Places&Faces® · 90 · September 2017 by Countrywide Publications

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WELCOME

TO SEPTEMBER’S PLACES&FACES® THIS MONTH HAS A NOSTALGIC feel as we interview some

legends from the world of music. Pete Goodrum chats to John McNally the founder member of The Searchers who emerged as part of the 1960’s Merseybeat scene and famous for hit singles including Sweets for my Sweet, Needles and Pins, Don’t Throw My Love Away and When You Walk in the Room. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael formed Sparks an American pop and rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1972, Sparks are best known for the songs “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us”, which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974 and the disco hit “The Number One Song in Heaven” in 1979. We caught up with Russell ahead of The Sparks forthcoming gig at The Waterfront in September. Back by popular demand after her hugely successful 2016 tour, Lulu is on the road again with her biggest tour yet! We took time out to chat with Lulu for an intimate look into the incredible musical journey of a music legend ahead of her forthcoming Norfolk & Suffolk performances. And if that is not enough Angela Sara West caught up with the leather clad Suzi Quatro at last month’s Holt Festival to chat about her talk of the town gig, becoming “Doctor Suzi”, the secrets to her success and how she’s kicking herself for turning down Elvis. Our Whats On pages just keep getting bigger and better as we expand our readership into West Norfolk and West Suffolk. Our West End review this month features Tony and Emmy award-winner Stockard Channing who has returned to the West End in a new production of Alexi Kate Campbell’s Apologia, directed by Jamie Lloyd. Benet Catty our theatre reviewer was there on the press night to review the show for you. Add in fashion, beauty, travel, gardening, interiors and our regular columnists and there is plenty to keep you busy. So take some time out, sit back and relax with a nice cup of coffee or a glass of your favourite wine and enjoy reading our September issue.

Colin Huggins PS. Congratulations to last month’s competition winner Rita Beane who has won a beautiful necklace from Aurum – we hope you enjoy your prize!

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CONTENTS

93 34

108 COVER STORY

44 Lulu speaks ahead of her Norfolk and Suffolk dates

SUZI QUATRO BY RODNEY SMITH

PERSONALITIES

58 Women’s fashion: Mother of the bride 61 Pink beauty essentials 63 Men’s fashion: in the pink

34 10 things you might not know about: Rod Stewart 36 The Searchers come to Great Yarmouth 38 Ron Mael of SPARKS 40 Suzi Quatro at last month’s Holt Festival 126 Five minutes with: Stephen Crocker

TRAVEL

FASHION, BEAUTY & HEALTH

WHAT’S ON

11 Spire Hospital: feet care 54 Global Diagnostics: Q&A with Dr Tom Marshall

48 Our monthly Travel Time round-up 51 Staycations

COMPETITION

33 WIN! A short break in Norfolk worth £200 13 Mel Cook: Visit Norwich 16 The 2017 Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival 19 What’s on in September

25 What’s on at the Apex 26 West End Review: Apologia 28 The Little Mermaid at Norwich Theatre Royal 30 Classical music comes to Norwich Theatre Royal

FOOD AND DRINK

65 Franck Pontais: Ile Flottante 67 Richard Bainbridge: Black Forest Gateaux 68 This month’s food and wine from The Imperial Hotel, Great Yarmouth 70 Review: The Farmyard

HOMES AND GARDENS

86 Ellen Mary’s September

gardening tips 89 Property advice 90 Jarrold: Autumn colours 93 Arcadia Home Interiors: Home Comforts

MOTORING

108 All about the new Hyundai i30 models

BUSINESS

115 Financial advice from Carl Lamb 117 Legal column by Julian Gibbons

SOCIAL SCENE 119

Caught on camera

HEALTH

ON E STEP AHEAD Helen Culling of Spire Norwich Hospital talks to Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr David Loveday about looking after our feet

All surgery carries an element of risk and the content of this page is provided for general information only. It should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other healthcare professional.

ne of the (many) pieces of advice my mother and arthritis that causes painful inflammation in one or more joints)”. grandmother have given me over the years is: “Helen, “Bunions can be extremely painful and can affect a patient’s day to you’ll regret wearing those high heels when you’re day quality of life. The ability to wear ‘ordinary’ shoes becomes more older.” Having worn heels to work, and out socially difficult and as the pain is unlikely to settle without intervention, the for most of my adult life, it’s probably not until recent patient tends to become less mobile as a result, which isn’t ideal when years that I’ve started thinking about the effect these many of us lead such busy lives. It is important to see your GP if you are having on my feet. Although I’m not suffering any ill effects now, is have a bunion that is causing pain or if you are having trouble finding my relationship with my preferred choice of footwear sustainable? footwear that fits as the longer the bunion goes untreated, the worse it Many years ago, bunions were typically associated with ladies over will become”. 60, however, although symptoms are still prevalent in this age range, “Your GP will examine your foot and ask you to do a series of as more young women are choosing fashion over the wellbeing of their movements, this will determine how severe the bunion is and typically feet, a high proportion of women are presenting symptoms as young the patient will be referred for an X-ray to see the alignment of as 20. the bones and extent of the damage to the bone. The severity will The medical name for a bunion is ‘hallux valgus’. The deformity determine the next course of action, either the patient will be given causes the big toe to point towards the other toes on the same foot. strict advice on changing their footwear, be recommended ice packs In severe cases, the big toe can overlap the second toe, causing a for temporary relief of discomfort or have orthotics fitted (special drastic change to the overall shape of the foot. This change can lead to devices which are inserted into your shoes) which may relieve the swelling, pain and tenderness around the big toe. pressure on the bunion. These measures are all temporary and the Mr David Loveday, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Spire only way to truly treat a bunion is surgery and your GP would refer the Norwich Hospital explains “Poorly fitting shoes can contribute to the patient to a specialist in these cases”. development of bunions. You would rarely see a patient presenting An osteotomy is the most common type of bunion surgery. Although with a bunion in a country where they do not wear shoes for example. there are many different types of osteotomy, they generally involve High-heeled shoes that are too tight will squeeze the cutting and removing part of the bone in the big toe. foot, causing the big toe to remain in a bent position. Mr Loveday explains “During the procedure, the This unnatural position puts pressure on the nerves bony lump is removed and the bones inside the big FOR MORE INFORMATION or to make a private around it and leads to pain. High heels also push most toe are realigned with the use of specially designed appointment with Mr of the body weight forwards onto the front of the foot, metalware. This surgery is typically a day case David Loveday please which places considerable strain on the toe joints”. procedure (where you will be allowed home on the contact one of the Mr Loveday continues “However the most same day) under general anesthetic (where the patient team on 01603 255 614. important factor in patient’s susceptibility to develop a is asleep during the operation). Patients can walk Further details regarding consultant orthopaedic bunion is in fact genetics. Patients who have unusually immediately after surgery in a protective sandal for 6 surgeon Mr David flexible joints, are more at risk and these flexible joints weeks and have minimal discomfort”. Loveday can be found on are typically hereditary. Other contributing factors can As with most things, prevention is better than cure, his consultant profile at be rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation and pain in the so although there’s not much we can do about genetics, www.spirenorwich.com joints that result from the immune system attacking taking more care of our feet and wearing good fitting, and his website www.davidloveday.co.uk the lining of the joints) and gout (a common type of sensible shoes is probably a good place to start. 11

VISITNORWICH

NoRWIch’S (early)

cHRiStmAs presENt

REMBRANDT: LIGHTENING THE DARKNESS IMAGES © NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE

This autumn brings a host of world-class cultural activity to Norwich, says Melanie Cook of VisitNorwich

espair not, whilst the days are cooling as we head into autumn cultural activity in Norwich is hotting up! Three new and exciting exhibitions are about to hit the city and I for one cannot wait. The first to launch will be Royal Fabergé and Radical Russia under the title heading The Russian Season (14 October – 7th January), marking the centenary of the Russian Revolution. This takes place at the always wonderful-to-visit, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. With bated breath I’m counting down to Royal Fabergé. I’m intrigued with the local story link to the world famous jeweller as well as the rest of the exhibition which will include the wider story of House of Fabergé. There’ll be vintage films and photographs and over 150 loans from private and public collectors across Britain, Russia and America. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be loans from the Royal Collection. The Royal Family is well known for their love of animals and pets, as we see with our current monarch Queen Elizabeth II. It’s no surprise then to learn that in 1907 Edward VII (Queen Elizabeth’s great grandfather) first commissioned Peter Carl Faberge to produce portrait sculptures of Sandringham’s horses and dogs as a gift for his wife, Queen Alexandra. Such was the degree of success, this project was extended to include all

of the Norfolk estate’s farm animals and pets. Sculptors were dispatched from St Petersburg to Sandringham to make wax models which were taken back to Russia to be crafted into delicate and intricate art pieces from hardstones, gemstones, gold, silver and platinum. In total over 100 pieces were made; around 70 of them will be in this exhibition. In complete contrast Radical Russia will focus on art works produced before 1917 – the year of the revolution. At this time the avantgarde were seeking to use revolutionary forms and themes from the everyday: book covers, furniture, ceramics and costume all attracted their attention – the exhibition will include a wide variety of objects. One of the world’s most famous artists, Rembrandt, is the hero of the third exhibition in Norwich (Rembrandt: Lightening the Darkness 21st, October – 7th January). Whilst internationally revered for his paintings, Rembrandt is little known for his incredible etchings. It is these etchings which will form the core of this exhibition exploring his outstanding ability to capture light and shade through images of the Dutch landscape, biblical scenes, portraits and self-portraits. Those unfamiliar with the etching process (which has been in existence since the Middle Ages) will not know how highly skilled a great printmaker is. Etching is produced by an artist drawing a picture with a needle onto a metal plate which has been covered with a waxy ground. The plate is then dipped in

acid, which bites into the lines created by the artist. Rembrandt was at the top of his game as well as in other related techniques such as engraving. He is credited as being one of the world’s most renowned and innovative printmakers and treated it as an art form rather than a way of creating mass reproductions. Another little known fact is that Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery owns a collection of 93 Rembrandt etchings – the fourth most important collection in the country. The collection was, in its entirety, bequeathed to the Castle in1951 by London art dealer Percy Moore Turner. Turner spent some of his life in Norwich and believed passionately that the public should have access to great art through museums. Turner was involved with Norwich Castle in the 1920s and 30s. Three oil paintings will also be exhibited: A Woman in Bed from the National Galleries of Scotland, Christ and St Mary Magdalen at the Tomb from the Royal Collection and Anna and the Blind Tobit from the National Gallery. The British Museum has also loaned a chalk and wash drawing The Angel preventing Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac, together with four prints. The etchings will be on show – as a group – for the first time at the museum for more than 30 years and, together with the oil paintings and the British Museum drawing, this is a rare chance to see them all together. Make a date now to visit – this opportunity won’t happen again!

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| SEPTEMBER 2017

seAfariNg FESTIval

AILEEN MOBBS

comeS Of AGe

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/ maritime-festival

Historic quaysides at Great Yarmouth will buzz with seafaring fun as the resort celebrates its annual Maritime Festival this month

he sight of tall ship masts and sounds of shanty singers will be a reminder of the town’s seafaring heritage during the free entry weekend on September 9th and 10th. Around 30,000 visitors head to the port for the event, now “coming of age” in its 18th year, to enjoy its mix of ships, music, family entertainment, and crafts in the stunning setting of the historic South Quay. Among the star ships this year is Kaskelot, a Danish threemasted barque which is one of the world’s largest remaining wooden tall ships – and a TV and film star, having featured in the Poldark TV series, and movies including Return to Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, Cutthroat Island, David Copperfield and Alice in Wonderland. The Festival, which was first staged in 2000, features the Kaskelot, the George Stephenson and the Lydia Eva moored at the quayside for visitors to go aboard, lots of free children’s craft activities, the chance to revisit your maritime memories in the heritage hub, jet ski displays, as well as stalls, exhibits, street entertainment, and militia re-enactors. There will also be quayside barbecues cooking herring, the fish which made the port a hive of activity before the days of tourism and offshore energy.

The festival is staged by the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area (GYTABIA), as part of its drive to attract visitors and spending to the borough. Chairman of the organising committee Aileen Mobbs said: “It is shaping up to be a very exciting festival with a great mix of boats, music and attractions. “The Festival is a family event offering plenty to do for children as well as their parents. We hope our visitors young and old enjoy exploring Great Yarmouth’s seafaring links through fun activities.” THE SHIPS

Kaskelot – The 154.9ft-long vessel, built in 1948, traded off Greenland before she became a fisheries support vessel in the Faroe Islands. Visitors on board can chat to the crew, tie knots and set sails (wind permitting) and see a museum in the cargo hold featuring shipbuilding tools. George Stephenson – a brand new steam ship built using recycled or salvaged parts from ships, boats and buildings using both traditional and modern engineering techniques. Open for visitors to board. MTB102 – a 1937 motor torpedo boat will be back. Alert – one of four new coastal patrol vessels operating around the UK coastline as part of the UK’s round-the-clock Border Force Maritime Fleet. Lydia Eva – a living museum of the herring fishery and the last steam drifter built at King’s Lynn, which worked out of Great Yarmouth until her last haul in 1938.

WHAT’S ON

“There will be quayside barbecues cooking herring, the fish which made the port a hive of activity before the days of tourism and offshore energ y” FAMILY FUN

Children and families visiting the festival have a huge choice of things to do. Youngsters can make their own boat out of balsa wood in the children’s crafts marquee, and decorate it with shells and glitter and create sticky seaside pictures. They can make herring kites and shark’s tooth necklaces on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust stand, which also showcases the weird and wonderful creatures living in the sea. The RSPB has three marquees packed with things to do – including making a dragonfly, a butterfly feeder or a flying wristband while learning about The Broads and local nature reserves. Help construct a swarm of giant dragonflies at the Broads National Park stand, while Natural England will also host fun maritime themed activities, and there is even a chance to try lacemaking and knot-tying on the tall ship. A heritage hub offers a chance to make your own postcards and tackle the mystery object game while learning about the town’s history over the past 150 years. Street entertainers will also be out and about, and there is traditional seaside fun at a Punch and Judy show. MUSIC

The lilt of sea shanty and folk music will fill the air on the festival quaysides with a range of top musicians entertaining the crowds. This year’s headline act is a five-strong Spanish group El Pony Pisador (Prancing Pony), who play a mix of international music styles from traditional Irish tunes to Tuvan throat singing and yodelling. They are returning by popular request after going down a storm said festival chairman Aileen Mobbs, who added: “These groups play for the love of the music, and stay on to perform in the pubs in the evening. We are really pleased to welcome El Pony Pisador back because the crowd really took them to their hearts.” Other shanty groups this year – a mixture of returning favourites and newcomers – are: the Sheringham Shantymen, Kimber’s Men, the Blakeney Old Wild Rovers, the Norfolk Broads, the Longest Johns, and the Mollyhawks.

GREAT YARMOUTH TOURISM

ART CHALLENGE

The art skills of festival visitors will be polished and showcased at a new event this year – a new Ready Steady Paint Challenge. It gives budding painters the chance to join a masterclass with popular local artist Ernie Childs, and craft a picture with a seafaring theme. He will guide participants through a free 30 to 45-minute lesson of drawing and painting, with each person able to take home their artwork. Up to 20 people from school age upwards can join in, with classes at 11am, 1.30pm and 4pm on both days. Applications to join a class should be made in advance by going to www.maritime-festival.co.uk. Click on ‘Ready Steady Paint’ where you can download a form to submit.

Three Great Days of Racing

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WHAt's On

ith these fabulous t's HOT this month w ha w of t os m e th e ak M

SeptEmber

activities and e vents

- there’s so mething fo r everyone !

RELOAD FESTIVAL The Reload Festival returns to Norwich in September and promises a family-friendly weekend event as some of the best of 80’s and 90s pop perform, Billy Ocean and Soul II Soul will headline the Reload Festival which will take place from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September at the Norfolk Showground. Grammy award-winning R&B sensation Billy Ocean is renowned for major hit singles which include Caribbean Queen, Get Out of my Dreams, Loverboy, Red Light and When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going so his fans can prepare to dance the night away as he performs a huge hit-filled set. Other acts that are confirmed acts include Blue, Level 42, ASWAD, The South, Jocelyn Brown, Heatwave, Brand New Heavies, and more. – Friday 8th to Sunday 10 September Norfolk Showground, Costessey, Norwich www.reloadfestival.co.uk

MUSICAL Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, the Olivier and Tony award-winning West End show is coming to Norwich as part of its first ever UK tour! Long before she was Carole King, the chart-topping music legend, she was an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation, with countless classics such as (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend,So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up on the Roof,and Locomotion. – Norwich Theatre Royal Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 October 2017 www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

S e p t e m b e r n O ' s t WHA IN

COMEDY A memorable evening of hysterical nonsense, as we take a peek into the circus lurking deep within the mind of, probably the greatest, comic storyteller ever to grace the stage. Jethro takes to the stage at The Kings Lynn Corn Exchange as part of his Bull and Bonkers Tour Jethro beguiles and befuddles his audience with the endless stream of irreverent twaddle that has created a comedy genius and with over 4 million DVD sales it pays testament to the legion of fans who have followed Jethro faithfully throughout his career. An evening not to be missed with stories old and new guaranteed to have you falling off your seats with laughter. – Kings Lynn Corn Exchange Thursday 28 September www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

OUT THERE FESTIVAL Join a cast of crazy characters for a sensational outdoor celebration as we celebrate the 10th Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts. Over one action-packed weekend, you can enjoy the very best circus and street arts from across the world – all taking place in the streets, parks and open spaces of Great Yarmouth… and almost all entirely FREE! Always weird, always wonderful, this years festival includes human rubbish tips, giant puppets, fairy tale witches and a performing polar bear (no animals were harmed in the making of this festival!). Once again we welcome performers from across the globe – from France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Argentina. There will also be a new kid’s zone, a whole host of delicious food and drink offerings, wacky workshops and much, much more. This year’s Out There Festival takes place all over Great Yarmouth from Friday 15th September to Sunday 17th September. – Great Yarmouth Friday 15 to Sunday 17 September www.seachangearts.org.uk Wind Energy Museum The Wind Energy Museum - Morse Collection at Repps with Bastwick near Great Yarmouth is the only historical collection of wind engines in Britain, demonstrating the history of Norfolk drainage, with an example of a working scoop wheel, as well as examples of pumps from America & Australia. The fascinating collection will be open to the public on specified days in September, plus activity easy for all the family, great chance to see this wonderful historical collection. – The Wind Energy Museum, Repps with Bastwick September 2017, check website for dates www.windenergymuseum.co.uk 20

MUSIC Graham Gouldman formed what became Heart Full of Songs six years ago, purely for the pleasure of playing songs in their simplest form, acoustically. Backed by fellow 10cc band members, and opening the show at 10cc concerts, Graham performed a selection of hits he wrote for other artistes. The format became so popular that it adopted a name and undertook its first stand-alone concert tour in 2013, touring again the following year. Now a three-piece, featuring Iain Hornal and Ciaran Jeremiah, a Heart Full of Songs concert is truly an exquisite experience. – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Wednesday 4 October www.theapex.co.uk

MUSIC Hear one of Britain’s most unique vocal talents, as Marc Almond takes to The Apex stage to perform songs from across his 36 year career. Featuring beautiful new orchestral arrangements of hits, iconic torch songs and the 60s orchestral pop for which he has become known for, along with music from his new album 'Shadows and Reflections'. Celebrate the synth-pop pioneer’s 60th birthday year in this concert

that follows on from his sold out spring tour. Enjoy all the hits from a performer who has been at the forefront of British pop since the early 1980s with Soft Cell, before going on to a prolific solo career with over 30 million records sold worldwide. – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Thursday 28 September www.theapex.co.uk OPERA Starring Richard Gauntlett and the National Gilbert & Sullivan Orchestra will be performing three shows:

THE MIKADO (Thursday 14th 7.30pm) This hilarious story exudes big, colourful characters and well-known songs. Enjoy the wit and magic of Gilbert & Sullivan, performed by some of the UK’s leading exponents of the world-famous Savoy operas. PIRATES OF PENZANCE (Friday 15th 7.30pm) A wonderful, jolly romp complete with a brave(ish!) band of swashbuckling pirates, a dotty Major-General, his beautiful unwed daughters and a bumbling bunch of hopeless but hilarious British bobbies – simply excellent entertainment. CIRCUS AND WATER SPECTACULAR The Hippodrome’s Brand New Circus and Water Summer blockbuster with amazing International Circus Artists, Dancers, Show Swimmers, Acrobats plus comedians Jack Jay and Johnny Mac, and mind blowing feats from the amazing Globe Motor Bike Riders and the thrilling Wheel of Death. The mind blowing Finale Water Spectacular is one of only three in the world and the only place in Europe that stages such a show with Swimmers, Aerialists and special effects when the ring turns into a giant pool - an unforgettable experience. – Hippodrome Circus Great Yarmouth Runs until 17th September www.hippodromecircus.co.uk

HMS PINAFORE (Saturday 16th, 2.30pm & 7.30pm) One of the most enduringly popular of G&S’s great comic creations, with many well-known songs including I am the Monarch of the Sea, I’m called Little Buttercup and He is an Englishman. Get on board for this muchloved nautical comic opera. – Norwich Theatre Royal Thursday 14 to Saturday 16September www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

STOCK CAR RACING Come and enjoy the thrill of motor racing at Great Yarmouth Stadium, in conjunction with Spedeworth International Motor Racing. We have three Raceview Bars, a Raceview Diner serving the best in bar food, a ground floor snack bar & amusement area, plus a fourth separate licensed bar so you can be sure to enjoy the racing while relaxing in a great atmosphere. Racing takes place on selected Sundays between late March and June and regularly over summer. During the summer season additional racing takes place on Thursday evenings. – Yarmouth Stadium Sunday 10 and 24 September www.yarmouthstadium.co.uk 21

