Places & Faces North Norfolk 11 February 2018 by Countrywide Publications

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CONTRIBUTORS

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magazine which as usual is packed with celebrity interviews, travel reviews, places to eat, places to stay as well as all our regular features and columns. This month we chatted to Frank Bruno one of the most well-loved and recognisable boxers in British history, he won 40 of his 45 bouts - 38 of them by knockout, taking the European Heavyweight title and the World Heavyweight Championship. However, during the second of two high profile losses against Mike Tyson, Frank suffered severe eye damage and was told that if he ever fought again, he would run the risk of permanent blindness. Frank is now one of Britain’s most famous sufferers of bipolar affective disorder - an illness that’s commonly known as manic depression. He admits there is still a lot to do to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness, however, he believes that “people need to know that in this day and age there’s nothing wrong in saying, ‘I’m suffering from a mental health condition’. It’s important people feel able to ask for help. If I can, then anyone can.” Pete Goodrum caught up with Rob Cherry of The Opera Boys the leading men from London’s West End combine in a powerhouse of vocal harmony to deliver a stunning blend of music ranging from Opera to Pop, and everything in between. For the last 5 years The Opera Boys have been delighting audiences all over the world with their unique show combining beautiful, powerful and emotional music with funny, engaging and light-hearted entertainment. Making opera accessible to the masses, The Opera Boys combine their exceptional classically trained voices with their experience, showmanship and personality to deliver a wonderfully entertaining show not to be missed! George Nichols caught up with Joe Brown ahead of his performance at The Apex Theatre in Bury St Edmunds, Can you beleive It was 55 years ago that Joe Brown became a youthful, cheery star with the hit A Picture Of You. He might not be a young heartthrob any more but he still has the cheeky Cockney charm that captivated audiences back when even the Beatles appeared as his support band. We are really thrilled our latest column “10 Things You Might Know” has been so well received. This month we focus on George Michael, It was Christmas Day 2016 that saw the passing of George Michael. It seems impossible, just over a year later, that he’s gone. His legacy is immense, both musically and in other things he did, some of which were not common knowledge until after his untimely death. A complex man, he was always the first to admit that his private life often caused his career to take twists and turns, but somehow right itself like ‘a rubber duck in a bath’ (his words). This is just a very short taster of what is inside our February issue of Places&Faces® magazine, so as we always say sit back and relax with a glass of wine or a nice hot cup of coffee and enjoy our February issue.

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11/01/2018 10:56 08/11/2017 11:46

CONTENTS

COVER STORY 50 Frank Bruno

WHAT’S ON

17 Kayla Dunn: Visit North Norfolk 19 What’s on in February 28 Hamilton 30 Five Guys Named Moe! 32 The Kite Runner 37 The South 54 St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth

PERSONALITIES

27 Royal Favourite: Ray Gelato 35 Rebecca Ferguson returns to Norwich 38 10 things you might not know about: George Michael 41 Paul Young 42 The Opera Boys 44 Joe Brown 46 Rita Simons: Legally Blonde 82 Five Minutes with: Asa Morrison

FASHION, BEAUTY & HEALTH

56 Ladies Fashion: Valentine’s Lingerie 59 Romantic Gifts for her 61 Brief Encounters for him

TRAVEL

69 Investing in Holiday Letting 71 Staycations 72 Our Travel Time round-up 74 Skiing: Val d’Isére

FOOD AND DRINK

62 Wine of the Month 65 Cocktail time !! 67 Richard Bainbridge with the Perfect Pancakes

FEATURES

12 Education

HOMES AND GARDENS

78 Ellen Mary’s gardening tips for February

BUSINESS

11 Financial advice from Carl Lamb

P&F January fro Cliftonville Hotel_Layout 1 15/12/2017 14:27 Page 1

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Visit our web site for more photographs and online booking

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For the Highest Quality Financial Advice

Talk to a Chartered Financial Planner

Pensions

Life Insurance Investments

Find out more at almarygreen.com Tel 01603 706740 Email enquiries@almarygreen.com Almary Green Investments Ltd, Greenfields House, 10 Meridian Way, Meridian Business Park, Norwich NR7 0TA

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

“Advisers who are not independent - known as either restricted or tied advisers - can only recommend certain products or product providers to you”

WHO DO YO U T R U S T W I T H YO U R F I NA N C E S ? THERE ARE REGULAR STORIES IN THE MEDIA ABOUT FINANCIAL SCAMS AND FAKE ADVICE. CARL LAMB LOOKS AT HOW YOU CAN AUTHENTICATE THOSE WHO PROVIDE ADVICE.

SEEKING FINANCIAL ADVICE CAN BE DAUNTING: you need to be able to trust your financial adviser with very detailed information about your finances, your family and personal circumstances. So, if you are looking for a new adviser – whether it’s your first adviser, you have moved into the area or you just want to find somebody new – how do you ensure you are starting a relationship with someone you can trust? An essential point to clarify is that the advice firm to which your adviser belongs is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Each authorised firm is given a registration number and this information will be on the firm’s website. You can also search for the firm via the register held on the FCA’s website at register.fca.org.uk/. Authorisation by the FCA gives you the reassurance that the firm follows strict compliance rules and that their advisers have reached minimum levels of qualification. In addition, it provides you with protection if things go awry, through the Financial Ombudsman Service. You should ask a prospective adviser whether or not they are independent. Independent advisers are able to advise you on solutions from across the whole of the financial marketplace ensuring that you have the most suitable solution tailored to your individual circumstances. Advisers who are not independent – known as either restricted or tied advisers – can only recommend certain products or product providers to you.

All Independent Financial Advisers are required to pass something called “Level 4 Qualifications” and you should be looking for an adviser to have a diploma-level certificate, such as the Diploma in Financial Planning (DipPFS) or even better, the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (APFS). There are certain areas of advice that require an adviser to hold a specific qualification. For example, specialist qualifications are required when providing advice relating to care fees planning, when looking to transfer a pension (Pension Transfers) or releasing equity on your property (Equity Release). The top qualifications an adviser can get are Certified Financial Planner or Chartered Financial Planner. Chartered Financial Planner status is only awarded to advisers who hold the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning and have at least five years’ experience in the advice sector. Firms can be Chartered too: this is the gold standard for firms in the profession and there are strict eligibility criteria. To be a Chartered Financial Planning firm, you must not only have a significant proportion of your advisers individually Chartered, but you must also have in place core values and business practices that align with the CII Code of Ethics. If you want to check the Chartered status of a firm or individual adviser, you can do so on the CII www.cii.co.uk/Consumer. Having authenticated the professional status of a prospective adviser and firm, perhaps the most important factor to take into account is whether or not you feel you can build a strong client/adviser relationship with the individual – in essence whether or not you actually like them. In many cases, your financial adviser will, over time, become your friend – someone you can really trust. The value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up. The return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested. The tax treatment of investments depends on individual circumstances and is subject to change.

Carl Lamb

Almary Green Chartered Financial Planners www.almarygreen.com | 01603 706740

For independent financial advice, contact Almary Green on 01603 706740 or email enquiries@almarygreen.com. Please remember that the advice here is generic and we recommend that you get individual personalised advice.

| FEBRUARY 2018

QUALITIES FOR LEARNING

at Norwich High School for Girls aged 3 to 18

At Norwich High School for Girls, students are encouraged to become independent and agile thinkers who approach learning with curiosity and enthusiasm, enabling them to respond positively to the challenges and opportunities presented to them both now, in school, and later on in their future careers. What can be said with certainty about the world beyond the classroom is that it is, and will continue to be, competitive, fast-paced and ever-changing. It is one of the roles of any school to develop the character traits required to flourish in this progressive environment. This is why at Norwich High School, all girls know, understand and develop the nine ‘Qualities for Learning’, which have been drawn from the World Economic Forum lists of the top 10 skills needed for success in the Fourth Industrial revolution. By developing these qualities, all students can become the best possible versions of themselves, whether they have just started in the Nursery or are working towards their A Levels in the Sixth Form. The Qualities for Learning are: Problem Solving, Evaluation, Collaboration, Analysis, Creative Thinking, Approach, Determination, Interpretation and Reasoning. The school’s aim is for all girls to become so familiar with the above qualities that they can recognise situations where a particular quality is being used or is needed, and can talk with confidence about their own development and progress with this attribute. Developing this level of awareness of their strengths and areas of ‘work in progress’ helps girls take control over their own character development, and use any advice given to grow further.

Across the whole of Norwich High School, staff and students have embraced the challenge of fully discovering and understanding these Qualities, from making them the focus of regular assemblies and events, to ensuring that they underpin the school curriculum. Everyone has the opportunity to explore what they mean and then apply what they have learnt in the many different experiences that make up school life. Through this rich variety of opportunities, girls can learn about the different aspects of the qualities in an age appropriate way, broadening their understanding of what each one means and looking at ways to change old habits. For example, in Mathematics in the Senior School, girls are taught to think ‘like a mathematician’. Mathematicians recognise that determination and approach are important when facing challenges, as is a creative approach to problem solving. This level of thinking applies across all curriculum subjects within the Senior School.

Sharing these Qualities for Learning with a younger audience To aid younger girls’ understanding of the ‘Qualities for Learning’, for whom some of the words used will have been unfamiliar, the schools’ Prep Forum (school council) helped to design some visuals to illustrate these Qualities, in a way which would inspire and excite particularly our younger girls. Drawing on their own skills in creative thinking, they came up with an imaginative and engaging solution: they conceived of the idea of nine ‘new girls’ to join the school who embody all that the qualities stand for. You can see on the next page that they have really brought these qualities to life:

EDUCATION

Astrid Approach Astrid loves to make the most of new opportunities and is willing to have a go at something even if she is not sure she will succeed. She knows that being positive, even when things go wrong, will help her get there in the end. She is curious to find out more and will try her best, whatever she is asked to do.

Priya Problem Solving Priya enjoys having a problem to solve. First, she finds out everything she can about the problem so she can come up with all sorts of ideas to solve it. Not all of them will work but she knows she needs to keep trying until she finds just the right one. She loves the feeling of satisfaction she gets when she works out the solution to a tricky problem.

Dita Determination Dita sets targets for herself and won’t give up until she reaches them. Sometimes it is difficult when things go wrong but she doesn’t let her failures stop her and she picks herself up and carries on. Even if she doesn’t feel like making an effort, she knows it will be worth it in the end when she reaches her goal.

Edith Evaluation Edith is keen to be a better learner. She takes the time to reflect on her work to think about what went well and what she could have done better, so she can improve next time. She also knows it is a good idea to reflect on what she sees and hears too, so she can carefully consider what she thinks before she makes a decision.

Iris Interpretation Iris understands that not everybody sees things the same way. In a discussion she can see both sides of the argument and she understands that there isn’t always a straightforward answer to a problem. Iris understands that looking at things differently can lead to exciting discoveries and better understanding.

Cleo and Collette Collaboration Cleo and Collette love working in a group. When they work with other people there are always lots of good ideas and each person in the group has a different skill to get the job done. Working as a group can have its challenges and they have to make sure everybody has a say and is included. They can normally sort out any problems fairly.

Ruby Reasoning Ruby is a very logical thinker. She likes to work things out for herself and she will use all the information she has to make a sensible and considered decision. She can use her reasoning to support her ideas and persuade other people but she knows she needs to be flexible and change her mind if she is presented with a better reason.

Anya Analysis Anya knows how to make something that’s complicated easier to understand by breaking it down into smaller pieces. She looks at the details so she can understand the bigger picture and this helps her work out what it is all about. She is very good at explaining and can help her friends understand things that seem very difficult at first. Sometimes she can be a bit like a detective, using the clues to work out what something means.

Cara Creative Thinking Cara knows that the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. She is willing to consider any idea, even if it seems unusual at first and this can often help her think in new and inventive ways. She rarely goes with her first idea but instead likes to try lots of different solutions until she finds the best one.

If you would like to find out more about the Qualities for Learning, or the Nursery, Prep School, Senior School or Sixth Form at Norwich High School, please contact: Norwich High School for Girls, 95 Newmarket Road, Norwich, NR2 2HU Tel: 01603 453 265 | Email: admissions@nor.gdst.net www.norwichhigh.gdst.net You can also find out more at the school’s Open Week, which takes place from Monday 12th to Friday 16th March 2018

NURSERY PREP SCHOOL

Discover our outstanding school for girls aged 3 to 18 at our next

Monday 12th to Friday 16th March 2018 SENIOR SCHOOL SIXTH FORM

To book your place: Call: 01603 453 265 Email: admissions@nor.gdst.net Visit: 95 Newmarket Road, Norwich www.norwichhigh.gdst.net

NORWICH HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 3 TO 18

Bookings now being taken for valentines. Wednesday 14th February to Saturday 17th February.

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VISIT NORTH NORFOLK

Spring in to a

GorgeOuS Garden Walk

North Norfolk has an amazing collection of gardens, from cottage gardens to tranquil water gardens and magnificent manicured stately home landscapes, says Kayla Dunne from Visit North Norfolk

ll year-round there is

something to see in north Norfolk’s parks and gardens, and it’s worth going back at different times to discover what each new season brings. With Spring on it’s way, it’s an ideal time to visit to enjoy the new plant life springing up. Pensthorpe Natural Park, is home to three wonderful wildlife-rich gardens by awardwinning designers. Take the day to wander around the Wildlife Habitat Garden, the innovative Wave Line Garden, structural beauty of the acclaimed Millennium Garden and the tranquil Wildflower Meadow. The grounds around Walsingham Abbey are a must see during Spring. Take in the tranquil atmosphere surrounding the Priory ruins. You will find wildflower meadows, 18 acres of woodland and quiet river walks alongside the Stiffkey. In February, the woodland is carpeted white with an incredible impressive snowdrop display. Holt Country Park, on the edge of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a tranquil woodland dominated with Scots Pine and native broadleaves. Its rich ground flora supports an abundant display of wildlife including Goldcrests, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Emperor Dragonflies and Deer. East Ruston Old Vicarage is one of Norfolk’s privately owned, best-kept gardens. Open for public viewing (March to October), visitors can see the love and attention that has been put into creating a collection of gardens, from exotic to woodland. Tucked away in the Norfolk Broads is Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden.

