Luxe jan feb 2014

£5.00 luxe magazine

ISSUE 26 JAN/FEB14

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ISSUE 26 JAN/FEB14

TA B L E TA L K W I T H TER RY L AYB OURNE. A l i f e o c ean s apart. CU MBRIA CO O L . L i ttl e l u xi n g. WOND ER WAL L S . Bel l i ngham t o Be lg ravia LU SCIOU S L I N GE R I E . Pa r ty p e o pl e. MICH EL IN CH EF JAMES CLOS E JOINS LU XE. Snow pa tro l . G O L F. Lu xe l aps. H IP H OTEL S . Bi g names. LUXE.

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Vertem Asset Management The Gresham, 92 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 2TD office: 0191 341 0289 email: info@vertem.co.uk twitter: @vertemam web: www.vertem.co.uk

WELCOME

contents 10>> Culture time ISSUE 26 JAN/FEB14 I am not one for resolutions or a dry January.

Really, do we need any more torment at this time of the year? Far better to get planning for fun times. Start the list with a booking for Newcastle Restaurant Week - bagging some great deals at swish and funky eating places at bargain prices sounds like a ‘start as you mean to go on’ way to get the year into gear.

Book a holiday, get a jet-set job. Combine the two - that’s what our new columnist Dan Robinson does - he straddles the Atlantic running a business in the Big Apple and the marginally less glamorous surroundings of Hartlepool, making it all happen on a diet of air miles and caffeine. He joins us to give an insight in what that kind of ‘dream’ lifestyle is really like; a bit blurry it seems!

Also new to our pages is James Close - he is the region’s lauded Michelin-starred chef from Raby Hunt restaurant near Darlington.

Something of a gourmet globe-trotter he cooks, travels and eats on rotation to get constant inspiration for his menus. He takes little daughter Harriett with him on occasion too - so she will be sharing her own opinions too - Bib Gourmand you might say. Eight months old and she’s already ticked a two-star box.

I am always thrilled to bits when people say they love their Luxe arriving so they can sit back and enjoy a relaxing, insightful read. That’s really what we’re about - and we resolve to keep you smiling in 2014.

Happy New Year.

Inspiration for spring culture

20>> Terry talks The food landscape with the region’s master chef

26>> Gordon McQueen Talking up the good times

29>> Food love Pages of inspiring food ideas

32>> Lord Stones Meet Bilsdale Beltie high on a hill

38>> Men & meat Cookery class with the Falcons

42>> Growing good Mara-Helen Wood is director at University Gallery, Newcastle. Her luxe things in life include an indulgent Eurostar trip to Paris whenever possible, a seafood lunch by the beach at St Tropez and feeling good in her best Ralph Lauren black silk suit.

Horseradish vodka anyone?

43>> James Close joins us Michelin man in the kitchen

44>> Lingerie lovely Valentine inspiration for boudoir bliss

58>> Winter skin savers The best products for some skin TLC

64>> Carpenter cool Paul’s Belgravia to Bellingham journey

78>> Slate arrival Cumbria’s most stylish new bolthole

81>> Sardinia savvy

Don’t forget, we bring you our Luxe Loves the Weekend digest every Thursday by email with cool ideas for things to do. Sign up FREE at www.luxe-magazine.co.uk/theweekend

Med playground vs cosy coves

kathryn@room501.co.uk Twitter: TheLuxeMagazine Facebook: Luxe Magazine

87>> Tee Off

82>> Little Luxe Nina has become a Mer-girl. Playtime fun Tips for the tee. Places to play and kit to buy

90>> Luxe Lads Toys for boys and fashion with a bit of blokey attitude

THE 501 TEAM I’ll be spending Valentine’s Day:

Chris Alexander’s job is to bring people-pleasing stuff to Sunderland as boss of Sunderland Live.

His luxe things include sitting down to some delicious slow-cooked lamb, browsing in an Apple Store and splashing out on something from Paul Smith.

92>> Luxe Looks Our must-read people-spotting social diary

98>> Parting Shot

Christopher March managing director chris@room501.co.uk Spoiling my wife Rachel Bryan Hoare sales and marketing director bryan@room501.co.uk Having a baby scan EDITORIAL Kathryn Armstrong editor kathryn@room501.co.uk At the cinema with Colin Firth Katharine Capocci sub-editor katharine@room501.co.uk With Bill Sikes - watching the school production of Oliver!

Fiona McLain fashion assistant Pouring something bubbly DESIGN David Stubbs davids@room501.co.uk Seeing if Paco Rabanne One Million does work every time Sarah MacNeil sarah@room501.co.uk Eating pizza and playing Monopoly PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Gibson info@kgphotoraphy.co.uk Flying to New York on Concorde...

Nicky Rogerson nicky@nrphotography.co.uk Walking along the beach

For advertising call the sales team on 0191 426 6300.

Annette Keelty is a midwife and nursing sister turned lingerie queen.

Her business, Lingerie by Annette, based near Durham, promotes British designers and is featured in our fashion section.

Her luxe things include a glass of Bollinger any time, lovely lingerie and lounging on a beach in Antigua.

room501 Ltd, Spectrum 6, Spectrum Business Park, Seaham, SR7 7TT www.room501.co.uk room501 was formed from a partnership of directors who, combined, have many years of experience in contract publishing, print, marketing, sales and advertising and distribution. We are a passionate, dedicated company that strives to help you to meet your overall business needs and requirements. All contents copyright ©2014 room501 Ltd. All rights reserved. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents. All information is correct at time of going to print, January 2014.

SALES Lisa Anderson senior sales executive lisa@room501.co.uk It’s my gorgeous dad’s birthday, so definitely with him Debi Coldwell senior sales executive debi@room501.co.uk It’s a Friday, so cosy PJs, husband, daughter and a takeaway

luxe is published bi-monthly by room501 Ltd.

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Question time In the mood for love? A cracking sparkler to send someone into ‘I Do’ raptures.

Dazzling platinum and 0.35ct diamond ring, £2,225.

Davidsons the Jewellers Newcastle www.davidsonsthejewellers.co.uk

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06/01/2014 16:46

LUXE LIFE

PATRICK MONAHAN Teesside comic Patrick Monahan’s anecdotes are inspired by his upbringing on Teesside by his Iranian mother and Irish dad. He won ITV’s Show Me the Funny in 2011 which was followed by a sell-out Edinburgh run and subsequent national tour, ‘Hug Me I Feel Good’. You might have spotted him on TV’s Splash diving series.

His Cake Charmer tour comes to The Stand, Newcastle on March 18.

LUXE PEOPLE >> As a comedian I tend to love everyone - except for the usual suspects such as hecklers, serial killers and estate agents.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > I love the seaside. I spend so much time travelling on trains and planes and buses trying to get to and from gigs, that I love going to the seaside and thinking, “Wow, how peaceful it looks without a railway line leading into it waiting at a red signal.”

A long holiday > With my job I get to go everywhere all over the world to do gigs, from Australia to Dubai, to Barbados to Norway, France, Spain and other parts of Europe. So every year for my Xmas and New Year holidays and for a week in summer, I spend back at home at me mum and dad’s house in Teesside.

A treat > It’s a toss up between a day at a health spa or a weekend at Greggs, depending what mood I’m in and how many muffins I’ve had that week already.

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > There’s nothing like home-cooked food, which usually involves the rice cooker doing most of the work, steaming chopped veg and tuna, I call the dish a ‘tuna surprise’ cos it’s a surprise to find that it tastes nice.

Best wine > I’ve never drunk in my life, but I do drink lots of red grape juice so I suppose that’s as close to red wine as it gets!

Favourite restaurant > The takeaway on Linthorpe Road that sold me my first ‘parmo’ (that Middlesbrough delicacy) many years ago.

Perfect weekend > Doing a couple of lovely stand-up shows then spending Sunday night watching a live musical or comedy show or crashed out on the sofa watching a DVD. Downtime means > Spending time with family, friends, loved ones and anyone in need of loving.

Best telly > I love David Attenborough’s wildlife programmes, so interesting! And also Family Guy and American Dad, so relaxing and funny.

Best book > Maya Angelou “I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings”, a beautiful book about a beautiful person. Also Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up: a Comic’s Life”, another great autobiography. So personal and so funny.

Best sounds > The sound of an oven door opening and cakes being pulled out.

LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > I have to be biased and say Middlesbrough because it was the main high street where we went shopping as a kid.

We also have some amazing local talent like the brilliant Kate Fearnley.

Favourite shop > Greggs, where else can you buy a hot pasty and a fresh doughnut under one roof for less than £2.

Luxe retail treat > I’m not a fan of walking round shops but I have been known to chase an ice cream van for about a mile or two.

Best buy > Four Crunchies for a £1 at ASDA or any decent supermarket.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > at the Bongo international night club in Middlesbrough or Tall Trees night club in Yarm as a teenager!

Perfect party > As I don’t drink alcohol, my perfect party would have tables full of bowls of sweets, trays of cakes and tubs of ice cream.

Best dress > One that lets my legs breathe and a blouse that goes with me eyes.

Dinner date > When I was younger I used to fancy Salma Hayek. And now that I’m older, I still fancy Salma Hayek!

YOUR LUXE THING IN LIFE >> A lie-in on the morning, and a big hug from a warm stranger.

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Animal attraction Magnetic animal design wallpaper is fab - you can add loads of fun stuff to the wall and make an ‘at home’ moodboard.

Choose from rabbit, giraffe, zebra, and owl to join the family. £57.50 a roll. www.sistersguild.com

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DO THIS

Stay in >> go out >> enjoy A sofa-side view of cultural and seasonal happenings from around the region

24 JANUARY

Forget dry January, wine lovers have cause to celebrate the grape at a couple of tasting evenings at Chapter’s restaurant in Stokesley. On 24 January it’s time to taste the flavours of southern France with Linda Fields, who runs the Auberge Du Vin in the Southern Rhône. On 28 February get a taste for Italy’s answer to champagne with the winemaker from Castello Boonomi, producer of Franciacorta sparkling wine. A world away from asti and prosecco. Wine dinners are £45 per person including wine.

Full details www.chaptershotel.co.uk

25-26 JANUARY BBC TV’s Hannah Bayman is getting married this year and will be appearing at the Experts’ Theatre at The North East Wedding Show at the Metro Radio Arena from 25-26 January. The North East Wedding Show will feature more than 100 exhibitors as well as fashion shows and an Experts’ Theatre offering top advice from speakers including bridal coach Michele Paradise. North East celebrities such as Metro Radio’s Stu Elmore will also be sharing their wedding plans plus brides to be will have the chance to win a wedding at Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa. For more information visit www.theukweddingshows.co.uk

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28 JANUARY Double Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner and star of Live At The Apollo, Andrew Lawrence, is coming to The Stand, Newcastle with his hit show There is No Escape. Bringing his trademark rants and sense of comedic despair, it is sure to eradicate those January blues. www.thestand.co.uk/newcastle

30 - 31 JANUARY The Strictly live tour is back at Metro Radio Arena with judges Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and former Strictly favourite Lisa Riley.

The celeb line-up includes model and last year’s winner Abbey Clancy, ‘Dragon’ Deborah Meaden, presenter Susanna Reid and Westlife heartthrob Nicky Byrne. They will join former England Rugby World Cup winner Ben Cohen, Corrie’s Natalie Gumede and actor and funny man Mark Benton. Experience Strictly’s glitz, glamour and breath-taking choreography, courtesy of judge Craig Revel Horwood, who is directing the live show for the fourth year running. www.metroradioarena.co.uk

JANUARY

Celebrate Burns Night in Newcastle with a real ‘earthy’ dinner of Scottish-inspired cuisine and whisky. Tickle your taste buds with traditional cock-aleekie soup, haggis, cranachan, neeps and tatties, plus a dram at each course to toast one of Scotland’s most famous poets. At the end of the night, you can also take part in a whisky tasting with expert Eddie Ludlow. http://www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

UNTIL February Norman Cornish is one of the region’s most celebrated artists. His work is on show at University Gallery, Northumbria University.

The story of the ‘pitmen painters’ is one of the “against the grain” episodes of English 20th Century art, the survival of just one of their number into the 21st century, Norman Cornish, is a poignant reminder of the post-industrial age, of genuine vitality that lay within working-class values. A product of the Spennymoor Settlement in the 1930s, Cornish spent 37 years working as a miner before he decided to become a professional artist. www.northumbria.ac.uk/universitygallery/ exhibitions2013

25 JANUARY - 21 APRIL Seven Billion Two Hundred and One Million Nine Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand and Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight is the exact number of people who will be alive at the moment Gavin Turk’s solo show opens. The exhibition at the Bowes Museum - named after this number - will explore his large scale work in neon, broadcasting the figure on the museum’s iconic chateau-style façade. www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

29 JANUARY A lovely indulgent show at Theatre Royal, Newcastle. Scottish Ballet presents the world premiere of Hansel & Gretel. A red carpet moment. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

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SUPPLIERS OF UNIQUE AND STYLISH FITTINGS

UNTIL 31 JANUARY The Winter Show at Balman Gallery in Corbridge offers an eclectic exhibition with a distinctly international flavour. With paintings, glass art, three-dimensional bronzes and ceramics from Russia, South Africa, Spain, and - of course - Britain, the gallery continues to build on its range of artists. www.balmangallery.com

JAN/FEB14

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE WWW.SARAHBOWENLIGHTING.CO.UK 63 - 65 HIGH STREET | GOSFORTH | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE3 4AA TEL: 0191 285 3671

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DO THIS

WEALTH MANAGEMENT WITH JOHN DANCE

THE INVESTOR’S OUTLOOK FOR 2014 Generally 2013 was a positive year for investors as long as they had some exposure to developed market equities and not too much invested in high quality bonds.

Whilst the FTSE 100 and FTSE All World equity indices delivered total returns of 16.5% and 20% respectively, the UK Gilt index fell 5.6% and the investment grade bond index fell 4.5% as the first signs of stimulus withdrawal were seen. As it turned out the Federal Reserve (the Fed) in the US waited until December before reducing its bond buying program, but the damage had already been done to bond markets.

Stimulus withdrawal or ‘tapering’ as it became known seemed to be the main driver of market sentiment in 2013 and it seems very likely that the progression of Central Bank support will again be the main focus of attention in 2014. As Quantitative Easing (or QE) has deliberately been the main driver of higher asset prices in recent years, the withdrawal of such support could be greatly influential on markets.

Whilst the Fed has indicated that this year would see further reductions dependent on data, there are also some commentators who predict we may yet see an increase in bond buying. Clearly 2014 will not be the easiest of years for investors to navigate.

Equity markets have been fearful of stimulus withdrawal and reacted negatively on initial suggestions that it would occur, but rallied on the actual announcement to end 2013 on year highs, which suggests that they have come to terms with the fact that economies are actually starting to recover. Whilst equities are certainly not in a bubble and describing them as expensive may also be a stretch, you certainly couldn’t call them cheap and they are likely to need reasonable earnings growth to justify current levels. As most firms have probably done about as much cost cutting as is feasible then we will need to see top-line growth and thus a genuinely recovering economy to do so.

Geographically there are differing valuation levels between markets, the recent strength in the US has led its market to look the priciest of western markets, Europe has rallied strongly as the worst of the crisis appears behind us, whilst the UK perhaps offers the best balance of growth versus valuation. In Asia, Japan had the best 2013 as its market rose 45%, though only half that in sterling terms, but a continuation of Abe’s economic policies and potential benefits turning in to real ones could see it perform strongly again. The most obvious value appears to be Emerging Markets who were the laggards of 2013, thanks to the outflows of ‘hot money’ as stimulus withdrawal was indicated and growth failed to match expectations, despite still exceeding that of developed nations. Although there is no immediate catalyst to suggest a rerating it is an area that we are looking at with interest.

It is likely to be another challenging year for high quality bonds, as despite the losses of 2013 and for example the UK Gilt yield drifting from 2% to 3% over the course of the year, returns are still uninspiring and are unlikely to benefit from the stimulus that have boosted prices over the last five years or so. Investors are likely to look elsewhere for income-like returns, be that the remaining pockets of value in fixed income markets, such as high yield, asset backed securities and senior secured loans or perhaps even commercial property.

In addition to rental yields being attractive versus bonds and potentially a degree of inflation protection, commercial property may also benefit from rising capital values as economic recovery takes hold.

It’s unlikely that equities will do quite as well in 2014 and is equally unlikely that high quality bonds will do quite as badly in 2014, but it should be a year in which investors with a well structured and balanced portfolio deliver a meaningful return.

It is unlikely we have a year where ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ but one that could still reward stock pickers handsomely.

T: 0191 341 0280 E: johnd@vertem.co.uk W: www.vertemassetmanagement.com The Gresham, 92 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2TD

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2 FEBRUARY A cold, refreshing pint and a few nibbles; what’s not to love? Baltic has teamed up with regional beer expert and blogger Andrew Mitchell for a special beer tasting event.

Andrew, who is known best for his blogs Oh Beery Me and Tyne & Beer Metro, will guide everyone through six hand-picked beers from three of the region’s breweries, each teamed with tasty hot and cold bar snacks. www.balticmill.com

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FEBRUARY

Kung Hey Fat Choi! Usher in the Year of the Horse with the Chinese New Year celebrations in and around Newcastle’s Stowell Street. The whole family will enjoy the Chinese-inspired events, performances and activities while watching the spectacular dragon, lion and unicorn dances under the ornate ceremonial arch. www.newcastlegateshead.com/chinese-newyear

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14 FEBRUARY Cupid is calling at the beautiful Lumley Castle this Valentine’s Day, with a night to remember in one of their courtyard rooms. You will be greeted with champagne and chocolates, as well as a small gift, and just a short walk away you can take in the culinary delights of the hotel’s renowned Black Knight restaurant. With bubbly, log fires and four poster beds, this 600-year-old castle is the perfect romantic retreat. www.lumleycastle.com

FEBRUARY

Cleveland CAMRA’s beloved Ale & Arty Beer Festival returns to ARC with a fine mix of ales and entertainment.

The annual festival gives ale novices and real ale fans alike a chance to sample some of the finest brewed ales, perry and ciders on offer with a selection of over 70 across the three days from Thursday 20 – Saturday 22 February. Enjoy bands and comedians geared up and ready to appease the Ale & Arty masses, with The Cadillac Kings opening on Thursday night, Catch 22 with Nick Doody headlining the comedy cabaret slot on Friday, and Songs For Whoever presents a 25-piece male voice choir Infant Hercules and The Southmartins.

Tickets from ARC Box Office on 01642 525199 or www.arconline.co.uk

18-22 FEBRUARY

The theatrical phenomenon that is STOMP will hit the Sunderland Empire in February introducing two new pieces to the show. Fresher, faster and funnier than ever, the multi-award winning production has come a long way since the days of a single drum, hanging around Luke Cresswell’s neck back in 1991. www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

JAN/FEB14

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Kodo returns to Sage Gateshead with a 26-strong troupe of musicians and dancers, offering athletic and electrifying taiko drumming. The ensemble will be transforming centuries-old traditional Japanese ritual and performing arts into a contemporary stage show, bringing North East audiences a taste of the Chinese New Year culture of Sado Island with Kodo One Earth Tour 2014:Legend. www.sagegateshead.com

MARCH

Beautiful Downton Abbey-era jewellery will be among the stunning antiques on sale at one of the region’s most stylish antiques fairs in March. The Luxury Antiques Weekend returns to Linden Hall near Longhorsley, 7-9 March, with 20 specialist dealers bringing a stunning array of art and antiques to appeal to collectors and enthusiasts. Enjoy an indulgent day browsing period furniture, traditional and contemporary paintings, antique and designer jewellery, 19th and 20th century sculpture, oriental carpets, antiquarian books, ancient Roman and Greek artefacts, silver and many decorative objects.

Tickets, £5. 01797 252030 www.lindenhallfair.com

1 MARCH The works of Turner and Constable: Sketching from Nature brings together more than 60 works by the famed artists and their contemporaries, showing different techniques used to capture views of the landscapes of the early 19th Century. The practice of painting in the open air was new, daring and different at the time and the exhibition uses works by artistic rivals Turner and Constable, as well as George Stubbs, John Sell Cotman, John Crome and Francis Danby, among others, to show the differences and similarities between each artist’s methods.

Admission to Turner and Constable: Sketching from Nature is £7. Family tickets and concessions are available.

Tickets will be available from the Laing Art Gallery or online from www.laingartgallery.org.uk

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MARCH Barry Norman joins the Royal Northern Sinfonia at Sage Gateshead to offer a night of cinematic appreciation. The everenthusiastic conductor Carl Davis will be on hand to guide you through some of the greatest Oscar-winning music in history, from Singing in the Rain and Chariots of Fire, to ET and Skyfall. www.sagegateshead.com

In association with

FRIDAY 2nd MAY 2014

An evening of first-class entertainment with highlights including performances from

80’s new wave sensations The Sally Army 6-piece band Jerome Remblance Compère Brendan Healy

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Taittinger Champagne and Canapé reception from 7.00pm Four course gourmet Lobster Surf and Turf menu created by the award winning chefs from the Rib Room Steakhouse & Grill Complimentary wine, lager and beer all night Taittinger Champagne Bar

Carriages 1.00am £140.00+VAT per person To book your place please contact the events team on 01740 620253 or email info@hardwickhallhotel.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

20 MARCH

Luxury

THE SEVENTH

ANTIQUES

at

WEEKEND

LINDEN HALL LONGHORSLEY, NR MORPETH NORTHUMBERLAND NE65 8XF Come and buy at the finest quality antiques and fine art fair in the region

Moscow Ballet: La Classique is bringing the sensational Swan Lake to the Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. See one of the masterpieces of ballet performed by a world famous company that has gained international acclaim. www.millvolvotynetheatre.co.uk

7 - 9 MARCH 2014 Friday 11.00 - 6.00 Saturday 10.30 - 6.00 Sunday 10.30 - 5.00

TWO FOR ONE WITH THIS ADVERTISEMENT

25 - 27 MARCH Rambert dance will be performing one of their best-loved works, Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. The classic dance to music by the Rolling Stones is making a much anticipated return after a 13-year absence, transporting you to the coolest nightspot in town. You can expect snake-hipped men and strong, sassy women performing virtuoso courtship dances to some of the Stones’ most famous tunes including, of course, Little Red Rooster. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

Enquiries: 01797 252030 www.lindenhallfair.com

THE

ANTIQUES DEALERS FAIR

LIMITED

30 APRIL The real War Horse production is worth booking now – heading for Sunderland Empire, it is a spectacular show and a treat to come to the region. Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse will run at the High Street West venue for three weeks. Durham-based singer Bob Fox, who plays Songman, is among the cast, as well as former Durham University student Helen Macfarlane who plays a young Joey.

0844 871 3022 www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

www.aestus.co.uk

tel. +44 (0) 1902 387080

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES A ‘to dry for’ treat Dance around the drying-up with your favourite ditty. Chips ahoy. £9.95 www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk

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LIGHTBULB MOMENT

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JAN/FEB14

A man of taste

Terry Laybourne has made eating exciting in the North East for more years than he cares to remember. He’s tuned in to what people want and a lightbulb moment means that thousands of people will be sharing the food love this January. Kathryn Armstrong books in

LIGHTBULB MOMENT

JAN/FEB14

With a sceptical head on Terry Laybourne booked into Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck. The plan was to hate it. To take along ‘old school’ French friends who would hate the anticipated pretention and hype too.

“It was brilliant,” Terry concludes with a wry smile. Damn.

“Tableside technique, the interaction of staff, the theatre of the whole meal. Taking those traditional ‘at table’ skills that once would have been serving up a Steak Diane or a crepe, making them into entertainment and creating some interest at the table.”

His ‘hands-up’ confession reflects the man he is.

Enlightened, perfectionist, critical but fair. When you’ve been in the business for a lifetime and reached its heights, it is easy to be judgemental about those who follow and shake things up.

By his own admission, Terry Laybourne is not a tasting menu man. His idea of food hell being a stiff, starchy and hushed formal dining room. His contribution to culinary influence of late couldn’t be further from this.

He has resurfaced in all of us the passion for a Scotch egg thanks to the revival of ‘proper food’ and craft beer at his Broad Chare pub on Newcastle Quayside.

Yet at Café 21 just around the corner from the pub, the precision of crafting classic food matters 100 per cent.

Even so, you won’t see a tasting menu at a Laybourne eating place any time soon.

Even though he raves about the 23-course tasting menu recently enjoyed at Simon Rogan’s L’enclume and the creative direction young chefs are taking, he is left wondering.

“I have a huge philosophical debate with myself about this. Would I want to go away and do it? No. Does it make commercial sense running a business like that?

No. I don’t believe in it, it’s not me.

“Then I say, did it taste good? Absolutely. Was it well executed? Absolutely. Ultimately, it is just not my scene.”

We’re talking at Café 21 as the restaurant is getting polished and preened in preparation for lunch service.

Flitting about the place is Terry’s wife Susan – the big boss in the background says Terry’s sidekick and 21 Hospitality Group operations director, Nick Shottel.

Susan makes things tick but resolutely refuses any hint of limelight. One minute she’s passing by with armfuls of flowers, the next there’s a can of Pledge in her hand as she polishes to perfection in the dining room.

On her mind are the staff Christmas parties for the 21 Group’s different restaurants which are about to get into full swing in the post-Christmas January lull.

That’s the lull that happens before the frenzy that is Newcastle Restaurant Week.

Food enthusiasts of the North East have Terry to thank for that. Restaurant Week, if you’re not one of the 18,000 diners who last year participated, sees the wider city’s restaurants offering £10 and £15 set menus. This time it is running from 27 Jan to 2 Feb. For those who like their food, it has almost become a challenge worthy of Man Vs Food as devotees try to see if they can eat their way through the city’s best restaurants for lunch and dinner for an entire week.

That restaurants are full to overflowing is a measure of the way the business and our habits have changed says Terry, who of course changed the food landscape in Newcastle with 21 Queen Street nearly 30 years ago, bringing the first Michelin star to the region.

“When we started at Queen Street it was not unusual for the first table to be booked for 8pm. Now we might have 100 covers by 6.15 pm. This was something I saw happening in New York and it struck me that if we could change the behaviour of people then as a business we could be looking at two or three services within a night. That has exactly proved to be the case.

“Things are becoming more casual in terms of eating – we are past that fine dining experience of going out for a meal. Now people go out after work to eat and eating out is not just Saturday night – I remember observing that in London years ago and thinking people just ate after work because they must live in lousy accommodation and not want to go home – now it is the norm in this city.”

It was after seeing the concept of a Restaurant Week working in New York – the idea being to boost food trade at traditionally quiet times – that in a ‘lightbulb moment’, Terry raised the idea which led to the first event seven years ago.