S e p t e m b e r n O ' s t WHA IN

COMEDY Are you sitting comfortably?... Rob Rouse takes his trademark storytelling to a career high in this full length show, as he leads us on an irresistibly hilarious journey of enforced introspection that has taught him to relinquish any attempts to control his life and to face down literally one of the most awkward situations you are ever likely to hear about. – Theatre Royal, bury St Edmunds Friday 29th September 8pm www.theatreroyal.org FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL A celebration of Suffolk's thriving food & drink scene A hugely popular weekend celebration of Suffolk's thriving food & drink scene, taking place at Snape Maltings, next to the River Alde and close to the Suffolk coast. A must-see event on Suffolk's Calendar, not to be missed! The Festival features over 90 food and drink producers from Suffolk, selling a huge variety of locally produced fayre. There are also 2 cookery demonstration stages hosting visiting and local chefs. This years line up includes; Cyrus Todiwala, Tim Anderson, Chetna Makan and rising star Lopè Ariyo plus Jose Pizarro, Martha Collison, Dhruv Baker and Galton Blackiston. Suitable for all the family, under 15's go free and the hillfarm family meadow will be returning this year where you can press some oil, make a pizza, have your face painted, ride a tractor and climb onboard the biggest combine harvester in the world! Free parking is available and the festival is open from 9.30am – 5pm on Saturday and 9.30am – 4pm on Sunday. – Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk 22

The Rat Pack With Anita Harris In 2013 the show was voted the number 1 Tribute Show by The Agents Association of Great Britain, at The National Tribute Awards. These supremely talented cast members include: Des Coleman (Lenny from Eastenders) as Sammy Davis Jnr, Paul Drakeley (Inside Out) as Dean Martin and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself in the shape of one of the world’s greatest Sinatra interpreters David Alacey (Lovejoy). David’s acclaimed portrayal of Sinatra has been described as “Too close for Comfort” by The Sinatra Estate and Las Vegas Legend - original Rat Pack member Buddy Greco claimed that David “Really is Sinatra – it’s frightening!” Now together with the Swinging Buddy Greco Orchestra under the Direction of BBC Musical Director – Don Hunt and the stunning L.A Showgirls, they are joined in this brand new spectacular by the amazing talent of Anita Harris. Anita whose hit recordings include “Just Loving You” and “The Anniversary Waltz” is perhaps best known for her numerous appearances in movies including the legendary “Carry On” series and on stage in The West End with her acclaimed performance as Grizabella in Cats. – Princes Theatre Hunstanton Sunday 24 September www.princesshunstanton.co.uk

ROCK N ROLL Raymond Froggatt (known as "Froggy") began performing rock and roll in the early 1960s with his band, initially the Buccaneers, later Monopoly and ultimately The Raymond Froggatt Band. Dave Clark Five had a No. 7 hit in the UK Singles Chart with Froggatt's "The Red Balloon" in 1968. His own version of the song, under the title "Callow la Vita", reached No. 3 in the Netherlands. Another Froggatt song, "Big Ship", was a No. 8 UK hit for Cliff Richard in 1969. “Froggy” will be making a one night appearance at The Maddermarket Theatre in September. – Maddermarket Theatre Norwich Sunday 10th September 7-30pm www. maddermarket.co.uk

COUNTRY The Velvet Country voice of Patsy Cline caught the imagination of Sue Lowry, who has been a lifelong fan of Patsy Cline and Country Music! Patsy Cline was a record breaking recording artist spending 251 weeks in the Country Music Album charts in the U.S.A. Patsy was a down to earth Country ‘Gal’ who could look good in Western wear or any evening dress, as she performed all the Country Ballard’s. 55 years ago on 5th March 1963 we unfortunately lost one of the Queens of Country when a tragic Plane Crash claimed the lives of Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins along with Patsy Cline, this Show will celebrate the Music of Patsy Cline! Don’t forget to wear your Western wear for a Hayride of a Show! Pure Country Magic! – St Georges Theatre Friday 6th October www.stgeorgestheatre.ticketsolve.com

WHAT’S ON

september MAGIC OF MOTOWN Music fans are invited to the biggest party of the year as the unstoppable Magic of Motown show steams into town! Seen by over a million people all over the world and recently performed for the Royal Variety Performance 2016. Prepare yourself for 40 back-to-back classic Motown hits, glittering costume changes, dazzling dance moves and outstanding musicianship in this explosive concert experience. Celebrate the sound of a generation as the timeless music of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson and many more. – Marina Theatre, Lowestoft Friday 15 September www.marinatheatre.co.uk

POP PUNK 20 Years Of Pop Punk Tour: New Found Glory and ROAM. New Found Glory's live sound has been described as one of 'unfettered energy and passion expressed through distorted amps and hooky choruses'. Emerging as part of the second wave of pop punk in the late 1990s, music critics consider the Floridian band as a key pioneer of the genre. Also appearing are ROAM, A five piece from Eastbourne / Brighton who deliver performances fizzing with energy and melodic pop punk brilliance. – UEA Friday 22 September INTO THE 80's Step inside the DeLorean and brace yourself as we go back in time! Into the 80's are the ultimate tribute band to the music of the 80's. The band recreate's the sound - vibe - look and hit songs that everyone loves! Into the 80's provide a diverse set list of 80's tunes including songs by Madonna - Frankie goes to Hollywood - Wham - Cyndi Lauper - Tina Turner and many many more! This Authentic 80's Tribute Band deliver's a show bursting with fun and excitement with audience participation as a must! They guarantee that you will have the most fantastic party and you will want to get on your feet - get dancing and sing along to the best loved songs of the 80's. Into the 80's tribute band has brought together some of the UK's finest musicians and singers to create this upbeat - exciting and ultimate 80's tribute show. Performing hit after hit from the 80's - Into the 80's tribute band can guarantee that you will know every song and every lyric too. You will be taken on a ride of 80's hits with the 80's fashion and hair dos to match! – Gorleston Pavilion Theatre Sat 16 September www.gorlestonpavilion.co.uk

MARTIME FESTIVAL The 2017 Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival will take place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September. The famous Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival is a fantastic free two-day event found on historic South Quay with ships to go aboard, live shanty folk music, fun street theatre exhibitions and demonstrations for visitors to explore. One of the world’s largest remaining wooden tall ships is set to sail into Great Yarmouth’s South Quay. Kaskelot, a Danish three-masted barque is the first boat confirmed for this year’s Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival.

It will be the first time the vessel has ventured to the celebrated event, but she is no stranger to the limelight having played a pivotal role in the Poldark television series and a number of Hollywood movies. Shanty and folk music is performed throughout the Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival on three stages as the town celebrates its proud maritime past and maritime future. – Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/ maritime-festival

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December at the Raceview Restaurant

At Yarmouth Stadium

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After the fun of the racing, the track lights dim, guests can enjoy an evening in our Raceview are invited Restaurant or Executive Lounges and to stay and party with our DJ until 1am.

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Yarmouth Road, Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk NR30 5TE 01493 720343 www.yarmouthstadium.co.uk

Great Yarmouth Haven Rotary Club is holding its annual

Giant

free n! with m ad issio

Monday & Wednesday - £28.00pp

Friday & Saturday - £39.99pp

WHAT'S ON

EVELYN GLENNIE

R TE EC EL S E TH

BLAKE NIK KERSHAW CH AR LIE FIN K

Nights to Remember Enjoy a wide variety of music from a host of original artists, at The Apex in the next few months… British harmony trio Blake

bring the finest songs from stage and screen in a celebration of movies and musicals, sung in thrilling vocal harmony on 14 September. Following the success of his 2014 'Me, Myself and I' tour, Nik Kershaw, one of the UK's most respected songwriters, returns on 20 September with another intimate evening of songs and stories. Former Noah and the Whale frontman, Charlie Fink brings live music and theatre on 24 September. Charlie’s new show, 'Cover My Tracks' is a tale of an idealistic young songwriter who sets out to write a pop masterpiece and then vanishes without a trace. Theatre and music interweave in this unique performance, which brings together the experience of a live gig and a modern folk tale. Barbara Dickson is renowned and admired for her interpretations of traditional music. On 27 September Barbara is joined by Nick Holland on keyboards and vocals, for an intimate evening of superbly crafted, traditional and 20th Century songs. Evelyn Glennie makes a welcome return to The Apex on 29 September,

along with the Cohen Ensemble. The programme is still to be confirmed, but is likely to include Rachmaninov’s Preludes Op 3, No.2, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Vivaldi’s Piccolo Recorder Concerto in C major and Corelli’s La Folia. 10cc’s Graham Gouldman has written many songs for other artists, including 'For Your Love' (The Yardbirds), 'Bus Stop' (The Hollies), 'No Milk Today' (Herman's Hermits). He also co-wrote ' I’m Not In Love', ' The Things We Do For Love', 'Dreadlock Holiday' and 'Rubber Bullets' with 10cc. Graham and his trio will perform a selection of his hits on 4 October. On 9 October, Jason Donovan will talk about the highs and lows of his career, with previously-untold stories and exclusive, stripped-back-andacoustic versions of his biggest hits. Having taken their uplifting voices, powerful songs, spine tingling harmonies and raucous humour to audiences around the world, The Young’uns (10 October) have cemented their reputation in the English folk scene by winning the title of Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2015 and 2016.

Following their first album with Sandy Denny in 1967, Britain’s most successful progressive folk-rock band, The Strawbs expanded their soundscape with ambitious new compositions and luminaries such as keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman. The Electric Strawbs on 16 October sees original frontman David Cousins, along with Dave Lambert and Chas Cronk, move gracefully into their fifth decade of music making. Two-Tone ska legends, The Selecter and The Beat, unite for an exciting double-header show on 19 October. Led by the iconic Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, The Selecter, will play hits including 'Three Minute Hero', 'Missing Words' and 'On My Radio'. The Beat, fronted by Ranking Roger, have a massive back catalogue of skanking greats. Both bands are renowned for their energetic live shows, which get everyone dancing. For more information, or to book tickets, telephone 01284 758000 or visit www.theapex.co.uk The Apex, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;SEPTEMBER 2017

Hollywood and Broadway icon Stockard Channing stars in a new production of Olivier award winner Alexi Kaye Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acclaimed drama Apologia, directed by the multi-award winning Jamie Lloyd, Benet Catty heads to Trafalgar Studios to see what all the fuss is about.

f you want to see people you know from the telly live on stage then the London theatre offers plenty of choice at the moment. Angels in America has Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey among the A-list cast of the great masterpiece. F Murray Abraham is bringing his first-rate charisma to a third-rate play in The Mentor. Andrew Scott is wowing audiences as Hamlet. And now, ten years since her last appearance at the Almeida, Stockard Channing returns to the London stage.

Channing is known by many of us as the first lady Abbey Bartlet in The West Wing and by everyone as Rizzo in Grease all those years ago. In Apologia - Alexi Kaye Campbell's funny, moving, richly entertaining play, being revived for the first time - she brings to the stage what she offers so brilliantly on television: understated strength and emotional vulnerability. Kristin Miller (Channing) is hosting her two adult sons at her country home for a roast dinner. She

is American but has lived here forever and been successful as an art historian. She has just published a memoir in which her children do not appear. Her protests that the book was about her professional existence and not her personal life do not impress them, and the tension they feel towards her is magnified by the tensions felt by their other halves, the religious Christian girlfriend of one and the egotistic soap actress partner of the initially absent other. Like so many plays, it's a "family sit

WEST END

down to dinner, all hell breaks loose and then they leave" kind of show. But what Apologia lacks in novelty it more than makes up for with its wit and intelligence and with the outstanding performances of its ensemble cast. Like the character she plays, Channing's presence does all the work. Hers is no barnstorming performance but a subtle portrait of a woman who has lead a life of great passions (political and artistic) which, in various ways, have caused schisms with her grown up children and her sense of herself. Channing is deadpan funny and, in the play's closing moments, deeply affecting. Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey) is particularly good as Trudi, her mixture of charm and defense revealing a character who feels judged from the moment she gives a gift to her boyfriend's mother and realises that friendship between them is not going to come easily or at all. Freema Agyeman (late of Doctor Who) similarly provides a believable mix of self-confidence and inferiority as the

other girlfriend making lots of money from inferior art in a popular soap opera, and whose life is going to take on a soap opera twist of its own. In a striking long scene in the second act, Joseph Millson and Channing do tremendous work as another son comes to visit, asks some questions and then is gone by morning. And Desmond Barritt, a stalwart of the London stage, gets all his laughs in the lighter comic role although his more serious defense of his long-time friend to her son in the later stages rang false with me. As always, director Jamie Lloyd gives the show great character and pace matched with considerable visual interest on Soutra Gilmour's gorgeous set and with Jon Clark's beautiful lighting which dynamically illustrates the warm but heated atmosphere of the funnier first half and the darker more isolated tone of the second act. For all its resemblances to some of the plays of Edward Albee in its highintellect icy central character and its upper middle class setting, Apologia is not an uncovered masterpiece or

a play to change the way you feel about the world. But it is a constantly engaging exploration of how we consider value in our lives and families (variously money, fame, religion, intellect, family) and how limiting they all are if pursued to the exclusion of the others. As we're told in the play, an apologia is not the same thing as an apology; yet it's the latter that several of the characters seem to want most. But while it's possible to apologise for what you've done, it's not easy to apologise for who you are. And in many ways that is what the characters are demanding of each other or defending themselves against offering to others. Apologia is one of the most entertaining nights out currently available in London, and I make no apology for recommending it.

APOLOGIA, is on now until 18 November 2017 at Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY. www.trafalgarentertainment.com

| SEPTEMBER 2017

the Little

d i a m Mer

Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Little Mermaid arrives in Norwich and John Bultitude chats to the company ’s artistic director David Nixon THE LITTLE MERMAID is performing at the Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday 26th through to Saturday 30th September. www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk Box office 01603 630000

orthern Ballet’s new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Little Mermaid arrives in Norwich from September 26-30 – the third of an unprecedented three new full-length ballets to be launched in one year by the Leedsbased company. Telling the story of a young mermaid who is willing to give up everything she knows in a search for love and the desire to gain a human soul, the ballet’s world première tour starts in Southampton with Norwich its second stop on a UK tour. It follows on from Casanova, performed here in April, and an

adaptation of John Boyne’s bestselling novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which is also touring the UK. The Little Mermaid, based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, is choreographed and directed by the company’s artistic director David Nixon OBE, whose most recent creations have included Cinderella, The Great Gatsby and Beauty & the Beast. Set design is by Kimie Nakano, lighting by Tim Mitchell and music by Sally Beamish, while David, not for the first time, also took on the design of the costumes. In choosing this particular story, he said he was looking for something accessible. “I think you want to make your audience

GUY FARROW; SIMON LAWSON

WHAT’S ON

comfortable so that they can come at any age to experience the company. A lot of people know The Little Mermaid – there seems to be an attachment to mermaids and the Disney version is quite famous – and I knew that it would work in dance because it is about movement.” Having choreographed Ondine in 2012 – another tale of doomed romance between a beautiful water nymph and a handsome nobleman – David was aware of the opportunities and challenges in creating a beautiful underwater world which contrasts with the human world on land above. “It is without gravity – it would be as if we could fly. When you put a bird in a cage, that is

what happens to the mermaid,” he said. “I look at the first part of the ballet as almost a ballet in its own right – it’s like a dance of the sea with the mermaids and fish. It’s about watching movement, what it might be like to be a mermaid and understanding her world so that you can understand the sacrifice she makes for this love she has. It’s about selfless love – the ability to love even when it’s not reciprocated. The ending is sad, but very beautiful.” Working on the costume design gives David the inspiration for the choreography. “When I see what they wear, how they move, that gives me the character and a way in. When others do the designs I don’t

understand it as well– of course, I can ask them those questions but it’s not quite the same as coming up with it yourself, and I have just always enjoyed that element. You are giving the show the look that you want it to have coming from your imagination.” The set designer Kimie Nakano has created a look for the ballet that is contemporary and beautiful, and in rehearsals David’s focus is on creating a language of movement for the mermaid which shows she’s still a water creature and fluid even when dancing on land. He has introduced a Scottish look to the rest of the story which dovetails with the original score composed by Sally Beamish. “The music has a slight Scottish influence to it and I have taken a slight Scottish influence to the costume – something like a kilt which is a little different. We always have the dilemma that men are either in tights or trousers, but with kilts there is a freedom of movement there.” Northern Ballet has a tradition of nurturing talent and in promoting younger choreographers, David had started to move back from that role himself, but The Little Mermaid tempted him back. He said: “I am sort of in there by default as I wasn’t going to be choreographing any more, so the Little Mermaid is a blip on my radar,” although he is also choreographing for a Macmillan triple bill – Kenneth MacMillan: a National Celebration, which will bring together Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet in a tribute to the choreographic master, for a limited number of performances at The Royal Opera House, and in Bradford and Leeds. “I always say I didn’t intend to be a choreographer and I don’t think of myself as a choreographer. I think of myself first as an artistic director who choreographs and it’s always been about creating dancers. The value I will always seek in the repertoire I have done is the dancers who came out of it.” Seeing some of those former dancers now spreading their wings creatively is immensely rewarding for him and Kenneth Tindall’s recent success with his first full ballet Casanova was a proud moment. “On Casanova, I was able to work with Kenny in the sense of being a sounding board for him which was great. But I was also ballet master in the studio for him, preparing second and third casts while he was working, so he was able to not worry about that and trust me. Then I was working with my own dancers in a different capacity which was really nice for them and me. So it is hugely positive.” Both as a dancer and choreographer, David’s strength has always been his “dramatic interpretation” and bringing something fresh to a story. In supporting young choreographers in their journey into narrative work, he is continuing that path. ”The company will still see revivals because everything can’t be new but I think the narrative has been key for this company. It’s our identity and it’s stronger than ever.” 29

| SEPTEMBER 2017

EUROPEAN UNION CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

claSsICAL

MusIC sOloiSts Some of the globe’s finest musicians, sought-after soloists and acclaimed orchestras are set to put Norfolk even more firmly on the classical music map. Norwich Theatre Royal is announcing plans for a brand-new classical music season which begins this autumn, as John Bultitude explains

he classical music map in Norwich is certainly rich and varied with a wide range of orchestral opportunities presented in a host of venues from the lavish to the intimate. And that city-wide programme is set to be strengthened with the launch of the Theatre Royal’s exciting season which begins this autumn. Chief executive Stephen Crocker explained: “Norwich has a deeprooted association with classical music concerts that dates back to the founding of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival in the eighteenth century and continues to this day with a thriving and enviable programme across the city’s churches and venues. As the largest stage in the city, the Theatre Royal has an important part to play in further developing this part of Norwich’s vibrant music scene by ensuring that some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras and classical performers are part of this city-wide programme.” It all starts on Sunday October 22 with the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra which can trace its history back to 1931. For the first twenty years of their life, they were linked to Leningrad Radio broadcasting live initially as a concert orchestra and them moving on to become a symphony orchestra. During the Second World War, it was the only orchestra which carried on performing winning plaudits for the Leningrad premiere of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony in August 1942 and performing more than 300 times despite the blockade of the city. It received Philharmonic status in 1953 and then in the late Sixties, began a major growth of its repertoire. By the Seventies, it was performing the Leningrad premiere of works by a wide variety of composers including Handel, Mahler, Strauss, and Tippett, as well as recording all the symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert, plus works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Ravel and East Anglia’s own Britten. 30

It now regularly takes part in prestigious international festivals and tours across Europe, Asia and America delighting audiences and critics alike and with a very mixed repertoire which includes works by Beethoven and Mozart, classical Swedish music, and the scores for both Winnie The Pooh and The Lion King. For their Norwich concert, they will be performing Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony which marked a change in the composer’s style and approach. It mixes classical techniques with a more contemporary feel and also marked a departure for Prokofiev as it was composed away from the piano. In his biography, he said: “Until then, I had always composed at the piano, but I noticed that the thematic material composed away from the piano was often better. I had been playing with the idea of writing a whole symphony without the piano thinking that such a piece would have more natural and transparent colours.” Also in the programme will be Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 4 which was first written by the Russian composer in 1926. He revised it a number of times before he was finally 100 per cent happy with it by 1941. In common with the Prokofiev piece, it has a modern feel and is slightly different from some of his other work. Completing the October concert will be Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade which boasts some wonderfully evocative compositions as it tells stories of the Persian Princess and is a piece which can be enjoyed by anyone. Fast-forward to Saturday March 24 next year to the second concert in the season by the European Union Chamber Orchestra which aims to celebrate Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi, arguably three of the greatest composers of all time. Their performance begins with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 3 which boasts an Italian style with a very defined melody and is written in such a way that it appears there are no soloists.

