Edge Magazine April 2013

EdgeMagazine April 2013 FREE EDITION

Your essential guide to Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands

The School Yard Bringing together city life and village living

Setting the Scene Hamlet at the RSC

The Herbert Art Gallery presents….

The Porsche 911

Hive Talking

Caught in the Crossfire

50 years young

The truth about British bees

Food & Drink • Culture • Business • Fashion • Lifestyle

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EDITOR’S BIT Welcome to the April edition of Edge Magazine. Whilst it seems we’re still waiting for the weather to change, the new season of local events and ideas waits for no one. Like a breath of fresh air, come new restaurant reviews, gallery showcases and a preview to the RSC’s production of Hamlet.

We’ve been inspired by Stratford this month so we’ve put together a guide to eating out and we’ve reviewed The Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Spa and Golf Club for those Literary Festival-goers looking for a place to stay. Speaking of the Literary Festival, we have everything you need to know about this year’s events along with a book giveaway from one of the guest speakers, John Connolly, so check out Mike Stafford’s review.

The cricket season is well under way as Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Dougie Brown preps us for the LV= County Championship. We’re also excited to feature a profile of the Porsche 911 as the model celebrates its 50th year.

If you want the buzz on bees, we’ve covered everything from beekeeping and the truth about the decline in bees and the health benefits of honey.

Michael Abu-Zalaf Editor-in-Chief

And as always we’ve got an eclectic mix from the arts including a thoughtprovoking interview with Turner Prize nominees Jane and Louise Wilson, a profile on local illustrator Shelli Graham and a showcase of the Herbert Gallery & Museum’s exhibition, Caught in the Crossfire.

On behalf of the team at Edge, have a great April and we hope to see you all again next month.

If you like what you see in Edge Magazine, please show your support by liking our Facebook page and following us on Twitter, as well as checking out our website at: www.edgemagazine.org

FEATURES The School Yard..........................................10

Setting the Scene........................................56

The Herbert Art Gallery presents….............26

The Porsche 911..........................................60

Bringing together city life and village living

Caught in the Crossfire

Hamlet at the RSC

50 years young

Hive Talking.................................................40 The truth about British bees

Front Cover: Photographed by Adam Taylor, Cotswold Keeper Photography. www.cotswoldkeeperphotography.com @cotswoldkeeper

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EdgeMagazine

CONTENTS

4

In good company

8

The School Yard

10

Kensington Kitchen Design

14

Great expectations

16

The local kitchen

20

The Moorings: a review

22

Wine and food

24

Caught in the Crossfire

26

Unfolding the Aryan Papers

28

The art of illustration

30

Spring is here

34

Dahlia darling

36

How sweet it is…

38

Hive talking

40

Working out what to wear

44

Enhance the natural you

46

Escape the chains

48

Stratford Literary Festival

50

See Stratford-upon-Avon

52

The Menzies Welcombe

54

Setting the scene

56

The Burning Soul: a review

58

The Porsche 911

60

Time of the season

64

Financial markets

66

What’s on

68

St Richard’s Hospice redevelopment

72

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EdgeMagazine

THE TEAM EDITORIAL Michael Abu-Zalaf - Editor in Chief

Tom Ware

Alice Perrey

Hilary Collins

Lucie Abu-Zalaf

Tel:07809 702 992

Melanie Taffs

Alan Standring

Lucinda Bunn - Copy Editor

Claire Love

@ZalafAbu -

@lucibunn -

michael@edgemagazine.org

l.bunn@edgemagazine.org

Hannah Griffiths - Editorial Assistant @EdgeMag_Hannah-

hannah@edgemagazine.org

Mike Stafford Liam Bird Meg Hanlon

SALES

Contact us at:

Alice Perrey - Sales Executive

INFO@EDGEMAGAZINE.ORG

@alice_perrey -

alice@edgemagazine.org

Tel:07714 490 943 Michele Ford - Sales Executive @EdgeMag_Michele -

michele@edgemagazine.org

Tel:07515 493 703

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CONTRIBUTORS

Write to us at: 20 Droitwich Road Feckenham Worcestershire B96 6HX

www.edgemagazine.org

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EdgeMagazine

IN GOOD COMPANY David Bintley on art, technique and narrative Lucinda Bunn

R

ecognised as one of Britain’s finest choreographers, David Bintley’s international reputation precedes him. He currently holds the coveted position of artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and more recently co-artistic director of the New National Theatre Tokyo ballet company. With the whirlwind success of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Aladdin at the beginning of the year, David Bintley’s set to make magic on the stage again. But before he chassés off to rehearsals, we had to get the scoop on what productions are coming up.

How did you get into choreography?

I went to the Royal Ballet School at 16. I created a production called The Soldier’s Tale for my local school in Yorkshire. Originally, I only wanted to produce it so I could be the soldier. But I soon realised I enjoyed making the production more than starring in it. About a year later, I entered a competition for choreography with another production I’d put together and I won. That’s how it all began.

With so many components to consider; from narrative, choreography, stage design and costumes, where do you start?

What do you look for in a dancer; technical discipline or someone who can let go?

As the director of the company, I’m very lucky because I get to select work and cast for productions. This often starts before the choreography. In lots of ways the role chooses the dancer. Most of our dancers have been working with the company for a number of years; they’re superbly trained and the technical prowess of each and every one of them is exceptional. But in casting, we look for creative personalities and the individual traits of each person which will suit certain roles and not others.

Ballet as a profession can take its toll on the body. Do you think it is important to suffer for one’s art?

It’s not necessary or important but in ballet, it’s inevitable. Dancers are always vulnerable to injury and tiredness. It can be very dangerous pushing your body in that way, so some dancers are luckier than others.

Tell us about your work in Japan.

Normally I start with one component, maybe a piece of music. I always have ideas for productions, some of which stay on the backburner for years whilst I find the right composer. But that’s the usual process; first an idea, then the music and after that, I’ll work with a designer, usually someone I’ve worked with before.

The New National Theatre in Tokyo put on a production I made in 2005. When I had the idea for Aladdin, I took it to Tokyo too. Whilst working on that piece, it was revealed that their director at the time was leaving and they asked me to take over, splitting my time between England and Japan. It’s been a magical experience.

Do you think you were made to be a choreographer?

What do the arts mean to you?

Well my interest in the field came at an early age, certainly an early age to devote your life to something.

Choreographers often fall into the profession as former dancers at a later age. But my parents were both musicians and I was always interested in narrative so I think choreography spoke to me on several levels.

The arts are exploratory. They mean so much because unlike commercial cinema and theatre, the arts push boundaries and move things forward. Of course, we are entertainers in the arts too but we have the freedom to innovate without creative restriction.

Most choreographers are former dancers so how much does that prior experience help?

I think it’s vital. I mean, to be a composer, you must play an instrument. I think it’s especially important with ballet too because you’re adapting other people’s work and an appreciation of that is very important.

How do you explain your vision to the dancers you’re working with?

I don’t talk about it. I prefer to allow the narrative to grow slowly. I have the ideas at the beginning and there is certainly a dancer’s vocabulary to communicate with

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but the characters and the performances come along themselves in their own time.

What productions are coming up for the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2013?

We’ve just finished our tour of Aladdin, which ended at the London Coliseum last month. Next up will be our production of Coppélia, the tale of an eccentric toymaker who brings his mechanical doll to life and the tragic love story of Giselle, which we’ll be presenting in Ireland in June. Coppélia and Giselle will be performed at Birmingham Hippodrome in June before Giselle tours to Belfast and Dublin to complete the current season. Next year, I will be taking my adaptation of Benjamin Britten’s Prince of the Pagodas to Japan. It’ll be a fusion of British and Japanese culture and mythology and I can’t wait.

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EdgeMagazine

THE SCHOOL YARD Bringing together city life and village living Hannah Griffiths

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eil Edginton, founder and director of EDG Property, is once again making his mark on the city of Birmingham as his latest project The School Yard gets firmly underway. With developments including The Cube and The Mailbox already on Neil’s list of accomplishments it’s safe to say that this new and exciting scheme is in safe hands.

The 19th century school building, best known for its distinctive Grade II listed clock tower, is prominently located on Harborne High Street. Steeped in heritage, the building has taken on many guises over the years; once housing school boarders and more recently, welcoming adult learners as a community centre.

EDG Property’s plans will embrace the rich cultural scene and complement the Harborne landscape with contemporary architecture.

Phase one of the construction programme will see the complex refurbishment of the historical buildings which will include café-bars and restaurants and Kitchen, a school for food and cookery. Phase two will combine the new with the old, with a handful of boutique apartments and just two luxury townhouses, overlooking the urban oasis of the new public square.

Midlands based construction squad GF Tomlinson, successfully won the contract for the construction based on their experience and specialism in listed structures. It is this attention to detail that Neil envisioned for his latest project.

At the heart of the development is a beautiful Victorian structure reflecting the architectural typology and materials of the time it was built.

The appointment of GF Tomlinson completes the project team which also includes local architects K4, M&E engineers Jonathan Richards Associates, structural engineers Curtins, construction consultants Faithful & Gould and acousticians JRA Acoustics, with each company playing a vital part in bringing the building back to life.

Following unprecedented demand, the

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commercial space at The School Yard is already fully let and will provide the perfect complement to the culinary delights of Harborne High Street. The newly restored historical buildings will house two restaurants, both opening directly onto the high street; Prezzo, the popular

www.edgemagazine.org Italian restaurant and Metro Continental for great tasting tapas. The neighbouring food and cookery school, Kitchen, will showcase the work of the best local chefs and food producers. They will offer food demonstrations, drop-in classes and away-day courses in everything from cheese-making to contemporary gastronomy; an exciting prospect for any aspiring chefs out there.

And, EDG Property’s most recent signing has welcomed Urban Coffee Company to the mix, who will be bringing a great range of coffees and espressos to the locality.

The internal fit out for these units is scheduled for this summer, with anticipated openings by Christmas.

Phase two of The School Yard is a dream come true for those looking for the perfect balance of city life and village living, with a suite of highly specified homes to choose from. Situated just three miles from Birmingham city centre, a limited number of one and two bedroom apartments and only two townhouses with zen gardens, can be found overlooking the former school playground.

These homes will also offer secure access, a glazed atrium, lift and allocated private car parking. It’s no wonder these properties are already generating a vast amount of interest.

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EdgeMagazine

The apartments and townhouses have not yet been released for sale except for an exclusive viewing at the leading real estate event for property professionals, MIPIM. EDG Property will be hosting an off-plan sales event for pre-registered parties in the coming weeks and with just a handful of apartments and two townhouses available on a first come, first served basis, it’s vital that you register now for your chance to get your hands on this exclusive Harborne address.

To register your interest and to avoid disappoint, please call EDG Property on 0121 654 9404 or email info@ edgproperty.co.uk. Please visit www.edgproperty.co.uk to stay updated on news at The School Yard.

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EdgeMagazine

KENSINGTON KITCHEN DESIGN Creating your dream kitchen Hannah Griffiths

T

he season of brighter mornings, warmer breezes and longer days is almost upon us and what better time to lift the tiredness of winter and take that spring clean one step further with a brand new kitchen.

