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+ GREAT YARMOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL AFTERNOON TEA BY THE SEASIDE FINE DINING AT THE KINGS ARMS
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BIG INTERVIEWS
REECE RITCHIE From local success story to star of the silver screen
JUNE 2015 – THE LAUNCH ISSUE
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Latitude Festival
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds head up the 10th anniversary celebrations
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CAMILLA DALLERUP On marriage, writing
and life after Strictly
A taste of Italy
Exploring the sights, sounds and tastes of Emilia Romagna
2015
FRIDAY 5 - SUNDAY 14 JUNE
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Contents
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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds stop at
Latitude Festival
this July as we speak to creator Melvin Benn
06 WELCOME to Coastal VIP, a new monthly magazine which will be available free of charge at over 100 outlets in the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston area. In words and pictures our dedicated team will try and capture local and national personalities and profile local people. We will cover various pastimes, feature local property and cover VIP events in the town. So turn the pages and read about Camilla Dallerup from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing who recently appeared at St George’s Theatre and local actor Reece Ritchie who is the star of full scale Hollywood movie Desert Dancer. We look ahead to the 10th anniversary of the Latitude Festival and chat to events creator Melvin Benn. Travel wise our writer Mark Nicholls visits Emilia Romagna, one of the wealthiest and most developed regions in Europe. We are so lucky to live in such a wonderful part of the county. Great Yarmouth is a town of real character and is blessed with some people who are real characters. Over the coming months we will be featuring a number of them in this magazine. We hope you enjoy the launch issue!
SALES
Editor colin@h2creativemedia.co.uk 01493 742091 · 07775 858862
Account Manager shaun@h2creativemedia.co.uk 01493 742066 · 07584 162023
Colin Huggins
DESIGN
Scott Nicholson
Studio Manager
Designer, Coastal VIP John Kemp
Designer
PUBLISHER H2Creative Media Beacon Innovation Centre, Beacon Park, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 7RA · 01493 446639
From humble beginnings to movie star, Reece Ritchie is a local boy done good
EDITORIAL
Ashley Coomer
Editor
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Mark Nicholls travels to Emilia Romagna to see what Northern Italy has to offer…
PRINTER Micropress Foundation Way, Reydon Business Park, Reydon, Suffolk IP18 6DH
Shaun Coomer
Alan Styles
Phil Nicholls
Paula Hodds
Diane Green
CONTRIBUTORS Alisdair Suttie, Emma Outten, Mark Nicholls, Paul Pitcher, Ross Hagan, Sarah Hardy
Account Manager phil@h2creativemedia.co.uk 01493 742136 · 07780 430706 Account Manager diane@h2creativemedia.co.uk 01493 742251
Sales Executive, Motoring alan@h2creativemedia.co.uk 07928 713029 Sales Director paula@h2creativemedia.co.uk 01493 742090 · 07765 886189
TERMS & CONDITIONS All content copyright © H2Creative Media Limited. Reproduction in part or whole is forbidden without the express permission of the publishers. All prices, events and times correct at the time of print. You are encouraged to contact the businesses and venue prior to making bookings. All expressions and opinions within the publication are those of the editor including contributors.
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Fancy a spin? We take a look at the latest generation
Ford Mondeo
Our food writer Paul Pitcher heads to The Kings Arms in Fleggburgh and leaves with a desire to return for more…
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08
We speak to Camilla
Dallerup
about her shows in Great Yarmouth, her new book and the domestic life Our property of the month is a detached four bed in Caister which is likely to be off the market in no time at all!
34 VIP Events Head to our
pages to see if you’ve been snapped out and about
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If you’re a fan of cake stands, sea views and delicious fresh coffee then The Cliff Hotel is the place to be
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The Great Yarmouth Arts Festival is coming to town and we caught up with organiser Hugh Sturzaker to find out what’s happening in the world of the local arts
Personalities / Pastimes / Places / Property / Performance / Profile / VIP Events
REEcE’s siNcE dANcE iN thE dEsERt Desert Dancer, released this month, follows the true, inspiring story of a brave Iranian dancer, Afshin Ghaffarian. And it stars Lowestoft lad Reece Ritchie alongside Freida Pinto! WORDS: EMMA OUTTEN
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he was plucked from drama school, Reece Ritchie has continuously demonstrated his varied talent both on stage and screen. The Lowestoft actor made his film debut in the role of Moha in fantasy drama 10,000 BC, and then appeared in The Lovely Bones directed by multi-award winning director Peter Jackson and based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, in which he played the role of Ray Singh. And, if that wasn’t enough, he has also starred in the Disney feature Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, alongside a stellar cast including Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Sir Ben Kingsley. Not bad for the former Benjamin Britten High School pupil! But then 28-year-old Reece does come from a very talented family. Twenty-seven year old sister Ria, a Coastal VIP favourite and Sundown Festival regular, is a singer-songwriter and recording artist who featured on Disclosure’s single, Control in 2013. And their brother Ross runs alternative learning provision Education X. Reece’s mother, Jayne, is the founder of diet plan business BodyChef, and the fact that Reece has played roles as ethnically diverse as an Indian American and a Persian warrior is thanks, in part, to having a father, Russell, who is from South Africa. Now, in his latest film Desert Dancer, Reece stars as Afshin Ghaffarian, who along with a group of dancers, including Freida Pinto as Elaheh, risk their lives to form an underground dance company.