WHAT’S ON

VLADIMIR ALTSCHULER

MARTIN ROSCOE

He tours extensively appearing regularly at the likes of Wigmore Hall in London and has appeared in over 500 broadcasts including seven BBC Proms appearances. Completing the first concert season on Sunday 15 April are the Some critics say it is very similar to a piece by Vivaldi which makes Czech National Symphony Orchestra which will mix some dazzling Four Seasons an integral part of the programme too. Arguably one of piano alongside some very majestic symphonies in its programme. Vivaldi’s best-known works for violin, each piece directly relates to It will feature Schubert’s Symphony No 8 which boasts a story as and reflects a different time of year, and is loved by many. imaginative and thought-provoking as the piece itself. The piece Completing the performance is Mozart’s Piano Concerto K414 In known as The Unfinished was found 37 years after the A Major which features some very catchy and memorable composer’s death when a man handed over the incomplete moments either side of some powerful operatic-style music. NORWICH piece to a Viennese conductor. The orchestra itself, which boasts Queen Sofia of Spain as THEATRE ROYAL, www.theatreroyal Also in the programme is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto a patron, gave its first concerts in 1981 gaining a worldwide norwich.co.uk no 5 which turned out to be his last. It was a very different reputation as a musical ambassador for the European Union. Box office: piece to his usual style with a much lighter style compared It has toured all over the world including South and 01603 630000 to his much more muscular and often imposing style of East Asia, South and Central America, North Africa and writing. the Middle East, and is the first European orchestra to give Another well-known piece Dvorak’s Symphony No 9 will complete concerts in Belize and Cuba. the concert. Interpretations vary with some believing the composer Since 2005, its focus has been on Europe performing at the likes was inspired by the wide open spaces of America while others believe of Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Milan’s Sala Verdi, has been his inspiration was based more on traditional folk songs. What is not commissioned to perform on 19 different labels, and is also no in doubt is that it plays with memory by repeating a lot of melodies stranger to the broadcast world performing live on BBC Radio 3. building towards an epic finale. Joining the orchestra as soloist is Martin Roscoe who is one of the The orchestra’s visit to Norwich will help it celebrate its first UK’s best-loved pianists. For more than four decades, he has worked quarter of a century and is known for its versatility mixing traditional regularly with some of the UK’s leading orchestras including the BBC repertoire with more contemporary works, jazz pieces, and both Philharmonic Orchestra, National Orchestra of Wales, and the Hallé. musical and film scores. They have also worked with a wide range of composers, conductors and performers which includes Ennio Morricone, James Morrison, PAVEL KOLESNIKOV Lalo Schfrin and Carl Davis. It has also worked on a score for the Quentin Tarantino western The Hateful Eight and collaborated with pop artists like Sting, George Michael and Natalie Cole. In Norwich, their work will be conducted by Petr Altrichter who has worked for the Czech Philharmonic, and chief conductor at Prague’s FOK Symphony, Brno Philharmonic and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. And the concert will also feature as soloist the globally-renowned pianist Pavel Kolesnikov who became Prize Laureate of the Honens Prize for Piano in 2012, and has performed all over the world, as well as being one of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists between 2014 and 2016. Stephen Crocker added: “We hope that our new classical music season will be a great addition to the music scene and will delight both stalwart and new concert-goers alike. It is fantastic to bring such an array of international performers to the region in a programme that showcases some absolute gems from the orchestral repertoire. I am very much looking forward to hearing our auditorium filled with this glorious music and to seeing classical music grow as a key part of our annual programme.” 31

September

BOX OFFICE: (01603) 63 00 00 Tues 29 Aug – Sat 2 Sept THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Award-winning, dazzling adaptation of the best-selling novel £8 - £28.50 Sun 3 Sept PURPLE RAIN Hit-packed Prince tribute £7 - £22.50 Tues 5 – Sat 9 Sept SHIRLEY VALENTINE Jodie Prenger stars in heart-warming comedy £8 - £26.50 Sun 10 Sept ISLANDS IN THE STREAM The music of Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers £8 - £26 Thur 14 – Sat 16 Sept NATIONAL GILBERT & SULLIVAN OPERA COMPANY The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore £8 - £35

The Little Mermaid

Tues 19–Sat 23 Sept BLOOD BROTHERS Legendary Willy Russell musical £8 - £38 Tues 26–Sat 30 Sept THE LITTLE MERMAID Northern Ballet with new family ballet £8 - £38.50

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

COMPETITION

W IN! A SHORT BR E A K IN NOR FOLK WORTH £200 FROM NOR FOLK COUNTRY COT TAGES

orfolk Country Cottages are a local, family run company with 25 years experience in the area. Their portfolio of 500+ properties, all VisitEngland assessed, are located throughout the county in hand-picked locations. Their team are all local experts with a passion for the area and dedicated to making sure your experience, from start to finish, is a smooth and enjoyable one. So, no matter whether you book via their website or by telephone with their friendly reservations team (based in the beautiful town of Holt – not bad as work locations go!), booking your property with Norfolk Country Cottages means you’re in safe hands. You can call 01263 715779, send an email to info@norfolkcottages.co.uk or visit their website for more details – www.norfolkcottages.co.uk. To enter please answer the following question:

Where are the Norfolk Country Cottages reservation team based? Send your answer and contact details by email to: competitions@placesandfaces.co.uk or enter by post at: Places & Faces, H2Creative Media Ltd, Humberstone House, 47 Englands Lane, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 6BE. Please submit your entry by the end of September 2017 latest and good luck! TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Competition closes at midnight on 30th September 2017. 2. No purchase necessary. 3. The holiday is offered up to the value of £200, and must be taken before 31st March 2018, subject to availability. 4. Winner can upgrade the accommodation value to above £200, but excess will need to be met by the winner. 5. No cash alternative. Prize is non-transferable. 6. The competition winner will be notified at the beginning of October 2017 by email or telephone. 7. Competition is only open to people 18 years and older and UK residents. 8. Your details will be used for marketing purposes by Norfolk Country Cottages, The Original Cottage Company and H2Creative Media only – you can unsubscribe at any time. 9. We will not pass any information onto any third parties. 10. Employees of The Original Cottage Company and H2Creative Media, or their families or households, are not eligible to enter. 11. Acceptance of the prize authorises competition providers to publish the name, photo, county and country of the winner. The winner may be required to participate in reasonable publicity related to this promotion. 12. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

| SEPTEMBER 2017

gs n i h T you M ight n

ot Know AbOut:

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

TEN THINGS

In a long career that’s seen him shift from

60s mod to 70s rock star, and beyond, Rod Stewart has certainly ‘lived the life’. Wine, women and song have all been part of it, together with fast cars and football. Sporting probably the most famous hair cut in rock ’n’ roll he’s strutted the stages, made the headlines and sold shed loads of records. Raise your tartan scarves, wave your hands in the air... I give you - ten things you quite possibly didn’t know about Rod Stewart.

HE HAD HIS TONSILS TAKEN OUT.

The old adages about good tonsils being important for a singer don’t count for much it seems. (Elvis Presley had his removed in the army - but only when they could find a surgeon brave enough to do the job!). Rod’s not had his tonsils since long before his singing career began. He had them removed when he was seven.

THE FIRST OF SOME THINGS SAID ABOUT HIM THAT ARE NOT TRUE IS THIS.

He never was signed or apprenticed to Brentford - or any other football club. It was long touted that football mad Rod was actually taken up as an apprentice by Brentford FC. Legend has it that he was so fed up with cleaning the first team’s boots that he packed it in and went off to be a singer. With commendable, if slightly late, honesty he’s only a few pages into his autobiography when he admits that none of it is true. It was something his agent put out in his early days. He does though admit to ‘helping the story along a bit’. He also takes a bit of a swipe at Gordon Ramsay who claims that he played for Rangers but - well enough said!

THE SECOND OF SOME THINGS SAID ABOUT HIM THAT ARE NOT TRUE IS THIS.

It’s not him on that famous harmonica solo. For years it was an urban legend that the harmonica solo on Millie’s 1964 hit ‘My Boy Lollipop was played by Rod. But that appears to be just what it is. A legend. Stewart has himself denied it, but more than one other musician has claimed it. They’re still arguing but it was played by either Pete Hogman or Jimmy Powell. Interestingly both of them were in a band called The Five Dimensions - which for a while included Rod Stewart as a singer - and harmonica player!

WHEN IT COMES TO FAME HE’S DONE SOMETHING ELSE RATHER SPECIAL.

Rod was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1994, as a solo artist. He also made it into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. But then he was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - again! This time in 2012 as a member of The Faces.

THE HAIR.

It might sound mad to give a chapter of your autobiography to your hair, but you can see Rod’s point. The hair do is instantly recognisable. It is, he says, like a logo for his business. But here’s a little known fact. In the early days Rod and Ron Wood used to ‘do’ each other’s hair.

‘MAGGIE MAY’ MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN...

The track that propelled Rod into the big time was actually a B side. The song was recorded for his 1971 album ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ but the single released from the LP was ‘Reason to Believe’ with ‘Maggie May’ on the flip side. A disc jockey in Cleveland, Ohio liked ‘Maggie May’ better and played it. A lot. The rest is history.

AND IT REALLY DID MAKE HISTORY!

The single - by now ‘Maggie May’ - went to Number One in the UK Singles Charts in October 1971, staying there for five weeks. At the same time the album - ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ - went to Number One in the UK Album charts. Simultaneously he topped the USA singles and album charts. That’s something achieved by a very small number of artists.

THE MODEL RAILWAY THING.

Mr Stewart gets very cross if people poke fun at his lifelong hobby of railway modelling. By now it’s hardly a secret that he has a massive and sophisticated model railway layout. What most people don’t know is that, when it comes to railway modelling, he is very, very good at it. World class. His work is featured on the front covers of modelling magazines. That good. He once said he was more proud of being on the front cover of those magazines than he is of being on the front of music magazines!

SO WHO DOES HE HAVE AS A HERO?

When you’re such a rock ’n’ roll hero yourself, who do you look up to? Rod has often mentioned artists he’s admired - from Al Jolson to Wilson Pickett. But he’s consistently referred to his old band leader boss ‘Long John’ Baldry as his all time hero. He credits Baldry with discovering him, and for teaching him much of the stage craft he practises to this day.

AND ONE MORE THING SAID ABOUT HIM THAT ISN’T TRUE IS THIS :

He’s really not as tight with money as some would have you believe. ‘Careful’ by his own admission, but Rod is capable of significant charity and donations. It’s a matter of record now - he didn’t say much at the time - that when his now sadly late band mate from The Faces, Ronnie Lane was ill, and not in great financial shape either, Rod was paying the hospital bills. 35

| SEPTEMBER 2017

stAr THE SEARCHERS will be appearing at St Georges Theatre, Great Yarmouth on Sunday 3rd September at 7.30pm Tickets are priced at £21 www.stgeorgestheatre.com

SeaRcHEr 36

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Pete Goodrum talks with John McNally of legendary band, The Searchers

open my conversation with John McNally with a bit of a confession. I tell him that I am genuinely star struck. And he answers, in the way only a Liverpool native can, with ‘Gerroff!’ Quickly followed by ‘no, seriously, that’s very nice. Thank you. But no need’ No need! Really? This is John McNally, founder member of The Searchers. This is pop music royalty. Overcoming my nervousness I start searching (I will not apologise for that pun) for the answers to two intriguing mysteries about The Searchers. It’s a matter of record that the name comes from John Ford’s classic western film ‘The Searchers’, but much has been written about who actually determined that the band would adopt it. ‘It was big Ron Woodward, our first lead singer’ says Mr McNally. ‘No question. A lovely guy, and let him have the credit’. And then there’s the question of the hit song ‘Needles and Pins’. Who wrote that? Jacky DeShannon, who’d had a hit with it, claims that she was a participant in its writing. ‘I’d heard that too’, says John, ‘but I think it’s a bit of ego. It was written by Jack Nietzsche and Sony Bono’. So, there you have it, two enduring mysteries solved, and you heard it first in Places and Faces. What there’s no mystery or doubt about is that The Searchers are an integral and important part of Britain’s musical evolution. Formed as a Liverpool skiffle group, by John, and Mike Pender, in 1959, they served the classic apprenticeship of playing Liverpool’s clubs, including The Iron Door and, of course, The Cavern, as well as the legendary Star Club in Hamburg. I put it to him that The Star Club was a gruelling experience that many of today’s acts simply don’t have to go through. ‘I totally agree’, he says. ‘It was gruelling. The place opened at 2.00pm and stayed open until the early hours. If there were three bands booked you played your set every third hour. Do the sums – you can see how much we played in a day, let alone a week. But, you learned your craft. How to organise a set list, how to work the audience. And, you learned because you played alongside some true greats. People like Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles’. The Searchers’ trajectory from The Star Club days is a story that’s a blueprint for pop history. There's the growing army of fans, the first records, and then the release of “Sweets for My Sweet. A modest hit that ‘was selling ok but not setting the world alight’ until a certain John Lennon said it was his favourite record of that moment. Then it started selling. Big time. And indeed they entered the big time. Now they were swinging sixties pop stars of the first order. Then come the fallings out, splitting up from managers, and suddenly ‘we weren’t the same band any more’. But, with bills to pay and in the ‘mortgage and 2 kids’ stage of life work had to be found. By the 1970s The Searchers were playing the ‘chicken in a basket’ cabaret circuit. ‘It was a nightmare’, says John McNally. ‘But we got through it. We asked ourselves, what do we do? Go back to to the day jobs? No, we’re musicians. We got back on the road’.

We’ll return to ‘the road’ but first we take a couple of diversions. I’ve got some more questions. What prompted them, I ask, back in that 60s heyday, to suddenly release the Malvina Reynolds song ‘What Have They Done To The Rain’? It’s a folk, protest, song. I tell him that I remember Cathy McGowan introducing them on Ready Steady Go, and registering her surprise at the band having gone rather ‘folky’. ‘We liked it. It’s a great song, great lyric, and brilliant tune. Simple as that. And we all agreed. It’s when you don’t have that agreement over material that things go wrong’. And then there was the NME Poll winners concert in1964. You can still find this on YouTube (as you can that episode of Ready Steady Go) and what you’ll see is The Searchers ending their set by playing Ray Charles’ ‘What’d I Say’. It’s a storming version with, the sadly late, Chris Curtis leading the vocals from the drum chair. I put it to John that this too was out of character as far as their public perception went. Was this, I ask, the real band, as opposed to the version preferred by managers? ‘Yeah. You’re right. We were different live. Sometimes we had the chance to really go for it’. He also takes the opportunity to pay credit to Curtis who he says was hugely talented and is sadly missed. Apart from the sound of The Searchers, there was the look. The Searchers were always immaculate. The suits. The boots. I ask John if he still has any of those impossibly cool 1960s chelsea boots. ‘I do! I even bought some years later, in Gibraltar. Not quite the same as the originals but still with cuban heels. My grand kids laugh at me when I put then on!’ Diversions duly enjoyed we return to ‘the road’. The Searchers are a touring working band, and are soon to be in our region again, as part of the Sixties Gold Tour. ‘We still love it, we love playing live. If I were honest the motorway travelling can be a challenge. If it’s possible I’ll travel the day before a gig to stay over, otherwise you’re always worried about being held up. I swear, sometimes, its harder to get from A to B now than it was years ago’. But, being on stage, and part of a tour featuring other luminaries of pop, including Gerry & The Pacemakers, and Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, is plainly something the band relish. “we love the East Anglian audiences’, he says. ‘They always really appreciate us’. And who does John McNally appreciate? Out of all the groups who came to the fore at the same time as The Searchers who does he really rate? ‘The Beatles of course, but Gerry & The Pacemakers must be on the list, along with Billy J Kramer. Lesser known ones like The Big Three were brilliant. They all had that Liverpool sound. The Hollies were great, and it’s interesting that you can hear the difference – they’ve got that Manchester sound’. As we talk through bands we get to Peter Jay and The Jaywalkers. ‘He lives in Great Yarmouth doesn’t he? Loved that group. Sounded like Sounds Incorporated. I never knew why they weren’t a much bigger success’. As we draw to a close I take John back to those very early days, when they were a Skiffle group. ‘You just got hold of any instruments you could, including making the bass out of a tea chest and broom handle. It was all so simple. Just getting up and doing it’. None of that enthusiasm has been lost. Only this week he tells me he’s been looking online to find new tuition videos as he fancies learning a bit more about playing rockabilly style. ‘I’m not sure it will make it into The Searchers’ set’, he laughs, ‘Can you imagine that?’ What doesn’t take any imagination is the continued success of The Searchers. Audiences – of all ages – flock to their shows. They’re legends. John McNally is a legend. And I’ve just spent an hour talking with him. I’m still star struck. 37

| SEPTEMBER 2017

SpARKs WIlL flY

Pete Goodrum talks with Ron Mael of legendary duo SPARKS

‘Instantly recognisable’ is one

of those phrases that comes up time and again in pop music. We use it to describe the particular sound of a band. Or perhaps their ‘look’. Not many acts qualify for the phrase in both departments. Sparks do. Constantly innovative, and ceaselessly creative, the band are though ‘instantly recognisable’ to the ears. There’s something that says ‘this is a Sparks track’. And there’s no question about their being ‘instantly recognisable’ to the eyes. Whoever else is in the band at the time, the duo themselves are unmistakable. The lead singer, all fresh faced, flowing hair and fabulous moves is everything a pop star should be. The keyboard man, moustached, slicked back short hair and totally static is everything a pop star shouldn’t be. As unlikely a combination as you’ll find anywhere in music. But it works. And has done for decades. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael formed Sparks in 1972. Born in Pacific Palisades, 38

Los Angeles, the pair had grown up in a place and time that allowed them to soak up the sounds of bands like The Beach Boys, The Doors and Love. They were there. In fact, look closely at the 1966 film ‘The Big T.N.T Show’, which features a stellar line up of performers, and you can spot Ron and Russell in the audience, spellbound by the Ronettes. Despite such ‘local’ talent the two brothers were greatly enamoured of English bands too. They were listening to The Who, The Kinks and the earliest, Syd Barrett led, incarnation of Pink Floyd. Music was in their DNA and by 1968 they had their own band, Halfnelson. Spotted by legendary producer Todd Rundgren they were signed by Albert Grossman to his Bearsville label for whom they released an eponymous debut album. A look at the cover art reveals the earliest, but ‘instantly recognisable’ style of the band. The album did not sell well but, as is sometimes the way in rock and roll, after

a change of label, to Warner Bros, and a change of name, to Sparks, it did. It was the second album, ‘A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing’ that triggered the next crucial stage. It earned them a UK tour, which included gigs at London’s Marquee Club. Leaving aside the wonderful piece of pop trivia that at one Marquee gig a band called Queen opened for Sparks, it was this residency that did two important things. It started build a cult, but growing and loyal, fan base, and it got them a spot on the highly influential TV show ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’. By 1973 they were living in England, and they’d got a contract with Island Records. The following year saw the release of the ‘Kimono My House’ album. And from that, bursting into a country of power strikes and unrest, to brighten up a grey time, came their Number 2 hit single – ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’. (Yep – that’s going to be in your head for the rest of the day now!).

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Over four decades later Sparks are still the creative force they’ve always been. Twenty or so albums, massive sales, and various manifestations behind them they have a new album and a tour lined up for 2017. I caught up with Ron Mael for a chat, ahead of their September 18 appearance at The Waterfront in Norwich. I begin by commenting on the eight year gap between ‘Hippopotamus’, the new album, and the previous recording. ‘It has’, says Ron, ‘not been downtime. We’ve been busy, particularly working with Franz Ferdinand. There were three years of writing, recording and touring on that project’. ‘That project’ was ‘FFS’, effectively a super group formed by the merging of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. It resulted in a tour and a 2105 album. Prior to that there had been ‘The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman’. Originally commissioned by the radio drama department of Sweden’s national broadcaster the work is based on a, fictional, visit by Bergman to Hollywood in the 1950s. The album which by any definition would have to be classified as ‘pop opera’ came out in 2009.

‘We’ve not exactly been idle’, says Ron, and goes on to say that all of the work they had been doing was, ‘in a way a bit of a catalyst. Maybe it was time to get back to writing and recording 3 or 4 minute songs’. The new album, ‘Hippopotamus’ he says was written and recorded at ‘more of our usual pace. From its beginnings in maybe January 2016 we took around 8 months to do it’. The line up for the album is interesting. Zach Dawes is on bass, Tyler Parkford takes keyboards and Michael Shuman is in the drum seat. I ask Ron, given that all of those three were in Mini Mansions, if this is another collaboration, in the same mould as FFS. ‘Not really’ he says. ‘We’d always loved Mini Mansions, and John Congleton who produced FFS introduced us. The guys are happy to be part of Sparks, playing with us. It’s not a collaboration that embraces the writing for example’. When it comes to writing, the new material contains brilliant tunes and lyrics and titles that are as clever, referenced and witty as ever with Sparks. I’m keen to know what comes first for ‘writer in chief’ Ron – the lyric or the melody. ‘I nearly always have the tune first. The lyrics can come from anywhere – even an overheard phrase. It’s then a question of fitting the lyrics to the music’. But with Sparks it’s more than even the lyrics and the tune. The creativity spills over in to the visual, and for the new album Ron and Russell have involved the fans in an innovative project called ‘The Spoken Word Video’. People were invited to choose one line from the Hippopotamus title track and speak that line, with no musical backing, in

a video of no more than 15 seconds. Then upload it. The rules were interesting. There were to be no entrants called Spielberg. No nudity (that, the rules say ‘will be part of a future contest’!). No videos were to have a budget of over $15 million. And no stunt doubles were allowed. When I ask Ron how it’s gone, given that as we speak the closing date is near, he’s thrilled. ‘It’s been fantastic. We’d hoped for and expected a good result, but there’s been a huge response. And such a broad range of people. All types’. He pauses. ‘A bit like a Sparks audience I guess!’ There’s been one question that I’ve had in mind and so far held back from asking. But, as my allocated interview time is ticking away I go for it. Pop and rock I say have several pairs of siblings who, shall we say, don’t get on. Ray and Dave Davies of Sparks’ heroes The Kinks are a good example. And of course there’s Noel and Liam Gallagher who, even at the height of Oasis’ fame, could fight tooth and nail. So, how are things with Ron and his lead singer brother Russell? After all, they’ve been working together a long time. ‘In general we get along fine’ says Ron. ‘We pretty much have the same sensibilities when it comes to music. Of course we disagree occasionally but when we do it’s usually over technical things – does that instrument have a part there? Should that song go there?’ He draws breath for a moment and then, perhaps with the Gallaghers in mind, and certainly with humour in his voice he announces ‘I’d say we stop just this side of brawling’. We’re getting to just this side of stopping so we turn our attention to, firstly the new album. Due out on September 8th it will be released in all formats. Ron and Russell love the resurgence of interest in vinyl. ‘It’s tangible. A real object. And you can see the artwork’. It’s heralded as work that will ‘take the pop form, shake it up, and create an album that is adventurous, fresh and idiosyncratically ‘Sparks’’. Given their achievements to date there’s no reason to think it will fail in delivering that promise. And then there’s the tour. It will take in Stockholm, Helsinki, Berlin and Brussels. Across August and September other stops include Manchester, London, Birmingham and, on September 8th, The Waterfront in Norwich. Time’s up. But Ron is nothing if not courteous. ‘We look forward to coming to your city’ he says. ‘Thanks for your time today’. We await the album, even though advance teasers of the tracks are already around and the tour will feature songs from it. It would be easy to say ‘they’re back. It would be wrong too. They’ve never been away. This is the next, the latest manifestation of the band. I think Sparks will fly! 39

| SEPTEMBER 2017

UNO,

Dos,

tRES

QUAtRO 40

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Angela Sara West caught up with a leather-clad Suzi Quatro at last month’s Holt Festival to chat about her talk-of-the-town gig, becoming ‘Doctor Suzi’, the secrets to her success and how she’s kicking herself for turning down The King.

lvis wanted to meet her, she’s lived it up with the likes of Led Zeppelin and rocked along with the Rolling Stones. She started touring at the age of 14 and, at 67, is still on the road today! She’s sold over 50 million records worldwide, No. 1 hits Can The Can and Devil Gate Drive among them, and the chart topper has also found fame as a Hollywood actress and in West End musicals in London. She’s also an author, with her new book, The Hurricane, hot-off-the-press, for which she’ll be forever grateful to Jackie Collins. Prince Charles once told her she had the best legs since Tina Turner. “Yep... he sure did… and I turned into a giggling idiot!” She says she has met, interviewed, or played on stage with most of her musical heroes and regrets declining an invitation from her biggest idol. “Elvis has been my music icon since I was six years old,” she tells me. “He heard my version of All Shook Up and called me, when I was in Memphis touring the USA in 1974, to invite me to Graceland. But I wasn’t ready to meet him at the time, so I turned him down.” The Queen of Rock’s life-long obsession with The King has hugely influenced her career and a regretful Suzi visited Graceland 35 years later to record a BBC Radio 2 show marking 75 years since Elvis’ birth. “It was very emotional indeed and I have been told by the powers at Radio 2 that this documentary was one of the ‘golden’ ones, among their most moving.”

