Gravitas Autumn Issue 2018

Your Free Copy £3.75 where sold

AUTUMN 18

Issue VII

• Luxury car hire • Supercar driving experiences • Professional chauffer driven services for business or pleasure: - Airport Transfers - Business Travel - Corporate Events - Special Occasions Hire by the hour, day or week Lamborghini Spyder BMW i8 Bentley Flying Spur Mercedes S Class Audi S8 BMW 7 Series Mercedes V Class Range Rover Vogue 01733 896655 07999 922262 info@octaneultimatetravel.co.uk octaneultimatetravel.co.uk Peartree Business Park, Peterborough PE3 8YQ

WOMEN'S LUXURY CLOTHING BOUTIQUE Stylish Day Wear to Exciting Evening, Special Occasions, Bridal & Accessories Bespoke Dressmaking & Alterations

17c St Mary's Street, Cheyne Lane, Stamford PE9 2DG, 01780 765174 Website coming soon. @annacoutureboutique

05

letter

WELCOME

Lucky number seven….

In the natural world, autumn is a time for winding down, but here at Gravitas HQ, we’re revved up for the exciting months ahead; we’re pleased to announce- with thanks to the wonderful team at Trusted Mediathat gravitasmagazine.co.uk is live.

The website means we can continue to champion the businesses and people of the Greater Peterborough area, offering up-to-the minute news, reviews and more business insight than ever before.

Cover

We continue to forge new partnerships and alliances with the city’s business leaders, building a network of likeminded individuals who are putting Peterborough on the map; this issue’s business interview is with someone who’s has helped do just that- Iain Forsythe, of Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms, who built his business empire from scratch with his wife,

Alison, and has now expanded to six showrooms across five counties.

Last month’s Fine Dining Club was held at one of the hottest venues in town, The Chubby Castor, talking of which…….with party season fastapproaching, make sure you check out our Christmas party guide to the best venues (including The Chubby) for the much-anticipated Christmas work do, with options to suit all budgets and group sizes. Fashion designer and stylist, Nicole Heath, shares her hints and tips to take you from office hours to after hours, when Christmas jumpers are not part of the dress code!

Don’t forget to keep in touch- we love hearing from you via social media!

Enjoy!

Heidi & The Gravitas Team

Models - Revecca Georgiou | Dan Tamburrini Makeup – Amie Nixon Photography – Adi Dewey

Heidi Semple - Publisher

Each issue of Gravitas is brought to you with pleasure and sincerity by a dedicated team of local professionals.

Do follow us on our social media platforms for updates and details on local news and events.

@gravitas_mag @gravitas_magazine @gravitasmagazine FB Group - Gravitas magazine 01778 382762 07966 964520 gravitasmagazine.co.uk

06

Contents

The Gravitas Team Below is the reason that Gravitas reads and looks so fabulous…

07-11 Entrées

Something to get you started.

13-23 Fashion

13-23

Adrian Dewey

Key fashion trends that will see you transition seamlessly from office hours to after hours this party season.

Creative Director/ Photography

Dee Kennedy Sales & Events Director

24-39 Health & Beauty

Keep yourself looking and feeling great with health, beauty and wellness advice from local specialists.

Jenny Garford

Lydia Fahy

Editor

Feature Writer

42-47 Escape

Take a walk on the wild side in Kenya, or plan an epic artic adventure with tips from our travel experts.

24-39

Freya Pell

45-51 Driven

42-47

Feature Writer

Motoring news and we talk family values with Sycamore BMW.

52-61 Homestyle

It’s time to turn the heat up with cosy colour schemes, hot paint trends and stoked up stoves.

48-51 52-61

67-79 Taste Explosion

From cask ales to gastro pubs, and the all important Christmas party guide, we’ve got this season’s eating covered.

81-97 Down to Business

Business news, web development advice and interview with Premier Kitchen’s Iain Forsythe.

67-79

98-106 Out & About

81-97

Get the lowdown on Leicester’s nightlife, what’s on locally and what’s new.

98-106

LET’S GET SOCIAL ... gravitasmagazine.co.uk

@gravitas_mag @gravitas_magazine @gravitasmagazine

Zoe Phillips

Business Manager

Louise Dennington | Sub Editor hue - brand design digital | Design

Editorial contributors Freya Pell – Beauty PKai – Fashion Shoot Hair Styling Millie & Co – Hair Mindfulness – Emma Lannigan, Sara Collins Lisa Weston and Belinda Coaten DSA Fitness – Fitness More Travel – Travel Jenny Garford – Food & Home Lydia Fahy – Home Buckles – Law Advice Taylor Rose – Modern Law & Business Guy Porteous – Business Networking Abi Richardson – Leicester Life

With special thanks to Features Chubby Castor | Stamford Stoves Carl Morris - Sycamore Peterborough Iain Forsythe – Premier Kitchen & Bathrooms Peter Dawe – Broadway Theatre Fashion Shoot Crown Hotel Stamford Jodie Lynn, Laura Bailey, Becky Fowler and Morgan Evans – Models Nicole Heath - Fashion Styling Adi Dewey - Photography Pkai – Hair Glitter & Glam – Make-up Anna Couture – Women’s Outfits John Lewis & Partners – Women and Male Outfits Paul Richman – Male Outfits

07

Let’s get started The latest news and updates from the Greater Peterborough area.

A match made in heaven Visitors to Peterborough are fortunate to be able to find tranquil, luxurious cottages at River Nene Cottages and a fine-dining experience at The Chubby Castor just minutes from the A1.

The Chubby Castor offers a wonderful range of dining experiences characterised as ‘civilised dining’ in the stunning Fitzwilliam Arms Grade II Listed building and River Nene Cottages provide stunning scenery and comfortable accommodation in their range of beautiful country cottages along the River Nene at Water Newton.

These two businesses are delighted to announce a strategic partnership working together to bring more visitors to the area.

Whether it be a romantic getaway, a relaxing family break, getting away from it all with friends or a luxury experience whilst working or visiting the surrounding areas, River Nene Cottages and The Chubby Castor can provide an unforgettable experience.

Look out for upcoming special offers and events on their social media channels. rivernenecottages@gmail.com reservations@thechubbycastor.com

Dine with a view Nestled alongside Gunwade Lake, surrounded by one of the most breathtaking country parks in the country, Lakeside Kitchen and Bar within Ferry Meadows Park is one of the most spectacular venues in Peterborough.

Ferry Meadows may be known as a family friendly place to walk and experience nature, but it is also home to a hidden gem for those looking for something different for their next celebration, Christmas party or corporate event.

Lakeside Kitchen and Bar serve breakfast, drinks and lunch everyday but have meeting rooms for events, wedding receptions, parties and celebrations for up to 120 people.

On the 20th of September the Lakeside team hosted an evening of drinks, canapes and entertainment to showcase the different event options available.

To find out more, visit lakesidekitchenandbar.com/events

A revived dining

experience

A sneak peak inside the newly refurbished Cock Inn. The Cock Inn has been a landmark pub in Werrington Village for decades. Many locals have a story or two to share when reminiscing about the character hostelry and the many joyful evenings spent there.

The building has recently benefitted from a £280,000 refurb to update and sympathetically restore this iconic pub.

The restaurant now offers customers the perfect place to enjoy some delicious, genuine home cooked food prepared by their new, experienced chefs.

You can decide to have sharing platters and tapas style dishes, or there is a selection of great gastro pub food such as the Cock Inn Burger, Fish & Chips, Steaks and Salads. The desserts are made on site too – including Sticky Toffee Pudding and White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake.

Cockinnpeterborough.co.uk

08 Entrées

Pure elegance Anna Couture Brides opens in Stamford.

Talented local designer, AnnaMarie D’Amato opened her first boutique in Stamford just 18 months ago, building a sound reputation amongst the area’s most style-conscious ladies for being the go-to destination for gorgeous gowns and vintage pieces.

A handful of wedding dresses were sold in the boutique too, including a number from Chanticleer, a British bridalwear designer and manufacturer, so when the opportunity arose for Anna to buy the Chanticleer label, she jumped at the chance. With the need for more space, Anna has opened a second boutique opposite The George Hotel on High Street, St Martins, surrounded by the town’s celebrated architecture - a fitting location for a design house which draws so much inspiration from history.

Make it personal

With work rooms and acres of fabric on the premises, Anna and her team of highly skilled seamstresses are able to offer brides an exciting couture experience, bringing a dress design to life in front of you, or altering a gown to fit like a dream, either way, you’ll walk away from The House of Anna Couture ready to be centre stage.

Anna Couture Brides 8 High Street, St Martin’s Without, Stamford, PE9 2LF 01780 762 614 houseofannacouture.co.uk Anna Couture Boutique 17c Cheyne Lane, Stamford, PE9 2DG 01780 765 174

Squark Interiors, based in Lincolnshire, produce bespoke wallpapers, artwork and vinyls for homes and businesses.

Squark Interiors can create vintage map wallpapers in black and white, sepia or even colour matched to a specific room. We also create personalised prints and canvas artwork from treasured photographs in a Pop Art style which are great unique gifts for family, friends and loved ones.

And if you want something very special in your home, we can also supply stunning family tree artwork in a number of designs for your walls. The vinyls are easy to apply, hard wearing and bring a high quality, personalised and unique look to any wall.

Gift vouchers are also available. For more details please visit squarkinteriors.co.uk info@squarkinteriors.co.uk squarkinteriors.co.uk Social media: Facebook/Pintrest/Instagram

09

City of growth You may have visited Salford Quays in Manchester, but on our very own doorstep, Fletton Quays is delivering a modern skyline for our growing city. Words by John Holdich

Scheduled to finish in 2020, Fletton Quays is on track to further boost the city’s economy, kickstart a new age of tourism and extending the city centre to the south, creating hundreds of new jobs and housing.

This will see Gigafast broadband brought to nearly every home and business by early 2019, bringing with it a whole host of benefits and opportunities. Gigafast Broadband is based solely on fibre-optic cables giving users a vastly superior online experience capable of Gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps).

The award-winning £120million redevelopment, delivered by the Peterborough Investment Partnership, will feature high quality apartments, a Hilton Garden Inn hotel, leisure, retail offerings, a whisky and gin distillery, restaurants, an arts hub and offices.

There is plenty to look forward to in the city over the coming weeks, starting with the eagerly anticipated Perkins Great Eastern Run on Sunday 14 October.

The council is its anchor tenant and our staff made the move to the newly opened site this autumn, in a cost-neutral way of consolidating its office stock. Customer services will stay in Bayard Place until February 2019 and council meetings and civic events will continue to take place in the Town Hall in Bridge Street.

The roll-out of a £30million full fibre infrastructure by CityFibre and Vodafone to homes across Peterborough is progressing at pace.

Also...

Looking further ahead, the annual Diwali celebration takes place in Cathedral Square on October 27 and very shortly we’ll announce details of our Christmas lights switch on how quickly time flies!

The award-winning redevelopment will feature high quality apartments, a Hilton Garden Inn hotel, leisure, retail offerings, a whisky and gin distillery, restaurants, an arts hub and offices.

10 Entrées

All the top bananas...

They have a great name but what is it they actually do?

ATTB started life 12 years ago here in Peterborough with the launch of its job aggregator allthetopbananas.com. The website is effectively a portal which pulls in jobs from across the internet, so job seekers can easily search for the latest uploaded vacancies in one place.

The site has grown to become a major destination for UK job seekers. More than 70% of all uploaded jobs are on it, which is consistently more than one million. Today, ATTB Ltd is established as leaders in the recruitment software business and build specialist recruit-ment sites and apps for a wide variety of clients.

Commercial Director Chris Bradshaw said: “We have consistently grown year on year and have ambitious plans for the future. As the business has grown, so has its portfolio of products such as: Allthetopbananas.com – UK’s third largest job portal FreeMyCV.com – A CV distribution service for jobseekers JobFlurry.com – ATTB Ltd’s own UK job board Some of the household names ATTB has built recruitment sites and mobile apps for include Sodexo, River Island and Johnson & Johnson.”

If you are looking for new career challenge or the right candidate for a particular vacancy you can find them on social media or visit their website attbgroup.com

The Right Place Thrive Vegan Christmas Festival Completely inclusive, the city’s first big vegan event appeals to, vegans, vegetarians, those transitioning and those who are just curious.

It will be free to enter and a totally not-forprofit venture. There is a suggested donation of £2 - £3 to cover costs – anything left over will be donated to a vegan charity to be determined.

Work placements for young people with a learning disability.

Royal Mencap Society wants to see more people with a learning disability in work.

A key part of the journey to employment is to provide valuable learning opportunities for young people with a learning disability whilst they are still in education.

Mencap have been funded by the Department for Education to broker work experience placements for schools and colleges working with learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Mencap are looking for employers who are willing to provide short and long term unpaid work placements for learners with special educational needs and disabilities.

Placements are clearly of benefit to young people, giving them real-life experience, new skills and a broader view of job opportunities.

Contact Georgette.louis@mencap.org.uk 07970 378687

We cant wait to see you there!

With the interest of adopting a plant-based diet or vegan lifestyle increasing every day, Peterborough’s Vegetarian and Vegan group felt now would be a great opportunity to host Peterborough first Vegan Christmas Festival.

People can expect to purchase a variety of goodies including cruelty-free cosmetics, plant-based food, scrumptious cakes, ecofriendly essentials, handcrafted gifts, vegan cheeses and so much more. There will also be interactive stalls hosted by local animal movement groups, a photo-booth, outdoor food trucks and a kid’s festive craft corner.

Throughout the day there will be multiple workshops covering topics such as vegan pregnancy, plant-based body building and the use of plants in medicine.

