Places&Faces® 73 April

£3.50 WHERE SOLD APRIL 2016

THE Magazine for Norfolk & North Suffolk

WIN

RESTAURANT REVIEWS:

TS TO TICKE

THE CLIFF

’ DAY LADIEAS T AT H GREO UT YAREM U RSE RAC CO

IN GORLESTON

THE BOATHOUSE AND

IN ORMESBY

STRATFORD UPON-AVON

PHIL COLLINS BACK IN THE AIR TONIGHT

VISIT SHAKESPEARE’S HOME TOWN FIVE MINUTES WITH

NICK CONRAD JOE LONGTHORNE PERFORMS AT POTTERS

MARTIN SHAW HEADS TO NORWICH IN HOBSON’S CHOICE

CELEBRITIES / FOOD / TRAVEL / FASHION / HOMES & GARDENS / THEATRE

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See all of our Society photos on our website

WELCOME TO THE APRIL issue of Places & Faces‰.

As always, this edition is packed full of features – so many, in fact, that it’s been a struggle to fit everything in!

April sees the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death and so we pay a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon where there’ll be celebrations galore, along with a number of brand new visitor attractions.

The Royal Shakespeare Company will be paying a visit to East Anglia this month, too, with a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Norwich Theatre Royal in conjunction with amateur dramatics company The Common Lot, starring Owen Evans (perhaps better known as one half of Norfolk’s irreverent comedy duo, The Nimmo Twins).

There are plenty of other stars in this issue, too, including Norfolk’s own Martin Shaw who’s heading to Norwich in Hobson’s Choice; Joe Longthorne who’ll be appearing at Potters Leisure Resort; and Phil Collins who’s once again drumming up support for his music on both sides of the Atlantic.

Apparently, Phil Collins once had a home in Dersingham in north Norfolk, and the county has connections with numerous other world-famous musicians as well, as Pete Goodrum finds out in his focus on artists from the early 80s.

Meanwhile, our West End theatre critic Benet Catty reviews Funny Girl, starring Sheridan Smith, which transfers to the Savoy Theatre this month, and our restaurant critics tuck in to some delicious dishes at The Boathouse on Ormesby Broad and The Cliff Hotel in Gorleston (lucky them!)

As ever, this issue also includes some fabulous recipes to try at home, as well as another great cocktail, this time with a refreshing lemon twist.

Add in interiors, property, gardening, golf, business, motoring and more, and the April issue promises to be an education - oh, and it includes a feature on education as well!

placesandfaces.co.uk

Carolyn Atkins follow us on twitter @PlacesandFaces and facebook

Ps. Congratulations to Mrs J. Browne from Acle, winner of a two-night stay at the lovely Ingham Swan.

12 ISSUES FOR £24 GENERAL ENQUIRIES

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CONTENTS

24

28 CELEBRITIES

COVER STORY

16 £3.50 WHERE SOLD APRIL 2016

THE Magazine for Norfolk & North Suffolk

WIN K E TS

FASHION AND BEAUTY

RESTAURANT REVIEWS:

TO

THE CLIFF

T IC S’ DAY LADIEAT T GREA OUTH YARMOU RSE RACEC

20 Against all odds: Phil Collins bounces back 24 Search for a star: Joe Longthorne performs at Potters Resort 26 Pete Goodrum looks back at the music of the early 80s 130 Catch up with BBC Norfolk’s Nick Conrad

IN GORLESTON

AND THE BOATHOUSE

40 Beautiful beachwear 43 Holiday essentials for men 45 Time gentlemen please! Modern timepieces for men 47 Time for style: wonderful women’s watches 49 Best foot forward: how to have pretty feet

IN ORMESBY

STRATFORD UPON-AVON

PHIL COLLINS BACK IN THE AIR TONIGHT

VISIT SHAKESPEARE’S HOME TOWN FIVE MINUTES WITH

NICK CONRAD JOE LONGTHORNE PERFORMS AT POTTERS

MARTIN SHAW HEADS TO NORWICH IN HOBSON’S CHOICE

CELEBRITIES / FOOD / TRAVEL / FASHION / HOMES & GARDENS / THEATRE

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P&F APRIL 73_Master.indd 1

22/03/2016 09:56

Shaw thing – the Judge John Deed and George Gently star heads to Norwich

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MARCH 2016

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67 WHAT’S ON

10 Find out what’s happening around the region 15 Melanie Cook on the city’s arts scene 28 Sheridan Smith stars in Funny Girl 31 Owen Evans stars with the RSC in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

TRAVEL

34 S tratford-upon-Avon: full of comedy, tragedy and history 68 Great local golfing breaks 74 Spotlight on Saxmundham

34 Editor’s Choice Carolyn Atkins selects some April highlights BEST NEW CHARITY SHOP

65 HOMES AND GARDENS

78 Modern Mediterranean looks from Jarrolds 77 Rebecca Coulby’s top tips for contemporary kitchens 85 When should you put your house on the market?

90 Property of the Month: modern Lowestoft living 94 Gardening: gearing up for better weather

EDUCATION

103 Options for those aged 16-plus

FOOD AND DRINK

56 Fine dining at The Cliff Hotel 58 Restaurant review: pushing the boat out in Ormesby 60 Richard Bainbridge creates an exciting spring dish 62 An upmarket omelette from The Imperial Hotel 65 Franck Pontais serves up a seasonal salad 67 Cocktail of the Month: Citrus Flame

COMPETITION

99 W in a fabulous day out at Great Yarmouth Racecourse

BUSINESS

109 Carl Lamb suggests saving for a rainy day 111 Julian Gibbons looks at changes to the justice system

MOTORING

114 On the road with the Citroen Berlingo 116 Testing out the Kia Sportage 118 The new Skoda Fabia

REGULARS

121 H igh Society: glamorous occasions around the region

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) recently welcomed the charity’s royal patron, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, to officially open their new charity shop at 2 Station Road in Holt. The Duchess also became the shop’s first customer as she bought a Fireman Sam book and a Beatrix Potter figurine. The charity cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia and is a lifeline to many families, so if you’re in Holt this month, pop in to donate clothing, bric-a-brac, modern paperbacks, toys, jewellery, DVDs/CDs and more and to see if anything takes your fancy – you’ll be helping a great cause.

BEST BEER

Congratulations to Norfolk brewer Jo Coubrough who collected a string of prizes at the recent Norwich Beer Festival Awards for her debut ale, Norfolk Kiwi, and Old Bustard bitter. West Barsham-based Jo is the county’s only female brewer and has been earning plaudits from beer connoisseurs since she started Jo C’s Norfolk Ales in 2010.

Made with locally-grown and malted Norfolk barley and water drawn from her brewery’s own bore hole, Jo’s beers are available on draught in pubs across the Eastern region including one of Places & Faces‰ favourites, the Earlham Arms in Norwich.

BEST FESTIVALS

Tickets are on sale for a host of fab festivals coming to East Anglia over the next few months. Check out the line-up for May’s Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2016 at: nnfestival.org.uk (tickets: 01603 766400); for July’s King’s Lynn Festival at: www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk (01553 767557) and for the Holt Festival, also in July at: www.holtfestival.org (01603 598699). Festival Friends and supporters have a host of benefits including early tickets, so find out more on the festivals’ websites.

BEST NEW BOOK

The Huntingfield Paintress by Pamela Holmes is published by Urbane Publications this month. Inspired by real events in Suffolk, the book tells the story of plucky and headstrong Mildred Holland who revelled in the eight years she and her husband, the vicar William Holland, spent travelling 1840s Europe. But William’s new posting in the tiny Suffolk village is a world apart, and Mildred finds a life of tea and sympathy dull and stifling in comparison. However, a chance encounter fires her creative imagination and she embarks on a herculean task that demands courage and passion.

BEST SHOW

The smash hit show Pirates Live! has set sail at The Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth with a brand new production that runs until Sunday, April 17. This swashbuckling show features fire breathers, aerialists and acrobats and sees the Hippodrome transformed into a mysterious lagoon. Come and cheer on Captain Jack Hawkeye (Jack Jay) and pirate Johnny (Johnny Mack) as they battle their enemy evil Captain Blackheart (James Franklin) and his band of villainous pirates who have their sights set on taking over the town. Box Office: 01493 844172 or book online at: www.hippodromecircus.co.uk

what’ s on April is known for mixed weather.

Make the most of it with both indoor and outdoor events…

CONTEMPORARY DANCE A classic tale of love, passion and friendship gets a modern twist as Northern Ballet brings its beautiful version of Swan Lake back to the Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday, April 19 to Saturday, April 23. This moving love story, set to the haunting music of Tchaikovsky, moves the traditional story forward to a languid New England at the start of the 20th century. Box Office: 01603 630000 or www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

ROYAL CELEBRATIONS There’ll be celebrations around the country (indeed, around the world) to mark Queen’s Elizabeth II’s birthday on Thursday, April 21. The Queen has two birthdays (her official one is on Saturday, June 11) and everyone’s invited to upload birthday messages, personal stories of meeting the Queen, photos and videos of street parties and other celebrations to www.thequeensbirthdaybook.com. This is an online publication created by the Online Book Company to capture public sentiment and to raise funds for charity.

ART FOR CURE Billed as ‘the largest contemporary art and sculpture show outside London’, Art for Cure 2016 will be held in the magnificent grounds and stately residence of Glemhall Hall, Suffolk, from 10am to 5pm from Saturday, April 30 to Monday, May 2. Raising money for Breast Cancer Now, the event showcases work by over 70 artists and sculptors, including Vanessa Gardiner, Henrietta Dubrey, Maggi Hambling, Michael Speller, Carol Peace and Paul Vanstone, who will be donating a percentage of their sales to the charity. More at: www.artforcure.org.uk

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WHAT’S ON

COUNTRY PURSUITS Visit this year’s East Anglian Game & Country Fair at the Norfolk Showground on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24.

With arena displays, forestry, gun dogs, trade stands, a food hall, cookery theatre, children’s entertainment, falconry, donkey rides, sheep show, dog agility show, fly fishing, plenty of “have a go” stands, shopping, refreshments and much more, this is a must-do date in the county’s calendar. Advance discounted tickets on 01263 735828 and at: www.ukgamefair.co.uk TAKE TO THE WATER Around 5,000 visitors are expected at the Horning Boat Show on Saturday, April 30.

With around 100 exhibitors and 20 free charity stands, this popular event raises thousands for village projects. Open from 10am to 5pm, it promises to be another fantastic family day out with all sorts of boats on show, a food court and all-day entertainment, plus free parking and a shuttle bus from nearby BeWILDerwood.

Entry just £1; more info at: www.horningboatshow.co.uk URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL To pee or not to pee, that is the question! URINETOWN: The Musical, at The Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich from Wednesday, April 6 to Saturday, April 9, is a social and political satire set in a dystopian future where a terrible 20-year drought has crippled the city’s water supplies. Presented by Sound Ideas Theatre Co, this is a “hilarious and resonating tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.” Box Office: 01603 620917; www.maddermarket.co.uk

WONDERFUL WEDDING FAIR Come along to The Cliff Hotel in Gorleston on Thursday, April 28 for a fabulous evening Wedding Fair. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a guided tour around the hotel and expert advice from the wedding team. Plus there’ll be all sorts of suppliers on hand covering everything from flowers, wedding cakes and photographers to ideas for wedding décor. The Wedding Fair will take place from 7pm to 10pm; more at: www.thecliffhotel.co.uk

FAMILY FUN There’s plenty in the pipeline at Norwich Puppet Theatre this Easter holiday, perfect for the smaller members of the family. Get ready for George and the Dragon (Friday, April 1), Old Mother Hubbard (Saturday, April 2), Duvet Day (Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, April 5), and Princess and the Pea (from Thursday, April 7 to Saturday, April 9). There are also some children’s puppet-making workshops, aimed at those aged five to 11. Box Office: 01603 629921; www.puppettheatre.co.uk BEAUTIFUL BLUEBELLS Visitors to Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden in South Walsham will have exclusive access to the neighbouring Sotshole Broad nature reserve and its lovely bluebell woods from 10am to 5pm on Monday, April 25 to Sunday, May 15. Included in garden entry, adult £6.50, concessions £5.90, children £3.75 (under fives free). Tel: 01603 270449; www.fairhavengarden.co.uk

MAGIC OF THE BEE GEES Billed as ‘Britain’s best Bee Gees revue show’, The Magic of the Bee Gees will be at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange on Saturday, April 2, featuring their world-famous hits including Night Fever, How Deep is Your Love, Jive Talkin’ and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, for country music lovers there’s Islands in the Stream, the Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers’ Story, on Thursday, April 14, followed by Simon & Garfunkel Through The Years on Saturday, April 16. Box Office: 01553 764864: www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk NEW CHORAL COMPOSITION Suffolk composer and 70’s popstar Julian Marshall’s new work, Dark Disputes and Artful Teasing, will be performed at St Michael’s Church, Framlingham, on Saturday, April 30.

Famous for his career with Marshall Hain, The Flying Lizards and Eye to Eye, his other classical compositions include Out of the Darkness and The Angel in the Forest. Also a founder of the London Song Company and senior lecturer at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, this premiere sets William Blake’s famous Songs of Innocence and Experience to music and stars British tenor James Gilchrist. Tickets via admin@musicalprojects.co.uk and on the door.

WORTH A BROWSE Make a note in your diaries of Sunday, May 1, when the exciting Beccles Antiques Street Market will take place. Featuring 100 general and specialist dealers selling good quality antiques and collectables, the market is well worth a look. And, as this outdoor event will go ahead whatever the weather, remember to bring an umbrella and a sun hat!

Restaurants, bars and cafés will be open and entry to the street fair is free. More at: www.facebook.com/antiquesmarketbeccles

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P Bluebell Open all year!

WOODLAND & WAT E R G A R D E N

hil

NORWICH

Sat 21 May 8.00pm

175

Norfolk Showground Arena NORWICH PRESENTED BY

NORWICH PHILHARMONIC

NORWICH PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY

ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS

AS PART OF

175th ANNIVERSARY SEASON 2015-16

MAHLER

Weeks

‘Symphony of a Thousand’

Exclusive access to

our neighbouring nature reserve and its

bluebell woods.

Included in garden entry.

Free to members.

No need to book.

Why not also join us on a guided Candelabra Primulas tour with a cream tea with homemade scones, jam and clotted cream.

Wed 4th May Wed 11th May Wed 18th May Wed 25th May

2 pm 2 pm 2 pm 2 pm

w w w. fai rh a v e n g a r d e n . c o .uk Just off the A47 halfway between Norwich and Great Yarmouth at NR13 6DZ

OPEN DAILY FROM 10AM 0 1 6 0 3 2 7 0 4 4 9

P&F2016

The Norwich Philharmonic Society is a registered charity No.264425

Monday 25th April to Sunday 15th May 10am to 5pm

Symphony No.8 Norwich Phil Orchestra and Chorus Academy of St Thomas Norwich Cathedral Choir King’s Lynn Festival Chorus Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society Matthew Andrews conductor SUPPORTED BY

Kirstin Sharpin, Katherine Broderick, Catherine May sopranos Anne Marie Gibbons, Anna Burford mezzo-sopranos ★ Peter Wedd tenor ★ James Harrison baritone Richard Wiegold bass

TICKETS £28, £24, £18, £12 BOX OFFICE Theatre Royal, Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL TEL 01603 766400 www.nnfestival.org.uk CONCESSIONS 10% off (excl top price) UNDER 25s Limited seats at £7.50 (excl top price)

www.norwichphil.org.uk

GREAT YARMOUTH

JOHNNY MAC

JACK JAY

Take part in the GREAT YARMOUTH

FREE!

Treasure Trail this Easter

A week of Family Days Out to be won!

10am to 4pm daily in the TOWN CENTRE from Monday 28th March to Sunday 10th April Easter Treasure trail entry forms can be downloaded at www.gytcp.co.uk or collected from any shop on the TreasureTrial including Sainsbury’s on St. Nicholas Road where participants will also be provided with a voucher for up to 3-hours FREE PARKING in Sainsbury’s Car Park

Completed forms must be handed in at one of the shops included on the Treasure Trail to be entered into the prize draw.

The winner will be informed by 23rd April 2016

The first correct entry drawn from all the entries submitted will receive Family Entry passes (or vouchers for) to each of the following Great Yarmouth Attractions.

The winner will have until the end of September 2016 to use their vouchers.

Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership www.gytcp.co.uk

IN THE EYE OF THE

Jacqueline Wyatt_Norwich Castle

YIADOM-BOAKYE

WILLIAMS_Century Egg

ACHAINTRE_Mother George, 2015

Alberto Giacometti - Self-Portrait - 1920

KARIKIS- Children of Unquiet

WHAT’S ON

BEHOLDER

Art is personal. What one person loves, another may well dislike, though there’s an awful lot going on in-between, says Melanie Cook from VisitNorwich NORWICH OOZES ART, its past, present and future laid bare for those with great art knowledge and passion as well as those with little but a keen eye for a brush stroke. The city’s on-going visual narration across its cultural venues and ever-changing landscape means there’s always something different to see and critique.

But art isn’t just about painting; it’s about textiles, photography, sculpture, architecture and more. It’s what we embrace in our daily lives through fashion, books, horticulture, buildings and even food.

Start your art journey in Norwich by dropping into Norwich Castle to view artworks by artists of the Norwich School. Norwich Castle has the largest public collection of their works including paintings by John Crome, John Sell Cotman, Joseph Stannard and George Vincent. The first regional society of artists established in England was, in fact, the Norwich School in 1803. Working class, the artists were self-taught, inspired by the natural beauty of Norfolk’s landscapes.

J J Colman of Colman’s Mustard was an avid collector and it is said that because of his private collection, the artists never reached the dizzy heights of fame as did Constable and Turner.

Another iconic venue in Norwich, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, located at the University of East Anglia, has a world-class, diverse, priceless collection. World art spanning 5,000 years resides in free galleries open six days a week and in these tranquil, calm spaces visitors can browse and absorb works by some of the biggest names in the art world. With no queuing or jostling for space, visitors can simply drink in the beauty

and exquisite talent of artists many of us have grown up learning about. Don’t leave without seeing; Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Edgar Degas, Female Nude with Arms Raised by Pablo Picasso, Baby Asleep by Jacob Epstein, Reclining Figure by Henry Moore and Standing Woman by Alberto Giacometti.

Two exciting exhibitions are on their way to Norwich. The first is Alberto Giacometti: A Line Through Time at the Sainsbury Centre (April 23 to August 29), commemorating the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death. The Sainsbury Centre holds the country’s largest collection of works by Giacometti and the collection will be boosted with loans from other significant establishments.

Alberto Giacometti was one of the giants of 20th century art, and a celebrated sculptor, painter and draughtsman. Over 100 works will be featured across many disciplines including sculpture, painting, works on paper, photography, film and important archive material. In 2015 at Christie’s in New York Giacometti’s Standing Woman sold at auction for $128 million!

The second exhibition will be the British Art Show 8 (June 24 to September 4), an exhibition which takes place every five years, but which is in Norwich and the East of England for the very first time. Two main venues – Norwich University of the Arts and Norwich Castle - will host the majority of exhibits whilst The Forum will also feature on a smaller scale. The significance of this exhibition is that the British Art Show is all

about contemporary British art. Launched in 1979, with visitor numbers rising from 77,000 up to 425,000 in 2010, it promises to be an extraordinary event featuring 40 British artists hand-picked by curators Anna Colin and Lydia Yee. Over half the artists will present new work, while others will show work not previously seen in Britain.

In an extraordinary event on June 18, British Art Show will be delivered to the host venues by a procession of six horsedrawn carts to thousands of onlookers through a piece of work by artist Alan Kane (born in Nottingham in 1961, he lives and works in London and Great Yarmouth).

There is a long history of heavy horse processions in Norwich where in 1908 the first District & Horse Parade was organised.

The horses in this procession all come from Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse and, as part of this procession, Kane will produce a limited-edition British Art Show 8 horse brass. These will be gifted to all the participating horses and one will be entered into a public prize draw. The brasses will be fabricated at the foundry at Norwich University of the Arts and one will be accessioned into the modern and contemporary collection at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery.

For more on all these events, visit: www.visitnorwich.co.uk

GIVEN THE

CHOICE Martin Shaw is set to return to the Norwich Theatre Royal to mark the 100th anniversary of Hobson’s Choice.

The acclaimed actor will play self-made man Henry Horatio Hobson in the classic comedy which takes to the stage in mid-April

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WHAT’S ON

S

KINFLINT HOBSON DISCOVERS his

daughter has gone against his wishes by marrying a local bootmaker and a battle of wills begins which could see him lose his customers, his family and his pride…

How would you describe Henry Hobson?

