Luxe March/April 2016

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ISSUE 39 MAR/APR16

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ISSUE 39 MAR/APR16

LE E H A L L B AC K WI T H B IL LY. Chi c c hapel . L AYB OURNE’S HERO HERRINGS. Tou r d e Yo rk s hi re . CULTURE FOR S P RING . B o ro’s go urmet hotspot.

IN TE R I O R S K N OW- H OW. Shearer & Sheeran. F ER R AR I FAC E-OFF. Spring’s f a s h i o n f i x. R E C I PE S TO TEM P T. Hi p Ho t el s . LUX E.

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contents 10>> Spring brights ISSUE 39 MAR/APR16 Had a brief encounter with Anna Wintour (she of Vogue editorship, and big sunglasses if you’re not familiar) a few weeks ago. In as much as we were in the same room at York University for a charity do.

Not all editors are the same. She has a bird-like frame, I don’t. She wore some form of snakeskin boot, I won’t.

She put those famous sunglasses on in the darkened fashion show auditorium (power nap?).

I may not have her clothes budget (the Luxe fashion closet is empty) or handy friends called Ralph, Giorgio and Victoria but I felt a shared passion for pages when Anna talked to eager-eyed students setting out on their fashion way.

In our fast-paced digital world she urged them not to use social media as a ‘substitute for living’.

And she had this to say about magazines; “The world is moving so fast that we want magazines to be more special, more luxurious and something that you don’t see anywhere else.”

With you on that Anna - but I’ll never rival the blow-dry.

Don’t forget to clock in with us every Thursday for our lively must-read Luxe Loves The Weekend email bulletin.

Sign up free at www.luxe-magazine.co.uk/theweekend

A colour splash for your wardrobe

32>> Billy’s back A chat with Billy Elliott writer Lee Hall

36>> Do this This spring’s cultural highlights

42>> Sweet charity Good things happening in the North East

44>> Pedal power Tour de Yorkshire comes close

50>> Little luxe Small-sized fun with Nina

58>> Hip hotels Charlotte Reilly is an interior designer and the co-owner of Yorebridge House hotel in the Yorkshire Dales.

She’s been delivering some style pointers for the home this season.

Her luxe things in life include: “Glamping with all the family. Up to 18 of us go together. We are often the laughing stock of the site with all of our fairy lights!”

A bottle of Laurent Perrier in a hot tub and a PJ movie day with the children, a fire and lots of chocolate.

Deb Dhugga’s island paradise

66>> Motor show Zippy, fuel-friendly rides leading the way

76>> Chapel chic A stunning home in the Dales

80>> Spring it Design ideas for the expert

86>> Luxe local A fun day in Easingwold

92>> Go-to gourmet Discovering artisan treats on Bedford Street

96>> Fish course Terry Laybourne’s catch of the day

Kathryn Armstrong, editor kathryn@remembermedia.co.uk Twitter: TheLuxeMagazine

THE LUXE TEAM Christopher March publisher chris@remembermedia.co.uk EDITORIAL Kathryn Armstrong editorial director kathryn@remembermedia.co.uk Jessica Laing jessica@remembermedia.co.uk Elysia Agnew SALES Lisa Anderson account director lisa@remembermedia.co.uk Debi Coldwell account director debi@remembermedia.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Auld chris@chrisauldphotography.com Kevin Gibson info@kgphotography.co.uk Nicky Rogerson nicky@nrphotography.co.uk

Optician Anna Turvey will be riding in the Tour de Yorkshire next month.

Her luxe things include: My friends. I love them. I’m away from home a lot and they make the effort to call or send a message.

Hero product is Clarins hydra quench skincare. And the luxiest thing? ‘My new Liv Envie bike’. Awesome.

DESIGN Remember Media If you wish to advertise with us please contact our sales team: Lisa Anderson: lisa@remembermedia.co.uk / 07734 560565 or Debi Coldwell: debi@remembermedia.co.uk / 07910 918366

Remember Media Ltd, e.volve Business Centre, Cygnet Way, Rainton Bridge South, DH4 5QY remembermedia.co.uk All contents copyright ©2016 RememberMedia 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, February 2016.

Writer Louise Ross, originally from Ponteland is riding high with her DC Ryan novels set in the North East.

Her luxe things in life include a cosy weekend in the Lakes. She’s also a devil for a cake – ‘chocolate, carrot, coffee, you name it!’

And some Chanel on her dressing table, a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle.

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LUXE LIFE

KATHERINE JENKINS After taking some time off with her new daughter Aaliyah, the singer will return to the stage this year at Herrington Country Park on May 6, as part of a series of shows around the UK. Katherine has been asked to sing at the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations in May this year, which will take place at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. This will be followed by Katherine’s 11th studio album.

LUXE PEOPLE >> My hubby and daughter Aaliyah.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > Wales, visiting the family and taking walks around the stunning Gower Coastline.

A long holiday > the Maldives. Truly the place to escape.

A treat > Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. Very romantic boutique hotel with the most incredible dining experience. My husband

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and I like to include a day at the Raymond Blanc cookery school while we’re there.

LUXE RELAX >> A deep tissue massage at the spa at The Rosewood hotel, London.

Best food > sushi or a really good Sunday roast!

Best wine > I prefer a glass of perfectly chilled champagne.

Favourite restaurant > Katsuya in LA. Perfect weekend > catching up with my sister

and nephew, seeing my Godson and my girlfriends, and a lazy Sunday morning in bed. Cooking up a storm and entertaining at home.

Downtime means > Family time.

Best telly > Homeland or Game of Thrones.

Best book > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time Best sounds > my daughter giggling.

LUXE SHOP >> I mostly shop online!

Best shopping city > New York.

Favourite shop > Zara, Space NK, net-a-porter.

Best buy > My Woolrich coat. Expensive, but I wear it all the time and it keeps me warm.

My mum is proud of my sensible purchase!

LUXE PARTY >> Mont Blanc held a party in a specially-built

ice palace at the foot of Mont Blanc.

It was beyond awesome!

A memorable night out > the night I won my first Brit award. My mum arranged a bus of 50 friends and family to come from Neath to the Royal Albert Hall and we all celebrated at the after party, dancing and passing the award around!

Perfect party > My family are known for throwing fun New Year’s Eve parties.

Always in fancy dress!

Best dress > Suzanne Neville. I have the biggest collection of her dresses in the world as she makes most of my stage-wear.

It’s hard to pick a favourite!

Dinner date > My husband YOUR LUXE THINGS IN LIFE >> Family, friends, music, food and fitness.

MAR/APR16

LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Splashing out Upgrade your old handset with the Aio for a truly stimulating shower experience. ÂŁ65, h20 Bathroom Design Team Valley www.h2obdc.co.uk

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MAR/APR16

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BRIGHTEN UP

DX087 yellow dress by Karen Millen, £170, House of Fraser

WAKE UP YOUR WARDROBE WITH A CITRUSY BURST OF COLOUR

SPRING BRIGHTS

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MAR/APR16

BRIGHTEN UP

Red jacket by McQ By Alexander McQueen, £650, Fenwick Newcastle Leopard print blouse by McQ By Alexander McQueen, £445, Fenwick Newcastle Wide leg black trousers by MSGM, £225, Fenwick Newcastle Shoes, models own

MAR/APR16

Anglomania Rixon dress by Vivienne Westwood, £359, Fenwick Newcastle Cedar street mini more gold bag by Kate Spade, £205, Fenwick Newcastle Fern leopard haircalf court heels by L K Bennett, £250, Fenwick Newcastle

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BRIGHTEN UP

Damica tribal stripe fold tunic dress by Ted Baker, £159, House of Fraser

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MAR/APR16

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BRIGHTEN UP

Be Blue flare jeans by Victoria Beckham, £235, Fenwick Newcastle White stripe t-shirt by MSGM, £155, Fenwick Newcastle Divina red bag by Vivienne Westwood, £235, Fenwick Newcastle Amira platform suede court heels, by L K Bennett, £275, Fenwick Newcastle

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MAR/APR16

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BRIGHTEN UP

Yellow frill front blouse by Biba, £59, House of Fraser Black Atlantic PU trousers with hem zip by French Connection, £80, House of Fraser Shoes, model’s own

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Red crop shirt by MSGM, £195, Fenwick Newcastle Urta black tube skirt by Sportmax, £199, Fenwick Newcastle Yellow prism bag by Marc by Marc Jacobs, £425, Fenwick Newcastle Avie suede red heels by L K Bennett, £250, Fenwick Newcastle

MAR/APR16

BRIGHTEN UP

Yellow pullover jumper by Oska, £139.95, Jules B White shirt by Oska, £69.95, Jules B Buffalo Bianco white flats by Candice Cooper, £195, Jules B

Pink dress with flower detailing by Vivetta, £445, Jules B Cream box tote bag by Sophie Hulme, £449.95, Jules B Gold and blue Xem Flogore espadrilles by Ash Italia, £119.95, Jules B

Photography: Kevin Gibson; www.kgphotography.co.uk Hair and Makeup: Victoria Forshaw; www.pinspetalspowder.co.uk Models: lauren henry and ilda redzepovic; www.tyneteesmodels.co.uk Stockists: fenwick newcastle, intu eldon square, Northumberland Street, Newcastle upon tyne, NE1 7JB House of fraser, intu metrocentre, Gateshead, NE11 9YG Jules b, 32 High Street, Yarm, TS15 9AH

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SPRING STYLE

TREND WATCH Sport inspired pieces have been creeping into our wardrobes for the last few seasons and for SS16 the trend is bigger than ever

Weekend >> Polo Ralph Lauren Jacket, £475, Michael Kors Trainers at Kurt Geiger, £125, Mulberry Bag, £695, Michael Kors Sunglasses, £108, Michael Kors Jeans, £155

We’ve styled a stunning floral Sportmax Code top which is hand embellished with a pair of Joseph pants and Steve Madden heels. Cigarette pants are really easy to wear and a slim leg always adds a sporty touch to your outfit. Complete your look with a simple clutch bag and a stand-out pair of Dior sunglasses.

EVENING >> Famous for its fashionable sportswear, Kenzo is big in the fashion landscape again and this season their sweaters are a real must-have item. The Parisian label made waves with its SS16 collection, which embodied Vogue’s proclamation that this would be the year of ‘logo-mania’.

From its lion-head symbol to its playful variants on the Kenzo logo typography this brand is one you can’t ignore.