Here you will find wonderful woodland walks, wildlife-rich gardens and an eclectic mix of native and cultivated plantings. One of Norfolk’s other fine water gardens are the Gooderstone Water Gardens, boasting six acres of with a natural trout stream, waterways, four ponds, thirteen bridges, nature trails and grass paths, mature trees and shrubs. A truly tranquil setting where you feel you’ve really got away from it all. Hindringham Hall Gardens (open April to September) is home to one of only a few complete moats in the county! Hindringham has a walled fruit and vegetable garden, a water garden, an iris and delphinium walk, a walkwayed bog area, Victorian nut walk and wild garden. And when you’re ready for a rest, there’s a tearoom by the East Lawn. You will find another majestic house at Mannington (open June to August) which is a medieval moated manor house and its gardens feature around 50 varieties of trees and shrubs as well as many varieties of roses. The Contemporary Garden features shrubs and herbaceous borders, and the Heritage and Modern Rose Gardens have an amazing rose display in areas with designs reflecting their date of origin, from the fifteenth century to the present-day. The National Trust’s Blickling Hall has an impressive manicured landscape with 55 acres of topiary, herbaceous borders, sweeping lawns, temple and lake. There are plenty of spots to sit quietly and enjoy the view. Another National Trust venue is Sheringham Park which has nearly 1000 acres to explore. There are four waymarked routes (between one to five miles), taking you through the varying habitats of spring flowers

as well as a nationally important collection of rhododendrons providing a showcase of colour throughout much of the year, with May and June seeing the display coming to its peak. The historical Priory Maze and Gardens (opens at Easter), set within 10 acres, consists of various themed gardens, and the hedge maze is based on the ruins of the adjacent Beeston Priory. The copper beech copies the layout of remaining ruins, and hornbeam infill’s produce the maze. As this is not a symmetrical maze, there is no middle, but the viewing platform is located where the cloister would have been, and gives visitors a bird’s eye view of the maze and gardens. The gardens and diverse plants creates a perfect habitat for a wide range of mammals, birds and insects. Houghton Hall Gardens & Park (open March to September) has some of the most diverse and impressive gardens in the county. The five-acre, award-winning walled garden within the grounds of Houghton Hall, has become one of Houghton’s most popular attractions with its famous Sculpture Garden displaying an impressive collection of contemporary sculptures by world renowned artists. The Houghton Estate is also renowned for its unusual herd of white fallow deer that roam in the 450 acres of parkland surrounding the Hall.

Please check opening dates and times before visiting. FOR MORE information, please see visitnorthnorfolk.com

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WHAt's On

STAR OF THE WEST END KERRY ELLIS The West End’s favourite leading lady will sing songs from Bond, to Bareilles to Bacharach and more, telling stories from her career to date. Ellis has just released her latest hit album on Sony Music with Brian May, Golden Days, and has stared in shows such as We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in both the West End and Broadway productions of Wicked. Her many other leading role credits include Nancy in Oliver! and Grizabella in Cats at the London Palladium, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon, and Fantine in Les Miserables. She has released several Top 40 albums, and is in huge demand around the world for her concert work – Norwich Playhouse www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk Saturday 3 March 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Februar Y

COMEDY JIM DAVIDSON Jim Davidson , the people’s favourite comedian takes to ‘The Road Again’ with a brand-new show which promises to be the antidote to this ‘PC’ world we now live in. Guaranteed to be outrageous and as truthful as ever. ‘Boy does Jim know how to deliver his gospel.’…‘The audience could have stayed all night.’…‘He speaks with rare honesty.’ 5 Stars The Express Strictly over 18s only – Cromer Pier Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 February www.cromerpier.co.uk

AN EVENING WITH FRANK BRUNO Enjoy an evening of conversation with Frank Bruno MBE, hosted by Jed Stone - well known comedian and entertainer. Frank talks about his recent book and boxing career, from starting out, to becoming one of Britain’s most loved sports personality. Since hanging up his gloves, he has become a much loved entertainer and performed in numerous pantos, as well as appearing on our screens in personal interviews and after dinner speaking. He is a huge supporter of many charities including mental health and he runs half marathons to support various charities. His well-documented illness put Frank in the public eye and he used this media attention to help with the stigma attached to mental health, and to help raise the standards of care given to those suffering with mental health issues. The evening will give you a full insight into his life with frank conversation, and with his light hearted humour it will make for a very enjoyable evening. There is also an opportunity for people to meet Frank before the show for photos and autographs, and receive a copy of his latest book. Places are limited and this is an additional £35. Tickets can be purchased in conjunction with the show. Please call the box office on 01284 758000 to book your place. – Apex Theatre, Bury St Edmunds Friday 16 February 7.30pm www.theapex.co.uk

F ebruar ' n O s t A H W y

Photo by JAY BROOKS

WHAT’S ON

MUSICAL THEATRE THE BAND Written by award winning writer Tim Firth, THE BAND is a beautiful story for anyone who grew up with a boyband and how those songs became the soundtrack to their lives. For five 16 year old girls in 1992, the band is everything. 25 years on, we are reunited with this group of friends as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes. Featuring the music of Take That, Britain’s most successful boyband of all time, whose songs include Never Forget, Back For Good, A Million Love Songs, Greatest Day, The Flood, Relight My Fire, Shine & Rule the World and starring the winners from the BBC’s Let it Shine, Five to Five. THE BAND is now the fastest selling musical theatre tour of all time . Don’t miss your chance to see this breathtaking brand new production first before it hits London’s West End. Age guidance: There are a few instances of strong language in the current script, which is still being worked on, so we recommend this show as only suitable for those aged 10 and up. – Norwich Theatre Royal Tuesday 6 February to Saturday 17 February Check times for availability www.TheatreRoyalnorwich.co.uk SNOWDROP WALKS Raveningham Gardens opens for the snowdrop season from Thursday 1 February to Wednesday 28 February (closed all Saturdays). See drifts of snowdrops in the main garden from 11am to 4pm (dusk if earlier). Proceeds from Sundays, February 11 and February 18 go to Priscilla Bacon Lodge Hospice in Norwich. Richard Hobbs, one of the gardening experts on BBC Radio Norfolk’s Garden Party and Raveningham’s garden consultant, will lead snowdrop tours in the garden on Sunday, February 11th at 11.30am and 2pm and will talk about the different varieties planted by Priscilla Bacon. Tours start from the tearoom courtyard and are included in the garden entry charge. Garden entry is adult £5, concessions £4.50 and children under 16 free. The tearoom will be open serving soup, light refreshments, home made cakes and drinks. – Raveningham Gardens Thursday 1 February to Wednesday 28 February (closed all Saturdays) www.raveningham.com

COMEDY

RICH HALL’S HOEDOWN Rich Hall’s critically acclaimed new show begins its second leg of touring and there has never been a better time to be an American comedian in the UK. Hall’s precision dismantling of the tenuous relationship between two countries is as freewheeling and deadly accurate as ever. His BBC Four documentaries, most recently Rich Hall’s Countrier Than You and Rich Hall’s Presidential Grudge Match and BBC Radio 4 series Rich Hall’s (US Election) Breakdown have built him a new legion of followers, as has appearances on Have I Got News For You and QI. But if you’ve only ever seen Hall on TV, you’ve shortchanged yourself. “As close as it gets to a guaranteed good show” (Scotland on Sunday) “Blissfully Funny” (Guardian) 14+ (Parental Guidance) Likely to be swearing and adult content – Marina Theatre Thursday 1 March - 8pm www.marinatheatre.co.uk

SICARIUS – A MUSICAL PREMIER Set to a powerful orchestral score, Sicarius is an original, thrilling, gothic tale of loyalty, betrayal, love and redemption. A brand new musical, don’t miss out on this stunning premier. Under 12’s need to be accompanied by an adult – Maddermarket Theatre Norwich Thursday 1 March to Saturday 3 March www.maddermarket.co.uk

F ebruar ' n O s t A WH y IN

MUSIC PAUL YOUNG PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS CHINA CRISIS Soulful 80s chart-topper, best known for the hits Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home), Come Back And Stay, Everytime You Go Away and Love Of The Common People and of course as one of the vocalists on Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas. Since then he’s split his time between touring with his Tex-Mex band Los Pacaminos and performing solo at 80’s festivals. In 2016 he also released his first new album in ten years, ‘Good Thing’, a collection of overlooked soul covers. Plus special guests: CHINA CRISIS. Formed in 1979 in Kirkby on Merseyside, China Crisis are essentially vocalist/keyboardist Garry Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. With hits including ‘Wishful Thinking’, ‘Black Man Ray’ and ‘King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)’, their distinctive AOR-fuelled pop songs were everywhere in the ‘80s. – Norwich Waterfront Saturday 17 February 2018 www.thewaterfront.ticketabc.com

MUSIC - FOLK LEGENDS FAIRPORT CONVENTION Fairport Convention has been making great music for over fifty years, and have been credited with originating British folk-rock music, the band has been through many changes, but the current members retain a passion for live performance. This year’s winter tour will feature a mix of long-established Fairport favourites, and new material from their most recent studio album ‘50:50@50’, celebrating their Golden anniversary. There will be an opening performance by the wonderful singer/ songwriter duo, Winter Wilson, who have become favourites on the folk scene in the UK and as far away as Australia. Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to their music, an evening with Fairport Convention is sure to surprise and delight you. – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Friday 23 February www.theapex.co.uk

MUSIC - 60’S SENSATIONS MANFRED MANN There she was just a walkin’ down the street, singing Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do! One of the most popular, and instantly recognisable, songs of the ‘60’s and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts some 50 years later. The ‘60s group Manfred Mann is now considered, more than ever, one of the finest and most respected bands from that era. Their numerous hits were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz - a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance. Paul Jones, with his unique harmonica sound, will be joined by Mike Hugg on keyboards, Tom McGuinness on guitar, Rob Townsend on drums, Marcus Cliffe on bass, and Simon Currie on saxophone / flute. – Princess Theatre, Hunstanton Thursday 22 March www.thelittleboxofﬁce.com

WHAT’S ON

THEATRE SUNSET BOULEVARD Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award®-winning masterpiece Sunset Boulevard stars Ria Jones, who received standing ovations every night when performing at the London Coliseum, as Norma Desmond and Strictly Come Dancing’s Danny Mac as Joe Gillis. With its much-loved score (including Sunset Boulevard, With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The Greatest Star Of All and The Perfect Year) this production promises to be a spectacular event. – Ipswich Regent Monday 5 to Saturday 10 March www.apps.ipswich.gov.uk

MUSIC

HEATWAVE & ODYSSEY LIVE IN CONCERT Return to the glory days of disco, funk and soul with real dance music legends and enjoy a sensational evening of nonstop, dancefloor anthems including Boogie Nights, Going Back to My Roots and Use It Up Wear It Out. Live in concert, Heatwave present with spine-tingling falsettos on Mind Blowing Decisions, Always and Forever, Gangsters of the Groove, The Groove Line and Too Hot to Handle. While direct from the Big Apple, special guests Odyssey take us back to our roots with Native New Yorker, Inside Out and If You’re Looking for a Way Out. Prepare to use up and wear out the dance floor one last time in the definitive boogie night! – Princess Theatre, Hunstanton Friday 16 March www.thelittleboxofﬁce.com

THEATRE PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL Get ready for the ride of your life as the ultimate party, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, takes a pit-stop in Norwich for one week only! Based on the smash-hit movie, the feelgood international hit sensation Priscilla is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and a hit parade of dance floor classics including I Will Survive, Hot Stuff, Finally, Boogie Wonderland, Go West, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and I Love The Nightlife, rush to get your tickets today for this wildly fresh and funny hit musical that will take you on a journey to the heart of fabulous! – The Open, Norwich Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 February www.opennorwich.org.uk

FEBRUARY

BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00

Fri 2 – Sat 3 February RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY World class dance £7 - £21.50 Tues 6 – Sat 17 February THE BAND New musical with the music of Take That £8 - £49.50 Sun 18 February POCAHONTAS Michala Jane School of Dance £7 - £17.50

Tues 27 February – Sat 3 March Matthew Bourne’s CINDERELLA Dance adaptation of fairy tale classic £8 - £42.50

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk T H E AT R E ST R E E T, N O RW I C H N R 2 1 R L

The Band

Tues 20 – Sat 24 February GALLOWGLASS Gripping adaptation of Ruth Rendell thriller £8 - £26.50

WHAT’S ON

BALLET MATTHEW BOURNE’S CINDERELLA Following the sold-out and critical success of The Red Shoes and Sleeping Beauty, New Adventures return to Norwich Theatre Royal with one of their most popular and beloved productions, Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella – a thrilling and evocative love story set in London during the Second World War. Matthew Bourne’s interpretation of the classic fairy tale has, at its heart, a true war-time romance. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz. Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella takes the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s magnificent score, and the sights and sounds of war-torn London, with surround sound designed by Paul Groothuis, and a specially commissioned recording of a 60 piece orchestra, Lez Brotherston’s Olivier Award winning designs and lighting by Olivier Award-winning Neil Austin. – Norwich Theatre Royal Tuesday 27 February to Saturday 3 March www. theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

