Foyer of London

GETTING

DIRTY

IN ESSEX with

They think it’s all over....

50th Anniverary of England’s most famous sporting victory.

BENEDICT foyermagazine.com

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Welcome

foyer

to Foyer

Published by: Foyer Media

Seabridge House 8 St Johns Road Tunbridge Wells TN4 9NP editorial@foyermagazine.com

@foyermagazine 0800 881 5210

Well, we have been extremely busy here at the Foyer offices.

Getting down and dirty in Essex has left me cleaning out my ears of mud for several weeks. We will also be joining the celebration of the 50th anniversay of the 1966 world cup final.

Editor: Geoffrey Peters Contriibutions: Paul Razey Steve Douglas

Dave Davies

Also, we will be introducing you to two brand new publications.

The first, LaDiDa, a luxury lifestyle magazine especially for the women out there (obviously men are more than welcome to browse) bringing you fashion, spa breaks and everything else that we know you are going to enjoy.

Neil Mondon

John Downes

Barney Moore

Lazaros Christoforidis Lindzi Davenport

The second, Travelism, pretty much speaks for itself, travel can mean 5 minutes o up the road or an exclusive long haul trip to Bora Bora, you name it we will have it. There is even an interactve section for our readers to submit reviews an experiences of their own travels.

Back to Foyer this month, enjoy reading and as always feel free to send us feedback, good or bad, we can take it.

Au revoir for now.

Nazar Haiduchyk

Ideas, opinions & articles expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Foyer magazine or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents, both implied or assumed, of any advertisement or article n this publication.

Printed in the UK

Geoffrey Peters Overworked Editor

Copyright 2014 Foyer Media Original Photography Copyright Foyer Media Ltd All Original Content Copyright Foyer Media , All Rights Reserved All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.

Permission to use Foyer Magazine content is granted on a case-by-case basis. Foyer Magazine welcomes requests.

Please contact us to submit a request.

foyermagazine.com

GETTING

DIRTY

IN ESSEX with

They think it’s all over....

50th Anniverary of England’s most famous sporting victory.

BENEDICT cover: Nuclear

foyermagazine.com

contents

welcome to

08 PAGE

07 1966 WORLD CUP 50th Anniversary 16 BRING BACK THE COCKTAIL PARTY

A survivor’w story

22 Caesars palace of kings 22 Steve cyr – las vegas casino host 26 NUCLEAR RACES 26 BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH 30 AROUND THE WORLD IN £80K 38 celebrating liberty

22 PAGE

Las Vegas

28 PAGE

42 ‘my many lives’ by dave davies 44 global citiZens changing face of jetset life 46 Sun screen could block out more than the sun 50 women brought to heel on fashion faux pas

Elementary My Dear Foyer

52 the power suit’s second coming 56 mini orchaRds 58 Going green for a brew 60 RESTAURANT REVIEWS

52 PAGE

The power suit

Eat Here

58 PAGE

page 1 2 J ohn D ownes W ine of the M onth

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50 years ago

‘Anyone of my age will tell you it was one of the days of their life. I can remember going to at least three of the games. I couldn’t get a ticket for the final and watched the match on a little black-and-white telly at my aunt’s house.

‘Alf announced beforehand that we would win it, and he never wavered. It was the tournament when England welcomed the world for the first time and our football hot-beds in the north showed their passion for the game on a global stage.

England’s 1966 World Cup heroes announce 50th anniversary celebrations as Greg Dyke says Three Lions can follow their footsteps.

England beat West Germany 4-2 in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. Hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst helped reveal 50th anniversary celebrations. Exhibitions will be held at Wembley and the National Football Museum.

‘We have to make sure we tell those stories and keep them alive. No-one will forget the achievements of the North Koreans or the antics – and that’s the polite version - of Argentina and their captain (Antonio) Rattin, or the goals of Geoff Hurst and Bobby Charlton, and others.

‘It is important to remember and pay tribute to each and every player in the final and also in the squad. We hope the celebrations cement the 66 winners their place in history and hope a new generation will hear their story and be inspired by it.’ foyermagazine.com

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ffood&drink

JOHN DOWNES, one of only 312 Masters of Wine in the world, is

Nobull WALL

C

OF

an you imagine going to a restaurant and ordering food you’d never heard of, shelling out for a West End theatre ticket without having some idea of what the show was about, or choosing a dress you didn’t even like? Of course not. But that’s what happens when it comes to wine; sadly, most people haven’t a clue what they’re buying. Amazingly, the Wine Trade seems cool with this state of affairs, ‘keep them in the dark’ seems to be their marketing slogan! If it is, it’s working!

If you ever have any doubts about Joe or Josephine Public’s lack of wine knowledge, take a look around the next time you’re in a restaurant. You’ll soon pick out the poor b………. who’s

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WINE

an after dinner speaker, corporate entertainer, writer and broadcaster on wine; view his cartoon video and website at

www.johndownes.com

of the journalist but the newspaper, online, magazine, television and radio commissioning editors should also take a hit as they’re all too often satisfied with new scripts that are not a million miles from those written 20 years ago. The result is that wine is missing out on the all important young and, the cash rich not-so-young, new consumers who start contemplating suicide at Zinfandel 2011 Lodi Ravenswood £9.99 at Tesco the mention of Big, chunky yet friendly black fruit beauty from Ravenswood’s Lodi vineyards east of San Francisco bay; ‘terroir’, malolactic clever guys those Californians, they name the wine after the grape! ‘Great with duck, lamb and friends. fermentation or yeast autolysis.

Or maybe I’m being naïve. Maybe been landed with the wine list after the vocabulary that, like the Trade itself, it’s all a cunning Wine Trade strategy. usual frantic game of pass the parcel. has changed little in decades.

Keeping customers confused means His ‘rabbit in the headlights’ look as Whilst the Wine Trade’s hardly that they won’t question wine quality; the waiter looms tells all – bet your moved, other businesses have moved quality that’s being squeezed bigtime bottom dollar he’ll choose Chablis, swiftly with the times. The fashion over the years by an average bottle Sancerre or Chateauneuf du Pape industry reinvents itself every year price that’s still stuck around the £5 – the only wines he knows and can and goes out of its way every season mark. When you consider that each pronounce! The Wine Trade’s done to explain the latest lines, colours and bottle carries £2 duty and 20% V.A.T., such a good job that he’s even too cuts; all sold in great looking, customnot to mention ever increasing proembarrassed to get help from the wine er-friendly shops. The result is that we duction costs, transport, labelling, the waiter! all rush down to our nearest shopping cork and bullish supermarket profits, it Or, check out the guys drifting centre to grab a piece of the latest style, doesn’t take a genius to see that there’s along the wine shelves in your local cash in hand. Wine Trade please note! not much left for the wine out of a supermarket gazing aimlessly into a Even professions once seen as fiver; it’s pennies not pounds! wall of wine. This frustrates me even ‘establishment’ are now at the cutting I’m on a mission to help people more; cracking the wine code would edge. Lawyers, accountants and bankcrack the wine code by making wine bring the wall and its limitless enjoyers realised long ago that they had to simple and although I’m constantly ment to life. change to survive. With my corporate banging my head against the brick ‘Pity is, it’s to the shame of all of us wine entertainment hat on I regularly wall of wine, knowing that Joe and in the wine game. From supermarkets visit prestigious City offices and I’m Josephine want to know more drives to journalists, we must all take the always impressed how these so called me on. blame for making wine so inaccessible. stuffy professions have wised up on And now, more help has arrived If you ask a football fan about “4-4-2” in-house media, PR. and marketing to to break through that wall of wine; he’ll explain this ‘team formation’ with promote themselves and their image, each month Foyer MAGAZINE’S gusto but if that same fan asks about ensuring that their clients keep roll“NOBULL WINE” will mangle the wine, chances are he’ll walk away ing in and their fees grow even faster. mystery that surrounds wine and totally confused as the vinous door is There’s no equivalent of a four quid along the way, increase your enjoyslammed in his face amidst a torbottle of wine in their world! ment and knowledge with every story, rent of impenetrable, members-only Criticism often falls at the door glass, tip, sip and recommendation.

JOHN’S WINE OF THE MONTH

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fdrink

It’s 5 o’cocktail

London’s most glamorous happy hour Five O’Clocktails has returned to Playboy Club London. For sophisticated drinks served without the matching price tag head to world-renowned drinks “maestro” Salvatore Calabrese’s eponymous lounge bar on Old Park Lane. Here legendary bartender Salvatore has hand crafted an extensive cocktail menu: His famous Spicy Fifty and signature Breakfast Martini have become renowned as the perfect post-work, preparty libations. And come 5pm Monday – Thursday guests can enjoy one cocktail and treat a friend to a complimentary one!

Bespoke cocktails and a dash of Playboy Bunny fun perfect for weeknight lounge lizards.

Five O’ Clocktails: Monday - Thursday from 5pm-7pm www.playboyclublondon.com #Salvatoresbar @PlayboyclubLDN

may2014

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flifestyle

Bring back the

COCKTAIL PARTY Whatever happened to the tradition of the cocktail party?

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hen all the ladies dragged out their best LBD (little black dress) and the men donned smart trousers and jackets, for the purposes of making small talk around a collection of light snacks and a glass or two of something alcoholic?

Having been pushed back into the realms of the “passe” it seems the occasion is undergoing something of a revival, particularly in these cashstrapped times, to encourage business into hotels and restaurants between the hours of 4pm and 6pm.

It is now also fashionable for wedding receptions to be preceded by a cocktail hour which often also includes entertainment such as live music.

The type of food and drink served can vary, while the guest list is likely to be intimate, with all encouraged to mingle while cocktails are served by a professional or dedicated bartender.

Although many believe the inventor of the cocktail party was Alec Waugh of London, an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press in May 1917, credited its invention to a certain Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri.

Mrs. Walsh invited 50 guests to her house on a Sunday at high noon for a one-hour affair. “The party scored an instant hit” the newspaper declared, and stated that, within weeks, cocktail parties had become “a St. Louis institution”.

Such an event is now welcomed by those venues seeking to encourage new ways of bringing in patrons – and private hosts who want to entertain a larger number of people than for a formal dinner without opening their doors to a full-on party.

When planning for a cocktail party, many experts on entertaining suggest

hosts should assume at least three beverages per guest, unlike a dinner or reception where heavier foods are expected to be served and fewer mixed drinks are served.

The party may include a variety of finger foods, light snacks or canapes and the invitation should mention any special food arrangements, especially if the party is scheduled during regular dinner hours.

Set the appropriate time . The traditional time-frame for a cocktail party is two to three hours in length held between 6pm and 10pm Buy more than enough ice . Remember that you’re not just using it for drinks, but also for chilling bottles and cans.

Cocktail parties are a great way to entertain, because they accommodate any kind of guest list, ranging from neighbours to business associates.