MARTIN SHAW: “He’s a man trapped in his time and in his culture. This is Salford in 1880, so society was pretty rigid in its beliefs…and there was no movement between the strata of society. Henry Horatio Hobson was lucky enough to have been a very successful businessman within his field. He was very proud of the fact he’d risen from being an apprentice bootmaker to becoming a master bootmaker to becoming proprietor of his own shop. There’s also that northern thing of the man being the master of the house, but it was a struggle because he’d married a very strong woman and he had some very strong-willed daughters. It’s similar to King Lear.”

What’s the common ground between you and him?

“Absolutely nothing! It’s not to say that I’m necessarily that much more evolved than Hobson, although I’d like to think that I am, it’s just that I live in a different time. People are conditioned by their time and their environment.”

How is it working with Christopher Timothy, who plays Jim Heeler?

“It’s brilliant. We’ve known of each other for years, but this is the first time we’ve actually worked together – and it’s lovely.

We reminisce a lot about the old days and we have a lot of people and places in common. There’s a lot of late middle age stories going about. Chris is a little bit older than me, but we are virtually contemporaries.”

The original British production of Hobson’s Choice dates back to 1916. Why do you think it has endured?

“It’s brilliantly written – that’s the main thing - the dialogue is beautifully written and it’s also perfectly constructed. One of the things the director Jonathan Church said to me when we first started working on it was that with most plays he has to spend some energy in deciding how to make it work. But this play just works itself because it is so beautifully constructed rhythmically and each scene leads on to the next one. The actual shape of the whole thing is perfect and it’s a joy for the actors as well.”

APRIL 2016

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Were you familiar with the play before this?

“Yes. I’ve admired Hobson’s Choice ever since I first saw it, which was the National Theatre production at the Old Vic in 1964 with Colin Blakely, Billie Whitelaw and Frank Finlay. I was just struck by how wonderful the performances were and completely entranced by the play. I was just starting drama school myself at the time, at LAMDA, then subsequently I did the play in rep and played one of the young characters, Albert Prosser. Then a few years later I played another of the parts, Will Mossop. Always I had at the back of my mind that one day I was going to be old enough and mature enough to play Hobson himself and here we are.”

How does it resonate for modern audiences?

“I think the problems of parents and children – how to bring up children, what to do when children have minds of their own – haven’t changed. They are human problems, whether you live in a cave or in a palace.

Human problems are all basically related and this is just such a charming story. It’s also funny but you wouldn’t say it was a comedy. It’s got some very sad elements to it, but you wouldn’t call it a tragedy either.

It’s just a beautifully balanced slice of human life and it’s also an historical document now because it’s about the industrial revolution and how things were in the 1880s, and it was written by a man who had been alive in the 1880s even though it wasn’t first performed until the following century.”

What are the biggest challenges for you as an actor?

“Every part produces challenges and this is a challenge for me because it’s probably the first time that I’ve

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played an ailing, fat man. I’m putting on very large body padding because, thank God, I’m still pretty slim. Hobson, being an alcoholic and a man of his time who was not in any way abstemious, requires me to be fat - I need to be a big, bulky man who is drunk most of the time. I’m wearing a fat suit which goes from the knee to the elbow, so it’s pretty much a full body suit with several pounds of birdseed in a large pouch underneath it.”

So you’re not doing a Robert De Niro and piling on weight for real?

“No, I’m not doing that! I have the rest of my career to think about, not to mention my health. But I’ve done the fat suit thing several times before; I did it when I was in Other People’s Money in the West End years ago and when I played Elvis Presley in Are You Lonesome Tonight? Then more recently when I was in the Oscar Wilde play An Ideal Husband when I wanted the character to look like Oscar Wilde, who was quite a big man.”

Do you enjoy stage and film or TV work?

“They’re both equally enjoyable in different ways.

The wonderful thing about stage work is that you get to rehearse and you have the competitive process of constantly polishing, polishing, polishing and trying out new ideas all the time - whereas with film and television it’s your first idea that’s put on screen.

You learn the lines the night before, then you go and perform it the following day and that’s it, it’s done – that scene is over and is recorded for posterity. If there were the time and the money with film and TV to rehearse in the way that you do with a play, it would probably be a very different performance. That’s not

WHAT’S ON to say you don’t get brilliant performances, because very often your first idea is a very good one and you’re thinking and reacting instinctively, which is also a good thing.

They’re entirely different media and I love doing both of them, but one of the things I enjoy about rehearsing for a play is not having to get up at 5.30 in the morning then, through various exigencies, having to wait in the trailer until 11am before you’re called to the set. The hours you have to do as actors nowadays (and the crew, of course) when filming are absolutely cruel; effectively you’re working 15 or 16 hours a day.”

Do you have any pre- or post-show rituals?

“It depends on the part. I try to walk to the theatre so that my body is moving and staying as loose as possible, getting exercise and fresh air. I always do a vocal warm-up and some physical loosening because doing a play is very physically demanding. Clearly you can’t stand on the stage and shout because people would be uncomfortable – they’d recognise the fact you were shouting. But you do have to speak very much louder than you normally would and that requires the use of the diaphragm, which is the biggest muscle in the body. Over a couple of hours it’s rather exhausting. Then after a show I just flob about. I don’t go out. A lot of actors like to go out and have a meal, but I don’t drink so that’s not an issue. After the show I just want to get back to the digs or wherever I’m staying as fast as possible and just relax with some late-night TV.” Which roles are you most recognised for?

“Mostly it’s Judge John Deed. I think he’s the character people love the most and he’s the one they ask about most. Then George Gently is a very close second.”

And do you have a personal career highlight?

“That would be another play I’d wanted to be in ever since I first started acting - A Man For All Seasons. When I saw the Paul Scofield film I was completely entranced by the history – because I love history – and again by the beautiful writing.

Finally, about six or seven years ago, my friend Bill Kenwright, who is such a great producer, gave me the opportunity to play the role. It was an enormous success and we broke box office records. I got to play the part of my dreams.”

What’s the one thing you couldn’t be without when touring?

“Physically it would be being in good health. With the less tangible things, I couldn’t do without a sense of commitment and professionalism. I take great pride in my work but I also take pride in the way that it’s done, which means not giving yourself airs and graces but being on time and being considerate to other actors. On my way up, when I was much further down the list in my early days, I used to look at people who didn’t do that and I saw how uncomfortable it was for everybody else. So I made a vow that I wouldn’t be like that.”

Lastly, does the Norwich Theatre Royal have any special significance for you?

“The Theatre Royal Norwich means a lot to me because it’s my home town. I’m from Birmingham but I’ve lived just outside Norwich for many years. I know Peter Wilson, who runs the theatre so well, and the great thing is I can go home at night after a show - I don’t have to stay in digs. It’s always wonderful performing in Norwich because I can sleep in my own bed, eat my own food and be with my lovely woman.”

Hobson’s Choice will be at the Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday, April 12 to Saturday, April 16 at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Box Office: 01603 630000 and www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

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TAKE A AT

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

LOOK HIM NOW Phil Collins is back with his third wife Orianne and happy that his family is together again. After some dark times, the multi-million album-selling musician has been back in the studio and has plenty of plans for the future. He talks to Ken Summit

Phil Collins is not only back with his music, he’s back with his wife.

The famous former drummer and lead singer of Genesis and super-successful solo artist has reunited with his third wife, Swiss national Orianne Cevey, after their divorce eight years ago, and has been busy promoting his re-released eight solo albums which have been remastered with previously unreleased material. Here, he talks about turning his life around after a spell of heavy drinking, being back with his family and living in Miami...

How do you feel about Face Value and Both Sides coming out again?

PHIL COLLINS: “I’m very happy with these albums. It’s time to be rediscovered, for people that have heard about this guy Phil Collins to see what he actually did.”

the Years and We’re Sons of our Fathers... there’s a lot of songs on Both Sides I like - it’s one of my favourite records. It’s a lot to listen to because of all the live stuff, but the demos show you where the song started and the live material shows where it got to. Because songs from Both Sides, where I did it all myself, take on a whole new life if you’ve got a band playing it.”

The songs have evolved over time and you re-shot the covers. Have you evolved, too?

“Yes. Re-issues - people get so used to them being a record company thing whereas this I got very involved with and I enjoyed doing those covers again.

We had a great week in New York with a great photographer and his team. So yes, and it works. Face Value, the original one, was where I was at then and this is where I’m at now.”

but I try to teach my kids: ‘Just listen to me, I know you don’t want to, but just listen to me.’ And little things, you know every night I lie on the bed with Matthew [12] before he goes to sleep and we have a little chat. I love that time because it’s me and him and it doesn’t feel like his older brother is taking all the attention. I don’t want to be talking about my family the whole time, but I find that I am because we’re living together now which is great.

I moved to Miami, I bought the house in June. We moved in in August. And I’m back with my third wife, we’re back together again.”

You’re back together again?

“Yes. We decided that we shouldn’t have got divorced. She got remarried, but we maintained a great relationship and she missed me, I missed her, the kids are really happy.”

Quite a few people bought those records the first time, though…

“These albums are quite old and people think they know what I do, but a lot of people only really know about me because of Sussudio, You Can’t Hurry Love, In the Air Tonight, One More Night... they don’t know the rest.”

How do you think you’ve changed since Face Value came out first time round?

“Well, I look very young on the original Face Value. I think I was 29, almost 30, but I look young. I just see an older version of me. I haven’t changed. I’ve got a lot wiser, as one does - if you’re lucky enough, with age, you get a bit wiser. But same basic person.”

Last time we spoke you said you were still in love with her…

“There you go. That’s what I mean by being wiser, you say: ‘Look, we made a mistake, we both agree that...’ How can you look your kids in the eyes and say: ‘Well, we should have got back together again, but we didn’t’? It really doesn’t take anything to work it out. If you don’t like each other, then that’s different. So it’s a good story.”

When you listen to the albums again, does it strike you how sad some of the songs are?

“Both Sides is a very sad album. But I’ve Forgotten Everything, Can’t Turn Back

Is life experience a good thing?

“Oh yes, and try and pass it on to your kids. I remember my dad used to say: ‘You’ll laugh at me now but when I’m gone...’ I know that sounds depressing,

So you kept in close contact and stayed friends?

“Yes. Of course, it wasn’t like that at the very beginning, but when all that divorce dust settled we became great friends.”

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Was it a gradual decision to get back together or was there one romantic moment?

“No, it was a gradual thing. I desperately wanted to live with the boys [Nicholas and Matthew].

I missed out on so much. And I retired so that I could be at home and then they moved. And when they moved [from Switzerland] to Miami, suddenly instead of being ten minutes away, I was ten hours away. And so that’s when I started drinking a bit too much...”

Was it tough for you on your own?

“Yes. Apart from anything else, when you get divorced for the third time, you start to wonder if it’s you, if there’s something wrong with you. So you go through a kind of strange thing yourself. I was obviously sad about what was happening, but I also thought I deserved a break and that’s why I stopped work. But, of course, I stopped work really to be with the kids and then the kids were gone, so there’s a big hole that you fill and you can fill it with going to the gym every day or you can fill it by watching television and drinking.”

But you stopped drinking quite easily?

“Well, it wasn’t easy at first, but I found out that I was killing myself. My doctor said I almost didn’t make it because my organs were shutting down. I was drinking spirits, so it’s a little bit harsher on your body. But anyway...”

So it’s been quite a turn around?

“I can’t describe adequately how great it is to have the kids come home from school and you be there. Nick’s a great drummer, he’s 14 now and he’s got a band. I’ve got a little studio for him next to his bedroom. He rehearses with his band at

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APRIL 2016

home, which is great because I get to know the band.”

What kind of music do they play?

“They’re writing their own songs and they’re starting to do little club gigs around Miami.

They play covers, of course, and are starting to write. And Matthew - wonderful soccer player.

In his eyes, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s just waiting to grow up. He’s a huge fan of world football…that’s all thanks to PlayStation because you have access to so many teams.”

So how does it feel turning 65?

“Sixty-five is OK. I could do without the party.

I’m not really a party person but I always enjoy it more than I think I am going to.”

And how do you find Miami?

In the summer it gets too hot, to stay outside anyway. And it’s a little cold, not cold by English standards but it’s cold - winds, you know? But I must admit, it’s nice to get up and sit outside. It’s not my favourite place in the world but I can get on with it.

Are you planning to stay there?

“Yes, kids go to school, they’re very happy there.

Even Nicholas doesn’t like the weather, he says he prefers the weather in Switzerland, but he’s got all his friends there, they’ve made a lot of good friends. Next door to Barry Gibb, literally, he’s my next door neighbour.”

So you could do some music together maybe?

“Pay for the house! Yes, I could do with that. He

called me because his wife bought some biscuits round and left a note and so I sent them a note back. Because I’d been there six months and hadn’t met them; I mean, I’ve played with Barry and the Bee Gees but... so I left my number on the note and he called me and he was lovely. So who knows? It makes perfect sense to make a record together.”

There’s so much you can do now – a solo record, a solo tour, maybe back with Genesis…

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I don’t want to suddenly get too busy because I’ve moved everything over… if you’d have asked me three or four years ago about doing something, I would have said ‘no’. Right now, I’m thinking about the possibilities, so I’m getting closer. I’m still not saying ‘yes’ because I don’t want to be away from home too much. But I think touring can be done differently nowadays.

You can do a couple of weeks and then have a couple of weeks off, or you can do the Billy Joel thing [once a month] … so it’s all out there and I discuss it quite regularly with my manager.

And the kids, they want to see me go out there and write some new songs and do some shows because they’re very proud of their dad and they’d like to come to the shows and bring their friends. So it’s worth doing just for that.”

So as teenagers, they haven’t rebelled against you?

“Not yet, no. They’re great kids. I don’t know if they’d ever be the rebellious type, but now I’m there they are so content that there’s no rebellion there.”

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Was it quite a serious operation?

“Yes, I’ve got screws all down my back. My vertebrae were like this [gesture], I guess from playing the drums all that time with bad posture.

It was trapping nerves, which is why I had the surgery because I was in agony with the sciatic nerve. But one of the foremost back surgeons in the world lives in Miami and he’s become a great friend of mine. He’s a great doctor, we get on well, we text each other, he’s a great guy. But he’s known as one of the foremost spine surgeons – so that was lucky. And Orianne was seeing him for her problem.”

She has similar problems?

“Well, she was paralysed [around Christmas 2014] by an operation that went wrong and she’s recovered wonderfully. And she’s said this year she’s going to climb the Matterhorn, that’s what she’s working to.”

With you?

“Not with me, no! I’ll probably go and sit in a coffee bar or something. We have two friends of ours, brothers, who are ski guides…”

Climbing the Matterhorn sounds quite dangerous?

“Yes, but it looks more dangerous than you think.

They have paths. Obviously you have to have instructions, you can’t just walk up it, but they do it all the time, so she’ll be with good company.”

You’re also writing an autobiography?

“Yes, that’s something that’s best not to talk about too much because the publishers have asked to keep it a little bit quiet.”

Would you like to see them go into music?

“I think it’s unstoppable. Nicholas is a great drummer. I sit down in the living room and I hear him play, even though the studio is soundproofed, and he does things I can’t believe.”

So maybe if you tour with Genesis you could use him?

“Well, I’ve got Simon, he’d never talk to me again if I used the younger brother! I’ve got to play a very diplomatic game there.”

years ago, I guess, and started to talk about it, and I said: ‘No, no, no, unless we can do something different, to show that I’m involved’, because I don’t like re-packaging. So I had the idea of re-shooting the photography which I think tops the whole thing off. It has my fingerprints all over it. And I said we should do the live material because it shows how the songs developed. So let’s do something different, with the odd demo, if they’re very rare. Hence the rare version of Eric [Clapton] and I on a cassette.”

So this is a chance for people to rediscover and re-evaluate you?

“Yes it is. I met a journalist and he said that he was listening to the records and he’d forgotten this song and he’d forgotten that song and he was discovering a couple of others that he found that he liked.... I’m not aiming this at journalists at all, I’m just talking about people in general.”

Was the poster for Dance Into The Light the toughest one to re-do?

“Absolutely. I said: ‘They’re all going to be easy, except for that one’. So I went to the studio where we were doing them and we did it on the last day and I did some stretching and limbering up, just to get my leg up and to try to get the whole choreography of what it was. I had a great photographer who said: ‘This arm has got to go down a bit and this arm has got to go up a bit.’ It was easy in the end, but I was very apprehensive about it.”

Was it a spontaneous decision of yours to put out all the remastered albums?

“No, the record company came to me about four

Is your back getting better?

“Yes. If I stand up for a long time it aches. It’s OK.”

But no decisions yet on what to do next?

“I’m flattered that people want me to do something but I haven’t decided.”

And re-issuing your solo albums is related?

“Yes, it is. Maybe it’s a time to look back. It’s good fun doing the book. It’s very interesting to see how busy I was… scary, the amount of touring.

When you see it on a computer, show after show after show after show, it was one thing after the other. It didn’t seem like hard work at the time - it was all forging forward. Everything either I did or we [Genesis] did just gathered momentum.

There came a point where it just kept getting better and bigger. I think I worked too much, looking at it now, but at the time it seemed that’s what I did.”

Was retiring the best idea? [Phil Collins announced his retirement in 2011 to focus on family life] “It was what I needed to do and in a way it paved the way for this, because I was away for a long time. So if this had just been another record after a previous one, it wouldn’t be so special.”

Do you have a favourite of your eight solo albums?

“Both Sides is my favourite. I love the songs on there – there’s lots of my favourite songs.”

Do you see yourself playing stadiums again?

“I can’t see it right now, not a stadium.”

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BACK ON

FORM Singer and impersonator Joe Longthorne speaks to Places & Faces‰ about his return to Potters Leisure Resort and his battle back from serious illness

W

HETHER IT IS LADY GAGA OR TONY BENNETT, Joe Longthorne admires singers

across the spectrum.

It’s hardly surprising given his vocal versatility and renowned impressions of some of the best singers in the business, including one of the stars he admires most of all, Dame Shirley Bassey.

Joe, who will reprise some of these famed “guests” when he returns to Potters Leisure Resort at Hopton-on-Sea on Sunday April 10, told Places & Faces how much he was looking forward to visiting Norfolk.

“I always enjoy returning to Potters Leisure Resort, it’s run by the wonderful Potter family and they look after us all so well,” he said.

“I will be performing with the band under the direction of MD Stephen ‘Stretch’ Price and there will be songs old and new and some of my ‘guests’ or ‘tributes’ as I like to call them. I have a number of new songs I’m working on for my new album which I’m bringing in to the show, too.”

But it has been a tough couple of years for the performer who has again battled back from cancer to return to performing regularly.

Diagnosed with lymphoma in 1989 and later undergoing a bone marrow transplant, complications developed which left Joe fighting for his life. His cancer returned more recently, too, but he is now back on form.

Speaking candidly about his latest illness, Joe said: “I am feeling much better now, but it has been a long, tough journey with this recent brush with mouth cancer.”

That journey started early in 2014 when a small lump was discovered on the inside of his mouth and, after investigations confirmed a small tumour, he underwent 12 hours of surgery in July 2014 to remove it.

He added: “At the time the surgery was declared successful and after a period of convalescence and recovery I returned to performing in January 2015, but in the spring of last year

on a routine check-up, further traces of cancerous cells were discovered.”

An extensive course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy was prescribed, and in the last few weeks, Joe, 60, was told the treatment had been successful.

“Recovery from this kind of treatment takes time as it is very taxing but I am now well on the road back. I enjoy swimming and walking regularly and while convalescing I have been working on my new album and new songs at home in Blackpool,” he said.

“I feel very blessed and rejuvenated to feel well enough to return to my beloved profession. In the coming months I look forward to visiting many venues around the UK and abroad, including, of course, Potters Leisure Resort.”

Born into a show business family, he has performed in several Royal Variety Performances, having found fame through the London Weekend Television series Search For a Star in 1981.

Releasing best-selling albums and performing across the globe, Joe Longthorne is renowned for his impressions of the great singers: Tom Jones, Barry Manilow and Sammy Davis Junior among them.

As one of the country’s best-known singers, he enjoys music from all genres and styles.

“Lady GaGa is fabulous in her own right, as is Tony Bennett, and I very much enjoy listening to classical music when relaxing - Maria Callas and Mario Lanza to name a few.

“I started singing as a small child and one of the first albums I bought was ‘Tapestry of Dreams’ by the great French performer Charles Aznavour, but there’s really no-one better than Frank Sinatra as the ultimate exponent of the popular song.”

Dame Shirley Bassey, Dorothy Squires and Barbara Streisand are also favourites, but as an impersonator, Joe’s always looking for new “voices” to add to his act, though he is keeping us guessing on who they may be.

Joe said: “I am deeply interested in current affairs around the world, so I am always aware of new personalities emerging on to the world’s stage. I always have a wealth of characters immersed in my memory, but it’s down to me when I choose to introduce them to my audience. Now that will keep you thinking!”

He points to his connection with the audience each evening on stage as the motivation to keep on performing.

