Issuu Norfolk Issue 40 by Countrywide Publications

JULY 2013 £2.95

THE Magazine for Norfolk & North Suffolk

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MEET THE TEAM WELCOME

mpresario 30 years he county hat didn’t to be elcome to our July t End issue which I hope you Tony Mallion e a member Editor are enjoying in your Potters, garden with a blazing t a star! We tony@h2creativemedia.co.uk hot sun above! We have endar Girl a summery feel to this lingham edition, with a guide to Baker who some of our most beautiful beaches, a review of one-man

E d it o r ’ s L e tt e r Sarah Hardy

sarah@h2creativemedia.co.uk

Sarah Hardy Assistant Editor

and was picked to be in the frothy TV series, Riders. Now, of course, she’s a mum to twins and joining that rather meaty TV series, Luther. The best of luck to her. Marcus Collins is very jolly and should be a a fantastic seaside bistro and an interview with real triumph in Hairspray at Norwich Theatre s, Five Brian Potter, one of the true greats of our tourism Royal while Dawn O’Porter sounds like a girl on industry in East Anglia – and beyond. the up. A writer, broadcaster and social media melia phenomenon, she is appearing at Latitude book pagesThere’s masses to do in the region this month – make sure you read our What On’s guide and where half the region seems to be heading! movie And doesn’t Benet Catty have a great turn ox office we have tickets to the Holkham Country Fair so of words with his West End reviews? He gets his own do enter our competition to win them. them spot on – and certainly makes me think ed house – Our celebrity content is as strong as always David catching Wakefield Tony and I have really enjoyed up with aboutCooper a trip to see a show in the Smoke. Motors Travel the gorgeous Sienna Guillory as I remember So our magazine is blessed with great providing contributors from award winning chefs to lk-based interviewing her when she was just a teenager sarah@h2creativemedia.co.uk

super knowledgeable wine writers – and our lovely assistant editor Emma Outten and talented designer Scott Nicholson complete our P&F family! This is our fortieth edition and you know what they say – life begins at 40! So watch this space as we continue to expand and develop the magazine. Do let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to include or anything you feel has had its day!

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She’s a beach baby – Sarah Hardy shares some of her favourite sandy spots with readers

Alison Moyet on Yazoo, being in the limelight – and her new album

Celebrities 14 TV presenter Dawn O’Porter lands at Latitude 22 She’s sexy, talented, and from Norfolk –

COVER STORY JULY 2013 £2.95

THE Magazine for Norfolk & North Suffolk

WIN

TICKETS AND A ‘MONEY CAN’T BUY’ EXPERIENCE AT HOLKHAM COUNTRY FAIR

Double trouble – The Proclaimers have plenty to shout about

Sienna Guillory is back on the small screen 44 He’s inspired a generation of young Norfolk actors – meet David Lambert

50 75

What’s On 34 Our regular monthly round-up of this month’s best events and activities in the region and beyond 37 The Holkham Country Fair is previewed and we have free tickets and a very unusual experience to win! 38 Benet Catty sees the feel good musical Once and leaves ready for a drink! 41 Head to St George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth for a special preview of a show bound for the Edinburgh Fringe 43 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre enjoy a special relationship – find out more 46 Why we’re getting the sewing bee in our bonnets

88 Consider Malaga in alluring Andulucia as a weekend away, says Peter Fleming

French chef Franck Pontais creates the classic strawberry cake, Le Fraisier

Homes & gardens 58 Find out more about the birds and the bees with our Jarrold experts 60 Sarah Hardy discovers Norwich’s secret garden – The Plantation Garden 64 Step inside a riverside Georgian property in Coltishall

Food, drink & dining out 76 Mark Dixon offers his own version of strawberries and cream… 78 Sarah Hardy tucks into cocktails and more at the bustling Gambas in Gorleston 82 Now is the time to enjoy Cromer crab, surely one of Norfolk’s finest fruits of the seas 84 Our wine writer Poppy Seymour can’t get enough of Western Cape tipples

PLACESANDFACES.CO.UK

Columnists 24 Ian Russell doesn’t mind children having

gadgets – as long as they play outside, too 69 Richard Barr is feeling the vibes 118 Cheers – SJP raises her glass to a wine

tasting club

Fashion & Beauty 27 All going swimmingly – our selection of bikinis and costumes will have you heading to the beach 29 Hold back the years with our anti-ageing products 31 The Lust List looks at gifts fit for a royal baby

Business 94 Meet one of the legends of the tourism industry in our region, Brian Potter MBE

Regulars 9 Five minutes with Daniel Smith, chef patron of

the Ingham Swan 111 Our seven High Society pages kick off with

the Holt Festival Launch

Travel 86 Mark Nicholls tackles the challenging Samaria Gorge in Crete, and lives to tell the tale!

Motors 102 Feeling super in a Skoda 105 James Spicer relives his youth in a hot hatch! 106 Having Electrics Dreams with the new

Renault Zoe

X Factor’s Marcus Collins gets out his hairspray

q & a with

Daniel Smith You can take the boy out of Yarmouth but not Yarmouth out of the boy! Meet Daniel Smith – one of Norfolk’s top chefs What’s your ideal day out in the area? I love going out with my wife and two children and time is precious because I’m a busy boy at work. I would go to Sea Palling with them and enjoy an ice-cream on the beach. Then we’d return home and have a nice BBQ. Which iconic Norfolk characters do you most admire and why? I’m going to be a bit cliché and say Galton Blackiston purely because he’s achieved everything in Norfolk that I would want to achieve. I worked with him for five years. Obviously there are other people but he is the one closest to me. What’s your favourite pub in Norfolk and what do you like to drink there? It’s going to be the Ingham Swan! I can’t say anything else, can I? I don’t generally drink there because it’s my business. One of the reasons I purchased the freehold is that I liked the character of the building. If I did drink there I would have a glass of champagne. Where do you like to eat out in Norfolk and why? And what do you order? If I’m going to take myself away from my own business, you are going to laugh but Chicken BBQ in Great Yarmouth, a Portuguese restaurant, which basically serves chicken and chips. It’s very, very inexpensive and such a simple dish. There are places I do eat in Norfolk but if I’m having a ‘free and easy’ dinner with the family that would be what I would do. You might think I’m crazy but give it a try! What do you miss most when you leave the region? My business! What I miss most are the great ingredients that we have in the local area: Norfolk’s great seafood – crab, that sort of thing. I love the shellfish; I love the local fish. We have great produce in Norfolk and a lot of it. What I miss most when I leave the country is stock! What are you reading at the moment? I don’t read many books, but there is a book, Sucre, by a French pastry chef called Philippe Andieu which specialises in petit fours and macaroons. That’s my reading material. Would you prefer a day on the Broads or a day at Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach? Why? I’m a bit torn here but to be fair it would have to be the Pleasure Beach with my kids, for a cup of tea with my mum at Sara’s Tea Room, in The Pleasure Beach Gardens. You can’t take Yarmouth out of the boy! Opera, musical, drama or movie - which would you prefer to watch? And what was the last production/show you saw? I recently went to see a show, a silent comedy starring my stepson, Lewis Gadsdon, called A Laughing Matter, in Northampton. He and his university friend are behind a theatre company called Hush. I really did enjoy it, and not because he’s my stepson. It was very comical. Sum up Norfolk in three words Flat; sea; lamb (Salt Marsh) Sum up yourself in three words Driven; opinionated; family

Daniel Smith is the chef/proprietor of the Ingham Swan, a 14th century coaching inn set in north Norfolk. It retained the Michelin Bib Gourmand status and appears in the Michelin Guide 2013. www.theinghamswan.co.uk

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

L I S T E N UP ! The Proclaimers are the hot ticket at this year’s Holt Festival. Sarah Hardy talks to one half of the Scottish duo, Craig Reid, to hear just what it’s like to work with your twin!

The Proclaimers play on July 26 in the Theatre in the Woods. Their concert is scheduled to last from 9-11pm.

Holt Festival runs from July 20-27. More details call 01263 711284 or visit www.holtfestival.org

celebrity interview

e all know the Proclaimers, don’t we? They are what you’d call a solid, grown up group who simply get on with the business of creating thoughtful music. They haven’t sold out to anything daft or commercial. You are never, for example, going to see either of them on Strictly Come Dancing or I’m A Celebrity. The twins, Craig and Charlie, are still based in Edinburgh and are perhaps best known for hits such as Letter to America, I’m Gonna Be and Sunshine on Leith. People enjoy these edgy numbers that you somehow find yourself singing along to. I spoke to Craig, the younger of the two – by half an hour it turns out – but I got the feeling that I could have been speaking to big brother Charlie as I imagine I would have got pretty much the same result. They both take their careers seriously, rehearsing for a couple of hours a day to keep their voices in tip top condition, and are super efficient when it comes to being interviewed. Unlike many celebrities who cancel, run late, make you go through various members of their entourage before you get to them, Craig simply picked up the phone himself, bang on time, and started to chat. This down to earth attitude continues as Craig says: ‘What matters most is recording and then touring. We don’t have a problem with fans or publicity. We are well known in Scotland but we are not in the same league as someone like Brad Pitt – and we don’t lead that sort of life!’ Now both aged 51, the duo, who are very firmly Scottish but more of that later, haven’t really stopped working for about a quarter of a century. ‘Aye,’ says Craig. ‘It is what we >>

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celebrity interview

>> do. Making music is part of our DNA. We were in bands at school and formed The Proclaimers in 1983.’ He is happy to admit that he is very close to his twin and that they do get along very well. ‘I think it happens like that. You either get along and want to spend time together or you want to get as far away as possible from each other. We work together but we don’t really socialise together. ‘But I know that I can rely on him and we do get strength from each other.’ The pair do not know Norfolk but have played Norwich many times which isn’t surprising as they have been touring the country for years. ‘We know the country well, there are not many places we haven’t been,’ says Craig, adding that they are performing at many festivals this year including Glastonbury. The group also enjoys great popularity in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and perform there regularly, too. Indeed, they are heading off to Canada on a 13-date tour just after they visit us in Holt. ‘We might miss the Edinburgh Festival but hopefully I’ll get to see one or two things,’ remarks Craig. He says that the Holt gig will be a mixture of old favourites and new material. ‘We tend to do that, it is what people like. We are just getting back with our band, working out a new line up for this summer’s gigs.’ The playlist will no doubt include their new single, Not Cynical, from their latest album, their ninth which is called The Very Best of the Proclaimers 1987 to 2012. Craig says that, after so many years in the business, he doesn’t get nervous before a performance. ‘Well, if you haven’t performed for a while, you do feel rusty. We didn’t do much from New Year’s Eve until the late spring and that first concert got you thinking.’ Away from the music world and Craig has four children to keep him busy. Two daughters, aged 20 and 18, and two sons, aged 17 and 15. And he is, along with his twin, an ardent Hibernian Football Club supporter. Both brothers are political creatures, as witnessed in some of their song lyrics, for example I’m Gonna Be. They support Scottish independence, with Craig believing it is the only way forward for the country. ‘We need the full levers of economic power. Devolution has achieved all it can.’

Holt Festival Director Delaval Astley says: ‘The Festival has once more pushed its ambitions yet a little further for 2013. We have two world premieres - I’m thrilled about the very first Festival co-commission, a new work from MarkAnthony Turnage receiving its debut performance by The Delta Saxophone Quartet and also that Actors’ Touring Company are presenting their new show, The Events. ‘This new play from internationally renowned playwright David Greig is already attracting major media interest and will transfer to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre for the Edinburgh Festival in August. We hope to fill the town with our Free Festival on July 21 and we have extended the Theatre In The Woods events to two days. ‘Through the week there is plenty for all ages with cabaret, classical music, jazz, theatre, dance, puppetry, opera, art exhibitions and the second year of the Holt Festival Art Prize and I’m happy to say that ticket sales are going very nicely indeed. The Proclaimers are an ideal band for Theatre in the Woods with their emotional honesty and singalong anthems that appeal to the head, heart and feet.’ 13

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

Why Dawn is Flying High TV presenter Dawn O’Porter is bringing her Paper Aeroplanes novel to Latitude this month. Is she terrified to be appearing alongside literary giant Germaine Greer? Emma Outten finds out

here was something slightly disconcerting about being in the middle of a phone interview with a TV presenter-turned-novelist and discovering that her Hollywoodactor husband was walking towards her as we spoke. Still, you have to take these things in your stride. Dawn O’Porter, who is a broadcaster, print journalist and now novelist, is married to Chris O’Dowd, who has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Gulliver’s Travels and Bridesmaids (you may also know him for his role as Roy in Channel 4’s The IT Crowd). Consequently, although the couple live in London, Dawn also spends a lot of time in Los Angeles nowadays. Previously known as Dawn Porter, she made the decision to fuse their surnames - this name meshing has become something of a new wedding trend, apparently. >>

celebrity interview

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celebrity interview

>> ‘A few people have been in uproar – I always think it’s bizarre, that anyone cares,’ says Dawn, ‘but no one would have batted an eyelid if I had changed my name to O’Dowd and I wasn’t going to do that. Double-barrel is quite common but I didn’t want O’DowdPorter, so I added the O.’ In any case, she adds: ‘Authors often have that middle initial, so I didn’t think it was that weird, and I love it now.' She has been busy promoting her debut novel, Paper Aeroplanes, which immediately became a best seller on Amazon, although she is also known for making documentaries about all sorts of things: including polygamy, childbirth, geishas, body image, breast cancer (her mother died of the disease two days before Dawn’s seventh birthday) and even the movie Dirty Dancing. Most recently she appeared on Channel 4 with How To Find Love Online. ‘It’s not from my perspective,’ she is keen to point out. ‘I’ve got lots of case studies. We are looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of it all.’ She is highly active online, which could explain why she has more than a quarter of a million followers on Twitter (check her out on @hotpatooties). What’s her secret? ‘I think it’s the amount you Tweet – you can pick up a following,’ says the prolific Tweeter. It also helps that she is extremely honest about her life. ‘People are expecting to see something a bit embarrassing.’ She also regularly blogs at www.dawnporter.net. This honest approach to writing also translates to Paper Aeroplanes, which has been described as a gritty, poignant, often laugh-out loud funny and powerful novel (and perfect for fans of Caitlin Moran, for example). It is also an unforgettable snapshot of small-town adolescence (sounds right up my street in that case!), and the heart-stopping power of female friendship. The novel is set in the mid-90s, and centres on 15-year-old Guernsey schoolgirls, Renee and Flo, and is essentially the story of a friendship. Although it's aimed at the young adult fiction market, it also sounds as though it could be a nostalgic book for women.

Paper Aeroplanes is semi-autobiographical - Dawn, herself, is from Guernsey. ‘It’s very inspired by my life, but it’s certainly not my story,’ says the 34-year-old. Be warned, however: it contains graphic content and some scenes of a sexual nature. She recently ‘survived’ BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, when she talked about the appeal of young adult fiction (sales have grown by 150 percent in the last six years, apparently, in contrast to the downward trend in publishing), but where she also had questions to answer about the sexual content. ‘I think I had to expect that,’ admits Dawn. She is already working on the sequel to her novel, Goose. ‘The pressure is on,’ says Dawn. ‘Hopefully I will have finished it by the time I get to Latitude – the deadline is July.’ At the festival in Suffolk, Dawn will be appearing on the same bill as Germaine Greer, in the literary tent. How did she feel about that? ‘I think every woman is nervous to meet Germaine at first, but I’m really looking forward to it. She is definitely somebody I want to meet. There’s a sense that you want her to be a little bit proud of you, which makes you want to perform a bit better.’ We spoke the day after the London launch of Paper Aeroplanes, at Waterstone’s Piccadilly, where she was interviewed by her friend, the Radio 1 DJ, Gemma Cairney. Her husband was also in attendance. ‘He supported me last night, which was really nice.' She admits: ‘I always get a bit terrified when there’s an audience.’ Oh dear, that doesn’t bode well for Latitude. How is she feeling about that? ‘Pretty scared, but maybe not as much as I anticipated, because I’m confident with what I’m talking about.’ Dawn is appearing on the Saturday, so a chance, perhaps, to catch headliners Kraftwerk, and don a pair of 3D glasses. ‘I think it’s going to be a riot at Latitude,' she says, 'I think it’s going to be really fun!’ And will she be camping? ‘I wouldn’t have minded camping but I think they’ve given me a caravan and I’m certainly not going to turn it down.’ Both Dawn and Chris are going places in their careers and it is quite apparent that the newlyweds (they wed in August last year) are hugely proud of each other. Chris was recently interviewed on the David Letterman Late Show in America, proudly referring to ‘my wife’ throughout, and Dawn reciprocates: ‘I just think what Chris is experiencing at the moment is incredible. He texted me a picture on his phone - he’d asked a passer-by to take it in Times Square last week - of him in front of a huge billboard which has his face on it. It’s moments like that. He’s just a small-town boy, doing amazingly and making things happen,’ she says of her Irish husband. She reflects: ‘You just never know when it’s all going to end, so you just enjoy every moment, when it’s going well.’ And with that, it was time to let the happy couple enjoy a moment together.

Paper Aeroplanes, by Dawn O’Porter, £7.99, Hot Key Books, is out now. Dawn will be appearing at Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk, on July 20. Visit www.latitudefestival.co.uk

placesandfaces.co.uk

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Alison’s Musical Journey Having sold over 20 million records both as a soloist and as one half of Yazoo, Alison Moyet continues to dominate the album charts. She’s been talking to Joff Hopkins about her latest album, the minutes Joff Hopkins, presenter on Norwich 99.9, The Beach and North Norfolk Radio

ou’ve had quite a distinguished music career – from being one half of Yazoo in the early 80s, through all your solo hits – and now we’re onto album number eight, the minutes – is there a ‘secret to success’?

I would like to think there is some depth to my work – I think without that, you’re going to fade quite soon – but it’s a different industry now. It’s so expensive to promote an act, what with reality television and stuff, they don’t need artist development; they just get a facsimile up. There’s so much mimicry going on – that’s the biggest problem. I think that the artists that last longest are the ones who have something slightly different to say.

You were raised in Basildon in Essex. Was it a particularly rock and roll place to grow up?

I suppose it was, looking back at it – I was very happy growing up in Basildon. It was a nice new town, it was well looked after, it had a young community – a great place to be. There was no culture, obviously, as the town had no history. None of us had any money, so we couldn’t buy our way out or do anything other than create entertainment for ourselves. Consequently, in my one class at school, out of 30 kids, there was me, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher – who both ended up in Depeche Mode – and also Perry Bamonte, who ended up in The Cure. That just goes to show how much music was an important part of our growing up. When you look back it all sounds very ‘showbiz’!

It wasn’t that showbiz back then – we were products of the punk movement! It wasn’t about ‘shows’ because we were playing in car parks, and fields, and local pubs and school youth clubs. There was nothing at all glitzy about it – it was just purely about us trying to create entertainment and expression for ourselves. How did you meet Vince and go on to form Yazoo?

I first met Vince when I was 11. We both went to this Saturday music school that the council put on. It was a really big facility, and provided music lessons, choirs, and orchestras for young people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford any musical tuition. I knew him from then, but he and I were never really mates – he was best friends with the guitarist in my first punk band. I was the first out of all of us to actually start playing in bands! Did you ever want to be in the limelight?

No! It was never an ambition of mine! I was a punk, and I remember in those days, the idea of going on Top of the Pops was anathematic. It wasn’t something you aspired to do – you didn’t want prominence, it was all about being low-key, being part of a clan, separate from everybody else. I read that you 'never wanted to be a solo singer'. Is that true?

No, never, never, never!

So how did you end up doing eight solo albums?

We [Vince and I] were only together for 18 months in Yazoo – and when that fell apart, all the contacts that we had were his. He’d already had an outing with Depeche Mode – and so the record companies, the publishers: they were all his contacts. When he and I split up, as much as they were open to me, I didn’t feel like I could visit it. Consequently, we had a big bidding war, and everyone was trying to sign me – but I’d been quite isolated. I didn’t see my mates any more, and I didn’t get to meet any new musicians. I fell into being a solo singer. Your new album, the minutes, feels like you’re staying true to some of your electronic roots, yet it still feels really contemporary and fresh, if somewhat dark and brooding in places.

That’s my nature when it comes to music – I’ve always liked that kind-of introspective thing going on. I’ve wanted to do electronica for a long time, and the thing that stopped me doing it was finding the right fuel - it’s taken me this long to find [producer] Guy Sigsworth. I wanted someone not only completely adept with technology, but also had an experimental mind and a really finetuned musicality. Guy started life as a harpsichordist at Cambridge University, and so it’s this really wonderful marriage that you come across so rarely. I was put off in the 1990s by this swathe of techno music that was just ‘jamming a vocal in,’ to a point where you wished no one was singing at all! It’d become all about technology and not enough about the musicality. This album returns to using techno, but not in such a way that it eradicates the song. You’re back on tour this year, including a date at the Regent Theatre in Ipswich. How do you translate the sort of music you make into a stage show?

Very easily – you are just changing the form you’re putting it out on. In this situation, it is going to be an electronic tour. I’m really excited about it, because it means I can visit whole areas of my back catalogue that have previously been limited to me. The Yazoo stuff for example, it’s all very well – I can do the melody and the lyrics, but the electronica is such a part of the colour of it, and without that you’re only getting half the message. Consequently, this is going to be a far more upbeat, more energetic, more exciting tour, than the more blues-inflected ones I’ve done in the last 20 years. Finally: my notes here tell me that you’re a doctor. Is this right?