Reece Ritchie
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playing this part, come hell or high water.’ Reece got on the next plane to Jordan, and almost immediately found himself dancing in the desert. The dance sequences were not without their challenges, however. At one point, Freida and Reece were rehearsing one of the intricate dances and their heads collided! Pinto had a giant bruise; it was pretty serious – a minor concussion, and the makeup team had to cover it up for shooting the next day.
It’s set in Tehran during the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election and the start of the Green Movement. With what little access to the Internet they had, the group discovers music and dance videos that were banned from viewing in their country, so the group learns various forms, techniques and styles of dance from timeless legends like Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Inspired by these new found heroes, they stage their own performances and uncover a passion for dance and one another, but while the political and cultural backdrop of Desert Dancer is very unique to the time and place, the struggle to overcome oppression – whether from a government or from within – proves universal. When it came to finding a lead for Desert Dancer, director Richard Raymond had an idea. He had recently seen The Lovely Bones and been impressed with Reece in the small role. ‘I thought he was an absolutely wonderful actor,’ recalls Richard. And, beyond being a tremendous actor, Reece has significant martial arts training so the first-time director knew he could handle the strenuous dance sequences.
Spending time at the National Youth Theatre as a teenager has clearly paid off for Reece. Most recently, he has been filming AD, a 12-part serialized drama of faith, fear, passion, and heroic struggle, which traces the story of the harrowing birth of Christianity. He played the role of Iolaus in the thrilling action/adventure film Hercules: The Thracian Wars, and starred in the lead male role in All in Good Time, a comedy drama set in Bolton about a newly married couple that struggles to consummate their marriage . Other film credits include the drama Triage. Alongside his film roles, Reece has appeared in several parts on the small screen including Pete Versus Life, Atlantis, Silent Witness, The Bill and Saddam’s Tribe, although he was most recently seen on TV screens, starring in White Heat, an epic drama for the BBC charting the lives of seven friends from 1965 to present day. In this semi-autobiographical series, written by the award winning Paula Milne, he starred alongside Norwich’s very own Sam Chaflin. Finally, for theatre, Reece was featured in a run of Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Sir Peter Hall at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, playing the mischievous role of Puck opposite an impressive cast including Dame Judi Dench. He has also performed for the National Youth Theatre in Cell Sell; The Master and Margarita; Dorothy Com and Murder in the Cathedral. Now, with Desert Dancers about to be released, those summers spent at the National Youth Theatre were well spent by the Suffolk actor.
Reece had additional qualities that did not go unnoticed: the physical likeness he had to Afshin was uncanny. ‘He also had the same energy, the same uplifting spirit and the same passion as Afshin,’ says Richard. ‘Richard was very passionate,’ recalls Reece. ‘He explained that he had these interview tapes that he’d taken of the real Afshin and that he would love for me to watch them.’ After screening the hours of tapes, Reece remarks: ‘I was absolutely fascinated by Afshin’s life – what he’d done knowing we were the same age. He had a completely polarized existence to me.’ The actor called his agent and said ‘I’m C O A S TA L V I P J U N E 2 0 1 5
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Personalities Camilla Dallerup
Strictly speak覺ng We spoke to the Strictly Come Dancing star from her Los Angeles home ahead of her visit to Great Yarmouth
Photography: Kevin Sacre
WORDS: EMMA OUTTEN
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Camilla Dallerup
From the moment she stepped on to the dance floor at the age of two, Camilla knew that dance was her destiny
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‘I’ve always been interested in the mind,’ adding, ‘when your mind is in the right place you do better in competitions.’ It would be fair to say that her mind wasn’t in the right place following the first series of Strictly. Her relationship with Brendan Cole, her fiancé and long-time dance partner, soured after he partnered Natasha Kaplinsky (Camilla partnered TV antiques expert David Dickinson). Brendan features heavily in Strictly Inspirational, a book she describes as ‘half biog, half self-help’, and she explains why: ‘On a personal level the toughest time of my life was the break up because it was so public so I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t say that it was.’ They were together for eight years, and she coments: ‘Your 20s is when you form a lot of who you are going to become. ‘Brendan was a huge part of that. We made our career together, which I’m super proud about, and we joined Strictly together so, if I had to be true to my story, I can’t alter that.’ Nowadays things between them are totally cool, she says. Ten years on and Camilla is happily married to actor Kevin Sacre, best known for playing ladies’ man Jake Dean in Hollyoaks. They have eight-year-old bull terrier cross Sven to thank for bringing them together, as they had met on TV’s The Underdog Show. Sven was Kevin’s dog on the show, and when they won, Kevin adopted him from the Dogs Trust. ‘I got a man and a dog all in one!’ laughs Camilla. She says of their pet: ‘We didn’t give him the name although he sounds rather Scandinavian!’ So why are they in LA? Camilla replies: ‘The two big things I wanted to do, for me and for my husband, was come and live in LA and write in the sunshine. And she adds: ‘We can do that because we don’t have children so we are enjoying that, for a minute.’
