Be Happy magazine April/May

Inspirational ways to change your life

APRIL/MAY 2012 www.behappymagazine.co.uk

50

Years of Bond

£3.20

Sailing Special

• Ben Ainslie interview • Learning the ropes • Where to sail

Magic of Monaco

Formula 1 in style

PLUS: CITY PROFILE • STRICTLY BALLROOM • RETRO PACKAGING • MY LIFE • SPRING INTO ACTION

CONTENTS 28

22 REGULARS & FEATURES 8 INSPIRATION Muhammad Ali

The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

10 IN TOUCH

56 CITY PROFILE

The latest news and reviews

Brighton and Hove, East Sussex

16 BOND BY NUMBERS

41 WIN! Galway to see the finale of the Volvo Ocean Race

04 be happy

50 years of 007

COLUMNS

22 THE MAGIC OF MONACO

13 APPETITE

Phil Royle samples the high life

Simon Rogerson broadens his mind in Norfolk

28 SAILING SPECIAL Learning the ropes • Where to sail • Ben Ainslie interview

41 IN THE MOOD Karen Hardy on the six dances you should know

7 A trip to

7

52 STEP BACK IN TIME

47 SPRING INTO ACTION Gardening tips from Andy Sturgeon

58 MY LIFE RNLI volunteer JP Trenque

WIN! 12 A luxury

two-night mini break in Rye

12

Swiss movement, English heart

C8 PILOT MKII VINTAGE EDITION ÂŁ365.00

Swiss made / 26 jewel automatic movement / 38 hour power reserve / Balance wheel viewing window / Old radium superluminova hands and indices Diameter: 44mm / Calibre: Sellita SW200-1.

E XC LU S I V E LY AVA I L A B L E AT

christopherward.co.uk

Editor’s Letter

Contributors

ISSUE 2 April/May 2012

Publisher and Managing Editor Paul Critcher

Art Editor

Bonnie Coupland

Chief Sub Editor Michael Johns

Sub editor

Carmelina Cocozza

Webmaster

Eirik Thommessen

Contacts:

Sales enquiries tel: +44 (0) 208 541 0165 email: sales@behappymagazine.co.uk Editorial enquiries email: editorial@behappymagazine.co.uk General enquiries email: info@behappymagazine.co.uk Web: www.behappymagazine.co.uk Twitter: @BeHappyMag You Tube: BeHappyMag

Circulation:

Be Happy is circulated in print through First and Business Class lounges; on flights and in selected luxury hotels.

A free digital version is available at www.behappymagazine.co.uk Be Happy magazine is published by Be Happy Publishing Limited. Company number: 07963519 Registered office: 145-157 St John Street, London EC1V 4PW. Please do not use this address for correspondence. For correspondence please email info@behappymagazine. co.uk. All rights reserved ISSN: 2049-985X

Freelance journalist Jo Mattock finds out how to sail this month on page 28. Jo’s an outdoor enthusiast and first stepped on board a sailing yacht on a family holiday to Sardinia. ‘I had no idea what anything did,’ she says ‘but I was given a go at the helm, and loved it.

Being on the boat was fantastic – I loved the peace when we were under sail, with no sound of a motor. And mooring up and jumping straight into the water was bliss.’ Jo can’t wait to give it a go again.

Photo-journalist, Phil Royle is motorsport mad. ‘I’ve been road testing performance cars and covering the world’s best motorsport events for almost two decades. I love the buzz, glamour, drama, spectacular sights, sounds and smells of world motorsport.’ This issue, Phil looks at the splendid world of F1 in Monaco – a rich place, offering rich experiences.

‘Even if you don’t like motorsport, Monaco is a must-do life experience... sure to stimulate the senses,’ says Phil.

Technical writer Ginny Reid gives us a taste of what life is like in Brighton on page 56.

Having lived there for more than 20 years she knows the city very well.

Ginny says: ‘I love that there’s always something going on, wander around and you stumble across art, street food, music and friendly locals.

Cycling along the seafront on a summer’s day is an absolute highlight and I’m lucky enough to be able to do that all year round.’

What makes Jo happy?

What makes Phil happy?

What makes Ginny happy?

Tea; growing veg in her garden; mountains; scuba diving and swimming; cats; a good book; cold white wine on a hot day; friends and family.

06 BE HAPPY

Chillaxing with my fiancée; sunshine on my face; swimming in warm waters; fresh local food; a Lake District pint or three; Nurburgring; rallying and track days.

Espresso, Prosecco, Albariño – pretty much anything makes me happy after one of those three …

COVER SHOT: Sean Connery filming Goldfinger in the Swiss Alps in 1962 accompanied by 007’s DB5 Aston Martin. © 1964 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved.

W

e’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to the first issue of Be Happy, so a big thank you to all those who sent in letters and posted comments online.

This month we’re raising the bar even higher, with some wonderful features on living the high life. Kicking off with a celebration of the ultimate playboy, James Bond, we have a tribute to 007 on page 16 (Bond by numbers) accompanied by some classic Bond images.

If that gets your juices flowing, Phil Royle’s overview of the F1 Monaco GP (page 22) will move you into fifth gear and Jo Mattock’s special report on sailing (page 28) should be enough to keep any adrenaline junkie happy. There is also a chance to win a trip to Galway to see the closing stages of the Volvo Ocean Race (page 7).

It’s great to see some popular names in the magazine, including Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie (page 38), and Karen Hardy of Strictly Come Dancing fame (page 41) who guides us through those dances we should all know. Thanks also to award-winning gardener Andy Sturgeon who reveals what the greenfingered should be doing in the crucial weeks of spring (page 47).

Talking of spring – the recent good weather in the UK has lifted everybody’s spirits (in spite of potential water shortages), so here’s hoping the positive vibes last.

IN TOUCH

WIN A TRIP TO GALWAY AND RACE ONBOARD A VOLVO OPEN 70 YACHT J

oin the Volvo Ocean Race Crew before 15 June 2012 and be in with a chance of winning a four-day trip for two to Galway to experience first-hand the incredible party Ireland promises to throw to mark the finale of the 2010-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The winners will also get to join the

crew on board one of the Volvo Open 70s for the duration of a whole race during the Pro-Am – a real ‘money can’t buy’ experience.

The prize includes: • Return flights for two to Dublin on 5-9 July 2012

• Transfers by road or rail to Galway • Four nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at the Galway Bay Hotel (courtesy of www.discoverireland.com) • Two spots on board a Volvo Open 70 yacht during a Pro-Am race on 6 July 2012 How to enter: Go to the competition section at www. behappymagazine.co.uk. This is a Volvo Ocean Race Crew member exclusive competition. Sign up to join the Volvo Ocean Race Crew. New members will receive details of how to enter (members will be required to complete a short survey).

Terms and conditions apply.

BE HAPPY 07

INSPIRation MUHAMMAD ALI

O

GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) costs £99.99 and is available from www.taschen.com 08 BE HAPPY

Photo: Neil Liefer (1966)

ften referred to as the ‘greatest boxer of all time’, Muhammad Ali celebrated his 70th birthday in January. A sporting giant, Ali was also a social activist who refused conscription in opposition to the Vietnam War. As a result he was stripped of his boxing licence and titles during what would arguably have been his best years as a sportsman. He eventually returned to the ring four years later and fought a succession of classic boxing matches, including The Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman and the Thriller in Manila against his greatest rival Joe Frazier. Ali was World Heavyweight Champion three times. A charming and articulate man who could speak across class and racial divides, he was and is a hugely popular figure. In 1984 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but nevertheless remains an active public figure.

This image, taken by Neil Liefer and featured in the book GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) published

by Taschen, shows a unique view of an Ali bout, which was fought at the Houston Astrodome.

A jubilant Ali raises his arms aloft to celebrate victory in his 1966 title fight against Cleveland Williams, who lies prostrate following a knockout.

IN TOUCH

C70 MonteCarlo £399 T

o celebrate the 100th birthday of the world’s most glamorous endurance rally, Christopher Ward has created the C70 Monte-Carlo. The one-off limited edition of 500 watches emulates the precision engineering, technical performance and robust reliability that have always been an essential part of every winning car – from 1911 to a very snowy 2011.

Combining a distinctive design and a world-class thermo-compensated ETA 251.272 quartz movement, the C70 also has the red and white shield of the principality of Monaco emblazoned on the reverse of the case.

• For stockists contact 0844 875 1515 or see www.christopherward.co.uk

Talking shop

T

V adventurer Monty Halls has opened his own shop next to the Old Market in Darmouth, Devon.

Decked out with books and DVDs for sale, The Great Escapes shop will be the base from which all sorts of adventures will be launched. At the shop you can book onto one of the several adventure courses that Monty and his team offer. These range from two-day underwater photography and videography courses to 90-minute boat trips in Monty’s 8m Rigid Inflatable Boat. For a full list of courses go to www. montyhalls.co.uk or see the Facebook page Monty Hall’s Great Escapes.

‘We’ve got a battered old sofa to rest your weary limbs,’ says Monty. ‘We make a very nice cup of coffee indeed, and on the walls are images taken by some of the best wildlife photographers in the business. The home of wild schemes and tall stories, the Great Escapes shop is a haven for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to delve deeper into the natural world.’

10 be happy

Marine biology workshop

F

ancy a diving holiday with something extra? Oonasdivers is offering a week’s dedicated marine life tuition and guidance, designed to bring divers a deeper understanding of the marine world and how it works. Jamie Watts is a marine ecologist, expedition leader and naturalist guide working in earth’s most spectacular marine ecosystems. He will be leading the workshop from the idyllic diving location of Marsa Shagra in southern Egypt on 13–20 June and 12–19 September 2012.

The price is £960 and includes flights, transfers, seven nights’ full-board accommodation and six days’ diving including workshop. www.oonasdivers.com

Flame on!

F

lame, a dining concept allowing guests to taste local produce and combine their meal with a visit to nearby farms, is being introduced this season at the Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Elounda, Crete. This follows the successful introduction of the idea at Navarino Dunes in Costa Navarino, Messinia.

The Flame restaurants specialise in expertly cooked steak dishes prepared from finest quality locally sourced meat.

Freshness is key to the Flame experience and many of the speciality herbs and vegetables are handpicked shortly before preparation, direct from the restaurants’ gardens. Guests can visit the gardens and learn about the local varieties of herbs used in the kitchens. Visits can also be arranged to Flame’s local suppliers including cattle farms, olive groves, vineyards and dairies. The owners will present their products and explain the production process, showing diners first-hand where their meals have been sourced from and creating a wholesome gastronomic experience.

• For more details go to www. bluepalace.gr and www. costanavarino.com

Dining with the stars

O

rient-Express’ Italian hotels are inviting guests with a passion for food to take part in the exclusive Dining with the Stars weekend experiences which will be spread between April and November.

Ten Michelin starred chefs from Italy, including Massimo Bottura, Pino Cuttaia, and Gennaro Esposito, will take over the kitchens at iconic Italian properties to host gourmet dinners for guests, re-creating some of their most special dishes. Avid food fans can choose between, or even pair up, Hotel Cipriani, Villa San Michele, Hotel Splendido, Hotel Caruso, Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant’Andrea who will also create bespoke culinary excursions. Each package includes a two night stay at one Italian hotel, two dinners, and a culinary excursion to a local market or winery. www. diningwiththestar.com

Shades of the past P

orsche Design is releasing a limited edition of its iconic sunglasses to celebrate 40 years of luxury engineering.

The P’8478 was the world’s first pair of sunglasses with replaceable lenses and has now been remodelled as the ‘Heritage 40Y Edition’.

The aviator sunglasses are based on the original design but have been modernised using quality materials and improvements

in manufacturing. They retain all the style and craftsmanship of the original, coupled with perfect design and clean linear shape.

Each pair is laser marked ‘40Y Edition’ and has the 40Y emblem on the bridge.

The sunglasses are made of sand-blasted titanium in matt silver-grey combined with brown, silver mirrored, progressive tint lenses. Four decades on, the sunglasses are still recognised as one of the world’s most sought-after luxury brands, worn

by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham and Brad Pitt.

• Porsche Design has created 10,000 pairs of the 40Y Edition in four sizes (small, medium, large, extra-large), which retail at £320. For details of stockists contact 0845 600 8995.

be happy 11

COMPETITION

WIN!

Win a luxury mini break in Rye B

e Happy is offering readers the chance to win a two-night mini break in the picturesque Cinque Port town of Rye in East Sussex, which boasts a photo opportunity on every corner. The famous golden dune fringed beach at Camber Sands is only a short drive away.

The prize is for a midweek stay at the historic five-star White Vine House, which dates back to 1575 and retains much of its period charm, including the original French oak panelling The luxury boutique hotel’s six bedrooms are furnished with antique furniture, contemporary en suites and the latest in home entertainment technology.

Included in the prize is an exquisite three-course meal for two with wine. The hotel’s restaurant has recently been taken over by the Michelin-rated Dev Biswal, who has opened The Ambrette fine Indian

dining on the ground floor.

The menu, adapted to encompass the best of locally available produce such as Rye Bay scallops, also features deftly spiced, classic Ambrette dishes such as delicate fillet of Claresse, fresh fillet of English Channel sardine, tender breasts of wood pigeon and breast of Gressingham duck.

• To enter answer the following question by 25 June 2012: Which respected travel organisation awarded The White Vine House with five stars every year since 2005?

• Email your name and answer to letters@ behappymagazine.co.uk. All entrants will be registered for the Be Happy newsletter – if you do not wish to receive the newsletter please write ‘No newsletter’ after your answer.

• For more information about The White Vine House and The Ambrette restaurant, phone 01797 224748 or go to www.whitevinehouse.co.uk and www. theambrette.co.uk

Terms & Conditions: Based on two people sharing. Includes bed & breakfast and a meal with wine in The Ambrette Restaurant. Subject to availability. Valid Monday to Thursday nights. Not valid between 30 April and 17 September 2012 or 13 December and 10 January 2013. Expires 27 March 2013 12 be happy

Appetite To the Broads and beyond – Simon Rogerson tucks in during a visit to Norfolk

W

e drove to Norfolk with a handful of recommendations and no preconceptions. For weekends away, our habit has always been to head west, to the traditional foodie comfort zones of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. But they say one should broaden one’s horizons, so we headed to the Broads and beyond… to the expansive sands of Holkham in north Norfolk.

