in the 16th century in France's Limoux region, and when the sparkling technique was applied to Champagne's wines around the year 1700, champagne as we know it was born.

Moet & chandon Brut Impérial is a balanced assemblage of the three vine varieties disclosing a succession of elegant and harmonious sensations, a fresh maturity, supple and refined lines, inspiring well-being and an emotion which is appreciated and shared. fresh maturity, supple and refined lines, inspiring well-being and an emotion which is appreciated and shared Quality : Brut. Harmonious assemblage of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Colour : pale yellow with shades of green. Aroma : subtly vinous, with a vine and lime blossom attack. Palate : delicate well-balanced. From £32 for 70cl.

dom Perignon 2000 vintage DOM PÉRIGNON VINTAGE 2000 On the nose: The initial notes of fresh almonds and grapefruit gradually lead into cashew nuts and spices complemented by lightly toasted brioche. On the palate: The sensation is one of entering a wave: a satiny texture curls and unfurls on the palate, embracing and caressing it. An instant of weightlessness … matter vanishes, the finish vibrates, the taste buds are aroused by a controlled ardour. The persistence is remarkable, with just the slightest undertone of tartness. From £95 for 70cl

In Europe, no company that produces sparkling wine outside of the Champagne region may refer to its wines as "champagne." However, in America, the word "champagne" may be used as a semi-generic term by other winemakers. American winemakers who use the term must specify the place of origin on the label, under the word "champagne." Nowadays, we associate champagne with celebration, luxury, and the finest things in life. It truly is a wonderful way to celebrate, and is appreciated for its fine, intoxicating flavours all over the world. By J Vince www.thanksdarling.com 25

lanson black label

veuve clcquot

To the eye: The brilliant, limpid colour recalls the characteristic straw tones of the Pinot Noir, with glints of amber. It is lively in the flute, with a fine stream of persistent bubbles On the nose: It gives an impression of vitality and springtime scents, together with hints of "toast" and from a variety of flowers honey. On the palate: A bouquet of ripe fruits and citrus create a sensation of plenitude and lightness. A pleasant racy wine with a long and lingering taste. To be enjoyed at all occasions.

As the Rosé expression of the Brut Yellow Label, the flagship of Veuve Clicquot's thrilling and vibrant style, Veuve Clicquot Rosé is the instinctive choice for distinctive and romantic celebration. Its superb colour with coppery accents brings an additional touch of audacity, modernity and romanticism… so Clicquot!

From £30 for 70cl.

The wine has a luminous colour with radiant rose accents. The nose is elegant and generous, with initial aromas of fresh red fruit (raspberry, wild strawberry, cherry and blackberry) leading to dried fruits and biscuit notes (almonds, apricots and brioche). On the palate, the fresh first impression is followed by a fruity harmonious sensation. In line with the style of the Veuve Clicquot House, the wine is perfectly balanced and combines elegance and personality. The wine works its magic - this delectable champagne is beautifully ample and full of charm. It is a delicious wine in early bloom, a Rosé with character, wonderful as an aperitif to be shared as a twosome or with dear friends. From £32 for 70cl.

bollinger special cuvee The special Cuvée is the most accomplished expression of the Bollinger style. The house’s entire know-how is revealed in its ability to recreate, year after year, a blend that is constant in style and quality, and to recompose this bouquet of aromas, this unique combination of body, balance, vinosity and finesse. It is therefore on this wine that the House bases its difference, makes its qualitative choices and means to be judged. -The first fermentation of the wines takes place in small stainless-steel vats or oak casks. -Some thirty crus from the Marne department go into its composition, including a large proportion (80% minimum) of Grands crus and Premiers crus. The blend relies especially on Pinot Noir (on average 60%). -In order to preserve constancy, 5-10% of reserve wines kept for five to ten years in magnums stopped with cork go into the composition of the blend. -The wine is aged in the cellar for a minimum of three years prior to shipping. From £31 for 70cl

louis Roederer cristal 2000 The jewel of the House is Cristal, created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II. This is champagne at its finest, as inspired today as it has always been, the embodiment of elegance and purity. Cristal is made according to the strictest criteria, based on a drastic process of selection applying to the vintage, the cru, the village, the grapes and finally the wines. Only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from the House’s 10 most celebrated crus are used in the production of this legendary cuvée. Blend: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. Ageing: an average of 5 years of ageing on lees, plus six months after disgorging. Dosage: 11-12g/L of sugar from the dosage liqueur. Tasting notes: Yellow appearance with burnished gold reflections. Intense nose of white flowers, citrus and red berries, followed by warmer whiffs of toast and wood. On the palate, ripe lush fruits (vine peaches) and toasty flavours. Dense, fleshy structure. Powerful finish. Choice of food: serve with more refined dishes caviar, fish and shellfish such as lobster or spiny lobster. From £150 for 70cl

UNiqUE PERSONAL CHRiSTMAS GifTS fROM CHAMPAGNEPEOPLE.COM

Supplying a unique and personal service, Champagne People can offer you a complete range of labels for that special bottle of bubbly! Whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s a gift, celebration or if you’re just looking for your favorite bottle, Champagne People can supply your desired choice and will advise according to budget and taste for those seeking that something special.

Welcoming enquiries via phone and email only, Champagne People are the experts in their field and with their ability to supply major labels and smaller specialist labels; they can provide the perfect bottle. The Future looks good for Champagne People as a structured website is up and running, but has not yet got the ability for customers to purchase this unique service off their website due to the comprehensive layout and content required to fulfill the look to the MD’s wanting.

Based in the West Midlands, established as a London company, Champagne People Ltd has strategically relocated themselves just off the “M5 Corridor” for greater accessibility logistically to the whole country. Champagne People boast of having a business model like no other in the UK and are the only company that offers Engravings on the actual glass bottle itself, leaving the brand label in tact and offering that little extra something to make that bottle of Champagne extra special! Engraving anything from personalised messages, well wishes (weddings, anniversaries), birthday messages, Corporate Logos and images of any kind, you can choose any bottle, with any type of engraving, allowing you to provide a unique gift with an unmatched personal touch! Champagne People like to take the time to listen or read what it is the customer requires on the special bottle and come up with some brilliant ideas and solutions to satisfy each individual. Owner Raj says “We can provide a very detailed and accurate service, supplying whatever the customer wants without any hassle or fuss. We recently had a father who came to us asking for a special bottle of champagne to celebrate his daughter’s A Level results. We started by establishing what label he would prefer and what his budget could work to, and discussed what engravings he could have on the bottle. In the end, the proud father decided on a high end JEROBOAM bottle of Pink Champagne (that’s three normal sized bottles in one), engraved with all five of the subjects and results beside them, the date that the results came out, and a congratulations message to his daughter, with an image of a star. The father’s response to the end product was to comment- ‘You guys really are Champagne People, thank you so much!’”

Champagne People Ltd, 2 Tagwell Road, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 7BN Telephone: 01905 773318 Email: raj@champagnepeople.com

tRuly Wild giFts does grandpa really need all of those new socks? is uncle bob really going to eat all of those toffees?

its difficult to escape the growing reality that our planet is under threat and even if you are a climate change sceptic, there are certain truths that we can’t shy away from. one of those truths is that mans race for economic growth is placing a real strain on the environment and our fellow inhabitants. so if the answer to the above questions is ‘probably not’, then why not look at an ethical christmas present, with a legacy that can last a lifetime!

logging and forest clearing, which create easy access to more remote areas. Like other great apes, orang-utans have a slow reproductive cycle: females do not mature until about 10–15 years of age and give birth to (usually) a single infant every seven to eight years. This means that small and isolated orang-utan populations, with few adults of reproductive age, are very vulnerable as it takes a long time for populations to recover from any kind of disturbance. Because most populations are now small and dispersed, destruction of their forest habitats and hunting are rapidly driving orang-utans towards extinction in the wild.

Here we find out why and how to adopt an orang-utan….. Within the last decade alone orang-utan numbers have fallen by between 30 and 50%

What are the problems facing orang-utans? Habitat loss and conflict with humans Although orang-utans occur in a wide range of forest types up to 1,500m above sea level, most are found in lowland areas and prefer forests in river valleys or floodplains. However, these forests are fast disappearing. Lowland forests on Sumatra have all but been cleared. The largest remaining orang-utan population on the island is currently threatened by a proposed road which will run through Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the species’ last strongholds. Illegal logging is rampant on the island, even inside some protected areas. Borneo still has large tracts of lowland forest; however the World Bank has predicted that if nothing is done to stop forest conversion, rampant logging, and forest fires, Borneo could lose most of its lowland forests sometime in the next few years. Huge areas continue to be cleared for rubber, oil palm, and pulp plantations and other agricultural activities. According to a 2005 report from WWF, there are about 25,000km2 of oil palm plantations in Borneo, and the area is ever increasing. In Indonesia’s Kalimantan province, 10,000km2 of lowland peat swamp forest were partially cleared in the 1990s for conversion to rice fields. In the last 20 years an estimated 80% of suitable orang-utan habitat has disappeared, and only around 2% of what remains is legally protected. Widespread forest fires, many set deliberately to clear land for plantations, are becoming a regular disaster. Not only do fires destroy vast areas of orang-utan habitat, but thousands of these slow-moving apes are thought to have burned to death, unable to escape the flames. In some areas of Borneo and Sumatra, orang-utans are shot as pests by plantation owners or farmers.

How WWF are helping to protect the orang-utans • Achieving pan-governmental agreement to conserve the Heart of Borneo • Creating and extending protected areas of rainforest • Enforcing existing restrictions on the trade in live orang-utans and products such as palm oil

Hunting and illegal trade In some areas of Borneo and Sumatra, orang-utans are still hunted for food. Despite having been legally protected in Indonesia since 1931, orang-utans are also still captured from the wild and kept in households as status symbols. They are also illegally captured for the entertainment industry. Between 1994 and 2003, a total of 559 orang-utans and gibbons were found on sale in 35 wildlife markets across the islands of Java and Bali. This illegal trade is being aided by

• Promoting sustainable use of natural resources • Enabling local communities to manage protected areas Find out more... For more detailed information on species, WWF, TRAFFIC, and the work we do, please visit www.panda.org/species and www.traffic.org 29

Fact File In Malay orang means ‘person’ and utan is derived from hutan, which means ‘forest’. Therefore orang-utan literally means man of the forest.

WWF resources and are seeking to educate children in all key stages by engaging them in sustainable living projects and through inclusive learning.

The orang-utan's very survival is under threat as forest habitat is cleared to make way for plantations of oil palm, paper and timber. There are now only about half the number of orang-utans left in the wild compared with 10 years ago.

case study

WWF and one Planet schools Imagine a school where everyone cares – about themselves, each other, and about the planet; now and in the future. Now imagine a school where this caring touches everything it does – what and how pupils learn; how the school manages its physical environment and resources; how staff and pupils relate to each other; how they work with their local community – and how they reach out to the wider world. What you are imagining is a ‘ One Planet School’: a place committed to reducing its impact on the planet here and now; a place which prepares young people to act as drivers for sustainability in the future; a place with a vision of how people and nature can live in harmony, on a thriving, green planet. This is the vision behind WWF’s One Planet Schools programme – a programme which strives to reach out towards the 10.3 million highly influential young people who enter our schools five days a week, 40 weeks of the year. One Planet Schools builds on the government’s Sustainable Schools agenda. The One Planet Schools programme will grow and evolve over the next few years. Schools are using 30

Ab Kettleby County Primary School in North Leicestershire have recently adapoted an orang-utan called Kesi, key stage 2 teacher Alison Bowey told us that the adoption dovetailed in with the curriculum of learning about the rainforests and world conservation and that a lot of other key competancies had been tailored to reflect the rainforest topic, in art the children had turned their classroom into a rainforest and had put on a whole school production of the jungle book, in keeping with the theme. The adoption of Kesi, helped to bring reality to the learning environment and the school enjoy getting regular updates on how Kesi is doing. Mia who is in key stage 2 told us ‘adopting Kesi was brilliant! I didn’t know where orang-utans lived and adopting helps Kesi to stay alive’.

Want to get closer? Whilst WWF do not support the use of air travel, due to global warming concerns, other organisations take a different view and have embraced tourism as a way of funding life saving sanctuaries. Responsibletravel.com now do a 13 day holiday to Borneo, so you can get up close and personal with orang-utans in Bako National Park

Bako National Park is a small, coastal, mangrove forest well known for its conservation and education work and is one of the best places in the state to see proboscis and other rare monkeys as well as an array of colourful bird life. It is possible to stay overnight in the park if you wish. The itinerary includes a visit to the Iban Headhunter tribe who live in their traditional longhouse homes and here you experience their age-old culture. You can stay for a night or two with one of the Iban families or at the Hilton Resort. Do not be put off by the fact that this is a Hilton: as one of the international chain’s most remote properties it is built in the style of a wooden longhouse. The resort employs and trains local staff and demonstrates a refreshing awareness of the natural environment and local culture. Through your visit to the resort and Iban longhouses you contribute financially to the medical and educational needs of the Iban people. The Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is the leading orang-utan conservation and rehabilitation centre in the world. Here you are virtually guaranteed some impressive sightings of one of man’s closest relatives at the twice-daily feeding sessions. The orang-utans at the sanctuary are orphaned youngsters and adults who have lost their jungle homes due to deforestation. Whilst they are fed and protected by rangers at the sanctuary they are free to venture into the forest. There are no cages or bars: when the orang-utans are ready to return fully to the wild they can simply disappear into the forest. Holidays can be tailored to suit your needs, visit the website for more information.

Adopt your own soft, cuddly orang-utan for £3 a month. And help us protect a wild one. Orang-utans are critically endangered. Their habitat is disappearing fast and up to 50% of orang-utans have been lost in the last 10 years. But adopt an orang-utan and you could help protect their home and secure their future.

Adopt an orang-utan today. (While you still can.) You’ll get an adoption pack, three newsletters a year and a cuddly orang-utan toy. Please adopt an orang-utan today.

+ Go to protectanorang.com Call 01483 426333 WWF-UK, charity registered in England number 1081247 and in Scotland number SC03959.

toPcHRistMas

toys Each holiday season major toy giants compete by releasing a list of what they believe to be the top christmas toys for the year. Well Hamley's was the first to release their list on July 21st 2009. this list is their predictions of which toys will be best sellers and super popular this christmas season 2009. The head of Hamleys retail Nigel Wheatley said the following of their list: â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the traditional classics like Lego, Barbie and Slinky, to dressing up dreams and the latest in electronic wizardry, we have one of our best ranges in years wrapped up for a bumper Christmas this year.â&#x20AC;?

Check out which top 10 toys made Hamley's list this year:

ournament set battle strikers tneration of battling turbo tops

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transformers Movie leaders Action figures are always cool in the eyes of young boys, especially Transformers conversion action figures. He'll enjoy playing with any of the movie leader action figurines, such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Bulkhead. These are much more advanced than the figurines of the past, as they feature electronic speech and light-up parts.

v Motion

for toddlers. It ng learning system V Motion is a gami motion-activated les gaming, wire s, al on ati kids uc ed s ine comb ing experience for ectivity for an amaz e, cis er ex s ote play and web conn om television. It pr e th o int ht to rig s gs me that just plu ndreds of ga once. There are hu at all ing rn lea d fun an n. along with V Motio choose from to go

kidizoom camera This is the perfect gift for children that love to take photographs. This child-friendly digital camera features easy photo-taking capabilities, three games and computer photo-editing software. It plugs easily into any computer. It can also record videos, which can easily be displayed by plugging into the television or PC.

barbie & the t hree Musketee Mat rs

tel is always com doll ing out with excit ing new Barbie do girls can play with lls. Now Corinne, who drea ms of becoming Musketeer. She co a mes wearing a sp arkling gown and attend the masqu tiara to erade ball. To turn her into a Muske gown becomes a teer her cape and her tiara becomes a mask. Three Musketeer Other s dolls sold sepa rately.

barbie & the three Musketeers Miette kitten

This is the perfect gift for children that love to take photographs. This child-friendly digital camera features easy photo-taking capabilities, three games and computer photo-editing software. It plugs easily into any computer. It can also record videos, which can easily be displayed by plugging into the television or PC.