Making a sport-inspired look work for the evening can be a little tricky but we’ve dressed up a classic logo-heavy Kenzo sweatshirt with an amazing silver pencil skirt by DKNY and Steve Madden’s metallic strappy heels. Silver is a huge trend for this season and pairing it with white gives the look a very contemporary feel.

Visit the Fenwick French Salon on the First Floor to explore our SS16 collections in full.

Catherine Newton is Head of Womenswear at Fenwick Newcastle.

Cigarette pants are really easy to wear and a slim leg always adds a sporty touch to your outfit

From bright white trainers to logo heavy sweaters this year ‘sports-luxe’ is the style to be seen in. Here are some of my favourite ways to add a sporty touch to your weekend, business and even evening-wear looks.

WEEKEND >> Trainers are this year’s hottest accessory: you’ll find that even the world’s biggest fashion designers have been spotted in a pair of box-fresh sneakers. From Raf Simons’ collaboration with Adidas to Phoebe Philo appearing on the Céline runway in a Stan Smith pair, trainers are everywhere. Even Victoria Beckham has ditched her vertiginous heels for a (much more comfortable) pair of lace-ups.

To get the look add a pair of bright white trainers into your weekend wardrobe to

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bring your casual style up to date. Our new Michael Kors trainers are the perfect way to add a fashion-forward touch to your outfit and their gold detailing is perfect for SS16.

We have styled our sporty weekend look with a colourful trench coat from Polo Ralph Lauren, a cross-body Mulberry bag and a pair of super sleek shades, also by Michael Kors. This is the perfect outfit for those of you who want to look effortlessly stylish while you’re on the go!

BUSINESS >> One of my favourite labels to wear to the office is Sportmax Code. Dubbed the ‘sportier spin-off line’ to Italian fashion powerhouse MaxMara, the range encompasses dresses, separates and outerwear. Their carefully curated collection is the perfect range to look to when you want to add a fashionable yet sporty edge to your workwear wardrobe.

Business >> Sportmax Code Top, £149, Joseph Trousers, £180, Dior Sunglasses, £289, Coach Bag, £250, Steve Madden at Dune London Heels, £79

Evening >> Kenzo Sweater, £175, DKNY Skirt, £399, Steve Madden at Dune London Heels, £69

MAR/APR16

Caring about the small things to make a big difference

We cover: Personal care • Memory impairment and dementia • Sitting service Chemotherapy aftercare • Palliative care • Respite care Post-operative care • Cooking meals • Days out • Overnight care

Cobblestone

Cobblestone is a contemporary boutique stocking labels by: Penny Black • A Postcard from Brighton • Sandwich • Alembika YaYa • Rino & Pelle • Betty Barclay • Mado et les autres Introducing our new label SAINT TROPEZ for Spring/Summer 2016

Call us 01642 608070 or email hello@sallyandsarahcare.co.uk

MAR/APR16

28 College Square, Stokesley, TS9 5DN 01642 715715

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HERO HAIR

e l y t s c i o r e H It seems only fitting to show an image from our latest collection ‘Heroes’ inspired by the late, great David Bowie.

Bowie was a musical chameleon, adapting himself according to fashion and trends, influencing both men and women over five decades. His androgynous style was a game changer and allowed people to embrace individuality and break the mould of how we are meant to look.

It isn’t very often that you get a male style icon that influences both men and women,

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but Bowie certainly managed to do that with so many fashion and hair trends from over the years directly linked to him. Our ‘Heroes’ collection plays with strong silhouettes and graphic shapes to create some androgynous looks that are a perfect homage to the man himself.

Our stunning model shows that looks can be strong and even severe, yet still incredibly beautiful and feminine. We’ve seen a lot of 70’s inspired collections on the runway that hold a modern element for S/S 16. This will definitely influence hair, and we’re expecting to see a lot of bright alternative colour

trends and techniques to emerge, which we are already seeing on social media and blogger sites. There’s never a better time than the summer to get creative and a little bit of early planning is always a good idea so you’re 100 per cent on board with the idea of a new you when summer arrives.

Michael x Michael Young and Gary Hooker run Hooker & Young, with five salons regionwide. www.hookerandyoung.co.uk

MAR/APR16

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www.hookerandyoung.co.uk Facebook/hooker&young Twitter @hookerandyoung *Colour package excludes full head of hi lights. Both offers are valid for the month of March 2016 with selected stylists only. Quote ‘LUXE offer’ when booking appointment.

CLEAR ON CANCER

MOUTH MATTERS WITH DR ONKAR DHANOYA

Stress less Jessica Laing boosts mind, body and soul with one of Neom’s new Wellbeing Spa Treatments…

Dr Onkar Dhanoya is clinical lead at the award-winning Osborne Dental Group and is principal dentist at dental health and wellbeing practice Ponteland Dental - a beautifully restored 19th century building at Bell Villas in the heart of Ponteland, providing private treatments, cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics.

Dr Dhanoya has more than 30 years of dentistry experience, sits on the board of the Faculty of General Dental Practice and holds a fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons (London).

SPOTLIGHT ON MOUTH CANCER The recent sad news about the deaths of stars David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Terry Wogan have once again highlighted the sheer amount of lives that are affected by cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, 1 in 2 people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.

Mouth cancer takes the lives of more than 2,000 people each year in the UK, which is more than testicular and cervical cancer combined. Last year, more than 6,700 people in the UK were diagnosed with the disease. Unlike other cancers, this figure is actually predicted to grow in the coming years, and it can affect the lips, tongue, gums and cheeks.

As dentists, we know that early detection of mouth cancer is absolutely vital and statistics show that early diagnosis results in a 90 per cent survival rate. That’s why, at Ponteland Dental, we always conduct a thorough mouth cancer check as part of our patients’ dental health assessments.

Although mouth cancer can affect anybody, around 91 per cent of all cases are linked to lifestyle – which is an astounding figure. According to the British Dental Association (BDA), more than two thirds of mouth cancer cases are linked to smoking tobacco, which changes saliva into a harmful cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can cause them to become cancerous. Importantly, chewing tobacco is no safer than smoking it.

Drinking alcohol to excess is linked to a third of all mouth cancer cases, and up to half of all cases are partly due to a poor diet lacking fruit and vegetables. Notably, HPV - a sexually transmitted virus - could rival tobacco and alcohol as a leading risk factor within 10 years, and those with multiple sexual partners are more at risk.

It’s important to bear in mind, then, that by making some key changes to your lifestyle choices, such as giving up smoking, reducing alcohol intake and adopting a healthy, balanced diet, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing the disease.

If you spot any of these symptoms, please make an appointment to see your dentist: • Ulcers which do not heal in three weeks • Red and white patches in the mouth • Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area If you have any questions or concerns about the issue of mouth cancer, or would like any further advice, then please call us on 01661 821 412 or email info@pontelanddental.com to arrange an appointment.

Ponteland Dental, 31 Bell Villas, Ponteland, NE20 9BD. Find Ponteland Dental on Facebook Visit www.pontelanddental.com

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Stress. It’s everywhere. It’s there when your alarm clock fails to wake you up in the morning, making you late for your morning meeting. It’s there when your heel breaks, tights tear and hair flops all in one day. It’s there when you’re lying awake at 3am, wondering if you’re the world’s worst partner/wife/parent/dog-owner because you screamed at them for making the tiniest mess in the kitchen.

According to experts, by 2020, the top four diseases in the UK will be stress-related. Not only will it be affecting our mood and stomping all over our wellbeing, it will be directly affecting our physical health, contributing to all kinds of nasty things, from asthma and diabetes, to heart problems and Alzheimer’s disease.

So how do we help tackle it? Well, it seems that the lovely people at Neom Organics know where to start and that’s some good old fashioned pampering in the form of four brand new spa treatments, all designed to kick stress where it hurts and provide long-lasting benefits for the mind, body and soul.

Masterminded by the brand’s team of dedicated wellbeing experts, the treatments aim to help with four key areas that many of us struggle with: sleep, energy levels, mood and, of course, stress. Available for either 60 or 90 minutes, they also include six of the most effective therapies to help calm the senses, including meditation, shiatsu and reflexology.

Rockliffe Hall Spa is one of the only North East retreats to offer all four and, one dull and drizzly Tuesday afternoon, that’s exactly where we found ourselves, ready and willing to free our minds of thoughts of deadlines and social commitments, and embark on our very own stress-busting journey.

The experience begins with Neom’s 10-second ‘Science of Scent’ test, which basically involves you gently inhaling four, specially-chosen essential oils to determine which treatment will suit you best (apparently your body knows best). Unsurprisingly, ours decides that

we should go down the ‘De-stress’ route - and we’re more than happy to oblige.

Guided meditation begins soon after, as a few drops of Neom’s ‘Scent to Instantly De-stress’ oil is wafted underneath your nose and pressed into the skin around the temples, hairline and jaw. The therapist’s soothing instructions and the therapeutic smell of fresh lavender and rosewood are a winning combination: give it 15 minutes and you’ll find yourself being lulled into a heavenly, semi-sedated state.

The remainder of the treatment is devoted entirely to massage, from your tiptoes to the top of your head. The best part is that, rather than traditional massage oil, the therapist uses something far more potent and luxurious - a generous drizzle of warm candle oil.

Created by Neom’s Intensive Skin Treatment Candle (have a good sniff next time you’re in the spa’s charming shop - it’s divine), the oil, which is thicker in texture and infused with yet more essential oil goodness, melts into the skin in seconds, creating a silky smooth canvas for the therapist to work on.

After discussing any problem areas and how you like your pressure (firm for us), the therapist begins limb by limb; first at the ankles, before gliding up and down the calves and back, then switching to the arms, hands and between the fingers.

The rhythmic motion is spot on throughout - the kind that gently rocks you to sleep on the table. Sore spots are also addressed with gusto - just what we like. Tight knots around our shoulder blades are kneaded away with fists and knuckles, while any tension in our neck is soon banished thanks to firm palms and fingertips.

Things come to an end with a delicate head and face massage, during which all crucial trigger points are given some TLC. Expect plenty of pitter-patter movements to energise fatigued face muscles and spine-tingling strokes around the crown of the head, before you’re left to zone out and enjoy countless minutes of solitude and clear headspace, while cocooned in fluffy, heated towels. So blissful, you’ll forget what stress feels like.

Neom De-stress 60-minute treatment, £90. To book, call Rockliffe Spa on 01325 729999 or visit www.rockliffehall.com

MAR/APR16

FacialSkin Veins?