WINTER WALKS FAIRHAVEN WOODLAND AND WATER GARDEN

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE with Wildlife Warden Trevor ‘Tabs’ Taberham Friday 2 February, 9am Take a walk on the wild side every first Friday of the month with Tabs, our Wildlife Warden and get inside knowledge of what makes our woodland garden such a unique environment of diverse habitats. All of which are organically managed, which makes it great for wildlife - some of it quite rare. SIGNS OF SPRING WEEK Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February, 10am to 4pm It’s (nearly) Spring! Celebrate with us by looking out for signs of Spring in our woodland garden. Included in garden entry price and free to Fairhaven members. This event is ideal for all the family. – Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden South Walsham www.fairhavengarden.co.uk

MUSIC SHOWADDYWADDY Showaddywaddy have long been established as Europe’s most successful ever exponents of retro-inspired rock & roll. The record speaks for itself! The band holds 23 Top 40 hit singles, including ‘Under The Moon of Love’, ‘When’, ‘You Got What It Takes’ and ‘3 Steps To Heaven’ They have in excess of 50 Top Of The Pops performances, countless industry awards, and have performed at the Royal Variety Show on numerous occasions. At the Golden Orpheus World Music Festival, before a staggering TV audience of 300 million people, they made history by becoming the first western-world band to be screened live in Communist Cuba. As if the band’s amazing successes through four decades were not enough, here now, well into the 21st Century the demand for these legendary performers is every bit as strong. – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Saturday 24 February, 7.30pm www.theapex.co.uk

MUSIC - LES MCKEOWN’S BAY CITY ROLLERS Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers promises to be a unique voyage back to the 1970s, when Les and his Legendary band ruled the world’s pop charts and The Bay City Rollers’ music became the soundtrack for a generation of teenagers. Les brings back the all the thrill and excitement of Rollermania, performing all the original hits including Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-Lang, Remember, Summerlove Sensation and Give A Little Love plus many many more as well as introducing new songs from the upcoming new Bay City Rollers album. Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers bring a new energy to all the classic hits. – St Georges Theatre, Great Yarmouth Saturday 10 March 7.30pm www.stgeorgestheatre.ticketsolve.com

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MUSIC

R e H T A G O D F of SwinG ROYAL FAVOURITE RAY GELATO SET TO DAZZLE THE EAST

One of the Queen’s favourite

musicians is set to return to the East after a sell-out performance in Ipswich last year. “Godfather of Swing” Ray Gelato, who has performed on the special request of Her Majesty and has shared a stage with Robbie Williams, is to be the lead act in new show “The Raspberry Cannoli Cabaret”. The exclusive event is being brought to a series of venues in Norfolk and Suffolk by events promoter Mister Jack in 2018. Inspired by a New York, Italian-American club, it will feature live music supported by live performance including dance, cabaret and burlesque. A spokesman for Mister Jack said: “We are very excited to be working with Ray Gelato again. “The show is set to dazzle audiences once again, bringing elements of mystery and escapism to the stage and transporting the audience to a different time and place.

“Ticket-holders can expect an evening of pure spectacle, with dancing, cocktails and enigmatic mystique.” Ray Gelato, front man for Ray Gelato and the Giants, said: “It’s great to be working with Mister Jack. We’re looking forward to performing with some incredible acts which will be announced early in 2018. This is going to be a great night for all, bringing the New York, Italian-American style to Norwich”

“THE RASPBERRY CANNOLI CABARET”

will take place on 5 May 2018 at the OPEN in Norwich. For a limited time only, tickets to this event are on a special early bird price of £20.18. For more information visit: MisterJackLtd.eventbrite.com

HAMILTON is on at the Victoria Palace Theatre until 28 July 2018 www.victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk

Photography by MATTHEW MURPHY

| FEBRUARY 2018

WEST END REVIEW

HAMILTON The monster hit of the moment - Benet Catty visits the Victoria Palace Theatre to see what all the fuss is about!

very five years or so the musical

theatre offers a monster hit. The last was Book of Mormon. Before that there was Wicked. Before that The Producers. But Hamilton is something else. Already an award-laden cultural icon, its first airing was in front of the Obamas at the White House and later, after the rise of Trump, the line “Immigrants, we get the job done” started getting nightly audience reactions which speak to the times. Hamilton is a masterpiece. Its brilliance lies in the story which is rich, complicated and true. Alexander Hamilton was born with nothing and made his way to America with nothing but his wits. He became the right-hand man to George Washington, was key to winning independence from the British, became the treasury secretary and set up the first national bank, was the subject of the country’s first sex scandal and died in a duel. To most people he’s remembered as the face on the $10 note. Not anymore. Lin Manuel Miranda (who wrote the music, lyrics and book) pitches Hamilton as “the story of America then told by America now”. The characters were old and white but the cast is young and multi-racial; the music is hip-hop with recitatives of rap and songs ranging from R&B to show-tunes. But it’s the lyrics that dazzle first. The first twenty seconds encompasses the first four chapters of Ron Chernow’s 832-page biography which the show is based on: “How does a bastard orphan son of a whore and a Scotsman dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar? The ten dollar Founding Father without a father got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter, by being a self-starter, by fourteen they’d put him in charge of a trading charter.” Hamilton is played thrillingly by recent graduate Jamael Westman. Paranoid by intimations of death (“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory”) and a determination that “I’m not throwin’ away my shot”, his wit and vanity is underpinned by a sense of urgency which proves tragically well placed. Aaron Burr (ever-terrific Giles Terera), Hamilton’s friend and nemesis, owes a lot to Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, not least that the story

is told from Burr’s point of view. Burr is Salieri to Hamilton’s Mozart and, as in Amadeus, the notional villain is as sympathetic as the hero. Amongst the many well-crafted supporting roles, Obioma Ugoala is a powerful and nuanced George Washington and Michael Jibson does a great turn as King George III who makes three appearances in a huge crown (accompanied by harpsichord) to tartly tell America “You’ll be back”. Rachelle Ann Go delivers vocal power as Eliza, Hamilton’s wife, but it’s Rachel John as her sister, who sacrifices her own happiness for Eliza’s sake, who delivers the emotional heft. Only Jason Pennycooke as Thomas Jefferson comes up a little short for me, pushing the role too far towards scene-stealing, and without making his hyper-fast rapping seem natural. Thomas Kail’s production is creditably no frills and low-tech. Like the writing itself, his staging on David Korin’s set owes a debt to Les Miserables in the economy with which it cleanly tells a complicated story. It lets movement (the almost constant high energy choreography is by Andy Blankenbuehler) and lighting (Howell Binkley) do the work, which they do with huge flair. In the end, though, Lin Manuel Miranda is the hero of the evening as much as Alexander Hamilton. It is an unarguable masterpiece that adapts the work of the great musical theatre writers of the last century into something completely contemporary and original. The finger snaps and choreographic integration emulate Leonard Bernstein. The dexterity with language and sophistication of subject parallel Sondheim. He places melodies and reprises as well as anyone since Lloyd Webber. The best ballad, the sex scandal number Say No To This, uses a distinctive Kander and Ebb modulation. He even quotes Gilbert and Sullivan, Oscar Hammerstein Shakespeare and The West Wing along the way. And that’s before we talk about the stream of hip-hop references. Hamilton is a dazzling, unmissable theatrical event. It plays in the sumptuously restored Victoria Palace, now perhaps the most beautiful theatre in London. You may not be able to get in for a while but don’t worry, the show’s not going anywhere for a few years. Like the man himself, Hamilton is a musical which makes history.

| FEBRUARY 2018

e v i F

s y u G NameD MO E The bourbon’s flowin’ and the music’s swingin’, Benet Catty finds out there ain’t no party like a Five Guys party!

WEST END REVIEW

n 1990 the Theatre Royal Stratford East produced a compilation show of the 1940s jazz songs of Louis Jordan for a short run. One night the producer Cameron Mackintosh was in the audience and Clarke Peters, the show’s writer and star, got a message to meet him in the bar afterwards. As he approached the impresario, who had four monster hits running in London and around the world at the time, Mackintosh grabbed him by his lapels and said “I want this show”. Peters wasn’t up for bargaining. “I want you to have it too!” he said. The show transferred to Shaftesbury Avenue and ran for five years, winning Olivier Awards and ending up on Broadway and around the world. Now, more than twenty years on and staged in a vast specially-created circus tent at Marble Arch, it’s back in London and has extended its run well until Easter. It is, if anything, even better than the original. Nomax is having trouble with his girlfriend, and is getting drunk in his living room listening to the radio. So bad are his problems that his radio explodes (isn’t that always the way?) and out pop five guys named Moe determined to steer him away from his demons and back to his love. They do so by singing and dancing two dozen of the greatest jazz songs ever written. In this production, directed by Peters himself, there is a nightclub setting with a bull ring encircled by a (moving) raised platform around which the six guys sing and dance. As with the original, it’s the exuberance of the guys matching the foot-tapping numbers which makes it such a joyous evening out. But here it has a further ingredient: real visual flair. Every few minutes Peters and his designer takis (sic) and lighting designer Philip Gladwell conjure up a treat. Unlike so many compilation shows of the past and present, the production doesn’t just operate a “sing the songs and take the money” approach; there’s constant flair in the staging to match the wit and

wisecracking of Peters’ script. Andrew Wright’s choreography is slick and energetic albeit perhaps not as eye-popping as Charles Augins’ original dances on which it is based. The cast are every bit the equal of their forebears. Edward Baruwa as Nomax, in many ways the most difficult role, has a commanding vocal and physical presence and brings honest vulnerability to his notquite-down-and-out character. Ian Carlyle as Four Eyed Moe, the closest the show has to a master of ceremonies, leads in the dazzle stakes but every one of the Moes knows how to sell a number and they do so all evening. The real wow of the show, though, is the songs. From Early in the Morning at the top of the evening to Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby at the end, through Messy Bessy and I Like ‘Em Fat Like That and There Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens and Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying along the way it’s one great hit after another. And the home given to more melancholy obscurities – What’s the Use of Getting Sober (When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again), for instance – are surprisingly touching and stop the show becoming repetitively upbeat. The highlight of the night, Pushka Pi Shee Pie, involving the five guys leading the audience in a conga around the auditorium and into the bar, can’t fail to put any sane person in a New Year mood. There’s nothing not to like about Five Guys Named Moe. It’s funny, it’s pacey, it’s energetic, its full of visual flair, it’s saturated with gorgeous harmonies, and with as good a collection of songs as has ever been assembled for a jukebox show. There’s no better way to chase away the New Year blues. FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE Marble Arch Theatre Runs until 24 March 2018 www.fiveguysmusical.com 31

| FEBRUARY 2018

THE KITE r

THEATRE

Runne

Emotional interpretation of a modern classic The decades of conflict which have ravaged Afghanistan