0 Rubikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 36 the Rubik's cube to a

bop it Bop It has been lar surprisingly popu e th s It' s. kid g amon game n tio ac re led fil funng and that has kids pulli way to eir th g twistin twist n fu a As ry. to vic wa no is there be n ca at th microphone n ca s kid so ed at activ ds Ki o. now shout it to can play alone or with friends.

takes the Rubik's Rubik's 360 Tilt and turn l. ve le e ew n whole balls into th the coloured e x balls id si l gu al to k 0 36 mes. Loc do d re u lo co 's matching the game. It mes to win spin t ea gr into their do a 's It it sounds! harder than game. c on a classi

e lego Minotaurus gam e construction urus board game needs som o Minota As can be expected, this Leg your way through a cept of the game is to find con The . yed pla be can it ore bef the opponents or Minotaur ple without bumping into labyrinth to the hidden tem time and the game is the walls may move at any along the way. For a twist, e Lego dice. played with the changeabl

tHE 12

gaMEs oF cHRistMas NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT The latest in a long line of Need For Speed titles once again shifts the emphasis from one extreme to the other, with last year's arcade offerings of Most Wanted dropped in favour of simulation style racing. Featuring a bucket load of licensed cars, and 18 real world circuits, with a few fake ones too, Need For Speed: Shift has generally impressed critics and consumers since it was released in September. The in-car viewpoint makes its return, and new crash and physics effects have been added to make it a more realistic experience; although you can still get your Nitrous kicks when lagging behind. The Need For Speed series has always been a staple part of the Christmas release schedule, and no doubt the 15th in the series will race down a few chimneys and up the charts well into the New Year.

MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES Following the huge success of its summer Olympics counterpart, Wii and DS own ers now have the chance to enjoy a whole set of brand new winter themed sports with Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games. Featuring events such as Ice Hockey, Bobsled, plus a whole host of skiing, snowbo arding and skating variations (some of which util ise the balance board), this new title will once again be a Christmas party favourite when families and friends cra ck it out during the festive season. Once again the game uses the official Olympic license and as such it looks somewh at odd to see Nintendo and Sega characters at the openin g ceremony etc, but there's also the dream events , which have much more of a video game feel to them, with dodge ball style snowball fights, as well as obs tacle ridden ski courses, complete with Goombas, Pira nha Plants and the likes waiting to slow you down.

WII FIT PLUS Not the most exciting of the new releases, but bound to be a big one thanks to the massive following the original has gained since it was released back in 2008. Really, Wii Fit Plus is an expansion pack, which contains all of the exercises of the original, plus twenty or so aerobic and yoga exercises on top of that. The new activities include oddball events like rhythm kung fu, big top juggling and obstacle courses, as well as excruciating sounding stretches, such as the spine extension and the grounded V. It comes with or without the balance board, and with more and more games beginning to utilise the board, now could be the perfect time to pick one up. Don't be surprised if this tops the Wii chart come Christmas, or the all-format one for that matter.

FIFA 2010 It's going to be hard for this year's Pro Evolution Soccer to compete with FIFA 10, because Electronic Arts has really pulled it out of the bag and finally grafted a football title that puts all of the old niggling issues to bed. With the opportunity to cre ate your own player with EA's facial recognition techno logy, and play yourself onl ine, as well as offline in most of the game modes, includ ing as an individual player in the 'Be A Pro' mode, or as one of the boys in the manager mode, the opportunity to get sucked into the virtual wo rld of football is greater than ever. Add into the mix the realistic player movement s, and the improved AI and physics, and FIFA 10 rea lly does start to look unbeatable. Easily the most realistic football title on offer, and certainly the most thorou gh in terms of authentic content and choice of gam e modes, FIFA 10 has eno ugh in there to keep the pun ters busy until next year's offering hits the shelves.

HALO 3: ODST

SUPER MARIO BROS WII It might not be groundbreaking, but judging by the top selling games of all time, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will likely be a monster hit at Christmas, and the added appeal of playing it with three other players is making it harder to resist. With New Super Mario Bros. Wii Nintendo hasn't messed with the tried and tested 2D formula, and it shows with this sequel to the multi-million selling DS title. The single player campaign will utilise all of the player's skills and dexterity, but controversially, it will also be the first Nintendo game to make use of the 'Super Guide' which will see the computer finish levels for you, as long as you fail to do so after eight attempts. The four player co-op mode will no doubt provide the most joy, with players needing to help each other, while also attempting to get the highest score and the most coins etc.

Halo 3: ODST is atter of weeks ago, Released only a m exclusives out in st of the Microsoft possibly the bigge e likes of Mass th , especially with as tm ris Ch for e tim 2010. Sure, ke now expected in Effect 2 and Alan Wa GTA IV DLC to Forza 3, plus more there's the likes of ff that has 360 ino sp to be this Halo ely lik it's t bu e, com ristmas morning waking up early Ch owners everywhere s on Live. Gold membership and topping up their their lost yers searching for The game sees pla exploration le sty e tiv tec d new de comrades in bran leading to d mystery uncovere missions, with each s, full of on cti se t and set-piece n. traditional comba tio uc str de r ula and vehic chaotic gun fights the so called the short side, and It may be a bit on h, but it still packs uc m to s aren't up exploration mission rtment, which is e multiplayer depa a hefty punch in th s for anyway. ou rhaps most fam pe is s rie se e th what

Scheduled for release on November 20, New Super Mario Bros. Wii could be the gamersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; choice of Wii titles this Christmas, but it will have a tough time getting past Wii Fit Plus to grab the number one spot.

GER 2010 FOOTBALL MANA ming out and without this one co Not a year goes by PC, and with e th on ing in its path yth er ev ing oy str de , which usually e minor upgrades each iteration com all of the new pler interface and include a slightly sim nsfers. teams, kits and tra the inclusion of the 2010 edition is in re tu fea w ne The big t create a slightly which will no doub e, gin en h atc m a 3D the manager to perience and allow more immersive ex th greater ease. al performances wi pick up on individu line action, with ch ore intuitive tou m be o als ll wi e Ther m the dugout, able to be issued fro quick commands fans will probably menu. Long term instead of a pause thing that won't changes, but one le bt su e or m e th notice this title, which r addictiveness of ee sh e th is ge an ch of people's lives. onths and months literally eats up m be the PC er 30, and bound to Released on Octob Manager 2010 ll ba ot Fo , Christmas arrives, same number one come d until the sequel ne tai ter en s fan will keep time next year.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SPIRIT TRACKS The DS is such a popular machine that it would be foolish to overlook the potential sales impact that something like Spirit Tracks will have over Christmas. Following the impressive Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks sees players enter the world of Hyrule 100 years after its predecessor, with transportation now coming in the form of a steam train instead of the boat from Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. Expect plenty of innovative uses of the DS, after the last title made use of almost every feature that the tiny handheld contains, which was part of the reason that it was such a joy to play. Due to be released only two weeks before Christmas, Zelda fans will be waiting eagerly to bag this one, especially with a lack of major triple-A exclusives scheduled for an '09 release.

DJ HERO We might not be tiring of Guitar Hero just yet, but with an overload in guitar based titles upon us, which includes Band Hero, Guitar Hero: Van Hal en, plus Lego Rock Band, it is this rhythm action title that is perhaps most intriguing to plastic instrument enthusiasts everywhere. DJ Hero puts players behind the decks and judging by the previews, it could be just the ticket to freshen up the genre and give it a kick up the backside. Of course, anytime you have a sizey periphe ral bundled with your game, you're likely to pay mor e, which is why Activision has been just a little savvy rele asing this one prior to Christmas, when people are feel ing the most generous. The soundtrack looks solid, with lots of different styles crossing over to give players an authentic DJ experience. Whether it catches on will be interesting to see, but DJ Hero is certainly one of the mor e unique titles on its way.

ASSASSINS CREED II Assassin's Creed II is Ubisoft's big release of the year, and once again it is looking like it could be an essential purchase, and a big hit in time for Christmas. The setting is 15th Century Italy, with Venice, Rome, Florence and the Tuscan countryside all present, as well as historical characters such as Leonardo De Vinci and NiccolĂ˛ Machiavelli aiding the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protagonist Ezio in his quest. It certainly looks the part, and Ubisoft has promised new ways to assassinate targets, with more weapons now on offer, as well as new ways to create distractions, such as throwing money on the floor in a Renaissance version of scrambles. The original was spectacular, but a tad repetitive, the sequel looks just as beautiful and epic, but whether it puts the last title's failings to bed remains to be seen when it is released on November 20. It will no doubt be a big hit though, and will be on many a list and under many a tree come December 25.

E2 MODERN WARFAR

UNCHARTERED 2: AMONG THEIVES Anyone who has played the original will be salivating over the prospect of picking this one up in time for Christmas. Simply put, Uncharted 2 looks incredible, and has been receiving rave reviews, with gamers everywhere now able to see what the fuss is about following its October 16 release date. Once again the game follows Nathan Drake, only this time the lush jungle vistas have been replaced with snowy landscapes and Eastern cities. Drake's now on the trail of explorer Marco Polo, and trying to uncover the mystery behind his voyage home from China in 1292. It looks breathtaking, and with improvements made to the platforming, combat and gunplay, which was already stellar, this could be the game to help shift some more PS3s, especially with the newly released (and slightly cheaper) slimline edition now readily available.

a the year, and with biggest release of s ha n ow cr e th Without doubt the el in ot; Activision's jew y all tu ac hefty price tag to bo it's at th great deal of hype generated such a release their titles blishers looking to pu warded off other vember 10. anywhere near No titles, but more line of Call Of Duty g lon a in r he ot An ional Modern quel to the except specifically the se ly in the weekly ll features regular Warfare, which sti se er it was relea d. charts two years aft 4, with players now the events of COD The sequel follows eant "Soap" rg watchful eye of Se serving under the the Special Air of ain pt omoted to ca MacTavish, now pr , Russia, plus lude Rio De Janeiro Service. Settings inc ington DC also sh anistan, with Wa gh Af in s ng tti se desert any playgrounds of e of the game's m on be to d re ou m ru destruction. mpaign mode, as omised a longer ca pr s ha rd Wa ty ini Inf mode for and a co-operative well new rewards ds up to another ad ich wh of all ts; ias us th en er multiplay dern Warfare 2 Activision, with Mo for h las sp r ste mon ristmas favourite for the Ch surely the odds on number one spot.

indiana JonEs

coMPEtition! To celebrate the release of LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues we’ve teamed up with Lucas Arts to offer five lucky winners the chance to win one of five copies of the game for XBOX. Combining the fun and creative construction of LEGO bricks with the wits, daring and non-stop action of one of cinema’s most beloved adventure heroes, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a unique, tongue-in-cheek take on all the Indiana Jones films. And for the first time ever Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is featured when LEGO Indiana Jones 2 follows Dr. Jones’ escapades from the jungles of South America to the Peruvian Ruins and beyond. You can experience the most authentic LEGO experience yet by designing and building your own levels brick by brick, and by fusing your levels with the ones in the game to create a custom experience.

To enter simply email your name and the answer to the following question, to competition@familylivingmagazine.co.uk. The closing date will be 7th January 2010 and we will make sure that the winners receive their copies soon after the closing date. Please don’t forget to add your name, age and address and a contact number.

Q: What is the name of the most recent Indiana Jones’ film? If you didn’t win, don’t despair; the LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues video game is available on all platforms from 20th November. 38

outRagEous

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS We have played the game in our heads, in fact i know some people who have gone as far as writing the list down on paper! What would i buy if i won the lottery? Well seeing as it’s christmas, we thought we’d take a look at what you could buy, money no object for the loved ones in your life! outrageous gadget Vertu mobile phone Whilst ever capitalism exists there will always be a temptation for manufacturers to take something functionary and turn it into a work of art, making millions in the process and so it goes with Vertu. They have been the premiership footballers phone of choice for a number of years and with average handsets costing around £3000, you have to ask yourself if the world has gone truly mad! However, if we look past the fact that your Nokia or Iphone does all you could ever want and more and stretch our imaginations to consider that a Vertu may be a work of art, then it may start to make some sense, in the same way that buying a Ferrari over a Fiesta makes sense! If the Vertu isn’t quite exclusive enough for you, Australian jeweller Peter Aloisson will bling it up for you, his handcrafted versions sell for up to £1.6 million, yep that’s right for a phone!

Priceless outrageous gift Lamborghini Heels Ok so we’ve cheated a bit, these are priceless, largely because they don’t exist, but are we alone in wishing that they did? Carbon fibre heels and working brake lights, the ultimate in sexy footwear or a statement in naff vulgarity, we’ll let you decide. Tim Cooper, we salute you, if I won the lottery these would be first on my list!

outrageous toy Swarovski Lamborghini Murcielago Toy maybe a misleading title, lets face it even if you’ve scooped the lottery, would you let the kids loose on this one? Adorned with 7668 actual, authentic, Crstalised Swarovski Elements, the lp640 CSE is packed in a opening leatherette case with blue felt insert, the car rests on a black wood stand, with metal nameplate depicting the title and actual number of the unit. Only 550 will be delivered into Europe and if you want one, I’m told there is a waiting list at Hamleys!!! The price, a cool £1500.

outrageous transport Eclipse Motor Yatch Supercars are so last century, the super rich have moved away from Bugatties and on to the high seas! Roman Abramovich has led the way in the race to build ever larger and faster craft, with his latest costing £300 million. Standing at 557 foot long, the Eclipse (obviously named as it’s so large that it blocks out the sun) features a bullet proof master suite and military grade missile defense system. It costs a staggering £80,000 to fill the tanks with diesel and £15 million a year just to keep the thing going. Not bad for the son of a Ukranian pig farmer.

outrageous Watch Chopard Super Ice Cube Forget the endless, needless and confusing world of complications and spend your hard earned monies on the Chopard Super Ice Cube for that special lady in your life. The vital statistics: 66.16 carats of diamonds which includes 1,897 brilliants, 288 trapeze-cuts, and a centre case set with 16 squares. No matter how much money this thing costs, it’s still ugly. Ugly and over a quarter of a million, a combination rarely seen!

outrageous Pet Tibetan Mastiff As a nation of dog lovers we are suckers for a cute hound, but half a million dollars on a family pet? It’s no joke, a Chinese national recently paid $582,000 for this bundle of fur. Admittedly you get a lot of pooch, but I think all you need to know was that the puppy was picked up by a motorcade of 30 black Mercedes!

sHinE

THIS SEASON

With the festive season just around the corner and a packed diary to look forward to, Highcross has the ultimate party wear collection to ensure you shimmer and shine on your christmas bash. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glitzy and glamorous party wear collection includes a dazzling display of sequins, glitter and striking colours, which look perfect with opaque tights and stunning heels.

glitz 5

Short and sparkly dresses are one of the top trends this season and are great for that all-important Christmas party. Zara and H&M have an eye-catching collection of dresses in store now, which are available in colours such as shimmering gold, emerald green and deep midnight blue. Team with the must-have clutch bag of the season to create an effortless chic look. Plain blazer jackets are another Winter saviour, and look stunning when worn over dresses, skirts and even jeans. Karen Millen and New Look have a great range of tailored jackets in store, from black fitted blazers with turn-up sleeves to cropped capes. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to sparkle this season, look no further than Highcross for all your party wear needs. For further information, visit www.highcrossleicester.com. 42

glitz 1

glitz 1: Left: Dress, £35, and bag, £10, both by New Look; veil, stylist’s own. Right: Dress by Zara, £45; jacket by Karen Millen, £135; tights by H&M, £5.99. glitz 2: Dress by H&M, £17.99; jacket by New Look, £40. glitz 3: Left: Dress by New Look, £25; shoes by Office, £60; bag by New Look, £10.

glitz 4

glitz 3 glitz 7

glitz 6

glitz 2

Right: Dress by Zara, £99; shoes by Karen Millen, £150; tights by H&M, £5.99

glitz 4: Left: Dress, £39, and cape, £99, both by Zara; tights by H&M, £5.99. Right: Dress by H&M, £24.99; bag by Zara, £39. glitz 5: Dress by Oasis*, £150; ring by Karen Millen, £50. *Colour is subject to availability glitz 6: Dress by H&M, £19.99; shoes by Kurt Geiger at John Lewis, £100; necklace by New Look, £10; tights by Oasis, £7.99. glitz 7: Dress by Karen Millen, £165.