The Victoria at Holkham is an outlying property on the rambling Holkham Estate, which borders one of the most beautiful stretches of sandy beach on the East Coast. It is owned by the lord of the manor himself, Viscount Coke, though he leaves the grubby business of actually running the place to a local brewery, Adnams. The building has been part of the Holkham estate since the original Viscount was elevated to the peerage by the Queen Vickie herself, back in 1837. After that, he was never going to call it the Nag’s Head.

There was no sign of the local nobs when we arrived, but with a big country show taking place outside Holkham Hall next day, they could be forgiven for leaving us in the hands of the retainers.

The rooms are informal but elegant, with their deep, roll-top baths and Rajasthani four-posters.

The overall effect is of a likeable (if self-conscious) shabby chic design ethic that complements the seaside setting and evokes the Victorian link without descending into ‘theme’ territory.

There’s nothing shabby about the dining room, which comfortably occupies the border-country of formality and friendliness. The food is an elevated form of gastro-pub fare, balancing French technique with the seasonal produce of the Holkham estate.

The opening list of starters was an earnest parade of the usual suspects – ham hock salad, chicken liver parfait, scallops with chorizo. All worthy if well executed, but a tad predictable. There’s a secondary list of dishes that can be ordered in small or large portions, from which I selected a carpaccio of local venison with apple, celeriac and parmesan. It was a simple but pleasing plate, bursting with woodland vitality.

On a practical note, the Victoria does top-notch comfort food and a range of plate sizes, so it’s fine for families. The menu has a reasonable number of comfort classics, and it wasn’t just the younger diners tucking into sausage and mash with red cabbage.

With all the ramblers, dog-walkers (two of the rooms are ‘dog-friendly’) and beach-botherers this place attracts, the menu is big on people-pleasing platters.

We decided to pig out on slow roast Blythburgh

pork belly, which came with roasted root vegetables and a marjoram jus. Despite the Victoria’s aristocratic connections, pork belly is a great leveller, a dish you can enjoy at practically every eatery on the social strata. This one was a skilled balance of tiered textures, crispy skin and creamy fat giving way to silky-soft flesh. Perhaps in the knowledge that we would be polishing off the porker the next day – in the form of rashers and sausage at breakfast – we parked the pud and went to bed.

Being the English seaside, it rained the next day.

We had planned to spend the day strolling along Holkham beach, but instead went for a drive and chanced on Cookie’s Crab Shack in the village of Salthouse. It’s one of those places that’s obviously a bit of an institution, but you wouldn’t have heard of it unless you’d received a specific recommendation

“They just concentrate on selling shellfish and don’t bother too much with the whole smiley welcoming bit” or had the benefit of local knowledge.

At Cookie’s, they eschew aristocratic graces and treat the place pretty much like a shop. You want good seafood and they sell it – that’s the deal. It really is a shack, or at least a shop with a sort of semi-detached conservatory/shed. While it lacks the Conran touch, these guys do know their oysters, and the place is a veritable baitball of seafood-seekers.

The staff can’t really cope with the footfall, so they just concentrate on selling shellfish and don’t bother too much with the whole smiley welcoming bit.

But that didn’t matter, because my crab salad was a one-plate love letter to seaside food. It had that perfect balance of savoury and sweet that you only get when you’re eating within sight of the sea. I could have lived without the perfunctory salad of cucumber, lettuce and tomato. But I did appreciate the boiled samphire, which provided a salty riposte to the crab flesh.

Strange, how food lurks in the memory. Our meal at the Victoria was prepared with diligence and expertise and served in a wonderful room. Yet my abiding memory is of digging into the crab and watching the rain clatter down outside Cookie’s, while the sad-eyed assistant told yet another wouldbe diner they really should have booked.

*

BE HAPPY 13

IN TOUCH Walk off the Earth

O

ne of the great things about the web is that it gives unusual, quirky performers a platform from which to show their work. Canadian indie band Walk off the Earth have become an internet sensation with their lowbudget music videos, which give them the opportunity to showcase their superb musicianship. The band produce a mixture of covers and original music using a variety of traditional and more obscure instruments. Their cover of Gotye’s Somebody that I used to know, comprising all five members of the band playing a single acoustic guitar, has brought them to a world-wide audience receiving nearly 87 million views on You Tube.

• Check the band out on You Tube or at www. walkofftheearth.com/

F-Type arrives J

aguar has confirmed that it will bring an all-new sports car to production – the F-TYPE. Speaking at the New York auto show Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, confirmed: ‘We showed the C-X16 concept in September 2011, and the reaction to it has been so positive that we’ve accelerated our development of an all-new Jaguar sports car.

‘That car will be called the F-TYPE, and it will be unveiled in production form later this year. The core appeal of Jaguar’s cars is their sporting heart, and that heart will beat stronger than ever

14 BE HAPPY

before in the F-TYPE. Its development is a vivid representation of the confidence and ambition of the Jaguar brand, and the desire amongst our engineers and design team to produce a world-leader in a market segment that we have been absent from for too long.

But no longer – the F-TYPE is coming.’

The F-TYPE will launch as a convertible, and a strict two-seater with the focus on delivering driver reward. A range of petrol engines will be available. The F-TYPE will join Jaguar’s existing range of cars – the XF saloon and Sportbrake, XJ saloon and XK coupe/convertible. Full F-TYPE technical and range details will be announced later in 2012. It will go on sale in mid 2013. www.jaguar.com

Photo: juneisy q. hawkins/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Comfort Food

Chicken Tikka Masala An Anglo-Indian classic, the salty sweetness of Chicken Tikka Masala has become a favourite with Brits everywhere. Acclaimed chef Abdul Lotif from the Nepalese Tandoori restaurant in Shepherd’s Bush,West London, give his take on this much-loved dish Chicken Tikka marinade Six pieces of chicken breast Half tsp of salt Half tsp of fenugreek leaves One tsp chilli powder Half tsp of ground coriander Half tsp of mixed spice One tbsp garlic paste One tbsp ginger paste Three tbsp yoghurt One tbsp mustard oil Yolk of an egg Masala sauce Two tbsp oil One tbsp garlic paste One tbsp ginger paste Half tsp cumin powder Half tsp ground coriander Half tsp fenugreek leaves

One tbsp sugar Half tsp salt 500g plum tomatoes 100g cashew nut paste 200g yoghurt 50g fried onions Half litre onion gravy 100ml fresh cream 1. Marinade the chicken breast by adding all the spices, then keep it in a chilled place for one hour.

2. After marinading for an hour, grill the chicken under a medium grill.

3. Fry the garlic and ginger pastes in the oil.

Add the dry spices and fry until the mixture lightly browns. Add the plum tomatoes and cook until boiling point. Add the yoghurt, fried onion and cashew nut paste. Stir in the onion gravy. Finish by cooking for a

further two minutes and add the grilled chicken tikka and single cream.

4 Garnish with a little cream and serve with plain or pilau rice and naan bread.

Chicken tikka masala should taste slightly sweet and salty.

Thanks to the Nepalese Tandoori Restaurant, 121 Uxbridge Road Shepherds Bush, London W12 8NL. Tel: 020 8740 7551; email: info@nepalesetandoori.co.uk; website: www.nepalesetandoori.co.uk BE HAPPY 15

ENTERTAINMENT JAMES BOND

Bond by numbers

50 years of 007 Classic car: Sean Connery relaxes on the bumper of his Aston Martin DB5 during the filming of Goldfinger in the Swiss Alps

© 1964 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved.

Nobody does it better – for 50 years the James Bond films have been entertaining audiences. Here’s Be Happy’s special tribute to 007

16 BE HAPPY

CARS 001 AMC Hornet, The Man With The Golden Gun The eight-cylinder, 5.9 litre engined Hornet was used by Bond to pursue Scaramanga, jumping over a half-sunk bridge and turning through 360º in the process.

© Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved

002 Aston Martin V8 Volante, The Living Daylights Fitted out with a full suite of gadgets, the Volante was used by Timothy Dalton’s Bond to evade police in Bratislava. It had twin heat-seeking missile launchers, a rear jet engine booster and an outrigger system for driving on ice.

Girls, girls, girls: Pierce Brosnan as Bond with Halle Berry (left) and Rosamund Pike in Die Another Day

DIALOGUE Snappy asides, double entendres and quick quips are the hallmark of Bond’s movie character, from ‘Shaken not stirred’ to ‘Bond, James Bond’ classic 007 lines stick in the public imagination – here’s our selection of some of the best 001 As Connery’s Bond looks at a bikini clad Ursula Andress as Honey Rider in Dr No Honey Rider: Looking for shells?

Bond: No. I’m just looking.

002 In Goldfinger while strapped to a seat as a automated laser beam approaches his groin Bond: ‘Do you expect me to talk?’

Goldfinger: ‘No Mr Bond I expect you to die!’

003 Daniel Craig as an angered Bond subverts a classic line in Casino Royale Bond: ‘Vodka Martini.’

Bartender: ‘Shaken or stirred?’

Bond: ‘Do I look like I give a damn?’

004 In Moonraker, as M and Q look on, Bond and Holly Goodhead appear on a screen making love M: ‘What’s Bond doing?’

Q: ‘I think he’s attempting re-entry, sir!’

005 When Moneypenny calls Bond while he is making love to a Danish girl in Tomorrow never dies Moneypenny: ‘You always were a cunning linguist, James.’

006 Donald Pleasance’s creepy Blofeld encounters Bond in You only live twice Blofeld: ‘They told me you were assassinated in Hong Kong.’

Bond: ‘Yes, this is my second life.’

Blofeld: ‘You only live twice, Mr Bond.’

007 In Goldfinger an unconscious

Bond wakes to find a woman standing over him Bond: ‘Who are you?’

Pussy Galore: ‘My name is Pussy Galore.’

Bond: ‘I must be dreaming.’

003 BMW 750 iL, Tomorrow Never Dies Q branch at their finest fitted out the BMW with missiles, grenades, a wire cutter bonnet badge and smoke and tear gas jets. Brosnan’s Bond also made use of the cell phone operated controls – driving the car from the back seat.

004 BMW Z8, The World Is Not Enough The bulletproof windscreen, remote-control pads and radar guide missile produced another winner from BMW. Brosnan uses the surfaceto-air missile to destroy a helicopter 005 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, Die Another Day A top speed of 196mph and some special adaptations, including front grille missiles, twin target-seeking shotguns, heat-seeking missiles, ejector seat and a thermal imaging system. The Vanquish also had sophisticated camouflage making it appear invisible.

006 Lotus Esprit Z1, The Spy Who Loved Me About as over the top as you can get, the Esprit had surface-to-air missiles, front-firing torpedoes, a cement sprayer, rear-mounted inkjet and mine launcher. If that wasn’t enough, it also converted into a submarine.

007

Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger Sleek lines and a growling engine made the Aston DB5 the stuff of Bond legend. The car was fitted with a passenger ejector seat, machine guns, bulletproof shield, smoke screen and oil slick dispenser. Stunning!

For more information and to view the Bond cars go to www.beaulieu.co.uk/ attractions/bond-in-motion

»

BE HAPPY 17

ENTERTAINMENT JAMES BOND DRINKS 001 Raki Bond is given ‘a bottle of raki, a pitcher of water and a cheap tumbler’ when he accompanies Darko Kerim to a gypsy encampment in From Russia With Love.

002 Moselle wine When dining with Goldfinger, Bond is offered a Piesporter Goldtröpfchen ‘53 Moselle. Fleming writes ‘It was nectar and ice cold’.

003 Scotch and Soda Bond joins Felix Leiter on a night out in Harlem. He has a medium dry Martini and reflects that he should be careful not to drink too much. He then goes onto drink three scotch and sodas followed by three inches of Haig and Haig

005 Tattinger champagne One of Fleming’s favourite tipples, Tattinger champagne features in several of the books, although Bollinger seemed to be more favoured in the films.

006 Mouton Rothschild 55 At the end of Diamonds are Forever, Mr Wint and Mr Kidd pose as waiters and deliver a bomb to Bond’s room. Connery as Bond rumbles them by identifying their ignorance about wine. As Bond says: ‘Mouton Rothschild is a claret’.

007

Vodka dry Martini What else could we choose as the ultimate Bond drink? In the book of Dr No a selfassured 007 calls for: ‘A medium Vodka dry Martini – with a slice of lemon peel.

Shaken and not stirred, please. I would prefer Russian or Polish vodka.’

18 BE HAPPY

Strike a pose: George Lazenby standing near the Houses of Parliament in London

© 1969 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved.

004 Gin and tonic While in Jamaica in Dr No, Bond orders a double gin and tonic with a whole lime, which he squeezes into his glass and then supplements with ice.

GADGETS 001 Dagger shoe, From Russia With Love SPECTRE agent Rosa Klebb’s shoe with poisoned blade forms part of a fight sequence at the end of Fleming’s From Russia With Love. In the book, Bond is poisoned by the blade when a captured Klebb kicks out at him. He crashes to the ground unconscious in a cliffhanging last line. It is only in the next book, Dr No, that we discover that the blade was dipped in fugu poison, which apparently comes from the sex organs of the Japanese globe fish. Fortunately, Bond was treated by a doctor who had previously seen similar cases of poisoning, and consequently saved Bond’s life.

002 Ski pole gun and parachute, The Spy Who Loved Me Camping it up in a yellow ski suit, Roger Moore’s 007 evades Russian agents in a downhill ski chase. He uses a modified ski pole to shoot one of his pursuers before jumping off a mountain and releasing a Union Jack patterned parachute.

003 Oddjob’s hat, Goldfinger Who can forget the alternative use of Oddjob’s bowler hat in Goldfinger?

Oddjob uses the steel-rimmed bowler as a devastating weapon but comes unstuck at the end of the film when Bond throws the hat at him. The hat becomes embedded in some metal bars and as Oddjob retrieves it Bond touches the bars with some exposed wire, electrocuting Oddjob in the process.

006 Rolex Submariner, Live and Let Die The Bond films have featured so many great watches that it’s difficult to choose between them. But the modified Submariner featured a rotating saw that could cut through rope and a powerful electromagnet, which Moore’s Bond used to such comedic effect when unzipping Italian agent Miss Caruso’s dress.

004 Ski jacket, The World Is Not Enough When Bond and Elektra King start to fall through snow and ice as an avalanche begins, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond deploys a protective zorb from his ski jacket that encases and protects them from the falling snow and ice.

007

005 Fountain pen, Octopussy When Bond encounters Q in Delhi, he is presented with a classic Q gadget – a multifunctional fountain pen. The pen contains a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids, which Desmond’s Llewelyn’s Q demonstrates to dramatic effect. The pen is also fitted with an earpiece listening device.

