Flush Magazine Issue #9

9 CULTURE

MUSIC

Wolf189 Ones to Watch Lady Crimpelene SYKUR Technology Fables The 1975

TRAVEL

FOOD

Iceland Ischia Secret Retreats

Shaka Zula Buddha Bar The Big Cheese

COMPETITIONS

WIN A Dinebox Travel Pantry WIN One of three X-mini UNO portable capsule speakers

9

06 The Hotlist

06

08 WOLF189 Sex and the City

Wolf189 Food & Drink special

20 Swim Fan Myo Swimwear 26 Disposable Darling Lady Crimpelene

48 Iclenadic Air

80

38 Golden Years The 1975 42 In Music Ones to Watch 44 SYKUR

Buddha Bar

48 Flush Guide to Iceland

Modern Tehcnology 108 Fables

60 Secret Escapes Wentbridge House 64 The stars shine down on Ischia

>>>> 94 WIN One of three Dinebox Travel Pantries

46 Music: SYKUR

Cover Lady Crimpelene

87 Shaka Zulu Shak Attac k

WIN One of three

148 X-Mini Uno Portable capsule speakers

Beautiful furniture and lighting NOBLE DESIGNS www.nobledesignslimited.com Tel: 01753 655443

9

issue

Hello!

68 LetsGoLand LEGOLAND, Windsor

I want to say a big thank you as always to our contributors for this edition of Flush Magazine.

Usually this is where I would write a few carefully crafted few sentences about this and that, but there is someone standing over me telling me to turn the light off and come to bed, so I’m trying to fill this space in with enough words so it doesn’t look like there is a big gap in the page as quickly as possible.

I know most people probably skip right past this bit anyway, which is cool, but if you did invest a few precious seconds of your life reading this in the hope of obtaining some enlightenment or perhaps just an idea of what is in this edition, my apologies. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

72 Mind the Gap Wanted, Volunteers 74 Secret Escapes Rothay Garden

78 The Big Cheese 80 Buddha Bar, London 84 Norfolk Artisan Bread 88 Cookie Monsieur 90 South African dining in Camden 94 WIN one of three Dinebox Travel Pantries 96 Jaguar XF Sportbreak

Thanks for stopping by!

100 BMW i3 Electric car 104 Audi SQ5 108 Modern Technology Fables Pete Graham, EDITOR

114 Hauppauge HD PVR 2 116 WIN One of 3 X-Mini Uno Portable capsule speakers 119 Gaming - The Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief

CONTRIBUTORS Casey Bowers Sharleen Hunter Evie Li-Graham Lady Crimplene Steve Clarke Matthew Cooper Amelia Harvey

Ian Hughes Paul Martin Kara Mclean Jamie Reynolds Coleen Cahill Frank Turner Chris O’ Donovan

120 PowerMonkey Extreme Waterproof Solar Powered Charger 122 My Favourite Movie Grosse Point Blank

THE HOTLIST The stuff of life

DoorJammer

This clever device enables you to secure a regular door when there is no traditional lock. It’s can give single travellers extra piece of mind, or if you have friends over but don’t have a lock on your bathroom. You can just slide it underneath the door and turn the screw, it’s easy to fit and easy to release. £24.99 www.door-jammer.com

Canon PowerShot S110

There are some really exciting cameras around at the moment. This compact from Canon is a good dSLR alternative when you need something a bit more portable.

The PowerShot S110 has builtin Wi-Fi, 12.1mp, raw shooting capabilities and picture quality is razor sharp.

Available at Play.com for £208.79 (nearly £200 less than Currys) For more info visit http://bit.ly/canons110

of three Dinebox WIN! One Travel Pantries

Kallo Organic Belgian Dark Chocolate Rice Cake Thins

Rice Cakes and Chocolate?

These turned up at our office and as soon as the packet was opened they were gone.

It shouldn’t work, but it does. www.saykallo.com

Aural Sex

Giya speakers made

by Vivid Audio are named after a traditional African Zulu dance.

They aren’t the cheapest speakers in the world, but if you have £43,500 lying about what else are you going to spend it on?

For more info visit www.vividaudio.co.uk

Indian Summer

With subtle Chai Masala, cardamom, clove and ginger flavours, Devnaa have combined Indian Spices with luxury Belgian chocolates and created something really unique (and delicious). www.devnaa.com

FitFlop

I like FitFlop’s shoes - I don’t feel like I walking around with two adverts on my feet. Their designs are understated but stylish and the Microwobbleboard™ midsole technology diffuses pressure underfoot and reduce shock absorption. In other words they are dead comfy too.

Pictured - MONTY™ NIGHT BLUE £65.00 http://bit.ly/fitflopnavy

WIN!

One of three X-mini UNO portable capsule speakers

WOLF189 Job title: Photographer, Art Director & Experimental Film Maker Location: Los Angeles and Las Vegas

Wolf189 has DEVELOPED a real knack for taking photographs that are stylish, candid and erotic.

True, most are of women in various states of undress so that helps, but they reflect an open-ness and confidence that only comes when there is a good relationship between model and photographer.

Despite an incredibly busy shooting schedule he found the time to talk to Flush Magazine...

WOLF189 Where does your name come from?

A few of my friends during my teen years, started calling call me Wolf once in a while ... not sure how it started but I think it was mostly because I was comfortable with being a lone wolf so I decided to sign my little short stories, poems, film critiques etc, which I used to write at the time, with Wolf ... at a later time I added 189 (which has a personal significance for me) to it ...

How did you get into photography?

When I was asked what I would like to become when I grew up I always replied “Film Director” ... so I’ve always been consumed with thinking about various visual arts and telling stories in my way ...my father taught me the basics of photography, when I was around eight on his Kodak Retinette camera ... and then let me finish a roll of film per month. That lasted a few months and then the limit became a few rolls per year ... but since then, I’ve studied different subjects, from mathematics and engineering to finance and management and explored various art mediums. I’ve worked in different fields as day jobs, but photography always stayed a major part of my life and still is.

How important is the camera you use?

As long as it is mine and I am familiar with its kinks, strengths and characteristics and don’t have to worry about it breaking down, I am fine with anything really. I only shoot film, lenses are a bit more important to me, a good wide angle lens and a portrait one and something solid in-between, is what I use for the most part these days ...

WOLF189 What is the difference between Art & Pornography?

The audience’s perception for the most part. Sex is much more natural than violence, greed, over eating and even exercising or art. Your body doesn’t tell you, hey go run or lift some weights today, it’s your head that tells you, hey go lose some weight get healthy and look your best, so you might attract a good looking mate as well.

The same story could be told about power, money, fame etc etc, at least porn is honest about its intention.

The things I don’t like about porn are not heavily based on my moral values. I am simply too romantic to support porn ... porn appeals to our instincts, biology, genetics and chemical reactions and to me that kills the poetry of it all.

I bought into the notion of love at a young age, and I refuse to let go of it. Also the business part of porn industry can get really shady, cruel, abusive and inhuman, however it’s still never as dirty and shady as banking systems or war rooms, political parties, medical industry schemes or church settlements with abused children.

There are some good art works are being produced out there still, the ones which are not pretentious nor lecture you and yet require mind, heart and some skill set, not the cheesy clever ones which wow you for a second and leave you with nothing later ... but, in my humble opinion, majority of art, by far, is less honest than porn ...

How do you make your subjects appear so natural and relaxed?

It is because they are actually relaxed and natural in my shoots (for the most part). We live the moments together and I happen to photograph them as well. Hunting the true moments without sacrificing aesthetics and compositions is the main reason I still photograph passionately as I always have.

I try to find that point where documentary/journalistic style photography meets editorial fashion meets fine art meets glamour meets erotica meets Krzysztof Kieślowski’s cinema without relying heavily or even lightly on post production or even cropping my frames afterwards.

It’s pretty much impossible to keep such a balance, but it is very satisfying for me when I can achieve it or come close to it. All of that, while keeping my subjects unaware of the battle in my head and allowing space and time to us to be present in the moment.

To view more Wolf189 photographs visit www.wolf189.com

Swim Myo Swimwear

Hooks, ÂŁ135

Fan

Tinfish, £135

Oxford navy blue, £145

Oxford sky blue, £135

Marlin Camo, ÂŁ155

Myo Swimwear is available on www.matchesfashion.com and also www.myoswimwear.com

Pin stripe, ÂŁ135

www.cocobay.co.uk

Photographer: Chris O’ Donovan Styling: Lady Crimplene All retro clothes and accessories from a selection at Lady Crimplene

Disposable Darling A modern girl alone in a modern world, dresses top to toe in vintage

Vintage Heart- the shop in the pub.

Way Ahead hairdressers.

Duke Mckenzie’s fitness centre (with special thanks to Clinton Mckenzie).

The Exhibition Rooms Restaurant and downstairs bar, all in Crystal Palace, London.

Styling Assistant Hannah Plimmer.

Title inspired by Bryan Ferry.

Like Lady Crimplene on facebook and follow her on twitter

GOLDEN YEARS THE 1975 To become successful at anything takes work and determination and The1975 have been kicking around the North-West in one form or another since 2002. Last year the dedication began to pay off and they signed a record deal with Dirty hit, the same label as Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Little Comets.

Since then they’ve been doing pretty well, releasing four EP’s and supporting the likes of Muse and The Rolling Stones no less. Their self-titled debut record is unleashed on an expectant world on 2nd September and the band are touring extensively until Christmas. World domination follows in 2014, in the meantime we caught up with singer / guitarist Matthew Healy (and didn’t mention his parents once).

Can you describe the new album in 3 words?

Hopelessly Romantic Wicked

This is the fifth band you guys have had together, did you approach things differently with ‘The 1975’?

Well we’ve had lots of different names but remained the same line up. I think the difference in mentality between The 1975 and our previous incarnations is that we simply were ready for exposure.

All of our past projects have been quite experimental and fleeting sound-wise

GOLDEN YEARS THE 1975 – we just embraced that element of ourselves creatively when it came to doing the 1975 and put out whatever we wanted.

During that time did you ever feel like packing things in and getting ‘real’ jobs?

Not really. Well a couple of rainy days maybe. We are like 23-24, so we only really ‘sorted our shit out’ last year. When you’re in a band at 20, living in and out

of your mates flats just mucking about, you’re not thinking ‘I need to sort my life out’ you’re thinking ‘This is brilliant I’m so wrecked and irresponsible!!’ We carried that attitude right up until we had to show a modicum of adult etiquette.

Did you have an idea of the sort of production you wanted on your album before you went into the studio?

Well our album is essentially our demos – glorified and in Technicolor. Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys producer) was so great to work with because he just helped us achieve exactly what we envisaged. He saw it as well. We knew EXACTLY what we were going to record and how. That level of preparation and predetermined decisiveness provided an environment where we could really have fun with the songs. Mike is a legend and showed us how you do shit in a big boy studio.

A lot of people are predicting you are going to be massive in the next 12 months, do you feel any pressure?

Not really pressure no. I mean, what do we need to worry about? We were making this music WAY before anyone cared at all. These songs have been with us for a lot longer than anyone else. So if people are getting into our band, they’re really getting into us as 4 individuals – it’s just an extension of who we are. We can do that.

What is your fav song on the album to play live?

It changes all the time. Chocolate, Settle Down and Girls are always fun.

What was it like supporting the Rolling Stones and Muse? Did you get to meet them?

We got to meet Muse, they were great and really supportive. We didn’t get to meet The Stones but Jagger was on the side of the stage for ‘Chocolate’ singing along and dancing – that was awesome.

Both of those experiences were kind of like bucket list moments – over before we could even get our heads around it.

You are on tour now until December, is there anywhere you are especially looking forward to playing?

Shepherds Bush in London and The Ritz in Manchester.

What is the best chippy in Macclesfield? And do you like chips and gravy?

Fosters in Alderley Edge is amazing. Do I like chips and gravy?! I’m from up north, what do you think!!