CAMILLA DALLERUP
was just waking up when we spoke recently, despite it being late afternoon here in England. This is because the Danish-born dancer has a home in LA as well as England nowadays, with husband Kevin Sacre and dog Sven. The Strictly Come Dancing star explains (inbetween a bout of hayfever-induced sneezing!): ‘My husband and dog are here so I work between the two. I’ve been away for three months so have just got back three weeks ago.’ Camilla had moved to England from Denmark 19 years ago and became one of the original professionals in BBC TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, winning the trophy in 2008 with actor Tom Chambers. She left the show on that professional high, following a much-publicised personal low in the first series. The three-month absence from her loved ones is down to having spent winter starring in a pantomime; judging on the Strictly tour with Craig Revel Horwood and Tom; as well as promoting her first book, Strictly Inspirational: How I Learnt to Dream, Act, Believe and Succeed. Phew! She says of Ian Waite: ‘He’s my dancing Camilla turned 40 last year. ‘I first thought husband – we celebrated our 10th anniversary in ‘I don’t want to celebrate’, and then I thought Camilla’s new book, Strictly Inspirational, is published by January although obviously we do our own thing ‘let’s celebrate!’ So they did, California-style. ‘My Watkins Publishing as well – he’s got his Fitsteps business with Natalie husband did us a nice BBQ.’ [Lowe] and Mark Foster.’ Having spent 30 years with the ‘tunnel vision’ of From the moment she stepped on to the dance For more info on Camilla’s Life competing, Camilla has found a balance between Coaching business visit www. floor at the age of two, Camilla knew that dance entertainment and life coaching: ‘I love stepping camillasacredallerup.com was her destiny – four years later she entered her into pantomime and Strictly but then I like to step and for entertainment www. camilladallerup.com first competition. out again.’ She continues: ‘Dancing with Ian is like driving She particularly enjoyed being part of the a Ferrari because we’ve had very similar training Strictly family again, on the recent tour: ‘It was so through the years and when we got together 10 years ago it was nice to work with Craig who really is hilarious, and so talented natural to dance with him.’ because he directed the tour, and to work with Jason Gilkison who did the choreography.’ (In 2013, she was Jason’s assistant on Strictly). Camilla and Tom also got a chance to dazzle the audiences by The show was a special one-off, rather than a tour. ‘We did two recreating their show dance daily, ‘which, after seven years, was nights in Great Yarmouth,’ says Camilla. The idea came from a little bit of a shock to the system the first couple of times!’ Her Paul Irving, the theatre’s new marketing manager. Camilla has parents, and Kevin, also got to see her perform it at the 02. nothing but praise for Paul: ‘He’s so lovely and creative – when he She sounds particularly proud of her book: ‘It’s just come out called and we had the initial chat I thought ‘this sounds right up on Amazon.com now which means it’s available in the States as mine and Ian’s street’!’ well which is exciting.’ Helping others fulfill their dreams has become second nature Will there be another book? ‘I hope so, that’s my dream, I’d like to Camilla: in 2009 she qualified as a hypnotherapist and master the next one to be pure self-help.’ No doubt Camilla will fulfill practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming. Camilla explains: another of her dreams.