The team at Kensington Kitchen Design are ready and waiting to build your dream kitchen, keeping it simple and stress-free.

Founded by Andrew Brettell, Kensington Kitchen Design is a local company residing in a recently refurbished, state of the art showroom on Hagley High Street. With an impressive 18 years of experience, in the kitchen industry and a portfolio that would put many to shame, it’s safe to say that your dream for the perfect kitchen is in safe hands.

Kensington Kitchen Design are passionate about delivering quality designer led kitchens, combined with a personal service that is second to none.

Andrew personally guarantees that every kitchen is designed, installed and project managed from concept to completion. Their hands on approach not only distinguishes Kensington Kitchen Design as an individual company but also propels their reputation high above any other kitchen specialist.

Primarily focusing on modern, contemporary designs, Andrew and his team carefully combine style with practicality, ensuring that each individual customer’s needs are catered for. Beginning with an in-store consultation, you are given the chance to explore Andrew's vast and increasing portfolio whilst discussing your vision, a meeting that will then determine the process for bringing ideas to life.

Whilst creating your dream kitchen, Andrew and his team pride themselves on not only providing kitchens to suit their taste but also their budget. Kensington Kitchen Design offers concepts on three levels, covering the lower budgets with the lifestyle range, the middle budgets with the Vogue range the high-end budgets with the Emotion range. Andrew sources all of his materials from Europe using German materials to create

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bespoke furniture, whilst enhancing the space with statement pieces such as Falmec cooker hoods. Falmec are an Italian company which Andrew specifically chose due to their specialism in delivering both design and performance.

Once all the designs, budget discussions and home visits have taken place, Andrew and his team continue to guide customers through each stage of the process.

The team will conduct a complete ‘in-house’ installation service which is overseen and project managed by a director. So whether it’s simply to install your new kitchen or a case of re-working everything, you can rest assured that Kensington Kitchen Design’s approved installers and contractors will take care of it all.

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Above all else Kensington Kitchen Design work with you in mind, creating your dream kitchen from start to finish and beyond. Priding themselves on a personalised service, attention to detail and the ability to interpret client’s expectations, their reputation alone speaks for itself.

01562 887212 info@kensingtonkitchendesign.com Bank House, 115 Worcester Road, West Hagley, Worcestershire, DY9 0NG

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EdgeMagazine

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Fleet Street Kitchen Alice Perrey

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e’d heard a lot of hype about Fleet Street Kitchen so when we were invited to review the restaurant, we were keen to see what all the fuss was about.

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downstairs with live bands and DJs. The city style is cool and with just a few drinkers enjoying cocktails at the bar, Fleet Street Kitchen is the perfect joint for evening drinks and late night parties.

Fleet Street Kitchen is quite different to most of the restaurants in Birmingham. It’s a real city venue, with a modern, metropolitan feel. The long bar is open-plan alongside the restaurant and there’s a late night bar

But we were there for the food. Fleet Street Kitchen has mastered the modern British dining experience; they’ve taken inspiration from the grooviest country kitchen and they’ve sourced the happiest British produce. The show-

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stopping feature at Fleet Street Kitchen has to be their Barbacoa Grill. It’s an impressive piece of kit and the food is cooked on lumpwood charcoal in view of the entire restaurant.

The menu is all about flavour and quality cuts of meat and fish. The starters include a selection of seared scallops, baby back ribs and the aptly named ‘big prawn salad’, which is full of juicy, fat prawns. A firm favourite

of mine, the deli boards offer the diner a selection of meats, such as wild boar salami and venison carpaccio, combined with an interesting selection of cheeses and crunchy chutneys. This is the way to eat with friends; sharing and serving each other over wine and chatter.

My husband chose the 35 day dry-aged Dexter fillet on the bone. The meat is certainly the star of the show at Fleet Street Kitchen. Each cut is of excellent quality

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EdgeMagazine and the portions are generous. I chose the monkfish and prawn skewer, which was charred and tender. We ordered side dishes of crisp green salad, tossed in a light dressing, fries and a bottle of red wine from the Piedmont region that was modestly priced too. The truth is that simple food isn’t always easy but Fleet Street Kitchen have worked on a winning concept to produce a beautiful menu that’s down to earth and bursting with flavour.

We ordered sticky toffee pudding for dessert - because it would have been rude not to. At Fleet Street Kitchen, they call their desserts Naughty Endings and whilst they are a little naughty, especially the knickerbocker glory, they round-up the best in retro classics that are certain to meet your approval. Our friendly waiter brought us strong, rich espresso and a big cappuccino to finish. The service at Fleet Street Kitchen is relaxed and informal, which only adds to the vibrant atmosphere. We had great expectations for Fleet Street Kitchen and the reality of our experience was just as great.

Fleet Street Islington Gates Summer Row B3 1JL T: 0121- 236-0100 W: www.fleetstreetkitchen.co.uk E: fleetstreet@summerrow.com T: @fleetstkitchen FB: fleetstreetkitchenuk

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THE LOCAL KITCHEN Everything that's cooking in the three counties Aubrey Allen officially by Royal Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen Aubrey Allen, the chef’s butcher based in Coventry, is celebrating its highest and most privileged honour by receiving the Royal Warrant to HM The Queen, as suppliers of meat, poultry and game.

The official Royal Appointment has resulted from Aubrey Allen supplying the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham and Her Majesty’s other private residences, with its wide range of meats, poultry and game products since 2007.

The Warrant has been granted for a five year period and the family run business joins around 800 other Royal Warrant holders who are united by their commitment to the highest standards of service, quality and excellence. www.aubreyallen.co.uk @aubreyallen

Food fans unite Food fans from across the country will meet in Alcester next month for the chance to sample some of the region’s tastiest treats. The fourth annual Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival will be taking place on Saturday 18th May and organisers are confident that this year’s extravaganza will be the biggest and best yet.

Bison burgers and the finest salamis will nestle alongside the ever popular cake stalls and those showcasing homemade sweets and chocolates. To wash everything down, there will also be a chance to sample wines, beers

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and ciders from across the region. This year’s event runs from 9am to 5pm and visitors can either take advantage of the free parking in town or use the excellent free park and ride service from The Moat House in King’s Coughton. For more information about this year’s events, visit the festival website for the latest news. www.alcesterfoodfestival.org.uk

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The Fabulous Baker Boys are bringing baking back to Britain Flying high on the success of their most recent book and second series, showing now on More4, the Fabulous Baker Brothers, Tom and Henry Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery, have just launched their beautiful new cookery school.

Hobbs House School is offering food lovers the opportunity to learn everything from knife skills and sausage making, to mastering the art of bread making.

Imparting their wisdom will be Tom and Henry, alongside Hobbs House experts and guest teachers, sharing age-old skills and modern secrets, to give everyone the tools to fill their table with the best bread and meat.

For more information and to book, visit: www.hobbshouseschool.co.uk

Wild wood The Wild Oven is a roaming wood-fired oven service based just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. The Wild Oven bring food sourced from British farms to life at private events, weddings and festivals. Owners Danni Kerby and James Goodfellow are passionate about delivering fabulous wood-fired food. Danni says, ‘wood-fired cooking is an exciting revival of a time-honoured cooking method. Reaching temperatures of up to 450ºC inside the oven, this sustainable method of cooking creates wood-fired pizzas in less than two minutes and produces an authentic wood-fired taste when searing meats’. Offering wood-fired pizza, hot wraps, gourmet sandwiches and canapés, The Wild Oven is an artisan alternative to outdoor cooking. www.thewildoven.co.uk @thewildoven

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EdgeMagazine

THE MOORINGS: A REVIEW A little place at Myton Lucie Abu-Zalaf

O

pen the door of The Moorings at Myton and you’re immediately given a warm and friendly welcome. But gorgeous décor and an inviting atmosphere does not a good pub make. The proof is in the eating and drinking.

At The Moorings, the bread, dipping oil and olives will keep you amused whilst you peruse the menu. For a starter I opted for the twice-baked Westcombe cheddar soufflé with a white wine and cream sauce, whilst my husband chose the homemade tuna spring roll and creamed leeks. Both were beautifully presented and tasted just as good. We were particularly impressed with the ale selection and any ale drinkers will be pleased with the crisp and fresh taste, owing only to the wellkept cellar.

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The spring menu makes the most of seasonal vegetables with some enticing fish dishes including the pan-fried sea bass with blood orange and pomegranate salad. But don’t fret, there’s still plenty to satisfy those who prefer turf to surf with the roast rack of Cornish lamb and the herb stuffed saddle of rabbit. All the food at The Moorings is freshly prepared by the team of chefs who source their produce from markets, striving to select quality ingredients from local suppliers where possible.

I went for the lemon and thyme spatchcock poussin whilst my husband ummed and ahhed before finally deciding on the bavette steak, recommended by the waiter. Both served with chips and tomatoes, the quality of the meat made the simple dishes stand out. The steak was juicy and flavourful and the poussin was cooked beautifully.

www.edgemagazine.org The Moorings appreciate good food, they also appreciate that their diners do too. And so they offer a taster version of some of their desserts with coffee. This means you can try a slither of cheesecake or a taste of rocky road torte and enjoy the full experience without overdoing it. The Moorings also serve their ice cream in single scoops and I found that one scoop of MÜvenpick rum and raisin was just the ticket. My husband, on the other hand, couldn’t resist going for a full size dessert; the pressed fruit terrine, with lime snap biscuits, as well as a taster dessert with his coffee. By all accounts, a great decision.

Good food, good ale and fantastic service. The Moorings at Myton is well worth a visit.

The Moorings at Myton Myton Road Leamington Spa CV31 3NY 01926 425043 www.themoorings.co.uk

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24

WINE AND FOOD Art or Science?

Claire Love

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e are very fortunate, we have some great guests dine with us and many of them entrust us with their wine choices, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bottle to share, or a glass with each course. And certainly, our Tasting Menu with matching wines is a very popular choice. You can choose a selection of Steveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dishes from the menu (8 courses to be exact), with a selection of wines to match.

We take the task set before us of matching the wines to the dishes very seriously and the process can take several weeks. Steve will introduce the team to the new dish and we will look at the dish both as a whole and in its parts to see what stands out and what needs to be brought together. We will then go away and look at what we think works as a wine. This may require trying a number of different wines (poor us, I hear you say!), or even having to source that key wine from one of our suppliers. But you might wonder what we look for and whether thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;recipeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or formula for success in wine matching?

When I first entered the wine trade some years ago, I was taught several key things about wine; the basic points included white wine with fish, red wine with meats, port with cheese, and so forth. As I learnt more about individual qualities about wine, I began to realise that there are some great pointers to help guide you and start you off. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be restricted by fashion or tradition. When looking at the dish, look at the key ingredients that can alter your taste buds; salt, garlic, cream, butter and fat. All of these ingredients change how a wine tastes. Obvious other key ingredients are strong spices and flavourings including soy sauce, chilli, tarragon, lemon and even asparagus. So, sometimes a dish that may have a higher fat content, like pork dish, needs a wine with great flavour but with a distinctive acidity. I find that comes more successfully from a white wine than a red. We have matched both Austrian Rieslings and a Chilean Chardonnay with a pork dish before now, depending on the wine and the content of the dish.