“There’s really nothing like it,” he added. “I have enjoyed a very long and wonderful friendship with my fans; they know me and have always been out there for me each night, in good times and bad times - what more could I ask for?”

Enjoying an affinity with the seaside from his home in Blackpool, Joe enjoys the “freedom and tranquillity of the coast” and is looking forward to the drive down to Norfolk for some east coast hospitality.

“I will be arriving early so I can get a bit of shopping done,” he revealed. “I enjoy eating fish so will be filling the fridge on the motorhome for the journey home!”

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

For more details of Joe Longthorne’s appearance at Potters Leisure resort on Sunday April 10, visit:

www.pottersholidays.com or call 0333 3207 497.

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JOHN LENNON

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APRIL 2016

BACKTRACK

Writer and broadcaster Pete Goodrum takes us back through the tracks that defined the decades. This month he looks at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s.

Covering the charts and the changes and touching on local connections, this is your monthly fix of musical memories

OZZY OSBOURNE

heavy metal fans. They were back in the limelight.

As was another performer with strong ties to Norfolk. Geno Washington who, with The Ram Jam Band, had been such a force on the 1960s club scene, found himself back in the public consciousness thanks to Dexy’s Midnight Runners releasing their single about him - Geno.

If, in the summer of 1980, Slade and Geno were enjoying a revival, they were reflecting a trend for revisiting trends. Ska and Mod music were back in vogue and hits by The Jam, The Specials and Madness confirmed it.

GARY NUMAN

Late 1979 was an unusual time in pop history. The Punk rebellion had quietened down, and the charts were dominated by an odd array of acts. The Number Ones ranged from The Buggles with Video Killed The Radio Star in October, through Lena Martell’s One Day At A Time in November to When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman from Dr Hook in early December. A couple of weeks later, and still quite new given their 1977 formation, The Police were at the top spot with Walking On The Moon. The Christmas Number One went to the longer established, but much changed, Pink Floyd with Another Brick In The Wall.

Tastes may have been diverse, but across all the genres people were buying records. In fact 1979 still holds the record for being the biggest-selling year ever for physical format singles sales in the UK. “Physical format singles” is a crucial definition because streaming and download technology was science fiction in 1979. But technology was beginning to make an impact on the music scene. Bubbling up as one of the next trends was “Synthpop” or “Electropop”. It had been experimented with as early as the 1960s but now the synthesiser became the instrument of choice for a new breed of musician.

An artist who bridged the gap between punk’s new wave and the synthesiser led sound was Gary Numan. With his band Tubeway Army he’d set out to record a punk album, but discovered a Minimoog synthesiser in the studio by accident. The result, among other tracks, was the hit Are Friends Electric. Sing-along and cheery pop it wasn’t. But new, and embraceable by a generation who identified with its angst, it certainly was.

The mass record-buying of the time did not mean, however, that music fans were ignoring live music. Gigs were important, and Norfolk boasted a venue of legendary status.

Decidedly rural in its setting, The Pavilion at West Runton was not a backwater when it came to hosting major acts. In its 1970s heyday, The Pavilion hosted a string of top flight bands.

Some say that its location was appealing to performers who wanted to try out material before taking it into bigger cities or recording studios. There are those who believe that The Pavilion was sufficiently out of reach for journalists and therefore a “safe” place to play. Neither possible motivation mattered to the legions of fans who saw their idols perform there.

From The Sex Pistols to Motorhead, from Joy Division to Iron Maiden, from The Damned to Magnum, not to mention Chuck Berry or The Four Tops; a stellar list of acts came to this Norfolk venue.

And then suddenly it was over. The last gig was in 1983 and by 1986 The Pavilion had been demolished, with a blue plaque on a nearby wall now commemorating the glory days.

Two of the bands that came to Norfolk to play at West Runton form an interesting link, and a demonstration of the unpredictability of pop. Ozzy Osbourne was riding high in early 1980; Slade were not. Their latest record had not sold well, and they were fast slipping into disenchantment. When Osbourne withdrew, at the last minute, from his obligation to play the 1980 Reading Festival it prompted a feverish search for a replacement act. Slade were approached and, despite key band member Dave Hill’s initial reluctance, they took the booking. They stormed it and the fans loved them. More importantly in some ways, the music press and radio loved them, too, and Slade found themselves the new darlings of

But new bands creating new material and proudly displaying their influences was one thing and old material being re-issued was another. Whilst not necessarily the ultimate arbiter of popular culture, it was The Guinness Book of Records (with no irony nor pun intended) that pointed to what they called “a dated” feel to the 1980 charts. There were, they said, too many re-issues and cover versions of older songs, and they cited Don McLean’s recording of Roy Orbison’s Crying among the culprits.

In New York a man who had been such a massive force in pop music was working on his reappearance after some very private years. Working in the studio, he was crafting an album that he wanted to keep secret until he knew he was satisfied with it. The moment he announced he’d recorded again, the offers to sign the work to a label flooded in.

Released by November 1980, the album was not initially a critical success. Reviewers were surprised by its content and, in some cases, saw it as self indulgent, even self-important.

The critics were not unanimous. There were some positive reactions. But the reality was the album struggled. It made Number 14 in the UK charts before quickly slipping to Number 46.

Leaving his home on December 8, the artist signed a copy of the album for a fan. A few hours later that fan would fire five bullets at the musician and kill him.

The album, Double Fantasy, was then catapulted to international success, winning Album of the Year at The Grammy Awards.

The outpouring of grief among fans, some not born at the height of Beatlemania, swept out from New York City to engulf the world.

December 1980 seemed like the end of more than just a year. It was the end of an era - John Lennon was dead.

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FUNNY BUSINESS T

HE MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY HAS BEEN PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT

in the London theatre scene for over ten years. Holding less than 200 seats, it has transferred productions to the West End repeatedly, from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music and Merrily We Roll Along to the current Bacharach songbook Close to You. Some, like the first two of these and the tremendous The Colour Purple, have gone on to Broadway.

Funny Girl had “hit” written all over it from the moment it was announced. The entire Menier run sold out in record time and the transfer to the Savoy Theatre (which begins on April 9) was announced before it opened and has already extended its run twice. There’s even been talk of this, in turn, moving to New York.

There are two reasons for the buzz. One is the smash hit success of Gypsy last year at the same West End address, with which Funny Girl shares both its authors and - more or less its subject, namely the pitfalls of the showbiz life on love and relationships. And the other, greater, reason is the name above the title: Sheridan Smith*.

Barbara Streisand remains synonymous with the role and the show’s original success (it had, in fact, never been revived since). Smith is perhaps the most in-demand actress in Britain as well being genuinely a very funny girl. Everyone agreed that she is Streisand’s worthy successor in this most plum of roles.

The trouble with this immaculate package is really only one thing: the show itself. Funny Girl, sad to report, is not a good musical. It has many good songs but that is not the same thing.

Gypsy is a great musical. Funny Girl has lots of good moments in it, but it scarcely reaches into the “good” category.

It’s a roughly biographical telling of the life of Fanny Brice,

the comedienne and Broadway star, and to a lesser extent her misplaced devotion to a charming but unreliable man.

In subject and tone, the show sits at the crossroads between Gypsy and Sweet Charity.

The London critics have agreed that the problems are all in the second act but they’re not quite right: there are fewer great songs in the second act, true, but dramatically the piece is scarcely more impressive in the warmer first half. The writing isn’t funny, the character is not intrinsically interesting (Smith is, but that’s a different point) and the key relationship with charming-but-fallible Nick Arnstein is extraordinarily underdeveloped. He woos her, he leaves her and he comes back - all in three scenes.

If there is anybody who can make her lover come to life then Darius Campbell (formerly Danesh - we know who you are, Darius) is not the guy. A pleasing baritone and an attractive retro-hunk look can only get you so far, as Trevor Nunn discovered when he cast him as Rhett Butler in the infamous flop musical Gone with the Wind. Patrons of the more recent Tim Rice flop From Here to Eternity already know that Danesh coudn’t act scared on a south London street corner at three in the morning, so Smith has to do all the work for him.

Michael Mayer, the director who brought such brilliant vision to the under-rated American musical of Spring Awakening and the ear-drum splitting American Idiot, settles for middle of the road ordinariness here with the changes of time insufficiently clear, the visual interest low and the dramatic stakes invisible.

None of this is aided by the dull ordinariness of Lynne Page’s choreography or the ugly clutter of Michael Pavelka’s set, although one could well imagine that in the larger spaces of the Savoy both of these elements may be shown off to much

Photographs by Marc Brenner

Sheridan Smith stars in Funny Girl which transfers to the Savoy Theatre this month. Benet Catty reviews the show

WEST END REVIEW

greater effect.

But even if this is so - and I suspect it is - Funny Girl is a show with less to it the more one looks for it. If you remember it at all it’ll be because of Barbara Streisand’s voice, or because of one of the two stand-out songs which will always be associated with her: People and Don’t Rain on My Parade. Between them they cover six minutes. The show runs for two hours, 40 minutes.

It’s a shame because Sheridan Smith is one of our great actresses, both comic and serious: hilarious in Legally Blonde (for which she won an Olivier), tragic in Flare Path (for which she won another), mature in Hedda Gabler. But sadly, for the second time in a row following Michael Grandage’s messy production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Smith finds herself in a vehicle unworthy of her talents.

We’re famously told midway through act one: “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world”. Well, I’m afraid I really didn’t need this show. *Sheridan Smith missed a couple of shows at the Menier Chocolate Factory last month when her father was diagnosed with cancer, but will be back in the production at The Savoy Theatre.

Funny Girl

transfers to The Savoy Theatre on April 9, with a limited run till 8 October 2016

www.funnygirlthemusical.co.uk

APRIL 2016

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APRIL

BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00

Sun 3 April RUSSELL KANE Right Man Wrong Age tour.

15+ £7 - £17.50 Tues 5 April UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN All-singing, all-plucking superstars £8 – £28.50 Fri 8 – Sat 9 April MY FIRST BALLET Sleeping Beauty Especially for those aged 3 and up £7 - £23 Tues 12 – Sat 16 April HOBSON’S CHOICE Martin Shaw, Christopher Timothy star in classic comedy £8 - £28.50 Tues 19 – Sat 23 April SWAN LAKE Northern Ballet with new adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece £8 - £37.50 Tues 26 – Sat 30 April A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Beguiling comedy in new RSC production £8 - £25

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

Hobson’s Choice

Tues 29 Mar – Sat 2 Apr HAIRSPRAY Claire Sweeney stars in smash hit musical comedy £8 - £45

WHAT’S ON

A DREAM COME TRUE He’s used to making Norfolk audiences laugh as one half of irrepressible comedy duo The Nimmo Twins. Now Owen Evans is returning to his first love by treading the boards in a landmark RSC production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

Judy Foster finds out how 2016 looks set to be a dream year for Owen Evans

A

S A TEENAGER, OWEN EVANS

suffered so badly with agoraphobia he couldn’t leave the house and consequently missed out on several years of vital education.

He could little have thought at that time that one day he would take centre stage in his home city in a fullystaged professional production by the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing one of the Bard’s most iconic characters, Bottom the weaver, in one of his best-loved plays.

The RSC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play For The Nation was announced on Midsummer’s Day last year as a celebration to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death which falls this month. The inspirational tour, which kicked off in Stratford in mid-February, sees a different group of local actors in each venue cast in the roles of the ‘rude mechanicals’ performing alongside professional RSC actors.

For Owen, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has come in the same year that he and his fellow funnyman Karl Minns are celebrating two decades of their Normal for Norfolk comedy shows which have a large and faithful fan base. Their 20th anniversary tour includes four nights at the Norwich Theatre Royal in August, which have already sold out.

Just as Shakespeare’s Bottom weaves together the worlds of both humans and fairies, Owen has combined his comedy life with that of being a serious actor, having trained at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

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31

He and five fellow actors from Norwichbased amateur dramatics group The Common Lot, plus their director, have spent the past six months working alongside the RSC

form college and I was in the first intake – and we built a theatre there. I had been doing pottery on a Wednesday afternoon and then this girl I fancied was doing drama, so I went

Some fellow students called him to encourage him to return – and he did. “We got a flat and lived together all the way through drama school and it was an amazing experience. I wish I could go back and do it all again properly as a grown-up, rather than the wastrel I was then!”

In his third year at LAMDA, Owen travelled to Moscow to study Chekov with the Moscow Arts Theatre School and then toured Holland, Belgium and Germany with a production of The Taming of the Shrew.

Following graduation in the early 1990s, he and a group of fellow students, which included Rufus Norris, now artistic director at London’s National Theatre, took over a community centre underneath a block of flats in Paddington and built a theatre called Arts Threshold to put on shows.

“Rufus directed his first play with us in Paddington. The whole idea of Arts Threshold was to give a space for people leaving drama school to put on shows. We ran it for a few years and then passed it on to the next generation. I then did a bit of fringe theatre in London before I got fed up with city life and moved back to Norwich. I was on the tube at eight o’clock one morning with someone’s armpit in my face and I was thinking: why am I doing this when I could be living in Norfolk?”

The move back saw Owen get involved with local amateur theatre group Crude Apache where he not only hooked up again with another former Paston Sixth Former Simon Floyd (now director for The Common Lot’s involvement in Dream 16) but also met Karl Minns.

“We started The Nimmos from there. Karl had written some comedy and we realised we had a shared love of sketches. It had always been bubbling away in the back of my mind, but I didn’t realise I could do it as I had always done drama. But it took us a few years to get it going. We’ve gone off to the sound of our own footsteps many a time and died horrible deaths.

But at the same time, we’ve also done well. We did lots on Radio Four with Ned Sherrin on Loose Ends and had our own comedy show which ran for three or four series, and guested on other shows.”

The duo’s special brand of Norfolk humour, in which they lovingly poke fun at all the county’s little quirks, goes down well with local audiences. Their last run of shows - Normal for Norfolk 12: Fritton’s Got Talent - was seen by over 6,000 people.

Owen said: “Norfolk people can certainly laugh at themselves – it’s just when other people laugh at them, they don’t like it! I think that’s why we get away with it – because they recognise an authentic voice.”

Returning to drama will necessitate a bit of a gear change for him. “Comedy is very scary.

When you are up on stage, your inclination is to hammer out the lines as quick as you can, but you’ve got to slow down and listen because each audience is different. You have to keep adjusting your timing, whereas it’s very

Owen’s character Bottom has his head transformed into that of a donkey by mischievous fairy Puck. For Owen it is a “dream role” and “the best part in the play” to hone their performances as the rustic characters who perform a play within a play as an entertainment for a royal wedding party. Owen’s character Bottom has his head transformed into that of a donkey by mischievous fairy Puck. For Owen it is a “dream role” and “the best part in the play”.

Although not born in the county, he feels a Norfolk boy to the core. “My family moved here when I was one,” he said. “My parents took over The Bath House pub on Cromer seafront and I had an idyllic time growing up on Cromer beach. All the fishermen used to come into our pub and I’d sit on Shrimp Davis’s knee and he’d tell me all the stories about the Cromer lifeboat.

I had a lovely, lovely time growing up there.

But I’d never even been to the theatre until I was 16.”

to drama as well. She left but I carried on. I had suddenly found something I was good at and could do quite easily.”

The inspirational Rob John was his teacher.

“He is an amazing man and has inspired so many people over the years”, said Owen. “He was the head of drama and then vice principal –and I’m still working with him at the moment.

Every year or so he’ll write a new play and there’ll be a part in it for me.”

“He created a wonderful, caring and supportive atmosphere which enabled a young, freaked-out, 16-year-old agoraphobic to get up on stage. I found I could be up there and not be myself, not be that nervous kid who found it hard getting out. I could be somebody else up there and it didn’t matter, which was great.”

The school offered some exceptional

However, his love of Shakespeare blossomed when, as a young child, Owen was smitten with a 1970’s BBC series on the Bard’s plays.

Particularly memorable was The Tempest. “It was really good. It struck me straight away and I loved the language and imagery.”

His idyllic childhood was struck a blow when his father died. Aged 13 at the time, Owen developed agoraphobia and couldn’t leave the house, missing out on his last few years of school.

“But then I went to Paston in North Walsham where they had just started the sixth

opportunities, even taking Owen’s cohort to the Edinburgh Festival a few times, and encouraging him to apply for a coveted place at LAMDA. But moving to London wasn’t without its problems for an agoraphobic in remission.

“It was very scary and I left after a week. I marched into the principal’s office with all my bags and said ‘I can’t handle it’. He was a lovely chap and said ‘Look, please go home, think about it. Leave one bag here, so you have to come back to say goodbye if you do decide to leave.’”

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COPYRIGHT: RSC/TOPHER MCGRILLIS

WHAT’S ON

Emma Trindall - Starveling, Owen Evans - Bottom, Amelia Hursey - Quince, Simon Floyd - director, Vicky Stone - Snout, Dan Fridd - Flute, Eva Pandolfi - Snug

different for drama where you are looking more into getting the character and the emotion across. And drama has its own pace rather than the audience dictating the pace.”

The coaching provided by the RSC in the form of voice and movement workshops, online tutorials and face-to-face work with practitioners and RSC professionals such as Erica Whyman (RSC deputy artistic director), has been “a real dream come true”. “They just have so much knowledge and they are so good at what they do. I just want to get as much as I can out of the experience. It’s a gift,” Owen said.

Due to the number of local amateur groups involved, many of the rehearsals for A Midsummer Night’s Dream have been conducted at arms-length with individual workshops broadcast live online. Owen has also met up with other Bottoms to rehearse opposite RSC actress Ayesha Dharker, who plays Titania, and the BBC is capturing all of the action in a documentary called The Best Bottoms in the Land which will air on BBC One. Owen said that working at a distance sometimes makes him feel disconnected. “But it’s amazing when you sit down and watch one of the live rehearsals, you can take on board where they are going with the scene and what is happening. The director is so clear and precise about what she wants that we can come back and incorporate that into our rehearsals and try to steer ourselves in the same direction. It’s been a really collaborative experience because you watch some of the

others when they are rehearsing online and you think you can take some of this and some of that and use it yourself. It’s all working together as opposed to working against each other.”

Owen’s day job is a role in IT support for a Norwich software house and he says in that sense The Common Lot are very similar to Shakespeare’s mechanicals. “They are everyday people. These days it’s IT people or teachers rather than bellows menders and tinkers. It’s a broad church in theatre and all human life is here.

“That is why this project is such a wonderful idea and is reconnecting so imaginatively in the 21st century with what Shakespeare was trying to do in the play. It shows how relevant Shakespeare still is today - all the characters are still recognisable and he crafts words and puts a common human experience into the most beautiful language.”

Bottom, he says, is the opposite of his own character. “He’s so confident and so out there and just a very open character. It looks sometimes like he is bossing the other actors around, but they let him. Whereas I don’t have much in the way of self-confidence when it comes to selling myself. I’ve had small successes, but I think it does go partly back to having agoraphobia. It’s something you never get over. You learn to live with it and you recognise the symptoms and give yourself exercises to get through it. But it’s always there in the background and it does knock you.”

One of his biggest heartaches is that his dad never got to see him in a play. “To run

a successful pub as he did, you are on stage behind the bar, you are entertaining people every night, and I know he would have loved to see me play Shakespeare.”

Fortunately his mother and sister are still based in Cromer and will get to see his appearance on the Theatre Royal stage, and he is clearly thrilled that his daughter is now following in his thespian footsteps and is studying drama at university.

Owen said finding out The Common Lot had won through the audition process to be the amateur actors for the Norwich leg of the RSC’s national tour was “exactly that same excitement as being a young kid again going to drama school.”

“To suddenly do Shakespeare again is like going back to LAMDA or like starting again and it suddenly made me think ‘why haven’t I done more of this because I love doing Shakespeare?’”

A Play For The Nation - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Common Lot runs at Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday, April 26 to Saturday, April 30.

Box Office: 01603 630000 or www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk.

News about the production is also available at www.dream2016.org.uk

APRIL 2016

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AS YOU LIKE IT

This month sees the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and in his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon there are all kinds of events and activities on offer. Carolyn Atkins takes a look…

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ll eyes will be on Stratford-upon-Avon this month as this attractive Warwickshire town commemorates the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death.

Stratford is intrinsically linked with the world-famous playwright, poet and actor, who was born in 1564 in a house on Henley Street right in the heart of the town. Its inhabitants are gearing up for all kinds of celebrations, not only for the anniversary itself, but for the year ahead, and they’re getting ready to welcome hordes of domestic and overseas visitors.

William Shakespeare’s birth and death are observed on the same day – April 23 (also St George’s Day) - and so there will be festivities galore around that date - in Stratford, around the country and, indeed, around the globe. Here in East Anglia, many of the region’s theatres will be honouring the occasion, with The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Norwich Theatre Royal from

36

APRIL 2016

Tuesday, April 26 to Saturday, April 30 (more on page 31) and a Shakespeare At 400 Mini Festival at the city’s Maddermarket Theatre (see: www.maddermarket. co.uk), for example.