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The 10th edition of Latitude Festival in Suffolk is going to be one worth celebrating in July. Creator Melvin Benn speaks ahead of the event at Henham Park WORDS: EMMA OUTTEN
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Festival creator Melvin Benn
The 10th edition of Latitude Festival takes place from July 16 to 19 in Henham Park, Suffolk. Visit www. latitudefestival.co.uk
Alt-J, Portishead and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will all be flying high as headliners at Latitude Festival this year. And that’s to say nothing of a comedy line-up which includes Jason Manford, Alan Davies and Jon Richardson! Ten years ago Latitude Festival creator Melvin Benn set out to rewrite the festival rulebook, by creating the UK’s first multi arts boutique festival to challenge the festival status quo. The inaugural festival, in 2006, featured Snow Patrol, Mogwai and Antony and the Johnsons headlining the Obelisk Arena. It’s evolved significantly from the intimate 4,000 attendees it started out with, and has won best line-up, best family festival, headline performance of the year (for Paolo Nutini) and best fan friendly award in the UK Festival Awards over the years, so did Melvin feel the pressure this year? ‘I guess there’s a little more pressure but there’s two ways of going with this thing: you can think ‘it’s the 10th edition, shall we try and book Bruce Springsteen?’ and you can go down that route, or you can think ‘shall we actually build for the future rather than just for this one edition?’ I chose to go for the future.’
First to headline Latitude’s Obelisk Arena on Friday night is a
band close to Latitude’s heart; Mercury Prize-winning art-rockers Alt-J. Melvin says: ‘I’m very much one of those people who does all that I can to try and ensure that acts come through, to be headliners. Alt-J have paid their dues at Latitude. They started on the Lake Stage, then the 6 Music stage and now they’re headlining the main stage.’
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Festival Hıghlıghts * Obelisk Arena
ALT-J PORTISHEAD NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
BBC Radio 6 Music Stage JON HOPKINS THE VACCINES SBTRKT
Comedy at Latitude JASON MANFORD ALAN DAVIES JON RICHARDSON
As well as the music and comedy headliners, there are more than 100 other acts coming to Henham Park and plans for a new era of the festival include swimming in the lake for the first time in the festival’s history! Melvin says: ‘We’ll have free-form swimming, or wild swimming as it’s called, and escorted swimming for those that are less certain about swimming in a lake. ‘It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while and last year (and the year before) I thought ‘you know what, I’m going to wait for the 10th edition.’ And he adds: ‘I’m interested in introducing a new area called Solas, which is an area of spa and massage and yoga and contemplation as well as intrigue and late night merriment I would say. It’s certainly an area I’m incredibly excited about.’ Portishead will give a rare UK appearance as they top the bill on Saturday. Melvin again: ‘Portishead, for me, are one of the seminal bands that changed the face of what music was when they started to come through. I think that Saturday night will just have an awesomeness, a serenity, and a wonderfulness that’s deserving of that 10th edition.’ Closing Latitude this year is an outfit fronted by one of Britain’s most loved musical figures; Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Melvin poses the question: ‘What can you say about Noel that hasn’t already been said? He is one of the gods of British music. Last year we had another one: Damon Albarn, and this year I was determined at some point in my life that Noel Gallagher – as opposed to Oasis – would headline Latitude Festival. I didn’t mind if he came with his band, the High Flying Birds, or if he just came with an acoustic guitar.’
Over the last 10 years Latitude’s comedy line-up has set the
bar for summer festivals. Headlining this special 10th edition year will be national treasure Alan Davies, the longstanding QI panellist is well-known for his glorious insight into worldviews. Melvin says simply: ‘Alan Davies – he’s amazing, isn’t he?’ Festival organisers are also hugely excited to announce headliners Jason Manford and 2013 British Comedy Award Best Male Comic nominee Jon Richardson. Plus Jack Dee is on the line-up!
As Managing Director of Festival Republic, Melvin recently
collected the Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Festival Awards. He says of his work: ‘It’s one of the joys of my life, principally because I remain so enthusiastic about it all.’ As well as heading up the team behind Latitude, Reading, Leeds and Electric Picnic festivals, Melvin is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Wembley Stadium and is considered one of the UK’s leading event promoters. Latitude has a special place in his life: ‘Latitude was the festival that I created to reflect my own personal life. People say it is much more about me than any of my other festivals – I don’t necessarily agree with that but what I do know is when Latitude was created there was no such festival in that form, and I wanted to break the mould. ‘Nobody had done it before and now everybody wants to do it – Latitude was the one that started it.’ So what did Melvin have to say about Henham Park itself? ‘I just fell in love with the site, as soon as I saw it,’ he says. Estate Manager is Hektor Rous, son of ‘Aussie Earl’ Keith. ‘I’ve become very close and very good friends with Hektor,’ says Melvin, who adds: ‘I think Suffolk is very, very lucky to have the Rous family.’ He concludes: ‘The main thing is the 10th edition will lead into the first of the next 10 years. I’m not sure I genuinely believed we’d get to 10 years but I can’t actually believe how quickly it’s gone.’ C O A S TA L V I P J U N E 2 0 1 5
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A arts festival The third edition of the popular Great Yarmouth Arts Festival bursts into life this month, brimming over with events and activities for all the family WORDS: SARAH HARDY
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WITH THE INTENTION OF OFFERING something for everyone, the Great Yarmouth Arts Festival is now a firm fixture on the seaside town’s calendar of events. And with a 16ft articulated mammoth leading a parade of giant animal puppets, dancers, musicians, acrobats, schoolchildren and community groups to help launch the 10day festival, you know you’re in for something a bit different! The festival is very much the brainchild of Hugh Sturzaker, a former surgeon at the James Paget Hospital, who is a great supporter of the town and the arts in general. He explains: ‘We started by wanting to increase awareness and appreciation of the Minster, and to promote the heritage of Yarmouth and the artists who live and work here. And to thus, hopefully, increase visitor numbers. ‘And that has really remained the same – we want to involve schoolchildren, immigrants – all members of our society.’ There are key parts to the festival, which starts on June 5 and runs to 14, and these include visual arts, music, theatre and film. The music programme includes The Orchestrate!Project which sees the first performance by the town’s Youth Orchestra plus various other young people’s theatre, dance and music groups and a Blondie tribute act. Look out for the Cavick Quartet, a string quartet, and the screening of a live performance of La Boheme from the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Visual arts are also well catered for, with a major exhibition involving leading groups in the town, including the East Anglian Group of Marine Artists, and the Great Yarmouth and District Photographic Society. It takes place at the Minster.