For me, putting food with wine is very much an art as it is always subject to individual criticism and taste. The best restaurants will take the task of tasting wines to go with dishes seriously and create a journey for the diner through their menu. Rest assured, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find some exciting flavour combinations and a lot of fun on the way.

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Jamal Penjweny, Iraq is flying, No3, 2006-9. Reproduced by permission of the artist.

26 Peter Kennard, Award Portfolio, 2003. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund.

John Keane, Scenes of the road to hell (v), 1991. Reproduced by permission of the artist and Flowers Gallery, London.

EdgeMagazine

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CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE This means war Lucinda Bunn

C

ontinuing our showcase of the Heart of England galleries group, we’re in Coventry this month, where the Herbert Gallery has an exciting exhibition open until July this year. Caught in the Crossfire explores war in all its factions; from conflict and destruction to protest and peace talks. The brutality of war and the desire for peace make an interesting philosophical paradigm and the exhibition takes visitors on a challenging journey from the home front to the frontline; a journey seen through the eyes of artists, soldiers and people affected by war.

images of tanks and weaponry, with a display case holding Bita Ghezelayagh’s Felt Memories Series. One case exhibits a tunic inspired by Islamic talismanic garments; adorned to protect the wearer from misfortune during war. The Caught in the Crossfire exhibition combines multi-media to support the idea that war is allencompassing; including Rosie Kay’s 5 Soldiers, originally a full-length dance theatre production which has been filmed in a shortened version for the web. The way the exhibition has been curated compares the 20th century with the 21st, notably described in kennardphillipps’ portfolio by a fax message from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke: ‘it is as if we have learnt nothing’.

The first section presents the Blitzed City and the desolation of Coventry during the Second World War. In fact, the curators The final resolve were influenced of Caught in the to develop the Crossfire is to work collection due to towards peace. the city’s direct Visitors are invited experience of to write and display damage and their own instruction destruction during for peace, with this time. The varying messages; images from the some suggestions Second World War more realistic continue with than others. But drawings from Dame the curators have Laura Knight, who cleverly touched sketched women upon the shared working during the experience of war Mathew Picton, Dresden 1945, 2010. Courtesy of the artist and Sumarria Lunn Gallery war, making note of and our desire to their contributions end it. Caught in the abroad. Matthew Crossfire tells the real Picton’s Dresden uses the score from Wagner’s The Ring story; there’s no romanticism here. Featured artist and of the Nibelung to depict the outline of the German city’s senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, streets. Dresden was heavily bombed and destroyed by Simon Faulkner explains, ‘war shapes and designs our fire in 1945. society’ and with that in mind, the Herbert Gallery have created an exhibition which documents war’s influence Banksy’s Napalm is the stand-out work for the Protest over our world. section. The naturally subversive spirit of street art makes Banksy’s comment on the Vietnam War all the more www.theherbert.org poignant. Napalm features the famous image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc after a South Vietnam napalm attack, holding hands with Ronald McDonald and Mickey Mouse; two symbols of American power. Machines of War displays

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UNFOLDING THE ARYAN PAPERS An installation by Jane and Louise Wilson Lucinda Bunn

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s part of the Caught in the Crossfire series, the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum are showcasing Unfolding the Aryan Papers, an installation by Jane and Louise Wilson. The piece was created following the extensive research into Stanley Kubrick’s unfinished film, Aryan Papers. The archive included shots of Johanna ter Steege taken on location in a 1930’s building in London.

Unfolding the Aryan Papers splices together new footage of ter Steege with the original photographs. Jane and Louise Wilson will take you on a journey of life, loss and becoming with this exquisite piece. We were able to speak to Louise Wilson before the sisters’ greatly anticipated Artist’s Talk at the Herbert in May.

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How did you come across Kubrick’s unfinished work and what drew you towards telling Johanna’s story?

We were invited to take a look at the Stanley Kubrick archives at the London College of Communication.

There are so many of Kubrick’s films that are iconic but we were intrigued by the projects that were not realised. Even though Aryan Papers was never made, we were amazed by the immense amount of material. It was whilst looking through the pre-production images that we happened upon the wardrobe design shots and that’s where we found images of Johanna. We met her in Holland and she told us her story. She was so thoughtful and she explained that she had no regrets about her time

www.edgemagazine.org with Stanley Kubrick – in fact, they even stayed in touch.

So Johanna came to London and helped us with the project we are honoured to have her involvement.

I couldn’t help but connect Johanna to the victims of the concentration camps and there’s a part in the film where she explains that Kubrick chose her because of her neutral ethnicity and comparatively, the Nazis decided who lived or died based on their ethnicity too.

So do you think we are simply chosen or not chosen to fulfil certain destinies?

I think being chosen and not chosen is a very fatalistic viewpoint. In some ways our fulfilled destinies are also our unfulfilled destinies. Johanna was chosen for the lead role of the film which was never made and there’s

certainly loss there; loss of the commitment she made and her hopes of playing the part. But overall, loss isn’t entirely a bad thing. Johanna continues to work as an actress and she treasures her experiences working with Kubrick, she learnt a lot. I suppose ultimately it’s the idea that whilst something can be lost, something else can be gained.

Kubrick didn’t finish Aryan Papers because he felt he couldn’t do justice to the Holocaust. How do you broach such sensitive material?

Kubrick made a pragmatic decision, as well as an emotional one. The release of Schindler’s List (1993) definitely made him question whether it was the right time to bring out a film about the same thing. The accounts from the camps are very distressing and I think the only reason we managed was the fact that we were looking at everything through the perspective of the film script.

In a lot of ways, Johanna ter Steege, as a lesser known actress, would have give an authenticity to her part that perhaps Julia Roberts and Uma Thurman (who were also approached) wouldn’t have achieved. So we’ve all lost something from never getting to see her performance. Was it your intention in part to fill that void for us with your piece?

I totally agree. It really is our loss. But no, there was no grand plan. It would be wonderful if Unfolding the Aryan Papers resonates like that. We were so lucky to have free reign over Kubrick’s work. And we were just fascinated by the forensic quality of the documents and the wealth of visual work.

Artist’s Talk On May 9th, the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum invites guests to join Turner Prize nominated artists Jane and Louise Wilson for a screening and discussion of their work. This is not to be missed.

Presented in association with Coventry Contemporary Art Forum. www.theherbert.org

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EdgeMagazine

THE ART OF ILLUSTRATION Shelli Graham’s animal kingdom Lucinda Bunn

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rtist Shelli Graham uses crayons, water colour and ink to bring her characters to life. Based in Birmingham, Shelli has recently been commissioned by Sadler’s Brewery to create the designs for their monthly specials this year. Shelli already has an extensive portfolio of print works and line drawings as well as her water colours; all of which can be purchased on her online shop. Ahead of her solo show in April at The Artworks Café, Edgbaston, Shelli Graham talks folk lore, fairy tales and fine liners.

How did you become an illustrator?

I have been drawing ever since I can remember. Like every child, I read many fairy tales. I had one book in particular that I loved; it was called A Fairy Tale Treasure Trove, illustrated by John Patience. I found this book again in later life and I still find it as enchanting as I did when I was a child. After graduating from my degree in Fine Art I spent my time practising my drawing, trying to get better. I wanted to create work that would inspire children and captivate the imagination of the inner child in all of us. I have a head full of tales and adventures so I shouldn’t run out of anything to draw.

What inspires you?

It’s hard for me to narrow down a specific area in which I get inspiration from, as I think inspiration can be found in almost anything. I am an avid reader of fiction in particular fantasy novels, fairy tales, comic books, folk lore and mythology. I also get a lot of ideas from watching nature documentaries and reading publications such as National Geographic. I love going to the ballet and I find I learn a lot about the setting and pacing of a story from my visits. It is useful to see how the human figure moves and interacts with others so I try to utilise this information when working with the anatomy of the creatures I draw. I also love the costumes; I have taken inspiration from each of the stage shows I have seen.

Is your work provisional or planned?

I tend to get the initial ideas for my illustrations whilst away from my studio and not specifically thinking about my work. I find it best to start working on an idea straight away. I formulate a detailed image in my head of how I want the piece to look, I will then sketch

30

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the idea out until it’s looking the way I imagined. The majority of my work follows a set process for creation, usually starting with a loose pencil drawing which then gets transferred to stretched, water colour paper. Once this is done I begin to ink the outline of the drawing with a 0.05 fine liner. I find colouring and rendering the most interesting part of the process. Generally my work is created impulsively, I do not spend the time that many artists do thumb-nailing and creating roughs to realise an idea. I spend my time in the final rendering of the work.

Is your art about finding the human traits in animals or reminding us of our animal instincts?

I wouldn’t say my work is solely about either. My illustrations tend to project human traits onto animals and it is through this personification that each of my characters develops their own personality; each has a name, a history and a story of their own. All animals have their own counsels and social hierarchy. I am interested in how that reads when you put human traits, fashion and objects into the equation. Some of my favourite stories have this idea as a central theme. The work by authors such as Kenneth Grahame and Lewis Carroll are great examples of this and continue to be a source of inspiration for my art.

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start to finalise the name of the character and the title of the work.

Tell us about your commission with Sadler’s Brewery?

I was approached by Sadler’s Brewery to create promotional artwork for each of the monthly specials throughout 2013. The guys at Sadler’s were really cool and pretty much gave me complete artistic control over the whole project, including the naming of each beer, making the project really fun. All the beer names were inspired by legends and this involved a lot of research into stories from Greek, Norse and Japanese mythology.

The names given to the beers acted as a starting point for the imagery to go alongside. I am happy that Sadler’s Brewery has continued to come to me for work and I am currently working on designs for a brand new product they are releasing this year.

What have you got coming up for 2013?

I am currently working on a short picture book and of course, the Sadler’s designs. Additionally, I have an exciting solo show coming up at the beginning of April at Artworks Café, a brand new venue opening up in Templefield Square, Edgbaston. My work will be on display and for sale at the café throughout the month.

How do you feel when you complete a piece?

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I am generally pretty happy when I complete a piece of work. I spend a lot of time looking at the image trying to spot errors. It is during the final stages of a piece that I

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EdgeMagazine

SPRING IS HERE Time for a garden revamp Alan Standring

I

f we turn back the clock to last spring, we were closely watching the weather forecast for rain, the land was parched and we were being warned of hose pipe bans.

Fast forward twelve months and we’re experiencing the coldest spring for 50 years.

have been on the roads but you also need to check your patio for any loose slabs and fix any that are cracked.

The damp weather will also have made the patio slippery and you may need to jet wash the stone. For particularly grimey slabs, a proprietary cleaner will do the trick.

We’re all yearning for the feel good factor that the sunshine brings; daffodils are still in bud awaiting some warmth and the sun to shine on those yellow petals.