Meanwhile, the BBC will also be remembering the life and works of the Bard, with David Tennant hosting a special show - Shakespeare Live! - from Stratford-uponAvon on Saturday, April 23.

Broadcast on BBC2, this unique collaboration with the RSC will celebrate Shakespeare’s legacy across the arts and will feature the English National Opera, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Joseph Fiennes and a host of other stars.

Meanwhile, back in Stratford-Upon-Avon itself, the famous playwright will be celebrated with pomp, pageantry and performance with a 1,000-strong grand birthday procession through the streets on Saturday, April 23. Starting at the Town Hall, the procession will wind its way through the town centre to Shakespeare’s

Photo: © Amy Murrell

TRAVEL

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37

Birthplace and return passing Shakespeare’s School, before arriving at Holy Trinity Church where the town’s most famous son is buried.

In addition, the RSC will be hosting a fun-packed day of free outdoor family events, also on the 23rd, including a show by acrobatic company Mimbre inspired

by Shakespeare’s stories, while the day will end with a spectacular free firework display.

With connections to the world-famous dramatist going back four centuries, it’s no wonder that so much of Stratford-upon-Avon revolves around his life and legacy, although Shakespeare also lived and worked in London for much of his life.

Key places of interest in Stratford-upon-Avon include Shakespeare’s Birthplace – the house where Shakespeare was born, grew up and where he lived with his wife, Anne Hathaway, for the first five years of their married life (Anne was 26 when they married, while William was just 18).

Shakespeare’s Birthplace has been preserved as a visitor centre and museum and those taking a tour can see where the family lived and worked - John Shakespeare, William’s father, was a wealthy glove-maker and had a workshop there. The popular tourist attraction also includes informative guides dressed in period costume, films, displays, artefacts, a great gift shop, a lovely garden and occasional live performances.

Other places on the town’s well-trodden tourist path include Mary Arden’s Farm on Station Road – Shakespeare’s mother’s property where you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of a working Tudor farm – and Anne Hathaway’s picturesque thatched cottage and gardens, where the young William Shakespeare courted his wife to be. The couple went on to have three children – a daughter, Susanna, followed by twins, Hamnet, who sadly died aged 11, and Judith. Visitors to the town can also visit Hall’s Croft in the Old Town, the elegant home of Susanna Shakespeare and her wealthy husband, Dr John Hall. Harvard House, one of Stratford’s most striking Elizabethan town houses, which is located in the High Street, is also well worth a visit, as this is where John Harvard, the founder of the famous American university, was born.

Trinity Church in the Old Town, where Shakespeare was baptised and buried, is also worth a look, as is New Place on

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APRIL 2016

Photo: © Amy Murrell

Chapel Street, just a 10-minute walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace.

The site of Shakespeare’s family home for the last 19 years of his adult life (he lived till he was 52), New Place has been transformed by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust into a new heritage landmark – open for the first time this spring – where visitors can find out all about William Shakespeare at the height of his success.

The re-imagination of this special site is billed as: “the single most significant Shakespearian project anywhere in the world to commemorate his legacy” and visitors will be able to work in Shakespeare’s footsteps, with artwork and displays evoking a sense of family life and the 26 major works he wrote when he lived there. The latest tourist attraction throws light on the Bard as a family man, homeowner and successful entrepreneur, and offers something new for those who have visited Stratford before.

Meanwhile, a major restoration project has been underway at the King Edward VI School, the school which young William Shakespeare attended in the town, and the new Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall will open as a heritage attraction this month with interactive displays, films, a Tudor lesson and an 18th-century classroom bringing his story to life.

The Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival, now in its ninth year, will also take place from April 24 to May 1, featuring debates, celebrity author events, workshops and children’s activities.

Meanwhile, for those who’d rather do their own thing, the RSC has commissioned a brand new, self-guided tour

called Shakespeare’s Steps which takes in eight different locations in the town. Available from April 23, there’s a free map featuring historical background information, along with a children’s treasure hunt, with footsteps and speech bubbles painted on pavements at each stop that act as instructions for acting out mini dramas.

And those wishing to take in a play will be spoilt for choice, with the 1,000-seat Royal Shakespeare Theatre and 450-seat Swan Theatre putting on a plethora of productions.

This year’s RSC season includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Cymbeline, King Lear, The Tempest and The Two Noble Kinsmen, while a major new exhibition, The Play’s The Thing, will open in June at The Swan Theatre, celebrating the magic of Shakespeare on stage.

For those who have had their fill of Shakespeare, however, Stratford offers plenty of other things to do, from lovely walks, boat trips and picnics in Bancroft Gardens and along the River Avon to shopping, both in the town and for discounted designer brands at Bicester Village 45-minutes away. There are also all sorts of restaurants, cafés and tea rooms or you could venture further afield with a trip to Warwick Castle or the British Motor Museum, the world’s largest collection of historic British cars.

But in April, Stratford-upon-Avon’s focus will be firmly on celebrating the life and works of William Shakespeare and quite right, too.

For more suggestions about what to do in Stratford-uponAvon and for accommodation and travel information, visit: www.shakespeares-england.co.uk

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A BEAUTIFUL OUTCOME The team at Purity Beauty Ipswich is still celebrating after being presented with two prestigious awards at a gala Guinot Conference & Awards ceremony earlier this year…

IT’S ALL SMILES AT PURITY BEAUTY in Ipswich as this prestigious salon has been awarded ‘Crown Salon’ status at the recent Guinot Conference & Awards. This coveted title celebrates the highestachieving Guinot salons and spas in the UK and Ireland who demonstrate success, dedication and loyalty to the brand.

Purity Beauty Ipswich owner Michelle O’Neill said: “We are over the moon and feeling very proud. I want to take this opportunity to thank our clients for all their kind words and support.”

In addition to achieving Guinot Crown Salon status, Purity Beauty Ipswich was also presented with the Runners-Up Award for Salon of Excellence.

Michelle commented: “I couldn’t be prouder of my team for winning both of these awards. We have worked hard over the past five years to achieve Crown Salon Status, so to also be a finalist for Salon of Excellence means the world to all of us.”

The Salon of Excellence award is all the more significant when you take into account that the finalists were selected from 1,500 salons around the country.

Guinot’s managing director, Chris Gillam (pictured right), presented the individual salon awards on the night and the glittering gala awards ceremony was also hosted by well-known TV star Joanna Lumley.

Located on St Peter’s Street in the heart of Ipswich, Purity Beauty is an established business offering salon treatments with a spa feel. Purity is an exclusive stockist of Guinot and proud to provide treatments from other renowned brands such as Lycon waxing, Lava Shell, Gelish, O.P.I, NovaLash extensions, LVL Lashes, Mii Cosmetics and Sterex Electrolysis.

As a newly-crowned Guinot Crown Salon, clients can be confident that when they visit Purity Beauty Ipswich they are choosing an establishment with the highest standards, firmly focusing on treatment expertise, the environment and customer care.

As a Crown Salon, Purity Beauty Ipswich boasts a wealth of wonderful Guinot products, including a special Guinot product of the month, and customers can choose

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APRIL 2016

ADVERTORIAL

from an extensive range of Guinot face and body treatments, as well as results-driven retail products.

The team at Purity pride themselves on continually developing their treatments and client experience.

The last 12 months have seen the salon add Guinot’s Age Summum and Eye Logic facials, foot healthcare and specialised pregnancy massage, signature relaxing body treatments, Lava Shell Rescue massage, eyelash extensions and the newest Guinot machine-based anti-cellulite and firming Techni Spa treatments to its treatment menu. All of the treatments and products on offer at Purity have been carefully selected as they are results-driven whilst offering the optimum in relaxation.

When Purity launched Guinot’s latest anti-ageing treatment Age Summum last year, they treated 13 people to the facial in one day alone! The results from this treatment are incredible, reducing facial lines in just one session.

The team is very excited to be launching Guinot’s newest treatment Hydraderm Cellular Energy to coincide with the salon’s fifth birthday celebrations in July. The new facial takes the already hugely popular Hydradermie and Hydradermie Lift treatments to the next level, promising to be the alternative to aesthetic surgery.

As a client of Purity, not only will you receive the highest level of customer service and knowledgeable therapists who are tested weekly on their product and treatment expertise, but also a client loyalty scheme where you collect points on payment of treatments and products. The loyalty scheme also allows clients to try additional treatments for nothing.

The full range of products, treatments and prices is available on the website at: www.puritybeautyipswich. co.uk where customers can also book their sessions online, and gift vouchers for a specific treatment or a certain amount can be purchased online, in person or over the telephone, too.

From the comments and testimonials online and on social media, it’s clear that Purity Beauty’s customers are very happy with the treatments and service provided, and there’s no doubt that the recent awards are well-deserved.

Michelle O’Neill is now looking to take the salon further still, with plenty of knowledge and enthusiasm for the gorgeous Guinot range and she and her team are looking forward to welcoming even more customers this year.

Purity Beauty Ipswich 30 St Peter’s Street, Ipswich IP1 1XB Tel: 01473 225800 Twitter: @purityipswich www.facebook.com/PurityBeautyIpswich www.puritybeautyipswich.co.uk

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Relaxed fine dining in a 14th century coaching inn with luxury rooms and Michelin award-winning food just a stone’s throw away from the North Norfolk coast.

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AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS The talented kitchen team at The Cliff Hotel in Gorleston has come up with a fabulous fine dining menu for the new season THE FOCUS IS FIRMLY on the food at The Cliff in Gorleston where fine dining is definitely seeing a resurgence.

Executive chef David Tumber and his team have devised a wonderful spring menu featuring an array of tempting dishes that taste just as good as they look.

David said: “We’re looking forward to spring – it’s our favourite season” and his enthusiasm shines through, with customers flocking to eat at this attractive, cliff top hotel.

All the dishes are made on site, with David supported by a great team of chefs (eight in total) including his sous chefs Ruben, John and Daniel.

General manager Daryn Ferguson explained: “The Cliff leads the way locally, whether for fine dining or everyday classics. Dave is very innovative and looks at everything from top to bottom, with attention to detail – only the best will do.”

You only have to step into this bustling place to see how popular it’s become. Daryn added: “There’s a massive increase in people having fine dining food – I think people have become more educated”, and no doubt part of the attraction is that the hotel is so welcoming.

David said: “It’s not a pretentious place; it’s relaxing. I’ve been here four years in April and I feel that we’ve established ourselves as a food outlet – not just as a hotel, but as a destination – in the summertime, you can’t move in here!”

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, the new menu includes

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ADVERTORIAL

THE CLIFF HOTEL Cliff Hill, Gorleston-On-Sea Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 6DH Tel: 01493 662179.

Email: Reception@thecliffhotel.co.uk Website: www.thecliffhotel.co.uk

such delicious starters as Sous Vide Beef Carpaccio on Toast served with radish, rocket and rosemary flowers with a Dijon emulsion; and Pressed Old Spot Pork Belly with sauté apple purée, fennel shavings and an Aspall cider vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, besides classic main courses such as fish and chips, burgers, steaks, paninis, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and salads, there’s a selection of delicious contemporary dishes such as Seared Wild King Salmon with a pistachio curry crust, fondant potato, avocado butter and a cumin vinaigrette; and Crab Scotch Egg served with a shellfish bisque, shaved fennel and apple, rainbow carrots and tender stem broccoli.

The presentation is beautiful, with all the dishes given a modern twist and the daily specials really showing off the busy kitchen team’s skills. There’s also a range of homebaked cakes and cupcakes on the bar for those who pop in for morning coffee, while the hotel’s famous High Tea is becoming more and more popular (David said: “We do an immense amount of High Teas!).

The premises are clean and classy - The Cliff has a five star hygiene rating - and the menu changes with the seasons.

Besides his busy core team, David Tumber takes on local apprentices and provides hands-on training, keen to show them how to create such appealing, appetising dishes.

Of course, first-rate food requires first class ingredients and The Cliff’s busy working kitchen always uses local suppliers including Swannington Farm to Fork, Accent Fresh, Steele Fine Foods and ACP Fishmongers.

David said: “A head chef is only as good as his team and I’m very fortunate – I’m surrounded by a great bunch of guys.”

The team’s rapport is evident, as is David’s impressive professional history – having grown up and trained in London, his CV includes such prestigious places as Chez Bruce and The River Café, while he’s also worked abroad, has TV experience and boasts a string of awards.

David said: “Gorleston is an up-andcoming place and there’s nowhere better to sit in the summer” – in fact, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant is soon to be refurbished and expanded, during which time there’ll be a pop-up restaurant in the hotel’s modern, new-look Music Room.

David is keen to stress that: “I don’t just write the menus on my own; I do it with

the team” and the food on offer caters for every taste and requirement, with plenty of vegetarian, gluten-free and children’s options.

And the desserts must get a mention – Chocolate Nemesis, served with thick crème fraiche; Vanilla Crème Brûlée with pink champagne and rhubarb compote; Almond and Ginger Syrup Cake; Sticky Toffee Pudding and a host of other tempting creations…

With dishes like this on offer, it’s no wonder that The Cliff has such a large local following, with word of its fabulous food also spreading far and wide.

BACK TO THE BOATHOUSE THE VILLAGE OF ORMESBY has long held a special place in my memories. As a young and single man, I used to make the monthly visit to the former Royal Oak pub in the village for the traditional jazz sessions, run with great enthusiasm by my old friend, the late Eric Clarke.

Sometimes, the band concerned would stay at Eric’s house and then, on Sunday lunchtimes, repair to another village pub, the Eel’s Foot, for an equally roisterous lunchtime session.

Just as the Oak is no more, neither is the Eel’s Foot. That’s not quite true; the old pub as we knew it has gone, but the glorious waterside setting of Ormesby broad has been, in my view, enhanced by the £2million redevelopment that has resulted in The Boathouse.

This has been achieved by Michael Minors and his wife Belinda, and is the sister restaurant to the well-established Waterside in nearby Rollesby.

The development team used the old pub building, but added a wedding venue, restaurant and bar, plus accommodation and three lodges – all complemented by that wonderful natural setting.

My wife and I have been to the Waterside a couple of times, so were delighted to get the chance to dine at The Boathouse. Arriving on a Friday evening, we found the car park pretty much full, with a wedding party in full swing (and, judging by the laughter, all having a jolly good evening!).

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James Spicer returns to a former jazz venue, and is delighted to see how it is prospering several decades on in its new form

Because the restaurant was so busy, we found ourselves in the bar area; no matter, though, as the menu for bar and restaurant is identical. You simply order at the bar, but your food is served as usual.

The atmosphere is very relaxing, with exposed brickwork, open fires and pine floors, but with the building’s heritage quite rightly echoed with a selection of lovely old photographs.

Greeted warmly by the young bar staff, we ordered a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£15.95) from the very reasonably priced wine list while we began to peruse the menu. I have a dislike of restaurants marking up wine excessively, but that criticism couldn’t be levelled at The Boathouse. The house white is a tempting £14.95, and even a bottle of Chablis is only £23.95 – a good deal less than you will pay in some other Norfolk restaurants.

Beer lovers won’t be disappointed, as there are local brews on draught from Wolf, at Attleborough, in the form of Boathouse bitter and Eel’s Foot, plus a selection of other popular beers and Aspall’s Cider.

Our starter choice didn’t take too long. My wife is nearly always drawn to fish and shellfish, so chose the tempura battered Tiger prawns, which were served with stir fry vegetables and a sweet Chilli and Coriander dressing (£6.95). I, on the other hand, am similarly seduced by cheese, so

ADVERTORIAL

For more information and to book, contact:

The Boathouse Ormesby Broad, Eels Foot Road Ormesby St. Michael, Norfolk, NR29 3LP Tel: 01493 730342 Email: info@theboathouseormesbybroad.co.uk

www.theboathouseormesbybroad.co.uk

the honey and thyme glazed baked Camembert, with sundried tomato and red onion chutney and toasted focaccia (£5.95) was just the ticket.

These were both excellent, and set the tone for the evening in terms of food presentation (those who watch MasterChef will know how important this is in today’s market). The Camembert was elegantly presented but, much as I love it served in this way, it can be rather tricky to eat, with the oozing cheese apt to go where it’s not really required!

Our mains took a bit more consideration. We could have chosen from the traditional pub menu, which serves dishes such as pulled pork brioche, fish and chips, burgers and pasta; but the gastro menu attracted us more, with its imaginatively conceived and well- presented dishes – congratulations are due all round to Ralph Hughes and his team in the kitchens.

My wife chose the harissa spiced chicken, served with Moroccan quinoa, sesame green beans and a salted lemon yoghurt (see what I mean by imaginative?) at £14.95; while my choice was slightly more orthodox – pan-fried seabass with lemon and dill crushed potato cake and tomato and brown shrimp fricasée, also £14.95.

Other choices could have included the tikka marinated cod loin with lemon and coriander fried rice, prawn bhaji, curried vegetables and spice tomato dressing (£15.95); or the venison and pheasant casserole, with Norfok Dapple cheese and herb scones, plus a seasonal vegetable platter (also £15.95).

Children are also catered for, with a selection of winners for the little ones, including chicken goujons, pasta, burgers and pizzas.

The dessert menu was particularly tempting.

Although we were both well satisfied by this time, we decided on the “two spoons” approach and shared a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake with ice cream. We could have chosen sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and clotted cream, a white chocolate brownie, or the cheese board – which, needless to say, had a strong Norfolk flavour with Binham Blue and Norfolk Dapple on it. Quite right, too!

While we enjoyed the evening menu, The Boathouse has a different daytime menu which adds a range of sandwiches to the evening bar menu starters, lighter mains and desserts. There is also a Sunday carvery from 12 to 6pm, and a wide vegetarian choice.

While our visit took place on a dark evening we could not enjoy the views – but we will be back in daylight to do just that…and to try some of those other delicious dishes!

Nb. Jazz will be back on the agenda at The Boathouse from May onwards when there’ll be live music every Friday featuring jazz, piano, guitarists and guest singers, all at no extra charge (booking advisable).

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SPRING INTO ACTION!

The warmer days and lighter nights bring a host of new ingredients ready to be transformed into delicious dishes. Richard Bainbridge from Benedicts Restaurant tells us more‌

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FOOD & DRINK

Richard Bainbridge

© KATJA BAINBRIDGE

is the chef proprietor of Benedicts Restaurant in Norwich www.restaurantbenedicts.com info@restaurantbenedicts.com or call 01603 926080

RECIPE SPRING IS IN THE AIR and, as we move into April, I can feel that the year is really starting to begin, with lighter mornings and brighter days. It’s great news, both as a family man and as a chef - at this time of year there’s something in the air that just puts a smile on my face and I can see that it’s having an effect on other people, too.

Walk through the streets and you’ll find that people have started to look up and smile at each other a little – as if they were in a secret society – with a nod to one other as if indicating that they’re aware of what is to come.

Everything is starting to look lusher and brighter now and, from a chef’s point of view, this is what it’s all about. In springtime, my mind starts to come alive with ideas of shoots, asparagus and, of course, spring lambs jumping and frolicking in the fields.

So with this in mind, I’ve chosen a dish for this month using confit lamb shoulder, one of the cheaper cuts of meat, but so full of flavour and with so many uses, hot or cold. Have a go at this recipe yourselves and put a spring in your step!

NORFOLK SPRING LAMB,

CAULIFLOWER & ROSEMARY Full of the new season’s flavours METHOD FOR THE CONFIT LAMB: Pre-heat the oven to 120C. Take the sea salt and liberally dust this on to a tray and then place the lamb on top and dust this with some more sea salt on top, too.

Leave the lamb to cure for two hours then wash it well under cold running water and dry it with a clean tea towel.

Place the oil into a large enough pot for the lamb then add the meat along with the garlic and herbs, making sure the lamb is completely submerged.

Place the meat into the low oven and cook for about four hours or until the lamb wants to fall off the bones.

At this point, remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest and cool overnight.

The next morning, remove the lamb from the oil and start to pick the meat off the bone, placing this into a bowl and adding a couple of tablespoons of the oil back into it - just enough to moisten it.

INGREDIENTS SERVES FOUR TO SIX

CONFIT LAMB

· 1 small lamb shoulder · Sea salt · 1 Bulb garlic · 1 Bunch of thyme · 1 Sprig of rosemary · 1.5 Litre vegetable oil

CAULIFLOWER

· 1 Cauliflower, trimmed and cleaned · 1 Bunch of rosemary ·2 50g Salted butter · 1 Small tub of yoghurt ·S alt and pepper for seasoning ·T o serve: spoon of sheep’s yoghurt seasoned with salt and white pepper

LAMB’S LETTUCE SALAD

· 250g Lamb’s lettuce, washed · 1 Small shallot, finely chopped · 50ml Olive oil · Tsp Dijon mustard · Tsp cider vinegar · Juice of one lemon

When you are ready to serve the dish, just warm the lamb back up (the idea is not to serve it hot - just warm).