Great Yarmouth Arts Festival
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For full details visit www. greatyarmouthfestival.co.uk
Festival organiser Hugh Sturzaker
The festival is very much the brainchild of Hugh Sturzaker, a great supporter of the town and the arts in general
On the theatre side, stand up comic Patrick Monahan performs, while a new play, Edith Cavell: Facing The Silence, by John Mangan, is on offer. Celebrated local author and photographer Mark Mitchels also talks about East Anglian painters John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. Film buffs are also well catered for, with the new Norfolk coming-of-age movie, The Goob, showing alongside A Prayer for Rain, and a Q&A with its writer David Brooks. As mentioned above, one of the opening highlights is carnival day on June 6. The jam-packed event will see a neighbourhood fair, a puppet show, a community cycle event and of course the procession which leaves the Fishermen’s Hospital at 11am. Also throughout the festival, look out for heritage walks and the James Paget Interactive Exhibition, created by students from the town and on display at the town’s library (July 7-24) and then the Minster (July 28-August 28). Principal festival sponsors include Gardline, and funding has also been received from the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Venues include Great Yarmouth Minster, St George’s Theatre and St Andrew’s Church, Gorleston.
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Our lucky food writer enjoys his supper at The Kings Arms where great food and perfect service come together for a fabulous foodie experience WORDS: PAUL PITCHER
WE DROVE FOR ALMOST an hour on a chilly Wednesday evening in May to dine at The Kings Arms with great expectations for a fantastic meal‌ and we were not disappointed. Since winning Chef of the Year title at the EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards in 2013, Mark Dixon’s reputation for cooking and serving delicious food has helped establish The Kings Arms, in the pretty village of Fleggburgh, as a culinary must with many food lovers. Readers may remember Mark from his spell as head chef at The Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth where he established a loyal following for his imaginative dishes. In December 2013 Mark, along with his partner Natasha Rooke, made the leap to run their own restaurant and they have not looked back. The warm welcome and lovely ambience when we walked into the restaurant set the scene for a meal to remember. Mark has long had a reputation for superlative cooking and a first glance of the menu really got the taste buds tingling. Choosing from the starter menu, the pan seared scallops with cauliflower puree, pancetta, crispy capers, coriander, curried oil and baby herbs were too much of a temptation to resist. The array of
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flavours that came through with each mouthful was simply divine. This was one dish I just didn’t want to come to an end. My partner Dee was tempted with the pan roasted Norfolk pigeon breast which was served with beetroot and Merlot risotto, smoked bacon, horseradish cream and toasted walnuts. Now for the main course… the choice was simply fabulous, with so many of my favourite dishes all on one menu. What a dilemma I had in choosing this course. Do I opt for the haunch of Bunwell Estate red deer topped with a port and orange jus? Other options include: baked fillets of Lowestoft plaice served with parmesan cream, baby spinach, sautéed chestnut mushrooms and buttered new potatoes; belly of Dingley Dell pork with bubble and squeak, chantenay carrots, braised cheek, black pudding, lentils and rich cider jus; or pine nut crusted fillet of locally caught sea bass with roasted golden girolle, parsnip puree, crispy sea-weed, shallot with red wine reduction? After much deliberation we both opted for the sea bass and what a fabulous choice we both made. The combination of flavours with the delicate
The Kings Arms, Fleggburgh
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Main Road, Fleggburgh, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR29 3AG 01493 368333 www.kingsarms fleggburgh.com
flakes of sea bass was a real treat. My mouth is still watering as I tap the keys on my laptop writing this review. The desserts coming out from the kitchen looked amazing and despite being full, I managed share a cheese board which was very well presented with Mrs Temple’s Binham Blue, Black Bomber and delightful French brie. How we managed not to be tempted by the salted caramel and peanut butter parfait or the warm marmalade sponge pudding remains a mystery to this day. Trust me: the desserts looked wonderful and the comments from the next table would seem to support this. Front of house, under the careful direction of Natasha, runs like clockwork and her polite and pleasant manner is a real breath of fresh air. As we were driving we had just one glass of wine, a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. Being a wine lover, I did look over the wine list which I must say appeared to be very reasonably priced with a fine selection which compliments all of the dishes on the menu – just as you would expect with Mark’s attention to detail. To sum up our evening, the service was quick, polite and pretty much perfect. We had an absolutely faultless dinner and will definitely go back in the future.