WORDS © ANGELA SARA WEST 2017, WWW.ANGELASARAWEST.COM

MEETING MICKIE

Discovering her passion for music at a very young age, the multitalented musician/actress/author/ broadcaster made her stage debut aged seven, playing bongos in her father’s jazz band, The Art Quatro Trio, before graduating to go-go dancing in a pop series on local TV. “I came from a musical family and we did family shows. I always knew I could hold an audience.” Suzi went on the road at 14, with older sister, Patti, and their allgirl band, The Pleasure Seekers, renamed Cradle in 1969. Her big break came when the famous British record producer, Mickie Most, offered her a solo contract at one of their gigs. “I wasn’t the main singer in the band for about 18 months, so I only did two songs, but Mickie came and said to guitarist, Jeff Beck, who was with him, ‘That girl playing bass is a star!’” Originally from Detroit, Michigan, this pivotal moment

saw Suzi crossing the Atlantic in 1971 to pursue a solo career managed by Mickie, and thus began her incredible journey to fame. The rocker has since clocked up five decades in the music business, and continues to write, perform and record her own material whilst juggling her weekly radio show, Quatrophonic, on BBC Radio 2. Patting bongos for her dad, did she ever dream she would be the world-renowned rock star she is today? “I always had a feeling I would be famous, yes. I didn’t know how exactly, but I really wanted to be Elvis! AB FAB FUN & HAPPY DAYS!

She’s not only made her mark on the music world… in 1990, Suzi landed the lead in Annie Get Your Gun in London’s West End and wrote and appeared in her own musical, Talullah Bankhead. She’s also starred in TV shows Minder, Midsomer Murders (for which she was ‘electrocuted’ in her rock star role), Dempsey And Makepeace and Absolutely Fabulous. “Ab Fab was a riot! Jennifer let me have fun with the script, so I created a little. Joanna is simply gorgeous and lovely.” Already known for her leather-clad look, she starred alongside The Fonz (played by Henry Winkler) in Happy Days as the female equivalent, Leather Tuscadero. Her happiest Happy Days memories? “I love Henry, we’re still in contact now. My best memory was

when he purposely sent me out on the set for my big entrance… first show, live audience… and he sent me out a page early!!! I wasn’t nervous after that.” Suzi’s also written a poetry book, Through Her Eyes, and recently released her first novel, The Hurricane. “That’s been going great! Everyone seems to really enjoy reading it. It has a twist at the end… After reading my autobiography, Unzipped, Jackie Collins told me, ‘You can write, so yes, do a novel, but stick with what you know to begin with’. So, I did.” Along with working on a new album, the singer-turned-author is also considering another autobiography. “I’ve been offered to do Unzipped – Part 2.” ROCK ROYALTY ROCKS NORFOLK!

As a music business stalwart, Suzi’s showing no signs of slowing down and she’s still giving fans what they want. When it comes to a rockin’ show, Suzi Q never fails to deliver. She still plays around 80 gigs a year and is just as fit as she was in her 1970s heyday. Her secret? “I jog, go to the gym and do yoga.” Summer 2017 saw her working her rock’n’roll magic at Norfolk’s Theatre in the Woods, where she donned her trademark leather suit to headline the Holt Festival. Belting out a combination of hits and favourite album tracks, Suzi and her sevenpiece band stole the show and the whole town is still buzzing from her sell-out gig, which saw her perform to a 7,000-strong crowd. “It was a really, really wonderful gig. I loved it in the woods… it was big, but intimate. The crowd was with me from the start. I’d love to do it again. Everyone was up, screaming, dancing and enjoying it. It was a truly amazing gig and one to remember.” The previous night, the hardcore rocker had been on stage in Estonia, alongside Bonnie Tyler and Paul Young. “Don’t ask! This was the weekend from hell... I’d been on two flights since the crack of dawn on Friday, went on stage, did an amazing show... and went straight to bed. Up at 3:30am to fly to Heathrow for Holt.” “We often played this area when I used to tour in the UK in the 70s. In fact, there was a warm-up gig in Cromer that we always did before a tour. It’s a beautiful area.” DOCTOR QUATRO

Last October, legendary Suzi received an honorary doctorate of music from Anglia Ruskin 41

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

first novel… and last, but not least, receiving my award in cap and gown at Cambridge University.” Her 50th birthday also stood out. “That was in front of 22,000 people in Berlin. I also loved performing in Philadelphia to 60,000... I’d like to say I haven’t done my favourite gig yet!!” FROM ROCK’N’ROLL TO R&R

Every rocker needs a place to chill and Suzi’s moated Elizabethan manor house in Essex fits the bill, with its very special “essential” space. “I have an ego room on the third floor. It’s a really peaceful room, with old stage outfits, bass guitars, pictures, posters, scrapbooks, videos, CDs… my entire career! On the table, there’s the big red This is Your Life book, which they did for me in 1999, and a plaque on the door says ‘Ego room, mind your head’.” The first woman of Rock’n’Roll also heads to her holiday hideaway. “My husband (tour promoter, Rainer Haas) and I have a home in Mallorca, which we go to around four times a year. We get to relax, get the sun, go to restaurants and shop. It’s a place to unwind.” The island is just the ticket for some R&R and serves as a source of inspiration for the rock chick. “It inspires me when writing my books and preparing my radio shows. Mallorca means escape, peace and quiet, and the best thing about it is that it’s easy to get to from the UK, so no jet lag. I have enough of that for a lifetime in my profession!” SUCCESS SECRETS

University, Cambridge, in recognition for her services to music. “I’m always busy, always creating… I’m now Doctor Quatro! It’s a great honour. I’ll be doing lectures and everything! I take it seriously. I’ve always wanted to ‘teach’ my profession.” COLLABORATIONS ON THE CARDS…

Suzi recently formed a supergroup. “Quatro, Scott and Powell (QSP) comprises me, Andy Scott (Sweet’s guitarist) and Don Powell (Slade’s drummer). We released our album, QSP, in Australia for my January/February tour and got to No. 20!! We were my support group, so I supported myself and we went down a storm! I’m working with KT Tunstall at the moment... I just love her. I’d also love to work with singer-songwriter, Melissa Etheridge.” Suzi headlines again this autumn, alongside David Essex, The Osmonds and Hot Chocolate on her Legends Live tour. “It’s going to be excellent! An evening of hits… what could be better?!!” She’s also setting sail for her Rock the Boat gigs. “I don’t have sea legs, so I hope it’s NOT a rock and roll trip… if you get my drift!” ROCK’N’ROLL STORIES & DREAMS

Suzi once had to kick an inebriated Iggy Pop off stage… “There are too many stories to

tell! I was once doing a 10-minute goodbye, real diva-like, walking side-to-side, bowing, waving... the whole thing... then, I fell over on the monitor, bass on, legs waving in the air! This was in Finland and the band called it my ‘big finish’!” There was also a ‘mystical matter’ involving Sir Paul McCartney. “I had a crazy dream about him that didn’t make sense, conveyed it to him by letter, and the next thing you know he called me and told me every single detail was true... amazing.” HONOURS & HIGHLIGHTS

The most rewarding aspect of her vocation? “That’s easy... making people smile… becoming part of their memories. I feel honoured to have been doing my job for so many years.” Her favourite songs to perform? “So many… Devil Gate Drive (love it!), If You Can’t Give Me Love, Sometimes Love is Letting Go, I Don’t Do Gentle… I sometimes end the show with my version of Desperado, just me on vocals and piano. It’s always a wonderful moment.” She says there have been numerous highlights and proud moments. “My first No.1, first big gig in Germany, first massive tour of Australia (that was crazy!), first acting job, first musical, my own TV chat show, my autobiography, my poetry book, my

The secret to Suzi’s phenomenal success? “Believing in myself, stamina, luck and keeping my feet firmly on the ground at all times. Music means absolutely everything to me... it is my heart, my soul and my gift to the world.” She has some sound tips for readers thinking about going into the music business. “Take it seriously… do the work, learn at least one instrument properly and always be professional. Also, play, play and play...” The musician’s motto in life? “My cup is ALWAYS half full.” She’s also a fan of feng shui. “I think it does some good to de-clutter… in a room, in your life, in your mind…” Suzi famously once said, “I will retire when I go on stage, shake my ass, and there is silence.” What motivates her to keep working and touring? “Simple. I love what I do. I was put on this earth to entertain and communicate… and will do so until my dying day!”

THE BEST OF SUZI QUATRO: LEGEND is out on 22nd September. Listen to Suzi’s radio show, Quatrophonic, on BBC Radio 2. Find out more about Suzi’s Legends Live Tour atlegendslive.org. Suzi’s poetry book, Through My Eyes, and novel, The Hurricane, are available on New Haven Publishing Ltd. QSP’s album, QSP, was released on Sony in Australia and is out worldwide on Warner Brothers in September. www.suziquatro.com

| SEPTEMBER 2017

twIST

shOUt

Places&Faces® caught up with Lulu ahead of her forthcoming Norfolk & Suffolk performances

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

“They say time passes really fast when you are having fun and I could apply that to me. It’s happened without me even blinking because this is what I live for, I live for music”

ulu is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress and TV personality hailing from Glasgow. Born in 1948, she is one of the country’s most popular singers, recognised the world over for tracks like Shout, her Eurovision winner Boom Bang-a-Bang, the James Bond soundtrack Man With the Golden Gun, and the mega hit To Sir with Love. Back by popular demand after her hugely successful 2016 tour, Lulu is on the road again with her biggest tour yet! Lulu has always been ‘All About the Music’ and that’s what she delivers in a power-packed performance full of her hits, new songs and fan favourites. You’ll be on your feet from beginning to end. An intimate look into the incredible musical journey of a music legend, Lulu’s show is peppered with anecdotes from a life in the fast lane (or in the limelight). All About The Music Tour celebrates six decades in the music industry, how do you keep the magic alive? Six decades is amazing! You know the weird thing is I have to say, It’s really been that long?” They say time passes really fast when you are having fun and I could apply that to me. It’s happened without me even blinking because this is what I live for, I live for music. It’s a blessing in my life. How do you keep the shows exciting for you and the audience? First of all I’ve only been with this band for around 4 years and that’s helped shake things up. They’re all younger than me, so there’s a young energy which I love. We keep it fresh and new and the great thing is these guys are influenced by the same music that I was and still am but they have a new slant. I’ve heard you exhaust them? That’s what they say….laughs If it’s not fun it’s a slog, and who wants to do anything that’s a slog if you don’t have to? Sometimes in life one has to do a slog but generally it’s fun. On stage you tell stories between songs. How do you pick which tales to share with your fans? Well, you have a set list and certain songs evoke certain memories the the rest just flows. What can go wrong? Almost anything, but when you have been doing this as long as I have you learn to use

it. It keeps it real, keeps me humble and gives the audience a bit of a laugh when you’re all in on it together. What was the first concert you ever performed at? It was a theatre or small hall and I was very, very young and I sang ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ and I forget the words. I just repeated the first verse and I wanted to die, but nobody mentioned it afterwards. I thought it was the worst thing I had done in my whole life. I was probably about 6. What I do remember is I had a sticky-out frock and I think I was so pleased with myself that the excitement affected my memory. Laughs What was the first concert you went to? I remember going to a really dirty club to see Alex Harvey (Shout) when I was just about 13. I don’t know if that was my first show but I was not allowed to go to those places because I was so young, but my mother wangled it so I could go. I used to sing in a band at the weekends, so the boys in the band had to look after me. Alex came backstage dressed in black leather and jetblack hair and he sang ‘Shout’. It was the first time I ever heard it and I went out the next day and bought the record by The Isley Brothers, and the rest is history. You were one of, or the first, female artist to play an Eastern bloc country in 1966 what was the experience like, considering you were only 17 or 18. I was with The Hollies and it was scary. It was cold, the place was very run down and there were bullet marks on buildings. There was debris and there was a lot of poverty. It was also memorable because when we did the concerts there were guards all round watching the audience, so they didn’t stand up or get excited. When they started to get excited the guards slapped them down. Where does your energy come from? I guess I was blessed with a lot of energy, and I think if you are healthy you have a lot of energy. Some people love it and some would prefer you to shut up and sit down. It’s all about how you use your energy for the positive, and as you get older it’s about pacing your energy – and for that I do meditation and Chi Gong. You famously toured with Take That around the Relight My Fire hit. Did the boys have as many cosmetics in their dressing room to prepare for the show as you? They actually had a hairdresser who toured with them who did make up, too – but they needed very little, they were so young.

Do you travel light? Well now I want to focus on the music when I’m on stage. It’s not about costume changes and it’s definitely not about glitter or sequins or frocks. I want the focus to be about the music. In practical terms, so it’s much easier, I wear a hat so I don’t even have to do my hair. I can be ready in 20 minutes. Do you think today’s young female bands and artists are under too much pressure to look good? YES. Now it’s world domination or nothing, and that is tremendous pressure – and you’ll be dropped like a hot potato if you don’t sell a certain amount of records. It was different back then. Do you listen to new music artists? Yes I do. I know a lot of people my age sit around and listen to old music but that’s not what I do. I listen to lots of stuff, old and new. The new Lady Gaga record is great, I love Zayn Malik, Adele, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Sigma – and I think Beyoncé has done something that no other black female has done. She is a consummate entertainer. I just get so excited by so many artists. I also love Paolo Nutini – Paolo is the real deal; he’s a real blues singer. I also think Calvin Harris is doing the most unbelievable work. There is so much I enjoy. What are your ‘must haves’ in the make-up bag. Good skin care. Thank God for TimeBomb. Before you put anything on your skin, it has to be in the best condition it can be. You have to make sure you are hydrated internally and externally and make sure you get lots of sleep so your face looks like it’s alive instead of dead. You’ve got to, as opposed to a young person, where it doesn’t really matter because they always look gorgeous. I have to have the right stuff underneath; good foundation, the right blusher and lots of eyelashes – and my favourite thing is to try and get the J-Lo lips! Really, for me, she just kills it. That’s what I try to do, those luscious lips. Laughs. Everything is off before I go to bed. How do you know what to perform on stage for the new tour? If you are an artist you want to take your audience on a journey. You want to take them through memories, poignant, sad, happy, but ultimately you want them to have a good night out, so the goal is to get people up on their feet so they don’t have sore bums from sitting down. So a collection of my hits, a few new self-penned songs and it all just comes together organically once the boys and I are in rehearsals. Could you see yourself doing a new Bond theme, a follow up to 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun? Only if I wrote it. How were you affected when you needed vocal surgery in the early ‘80s? It was pretty scary but thank god it all turned out ok. So now while on tour I don’t speak for 12 hours after a show. This makes sure 45

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

I’m in peak condition for the next show. With all the travelling and the talking that needs to be done, I’ve learnt to pace myself. Sometimes you have things happen to you in your life which shape you, and if you recover and learn from them it’s not a bad experience. It’s actually a good experience, ultimately, because you learn what to do to prevent it happening again and it gives you humility. So from that experience I have a lot of gratitude that I’m still doing it and doin’ it good. In your experience, what gets easier as you get older? Most things become easier because I live from a position of having gratitude. I’ve become philosophical, and as tough as it is for me not to kneejerk into a negative place when things go wrong, I always have a way of getting back and looking at acceptance of what is and what I can’t change. It doesn’t happen in a flash; it’s a process, and I now have the support and the tools to process. And what gets tougher? Maintenance. It’s a bitch…ha-ha! There’s a big piece of acceptance in growing older. I look at myself and go ‘oh my God’. You never really thought this would happen. When you have success at a young age, the pop star sort of thing, you think you’re invincible, so it’s a shock to see that you are not. If you, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger went on stage together who do you think would be the last one standing? I think that would be very difficult because you hear endless praise about Jagger doing his amazing run at the end of every gig. The Stones play, and I don’t see Macca giving up any time soon, so that would be a very tough race. Do you compare notes with your contemporaries? Yes. I saw Ringo Starr the other day and we were very pleased with ourselves. (laughs) I said, “You look great”. And he said, “You look great, Lu”. It was all “Oh my God, we are still here!” There’s an appreciation of how we’ve managed to keep our heads above water. I know he has the same philosophy as me. We follow the same school of thought, in that we are very grateful for what we’ve got and we both love touring. Macca’s the same, Jagger’s the same. That’s all we talk about. We all say we love it. If someone had told your 15 year-old self you would have this life ahead of you what would you have thought? I would have said are you having a laugh, because I have had such an amazing life!How could a young 15 year-old have predicted the way my life was going to unfold? It has been a roller coaster…I thought I was going to be a singing hairdresser who never left Glasgow! Anything else you wish you had known at the beginning of your career? I wish I had known I could write songs.

What makes you really proud? At the weekend I was with my son and my grandchildren, we were making birthday cards and a poster for their mum, who was about to return from a few days away with her girl friends. It was such a sweet moment and I sat back and thought, “wow, didn’t Jordon do well” – and I get to share it. That was a proud moment. Does your son ever say “Come on Mum, put your feet up”? Well it’s more like he’d say “I’d like to tell you to sit down but I know it’s not going to happen.” That would be more his way of saying it. If I go on a holiday he says “You deserve it. You’ve worked hard all your life, Mum.” Could you see yourself retiring? No I could not! As far as I am concerned, I don’t work anywhere near the way I used to because it was compulsive then. Now I choose everything I do and I am as busy as I want to be – and as busy as anything. If there was to be a film made about your life who would you like to play the main role? Jennifer Lawrence! What luxury items go in your travel bag? Fragrant Indian oils, Green & Black’s Dark Chocolate and a Travel pillow!

Who has given you the best advice about your voice? I met Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas and he asked if I made it a habit to warm up my voice and if I did vocal exercises before a show, which I didn’t back then. I was there with Maurice (Gibb) and Frank offered to teach me, but I never followed it up because I was too shy. And then of course I went off and hurt my voice, so now I am religious about looking after it. So, yes, Frank, I eventually took your advice. What was the best advice Maurice gave you about singing? Maurice never gave me advice, he thought everything I did was great! Bless his heart. Is there anyone you’d still like to work with or duet with? Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, and I’d love to do something with Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and so many more!

LULU will be at the Kings Lynn Corn Exchange Sunday 8th October (www.kingslynncornexchange. co.uk), Norwich Theatre Royal on Saturday 21st October (www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk) and at The Apex Theatre in Bury St Edmunds Sunday 22nd October (www.theapex.co.uk)

Travel time

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LAS VENTANAS AL PARAÍSO IN MEXICO has redefined pampering

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A leading light among Mexico’s hottest culinary destinations, dining experiences at Las Ventanas al Paraíso celebrate local and national Mexican traditions. Guests discover innovative dishes that are both sophisticated and authentic while dining alongside one of the world’s most enchanting beaches WWW.AMSTERDAM.INTERCONTINENTAL.COM

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in the heart of an oasis at the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia. A truly special choice, you'll be surrounded by comfort, great design and first-class service, ensuring your stay will be one to remember. The only hotel in Gran Canaria to receive a 'Gran Lujo' - the highest possible class, it's no wonder it's also the only hotel on the island to be a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Luxuriate in the gorgeous spa, experience the range of high-quality dining and the stunning views. The perfect choice for a peaceful, luxurious retreat. This luxury complex, set in tropical gardens, is 400 metres from Gran Canaria’s Maspalomas Dunes. WWW.GRAND-HOTEL-RESIDENCIA.CO.UK THE GRAN HOTEL LA FLORIDA LE ROYAL MONCEAU, RAFFLES PARIS is just steps from the

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is a boutique hotel on the heights of Barcelona, it is located in a former military hospital. This five star establishment is daringly ultra contemporary, plunging visitors into the universe of the greatest names in international design. The 70 modern, elegant and luminous rooms contain creations by the world renowned Philippe Starck and are designed for upscale comfort. The sky terraces here overlook the Mediterranean, casting a veil of romance over this popular Spanish jet set address. From the sofas in the lobby-lounge to the indoor-outdoor 37 meter long swimming pool, the Gran Hotel La Florida is a living example of the gentle Catalonian life style in an atmosphere tinted with eccentricity. WWW.HOTELLAFLORIDA.COM

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Staycation Breaks

A QUINTESSENTIAL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL LOCATED IN THE HEART OF RURAL BERKSHIRE

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bedroom country manor hotel set in 130 acres of the beautiful Hampshire countryside was named as one of the best hotels in the UK by leading hoteliers in 2016. Elegant rooms and suites mix classic and contemporary styles and boast astonishing luxury attention to detail. Many have semiprivate walled gardens, balconies or terraces. A buggy ride from the main building, to the six luxury treehouse suites (a £7million investment in 2012) built on tall stilts with floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views and kitchenettes are an amazing addition to this wonderful hotel. The utterly delicious menu in the restaurant offers dishes typically English to the totally cosmopolitan, Head Chef Simon Addison and Executive Head Chef Luke Matthews are renowned for creating dishes that are fine dining at its finest. The hotel also offers a luxurious spa with grand Roman-themed pool, crystal steam rooms and outdoor hot tub.