For more info visit www.the1975.com

Lloyd Yates

Did you know that it is illegal NOT to have a beard if you are a musician in the Channel Islands? Law abiding, Jersey born singer songwriter Lloyd Yates has a great one and if you are a fan of Ben Howard, Bon Iver, Cat Stevens or Ray LaMontagne you may just find something of Lloyds to tickle your fancy. His latest single “Bring Back The Life” was released on 29th July 2013 through Stoked Music and an EP is planned for release on the 19th August. He is also playing at Camp Bestival on 3rd Aug and Bestival on the 6th Sept. www.lloydyates.com

Juvenilles

Daft Punk aren’t the only French disco duo making waves on the dancefloor. Jean-Sylvain Le Gouic and Thibaut Doray are Juvenilles, a Rennes based duo writing ElectroPop at it’s very best. One part British Synthpop, one part French ‘Je ne sais quoi’, they’ve just supported White Lies on a UK tour, but they will be back again soon. It’s a case of ‘Dire bonjour au revoir’ www.juvenilesmusic.com

Delooze

Fronted by the enigmatic Stacey DeLooze, Delooze fuse together deep electronics with rock and classical instrumentation with infuences as varied as Edith Piaf, Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux, Bowie, Michael Jackson and Thom Yorke. Recent single ‘Lost Army’ is a good starting reference, for more info visit www.deloozdeloozeeofficial.com

Ones to watch Josh Taerk

Canadian singer-songwriter Josh Taerk’s storytelling style is already drawing comparisons to the likes of Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen. At 22, he’s an old head on young soldiers and his debut album is going to have to be good to live up to the hype. New single, ‘Grace’, will be released on 2nd September 2013. www.joshtaerk.org

More Hazards, More Heroes

Brent Shaffer and Drew Lorimer AKA More Hazards, More Heroes are one of those obscure but brilliant bands just doing what they do, oblivious to what’s in fashion this week. The Nashville duo play contemporary folk at its very best and their new record ‘Cabin Fever’ is out now. You can listen to it on their bandcamp page and buy it for $7. Worth every penny and then some. http://bandcamp. morehazards.com/album/ cabin-fever

Max Marshall

Max is from Baltimore, USA but now residing in London. In the past she worked for French couture designer Charlie Le Mindu and made wigs for Lady Gaga but at the age of only 21 has returned to her first love, music.

Her vocal’s have drawn comparisons to legends rangingfrom Erykah Badu and India Aria through to Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott, but Max is an artist in her own right. She’s spent the last 3 years in London honing her skills and working with a wide range of collaborators. Single ‘Don’t Trip’ is released on 12th August via Fudge Records.

To find out more visit www.facebook. com/MaxMarshallMusic

Geo-thermal Pop

interview by Steve Clarke

Bringing the sweet sound of Iceland dance music to the world, SYKUR (Icelandic for sugar) induce a rush of pure Shamanistic joy to your soul, and are here to make you dance.

Coming from a relatively isolated island nation of Iceland, what were the bands musical influences when growing up? Were any of your parents or family musicians?

Almost everyone around us creates or has at some point created music, either professionally or as a hobby. The influences are so many that it’s hard to pick out any individual ones. The british synth-pop of the 80’s and the italo-disco of the late 70’s definitely play a leading role though.

What are the origins of SYKUR? How did the band form?

Halldór and Stefán started making electro together back in 2008, marking the beginning of Sykur. They were playing together in a marching band at the time and felt the need to do something more artistically challenging. As the band gained momentum Kristján and then Agnes got dragged into it by sheer force of momentum. If this trend continues, Sykur will consist of 10 members by 2018.

The very positive 80s/90s pop/electro echoes in SYKUR’s sound shows an astute ability to recognise a high selective quality of inspiration. Are there any particular catalysts to the songs?

When we were starting out, most of our gear was low-end second hand keyboards from the 80’s and 90’s. We squeezed every inch of sound we could out of those early instruments. Their character and the arrangements on our earlier work are somewhat 80’s oriented, but the actual compositions are more modern. Most of our songs and arrangements are the results of hours upon hours of fiddling with some archaic machine.

Historically, are there any bands that you identify with, or aspire to? Iceland has had a great contribution to contemporary music for a long time.

While we bear immense respect for the bands you’re talking about and their contribution to the contemporary music scene, our main goal is to have fun, and we’ve found that the most fun thing in the history of fun things is to watch people dancing to your music. If we end up making contributions to contemporary music while doing so, that’s a plus!.

SYKUR are very successful back in home in Iceland, does it feel like starting again whilst gigging in Europe, or is it easier to recognise and be inspired by the very positive response to the bands music?

It’s good to learn the ropes in Iceland. It’s a small community, ideal for practising things like arguing with club owners over unpaid bills. We are pretty seasoned on stage, so it definitely does not feel like starting out again. However, playing for a new set of people for the first time and winning them over is such an amazing feeling.

Geo-thermal Pop

SYKUR have a distinct visual awareness, from the Native Indian inspired tribal artwork of the ‘Mesopotamia’ album cover, to Agnes’ stage look of a female Shamanistic Ice Witchdoctor. Is there a goal, or defined image that the band is aiming for?

The goal is ultimately to visually represent what the music sounds like and what the concerts feel like. Agnes is actually a Shamanistic Ice Witchdoctor, so she just dresses normally.

Agnes’ look and stage pressence, together with the almost tribal dance beats, massively contributes to the vibe that a SYKUR gig is like a ceremonial rights of passage ritual, where to truly experience the journey, you have to get involved. Are there any plans to develop this, or the look of a gig?

The look and stage presence are never the same for two consecutive concerts. We are always experimenting with new things. Even though a live show goes perfectly we do things differently the next show. It’s more fun that way. If you’re always playing according to some safe formula that you’ve discovered things get boring after a while, both for the band and the audience.

Mesopotamia is out now in the UK, though it’s been out in Iceland for a couple of years. What are the near future plans for the band record wise? Are you working on a new album, single releases?

Exciting things are afoot!

We can’t really say a lot, but you can expect new material this Autumn!

The band have just done a small UK tour to a great response. What are the bands next live shows plans? When will you be visiting the UK again?

As soon as possible! The UK is one of our favourite places to play. It shouldn’t be too long, we’ll make sure to keep you in the loop! We’re going to lay low for a short while while we prepare new material and a new live show.

SYKUR are a seasoned Airwaves act (Icelandic music festival). What other recommendations would you have for visiting Iceland?

Airwaves is such an amazing experience. It’s so different from all other festivals we’ve been to. It’s tiny, incredibly friendly and has an amazing line-up year after year. Aside from that all the touristy stuff can be fun, geo-thermal pools, hiking up mountains, driving up glaciers. Or just taking a stroll downtown Reykjavík, pop into a weird bar, have an Icelandic microbrew, maybe stumble into a random free concert and fall in love.

SYKUR are Agnes Björt Andradóttir , Stefán Finnbogason, Halldór Eldjárn and Kristján Eldjárn

International

Bright Thing ICELAND

Young A few years ago when filming Match Point in London, Woody Allen talked about the capitals unique colour palette, and how it gave the movie a different feel from his New York work. When we first arrived in Iceland, I wondered what Woody would think of the atmospheric silvery twilight that doubles for night at this time of year, as to me it seemed a perfect cinematic backdrop.

International flights land at Keflavík Airport, it’s about forty minutes from Reykjavík and for the first twenty of these much of the visible landscape is moss covered volcanic rock. There are no trees or grass and sporadic houses are seemingly dropped from the sky like Monopoly pieces on to the unearthly landscape. It’s an interesting introduction to a country, especially at 1.00am, but as the capital approaches and the coastline snakes into view, things start to look (a bit) more like the rest of planet earth...

International

Bright Young Thing ICELAND

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina Our first two nights were spent at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina (actually on old paint factory) it’s just along the harbour from the whalewatching boats and has become the centre of the new Bo-Ho scene in Reykjavik. From the outside it resembles a grey post-modern, Eastern European 1960’s council block (that is good by the way) and on a Friday and Saturday night the Hotel bar is THE place for local hipsters to meet up for drinks.

Originally they had planned to redevelop the whole area around the Marina, but for now it’s still a working

dockyard. About 50ft away from our Hotel room window there is a gigantic fishing boat being repaired. It’s a slightly bizarre sight when you open the curtains in the morning, but it all adds to the character of the place, quirky with a capital ‘Q’.

Our room is über chic and very modern, space is at a premium but the basics, comfy bed (we had double bunk beds), powerful shower and lightning quick internet are all covered.

In the bathroom there is sliding frosted glass instead of a door, so if you are still getting to know your travelling

companion, this could speed up that process fairly dramatically. There are no tea and coffee making facilities, but there is a machine in the lobby and you can fill up from there.

The lobby itself is inhabited by strange wooden ‘human’ sculptures. One is sat next to a fire pit in a pose reminiscent of Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’, another is lent over a pretend urinal in a post-modern tribute to Marcel Duchamp. The decor is vibrant and funkier than funk, but its not pretentious or high-brow and there is a welcoming cosiness to it.

The Hotel restaurant is good (try the cod flat breads with Basil) and if you want to eat out there are a number of decent places really close by. The small burger bar on the corner (Hamborgara Bullan) is quick and tasty, and there’s a really nice fish and chip restaurant on the other side of the road, conveniently call Icelandic

Fish and Chips. Try the fresh Ling and some of their sauces to go with it. Water is free, but weirdly though, you have to pay extra for the vinegar. Prices for food are comparable with the decent places London. With no proper darkness during the summer months time can take on new meanings in Iceland. If you do stay up late, make sure you get up (or stay up) for the buffet breakfast. Start your day off the right way with Salmon Gravlax and some Lysi fish oil drink to keep you perky.

Two nights at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina costs from £144 per person based on three people sharing a studio room, including breakfast (based on travel this September) For further information or to book please visit www.icelandairhotels.com or call+354 444 4000.

International

Bright Young Thing ICELAND

Golden Circle There are plenty of ways to see the amazing natural wonders in Iceland. To explore on your own, hire a 4x4 and indulge in some serious off-roading across the trails. If that sounds a bit strenuous Reykjavík Excursions also run 25 different coach trips to various parts of the island from their base in the capital.

Tickets can be bought on the day or in advance from www.re.is All coaches have English speaking guides and super-fast free Wi-Fi on board. Prices vary, we hopped aboard the Golden Circle Tour which was 9100 ISK (approx £50pp).

The day trip covers a 300km loop and 3 main locations, Pingvellir National Park, Gullfoss and Geysir. They provide shuttle services from the main Hotels over to the coach station, and on the way back they will drop you off again.

Þingvellir National Park

The last stop on our Golden Circle tour is the stunningly beautiful Þingvellir National Park. Here the air is so fresh you can taste it.

In 1930 a law was passed designating Þingvellir a ‘protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged.’ It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and the panoramic views are spectacular with Glaciers on one side and Þingvallavatn, the country’s largest lake to the other. This is where meetings took place of the Alþingi (the open air assembly that set laws and settled disputes) from 920 to 1798, and only the Isle of Man can claim to a longer running Parliament. It’s also one of the few places where you can see the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates.

Geysir

After some 20,000 years of activity and reaching heights of up to 170 metres, the one time reliable ‘Geysir’ spring has been less frequent in recent years and the main source of spurting interest is now the nearby spring ‘Strokkur’. Erupting much more frequently (every four or five minutes) up to 30metres in height.

The anticipation can reach fever pitch as a circle of tourists attempt (and usually miss) to photograph it.

There air is dense with Sulphur and even if you aren’t really interested in geology or nature you can’t help be intoxicated by it. There is a good outlet type shop close by and a small museum space (admission is included as part of your coach trip).

Gullfoss

Just down the road is Gullfoss (Icelandic for Golden Waterfall), it’s one of hundreds of spectacular Waterfalls in Iceland, but probably the most well known. It came to prominence in the early 1900’s when plans were developed to harness its power for the production of electricity, something that was met with fierce opposition. People of a certain age may also recognise it from the Echo & the Bunnymen record cover ‘Porcupine’. Up close the power of the water is breathtaking, when you realise it was created by a huge glacier at the end of the last Ice Age it seems even more impressive.

International

Bright Young Thing ICELAND

GEOTHERMAL

Friðheimar greenhouse cultivation centre As you can imagine the Icelandic climate isn’t really suitable for growing most fruit and vegetables so the Farmer at Friðheimar uses natural geothermal energy to generate electricity (enough for a small town) to grow his produce in greenhouses. The tomatoes and cucumbers are pesticide-free and pollenated by a squadron of Dutch bees. They are sold only to local shops, so the carbon footprint is very small. When we arrived the owner gave us a short talk and I found it interesting to see how the geothermal technology works from a practical perspective. It’s only a relatively small family business, but it’s run with a real passion.

The best part is the Farmers daughters serve the most delicious home-made tomato soup with gorgeous rosemary bread I’ve ever tasted (the cucumber pickled relish is good too!).

Natural Spas

Hot Tubs and Spas are everywhere in Iceland. A large percentage of the population visit one regularly for a swim and to catch up with friends the same way many people in Britain go down the pub.