Yes, I am, I’m a doctor, I’m not quite sure what I’m a doctor of, and I shan’t be asking you to pop up on the couch. I have the pictures to prove it! The town of Southend figured hugely in my development and I was delighted to be honoured by Essex University with an honorary doctorate, which sits next to my one bad O Level in French!

the minutes is out now on Cooking Vinyl. She performs at the Regent Theatre in Ipswich on October 13. Call 01493 433100

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celebrity interview

From H a i r d r e s s ing t o H a i r s p r ay X Factor finalist Marcus Collins makes his musical debut in Hairspray which arrives in Norwich this autumn. He tells us why the show has particular significance for him

ne-time hairdresser Marcus Collins has been an X Factor finalist, had an album and a single in the top ten, and performed in front of royalty. But it’s this year, the Liverpudlian performer says, that he is really living the dream, playing the singingdancing Seaweed Stubbs in the national tour of the musical Hairspray. ‘To me, this feels like a dream job,’ Marcus says of playing the energised, supremely good-hearted Seaweed, the black dancer who mentors the young – and white – Tracy Turnblad in a still-segregated Baltimore, Maryland, 1962. ‘When I get to perform and feed off the audience knowing that I’ve got so many other people around me that I can interact with and feed off their energy, that to me is the new challenge that I’ve been wanting.’ And that has now come Marcus’s way in the same year that he turns 25. Although he’s never travelled to Baltimore, and clearly wasn’t around in the pre-Civil Rights era of this show, Marcus connects up to the material: ‘I grew up one of the few black kids in a predominantly white area of Liverpool, which was interesting, really interesting, so this show really is an example of art imitating life, really, or life imitating art.’ Marcus goes on to explain: ‘My mum is white and my dad black, and they met in the late 80s when interracial relationships were still just starting to be OK, and a lot of my family were a little bit het up about it and didn’t want controversy coming to their doors; they didn’t need it. There were a lot of questions and eyebrows raised about it, so this felt like something I could really relate to.’ Hairspray marks Marcus’s musical theatre debut, and he says the offer arrived at the right time. ‘This hit the nail right on the head, and was just what I wanted. I’d been thinking while I was performing to all the cameras [on X Factor] that this is all well and good, but I wanted to learn something else. I was ready for a new challenge, and I feel already as if I’m starting to develop a lot more in my dancing and my acting.’ But the greatest challenge posed by this shift in career is ‘the stamina,’ says Marcus, ‘because this show is incredible for that. It really builds because you go on a journey with the characters, and I go on a journey looking for oxygen.’ Why is that? ‘Because as soon as I’m done on stage, I can’t breathe,’ laughs Marcus.

"When I get to perform and feed off the audience knowing that I’ve got so many other people

around me that I can interact with and feed off their energy, that to me is the new challenge that I’ve been wanting"

Hairspray is on at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, from September 24 to 29. Call 01603 630000.

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

Si e nn a’ s N e w T e l ly R o l e Norfolk actress Sienna Guillory joins the cast of the hit BBC1 series, Luther. Sarah Hardy finds out more

ienna Guillory has been cast to play Luther’s new love interest in series three of Neil Cross’s critically acclaimed drama series. Luther is back under intense pressure, with two conflicting crimes to investigate and a ruthless ex-copper determined to bring him down. His life is his job; that is, until love crosses his path and offers him a chance of happiness. Sienna plays Mary, who works in a vintage clothes shop. She meets Luther in a chance encounter. She says: ‘You realise why Luther is so good when you read Neil Cross’s scripts, and then you meet Idris and understand what 'untamed' means. There is no other set I'd rather be on, and I love the disastrous fun of being Mary Day, the right girl in the wrong place.’

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Idris Elba, playing Luther, adds: ‘I want to thank the fans for waiting so patiently for the new season. We’re thrilled to deliver it to you. Here comes John!’ Sienna, now in her late 30s, grew up in north Norfolk, near Wells and attended Gresham’s School in Holt. A keen horse rider, she was asked to take part in Jilly Cooper’s hit 1980s television series, Riders, which was shot in Norfolk when she was just a teenager. She has continued to have a successful acting career, appearing in many TV series including Take A Girl Like You and Helen of Troy. She has also enjoyed a movie career with roles in Love, Actually and Resident Evil, Inkheart, and Eragon. Sienna married fellow actor Enzo Cilenti in 2002 (in Norfolk, of course) and in 2011 they had twin daughters, called Valentina and Lucia, who were named after her grandmother and great aunt who were also twins! She enjoys visiting Norfolk as often as she can and has said that Blakeney is one of her favourite spots. She is the daughter of the Cuban-born guitarist Isaac Guillory who is noted for his work with Donovan, Joan Baez, Elkie Brooks, and Mick Jagger while her mother, Tina Guillory, is a well known Norfolk designer who creates wonderful smocks, dungarees, raincoats, aprons, bags, and gardening items from her charming farmhouse near the coast. All her designs are simple yet elegant – and just right for country life. Visit www.carriercompany.co.uk for a closer look.

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

QUES T I O N & A N S W ER

Here Sienna answers a few questions about her latest role:

each supporting character has their own unique point of view and way of talking too, very much like a great film crew. Everybody brings something extraordinary that’s fearless. It’s a very uniquely British thing; to be most comfortable when uncomfortable, and my experience with the BBC on this has been exemplary in terms of where I want to be as an actor. How does Mary feel about Luther’s relationship with

How would you introduce this series of Luther?

Alice?

This is about Luther’s race to catch the killer whilst being hunted himself. It’s about sixth sense; knowing something even though you can’t prove it, like falling in love and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, or the right thing for the wrong reasons, depending on how you see it and whose side you’re on. It’s a kind of cocktail of revenge tragedy, morality play and graphic novel, all held together by this extraordinary man, John Luther.

Mary and Alice are opposite poles. Alice would be the predator, she’s action, whereas Mary sees the good in people, which makes her naïve, she trusts people, and she’s prey. We both understand Luther in our own way. Luther acts on his gut and his emotions which is very much like Mary, in a way, she almost has emotional Tourette’s whereas Alice likes to play games, which appeals to Luther's hunger. Alice needs Luther to validate her existence; she thrives on torment whereas Mary is at peace with herself.

What do you like about Mary?

Mary is brutally honest in a way that kind of bruises herself. Although I worry she can come across as ditzy, it’s quite lovely being someone that sees the good in others, and being in a place of naïvety. I personally love her way of saying what she thinks, because I think her lack of artifice is brave; things matter to her.

Luther is on BBC1 this month – keep checking the listings!

What relationship does Mary Day have with Luther?

She and Luther crash into each other’s lives. It’s that sense of meeting someone for the first time, yet you know that you know them, which is disorientating because it’s a bit like something feels incredibly important, but you've just forgotten what it was. Mary sees the good in Luther and sees his capacity for doing good. There’s an unspoken understanding between them, she feels his loss and wants to help him without knowing anything about him. The challenge was that we have very little time face to face, most of our conversations are on the phone, and Mary builds this entirely genuine and heartfelt, intense relationship with John in just a few days. What makes Luther so successful?

I think what makes Luther so intriguing is the chemistry of powerful script with great directors, and at the centre, the walking contradiction that is Idris Elba's Luther. It's also rare that with so strong a lead,

What is it like to work with Idris Elba?

Working with Idris is amazing - he’s this big man with this big voice and this incredible physicality but has a vulnerability and humility that goes completely against the grain of what you have in front of you, yet it all exists in equal measure. When you’re working with him you don’t know whether he’s going to pick you up or drop you on the floor, you just don’t know what he’s going to do with you, he’s great! What is your favourite scene?

Idris and I - it’s our final scene and we were trying to wrap up and get the scene done before we went over schedule and it was the middle of the night and it was freezing and there was that lovely sense of flow when you just let the scene play itself. Everything felt completely true. It was one of those moments when you forget how quickly or slowly time flows. What are the audience going to get from this series?

Goosebumps! I’m really excited about the tiny contradictive details that Neil Cross, Sam Miller and Claire Bennett brought to the story that make everything that bit more unsafe and that bit too far in terms of chill. What I think the audience will love the most, is the return of Alice. It’s the most audacious bit of writing, she’s quite excellent.

I a n R u sse l l

LOOK I N G T O T H E F U T URE Ian Russell explains why he’s all for new technology, as long as it’s balanced with quality family time…

t Wroxham Barns we’re very into social media, with thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter, and we post regular updates on the events that take place on site. As fast internet access seems to be the way forward, and so that our followers can upload their pictures, tweets and comments quickly, we’re currently upgrading our free WiFi network so that it’s faster, more widespread and easier to use. The one we’ve chosen is called ‘Wi-Spire’ which works off church towers in the area, and it’s going to make a massive difference to our broadband, meaning that customers will be able to use all their gadgets easily and efficiently. It also means that we’ll be able to screen live footage of what’s going on at the Barns on our website, so that visitors can watch a webcam of our lovely swallows nesting on the Junior Farm, for example, and see what these beautiful birds are getting up to. The new system will work across the site, so that customers who want to download their messages on their iPhones or Blackberries, play on their iPads or simply check their emails, will be able to do so quickly, easily and for free! Whatever it is that they need to do, WiFi and social media are definitely the way forward, and for the younger generation these gadgets are simply a way of life – the children we see at Wroxham Barns today are as familiar with smart phones, tablets and laptops as we were with traditional toys in my day.

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However, at Wroxham Barns, our slogan is: ‘Great for kids and grown-ups, too’, and the thing that makes me happiest is seeing families interact with one another when they come to visit us, whether it’s playing mini golf, having fun on the fair, or wandering around the Junior Farm, feeding the animals and collecting eggs from the hen-house. While they’re doing that, they’re away from their phones, game consoles and computers for a while, just outside in the fresh air, enjoying one another’s company and having some proper quality family time, and they have the chance to talk, interact and have a laugh, and it’s wonderful to see. With the great British weather being so unpredictable, we also have a host of other family activities on site, from courses at our many ‘Produced In Norfolk’ craft shops and studios – quilting, stitching and embroidery at Sew Creative, and stained glass courses at Coastal Stained Glass – as well as our popular indoor soft play area, Piggy’s Play Sty, on the Junior Farm. What’s more, thanks to the new ‘Made By You’ studio, which opened a few weeks ago, there are now even more activities for all ages to enjoy. Run by sculptor Sue Windley, who also owns the shop next door, the new ‘Made By You’ studio features pottery, decopatch and sand art and is a great way to while away a morning or afternoon being creative. Little ones can have a go at decorating mugs, plates and all kinds of other ceramics, while older children can try their hand at something a little more ambitious, such as decorating animals and other objects with the special decopatch papers and glue. Meanwhile, the sand art, where you fill differentshaped bottles and containers with coloured sands, making patterns and lovely colour ways, is a therapeutic activity for everyone. I am all for new technology and, as anyone who knows me well will know, I never travel anywhere without my laptop and iPhone. However, despite being a fan of the virtual world, I will always be keen on people spending time together in the real one, having fun outside in all weathers, and getting creative indoors. There is a time and a place for gadgets and at Wroxham Barns we embrace them all, but there’s also a place for quality family time, when we leave our computers, tablets and phones at home. Ian Russell MBE owns Wroxham Barns. For more information, visit www.wroxhambarns.co.uk or telephone 01603 783762.

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fashion Sophia bikini top, £19.95, matching bottoms, £15, White Stuff

Biba Draped Bandeau swimsuit, £60, House of Fraser, Intu Chapelfield

Dickens and Jones stripe swimsuit, £50, House of Fraser, Intu Chapelfield Palma bikini, top, £26, bottoms, £14, Boux Avenue, Intu Chapelfield

D e stin ati o n S u n s hin e Make some waves this summer, says Sarah Hardy, as she selects gorgeous swimsuits and bikinis for your holiday suitcase

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YSL All In One BB Cream £38, Jarrold's

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Classic_Sports_2013-A6-Test_3xfold_lft 05/06/2013 08:34 Page 1 Classic_Sports_2013-A6-Test_3xfold_lft 05/06/2013 08:34 Page 1

The The Helmingham Helmingham Festival Festival of of Classic Classic & & Sports Sports Cars Cars Sunday 4th August 2013 Sunday 4th August 2013 A wonderful day out for car enthusiasts and the whole A wonderful day out for car enthusiasts and the whole family. Every year there is an amazing range of exhibiting family. Every year there is an amazing range of exhibiting vehicles displayed in front of the magnificent moated vehicles displayed in front of the magnificent moated Helmingham Hall, surrounded by an ancient deer park Helmingham Hall, surrounded by an ancient deer park and Grade 1 listed gardens. Concourse display down the and Grade 1 listed gardens. Concourse display down the main drive throughout the day. Supporting East Anglia’s main drive throughout the day. Supporting East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Children’s Hospices. Exhibitors: Pre-book Exhibitors: Pre-book The Events Office, Helmingham Hall, The Events Office, Helmingham Hall, Helmingham, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6EF Helmingham, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 6EF

Over 700 exhibiting vehicles Over 700 exhibiting vehicles Main ring entertainment Main ring entertainment Birds of prey Birds of prey Craft & trade stalls Craft & trade stalls Live music Live music Local food & drink Local food & drink Car club stands Car club stands East Anglian Motorbike East Anglian Motorbike Club Display Club Display FREE entry into the Grade 1 FREE entry into the Grade 1 Listed Gardens Listed Gardens 10:00am – 5:00pm 10:00am – 5:00pm Adults: £8.00 Adults: £8.00 Children (7-15 years): £3.00 Children (7-15 years): £3.00 Children under 7 years free Children under 7 years free Family Ticket: £20.00 Family Ticket: £20.00

Telephone: 01473 890799 Telephone: 01473 890799 www.helmingham.com Email: events@helmingham.com www.helmingham.com Email: events@helmingham.com

For Accommodation, Functions, Weddings, Parties, Evening Meals, Sunday Luncheons and Bar Snacks.

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Places and Faces HOW (136 x93).indd 1

6/6/2013 9:57:49 AM

lust list

'Emily' Light Grey Handmade Leather Shoes £54.95, www.topsytoesy.co.uk

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Scarlet & Argent, by Hainsworth, Cashmere Teddy Bears £95 each, www.scarletandargent.co.uk

‘Royal Hare To The Throne’ navy two-piece £26.95, Little Joule, Joules

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Newmarket Nights There are still a few tickets available for Madness on July 19 and the multi-talented Labrinth on July 26 at Adnams Newmarket Nights. For the former, frontman Suggs will make sure the racecourse reverberates to iconic two-tone pop classics such as One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers and It Must Be Love, whereas the latter will be supported by special guests Little Mix. Visit www. newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 0844 579 3010.

Labrinth

Country Fair In case you need reminding, North Norfolk’s premier event, the Holkham Country Fair, takes place on July 27 and 28, by kind permission of Viscount and Viscountess Coke. It is a fabulous family day out, with a spectacular Grand Ring planned for this year, featuring the Musical Drive of the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, and the Diggerland JCB Stunt Team: the Dancing Diggers. Visit www.holkhamcountryfair.co.uk.

What’s On

Jazz World class jazz in the form of the John Martin Quartet comes to Loddon Mill Arts on July 20. The quartet comprises some of the finest players in the UK who will be assembling for a special pre-album gig. They regularly perform at top venues in the UK such as Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express on Dean Street, London, The Vortex and The Jazz Cafe. Call 01508 521800 or visit www.loddonmillarts.co.uk.

Festivals, fayres, and much more are coming up in July. Get out there!

Exhibition An exhibition looking at where the sea meets the land comes to The Assembly House, Norwich, from July 4 to August 29. Coast features a fabulous mix of artists including printmakers, sculptors and painters and the show includes work by Clair Curtis, Penny Bhadresa and Stephen Henderson. Visit www. assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk.

Marilyn Some Like It Hotter, billed as the most surprising comeback in entertainment history, comes to The Playhouse, Norwich on July 1 and 2. It's 2013, and funny man Jack Lemmon and the incomparable Marilyn Monroe (played by Sarah Applewood) are reunited with Hollywood heart-throb Tony Curtis. This fast moving, fantasy comedy whisks the three screen icons back to their most beautiful, sexy and hilarious selves in a once-in-an-(after)-lifetime’s opportunity to rub shoulders with the stars. Visit www. norwichplayhouse.co.uk or call 01603 598598. Baroque Aude Gotto presents the top-notch Baroque group, the Bach Players at the Octagon Chapel on July 18. Called An Italian in Paris, this programme will evoke the Italian influence on French 17th century music, by featuring work by Couperin, Charpentier, Rebel, and female French composer Jacquet de la Guerre. Call Prelude Records on 01603 628319 or visit www.thebachplayers.org.uk.

Book Signing Jarrold’s will be welcoming former Norwich City Football player Paul McVeigh on July 6 between 11am and 1pm, when he will be signing copies of his debut book, The Stupid Footballer is Dead, which offers insights into the minds of the professional footballer. The book signing will take place in the brand new Jarrold book department on the lower ground floor. Visit www.jarrold. co.uk.

WHAT'S ON

Latitude Last chance to get tickets for Latitude, which takes place at Henham Park in Suffolk from July 18 to July 21. Although it is so much more than a music festival, this year’s headliners are Bloc Party, Kraftwerk (a 3D concert) and Foals, and the lovely Laura Mvula will be on the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage on the Sunday. Visit www. latitudefestival.com.

Laura Mvula

Elvis Costello

Forest Live Elvis Costello and the Imposters come to Thetford Forest on July 13. Having generated a songbook of classic material, including Alison, Watching The Detectives, Pump It Up, Oliver’s Army, Accidents Will Happen, Pills and Soap, and Veronica, check to see if there are any tickets left available for one of the most important singer-songwriters to surface from the punk/New Wave era. Visit www.forestry.gov.uk or call 03000 680400.

Casino Grosvenor casino in Great Yarmouth is hosting their annual outdoor threeday summer extravaganza in the gardens of the casino from July 5 to 7. This includes, on the Friday, one of the UK’s top Amy Winehouse tribute acts My Winehouse performing all the hits live on the outdoor stage. Saturday will recreate the sounds of the swinging 60s in an uncannily accurate tribute to the Fab Four, with top Beatles’ tribute band Beatles Mania. Call 01493 850444. Lord Mayor One of the biggest events on the city calendar comes to Norwich from July 4 to 7, with the Lord Mayor’s Celebrations. The four days of celebrations include the 37th Lord Mayor’s Street Procession which takes place in the city centre from 5pm on the Saturday. Visit www. norwich.gov.uk.

Flower Festival Go and see the beautiful flower arrangements at the Flower Festival being held at Hoveton St John Church from July 5 to July 7. The theme is Churches Together on the Broads, and refreshments will be available. There will also be a Songs of Praise Service at 6pm on July 7. Call 01692 630892.

Dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, 1985

Street Procession

Food A stellar line up of Norfolk chefs and artisan food producers will be showing visitors the delights of the Norfolk larder when they come to show their produce and skills at the Best of Norfolk Food Event at the Worstead Festival on July 27 and 28. A number of award winning chefs are attending and those confirmed to date include Roger Hickman of Roger Hickman’s restaurant in Upper St Giles Norwich. Visit www.worsteadfestival.org

King’s Lynn The King’s Lynn Festival will open with a rousing concert, The Best of British, on July 14, and close with the world-famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, on July 27. Highlights in-between include Courtney Pine, BBC Big Band, Hannah Stone (harpist to the Prince of Wales), BBC Young Musician Laura van der Heijden, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Blazin’ Fiddles and the Classic Buskers. Visit www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk.

London The summer, Historic Royal Palaces will present a glamorous exhibition with Fashion Rules at Kensington Palace, from July 4. Featuring rare and exquisite dresses from HM the Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales, this exuberant exhibition will provide a feast for the eyes and a nostalgic glance back at recent decades. Visit www.hrp.org.uk.

See us at Holkham Country Fair

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WHAT'S ON

COMPE T I T I O N

All the Fun of the Fair The two-day Holkham Country Fair offers a mixture of agricultural traditions and family fun. Places&Faces® offers you the chance to visit for free – and to get up close and personal with a feathery friend!

his month’s Holkham Country Fair boasts an impressive line-up of family entertainment from The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, the JCB Dancing Diggers, falconry demonstrations and a freefall parachute display. But one lucky winner will have a chance to get even closer to the action with a money can’t buy opportunity to work with Charlotte Hill of CJ’s Birds of Prey in Cambridgeshire and fly a Harris Hawk in front of spectators across the Grand Ring! Jack, the friendly 10-year-old Harris Hawk performing at this year’s Holkham Country Fair, held on July 27 and 28, has a wingspan of 2.5ft. To prepare you for working with him, you’ll get a briefing from the team and wear a leather gauntlet before entering the Ring and experiencing the exhilaration of handling these majestic birds of prey as they fly to and from your arm. But that’s not all. The winner will also win a pair of tickets to the two-day event on the Holkham estate to soak up the atmosphere of one of the country’s leading country fairs. This year’s Grand Ring will play host to a spectacular programme including four guns from the Musical Drive of The King’s Troop, freefall parachute displays, a Championship Youth Band, aerobatic displays, a hound parade, terrier racing and the unforgettable JCB Dancing Diggers. Some of the countryside’s finest traditions will also be on show, with lurcher racing, fly-casting demonstrations, wildfowling, gundog tests and the ever-popular sheep show. The clay pigeon shoot is not to be missed, and there are plans for it to become the official Norfolk Masters Shoot from 2014. There will also be a classic car show, a display of vintage military vehicles, and more than 200 trade, food and craft stands. Historically, Holkham Country Fair has been held every other year, but it is set to become an annual event from now on, making it a permanent fixture in Norfolk’s summer calendar. Plus with children aged 14 and under free to enter, it makes for a splendid day out for all the family.

To enter the competition simply answer the following question:

For more information about

How old is Jack the Harris Hawk?

Twitter.

the Holkham Country Fair visit holkhamcountryfair.co.uk or follow @HolkhamCFair on

The winner must be over 10-years-old and will be

Send your answer along with your name, address and a day time telephone number to Holkham Hawk Competition, Jungle PR, The Elms, Norwich, Yaxham, Norfolk, NR19 1RJ.

supervised by Charlotte Hill whilst in the Grand Ring. No cash alternative will be offered. The bird of prey handling must take place on July 27, although tickets to the Holkham Country Fair will grant you access on both

The closing date for entries is July

days. Staff and organisers of the

18 2013. Any entries received after

Holkham Country Fair are unable

this date will be void. A winner

to enter. Normal Places and Faces

will be selected at random and

competition rules apply and the

notified on July 19 2013.

editor’s decision is final.

placesandfaces.co.uk

Places&FacesÂŽ | JULY 2013

On c e An d For All Benet Catty finds much to enjoy at the small scale musical Once which celebrates love, friendship and music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and is fast becoming a big success story!