Business improvement district company NE1 investigated the New York formula, researching how it worked and decided it was an initiative that would transfer well to Newcastle. Now there are two Restaurant Weeks a year – in the traditionally quiet times of August and January.

NE1 brought all the city’s top restaurateurs together to discuss the opportunity and together they saw the potential in the idea. They were prepared to put >>

When we started at Queen Street it was not unusual for the first table to be booked for 8pm. Now we might have 100 covers by 6.15pm. Habits have changed

19

LIGHTBULB MOMENT

I think the rise of small, specialised eating places, concentrating on one ingredient will spawn others in a different vein aside their competitive rivalries to see if there would be a benefit from working together in a “coalition of the willing”.

The first year just 13 restaurants took part and they saw a business increase of 37pc. Last year in August’s Restaurant Week 51 restaurants took part with an average 43pc increase in their trade.

“NE1 galvanised the city’s restaurateurs,” says Terry.

“No individual or business could have delivered the initiative on their own but businesses were encouraged to put aside their competitive differences to deliver Restaurant Week.

“As well as the tangible commercial benefit for the participating restaurants, it creates an incredible buzz in the city centre and its restaurants during what were the quietest times of the year.”

The event plays to the growing band of food enthusiasts who love to eat but who are also populating a raft of new restaurants in Newcastle and its suburbs creating a new energy around food which excites Terry.

“It is very, very positive right now. There are a few people and places who are prepared to be brave and step away from the norm.

“Peace&Loaf in Jesmond is incredible and I like The Bridge Tavern. I see good things happening in the ‘suburbs’ – you’ve got Ouseburn and places like the Sausage Emporium and Herb Garden in the arches near the railway station.

20

challenge ahead of taking over food at Sage, Gateshead.

These and the Boilershop Steamer events have created cool And following on from the success of his Broad Chare pub, ‘quarters’ in the city which are a bit edgy – once you would is there another project? have run a mile from the idea of a restaurant at the back of “If the right thing presents itself then it is impossible to the station. resist but I’m not chasing around looking for it, there’s no “I love the casual Cal’s Own pizza place in Heaton – burning desire to do anything at the moment. fabulous. I think the rise of these small, specialised eating “I’d love to do a pizza restaurant but will it happen? places will spawn others in a different vein, independent Unlikely. And I’d like to brew some beer on a serious scale. restaurants concentrating on one ingredient, product or “The advent of craft beer has brought the average age of style. If you keep it tight and have a simple concept then people with a real interest in food and drink down massively there is not a lot of resource needed.” and that can only be a positive thing. Beer has become In terms of the big players, the much-anticipated House of really cool – everyone has a beard and wants to brew beer.

Tides, Kenny Atkinson’s first solo venture, is due to open at “In terms of the food we’re eating, I think the local and the end of January on Newcastle Quayside. seasonal foraging thing will It’s a bold building and venture become a given, it pretty much for Michelin-starred Kenny already has – and something whose ambition is set on else will have its name in lights. bringing an elusive Michelin star “What has been nice in the past to Newcastle. year has been the “Kenny is a serious cook with a collaborations – Chef’s Pod at reputation and it can only help Vallum Farm was a real highlight the city,” says Terry.

Bocca di Lupo, Soho, wine-focused wine bar and there is something really “There’s a diversity in food in Gourmet Restaurant Uberfahrt in Germany, nice about that current trend for Newcastle and the surroundings Christian Jurgens creates really good food. the ‘pop-up’, the ‘immediate’ now that is exciting.”

Vienna – cakes at those coffee houses, packed thing, getting a disparate bunch Time in the kitchens at 21 at 9am, packed at 9pm. of people together – it can be Hospitality Group’s restaurants Boat House, Amble. Great place created out of a challenge but when it works is rare for Terry these days. nothing. it’s great.”

Terry and Susan hope to find As Café 21 starts to fill for time in 2014 to enjoy their new lunchtime and I head off, home in the Tyne Valley. After I ask if a man like Terry gets a cookbook in his living in Durham for 16 years they’re now ensconced in rural Christmas stocking.

Corbridge and their new favourite local. The Rat at Anick, “A very technical bread book – Bread by James Hanneman “food, beer and hospitality great”.

– and Maw Broon’s Cookbook.”

Terry spent years on a stop-start commute between Durham Expect to see Chivers Jellies and ‘stick-ter-yer ribs’ specials and Newcastle. on a menu soon.

“There was no sense of decompression on the way home.

Now I am in a glorious place to live.” www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/restaurant-week For a man who is always ready with a new idea he has the

BLACK BOOK:

TERRY’S FAVOURITE PLACES:

JAN/FEB14

XXXXXXXX

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At Tecaz we believe that a bathroom or kitchen should reflect your personality, showing your individual style.

Nobody gives you more choice, whether you’re home needs the warmth and character of traditional styling or the clean lines of contemporary design.

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Plus our rigid built Connoisseur and Signature kitchen ranges have FREE luxury granite included in the price!

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Tecaz www.tecaz.com

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm Sunday: 10am - 4pm

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES A Mrs Patmore moment

If you want to do it like Downton go very berry when it comes to serving your sweet treats. Vintage fruit spoons come in a variety of sizes and add a definite sense of style to the table. From ÂŁ14.50. www.refoundobjects.com

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JAN/FEB14

Wynyard Hall Wedding Fayre SuNday 2Nd MarcH 10-4pM

Meet over 80 of the region’s exceptional wedding suppliers whilst you view the magnificent state rooms and private chapel. our wedding co-ordinators will be on hand to check availability and discuss prices with you. discover the lakeside spa for some hen night ideas and our in house salon for your bridal hair and make up consultation.

£1 entry

LaST FeW reMaiNiNg daTeS For 2014: £5,995 late availability package for all available dates in 2014 inclusive of civil or chapel ceremony and reception for 60 day and evening guests including wedding breakfast, drinks package and much more.

Wynyard Hall, Tees Valley, TS22 5NF | Tel: 01740 644 811 | www.wynyardhall.co.uk

Bubbly & canapés on arrival

HUG STUFF

Capture the North East’s love of design with your Valentine’s gifts this year. These locallyproduced treats have been created by design graduates from Northumbria University

Junk and Treasure Jewellery Box > Quirky jewellery storage from Abby Traynor, Fashion Marketing graduate.

Hide some sweet treasure inside.

Maybe that true love sparkler. £15 www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

Big love > The iPhone5 and its Apple stablemates, loved by consumers all over the world, were the brainchild of Northumbria Design for Industry graduate and Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design, Sir Jonathan Ive. From £469. www.apple.com/uk/iphone-5c

With love from…

Newcastle

The Love Mirror > The Love Chair Wellington, Loved Up chair, below, and the Love Console Table were created by the Deadgood Studio – a design company founded

by Northumbria 3D Design graduates. Mirror, £345. www.deadgoodltd.co.uk

Lingerie from Tallulah Love > This successful luxury lingerie company was created by Northumbria Fashion Marketing graduate, Michelle Taylor. Described as the ‘lingerie of the heavens’ and inspired by the designs of the 40s and 50s, it is a gorgeous valentine’s gift. La belle vert bra £90, knicker £45, suspender £45. www.tallulahlove.com

The M Lamp > Designed by 3D Design graduate David Irwin, the M Lamp is a simple yet beautiful tool for life and work. Its Dimmable LED is perfect for sharing a late-night book in bed. www.juniper-design.com/products/mlamp

For further information see www.northumbria.ac.uk/design

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JAN/FEB14

2007,

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at the Flavou rs of H , 2009 amble and 20 ton Aw 10. W ards fo e are n r four ow pr consec oud sp utive onsor years s of th e Her riot F lavour s Awa rds.

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Food & WINE Evenings For the 4th year running Chapters Hotel is delighted to have teamed up with www.thewineacademy.co.uk to offer the chance to learn about wine in a relaxed and informal way.

Friday 28th February An evening with Castello Bonomi

Friday 4th April “Not All Chardonnays are the same!!”

Friday 2nd May Moet Champagne Evening This event is priced at £75.00 per person

Friday 13th June Spiers Wines - South Africa

£ 49.95

Friday 5th September New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir

Friday 3rd October

INCLUDES SPECIALLY SELECTED DINNER.

Syrah & Shiraz

WHY NOT STAY OVER? PRICES FROM

Friday 14th November

£185.00 Standard Double Room £195.00 Executive Double Room The Wine tasting Evenings are from £49.95 & include the course & specially selected Dinner. Class numbers are limited so early booking is advised.

All evenings start at 7.00pm.

Champagne Evening - BLACK TIE EVENT This event is priced at £75.00 per person

Friday 28th November Bordeaux Evening - BLACK TIE EVENT This event is priced at £75.00 per person

Due to a number of unexpected cancellations last year, we have had to implement a new policy of £10 deposit per person for all events with full payment to be paid 4 weeks prior.

For Champagne Evening & Bordeaux Evening, there will be a £40 supplement per room for the Wine Tasting Gourmet Package.

www.facebook.com/ChaptersHotel

www.twitter.com/ChaptersHotel

MONDAY - SATURDAY 11.30am - 2.30pm & 6.30pm - 10.30pm | SUNDAY - 12.00pm - 4.30pm

TALK SHoW

Speaking up

26

Jan/FeB14

TALK SHOW

Footballer-turned-TV pundit, Gordon McQueen made a North Yorkshire village his home. A decision that may have saved his life in a battle against cancer. Elysia Agnew caught up with him at home in Hutton Rudby Throughout his career and for much of his life, Gordon McQueen never had a Saturday away from the beautiful game.

As a Scottish international and Manchester United defender, he was famously a powerful man on the pitch and when his playing days ended, he settled in the North Yorkshire village of Hutton Rudby as Middlesbrough’s reserve team coach with Bryan Robson and then assistant scout along with David Mills.

For more than a decade his voice could be heard all over Britain on a Saturday afternoon as a pundit with Sky. It was a respected and familiar voice, one so well known that on one particular occasion – to be his last in the pundit’s chair – viewers across the nation contacted the programme concerned at Gordon’s raspy vocals.

That was in late 2011 and he takes up the story, “I was on Sky and was hoarse for about three weeks. A surgeon who watched the programme rang in and suggested I got looked at.”

By coincidence Gordon had recently sold a house in the village to one of the UK’s leading ear, nose and throat specialists, Anirvan Banerjee. Viewers’ concerns prompted the Scottish legend to contact Anirvan who within 48 hours confirmed he had cancer of the larynx.

“I went to the doctor and he was brilliant, I was put in for a biopsy the next day which proved cancerous, so they operated straight away and put me on radiotherapy treatment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. After the radiotherapy is finished, waiting to find out if it’s clear is the worst part,” he says.

During his recovery, Gordon, now 61, has had a chance to reflect on a career that made him much talked about. He was an on-pitch idol, something of a footballing legend with a lifestyle to match who became a TV favourite. Now he admits that he misses the “great bunch of lads” at Sky, but his on-screen days are over as his voice will never fully recover.

“My voice isn’t going to get any better, so my Sky days are over. I do a bit with MUTV, but I will not be back at Sky on a regular basis that’s for sure.

“I have more or less got the all clear now, but not completely, it might take three or four years until I am discharged. But, so far so good. The only way to tackle it is head on and stay positive.”

In 2011, pal and former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, was treated for throat cancer. It was Robson who encouraged McQueen to release a brief statement to the press, announcing his illness whilst viewers were concerned of his sudden absence.

JAN/FEB14

Gordon admits to boredom kicking in after ending his career at Sky. “I get a bit bored to tell you the truth. I’m not particularly mobile because of my legs. I do a bit for MUTV and go and watch football on a Saturday when I can, at Billingham Synthonia, Middlesbrough, across to Hull and maybe even Leeds. But I do tend to get a bit bored.

“It definitely makes you appreciate what you’ve got. I plan to go out and about a bit more instead of just the great wee pubs in my village.”

The Scot ended his career as a player at Manchester United after an eight-year spell because of damaged knees. The dad of three packed up to begin his coaching career in Hong

My voice isn’t going to get any better, so my Sky days are over. I do a bit with MUTV, but I will not be back at Sky on a regular basis that’s for sure Kong where he picked up a serious illness, forcing him to return home.

“We liked Hong Kong, the kids loved it. Different culture, different food, different people. We really enjoyed the change. But I got a bit of an illness there so I had to come home. The football was farcical at times. If you’re going as a career move, forget it, don’t bother going to Hong Kong, it’s not very good for that.”

Gordon began his career at St. Mirren not far from his home town, Kilbirnie. He soon became a target for scouts beneath the border and it was Leeds United who managed to grab the larger-than-life blond defender in 1973. Leeds is where his love for the North of England began and where he met

his wife Yvonne, but as the patriotic Scot reflects on his career, his own country is where his heart’s at.

“The highest point of my career would be everything to do with Scotland. Beating England at Wembley and scoring a goal is my fondest memory.

“Obviously being part of Leeds winning the Premier League and Manchester United winning the FA cup was fantastic, but most of my highs are to do with Scotland and playing for my country.”

Of course, Gordon’s most shocking career move came in 1978 when he left Leeds to join rivals Manchester United, proving the catalyst to the bitterness between the two clubs reaching new levels of resentment. On signing he famously stated, “99% of players want to play for Manchester United and the rest are liars.”

He says, “I didn’t expect so much outrage at the move.

Leeds were a much bigger club at the time, much bigger, you don’t realise until you go there, just how big they are, in terms of support, everything to do with them, everything was bigger.

“I had a great relationship with the fans at Leeds United but that soured a bit because of my decision to move clubs. At Manchester United I had a really good relationship with the fans. Still to this day they always look after me when I go.”

Towards the end of his career at Leeds United, he missed out on what should have been upmost glory for the United side in 1975 when the chance of a European Cup winner’s medal denied him and his team. Gordon watched the action from the stands after seeing red in the semi-final at the Nou Camp after raising a fist to Barcelona’s Manuel Clares.

Recalling that night, he says, “When someone lashes out at you, everyone says count to ten. Well I did count to ten, and then knocked him out!

“I just swung for him – missing that final in Paris is something I’ve regretted ever since.”

His rollercoaster career has slowed down as he settles down in Hutton Rudby, where his lively company is popular amongst everyone, particularly over a few pints in the pub.

“I’m going to stay here, in Hutton Rudby for the rest of my life. I’d class this as home now because all of my kids have grown up here. We’ve been here twenty years and I can finally enjoy my retirement.

“I like the area and I like the people. I’ve always loved the North of England. I’ve spent most of my life in the North, from Leeds, Manchester and now Middlesbrough. I love Northern people.”

Gordon’s confessed boredom will be minimal this summer as the family plan his daughter Anna’s home wedding.

“My middle daughter Anna, who was brought up in the village, has moved back into the area and we’re currently planning her wedding, so that’s certainly keeping me and my back pocket busy.

“My kids are definitely making me feel my age. My eldest Hayley is working in her fourth year as a presenter at Sky Sports after starting her career with Boro TV and MUTV. My youngest Eddie is working for the local catering company, Popcorn, where he is touring the UK with The Arctic Monkeys.”

Despite being a loyal Scotsman, his eye is always on ‘the Boro’, he says, “My team is Middlesbrough, I will always have a soft spot for the club, but I always look out for other teams where I have friends working, such as Hull City and obviously Manchester United.”

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LUXE LIFE

MARA-HELEN WOOD Mara-Helen Wood is gallery director at the University Gallery, Northumbria University, Newcastle. Established in 1977 as a teaching gallery, the University Gallery’s policy is to present exhibitions by artists of national and international distinction, as well as less established, promising artists. For further information and details of the exhibition programme, visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/universitygallery

LUXE PEOPLE >> Family and Friends.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > Paris. I travel regularly to London to the Gallery at Kings Place which is next door to St Pancras Station. On Eurostar, Paris is only a couple of hours away.

A long holiday > St Tropez. I spend a week there every year, usually between exhibition changes at the gallery in London, but I would love to spend a little longer enjoying the beautiful scenery, museums, restaurants and one beach in particular which is usually deserted, but it has the best seafood restaurant nearby.

A treat > Rome. We were brought up in Rome, and lived near Piazza del Popolo and the Villa Borghese, where we spent most afternoons playing in the gardens. Going back is always a treat, especially out of season when there are few tourists around.

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > I spent two years commuting to Japan every six weeks where I developed a passion for sashimi, as well as noodle soup of every description which we enjoyed when we transported exhibitions overnight across Japan, from gallery to gallery.

However, the most memorable dish was marinated whale meat which I tasted at a restaurant in Oslo.

Best wine > Mercurey, Morgon and Brouilly.

Favourite restaurant > In Newcastle, Café 21, Caffé Vivo and Jesmond Dene House are my favourite restaurants.

Perfect weekend > Eurostar to Paris, to visit galleries and shops, with dinner at Brasserie Bofinger.

Best telly > Montalbano, Borgen and Homeland.

Best book > ‘Headhunter’ by Jo Nesbo. It is set in Oslo and mentions artists, colleagues and places I know well. I’ve read most of his books, but it made me laugh and cringe at the same time. I’m addicted to Scandinavian crime novels in particular and always have a few with me when I’m travelling.

Best sounds > Reneé Fleming’s ‘Four Last Songs’ by Richard Strauss LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > Paris Favourite shop > Le Civette in St Tropez. I always find lots of beautiful matching clothes which fit perfectly, therefore I tend to do a lot of shopping there!

Luxe retail treat > When I have time, I enjoy browsing in Fenwick in Newcastle. My favourite departments are Fenwick’s French, Russell & Bromley and Chanel, with lunch at Café 21.

Best buy > It has to be my car, it takes me safely north and south and I love the sound of the engine.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > Dinner recently at Bocca di Lupo, London, excellent food and wonderful company.

Perfect party > Our most recent opening reception for one of our Norwegian artists, when almost everyone invited joined us, including the Queen of Norway.

Best dress > A black silk Ralph Lauren suit, bought in NY. Dinner date > With just a few close friends.

YOUR LUXE THINGS IN LIFE >> Time at home, between trips away, pottering in the garden and cooking dinner for family and friends.

28

JAN/FEB14

www.fq-magazine.co.uk

FEEL THE HEAT All-a-sizzle as we check out a dining destination on top of the world

THE BEST OF NORTH EAST FOOD & DRINK JAN/FEB 2014

BILSDALE BELTIE AND FRIENDS MICHELIN MAN JAMES CLOSE JOINS OUR TEAM FALCONS CURRYING FLAVOUR WHAT’S GOOD IN THE GARDEN WITH KAREN PHILLIPS TERRY RAISES THE STEAKS DINING WITH THE BEST VIEW IN TOWN STAITH HOUSE FOR LUNCH COCKTAIL TIME SEASONAL COMFORTS JAN/FEB14

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dining

Gastro by the sea

John Calton is certainly the fisherman’s friend at his new quayside eating place in North Shields. Kathryn Armstrong visited When the boats come in John Calton certainly knows he’s in the right place at the right time. The chef’s new food venture, Staith House, is but a sprat’s throw from the landing fishing boats at North Shields’ fish quay.

He can scurry down, cut out the middle man, and have his fish fried and on the specials’ blackboard before the fishermen have hosed down their wellies for the day.

It’s a simple approach to fish – fast food of a different kind.

Like it or not, John is known as one of a pair – he and chef Dave Coulson did the North East proud as finalists in the 2010 BBC MasterChef: The Professionals TV series.

While Dave has opened Peace&Loaf restaurant in Jesmond, John has gone gastropub by the sea with Staith House, reviving an old boozer on the quayside to create a contemporary eating place – “somewhere I’d like to come and eat out”, he says.

It’s small and cosy, definitely pubby, decked out in furnishings that are right out of the ‘beach shack’ book of interior design. Bleached planks of wood, soft blue paint shades and maps pasted to the ceiling. It’s a nice job – and we loved the old office chair upholstered in retro print.

It’s part pub and part eating place, an easy mix of the two.

The menu is a treat. We visited on a Saturday late lunchtime with hungry boys in tow. We could see into the kitchen and it was very easy to drool at the sculptural batter creations that were passing by minute by minute.

The menu is a good balance between the inventive, the classic, the crowd-pleaser and the hearty. Gourmets will be satisfied they are getting something worthy of John’s MasterChef credentials and the Nana passing by will have every fish and chip desire satisfied.

Scotch eggs have to be on the menu everywhere these

It’s small and cosy, definitely pubby, decked out in furnishings out of the ‘beach shack’ book of design 30

days it seems – the Staith House version – a pricey £6 – was a beef and onion variety with garlic mayo. Satisfying and herby with suitably runny yolk.

Creamed salt cod with poached egg and scallion, £6, arrived in a little copper pan. Ultimate comfort food really.

Silky textures from the creamy cod and runny egg interspersed with little chunks of fish. Loads of flavours.

In the delicate corner I opted for beetroot cured and hot smoked salmon, £6. It came with frisee and a seriously punchy, unexpected natural yoghurt and, I think, horseradish dressing – I had a serious eye-watering moment. The salmon textures and flavours were nicely balanced away from the dressing.

For mains two plates of cod and chips, £10, were great – the batter forming a crackly parcel around beautifully flaky white fleshed cod. Served with hefty chips. Peas pureed not mushed and a dollop of tartare sauce.

I went for a dish from the specials board – breast of pheasant with barley and kale. At £9, really good value. It looked hearty and healthy arriving on its rustic dish and the blend of flavours was ideal – rustic greens and deeply-flavoured pheasant that was lightly cooked and succulent. The addition of barley was a nice touch, giving the dish a bit of bite and interest. The right amount of a light, if slightly salty, stock jus gave an earthy richness to a simple but memorable plate of food.

Our most ‘gourmet’ dish of the meal was seabass with bashed celeriac, bisque and langos, £14. A fine piece of bass partied with sweet langoustines on its bed of greens in a luscious puddle of bisque. The aroma of the sauce a real classic on its own, rich and sweet.

Dessert indulgence came in the form of rice pudding with gooseberry jam crumble, £5. So sweet, so sharp so smooth and crunchy all at the same time!

As a lunch destination, it certainly ticks boxes for a relaxed spot for great food, value and quality – with bracing walks right at the front door. In the evening it might be trickier for the place to get a ‘restaurant’ head on.

Staith House, North Shields www.thestaithhouse.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

Eat Seasonal with Rhys Faulkner-Walford It’s winter, it’s miserable out there. You need the comfort of creamy, warming food treats. These recipes from Rhys Faulkner-Walford, head chef at Radisson Blu in Durham are a kitchen challenge that might serve you well for a romantic Valentine’s supper too

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Cream of Pumpkin Ingredients 120g 60g 50g 500ml 50g 10g 10g 10g 20cl 50g 30g 20ml

risotto rice porcini mushrooms chopped shallots chicken stock cream of pumpkin garlic parsley thyme white wine butter parmesan cheese olive oil

Method Sweat chopped shallots in olive oil with the thyme and then add the risotto rice and start to cook until starting to turn translucent.

Add the warm chicken stock a little at a time and continue to cook slowly, stirring regularly until it reaches a creamy consistency – 20 minutes approximately.

In a separate pan saute the porcini muchrooms with the remainder of the shallots and thyme and when golden brown add to the risotto mix Make a pumpkin puree by sauteeing the pumpkin, onion and parsley until soft, then blend to a puree.

When the risotto is cooked, add the puree to the rice, fold in gently with the parmesan and butter.

Check the seasoning and serve.

JAN/FEB14

Poached Pear with Amaretto, Zabaglione & Sorbet Ingredients 12 1btl 200gr 1pc 70g

bosc pears red wine sugar cinnamon stick sorbet

Zabaglione (makes 6 servings ) 2 egg yolks 1 egg 125g sugar 40ml Amaretto

Method Poach the pear in red wine, sugar and cinnamon. Chill Split pear in half and remove the seeds Cover with zabaglione and place under grill. Garnish with a neutral sorbet

31

people

Bilsdale’s best

Starter >> Prawns Josper grilled with chilli & garlic.

Night-time menu, £7.95

The family has given the place a new spin with some gourmet and glamping credibility for those who like their outdoors with a side order of style

Bilsdale Beltie is memorable meat – from cattle reared on one of North Yorkshire’s highest moors. It’s the mouth-watering focus of a tradition revived, as Kathryn Armstrong discovered Carlton Bank is a place to contemplate the moment. A pivotal, top-of-the-world kind of place.

A place where walkers flock, hikers take a breather and from time to time, paragliding folk launch a leap.

It’s an iconic spot, just outside of Stokesley and where the Lord Stones ‘caff’ was once a legendary stop-off for a Sunday morning cobweb-blowing bacon sarnie before a hearty walk. It was cosy, cave-like and enviable in terms of location.

You ‘mess about’ with a food landmark like that at your peril. But the messing has been worth it for the Reeve family who have given the Lord Stones a new spin with some gourmet and glamping credibility for those who like

32

their outdoors with a side order of style.

Dominic Reeve, 33, pictured, is one of three brothers James and Patrick the others - who are working to revive not only the café but also the estate which neighbours the Urra shooting estate their father John bought in 2005.

So in-situ now you’ll also find camping pods, walkways and, as exciting as the gourmet café, a well-stocked farm shop where that Bilsdale Beltie talks pride of place.

The beef from a herd of Belted Galloway cattle, is farmed

by Patrick on land nearby. It is slaughtered at Egton just a few miles away then butchered back on site. It means that the food miles journey is minimal.

“The concept behind the entire project has been to revive

Main >> Proper steak & ale pie with rich onion gravy, mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables.

Lunchtime menu, £7.95

and restore the estate, to provide local employment, tourism and showcase the area,” says Dominic.

“It is bang on trend in terms of the appeal of glamping and interest in good, honest food but it is a long-term sustainable project that we hope to develop well into the future,” says Dominic.

He has a background in the hospitality business and looked after catering for the shoot on the Urra estate.

Now he believes that showcasing this forgotten part of North Yorkshire will bring more people to the area.

