Autumn 2012
clu b
Our recipe for comfort
Happy feet for ballerina Stylish shoes for the great outdoors
Time to enjoy new shoes Welcome to our
exclusive Comfort Club Magazine
Welcome The new season is here already and with it ... new shoes! Hurray!! Our latest collection is smart, sophisticated and will indulge your feet in comfort every step of your day. And don’t worry, you’ll still find all your lovely Hotter favourites to keep you cosy and warm through these colder months. I’ve been editing Comfort Club since 2004 and over the years I’ve been delighted to hear all your stories and see your photos. So it’s great to be able to share even more; we’ve just launched a special Comfort Club area on our website
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where you’ll be able to find longer stories, more news, competitions and all our past editions; why not stop by and say hello. And don’t forget there’s nothing that makes us happier than receiving a post bag full of letters – so however you decide to do it, please keep telling us where you travel, what you do and how you’re enjoying your Hotter shoes. Have a great Autumn. Kind regards
Melanie
Melanie Killilea, Editor, Comfort Club
Tim to en ne sho
Hotter rocks! Who doesn’t love the taste of rock and a trip to the seaside? When we needed some rock sweets for an event at Hotter HQ we thought it would be fun to send PR Assistant Jenni Summers to take a look behind the scenes… The Promotional Candy Company is found where else, but in sunny Blackpool, and after a quick tour from Managing Director Jason Evans, we began. First the sugar and glucose was mixed and boiled at 300°F, wow, that’s hot! The mixture was then cooled, and two shades of green were added to a portion, mixed and kept separate. The remainder was coloured white and the tropical fruit flavour Win some rock added, mmm! Next the mixture was moved to a sweets by completing warm slab where the letters were made, rolled the following sentence, Hotter Shoes rock because... together and circled with the green coloured Entry details are on stripes. A machine turned it into a perfect 2m the back page. cylinder which was then stretched by hand to 800 metres, before being cut into 4,000 pieces, wrapped and ready to go!
Win
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Relaxing time – Fern and Lea
nne
me njoy ew oes
When every pair fits like a dream and is lighter than air it’s always time to enjoy new shoes! With beautiful Autumn styles for everything from ‘Relaxing Time’ and ‘Fun Time’ to ‘Going Out Time’ and ‘Meeting Friends Time’ you’ll find a stunning, stylish pair of Hotter shoes for every occasion ….. even some cosy slippers for that end of the day “Me Time!”.
10am Relaxing Time An early morning power walk in sporty Leanne or Fern is a fabulous start to the day. Enjoy a healthy stroll – and, if you walk with a friend, a healthy dose of gossip too.
3pm Feeling
fashionable time Don’t let your daughter have all the fun! Brogues are the fashion must-have this season but not every pair will give you the lighter than air, softly cushioned feeling of our beautiful Kiara – enjoy the admiring glances and that special Hotter sensation in equal measure.
12pm Meeting Friends Time Smile when you meet them, laugh when you’re with them, and beam when you leave them – focus on your friends and not on your feet because your toes are cosseted and cushioned in these Hotter favourites.
Feeling fashionable – Kiara 7pm Going
Out Time
Hmmm … something smart, with a heel. Something with thoroughbred looks, but a duck-down duvet feeling for your feet. Valetta ticks the box for ‘Going Out Time’ shoes – and no need to carry an extra pair of ‘just in case’ comfy shoes in your handbag …. because you’re wearing them!
Meeting with friends - Festival, Shout and Sugar
Going out time – Valetta
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Happy Shoes-day We’re on a mission to keep the nation’s feet happy one pair at a time. If you know someone with a special hobby or job where they need to keep their feet in tip-top condition, let us know and we’ll give them a special Happy Shoes-day. We start with a young ballerina in training who really does need to be ….
o n t t h h e e r g e f i L
And whilst this talented 16-year-old from Yorkshire is there she’ll be making sure her tools of the trade, her feet, are well looked after. We sent Tala a pair of sporty Leanne to ensure her feet are kept comfortable and happy when she is not in training. Tala’s passion for dancing started at the age of four, but it was
whilst being coached at the Bristol Russian Ballet School that she discovered a love for the Russian method of training. Since then Tala has performed with both English and American National Ballet in the Nutcracker and Le Corsaire at the Coliseum Theatre in London. For Tala to achieve her dream she and her family have had to raise her school fees themselves with Tala making appearances on TV, Russian radio and in national newspapers. Tala is now in Russia at the start of her four year dance programme where she is learning to speak the language. If you’d like to read more about Tala’s progress visit her blog at www.talaleeturton.wordpress.com.