get scared to keep going and worry that you’re doing this every day conjure up an instant image of a beautiful yet difficult to understand and ‘are my eyes going to dry out?’, but it’s quite relieving.” country and culture, and a people who have endured years of He’s relishing bringing the modern classic to audiences around tribulation and hardship. the country. “When you read the novel you have such a clear image Yet scratch beneath the news headlines and there is a rich seam and for us as actors we have to fit that imagination – it’s always hard of human strengths and frailties which strike a chord with everyone to fit page to stage but it’s up to us. To be able to tap into a younger – as the story of The Kite Runner demonstrates. audience is so important now The Kite Runner is in the curriculum, A hard-hitting yet heart-warming tale of friendship by awardso as actors we need to make sure it is engaging for a younger winning Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, The Kite audience because they are learning about it and writing essays and Runner is now on a nationwide tour taking in 11 towns and cities talking about themes. So I think it is quite vital that we do our very and arriving at Norwich Theatre Royal from March 5-10. best. If they are engaged then we have done our job well and when Hosseini’s 2003 novel sold 31.5 million copies in 60 languages and they stand up and they are wiping away tears at the end, then you was made into a critically-acclaimed film released in 2007. In 2014, think ‘that’s why we are here’.” it was adapted by playwright and director Matthew Spangler into a The Kite Runner also throws a light on the Afghan culture stage play, enjoying two acclaimed West End seasons when it played and takes the audience on an educational as well as an emotional to over 100,000 people and received standing ovations at every journey. There is live music from an onstage tabla performer (the performance as well as leading many theatregoers to shed a tear. tabla is a classical South Asian percussion instrument consisting The play gives a compelling portrait of two young boys who grow of two drums), while other classical instruments from the region, up in the same household and whose lives become linked across such as Tibetan Singing Bowls, are amongst an array of additional the years, beginning in the war-torn streets of Kabul and spanning accompaniments provided by the cast. cultures and continents across three decades of modern history. There is a traditional wedding scene with beautiful Afghan songs Unlike the film which used child actors, the play is staged with and sumptuous costumes, and the action moves from Afghanistan to adults playing the two boys. Judy Foster caught up with Jo Ben America with an insight into how difficult immigrant communities Ayed who plays Hassan. Hassan is the kite runner. can find it to integrate into a new country and culture. Kite running is one of the most popular hobbies in Afghanistan, One of the most powerful scenes in the play for Jo is when, on for men and boys, and was even banned by the Taliban in 1996. the afternoon of the kite tournament, Hassan is raped, a scene It is highly competitive with kite owners fixing crushed glass to played out in shadow from behind a gauze curtain. He said: “We the string of their kites to cut the lines of their opponents. Those have everything on social media and are so de-sensitised, so I think boys who are too poor to have their own kites compete instead by it is best done behind closed curtains and it allows the audience running to retrieve the losing kites as they plummet to the ground. to use their imagination because the imagination is so much more Hassan’s story is bound up with that of his friend Amir and what powerful than seeing it. I was quite nervous at first but it is all dealt starts out as the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament on a with safely and respectfully. I wanted Hassan to have that grit in beautiful afternoon in Kabul culminates in a terrible incident over him to fight, but then also to allow it to happen. He just takes it – which Hassan is ultimately betrayed by his friend. The incident that’s more powerful.” affects both of them for the rest of their lives and There are many different relationships leads a guilt-ridden Amir on a journey many years highlighted in the story, which every audience The Kite Runner, Monday later, when he is settled and married as part of member can relate to in some way. It is a story of a to Saturday, 5-10 March, an immigrant community living in America, to relationship between a father and a son, a story of 2018, 7.30pm nightly with seek redemption for his mistake by returning to friendship across social and ethnic divides, a tale of 2.30pm matinees on Afghanistan to make amends. two best friends and a love story. It is also a tale of Wednesday & Saturday. The play takes the audience on a rollercoaster refugees settling in a foreign land, their relationship Tickets £8-£28.50. Age ride of emotions and for 22-year-old Jo, who only with their new home and the friends around them, recommendation 14+. recently graduated from East 15 Acting School and the culture they bring with them and are trying Discounts for Friends, in Essex, landing the role of Hassan has been an to hold on to. Over-60s, Under-18s and amazing start to his acting career. Jo said: “Cut away society and cut away Groups. Audio-described “I couldn’t believe it. This is the first big everything political and you can’t break a core performance on Saturday proper show that I have ever done and it has been friendship and a relationship between a father and 10 March at 2.30pm. absolutely incredible with such a fantastic cast. a son and a son towards a brother. It’s something Captioned performance I want to make sure I can give the best that I can so powerful that everyone can relate to it. And on Wednesday 7 March every single time.” thinking about redemption, every day you realise at 2.30pm. For more info There were naturally some nerves for a young you’ve done something in the past which you or to BOOK ONLINE www. actor going into such an emotionally-charged wish you could correct and mistakes always do theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk drama, but Jo said “everyone in the cast was so come crawling back. It’s real for us and real for the helpful and the process of it made me relaxed and audience because it is a kind of redemption and able to take on such a character and to be able to release for everyone. It is very true.” show the detail and refinement. It was step by step but everyone It is also a truth that Jo has seen in his own family, who came was very supportive.” to the UK from Tunisia. “Family plays a massive part especially in His character goes through so much during the course of the culture. Blood is a powerful thing. Coming to England my father story, both mentally and physically, from innocent boy-ish laughter resembled Baba, Amir’s father, in terms of adapting to English to tears, a dreadful betrayal of friendship and a gross physical culture. He still watched Tunisian TV and tried to hang on to his assault, all of which can be a strain on an actor who has to summon roots and culture. It was always heavily enforced to us that you up the emotion on a nightly basis. know who you are by knowing where your past is and you must But Jo said: “There are little breaks now and then through the always return back. That’s why it’s quite nice to see Amir head back play which gives you a chance to recuperate and regenerate, then to his past.” bounce back on to stage. Everyone there feeds you. Sometimes you 33

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MUSIC

ReB ECcA FErGUSON back playing Norwich as part of her UK tour

fter coming runner-up on the

seventh series of UK’s The X Factor, Rebecca Ferguson has not been short of success since her first appearance on the reality TV show in 2010. Having co-written her record-breaking debut album Heaven, and going on to release a further three follow-ups, Rebecca has proven herself to be a recording artist with a passion for her craft that is second to none. Released in 2011, Heaven, was a critical and commercial success selling 128,000 copies in its first week and peaked at No. 3 in the UK Official Charts, making her the fastest-selling debut solo artist of the past decade (2007-2017). Going onto release her strong debut follow up, Freedom, in 2013, and then her third studio album Lady Sings The Blues (covering a number of jazz classics made famous by Billie Holiday), Rebecca shows off her versatile style with ease. Having released her fourth album Superwoman, Rebecca has come a long way from the shy twenty-something audiences first saw on television 7 years ago. Continuing to flourish as a confident songwriter and stunning live performer, embarking on countless tours across the UK, Europe and US, this working-class girl from Liverpool has no plans on stopping anytime soon. REBECCA FERGUSON will be perfroming at the Norwich UEA on Saturday 17 February www.uealcr.ticketabc.com/venues/uealcr/

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MUSIC

FIND

A LITTLE TIME FOR T he

h t u o S

THE SOUTH (featuring members of The

Beautiful South) are back with a Spring 2018 – UK Tour coming to Kings Lynn and Norwich! When great British pop institution, The Beautiful South split in 2007, some members of the band didn’t feel ready to hang up their microphones or instruments just yet… The South feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. Since original singer, Dave Hemingway, left the group earlier this year, Gaz has now moved across to vocal duties. They play the songs made famous by The Beautiful South and bring back the full flavour and excitement with the nine piece live band. With the new reshuffle complete, The South are a full team again and raring to go! Their live show promises to continue to celebrate and perform the classic Beautiful South songs

- A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don’t Marry Her. All performed again live, these songs, and many more, span an impressive 20 year career starting way back in 1989! Come on! Let’s Carry On… Regardless! The line up for the The South are: Alison Wheeler (Vocals), Gaz Birtles (Vocals), Phil Barton (Guitars), Steve Nutter (Bass), Dave Anderson (Drums), Karl Brown (Percussion), Gareth John (Trumpet), Su Robinson (Sax), Andy Price (Keys). THE SOUTH 2018 - UK Tour KINGS LYNN Corn Exchange - Sunday 11 March NORWICH Waterfront - Saturday 14 April

0 1

ThingsYou

Might not Know AbOut:

GEORGE MICHAEL PETE GOODRUM’S monthly look at some of the lesser known facts of rock and pop…

TEN THINGS

Christmas Day 2016 saw the passing of George

Michael. It seems impossible, just over a year later, that he’s gone. His legacy is immense, both musically and in other things he did, some of which were not common knowledge until after his untimely death. A complex man, he was always the first to admit that his private life often caused his career to take twists and turns, but somehow right itself like ‘a rubber duck in a bath’ (his words). As one half of Wham! and then in his stellar solo career he made music that will live on forever. These are not ‘careless whispers’ but ten things you quite possibly didn’t know about George Michael!

1 2 3 4

HIS MUSIC CAREER STARTED UNDERGROUND.

Yes, before he hit the big time George began performing as a busker on London underground stations. HIS EARNING POWER INCREASED SOMEWHAT FROM THERE!

Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin once paid Mr Michael $3 million ‘for a one hour performance at a New Years’ Eve concert in Moscow. FLYING HIGHER STILL!

George had several close calls with his health including almost dying from pneumonia. In 2013 he was involved in a car crash on the M25, when he was a passenger in a Range Rover. He was airlifted out and flown to hospital with suspected head injuries. It turned out he had cuts and bruises. THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.

There’s one possible development of George’s career that came to nothing. Audiences were stunned by his performance of ‘Somebody to Love’ when, in 1992, he stepped into Freddie Mercury’s shoes to perform the song, with Queen, at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Videos of him rehearsing the performance circulated at the time of his death. But, what’s not widely known is that George was actually considered as Mercury’s full time replacement. There are, in truth, several versions of who said what to whom, but the fact is George might have been, but never became, the front man of Queen.

MEANWHILE IN THE BACKGROUND.

One of George’s charitable acts was directly connected to music, but not as a performer. He bought the piano on which John Lennon had composed ‘Imagine’ and donated it to the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool ensuring that it would stay in Lennon’s home town for ever. Once again, there are conflicting stories, with some reports claiming that the piano was a white Steinway. It wasn’t. It was the upright piano, made by the New England Piano Company that Lennon had used frequently, including on the day he died. He’d had it modified so it had a more percussive sound.

AND THEN IN THE LIMELIGHT.

George did have a go at acting. He made his American debut in the TV legal comedy drama Eli Stone. In the first series of the show George appeared as a ‘vision’ to Stone, played by Johnny Lee Miller. Apart from each episode having a title taken from one of George’s songs - ‘Faith’ and ‘One More Try’ among them, there are several more subtle allusions to George in the scripts. At one point for example lawyer Stone informs the courtroom that they’ve ‘Gotta have Faith’. In a bizarre twist George’s physical appearance at the time, which included some statement spectacles (‘I had them first’ he said) resulted in his often being mistaken for U2 frontman Bono.

IN ANOTHER DOUBLE...

Statistics about George Michael’s recording career are impressive. For instance, over 400 cover versions of ‘Last Christmas’ have been recorded. And he’d sold over 115 million records at the time of his death. But, in 1984 he achieved a rare Christmas double. He was singing on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ when it was Number One, while at the same time ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! was at Number Two.

THAT NAME THING.

Known the world over as George Michael, the man was actually called Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. His father, a Cypriot restaurant owner called Kyriacos Panayiotou had moved to England in the early 1950s. He changed his name too, to Jack Panos. George would say later, ‘When you’re born Giorgos Kyriakos Panayiotou, there is a very urgent need for a stage name when you’re 18 and want to be a British pop singer.’

THE KIND DEEDS.

So much of what George had done, privately and without seeking publicity, only became public knowledge when he died. We learned that he’d played a free concert for NHS nurses as a thank you for looking after his mother, that he’d donated to numerous charities, that he’d given the royalties from ‘Last Christmas/Everyting She Wants’ to Ethiopian famine relief and that the proceeds from ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ were given to the London Lighthouse Aids hospice and the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. Then, after his death came another revelation. A confirmed telly addict he’d been watching ‘Deal Or No Deal’ when a contestant said that if she won she needed the £15,000 for IVF treatment. The next day George got in touch and gave the £15,000 to the woman. A complete stranger to him, but someone he could help. Privately.

SO IT’S RATHER SAD THAT...

just over a year after his death the ‘shrine’ of flowers and mementoes outside his house is causing friction with the neighbours. They say it’s unsightly. There was a suggestion to remove it all and erect a statue to him. His sister has said no to the idea. She believes he would have considered such a thing ‘embarrassing’ because he was ‘such a private person’.

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MUSIC

PAul YOunG back in Norwich with supporting act China Crisis

orn on 17th January 1956, Paul Anthony Young was

the middle child of three. His interest in music dates back to when he was very young, when he learnt to play piano and then the guitar. On leaving school he worked with his father for Vauxhall Motors and played in various bands at night. He played Bass guitar in his first band but eventually lack of demand for bass players led him back to his first passion, singing. These were lean times musically because his preferred style of music – Soul, was not particularly popular. However he managed to sing in various bands such as Kat Kool & The Kool Kats and later in the better known Street Band. In December of 79’ the Street band broke up and Paul went on to form the Q- Tips. During the next two years Paul introduced himself to more and more of the British public through the Q-Tips extensive touring playing 700 shows all over the UK. This period of intense activity gave Paul the chance to develop his unique voice and stage persona. The Q-Tips went their separate ways at the end of 82’ and Paul signed as a solo artist with CBS/ SONY Records. Paul really came into his own with a formidably accomplished solo debut album, “NO PARLEZ” released in 83’ and including the number one single “Wherever I Lay My Hat” which maintained the number 1 spot for most of that summer followed by “Come Back And Stay” which maintained Paul’s presence at the top of the charts. With the release of his second album “The Secret Of Association” and he success of “Every Time You Go Away” his status as a world star was confirmed. In 1987, Paul recorded his third album “Between Two Fires” in Milan where he met the Italian singer Zucchero. They became good friends and were later to collaborate very successfully. One of the highlights of the 1989 “Nelson Mandela Tribute Concert” was Paul’s performance of the Crowded House song “Don’t Dream It’s Over” which he later recorded for his best of album. There followed a period of time out to be with his growing family followed by time spent in America where he was to record in Los Angeles and New York the material for his fourth album “Other Voices”. In 1991, Paul recorded a duet with his friend Zuchero on the soon to be worldwide popular “ Sensa Una Donna” which along with the fore mentioned “Don’t Dream It’s Over” were featured on his best of album “From Time To Time”. During 1996 Paul prepared new material with long time collaborator, singer / songwriter Drew Barfield, he set about assembling a collection of songs which

became the self-titled album “Paul Young”. This was full of introspective, storyline songs inspired by Paul’s trips to the Southwest of America. The “Paul Young” album was released on the East West label in May of 97’. In 2006, with the help of producer Dieter Falk and uberarrangers Steve Sidwell and Simon Clark, Paul released a Swing album for the German, Austrian and Swiss markets entitled “Rock Swings – On The Wild Side Of Swing”. Paul continues to write, record and play live. He is breaking new ground each year. In 2009 he toured Israel, New Zealand and Croatia for the first time, amongst the many other countries he regularly visits. These dates were in support of the “No Parlez 25th Anniversary Edition” re-release of his first solo album. 2012 saw Paul release his first published Cookbook, featuring his favourite recipes gathered from the many places his career has taken him to. The latter part of 2014 found Paul in discussions with Producer Arthur Baker, which led to the idea of making an album of their favourite & neglected Soul tunes. In the early part of 2015, Arthur brought on to the project as co-producer James Hallawell, and work on the record continued throughout the year subject to Paul’s live dialy. Towards the end of 2015, Paul was contacted by Gary Barlow (Take That) and asked to consider recording a song for a soundtrack that Gary was producing for a movie based around the story of Eddie The Eagle (which was released in March 2016) The song in question “People Like Us” as a perfect fit for Paul. 2016, saw Paul Young release his brand new album “Good Thing”. Paul has recorded a collection of Memphis Soul tunes and this will be Paul’s first soul album in 20 years. Saturday 17 February NORWICH – Waterfront Box Office No: 01603 508050 www.thewaterfront.ticketabc.com/venues/thewaterfront/ Doors – 7.00pm Ticket Price - £25.00