SOS Thread Veins, Warts, Skin Tags, Rosacea, Sun Spots?

You don’t need to live with unsightly skin problems.

ThermaVein provides incredibly fast and safe removal of common skin issues.

GARDEN GROWS >>

From £50 at Saks Beauty, Gosforth.

The Jo Malone people have dipped into the herb garden for a limited edition range of garden-inspired colognes that are fresh and fragrant thanks to ingredients that sound like they’ve escaped from the kitchen.

Available from March 1, £44 from Jo Malone in Fenwick and House of Fraser, intuMetrocentre.

UNMASKED >> A great face mask always makes you feel squeaky-clean and ready to face the world.

Bobbi Brown’s creamy nourishing mask, grainy radiance mask and white clay detox mask are simple and effective skin helpers. £33 each or try a mini troubleshooting kit for £10.

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Squeaky clean treats for spring NEWBIES >> Bringing joy is Tom Ford’s new season collection including new lip formula, a stain with ultra-glossy finish in a click-pen style, £38.

Cream eye shadow ultra pigmented metallic shades go from the sun spark gleam of Sphinx to the glittering sea inspired Siren Blue, £29.

THE handbag one to watch is Shade and Illuminate, a duet of highlighting and shading creams, £56. On counter Fenwick, Newcastle.

WAFT >> Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle purse-perfect Touche de Parfum looks like a lip gloss in a sweet suedette case. Use the applicator to deposit a touch of the clear, rich, fragrant texture on places you like to be kissed. Limited edition, £65 on counter.

Or spritz outrageously indulgent Chance eau Vive hair mist. £34.

MAR/APR16

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GET THE GLOW

LIVE WELL WITH JILL RUSSELL

It’s getting close to that time of year when we actually dare to consider winter a distant memory Although we might not feel quite brave enough yet to shed our many layers, it’s certainly worth thinking about getting the glow back into your skin and banishing the toll that covering up in the colder months takes.

There are lots of ways to give your skin a boost and so many advantages to giving yourself an outer glow. You’ll feel better and I guarantee that other people will start to notice.

Body brushing is a great way to help shed dead skin cells and encourage new ones to grow, resulting in smoother and brighter skin. As most of us can’t get to a spa for treatments every day (much as we’d like to!) this is something that you can easily do at home, with the added benefit of it improving your circulation and helping with lymphatic drainage.

There are lots of great treatments out there that can help you rid yourself of those dead skin cells, but, of course, always remember that you need to be much more gentle with those on your face than on your body. I would highly recommend Facial Sonic Brushing - they are one of the best inventions ever. We use Clarisonic in our facials, however there are other good ones available and, if used in your skin regime, you will see a noticeable difference.

The fact that everyone has probably had their heating on full blast in the last couple of months may have kept you warm – but it may also have played havoc with your skin.

If you find you do have a lot of dry, flaky skin it might be worth considering a humidifier or even an air purifier if you suffer from acne.

For a quick pick-me-up on the go, you can do something as simple as splashing your face with icy-cold water which will give you a healthy glow, or how about a spritzer to rehydrate and moisturise? ESPA has a wide range, with my favourite being the Hydrating Floral Spa Fresh.

Here at the Spa at Ramside, we have a range of treatments to get your skin back to tip top condition. For ultimate rejuvenation why not try an ESPA detox treatment, which is a great way to kick-start your new routine? If you’re looking for something fast, instant and targeted, try our Hip & Thigh treatment or for a full-body treatment Detoxifying Algae Wrap. It’s exceptional and immediate, plus the benefits extend to your whole body! You could also try our Pure Radiance face and body ritual for a touch of luxury while still leaving you with a radiant glow.

That said, I think all in all it’s about being more optimistic. Don’t set yourself impossible goals, be positive about yourself and if you get your mindset right the rest will follow…

This quote by Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese Philosopher, highlights the importance of positive thinking:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” Lao Tzu.

Good hair day Anna Wintour owns the most famous bob in the world and swished it with some aplomb when she visited York for a charity fashion show in February.

Award-winning hairdresser Neville Ramsay, from A-List Salon in Sunderland, was the brave man who took his blow-dry brush to that famous mane before Anna set foot on stage.

Here he shares the salon secrets to the ultimate bob.

STEP 1 The raw material...

STEP 5 Milkshake volume solution styling lotion is applied to the root area and then through the mid-length and ends. It gives body, definition and support to normal to fine hair...

STEP 2 After shampooing, add Milkshake whipped cream leave-in foam, a no-rinse conditioning and protective cream foam for all hair types, which leaves the hair with impeccable shine without overloading the hair. This is my hero product. It is our best-seller in the salon...

STEP 3 The hair is cut into a jaw length graduated bob...

STEP 6 Take time to lift root with a medium-sized brush and a hairdryer on a medium heat and medium setting. This is the key – it creates instant volume without making the hair flyaway...

STEP 7 The hair is finished with Milkshake’s Open Air hair spray for medium hold and to smooth down any stray hairs.

STEP 4 A heavy triangular bang (American for fringe) is cut low on to the eyebrows...

Jill is Spa Director at Ramside Hall Spa Ramside Hall Hotel, County Durham DH1 1TD. Tel: 0191 386 5282 www.ramsidehallhotel.co.uk

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MAR/APR16

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44 Mosley Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 1DF Tel: 0191 2612933

Ladies Lunches at Rockliffe Hall Join us at Rockliffe Hall this spring for one, or more, of our ladies lunch events. Each event includes a sparkling wine reception, followed by a delicious two-course lunch or dinner served in the beautiful Rockliffe Suite.

To find out more or make a booking on one or more of these events please call 01325 729999 or email enquiries@rockliffehall.com

Ladies Lunch with Clarins

Ladies Too Busy To Lunch with Leggs

Ladies Lunch Mindful May with Emma Mills

12 noon, Monday 7th March l £24.50

7pm, Tuesday 26th April l £26.50

12 noon, Monday 9th May l £24.50

As part of the Clarins Pop Up Spa we welcome the Clarins experts for skin demonstrations plus a few extra Clarins treats. Problems solved, questions answered, secret shared - and of course lots of fun!

Back by popular demand! Leggs of Darlington will be modelling their newest collections to hit the rails. Leggs is a local luxury fashion boutique, and has been an award winning family business for over 100 years.

We are joined by meditation and mindfulness expert Emma Mills, who will share insights that can help combat key wellbeing concerns, helping you to eat well, manage stress, re-energise and boost happiness.

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

MAR/APR16

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LUXE LIFE Louise Ross is the best-selling author of the DCI Ryan novels Holy Island and Sycamore Gap, both inspired by the Northumberland landscape where she grew up.

She spent her childhood near Ponteland, Northumberland, attending Central Newcastle High school before moving to London where she studied law at King’s College. She spent most of her twenties in the city as a lawyer.

It was on a journey to Edinburgh that the germ of an idea to set a novel on Holy Island was planted.

Inspired by the dramatic beauty of Lindisfarne, Louise wrote Holy Island, introducing DCI Ryan.

Holy Island shot to the top of the Amazon UK Kindle charts, knocking Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train off the number one spot in May 2015. The sequel, Sycamore Gap launched in paperback last November.

Louise now writes full-time from her home in Bath, where she lives with her husband James, a barrister, and her son, visiting her parents and her beloved Northumberland whenever she gets the chance.

LOUISE ROSS LUXE PEOPLE >> Aside from family and friends, I love anyone who can make me laugh. Michael McIntyre, Russell Howard, Billy Connolly to name a few!

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > A weekend in the Lake District is a perfect escape for a couple of days. The setting is idyllic and there’s nothing better than taking a walk over the hills then hunkering down with a good book and a glass of something fruity in a cosy pub afterwards.

A long holiday > My perfect long holiday would be somewhere with a balance of relaxation and sightseeing. I also like to try and visit new places when I can, so for me the ideal long holiday would be somewhere in South America because that’s a continent I haven’t visited. I’d like to see the Mayan ruins and hike the Inca Trail one day.

A treat > Florence is always a treat! For me, it has the perfect combination of old-world charm and good, calorific food! The people are friendly and the coffee is amazing, as is the pasta. You can take a trip into the surrounding Tuscan hills and visit the villa where Michelangelo is reputed to have stayed, stop for lunch in the beautiful village of Fiesole and be back in Florence in time for live music and a moonlight walk along the river.

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > I have a terrible sweet tooth, so the best food for me is always cake! Coffee

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cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake… any kind of cake! I also enjoy spicy foods, so any Chinese, Indian or Indonesian cuisine will always be a winner.

Best wine > Argentinian malbec is my go-to red wine of choice, and for white I prefer a sancerre - if you’re buying!

Favourite restaurant > My favourite restaurant is all the way over in Shanghai! On a visit to China a few years ago, we strolled through the old French Quarter and stumbled across an amazing restaurant called ‘Lost Heaven’. I loved every mouthful and would even consider travelling back there, if only so that I could eat in that restaurant again.

Perfect weekend > The perfect weekend starts with a Friday night date with my husband. On Saturday, I’d take my two-year-old son out to the park, to the beach, or for a day trip somewhere fun. In the evening, we might have friends visit us for dinner and then on Sunday we all recover in our pyjamas.

Downtime means > Reading a good book, with access to chocolate and caffeine nearby, or a walk in the country while the laptop is turned off.

Best telly > I’m not a huge fan of reality TV, but I do like some of the recent series which have been released such as Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black and Narcos.

Obviously, I can’t get enough old-fashioned mystery dramas like Poirot and Miss Marple, either.

Best book > The Far Pavillions, by M.M. Kaye.

I’ve read a lot of books over the years and there are many old and modern classics I

have admired - Dumas, Du Maurier and Conan Doyle, for example. But, I will never forget the impact Kaye had on me when I first read this book as an early teen, then again as an adult. It is a sweeping, epic adventure romance set in India at the end of the Raj and Kaye’s ability to describe the landscape is outstanding.

Best sounds > I can’t get enough cheesy eighties power ballads! I also enjoy an eclectic mix of smooth sounds like Nina Simone, or Ella Fitzgerald, tempered by something a bit more lively like David Guetta or Avicii.

LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > The best shopping city has to be New York, where there is a shop catering for every whim and whimsy.