“It is the highest point of the North York Moors and visually stunning but lesser known than places like Helmsley or Whitby. “

JAN/FEB14

business that offers an outlet for local businesses. There The 160-acre site is a crossing point for three of the is severe deprivation in the uplands in terms of rural country’s most popular trails – the Cleveland Way, the enterprise and employment so we are conscious that we Lyke Wake Walk and the Coast to Coast. promote and employ as many local people as possible,” Dominic hopes to attract a new breed of visitor, attracting adds Dominic. those who love the outdoors and the unique produce of its The team and ideas behind food at Lord Stones are surroundings. impressive. With that fine beef as a USP, Dominic was keen “The cattle we farm are very hardy – they have to be to to give it a unique showcase. survive up here. ‘Beltie’ is a nickname for the breed, one At the helm is chef Michael Chase, previously of The Star of five native breeds in the UK. at Harome and Jesmond Dene House Newcastle with his “They are perfectly suited to rough terrain with two layers ‘baby’, a bespoke Spanish charcoal ‘Josper’ oven, popular of fur rather than lots of fat on them. They graze on the with the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal. moorland and their meat is dark and marbled with a On his menu the Bilsdale Beltie dry-aged steaks will be distinctive, mature flavour.“ cooked to perfection on the grill. Making an appearance In the farm shop you can see that for yourself. The meat too will be Bilsdale Beltie steak and ale pie, 100% ‘Beltie counter is laden with beautifully deep red cuts of the burgers’ - perfect for ravenous ramblers and in-the-know Bilsdale beef. Alongside are herb-fed chickens from Thirsk, well-travelled gourmets. eggs from local farms, bread from nearby Danby and Grouse, lamb and pork from the local estate are also on game from the estate. the menu, says Dominic.

“The shop also acts as a useful ‘local’ for the people who “We’re22:47 also so close to the sea – naturally fish will make an live in the dale – we getAdvert cakes for thex café made by1 19/12/2013 Valentines 157h 106w.pdf appearance on the menu. We’ve got a young, vibrant team someone along the road and really try to make it a

JAN/FEB14

and really want to showcase food from this locality because it is spectacular.

“By day the café is light and airy but at night it transforms into something really atmospheric with candles and low lights. It’s a unique setting, built into the landscape. Our Josper grill is the only one in the North East and perfect for our meat.

“We are really promoting the produce from the moors – the game, pigeon, pheasant, partridge – air miles rather than food miles zero!

“As a family-run business, we live and work in the community and we’re passionate about Lord Stones becoming a local hub for the community and visitors alike, driving new business and employment to our local area,” adds Dominic.

“We understand how important this site is so respecting the site’s natural beauty was very important to us. We feel we’ve created something special - a ‘new chapter’ in Lord Stones’ history book.” www.lordstones.com

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Curry classroom Jamie’s Food Life: Childhood food memory: Home-made fish fingers.

There were six of us – so piles of fish fingers!

Last meal you ate: Chicken with gnocchi – a few of the guys were round and we were playing COD. The meal was a concoction of things from the fridge. Been injured for 14 weeks – so playing a lot of COD! A restaurant you return to time and again: A place called Lone Star in Auckland, New Zealand is a favourite and it does variations on the classics like ribs – and a dish called Shanks for the Memory – braised lamb shanks with mash.

Memorable meal: In New Zealand we have something called ‘hangi’. To ‘lay a hangi’ involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering the hangi. It’s like a reverse barbecue – the meat cooks for hours then you have lots of dishes like chop suey, pork with coconut cream.

Inspirational chef: Got to say Bob after this cooking lesson!

Favourite drink: I don’t drink alcohol so I’d have to say a good banana milkshake.

Favourite food or ingredient: Steak, medium-rare.

Your last meal: Fish tacos and ribs then a 2kg steak with roasties and fresh salad. Dessert would be something with custard – walnut apple Christmas cake.

Alex’s Food Life: Childhood food memory: There were four of us kids so it was survival of the fittest when it came to meal times. Family roasts always good – I love pigs in blankets.

Last meal you ate: My wife’s home-made lasagne, she was going out and left it for me – also a banoffee pie which I just managed to resist.

Restaurant you return to time and again: I like going to As You Like It in Jesmond - love the ribs there.

Memorable meal: Grenoble - snow, log cabin and a fondue always makes a great combination.

Inspirational chef: Got to say Gordon Ramsay!

Favourite drink: Cider – a flagon of real Herefordshire cider – even though I am from Somerset. It looks a bit toxic and blows your head off, not for the faint-hearted.

Favourite food: Pigs in blankets!

Your last meal: Pate, beef Wellington with pigs in blankets then cheesecake.

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Raising the steaks. Rugby players and their meat. A serious protein fix for Newcastle Falcons’ players Jamie Helleur and Alex Crockett who turn up the heat in the Sachins’ kitchen At 10am most mornings you’ll find Alex Crockett and Jamie Helleur tucking in to a meal most of us would only consider appropriate far later in the day – and with a glass of wine by its side.

Chicken, broccoli, beans and more vegetables at a time when the rest of us are still cranking up with a midmorning caffeine boost.

No, these boy are not pupils of the latte and a Twix school of nutrition.

As professional rugby players with Newcastle Falcons, by 10am they are well on with the daily grind of intensive training.

The big breakfast is an interval between weights sessions, game analysis, field training and team sessions and one of two meals that the players have at the training ground every day.

“We burn a lot of energy so we need to eat a lot of food,” says Jamie Helleur. The 30-year-old from New Zealand has been with the squad for three seasons now and plays centre with Alex Crockett, 32, from Bath, who is in his second season with the Falcons.

Alex and his wife live in ‘party-central’ Jesmond in a place they bought before the arrival of their little boy Digby, who is now eight months old.

Life has quietened down for them since his arrival in some ways - if they’re up all night it’s because of milk and nappies not partying.

As much as we joke about Alex sharing his looks with superstar chef Gordon Ramsay, the reality is that he doesn’t quite share his cooking skills.

Both he and Jamie admit to being amateurs in the kitchen - Alex leaves the cooking to his wife – though Jamie’s acquired the New Zealand skill of being able to deal with food as long as the outdoors and a grill are involved.

It means that once they’ve got the aprons on at Sachins, they’re both willing kitchen apprentices.

Jamie gets to grips with marinading the steaks with the fiery spice blend while Alex cooks up the onions and tomatoes that will form the finished dish.

They form an easy double act, keen to learn more about the techniques involved in Indian cooking and the different spices that are used to create the dishes.

Creating a traditional sauce from scratch is something that at first is time-consuming and seems complicated.

The reality is that once you get into the habit of knowing the ingredients and having them to hand, it is pretty simple to be able to create an authentic curry from scratch – or so owner Bob Arora advocates.

Jamie has been nursing an injury so he has had to spend more time at home – that can involve more than a little time with a console and a game of Call of Duty with his friends and team-mates.

On those full-on ‘lads’ nights in’, food often means a concoction of whatever’s in the fridge – Jamie’s ‘surprise’.

Next time, with newly acquired skills, it might well be a Sachins’ masala – worth a try you might say.

Bob Arora owns Sachins, Forth Banks, Newcastle. www.sachins.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

On the menu: Falcon Beef Masala What it’s got going for it: Beef with a peppercorn sauce is normally a bistro rather than Indian restaurant speciality. This keeps beef as the main player but spices things up a bit.

The trick: Peppercorns add the spice to many an Indian dish and this makes for a twist on the traditional masala.

Ingredients

On full-on ‘lads’ nights in’, food often means a concoction of whatever’s in the fridge.

Next time, with newly-aquired skills, it might well be a Sachins’ masala

Serves 4 4 steaks of your choice - rump, sirloin, ribeye – 21-day-aged beef for flavour Vegetable oil 2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed 8 large tomatoes, chopped in half and de-skinned Slug of brandy 6 medium onions, finely chopped 2 tsp garlic and ginger paste 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp chilli flakes 1/2 ltr water 50g butter 4tbsp double cream Fresh coriander, chopped

Method Steak Take the salt, half the chilli flakes, and 1 tsp garlic/ginger paste and mix together then spread the mixture on to the steaks and leave while you prepare the sauce.

Sauce Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan then add the peppercorns for a minute. Add the brandy to pan and burn off the alcohol with a flame.

Add the onions to the peppercorn mixture then add I tsp garlic/ginger paste, the turmeric and the remaining chilli flakes to the mixture and let the onions soften.

Add a little water if it sticks to the pan.

In a separate pan, add the tomatoes and cook gently until they are softened. Then add the tomatoes to the onion mixture. Again, add a small amount of water to loosen the mixture if necessary.

Once it is cooked through (about 10-15 minutes), put the sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the double cream and 25g butter to the smooth mixture and leave on a very low heat while the steaks are cooked.

Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan and cook the steaks to your liking.

Place on a plate and pour the spicy peppercorn sauce over the meat to serve.

Sprinkle with coriander.

Rice and naan bread are good accompaniments.

JAN/FEB14

35

supper club

Fork on the Tyne Dinner with arguably the best view in the North. Geordie inspiration on the plate for FQ’s Supper Club When the River Tyne is your dining companion it’s impossible not to pay homage in some small way to the Geordie.

Eyes right and the bridges of the Tyne are, appropriately enough, a significant player in dinner at Windows on The Tyne restaurant at the Hilton NewcastleGateshead.

The hotel, restaurant and bar have some pole position views of the stunning Quayside panorama. Unrivalled really. It’s a hotel that is a pull for the visitor from out of town but - a suggestion to folks who live here – just pop in to the bar for a drink to soak up the fab views – be a tourist in your own town for an hour or so!

Supper Club is about showcasing the skills of the kitchen and inspirational ingredients.

Chef Scott Fiddes served up a six-course dinner with touches of Geordie charm and heritage alongside wines chosen by sommelier Dominic O’ Sullivan.

Starter of duo of salmon was a delicate piece of smoked salmon and poached salmon served alongside a neat potato and herb salad using Northumberland Carroll’s heritage potatoes, a fine blend of textures and flavours.

A glass of perfectly chilled dry Tio Pepe sherry was served up ahead of the arrival of the Jerusalem artichoke cappuccino. The sharp dry sherry was a delicious, flinty partner to the green and almost metallic hints of flavours in the frothy, creamy soup, served in its espresso cup.

Main man of the night was a lamb duo – canon and confit of lamb with baby root vegetables and the much-anticipated pan haggerty accompaniment.

The lamb was a dish of contrasts – the canon served pink and confit beautifully slowcooked to develop its luscious fall-apart texture, packed with masses of flavour.

Pan haggerty is a law unto itself when it comes to a chef’s interpretation. Scott’s was what he called a ‘Geordie dauphinoise’ which is kind of how it is really.

Potato is the mainstay but with the rest, do what you will. Layers of potato, a bit of bacon, carrot, onions long and lovingly bathed in some stock did the business beautifully making the ideal pairing for the

It’s a hotel that is a pull for the visitor from out of town but - a suggestion to folks who live here - just pop in to the bar for a drink to soak up the fabulous views flavoursome lamb. The perfect wine pairing for this dish – Chateauneuf du Pape, borne from sunny soil.Our dinner was followed by a zesty and dense lemon posset served with home-made shortbread and luscious dessert wine. A sharp shiraz played the ideal partner to cheeses from the Blagdon Estate. The Adelaide wine neatly matched the lower fat cheeses which included the spectacular nettle cheese, as well as the punchy smoked and sharp original varieties from the acclaimed Northumberland cheesemaker. www.hilton.com

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JAN/FEB14

189

27th Jan to 2nd Feb** Enjoy great food with an extra helping of value when you dine with us at some of Newcastle’s finest restaurants for only £10 or £15 per person.

For a full list of participating restaurants, information on booking a table and to download your voucher visit:

getintonewcastle.co.uk

DINE OUT FOR ONLY

£1per0person or£1 5 *

#NE1restaurantweek *£10 and £15 menus are restaurant specific. **Selected restaurants. Terms and conditions apply.

hotels that dare to be different

18934 JK Restuarant Week 342x245 Luxe.indd 1

06/01/2014 16:42

people

Skin deep

Butchery’s in the blood for bangers supremo John Holliday - so who could be better placed to launch a specialist sausage restaurant?

The humble sausage has reached impressive heights. No longer needing to be wrapped in a blanket to jazz it up, the banger has earned gourmet status in its own right.

Now, chef and trained butcher John Holliday has launched a restaurant where the sausage takes centre stage.

But they’re no ordinary sausages. Not at all. With a fine family pedigree in butchery, John is out to wow customers with produce that he’s had a hand in himself – literally.

The new Sausage Emporium is cool little spot built in the arches at Westgate Road in Newcastle – between the city’s Central Station and castle.

Its aim is simple – to offer something different, delicious and – in restaurant terms – perhaps a bit daring too with a menu heavily devoted to the sausage.

John is master when it comes to making them. His family has had the Holliday Butchers shop in Pelaw for generations and John learned the butchery trade there.

After deciding to become a chef he worked in a number of places and met his wife Briony in Nottingham. They went travelling and stayed in Australia for a while.

John has stints at Fisherman’s Lodge and The Vermont under his chef’s whites – and the much-loved and well-remembered Heartbreak Soup, the legendary quirky Quayside restaurant.

His idea for the sausage specialism followed a return to his dad’s butcher’s shop where he began making sausages for customers – they were a huge hit.

Briony explains: “If you’re trying to open a restaurant you’ve got to be a bit different because there’s lots of competition. You’ve got to find your own little niche.”

She raves about puds too – they are pretty special – and not forgetting fish. Yes, it’s not just sausages appearing on the plate.

The menu is neat and whilst sausage-orientated, has much to offer the non-sausage fan – and a great vegetarian range. Don’t be surprised to see scallops or sea bream taking their place on the specials menu.

However, the challenge of a triple chilli sausage more than whets the appetite of those who really do like a ‘hot dog’.

See too onion bhaji sausage, Thai, and lamb and mint varieties. Over Christmas the menu included festive

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turkey sausage with all the trimmings – or Beef Wellington versions.

The surroundings of the Emporium are modern and cool in an up-and-coming area with growing appeal.

“We hope that it’s good value – we want people to feel they don’t have to save up to come and eat out here – that’s the accessibility of the place,” says Briony.

“It’s not fine dining but reliable – the sausages are from John’s dad’s butchers and are really meaty – we know where the meat used has come from and that they are not padded out with fillers.”

Lovely touches at the Sausage Emporium are things like home-made mustard made with local ale on the side.

John has developed a real ale sausage that uses a dark beer from Wylam Brewery.

It’s a case of experimenting all the time. The bespoke banger, your time has come. www.thesausageemporium.com

JAN/FEB14

Drink

with Robin Winterschladen

With Valentine’s Day coming up what better way is there to celebrate with your loved one than with a glass of pink fizz? Try adding a splash of Chambord or Fragola for a Kir Royale with a difference.

is lively, fresh and youthful with an intense fruit bouquet of raspberry, cherry and wild strawberry. It is full-bodied with a crisp elegance and delicacy that is Taittinger’s signature style.

Gran Codorniu Pinot Noir 2011 Brut Rose £14.99 Codorniu is a family company that has been producing wine since the sixteenth century. In 1872 they were the first company in Spain to adopt the Traditional method (whereby, like Champagne, the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle) for producing and ageing all its sparkling wines. Gran Codorniu is a single variety cava made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes taken from the oldest vineyards in Spain. The grapes are macerated for four hours to give the wine its characteristic blush colour and intense aroma. There are lots of summer fruit aromas which are enhanced with citrus notes and creamy, soft ripe berry flavours balanced by a crisp, fresh acidity.

Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur 70cl £19.99 20cl £7.49 Chambord is made using a selection of the world’s finest raspberries and blackberries, which are infused whole in fine French spirit for six weeks. After pressing, this infusion is blended with black raspberries, blackcurrants, Madagascar vanilla and other fragrant herbs before it is married with fine Cognac. According to legend, Chambord was inspired by a luxurious raspberry liqueur produced in the seventeenth century for King Louis XIV when he visited Chateau Chambord on the river Loire. Today, the rich and complex flavour of Chambord continues to inspire cocktail and culinary creations around the world. To make a Chambord Kir Royale put a small amount of Chambord in a Champagne flute and top up with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine.

Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose NV Champagne £43 Champagne Taittinger’s origins date back to 1734 and the house is still owned and managed by the founding family to this day. Taittinger Brut Rose is made by the “l’addition” method, where red wine is added to white wine before the second fermentation in the bottle. This gives this rose wine its attractive salmon pink colour.

It is a subtle blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which is aged for three years. The Champagne

Fragola Strawberry Liqueur £25 Fragola is produced at the family-owned Tosolini distillery, which was set up after the Second World War

by Bepi Tosolini and is now run by his three grandchildren.

This all- natural liqueur is made from Fragoline di Bosco (wild strawberries), which are small strawberries renowned for their intense flavour. These are infused

in grape distillate for over four months, creating a slightly sweet liqueur with an intense bouquet. The taste of ripe strawberries is enhanced by the whole strawberries that remain in the bottle. It is delicious served chilled on its own but also good in cocktails or poured over ice cream. Why not try it topped up with Champagne or sparkling wine with a few strawberries in the glass?

Saliza Amaretto Veneziano £23 Another renowned liqueur from the Tosolini family is Saliza, an amaretto. The unique taste of amaretto has made it by far the most famous Italian liqueur in the world. Saliza is made in the traditional style with crushed almonds, rather than the concentrates or extracts which are used by many other producers. Fresh almonds are steeped in alcohol for a couple of weeks before distillation in a special still, which is used for the maximum extraction of flavour. It is then blended with sugar, caramel (to give it its dark colour) and some aged brandy for a richer aroma and taste. There is an inviting bouquet of almond-apricot, with a hint of orange zest.

It is slightly syrupy on the palate, with flavours of marshmallow, macaroon, almond and vanilla. The sweetness is balanced by a bitterness that adds a complexity not found in lesser amarettos.

Robin Winterschladen is wine buyer for the Wine Shop at Fenwick Newcastle.

mix it With George Liddle A minty little warmer to add some heat to the cold days ahead

Grainger Mint Recipe 1 cup mint humbug tea 1 tbsp Black Sambuca 1 tbsp Crème de Menthe 2 tbsp double cream Martini glass

3 Course Valentine’s Dinner £50pp

Method Make a cup of hot mint humbug tea (available from Fenwick), add a tablespoon of Black Sambuca, stir and pour hot into a martini glass. Shake together two tablespoons of double cream and one of Crème de Menthe, float on top of the hot tea.

Garnish: Mint sprig, mint stick and chocolate.

Must be served hot.

JAN/FEB14

Treat someone you love this Valentine’s Day with an indulgent three-course meal at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Newcastle. We also have a special overnight Valentine’s package for £299 that includes the meal for two, a room at Hotel Indigo Newcastle, Champagne, chocolates and breakfast.

0191 300 9222 / www.mpwsteakhousenewcastle.co.uk

MPW Steakhouse Bar & Grill, 2-8 Fenkle Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5XU T&C’s: Available 14th & 15th February.

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Masterclass

with Terry Laybourne So you’ve bought your organic, aged fillet steak - the challenge is cooking it to perfection. It’s not rocket science

Pepper Steak serves 4

Way to go

Ingredients 4 x 170g 3tbsp 3tbsp 2tbsp 1tbsp 1 1/2tsp 2tbsp 2tbsp 75ml 200ml 180ml 3tbsp

• The simpler the method and the accompaniments, the better. Don’t be intimidated.

• Never cook a steak straight from the fridge. Allow it to come up to room temperature (30 minutes for an 8oz steak.)

• My preference is to season the steak the second before it goes in the pan, not before.

• Heavy, cast-iron pans are the best as modern aluminium cools incredibly quickly. Ridge grill-pans are ideal if you want to char the meat.

• Use a combination of oil and butter; oil for the high heat, butter for flavour.

fillet steaks black peppercorns white peppercorns coriander seeds pink peppercorns fine sea salt vegetable oil soft butter Cognac beef stock double cream soft green peppercorns in brine

1 Coarsely grind the black, white and pink peppercorns together with the coriander seeds and sea salt using a pestle and mortar

5 Turn the meat at this point and cook on the second side for a further 2 minutes for rare or continue until the blood rises to the surface again which indicates that your steak is medium

8 Remove the steaks from the pan and transfer to a plate which has a smaller upturned plate on top (to collect any juices from the resting meat). Cover loosely with foil, leave to rest in a warm place, either above the stove or on the open door of a low oven. Add the stock, gently simmer to reduce by 2/3

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2 Roll the steaks in the spice mixture, pressing firmly to embed them into the meat – set aside at room temperature

5a Or use a digital instant–read thermometer. Cook to around 45°C for rare, 52°C for medium rare, 55-60°C for medium and 75°C for well done

9 Add the cream and soft green peppercorns

3 Heat a heavy frying pan over a high heat. Add a little vegetable oil and then the steak (it’s vital that the pan is very hot at this stage)

6 Discard any excess fat from the pan, reduce the heat and add a good splash of Cognac

10 Simmer to reduce a coating consistency

4 Cook for two minutes over a high heat before adding the butter and continue cooking until blood rises to the surface

7 Then add a glug of white wine

11 Return any juices released from the meat while resting

How to serve steak My repertoire is very small: peppered steak, Béarnaise sauce, sauce Bordelaise (red wine with sliced poached bone marrow) and a simple red wine sauce with chopped raw shallots. If I’m really pushing the boat out, I might do a flavoured butter, such as shallots in white wine, chopped parsley and a tiny bit of garlic. And chips, of course.

That goes without saying.

Is it done?

For a home cook the problem generally revolves around figuring out when it’s done.

Professional cooks rely on a touch test. A rare steak should feel like the fleshy triangle of skin between the thumb and index finger of a relaxed hand.

A medium steak will feel like the same spot on a clenched fist and if you want it well done, compare it to the tip of your nose.

A point worth remembering is that thicker steaks will continue to cook for a while once removed from the pan.

12 Coat the steaks generously with the sauce and accompany with a bundle of fine French beans and of course a big bowl of thin, crispy chips

JAN/FEB14

Meet the chef

The people behind the region’s favourite restaurants share their kitchen secrets and culinary inspiration

Vict oria Vassallo

Hea d Che f, Cha pters Hot el & Rest aura nt

in the mix Childhood food memory: Fruit and vegetables as my late father was a farmer and I always loved picking them freshly from the fields.

Vince Puddu

Ian Turner

Chef LUCIA’S

Sous Chef CHAPTERS HOTEL & RESTAURANT

January diet/detox? A bit of both, I try to eat well and exercise.

What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? It will be something special, designed for ‘loved-up couples’ to share.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? The Ivy in London.

Who’s going to be the big name chef in 2014? There is some real talent in the North East, it’s too early to tell at this point I think? Besides myself, of course!

Will you be growing your own? What’s your fave veg? I like to cook with courgettes, they are light and fresh. I do not grow my own, as I like to support my local greengrocer.

January diet/detox? I don’t really go in for that type of thing. I love food too much What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? The staff dinner for me and my wife as we work together at the hotel.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? Eleven Madison Park, New York. I’ve never been to new York and I really fancy it.

Big name chef 2014? James Lowe is a chef I have been hearing a lot about - he loves to use British produce.

Will you be growing your own? What’s your fave veg? I’m actually growing my own oyster mushrooms at the moment.

Tel: 01642 782 242 www.luciasitaliankitchen.co.uk

Tel: 01642 711 888 www.chaptershotel.co.uk

Martin Moore

Favourite family dish: Roast chicken with roast potatoes topped with fennel seeds.

Paul Amer

A meal that inspires me: In Malta, Gillieru Restaurant is situated next to the harbour - the meal I ate was fresh wild seabass, new potatoes and tomato salad. It was out of this world.

January diet/detox? To be fitter and healthier and stay away from chocolate.

What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? Keep it romantic! Shellfish sharing platters with scallops and oysters always go down a treat and, of course, chocolate.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? Eleven Madison Park, New York. Three Michelin stars - it looks stunning.

Who’s going to be the big name chef in 2014? There’s some great young chefs about at the moment, but I can’t really give any predictions.

Will you be growing your own? What’s your fave veg? I like all vegetables really.

I like artichokes & salsify. I love wild mushrooms, there’s such a huge variety.

January diet/detox? Gym sessions, bananas and Asian chicken and fish noodle dishes.

What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? Scallops, oysters. Asian duck platter and local seafood. Platter of chocolate and raspberries.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? Fat Duck, Bray or Buddha bar Dubai.

Who’s going to be the big name chef in 2014? Tony Renwick, the Bridge Tavern Newcastle, a local chef cooking from a love of his craft.

Will you be growing your own? What’s your fave veg? Baskets of herbs. I’m going to try chillies and lemongrass this year.

Tel: 0191 300 9222 www.hotelindigonewcastle.co.uk

Tel: 0191 384 1999 www.lotus-lounge.co.uk

Paul O’Hara

Joe Taylor

Executive Chef ROCKLIFFE HALL

Head Chef BRASSERIE HUDSON QUAY

January diet/detox? Smaller portions, plenty of water and steer clear of processed foods.

What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? An imaginative tasting experience in the Orangery, a European-influenced menu in the Brasserie and simple British classics in the Clubhouse.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? Eleven Madison Park in New York, the food is fantastic, clean and unpretentious.

Who’s going to be the big name chef in 2014? I would prefer my three head chefs to get known out there.

Will you be growing your own? What’s your fave veg? I have plans to grow our own herbs and vegetables in an edible garden.

What’s on the menu for Valentine’s Day? Plenty of sharing platters for couples, chateaubriand and oysters – all washed down with the finest fizz.

If we could whisk you off for dinner where do you fancy? Highly skilled and supremely focused Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley in London – he makes a refreshing change from the usual inyour-face celebrity chefs.

Who’s going to be the big name chef in 2014? There are too many up-andcoming at the moment to decide but I hope to see somebody from the North East hitting the big time this year.

What’s your fave veg? Will you be growing your own? Salsify – it’s so versatile and rustic. If I could grow it in my window box I would.

Tel: 01325 729 999 www.rockliffehall.com

Tel: 01642 261166 www.brasseriehudsonquay.com

A wine that inspires me: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva produced by Robert Mondavi - always a favourite for me.

Inspirational chef: Guy Teerlinck. I trained with him for 16 weeks when I was in Malta. He had a lot of experience with good quality food and he also passed on his passion and care for dishes. It was a huge experience for me and a privilege to learn under a Michelin chef straight away.

Last meal: Goat’s cheese ravioli with basil and tomato sauce.

Your last food and wine would be: Maltese bread with tomatoes, capers and olives drinking Bollinger sat on a sandy beach in Malta with Victor, my best friend and husband.

Favourite food and wine city: London - there is whatever you fancy - good restaurants and entertainment to create the perfect time away.

Favourite Ingredients: Fresh herbs and fish - I love the simplicity of fish and the aromas and flavours of fresh herbs.

Tel: 01642 711 888 www.chaptershotel.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

Head Chef HOTEL INDIGO

Head Chef LOTUS LOUNGE RESTAURANT DURHAM & YARM

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Veg patch with Karen Phillips After the festive excess, it’s pure pleasure to wrap up warm, head for the garden to dig, rake and mulch those calories away - gets the skin glowing better than any spa facial. If you need more of a kick start to get outside then a ‘Bloody Mary’ made with horseradish vodka may do the trick!