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Pastimes Afternoon tea
Afternoon delight
We all thoroughly enjoy a spot of high tea in the afternoon, and where better to indulge in the cake stand than at Gorleston’s wonderful Cliff Hotel? WORDS: SARAH HARDY
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something deeply satisfying about seeing a three-tier silver cake stand, packed with cakes, sandwiches, scones, quiches and the like, set before you. The anticipation, then the thrill of devouring it all, and finally the pleasant, if somewhat guilty, feeling of being really rather full make for a charming experience! Afternoon or high tea is a peculiarly English tradition, isn’t it? Sure, it pops up around the world, mainly in our old Colonies, but it is undergoing a resurgence at present, with many hotels and tearooms advertising scrumptious treats. The Cliff Hotel in Gorleston, all wonderful fairytale turrets and late Victorian ‘in your face’
The Cliff Hotel
architecture, offers a very enjoyable spread which would satisfy even the most robust of appetites. Called High Tea, the collection of goodies on offer is almost too much to list. Let’s start with the selection of finger sandwiches. There is Wiltshire ham and mustard, salmon and cream cheese, Black Bomber (a strong Welsh cheese) and red onion marmalade, and prawns in a marie rose sauce. They are all very tasty, clearly made to order and compliment each other well. Little spinach quiches and smoked salmon and mascarpone bruschettas were the other little savoury treats which were much appreciated and offered something a little different to the usual fare. As staff checked all was well with us, we sipped our lattes, and eyed up the cakes. The strawberry tarts were sublime, with pastry that Mary Berry would have been proud of. And the Jaffa chocolate bombes? Sublime although surely very, very
The Cliff Hotel, Gorleston
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Cliff Hill, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 6DH 01493 662179 www.thecliffhotel.co.uk High tea at the Cliff Hotel is served daily from noon to 6pm. Booking is required.
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naughty for your waistline. But frankly, who cares? Finally, and we were digging deep by now, were the fruit scones, complete with Devon clotted cream and Tiptree jams! It was quite an experience and something I can definitely recommend. For £12.95, it is a feast and for another £4 you can have a glass of fizz to make it all a little bit more of a special treat. We sat ourselves in the main bar area as we like to see and be seen, although the lounge, with its deep sofas and wing-backed leather armchairs is another option, especially with its great choice of magazines to flick through. The hotel, which has been lovingly restored and refurbished in recent years, is a relaxed, friendly place where everyone seems to know each other. It is always buzzy and the interiors are contemporary and chic but still pay homage to the building’s noble past. There are 40 bedrooms and, under head chef David Tumber and his team of 12, it is getting an enviable reputation for great, innovative food. Overall, the Cliff is going from strength to strength. It caters for both local residents and the holiday trade with equal success. And what a position it boasts! The views from the main bar and its impressive terrace are breath-taking, and continue to remind us what a splendid part of the world we are lucky enough to live in. C O A S TA L V I P J U N E 2 0 1 5
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Places Emilia Romagna
We take a trip to Emilia Romagna and savour the mouth-watering Italian cuisine along the way WORDS: MARK NICHOLLS
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The cRumBlY
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crystal texture of parmesan, bitter sweet syrup of balsamic vinegar and the subtle flavours of Parma ham are tastes that speak volumes of Emilia Romagna. Combine that with delicate wines grown on sloping vineyards with medieval castles soaring beyond and the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, and you have a true sense of Italy at its best. This is the landscape surrounding the beautifully-preserved cities of Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia, all strung across the map of central Italy like equidistant knots on a taut length of rope. Not only is this one of the more affluent areas of Italy, at a time of economic uncertainty, it is a region which has a history rich in culture and the finest cuisine. These compact destinations at the heart of Emilia Romagna were once Roman strongholds but are now fascinating medieval cities of intriguing palaces, galleries and museums. They vividly illustrate the thinking behind Roman engineering and military strategy; settlements spaced the distance a Roman legion could comfortably march in a day – some 30km – before setting up camp or seeking refuge in a secure location. The close proximity of Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia within Emilia Romagna, which derives its name from the Roman road connecting Rome to northern Italy, adds to the attraction of