We’re longing for barbecues, wine on the patio and playing in the sunshine. But it can’t last forever and it won’t be long before we have to spring into action, making sure our plants make the most of the summer sun.

Any pots that are located on these patio areas can be refreshed with some spring plants; look for primroses or pots of spring bulbs. If you are looking for plants that offer a bit more longevity then why not try Erysimums?

So whether you’re planning a total makeover or just a few enhancements to your landscape design, here are the key areas you should look at: The Lawn If you have a newly laid lawn, the frost may have lifted the edges of the turf. That means it’s an ideal time to lightly roll. Mow on a weekly basis, or as the weather allows, starting on a high cut level and gradually lowering your settings. Apply a spring fertilizer to boost the grass.

And if you experience problems with moss, use lawn sand.

The Patio We are all well aware of how dangerous the pot holes

34

The Border With no opportunity to work on your borders in autumn, by the time spring does materialise, they’ll need a bit of work. No doubt, there’ll be all the autumn debris that needs removing and the usual tidy up should take care of that. Any plants that have been damaged by the snow will need some TLC. Branches can be removed and any large wounds will need to be painted with a sealant from your local garden centre.

Plants to look out for at this time of year:

· Forsythia

· Tulips

· Dicentra (love lies bleeding)

· Daffodils

· Muscari

· Fritillarias · Cowslips

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DAHLIA DARLING Colour your borders Hilary Collins

I

’ve stolen some land...........from my husband. Well, to be precise, I’ve invaded his vegetable plot. He doesn’t know yet; he thinks he’s going to plant leeks, but I’ve declared it ‘The Cut Flower Garden’, so it’s official.

Why has this happened, you ask? Well, a couple of weeks ago, I designed a large planting scheme under the influence of Hidcote’s Red Border. Our client, being a fan also of Great Dixter, made the splendid request

36

for a few Dahlias, taking the border from summer to late autumn. Being a Dahlia enthusiast myself, we went straight to Rose Cottage Plants website and selected ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ (my absolute favourite with its dark leaf),‘Nescio’ and ‘Grenadier’. We also fell in love with Dahlia ‘Dark Fubuki’ and ‘Taratahi Ruby’.

The damage was done. My obsession with this tender Mexican perennial rekindled, I made a list for my own garden. Sitting back after twenty minutes, to admire

www.edgemagazine.org my selection, I realised that I had chosen exclusively 5 chocolate coloured varieties. It’s always easier choosing for someone else’s garden, I thought darkly. Clearly I needed to exercise more objectivity in my colour choice but more to the point, where was I going to plant them?

Dahlias are easy to grow. Purchase fat tubers, plunge into potting compost in April, position in your greenhouse/porch and just add water. Plant outside in June with a thick mulch and sturdy 2” square supporting stake. Flowers appear from mid-end July and continue through to frosty November. What more could you ask of a plant?

Dahlias enjoy full sun and need humus rich soil. They make admirable border plants and are ideal to pop into bare spots after the spring frenzy and June flush of perennials are over. For me, the rabbit-proofed vegetable plot is ideal; in fact, an obvious choice.

Admittedly there may be the odd earwig to repel and the invading slugs will be eaten by the pheasants (they eat everything else in the vegetable plot).

Maldiva

Regular cutting means plenty of fresh flowers and the dead heading sorted. Come November, you have the choice of lifting and storing them in dry wood shavings indoors till next April, or you could leave them in the border covered with a huge pile of mulch, cross all fingers and hope they survive. I confess my solution will be to buy fresh ones each year, as I know I will forget to lift them in time.

Furthermore, they attract bees and pollinating insects.

In fact, the Dahlia occupation will bring positive benefits to the potager, providing masses of cut blooms and a good view from the kitchen window to boot.

So, territory established, back to the knotty problem of colour. Dahlias have a fascinating history (for future discussion), suffice to say that since the Victorians got to grips with this genetically variable plant, tens of thousands of varieties have been produced, providing centuries of re-classification work for happy botanists.

There are some sixteen different flower forms and every colour available (except blue and black); enough to satisfy the most extravagant taste or sensitive palate.

Nifty breeding, careful selection and good marketing has brought a phenomenal choice to Dahlia-lovers; the range available is almost overwhelming. Do I choose the spiky cactus in raspberry ripple or zingy lemon-meringue, paeony-flowered pink marshmallows or pom-poms in chocolate-burgundy, or one of each?

By the time I’ve filled the online shopping basket, I have spent a fortune and created a display to rival Carmen Miranda’s hat; which is possibly not a good thing. By choosing flowers of a single colour but a different shape and form, you can add an interesting dimension to your borders. However, after the dismal, damp squib of last summer, I have developed a colour craving.

Marshalling my thoughts over a hot chocolate, I determined the new cut-flower colony should proclaim its arrival with a riot of carnival oranges, reds and

Karma-Prospero yellows; the larger and more outrageous the better.

For a tremendous selection of vibrant Dahlia flowers and first-class, top-sized tubers, visit the Rose Cottage Plants website. www.rosecottageplants.co.uk

Hilary Collins BSc. (Hons)hort., M.I.Hort.

Envisage...gardens by design Grower, Horticultural Consultant and Garden Designer Grafton Nursery Grafton Flyford, Worcester WR7 4PW For advice on garden design, landscape construction and planting contact: email: hilary@envisage-gardens.co.uk www.envisage-gardens.co.uk & www.grafton-nursery.co.uk

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HOW SWEET IT IS… Honey’s healing power Melanie Taffs

H

oney is amongst the top super foods used to treat countless health conditions and boost overall health. The amazing bee-product possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and antioxidant properties, making it one of the best additions to your diet.

Nutritional facts Nectar itself is composed mainly of sucrose and water; bees add enzymes that create additional chemical compounds inverting the sucrose into fructose and glucose. Honey is a source of carbohydrates containing 80% natural sugar and is sweeter than table sugar. The less water content the honey has the better quality the honey. Vitamins present in honey are B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and certain amino acids. Minerals found in honey are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

You’ll also be pleased to know that honey is a natural sweetener, it has no cholesterol and it’s completely fat free.

A natural antibiotic Honey has been used as a natural antibiotic for centuries and for treating infections up until the 20th century.

Researchers claim that even the smallest amount of honey was enough to kill off the majority of bacterial cells on the skin which infects the wound site. Honey could even be utilised to prevent wounds in the first place. It has been said that it could be more effective than antibiotics in many cases after examining how the super food can prevent and fight skin infections. After a skin injury like a cut or scrape, bacteria can penetrate the wound site and cause problems such as pus forming but honey can stimulate new tissue growth.

ease colds. A mixture of fresh lemon juice and raw honey will provide soothing relief for sore throats and helps stop the tickle that stimulates coughing. Raw honey with all its components including royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen is high in nutrients and enzymes which kill bacteria and viruses. Try giving it to your children just before bed to help them sleep better, although it’s advisable not to administer to infants under 12 months old.

Boost your immunity Honey is full of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps to protect cells from free radical damage. It can also contribute to heart health and prevent cancer.

Mosquito bite relief Honey’s anti-inflammatory properties make a good option to help reduce the itch and irritation of mosquito bites.

Acne treatment Manuka and kanuka honey has been used to treat the skin condition acne vulgaris, which affects the face, back and chest. And because it’s all natural, it’s kind to your skin.

The added health benefits of honey Honey increases calcium absorption, helps with arthritic joints and it even works as a natural laxative and aids constipation. Honey provides instant energy without the insulin surge that white sugar gives you; the buzz without the fuzz.

Soothes coughs and eases colds Perhaps among the most enjoyed benefits of honey is that this super food can be used to soothe coughs or

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Want to change bad eating habits for life? Sick of fad diets that don’t work? If so, call Absolutely Flab u Less on 07792421080 or email: melanietaffs7@gmail.com

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EdgeMagazine

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HIVE TALKING The truth about British bees Lucinda Bunn

W

ith the huge media buzz surrounding the bee ‘crisis’, there’s been a British resurgence in beekeeping. We consume 25,000 tonnes of the stuff each year and yet only produce 4,000 tonnes ourselves. It’s the environmental cause that produces tangible results in delicious, local honey. Of course, the whales and penguins still need our help but beekeeping provides a proactive outlet for replenishing the local landscape. Having said that, Chris Broad from the Worcestershire Beekeepers’ Association, claims that the study that sparked our bee rescue mission is a bit of a honey trap.

‘The bee population has halved in the last 20 years’ is the frightening headline seen in many articles over the last few years. But digging a bit deeper reveals that these statistics derive from a study by the University of Reading and the real “crisis” is a reduction in the numbers of beekeepers (and hence the numbers of domesticated bees), from 1985 to 2005. Wild bees have also been severely reduced by the varroa mite which was first discovered in this country in 1992. However, the good news is that beekeeper ranks have swelled since 2005 and in turn bee numbers have increased too. In Worcestershire alone the numbers of registered beekeepers has grown from about 160 to over 500. ‘The next challenge is to train all our new beekeepers up to a really good standard’, says Chris, ‘we’re getting there’.

As a seasoned beekeeper, Chris knows what it takes. He says, ‘the problem with beekeeping in Britain is that for such a long time it’s been taken up in retirement. Well, it takes about 5-10 years to master it so it would be

good for younger people to take it up so we can reap the benefits of better beekeepers for a longer period of time’.

On his farm in Worcestershire, Chris produces Saltway Honey, which is sold in village shops and distributed in the local area. Chris has 300 bee colonies in 40 different locations (or apiaries) spread across various sites along the old Roman road, the Saltway, which runs eastwards out of Droitwich Spa. Chris and his wife, Susan, have been keeping bees for over a decade and with all those harvests under their belts, they know there’s far more to beekeeping than most people think.

There are two honey harvests each year, one in the spring and one in late summer. The first wave of honey can be collected from mid to late May. Now, what’s interesting is that each harvest will produce a honey with a different taste as the bees move from pollinating one type of flower to another. Chris says, ‘for the spring harvest, the bees have been pollinating the rape fields and later in the summer, they’ve moved onto blackberries and clover’. According to Chris, this also affects the appearance of his honey. The rapeseed honey crystallises much quicker and so the summer honey stays liquid for much longer. Beekeeping is an annual process, with the hard work of the autumn months determining the outcome of the honeycombs in spring and summer. Chris says, ‘in early spring, the first thing to do is check the frames of the hive for disease. It’s not common but some diseases can wipe out a whole colony.

As the beekeeper, I can also inadvertently help to spread diseases so I have to be really careful going from one hive to another. If there is disease, then we work quickly to quarantine the affected bees’.

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EdgeMagazine

At harvest time, Chris arranges all the surplus frames of honey at the top of the hive and separates them from the bottom of the hive by a wooden board. Over the next few hours all the bees in the top section gradually migrate to the bottom section through a clever one-way bee-gate put into a hole in the wooden board. Chris then returns to collect the frames of honey abandoned by the bees. The frames are then put into a centrifuge (a motorised piece of equipment, a bit like a spin dryer for the honeycomb) that spins the frames, flinging the honey to the sides. Then it drains to the bottom of the centrifuge, from where it’s decanted into barrels, ready for packaging and distribution. The frames must be returned to the hives within the day so the bees aren’t cramped for too long.