Once is on at the Phoenix Theatre, Charing Cross, London, tel 0844 871 7629, visit atgtickets.com

PLACESANDFACES.CO.UK

If 2008 was the year of the credit crunch, 2012 was the year of the musical mush. Following a year of rich pickings (Matilda, Ghost, London Road, Betty Blue Eyes), last year yielded a poor harvest. Things are looking up for 2013, though. Fans of the blockbuster and the big tune have plenty to get excited about. The Book of Mormon (as reported here last month) is a monster hit and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (from the writers of Hairspray) has itself become a golden ticket. Revivals of A Chorus Line and Merrily We Roll Along are also packing them in. But it is Once, the low-key, small-scale Irish musical that won almost as many Tony Awards as Mormon, that is proving to be the 'sleeper hit' - the show with fewer bus fronts but just as many die-hards as its mega-budget competitors. It is delicate, bittersweet, charming and, seemingly, the opposite of a commercial proposition. It is surely one of the least likely Broadway hits of recent decades and the most surprising Best Musical wins since The Wiz beat Mack and Mabel to the top prize in 1975. What gives it its vast popular appeal is its classy simplicity - a beautiful story well told with melodious songs well sung. Set in an Irish bar, Once follows a struggling musician (Declan Bennett) as he falls in love with a pretty Czech immigrant (Zrinka Cvitesic) who walks in. He mends her hoover, she spots his talent. So many romances begin that way. The story is subtle and slight, although in fairness doesn't really sustain the two and a half hour running time, feeling more like a show that should run one hour and forty-five minutes straight through.

WEST END REVIEW

Like most musicals, it has a theme of being true to who you are and following your heart. Unlike most musicals, it explores the idea as a pencil drawing rather than a brush stroke. And therein lies the appeal of the production by John Tiffany (who made his name with Black Watch) aided by the stylised choreography of Steven Hoggett. The design, by the ever-enterprising Bob Crowley (creator of many a mega spectacle before now) creates an authentic Irish pub with cunningly positioned mirrors in all corners through which we view the action in multiple angles, as if encouraging us to look at things a different way. Although it is the staging and style that one takes away more than the appealing but often forgettable songs, Enda Walsh (writer of many a terrific play at the National and elsewhere) provides a book with the kind of wit and low-key charm that perfectly blends with the songs by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova which include the Oscar-winning Falling Slowly (from the original film) and the gorgeous Gold (later reprised in spellbinding a cappella).

The perception of many is that musicals have to be homes for mega-spectacle. Not true. Wicked may be a monster, with more automation than actors. But two thirds of Les Miserables takes place on a bare stage; Cats was a single set of a rubbish dump; The Lion King is a mighty spectacle but, in the main, is ostentatiously low tech. And let's not forget that Blood Brothers, a show that played for nearly a quarter of a century at the same address as Once, was cheap - small set, small band, small ambition, huge emotional reach. That Once succeeds with its simplicity should not be a surprise. Howard Goodall's adaptation of Love Story - coproduced in the West End by Michael Ball - was perhaps the most beautiful and moving night I've ever spent at a musical and had a tiny cast, an on-stage band of six and one set. London Road, the Adam Cork/Alecky Blythe musical documentary about the effect of the murders of prostitutes in Ipswich, created a genre of verbatim musical which will surely be much imitated in the years to come. Both were striking for the boldness of their minimalism and the stylishness of their stagings (by Rachel Kavanaugh and Rufus Norris respectively). The writing and the story did the work. So it is with Once. For all the praise heaped on Once (‘If London audiences don't love it to bits, I disown them’ said The Times) its originality should not be overstated. Actor-musician shows have become a recurring feature on the London stage in recent years. So have single sets. And Irish drama has often found a home. But it's the mixture that makes the meal, and John Tiffany is one of the great theatrical chefs. Once is also the only show that features an on-stage bar from which the audience can purchase drinks and sing along with the cast before the show begins and in the interval. You don't get that on Wicked. It's not just a quirky idea. It makes Once a piece that is not so much a ‘show’ as a ‘share’. I'll drink to that. And did.

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JULY BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Mon 1 – Sat 6 July HIGH SOCIETY Michael Praed stars in Cole Porter’s sparkling musical £6.50 - £38

Wed 31 July – Sat 3 August SINBAD & THE PIRATE CURSE Theatre Royal Youth Theatre family musical adventure £5.50 - £9

Mon 15 – Sat 27 July EVITA Marti Pellow stars in Rice & Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical £6.50 - £36.50

High Society

Sun 7 July ART Local young talent from Central School of Dance & Performing Arts £5.50 - £17

Mon 8 – Sat 13 July BIRDSONG Critically-acclaimed adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ bestselling WW1 novel £5.50 - £22.50

Book online: www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk THEATRE STREET, NORWICH NR2 1RL

what's on

Norfolk’s G ot Ta l e nt Audiences in the region are getting the chance to see a new piece of work by a Norfolk actor and writer prior to the Edinburgh Fringe, says Sarah Hardy

p and coming Norfolk actor and writer Jonnie Bayfield is bringing his new show to the county before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe. Jonnie, from Gorleston, is performing his two-man show, Bygone, at the St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth on July 12. As he explains: ‘It is a two-hander and follows two characters, Tynan and Brandy, who have created their own world in a crumbling old mansion – they never leave it. They just live out their lives, their memories, until one day, someone knocks on the door!’ Jonnie, who attended Cliff Park High School in Gorleston, didn’t want to say too much more for fear of giving away the whole plot. ‘But it is about love, and friendship, of loss – a bit of everything, really.’ With a friend, Will Cowell, he has created a new theatre company, Caligula’s Alibi (which refers to the rather decadent and ‘alternative’ Roman emperor), which has Norwich Theatre Royal boss Peter Wilson and veteran Norfolk actor Des Barrit as patrons. He performs with his partner, Russell Chadwick, who he met at East 15, a drama college in London, and the pair are then putting on the show at the Edinburgh Fringe. ‘The aim is to get the show noticed, to get good reviews, and then to get more theatres to take it,’ explains Jonnie. After Cliff Park High School, he studied at the East Norfolk Sixth Form College also in Gorleston before heading to London for a three-year BA Hons acting and contemporary theatre course, from which he just graduated last month. ‘It was very intense,’ he says. ‘But they want to create people who don’t just

act, people who set up companies, write – do everything. And some great people have come from there like Alison Steadman and Mike Leigh.’ Jonnie, aged 20, also enjoyed good success at the Edinburgh Fringe last year with another piece of work, a three-handed comedy called The Sidcup Family Portrait which he and two friends devised. ‘We got a five-star review from the Scotsman which is like getting an Oscar,’ he says. ‘We were really pleased.’ This piece was first performed at the Pavilion Theatre in Gorleston, a venue that is very dear to Jonnie as he spent a lot of time there when he was younger. ‘It was a bit weird, a bit surreal but people really enjoyed it. So we wanted to do the same with Bygone, so we are bringing it to St George’s first. ‘And we do want to let people know that we are looking for cash to help us get to Edinburgh – it is so expensive! So any local firm or person who would like to sponsor us, we’d love to hear from you!’ After Edinburgh Jonnie, who also attended Stage Door, a youth theatre group in Gorleston, will be looking for work, saying that he hopes to continue both writing and performing. ‘I do a bit of everything, I do stand up and I’m writing a novel. I like the variety.’ He is busy attending acting auditions and has already written a third play, Bovril. And he will no doubt be back in Gorleston on a regular basis as his parents still live in the same house where he was born.

If you can help Jonnie, email alibitheatre@gmail.com St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth Tel 01493 331484, visit www.stgeorgestheatre.com

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WHAT'S ON

A Special R e l ati o n s hi p The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra continues to enjoy close links with the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft. Sarah Hardy reports

ften referred to as the nation’s favourite orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (the RPO) regards its touring programme as a major part of its overall remit. The Orchestra, formed in 1946 by conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, may well have its base in London but spends much of the time on the road, with residencies in Ipswich, Reading and Northampton among others. And, of course, Lowestoft. And, as befitting a world famous orchestra, it also travels all over the world, experiencing much popularity in America and Canada. It has a noble pedigree with Andre Previn just one of its previous conductors. Charles Dutoit is the current incumbent and he has been at the helm since 2009. The RPO has been bringing four concerts a year to Lowestoft since 2005, allowing audiences to see leading musicians and conductors. Programmes are diverse, offering favourite musical numbers to more challenging modern pieces – and all things in-between. The next RPO concert at the Marina Theatre is on September 14 when A Little Night Music is performed. The concert features classics from musicals by composers such as Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter. Vocalists Anna Jane Casey and Graham Bickley are performing with David Firman as conductor. The orchestra returns with a tribute to Lowestoft-born composer Benjamin Britten on November 29. Called Brilliant Britten: A Centenary Celebration, it offers some of Britten’s finest pieces including Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal and What The Wild Flowers Tells Me. Nicholas Cleobury conducts with David Butt Philip as tenor. RPO Managing Director Ian Maclay says: ‘The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is proud of its association with

Lowestoft and its residency at the Marina Theatre which is now in its ninth year. The RPO has a comprehensive touring programme that takes it to all parts of the UK but Lowestoft holds a special and valued place in the Orchestra's touring schedule because of the warmth and loyalty of the audience, many of whom have become friends over the years of the Residency. ‘2013 is a special year for the RPO and Lowestoft as we perform the Britten centenary concert in November to celebrate the composer's birth in Lowestoft 100 years ago. In addition to the concert series the RPO works extensively in the local community, especially with young people introducing them to orchestral music and building the audiences of the future.’ Martin Halliday, Chief Executive at the Marina, adds: ‘The Marina Theatre has a special relationship with the RPO and is honoured that they continue to be associated with both the venue and the surrounding area. To have the world's top orchestra in residence in a town which even today struggles to accept that it is the birthplace of Benjamin Britten has proven a huge success, with conductors and soloists from all over the world appearing on our stage. ‘We are currently further developing the theatre and orchestra's links with the local community and plan to enhance the valuable education work which already takes place. ‘To date we have enjoyed either full or near capacity audiences at every concert, however, as we receive no major funding for these, it is important to stress that without this continued support it would be hard for us to continue indefinitely.’ The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft, tel 01502 533200 or visit www.marinatheatre.co.uk placesandfaces.co.uk

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

A MAN OF THE ARTS David Lambert has directed the Arts Courses at Theatre Royal Norwich for nearly 25 years, during which time there have been a number of success stories amongst alumni. Just don’t remind him that it equates to nearly a quarter of a century! Emma Outten met him

T David Lambert as Justice Shallow in Falstaff

housands of people have benefitted from the Theatre Royal Norwich Arts Courses under David Lambert’s directorship since the late 80s, and the fact that one has become a Hollywood star almost misses the point of the courses. David may count those alumni who have gone on to become stars on one hand but that is largely irrelevant when you consider that the courses offer something for everyone: a wide variety of acting and drama classes, workshops and productions, and the chance to build confidence, develop acting techniques and take part in inhouse performances and presentations. Nonetheless, there have been a number of success stories: most notably Sam Claflin, best known for his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Snow White & the Huntsman, and, next, The Hunger Games.

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Speaking in the restaurant of the Theatre Royal (his home-fromhome!), David says of Sam: ‘You knew he was going to be picked up by agents and casting directors and so on, because he had the look, huge charm and the camera loves him.’ Sam came to the course, relatively late, as a teenager. One of Sam’s teachers, an adult course member, had suggested him. ‘He was a football-loving Costessey lad in those days – we showed him the error of his ways,’ laughs David. ‘He absolutely lapped it up.’ Sam also attended City College, before graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Other notables include Jack Bannon, who was in the recent series of Endeavour, Lisa Ellis, who has just been cast in the Donmar Warehouse production of Roots, beginning in August; Kirsty Bushell, Martin Hutson, Daniel Burgess, who has been directing at the Globe, freelance director Neil Sheppeck, and Tim Bell, artistic director of the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis. You can also add to that list Carl Prekopp, a BBC Radio 4 regular who also starred in the original stage adaptation of Calendar Girls, and Lloyd Gorman. David concludes: ‘Sam is the one person people concentrate on because he’s a household name but I’m equally proud of everyone else I’ve mentioned.’ David’s theatrical credentials are thus. His father had watched the theatre burn down, back in the 30s, whilst walking home from Norwich School - Peter Lambert would go on to set up the Manchester Library Theatre Company, in 1952. David was born in Buckinghamshire and schooled in Worcestershire (Rik Mayall was in the year above). He trained as an actor and director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, alongside Greta Scacchi and Jonathon Morris. ‘Bristol wasn’t one for turning out stars,’ says David, ‘it was one for turning out working actors, which is far more important.’ ‘Danny Day Lewis was in the year above,’ continues David, ‘and Samantha Bond was the year below.’ Miranda Richardson and Jenny Seagrove were also contemporaries. He comments: ‘Nobody went to drama school in those days, or went into the business, to become a star. That’s very much a 21st

celebrity interview

David's Proteges

David is on the right playing Henry IV in Falstaff

1. Carl Prekopp 2. Lisa Ellis 3. Lloyd Gorman 4. Sam Claflin

century thing, thanks to ghastly things like Britain’s Got No Talent!’ After touring with his own company, Severn Theatre, David worked as a freelance actor and director, working in both theatre and television. He was a tutor at Mountview Conservatoire, and later at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, where he worked as both tutor and director for three years, and directed the annual Stroud Festival productions, as well as TIE tours. Since 1989 he has been Director of the Arts Courses, originally at the Studio attached to the Theatre Royal. ‘I thought I’ll do that for five years and then go back into the business - 24 years later, and I’m still here. Next year is my silver jubilee,’ jokes David, who happens to live a matter of metres away from his greatgrandmother’s old house, near the city centre. These days the courses are based in the Studio Theatre space at The Garage on Chapelfield North. As a result of his role, David has directed over 180 productions. Next up is new musical Sinbad and the Pirate Curse, beginning at the end of the month on the Theatre Royal stage. It will be performed by over 200 local young people, members of the Youth Theatre Company and drawn from the 600-plus students taking

part each year in the Arts Courses. How does writing a musical for 200 people work logistically? ‘It’s like organising the D-Day landings,’ says David, wryly. It is the third musical he has written in recent times, the other two being Dorothy and the Princess of Oz and Snow White, the Truth. David also wrote the pantomimes Aladdin, Babes in the Wood and Jack and the Beanstalk for the Theatre Royal, and directed the Norwich Cathedral 900 production Fire from Heaven. Does he enjoy writing pantomimes? ‘I like both comedy and tragedy. We have both in our lives; we might as well have both on the stage.’ David has appeared in the Norfolk & Norwich Festival production of The Indian Queen, and with SLAP Theatre has played several roles, including Norman in The Dresser, Salieri in Amadeus, Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy and Falstaff in Henry IV. But it is the teaching of young people and adults in theatre skills, which, has, arguably, defined David. Workshops and classes take place on weekday evenings for adults; and on Saturdays for juniors aged from seven to 16. The courses are to be re-launched around August/September time – national qualification accreditation is in their sights - so watch this space. But David adds: ‘Not every child who comes on the arts courses wants to be an actor. Several people, from our courses, go on to become teachers. Teaching is as much about acting.’ ‘It’s not a huge percentage going into the business,’ he adds. David takes a dim view of any government threat to downgrade drama as a subject in schools. ‘The arts are essential to the education, with a small ‘e’, of any child.’ He adds: ‘Particularly in the arts, you don’t stop learning until the day you die.’ So what of the next quarter century? ‘I’ll be nearly 80,’ exclaims David. Will he still be regarding the Theatre Royal as his second home? Sounds like it: ‘I’m far too long in the tooth to go anywhere!’ Sinbad and the Pirate Curse, a new musical by David Lambert, runs from July 31 to August 3 at Theatre Royal Norwich. Visit www.theatreroyal.co.uk to find out more about the Arts Courses.

So you think you can sew? Dressmaking appears to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;having a momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thanks to The Great British Sewing Bee. Emma Outten went along to one of the new dressmaking workshops at John Lewis Norwich to find out if the trend could weave its magic on her

ith a mother who sewed for a South African-born British couturier during the golden age of couture, and a seven-year-old daughter who is rather handy at the sewing machine, I hold my hands up: the seamstress gene appears to have skipped a generation in my family. This is why the new dressmaking workshops for beginners at John Lewis Norwich, which began on the back of the success of The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC TV, have come at just the right time. The man with his foot on the pedal is sewing advisor Gavin Wardell, who cut his cloth, as it were, at the flagship John Lewis store in Oxford Street, London. The following two hours would be all about making a simple work blouse. A dozen of us had assembled around the sewing machine (a Janome DC3050) and one of us, at least, was a man.

Picture from John Lewis

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what's on

There was a wide age range (hence much debate about imperial and metric measurements and whether or not the seam should run 15mm or 5/8 inch in from the edge!) and there was much talk of legendary sewing machine makes: Elna, Frister & Rossman, Bernina, Singer, Toyota, and Jones. One woman claimed that she was a three sewing machine woman; another explained that she needed inspiration to make something with the material she had bought three years ago and yet another had only ever made a Roman blind before. So none sounded like an absolute beginner. The pattern we were following was a Burda semi-fitted blouse (B7136, for reference). ‘That’s just one, but we have hundreds,’ says Gavin: ‘Vogue, Simplicity, Burda, New Look; Kwik Sew – and they all have various blouse patterns and shirt patterns.’ Gavin, a dapper gentleman wearing a waistcoat, impressed upon us the importance of pressing the fabric as you go along, and was soon attracting comments such as ‘I like a man who can sew and iron!’ He says at the outset: ‘I don’t very often make blouses. I haven’t made one for a long time, so forgive me!’ He adds: ‘Birda used to do a really lovely pattern for men, but they stopped doing it.’ The pattern called for a cotton fabric, and Gavin used a pink and white striped seersucker, ideal for beginners because any puckering can be disguised by the puckered fabric, but extra care was needed when cutting out, to line up the stripes. First, we learnt how to do darts. One woman questioned the need for darts if you’ve been told you are brick-shaped, or rectangular-shaped, should you be following a Vogue pattern symbol. ‘Vogue is quite good like that,’ comments Gavin. ‘Everyone sitting here is different.’ ‘Everyone knows about tying darts off?’ assumes Gavin. Not exactly everyone! Someone asked if it was a good idea to wash the fabric first. Gavin agrees: ‘Unless you know it’s 100 percent pre-shrunk then go for it.’ Gavin used long pins. ‘I don’t like the short ones, because I cheat and sew with my pins in!’ Sometimes, life is just too short for hand tacking first. Following the darts, we then learnt how to sew a yoke. ‘How many people, now, know how to do a French seam?’ asks Gavin, who admits: ‘Everyone has an overlocker now, or wants an overlocker.’ Then again there’s the flat fell seam. We learnt which seam is best for which style of clothing, and fabric. Or else there is the deconstructed look, with edges exposed! For the beginner, Gavin recommends a book called the Encyclopaedia of Sewing Techniques.

1. Birds Button Jar, John Lewis 2. Hemingway Design Grace Sewing Kit, John Lewis 3. Bird Pin Cushion, John Lewis

He had time to set in a sleeve before our two hours was up. Dressmaking is time consuming, but rewarding. ‘I would charge £30 an hour - if I was charging,’ he says. We didn’t get round to learning how to sew a plaket (you know what one of those is, right?). As with everything, practice makes perfect. Gavin says: ‘If you start getting to the point where you start making mistakes then you are best off giving up for the day.’ He adds: ‘I would be quite happy doing it all day, every day. Two hours is not a lot of time to go through a lot.’ During the workshop, at least one person had mentioned the BBC TV series hosted by Claudia Winkleman. Gavin says after the workshop: ‘Dressmaking seems to be undergoing somewhat of a renaissance right now. This has been helped in part by The Great British Sewing Bee, which has inspired so many people to take up sewing, or to come back to it. ‘Sales of sewing machines and fashion fabrics have rocketed in the last few weeks, following the series, and continue to do so - in particular, bias tape makers which featured in the series. ‘With a good quality John Lewis machine starting from around £99, it’s easy and affordable to begin making your own fabulous creations.’ To quote Ann, the winner of The Great British Sewing Bee: ‘get out your needles, dust off your machines and get on with it.’ Having spent two hours learning how to sew a simple work blouse, the question remains: will I be wearing one of my own creations to the Places & Faces office anytime soon?

The next dressmaking workshop in the haberdashery department of John Lewis Norwich (Lower Ground Floor) will take place on August 1 between 2pm and 4pm, during which you can learn how to make a long summer dress. Workshops are free and there is no need to book.

The haberdashery department also hosts a Rowan knit and natter group, on the first Thursday of every month, between 5pm and 7pm. Call 01603 660021.

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So much more than just a hotel Take in the tranquil views of one of the best beaches in the country, whilst enjoying afternoon tea, or for a sophisticated afternoon a Cliff high tea. Enjoy many varied dishes from our award winning chef accompanied by great wines, soft drinks or freshly ground coffee. With top quality accommodation, great bar and restaurant, live music every Sunday 5-8pm on the terrace, the Cliff really is the complete day/night out in one perfect venue.