Some Hot Tubs and Spas use the naturally warm geothermal waters and as part of our Golden Circle tour we visited Fontana, a small Spa in the village of Laugarvatn, a highly active geothermal area. It’s so active you can bury a bread tin full of dough in the ground next to the lake and a few hours later dig out a strange cooked malt loaf.

It’s pretty impressive, even if the loaf tastes a bit like a warm tyre.

Apparently in the Winter if your timing is good you can sit back and watch the Northern Lights above your head from here.

In addition to the relaxing Hot Tubs, there are also 3 wooden Saunas. Because of the natural energy source, the temperature in these fluctuates from hot, to really hot, to really, really hot.

One of the people on our coach seemed to think staying in them was a physical endurance competition. Every so often the door would fling open and he’d dash out and run to the cold shower like a competitor on the Japanese game show Endurance. The locals come here to relax and personally I couldn’t help feeling closer to nature in an area of such tranquil beauty. www.fontana.is

International

Bright Young Thing ICELAND

Fa

66 ° North

DID YOU KNOW? T he tap water in Iceland tastes better than any bottled water you can buy. Anywhere. l Iceland has approximately the same population as Southampton (just over 300,000 people). Twothirds of these live in the most Northern capital city in the world, Reykjavik. l Nearly all Icelandic men have cool beards. l In the phone book, Iceland lists its residents’ phone numbers by their first name. l Apart from the glaciers, there isn’t actually much Ice in Iceland for most of the year. Many people think it got mixed up with Greenland, that has lots of ice, but not much green. er land. l

ENTERTAINMENT Fashion / Shopping

Fashion-wise, Iceland is a hotbed of talented designers and some really exciting labels have been born on the island. Check out Nikita, Cintamani, 66 ° North, Volcano Design and Farmers Market to name just a few. Quality comes at a price and clothing tends to be more expensive here, but remember the saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”. Downtown Reykjavík is home to dozens of small independent shops and if you are really in the mood Smaralind is a modern shopping centre 10 mins from the capital (bus route 2).

The Reykjavik Grapvine

This free newspaper is an essential guide to getting the most out of your trip to Iceland. They list all the bars, restaurant, festivals, live music with descriptions and ratings. For those people here to have a few beers, there is also the ‘Happy Hour’ information that if you plan your evening properly will save you plenty of money too.

Iceland Airwaves

Farmers Market

armers Market

Braedslan

ICELANDIC FESTIVALS Iceland Airways - Oct 30th - Nov 3rd The most popular festival at the moment is Iceland Airwaves.

It’s growing every year and the bill is a mixture of local talent, international up n’ coming bands, such as Savages and established big names (this year German legends Kraftwerk are playing). icelandairwaves.is

Independence day Eating out - Vegamót If you didn’t know about this place chances are you would walk straight past and miss it. The food is good and reasonably priced for Iceland. It’s popular with locals and kids are really welcome. On the weekend it turns into a disco later in the evenings. www.vegamot.is PS If you like home-made soups try Kryddlegin hjortu www. kryddleginhjortu.is

Independence day -17th of June On the 17th June 1944, Iceland become fully independent from the Danish crown. To coincide with the date each year there is a parade and concerts in downtown Reykjavik. It’s a real family celebration and many people wear fancy dress for the occasion.

Braedslan music festival - July On the other end of the scale is Braedslan. This festival takes place every July in the tiny village of Borgarfjörður Eystri in the far northeast corner of Iceland. Definitely not your usual music festival, the villagers make fish soup and pancakes to share with the 1000odd hungry festival goers who watch the bands perform in an old herring shed. Despite the small scale, the festival attracts big names and Belle and Sebastian, Of Monsters and Men, Emiliana Torrini and Damien Rice have all appeared under the midnight sun at Braedslan. The atmosphere is something truly special. www.braedslan.is

International

Bright Young Thing ICELAND

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura

We stayed for two nights at the Marina and moved operations over to the Reykjavik Natura. Both are owned by Icelandair and share the same quirky genetic personality traits. It backs on to the domestic airport and is 5 minutes in a car (or bus) from the centre of Reykjavik.

Natura has living moss in jars on the reception and the decor is colourful, modern just ever so slightly crazy. There are more wooden statues dotted around to greet you. It’s a bit like IKEA on acid.

Reykjavik Natura has a wonderful indoor Spa, if you go for a swim stick around for Lunch, the buffet is excellent.

Every Thursday night at 9pm the Hotel organises special ‘bed time’ story readings. Guests of all ages wear pyjamas and cosy up under sheepskin rugs with mugs of hot chocolate, while stories of Icelandic literature and other fables are told before bed. During the Reykjavik International Literary Festival (bokmenntahatid.is) this September 11th-15th, International luminaries such as the UK playwright Rachel Joyce, Dutch author Herman Koch and US writer Madeline Miller will be donning their onesies to read at the Hotel. It’s one of those things that would seem bizarre anywhere else, but for some reason here it seems completely normal.

Two nights at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura costs from £128per person based on three people sharing a deluxe/ family room, including breakfast (based on travel this September)

The Church of Hallgrimur I’m not a religious person, but the walk up the hill to see the church of Hallgrimur is well worth it. The churches design is in total contrast to many European places of worship. It looks like it was designed by the guy who built the death star in Star Wars. You can catch a lift to the top for fantastic views of Reykjavík.

We barely scratched the surface of Iceland during our short stay and on the journey home my daughter was already planning where to visit when we go back again. If you have kids, being close to so many different kinds of natural phenomenon in one place can only serve to pin-prick their interest in nature and the world we live in. My daughter and I had a special Geology class from one of the lecturers at Reykjavik University while we were there. She’s only seven, but is already an avid semi-precious stone collector and the two had some surprisingly common ground when it came to their interest in rocks. His main job is studying the Volcanoes and the atmosphere, according to him conditions in the coming years will be perfect to see the Northern Lights at their most spectacular. So next time we visit there is a good chance it will be dark when we arrive. Now there’s something new for a start. .

Flight time from London to Keflavík is approx 3 hours. Flights from £194 pp return from Heathrow with Icelandair, for more info visit www.icelandair.co.uk

SECRET RETREATS

Wentbridge House Yorkshire W

entbridge House is located in a natural conservation area in the village of Wentbridge just minutes from the A1 and M62 in the heart of Yorkshire. Leeds, Doncaster, Sheffield and Hull are all within close range, but once you arrive it really feels like the middle of the countryside.

This would partly explain its popularity as a venue for Weddings, the Hotel is booked solid through the year and a wedding party had just checked in just before we did. The Crystal Suite function room and some nice looking courtyard accommodation around the other side of the Hotel is set aside for events, so apart from a glimpse of a slightly hungover bride the next day we were oblivious to the celebrations going on.

Besides Weddings, the Hotel seems to attract a mixture of businessmen and holiday-makers to its doors and makes

an ideal base for exploring the local area. There are no gym facilities on site but should you feel the urge to get hot and sweaty during your stay guests can use the Fitness First gym in nearby Pontefract free of charge.

The main building dates from 1700 and there are 41 individually designed rooms, some parts have been added more recently but it fits together nicely and the decor has been done with a deft touch and more than a sprinkling of panache. If you look closely you’ll notice some lovely finishing details and quirky decorations throughout.

Our room overlooked the perfectly manicured gardens, (over 20 acres in the beautiful Went Valley) in fact they’re so well manicured it made me wonder about the sanity of the gardener. I half expected to open the curtains and see him on all fours with a pair of nail

clippers trimming the borders (I checked, he wasn’t). The room was light and airy and the marble bathroom was modern, but in a classic style. All rooms have air-conditioning with flat screen TV’s and CD players. There are a couple of wheelchair friendly rooms available too and four larger suites with iPod docks and Nespresso coffee makers. Our room had everything we needed (including fast Wi-Fi) and nothing else.

The Four Star Hotel has two restaurants, the 2 AA Rosetted, Fleur de Lys and a less formal but just as tempting Brasserie.

I poked my head around the door and while the Fleur de Lys dining rooms looked majestic, we headed to the Brasserie for dinner. Both restaurants are served by the same kitchen which is always a good sign with the Brasserie a slightly more casual destination.

The staff are attentive and as equally

enthusiastic about the food. Despite it being the first night of a brand new menu our server had extensive knowledge of all the dishes (and we tested him properly). Their menu features mainly locally sourced modern British cuisine and they were able to offer alternative dishes to my dining partner who was unable to eat garlic, something many restaurants with their ready made sauces often struggle with.

I’m a late starter when it comes to Risotto’s and only recently properly discovered their creamy delights. The one I had here for starters was packed full of peas, asparagus and vegetables and the cream sauce was lemony zingy.

Parmesan shavings completed the dish

Wentbridge House Yorkshire

fabulously.

My partners crisp lamb breasts were juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The new menu boasts a range of steaks, and the Dovecote Park aged Fillet of Beef arrived exactly as ordered and tasted wonderful. I believe in sharing and my partners calves liver with 60/40 mash (yes 40% is butter) and buttered cabbage was as tender as it was buttery.

I know I should try a different pudding now and again, but come on Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce (do I have to say anything more?)

I had high expectations and was still blown away with the food here, good things are definitely happening in the kitchen. When we visited a group of local foodies were dining at the same time (apparently the restaurants are

both popular with non-guests too) and they seemed suitably impressed too. A 3 course dinner with coffee is around £40.00 and well worth it. If you visit look out for the web footed lamp, my daughter absolutely loved it.

Wentbridge House also plays an important part on the community and they’ve just held their third annual ‘Yorkshire Day’ a free festival for ‘all things Yorkshire’. They raised £5,000 and attracted 2,000 people last year and featured Cookery Demonstrations, ‘Welly Wangling’ and ‘Flat Cap Flinging’. Sounds like the perfect day to me.

Wentbridge House Hotel,The Great North Road, Wentbridge, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 3JJ

The Hotel runs regular special promotions, for example the Secret Sunday Break is excellent value, priced at £120 per bedroom and includes welcome glass of chilled Champagne A on arrival l Dinner in The Wentbridge Brasserie (to the value of £25 per person) l Full Yorkshire Breakfast and morning newspaper l 10% off your next stay l

For more information visit www.wentbridgehouse.co.uk or call 01977 620444

WHERE TO GO

Magna

About 30 minutes down the road in Rotherham is possibly the strangest / coolest / biggest museum / learning centre in the UK. Magna is housed in what was at one time the largest steel works in the world. If you have kids they will love it. There are lots of exhibition pieces for them to interactive with in the four (air, earth, fire and water) zones, including an amazing fire tornado. It’s dark and noisy and part of the fun is discovering what exactly you are supposed to do.

For more info visit www.visitmagna.co.uk

The stars shine down on

Ischia

Brigitte Bardot, Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Charlie Chaplain, Sir Laurence Olivier, Marlon Brando and a galaxy of celebrities from the 1950’s and 60’s have all sprinkled their stardust on the island of Ischia.

S

et in the Bay of Naples, a 40 minute hydrofoil ride from the Italian coast, its early brushes with stardom have managed to leave Ischia less commercialised and more focused on its natural attractions than its more famous neighbour, Capri.

Other famed residents of the island include British composer Sir William Walton and his Argentinian wife Susana, who lived on Ischia from 1948 until their deaths, and whose labour of love, `La Mortella Gardens’ at their former private home is now open to the public to view more than 1000 rare and exotic plants.

Summer 2013 celebrates an equally

enduring relationship, the marriages and affairs of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, whose love was first exposed while they were holidaying on the island of Ischia in the early 1960’s during the making of the iconic film `Cleopatra’.

31st July 2013 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the cinema release of the film, which is still one of the most expensive films ever made and infamous for allegedly nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox. Despite grossing a record US $26 million, it made a loss due to its cost of $44 million, making it the only film ever to be the highest grossing film of the year to run at a loss.

The film holds several other records,

including earning Elizabeth Taylor a Guinness World Record title for “Most costume changes in a film”, with 65 costume changes. Her $1 million contract was also a record-breaker at the time.

What drew the film crew to film in Italy, including filming several scenes on the

Where to dine A 5- course gourmet tasting menu at Il Mosaico, Terme Manzi’s 2 Michelin starred restaurant, costs from €135

island of Ischia, was in part the English weather after Elizabeth Taylor had to have a life-saving tracheotomy in the early days of filming and the British climate was then considered was detrimental to her recovery.

Despite the original set being put to good use for the filming of ‘Carry on Cleo’, the cost of rebuilding the scenery twice, once in England and once in Italy, contributed to the film’s record breaking costs.