Lightweight Leanne You too can be light on your feet with sporty Leanne, whether it’s an active city break, a day out with friends or a relaxing country walk, the lightweight flexible soles will put a new spring in your step this Autumn. And we’ve added three new colours too, Soft Grey, Petrol and Chocolate.
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Photo taken by Chris Sedgewic k
Who better to test the lightness of our fabulous Leanne shoes than a record breaking ballerina…? Tala-Lee Turton has danced herself into a chance of a lifetime opportunity, a place at the prestigious Russian Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where she will be only the eighth British student in its 239 year history!
Our Comfort u ndru m
Con
Comfort is personal to you – and it’s fundamental to us. We’re trying to delve deep to find the essence of comfort so we thought we would enlist the help of the most creative comfort lovers we know – you! Our ‘comfort engineers’ examine every tiny detail of our shoes, carefully hiding as many comfort features as they can in each pair. It could be air bubble filled soles, silky linings, soft leather that feels (and smells) amazing or simply space for your toes to move and flex.
“The Leanne shoes have great support and feel like I’m wearing slippers. I am always aware of what shoes I wear when I’m not dancing I need keep to my feet in the best condition for injury prevention and my Leanne shoes are perfect”
Here’s our ‘recipe’ for comfort ... – Take a bowlful of lightness – Mix with a soupçon on of softness – Add a liberal helping of suppleness – Don’t forget more than a dash of enduring performance – Combine all the ingredients with a healthy measure of quality!
Photo taken by Chris Sedgewick
Tala told us:
We’d like to delve into your thoughts to find out what comfort means to you. Which features of our shoes make your feet feel fab and how comfort can transform your day. We’ll send a new pair of shoes to put a spring in the step of our three favourites – just pop on your shoes, let your imagination flow and send your thoughts to the address on the back page.
... what’s yours? It's all about comfort
“The shoes are so light they are a joy to wear.”
“Like cashmere gloves for your feet!”
Mrs Kathryn Grundy, Devon
Ann Legg, Glamorgan
“I never understood the meaning of ‘walking on air’ before - but now I do!”
“I’m so happy with my shoes because if your feet feel good, your whole body feels good”
Jenni Charlesworth, Plymouth
Mary Bradford via Twitter
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Aboyne, Aberdeenshire
Stores
New stores in 2012
a. Cheltenham b. Colchester c c. Edinburgh d. Oxford e. Tauton f. Tunbridge Wells g. Winchester Strensall h. Worcester to Sheriff i. Nottingham Hutton walk j. Cambridge 2 k. Harrogate l. Solihull k
step out
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Turton and Entwistle Reservoir i l h
In case you haven’t noticed we’ve stepped up our store opening programme across the UK, and in a few busy months this Summer have been opening almost one new store per month! Now you’ll find Hotter stores from Aberdeen to Exeter with lots more in between, so we thought we’d introduce you to a few. But to make it a little more interesting we asked our Store Managers to send us their favourite local walk – in their Hotter shoes of course – to highlight the lovely locations where you’ll now find your favourite shoes! We’ll be including lots more walks in the Comfort Club area of our website – so check there soon to find out more – and don’t forget to let us know what you think of our Hotter stores too.