| FEBRUARY 2018

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

You’re having A lauGh! AND YOU WILL BE. HAVING A LAUGH THAT IT IS! PETE GOODRUM TALKS WITH ROB CHERRY OF THE OPERA BOYS

et’s be honest,

‘You’re having a laugh!’ is a lot of people’s reaction to an invitation to a night at the opera. It’s not everyone’s taste. It’s all a bit inaccessible. Let me introduce The Opera Boys. Prepare for the unexpected! When I speak with Rob Cherry of The Opera Boys he says that they are coming out of a relatively quiet time. Do not be fooled. Things are not going wrong for them. Quite the contrary. It’s just that, as he says, “at the end of 2017 we decided, this year, we really would try to have some family time around Christmas”. It was difficult to organise because The Opera Boys are in demand, “but we managed it, and it was lovely”. It’s over now though. With a new tour starting in February the boys are gearing up for as busy a period as they’ve had so far. And that’s saying something because since they got together six years ago it has, as Rob says, “been mad. But in a good way!” So just how did they get together? “It started with me and Richard Colvin really. We’d done a show together years ago and, the story goes, we didn’t really like each other. It’s not true -

really! We both loved the same sort of music, and we shared the same sense of humour”. What they also shared was a vision. “We both felt that the classical repertoire didn’t have to be about some guys standing up and barking opera at you. We believed that it could be made less scary, more accessible. That you could take some of the pomp out of it”. And oh how they’ve succeeded in achieving that vision. Rob and Richard, joined by Colin Bryce and Michael Storr have created a stage presence that delivers something quite remarkable. In recent times we’ve seen rock musicians and singers, as well as classical artists, cross over into the great American songbook, singing material more usually associated with the likes of Sinatra. We’ve heard show tunes sung by tenors, and ‘Santa Baby’ sung by a certain mezzo soprano. But what The Opera Boys do is not cross over. It’s more of a melding. By using their classically trained voices to sing a mixture of material they, at one and the same time, make operatic arias more accessible and pop songs more majestic.

All of that though does not make for a show by The Opera Boys being a sedate affair, with a quietly respectful audience delivering rounds of politely timed applause. Oh no. This is arias without airs and graces. We’re talking audience involvement. We’re talking underwear throwing. “It’s true. They do!” says Rob. “We do a West Life set - the singing while sitting on stools bit. When we come to the famous ‘stand up on the key change’ moment the room goes crazy. Ladies bring underwear in their bags to throw at us. On one occasion we got a pair of pants that had been hand embroidered with ‘The Opera Boys’. How mad is that?” Well, now you mention it, pretty mad actually. But let’s be honest - they ask for it. They are showmen. These guys know how to work a room (as they say in the business). They will bring a lady up on stage and engage her in banter. Some ladies now positively angle to be the chosen one. They involve the audience. And, the sound aside, they look great. They are immaculately dressed. “We scrub up alright I guess” says a modest Rob. So how would you describe the show? “It’s a full on light

MUSIC entertainment package”, comes the answer. “It doesn’t mean we don’t respect the material. We do. In fact we have a phrase we use all the time ‘We take the music seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously’ and that really does sum us up”. And yet, these hugely successful stage shows don’t quite sum up all that is The Opera Boys. Is it true, I ask, that you actually do work as singing waiters? “Ha! We do yes”. I sense straightaway, from his voice, that there’s more to this. “We don’t do huge amounts of it, but among the concerts and cruises we do sometimes take on corporate work and special occasions. We are available”. ( I told you they are showmen!) “We’ve done weddings for instance where we’ve been booked as a surprise. The bride may well have seen us in concert, and we arrive, as a special gift, to serenade her”. That, I say, must make someone’s special day very special. “It really does” he says. “It’s so worth it to see the reaction”. Small audience, or big concert, you don’t get the sort of reaction that The Opera Boys get unless you’re very talented, and you know your craft. And that’s a key ingredient of the group’s success. These are seasoned professionals, who have worked in the West End, on Broadway and in recording studios. At different times one or other of these men have sung backing vocals for Tom Jones, Russell Watson, Robbie Williams and Elton John. Michael was part of the 2015 Belgian entry for The Eurovision Song Contest. (“They came fourth”, says Rob, “but come on - that’s pretty good isn’t it?!”)

When you bring that level of experience, and talent, together, and you channel it into the sparkling idea that is their genre breaking, beautifully sung, technically exquisite, and totally charming act it’s no wonder that audiences love them. “Some people come back time and time again” says Rob, “which is a huge compliment. To be frank, our audiences are largely female. But, one of the brilliant things we hear is from the men”.

for a break it’s family time that takes priority” And what of the future? Where next for The Opera Boys? “We did get asked the other day if we’d do Eurovision?” says Rob. Would you, I ask. I mean, one of you does have experience of it. “Well, you never know! We probably would!” Eurovision or not, it’s difficult to see anything but a bright future for The Opera Boys. What they deliver is music they love, and are good at singing.

So often we get a guy come up to us to say “my wife asked me to bring her and I wasn’t keen. I don’t like opera. But I absolutely loved every minute of your show. I didn’t expect to. But I did!” The Opera Boys always go straight to the foyer after a show to ‘meet and greet’ the fans. “So often we get a guy come up to us to say ‘my wife asked me to bring her and I wasn’t keen. I don’t like opera. But I absolutely loved every minute of your show. I didn’t expect to. But I did!”. It’s great when that happens”. The guys use these after show appearances to sell and sign their albums as well. So, with recording, concerts, touring and special appearances - is there ever any spare time? And if there is, what do they do with it? “Nowadays a good day off for us is a coffee and The Guardian crossword’” he says, laughing at the less than ‘rock and roll’ answer. “But seriously, three of us are married, two of us have children, so when we do stop

They do it with style and wit. Rob had touched on the point earlier, and we return to it now. “Our audiences get what we do” he says. “They love the music, like we do. And they like having a laugh. Like we do”. So, the show tunes and pop songs melded into it, they really are all about a night at the opera, and having a laugh. And that really sets the scene for Rob’s closing remarks. When I ask him what other ambitions they have he says, “I know it will sound like a cliche but really, if we can carry on, making living a living from doing what we love, and what makes our audiences happy, we’ll be happy”. On that basis I think they’re going to be happy for a very long time. And so are their audiences.

The Opera Boys will be performing at Princess Theatre, Hunstanton Friday 9 February www.princesstheatrehunstanton.co.uk

| FEBRUARY 2018

Just

jOe Brown

George Nichols caught up w i t h Jo e B r o w n a h e a d o f h i s performance at The Apex Theatre in Bury St Edmunds

Photography by JUDY TOTTON

COMEDY

icture this: It was 55

years ago that Joe Brown became a youthful, cheery star with the hit A Picture Of You. He might not be a young heartthrob any more but he still has the cheeky Cockney charm that captivated audiences back when even the Beatles appeared as his support band. And the energy’s not diminished nor the trademark spiky hair - from the days even before that when he played guitar for Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent on ground-breaking TV pop show Boy Meets Girls. Joe is known for his tireless live schedule and he is on a marathon 70 date UK tour that keeps him busy though to Easter. The show Just Joe is pretty much that, the singer stripped to basics with exquisite music and a welter of stories that make you laugh out loud. “This is a show, it’s not a gig, it’s not a jam session – if I wasn’t a big ham it wouldn’t work,” laughs Joe. “It’s fantastic to be out there in front of a thousand people who are listening to every word you say. It’s a funny old world – it’s not like I’m someone from a soap opera off the tele!” The music veers from classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, such as Sea Of Heartbreak, to traditional tunes to something by Chas and Dave (they’re big friends) to George Harrison, who was the biggest friend of all (even being his best man). “I’ll be playing most of my old hits but we’ll also be playing different stuff – a nice Italian waltz, an Irish jig…” The show isn’t quite Just Joe, though, as he has a guitar-wielding sidekick. Henry Gross is a star-kissed veteran too, having played at the Woodstock festival in 1969 with his

outlandish, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll revival band Sha Na Na. The pair met in America’s country music capital, Nashville, where Joe spends a lot of time, with the show influenced by the way musicians there get together to play and chat. “We do a lot of picking sessions, sitting around singing songs, and that’s one of the things that turned me on to this,” says Joe, now 76. “I’m a bit old for standing up and twitching around with an electric guitar around my neck.” Joe was only a teenager when he started playing guitar on television, his lively persona and impressive playing catching the attention of the musical bigwigs and making him one of the first home-grown pop idols – and he did it all himself. Unlike modernday, short-lived stars who graduate from shows such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent in those days you made your own career. Moving away from pop after a string of hits he became a star of musical theatre, even performing alongside Dame Anna Neagle in Charlie Girl. There were films, too, from the pop era fun of What A Crazy World! to appearing alongside Bob Hoskins in the thriller Mona Lisa. While never leaving the stage, Joe found a new lease of life as the 20th century came to a close and veteran rockers found a new place in the public’s heart. With albums that managed to entertain old fans yet find a new audience for their imaginative and timeless concoction of blues, folk and rock, Joe was not only playing sell-out tours but also popping up at festivals such as Glastonbury. Joe’s family have joined the business too. Daughter Sam was a solo star while son Pete is both a musician

and a producer. After the death of wife Vicki (herself a singer in groups such as the Vernon Girls), in 2000 Joe married Manon Pearcey who had been the partner of Small Faces singer Steve Marriott. Now daughter Mollie Marriott is making her own records – and is part of the tight-knit Brown family unit, which includes seven grandchildren. Joe’s professional career is an inspiration to all as it now approaches 60 years, something that was recognised when he was awarded an MBE in 2009 and also a Mojo Magazine award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In Just Joe, it’s that career that’s documented in music and lively stories from the very earliest days when he was guitarist in the skiffle group the Spacemen. And, while Joe is a virtuoso guitarist, he’s no mean player of the ukulele either. He accompanied himself on the instrument (a moving rendition of I’ll See You In My Dreams) when closing the Concert for George tribute and will be playing his ukulele in the show along with banjo, guitar and mandolin. Indeed his album The Ukulele Album still continues to sell well. Just Joe is a show that unites the humour of music hall with his own timeless take on music over the past half-century and more. It’s almost a history of pop music alongside the chirpy thoughts of someone who was there at the very beginning. Engaging and funny, with some terrific music thrown in, Joe Brown will be at The Apex at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 February. Ring 01284 758000 or see www.theapex.co.uk for more information and tickets.

| FEBRUARY 2018

From a lengthy TV soap stint, Rita Simons has revived her singing c a r e e r a s Pa u l e t t e Bonafonte in L e g a l l y B l o n d e. M a r k Ni c h o l l s s p o k e to her ahead of the show at No r w i c h T h e a t r e Ro y a l .

LEGALLY BLONDE

THEATRE

or a decade she

was Roxy Mitchell; part of arguably the most iconic family on the British TV soap scene. But now Rita Simons has taken on a quite different challenge, appearing as the glitzy Paulette Bonafonte in the stage version of Legally Blonde. It takes the 40-year-old away from the rehearsals and character plots of a TV soap and into a lengthy national tour of the production with nightly shows before a live audience. The performance at Norwich Theatre Royal (March 26-31), will be the latter stages of a tour that started way back in September in Bromley when she first took to the boards as Paulette, in the supporting character to sorority president Elle Woods, played by Lucie Jones, the Eurovision UK representative in 2017. I catch up with Rita on the phone back stage at the theatre, removing

wig and make-up after a matinee and in search of a quick bite to eat ahead of the evening show. It’s whirlwind life on the road. She tells me how the role in the show came about, classic showbiz ‘right-place-right-time’ moment. “I was actually at a party of a friend of mine who is a producer for a panto,” she said. “I sung at his birthday party, which I wasn’t going to and I didn’t want to, but he kind of twisted my arm and I got up and sung Valerie by Amy Winehouse. The producer for Legally Blonde was in the audience and that turned out to be my audition for this show. He offered me the job – it was meant to be – and that was it.” For Rita, the role of Paulette sees a return to singing and stage work after 10 years at EastEnders and follows her success in the band Girls@Play, which had a couple of hit singles before splitting up including Airhead and a cover of Mel and Kim’s Respectable. With appearances in the Sky TV

dramas Dream Team and Mile High, as well as the ITV drama London’s Burning, she joined the cast of EastEnders as Roxy Mitchell in 2007, alongside best friend and co-star Samantha Womack, who played her on-screen sister Ronnie Mitchell. Her performance on the show brought many accolades, including the 2008 National Television Award for Most Popular Newcomer. Rita, the niece of multi-millionaire businessman Lord Sugar of The Apprentice fame, eventually left EastEnders in dramatic style in an episode broadcast on New Year’s Day 2017, when her on-screen character Roxy Mitchell drowned in a swimming pool. However, Rita made the transformation from Mitchell family member to Bonafonte in her stride and is delighted to be back on stage. “I always love singing, and missed it a lot when I was at EastEnders, so it is lovely to get back doing that again,” she tells me. Joining Rita and Lucie Jones ▶