It’s easy to see why the stars settled so comfortably on the island of Ischia. Its thermal waters have been revered for their relaxing and healing properties as long ago as Ulysses himself, as he is said to have recuperated in the warm springs after battle. Garibaldi too enjoyed the curative waters of the spa waters of the Gurgitiello springs, the island’s most famous waters, and his magnificent marble bath is today a feature of the entrance to the Terme Manzi

Hotel & Spa, a luxurious five star hotel built right above Gurgitiello.

Terme Manzi is the only hotel on the island to have two Michelin stars for its Il Mosaico restaurant. Push the boat out and try the chef’s taster menu, a most impressive 5 course gastronomic experience, served in part on weighty Murano glass blocks and with exquisite details such as the delightful Naples themed dessert and even a menu of globally sourced mineral waters.

Ischia’s own warm, thermal waters are freely available to all of its visitors, with a number of the beaches enjoying hot springs flowing into the sea water, or fissures in the volcanic rock where it’s said that locals come to cook in the piping hot sand while they swim in the Med. Beachside spa parks, such as Negombo, near the starstruck resort of Lacco Ameno, are also a feature of the island and for a daily entrance fee visitors can enjoy basking in numerous

Getting there Ischia is less than 2 hours from Naples, a number of flight operators fly direct including Easyjet and British Airways.

For more info visit www. britishairways.com or www.easyjet.com

Where to Stay A night’s stay in a garden suite at the 4* Garden & Villas Resort (+39 81 987311, www.gardenvillasresort. it/en) costs from €150 euros, with breakfast and dinner, based on 2 sharing.

A night’s stay in a double room at the 5* Relais & Chateaux Terme Manzi Hotel & Spa (+39 081 994722, www. termemanzihotel.com) costs from €220, with breakfast, based on 2 sharing. different pools, beneath tumbling waterfalls and on the adjacent sun baked beaches.

Spend a relaxing few days or more a stone’s throw from Negombo at the 4* Garden & Villas Resort where you’ll hardly

be aware of other guests as hotel rooms are within low rise villas linked by a maze of pathways, set amid Mediterranean style gardens.

Bringing Ischia’s star-gazing a little more up to date, the 1999 film ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett, was in part filmed in Ischia, with scenes shot along the promenade of Ischia Ponte, the older part of Ischia main town, leading down to the Aragonese Castle on a peninsula at the end of the port.

For some natural star-gazing, the perfect time to be on the island is during July and August, when the Italians will tell you the stars are ‘falling’ from the sky. Shooting stars, as we know them, proliferate during the summer months, and culminate on 10th August, the feast of St. Lawrence of Rome, one of the most widely venerated saints of the Roman Catholic Church.

Take a hike up to the top of Mount Epomeo, the island’s volcanic ‘mountain’, rising to a height of 789 metres (2,589 ft), from where there are spectacular three hundred and sixty degree views of the entire coastline of the island, best done during the cooler months in late spring and autumn.

The stars shine down on Ischia

LEtsGO LAND

You may or may not know this, but the word LEGO is taken from the phrase ‘leg godt’ meaning “play well” in Danish. It can also be interpreted as “I put together” or “I assemble” in Latin. I know it because we’ve just stayed at the new Legoland Windsor Resort Hotel and there is a dedicated kids TV Channel showing an animated movie all about the LEGO’s history.

It’s come a long way since Ole Kirk Christiansen first started building kids toys way back in 1916. When I was young I loved model villages and dreamed of going to Denmark to the the original Legoland. However, by the time the UK park had opened I was in my teens and more interested in trying to buy cider from the off-licence than playing with plastic bricks. Fast forward to now and these days my 7yr old daughter loves the very same LEGO bricks I played with. Hopefully if she has children one day they will play with them too.

We booked into the Resort Hotel for one night and had tickets for two days in the park. Instead of rushing around like lunatics we decided to pick the attractions we really wanted to see and do things at our own pace. The park is split into 11 themed lands, with various attractions, restaurants and shops along the way so to see everything properly you would need at least two full days, probably longer.

We arrived mid-afternoon and checked into our room before exploring. There is a really nice buzz about the Hotel, it has a small car park at the front with a LEGO, smoke spouting dragon to welcome you inside the doors. From the lift you can access the Restaurant, Skybar and entrance to the Park. The lobby is full of cool mini LEGO characters and statues and there is a competition with daily prizes for the kids who make the best models related to the particular days theme.

The indoor pool at the Hotel was

temporarily closed during our stay for maintenance, as compensation we received some free vouchers to visit any of the Merlin Entertainment resorts at another date in the future. There is so much other stuff in the park that I don’t think we would have had a chance to visit it anyway but is was a nice touch.

We stayed in an ‘Adventure Premium Themed’ room. They ROCK!! Decked out like you’re staying in some sort of Safari Tent, with cool wallpaper, LEGO bugs and scorpions on the walls and carpets. The younger ones have a separate area with themed bunk beds and their own TV. In between the two areas is a really modern bathroom kitted out in more LEGO stuff.

Luckliy they draw the line at toilet paper.

There is also a mystery for the kids to solve to find treasure in the room, my daughter thought it was “Brill”. You can also stay in a swash-buckling Pirate room, or a Knights of the Round Table Kingdom themed room depending on if you prefer Pirates of The Caribbean or Merlin to Indiana Jones.

Prices vary depending on when you

LEtsGO LAND go, they have regular special offers to keep the cost down and at the moment there is a deal to save money on the Hotel buy purchasing an annual pass.

The Hotel restaurant has a big buffet for breakfast and dinner, there is enough choice to please even the most fussy of kids (and adults for that matter) and it’s good wholesome tasty fare. The great thing about staying at the Hotel is you can go on the popular rides before they open to the general public early in the morning and do the other stuff when it gets crowded after lunch.

There are plenty of big rides to keep the grown-ups and older children happy, the brand new Duplo World is geared towards the younger ones (and getting soaking wet). Very popular was the Atlantic Submarine and the live sharks it goes past, so much so we had to go on it 3 times before we left. When you get off the ride there are some

really cool fish tanks that kids can poke their heads up through.

The driving school is fun too, kids have to stop their electric cars at red lights and stay on the right side of the road, it’s a bit like bumper cars without the bumping. At the end you get a driving certificate to take home, luckily this isn’t valid anywhere else. We also saw a really entertaining muppets-style puppet show that just happened to be starting when we walked past, and there is a cinema showing 4D movies throughout the day.

There are dozens of brilliant LEGO models from life-size giraffes to water splashing monkeys scattered around the park and of course there is also Miniland, where the LEGO replicas of places like Amsterdam, Paris and London (complete with The Gherkin, Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Oxford Street and Buckingham Palace,

to mention just a few) are situated.

These are probably my favourite as they show the true creativity (if only you have enough bricks) of LEGO. Much like babies always prefer the wrapping paper to the presents, with kids sometimes it is simple things that they love the most. Silly things like pan sieving for Gold were just a much fun as the big rides and ultimately a place like Legoland more than anything allows you to reconnect as a family and forget all the boring day to day stuff you sometimes have to deal with at home. That alone is worth the price of admission.

This month at Legoland Windsor Cowabunga! Teenage Mutant Ninja LEGO From Friday the 23rd - 26th there will be a special LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Weekend happening at the Windsor Resort. The whole place is going TMNT crazy and families will be able to hunt for Turtle Treasures and join in with the special Ninja Training. There will be skateboarding demos and kids can meet special Turtle guests and swap or collect some edition LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pop badges too.

Park ticket prices: n In advance online – From £34.20 for adults, £29.25 for children (free for under three’s) and from £123.60 for families (2 adults + 2 children or 1 adult + 3 children) For more info visit www.legoland.co.uk/en/Book n Themed family (2 adults/ up to 3 children) rooms available from £247 low season or £337 high season Hotel price includes breakfast and Park tickets for two days plus early bird access to selected rides the Park For more info visit www.LEGOland.co.uk/hotel/shortbreak

Wanted, Volunteers No experience required, lust for life essential!

Have you ever dreamed of working to protect endangered Jaguars in Costa Rica? How about teaching art to underprivileged children in Mombasa?

Well, if you’re over 15 years old and have a real sense of adventure, GVI have some fantastic opportunities available to do just that. Get out there, learn skills, support a community project and get a once-in-a-lifetime experience along the way.

You can choose between staying for a couple of weeks, or much longer and are ideal if you’re looking to do something truly amazing during your gap year or Summer holidays (even retirement).

All the projects have round-the-clock support and experienced staff are on hand to give you all the support and training you need.

Here are a couple of projects that caught my eye.

Scuba diving whilst delving into Marina conservation in Yucatan, Mexico You could go swimming down at your local municipal pool over the holidays, but imagine learning to Suba Dive in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

Responsibilities include coral and fish monitoring, together with conducting turtle nesting surveys. There is also plenty of time to enjoy the vibrant local culture with the natives.

Placement length: From 4-12 weeks, prices from ÂŁ1,795 per person (not including flights)

Volunteer with novice Buddhist monks in Luang Prabang, Thailand An opportunity to work closely with novice monks based in the beautiful ancient city of Luang Prabang teaching English. In return volunteers will learn about the culture, history, food and religious beliefs in a UNESCO World heritage site, located in northern central Laos surrounded by incredible Buddhist temples and ancient monasteries.

Placement length: From 2- 14 weeks, prices from ÂŁ895 per person (not including flights)

GVI (Global Vision International) have been organising volunteer trips abroad since 1997.

For more information visit www.gvi.co.uk

SECRET RETREATS

Rothay Garden

Grasmere, Cumbria

The landscapes of the Lake District have been inspirational to many great writers and artists over the centuries. The village of Grasmere is most famous for Dove Cottage, the one-time family home of Britain’s celebrated poet, William Wordsworth. If you are familiar with his work, this is where he actually wandered ‘lonely as a cloud’.

Actually if Wordsworth were alive today he may have written something different as the numerous gift shops and cafes in Grasmere can get pretty busy during some parts of the year these days. One place, Rothay Garden Hotel however is positioned just on the other side of the village (technically in Ambleside). It’s only a few minutes away, but far enough away to allow you to really breathe in the natural beauty of your surroundings and just well, relax.

The Hotel was recently awarded Cumbria Tourism’s ‘Small Hotel of the Year Award 2013’, we stayed in the

spend the next two days recuperating with your socks on the radiator and your feet in the air. To help with this requirement Rothay Garden has a small but modern Spa facility, it’s free for Hotel guests and there are infra-red loungers, a herbal pine Sauna and a fantastic HydroSpa from where you can admire the rolling countryside while the warm jets caress and massage your aching calves.

For an extra charge there are a number of visiting Spa Therapists available for private massages in your room, apparently the Hotel is planning >

Rothay Suite on the ground floor, it has a private patio overlooking the immaculate gardens adjacent to the Spa. The suite has been added fairly recently and the bathroom is über sleek, the bed is big and comfy and there is good, fast Wi-Fi too. It’s modern, but homely too. The five loft rooms above us on the first floor have cute little balconies, they’re the ideal place to order room service and spend the morning buried deep in papers and Bonne Maman jam.

Of course the correct way to experience the Lakes is to arrive early, walk as far as you possibly can and then

> an extension to the Spa so the therapists will soon have permanent spaces available. In addition to its relaxed atmosphere Rothay Garden is well known in the area for its food. Head chef Andrew Barton presides over a crack team of seven chefs and the restaurant is as popular with non-residents.

The AA2 Rosette four course dinner for £39.50pp is good value for money and the dishes are as imaginative as they are heart-warming. A pre-starter of an espresso sized bowl of pea and ham soup favours the ham side and is a perfect taste bud tantaliser. I had the cheese soufflé for the first time in my life and it comes with a delicious Damson Chutney. My partners fillet of makeral, nicoise salad, egg and balsamic glaze was colourful and tasty and choosing a main course was as challenging as some of the walks here in the Lake District. After much deliberation I went for the Pork, which was tender and crispy in all the right places. The final culinary star was the (yes, you guessed it) Sticky Toffee Pudding, and a baked cheesecake came a close second. By the way if you are a Brandy Connoisseurs the

Hotel boasts a rather large selection of Cognacs too.

If your heading to the Lake District and relaxation is as important to you as walking and exploring Rothay Garden makes a perfect base. An oasis of calm in a glorious location with some modern life necessities thrown in - a real bliss of solitude.