Chris and Susan have also mastered queen bee rearing, where selective breeding means they can use one talented queen bee to produce the replacement queen bees for more than one colony. Alongside this, they also need to dissuade their bees from swarming and leaving the hive during the honey-making season, which would severely affect the amount of honey available to harvest.

So they clip the end of one wing of the queen bee in every hive to try and ensure she stays put. If the queen bee does leave, she takes a large number of worker bees with her so it takes a long time to have another queen bee ready to replace her along with enough worker bees to continue with the honey-making. If Chris and Susan are successful in keeping their queen bees, they can choose the best bees to head up their hives for the following year; not unlike choosing your best players for an all-star team.

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Bee proactive: Buy local honey Make a bird bath with pebbles so it’s shallow enough for the bees too Join your local beekeeping syndicate Plant flowers in your garden. Make a bee-line for the rose family; crab apple, hawthorn, potentilla and the flowers of fennel, angelica and cow parsley.

Learn to become a better beekeeper

The June Gap: The June Gap is a term for the period of time where there is a sudden reduction in the amount of pollen and nectar around to feed honey bees. In May, the hives reach their maximum brood numbers so this dip in the food supply reduces honey production.

To curb the June Gap, you could: Plant flowers so they’re ready to flower in this period Plant flowers that continue to flower in June like hardy geraniums and herbs like thyme, coriander and rosemary.

www.edgemagazine.org As farmers of any kind, Chris and Susanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s year is determined greatly by the weather. Particularly wet seasons arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good. Climate change can be confusing for the bees too as they are fooled by the warmer temperatures and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepare for winter as they should. Chris says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;if you were to read a beekeeping book from the early 20th century, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d see how the practice has changed completely. The landscape has become less consistent and therefore the sites for beekeeping can vary greatly even if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only half a mile apartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Beekeeping has had to evolve and the process and product have changed.

Until the 1940s, clover honey accounted for about 70% of the UK honey harvest but nowadays, farmers are more likely to use fertilisers instead of clover to fix nitrogen in the soil. Hedgerows and wildflower meadows are much reduced too but on the plus side, fields of oilseed rape, borage or beans can provide a bountiful harvest when conditions are right. Parasitic varroa mites attacking colonies and the increased use of pesticides both add to the challenges facing modern day beekeeping. Bees are a vital resource for the planet and they should be protected. Beekeeping isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy but everyone should be encouraged to do their part. Whether you keep a water bath out for the bees ensuring thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pebbles to keep it shallow, you commit to buying local honey or you buy a share in a bee colony throughout the summer, there are plenty of contributions you can make to the local environment.

After chatting to Chris, one thing is for certain, bees are very special creatures. We should maintain a level of respect for our pollinating pals, like the unspoken promise to excuse them from swatting and rescue them when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re weak (but whatever you do, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feed bees supermarket honey as you might easily be doing more harm than good) . Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re noble; their sting protects their hive from predators and each bee will happily sacrifice itself for the collective. Not to mention the fact that all human existence seems reliant on them.

And when you consider that it takes 12 beesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives to make just one teaspoon of honey, we should treat each divine mouthful reverently.

@L^ ;YLL -SV^LYZ

:WLJPHSPZPUN PU MYLZO J\[ ´V^LYZ ZO\YIZ [YLLZ HUK WSHU[Z *H[LYPUN MVY ^LKKPUNZ M\ULYHSZ JVYWVYH[L L]LU[Z HUK JVU[YHJ[ ^VYR &RQWDFW 6WHSKHQ RQ RU Contact Steven (Formally at Box Tree Flowers) M: 07772 884088 E: stephenboodhun@hotmail.com VWHSKHQ#\HZWUHHĂ&#x20AC;RZHUV FR XN ZZZ \HZWUHHĂ&#x20AC;RZHUV FR XN Yew Tree Farm Stratford Road Wootton Wawen Nr Henley In Arden B95 6BY 01564 792 701 www.yewtreefarm.uki.net Opening Times 10am - 5pm, Tuesdays - Sunday Open Bank Holiday Mondays

For more on Saltway Honey: www.saltwayhoney.com For information on becoming a beekeeper from the Worcestershire Beekeepersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association: www.wbka.net

M A G E N TA W A L L PA P E R S Wallpapers â&#x20AC;˘ Curtains â&#x20AC;˘ Blinds

Call 01926-858 618 Visit 3 Abbey End, Kenilworth, Warwickshire Mon, Tue & Fri 9.30am - 5pm Wed & Sat 9.30am - 1pm

Email steve.magenta@yahoo.co.uk

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WORKING OUT WHAT TO WEAR Fitness never looked so good Meg Hanlon

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ho remembers the eighties trend for wearing a thong over a unitard? I know, you’ve probably done your best to blank that image from your mind but for many people the thought of how they look when they’re exercising puts them right off heading to gym, let alone stepping inside an exercise class. Even if you don’t need motivation (or a crowbar) to get you to the gym, feeling good about what you’re wearing will certainly make you feel better about working out and inspire you to don the lycra, although maybe not the thong and step up to the treadmill.

First things first - colour. Don’t automatically opt for black, particularly if you’re trying to lose weight and you want an outfit that makes you look slimmer. If it’s not in your colour palette and it does only appear in half of them, then it can actually have the opposite effect by drawing the eye straight to the problem area. Not exactly what you want if you’re trying to disguise any wobbly bits! Instead, choose navy or charcoal as your base colour. They’re still dark enough for you to benefit from their slimming properties but they’re softer than black and infinitely more flattering for most people.

Make sure you use colour to your advantage to help you with your workout. If you’re feeling tired and struggling to get moving, then red will help to energise you. Just make sure it has the right undertone so that it doesn’t drain all the colour from your face. If you have a warm skin tone then your red should be yellowbased like watermelon or tomato whereas blue-reds like raspberry will be more suited to cool skin tones. Beware though that if your workout zone is a step or two outside of your comfort zone then red will only serve to make you more self-conscious, so maybe choose your best blue instead - it’ll help you feel in control.

So how about shape? If you’re less than happy with your

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figure it can be tempting to hide under big, baggy layers but the problem is that they will just make you look well, big and baggy. To minimise the bottom and thigh area then straight leg or boot cut jersey trousers are the best choice. Skin tight and three quarter length are best avoided by all but the longest and slimmest of leg. The style of top will depend on the activity you’re doing but as a general rule, your gym top should follow, but not cling to, your body line. Look for clever fabrics that wick moisture away from the body to help you keep cool.

Both physically and sartorially. Bamboo is an increasingly popular and eco-friendly option for sportswear and worth looking out for. Oh and don’t forget, wear a sports

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bra with the right amount of support; it goes without saying.

Whether it’s just for fun, losing weight, keeping fit or training for the marathon it’s most definitely worth investing in kit that will galvanise you into action. After all, if you don’t look forward to putting on your workout gear then you’re less likely to look forward to working out in it. The choice out there has come a long way since leotards, leg warmers and head bands; there’s no need to step out looking like an extra from Fame. Well, unless you really want to. Ok then, while no one is looking, altogether now ‘Fame, I’m gonna live forever...’.

Leading Stylist, Colour Me Beautiful www.changeyourlook.co.uk 01684 773166 Twitter: @CMBStylistMeg Facebook: Colour Me Beautiful - Meg Hanlon Change Your Look, Change Your Life

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EdgeMagazine

ENHANCE THE 6WXEERUQ IDW NATURAL YOU

At one KDV PHW of Warwickshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading aesthetic clinics Lucinda Bunn

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r Claire Oliver is the cosmetic practitioner everyone is talking about. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delivering amazing results with state of the art technology. Dr Oliver takes a fresh approach to cosmetic treatments; a reflection of her extensive training and her modern outlook that enhancing the natural you can be achieved with non-invasive treatments.

Is it safe?

CoolSculpting is one such treatment. In fact, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the fastest growing permanent, non-surgical, non-invasive fat reduction treatment in the US. And guess what? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrived in the Midlands, exclusively to the Air Aesthetics Clinic, Henley in Arden.

Does it hurt?

CoolSculpting has been FDA * approved and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backed by more than 20 published clinical papers. CoolSculpting is proven to be a safe and effective treatment and the procedure is only available to be performed by trained medical professionals.

)UHH]H \RXU IDW DZD\ Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to feel a tugging sensation and a little pressure, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s virtually pain free. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to tell you the risks involved in liposuction surgery; not to mention the pain, the scarring and the long recovery period. Well, with CoolSculpting thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a concern.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no needle, no scalpel, no scars and you can get back to your busy day straight after the treatment.

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How does it work?

Using revolutionary technology, CoolSculpting targets and freezes fat cells. Your unwanted bulges contain fat cells which can be resistant to diet and exercise. But CoolSculpting uses controlled cooling to target and crystallise fat cells. These cells gradually die and are naturally eliminated from your body via your liver and lymphatic system.

Who will perform the procedure?

Is one treatment enough?

By the time you reach adolescence, your body has laid down all the fat cells you are going to have as an adult.

The CoolScultpting procedure eliminates up to 40% of these fat cells for good in the treated area.

Is CoolSculpting the right option for me?

Dr Claire Oliver will perform the procedure. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a highly skilled and fully qualified cosmetic practitioner. The Â&#x2030; CoolSculpting process involves a consultation, where Dr Oliver assesses your complaint areas .The CoolSculpting device is positioned on your body and using a suction action, it draws your fat bulge into the applicator where two cooling plates are situated.

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the final results after 90 days. CoolSculpting can reduce your stubborn fat by up to 40% in one single treatment.

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CoolSculpting is right for you if you have stubborn areas of fat that no matter how much you exercise or diet, you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shift. CoolSculpting will sculpt the figure %()25( :((.6 $)7(5 you already have, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toned and &22/6&8/37,1* smooth; your jeans 1R :HLJKW &KDQJH

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EdgeMagazine

ESCAPE THE CHAINS Crowns and Coronets Lucinda Bunn

S

tep inside the world of Helena Hubbard, designer and founder of Crowns & Coronets; a world of sumptuously soft knitwear and fine British craftsmanship. Crowns & Coronets create luxury clothing for 0-6 year olds from its base in Worcestershire; with every piece handcrafted by master artisans in South East England.

Crowns & Coronets has quality in mind. Each garment is an heir loom and has been designed in a classic style, with timeless details, including real mother of pearl buttons and hand-stitched swing tags. Crowns & Coronets is a luxury brand with an ethical promise. Each garment is made using a blend of the purest Himalayan yak down and the finest sustainable bamboo. Yak down rivals cashmere in softness and lustre and it’s stronger than wool and more resilient. The scales of the yak down are in a waved mosaic pattern, resulting in a very smooth fibre that doesn’t itch. Bamboo is excellently suited to the delicate skin of babies and children; it’s light, strong, anti-static and breathable too.