Regardless of what kind of crowd you’re entertaining, however, there are a few basic guidelines to throwing a fabulous cocktail party...

Have a variety of glasses on hand, depending on the variety of drinks you plan to offer . You should offer wine glasses for wines, juice and water; straight-sided highballs for tall drinks; tumblers for spirits and juices; and martini glasses. In terms of quantity, be ready with approximately twice as many glasses as you’ll have guests.

Stock your bar . For the wine drinkers, have one bottle for every two people, assuming five servings per bottle. For the beer drinkers, have one six-pack for every two people, assuming 12 oz. servings. Get one or two spirits that can be made into a variety of cocktails (probably vodka, rum, gin, scotch & tequila).

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ftravel Pop star lands in time for son’s birth Air Partner was sent “respect and big love” when the lead singer with a chart topping band decided chartering was the only option if he wanted to be at the imminent birth of his first child. He flew from Germany to Birmingham overnight on a Learjet and arrived three hours before his son was born. If he had caught the first possible scheduled flight he would have arrived 12 hours too late.

A VIP flight into the Himalayas

Red roses to the doorstep

Close liaison with the Pakistan Air Force was essential when two British VIPs flew into Skardu, the tiny Himalayan airport nestling in the world’s narrowest airlineraccessible valley. So too was the need to engage only the most experienced of pilots to operate the Airbus A319 VIP flight.

One wealthy client chartered a helicopter to fly 58 red roses from Athens to his ladylove on an island retreat on nearby Porto Heli, and requested they be hand delivered by the pilot. Another client chartered a Beech King Air 200 to fly his daughter’s wedding dress from Paris to London.

8 Fabulous

Private Jet Journeys Private jets can be a cost-effective and fabulously luxurious way to travel. Read amazing case studies and find out how to book yourself a private jet

Air Partner has three main client segments – governments, corporates and high net worth individuals. Whether a flight is for business or pleasure, flexible private aviation is highly efficient when the cost of time is factored in. In some cases flying private can be cheaper than flying by scheduled carriers, when undertaking multi-stop trips, for example. Breakfast, lunch and dinner in different European cities and home to bed in a day – no hotel overnights and none of the frustrations of commercial travel.

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Volcano watching

SOS for a CEO

A Challenger 601 was chartered to fly a group of 11 from Nice to Sicily for a spot of active Mount Etna volcano watching. Constant liaison with authorities at Catania airport was necessary as changing wind speeds and ash deposits were monitored. A back-up plan to divert to Palermo airport was prepared but proved unnecessary.

When an important CEO just HAD to be in Brussels for a 10am meeting but missed his scheduled flight and was still in Switzerland at 07.30, Air Partner’s Zurich team received a desperate SOS. Less than an hour later, the client was on his way in a Citation Bravo executive jet and made the meeting in time.

Follow the eclipse from the sky

Films and live TV Chartering the entire fleet!

When a client used private jets to fly 121 incentive passengers from Miami to Costa Rica, Air Partner USA chartered one American operator’s entire fleet of Lear and Challenger jets and secured permission to temporarily section off part of Miami and San José airports for exclusive use by the 13 aircraft. All passengers were top managers from a major worldwide corporation.

Private jets chartered through Air Partner are often used in films.

For one particular TV programme shown nationwide in the UK, analysts co-ordinated flights between Southampton, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Belfast and Luton, and arranged airside and landside filming consent. One flew on the aircraft to provide operational assistance and relay update bulletins to HQ where arrival times and clearances were being coordinated. It was a hectic day with a tight schedule dictated by the demands of live television.

Considering that the next total eclipse of the sun over Britain is in 2090, obtaining a bird’s eye view of the 1999 event was paramount for one group of clients. A pressurised aircraft was secured and guests viewed the event in all its glory above the clouds – unlike disappointed compatriots in unpressurised air taxis chartered through competitors. The aircraft cruised at 29,000 feet and followed the line of the eclipse as it moved across Europe, frequently banking to provide the best possible views. Passengers included Lady Boyd, director of Greenwich Royal Observatory at the time, who commented: “On the good advice of our personal Air Partner account manager, our plans were changed several times... and the trip was absolutely brilliant.” may2014

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ftravel

Time Is Money

“T

ime is money” – a saying that we all know and understand, is never more relevant than in today’s frenetic world when senior management time is perhaps the most precious resource of every business and corporation.

As the pace of life continues to accelerate, time spent getting to and from major scheduled hub airports, checking in, waiting in lounges and enduring tedious delays represents a considerable drain on corporate resources while the scheduled shuffle is seen as dead time for the travelling executive.

Paul Richardson – Private Jet Director for Air Partner, a world leading air charter broker and the only private aviation company to hold a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, contends that budgets for regular airline travel can be justifiably considered as a bald business cost while air charter on the other hand, can be seen as an asset.

He says, “Private jet charter is a faster, easier, more customised way of getting to your destination and one of the more convenient and luxurious ways to travel. Unlike commercial airlines, private jets can fly in and out of smaller suburban airports that are closer to departure and destination points and are not accompanied by long queues or delays that are a feature of large urban airports and scheduled flying.

“As a result, the use of private aircraft charter creates productive time, not down-time. Many of our executive and corporate clients use their productive time to plan strategy on the way to their meetings and hold debriefings on the way back. They decree their own

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flight schedule, departing when they want to and returning at their convenience. And if a meeting runs over, they don’t miss their connection!

“Furthermore, with Air Partner you can fly from 2,000 airports around Europe while scheduled carriers are restricted to only 200. This reduces transfer times enormously for our clients. Hence, the true cost of business travel should calculate the significant cost of the executive’s time spent travelling not just the cost of the seat.”

With effective use of private air charter Air Partner propound that it is commonly possible to decrease time

spent away from home and the office by more than 50 per cent. For example, a LondonBerlin-Lyon-London trip with two 90-minute meetings, can be accomplished in less than 12 hours by a chartered jet instead of two and a half days using commercial airlines.

It is hardly surprising that an increasing number of private and corporate clients are choosing to travel this way. Private air charter affords cost-effective, stress-free executive travel with the benefits and cachet of ‘owning’ a plane but without the excessive and unwarranted costs and

long-term commitment that ownership brings.

Even weighted against fractional ownership – considered to be the timeshare of private aviation – charter can work out at half the cost. Unlike fractional ownership, financial commitments stop on completion of the trip.

Richardson explains, “Executive travellers who want their own aircraft but don’t want to own one outright do not need to tie themselves to a five-year contract by joining a fractional scheme with costs working out at about €15,000 per hour for a Global Express when they can rent one by the day for €7,000 an hour. Our mantra is, it’s smarter to charter.”

When the founders formed Air Partner they built the unpara­lleled service based on choice, luxury and safety. 51 years later and the company has not wavered from this delivery and leads a revolution in the skies that has changed the face of business and personal travel.

Air Partner’s desire to innovate and change is best illustrated by its successful JetCard programme designed with leisure travel in mind. The JetCard – recently identified by independent aviation consultants Conklin and de Decker as having lower prices and better service than similar schemes, offers flexible, hassle-free convenience for relaxed and enjoyable personal travel and can be used to plan a trip in style or make a last minute booking to go anywhere in the world at any time.

The new Corporate Card, recently launched in response to growth amongst business users, also offers 25 hours of pre-purchased jet time for users flying day-return flights from a regular base.

Richardson elucidates, “We only fly a superior fleet of new-generation private jets with experienced, trusted pilots. Choosing between very light, light, midsize, super-midsize, large or global cabin jets with guaranteed aircraft availability, our clients have the control and flexibility to fly on any day to almost anywhere in the world. Quite simply, they tell us where they need to be and we make it happen”.

With headquarters near Gatwick

Airport, 20 offices worldwide – 10 of which are in Europe, the company is open for business 24 hours a day, every day of the year with a team of 200 aviation experts who provide a friendly and efficient service for its clients. This service involves paying close attention to detail and developing a strong rapport with clients to fully understand their needs while selecting the optimal aircraft which necessitates a full evaluation of the departure and arrival airports, schedules, range, itineraries, baggage load, in-flight comfort, catering and airport representation.

Air Partner believes that it is the care it takes over the smallest details in looking after the needs of its executive and corporate clients that has established it as the world’s largest listed aircraft charter company.

Air Partner can be contacted via the worldwide web on: www.airpartner.com

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ftravel

O

nce you arrive, indulge in one of the lesser-known Roman pastimes: gaming. Caesars Palace has 2 casinos, offering 129,000 square feet for your winning ways. An 8,500-square-foot Poker Room lets you live out your biggest celebrity poker dreams, or you can don your white-tie finery and pretend to be James Bond at the baccarat table.

Hit the jackpot? Your next stop is to score tickets for the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The 4,300-seat theatre

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Hail, Caesar! This opulent landmark hotel is what Vegas is all about.

Caesars Palace brings headlining acts, celebrity chefs, epic shopping, and over-the-top architecture together in one can’t-miss location.

Caesars Palace is in the very heart of The Strip, across from the Flamingo/ Caesars Palace Monorail Station

hosts more big names than your TV, including regular gigs by the likes of Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld. Afterward, take your pick of nightclubs and bars--you can dance the night away to live DJs or rock out on the floating Cleopatra’s Lounge.

A stay at Caesars Palace isn’t complete without exploring some of the hotel’s renowned shopping. At The Forum Shops, you can peruse a runway’s worth of brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, and Gucci. Dining at Caesars Palace includes its own share of illustrious names: Wolfgang Puck,

Hotels we recommend

For families with kids, these hotels have arcade areas which are great fun and keep the little ones amused: Circus Circus (Also has theme park inside)

New York New York (Has its own roller coaster)

Excalibur

(Set inside a medieval castle)

 For couples looking for romance: The Venetian

(this has to be the most romantic hotel on the strip.

Take a gondola ride through the hotel)

The Paris Hotel

(have a romantic meal inside the Eiffel Tower)

Gordon Ramsay, and Guy Savoy all have outposts here. With more than 2 dozen restaurants and cafés, you can dine formally or casually, early or late – or even stay in with 24-hour room service.

The Romans would recognize the columns and classical statues that adorn the 4.5-acre Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, but certain touches-swim-up blackjack, anyone?--are thoroughly modern. Swim in the 5 pools, lounge in the 2 large spa tubs, and relax in the daybeds and fully loaded cabanas (surcharge). When the sun gets to be too much, make an appointment at Qua Baths & Spa, where you can soak in mineral baths or experience snow in the Arctic Ice Room.

Ready to drift into dreamland?

Guest rooms feature pillow-top beds dressed with premium linens. 55-inch high definition TVs will keep you entertained, and you can decide what tomorrow will bring with high-speed Internet access (included in resort fee).

Marble bathrooms include designer bath amenities.