Photography: Styling: Hair and make-up: Models:

Dan Smith Michelle Kelly Kevin Ford and Emma Osbourne Marilyn & Frances

Phase Eight Rosebud dress Black/Red £89

outwear Masters John Lewis Charlotte cord coat, Plum £75; Carvela Account snakeprint court shoes, Purple £130; John Lewis Animal Print smock dress, Purple £79; John Lewis tights, Wine £10

John lewis collection tailored dress Purple £75

Reny deny Rene Derhy Acta Print tunic dress, Emerald £115; Carvela Library pumps w/swirl detail, Grey £75; John Lewis tights, Ice Grey £10

scala High Waist briefs Briefs £30. Fight cellulite and create a seamless silhouette with no gym required! Sounds too good to be true? Scala Anti-Cellulite underwear can do just that. Active Bio Crystals built into the microfibre yarn absorb body heat and stimulate cell metabolism increasing blood flow to the skin; your skin appears smoother and cellulite is reduced.

Formal Masters John Lewis Collection merino v-neck jumper, Purple £40; Liberty Phoebe floral shirt, Purple £60; John Lewis Collection SB2 notch, slimmer fit stripe jacket, Navy £170 & matching trouser £60; John Lewis Collection Scott lace shoe, Black £80

Hackett suit Navy - Trousers £100, Jacket £300. Whether you need a new suit for an upcoming wedding, a job interview or a formal dinner engagement.

John lewis Extra long sleeve twill shirt White £30 - Quality shirt for a quality occasion, this fine shirt features longer-than-average sleeves, double cuffs and is made from NANO-TEX ™ fabric. NANO-TEX ™ Fabric uses nanotechnology to repel spills and release stains. So you can always look and feel your best. Fabric characteristics: spill resistance, stain removal, comfort, durability.

John lewis stain Repellent dress suit Black - Trousers £50 Jacket £110Black £80 45

M & s limited collection Peep-toes £25

M & s over the knee boots £45

M & s limited collection sequin scarf £29.50

M & s limited collection stud clutch £25

M & s limited collection bangles £9.50

M & s Portfolio stretch belt £18

M & s black gemmed satin Party shoe £35

Prada amber gift set 50ml £45

The pictures are the property of Marks and Spencer

no.1

no.2

no. 1 House of Fraser Glasses £10, Shirt £22, Jumper £45, Blazer £50, Trousers £25, Boots £45

no.3

no. 2 crombie Evening wear Gentlemens dinner suit £525, dinner shirt £85, Bow tie £35, Cummerbund £49.95. Womenswear: Layered silk dress £495

no. 3 M & s Flat cap £15, Scarf £15, Checked jacket £129, Leather holdall £149, Cashmere roll neck £59, Wool gloves £5, Jeans £25

gieves & Hawkes Grey wool herringbone DB overcoat £995. Brown dogtooth wool trousers £175. Shawl collar knit £145. Brown herringbone single cuff shirt £125. Purple stripe silk tie £69. Brown Oxford brogues

House of Fraser Black suit jacket £405 (part of suit) Hugo by Hugo Boss, Black and white check shirt £100 ‘K’ by Karl Lagerfeld, Turquoise silk tie £29/€35 Linea, Claret polka-dot silk scarf £30/€36 New & Lingwood, Dark distressed jeans £150 G-Star

no.4

no.5

no.6

no. 4 Moss bros Moss Bros shawl collar tux, Moss Bros white bib shirt,£30, Moss Bros large bow tie,£10, silk handkerchief,£7, Moss Bros Covent Garden peak lapel tux,£159, Moss Bros Covent Garden dress shirt,£35, Ventuno 21 crystal cufflinks, Ventuno 21 high shine skinny belt no. 5 Moss bros Blazer grey peacoat,£99, Blazer black spot tie,£20, Blazer white diagonal rib shirt,£30 no. 6 M & s Velvet jacket £99, Shirt £19.50, Bow tie £9.50, Fine wool trousers £29.50

Hair in association with

gEt a gREat nEW look FoR

2010 Whether you have a new amazing full colour or just a few highlights of the most fashionable colours ranging from warm glamorous browns, golden blondes, deep mahogany browns, and rich sexy red heads, these colours are not for the faint hearted. If you are confident with your assets and are eager to impress, don't hesitate to get the most stylish short choppy bangs hairstyles. This year chopped layers are in, they will add a youthful and funky effect to your hair. The razored affected works with short, long and even medium length hair. Blonde hair seems to have brought sexy back again in 2010. Blonde hair has always been considered to be attractive, most sex symbols of today and of the past have coloured their hair blonde, so find out what shade of blonde works to create a hot new you. Platinum blonde Platinum blonde hair has always attracted attention through its lovely white blonde colouration. The look platinum blonde can create is absolutely amazing, no wonder it is one of the most popular blond hair colours used by women. It suits mostly women with a porcelain fair skin complexion and completes their look by enhancing their eyes. golden blonde Golden blonde looks extraordinary; it helps create a very fairy tale like appearance due to the sunny gold colouration of the hair. Golden blonde can match more skin tones than platinum blonde can, this is increasing its popularity. It works great for women with fair skin and medium fair skin due to its warm tone colouration. dark blonde This type of colour works great with women with a little bit of tan. The two tones match perfectly together, thus resulting a well-balanced look. Dark blonde hair looks like brown hair colour has been added to darken the blonde, this is what makes dark blonde so special. Most wanted celebs hairstyles Cheryl Cole - Long, soft, glamorous waves, with warm low lights.

Katy Perry - Long gothic look, with a heavy sweeping fringe with shorter layers to make the cut more versatile. Jennifer Aniston - Warm golden blondes to give a softer look to the face, with loose natural waves. Barbarella - A 60’s look with a lot of height and volume and sexy waves. Men’s styles for 2010 The classic ‘slick back’ look - Though he's given his name to an incarnation of the fringe hair trend, actor George Clooney has been a larger influence of another of 2010's hair style trends for men: the slick back. Old school boy with a twist - It’s out with the new, and in with the old. Or at least an old hairstyle with a new twist. With short back and sides, while the fringe is left long to create a messy rugged look, whether your hair is wavy or straight. Messy rocker - Yet again out with the new in with the old with a disconnected funky haircut! With lots of layers to give you a messy sexy rough look. Men’s colour Just like the ladies the colour for 2010 is blonde! That is, if you're going for a really sharp look. 'Obvious blonde' is a colour that will work for a sharply cut, well-polished hairstyle but not in a more dishevelled style.

Competition – WIN WIN WIN M&M Hair are kindly offering Family Living magazine readers a chance to win a Redken gift box including a free travel size hairspray and also an Elemis Perfect Radiance gift box. All you have to do to enter is answer the following easy question:Which celebrity's hair do you like and why? Answers to:- Family Living Magazine, Eaton House Barn, Elm Lane, Eaton, Leicestershire, NG32 1SS Please remember to include your email address, as winners will be notified by email. Winners selected at random. Full competition terms are listed on our website www.familylivingmagazine.co.uk Entries to arrive no later than 7th January 2010.

Fatal

attRaction your time has come. you have handed her a box containing a few scraps of material that have cost a ridiculous amount of money and time. she's cooing and going "aww, you shouldn't have!" and you're sitting there almost wishing you hadn't. she opens the box.

Now, at this point she either loves it or hates it instantly, but if she's any kind of reasonable person, even if she does hate it, she will appreciate the amount of time that you must have put into finding this for her. I'm assuming at this point that you didn't wander into a back street store and purchase a peephole bra and a pair of crotchless knickers. If a miracle has occurred and it fits, and she loves it, then you probably aren't going to be getting much sleep tonight! Buying lingerie for your girlfriend is something that often pops into the male mind as being "a good idea" for a whole multitude of reasons. It shows that you've put thought into buying her a present that you've chosen yourself. It gives you the chance to buy something that she'll enjoy and find useful. A present that tells her 'I think you're beautiful.' Something that can be given for anniversaries and birthdays, or just because you felt like it. Plus you get to see her wear it, and then rip it off her. That’s why so many men are fatally attracted to the idea! But the world of women's under things is a huge and frightening place for the uninitiated male. There is nothing quite as nerve-wracking as walking into the lingerie department of a store when you don't know what you're doing. The temptation to just pick up the nearest thing that you like that looks to be vaguely her size and then run is sometimes overwhelming. Well, there's nothing that's going to go down like a lead balloon quite like being given badly chosen, badly fitting lingerie. It's the choice of gift that could go horribly wrong. There is no middle ground. You're either going to be in the doghouse, or seventh heaven by doing this, so let's aim at the latter and get it right. Strategic planning First off, before you even open a browser window or go to a shop, there's a bit of research that you need to do, and some decisions that you need to make. Well, I say a bit... and imply some... What I mean is, 'sit down and have a real think about this, and then when you've finished thinking about it, think about it a little bit more.' First, and most importantly, how much do you want to spend? Buying lingerie can be a very expensive affair, if you want it to be, but it doesn't always have to be. It depends on the occasion, and on your girlfriend's breasts (more on that bit in a while.) I think that £50 is the least that you should be thinking of spending (depending on what you're thinking of buying her) and if you really wanted to treat her, well... sky's the limit. Designer lingerie, for matching brassiere and knickers can set you back £300 if you want it to. Secondly, what's her bra size? Get this wrong, and you may as well just slap yourself and save her the effort. Maybe you already know her bra size, because you're just that kind of couple, but it always pays to check these things; it's as easy as going to her underwear drawer, picking up a few bras, and looking to see what the size on the label is. If you don't know her bra size, and you have no access to her underwear drawer, get her best female friend in on the deal. Thirdly what's her hip / waist measurement? Now, this is going to be a bit brutal, and you've got a tough decision to make. Look in her underwear drawer again to see what size knickers she wears... and then be honest. Have you noticed that they might be a little... tight? If they fit fine, then you're on easy street. However, plenty of women live in the delusion that if they buy size 12 knickers then that means

the world of women's under things is a huge and frightening place for the uninitiated male. they are a size 12, when actually, they're a size 14. Expensive lingerie can be fairly unforgiving in the stretching department, so you have to think what's going to be worse: buying size 12 and having her not being able to get into them, or buying her size 14, and having them fit, but her sulking because she thinks that you think that she's fat, and it's turned out that she 'is'. It's okay, do not panic, you have a get-out clause: "The shop assistant advised that I buy a size up, because apparently these guys skimp a little on the sizing." This is only going to backfire if the manufacturer really do skimp a little on sizing, and you have to buy her a 16. Then just substitute the word 'little' for 'lot'. Again the hip / waist sizing varies a lot between different countries, and here is a nice conversion table. Fourthly what type of lingerie do you want to buy her? Brassiere and with matching knickers – This is a classic option, always well received, but it can be very expensive. First off, there's the bra; say you buy a good, mid-range bra, which sets you back around £35. Not so bad, huh? Unfortunately, the manufacturers know at this point that they've got you by the short and curlies. You have to buy the matching knickers (other wise you're just going to look... well, crap, to be honest) and so the knickers often don't come cheap; you'll be looking at around £10-£15 which has bumped up the price a fair bit. Now, let me let you in on a little secret: when girls buy matching lingerie for themselves, they will often buy more than one pair of knickers, because really, who wears a bra only once before 51

washing it? So if you really want to impress, buy her a couple of pairs. So, it's ended up being rather expensive, but you do look good for it. Camisole – a camisole is a waist-length fitted top held up by shoulder straps that can either be worn as daywear, nightwear, or both depending on the style; some are very obviously daywear, some are very obviously for seducing and sleeping in. If you can't tell the difference, ask the advice of a shop assistant or female friend. They can sometime have underwiring in but not very often, so I only really recommended for women with smaller, more pert breasts (D cup would be the maximum.) Some ranges may offer a matching bra, cami, and knickers. Think how popular you'd be for that... Chemise – a chemise is a slightly looser version of a camisole that comes down to the tops of the thighs, and again, are really only recommended for women with smaller, more pert breasts. They are usually worn as nightwear or underwear. Again, some come as a matched set with bra, knickers, etc. Similar to this are babydolls or negligees, which are nightwear. Bustier and Basque – tread ever, ever so carefully if you're thinking of buying her one of these. It might not go down well; if in any doubt whatsoever, don't do it. A bustier is close-fitting and (usually) strapless top that pinches the waist while pushing up the breasts. They are usually worn as a top; one of those simultaneous 'clothing and underwear' things, but can also be used underneath clothing. A basque (merrywidow) is along the same lines; a tight-fitting bodice that continues down to the top of the hips. They are mostly worn these days as a tool of seduction, but do also funtion as underwear, though not really a day-to-day item. Both will usually have a suspender belt for stockings. I personally think they are beautiful, but they're also something I'd rather buy for myself than have bought for me. Fifthly what style of lingerie should you buy? Again, back to the underwear drawer. What patterns and trends do you see in her choice of self-bought underwear? If she's got a lot of lacy stuff, that probably means she likes lacy underwear. No lace at all means you probably shouldn't go there. Look at the style of bras and knickers that she likes wearing (more later) – if she has no thongs in sight, she is really not going to appreciate you buying her a g-string, even if it is jewel-encrusted. On the other hand, if she has a lot of padded bras, then she's probably not going to take offence if you buy her a padded bra. Then there's the matter of colour. Some people don't like colourful underwear, some people think a luminous lime green bra is the best thing since sliced bread. There is a whole range of lingerie out there, some of it in simple, tasteful colours (the standard white, ivory, black); others in beautiful silk prints that are bright and funky and don't deserve the ignominy of being worn under clothing. If there's a lot of black and isn't much white underwear in her drawer, it probably means she doesn't like white, but that doesn't mean that she wouldn't like a pale pink with black-mesh detail and ribbons. Okay. Planning's done. Operation "Buy lingerie" can now be started For the brave that means a trip into town and for most of you I’m guessing, firing up google! Which ever route you take, stick to the principles I’ve outlined here and you wont go far wrong. Just rememberthere are a world of other gifts out there that you could have gone for, but maybe not so many that can be enjoyed by you as much as her, as I said a fatal attraction!