We want THRIVE to be all inclusive event that connects our city’s people together. We hope that this will be the first of many Peterborough based vegan events of this scale.

FREE to the public – Donations welcome Sunday 25th November 10am-5pm The Fleet, Fletton, Peterborough PE2 8DL peterboroughvegans@gmail.com @thriveveganfestival The group holds vegan food shares open to all on the third Wednesday of every month at the Soul Happy Wellbeing Centre in the city centre. For more details, visit our FB: facebook.com/PeterboroughVeg

11

Waity’s Monster Charity Challenge Severe shin splints, sprained ankle ligaments and a four stone weight loss, yet local man is still on course to raise thousands of pounds for Peterborough charity. This is David’s story so far!

David Wait, the manager of the Serpentine Green shopping centre in Peterborough, is a shadow of the man he used to be and he is not even half way through the incredible challenges that he has set himself to raise money for local charity, Disability Peterborough.

He is currently in Nepal to complete the fourth of his eight challenges - climbing a 21,000 foot tall mountain! David has already completed the National 3 Peaks Challenge in 23 hours, has faced his biggest fear, undertaking a 12,000 feet parachute jump and has also taken part in a 100KM race across the south coast of England.

David says, “I am doing these challenges to raise funds for a fantastic local charity, Disability Peterborough. My original target was £10,000 but I have already received pledges of £16,000 and now I am aiming to raise at least £25,000.” localgiving.org/fundraising/ waitysmonsterchallenges

Disability Peterborough provides a range of services that assist people with physical disabilities to achieve their potential and have maximum choice and control over their lives.

Clocking up the miles Salon owner Kai Wan takes on another charity bike ride raising money for Bloodwise.

blood cancer charity helping beat Leukaemia,

Award-winning hairdresser Kai Wan, Director and owner at P.Kai Hair (with 3 salons in Peterborough, Hampton and Market Deeping) has been clocking up the miles with an impressive distance of over 1,100 miles ridden and around £6,000 raised - a huge achievement for both himself and the charities!

One of Kai’s close friends, Simon, was

Kai’s latest bike ride took him and his wife Jenny over 300 miles from London to Paris as part of a group who raised over £50k in total between them for Bloodwise, the

Lymphoma, Myeloma and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

diagnosed with Leukaemia six years ago and was only given three years to live. Six years on and four bike rides later Simon took part in the London to Paris 2018 alongside Kai and Jenny. With the money raised Bloodwise are able to conduct more research into lifesaving drugs.

Kai also donates to the British Heart Foundation, and the salons host regular fundraisers to boost their contributions.

13

Work hard, Play hard Designer and stylist, Nicole Heath, shows us how to pull off a day-to-night look for those ubiquitous afterwork dinners and drinks.

“This season, it’s easier than ever to make the transition from day job to party time, with key trends like metallics, embroidery and embellishment taking center stage. Faux leathers, quilting, ruffles and pleats, metallics tweeds and knits will take you seamlessly from the office to after hours. Throw in a bit of perennially glamorous animal print and you can’t go wrong.

Nicole Heath A.C.F.I. info@shoesatgoody2shoes.co.uk

See Nicole at her pop up shop event at The George Hotel on Nov 8th 11am - 7pm.

Plum Noir Faux Leather jacket – French Connection £125 from John Lewis & Partners Peterborough Coated Black Trousers - Goody2Shoes £70

Location - Crown Hotel, Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

With over 20 years as a fashion designer, and an obsession with beautiful clothes and shoes, I can show you how to put together a stylish, polished, glamorous wardrobe without breaking the bank, visiting clients at home and at work to pull together a knock-out look.”

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

14

Fashion

Grey Bi-material top with tweed pocket - £70 Tweed black & white skirt with stud trim - £79 both Goody 2 shoes

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

15

Navy wide leg culottes - Kin by John Lewis & Partners Peterborough £69

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

16

Fashion

Black Cullotes - Whistles £119 Animal Print Silk Blouse - Weekend £179 both John Lewis & Partners Peterborough

Crepe Pleat Hem Shirt - French Connection £55 John Lewis & Partners Peterborough Coated Black Trousers - Goody 2 Shoes £70

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

17

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai

18

Fashion

Micro Check Shirt, Grey/Green - £45 Moleskin Waistcoat - £60 both John Lewis & Partners Peterborough

19

Suit and dress shirt, navy/grey wool £595 Paul Richman Stamford

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai

Floral Silk Tie - £25 John Lewis & Partners Peterborough

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

20 Fashion

Embroidered wrap dress – Ted Baker £199 from John Lewis & Partners Peterborough

Black sleeveless zip dress with blue highlights - £95 Blue mesh top - £35 from Goody 2 Shoes

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

21

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

22 Fashion

Gold drop hem dress - Forever Unique

by Anna Couture Boutique £350

23

Embroidered slimline plunge dress with sequins - Forever Unique by Anna Couture Boutique £299

Location - Stamford | Photography – Adrian Dewey | Hair – p•kai | Make-up - Glitter & Glam

Matching style jumpsuit - Forever Unique by Anna Couture £249

24 Health & Beauty

Award winning

talent

P.Kai newcomer Jack Dettmer nominated for British Hairdressing Awards 2018.

Jack Dettmer, a senior stylist at P.Kai Hair (who have salons in Peterborough, Hampton and Market Deeping) has been shortlisted for the British Hairdressing Awards in the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ category. At just 20 years old, this is Jack’s first nomination for the prestigious award and is a huge achievement for both himself and the salon.

Jack comments: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be shortlisted, it’s something that I’ve always wanted since I started hairdressing, it really is the pinnacle of my career so far.”

In 2017, Jack was announced as Wella Professionals Xposure Gold Winner in the Academy Category. With a total of 30 finalists fighting for the win, Jack’s talent secured him the accolade, allowing him to develop in his hairdressing career. Jack subsequently won a place on the ClubStar Art Team, an initiative from the Fellowship of British Hairdressing which offers unprecedented training opportunities and experiences to young hairdressers.

Jack finalised for the BHAs with a collection of 6 model images entitled ‘Flux’. Jack says, “I was inspired by the fluidity of genders and how people are becoming more accepting of themselves, not defining as one gender. Each image has different aspects of masculinity and femininity; the black and white style emphasises the androgynous feel of the collection.”

Jack is available for appointments at the Westgate salon; for a complimentary review appointment or expert quotes from Jack please get in touch. pkai.co.uk

“I was inspired by the fluidity of genders and how people are becoming more accepting of themselves, not defining as one gender.”

Unit 5a Serpentine Green Hampton Peterborough PE7 8BE 01733 358835 The Arcade, Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1PY 01733 358825 10-12 Market Place, Market Deeping, PE6 8EA 01778 300558 Book online: pkai.co.uk

Cutting • Styling & Restyles • Colouring • Straightening • Perming • Colouring • Bridal Packages • Extensions

27

Tone and contour Exilis Elite is an award-winning treatment used in many Harley Street cosmetic clinics - it tightens the skin to turn back the signs of aging. It is one of the most versatile treatments that can be used effectively on both body and face.

This totally non-invasive treatment uses a combination of radiofrequency and ultrasound technology and it targets stubborn fat reserves and boosts collagen to help contour the desired area for a visibly toned effect.

The machine directs a narrow beam of energy deep into the skin without damaging outer layers, therefore virtually no downtime. It is aimed at targeting fine lines and gives a focused fat reduction to tighten early signs of loose or sagging skin.

There are a number of other treatments carried out at the salon, so please visit the website for full details.

Elysiahealthandbeauty.com

This treatment is available at Elysia Aesthetics and Laser based in Tansor near Oundle. Owner Lisa Claypole has been a skin expert for over 10 years and has dedicated her career to sourcing and training on the most advanced techniques available.

Exilis Elite is one of the most versatile treatments that can be used effectively on both body and face.

28 Health & Beauty

Convenient and natural Imagine having beautifully enhanced eyebrows, stunning designed eyes and gorgeous looking lips 24 hours a day with no effort.

Clients of all ages are experiencing the difference Permanent Cosmetic Makeup can make to their lives. Also known as Semi-Permanent and Micropigmentation, this innovative procedure involves careful application of hypo-allergenic pigments, implanted using disposable micro-needles into the dermal layer of the skin - unlike permanent tattoos which go much deeper.

Permanent Cosmetic Makeup can last for up to 2 years or more depending on a number of factors such as the age of skin, amount of time spent in the sun, and individual skin colour and tone.

Permanent Cosmetic Makeup options: • Lip tattooing - lip line and/or blush • Individual hairstroke eyebrows - ombré or powdered • Eyelash enhancement - eyeliner through the lash line Contact Leighanne to discuss your requirements or visit her website for further information. leighannecampbell.co.uk This innovative procedure involves careful application of hypo-allergenic pigments, implanted using disposable micro-needles into the dermal layer of the skin.

Stimulate and tighten Radiofrequency is truly amazing! An aesthetic technique that uses RF energy to heat tissue and stimulate collagen production in order to reduce the appearance of fine lines and loose skin.

The technique induces tissue remodelling and production of new collagen and elastin. It actually increases collagen production by 20%! It literally pushes the collagen fibres together for a tightening effect, working wonders on fine lines, drooping jowls, double chins and loose skin around the eyes.

Claire Wollerton, skin beauty expert at RO Skin says “Our clients want to look amazing without Botox and fillers! Clients say it feels like a hot stone massage all over the face which is actually really relaxing.”

This treatment can be used on the body for a pre-holiday tone or for special events, you can use it on the fronts and backs of arms and even where your bra cuts. You see an immediate all-over tightening effect in one treatment, and over a series, you’ll see an even BIGGER difference. roskin.co.uk Radiofrequency stimulates collagen production in order to reduce the appearance of fine lines and loose skin.

GHD & L’Oréal Christmas Gift Sets Available

• Modern ladies & gents hairdressing • Award winning L’Oréal salon • Hair Extensions • Beauty Therapy and Nails • Verticle Fast Tan Sunbed • Cosmetics Treatments: Botox, Dermal Fillers, Microneedling, Sculptra, PRP, Pigmentation problems by Dr Bence Hajdu, FCAI, MRCA • Kenzi Holistic

Millie & Co Hair and Beauty 58 Hargate Way, Hampton Hargate, Peterborough, PE7 8DS millieandcohairandbeauty@gmail.com Tel: 01733 344900

Hair by Millie & Co

30 Health & Beauty

Crowning glory

Your hair is one of the first things people notice about you. With winter on its way, it’s important to take the appropriate steps to prevent winter hair damage.

Here’s what you can do! Words by Catherine Miller - Owner of Millie & Co

31

Hair dries out in the winter months due to lack of moisture from the indoor air. To help resolve this, a good nourishing shampoo and conditioner / hair masque comes in handy – just be sure to use a shampoo and conditioner specifically targeted to your hair concern.

Commit to weekly treatments to keep your hair hydrated.

Millie & Co recommend L’Oréal Professional Serie Expert range - Lipidium shampoo and deep nourishing hair masque gives instant reconstruction for damaged dry hair, is visibly transforming, giving the appearance of glossy, shiny healthy-looking hair plus leaving the hair soft to touch.

We also recommend L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Inforcer Shampoo and Inforcer hair Masque for strengthening fragile hair. Inforcer reinforcing shampoo is designed to target breakage and split ends, leaving hair soft and healthy. With continued use the Inforcer Shampoo helps your hair to become more resistant and stronger.

Visit the salon every 6-8 weeks.

Keep on conditioning.

A trim and an intensive in-salon

sure to condition regularly keeping the hair hydrated

treatment will keep split ends

then try locking it in with a leave in conditioner, this will

at bay and make your hair feel

help with those floating fine strands.

stronger from root to tip.

A key sign of dryness can be static hair, so always be

Millie & Co recommend L’Oréal Professional Colour

We recommend L’Oréal power mix

Radiance Perfecting 10 in 1 leave-in spray conditioner

as an in-salon treatment - Power

from Vitamino color A-OX Series Expert range for 10

Mix means mixing together active powerful ingredients to

instant benefits including protection of hair colour,

create a bespoke solution for each individual hair type. This

reduction in the appearance of split ends, hydration,

in-salon service allows customers to tailor the time and level

anti- frizz, de- tangling, anti-breakage, consistency,

of their treatment so there’s one for everyone and every

shine, soft feeling, heat protection up to 230 degrees,

budget.

blow drying and styling. That’s a long list!

Shampoo a-little less often if you can.

For those of you with an itchy flaky scalp, we recommend L’Oréal Professional Sensi Balance from the Serie Expert range.

It gently cleanses and is a scalpcomforting shampoo, enriched with Sorbitol.

It performs a great balancing act of soothing the scalp whilst refreshing the feeling.

Cut down on your ‘heat heavy’ styling routine.

Always use heat protection products and use your hairdryer on half heat.

We recommend the heat protect spray

by Ghd. Try protective styling such as ponytails, buns, braids and twists

All products mentioned can be purchased at Millie & Co

giving your hair ‘time off’ from the heat routine.

Sleep tight.

Use a silk pillow case to sleep on as cotton and other course fabrics can cause split ends and breakage.

Millie & Co, 58 Hargate Way, Hampton Hargate, Peterborough, PE7 8DS | millieandcohairandbeauty@gmail.com | 01733 344900

32 Health & Beauty

From dusk til dawn If you’re stuck for ideas on how to take your makeup from a day time office look to a funky night time look without removing all of your makeup then follow my simple steps to vamp it up!

Words by Makeup Artist Freya Pell

33 It doesn’t have to be tricky or time consuming to change the look your makeup provides, just carry your usual quick fix makeup bag with you to touch up your foundation or powder, blusher and add an extra coat of mascara.