Rothay Garden Hotel Broadgate, Ambleside Cumbria LA22 9 RJ 25 Rooms and five loft rooms Rothay Garden offers special short break and holiday packages throughout the year. August and September see Summer Saver rates running, with up to £20 per person per night off longer stays, and Weekend Breaks are from £224 per person for two nights’ Dinner, Bed and Breakast, and include late checkout and complimentary Sunday lunch.

All guests are able to use the exclusive Riverside Spa. The hotel also runs special Food & Wine, Christmas and New Year Break packages. Telephone 01539 435334 or visit www.rothaygarden. com for more information

Dove Cottage

1

Cocoa Hearts This place is brill if you have a children obsessed with chocolate.

This small artisan chocolate shop in the heart of Grassmere run cools workshops where you can make and decorate your own box of unique chocolates. They workshops cost £15 and run three times a day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. They are really good fun, especially on a rainy day and the kids will love you for it (well at least til they’ve eaten them all) For more info visit http://www.cocoahearts.net/

2

Dove Cottage The home of William Wordsworth for eight years between 1799 to 1808 and the place where many of his best know works were written. The simple cottage and Jerwood Centre just down the road are a must for anyone interested in the Poet or the influence the Lake District had on other writers.

Fascinatingly Wordsworth sold the cottage to a friend, Thomas de Quincey, he married a local farmer and his book Confessions of an English Opium Eater published in 1821 recalled he time spent in the house addicted to Opium and Alcohol.

3

Brackenfell & Alcock Tarn There are many lovely walks in and around Grasmere, this one begins and ends in the Village and isn’t too long either (approx 3 miles). The climb up to the woods of Brackenfell is gentle enough for even the most inexperienced walkers and the paths are well maintained too.

Once you are at Alcock Tarn (a Tarn is another name for a mountain lake or pool) there are spectacular views of Grasmere below and Windemere towards the south. On a clear day Helm Crag can also be seen towards the North West. It’s the perfect place for a picnic (and to fall in love with England).

200g x Godminster Vintage Organic Cheddar heart - As delicious as its larger sibling

THE

BIG CHEESE

500g x White Nancy Goats Cheese - A handmade goat’s cheese from White Lake Cheeses near Shepton Mallet. Using milk from its own herd of 600 goats.

Maybe it’s a result of the the warm weather, but those (slightly strange) cheese lovers at Godminster have created this ‘Godminster Celebration Cheese Cake’. It weighs 10kg and serves 100 - 120 people and is perfect for parties, but something you probably couldn’t leave out of the fridge for too long.

2kg x Godminster Vintage Organic Cheddar – Award winning Vintage Organic Cheddar. Made from a unique 70 year old recipe which makes it a rich, strong, yet buttery cheese.

2kg x Colston Bassett - Regarded as one of the best traditionally made naturally crusted Stiltons. Mature, with good blueing and rich, deep, herbaceous flavours that linger on the palate.

Available for £190.00 including delivery from www.godminster.com

200g x Goddess - A delectable semi-soft cheese made with rich Guernsey cow’s milk. The curds and rind are gently washed in Temperley Somerset Cider Brandy giving the paste and the rind a wonderful silky golden hue.

750g x Francis - A beautiful washed rind pungent cheese with a richly-flavoured sticky rind.

2 x 900g x Godminster Organic Bries - Award-winning, creamy, organic hand-made brie. Full and rich tasting with subtle depths and flavours.

3kg x Cornish Yarg - A light textured, low-fat hand-made cheese wrapped in fresh nettles with a definite bite.

Buddha Bar

By Sharleen Hunter

London

T

his stunningly beautiful, Pan Asian restaurant, bar and lounge impressed me from the moment I stepped through the revolving doors.

The striking gold, black, temple-esque interior is a sight to behold. So much so, that cries of ‘Mum, this place is AWESOME!!!’ could be heard from the well-to-do children dining with their family at the table nearby.

Designed for lunch and pre theatre dining, the premise is that guests can expect to be in and out within 40 minutes and still be promised high quality food and service.

It’s perfect, if like me you just want to order a delicious, freshly cooked meal, without having to worry about waiting an eternity for your food to arrive.

But would this be a case of style over substance? And could the service and the food live up to the high standards set by the interior? I was eager to find out.

After receiving a warm welcome from the glamorous ladies who greet you as you enter the restaurant, the signs for my first Buddha Bento experience looked promising.

The Bento allows you to choose a starter from a selection of six dishes including salads and sushi and a choice of main course from the four meals on offer. Each Bento comes with Miso Soup, Wakame Salad and either steamed rice or Budda Bar Noodles and all for the set price of £27. Not bad for dining in Knightsbridge.

I often find with some set menus I struggle to identify one dish that I like.

However, with the Buddha Bento, I could have quite literally eaten any of the starters or mains.

The decadent ‘picnic’ arrives in mini bowls all positioned on one large plate.

The beauty of the Bento is that because everything is delivered altogether, you don’t have to follow the traditional order of eating soup, salad, starter and main,

Buddha Bar London

but rather can ‘flit’ between dishes. So whilst my guest started with her soup, I made a beeline for my starter as it was so pleasingly presented that it was begging to be eaten first!

As the biggest lover of prawns in London (purely my own opinion based on the fact that I could probably eat a crate of them and still want more), opting for the Tempura Prawns was a no brainer. They were fresh and juicy and the batter was perfectly light. Simply delicious. My guest opted for the duck salad which again was wonderfully succulent.

Whilst devouring my prawns, I also tucked into the divine Wakame salad.

Next, if I thought I loved the starters,

eating my main - the Five Spiced Barbecued Chicken was like I’d been exported to food heaven. Rather than being covered in a thick barbecue paste as you may imagine, this elegant triumph of a dish lets the spices do all the talking with the chicken resting on just a light sauce. Cooked with organic Japanese mushrooms, the Buddha noodles were the perfect accompaniment. My guest’s Wok Fried Beef was equally delicious and so tender it literally melted in the mouth.

Not only was the food was delicious and my waiter Salvo attentive, when it came to my precious time, I’m delighted to report that everything was cooked and perfectly and delivered at high speed. In fact, egged on by my sweet tooth and seduced by the elegant, relaxed surroundings, suddenly all thoughts of other pressing engagements slipped away and I decided to indulge with some dessert.

On Salvo’s recommendation I opted for the Pandan Steamed Pudding with white chocolate and coconut sauce.

One guest had apparently said the day

before that it was one of the best sweets she’d ever tasted and after polishing off my portion whilst simultaneously stating repeatedly to my dessert-free guest, ‘this is AMAZING!’ I’d have to agree.

No description could really do it justice, but when combined with the sauce, the taste resembles a delicate coconut cake with small yet plump pieces of pineapple nestled inside. You really have to try it to understand how tasty it is.

So did the Buddha Bento service and food live up to the high standards set by the interior? In a word, absolutely! With exquisite surroundings and an array of mouthwatering dishes to choose from Buddha Bar is ideal for when you’re watching the clock, but even better if you have time for dessert...

Buddha Bar 145 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7PA Tel: 0203 667 5222 For more info visit buddhabarlondon.com

The

Artist

My bread making experiences have almost always ended in disaster, I’ve tried all kinds of recipes, machines, live yeast, packet yeast, gas ovens, electric ovens and nothing ever comes out how I was expecting. Carl Shavitz on the other hand is founder and director of the Artisan Bread School. He knows a trick or two when to comes to making good bread.

Carl holds regular, sold out bread making courses in the US, Italy and this September at Barsham Barns, just up the road from me in Norfolk.

I got in touch with Carl to see if he could help...

What first got you interested in making bread?

I’ve always enjoyed good bread, or what I thought was good bread. Then in 1999 I took a bread-making course and was instantly hooked. From then on, making fantastic bread became a life-long passion for me. rtisan Bread is hand-made in small A batches. l Produced using non-industrial methods. l Made without additives, improvers, stabilisers or preservatives. l Fermentation is allowed to develop slowly and naturally. Some bread intentionally retarded to increase flavour. l Using the best ingredients, organic or biodynamic flours and stoneground if possible, ideally knowing where these come from. l Commercial viability not a basic concern. l Having an idea of what you want to produce before you start l Above all, Time is of the essence l

Artisan Bread pics courtesy of Tom Edwards @ www.mozzapi.com

Are you still learning?

Yes! It’s amazing how often I find new things. There are three typical situations where problems need to be overcome and techniques created; in my own bread-making I often run up against new challenges; during courses students often pose questions I need to find answers to and, in when I’m providing backup to students after they’ve attended one of my courses there can be issues we haven’t specifically covered. All these involve creating new techniques, or at least altering my current way of doing things. You can never know everything.

What exactly is the difference between regular bread and ‘Artisan’ bread?

“Artisan” bread and “regular” bread might be compared to the difference between a bespoke Saville Row suit and an off-the-peg suit from a high street shop. There are a few definitions, these are taken from the Artisan Bread School course recipes and notes -

Why is sourdough bread good for us?

In brief, sourdough is more digestible than standard bread, and more nutritious as well. Lactic acids created by the leaven make the vitamins and minerals in the flour more available to the body by helping neutralise the phytates in flour

Download the 100% FREE iPad Flush Magazine Newsstand App Receive new editions as soon as they are published

http://bit.ly/flushipad

The

Artist that would interfere with their absorption.

The acids slow down the rate at which glucose is released into the blood-stream and lower the bread’s glycaemic index (GI), so it doesn’t cause undesirable spikes in insulin. They also render the gluten in flour more digestible and less likely to cause food intolerance.

Is there a secret to a perfect loaf of bread?

The perfect loaf, is this a trick question?

The easiest part of the question to answer

About the Course

The Barsham Barns course runs for five nights (Friday 27th September to Wednesday 2nd October) and costs £1,675 per person. Including full board, tuition, course notes and recipes, all equipment needed and an embroidered Artisan Bread School apron.

Places are very limited and places are likely to be in high demand. For more info visit www.barshambarns.co.uk or call 01328 821744

About Barsham Barns

Situated a few miles from the gorgeous seaside towns of Blakeney, Wells-nextthe-Sea, Burnham Market and Holkham, Barsham Barns is five luxury barns sleeping from 2 – 14 people. Converted by architect, Anthony Hudson, and interior designed by his wife, Jenny Dale they take influences from the couples travels across the world. From Moroccan inspiration, to Scandinavian chic, modern contemporary and quintessentially English, each barn is unique, and designed for a different taste.

concerns the water, I always use bottled spring water to avoid being caught out by the unexpected coming out of the normal water supply. Ideally I would avoid commercial yeast altogether and work solely with sourdough, wild yeast leavens, only.

What is the most common mistake people make when making bread?

Thinking good bread can be made quickly using cheap ingredients.

What can people expect to learn on one of your courses?

How to make fantastic bread, think, organise and derive huge satisfaction.

What is your favourite bread?

Dare I admit it? Usually my own.

Cookie Monsieur

To welcome new pastry chef Cédric Grolet to the Hotel, Le Meurice is hosting a COOKie Festival in Paris. Running from now until December 13th there is a ‘COOKiE surprise’ during afternoon tea in their Le Dalí Restaurant (pictured) and a new seasonal flavour will be introduced every month.

For more information on the fabulous Le Meurice Hotel, visit www.lemeurice.com

Here is one of Cédric’s signature recipes, others are available on a funky website set up especially for the occasion.www.festival-cookies-lemeurice.com

Just for US Cookie What you need for the cookie dough : 400g (4 cups/14oz) plain flour 6g (1.20 tsp/0.2 oz) table salt 4g (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda 200g (7oz) softened butter 150g (12 1/2 tbs /5.30oz) caster sugar 200g (16 tbs/7oz) brown sugar 2 small eggs (approx. 35g/1.23oz each) 3g (0.90 tsp) vanilla extract 340g (12oz) chocolate dragées (sugar-coated chocolate pieces -

red and blue) For the coating: 750g (26.5oz) pate a glacer 250g (8.90 oz) dark couverture chocolate 125g (1/2 cup/ 4.50oz) grape seed oil Method 1 Mix the butter, both sugars, vanilla extract and salt together.

Stir in the eggs. Add the sieved flour and bicarbonate of soda

mix into the bowl and finally add the dragées.

2 Roll into 45g/1.5oz balls and space out evenly onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven at 180°c /350°F/gas mark 4 for 10 minutes.

3 Once baked, take the cookies off the hot tray and leave to cool on a wire rack.

4 Melt the dipping and coating chocolate, add the oil then mix. Coat half of each cookie and sprinkle with the chocolate dragées.

Enjoy!!