SERENE SURROUNDINGS ON THE NORTH NORFOLK COAST

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MAGNIFICENT VIEWS ACROSS THE ESTUARY

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Q&A: Dr Tom Marshall D r To m M a r s h a l l , consultant radiologist and founder of Global Diagnostics talks about his work

What drove you to set up Global Diagnostics? When I was a medical student at Oxford, I was inspired by my lecturers who were developing the early cross-sectional imaging machines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and I knew I wanted to specialise in this field. In the late 1990s I had a training placement in Western Australia and linked up with an Australian radiologist, Dr Johnny Walker who was setting up a pioneering rural clinic using state of the art technology to build a tele-medicine platform to digitally link his various imaging facilities across Western Australia, a state of over 2.6 million square kilometres (Norfolk is just 5,371 square kilometres). This reduced the need for the rural population to travel exceptionally long distances to see specialists based within hospitals. On returning to the UK to take up my consultant position at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), I could see there was potential for using the same technology here in the UK. After many months spent doing tele-conferences across the globe with Dr Walker and building a business model to bring the technology to the UK, we launched Global Diagnostics here at Colney Hall, Norwich and then created a network of clinics across the UK. Norwich is the flagship clinic in the UK. I feel proud that the Norwich Global team and I have established a responsive, robust and accessible patient service built on strong clinical relationships with local GP practices and other primary care specialists. This enables us to provide an excellent service to local NHS patients, self-funders and private medical insurance patients. Our patients can expect to receive an appointment within five days of receipt of their referral letter and GPs know the imaging reports will be with them within a week of the appointment to help with diagnosis and provision of any onward treatment.

What does your role entail now? I am still working full-time as a consultant radiologist, specialising in diagnosing and treating bone and joint disease and injury through the use of leading-edge musculoskeletal imaging techniques particularly MRI and ultrasound. I work long hours providing radiological expertise which is my passion. It is very rewarding working closely with patients and colleagues providing best practice diagnosis and treatment. I am also involved in the teaching and training of new sonographer colleagues in musculoskeletalÂ ultrasound. I am the Medical Director for Global Diagnostics UK and oversee all clinical governance areas to ensure our patient experience is first-class. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing healthcare today? We have a growing elderly population requiring more resources for diagnosis and treatment particularly in Norfolk where 24% of the population is 65 years old or over. Plus, we have a growing expectation from patients to be seen, diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion. What is the most rewarding element of your role? Practicing clinical radiology at the coal-face. It is a privilege to spend time with patients diagnosing and treating them as well as working closely with clinical colleagues to provide a high-quality multi-disciplinary service. I enjoy teaching and passing on the skills I have learnt over 20 years to the next generation of clinicians. Thinking back on all you have achieved, what are you most proud of? I am most proud of establishing a nationally renowned musculoskeletal radiology service here in Norfolk which is respected and valued by our local healthcare community.

I have also been involved in helping to develop the Norwich Radiology Academy at NNUH, one of just three national academies in the UK to provide the highest quality training in radiology. Who has been your biggest inspiration? Dr Johnny Walker for what he achieved in Western Australia and for helping me develop and launch Global Diagnostics here in the UK. What do you like best about living in Norfolk? I am originally from Stratford upon Avon and have spent over 20 years in Norfolk and love the space, outstandingly beautiful countryside, wild coastline plus the history and culture of our iconic city of Norwich. It goes without saying friends and the people of Norfolk make living here a joy. How do you like to relax? I love walking particularly in North Norfolk. I play tennis and ski whenever I can. After a busy working day, music plays a vital role in helping me to relax along with some good food and a delicious bottle of red wine. What has been the best piece of advice you have been given? Be passionate about what you do and try to inspire others with that passion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just like Dr Johnny Walker did with me. How would your best friend describe you? Full of energy, cheerful, engaging with a mischievous sense of humour, humble and compassionate.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Global Clinic, Norwich, call 01603 812266, email enquiries@globaldiagnostics.co.uk or see www.globaldiagnostics.co.uk

www.styleshow.co.uk The Style Show brings you Happy Feet this Summer! All the way from Noosa Beach in Australia, our fabulous summer footwear offers ultimate comfort with maximum style! Innovative, durable, fun! Insole Cushioning, Anatomical foot beds, moulded arch supports. Why sacrifice style when you can have it all!

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| SEPTEMBER 2017

02. 03.

Prices correct at the time of going to press. Items may be available from various retailers and prices may vary so please check online for a full list of local stockists

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Look picture perfect in a smart dress or chic suit on your daughter or son’s special day Donna Titcombe has selected this stylish and sophisticated range of Mother of The Bride and Mother of The Groom Outfits that defiantly have the wow factor.

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The Olive Tree would like to welcome the talented Joe Lees, as Head Chef. Joe joins us from a four star hotel background working with some of the top local chefs in the area, he brings with him a new and exciting menu along with his enthusiasm and knowledge. Joe has been a finalist twice in the well renowned Chaine des Rotisseurs National Young Chef of the year. With his passion and experience in the industry the award winning Olive Tree Restaurant is set to embrace Joes flair and passion for food, using local seasonal produce and embracing local business to work alongside the award winning Norfolk Park. Joe believes “the Recipe” for success, is dedication, enthusiasm, keeping modern British food simple, tasty and stylish. He is looking forward to meeting customers old and new to enjoy the stunning surroundings and food offered at The Olive Tree.

BACTON ROAD, NORTH WALSHAM, NORFOLK, NR28 0RA 01692 404900 · enquiries@theolivetreenorfolk.com · www.theolivetreenorfolk.com

RECIPE

I L E F L O T TA N T E Floating island and vanilla custard with roasted flaked almond, caramel shard and caramel popcorn

RECIPE (SERVES 4)

ILE FLOTTANTE Poached meringue for floating island (4 each); Custard (220g); Water (50g); Vanilla essence (1 tsp); Caramel popcorn (5g); Caramel shard (4 pieces); Flaked almond (5g) 1. In a bowl, dilute the custard cream. Water and vanilla essence, heat in a microwave or a little saucepan. 2. Pour the vanilla custard on the bottom of the dessert plate, dispose on top the floating island (see meringue recipe bellow) and garnish with 5 popcorn pieces and a pinch of flaked almond (briefly toasted in a dried pan) and a caramel shard.

CARAMEL SHARD Caster sugar (150g); Water (40g) 1. In a little saucepan, make a caramel on a stove 2. Once the caramel is dark brown, immerge the bottom of the saucepan in cold water in order to stop the cooking process of the caramel. 3. Place a baking paper on the work top and with the use of the fork; make a caramel “net” on the paper. 4. Once cold, break the shards and dispose on the “floating island”

1. Mix the egg whites with the lemon juice slowly first, then fast with an electric whisk, once the egg whites are firm, add the caster sugar all at once and keep mixing for 4 second, no more! 2. Fold gently the icing sugar into the mix and fill the plastic pudding basin. Cook in a microwave for approx. one minute, take out of the basin and keep in the fridge until use.

POACHED MERINGUES FLOATING ISLAND Using 90ml plastic pudding basin Egg whites (6 each); Caster sugar (110g); Icing sugar (50g); Lemon juice half a lemon

Let our French chef

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW FLORIDES, WWW.ANDREWFLORIDES.CO.UK

Franck Pontais cook for your private dinner parties, and for those who really enjoy cooking, he also offers master classes, for all abilities, in your own home. www.franckpontais.com

We invite you to dine from our 7 course menu

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www.thewildebeest.co.uk

info@thewildebeest.co.uk

RECIPE

BL AC K F OR E S T G AT E AU X

(sort of!)

Black Forest Gateaux

was always a good frozen staple for mediocre family events, so has always held a special place in my heart. You wouldn’t believe my luck, when I fell in love with a german girl, I imagined in my head a life filled of German beer, sausages and black forest gateaux. How far from the truth I was, with only a few trips to Berlin and the East I can honestly say I have never had a black forest gateau in Germany. So as always, I created my own luck and made this interpretation of this 1980’s frozen classic.

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

RECIPE

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 2 Eggs separated; 100gr Caster Sugar; 2tbsp Water; 1 Hand Full of Thyme; 175gr Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Divine 70% dark chocolate; 50gr Unsalted Butter 175ml Double Cream; 100150mls Brandy 1. Begin by making an Italian meringue. 2. Place the egg whites into the bowl of an electric food mixer. Next place the sugar, thyme and water into a saucepan, melt over a moderate heat and then bring to the boil leave to infuse for 1 hour strain the thyme out. Then place back on heat and using a sugar thermometer begin to take the syrup up to 115c/240f, when the temperature of the syrup reaches 110c/230f turn on the electric food mixer and whisk the egg whites, while continuing to keep the mixer whisking.Leave

the machine whisking and once mixture has cooled a little, turn the machine down to its lowest speed. 3. Place the chocolate and butter into a bowl and over a saucepan of hot water gently melt (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water in the pan). As soon as the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pan of hot water, allow to cool a little and then beat in the egg yolks and coffee, leave to cool a little more and then fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. 4. Whisk the cream until it reaches soft peaks and fold this into the chocolate and meringue mixture. 5. Place in the fridge until needed. PISTACHIO SNOW 100g Caster Sugar; 2 Tbsp Water; 3 Tbsp Pistachio Nuts 1. Place the sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil,

Using a thermometer bring the sugar water to 121c at this point stir in the pistachio nuts and stir until the sugar starts to crystallise then pour out on to a tray and leave to cool, once cool blend in the blender until a rough powder or snow.

WHIPPED CREAM 200gr double cream; 2 tbsp Icing Sugar; 1/2 Vanilla Pod

CHERRY PUREE 1kg frozen cherries; 100g caster sugar; juice of 1 lemon

TO GARNISH 1. Take a plate or board of your choice, start with the Pistachio Snow, add a big scoop/dolop of Chocolate Mousse on top, then dot the cherry puree and whipped cream around the plate or board. Place poached Cherries at random and garnish with some garden thyme. 2. For presentation at the table, garnish the table with fallen autumnal leaves. Now put your bavarian trumpet music on, lace yourself with your Lederhosen and enjoy the fruits of the forest.

1. Place all ingredient into a blender and blend until smooth, remove from blender and place in fridge until needed. POACHED CHERRIES 100 gr fresh Cherries (de stoned); 50 gr Caster Sugar; 50 gr Water; 50 gr Kirsch (Cherry Brandy); Sprig of Thyme 1. Place all into a pan and bring to the boil. Once boiled take off the heat and cling film. Leave to cool.

1. Place all into a bowl and whip to soft peaks. Add into a piping bag and store in the fridge until needed.

Photography by KATJA BAINBRIDGE

| AUGUST 2017

Peter Clarke executive head chef of the IMPERIAL HOTEL in Great Yarmouth

PAN ROA ST E D VEN I SON

SERVED WITH CELERIAC PUREE, HERITAGE CARROTS, CRISPY FRIED SHALLOTS, BLACKBERRY JUS & GLAZED CELERIAC

Peter Clarke of the Imperial Hotel makes a fantastic main course, which will impress all your dinner guests

INGREDIENTS

•4 4 x 200g portions of

venison loin, trimmed by your butcher

• 1 Large celeriac • 150g Butter

• 2tbsp Sugar

• 50ml Double cream

• ½cup Cider vinegar

• 2 Cloves

• 1 Shallot (banana

• ¾cup Sugar

• 8tbsp Milk

• 12 Heritage or baby carrots variety preferably)

• 6oz Blackberries

• ¼cup Balsamic Vinegar • 1 Lemon, zest and juice • 2 Star Anise

• 2tbsp Plain Flour

Photography by ANDREW HIRST

SERVES FOUR

RECIPE

METHOD

1. First, to make the sauce; take the blackberries, vinegars, sugar, lemon zest and juice, star anise and cloves, and bring to the boil in a pan. Once the sauce has reduced to a syrup consistency, take off the heat and set aside. 2. Peel the celeriac and cut one slice off at around 2cm thickness. With a pastry cutter, cut a round of celeriac per person. Set aside. Cut the rest of the celeriac into 1cm cubes and boil till cooked and tender. 3. Meanwhile, place 50g butter, 2tbsp sugar and ¼pt water into a shallow saucepan or frying pan. Bring to the boil and place the celeriac rounds in. Simmer with a greaseproof paper lid until cooked through. 4. Drain the celeriac cubes and place in a food processor with the remaining butter that has been melted and the double cream. Season to your taste and keep warm. 5. Slice the shallots to make mini onion rings, serve 6-8 per person. Place the shallot rings into the milk, drain and place into the flour, coating both sides. Take away any excess flour and deep fry until golden brown.

imperial hotel

TO FINISH

6.Take a frying pan big enough to hold the venison portions and heritage carrots. Pan fry the venison on both sides being sure to season on both sides until golden brown. Add the carrots and cook for 4 minutes for pink or longer if you require more well done. 7. Once the 4 minutes is up, transfer the venison to rest but be sure it is a warm plate. Put the carrots into a pre-heated oven and roast for a further 6 minutes.

TO SERVE

8. Heat up the celeriac puree, celeriac rounds and sauce. Take the carrot out of the oven. Smear the celeriac puree across the plate with a spoon, place the carrots on 1 side of the celeriac and the glazed celeriac to the other side. 9. Slice the venison into 4 and place in the centre. Heat the blackberry jus and spoon round the plate and over the venison. Place the shallot rings on top of the venison and garnish with a few pea shoots (if available). And Serve.

2012 Syrah Leyda Reserva Leyda Valley chile

Nick Mobbs director and wine expert at the IMPERIAL HOTEL

To accompany the venison, I have chosen a wonderful Cool Climate Syrah from the south of Chile. The Grape type is Syrah which is the same as Shiraz, the Old world normally calls it Syrah which is predominantly the Rhone Valley and Shiraz is the new World. But just to complicate things this is a new world wine using an Old World Wine terminology. The Leyda Valley lies to the west of Santiago, just 14km from the Pacific, and its closeness to the sea ensures wonderfully cooling summer breezes which whip across the vineyard from 10am each day, moderating temperatures and cleansing the vineyard. In 1997 the Fernandez family, together with Gustavo Llona, recognised the potential of the area for growing grapes and established Viña Leyda. This was no mean feat as they had to build an 8 kilometre pipe line from the Maipo River for irrigation, The Grapes are machine harvested, part barrel fermented and then aged in Stainless and part oak. Expressive, cold climate style of Syrah, with lots of spiciness, white pepper, floral notes (violets) and red acid fruit such as raspberries. Nice oak, well integrated giving soft silkiness to the final blend. The taste is fruity, juicy and fresh, with good acidity that engages the palate. The tannins are soft and sweet. this Syrah seduces with its maritime character. And is a great accompaniment to the venison.

• 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

| SEPTEMBER 2017

BISTRONOMY Over the past six months there has been a buzz around Farmyard Restaurant in Norwich, Andrew Hirst heads to St Benedicts Street to see what all the fuss is about.

obody likes a show off, but I have eaten out a lot over the past few weeks. I have been very lucky. A Birthday here, a get together there and after a while all of the menus blur into one, which is an unfortunate hazard on the restaurant scene. It's a bit like seeing a comedian live on stage. You remember the evening was fun, with lots of laughs, but you can not really recall any of the jokes. Before heading to Farmyard I checked them out online. The sample menu on their website immediately felt different. Exciting and different from everything else over the past few weeks. More importantly I got the sense that I would walk away from this meal and the dishes would be memorable, and so I couldn't wait to get there and get stuck in. My wife, Lorraine, and I were fortunate to have a beautifully sunny Friday evening. The eclectic mix of restaurants and bars of St Benedicts Street were just warming up. The restaurant itself was bustling with diners, which is always encouraging. Whilst enjoying a glass of bubbles each we soaked in the restaurants decor. A modern and slightly urban feel, yet with a soft and welcoming edge. 70

A mural spans one wall, which for me is a fantastic distraction to gaze upon when drinking champagne, whilst your dining companion is using the facilities. Nibbles arrived in the form of goats cheese and olive bonbons – delicious. Unfortunately there were five of them and we had to fight over the last; as always Lorraine won. Selecting from the menu was challenging, only because I wanted it all. To start I settled on the charred ox heart with green beans and a mustard dressing. It was a beautiful beginning to the meal proper and the ox heart was cooked to perfection. I sampled some of Lorraine's summer vegetable barigoule with goats cheese and courgette flower tempura. This was a subtle and delicate dish with finely balanced flavours and certainly put a smile on my wife's face. Lorraine did not sample my ox heart as her vegetarianism seemed to get in the way. Whilst waiting for the main course it's difficult not to stare at the open view into the kitchen. You can see it all. Everything from the coals in the “Bertha” oven to the plates being dressed on the pass, and we were front row seats. Its hypnotising. A giant live cooking TV show where you get to sample the dishes. Being able to see the kitchen in action you get a sense of honesty from the food. There are no secrets and certainly no where to hide. I pondered on the extra pressure this must put on the chefs? A question I would get to ask later that evening. Main courses arrived and once again were perfectly presented on stoneware bowls and plates, I must have a set of these for home. My BBQ collar of pork with kimchi cabbage, and a side of duck fat chips with smoked garlic aioli was fabulous. The pork just melted in my mouth, the sauce had a clever little kick to it, and kimchi cabbage added the high notes to bring it all together in a symphony. The only distraction to this dish was Lorraine's roast hake with flaked crab, courgette and crab bisque. If I wasn't already married I may have proposed to this dish. The fish was perfectly cooked and the crab bisque tasted like a hug. I should have ordered both! Lorraine's side of summer beans, black bean sauce and chilli was also a triumph. Let's be honest, I am not a massive lover of beans, but I could have eaten the lot. Lorraine conveniently

RESTAURANT REVIEW

pushed her vegetarianism to one side to sample (a lot of ) my duck fat chips, crisp on the outside and light and fluffy in the centre. Who doesn’t love a good chip, my wife certainly does. The stand out comment from Lorraine about the main course was “Its a shame its over... it was delicious, can we order another?” Before salivating over the dessert menu we had the opportunity to speak with Andrew Jones, chef proprietor of Farmyard. From this conversation I got to experience first hand his and the restaurant teams passion for the food. Andrew discussed the fantastic ethos of the menu and how it has an organic growth to the dishes. Ingredients are not set out like a shopping list. Yes there is a backbone to the overall menu, but more importantly the exponential growth of the dishes relies on the top notch suppliers they have aligned themselves with. For example Eve's Hill Farm in Booton delivers a wealth of ingredients, forever changing from day to day, keeping the menu at Farmyard fresh and exciting. The accompaniments on a dish one week may be different the next. Locally sourced and foraged with a premise of what's out there, what's seasonal and what's fresh, and not the normal this is my list from the recipe, let's go and get it. This way nothing is off limits and no ingredient or taste is missed. Truly exciting and this is why it's memorable, this and the sheer passion from everyone involved in the restaurant. I asked Andrew the question, “Do you feel added pressure of working in a fishbowl kitchen, with one hundred eyes watching your every move?” He confessed that when they opened, “yes! But now it just feels normal”. The team are highly skilled and trust each other implicitly, and that the restaurants openness was part of its core values, along with the high quality, locally sourced ingredients. My wife pushed Andrew for the secret recipe for the beans. She managed to squeeze some of the details out, the rest she will be experimenting with at home, my gut feeling is that they will not be quite the same. Dessert blew the diet out of the window. Predominantly due to the fact that we had three desserts between us. Lorraine rationalised this with the fact that it was only one and half desserts each. I knew this

would more likely be a seventy thirty split in her favour. When the three dishes arrived it was difficult to decided which to sample first; the Farmyard chocolate bar, the raspberry baked Alaska or the white chocolate cheese cake. We started on the raspberry baked Alaska with lemon sorrel. The meringue was fabulously soft and gooey and the raspberry sorbet centre sublime. If I had eaten more than my fair share of this dessert my wife may have divorced me. We then moved on to the white chocolate cheese cake with English blackberries, bergamot and shiso. A great dish and I loved the sharpness of the blackberry and lemon notes. Lastly the Farmyard chocolate bar which is sixty five percent Colombian, with miso caramel and peanut. If you like chocolate you need to eat this. We had a varied order whilst rating the deserts. Lorraine rated them, cheesecake, chocolate bar and baked Alaska in first place. Whilst I was chocolate bar, then cheesecake and baked Alaska in first place again. You need to try this experiment yourself and see what your order will be, but for us the baked Alaska was out of this world. Old MacDonald had a farm, but it was nothing like this. Farmyard Restaurant is slick and professionally run and not an E-I-E-I-O in sight. The force of people behind this restaurant are passionate, highly skilled and knowledgeable, but without the pomposity of some of its peers. Relaxed, friendly and honest in its approach to food but uncompromising in its end product of some of the finest dishes on offer in the city of Norwich at present. If you have a love for food made from fantastically fresh ingredients then this restaurant is a must. Your taste buds will receive a big kiss from the flavours on offer... and they will thank you for it! I will see you all there, because I will most definitely be going back, my taste buds deserve it.

FARMYARD RESTAURANT 23 St Benedicts Street, Norwich NR2 4PF 01603 733 188 info@farmyardrestaurant.com www.farmyardrestaurant.com

NEW S ROOM

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Introducing not only 4 brand spanking new luxurious rooms but our very own batch of delicious Gin Trap gin, now open and now pouring! What was formerly the Ringstead gallery is now 2 beautiful suites with free standing baths and 2 lovely bedrooms with en suites. All dog friendly, all gorgeous and all getting booked up fast, please get in touch for more info. Now all that’s left to do is to get yourselves down to our cosy corner of the world and try our fabulous, new, Thai inspired Gin...

01603 738513

Set in the peaceful village of Ringstead, only a stones throw from the coast, The Gin Trap Inn is as idyllic as it sounds(we promise!) Serving homemade scrumptuous food everyday, what’s not to love!

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Michelin award winning Restaurant with Rooms.