1. Triumph Amourette Sweet Bra - £29.00 / Briefs - £15.00 2. Triumph Brilliant Shine Bra - £32.00 / Briefs - £15.00 3. Triumph Revival Feelings Bra - £24.50 / Briefs - £17.00 4. Triumph Miss Relax Bra - £20.00 / Briefs - £8.00

5. Valisere Palais De Charme Bra - £59 / Briefs - £35 6. Valisere Suite Tabu Bra - £60 / Briefs - £35

Agent Provocateur 7. La Senza Frivolous Range from £8-46 8. Agent Provocateur Marie £80

giFts FoR all

occasions bijoux is an accessory shop which oozes opulence. With the Motto ‘less is more’, the visual display of items in a light and spacious setting ensures that they are seen in all their splendor. Mrs Kidy who owns Bijoux has used her talented eye for knowing what looks amazing, to acquire some of the best quality accessories for her newly opened shop.

perilla Perilla - the first name in gorgeous alpaca socks produced in England.

Mrs Kidy was inspired to open her shop after friends told her that she had an eye for the right look. She says ‘Whether it was for a wedding or just casual day wear, I would always find something to help them look phenomenal”. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe and the USA she has managed to find many unusual and exquisite items, such as handbags, jewellery and some very unique scarves which Mrs Kidy will happily give a demonstration on how to wear as the perfect partner to whatever outfit you will be wearing.

so if you need something to complete your outfitor even some advise, please pop in and enjoy.

Alpaca is naturally breathable and repels bacteria so can happily be worn for a week without washing - welcome to long life socks! The threequarter sock shown here is perfect for skiing, walking and gardening. The fabulous colour palette includes raspberry, apricot and indigo (shown). Gorgeous gift boxes available make the perfect Christmas gift. Price £18.00.

www.perilla.co.uk 01886 853 615

MylEEnE

LAUNCHES NEW COLLECTION

credible, confident and stylish – three words that sum up the new baby k autumn Winter collection. introducing a strong mix of textures through fabrics such as knitwear, tweed, lace and cord contributing to what is an exciting, tactile range of clothing for newborns, girls and boys. Speaking about the new collection Myleene says: “I’ve absolutely loved working on the new Autumn Winter season – I’m so excited with what is my third collection with Mothercare. I have used my hands on experience as a mum, as well as the inside tips I get from my job, to develop our personal selection of the very best trends for your little ones this season. I hope you and your babies love each design as much as I do.” Baby boys can enjoy the comfort of soft touch fabric romper suits (from £14) in dark and light greys with appliqué detailing on the feet with vibrant blue, adding a touch of colour to the darker colour palette. Baby girls can also enjoy the soft touch fabric but with the delicate pattern of lace detail; the pale pink romper suit (from £12) with the black of the lace is a striking combination and with the beautiful detail on the feet is “a must have” for baby girls. 54

Inspiration from this seasons catwalks include lace effect prints that have been applied to the gorgeous gold print dress (from £28) that is sure to turn heads at any party. A key piece for girls is the hot pink tweed coat (from £35) complete with fur collar, gold satin lining and gold heart shaped buttons – a show stopper for any little girl! Exciting trends lay ahead for boys this season, including the sporty cord blazer in charcoal (from £30) with inner zip lining in soft grey for extra warmth in winter. New sand washed jeans (from £14) work well with so many looks, team up with the blue check ruffle shirt and tee set (from £16) for a relaxed outfit that highlights the great mix of fabrics. Following on from popular demand, the little boy’s black leatherette bomber is back (from £40) and now for all those little girls out there, there is the frilled leatherette jacket (from £40) with hot pink polka dot lining and pretty ruffle detail around the yoke and cuffs. Puffas and high shine fabrics are what inspired the versatile gilet (from £22) ideal for boys and girls to go solo over an outfit or as an extra layer for warmth.

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Soft, Snug and Ethical . . .

Babies in Sheep’s Clothing

babies in sheep’s clothing is the new baby and child clothing company which everyone is talking about. Everything is ethically produced and 100% natural which has become a major factor in people choosing these products over mass produced similar items which may not have had the same level of care or impact on the environment in mind. From baby booties, to lambskin jackets and gilets, mittens and hats as well as merino wool clothing you will find a beautiful range of clothing and foot wear guaranteed to keep your flock warm this winter,with the complete peace of mind that you are putting natural products against your child’s skin. ”I was given a pair of sheepskin booties by my mother in law for my eldest child when he was 8 weeks premature. I just wanted to put them on him as soon as I could and thought that other parents would feel the same way,”says Babies In Sheep’s Clothing founder Lysette Parbhu. “Merino wool is as rare and sought-after as cashmere, but can be washed and is affordable so is one of the finest natural fibres available and all our products are produced with vegetable dyes that don’t impact on the environment.”

fantastic if you have a baby or child with sensitive skin. As well as the traditional clothing and booties,Babies in Sheep’s Clothing are also launching a new range for Winter 09 which will include gorgeous lamb skins specifically designed for the use in moses baskets, cots, prams or just for use as a play mat,and hard soled boots for toddlers.

To find out more about Babies in Sheeps Clothing and to place an order please visit their website www.babiesinsheepsclothing.com or call them on 020 7720 9159.

All products are 100% natural which means there are no synthetics, toxic dyes or impact on the immediate environment,even the lambs and sheep that have been used have died of natural causes. Everything is ethically produced,and the merino wool is sustainable and indeed the natural coloured items are eco-merino which uses no bleach in the dragging or processing of the wool. The lambskin and merino products are handmade by women in rural New Zealand, keeping women independent and giving them freedom to earn a wage if they can’t or don’t choose to go back into the traditional workplace. Most are mums themselves and a great deal of care and attention goes into the making of the clothes. Natural fibres such as merino and lambskin let your skin breathe without overheating you and are hypoallergenic so 56

Ethical clothing for children and babies.

Enter FLM0110 at checkout for a 15% discount www.babiesinsheepsclothing.com

Looking for kids’ winter coats and skiwear? You’re getting warmer (and so are they).

SALE starts

Monday 28 December

Toasty children are happy children, whether they’re on skis or in the playground. Kit your kids up to 12 years out with the coolest cold weather clothes at Little Terra. Buy online at:

www.littleterra.co.uk 21 Sadler Gate, Derby

FUNKY SKIING! If you’re off to the slopes this Christmas for some fun skiing with the children, then give them a head start with the funkiest and coolest head gear in the mountains. Take a look at www.littleterra.co.uk for the latest must-have accessory – children’s ski helmets. Every parent knows how important helmets are for keeping the children safe when they’re learning to ski, and they are now essential kit for kids in most resorts, but sometimes it can be difficult to encourage them to wear them. That’s where Little Terra comes in! www.littleterra.co.uk has a range funky helmet designs your child will just love, and you’ll love how they stand out from the crowd. Available in both boy and girlie styles, helmets start at only £40 and come in a range of sizes. You’ll never have trouble spotting your youngster in their ski group again. Carolyn Budding, Little Terra owner said: “The right equipment can make all the difference to starting your kids off on a love affair with skiing, which will last all their lives. That’s why Little Terra has brought together in one place all the skiing gear and accessories you’ll need to kit out the kids from head to toe!” Visit www.littleterra.co.uk for a host of other skiing accessories including bagletts, gaiters, ski masks, goggles and super warm snow boots, as well as waterproof and windproof coats and all in one ski suits. They make fab Christmas presents too! Little Terra is a specialist children’s outdoor activities retailer and offers high quality, good value gear to kit-out children for winter activities and playing in the snow.

Britain's leading National Active Physical Play Programme for children from 6 months to 7 years. Your child will learn agility, balance, climbing, co-ordination appropriate to his or her age. Structured programme designed to build self confidence and develop essential listening and language skills. Supervised by trained staff in a fun and caring environment. TUMBLE TOTS NOW IN YOUR AREA! For info call Mandy Wheeler on 01664 857494 or 07713 613599 or www.tumbletots.com/leicester-east covering Oadby, Wigston, Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough 57

liFE but sWiMMingly… …Puddle Ducks Swimming Hatches in the East Midlands!!

2 Mum’s have taken the plunge & thrown in the towel (excuse the pun) on their respective careers to start their own businesses to teach baby & toddler swimming. The two ladies Cate Woodrow-Smith (Derbyshire) & Liz Gabriel (Nottingham) have become Puddle Ducks franchise owners; they are part of a very successful & growing brand Puddle Ducks classes teach children to swim, be safe and have fun in the water. Puddle Ducks swimmers develop confidence in water in the natural way. In baby swimming classes, infants enjoy freedom of movement, relaxation and bonding, whilst in the toddler classes, children gain confidence and water safety skills. In all swimming classes a child learns to swim without armbands and with grace and efficiency. Both ladies are passionate about the many benefits of Baby & Toddler Swimming, “Cate Says.”We did classes together when Olivia my daughter was 6 months old & it was the highlight of our week, we have never missed a week (well except when she had chicken pox). Olivia is 4 years old & a confident swimmer”. In fact I began taking Olivia for a swim when she was just 6 weeks old & since I began teaching it amazes me how much our babies learn & progress, the earlier you begin your swimming journey the better ! Liz has two daughters both at Katie 14 & Lucy 11, Katie is part of the team & will be helping Liz poolside as her assistant which is great. Liz Says “I have been looking for a business opportunity for a long time & I just fell in love with the Puddle Ducks concept, after observing a few classes & seeing how enjoyable they were not only for the children but the parents too, I was convinced that this would not be a job at all but an amazing way to increase confidence in the water of both parent & child & help them both enjoy their swimming experience together Both added… “We are really excited about the challenge ahead with a new business especially during this turbulent time, we believe in Puddle Ducks 110% and know that parents will too”. Those first few months with your baby are so precious & bringing your baby to our classes will be the most enjoyable & rewarding activity you can do together. Children can join Puddle Ducks at any age from birth with classes specific to age and ability. Each class is a carefully balanced set of activities including group and individual work, swimming, submersion, floating, songs and games. Classes are held throughout Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire. For more information contact cate on 01332 605729 or email derbyshire@puddleducks.com liz on 07906 191 504 or email nottingham@puddleducks.com Further details can be found at www.puddleducks.com - take a look at our video on our Homepage, it won’t fail to make you smile! 58

Comforting

HElP at Family living Magazine we are always interested in ideas and products that make life easier for parents and promote healthy living and the Floppeze Pillow does both!! If this wasn’t enough the pillow is also endorsed by Clare Byam Cook, celebrity breastfeeding guru who has helped the likes of Kate Winslet, Kate Beckinsale, Emma Freud and Helena Bonham Carter amongst many others. Every parent knows that when a child is born they will be relying on those around them for support – but the Floppeze baby and child pillow provides that little bit of extra support and help in the first years of your child’s life and the extensive benefits of the product have been delighting mothers and parenting magazines alike. Floppeze pillows are custom-designed to create the optimum height and support for breast or bottle feeding with the added ergonomically benefit of alleviating the back and shoulder pain many mothers experience. During and after your baby has been weaned, the Floppeze comes into its own as a support pillow aiding muscle development and enabling a parent to attain a more upright posture, safe in the knowledge that your baby will be protected by the pillow if they slip backwards or sideways. The Floppeze is also perfect for ‘tummy time’ as it helps your baby develop neck, back and arm muscles and for those quieter times when your child wants to lay down as it helps promote restful play time. In addition to these great uses, The Floppeze also works fantastically as a conventional yet fun pillow for your toddler affording a wide variety of sleeping positions and as a booster for car and other journeys. Many parents have even found that the Floppeze becomes such a reassuring presence in a child’s early life that it becomes a child’s treasured comforter and companion from birth right through to nursery, pre-school and beyond. So whether you would like a little bit of support for your child when they are sleeping, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, burping, laying, supporting or just soaking up the brand new world around them, the Floppeze will give you and your child all the support you need. The Floppeze pillows have just launched their new range of covers which would look chic in any nursery from the bang on trend cow print design to the pink, blue and beige polka dot designs.

Floppeze recommended retail price £26.95. To purchase a Floppeze and see where it is stocked near you, please visit www.pinkanblue.com

suPPlEMEntaRy

Education

can REducE youR cHild’s anXiEtiEs at scHool and HElP tHEM to succEEd in liFE Every parent wants their child to enjoy school, achieve well academically and go on to lead a happy and successful life. Today however, more children than ever are complaining of stress due to the pressures of schoolwork and impending exams. Whilst identifying troublesome subjects and asking a teacher for extra work can help to reduce anxiety, many parents are now looking beyond school for additional support in the form of supplementary education. There are a number of types of supplementary education available to parents and it is important that each child gets to grips with the fundamental skills vital for academic progress. Firm foundations must be built in core subjects and children need to be given the confidence and study skills to learn and achieve. Kumon Educational is one of the supplementary education providers available to parents in the UK. They offer maths and English programmes, designed to help each child to reach their potential. By treating each child as an individual, Kumon puts the emphasis on a long-term grounding in the fundamentals of maths and English and on ingraining

children with life-long transferable self-learning skills. Talking about why she enrolled her daughter on Kumon, Ms. Lawson explains: “I became interested in Kumon because my daughter’s school marks were good for English but a little disappointing for maths and I wanted to help her achieve her best.” But does Kumon really make a noticeable difference? Ms. Lawson definitely believes so. “I have really seen the benefits of Kumon; in particular how it has helped with school work and exams and made my daughter much more confident.” To try Kumon for a free two-week period in the New Year and to see how it can support your child’s learning, contact your local Instructor now. In previous years parents may have seen looking for extra help as admitting failure, or fearing that they were being too pushy. But now thousands of parents simply see it as a natural part of being a parent. That extra support can minimise their children’s stresses and give them the best possible chance to achieve their dreams.

anna kEnnEdy

New website launch proves an invaluable resource for parents with autistic children. anna kennedy is a truly inspirational woman. after she and her husband sean were turned away from 26 special needs schools for their boys who have autism, anna decided to set up her own school! Anna says ‘From the day I started Hillingdon Manor School for children on the autistic spectrum I have been receiving literally hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls from parents and relatives of children who are touched by autism and who need help and support. While I am happy to respond to people individually it struck me that this is not the most efficient way to spread the word, or to ensure that people can share information. So I’ve decided to launch a new website annakennedyonline.com. The site has been designed as a community resource where people who need help or want to offer solutions can come to share ideas and discuss new treatments and approaches. There is a big section from the USA where a lot of really positive work has already been done and from which we can learn. The website also features several helpful sections for parents, relatives, teachers and carers involved in helping children affected by autism. Please visit my site and please remember to register so that you can join in our forum and talk to others and discuss various issues or simply keep in contact and share ideas and information with other people who care’.

Not Stupid is a new book written by Anna about her experiences. Turned away by no fewer than 26 special needs schools when searching for appropriate educational facilities for their boys, Anna and Sean were down - but not out. Anna was determined to prove that for children like their sons, the challenges of growing up with autism - to demonstrate to the world that they were simply Not Stupid - did not have to end in defeat. Through sheer guts and determination, they turned their situation into a victory by establishing a centre of excellence for the care and support of those with autism. With more than half a million people in Britain affected by autism, it is little wonder that their school quickly became over-subscribed - proof that educational provision in this field is inadequate in the United Kingdom today, and proof also that it is still possible to transform a vision into reality through simply not giving up. Anna's story, and that of her ever-improving sons, is a beacon of inspiration for parents of special needs children all over the country. Not Stupid offers readers a rollercoaster of emotions but most of all it offers a real sense of hope for those whose lives are affected by autism.

luncH Family living spoke to laura Jones at PizzaExpress to find out what they were doing for families. Our editor Helena Hughes had her son's 8th birthday party at the King Street, Leicester venue. 'My son had a wonderful time with his friends, he had a pizza making party, which was superb. The deputy manager Chris did a fantastic job and made the children feel at ease generally and with the food itself. He explained in detail the different foods that can be placed on top of a pizza ranging from olives, mushrooms, ham, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni. The children were in awe and also enjoyed tasting the different toppings before they went on top of their own individual pizzas (not that there was a lot of pepperoni left to place on the top of the pizzas, as the children kept on eating in). It was nice to see the end results with plenty of smiling faces and not just on the pizza itself. The staff were very helpful and pleasant throughout the whole experience. The children went home happy and full eager to go back with their parents or to even have one of their own pizza making parties. This is a fantastic idea and helps educate children about food and the cooking process - would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has children between the ages of 4 to 13..'