Live Music

12-6pm and all only minutes walk from the beach. Open to non residents. 01493 662179 www.thecliffhotel.co.uk Cliff Hill, Gorleston-on-Sea Great Yarmouth, NR31 6DH

Cliff Afternoon Tea

You can also enjoy one of the best carveries in the area

Funky Stuff on the terrace, 28th July, 4-7pm

SummerWeekender Great live entertainment – tickets only £25 per person per day. Shows start from 7.30pm. INCLUDES

Glorious summer gourmet BBQ

Refreshing drink from the bar

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Beatlemania Sat 6th July

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WHAT'S ON

LIFE'S A BEACH Our region is blessed with a stunning coastline and beaches to suit any and every occasion. Sarah Hardy selects her personal favourites in the first of a two-part special

As the long summer holidays start, be sure to make time to explore our great beaches. The range is impressive from the golden sands of Great Yarmouth to the salt marshes of the Burnhams. You can enjoy Kiss Me Kwik hats or splendid isolation – the choice is yours! And to back up your day out at the coast, don’t forgot all those great gastro pubs. The standard of eating out in our region just seems to get better and better so if you want a slap-up afternoon tea or a gourmet supper overlooking the sea, there are plenty of options. So, enjoy your region as the sun (hopefully) shines! 50

F o r a g r e at b e a c h c a f é

F o r s o l it u d e s e e k e r s

Although we can thoroughly recommend the crab sarnies at Winterton, what about JayJay’s at Gorleston? Right on the beach, it is spotlessly clean and offers everything from paninis to full scale meals including, and my favourite – egg on toast, of course! But be warned, the portions are enormous! This is a fun, popular place and you can enjoy those golden sands, too. Beach cricket is a great option here or walk slightly to the north and enjoy the paddling pool and arcades.

Robinson Crusoe lovers will be in heaven as this is one of the most inaccessible and beautiful stretches of sand in the region. Catch a boat from Burnham Overy Staithe, which operates a couple of hours either side of high tide, or stay on the east side of the water and walk a mile or so along the raised sea-wall from the quayside to reach high dunes, marram grass and vast sands.

GORLESton

Scolt Head Island

One of the gorgeous unspoilt beaches in north Norfolk

For pier lovers

F o r b i r d wat c h e r s

F o r fa m i l i e s

The 450ft pier is a real landmark along the north Norfolk coast and is perfect to simply stroll along whilst admiring the views. You’ll somehow feel as if you’ve stepped back in time and are part of a movie!

This perfect north Norfolk village, all flint homes, winding roads and gorgeous gardens, is a well known paradise for bird watchers. For decades they have come to see all manner of birdlife (avocet, marsh harrier and bittern) on the marshes which are looked after by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

With its unspoilt atmosphere, Mundesley is a real gem. For a start the big village/ small town right on the east coast has great facilities so you don’t have to panic if you have forgotten something! You can park quite near the beach so you don’t have to drag your belongings – you don’t travel lightly when you’ve got kids – too far.

Cromer

The Pavilion Theatre is always worth a visit at this time of year, with its classic Seaside Special shows offering two different productions to enjoy. Expect plenty of slapstick comedy, dancing girls, and more. The beach below has a Blue Flag, zones for watersports (surfing is quite the rage) and is great for sandcastle building! There are also life guards on duty during the height of the summer. There’s plenty of space here and don’t forget to go crabbing – Cromer crab is a real delicacy. And, if you have time, Mary Jane’s is perfect for a hearty portion of great fish and chips.

Cley-Next-The-Sea

An eco-friendly visitors’ centre is a great spot to watch the wildlife and also find out more about the area in general. And make sure you visit Cley Windmill, now a very popular B&B – so you can always make a night of it! After exploring the village, your best plan is to pick up a yummy picnic to take to the beach. Head to Picnic Fayre, a great deli with some unusual finds, and don’t miss out on the village smokehouse where the smoked salmon is divine. The smooth stone and shingle beach is rarely packed and the swimming, if you are confident, is good.

Mundesley

The beach is sheltered and has lifeguards on duty in the summer months so you can feel extra confident. The sand is lovely, there are colourful beach huts to hire and the sea isn’t miles away! There’s also a great beach café where you can refuel and all ages will enjoy this laid back, friendly resort. Next month More options from Sarah including a beach for art lovers and one for those who just love being scared out of their wits! The new visitnorfolk.co.uk website has more ideas on what to do on the Norfolk coast and beaches.

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Al fresco fun in the sun Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high summer and high time you gave that top-of-therange barbeque you used once last summer its annual airing. Emma Outten is getting that al fresco feeling

hat sort of barbecue hibernates at the back of your summerhouse throughout the winter? Is it a bucket-style BBQ, a kettle, fire bowl or do you go for gas? Or, maybe you have moved on from charcoal completely and have taken a leaf out of Jamie Oliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book by having one of those new wood-fired pizza ovens installed on your terrace. These ovens do seem to be replacing the barbecue as the new social hub in the garden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the idea is that they extend the home and give you a second kitchen where you can cook outdoors all-yearround. Never mind bringing the outside in; the latest thing is to bring the inside out, and turn a corner of your garden into a fullyfunctioning all-weather kitchen/dining area. This new trend makes the mere thought of having a barbecue cum garden party to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday a much more palatial prospect. >>

Garden furniture and BBQs available at B&Q

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Top quality garden furniture, great advice, free timed delivery & assembly. Also BBQs, indoor furniture, gifts & much more…

It’s BBQ time! We have everything you need for the perfect summer party

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>> But before you begin by buying the burgers, you have to approach the garden in much the same way you would the house, if you were holding a house party: it needs cleaning and tidying first! But instead of vacuuming it’s all about lawn mowing (unless you have dispensed with a living lawn completely, as is also a growing trend). Last year, when I had my inaugural BBQ, my patch of grass was so well-manicured it was as though each blade of grass had been cut with nail scissors. This year cutting the grass remains on my todo list - is it a no-no for grass to grow as high as the barbecue stand, I wonder?! So, although a BBQ or garden party in high summer seems like a great idea, it does involve a lot of groundwork – weeding the pathways, giving garden furniture, fencing and decking a fresh lick of paint - no small undertaking just for the sake of having fun in the sun. Summerhouses, garden pods and gazebos come into their own as an extra room and can offer shading (along with parasols) and a covered space for accompanying salads and accoutrements (now is definitely the time to bring out the al fresco dining set, complete with wooden salad bowl and servers). Then there is the BBQ food to consider. Is it time to think beyond the barbecue burger and go for beef steaks, for example? Arm yourself with smokey BBQ rubs and get creative. And try to remember where you put the BBQ accessories well before the BBQ begins. Instead of your usual outdoor table and chairs, there are lots of new ways of bringing the inside out, and giving your garden a living room vibe: all-weather cushions and beanbags are gaining in popularity, and there are even all-weather coffee tables and outdoor sofas on the market these days. So seating needn’t just mean pulling up a bistro chair: there are also hammocks and swing seats available, meaning every guest can have something to lounge around on. The only downside to having a barbecue on a hot, sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky, is that temperatures do tend to drop once the sun goes down. This is where al fresco fireplaces, fire-pits and chimeneas really come into their own, should guests be in no hurry to leave. As I write this I am under pressure to throw a birthday barbecue for my daughter – as long as the chicken is cooked properly, it can work, trust me. I just need to tackle that lawn first.

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Butterflies... Having made their mark on the catwalk this spring, butterflies can be found fluttering on many homeware designs. Acclaimed British artist Madeleine Floyd, renowned for her beautiful ceramics featuring wild bird designs, has a gorgeous range of kitchen textiles featuring an abundance of colourful butterflies - sure to brighten up the most mundane of kitchen tasks. Home accessory specialist Parlane International has incorporated butterflies into many of its designs too, including these glass tea light holders - suitable for use indoors and outside and a pretty range of photo frames. 1

The Birds & The Bees

Madeleine Floyd: 1. Butterflies kitchen textiles, prices from £7 Parlane International: 2. Glass tea light holders, £3 each; 3. Photo frame, £17

Hayley Philpot picks some of her favourite home accessories that celebrate the Great British love affair with nature and in particular, country garden wildlife

Hayley is the Gift and Homewares Buyer at Jarrolds and The Granary The Granary, 5 Bedford Street, Norwich, NE2 1AL www.thegranary.co.uk

As a nation of gardeners and nature lovers it seems we can’t get enough of the great outdoors and are now bringing our passion inside too, with botanical prints and flora and fauna inspired accessories being key interior trends this summer.

Jarrold’s brand new home gift department can be found on the ground floor of the store. Jarrold, 1- 11 London Street, Norwich NR2 1JF www.jarrold.co.uk | The Granary, 5 Bedford Street, Norwich, NE2 1AL www.thegranary.co.uk

interiors

Birds… Birds are also playing a big part in the wildlife interior theme. This set of three enamel plant pots from Wild and Wolf’s The Thoughtful Gardener range, feature vintage bird prints and would look great on the kitchen window filled with a selection of herbs. Away from the kitchen, bird prints are apparent on fabrics, wallpapers and soft furnishings. The fabulous Mr Pheasant cushion from the Voyage Maison Country collection is backed with luxurious velvet and would add instant rustic chic to a living area or bedroom. This Scottish based company makes all of its cushions in the UK; their imaginative designs are hand drawn or painted before being woven onto local Scottish linen to create a unique and special accessory with a real homemade feel. For a more contemporary look, try a cute embroidered bird cushion from Evans Litchfield. Wild and Wolf: 4. The Thoughtful Gardener set of three enamel plant pots £20 Voyage Maison: 5. Mr Pheasant cushion, £40

…and the Bees Beefayre is a company inspired by nature and the plight of the honeybee – in fact they donate three percent of their profits to bee conservation. Their beautiful scented candles are a real favourite of mine for the summer and can be enjoyed indoors or outside for evenings in the garden. Using premium quality natural plant and beeswax, the candles have exceptional burning times and the unique designs by artist Sharon Jervis have been printed on the glassware so they can be reused as pretty water glasses. Loved for their stunning simplicity, Sophie Allport’s designs are inspired by her love of countryside and nature. Her Busy Bees fine bone china range includes this lovely jug adorned front and back by a classic plump bumble bee and pale blue dots around the rim. Perfect for milk, juice and sauces, it also looks gorgeous as shown here when used as a vase with some casually arranged flowers.

Finally... I just couldn’t resist this wonderful little snail perched on a smooth stone from outdoor gift company, Fallen Fruits. He would look very much at home as an ornament indoors or would add interest nestled alongside a group of pots on the patio; bird designs are also available.

Beefayre: 6. Scented candle in glass, £15; assorted scents and other products available Sophie Allport: 7. Busy Bees large jug 1.1 ltr, £22; more items in range available Fallen Fruits: 8. Snail on stone £6; more designs available

Where to buy: Madeleine Floyd and Sophie Allport ranges available at The Forum Shop by Jarrold; all other items from Jarrold’s.

placesandfaces.co.uk

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

A Secret

Garden The Plantation Garden in Norwich is being restored to its Victorian splendour, says Sarah Hardy as she visits this hidden gem

PLACESANDFACES.CO.UK

he Plantation Garden offers an oasis of calm almost right in the city centre. As you hurtle up Earlham Road, just before the Roman Catholic Cathedral, you’ll find this threeacre spot on your right, tucked away from sight. The garden, now managed by a Trust, was created by a wealthy Victorian entrepreneur called Henry Trevor who spent 40 years developing his own bit of Eden out of a disused chalk quarry. The garden mixed architectural features with intensive planting, and was quite a sight with immaculate island beds, lush lawns, mature trees and a rockery. Henry designed his garden so that a variety of circular walks could be taken at different levels. Paths ran around the top of the old quarry, and half way up the slopes on each side. Particular highlights included an elaborate Gothic fountain, an Italian terrace, a palm house and a rustic bridge – all very ‘in vogue’ during the Victorian period.

GARDENS

Yet after the Second World War the garden was abandoned and quickly fell into disrepair. Fortunately much of its structure remained and in the 1980s, local gardening and heritage enthusiasts began to think that ‘something must be done’. A Trust, the Plantation Garden Preservation Trust, was developed and volunteers started to slowly but surely tackle the garden which had become an overgrown nightmare! One of the first jobs was to clear a forest of sycamores and a blanket of ivy, revealing the many hidden delights. The garden is now restored to its original glory and attracts hundreds of visitors a year and is very much one of the city’s real treasures. It is a glorious place for a family picnic or a spot of quiet meditation. Volunteers – and more are always welcome – work tirelessly to keep the garden in tip top condition and it has become a very popular place for wedding photographs. These volunteers should really be congratulated as the restoration is a real triumph – although the work does still continue. Trust secretary Susan Bell explains: ‘Our work is on-going, we are planting the west bank, rebuilding a couple of walls, replacing some steps and restoring some iron hand rails. And we are looking for a new gate – one that fits in.’

The Planation Garden, Earlham Road, Norwich, opens every day from 9-6pm. It is free for members of the Trust otherwise entrance is £2. A jazz picnic is being held on July 21 from 5.30 to 8pm. Visit www. plantationgarden. co.uk for full details.

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• An exquisite example of a refurbished Detached Period Manor House within the village of Ormesby • Three Receptions ; Wine Cellar ; Breakfast Kitchen with Walk in Larder • Master Suite with Contemporary En Suite Wet Room ; Three Further Double Bedrooms ; Family Bathroom • Carriage Driveway with Electronic Gates ; Garaging • The Gardens and Grounds extend to 1 acre • The Accommodation extends to 4,322sq.ft • Energy Rating: E

• A delightfully designed Detached Residence within the village of Spexhall • Four Bedrooms with En Suite to Master • Kitchen with Separate Breakfast Room • Two Receptions ; Downstairs WC • Character can be found throughout the property with Exposed Timbers • Fantastic Views over Open Fields to the Rear of the Home • Double Garage with Studio/Annexe Above • The Accommodation extends to 1,737sq.ft • Energy Rating: E

ILKETSHALL ST ANDREW Guide Price £550,000

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SO • A delightfully situated Farmhouse standing in 2.5 acres • Four Bedrooms ; Three Bathrooms ; Three Receptions • Breakfast Kitchen with Separate Utility • Original Character can be found throughout with Exposed Brick, Beams and Fireplaces • The Grounds include Formal Gardens, Woodland and a Pond ; Triple Garage/Workshop with Further Storage Above • The Accommodation extends to 2,393sq.ft • Energy Rating: E

SPEXHALL Guide Price £325,000

ORMESBY Guide Price £650,000

• A stunning Three Storey Barn Conversion in the village of Ilketshall St John • Four Bedrooms ; One En-Suite • Three Receptions ; Two Bathrooms • Stunning Modern Kitchen and Utility Room • Opportunity to Convert the Existing Loft Rooms into Further Accommodation • Large Well Stocked Gardens ; Double Garage and Ample Parking • Rebuilt after the Storms of 1987 utilising most of the Original Timbers • The Accommodation extends to 2,392sq.ft • Energy Rating: F

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Places&FacesÂŽ | JULY 2013

The Manor House A grade II listed Georgian manor house in a Coltishall riverside setting is our Property of the Month. Emma Outten could get used to this

Guide price ÂŁ1,850,000

PLACESANDFACES.CO.UK

ater, water, everywhere: standing in a wonderfully secluded setting approached by a long, tree-lined drive, with extensive river frontage to the River Bure, The Manor House in Coltishall boasts a great location. There are extensive views from the house over the gardens and grounds and across the river to water meadows beyond. Not only that, The Manor House has a heated swimming pool! The Manor House is listed Grade II, as being of outstanding architectural and historical interest. The property is believed to have been built around 290 years ago, with some later alterations and additions. The house has light, bright and well proportioned rooms so typical of the Georgian period, with spacious and well arranged accommodation and a particularly fine entrance and staircase hall. The Manor House was acquired by the current owners in 2004 and since then has been sympathetically refurbished and extended to the south to provide a garden room/orangery extension to the drawing room which, in turn, overlooks a delightful area of formal garden, a recently constructed swimming pool and the river beyond. In particular, the current owners have also converted the former coach house and stable block into a very fine secondary

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

FACTFILE Kitchen/breakfast room with Aga 7 bedrooms 3 bathrooms Manor Court: 3 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms In all nearly 14 acres

ESTATE AGENTS Savills Norwich norwich@savills.com 01603 229229 | www.savills.co.uk

property, called Manor Court. The popular village of Coltishall, much of which is a Conservation Area, is about seven miles to the north of Norwich. The village has excellent amenities, including a village shop and post office, two well-regarded pubs and an award-winning gastro pub (I can vouch for that!), butchers, doctor’s surgery and village school. It may be worth noting that the village won the East of England Pride of Norfolk Village Award in 2008 for villages with a population of 2500 people. Although the gardens and grounds of The Manor House are an outstanding feature and extend in all to nearly 14 acres, I should mention the interior of the house first. Beyond the entrance hall and staircase hall, there is a drawing room, dining room, library, sitting room, garden room, kitchen/ breakfast room with Aga, games room, study, utility room and cloakroom; and all before I get to the number of bedrooms (seven in all), and bathrooms (three in all). The main house is surrounded by extensive lawns with a variety of magnificent mature trees, including beech, oak, cedar and walnut, with an area of formal rose garden, interspersed with gravel paths and box hedging and sheltered by a fine south facing red brick wall trained with wisteria and with a restored glass house/conservatory against the south facing wall, with fine views over the gardens. The best bit, for my money, is that, situated to the south of the

house, approached from french windows from the garden room, there is a paved terrace and a heated swimming pool. And situated to the east of the swimming pool area there is a fine timber built south facing studio, supplied with water and electricity and with a separate, WC with french windows, opening onto a raised decking and pergola with fine views down to the river. One of the main features of the garden is the extensive river frontage to the Bure and the fine outlook over the water meadows on the other side. Situated to the southwest of the house there is a picturesque octagonal Summer House with a thatched roof and to the south of the house a red brick and pantile Wet Boat House, with further mooring. Manor Court was converted by the current owners in 2005 from the former coach house and stable block and provides substantial accommodation (the property is currently let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy yielding £1200 per month). Manor Court comprises a sitting room, dining room, garden room, kitchen/breakfast room with Aga and morning room; utility room, cloakroom, as well as three bedrooms and two bathrooms. As a footnote, vacant possession can be obtained subject to the usual notice period. The Manor House is indeed in a wonderful setting, and you could always sojourn to the gastro pub afterwards to cogitate.

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• Premier business location in Norfolk • Over 25 acres of land for commercial development • Bespoke buildings available Blackfriars Court

Enterprise Zone

• A light industrial / warehouse development of units from 295m2 (3,180 sq ft) to 743 m2 (7,997 sq ft).

Wellington Park

• A development of self-contained offices from 232m2 (2,505 sq ft) to 698m2 (7,515 sq ft). Enterprise Zone

Enterprise Zone

• Full design and build package • From 279m2 (3,000 sq ft) up to 4,646m2 (50,000 sq ft) • In total the site provisdes 2.57 Ha (6.35 acres)

JSA: Bycroft Commercial

Norwich 01603 620551

Lowestoft 01502 509323

JSA: Aldreds

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PROPERTY NEWS

| ENTERPRISE ZONE

CRAIG KNIGHTS ARNOLDS KEYS CRAIG.KNIGHTS@ARNOLDSKEYS.COM | www.ARNOLDSKEYS.COM

I n t he Zo n e Craig Knights highlights the reasons why the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone is succeeding

he Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone was set up just two years ago, with the aim of tackling sluggish economic growth, a slow-moving commercial property market, and a continued squeeze on credit. This litany of bad news did lead some to wonder whether the problems were simply too severe for an initiative like the Enterprise Zone to tackle. Two years on, few retain these doubts. 2013 in particular has seen a mushrooming of activity, with new investment, new building, and new jobs. For example, although the first occupier at the Blackfriars Court light industrial/warehousing zone of Gorleston’s Beacon Park only moved in last November, just six months later more than half of the units are either sold, let or under offer. It now seems certain that the next phase of development will get underway earlier than planned. On top of that, last month saw £4.7 million of Government ‘Pinch Point’ funding to build a road to connect the A12 and the A143 through Beacon Park. So what has caused this sudden burst of good news? Probably no one factor, but a happy congruence of four different things is conspiring to help the Enterprise Zone really fly.

Craig Knights is a Partner Arnolds Keys, which is joint agent for the Enterprise Zone. Arnolds Keys has a presence in the Zone, at the Orbis Centre in Lowestoft (01502 509323). More details at www.arnoldskeys.com

First, the economic situation finally seems to be turning a corner. Notwithstanding daily fluctuations, the stock market is currently riding high, up by 25 percent or so over the past year. Economists tend to agree that the stock market travels about six months ahead of the ‘real’ economy, so optimists have some evidence on their side. In the property market we are seeing a resurgence of activity in both residential and commercial sectors this year; indeed, in May we at Arnolds Keys had our best month for commercial deals than we have seen for nearly two years. The second factor is what I call the ‘show home’ factor. Just as house buyers like to see a real home before committing to a purchase (few buy purely off plan), so businesses like to see a development up and running before committing. All credit to the Nexus Engineering Centre for having the confidence to be the first on Blackfriars Court; almost as soon as they moved in, other potential occupiers started showing interest. The developers are now almost at the stage where they can’t build fast enough. Of course, the advantages which the Enterprise Zone itself brings are an important third factor. Eligible businesses moving into the Enterprise Zone receive a five year business rate holiday worth up to £275,000, enjoy simplified planning procedures to enable them to build or extend premises more quickly, and will be amongst the first to be connected to super-fast broadband. The fourth success factor is more human in scale: working in new, warm, energy-efficient buildings on a shiny new business park is very attractive for employees – certainly far more attractive than being in cramped, ageing accommodation which is no longer really fit for purpose, on a tired industrial estate. Beacon Park is becoming a real community, with a planning application in for a Sainsbury’s and it even has its own green gym – and that is an important factor for firms which need to attract and maintain the best staff, especially in sectors where skills are scarce. Some were sceptical when the LEP estimated that the Enterprise Zone would directly create 1380 new jobs by 2015, with a further 690 indirect jobs. That is still an ambitious target – but one which looks achievable in light of the renewed pace of activity. Whether it is the improving economic climate, wellthought-out development, or the tangible benefits offered by the Enterprise (or more likely a combination of all three), the Zone is giving commercial property in the east of the county a real shot in the arm, and it looks set to continue doing so for some time.