Walther PPK gun, Dr No on Bond’s service issued pistol was used in several of the books and films. Although supplanted for a few films by the Walther P99 which first appeared in Tomorrow Never Dies, the PPK returned in Quantum of Solace. In Fleming’s Dr No 007 was issued the semi-automatic Walther PPK 7.65mm at M’s insistence after Bond’s weapon of choice, the .25 Beretta, became stuck during his fight with Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love. Bond wanted to continue using his Beretta, which MI6’s armourer described as a ‘Ladies gun’ because of its lack of stopping power and fancy looks. As Bond leaves M’s office, he attempts to take his old Beretta with him, but M stops him leaving Bond fuming.

»

© 1962 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved

Poster boy: a promotional poster for Dr No

BE HAPPY 19

ENTERTAINMENT JAMES BOND ©1974 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved.

Theme tunes

Gun shot: Christopher Lee as Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun

001 From Russia With Love Performed by Matt Monro 002 Diamonds are Forever Performed by Shirley Bassey 003 Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me) Performed by Carly Simon 004 We Have All the Time in the World (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) Performed by Louis Armstrong 005 Another way to die (Quantum of Solace) Performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys 006 Live and Let Die Performed by Paul McCartney and Wings

007

Goldfinger Performed by Shirley Bassey To hear these songs and to view the opening credits go to www. behappymagazine.co.uk and click on the video section

Movie Villains 001 Alec Trevelyan aka 006 (Sean Bean) Locks Bond in a train that is set to self destruct in Goldeneye 002 Mr Big (Yaphet Kotto) Lowers Bond and Solitaire into a shark tank in Live and Let Die 003 Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) Sets out to assassinate Bond in The Man With the Golden Gun

004 Renard (Robert Carlyle) Leaves Bond to die in a booby trapped missile silo in The World is Not Enough 005 Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) Attempts to kick Bond with a poisoned blade attached to her shoe in From Russia With Love 006 Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) Tortures Bond with a whip in Casino Royale

007

Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) Captures a Soviet spacecraft and orders the execution of Bond in You Only Live Twice

© Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved

Moore Bonds: a promotional poster for Moore’s Bond

20 BE HAPPY

© 1962 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved

Shell suit: Sean Connery as Bond with Ursula Andress as Honey walk along the beach in Dr No

GIRLS 001 Solitaire, Live and Let Die Played by an innocent-looking Jane Seymour, who was only 22 during filming, the virginal Solitaire eventually succumbs to the attention of Moore’s suave 007. In the book Fleming describes her as having ‘a face born to command’, although much of this strength of character seems to have been lost on screen.

002 Honey Rider, Dr No The benchmark by which all Bond girls were subsequently measured. Ursula Andress took on the role of Honey Rider, providing an iconic cinema moment when she emerged from the sea clad in a bikini with a knife at her side. The rest of her performance was curiously flat, perhaps not helped by the fact that her voice was dubbed because of her strong accent.

003 Tracy di Vincenzo, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service One of two women who truly capture Bond’s heart, Tracy di Vincenzo was played

by Diana Rigg in the film. She married Bond but was tragically killed at the climax of the movie. This was George Lazenby’s only outing as Bond and it is often seen

as an inferior film, but Rigg’s strong performance showed that a Bond girl could be three-dimensional – tabloid rumours that she and Lazenby did not get on added to the intrigue.

004 Jinx Johnson, Die Another Day Played by Halle Berry, Jinx Johnson was a US agent who matched Pierce Brosnan’s Bond blow for blow. Her jaw-dropping reprisal of Honey Rider’s entrance from the sea stole the show. Emerging in a tangerine bikini she turns to look at the sea and an appreciative Brosnan quips: ‘Magnificent view.’

005 Vesper Lynd, Casino Royale The beautiful but cool Vesper Lynd was Bond’s only other true love. Played to great effect by Eva Green, the double agent eventually falls in love with Daniel Craig’s intense Bond. In the novel, Vesper is wracked with guilt over her betrayal of Bond and commits suicide, leaving Bond to cope with his grief by denouncing her: ‘The bitch is dead’ he reports to his superiors.

006 Miss Moneypenny, various No list of Bond girls could be complete without a mention of Miss Moneypenny.

Lois Maxwell took on the role 14 times,

Designing 007

Fifty years of Bond style

The Barbican marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, from 1962’s Dr No to this year’s Skyfall, with a unique exhibition showcasing the inside story of the design and style of the world’s most influential and iconic movie brand. In collaboration with EON Productions and with unprecedented access to their archives, Designing 007 presents the creation and development of Bond style over its 50 year history. It explores the craft behind the screen icons, the secret service and villains, tailoring and costumes, set and production design, automobiles, gadgets and special effects, graphic design and motion graphics, exotic locations, stunts and props.

Highlights include gadgets and weapons made for Bond and his adversaries by special effects experts John Stears and Chris Corbould, along with artwork for sets and storyboards by several production designers.

The exhibition takes place at the Barbican in London from 6 July to 5 September 2012.

For more details go to www.barbican.org. uk/bond/

combining a cool sexuality with a maternal affection for Bond. Dedicated to her career and service to M, Moneypenny has flirted with Bond throughout the series of films and long may it continue – if one thing in Bond can ever be certain, it is that Miss Moneypenny and Bond never get it together.

007

Pussy Galore, Goldfinger One of the strongest female characters in the Bond series, Pussy Galore was played superbly by Honor Blackman in the Goldfinger movie. In the novel she runs a lesbian crime gang and is a lesbian herself.

Predictably, in the movie her sexuality is downplayed and she is seduced by Bond, but nevertheless she remains a sassy independent figure who is not afraid to take on any man in a fight – least of all 007 who in one scene she judo throws to the ground.

*

BE HAPPY 21

SPORT MONACO GRAND PRIX

The magic of Monaco

The Monaco Grand Prix combines glamour, decadence and pizzazz, with some fantastic motor sport thrown in for good measure. Phil Royle samples the high life

22 BE HAPPY

for more than 700 years – most famous in recent years for Prince Rainier II who married Hollywood actress, Grace Kelly. Their son, HSH Prince Albert II is now the Sovereign Prince of the state, which has become famous for its casinos and tourism, all played out under the Grimaldi’s chic influence.

Formula One has been basking in the glamour of Monaco since 1950, and the circuit itself offers something unique in the F1 season – it is not a dedicated race track but instead drivers have to negotiate the tight, twisty, treacherous streets of the city state. As such, it’s conceived to be the most demanding and dangerous of all the F1 GP’s in the world (since the Grand Prix at the Nürburgring Nordschleife was stopped anyhow), with many drivers crashing spectacularly, including Alberto Ascari in 1955 and Paul Hawkins in 1965, both of whom ended up in the harbour.

The Monaco Grand Prix first took place on 14 April 1929 and was run by a Monte Carlo resident who was the founding president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Anthony Noghès. William Grover-Williams won the inaugural race, driving a Bugatti Type 35B. The Formula One World Championship first came to Monaco in 1950, and has been run 69 times. The event was an instant hit – as it was on a road racetrack, people were able to relate to the incredible speed and drama instantly. The glamorous, Mediterranean location gave the event a sense of occasion, romance and

Winning formula: one of the McClaren cars sweeps around the Monaco circuit as race marshals look on

»

Photo: McLaren

A

s well as being an incredible spectacle of motor sport, the Monaco GP has become one of the social highlights of the year and attracts gorgeous film stars, handsome race aces and the super rich accompanied by more multi-million pound yachts than you can wave a Rolex Submariner at. The rich and famous fill luxury hotels, such as the Hotel de Paris, the Columbus and the Grand as they arrive in their droves for their annual dose of motor sport.

Nearby Nice is also rammed with Monaco lovers when the F1 circus comes to town; in fact, the whole Riviera is awash with Caspian Sea caviar, 1893 Veuve Clicquot champagne, Parisian fashions and the motor sport and celebrity elite.

The Principality of Monaco is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera incorporating the prosperous district of Monte Carlo. It lies just ten miles from the Italian border and a polished stone’s throw south east of Nice. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it is the mostly densely populated country in the world as well as being the second smallest (the Vatican City is the smallest).

François Grimaldi – the Genoese leader of the Guelphs – seized the fortress of Monaco in 1297 from the Italians. Disguised as a monk he entered the castle with his men and reclaimed it in the name of the Pope. Over the centuries, Monaco’s port has prospered as a trading route and strategic naval base, with the Grimaldi dynasty at the helm

BE HAPPY 23

Photo: McLaren

SPORT MONACO GRAND PRIX

chic that no other F1 event has ever matched, with the Monaco GP becoming part of a global ‘Triple Crown’ of elite races, comprising Monaco, the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24-hour races.

The 3.340km (2.075 mile) narrow, twisty circuit takes six weeks to lay out on the streets of Monaco and La Condamine. Bar some modern safety additions, the circuit has remained unchanged for decades. It is littered with highlights, including the famous harbour and the infamous Tunnel between the Portier bend and Nouvelle Chicane. This presents drivers with the unique challenge of light and dark contrast, at the fastest point on the track (almost 200mph). Other dramatic corners include the Beau Rivage, Massenet, Casino, Mirabeau Haute and the Grand Hotel Hairpin complex – where fast sweepers turn into increasingly tight turns, with walls and barriers perilously close and spectators spilling out of every available city window and packing every grandstand, for the 78 lap race.

Monaco’s most successful F1 racers include Britain’s Graham Hill, who won five times in the 1960s and Brazil’s Ayrton Senna, who has the record of six wins (including five wins back to back between 1989 and 1993). The race has become bigger and faster year on year, with the fastest average speed rising from 50mph (80kph) in 1950 to a phenomenal 88mph (143kph) in 2011. Last year’s fastest lap was Mark Webber in his Red BullRenault, with a time of 1:16.234, but Sebastian 24 BE HAPPY

Vettel managed a 1:13.556 lap to take pole position in qualifying.

Recent winners of the event include Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull-Renault in 2011, Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault) in 2010, Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes) in 2009, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) in 2008, Fernando Alonso in 2007 and 2006 (McLaren Mercedes & Renault) and Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes) in 2005.

The results of recent years suggest that McLaren is the manufacturer to beat, with 15 wins at the auspicious Monaco GP. When German race ace, Sebastian Vettel won the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix in his Red Bull-Renault, it was by a margin of just 1.138 seconds, ahead of two former world champions (Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button). It made for one of the most thrilling finishes in recent years, with a sprint to the flag after the safety car came out towards the end of the race, bunching the leaders together.

Incredibly, Vettel drove 61 laps of the 78 lap race on one set of tyres, which he changed on lap 16.

After the event, he said: ‘It’s unbelievable, and I think the race obviously was pretty entertaining, at least inside the car. I’m honoured to put my name on the list of previous winners here.’

The 2012 Monaco Grand Prix will be the sixth round of the 2012 F1 season (after Australia, Malaysia, China, Bahrain and Spain), and is held between 24 and 27 May. The Red Bull-Renault

»

Point of view: [above] balconies overlooking the track make for the perfect viewing point; [opposite] luxury yachts moored in the harbour at Monaco

Photo: MAX EAREY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

“The race has become bigger and faster year on year, with the FASTEST average speed rising to a phenomenal 88mph in 2011”

BE HAPPY 25

SPORT MONACO GRAND PRIX

and Sebastian Vettel have dominated the F1 Championship for the past two seasons. And, despite Vettel claiming pre-season that his car will not be as quick this season, form suggests he’s set to win again here at Monaco. But, given the drivers’ and team’s previous glories here, an outside bet might be for either of McLaren’s title-winning British duo – Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

And you can never write Michael Schumacher and Mercedes off. They’ve all won here before on the challenging streets of Monaco.

Book yourself a trip of a lifetime and revel in the unique atmosphere of Monaco, gripped in F1 fever. You’ll never forget it…

Monaco: The High Life As you might expect, there are some amazing options in Monaco – if you’ve got the budget. The peak (unless you know the Grimaldis personally) 26 BE HAPPY

is a 25,000 Euros per person ‘Presidential package’ for a four-night luxury accommodation stay in the five-star Hermitage Hotel Presidential Suite, where you will have VIP passes to the Hotel de Paris Garnier and Winston Churchill suites, or the garden terrace – naturally with sumptuous buffet, open fine wine and champagne bar and indoor screens – to watch the race unfold. It includes a concierge service, helicopter or limo transfers from Nice, VIP passes to the race and so on. Mega!

But we reckon the place to watch the Monaco GP in suitable style and grandeur is from one of the many super yachts in the famous harbour.

These offer four and five star catering, an open bar, Tabac corner, opulence all around and the ability to watch the F1 race live over the decks and on huge plasma screens. You’ll be able to eat and sleep in style, with the famous Monaco ‘rock’ as a backdrop to your stay. A super yacht package is sure to make you feel part of the Riviera set. Prices start from

Palatial splendour: a panoramic view of Monaco overlooking the harbour and palace

for that: guide price for this sort of travel is about £3,250 per person, based on six people sharing a Citation CJ2 style plane from Luton, helicopter transfer and accommodation, but not most of your beverages et repas in Monaco’s exclusive bars, clubs and restaurants. Ooh la la.

Luxury F1 tickets are available from senategrandprix.com/combined-packages/ select ‘Presidential Package’; www.bookf1. com/f1-monaco/vip-hospitality-tickets.htm; www.monaco-grand-prix.com/631-monaco

Photo: LILIGRAPHIE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Monaco: On A Budget

around £2,000 per person, for a two-day package, or you can pay a lot more… depending on who’s yacht you are on.

But if water bobbing with champagne corks and polished walnut and leather super yachts are not your thing, you could max out and go in the F1 Paddock Club for around £4,600 per person, which offers trackside viewing with hostess service and a champagne lunch from the grandstand overlooking the pit lane. You can’t get closer to the action, with being in the race.

Another equally luxurious option, overlooking the harbour, is to buy into a VIP terrace package, for one of the hotels or private residences overlooking the bay, and track – be it the startfinish straight, tunnel exit, Rascasse corner or swimming pool area complex. Prices here start from around £2,000 per person.

Naturally for any of these options, you’d want to arrive by private jet and helicopter too, so budget

Tough one this, as getting there, staying there and eating and drinking there when F1 is in town is never going to be cheap.