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| SEPTEMBER 2017

Wonderful Weddings Thanks to its wealth of versatile function space and beautiful bedrooms, S p r o w s t o n M a n o r M a r r i o t t Ho t e l & Country Club is the perfect place for civil ceremonies and receptions

eddings are big business at Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, which caters for ceremonies and receptions of all sizes. This prestigious property is ideal for weddings, thanks to its fabulous, sweeping drive, lovely grounds, spacious car park and wonderful spa and golf course and, of course, its beautiful bedrooms and function suites. This magnificent, 16th century manor house hotel is immersed in the attractive Norfolk countryside, yet is located just 15 minutes’ drive away from the vibrant city of Norwich. Exuding history and charm, it is popular for all sorts of events, from weddings and dinners to conferences, and with a wealth of luxurious features inside and out, it delivers the ideal backdrop for smooth and memorable events. The hotel boasts 11 fabulous function rooms featuring stylish, contemporary design, plenty of natural light and a host of thoughtful, personal touches. This versatile venue can accommodate everything from an intimate dinner or elegant afternoon tea to an enjoyable engagement party or grand wedding breakfast, with the magnificent Norfolk Suite marquee capable of catering for a banquet for 320 and a reception for up to 500. This adaptable space is perfect for wedding receptions during the warmer months and is complemented in the hotel itself by the Suffolk Suite, which can accommodate a banquet for 110, and the smaller Somerleyton Room, Sandringham Room, Felbrigg Room and other function rooms, providing a choice of flexible breakout space. There is also a wedding pagoda in the gardens, which was completed in September last year and which is available for civil ceremonies.

ADVERTORIAL change from year to year. Claire Fowler, weddings and social events co-ordinator at Sprowston Manor, said that at the moment: “Rustic chic is still massively popular with hessian and pastel colours such as baby blues and muted pinks still coming through. I am also seeing an increase in a Moroccan feel to the wedding with deep, rich colours such as emerald greens, ruby reds and royal blues. Lanterns filled with candles and a real warm feeling.” Sprowston Manor is also ideal for sophisticated hen and stag parties, with La Fontana Spa featuring a modern gym, tropical swimming pool, children’s pool, sauna and steam rooms as well as a wide range of health and beauty treatments. There is also a driving range, an 18-hole PGA Championship Golf Course and a bright, contemporary eaterie, Zest Café Bar & Grill, which overlooks the golf course and is a great place for breakfast, morning coffee or lunch. With its combination of historic elegance and contemporary comfort, coupled with welcoming, professional service, Sprowston Manor is the perfect place to step down the aisle. The wide range of amenities on offer is complemented by 24-hour room service and a friendly concierge, while the hotel also offers highspeed Internet access and the latest technology. With so many fabulous facilities available and the weddings team ready to help with every request, at Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club you can be sure of a very special day indeed.

SPROWSTON MANOR MARRIOTT HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB, Wroxham Road, Norwich NR7 8RP | Tel: 01603 410871 | www.marriott.co.uk

Menus can be tailor-made to the bride and groom’s requirements and, of course, the chefs are happy to cater for children and special dietary requests. There is also a delightful dining room, 1559 Restaurant, which offers delicious cuisine in an inviting, attractive setting. What’s more, there is a wide selection of wedding packages for the big day, while the on-site expert event planners will work tirelessly to ensure that every detail is attended to, whether you’re looking for a traditional wedding, contemporary event or vintage affair – whatever the bride and groom’s style, the wow factor is guaranteed! Marriott’s certified wedding planners have all had professional weddings training so that they can help the happy couple set an event budget, decide on a menu, arrange table settings, find florists and photographers, choose a band or entertainment, along with all the other arrangements necessary for a smooth-running, stress-free special day. They can, of course, also help with those personal touches which make a wedding so memorable, from hog roasts and oldfashioned ice cream vans to late-night snacks and fun wedding favours as well as children’s menus and children’s entertainment to keep everyone happy (whether you’re looking for a first class magician, bouncy castle, live band or casino table, the hotel’s wedding planners will be happy to help). Flowers are, of course, also integral to the big day and the hotel’s weddings team is on-hand to advise on everything from table centres and stand-alone floral displays to eye-catching arrangements for the top table. Of course, what a bride and groom will choose for their special day will come down to their personal preferences, but trends also

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WEDDINGS

PLANNING YOUR WEDDING VENUE With so many options available, choosing a wedding venue can s e e m l i ke a d a u n t i n g t a s k . It ’s p ro b a b l y o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t d e c i s i o n s yo u ’ l l m a ke a b o u t yo u r b i g d a y s o i t ’s wo r t h d o i n g s o m e research and thinking about what you want from a venue.

he venue you pick will determine the amount of guests you can invite, the location of your wedding and, of course, the theme and styling, too. You need to allocate a good proportion of your wedding planning time and budget to finding your dream venue because there are so many different options to consider and look at. Here are a few pointers on how to choose your perfect wedding venue: Location, location location, estimate how many people you'd like to invite to your big day, since not all places can accommodate a wide variety of wedding sizes Sit down with your partner and figure out how much you are willing

to spend then make sure you stick to your Budget, It sounds like an obvious tip but before you go and visit a venue, and potentially fall in love with it you should consider if it falls within your budget. The venue will play a huge role in shaping the ambiance for your wedding, so it's important to have a vision of what you want to portray for your big day. Since dates can book up quickly at the popular wedding venues, call around to check on date availability before going to see places in person and make sure you estimate the number of guests to ensure the venue can cater for the correct number. It’s likely that you will visit quite a few venues before you make your decision. When you think you have found ‘the one’ go back and visit it again and again, check that it is as perfect as you remember. 81

Trio’s is a Norfolk based company covering Norfolk and Suffolk. We offer a professional and tailor made service to suit your event and budget. We can help with venue arrangements, menu plans and provide stafﬁng on the day, saving you valuable planning time. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and expertise always using the best local, fresh ingredients. From Corporate lunches to smart Canapés or Picnic boxes to go. A wide range of hot food options and local and international cheese boards suitable for any function. We also cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy free requirements. For a professional and ﬂexible service for any event contact Natalie at Trio’s Catering.

Tel: 01508 522039 Email: tasty@trioscatering.co.uk

A Professional Catering Service

www.trioscatering.co.uk Trio’s Catering, Hall Green Farm, Norton Road, Loddon, Norfolk NR14 6DT

S3257 Places and Faces LSA wedding ad v1.qxp_Layout 1 07/08/2017 14:34 P

Le Strange Arms Hotel

Fantastic

Beachfront Location in Hunstanton

A venue that makes the most of its big skies and beautiful countryside to give you a Norfolk barn wedding that is truly unique. Whether you are looking for your perfect country wedding or family celebration, we are here to help you make your day as personal and as individual as you would like. A beautiful barn, landscaped gardens and Norfolk countryside provide a relaxed, charming wedding venue for you and your guests. Do give us a ring or visit our website and arrange to come and have a look for yourself

Packages starting from

£4000

WEDDING OPEN DAY

Sunday 8th October 10am – 4pm

www.thebarnatwoodlands.co.uk

01493 369 114 | THE BARN AT WOODLANDS, WOODLANDS FARM, PRIVATE ROAD, STOKESBY, GT. YARMOUTH, NORFOLK, NR29 3DX

Tel: 01485 534411 Email: conference@lestrangearms.co.uk

www.lestrangearms.co.uk

WEDDINGS

Year planner There is so much to think about when planning your wedding, you certainly can’t d o i t a l l a t o n c e . We ’ v e p u t t o g e t h e r t h e following plan over one year to show how you can spread everything out.

1 2 m o n t h s b e f o re

6 m o n t h s b e f o re

· · · · · · ·

· · · · · ·

Book Wedding Planner Book venue for reception Book venue for ceremony Book registrar/priest Decide on a budget Consider buying wedding insurance Decide on a theme/design

O rder invitations B ridesmaid’s dresses and accessories G room’s attire and accessories B uy wedding rings B ook honeymoon Check passports etc. are valid for honeymoon

1 1 m o n t h s b e f o re

5 m o n t h s b e f o re

· Order save the date cards

· Compile invitation list · Book caterer · Send save the date cards

·O rder Groomsmen’s attire and accessories ·B ook hairdresser trial ·B ook make-up trial ·B uy going away outfit, if relevant ·S chedule rehearsal time and rehearsal dinner

8 m o n t h s b e f o re

4 m o n t h s b e f o re

· · · · · · ·

· · · · · ·

1 0 m o n t h s b e f o re

Book florist Book transport Book cake maker Book photographer Book videographer Book band/DJ Book reception decorator (chair covers etc. · Book toastmaster

O rganise favours S end invitations B ook wedding night accommodation A ccommodation for guests G ift registry G ive notice of marriage

3 m o n t h s b e f o re ·G ifts for bridal party, groomsmen etc. · Decide on music for the ceremony and first dance · Decide on readings for the ceremony · Write wedding vows · Order stationery for the day (guest book, order of service etc.)

2 m o n t h s b e f o re · · · ·

inalise menu for wedding breakfast F Order table centre pieces Arrange hen/stag parties Chase unanswered invitations

1 m o n t h b e f o re ·A rrange seating plan · Order stationery for the day (table plan, place cards etc.) · Make arrangements for wedding dress cleaning · Make arrangements for bouquet to be stored or dried

2 w e e k s b e f o re ·H old rehearsal dinner with wedding party · Confirm number of guests with reception venue and caterer · Write speeches (Groom, Best Man & Father of the Bride)

Af t e r t h e w e d d i n g · Send thank you cards

7 m o n t h s b e f o re · · · ·

Order Bride’s dress and accessories Book musicians for ceremony Organise any ‘other’ entertainment Reserve any rental equipment (marquee, chairs etc.)

NUMBER 47 ST GILES NORWICH

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FOR YOUR PERFECT WEDDING AND A TRULY MEMORABLE DAY CHOOSE LYNES MARQUEES Whether it's for 20 or 250 people we can help you! We can provide all furniture, chairs, tables, lights, dance floor and carpeting to make your special day a unique occasion

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Special offer available for selected dates in 2017/2018

| SEPTEMBER 2017

Spring into action for next year! Places&Faces® gardening expert, Ellen Mary, tells us “It’s not too early to think about next spring”

s we notice the days becoming noticeably shorter and the temperature starting to drop, don’t put down your gardening tools yet! Make the most of the daylight to get on top of weeding, dead-heading and seed collecting before the stunning sunsets often seen on September evenings. Enjoy your fruits ripening and the harvests from all of your hard work. Plus it’s a great time of year to get ordering your Spring flowering bulbs so it’s time to already start planning for the seasons to come. GARDEN & FLOWERS

provides gardening design consultancy, advice and beginner gardening courses at: www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk

Always planning ahead which means its time to start planting Spring bedding plants and a mix of colourful bulbs. Wallflowers and Sweet Williams can also pack a punch of colour in beds and borders. Try Erysimum Red Jep which flowers for a long period between Spring and Summer plus Pansy Can Can (Autumn) for their ruffled and very pretty flowers.

Now is a good time to divide clumps of perennials such as Hostas and Hemerocallis. Lift the plant and using two forks separate it into two parts. If the clump is large enough you could divide it even more. Make sure that each piece retains some leaves and of course the roots. Then plant these up, water in and you have more plants for free. If your hanging baskets and containers need refreshing try replacing them now with Winter and Spring flowering plants. Remove old compost and replace with fresh compost and feed to keep them full of nutrients for as long as possible. Try a mix of foliage plants with stunning leaves such as Heuchera’s and variegated Ivy then add in some Hellebores, Primulas or Cyclamen. FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Get picking those delicious apples and pears when they are ready and Autumn fruiting Raspberries. The Courgette and Marrow glut continues until the end of the month so keep on harvesting them

GARDENING

for tasty Chutneys and if you have any green tomatoes, place them in a drawer to allow them to ripen. Give your greenhouse, polytunnel and cold frames a good clean out to stop pests from overwintering. It’s not the most exciting gardening task but you’ll be thankful you did it by next Spring when you will be ready to sow seeds again. There are many chemical free cleaning products that can be used along with a garlic fumigator which kills off pests and diseases. Whilst you are cleaning, you might as well scrub those pots and garden tools as well. Dig up any vegetable plants that have finished for the year and add them to your compost bin, along with leaves and other garden waste. Don’t forget to burn diseased plants and perennial weeds and turn that compost once in a while to aerate it and speed up decomposition. Remember to leave Legume (peas/ beans) roots in the soil as they will help to fix nitrates for next years crops. WILDLIFE GARDENING

More cleaning jobs! As we think about

helping our feathered friends through the colder months now is a good time to make sure all bird baths and feeding stations are given a good scrub and replace any broken or damaged feeders to protect our garden birds from disease. Store your seeds in a safe, easy area for you to access, even in icy conditions, and away from where rodents can get access. Autumn is the perfect time of year to create new beds and borders or shuffle around an existing space. As you look at planting out new perennials, think about how suitable they are to our garden wildlife. Single headed flowers in general are more attractive to insects than double blooms because the pollen is easier to access and if you pick purple flowers bees can see them better so try Lavender, Alliums and Buddleja. Get the kids involved in making a hedgehog home to help keep them safe during hibernation. A pile of leaves and twigs will often suffice but a wooden box can give that extra security. Make sure there is an entrance area big enough and a tunnel approach which keeps predators away.

GARDENING PRODUCT OF THE MONTH –

This galvanised metal trug from Waitrose Garden is the perfect way to collect all of those apples and pears ready to take home with you. Every gardener needs a basket to carry delicious harvests. £19.99, www.waitrosegarden.com

W H AT ’ S O N –

On Sunday 10th September from 1pm to 5pm The Bishops Garden in Norwich will be open to the public to raise funds for The Benjamin Foundation. Not only can you explore the fantastic herbaceous borders, glasshouse and new bamboo walk but I will be holding a gardeners question time! So bring along your garden conundrums and get them answered by a panel of experts. Only £3.00 each and under 16’s go free.

Bespoke Drapery & Upholsterers

A NEW KITCHEN FOR 2017

ESTABLISHED 2000

NEW DESIGNS, NEW OFFERS ONE OF THE FINEST RANGES OF KITCHENS SUPPLIED AND FITTED IN THE AREA, HAND MADE IN NORFOLK

01493 441188

www.norfolkmanufacturing.co.uk norfolk.manufacturing@btconnect.com 41 Longs Industrial Estate, Englands Lane, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6NE

01603 722385

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DESIGN • INSTALLATION • MAINTENANCE & AFTERCARE

Perfect Plantings

Ornithology Sale To include Paintings, Books & Taxidermy

inning

al W Gold Med

Friday 22nd September

Perfect Plantings are the creative specialists offering you bespoke design solutions for your garden borders. Providing full colour layout plans, supply of all the plants and materials, installation of your planted areas, and offering a seasonal maintenance service to keep them looking as good from day one. Full landscaping service also available

t: 0845 643 0921 m: 07981396334 perfectplantings@virginmedia.com www.perfectplantings.co.uk

Robert Gillmor, Born 1936, British, ‘Madagascar Heron’ Signed Linocut Estimate £200 - £300 + 20% Buyers Premium inclusive

PROPERTY

PAYMENTS OF RENT/ADMINISTRATION FEES

It is very important that advance payments of rent and nonreturnable administration fees are not confused with deposits. You should always make clear to tenants what money is being taken for; otherwise it could be regarded as a deposit which shall be protected under one of the deposit protection schemes. LICENSABLE HMOS

If your property is a house in multiple occupation (e.g. bedsits, shared house or a shared flat) a HMO licence may well be needed from the local authority. Landlords should check with their local authority what licensing requirements, if any, they have. If they do not they may not be able to serve a Section 21 after 1st October 2015. ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS

If your property is a house in multiple occupation of any kind you must have a five yearly electrical safety check carried out by a competent electrician even if you do not need a licence. This will cover shared houses, flats in multiple occupation, bedsits, hostels and certain converted blocks of flats. These are blocks of flats which are not converted in compliance with 1991 (or later) building regulations and less than two thirds of the flats in the block are owner-occupied.

HOUS E RU L E S GEORGIA GOOCH, DARBY & LIFFEN’S RENTAL CO-ORDINATOR, ON THE LEGAL MUSTS FOR LANDLORDS AND LETTING AGENTS GAS SAFETY

Where there are any gas appliances in the property provided by the landlord, the landlord must ensure that annual gas safety checks are carried out. These checks must be carried out by a gas fitter/engineer who is registered on the Gas Safety Register (which has replaced Corgi). A copy must be given to the tenant before the tenant moves in and the check must have been carried out within the 12 months before the new tenant takes up occupation. Checks must be carried out annually at no more than 12 monthly intervals and copies of all certificates for checks must be handed over to the tenant. If landlords fail to do this they may lose their Section 21 notice of seeking possession, rights in England as of 1st October 2015. FIRE SAFETY ORDER

Where a landlord controls flats, bedsits or hostels there must be a risk assessment in place to comply with the Fire Safety Order. It must be in writing. A statutory risk assessment is not required for shared houses or single dwelling lets. ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES (EPCS)

Before a tenant moves in there must be an energy performance certificate in place for most types of property. A copy of the certificate must be given to any tenant who moves in to the property. If not you cannot serve a Section 21 notice for a new tenancy in England after 1st October 2015. DEPOSITS

If you take a deposit from a tenant under an assured shorthold tenancy, the deposit must be protected under one of the three tenancy deposit schemes and the prescribed information regarding the deposit must be given to the tenant within 30 days of receiving the deposit. PRESCRIBED INFORMATION TO TENANTS IN ENGLAND

As of 1st October 2015, upon starting a tenancy landlords are now required to provide the most up to date copy of the prescribed information. If they haven’t they will not be able to serve a valid Section 21 notice in England.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

Where a property is provided with electrical appliances it is the landlords responsibility to make sure that they are safe at the outset of letting. FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND FIRE PRECAUTIONS IN HMOS

Where fire alarm systems are provided in a house in multiple occupation the landlord is responsible for ensuring fire alarms are checked regularly. You must also make sure that the means of escape from the property (normally the halls, stairs and landings) are unobstructed. Houses in multiple occupation include shared houses, flats in multiple occupation, bedsits and certain types of converted flats. CARBON MONOXIDE AND ALARMS IN NON-HMOS

Landlords in England are required to provide smoke alarms on every floor of their property and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a solid fuel source. LEGIONELLA ASSESSMENT

Landlords are required to perform a risk assessment for Legionaire’s Disease. If they don’t do this they could be issued with a fine. However, the amount of risk assessment required depends on the type of property and landlords should be wary of claims that all properties need extensive water sampling. ILLEGAL EVICTION/HARASSMENT

You must not harass your tenants. It is unlawful to evict a tenant without a Court Order. You cannot throw a tenant out because he or she is in arrears with his/her rent or breaking the terms of his/ her tenancy. You must go to Court to get a possession order. Any possession order obtained must be enforced by the Court Bailiff. AGENTS DUTIES TO PUBLICISE FEES/THEIR REDRESS SCHEMES

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 it is now a legal requirement for all letting and managing agents in England and Wales to publicise details of their fees and to say whether they do not have client money protection. They must also give the name of the redress scheme of which they are a member. Membership of a redress scheme is compulsory for agents. The intention is that there should be full transparency to deter double charging to both the landlord and the tenant and enabling tenants and landlords to shop around.

Georgia Gooch Darby and Liffen Estate Agents www.darbyandliffenea.co.uk | 01493 600411

| SEPTEMBER 2017

Parlane Alani vase in plum, small £9.95, medium £19.95 and large £35 Parlane Alani planter in plum, small £14.95 and large £29.95 Available from the second floor at Jarrold

Parlane Alani small green planter, £14.95, second floor at Jarrold

In nature, the changing of the

A C H A NGE o f C OL OU R Autumn brings with it new colour trends for your home and this season is all about p u r p l e a n d g r e e n , s a y s Ja r r o l d h o m e b u y e r s Ha y l e y P h i l p o t a n d Je n n i f e r D w ye r

seasons brings a plethora of new colour. And when it comes to colour trends for home interiors the same rule applies; for spring and summer and autumn and winter a changing colour palette emerges, giving a fresh look for your home. This autumn sees the return of purple and green, perhaps as tribute to autumn’s 70s revival (brass is also making a comeback). It’s a colour combination that you will either love or hate, and yet it can be undoubtedly stylish. Both colours can create a tranquil feel to your home. Feature more vibrant shades and you can create quite a royal or eccentric scheme, opt for more pastel hues and you can achieve a more feminine décor. These fashions for your home have taken more from nature than just colour. While green is high on the style agenda, the botanical look seen through summer’s tropical trend has migrated into autumn with the leaf becoming the key motif. High style dictates that leafy wallpaper is the key to mastering this décor trend. For those who prefer a subtle look, a leaf print framed on the wall is less dramatic. Broste wall art leaf prints, £60 each, The Granary, Bedford Street

INTERIORS

Wikholm Garden cushion cover, £35, second floor at Jarrold Broste green mouthblown round glass vase, £15, The Granary, Bedford Street

Jura throw, £135. Available from the second floor at Jarrold

William Morris Pimpernel bedding in aubergine: double duvet cover, £105 and pillowcase, £22. Available from the second floor at Jarrold

Rewind Signature Champagne bottle candle, £28, second floor at Jarrold

HAYLEY & JENNIFER are homeware buyers – Jarrold, 1-11 London Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.jarrold.co.uk The Granary, 5 Bedford Street, Norwich, NR2 1AL www.thegranary.co.uk 91

INTERIORS

Home Comforts

See more ideas and examples at www.arcadiahome interiors.co.uk Instagram @Arcadia_ Home_Interiors and @Gilmour_Green

‘Y

our home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love’ is a great starting point when it comes to the final stages of decorating your home. Some people find putting it all together tricky, and that actually finishing your home is the hardest part; but this is the icing on the cake! A time to relish in textures, materials and colour; to find a home for the wonderful things you have collected over the years, each of them reminding you of a happy time in your life – a particular place – or a particular person. Like every aspect of interior design, there are no rules, no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ as this is your home, your place of comfort and security. So whether you love the shabby chic style or modern minimal style, this is the time that your personality shines through. If this is your first home, with only a handful of possessions, then it is also the start of a wonderful journey as you find out more about how you like to express yourself through your interior design choices. CLOCKS AND CANDLES

As my teenage sons have grown up it has become more apparent that clocks and watches have rapidly lost their place as time telling devices, as nowadays mobile phones or iPads give a constant digital update (on

how close it is to meal times usually!), but I still find comfort in my ticking wristwatch and the huge clock that takes pride of place in the kitchen (set five minutes fast so that I have a hope of getting the boys out of the house and on to the school bus in time). Wall mounted clocks make a great focal point, modern or traditional, and can either be silent or tick away reassuringly. Mantle clocks are another option and small alarm clocks make a lovely feature on bedside tables. Smell is a very important aspect of a house I always think – and can make a strong first impression. It is all very well if your home looks fantastic, but if it smells like rotten cabbage or mouldy drains, then that will certainly detract from the overall affect. Reed diffusers and scented candles should only ever enhance a home, and not try to disguise the dodgy drain issue (get a plumber!). Candles made with essential oils like these ones by Wildheart Organics (available at our Interiors showroom) fill a room with therapeutic and harmonising scents like juniper berry, lime and geranium, and cannot fail to lift your spirits and make your home smell delicious.

you the option of different glazing (UV protection for example) and who can mount the images beautifully and finish the backing with felt disks to avoid damage to the walls. I have recently commissioned Saltmarsh Coast Gallery to produce these incredible floating prints of local, coastal images which look fantastic – floating an inch or so away from the walls. CUSHIONS AND THROWS

Less is more – more or less? Again, that’s up to you. Cushions and throws are a great way to inject colour and interest into a room. You may invest in a plain sofa or chair but can then choose from a myriad of designs and fabrics to add detail, the same goes for your bed. If you want to match your cushions to your curtains, then I’m sure your curtain maker can rustle up some cushion covers for you or a local seamstress. Throws look stylish across the back of a sofa or chair, or the end of the bed, (we find these throws by Hop Design sell well) when not needed in the warmer months, and are then on hand to wrap yourself in when the autumn chill comes creeping – it won’t be long now…

PRINTS AND PHOTOS

Simply framed photos or prints are a failsafe way of decorating your walls, either in colour or monochrome (or a mixture of both), hang them carefully and take time to use a tape measure and spirit level to get the positioning just right. Having said that, a random array of different sized frames can look just as effective if you prefer that style. Good quality, ready made frames are easily available, but if you have a painting or a photograph that you would like to invest in, then find a good framer who can offer 93

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EDUCATION

Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in for Autumn Whether your child is going back to school or starting for the first time, September is a big month on the academic calendar. Here is some good advice on how we can best prepare them for the term ahead

s parents eagerly anticipate the start of new school year, the key is to make the new term transition start as smoothly as possible without too much anxiety and worry on the part of adult or child! This is especially true if our children are starting school for the first time or if they are leaving the familiar surroundings of their primary school to what can be a large and intimidating environment of a new secondary school. The very first day at school can be tough for children and parents, but with a little preparation itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be so much easier for you to cope.