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a d g e
Turton and Entwistle Reservoir
Sharon Marshall, Store Manager Southport This walk is about half an hour drive from Preston just off the Darwen to Bolton Road – it’s a fantastic place for a walk with woods, water, excellent paths and no stiles. We’ve visited Turton and Entwistle Reservoir a few times. Each time we’ve parked on the Batridge Road Car park, which is well signposted as you descend towards Chapeltown. There are plenty of options for long and short walks from here, including one suitable for buggies round the edge of the reservoir. There is
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Sharon Marshall
lots of access to the woods and plenty of resting places along the way. It can get busy on a sunny day, it’s great for dog lovers and at an hour and a half it’s not too long.
f
b
Get Out and Active Florence
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Strensall to Sheriff Hutton walk
Alison Haddon, Store Manager York (with Florence!) The walk from Strensall to Sheriff Hutton is one that myself and my new Hubby Rob tried over the weekend! It was lovely and we took our 11 week border collie Florence with us. I have attached a picture of her when she went for her first swim in the river, after she got too close to the edge! The walk is about 8km and is relatively flat but has plenty to look at including the church where we got married!
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Aboyne, Aberdeenshire
Lorraine Ferguson, Assistant Manager Aberdeen Mount Keen by Glen Tanar is a hill walk near Aboyne Aberdeenshire on a good track through pinewoods, where if you are lucky, you may spot red squirrels, the elusive capercaillie and Scottish cross-bill. Once through the forest the glen opens up, taking you over three bridges, where you will see Mount Keen ahead. Now the route follows the “Mount Road” uphill. The ascent up Mount Keen is quite steep but well worth the effort for the spectacular view when you reach the top. This walk is 17 miles if you go to the top of Mount Keen.
Trek
If you’re planning some outdoor activity this Autumn, make sure you’re fully equipped for the British weather – that’ll be something waterproof then! Trust us to give you style as you keep your tootsies warm and dry – and if that Indian Summer eventually happens then the beauty of our GORE-TEX® technology footwear is that the same shoes can keep your toes cool too! Ladies will love the smart new modern looks of ankle boot Trek – with its contrast trim and stitching in neutral and eye-catching shades.
Thor
For men our new shoe Thor is ruggedly handsome, with orange accents for sporty appeal.
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A natter. A chat. A heart-to-heart. A discussion. A gossip. A conversation. A chit-chat. A chinwag. All ways of communicating – between friends, relatives, loved ones – and other than the chatterers no one else would be interested in what was discussed – or would they?
Are you listening? The Listening Project is a new partnership between the British Library and the BBC and it’s turning traditional history on its head … and opening up its ears! Dr Rob Perks, Curator of Oral History at the British Library talked with Comfort Club about the BBC collaboration, and we, of course, listened avidly …. “The Listening Project, which was set up in March, is about recording everyday life as historical evidence for future generations,” he explained. “We’re aiming to capture the nation in conversation to build a unique picture of our lives today.” A mammoth task, but with over 80 studio conversations being recorded each month, and many conversations sent direct to the project via the
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website , the archives are beginning to swell. “Inspired by the US-based StoryCorps project which has recorded 40,000 conversations since 2003, the idea is simply that people who know each other have a conversation about something they both find interesting or something important one of them wants to share,” explained Rob, “and because they are familiar with each other it’s more intimate than if it was an interview conducted by a professional. It’s effectively eavesdropping on a conversation which could be between a couple who have been married 50 years, a father and son or a child and grandparent – and it really does open up a different historical perspective.”
Some interviews make it to the weekly Radio 4 programmes, where you can listen to little gems including Elaine discovering how mum Betty managed to raise ten kids, and Graham interviewing his 70-year-old gran Beryl about finding love with his granddad Stan. Dr Rob Perks
Rob’s tip: “Record a
test conversation to make sure everything sounds right!” Rob’s tip: “Try to be yourself, you can laugh or even cry during your conversation”
Participants are encouraged to record their own conversations or to get in contact with their local BBC radio station, where they can ‘pitch’ their idea to the Listening Project producer, who invites some to make a studio recording. With a producer present but stepping into the background to allow the conversation to freeflow, intriguing insights and powerful emotions can come to the fore. The full recordings are passed to the British Library for archiving and these will be available for anyone to listen to online from early next year.