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THEATRE

▶

– who also has other Musical Theatre credits including Rent, Les Miserables, Ghost and We Will Rock You, is Bill Ward (James Barton in Emmerdale, Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street) as Professor Callahan. “Paulette is more of a cameo role, I guess,” added Rita, “she is Elle’s friend, her advisor, and takes her under her wing and when I am on stage they are big numbers but Lucie has to be on constantly.” Legally Blonde the Musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown, which was later adapted into a popular film starring Reece Witherspoon, and is the well-known story of sorority president Elle Woods as she crosses America on a mission to find love at Harvard Law School. Packing up her trusty pooch, Bruiser, and with the support of her new friends she learns that you can be both smart and fashionable. The current show is directed and choreographed by Anthony Williams. As for the future, Rita is hopeful of more diverse roles once Legally Blonde finishes its run in Manchester in June. “I am still talking about films there are films in the pipeline, and hopefully we are going to be filming, and more musical theatre would be lovely,” She is married to hairdresser Theo Silveston with twin daughters and lives in North West London. “I am very TV focussed, so I am always eyeing up TV roles, but if the musical roles come along, then that is great for me. “I am just very lucky to have been working ever since EastEnders and hopefully will continue to work. I do not think there is any point worrying that you have been typecast.” Having taken part in the Snow White pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury over the 2015/16 Christmas and New Year period and in St Alban’s the following year, Christmas 2017/18 saw her as the Spirit of the Ring in Aladdin at the Beck Theatre, Hayes. While she keeps in close contact with her friends at EastEnders such as Diane Parish, Steve McFadden and Barbara Windsor, she is clearly enjoying life on the road in the musical production of Legally Blonde. “I am having so much fun doing this,” she said, “EastEnders seems like a million miles away at times. I am absolutely loving being in Legally Blonde; I miss my kids and husband a lot but I am with such an amazing company, I love them all and we are having a brilliant laugh.” LEGALLY BLONDE Monday-Saturday, March 26-31, at 7.30pm, and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm, with an audiodescribed performance on March 31. Tickets £8-£45, discounts for Friends, Corporate Club, Over-60s, Under-18s and Groups. For tickets call 01603 63000 or visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk 49

| FEBRUARY 2018

LET ME BE

k n a r F

Madonna, Rats and Pants: Places&Facesâ&#x20AC;° catches up with national treasure FRANK BRUNO

CELEBRITY

rank Bruno is one of the most well-loved and recognisable boxers in British history. Bruno won 40 of his 45 bouts - 38 of them by knockout, taking the European Heavyweight title and the World Heavyweight Championship. However, during the second of two high profile losses against Mike Tyson, Bruno suffered severe eye damage and was told that if he ever fought again, he would run the risk of permanent blindness. Bruno remained a popular celebrity following his retirement from boxing, appearing on TV and in pantomimes. With his great big laugh and famous catch phrase (“Know What I Mean, ‘arry”), British people took him to their hearts. However Frank’s fighting days weren’t over – he describes his battle with mental illness as his “toughest fight ever”. He was sectioned three times and in 2014 went to hospital of his own accord to get help. Frank decided to speak up on behalf of the silent thousands who have experienced mental health issues, either in person or to someone close to them. He believes “mental illness can happen to anybody. You can be a dustman, a politician, a Tesco worker... anyone. It could be your dad, your brother or your aunt.” Frank is now one of Britain’s most famous sufferers of bipolar affective disorder - an illness that’s commonly known as manic depression. He admits there is still a lot to do to break down

the stigma surrounding mental illness, however, he believes that “people need to know that in this day and age there’s nothing wrong in saying, ‘I’m suffering from a mental health condition’. It’s important people feel able to ask for help. If I can, then anyone can.” Frank has written a best-selling book ‘Let Me Be Frank’ which he is taking on tour, calling in at The Apex on 16 February. In a light-hearted evening of conversation, Frank will talk about some of the stories in the book and his career, both as a boxer and an entertainer. The show will be hosted by comedian Jed Stone. In our rapid-fire question and answer session, Frank shared a few secrets… What do you wear when you have five seconds to get ready? My pants, I’m brave and proud.

What’s your best investment? Investing my time into boxing. If you could only wear one brand of clothes what would it be? Matalan. If you were to be stranded on an Island with a woman (dead or alive), who would it be? Madonna. The best party you have ever been to? The after party of the fight between Lennox Lewis and Evader Holyfield in America. If we could take you anywhere in the world, where would it be? Caribbean. What is your earliest memory? Going to the Chelsea match with my dad. What sort of child were you? Inquisitive and hungry for success. When did you last feel happy? I generally am happy most days,

I never judge people and will try to help anybody. I accept people as I find them and I’m not driven by materialism. The shop where you could spend the most time and money? Harrods. You last splashed out on what? My Bentley. The one thing in your wardrobe you will never get rid of? My MBE suit.

but I’m at my happiest when in the Healthclub or gym with my headphones on, in my own little world. When did you last cry and why? Yesterday thinking of my kids and the future and how lucky I am. What was your biggest achievement apart from winning the Boxing ▶

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CELEBRITY Philosophy of life? To be happy - you’re here on borrowed time. Last film that made you cry? The colour purple First record you bought? Eddie Grant Greatest fear? Dying. Style icon? Myself of course, have you seen my suits? Your celebrity crush? Madonna. Shhhhh, don’t tell her! What’s your most unappealing habit? Picking my nose! Name 3 albums you really love? Anything by Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Dire Straits. Who dead or alive is/was your favourite person on TV? The Two Ronnies. Favourite theatre show? I like watching ballet If you had a dream dinner party for 5 people dead or alive, who would you invite? Prince, Michael Jackson, my dad, Eddie Murphy and Freddie Starr, and I’d sneak Madonna in too, and James Brown can entertain us! Reality TV show you would love to do? Strictly Come Dancing, because I need to move my hips now!

▶

World Championship? Having my four children. And your biggest disappointment, apart from losing in boxing? Not spending as much time with them as I would like to. What would you like to be better at? Reading and writing. What are your best character traits? My sense of humour. And your worse? Being very, very messy and pretending I didn’t see it. Who would you love to have a chat to if they were still living? I would love my Mum and Dad, God rest their souls to be there, Harry Carpenter, Carmen my PA and Michael Jackson. What’s your biggest fear? Rats... Human and animal! How do you relax? Going to Champneys and listening to music. How easily do you fall in love? No not at all. Your Guilty pleasure? Cakes. Who would play you in a movie? Will Smith. Biggest bugbear? Bitchy people, and people that tried to mug me off and love a gossip. As a child, what did you want to be? A boxer. Secret to a happy relationship? Being faithful. Your best quality? I never judge people and will try

to help anybody. I accept people as I find them and I’m not driven by materialism. And your worse? That I never listen if I don’t like the first few words. Most romantic thing you have done? I don’t know what that word is, ha ha! Last meal on earth? Rice and peas. Favourite tipple? Jamaican punch. Hangover cure? I only ever had a hangover once when I was eight and I’ve never got drunk since. Acting or singing? Which would you like to do if you had a chance to become a professional? Acting of course, have a word! Me and pantomime! Ha ha Biggest musical influence? Bob Marley Secret skill? My Black & Decker, he he! Essential gadget? My mobile phone when I can find it. What do you see when you look in the mirror? The last mirror I looked in cracked! Ha. On a day off where would we find you? In the gym or Champneys. Starstruck moment? When I met Michael Jackson. Top of your bucket list? To go on Richard Branson’s new rocket to the moon.

Enjoy an entertaining evening with one of the nation’s favourite sportsmen; Let Me Be Frank is at The Apex Bury St Edmunds on Friday 16 February. Tickets are available from The Apex Box Office on 01284 758000 or the website www.theapex.co.uk

| FEBRUARY 2018

A HIDDEN ENTERTAINMENT GEM The monster hit of the moment - Benet Catty visits the Victoria Palace Theatre to see what all the fuss is about!

t is a landmark building in the heart of a busy seaside town whose “congregation” has changed from worshippers to theatregoers. Under the ornate bell tower of St George’s Chapel, religious hymns and prayers have fallen silent and have been replaced by the secular sights and sounds music, movies, comedy and drama. The resurrection of the stunning but redundant church has been an act of faith, driven by community volunteers whose vision was to recycle it into an arts centre. Although the building looks like a solid cornerstone of the town’s fabric – sitting on a busy junction at King Street but a stone’s throw away from the green quietness of St George’s park - its history has been as dramatic as some of the performances it now hosts. Opened in 1721, deconsecrated in 1959, declared redundant in 1971, converted to a theatre in 1973, and closed from 2006 to 2012 for £7.5m worth of major structural repairs including an unstable tower. Making it into a viable venue for the arts was the dream of the Masquers amateur drama group, including eminent actor and director Henry Burke, backed by other arts and heritage supporters in the 1970s. Chairman of the trustees Barry Coleman said: “There was a real risk of St George’s being demolished at one stage, but the community was keen to save a landmark building which is close to its heart. “St George’s has been through a lot of ups and downs over the past 300 years, but a lot of hard work has gone into turning it into an arts and community venue. “We have had Arts Council funding to draw

up a strategy for the future and we are now heading in the right direction towards becoming as self-sufficient as we can – but we need the community’s support to get there.” Five years on since its reopening, St George’s is looking to move up another gear by expanding its range of events, including reviving amateur drama groups, adding more live music and starting a community choir. The aim is to double the attendance figures from 15,000 to 30,000 a year over the next five years. It is hoped to improve signage to make more people aware of the landmark’s new role, and to provide a strong “link” between the main 300-seat theatre and the new pavilion café next door. The venue is also keen to use its atmospheric architecture – including impressive beams and balconies - as a backdrop to host more weddings, corporate events and conferences. Comedian, actor and writer Joe Pasquale has added his celebrity backing by agreeing to be the venue’s new patron. Theatre director Debbie Thompson said: “St George’s is a hidden entertainment gem in the heart of Great Yarmouth that seems to live in the shadow of the bright lights and entertainment along the seafront. “But we have something different to offer – with a range of events in a unique setting. We are keen to remind people we are here and enlist their support to carry on the work of the determined people who rescued St George’s in the past.” The theatre is keen to hear from anyone who can help grow its work through

Work under way Photo: Darren Barker GYBC

Looking worse for wear Photo: Darren Barker GYBC

a variety of roles and contributions: sponsorship; donations; fundraising, volunteering or joining its new amateur groups (adult and youth) and community choir. Call 01493 331484 or email artsforall@stgeorgestheatre.com Early days were literally ‘down to earth’ Audience members had bare earth under their feet as they sat and watched the first show at St George’s in its new role as a theatre. The cast trod boards on a scaffolding stage for the debut drama documentary in 1975, the Norfolk Furies, written and directed by Henry Burke for the Masquers amateur dramatic society, telling the tale of Kett’s Rebellion. Among them were Masquers members Michael and Pam Boon, who fondly recall those exciting early days at St George’s. Mr Boon, who went on to direct many Masquers productions at the venue, was also a founder trustee of the venue and chairman for a decade. “Our society did not have a permanent home. We had been running since before the Second World War but did shows at various places including the Town Hall and summer open air productions. “Some people wanted to knock St George’s down and build a roundabout, but an amenity society led by Henry Burke was formed to save it, and once it was rescued we felt it would make a terrific theatre. “We constructed permanent staging to cover up various “Thou Shalt Not” messages on the church walls, added lighting and put floors in the balconies.

ST GEORGES THEATRE The auditorium today Photo: Andi Sapey

St George’s today Photo: Andi Sapey

There was no heating or toilets at first and the audience was encouraged to wear coats for the first show, but it was a wild success and the society slowly built up the theatre. The place was a bit “dishevelled” but it was the ideal backdrop for some early productions including the run-down club in Cabaret, in which Pam starred as Sally Bowles. Mr Boon added: “The Masquers staged a mix of Shakespeare, classic and modern drama but we saw St. Georges as an allpurpose arts music and theatre centre. I directed Shakespearean comedies, histories and tragedies in St George’s from a Midsummer Night’s Dream to Twelfth Night, from Richard II to both parts of Henry IV and from Hamlet to King Lear. “We put our heart and soul into the theatre which was all singing and all-dancing as well as hosting cinema and classical music.” The Friends of St George’s were formed and they also attracted nationally-known actors including Ian McKellen, Timothy West and Prunella Scales, as well as hosting craft fairs, folk evening and antiques exhibitions. A charitable trust was formed to develop and operate the venue. Michael Boon was a founding trustee and chairman for a decade. Local firm Palmers provided funding for a new Foyer and bar. Peter and Valerie Howkins were tireless in raising funds and providing facilities. The trust appointed Maurice Moran who was appointed as the first administrator in 1988. The Masquers’ first Christmas Music Hall event saw bangers and mash cooked in the Boons kitchen and brought to the theatre in metal containers loaned by the WRVS. The society’s final music hall show at St George’s was a special event for the millennium in 2000. Mr Boon, who is well known in the town as the retired chief executive of the Port Authority, and a local historian, voiced support for the team behind the current St George’s initiatives. “All power to their elbow – this theatre has always had real potential,” he added.