Colles Hall Burton Street Melton Mowbray Leicestershire LE13 1AE Tel: 01664 562 348 4 King Street Leicester LE1 6RJ Tel: 0116 2544144

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FL – Hi Laura, do you openly encourage customers to bring their families to your restaurants? LJ - We are of course a family restaurant and are committed to keeping families happy. We are always running events and promotions so that families are encouraged to eat with us. FL – Tell us more.. LJ - Over the summer, we launched the Summer Pass which worked as follows; if you spent £40 on three visits to any PizzaExpress over the summer holidays and swiped your card each time, on the third swipe we credited your pass with £50 to spend in our restaurants. This was very popular with families and continued our campaign for family get-togethers. Additionally, anyone who used the summer pass – even if they didn’t collect all three visit credits – are now entitled to an Autumn VIP card (entitlement: free garlic bread or dough balls each time they visit until the end of December– please visit our website for more details.) FL – What’s going on now for those who didn’t have the summer pass?

equipped with our children’s activity packs named “Dough” with puzzles, prizes, pictures of our younger fans (who we are inundated with letters from!) and colouring in exercises etc. These come complete with crayons, and will soon include a selection of stickers. The current version of our children’s pack was designed by famous artists Olly and Suzi with the help of an education specialist. It also offers families the chance to win a holiday away. FL – Now that sounds like a good idea, I’ll have to bring my son and his friends! LJ - We also cater for children’s parties; each child receives an apron and a PizzaExpress chef’s hat and gets involved with making their own pizza! Our specially trained piazzolo’s show them how to knead and toss the dough then dress the base with tomato sauce and add their toppings. This is incredibly popular and a rather messy event as you can imagine. The pizzas are then cooked by our chefs and the children get to eat their own pizza. They also receive drinks and desert. This costs £9.95 per guest and lasts around 2 hours. FL – Anything else you need to tell us about?

LJ - All year round, we have our Piccolo Menu - a three-course meal with all the hand-baked, fresh, wholesome goodness as our main menu, just in smaller portions for children. These come complete with the children’s very own Bambinocchino – a cup of frothy milk with a chocolate dusting – a cappuccino without the coffee! The menu costs £5.95. Certain restaurants run additional promotions alongside this whereby you may receive a free piccolo menu with purchase of a main course, or you may receive a free drink with purchase of a piccolo menu. This Halloween, some restaurants are doing free piccolo menus for children in fancy dress plus a free drink for mum or dad. Lots of our restaurants do “Kids eat free” on Boxing Day.

LJ - Finally, we run our PizzaExpress schools visits. These are absolutely free. We invite schools to come to one of our restaurants and we teach the children all about where our food comes from and then they also have a turn at making their own pizza. The feedback from these events has been fantastic and the spaces fill up incredibly quickly. FL – Thanks for having us Laura, it seems that Pizza Express are genuinely committed to the family dining experience.

FL – Sounds great! My kids get bored waiting for the food how do you cater for enquiring minds?

LJ – We do try to do as much as possible to keep our family customer base happy but there is always room for improvement, so if you have any further suggestions, please let me know.

LJ - Alongside the children’s menu, all restaurants are

We certainly will, now where’s that dessert menu? 63

WEllnEss tiPs to kEEP youR Mind body and soul “in tHE gREEn” Health is one of those things that we often take for granted until we’re fitting a virus or suddenly dealing with a healthcare issue. While many illnesses cannot be avoided entirely, there are many ways people can save themselves the aggravation of being knocked out for a few days or more.

After going through a couple of health scares myself, I’ve been reading up on the best ways to stay healthy through natural remedies and proven acts of wellness, and changing my habits. Here are my favorite “Mind, Body and Soul Wellness Tips that have helped me the most:

Mind • Stay positive, negativity will deplete your energy. Stay away from stressful triggers. • If you have the energy, go out for a short brisk walk in the fresh air. A low level of exercise will boost your immune system. Just 15 to 20 minutes will do the trick.

body • Be aware of what you are putting into your body. If you are drinking and eating things that contain ingredients that your great-grandmother wouldn’t be able to identify, chances are you should avoid it at all costs. • One of my favorite sections in “Wired Magazine” is called “What’s Inside?” This monthly deconstruction of ingredients often includes additives placed in food to make products last longer. A while back, they examined A Fruit Pie. One such stomach-turning ingredient listed was Modified Cornstarch. It was determined to be produced with FOOD standards Agency approved chemicals including hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, and sodium chloride. Of course, you can imagine how ingesting such an ingredient can harm the body and keep it from performing well. • Check out http://www.wired.com/science/ discoveries/magazine/16-04/st_lemonpie for full details. • Drinking plenty of fluids, especially good old water, will flush your system of unwanted and nonessential matter traveling through your body. The more water you can ingest each day, the better you’ll feel, look and operate.

The cinnamon helps to regulate your blood sugar so you don’t feed those nasty flu viruses.

soul • Take a hot bath - at least once a day. Put epsom salt in it as well. Elevating your temperature kills a virus faster. It’ll also help you relax faster and get into a meditative state. Many illnesses are triggered by stress, so if you are in a zen zone, you have a greater chance of being on the mend. • Get lots of sleep. This is a priority. If you have small children, secure childcare even if it’s for a couple of hours while you nap. Think of the airplane emergency protocol, put the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you can help your children. Allowing your body to move away from the daily wear and tear and enjoying some peace and quiet is good for you mentally, physically and spiritually. You may have noticed that all of these tips provided are also in line with living an eco-friendly or green lifestyle. In both cases, you are using -- and benefiting from -- natural ingredients. Chicken soup is an anti-inflammatory, so maybe you do not need for an over-the-counter pill. Eating organic, locally produced foods fuel you with illness-fighting nutrients, so why the need (or want) for products containing counterproductive ingredients like chlorine? I have found that by making some significant changes, such as putting my health as a top priority, I am leading a much healthier lifestyle filled with increased energy, decreased levels of stress and an abundance of feel-good activities that make me happy day after day. I hope you are inspired to test some of these out. co-written by Michelle LaBrosse, MSME, PMP, Founder Cheetah Learning and Cheetah Power and Erica Edmond, CAPM, Cheetah Green Team

• If you are ill, consider Ginger root tea. Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory. Since many illnesses like the flu virus cause inflammation, this alleviates many aches and pains. I slice up fresh ginger root and boil it in water or mix with decaffeinated green tea. • Eat chicken noodle soup. Making the chicken broth from the bones of the chicken releases an anti-viral power house. I make my own - it is very simple. You first roast the chicken. Then, you take most of the meat off and refrigerate, and toss the carcass in a large pot of water. Put in several tablespoons of whole peppercorns and a couple stalks of celery. Let it simmer all day (you’re home and sleeping anyway). Strain out all the ingredients. Chop up the refrigerated meat, put in a whole chopped onion and the top half of a stalk of celery coarsely chopped. Put in about a cup of whole-wheat pasta noodles and salt to taste. Eat this several times a day. • Accompany the soup with a fresh berry salad. We all know the anti-cancer properties of berries and this can be useful for everyday viruses, colds and flues. If you are unable to buy fresh, organic berries all year-long, pur chase a bag of frozen berries from a local health food store to have on-hand. I mix up strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and toss in some chopped walnuts and sprinkle the whole thing with cinnamon. 65

HEaltH, HigHs and saving youR cHildREn

you know that exercise is good for you – right? but what does good for you actually mean? What can you actually expect to happen when you exercise regularly? Well for starters, if you want to lose weight, exercising regularly will help to speed up the rate at which you shed the pounds. Look at it this way; an average woman needs to consume 2,000 calories per day to carry out normal activities. So, if you reduce your calorie intake to 1,800 (a 10% reduction), you should lose weight as your body is getting 200 calories less than it needs each day. Add in 30 minutes of moderate exercise and you will burn roughly 400 extra calories. You’ve tripled your daily calorie shortfall – in only 30 minutes and as a result you’ll lose weight much faster. If that wasn’t reason enough to start exercising, then how about this. Exercise makes you feel happier. No, seriously it does. Consider exercise to be natures own anti-depressant. Now without getting into the science (which is a bit tedious), exercise releases a chemical known as endorphins into the body. Endorphins are natural pain relievers and are very similar to opiates (such as morphine). It is these endorphins that are responsible for the “runners high” you hear marathon runners reporting. But it endorphins aren’t restricted to marathon runners. Any cardiovascular exercise such as aerobics or brisk walking can give you the runners high. So, go get high! So, you’ll lose weight faster and get a perfectly legal high when you exercise, but that’s not all. Exercise is great for your bones. Bones are important, but unfortunately, bones weaken as you age, and it’s particularly noticeable in women. However, regular weight bearing exercise and strength training cannot just slow the weakening – it can actually reverse it. You need to make sure though that you are doing the right sort of exercise. Swimming, biking and rowing do NOT contribute to increasing your bone density. Instead, look to weight bearing exercise such as aerobics, running or weight training. And while we’re on the serious stuff, exercise has been proven to benefit your heart, lungs, helping to prevent disease later in life. If you are in need of a reason to get out of the house, then why not meet up with friends and exercise together. Exercising with friends will really help you to stick to your routine, and doing something together can be great fun. So rather than heading straight to the pub (or Starbucks) with your mates why not head out for a fitness class. Taking a mate with you the first time you go out to a fitness class, or when you go for a walk makes the whole thing less intimidating and a whole heap more fun. And of course 66

you can then feel really smug when you do go for your Starbucks afterwards. And finally, if you still aren’t convinced, then here’s a little emotional blackmail to help. Children learn by copying and imitating what they see around them – particularly their parents. So you’ve got a choice. Option 1, teach your children to spend their time on the sofa watching Eastenders. Or teach them that it’s good to be fit, healthy, energetic and happy. With childhood obesity an increasing problem in the UK, just by getting fit yourself you could make a massive difference to your children. To help you get started, I’ve put together some basic tips to get you started. Our essential tips will make sure that you have all the information you need to transform your health and fitness, quickly and enjoyably. 1. Do something you enjoy – exercise doesn’t have to be running (unless you want it to be). Walking, swimming or fitness classes can all improve your fitness so find something that appeals to you. 2. Recruit friends and family – it’s much easier to make lifestyle improvements when you are surrounded with supportive people. Even better, why not involve them and make your fitness activities a family event or a social gathering with your friends. 3. You don’t need to train to exhaustion – if you finish your exercise unable to speak and exhausted then you are pushing too hard. Exercise should leave you tired and a little out of breath but able to hold a conversation. Don’t push too hard and you will get bigger benefits, as you’ll train longer and more effectively. 4. Record what you’ve achieved – measure yourself in all the areas that matter (or take a photo) before you start your exercise program, and at regular, say monthly intervals. You’ll soon see changes, and those changes should spur you on to achieve even more. 5. Start gradually – you won’t look like Brad or Angelina in a week and you shouldn’t try to. Be realistic in the early days and focus on the fun. Use early sessions to find things you really enjoy doing and don’t worry if you’re not perfect when you start.

6. Stick with it –many of us have busy lives and getting fitter has to compete with kids and work and a hundred other things for time. To achieve the lifestyle change you want then you have to make exercise a priority in your life. 7. Make a regular time commitment – in the same way as you might go to work at a regular time, set aside times to exercise. This is your time, for you to make real difference to your life, so make a regular booking in your diary. 8. Reward yourself – if you’re making the effort to get fit then you deserve an occasional treat. Be it some new clothes, or a night out, whatever you enjoy, then do it once in a while. 9. Don’t worry about weight – people often get hung up on weight, but DON’T. You will feel better and see changes in your body long before you see a change on the scales! 10. Just do it – a 100% guarantee is that doing something is better than doing nothing – so don’t just sit there.

Gail Warner A fitness instructor with 13 years experience, Gail owns the Well Fit studio in Melton Mowbray (www.wellfitstudio.co.uk) and also trains fitness instructors to run their own fitness businesses at www.fitnessinstructorrevolution.com.

don’t Miss out on 45,000 PotEntial nEW custoMERs 45,000 copies of each of edition of Family Living magazine will be distributed through schools, nurseries, libraries, leisure centres, sports clubs, post offices, Sainsburys, leading shopping centres such as Highcross Leicester, Fosse Park, Westfield Derby and Victoria Centre in Nottingham, and now additionally East Midlands Airport. This will only be available to families in aspirational postcodes in the East Midlands who are interested in finding out more about fashion, food, travel, motoring, property, retail, education and what's happening in their area. This therefore gives our advertisers an unrivalled opportunity of advertising directly to people who have already opened their mind to the possibility of spending their income. For more information or to book space please contact us on:

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Spa Hotels

I have to admit to being ever so slightly nervous as I set off for what is to be my first spa day experience. I have decided that I need company and so my best friend Alison is cajoled into joining me, not that she needed that much cajoling, but the she doesn’t have nearly as many issues as me……am I worthy enough, am I fit enough, thin enough, wealthy enough, girly enough, all of these thoughts and more….

In no time we were driving up to the grand façade of Stapleford Park. Steeped in history Stapleford Park, as one of England's finest stately homes, offers a stunning blend of architecture and landscape, offering something unique for each guest who experiences the breathtaking views from the main house together with the ambience of open fires. Situated in the converted Victorian Stable Block, the Stapleford Park Lifestyle Wellness Retreat contains seven treatment rooms, a relaxing lounge area, fitness studio and fully equipped Technogym. Just a five minute stroll through the picturesque gardens is the Main House where the pool complex, with a heated 22m pool, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi can be found hidden under the terrace. Alison and I had opted for the ‘Lifestyle Spa Day’, which in addition to entry to all the facilities, gives you a choice of treatments and a 2 course meal in the Pavillion Restaurant, where I had my eye on the linguini! I’ve always been a bit fearful of having a full body massage, we’ve all heard the stories about not being able to walk the next day, but I found mine to be gentle and relaxing, in fact I nearly fell asleep! Time for that linguini! In fact the food was so deliciously good that we paid the extra to have a third course, well we must have worked off the calories in the pool and if we hadn’t then a little extra on the hips was a small price to pay to enjoy excellent food with your best friend. Another ace up the sleeve of Stapleford is that they have a fully registered creche, so you can take the kids along and let them have some quality time too! Rebecca Thomas

Stapleford Park Stapleford Park is a whole estate of wellness dedicated to you. Whether relaxing in the pool complex cleverly hidden under the main house terrace, with steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and 22 metre pool or wandering through the house and gardens, the space and luxury of Stapleford Park encourages you to unwind. This is enhanced by the ministrations of the therapists in the recently converted Victorian Stable Block - also home to a Technogym and fitness studio with personal trainers on hand to assist in your training.

01572 787000

www.staplefordpark.com

Ragdale Hall

Eden Hall

Ragdale Hall is located in the rolling Leicestershire countryside. It combines state-of-the-art facilities with the charm of traditional Victorian architecture to create one of the most luxurious and relaxing health spas in the country and was recently voted Best Spa in Europe.