Favourite shop > My favourite shop has to be Fenwick in Newcastle. It makes me feel very nostalgic when I remember going along to see their spectacular Christmas window displays as a child, which seemed so magical. They’ve also got a great chocolate counter and I like truffles.

Luxe retail treat > Recently, I treated myself to a lovely leather laptop case from Aspinal of London, which I use every day. It winked at me from the shop window at St Pancras station.

Best buy > My Kindle e-reader has been my best buy in the last few years. It means that I can read on the go and store hundreds of books in one place, without having to build new shelves! I do enjoy having real books too, but the advent of Kindle has not only

provided access to more books than were held in the great library of Alexandria, but it has inspired a new career in writing for me and has made my work available to an international audience.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > A few years ago, I flew with a group of other ladies to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend’s hen party there.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the city, it seemed too gaudy and too tacky, but I have to admit…it was brilliant!

Perfect party > The perfect party has to involve good food, cocktails and music from the eighties and nineties! For me, it’s an opportunity to catch up with friends.

Best dress > My wedding dress! It is a classic silk tulle creation which was handmade by a lady called Jacqueline Byrne.

Dinner date > Depending on whether I’m in a fancy mood, it’s nice to try out a new restaurant followed by a drink or two with my other half, but I’d be equally happy with a posh burger followed by a trip to see the latest Bond movie!

YOUR LUXE THINGS IN LIFE >> My mother is a very elegant woman and I remember that she always had a bottle of La Perla or Chanel to hand when I was growing up. I have carried on the tradition and always like to have a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle on my dressing table, as it’s my favourite scent. www.ljrossauthor.com

MAR/APR16

MAKING IT WRITE

It’s taken a while, but Billy Elliot is finally coming home. The stage musical of this now famous ‘backstreets to ballet’ story comes to Sunderland in April and writer Lee Hall will be there in the audience with his mam. Kathryn Armstrong talked to the prolific and very political playwright

The Boys are back in town

The story of Billy Elliot has touched many a life in the years since Lee Hall made the skinny boy in the ballet class a household name.

Not least Hall’s life as he’s the first to admit. But we’re not talking the Oscar nomination and the Elton John collaboration for the stage musical.

Hall measures Billy’s legacy in performances seen, lives touched, jobs created and careers launched.

And he is rightly proud.

Next month Billy comes back North. To Sunderland Empire Theatre, not so far from those east Durham streets that were made famous in the Oscar-nominated Billy Elliott film.

“It’s been a long time coming”, concedes Hall, talking from his home in the heart of London’s theatre district.

Hall will be 50 this year and his heart if not his home, is still firmly in the North East, ‘‘my artistic home, even though I have lived all over the place’’.

“I’ve got to say I fought hard to try and open the show in the North East. It became impossible because of the set and I was disappointed at the time not to be able to bring it.”

But a few years on, the pride at seeing Billy take to the Empire’s stage won’t be diminished. He will be there in the audience next month with his ‘mam’ and his sister, justifiably proud of little Billy, who remains a symbol of hope, resilience and fight.

But though it is more than 30 years since the miners’ strike which features so heavily in the story, Hall remains angry that in some ways the social landscape remains unchanged for today’s Billys.

He refers to the very recent end of steel-making on Teesside and the closure of the Redcar blast furnace.

“When I came up with the story of Billy there was still a mining industry. By the time I made the film, many pits were closed and now there is not a mining industry.

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“Watching the Teesside plant broadcasts made me feel 14 again. A terrible story of job losses, which is heartbreaking because many thousands of lives are affected.

“It is a time of massive cultural and economic change and ordinary people are not protected. Big business and finance get supported but it is taken away from ordinary people.”

He worries that high tuition fees are having a generational impact on the arts which is just starting to be seen by people like himself working in the industry.

He’s not the first high-profile writer or actor to say such a thing and is anxious that the Billy Elliots of the world now have no safety net.

“The story of Billy Elliot is about somebody who has a talent and is given a chance.

“Billy is only able to succeed because he took everyone with him. You need family, community and teachers to be able to do that.

“Today drama schools are full of people from public schools – nothing wrong with these kids but they are the only ones who can afford it and that was not true in my day.”

Lee’s own story is that of the boy with working class parents who went from a comprehensive in Benfield to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and one day got an Oscar nomination for his Billy Elliot screenplay.

In his day there were grants and financial support to make that educational leap. Now the landscape is different.

“I can really see the difference now. It is a precarious profession and one that is becoming another world – it is up to us to make it open to all or we are losing a generation of the most talented kids.

“The smartest kids are being excluded and as a country we are poorer for it.

“It is like going back to the 1930s where people paid for their education and they were much worse times.”

Hall is famously political and was involved in a voracious row with Newcastle City Council when it announced the axing of >>

MAR/APR16

MAKING IT WRITE

the city’s cultural budget in 2103.

He predicted the city becoming a “cultural wasteland” and remains angry at reductions in library services in the city.

“I am brokenhearted about what has been done to libraries in Newcastle, cutting their hours and shutting down half of them but I am also deeply ashamed at the real assault on ordinary people and their right to culture.

“I can go to Amazon and order a book but people rely on libraries.

“Culture should be a vital part of everybody’s life and what we are seeing is cultural apartheid”, he says.

Culture lies at the heart of many of Hall’s plays. The Pitman Painters brought us the story of the Ashington miners and their night-school painting class who went on to rock the art

me how smart, intelligent and informed our audiences in the North East are. They are sharp about everything and I still think it is an amazingly creative area which keeps refreshing itself.

“We are a significant and cultured place and years ago we did not celebrate that.

“We recognise that now and culture is seen as an important part of the North East’s identity. It has taken a long time to grasp and celebrate that but there is a danger of cutting that cord and that talent will go elsewhere.”

As is evident, Hall’s work is popular in the the region and across the the globe and if he writes plays, people will come – so what is on the radar and how does his writing life play out on a daily basis?

programme in 2014 Hall said he saw parallels in the lives of Sir Elton and the fictional character of Billy, a young boy from a working class community who dreams of becoming a dancer.

“The more I talked to Elton, the more I realised that he was Billy Elliot,” he explained. “He went to the Royal Academy when, I think, he was about 13 and he was studying to be a classical pianist and he discovered Elvis Presley and the rest is history.”

It seems there’s a bit of Billy in a lot of people.

“It is as relevant now – which is terrible”, concludes Hall.

“But it is thrilling to me that this musical has been going for 11 years.

“I read show reports after the performances and there are

It amazes me how smart, intelligent and informed our audiences in the North East are.

They are sharp about everything and I still think it is an amazingly creative area which keeps refreshing itself

establishment. It remains a constant with North East audiences and beyond.

Later this year his outrageously funny Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour will land at the Theatre Royal. It’s a very grand building for a pretty shocking and hilarious play about a group of Scottish convent girls with a plan to ‘go f…ing mental’ on a school trip to Edinburgh. It’s brilliant and the Theatre Royal an exciting showcase for Hall.

“It’s a real thrill to bring it to big Grey Street”, he laughs.

“A great contrast. Quite a few of my plays start at Live Theatre, such as Cooking with Elvis and Pitman Painters.

It is nice enough that people are interested in the work that is so fulfilling for me and that people in the North East have a connection with what I do.

“It is rare and rewarding to have a connection with the audience, a special thing.

“I have done a lot of talks at Live Theatre and it amazes

34

“I wake early and prefer to write for a few hours before I have meetings with directors, actors, novelists; every day is different.”

Current projects include Victoria & Abdul, the story of Queen Victoria and an Indian manservant.

Abdul Karim and the monarch became friends – he taught her Urdu and about the Koran because he was a Muslim. He also cooked curry for her – and she became a fan!

He didn’t find favour with Queen Victoria’s court and after her death died in poverty, but the story is one of friendship and loyalty as her constant companion for the last ten years of her life.

Rich pickings for any writer.

Hall has also written Rocketman, the Elton John story which has Tom Hardy playing the flamboyant singer – who of course collaborated with Hall on Billy Elliot The Musical.

Speaking about the project on the BBC Front Row

still standing ovations.

“It teaches people something essential about how they are feeling. It is so exciting to have something that is still so ‘alive’.

“It is a universal story, an embodiment of all that talent. I wrote Billy a long time ago and now it is owned not by me but by scores of people dedicated to making it fresh. It embodies what we can do together.

“For those of us who work on it, it is more than putting on a play; it is a crucial part of our lives, the embodiment of what you can achieve if you put resources to the right things. It has been a very exciting thing and long may it continue.”

Billy Elliot is at Sunderland Empire 6-30 April www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

MAR/APR16

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DO THIS

Stay in >> go out >> enjoy Elysia Agnew lifts the lid on this spring’s cultural highlights 25-28 MARCH

12 MARCH Two photographers whose work started in an unconventional way will be sharing an exhibition at The Station in Richmond from 12 March.

Andrew Bainbridge’s shots are taken on his phone – but his eye is used to being behind a television camera. He began his career working as a runner for a large TV commercials production company in the early 1980s and now runs North By North East, a production and location facility for companies wishing to shoot in the region.

He was a Location Manager on Trainspotting and more recently he has worked as the Location Manager on TV dramas Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Vera, Harriet’s Army and Inspector George Gently, all filmed in the North East.

This debut exhibition features prints shot only on his phone, as well as works from photographer Tracy Kidd, a former hairdresser who takes stunning stills, most notably of animals (above) including the Zetland Hunt hounds.

Details www.richmondstation.com

FROM 4 MARCH

Artist Richard Twose brings his exhibition Hypnos to Biscuit Factory this spring.

He will headline the gallery’s spring show.

Twose, who was Artist in Residence at the Royal College of Art last autumn, won second prize in the prestigious BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in 2014 for his painting of fashion model, Jean Woods.

His new solo show, Hypnos, explores two themes - interiors and portraiture - as Twose explains: “The first theme focuses on interiors with blurred figures. I have been painting scenes like these for years; trying to evoke a sense of presence and absence, and how empty a space can feel as someone leaves.

“The other set of images arose from my time working with Gifford’s Circus and later, The Mark Bruce Company - a contemporary dance group.”