Check for seasoning and fold though some fresh herbs at the last minute.

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER: Place the cauliflower into a large pot with a lid.

With the lid off to start with, add the butter to the cauliflower and then place the pot over a medium heat and allow the butter to colour.

Add the rosemary, turn down the heat and then place the lid on top and cook the cauliflower for 45 minutes or until it is well coloured on the bottom and lightly steamed and cooked on the top.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the cauliflower to cool a little before serving (serve in a bowl with the coloured side up, with a little of the butter dotted over it and the spoonful of sheep’s yoghurt on the side).

FOR THE LAMB’S LETTUCE SALAD: Place the Dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and the shallot into a bowl and whisk them together, slowly adding the oil bit by bit until you have a lovely simple dressing. Season with a little salt and pepper. When you are ready to serve, place the salad into a bowl and cover the leaves with a little of the dressing.

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OMELETTE ARNOLD BENNETT 1 62

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INGREDIENTS 3 Eggs 150g Smoked undyed haddock 200ml Double cream

Salt and pepper 25g Parmesan cheese 1tbsp Vegetable oil 1tbsp Chopped chives

IMPERIAL HOTEL

SIMON WAINWRIGHT, executive

head chef of the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth, whips up a delicious lunch for one

Photography by BARKERS PHOTOGRAPHIC, GORLESTON www.barkersphotos.co.uk

METHOD

First take the smoked haddock and remove any bones and skin (your fishmonger may do this for you) then place the fish in a saucepan and add the double cream.

Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer till cooked and then keep the liquid warm.

Meanwhile, finely grate the Parmesan.

Crack two of the eggs in a mixing bowl and separate the third egg, putting the yolk in with the other two eggs and the egg white into an additional mixing bowl. Mix the eggs and extra egg yolk thoroughly and then season with salt and pepper.

Place a small, heavy duty frying pan or omelette pan on the stove then whisk the extra egg white to a soft peak and fold it carefully into the other eggs, keeping as much air in as possible.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot pan then, once it is hot, pour in the egg mixture, turning the omelette with a fork immediately from the edge to the middle until it starts to set underneath.

Once the omelette is three quarters cooked, take a slice and fold this into a dish (the omelette should still look lightly cooked in the middle).

Cut the omelette down the middle, flake the smoked haddock in the cream and place this on top of the omelette.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 185C. Cook the dish for five to seven minutes until the omelette has souffléd then remove it from the oven, sprinkle it with chives and serve immediately.

WINE NOTES 2012 Montagny 1er Cru Olivier Leflaive Bonneveaux NICK MOBBS,

director and wine expert at the Imperial Hotel, says: OMLETTE ARNOLD BENNETT WAS CREATED FOR the eponymous author by the

chefs at London’s Savoy hotel, as Arnold Bennett was a frequent visitor there while writing his famous novels Grand Babylon Hotel and Imperial Palace.

However, as Bennett spent part of his life living and working in Paris, I thought the perfect match for this wonderful dish would be a white Burgundy.

With the rich flavours of the cheese, cream, smoked haddock and eggs, I have opted for an excellent wine from Olivier Leflaive.

The wine is Montagny 1er Cru Olivier Leflaive 2012 Bonneveaux. Olivier Leflaive is undoubtedly one of Burgundy’s top wine-makers, using biodynamic wine principles and making fantastic wine.

This wine comes from the Côte Chalonnaise, which is in the south of the region, and Bonneveaux is located in Buxy which has an excellent, sunny exposure and calcareous (chalky) marl soil which gives the vineyard ‘Premier Cru’ status.

The wine is made from 100 per cent chardonnay, and the grapes are harvested manually and then hand-sorted in the winery. The wine is then 70 per cent aged in the barrel with 15 per cent new oak for 12 months.

The result is a wonderful wine which is full and round on the palate with notes of minerality, spices and hazelnut. It’s a zesty wine with great acidity which cuts through the richness of the cream and the flavour of the haddock.

• 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

Relaxed fine dining with brand new menus created by Chef Patron Daniel Smith, located close to central Norwich in the South Norfolk village of Stoke Holy Cross.

RESTAURANT

01508 492497 WWW.THEWILDEBEEST.CO.UK Norwich Rd, 82-86 Stoke Holy Cross, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8QJ

RECIPE

Let our French chef Franck Pontais cook for your private dinner. Plus, for those who really enjoy cooking, he also offers masterclasses for all abilities in your own home.

More information is available at www.franckpontais.com

SALAD DAYS

GRILLED HALLOUMI SALAD

Warm salad of grilled halloumi cheese, garden peas, cooked tomatoes with garlic and thyme, rocket and grilled marinated artichoke.

This attractive dish by our talented French chef Franck Pontais is perfect for the on-set of spring

INGREDIENTS Serves two

For the main salad 100g Halloumi 50g Rocket 80g Cooked peas 60g Marinated, grilled artichoke 80g Vine tomatoes with garlic 30g Basil oil dressing Salt and pepper Fresh thyme to garnish

METHOD For the dressing:

1. Using a pulser/blender, pulse all the ingredients together for 40 seconds.

2. Pass the oil through a fine sieve/chinois and store it in the fridge until use.

For the main dish:

1. Chargrill the artichoke and then store it in olive oil until use.

2. Slice the halloumi cheese into slices and place these on the grill.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the other ingredients (apart from the tomatoes) in a bowl with the marinated artichoke, add the basil oil dressing and toss the salad, then season to taste.

4. Place the salad on the serving plate along with the hot, grilled halloumi cheese.

5. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and the cooked tomatoes and serve.

Photography by ANDREW FLORIDES www.andrewflorides.co.uk

For the basil oil dressing Half a bunch of fresh basil 150ml Olive oil Half a teaspoon cider vinegar 1 Pinch table salt Half pinch white ground pepper

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Kitchen Sense of Harleston For Quality Fitted Kitchens and Appliances

KITCHEN SENSE COMMON SENSE

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Your weekend just got more interesting!

Rooms from £77 for two!*

Table D’Hote Menu 3 courses £17.00 | 2 courses £14.50

Make a reservation – we’d be delighted to hear from you!

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LARGE FREE CAR PARK North Drive, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 1EG

01493 844568 www.burlington-hotel.co.uk For Accommodation,

28-30 Camperdown, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3JB www.andoverhouse.co.uk · 01493 843490 bookings@andoverhouse.co.uk *Offer based on 2 people sharing a room Friday to Sunday, including continental breakfast on selected weekends

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

THIS EASY-TO-MAKE, CLASSY COCKTAIL WILL PLEASE GIN-LOVERS EVERYWHERE. ITS INTENSE LEMON FLAVOUR IS DELICIOUS AND EXCEPTIONALLY MORE-ISH! Mixed by Charlie Dormer food and beverage manager and resident mixologist

INGREDIENTS

TO MAKE

50ml Gin

Fill a whisky glass or tumbler two-thirds full of crushed ice

25ml Limoncello Good dash of lemon juice Dash of sugar syrup*

Add the ingredients and stir vigorously Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint Then flame the lemon!** TOP TIPS

*To make sugar syrup, simply mix half boiling water and half sugar together **To flame a slice of lemon, take a thin slice of lemon peel, angle it towards the surface of the drink with a flame in front of it and give it a sharp squeeze. The flame will release the oil and add an intense burst of lemon flavour to take the cocktail to another level To adjust the sweetness of any cocktail, simply add more sugar syrup if it’s too sour and more lemon juice if too sweet. If it’s too dry, add a mixture of the two.

In association with

The Cliff Hotel, Gorleston www.thecliffhotel.co.uk

APRIL 2016

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ON COURSE FOR A GOOD TIME Enjoy a fabulous golfing break at one of Norfolk’s many top hotels

NORFOLK IS BLESSED with an array of marvellous golf courses.

Some are dotted around the coastline with links-style courses in and around the dunes, while others are located amid some of the county’s picturesque inland landscapes.

With a great tradition of hosting golfers, a number of the county’s leading hotels have courses attached to them or golfing facilities close to hand.

This offers a tremendous opportunity to turn a round of golf into a comfortable weekend or mid-week break, combining the challenges of the course with fine dining, friendly bars and restaurants, and spa and pool facilities.

In addition to well-maintained courses, most of the hotels have a resident professional offering top-class coaching or who can pass on advice to those seeking to improve both their game and their handicap.

They also have golf shops stocking those essential accessories alongside the latest equipment, clubs and clothing for all weathers.

Set in the heart of Norfolk, the four-star Barnham Broom Hotel with 46 recentlyrefurbished rooms is an established golfing venue with two 18-hole golf courses - The Hill and The Valley – as well as a spa, gym, pool and squash and tennis courts.

Barnham Broom Hotel’s business development manager Greg Hacon said: “The benefit of two courses means we can accommodate golfers of all abilities, from those just beginning to learn the game who will find the Hill course is more forgiving with its wider fairways, through to

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TRAVEL

those who are searching for a more challenging test of golf on the Valley course with its tree-lined fairways and extensive natural water hazards.

“The courses are complemented by practice facilities including three full-length academy holes, a dedicated short game area, and a fiveacre, open air grass range.”

Barnham Broom has a relaxed and modern feel with terraces, an attractive courtyard and two dining options: the Sports Bar for an informal bite to eat or post-round drink or the more formal Brasserie.

With a range of golf breaks on offer – including one and two-night packages – it is a great Norfolk retreat to enjoy a few rounds and relax, too.

A drive is currently on to encourage more women to take up the game of golf across Norfolk with an initiative called “Girls Golf Rock” offering a series of free girls’ taster sessions.

Backed by the Norfolk Ladies’ County Golf Association, Active Norfolk, England Golf Norfolk and HSBC Golf Roots, the sessions can be booked at www.getintogolf.org/girlsgolfrocks or by contacting individual venues.

With all equipment provided, sessions take place on April 2 at Branham Broom Golf Club at 11.30am to 12.30am and 1pm to 2pm and at the Royal Norwich Golf Club from 12pm to 1pm and 1pm to 2pm; at Dereham Golf Club from 1pm to 2pm on April 3; and on April 10 at the Marriott Sprowston Manor Hotel and Country Club from 11am to 1pm.

Sprowston Manor’s signature course was designed by famed golf architect Ross McMurray and features an inventive course layout and an array of challenging holes. The hotel, which has excellent spa facilities, also offers a range of golf breaks, including one-night, two-round golf breaks from £79, which include 18 holes of golf and dinner in the 1559 restaurant.

In the west of Norfolk, Heacham Manor Hotel is an Elizabethan manor house hotel and golf resort located less than a couple of miles

from Hunstanton with rooms that range in style from chic and modern to plush and traditional.

The hotel also has a casual bar and an upscale restaurant specialising in local, organic cuisine.

Heacham Manor Golf Course has been designed as an American-style links course for all levels of player and is intersected by two rivers, both of which feature on six of the 18 holes.

On the North Norfolk coast at West Runton, The Links Country Park Hotel is set in 35 acres of lightly wooded coastal parkland and combines a first class restaurant, hotel and leisure facilities for an ideal golf break.

A perfect base to explore the North Norfolk coast and play golf courses at Sheringham, Cromer, Brancaster and Hunstanton, the Links Hotel has its own on-site leisure facilities, including a golf course, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, gym and golf shop.

The nine-hole, par 66 golf course at the Links was designed in 1903 by five-time Open Champion J H Taylor who declared this: “one of the most sporting golf courses in Great Britain.”

Links Hotel guests booking bed and breakfast, and dinner, bed and breakfast stays receive free golf during their time there and PGA professional Dominic Dyer is on hand to provide lessons for members, residents and visitors of all abilities.

He said: “The Links Hotel is the perfect place to stay for a golfing break. Located in West Runton, it is less than 10 minutes from Royal Cromer Golf Club and Sheringham Golf Club which are two outstanding coastal courses.

“In addition, the hotel has its own nine-hole course and a sports bar, and a new leisure club has recently opened at the hotel which complements the existing swimming pool and tennis court.

Special offers include Play and Stay at £91 per person with one night’s dinner, bed and breakfast and unlimited golf at the Links; the Coastal Classic from £236 per person with two nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast and golf at the Links and Royal Cromer Golf Club; or the Norfolk Challenge from £330 per person with two nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast and golf at the Links, Royal Cromer and Sheringham Golf Club.

Golfers can also stay at the Links Hotel’s sister hotel, the 21-room Dales Country House Hotel, which lies in its own sheltered grounds on the edge of Upper Sheringham.

Meanwhile, set just south of Norwich, Dunston Hall is a stunning location for a luxury golf break.

With excellent restaurants, a spa and a refurbished gym, it has a 6,275 yard, par 71 USGArated course which contours around the estate.

Magnificent parkland fairways are dotted with trees and strategically placed bunkers, plus a 22bay floodlit driving range.

With four PGA golf professionals offering tuition to all levels of player, there’s always the chance to improve your game.

The 19th Hole Bunkers Bar has a relaxed clubhouse atmosphere and the golf shop is kitted out with contemporary and traditional golf wear, including the latest custom fit clubs and equipment.

With a range of exceptional golf courses linked to first class accommodation, leisure facilities and fine dining, Norfolk is the perfect location for a memorable golfing break.

APRIL 2016

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Maggie Bell and Dave Kelly an evening of blues, soul and good time music

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Main House Production: King Lear by William Shakespeare (part of our Shakespeare at 400 mini-festival)

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Blofeld and Baxter Rogues on the Road New show with many tales to tell

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Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondolier presented by East Norfolk Operatic Society

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BBC presenter & Historian Peter Snow

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A BRIGHT

FUTURE FOR

JENNIE JONES Leading independent estate agent Jennie Jones has opened extensive, bright, new offices on Saxmundham High Street, ideal for those buying and selling properties in this lovely part of Suffolk

JENNIE JONES is one of the area’s foremost estate agency firms specialising in Suffolk’s Heritage Coast and the surrounding countryside. Established by Jennie Jones herself in Southwold in 1993, the thriving business is now a partnership owned by Adrian Smith and Charles Latham, with the support of a highly dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable team.

The team is particularly proficient in the local area, with an in-depth local knowledge and understanding of the property market, and expertise in marketing a wide variety of properties, from one-bedroom apartments and town houses to large country homes – even the area’s much-coveted beach huts.

And thanks to the Saxmundham and Southwold sites, Jennie Jones’ staff are able to market a wide range of locations, too, from pretty inland villages and historic market towns to rural properties and those on the coast.

The company specialises in sales, purchases and lettings and also offers free market appraisals. It follows a number of core values based on the team’s knowledge and understanding of the industry, focusing on first-rate customer service, value for money and, most importantly, results.

Partner Adrian Smith says: “Selling your property involves some important decisions about a hugely valuable asset. Close communication and teamwork are key to a successful outcome.

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It also requires a great deal of hard work and organisation, so it really pays to talk to the right people from the outset.”

As the company’s website states: “Estate Agency is more than just a property business: it is a people business. Our clients are our business – we enjoy what we do and love the area we are doing it in!”

Over the years, Jennie Jones has embraced new technology and grown its business year on year. This year marks an important milestone for the company, as it responds to a significant shift in the marketplace, with the opening last month of brand new premises on Saxmundham High Street (the company used to have a branch in Aldeburgh, but the Aldeburgh and Saxmundham offices have merged, with all staff now working together at the new Saxmundham premises).

The company’s fundamental strength, however, is the same as it was when the firm began: a staff of friendly, experienced professionals with extensive local knowledge who support both sellers and buyers through the whole process from first enquiry to completion.

Adrian Smith said: “As one of Suffolk’s leading estate agents, we understand how a vendor can maximise the value of their property and how careful preparation can make the whole process run more smoothly.

ADVERTORIAL

“We know that 90 per cent of potential buyers start their property search online, therefore keeping up-to-date with the latest digital marketing techniques to make sure the properties are being targeted at the right audience is paramount, whilst maintaining a high level of personal service.”

Consequently Jennie Jones embraces the latest technology, and virtual tours and videos of the properties on their books are standard.

Adrian added: “We will continue to support and develop the increase in local demand, whilst expanding our online presence.”

The firm deals in all sorts of properties, from those for first time buyers to those looking to retire.

And with such lovely coast and country areas on their doorstep, second homes and holiday houses are also very much in demand.

Adrian said: “Our flagship Southwold office will continue to manage sales in the town itself and in the surrounding towns, villages and countryside.”

Meanwhile, the brand new premises in Saxmundham (pictured on opposite page) are a welcome addition to this charming market town.

Adrian confided: “Being an independent company, free from shareholder pressure, is a huge advantage, enabling us to respond with agility to important changes.”

But there is no real substitute for personal service and with the staff all local to the area and sharing a sound understanding of the market generally, the team is able to match people to suitable properties so that everyone achieves the outcome they’re looking for.

So with their new Saxmundham offices open in time for the busy spring season, and their flagship Southwold premises as busy as ever, both Jennie Jones and their customers have plenty to look forward to this year.

JENNIE JONES

Southwold Office 75 High Street, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6DS Tel: 01502 722065 Email: southwold@jennie-jones.com Saxmundham Office 26 High Street, Saxmundham, Suffolk IP17 1AB Tel: 01728 605511 Email: saxmundham@jennie-jones.com

www.jennie-jones.com

A SOJURN IN SAXMUNDHAM A special Suffolk charm and warmth and some delightful buildings makes Saxmundham a pleasant place to visit, says James Spicer

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT “UNSPOILED” TOWNS AND VILLAGES we generally mean it in the nicest possible way. Places that maintain a special atmosphere and personality can often be interpreted as somewhere living in the past.

But is that such a bad thing? It is something particularly noticeable in East Anglia, and Suffolk is no exception. It is certainly true of Saxmundham, sitting peacefully, as it does, just off the busy A12.

Very much part of the Suffolk Heritage coastal area, it is an historic market town with all the inherent charms the visitor would expect – a mix of fine, old buildings and houses which invite us to get out of the car and wander for a while to take it all in.

It doesn’t take long to discover that Saxmundham may be a quiet little town, but there really is everything here that is needed for everyday living. There is a decent range of shops and eateries; plus banks, building societies, financial advisors and solicitors.

And, being a market town, Saxmundham does have a market! It takes place on Wednesdays in the Market Place, just off the High Street, adjacent to the Bell Hotel, and offers two hours of free parking. What better incentive to visit?

The range of stalls includes nuts and dried fruit, fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, flowers and garden plants, sweets, and a delicious stall selling fabulous bread and pastries. You can also buy home-made marmalades, honey, fudge, flour and so on and there is also a home-made cake stall in the lovely old Market Hall.

Photography by JENNIE JONES

TOWN FOCUS

The market is owned by the town council, but was formerly privately run by a local family. While it is flourishing, the council needs more stallholders, either indoors or outdoors. Musicians would also be welcome to play at the market.

Food shopping is no problem here – the town has both a Waitrose and a Tesco which operate fairly discreetly away from the High Street with its more traditional shops. There, arts and crafts are well represented; there is also a cycle shop – reflecting cycling’s current popularity as a sport or leisure pursuit – plus a florist and several shops offering quirky homewear and clothing.

Saxmundham also has a comprehensive range of cafés and restaurants, offering all types of familiar cuisine. Or, for those who fancy a coffee and a snack, you don’t need to look far for those either. There is more than adequate car parking nearby – for example the station car park offers space at £1 for two hours.

But, should locals feel the need to go further afield, Saxmundham sits on the East Suffolk rail line, which links Lowestoft and Ipswich and offers connections, via Ipswich, to the main London line into Liverpool Street. And the station couldn’t be more conveniently placed, just off the town centre.

The railway reached Saxmundham in

1859 with through services to London and Yarmouth Southtown (then still in Suffolk) and Lowestoft, and a branch line off to Leiston and Aldeburgh. At the time very substantial goods traffic, mainly of agricultural produce, was brought to the station from the surrounding villages. The Beeching “axe” was responsible for the closure of the northern end of the main line from Beccles to Yarmouth and the branch line closed in 1966. Thankfully, the line from Lowestoft via Saxmundham to Ipswich and London survives, to the immense benefit of the town and its surrounding communities.

There is also a comprehensive bus service; but motorists will not need to travel far to visit places of interest, both inland and on the coast, such as Southwold, Walberswick, Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings.

The latter, with its Benjamin Britten connections and world-famous concert hall, has done much to popularise this area of East Anglia. There is plenty there to attract the tourist, including some good shopping, plus some enchanting short walks around the surrounding marshland.

But what of Saxmundham’s history?

Due to the scarcity of early written records, little is known of its early past. The name suggests a Saxon foundation; an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of English place names gives its origin as Seismund’s Ham – being the settlement of an otherwise unrecorded Saxon war lord.

But Saxmundham is duly recorded in the Little Domesday Book of 1086. In the same set of entries the town is spelt variously as Samundeham, Sasmundeham, Sasmundesham and Saxmondeham.