A classic day to night palette to carry with you is the MAC Eyeshadow Times Nine Palette in Dusky Rose.

This palette has a mixture of subtle daytime shades and glam night time tones to add further depth to your look in one palette.

Add a MAC Pro Longwear Eye Liner in Black Ice along your top lash line to add drama and class to your look. Smudge it with a pencil brush to soften the line if it’s too harsh for the look you want to achieve. You can also run the liner along your bottom waterline to provide more depth to the look if you wish.

MAC Eyeshadow x 9 palette - Dusky Rose - £26.00

MAC Pro Longwear Eye Liner - Black Ice - £16.50

Add black eye liner along your top lash line to add drama and class to your look.

You can also run the liner along your bottom waterline for added depth.

MAC Versicolour Stain liquid lip gloss - Long Live The Night - £21.00

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette - Flash + Awe - £35.00

Highlight those cheeks for extra dimension using MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Flash + Awe. To finish the look, use MAC Versicolour Lip Stain in Long Live The Night to add long-lasting shine to your lips instead of your usual daytime lipstick or balm.

If you’re looking for a new all-round Autumn makeup look this season, then take a look at the new Patrick Starrr collaboration with MAC. He’s created another beautifully put together Eye & Lip Kit collection called Oh No She Beta Don’t which launched at the beginning of September, just in time for Autumn. The palette consists of 4 wearable eyeshadows which could also be used from day to night, along with a natural liquid lip colour.

Patrick Starrr Eye & Lip Kit - Oh No She Beta Don’t - £39.50

34 Health & Beauty

Need more time?

Here’s some inspiration to start being smarter with your time and switch from ‘not enough’ to being and living your life:

We think about working smarter, what about living smarter? We all have the same amount of time as each other 24 hours a day, 1440 minutes. How do those people who post photos of their life adventures on their Instagram accounts get time to do it? It’s about how smart they have invested their time.

Take these tips on board: Plan Take time to think about what is it you want from your time. Write these things down.

Allocate your time and notice where, what, when, who and how much time you are spending.

Prioritise Be realistic. Remember you have 24 hours.

Not everything has to be done immediately.

Prioritise the daily basics, then you can add in over the weeks and months other things you would like to do and be.

Prepare Do it a new way. If it’s not working then it’s time to do it differently. Set out to reschedule your week for business, fitness, home, relationships, wellbeing and social and remember sleep! The time you invest in preparing means you’ll soon have a new way to live your life.

Pause Allow time to stop, pause, slow down. Give yourself moments of headspace and peace for relaxation and meditation. You’ll be amazed at the time you gain from a break.

Passion After you’ve paused, ignite your passion with your renewed energy. Seek out new experiences and you might just find a new passion on the way.

Download Your belifehappy Planner & Time Saving Tips from: emmalannigan.com/resources Emma Lannigan Author, Coach & Reiki Teacher

Take a moment Life can get busy – at work and at home, and many are often consumed by electronic and mobile communication, not escaping a 24/7 connection. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and the stress of this new way of working and living is well documented.

There is being busy, and there is headless chicken busy behaviour. Stop for a moment and reflect on the last week - where were you on the scale? Sometimes we get so immersed in things and in to a pattern that we simply don’t notice what is going on around us.

One proven way of relieving the stress and the feeling of being too busy is through Mindfulness practice. Mindfulness isn’t about sitting cross legged, on a beach watching the sun rise… thankfully! But instead, it’s about learning skills to better cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Try this…

Place your hands on your rib cage and take some breaths. If you feel comfortable to, then close your eyes. Notice what you feel as you breathe in, and then notice what you feel as you breathe out.

Do this several times, and focus your attention on your breath coming into the body and leaving as best as you can.

You can use this brief exercise at any time of the day or night to steady and focus you, or when life feels too busy.

If you would like to learn more about Mindfulness, Belinda Coaten is a Mindfulness Teacher & Coach. belindacoaten.co.uk

Pay more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you.

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Fight the stress There has been extensive research on the link between high stress levels and poor health. Have we become a generation of human doings instead of human beings?

We are living in a 24/7 world that never stops. The pace is fast and at times relentless. The speed of life and the expectations to keep up can create a huge amount of stress in both adults and children.

– Increased ability to relax with an improvement in the quality and

Mindfulness, a meditative practice, may just be the right anti-dote to the stress and distractions of 21st century living. Mindfulness helps you to develop the ability to be more present in the moment. It brings awareness to negative habitual patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Helping people to regain the focus, space, peace and calm in their lives with an attitude of positivity, gratitude, kindness and compassion.

– The ability to cope better with chronic pain

Three decades of published research indicates that most people who complete Mindfulness courses report:

sara@breathingspace.company | 07808 955060

duration of sleep – The ability to cope more effectively with stress, anxiety, depression, anger and panic states

– Greater enthusiasm, creativity and increased energy levels – Improved self-esteem and clarity of thought – A more effective immune system If you’d like to know more, contact Sara Collins breathingspace.company

Intermittent Fasting: What’s the big Deal?!

So we’ve all been there... detoxed for the week after Christmas, looking for a quick surge of energy, starved ourselves only to have constant headaches, feeling hungry and deprived….. and given up. If only there was an alternative way to achieve our fitness and health goals without feeling physically unwell or that great feeling of deprivation. Well there is!

Intermittent fasting isn’t anything new but it’s become increasingly popular and more people are wondering what the big deal is. We prefer to call it ‘cleansing’ as it’s used to help people gain lean muscle, lose weight, gain mental clarity and increase concentration.

Cleansing is based on changing between a period of fasting and eating, so it is more of a lifestyle change or pattern of eating rather than a diet. It is considered by some to be a more natural eating pattern because our ancestors couldn’t’ always find food to eat and went for long stretches without eating. Believe it or not, our three meals a day eating pattern is a very recent introduction.

A nutritionally supported cleanse is a novel concept that requires you to fast for 24 hours once per week as part of a balanced nutritional programme, where you can actually eat more! Throughout the day you drink 4 large glasses of a

nutritionally dense (and rather delicious!) berry juice and eat specific snack foods throughout that period.

The benefits of this method are absolutely remarkable and its increasing popularity is due to the fact that it is effective and so easy to follow. The results speak for themselves and participants are able to easily shed stubborn excess weight, increase their energy and performance levels or reach their fitness goals.

Intermittent fasting is a simple way to healthier, happier people….and that is a big deal!

Lisa Weston, Wellness Consultant and Isagenix Independent Associate lisa@lisaweston.com wellnesslab.isagenix.com

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Setting up for success Dave Austin at DSA fitness can help you on your journey to achieve your fitness goals.

Dave says “My first tip is to take a different approach. Rather than a list of things I want to do or stop doing I decide on my ultimate destination before I consider how I will get there.”

Setting a goal is the most important part. Only when you have your goal set can you think about the path that will get you there (working out, cutting out junk food). When setting goals, it’s important to use the SMART principle. It has to be:

38

Health & Beauty

Specific – setting out to get fit or lose weight isn’t enough. You have to be clear on what you want to accomplish and to do this you need to be specific, for example, how much weight do you want to lose or how many inches do you want to lose and where from?

Measurable – your goal has to be measurable. If it’s weight loss, how will you measure this? By weight? By measurements?

Achievable – this is about setting yourself up for success. Can you actually do what you set out to do in the above steps? Be realistic.

Relevant – is your goal relevant to the direction you want to take in your life? For me this is the emotional attachment – your big WHY. When you have an emotional attachment, this can keep you on track when the going gets tough.

Time bound – set a deadline. This provides real clarity and acts as reminder, which in turns means your actions are more likely to become congruent.

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To set yourself up for success, define your single most important goal. Don’t try to create Mission Impossible. Start with one goal and put all your focus into achieving that.

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To set yourself up for success, define your single most important goal. Don’t try to create Mission Impossible. Start with one goal and put all your focus into achieving that.

To help define your goal and resonating with it, try using the following approach: Use these FIVE Ws to get specific about your health and fitness goals (or any other goals for that matter). Doing this will help you sustain your motivation so you can stop putting off making a start. Take five minutes to actually write down

achieve your goal and keep this close to hand – it will provide motivation at difficult times.

When do you want to see this goal accomplished? Be realistic here.

Which obstacles have stopped you in the past? Don’t skip this step. There is a reason you’re still struggling with weight, health and fitness. If you started a workout programme, a diet, or a plan to move forward in the past—what stopped

responses to the questions below.

you?

What do you want to achieve? Weight loss? Increase energy levels? Get fitter?

you can accomplish on your own with the knowledge and

Why do you want to achieve this goal? Think about how

achieving your goal will make you feel. This is the most important as it provides an emotional attachment that will prove crucial when you encounter bumps in the road on your journey. Write down EXACTLY how you will feel once you

Who do you need to get help from? Think about what

skills you have. Do you need to turn to anyone for help or guidance? Do you need help staying motivated? Key to answer this is to think about the obstacles that stopped you in the past (previous answer) and try to think of WHO can help you overcome these obstacles.

DSA Fitness specialises in helping men and women who want to lose weight, get fitter and more toned but don’t want to go to a gym. Follow DSA Fitness on Facebook, contact 07740 362324 or email dsaustin@sky.com

You can do this!

42

Escape

In the wild…

Kenya is one of the world’s great tourism destinations, known for its remarkable diversity of landscapes, wildlife and cultures.

Kenya is Africa’s original safari destination, attracting explorers, adventurers and travellers for centuries. It is home of Africa’s famous ‘Big Five’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo) and it is one of the best places to see these five magnificent species in their natural environment.

Kenya also has an incredible range of wild habitats, each one with its own unique range of species. Open savannah, deep forest, freshwater lakes, alpine meadows, coral reefs,

Words by Helen Dooley – More Travel

caves, beaches, river deltas and more.

A safari in Kenya means more than just seeing animals. This is a chance for you to immerse yourself in a wild world where the fascinating natural behaviour and interaction between species will keep you enthralled.

Annually, the country plays host to the remarkable phenomenon of the wildebeest migration, the largest single movement of herd animals on the planet. The open savannah grasslands teem with plains game and roaming predators year-round.

These diverse habitats offer endless opportunities for adventures, new discoveries and relaxation.

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It would be remiss to talk about the wonders of Kenya without mentioning the Massai. Invariably the warriors will be your rangers and delight in telling you stories of their age-old customs and nomadic lifestyle. Often after a day of driving across the Mara you’ll see your rangers dress back into their traditional costumes and return to their villages – back to the sanctity of their ancient lifestyle. The diversity of Kenya’s landscape makes it perfect for a two or three centre safari. Optimising your opportunities to see a broad range of game life in a variety of settings.

This is a chance for you to immerse yourself in a wild world where the fascinating natural behaviour and interaction between species will keep you enthralled.

44

Escape

Book your trip!

For more details contact More Travel on 01780 433333 or visit more-travel.co.uk

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is widely considered to be Africas greatest reserve. The vast plains are scattered with herds of zebra, giraffe, gazelle and Topi. Elephant and Buffalo wallow in swamp and the companion predators are in abundance.

Ambsoli and Samburu are truly the land of giants, with large herds of Elephant easy to track.

Tsavo is the largest reserve – its deep red soil giving the illusion of ochre elephants and a large concentration of game.

In the Chyulu Hills, the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro and the presence of Masai farmers adds a different dimension to your experience.

Lake Lykipia is home to several endangered species, including more than half of Kenya’s black rhinos. Wild Dogs are on the increase and Grevys Zebra are ever present.

Kenya’s East coast is also blessed with beautiful white sand beaches lapped by the bright blue Indian Ocean. There is a good range of 4* properties, but for true beach luxury aficionados Zanzibar is just an hour and a half flight away.

For something really Robinson Crusoe, we love AndBeyond’s Mnemba Island. more-travel.co.uk

RE T REATS Laid-back luxury holiday cottages Laid-back luxury holiday retreats AS A BAREFOOT RETREATS HOMEOWNER we will maximise the earning potential of your property with our fully managed service including all the marketing, PR and guest liaison, along with everything and anything else you require our assistance with.

We are more than just a booking agent and together, as a team, we will take the hassle away from letting your holiday home. Sharing your property should be as enjoyable for yourselves as it should be for our guests. We can also assist in finding and creating your unique holiday home and we are also proud to offer interior styling and staging service to increase the appeal of your property.

If you would like to find out more or have a property you feel fits the criteria, we would love to hear from you!

Church House, Overy Road, Burnham Market, Norfolk PE31 8HH • 01485 512245 enquiries@barefootretreats.co.uk www.barefootretreats.co.uk

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The best time to enjoy an Arctic Adventure is late November to early March when the sun scarcely skims the horizon and thick snow provides a perfect setting.

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Have an Arctic adventure Deep within the Arctic circle lays Lapland’s pristine landscape – a blank canvas on which you can design your perfect Arctic Adventure. Words by Helen Dooley - More Travel

There is no better place in the world to catch a glimpse of the captivating Northern Lights - a true marvel of mother nature!

A small selection of gorgeous winter lodges are tucked away along the official Northern Lights Route which traverses the Swedish, Finnish border form the Arctic Circle all the way up to the Northern Cape.

Enjoy exhilarating days in snow laden forests on a snowmobile safari, or mush a team of huskies across frozen rivers and icy tundra.

Perhaps try your hand at ice fishing or reindeer herding, then step out into the night to see the enchanting swirls of greens and pink dance across the sky.

Lodges vary in size and comfort, with small log cabins to beautiful state of the art glass igloos. All have “Hygge” in abundance. Think toasty wood burners, beautiful blankets, a belly warming mug of Glogg and a sky dancing with colour.