 For that little bit of class: Caesars Palace

(this is one of my personal best, it oozes class, has some of the best restaurants in Vegas and hosts some of the biggest names in showbiz)

The Bellagio

(with rooms overlooking the superb fountain show)

There are of course many hotels in Las Vegas but standards do vary even on the strip. Check out the numerous websites available for up to the minute reviews.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk www.visitlasvegas.co.uk www.vegas.com We highly recommend you research Las Vegas for things you may want to do whilst visiting. At busy periods of the year booking certain trips can be a little tricky so always book in advance if at all possible. You can book trips online via these websites.

www.lasvegas.com www.travelnevada.com It is worth remembering that the strip is just a small part of Las Vegas, why not hire a car and literally get lost. You won’t be too lost as you can always spot the Stratosphere.

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fmoney

Steve Cyr, the casino host infamous for luring in the biggest players by any means possible. He will even send the wife on a $10,000 complimentary shopping spree – just as long as her other half is prepared to shed $250,000.

‘W

ives can be the kill when a guy is playing great so we drive them to the spa or the Grand Canyon for lunch,’ he says. ‘Sometimes I just tell them we’re taking their husband to play golf when he’s really downstairs in the private room gambling. Anything just to get them out.’

Known as The Whale Hunter, he’s a cunning strategist who traps the industry’s highest rollers – whales as they are called in the casino world – to wager millions of dollars a night at the world’s most exclusive resorts.

Promised commissioned of his clients losses by the casinos, he uses a combination of charm, salesmanship and amazing comps as bait. With private jets, the best penthouse suites and the most beautiful women on the planet at his disposal, Cyr rarely misses his target.

Biggest high roller? “It took me about a year to land Larry Flynt. I

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sent him a fruit basket every Monday for six months, like Bud Fox in Wall Street. We offered him a great deal, the 15,000 square foot Sky Villa, the largest in Vegas. I finally landed Larry and he is one of my biggest high rollers to this very day.

“The high rollers care about the deal, the appearance fees, discounts, the Super Bowl tickets, the shopping, they get it all, the mega suites, palazzos, mansions, villas, bungalows, the food, the booze, the service, they become the kings and queens of the casino. The biggest bet I ever saw was $245,000 in one roll of the dice. Biggest win or loss? $9 million. Biggest tip I ever saw? $100,000, a single chip toke.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is one of his big name clients, however, most of his high rollers aren’t famous.

‘Stars are stiffs and you can quote me on that,’ he says. ‘They don’t gamble enough. You would never know my clients. They own restaurants, strip clubs and car washes. The great thing about Vegas is that anyone can be a star there as long as they gamble big.’

‘I had to kick Bill Gates out of his $10,000 hotel suite the other night because one of my players had come to town.

I told him “The most I can make from you is

$10,000 a night – my guy bets that on his first hand.

You can move now or security will be here in an hour.”‘

Cyr is a super-host. He never says die, and he benefits from working at a casinos notorious for cool parties and concerts, drawing more than their share of attractive young women. But even he acknowledges that the tide has turned -- at least for now. A whale, Cyr says, had once been a million-dollar player. These days, somebody who’s willing to lose $250,000 gets the title -- and milks it for all it’s worth.

“Vegas used to be a place where there was a lot to go around,” he says.

“Now it’s no longer the casino’s market. For the first time in a long time, the player has the upper hand.”

For a young, farm boy who came to Las Vegas with no juice, Steve Cyr is now the man with all the juice! Steve delivers all the fantasies of Las Vegas to the rich, famous and infamous from around the world!

Steve’s successes in the casino business have translated into many opportunities in the mainstream business arena. Steve has been featured in over 30 television shows including ABC’s 20/20, the Montell Williams Show, the Discovery Channel, and the Travel Channel to name a few, He has also been highlighted in numerous print publications including Cigar Aficionado, FHM and Details Magazine.

In 2002, Steve was named Las Vegas Life’s Best Casino Host, a title he holds til this day! In addition to the media and press coverage he’s garnered, Steve received the ultimate gift and honour when he became the subject for a controversial book, Whale Hunt in the Desert. Author Deke Castlemen documented Steve’s life and

accomplishments in Whale Hunt in the Desert and the book, now it’s a required text for Cornell University’s Hotel Administration students and NYU Stern’s MBA program.

Steve Cyr went from chasing his dreams to living them. He never did make that move back to Kansas and he continues to reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. When he’s not working deals and catering to the biggest names in the casino world, Steve enjoys boxing and spending time with the light of his life, his daughter, Savanna.

“You can love me or hate me, but you will never forget me!” foyermagazine.com

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G

etting dirty in Essex:

MUD RUNS ARE ALL THE RAGE - A UNIQUE WAY TO STAY FIT AND SOCIALISE

It’s not about competition but it can be competitive, no special gear is required, you’ll have a cool story to tell.

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Mud Runs are all the rage right now! That’s because (among many reasons) they’re so much more fun than your typical road race and demand a more balanced and adaptive body! I’m not poopooing the pavement-pounders out there. In fact, I respect all people who make an effort to improve themselves. I’m just saying, if you’re going to train for an event, I find it a better use of one’s time to pick one that requires more than just running (and/or swimming and/or cycling) in a straight line.

jump, climb, duck, lift, carry, etc. That means if you prepare properly, you’ll be practicing all these skills in your training! These movements work muscles you forgot you had! And to acknowledge the elephant in the room (or on your computer/ smart phone/tablet screen); let’s face it, on its own RUNNING KINDA SUCKS!

If you’ve ever done a 5k, marathon, 100 mile bike ride, sprint triathlon, ironman, etc. then you’re familiar with the feeling of accomplishment and gratitude when crossing the finish line (the best part of racing in my opinion). Having an event on your calendar keeps you motivated to train, fuel your body, and recover so you can be at your best on race day. I always encourage my clients to pick an event or physical accomplishment (unrelated to body composition) to keep them going. When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be discouraging if the number on the scale doesn’t change. However, none of that matters when you cross the finish line on your big day!

We spent a few hours on a taster with Tracey, or should I say ‘S & M’ Tracey as I called her under my breath, why would any person in the right frame of mind put themselves through this torture, Tracey seemed quite at home pushing us to our limits.

The whole experience was that of a fun, hard, cold, wet and overall amazing challnge.

NUCLEAR RACES in Brentwood, Essex were fortunate to have our presence, or unfortunate as the case may have been.

Flying down a hugh slide into a freezing lake, crawling through the thick stench of hell in a mud dy bog or zip lining over the lake, it was all like Takeshi’s Castle (for those old enough to remember).

So why mud runs?

Try this out on a taster day, you’ll love every minute.

They demand versatility! In the span of 3 (or 10 or 20…) miles, you have to run, crawl, balance,

nuclear-races.co.uk 07824 666722

foyermagazine.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID JARVIS, NUCLEAR PHOTOGRAPHER

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27

finterview

Elementary My Dear Foyer

Arrogant and ingenious, one of Britain’s best-loved and most loyally-followed detectives is back on our screens this month. Benedict Cumberbatch returns as the legendary Holmes in BBC One’s Arthur Conan Doyle modernisation, Sherlock , so understandably we were rather keen to ask him for a few clues as to what the new episodes have in store for viewers.

How did it feel reading the first script of the new series?

It’s always a kind of cold-faced thrill because you get the first enjoyment of it. It’s like being the first audience of the finished product, so it was a real treat.

We knew what the rough trajectory was over the three films, but when you get the full script it’s just a delight. The first thing I go to is the big scenes, and every one of those scripts is a terrific read. It’s such a joy to read them for the first time – you get that thrill that hopefully the audience will get when they sit down and watch it.

What was it like getting back into character after a two-year break?

I would say it was easier than the second series, but it’s never completely easy because of the break, and because of how extraordinary a character he is.

No matter what comparisons people draw between me and him – he is very different in his temperament.

He is more mercurial, his rhythms are faster and more aggressive than mine are, and that goes for his intelligence and speed of talking – I feel like I have to ramp up a gear which takes a bit of time to get used to.

But you know, I love it and however hard it gets, and it is a tricky one to pull off, it’s a character I love playing, and I always feel sad saying goodbye to 28

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him.

What does Series 3 have in store for us?

Without giving too much away, there is a fantastic trajectory in Sherlock’s character arc, which is going from a position of not really fitting in, and then doing incredibly well and forming a bond again with John.

They have some extraordinary adventures in the first and second episodes, and then in the third they are challenged by a situation and a master villain who brings him to his knees.

What’s exciting about this series is that we see Sherlock in real peril.

We know from the end of series two that he staged his death. He was out of the game, but calculating every move and therefore in charge. With this challenge he really is out of control.

He really does lose his authority on the situation, and it’s really exciting to see a hero in that much jeopardy, and it’s very interesting to see what it does psychologically to him.

As far as plot goes, Sherlock and John reunite, there is an explanation, and there is a new character in the shape of Mary Morstan – it’s really about how the three of them kind of coexist. It doesn’t become a trio, but she is a leading figure in it. She’s not just a stay at home wife – she is someone who is very involved in both of the boys; realities, but it’s a wonderful

new dynamic to play with.

What do you think Lars Mikkelsen brings to the series?

An incredibly steely reality, which is harrowingly possible. He is a businessman – he’s not a mad chaotic villain, not like the award-winning performance Andrew Scott gave as Moriarty.

He is something of great calm and measure that has a depth to it, which is an even bigger challenge than the chaos of Moriarty. He is so measured and precise – he is like a shark, a terrifyingly perfect predator of our age.

He will chime with people who know what a bully is – he is the archetypal bully, and his means and methods are chillingly everyday in our culture.

He’s a smart creation, very real and not fantastical. He’s got a foreign perspective on the English culture, which Holmes so perfectly personifies. He sort of reduces what Holmes protects.

may2014

29

ftravel

Sandy Lane, Barbados

Around

World th

e

£80k i

n

Working with luxury travel specialist Winged Boots, we ask the team where they would book if presented with an £80k budget to fund a luxurious round the world trip of a lifetime for two. Their incredible two month itinerary covers 18 stunning resorts across the globe, all inclusive of luxurious amenities and impeccable service.

Sales director & founder – David Ox, recommends starting the journey in central London with a suite at The Dorchester before travelling to 3 other destinations in Europe. Experience the pinnacle of train travel on-board the Orient Express complete with your own personal butler. Take the impressive journey down to Venice where you could enjoy a romantic stay at Hotel Cipriani, before continuing onto Austria for a taste of Palais Hansen Kempinski in the heart of the beautiful city of Vienna. Finally, your European adventure finishes in Montenegro at Aman Sveti Stefan, one of the country’s most serene hotels set in peaceful surroundings offering the most gorgeous views across the sea.

Where would you go with an £80k budget?