Rich pickings...

Florence Fennel: This hardy Italian variety comes from the Dolomites and was sown in September to avoid the inherent problem of bolting in hot weather. It has had the protection of a small polythene polytunnel placed over the row and is a welcome feature in winter salads.

Kale ‘Sutherland’: Forward planning is required for this extremely hardy and resilient heirloom variety which has an excellent flavour and adds décor to the winter veggie patch. Sown last summer and planted out in September it stars in the pinnacle of comfort food: colcannon. Kale is blanched and shredded then added to leeks which have been gently sweated in butter and the whole mixture is then folded into steaming, soft mashed potato; hard to believe that something so delicious counts as ‘eating your greens’.

Apples: The bumper crop of apples last year is still flourishing in stacked old wooden crates in the garage.

They may be a little less crisp now but are still ideal for cooking. A cold January day can be spent in a steamy kitchen making another batch of apple & sweet geranium jelly which was the perfect accompaniment to the wild boar pâté crostini and filo sausage tarts made for New Year nibbles. Spare mincemeat left over? Apple and mincemeat strudel solves that dilemma – austerity January rules!

Regular readers will have realised liqueurs are one of the prime reasons that I grow many fruits; be it cherry brandy, damson gin or luscious rhubarb schnapps Jobs outside...

Pickings may be thin on the ground at this time of year but a little bit of labour now pays dividends in spring. The unseasonably warm weather, i.e. 8C during the day instead of freezing, has enabled plants to continue growing, albeit slowly, and this is also true of the weeds.

A good weeding in the veg patch followed by an inch layer mulch of home-made compost will add vital nutrients and humus to the ground ensuring better water-holding capacity and subsequent plant growth for the coming season. If it is added in February then the worms will have ample time to take it down into the lower layers of the soil before seed sowing commences in late March.

February 14 may be Valentine’s Day but in my mind it signifies the day to plant shallots sets. I don’t grow a lot of onions since they take up space and are so cheap to buy but shallots are such a useful ingredient in the kitchen. Their only drawback is the pain in the neck that they are to skin, so this year I shall be growing the banana shallots so recommended by chefs for the sweet taste of shallot but with the easy-peeling characteristic of the onion. Unfortunately you can’t grow them from sets; hence you need to sow seed under glass in Jan/Feb or outdoors in Feb/March.

Pruning fruit trees Apple trees: The dwarf apple trees produced a bumper crop this year – my husband took pity when their branches were bent to the ground under the weight of fruit and added props to support the additional weight. Each year the branch leaders are cut back by a quarter of the previous year’s growth and the laterals to 4-6 buds; the 3Ds of wood

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(diseased/dead/damaged) are removed completely, along with any crossing branches.

Jobs in the greenhouse...

Clean, tidy and disinfect the greenhouse to remove any overwintering aphids and scale insects and maybe a New Year’s resolution to use less chemicals in the garden?

Perhaps it is time to consider some biological controls for pests that flourish in the greenhouse. www.defenders.co.uk Modular sowings of vegetables such as the aforementioned banana shallots, beetroot, spring onions, turnips, and round carrots can start in February and be planted out in clumps a few weeks later for an early crop.

An early crop of ‘Agretti’ can also be started off indoors in polystyrene veg boxes and planted out as a whole in May. Don’t forget to order your seed potatoes for chitting.

Now if you are a regular reader of this column, you’ll have realised that liqueurs are one of the prime reasons that I grow many fruits; be it cherry brandy, damson gin or luscious rhubarb schnapps. It is not often that I get a chance to make one from a vegetable: Horseradish vodka has the nose-tingling heat of wasabi with the aesthetic delights of a bottle of clear liqueur that sparkles in the sunlight like glitter when you shake it. Devising an impromptu ‘Bloody Mary’ with chef Andy Snell of Papaya, using horseradish vodka, tomatoes and chillies from the greenhouse and red celery from the garden, was one of the highlights of the Christmas Luxe photo-shoot.

‘Horseradish Bloody Mary’ First make your horseradish vodka at least a week in advance:

Steep some pared fresh horseradish root in vodka for at least a week and then strain through muslin into a sterilised bottle.

Steep some celery leaves and half a chopped red chilli (deseeded) in the horseradish vodka whilst you get on with juicing some fresh tomatoes (you’ll be amazed how pale the liquid is compared to carton juice).

Strain the chilli/celery leaf vodka into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the tomato juice and a generous amount of freshly ground salt and pepper and shake till well chilled. Pour into shot glasses and serve with a small celery baton.

Looking ahead Next issue we’ll be deciphering the difference between squashes and pumpkins; sowing the Japanese herb Perilla; and feasting on forced rhubarb and star anise custard tarts.

Karen runs Widehaugh House cookschool and gardens, Hexham. www.widehaughhouse.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

Chef’s table with James Close James Close, head chef at The Raby Hunt, the region’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, joins Luxe to share food tales and adventures I’ll be starting 2014 by heading off to the French Alps for a breather after what’s been a busy few months in and out of the restaurant.

I enjoyed my first Christmas as a dad – our daughter Harriett is now eight months old and her present was a little trike with a trug-like basket on the back, a carefully thought-out gift - I am already planning to take her on some fungus foraging missions near my parents’ home in Hamsterley to fill that trug.

People ask what does a chef eat for Christmas lunch? I took on the challenge of something different for us this year with capon from a supplier called St Brides based in South Lanarkshire.

The farm rears slow-growing chicken breeds which live a totally free-range life until they reach 14 weeks – three times older than conventional hens. They live on non-GM grain, as well as grubbing in the long grass of their field for insects, and are treated to a bag of mash from the nearby Strathaven Ales Brewery every now and then, which clearly makes for happy birds.

The chickens arrived a week before Christmas and we hung them in the fridge so the air could circulate around them. I took the legs off and made a confit with them. On Christmas day I was in charge of the bird – but mum did the vegetables! I cooked the chicken breast to 62 degrees so it was really moist and succulent and we had the confit legs alongside. The flavour of the bird was amazing – it was a bit of a test run for the restaurant as well – we’re

Grower Ken Holland has risen to the challenge of growing some amazing new ingredients for me as I design some new dishes

think about the freshness of new season produce. I like to create rhubarb textures served with Brillat Savarin cheese ice-cream.

Bib Gourmand

Local hero Grower Ken Holland from Vallum Farm in Northumberland is a magician in the polytunnel. He supplies the best restaurants in the country and has risen to the challenge of growing some amazing new ingredients for me – I am currently on with designing new dishes to showcase them – but not revealing any secrets just yet!

Following I am always busy on Twitter @rabyhunt and will be recommending people to follow - Andy Haler @wyahaw - he has been to every three-star Michelin restaurant in the world, tells the truth and knows his stuff.

Planning a visit definitely planning to bring the capon to our menus in February.

Our family tradition is a chocolate roulade for dessert as well as Christmas pud.

Christmas morning breakfast and we had a glass of our favourite Philipponnat rose champagne with some wonderful dry smoked salmon and scrambled egg from our local fishmonger, Hodgson’s. I cook the scrambled egg slowly – line a pan with a little bit of butter, add eggs and cream and served slightly underdone. Very good start to any day, Christmas or not.

Enjoying a glass of With our Christmas lunch we had one of our favourite wines – a spectacularly good pinot noir from Germany – Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden Malterdinger Spätburgunder. It’s from Baden, the southernmost – and warmest – German wine region where the sunny climate replicates the best French Burgundy. This wine is light in colour, cherry-flavoured, soft and so easy-drinking you have to open another pretty quickly.

Ingredient Forced Yorkshire rhubarb is a chef’s best friend at this time of the year – I get very excited about it – we snuck some in to the New Year’s Eve tasting menu. It is really versatile and has such a fantastic flavour that makes you

JAN/FEB14

I need to get out and about to visit restaurants that are being talked about – that might mean a swift Eurostar journey or just a trip across the Pennines or on the East Coast to Edinburgh.

One place I want to visit is Manchester House, Aiden Byrne’s place in, guess, Manchester. In that city he and Simon Rogan at The French rule the roost so it’ll be interesting to compare the two.

Closer to home, head chef Stephen Hardy has taken over the running of The Gourmet Spot in Durham. He’s good at what he does so it will be interesting to see what develops there.

Next time I’ll be writing about eating at The Ferme de Montagne at Les Gates in France and three-star Vendome in Cologne, Germany.

New boy Chef David Garlinge joined us at Raby Hunt last year from Ramsay’s Maze. He came just as his MasterChef The Professionals was being televised – Dave got through to the last eight on the show – but preparing lemon tart wasn’t his finest hour – so he’s had to bear much ribbing from the team.

New Year’s Eve was our finest hour with a 12-course tasting menu and our first chef’s table in the champagne bar at Raby Hunt which provided a bit of theatre for guests. We tried some new dishes and the last guests left at 2.45am, which I think signals a good time had by all!

With my resolution – New York in May to eat at Eleven Madison Park.

With Harriett Close, aged eight months Mum and dad took me for lunch at The Ledbury restaurant in London, which he tells me has two Michelin stars. I liked it a lot and had a good seat for people watching.

Daddy says it’s great because it’s baby-friendly and relaxed but he can also taste the amazing food from chef Brett Graham’s kitchen.

Daddy raved about the quail with artichoke and pear and chestnut puree. He loved scallops with orange and pumpkin – and something called ‘variations on onions’. I didn’t try that. I like nothing better than chewing on a crust of good bread at the table - but when I get more teeth, who knows!

Diary date We’re planning a champagne tasting night on March 19/20 at Raby Hunt – mum and dad (who are also my business partners) recently visited the family-run Philipponnat champagne house and enjoyed a gourmet dinner with champagne pairings for each course – something we’re going to replicate here. www.rabyhuntrestaurant.co.uk

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love-me lingerie

Boudoir best It’s time to linger over lingerie and fall in love with jewel tones, classic corsets and perky panties

Damaris Pandora velvet and silk set with hand-trimmed tassels. Bra, £94, thong, £75, suspender, £54, Gio stockings, £15.95.

LingeriebyAnnette Chair: Devon Chair Timothy Oulton in Antique Whiskey, £839

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JAN/FEB14

LOVE-ME LINGERIE

TREND WATCH WITH CATHERINE NEWTON

In the fashion world spring is here and this season’s collections are arriving in store right now!

As covetable new pieces in light fabrics and bright colours arrive we are reminded that spring is around the corner.

SS14 will see a number of key trends emerging, from lady-like dresses and sport-inspired looks to botanical and geometric prints adorning A-line skirts and boxy tops. For everyone about to spring-clean their wardrobe, here’s my guide to top trends for the season ahead.

THE LADY Inspired by the feminine cuts of the 1940s and 50s the lady-like look is back. This season your heroine is Grace Kelly and all focus should be on the waistline; for those who are brave enough allowing just a hint of midriff to go on display will bring this look right up to date. But remember, hemlines should float around the knee and skirts should still hold plenty of volume.

TO EMBELLISH Opulent dressing in the form of heavy embroidery, defined pleats and excessive jewellery makes up one of the key trends for SS14. This is something that was explored on the runways of Alice Temperley and Moschino Cheap and Chic with Russian-style heavy embroidery and bejewelled bows taking centre stage respectively. Start small by stacking up bracelets or take this trend to the max with a sequined gown, as seen at Marc Jacobs’ SS14 show.

GO MONOCHROME The trend for black and white dressing remains popular with Paul Smith and Helmut Lang releasing collections built around this palette. Michael and Nicole Colovos, the team behind Helmut Lang, have layered different grey-scale fabrics over each other: black silk meets white cotton and draped neck lines hover over uneven hems. At Paul Smith geometric prints have taken over, with black and white patterns covering lady-like dresses.

GET BOTANICAL The fashion buzz word for SS14 is botanical. Country garden roses are replaced by the bold and glamorous flowers of the jungle. Tropical prints emblazon shift dresses and boxy tunic style tops; the style is abstract and hints at the glamour of faraway beaches. Look to Sportmax Code, DVF and Versus Versace to get the look.

Shell Belle Couture Peacock bra, £95, thong £55. LingeriebyAnnette.

Chair: Devon Chair Timothy Oulton in Antique Whiskey, £839

THE SPORTS STAR Cropped jackets, trousers with a drawstring-waist and full length jump-suits make up this season’s sport-luxe trend.

Fabric weight should be kept light with silk, chiffon and sports mesh making up the bulk of an outfit. Fashion houses Acne and Joseph have created collections that encapsulate this style, with cropped trouser lengths and laser cut hems playing a part in their SS14 contributions.

To book a personal shopping appointment to explore the new collections with the help of our in-house fashion stylist call 0191 232 5100.

Catherine Newton is Head of Womenswear at Fenwick, Newcastle

JAN/FEB14

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LOVE-ME LINGERIE

Red cami, £35, black bra, £22. Boux Avenue, Metrocentre.

Chair: Le Corbusier Chaise Longue, £599

Shell Belle Couture alter body, £99, robe, £100 LingeriebyAnnette, Mules, £35, Boux Avenue. Chaise as before.

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JAN/FEB14

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JAN/FEB14

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love-me lingerie

Mimi Holliday Dotty L’Amour bra, £57, bow-back thong, £37, suspenders £43.

LingeriebyAnnette Chair: Panton Lounge Chair, £139

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JAN/FEB14

LOVE-ME LINGERIE

Rosie Huntington-Whitely for Autograph, Marks & Spencer, bra, £27.50, briefs, £16.

JAN/FEB14

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love-me lingerie

Red bra, £30, briefs, £16, suspenders, £18, all Boux Avenue, Metrocentre Chair: Timothy Oulton Ball Chair, £1999

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JAN/FEB14

LOVE-ME LINGERIE

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LIVE TO SHOP WITH WENDY GIBSON

OH THE CHEEK! 1. Cheeky Peach, £35, LingeriebyAnnette 2. Firecracker, £25, LingeriebyAnnette 3. Shell Belle Couture, The ‘untie-me’ Swarovski-trim 4. red&Ginger Great British Knicker, £110, LingeriebyAnnette 5. Purple shorts, £16, Boux Avenue, Metrocentre 6. Black&gold thong, £18, Untold at House of Fraser, Metrocentre

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New year luxe for less, your essential wardrobe update… and seriously big hair Happy New Year fashionistas!. With Bob Dylan’s Hurricane on the iPod, and the wind aptly howling a hooly outside, I’m cheering myself up, by focussing on the endless possibilities of the new year.

First suggestion out the gate, if you overindulged over Christmas, then make a beeline for HavetoLove in Gosforth, and their new arrivals, the Made in Heaven new Bodycon jeans. The secret is all in the fabric darling!

Unlike many types of stretch jeans, which can almost double in size over time, these beauties boast that they are spun in coil formation, to spring back into shape, and help you spring back too.

While you’re there, check out HavetoLove’s very own brand of cashmere, dresses, and new in-house jewellery line designed by Kate Walton, with some of the proceeds going to local charities. It’s quite boho, with Hamsa hands, lucky horse shoes, and crystal love arrows very reminiscent of the Jade Jagger look, but at a fraction of the cost.

As a Luxe girl who likes her money to go further, I now have a new shopping destination very much bookmarked in my tablet. It’s somewhere you’ll always find the newest, latest, and greatest, with around twenty percent off. I’m talking about T5 Heathrow. I’ve recently been whizzing in and out of Heathrow on business discovering an Aladdin’s cave. There are freestanding Mulberry, Burberry, Prada, Gucci and Tiffany stores, and all the electrical gadgets you could want at Dixons. Plus, a Harrods with a whole range of great labels including Etro, Missoni, and an instore Jo Malone concession. The trick is to research what you want, and ring them – ideally a week in advance – and it will be there waiting for you when you next pass through T5. So if there’s a special Mulberry bag you’ve got your eye on.

Or an iPad cover from Gucci that you just have to have, then make the most of your time in transit, shop some great luxe labels with terrific service, at fantastic prices.

Standing out from the crowd is also something that Vintage at the Tower in Corbridge does well. A collective of three passionate, artistic, like-minded souls, they source all kinds of magic for the home, from cushions, painted furniture, bespoke jewellery, and vintage recycled products, to beautiful rugs, Harris Tweed, and Liberty fabric pieces you can transform. I’ve sourced some great Liberty fabrics there that are now fantastic scarves rocking my Burberry biker jackets, and at amazing prices too.

Question: how to get that Kate Moss big hair look if fine hair is your problem? I’ve found something, that at least in my own experience works. It’s from Oribe (pronounced Orbay) and in Hooker and Young salons. Volumista gives the most amazing volume while Thickening Spray gives me almost Ivana Trump height! I asked Gary H which would be his hero products. Straight away he replied the Thickening Spray, and top of the pops the Dry Texturising spray. Now that’s what I call magic. Stay warm!

As well as being a shopping supremo, shoe-a-holic and general lover of all things luxe, Wendy Gibson is a broadcaster, presenter and event host in the North East

JAN/FEB14

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LOVE-ME LINGERIE

What Katy Did corset, £210, Playful Promise frilly pants, £10. LingeriebyAnnette.

CREDITS

Photography: Kevin Gibson www.kgphotography.co.uk Model: Gaynor Millican Hair&make-up: Victoria Forshaw www.pinspetalsandpowder.co.uk Styling: Fiona McLain Stockists: Boux Avenue, Metrocentre www.bouxavenue.com House of Fraser, Metrocentre www.houseoffraser.co.uk Marks&Spencer, Metrocentre www.marksandspencer.com www.intumetrocentre.co.uk www.lingeriebyannette.co.uk Chairs supplied by Barker and Stonehouse www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Annette Keelty set up Lingerie by Annette after a life as a midwife and sister in the special care baby unit at Newcastle RVI. In a complete career change fuelled by her love of nice lingerie she set up her website which is devoted to British designers manufacturing in Britain.

She stocks a range of super-trendy independent designers such as Mimi Holliday, What Katy Did and North-East business Tallulah Love. Together with Michelle Taylor from Tallulah Love, she has launched a range called Northern Soul – which includes the ‘Cheeky Peach’ and ‘Firecracker’ briefs with their heart-shaped bottom panels. www.lingeriebyannette.com

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JAN/FEB14

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Based in an alcove space under the railway bridge in Newcastle, Natalie Catlah is literally raising the barre when it comes to exercise.

Just before 10am, The Barre studio smells of fresh coffee, an aroma that circulates the downstairs ‘living room’ foyer. It’s a stylish starting point. At the front desk we’re greeted by a lady in stylish black framed glasses sat at a ‘Devil Wears Prada’ desk with a huge Apple Mac resting on it.

A petite, pixie blonde figure bounces in and out of the changing room. “I’m Natalie, pleased to meet you,” says a subtle Geordie-meets-California accent belonging to Barre owner Natalie Catlah. Toned and in great physical shape, she is in her early thirties but has a body of a toned 20-year-old. Her confidence radiates and her presence instantly relaxes all the newbies attending today’s intro class.

After two classes, she makes a quick change into black sweatpants and an oversized knitted jumper. She hasn’t broken into a sweat, it’s just a normal day at the studio.

Natalie is breaking the mould in terms of fitness with The Barre system that mirrors traditional dance training. You only have to see the transformation contestants on Strictly Come Dancing make as they train to see the difference dance can make to fitness levels. Adding ballet technique to the mix improves posture and long-term strength.

A trained dancer, Natalie was born and raised in South Shields. At 16 she earned a full-time place at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester. In her second year, tearing her Achilles tendon meant Natalie was in rehabilitation classes for six months. She had no idea of the huge impact that her injury would eventually have. It would be the catalyst that would kick-start her interest in non-impact, stability and strength-focused exercises, which would later create ‘The Barre workout.’

In full fitness, she graduated with the rest of her class. She started working on cruise ships, hers in particular docking weekly in Los Angeles. A few cruise liners later and Natalie saw her career on the move, “I was a choreographer’s assistant for the longest amount of time, we’d travel around setting and casting shows then move to the next location.”

She decided to qualify as a pilates instructor, eventually setting up her own studio in LA. Her clientele included, “Mainly actresses, music moguls, dancers and studio executives - those in charge of putting Hollywood’s movies together.”

Natalie’s studio, which she tries to visit regularly in LA, is thriving. The Newcastle Barre has a different type of clientele. It is made up of what you might call yummy mummies, and ex-dancers, who still want to stay in shape.

The glitzy LA life she enjoyed is a long way from Newcastle but she has starry memories.

“You see famous people all the time in LA and you kind of get used to it. A friend wanted to introduce me to someone,” she recalls. It just so happened to be Tom Hanks, I was definitely star struck!” The voice behind Toy Story’s ‘Woody’ asked why she had a funny accent and how she liked LA. Completely wrapped up in Hollywood ‘A-List’ meet and greet stories, it’s baffling why anyone would want to leave. But with nothing of its kind being taught in the North East, Natalie saw a gap in the market and a reason to head back home.

The decision to open a Barre studio here

JAN/FEB14

The Strictly folks have proved that dance is great for toning the body. Natalie Catlah is the woman to help you take the first steps to a dancer’s body. Sarah-Jane Page joined her for a workout

Strike a pose was a daunting one. Trying to explain a fairly new concept even in LA at that point, to people who had never heard of the Barre method, sounded tough. The intensely focused fat-burning class that tones your body to that of a ballet dancer, a few years ago, seemed difficult to make appealing.

“It took time to grow, nobody really knew about Barre but now we’ve been going for four years and the expansion is only really happening now,” she says.

It is a booming business and she is very happy to be home. “I didn’t expect to be away for so long, the time just flew by. It got to that point where I wanted to come home and be back with my family. Natalie smiles affectionately, whilst talking about her home comforts. She looks out of the studio’s window onto a sunny Saturday morning.

“My family and my husband are my home comforts.” www.the-barre.com

Work it out The barre workout defines and tones the body, giving you a long lean, supple ‘dancer’ look.

It combines elements of pilates, dance and resistance training and is a simple routine performed on a ballet barre, with light weights and using your own body resistance. No rhythm needed!

The Barre takes the most effective dance training moves and strips them down to the base mechanics of the movement.

A short series of small, intense movements targets individual muscle groups to a fast “burn”, which is immediately followed by a stretching series of that muscle group.

The 60-minute workout covers the entire body, leaves you feeling invigorated (sometimes slightly wobbly - but in a good way) and the workout produces a defined, lean, muscular body shape akin to that of a dancer.

The result - good posture which plays a key part in helping the body cope with the demands of everyday life. Many common aches and pains can be alleviated by postural correction, which in turn can help prevent back, shoulder and neck problems.

Exercises which focus on the core muscles of the body not only improve strength and stability but also work to maintain good spinal alignment.

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SHOCK OF THE NEW

go crazy

All things bright and beautiful for 2014 hair - dare you?

January always sees a flurry of people wanting to re-invent themselves to start a new year feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. A new colour is always a good way to do that - so let’s see what’s hot for 2014.

We do realise that this pastel powderpuff might not be for everyone but it’s always good to know what’s going on with the fashionistas and style icons of the world.

Soft candy floss, gentle flower colours and demure shades of sorbet really are becoming hair colour favourites with celebs and fashion designers - with Chanel leading the way.

These subtle colours settle on the hair with a fine translucency to give a refined elegance whereas low-key colours add a flair of sophistication without being overwhelming.

It’s also good to know that these shades can be used to add panels of colour as well as entire coverage. Pastel colours can be easily added to naturally blonde or bleached hair but they won’t work on brunettes. This isn’t to say it’s not possible, it would however mean a more in-depth colour process to achieve the look.

All coloured hair needs special care regardless of how soft the shade may be and using the right hair care products will ensure pleasing, long-lasting results.

So there you have it - whether or not you fancy a big show-offy change or just a tweak to your existing colour, let the new year bring a new you.

Michael Young and Gary Hooker run award-winning Hooker & Young, with six salons regionwide.

See www.hookerandyoung.co.uk for salon details.

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JAN/FEB14

Reaching Out And Giving Back Studio Owner Michael Oliver

Trying to help the less fortunate

“I was very proud to lead the team over the line with the yellow jersey” says Michael.

“Not sure what I did to deserve it, I think they must have felt sorry for me”.

Thank you to all of our friends and patients who have supported our attempts to help those less well off.

You are so kind.

Here at Olivers Dental Studio it’s not just about fixing and repairing teeth it’s about giving back to the local community and spreading our love further afield to help those less fortunate. Our team of thirty are no different to most businesses.

Thirty of us leave our warm houses on a morning, we have our big breakfasts and drive to work in our nice cars.

We are also very much aware of our good fortune at Olivers, good jobs doing what we enjoy and getting well paid for it. There are many in the world not so fortunate and we try our best to do a little bit to give back.

For several years the staff at Olivers have involved themselves in charity efforts both at home and in faraway lands.

We are proud of our association with the excellent Sunderland Foundation of Light.

As the registered charity of Sunderland Football Club the Foundation provides education, involvement and inspiration for young people and their families in the North East.

Many of the children and their families are down on their luck and the Foundation does magnificent work to help overcome difficulties.

We are delighted to offer signicant financial support to the Foundation with our sponsorship of the match day draw at SAFC home games. As big SAFC fans at the studio it is a privilege to walk on the pitch at half time to draw the Grand in Your Hand Draw at the same time raising much needed funds for the work of the Foundation.

Studio owner Michael also pushed himself to the limits in the summer with thirty other riders in a gruelling 400 mile bike ride in five days as a Foundation fundraiser.

Raising a remarkable £40,000, the group enjoyed a wonderful experience as they cycled from Dublin to Belfast and on to Scotland, finally returning to the finish line at the Stadium of Light.

Our other main charity effort centres around the magnicent work of the Dental Maverick Charity in North Africa. As one of the founder members of the charity, now four years old, Michael Oliver has seen the charity blossom into a signicant provider of dental care in Morocco.

The charity has grown year on year with a week-long annual visit by a team of dentists, hygienists and their support team.

Providing dental care to the Moroccan village children who have no access to

dental care has eliminated pain in many youngsters with severely neglected teeth.

With a combination of high sugar diet and little or no dental care, dental pain is the norm not the exception we have in the UK. In trips fully funded by the team themselves, all fundraising goes directly to the children’s care, materials and equipment.

Studio owner Michael joined an exciting fund raising trip to Africa this year in aid of the Mavericks. Joining the gruelling Cycle Sahara project, Michael and fifteen others cycled several hundred miles from the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco down into the Sahara desert. The conclusion of the ride saw the team cycle for two days in 100-plus temperatures on the dust tracks of the Sahara.

The team slept overnight with the nomadic tribe people of the Sahara in tents amongst the towering sand dunes. “One of the experiences of my life,” says Michael.