“What makes this project even more exciting for me is that it really does put the spotlight on oral history,” added Rob. “The Oral History Society was set up in 1969 as a challenge to the traditional focus of history, which was all to do with ‘great men and women’. In the ‘60s and ‘70s there was a realisation that the history of ordinary people’s lives wasn’t being collected and could easily be lost.” Oral historians set about filling this gap, setting up projects to capture voices and already the work they started in those years has created a lively picture of these memorable decades - and every one after. “Over the years oral history has gone from radical alternative to mainstream and that’s because history is all around us, we live next to it and amongst it,” added Rob, who is hoping that the Listening Project will encourage a little more nattering across the nation and more archives for his expanding British Library collection.
Oral History Society If you’re interested in oral history go to the Oral History Society’s website at www.ohs.org.uk where there’s lots of useful advice and details of local OHS activities and projects. For funding for local oral history projects Heritage Lottery Fund is always keen to hear about new ideas. Go to www.hlf.org.uk and follow the relevant links.
Step by step guide We’re sure our Comfort Club fans have lots of interesting stories to tell, and it’s really easy to get involved… Prepare • Who will be in your conversation and what will you talk about? • Decide how you are going to record your conversation - on computer, mobile phone or audio recorder? • Make a list of questions. The conversation • Pick a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. One-to-one is best. • Make sure there will be no background noise . • Begin your conversation with basic information about yourselves and then start to chat. What next • Upload your unedited conversation to the Listening Project – there’s lots of help and advice on the website about how to do this. Rob’s tip: “Don’t worry if you go off topic when you talk, spontaneity can often reveal the unexpected and create really interesting and emotionally charged pieces.” Find out more about the Listening Project at the BBC’s website.
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Warming red wines for autumn By our wine writer Graham Gendall Norton
Autumn: ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ wrote the poet John Keats. It’s when, here in the Northern Hemisphere, the grapes are harvested: the year which will appear as the vintage. They’ll want good sunshine in September and early October to make good wine, especially reds. We will need to wait until towards the middle of the following year at the very least to begin to open fairly straightforward (and cheaper) bottles, for comfort from chilly Autumn evenings. So, let’s go New World, skipping from Chile, to South Africa, South Australia and New Zealand, trying red grapes for which they have become renowned. First, from Chile, a grape which is quite out of the ordinary: Carmenère, a Tabali Reserva 2010 (as all wines here, from Majestic: £9.99). Neglected in Bordeaux, very little grown there, now Chile’s star attraction. Deep dark red in the glass, spice and blackberry notes on the nose. Now, over the high mountains and the sea, to South Africa for its ‘signature’ grape, called Pinotage. This is from Barista in the Western Cape, vintage 2010 (£8.74). We get a black chocolate whiff on the nose, then in the mouth, orchard and berry fruit sweetness, balanced by stimulating tannins. At the finish, lingering fruitiness. Across the Indian Ocean, to the Barossa Valley, South Australia, a St. Hallett ‘The Reward’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (£11.99). The grapes are pressed separately from many different vineyards and then expertly blended. The nose brings this grape’s signature scent - blackcurrant. That berry comes out at first sip too, joined by black cherry juiciness. Our final stop is the great New Zealand wine region, Marlborough. World-renowned for its white Sauvignon Blancs, it has more recently been producing splendid Pinot Noirs. Here, the producer is the well-known Villa Maria. (Cellar Selection 2009, £14.49) Delicious soft red berry flavours flow up from glass to nose. In the mouth, again, blackcurrants and cherries, which marry with delicate oak tannins to an invigorating crispness. The finish is clean with some delicacy.
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ition
Compet
to win send y For your chance r question ou to er sw our an l address: ua us e below to th r shoe Name any Hotte collection in the Autumn ught in that can be bo a shade of red.
Featured Partner
In this early Autumn season there’s still plenty of opportunity to relax and appreciate your garden, and here’s a few helpful hints from our partner Suttons Seeds to help you get even more enjoyment outdoors.