The spring show includes a diverse collection of contemporary paintings, prints, glass, sculpture, textiles and jewellery. It opens with a special launch event on Friday 4 March, which Twose will be attending. www.thebiscuitfactory.com

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MARCH

The Sage welcomes 2014 Britain’s Got Talent champions Collabro to celebrate their spellbinding tour, Act Two. The production will incorporate some of the greatest songs that have influenced the group, including some unexpected renditions of chart classics. Act Two sees Collabro expand their musical horizons with hits such as Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’, ‘I Won’t Give Up’ by Jason Mraz and a touching rendition of the world-famous ‘I’ll Be There For You’ by The Rembrandts. Special guests include AJ Brown and Catriona Murray. www.sagegateshead.com

17

MARCH

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The timeless story of love and betrayal has inspired theatregoers across the globe for hundreds of years. The Birmingham Royal Ballet commemorates 400 years since the death of Shakespeare with a national tour of Romeo and Juliet. With a cast of over fifty dancers, well-known moments including the balcony scene, are captured beautifully in ballet form. The exquisite spectacle is accompanied by Prokofiev’s score. www.atgtickets.com

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Head to the Wynyard Hall for a vintage movie screening of ‘Casablanca’. The movie will be accompanied by a luxury afternoon tea. a perfect setting for a perfect movie. www.wynyardhall.co.uk

MARCH

Spend some quality family time and schedule in some Easter fun this March. The Bowes Museum has a calendar of events set in stone for the Easter weekend. Drop in crafts activities for children include, Easter baskets with a treat, cute lamb and chick pompoms, beautiful bunny ears, and an Easter themed Egg Hunt in the grounds of the museum. www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

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24 MARCH A truly magnificent musical spectacular comes to the Sunderland Empire this March.

The traditional opera, Tosca, depicts an explosion of love and treachery, set against the dramatic backdrop of Rome and the Napoleonic Wars. Puccini’s fully staged opera is directed as a Gothic, Victorian horror story and tells an epic tale of true love, torture, murder and suicide. www.atgtickets.com

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MARCH

Bettys is the perfect venue to indulge in an evening of classic swing and a three-course dinner. Bettys, Harrogate hosts An Evening of Classic Swing with Richard Daniels singing hits from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr with a three-course set dinner. www.bettys.co.uk

Anthony Clark A.R.C.A has been holding both one-man shows and mixed exhibitions for over forty years. Starting this February, people of the North East will get the chance to experience his 50 paintings, drawings and etchings first hand at The Bowes Museum.

‘Burning Belief’ is an exhibition focusing heavily on atmosphere. www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

11-13 MARCH The most spellbinding festival of the year returns to South Shields with the 13th Magic Festival attracting astonishing performers from across the globe. Highlights include: the Family Magic Extravaganza, and the International Gala Show plus exclusive shows that have travelled the world.

Performers include Will Houstoun, Chris Rawlings, Peter Clifford, John Carney, Paul Wilson, Andi Gladwin, Chad Long, Rafael and Michael Vinvent. www. southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival

17-19 MARCH

The Feathers Inn has all things beer and chocolate covered this spring. The Easter Beer and Food Festival celebrates Scotland with over 20 Scottish real ales as well as a delicious BBQ to get your taste buds tingling. The fun-filled festival will include a Saturday Farmers’ Market where you will be able to grab your last-minute Easter goodies and on Bank Holiday Monday visitors can look forward to the annual Hedley Barrel race. www.thefeathers.net

APRIL Plenty to shout about in Teesside this spring. Lulu returns with another ground breaking tour: An Evening with Lulu performing hits from her 50-year career including ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, ‘To Sir With Love’, ‘Relight My Fire’, and the all-time classic, ‘Shout’. Lulu will recall untold personal anecdotes and song writing experiences as well as performing hits from some of her musical heroes including soul legends Ray Charles and Otis Redding. www.middlesbroughtownhallonline.co.uk

UNTIL MAY

25 MARCH

THROUGHOUT APRIL

Northern funny man, Chris Ramsey, returns to the North East to perform his brand new tour, ‘All Growed Up’. The Hebburn star and Celebrity Juice regular is set to share his funniest moments from his childhood. Join him as he explores the concept of getting older, taking responsibility, and all of the added accountabilities that come with growing up. www.galadurham.co.uk

A tale of two sisters who are coming to terms with the death of formidable matriarch Iris, who still manages to control their lives beyond the gravestone. Julie and Ruby’s journey unearths a mysterious story incorporating sarcastic humour and pathos.

Iris is an utterly compelling and intriguing play that will have you hooked from start to finish. www.live.org.uk

MAR/APR16

ADVERTORIAL

Sun, sea & a divorce decree You’ve moved abroad to follow your dream.

Or your spouse’s dream. Or at the very least a contract of employment. There are many reasons couples and families are choosing to leave this country and live abroad, and it’s not always just for the better weather.

But like the best reality tv shows, these things don’t always worked out as planned, and when the dream turns sour, moving out and moving on takes on an international element.

Chances are, most English couples would assume that because they’re English (and probably married here), that the natural choice of forum for divorce proceedings, financial settlement, or issues over the children would be in the English courts, but this is far from the case.

Where the parties are, or have been, living within the European Union, EU regulation 2201/2003, commonly known as Brussels II Revised (B2R), governs family law disputes to determine which country (legal jurisdiction) should have precedence over hearing a case. In very basic terms, it provides that the jurisdiction where proceedings are lodged first will have deal with the case.

The result is to effectively create a race to issue proceedings between separating couples. The reason for this is that different EU jurisdictions vary widely in their approach and generosity to economically dependent spouses, and therefore it pays to choose a jurisdiction favourable to the particular applicant’s circumstances, which in turn are likely to be very different between an estranged husband and wife.

Different countries approach the financial arrangements between couples on divorce in very different ways.

Procedures also vary from country to country, particularly in relation to disclosure of financial affairs. This means that a couple with the same financial resources (house, other capital, income and pensions) could end up with very different financial arrangements if their divorce is dealt with in England than if it were dealt with, for example, in France or one of the US states.

So how do you know where you should issue divorce proceedings at all? It would be easy to assume that the appropriate place for the divorce to take place would be the country where your marriage took place; you are citizens or lived your married life; or you are living at the time of the breakdown of the marriage. However, this is too simplistic and it would be wrong to make any assumptions.

There are many international families who will find that more than one country may be able to deal with the issues arising on divorce.

As with all legal matters, it is vital to seek early advice from a lawyer with experience in the field. Where children are involved, this is particularly the case before any decisions about moving out and “returning home” are made, because leaving a country with children where the other parent is not in agreement constitutes child abduction in a number of countries.

For those living abroad at the time of separation, it’s especially important to ensure that advice is sought from a lawyer who can speak the same language and who can advise in relation to the law both locally and in respect of the individual’s “home” country. A daunting prospect perhaps, but in this age of digital technology, it is entirely

possible to seek advice from specialist lawyers like ourselves while residing in another country thanks to video conferencing. As an additional level of expertise and service to our clients, we have links with legal practices in other countries, all of whom have English speaking advisers available, so you never have to feel stranded and alone.

Joanne Major is the Principal at Major Family Law, the Divorce and Family Law Specialists, 12 West Road, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne. T: 01661 82 45 82 www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk.

Twitter: @majorfamilylaw

Specialist divorce and family lawyers 01661 82 45 82 enquiries@majorfamilylaw.co.uk

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16

WEALTH MANAGEMENT WITH JOHN DANCE

BEHIND THE HEADLINES IT’S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM Risk assets have had a pretty terrible time of things since late Spring of 2015 and very much the same during the first few weeks of January. At the time of writing the FTSE 100 index is hovering around an intra-day level of 5900 points. Having been above 7,000 in just April and May of last year, the impression is that broad based valuations have fallen significantly. The fall between these levels certainly gives the impression that the overall UK market has had quite the shakeup in recent months.

The chart above/below shows the percentage gains and losses from the start of 2015 for all the FTSE 100 index constituents on the y axis, whilst the x axis displays each stock’s market capitalisation at the start of the year and thus their impact on the overall index. The first thing you might notice is that that the split between winners and losers is actually quite even, but out of the 10 biggest companies only SAB Miller has provided meaningful gains, the rest have had an disproportionately negative impact. HSBC is the biggest stock in the index and has had a poor year, affected by conditions and sentiment in China and Asia. The chart also shows that Oil, Gas and Mining stocks which have a large impact on the overall index have generally suffered large losses, but with the prices of Oil and hard commodities at multi year lows their earnings expectations have been revised aggressively downwards, their values may be lower but their valuations most certainly are not.

Despite double digit falls of the index and dramatic falls of the heavyweights within it there have been many success stories too. House-builder Berkeley Group is 50% higher since the beginning of 2015, its peers Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon also feature highly, whilst the Non-life Insurance sector has also fared well with Admiral and Direct Line amongst the top 10 performing stocks. The likes of Sage, DCC and TUI Travel have also performed well; as have most stocks with predominantly UK domestic and US market exposure. Looking back 18-24 months it felt like any stock without an Emerging Market presence was cast aside in favour of those that did. Now it is quite the reverse, previous stock market darlings are now fallen angels and those that were off the menu are most definitely dish of the day, helped considerably by a generally buoyant UK domestic economy.

The main point the chart and the various returns demonstrate though is that sometimes no matter how difficult the general market environment or index movements, there are always opportunities for genuine stock pickers and active managers to both outperform or even make gains in a difficult environment.

5-16 APRIL Matthew Bourne’s dazzling production of Sleeping Beauty has won the hearts of thousands across the globe and is gracing the stage of Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this April. This classic tale tells an enchanting fairy story with stunning costume, startling stage sets and skilful storytelling. This restored classic will take the audience on a magical journey between the realms of today and the late Edwardian era. In a world full of vampires, fairies, magic, love and romance, the fascinating tale is told through the art of dance. Will Princess Aurora ever find her true love again?

The final trio of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece is a must-see this April. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

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Set up in the heart of Jesmond Dene, a local art, design and craft market takes place on the third Saturday of every month. To coincide with the brand new food market on Armstrong Bridge, the region’s best artists, crafters and designers gather together to showcase and sell their unique works.

Whether you’re shopping for that somone special or fancy treating yourself to something that little bit different, head down the Jesmond Dene Arts Market for some exclusive shopping opportunities.

UNTIL 17 APRIL Discovery Museum presents the striking portraits of Paul Piercy. Using black impasto oil paint, the portraits document some of the bravest human rights activists from around the world.

This inspiring collection of works portrays some subjects that have either died or are imprisoned for their fight to protect universal freedom. www.discoverymuseum.org.uk

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APRIL

Get Carter is a play inspired by the classic Newcastle-noir-thriller. Based on the book by Ted Hughes, the play is set in the uncompromising world of 1960s Newcastle.