Shak Attack!

South African dining at Shaka Zulu in Camden

T

en years ago if you were heading to Camden for the evening you were probably going to see your mates band in some sticky carpeted music venue launch their first steps towards global superstardom.

These days you’re just as likely to be heading along the Northern Line for something good to eat. Since the regeneration of Camden Market a number of exciting and unusual restaurants have been popping up in NW1, one of these is a South African establishment called Shaka Zulu.

Since it’s opening in 2011 (when a very drunk Amy Winehouse turned up

and stole the show) it’s somewhere I’ve heard a lot about, but never got round to visiting.

Located over the bridge at Camden Lock as you walk up from the Tube station, upon entering you’re transported down a long escalator deep under the market. The first thing that strikes you about Shaka Zulu is just how big it is; the venue has a capacity for 800 diners and 27,000sq ft of floor space. Everywhere you look there are gold and bronze statues of African Warriors, some bigger than life-size. It’s like an Indiana Jones movie set crossed with a Las Vegas Hotel and they must have spent a fortune as the ‘bling’ has been well and truly ‘blung’ (my new made-up word) to full effect. I can imagine this is what Mike Tyson’s front room looks like, only bigger and tidier. It’s not what you would call sophisticated, but it’s definitely spectacular. At the weekends when there are clubby type events happening here things can get a lot busier, but mid-week there is a mixed crowd and friendly, relaxing vibes are bountiful.

The top floor area complete with newly opened Champagne Bar should be your first destination (BTW don’t bring the car, parking is a nightmare) to try out one of their many unique cocktails. My partner went for ‘The Burning Red’ (pictured overleaf) no, not a tropical disease, but freshly muddled red chillies, Santa Teresa clark rum, raspberry puree, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup and Chambord liqueur, served over crushed ice. It left a taste on your lips like a kiss from a shedevil. I, on the other hand plumed for a ‘Buffalo Chews’ made with Buffalo Trace whiskey, Antica Formula vermouth, sweet aged mourvedre wine and peach bitters served with cinnamon and a dried

Shak Attack!

Buffalo strip, a total flavour explosion.

When our table is ready we’re escorted down another escalator (I told you this place was big) to the main dining area.

A word of advice, if you’re going on a first date to Shaka Zulu check with them first as the Menu features a number of South African dishes that might be considered unusual by some people, including Ostrich, Crocodile, Springbok, Buffalo and Zebra. It’s also possibly not the best place to bring a vegetarian if your planning on seeing them again.

For starters we had ‘Crocodile Cigars’ a sort of chicken-y flavoured crocodile spring roll and ‘Springbok For starters we Carpaccio’ which was delicious, had ‘Crocodile served with Parmesan biscuit Cigars’ a sort of and a tasty jelly. For the main chicken-y flavoured course I was torn between the crocodile spring Buffalo Rib-eye and the Zebra with celeriac mash and roll and ‘Springbok Fillet shallot marmalade with the latter Carpaccio’ which just edging things. Zebra seems was delicious, to taste somewhere between served with pork and beef and definitely Parmesan biscuit worth trying. My slightly confused and a tasty jelly. partner (possibly from the cocktails) went for the distinctly un-South African pork spare ribs which were thick, meaty and really goo-ey.

Worth a mention too is the Doro Wat, a chicken and egg stew, that is of Ethiopian origin, but has a deep smoky, spicy flavour. They serve a number of traditional South African side dishes, Miele Pap for instance is a strange

stiff, cornmeal type mix with tomatoes and onions and Morogo is an African, spinach type vegetable.

If your tastes are a little less adventurous you can always have a good old fashioned bovine steak (Shaka Zulu’s are all properly aged to maximise tenderness) and some Peri-Peri wedges.

If you want to go the whole hog (so to speak) try one of the sampling dishes or the ‘Taste of Africa’ Menu featuring such delights as Duka crusted smoked salmon, fennel and crystallised stem ginger or Ostrich fillet with banana shallots. Some dishes really hit the spot and some narrowly miss, so this is a great option to edge your bets.

The desserts are decent, rather than spectacular, mine was like an Aero crossed with a Cornetto, my guests chocolate brownie tickled with ice cream and cherries faired better. One thing I did enjoy was the after-dinner Rum Blazer cocktail. Part cocktail, part sideshow, the waiter gives you the detailed origins of the cocktail (including dates) whilst preparing the drink before setting light to it in spectacular fashion.

The Rum Blazer is a bit like Shaka Zulu in a way. Flashy, unusual, way over-the-top, and not completely to everyone’s taste.

One thing it’s definitely not is boring. Bring the kids before 9pm and look for some special offers vouchers to bring with you.

They will think it is amazing!

If I had to choose between so-called ‘gourmet’ restaurants and Shaka Zulu, I know where I’d rather go. If you’re ever in Camden listen carefully, you might hear the jungle drums of Shaka Zulu calling you name. Then again it might just be a sound-check at the Dublin Castle.

Shaka Zulu The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden Tel: 020 3376 9911 www.shaka-zulu.com

Win

a Dinebox Travel Pantry

make everything from herby Campburgers to aromatic Chicken Curry with the coolest cooking kit around!

The Dinebox Travel Pantry is The ‘must -have’ kit for the gourmet traveling cook, whether you’re a seasoned cook or a novice - we’ve put the fun into functional design!!

Imagine sitting around the campfire feasting on Jerk Chicken and Sweet Fruit Burritos, making spiced hot chocolate & cooking up the wild blackberries you’ve just picked .. .the Dinebox Travel Pantry has all the seasonings, spices and recipes for these dishes and so much more - over 14 herbs & spices in each tin, plus extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar and some very handy measuring spoons.

And everything that comes in your gorgeous Dinebox tin can be refilled time and time again for all your creative travelling cooking, making it a Travel Pantry that will be with you for years to come.

Each Travel Pantry comes with the unique and hugely popular Camper recipe tea towel - full of delicious, fun and innovative ideas and recipes to create inspired dishes, whether you’re in a campervan or a weekend cottage, a barge or even a student kitchen.

Here’s what others are saying about Dinebox Travel Pantry:

“

“

It looks, smells and is fantastic to use - I love mine!

Josh Sutton - The Guyrope Gourmet

Phil Leverington, The Demo Chef

“

“

It’s perfectly designed & I use one all the time for my chef demonstrations

Here is your chance to be the gastronomic envy of your friends...

We have three brilliant Dine Boxes to give away!

To enter our competition visit www.flushthefashion.com/win/dinebox or email dinebox@flushthefashion.com with your details (we don’t send spam) For more info on other products in the Dinebox range or to order a dinebox visit www.dinebox.co.uk Editors decision is final Closing date: 20th September 2013

Good Luck!

Jaguar XF 2.2D Portfolio Sportbrake

by Frank Turner

What a glorious eyeful! The Jaguar XF Sportbrake is one of those cars you just can’t stop looking at. Even accepted rituals like homecoming took a different course. Park on the drive and head for the front door as usual ...but not without one last, lingering view of the car with its superb lines.

I drove the XF saloon on its European launch in the South of France in 2008 and truly fell for the car, with its sophisticated and sporty design, which has proved a winning combination.

And now we have the estate version, and another style success.

The Sportbrake takes the acclaimed sporting saloon and extends Its versatility and practicality while retaining the model’s core values of muscular elegance, a dynamic driving experience and contemporary luxury.

The car is a full five-seater, with the estate’s lines giving an additional 48mm of headroom. Remote-fold levers drop the 60-40 split rear seats (with integral

ski hatch) to create up to 1,675 litres of load-space - it’s 500 litres with the seats in place. The load area displays Jaguar’s typical attention to detail as it is trimmed in materials identical in quality to the cabin. The central portion of the load-space floor can be lifted to reveal an extra, hidden storage compartment and can also fold and lock into position to quickly and easily divide up the bay. And there’s a floor rail system which can be used to compartmentalise the space.

New air suspension allows for selflevelling while load-carrying with no dynamic penalty. The tailgate has ‘soft close’ as standard and can be specified with powered opening/ closing, which was a feature of Flush Magazine’s road test car.

I love the interior of the XF, with its premium quality materials providing a tactile treat, and never tire of the moment when the power button is pressed and the car comes to life ...the air vent covers revolve to open and

the circular gear selector rises from the centre console in a piece of smooth automotive theatre.

the whole interior has a sophisticated ambience, making driving even more of a pleasure.

There’s an abundance of great equipment, with features including rear parking aid with touch screen visual indicator, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, rear privacy glass, flush aluminium roof rails, electrically adjustable heated and cooled front seats, height/ reach adjustment for steering wheel with entry and exit tilt-away, dual zone climate control, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, satnav, premium sound system with 12 speakers, cruise control, intelligent stopstart, and sport-and winter-mode driving settings.

And what a pleasure that is, with the responsive 2.2-litre diesel engine well mated to a silky eight-speed automatic gearbox, the car laying down its power smoothly and effortlessly. Ride and handling are out of the top drawer, and the XF Sportbrake is a consummate motorway cruiser.

The car also had options including blind spot monitor, detachable tow bar, front parking aid and rear camera, and heating for the leather-trimmed steering wheel. Safety features include dynamic stability control, cornering brake control and emergency brake assist.

The cabin is a luxurious place to be with its glorious leather-upholstered seats, fit and finish is first class throughout, and

A car with great presence and so much style and refinement, with the bonus of extra practicality.

TECH SPEC Make/ model: Jaguar XF 2.2D Portfolio Sportbrake.

Technical: 200bhp, four-cylinder, turbo-charged, diesel engine with eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Performance: 0-60mph, 8.2 seconds; top speed, 134mph.

Fuel: 55.4mpg (combined).

Emissions: 139g/km.

Price: ÂŁ44,690 OTR, excluding options.

iCar

The BMW i3

It looks like a BMW, but the i3 is different from the rest.

This is the i3 - It’s the first car to be manufactured under the ‘i’ sub-brand and BMW’s first foray into fully electric vehicles.

The car comes in two versions, a fully electric model capable of between 80 and 100 miles between charges and a ‘Range Extender’ hybrid connected to a 34bhp two-cylinder petrol engine with a range of between 160 and 186 miles.

BMW say it can be 80% charged using one of their charging points in 3 hours, or around 8 hours using a conventional UK socket.

The passenger cell of the car is made in carbonfibre-reinforced plastic, while much of the chassis is aluminium, as a result it’s lighter and less of a brick than regular electric vehicle (1,1956kg).

Available in four trims - Standard, Loft, Lodge and Suite, with standard including hi-tech displays, satnav and local charging point location info. There is also a mobile App to let you know when its charged up too.

Top speed is 93mph and 0-62mph(100km) is a fairly brisk 7.2sec (the slightly heavier extender takes 7.9sec) BMW are also introducing a program that will allow i3 owners to ‘borrow’ a conventional BMW or Mini should they be planning a longer trip or going on holiday etc. In addition, the “360° Electric” ownership package can also cover the cost of charging and servicing the vehicle.

It sounds like a sensible solution for those people keen to invest in green technology, but wonder how they are going to visit Aunt Edie in Edinburgh next Xmas.

Four plans will be available - Pulse, Charge, Spark and Energy, with prices ranging form £40 to £80 per month. Full details to be announced.

Priced from £25,680 after Government grants, that is virtually the same price as a high-spec Nissan Leaf.

We’ll have to see if the numbers all add up, but it certainly looks the business.

For more info visit www.bmw.co.uk

Audi SQ5

I first drove the SQ5 at the UK launch back in April and was impressed enough to give it a proper look at again a few weeks ago. It holds a couple of firsts, it’s the first SUV Audi have built carrying the ‘S’ (Sport) tag, it’s also the first ever ‘S’ model in the range to be fitted with a diesel engine. The diesel engine in question is the same 3.0-litre twinturbocharged 309bhp, engine first seen in the A6.

So as you might expect it’s a little bit nippy.

Off the Marks Place your right foot firmly on the accelerator and 5.1 seconds later you’ll be motoring along at precisely 62mph (100kmh). That is quicker than a Porsche Cayenne Diesel S, the fastest BMW X3 and nearly two seconds faster than most of its rivals. In fact at the time of writing it’s the quickest production SUV off the marks on the planet. The tiptronic eight-speed automatic gearbox shifts smoothly but when the need arises extra acceleration is always available in spades.