As a mother of two, Helena’s vision sprung from her desire to find timeless and ethical clothing for her own children. Helena works with skilled knitters and seamstresses to conjure beautiful designs and she believes in embracing British skills and workmanship. The Crowns & Coronets style is also influenced by British fashion; think sailor collars, boleros, 40’s structured jackets and 30’s dresses.

But it’s the added details which make Crowns & Coronets so special. From the charming colour ways to the crown-stamped tissue paper, Crowns & Coronets has crafted classic, couture children’s clothing that will be treasured for generations. www.crownsandcoronets.co.uk @crownsandcorone If you’d like to nominate your favourite independent shop to be recognised in our Escape the Chains feature, then please email your suggestions to: escapethechains@edgemagazine.org

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EdgeMagazine

STRATFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL Otherworldly Works Hannah Griffiths

W

hen you think of Stratford, you think of Shakespeare. But each April, the Stratford Literary Festival welcomes novelists, poets and playwrights from around the world to celebrate the written word. Taking place over an extended two-week period, this year’s event is set to be the biggest yet.

The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Different Worlds’, an idea that will be explored through a variety of poetry, short stories, art and storytelling. A diverse and fascinating range of authors will descend upon Stratford bringing a taste of their ‘Different Worlds’ from Burma to Chartres and Marlowe to Hitler.

Featuring headline speakers including Artemis Cooper, Gavin Hewitt, Jay Rayner, John Connolly, Monty Don, Sebastian Faulks, Tony Hawks, Kate Humble, Mark Billingham, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Palin, Salley Vickers, Tony Benn and William Nicholson.

The programme for this year’s festival is jam-packed with events to suit every age and taste. Why not settle down for some lunch with the Fabulous Baker Brothers, as they take over the Arden Hotel for a two-course set lunch?

The brothers, Tom and Henry Herbert, will be discussing their passion for great food, the secrets of good baking and signing copies of their new book.

Organisers of this year’s festival are also dedicating days to Victorian novelist Marie Corelli and established author Michael Morpurgo. In her heyday Marie Corelli sold more books than the combined sales of authors and such as Conan Doyle, HG Wells and Rudyard Kipling, her house in Stratford will be open all day with a free exhibition.

Michael Morpurgo Day will celebrate one of the best loved and most prolific children’s writers in the world.

A range of activities will be taking place throughout the day including: book-making workshops, puppet-making workshops and theatre workshops. Michael will also be on hand to discuss the inspiration and stories behind his books.

Festival Director Annie Ashworth is already extremely excited for year’s festival, she says, ‘we have included some really well-known names alongside a broad range of workshops, topics and our discussion on the challenges of screenwriting Les Miserables, with William Nicholson, to who was the better writer; Shakespeare or Marlowe.

There really is something for everyone’.

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The festival will also feature a range of debates, workshops, open mic poetry and a number of education events in Stratford and local schools involving favourite authors, poets and illustrators who are set to entertain and inspire.

For further information on the events and to book tickets, visit the Stratford Literary Festival website. www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk

Highlights at this year’s festival include…

No Stranger to Controversy: John Sweeney and Jenn Ashworth air controversial topics with a fresh and brave approach – 21st April Self-publishing Clinic: How to make it work for you – 22nd April John Bird MBE: Founder of The Big Issue, talks about his essay The Necessity of Poverty – 23rd April The Film of the Book Quiz with question masters Mark Billingham and John Connolly -24th April Creative Writing Workshop: Hone your skills with the help of three experts - 25th April Not Dead Yet: A debate about growing old and how to survive it featuring guest speakers Bill Turnball, Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE and Jill Fraser - 25th April Shakespeare and Marlowe: The myths and the genius of the Elizabethan poets and playwrights - 26th April Jason Lewis and Robert Twigger: Inside the head of the extreme adventurer – 27th April Alice in Wonderland: Mad Hatters Tea Party – 27th April Drawing Room Theatre Presents Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales - 27th April

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SEE STRATFORDUPON-AVON Where to eat, sleep and drink tea Hannah Griffiths

S

tratford has a lot to offer. Whether it’s the annual literary festival, the modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s famous plays or the delights of nature sailing down the River Avon, there is something to suit everyone’s tastes. But when your feet become too tired to explore, why not sit back, relax and let Stratford wine, dine and entertain.

at Billesley Manor Hotel. A 16th century Elizabethan manor, surrounded by 11 acres of Warwickshire countryside and located just three miles from Stratford, Billesley Manor makes the perfect destination for holidays and short breaks in Warwickshire.

As afternoon hunger strikes, Stratford’s cafés come to life.

Tucked away on Union Street is The Four Teas, a delicate 1940s inspired tea room offering a selection of speciality teas and coffees supplied by local tea importer The Golden Monkey Tea Company. If you’re still determined to squeeze every ounce of culture out of the area, why not pop along to Hathaway Tea Rooms. Situated on the high street in a Grade II listed building, Hathaway Tea Rooms offers a selection of cakes, pastries and refreshing beverages in the quintessentially English spirit.

www.pumahotels.co.uk

www.menzieshotels.co.uk

There’s plenty to see and do in Stratford all year round.

So whether you fancy visiting the Fringe Festival in late May or you’re planning to see one of this year’s productions at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, rest assured that whenever you do choose to visit Stratford it has everything you need and more.

www.thefourteas.co.uk www.hathawaytearooms.com Why not take a look at some of Stratford’s well-loved restaurants, offering spectacular cuisine to cover all budgets and tastes? The Flat Chicken offers a simple selection of starters to complement their free range rotisserie chickens and award-winning Aubrey Allen steaks and burgers. Also located in the heart of Stratford is No.9 Church St. Described as a town centre restaurant with a neighbourhood feel, No.9 Church St. serves seasonal food with a contemporary twist in a relaxed setting. www.theflatchicken.com www.no9churchst.com The Menzies Welcombe Hotel Spa and Golf Club is the perfect place to rest your head after a day out in Stratford. The Jacobean-style house combines the traditional charm of the oak panelled lounge and magnificent suites with the contemporary décor of the garden rooms and luxury spa. The Menzies also offers some of the finest leisure facilities in the heart of England, including an 18-hole championship golf course, all weather tennis courts and a luxurious spa, making it an ideal destination for a short leisure break. For those wishing to stay on the outskirts of Stratford, take a look

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EdgeMagazine

THE MENZIES WELCOMBE Your stay in Stratford-upon-Avon Alice Perrey

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he Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Spa and Golf Club exudes charm; from the winding driveway to the Jacobean meets modern architecture and décor.

Originally built in 1866, the Menzies Welcombe stands in some 157 acres, with stunning views of the Warwickshire countryside. The hotel is perfectly located for overnight stays in Stratford with the family or weekend getaways for the grown-ups.

For my overnight stay, I had booked a treatment in the spa and I was looking forward to being pampered and relaxing in the thermal experience rooms. My facial left my skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated and I was impressed with the Clarins and Elemis products. The spa itself is an oasis of calm and tranquility with a stunning indoor pool and vitality outdoor pool. All of the facilities are free to hotel residents and with a list of treatments available in the salon, you can add a little spa session to your stay. If you’re more into sport than spa-going, the Menzies Welcombe boasts an 18-hole championship golf course and all-weather tennis courts too.

Our suite was beautiful. The magnificent four-poster bed was huge and comfortable. We had a modern ensuite with excellent fixtures and lovely products from The White Company; only highlighting the quality and attention to detail you can expect from this hotel. The garden rooms on the other side of the hotel are in a more contemporary style and kitted out with Apple iMac computers and high-speed internet access.

The à la carte restaurant ticks all the fine-dining boxes.

Their head chef has created a wonderful menu with something for every palate. At the Menzies, the chefs use

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the finest ingredients and seasonal produce and that’s clear from the classic British inspired dishes. I chose the potted North American prawns to start; they were topped with anchovy butter which lifted the whole dish and added a bit of a punch to the fresh prawns. My husband had the ham hock terrine with red onion chutney which was sticky, sweet and really tasty. On recommendation, I went for the lambs’ liver for my main course, which was served with red cabbage, fondant potato and cauliflower purée. My husband’s slow-braised ox cheek with horseradish mash was fantastic and we were impressed with the flavour combinations and the modern twists on British classics.

We were served cheese and coffee in the lounge area where the oak panels and roaring fireplace only add to the traditional charm. Cheese lovers will be wowed by the English cheese selection. Each flavour was punctuated with the sweet and aromatic homemade chutney, served alongside. Breakfast was fantastic with fruit displays, cereals, pastries and with self-service cooked breakfast, we were spoilt for choice. The breakfast is included in the overnight price too. The Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Spa and Golf Club is a luxury hotel and as a guest you will be treated to great food, beautiful rooms and fantastic service.

Warwick Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 0NR Tel: 01789 295252 | www.menzieshotels.co.uk

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EdgeMagazine

SETTING THE SCENE Hamlet at the RSC Lucinda Bunn

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ith David Farr’s Hamlet opening at the RSC this month, we were wondering about helping you get the most from your evening at the theatre.

So here’s our overview of everything you should know but might have forgotten.

Shakespeare sets his tragedy in Denmark at a time of radical change. After the sudden death of the old King, his brother Claudius has inherited the throne and wed his widow, Gertrude. The first scene finds young Prince Hamlet, back from university to grieve his father’s death.

He sees the ghost of his father who reveals that he was murdered by his brother, Claudius and young Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death. A power struggle ensues as Hamlet has to prove his uncle’s guilt. Expect sword-fights, poisoned goblets and dramatic irony, of course.

Hamlet is a man dealing with dissatisfaction and his moral dilemma is the focus of the play. After meeting his father’s ghost, he begins to question the afterlife. He asks the audience difficult questions, most of which cannot be answered with any certainty. Watch out for Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1, where Hamlet proposes ‘to be or not to be, that is the question…’. Whilst suicide may be desirable, Hamlet asks whether it is nobler to suffer through his earthly life. If you want answers to life’s great questions, you’ll be disappointed but its Shakespeare’s rhetoric which makes Hamlet’s speech so profound.

David Farr’s Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Company opens on the 14th March as part of the final season programmed by Michael Boyd as the outgoing Artist Director. The company includes Jonathan Slinger as Hamlet. As one of the greatest classical actors of his generation, Slinger has an emotional access that is truly rare. And going up against Greg Hicks as the corrupt Claudius, it’s a face off not to be missed. Farr’s production is special as it sees the return of Charlotte Cornwell to the RSC. She last appeared in the RSC’s London run at The Warehouse in 1980 in Much Ado About Nothing. Her more recent credits include The History Boys at Centre Theatre Group in LA and an appearance in The West Wing but Cornwell will be making her mark on the Stratford stage as Hamlet’s mother, the very graceful and ever-so charming Queen Gertrude.