Rife with themes of sex, violence and gambling, this contemporary adaptation tells the thriller story made famous in Mike Hodge’s seminal film starring Michael Caine.

A harrowing and wonderfully gripping performance – must see! www.galadurham.co.uk

The North East’s most anticipated charity ball returns this spring with a 90s diva heading up the entertainment. Highlights of the Lobster Ball at Hardwick Hall Hotel this year include a performance by the voice of M People, Heather Small. The ‘Search For the Hero’ singer will take to the stage at one of the North East’s most glitzy events on the social calendar. The black tie event is in aid of autism charity Daisy Chain and will serve up a four-course gourmet lobster surf and turf dinner and a Taittinger Champagne bar.

It promises to be an evening, packed with entertainment and delicious food – all for a great cause. www.hardwickhallhotel.co.uk

15-17 APRIL

The most exciting music festival of the year returns to the Quayside. Gateshead International Jazz Festival is set to impress audiences with its electrifying and truly entertaining line-up. With a whole host of musical performances from the likes of Roberto Fonseca, Gregory Porter, Courtney Pine, Zoe Porter and Terrance Blanchard, as well as workshops, talks, family fun and ‘Jazz for Toddlers’, the festival has something for everyone. www.sagegateshead.com

APRIL

Ultimate Bowie, at the Arts Centre Washington, pays tribute to the work of the global super-star. Celebrating one of the most influential innovators over the last five decades, the show is visually stunning and vocally inspiring. Ed Blaney will be taking centre stage, leading an eight-piece band that will take you on a journey through Bowie’s life and the music of the musical legend. www.artscentrewashington.com

12-16 APRIL

15-16 APRIL

John Dance is CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Vertem Asset Management. The Gresham, 92 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2TD. Call 0191 341 0280 or email johnd@vertem.co.uk Visit www.vertem.co.uk

APRIL

Experience one of the fastest and most thoughtful physical entertaining adventures this April at Dance City. ‘The Happiness’ by Karla Shacklock company is a fun and provocative dance show designed to make you laugh, weep and squirm with recognition. www.dancecity.co.uk

22 APRIL What beer should you be drinking with your meals? Find out this April at the Beer and Food Matching event hosted by Blackfriars.

With some of the best ales brewed on its doorstep, a well-chosen craft beer could complement and bring out the flavours in your meal. Take part in this exciting workshop to find out how to match your favourite ale with a delicious dinner. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

MAR/APR16

Put a spring in your step

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IT’S HAPPENING in south tyneside

Celebrating 15 years of fine hand crafted, precious jewellery.

Marianne Saunders and Robert Pughe create beautiful ranges in silver, gold and platinum.

Specialising in fine diamonds and rare coloured gem stones, gorgeous pearls and Danish watches.

Showcasing an extensive range of European designers

32 Hill Street, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5AA | 01434 633302 | Saunderspughe.com

MAR/APR16

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DO THIS

UNTIL 24 APRIL

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The Laing Art Gallery will be showcasing ten of the finest drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. The exhibition, supported by the Port of Tyne, will convey the artist’s interests, from painting and sculpture-making to zoology, mapmaking and engineering. Part of the Royal Collection, da Vinci’s works explore his use of tools, from pen and ink and red and black chalks, to watercolours and metalpoint. www.laingartgallery.org.uk A study for the head of St Anne, c 1510-15. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

APRIL

Keep fit for a good cause this spring and sign up for Hadrian’s Wall Hike.

Take part on your own or as a team in the fight against heart disease. The hike follows a nine mile route along the most challenging yet incredibly picturesque section of the historic Hadrian’s Wall. Keep fit, contribute to a good cause and absorb a little bit of culture in this Sunday morning hike. www.bhf.org.uk

25

APRIL

Middlesbrough Town Hall has your fix of inspiring music covered this April. Experience the amazing Bruckner Linz Orchestra, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. The concert will feature the works of Bruckner (Symphony no.6) and Beethoven (King Stephen Overture and Piano Concerto).

The audience can also look forward to a guest performance from pianist Melvyn Tan. www.middlesbroughtownhallonline.co.uk

26-27 APRIL One of the world’s most celebrated dance companies, the Nederlands Dans Theater, have wowed audiences across the globe with their breathtaking dance routines and passionate creativity. Now, they will be gracing the stage of the Newcastle Theatre Royal to amaze audiences of the North East. With 18 international dancers, choreographer Paul Lightfoot creates a truly thrilling, vibrant and fascinating show. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

THROUGHOUT SPRING Arbeia Fort is the perfect day-out for all things cultural and entertaining this spring. It includes a brand new gallery looking at objects found at the Fort, a relaxing garden room and refreshment area, a barrack block showing visitors how Roman soldiers lived, and a time quest, giving you the chance to discover something new to add to the museum collection. In addition, the commanding officer’s house has been partially rebuilt with authentic furniture and fresco paintings. www.arbeiaromanfort.org.uk Classical singer Katherine Jenkins OBE has wowed the nation with her outstanding vocals on TV shows such as Pop Star to Opera Star. Now she will appear in a stunning outdoor setting in the heart of the North East.

Alongside The National Symphony Orchestra, her performance will be held at Sunderland’s Herrington Country Park this May. Selling more than four million copies of her ten studio albums, Jenkins is one of the most popular classical-crossover artists of all time. www.thenorthernsessions.co.uk

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<< TREAT YOUR MUM >> 5 MARCH Pick out the perfect gift for your mum this Mother’s Day at the Mother’s Day Special Craft Fair at the Arts Centre Washington. The craft workshop will see your children getting creative, while mums can be pampered for the afternoon. Stalls will be selling delightful home baking, cards, bags and jewellery. It’s the perfect place to get creative or find an unusual gift or treat for yourself. www.artscentrewashington.com

6 MARCH

Bettys invited you and your mum for Afternoon Tea this Mother’s Day. In the elegant surroundings of the Imperial Room, the Lady Betty Afternoon Tea will be served alongside music from the café’s pianist. Indulge in a lunch and sweet treats as you while away the afternoon accompanied by a smooth playing pianist.

The perfect Mother’s Day treat. www.bettys.co.uk

6 MARCH

Mothering Sunday at Blackfriars. Treat your mum to the best Sunday roast in town this year. Hadrian Heritage beef, Northumbrian lamb or local pork served with delicious Yorkshire pudding, fresh seasonal vegetables, crunchy roast potatoes and gravy. Your mum deserves to relax and indulge in a delicious feast this Mother’s Day. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

6 MARCH

UNTIL MAY

The explorer Gertrude Bell was a remarkable woman - a frontline feminist pioneer.

Often called the “female Lawrence of Arabia,’ she travelled to the Middle East for archaeology and exploration but became a significant figure in the politics of the time.

Her family ties were in the industry of Middlesbrough – her father was the industrialist Hugh Bell and the family made its money from the manufacture of steel.

At 17, Gertrude enrolled at Lady Margaret Hall, graduating with a first-class degree in Modern History in two years, the first woman to do so.

Her story is told in The Extraordinary Gertrude Bell at The Great North Museum, Hancock, Newcastle. www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk

GARDEN DELIGHTS THIS SPRING The Northumbrian birthplace of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown will host a huge celebration of his 300th birthday starting this Easter.

The celebrations will kick off with a talk entitled: ‘A Very Northumbrian Gardener’, hosted by local broadcaster and historian John Grundy. Other events include an evening parade by torchlight around Capability’s serpentine lake.

Throughout April, educational walks will be held from Kirkharle to Camo village where the renowned landscape designer went to school. The celebrations will close with a 300th Festival in August where local TV presenter and singer, Alexander Armstrong, will perform at Kirkharle’s St Wilfrid’s Church. www.kirkharlecourtyard.co.uk

6

MAY

The Library Tea Room at Auckland Castle is the perfect spot for afternoon tea this Mother’s Day. With a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, guests can toast to their mothers in the beautiful surroundings of Auckland Castle over delicious treats. The ultimate Mother’s Day treat. aucklandcastle.org

5 APRIL

Head to Blackfriars Restaurant for a Ladies Lunch Club this April. Ladies will get the chance to meet with Hamish from Enotria, a leading specialist wine supplier that has been sourcing inspiration from across the globe for over 40 years. Entoria will tell you all you need to know about the carefully-selected wines of the world. Hamish will talk you through the history of speciality sparkling wines, accompanying a fabulous fizz tasting session. The event will include a three-course lunch, wine, fizz and coffee. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

9-14 MAY From their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, we have all been part of The Beatles’ journey – whether that’s listening to old records or toe tapping away to their big hits. The journey continues… and it’s coming to Darlington Civic Theatre this May. Let it Be tells the story of Beatlemania, packed out with over forty of The Beatles’ greatest hits from ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ to classics like ‘Strawberry Hill’ and ‘Penny Lane’. It’s your chance to relive Beatlemania and celebrate the music that made the sixties swinging. www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk Photography by Hugo Glendinning

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MAY

Alan Bennett’s take on the Cambridge spies, Anthony Blunt and Guy Burgess comes to the stage in the form of Single Spies, which has won a host of accolades and comes to Theatre Royal with a cast including Nicholas Farrell. Expect Bennett’s witty observations on secret identities, espionage, Russian rumour and royalty - and the lives of the infamous Cambridge Five. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

SHOW-STOPPING

Juan de Arellano Still life with a large array of flowers in a glass vase on a stone pedestal Oil on canvas, unlined Courtesy of Auckland Castle Trust / The Zurbarán Trust Bishop Auckland’s transformation into an art-lover’s paradise continues with the £5.5m development of a pioneering Spanish art, culture and research institute.

It will be home to works by some of the greatest artists of the 16th and 17th centuries, including Ribera, Velazquez and Zurbaran. A key painting on show is El Greco’s Christ on the Cross, recently purchased for £2.5m by Auckland Castle with support from the Art Fund.

The ground-breaking gallery is due to open in Bishop Auckland in 2018 and is being seen as a destination to bring academics and tourists to Bishop Auckland.

The gallery was inspired by a series of religious themed paintings by the great Spanish Baroque artist, Francisco de Zurbarán, that hang in the castle.

Auckland Castle’s own Spanish fine art works will be showcased alongside loans from international galleries and significant private collections. www.aucklandcastle.org

MAR/APR16

Should your wedding plans include a pre-nuptial agreement?

An action packed, open-air night show of dazzling proportions.