For those with a penchant for a kitsch Christmas – this is also home to the real Santa Claus. Throughout December you can visit magical lodges that combine Arctic Adventures with the magic of Christmas.

Quality can vary hugely, but a good travel advisor will be able to point you in the direction of something genuinely wonderful! more-travel.co.uk

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FIVE MODELS ONE SPIRIT. DISCOVER THE MINI RANGE TODAY WITH A 48-HOUR TEST DRIVE.†

SEARCH: SYCAMORE MINI Official fuel economy figures for the MINI range: Urban 30.7-67.3mpg (9.2-4.2l/100km). Extra Urban 49.6-80.7mpg (5.7-3.5 l/100km). Combined 40.9-117.7mpg (6.9-2.4 l/100km). CO2 emissions 55-157g/km. Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. †Test drive subject to applicant status and availability.

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Sycamore – The Brand With Sycamore celebrating 92 years in business, Gravitas wanted to find out about the reason for this amazing success. We met up with Carl Morris, Head of Business at Sycamore Peterborough, to ask him just that. Words by Heidi Semple | Pictures by Reckless Abandon Media

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Driven

“The one consistent approach and at the top of their list of priorities is strong family values. Sycamore has always been a family-run business and therefore, the quality of their service and their staff are never compromised” Carl Morris said.

Locally, Sycamore is synonymous with the BMW brand and more recently Mini, however it doesn’t stop there. The brand also has a state of the art service centre and premium accident and repair centre.

Sycamore Peterborough are part of a larger group that incudes brands such as Mazda, Kia, Volvo and Harley Davidson.

The business employs over 250 members of staff across all sites with over 100 located at the Werrington site, where many have served the brand for 30 years. Some employees span across generations, with fathers, mothers, sons and daughters working alongside each other – further enhancing their ‘family run’ ethos.

Looking to the future and the next century of Sycamore, what do you currently have in place to ensure you keep ahead of the game and what other plans do you have going forward?

“It’s all about continuing to improve our service levels and increasing our digital offering. This includes our presence on social media as well as ensuring our websites are easy to use and navigate. We offer online service booking and you can also check as and when loan cars are available, and you can communicate with us 24/7.

We have a policy of resolving queries within 24 hours and every member of staff is available at your convenience, this includes management at every level.”

“We have a policy of resolving queries within 24 hours and every member of staff is available at your convenience, this includes management at every level.”

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All businesses will say that they offer great customer service, what makes Sycamore stand above the rest?

“Customer retention is a key indicator as to how well you are performing in this area and our stats are really positive” Carl adds.

“We have on site Genius’s – these are guru’s when it comes to the BMW and Mini brands. They not only know the cars functionality inside and out, they are on site to show you all of the gadgets and widgets, steer you through what every button and lever operates and to explain exactly what the car has to offer. They can pair up your devices and advise on how to get the very best out of every feature of the car, which increases the overall enjoyment of owning a BMW or Mini.”

“We have also launched an Apprenticeship Genius programme supported by BMW and Mini, so creating new job opportunities for young, aspiring adults who are passionate about cars and delivering the highest service levels.”

The service centre manager Sarah Ager, is responsible for the smooth running and customer experience. Sarah was instrumental in creating the new layout, design and refurbishment of the service area.

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Her priority was customer comfort and satisfaction ensuring that the space is extremely customer focused. Sarah has even created the opportunity for service clients to visit Bannatynes (located across the road) and take advantage of a complimentary treatment whilst they are waiting for their car!

What’s new?

• New X5 launches in November • The 8 series which is the 6 series replacement comes out at the end of 2018 • Early in 2019 the new Z4 2-seater convertible will launch • The 3 Series gets a face lift • Also 2019 will see the biggest car from the BMW stable, the X7 – it’s a beast of a motor and stunning in design.

BMW are not holding anything back – they have unleashed a whole new, spectacular range of vehicles with even more contemporary, stylish designs.

Sycamore Peterborough, Papyrus Road, Werrington, Peterborough, PE4 5HW

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52 Homestyle A friendly local business based in Barnack, Stamford showcasing the latest range of wood burners and accessories.

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Strike a match

With Autumn now upon us and those nights drawing in, to be able to come home and light the fire is on most people’s wish list. Here’s how you can make that happen.

If you were to ask us where to go to purchase a woodburner for your home, we would point you in the direction of the largest stove showroom in the area, showcasing over 30 models, hundreds more to choose from, and up to seven live stoves at any one time, that place is Stamford Stoves in Barnack.

Charnwood are no exception to the rule with their

New models from UK and European manufacturers are launched at this time of year and British based

For further information go to:

facelifted Island range and first up is the new Island I which is a complete redesign of their classic twin door stove giving a 5kw output, with cleaner lines and beautiful symmetry for a larger window with more visual flames. The stove boasts an efficiency of over 85% and an extremely low smoke particle level of 9mg/m³ (the Ecodesign limit is 40mg/m³).

stamfordstoves.co.uk | charnwood.com

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Mowing to Robotic Perfection

Please contact us to arrange a site visit for a Mower & Installation quotation Kates Bridge, Thurlby, Bourne PE10 0EN 01778 560466 | fentonsofbourne.co.uk

56 Homestyle

Chunky knit merino blanket €207 thewoolart.com

Sugar, spice and all things nice…

Embrace the turning of seasons with this gorgeous autumnal colour scheme.

Words by Jenny Garford

As the nights draw in we tend to spend more time indoors; make sure your living space lends itself to warm, cosy evenings at home by creating an inviting, sumptuous sanctuary, with piles of pillows and throws in soft, luxurious fabrics to nestle up against, like these darling velvet cushions, chunky knit blanket and velvet eiderdown throw.

A statement sofa, such as the ‘Spiced Honey’ velvet two-seater from Rume, provides the perfect

place to lounge while reading a good book; the gorgeous golden tones work particularly well against a wall of olive green, dark blue or charcoal grey.

Use cushions to complement colours in your favourite wall art - we love this modern print from Abstract House, and have worked pink, yellow and the darkest of blues into the scheme, tying the look together.

57 Abstract art print £8 abstracthouse.com

Blue velvet cushion £85 natuzzi.co.uk

Mulberry wall clock £48 black-by-design.co.uk

Spiced Honey velvet sofa see website for details rume.co.uk

Copper pink velvet cushion £35 raggedrose.com Round velvet pouffe £229 made.com

Blush pink velvet cushion £35 abodeliving.co.uk

Saffron velvet eiderdown blanket £178 printerandtailor.com

58 Homestyle

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Beautiful kitchens, beautifully priced Our expert designers combine clever design with beautiful, quality materials and colours to create a unique Hammonds kitchen that looks £30k for less than half that price. *Representative example. £99 a month based on cash price £6000. 20% deposit of £1200. Amount of loan £4800. 60 monthly repayments of £98.61. Total amount payable £7116.60. Typical APR 8.9%.Finance is available on a minimum loan value from £1000 and order value from £2500. Credit is subject to application and status. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Hitachi Capital House (Thorpe Road, Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey TW18 3HP) act as a credit broker and not the lender. Credit is provided by Hitachi Personal Finance, a division of Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Pop in and see our brand new kitchen and bedroom showroom at Peterborough One Retail Park, PE1 4YZ TO REQUEST A FREE BROCHURE OR DESIGN VISIT CALL US ON

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60 Homestyle

Distinctive quality Farrow & Ball are on a roll(er) with 9 new paint colours!

Words by Interior stylist Lydia Fahy – homeideology.com

If you love to decorate, the chances are you’ve heard of Farrow & Ball. The quintessentially English brand, born in Dorset, produce distinctive paints, combining quality ingredients and rich pigments that give their colours a unique depth and long-lasting finish.

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The paint I refer to as a one coat wonder, got me completely hooked from the very first stroke. I was lucky enough to attend the press launch of their 9 new colours in Shoreditch, where they totally transformed a venue, cleverly encapsulating the story of every tone with the use of a life size bird nest, dusty chapel and miniature towns to name a few.

A colour that stood out to me because of the story behind it was De Nimes (No.299). A quietly elegant blue that feels wonderfully down to earth, so could be used on anything from a quaint utility to an airy drawing room. The exact shade is rooted in a regency palette but is inspired by the cloth of everyday workwear made in the French city Nîmes. Like denim, its blue hue is ultimately fashionable and yet always feels grounded.

My favourite out of all the new shades, that I’m now considering using in my home, is Sulking Room Pink (No.295). Not to be seen as overtly pink, but rather a muted rose with enormous warmth, its powdery feel makes it incredibly soft and easy to use with complementary tones. Sulking Room Pink is evocative of the colours so often used in boudoirs, a room named after the French ‘bouder’ – to sulk.

A colour I’m excited to use as part of my next kitchen project is Paean Black (No.294), a perfect kitchen island tone. A chic red based black, this Georgian inspired colour creates an intimate feel in super contemporary or bohemian homes, while adding a distinguished look to traditional exteriors. The perfect accent for all our reds and completing our range of blacks, Paean Black conjures up the shade of old leather hymnals and so is named after a song of praise. homeideology.com

The paint I refer to as a one coat wonder, got me completely hooked from the very first stroke.

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64 Taste Explosion

Dining at it’s best

Grab a great offer at one of these fine dining venues

Gravitas has collaborated with some of the finest dining venues in the region to showcase their food and to give our readers a unique dining invitation.

The Country Lounge Wansford celebrates the opening of a fabulous new café - Country Lounge Café Bar. This new café/wine bar offers delicious breakfasts, morning coffee and a selection of home-made cakes, lunches and evening meals. The Country Lounge is licensed to serve fine wines, beers, spirits and much more.

Open seven-days-a-week from 9am-4pm and Thursday to Saturday, it’s also open in the evenings whereby the atmosphere changes to a more intimate setting of a wine bar until 10pm. Sundays are made even more special by offering an amazing traditional Sunday Lunch with a choice of meats served with all of the trimmings.

The Country Lounge also provides private functions. You are all welcome to come and say hello to see what we are about.

OFFER As part of the Gravitas Fine Dining Club you will receive 10% off your evening meals until the end of October 2018.

Wansford Country Lounge Cafe Bar 12 London Road, Wansford PE8 6JB 07712 266382

The Blue Bell The Blue Bell in Glinton, just north of Peterborough, is set in an 18thcentury English country pub and offers real ales, oak beams and cosy open fires.

The dining experience, recognised in the Michelin Guide, offers modern cuisine in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. And the new garden room allows diners extensive views of the grounds while enjoying their meals.

This venue also offers the options of private dining and professional lunches and is childfriendly.

Head chef, Will Frankgate and his team use only the freshest ingredients supplied by local producers, ensuring the perfect dish every time.

OFFER Autumn Early Doors Offer - Any Two Courses and a bottle of Prosecco to share for £24.95 per person. Available between 6pm-7pm Monday to Friday.

T&C (minimum of 2 people, maximum 8 people) Valid throughout July, August and September. Booking is essential. Please quote Gravitas when making a booking to validate offer.

The Blue Bell, 10 High Street, Glinton, Peterborough PE6 7LS thebluebellglinton.co.uk 01733 252285

The Millstone Inn Traditional, fresh and oh so tasty.

The Millstone Inn, Barnack is celebrating its 5th anniversary under the management of Oliver & Amie Dawkins. Located within the centre of this attractive village, the Grade II Listed stone public house offers different dining areas for both casual and formal dining as well as catering for parties of differing sizes.

The extensive menu will get your taste buds watering whilst you pour over the generous list of dishes and specials board. From nibbles and lighter dishes to a hearty steak & ale pie, as well as some exemplary fine dining and delicious home-made desserts, there is something for everyone. All ingredients are locally sourced where possible and all dishes are freshly made on the premises by Oliver and his team.

OFFER Autumn early doors offer! When you are dining with us, buy 2 large glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free. Available Tuesday - Friday between 5.30pm and 7pm, please quote GRAVITAS when booking your table. Applies to Prosecco, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Millstone Inn, Millstone Lane, Barnack, PE9 3ET millstoneinnbarnack.co.uk 01780 740296

F E S T I V E D I N I N G AT S TA P L E F O R D PA R K During the festive season, enjoy a delicious dining experience in a delightfully traditional country house.

Festive Lunch All the trimmings every Sunday in December for £35.00 per person.

Afternoon Tea Festive favourites for £27.50 per person or £32.00 per person with mulled wine.

To book or for more information please call 01572 787 000 or email reception@staplefordpark.com Stapleford Park, Stapleford, Nr. Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2EF. www.staplefordpark.com

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Looking for somewhere alternative for your Christmas Party? Hire a table or even hire a floor! From a sit down meal to small plates to share we have your Christmas Party covered.

Scan QR code or visit kneadpubs.co.uk/paten-co to view the festive menus

Paten & Co, 7 All Saints' Place, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2AG t. 01780 408647 | paten@kneadpubs.co.uk | kneadpubs.co.uk

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Festive Feasting Get ready to loosen those belt buckles and let the Christmas feasting commence! We’ve put together a roundup of the best Christmas Party venues in the area, with venues and menus to suit all party sizes and price points. Whilst all venues (bar Prevost) serve a traditional turkey dish, we have focused on other highlights from each menu…

Paten & Co

The Chubby Castor

The Tobie Norris

The perfect venue for a relaxed festive gathering, with a fun, informal sharing menu option (£22pp) which includes Tallington lamb kebabs, pulled pork sliders and fries; or a three-course festive menu (£25pp) which features a pork belly fritter starter and delicious Christmas pudding cheesecake.

Throw in tasty cocktails, an extensive gin menu and the option of a cocktail making masterclass and you’ve got the recipe for a lively night.

If it’s sophistication you’re after, then The Chubby Castor’s Christmas menu will deliver, with the option of private dining for those who want a more intimate celebration.