The closest airport is Nice-Côte d’Azur, about 20 miles along the coast. There are plenty of airlines that fly there. Book early to get the best prices.

We reckon the best value – and fun – accommodation for Monaco on a budget is camping. There are a number of companies who specialise in this fresh air fun: We found www. campingf1.com, who offer great packages for budget, mid-range and groups. The campsite is situated in the beautiful mountain slopes near the village of Peillon, about 15km from Monaco and Nice. Toilets and hot showers and a continental breakfast are provided on site, along with modern, pre-erected tents (motor home pitches are also available, if you fancy driving down with home comforts). Coaches run frequently to the GP from Thursday’s practice to Sunday’s Grand Prix. And transport is also available for nights out in Nice and Monaco. Again, early booking is advisable, as this is very popular. Prices range from £140pp for two nights to £195pp for four nights (budget) up to £160pp to £215pp (mid-range & group).

To view the race at best value, for around £37 to £142 per person, you will need to be in the Rocher Sector, located on the slopes opposite the harbour, watching the race with thousands of others in a large standing area or seated grandstand, viewing it off a giant screen, with a generic view of the track.

Still great for savouring the atmosphere…

If you have a bit more budget, say £150-500 per person, you can book a seat in one of the many trackside grandstands around the circuit for a better race view. Or, for around £450-plus per person, you can watch from on high at one of the famous hotel restaurants, such as the Hotel De Paris 8th floor, while dining in style, to the revs and roar of F1 engine at full tilt. Ca c’est bon!

F1 Tickets are available from www.monaco-grand-prix.com/631-monaco/ or www.bookf1.com BE HAPPY 27

ACTIVITY SAILING

28 BE HAPPY

Learning the ropes

Photo: SUNSaIL

Experience adventure and freedom or simply mess around in boats. Jo Mattock finds out what sailing is all about

be happy 29

Photo: RYA

ACTIVITY SAILING

How do I learn?

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has developed a series of sailing courses. These are run by training centres around the world and the qualifications you get are well recognised. If you learn to sail abroad or on holiday, make sure the centre is approved by the RYA – it will make it easy to continue your training back home or elsewhere.

The RYA has separate courses for learning to sail yachts and dinghies. Dinghies are probably the easiest way to learn to sail – they’re small boats, easy to handle and light to launch. You can join a club, explore a local stretch of water or learn how to race. Beginner’s courses are run separately for adults and for youngsters – they teach the same skills just at slightly different paces. You learn how to launch and rig the boat, how to sail in all directions and how to recover a capsized boat.

30 BE HAPPY

And if I need a bigger boat?

Take to the water: [above] learn to sail in the UK; [opposite] or on a flotilla holiday abroad; [below] Grant James takes the helm

The RYA’s Start Yachting course gives you a chance to test out your sea legs over two days, but the course that will literally teach you the ropes and transform you from a landlubber to a salty sea dog is the Competent Crew course. Over five days you learn how to steer the boat, handle the sails, row a dinghy, keep a lookout and generally help out the skipper on board. You can complete this course over five straight days, on a holiday in the UK or abroad for example, or over three weekends, or three days plus a weekend – it’s quite flexible.

There’s no minimum age for doing this course, so you can take the kids too and learn as a family.

If you enjoy sailing and aspire to become a skipper yourself, the RYA’s Day Skipper course teaches you all you need to know to tackle short journeys. It takes five days and you need experience of navigation and helmsmanship.

What does a course involve?

Grant James, 24, recently took the RYA’s Competent Crew course with Sunsail. ‘Living in Portsmouth all my life, I’d see people sailing all the time and I wanted to do it myself,’ he says. ‘When I was 11 years old I went on a school trip and we had the chance to sail dinghies – there were three of us in the boat and I really enjoyed it.’

The five-day Competent Crew course took place in the Solent. Grant says the weather was cold and the sea was rough, but he had a good time none the

»

Photo: GRANT JAMES

P

erhaps it’s the freedom of the open ocean.

Perhaps you read Swallows and Amazons at an impressionable age, or watch the racing of Cowes Week with envy. Or perhaps you simply picture yourself relaxing on the deck of a boat in the bay of a sunny Greek island without the noise of a motor. Whatever appeals to you about sailing, read on, because we’ll tell you how you can go about learning to sail as well as giving you a glimpse of some of the excellent sailing holidays that are out there, both in the UK and abroad.

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Photo: SUNSAIL

Photo: TALL SHIPS ADVENTURES

ACTIVITY SAILING

less. ‘It would have been great to do the course in warm weather, but you learn a lot more in difficult conditions,’ he says.

He learned sailing terms, how the boat is rigged, how to handle the sails, rope work and basic safety.

As Grant, the skipper and crew were all living on board for the week, there was also a fair share of cleaning and cooking to be done. ‘It basically got me used to being on board a boat and being an able crew member,’ he says.

‘The skipper, Keith, was approachable and you could ask him anything. Although you get told things several times, when it’s all new it’s easy to forget how to do certain tasks. He made it easy to ask questions when you had them.

‘I was on my own, but I met two other guys on the boat and we got on really well. They were likeminded and it was quite a sociable few days, having a beer together in the evening and talking about our day on the boat. Sailing encourages team building, so you’re going to be bonding – it’s a good way of meeting people.’

Grant loved the course, and learned a lot in tough conditions, but there was a downside. ‘There was one occasion when it was quite choppy and really cold as well. I took a break down below, but began to feel seasick. I had to come back outside into the fresh air, which did the trick.’

Now Grant is enjoying sailing around Portsmouth and the Solent, and he has done the theory for RYA’s Day Skipper course. He hopes to do the practical part of the course soon and get away on a sailing holiday later this year.

»

32 BE HAPPY

“Sailing encourages team building, so you’re going to be bonding – it’s a good way of meeting people”

Sailing holidays explained There are many ways to go about a sailing holiday. You can just hire the boat, you can get a captain to take charge for the whole week or you can join a group of other like-minded holiday makers. We explain the jargon: Bareboat charter: you hire just the boat. There’s no skipper and no crew. You need to have enough experience, but this option gives you total freedom and flexibility.

Skippered charter: a captain joins you onboard your boat for your entire holiday, leaving you free to relax without the stress of navigation or parking the boat.

It’s the perfect option for beginners. Some skippered charters include teaching you to sail.

Flotilla: a small group of yachts that sail together. A lead boat is on hand to help if there are any problems and organises places for you all to moor at night. It’s also a very sociable way to sail.

Single berth: some companies such as One Stop Sailing offer holidays for individual travellers. You join a skippered boat, dedicated to cruising or where you can learn to sail along with other holiday makers.

Up to the challenge: a 72-foot Challenger Yacht is home to you and a full crew for a week. Learn to sail, visit spectacular places and get a real feel for life on the open sea

be happy at the Keswick Mountain

5 days Festival of adventure

16 - 20 May 2012

Events include: Family Adventures - Guided Lake District Walks - Activity Taster Sessions - FREE Entry to Festival Village - Extreme Picnic & Multi Activity Days - Moonlight Canoeing Haglofs Beer Tent - Live Music and more!

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Monty Halls

Festival Village 18-20 May: Haglofs Beer Tent, MAD demo team, MTB Air Bag Live Music and more!

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Helen Skelton

Lots more great speakers and activities - book tickets at:

www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk or call 01539 729 048

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by trekmates

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ACTIVITY SAILING Sailing the Caribbean

Hands on: [above] it’s not all hard work - there’s plenty of time to take a break and watch someone else do the winching

Is it expensive?

‘Sailing is often perceived as an expensive sport but in reality it doesn’t have to be,’ says Emma Slater, the RYA’s press officer. ‘You can buy a small dinghy second hand and get on the water for as little as £300 and get kitted out with a wetsuit and buoyancy aid for as little as £80.

‘Like any sport it costs a lot to compete at the very top but thousands of people take to the water every year for less than it costs to play golf or tennis. Families can join a sailing club for as little as £150 a year and gain access for free or for a small cost to club boats and kit. Or there are plenty of opportunities to be crew on other people’s boats whether they are dinghies or bigger boats.’

A Competent Crew course with Sunsail Sailing School costs £449 in low season and £499 in high season. Like skiing and scuba diving, sailing is sometimes seen as a luxury or exclusive activity, but there’s no reason why you can’t do it on a budget.

Where can I go?

For more information on sailing courses or to find clubs and training centres in your area, go to www.rya.org.uk

There are plenty of places to sail in the UK. The Solent has some of the best sailing in southern England, while Oban and the west coast of Scotland is a Mecca for sailors further north.

Tall Ships Adventures runs trips on Challenger yachts all around the UK. Lasting between two and seven days, these are often races with other similar boats, so there’s an element of healthy competition there to motivate you too.

Sailing can take you to some spectacular places around the world as well. Turn over for Be Happy’s pick of the best sailing destinations around the world for beginners.

»

Photo: TALL SHIPS ADVENTURES

Photo: SUNSAIL

Susan Lambert, 35, from London, joined a voyage around the Caribbean on board a Challenger Yacht with Tall Ships Adventures. Challengers are 72ft boats, used for round the world racing. It was her third sailing trip with the company – she says she learns more about the boats and sailing each time.

‘This time I learnt to helm and to tack, which is when a boat zigzags into the wind. Also, how to winch all the sails in and which sails you should use in which weather conditions.’

You can take a voyage on a Challenger Yacht without any sailing experience at all – everything is taught from scratch for beginners and experienced sailors can improve and extend their skills. You’re in the open ocean, so conditions can be rough and the boat leans in the wind – so much so that you may want to clip yourself to the boat to stop slipping off. Most people suffer from seasickness to start with, but generally it passes after the first day.

‘It’s snug,’ says Susan. ‘You share a bunk area with five other people and you have a box for all your belongings.

But you spend the majority of your time up on deck sailing the boat, or you’re making dinner, or cups of tea, or looking at where you’re going with the skipper.

You’re always busy.’

‘I really enjoy just being out on the water and going to places that are not easily located from the land. I enjoy the team aspect of sailing – there were 16 of us on the yacht from all different walks of life and it’s fun getting to know people and working together.’

Tall Ships Adventures supports the Tall Ships Youth Trust, a charity that enables disadvantaged young people, ex-servicemen and those with disabilities to learn how to sail. ‘One of the reasons I chose my trip with Tall Ships Adventures was that I knew part of what I was spending would go towards funding training for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who want to go out and sail,’ says Susan. ‘I was fortunate that when I was young I was able to go and have that taste of sailing – I lived in Portsmouth. But many people don’t have that.’

It’s nice to know that your holiday supports a good cause and helps others enjoy your favourite hobby too.

For more information on Tall Ships Adventures and the Tall Ships Youth Trust www.tallships.org

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ACTIVITY SAILING

Where to sail

Hoist the mainsail and set a course for warmer waters. Here are four destinations that offer ideal sailing conditions for beginners.

There are many places in the Mediterranean where you can sail, but three countries particularly lend themselves to learning: Greece, Turkey and Croatia.

The Greek islands have been popular as a sailing destination for many years, which means there are many places to moor up overnight, where you can resupply the boat and refresh yourselves with a trip to a Taverna. During the day, you will hop between islands and visit ancient sites, picturesque fishing villages and secluded anchorages in beautiful bays.

Alasdair Boden, head of One Stop Sailing’s sailing school explains why Greece is good for beginners. ‘Islands serve as wave breaks, stopping swells from building up and providing lovely calm seas that are excellent conditions for learning to sail,’ he says. Gentle morning breezes combined 36 BE HAPPY

Photo: SUNSAIL

Mediterranean

Photo: SUNSAIL

with windier conditions in the afternoon will give you plenty of experience and help your training progress.

In Turkey, the sea is a little more open, but it is still quite calm and suitable for beginners. The weather can be hot in the summer, so Turkey is perfect for sun worshippers who want to top up a tan on board the boat. During the day, explore crystal-clear seas and rocky bays, then moor up in a colourful local town at night for dinner.

Croatia has become increasingly popular among sailors in recent years. Its sheltered archipelagos have the perfect conditions for learning to sail and the weather in summer is reliably warm without being scorching hot. Take in historic ports such as Dubrovnik and modern marinas or visit uninhabited islands, coves and beaches.

Sunsail has a sailing school in Kremik, surrounded by 800-year-old vineyards. Sailing north from here, you’ll explore the sheltered waters of Sibenik, Skradin and the Kornati National Park while honing your skills and building confidence.

Thailand A surprisingly good value destination for sailing – and perfect for beginners. Thailand may be a long-haul flight away, but a sailing holiday there won’t cost too much more than going to the Mediterranean.

There are several places in Thailand that have all the necessary facilities for yachting, but Phuket is recommended for those who want to learn to sail.

Phuket is easy to get to, has several sailing schools and many boats to choose from. Its picturesque beaches, bays and limestone stacks have featured in many movies. You can anchor in the cove featured in The Beach and spend the night there – a great way to see this spot without the tourist crowds. There’s also an island known as James Bond Island, after appearing in a film, plus countless unsung beauty spots to explore for yourself.

‘In Thailand, you’re sailing around places that can’t be seen from land – it’s a great way of seeing untouched Thailand,’ says Boden. ‘Many people combine a week’s sailing with a week on land.’

For more experienced sailors, Koh Chang is quiet with fewer tourists. Explore uninhabited islands and fishing villages built on stilts – this is a real step off the tourist trail. Sailing is also good in Koh Samui, where you can combine it with scuba diving – the coral reefs are some of the best in the area.

Caribbean The steady winds and protected waters of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) make perfect conditions for learning to sail. Deep water and easy navigation mean BVI is suitable for all levels of sailor. Spend the day exploring the coral seas and secluded bays of more than 50 islands and cays then enjoy some Caribbean nightlife in the evening.

‘You can go sailing almost anywhere in the world, but it’s the facilities that are available that make

somewhere easy for sailing,’ says Boden. ‘Many islands in the Caribbean don’t have places where you can stop or fill up with water – the British Virgin Islands do.’

This means you have more flexibility about where you can sail to, and more choice of where to stop for the night. The other advantage of the Caribbean for sailing is that you can escape the British winter – sailing is possible all year round, but the best time to go is November to July.

Sunny side up: head abroad to top up your tan while sailing

Australia and New Zealand Sailing is an excellent way to explore the Whitsunday Islands in Australia. This archipelago of 74 islands sits right in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Protected by the outer reef, the waters around the Whitsundays are relatively still and the winds are reliable, giving perfect conditions for training. The scenery is magnificent, with turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and incredible wildlife – dolphins play at your bow, colourful tropical fish flit around the reefs below you and there’s even the possibility of a whale surfacing from the deep right by your boat. You can sail here year round, but the recommended time to come is during the Australian winter, between April and October, when the heat is less fierce.