C E L E B R AT I N G

YEARS

Adventure play... natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way

C E L E B R AT I N G

YEARS

Discover weird and wonderful wildlife Opening Summer 2013

Fakenham NR21 0LN www.pensthorpe.com

A LOOK AT LIFE

Feel the Energy This month our Richard shows magical qualities! In Cornwall last year we started to find things about dowsing and energy lines after visiting a fascinating stone circle called ‘the hurlers’. In a brief burst of enthusiasm we then joined the British Society of Dowsers – then, as is our custom, did nothing more about it, except to receive their regular journal which was added to the pile of unread magazines in our kitchen. Then over the last bank holiday weekend we went to the village of Hopton which we had hardly heard of even though it is just 25 miles or so along the coast from where we live. It was a hot day – the hottest so far – and the traffic increased in direct proportion to the level of mercury in the thermometer. By the time we reached Great Yarmouth, it was virtually gridlocked. As we sat steaming in the car, there was much talk of turning round and doing something else. But we ate two packets of chocolates and persevered. Eventually we found Hopton and its ruined church of St Margaret’s. And in the grounds around the ruins we found a lively village fete – but with a strong sense of the mystical and history. Also present were the members of the Sunrise Dowsing Group. Dowsing sounds completely wacky. It is a practice of locating water (and also oil, buried treasure, even dead bodies) using dowsing rods. The idea is that the rods help to amplify the signals that we can pick up naturally. Dowsing does not have the support of conventional science, and studies have showed results that are no better than chance. It was therefore with a high level of scepticism that I agreed to give it a go. One of its members, Sue, thrust a pair of dowsing rods into my hands. In truth it was no more than two bent pieces of coat hanger. I was told how to hold it – arms away from the body, rod loose in each hand. I had to ask it to say what it meant by ‘yes’ and what it meant by ‘no’. Obediently the ends of the rods came together for yes and went slightly apart for no. ‘Easy,’ I thought to myself. ‘I did that.’ Then I was asked to find an energy line. As I walked along, the rods suddenly came together. Now this time I did not feel that it was under my control. ‘Spot on,’ said Sue. ‘See, you can do it.’ I was then asked to find a water main and – damn it (because I really did not believe it was going to work) – I located the water main accurately. A while later, after listening to some singing to the earth energy and beating of gongs (really not my scene yet!) we went to have tea at Somerleyton Hall – a huge Tudor-Jacobean mansion just into Suffolk. Pause for the Mary and Michael lines. It is said that there is a virtually dead straight pair of energy (or Ley) lines crossing the country in parallel from the end of Cornwall, passing through Avebury and Bury St Edmunds and all the way to Hopton where it goes under the sea and then on into Europe –

they are the Mary line and the Michael line. Many churches are built exactly on these lines and most are dedicated either to St Mary (or Margaret) or to St Michael – and those names were chosen long before people came along in this and the last centuries and started to trace Ley lines across the country. Somerleyton Hall is built on one of these lines too. And this is where it gets weird. Walking across where the line is supposed to run I noticed a faint but distinct tingling in my hands (a little like the aftermath of a nettle sting). The tingling was there for only a few feet, then it disappeared. Again and again we criss-crossed the line. And each time there was the tingling while I was over the line, and it stopped as soon as I cleared it. Bewildered and intrigued, we then went to another church on the line – St Mary’s church Haddiscoe – and, blow me, the same thing happened. All the way down the aisle my hands tingled – but it stopped as soon as I went to one side or the other. My wife’s feelings were stronger, and she also picked up another well or water supply. I found the entire experience unsettling but I could not even console myself with a mouthful of chocolate: we had eaten them all in the traffic jam en route. So instead we took the charming and quaint Reedham Ferry. It is drawn by chains from one side of the River Yare to the other. It is the only place to cross the river between Yarmouth and Norwich. I had been thoroughly spooked by the experiences of the day, so we stopped off on the other side for a drink at the Reedham Ferry Inn. All the same I did not need dowsing rods to tell me we had been over a river, or that the much needed therapeutic contents of my glass were brewed by Woodfordes.

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Fay r e T r a d e The popular Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre is set to be even bigger this month. Emma Outten takes a look at what’s in store on the last day of the Lord Mayor’s celebrations

We all know that the streets of Norwich come alive during the weekend of the Lord Mayor’s celebrations, and that is particularly true in Norwich Lanes. The popular Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre is set to cover a larger area than ever before: branching out from St Benedicts Street and St Gregory’s Green to Pottergate, Lobster Lane and Bedford Street. The free family event, to be held on the last day of the Lord Mayor’s celebrations, on July 7, celebrates the uniqueness of the Lanes and includes a chance to sample its diverse shopping, music and cultural scene. It regularly attracts thousands of people to the Lanes and is a thank you from the local independent businesses for the support it receives from the local community. >>

Picture by VISITNORWICH

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>> For those not in the know, the Lanes boasts a

Expect a varied and enjoyable programme of music and entertainment throughout the day, including: • The Bedford Street Tea Party • Lobster Lane flea market • Pottergate Ping-Pong tournament • Healing and alternative therapy area on St Gregory's Green • Vintage Bazaar on St Benedicts Street • Bo Nanafana Music Stage on London Street Arts area at St John's Alley • Courtyard garden centre at the bottom of St John Maddermarket

Picture by MEL COOK

The Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre takes places on July 7. Visit www.norwichlanes.co.uk There are a limited amount of stalls still available for the vintage fair on St Benedicts Street. If anyone is interested in these stalls they should contact comms@norwichlanes.co.uk.

strong vintage scene (such as Prim Vintage Fashion and Goldfinches), and is great for men’s fashion and grooming. The Lanes also has a strong cultural scene, with live music, comedy and art classes at venues such as Lounge and Bicycle Shop. There are some great independent restaurants, cafes and bars, and, for the crafty among you, there are knitting classes at Crafty Ewe and felt making at Arts Desire. New businesses in the Lanes include Swagger & Jacks – for gentlemen’s grooming – and Blossom Records, both on Bridewell Alley. Whereas the Grosvenor Fish Bar, The Birdcage and Strangers Cafe, all on Pottergate, have all been refurbished of late, as have Clarke & Ravenscroft in St Gregory’s Alley. The Lanes also include Swan Lane, St Giles Street, Upper St Giles Street, London Street, Upper and Lower Goat Lane. The Fayre will take place from 11am until 6pm although some participating Lanes venues will provide entertainment until much later into the night. Furthermore, The Bridewell Museum will be opening on the day, between 12 noon and 4pm, to join in the celebrations. Plus, visitors will have the opportunity to pop into their secret nostalgic shop on Bridewell Alley. Also new for this year is a Ping Pong Tournament in Pottergate, a Bedford Street Tea Party and a Courtyard Garden Centre at the bottom of St John Maddermarket. Last but not least, the eclectic Birdcage will also be hosting their popular post Summer Fayre party. Shona Richards, Norwich Lanes Co-ordinator, says: ‘We are really excited about this year’s Summer Fayre which is getting bigger and better every year. ‘We are constantly striving to add more events and a varied programme of entertainment which has led to the Fayre becoming a permanent fixture on the summer events calendar because it really does offer something for everyone. ‘This year sees the Bridewell Museum join in the celebrations, opening for the first time on a Sunday since it reopened with a special reduced entry price of only £1 per person.’ Other venues will be putting on events and special promotional offers so look out for further announcements leading up to the day through Twitter and Facebook. 73

All our rooms are en-suite and can be decorated to your taste. Our home is very clean and with hands-on owners. We make sure our residents have their privacy, are safe and happy. We have a bus and the residents enjoy many trips out.

Carlton Hall RESIDENTIAL HOME

Phone Tanya, Shirley, Jo, Gerald or Rachel

We have no rules, your room is your home, and we do all we can to make it so. So come and have a look around. We have wonderful home cooking and lovely gardens and meadows. We have constructed over Âź mile of level paths in our grounds and have planted 18,000 bulbs.

We are like a hotel with care.

on 01502 513208

Look at us on www.carltonhall.co.uk. Chapel Road Carlton Colville, Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 8AT

E-mail us on carltonhall@hotmail.co.uk Call us on 01502 513208 or visit CQC website and check us out.

recipe

Let our French chef cook for your private dinner parties, and for those who really enjoy cooking, he also offers master classes, for all abilities, in your own home. More information is available on his new website, www.franckpontais.com

Method for the Le Fraisier

pictures: ANDREW FLORIDES, www.andrewflorides.co.uk words: FRANCK PONTAIS, WWW.FRANCKPONTAIS.COm

SER V ES 6

Strawberry Delight This month Franck Pontais uses English strawberries to produce a classic French cake called Le Fraisier

Ingredients for Le Fraisier 300g of English strawberries 80g or six slices of Madeira cake, sliced 0.5 cm thick 50ml of water 30g of caster sugar 4 gelatine leaves 80g of mascarpone 2 egg whites

Tip Use pastry rings of 6.5cm diameter and 3.5cm high

Ingredients for the coulis 80g of English strawberries 30g of caster sugar 40ml of water 1 gelatine leaf

Place a slice of Madeira cake into each ring. Using 170g of the fruit, place four slices of strawberries inside and around each ring. Soak 4 gelatine leaves in cold water and cut the remaining 130g of strawberries into quarters. Place them in a pan with the 50ml of water and 30g of caster sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Squeeze the gelatine leaves to remove the excess water and add to the pan, Blitz the mix with a hand blender and transfer into a bowl to cool down for 10 minutes. Put the mascarpone in a bowl and slowly pour the strawberry mixture on top. Whisk continuously to avoid lumps. Reserve. Fold the egg whites into the strawberry mix. Pour the mixture into each ring to just below 3mm from the top of the ring. Set in the fridge for one hour.

Method for the coulis Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water. Cut 80g of the strawberries into quarters and place in a pan with the water and caster sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Add the gelatine leaf and blitz with a hand blender. Cool for 15 minutes and then pour the coulis on to each Fraisier. Set for another hour. Remove each cake from its mould and garnish with chocolate shards and mint.

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Picture by PAUL SHREEVE

REC I PE

Strawberry and Cream Sextets Shortbread biscuit 1. Pre heat oven to 165oC 2. Cream the butter and sugar, then add all other ingredients 3. Mix well and put in the fridge for an hour 4. Once that’s done, roll it out to 1cm thick. Flour the surface if you need to as this helps it not to stick 5. Place on a tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 6. Place on a lined baking tray and put in the oven at 110°C for approximately 30 minutes until dry

Strawberry Jelly 1. Soak the gelatine in cool water 2. Place the remaining ingredients into a pan 3. Bring to the boil, lower the heat for 10 minutes 4. Remove from the heat and infuse for a further 10 minutes 5. Strain through a sieve but don’t mash the strawberries 6. Leave to drain for 5 minutes. Discard the strawberries 7. Stir in the gelatine, pour into a lined (cling filmed) plastic tray 8. Leave to set for a minimum of 12 hours 9. Cut into squares

Strawberry Sorbet 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor until pureed 2. Place in an ice-cream machine 3. Freeze for at least two hours

Brown Sugar Meringue 1. Put all ingredients into a thick bottomed saucepan 2. On a low heat, wear plastic gloves and stir until 37°C and all sugar has melted 3. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir for 8-10 minutes 4. Pipe to the required shape 5. Put into an oven at 110°C and cook for 40 minutes to an hour

Set vanilla cream 1. Soak the gelatine in cold water 2. Heat all other ingredients together 3. Once boiling, turn off and then drain the soaked gelatine 4. Stir it into the cream mix 5. Pass it through a strainer and pour into lined (cling filmed) ramekins or moulds 6. Chill in fridge for at least six hours

To assemble: Place a line of the crumbled shortbread on the plate. Turn out the vanilla creams, slice three pieces on top of the shortbread, arrange the meringues and jelly, slice the strawberries and scatter with dots of coulis and finish with a scoop of sorbet

RECIPE

A Perfect Partnership Mark Dixon, head chef at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth, unites two classic ingredients for a dish to savour

Se r v e s 6

Ingredients Set vanilla cream 240ml double cream 60ml milk 40g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 2 gelatine leaves

Shortbread (Rosemary) 110g plain flour 55g cornflour 110g caster sugar 100g butter 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary

Strawberry Sorbet 75g caster sugar Juice of 1 lemon 500g strawberries

Strawberry Jelly 200g caster sugar 600ml water 500g fresh strawberries 5 gelatine leaves

Brown Sugar Meringue 2 large egg whites 100g caster sugar 100g demerara sugar

Garnishes 8 strawberries Strawberry coulis

W I N E C H O I CE

2007 Botrytis Semillon Eclat Nick Mobbs, director and wine expert at the Imperial Hotel, says:

Strawberry and Cream Sextets, as their name suggests, comprise six items in one dessert so there are plenty of flavours. I have picked a sweet wine from Chile, South America, called Botrytis Semillon Eclat as their accompaniment. As the name suggests, the grapes are attacked by Botrytis which is a wine making term for rot. The two major rots that affect grapes are grey which is bad and noble which is good. Basically the noble rot attacks the grape and reduces its water content thus concentrating the sugars. The grapes are harvested by hand and, as the grapes do not rot uniformly, pickers will select the best individual grapes first and then the best bunches – so it is very labour intensive and expensive. The techniques, originally from Bordeaux in France, specifically in the region of Sauterne, are now used throughout the world. The vineyards for this wine are located in the foothills of the Andes mountain range. The wine is fermented 50 per cent in barrel and 50 per cent in stainless steel. And then aged for 12 months in barrels (again 50 per cent and stainless 50 per cent). The colour is an intense golden/yellow, with an aroma of stone fruits, citrus marmalade, ripe peaches and apricots.

• A team of brilliant chefs • Superb wine list • Laid-back atmosphere The perfect restaurant for dinner or Sunday lunch. At the Imperial Hotel, North Drive, Gt Yarmouth, NR30 1EQ. To book call 01493 842000

www.cafecru.co.uk

Sunday 12.30 - 2pm Monday - Saturday 6.30 - 10pm The Terrace is open daily. For opening times & menu go to imperialhotel.co.uk

his is a dangerous, very dangerous place! For a start it is just around the corner from our office and does very, very good cocktails! Gambas is a real fun place, and just right for this time of year. Everything about it shouts summer frolics, from its name (which means giant prawns in Spanish) to its beachside location. You could almost be on a Spanish island – well, almost! Tucked away on Beach Road, it has only been reopened a few weeks and is looking good. Stripped wooden floorboards, chunky tables, mismatched chairs, exposed brickwork, and dramatic artwork create a buzzy atmosphere which my husband and I enjoyed one evening just a couple of weeks ago. Okay, so it is not fine dining. There are no posh table clothes, crystal glasses or fancy napkins. Rather this is a place to kick back and relax. It is not huge, there is just a nice little drinks area and a sweet little al fresco spot plus the main dining area so about 50 people can be catered for. Interestingly, when commenting on the interior design, we’re told that it was once an old theatre so some of us out there might a few good stories to tell me about it! The menu reflects this Mediterranean vibe. There is, as you’d hope, an emphasis on fish but burgers were going down a storm when we visited as were the restaurant’s signature steaks. But more of this later. Starters range from classic garlic mushrooms to seared scallops and all come in at under £8. I tried one of my particular favourites, seafood chowder, which brimmed over with prawns, haddock, mussels and more. It was delicious and disappeared quickly. Himself had the prawn cocktail, made a bit more interesting with the addition of a spot of brandy. Other options included fish cakes and chicken livers – which the woman on the table next to us cleared in record time! And you should have seen her devour her burger!

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what's on

For my main course, I tackled char-grilled chicken stuffed with mozzarella, wrapped in Parma ham and served with some lovely peppery rocket and sundried tomatoes at £13.50. It was a fabulous summer dish, bursting with colour and flavour and great for a warm evening! My husband had grilled sea bass with a lime and coriander butter and masses of garlic mash which I naturally helped out with! Again, it was cooked well and represented good value at £16. As a real fish lover – I seem to cook it less and less at home as I somehow make the kitchen less than fragrant– he was genuinely impressed, especially as skate wing and tuna were also on offer. Other mains included Cromer lobster which was very tempting while oysters are another option if you pre order. I liked the sound of them served with a Gambas shallot vinegar. Mmm!

There are a couple of well priced veggie options, too, and plenty of side orders to mix and match such as the ubiquitous garlic bread, olives and various salads. The desserts, up on a blackboard, are as naughty as you’d imagine with plenty of favourites such as pavlovas and decadent chocolate puddings. We decided to share a trio of delights including an amaretto sundae, a berry pannacota and a vanilla cheesecake which was more than enough for two! There’s a separate children’s menu and certainly a little girl was tucking into mountains of food when I visited and staff will also half any main dish should your child spot something they fancy on your menu. Staff are very friendly and it is the sort of neighbourhood restaurant where different groups of people know each other and there’s plenty of chit chat between tables. There is a good wine list, Woodefordes is available and plenty of bottled beers such as Corona and Amigos, plus jugs of sangria for those who want to party! But what of that cocktail list? Well, it is rather impressive – and moreish. My mojito was just the ticket after a long day at the office. And, given half the chance, I would have had a gin fizz, too – next time! And hot off the press, the restaurant is hoping to open during the day so lunch is now sorted!

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Country Inn & Fine Dining

F o o d G a l l e r y : R estaurants & F ood produce

Loddon Mill Tea Rooms

River Green Café

Albatros

We are delighted to invite you to join us for refreshments, traditional teas and coffees or light lunches in a beautiful setting. Loddon Mill Tea Rooms straddles the River Chet with stunning views down the river – kingfishers, swans, ducks, yellow wagtails and wrens are common visitors. Listen to the river underneath as you enjoy a refreshing break from your strolls along the Broads. This historical building with its industrial ironwork and exposed beams provides a welcoming retreat from the hustle and bustle of town. Our vintage furnishings make a real eclectic mix with everything up for sale, the dining experience changing as the furnishings and decorations are sold and replaced. We look forward to seeing you here.

Fine vegetarian food and drink Overlooking Trowse Village Green, just 10 minutes from Norwich City Centre. River Green Café serves internationally inspired vegetarian and vegan food along with a selection of organic and locally sourced wines and beers.

The Albatros, which is moored at Wells-nextthe-Sea, is a 100-year-old Dutch clipper, built in Rotterdam. The beautiful vessel was built for Johannes Muller from Middelhanis, Holland, where she remained until being sold to a Danish owner, believed to be Captain Ramussen, who used her as a cargo ship to export grain from Scandanavia. In 1983 Ton Brouwer bought and fully restored her. The Albatros is a Dutch-style café bar and restaurant serving sweet and savoury pancakes and other Dutch specialities. Have your meal alfresco on the main deck and enjoy the views of the harbour. Fully licensed bar, real ales, live music and bed & breakfast. Private and corporate parties welcome.

Open: Monday closed; Tues-Sat 10am-5pm; Sunday 10am-4pm A: 45 Bridge Street, Loddon NR14 6NA T: 01508 528085 W: www.loddonmillvintagetearooms.com

A: River Green Café, The Street, Trowse, Norwich, NR14 8AH T: 01603 622448 W: www.rivergreencafe.co.uk

Open: 12 noon until late A: Quayside, Wells-next-Sea, NR23 1AT T: 07979 087228 W: www.albatros.eu.com

Orchard Farm Shop

Wine Cellar

Planet Spice

We look forward to you visiting us at Orchard Farm Shop. Pork is reared on the farm and butchered in the shop, along with local lamb. We cater for your BBQ needs, including gluten-free sausages, gluten-free pork burgers and also low fat sausages. Free range eggs collected daily, a selection of local jams, chutneys, honey, rape seed oil and apple juices. Low food miles and friendly service. Orders taken. Find us on the A146 five miles South of Norwich.

The Wine Cellar is a piece of gourmet heaven born from an ethos of gorgeous wine, great food, and generous service. Tucked away in the heart of Norwich, just a few steps away from the vibrant Market Place, a beautiful courtyard steeped in history is the setting for this charming hidden gem that has so much more to offer than just fantastic fine dining. Ambient and chilled, The Wine Cellar is the perfect place to mingle and socialise. Ideal for a sophisticated, lazy lunch or a wallet friendly supper.

THE SPICE TRAIL... Planet Spice is an Indian restaurant in the heart of the Norfolk countryside. Our aim is to provide an exquisite, unrivalled range of authentic and imaginative Indian dishes to all food lovers in the area. We are dedicated in our approach to healthy eating, which demands we use the highest quality, fresh, organic ingredients. All spices are freshly ground to maintain natural flavours and aromas. Absolutely no additives are used in our kitchen.