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Four Seasons, Bora Bora

Luxury travel specialist – Sa­ mantha Russell, continues the itine­rary recommending a visit to Dubai. Head here from Mon­tenegro to Al Maha Resort located within Dubai’s spectacular dune and desert landscape. Then it’s off to Johannesburg where the ultraexclusive Virgin Limited Edition resort of Ulusaba Private Reserve awaits; located in the African bush offering a Safari experience like no other, the views from its mountain-top setting are simply breath-taking. After, fly to Goa for a relaxing stay at Taj Exotica set amidst 56 acres of lush gardens, before enjoying the Malaysian Pankgor Laut Resort depicting the epitome of a paradise retreat. Finally, your last taste of Asian culture concludes in Indonesia

Hotel Cipriani, Venice

Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia

Ulusaba, Johannesburg

at the stunning Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay; this Balinese hideaway, perched beside the ocean, was listed among Travel +Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World 2013.

Ryan Collins, another of the team’s specialists, then recommends taking the short flight to Perth on Australia’s west coast where you could unwind at The Richardson’s enviable spa before switching to Australia’s Gold Coast for more romance, fine-dining and luxurious facilities at Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort. You’ll soon voyage across the South Pacific to the Four Seasons Bora Bora which rivals the postcardperfect surroundings you’ll find in the Maldives or Caribbean. Here you’ll discover over-water villas perched

above turquoise lagoons and one of the most immaculate beaches in French Polynesia. To round off the extraordinary trip of Australasia, fly to Auckland in New Zealand to capture the sophistication of The Langham hotel.

Continue on to South America to sample one of Chile’s most desirable retreats enjoying a stay at La Casona hotel, before heading for the Caribbean where the prestigious Sandy Lane resort in Barbados welcomes you to sample its unrivalled hospitality, pristine shoreline and 3 world-class golf courses. Further north, 3 destinations in the US complete the team’s itinerary.

Head for the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, where The Wynn provides the ideal base to explore the best of the supreme nightlife, casinos and world-renowned shows on offer in this incredible city. The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park then delivers a completely different experience with a range of outdoor activities available amongst beautiful scenery characterised by its spectacular rock formations. Finally, you could then finish your trip at the Mandarin Oriental

Four Seasons Bali, Indonesia

in the Big Apple where you would get the chance to shop for all those designer labels before returning home to London.

This incredible trip of a lifetime is just an insight, although an extreme example, into the bespoke itineraries put together by luxury travel specialist Winged Boots. So if you’re feeling inspired by this journey, ask yourself the question – where would you go with an 80k budget?

Visit www.wingedboots.co.uk and call 01708 629102 or email booking@ wingedboots.co.uk to contact the team who are on hand to help plan your tailor-made itinerary. foyermagazine.com

31

Gone today Hair Tomorrow More like a hotel than a clinic The FUE Hair Transplant Procedure.

Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE, involves removing healthy hair follicles directly from a donor area on the scalp, usually at the back of the head where the hair is plentiful, and grafting them onto the areas on the head where the hair is thinning.

The treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic - eliminating the downtime associated with, and general anaesthetic required, in older hair transplant methods. Furthermore there is no detectable scarring or stitches involved in the procedure. The results of a FUE Hair Transplant are permanent.

Advantages of having your FUE Hair Transplant at The Private Clinic: You will be treated by highly experienced doctors and surgeons. The Private Clinic’s surgeons are highly 32

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qualified in the FUE procedure and perform the technique on hundreds of patients every year.

FUE is a minimally invasive treatment, carried out under local anaesthetic many patients either watch TV, or even fall asleep during the procedure.

Unlike the Strip (FUT) procedure, you won’t require any stitches after your treatment. This means that the recovery time is also reduced when compared to the Strip surgery.

The Private Clinic also uses the finest instruments, resulting in as minimal trauma to your scalp as possible.

Thanks to the advanced skills and techniques of the surgeons at The Private Clinic, results can be undetectable.

Following treatment, you won’t have any linear scarring across the back of

your head - you’ll be free to wear your hair long or short.

The hair transplant surgeons work by hair, not per graft - this ensures that only the strongest, healthiest follicles are selected for the patient’s transplant procedure.

Your results will look natural, with denser packing - the hair is implanted in the direction that matches your hair growth, and because the surgeon selects healthy follicles, the treated area will look densely filled.

The Private Clinic is also one of the only practices in the UK to offer the Unshaven Hair Transplant (U-FUE) to those who prefer not to have their head shaved before the procedure.

At the patient’s consultation, the hair transplant surgeon will advise whether the unshaven procedure is suitable for the patient.

Specialist hair transplant surgeon Dr.Raghu Reddy

fbeauty

BEFORE

You can leave the clinic immediately after treatment.

Healing takes approximately 5-7 days, after which point any redness or slight swelling in the treatment area will have subsided.

It’s been almost six months since my hair transplant, which was performed by Dr Raghu Reddy and a pretty mundane six months they were. Not dissimilar to watching a pan of water boil, waiting for hair to grow bears the same time consuming boredom.

That said, the entertaining side is the reaction of friends and family whom I have not seen for a while. I receive the odd glaring eyes at my new hair-covered scalp, most are a little too polite to mention anything but the ones that do are the ones that have a keen interest in the procedure.

Styling my hair was always a maasive part of getting dressed

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 10

9 MONTHS

up, this was probably the saddest part of my balding, as much as we say we are not vain we all know that we could all have a little nip and tuck here or there.

You will be able to see the outline of your new hair line immediately after treatment The results are totally natural looking and permanent.

As you can see by the pictures, the progress is pretty amazing.

There is still more thickness to come, as it can take 9-12 months before the full results of the transplant show. I have to say, I think the whole thing is totally amazing and so clever.

From a now not-so-sceptical person, look out for more updates. Until the next time.

www.theprivateclinic.co.uk 0800 599 9911

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33

fexclusives Do you need a valuation or want to sell your

Memorabilia?

SOCCERBID.CO.UK Foyer magazine is delighted to have exclusive access to memorabilia specialist dave davies for valuations, his area of expertise is sport, however, he is well connected with specialists like himself in other forms of memorabilia and does not mind helping where he can

W Dave is only contactable for free valuations via Foyer magazine, this month a mixed selection.

If you have been unlucky with your requests this month David has a valuation line for just for sports valuations for selling or insurance printed valuations on 09116121966 (this is a premium call rate phone line) or if you have a number of items email him at dave@football1966.com and so to this month’s valuations 34

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elcome to SOCCERBID giving you the chance to buy a unique piece of history or a personal autograph from your favourite football player, or sports celebrity, team, past and present. Now you can own that football autograph or that soccer autograph you always wanted.

We are a Former (licensed by F.I.F.A. and the English Football Association) players agent. Another part of our company acts as providers of commercial activities in an agents capacity for football players and other sports celebrities. It therefore guarantees football autographs , soccer autographs or other merchandise sold is genuine supplied with a certificate of authenticity.

We go to great lengths to provide you with peace of mind when it comes to authenticity. Selling authentic football autograph, soccer autographs & sports memorabilia products is our business, so we want to make sure you are as confident as we are about the products you buy from us.

Are you a charity or fund raising organisation? Please contact our sales office where we will be pleased to discuss providing football autograph, soccer autographs & other signed items for functions with no monetary risk to yourselves.

Visit our website and use our search facility on the menu on the left to locate any specific items or sporting personalities. Simply type the name of the person / item into the search box and click ‘Find’.

I have 2 World Cup 1966 programmes one green the other blue my dad said he bought them when he went to the games in 1966 what are they worth and is there a good time to sell these”.

Joe Sinex from Wembley The Green one is the championship one which covered the whole of the world cup tournament but did not name the final teams these are quite common however on a good day depending on condition you would hope to get £50-75 however we have seen some poor condition ones as low as £40. The blue programme is the World Cup final one however there are lots of pirates and copies if original unwritten and in very good condition expect over £100 we have seen some go for £175 however the poor copies are worth as low as £10 averaging at £20-£30 if they were signed obviously the price for either goes up. When to sell well it’s the 50th anniversary in a couple of years but there might be thousands of others thinking the same as me!

I have recently lost my dad and going through his items have found hundreds of football programmes of all London teams some finals there are boxes of them are they worth anything or shall I take to the tip?

Sandra from Poplar Sandra Old football programmes the most common form of

memorabilia you sadly have not given me any dates of these programmes so I need to generalise however it may be worth filtering out Cup finals, those pre 1960 ones and listing them some are worth pence others a few pounds and in the case of 1966 ones lots of pounds there are specialists who I can recommend but I would spend the time listing say the oldest 20 and send over to me 1980’s onwards generally except cup finals sadly not much value.

I have 2 Muhammad Ali signed presentations that cost me a lot of money I bought as an investment should I sell now or wait until the great man passes on.

Steve from Hillingdon Steve it’s a question I get asked weekly. First thing you need to do is ensure the autographs are genuine hopefully you received a certificate of authenticity from a company that is still trading. When a famous person passes on there is a mass panic selling and buying which can one minute inflate a price then with so many on the market deflate a true value. Buy or sell now? Personally I would put a price on the item and if you can get that all well and good. Muhammad Ali is the greatest sports person of all time and to own something signed by him is special. However as we say to all memorabilia buyers buy something because you want it not just because you think it will make you a profit in the future if it does happy days you are in profit if it does not you can still get

the enjoyment from the item that first attracted you to it.

I want to buy my boyfriend something that in years to come he will still appreciate and will hopefully retain its value with so many currant players going from team to team I am stuck.

Shona from Slough You have not mentioned your boyfriends chosen team however to generalise if Football I would buy retired legends Bobby Moore, George Best, Alf Ramsey, Matt Busby etc etc. are good example, in rugby the World Cup winning 2003 England team, in Boxing a retired World Champion there are so many choices, in tennis Andy Murray but once again buy whatever you get for the enjoyment that your boyfriend will get now and if in 10/20 years it has proven to be an investment you have made a good choice. Of course it would be remise of me not to plug my own company soccerbid.co.uk but as long as it is an AFTAL and UACC registered dealer you and your boyfriend should have plenty of choices.

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fexclusives

EXCLUS JUST FOR FOYER MAGAZINE

SOCCERBID HAVE PUT TOGETHER A SELECTION OF EXCLUSIVES JUST FOR FOYER MAGAZINE

S

occerbid is predominately sports memorabilia however we have been asked to show a selection of items to give you a taster of some of the pieces we have available.

Our sister site, www.titanicautographs.com, deals with everything

about the most famous ship of all time.

Our sports site mainly concentrates on legends of all sports.

We were the first memorabilia company to be allowed to advertise at Premiership football grounds, our client base is worldwide and a lot of our stock comes from our own sporting clients over the years.