Geographically, the town lies in the valley of and mainly westward of a minor watercourse, the River Fromus, which flows south into the Alde. It consists of a principal High Street, with its extensions called North and South Entrance, an encroached Market Place (the Charter dates back to 1272, in the reign of Edward II) and successive extensions west and north-westwards.

The present parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, is a distinguished building, but not in the first rank of Suffolk wool churches. The church has a fine perpendicular octagonal font, some Flemish painted-glass roundels, and minor monuments by the great sculptors Nollekens and Westmacott. Other monuments include some carved by the skilled mason Thomas Thurlow who lived and worked in the town in Victorian times.

Other ancient buildings exist in the town, notably in South Entrance and Chantry Road.

Development in Albion Street and Rendham Road began in 1848 and includes a substantial Congregational (now URC) chapel of 1850, with a small burial ground at the rear.

Much of the building and development history of the town has yet to be researched, but an interesting Town Trail is available (for more details visit: www.saxmundham. org/touristinfo/towntrail.html). This is a pleasant walk taking about an hour, enabling the historic core of the town to be viewed, including the original railway station buildings, and the remains of Saxmundham’s windmill which last worked in 1907.

Large parts of the High Street and some parts of the Market Place remain little changed when compared to photographs of more than a century ago.

Now, Saxmundham describes itself as ‘The Hub of the Heritage Coast’; but it is also a pleasant and unassuming town with around 4,000 friendly inhabitants, who enjoy an excellent rural quality of life, a good range of shops and facilities, many thriving local societies, and good transport links.

APRIL 2016

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www.coulbyinteriors.co.uk

HOMES & INTERIORS

HOT TIPS FOR COOL KITCHENS

5. Think about what will add value. For example, there is a strong move towards open plan living and this is something that is unlikely to change. Increasing a room’s sense of space and light will always add value, while a beautiful stone work surface will also always be desirable.

6. Work out a realistic budget and stick to it (always allowing a contingency). Whilst my clients can, quite rightly, be very cautious about spending their money initially, by the end of the project I am often the one trying to curtail their spending as it is so easy to over-spend.

Whether you employ a designer or devise your new kitchen yourself, Rebecca Coulby advises plenty of forward planning

VISIT

WWW.CO ULBYIN T ERIO RS.CO.UK

7. Concentrate on the products and services rather than the price itself. Look at the quality of materials supplied within your quotes to ensure you are getting the best value for money.

1. When creating a new kitchen, remember the mantra “form follows function”. It is very easy to reach for glossy magazines or head for showrooms and focus on the more fun aspects of kitchen design, but it is far more important to agree on the overall layout that works for you first.

2. Try to view the space objectively. We get very used to the spaces we occupy and finding ways to cope with them becomes automatic. But this can lead us into repeating mistakes. For example, if your kitchen is too small to allow seating, but you feel this is important then, before simply replacing your units and worktops, investigate the rooms surrounding your kitchen, including the outside space.

Could you extend or knock through a wall to create a far more suitable kitchen for your investment?

8. Avoid false economies. For example; whilst it is sometimes possible to just replace kitchen doors, if the kitchen cabinets or carcasses are old they will have probably warped with time and use and you may find the new doors don’t fit correctly. Or worse still, you may end up having to pay an installation charge all over again within a short amount of time. Also as a general rule, avoid the sales. There are good deals to be had, but consider why certain kitchen units and doors are on sale – are they the end of the line, or a “fashion” kitchen that is likely to date? Also, are you likely to receive a proper design service if the staff are rushed off their feet?

Could you end up making a snap decision because the price was so good but actually not end up with what you really wanted?

9 Don’t be afraid to mix old with new. The world of architecture is all about this – such as a beautiful bare brick wall against a sharp-edged piece of glass, a reclaimed wooden floor with sleek and modern gloss kitchen units. A good designer will enjoy this challenge and create an entirely unique design for you.

10. Choose your supplier and team carefully. All your hard work and financial planning can be undone all too quickly by poor workmanship and the build and installation process. Are you getting qualified and experienced tradespeople? How about a project-managed service? Do you know what would happen if things go wrong? Get references and testimonials where possible and make sure you have a full understanding of the service that is being offered to avoid disappointment.

3. Plan your kitchen with your future needs in mind. Flexible seating is one such example – it may not work for you to have a bar with bar stools now if you have a young family, but within a couple of years your little ones could love sitting up at a bar to eat!

4. Make choices for longevity. Opt for classic materials and soft tones and colours that shouldn’t date – that way you are more likely to see a sound return for your investment.

77

MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN WHITEWASHED WALLS, EARTHY TONES AND BRIGHT BLUE DOORS that reflect

the sea and sky all epitomise Mediterranean style. The dry, hot summers and warm, wet winters enable droughttolerant plants such as bougainvillea, pelargoniums, rosemary and lavender to grow in abundance, while olive trees and the iconic stone pine stand proud in the landscape.

Terracotta pots, stone planters and Moorish design add the finishing touches, and the entire scene is set for perfect outdoor living and dining – British weather permitting!

HAYLEY & JENNIFER are homeware buyers

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Parlane, Yasmine planter £15 The chunky, weathered look and the Moorish feel of this plant holder perfectly encapsulate the mood of the Med. 15.5cms x 15.5cms.

Glass teardrop oil drizzler £12 Sinuous and graceful, this oil server would add the perfect finishing touch to any table setting.

Parlane, Althea Terra purple vase £10, purple bowl £35 A subtle, high gloss crackled glaze on this pretty pastel range gives it a unique appeal.

The cute vase is 16cms high and the bowl is 12.5cms x 26cms.

Kitchencraft olive oil bottles £6.50 Flavour your dishes with a taste of Tuscany from these stylish bottles.

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INTERIORS

Walton & Co lightweight throws from £35 In a natural and pastel fabric mix with stunning fringing, these throws drape beautifully on any piece of furniture or style of bed.

Parlane, Pithoi-style large planter with stand £115 Reminiscent of the ancient world, this striking pot is a real statement piece.

Parlane, potted mini topiary £9 each How cute and no need to water either!

Walton & Co cushions £25 each The intricately drawn flower heads look stunning on the lightweight cotton covers of these stylish, feather-filled cushions.

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THE ALBATROS IS A TRADITIONAL Dutch cargo ship from 1899. Instead of sailing the high seas she is now permanently moored alongside The Quay in Wells and used as a Dutch style cafe, bar, restaurant, music venue and B&B, offering one of the most entertaining ways to spend a couple of hours (or a couple of nights) on the North Norfolk coast. The restaurant serves an extensive choice of sweet and savoury Dutch pancakes and other Dutch specialities for lunch and dinner. Guests can sit below deck in the cosy bar area or outside on the main deck with fantastic views over harbour and marshes. It’s a great place to experience something a bit different!

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Imagination into Reality

West Caister OIEO £300,000

Somerleyton Guide Price £415,000

Sympathetically extended and renovated 3 bedroom cottage, by an award winning architect in the pretty hamlet of West Caister. Originally built in 1843. This property has outstanding views out over open countryside to Breydon water and Burgh Castle in the distance. Two receptions off road parking, pretty garden, outside storage, courtyard, and a wealth of period features.

Architecturally stunning 4 bedroom former show home of the prestigious Ferrymans Grange development, in the sort after village of Somerleyton in Suffolk. Boasting four bedrooms & two bathrooms, Master to en-suite and two reception rooms large garden double garage and ample off road parking.

Your Move Oliver James 26-28 New Market, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9HD Tel 01502 273273

PROPERTY

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Our new property columnist Neil MacLennan, director of sales at Oliver James Premier Homes, considers the best time of year to sell your home “​WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO PUT A PROPERTY ON THE MARKET?”

This is the one question that I get asked the most and I think that my answer will surprise you.

The true answer to this question is when it most suits the vendor’s individual circumstances.

Each of the seasons has its own idiosyncrasies, which I will explain in detail, and then you can make your own mind up.

Personally, I would put my house on the market when it most suited what I was trying to achieve, but the most important factor to remember is that you should put your house on the market before you start to look for somewhere else. There are benefits at each time of year, so let’s look at each season in turn:

SPRING

This has always been the favoured time of the year to launch a house to the market (and there will be plenty of buyers eager to move before the new school term starts) and, as we all know, the days are getting longer, the weather – generally speaking – will be improving and the garden will be coming to life.

The big downside to this, however, is that everybody else is going to be doing exactly the same thing, so a potential buyer will have a lot more houses from which to choose.

SUMMER

The biggest plus points for going to market during the summer are that the sun should be shining and, as we all know, things always look better when it’s sunny; gardens will also be at their very best at this time of year. You may find, however, that there will be some urgency for those buyers who have to accommodate getting their children into their first choice of schools, so completion could be stressful.

Another potential downside to launching a property in the summer is that lots of buyers are going to be taking their summer holidays and so could well be away on holiday as your property hits the market. On the flipside, you could well wish to be away during this time, too, so make sure your agent is happy to take on accompanied viewings for you.

AUTUMN

This is a very important time of the year and one of the busiest in estate agency, although it can be a short season because of the cut-off time for customers wishing to move into their new home by Christmas.

It’s worth bearing in mind, then, that if you don’t want to be moving a week before Christmas, you will need to agree a sale on your property before the second week of October at the very latest.

Generally speaking, autumn is one of the high points of the year for property completions and so it is also when the workload will be the highest for both solicitors and conveyancers.​

WINTER

Winter is commonly regarded as the most difficult time of year to launch a property for the simple reason that the garden won’t be at its best and the days will be shorter and colder. However, you can play to your property’s strengths at this time of year. If you have “The most real fires or log burners, make sure important factor that these are always lit when the to remember is viewings take place and that the that you should heating is on and turned up nice and put your house warm. on the market Another very important factor is before you that there will be the least amount of start to look for for sale during the winter somewhere else” properties months and therefore your house will stand out from the crowd.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the people who are still viewing houses during December, say, have probably had something go wrong with the house that they were going to purchase and so they will be the most motivated buyers that you will ever meet!

So if you ask me “when is the best time to sell my home?” my answer, quite simply, is now.

Neil MacLennan YOUR MOVE PREMIER HOMES 26-28 New Market, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9HD Tel: 01502 273273 • Mob: 07768 003614 www.your-move.co.uk APRIL 2016

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Offers In Excess Of £350,000

Set in the coastal village of Kessingland is this unique Grand Designs-style property offering MODERN, ultra-energy efficient living. Could this be the DREAM home you’ve been searching for? Comprising a reception hallway with cloakroom / WC, large lounge with bi-folding doors opening out onto the garden & an OPEN-PLAN kitchen / diner that also has bi-folding doors out onto the garden with a separate utility. 3 OVERSIZE bedrooms, bathroom & master bedroom with ensuite. Double glazed windows & GCH throughout. Laid to lawn gardens & driveway. Should you like to know more information &/or perhaps wish to arrange a convenient time to view

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This individually designed and built property on Beach Road in Kessingland offers elevated views of the coast and countryside

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APRIL 2016

It’s not often that such a fabulous contemporary home such as this comes up for sale.

Located on Beach Road in Kessingland, Lowestoft, Kingscote is an independently designed and built home boasting plenty of light and space as well as fantastic views.

This Grand Designs-style chalet property has a wealth of wonderful features, from Italian porcelain tiles with underfloor heating to a beautiful, hand-built solid oak staircase which leads up to the first floor, open-plan lounge.

There are five double bedrooms, two bathrooms (including the master en-suite) and a spacious wet room and sauna, as well as a carpeted mezzanine floor which provides plenty of cosy corners for relaxing.

The outside space is equally impressive, with lawned gardens, a large driveway and an over-sized double garage.

Add in quality fixtures and fittings and this remarkable place makes the perfect modern home.

The kitchen/breakfast room and utility are modern and stylish and the 25ft restored well, located in the entrance hall, makes a fabulous talking point.

Plus there’s a roomy hallway and porch, together with a double-aspect dining room, with uPVC double-glazed windows and doors throughout the property adding both warmth and tranquillity.

The first floor lounge is a fabulous space for family and friends, with the French doors opening on to a private side balcony, while larger bi-folding doors open out into the sun room – an incredible space with a wonderful, pitched, double-height ceiling that provides far-reaching views

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

over Kessingland beach, the sea and the lovely Suffolk countryside. There’s also a larger balcony overlooking the land and seascapes, with this light and airy home affording fabulous views.

Put simply, this contemporary property needs to be seen to be believed – believe us, it’s well worth a look!

Viewings strictly by appointment only with Ange & Co.

ESTATE AGENT

Kingscote in Lowestoft is for sale with Ange & Co Independent Estate Agent, Ivy Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, NR33 8QH. Tel: 01502 576840.

Email: info@angeandco.co.uk Website: www.angeandco.co.uk

ASKING PRICE

Kingscote is a freehold property priced at £999,999.

IN A NUTSHELL

This Grand Designs-style chalet property has many fabulous features. Its south-facing aspect affords wonderful views of the surrounding area, while its openplan spacious rooms are highly versatile. With five double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a wet room/sauna and contemporary first floor accommodation, this bright, sunny property is both chic and contemporary. Add in lawned gardens, a large driveway, an over-sized double garage and plenty of storage and you have the perfect modern home.

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HERE COMES THE SUN! April is known for its sunshine and showers and it’s Ellen Mary’s favourite time of year…

It’s time to start hardening off your seedlings. They need to get used to the outdoors after being in warmer temperatures undercover. I usually place mine on my patio during the warmer days and put them back under cover late afternoon for a couple of weeks. This will help no end when you finally plant them outside after the frosts have passed.

Cosmos, snapdragons and nasturtiums can all be planted out this month as long as they are kept well sheltered. All bring vibrancy and colour to garden borders. One of my favourites is the Chocolate Cosmos with dark, almost black petals and the scent of chocolate. Bees and butterflies love them as well; not only that, but they are beautiful as a cut flower, so definitely worth a try.

It’s time to give your lawn a trim on a dry day. However, I have seen too many people get carried away and cut it too short – it’s a disaster for your grass! Keep the blades on your mower high and give the edges a trim to neaten everything up. Give it a good feed and gradually lower the blades over the coming month.

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Fruit & Vegetables

Wildlife Gardening

Keep potting on your tomatoes before they get to their final planting pot. It’s tempting to skip this step, but it’s essential to ensure the roots don’t rot if they are swamped with compost.

Pot them on to only the next pot size up and use a cane and ties for essential support.

Hopefully you’ve been chitting your potatoes so they can be planted out either in the ground or in growbags. As much as digging up potatoes is fabulous, there is something very rewarding harvesting from a small space, so growbags are perfect for potatoes. They need to be planted about 15cm deep in the ground or in a growbag with only a third of the bag full of compost. As the foliage grows, keep adding more compost until you are near the top of the bag.

Growing your own herbs is an easy way to add flavour to your cooking. There are so many different types to try and most can be grown in borders, raised beds or pots, so the options are vast. Why not try coriander for your curries, parsley for your fish dishes and mint in a summer mojito? Either grow from seed or buy plants with an established root system from your local garden centre.

While ensuring our garden birds have plenty of fresh water available, we mustn’t forget that bees also need a drink, especially as they will be getting busy in the garden.

Small, very shallow dishes with stones in and then filled with water give bees a great place to land and sip a drink in the sun.

Encouraging biodiversity in your space is the best way to help all creatures in the garden. Thinking about the plants, trees and hedging that will both shelter and feed birds and other garden visitors should definitely be on your list, but one colourful way of helping out with minimal effort is to sow wildflowers. There is a huge variety available and if you sow these where grass can also grow through the flowers, it’s great for some of our beautiful butterflies.

Leaving some areas of your garden undisturbed can help all wildlife no end.

It’s tempting to start tidying everything up this month, but hedges and shrubs should not be cut back now until after the nesting season to ensure you are not disturbing any birds busily building their nesting places.

GARDENING

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a trip to see some If you fancy taking succulents, plants with hardy tropical and arid over 70 an imula theatre d bamboo, ferns, pr rt World se De to er ov olia, head varieties of magn S open NG Downham for their ch Gardens in Santon ea .50 £3 at ril 3. Priced day on Sunday Ap rg.uk s.o ng w. ww at: More (children go free).

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COMPETITION

A CHAMPAGNE MEAL FOR TWO at Great Yarmouth Racecourse’s glamorous Ladies’ Night on July 13!

The premier Trafalgar Restaurant at Great Yarmouth Racecourse is the ideal location to soak up the Ladies’ Night atmosphere whilst enjoying a sumptuous three-course meal and a glass of champagne.

Set in picturesque surroundings, Great Yarmouth Racecourse can be found on the east coast of Norfolk and is only a few hundred yards from the stunning coastline and beach. Hosting a range of flat horse racing fixtures from June to October, this popular seaside venue offers an excellent day or evening at the races for couples, families, friends, corporate customers and tourists in a wide range of facilities to accommodate everyone.

Steeped in history, the racecourse has been operating in its current location since 1920, but racing at South Denes first took place in the town as early as 1715. With a one mile straight and free draining soil, the racecourse has always attracted quality horses from the nearby Newmarket training yards, as well as the country’s top jockeys.

And there is no better way to enjoy the racing than at the fabulous Ladies’ Night on Wednesday, July 13 when hats and heels will be in abundance followed by live music on the lawns straight after the last race. So dress to impress for a quality night out, hopefully with a few winners, and don’t forget those dancing shoes!

Places & Faces® has teamed up with Great Yarmouth Racecourse to offer a complimentary three-course meal for two adults on Ladies’ Night including Premier Admission and a bottle of house champagne. To enter, simply answer the question below and send your answer, along with your contact details, by email to: competitions@placesandfaces.co.uk or by post to: Places & Faces, H2Creative Media Ltd, Humberstone House, 47 Englands Lane, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 6BE. Please submit your entry by the end of April 2016 latest and good luck!

QUESTION: In what year did racing first take place at South Denes in Great Yarmouth?

For more information on Great Yarmouth Racecourse, email: info@greatyarmouth-racecourse.co.uk, call: 01493 842527 or visit the website at: www.greatyarmouth-racecourse.co.uk Terms & Conditions: The above prize is only valid at Ladies’ Night on Wednesday, July 13 2016. Entrants must be over 18 and there is no cash alternative. Great Yarmouth Racecourse would like to contact you with information about future events. If you would rather not be contacted by Great Yarmouth Racecourse, please include the words “opt out” on your entry.

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A NEW DIMENSION Alexanders College in Bawdsey offers a wealth of educational opportunities to its students and will be opening its successful summer school to British students for the very first time this year

ALEXANDERS COLLEGE Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AZ Tel: 01394 412393 www.alexanderscollege.co.uk

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Alexanders College offers a unique educational experience.

Bringing a successful community of learners together from

all corners of the world, it invites pupils to study and stay in an exceptional environment, yet also lay the foundation of friendships and a network that will last a lifetime.

Students form a tight bond centred around the college on the site of Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk.

Headmaster Graham Gamble explained: “Alexanders College has been, and always will be, a community with a welcoming, international atmosphere.

“What sets us apart is not that we have international pupils but that they, and the internationally-minded staff who teach them, are the life and soul of our school. We have made our British education talk to the world.

“This apparently diverse community nonetheless forms a very tight bond with each other as they work, live and play together. Extraordinarily strong and lasting relationships have been formed amongst our student body, relationships and networks that have stretched across continents and lasted decades.”

Alexanders College, with 85 pupils currently enrolled, is an independent boarding and day school for children aged 11 to 18.

The school occupies part of Bawdsey Manor, built by Sir Cuthbert Quilter in the late 19th century, and the buildings around it.

For much of the 20th century the manor and estate formed a Royal Air Force base, first as part of the chain of radar defences around the country and then to train fighter controllers during the Cold War. Mr Gamble explained: “When the Toettcher family bought Bawdsey Manor in the 1990s, they started the school as a centre for English language classes for overseas boarders, and GCSE, A-Levels and a full curriculum were offered not long after that.”

But beyond a good education, he believes it offers broader opportunities.

He describes the opportunity to create a strong global network of likeminded people who interact across lifetime as “unparalleled.”

New students to Alexanders College will discover that they can become part of this network.

He added: “Because we are small in size, our students have exceptional opportunities to get involved in any and every kind of activity, from representing their school in athletics or academic competitions to taking the lead in the school play - often on the same day!

“For the energetic, enthusiastic young person, the opportunities for enrichment are numerous. Nor should we forget the exquisite charm and romance of the site itself. Many of our boarders’ bedrooms look on to the North Sea; in the other direction is the River Deben.

“There are few more beautiful spots to attend school in England and our pupils become deeply fond of their temporary home, as their numerous photographs testify.”

In terms of academic success and progress of pupils, Alexanders College has an excellent track record of sending pupils to the best British universities, including medical school and Cambridge.

“This year, we also have those who are ambitious to train as doctors and dentists, besides others who will gain places at prestigious hotel schools in Europe - appropriate study destinations for our very worldly pupils,” added Mr Gamble.