Open: Thursday 10am-6.30pm, Friday 9am-6.30pm, Saturday 9am-4pm A: Orchard Farm Shop, Holverston, Norwich NR14 7PH T: 01508 480369 W: www.orchardfarmshop.com

Open: Monday 11am - 10pm, Tues, Wed & Thurs 11am - 11pm, Friday & Saturday 11am - midnight, Sunday 10.30am - 3.30pm A: The Wine Cellar, Guildhall Hill, 8 Woburn Court, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1JG T: 01603 886100 E: admin@winecellarnorwich.co.uk W: www.winecellarnorwich.co.uk

Open: Every day for lunch 12-2pm and dinner 5.30-11pm A: 2 Filby Lane, Ormesby St Margaret, Great Yarmouth, NR29 3JR T: 01493 731111 / 01493 731101 W: www.planetspiceormesby.co.uk

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

A b s o l u t e ly C r a b u lo u s In the latest of our monthly series profiling some of the region’s top food producers, food writer Andy Newman looks at Norfolk’s most famous edible export, while leading chef Roger Hickman shows how to make the most of north Norfolk’s finest Pictures by ANDY NEWMAN ASSOCIATES, NORWICH

hen you set out to write a series of articles on the wealth of food produced in Norfolk, the choice is huge – the county can justifiably lay claim to being the UK’s larder. Whether it’s beef, or turkey, or cheese, or asparagus, or even the humble potato, Norfolk is right up there in terms of quality and quantity. But eventually, it is inevitable that the food writer’s pen should be set to paper to write about our county’s most famous edible export, a foodstuff so indelibly linked to where it comes from that if this were France, it would surely have its own appellation controlee. I refer, of course, to the Cromer crab. The edible or brown crab is not just found in the North Sea. It is also fished in the north Atlantic and even in the Mediterranean. But it is off the north Norfolk coast that it reaches its zenith. ‘I liken the Cromer crab to a chalk stream trout,’ says John Davies, an eighth generation Cromer crabman who is as close to a world expert on Cromer crabs as you will find. ‘The sea bed off Cromer is flinty and chalky, and the sea is unusually shallow, and these things lead to crabs which, although they might be slightly

Cromer Pier

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John Davies’ Cromer crabs are best enjoyed from his shop at 7, Garden Street, Cromer; tel: 01263 512727. They can also be found on the menu of several Norfolk restaurants, including the Walpole Arms at Itteringham and Delia’s in Norwich.

smaller, have a bigger meat content and a sweeter flesh. That is why, wherever you go, Cromer is known for its crabs.’ Like most people who make their living from the sea, John is never happier than when he is out on his sleek, fast 10m catamaran, harvesting this reddish-brown bounty. I meet him at midday on a sunny June Friday in his Garden Street shop, where a steady stream of tourists and locals is queuing to buy crabs from an attractive window display. John looks happy and healthy, despite the fact that he has been up since 3am. This pre-dawn start has ensured that he has brought in a bumper catch – around half a tonne of crabs. He struggles through the door with a huge basket of the crustaceans, and despite it being the height of the season, makes time to say hello to customers, many of whom he knows well. John’s parents Richard and Julie Davies opened the shop in 1974 to provide an outlet for the catches that Richard was bringing home. There was never any doubt that John would follow - he was going to sea at the age of five, and never wanted to do anything else. ‘On a sunny day, there is no better place to be,’ he says. ‘“Going to sea is still the thing I enjoy most, I would happily spend more time out there. It’s the challenge of being a hunter, and of being at one with nature.’

norfolk produce

The impressive display at John Davies' fish shop in Cromer

REC I PE

That he is able to do just that is down to the team which help keep the operation running smoothly, in particular John’s wife of nearly 25 years, Claire, who looks after the business side of the enterprise, and son Charles, who runs the processing operation at East Runton. Freshness is everything when it comes to shellfish, and the crabs are put into fresh water and straight into the chiller when they are landed. They are then boiled, pressure washed and sorted, ready to go into the shop first thing in the morning. At the back of the shop is a team of four dressers, who can each dress as many as 20 crabs in an hour. Unlike in former times, only about 10 per cent of the catch is sold whole, so the dressing operation is crucial. Demand for Cromer crab remains high, and John sends his catch all over East Anglia and, via the Lowestoft wholesale markets, further afield. But there is always plenty held back for local consumption, and judging by the queues stretching out of the door of his shop, that is just as well. Because there is no legal protection for the name ‘Cromer crab’, you need to know your producer to ensure you are getting the real thing. That is why men like John Davies should be championed and supported, to make sure that Norfolk’s bestknown foodstuff remains high on every foodie’s wishlist.

Tracey Burton (right) at work dressing crabs at John Davies' fish shop

Roger Hickman’s crab salad with samphire and avocado purée serves four

2 Cromer crabs, 1 cucumber, 1 tbsp crème fraîche, the juice of one lemon, 2 ripe avocados – Haas variety is best, a small handful of samphire, a splash of rapeseed oil, 8 cherry tomatoes, 4 radishes, 100ml white wine vinegar, 100ml olive oil, a handful of dill leaves, a handful of wild rice, vegetable oil to deep fry the rice, salad cress, caster sugar, sea salt Peel the cucumber, and cut eight slices lengthways with a mandolin. Pick the white meat from the crabs (including the claws), and mix this with the crème fraîche. Season with some salt and a teaspoon of lemon juice, and then stuff the cucumber slices with the crab meat, two for each plate. In a processor, blitz the avocado flesh with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, and half the lemon juice, until smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve to make it ultra-smooth. Warm the vinegar with a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. When it is warm, remove from the heat. Slice the radishes and put them in the vinegar, and allow to cool, so that the radish is pickled. Cut the tomatoes in half and dry them in a very low oven (100°C) for 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with a little salt and sugar. Meanwhile, pick the dill and put it in a pan with the olive oil, and warm it through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pass the oil through a sieve. Deep fry the wild rice at 180°C until it puffs – this should only take 30 seconds. Now to assemble the dish. Smear some puree on the plate, and put two crab-stuffed cucumber slices on each. Sprinkle over the samphire and pickled radishes, and place four tomato halves on each plate. Dress with the puffed wild rice, dill oil, and the salad cress.

Roger Hickman is chef-proprietor at Roger Hickman's Restaurant in Upper St Giles, Norwich. More details at www.rogerhickmansrestaurant.com

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

Go West This month our wine writer Poppy Seymour reacquaints herself with a Western Cape favourite It’s hard to believe that more than a year has passed since I first wrote about the wonderful Western Cape vineyard called Seven Springs. I am delighted to revisit their elegant wines and report that my initial ‘love at first sip’ reaction maintains its ardour! I should remind readers that this vineyard was purchased by husband and wife team Tim and Vaughan Pearson, following a trip to South Africa to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in 2005. Cattle were grazing on the land when they first spotted this little piece of heaven in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. Little did they know what an adventure they were embarking upon. Less than six months later the 12 hectare plot known as Vrede (Peace) was theirs. Fast forward to July 2007 and gum trees have been replaced by Syrah and Chardonnay vines, followed by sauvignon blanc a few months later.

It was not until 2008 that the challenge of Pinot Noir was added to the collection, as well as some 200 olive trees with a view to olive oil production … sometime in the future. By 2010 they had engaged the expertise of rising star Riana van der Merwe, who was featured as one of the ‘Young Guns’ of South Africa in the Wines of South Africa press tasting in May. Earlier in the year Oz Clark tweeted: ‘Does South Africa have more exciting winemakers in their late 20s to early 30s than any other nation?’ The answer is a resounding yes and this talented young woman is one of them. In between harvests, and to gain more knowledge, 29-year-old Riana has travelled to Oregon, USA, to experience a vintage over there and is planning a similar trip to Sancerre in the not too distant future. She really does eat, (drink), sleep and breathe her wines. Naturally the wine we taste in our glass begins its life in the vineyard and at Seven Springs the grapes are all meticulously picked by hand, then placed into small plastic baskets and transported to nearby Elgin for sorting and vinification. The fruit is all fermented in stainless steel tanks, the pinot noir, syrah and some of the chardonnay then benefit from time in french barriques (barrels). For the ‘techy’ among you, malolactic fermentation occurs naturally and the wine spends around ten months in wood. Old barrels are used, rather than new, as this imparts just enough oak to support the young tannins without overpowering them. As always in winemaking, the tightrope balance between fruit

WINE REVIEW

Poppy is an independent wine consultant offering expert advice on which wines to buy, whether for a celebration, investment purposes or simply quaffing! She will be delighted to hear from you so please feel free to contact her on 07760 793996 or poppy@belle-epoque-life. com for more information.

and oak is where the winemaker’s skill is really put under the spotlight. Riana manages to achieve a really delicate touch and the resulting wines are both harmonious and supremely wellintegrated. I was fortunate to meet up with Tim again at this year’s London International Wine Fair and we tasted the entire range of wines together. My first love being their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (£11.95) so I was particularly pleased to taste the follow-on vintage. Clearly there was no beginner’s luck involved with their first bottling and the 2011 is equally fresh and vibrant. Pure, ripe orchard fruits mingle with fresh leafy herbs while the gentle aromas on the nose are sustained right through to the crisp yet smooth minerally finish. It is super to enjoy on its own and is also a great partner for some ‘just caught’ shellfish. We moved on to the 2011 unwooded Chardonnay (£11.95), still as delightfully perfumed on the nose and full of juicy tropical fruit flavours. If anything this wine has blossomed into a more exotic version of its former self and is even more enticing than I remember. It is a lovely accompaniment for grilled fish dishes or maybe a creamy chicken risotto. Moving swiftly on, we plunged our noses deep into the magnificent 2010 Chardonnay (£13.95) which was immediately reminiscent of a good white Burgundy. It is rich and honeyed yet also elegant and fresh with the merest suggestion of subtle toasty oak. Switching to red we revisited the 2010 Syrah (£13.95) with its welcoming, spicy nose and ripe berry fruit flavours. Having had some time to mature in bottle, it has developed into a robust,

full-bodied wine with well-integrated oak and a real explosion of complex, peppery lusciousness at the end. In many ways this is a wintry wine and may well benefit from decanting, but I can see it being a regular guest at our barbecue evenings this summer. Last but by absolutely no means least, we sampled their 2011 Young Vines Pinot Noir (£14.95) a characterful youngster that is full of silky, mouth-watering berried fruit. Multi-layered, spicy and beautifully balanced, this has all the makings of a truly great wine and yet is deliciously approachable already. It would be a sublime companion for roast duck or a succulent steak. Tim beamed like a proud parent and reminded me that I am not the only one raving about this sensational Pinot. Here’s what Decanter Magazine say in their current (July) issue: ‘a fabulously attractive versatile wine, it’s laden with black cherries with leafy underbrush notes and hints of black forest gateau before unwinding to a fresh finish.’ A bit of ‘wine-speak’ there admittedly but they clearly consider this wine as ‘one to watch’ and this writer heartily agrees.

The Seven Springs range of wines is being tasted on July 27 at Bouchon Wine Bar, Wroxham, and The Wine Gallery, Great Bircham (Sandringham). Bring your copy of Places & Faces to receive a 10 per cent discount on a mixed case of six bottles.

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TRAVEL

Samaria Gorge

Elafonisi Beach

As day breaks, the air is fresh, even sharp in contrast to the heat of a Cretan summer, but the early start ensures much of the walking is behind you by the time the temperature begins to seriously rise. Sturdy walking boots are essential to negotiate the rugged downward path through the pine and cypress trees and there is a sense of relief when it finally levels out onto the river bed with the water flowing close by and supplying regular fountains to fill bottles with some of the sweetest water you will ever taste. At about half way, loom the remains of the village of Samaria and the abandoned 14th century church of Mark Nicholls heads to the holiday island of Crete, Ossia Maria, which gives the gorge meets the challenge of walking the Samaria Gorge, and its name. Pause for a snack before pressing on where in the latter stages reflects on excellent beaches and great places to stay the gorge closes in as the sheer walls soar upwards. The narrowest point is a mere three metres across, before it opens onto the beach at Agia he rugged beauty and scale of the Roumeli, a small community of overnight rests and tavernas Samaria Gorge is breath-taking. The hike where a beer and a Greek salad, or even a dip in the sea, are most through it is a seemingly endless descent into welcome before boarding the ferry. Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest natural fissure over some 16km But nothing matches the immense satisfaction in conquering of rocky pathways carved out on an ancient river this natural fissure in the barren landscape of western Crete. It bed. is a long, long day but you always have the rest of the holiday to The route takes you past an abandoned village relax. and ancient church before you are spilled out In recent years, western Crete has become one of my favourite onto a black sandy beach. With no road link to the coastal village holiday destinations with rugged scenery reaching down to of Agia Roumeli, the only way out is by ferry to Chora Skafion fabulous beaches and food and drink that is as good as you will further along the shoreline. find anywhere with the Cretan diet one of the healthiest on But it is a challenge to be met, despite the pre-dawn start and earth. the winding climb through the White Mountains of Crete to the I like to stay at the 33-room Mistral Hotel at Maleme, a top of the gorge near the village of Omalos some 1250 metres few miles from the delightful Venetian port city of Chania. above sea level. Specialising in hosting solo travellers, it has perfected the art of singles holidays over the last two decades. Run by brothers Vassilis and Andonis Gialamarakis and their families, it has two beautiful pools, quiet landscaped gardens and a welcoming bar area. There is also an attractive restaurant where, for dinner, you can expect to be served traditional dishes such as beef stifado or souvlaki, stuffed tomatoes and peppers and superb salads, dressed in olive oil produced by the hotel from its own trees and all washed down with good local wine. The Mistral also prides itself on showing Crete as it is through its food, wine, hospitality and some off-the-beaten-track excursions. One leads to the perfect quiet beach of Falasarna with its expanse of fine sand and clear waters, followed by a lunch, which drifts on into late afternoon, at a family restaurant tucked away in the quiet cove at Sfinari. Enjoy freshly-caught

Summer in Samaria

Elafonisi Beach

fish, a range of seafood, wine, and the irresistible Kakavia (fish soup) on the menu. Other excursions include trips to Elafonisi beach with the pinkish hue of the shoreline created by millions of crushed shell fragments, or a boat trip out to Gramvousa island, for snorkelling, swimming and exploring Venetian ruins. For me, it is those beaches that are a big part of the appeal of western Crete. For this year, The Mistral has expanded the accommodation options with six luxurious villas a few miles further on from Maleme, each with individually amazing views over the Bay of Kissamos. Built on the hillside above Agios Georgios, the villas sit close to the ruins of an ancient temple and the historic St Constantine Chapel and are so much more than your typical holiday accommodation; they are a self-contained architectural statement of the like rarely seen in Greece. Designed by a leading Athens architect Dimitra Nikolaou, they embrace high quality materials, sleek designs and are ideal for couples and even families. Each has its own pool and terrace and colossal windows that ‘bring the outside inside.’ Under the brand of YouPhoria Villas, the six contain minimalistic furnishings; they are modern, innovative, ecofriendly and sustainable; but also private and comfortable – and great for a Cretan holiday retreat – with two more villas to be built next year. Vassilis explains: ‘Each has magnificent views that overlook the sea, the bay, mountains in the distance and the olive grove, but they do not overlook one another.’ Attracting guests from the US, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, the UK and the Greek mainland, they are close to historic sites, great beaches and the Samaria Gorge. All are two bedroom villas with names such as Charisma, Oneiro (dream), Symphony, Harmony and Plethora plus the one-bed Abyss villa. ‘All names are related to a sense of euphoria, or YouPhoria, as we have called them,’ says Vassilis, ‘and while times are tough in Greece at present - as everybody knows - we decided to go ahead with these villas because there are not enough quality properties such as this on Crete. We have used top quality materials and a top architect and designer to create something that we believe will excite people when they see and stay in the villas,’ he says. Guests are left to their own privacy with subtle pointers to the best local restaurants, the best beaches, archaeological sites, galleries, and shopping. As the largest of the Greek islands, Crete has so much to offer including an ancient Minoan history, picturesque harbours with shoreline tavernas, small inlets where colourful fishing boats bob on the tide, a rugged landscape, superb food, and a warm and welcoming people. Perhaps that is why I keep going back.

T RA V EL

Information

Accommodation: The Mistral Opens from April to October. Guests book the hotel independently and arrange their own flights, though the Mistral arranges transfers. A typical week’s stay, halfboard, starts from about £525 per person. For bookings and further information, visit www.singlesincrete.com, email info@singlesincrete.com or call 0871 990 2070. The YouPhoria villas can be rented for a few days, a week or more. For further information visit www.youphoriavillascrete.com

Flights: Ryanair

Village Gorge

Fly direct from Stansted to Chania, visit www.ryanair.com

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

MARVELLOUS Malaga! If you are looking for a sunshine fix that’s not a long-haul flight away, then southern Spain can provide a dose of vitamin D. But instead of heading for the Costas, Peter Fleming explored the historic and lively city of Malaga

ost visitors can’t wait to get out of Malaga. The sunshine resorts of the Costa del Sol beckon, and the most they see of the city is from the air as the holiday jet makes its approach to Malaga’s Pablo Ruiz Picasso airport, that handles a staggering 16 million passengers annually. But from November through to April, Malaga comes into its own as a short-break destination. Just log on to the web and search for Malaga hotels for a wide range of accommodation to suit most pockets. At this time of the year there is still plenty of sunshine but the temperatures are in the teens and low 20s, so it is much more comfortable discovering the delights that summer’s beach-bound travellers bypass. The nice thing about Malaga is that it still feels Spanish, unlike so much of ‘ex-pat land’ that has blossomed along the coastal resorts like Torremolinos, Fuengirola and all points west to Gibraltar.

The Botanical Gardens

Getting there and getting about: There are regular flights year-round from Stansted and Luton. One of the best ways to get a good overall impression of Malaga is to hop on the official Malaga tour bus. The trip takes under one and a half hours and is well worth it. The tour bus ticket not only takes in all the sights, but it also offers a free voucher for bus transport to the botanical gardens, City view of Malaga

Jardines de la Concepcion, on the outskirts of Malaga.

TRAVEL Traditional Tapas The Catedral de la Encarnacion

Malaga has big plans for the future and is smartening up its act. Whereas it was once considered to be the poor cousin of Andalusia’s capital city, Seville, it now competes successfully as a ‘destination’. Since the opening of the already well acclaimed Picasso Museum in 2003, tourists have been flocking there and also to the beautifully refurbished birthplace of the great artist, a few minutes walk away at Plaza de la Merced. Although Malaga failed in its attempt to become the European Culture Capital in 2016, the bid got the city on a fast track. An example of this forward thinking is that Malaga has become the first European city to have new internet access technology called Wimax, dubbed Instanet because it is so fast. And then there’s Malaga’s new Maria Zambrano station from where the AVE high speed trains go to Cordoba and Madrid; stop off at the futuristic Barcelo Hotel at Malaga station - it’s an eye opener. As well as homage to the great Picasso, other great historic monuments include the imposing Baroque Cathedral, popularly known as ‘La Manquita’ (One Armed Woman), referring to its rather lopsided appearance due to the missing east bell tower. High on the hill above the city is the Parador (state run hotel) of great historic importance. It was once a Moorish castle and is a wonderful place to either stay the night or have a long lunch enjoying the privileged surroundings, with panoramic views over Malaga city and out across the port to sea. Although there was much destruction in Malaga, especially during the time of the Spanish Civil War, there is still plenty of proof of the Moorish occupation. Today you can visit the Moorish Alcazaba fortress, dating back to 1065, which also now features a very interesting archaeological museum and has great views across to the port. Malaga centre is not only the perfect place to explore the many historical monuments, atmospheric little streets and squares with delightful café culture, but it is also a wonderful shopping centre. The main street to head for runs perpendicular to the stunning tree lined avenue, the Alameda, and starts at the Plaza Marina, near the port. Calle Marqués de Larios (often simply referred

to as Larios) was pedestrianised in 2002 as part of the overall improvements being made to Malaga centre. The result is a busy chic area with many boutiques, designer shops and classy cafes, all surrounded by beautifully restored buildings. At the top of Larios is the main square, Plaza de la Constitución, which is used throughout the year when cultural, traditional and religious events are being celebrated. During Easter Holy Week, Malaga is taken over by incredible religious processions and if you are a celebrity spotter you might just see Malaga born actor Antonio Banderas who sometimes takes part as he has done since he was a young boy. Off Calle Larios, in the melee of tiny streets and tasty tapas bars, restaurants and even Moorish tearooms, you will find other interesting shops and also the bustling fresh food market. In Malaga there is no shortage of places to eat and drink: from top notch, Michelin rated restaurants to the more humble tapas bars, and everything in between. Go for the three-course Menu del Dia (menu of the day) from 15 euros including wine, with fish especially good (try the local speciality of Pescaito frito, an assortment of fried fish). Sample the locally produced sweet wine in one of the city’s ancient bodegas, the oldest being Atigua Casa de la Guardia - No 16 on the north side of the Alameda. At lunchtime try Tinto de Verano (summer red) wine with lemonade. Very refreshing and a great way to improve an inexpensive bottle of red wine!

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Virtually everyone can have some sort of treatment to soften the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles. Over the years we have treated hundreds of patients ranging in age from 18 to 80 years and there are very few medical reasons why any fit and well person cannot use our procedures. The effects are better in younger people as their lines are not so severe Are treatments painful?

Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections are carried out using a tiny needle and the vast majority of patients report that the procedure causes nothing more than mild discomfort. Filler treatment is a slightly more invasive procedure, usually necessitating the use of skin anaesthetics (creams) which are applied before a procedure is carried out. In addition, many of the products used contain a local anaesthetic which further numbs the area being treated. Being dental surgeons we are very used to giving gentle injections around the mouth and very few patients report feeling pain - indeed most patients feel virtually nothing at all.

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Information Pre-owned towing caravans range from £6000 to £13,000. Motor homes range from £16,000 to £70,000. There are usually around 90 motor homes on display, both new and pre owned.

A thriving Norfolk family firm is expanding, discovers Sarah Hardy as she calls in at Simpsons Motor Group

ith 50 years under their belt, Simpsons Motor Group is a company with plenty of experience and know how. Still run by family members and with a MD, Andrew Aldis, who joined the company aged just 16 and worked his way up to be the boss, they have built up a solid reputation for reliability, fair pricing and first class customer service. They are the main Skoda dealers in the area, have started to stock pre-owned towing caravans while both new and pre owned motor homes are another key part of the business. As sales director Belinda Crick explains, they are not a company that stands still. They have just expanded their workshop areas to provide a onestop shop for every motor home need. ‘We now have the Fiat professional franchise and can carry out service and repairs to all makes of motorhomes and commercial vehicles. So any problems which fall under the Fiat Warranty or any services that is due, we do,’ says Belinda. She continues: ‘We also carry out habitation checks, which are required each year to keep vehicles safe and on the road. This includes gas checks and water ingress inspections.’ And the company will also fit bike racks, awnings and satellite systems – everything to help you get

your motor homes up and on the road! We are also recomended by the manufacturers and insurance companies for accident repairs to both motorhomes and tow caravans (contact Paul Clark on 01493 601696). Belinda says: ‘You really buy into the lifestyle, having a motor home gives you so much freedom. You can keep them well stocked so that when you feel like, you can just be up and away!’

The Simpsons Motor Group is holding its annual open day on July 6 from 9-5pm. The popular event offers visitors the chance to test drive the latest Skoda ranges and to have a look around the motor homes which really offer a ‘home from home’ experience The Skoda IRC Fabia Rally car, which won the manufacturer’s title for two years running when driven by Andreas Mikkelsen, will be on display along with a selection of pre-owned towing caravans. There are various promotional offers planned, prize draws and plenty of fun and games for all the family! Beach Radio is entertaining from 11am to 2pm and don’t miss the all day BBQ. All the day’s activities are free and it is a great chance to meet all the team at Simpsons.