FOR THE WEST HAM FANS TWO 12’’ X 16’’ IMAGES SHOWING SOME LEGENDS THAT HAVE PLAYED IN CLARET AND BLUE. SIGNED BY SIR GEOFF HURST, MARTIN PETERS, CLYDE BEST, PHIL PARKES, BRYAN ‘POP’ ROBSON, BILLY BONDS, MERVYN DAY, MARK WARD, KEN BROWN, ALAN TAYLOR & BILLY JENNINGS. MOUNTED IN A FRAME. £95 INC UK DELIVERY

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USIVES FOR LOVERS OF JAMES BOND AND EVERYTHING 007 A ONE OFF PRESENTATION THAT ‘M’ WOULD BE PROUD OF. FEATURING ACTUAL SIGNATURES FROM 23 WHO HAVE STARRED IN THE FILMS INCLUDING ALL THE BONDS, MANY IMAGES AND CORGI BOND CARS PLEASE EMAIL FOR DETAILED IMAGES AS THIS IS A LARGE DISPLAY 118cm X89cm X11cm WE CAN QUOTE FOR DELIVERY PRICE £1500 PLUS DELIVERY

THE 1st MOON WALKERS RARE PRESENTATION. A TOTAL LIMITED EDITION SIGNED BY ONE OF THE 1ST CREW TO LAND ON THE MOON, BUZZ ALDRIN. WITH OTHER IMAGES OF THAT HISTORICAL OCCASION IN 1969. WITH ENGRAVED PLATE FRAMED. £285 INCL UK DELIVERY

IF YOU WISH TO ENQUIRE ABOUT ANY ITEMS EITHER PHONE OUR SALES LINE ON 01702 202036 OR EMAIL INFO@SOCCERBID.CO.UK A PERFECT PRESENT FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS EVERYTHING. AN ACTUAL PIECE OF WEMBLEY TURF IN A PAPERWEIGHT. THE CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY IS SIGNED BY WORLD CUP HERO SIR GEOFF HURST. IN ITS OWN GIFT BOX. £55 INCL UK POSTAGE OTHER LEGENDS AVAILABLE INCLUDING TOTTENHAM, CHELSEA, MAN U, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND GOAL KEEPERS - PLEASE EMAIL FOR DETAILS

TITANIC PRESENTATION AUTOGRAPHED BY THE LAST SURVIVOR MILLVINA DEAN. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TITANIC SIGNED IMAGES FROM POST CARDS, REPLICA LIFEJACKETS, PIECES OF TITANIC COAL AND MOORING ROPE. THIS ITEM, FRAMED MONTAGE OF THE INFAMOUS SHIP £110 INCL UK DELIVERY FOR OTHER ITEMS PLEASE SEE WWW.TITANICAUTOGRAPHS.COM

ANDY MURRAY SIGNED PRESENTATION TO CELEBRATE THE FIRST BRITISH WIMBLEDON WINNER FOR MANY YEARS. A SPECIAL ONE OFF FRAMED PRESENTATION WITH 3 DIFFERENT WINNING IMAGES OF MURRAY (INCLUDING WIMBLEDON) ONE HAS BEEN SIGNED WITH ENGRAVED PLATE. £190 INCL UK DELIVERY.

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37

fmoney

Million Brits Lose Track of Savings

In these recessionary times, most people have a good idea of their weekly or monthly budget – right down to the last penny! However, lack of organisation and forgetfulness are costing us dear, as new research reveals that despite rising living costs, 7.6 Million brits have lost track of their savings.

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I

t has been estimated that a huge £15bn to £20bn is lying unclaimed across a range of financial institutions in the UK. But while 60% of people have made an effort to track down their lost treasure, a staggering two fifths haven’t bothered to try to reunite themselves with their savings.

And it’s not as if they don’t need it – over a fifth say they would use the funds to pay off bills or debts and nearly one in ten would spend it on day to day living costs.

Of those who have lost touch with their savings and investments, over a quarter have misplaced their original account details, 27% can’t remember all of the accounts they’ve opened in the past, 21% have forgotten to update their address when they moved house and have lost track of their account as a result, and 24% were given savings or investments as a child but don’t know the account details.

It is incredibly easy to misplace important financial information, especially with accounts or policies that were opened several years ago. If you have lost touch with an account, contact the organisation concerned to make sure you don’t have any forgotten funds.

Perhaps your financial institution has disappeared off the radar. It could be that the company has changed its name or been taken over.

But it doesn’t take a gargantuan effort to find your missing money, as 72% of Brits who have launched a search have come up trumps.

Searches undertaken on the website money can help with the costs of day are passed securely to the institutions to day living, so it’s important people that may be holding the lost account. keep a track of their savings no matter The institutions contacted will how much they’ve previthen carry out a search ously put away.”

You can of their accounts and Once you have search the applicant will be tracked them all for organisations informed whether down, make on any account they sure you look mylostaccount.org.uk hold matches the after impordetails submitted tant financial a free service provided online. information by the British Bankers’ These lost savand dupliAssociation, ings and investcate copies the Building Societies ments could help of important Association and people to reach their documents just NS&I goals, with nearly one in case they are lost in 10 quizzed saying they or destroyed. would put any newly-found Information relating to funds towards a new home and 12% life insurance, savings bonds, plans would jet off on holiday. A further and certificates, bank or building eight per cent would use the money to society accounts and pensions should treat themselves and just under a third all be noted separately and kept in a would save it for a rainy day. secure place or with a trusted person, John Prout, Retail Customer Direcsuch as a solicitor. tor at NS&I which conducted the research, says: “Even small amounts of

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39

fhistory

CELEBRATING

LIBERTY THROUGHOUT 2014, NORMANDY WILL BE A DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR MANY PEOPLE COMMEMORATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY.

eremonies, firework displays, street dances and parades have marked the event for many years – but this year is expected to be one of the last important anniversary dates to include those who are still in ‘living memory’ of the events of the Second World War. Commanded by Eisenhower, Operation Overlord – the code name for the D-Day Landings – took place on June 6th 1944, when more than 150,000 soldiers including British, Americans, Canadians, French, Polish, Dutch, Belgians and Norwegians, landed by sea and air on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches.

40

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There followed a huge battle, mobilising over three million soldiers, which ended on 21st August after 77 days of combat.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world are due to visit France this year – so now is a good time to book a visit and learn more about this significant period of 20th century history.

Between the official commemorations and the cultural and tourist programme of events, this year will be packed with events for Normandy – truly putting the region in the limelight.

The programme of cultural and family-orientated events aims to engage, explain and evoke an under-

standing of the importance of remembrance.

Whether you travel alone, as a couple, as a family or with friends, you can step into history and walk in the path of those who have written it.

Whether you want to follow in the footsteps of the heroes by visiting chateaux used during the conflict, or take part in the various events of the season, there is something for the whole family.

Apart from the D-Day Festival, there will be a giant picnic on Omaha Beach, the ‘Freedom Tattoo’ Military Concert, air shows using model aeroplanes, a sound and light show at Bayeux cathedral and an extraordinary giant firework display to set the sky

Operation Overlord – the code name for the D-Day Landings – took place on June 6th 1944, when more than 150,000 soldiers including British, Americans, Canadians, French, Polish, Dutch, Belgians

alight along the coast at 24 sites, all of which are emblematic of the D-Day Landings.

You can also discover and explore sites from the Caen Memorial to Montormel, from Sainte-Mere-Eglise to Bayeux and Cherbourg. The celebratory programme will also include historical reconstructions, concerts, film screenings, themed tours and walks.

In keeping with modern technology, a series of smartphone applications, GPS Tours and virtual visits has also been developed. For example, the Museum of the Liberation of Cherbourg will be equipped with multimedia technology showing the strategic role played by the port of Cherbourg during the Battle of Normandy, while the Open Air Museum will guide visitors from site to site via a GPS system, and you can relive the first days of the D-Day Landings on screen.

All this is easily accessible from the UK. There are regular sailings with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen’s port of Ouistreham (literally at the end of Sword Beach), to Cherbourg and Le Havre and also

from Poole to Cherbourg. DFDS also sail from Portsmouth to Le Havre.

Wherever you want to go, or whatever you want to see, there is something for everyone in Normandy during these special celebrations – with a wealth of different kinds of accommodation available from camp sites, bed and breakfast rooms, inns, chateaux and hotels of all standards.

The 2014 season will be decidedly special, with the last few survivors of the battle being able to give first-hand accounts of the Landings, before they are consigned to the records of history.

Sailings to Normandy and accommodation will be busy around the 6th June, so you may want to visit earlier in the spring or later in the summer, to make the most of your trip.

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41

flifestyle

My Many Lives

by Dave Davies Although only 52 years old I seem to have lived through enough experiences to cover a few lifetimes. In this series I wanted to cover my experiences, some of these are humorous others poignant, some will be exclusive to me others you or your friends may have experienced.

This month I am going to cover the subject of a close loved one giving their body to medical science and the emotional experience that may be left on those left behind

M

y mother had some strange outlooks on life, a depressant and worrier from an early age. As an inquisitive child I liked being a nosey child in my mothers bedroom (my parents were divorced). One day at the age of about 11 I found a letter saying “To be opened immediately upon my death�

I straight away wanted to know what this was about. My mother explained that she did not want a funeral and to save the hassle wanted to give her body away???. Roll forward 30 years she had 42

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a terminal lung disease She and I both knew she was dying.

From a mega busy life 24 /7 I decided we needed to have some quality time together, at least once a week while she was still mentally together. She kept on about not wanting a funeral service. I told her that she would not be around to argue, I needed to say goodbye so would obey her wishes concerning her body being given to medical science, but I needed closure so would have a memorial service she agreed.

Move on a few months she was in a near dying state, she knew it, so did I. The day or so before she died we knew it was coming I phoned the Cambridge medical college who transferred me to London Imperial college. I explained what was happening and wanted to

The positives for this

get the process in action, the impormum’s memory had never gone from tant thing is that the body needs to my mind I was not going to give her be removed and in the possession of body an anonymous nondescript the medical college within hours. I cremation. So in November 2006 I had to ask a funeral director to be on made my way on my own to a South standby. The funeral directors thought London crematorium.

I was having a laugh when I was asking You can imagine my surprise when about a person that had not died yet. I a vicar appeared to ask me about my put the local doctor and nursing home mum I was shell shocked all emotions on strict orders to phone the medical about her dying hit me like it was college and funeral directors the minhappening all over again I just said she ute she was declared deceased. I also was a Christian bought in COE and told the funeral director to get mums would have not wanted all this. That’s corneas removed immediately. all I said suddenly a hearse turns up Thursday 7th October 2004 23.15. with pall bearers and a coffin the vicar My mother died, I said my goodbye to then starting reciting words from I an unconscious body at 7.15pm after presume the bible sprinkled holy wabeing with her for 60 hours. I told the ter on the coffin and in they marched. nursing home I would phone the next We then had a short funeral service morning, which I did at 7am, by then with a coffin and just me. the body had been removed, the The vicar commented that after corneas removed and my all I had told him about my mum’s body was on mum she appeared to her way to medical be a very wonderful college. person and rattled The funeral 2 weeks later on as if he knew directors thought we had our meher. This was morial service, after one line I was having a laugh just like a from me the when I was asking funeral without vicar must have the body. I spoke also had a ready about the person and explained to made script? that had not died the guests what After loads of was happening prayers the coffin with her body. I then disappeared the vicar went into my mournshook my hand as I ing period as everyone does was leaving the chapel the but as I had said goodbye to her body hearse raced in front of me to pick up in person and again to her spirit and another (or possibly the same casket) memory in a church service I wanted to do the repeat process for another to move on with my life. My family & body. A few weeks later I received the I needed some quality time that had ashes and spread them in 2 different been eluded. places and had another small service I was contacted about 2 years later just my family and I. by the medical collage to say they had finished with my mums body did I want them to dispose of it by cremation or did I want to attend a very short service. I felt that although my

The medical college’s /universities need for the continuation of research especially into illnesses that have not been beaten by the medical system bodies so you are helping the progress of medical science.