Sailing is incredibly popular in New Zealand too. Auckland, built around an impressive natural harbour, is a haven for sailors. It’s the starting point for exploring the Hauraki Gulf, which has 76 islands and more than 200 anchorages. Further north, The Bay of Islands has great conditions for learning to sail – distances between islands are short and easy to navigate. The climate is also slightly warmer here – the best of the weather in New Zealand is the summer between November and April.

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Contacts One Stop Sailing: 0800 030 4677 www.onestopsailing.com Rock Sailing Gibraltar: +34 626 973 728 www.sailinggibraltar.co.uk Sunsail: 0844 463 6578 www.sunsail.co.uk Tall Ships Adventures: 023 9283 2055 www.tallships.org be happy 37

ACTIVITY SAILING

Ben Ainslie

With three Olympic gold medals and nine World Champion titles to his name, Ben Ainslie is one of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best ever sailors.

As he prepares to go for gold again in the 2012 Olympics, Be Happy asks him about his sport and why he loves it.

38 BE HAPPY

I owe a lot to the freedom I was given as a youngster to sail as much as I wanted in my free time – it allowed me to really enjoy the sport and I wouldn’t have got where I am today without that experience.

Did you have any sailing heroes or role models?

My sailing hero is Russell Coutts who won the Finn Class at the 1984 Olympics and then won the Americas Cup three times.

Outside of sailing, Sir Steve Redgrave is a real inspiration. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him well and he really put his body on the line to achieve his successes.

Do you remember your first experience of sailing?

My first memory is being given an old Optimist dinghy by my parents when I was eight years old. We lived in Cornwall and on the way to the pub on the river one Sunday they popped me into the water about half a mile away and said they would meet me in the pub for lunch. You probably couldn’t do that nowadays but it was such an adventure and that feeling hasn’t ever left me. I recently took three months away from the Finn due to a back injury. When I went out on the water after all that time away, it gave me a great sense of freedom.

What skills do you need to race Finns?

The Finn Class is very a technical class – it’s a huge part of it and something which I work very hard on with my coach and with designers both in terms of the mast and the sail on the boat and also the hull of the boat itself. The other parts are fitness and the actual techniques of sailing on the water and racing well. Fitness in the Finn Class accounts, at times, for up to 80 per cent of the overall result on the water. We have fitness trainers, nutritionists, physiologists – it’s a big programme that we have within the Olympic Squad, and I personally work with a trainer who’s with me most of the time both acting as a physio and masseur. My natural weight is around 85kg and I have to put an extra 10kg on during the Olympic period to be competitive. Unfortunately this isn’t just eating!

How does it differ from racing yachts?

With yachts its very different – it’s more of a team game. You rely on the crew instead

of just yourself, so it’s all about trusting the team and putting the time and effort in to get it right.

Do you still sail for pleasure?

I still get a lot of enjoyment from sailing competitively, even though there’s huge pressure a lot of the time. That’s my career and that drives me. I don’t really take part in much social sailing, but I did recently go on a cruise in the Caribbean and that was hugely enjoyable – a great way to switch off.

Where would you go for a perfect day’s sailing?

I would say Sydney Harbour – I have great memories as it was where I won my first Gold Medal and I really like the whole city.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the title sponsor of Ben Ainslie’s Olympic campaign. For campaign updates go to www.facebook.com/benainslie1977 or follow Ben on Twitter @ainslieben

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Olympic sailing at a glance There are ten classes in the Olympic sailing competition.

For men: Laser: a single-handed dinghy. It’s one of the simplest boats and one of the lightest.

Finn: a single-handed, heavier-weight dinghy.

It’s a powerful, single-sailed boat and races are often extremely close.

470: a double-handed dinghy with three sails.

The 470 is small and fast and can skim the waves like a powerboat in high winds.

49er: a high-performance skiff crewed by two people. With a huge sail area and ultralight hull, it can reach speeds of 30 knots and is one of the most exhilarating races.

Star: a double-handed keelboat. It was first raced in the Olympics in 1932 and is the oldest Olympic sailing class.

RS:X: windsurfing.

For women: Elliot 6m: crewed by three women, the Elliot 6m will make its Olympic debut at London 2012.

Laser Radial: a single handed dinghy.

470 RS:X Team GB has topped the medal table in sailing in the last three Olympics. During the London 2012 games, sailing will be taking place at Weymouth and Portland in Dorset. be happy 39

Photo: MARK LLOYD

What was your motivation in learning to sail?

My motivation came from my parents and in particular my Dad – he is a huge inspiration for me. He raced the first Whitbread Round the World race back in 1973 and his stories from that race and his enthusiasm for sailing really inspired me. His passion got me into sailing, and I would go down to my local sailing club in Cornwall, where they organised race nights which were competitive but also good fun.

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www.behappymagazine.co.uk 40 BE HAPPY

LIFESTYLE DANCING

I’m in the mood...

Step by step: a pair of ballroom dancers perform the paso doble

...for dancing

Six steps to dance success » BE HAPPY 41

LIFESTYLE DANCING Strictly ballroom: with the advent of programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing, ballroom dancing has never been more popular

K

aren Hardy has longed dazzled us with her big smiles and vibrant dance performances in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Having left the programme to launch a deluxe ballroom dance studio with her husband Conrad Murray, she tells Be Happy why ballroom dancing is so popular.

‘Why is ballroom dancing so addictive?’ says Karen. ‘It has to be the hidden romance and memories that are linked with all of these great dances – from seeing Fred Astaire whisking Ginger Rogers off her feet back in the early 1920s to Jennifer Lopez getting Richard Gere completely addicted to dance in the movie Shall We Dance. Ballroom dancing is something that everyone can fall in love with.

42 BE HAPPY

‘Learning to dance, whether you are an absolute beginner or an up and coming world champion, has many benefits.

Everything from health improvement to confidence building or simply as a means to take your mind away from the stresses and strains of daily life.’

Here, Karen and Conrad give their round-up of six dances that every new dancer needs to get grips with.

Dean and Marlon Brando – anywhere there was a radio, you had youngsters jiving and gyrating. Words such as ‘swing’, ‘be-bop’, ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ and ‘jitterbug’ sum up one clear picture – a high-energy, pulsating, action-packed and fun-filled dance that is still enjoyed to this day. It’s a dance that separates the men from the boys, as you will need a whole heap of energy.

JIVE

With its up-tempo Latin music style, the origins of this dance are still argued about to this day – who truly invented it the Cubans or Puerto Ricans? Salsa is similar to mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music.

The dances share many of the same moves.

The jive was originally the UK’s version of the American jitterbug and East Coast Swing during the Second World War. US soldiers brought these dances to Europe around 1940, where they swiftly found a following among the young. Think James

SALSA

Photo: timurpix/shutterstock.com

In salsa turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel is quite different from the mambo. Generally, mambo moves forward and backward, whereas salsa has more of a side-to-side movement. Whether at a wedding or the local salsa bar it is one of the most popular dances of the 21st century. Many people who have gone for a night of fun at a local salsa bar now find themselves regularly attending. This in turn has led to many young couples sourcing a dance studio in their area to improve their dancing.

WALTZ With it’s beautiful, slow ballads the waltz’s origins (as with so many dance) are in folk dance. It is thought to have been born in

the 17th century in the suburbs of Austria and Bavaria. By the 18th century the waltz had grown in popularity and it spread quickly throughout Europe. States and churches were up in arms – it was seen as a vulgar and immoral form of dance, as it was the first time that a man holding a lady so close had been seen at society dances. The waltz remains one of the best known of all social dances, which is testament to its lasting appeal. The popular image of a man and woman, arm in arm, circling the dance floor with eyes only for each other, still represents the epitome of romance and sophistication. With a minimal amount of tuition, even if you have two left feet you’ll soon be moving around the dance floor.

TANGO The tango is said to have originated in 19th-century Buenos Aires in Argentina, where entertainment in the form of music and dance was a means of distracting people from poverty and depression. Many different cultures had migrated to the region – from as far away as Europe and Africa – and each added its own cultural elements to the dance. African beats, Latin and Indian rhythms and the popular music of the pampas (flatlands) in Argentina fused together to form a new music dubbed tango. It was a dance of the prostitute and pimp, creating movements of emotional expression and suggestive gyration. Over time this dance became less graphic, yet the passionate expression of emotion still

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BE HAPPY 43

LIFESTYLE DANCING Shall we dance: Karen and partner delight the crowd with their fancy footwork

remains in this dance today. Tango holds a very unique character, which sets it apart from all of the other dances. Staccato actions, dramatic gestures and quick snaps of the head from one position to another give it great appeal, and many potential dancers wish to learn the steps.

“Even today, people are seen marking out the steps of the cha cha cha in the hippest and trendiest clubs”

CHA CHA CHA This is an exciting, syncopated Latin dance which originated in the 1950s. The cha cha cha gets its name and character from its distinct, repetitive foot rhythm. Born in Cuba, and said to have been named from the sound of Cuban slippers as they scratched along the dance floor, this became the biggest Latin craze to follow in the footsteps of the mambo. With a faster rhythm than the mambo, the cha cha cha’s mix of rolling hips left little room for physical contact, and it fed into the evolving demand for solo dancing. Solo or in partnership, the short steps, strong hip actions, tight mini skirts and cheeky sassy feel, attract both young and more mature dancers who are looking for a good time out. Even today, people are seen marking out the steps of the cha cha cha in the hippest and trendiest clubs to anything from a Perez Prado authentic groove to songs from Led Zeppelin, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga.

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44 BE HAPPY

Dance to the music Having flown the flag for Great Britain for more than a decade and winning many international titles, Karen Hardy is now one of the most sort after international coaches and adjudicators around the world, as well as being coach and choreographer to many a celebrity. Her husband, Conrad, is also an acclaimed former champion of ballroom dancing.

The couple now run Karen Hardy Studios, offering dance lessons and choreography at their waterfront studios in Chelsea, London.

For more details on luxury bespoke dance packages available at Karen Hardy studios call 0845 567 1155, email studio manager Emma Gill on Emma.

Gill@karenhardystudios.com or visit the website: www. karenhardystudios.com

Spring into action

Photo: ANDY STURGEON

LIFESTYLE GARDENING

For gardeners the eight or so weeks of spring are a crucial time - get it right now and you’ll reap the rewards later. Awardwinning gardener Andy Sturgeon reports

I

firmly believe that if you really get down to it you could get most of the years hard gardening out of the way in the next eight weeks, leaving the rest of the summer for more gentle pottering and tweaking. You can now identify most things from their new shoots and it’s an excellent time to shuffle things about and right the wrongs of previous years efforts and experiments. Even the most experienced plant person can’t get all the plant combinations right first time no matter how methodically things have been planned, so an annual spring rethink is essential.

Perennials can be divided at the same time as they are rearranged, as this generally

makes flowering more vigorous especially in plants such as Chrysanthemum and Michaelmas daisy. Larger fibrous rooted perennials such as Hemerocallis can be lifted and then split by plunging two forks back to back into the centre and exploiting the law of the lever. Pull the handles together and the tines of the forks will gently pull the clump apart ready for dividing further and then replanting.

Smaller plants, such as Heuchera, Epimedium and certain geraniums, can be pulled apart by hand but those with a dense woody crown, like Astilbe and Trollius, need cutting apart with a knife or spade.

Whether dividing or simply relocating this is an excellent opportunity to chuck some

compost or leaf mould underneath to give everything an well-earned boost. A small handful of fish blood and bone fertiliser will also go down a storm.

This is also a good time to move stray seedlings of plants that have ended up in the wrong place. Those of Honesty, Lunaria annua are best moved now while they’re young but it’s also worth looking out for other biennials like Digitalis, Verbascum, forget-me-nots and lupins that tend to spring up in overcrowded patches.

Adolescent plants of perennials, such as Alchemilla, Hellebores and Centaurea montana, will also have popped up around their parents and need shifting or giving away to more needy owners.

Gaps in borders can be filled with these free plants and you can also get down to sowing hardy annuals like Nigella and the wonderful summer scented night stocks.

The pale lilac and white flowers are hardly dramatic, but in midsummer their perfume is a knock out and all you have to do now is to scatter seed over the soil wherever you want them to flower.

Despite all of this activity in the borders, you will still need to keep a watch on the weather forecasts because a surprise frost will take out the beautiful soft new growth of your Acers unless sheltered and the wonderful pinky red new leaves of Pieris can instantly turn a miserable brown. I always keep my horticultural fleece handy so I can quickly nip out and cover any prize specimens. I’ve been caught out too often on this front so I don’t take any risks anymore.

Of course as the weather warms up the weeds also love it, but get on top of them now and you’ll be paid back a hundred times over in the months to come. A combination of sun and rain, especially in May and June, can turn bare soil green in the blink of an eye. It may seem like an uphill struggle at the time but by early summer you’ll reap the rewards so dig out perennial weeds and hoe down annuals as soon as you see them.

Pruning When it comes to pruning people seem to fall into two camps. There’s the shy, gentle pruner, who’s afraid to take more than a gentle snip at anything and then there’s the psychopathic pruner who

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BE HAPPY 47

LIFESTYLE GARDENING that masks a mass of dead stems beneath.

You can tell they’re dead because they snap easily, but if in doubt scrape the bark back with your thumbnail in search of a healthy green stem beneath. Cut it all out with shears and secateurs and then shorten the leafy stems back but don’t remove too much of the top growth or it will all look a bit of a mess.

Old specimens of Clematis montana are often guilty of producing leaves and flowers right at the top virtually out of sight leaving only a bundle of dead twining stems on display. Don’t be afraid to hack it all right back with shears or if you want to be really savage chop right through the main stems a few feet from the ground. It may take some time, perhaps three months, but with watering, feeding and a mulch it should eventually produce new shoots.

This is also a good time to be tying in new growth of rampant rambling roses like the sweetly scented Rosa ‘Albertine’ with its arching prickly red green stems.

Photo: ANDY STURGEON

Lawns

won’t rest until everything has been felled. But ideally something in between is probably best because correct pruning generally encourages healthy growth, better flowering and better fruiting.