Director David Farr is no stranger to Shakespeare with critical acclaim for his previous work on Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, King Lear and The Winter’s Tale. Of course,

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at the RSC, you can look forward to the best in stage design from Jon Bausor and lighting from Jon Clarke. And bringing the entire production together is composer, David Sawer. The latest RSC production will take audiences on a new journey into the mind of the great Dane with primal excitement and intellectual complexity.

In Denmark, as an old man’s revenge becomes a young man’s ruin, the RSC lays its scene.

The Characters Hamlet- He’s complex, mysterious and obsessive about proving Claudius’ guilt. His decision to take action is extremely measured but he’s also rash and impulsive.

Claudius- The classic villain, Claudius is as manipulative as he is powerful. Like Hamlet, he is preoccupied with the desire for revenge but Claudius plays coward to Hamlet’s hero.

Gertrude - She causes much intrigue but she’s not a favourable character. Ultimately it is the speed at which she remarries that disappoints Hamlet most, causing his great mistrust of women which features as a thread throughout.

The Setting and Mood Denmark is referred to as a physical body itself in Hamlet, a diseased body in fact as one character remarks, ‘there is something rotten in the state of Denmark’. Shakespeare builds on the anxiety and dread at the change of power in Denmark and emphasises its deterioration in health since Claudius became king. Hamlet is contemplative, dark and desolate.

Royal Shakespeare Company Royal Shakespeare Theatre Waterside Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BB www.rsc.org.uk Box office: 0844 800 1110

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EdgeMagazine

THE BURNING SOUL: A REVIEW A novel by John Connolly Mike Stafford

S

ince his debut, Every Dead Thing, appeared on bookshelves in 1999, John Connolly has established himself as one of the greats of crime writing. And he’ll be a guest at the Stratford Literary Festival this year. The depth and breadth of his imagination is arguably peerless within the genre and with The Burning Soul, the tenth in his Charlie Parker series, he shows readers exactly why he’s earned this acclaim.

In The Burning Soul, private investigator Charlie Parker is drawn into the search for a missing 14 year old, Anna Kore. In the immediate wake of Anna’s disappearance, local man Randall Haight begins to receive anonymous messages; the implicit threat being that the secrets of his past will be revealed to the local community. That past is a dark one – when he was a teenager, he and a friend killed a 14-year old girl. The significance of this is not lost on Parker, nor would it be lost on the people of Pastor’s Bay, were the truth revealed.

and ghosts. Connolly’s supernatural isn’t the chainclanking spookiness of, say, Jacob Marley, but the spectre in the corner of the eye at night, the blur at the edge of reality. In fact, Connolly incorporates it so seamlessly that readers could be forgiven for wondering why more writers don’t tread Connolly’s path.

Overall, The Burning Soul is a spellbinding work of fiction from an astonishingly good writer. It’s a work of hardboiled crime, of profound psychological insight and of phenomenally powerful prose. It makes for a bewitching blend and one that readers miss at their peril.

A native Dubliner, Connolly felt too constrained by the grand and prescriptive tradition of Irish writing, and looked to America for a little literary freedom. In The Burning Soul, events take place primarily in a windswept township on the coast of Maine. The inference is hard to miss, with the town of Pastor’s Bay looking east across the Atlantic to Connolly’s homeland. In addition to the physical appearance and location of the town, Connolly has a keen ear for its history and social dynamics. Pastor’s Bay was founded in the wake of a murder and for Connolly, that uneven foundation stone has turned all subsequent events in the town awry. Some would argue that small town living makes for a close-knit community; in The Burning Soul, it gives rise to surveillance-byneighbour, with privacy virtually non-existent and secrets held as capital.

Indeed, Connolly’s eye for human affairs is breathtaking.

In a lot of crime writing, characters are masters of their own environment, shaping the world around them according to their own will. The Burning Soul sees life as far more complex than this. Determined, but also flawed and fallible, his characters are buffeted around by the fates, haunted both figuratively and literally by their own pasts.

Use of the supernatural marks Connolly out from his contemporaries. Crime writing can often be the preserve of the rationalist, the reader with no time for ghouls

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Ahead of John Connolly’s appearance at the Stratford Literary Festival, we are offering, in partnership with our friends at Hodder and Stoughton Publishing Ltd, a chance to win a copy of John Connolly’s new book The Wrath of Angels which he will be discussing at the festival on April 24th.

For a chance to win, send your name and address to bookgiveaway@edgemagazine.org. www.hodder.co.uk www.johnconnollybooks.com

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Italian INSPIRATION. British INNOVATION. You’ve dreamt about it. You’ve visualised just how much a conservatory could enhance your home and your quality of life.

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EdgeMagazine

THE PORSCHE 911 50 years young Liam Bird

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hey say if you can remember the 1960s you weren’t there. So, if things for some of you are a little hazy, allow me to fill in the blanks. I’ve concentrated mainly on 1963, for reasons which will soon become apparent.

Neil Armstrong was still a test pilot, Ferrari was putting the engines in the front of their cars and JFK was the President of the USA. Not to forget the little known Liverpudlian band who were recording their first album at Abbey road.

Meanwhile at the Frankfurt Motorshow, a small family-owned car maker named Porsche, were just about to unveil their new rear-engine sports coupe: the 901. No, that’s not a misprint, or a hazy 1960’s memory (at the risk of rubbing things in, I didn’t appear until 1973). Porsche really did call the successor to the 356, the 901. Were it not for Peugeot’s protest – the French claimed they owned the rights to all centrally-zeroed vehicle nomenclature – one of the most famous cars of all time would have been known by another number. Porsche, then a much smaller company, duly relented renaming their car Nuenelfer and so, the Porsche 911 was born.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of that unveiling, so what better excuse is there for getting acquainted with the latest version of Stuttgart’s perennial 2+2? Longer, wider and lower even, more so too in cabrio form, than the 2 litre 130bhp original. Today’s 911, or to give it its actual title 991 – all 911’s except the original have their own number – is powered by a flat six boxer engine (what else?), packing 350bhp and 288lbft of torque. These days it’s cooled by water rather than air, and if you choose not to go down the automatic Porsche PDK route, you’ll find that it’s mated the world’s first productioncar, seven-speed manual gearbox. That extra cog, plus the new 911’s lower kerb weight, thanks in part to the extensive use of aluminium in its construction, mean that Porsche’s claim of 30mpg is now a definite possibility rather than just sales patter.

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EdgeMagazine Cosmetically different it may be and yet instantly recognisable, the new 911 remains; the same bug-like headlamps, the same roof line and same vented and the bulbous rump. From inside too it’s just the same.

The new 911 gains the multi-buttoned centre console and regretfully, the electronic handbrake, from its big brother the Panamera and interior wise it’s more spacious than it’s ever been. But don’t go thinking that it’s any less driver focused.

As always there’s nothing inside the 911 that doesn’t need to be there. The steering wheel is devoid of any extra buttons; there’s no cruise control (I seldom use it anyway), Bluetooth remains optional and as ever, the trademark five-dial dash lets the rev-counter take centre stage. You sit low; your view ahead framed by the thin A pillars, looking out over the 911’s wing tips. Visibility is surprisingly good, all of the controls are nigh-on perfectly weighted and nothing important seems more than a hand span away.

It’s the engine that dominates the driving experience; at low revs it’s as docile as the family runabout, allowing the 911 to retain its reputation as the everyday super-car. But like all Porsche flat sixes, it loves to be revved. Allow it to spin and not only does its metallic timbre sound like a sports bike, it delivers a similar performance. The 911 may be approaching middle age but it’s still capable of showing up the youngsters; 0-60 takes a whisker under 5.0 seconds and where allowed it’ll do 178.

And yet these days the 911 doesn’t intimidate. The new, electronically powered steering (it reduces emissions) tells you everything you need know, Porsche’s boffins sorted out the early car’s tricky handling reputation long ago and even in the cabrio wind and noise levels are as hushed as you’d expect from an 80-grand German aristocrat. So good in fact is the 911’s new near-rigid ‘panel-bow’ hood, that I had to remind myself I was driving a drop-top.

After half a century the 911 remains the definitive sports coupe, it’s outlived much of its competition, yet it remains the benchmark by which others are judged. It’s the legend, the icon and long may it continue.

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EdgeMagazine

TIME OF THE SEASON Dougie Brown takes over Lucinda Bunn

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fter only a few months as Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Dougie Brown is taking his team through the LV= County Championship. A club legend from his playing days at Edgbaston, the former all-rounder was a popular choice among Bears’ fans to succeed Ashley Giles at the top. Now it’s time for the team to defend their Championship title; the pressure is on and the stakes are high. But Dougie says there’s more to the Championship than batting and bowling.

Congratulations on your appointment. How have you settled into it?

I’ve settled in pretty well. There haven’t been many changes. I was the assistant coach to Ashley Giles before he became the coach for England’s limited-overs. We had all the structures in place so it’s been a smooth transition for me to move to head coach. Ashley and I started our careers at the same time, we’ve lived together and both been best men at each other’s weddings so we’re on the same page with most things. He left because he was doing such a fantastic job and his efforts made a difference to the success of the club. So whilst there are things I’m going to address, I’m also continuing and evolving his good work.

When you were younger, how did you decide to focus on cricket when you already played rugby and had success in football?

It was easy because I wasn’t as good at the others. I always played football in the winter and golf in the summer but most of my friends played rugby and cricket.

They’d knock on my door and ask me to play to make up the numbers. I was just short of 14 when I started playing cricket and I just loved it.

As you’re an all-rounder, do you think your talents batting as well as bowling make you a better coach?

I think so. I mean, we have specialist batting and bowling coaches who work with the players. But it’s not all just about talent and skill, we like our players to have character and that’s the difference between being good and being brilliant. We select on personality too. I think that’s important for the environment and culture of cricket moving forward.

Does your experience as a teacher help too?

I’ve not really thought of that before but I guess it has.

I think being organised and setting out objectives, both

www.edgbaston.com

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www.edgemagazine.org long-term and short-term, are transferable skills. In teaching you need the ability to think on your feet and that’s certainly something I do in this job too.

So how’s the team looking going into April?

We’re looking good. We’ve had three guys away with the England team but they’re back now. We’ve got a preseason trip to Barbados which will give us an opportunity to smooth any cracks in our performance. We have six Championship games in six weeks so the first part of the Championship is going to be pretty congested. But we’ve had a good winter and we’re feeling really positive.

Do you have a pre-match ritual?

We meet in the dressing room and our analyst goes through the game with the players. They’ll do research on the opposition so we know who we’re facing out there. It’s a very detailed process in that respect.

Tactically, you can bowl too much or not enough so we cover all of that in the pre-match meeting. The guys enjoy it and they like to stick to the same routine.

What are your hopes for the club this year?

Well it’d be nice to see some trophies (he laughs).

We’ve got a strong squad and with the success of the last year behind us, it’s given us a boost. There is expectation there too which can put the pressure on.

But the process is most important for us. If we can get to the beginning of August and run through the finish line, with our fitness at its peak and a consistent record of performance throughout the season, then we’ll be happy.

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EdgeMagazine

FINANCIAL MARKETS A review and outlook Tom Ware

F

or much of 2012, markets were buffeted by investor risk aversion as a result of political and economic uncertainty and central bank liquidity injections aimed at stabilising the financial system.