There are no costs to you or your loved ones estate providing they accept the body however bodies that have been badly diseased maybe rejected If you choose not to have a memorial/funeral service it is a quick and efficient way of dealing with the with a loved ones death especially if the last period of time before demise was particularly stressful.

The negatives

Some people need a funeral soon after the demise to close a chapter on the sad experience Until the final receiving of the ashes in your mind there is always the wish to move on, it is a strange process playing with your mind.

If deciding to give the body to medical science then the university/college refusing it it’s a double whammy, which emotionally your family does not need.

If like myself you want to move on, having a memorial service then getting the body back for commitment to crematorium, another service, then getting the ashes back for whatever you are going to do with them is quite a strain on your emotions.

Conclusion

Talk as a family before the loved one is too ill weigh up all of the above for further information.

The person who wants to give their body to medical science needs to understand what emotions this process will cause to the grieving family.

http://www.hta.gov.uk/ bodyorganandtissuedonation/ howtodonateyourbody.cfm

We are all going to die but next time I promise to write about something a little happier. foyermagazine.com

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fstatistics

Global citizens changing face of

jetset life The international lifestyle of the jetset is something that the majority of us have long envied.

S

wapping the miserable British winter for the seductive delights of foreign climes is an ideal that occupies the daydreams of many a UK office worker.

But it appears that an increasing number of us are achieving this dream – despite the current global economic meltdown.

New research has revealed the emergence of a new internationally mobile “global citizen” with a lifestyle no longer confined to the super-rich.

The study, which collated responses from over 1,000 affluent UK citizens,

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found that one in five spent a month or more outside Britain in the past year.

In fact, a total of 12% of Brits have spent more than a month away from home in a single trip in the past 12 months – equating to about 340,000 nationally – while two per cent, or 57,000 people, spent a month out of the UK for business reasons.

Nicholas Boys Smith, says more people are spending time abroad for both business and pleasure than a decade ago, but notes the emergence of a different type of customer who divide their time between two or more countries.

He says: “Importantly, this isn’t just the super-rich. We’re talking about thousands of people who couldn’t be classified as ultra-high net worth, but are forming a new global village of internationally mobile citizens.

“Ten years ago people spoke about the ‘haves’, the ‘have-nots’ and the ‘have-yachts’. Now I think we’re increasingly seeing that you don’t have to be a billionaire to be detaching from your country of origin.”

Boys Smith continued by drawing attention to the 17% of wealthy Brits who are thinking of leaving the UK at some point over the next couple of years, adding: “Now it is more a case

Total of 12% of Brits have spent more than a month away from home in a single trip in the past 12 months – equating to about 340,000 nationally – while two per cent, or 57,000 people, spent a month out of the UK for business reasons.

of the ‘haves’, the ‘have-nots’ and the ‘have-frequent-flier-cards’.”

With globalization continuing to stretch into every aspect of society, from the international expansion of business to social connectivity, Lloyds International is rewriting the new type of global citizen.

The research showed that the most common reason for spending time away on business was that there are more perceived opportunities overseas.

However, some – around a quarter – said it was because their company now does more business on an international basis or that their cur-

rent job role has changed.

Around 43% of leisure travellers say they spend more time abroad as a result of being able to afford more foreign holidays with others stating it is because they have retired in the past five years. It also interestingly noted that 28% of respondents say they prefer the way of life in other countries.

Boys Smith concludes: “Many people are now far more comfortable travelling the world, working in other countries and experiencing different cultures. They say an Englishman’s home is his castle, but many people now move around as if on a boat, mooring their home in different places

as they sail life’s journey.”

may2014

45

fmoney

Financial Crisis

in Greece

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he purpose of this article is to outline the causes and the results of the financial crisis in Greece. Who is responsible for this recession? How has this crisis affected the Greek community and economy? When is Greece going to be able to overcome this crisis and get back on track? These are just some of the questions that have to be answered.

To begin with, let’s go back in the early 2000s when Greek economy was one of the fastest growing in the Eurozone. Back then the most important

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Greek industries were tourism (Greece was one of the most visited countries in the world) and shipping (the Greek Merchant Navy is the largest in the world). Moreover, agriculture used to play an important role in economy as well. The main exports of Greece was agricultural products (Greece is one of the largest producers of cotton, pistachios, rice, figs, almonds, tomatoes, watermelons and tobacco in European Union). Having said that, Greece enjoyed a high standard living and very high Human Development Index. So what happened? What went wrong?

How a seemingly powerful country went under just in few years?

There are two words we should keep in mind when it comes to the financial crisis in Greece, two words that sum up the whole situation, Government Spending! All these decades since 1974, all the Greek governments have been spending money they didn’t have. They used to finance enormous military expenditure (Greece was the second biggest defense spender among the 27 NATO countries after U.S.A). Another huge waste of money was “the false allowance phenomenon” that reached new heights over the last fifteen years.

Let me explain that…Someone used to get a blind person’s allowance while he wasn’t blind. I believe you get my point. This way the government gave away millions on disability pensions for healthy people. And the list goes on!

But how were all these governments able to spend large amounts of money since they had none? Well, they took out loans from other countries, it’s simple…or not! This situation created a huge deficit which was the result of fiscal imbalances developed during the past years! Of course, this is a chain reaction so the next problem Greece has to deal with was the unsustainable and

accelerating dept-to-GDP-ratios. The roots of this problem were the combination of low GDP growth and high structural deficits. The dept-to-GDPratios in 2013 was almost 180% which means that for every 100 euros Greece makes, 180 euros must be given to the loaners! Last but not least, tax evasion and corruption played a decisive role in making the situation worse. The fact that Greece couldn’t collect the proper amount of taxes enlarged the deficit and helped the regime of corruption to expand.

The results of this crisis are visible every day. The austerity measures created a chaos and dissolved the community by lowering the quality of life dramatically. The unemployment rate is unbelievable (28% in November 2013).

Young people after they graduate and get their degree, they prefer to migrate to find a job and a bright future.

Small businesses close down every day.

People are unable to pay their bills; they live without electricity or even water.

Homeless people are found everywhere nowadays. But the worst thing about crisis is that the Greeks lost their hope.

They believe in nothing and they feel sorry for their children because they can do nothing to help them. In my

opinion, this recession will last long and it is going to be a dark period for the history of Greece. The community and the bonds between the Greek will be tested to the limit. Despite all these, I am still optimistic and I think that Greece and Greeks will overcome this and come out of it stronger and wiser.

I really want to believe that the same mistakes won’t be made again. What we need right now is patience and determination to get through this difficult period.

Taking into consideration all that mentioned above, I believe that the Greek governments are responsible for 60% of the crisis and the citizens are responsible for the remaining 40%.

This crisis is the result of forty years of corruption, spending, mistakes and tolerance from the citizens! It’s still too early to start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but I think that we are moving in the right direction.

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fbeauty

Sun Screen could block out more than the sun Most of us are aware of the

dangers of too much sun 48

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nnual campaigns every summer remind us to slather ourselves in sun cream and keep in the shade, while vigorously checking for any changes to our moles. But did you ever consider that shielding your skin from the sun excessively could do you more harm than good?

Vitamin D is vital to the body in aiding the absorption of calcium among other things and our primary source of the vitamin is through direct sunlight. However wearing sunscreen effectively shields us not only from the harmful rays of the sun but also from the helpful ones too.

Therefore, as the sun makes a welcome return, the National Osteoporosis Society has begun its fifth Sunlight Campaign to remind people across the UK to get outside for a few minutes every day between May and September to keep their vitamin D levels topped up.

Encouragingly, more people than ever before know that sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, and understand that we should leave skin uncovered for a few minutes each day, according to a survey carried out by the National Osteoporosis Society.

But there are still too many who mistakenly believe that we should wear sunscreen to obtain vitamin D, unwittingly putting themselves at risk of deficiency and unhealthy bones.

The survey, which questioned 600 people in the UK, found that 62 per cent of respondents understood that we need vitamin D to keep our

bones healthy, but while a third correctly believed that the best way to get vitamin D is by going outside in the sun without sunscreen , another third think that you should wear sunscreen.

While they are correct that sunscreen is needed to protect the skin, it is important to allow a few minutes of sunlight to make vitamin D. Dr Helen Macdonald, chair of the National Osteoporosis Society’s nutrition and lifestyle forum says: “Vitamin D has been long known to improve bone health, by helping our bodies process calcium effectively – it is essential for bone and muscle health as it promotes calcium absorption from our food. Our bones need the added mineral to make them strong and supportive; and vitamin D may play an important role in muscle function.”

The National Osteoporosis Society’s 2012 Sunlight Campaign will run from May until September to remind people across the UK that the best way to top up your vitamin D and boost your bones is by going outside for a few minutes every day and, even better, it’s completely free. To find out more, visit www.nos.org.uk/vitamind Top ten tips to make sure you get enough vitamin D. Sunlight is the best natural source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps our bodies to process calcium effectively and is essential for healthy bones Exposure to sunlight every day between 11am and 3pm from May until September will increase Vitamin D and help to keep bones healthy You should try to get 10 minutes of sun exposure to your bare skin, once or twice a day (depending on skin type), without sunscreen and taking care not to burn. Always take care not to burn,

especially during the strong sunshine in the middle of the day. Babies and children have very sensitive skin and need careful protection.

Even on cloudy days, your body can still produce Vitamin D from sunlight but it can take a little longer.

Get outside between May and September so that your body can produce enough Vitamin D to help see you through the winter months. Make sure that you are actually outside. Your body cannot produce Vitamin D even if you are sitting by a window or in a conservatory on a sunny day. You must be outside. Only a small proportion of vitamin D comes from the food we eat, but it is still important to include vitamin D rich foods in your diet, such as oily fish and eggs. Many margarines, breakfast cereals and dairy alternatives are fortified, but do check the label. If your skin starts to burn, your body will begin to deplete the vitamin D that it has produced so safe sun is always best. If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun is at the right angle to produce vitamin D

foyermagazine.com

49

fhealth

Women brought to heel

On Fashion Faux Pas IT’S THE FASHION FAUX PAS THAT IS RARELY TALKED ABOUT AND REMAINS ONE OF THE HIDDEN SECRETS AT THE BOTTOM OF MANY WOMEN’S WARDROBES

O

nce or twice is forgivable and perhaps even understandable, but now new research has revealed that women keep making the same mistake when it comes to fashionable footwear – and are frittering away £2.5 billion a year on uncomfortable shoes they rarely wear.