1000 cast and crew present a storytelling journey of 2000 years with mass choreography, pyrotechnics and spectacular light and water effects.

In the excitement of planning your wedding it may be difficult to envisage any circumstances in which you and your intended may separate.

A pre-nuptial agreement (or pre-nup as they are commonly referred to) allows both parties to the marriage the opportunity to consider how they would expect assets and income to be treated if they were later to divorce and set out agreements reached in a formal document with a view to giving both parties certainty and security.

A person who brings personal wealth or business interests to a marriage can benefit enormously from a properly prepared pre-nuptial agreement, particularly as the Courts have shown an increased willingness over the last few years to uphold such agreements. It is now the stated position that “the Court should give effect to a nuptial agreement that is freely entered into by each party with a full appreciation of its implications unless, in the circumstances prevailing, it would not be fair to hold the parties to their agreement.”

A pre-nuptial agreement can be particularly useful to: • Protect the interests of children from a previous marriage by ring-fencing assets.

• Protect inherited assets, including a family business • Enable parents or other family members to make lifetime gifts for tax planning

purposes without those assets falling into the matrimonial pot • Protect interests arising under a Trust • Protect business interests It is imperative to remember that you must seek expert legal advice when it comes to matrimonial matters of any kind.

In answer to the question posed above my advice is - “Yes ... your wedding plans should definitely include a pre-nuptial agreement. They are not solely for the rich and famous.”

It is also worth remembering that if you have ‘missed the boat’ for a pre-nuptial agreement, you can also enter into an agreement following your marriage. This is called a post-nuptial agreement. You may want to revisit the terms if, for example, you have a child which will often change things. Another reason to revisit is where a family member wishes to make a significant financial gift to one of you. This may mean that you are keen for the asset to be ring fenced from matrimonial property in the unfortunate event of a divorce.

Helen Hunt is a Private Family lawyer specialising in divorce at Tilly Bailey & Irvine Law Firm’s Commercial office based at Wynyard just off the A19 in Teesside.

14 shows July – September 2016

Book your tickets now Included in Rough Guides’ Top 10 new tourist attractions and Guardian Travel’s hotlist of worldwide travel destinations.

Kynren.co.uk Flatts Farm, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7SF W elevenarches.org C facebook.com/elevenarches M twitter.com/elevenarches

LEONARDO DA VINCI

TEN DRAWINGS FROM THE ROYAL COLLECTION

Tilly Bailey & Irvine Law Firm 12 Evolution, Wynyard Park, TS22 5TB T: 0800 052 6824 www.tbilaw.co.uk Find us on Twitter @tbilaw

The expressions of fury in horses, a lion and a man (detail), c.1504-5.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

T: 0800 0526824 W: www.tbilaw.co.uk

13 FEBRUARY – 24 APRIL 2016

www.laingartgallery.org.uk This exhibition is brought to you by:

MAR/APR16

Exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery is sponsored by:

Newcastle upon Tyne

Exhibition supporters include:

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GOOD STUFF

Sweet charity Doing good things in the North East, our charity round-up Tickets for the event are £50 per person and the dress code is black tie.

For more information about the CHUF ball, or to reserve your place, call 01325 377 977 or email info@middletonlodge.co.uk

IN LOVING MEMORY >> Middleton Lodge will host a charity fundraiser ball for Newcastle’s The Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) on March 18 in memory of Anabelle Rose Taylor, the late daughter of operational manager Glen Taylor, who died in April 2014.

Anabelle was born in December 2013, but was diagnosed with Shone’s Complex, a rare and complex heart defect, at just 17 days old. She was transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where she underwent several tests and operations, including three open heart surgeries, before losing her battle at just 122 days old.

Glen, his wife Rebecca, and their family have since been determined to keep her memory alive by raising as much money as possible for CHUF and have set a target of £122,000 - £1,000 for every day Anabelle was alive.

The ball at Middleton Lodge will provide guests with an opportunity to enjoy an evening of entertainment, including a champagne reception and a three-course meal created by executive chef, Caroline Whalley. All money raised will go to the Children’s Heart Unit Fund.

CHARITY SHOOT OUT >> Raising funds to support The Prince’s Trust, Bond Dickinson’s fifth annual charity clay shoot event on May 20 at Lambton Estate, Chester-le-Street, promises some of the finest simulated game clay shooting in the country.

The day will begin with breakfast in Lambton Castle, before teams depart into over 1,000 acres of Lambton’s parklands for the shoot.

The shoot will consist of a team competition across six flushes of 100 clays, including rabbit, driven partridge, pheasant flush, duck pond, pigeon and high pheasant.

There will also be the opportunity to take part in a pool shoot.

Teams will return to a champagne reception, followed by a three-course lunch, charity auction and prize giving and a talk from a celebrity guest speaker.

Entry is limited to 28 teams. Contact Krystle Elder on (0191) 279 9342 or email events@bonddickinson.com

SHEARER SCORES >> Widnes Vikings Magic Weekend campaign, supporting the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, has received a huge boost from Newcastle and England football legend, Alan Shearer.

Shearer, who is a patron of Sir Bobby’s Foundation, not only pledged his own support to the Vikings’ ‘Tackling Cancer...I’m on it!’ campaign, but also enlisted fellow England icons Gary Lineker and Ian Wright.

Last year, the Vikings raised £20,000 for the cancer charity by donating profits from special Magic Weekend shirts featuring the Foundation’s logo. This year, every £10 donation to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation made through the Vikings will be rewarded with the donors’ name printed into the fabric of their 2016 special edition Magic Weekend shirt.

The jersey will once again carry the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation logo in place of its primary sponsor and the team will run out at St James’ Park wearing the shirts in May. A further donation will be made to the charity from the shirt sales, too.

To pledge your support to the ‘Tackling Cancer...I’m on it!” campaign, visit widnesvikings.co.uk or sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.org.uk

RAMSIDE TO RIO >> STEPPING UP >> TV presenter Jeff Stelling will embark on an epic charity walk in March to help tame prostate cancer.

Teaming up with leading men’s health organisation, Prostate Cancer UK, the longstanding Soccer Saturday host will complete 10 walking marathons in 10 days, from boyhood club Hartlepool United to Wembley between March 21-30.

Clocking in at more than 250 miles, Jeff’s Men United March - menunitedmarch.org - will see the 60-year-old check in on 31 football clubs. He will be joined every step of the way by close friend and Hartlepool United chief executive, Russ Green.

Setting off from Victoria Park, home of the League Two club, the duo will head south to Wembley Stadium, joined by famous friends and colleagues.

“Within the next ten years, Prostate Cancer UK believes they will find the answers to make this disease something men and their loved ones no longer fear. I’ve met the scientists who pledge to do this and I can see how dedicated they are. But to do this we need to raise vital funds and I need everyone to support me and all the men affected by prostate cancer by visiting menunitedmarch.org and pledging their support.”

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Ramside Hall Hotel will be transformed into Rio de Janeiro for a colourful, carnival-themed charity ball on April 16.

Organised by Andrew Bennett and Calvin Moore, above with patron Denise Welch, the fifth annual Moorbennhall Charity Ball, will be held in aid of Rochdalebased charity, GEM Appeal, which funds research into genetic diseases affecting children across the UK. To date, the ball has raised £50,000 for the appeal.

Guests on the night, including Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt, celebrity make-up artist Armand Beasley and star of Real Housewives of Cheshire, Ampika Picksto, right, will enjoy a fabulous four-course dinner, as well as live entertainment throughout the night.

Charity patron and TV star, Denise Welch, will also be lending her support on the night to thank the charitable duo for helping a charity that is close to her heart.

Commenting on the ball, Andrew said: “Establishing the Moorbennhall Charity Ball seemed like a natural extension to our own work with young people with learning disabilities and we’re delighted to have raised such a significant sum over the past four years. This year’s event looks set to be one of our most glamorous yet and we can’t wait to see everyone dressed up and shaking their maracas!”

Bronze tickets for The Moorbennhall Charity Ball are priced at £50 per person, including limited seating and a drink on arrival. A Silver option is also available at £65 per person, with the addition of a wine package, while top tier Gold tickets, incorporating preferential seating and a goodie bag, are priced at £85 per person.

For more information, or to book, call Entertainment Today Events Ltd on 0161 4840876 or email info@ entertainmenttoday.co.uk

MAR/APR16

Friday 22nd April 2016

HEaTHEr SMall

SHakEdOwN

An evening of first class entertainment with highlights including performances from

HEATHER SMALL

The voice of M People

(‘One Night In Heaven’ ‘Moving On Up’ ‘Search For The Hero’)

SHAkEdown

Fabulous 5 piece party band

MuSiciAnS unLiMiTEd

North East’s best big band Fashion show by Woven Menswear – Durham Dress Code - Black Tie Selection of cocktails and canapés from 7.00pm Four course gourmet Lobster Surf and Turf menu created by the award winning chefs from the Rib Room Steakhouse & Grill Taittinger Champagne Bar • Complimentary wine, lager & beer all night

Carriages 1.00am £140.00 + VAT per person. To book your place please contact the events team on 01740 620253 or email events@hardwickhallhotel.co.uk HARDWICK HALL HOTEL, SEDGEFIELD, CO. DURHAM TS21 2EH • Tel: 01740 620253

PEDAL POWER

The wheel deal

Strange how a ‘blink and they’re gone’ bike race can mesmerise and fascinate.

Tour de Yorkshire on its first outing last year did just that, scratching a cycling itch that first started to tingle with Le Grand Depart in 2014.

Since then many thousands of bikes have been bought and pedal passions roused by the thrill of the open road and serious climbs, not to mention the fervour to spend Sunday showing off a finely tuned thigh.

Next month, from 29 April to 1 May, Tour de Yorkshire comes to its most northerly route yet. The third stage will see cyclists set off from Middlesbrough on 1 May. The 198km route will wind its way from its industrial starting point to the Cleveland Hills, Yorkshire Moors and the North

44

Yorkshire coast.

Favourite landmarks will earn their own notoriety as Sutton Bank becomes Cote de Sutton Bank and the lofty Blakey Ridge reveals Gallic charm in a new guise as Cote de Blakey.

Along the route, from Hutton Rudby to Helmsley and eventually Robins Hood’s Bay, the route will be lined with enthusiasts and supporters buying in to the spirit of the cycle.