Your experience at our Nottinghamshire haven starts before you even walk through our door. As soon as you set eyes on beautiful mansion that will be your sanctuary for the day, feelings of luxurious pleasure start to build.

Whether you are looking for total relaxation during a weekend spa break, some pampering, an unrivalled range of treatments or to kick start a healthier lifestyle, Ragdale Hall is the perfect choice.

The friendly reception staff make check-in quick and easy, and then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re well on your way to total relaxation. The fitness suite, pools, relaxation rooms and restaurant are all yours, so the only thing left to do is succumb to total sensory satisfaction.

01664 434831

01636 525555

www.ragdalehall.co.uk

Aqua Sana -

Centre Parcs

Escape to a true hideaway in Sherwood forest amongst ancient heathlands. The indulgent Aqua Sana is the ultimate in multi-sensory experiences, the Spa is set over two floors and has everything from an Indian Blossom Steam Room to a tranquil Zen Garden.

www.edenspa.co.uk

Brackendale Brackendale is ideal whether you need an hour on the way home from work, have half a day or a day to spare or want a short break. Perfect for a birthday celebration, a 'hen party', family gathering or team building treat.

Spa experiences from every corner of the globe, all designed to offer guests the very best heat and water sensations, to aid relaxation. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been to a Spa before, Aqua Sana is a wonderful place to start.

There is a delightful pool, a sauna and lovely relaxation areas. Brackendale is set in 16 acres of beautiful Derbyshire countryside and you are welcome to walk through the grounds or stretch your legs a little further to enjoy the stunning Carsington reservoir.

01623 827400

01629 540727

www.aquasana.co.uk

www.brackendalespa.com

cuRvE

THEATRE

curve, leicester’s new state-of-the-art theatre, opened in december 2008. Designed by world-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly, Curve is one of the best-equipped and most up-to-date theatres in the UK. Its stunning glass façade encloses a magnificent open plan foyer with views onto the café, bars and across the stage. The two theatre spaces hold up to 800 and 400 seats respectively. There are also rehearsal rooms, a dance studio, meeting rooms, workshop areas and a café/bar. It is based in the heart of Leicester’s newly regenerated Cultural Quarter in the city centre, close to Phoenix Square, the main shopping areas and the train station. Leicester Theatre Trust’s present a festive treat for the whole family: A brand new musical version of J.M. Barrie’s timeless classic, PETER PAN. Curve will be given flight as it leaves Leicester behind and sets a course for Neverland. Join the boy who never grows-up as he flies into the lives of the Darling family and takes Wendy, Michael and John on a magical adventure in Neverland. Curve’s presentation of the festive favourite will take full advantage of the building’s state-of-the-art technical facilities bringing the traditional adventure to life with original music and spectacular effects. Please visit www.curveonline.co.uk or call the Ticket Office on 0116 242 3595 for the latest details of what’s on at Curve. Curve, Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB

©David Brook

29TH NOV - 24TH DEC

Melton Spinney Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 4SB Tel: 01664 567777 • www.twinlakespark.co.uk

ENJOY A TRADITIONAL FAMILY CHRISTMAS

*Eco-friendly synthetic ice, small charge applied. **Meeting and quality gift £3.95

T HE VALLE Y CARON DOWNS . CORNWALL

Escape Explore Enjoy

...Cornwall’s chic country retreat

Visit Father Christmas in a magical grotto! • Make a card for someone special! • Star in our farmyard nativity play! • Then enjoy seasonal fayre in the restaurant! • Plus all the usual farm attractions.

A secluded hamlet of 5 star contemporary cottages in a tranquil country valley. Relax in architect designed luxury with superb leisure facilities and experience innovative cuisine in the stylish Café Azur... A haven for you and your little ones.

sign PostEd oFF tHE a6 bEtWEEn dEsboRo’ & Mkt HaRboRo’

01872 862194

01536 760552

www.the-valley.co.uk

www.westlodgeruralcentre.co.uk 71

Torvill & Dean

still dancing

on icE you didn’t have to know the first thing about space to get excited when neil armstrong walked on the moon. there was no need for a lesson in man-to-man marking to appreciate the significance of that afternoon in 1966 when England won the Word cup. and you weren’t required to understand which is the stern and which is the bow of a boat to share the pain and pleasure of steve Redgrave rowing into history on a lake in australia during the sydney olympics.

These are events that transcend themselves. These are moments of such impact that we remember where we were and whom we were with at the time. We might not be able to describe adequately what we felt – but we know we felt deeply. Valentine’s Day 1984 was one such landmark. It was the day Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean represented the hopes of an entire nation, when 25 million people turned on their televisions and tuned in for four minutes of drama not knowing whether it would end in disaster or triumph. We knew it would be agony and we longed for it to be ecstasy. The stakes were high but the skates were ready. For those four breath-taking Bolero minutes we became one with Torvill and Dean, while Torvill and Dean became one with each other. We shared it all - every lift, every slide, every look of smouldering passion as the music grew louder and faster, louder and faster. Some of us had our doubts... They had none. Some worried that the judges might think the routine too radical, Ravel’s haunting score too extreme, their costumes too ethereal but the nine judges were caught up in the rapture like judges never had been before, or since. All they could do was reach for the sixes and award Jayne and Chris maximum points. It was flawless. Without equal. Torvill and Dean. The sun and the moon. The ying and the yang. The complete package. Two hard-working youngsters from Nottingham who never even wished to be famous. All they wanted – he a former policeman, she an ex-insurance 72

clerk - was to skate better than anyone else on earth. And that’s exactly what they did. Jayne and Chris met in 1968 at Nottingham’s ice rink when Jayne was just eleven and Chris ten. Jayne had been skating since she was nine, Chris since he was ten, but it wasn’t until 1975 that they started partnering each other. It felt right - from the start. A year later, they started winning trophies. Two years after that, they claimed their first major competition and by the 1984 Winter Olympics they were the reigning British, European and World Champions. “We knew we were the favourites and that meant there was a lot of pressure,” says Jayne. “But that’s what you train for. We knew we were in the best shape of our lives. We had prepared totally and completely. Every detail had been taken care of.” But some of those details had been torturous. The choice of music, for example, had caused many a sleepless night. At one point, Jayne and Chris had contemplated dancing to 42nd Street, the raunchy Manhattan musical, but were persuaded against it. Then they spent hours in the Radio Nottingham library looking for something more apposite – or, rather, something more revolutionary. “As soon as we listened to the overture of Bolero we knew that was it,” says Chris. The drawback was that the Bolero overture lasts for 17 minutes. Competition rules stipulated that the original dance routine in the Olympics must be four minutes long, give or take 10 seconds either way. Composers Richard Hartley and the late Bob Stewart shortened it,

rearranged it and shortened it some more but it was still too long by 28 seconds. Jayne and Chris came up with an ingenious solution. They would make sure their skates did not touch the ice for 18 seconds once the music started. Just before they stepped on the ice, Jayne and Chris nodded to each other knowingly and squeezed hands. Nothing needed to be said. Then, they skated around that rink as if possessed, like lovers who knew that this was their last dance. “I don’t remember very much about it,” says Jayne. “I remember kneeling at the start and falling at the end but in between is a blur. It felt like the arena was silent except for the music. I couldn’t even hear our skates on the ice. We just did what we came to do.” When they had finished, there was a half second delay, a pause for a sharp intake of breath. Then the whole building exploded and we knew – the whole world knew – that Torvill and Dean had achieved the unthinkable. There were tears and hugs but theirs was a dignified victory. There were no high-fives, no moronic gestures. As the Union Jack was raised between two Soviet Union flags, Jayne and Chris held back their tears so the rest of us could shed ours. There is a moment in all sports when something shifts, when that sport and the world it inhabits is changed forever. On a global level, this unassuming couple dramatically had raised the bar, setting a new benchmark for skaters of all standards. Everyone knew it. The Queen and the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, sent telegrams; half a million people later would line the streets of Nottingham to welcome Jayne and Chris home and today, 26 years later, Torvill and Dean’s Bolero still makes the hair on the back of our necks stand to attention. All it needed was four minutes and 18 seconds of pure gold. Now stars of the massive ITV show Dancing on Ice Jayne and Chris have just announced that they will be touring with the show again in 2010 and will be coming home to Nottingham on 27th and 28th April, with tickets on sale now at the Nottingham Arena. ITV will be announcing the celebrity skaters shortly, so keep an eye out and judge for yourself who will follow Ray Quinn to be crowned King of the Ice. inspired? Once again Nottingham will have an outdoor skating rink. Winter officially returns to Nottingham with the National Ice Centre proudly presenting the Victoria Centre Outdoor Ice Rink nestled in the heart of Old Market Square. Top ice experts will make sure you have an unforgettable experience on the huge 20m by 40m rink, as you glide past the backdrop of the grand Council House and the city’s proud lions.

“We knew we were the favourites and that meant there was a lot of pressure”

If it’s a festive family day out or a romantic spin under the twinkling Christmas tree lights – this is an essential festive experience to bring a little yuletide magic into your life! The Victoria Centre Ice Rink is open from Wednesday 18th November 2009 until Sunday 10th January 2010.

WHat’s on WHat’s on Leicester Saturday 12th December – www.demontforthall.co.uk de Montfort Hall - chuckle chistmas In the year of eighteen hundred and frozen to hecky thump, the two brothers' worlds collide! Ebenezer Sneezer (Paul Chuckle), oooh he’s so mean, and his kind-hearted brother Bob Scratchit (Barry Chuckle) are visited by three ghosts who attempt to show the path to true kindness and good spirit to Ebenezer Sneezer. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future come to visit and turn the brothers' whole world up side down. Don’t miss this Ghostly, Comedy Christmas Special adventure of The Chuckle Brothers in A Christmas Chuckle. Guaranteed fun for all the family from ages 3 to 103. 5th Dec – 10th Jan – www.demontforthall.co.uk de Montfort Hall - scrooge Tommy Steele’s return to the London Palladium in Scrooge sent him into the record books as the star to have headlined the most performances at London’s most famous theatre. A prestigious plaque was mounted at the Palladium to honour this extraordinary achievement. Tommy’s legendary career includes over twenty hit singles, Hollywood movie hits such as The Happiest Millionaire and Fininan’s Rainbow, and countless award winning stage musicals such as Half a Sixpence, Hans Anderson and Singing in the Rain. The ideal Christmas treat, Scrooge is a heart-warming family story with stunning sets and costumes, specially created illusions by magician Paul Kieve (acclaimed for the magical effects in the Harry Potter films) and a fantastic musical score which features the Oscar-nominated hit Thank You Very Much 1 3rd Dec – 23rd Jan - www.curveonline.co.uk curve theatre - Peter Pan a Musical A delightful family musical, this festive favourite comes to Curve with an original score and spectacular effects, taking full advantage of the building's state-of-the-art technical facilities. From the croc with the clock to Tinkerbell, the magic of this timeless tale will be given flight as it leaves Leicester behind and sets a course for Neverland. 21st – 31st December – www.spacecentre.co.uk national space centre santa science The National Space Centre is on the hunt to discover the real science behind that one magical night of the year. Find out the answers to these and other important facts as the X-mas files are opened to all enquiring minds… the truth is out there. Highcross leicester Magical christmas grotto Located on the Lower Mall near Starbucks make sure you book ahead to avoid the queues and reserve your place.

20th December – www.national-ice-centre.com Highcross leicester Magical christmas grotto Wow, Christmas is going to be here soon and all of Santa's reindeers are busy getting ready for take off on Christmas Eve. From Sunday 22 November until Christmas Eve join us on a magical Christmas journey at our Santa's Grotto. Post your letter to Santa in the post box and watch Rudolph check Santa's route for Christmas Eve. There's even a toy making workshop where you can watch the reindeers lovingly make your Christmas toys before you meet the man himself. Located on the Lower Mall near Starbucks make sure you book ahead to avoid the queues and reserve your place. 20th December – www.snowball2009.com leicester tigers snow ball 2009 One Night only show spectacular with big band, swing and professional dancers all performed at the Tigers ground, Welford Road. For a taste of the evening check out the website. 18th Dec – 9th Jan - www.thelittletheatre.net the little theatre - Jack and the beanstalk A magical tale of Jack’s adventures up beyond the clouds in beanstalk land. Lots of laughter is guaranteed along the way as a host of comic characters join Jack on his quest to slay the giant, earning him his fortune and love’s own sweet reward. Stunning costumes and lavish sets combine with dazzling song and dance and plenty of audience participation in what promises to be yet another memorable, seasonal spectacular. 15th January 2010 www.demontforthall.co.uk de Montfort Hall - comedy Festival Preview A fantastic comedy show to herald the launch of the 2010 Leicester Comedy Festival. Nine festival acts appear to give you a taste of what’s to come when the main Leicester Comedy Festival rolls into town from Fri 5 to Sun 21 February. A complete sell-out for the last seven years, make sure you book your tickets early.

WHat’s on Nottingham 15th December www.trentfmarenanottingham.com nottingham arena - Russell Howard Join stand-up dynamo Russell Howard as he embarks on his brand new arena tour calling in at Trent FM Arena Nottingham this December. With a back catalogue of TV appearances and a list of accomplishments any joker would be proud of, this certainly is one show not to miss! 20th December – www.trentfmarenanottingham.com nottingham arena - status Quo They’ve had hit after hit and now Status Quo will be rockin’ back to Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Sunday 20th December 2009. After the huge success of their date here last year with ‘Pictures-40 Years of Hits’, the band are back this year with their 2009 tour which is set to be a stage mover! In their history that spans over four decades, the Quo have shown no signs of slowing down, with huge hits such as ‘Whatever You Want’, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ and performances at over 6,000 live shows! 20th December – www.national-ice-centre.com 1 victoria centre ice Rink - the great santa skate Help to raise money for the amazing charity When You Wish Upon A Star on Sunday 20th December at 10am. It’s just £5 to skate and take part and you’ll get a free Santa suit to put on too and keep! All money going to the charity, which makes wishes, come true for terminally ill children. It’s a strictly first come first served event and you can’t book ahead of the date so make sure you’re first in the queue! Bring some extra money with you and make a real difference to a fantastic charity. 27th Nov – 23rd Jan – www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk nottingham Playhouse - beauty and the beast In picturesque fairytale France, the beautiful Belle lives a charmed life with her eccentric family. But when they are imprisoned in a magical castle by a mysterious beast, everything changes and the stage is set for magic, monstrous fun and a happy ending. Playhouse favourite John Elkington stars as Madame Fifi in Kenneth Alan Taylor's 26th pantomime.

5th Dec – 17th Jan – www.royalcentre-nottingham.co.uk nottingham theatre Royal - Jack and the beanstalk AN ALL-STAR cast has been lined up for Nottingham Theatre Royal's Christmas panto Jack And The Beanstalk. Dashing actor Nigel Havers, famed for his roles in The Charmer and Chariots of Fire, is playing devilish villain Fleshcreep. Meanwhile Emmerdale beauty Jenna Louise Coleman – popular among soap fans for her role as vicar's daughter Jasmine – will play the Princess. A Royal Variety favourite – ventriloquist Paul Zerdin – will play the lead role of Jack. "I am thrilled to be performing at Nottingham's Theatre Royal this Christmas," said Nigel, whose stage career has included appearances at The National Theatre, on the West End and in a recent touring production of Rebecca. 9th Nov – 24th Dec – www.victoriacentre.uk.com victoria centre santa’s grotto Santa will be back at the Victoia Centre with a new grotto on the Upper Mall, check the website for up to date opening times.