We are proud that three of our dental team joined the Mavericks in North Africa in September of this year. Dentist Iain Morrison and nurses Cherelle and Anthea linked up with the team of twenty on their week long mission. Providing dental care to nearly three hundred children made this the most successful year yet. A fantastic effort of giving by our three heroes.

Our charity work in Africa doesn’t stop in the North. We are proud to support the excellent work of the SAFC Keroche project in Kenya. This little village in the wilds just outside of Nairobi had itself a village football team down on it’s luck. No equipment, no strips, no proper pitch and no transport, poverty was taking its toll.

In stepped huge Sunderland fan Gary Lamb who energised some local Sunderland business folk to put together a fund to support the team. How things have grown as the team now are fully kitted out, have an excellent pitch and even a mini bus to get them from games.

The team are the envy of many in Kenya and it is all giving great joy to many young people. We couldn’t be more proud to be part of this great venture in one of the poorest parts of the world. Our funding has sponsored a player and kind donations of strips etc by our patients have been shipped to the village.

Other charities we have supported this year include the Red Cross and Children in Need.

Olivers Dental, Studio 27 Durham Road, East Herrington, Sunderland, SR3 3NQ Mon & Wed, 8.30am - 7pm Tue, Thur & Fri, 8.30 - 5.30 Sat, 9am - 1pm

0191 543 7513 www.oliverdental.com

SMOOTH THOSE LINES

French polish

Seaham Hall’s spa has become the first in the region to offer treatments by French beauty house Darphin. Kathryn Armstrong indulges

French women don’t get fat – we know, a book tells us so. Nor do they get wrinkly – or if they do it’s far more stylishly – if the likes of Catherine Deneuve are anything to go by. Just as they are tutored in the right things to eat and the right clothes to wear, the women of France are of course taught the art of skincare from their mother’s (perfectly toned and exfoliated) knee.

At the launch of skincare brand Darphin at Seaham Hall, a group of unspeakably beautiful advisors of all ages wafted – the only word – through the spa telling us about the brand. All they had to do was be there. Living proof that a lifetime of devotion to a skincare regime of more than a Johnson’s baby wipe does pay off.

Darphin is the cult-classic Paris-born skincare brand professionally recommended by beauty therapists, aestheticians and pharmacists.

It promises real results – and what they call ‘unrivalled sensorial pleasure’ which I think means a marvellous, memorable facial.

Darphin prescribes regimes of serums, essential oils and creams that work in any combination for a personal skincare ritual. At its centre are feel-good, mood-boosting botanicals and essential oils – and luxurious touchy-feely products.

They are at the sharp end of luxury with price tags to match – backed up by the science bit.

It’s nice to see something different in spa skincare – our region’s spas are certainly going head to head when it comes to upping the game for the pamper-seekers.

Seaham’s spa has long been the home to Elemis for skincare treatments so it’s nice to see something new and luxurious popping up in the spa, which itself has had a facelift of late.

I was trying out Darphin’s new Smart Firming Facial, 65 minutes of pleasure bringing with it the promise of plumped lines and smoother, young-looking skin. You can understand why those French women get addicted.

In terms of the process of a facial, it was pretty routine, if

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65 minutes of pleasure bringing with it the promise of plumped lines and young-looking skin. You can understand why those French women get addicted very pleasurable, with a thorough cleanse using a gorgeous balm, massage, exfoliation and an anti-ageing camellia mask applied. Gentle anti-wrinkle jasmine oil applied at the end really seemed to soak into the skin and my face felt immediately toned and tightened, which is just what you’re after. It is the products that make the difference. The day after the treatment, as I write, my skin feels incredible. Very toned, smooth and yes, the lines plumped – ie faded away.

Result. I notice skin looking radiant, my eyebrows lifted for certain and my face feeling so lovely and soft.

These feel like such treaty products and the end result in my case was fabulous – I am not saying I look ten years younger but It definitely is a ‘feel good, feel French’ zippy kind of treatment that makes you crave a glass of champagne to celebrate, as all French women would.

Smart Firming Facial, £90 at Serenity Spa. www.seaham-hall.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

LUXE LIFE

RACHEL KERSHAW

Rachel Kershaw is 31 and lives in Fenham. Her day is spent working in advertising at Metro Radio in Newcastle. She’s a Geordie blogger who won VisitEngland’s ‘Fan in a Van’ competition which led to her following the Olympic Torch Relay around the country in a vintage campervan and blogging about her weird and wonderful experiences along the way. More recently, Since then Rachel has taken to blogging about the place she loves best, Newcastle. www. lifeingeordieland.com and Twitter @rachmotormouth LUXE PEOPLE >> I’m blessed to have some very special people in my life… My other half James, the Kershaws, the Andersons, the famous five (they know who they are), and the Otto clan (so do they!).

LUXE PLACES: For a weekend > The North East coast, I always feel at peace there.

A long holiday > Italy. I’ve visited a few Italian cities but the Amalfi coast is next on the list!

A treat > Jesmond Dene House. I’ve never actually been but I hear it’s amazing.

LUXE RELAX: Best food > Sunday lunch or a feast of tapas Best wine > I’m rather partial to prosecco Favourite restaurant > El Coto in Newcastle

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is a firm favourite and I’ve recently discovered Pasqualinos, inside the Theatre Royal.

Perfect weekend > Spending time with my gorgeous niece and nephew who are twins and turned two in December. I took them to Tynemouth to build their first sandcastle in the summer and Fenwick Christmas window this winter.

Downtime means > A trip to the Nicola Taylor Experience in Heaton. Nicola is a fantastic hairdresser and I always leave feeling totally pampered.

I love the Tyneside Cinema too, it’s got a great atmosphere and because you can enjoy a glass of wine while you watch a film it’s a great place to unwind.

Best telly > Coronation Street is my guilty pleasure and I absolutely love Don’t Tell the Bride.

LUXE SHOP Best shopping city > Newcastle and Leeds are both great. I like compact cities so I can go from high street to vintage without a ten-mile trek.

Favourite shop > Fenwick, Newcastle - I could spend all day in there.

Luxe retail treat > Make-up from Benefit, the packaging is irresistible.

Friends and family came up from all over the country, my mate Kenny from Metro Radio DJ’d, a friend’s mum did all the food and I had a cake in the shape of a record-player, it was a proper knees-up!

Perfect party > Good friends, soul music and cocktails are all I need. Hoochie Coochie in Newcastle is the perfect venue for all three.

Best dress > 50s frocks hide a multitude of sins and I love classic 60s stuff too but I’m more often to be found in jeans and jumpers.

Dinner date > James (my other half ), wearing a sharp suit, good shoes and Hugo Boss aftershave.

LUXE PARTY A memorable night out > My 30th birthday party at the British Legion in Jesmond.

YOUR LUXE THING IN LIFE A spa day, followed by afternoon tea, a rare but much-loved treat.

Best book > I love reading travel books, I spend hours planning imaginary gap years.

Best sounds > Soul music from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. You can’t beat Motown Mondays on Magic 1152!

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WISE UP FIT

FITNESS! WITH LEILA BRAMWELL

Beauty:update Chapped lips, over-indulged skin and sad, weather-beaten hands. Oh, we really need to call on the winter skin savers...

STAY SMOOTH >> Dry skin needs a dose of something called Caspase-14 to produce and maintain critical moisture levels say the people at Origins.

They deliver it in their super-efficient Make A Difference Rejuvenating serum treatment lotion. It delivers moisture to thirsty skin by creating a water reservoir within its inner layers. Serum, £34, lotion, £20, on counter.

As a trainer, over the years I have seen many fad exercise classes, some good but some unbelievably bad. I’ve noticed over the last 12 months, however, that people are starting to get wise to the fact that they are being used as guinea pigs.

There are fads that target people’s vulnerabilities and make money out of them. In the last six months it has really become noticeable that people are becoming intelligent to how and where they exercise. People are ditching the big factory-produced gyms offering low standard of training and going to the smaller style gyms where you are looked after by highly qualified trainers. Where you are no longer a membership number but a name.

People do not want to exercise with 30-plus people but in small numbers or one on one if finances allow. We understand now that large classes (over 12) cannot offer the same standard in teaching as small numbers can. An example of this is pilates, yoga or a weights class. In big factory-produced gyms you can get 20-plus in the class. How can an instructor make sure that all these people are working safely and in correct alignment? The answer to that is they can’t. It’s better to pay more for smaller classes and get twice the benefit and results. You should always try and stick to smaller classes especially if you are at risk of injury or are rehabilitating.

Another observation, which makes me very happy, is that people are understanding the importance of core strength and flexibility. This is due to so many pro athletes and well known footballers and celebrities doing pilates, reformer and yoga to better their game, strength and stamina and posture and also to reduce risk of injury. Gone are the days when people believed pilates was only for rehabilitation or women or the older population. People want to stay active and be the best that they can be and to do that you need to work your inferior and superior muscles.

Good health in 2014 Leila Bramwell

<< SLEEP EASY How pampering does a ‘sleeping facial’ sound?

Blissful. Jurlique’s Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Cream Mask promises you will wake up wonderful! A ten-minute booster or overnight hydration treatment. The magic comes from silica and mica crystallised mineral powder. Apply an even layer to the skin, avoiding the eye area.

Relax for 10 minutes or go sleep! £32.50 at Space NK, Fenwick or www.jurlique.co.uk

TRUE TLC >> We adore Aromatherapy Associates – products are just dreamily fragrant and a treat to use. A real ‘kiss it better’ moment comes from Nourishing Face Oil, £41, perfect when skin is feeling dry and sensitive with evening primrose oil, rose and sandalwood. Serious TLC comes in the form of Aromatherapy Associates Overnight Repair Mask, £51. This mask is an intense treatment to smooth and firm the skin’s appearance. If skin is particularly out of condition, try an overnight treatment of Intensive Skin Treatment Oil under an application of the mask. www.aromatherapyassociates.com

SINGLE LEG STRETCH >>

<< BIG HELPER

This is a great core move and leg stretch.

1) Lie facing up, lengthen your body and draw shoulder blades down your back.

2) Bring one knee in towards your chest and lengthen the other leg and hover it a few inches off the floor.

3) Lift your head, try not to let your chin go into your chest.

4) Place both hands under the leg near the knee but not on the knee joint.

5) Gently pull the leg towards you and inhale through your nose.

6) Exhale and swap legs keeping your head up.

7) Keep going and try doing around 12 each side.

With a name like ‘Skin Repair’, you know a product has a plan of action. This Liz Earle moisturiser packs its punch with natural ingredients such as borage plant oil, avocado oil, natural antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E to replace lost moisture. £19.25. As I write I am administering some Liz Earle Superbalm to sore lips (it works on anything sore). Magic in a £5 pot.

Both on counter in John Lewis or www.lizearle.com

QUENCHER >> Clarins’ HydraQuench cream is the seasonal answer to overwhelmed dry, tight, lined and lacklustre skin. A light and silky-textured cream for normal to dry skin. £35 on counter.

<< ICE IDEA

In Health and Happiness Leila Bramwell www.shapingfutures.co.uk Pilates and Fitness Studio, Durham City

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Kiehl’s Ultra Facial cream, £24, has proved its worth with Greenland explorers who tested it as they scaled the peaks of Earth’s largest island. They returned addicted to the product that had been their skin saviour – which suggests it might do the business on a blustery beach in Bamburgh too. On counter in Fenwick and in store.

JAN/FEB14

LUXE INDULGE >> Something of an investment for your skin, Creme de la Mer’s Luminous Essentials Starter Set is a breathdrawing £260 but big on nourishment with a collection of five essentials which help to transform the look of skin, leaving it feeling soothed, nourished and rejuvenated, including Moisturizing Soft Cream and Radiant Serum. On counter in Fenwick, Newcastle.

<< NO MORE BLUE A blue bottle of winter nourishment for frost-damaged skin in the form of Biotherm’s Blue Therapy serum-inoil. The key do-gooders in this easy-absorbed gel-oil, are the ‘Blue Therapy Trio’ (AFA Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca and Life PlanktonTM), which help repair the skin’s natural protective barrier function and nourish the skin. £44 from Boots stores.

Romance

at Rockliffe...

5 star Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth, County Durham has a range of romantic breaks for lovers this Valentine’s Day. With three luxury breaks to choose from, there’s something for everyone including our Old Hall break for those who enjoy fine dining to our Spa Lover’s Escape for couples who want to relax and make the most of their time together with romantic treatments.

You’ll fall head over heels for our choice of experiences, to find out more call 01325 729999 or email enquiries@rockliffehall.com

www.rockliffehall.com Hurworth-on-Tees Darlington County Durham DL2 2DU +44 (0)1325 729999 enquiries@rockliffehall.com

JAN/FEB14

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SAVE ME SKIN

<< PARTY RESCUE Are your eyes all sad and partied out? See the light with the new Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimiser, £32. This ‘new best friend’ of a treatment calms inflammation, deletes dark circles, strengthens the skin and reduces the appearance of shadows. From counters regionwide.

<< A LITTLE LOVIN’

LUXE LOVES

Fall in love with bareMinerals’ fresh new True Romantic collection for spring. The delicate pretty range comes in rose gold packaging and conjures up images of twinkling eyes, juicy pink lips and petal pink cheeks in full bloom. Try their Ready Eyeshadow, The True Romantic in four lust-worthy hues, £29, and Blush in Swoon, £22, both from Fenwick, Newcastle and counters regionwide.

A romantic roll Less obvious than the full-on, power-packed hearts and flowers Valentine fragrances, Aveda’s Love Pure-Fume is all about subtle aromas. Warm and passionate nevertheless, we love! £22.

On counter in Fenwick, Newcastle.

<< PAMPER TIME Be preened from head to foot for Valentine’s Day with Elemis’ Top-to-Toe Beauty Skincare Collection, presented in a lilac vanity bag. This collection covers every step of cleansing so skin is squeaky clean, nourished, bathed and adorned in a sensual body oil leaving skin glowing. With a total of 49 beauty awards between them, this 5-piece collection of hero products is the perfect pamper gift. £55 from John Lewis and www.timetospa.co.uk

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JAN/FEB14

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LUXE LIFE

BARBARA GUBBINS

Barbara Gubbins is chief executive of the County Durham Community Foundation LUXE PEOPLE >> My family > Sons Clark and Ewan and new granddaughter on the way to be born in New Zealand. My gorgeous puppy Sweep who is the cutest ball of black curly hair.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > The Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales although there are many lovely places to visit in the UK. A long holiday > New Zealand – I have just booked my fourth trip to see my youngest son Ewan. It’s a beautiful country.

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A treat > Dublin or Krakow – the people are both enchanting and there are lots of places of interest to see.

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > A really good steak and chips Best wine > A New Zealand sauvignon blanc Favourite restaurant > Any Terry Laybourne establishment.

Perfect weekend > Relaxing walk and visiting Clark and his family for Sunday dinner.

Downtime means > Watching the Bridges of Madison County.

Best telly > Borgen, Downton or a crime/ thriller.

Best book > NOT 50 Shades. Enjoyed the Millennium trilogy – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.

Best sounds > Ewan’s band – The Nowhere Effect or listening to my iPod playlist – an eclectic mix.

LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > Newcastle.

Favourite shop > Fenwick.

Luxe retail treat > A day at Rockliffe Hall in the spa.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > My last big birthday spent at an Elton John concert with my favourite girlfriends.

Perfect party > My mother’s 90th at Jesmond Dene House.

Best dress > A white crochet mini that my mum made for me when I was 16 - very daring!

Dinner date > Paul Newman or Mick Jagger.

YOUR LUXE THINGS IN LIFE >> Watching telly with a glass of NZ sauvignon blanc with Sweep on my knee.

JAN/FEB14

GREEN ENERGY

TREND WATCH with Bryan Middleton Spring greens for an on-trend pointer to the season’s key colour

Time to bring the outdoors in with a fresh green palette, ideal for spring-time decorating.

Green is a colour you’ll be seeing a great deal of as one of the key trend colours for 2014.

Clean and airy, greens can be used to great effect in any room, providing the perfect backdrop to chrome and brass fittings.

Alternatively, accessorise with metallic for a touch of grandeur.

They bring the trend for botanics into the home with shades that span contemporary and classic.

Green comes in so many different forms, from the palest aqua to dark and dramatic so there is something for every style and taste. Grey and herby-coloured greens look gorgeous in a country-style kitchen. Paint cabinets rather than walls for a change.

Spearmint and bright sea greens are a key look for summer and add some fun to a living space or bedroom when teamed with yellow or coral. Pea greens look smart with grey.

>> Relax: G Plan Vintage The Fifty Five armchair, Marl Green, £799, John Lewis >> Print out: Orla Kiely House for Harlequin Rhododendron wallpaper, £49 p/roll www.harlequin.com

>> Shine on: Grey-green Athena pendant light, £85, Bhs >> Above and main: Paint colour: Mylands French Green No.187 www.mylands.co.uk 020 8670 9161

>> Fill me up: Green felt storage bucket, £15, John Lewis

Middleton Design DURHAM

• Curtains • Fabrics • Wallpapers • Commissioned furniture www.middletondesign.co.uk JAN/FEB14

Station House, Durham City 0191 384 3884 63

SPACE SHAVING in association with

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Cutting it cool

Bellingham to Belgravia. Worlds apart for ‘carpenter to the stars’ Paul Walsh who’s about to take a slice of rural Northumberland to the big city’s style hunters.

Eco, rustic and rural were once bywords for penny-pinching, home-made and a bit thrown-together.

Orange pine a sad throwback to the 80s, anything roughhewn and rustic all a bit lentils and sandals. How things change.

Grubby planks of wood have grown a veneer of cool as reclaimed becomes the go-to starting point for a generation who can’t get enough of rustic, albeit with a sprinkle of glam – in the form of glamping, grow-your-own organics or all round upcycling.

And it is making Paul Walsh a happy man. Owner of Trunk Reclaimed and the Northumberland Shepherds Hut Company, he’s about to transport his version of reclaimed Northumberland to a shopfront in Belgravia with his furniture-making business partner David Robinson.

Furniture guru David’s company The Original Sofa Co, made Chatty Man Alan Carr’s glittering TV sofa. A style that at first glance seems poles apart from the products Paul makes.

But the secret to both businesses is craftsmanship and longevity. And, insists Paul, ‘cool’.

It’s a word Paul uses a lot. Cool. His version of reclaimed is about loft spaces, industrial conversions and warehouses rather than a farmhouse kitchen.

He’ll take on a project because it’s ‘cool’, by which he means, the space he’s working in, the materials he’s using and people for whom he is making it.

There is a bit of an artist in there – he only really wants to create furniture for people who ‘get’ him. There’s no arrogance to that, Paul, 38, is a really honest, open and hard-working chap and, he admits, ‘maybe bit a control freak as well’.

But those cool people like him. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gordon Ramsay, Jimmy Doherty of ‘Jimmy’s Farm’ fame all

This version of reclaimed is about loft spaces, industrial conversions and warehouses

turned to Paul to realise their rustic dreams and in turn have become friends.

“There is a bit of artistic licence going on,” laughs Paul.

“If people ‘get’ what we are into then they are going to like what we produce – we don’t expect to have free rein but people put their trust in us and I suppose there’s a kind of ‘vetting’ – it becomes clear to us if it’s a cool project and whether we will be able to work together.

“Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was awesome to work with, just as he is on the television. I was watching a TV programme on Saturday morning when we had just set up the business and he was demolishing a cow byre at River Cottage.

“I just sent an email telling him I loved what he was doing and if he needed anything to get in touch – days later I got a call from his interior designers and we went down and worked on his restaurant.

“I took the team down and we lived in a farmhouse and polytunnel round the corner while we were doing the work – lunchtimes were wonderful – there was a fight on to get there first!”

Paul’s journey to the creative work he does today took a circuitous route. He was at school at Oxclose Comp in Washington – the same school as everyone’s favourite architect George Clarke, who was in the year above him.

Paul ‘never bothered’ doing woodwork or anything practical at school and become a rep for a pharmaceutical company, ‘a drug dealer in other words’, he laughs.

That day job of smart suit and briefcase lasted a while but in between, he and wife Susan were dabbling in property

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development, buying and selling houses.

“We wanted to be able to live in an area with good schools to send the kids to – so we bought properties and did them up.”

Today home is in Bellingham, near the HQ of Trunk Reclaimed where Paul heads up a team of six.

He lives in a sturdy 15th Century Northumbrian bastle house, ‘a big, old thing’, which is something of a work in progress.

“Walls are two foot thick and we have a few wood burners as you might imagine.”

When we spoke he was thrilled to bits at having just unearthed a 4m deep stone well in the kitchen and over the Christmas holiday he was looking forward to getting stuck in to work on installing his own kitchen.

The house is also a schoolroom for Susan and Paul’s three youngest children, Esme 11, and twins Freya and Reuben, seven, who are home-schooled by Susan. Eldest daughter Niamh, 14, is at school in Haydon Bridge.

Reuben is starting young – he joins dad for enviable woodwork lessons in the workshop where he is building his very own shepherd’s hut and is proving very handy with his power tools and joinery skills.

In the workshop Paul’s ‘office’ is a shepherd’s hut too – complete with leather Chesterfield and wood burner – office envy from the rest of us.

The hut is the nerve centre, albeit a chilled-out one, for the business, which of course relies on supplies of reclaimed wood for its future.

Sourcing the wood is fascinating and sees Paul scoot from

JAN/FEB14

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former factories to demolition yards in search of his natural materials – which are anything but pristine in condition.

That of course is the beauty of the process.

“A mill in Manchester, a sports hall, a science lab, the old Pyrex factory in Sunderland – wood comes from everywhere.

“We bring it back here to Bellingham, clean it up and stack it – it might stay here for years before we tackle a project with it. I am buying years in advance – a few years back there was less building so fewer places were being demolished and that meant there was less wood available – that’s changing now.

“I will enthuse about a dirty, horrible pile of wood, wondering what I will be able to do with it – someone came to the workshop recently and asked if we were having a clear-out because there was pile of wood by the door – I said ‘no, I’ve just paid £5k for that lot!

JAN/FEB14

>> Pod life: The Chef’s Pod, top, was a hit in summer as a pop-up restaurant at Vallum Farm. Above, a hut in construction

...better by design 10 Stirling Court, Eleventh Avenue North, Team Valley, NE11 0JF

www.h2obdc.co.uk 65

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“To me it is like unearthing a pot of gold. I have had some wood from the old Pyrex factory in Sunderland for seven years and have decided to make myself a desk with it – it’s a mix of beech, birch and ash shelving.”

At Jimmy’s Doherty’s farm Paul used beams from a barn to make a bar and reception desk.

“I told him I knew in my head what it would look like and he told me to get on with it. That project and River Cottage were a real springboard for me and the business – we did a 16ft oak butcher’s block chef’s table for Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant.”

The people at eco-tourism business Wild Northumberland commissioned Paul to build a traditional shepherd’s hut and after making this Paul created his now-famous Chef’s Pod. The pod was intended to be a mobile ‘pop-up’, a space that could be used as anything from a classroom to a bushcraft base – or, as it proved to great effect, a pop-up kitchen.

The pod was based at Vallum Farm over the summer and some of the region’s best chefs popped in to make the most of their own gourmet kitchen for a one-night only cooking experience.

Terry Laybourne, Dave Kennedy and James Close all used the pod for one-off dinners – using produce sourced from local farms and growers. It was a triumph.

Paul created his now-famous Chef’s Pod, a ‘pop-up’ space that can be used as a mobile restaurant, bushcraft HQ or classroom. It played host to a series of chef’s suppers last summer

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“The pod was a great self-contained space. Really cool and the chefs loved it – the idea in making it was that it could be transported anywhere and used for anything – that’s the beauty of them.

“When we started out we were using reclaimed materials because we loved them and because they were cheaper – the reality is that all of this wood would have ended up as landfill.

“The eco thing was a bit of an accident really but the wood we use is miles better than wood used after the 1930s. We have to think about buying vast amounts of older timber and be clever about getting it.”

The move to a London showroom in desirable Pimlico Road marks the big time for the business – and it sits right next to the studio owned by Northumberland interior designer Fiona Barratt, who is married to Sol Campbell.

Trunk’s kitchens and those bespoke shepherd’s huts are sought-after by discerning homeowners who like the craftsmanship of the build and the ‘future heirloom’ concept of the handmade items.

Somewhere in his head is a dream of a little village of shepherd’s huts in the South of France – Paul and Susan head off there for a month every summer.

The success of the new showroom will determine if that happens.

It will also feature many of David Robinson’s furniture designs.

David has a raft of VIP clients including Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs, film producer Will Butler Sloss and Gladiator actress Connie Nielson as well as Saudi oil barons and MPs. His company has also furnished the reception of Google HQ in London, Harvard University’s staff faculty and the Urban Retreat at Harrods amongst others.

His interest in Chesterfields was piqued after selling an inherited reproduction to a pub 12 years ago. “I got hooked and by the time I’d filled up two garages and the utility room, I realised there was something in it,” he said. Before long he had five industrial units full of furniture. He recruited a craftsman to restore the sofas and learnt the art himself, before discovering antique designs.

“I asked myself why this 150-year-old piece of furniture hadn’t fallen apart like most people’s furniture and learnt all about the frame, the construction and the fillings,” said David. “It was like looking at the engine of a Bentley.”

David decided to create a brand new made-to-measure range using the same traditional methods he’d discovered by dissecting 18th and 19th Century antique pieces. Much like a fashion house, it features four levels ranging from entry-level (Manner Four) to the high-end signature range (Manner One).

A typical Chesterfield costs around £8,000 and takes 13 working days to make using traditional hammer and tack construction methods. Inside you’ll find traditional eight-point hand-tied loose coil springs, coconut hair and horse tail filling which retains resistance and a lambswool lining. The ethos of quality makes the partnership obvious.

“We have done kitchens in Tynemouth, Scotland and Gosforth,” says Paul. “In the new showroom everything will be handmade and different – all a real labour of love,” says Paul.

“We’re currently working on a £76,000 kitchen in a Grade 2 listed building in Hertfordshire which will be awesome – it’s a knackered property but will be stunning – we’re doing 3-inch thick oak worktops and Shaker-style fittings.

“I shut the workshop and bring the team down to do the work – I am a control freak but I love it so much, it’s rock n’ roll, it’s good!”

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Unique designer furniture on display • Kitchens • Bedrooms • Interior design service www.greatlook.co.uk 0191 4913836 10th Avenue West | Team Valley | Gateshead | NE11 0HL | Opposite Retail World JAN/FEB14

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ON THE SURFACE in association with

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Helen Stevens’ world of swirly walls and feathery, boho fabrics mark her out as a designer with a difference.