The average woman in the UK spends £136.52 on five new pairs of shoes every year, at a cost of £27.40 per pair.

But instead of investing wisely in shoes they can wear more than once, three out of the five pairs of these “must-have” heels end up at the bottom of the wardrobe having only had one or two outings because they hurt their new owner’s feet.

The research, commissioned by shoe specialist Hotter Comfort Concept, also revealed that 40% of the 1,000 women questioned admit choosing their shoes purely because of how they look – and not how they feel.

But incredibly, almost a third who

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have tried on shoes and know they’ll be sore still buy them because they just can’t resist the look, and often kid themselves into believing their feet will adjust.

This determination to persevere with their purchases means 62% of women spend at least one day a week wearing uncomfortable shoes, with 48% hoping to wear them in until their feet get used to them.

But still we refuse to give up! More than half of women say they hang on to their hellish heels for up to a year before admitting defeat and throwing them away, despite only wearing them once. They also revealed that they own at least four pairs of shoes just to be worn when sitting down or Dinner Shoes that look amazing but are excruciating to actually walk in.

Regionally, women in Chelmsford buy the most shoes, treating themselves to an average of seven pairs every year whereas women in Leicester buy the least, getting by on just four pairs a year.

Worcestershire is revealed as the worst county for footwear faux pas as women there admit that 70% of their shoe collection has only been worn

once because they are too painful, whereas Cambridge females are the most comfort-savvy with just 20% of their collection having been worn only once.

Lisa McCarten from Hotter, said: “Shoes really can change your life: they have an impact on the health of your feet, can influence how you feel and play a significant part in how much you enjoy your day.

“Not only do uncomfortable shoes make for a bad day today, squeezing your toes into ill-fitting footwear can also damage your feet causing pain and discomfort in later life. “We all want to look our best, keep up with our busy lives and have fun; stylish comfy shoes are an essential part of the modern woman’s wardrobe to help her tackle all three.”

Most of us girls have parted with our hardearned cash for a pair of must-have shoes, only to find these treasures are transformed into a toe torture contraption halfway through the night

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ffashion

The Power Suit’s Second Coming: Audacious Eighties Concepts meet Sharp, Contemporary Tailoring

efreshingly – given the ubiquity of the skinny suit in recent years – the 80s fad for power dressing is making a comeback. Once the cogent signature of the aggressively aspirational executives of the business world, the power suit is now making waves in the fashion world.

First time around, power dressing was all about projecting one’s success, status and wealth. Regrettably, the attire chosen to exhibit such virtues was a suit with ridiculously proportioned shoulder pads and strong – though not always flattering – lines. The resulting look was as overblown as the typical wearer’s ego, with a silhouette more akin to a silverback than a banker.

By the dot-com boom of the mid nineties, organisations of all kinds had relaxed their previously rigid dress code in order to attract younger, more creative types. Doing lunch had been replaced by the semi-reprieve of casual Fridays, and with it went the power suit.

However, AW13 saw the return of many eighties’ tailoring trends (notably from the pioneer of the power 52 42

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suit himself, Giorgio Armani), and this has continued into SS14. More importantly than anything else, all that was wrong with the power suit in years gone by has been rectified, and replaced with more flattering, contemporary tailoring.

This is not to say that there aren’t any hints at the original eighties look.

Pinstripes were at one time the garish partner of the obscenely wide pointed lapel, but their more understated inclusion on contemporary, slimmer cut suits is a welcome addition. The eighties throwbacks don’t stop there; the double-breasted blazer is very much back on the radar, as is the windowpane and Prince of Wales check, but all with a more modern feel.

The power suit is also no longer about brand, or indeed the sizeable amount of money you spend on it; a well cut suit will give a better impression than any label name-dropping, and with high street retailers such as Topman, Zara and Marks and Spencer creating some really bold, quality tailoring, there’s no need to go spending big on the bespoke Saville Row experience. Of course, if high end is the name of the game, Thom Sweeney,

Richard James and interestingly the new Tommy Hilfiger Tailored collection – that shows it’s not always necessary to be perfectly matched, but that it’s essential to be coordinated – might be more up your street (or Row).

The power suit wouldn’t be complete without a few meticulously selected adornments – and as you may have guessed – eighties inspired pale blue contrast collar shirts and paisley or bold stripe ties complete the look to perfection. There’s also no harm in adding a pocket-handkerchief, or this season’s must-have suit accessory, the silk knitted tie.

Too long has the power suit been exiled; as John T. Molloy said in his Dress For Success books, a good wardrobe doesn’t necessarily turbocharge your career — but a poor one invariably will sink it. We should be heeding the lessons learned in the City’s heyday, and embrace power dressing in its new, contemporary guise. Now throw on the Huey Lewis and the News cassette and get stuck in – just leave the thick red braces at home.

foyermagazine.com march2014

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fclothing

Reveal T h e uk ’ s £ 3 0 b i ll i on w a rdro b e

Most of us will admit to a dark secret part of our wardrobes that

conceal our fashion mistakes and outfits we aim to get back into, just as soon as we’ve lost that extra stone

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B

ut now new research reveals that UK consumers have around £30 billion worth of clothes which they haven’t worn for a year hanging around in

their closets.

In the last year alone we left a staggering 1.7 billion items unwanted and untouched in our wardrobes.

But with more than two thirds of shoppers willing to buy and wear pre-owned clothing, the report highlights ways in which consumers and businesses can benefit from taking at a fresh look at our leftovers – both financially and environmentally.

The Valuing our Clothes report from WRAP, the UK’s leading body on resource efficiency, provides the first big picture of the impact of our clothing choices.

It also offers a fresh look at the financial and environmental aspects of the whole journey of clothing – from raw material, to manufacture, purchase, use and disposal of our clothes.

Each stage of that journey has a significant environmental impact, the authors point out. For example over 90% of the waste footprint occurs during fibre and garment supply.

Washing and drying clothes is the equivalent of around 10% of total carbon emissions from cars in the UK while the majority of the waste arises once an item is no longer wanted.

But a third of all of the clothes we buy end up in landfill, which is bad for the environment and bad value. However there are significant opportunities to generate revenue of around £140 million if all these clothes were given to charities, local authorities or other organisations for recycling or re-use.

WRAP say these existing options, or indeed new business opportunities, could keep more clothing out of the bin and landfill, ensuring value is retained for longer.

Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP, says: “The way we make and use clothes consumes a huge amount of the earth’s precious resources, and accounts for a major chunk of family spending.

“But by increasing the active use of clothing by an extra nine months we could reduce the water, carbon and waste impacts by up to 20-30% each and save £5 billion.

“Consumers can realise the value of clothing by updating existing items for their own use, or selling or donating them for others to use. There are also significant opportunities for industry to capitalise on consumer interest and gain financially.”

The body says that making more use of these clothes through re-use and other routes such as design changes, alteration, repair and recycling, will benefit both families and firms across the country.

It also goes a step further by identifying potential new business models

ed for industry that can add to the bottom line, increase the range of services or stimulate markets.

The recently-launched M&S & Oxfam Shopping initiative has provided clear evidence that there’s both retailer awareness and customer interest in new approaches.

Another new business opportunity is retailers establishing ‘buy-back’ schemes which enable customers to sell own-brand clothes they no longer want back to the shop for re-sale.

With more than half of those surveyed saying they would sell back items and over two-thirds happy to consider buying returned clothes, this type of initiative could provide an extra income stream from a ready customer base.

Liz concludes: “This research clearly shows there are real financial and environmental benefits to be reaped from valuing our clothes more.

Increasing the active use of clothing by an extra nine months we could reduce the water, carbon and waste impacts by up to

20-30% each and save £5 billion

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fhouse

Mini

Orchards

T

he type you choose may be influenced by what other people are growing in your area, as well as the type of fruit you like best, and at what time of year the trees produce.

Having a range of different trees that produce fruit at different times will allow you to enjoy fresh fruit all year round.

Zoning refers to how you lay out

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WHEN CHOOSING FRUIT TREES FOR YOUR MINI ORCHARD, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE TYPE OF SOIL THEY REQUIRE, ALONG WITH HOW MUCH WATER AND SUNLIGHT THEY NEED



Before you start planting, decide how you would like your mini orchard to look. Keep in mind that your garden does not have to be

covered in trees like a traditional orchard. You can simply incorporate a few fruit trees into your existing design. Make sure that you pick suitable

places to plant so they don’t hang over your house or prevent sunlight from hitting your garden.

your mini orchard. You need to think ing holes. These need to be about a about it in a practical and logical manthird wider than your fruit trees’ root ner. For example, if you know that systems, but the same depth, so that certain types of fruit trees need attendthe soil marks match the existing ones ing to more frequently, it makes sense on the trees. Place the trees in the holes to position them nearest to your house. you have dug, ensuring that the trunks Whereas if you are planting fruit trees are kept upright. You will then need that require very little maintenance, poto refill the holes with soil, and gently sition them further down your garden, press it down with your foot to ensure towards the back. it is compact.

Once you have ordered your chosen The trend to grow our own produce fruit trees and had them delivered, it is increasing, and many gardeners are is time to get planting. Make sure you looking beyond vegetables and tradifollow your plan, ensuring that trees are tional fruits – and creating mini orplanted in sunny yet sheltered spots, chards in their back gardens. But what which will prevent them from being are the things to consider if you want damaged by adverse weather condiyour trees to succeed year after year? tions. It is highly recommended that you dig the soil before planting your trees, as this can help to improve drainage. If you spot any weeds, pull them out and lay down wellThe trend to rotted garden grow our own compost. produce is increasing, The next and many gardeners are step is to looking beyond vegetables create your and traditional fruits – plant-

getting fruit from trees, mini orchard comes from home-grown food –under your own conditions.

and creating mini orchards in their back gardens.

But what are the things to consider if you want your trees to succeed year after year?

may2014

57

ffood&drink

Going

GREEN

for a brew

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Once a cup of builder’s tea was enough to drown the nation’s sorrows, but Brits are increasingly turning to alternative varieties

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he UK’s growing appreciation for green and herbal teas is hitting sales of builder’s brew as new research reveals that sales of the healthier alternatives have shot up an impressive 83% in the past two years.

Indeed, the strain is showing for good old-fashioned English Breakfast tea. Although accounting for the biggest share of the tea market at 70%, sales of ordinary English Breakfast tea bags dropped by 1.5% from £470 million to £463 million between 2010 and 2011. The share of ordinary bags as a percentage of sales fell from 73% in 2009 to 70% in 2011, although tea is still drunk by nearly almost nine in 10 Brits. And the number of Brits using English Breakfast tea in the past 12 months has fallen from 87% in 2010 to 83% in 2011.