But there’s a lot of unnecessary worry about pruning, because if things aren’t pruned at the right time of year the biggest danger is simply that they won’t flower this season. So if you’ve got some major work to do you’ll just have to get the loppers out and put up with a fairly green colourless garden this year, but you’ll reap the rewards in subsequent years so I wouldn’t fuss too much about it. As a general rule, if a shrub flowers after mid summer it should be pruned in early spring. But if it flowers in spring, pruning should be done immediately after flowering.

Caryopteris, Ceanothus, Cotinus and 48 BE HAPPY

Lavatera can all be pruned around now but earlier bloomers like Lilac, Weigela and Philadelphus can all be pruned in mid to late summer after flowering.

Climbers At this time of year you’ve got to be really careful when you’re pruning, especially overgrown climbers because they could be full of birds’ nests. On the downside this can be a pretty good time to sort out messy plants and if you were kept out of the garden by winter weather you may not have any choice. But before you start, keep an eye out to see if there are any birds flying in and out and if you suspect there’s a nest you’ll just have to wait until summer or maybe next winter.

Ageing honeysuckles tend to develop a good covering of leaves on the outside

As we move from winter into spring, many lawns tend to look a bit shabby and could do with a rescue remedy. A curse of small lawns or those bordered by tall trees and shrubs is that in winter, because the sun is low in the sky, the grass doesn’t get enough light and becomes patchy. In spring, moss, weeds and coarse grasses colonise the bare bits faster than the more desirable finer grasses can grow and before you know it you’ve got your own meadow. Overseeding the lawn each year is essential in these circumstances. It isn’t a very scientific process and your average greenkeeper will scoff, but flinging handfuls of seed over your lawn can really help. For greater germination success you can titivate any bare patches with a fork but try it the lazy way first, use some shade tolerant seed and you could be surprised at the success.

If, however, you are more serious about your lawn and a luxurious thick green sward is your idea of Nirvana then you should be embarking on a routine programme of treatments.

You should already have mown the grass once or twice in March on dry days.

Cutting the grass too short really weakens it in a Samson kind of way so don’t overdo it and only skim the top off. Towards the

SPACE CREATION

Sculpture When it comes to sculpture, scale is I think paramount and small is almost always wrong. Whatever you choose has to complement or contrast with its surroundings and not get lost amongst them, and because it will probably be viewed from a distance it has to be a decent size. Even courtyard gardens are relatively big spaces as they are open to the sky and in fact putting a large object into a small space can make it seem bigger and grander just as you could put a large sofa into a small room. Solidity is also important because a thin spindly thing will easily get lost against its background and won’t have any impact. A very large olive pot fits the bill nicely as its strong outline will stand out against most leafy backdrops.

Positioning is also crucial and a sculpture should either draw the eye to a single point or be an unexpected incidental surprise tucked away in the planting or round the bend in a path. Now, the traditional thing to do is to plonk a statue or pot at the end

of a path, pergola or some other vista.

This works for a couple of reasons. Firstly it provides an obvious focal point which draws the eye and allows you to focus on something. It also acts as a full stop and actually slows people down as they walk towards it causing them to linger.

A small garden may need a central feature to actually hold the eye within the site and to stop it from getting bored and drifting off. However, put a piece slap bang in the middle of the lawn and it will dominate the garden too much and take all the attention away from the clever planting that’s taken you years to perfect. If this is the case, move it to one side to act as a counterpoise or balance to a pergola or dramatic plant grouping.

Sculpture can be used to bring life to a dull useless corner where nothing will grow and if it’s made from something light and reflective it will also add light and make the space less dark. Whether stone, or glass, ceramic or metal you may also want to position the sculpture where its tactile qualities can be appreciated. I struggle to keep my hands off things in galleries so it’s good to be able to reach out and touch some garden art.

A sculpture also has to complement or contrast with its setting and the material of which its made will help to achieve this. A reconstituted stone urn will blend in in front of a Jacobean Manor house or a mock Tudor semi but a pale limestone monolith will stand out in stark contrast in front of the dark green leaves of a yew hedge.

The backdrop or foil is crucial to the success of a piece and you also need to consider the year round effect. Evergreen shrubs and hedges are often the best choice because the contrast is lost in winter with deciduous plants. Although yew is a good choice you can be a little more adventurous. Bamboos and grasses are ideal for contemporary sculpture and rendered and painted walls can become quite theatrical. Consider lighting as well, by either backlighting the piece to create a silhouette or spotlighting it and casting a shadow onto the backdrop. You may have spent a fortune on the sculpture so you might as well enjoy it at night too and with the rise in garden thefts the lighting may even stop it from getting nicked.

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Surfacing By running boards lengthways in the direction of the greatest dimension of a deck it creates the illusion of increased distance. Using a limited number of hard surfacing materials in a small space makes it appear larger and gives the design unity. By choosing a pale coloured stone, light is reflected and the overall mood of the garden is bright and airy whilst a dark grey slate being used in a small space can be dingy and claustrophobic.

Mirrors Get a door-sized mirror and glue it to a sheet of exterior grade ply. Construct a door frame around the ply and fix the frame to a wall, pinning the mirror into position. Hang a door or gate off one side of the ‘frame’ and it will immediately look as though the path leads off into next doors plot. The only downside is that you have to keep the mirror clean or the illusion is shattered.

Photo: ANDY STURGEON

end of April or the beginning of May you should apply a combined weed and feed and if necessary a mosskiller. If you do only one treatment to your lawn each year this is the one to do because fighting the weeds and boosting the grass at the same time can make an average lawn into a good lawn as long as you mow regularly.

Lawns which get heavy wear, for example around a children’s play area, will suffer from compaction, especially if the soil is quite heavy. Tell tale signs are waterlogging after rain, excessive moss, bare patches and weak grass. This compaction layer, which is two or three inches below the surface, must be broken to allow oxygen to the grass roots and to let harmful carbon dioxide escape. It also allows water to percolate through the soil rather than sitting on the surface and encouraging moss and thatch. Spiking can be done with an ordinary fork but it’s back breaking work and if you’ve got a large, badly compacted lawn you should hire a machine. A hollow tiner basically pulls cores of soil out of the ground and then you can fill the resulting holes with a really sandy mix of top dressing made up of coarse sand, topsoil and peat substitute at a ratio of 4:2:1. Brush it in with a broom.

Photo: ANDY STURGEON

Top tips for making your garden appear bigger

Change in level A step or change in level can transform a garden of any size. It can mark the transition from one area to another and enforce the idea of different rooms even in a tiny area. Steps can also double as seating which comes in pretty handing when you’re entertaining and don’t have space for extra chairs.

Furniture Choose furniture which isn’t too bulky and can ideally be folded up and put away or the garden will seem cluttered. Try to allow enough space for people to come and go from the table without everyone having to stand up and make sure you avoid attacks from nearby twiggy or thorny plants.

BE HAPPY 49

LIFESTYLE GARDENING

Small gardens D

istorting perspective with plants can be very simple. I like to put specimens with larger than average leaves into small gardens because they actually make the space seem much bigger. I don’t pretend to fully understand why but apparently it sort of confuses the brain by being so unexpected. One of 50 BE HAPPY

the best plants for doing this is Gunnera manicata with its huge rhubarb leaves and I’m just about to construct a bog garden in part of my own garden near the house for that very purpose. If you have a look at pictures of tropical gardens you’ll see what I mean and consequently lush tropical style planting is ideal for small spaces. Huge

banana and Canna leaves next to ginger lilies, Pseudopanax and Paulownia are all ideal and work best in the foreground. You can make a garden seem much longer by putting fine foliage towards the end of your plot. Feathery grasses are the best and the evergreen bronze foliage of the various Carex from New Zealand seem to be exactly the right combination of leaf size and colour.

Flower and foliage colour are also excellent for manipulating perspective with hot reds, oranges and pinks leaping out into the foreground and visually foreshortening

Photo: ELENA ELISSEEVA/SHUTTERSTOCK

a plot. At the other end of the scale cool pastel colours are receding, so plant pale blues, violets and purples at the end of the garden and they will blur into a soft haze and drift off into the distance making it impossible to see exactly where the end of the garden is.

On a more basic level you can do the same thing by painting walls and other vertical surfaces in various colours, but if you want your garden to seem bigger don’t draw attention to the boundaries. Painting fences blue is the worst idea I’ve ever heard of. Instead you should be camouflaging

them by painting or staining them dark brown, green or even black to make them melt into the background. If you’re not the impatient sort and prefer to let nature do the work then you can clothe your walls and fences in climbers. Ivy and Virginia creeper tend to hug the boundaries and not waste valuable inches in titchy plots while jasmine and Clematis montana are far more billowing and need a bit of control but they still perform an admirable concealing job.

Another trick to make the garden seem longer is to narrow paths as they lead away from you. For example a 30ft path could

be 4ft wide at one end and 3ft at the other.

This tapering isn’t at all obvious and works brilliantly. You could emphasise this by lowering the height of a pergola with each successive arch, just don’t go so low that you bang your head on it.

One of the oldest tricks in the book is to rotate everything through 45 degrees instead of making edges of patios and lawns parallel to the back of the house.

What this achieves is to create much longer vistas across the diagonals of the plot instead of end to end. It’s simple but it works time and time again.

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BE HAPPY 51

CULTURE MUSEUM

Spangles, space hoppers & Spectrums

Be Happy editor Paul Critcher enjoys a journey through time at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

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or many of us history and the past is a fascinating subject, but for others it can seem a little staid – an endless parade of dates, battles and political ideologies to make sense of.

Nevertheless, great strides have been made in popularising the study of history – you only have too look at the success of TV shows such as Who do you think you are? (in which celebrities trace their family roots) and the series of books and programmes for children Horrible histories (which focuses on what to us now seem the more ludicrous or even disgusting elements of the past) to show that the subject can be wonderfully engaging. But, if parking yourself in front of the goggle box doesn’t appeal, then a visit to

the Robert Opie Collection at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising makes for an evocative trip to the past. Here you’ll find an evolving collection of seemingly everyday objects amassed over almost 50 years, which tells the story of more than 150 years of British consumer society.

The museum is a stone’s throw away from Portobello Market. A short walk through the affluent streets of Notting Hill brings you to a tucked away mews, where the museum is housed. In many ways it’s an ‘old school’ museum, there’s little in the way of interactive exhibits – that you can pull, grab or watch on a screen – that you get at so many other museums. But it doesn’t matter and it’s not necessary – the exhibits speak for themselves.

My visit coincided with young group of foreign exchange students and, while my heart sank slightly at the prospect of fighting my way through them to view the exhibits, it was curious to watch their obvious delight when they discovered

Sweet memories: [main photo] a selection of early sweet wrappers; [below left] a wartime guide to gardening; [below right] Lucozade bottles through the ages

items they recalled from their recent childhoods. I had the same response, the only difference being that their giggles of excitement occurred in the Nineties and Noughties sections of the museum, mine took place in the Seventies and Eighties – isn’t age a wonderful thing!

The museum is split into different time zones, which you walk through in chronological order, starting in the Victorian era and gradually making your way through the years until you reach the present day. It’s a deceptive space, far bigger than you imagine when you first walk in and you could easily spend a couple of hours picking your way through the 10,000 items, although if time is short it’s a great way to kill half an hour or so.

Kicking off in Victorian times, the move from trade sales to consumer sales is evident and you can see that the products on view were packaged with the shopper in mind. Even this early there were brands that we still know today, such as Cadbury chocolates, Roses lime juice and Colman’s

THE MAKING OF A MUSEUM Forty years ago, Robert Opie saw the need to unravel the fascinating story of how consumer products and promotion had evolved since Victorian times. By 1975 Robert had enough material to hold his own exhibition, The Pack Age, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and then, after 16 years in market research, he opened the first museum devoted to the history of packaging and advertising in Gloucester in 1984.

You can take your pick as to whether Robert Opie is a consumer historian or a supermarket archaeologist, but after writing some 20 books and appearing on endless television and radio shows, he has become a leading authority on his subject.

Robert Opie said: ‘On 8 September 1963, at the age of 16, I bought a packet of Munchies at Inverness Railway Station. While eating them I was struck by the idea that I should save the packaging and start collecting the designed and branded packages which would otherwise surely disappear forever.

Forty years later, I am still collecting and have a list of about 1000 items which need to be collected. The museum houses the highlights of my collection – evidence of a dynamic commercial system that delivers thousands of desirable items from all corners of the world, a feat arguably more complex than sending man to the Moon, but one still taken for granted. The collection has the power to stop visitors in their tracks as they reach a certain part of the museum’s time tunnel and the era which contains their first memories.’

mustard. It was a time when advertising was coming more to the fore with Millais’ painting of bubbles used to promote Pears soap. But it’s the curiosities that stick in my mind, products such as Swinborne calves feet gelatine and Goodall’s ginger beer powder. Even better are the cleaning products and pest repellants on show, which helped the Victorians fights against cholera and typhoid. One example, Battles vermin killer, has the tagline ‘Mice eat it readily and die on the spot’ – a touch out of step with the touchy feeliness of today’s advertising.

Moving into Edwardian times there are tins of biscuits, plates and posters showing support for the Boer War, badges with ‘Votes for women’ slogans and the advent of comedy in advertising. One particular advert shows two jolly coppers smoking Park Drive cigarettes, I think they are meant to appear in rapture at the purported good flavour of the tobacco, but to the modern audience – or at least me – they look stoned!

And so it goes on, with comics in the 1920s, such as Film-Fan which includes the tag line – ‘The lively larks of Harold Lloyd’; recruitment posters during the war years asking ‘Daddy what did you do in the Great War?’; and the new affluence of the 1950s when TVs, cosmetics and household appliances all make an appearance.

By the time I reached the 1960s section, I could see more and more brands that are familiar today – brands such as Heinz, Cornflakes, Coca Cola and Bird’s Eye frozen foods. But for me it was the time of my youth – the Seventies and Eighties

– that were so evocative. Here the impact of TV on advertising is evident with Mr Spock on packets of Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks and other brands from my childhood such as Monster Munch, Discos, Smiths Crisps, and Frazzles. This was the beginning of the digital age, with handheld games consoles such as Astro Wars and ZX Spectrum computers.