Her wallpaper, fabrics and china designs have caught the eye of the design world and she’s full of energy as she launches her 2014 collection, Decadence, this month, which includes her first fabric collection.

In shops too this spring will be Helen’s wallpaper designs chosen by Laura Ashley and Graham & Brown. Her mugs are also part of Mary Portas’ home collection at House of Fraser.

It seems Helen’s time has come.

She has also been handpicked as a designer to feature in an exciting new international project.

Having just landed a collaborative deal with Graham and Brown, one of Europe’s leading wallpaper manufacturers, Helen’s winning design is to soon be globally launched.

Helen runs her own surface design brand and business, Surfacephilia, capturing bohemian styles sourced from often natural inspirations with glimpses of opulence always carrying through the collections of wallpaper, china and cushions.

“A lot of my designs are nature-based but not floral. I like all my designs to be original and to offer something different to what is available on the market,” she says. “I want to appeal to the masculine market as well.”

The Decadence collection is influenced by a dark and gothic tone in subject, pierced with hints of lavishness.

Originally from Middlesbrough, Helen has now moved back to the area to set up her own design studio.

After graduating from Cleveland College of Art and Design with a first in 2002 Helen moved to London to design prints for the well-known brand, Red or Dead. Although a lot of demand comes from her business directly and as a brand in its own right, Helen also works on commission basis creating tailor-made designs according to any given brief.

During the past year she has been commissioned to design a spring/summer range of wallpapers for Laura Ashley – evidence that her work has hit the big time commercially.

Having grown up hoping that one day she would be able to transform her passion and talent for design into a successful career, it was perhaps only a matter of time before she established her own design business, Surfacephilia.

“I was waiting for the right time to do it, but after getting professional experience and developing as a designer through lecturing, I realised I was simply biding my time,” she remarks.

“So I hit 30 and bit the bullet!” she laughs. And it sure seems like a good move now.

For some, setting off alone into the world of business would be incredibly daunting and, she admits, it was no easy mountain to climb.

Although she always knew it would be hard work, Helen underestimated the sheer amount of effort that it would really involve. “It was fifteen hour days for a long time and, of course, you don’t immediately see the profit,” she says.

“A lot of the perseverance is based on hope with hard work as a given.”

Her work impressed at a London trade show and she was one of twelve designers handpicked to work with Graham and Brown, on a project headed up by best-selling photographer, Barbara Chandler.

To be considered for the project Helen was given the design brief of “A Celebration of British Design and Pattern”. Her

Wonder walls

Designer Helen Stevens’ work is going global. Bethan Andrews meets an official ‘bright young thing’

feather-based design, inspired by traditional English landscapes, nature and wildlife clinched her the top spot.

“I am constantly inspired by the business motivation and passion of others,” she says. “Spending time in Cornwall, where my family is originally from, with friends and family and my little Schih Tzu, Alfie, helps me to relax and reinvigorates my energy for new designs.”

Helen is inspired by individuals like Reed Dansinger, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Florence Broadhurst, whom she believes was a woman before her time.

Her 2014 collection includes fabrics for the first time.

“I’d like to do projects such as ceiling panels and one-off ranges as opposed to simply following trends.

She hopes to expand the business to a point where she can employ others to join her in what she loves, leaving herself with even more time to dedicate to design.

“I want it to be organic and exciting!” www.surfacephilia.co.uk

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South Shields Seaside living has reached new levels of cool as the Location, Location, Location folks will tell you. At South Shields you can bag acres of space in huge properties, catch some seriously big views, eat world-class curries – and head for the funfair to relive your childhood

PROPERTIES >> High on the hill at the mouth of the Tyne, is an area known as Lawe Top where you find some period properties with stunning views and acres of space. Lawe Top means ‘hill top’ and this neighbourhood sits on the very corner of the River Tyne and the North Sea with superb views - Tynemouth Priory to the North, Cleadon Hills to the South and the waves to the East. To the West is the Arbeia Roman fort - a magnet for archaeologists and the BBC’s Time Team. Lots of the houses near the seafront were once occupied by seafarers - many of the large front houses were owned by sea pilots and captains and now are B&Bs. The Harbour Lights pub at the end of Lawe Road has staggering views from its floor-to-ceiling windows of the ever-changing North Sea and when the DFDS ferry quietly passes by - towering above ground level - it’s jaw-dropping. The town also has a couple of other property hotspots, namely the heritage Westoe Village and suburban Harton. Westoe is a peaceful tree-lined village and home to one of the leading marine colleges in the UK. WELL CONNECTED >> You’ve got the Metro which makes everything possible. Links to the A19 and Tyne Tunnel are easy and you can even use a hop on the North Shields ferry as an alternative commute.

STROLL >> As long as you do love to be beside the seaside nothing could be finer. Miles of beach walks. Littlehaven is a beautiful, small beach sheltered by the South Pier at the mouth of the river. This peaceful beach is the ideal vantage point for watching the myriad of different ships and boats which travel in and out of the river on a daily basis. Its

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sheltered location makes it perfect for many different water sports. Take to the cliffs and head for Marsden Grotto – one of the region’s most iconic coastal landmarks. Carry on walking – following the famous road at the finishing line of the Great North Run you end up at the National Trust’s Souter Lighthouse.

SHOP >> Cool shops to mention www.itsvintagedarling.biz on Imery Street is a cute shop on one of the main roads into Shields.

A hidden gem for old skool glam stuff. Obsidian on Dean Road is cool for music merchandise, Manga comic book bags and the like. Find lovely jewellery and gifts at The Custom House. Crafty Corner www.craftycorneruk.com on Baring Street, is an Aladdin’s cave for people who like to get crafty! It’s a craft shop and ceramics painting studio where you can paint your own creations - kids and adults. Not forgetting Ahmed’s Asian supermarket for a mind-blowing selection of food from far-flung corners.

South Tyneside is home to one of the most famous brands in the world - J. Barbour & Sons Ltd. Founded in South Shields in 1894 by John Barbour, the clothing manufacturer best known for making waterproof and outdoor clothing has a factory outlet store in Jarrow. Savvy shoppers heading for the famous wax jacket outlet can expect to get discounts from 30% to 50% off RRP whilst the on-site service centre refurbishes garments from around the world.

CULTURE >> The Customs House in its grand listed building overlooking the Tyne offers plenty of entertainment, from Sing-along -a-Grease to comedy, youth theatre, cinema and touring performance. It’s a lively, vibrant spot with loads going on

day and night. The venue houses a 440-seat theatre, cinema, art gallery, restaurant and bar plus community room. Its programme of live theatre events attracts the country’s leading performers covering everything from drama to comedy, music and dance to pantomimes and plays.

On Littlehaven beach discover Conversation Piece by Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz, a group of 22 lifesize figures cast in bronze. Conversation Piece is part of the Art on the Riverside project, the largest programme of public art in the UK, funded by a £3.5m National Lottery grant and £2.7m from public and private sources, which will place over 100 artworks, created by local, national and international artists, on the banks of the Tyne and the Wear.

Culture of a different kind at Ocean Beach – relive your childhood or give the kids a day to remember with the whole candyfloss, funfair shebang. Big kids will love Urban Wave, a simulator ride where you can have a go at surfing, wake-boarding, body-boarding and snow-boarding without getting wet on the only surf simulator of its type in the UK. EAT AND DRINK >> It’s got to be a curry. Ocean Road is famous for its spectacular collection of curry houses. A favourite is Zeera. It has recently been renovated and is complete Bollywood chic with pink glittery walls, white leather furniture, VIP-style booths and flickering candles. But it’s not style over substance - the menu is superb. Contemporary Indian cuisine and the service is faultless. Don’t miss out the amazing fish and chips at Colmans, voted number one chippy by Esquire, it’s all white tiled walls and chalk boards displaying the catch of the day. Minchella’s ice cream parlour in King Street is a must for retro refreshments like knickerbocker glory and corned beef toasties!

JAN/FEB14

LUXE LOCAL

my local Laura White is a journalist and PR practitioner and mum to our very own Little Luxe, Nina. She has two grown-up step-children, Rosie and Jasmine. A bit of a foodie, she loves to cook and her idea of heaven? A takeaway from Ocean Road in front of a good TV series like Borgen or perfect fun on the town involving cocktails and sushi. She lives in a house with some of the best views in the world!

PROPERTY WATCH WITH DUNCAN YOUNG

Three good things about living here >> 1. South Shields is a brilliant place to bring up kids because there is so much for them to do. From classic family fun of pedalos and a mini steam train in the parks, sand dunes and two penny machines at the arcades, to high energy activity at the new Haven Point leisure centre, skateboard park and fairground.

2. Ocean Road! Apparently, South Shields boasts more curry houses per square mile than anywhere else in Britain. I’ve not had the pleasure of checking this fact out but for curry crazies like me, the stretch of superb is a dream come true.

3. The natural beauty of the seafront. Stretching from the mouth of the River Tyne down to Souter Lighthouse, the coastline boasts grassy sand dunes, wide stretches of golden sand, hidden coves and the wild and the rugged Leas.

Places to take visitors >> 1. A bargain hunt at the Friday collectors’ market where all kinds of hidden treasures can be found - if you’re keen enough to beat the crowds at the crack of dawn! Then a trip to Barbour factory shop to sniff out one of the samples or seconds at cut prices.

2. A sea salt walk starting at the landmark Groyne Lighthouse at the mouth of the River Tyne (the recognisable brand of Barbour), calling in for a hot chocolate at Minchella’s ice cream parlour before continuing to explore The Leas.

3. A pub crawl around the real ale pubs of the Mill Dam before catching the ferry to North Shields as the sun goes down to see the place from the other side of the Tyne.

In the know secret >> Muhammad Ali had his marriage blessed in a mosque in South Shields in 1977.

property: three to choose Village vibe Westoe Village is a piece of property pleasure within South Shields. A small but perfectly formed ‘village’ that’s little more than a private road. This Grade 2 listed building in the historic village has been restored to create modern and period features. Accommodation over three floors with a cellar for the wine supplies, it has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a new fitted kitchen breakfast room.

£425,000 www.goldfinchestateagents.co.uk

Big views This property on Beach Road makes a run on the beach before work perfectly possible. An impressive and imposing semi with stunning views over park and mouth of the Tyne. Brimming with period features and tonnes of space.

£379,950 www.andrewcraig.co.uk

Grassing up An Astroturfed roof terrace anyone? Make the most of the amazing views from this five-bed end terraced property in the sought-after Lawe Road. This three-storey home has masses of original features with views overlooking Tynemouth Priory, Marine Park and beaches. Make a stunning entrance with the grand front door.

£320,000 www.chaseholmes.co.uk JAN/FEB14

A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR 2014 In recent weeks much of the press has been recording the increase in house prices that have taken place over the whole of the country. These figures are very misleading given that they have tremendous regional variance, especially in London and Manchester, where they have seen between 21 and 25 per cent growth in some areas over the last 12 months.

In the North East and in particular Newcastle, the growth has been much more modest at between one and two per cent, similar to many other cities in the country, including Coventry and Glasgow.

The press must be responsible about the way they report rising house prices and it must always be taken in context. Certain ‘hot spots’ in the North East, including Gosforth, Jesmond and parts of the Tyne Valley have seen house prices rise, but that is not common within the whole suburb and even within streets certain house styles can be more popular than others. What is encouraging is the number of buyers who are returning to the housing market, having previously been tenants or simply holding back from the move that they so desperately want to make. As confidence in the economy continues to improve then more people will be encouraged to buy a home and to make that essential move. Our regional statistics also identify a huge lack of supply in the housing market and the desperate need for new housing to be constructed over the next six to ten years.

The North East in particular has hugely underperformed in its ability to supply new houses and this is why we are seeing such great pressure on some of the green belt areas throughout the region. The reality is that the population is living longer and demand for housing is outstripping supply. We have to live with the times and ensure that we can provide new housing for our population to stay in the area and for the region to expand and prosper. At Sanderson Young we start 2014 with the strongest pipeline of sales that we have had for more than ten years. All our key result areas show that we are experiencing more telephone calls, more viewings, more offers and more sales than we have previously experienced for many years. We are meeting this increased demand by committing to a number of expansion plans throughout the year. Our sales team will grow and we will seek to recruit some of the best individuals throughout the business.

Version Five of our website will be launched later this year and create one of the most exciting, advanced and sophisticated new media systems available within estate agency, so that we can capture as many of our buyers as possible and give them outstanding information on the go via their modern-day appliances.

We will expand our New Homes business, where so many great opportunities are now arising and we will invest in our estate agency software to ensure that we have the most sophisticated systems, capable of matching our buyers’ requirements. 2014 is all about getting the basics of estate agency right and ensuring that we provide the public with outstanding service from a mature, experienced and professional team.

The supply of houses coming onto the market will need to be watched very closely, since this will put increased pressure on buyers’ requirements and I still believe at this current time we have a number of excellent properties which provide very good value for money.

There could never be a better time to buy than the current time and anybody thinking about owning their own home or moving in the near future should do so as soon as possible.

The increased availability of mortgage products is proving to be extremely popular and the Help to Buy Scheme will undoubtedly assist a lot of people with low deposits. We have a number of great people within the company who can make your home moving process very easy. We are here to both sell and let houses and even though the buyers’ market will become much stronger this year, the lettings market will also remain consistent and strong.

2014 will see the continuation of the economic recovery, but there is no doubt that this will need to be carefully managed and we expect that recovery to take place over many years to come.

If you are looking for expert advice to make your move in 2014 give the real professionals a call. I would be very happy to help in any way.

I wish all the readers of this magazine a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2014.

Duncan G Young Dip.Est.Man.FNAEA, Managing Director, Sanderson Young duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk 0191 223 3500

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SELLING THE REGION’S FINEST HOMES

Springfield House

Spoutwell Lane, Corbridge Springfield House is believed to have been constructed circa 1874 and is a highly impressive detached Victorian residence. Located in one of the best areas of Northumberland this six bedroom property has been extensively refurbished to an extremely high standard to provide family accommodation with period styling and modern luxury fittings. Set in circa 2.9 acres of secluded grounds it has open lawns, south facing terraces, a tennis court, a twin tree house and open Tyne Valley views. EPC Rating: D

Price Guide: £3.995 Million

Dunhelm Lodge

Western Way, Darras Hall, Ponteland Dunhelm Lodge was constructed in 2009 and occupies a magnificent garden site. This luxury detached house has extensive accommodation with five en-suite bedrooms, three reception rooms, a fabulous kitchen and dining room, and an entertainment room.

It has intelligent wiring, built in audio and mood systems, a comprehensive alarm and under floor heating to most rooms. There is also a studio/office above the garage which would be ideal for independent working or as a separate apartment. EPC Rating: C

Price Guide: £2.25 Million

High Gables

Holywood, Wolsingham High Gables was constructed in 1998 and provides a stunning, modern mansion house with magnificent views overlooking the valley.

This luxurious five bedroom property provides over 9000 sq ft of accommodation with features such as marble and oyster slate flooring, solid oak doors and handmade carpets. It has a beautiful handmade kitchen with solid maple cabinets and cooking range, a stunning leisure wing with swimming pool, shower room and gymnasium, and magnificent landscaped gardens. EPC Rating: C

Price Guide: £1.8 Million

From Sanderson Young All confidential enquiries to 0191 223 3500 or email: duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk | www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

SELLING THE REGION’S FINEST HOMES

Broomshiels Hall Satley, Durham

Broomshiels Hall is a significant and impressive country residence, situated within a sheltered setting within this peaceful hamlet. This Grade II Listed, five bedroom property has delightful Georgian proportions and has been sensitively refurbished throughout retaining features such as high ceilings and feature fireplaces. Externally the grounds include formal landscaped gardens, a kitchen garden, an all-weather tennis court, a lake and a pavilion providing a billiard room and garage. EPC Rating: G

Price Guide: £1.25 Million

Breamish House

Powburn, Northumberland Breamish House is a strikingly beautiful property nestled in extensive private grounds of approximately 9.5 acres with open views. This elegant country house has nine bedrooms, four bathrooms, a family kitchen with solid maple cabinets and an Amdega conservatory. The west wing could be subdivided into a pair of spacious, self-contained holiday cottages, and there is a one bedroom annexe above the double garage. Externally there is an orchard, tennis court, tree house and paddock. EPC Rating: F

Price Guide: £1.1 Million

The Old Vicarage

Killingworth Village, Newcastle Built in 1872 The Old Vicarage is a magnificent stone built detached family home in the picturesque old village of Killingworth.

Purchased by the current owners in 2010 it has been extensively refurbished, returning it to its former glory with impressive interior decoration and period features. The versatile accommodation includes five double bedrooms, five reception rooms and three bathrooms, whilst externally the grounds extend to 0.8 acres with a stone built stable block and garaging. EPC Rating: D

Price Guide: £849,950

From Sanderson Young All confidential enquiries to 0191 223 3500 or email: duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk | www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Fine & Country iPhone App Download the Fine & Country iPhone App today to browse some of the finest properties worldwide. Featuring our unique lifestyle video technology, stunning imagery and a ‘near you’ search facility.

Download it now at www.fineandcountry.com

local, regional, national and international specialists in property marketing ROSLYN HOUSE, HAMSTERLEY COUNTY DURHAM A substantial and spacious family home in the popular village of Hamsterley, Roslyn House is a property that comes not only with character and historic charm but also opportunities for income and an equestrian lifestyle. In addition to a grade II listed, stone-built, five bedroom house that is packed with character features including original fireplaces, it also has a charming two-bedroom holiday cottage - or home for an independent relative who needs to be close to family - land, stables and twin double garages. As a family home, the double fronted property provides superb and stylish accommodation that has been refurbished and extended by the current owners. Dating back to the 1680s, it now boasts two formal reception rooms at the front - a lounge and a dining room with original fireplaces.

The contemporary kitchen is at the rear and is open plan into the sun lounge extension which is a perfect family space with room for dining.

Centrally located within the heart of this picturesque village of Hamsterley surrounded by beautiful countryside and woodland.

Contact: 0191 383 2277

£590,000

•

THE LODGE GREAT STAINTON

SAVILLE CLOSE WYNYARD

• Centrally located within this attractive village of Great Stainton • ‘Old but New’ a newly constructed family home built from aged brick • Imaginatively designed family accommodation to both floors • Four double bedrooms, 2 en-suites, family bathroom.

• Enclosed rear garden with view towards the Cleveland hills, • Off street parking and integral garaging.

• EER B85

• An imposing Gorgian designed detached family home • Recently contructed by Bellways homes set in Kensington Mansions • Benefitting from a particularly high specification of fixtures and fittings • A triple detached garage with electric doors and extensive parking • Lovely aspect to rear elevation overlooking nature reserve • EER C77

Contact: 0191 384 2277

£465,000 Contact: 01740 645 444

Newcastle 0845 459 6000

Durham 0191 384 2277

Wynyard 01740 645 444

residing@fineandcountry.com

info@durhamfineandcountry.co.uk info@wynyardfineandcountry.co.uk residing@fineandcountry.com cumbria@fineandcountry.com

Tyne Valley 0845 459 6000

£610,000 Cumbria 0845 872 5453

Sales & Lettings North East creative and intelligent marketing of individual and country property

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ELWICK GRANGE, MANOR FIELDS WYNYARD Super-size and super special, space and style come in abundance at 13 Manor Fields, a fabulous detached home in prestigious Wynyard Village. From the four reception rooms to the outstanding master suite and the extended garden, this is a true family property with a layout that also makes it the perfect home for entertaining. Double doors from the large lounge lead through to a separate dining room, which in turn has French doors opening out to the stone sun terrace to create a superb party space. A further reception room has a built-in bar, and there is an additional good-size family room. The dining kitchen, which has a walk-in pantry and attached utility space, is beautifully presented. with.

A spacious landing gives access to four double bedrooms, 2 with en- suites and study. Ample parking and double garaging.

Contact: 01740 645 444

BLACK WOOD WYNYARD • Occupying a spacious corner position with privates gated entrance • Lovely family accommodation with the added bonus of a fully fitted bar/entertainment room • Larger than the standard specification throughout • Versatile living spacious with two reception rooms, study, breakfasting kitchen, utility room • Four double bedrooms, two with en-suites, luxury fitted bathroom • Landscaped gardens to the front and rear, ample parking and double garage.

• EER C72

Contact: 01740 645 444 Lakes 01539 733 500

Northumberland 0845 459 6000

sales@fineandcountry-lakes.co.ul

info@durhamfineandcountry.co.uk

£499,000

THE GRANARY WYNYARD • 56 The Granary is a Wynyard home with plenty of surprises overlooking the cricket pitch • Set on one level, the deceptively spacious accommodation would suit an array of purchasers • Immaculately presented throughout and greatly upgraded offering, lounge, conservatory, contemporary kitchen with built in appliances • Three good sized bedrooms, master with built in wardrobes and en-suite facilities, • Located within the heart of Wynyard Village, close to the village green and facilities inc. Village Store and Chemist.

• South-facing aspect with extensive lawned and private gardens to the rear. Double garaging.

• EER C69

£515,000 Contact: 01740 645 444

£360,000

www.fineandcountry.com Head office: 121 Park Lane, Mayfair, London WIK 7AG.

XXXXXXXX BUG ALERT

PLOT with Will Quarmby, Hampton Court Flower Show gold winner Fresh air and mucky boots are what January is about in the garden – get the kids involved...

So, 2013 is firmly behind us and we’re looking forward to what 2014 will bring. I decided to only make a few new year resolutions this year, hopefully that way I will succeed in keeping at least one of them.

The main resolution was to make sure that the children are more involved in the garden and teach them that a little bit of effort can go a long way.

It also gives them a chance to escape the clutches of the less vitamin-packed Apple products that have inevitably become a large part of all our day-to-day lives.

Wildlife gardening is one of the best ways to get children back in touch with nature, and to teach them to appreciate the simple things in life.

Once we have persuaded our children to go outside, which I must admit can be quite a challenge at times, and equipped them with the appropriate tools they then love spending time netting butterflies, picking wild flowers and catching worms, all a few yards from our back door.

The great thing is you really don’t need a huge garden to do this.

In one of my past articles I wrote about a bug hotel which is simple and cheap to construct using leftover materials, such as bricks, tiles and bamboo canes.

Here is another simple project to do with the kids if you only have a few spare hours over the weekend.

TWO-HOUR PROJEC MINI BEAST WOOD TPI-LE :

Dead wood is full of lots of living things and can provide food for var ious beetle grubs and a vast army of other min i beasts. All of these creatures will attract new birdlife to your garden. All you need to do is keep a small concentrated pile of woo d against a shed or at the end of the garden and after a couple of weeks take the childre n back to explore wha t has taken up residence.

Small piles of rotting tim ber work best.

Wildlife gardening is one of the best ways to get children in touch with nature

GARDEN INSPIRATION >> Gardening tool and gadget set > A cheeky high street buy, £12 Wilko

Funky Green Wheel Barrow > Quite posh but sturdy, long-lasting metal, £35. www.notonthehighstreet.com

Wigwam > To make you think of outdoorsy days and nights, £95. www.notonthehighstreet.com

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CUMBRIA COOL

Slate chic

Fellside style reaches a new level at the super-swanky Brimstone in Cumbria. Kathryn Armstrong goes slate-side

Seems there are no rules at Brimstone. No reception desk on arrival, instead the feel of rocking up as a house party guest. Any tiresome form-filling tasks are taken care of in the reading room from comfy velvet chairs as you enjoy a beverage of choice – be that tea, Cumbrian ale or a chilled white.

Brimstone brings a new level of boutique hotel loveliness to Cumbria in accommodation that is meant to wow – and pamper to your pleasure.

If that’s walking then no matter if you’ve forgotten your boots – head to the Berghaus Bootroom and get kitted out – boots, jackets, rucksacks, the lot – for a jaunt up the Langdale peaks that surround Brimstone.

If you fancy getting whizzy in the Lakeland lanes then hire one of the electric cars that are plugged in near the front door and experience something a bit different.

Or if more pacy adventures are your thing, you can get up close and personal with the Kankku folks whose 4x4 off-road ventures cater for every level of adrenaline junkie.

To be honest though, there’s a lot to be said for packing in as much room time as possible in Brimstone’s very stylish accommodation. The hotel is within the Langdale Estate which is home to lodges and a hotel and spa. These seem a bit dated in comparison with the swanky new Brimstone which really makes an impact on arrival with its modern architecture and slate and glass frontage.

It’s well placed for walks of all levels – the Langdale Pikes hug the grounds of the estate so you can stride out on a trail to suit – or head into nearby Ambleside – the ‘big city’

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CUMBRIA COOL

in these parts, always super-busy with tourists.

The hotel has won or been shortlisted in a bevvy of design awards and really does raise the game when it comes to contemporary accommodation in the Lakes.

There are 16 rooms over three floors and staff – known as hosts – beaver about the place being discreet and helpful.

There’s just the one public area – the Reading Room which, like much of the hotel, is decorated in heathery, slate colours with plush textures at every turn.

The Reading Room has newspapers and magazines at hand as well as complimentary drinks. Through the day homemade snacks range from cakes to afternoon tea, tea-time sandwiches and cheese and biscuits in the evening.

We stayed in a mezzanine suite with, understandably, the bed and bathroom on an upstairs level. The décor is fabulous – a slate feature wall and an abundance of sofas, chairs and cushions. We arrived and pretty much melted into the room with its wood-burning stove, loungey furniture and impressive array of gadgetry.

Nothing so mundane as a dimmer switch – this is the land of buttons to take you from ‘perky’ when you wake to ‘tinkle’ if you need a mid sleep outing. There are interactive televisions in the room and about as much sensory action as you could need from a flat-screen – though I was happy to hole up with the papers – call me old-fashioned.

Again, the room’s colour scheme reflected the surroundings in subtle, soft greys. The bed was enormous and the en-suite bathroom spotless and super-luxurious.

It is a wonderful spot to hide away and really relax – the level of luxury is faultless. When it comes to dining there are a few options. Brimstone doesn’t have its own restaurant but you can order from a good room service menu.

We ate at Purdey’s restaurant in the hotel on the estate. In terms of the look of the place, it was a bit dated but the food – two rosette – was impressive. Lots of well-sourced inventive dishes – such as our choices of seared west coast scallops, shellfish pottage and venison carpaccio, venison croquette, white onion mousse, hazelnut and shallot dressing. I really enjoyed a dish of curried monkfish, bombay potato terrine, spiced aubergine, carrot bhaji.

I have to rave about the in-room breakfast the next morning – one of those things that makes a mini-break complete.