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Experience a differen t class

EDUCATION

Here are some useful tips for parents… BE EXCITED

Understandably, some children are nervous about starting or returning to school after the long summer break. Make sure that you reinforce just how exciting it is to start a new school year. New experiences, opportunities and challenges await them. They will develop personally, socially, intellectually and physically with every passing day. BE INTERESTED

Children acquire a wealth of new knowledge at school on a daily basis, but what happens in the classroom is just a start. Take a keen interest in what your child is learning at school. Simply asking about what they learnt at school that day or discussing and reading around the subject with your child can fuel a greater hunger for knowledge. BE PATIENT

Children do not always get back into the swing of things from the first day back. Give

them time to settle back into school routines and habits. This does not mean that you should let them slip into bad habits, but just remember that it takes time to build positive relationships. BE SUPPORTIVE

Both to your child and the school. Children need regular assurance, particularly when faced with new challenges. Equally important is that you support the school in ensuring that the ethos, values and routines are upheld at all times. A child’s education is most effective when all stakeholders are working together to achieve the best for the child. BE COMMUNICATIVE

Speak openly with your child’s teachers. Regular communication is vital in ensuring that your child is a happy and healthy learner both at school and at home. Teachers truly want to do the very best for every child in their care and taking the time to talk to them about your child is time well spent. In fact, during the first few weeks

of school it really is essential to keep communicating with your child (and do take care to notice signs if things aren’t going so well, for example). TRUST THE SCHOOL AND THE TEACHERS!

Remember that this may be a new and scary experience for you and your child but the school does this every year and has experience of helping children to adapt and thrive. Some children settle in very easily, for others it takes longer. If you are worried talk to the school, but trust teachers’ judgement; they know what they are doing! And if you have older children who have just received their GCSE results, then they may be starting college for the first time this month, another further big step on the road to finishing education then be practical and make sure they have the equipment they need and a quiet space to study. Your child is starting an important chapter in their life; as always, be there to support them and monitor their progress, and allow them space to grow and develop as an individual. 99

OPEN EVENING Ofsted Good provider logoENTRY guidelinesTO YEAR 7 - 2018 FOR

Tuesday 19th September 6:00pm-8:30pm Principal, Alison Mobbs, will make a presentation at 6pm & 8pm 01493-661406 Â· enquiries@lynngroveacademy.org.uk

@LynnGroveAc

Lynn Grove, Gorleston-on-Sea, NR31 8AP

Lynn Grove Academy

www.lynngroveacademy.org.uk

Good Provider

EDUCATION

LYNN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL

‘D

iscover what you are good at is our mantra at Lynn Grove Academy’ explains Principal, Alison Mobbs ‘we want every young person who joins our school to experience a huge range of opportunities so that by the time they leave us they will have had plenty of chances to find out where their individual strengths lie’. This ethos was commented on favourably by inspectors during the recent OFSTED inspection and contributed to the Inspectors judging the school to be Good in every category. At the heart of the endeavour to make sure everyone uncovers their talents is the broad curriculum offered by the school. It goes without saying that the core subjects, English maths and science are of huge importance. Dedicated teachers and excellent facilities enable Lynn Grove pupils to make really good progress in these subjects, whatever their starting point.

The arts, design, languages and humanities subjects are given significant emphasis too. This is not surprising as the school is a proud member of the Creative Education Trust; a group of school across the country who share a common commitment and approach to developing creativity amongst its learners. Alison says ‘we interpret creativity as the ability to apply your knowledge and thinking to new situations productively and we know that this is a critical skill that employers look for in their teams’. Lynn Grove pupils are keen readers – they describe the Library as the beating heart of our school. The library, which is open to pupils from 0800 to 1700 is the home to a superb collection of books, some 50 computers and is managed by three dedicated librarians who are on hand to inspire that love of reading, assist with research and encourage with homework. The academy has a well-deserved reputation for sporting excellence; Lynn Grove football teams compete at local, county and national level. Rugby, hockey and netball teams enjoy success too. The growing national passion for athletics is reflected amongst Lynn Grove pupils too; they are rightly very proud of their developing prowess on track and field. The school has acres of playing fields and a wonderful brand

new all-weather pitch so it is great so see them being put to such good use! A school should be at the heart of its community and at Lynn Grove they find as many ways as possible to reach out and contribute in the local area. For example, Lynn Grove pupils stage a very popular annual Christmas Party for the local senior citizens and the hamper drop has become an important annual feature in the life of the school. Alison feels that ‘as a school, we are well aware that we have a lot to be grateful for and are keen to develop the habits of gratitude and service amongst the members of our community’. Lynn Grove is all about preparing the young people for their next stage and that is why they take advice and guidance very seriously. Lynn Grove pupils benefit from the expertise of local businesses and enterprises that welcome them on work experience and regularly visit the school to give talks and seminars to help prepare them for their next stage. Principal Alison Mobbs concludes, ‘why not come and find out for yourself what makes Lynn Grove Academy a great school? You would be most welcome to attend our open evening on 19 September, or I would be very happy to show you round – go to our website www.lynngroveacdemy.org.uk to book a tour – we look forward to seeing you!’ 101

| SEPTEMBER 2017

IMAGES (LEFT TO RIGHT) Pupils are encouraged to compete in a variety of sports with excellent facilities on-site; Saint Felix welcomes pupils from 2 – 18 years; Creative and visual arts are a core element of the curriculum at all stages; Annual drama productions are staged in the 200-seat Silcox Theatre

SAINT FELIX SCHOOL

cricket and netball, the school regularly fields competitors for the Modern Penthalon and Biathlon at regional and national level. On-site sports facilities include an indoor pool, gym, theatre, dance studio, numerous pitches and a full equestrian cross-country course. The Modern facilities in a traditional setting school has ambitious plans for further development over the next five enable Saint Felix pupils to thrive years to enhance both sports and study provision. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to develop their skills and enjoyment of the arts, through participation in a full programme of music and drama as well as opportunities to exhibit work in galleries and shows across the region. Saint Felix has twice been awarded aint Felix, Southwold is a co-educational independent the Gold Artsmark from Arts Council England in recognition of the school for day pupils and boarders from the ages of 2 to strength of its arts teaching and engagement. Fostering the sense 18. This year, the school celebrates 120 years of providing of community that is so important to the school, the annual ‘House educational excellence to children from Norfolk, Suffolk Shout’ is a talent show where all pupils in the Senior Department and beyond. participate in an inter-house singing competition. Individual pupils Its extensive curriculum, combined with over 40 are tutored by the school’s Head of Music and a team of specialist enrichment activities including sport, music, Duke of Edinburgh vocal and instrumental teachers. Award scheme and creative arts, ensures that every Saint Felix child Helping pupils to broaden their horizons, the school offers enjoys a complete education. Pupils from Year 6 onwards study Latin numerous opportunities to bring current studies to life. Overseas to promote the highest standards of literacy, and Saint Felix is the only trips in the past academic year have included Mexico school in Suffolk to offer tailored support for Oxbridge (Science, MFL), Greece (Ancient History & Classics), entry to read Ancient History or Classics. 2015 saw a SAINT FELIX SCHOOL, Paris (Business Studies/Economics) and Geneva 100% pass rate at A Level, and the school has recently Southwold, Suffolk, IP18 (Science, MFL). Closer to home, students frequently won national awards for Mathematics and Photography. 6SD | Tel: 01502 727048 travel across the country to compete in a variety Saint Felix is placed in the top five schools www.stfelix.co.uk | Email: of sporting and academic challenges and broader nationwide for swimming and is the reigning ESSA registrar@stfelix.co.uk enrichment activities. Primary Small Schools champion for the third year OPEN MORNING: Boarding at Saint Felix caters for full, weekly running. The school’s equestrian team has been placed Saturday 7th October, and flexi-boarders between the ages of 9-18 in three at the English Schools Eventers Championships at 10am – 12.30pm. Visits at boarding houses. After the school day, these houses Hickstead as well as the Royal Windsor Horse Show. In any other time welcome by appointment offer a welcoming home environment to boarders addition to traditional sports including hockey, rugby,

S 102

EDUCATION and the opportunity to develop independent living skills. For day pupils, transport is provided to and from key locations across Suffolk including Framlingham, Saxmundham, Beccles, Bungay and Lowestoft. Additional stopping points can be accommodated by discussion with the school team. James Harrison, Headmaster, encourages prospective pupils and parents to visit the school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saint Felix is so much more than an exam factory. Our emphasis is very much on each child as an individual. Our first-class campus and staff help us to encourage and develop skills across the curriculum as well as through a huge variety of enrichment activities, all within a truly happy and caring atmosphere. We offer a number of affordability packages and scholarships, and encourage applicants from all backgrounds.â&#x20AC;?

Co-educational independent day and boarding school for ages 2-18

Open Morning Saturday 7th October 2017 | 10am - 12.30pm

An excellent, affordable education for the children of Suffolk and Norfolk.

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| SEPTEMBER 2017

Inspiring Females – an overview of 2017 and beyond! NORWICH HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

n Monday 16th October 2017, Norwich High School for Girls will be proud to host its next Inspiring Females (IF) event; IF of the Arts. This fantastic LIVE Radio broadcast will profile a panel of six inspirational speakers covering all aspects of the arts including media, theatre, fashion, charity, music and education. In partnership with the Hostry Festival and BBC Radio Norfolk, this is the first IF event which is open to the general public as well as local schools, and will form part of a new 2017-18 programme designed to Inspire, Educate and Empower young women across Norfolk. IF is unique as it is steered by young women themselves, and this latest event, as with all prior IF events, is being shaped by a fantastic group of young women who act as the voice of their peer age groups. In this article, we celebrate the first full year of this exciting programme and look forward to seeing how it will continue to grow! THE CREATION OF INSPIRING FEMALES

The Inspiring Females programme was launched in summer 2016 with the mission to help young women create their own futures, while creating platforms to explore their questions and represent their voices. With an ambitious team made up of Kirsty von Malaisé 104

- Headmistress of Norwich High School for Girls, Siobhan Eke, entrepreneur, and an amazing steering group of passionate young women, the first Inspiring Females three-day conference was created in June 2016. The three days comprised Q&A panel sessions, networking, keynote presentations, informative workshops, hands-on activities and much more. It was a great success for all involved, with 30 inspirational women from all walks of life volunteering their time to inspire and mentor over 190 young women. Girls shared how the conference had developed their confidence, helped them to decide upon future learning and career options, made them appreciate that it is ok to fail and discovered how mothers navigate the world of work. Following incredible feedback from everyone involved and support from people in the community who had heard how the programme could develop girls’ authentic voices and confidence, the steering group of young women was expanded with the challenge of shaping an exciting programme of events, culminating in the next three-day conference in 2017. 2017 EVENTS

The 2017 programme started in early January with IF of the Future, an event where nine Norwich High leavers were invited back to the school to discuss their experiences of life after Sixth Form and the

EDUCATION challenges they had faced at university or in the early stages of their careers. The panellists spent time talking with the girls, leading on an interactive session designed to help each student consider the pros and cons of the many different paths now available once they finish their A Levels, ranging from going to University and starting a Higher Apprenticeship, to doing voluntary work and taking a gap year. The event gave the girls a fantastic opportunity to talk about their futures with women who had recently been through this same transition. This was followed closely by a Mothers’ Day celebration, Inspiring Mums and Daughters, an event created after so many girls cited their own mothers as their main source of inspiration. Many mums had also written to the school, praising the programme and wishing they could have had such an opportunity when they were younger. Over 60 mums and daughters (as well as two grandmothers) joined the event, which started with a panel and networking session discussing the ‘Joys and Challenges of Motherhood (and Daughterhood)’. Guests could then take part in a wide-range of hands-on workshops covering content such as emotional buoyancy, creative writing, wellbeing meditation, parenting skills and even laughter yoga. All mums and daughters finished the day with an afternoon tea and a personalised goody bag to take home. In April, two teams of young women volunteered their time to take part in real-life projects with previous panellists as part of IF on Tour – an event designed to give something back to some of the mentors who had kindly volunteered their own time previously. The first team worked with Chrissi Rix, from The Styleshow Ltd to shape, organise and promote a fashion and styling event which took place at the end of May and raised over £800 for charity. The second team took part in a trial of a new ‘How to deal with rejection’ workshop which was designed by Karen Ruthven, from Mindspan Global. The group offered valuable feedback throughout the first-run of this session. INSPIRING FEMALES SUMMIT 2017

IF Summit June 2017 went big, taking place in the impressive OPEN venue on Bank Plain, with the mission of inspiring and empowering over 300 young women aged between 12-17 from six schools across Norwich and further afield. Once again the Summit attracted an inspirational line-up of 20 female panellists hand-picked from a wide range of professions and backgrounds. Headlining the event were keynote speakers Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO of the GDST (Girls’ Day School Trust), and awardwinning BBC journalist, Samira Ahmed. Following each presentation, an empowering panel of women joined these speakers on stage to discuss and answer questions on themes such as ‘Is it a Good Time to Be a Young Woman?’ and ‘Building Confidence/Taking Risks’. The women in attendance delivered their own dynamic workshops, covering themes including ‘Resilience’, ‘Becoming a role model’, ‘Achieving BIG’ and ‘Facing the challenges of being a young female leader’, and represented a diverse range of career paths including the creative industries, science, technology, teaching, sports, the media, finance, vlogging and diplomacy. Entrepreneurship was the theme of the second day, with high calibre female mentors from influential organisations such as Google,

BT, Global Media and Aviva leading eight groups of girls in an ‘Apprentice’ style-day to create their own unique social enterprise, with exceptional support given from local entrepreneurs such as Claire Riseborough, founder of Stepintotech, and Libby Peryer, founder of Libby Ferris flowers. The third and final day focussed on wellbeing and activity, with guests delivering informative workshops on subjects such as creative writing, psychology and ‘How to be Happy’, as well as a large selection of active sessions including pilates, meditation, self defence, African drumming and a fitness bootcamp. INSPIRING FEMALES – 2017 AND BEYOND

There are very ambitious plans afoot for the future of IF. Headmistress of Norwich High School and co-founder of Inspiring Females, Kirsty von Malaisé comments “We believe that for women today and in the future, the idea of a ‘career ladder’ is outdated, not least because the world of work is changing fast. Inspiring Females is about passion with purpose, about learning and listening from leading women who have so generously given their time, energy and thought into creating something unique and addresses the gaps they had in their own education. The programme for 2017/18 will build upon the exciting momentum created this last year, and will continue to create new opportunities for young women across Norfolk. We are looking forward to welcoming new schools who would like to get involved in the programme and would love to hear from any women wishing to join the amazing 80 women who have participated so far!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact: Norwich High School for Girls, 95 Newmarket Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2HU | Tel: 01603 453265 | www.norwichhigh.gdst.net To book tickets for Inspiring Females of the Arts visit the Hostry Festival website: www.hostryfestival.org. You can also visit the Inspiring Females website at www.inspiringfemales.org.uk

105

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| SEPTEMBER 2017

Hy(undai)

performance

Hyundai is not a marque generally associated with performance cars – but that is all changing with the forthcoming launch of two exciting new models, says David Wakefield

fter introducing the Hyundai i30 in March, and the i30 Tourer in August, Hyundai has unveiled the i30 Fastback – the latest addition to the i30 range – to be available by the beginning of next year. Also announced is the high performance i30N. Hyundai describes the new i30 Fastback as a “real game-changer” and is a clear move into a more sporty market, having been developed and tested at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The i30 Fastback has an elegant sloping roofline, a long bonnet and a muscular body. Its slim cabin sits on a wide body, emphasised by wide wheel arches which gives the car a strong stance. The roof has been lowered by 25 millimetres compared with the i30 five-door, improving aerodynamics and creating a dramatic impression. 108

The cabin has a sleek, tapered shape, and the emphasis on the rear makes it look capable and assertive. The new car is available in 12 exterior colours, with three pearl and seven metallic choices; for the interior there are three colours options. The i30 Fastback reveals some significant differences compared with the other body types of the i30 range. The chassis has been lowered by 5mm and the stiffness of the suspension has been increased by 15 per cent, providing a more dynamic and more agile driving experience with a high level of comfort. A class leading safety package includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, High Beam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist System. AEB operates in three stages using camera sensors, warning the driver visually and audibly, then controlling the brake

according to the collision stage, and then applying maximum braking force to avoid a collision or to minimise damage if a collision is unavoidable. The optional pedestrian recognition uses front radar and avoids or mitigates the consequences of impact with a pedestrian. Driver Attention Alert monitors driving patterns in order to detect reckless or fatigued driving and prevent potential accidents. Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC) keeps a constant speed and distance from the vehicle in front by automatically accelerating and braking up to 180 km/h. The rear corners are monitored by a Blind Spot Detector (BSD). If another vehicle is detected, a visual alert appears in the exterior mirrors. The car also has systems for reducing the risk of collision with approaching traffic, and warning the driver about the car’s position.

MOTORING

dealer details Lings Hyundai

Lings Wharf, Riverside Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0TQ Tel: 01502 537444 www.lings.com

The Rear-Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) system reduces the risk of collision with approaching traffic when reversing out of narrow areas with low visibility by alerting the driver both visually and audibly. The i30 Fastback offers customers an optional eight-inch touch screen of the new-generation navigation system including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both systems enable users to connect their devices to deliver and control music, telephone or navigation functions on-screen. Customers can choose between the 1.4 T-GDI turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 140 PS; or the 1.0 T-GDI turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 120 PS. The 1.4-litre T-GDI petrol engine is offered with the six-speed manual transmission or the seven-speed dual clutch transmission, which gives a choice of fully automatic operation or manual gear changes. The 1.0 T-GDI is offered with the 6MT. All engines come standard with the Integrated Stop and Go (ISG) system for increased efficiency. The i30 N is Hyundai Motor’s first highperformance car under the N line-up. Built on the New Generation i30, the i30 N has

been developed from the ground up to deliver maximum driving pleasure in everyday life on the road, as well as on the track. The i30 N is inspired by Hyundai Motorsport’s experience in WRC since 2014. Due to be launched across Europe by the end of the year, the All-New i30 N is made for driving enthusiasts. The i30 N is built around the driver for maximum responsiveness, balanced performance and is said to be fun to drive. The powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine delivers up to 275 PS and 353 Nm torque. It offers direct response with a linear power development through the early responding turbo charger, and features front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. Maximum grip is guaranteed by the 18-inch Michelin or 19-inch Pirelli highperformance Hyundai N tyres. The rackmounted motor-driven power steering is very direct and offers high precision. Electrically controlled suspension reduces roll and enhances cornering speed, enabling the driver to adjust the dampers from comfort-oriented daily commuting to highperformance track-driving.

There are five drive modes, including Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N Custom settings, which can be selected by using two dedicated buttons on the steering wheel. The different modes change the character of the car, adjusting the high-performance parameters of the engine, the dampers, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Limited Slip Differential (E-LSD), sound, steering and rev-matching. Hyundai describes the i30 N as “an everyday sports car”, suitable for daily commuting in comfort on weekdays or for race track performance on the weekend. By offering a great variety of customisation options, the i30 N is a well-balanced hatchback, offering performance and practicality to create the best feeling for the driverAdditionally, the driver can select the rev-matching button on the steering wheel to increase the revs on the engine when shifting from a higher to a lower gear, while the car’s Launch Control helps to launch the car as fast and as easy as possible by controlling engine torque.