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visiting this region with each city having its own distinct ambience but united by superb food and history. Parma remains famed for its cheese, ham, aroma of violets and the music of Verdi and his wonderful operas of La Traviata, Rigoletto or Aida. His monument stands near the Palazzo Della Pilotta Fly from London Gatwick to Bologna with easyJet and and is given an annual scrub down for the Verdi stay at the Hotel Stendhal festival, which took on a particular importance (www.hotelstendhal.it) in this year on the bi-centenary of his birth. Parma and the Hotel Posta (www.hotelposta.re.it) in History oozes from every square and street Reggio Emilia. corner; the late 12th century Baptistry, with its massive font carved out of a single piece of Along with Parma, Piacenza marble and ornate frescoed roof in 16 sections, and Reggio Emilia, the is a highlight. Close by is the cathedral and its region includes Bologna and magnificent pulpit and wall decorations with Motor Valley where Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and the undisputed masterpiece of the Deposizione, Ducati are based, and reaches a stone marble carving from 1178 by Benedetto over to the Adriatic Coast at Antelami, with the Virgin Mary caressing her face Rimini and Ravenna. Visit: www. emiliaromagnaturismo.com with the hand of Jesus Christ on the cross.
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Emilia Romagna
Food is such an important part of the region, so we shouldn’t be surprised to discover La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana (ALMA) – which trains chefs from around the world in the art of Italian cooking – based nearby. The invitation into the main kitchen to prepare, serve and eat a five-course meal under the guidance of chef Cristian Broglia was a chance too good to pass for our group. Duly fitted out with white tunic, apron and hat we were assigned specific courses – mine was to deliver a cold mushroom salad using three different types of mushroom, porcini, charlotte and ovoli, with a herbal dressing, while my fellow cooks produced an amuse bouche, tortelli, a main course of guinea fowl with truffle, onions and pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan from the Reggio area) and Strolghino salami and a chocolate dessert. The food was served with a mesmerising selection of wines including Malvasia di Candia La Carra di Casatico and Sangiovese di Romagna Bissoni 2010, along with 12-year-old balsamic vinegar from Reggio Emilia. It was a realistic cooking environment, guided by Cristian’s humorous but firm instructions, where ultimately the answer to every question he asked was: ‘Yes chef!’ Between Parma and Piacenza, the fields are red with ripe tomatoes, roadside verges stained rouge from produce spilt from overladen tractors.
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Places
Piacenza, founded in 218 BC, is one of the real gems of the region and stands on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to Rome. Occupied by the Estruscans and Gauls, Piacenza is where Hannibal famously defeated the Roman army. The city is now adorned with the grand buildings of the Farnese family; structures designed to overawe and impress their subjects. Piacenza city hall is considered to be one of the most beautiful, while the Palazzo Farnese now houses the city museum with its artwork – particularly Botticelli’s Madonna and Child – a carriage collection and Etruscan artefacts. Dominated by a cathedral that took a century to rebuild after crumbling in the earthquake of 1117, its two-tone exterior of Verona marble and local limestone reveals the point where the reconstruction money ran out. Round pillars line an interior best described as medieval minimalist, with the guilds of craftsmen – cloth merchants, shoemakers, skinners, leather workers and clog makers – carved into them. Outside, the cathedral square has been a marketplace for centuries and a measuring line carved into the wall, for medieval shoppers to check they were not being sold short on cloth, is still visible. Nearby are shops selling the cured meats the city is famous for – coppa, salame piacentino and pancetta – and its pastas and cheeses.