Beetroot Wellington with spinach and halloumi makes for an exciting veggie main, and the three-way duck with nutmeg, festive chutney and sourdough sounds delicious!

Three courses £28pp.

With its quaint, quirky charm and cosy ambience, a party at The Tobie will soon have you feeling festive. The three-course festive menu (£24pp) features Tallington lamb pie served with bubble and squeak, and a chocolate orange brownie served with blood orange sorbet. Larger parties might like to indulge in the Christmas tapas or pizza buffet menus (£19.95/£12pp).

thechubbycastor.com 01733 380801

kneadpubs.co.uk/the-tobie-norris 01780 753800

kneadpubs.co.uk/paten-co 01780 408647

Celebrate Christmas with your family and friends at

THE BELL INN STILTON Our Christmas Party Menu is available in our Galleried Restaurant, Bistro and Marlborough Suite throughout December.

Christmas Party 3 course lunch including coffee & mints £25 Christmas Party 3 course dinner including coffee & mints £28

New Year’s Eve Dinner served in our Galleried Restaurant and dancing till late in our Bistro 7pm – til late 3 course dinner including coffee & mints £40

Boxing Day Lunch served 12pm-3.30pm 3 course lunch including coffee & Petit Fours £40

New Years Day Lunch served 12-3pm 3 course lunch including coffee & mints £25

Our Christmas Party Menu and Boxing Day Lunch Menu are available by pre-order only and we ask that all pre-orders are received 2 weeks prior to your booking.

If you have any queries regarding our menus, or if you have any food allergies or intolerances, please speak to us to discuss your requirements.

Deposits will be required at time of booking.

the

Bell Inn Hotel

S t i l t o n

For more information call 01733 241066 e - reception@thebellstilton.co.uk | w - www.thebellstilton.co.uk We look forward to seeing you in December and wish you all

A Very Happy Christmas!

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The Bell Inn

The Dragonfly

The Crown Hotel

Steeped in history, The Bell is a gorgeous

With great views of Peterborough’s rowing lake, The Dragonfly is a sizeable venue which can easily cater for big parties as well as smaller, more intimate affairs. The threecourse festive party menu (from £24.95pp) includes a delicious smoked salmon tian with Bloody Mary puree, and hake fillet baked in lemon butter with fondant potatoes for those who want to save the turkey for Christmas.

The Crown’s crowd-pleasing three-course menu (from £25pp) includes local game and Norfolk Black turkey. The gravadlax with pickled cucumber and lemon aioli is a great twist on a salmon starter, and a cauliflower, green lentil and chickpea cassoulet served with garlic roasted new potatoes makes for an exciting vegetarian option. The wellstocked bar allows for plenty of after-dinner G&T’s.

dragonflypeterborough.co.uk 01733 564240

kneadpubs.co.uk/the-crown-hotel 01780 763136

out-of-town venue for a charming Christmas party. The three-course festive menu (from £25pp) features a goat’s cheese mousse with beetroot marmalade and roasted walnuts, and slow cooked beef with braised red cabbage. After dinner, enjoy a sip of something stronger by one of the roaring open fires. thebellstilton.co.uk 01733 241066

Burghley Park Golf Club

Tap & Kitchen

Recently opened to non-members, the Golf Club’s restaurant is an unexpectedly exciting place to dine, thanks to arrival of head chef, Sam Sharman, who’s technical know-how and creativity results in dishes that are absolutely packed with flavour. The Christmas menu features baked camembert with fig chutney, mustard crusted beef sirloin and caramelised pumpkin and pecan crumble. £30pp for three courses.

It takes a brave chef to serve steak with whipped chimichurri bone marrow on a Christmas menu, but that’s what we’ve come to love about the Tap & Kitchen. Alongside Christmas classics, the vibrant waterside restaurant will be serving innovative, exciting plates that tantalise the taste buds - with gin and tonic cured salmon, local pheasant with juniper, and thyme meringues making an appearance.

Three courses £30pp.

burghleyparkgolfclub.co.uk 01780 753789

tapandkitchen.com 01832 275069

THE

PA PE R

MILLS

- WA NSF OR D

Come join us this year for your festivities.

Whether it be a business Christmas lunch, or a family gathering we will be delighted to have you spend your Christmas here with us!

Step into our rustic pub and take in the festive atmosphere; the log fire crackling, the smell of the fir trees, the untouched stone walls, the Christmas cheer from our locals and most importantly the beautiful surroundings of which we call home...Wansford.

Let our friendly team take care of the cooking and entertaining for you.

We have entertainment every Friday in December

FESTIVE MENU 3 courses for ÂŁ32.95 ÂŁ10/pp deposit Choice of delicious home cooked dishes 5 starters, 5 Mains and 4 Desserts Xm as Day

Friday 7th - Hayley Di Rito Friday 14th - 24 Carat Jazz Friday 21st - TBC Friday 28th - Anna & Jimmy Duo

FULLY

BOOKED

There is a 48 hour cancellation policy on all Christmas bookings, we have the right to withhold deposits if cancellations are made in the 48 hours before their booking etc. Also the festive menu runs from 3rd till the 24th and does not include Sundays.

The Paper Mills | London Road | Wansford | PE8 6JB Call 01780 782328 | www.paper-mills.com

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Celebrate with us this Christmas Serving a 5 course table d’hote festive menu plus an arrival drink (inc Coffees & Petit Fours) From 1st December – 30th December (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day) 12pm-3pm & 6pm – 9pm £30 per person

For bookings contact Rachel Johannsen Call : 01780 753789 Option 2 Email : hospitality@burghleyparkgolfclub.co.uk www.burghleyparkgolfclub.co.uk

Chef Sam Sharman

Cooking up a storm at

Burghley Park Golf Club

Civilised Dining

Festive Set Menu

Christmas Day

Served from the 16th November

Tickets £135 per person 5 courses and champagne on arrival

Lunch 2 courses £20 / 3 courses £26 Dinner 2 courses £22 / 3 courses £28 Monday-Saturday 12:00-14:30 Sunday-Thursday 18:00-21.30 Friday & Saturday 18:00-19:00

To secure your spaces on Christmas Day a non-refundable deposit of £50 per person is required at the time of booking.

The balance is then due on the day.

Menus can be viewed at www.thechubbycastor.com/menus 01733 380801 reservations@thechubbycastor.com

34 Peterborough Road, Castor, Peterborough PE5 7AX

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The Blue Bell

Prevost

With traditional pub charm and a reputation for serving consistently good food, The Blue Bell at Glinton is a delightful venue for a low-key Christmas party. The festive menu begs to be tucked into; warming celeriac soup with hazelnut pesto, slow braised beef blade and roasted garlic served with creamed parsnip and swede, and sticky toffee pudding - guaranteed crowd pleasers. £22.95pp.

When a menu promises minus 8, savoury bread pudding, and a passionfruit, miso and single estate chocolate bar, I want to go! Lee Clarke and team have brought a playful touch to their December menu, giving diners a thought-provoking dining experience without a scrap of Turkey in sight! Exceptional food and wine in a truly relaxed and welcoming environment.

thebluebellglinton.co.uk 01733 252285

prevostpeterborough.co.uk 01733 313623

Stapleford Park Country House Hotel

The Millstone

Recently opened to non-members, the Golf Club’s restaurant is an unexpectedly exciting place to dine, thanks to arrival of head chef, Sam Sharman, who’s technical know-how and creativity results in dishes that are absolutely packed with flavour. The Christmas menu features baked camembert with fig chutney, mustard crusted beef sirloin and caramelised pumpkin and pecan crumble. £30pp for three courses.

A Christmas Fayre menu, full of firm favourites, will be available for

burghleyparkgolfclub.co.uk 01780 753789

millstoneinnbarnack.co.uk

parties throughout December, at £26 for three courses. Creamy goats cheese and a fine chicken liver parfait starter feature on the menu alongside succulent salmon and sumptuous nut roast mains. Desserts include the old favourite of Christmas pudding as well as several other delights such as Bailey’s white chocolate cheesecake.

01780 740296

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74 Taste Explosion

The pick of the pubs There are a great number of pubs in the area serving wonderful food, but these guys really knock the ball out of the park, serving fine dining dishes in the relaxed comfort of a traditional village pub...

The Crown Inn Elton

The Fox at Folksworth

The King’s Arms Inn

The Olive Branch

Named as one of Britain’s top 30 places to eat, The Crown Inn is a must-visit for food-lovers.

The Fox was given a modern makeover a year or so ago, when the Clarke’s restaurant team took over the premises, giving the pub a fresh, bright feel; the dining areas are bathed in light, perfect for showing off the pretty-as-a-picture plates that come out of the kitchen.

The Kings Arms have their roots firmly based in traditional British fare, with an emphasis on locally sourced produce, making everything from scratch, as well as smoking local game and fish in their own smokehouse; it’s pretty serious business at The Kings Arms, and the awards they’re gathering must be taking up some room on the mantlepiece!

Sean Hope and his kitchen team produce plate after plate of delightfully playful food cooked to absolute perfection. With an ever-changing menu that focuses on locally sourced and seasonal produce, The Olive Branch always delivers on flavour and presentation.

Think soused herrings with Danish curried egg salad, apple, boiled egg and capers, or boar haunch, with pancetta crisps, apple fritters, dauphinoise, rhubarb puree and cider gravy Need we say more?

mousse with beetroot and

The King’s Arms Inn, 13 Top Street, Wing, Rutland, LE15 8SE 01572 737634 thekingsarms-wing.co.uk

The Olive Branch, Main Street,

Chef-proprieter, Marcus Lamb, has worked all over the world but champions local producers throughout his modern-British menu, with a ‘suggestions board’ of dishes that have seasonality at heart. Slowroasted pork shoulder from a farmer in Kings Cliff, served with crispy bacon hash brown, savoy cabbage, apple puree and cider jus, sits alongside Willowbrook Farm Longhorn sirloin steaks, and pan fried cod loin with Brancaster mussel and smoked bacon chowder.

The dessert menu, full of firm favourites, includes a Victoria plum meringue pie served with white chocolate ice cream and toasted almonds.

The Crown Inn, Elton, Peterborough PE8 6RQ 01832 280232 crowninnelton.co.uk

This is not a case of style over substance, the pub has yet again secured a listing in the Michelin Guide, thanks to the modern twist they give to classic flavour pairings, like cod cheek scampi with textures of pea, or the beef fillet with textures of turnip, beef potatoes and watercress, and caramel chai cheesecake served with raisons and figs.

The Fox at Folksworth, 34 Manor Road, Folksworth, PE7 3SU 01733 242867 foxatfolksworth.co.uk

With dishes like silky smooth white bean and truffle oil cappuccino soup, goats cheese walnut salad, and venison loin with potato terrine, salt baked celeriac and buttered kale on the menu, deciding what to order becomes a timeconsuming task!

Clipsham, Rutland, LE15 7SH 01780 410355 theolivebranchpub.com

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PREVOSTPETERBOROUGH.CO.UK 01733 313 623

Classic Village Pub with a twist of Fine Dining

BOOK ONLINE OR CALL 01733 252285 10 High Street, Glinton, Peterborough PE6 7LS

thebluebellglinton.co.uk

77

Fine dining at its best The Gravitas Fine Dining Club took to The Chubby Castor for its second club event, a place chosen for its relaxed atmosphere with a blend of modern and vintage design. Words by Zoe Phillips

Dinner was served in the main restaurant and we were presented with a beautifully designed five-course taster menu.

To accompany our selection, we were given the choice of red, white or rose wine, enabling the conversation to follow easily.

The mix of people who attended made for a really pleasant evening. Including the Gravitas Team, Heidi our Publisher, Dee and myself.

} }

On arrival at The Chubby Castor, our guests were greeted by front of house with a glass of Champagne, where we had an opportunity to introduce our guests, some of whom were meeting for the first time. The Chubby Castor has a lovely bar area with a relaxing seating area to start your evening on the right note.

Our advertisers enjoyed the evening and the opportunity to socialise and network in relaxed surroundings.

Included in the group was, Nigel Moore and Michael Blank from Buckles Solicitors, Stephanie Creasey from Taylor-Rose Solicitors, Philip Robinson and Stephen Went from River Nene Cottages in Water Newton, Ronnie and Tracy Baker from R.A. Baker and Carol Hughes from Anna’s Hope, a charity Gravitas supports.

Thank you to Ade of Chubby Castor for a stunning meal and looking after us all. chubbycastor.co.uk

Civilised dining with a focus on fresh and locally sourced produce, cooked in a modern British way.

78 Taste Explosion

Cask Ales Oakham Ales, based in Woodston, Peterborough was the first brewery in the UK to brew a beer with 100% Citra hops. Now a multi-award winning brewery with a worldwide reputation for its innovative approach and for the quality and consistency of its brews, they recently celebrated 25 years of brewing and have exciting plans for the future. Here is their core range, why not give them all a try!

GREEN DEVIL | IPA | 6.0% powerful, tropical and fruity

SCARLET MACAW | American Pale | 4.4% fruity, bitter and vibrant

Heavily hopped with Citra only, some say Green Devil is Citra’s big brother because of it’s enhanced flavours.

Oakham Ales was the first brewery to commercially brew and introduce the Citra hop to the UK in 2009.

Scarlet Macaw flew into our brewery as an inspiration from an amazing children’s book about pirates. Bold and adventurous, Scarlet Macaw is brewed using two of our favourite hops - Amarillo for its spicy, fruity character and Summit, the most powerful of all American hops.