At the time of writing, prices were not available

109

B E O N E O F T H E F I R ST TO O W N

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SUMMER 2017

Important information

High Street Ludham,Norfolk, NR29 5QQ 01692 678215 High Street Ludham,Norfolk, NR29 5QQ 01692 678215

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the All-New Fiesta range are: urban 40.9-80.7 (6.9-3.5), extra urban 67.3-94.2 (4.2-3.0), combined 54.3-88.3 (5.2-3.2). Official CO2 emissions 118-82g/km. The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience. Important information

New Generation i30 More than expected as standard

New Generation i30 With Apple CarPlay™ & Android™ Auto*.

per month

£500 Finance Deposit contribution. £6,550 deposit. £6,376.50 Optional final payment. Personal Contract Purchase. 36 month term.

APR Representative

SLM Hyundai Norwich

Delft Way, Norwich, NR6 6BB 01603 480077 | slm.dingles.co.uk/hyundai Fuel consumption in MPG (l/100km) for New Generation i30 range: Urban 42.8 (6.6) - 67.3 (4.2), Extra Urban 56.5 (5.0) – 78.5 (3.6), Combined 51.4 (5.5) – 74.3 (3.8), CO2 Emissions 125 - 99g/km. These official EU test figures are to be used as a guide for comparative purposes and may not reflect all driving results. *Apple CarPlay™ and Android™ on selected models only and compatible with selected smart phones. Offer

based on New Generation i30 S 1.0 120ps 5dr at £16,995. Model shown: New Generation i30 S at £16,995. At the end of the agreement there are 3 options: (i) Part exchange the vehicle; (ii) Pay the Optional Final Payment to own the vehicle; or (iii) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition or mileage of the vehicle. T&Cs Apply. Finance subject to status. 18s and over. Guarantee may be required. Hyundai Finance RH2 9AQ. Based on 8,000 miles per annum, excess mileage charge 7.5pence per mile. All offers and savings are subject to availability and are only available to private retail customers on new cars purchased and registered in the UK (excluding Channel Islands or Isle of Man) between 1st July 2017 and 30th September 2017 inclusive, sourced through Hyundai Motor UK Ltd or its authorised dealers. 5 Year Warranty terms and exclusions apply. Hyundai 5 Year Warranty subject to Terms and Conditions see website Hyundai.co.uk SLM Hyundai trading as Dingles Motor Group are a credit broker (not a lender) for the purposes of this financial promotion and can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

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The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Mazda range: Urban 28.0 (10.1) - 65.7 (4.3). Extra Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 80.7 (3.5). Combined 39.2 (7.2) - 74.3 (3.8). CO 2 emissions (g/km) 167 - 99. The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These are provided for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your actual driving results. Retail sales only. Subject to availability at participating dealers only on vehicles registered between 01.07.17 and 30.09.17. T&C apply. *0% APR Mazda Conditional Sale available on all Mazda MX-5 models. Finance subject to status, 18s or over. Guarantee may be required. Mazda Financial Services RH1 1SR. Models shown: Mazda MX-5 160ps Sport Nav, OTR from £24,195 and all-new Mazda MX-5 RF 160ps Sport Nav, OTR from £25,995. Models shown feature optional Soul Red Metallic paint (£670). OTR price includes VAT, number plates, delivery, 12 months’ road fund licence, first registration fee, 3 year or 60,000 mile warranty and 3 years’ European Roadside Assistance. ºTest drives subject to applicant status and availability. Details correct at time of going to print. Not available in conjunction with any other offer unless specified. Calls to 0844/0845 numbers will be charged at 7 pence per minute plus your standard network charge. Wrights Motor Ltd, trading as Wrights Mazda is a credit broker not a lender for this financial promotion. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

| SEPTEMBER 2017

New and ımproved With September being a prime month for new car registrations we take a look at some of the many new cars available locally, whether you’re after luxury, high performance, economy, style or ruggedness here’s our round up of some of the best models to spoil you for choice and give you plenty of food for thought.

part from the fact that it will look great, resplendent in its shiny new colour, on your driveway, there are many advantages to buying a new car – and the showroom selection for September is larger than ever. First of all, you will get a manufacturerbacked warranty (most are for three years, but some manufacturers offer longer terms) which means that the dreaded MOT test is at least three years away. As a new car buyer, you will be able to take advantage of the various finance offers available. You may, of course, if you are able to do so, choose to buy the car outright: but you may find that the manufacturer you have chosen has some attractive finance deals. 112

Many buyers take the personal contract plan (PCP) route these days. This involves spreading the cost over monthly payments which are generally lower than a loan, or hire purchase, and then either A) meeting a final payment which means you own the car; B) trading in for a new model by the same manufacturer: or C) handing back the car to the dealer – although these deals are done over an agreed mileage, and there may be penalties if you go over. If you have no trade-in you are generally in a stronger position to negotiate a good deal on a new car. If you are trading in, then be realistic – get an idea of its value according to mileage and condition. Think carefully about what you require from your car – performance, room for the

family, economy, petrol or diesel. Check the car tax rates before you buy, too. Think about taking out a pre-paid service package (some manufacturers offer this free of charge) – which offers a substantial discount on routine servicing rather than paying for each service separately. It’s worth considering, too, that a manufacturer is likely to be more sympathetic to claims after the warranty expires if the car was serviced by the dealership! A test drive is essential. It’s little use buying a car in which you are not comfortable – we’re all built differently. Take your time, and make sure the seat adjustments suit you and that the instruments are placed as you like them. If you have children, then they need to be comfortable. If you use a child seat, check that it will fit. Is the boot big enough? Do you prefer a hatchback or saloon; or might an estate version be better? Remember that this is a major purchase, and should be a pleasurable one. Your dealer will want to make sure that you are happy and he, or she, is there to help. Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric? There is a huge choice out there, and here are a few pointers…

MOTORING

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The timeless design concept of the New Generation i30 family hatchback is reflected in the quality and passion that shines through every detail. The New Generation i30 is available in 5 trim levels – S, SE, SE Nav, Premium and the top of the range Premium SE. The calm simplicity of the driver focused dashboard and cabin creates a perceptible feeling of elegance, quality and space. It’s more than just a feeling – the New Generation i30 is among the roomiest in this class for driver and all passengers. VOLVO S90

The new Volvo S90 has three variants in the range, The Momentum, Inscription and the top of the range R Design. Matching the elegance of the S90 with the sporting spirit of R-Design, this is a sedan that combines precision with control and keeps you comfortable. The Sport chassis’ tauter suspension, lowered ride height and retuned steering create the sharp responses and rapid reactions you’re looking for in a performance car. R-Design Contour seats and bespoke trim make the cabin a reflection of the exterior, so you always know you’re driving something special. FORD

Technology should always have a purpose. And the All-New Ford Fiesta, brings to life a whole range of advanced features and systems. For example, Active Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Aid, Traffic Sign Recognition… When you test drive the New Fiesta be ready to experience technologies so smart and so useful you’ll wonder how you ever did without them. The All-New Fiesta is equipped with SYNC3 (Zetec model and above) to make life easier and make your journeys more entertaining. Models in the Fiesta range include Style, Zetec, Zetec X, Titanium, Titanium X, ST Line and the Vignale. MAZDA

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WEALTH MANAGEMENT

“The savings and investments you hold in ISAs have special tax treatment that makes them attractive. However, the minute you take them out of the ISA, any interest or growth will be assessed for tax”

PA S SI NG I S A S AV I NG S ON T O YOU R H E I R S IT’S NOT WIDELY KNOWN THAT ISA SAVINGS CAN BE A TAX-EFFICIENT WAY TO PASS WEALTH TO YOUR SPOUSE OR CIVIL PARTNER. CARL LAMB LOOKS AT HOW THIS WORKS UNTIL APRIL 2015, ISAs were treated in the same way as the rest

of your estate when you died. They could indeed be passed on but would lose their tax protected status: they would no longer be treated as ISA savings and if your heirs wanted to reinvest in an ISA, then they could only do so if they had sufficient annual ISA allowance left to cover the amounts involved. In April 2015, a new ISA rule was introduced to give spouses or civil partners who inherit ISA savings an “Additional Permitted Subscription” or APS. The APS can only be claimed by spouses or civil partners, so no other heirs can benefit from the allowance. Another requirement is that the two partners must have been living together at the time of death. The measure applies to anyone whose spouse or civil partner died on or after 3 December 2014 and provides a one-off additional ISA allowance (on top of their normal annual ISA allowance – £20,000 in the 2017/18 tax year) equivalent to the value of the deceased person’s ISAs at the time of death. This works whether the ISAs are with one provider or multiple providers and the surviving partner gets a separate APS allowance per provider. If there are multiple ISAs with the same provider, the total value of all the ISAs is totted up to give you the APS allowance for that provider. However, the surviving partner doesn’t have to keep the ISA savings with the same provider. He or she can transfer the APS allowance to another ISA provider, if there are better rates around. However, any assets you transfer must go to a single ISA provider. You might imagine that the APS rule means you have to leave your ISA cash and investments to your spouse or civil partner in your will, but this isn’t the case: you can leave what’s in your ISAs to whoever you wish. What happens is that irrespective

of where the actual assets go, your surviving spouse or civil partner is entitled to an APS allowance equivalent to the value of your ISA assets on the day you die. Of course, without inheriting the assets, your partner would be required to invest his or her own money. Your surviving spouse or civil partner can start claiming the APS allowance immediately after your death. If the APS allowance relates to Cash ISA savings, your partner must use the allowance within three years of your death or, if the administration of the estate takes longer, within 180 days of completion. If you have Stocks and Shares ISAs, the assets in the ISA can be transferred directly into the surviving partner’s ISA without being sold and then re-purchased, which avoids potential costs for buying and selling the assets and any possible performance loss during a transfer. This is known as an “in specie” transfer. The transfer must be completed within 180 days following the completion of the administration of the estate. It’s important to remember that the savings and investments you hold in ISAs have special tax treatment that makes them attractive. However, the minute you take them out of the ISA wrapper, any interest or growth will be assessed for tax. It’s therefore critical that you carry out any ISA transfers using the proper transfer process so that you retain their tax-efficiency.

The value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up. The return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested. The tax treatment of investments depends on individual circumstances and is subject to change.

Carl Lamb

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

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

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“It is quite surprising to now find the government geared up to restrict the use of long leases. The reason for this is that they have become mechanisms for abuse”

A L ONG , L ONG L E A S E LEGAL EXPERT JULIAN GIBBONS LOOKS AT THE CHANGES IN THE WAY LONG LEASES ARE BEING HANDLED BY PROPERTY DEVELOPERS AND THE GOVERNMENT

BACK TOWARDS THE END of the nineteenth and into the early

twentieth centuries many local councils, including the Borough of Great Yarmouth, set about disposing of their housing stocks and land they owned. At that time, rather than simply selling off the freeholds, councils like Great Yarmouth disposed of many properties by granting long leases of the property, often 999 years. Why did they do this? This policy was not about making a profit. The ground rent was typically a matter of a few pounds and for those properties still held on such leases councils have generally long since not bothered to collect the small amounts of ground rent. No, the purpose was civic. At that time of course there was little in the way of planning control, which only came in after the Second World War. This meant that to protect the civic amenity of the area, preserve its appearance and ensure that properties were not allowed to deteriorate, long leases provided a solution. The problem when selling a freehold interest is that there is a limit to the obligations you can impose on the property, the buyer and on successive owners. True there are things called restrictive covenants, which can limit what a freeholder may do. Typical are covenants to use the property as a single dwelling. For a council though, the problem with using restrictive covenants was that to be enforceable, the council would have to show that they were of benefit to land that they retained. Furthermore, covenants could not be used to ensure that, for example, the owners maintained the appearance of their property. Long leases on the other hand created a relationship between landlord and tenant and the various covenants and restrictions could be enforced without any need to show that they directly benefited other land of the council. They were therefore an early form of planning control alongside enforcing policies around civic pride.

From a purely practical point of view, blocks of flats have almost always been sold on long leases. In fact, freehold flats were often impossible to obtain a mortgage on, as there was no way of enforcing mutual obligations between tenants which are normally required to ensure that every flat owner contributes to the upkeep of “common parts”, i.e. those parts of the building and grounds available for the use and benefit of all tenants such as gardens, access ways, corridors and of course structural items such as the roof and utilities. Leases provide the perfect mechanism for imposing mutual obligations on tenants. It is therefore quite surprising to now find the government geared up to restrict the use of long leases. The reason for this is that in the case of both housing and flat developments they have become mechanisms for abuse. The usual unwritten rule was that with a long lease, where the buyer is getting what is for all practical ownership purposes a freehold, and where that buyer therefore is paying a price little different from a freehold price, the ground rent should be relatively nominal. Historically, although there would often be a mechanism for increasing ground rents, they would operate over decades to gradually increase a rent of say a nominal £50 per year simply to take account of inflation and the drop in the value of money. Now however, an exploitative mechanism is being built into some long leases. This means that a nominal rent can change at the first rent review into what is almost a market rent. Even though the first review might not be for ten years, when it happens the rent will jump to many thousands of pounds. This makes almost new properties subject to these provisions unsalable. Because modern conveyancing has increasingly become a factory production-line process, the less skilled staff who now deal with the average conveyancing transaction now have neither the experience nor indeed the time to examine what can be quite complex rent review provisions and to advise the client. A number of solicitors have already found to their cost that failing to use the right level of staff when dealing with these properties and their long leases has lead to some very expensive negligence claims by owners left with almost unsalable properties. It is difficult to fathom what goes on in the minds of developers. Long leases themselves can be useful to them, for example by ensuring with a large development that proper standards of appearance on an estate are maintained during a lengthy development. However, the fact that some developers now sell on the freeholds to property companies suggests that at the root of this is unfortunately shear greed.

Julian Gibbons Norton Peskett Solicitors www.nortonpeskett.co.uk | 01493 849200

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| AUGUST 2017

MOLLY'S BOHEMIAN CIRCUS FUNDRAISER In spite of the rain we had an amazing turnout for our daughter Molly’s fundraiser. Our aim was to raise enough money to fund a placement with SLV Global to work in the mental health sector in Sri Lanka. The entertainment was nothing short of amazing. It all started with an acoustic swing duo called Helen and Alan who played whilst canapés ( Elm Valley Foods & Julie and Bethany Foster ) and fizz were served. Kit Temple from Kit’s Kitchen provided chicken or vegetarian Thai Curry and Bijou Wines provided the wine. We were blessed with the most amazing virtuoso performance from Rebecadecca Doo on her electric violin followed by Ella Sopp and Alex Banks who are EZ Rollers who brought the house down with an amazing drum and bass set … If that wasn’t enough we had Jodie “ Topsy “ Harris with her exquisite voice accompanied briefly by Finn Peall (unannounced ) doing a very funny parody of Christina Aguilera. The rest of the evening was in the very good hands of DJ Balloonwrangler' playing world music, latin and funk .Whilst all the above was underway we had Suzanne Arnold the Storyweaver and Samanda Ford Psychic Medium doing what they do best. The rain did not stop our hardcore guests dancing through the night. Then to end such an amazing day we had the fire-starter William Peall who set off a ridiculously over the top Fireworks display ! The next morning we had The Mexican Circus, Colectivo Embreve perform their very skilful and evocative set as it was too dangerous to perform in the rain. Thank you to Sea Change Arts for finding them for us.

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| SEPTEMBER 2017 stakeholders and supporters. The passion and dedication for Theatre Royal and Playhouse – as well as for Norwich and Norfolk more generally – is just infectious. What are your future plans for the theatre?

Stephen Crocker

Chief Executive, Norwich Theatre Royal

hat do you like about living in Norfolk and how does it compare to living in Manchester?

While I’ve been a city boy for a long time, I have always also loved that feeling of being outside and in wide open space. Having that wonderful contrast between city and country life is what is so fantastic about Norwich and Norfolk as it’s so easy to achieve. It’s incredible to me that we can wake up at home in the city on a Saturday morning and be at the beach or walking through luscious countryside in half an hour. That isn’t easy in a bigger city. Is there anything you dislike?

It sounds like a coy answer, but nothing at all so far! I do miss Manchester lots, which was inevitable when I moved here as I spent 12 years in the city and my closest friends are there, but the warmth of the welcome Michael and I have both received since arriving in Norfolk has bowled us over.

with that. So, when I manage to carve out time, Michael and I love to spend time with friends and family and adore travelling and holidays. We rewarded ourselves on having successfully encountered our move to Norfolk with a trip to Mauritius in March, then we spent Easter in New York City for my mother-in-law’s 70th in April and then a long weekend in Malta for a family wedding in May. This year has been a busy one so far! Do you have any hobbies?

It is a total cliché, but I am one of the very lucky people that has been able to turn their passion into a career. I love the way in which writers, directors, choreographers and painters use their creativity to turn stories into art and if I wasn’t privileged enough to get to explore all of this as part of my job, it is how I would spend my free time. Aside from all kind of arts activities, I try to make it to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and am a bit of a shopaholic! What attracted you to take up your role at the Norwich Theatre Royal?

It is all dependent upon what I’m up to and how I feel. Sometimes it’s fantastic to get dressed up and really indulge in fine dining with cheese courses, wine flights and the full works. However, I love just as much chilling out in a country pub, covered in mud after a walk, and having pie, chips and a pint! I am also a self-proclaimed master in the arts of street food, especially at festivals – I can hold a beer, a bottle of water and eat noodles with chopsticks, all standing up and without spilling a drop!

When I was approached about considering the role, I knew well the phenomenal job that my predecessor, Peter Wilson, had done over 25 years and that this was a theatre in very good shape. Once I started to learn more, particularly about Norwich Playhouse and Stage Two being part of the family, I could then see the phenomenal potential to grow and develop into the future. However, I must say that it was this beautiful city that sealed the deal for me and, whilst I wandered around one sunny day last July, I decided that this was for me.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

What have been the highlights since you have been at the theatre?

Where do you like to eat and drink?

Given the nature of my job, the line between working and not working is often pretty non-existent, and I am absolutely cool 126

I think the overriding highlight has been getting to know my fantastic team and gradually meeting all of our partners,

Well there won’t be a revolution, look out for some evolution. We will absolutely continue to bring the very best work across the broadest spectrum of the performing arts to our stages – that is our duty – but you will also see some artists, companies and productions that are new to Norwich. You will also see, now that we have our fantastic Stage Two building, a renewed focus on education, skills and community engagement. What challenges does the theatre face?

Theatre Royal is hugely well supported and has fantastic audiences. However, there are communities and groups who aren’t currently attending or engaging with us and one of our big challenges over the coming years is to see how we can break down some of these barriers. Through the generosity of a huge range of supporters we are also very lucky to have a new dedicated centre for Learning & Participation, Stage Two. Making sure that we absolutely maximise the potential of this incredible asset is also a challenge for us – albeit a really great one! How is technology changing traditional theatre?

When making a piece of theatre, writers, directors, designers and producers have a range of tools at their disposal and advances in technology, particularly digital technology, just increase that toolkit in the most exciting way. There is phenomenal work now being produced which incorporates the highest definition projection, streaming and even now augmented reality. But technology is also changing audiences’ engagement outside of the auditorium and through video and social media, theatre-going is now a conversation that begins before the show and continues afterwards. I love it. Have you had any amusing incidents you can tell us about since you have been at the theatre?

Well, my first few months were insanely busy with some very long hours and lots of travelling. There was one morning when I was on a very early train to London having really not had very much sleep and been on autopilot from when the alarm went off. As the coffee started to kick-in on a packed train, I looked down and realised that, not only did I have my sweater on inside out, I was wearing shoes that didn’t match! Oops. Can you sum up Norwich Theatre Royal in five words?

It’s a place that is loved for the variety of its programme and for its people and is rooted in Norwich and Norfolk and committed to its communities. Can you sum yourself up in five words?

I would say that I am creative, not afraid to be daring and always trying to be proactive with a rebellious streak and an unfortunate habit of being tardy.

GROSVENOR CASINO GREAT YARMOUTH

September Stamp Card Spectacular RUNNING THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER

Collect your stamp card from any of our restaurant team when you purchase a meal in our restaurant. Collect 4 separate stamps when dining with us throughout September and your 5th meal will be on us! Valid only on restaurant meals purchased, not bar meals. T&Cs apply.

keepitfun.rank.com Over 18s only. Photo ID is required. www.gambleaware.co.uk

The all-new Audi SQ5 From £549 a month with quattro^

Solutions Personal Contract Plan* representative example from Audi Financial Services based on 10,000 miles per annum+ for the New Audi SQ5 3.0 TFSI quattro 354 PS tiptronic Duration 47 monthly payments of Recommended on-the-road price Customer deposit Optional final payment Option to purchase fee**

48 months £549.00 £51,845.00 £7,891.30 £26,421.40 £10.00

Amount of credit

£43,953.70

Total amount payable by customer

£60,125.70

Rate of Interest

5.99% fixed

Representative APR

6% APR

Book your test drive today. Norwich Audi Meridian Way Norwich NR7 0TA 01603 709200 www.robinsonsaudi.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures for the Audi SQ5 in mpg (l/100km): Urban 25.7 (11.0) – 26.2 (10.8), Extra Urban 39.8 (7.1) – 41.5 (6.8), Combined 33.2 (8.5) – 34.0 (8.3), CO2 emissions 195 – 189g/km. 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. Image shown for illustration purposes only. More information is available on the Audi website at www.audi.co.uk and at www.dft. gov.uk/vca. *At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) own the vehicle: pay the optional final payment; ii) return the vehicle: subject to fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle. ^Available for vehicles purchased on Solutions Personal Contract Plan between 1st July and 30th September 2017, and registered by 31st December 2017. Retail sales only. Participating dealers only. No acceptance fee required. Cost of optional metallic paint included in the finance example at £645. **Payable with optional final payment. Subject to agreed annual mileage. +9.6p per mile excess mileage charges apply (incl. VAT). Further charges may be payable if vehicle is returned. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Available to over 18s in the UK only. All cars must be set to a time and distance service regime. Additional work, including wear and tear, is not included. Accurate at time of publication July 2017. Audi Finance, Freepost Audi Finance.