Crispy bacon and maple syrup pancakes an absolute winner and the Cumbrian breakfast a neat combination of everything you expect – great produce, beautifully presented and all the vital parts of such a meal – from fresh juice to good strong coffee, ticking the boxes.

Brimstone really is a find of a place. It only opened last year but is being talked about and really has added something cool to this little corner of Cumbria.

Brimstone is a find of a place. It only opened last year but is being talked about and really has added something cool to this little corner of Cumbria

B&B rooms from £250 per night www.brimstonehotel.co.uk

JAN/FEB14

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SLOPE SAVVY

GLITZY DAYS Hip hotels with Debrah Dhugga Well, 2014 is in full swing so what’s next on the agenda? The annual ski holiday of course. Deb’s going to share a secret...

A bit of va-va voom in Verbier for some seasonal snow, skiing and lie-back luxe for the Dhuggas. My latest ski-season discovery is Bramble Ski with its collection of fabulous chalets in Verbier.

No one likes luxury more than I do and I promise Bramble offers something more than special. I enjoyed Bramble so much I’m going back this year to enjoy more luxury and great skiing.

The company has a collection of over 50 private chalets in Verbier, Villars, St Anton and Lech, which are available on a catered and self-catered basis.

WHO GOES THERE >> Bramble Ski’s collection is ideal for families, groups of friends, corporate groups or couples wanting to go on a lavish, luxury fabby ski holiday. Great for people who want something different to a hotel but luxury all the same. Truly, it will be a break you won’t forget. I love Verbier because it offers excellent skiing for all levels, welcoming beginners to advanced adrenaline seekers.

NEAREST AIRPORT >> Geneva airport, direct flights from Newcastle and most UK airports during the ski season.

YOU WILL LOVE >> Bramble Ski chalets inspire at every level. Choose from imposing stone-and-timber chalets with stunning mountain views. All are tasteful but you can go funky or traditional and ramp up the fur factor to suit your cosy-up needs. They are all extremely comfortable with bedrooms boasting crisp white linen, plump feather duvets, en-suite bathrooms and lovely complimentary Aqua Di Parma toiletries, plush bathrobes and slippers.

Villas are tasteful but you can go funky or traditional and ramp up the fur factor to suit your cosy-up needs

DINING >> Exceptional food is an essential ingredient of every chalet holiday. If you’re catered then the day will start with a sumptuous breakfast to put you in good stead for the morning’s skiing. For lunch dine at some of the finest restaurants in Verbier on and off the mountain before skiing back to the chalet where the host will have laid out an afternoon tea of freshly-made cakes, scones, bread and jam, and hot drinks before you shower and have a snooze. Early evening and out comes a tailor-made menu of canapés and aperitifs with a crisp glass of champagne or exquisite wine before a three-course dinner, where guests experience fine Swiss dining using well-sourced seasonal, local ingredients.

SKI & SPA >> There’s a fully mobile massage service to cater to guests’ aches and pains following a day on the slopes. Many of the chalets at Bramble Ski have private spa rooms so guests can easily be pampered in-chalet without setting a foot outside.

It’s so warm and cosy - I enjoyed a fabulous back and shoulder massage.

OTHER ACTIVITIES >> If you’re not a keen skier, there are masses of alternative activities including paragliding, ice-karting, snow-shoeing, sledging, private yoga classes, wine and cheese tastings, shopping trips in town, and local tours of the area – even a spot of people-watching in Verbier is a fun way to spend an hour or so.

USP >> The level of service and private ski instructor-concierge.

Guests of Bramble Ski have a private ski instructor-concierge during their stay who will guide them around the mountain whilst also offering personal instruction. Bramble’s ski instructor-concierge meets guests for private boot-fittings in their chalet, arranges afternoon meals on and off the

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mountain, suggests the best places for après ski drinks and ensures that guests’ needs are met during their stay.

Whether you need a highly trained chef throughout the week or just for one special celebratory meal, Bramble Ski can provide it. T he team of staff offers a second to none level of discreet and professional service that will make the holiday exceptional and unforgettable.

We’re talking lovely touches like preparing warm ski boots each morning, to driving chauffeured 4 x 4s to and from the pistes. It really is a truly luxurious ski experience, both on and off the mountain. www.brambleski.com

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Island surprise Dive-in waters, a craggy coastline and Dr Dukan as a holiday companion? Waistline-watchers or not, bite into a slice of Sardinia. Kathryn Armstrong checks in.

Holidaying in Sardinia means amazing food, no doubt about it. Add in luscious wine and menus that are an homage to the rural cheesemaker and you’re talking indulgence.

One of the island’s traditional dishes is a version of a cheese pasty – a rich cheese-filled pasta parcel served in a pool of creamy cheese sauce. A dessert in the same ‘tradition’ at the same meal was a pastry parcel filled with more cheese then drizzled with honey.

Abundance is the word. The generosity of the people of Sardinia is reflected in the food they eat and they serve. The surroundings of water and farmland mean plentiful plates laden with fish, salads and vegetables – as well as that cheese and pasta.

So finding Dr Dukan in the mix seems altogether bizarre.

Our base in Sardinia was the Valle dell Erica spa resort in the craggy north of the island. The hotel is the shining star in a group of hotels that make up the Delphina group.

The spa is world class and the resort five star. And the spa is where you can hole up and shrink your waistline on the only Dr Dukan spa programme in Europe. There are two types of traveller at this destination – and the only overlap is in the spa changing room.

It is a beautiful spa with outdoor therapy pools built into the rocks which give fabulous views across the ocean and to Corsica in the distance.

Devoted Dukanians (my label, not theirs) can be seen jogging and stretching by the pools. It is interesting to watch from the comfort of your sunbed with the obligatory Aperol spritz and some moreish Sardinian flatbread to hand.

Suffice to say, we didn’t waste our pity on the Dukan tribe – though having said that, if you are going to book in for a week of weight loss, workouts and restraint, it’s hard to think of anywhere nicer.

The resort’s huge site means there is access to many small, private sandy coves and the rugged landscape is surprising and charming with a character very different to neighbouring Italy. Valle Dell’Erica is close to the archipelago La Maddalena off the Costa Smeralda. We explored from a hired motorboat which picked us up from the hotel’s beach.

The water is a turquoise of the tropics – clear, glistening and

so welcoming. The geography of the islands means it is easy to gently follow the coast, dipping in and out of the water at undiscovered beaches exploring the rocks given names to reflect their different shapes. The water of Maddalena archipelago feels like another world – which really is the surprise of Sardinia – you go expecting something that feels pretty much beach-European but in parts there is an unexpected magic. It doesn’t feel like the Mediterranean here, more like a rugged version of the Caribbean.

Suspended between Sardinia and Corsica, this scatter of seven large islands and 55 tiny ‘isolotti’ has some of the most spectacular beaches you’ll find anywhere in Italy, and clean, clear water.

La Maddalena is the main island. It’s a pretty and unspoilt town – perfect for a gelato stop and a gentle meander.

Valle dell’Erica saw a new addition to the resort, La Licciola, where we stayed. A grown-ups-only stylish retreat with stunning suites overlooking the craggy seashore. Luxurious rooms, an infinity pool terrace and stunning outdoor lounge make the most of the views. A large seawater pool divides into three parts with waterfalls and natural rocks, two bars, and two restaurants.

Food is a real pleasure and you can choose to dine

FACTBOX >> Kathryn was a guest of Delphina Hotels and Resorts and travelled to Sardinia from Gatwick.

Prices at Resort Valle dell’Erica start from £108 a night (resort open from 24 May 2014 – 20 Sept 2014).

Delphina is offering a discount of 15% on all room rates booked before 28 February and 10% from 1 March to 30 April.

Advance rates at Resort Valle Dell’Erica Thalasso & Spa 5* start from £92.

Thalasso and Spa Centre at the Hotel Relax Torreruja Thalasso & Spa advanced purchase rates start from £57. www.delphina.it

JAN/FEB14

buffet-style or a la carte. At the buffet be astounded by seafood platters, traditional pasta (you have to try that cheese pasta just once!), roasts such as fragrant porchetta.

You can’t really hit this part of Sardinia without having a taste of super-luxe lifestyle, after all, Costa Smeralda (meaning emerald coast) is the St Tropez of Sardinia.

It is the playground of super-rich in super-yachts who like to shop for their furs in the sunshine. Porto Cervo houses a squeaky-clean Disney-like boulevard of designer stores and by the water find the first international Harrods store – part of a complex of 24 stand-alone futuristic glass boxes. Among the first luxury brands to open stand-alone boutiques are Valentino, Bugatti and Maserati, jewellery brand Chopard and Hublot. It’s an A-List hotspot and one of Roman Abramovich’s favourite places to moor his mega yacht.

It’s an interesting place to spend an hour or two – or a million or two euros – easy. Certainly, it is so very different to the rest of the lovely island.

We drove back via a coastline known as the Isola Rossa, in other words Red Islet, a seaside village situated in north eastern Sardinia, its name is due to the red colour of the small islet that rises from the sea opposite the village.

Originally a fishing village, it has become one of the most lovely yet unspoilt holiday destinations in Sardinia.

Another of Delphina’s hotels is based here, Hotel Torreruja – aka Sunset Central. Look out to one of the most stunning seaviews in the whole of Sardinia, over a beautiful beach and flanked by one of the bars and restaurants and spa.

The hotel also has a stunning range of new self-catering hilltop houses which make a lovely restful place to stay.

Sardinia really stayed in my mind when I returned – it had surprised and charmed and made me want to return – even if means checking in with Dr D!

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SPLASHING INTO 2014

HELLO!

with Nina Robinson

The big people at luxe have decided to give us little people a space of our own Santa is amazing. It’s a little while now since he came to my house but every time I go for a dip in the bath I am reminded of just how amazing he is. For a long time I have wanted to grow into a mermaid. Since turning four and a half I have begged my mum and dad to find a way to make me a mermaid tail. Not a dress-up Aerial costume – a real tail, with sparkling scales and a fin that I could splash around with in the water. Santa must have known all of this because the first present I opened on Christmas morning was an ACTUAL PRETEND mermaid tail! I couldn’t believe my eyes. It is made of rainbow fabric with sparkling bubbles printed onto it and has a matching mermaid top. I couldn’t wait to try it out and as soon as my other presents were open I headed for the bath. I spent much of Christmas day under water and mum says 2014 is going to be my cleanest year yet (2013 was quite mucky at times).

Obviously my tail was made by the elves in the North Pole but mum has done some research and has found a way of buying similar mermaid stuff for other little luxes. Ura Mermaid Ltd has an online ebay store and ‘Merskirts’ and matching ‘Merkinis’ just like mine cost £35 and £16 respectively. There are loads of different gorgeous colours and styles and you can even buy a ‘Flipper Fin’ to fit into the skirt for extra swimming power.

There are matching hair accessories too.

I can see the sea from my bedroom window when I’m standing on the tips of my tail but I think I’ll wait until my summer holidays to try it out in the real waves…

Love little luxe x

Top shops new baby My auntie Hannah’s tummy has been getting bigger and bigger since she got married to my uncle Michael and at Christmas it started to kick me! I was so excited to find out that this year I am going to be getting a new baby cousin. In fact, by the time you read this magazine he or she might already be here. I can’t wait. I’ve been looking at all of the lovely things you can buy for even littler luxes than me and these are a few of my favourites from www.maidenshop.com

> Blue tumble girl toy, £25, has a cute tinkle in her wobbly bottom

> Giant Miffy light, £175, is my dream bedroom light! > Rabbit night light. £6, for seriously sweet bunny brightness

Nina:loves

Mermaid parties in a box

> Little spills bib, £7, is a funny way of painting by numbers with spills and splashes

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Lucky Aidan West from Gainford near Darlington has always had the best birthday parties. His clever mum Sara has been dreaming up all kinds of adventures for his friends to enjoy since he was just seven. She invented her own puzzle parties for Aidan and each year he and his friends looked forward to solving a new fun challenge.

One year the theme was detectives, another year it was pirates and once there was even an adventure in space. Now that Aidan is a teenager and has grown out of children’s parties his mum has started helping other parents to create their own birthday magic. Her business Tall Tales Puzzle Parties offers DIY adventure puzzle parties in a box. Each box contains everything parents need to ditch the party entertainer and make some special memories themselves. Each adventure has step-by-step instructions for an action-packed 90 minutes of fun, including an exciting story, fun puzzles, quests and crafts to keep little luxes entertained throughout. The birthday boy or girl can choose from a whole range of themes including mermaids, fairies, trains and dinosaurs.

The Party in a Box costs £39.99 and there’s a mega version, which includes themed table wear and party bags and costs from £79.99. www.talltalespuzzleparties.co.uk

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Growing up An easy and very trackable way to see if all the crust-eating is doing what it should. Solid oak ruler height chart, ÂŁ140 www.notonthehighstreet.co.uk

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OCEANS APART

THE CAFFEINE CONNECTION with Dan Robinson Chairman and chief executive of Hartlepool-based Gus Robinson Developments, Dan divides his life between Hartlepool and New York. He joins Luxe to share the highs and lows of his air-miles and caffeine-heavy life

I suppose in many ways I’ve led a somewhat unusual life; you could say I’ve been around. So let me start by giving you an insight into my current three-way relationship.

It’s a relationship from which for the past two years, I’ve tried desperately to extricate myself. It’s proving to be a futile exercise. It seems the more I get of one mistress, the more I crave the other. I’m talking of course, about my current three-way affair with the North East of England and New York City (… what else?).

Two years ago life dealt me an unexpected hand of cards. As a result I find myself living monthly between New York City and Hartlepool, (with a mix of Harrogate in between). In the last eight months alone I’ve amassed over 200,000 air miles and along with them, 200,000-miles worth of jet lag. I live and work on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, I’m never in one place for any length of time and I’m a self-confessed caffeine addict.

As I write, I’m fresh off the now familiar flight from London to New York. I’m jet-lagged as usual and need nothing more than to escape the chaos of Manhattan and feed my addiction.

My favourite place to do this lies just a couple of blocks away from where I live in Chelsea and it’s called Stumptown.

Stumptown (pictured below) is a small coffee shop which has become a roaring success.

It’s not big and typically, the lines pour out into the street or the adjacent lobby of the trendy Ace Hotel. It’s a small and bustling bar that has become a mecca for coffee lovers across the city.

Even if I’m in a rush, I love to throw an espresso back at the tiny bar and look out over 29th Street in the early morning. If I have more time, I will sit in the Ace’s lobby and do whatever work I have to do in this cavernous, mood-lit space.

It’s a great meeting ground decorated with antiques and populated by people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether they be young jet-setters, hip midtown businessmen, actors, financiers, a bookshop owner or a yogi, if people aren’t already here, they will probably turn up shortly. It’s easy to meet people in New York. It’s also invariably interesting too.

Quite often you will hear entrepreneurs and

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artists all discussing the next trend or big idea. Normally however, I’m just too knackered to care. I just need my fix.

The first time I visited the island of Manhattan, I couldn’t believe how dense, compact and vertical it was. You can sense the layers of history there just by walking down a side street. I’ve travelled to a lot of cities all over the world, but New York City is one of those places that has truly captured my imagination and kept my interest.

They say that you are not a New Yorker until you have lived in the city for five years. I have to concur. I’m into my fourth year and I’m only just beginning to understand it. Yes, there is the superficial appeal. There is culture, art and all sorts of diversity in the

New York: It’s the energy of the place and more specifically, the insanity that draws me in

city. There is also a surprising degree of familiarity bred largely from all of the movies, TV shows, art and music that we consume, all set in New York. Moreover, the famous writers, artists, actors, architects, and musicians, have all made their mark on the city.

For me however, my obsession and understanding of the Island of Manhattan is only just beginning to run deeper. It’s the energy of the place and more specifically, the insanity that draws me in.

The energy in this city is unique.

There is an intensity about the gathering of people in Manhattan that is probably unprecedented in the world. It’s a place in which people can be exactly who they want to be and nobody cares. We welcome it, we thrive on it. To be honest, it’s exhausting. I love it and I hate it.

I begrudge absolutely nobody who wants to leave this place. It’s an insane, dysfunctional and expensive place. It’s full of the extravagantly wealthy and the unfathomably poor, all living alongside each other. It’s weird and difficult, breathtakingly beautiful and at times ordinary and mundane. It’s exasperating and frustrating but never boring.

You see, between these vast extremes is this wild, beautiful heart, always pumping palpable, crazy energy through the very veins of society. New York offers unprecedented opportunities for craziness and you don’t even need to look for it.

Often, and unexpectedly, it will find you. As crazy as this place is however, I’m fully aware just how ridiculously lucky I’ve been to have lived here.

My third yawn of the morning brings my mind squarely back to the present. I finish another espresso, only this time I’m somehow not in Stumptown and I have a very different view. This experience is much more serene whilst being no less cool.

In a very different way.

Barely conscious of the flight between the US and the UK any more (I’m almost desensitised to it), I’m back in North Yorkshire. Tim, the friendly owner and barista of Hoxton North Coffee Shop in Harrogate brings me back to consciousness as he hands me another Ethiopian blend espresso. As usual I’ve had very little sleep and my body is struggling to adapt to the time change from the journey from West to East. Grateful, I knock it back in one go and immediately order another.

I look around and realise that Hoxton North is an unusual, yet welcome offering. What Tim and his wife Vicky have managed to do here is bring a little slice of hip New York back to the much more manageable pace of North Yorkshire. Their focus is on exceptional coffee and great conversation.

It’s a simple format and a wonderful combination.

As we discuss mutual interests from tech, to sport, to business, I find myself appreciating my life back in the North of England. I love the people, I love the pace and I love the beauty. Through this tiny little gem of a coffee shop however, I still have a preciously familiar link to my other life thousands of miles away and yet somehow, as the caffeine now coursing through my veins takes effect, this hit feels different.

This forces me to reflect on my life on the other side of the ocean. What is it that makes me stay?

Well I stay because of the many amazing things New York City will give you if you let it. It can bleed you dry, but it can also offer you magic.

It is then that I realise that this latest espresso hit feels different because I’ve not fully satisfied my craving. It turns out that I stay in Manhattan because it’s not just coffee I’m addicted to, it’s New York City itself.

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CARDI CHIC? >> L’Uomo Vogue’s editor-at-large Robert Rabensteiner wearing Elder Statesman cardigan, £1500. Get the look: Illesteva sunglasses £140, John Smedley rollneck £130, Kjus gloves £130. www.mrporter.com

A STYLE SNOW PATROL Channel some Prince Harry Arctic style. Imogen Nicholson keeps it cosy with slopeside winter wonderland warmers if you’re off on some icy travels.

*As the sales are in full swing, chances are you’ll be able to bag a bargain too – prices subject to seasonal reductions, yippee.

Glovin’ these - Barbour Hedley gloves, £21.99 www.psyche.co.uk

Booted - Sorel snow boot, £155 www.toast.co.uk

Peak Performance skiing jacket - £270 www.mrporter.com

Peak Performance ski trousers, £320 www.mrporter.com

Playtime - sleigh, £79.99 www.toast.co.uk Furry friend - Gibson London beige tweed check trapper hat, £68.99 www.psyche.co.uk

Cosy toes back in the chalet Huttenschuhe slippers, £49 www.toast.co.uk

Barbour Heritage crew neck, £79.95 www.barbour.com

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LUXE LIFE

LUXE PEOPLE >> Family first and foremost. Being brought up with two brothers and a sister, family values were always high on our parents’ agenda; something I now hold dear with my own.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > It’s a trip down to Yorkshire to stay at a favourite hotel. As well as all the walking you could want, the scenery is fabulous and, on occasion, there’s no need to leave the hotel if sheer relaxation is called for.

A long holiday > Clichéd or not we have had some fantastic family holidays in Florida. It has become something of a tradition to start full on with the theme parks and then enjoy a road trip to Miami/The Keys, Naples or Sawgrass followed by some proper chill-out time at the Ritz Carlton in Grande Lakes.

A treat > A few days in the Cairngorms. Fill the car with family and Golden Retriever and head off up the A1. The countryside, the pace of life, the choice of activities we’ve had great times whenever we’ve visited.

CHRIS ALEXANDER

Chris Alexander heads up events company Sunderland Live, which is charged with organising some of the biggest events in the city’s calendar – this year’s showstoppers, One Direction and the region’s first-ever Colour Run

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > Slow-roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic accompanied by roast potatoes and fresh veg.

Best wine > I am no great connoisseur but I do really enjoy South African wine and have a distinct fondness for a good bottle of The Chocolate Block.

Favourite restaurant > It would have to be Nineteen at TPC Sawgrass. It is just the most fantastic place with food, service and views to match Perfect weekend > Decent weather, a trip to the match (including a hard-fought victory on the pitch), a visit from family, meal out and a Sunday doing as little as possible.

Downtime means > The mobile and iPad are either switched off, out of reach or there’s no signal! I have no difficulty relaxing but Sunderland Live is going through such an exciting phase right now that I’m enjoying giving the company 24/7 attention – I know it will be worthwhile and there will be more downtime to come!

Best telly > There aren’t a huge number of ‘must-see’ programmes for me. Probably my favourite series remains Life on Mars and I’ll make sure that I don’t miss Homeland.

Best book > I’m a huge football fan and loved All Played Out by Pete Davies which is about the 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy. The tournament itself was such an amazing journey and he really captured the mood of a time when the modern game turned a corner in this country.

Best sounds > I’ve supported “my” football team for as long as I can remember. It’s a great sensation when, just before a goal is scored, thousands of people sensing that something is about to happen, fall almost silent for a split second in anticipation.

LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > As anyone who knows me will tell you I am not a great shopper in any shape or form. Saying that, every now and again I have been known to react positively and I would say that Manchester gets my vote, especially in the lead-up to Christmas Favourite shop > Caveated as above, I have been known to spend some time in an Apple Store. If in London, leave me in Regent Street and pop back in an hour or so!

Luxe retail treat > I’ve definitely got a soft spot for pretty much anything by Paul Smith and will happily add to my collection if a treat is called for!

Best buy > I’m a great admirer of Lowry and love to lose myself in one of his drawings or paintings. Difficult to choose a favourite but a treat would be one of those hanging on the lounge wall.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > A get-together for drinks and dinner at the Baia Restaurant at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Amazing location with stunning views of Table Mountain, topped off by an after-dinner speech from Boris Johnson!

Perfect party > Still to take place but it will involve an open-top bus, a large silver trophy and vast numbers of people singing and dancing the night away.

Dinner date > Would be with my wife in a favourite place.

Probably beach front on the south east coast of the USA. YOUR LUXE THING IN LIFE >> Family.

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JAN/FEB14

SWING OUT

golf:kit

GOLF COACH

Armchair golfing - catch some kit and book some sunshine play

WITH JOHN HARRISON

FUNTIME

Lyle&Scott polo, £34.99 wwwgetthelook.com

You can call it exercise – a more sedate and social start to your New Year fitness kick. A trip to The Golf Rooms under The Arches on Forth Street, Newcastle lets you play world-famous courses such as The Belfry, St Andrews and Pebble Beach, all via state-of-the-art high definition golf simulators. www.thegolfrooms.net

SCOR golf’s line of high-end custom wedges were called ‘the best wedges tested in 2013’, by Golf Magazine. All the wedges are custom-made to the spec of the golfer – nothing off the rack. The innovative SGC3 progressive weighting design features seven distinct head designs across twenty-one precision lofts from 41-61 degrees to optimise trajectory, spin and distance control for each scoring club, while erasing the dividing line between short irons and wedges. All heads are Tru-Form-Forged from 8620 carbon steel to combine the precision of casting with the feel of forging. www.scorgolf.com

Penguin polo, £29.99 www.getthelook.com

BEST WEDGE

NEW BALLS PLEASE Strike out for the new year with a new set of golf balls. Titleist Pro V1 delivers softer feel, more distance and longer lasting durability through an improved Urethane Elastomer cover and paint system. These accompany the ZG process core technology which creates a softer compression and the renowned Drop-and-Stop greenside control. A lot of tech in a small space. £51 a dozen. www.titleist.co.uk

NEED IT As luxe as it gets – this Italian leather golf bag is surely the ultimate pose on the golf course.

It’s a bag for life no question, £2335. www.thebridge.it

PLAY & STAY >> Golfers are truly blessed when it comes to deciding where to play, with great courses to be found in many of the world’s most amazing locations. Mauritius is one such place. A tiny island in the Indian Ocean, it’s long been a favourite of honeymooners and sunseekers, but now golfers are starting to take notice. The star attraction is the gorgeous Le Touessrok. Designed by Masters winner and Ryder Cup captain, Bernhard Langer, the course can only be reached by boat and is a truly unique golfing experience. And with low-season prices (April to June) offering some surprisingly good value, as well as the perfect golfing climate, it could be just the ticket for that early season golf break.

Golfbreaks.com is offering 7 nights B&B at the 5-star Anahita resort and 7 rounds of golf (4 at Anahita, 3 at Le Touessrok) for £529 in May, including transfers. Contact: www.golfbreaks.com or 0800 079 7988

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A new year, a new start, and maybe a fresh approach to improving your game. Keeping up to date with the latest technology with new equipment and swing improvements are the most obvious ways to try and improve but just as important is your body’s flexibility and fitness. When we give lessons the most important thing that we have to work around is a player’s inability to achieve the correct positions because of inflexibility.

Fitness can be improved in two main ways: cardiovascular and muscular. This can be done by following a simple but effective programme of exercises designed specifically to improve your golf game.

For those interested in learning more, the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is an excellent online tool to educate on the body and swing connection. Since it was formed in 2003 it has studied thousands of golfers ranging from top tour performing players and weekend enthusiasts with data collected on all shapes, sexes, ages and fitness levels. The TPI discovered how a properly functioning body allows a player to swing noticeably more efficiently and effectively.

Improving your cardiovascular fitness will help with the ability to increase your swing speed, agility to turn and the improved stamina levels will increase your concentration levels during your round, but cardiovascular strengthening work in the gym doesn’t necessarily improve your flexibility.

We have been very fortunate at Matfen that the gym has just undergone a massive refurbishment in time for the New Year and has reopened with the latest range of UNITY Technogym machines. The resistance machines allow multi-directional movement.

One thing that really impresses me on the seniors tour is the fantastic control of distance. Players know exactly how far they hit each club, so they can execute the shot with tremendous commitment and confidence knowing the end result will be the perfect yardage.

So, next time you are at the range, rather than working on your technique, take a note pad with you and go through your bag hitting around 6 balls with each club estimating where they finish, there is normally decent signage on range’s to pin point the distances. Take a note of the distances and stick it on the back of the shaft under the grip and this will remind you on the course and cement your decision on what club to play. Alternatively, you can do the process on a launch monitor indoors, which is much easier and more accurate, especially for the better player.