There are other sections to view, including an area dedicated to Royal

»

CULTURE MUSEUM NEED TO KNOW

Packed in: [main photo] early food packaging; [inset] ‘Guinness for Strength’ has become a popular slogan; [bottom] examples of different types of packaging; [bottom right] food packaging as displayed in the museum

Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising 2 Colville Mews, off Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AR Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 11am-4pm Closed on Mondays – except Bank Holidays Admission prices: Adults £6.50; Children (7-16) £2.25; Concessions £4.00; Family £15 For further information go to www.museumofbrands.com

JUBILEE, JUBILEE

memorabilia, a special ‘Waste not want not’ exhibit on wartime packaging and, placed in a suitably commercial area near the shop, a Guinness exhibition, which showcases some of the excellent artwork produced by the stout manufacturer over the years.

One section well worth taking the time to look at is the Branding area, which compares brands through the ages. It reveals a trend for products becoming

54 BE HAPPY

bigger and the use of more plastic in packaging, but what I found of particular interest was how many brands have kept so close to the designs of their original incarnations many decades previously.

Take, for example, the script used in Johnson’s baby powder it remains almost unchanged.

I could be accused of being too enthusiastic about this museum, but it is delightful, so if you’re visiting Portobello Market or the whitewashed environs of Notting Hill, I encourage you to take a trip down memory lane – you’ll love it.

*

As the shops of Britain stack their shelves with commemorative souvenirs for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Museum of Brands opens its exhibition ‘Jubilee, Jubilee’ on 3 April 2012 to celebrate this historic occasion.

From the only previous Diamond Jubilee, for Queen Victoria in 1897 and through each royal occasion since, this colourful abundance of celebratory offerings tells the rich story of royal souvenirs.

From the traditional mugs, jugs, flags and chocolate tins to the weird and exotic (who would have bought a 1953 coronation souvenir gas stove lighter?), these curiosities have nevertheless become part of our culture and heritage.

APRIL/MAY 2012 www.behappymagazine.co.uk

50

IN TOUCH WIN! A HardnutZ HiVis Orange Road Cycle helmet worth £49.99 S

£3.20

Years of Bond

Sailing Special

pring is in the air and those of you who like to rest your road bikes during the winter will be oiling chains, adjusting seats and pumping up tyres. But, remember, it’s safety first, so enter our draw to win this HiVis Orange helmet… inspired by the ever present motorway workman, you’ll really stand out on the roads wearing this one! Features include a PC outer shell with impact-absorbing inner EPS, 13 reflective 3M Scotchlite panels, 360-degree ventilation, a removable visor and a dial-fit adjuster to ensure a proper fit. www.hardnutz.com To enter simply go to www.behappymagazine. co.uk and sign up for a free copy of the digital magazine and to double your chances go to our Facebook page at Be Happy Magazine and press ‘Like’.

The competition closes on the 15th April 2012.

• Ben Ainslie interview • Learning the ropes • Where to sail

DJs head to the Caribbean S ome serious beats are on the cards for the inaugural DJ Tour to Grenada organised

by Kalinago Resort. Featuring artists such as Choice FM’s Martin J, LiveLinq Sounds and Antz International from the UK supported by local talent, Explosion in the Sun runs from 6 to 20 June 2012 and includes a packed calendar of waterfall parties, barbecues, beach fests, catamaran cruises and river rafting – as well as plenty of music. Available from £1,090 per person including flights, accommodation, entry fees and all-inclusive drinks exclusively from SN Travel at www.SNTravel.co.uk

Magic of Monaco Formula 1 in style

Comfort Food

SPORT

MONACO GRAND PRIX

The magic of Monaco

The Monaco Grand Prix combines glamour, decadence and pizzazz, with some fantastic motor sport thrown in for good measure. Phil Royle samples the high life

THE TOP FIVE REGRETS OF THE DYING A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing

By Bronnie Ware ISBN 978-1-4525-0234-2

Q

uite a few ‘inspirational’ books have been published recently – but this one is a bit different. It’s partly a voyage of self-discovery for the author herself, and partly words of wisdom from some of the patients she worked with in palliative care.

The top five regrets of the dying included wishing that they hadn’t worked so hard, living true to their own hearts, finding the courage to express their feelings, keeping in touch with friends and allowing themselves to be happy. The book is beautifully written and shows great respect and love for all the patients. Bronnie Ware’s caring bedside manner guides most to find an inner peace before passing. If you read this book, as one lady points out: ‘You cannot go to your deathbed and say you wished you’d worked it out sooner. You are being blessed by all our mistakes instead’. The main message is that the only really important thing at the end of the day is love and ‘keeping it simple’. One word of advice – keep a pack of tissues on hand when you start reading.

Jane Morgan

A

s well as being an incredible spectacle of motor sport, the Monaco GP has become one of the social highlights of the year and attracts gorgeous film stars, handsome race aces and the super rich accompanied by more multi-million pound yachts than you can wave a Rolex Submariner at. The rich and famous fill luxury hotels, such as the Hotel de Paris, the Columbus and the Grand as they arrive in their droves for their annual dose of motor sport.

Nearby Nice is also rammed with Monaco lovers when the F1 circus comes to town; in fact, the whole Riviera is awash with Caspian Sea caviar, 1893 Veuve Clicquot champagne, Parisian fashions and the motor sport and celebrity elite.

The Principality of Monaco is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera incorporating the prosperous district of Monte Carlo. It lies just ten miles from the Italian border and a polished stone’s throw south east of Nice. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it is the mostly densely populated country in the world as well as being the second smallest (the Vatican City is the smallest).

François Grimaldi – the Genoese leader of the Guelphs – seized the fortress of Monaco in 1297 from the Italians. Disguised as a monk he entered the castle with his men and reclaimed it in the name of the Pope. Over the centuries, Monaco’s port has prospered as a trading route and strategic naval base, with the Grimaldi dynasty at the helm

for more than 700 years – most famous in recent years for Prince Rainier II who married Hollywood actress, Grace Kelly. Their son, HSH Prince Albert II is now the Sovereign Prince of the state, which has become famous for its casinos and tourism, all played out under the Grimaldi’s chic influence.

Formula One has been basking in the glamour of Monaco since 1950, and the circuit itself offers something unique in the F1 season – it is not a dedicated race track but instead drivers have to negotiate the tight, twisty, treacherous streets of the city state. As such, it’s conceived to be the most demanding and dangerous of all the F1 GP’s in the world (since the Grand Prix at the Nürburgring Nordschleife was stopped anyhow), with many drivers crashing spectacularly, including Alberto Ascari in 1955 and Paul Hawkins in 1965, both of whom ended up in the harbour.

The Monaco Grand Prix first took place on 14 April 1929 and was run by a Monte Carlo resident who was the founding president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Anthony Noghès. William Grover-Williams won the inaugural race, driving a Bugatti Type 35B. The Formula One World Championship first came to Monaco in 1950, and has been run 69 times. The event was an instant hit – as it was on a road racetrack, people were able to relate to the incredible speed and drama instantly. The glamorous, Mediterranean location gave the event a sense of occasion, romance and

Winning formula: one of the McClaren cars sweeps around the Monaco circuit as race marshals look on

»

RICE PUDDING

In the first of a series of recipes that we can’t resist, MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace serves up a delicious dessert

‘R

ice pudding is the ultimate in comfort food. To get really creamy rice pudding, the trick is to use whole milk and cream, and bake it slowly. Any dish that can be eaten with a spoon is comfort. Rice pudding is creamy hot and sweet, dive in and float away. I love it!’

SERVES 6 100g PUDDING RICE 15g BUTTER, softened 50g CASTER SUGAR 1–2 tsp PURE VANILLA EXTRACT 1 litre WHOLE MILK 150ml DOUBLE CREAM 1 Preheat the oven to 140ºC (275ºF/ Gas 1). Rinse the pudding rice under cold running water and leave to drain.

2 Use the butter to liberally grease the inside of 6 large ramekins on a baking tray, or a 1.4 litre ovenproof dish. Add the rice to the dish along with the sugar.

3 Mix the vanilla in the milk, to taste. Pour half over the rice, stir well, cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

4 Mix the remaining milk and cream together. Remove rice from the oven, stir in the milk and the cream mixture, and bake for a further 1 hr–1hr 20 minutes or until rice is soft and swollen, the mixture is thick and creamy, and the top is lightly golden.

The pudding should wobble slightly when the dish is shaken.

Serve warm.

The new cookbook, MasterChef Everyday, is out now (dk.com £20). Gregg will be appearing at the BBC Good Food Show Spring launching at Glow, Bluewater this April. Visit BBCGoodFoodShow. com or GlowBluewater.co.uk for more information.

14

Photo: McLaren

Inspirational ways to change your life

15 22 BE HAPPY

ACTIVITY SAILING

BE HAPPY 23

Learning the ropes

Photo: XSUNSIL

Experience adventure and freedom or simply mess around in boats. Jo Mattock finds out what sailing is all about

PLUS: CITY PROFILE • STRICTLY BALLROOM • RETRO PACKAGING • MY LIFE • SPRING INTO ACTION

28 BE HAPPY

be happy 29

ADVENTURE ANDY TORBET sure that being the biology department’s unofficial social secretary meant they were kind to me when it came to marking the work.’

Andy’s military career began as a trainee fighter pilot in the Royal Navy, but after a few months of training decided that life as a pilot was not for him.

‘All the other recruits were desperate to fly, but I wanted to be on the ground sleeping in a ditch. I wanted to be a commando‚ I’d rather jump out of a plane than fly one.’

Nevertheless, he logged 25 hours of flying time before transferring to the Royal Marines where he started his officer’s course. However, just before his batch of recruits were to earn their green berets, Andy was involved in a life-changing accident. ‘We were on a training exercise and I, as the smallest in the group, was given the biggest guy to carry across an assault course. We fell off a platform. It was only 12 feet high but I smashed my lower vertebrae and was temporarily paralysed in the left leg.

‘At the time the situation didn’t seem that bad, but in retrospect it was a huge blow and I lost the plot a bit. I became quite aggressive because I missed the training. It wasn’t just psychological, it was chemical‚ I was missing the endorphins.’

He was left with a tough choice: give up his dream of being a soldier by being discharged on medical grounds with a pension or be classified as physically unsuitable for commando service but still be allowed to continue in a less physical role. Andy chose the latter, thinking that over time he would be able to prove himself fit for full commando service. When I put it to him that this was a brave choice, he gives a typically direct response. ‘I struggle when I’ve nothing to work for, but can be incredibly focused once I’ve got something to go for. I don’t do excuses. It’s easy to find excuses.

People blame school, the government, their parents for things that have gone wrong in their lives‚ and this might be true‚ but it’s your life and it’s up to you to change it.’

So, Andy set about changing his by enlisting in the Royal Engineers. It took him two years to prove himself medically fit and he then took the army diving course. ‘It was six weeks of being beasted [an army term for very hard physical training] senseless‚ mostly press ups and running,’ he says.

‘But it makes you mentally a lot stronger, and the soldier next to you wants to know that the guy next to him is mentally and physically fit. From then on his career progressed quickly, he had already served in Kosovo and Bosnia and was now a lieutenant.

With the question mark over his fitness gone he applied to P Company‚ the paratrooper selection course. It was the toughest four weeks of his life, stretching him to the limits. ‘It’s a nails course, it

Going solo: deep-water soloing on the Dorset coast. This a form of climbing where no ropes are used for protection or safety. But the climber ascends above deep water which should, if landed correctly, prevent a fatal accident

Integrity and creativity “I struggle when I’ve got nothing to work for, but can be incredibly focused once I’ve got something to go for”

»

44

THE MAKING OF A MUSEUM

CULTURE MUSEUM

Forty years ago, Robert Opie saw the need to unravel the fascinating story of how consumer products and promotion had evolved since Victorian times. By 1975 Robert had enough material to hold his own exhibition, The Pack Age, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and then, after 16 years in market research, he opened the first museum devoted to the history of packaging and advertising in Gloucester in 1984.

You can take your pick as to whether Robert Opie is a consumer historian or a supermarket archaeologist, but after writing some 20 books and appearing on endless television and radio shows, he has become a leading authority on his subject.

Robert Opie said: ‘On 8 September 1963, at the age of 16, I bought a packet of Munchies at Inverness Railway Station. While eating them I was struck by the idea that I should save the packaging and start collecting the designed and branded packages which would otherwise surely disappear forever.

Forty years later, I am still collecting and have a list of about 1000 items which need to be collected. The Museum houses the highlights of my collection – evidence of a dynamic commercial system that delivers thousands of desirable items from all corners of the world, a feat arguably more complex than sending man to the Moon, but one still taken for granted. The collection has the power to stop visitors in their tracks as they reach a certain part of the Museum’s time tunnel and the era which contains their first memories.’

Spangles, space hoppers & Spectrums Be Happy editor Paul Critcher enjoys a journey through time at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

F

or many of us history and the past is a fascinating subject, but for others it can seem a little staid – an endless parade of dates, battles and political ideologies to make sense of.

Nevertheless, great strides have been made in popularising the study of history – you only have too look at the success of TV shows such as Who do you think you are? (in which celebrities trace their family roots) and the series of books and programmes for children Horrible histories (which focuses on what to us now seem the more ludicrous or even disgusting elements of the past) to show that the subject can be wonderfully engaging. But, if parking yourself in front of the goggle box doesn’t appeal, then a visit to

the Robert Opie Collection at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising (MOBPA) makes for an evocative trip to the past. Here you’ll find an evolving collection of seemingly everyday objects amassed over almost 50 years, which tells the story of more than 150 years of British consumer society.

The museum is a stone’s throw away from Portobello Market. A short walk through the affluent streets of Notting Hill brings you to a tucked away mews, where the MOBPA is housed. In many ways it’s an ‘old school’ museum, there’s little in the way of interactive exhibits – that you can pull, grab or watch on a screen – that you get at so many other museums. But it doesn’t matter and it’s not necessary – the exhibits speak for themselves.

My visit coincided with young group of foreign exchange students and, while my heart sank slightly at the prospect of fighting my way through them to view the exhibits, it was curious to watch their obvious delight when they discovered

Sweet memories: [main photo] a selection of early sweet wrappers; [below left] a wartime guide to gardening; [below right] Lucozade bottles through the ages

items they recalled from their recent childhoods. I had the same response, the only difference being that their giggles of excitement occurred in the Nineties and Noughties sections of the museum, mine took place in the Seventies and Eighties – isn’t age a wonderful thing!

The MOBPA is split into different time zones, which you walk through in chronological order, starting in the Victorian era and gradually making your way through the years until you reach the present day. It’s a deceptive space, far bigger than you imagine when you first walk in and you could easily spend a couple of hours picking your way through the 10,000 items, although if time is short it’s a great way to kill half an hour or so.