14th Nov – 24th Jan – www.nottinghamcontemporary.org nottingham contemporary Weekday cross david Hockney A major exhibition of over 60 works by David Hockney, from national and international museum collections will open Nottingham Contemporary, on Saturday 14 November 2009. Entry to Nottingham Contemporary and its' exhibitions will be free.

nottingham contemporary Weekday cross david Hockney A major exhibition of over 60 works by .David Hockney

You can expect shimmering sets, dazzling costumes and melodious musical numbers that make the show so special. Beauty & the Beast promises to be the Playhouse's most spectacular pantomime yet!

victoria centre ice Rink - the great santa skate Help to raise money for the amazing charity When You Wish Upon A Star on Sunday 20th December at 10am.

WHat’s on Derby 9th Dec – 10th Jan – www.derbylive.co.uk

1st –24th December - www.altontowers.com

assembly Rooms - cinderella Derby LIVE and Paul Holman Associates present Derby's all-star, traditional family pantomime, Cinderella, which runs at the Assembly Rooms.

alton towers Visit Santa and his reindeer in their Winter Wonderland at the Alton Towers Resort this Christmas! From sensational Santa’s Lunch day packages to enchanting overnight Santa’s Sleepovers, unlimited festive fun awaits families joining the celebrations at both Resort hotels.

Starring Neil Morrissey as Buttons and Eternal's Kelle Bryan as Cinderella, this classic ‘rags to riches’ story will enchant both young and old with magical effects, lavish sets and costumes. So make sure you come along to see if the slipper really does fit this Christmas and whether good overcomes bad in the fairy-tale of Cinderella! 26th Nov – 16th Jan – www.derbylive.co.uk derby theatre - the snow Queen The National Space Centre is on the hunt to discover the real science behind that one magical night of the year. Find out the answers to these and other important facts as the X-mas files are opened to all enquiring minds… the truth is out there. 10th – 24th December - www.derbylive.co.uk the guildhall theatre - christmas Quangle Wangle Wow, Christmas is going to be here soon and all of Santa's reindeers are busy getting ready for take off on Christmas Eve. From Sunday 22 November until Christmas Eve join us on a magical Christmas journey at our Santa's Grotto. Post your letter to Santa in the post box and watch Rudolph check Santa's route for Christmas Eve. There's even a toy making workshop where you can watch the reindeers lovingly make your Christmas toys before you meet the man himself. from Saturday 21 Nov – www.westfieldderby.co.uk derby Westfield - breakfast with santa Make sure to book your place for Breakfast with Santa as early as possible as places are limited! Every Saturday and Sunday from Saturday 21 November, Santa and his elves will enjoy a festive breakfast at Gloria Jean's Coffees on Level 1 and would love you to join them. Breakfast is free for children aged under 10 and will take place at the following times: Saturday: 9am - 9.30am - Sunday: 9.45am -10.15am

chatsworth House Chatsworth is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, one of Britain's best loved historic estates

As an extra special treat this year, a great selection of attractions will be opened on the Theme Park exclusively for hotel residents, including the new pirate-themed Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE aquarium. After riding upon the Monorail from the Hotels, guests will be transported into a winter wonderland, where Santa and his reindeer await your arrival! All children will be granted the opportunity to meet Santa, and will of course be treated to a gift. 5th – 23rd December - www.gulliversfun.co.uk gullivers kingdom Matlock In addition to Santa’s Grotto and the opportunity to post your letter to Santa, it will be snowing everyday at Gullivers. New for this year, the snow shower is bound to be a big hit, along with the elf school and of course all the usual fun. 1st – 23rd December - www.chatsworth.org chatsworth House bakewell Chatsworth is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, one of Britain's best loved historic estates and the heart beat of the Peak District National Park. With famous works of art, a working farmyard, spectacular fountains and the finest shopping and eating, there is something for everyone to enjoy. In 2009 visitors will experience Chatsworth in the midst of a landmark Masterplan of restoration and development. Every day until 23 December 2009, Chatsworth's Christmas decorations offer a unique experience for children and adults alike, with beautiful traditional decorations in the rooms on the two lower floors of the house, the second floor rooms are now closed for annual conservation. In 2009, we take our inspiration from candlelight, and specifically from the intriguing Hans Christian Anderson tale, 'The Candle'. Many visitors come from far and wide every year to see the unique Christmas decorations and this will be another year not to be missed. 12th Dec - 2nd Jan - www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk buxton opera House - dick Wintigton Starring Arthur Bostrom (Allo Allo!), Bradley Clarkson (Grease Is The Word) and Leah Hackett (Hollyoaks) London faces its darkest hour when the evil King Rat plots to take over the capital. The city needs a hero, but who is brave enough to stand up to such a terrifying villain? Enter poor country boy Dick Whittington, who has heard that London’s streets are paved with gold. With only a stray cat for company, Dick is determined to find fame and fortune, but will his dreams be dashed by the verminous villain who controls the city’s underworld? Starring popular actor Arthur Bostrom (Officer Crabtree from ’Allo, ’Allo) as King Rat, Bradley Clarkson (Danny finalist from ITV’s Grease is the Word) and the lovely Leah Hackett (Tina McQueen from Hollyoaks), Dick Whittington promises comedy, drama, toe-tapping songs, colourful dance routines and more.

staR PotEntial

stagecoach theatre arts is a national network of part-time theatre schools for children aged 4 to 18 years. Founded in 1988 in surrey, it currently has over 600 centres throughout the united kingdom and a further 25 overseas. Stagecoach encourages young people to build confidence and develop communication and creativity through the acquisition of the performance skills of drama, dance and singing. The Stagecoach system of teaching is both educational and fun. Students are taught by staff with professional backgrounds and are offered a bridge between school and full-time training – a welcome alternative for parents of youngsters who are neither ready nor willing to commit to a full-time stage school. Stagecoach also succeeds because it is able to offer that little bit extra while taking into account some very important practicalities. Classes rotate – each student gets an hour each of drama, dance and singing at every session [with shorter sessions for the younger children] and all under one roof, which saves on cost and travelling time. Classes are held at weekends out of school hours and are deliberately kept small. Twice a year parents get to see the students’ work and are kept in touch with their child’s progress through written reports. The skills learnt at Stagecoach aren’t just for the stage but for life and all children are able to benefit. There is not the pressure of an audition to join, enthusiasm and commitment are all that's needed. Although Stagecoach is open to all young people with an interest in the performing arts whatever their ability, it does provide opportunities to perform professionally and some of its students have found considerable success in film, television and on the West End stage. Occasionally Stagecoach schools come together not only for community productions but also for large national events such as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and concerts at The NIA in Birmingham, The Royal Albert Hall and Her Majesty’s Theatre. For further information about Stagecoach schools, contact Head Office on 01932 254333 or visit the Stagecoach website at: www.stagecoach.co.uk 77

FAMILY

FilmReview WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Innovative Director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Where the Wild Things Areâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned King, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

ALVIN & THE CHIPMONKS 2 THE SQUEAKQUEL It's back to school for furry chipmunk pop sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore. In this follow-up to 2007 hit family comedy Alvin And The Chipmunks, lovable singing rodents Alvin, Simon and Theodore find themselves with a new human minder, Toby Seville (Zachary Levi) and heading back to the classroom like regular human kids. There they must save the school's music program by winning the $25,000 top prize in a battle of the bands. But first they have to tackle a host of new challenges such as peer pressure, school sports and girls - namely Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette, aka rival musical trio 'The Chipettes'. Sneaky manager Ian Hawke is determined to wreak revenge on his former clients The Chipmunks by making the girls the Next Big Thing. Can the two groups overcome their personal and musical differences? Find out in this lively and colourful comedy with its skillful blend of live action and animation.

AVATAR A paraplegic ex-marine war veteran is unwillingly sent to establish a human settlement on the distant planet of Pandora, only to find himself battling humankind alongside the planet's indigenous Na'vi race in this ambitious digital 3-D sci-fi epic from Academy Awardwinning Titanic director James Cameron. The film, which marks Cameron's first dramatic feature since 1997's Titanic, will be shot on the proprietary FUSION digital 3-D cameras developed by Cameron in collaboration with Vince Pace, and will offer a groundbreaking mix of live-action dramatic performances and computer-generated effects. Australian actor Sam Worthington stars as the reluctant human settler, Jake Sully, with actress Zoe Saldana signing on to portray the local woman who enters into a romantic affair with the hero. The revolutionary motion-capture system created for the film allows the facial expressions of actors to be captured as a virtual camera system enables them to see what their computer-generated counterparts will be seeing in the film, and Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning Weta Digital visual-effects house has been hired to supervise Avatar's complex visual effects.

SHERLOCK HOLMES In a dynamic new portrayal of Conan Doyle’s famous characters, Sherlock Holmes sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country. The film stars Robert Downey Jr as the title character, in fresh new take on the popular mystery novels. Jude Law co-stars as Dr. John Watson, Rachel McAdams plays Holmes’ love-interest, “the deceptive” Irene Adler. And Mark Strong plays the film’s villain Lord Blackwood, an industrialist who “holds sway over a cult of dark-arts practitioners and claims to possess supernatural powers, is linked to a series of murders.” The film’s Pirates-esque action-comedy tone is front and center in the new film, as is Ritchie’s signature style with Dutch angles and Fight Night-like slow-motion bare-knuckle bouts.

ST TRINNIANS 2: THE LEGEND OF FRITTON’S GOLD Sees the schoolgirls start a new term amidst the usual chaos and excitement. Rupert Everett returns as unconventional headmistress Camilla Fritton and Colin Firth as her old flame Geoffrey Thwaites. A rollercoaster-style treasure hunt for the legendary Fritton’s Gold ensues as they face their most fearsome establishment rivals yet, but the feisty and ever-resourceful girls of St Trinian’s are undeterred in their mission to outwit the villainous Pomfrey (David Tennant) and his sidekicks from the women-hating secret society known as AD1. 79

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 2009 Charles Dickens' timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man. Set around Christmas, the most joyous day of the year, Scrooge realizes the sharp contrast of his own personality. Jim Carrey plays four separate roles in this updated version of A Christmas Carol. Carrey portrays Scrooge, as well as the three ghosts (Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come). His dynamic character roles keep the four characters as diverse as being played by four actors. Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy) has his chance to dabble in telling a story through the windows of time, as he directs the long-awaited remake.

PLANET 51 An American astronaut believing himself to be the first person ever to set foot on Planet 51 gets the shock of his life in this animated adventure comedy featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, John Cleese, and Gary Oldman. Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker (voice of Johnson) was on a mission to boldly go where no man had gone before, a remote celestial body dubbed Planet 51. The scientific community had surmised that Planet 51 was uninhabited, so when Captain Baker steps out of his spacecraft to discover a race of tiny green people living in quaint communities reminiscent of 1950s America, he can't quite believe his eyes. Unfortunately, the tiny extraterrestrials suffer from a universal fear that their utopian community will one day be overrun by alien invaders...just like the extra-large astronaut who now stands before them. As the paranoid aliens attempt to capture the peaceful visitor and make him the latest attraction at the Alien Invaders Space Museum, Captain Baker must count on his robot companion, "Rover," and his new friend, Lem, in order to navigate this strange new world and find a way back home before it's too late.

cinEMas in tHE aREa Savoy Cinema Nottingham, Derby Road, 0115 947 2580 Showcase Cinema, Nottingham, Lenton 0871 220 8000 Showcase de Lux, Leicester, Highcross, 0871 220 1000 Odeon Leicester, Freemans Park, 0871 2244 007 Showcase de Lux, Derby, Westfield, 0871 220 1000 Odeon, Derby, Mansfield Road, 0871 2244 007

books New Releases recommended by Family living Magazine

gordon Ramsayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World kitchen by gordon Ramsay What do you fancy for dinner tonight? Italian? Chinese? French? With so many varieties of cuisine on offer in our globally-growing lives, Gordon Ramsay has put together an amazing book featuring his favourite recipes from around the world. Each chapter features a different country's dishes that we love to eat, and would love to learn more about. Gordon delves into Middle Eastern, American, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, and even our own British. There are recipes for starters, mains and desserts. In addition, he explains certain techniques to go along with each type of cuisine. Once again Gordon Ramsay provides an innovative range of recipes to be cooked every day, and no matter what you are in the mood for, this book has it covered. With stunning photography by Chris Terry, this is a fresh, modern addition to the ever-popular F-Word collection.

My comeback: up close and Personal by lance armstrong After his record-breaking 7th Tour win - accomplished after successfully battling the testicular cancer that very nearly killed him - Lance Armstrong spent three years in retirement. In September 2008 he announced his shock decision to return to professional cycling for an 8th Tour. Alongside 220 spectacular behind-the-scenes photographs, Lance will tell his inspiring story, moment-by-moment, in his own words. Determined to bring his cancer foundation's 'Livestrong' message to the world, his exceptional cycling in the 2009 Tour saw him placed third in the overall rankings. At 37 years of age, he is the oldest top-three finisher in over 30 years. His incredible journey to a podium placement will be charted through unpublished photographs by sports photographer Elizabeth Kruetz. As Lance's personal photographer, Kruetz has worked with him for ten years, and her pictures, along with his diary entries, make for a deeply personal window into his day-to-day world and his 2009 Tour battle. It will include his fight back from a broken collar bone, constant drugs tests, gruelling mountain climbs, his intense rivalry with teammate and 2009 Tour Winner Alberto Contador, and, of course, crossing that final finish line.

a Highland christmas - by M.c beaton In dark, wintry Lochdubh, Christmas Cheer is about as welcome as a flat tyre on a deserted road. The Calvinist element in town has always resisted what they view as secular frivolity, so for most of the townsfolk there'll be no carols, feasting, gifts - or even whiskey on Christmas Day! And for PC Hamish Macbeth there's no holiday from crime he finds himself hunting for a missing cat belonging to a lonely spinster. Curt and unfriendly, the woman is convinced her pet has been stolen but once behind her heavily-bolted door, Hamish can spot her true problem - she lives in fear, though of who or what he cannot guess. Then someone steals a Christmas tree and lights from the nearby village of Cnothan. So it is up to Hamish to sort all these problems out - and he had better do it quickly, for the church bells will soon be tolling on the eve of Christmas. Praise for the "Hamish Macbeth" series: 'First rate...deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere' - "Booklist". 'It's always a treat to return to Lochdubh' - "New York Times". 'Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast...Beaton catches the beauty of the area's natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavor' - "Library Journal". ' Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying' "Publishers Weekly"

big bear, little brother by carl norac, kristin oftedal On the ice, the wind is blowing gently. Big Bear has stopped running. How wonderful it is to be still ...to close his eyes ...to dream! But the stillness is broken when Big Bear hears a cry and opens his eyes to see a child tumbling from the sky. Carl Norac's delicately woven tale of the touching friendship between a young boy and a solitary polar bear is accompanied by beautiful, evocative illustrations by Kristin Oftedal.

a necklace of Raindrops - by Joan aiken 'This is how it all began'. From "A Necklace of Raindrops" to "The Patchwork Quilt", here are eight classic stories to treasure and enjoy. Beginning and ending with a birthday, this spell-binding collection conjures up a world filled with magic, where wishes can come true. A necklace of raindrops that keeps its owner dry in the heaviest rainstorm; a tiger that runs faster than the wind; a huge floating apple pie with a piece of sky in it; a baker's cat who swells to the size of a whale when his mistress feeds him yeast; and, a house that stands on one leg - these are just some of the objects and characters that figure in these delightful stories.

guiness World Records 2010 The perennial Christmas favourite! Features unique free downloadable content, the Top 100 Records of the decade, Records for every day of the year and new features on James Bond and the Records that have never been broken - it's the book of the decade.. 81

AUTO

FOCUS

The New BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Saloon This is the most frugal car BMW has ever built with a 2.0 litre diesel engine giving close to 70 mpg, or put another way, every 100 miles will cost you about £7 which is almost cheaper than walking!

torque. The other eye catching figure is that this car will cost just £35 a year to tax and I can’t think of a better way to beat the tax man!