Weak economies in the developed world and signs of a slowdown in the major emerging regions weighed on markets.

Friction that had left the Eurozone teetering on the brink of disintegration at the end of 2011 continued to make headlines and at a number of occasions over the last year a solution seemed impossible.

Could it be, however, that after so many quarters of commenting on the potential that is built into markets that some of this is now being realised?

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Whilst in the last quarter a number of things remained unchanged there have been some interesting developments, a selection of which have resulted in strong performance from a number of stock markets around the globe.

Leading indicators of global growth have been pointing up since late summer, and during the past two months the broader data has begun to strongly validate these early signals.

One of the biggest and probably the most positive developments we have seen is a return to fundamentals.

Correlations between stocks have intermittently spiked to multi-decade highs. As macroeconomic risk dominated investor minds, there was less differentiation between relative winners and losers at the company level, with investors focusing on whether they wanted to

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own equities at all, rather than which equities might be best to own in such an environment.

The thing that has not changed is the amount of liquidity that is still being provided by central bankers. The US, the UK and Japan have all partaken in further rounds of Quantitative Easing but this asset purchasing has been the most prevalent quarter four in Europe.

Last quarter we waited with bated breath as to whether the Outright Monetary Transfer, the latest round of policy from the ECB, would have an effect. If peripheral nations' bond yields are anything to go by then the policy has been a success in making the cost of debt for these

troubled economies far more manageable. It is now down to the politicians to make sure they do not allow these lower yields to ease the pressure for reform.

On the subject of politics we also saw last quarter, a closely run US Presidential election race culminate in a second term for President Barack Obama and China undergo a once-in-a-decade leadership change.

Churchill Investments 01934 844444 info@churchillinvestment.co.uk www.churchill.uk.net

IMPORTANT NOTICE Past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future and the value of investments can go down as well as up. You might not get back the full amount invested particularly if an encashment is made in the early years.

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EdgeMagazine

WHAT’S ON Dinosaurs- The Arena Spectacular will be coming to the NIA, Birmingham this April.

The show will see Tyrannosaurus Rex and his awe-inspiring lifesize pals return to stalk UK shores once more, a whole 65 million years on. www.thenia.co.uk

Where: Malmaison Hotel When: 14th April 2013

What: Lucy Porter Where: The Public When: 17th April 2013

What: American Civil War Weekend Where: Avoncroft Museum When: 13th-14th April 2013 Join the American Civil War Society for a weekend of drill and re-enactment.

There will be a range of demonstrations and interactive opportunities to show visitors the daily life of the soldier and camp followers of the American civil war. www.avoncroft.org.uk

What: Horrible Histories – Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians Where: Belgrade Theatre

Vintage with a modern twist is the perfect way to describe Vintage Chic events. Bringing together the finest selection of vintage and chic suppliers, the events are the perfect for the bride to be who is looking for unique special pieces for a stylish wedding day. www.vintagechicweddingfair.co.uk

Lucy Porter’s brand new show is based around a fascinating true story with a stunning twist in the tale. Along the way, the thirty-something mum of ‘Irish twins’ brings us her hilarious stand up observations.

She tackles the big subjects; happiness, home shopping, friendship and the psychological impact of daytime TV’s Dom Littlewood. It’s a feel-good night of comedy that will appeal to audiences of all ages. www.thepublic.com

When: 2nd-6th April 2013

What: Walking with Dinosaurs Where: NIA Birmingham When: 10th-14th April 2013 Based on the awardwinning BBC television series, Walking with

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Using actors and groundbreaking 3D special effects, the Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians are brought to life in a live stage show that is guaranteed to thrill you and your children.

Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips. www.belgrade.co.uk

What: Claire Martin & Joe Stilgoe, Something Old, Something New Where: Warwick Arts Centre When: 22nd April 2013 What: Vintage Chic Wedding Fair

Claire Martin and Joe Stilgoe combine their wealth of musical talent with this brand new

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duo collaboration. Both award-winning vocalists in their own right, this pairing brings together their love of the Great American Songbook and showcases Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliant song writing talent.

Saturday 18th May 2013

www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

What: Bromsgrove Festival Where: Various locations (see website for more details) When: 18th April-24th May 2013

What: Upswing what happens in the winter Where: mac Birmingham When: 12th April 2013 Using the lives of circus artists as inspiration, Upswing asks what happens as you get older, when your profession requires super human strength and skills? When aging gradually takes away the tools of your trade? How does it affect your self-worth and your place in the world? What happens in the winter is an arresting mix of aerial, theatre and dance and treads a delicate path through the minds and bodies of two women who refuse to stop flying. www.macarts.co.uk

www.bromsgrovefestival.co.uk

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Bromsgrove Music Festival returns in 2013 featuring numerous musical events to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten and the 50th anniversary of the death of the English composer Julius Harrison. As well as the International Young Musicians Platform, the festival caters to a wide variety of musical tastes.

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EdgeMagazine

An individual approach to education

Holy Trinity International School

St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School

Edgbaston

Give your child the best start in life with an education at St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School, in Edgbaston.

Holy Trinity International School is applying to become one of the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Free Schools. It provides an outstanding education for girls and boys aged 4 to 19, has a thriving Nursery and is renowned for academic excellence and outstanding pastoral care.

A fully co-educational independent day school, offering a friendly and caring one school community from 4 months of age to 18 years.

Our recent GCSE results speak for themselves 100% of our students gained 5 A* - C, whilst 95% of students attained 5 A*- C grades, which includes Mathematics, English and Science; 98% of all exams taken by the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students achieved A* - C grades. 44% of all Holy Trinity International School students take 11 subjects each on average.

Contact us to register your interest.

Small classes with a creative and constructive learning ethos

Outstanding support for children with dyslexia

Speech therapy available within the school

11+ tuition

Wide choice of GCSE and A-level subjects

Outstanding exam results

Extensive extra curricular and enrichment activities

OPEN AFTERNOON Tuesday 25th June, 1.30pm-3.30pm

Tel: 0121 625 0398

Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 2BY. Tel: 01562 822 929 Email : contact@holytrinity.co.uk

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31, Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston Birmingham B15 1RX www.sgse.co.uk Email: admissions@sgse.co.uk

03/10/2012 15:41:35

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EdgeMagazine

ST RICHARD’S HOSPICE REDEVELOPMENT Care and compassion for the community Lucinda Bunn

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t. Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care for patients living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. They are able to support 2,300 patients and family members in Worcestershire each year; in the 16-bed unit hospice and in patients’ homes. And with a new redevelopment set to commence in June, the hospice will be transformed with more single, private rooms and allow St Richard’s to care for over a third more patients. The dedicated team at St Richard’s Hospice work tirelessly to support members of our community.

The project will extend the inpatient unit at Wildwood Drive, Worcester. The plans will see St Richard’s build four new bedrooms and change the configuration of existing rooms to give 13 single rooms and two double rooms.

They are also building a second family sitting room, therapies room, satellite nurse station, IPU Manager's office, case conference room and doctor’s room. The growing team of St Richard’s Hospice doctors, nurses, counsellors and physiotherapists will continue to provide 24 hour support. Chief Executive Mark Jackson explained, ‘our feedback from patients and their families is always very positive but after a detailed survey we realised that changing to mainly single rooms will radically improve the privacy and dignity of a patient’.

‘The project will cost £1.4m and after careful consideration we feel able to embark on this development. We have applied to the Department of Health for the maximum grant of £750,000 and we’re optimistic that we will receive good news soon. The remaining funds will be met from some unexpected and generous Gifts in Wills as well as from Grant Making Trusts and hospice reserves’.

One of the bedrooms will be a double-bedded family room so a patient and family members can stay together overnight. The two double rooms will also be able to be sub-divided into four single rooms, if required. The work is set to be complete in April 2014. But the project will cost £1.4m. St Richard’s is hugely appreciative for the money raised by supporters each year but they need further funding to continue to provide their free services.

St Richard’s Hospice needs £6.1m in funding for every year of service. That’s to cover staffing costs, training, specialised therapies, equipment and the maintenance of the hospice building and gardens. Members of the community have been getting together and making a

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difference with exciting fundraising events. Fundraisers this April will be trekking along the Great Wall of China.

One of the great wonders of the world, the Great Wall snakes 6000km across China. This challenging trek will take them through beautiful hills and remote areas, offering fabulous scenery and a fascinating insight into a rich culture and history of China. Also coming up this April, there’ s Scenic Six, a multi-terrain 6 mile run, the Malvern Fashion Show, the Worcester full and half marathon and the Auction of Promises Event where bidders can win donated services including 2 hours of gardening, a spa day and a dozen cupcakes. If you have time to give, you could offer your services too.

St Richard’s Hospice has some fantastic fundraising events this month and throughout the summer. Every donation they receive means they can continue the work they do for the community; offering care, comfort and compassion.

» £10 helps to ease away a patient's pain in a relaxing whirlpool bath. Our nurses can also help by using a hoist to lift patients gently in and out if needed. » £15 helps us uplift patients' spirits by keeping the garden and grounds in tip-top condition. The lake, lawns and meadow offer a quiet natural sanctuary for patients and their visitors to walk around and enjoy.

Windows in the patients' bedrooms are placed at a low level so patients can view the gardens from their beds. » £25 provides relaxation for a patient at St Richard's through complementary therapies. Your gift can provide a wonderful, aromatherapy message, Indian head massage, Reiki or reflexology sessions. » £75 brings support and time to talk to families before and after the death of a loved one. Our Memory Days help capture those special moments to take into the future and is particularly helpful to the children we support.

You can also sponsor a nurse. It costs just £13.80 an hour to sponsor a nurse. With a one off donation or by giving regularly, you can make a difference to the lives of local people. For more information, contact the Fundraising Department on 01905 763963.

www.edgemagazine.org

St. Richard’s Hospice Foundation Wildwood Drive Worcester WR5 2QT www.strichards.org.uk

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EdgeMagazine

award winning food is just the starter...

...from new spring menus Our two great Warwickshire gastropubs - The Stag and The Moorings - have a whole sackful of awards between them.

But it’s not just the fabulous food, real ales and fine wines that makes them award-winning. It’s also the relaxed, attentive service, the mood-lifting interiors and the way every member of our staff wants you to enjoy every minute of your visit.

Run by two enthusiastic protégés of Raymond Blanc, each pub has its own inimitable style but share exactly the same love of food and people.

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lively contemporary two-storey canalside pub at Myton Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV31 3NY. Tel: 01926 425043 www.themoorings.co.uk Publican Finalist 2011 Eagle Star Award winner 2011 Les Routiers Finalist 2012

Food Pub Of The Year 2012

Eagle Star Awards

intimate classic country pub at Welsh Road, Offchurch, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV33 9AQ. Tel: 01926 425801 www.thestagatoffchurch.com National Food Pub of the Year Les Routiers Newcomer of the Year 2011 Publican Finalist 2011 Les Routiers Finalist 2012