St George’s Timeline 1711 Great Yarmouth borough petitioned Parliament for an extra place of worship in the town. 1714 The chapel is built at a cost of £3800 on The Mount in King Street on a former mound housing a defensive canon. The money for the work, and to pay the clergyman, was raised from a tax on coal landed at the port. Architects John Price were instructed to model it on Sir Christopher Wren’s church of St Clement Danes in London, and it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture outside the capital. 1819 St Georges’ boasted a congregation of about 900 people, but despite being popular the church was hampered by disputes between it and the local corporation (council) over maintenance. 1959 St George’s is deconsecrated and narrowly escaped demolition despite being given a top Grade I listing for its historic and architectural merit in 1953. 1970 A group of dedicated locals including a new Amenity Society and the Masquers amateur dramatic society re-established St Georges as an arts centre and theatre. 1974 Exterior restored to make it safe at a cost of £75,000. Further plans for a £400,000 were shelved due to lack of funds. 1975 Masquers staged the first drama at St George’s The Norfolk Furies.

First show at the restored venue - The Norfolk Furies Photo: Michael Boon

Theatre director Debbie Thompson Photo: Andi Sapey

Patron Joe Pasquale Photo: Sven Arnstein

2006 Closed due to severe structural problems including an unstable tower. It was fenced off and covered in scaffolding for three years. After it was declared At Risk by English Heritage funds were found for its restoration, including a £2.9m grant from the Sea Change Programme, £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1.24 from the Great Yarmouth Borough Council. The project included adding a new neighbouring pavilion with a café, box office, toilets and offices. Restoration work uncovered lavish paint work – including ground blue glass and gold on wooden columns - from the church’s opulent early days and more commonly found in royal places. These were covered up during a switch towards a stricter Protestant ethic. 2012 Prince Charles visited the restoration site before its reopening in October. 2015 Comedian entertainer and writer Joe Pasquale, a regular performer in Great Yarmouth, agrees to be St George’s patron.

| FEBRUARY 2018

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| FEBRUARY 2018

Wine OF THE

MONTH

The PLACES&FACES® team chooses a fabulous wine to enjoy in February We discovered this beautiful red wine on a recent trip to Corbières in the Languedoc region of France. The winery owner is Katie Jones from Domaine Jones and was originally from Ashby De la Zouch before moving to the tiny village of Paziols more than 20 years ago.

WINE OF THE MONTH

DO MA I N E JO N E S FI T OU STYLE Full bodied, big and bold. DESCRIPTION Complex, smooth and succulent, with pure hedgerow fruit. Domaine Jones Fitou is made from grapes from 15 of my very small vineyards scattered around the villages of Tuchan and Paziols in the Languedoc. The secret of this Fitou is definitely in the age of the vines – most of them are over 100 years old and bring freshness, depth and a beautiful texture to the wine.

MORE INFO Fitou is not the name of a grape but the name of a small village on the Mediterranean coast between Narbonne and Perpignan. There are eight other villages that are allowed to produce Fitou, Five in the low lying coastal area and four inland on the higher ground of the Corbières mountains. PRESS REVIEWS “Great concentration.” Jancis Robinson, Purple Pages

GRAPES Carignan, Grenache, Syrah (a classic Languedoc blend).

“Full of plump, deep spice and plentiful dark fruit” Mail on Sunday, Olly Smith

DRINK WITH A juicy T- bone steak and chips, highland venison, duck, cassoulet, wild boar stew, mature cheddar, steak and ale pie.

“Intensely savoury palate with a pronounced herbal note that conjures up an afternoon’s walk on the Fitou’s garrigue strewn hill.” Decanter, Natasha Hughes

CURRENT VINTAGE 2015

“It’s another winner from this estate that offers a supple, sexy and medium to full-bodied personality to go with great aromas and flavours of blackberry and black cherry fruit, roasted herbs, leather and liquorice. This wine is sweetly fruity, beautifully textured and with terrific purity of fruit.”

DRINK DATES Now until 2020 ALCOHOL 14.5 PRICE £96.00 for a case of six bottles direct from the wine grower Domain Jones

For more information visit Domain Jones website at www.domainejones.com

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COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

DA M SON GI N

Sour

As we’re nearing the end of the winter months and spring will soon be on the way enjoy the last of the darker nights by the fire with this simple yet moreish winter warmer. As this is such a simple recipe you can easily multiply the ingredients to make into pitchers if you’re having a get-together!

INGREDIENTS: (MAKES ONE) • 50ml Damson Gin (Homemade is best or we recommend Foxdenton Damson Gin)

• 25ml Your Favourite Amaretto

• 10ml (Approx) Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice METHOD:

Photography by KATJA BAINBRIDGE

Add all your ingredients into a cocktail shaker with three ice cubes, shake together for approximately 10-15 seconds to ensure they are all incorporated. Pour into a glass of your choice, we use Richard’s Grandfather’s whisky glasses at Benedicts but any glass can be used. If using a coupe glass or similar no ice is necessary.

You can garnish with either a gin soaked damson if you’ve made your own Damson Gin just keep the damsons you used for infusing and spear onto a cocktail stick to balance on the rim of the glass or a twist of lemon peel would also work wonderfully. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the last of the colder nights.

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RECIPE

Richard Bainbridge

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R ICH A R D ’S PERFECT

PANCAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Egg

• 240ml Milk

• 2 tbs Caster Sugar

• 1/3 of a spoon of

• 125gr Plain Flour

• 2 tsp Baking Powder

• Zest of 1/2 a Lemon grated Nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp Salt

Photography by KATJA BAINBRIDGE

METHOD

Place everything into a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Rest the mixture for 10 minutes before using. Meanwhile place a crepe pan or any non stick pan on a high heat. Lightly brush your hot pan with oil, then pour in some of your pancake mixture, move the mixture around by moving the pan until completely covered. When ready to turn, flip the pancake over and cook until golden.

Serve with whatever garnish you fancy: we used poached rhubarb and cream, of course there are hundreds of options on how to garnish a pancake, so let your imagination run wild. Go flipping crazy ;)

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HOLIDAY LETTINGS

INVESTING IN HOLIDAY LETTING…

ach month, experts from Norfolk Country

Cottages, Norfolk Cottage Care and SALT – each part of The Original Cottage Company based in Reepham, will give advice on holiday letting in the county and how to make the most of your investment. This month, Lucy Downing, of Norfolk Country Cottages, considers how to maximise your bookings during the colder months… When investing in a holiday cottage, it’s imperative to ensure you attract as many bookings as possible for maximum return on investment. With the summer weeks and school holidays booking relatively quickly and effortlessly, it is the colder months where you need to concentrate your marketing activity. Here are some top tips to help… KNOWING YOUR AREA… You’re not just selling a property but the area that it’s located in too. Share your insider knowledge, favourite restaurants, walks and more. Share online via a blog, and include information within your cottage to help your visitors make the most of their time in Norfolk. A ‘What’s On’ listing gives people a reason to book a holiday or fills their time when they’re here. We have a high repeat booking rate, so if you do a great job you may well be securing a booking for next year too. PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHY… Pictures say a thousand words, so keep your property imagery fresh, clean, modern and seasonal too, if possible. A roaring woodburner, red wine by the sofa and mugs of hot chocolate by the bed all help potential visitors to imagine themselves in your cottage during winter.

ADDED VALUE… People are always looking for a bargain, so try and include treats and added extras to your holiday cottage offering. Perhaps a locally-sourced hamper, a free bottle of Prosecco, or a discount in a local restaurant or shop. We run a programme of Holiday Extras, which are exclusive offers for our customers to make the most of during their stay with us. It makes people feel special, looked-after and saves them money too. CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS… We put a great deal of effort ensuring that the customer testimonials and reviews on our website are up-to-date for all cottages. Your visitor book is a valuable tool in promoting your holiday property – as they say, nothing beats word of mouth. Third party praise is unbiased and a true reflection on the quality of your property and also what Norfolk has to offer. Add your reviews as soon as they are received so all content is bang up to date. All in all, when someone views your property online, on whatever platform you choose for your marketing, you only have a few precious seconds to attract their attention and hopefully persuade them to book with you. Ensure that everything they see is of excellent quality, current and inspirational. That way, you’re sure to book out your property year-round.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in investing in holiday letting, perhaps weighing up a selection of potential properties or already own a holiday home, you can always ask for advice. With 25 years of experience and a trusted reputation, the homeowner team at Norfolk Country Cottages are always more than happy to visit you and talk through the options. They give honest advice and realistic income forecasts – all for free and without obligation. You can call 01263 715779, email owners@norfolkcottages.co.uk or visit their website for more details - norfolkcottages.co.uk 69

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STOKE PARK HOTEL, SPA, GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Stoke Park’s convenient location, is just 35 minutes from London yet in the heart of beautiful English countryside. There is a wonderful array of things to do while you stay from museums and theatres to theme parks and shopping centres, there is something to please everyone. Founded in 1908, Stoke Park is the perfect place to enjoy life in a five star and

ELLENBOROUGH PARK HOTEL NEAR CHELTENHAM About two miles from the handsome Regency centre of Cheltenham, Ellenborough Park is just off the underwhelming eastern outskirts of town. Yet for all the suburbia nearby, the hotel sits in its own 90-acre estate and is within easy reach of glorious Cotswold countryside. Ellenborough Park has an Indian-themed spa, which features mood showers and a juice bar. Guests can relax in the sauna or hydrotherapy pool, and there is also an outdoor heated pool and fitness suite. The Restaurant has been awarded 3 AA Rosettes and serves modern British cuisine and fine wines. The Horse Box serves a more casual menu in comfortable surroundings. www.ellenboroughpark.com

friendly atmosphere. It provides a unique combination of the traditions of an exclusive club and the best of today’s sporting, leisure, entertaining and hotel facilities in one of the most convenient locations in Britain: Whether you are visiting London or nearby Windsor, Ascot, Henley or London Heathrow, wanting to play golf or tennis, or just need to relax and get away Stoke Park is the perfect place. www.stokepark.com

AMATHWAITE HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL AND SPA Magnificently set in the secluded splendour of 400 acres of deer park and woodland, bordered by the beauty of Bassenthwaite Lake and framed by the dramatic Skiddaw mountain and lake district fells, Armathwaite Hall Country House Hotel and Spa is as romantic as the surrounding countryside. The Armathwaite spa features a hydrotherapy pool, a sauna and a steam room. There is a large outdoor hot tub and a holistic beauty salon with treatment rooms. www.armathwaite-hall.com

RHINEFIELD HOUSE NEW FOREST Rhinefield House is located deep within the New Forest National Park. With beautiful surroundings and a blend of Tudor and Gothic architecture, Rhinefield is the most perfect country hotel in New Forest for a fairytale wedding venue. It is also the ideal setting for an indulgent break and an inspiring conference venue for meetings, team building or product launches. Downtime means the chance to take in the great outdoors, enjoy pony trekking, long walks in the forest or a day trip to the sea. The hotel has 50 bedrooms including three feature suites, an outdoor pool and a small health suite, making it perfect if you’re looking for relaxing weekend breaks in New Forest. The 2 AA Rosette fine dining Armada restaurant is perfect for romantic or celebratory meals and The Grill offers a less formal setting with views of our ornamental ponds. www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/ rhineﬁeldhouse 71

| FEBRUARY 2018

Travel

HOTEL DANIELI With its heritage setting on Riva degli Schiavoni, Hotel Danieli dominates the Venetian lagoon just steps away from the Bridge of Sighs and the famous monuments of Piazza San Marco. The rooftop Restaurant Terrazza Danieli has spectacular views of the Grand Canal. The palatial atmosphere of the hotel and its suites and rooms, house a rich collection of precious art and antiques that play witness to the city’s history, artfully blended with contemporary comfort.The signature suites were newly restored in 2012 by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon www.danielihotelvenice.com

THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GRESHAM PALACE BUDAPEST The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest is located on the banks of the Danube River, at the foot of the Chain Bridge, overlooking Széchenyi István Square, Danube River, Chain Bridge and Royal Palace. The Gresham Restaurant serves both Italian and Hungarian specialities for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In keeping with the city’s coffeehouse tradition, a selection of cakes and pastries and a variety of coffees and teas can also be enjoyed. The Four Seasons Spa features seven treatment rooms, including a couples’ suite, a sauna, separate steam rooms for men and women, an infinity-edge lap pool and a whirlpool.The Spa also offers a variety of massages, body treatments and facials, some treatments draw on the unique culture and products of Hungary, including the moor mud signature treatments and Omorovicza facials that combine the remarkable effects of Hungary’s mineral-rich thermal waters with the science of mineral cosmetology. Of the Hotel’s 179 generously proportioned guest rooms, including 19 suites with vaulted ceilings and private step-out balconies, many offer views of intimate interior courtyards, the Old City or the sparkling Danube. Offering a residential ambience amid palatial splendour, many of the guest rooms are designed in an art deco style. The 19 sumptuous suites offer sun-drenched views of the city and the River Danube and are equipped for the needs of business and leisure travellers alike. www.fourseasons.com 72

TRAVEL

THE HOTEL BAHIA DEL DUQUE TENERIFE The Hotel Bahia del Duque is located in one of the warmest and most prestigious areas of the island of Tenerife: Costa Adeje. The Hotel has direct access to the promenade of the beach Playa del Duque, where you can find a wide variety of restaurants, cafés and exclusive shops. This majestic 5 star hotel, located just 20 minutes from Tenerife South – Reina Sofía International Airport and 60 minutes from Tenerife North. Surrounded by idyllic gardens next to the sea, the 346 rooms, 58 suites and 40 private villas offer a peaceful retreat where you can unwind and surrender to a sublime sense of tranquillity. The 5 star accommodation includes the Casas Ducales and Las Villas . Bahia del Duque offers you a unique gastronomic dining experience with its own identity, in which you will discover a universe of flavours that cuts across different cultures. Its 9 restaurants and 13 lounges invite you to taste the most exquisite dishes of international, Italian, Japanese, French, Basque and Canarian cuisine. www.thetaishotels.com/bahia-del-duque

Destination

ANNABELLE HOTEL PAPHOS Annabelle connects guests to the best of Cyprus, from Paphos’s medieval castle, Roman ruins and world famous mosaics to world-class sailing, diving, trekking and golf. Enjoy winetasting at Chrysorroyiatissa Monastery and a host of regional wineries; bread-making demonstrations at Kouyiouka Watermill and horseriding and jeep excursions in the Akamas National Park. There are 218 classical rooms and suites set in six acres of sub-tropical seafront gardens just a short walk from historic Paphos harbour. Airy interiors have a colonial charm and air of easy elegance – each with a balcony or terrace, en suite marble bathroom and free WiFi. The Food from the Village’ approach guarantees the finest local produce across a range of inspired menus. Live music and dancing add a touch of Cypriot flair, while creative bars invite you to kick back, connect or dream over a drink or afternoon tea. www.annabelle.com.cy

| FEBRUARY 2018

SnOW

M uC H F un

Val d’Isère is the perfect ski resort offering miles of slopes and trendy après ski, that’s why more Britons than ever are getting their winter sport fix here. Kate Morfoot checks in and gives you all you need to know about hitting the snow guaranteed slopes.