Simpsons Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth, tel 01493 601696, visit www. simpsonsmotorcaravans.com and simpsonsskoda.com

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BUSINESS PROFILE

A Fa m i ly F i r m He is the third generation behind the UK’s last privately owned - and first five-star - leisure resort: Potters in Hopton-on-Sea. Emma Outten was invited to the family home of owner and chairman Brian Potter MBE

he poignancy of collecting his MBE 100 years after his grandfather won a life-changing £500 in a national newspaper competition is not lost on Brian Potter. Brian became a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his long-standing services to tourism, in July last year, having been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. He travelled to Buckingham Palace in February of this year, a century after Norwich solicitor’s clerk Herbert Potter won the money, in July 1913. Herbert had to survive World War I before he could realise his dream of building the UK’s first permanent holiday centre. ‘He is very lucky he came back from the Somme,' says Brian, at his home which is conveniently close to Potters Leisure Resort, at Hopton-onSea. ‘Our conversation wouldn’t be taking place now, had he been one of the fallen.’ Thankfully, Herbert survived and the early years of the family business are detailed in the lovingly handwritten Family Chronicles. In it, he addresses ‘My dear Hector’, ‘my dear grandson Brian’, and signs off, ‘With fondest love, Dad.’ Fast forward a few years and, when Brian was presented with his MBE by HRH the Prince of Wales, his wife Judy, daughter Jane (Director of on-site Aphrodite Beauty Studio) and son John (Managing Director of Potters) were in attendance. Afterwards, John’s partner Celia along with grandchildren Harry and Amelia surprised Brian by joining in the celebrations at the nearby Goring Hotel. ‘It made my day,’ he says, whilst browsing through the family album. This year is turning out to be a special one for Potters. In January, TripAdvisor’s 2013 Travellers’ Choice Awards named Potters as eighth in the Top 25 Hotels within the UK. And, for the 12th consecutive year, it has been named a five-star holiday village by Enjoy England (it became the first holiday village to win the award, back in 2002). But then it is something of a one-off. Outside, the Hotel Penthouse Suites would not look out of place in the Mediterranean, and inside, the sweeping staircase in the main restaurant makes you feel as though you could be on a luxury cruise ship - their friend, Judith Chalmers (or JC as she is known to Judy’s JP!) once said as much on TV’s Wish You Were Here. It caters for every type of leisure seeker. Midweek in May, for example, and you will find the indoor bowling brigade; Sunday night in summer, and you will find guests booked in for a one-nightspecial, when a star name performs at the Atlas Theatre.

All this would have been beyond Herbert’s wildest dreams. Having been inspired by a stay at nearby Caister Camp, he actually opened the first permanent, timber-hutted holiday centre in Hembsy, in 1920, giving the first candle free before selling the second for an old penny! Herbert sold the site to Pontins before moving to the Hopton site, a former cabbage field. Brian joined the family firm more than 50 years ago, at the age of 21. He recalls having to get up early to make 1000 homemade rolls, for the princely sum of £5 per week. ‘One has come up through all the departments over the years,’ he notes. He married Judy (whose parents owned Seacroft in Hemsby) nearly 50 years ago, in 1964. When his father Hector died, in 1984, and Brian took over the business, the resort only had an 18-week season, and catered for a maximum capacity of 450 guests each week, from Saturday to Saturday. ‘I’ve built on those dreams – obviously there have been changes over the decades.’ If only Hector could see the leisure resort now. ‘My one regret is that he didn’t see that we now operate 365 days a year,’ says Brian, before adding: ‘I suppose we nearly push a quarter of a million bed nights a year, which for the little ‘Outer Hebrides’ of Hopton-on-Sea isn’t too bad!’ Potters has a turnover of £22m and employs over 500 people: ‘534 – the last I heard’, says Brian, to be exact. That equates to one member of staff to every 1.5 guests (nowadays the resort can cater for up to 750 guests; and more than 80 percent of first-time visitors return). In the 29 years since his father died, Brian has invested £49m, which, as he calculates, works out as just under £2m a year. He likens the reinvestment to painting the Forth Bridge. ‘You get to one end and you get to start again.’ Although it’s described as one of Norfolk’s best kept secrets, Potters is host and sponsor to the BBC TV World Bowls Championships. It was the first to establish residential bowls breaks in the UK. ‘My Archimedes moment was to come up with the idea of the Monday to Friday bowls in the winter.’ Potters is constantly reinventing itself. There’s the self-explanatory Black Rock Grill restaurant and the nearby Zest Rooms, which can either be a conference facility for up to 350 delegates, or a wedding venue. Son John is the business brains behind Potters Holidays Cyprus and Potters No Fly Cruising; he also co-founded Rescompany, 10 years ago, which supplies IT systems to cruise liners. ‘We can sit comfortably, watching the next generation take these new IT challenges forward,’ says Brian, who does, at least, own a Blackberry! Nowadays he doesn’t have to concern himself with checking that there are salt and pepper pots on each table, although Brian and Judy are still very visible at the resort. ‘We like to be seen by the guests and we like to see them.’ But he adds: ‘The role is now more PR.’ Meanwhile they have been busy raising money for the Palliative Care Centre at the James Paget Hospital. And they do like to holiday, having been everywhere from the Arctic to Antarctica, over the years! So what is his greatest achievement? ‘Probably making the cold, drafty East coast busy 52 weeks a year,’ Brian concludes. ‘I’m just pleased that the fourth generation is involved and the dream will continue,’ says Brian. ‘One of the happiest moments of my life was when I knew John was going to come into the business.’ How will Potters reinvent itself by the time of the fifth generation? ‘I guess that will be a question for Harry. Hopefully he will continue to work its magic!’

Almary Green Investments Ltd

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T h e P r i c e i s Right ? Julian Gibbons warns that proposed changes to how the legal profession is funded will ‘kill off’ great law firms

‘Let’s kill all the lawyers’ is a popular exclamation in one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, Henry VI Part 2. When first performed the line brought roars of approval from the audience. Since then, there has been debate about what Shakespeare meant. Was it an attack on lawyers or was it, in fact, a defence of the presence of lawyers in organised society? The words are spoken by a minor character who is a supporter of a revolutionary who wishes to depose the king and set himself up as ruler. Arguably, they represent the view that to destabilise a country and its constitution you first attack and remove those whose role is essential to good order in that society. Lawyers are an essential plank of a civilised society as they ensure that the rule of law prevails. Remove them and you remove the protection that the law otherwise guarantees ordinary citizens. Winding forward to the present and one story perhaps noticeable for the lack of attention it received is that of Vijai Kumari. Some 19 years ago this lady was convicted of murder in India. She appealed and was granted bail pending appeal. She was, however, unable to raise the bail money which was in present terms around £120. So, she spent the next 19 years in prison, forgotten by the legal system until her son (who was born in prison) raised funds and instructed a lawyer who secured her release. This is, by UK standards, an extreme case; or is it? Recent years have continued to see people locked up for long periods for crimes that they subsequently were shown not to have committed. The process ruined the lives of not only the individual imprisoned but also those of their families. Ultimately, it is their lawyers who secure the successful appeals. These are often achieved after substantial work done by the lawyer for which they are not paid.

Our system depends on a robust defence being delivered by dedicated lawyers in private practice. Contrary to what the government and sections of the press may have you believe, such lawyers, paid at legal aid rates, are not ‘fat cats’. In fact, even a cursory glance at the rates paid would show clearly that criminal legal aid lawyers are the lowest paid of any branch of legal practice. The fact that a firm may be said to earn several £100,000s per year from legal aid is a meaningless statement unless it is also clear how much work they do for the money. Unsurprisingly those, particularly in government, who wish to further squeeze publically paid lawyers, never mention this aspect, leaving the public with the impression that criminal lawyers are over paid. With the exception of a handful of barristers at the very top of the profession, this is simply not the case. Now, to save yet more money, the government has proposed what it terms price competitive tendering. The consultation period on this will end shortly and then firm legislative proposals will come forward in the autumn. For Norfolk as a county, it will mean a reduction of firms doing the work from around 15 to four. It will mean an almost complete removal of client choice of lawyer and it will entail a further cut in fees of 17.5 per cent. It is doubtful if such work will any longer be economical for any firm now doing it. Many will wonder if there is any point in even bidding. Indeed, there has already been an indication that some national companies (not of solicitors) will bid for contracts. Names will not be mentioned but the public may be surprised in the future to whom they have to go if they are unlucky enough to be charged with an offence. The expression about paying peanuts and getting monkeys comes to mind! The process of testing the evidence, ensuring a fair trial and protecting the individual from the power of the state, which have been the key elements of our criminal justice service, will be replaced by one where cost and economic efficiencies become all, where the work will be done at the lowest possible skills level and where the lowest bidder is likely to be the one to secure the contract. In this brave new world the importance of the rule of law, fair trial and the proper administration of justice will disappear. This affects the whole country and all of us, not just those who tend to make use of criminal defence services. These proposals will strip away a whole generation of skilled lawyers who have spent years developing those skills and fighting for their clients, as lawyers should do. Once lost, those skills will never be regained. The government will have ‘killed’ a huge section of the legal profession. Without them challenging government, what will government do next?

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WEALTH MANAGEMENT

| Inheritance Tax

KEVIN BUNTING LOVEWELL BLAKE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 01493 335100 | www.lovewellblake.co.uk

W h at A R e l i e f Kevin Bunting explains how you can reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax you pay

I’m sure most readers know there is a relief from Inheritance Tax, at a rate of 100 per cent, for unquoted trading company shares and trading businesses (self employment and partnership interests). The relief is called Business Property Relief (BPR) and is available after two years of ownership. Care still needs to be taken to ensure the relief is available because there are some traps which need to be considered. Qualifying for the relief is not the point of this article as I want to focus on how flexible the relief can be. To determine if a business qualifies for BPR it must meet a wholly or mainly trading test. The legislation words the requirements slightly differently but the concept is to allow a business which has a trading (rather than investment) activity to qualify for relief. Non trading for this purpose will include property/land rental, dealing in securities, stocks and shares and holding investments. On the assumption a business meets this provision the relief becomes available. The term ‘mainly’ also stimulates opinion because it means not all of the business assets have to be focused on the trade. The mainly test has been the subject of considerable case law and is considered to be 50 per cent or more – of what I hear you mutter but the answer to that question is an article all of its own! The point I want to make is (say a company) can own non trading assets but still permit the shareholder to get full BPR relief on all their shareholding. This means the decision about where a particular asset should be owned can therefore be widened if it results in reducing the shareholders exposure to Inheritance Tax. Another common issue is gifts of qualifying assets. The rules are quite complex but do offer a replacement asset

provision. Where the donor gifts an asset, and then dies, the donee might have sold the asset and inadvertently triggered a chargeable gift in the donors estate. To overcome the problem a replacement asset can be purchased by the donee, even after the donor has died, so the original gift does not become subject to Inheritance Tax. The replacement asset must simply be a qualifying investment and be acquired within three years of selling the original asset. When looking at trading company shares BPR is available on shares not registered on a recognised stock exchange. A common error is thinking the asset must be unquoted trading company shares. This means the owner could hold shares in say the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) or even in a company not registered in the UK. There is no restriction which stops BPR being available on shares held in a qualifying company outside the UK. Selling a business is often an area where I become involved because the owner is frequently converting an asset qualifying for BPR into cash (which attracts no relief ). Whilst there is no ‘one cap fits all’ solution, mainly due to the dynamics of a family or business relationship, it is often possible to structure a sale which makes good use of the presale BPR. The flexibility offered by the BPR provisions mean it is often possible to create a favourable exit for Inheritance Tax purposes but not restrict the sellers' future plans. The key here is to get advice before a sale. The few examples briefly outlined above give an indication of how flexible the BPR rules can become. As the relief is essentially a full exemption from Inheritance Tax it is worth spending the time exploring whether your relief can be expanded on an earlier transaction getting the benefit of the relief.

Lost your financial adviser? The following banks and building societies have either withdrawn from offering financial advice or have significantly restricted their offering: • Lloyds TSB • HSBC • Barclays • Santander • RBS • Norwich & Peterborough Do you need help and ongoing advice, or would like to know how the changes will affect you? Finance Shop will continue to offer local, face to face, genuinely independent financial advice covering all aspects of financial planning, and will be delighted to welcome new clients. Established in 1990 Finance Shop are one of East Anglia’s leading IFA firms with approaching £200M of funds under management. For a no-obligation meeting, please contact us on 0844 800 6990 quoting reference: PF1

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FINANCIAL PLANNING | pensions

SCOTT & PAUL SCOTT OLIVER & PAUL DASHWOOD | THE FINANCE SHOP 0844 8006990 | www.FINANCESHOPGROUP.COM

P l anning f o r your r e tir e m e nt Paul Dashwood continues his look at what the government is doing to encourage people to save for their pension

s discussed last month, auto-enrolment is the Government’s key strategy to boost retirement saving among UK workers at a time when employers are closing company schemes, particularly the most generous final-salary pension ones.

Employers will automatically enrol workers into a workplace pension who: Are not already in a qualifying pension scheme Are aged 22 or over Are under state pension age Earn more than £9440 a year

Required by law

For the first time employers are required by law to automatically enrol all eligible workers into a workplace pension and make a contribution to it. The Pensions Regulator is responsible for ensuring employers comply with the new law and have produced guidance to help employers do this. They will write to each employer before the date they are required to start enrolling workers into a workplace pension, and depending on employer size, on at least one other occasion. One of the employer duties relating to automatic enrolment is that employers are required by law to provide the right information in writing to the right individual at the right time, so that people know how automatic enrolment will affect them. Dates for your diary

The date on which workers are enrolled, called a staging date, depends on the size of the company they work for and is being rolled out over the next six years.

For genuinely independent, face to face financial advice, contact Scott or Paul at The Finance Shop on 0844 8006990/www.financeshopgroup.com

Large employers (with 250 or more workers) started automatically enrolling their workers from October 2012 to February 2014 Medium employers (50 – 249 workers) will have to start automatically enrolling their workers from April 2014 to April 2015 Small employers (49 workers or fewer) will have to start automatically enrolling their workers from June 2015 to April 2017 New employers (established after April 2012) will have to start automatically enrolling their workers from May 2017 to February 2018

National Employment Savings Trust (Nest)

Nest is a low-cost trust-based, defined contribution pension scheme. It was specifically established to support automatic enrolment and make sure all UK employers have access to a suitable pension scheme for their employer duties. The scheme is not–for-profit and the Trustee has a legal duty to act in its members best interests. It is designed to be straightforward and easy for employers to use. Contribution levels

The minimum contribution level is just that, a minimum. Employers and individuals will be able to contribute more than the minimum if they wish, and many do. These amounts can be phased in to help both the employers and the employees manage costs. Some people may be automatically enrolled into a Defined Benefit or Hybrid pension scheme. This type of scheme may also be known as a ‘final salary’ or ‘career average’ scheme. Alternative arrangements can apply for Defined Benefit and Hybrid pension schemes to help them manage the introduction of auto enrolment. For example, the full provisions can be postponed until September 30 2017 for existing scheme members. New staff will have to be enrolled from the employers' staging date. If employers or individuals do not know what type of scheme they are using for automatic enrolment, their employer will be able to tell them. Challenges of this new legislation

Not surprisingly, with new legislation comes new jargon and employers will need to become familiar with terms such as ‘eligible jobholders’ and 'qualifying pension schemes’ when considering their duties. What should we do

Speak to an Independent Adviser to make sure you have the time to plan the right solution for your company. 101

A Sup e r b D r ive Iain Dooley test drives the new Skoda Superb

Prices correct at time of going to press

uilding on the successful formula of space, refinement and generous levels of standard equipment, Skoda’s latest generation Superb packs all the familiar qualities that have already convinced so many to sign on the dotted line. Improvements to the Superb might not be immediately obvious, however Skoda has focused on the things that matter: cleaning up the engine range, sharpening up the car’s looks to mirror that of the Rapid and latest Octavia, and adding some welcome extra kit.

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Although the cosmetic changes are subtle, out has gone the slightly generic Skoda design, replaced by a more sculptured look fore and aft. Inside the car’s cabin it is largely business as usual. Detailed trim and material changes have done a good job of ensuring the Superb’s cabin remains a plush environment for all occupants, though. As before, the Superb’s main selling point is its cabin space. Extended in all the right areas, front seat occupants are made to feel special while those in the rear can stretch out thanks to the generous amount of legroom offered. In the influential premium saloon class, rear space is important. You may be transporting clients or paying customers – either way, the Superb’s extra inches do much to create an appealing executive ambience. And that’s before you consider the car’s voluminous boot – seats up or down. You won’t be paying executive prices for the Superb, though. As with the previous generation car, the sums involved are modest for something of this size and opulence. And Skoda is hoping that its generosity in the equipment department will prompt buyers to place the Superb high on their shopping lists, especially as similarly priced rivals offer less space and kit for similar money. With four models to choose from (S, SE, Elegance and top-spec), the act of making a choice is no longer a simple one as there’s a generous spread of standard kit even on the lower-spec models now. Furthermore, this ensures the car remains competitive in the crowded company car market when value for money is a key driving force in purchasing decisions.

motoring

With alloy wheels, air conditioning, Bluetooth, electric windows and mirrors, chilled glovebox and seven airbags forming part of the Superb’s core standard kit list, even the entry-level S model is hard to ignore. SE models gain larger alloy wheels, a touchscreen audio screen and a greater choice of audio inputs, rear parking sensors plus a host of detailed interior and exterior trim accents. The move up to Elegance sees a big uplift in specification, with xenon headlights, bigger (again) alloy wheels, touchscreen navigation, heated and powered front seats, leather upholstery and a heated windscreen. Skoda’s traditional flagship Laurent & Klement model adds front parking sensors, more leather, heated rear seats, an upgraded audio unit, TV tuner, privacy glass and gloss black cabin trim. Skoda’s generosity also extends to its engine range, insomuch as greater efficiencies should mean you pay less at the pumps and to the taxman. Some models benefit from cuts to CO2 emissions as high as 19 percent, while Skoda boasts that every model delivers more miles per gallon and emits less at the tailpipe. Buyers can choose from three petrol and three diesel engines, plus manual and DSG gearboxes depending on the particular model. Unusually in this sector there’s also the option of all-wheel drive on selected variants, which will no doubt add a welcome allweather dimension to the Superb for some buyers. With diesel power the mainstay of the range, the choice ranges from a 1.6-litre 105 horsepower unit to a 2.0-litre unit in 140 and 170 horsepower guise. Petrol fans can choose between 1.4 and

FACTS AT A GLANCE

DEALER

Model Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Elegance, from £27,075 on the road. Superb range from £18,375.

Simpsons ŠKODA Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 0LN Tel: 08433 208 755 www.simpsonsskoda.com

Engine 2.0-litre diesel unit developing 170bhp.

Transmission 6-speed dual clutch transmission (6-spd manual standard fit), driving the front wheels.

Performance Maximum speed 138mph, 0-62mph 8.6 seconds.

Economy 53.3mpg.

CO2 Rating 139g/km of CO2.

1.8-litre units offering 125 and 160 horsepower respectively, plus a 3.6-litre V6 producing 260 horsepower. Overall performance is, as you’d expect, biased towards refinement and comfort. The big Superb surprises with its agility yet there’s no escaping the fact that it’s built primarily to cosset its occupants. The well-weighted major controls and slick actions of the minor switchgear help boost the cabin’s already impressive ambience, while the smooth-shifting transmissions – both manual and DSG – cement the car’s place in the premium sector. Just like with the previous incarnations of the Superb, Skoda has again produced a refined, spacious, enjoyable to drive midsize executive car that, in reality, offers so much more than the established competition. With a competitive pricing strategy plus innovative technology and good looks, Skoda has a car that continues to live up to its name.

Often copied. Never equalled. Ready to test drive. The new Golf GTI from £25,845. Leaner, lighter and faster, the new GTI, 0 – 62 mph in 6.5 seconds (220 PS). Also available with a Performance package, 0 – 62 in 6.4 seconds (230 PS). For a test drive experience you’ll find hard to equal, contact us today.

Robinsons Heigham Causeway, Heigham Street Norwich, NR2 4LX. Telephone: 01603 612111.

Cooke Road, South Lowestoft Industrial Estate Lowestoft, NR33 7NA. Telephone: 01502 516831.

www.robinsons.volkswagen.co.uk

Model shown includes Performance Pack and Oryx white paint: £27,755. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel consumption for the new Golf GTI 2.0 220 PS in mpg (litres/100km): urban 34.9 (8.1); extra urban 53.3 (5.3); combined 44.1 (6.4). CO2 emissions 148 – 139g/km.

MOTORING

Robinsons Motor Group Heigham Causeway, Heigham Street Norwich, NR2 4LX Tel: 01603 612111 Cooke Road, South Lowestoft Industrial Estate, Lowestoft, NR33 7NA Tel: 01502 516831

My Way James Spicer reviews the new VW Golf GTI

ention the ‘hot hatch’ to drivers of a certain age and a glazed look will come over them. For during the late 70s and early 80s there emerged a series of seriously quick cars that had a must have tag about them. A few names to consider….the Renault 5 Alpine, Alfa Romeo’s Alfasud, Ford Fiesta XR2i, Escort XR3i and Mexico, Peugeot 205 GTi…. But the Daddy of ‘em all is the Volkswagen Golf GTI. We first saw it in 1976, thrilled to its taut, exciting performance – and now the seventh generation version is now available to order here. The car was introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, and prices start at £25,845 on the road – just £195 more than the previous model, despite substantial enhancements. For the first time it is available from the factory with two power levels: the standard 220 PS GTI and the GTI Performance, a £980 option which increases power to 230 PS, adds larger brake discs and a front limited-slip differential. The new GTI is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine (TSI) with 220 PS. In the GTI Performance version, the engine’s maximum power is boosted to 230 PS. Both GTI models develop a maximum torque of 350 Nm (258 lb ft).