Kicking off in Victorian times, the move from trade sales to consumer sales is evident as and you can see that the products on view were packaged with the shopper in mind. Even this early there were brands that we still know today, such as Cadbury chocolates, Roses lime

juice and Colman’s mustard. It was a time when advertising was coming more to the fore with Millais’ painting of bubbles used to promote Pears soap. But it’s the curiosities that stick in my mind, products such as Swinborne calves feet gelatine and Goodall’s ginger beer powder. Even better are the cleaning products and pest repellants on show, which helped the Victorians fights against cholera and typhoid. One example, Battles vermin killer, has the tagline ‘Mice eat it readily and die on the spot’ – a touch out of step with the touchy feeliness of today’s advertising.

Moving into Edwardian times there are tins of biscuits, plates and posters showing support for the Boer War, badges with ‘Votes for women’ slogans and the advent of comedy in advertising. One particular advert shows two jolly coppers smoking Park Drive cigarettes, I think they are meant to appear in rapture at the purported good flavour of the tobacco, but to the modern audience – or at least me – they look stoned!

And so it goes on, with comics in the 1920s, such as Film-Fan which includes the tag line – ‘The lively larks of Harold Lloyd’; recruitment posters during the war years asking ‘Daddy what did you do in the Great War?’; and the new affluence of the 1950s when TVs, cosmetics and household appliances all make an appearance.

By the time I reached the 1960s section, I could see more and more brands that are familiar today – brands such as Heinz, Cornflakes, Coca Cola and Bird’s Eye frozen foods. But for me it was the time of my youth – the Seventies and Eighties

– that were so evocative. Here the impact of TV on advertising is evident with Mr Spock on packets of Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks and other brands from my childhood such as Monster Munch, Discos, Smiths Crisps, and Frazzles. This was the beginning of the digital age, with handheld games consoles such as Astro Wars and ZX Spectrum computers.

There are other sections to view, including an area dedicated to Royal

»

Photo: Andy torbet

projects has always been there.’

Andy was born in Irvine, South Scotland and raised on the northeast edge of the Cairngorm National Park between Aberdeen and Inverness.

With a forester and gamekeeper father, he was born to an outdoors life and for he and his schoolmates walking through the forest to school, snaring rabbits and bushcraft generally was a way of life.

A move to Aberdeen at the age of 12 did nothing to curb his enthusiasm for adventure, and he spent a lot of time with his uncle who was a passionate hillwalker and camper.

Inspired by the work of David Attenborough, Jacques Cousteau and particularly the Martha Holmes Sea Trek documentary, Andy joined the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) at 12, initially as a snorkeller and then qualified as a novice diver and then sports diver by the time he was 16. ‘When I joined BSAC, membership was £7 a year plus 50p a week subs. I would snorkel out and follow the divers below me. Then, when I started diving, I cobbled together some gear – it was all a bit rough and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone does the same. The worst thing was my wetsuit‚ it was made up of a pair of long johns and an ill-fitting woman’s jacket. I was always frozen‚ as a kid I was nails, there’s no way I could dive like that now.’

Climbing became another interest in his life.

At the time a teachers’ strike meant that no extra curricular activities took place at his school, but one teacher, a man called Wilson Moir who was one of the best climbers in the country, introduced Andy and a couple of schoolmates to the sport, setting up a training climb at the back of the school.

With an interest in all things adventurous, it’s no surprise that Andy was nursing an ambition to join the army, an ambition that was fuelled by his older brother, who joined the forces at 16. However, a couple of years later when Andy reached 16 and tried to join up himself, he was advised by the army recruitment officer to go to university and to then join as an officer.

‘I knew I was going in the army, so I thought I’d study something I really enjoyed rather than worry about something specific for a career. I quite fancied zoology and the University of Sheffield seemed to fit the bill as it was more concerned with natural history than the commercial side of zoology. I wasn’t interested in the impact of mites on crops, I wanted to learn about sharks, gorillas, tigers, eagles‚ cool stuff!’

A positive time at university, punctuated by a three-month trip working across Canada in which he got a job as a horseback trail guide even though he had never ridden before, led to a second-class honours degree. ‘I just scraped a 2.1‚ I’m pretty

Be Happy Publishing specialises in producing positive, high-quality editorial that keeps readers coming back for more.

We feature the best writers and photographers, and showcase their work using the highest standards of design and editing.

We work with leading brands to offer the best marketing opportunities and we endeavour to find and reveal the newest and most exciting stories and products.

If you would like to promote your brand or are looking for a publishing company with integrity and creativity, contact us at the addresses below.

INSPIRation MUHAMMAD ALI

O

ften referred to as the ‘greatest boxer of all time’, Muhammad Ali celebrated his 70th birthday in January. A sporting giant, Ali

was also a social activist who refused conscription in opposition to the Vietnam War. As a result he was stripped of his boxing licence and titles during what would arguably have been his best years as a sportsman. He eventually returned to the ring four years later and fought a succession of classic boxing matches, including The Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman and the Thriller in Manila against his greatest rival Joe Frazier. Ali was World Heavyweight Champion three times. A charming and articulate man who could speak across class and racial divides, he was and is a hugely popular figure. In 1984 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but nevertheless remains an active public figure.

This image, taken by Neil Liefer and featured in the book GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) published

Whatever your publishing requirements – you can be sure of Be Happy

by Taschen, shows a unique view of an Ali bout, which was fought at the Houston Astrodome.

A jubilant Ali raises his arms aloft to celebrate victory in his 1966 title fight against Cleveland

GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) costs £99.99 and is available from www.taschen.com 08

Photo: Neil liefer (1966)

Williams, who lies prostrate following a knockout.

09

For Be Happy magazine advertising enquiries phone +44 (0) 20 8541 0165 or email sales@behappymagazine.co.uk.

For editorial enquiries email: editorial@behappymagazine.co.uk. If you require an enthusiastic team to produce a magazine for you, email: paul@behappymagazine.co.uk. Find us online at www.behappymagazine.co.uk BE HAPPY 55

CITY PROFILE BRIGHTON & HOVE

C

akes, queens and palaces – Brighton and Hove on England’s south coast has something for everyone. It’s laidback, hedonistic, a must for shoppers and party goers alike. Great restaurants, pubs, clubs and shops; not to mention its superb setting – the South Downs to the north and beautiful seafront views to the south. It’s a lovely place to party but it also offers excellent relaxation opportunities.

Shopping is fun in Brighton and Hove: the city has many independent shops so the uniform blandness of many city centres is largely avoided.

Wander around the jewellery shops in the Lanes or mooch around the quirky shops in the North Laines area of Brighton.

All that shopping can be handled with the appropriate number of coffee breaks. Residents of Brighton and Hove appear to think they live in the south of France if the lively café culture is anything to go by. Lots of independent coffee shops, many with outdoor seating – big sunglasses a must. But it’s not just coffee, tea shops are in vogue too; Metro Deco in Kemp Town is a wonderful 1930s Parisian-style tea shop with the most delicious cakes imaginable.

As you’d imagine in a tourist city there are plenty of places to eat. Vegetarians and vegans are particularly well catered for in this green city (the UK’s first Green MP represents Brighton). Wander round the city centre and you’ll find restaurants of all cuisines. Fish and chips on the seafront is a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason – our national dish tastes best outdoors. There are numerous places selling fish and chips on the seafront but we recommend Jack and Linda Mills Traditional Smokehouse, right on the seafront in King’s Road Arches – the best, freshest smoked mackerel you’ll come across in the city – delicious.

A couple of minus points: parking is a nightmare and expensive, Brighton council seems hell bent on discouraging car drivers to the city if the number of traffic wardens is anything to go by. Also, the city itself is pretty shabby looking, the whole place needs a spring clean.

But these are just minor gripes. The best thing about Brighton is the sense of freedom you get. The population is a good mix of students, families, artists and professionals all of whom seem very proud of their city and contribute to the diversity this city offers.

Brighton and Hove is easy to get around on foot, the centre is a five-minute walk from the train station and many attractions are concentrated around the city centre. If you cycle 56 BE HAPPY

you’ll enjoy the extensive cycle paths – you can hire a bike on the seafront if you fancy a couple of hours cycling along the promenade or around town. The bus network is comprehensive and there are plenty of taxis available.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Brighton is a city of alcoholics – there seems to be a pub on every street corner. From traditional real ale pubs to sophisticated cocktail bars – Brighton and Hove has them all. Wander round the city centre and pop in whichever pub you like the look of, the locals are friendly and chatty and there’s a hostelry to suit every taste.

Report by Ginny Reid

Brighton rocks: [from top] deck chairs on Brighton’s pebble beach; the Royal Pavilion; seafood is served daily on the seafront; starlings gather at the West Pier at dusk

*

“From traditional real ale pubs to sophisticated cocktail bars – Brighton and Hove has them all”

Photo: paul burdett/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

No visit to Brighton would be complete without a turn around the Royal Pavilion.

Built for the Prince Regent later George IV, this exotic palace is a must see.

Architect John Nash’s creation from the outside is Indian, but once inside you enter an oriental fantasy with George IV’s fascination with all things Chinese proudly on display. www.brightonhove-rpml.org.uk

Travel By train: less than an hour from London Victoria on a direct train. By car – a short drive down the M23/A23 from London.

By plane: London Gatwick is less than 30 minutes on a direct train line if you’re coming from outside the UK.

Hotels Brighton does boutique hotels like nowhere else; here are some of our favourites: For an amazing seafront view and incredible food you can’t beat Drakes.

They do great cocktails too.

Georgian splendour at the renowned Blanch House. Treat yourself to an Indian head massage while you’re there.

The Oriental is one of the original Brighton boutique hotels; relaxed unpretentious less than 100m from the seafront. Friendly, attentive staff.

* * *

When to go Brighton offers year round enjoyment; but for maximum pleasure visit in May during the Brighton festival – a month long extravaganza of art, culture, music and entertainment. There’s something for everyone. www.brightonfestival.org www.brightonfringe.org

Don’t miss

Photo: chris mole/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Photo: andy poole/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Photo: dutourdumonde/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Highlight

The piers – Brighton and Hove’s most recognisable landmarks. The Palace Pier, controversially re-named Brighton Pier but no locals recognise that name, for penny arcades, dolphin racing, karaoke and donuts. Release your inner seven-year-old, the Palace Pier is all about having fun and letting your hair down. Now a wreck, with its skeletal remains poking out of the sea, the best time to visit the West Pier is at dusk in autumn and winter when thousands of starlings gather to perform jaw-dropping acrobatic patterns in the sky.

BE HAPPY 57

MY LIFE I

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‘Suddenly, I could save lives. I could make a difference’ have been a keen scuba diver for more than 30 years now. aim was to reach any point between Richmond-upon-Thames and Originally from France, I moved to London in 1994 and Hampton Court within 15 minutes of being paged. discovered the wonders of the British shoreline from a Working in central London meant that my RNLI shifts mainly different angle – beneath the waves. Once, as I was standing covered from evenings to early mornings. Being woken up at 4am by the slipway in Newhaven waiting to board a dive boat, I can by a screaming pager got the adrenaline pumping hard in a fraction remember hearing the sound of maroons. Suddenly, a number of a second and certainly took some getting used to. Within a of people started running to the lifeboat station and in a matter few minutes, we would be heading flat out on the water to tend of minutes the lifeboat was under way. Ordinary people going to a boat adrift, a drunken swimmer or, sadly too often, a person about their daily lives had dropped everything to go to sea and threatening to jump off a bridge to end it all. If one person ever assist someone in trouble out there. Soon afterwards, I took a changed his or her mind about jumping after seeing the lifeboat membership to the RNLI; my meagre contribution to what I arrive on scene, then all the training and all the nights thought was a very worthy cause. and weekends on call will have been worthwhile.

One day, the Lifeboat A few months after magazine announced that joining the Teddington four new stations were to crew, I also joined the be set-up on the Thames. crew of Tower Lifeboat Volunteers were sought in central London which, in Gravesend, Central with around 500 call-outs London, Chiswick and every year, is the busiest also Teddington where RNLI station in the UK. I lived. There was going Because of its location, to be a lifeboat station less Tower doesn’t operate than a mile from home. I on a pager system but is could already see myself manned 24/7 by crew on clad in yellow foul-weather 12-hour shifts. gear, standing at the bow I didn’t mind going on of a mighty RNLI ship as a ‘shout’ in the middle it slid down a ramp and of the night. None of hit the water with a big us did, whether it was splash. Of course I applied for a false alert or a life to become a crewmember. was saved. Returning Suddenly, I could save to the station after the lives – I could make a job as the day broke on difference. And let’s face it, a flat calm river with a the toys I would get to play slight mist was a serene with sounded rather fun experience. I would then and the uniform looked jump in the shower back kind of cool… home and head out into So in October 2001 I town for my day job. joined a group of enthusiasts who started To find out more about the work of the RNLI Standing on an overcrowded tube train at or to make a donation go to www.rnli.org.uk rush hour knowing that my actions had training every evening to become the Teddington Lifeboat crew. Other than made a difference gave me an enormous becoming competent in handling the ‘D-Class’, a 5m inflatable boat sense of satisfaction. I remember one February evening being powered with a 40hp outboard engine, we had to become familiar called to help an unfortunate South American tourist who leant with the launching tractor and its trailer, and the equipment carried over the wall on the riverside to take pictures of the London Eye on board – from the radios (and radio transmissions protocol) to and slipped. She can’t have spent more than a few minutes in the the first-aid, oxygen and entonox kits. Local knowledge of our water but her body temperature dropped from a normal 37ºC to a eight-mile stretch of the river also became paramount. life-threatening 32ºC. There is no doubt in my mind that we saved Just a couple of months later, on 2 January 2002, the four her life that evening.

Thames stations were officially launched. Members of the public Having recently moved away from Teddington, I unfortunately could dial 999 and ask to speak to the coastguard to report an had to leave the crew there. But I still volunteer to do occasional incident on the river. The London coastguard watch manager night shift after work with Tower Lifeboat. After ten years as a would then set off our pagers. Within four minutes, the crew lifeboatman, the initial excitement is still there, mixed with a great would muster, get changed into their gear and launch the boat. Our sense of achievement. JP Trenque

“Ordinary people had dropped everything to go to sea and assist someone in trouble out there”

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58 BE HAPPY

Dive time: 16 minutes Water temperature: 23 Ë&#x161;C Depth: 11 m Experience: Out of this world

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