To cope with the extra power, the SQ5 is fitted with suspension that is 30mm lower and stiffer than the Q5. This is combined with Quattro all-wheel drive and a torque-vectoring system that is designed to enhance agility. The ride is still gentle and the system reduces body roll when cornering at speeds. This works up to a point, but it’s not the true visceral driving experience you might find in some of the other ‘S’ cars in the range. Maybe it’s because of it’s height, or the clever stuff going on out of sight, but there is some detachment from head to hands to wheel to road and back again, which is

a teeny bit disappointing. It’s blisteringly quick though, with a top speed of 155mph (electronically limited) it’s not too shabby over the distance either.

What’s really impressive about the SQ5 is that despite all that power the car will still return a very respectable 41.5 (combined) mpg, and its CO2 emissions are still relatively low 179g/km (10g/km better than the Porsche anyway). A full tank of fuel (65 litres) will theoretically get you from London all the way to Prague (up to 685 miles).

Buy with your ears Manufacturers are spending more and more time engineering the acoustics of a car these days and Audi is one of he leading lights in this area. I love the idea of the boffins huddled around their Bang & Olufsen stereo listening to classic engine noises and working out how to replicate them. It’s the hi-tech equivalent of a covers band imitating Mark Knopfler’s Fender Strat guitar rig. For the SQ5 the Audi technicians have cleverly used a sound actuator housed in the exhaust system to modify

the natural sound of the engine to replicate the more throaty rumble of older sports cars.

The effect is successful for the most part because the SQ5 doesn’t really sound like a regular diesel. To be honest, most of the time the car is actually very quiet, but the actuator is notable after a quick burst of speed; it’s an addictive combination that will spoil your MPG figures, and if you’re not careful put points on your licence too.

Your audience awaits...

Advertise in FLUSH Magazine Request a media pack email: ads@flushmagazine.co.uk

Audi SQ5 It certainly looks the business, an attractive blend of upper-class sportiness and practical refinement. My favourite colour, for the record is Estoril Blue. It shares the same glossy front grille as Audi’s other S models and the Xenon headlights (with automatic headlight range adjustment) and LED daytime running lights illuminate rear view mirrors like the lights around theatrical mirrors.

Round the back end the quad exhaust tips are the driving equivalent of a clean pair of heels.

There are a few discreet badges on the outside just to let people know this is no ordinary Q5. Inside the door sill trims, aluminium scuff plates and dials all serve to remind the passengers and driver.

Space - The Final Frontier Build quality is immaculate and the finish is as good as you would expect from the prestigious German manufacturer.

The luna silver and black nappa leather interior finish is elegant, clean

and unfussy. The controls are set out intelligently, the steering wheel gear paddles are in just the right place and most tech savvy drivers will have it all worked out before you can say ‘iPod connector’, which it also has too. There is plenty of room for 4 six ft adults to ride in comfort and luggage space is good (540-litre boot), if not overwhelming.

The list of optional extras is as long as your arm, ones definitely worth getting are the media/entertainment interface upgrade so you can load all your favourite tracks onto the hard-drive, the ‘open sky’ panorama sun roof and the 20” ‘7-double-spoke’ design alloy wheels. If you are going to pay £43,075 for a car, it’s worth going the whole hog.

The SQ5 has some heavyweight competitors, namely the Range Rover Evoque and BMW X3 both of which are slower, but a tad cheaper. For now at least, the SQ5 is leading the pack.

For more info visit www.audi.co.uk

Stats Model: SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro (313PS) tiptronic Fuel consumption: urban / extra urban / combined 37.2mpg / 44.1mpg / 41.5mpg Top Speed: 155mph (electronically limited) 0-62mph (100-kmh): 5.1 seconds CO2 emissions: 179g/km Tax band: I Price: £43,075.00

Modern Technology Fables

by Ian ‘Epredator’ Hughes

Carp(e) Diem

A fable is a story or example that often seems like unrelated to the end outcome. It is, in systems and technology terms, a ‘pattern’. Humans understand patterns really well. However sometimes other details get in the way.

IE “You can’t see the wood for the trees”.

I wanted to explore how we end up with the various pieces of technology in our lives at home and at work. How sometimes we add the wrong things, or why we remove one thing just to replace it with the another set of problems.

From Koi carp to the Xbox One in a Parkour style free run of ideas. So here goes.

It works, Naturally

We recently moved house and with the new place we inherited the previous owners Koi carp pond. Some large and old fish inhabit this pond. People usually see, or hear about them, and say “Oh they are worth a bit of money”. That may well be the case but I was more concerned about how to maintain their eco system.

I looked at this 12,000L of water with a pump, an ultraviolet pre filter and a bath size filtration system and it intimidated me. It was a blend of modern technology, plumbing and a natural system. I have an aquarium already, it has fish and a filtration system, I know how that works. Somehow my initial reaction to the scale of the pond and the age of the Koi blinded me from the obvious. It is the same sort of system just bigger. Like a repeating pattern in a fractal rendition. The same pattern just a different scale.

It struck me that this is how many people look at any new technology that comes their way. Often they will see it is

too big and scary, too different to get to grips with. Why change when something we already have is perfectly good. “It is the way we have always done it”. In the case of the pond of course there was not a option. It was there, it needed dealing with. Science and technology head on.

Ponds and fish tanks have a natural cycle they have to go through.

Regardless of the technology involved it is just the plain beauty of nature. The Nitrogen cycle has to happen. It is a pattern that will occur. A sequence of events that can be helped or hindered by our intervention with various types of technology.

Decay. Things rot away, waste from the fish, uneaten food. This produces Ammonia. n Ammonia is consumed by a bacterium called Nitrosomonas. This creates Nitrite. n Nitrate is then consumed by bacteria called Nitrobacter, release Nitrate. n Nitrate feeds the plants. n

The two steps in the middle, the Ammonia and Nitrate are not good for the fish. Filtration systems help harbour the good bacteria that make the conversions. A regular aquarium tends to have a small collection of tiny ceramic tubes as part of the filter that have a relatively large surface area for the bacteria to live and feed on. The Koi pond has a giant bucket of plastic tubes that has the same effect. This was my first fractal pattern match. They may be bigger, and more of them, but it is the same as something I already know.

There are all sorts of chemicals and additives that you can buy for an aquarium to help the lifecycle or deal

Modern Technology Fables with particular spikes in parts 2 or 3.

Generally though just leaving it to it, with some minor maintenance will keep it all in check. You reduce decay by having less fish, less food and healthy plants, which of course get more healthy with a good Nitrogen cycle.

Bale Out

Unfortunately the pond has good plants and bad plants. They all feed off the same Nitrate. In this case lily pads good, blanket weed bad. The blanket weed has a nasty habit of growing, spreading and then blocking the filters and pumps.

This of course eventually will stop the cycle, without regular intervention and maintenance.

So we have a virtuous cycle well established and something trying to put an organic spanner in the works.

My first reaction was to get the pond stripped down cleaned and refilled to remove the weed. That of course is a very silly idea. It destroys everything that is working so hard across the system. It is starting from scratch and the entire cycle, with all its spikes and troughs has to begin again. A new version of the same system, with the same inherent problems.

Next I looked for a modern solution.

The various potions and chemicals that might help deal with the weed. These all looked interesting but very expensive for an experiment that may end up harming the system I am trying to keep in check. It turns out though that a much older technology is the most useful.

Aside from manual effort to keep the weed at bay it seems a way to slow the weed and any algae growth is to use small bales of barley straw soaking (and rotting) away in the pond. To a

technologist like myself this solution seems old fashioned, surely a rotting hay bale is not the solution? However, whilst the scientific proof may not be conclusive, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that this extra decay in the Nitrogen cycle seems to halt the bad stuff. Elements of the rotting barley hay absorb sunlight and a mini system of reactions end up creating Hydrogen Peroxide in small amounts that kill the algae and weed.

I have yet to see if this will work for our pond. It is a change that takes time, and also still requires lots of manual work. However it would seem that a small tweak, a minor addition to the system is a lot more effective than a knock it down and start again approach.

given time and justify the contents of, yet no one knows why they exist at all.

It is the sort of artefact generated in a system that no one has stepped back and looked at.

Call me maybe?

Step Back and Fractal Zoom

If you step back and look at a thing that you do at work or at home you can take a systems view of it all. Do not worry about the detail of a particular task and ask yourself, your colleagues or your family, why are we doing this? Is there an absolutely rigid cycle that has to happen (like the Nitrogen Cycle, night and day, gravity etc). If so can we add or take away something that will make it just a bit easier for everyone?

Or have we started to do something that is on the whole just for the sake of it? It is masquerading as a thing that needs to be done, “the way we have always done it”? If you haven’t seen film Office Space I suggest you have a look at that. The infamous “TPS reports” that everyone is asked to do, complete in a

Many people know will not remember using an old telephone dial, though still the image of a round dial with a finger hole for each number still resonates with many. The telephone number, a unique address for an electrical signal to be routed too was revolutionised by the mechanical telephone exchange. The Strowger switches in banks at the telephone exchange (pre digital technology) acted like a gear that turned to connect numbers. Number 1 was at the top of the gearing, so it connected with little rotation. Number 9 was at the end of the gearing so it took a much longer time to mechanically engage, click, click, click. The dial on the phone at the human end was deliberately slow in returning to the next number dial position with a mechanical delay in order to allow the Strowger switch to engage. The system changed the way we were able to operate. We had to be slowed down to allow it to catch up.

Imagine if we had persisted with the dial and its mechanical delay well into the digital age? Just because “it was the way we had always done it”?

Where are my keys?

Strangely though we have managed to keep a mechanical restriction in

Modern Technology Fables other devices despite it seemingly not needing to be there. We do that with our computer keyboards, and even those keyboards on touchpad screens with no moving parts at all. The QWERTY keyboard layout has become a “way we have always done it�, for typing words. The layout is a very clever one as it is derived from the need to spread out the letters commonly used in a language (in this case English) so that the striking hammers of the original typewriters had time to make contact and return and not jam by colliding with another letter. If you have used an old typewriter you will know the frustration of hammer jams. If you have not, you will have experienced the same frustration

on a computer keyboard where some of the keys are not working quite properly, probably due to coffee being spilt at point. You have to press just a bit harder to get it to work.

We have adjusted to the mechanical problem as users. It turns out the layout works well in reverse. we used to be stopping mechanical jams of the technology. Now the technology is faster than we are the QWERTY keyboard is actually stopping our fingers from jamming into one another it would seem.

Where does that take us? Technology enforcing restrictions and systems that just need a tweak?

DRM or DUMB?

So here we are at the end of the free run. The Xbox One. The latest and greatest console from Microsoft. I am a gamer, I love my Xbox 360, I have the other consoles but the 360 gets my vote for all sorts of reasons. The experience, unlike many other Microsoft ones, has been very smooth. Yes, ok there were a few massive hardware collapses with the red ring of death but that can happen! The online experience with the 360 has been particularly good.

Updates and patches have been optional, and generally small. Downloadable content, new games, demos etc all very accessible. I buy a lot of games and I am happy to lend friends games for a while too. It has all been very pleasant.

Then came the Xbox One announcements. These have of course changed since,

but I was completely amazed at how drastic Microsoft got with the whole online digital rights management (DRM) debacle. They showed us the new box, the fancy Kinect 2.0 and some great game demos. They then confirmed that your new Xbox One had to connect to their servers once every 24 hours in order for your games to work, the games that you had bought and paid a considerable sum for? That may have been wrapped up and sweetened with lots of other cloud and server based game features but somehow it just seemed completely over the top. This was a Strowger switch pattern, stopping us doing what we do for the benefit of the technology (in this case DRM).

Obviously you have to connect to the net to play a game online, but it was mad to require that for everything all the time, just to be spyed on. They had taken a perfectly good system, one that many of us enjoyed (and paid for) and thrown it out in favour of something that they considered was better (for them and the publishers). In a mass gamer outcry about used ames, sharing games, and just a generally snooping and controlling factor, Microsoft made a massive turn around. Well it was a less of a turn around than ending back where they should have started from. It seems though they have not found their Barley hay bale solution yet. They were about to clean out the pond and kill some of the fish, but now they are leaving well alone. That does seem to remove the feature of a central list of the things you

own so you can play them anywhere?

I am not sure why they can’t do that as a slight amendment to the system, and opt in. I don’t want to have to check with them every day if I can still play a game, but if I am playing a game online, surely they know that it is me? If I go to a friends house and download my profile (as we can today) I have, by the very nature of the connection, attached willingly to the network?

Apple manage this with iTunes match. A service that knows what you have bought and lets you stream or download to devices that you log into once. It is really quite simple. Yet once I download to a device, like an old iPod I don’t have to check back with big brother each time I play a track.