The standard GTI accelerates to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 152 mph. The GTI Performance has a top speed of 155 mph and needs just 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 62 mph. Despite its impressive performance, the new Golf GTI is in insurance group 29E – five groups lower than its predecessor (surely a major consideration if considering buying this car?). Both versions of the GTI are equipped with a Stop/Start system and fulfil the EU-6 emissions standard that takes effect in 2014. With a six-speed manual gearbox, they attain the same low fuel consumption value of 47.1 mpg (CO2 emissions of 139 g/km) an 18 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared to the previous model. With the optional six-speed DSG gearbox, the two GTI models achieve fuel consumption figures of 44.1 mpg (equivalent to 148 g/km CO2 for the standard GTI and 149 g/km CO2 for the GTI Performance). The sporty character of the Golf GTI is reflected in its styling, which includes the characteristic red stripe across the honeycomb radiator grille – now also extending into the standard bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights – red-painted brake callipers, two chrome tailpipes and sports suspension. As standard, the GTI comes with 18-inch Austin alloy wheels with 225/45 tyres, special side sills, a rear diffuser framing the exhaust pipe at either side, smoked LED rear lights and LED number plate illumination. As well as high performance, a high level of safety equipment comes as standard in the Golf GTI, including Automatic PostCollision Braking system, which automatically applies the vehicle brakes after an accident to reduce the chances of a second impact in front; and seven airbags as standard, including one for the driver’s knees. The best way to experience the new GTI is to drive it. The new model is now available to test-drive at Robinsons Volkswagen Norwich and Lowestoft. Prices correct at time of going to press

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Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electric! James Spicer road tests the new Renault Zoe Prices correct at time of going to press

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MOTORING

DEALER

Mitchells Lowestoft 50-58 Long Road, Lowestoft nr33 9dq Tel: 0844 8759626 www.mitchellsrenault.co.uk

It’s not so long ago that most motoring writers would declare the jury still to be out on electric cars. But that’s no longer the case. With greatly increased performance, and prices becoming more realistic, electric is becoming a far more available choice. It’s the ‘affordable’ tag that attracts one to the new Renault Zoe, which brings the acknowledged advantages of an electric driving experience – quietness, refinement, and responsiveness –all at an affordable price. The range starts at £13,995 on the road for the Expression model, after the Govt Plug in Car Grant deduction – comparable to a diesel-engined New Clio. The Dynamique Zen and Intens versions cost £15,195. Battery hire is from £70 per month. A free domestic wallbox is supplied with every Zoe, worth up to £500, whether ordered now or since the pre-launch phase began The Zoe range is stylish, affordable and incredibly versatile – perfect for commuting, supermarket and school runs, and for households who want to downsize their engine and carbon footprint. With an NEDC homologated range of 130 miles, Zoe is the first affordable car for everyday use to have been designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. In real conditions and in suburban use, however, the owner will generally achieve around 60 miles in cold weather and 90 miles in temperate conditions. Zoe follows the Fluence Z.E. saloon, Kangoo Van Z.E. and the innovative urban runabout Twizy to make zero emission mobility a reality for all – one of the pledges of Renault’s 'Drive the Change' signature. The sleek supermini is the first vehicle to be equipped with ‘Range OptimiZEr’ which combines bi-modal regenerative braking, a heat pump, and Michelin EnergyTM E-V tyres. Due to this, Zoe has the longest range of any electric vehicle in its class. Zoe is also the only electric vehicle to feature the Chameleon charger. Patented by Renault, this charger is compatible with all power levels from 3kW up to 43kW. Charging batteries at a charging station can take between 30 minutes and nine hours, with 80 per cent of full battery power able to be achieved within 30 minutes using a Rapid Charger 43 kW AC power source.

It is also the first Renault to be presented with the new multimedia system, R-Link, as standard. R-Link features a large seven-inch display, steering wheel-mounted controls and voice recognition. It also delivers integrated connectivity with motoring services and applications available from the R-Link Store. Driving Zoe is a pleasurable experience. The synchronous electric motor with rotor coil has a power output of 65kW, equivalent to 88hp, and instantly delivers maximum torque of 220Nm. Acceleration and pull-away are responsive from low speeds, while its top speed is limited to 84 mph. Driving is more relaxing, thanks to the silent ride and smooth, gearshift-free acceleration. For stress-free driving in built-up areas, Zoe is fitted with ‘Z.E. Voice’, a sound which warns pedestrians that the vehicle is approaching. ‘Z.E. Voice’ can be heard from 1 to 18 mph and was the subject of special design work to create a bespoke sound identity for Zoe. The driver can choose between three different sounds, while it is possible to turn off the warning system by simply pressing a button. Programmable pre-conditioning heats or cools Zoe’s cabin when the vehicle is charging so when the driver gets into the car the cabin is just the right temperature and battery charge is saved in use. As a further neat touch, this can be activated remotely via the owner’s smartphone on Dynamique Zen and Dynamique Intens versions. A cabin air filter traps most bad smells and pollutants, and also filters substances just a few microns in size, such as pollen and particulates. Andy Heiron, UK Head of Electric Vehicles Programme, says: ‘Zoe will be the spearhead of the Renault Z.E. range. In addition to its compact size, attractive styling and affordable price tag, it showcases Renault’s technological excellence when it comes to electric vehicles. ‘Zoe also heralds the beginning of a new era of electric mobility for all and confirms our commitment to electric vehicles. It marks an important step for Renault which has a 114-year history of making major innovations a concrete reality for everyday motorists.’ 107

THE NEW PEUGEOT 2008 CROSSOVER LAUNCH DATE 20TH JULY AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW CALL TO ARRANGE YOUR TEST DRIVE TODAY!

NEW PEUGEOT 2008 CROSSOVER See the city in a different light with the new Peugeot 2008 Crossover. With the looks and spirit of an SUV, it’s compact enough for the city streets and versatile enough for family road trips. Book your appointment at www.peugeot2008preview.co.uk

MOTION & EMOTION

SIDEGATE MOTORS Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 0NL Tel: 01493 419700 www.sidegatemotors.co.uk The official fuel consumption in mpg (l/ 100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 2008 range are: Urban 36.7-68.9 (7.7-4.1), Extra Urban 58.9-78.5 (4.8-3.6), Combined 47.9-74.3 (5.9-3.8) and CO2 135-98.

ALL-NEW FORD KUGA

SMART UTILITY VEHICLE

from £20,895

Test drive the all-new Kuga with super-efficient EcoBoost engine and Ford SYNC Voice Control today at Pertwee & Back Limited.

Pertwee & Back Limited Gapton Hall Road, Gapton Hall Industrial Estate, Great Yarmouth 01493 664151

www.pertwee-and-back.co.uk

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Kuga range: urban 27.7-44.8 (10.2-6.3), extra urban 44.8-60.1 (6.3-4.7), combined 36.7-53.3 (7.7-5.3). Official CO2 emissions 139-179g/km. SYNC Voice Control System standard on Titanium and Titanium X. Optional extra on Zetec. Keyless Opening System with hands-free Power Tailgate optional extra on Titanium and Titanium X. Not available on Zetec. Vehicle shown is the Ford Kuga Titanium X in Ginger Ale at extra charge with Appearance Pack (option) and 19” 5-spoke alloy wheels (option).

Service specialists in

MERCEDES-BENZ old and new.

Our Mercedes-Benz trained technicians carry out all your servicing and repair work in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. We offer a similar standard of service as a Mercedes dealership at a fraction of the price. We use the latest diagnostic equipment, fit original quality service parts and use manufacturer’s grade oil, which allows us to stamp your service book and protect the manufacturer’s warranty.

A FORDABLE CARS

Southgates Road, Great Yarmouth, NR30 3LL | 01493 851854

Built to lust the new peugeot 208 xy

• 17" Mercure Alloy Wheels • Multi-function colour touchscreen with Satellite Navigation • DAB Digital Radio, Bluetooth & USB • Cielo glass roof with ambient lighting • LED indicators & daytime running lights

PEUGEOT 208 XY

Come to terms with your desires. The new Peugeot 208 XY has arrived, adding new levels of luxury to the award-winning Peugeot 208. It’s a car that demands attention – from its unique paintwork and contrast-stitched sports seats down to its 17" Mercure Anthra Alloy wheels. Anonymity isn’t an option. Contact us to arrange a test drive.

MOTION & EMOTION

M R KING & SONS

Horn Hill, LOWESTOFT, NR33 0PX Tel: 01502 573955 www.mrking.co.uk

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 208 XY are: Urban 34.9 – 65.7 (8.1 – 4.3), Extra Urban 62.8 – 83.1 (4.5 – 3.4), Combined 48.7 – 74.3 (5.8 – 3.8). CO2 emissions 134 – 98 (g/km).

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

MOTOR CLASSIFIEDS

FIAT SPECIALISTS

specialists

MOT & SERVICING

TMC CARS at

Toft Monks Car Centre Yarmouth Rd, Toft Monks, Beccles T: 01502 677742 Please see our website for full range of Fiats and other makes

www.toftmonkscars.hpi.co.uk

The oldest established M.O.T Station in this area • Servicing • Repairs

& Anglia Auto Centre, Barford, Norwich T: 01603 759799

BODY REPAIRS & RESPRAYS

1-3 Victoria Road, Gorleston Telephone: 01493 662166

TYRES & WHEELS

Always a selection of over 60 Diesel Cars in stock mostly under 4 years old. From £3995 to £12,995. We alsoa specialise Always selection ofinover Estates 60 Dielsel Diesel Cars in stock mostly under 4 years old. www.diesels-direct.co.uk From £3995 to £12,995. SALTGATE, BECCLES 01502 712650 We also specialise in Dielsel Estates www.diesels-direct.co.uk SALTGATE, BECCLES 01502 712650

Rainbow Resprays

KIRKLEY RUN TYRES & WHEELS

Huge Discounts on all major brands

Est. 1990

MINOR TO MAJOR WORK? Had a bump large or small D FAST! WE GET YOU BACK ON THE ROA

Insurance work undertaken. Courtesy car for non-fault accident. Let us take the stress from you.

Estcourt Road, Great Yarmouth, NR30 4JQ

DIESEL SPECIALIST

m 07899 778683 t 01493 852176

All with FREE accidental damage cover KIRKLEY RUN SERVICE STATION Lowestoft 565529

Simpsons ŠKODA

All tyre prices include Fitting • Balancing • New Valve • VAT and Casing Disposal (No hidden Extras) kirkleytyresandwheels.co.uk SOUTHTOWN RD, SERVICE STATION Gt Yarmouth 600432

Tyres Batteries Brakes Exhausts Alloy Wheels SOUTH QUAY SERVICE STATION Gt Yarmouth 857 099

CAR OF THE MONTH BUDGET GREAT YARMOUTH CAR SALES

New, Used & Aftersales Retailer of the Year 2008, 2009 & 2011

Established since 1950

· SUPERB · OCTAVIA · RAPID · FABIA · YETI · ROOMSTER · CITIGO

Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 0LN 0843 320 1503 (local rate) www.simpsonsskoda.com

£7,995

Fiat 500 Lounge 1.2 Panaramic Roof

East Anglia’s largest motorhome supplier

(60) 17,000 miles · 4 Doors · Air Con · Alloys · Sunroof · Electric Mirrors

Approved

ACCIDENT REPAIRER for motor caravans & tourers

Here at Great Yarmouth Coachworks we offer everything for the motorist in the Norfolk and North Suffolk area of East Anglia. Sales of quality vehicles Servicing and repairs

MOT testing Towbar fitting

www.gyccarsales.co.uk | 01493 843835

Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 0LN 08433 208758 (LOCAL RATE) www.simpsonsmotorcaravans.com

15 Queens Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3HT

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Holt Festival Launch The Holt Festival programme was launched at Letheringsett’s Back To The Garden. Over drinks, Festival Director Delaval Astley told approximately 120 guests that: ‘The Festival has pushed its boundaries a little further this year’, that he hoped to fill the town with the Free Festival and that ‘I am especially excited about our world premiere of David Greig’s new play, The Events, which Actors Touring Company are bringing to Holt ahead of its run at the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe’. Chair of the Board of Trustees Adney Payne thanked all the sponsors and Friends without whom the Festival would not be possible and added that the programme, ‘brings a brilliant blend of local, regional, national and international performers to the town to create a world class event for north Norfolk’. RODNEY SMITH, Photographers' gallery, holt www.photographersgallery-holt.com

Pictures by

Helen May with Sue and Simon Guest

Jutta and Roger Davis with Lindsay Furness

Gary Bormann and Chris Henderson

James Glennie

John Lintott

Brian and Glynis Payne

Chloe and Julie Nelson

Steve Foster, Nick Harding and Andy Orchard

Brenda Smith and Cathy Rumsey

Delaval Astley (Director) and Adney Payne (Chair)

Never miss a copy of Places&Faces®, subscribe now, 12 issues for only £24 posted to your home, visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

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80th Anniversary Celebration Dinner, Imperial Hotel, Great Yarmouth The Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth celebrated its 80th birthday with a special birthday party. 80 guests were invited to a black tie dinner prepared by previous and current hotel chefs including Richard Hughes, Stephen Duffield and Daniel Smith. The menu included Cromer crab and local pork. Money raised went to Prostate Cancer and the Gorleston RNLI. KEIRON TOVELL WWW.KEIRONTOVELL.COM

Pictures by

Anthony and Corrine Kent

Daniel Smith, Mark Dixon, Richard Hughes, Peter Clarke, Simon Wainwright and Stephen Duffield

Angela Caton, Donna Titcombe and Beverley Moore

Peter and Hilary Clegg

Annie and Dave Turnbull

Brian and Shirley Staples, Norma Woods and Beryl Guyatt

Pat Lodge, John Woodward, John Lodge and Sue Woodward

Alan and Julie Block

Jill Smith

Shirley and Michael Timewell

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high society

Jill and Roger Mobbs

Jilly Ross and David Marsh

Front of House team

Maddie and Heidi Mobbs

Russell and Yvonne Leggett

Brian and Judy Potter

Kay and Jim Jordan

Sam Short

Julie and Charles Bycroft, Tess and Julian Gibbons

Edward and Beverley Moore, Beth and Richard Bateman

Nick Mobbs, John Blaxell and Aileen Mobbs

Never miss a copy of Places&Faces®, subscribe now, 12 issues for only £24 posted to your home, visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/magazine-subscribe

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Norfolk Institute of Directors Annual Dinner The Institute of Directors Annual Dinner, Norfolk’s premier business dinner, began with the traditional Pimm’s reception. 300 people attended the event at Dunston Hall. Sponsored by Cooper Lomaz Recruitment and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, it was co-ordinated by Stuart Turner. Guest speaker jeweller Gerald Ratner spoke humorously of his infamous gaffe about his company’s products and his ups and downs in business. Pictures & words by

Amanda Sandland-Taylor, Newsmakers PR

Jane Lovell and Simon Gray

Jonathan Neville, Kathryn Hirst and Ian Barber

Robert Todd, Caroline Jarrold and Roy Murphy

Mark Lusher, Amanda Sandland-Taylor and Richard Hartley

Carl Fisher and Richard Lilley

Andrew and Sharon Turner

Jeremy Clarke, Katrina Phillips and Chris Cooper

Brenda Gostling and Heather Farrow

Matt Howard, Susannah Hall and Stuart Morton

Stuart and Rachael Turner

Hugh Lansdell and Simon Evans

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Caroline Rust and Kevan Williams

Paul Bennett and Tim Procter

Bryan Gillery, Shue Yin Lo and Richard Packham

Andrew Sherwood and Charlotte Cooper

Lyndon Wild, Paul Strowger and Tim Holden

Harry Mitchell and Simon Sandland-Taylor

Will and Mandy Farrow

Peter French and Chris Starkie

Ella Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Court and Jon Shooter

Mark Fletcher and Rob Whitwood

Julian Campbell, Sally Thrower and Gerald Ratner

Roger Holden and Paul Chun

Nick Farrow and Sally Stubbs

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The Living Rooms Pimms Reception The Living Rooms, now in their 10th year, have been recently appointed the only Premier stockist in East Anglia, for Barlow Tyrie, a family run garden furniture company. To celebrate, they held a Pimms reception to showcase some fabulous top of the range garden and conservatory furniture. Delicious canapés were supplied by Poringland based Toast Catering.

Bryan Hayes

Sue and Roger Hartley

Sue and Bruce Wellings

Karen and Alex Heaton

Jill Roberson

Toby and Rachel Thomas of Toast Catering

Steve and Jill Roberson

Derek and Sophy Whatley

Jane and Will Paton

Rex and Liz Humphrey

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Norfolk Association of Architects AGM The Norfolk Association of Architects held its annual general meeting at The Forum. After reports were received from association officers, Feilden+Mawson Partner Philip Bodie was inducted as President, taking over from Jon Greenfield. Speakers were Adrian Dobson, former member of the NAA and now Director of Practice at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, and NAA past president Mike Innes. Pictures & words by

Amanda Sandland-Taylor, Newsmakers PR

Mike Innes and Philip Bodie (President, Feilden+Mawson)

Frank Davey and Matt Wood

Emily Barnston and David Drew

Matt Byatt and Adrian Dobson

Paul Kings

James Evans and Mark Allen

Iain Hill and Anthony Hudson

Charles Emberson and Robert Todd

Mark Ashurst

Michael Maguire

Gavin McFarlane

Places&Faces® | JULY 2013

BO T T OMS UP ! SJP is not one to whine, but a recent wine tasting went down a little too well!

his month I am writing about one of my favourite subjects: alcohol. What better way to spend a summer evening than sticking your nose in, and quaffing, multiple glasses of vino? It’s a case of glass half full, or, in the case of wine tasting, half empty! I have been given some ‘tips’ from someone in the know and what I mustn’t do is wink at the waiter and yell across the room ‘Oi, top it up to the brim!’ A much nicer way, apparently, when wanting to re-taste is to say: ‘Please may I re-visit wine number four?’ I know in advance that the following day I will feel as if a small safe has been dropped on my head, I’ll be dizzy, so de-hydrated you could re-write Lawrence of Arabia in my mouth and I’ll feel too nauseous to even make it to the kitchen to down a pint of water. I know that one should spit and not swallow, but that to me is just a tragic waste. I had to admit that wine connoisseurs do make me feel insecure and a tad uncultured. They have invented the most amazing terms for red or white liquids in the bottom of a glass – how does fruity, cheeky, silky, or youthful sound? They described one wine as an amusing white, although I have to say that I didn’t find it hysterical, but after six glasses I did think that I was the funniest person in the room, especially as I munched on dry crackers between each numbered glass to cleanse my palette. Having had a temporary crown right at the front of my mouth, the crackers got stuck in-between my teeth, and I daren’t spit as I didn’t want everyone looking at floating bits of cracker! A very handsome Italian wine dealer approached me as I was sampling wine number four and his opening line was ‘what a disappointing nose’. Now hitting the Chilean red and feeling even more humorous, I replied: ‘Yes, I inherited it from my grandfather and I did consider a nose job in my 20s’. Then another wine boffin approached me, telling me that he had spent five days in Bordeaux and was off to Australia on a tour of the Hardy vineyards. I nodded, trying to look interested, at which point my lips literally slid off the edge of the glass and I nearly wedged my ‘disappointing nose’ into it. I then said, again trying to be humorous, ‘Oh, I’m off on a trip tomorrow to look for exceptional taste and value for money’, which, translated, means I’ll probably come home from Tesco’s in Great Yarmouth with a box of wine with a plastic tap. The friends who invited me to this wine tasting party were planning a summer party and their sole objective in attending was to find some great, affordable wine. Mike fancies himself as a wine buff and spends ages in restaurants studying leather bound

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SJP

wine lists and discussing with the waiter at great lengths which one to plump for. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knows who exactly stomped and trod the grapes! By the time he’s finally alighted on the bottle of his choice, I’ve ordered two large glasses of house red. So, my job was to assist in tasting and ranking the wine ‘blind’. Bags were placed over the bottles, labels hidden, and a ticket allocated to each wine and then the host would identify our favourites and check out whose palate was the more discerning. One little fly in the glass here: the more I drink, the more my ability to discern aromas and taste diminishes. I did feel a complete fool at this point and I can only think that Mike had misguidedly asked me along, based on my experience over the years of guzzling wine in restaurants and bars thinking that my palate would be sophisticated and learned. Anyway, I played the game and dropped in a few snobbish, elitist phrases: ‘a blousy voluptuous number’, ‘first on the dance floor’, ‘a little savoury smokiness’ (although that could have been due to the tobacco I’d inhaled when I staggered out with glass number four and hid behind a bush in the car park). So, with everyone sniffing, twirling, spitting and crunching and as I was beginning to feel very nauseous and dizzy, I discovered that we had to repeat it all to do a double check! Finally, we waited in anticipation for which red had the ‘best breeding’ and which white had won. Then, something very surprising occurred: with only one exception, each person’s wine list was way off the mark. Everyone’s list but mine! With the good looking Italian connoisseur now smiling at me, I duly soaked up the praise nearly as quickly as my liver had soaked up the alcohol. Maybe I do know more than ‘white with fish’, ‘red with meat’, ‘don’t put red in the fridge’, and ‘don’t drink white out of a mug’! I’m not going to worry that I will screw up and somebody with a monocle and a ‘good nose’ will judge me, what I have learnt is: I may be allergic to all wines (I felt sick for two days). Or is the treatment simply not to drink as much?! The question I really wanted answered is: ‘Is it better to drink a little too much than much too little?’

Less roof. More V8. The new Audi RS 5 Cabriolet The dramatic air intakes. The honeycomb grille. The powerful, 4.2-litre, 450PS V8 engine. The new Audi RS 5 Cabriolet certainly displays all the hallmarks of the iconic RS range. Yet it also does away with one feature: the roof. Giving you not just an exhilarating, open-top driving experience. But more opportunity to hear that distinctive RS engine at full, unfettered volume. Contact us to experience it for yourself.

Norwich Audi 17 Meridian Way Norfolk NR7 0TA 01603 709200 www.norwich.audi.co.uk

Official fuel consumption figures for the Audi RS 5 Cabriolet 4.2 FSI quattro in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 19.3 (14.6), Extra Urban 33.2 (8.5), Combined 26.4 (10.7). CO2 emissions: 249g/km. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.