Obviously to hit the ball the correct distance we need to know how far we have to the flag, so a measuring device is vital to get this information. There are numerous devices out there that work off GPS such as Skycaddys, Garmin wrist watches, or alternatively you can use a Bushnell device which is more accurate but a little fiddly to use. Most of these devices can be purchased from your local golf shop.

The season will soon be on us so the next couple of months can be vital to getting your game in shape to start the season on the front foot.

John Harrison, European Senior Tour player and Matfen Hall Head Professional, Matfen Hall Hotel Golf and Spa www.matfenhall.com tel: 01661 886400

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LUXE LAPS

MICHAEL JOPLING

Michael Jopling is finance director and one of the founders of Gateshead-based IT solutions and services experts ITPS. Outside work Michael is a keen Newcastle supporter, golfer and tennis player, and lives with his wife and two children in Gosforth

FIRST LOVE I struck lucky with my first car, which was a Crystal Blue 2.8 Capri injection with full spec, which was kindly given to me by my boss. I was 23 at the time so I was the envy of my friends, who were all driving around in little hatchbacks.

CHILDHOOD CAR CRUSH As a lad in the 80s I hankered after the sleek black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am driven by the Hoff in Knight Rider. An intelligent, talking car back then was ridiculous, but with satnavs, Bluetooth and automatic driving systems in the pipeline, it’s no longer very far-fetched at all.

IN THE GARAGE NOW I like to change cars frequently, and recent cars include a Maserati, Audi TT, Audi S8 and BMW M3. My current car is a Bentley Continental V8, and I also have a Range Rover. I traded in my V12 Bentley last year, so I’ve lost a bit of power but I’ve got a cleaner, greener engine and it’s a lot cheaper to fill up. I love Bentley, the famous winged B badge is a sign that you are about to drive a fabulous car - quiet, powerful and

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one that delivers a great driving experience.

IF YOU COULD OWN ANYTHING My favourite car is an iconic James Bond-style Aston Martin DB5. The perfect car.

CAPTAIN SLOW OR JEREMY I’m a careful driver but I also enjoy putting my foot down and feeling the horsepower under the bonnet of the Bentley when it’s safe and legal to do so.

TRACKS OF YOUR TYRES It depends on where I am going and how long the drive is. For short journeys I listen to Capital Radio but for longer trips I like a compilation of chill-out music. All that changes if the kids are in the car with me though, they Bluetooth their music from their phones and I’m subjected to Justin Bieber, One Direction and other new music experiences.

ROAD TRIP I always thought I’d love to recreate the famous Goldfinger car chase through the Furka Pass in Switzerland, but after skiing

there and seeing the road close up I’ve changed my mind and I’d opt to drive along Norway’s amazing Atlantic Road instead, which is built on small islands and skerries, connected by causeways, bridges and viaducts.

WHAT’S IN YOUR GLOVE BOX No rubbish and no sweeties, just a manual.

WHO WITH I’d take my wife Susan with me. She’s quite happy to be a passenger, so she could admire the view and navigate for me.

SCARY MOMENTS Years ago when I had a Capri I was giving my sister a lift to Teesside Airport at night, in heavy snow. We came over the brow of a hill and there was a big pile up in front of us so I had no choice but to try and brake hard to avoid adding to it. Being rear wheel drive, the car spun straight off the road and into a field. Fortunately there was no damage to us or the car, so we walked to the airport and then I had to hitch a lift back on a tow truck.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS For my 50th birthday my friends bought me and one of my co-directors a track day at Brands Hatch, so I’m looking forward to driving a range of iconic supercars including Ferrari, McLaren MP4 and Lotus at great speed.

HOW CLEAN IS YOUR CAR My car is valeted every four weeks, so is always kept clean and tidy.

An intelligent, talking car back then was ridiculous, but with satnavs, Bluetooth and automatic driving systems in the pipeline, it’s no longer very far-fetched at all JAN/FEB14

true love motor

Love those wheels Love Graham Courtney’s Valentine’s trio. Porsche, Mini, Maserati...

Well here we are in 2014. No sooner do we fling the Christmas cards into the recycling bin than we’re off down the High Street looking for a Valentine’s Day card. ‘For the one I love.’ ‘Guess who.’ ‘To my Bunnykins.’

Oh yes, and for that folded piece of A4 card, you’ll shell out a tenner.

And then there’s the pressie. This can be the clincher. If bright red undies (for her… probably), or socks with a suggestive logo (for him) aren’t likely to do the trick, here are three other suggestions. They’re only slightly more expensive than the card.

Maseratis were traditionally for people who wanted to be on first name terms with their

JAN/FEB14

mechanic. Trouble-free motoring was never what Maserati ownership was all about.

Thankfully, Fiat (the owners of Maserati) is well down the road to making reliable cars, but the new Maserati Ghibli has a lot riding on its handsome shoulders. This is Maserati’s luxury offering to face up against the Mercedes E Class, Jaguar XF, Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series.

If you believe the bumph, Maserati is going to sell this car like hot cakes. Hmmm… not sure about that. In 2012 Maserati worldwide sales barely crept over the 6000 mark. To be honest, Fiat is missing the point of what Maserati is all about. If you lob four sets of car keys onto a table, one each for the Beemer, Jag, Merc and Maserati, I’m prepared to wager that the majority of folk

will grab the Maserati keys.

There’s something special about Maserati ownership. It shouts out to anyone who’s willing to listen that you want something different, that you don’t follow the herd. And yes, they have a special aura about them that any lucky Valentine’s Day chap or chap-ess would go weak at the knees about.

The price tag of £48,830 for the entry level Ghibli 3.0 V6 diesel brings Maserati into the reach of more people. There is no doubting that the Ghibli stands out from the crowd just like any other Maserati. Underneath the brand new, swoopy body lies a lot of the mechanical stuff from the Quattroporte which is no bad thing. It’s quick in diesel form; 0-60 takes 6.3 seconds. Top speed is 155mph and you can expect high 40s mpg.

There’s something special about Maserati ownership - it shouts that you want something different

The petrol 3.0 V6 is quicker but much thirstier and prices start at over £52,000. All have an 8-speed auto box.

The interior is gloriously fitted out and you get loads of kit as standard. Build quality is good too.

Overall, I reckon the Maserati Ghibli has a lot going for it. I also think it will find eager buyers, but only in small numbers. And if course, that is part of the appeal. If you want a glorified rep-mobile that’s hard to distinguish in the car park, go and buy a BMW. If you want to stand out and make a statement, then roll-up in the Maserati.

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THE LITTLE BROTHER

Baby Porsche Small can be beautiful; small can often be the best. Okay, perhaps this doesn’t apply if you are in the market for a diamond ring like Kim Kardashian recently flaunted or if you’ve got a bank balance to rival Ronald Trump but, as they say, little things can mean a lot.

That’s why Porsche has decided to bring out a shrunken version of its Cayenne. Please welcome the Porsche Macan.

Whereas the Cayenne is aimed at the Range Rover, Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Mercedes M Class, the Porsche Macan is gunning for smaller but no less talented fish like the Range Rover Evoque, Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

I’ll be honest here, I‘ve always thought that the Cayenne is one of the most ugly cars on the road. Granted, the impression changes as soon as you clamber inside, fire up and drive off because it is one of the most

90

sporty vehicles you can possibly imagine despite having the same dimensions as a small battleship. The fact that it will also scramble over rough tracks or wet fields, merely confirms that the Cayenne is a stunning piece of mechanical engineering that’s also hugely rewarding to drive.

However, the price tag starting at around 60 grand and the shear bulk of the Cayenne, rule it out of many car buyers’ lists.

Reduce the asking price to £43,300 for the entry level petrol and diesel versions (both use a V6 3.0-litre engine) and shrink the exterior measurements, and you end up with a very attractive proposition called the Macan.

The Macan S has a petrol engine, reaches 60mph in 5.4 seconds and hits 157mph while returning around 32mpg. The diesel model is only slightly slower but will manage around 45mpg. There’s also a Macan Turbo using a 3.6-litre V6 petrol unit.

From the front, the Macan is a dead ringer for the big brother Cayenne. From other angles, it’s all pure Macan. A handsome machine

All models come with 4-wheel drive and a 7-speed auto box. If you want to go off-road, hit a button and the electronic gadgetry adjusts gearbox and suspension settings.

Look closely and you’ll recognise that the Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan share a fair chunk of mechanical bits and pieces.

(Porsche is now owned by the Volkswagen Group). From the front, the Macan is a dead ringer for the big brother Cayenne. From other angles, it’s all pure Macan. I reckon it’s

a handsome machine.

Inside, it’s quality Porsche throughout with a lovely blend of hi-tech and functional design. You also get the essential goodies included as standard.

The order books are now open for the Porsche Macan with deliveries due to start in April. Will it be able to hold off the competition? Well, it’s a bit like with the Maserati Ghibli; you can get similarly gifted 4x4 cars for less than the Macan… but… they ain’t a Porsche.

JAN/FEB14

LITTLE CUTIE

Mini marvel

EMO O ne G l ass Wh arf , B ristol B S 2 O E L 0 1 1 7 3 1 1 9 0 0 0

In early 2001 some lucky so and so will have been given one of the very first BMW Minis as a Valentine’s Day gift.

It would have gone to a footballer’s WAG or somebody who thought that they could sing/act/dance… whatever. The bottom line however, is that the Mini rates as THE Valentine’s Day gift because you can customise it to a ridiculous extent. There are thousands of possible combinations which can make your Mini unique. How cool is that?

And, here’s the best news of all, there is a brand new Mini due very shortly.

Crucially, it still looks like a Mini. It’s a bit longer, bit wider and bit taller, but the cheeky looks are still there in bucket loads.

Actually, I think it looks better than the outgoing model which I felt had lost some of its cute charm when compared to the predecessor.

Under the bonnet, the Mini has grown up.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine has been dumped in the Cooper and Cooper S. You now get a 2.0-litre unit with more power and performance in the Cooper S, while the entry level Cooper gets a 3-cylinder 1.5litre engine. Both of these cars are quicker and more economical than the outgoing models. The Cooper S will hit 60mph in 6.8 seconds; the standard Cooper takes 7.9 seconds.

There’s also a diesel model, the Cooper 1.5 D. Okay, it’s slower than the petrol models, but BMW (Mini’s owners) reckon you’ll get 80mpg. The Cooper manages 61mpg while the sport S just dips below 50mpg. All are available with a 6-speed manual, auto or a 6-speed dual clutch transmission.

As you’ve probably guessed, the prices will have changed too. The increases for the petrol models are modest, around £400-£500, while the Cooper D is actually a shade less than the model it replaces.

The danger comes when you decide to glance at the options list. Warning; before you know it you’ll hit £20,000 which is a lot for a small car.

One option I would recommend is variable damping. Some folk find the Mini is a tad firm. Things are fine on faster roads, but it can get a bit wearing around town. Flick the switch to a softer setting and everything should be sorted.

Inside, I’m glad to report that although a few things have moved, it is all pure Mini and top-notch quality. There’s even slightly more elbow room. The range will be extending as we work our way through 2014, so you can expect cheaper and less powerful Mini One and Mini First models to be here soon.

Hint. Don’t tell your Valentine that you’re hanging on until a cheaper model comes along otherwise it could be the shortest relationship on record.

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12114943_Q1_157x106_2014_IS_Premium Value_Mag_Newcastle.indd 1

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10/01/2014 15:32

SOCIAL LIFE

In association with:

luxe:looks

Break out the fizz. Time to get down to some people-spotting as we bring you our social snapshot of happenings across the North East. Eyes and teeth time!

Butterwick Hospice Corporate Lunch, Wynyard Rooms

Above > Bill Scott, Graham Leggatt-Chidgey

Above > Caroline Fleming, Richard Busby

Blooms & Bubbly, Wynyard Hall

Above > Carol Mitchel, Mary Thomas Above > Pat Smelt, Sharon Pearson

Above > Juliet Lawson, John Price, Vince Burns, Brian English

Above > Jackie Morgan, Alison Pybus, Anne Jones, Melissa Bell Above > Christine Taylor

Above > Lisa Holt, Emma Ormerod

Above > Emma Storey, Steve Robson

Above > Wendy Harmer, Ian Kinney, Pat Chambers

Above > Danielle Bloom, Paul Walker, Bianca Robinson

Above > Joy Hodgson, Judy Milton

Above > Sue Matthews, Lynn Millar

Above > Doris Carr, Jane Parnaby and Isabella Parnaby

150th Anniversary Lunch, Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth

Above > Darlington Deputy Mayor Carol Johnson, Mayor Cllr Paul Johnson

Above > Joanna Gibson, Carolyn Mulley, Tracy Johnson, Debbie Mair

Above > Ailsa Hart, Becci Still

Above > Catherine Kearney, Debbie Robson, Sue Lee, Tina Hannon Above > Fay Moody Wendy Nice

Above > Vivienne Hassan, Norma Kyle

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Above > Chris Lloyd, Deputy Mayor Carol Johnson, Mayor Cllr Paul Johnson, Wendy Benson

Above > Carol Parker, Kay Rhucroft, Eileen Anderson

JAN/FEB14

Toma Fund Ball, Marriott, Gateshead

Above > Helen Warriner, Lynn Welsh

Above > Grace Chaplow, Abbey Charlton

Above > Debra Mcternan, Marie Lynn, Hedi Murgatroyd, Emma Neesham

Above > Catherine Churchill, Sean Churchill

Above > Darran Purdy, Jo Howe

SOCIAL LIFE

Josie’s Dragonfly Handbag Auction, House of Smith, Newcastle

Above > Lynsey Walker, Louise Urwin

Above > Emma Black, Wendy Sanderson, Iremm Ozen, Karen Ozen

Above > Jane Dennison, Jacqui Grove

Above > Clare Richardson, Helen Robinson, Mandy Clancy

Above > Ben Staerck, Charlotte Oxnard, Adam Staerck

Above > Julie stewart, Janet David, Christine Davis, Kathleen Thompson, Mary Tapping

Above > Ben Murdock, Elizabeth Murdock

Above > Diane Richardson, Ellis Thompson, Dave Thompson

Above > Louise Jacobson, David Melvin

SAFC Foundation Fashion Strikes, Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Above > Adam Johnson

Above > Fabio Borini

Alan Shearer Foundation Ball, Hilton NewcastleGateshead

Above > Anna Foster, Liz Patton, John Patton, Steve Walls John Patton

Above > Andrea Wylie, Graham Wylie

Above > Andy Naylor, Alan Shearer, Olly Murs, Mike Browne

Above > John O’Shea, Brett Curran, Wes Brown

Above > Hollie Shearer, Lainya Shearer, Olly Murs, Chloe Shearer, Alan Shearer

Above > Dick Betteridge, Dave Fulton, Lucy Betteridge

Above > Dene King, Jack Colback

Above > Larsson Cree, Brandon Cree

Above > SAFC players

Above > Lainya Shearer, Ian Dowie, John Morris Above > Olly Murs, Alan Shearer

Above > Steven Fletcher

Above > Phil Bardsley Above > Niki Miller, Jason Miller, Lynsey Harper

In association with:

Above > Keiren Westwood, Matthew Hedley

JAN/FEB14

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SOCIAL LIFE

Festive Flower Workshop, The Cleveland Tontine

Above > Carl Banks, Rhiannon Piasecki

Above > Cerian Soley, Emma Tompkins, and Caroline Wheatley

Above > Noree Rosenberg, Rosemary Hingley

Above > Diana Tayeb, Vicky Gatenby, Vicky Hyndman, Amber Mowbray

Davidsons Jewellers Christmas Event, Newcastle

Above > Jill Robinson, Samantha Griffiths

Above > Val Stevenson, Will Coupland, Norma Wilkins

Above > Antonia Simpson, Diane Duffies

Above > Gary Emmerson, Sue Emmerson, Helen Davidson Above > Moira Davidson, Andrew Davidson

Above > Angela Beecroft, Linda Hudson

Above > Michelle Morgan, Joanna Smith, Karen Taylor

Above > Julia Kennedy, Sandra Hetherington

Above > Susie Howie, Angela Tompkins, Diane Longworth

Berryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Patek Phillippe event, Newcastle

Above > Sue Damant, Mike Damant

Peace and Loaf Opening Party, Jesmond

Above > Chris Abbott, Alison Abbott

Above > Allan Reid, Liz Reid

Above > Dave Coulson

Above > David Berry, Terry Huang

Above > David Parker, Mark Boughton

Above > Nicola McCrory, Glenn McCrory

Above > Nina Khalid, Yousaf Khalid

Above > Ruth Terrington, Troy Terrington

Above > Christine Calbraith, Peter Calbraith

Above > Brigitta Holmar, Roy Murcey-Varty

Above > Priya Ral, Geeta Ral, Bob Arora, Neeta Arora, Esha Pan Arnejah

Above > Jacqui Chapman, Lorraine Schapira, Jackie Marston

In association with: If you would like your event featured on our Luxe: Looks pages please supply images on disk with full captions and your contact details to: luxe Magazine, room501 Ltd, Spectrum 6, Spectrum Business Park, Seaham, SR7 7TT

94

JAN/FEB14

SOCIAL LIFE

Coco Ball, Gosforth Park Marriott Hotel

Above > Sonya McLaughlan, Jim Punton, Laura Eliott

Above > Nicola Blanshard, Mark Blanshard

Teenage Cancer Trust Christmas Concert, St Nicholasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cathedral, Newcastle

Above > Adrian Hall, Chris Morgan

Above > Bill Dobson, Heather Slowey, Anabelle Amos Above > Amelia Lily

Above > Ian Watson, Terri Watson

Above > David Taylor, Alex Howie, Paul Robertson

Above > David Leon, Jonathan Wallis

Above > David Leon, Helen Skelton, Billy Mitchell

Above > Jessica Kelly, Catherine Bridges, Jai McDowall

Above > Elaine Scott-Ellison, Sarah Bailey, Holly Conway, Laura Johnson, Hayley Grant

Above > Matthew Pitt, Nicola Scorrer, Kirsty Tweddell

Above > Helen Davitt, Catherine Young, Neil Matthews, Eileen Matthews

Tiny Lives Ball, Gosforth Park Marriott Hotel

Above > Jai McDowall, Melissa Cavanagh

Rainbow Trust Ball, Hilton NewcastleGateshead

Above > Katie Robson, Anthony Bea, Denise Huddleston, Patrick Gordon

Above > Amy Schofield, Sarah Harmison, Laura Banks

Above > Louise Hill, Kelly Hall, Julie Austin

Above > Leigh Smart, Amanda Afleck, Neil Smart

Above > Alison Whittle, Kate Whittle, Sarah Voysey

Above > Pauline Richmond, Sarah Stirk, Billy Austin

Above > John Beswick, Judith Beswick, Steve Cunningham, Joanne Cunningham

Above > Diane Ellis, Margaret Grey

Above > Andrew Love, Jennifer Lansberry Above > Janet Holoford Katie Paterson

Above > Deborah Jackson, Jo Slate

Above > Anita Smith, Carol Brown, Eileen Carrol

Above > Louise Hill, Kelly Hall, Julie Austin

47-48 Eldon Garden, Newcastle T: 0191 232 0788 www.richardsintonjewellers.com JAN/FEB14

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SWEET CHARITY

In the money

Luxe folks have been doing their bit for fabulous causes in the region and beyond STAR TURNS >> Alan Shearer OBE and chart-topping pop star Olly Murs teamed up recently to raise over £200,000, at the second annual Alan Shearer Foundation Ball, at Newcastle Gateshead Hilton hotel.

Olly performed some of his hits to a delighted audience helping to raise thousands of pounds for The Alan Shearer Centre for disabled people and their families.

The dinner was attended by leading North East businesses, celebrities and supporters of the Foundation, who all purchased tables at the dinner to help raise valuable and much-needed funds for the specialist facility for profoundly disabled people from across the region.

Alan Shearer said: “I’m absolutely delighted Olly was able to take time out of his busy touring schedule to be our headline act.

“To raise over £200,000 on the night is quite staggering and I just can’t thank enough everyone who attended the dinner and who all dug deep into their pockets to raise such a fantastic amount of money.

“Every penny raised will go towards my foundation, helping my namesake service, ‘The Alan Shearer Centre’ to continue to make a real difference to thousands of profoundly disabled children and young people across our region,” he added.

OYSTER GLORY >> Festival revellers raised more than £17,000 while celebrating the tenth anniversary of one of the region’s most popular events.

The annual Oyster Festival at Hardwick Hall raised funds for Norton-based charity Daisy Chain, which supports children and families affected by autism.

John Adamson, managing director of Ramside Estates, and organiser of the event, said: “The demand for this year’s Oyster Festival was incredible with close to 1,000 people coming along to celebrate our 10th anniversary.”

The annual festivals at Hardwick have raised nearly £470,000 for local charities since 2004. Festival guests were entertained throughout the day with sensational performances from Britain’s Got Talent comic pianist Kev Orkian, soul diva Diane Shaw, Wildcats of Kilkenny and The Singing Irish Waiters.

RED CARPET-READY Drama, diamonds, glitz and glam on the menu as North East celebs take guests on an epic journey through the golden age of motion pictures at the St Oswald’s Red Carpet Ball on 8 March at Newcastle Gateshead Hilton.

The star-studded event will feature performances from well-known faces including Emmerdale star Charlie Hardwick, right, and comedian Simon Donald. The action-packed evening of adventure will be compered by BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Alfie Joey.

Actress Charlie Hardwick, from Wallsend said: “Hollywood glamour? How could I refuse? I am delighted to be part of an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza with some classic Hollywood scenes, performed live throughout in glorious technicolour.”

“I have campaigned for the marvellous St Oswald’s Hospice for many years. Having judged their Strictly competition, danced and Midnight Walked, it’s now time to act... literally!”

Tickets from Viv Williamson or Carole Jacobs on 0191 246 9123 or email vivwilliamson@stoswaldsuk.org

The Alan Shearer Foundation, the fundraising arm for the centre, was launched in May 2012 with a challenge of raising at least £250,000 every year to help fund the centre’s facility.

It has three main aims: to offer a number of free and subsidised short breaks at the Alan Shearer Short Break Centre; to continue to offer free sensory facilities at the activity centre and to enable St Cuthberts Care to expand its disability provision across the North East.

VIPs attending this year’s glittering event included local business magnates Graham Wylie and Freddy Shepherd as well as guests from the Professional Footballers Association, the Emirates Group and AkzoNobel. Also on the exclusive guest list was Feisal Nahaboo, the wealth creation specialist who, this year, helped Alan to raise £20,000 in an 18 holes on 18 different golf courses challenge.

Partygoers attending the White Ball at the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton helped to fundraise for the charity through a raffle for a £5,000 Hublot watch and some unique bidding opportunities for fantastic money-can’tbuy auction prizes donated by supporters and charity patrons including Ant and Dec. Also on offer at the auction was a VIP hotel package in Rio to see World Cup football and 50 per cent ownership of a racehorse for a season.

GAME ON Newcastle Falcons will be hosting their very own Moth Ball on Saturday 15 March 2014 at Kingston Park with proceeds raised going to NSPCC. It’s the chance you’ve been waiting for to dust down your wedding gown, prom dress or ball gown for one night only and celebrate in style whilst raising money for a fantastic cause.

The ball will be accompanied by dinner, drinks and plenty of entertainment. There will be prizes to be won on the evening as well as a prize for the ‘Best Dressed Lady’. Falcons stars will be in attendance to meet, greet and celebrate.

Janet Richardson, regional corporate manager for NSPCC, says: “We’re delighted that Newcastle Falcons have chosen to support NSPCC in such an innovative and fun way. Every year thousands of children and young people in the North East are helped by our local services and ChildLine. Services at our centre here in Newcastle help children to overcome the devastating effects of abuse and work with children and families to prevent further abuse. Ninety percent of our funding comes from donations and we simply couldn’t continue to provide our services which are a lifeline to many children without the support of individuals and companies like Newcastle Falcons.”

Tickets for the evening are priced at £35 per head. Call 0191 2145588, email events@ newcastle-falcons.co.uk or tweet @FalconsKP

CATWALK CHEER >> Sunderland’s soccer stars helped raise more than £40,000 for the club’s official charity, the Foundation of Light, at a glittering fashion event.

Midfielder Adam Johnson and striker Steven Fletcher were among the Black Cats stars who took to the catwalk at the Stadium of Light last as part of the sixth annual Fashion Strikes fundraiser.

Sunderland AFC’s entire first team squad and head coach Gus Poyet were in attendance, with early indications showing that the event has raised in excess of £40,000 for the charity. All proceeds from the event will now be used to fund the Foundation of Light’s wide range of sport and education-based programmes, which benefit more than 42,000 young people and families across the North East every year. www.foundationoflight.co.uk

HEART HELP COCO CELEBRATES >> More than £15,600 was raised from COCO’s annual charity ball at the Gosforth Park Marriott in December. Founded by Steve Cram, the charity aims to improve the lives of communities living in poverty overseas through training and education.

During the evening guests celebrated the achievements of COCO’s small loans programme in southern Tanzania. With grants of just £20 people have been able to set up businesses including restaurants and market stalls. As a result people are now able to afford to send their children to school, support their families and become financially independent. Since 2007 COCO has given loans to 2,450 people in Tanzania. All these loans have been repaid and reinvested into more entrepreneurial ventures, enabling people in extremely remote regions to find a way out of poverty. www.coco.org.uk

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Havetolove boutique in Gosforth chose St Oswald’s Hospice as the first charity to benefit from sales of their brand new necklace, called Havetohelp. The Havetohelp Angel Wing necklace was designed by Havetolove owner Kate Walton. At a launch event for the necklace, shoppers were treated to glasses of mulled wine and took part in a Cheers > Jill Hodgson, Have to Love, Kate Walton, £1000 giveaway of items, donated to shop owner, Nikki Maguire, St Oswald’s, Emma Noble, the shop by suppliers.

St Oswald’s, Esther Wilson-White, Have to Love. www.stoswaldsuk.org

JAN/FEB14

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PARTING SHOT

Lights fantastic>> Seems that a sniff of the Northern Lights has sent us into a star-gazer spin. An early alarm call paid off with a spray of shooting stars for Kevin Gibson www.kgphotography.co.uk

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JAN/FEB14

FIND THE PERFECT VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GIFT

PANDORA 32 High Friars, Eldon Square, 36 Hill Street Shopping Centre Middlesborough, TS1 1SU, Newcastle, NE1 7XF, 01642 909 261 0191 232 3266 www.bramwellsjewellers.co.uk Be inspired at pandora.net