I still can’t work out if Microsoft really meant this, or if it was a PR stunt. Say something draconian, if it goes down well fine go ahead anyway (sniggering and ringing hands with glee), if not then reverse it and say “hey we are listening”.

Or if it was just plain stupid, not looking at the entire system and focussing on a detail that was of no importance, just because they could.

I am looking forward to the new wave of consoles. I like consoles and I like games and after all “it’s the way we have always done it”..... Doh! Ian writes about the future on his website www.feedingedge.co.uk, you can also follow him on Twitter @epredator

TECH REVIEW:

By Dave Whitehead

Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus Review

The Hauppauge brand is well known for it’s range of peripherals and USB TV Tuners, in recent times they expanded their product range to include new Digital TV standards and Personal Video Recording (PVR) capabilities and the HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus is their newest product.

The HD PVR2 is a hardware recorder for console gaming, allowing you to record video and audio in full HD from a PS3 or Xbox360 via some very clever electrical wizardry. Products like this are designed mainly for people who want to share their experiences with friends online, by uploading gameplay to youtube, running tutorials/ walkthrough guides, or in my case, reviewing games.

The box looks fairly smart and setting the HD PVR2 up is a breeze and I actually didn’t find the manual in the box until after I was done. Although the software it comes with is missing a feature or two (which may be included in later updates) which would make it perfect, the hardware itself is incredible.

For instance, I’d love to have more

play with the audio, also I couldn’t work out why some of my recordings came out with the vocals panned to one side. It would also be nice to be able to go back and record the voiceover afterwards too.

For me, as a PS3 user, one of the best features is that the box manages to work around the copy protection on a

PS3 which makes it impossible to use a HDMI cable to record the footage by accepting a HD component cable (included). The component cable is probably one of the lesser used features on the back of most PS3’s, I didn’t even really know it was there until I needed to use it for this, but it’s a flawless workaround.

Videos can be uploaded direct to YouTube in one click. Easy!

An excellent product that enables you to record in full HD whilst playing with no lag and I was sad to see it go.

Tech Specs No Delay HDMI passthrough - 1080p Full 5.1 Surround from HDMI or S/PDIF Recording datarate between 1 and 14 Mbits/sec (so watch out if you’re recording long videos in full HD!) Recording formats - MP4, TS and M2TS Video down conversion (view in 1080p, record in 720p) The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus is available online from various outlets priced from £115-150 For more info visit www.hauppauge.co.uk

Win One of three X-mini UNO portable capsule speakers.

Xmi, the people behind the best selling travel speaker on Amazon (the X-mini) have come up with the UNO, a new amazing portable speaker that will plug into your phone or any iPod type device with a standard jack lead.

By combining a wider frequency range with the same level of powerful bass, synonymous with the X-mini name they’ve built arguably the best travel speaker currently on the market.

It houses a Lithium-ion battery, capable of 20 hours playback (with only 2 hours charging time) and looks great in a range of colours.

To enter our competition visit www.flushthefashion.com/win/uno or email your name and address to uno@flushthefashion.com For more info on the UNO visit www.x-mini.com Editors decision is final closing date is 20th September 2013 Good Luck!

gaming

The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief

by Jamie Rodgers

The good ol’ point-andclick game has become somewhat of a rarity nowadays.

You used to trip over them just going for a pint of milk. And it’s a shame; a lot of them were either clever, quirky or even a great way to relax. Now, a new game has arisen to crank the gears of our brain: The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief.

I won’t give the story away, as it’s something you need to truly experience for yourself, but I will say, you’ll be grateful I decided to withhold the plot. It’ has a very intriguing premise, it’s presented beautifully, and has you gripped almost instantly.

All the people you encounter on your adventure all act like...

well, people. The voice acting is top notch, from the little boy playing with his toy gun, to the protagonist, Constable Anton Jakob Zellner. He’s a genuinely pleasant character, intrigued by every little thing, and seems to see good in everyone he meets, but still has a strong sense of justice. I warmed up to him straight away, plus he has a moustache to rival the great Belgium detective Poirot.

The puzzles in the game, while cleverly tricky, also have a sense of logic, something I haven’t seen for a while. No “use a rubber chicken to distract a guard while you grab his keys with a sock tied to a dog lead”. They can be solved in the same way someone

would decipher problems in real life, like using graphite to discover finger prints, jamming a window with a toothpick to distract someone, and so on. I do like a bit of suspension of disbelief, but sometimes, more grounded solutions are more entertaining.

With enough twists to send even M. Night Shyamalanin a spin, realistic characters, and a fascinating setting, The Raven is a great game for those who love to experience a crime drama first hand, not just read about it.

Platform PC, Mac and Linux £20.99 (or £24.99 for the deluxe edition) For more info visit www.raven-game.com

TECH REVIEW:

Reviewed by Steve Clarke

PowerMonkey Extreme Waterproof Solar Powered Charger Let there be light, and power...

I was hoping that the PowerMonkey Extreme solar charger/battery would arrive in time for the annual jaunt to Glastonbury, maybe not the mountainside terrain it was designed for, but there are many peaks of happiness to be had in the fields of Somerset. It would have been perfect for all day outdoor meanderings, with ample opportunity for the solar panel to absorb the good vibes from the sun and beyond.

Glastonbury was wonderfully sunny, but so too (thankfully) has the UK weather of late. I don’t work outdoors all day, so I was limiting the solar panels exposure out of necessity rather than choice, to my daily 90min cycle commute (out/return), and a couple of days just leaving it on the window sill to see it work its magic.

The solar panel is separate to the actual battery (9000amh lithium polymer which wonderfully can be charged separately by mains supply, car or usb), it’s waterproof and very sturdily built, as is the battery. It’s not too heavy or cumbersome and has multiple various connection tips to enable you to charge a wide range of devices from phones, tablets to cameras. It’s all presented in a rather nifty case too. Though I would like to see a better set up for attaching to the outside of back packs, so you can charge while you hike.

Obviously the main reason I was looking forward to the PowerMonkey is the solar panel. With the full gamut of seasons that can happen on any average day in the UK, the panel would be make or break. To the greater part it was make. Though not the fastest charging experience in the world, I could only get maybe 30%

charge from the sun on any particular day, but remember it wasn’t a full day, I was getting a return of double % when charging my phone, so 30% = 60+% charge. And there was equal percentage for the iPad. That may not sound amazing, but it was extremely reliable. And that is what you want at the end of a days charging. Quite often our expectations are set too high, and goods can’t match them. The fact that the battery can work independently as a (pre-charged) power source means our power hungry devices can be kept on the go all day, and many days.

What more could you want?

The PowerMonkey Extreme is available priced £120 For more info visit www.powertraveller.com

My Favourite movie

by Casey Bowers

Grosse Pointe Blank

Explaining why a film is your favourite film is like explaining your favourite colour. The reasoning behind the choice can be analyzed and rationalized, but the choice itself cannot - it just is. A favourite film has to elicit that basest, purest emotional response - pleasure, in order to really count. You’ve got to thoroughly enjoy a favourite film end-toend. For me, Grosse Pointe Blank, 1997’s John Cusack comeback vehicle about a hitman coming back home for his 10 Year High School reunion is that film.

So perfect is this film in its blending of comedy, action, and romance with intelligence, heart, and classic coolness, that to remove or alter one element of it would destroy its appeal and ranking.

Without the superb story by Tom Jankiewicz, Grosse Pointe Blank would not be my favourite film. Without Joe Strummer’s cool, utilitarian score, GPB would not be my favourite film.

If it weren’t for that fight scene choreographed by Benny “The Jet,” Alan Arkin’s annoyance, Cusack and Driver’s on-screen chemistry, and even Jeremy Piven, GPB would not make the cut.

The story

After a botched job, Martin Blank (John Cusack), a high level hitman for hire is forced to take an assignment in Detroit, near his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan where his 10 Year High School reunion is taking place. At the suggestion of his secretary, Marcella (Joan Cusack) and dismissively urged by his shrink, Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin), Martin goes back home to attend the reunion, see his high school girlfriend, Debi (Minnie Driver), his childhood friend, Paul (Piven), and kill the mark while avoiding being killed by rival hitmen, Grocer (Dan Ackroyd), Felix LaPoubelle (Benny “The Jet” Urquidez), and the NSA agents tipped off by Grosser about Blank’s assignment.

obsession with this film is the music. From the warm bass line of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” opening the film to Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” coolly closing it, the music of Grosse Pointe Blank plays a significant role in complementing this dark romantic comedy (or maybe just action/comedy with dark overtones). It certainly helps too that most of the music in the film is actually being emitted from various real places onscreen - Martin’s car stereo, Debi’s radio station feed, or the Ultimart worker’s headphones. The bulk of the music comes from the High School gymnasium where the DJ is set up entertaining reunion-goers while they party it up on the dance floor. As a result, we hear Pixies, A-Ha, Tones on Tail, Faith No More, Siouxsie Sioux, and enough decent 80’s songs and newwave to make the whole scenario where music this cool is being played at a high school reunion seem both wonderfully ridiculous and right.

In the wrong Hollywood hack’s hands (or studio exec’s clutches), this could have turned into a mismatched buddy cop film, a cheap screwball comedy with forced jokes, or worse just another forgettable stylized 90’s action flick. Thankfully, Grosse Pointe Blank is a film that was made how it was intended to be made, with the creators’ original vision passing nearly unscathed.

The pacing is perfect, all the characters are likeable, and the performances are sublime. For all these strengths though, the main contributing factor for my grand

continued.......

continued.......

There are 8 key scenes featuring 8 songs that in sequence, perfectly ca pture the film’s essence and tell you everything you need to know.

I Can See Clearly Now

Johnny Nash

1

Opening the bare film title sequence and letting the warm rays of the chorus hit the audience before we see anything of Cusack, Cusack, or Ackroyd, sarcastically teases the calamity just around the bend. When things do go down, Nash’s voice has found its way back to the forefront accompanied by a barrage of gunfire.

2

Rudie Can’t Fail The Clash

As Blank drives down his hometown thoroughfare, he is greeted by a familiar female voice on the local radio station and offered “another cold cup of coffee from The Clash.”

Ace of Spades Motorhead

3

A Doom II arcade game that doesn’t exist is being furiously button mashed by a headphoneswearing convenience store clerk oblivious to the real action taking place in his own store because Lemmy’s bad-assery and IDKFA cancels everything else out.

4

Under Pressure

Queen and David Bowie

While Martin holds his friend’s baby and holds his gaze, the epic build of Bowie’s vocal rises and rises altering Blank’s reality forever.

Let My Love Open The Door (e.cola mix - Pete Townshend

5

Martin and Debbie talk it out above the festivities and share a dance to this excellently remixed underrated love song that’s completely bearable.

6

Mirror In The Bathroom The Beat (English Beat)

As Felix LaPoubelle (the baddie after Blank) and Martin are engaged in deadly hand-to-hand combat, the tension of this palm muted ska shuffling greatest hit is amplified and echoed in one of the coolest, most arduous, realistic fight scenes of all time.

99 Luftballons Nena

7

The slightly cheesy, but utterly awesome Germanic 80’s boppy hit provides the necessary mental break from all the violence and successfully makes Paul and Martin’s endeavor down the stairs that much more cartoonish and uber fantastic.

8

Blister In The Sun Violent Femmes

It was a bold, optimistic move to take a song about erm, well, you know, and magically transform it into a theme song of sorts to close the film, but its happy vibe hints at a deserved outcome.

In fact, optimism is what makes this film work so well. Despite of all the danger, violence, darkness, and just plain “bad” that follows Martin due to decisions of the past, it can all be confronted and conquered with a little light, a little love, and very good music. And it doesn’t hurt to hold a baby every now and then.

You can follow Casey on Twitter @caseybowers (you should do too)

CONTACT Editor: Pete Graham pete@flushmagazine.co.uk Art Director: Dawn Li dawn@flushmagazine.co.uk For advertising enquiries, call 07958 006119 or email: ads@flushmagazine.co.uk www.flushmagazine.co.uk

Contact info@flushmagazine.co.uk Free FLUSH Magazine iPad App http://bit.ly/flushipad

Facebook www.facebook.com/flushthefashion

Twitter www.twitter.com/tweetthefashion

Google+ https://plus.google.com/118044621142957136543

FTF Android Mobile App http://mippin.com/app/flush

FTF iOS Mobile App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flush-the-fashion/id459450103?ls=1&mt=8

Join our mailing list www.flushthefashion.com/newsletter