Alexanders College has also held a successful summer school for a number of years for overseas pupils with the opportunity to take part in activities such as sailing and horse riding in the beautiful Suffolk countryside in the warm summer months.

“What is different this year,” added Mr Gamble, “is that, for the first time, we are making this attractive offering available to British students too.

“We want to share the fun of activities - or just lazing around and making friends - on Bawdsey Quay with our local community. We want to give Suffolk Coastal teenagers the unforgettable memory of an Alexanders’ summer.”

Activities available at the summer school this year include the opportunity to participate in water sports such as sailing, kayaking and rafting, all operating out of the school’s own Boathouse.

In addition, there are activities such as horse riding, on-site activities such as football, volleyball, dance, music and art. “Above all, there’s the chance to enjoy some matchless opportunities to socialise with the fantastic global community that descends on Bawdsey Quay each summer,” said Mr Gamble.

While there are many independent boarding schools, Alexanders College adds a new dimension to that by delivering education with true internationalism for the 21st century.

To discover what it might be like to live and learn at Alexanders College during the academic year, or to find out more about our Summer Camp, please email admissions@alexanderscollege.co.uk/ summer@alexanderscollege.co.uk or call 01379 412393.

ADVERTORIAL

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At Gresham’s, we always strive for excellence.

So we’re delighted to have received an ‘Excellent’ rating from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in all nine categories, across all three schools – Nursery and Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior.

‘Excellent’ is the ISI equivalent of an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating.

To find out more about a Gresham’s education, join us at one of our Spring Open Mornings.

EDUCATION

An apprenticeship can be the first step on to the career ladder and there are plenty of options available…

AIMING

HIGH

F

OR ANY TEENAGER, finding a job that will be rewarding, fulfilling and challenging may not be that easy in the current climate.

There is competition for sought-after posts, and young people – particularly those living in more isolated parts of the eastern region – might also struggle to find the funds to travel to workplaces in remoter locations.

Finding out about jobs, or knowing where to look for work, may also be a challenge, but one route into the workplace for a new generation of jobseekers is through apprenticeships.

As a work-based method of training for those over 16, they offer young people the opportunity to learn a trade or profession, work alongside experienced personnel, earn their first wage and potentially open the door to a full-time position and a career.

For employers, apprenticeship schemes offer access to enthusiastic and committed young people who are seeking jobs and want to make a contribution to their new workplace.

Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of occupations and professions, from engineering, electrical and plumbing trades, to the energy sector, and in the catering, hospitality and tourism industry as well as a whole range of other jobs.

One of the top performing places for apprenticeships is Lowestoft College.

Evidence of its success in bridging the gap between education and local industries was highlighted with figures - released ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, which ran from March 14 to 18 - showing its apprenticeship provision is 13 per cent above the national average.

The college views apprenticeships as vital to the future of businesses in the UK and works closely with employers to offer them a broad range of apprenticeship pathways to suit their industries and sectors.

Over the last 12 months Lowestoft College has seen a 22 per cent growth in apprenticeship numbers and classroom-based student success rates have increased by 5 per cent.

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Jo Pretty, principal and chief executive officer at Lowestoft College, said: “Our successful apprenticeship scheme gives apprentices a clear career path and understanding of what they can achieve in their role.

“Working closely with employers, we develop and deliver exciting, innovative apprenticeship programmes that are designed to meet the needs of businesses in the area.”

Her message to employers is clear: “An apprentice is a great way to invest in your company’s future and ensure employees have the skills and qualifications needed in the coming years.”

Lowestoft College offers over 650 apprenticeships each year, equipping apprentices and businesses with the skills they need for the future of their industry and is dedicated to supporting the Government’s pledge to create three million apprenticeships, to strengthen the economy, by 2020.

Elsewhere, Norwich City College also has a strong record in helping young people find apprenticeships.

The college’s assistant principal for diversification and founder of the college’s renowned Hotel School and Debut Restaurant, Steve Thorpe, has been involved in helping numerous young people find work in the hotel and catering industry, and sees major advantages in the Government-funded apprenticeship schemes.

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With funding available, apprenticeships offer great advantages for smaller businesses such as those in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector to help young people start work.

Students often attend college on day release as part of their normal working week for “off-the-job” training and skills development, including working on numeracy and literary skills.

“There are opportunities to progress and we have examples where people have started as 16-year-old apprentices, perhaps worked as a kitchen assistant, and are now head chefs or owning their own businesses,” Mr Thorpe said.

Young people can access apprenticeships in a number of ways – some young people will go to an employer with their CV and ask if they have a job and will train as an apprentice, while others will apply to college because they want an apprenticeship or find an apprenticeship through college.

“The majority of apprentices do tend to get meaningful work, and brilliant training,” said Mr Thorpe. “It is a great opportunity and if they work at a job and show commitment, employers will reward them.”

City College students have found apprenticeships at restaurants across Norwich and Norfolk, in gastro pubs and elsewhere in the hospitality sector.

“Apprenticeships are very important, they are opportunities for people to develop their skills,” he added. “At 16, it can be difficult to work out

what a person wants to do – but apprenticeships can help.

In a large, rural county such as Norfolk, mobility and transport costs can become an issue, but to aid apprentices getting to potential workplaces, there are schemes in place that can provide support.

For example, the Kickstart Norfolk scheme, based in Dereham, hires mopeds out to help job seekers get to work in more remote locations of the county not necessarily served by regular public transport links.

Prices are affordable and can make the difference between a person accepting a job or not, and recently Kickstart Norfolk has extended the scheme with special rates for those young people on apprenticeships.

Kickstart Norfolk, the largest and only sustainable wheels to work programme in the country, started as a non-profit organisation in 1996 and in 2003 became a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It now assists more than 400 applicants.

Apprentices are aged 16 or over and combine working with studying for a work-based qualification - from GCSEs or equivalent up to degree level – and they can be new or current employees.

Employers can get a grant or funding to employ an apprentice; they must pay the apprentice at least the minimum wage during their placement, but they should also ensure the apprentice works with experienced staff,

EDUCATION

learns job-specific skills and studies for a work-based qualification during their working week, such as at a college or training organisation.

Apprenticeships can last from one to four years, depending on the level of qualification the apprentice is studying for, and employers looking to hire an apprentice should register their interest in employing an apprentice with the National Apprenticeship Service.

Young people can apply for an apprenticeship while still at school and to start one, applicants must be 16 or over, living in England, and not in full-time education.

Great Yarmouth College (GYC) is another leading provider of apprenticeships across all industry sectors and in recent years has seen placements grow in number from 150 to over 600 with about 400 employers.

This increase is attributed to strong links with local employers and the appropriate selection, placement and assessment of apprentices. The team at the College also highlights a number of factors as being critical to success in this area such as: assessors directly employed by the College and being industry-trained and qualified; centralised management and co-ordination of apprenticeships, leading to consistent service delivery; GYC undertaking regular visits and being flexible in its approach in order to meet employers’ needs; and providing clear progression routes and advice as well as supporting apprentices from Level 2 right up to higher apprenticeships at Levels 4 and 5.

Higher and degree apprenticeships can be a great alternative to university and include the achievement of academic and vocational qualifications and learning from Level 4 upwards.

GYC offers apprenticeships at degree level, the latest model to be developed as part of higher apprenticeship standards, with apprentices achieving a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree as a core component of their course.

Moving into the world of work can be daunting for young people, but an apprenticeship can provide the first important steps towards a fulfilling career.

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Hethersett Old Hall School Independent day school for girls 3-18 and boys 3-11 with boarding for girls from 9

Small classes, wide horizons

www.hohs.co.uk I enquiries@hohs.co.uk I 01603 810390 Find us on Facebook or Twitter...then come and visit us and see for yourself!

Open Morning Saturday 7th May 2016, 10.00am - 12.30pm

01502 727048

registrar@stfelix.co.uk

stfelix.co.uk

@stfelixsch

SECURE YOUR FUTURE GROWTH AND SUCCESS BY TAKING ON AN APPRENTICE Apprenticeships offered in:• Art, Design and Digital Media • Construction Trades • Hair, Beauty and Barbering • Hospitality and Catering • Supporting Teaching and Learning

• Business Skills • Engineering • Health, Social and Childcare • Motor Vehicle • Warehousing and Facilities Services

 Lowestoft College works with over 800 employers and delivers over 650 apprenticeships  Over 60 apprenticeship routes on offer, including many new frameworks  Our success rates are 13% above the national average

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL MATT ON 01502 525151 OR EMAIL: APPRENTICESHIPS@LOWESTOFT.AC.UK

Call 0800 854 695 Email info@lowestoft.ac.uk Visit www.lowestoft.ac.uk

Lowestoft College, St Peter’s Street, Lowestoft NR32 2NB

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The title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

DON’T PANIC!

Life has a habit of throwing challenges at us when we least expect them.

Carl Lamb looks at some of the ways you can “keep calm and carry on” WWW.ALMARYGREEN.COM | 01603 706740

WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS, the new Dad’s Army movie was being shown in cinemas across the region. Corporal Jones’ typical response to the unexpected may be extreme, but it does make me wonder just how many of us are prepared to meet financial upheaval.

My Disaster Protection Plan has three main strands: emergency resources, a screen of general protection for the smaller pitfalls in life and then the big hitters for the real catastrophes.

Let’s look at emergency resources first. My advice to clients is generally that, if possible, they should keep an emergency fund of at least three months’ expenditure in an accessible format – so in cash savings of some sort such as instant access ISAs, bank or building society accounts or premium bonds – so that they can be called upon to meet a sudden need.

Other investments such as stocks and shares can, of course, be turned into cash when needed, but the timing of the disposal may well have an impact on the value you will receive. For example, share values have struggled over the winter and anyone forced to sell now may well see a disappointing return.

Pension savings can also be accessed reasonably quickly, if you have reached the minimum retirement age of 55, but once you have started to take your pension benefits (other than the usual 25 per cent tax-free lump sum), there are limits to the amount you can contribute to your fund in the future and still get tax relief.

It’s important, too, not to forget that your pension is there to cover your retirement years, so taking it now may well defer the problem, rather than resolve it.

General protection for you and your family might include some kind of income protection for periods when you are unable to work. There are products such as health insurance that will provide a critical stop-gap if needed. It may also be worth looking at private healthcare: this will often allow for non-urgent conditions that affect your ability to work to be resolved more quickly than is possible under the NHS. Being prepared with a package of measures should the very worst happen and you die unexpectedly is probably one of the greatest gifts you can give to those you love.

I’m always amazed at how few people have written Wills, but this is an important first step.

The last thing your heirs need on your death is to struggle with getting probate and a Will is the only way to ensure that those you want to benefit from your estate do so.

Life insurance is a fundamental piece of protection that will shield your loved ones from some of the financial consequences of your unexpected death. I’ve written about this in an earlier column, but can only stress that if you haven’t reviewed your life insurance recently, you may be paying higher premiums than is necessary.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is another big hitter. If your health fails to the extent that you are unable to take control of your financial affairs, then having this in place will be a godsend to your family. It can be set up now but only invoked when needed.

Putting measures in place to make life better for those you love at a time when you can no longer give them the support they need is a seriously important process. By talking about it – and doing something about it – now, you will be carrying out the duties of your very own “home guard”.

“My advice to clients is generally that, if possible, they should keep an emergency fund of at least three months’ expenditure in an accessible format – so in cash savings of some sort such as instant access ISAs, bank or building society accounts or premium bonds”

Carl Lamb ALMARY GREEN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS

For independent advice, contact Almary Green on 01603 706740 or email enquiries@almarygreen.com.

Please remember that the advice here is generic and we recommend that you get individual personalised advice.

APRIL 2016

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Julian Gibbons predicts changes to the justice system WWW.NORTONPESKETT.CO.UK | 01493 849200

WE ARE ALL LIVING IN AN ERA OF CUTS to public expenditure. These are likely to become more acute over the lifetime of this government. No one and no department is immune.

Certainly not the justice system.

One thing the government loves these days is digital technology.

The courts have generally been slow to embrace this; there is still no WiFi in most courts, for example. Generally, it has been the specialist courts, like the High Court commercial courts, which have been quickest, driven by the demands of their sophisticated users.

Now the flood gates are really opening and everyone, including judges, is talking about revolutions in court processes. This does not, of course, prevent the government wasting money, as they have recently by spending about £1.3m in digital technology at courts earmarked for closure under another cost saving scheme.

The President of the Family Division has recently predicted that activities as diverse as probate and divorce will be online by 2017.

Of course the process is not just about transferring paper-based systems into digital ones: the very law which is being administered needs looking at, too.

In the case of probate, this means looking at what is required to establish a right to probate, how correct accounting for assets is done and ensuring that the procedure can safeguard against fraud. In the case of divorce, I suggest a more fundamental look at the law is needed. I can remember my early introduction into family law and divorce. I remember being pleased that there was only one ground for divorce, namely “irretrievable breakdown”, followed by dismay that to prove this the petitioner still needed to show adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion or some form of continuous separation. What is so surprising about these

requirements is that although they perpetuate an idea of fault in divorce, which most people think is a bad idea, it has proved impossible to obtain a consensus in Parliament for the law to be amended. Any attempt to do what is seen as weakening the grounds for divorce is met with opposition from the more conservative elements.

We now have civil partnerships and gay marriage. The law has decided that it will therefore not regulate more than absolutely necessary areas which are private and personal. It has to be recognised that relationships fail, and, when they do, the law should assist the legal end of that relationship with the minimum of rancour and without requiring parties to jump through hoops to dream up artificial allegations of behaviour which few people these days believe to be true or relevant to their futures. If divorce goes online, the law behind it needs to be brought into the 21st century also.

The president of tribunals has recently said that merely digitising our existing courts and tribunals would “fossilise our Victorian legacy”.

That is surely true. The judge foresees a very different justice system in years to come. The idea that people issue a claim, go through certain procedure steps and end up in court in front of a judge may disappear. In its place will come a single point of entry, whatever the case or claim, and a process of a “continuing trail”, whereby the case will undergo repeated examination and where the parties and the judge will have continuous input until a point is reached where a decision is reached. All this will happen online, with parties never meeting each other or a judge, unless a hearing is necessary to resolve a particular issue. Even then, that hearing is likely to be online, by video conference, with all the papers being accessed in a similar fashion.

Oh brave new world! No spectacle, no drama, but quiet efficient resolution of cases. Will it ever happen? Maybe, but someone will have to spend a lot of money to see it come about. And governments are often reluctant to spend, even when in the long run it will save money.

“I remember being pleased that there was only one ground for divorce, namely “irretrievable breakdown”, followed by dismay that to prove this the petitioner still needed to show adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion or some form of continuous separation”

Julian Gibbons NORTON PESKETT SOLICITORS

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ENJOYING THE GREAT OUTDOORS Famous for its utilitarian past, Citroen’s nod to back-to-basics motoring might still be Berlingo-shaped, but it’s anything but rough and ready WORDS: IAIN DOOLEY

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Citroen Berlingo BlueHDi 120 XTR, £18,540 Engine: 1.6-litre diesel unit producing 120bhp Transmission: Six-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels Performance: Top speed 109mph, 0 to 62mph in 11.4 seconds Economy: 64.2mpg combined Emissions: 115g/km of CO2 Prices correct at time of going to press

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WHAT’S NEW? Citroen’s Berlingo Multispace has been part of the furniture for some time, but it serves a useful purpose if you need a spacious, no-frills cabin and don’t want to break the bank. The gentle evolution of the “van with windows” concept has led us to a car that also fits right into the current trend for active lifestyle motoring.

The concept is a simple one; a spacious, lofty cabin is matched by comfort-spec suspension and a choice of modest engines.

And in the case of this refreshed XTR model, throw in a tweaked exterior, more kit plus child-friendly cabin materials and the option of an abundance of oddment storage options and you’ve got car fit for anything an active lifestyle weekend could throw at it.

LOOKS AND IMAGE In XTR guise, the Berlingo presents a more rugged face to the world. The concept is

a little like Audi’s Allroad sub brand, what with the bash-proof plastic exterior trim and hint of rough terrain abilities. Only, being Citroen, the experience comes at a significantly more affordable asking price.

The result is a car boasting a trick traction control system in lieu of proper all-wheel drive to help when in moderately slippery conditions – something that’s likely to appeal to the SUV-hating crowd.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY There’s no shortage of space in a Berlingo – it shares its underpinnings with a van after all.

The car’s sliding rear doors are a welcome solution to loading and unloading in tight spaces, while its massive tailgate easily doubles as a shelter when it’s raining. The cabin’s five-seat layout offers ample space for an active family, and there’s no shortage of oddment storage either. Additional roofmounted storage apes airline-style overhead

MOTORING

lockers and the durable nature of the cabin materials won’t force you to become overprotective in the face of a little mud or rain.

BEHIND THE WHEEL Don’t buy a Berlingo to be bowled over by its handling prowess – Citroen’s take on low cost, lifestyle motoring is not a car for keen drivers. Its strengths lie elsewhere, namely carrying people and their clobber in comfort for not a lot of money. And in that respect the Berlingo does a fine job while attempting to make the ownership experience an enjoyable one.

The rugged XTR variant adds a welcome extra layer of “lifestyle” to the mix if you’re an active type and like to venture off the tarmac once in a while. The car’s raised ride height, chunky looks and trick “Grip Control” traction control system add genuine value and make the car a serious

alternative to a budget compact SUV. Factor in a gutsy diesel engine and you’re all set for that camping holiday with the family.

VALUE FOR MONEY In broad terms, the Berlingo Multispace easily qualifies for “budget” status, although this more upmarket XTR version will cost you a little more money. The trade-off is a SUV-like rugged exterior and the prospect of improved all-weather traction from its clever stability control system – remember, this is still a front-wheel drive car. Opting for a diesel variant if you plan on racking up the miles will be a smart move, especially if you also plan on towing. Kit levels might be modest, but with the money saved over a regular SUV you’ve got some leeway when it comes to selecting some choice options.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? Active types not keen on flashing the cash

would do well to put the Berlingo Multispace on their shopping list. A practical, spacious and durable family car, in XTR guise it’s also happy to trundle across wet grass to your car boot pitch or campsite without getting stuck.

Thanks to a simple cabin design and the use of tough materials, there’s no need to be overprotective if your children are less than respectful of their surroundings, either.

DEALER DETAILS

Duff Morgan – Norwich Whiffler Road,Norwich NR3 2AZ. Tel: 01603 775477.

Duff Morgan – King’s Lynn 49 Bergen Way, North Lynn Industrial Estate, King’s Lynn PE30 2JG. Tel: 01553 770144 www.duffmorgan.citroen.co.uk APRIL 2016

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GAINING IN

POPULARITY Kia has gone from cheap zero to school run hero, with the Sportage at the helm of its rehabilitation. Ed Wiseman drives the Kia Sportage 1.7 CRDi Manual, the fourth generation of this popular SUV

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Kia Sportage 1.7 CRDi six-speed manual, from £19,745 Engine: 1.7-litre diesel producing 114bhp and 280nm Transmission: Six-speed manual Performance: Top speed 109mph, 0 to 60mph in 11.1 seconds Economy: 64.2mpg combined Emissions: 115g/km of CO2 Prices correct at time of going to press

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WHAT’S NEW? The Kia Sportage arrived on our roads in 1993 as a boxy, rather unreliable, utilitarianstyle vacuum. Kia itself was a newcomer to Britain, peddling budget South Korean cars by the hundred rather than the thousand, and the brand was probably at the bottom of the desirability pile.

Two decades later and the fourthgeneration Sportage shows how far the brand and the model have come. More Brits buy Sportages than almost any other SUV, making it one of the brand’s most important models, and Kia itself has worked had to put the cheerful into cheap.

LOOKS AND IMAGE Sophisticated looks aren’t this segment’s strong point, but there’s definitely a bit of Porsche Cayenne in the Sportage if it’s dark and you squint! Overall it’s a good-looking car, though brown and gold colours give it a slightly reptilian edge.

Inside, the Sportage feels more oldfashioned. Hard plastics and conventional design make the model feel less than remarkable to occupants. Everything feels rugged but less exotic than the muchimproved exterior.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY The Sportage is roomy, robust and flexible

MOTORING

DEALER DETAILS

Norfolk Motor Group 79 Mile Cross Lane, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6TX TEL: 01603 775100 www.nmg-uk.com

junctions. This is true of the 2.0-litre diesel, too, even in the pricey, top-spec, First Edition model. It manages the car’s torque well at low speeds, though, and is quite quiet, too.

SUV, especially with the button that splits torque equally between the front and rear wheels. This “lock mode”, reminiscent of manual diff locks on much older cars, is effective at speeds of up to 25mph. Useful when everyone else at the party is playing muddy dodgems in their front-wheel-drive SUVs. – more so than some competitors – and it feels built to withstand the realities of family life. The back seats are comfy enough for a couple of large adults to travel in comfort and the huge, flat-bottomed 491litre boot would accommodate everyone’s clobber with ease.