In the surrounding landscape, with the River Po flowing through, are vineyards (some open for tastings) and a line of castles, such as the impressive Castell Arquato, which dominates the nearby village and Arda Valley, or the San Pietro in Cerro Castle. Another ‘day’s march’ away – or a short drive – is Reggio Emilia, known as the City of the Tricolour and famed as the birthplace of the modern Italian flag. It has busy squares overlooked by church towers, museums, galleries and shops which underline the affluence of the region. Reggio Emilia has some marvellous restaurants such as the superb Ristorante Il Pozzo, where the cuisine is exquisite. With tastes that include Parmigiano Reggiano (the undisputed king of all cheeses), carefully-aged balsamic vinegar, fine wines, cured meats and irresistible tortelli, what more do you need from Italy. Emilia Romagna has it all. C O A S TA L V I P J U N E 2 0 1 5
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Property of the Month Caister
Detached & delightful! EARLY VIEWING is strongly advised to appreciate this delightful four bedroomed detached property. Built in 2012 by respected builders VC Denton, the current owners have added a number of significant improvements including solar panels, a Biomass boiler and a high specification kitchen with fitted NEFF appliances. The property has a beautifully presented south facing garden and is ideally located in the popular village of Caister close to schools and all local amenities. The accommodation includes an entrance hall, lounge/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, conservatory and four bedrooms with en-suite to the master bedroom. Estate Agent
Offers in excess of ÂŁ350,000 Aldreds Chartered Surveyors, Great Yarmouth 01493 844891 www.aldreds.co.uk
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Performance Ford Mondeo
Premium performance The all-new fifth generation Ford Mondeo, with its ultra roomy interior and boot, certainly doesn’t fail to impress as we take it for a spin WORDS: ALISDAIR SUTTIE
DESPITE THE LOOKS, this is an all-new
Ford Mondeo. It concentrates on comfort more than before, and it has a range of new engines to cut emissions and improve fuel economy. Prime among these are new 1.0-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre turbodiesel motors that bring a new wave of downsizing to the family car class. There are fewer dash buttons to come to terms with and Ford now fits a large touchscreen to operate many functions. On top of this, Ford’s Sync2 voice control system lets the driver change settings with simple commands while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking the new fifth generation Ford Mondeo is not much more than a facelifted version of the previous car. The overall silhouette is much the same, as is much of the rear end style.
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Pertwee & Back
Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0NJ 01493 664151 www.pertwee-and-back.co.uk
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Ford Mondeo
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Performance
If the Mondeo is not seen as quite as premium as its rivals from Audi and BMW, it easily betters them for cabin space and load lugging
Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 150 Econetic Titanium 5dr
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Engine 2.0-litre unit producing 148bhp and 258lb. ft of torque Transmission 6-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels Performance Top speed of 134mph, 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds Economy 69.9mpg combined Emissions 107g/ km of CO2 All prices correct at the time of going to press
However, the slimmer headlights give a sleeker look that will be key to the Mondeo clawing back sales from the likes of the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series that have proved so popular with their premium images. If the Mondeo is not seen as quite as premium as its rivals from Audi and BMW, it easily betters them for cabin space and load lugging. Most UK buyers will opt for the Mondeo hatch or estate, with only the Hybrid version available as a saloon. There is masses of room in the rear and there is a wealth of adjustment to fine tune the driving position that includes electric seat height adjustment. As for the boot, the hatch’s is large and the estate’s is cavernous. Ford has made a conscious effort to make the new Mondeo an even more comfortable car than its predecessor. This means the new car’s suspension has a little more compliance
that translates into a superbly smooth ride over any type of road surface. Refinement is also top drawer, so the Mondeo is a class leader for hushed long distance travel. The 2.0-litre turbodiesel can be a touch gruff at low revs, but settles into the background at speed, while the other engines are quiet and pull cleanly. While more refined, the Mondeo retains its ability to hustle through corners with composed ease, though the new car’s steering is not quite as alert as the old model’s. Starting at £20,795 for the hatch and £23,795 for the estate, the Mondeo is not as keenly priced as its arch-rival, the Vauxhall Insignia. However, the Mondeo compensates with a generous level of equipment that includes digital radio, climate control, cruise control, hill start assist, alloy wheels on all models and Ford’s 8-inch Sync2 touchscreen. Ford may have lost sales ground to its premium rivals, but the bulk of sales for the new Mondeo will still come from company car drivers. Carbon dioxide emissions that dip below 100g/km and up to 78.5mpg average economy will appeal to business users and private buyers alike. Crucially, the Mondeo is keenly priced compared to its premium rivals from Germany, though it’s hard to see many UK buyers abandon their premium-badged saloons for a Mondeo hatch. C O A S TA L V I P J U N E 2 0 1 5
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Gapton Hall Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0NJ 01493 664151
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101 Cromer Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6XW 01603 427 011 www.wrights-motors.co.uk
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OPEN Mon-Sat 9am-4.30pm We have also opened a stall on the 6 day market, selling curtain & upholstery fabrics, roller blinds and much more.
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90th Charter of the Rotary Club of Great Yarmouth Celebration MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE attended the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth for a celebratory meal. As the club is twinned with one in Rambouillet in France, their president Michel Perichon and several of his members also joined in. There were also various presidents from clubs in the region. The guest speaker was General Sir Richard Dannatt who attended with his wife, the High Sheriff of Norfolk, Lady Dannatt. Pictures by Ross Hagan
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HOSTING A VIP EVENT? If you are arranging an event in the town and would like to have it featured on our pages then please send your photos to Jane Goodley: jane@h2creativemedia.co.uk
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