What you get It’s a special edition, so in terms of kit, you get what you are given and you can’t re-spec the car, so if the standard trim isn’t to your liking, you will need to head off in the direction of the standard 320d. That said, this really should be all the car that most of us would ever need. This will probably end up being one of the most popular cars in the range, particularly for those who have a car allowance or run their car for business. BMW have tweaked the standard car to reduce the emissions down to a measly 109g/km of Co2 and a combined average of 68.9 mpg. This is all achieved by using the Efficient Dynamics system engineering that includes: Engine stop / start traffic management Brake energy regeneration And electric power steering In addition this new model features: • Longer gearing • Lowered suspension • Aerodynamic alloy wheel designs • Michelin Energy Saver tyres • Modified gearshift indicator settings • A new flywheel Impressive, but don’t be fooled by this cars green credentials, this is a BMW through and through, the sharpness of the chassis hasn’t been dulled by any efficiency savings. The eagle eyed will notice that power is down a little, but to compensate, BMW has increased the level of 82

The 320d Efficient Dynamics saloon will have standard equipment that mirrors the 320d SE's, but with 16- rather than 17-inch alloy wheels. Standard kit includes dual-zone climate control, reversing sensors, multi-function leather steering wheel and extended lighting.

The New BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Saloon At a glance: • 163 bhp from a 2.0litre diesel engine • 109g/km and 68.9 combined mpg • £35 annual road tax • Price £26,680 • Tax Band B • Top Speed 137mph 0-60 – 8.2 • Tank Range 909 miles

The downside, well if there is one, then it’s the price at £26,680 it isn’t cheap, but running costs will obviously be dramatically improved, but if you can’t quite run to a new 320d es we’ve got a solution. The E46 BMW 3 series was launched in 1998 and the model we are looking at is the family friendly 320d touring, which combines space with economy, there were plenty built between 99 and 2005. This is an estate car to tell the world you're a sporty, active type rather than a typical family man - the sort that needs to lug lots of stuff around. Perhaps they are not the all-out driver's machines that smaller BMWs once were, but the 3-Series Touring is sophisticated, superbly engineered and stylishly subtle.

driving a saloon and inside the family get far more room than in the predecessor, which was always criticised for its lack of rear legroom. The E46 was also a big advance in terms of maintenance and running costs. BMW dispensed with the service indicator lights for this model and stretched the length of time between services.

What to look for

The facts: 150bhp from 2.0-litre engine 158g/km 47 mpg £155 annual road tax Price £3000 - £12000 Top speed 131mph 0-60 – 9 secs

If you are considering the 320d touring there are one or two things to look out for. Firstly is the all important service history, if these cars aren’t maintained properly then there is the potential for big bills. BMW are happy to confirm histories, you can ask any dealer to check the system to give you the car’s history. If you are looking at a car with cloth trim, make sure that it is snag free, the fabric is not up to Mercedes standard and high mileage cars can suffer. Also make sure you check the load bay, a clean one is a bonus; remember these cars are likely to have been used for their intended purpose. Make sure that all the bits and pieces work and are present, things like load covers can cost a lot to replace.

BMW claims that they invented the lifestyle estate back in the late 80’s with the 3 series touring, what they really mean is that they managed to make a small estate using the same platform as the saloon. If you are looking at the touring as a load lugger, then you might be better off investing elsewhere, the space is convenient rather than cavernous. That said, you wouldn’t find a more stylish way to transport the retriever. The great thing about these cars is that turning the car into a sporting estate does not diminish the driving experience in any way. Behind the wheel you could easily be

BMW’s of this vintage had quite a basic spec and you will find that cars can differ quite a bit in terms of kit. Particular favourites include leather interior and multi spoke alloys, but be aware that the bigger the alloys the more you’ll pay for your rubber. Overall buy on price and value, these cars are good for 200,000 miles so don’t let a few miles put you off, however bubbling paint, tatty interiors, smoking engines and cars with no history should be avoided unless you’ve got bucket loads of cash to pour into it, but then if you had, you would have put your name down for the new 320d es.

WHAT WE FOUND:

05 BMW 320d ES TOURING Metallic Silver At a glance: • 05 plate • 75,000 miles on the clock • Full dealer service history • 1 owner (ex-fleet) • £5,995

hillmoren cars of distinction

01530 249 618

sports & prestige specialists

www.hillmoren.com

Aston Martin DB9 Volante V12 2006 (06), 17000 miles, Celeste blue metallic, Automatic (Touchtronic), Cream-Truffle (interior) - £59,995

Audi A4 Convertible 1.8T S-Line 2006 (06), 36000 miles, Akoya silver metallic, Automatic (Multitronic), Black (interior) - £17,495

Mercedes Benz S63 AMG 2007 (57), 40000 miles, Andorite Grey metallic, Automatic (Tiptronic), Grey (interior) - £59,995

Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI S-Line 2007 (57), 29000 miles, Phantom black pearl effect, Automatic (Tiptronic), Black (interior) - £17,995

Lamborghini Gallardo E-Gear 2004 (53), 21000 miles, Nero Pegaso, E-Gear, - £56,995

BMW 130i M Sport 2007 (57), 43000 miles, Sapphire black metallic, 6 Speed manual, Cream-Beige (interior) - £16,795

Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 '''PHANTOM BLACK EDTION''' 2007 (57), 6500 miles, Zermatt silver metallic, Automatic (Steptronic), Ebony (interior) - £33,995 Volvo XC90 2.4 D SE Sport 2007 (56), 55000 miles, Black metallic, 6 Speed manual, Black (interior) - £19,495

BMW 320d M Sport 2007 (57), 39000 miles, Sapphire black metallic, 6 Speed Manual, Cream-Beige (interior) - £19,995

Mercedes Benz CLS 320 CDI 2006 (06), 59000 miles, Obsidian black metallic, Automatic (Tiptronic), Grey (interior) - £19,995

BMW Z4 2.5 SI Sport 2006 (06), 19000 miles, Titanium silver metallic, Manual, Black (interior) - £16,995

Mercedes Benz E280 CDI Sport 2006 (06), 42000 miles, Tealite blue metallic, Automatic 7 G-Tronic, Black (interior) - £18,995

BMW 120d M Sport Hatch 2007 (07), 23000 miles, Japan red, 6 Speed Manual, Black (interior) - £15,995

Hire a classic VW camper and have the adventure of a lifetime

CORNWALL CAMPERS

Contact Nick or Katie on 01872 571988 or check out www.cornwallcampers.com

BMW 2.0 318 CI SE Convertible 2005 (05), 25000 miles, Steel Blue metallic, Automatic (Steptronic), Sand-Beige (interior - £14,995

albuM REviEWs With the advent of downloads, many industry insiders have indicated that the traditional album is dying, which perhaps explains why christmas is such a key time for album releases. Here we take a look at some sure fire hits. Jls - Jls The fun kicks off with first single and number one hit, 'Beat Again'. It's this kind of trademark R&B pop tune that serves as a template for much of the record, bringing to mind tracks like Boyz II Men's 'I'll Make Love to You' - the first song JLS performed in week 1 of X Factor. Second track and new single 'Everybody In Love' takes the pop of 'Beat Again' and runs with it, starting out as an R&B tinged ballad before turning into a sing-along pop number as the band bump and grind their way through. It's the perfect follow-up and settles you in nicely for an album full of treats. Potential hit after hit tumble out of the speakers as you're quickly reminded that they aren't just a bunch of pretty faces, but can put a tune together too. Tracks like 'Heal This Heartbreak', 'Only Tonight' and 'Don't Go' cement the album's authenticity as a real pop contender and will have their X Factor rivals heading back to the drawing board. Robbie Williams – Reality killed the video star Robbie has stated that even he feels like this is a comeback album, particularly after the mixed reviews of Rudebox. Gone are the experiments and the self indulgence, but what we have left is in someway a little dissapointing. The album can best be described as solid, Robbie fans will love it and it’s a return to the pre Rudebox era in terms of style and presentation, with Trevor Horn hasving produced the record and the production quality is impeccable. Robbie has hinted at a return to Take That, so maybe we can look forward to future collaborations with Gary Barlow that will push Rob in a new direction.

single by the name of Just Say Yes, due one week earlier on November 2nd. There's a number of different release options to choose from; one normal, previously mentioned 2CD collection, one digipack that's three CD's with an additional DVD full of bits and pieces and the big collectors box-set that features two discs, three vinyls, two DVD's a unique cloth wrapping, a lithograph made by Bradley Quinn and an 'LP-sized booklet'. The release will also feature a few of The Reindeer Sections songs, frontman Gary Lightbodys (superior) side-project as well as three new Snow Patrol songs, including the aforementioned new single. Speaking of the record, Lightbody had this to say: "It's a portrait of us as a band, warts and all. We've climbed a hill and now we're looking back and taking in the view for a bit. It's nice to show people that we didn't just arrive overnight." Jamie cullum – the Pursuit No one can accuse Cullum of resting on his laurels.The Pursuit finds the pint sized jazz-popper running the gamut of his musical meanderings from triphop to show tunes to a house number to straight up love balladry. It doesn't all work, but none of it is a shambles and no onecould be left in any doubt that Cullum is moving away from novelty party act into the realm of serious artist. There's still a suspicion that he's to ocute and controlled ever to push an envelope, but he's no one-trick pony and he's more than a British Bublé. Ministry of Sound – Anthems Eectronic 80’s An ideal album for those who are still nostalgic for the 1980’s and the electronic synth music that the decade produced. There are 60 tracks in all, including definitive anthems from New Order, Ultravox and Pet shop Boys.

Foo Fighters – greatest Hits As a compilation, Greatest Hits offers few surprises other than that Dave Grohl somehow resisted the temptation to title this thing The Best of Foo. Though the record conspicuously lacks the band's breakthrough single, "I'll Stick Around", the first 13 tracks make good on the promise of the title and provide a relentless hit parade of modern rock radio staples. Of course, modern-hits compilations are unnecessarily larded with new tracks recorded to promote the set upon release, and this is no exception. Like nearly all songs recorded specifically for these releases, "Wheels" and "Word Forward" are catchy but uninspired, and have no place among the heavy hitters in this collection. "Wheels" is particularly aggravating, sounding something like a half-hearted attempt at a country-rock crossover, which indicates a nervous desperation for continued success that has been absent from Grohl's work to date. snow Patrol – up to now The two CD, thirty track collection is titled Up To Now and will hit stores on November 9th of this year, preceded by a new 85

FAMILY

HOROSCOPES Linda Lancashire For 17 years Linda Lancashire has been writing the astrology columns for various local and national magazines and newspapers. Linda Lancashire offers horoscopes, palmistry, tarot readings and handwriting readings. Contact her on 0707 933 4988 (after 3pm) or email broomsticks@lindalancashire.co.uk

If its your birthday this week Money! Money! Money! We are always thinking of ways to make it ,spend it or save it! Remember life is about so much more. Health and happiness to name two. Happiness is coming to you in a most unlikely fashion grasp it while you can and if possible share it with those close to you. A near relative is causing you some anxiety. Just be there for them with love and support. We all need it from time to time as you well know.

Aries

Gemini

Welcome to the festive season! All you rams love to be in good company enjoying the happy flirty joys of a welcome party. It has been a turbulent year for many of you but now is the time to lookahead and really enjoy the invitations on offer. Just draw the curtains light the candles and get the wine flowing! Soon it will be back to the grindstone but you will have many great memories to reflect on.

Many of you will be glad to see the back of this year. Take stock and get in the frame of mind to deal with all the boring practical queries you have. Gathering of like minded people always please you and that will be the order of the day at the festive time. You will be putting on the glad rags and seeing some of the friends you are so fond of. Life is about up’s and down’s. Just go with the flow!

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Taurus

Cancer

Feet on the ground taking whatever life throws at you, what a wonderful gift you have of pouring oil on troubled waters. You will enjoy friends dropping in as they seem to do at the festive season and it’s always good to catch you with the news they will bring. Just a word of caution, take advice on small medical problem you seem to have lately. It will put your mind at rest if nothing else.

Your family is so important to you and the festive season gives you all the opportunities you need to have your nearest and dearest around you. You will be working so hard to be the best host in the universe and you will certainly succeed! Soon you will be thinking of family holidays and looking forward to a couple of weels when you can relax and enjoy life to the full.

To hear more call: 0904 445 2273 86

To hear more call: 0904 445 2275

Leo

Sagittarius

Brush that mane of hair, put the lipstick on, and fetch out those high heels. It’s party time and how you Lion’s love a party. Friends to meet, food to eat and wine that is flowing. Life will just be a bowl of cherries. Work has been hectic and busy and in the New Year there will be wither a new job offer or a promotion with your current employment. Do not do anything hastily as it maybe the last time you will have of altering your life.

Look at the galloping horse off over the hills! A great adventure is ahead of you and the celebrations will be a great confidence booster. It’s what you have needed to set you free from the restrictions of the past 12 months. It has not been an easy time and you have felt very frustrated. But now’s the time to let your hair down and think how lucky you really are.

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To hear more call: 0904 445 2280

Virgo

Capricorn

What are you nervous about it’s not like you to be uncertain about the future. Take time out at this festive time to charge your batteries and take stock of your life. In the New Year it will all become clear and you will feel so much better. There will be someone ringing your door bell you never expected to see again. How life can change and often for the better. None of us know what is around the corner and everyday is the adventure we call life.

Safe. reliable and so practical people are always con’tacting you to sort out their problems. Now is ‘me time’! Look after your own welfare and health. Two or three invitations will come through your door take advantage of them and spend some time chilling out and enjoying yourself. A money worry may raise it’s head again. Take your time do not act before you think. It will not be as bad as you first thought.

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Libra

Aquarius

Sensational news regarding someone you have harbourd doubts about will come to light. You may have to consider a complete change of direction but this decision will work to your advantage in the long term. A current romance could reach a passionate all time high or you may choose to call it a day. Get yourself in the festive spirit by inviting friends around for nibbles and drinks vowing to put the past behind you and start as you mean to go.

Is this going to be a new age of Aquarius? Many of you hope so. These last few months have seen so many changes you have felt vulnerable and afraid. Cheer up! Life will suddenly feel much more settled and yes the sun is shining! There will be some invites to a small exclusive gatherings you prefer. Enjoy them, recharge your batteries and remember your life will soon be on an even keel and you will feel so much better.

To hear more call: 0904 445 2278

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Scorpio

Pisces

Enjoy life you Scorpions there are doors opening all around you. New people, new opportunities, and new places it’s all going to be in your life during and after festivities of this time of year. You have been feeling in a rut for a while now but soon there will be a big change to be grasped. A certain member of your family will cause you concern but it will only be temporary and soon all will be well.

Suddenly you feel so much more hopeful. You do not know why but you do not need to know. Just be careful what you pin your hopes on. Do be careful who you can trust if you want to discuss something extremely personal and you dont want it to go any further. At this party time with the drink flowing easily people talk more freely as well. Having said that enjoy the festive spirit and then you will feel happy and relaxed to look forward to the New Year.

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Act, sing and dance at your local Stagecoach

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