The Sportage offers more than a suggestion of off-road performance. Fourwheel-drive adds real practicality to this

BEHIND THE WHEEL It drives nicely. The 1.7-litre diesel feels like it has much more power than it really does, and the manual gearbox can be fun when you ask it to. Body roll is nicely contained and the ride is fine with all but the very largest alloys.

The seven-speed, dual-clutch, automatic gearbox is too fluffy to express any real sense of urgency when pulling out at

VALUE FOR MONEY The pricing makes this a curious model.

The car starts at around £18,000, which will buy you a basic – but still perfectly adequate – SUV. At the other end of the scale, the £33,000 “First Edition” has all the bells and whistles (including the auto ’box) but competes with badges like Land Rover and Audi. The best Sportage is probably the manual 1.7-litre diesel in KX-4 trim, at around £30,000. In short, the mid-range Sportages are excellent value.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? This is a car for someone who isn’t too bothered by brands. The Kia Sportage will be a hugely popular car, mainly among people who want to pay between £20,000 and £30,000 for a big, roomy, family barge. It’s harder to recommend the most expensive Sportages, as they’re up against some seriously good alternatives, but a midrange, four-wheel-drive model will be all the car most families will ever need.

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SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

It may be small, but it packs a lot of style. Matt Kimberley tries the latest Skoda Fabia to wear the Monte Carlo badge FACTS AT A GLANCE

Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo, from £14,645 Engine: 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol producing 89bhp and 118lb/ft Transmission: Five-speed manual driving the front wheels Performance: Top speed 113mph, 0 to 62mph in 10.9 seconds Economy: 60.1mpg combined Emissions: 107g/km Prices correct at time of going to press

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WHAT’S NEW? The first Fabia Monte Carlo was released in 2011 as a special edition to celebrate the brand’s rally heritage, but it was such a raging success that they kept the idea going. Now the all-new Fabia has been given the Monte Carlo treatment with black wheels and bodywork detailing, sports seats and the now-familiar special badges you’ll see dotted around it.

LOOKS AND IMAGE One of the key reasons (probably the key reason) the Monte Carlo was such a hit is that it combined the frugality of small engines with even more visual impact

than even the brisk vRS model offered. It became a thing in its own right, known among owners as something a bit cooler than the standard Fabia.

They have a point. With red trim, proper side bolsters on the front seats and a black roof complete with panoramic glass, the Monte Carlo really looks the business. The 16-inch wheels don’t have quite the same stylistic impact as the 17-inch ones on the previous generation equivalent, but this doesn’t matter too much.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY This may not be a big car, but it uses everything it’s got. In the boot you’ll find

MOTORING

DEALER DETAILS

Simpsons Skoda Suffolk Road, Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR31 0LN Tel: 01493 809814 www.simpsonsskoda.com

a semi-circular “fence” for popping a lone shopping bag into in order to keep it from rolling around. There’s also a pair of shallow trays, one at either side above the wheel arches, which are great for setting small objects down safely.

In the cabin you’ll see a clip for holding parking tickets, two adequate cupholders and nice, broad door pockets. But in terms of winter practicality (and in this country winter can continue right through to April), it took quite a while – around 35 minutes of driving - for the system to unfreeze.

BEHIND THE WHEEL Prepare to be surprised. The 1.2-litre TSI engine fizzes away from idle with amazing sharpness and, thanks to a

dinky little turbocharger, it rockets the car up to 30mph. Sounds great, too, and wide Bridgestone tyres give loads of grip.

However, the 89bhp trier has already reached its limits by this point and keeping your foot down brings more noise but no greater acceleration. A 130bhp version of this engine would be good, though...

The steering is a real surprise. It transmits genuine feel and feedback from the road’s surface, proving that it can be done with electric setups where so many engineers fail. The rack is quick enough to have the front end darting into turns like an eager puppy and, thanks to those tyres, it grips like the figurative limpet. Few superminis have such a light front end or show so much enthusiasm for corners.

VALUE FOR MONEY The specification in this model is loosely based on SE L level, with additions like the sunroof and special black bits. An equivalent, but rather normal-looking, Fabia SE L is more than £1,000 cheaper already, and the test car has £500 worth of navigation software, £180 heated front seats and £140 in Simply Clever packages added. It’s enough of a price gap to leave it down to the individual as to whether they think it’s worth it.

As for fuel economy, the test car only had 1,500 miles under its belt and may need to loosen up a bit. The official average is 60mpg but realistically expect mid-40s.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? At its best the Monte Carlo is a smartlooking and functional supermini with lots of practical touches and enough style to cut it on the high street. It’s a good second car for a family that already has an estate or MPV on the drive, and this plucky vehicle is well suited to anyone who rarely strays outside of 30 to 40mph zones.

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CITROËN C4 PICASSO

FROM ONLY £163 - £345 PER MONTH ON PERSONAL LEASE° Now, when you’re ferrying the kids here there and everywhere, you can do it in style. With its panoramic windscreen, comfortable high driving position and BlueHDi 150¹ engine offering 148 bhp with just 102g/km CO 2 emissions,² you’ll feel like king of the road. Add to this 360° vision parking,³ a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating and hey presto, you’re the coolest cat in town.

°Prices & offers apply to retail sales of qualifying models ordered & delivered 04/01-31/03/16 or until such time as offers/prices may be withdrawn by Citroën at its complete discretion & include VAT, delivery to dealer & number plates, Government Registration Fee & 12 months’ graduated vehicle excise duty. Optional paint available at extra cost. Elect 4 Personal Lease rentals shown apply to C4 Picasso PureTech 130 S&S manual VTR - C4 Picasso BlueHDi EAT6 auto Exclusive+ respectively. Model(s) shown Citroën C4 Picasso THP 165 S&S EAT6 auto Exclusive+ with Ruby Red Metallic paint from £345 per month. One significant advance rental will be required, which varies by model, followed by 34 monthly rentals at the rates shown & a significant optional final rental. Excess mileage charges may apply if the agreed annual mileage is exceeded. Payment of the optional final rental extends the rental term (this does not transfer title of the vehicle) & requires an annual rental equivalent to one months’ rental. Finance subject to status. Finance provided by and written quotations available on request from PSA Finance UK Limited (company registration number 01024322) t/a Citroën Financial Services, Quadrant House, Princess Way, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QA, UK. Citroën Financial Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Over 18s only. A guarantee may be required. Duff Morgan & Vermont Ltd is acting as a credit broker and is not a lender. To finance your lease we may introduce you to a limited number of lenders. Offers & specification correct at time of going to press from participating Dealers. Terms & conditions apply. Please ask us for details. Subject to stock availability. ¹Available at extra cost on C4 Picasso Exclusive and above. ²Based on C4 Picasso Blue HDi 150 S&S 6-speed manual Exclusive with 17” wheels. ³Optional at extra cost on C4 Picasso Exclusive+.

Official Government fuel consumption figures (Range): Urban cycle, Extra urban, Combined (litres per 100km/mpg) & CO2 emissions (g/km); Highest:Citroën C4 Picasso THP 165 S&S EAT6 auto Exclusive+ 7.5/37.7, 4.9/57.6, 5.8/48.7, 134. Lowest:Citroën C4 Picasso BlueHDi 100 S&S manual VTR 4.5/62.8, 3.5/80.7, 3.8/74.3, 99. MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions.

DUFF MORGAN 01603 775477

WHIFFLER ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR3 2AZ www.duffmorgan.citroen.co.uk

DUFF MORGAN KING’S LYNN 01553 770144

49 BERGEN WAY, KING’S LYNN, NORFOLK, PE30 2JG www.duffmorgankingslynn.citroen.co.uk

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GREAT YARMOUTH SPORT & WELLBEING CENTRE LAUNCH

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GREAT YARMOUTH COLLEGE A launch event took place at Great Yarmouth College for the new Sport & Wellbeing Centre, officially unveiled by budding Paralympian, Emily-Mia Harris, who, as well as having her sights set on a Gold medal in Rio later this year, is a beauty therapy student at GYC. The new Centre has been refurbished and redeveloped following a successful Sport England bid for £150,000 of the required £400,000.

As part of the College’s new Wellbeing initiative, the facilities are free to students and staff and also open to the wider community at competitive rates.

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1. Stuart Rimmer (principal), Emily-Mia Harris and the gym team 2. Lisa Bland 3. Assistant principals Gary Jefferson and Kevin Bayes 4. Project manager Adri Van der Colff 5. Ermestas Limkevicius 6. Victoria Beck MBA (head of marketing) 7. Richard Edrich, Nicole Leech and

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Stuart Bolding 8. Stuart Rimmer and Emily-Mia Harris cutting the ribbon 9. Graham Ford 10. Zara Graysmark and Nigel Hughes-Riley 11. Sara Moreira 12. Stuart Rimmer 13. Victoria Beck

Photos by SARAHDARREN.COM

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THE MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION SHOW 16

Mercedes-Benz took Norwich by storm with an exciting fashion event at its contemporary Barker Street showroom on Thursday, February 18. Working in collaboration with many of the city’s independent boutiques and top department stores, this VIP evening showcased men’s and women’s spring and summer fashion and also saw the official launch of the Mercedes C-Class Coupé. www.robinsonsmotorgroup.co.uk Photos by STUART BEARD PHOTOGRAPHY

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1. Amy Pape and Maddie Denman 2. Angela Brett and Victoria Beckett 3. Abhi and Anita Vadhir 4. Iona and Annabel Anderson 5. Anita Vadhir 6. Audrey Humphrey and Georgia Dobson 7. David Clark and Eric Tan 8. Diane and Malcolm Stammers 9. Jenny Devlin and Douglas Cruikshank 10. Guy and Irene Edwards 11. Glenda and David McCarthy 12. Fiona and Kevin Coles 13. Dr and Mrs Vyas

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26. N atasha Brierton and Andrina Jackson 27. Nathanja Louage and Olu Segun 28. Florentina Micu and Nicolas Ruston 29. Steve and Mary Jenkins 30. Celeste and Richard Keeley 31. Sarah Heasley 32. Ron Butcher and Ann Barrett 33. Rebecca Grimbly and Lynn Yallop 34. Sunjay and Jayne Sharma 35.William and Rhona Findlay 36. Tony Haydon and Caitlyn Cooke 37. Shane, Sylvia and Sophia Jordan 38.Warwick and Yvonne Shubrook

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DIPPLE & CONWAY ANNIVERSARY EVENT CELEBRATING 100 YEARS 9

Dipple & Conway Opticians sponsored this year’s first-ever Norwich Fashion Week Hair Show and hosted an exclusive Fashion Week warm-up event on Wednesday, March 9 at its Castle Street, Norwich branch. 2016 is Dipple & Conway’s 100th birthday year and its involvement with Norwich Fashion Week was an exciting element of the company’s centenary celebrations.

At the event, Dipple & Conway Vision Care Plan members mingled with Norwich Fashion Week fans. Guests had the opportunity to have mini hair and make-up makeovers from one of Norwich’s leading vintage-inspired stylists, Flamingo Amy, and were able to preview some of the new spring/summer eye-wear collections. www.dippleconway.co.uk Photos by ANDI SAPEY FOR DIPPLE & CONWAY

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Alex Hill Ben Conway and Jenna Hanna Bob and Anna Munns Carly and Michelle Eves Cathy Eden and Deborah Miller Chrissie Jackson, Amanda Sandland-Taylor and Vikki Jackson-King 7. Colin and Will Keatley 8. Dipple & Conway staff team 9. Deborah Rye and Jo Conway 10. David Bowman 11. Emma Harrowing and Matthew Conway 12. James Chant, Neil McDonald and Maciek Dudkiewicz 13. Jane Hunter and Janette Liggins 14. Jenna Hanna, Justine and Emma Conway

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VALENTINE’S TURKEY BALL OCEAN ROOM, GORLESTON The Great Yarmouth Round Table Valentine’s Turkey Ball took place at the Ocean Room in Gorleston on Saturday, February 13. Around 400 people, many from local businesses, attended the glamorous, black tie event to raise money for the chairman’s chosen charity, the East Coast Truckers. Guests enjoyed a four-course meal with The Turkey Trot, a charity auction and raffle, live music from The Lee Vasey Band and a disco.

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Alan and Janis Baugh Andy Pembroke and Belinda Colman Barbara and Rodney Bowels Emmie Bulloch and Oliver Miller Julia and Glenn Hunt Isabelle and Martin Walker Catherine Delf, Victoria Westgate and Clare Gibbs 8. Janine Doidge, Rachel Matthews, Christina and Rosina Doidge, Andrea King and Gemma Bowels 9. James and Charlotte Shipp 10. Nicola Woodcock, Joanne Nisbet, Lesley Greenwood, Rachel Cozens, Emma Welles, Sally Kerrison, Becky Postle and Leah Nobbs 1.

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11. Martin and Tiffany Marsh 12. Michael and Sharon Fleming 13. Chris Bowles, James Shipp, Rick Stefanetti, Andrew Doidge, Max Randall, Oliver Hurren, Matt Crawley, Mark Stocker, Paul Todd, Simon Doidge, Matt Smith, Ben Hunt, Lewis Nicholas, Dan Bycroft, Simon Clarke, Lewis Fleming, Matthew McCreadie, Scott Cozens and Martin Marsh 14. Scott Couzens and Matt Smith 15. Simon Nicholas and Debbie Foster 16. Martin and Isabelle Walker, Marleane and David Delay 17. Nick Longstaff and Laura Cooper 18. Deborah and Will Hunt

19. Laura and Steven Davies and Sara Hocking 20. Pat and Ron Gregory 21. Rachel Chandler and Phillip Key 22. V ictoria and Guy Bailey 23. Pete Green and Alison Wilson 24. Roseanne and Libby Bulloch 25. Roy and Grace Cook 26. Tony and Matt Smith 27. Luke Hurren, Sherri Smith, Oliver Hurren, Sara Thurston, Spencer Self and Charlotte Palister 28. S ara and Tony Smith 29. Tyler Harrison and Mia Bulloch 30. Lucy Abbot, Daniel and Julie Bycroft 31. Stephen and Susan Thompson 32. Steve and Carrie Secker

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LOWESTOFT MACMILLAN BALL POTTERS LEISURE RESORT The annual Lowestoft Macmillan Ball took place in the Gallery Lounge at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton on Saturday, March 5. This glamorous occasion, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, included drinks, dinner and dancing to The Someones.

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Photos by SARAHDARREN.COM

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page sponsored by

HIGH SOCIETY

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1. Paula and Tony Meades, Paul and Louise Underdown, Bonnie and Roy Gislam, Debie Vettese and Tony Taylor 2. Simon Barber, Sarah and Steve James 3. Wayne and Jenny Stocking, Mandy and Rob Stephens 4. Jo and Malcom Andrews 5. Lloyd and Lucy James, Maree and Christopher Woodcock.

6. Paul Wilkinson, Jane Knight, Nigel Williams and Patricia Wilkinson 7. Jane Knight and Nigel Williams 8. Paul and Patricia Wilkinson 9. Claire Evans, Phil Aves, Gemma Bocking and Linda Drew 10. Sue and Paul Tabiner 11. Greta and Tim Harrison 12. Karen and Stuart Philpot, Julia and Paul Corney, Malcom and Jo Andrews, Adrian and Allison Mills 13. Alan and Pat Chapman

14. Lloyd and Lucy James, Simon Barber, Steve and Sarah James, Stuart and Nicole Barklam, Martin and Hanna Hill, Maree and Christopher Woodcook 15. Pat and Alan Chapman 16. Joan and Keith Hall 17. Nigel and Jane Drane 18. Committee members: Sally Cutts, Sue Tabiner, Gwen Van Wade, Greta Harrison, Pam Cross, Lee Pull, Sue Meaden, Allison Mills (chairperson), Sarah James, Patricia Wilkinson 19. Tanya and Malcom Boast 20. T im and Greta Harrison, Malcolm and Tanya Boast, Robert and Geneva Downes, Moira McKenzie, Sally Brown 21. Rebecca and Michael Duale, Ben and Kirsty Jefford, Philippa Doran, Amy Randall, Jon and Kate Doran, Jon Haines and Rachel Doran APRIL 2016

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Are you Norfolk born and bred?

I was born in Norwich in 1984. I was schooled in Sheringham and then went on to Paston College. I went to university in Lancashire. I’ve been broadcasting across the country since the age of 14! I was a sports correspondent on local radio at the same time as doing my GCSEs – pretty good Saturday job!

FIVE MINUTES WITH

NICK CONRAD

We catch up with the busy BBC Radio Norfolk Breakfast Show host What are your working hours?

I work six days a week for two BBC Radio stations [BBC Radio Norfolk and, on Sundays, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire].

I have the great pleasure of my alarm clock waking me up at 3.45am! Oh joy. To make sure I’m not tempted to hit the snooze button, I set four alarms. My worst nightmare is oversleeping. Every morning, before the show, I run five miles – I bet you think that’s bonkers?!

How do you decide who’s going to be on the show and what the phone-in is going to be about?

I have a fantastic production team who work hard to bring you Norfolk stories that matter. My team is backed-up by excellent BBC journalists across the county and country. We want to reflect a wide range of news in a programme. We think hard about what you want to hear first thing in the morning. We want to make you care about the stories we’re bringing you. When constructing a phone-in – just imagine you’re at the family breakfast table. I should be talking about the things you’re talking about over your cereal, toast and tea.

What do you like about your job?

People! I just love people. You can gain huge insight from listening to people. I think a good public debate and scrutiny are healthy.

Is there anything you dislike?

At times it can feel immersed in the negative side of life – current affairs can be quite depressing. The Paris massacres, the refugee crisis or the Ebola outbreak are good examples.

I care about people. Like all of you, I’m troubled by human sufferance.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve just launched a major dementia season on my radio programme. We want to make Norfolk the most “dementia friendly county” in the UK. This is hugely ambitious but incredibly important. Many more of us experience dementia (either personally or through a loved one) and a broader understanding of it is critical. My grandmother is amazing; she has dementia and is an inspiration to me.

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Can you tell us about your family?

I’m “working” on my growing family! My second child is due in June. We have a little terror called Erin (aged two) who blissfully takes up most of my time. My wife Emma, from Norfolk but we met in Vietnam, is the best thing that happened to me. We have had to curtail our love of travel, so I’m looking forward to a few more staycations.

Which guests have you most enjoyed having on the show?

My amazingly honest, loyal and treasured listeners – without them the show would be rubbish. Full stop.

Which Norfolk character (alive or dead) would you like to interview?

Boudicca. I only have one question: “How do you pronounce your name?”

What do you most like about living in the county?

I’m passionate about Norfolk. From the wonderful coastline to the fantastic countryside, I can’t think of a better place to live. That’s why I moved back from London and Manchester to start a family here. I’ve worked all over the world and have met some amazing people, but Norfolk will always be home. I recently filmed with BBC TV in another part of the UK, a much more challenging, urban area with a high crime rate. When you work in a deprived area, it makes you realise just how lucky we are in Norfolk.

And is there anything that you dislike?

I wish we were more ambitious. We need to get better at making a clear case for government investment. Norfolk might be geographically isolated but shouldn’t be seen as a backwater. Those sentiments, though frequently trumpeted, compromise the bright future this county should have. Let’s be innovative and forward-thinking and embrace all who wish to contribute to our community.

How would you spend a day off in the area?

Walking on the beach.

What do you miss most when you’re away?

The wild North Sea! What are you reading at the moment? And what are you listening to?

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg. I read political news articles published outside of the UK; it widens your international perspective. I’m also a bit of a fan of opera.

Do you have any hobbies?

Cooking and walking. I also love to travel. There is nothing more fun than expanding your horizons. Luckily I have the best travel partner in my wife – we’ve been to some pretty amazing places on every continent.

What are your plans for the future?

To look after my family.

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What Car? Car of the Year 2016.

The all-new Audi A4.

Experience progress.

Visit us to find out more Norwich Audi Meridian Way Norwich NR7 0TA 01603 709200 www.norwich.audi.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures for the all-new Audi A4 Saloon range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 35.8 (7.9) – 62.8 (4.5), Extra Urban 52.3 (5.4) – 83.1 (3.4), Combined 44.8 (6.3) – 74.3 (3.8). CO2 emissions: 144 – 99g/km.

The What Car? Car of the Year 2016 winning model is the Audi A4 Saloon 3.0 V6 TDI 218PS Sport, £34,250 ROTR. Model shown for illustration purposes only is an A4 S line Saloon, available from £30,150 ROTR with optional metallic paint (additional £645 RRP inc VAT) and Matrix LED headlights (additional £650 RRP inc VAT). Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC). This allows a direct comparison between different manufacturer models but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. Optional wheels may affect emissions and fuel consumption figures. Correct at time of print (March 2016). More information is available on the Audi website at audi.co.uk and at dft.gov.uk/vca