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JHB | Bitter | 3.8% light, crisp and refreshing

BISHOPS FAREWELL | Golden Ale | 4.6% smooth, rich and fruity

Sir Jeffrey Hudson, also known as ‘Lord Minimus’, was an adventurer, courtier and duellist in the service of King Charles Iw Born in Oakham, he was only 3’ 6” tall but his modest strength was more than made up for in character - just like the beer we named after him.

First brewed in 1996 in honour of William John “Bishop Bill” Westwood on his retirement as Bishop of Peterborough. Bishops Farewell pioneered the use of the USA sourced Cascade hop - the variety that launched the craft beer revolution.

INFERNO | Blonde Ale | 4.0% clean, fresh and hoppy Oakham’s brewing team have been visiting the USA hop fields for many years in search of the best quality hops. Inferno’s unique flavour comes from five carefully selected hop varieties from the Yakima Valley - Sterling, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade and Chinook.

CITRA | Session IPA | 4.2% zesty, hoppy and refreshing In 2009 on his annual hop sourcing visit to the USA, Oakham’s Brewing Director John Bryan discovered an exceptional new hop variety - Citra.

He rushed it to the UK, ensuring that Oakham Ales were the first UK brewery to brew a beer with 100% Citra hops and maintaining Oakham’s reputation for pioneering innovation.

82 Down to Business

Helping businesses and their owners At Saffery Champness, our experts advise businesses and their owners to ensure long-term success and prosperity for both.

The ability to look beyond the numbers to the heart of an issue is what sets a good private wealth adviser apart. Whether you are a successful business owner or someone who has inherited your wealth, having an adviser beside you who has seen the issues before is important.

We have great experience in advising some of the UK’s wealthiest individuals. We help them to protect, maintain and enhance their private wealth in the most commercial, tax efficient and costeffective manner possible.

For more information on how we might work with you, contact:

Fenella Martin-Redman Partner T: +44 (0)1733 36798 E: fenella.martin-redman@ saffery.com

www.saffery.com

Alistair Hunt Partner T: +44 (0)1733 353342 E: alistair.hunt@saffery.com

81

Success in the City Interview with Iain Forsythe - Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms In 1992, Iain Forsythe started his business at home, moving to Fengate a year later.

Now in Hampton, Premier have fitted over 21,000 kitchens and bedrooms to local customers and have become one of the largest independent kitchen and bedroom retailers. Here, we interview Iain about his journey.

82 Down to business

How do you think you are different from others in business?

Firstly, I had an ambition, and secondly success is a journey not a destination, so at no point have I thought about standing still. I think I have influenced a lot of people to do things they haven’t necessarily thought they could do and as a motivator and a naturally enthusiastic person, people follow you. So, it’s about the team I have around me. Look after them and invest in them and understand that they are an asset in your business. We have tried to give people lots of opportunity to grow in the workplace.

What drives you on?

Most people who have been successful have had a failure - a pivotal moment - and I am no different. That sets you on a motivational journey and drives you on to never be there again and to be as successful as you can.

Having the family involved in the business is great and we all enjoy what we do. If you enjoy what you do it doesn’t seem like work anymore, but a way of life. When my son Shane started, it was because of the conversation around the dinner table, he picked up on the language of work very early and wanted to be involved.

We are all driven by success; to get as far as you can on this journey.

Those that say they don’t want to be successful are not being true to themselves.

Failure in the UK is really frowned upon but in the US, if you haven’t had a failure, you can’t be a real business person because you don’t know what it’s like to make a comeback.

What is success for you?

Success for me is being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it and with who I want to do it with. People can judge you on what you do and they will brand you. I do enjoy nice things but prefer to live in a world where I’m not judged by what I do or the car that I drive.

Which is why I love it in Ireland, a classless society, they judge you as a human being!

Success can stop at any time as we have seen with outside influences and the uncertainty of the economy once again, which we have experienced twice before.

Only three things matter: where you have been, where you are now and where you are going. With this information you can improve, grow and develop, in all areas of your life.

83

Do you ever have self-doubt or limiting beliefs?

When you start out in business you do have to be good at lots of things, wearing a new hat for marketing, management, finance, sales, operations etc - that’s probably the hardest thing you have to do, lots of plate spinning. As you get more successful and grow you can hand that over to people who will then spin those plates and report back to you. If you work hard and know your market you can make it work.

So, what is the future for you and Premier?

We will continue to grow. At 55 I have enjoyed my time over the last 26 years and I have enjoyed my son Shane joining us. We decided 18 months ago that I am not going to retire but to continue, working together to grow the business.

We have massive ambitions to grow our bathroom business which is only 4 years old and is growing in all of our stores.

We will be looking at franchising, bringing in new products, selling to trade, or expanding the factory. Everyday there is a new aspect to the business, so this is what keeps it fresh, not just for me but for everyone in the company.

So no taking your foot off the pedal?

I said at the 25-year mark, “I want my life back”, but then remembered that business is my life. I thought I would like to do things I haven’t done yet, but then what am I going to do? It’s much better for me to channel my energy, so I also work with young entrepreneurs which gives me a great deal of satisfaction. It’s great to see the next generation doing well.

Times have changed and business is changing, which has a knock-on effect - everything is moving so fast. I’m more available now and the chance to switch off is difficult with messages and notifications happening all of the time. I don’t resent it, it’s just the way it is. It means I can take a call when I’m at the races in Newmarket or watching The Posh. It means I can be more flexible.

So, there is no slowing down for Iain or for Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms. Long may their success be a part of our city! premier-kitchens.co.uk

}

Most people are a swan, graceful on top and paddling like mad underneath! There is nothing I would not try and I see everything in front of me as a challenge. So, change your mind set, because every hour you spend thinking about it is an hour less that you have to sort it out. I’m no different to anyone else, I have areas I am weak in and so I surround myself with people who are better than me. My staff will tell you about my poorly spelt emails!

}

“Only three things matter: where you have been, where you are now and where you are going. With this information you can improve, grow and develop, in all areas.” Iain Forsythe

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Trust the professionals Whether your business is a new start up or well-established and expanding, expert advice can be invaluable to ascertain the correct ways to focus your time, energy and resources for a solid foundation or growth plan. Our wealth of industry experts explain how, with up-to-date information and insights. For further guidance contact our professionals directly.

Family law

Red flag warnings!

Meet Paula. She joined Buckles in 2018 as a Senior Solicitor in the Family department, and is dually based in Peterborough and London. She is a qualified Spanish Abogado and English Solicitor.

“I don’t have bad debts, I have slow-payers!” - If I had a pound for every time I heard this, I’d be a very wealthy woman. It’s true that not every slow paying customer becomes a bad debtor, but how do you know which ones will and which ones won’t?

Practicing in the UK since 2009, Paula previously worked for a boutique firm in London specialising in cross-border family law matters. She is experienced in cases with an international element and assists clients with divorce and separation, choice of forum and jurisdiction disputes, financial claims, cohabitation agreements and disputes, pre and post nuptial agreements, and private child law matters including relocation, child abduction, registration and enforcement of foreign orders.

Paula has prepared expert reports and affidavits of law for foreign proceedings in both English and Spanish. She also contributed to the Spanish Chapter of the Family multi-jurisdictional guide (2nd & 3rd editions) and the International Relocation of Children Global Guide.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Paula is a member of the Barcelona BAR and its Family and International Law commissions, the Spanish Association of Family Lawyers (AEAFA), and Resolution. She is also on the committee of the British Spanish Law Association (BSLA).

Paula Piquer Ruz Paula.PiquerRuz@buckles-law.co.uk 02037 099468

Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball to predict when a customer will become a bad debtor. Fortunately, I can do the next best thing and that’s to share my three ‘red flags’ with you: 1. Changing habitsi.e. your customer always pays you on the same day of the month and payments start to get slower.

2. Avoiding calls i.e. your customer isn’t available to when you ‘chase ‘for payment and doesn’t return your calls.

3. Broken promises i.e. your customer promises to pay but the payment doesn’t arrive.

Not every customer who exhibits these ‘red flags’ will become a bad debtor, but there is a strong possibility theymight!

Faced with this situation ACT NOW. Prompt action really can make the difference between you getting paid or not!

If you have any questions about this or any other Cashflow issue feel free to contact me.

Julie P Randall julie@incrementi.co.uk 01223 782708 Incrementi Ltd

Engaged employees mean better business performance!...

If your employees are ‘happy’, they’re far more likely to do a good job and create a great workplace culture.

Gallup researchers have come up with 12 great questions that measure engagement in teams. I thought I’d share the first 6 for you to ask your employees.

Score each question from 1-5. 1 = areas to improve, and 5 = doing well.

1. Do you know what’s expected of you at work?

2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?

3. Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

Generate discussion and encourage honest feedback…Make sure you commit to some actions to improve!

If you’d like some help, drop Shaun a note at ‘Inspire-Ignite Coaching & Training’ shaun@inspireignite.net @inspireignitetalent on Facebook inspireignite.net

86 Down to business

Trust the professionals Whether your business is a new start up or well-established and expanding, expert advice can be invaluable to ascertain the correct ways to focus your time, energy and resources for a solid foundation or growth plan. Our wealth of industry experts explain how, with up-to-date information and insights. For further guidance contact our professionals directly.

Business Networking

Wellness at Work

Jason and Tracey Yearwood of Connect Business Networking host fortnightly breakfast and monthly lunchtime referral networking groups.

People are our most important asset and key to your business success, whether you are the CEO or a sole trader.

With the team we wanted to create an environment which was fun, uplifting and inclusive.

A place where business owners could connect and build trusted relationships.

Where they can generate business through qualified referrals, meet suppliers, get support, advice and training and above all feel part of a valued community.

We are serious about working with business owners who want to grow their business and in our first year our breakfast group has generated over £600,000 of business for the group members.

We feel it’s important to give back to the community so we sponsor two local charities and as a team we are active in helping them raise funds and awareness.

Tracey and I are passionate about helping local Businesses to grow their network and support them through their business journey.

We would love for you to join us one morning or afternoon.

If you would like to attend as a guest then contact myself by email on: jasony@connectbusinessnetworking.co.uk 07944 664554

But how much attention do we give to the wellbeing of our personnel? Like any machine (and yes, many of us work that hard!) we need to be serviced and ‘oiled’ regularly! Our mental and physical wellbeing is of major importance and there is direct correlation between healthy happy “workers” higher productivity levels. As we respond to and nurture our businesses we need to be mindful of nurturing our bodies so they too can perform at their optimum.

Wellness in the work place has become a hot topic with some major corporations now at least turning an eye to it. But there is still so much to be done. So what can we do individually to combat work stress and maintain our wellbeing? Here are just a few suggestions: • Improve your sleep hygiene • Start a nutritional cleansing programme • Practise meditation • Exercise • Create a more health conscious environment around you!

Experiential learning and your business Advancement Training can provide the solution you need to boost staff performance.

People are the most important resource in any business. Your staff have the power to exponentially drive the growth of your business. However, misconceptions of how to nurture that power can affect both the reach and speed of growth.

Staff development is an integral cog in the nurturing machine, so any learning offered must be efficient and focused to ensure the best outcome for both staff skills and your business. Learning by ‘doing’ is the way in which we best connect theory, practice and application.

So why does experiential learning boost staff performance?

• It replicates the real • It requires involvement • It creates predictable outcomes Creating a staff training program that incorporates an understanding of your peoples’ current skill set and experiential learning offers higher rates of staff performance, development and retention.

Lisa Weston, Wellness Consultant and Isagenix Independent Associate works with individuals and businesses through bespoke nutrition programmes and mental health education to improve wellness and performance in the workplace.

Advancement Training specialise in Learning; offering consultancy services, staff training courses and qualifications for trainers within your organisation. No matter your size, we can help you to support your most important resource. Your people.

lisa@lisaweston.com wellnesslab.isagenix.com

Ria Steventon, Director ria.steventon@advancementtraining.co.uk 01733 294526

can people understand your brand’s message at first glance? hue – create brave, bold and beautiful work fuelled by passion and coffee. We love collaborating with people who aspire to unlock the unique value of their business through brand, design and digital communications. We care about what you do and why you do it and use our creativity to enable brands to achieve their objectives.

#3e2d55

01780 753313 wearehue.co.uk hello@wearehue.co.uk

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Rachel Strange

Concession Manager rachel.strange@paymentsense.com 0808 284 9582 (freephone)

The UK and Ireland’s largest merchant service provider

89

Going separate ways Relocating with a child after separation or divorce can be an extremely stressful time for those with parental care, and of course, for the child. Here, Buckles solicitors discuss the legal position for such a situation. Words by Paula Piquer Ruz

Reasons for relocating might include wanting to return to a ‘home’ country, improving finances through a reduced cost of living, accepting a job abroad, or living with a new partner.

Relocation is likely to prove stressful for both parents and, most importantly, the decision will affect the child. Legal advice should be obtained at an early stage on the matter.

The legal position

International travel often leads people from different countries to form relationships, marry and raise families. However, legal implications can arise if the relationship ends, minor children are involved and one parent wishes to move to another country with the children.

A parent can move abroad with their children if everyone with parental responsibility provides consent (generally the other parent). Without this, the children cannot be removed from the UK, as this would be child abduction - a criminal offence in the UK. The other parent may take appropriate legal steps to prevent an immediate move. If permission to relocate is denied by the other parent, it’s necessary to apply for permission from the Court, known as ‘leave to remove’.

Beforehand, the parties must attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation. Our team of accredited mediators can assist throughout this process.

The court’s primary consideration is the best interests of the child. The judge will examine: • whether the application is genuinely motivated and doesn’t exclude the other parent from the child’s life;

• if the proposal is suitable, i.e. living arrangements, schooling, access; • the impact on the parent applying if the application is refused; • whether the other parent’s opposition is motivated by a genuine concern for the child’s welfare; • the detriment to the other parent and their relationship with the child if the application is granted; • the extent to which the detriment would be offset by development of the child’s relationships with extended family and homeland; The court also considers the child’s age and current arrangements. If the child is old enough, the court will take their views into account but not be bound by them.