In your garden now Ladybirds are an attractive sight in any garden and, as natural predators of aphids such as greenfly and blackfly, they are a great help to gardeners too. To help plants thrive carefully place ladybirds you find in your greenhouse or on roses, fruit trees or anything you’re worried about. They make themselves at home in no time and hungrily devour pests.
As many varieties of peas and beans come to fruition, the challenge for gardeners is to replace them with more productive plants, so consider onion sets or garlic. Sowings of Japanese bulb onion Senshyu Semi-Globe Yellow can be made outdoors from mid to late August for harvesting in July. Sowings can also be made of corn salad, winter lettuce and radish. Cut down canes of summer fruited raspberries that have finished cropping, tying in new
Offer Hotter customers will receive 10% off their order with Suttons Seeds. Simply quote code BKC12 when you either call 0844 9220606 or at the checkout at www.suttons.co.uk
canes to support and removing any spares. The runners of new strawberry plants should be secured into pots of compost or soil allowing them to root. The foliage should be removed just above the crown of each plant remembering to clear away any debris. Grape vines can be tied to supports. Main shoots and side shoots of gooseberries can be pruned back to five leaves encouraging fruiting shoots for next season. Hardy annuals such as scotch or pop marigold, californian poppy and forget-me-not can be sown direct in their flowering positions to obtain early flowers next Spring/Summer. Seeds of perennial plants that can be sown now include cyclamen.
With over 200 years of gardening knowledge and expertise, Suttons Seeds have built an enviable reputation for quality products and services. Whether you are looking to grow your own vegetables, create a spectacular flower display or pick your own fruit, Suttons have the products and the know-how to make your task easier. All products are delivered direct to your door at the most optimum time to plant.
For colourful pot plants in the home, plants of cactus, cineraria, cyclamen, flame nettle and butterfly flower can be raised from seed sown this month. And it may seem a long way off, but now is the perfect time to start planning the displays of bulbs that will fill your garden with colour next Spring.
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Readers’ letters Trekking in style
Hotter fan, Audrey Dodge, recently went on a beautiful 5 week cruise along with her favourite pair of shoes, Leanne!
Audrey Dodge and husba nd Dennis
Here she is pictured wearing them at the entrance of a burial chamber in Giza, Egypt and on the beach in Dubai. Whilst on the trip she also visited Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Portugal, all whilst wearing her Leanne’s. Audrey Dodge
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In May 2011 I signed up with Cornwall Hospice Care to trek to Peru to raise funds for the hospice. I needed some Jenny Lake at Machu Picchu new walking boots and decided on Victor, even though they are sold as men’s boots, as one of the reviewers said that his boots had walked the Inca trail, which is just what I had planned.
We’d love you to come and say hello and join in the latest conversations at www.facebook.com/HotterShoes. What’s more, just for our Facebook fans, we’re giving away 3 pairs of shoes from our Autumn collection. Simply find the photo album on our page called ‘Stylish shoes for every occasion’, tag your favourite style and add a comment telling us what you love to do in your Hotter shoes by completing the sentence:
In May this year I set off on the trek with 16 other fundraisers walking the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu. Over the months of training and during the trek I had comfortable feet, I would recommend these boots to anyone. They are just great and they have a few more miles in them yet!
"I love to ___________ in my Hotter Shoes"
Jenny Lake, Cornwall
Good Luck! Competition closes 31st August.
We’d love to see where your Hot ter shoes have travelled, please send you r photos to weloveshoes@hotter.com and you may see them printed in the next edition.
Customer Service: 0800 525 893 Personal Shoppers: 0800 083 3083 E: weloveshoes@hotter.com W: www.hotter.com Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes @hottershoes Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes
Send in your stories, photos and competition entries to Melanie Killilea, Editor, Comfort Club, Hotter Shoes, 2 Peel Road, Skelmersdale, WN8 9PT or email weloveshoes@hotter.com. Any stories or photos sent to us may be used in future editions of Comfort Club or on our Facebook page. Unless otherwise stated, competitions in this edition will close on Saturday 29th September – winners’ details will be printed in our online Comfort Club at www.hotter.com or contact the Editor for a full list.