TRAVEL

Why Val d’Isère? Its natural terrain provides the opportunity for perfect skiing! It’s linked to neighbouring Tignes to form a ski area of 300km of pistes and 78 lifts. ‘Val’ offers high quality, snow-sure slopes for everyone from complete beginner to advanced powder hounds. The pistes of Val and Tignes are naturally linked without the need for long and boring connecting trails or lifts and importantly a snow cover is usually reliable throughout the season. This starts in late November through to early May. Nature is backed up by the largest snowmaking facility in Europe. The giant snowmaking operation based beside the Olympique gondola can churn out a mighty 2500 m³ of artificial snow in one hour. (That’s enough to cover a football pitch in a metre of snow in less than 30 minutes). You won’t be let down as the snow is of excellent quality and the glitzy resort has world-acclaim for their extremely well groomed pistes and high standards. Where is it? Found at the end of the Tarentaise valley, the village stands at 1,850m, with the top slopes at an altitude of nearly 3,400m lying beneath the summit of the Pointe du Montet. The top lift in Tignes is on the Grande Motte and reaches a height of 3,456m. Val isn’t the prettiest ski resort, however there are ambitious plans afoot with a £170million project planned to redevelop the centre over the next five years. This will include two new hotels, a new piste with an underground moving walkway linking the centre of town with the lifts. The Solaise gondola was updated for the 2016/17 season, with a state-of-the-art lift to replace the old Solaise Express chairlift. The 10-person gondola, complete with heated seats and wifi, now has capacity that can carry up to 3,600 passengers per hour, an increase of 40%, bringing a welcome end to bottlenecks in high-season. At the top of the gondola, a new North Americanstyle lodge and a free-to-use picnic area featuring microwaves and vending machines were added at the beginning of the 2016/17 season. Nearby, the now defunct Solaise cable car station is being turned into the highest hotel in France. This is planned to open in December 2018 with 40 rooms, a spa, and a restaurant seating 380.

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TRAVEL

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There are no shortages of restaurants and bars in Val d’Isère. You will find five-star sophisticated restaurants depending on your budget lower scale eateries. La Folie Douce (lafoliedouce.com, +33 479 06 07 17) also owns the next door La Fruitiere Restaurant. It has modern, white washed furniture and serves contemporary food from burgers to steaks and some of the best puddings in the Alps. Combined with their famous outside club, this is a party hangout and the place to begin Apres Ski. Try the new Cocorico (cocoricovaldisere.com, +33 4 79 24 60 04), also a cool après ski hang out with live onstage music. Dick’s Tea Bar (dicksteabar.com, +33 6 51 39 99 81) is an old staple in Val. There’s a great atmosphere with a trendy vibe. Celebrating its ten year anniversary, La Doudoune (doudouneclub.com, +33 4 79 24 60 04) has a reputation for great DJ’s, live music and serious parties. Also L’Etincelle (letincellevaldisere.com, +33 479 06 03 38) is worth trying for its upmarket food in a relatively genteel atmosphere. Where to stay? VIP SKI CLUB Aspen is the perfect location within the heart of the town centre. Just a short 250m walk you have easy access to the main slopes. The ten bedroom chalet can be booked room-by-room which is ideal for couples and small groups. The VIP CLUB service offers a flexible menu plan in the dining room, with a choice of delicious dishes provided by a highly trained chef and a friendly team of dedicated chalet hosts. You will find two lounges, a bar area with complimentary beer and wine, TV, music system, DVD player, games console and Wi-Fi. Next door, there is a well-equipped ski

and snow board hire shop. A full price list for ski rental can be found at vip-chalets.com A seven-night stay at VIP SKI CLUB Aspen is priced from £709 pp and includes return flights from Gatwick to Friedrichshafen, coach transfers, accommodation, catered chalet board (of cooked breakfast, afternoon tea, a three course evening meal on six nights followed by a cheese board, coffee and mints), complimentary beer and house wine, and toiletries are provided. For more information on VIP SKI visit vip-chalets.com or call 0208 875 1957. Tip: Much of the rental accommodation is available for Sunday arrivals and departures. Avoid the Saturday traffic jams and get more time on the snow.

Lift passes: A one-day adult lift pass for Espace Killy is priced from ¤57/£51; a six-day adult lift pass is priced from ¤285/£253. A full price list for lift passes can be found at valdisere.com Ski school: An adult beginner group ski lesson costs from ¤265/£234 in Val d’Isère with Oxygene; an adult intermediate group ski lesson costs from ¤245/£216; an adult ‘Steep & Deep Off-Piste’ lesson costs from ¤375/£331. A full price list for ski lessons can be found at oxygene.ski Ski hire: Ski hire can be booked with VIP SKI. Advance bookings save up to 25% on resort prices. 6 days’ ski hire is priced from £91 6 days’ ski and boot hire is priced from £154 What’s on? January 23 - 26 2018 Europa Cup Ski Races – where the top European skiers take part in the Giant Slalom competition on La Joseray. April 3 - 6 2018 La Scara is a glimpse of the future of Alphine Skiing World Cup. The best racers under 14 and under 16 gather in the town for their own competition. April 27 - 28 2018 Join top yogis at the Congress Centre, with numerous workshops for all levels over three days. Getting there Nearest airport: Chambéry, 120 minutes (145km); Geneva, 170 minutes (223km). Nearest station: Bourg-St-Maurice, 40 minutes (30km). Regular buses run from the station. More information: valdisere.com

| FEBRUARY 2018

February Gardening Our gardening writer Ellen Mary brings Places&Faces® readers more useful tips

he first touches of Spring start to peak through the soil and there can even be the odd warmer day during February, even though the weather will still mostly be wintery. Watching wildlife stir as the days become lighter and brighter is so exciting as we can start to get back outside and put all those plans in place for the year ahead. Spring is just around the corner so get prepared!

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Sow your Sweet Peas under cover now giving you a head start. Make sure they are well protected from the cold weather and placed where they will get maximum light. One of my favourite Sweet Peas is ‘Midnight Blues’ which are beautifully scented and bloom in blues and purples with strong stems. We all love snowdrops! Nothing

more promising than seeing those gorgeous white delicate blooms appear. If you are thinking of planting some or if you need to divide large clumps of existing plants now is the time to do it. Snowdrops tend to grow better if planted ‘in the green’ meaning with the foliage after flowering, so why not create your own Snowdrop winter wonderland. I usually start bringing my Dahlias out of hibernation towards the end of the month by placing them in a light and warmer position from their winter storage to allow them to start sprouting before its time to plant out late Spring. Keep them lightly moist with a mist of spray and get ready to be dazzled with Dahlias. FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Replenish your Rhubarb. February is a good time to plant out new Rhubarb crowns and even force existing crowns to harvest earlier than usual. Cover the crowns with a bucket to exclude

GARDENING

all light and then harvest stalks when they are about 20cm - 30cm long which will be a few weeks earlier than usual. Alternate which plants you force to allow energy to be restored. Fork in some well rotted manure in your vegetable beds. After you’ve prepared the soil you can use ground cover to keep the soil warmer and dry until Spring or place your cloches and covers where you are going to sow or grow early in the season. Don’t forget to keep on top of any weeds. Start chitting your early potatoes by placing seed potatoes in an old egg box with the eye facing upwards. Ensure the are on a warm windowsill or greenhouse with plenty of light but not direct sunlight. This helps to get new shoots off to a strong start, ready for planting in approximately four weeks. WILDLIFE GARDENING

February is a great month to incorporate some wildlife friendly areas in the garden. We are likely to get

plenty of rainfall over the next couple of months so building a wildlife pond will be well timed. Dig a minimum depth of 60cm and include sloping sides to make it look both natural and a haven for amphibians. If you don’t have space, try a butler sink or a bucket with pond plants. It wont be long before our garden birds will be looking for nesting spots, so if you need to give your deciduous shrubs and hedges a trim, make sure you have finished before the birds start nesting. Put up some bird boxes away from where prey can reach them and you will be creating a much needed home for garden birds. Making homes for solitary bees can be a great help plus they can look really nice! Research has found that homes made with a backing on are better than open ends. So tie up a tin can filled with straws or anything with space for nesting in a south-facing positions, hanging at chest height or above, are best.

GARDENING PRODUCT OF THE MONTH –

February is the most romantic month of the year so why not show the love of your life how bananas you are about them…with a banana tree! Yes they can be grown here in the UK with Winter protection and the experts at Urban Jungle both in Ringland and in Beccles can give you plenty of advice and a healthy Banana plant. Check them out at: www.urbanjungle.uk.com

W H AT ’ S O N –

Come along to The Library Restaurant in Norwich for a night of mixology and edible flowers on Wednesday 28 February. No Fear Gardening along with local businesses will be coming together for a fun event with a flowery twist. Go to: www.facebook.com/nofeargardening for updates and more details.

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| FEBRUARY 2018 activity in Greater Yarmouth. The air show is expected to attract 170,000 visitors over two days, which should provide an economic impact of around £10 million. What is your advice for people travelling to the air show by road and rail?

Very simply, please use park and ride, please come early, please stay late. This will help with us to deliver a fantastic event. Are you a big aeroplane fan? Have you got a favourite?

Yes, and my appreciation of the skills of display pilots has increased dramatically over the last couple of years through my involvement with the air show project. The time and dedication the pilots put in to deliver the displays is phenomenal. On a personal note I tend to favour older aircraft. What do enjoy most about living and working in Norfolk?

ASA MORRISON

Event Director of the first ever Haven Great Yarmouth Air Show taking place this June

When is the Great Yarmouth Air Show and what can visitors expect to see – in the sky and on the ground?

The Haven Great Yarmouth Air Show takes place 16th and 17th June 2018 on Great Yarmouth seafront and is being delivered by the Great Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area (GYTABIA). Visitors can expect to see a wide range of modern and classic planes from civilian and military display teams. Flying will take place on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In addition to the flying displays we are working on developing a wide range of trade stands and stalls along the seafront. What is involved with your role as show director?

My role is to pull the whole air show together for the benefit of the residents, visitors and businesses of Greater Yarmouth, working with a team of great people covering areas such as event planning, flight display, traffic management, security, marketing and medical provision.

What are you looking forward to the most?

The aim has always been to deliver a major event which is a great show for the local residents and visitors, as well as providing a significant economic impact for the businesses of Greater Yarmouth. What are the biggest challenges you face?

Delivering what is likely to be one of the biggest events in East Anglia, has had a number of challenges. We have resolved many, but traffic management has provided 82

the most complex issue. Great Yarmouth has a near perfect seafront to deliver an air show, but the transport network into and out of the town is far from perfect. It’s going to be busy. The key to the transport plan is people choosing to use park and ride, walking or cycling to the event (if possible) or using public transport. Tell us about your background in the tourism sector.

I have worked and studied in the tourism sector since the late 1980s. In the mid 90s I completed a degree in Leisure and Tourism Management in London. I relocated to Norfolk in 1997 and have held a number of managerial roles in both the public and private sector. I set up as a freelance tourism consultant in early 2013. In 2015 I was asked to undertake some work on major event planning for Great Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area. This evolved into taking on the role of Event Director for the Great Yarmouth Airshow. Explain the role of the BID and how much the air show is expected to help the local tourism economy?

The Great Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area (GYTABIA) was developed to increase overall economic

I grew up in a remote place in the Peak District and then moved to the South Downs. I spent a number of years, living, working and studying in London. I relocated to Norfolk after six years in London, and I enjoy the peace and quiet, and dark skies - something you do not get in London. Norfolk has everything I need apart from mountains, which means we have a lot of holidays in and around mountains and hills. Tell us about your family.

I am married to Mandi who works in social media and PR. We have seven children. The youngest is four and our eldest is at University in the North East. In November this year we were joined by a Newfoundland puppy called Merrie and have 20 chickens. We live on the edge of the Norfolk Broads a few miles from Great Yarmouth. Rugby is another passion. What has been your involvement in the sport?

I have been involved in rugby since being introduced to the game at University (I had played hockey and American football prior to this). I still happily play local rugby on Saturday afternoons. I have unfulfilled ambitions of retiring and going away for weekends, but still seem to find myself pulling on my boots every weekend. Rugby does get a bit harder as you get older, but I enjoy playing as much now, as I ever have. Sum up yourself in five words.

Family. Tourism. Sport. Holidays. Outdoors

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