Meanwhile, our taste buds are turning on to more exotic varieties with sales of fruit and herbal tea bags up 10% between 2009 and 2011, while speciality teas and decaffeinated brews grew by eight per cent and 16% respectively. But it’s the green bags which are the star performer of the tea scene, with sales almost doubling from £12 million in 2009 to £22 million in 2011, and today as many as 12% of Brits drink green tea on a weekly basis.

Alex Beckett, senior food analyst at Mintel which carried out the research, says: “While English Breakfast tea is fondly regarded, the expansion of coffee chains and the exotic flavours of fruit, herbal and green teas are encouraging consumers to diversify their consumption habits, prompting fewer cups of standard tea to be drunk.

“Though the segment continues to play only a niche role in the market, green tea, like fruit and herbal teas, has benefited from positive associations with healthiness. Green tea extracts are increasingly found in cosmetic beauty products, raising the

profile of green tea among women in particular.

“When faced with adversity, Britons have historically reached for a cup of tea. And the state of the current economic climate should in theory provide bountiful times for tea brands, considering three quarters of users describe it as comforting.

“However, diversity appears to be impacting tea consumption more than adversity these days. With usage rates falling and value sales growth all but reliant on commodity inflation, it could be forgiven for disregarding the long-established motto to ‘Keep calm and carry on’.”

Meanwhile, sales of loose leaf tea dropped by 11% between 2009 and 2011, to a record £16 million, accounting for just two per cent of overall tea sales. While usage of loose leaf remained flat, with nine per cent of tea drinkers opting for it, the higher price adds to its unpopularity.

Surprisingly, the biggest loose tea drinkers are aged between 25-34 at 12% rather than those aged 65 and over who were more likely to have grown up using it rather than tea bags.

Alex adds: “Tea has an increasingly cool image. With many of the nation’s younger consumers having a keener interest in food, as well as quality coffee, this group are more likely to be more open to discovering the benefits of loose leaf, such as the full flavour of the larger leaves.”

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ffood & drink

Parlour 5 Regent Street, Kensal Green London, NW10 5LG 020 8969 2184 www.parlourkensal.com

L

ocated in a side street in London’s Kensal Green, Parlour is an all day restaurant/bar, which is in no way ordinary.

The Parlour cannot boast great views or a picturesque location but it more than makes up for this shortcoming in every other aspect. The interior is vintage and cosy (the good kind of cosy) and the atmosphere is as warm as it

is welcoming.

The service is quick and the staff, familiar and informal, in the best way. There’s an option to take the Chef ’s table, seating 7, promising a feast and a fantastic finale.

One glance at the menu and it’s clear the Chef/Owner Jesse Dunford Wood is looking to stand out amongst the crowd with something new and unique. The menu does leave a lot to the imagination, written in a tongue-in-cheek way without too much detail. Though, when the plates arrive, they’re a pleasant surprise. The food proves to be elegant, clever and delicious and in fact, it speaks for itself.

With offerings such as ‘Back door’ smoked salmon and soda bread, if you’re there for a breakfast trip, Cow Pie for dinner and Toasted Marshmallow Wagon Wheel for pudding.

The menu offers other quirky options such as Chicken Kyiv, Arctic Roll and DIY Pheasant Eggs with celery salt.

There’s also an impressive offering of drinks, boasting a ‘Beeropedia’ with a promise of

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something new and even the cocktails have their own ‘Parlour’ spin, such as the Kensal Green Tea. Everything about the Parlour has a unique twist and it successfully reinvents the wheel, though the Chef certainly doesn’t sacrifice quality and class for fun, they seem to have struck the perfect balance.

Open from 10am til Midnight every day, bookings can be made.

By Melissa Chapman

a pop-up restaurant that will be staying

Kurobuta 20 Kendal St, London W2 2YE 020 3475 4158 www.kurobuta-london.com

W

e came to Kurobuta searching for that perfect gourmet treat we searched no more, we were very pleased to get some of the best Japanese food we have ever had in London, ( including Nobu) and without doubt getting better value for our pound. The place may be a little cramped and there is no point in staying around after you’ve finished you’re food but the setting is neighborly. Friends meet, and acquaintances greet each other. But the food, my, was it worth it!

We had an amazing meal, reminiscent of Greek tapas, just order 2 or 3 items per person from the whole menu then share and taste your heart out. From Sweet Potato and Soba-Ko Fries with Sauces, the sauces were awesome, to BBQ Pork Belly in Steamed Buns with Spicy Peanut Soy, you have to try these, the flavours that the talented kitchen produced were some of the best I have tasted, even the asparagus was transformed into a marvel super hero.

Mouthful after mouthful I was stunned by the complimenting flavours bouncing around inside my mouth.

The presentation, as you all know, first feeds the eye, then the taste buds and boy were my eyes over indulged just by the sight of the food. And don’t fail to have a shot of sake, an acquired taste but embrace. The serving is generous so don’t be tempted to drink too quickly or overindulge, this is like rocket fuel, personally I preferred the numwerous cocktails on offer.

pork-buns As the evening passed we were treated to desserts unlike anything I had ever had before in any Asian restaurant, I will not spoil the surprise of these, go visit for yourself.

It is not often that I am surprised by new flavours and quality food but I can honestly say this was a massive surprise.

With their new restaurant now open in Marble Arch I am sure there are many great things to come from Kurobuta.

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ffood & drink

Red Dog Saloon 37 Hoxton Square London, N1 6NN 020 3551 8014 www.reddogsaloon.co.uk

W

hat can I say, I have been searching high and low for an ‘american style’ restaurant that is actually ‘american style’ and not a poor substitute.

I have finally found one, Red Dog Saloon, the food is plentiful and suits us carnivores down to the ground, my other half even attempted the hot wings challenge, made with Naga viper chillis, after signing a health disclaimer and donning a pair of protective gloves she managed 2 out of the 6 wings, I tried the sauce and it blew my head off.

Mouth watering brisket, pulled pork, pork or beef ribs, BBQ’d chicken and burgers galore, cooked to perfection and served up by the friendly staff that are only to happy to make sure you have an enjoyable experience.

by Paul Razey Food critic & travel writer 62

foyermagazine.com

A dam H andlin g

Caxton Grill 2 Caxton St London, SW1H 0QW 0800 6521498 www.caxtongrill.co.uk

S

Chocolatreu& Passionf it

et inside the St. Ermin’s Hotel, a relatively unknown hotel but one I will be staying in next time I have any appointment that side of town.

After watching Adam Handling’s journey through Masterchef The Professionals last

year I thought it would be a great idea to try his food, and visited The Caxton Grill.

I decided on the tasting menu as this delivers the best scope of Adam’s talents, I loved

every single dish, the tastes, the textures and the presentations are on a level of a chef that has many years experience than that of Adam, he can definitely hold his own against the big boys of the culinary world.

who seems very overwhelmed with the whole

Over the years I have eaten in many fabulous restaurants, my favorite was always Mr Ramsey at

‘Celebrity Chef ’ tag. After Masterchef Adam has

Claridges, (Now sadly gone) but the food at the Caxton grill can certainly hold its own with that restau-

appeared on Junior Masterchef, opened his own

rant & some of the best around.

restaurant, which is amazing and can only go

The meal was made even better by the excellent service and timing, so that we never felt rushed

from strength to strength, and will be launching

or were being ignored for too long between courses. The bar and lounge afterwards offering a trio of

his own book towards the end of the year, I look

whiskies made for a relaxing end to a wonderful evening.

forward to this immensely.

A couple of small niggles, a dirty fork, come on guys sort it out I’m reviewing the restaurant, plus the fact that although they had an extensive wine list there was no sign of a sommelier, maybe his night off.

Who won Masterchef Professionals 2013?

Adam is the real star of the show.

Foyer wish Adam every success for the

Adam was happy to come out for a chat and photo after the meal, he is a very unassuming guy

future, he is going places. foyermagazine.com

63

ffood & drink

Gallachers Smoke House 1743 London Road Leigh-on-Sea SS9 2UW 01702 474611 gallacherssmokehousebarandgrill.co.uk

T

his is actually my second time here, right up my street. I think that the layout is welcoming and the place is quite spacious. I enjoyed the pulled pork but the whole meat platter was amazing.

The rustic and warm layout with old american decor went perfect with the name and style that the business is trying to relay. It brings a bit of America to the UK, what better way to do that than by the great food they serve.

The food menu was great and they had everything from pulled pork to your classic american hamburgers. The drink menu could have been a tad more expanded, maybe a couple of higher quality wines, yes I like wine with a burger.

The location of the place is right on the A13 (London Road) and it is surrounded by many different eateries, by far the best around. Service here is of the kind you would find in a top class restaurant, polite friendly staff that are attentive to your every need.

I look forward to the food challenges that are planned.

64

foyermagazine.com

Authentic American BBQ, served in a relaxed and fun atmosphere where our guests come first. Craft beers, a great wine list and blues in the background. A recipe for success. Great food, great drinks and truly great service.

by Paul Razey Food critic & travel writer

Th e S ha r d

Oblix Restaurant The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY 020 7268 6700 oblixrestaurant.com

S

et inside the St. Ermin’s Hotel, a relatively unknown hotel but one I will be staying in next time I have any appointment that side of town.

After watching Adam Handling’s journey through Masterchef The Professionals last

year I thought it would be a great idea to try his food, and visited The Caxton Grill.

I decided on the tasting menu as this delivers the best scope of Adam’s talents, I loved

every single dish, the tastes, the textures and the presentations are on a level of a chef that has many years experience than that of Adam, he can definitely hold his own against the big boys of the culinary world.

Over the years I have eaten in many fabulous restaurants, my favorite was always Mr Ramsey at Claridges, (Now sadly gone) but the food at the Caxton grill can certainly hold its own with that restaurant & some of the best around.

The meal was made even better by the excellent service and timing, so that we never felt rushed or were being ignored for too long between courses. The bar and lounge afterwards offering a trio of whiskies made for a relaxing end to a wonderful evening.

who seems very overwhelmed with the whole ‘Celebrity Chef ’ tag. After Masterchef Adam has appeared on Junior Masterchef, opened his own restaurant, which is amazing and can only go from strength to strength, and will be launching his own book towards the end of the year, I look forward to this immensely.

Who won Masterchef Professionals 2013?

Adam is the real star of the show.

Foyer wish Adam every success for the future, he is going places.

A couple of small niggles, a dirty fork, come on guys sort it out I’m reviewing the restaurant, plus the fact that although they had an extensive wine list there was no sign of a sommelier, maybe his night off.

Adam was happy to come out for a chat and photo after the meal, he is a very unassuming guy

by Paul Razey Food critic & travel writer foyermagazine.com

65

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