It’s essential to ascertain the legal position in the intended foreign jurisdiction regarding the recognition and enforcement of the English order and whether obtaining a mirror order is convenient.

The parent left behind may want to ensure that the English order can be easily enforced if required.

Contact Paula on 02037 099468 or email paula.piquerruz@buckles-law.co.uk

Without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, the children cannot be removed from the UK, as this would be child abduction - a criminal offence in the UK.

90 Down to Business

Time to network

A number of opportunities for you to network with like-minded business professionals.

Talk Network Flexible and affordable networking.

Meeting on the 1st Thursday of every month from 12.30-2.00pm at Mama Liz’s, Stamford, these events attract 35+ attendees with up to a third as new visitors. There is no commitment to join so you attend as and when you want to.

A full delegates list is provided following the meeting with access to a LinkedIn group for attendees.

To book a seat or for more information get in contact.

Felicity Francis info@talknetworking.co.uk 01780 693123

bought to you by...

Connect Business Networking Hands up if you’ve ever felt nervous or out of your comfort zone when going to a networking event?

At Connect Business Networking we pride ourselves on our fun, friendly but business focussed approach to networking and would like to welcome you as our guest at our 1ST BIRTHDAY Celebrations on Thursday 25th October 2018 at The Cresset, Peterborough, 7.15am - 10.00am.

Future dates: Breakfast: 7.15am - 9.30am Thursday 8th November Thursday 22nd November Thursday 6th December Thursday 20th December Lunch: 12.15am – 2.00pm Friday 2nd November Friday 7th December

Please email: Heidi@setchfieldvaservices.com quoting ‘Gravitas’ to reserve your place for £15 Jason & Tracy Yearwood connectbusinessnetworking.co.uk 07944 664554

Rutland & Stamford Business Network This local network aims to encourage local businesses to get together and prosper. It’s a great way to make new business contacts and gain the advantages of belonging to a larger enterprise.

Every four weeks on a Friday at Barnsdale Lodge, Oakham.

Ben Callaghan ben@rutlandbusiness.co.uk rutlandbusiness.co.uk 01572 770352

The Business Network Attracting senior decision-makers to the monthly events, the unique, professional format offers an effective environment for building close working links and establishing that invaluable ‘support network’ of business contacts.

Monthly on the 4th Thursday 12pm-2pm July & Aug – Haycock Hotel Sept & Oct – Marriott Hotel Peterborough Simon Coy simon@business-network.co.uk business-network-peterborough.co.uk 07860 121773

Booth Networking Booth networking has taken Peterborough by storm with the most recent events attracting over 120 businesses into the stadium.

Hannah Thompson peterboroughgreyhounds.com 01733 296939

Positive Networking A supportive environment for open-minded and collaborative business people – those looking to open up, share experiences and learn from each other.

This group provides the widest range of networking formats on the circuit – innovative events with much participation and collaboration.

The focus is on developing the business owner as well as the business.

Held monthly at Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough, on a Thursday 6.00pm - 9.00pm Mike Stokes positivenetworking.co.uk 07887 651394

RECKLESSABANDONMEDIA.CO.UK

Legal help for you, your family and your business.

Taylor Rose TTKW offers legal help for you, your family and your business. Our friendly lawyers at Peterborough based Taylor Rose TTKW will put you at ease. We provide jargon free advice from the everyday to the most complex of issues.

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Whether you’re an experienced buyer or new to the process, Taylor Rose TTKW is here to take the stress out of purchasing a property.

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Experiencing problems at work? Our lawyers resolve complex and sensitive disputes which can involve employees, managers/directors or shareholders, as well as drafting a variety of legal documents.

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Been injured in a crash that wasn’t your fault or had an accident in a public place? When it comes to personal injury claims, we are experts in both pursuing and defending cases to achieve the best results for clients.

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Need advice on family matters or require a Will to protect your loved ones? Our trusted and experienced family law and private client teams are here to support you with honest, straightforward and quality legal advice.

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Need a Dispute Resolving? Our team of experts use negotiation and mediation techniques by binding and enforcable agreements to gain successful results, without the need for court action.

For more information about our services please visit www.taylor-rose.co.uk or to speak to an expert, call us on 01733 333333.

SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday 6th February 2019 – Visit Taylor Rose TTKW Solicitors on stand C42 at The Peterborough Biscuit.

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Smart, Modern Law What does it take to deliver smart, modern law? We ask Adrian Jaggard, the lawyer behind Peterborough law firm Taylor Rose TTKW’s ongoing success.

The Taylor Rose TTKW of today is a top 200 independent law firm with a loyal client following, including many global brands. However, the aspirational driving force behind its ongoing success was borne out of sheer determination, a testament to the fact that the firm hasn’t forgotten its roots.

The legacy partially began in 1998, when Adrian and Antony Jaggard founded ‘Jaggards’ based out of a small office on an industrial estate with little more than a desk and secondhand computer. However, Jaggards became one of the UK’s leading suppliers of legal costs’ services, working with some of the biggest brands in insurance, before eventually evolving into Taylor Rose Law. A merger with Tucker Turner Kinsley Wood (TTKW) launched a newly rebranded Taylor Rose TTKW in 2015 with Adrian as Managing Director, and his brother Antony, a Director. They work alongside 500 experts operating from 11 locations across the country delivering a wide range of personal and commercial legal services.

These ‘experts’ are Taylor Rose TTKW colleagues, and Adrian trusts them implicitly. The aspirational driving force that was born back in the 1990s when Jaggards started up is still just as evident in Taylor Rose TTKW today, fuelling every part of the business and the passion exuded by its people.

“We have many smart, dynamic people that understand and align themselves with our aspiration and drive, making our business the success that it is today. We’re highly aware of the commercial aspects and the bigger picture. Our pricing levels reflect this and our competitive advantage is woven into every part of our business” says Adrian.

“We also have a brilliant leadership team who aren’t afraid to challenge each other on each evolutionary step, making the right decision for our business, and for our people. This is fundamental to positioning ourselves as a future market leader and helping towards our strategy to become a top 100 law firm” concluded Adrian.

Taylor Rose TTKW is proud to announce it has been shortlisted for the Larger Business of the Year category in the Peterborough Telegraph Business Awards. Taylor Rose TTKW’s entrepreneurial spirit, customer care and vision to deliver smart, modern law certainly sets it apart from other law firms. taylor-rose.co.uk

The aspirational driving force behind the firms ongoing success was borne out of sheer determination, a testament to the fact that it hasn’t forgotten its roots.

94 Down to Business

Create a brand new you

Stamford agency mb creative rebranded as hue - brand design digital in October 2018. They create brave, bold and beautiful projects for a multitude of businesses.

After being made redundant at the start of 2007, Mark Buttress decided to launch his own graphic design agency, mb creative.

Whilst most people would fear the idea of launching a business at such an uncertain time, Mark rose to the challenge and hasn’t looked back since.

01780 753313 hello@wearehue.co.uk @hellowearehue

Why rebrand?

After trading for 10 years, we felt it was important to practice what we preach to our own clients - always keep moving and be current. Our team and client base is ever expanding and we felt we needed a brand that represented this.

What makes hue different to other design companies? hue love getting to really know you, understand the story behind your brand and uncover its unique characterists. We have three internal key values which are the forefront of everything we do...

Be bold. Focus on people. Make an impact.

What’s next for hue?

The last 12 months have been a pivotal point for the business. Alongside rebranding to hue, we have moved to a larger studio in Ketton and aquired working space at The Stanley Building in Kings Cross for our London clients.

Join us for the journey. #hellowearehue

Creativity at its best Success in the City Reckless Abandon Media has a mission to bring bold high-quality video to SMEs. Run by a small team, they specialise in creating visually stunning, cinematic content that ranges from business promotion and training to corporate and live events.

Nurturing all stages of production, they craft each bespoke video on a platform of meticulous planning. Immersing themselves fully within your business, they become an extension of your marketing team. From this position, they effectively capture your ethos, personalities and USPs on film.

Owners Ashley Fry and Jack Bartley said “We should probably mention something about the name. When it comes to the creative process, we like to approach it with an element of reckless abandon; that anything is possible. Now, obviously each project is both financially constrained and time-bound, so there will always be limits. However, it is from the viewpoint of reckless abandon that allows us to be truly free when delivering on our creative promise and telling your stories.”

See more at recklessabandonmedia.co.uk or speak to Ash or Jack on 07743 073866

I’m proud to have adopted Peterborough as my home almost 30 years ago when I moved from the north. I love how it has evolved over the years into such a vibrant place to live.

There are many successful businesses in our city and over the years it has been fantastic to see so many of them are run by inspirational women. The breadth of services they provide is breath-taking and the ambition and talent as impressive as anywhere else on earth. Many will be celebrated at the Women Leaders event on 2nd November at the Peterborough Arena, an event I helped to bring to the city as a trustee of the charity.

So as co-founder of my latest enterprise – The Business Café, it’s base naturally had to be here. Currently an online community for business people to connect, support each other and exchange skills, we will ultimately create a network of physical coffee shops for business people to facilitate offline get togethers too, kind of a high street private members club but open to all and free of charge.

And there’s no prizes for guessing where the first one will be…

Join The Business Café Global community on Facebook @ Tbusinesscafe womenleadersuk.co.uk | virtualpa.co.uk

96 Down to Business

Trusted Tutors More Than Marketers

At Trusted Media we are much more than marketers, and by collaborating with every business we partner with in a transparent and passionate manner, we continue to elevate the growth of local organisations while building and strengthening relationships with business owners in our community.

Ongoing projects at Trusted Media are focused on assisting the development of businesses which directly impact our community, such as healthy restaurants, award winning telecommunication companies and health conscious pubs. We also work very closely with Peterborough’s S.T.E.M festival, an event which celebrates and promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, with the mission to encourage young girls and women to consider careers in the STEM subjects; something that we proudly attend and support.

Our twelve years of experience in every aspect of marketing is the reason we are Trusted Media, but it is our motives and drive which differentiate us from others in our sector.

Our fulfilment comes from observing the prosperity of the organisations we partner with as they expand and continue to leave a positive influence on the community.

Our satisfaction comes from the knowledge that the people we work with can call us directly at any given time for a conversation and we schedule regular face-to-face meetings with the firm belief that relationships cannot fully flourish through e-mails or text. This is what makes Trusted Media more than a marketing agency. It is the core belief that through the combination of digital skills and experience with innovative business ideas, everybody has an equal chance to excel. Trusted Media is more than marketing because we use our expertise to level out the playing field between local start-ups and established organisations, while working tirelessly on innovative marketing strategies for continuous growth.

Our partners at The Good Stuff have taken the healthy fast food industry by storm in Peterborough, and when we

were first approached by their founder Ashish Sarman, we were instantly captivated by his idea to create a healthy alternative for take-away food in Peterborough catering to vegetarians and vegans, presenting people the option of eating delicious cuisine while still remaining time efficient.

We helped Mr Sarman design and develop his stunning website, decide on his trademarked branding, and grow his online presence with stunning photography thorough a marketing strategy which focused solely on his business and was tailor made to magnify his growth.

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Our work extends into education, where we proudly collaborate with a well-established recruitment agency Textbook Teachers, who use their esteemed reputation alongside lengthy relationships with local schools and experienced teachers to place candidates in teaching roles across the county.

Peterborough based telecommunication company Rydal Communication approached Trusted Media in search of a fresh website, but after seeing the tremendous impact our modern design had on their business, we have continued to work together educating, learning and elevating each other through this exciting journey.

We are more than marketers, because this is more than marketing to us. Our relationships are built on ability,

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We researched thoroughly and covered every detail, even sourcing fresh vegetables from local growers to further assist in community projects.Our famous question “Are you ready for this?� initially caused him to chuckle, but after witnessing the mind-blowing turnout for his launch event and the incredible feedback, he realised the depth of our promotion and that our passion matched his work rate; marking the beginning of a growing partnership.

Our fulfilment comes from observing the prosperity of the organisations we partner with as they expand and continue to leave a positive influence on the community.

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sustained on honesty, and propelled through collaboration.

We have worked in over twenty diverse sectors worldwide, from promoting sold out shows for platinum selling musicians to developing websites for luxurious resorts in the Maldives, but our primary drive is the impact we physically see from helping our local community and using thought leadership to propel positive businesses to the heights they deserve.

This is why we offer a free, no obligation service called Trusted Tuition in which we simply encourage you to send us the biggest obstacle you are currently facing in business. The aim of Trusted Tuition is to organise a face-to-face meeting in which we discuss this issue in detail and offer a variety of solutions while finding the root of the issue rather than simply diagnosing it. We do not charge a fee for this service because we believe that your time is the most valuable thing you can give us.

If you wish to book your session e-mail us: hello@trustedmedia.co.uk or call us on: 01733 788766

98 Out and about

Leicester’s Limelight

Leicester – This compact, urban metropolis and one of Britain’s ‘cultural capitals’ is just an hour away.

With over 11 million visitors each year, Leicester offers an exciting range of culinary delights, from atmospheric coffee shops and award-winning restaurants to hip bars and buzzing nightclubs, it’s the place to be for more than just a good night out… Words by Abi Richardson

The Queen Victoria Arts Club - A Regal Venue -Queens

Building, 41 Rutland Street, LE1 1RE

Photo Cedit : Saul Morgan Photography

Hot off the press and offering exclusivity is The Queen Victoria Arts Club right in the heart of the cultural quarter. Opening this October, this is Leicester’s newest independent and most exclusive restaurant, bar and private members’ club. Sympathetically restored, this propitious piece of Victorian architecture blends turn-of-thecentury elegance with state-of-the-art flourishes making it the perfect spot for an early dinner before hitting the bars or visiting one of the numerous arts’ centres. It is already making a noise, so be sure to book in advance. queenvicleicester.com | 020 7253 4101

The Place to Speak-easy - Manhattan34 -34 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RD Cocktail enthusiast? Whether you desire to be served the perfect drink in the most sophisticated of settings, listen to live music or you have a yearning for becoming a master mixologist, this speakeasy offers it all. This end of the Prohibition inspired bar boasts art-deco styling, expert bartenders, cocktail masterclasses, private spirit tastings AND a busy programme of live music and comedy acts. Influenced by the creativity and freedom brought to Americans in the 1930s, Manhattan34 aims to echo the atmosphere of that time by bringing young, culturally creative people together to flourish in an elegant environment and, with only 5-star reviews, it clearly is succeeding. manhattan34.com | 0116 2628855

The morning after? The relaxed Sunday Social is designed for visitors to unwind with a paper, shake it off with a Bloody Mary or, for the more virtuous, choose from unique house-blended teas.

Boutique Overnighter - Hotel Maiyango -13-21 St. Nicholas Place, Leicester LE1 4LD

Let’s be honest, one night is not going to suffice so why not extend the fun at this inexpensive city centre boutique hotel? Under new ownership and with a two-million-pound investment, Hotel Maiyango is the perfect spot for a weeknight or weekend escape. Known for its contemporary decor and exceptional service, Maiyango is perfectly situated to enjoy the vibrant nightlife, extensive eateries, independent boutiques and the 300 million-pound, state of the art Highcross shopping centre close by. ‘Bar Maiyango’, exclusively for the use of hotel guests, is a sublime, all-weather roof top bar and terrace offering panoramic views over Jubilee Square. maiyango.com | 01162 518898

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{amore} is an exciting new wedding magazine, packed full of advice and inspiration to help brides and grooms create the wedding day of their dreams, be it a traditional or thoroughly modern affair.

With page after page of engaging articles, reviews and current trends coupled with gorgeous imagery, and advice from wedding experts and real brides, {amore} is an indispensable guide to wedding planning.

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Check out our social media pages for more details on where to find us.... @ amoreweddingmag Amore Wedding Magazine @amoreweddingmag

100 Out and about

Save our theatre The Broadway Theatre, Peterborough was originally built as The Odeon. The Cinema was opened in 1937 and was successful for nearly 50 years until it finally closed in 1991. The Cinema then stood empty and boarded up for many years and fell into disrepair. Since then, there has been many who have tried to make the theatre a success. Now we have an opportunity to pull together and save this historic building. Gravitas went to meet Peter Dawe of The Dawe Charitable Trust and the man heading up the campaign to save our theatre.

What is the plan for now and the future for our theatre?

I see the theatre as a key community asset for Peterborough - it is the only viable city centre venue that has got the scale to support the events that a city like Peterborough needs and deserves.

The second is for national named performances, whether its music,

My hope is that we can make this a community asset owned by the community for the benefit of the community.

national artists previously but we have to get bums on seats to make

We are now working to bring in a national brand to transform the fortune of the theatre. The theatre will be used for a whole range of projects, most importantly, community events. Coming up to Christmas there will be events that are targeted to the people of Peterborough communities and I would ask that you please support those events.

Thirdly to repeat acts like The Revellers and Jazz Club, we want to get

concerts or comedy, it will be able to attract those big names that will make a great night out in the heart of the city. We have had it sustainable.

more of those to use the side suite or the main Broadway auditorium.

Another option is to use the theatre for business conferences. There is a gap in the market, as the theatre can house up to 1400 and is unique with the auditorium suitable for big presentations.

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We have decided if we are going to support the theatre we should rename it after that community so The Broadway is to be renamed as The Peterborough Theatre after the people who will be using it.

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How did you become involved and tell us what experience you bring?

When I was running for mayor of Cambridgeshire, I knew very little about Peterborough, so wanted to find out more. I was stunned and amazed that this working theatre, in such good condition, had been closed and no-one in Peterborough seemed to care. I thought someone has to breathe life in to this project, so that is what I decided to do.

I have spent my life completing impossible tasks! The first one was transforming the telecommunication industry. I was a pioneer of the internet - I then saw the damage that can be caused by the internet, so I set up Internet Watch. In Cambridge there was a project to convert the under croft of the bridge into a homeless project, that floundered for various reasons, so I went in and resued that to make the Jubilee project. There are lots of things that just need someone to go and try and do something, even if it’s difficult and there is a risk of failure.

What is needed to make it a success?

We have decided if we are going to support the theatre we should rename it after that community so The Broadway is to be renamed as The Peterborough Theatre after the people who will be using it.

We need two things; the first thing is a group of people who are going to take over ownership of the theatre and a board of trustees who will come in and be the Peterborough heart of the theatre.

Secondly, it is for the people to use the theatre, either by booking conferences, community projects or most importantly, by buying tickets.

We want you to love your theatre, use it, support it or lose it.

102 Out & About

Help to end street homelessness the right way Seventeen local voluntary, faith, community and public service organisations have formed a new ‘Safer off the Streets’ partnership to work together to tackle street homelessness in Peterborough.

The work of Safer off the Streets includes the following initiatives: ● A new contactless card donation point at the Argo Lounge in St Peter’s Arcade, off Bridge Street, allowing people to make an instant £3 donation using their bank cards. ● A Safer Off the Streets website – saferoffthestreets.co.uk - an information hub which allows people to find what support is available across the city and to make online donations quickly and easily. ● Cash donation boxes will also be placed at Peterborough Town Hall and the Visitor Information Centre, among other spots across the city. ● Dedicated social media channels - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @sospboro ● A new Safer off the Streets drop in hub located at The Garden House in Wheel Yard, to be open six days a week and offer support such as GP and health advice, housing guidance, volunteering activities and CV/job search. ● Outreach officers will work with individuals offering personalised plans to support them off the streets, made easier with a co-

ordinated schedule for night shelters, food donations, cooked meals, volunteers and transportation, as well as in-shelter support services. ● A Rehabilitation package will be set up to help rough sleepers, aiming to take them from the first point of contact into night shelters, training, and ultimately housing and/or employment. ● Peterborough Winter Night Shelter – this winter season the night shelter will be running from 26 November until 18 March.

Ten churches are working together to host our homeless guests and warm meals and beds, with loads of love and support to help people get off the streets will be offered.

Christine Graham, Chair of the Safer off the Streets Partnership and Co-ordinator of Peterborough Street Pastors Scheme said: “Rough sleeping is the most visible and unacceptable consequence of homelessness. A recent count showed that 35 homeless people were sleeping rough on Peterborough’s streets. Although there are many agencies across the city doing much to tackle the issue of rough sleeping, we felt a more targeted approach was needed. That’s why charities and organisations across the city have joined up to create a network of support to help people who are sleeping rough, but also to look at ways to prevent and support people so they don’t end up on the streets in the first place.”

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All the partners in Safer off the Streets believe that everyone has the right to a home, to have hope and to feel part of a community.

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Christine added: “We also felt that although the people of Peterborough are already empowered to help, they are unsure about the best way to do this. Donations, however big or small, make a real difference to homeless and vulnerable people in Peterborough.

We’ve now made it easy to donate money online, at cash donation points and a contactless donation window.

The website and social media will also keep people up-to-date on support available and to find out what items are needed.” Donations received will primarily go towards funding the day to day running costs of the drop in hub which will provide support services and health and wellbeing advice, with any additional funds being used for personalised budgets for rough sleepers to encourage them to leave the streets for good.

For more information visit: saferoffthestreets.co.uk

So far 17 organisations have joined the Safer off the Streets partnership: Axiom Housing Care Zone Children of Adam Citizens Advice Cross Keys Homes Hope into Action Kingsgate Community Church Love and Humanity Peterborough Peterborough City Council Peterborough Food Bank Peterborough Soup Kitchen Peterborough Street Pastors Safer Peterborough Partnership Salvation Army The Light Project Veterans for the Homeless UK YMCA Trinity Group

104 Out & About

What’s on

1 November 7.30pm | The Adele Songbook Back on the road by popular demand, Someone Like You (The Adele Songbook) is a celebration of one of our generation’s finest singer-songwriters. Hand-picked by Adele herself on Graham Norton’s BBC ADELE Special, the outstanding Katie Markham has the show-stopping voice and the captivating charisma to deliver all your favourite Adele hits in this enthralling concert performance.

A soul-stirring journey from break-up to make-up!

Where: Cresset Theatre, Bretton, Peterborough Tickets: £21.00 How to book: cresset.co.uk | 01733 265705

6 November 7.30pm |The James Taylor Quartet For a quarter of a century, the James Taylor Quartet have set the standard for the coolest sounds in funky acid jazz. JTQ are perhaps best-known and loved for their unrivalled live performances.

With James’ Hammond leading the way, JTQ jam out with sly rhythms and kitschy-cool melodies, their live favourites include JTQ’s debut single Blow Up, Green Onions, Time is Tight, JTQ Theme and of course, the inimitable, Starsky and Hutch.

Where: The Key Theatre, Peterborough Tickets: £22.50 How to book: vivacity.org | 01733 207239

10 November | Cheese Fest The UK’s first contemporary cheese festival has been touring the country, and brings together artisan cheese makers and awardwinning vendors from around the world to Peterborough. Taste around 140 different cheeses with cooking demonstrations and the opportunity to buy your own, along with a selection of drinks and wines to match them.

Where: East of England Arena and Events Centre, Peterborough Tickets: from £3

How to book: cheesefestuk.com

105 16 - 18 November | Festive Food and Gift Show 3 Days of shopping, food and festivities, showcased across 100,000 square foot in the heated indoor arena. There will be 6 Shopping zones to include an impressive collection of stunning lights, tree’s and all the dressings. Blitzens Food Hall will offer everything for an unforgettable Christmas dinner, your favourite drink tipples, snacks and festive trimmings. You’ll be spoilt for choice with 1000’s of gift ideas!

Where: East of England Arena and Events Centre, Peterborough

27 November 7.30pm | Blake BLAKE have selected the very best Christmas songs to bring back the memories of all your much-loved Christmas holidays.

Songs including When A Child Is Born, Walking In The Air, Frosty The Snowman, O Holy Night, God Only Knows, Silent Night, Last Christmas and so many more with brand new arrangements performed with opulent harmonies.

Where: Cresset Theatre, Bretton, Peterborough Tickets: £26.50 How to book: cresset.co.uk | 01733 265705

28 November 7.30pm | Whitney: Queen of the Night Whitney: Queen of the Night is a stunning tribute to the life and legacy of one of the best-selling and most beloved artists of all time. This award winning production features a sensational line-up of musicians and artistes, who, together with a powerhouse and breath-taking performance in the spirit of Whitney Houston, deliver a show that exceeds expectations on every level.

Where: Cresset Theatre, Bretton, Peterborough Tickets: £24.50 How to book: cresset.co.uk | 01733 265705

29 November 8pm | C omedy Night Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and the self-dubbed “Lie-In King”, Seann Walsh is “unquestionably the best observational comic of his generation (The Guardian). Seann made his acting debut starring in Comedy Central’s sitcom Big Bad World. He also wrote and starred in his own Sky short for Sky Arts and is now co-starring in Jack Dee’s brand-new sitcom Bad Move. Seann is quickly on his way to becoming one of the UK’s best comedy character actors.

Where: Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre How to book: thetheatrelounge.co.uk

106 Out and about 3 December 7.15pm | The Nutcracker: Live Screening from the Royal Ballet Tchaikovsky’s much-loved music is matched to a magical adventure on Christmas Eve for Clara and her Nutcracker doll. Their journey to the Land of Sweets brings with it some of the most familiar of all ballet moments, such

as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers.

Where: The Key Studio, Peterborough Tickets: £16.50 How to book: : 01733 207239

15 December 2.30pm & 7.30pm | Christmas Magic at Peterborough Cathedral Christmas is coming, and Christmas in Peterborough wouldn’t be complete without Christmas Magic, which will round off Peterborough Cathedral’s 900th anniversary year in spectacular style.

Directed by William Prideaux and hosted by Jane Smith, Christmas Magic will showcase performances by the city’s award-winning choirs Peterborough Male Voice Choir, Peterborough Voices and Peterborough Youth Choir, accompanied by Cathedral’s organ - one of the finest in the country - and featuring Peterborough Festival Brass.

Where: Peterborough Cathedral Tickets: from £18 How to book: : peterboroughsings.org.uk | 0333 666 3366

Christmas Markets 25 November - Stamford Christmas Festival

1 December - Christmas Market in the Cathedral

Come along to the beautiful Georgian town of Stamford where the streets are lined with stalls selling home-made and local Christmas gifts, food, drink and all the trimmings you could possibly need to make your Christmas truly special.

Following the success of this festive event held in the Nave of the stunning Cathedral of Peterborough, offering the perfect backdrop to hold a Christmas Market.

FOLLOW US ... @gravitas_mag @gravitasmagazine @gravitasmagazine

The Ultimate Driving Machine

KNOW YOU CAN. THE NEW BMW X5.

Arrives in November. To find out more and pre-book your test drive*, please call us on 01733 707070.

SEARCH: SYCAMORE PETERBOROUGH Fuel consumption combined: 11.6 – 6.0 l/100 km; CO2-emissions combined: 264 – 158 g/km; provisional fuel consumption and emissions figures.

Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. *Test drive is subject to applicant status and availability.