The event is also a valuable marketing opportunity for the county with live coverage on ITV4, British Eurosport and 177 countries around the world. Last year’s event saw four million page views on the race website in the month running up to the first stage with nearly two million on race days, and a Twitter reach of 5 million.

For Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, this year’s event

builds on a fantastic foundation; “Yorkshire’s ability to host a world class sporting event is now proven; with our partners and the local authorities we have created a fantastic event which we are confident will grow year on year to become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.”

Local towns and villages are seizing the moment to shout about their great places on the route.

Stokesley will celebrate with its own TourFest on the final day of the three-day race, Sunday May 1 when the race heads through the town from its starting point in Middlesbrough.

The High Street will be closed to traffic for the whole day with extensive car parking available on the Showfield. A number of family focused activities are being organised as well as live music, rides, street entertainers, food stalls, a mobile bar,

MAR/APR16

PEDAL POWER

Teesside and North Yorkshire will be engulfed in Lycra when the Tour de Yorkshire brings pedal power to the region next month.

Here’s where to experience the highs, the lows and speed thrills on two wheels

marquees on The Green, official merchandise stalls, a children’s treasure trail and parades along the High Street.

The whole race will be shown live on a large, outdoor TV screen and a stage will have a programme of music performances as well.

Local businessman Stewart Brennan, a parish councilor, is one of the organisers.

“This will be special day with a whole range of events and activities in town aimed to entertain and interest the crowds who want to see the race come through Stokesley. Our local shops, pubs, restaurants and businesses have been very keen to take part and many of them will be open and running their own TourFest activities to celebrate the Tour de Yorkshire. There will be something for everyone and we aim to make it a really great day for residents and visitors.”

Steven Bell, owner of Chapters Hotel, is a

MAR/APR16

keen racing cyclist and runs local cycling team Fietsen Tempo. He said: “We have over 40 riders, many over 50 who just enjoy riding a bike and keeping fit. It’s great that the Tour de Yorkshire is coming through Stokesley. The team at the Parish Council have been passionate about putting Stokesley on the map, and this is an opportunity for people to see the carnival caravan of a major cycling tour pass through.”

Peter Holligon, who runs Howard’s in the town, said: “We’ve been in Stokesley for eight years and the town really is thriving.

Having the Tour de Yorkshire pass through Stokesley is a really exciting prospect as it showcases what our town is all about: community, businesses and tourism. We’ll certainly have a few special events and are really looking forward to the whole weekend as we’re big cycling fans.”

Favourite landmarks will earn their own notoriety as Sutton Bank becomes Cote de Sutton Bank and the lofty Blakey Ridge reveals Gallic charm in a new guise as Cote de Blakey

Factbox...

Tour de Yorkshire; 29, 30 April - 1 May Sunday May 1 – Stage 3 from Middlesbrough to Scarborough – 198km SPRINTS >> Thirsk and Whitby CLIMBS >> Sutton Bank, Grosmont, Blakey Ridge, Robin Hood’s Bay, Harwood Dale and Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough DETAILS >> www.letour.yorkshire.com

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PEDAL POWER

Stay on the way >> Make a trip of it – where to stay, eat, picnic and cheer DINE WELL >> Chapters Hotel & Brasserie in Stokesley is right in the thick of the action with the market town pulling out all the stops in celebration of the cycle-fest. The brasserie is a cosy spot to fill up on carefullyprepared bistro classics, cocktails and well-chosen wines straight from the vineyard. www.chaptershotel.co.uk

Staying focused Anna Turvey hopes to be out in front when it comes to the Tour de Yorkshire The 36-year-old optician from Jesmond has been training in the Majorcan sunshine for the past few weeks as part of preparation for the cycling season.

Anna works as a locum optician so she can concentrate on her training and racing – she has achieved Commonwealth level with the Scottish squad – by virtue of a mum from Glasgow.

In July 2014, she was cheered on by thousands in a packed-out Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, representing Scotland at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

She came to the sport relatively late via triathlon, she explains.

“I started triathlon in 2009. Initially I thought it would just be a one-off thing or a fun hobby but I really enjoyed it and I was much better at it than I expected.

“I read in a magazine that doing cycling time trials was good training for triathlon so I decided to give it a go. In 2013 I did the CTT (cycling time trials) British National Championships and finished second in the 25 mile and 50 mile time trials and people started saying ‘you should be a cyclist’. My initial reaction was ‘don’t be daft, I’m too old!’, but then when I looked at successful time trialists like Julia Shaw, I realised that it

It was brilliant last year. The set up and support from the race organiser and locals was amazing was possible to compete in your 30s, 40s and even 50s”, she says.

Finishing second in the national championships meant she fulfilled the selection criteria for the Commonwealth Games and Anna approached Scottish Cycling to ask if she could compete in games for Scotland.

“The coach asked if I had ever ridden on the velodrome. I said ‘no, but I’d love to try’.

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So I started practising on the velodrome and was selected to ride the individual time trial on the road and the individual pursuit on the velodrome.”

Despite the initial trepidation, Turvey finished 12th in the Women’s 3,000m Individual Pursuit during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. She also competed in the Women’s Individual Time Trial, finishing ninth.

The rigorous training means she now works as a locum optician to be able to combine training and work.

“I cycle four to six times a week and go to the gym twice a week. It is difficult in the winter at home as the weather is awful and its dark after work, so much of the training is done on a static bike in the garage, unless I get the chance to go away. I work as a locum so I can have flexibility in how many days I work. At the moment I work

2-5 days a week.”

Her cycling club is The Tyneside Vagabonds and she rides for a road team called Ford Ecoboost. She also cycles on the new outdoor velodrome at Middlesbrough when possible.

Her hero is Julia Shaw, “a really successful rider who is basically an amateur who came to the sport late. She beats a lot of full time, funded riders but has a full time job.”

Anna is looking forward to participating in the Tour de Yorkshire.

“It was brilliant last year. The set up and support from the race organiser and locals was amazing. I am really looking forward to riding again this year.”

And as for the future?

“I’d like to get back on the track and do some more road racing with my team Ford Ecoboost and of course some time trials.”

Tour de Yorkshire passes through Helmsley where the Black Swan is a great place for fine dining, delicate afternoon tea or a gutsy pie and a pint moment www.blackswan-helmsley.co.uk Just a few miles away and also on the TDY route you find the gastro gems that are The Pheasant and The Star Inn at Harome. They’ve got a great pedigree and the ultimate picnic for your wheelwatching escapades. www.thestaratharome.co.uk www.thepheasanthotel.com Cote de Sutton Bank is one of the mighty climbs along the route. Handily lying at the top of the bank is The Hare at Scawton. The husband and wife team scooped Welcome to Yorkshire’s Restaurant of the Year 2015 and the Restaurant of the Year 2015 accolade at The Flavours of Herriot Country Awards.

By the time you read this they should be up and running with new rooms. www.thehare-inn.com High on the moors, the race zooms through Egton and The Wheatsheaf is a grand place to take a pew and watch it flash by. Acclaimed Sunday lunches, nice fish from Whitby – a very good fish pie and fabulous ales. www.wheatsheafegton.com Not far from Sutton Bank in Felixkirk you The Carpenter’s Arms offers swish accommodation in a courtyard of modern suites and a really cosy country pub which has a wonderful gastro touch. www.thecarpentersarmsfelixkirk.com

STAY SWEET >> GLAM UP How about a luxe lodge? Wraparound sofas, outdoorsy balcony and hot-tub for wine-sipping and inside there’s Nespresso on tap. www.studfordluxurylodges.com OR THE GLAMPING THING? Head to Yurtshire (see what thy did there?) and stay cool under canvas at Newbrough Priory near Coxwold – not far from the TDY route. Yurts that are cosy to be in with floors, beds and everything. www.yurtshire.co.uk FOUR WHEELS TO FOLLOW TWO Hire Monty, Margo. Bluebell or Harry and make it a retro four-wheeled occasion.

Dashing VW campers are the perfect partners to the two-wheeled dash – whether they can cope with Cote de Blakey Ridge is another matter. www.thecampervancompany.com

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Slap bang in the middle of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle route is Hollins Lodge. A great place to stay whether you’re saddle sore or just world-weary

Inclined to stay put...

You may or may not choose to bring your bicycle to Hollins Lodge.

On the plus side it nestles at the bottom of the serious Blakey Bank – and all the whizzy fun that might entail on two wheels. More daunting is the ride up which demands low gears, similarly low blood pressure and calf muscles to rival those of Bradley Wiggins and co.

So it’s perhaps worth banking on a four-wheel drive and your sturdy two legs rather than two wheels for a stay here.

Hollins Lodge is ideally-placed for cheering on the cyclists as they confront the Cote de Blakey – a key climb on the Tour de Yorkshire route.

But at any time of the year Hollins Lodge serves as the ultimate ‘away from it all’ retreat in beautiful Farndale.

The Dale has two claims to fame this year – one is the ever-faithful Farndale daffodils which bring in thousands of

visitors every year with their dazzling display of bursting, joyful yellow along the riverside in spring.

And the second is the Tour de Yorkshire bike ride which zips along the seriously high-up Blakey Ridge, famous for its eponymous pub and devilish winters.

Both daffs and bikes will serve to transform the silent and virtually unpopulated dale into visitor central – for just a few days.

It is a gem of a place to visit and at its centre is little more than a pub, church and village hall.

Hollins Lodge is part of the Farndale Estate, a collection of smart restored farm buildings and cottages which have a definite boutique factor about them.

The Lodge is the daddy of them all, a luxurious property that’s just made for happy gatherings at any time of the year.

In the summer there are few places to rival the magnificence of Farndale and the surrounding North Yorkshire Moors.

Seaside favourites like Runswick Bay, Staithes Sandsend

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and Whitby are but a short drive away but there’s a definite Enid Blyton appeal to just staying put and adventuring once you’ve arrived.

In the summer you can spill out in to the fabulous south-facing patio and gardens from the sunny conservatory.

In winter just settle yourself in and cosy-up by a roaring fire

in the wood-panelled dining room with its sink-in sofas and cosy armchairs.

The Lodge is as luxurious as it comes in terms of facilities.

A great gathering spot is the farmhouse kitchen with its Aga and two large fridge freezers (meaningful winechilling capacity).

It’s a great place to indulge your inner Nigella. Make a

gourmet day of it in nearby foodie favourite towns Malton or Helmsley then serve up a fabulous supper in style in the Lodge’s lovely dining room.

There are six ensuite bedrooms all with flat screen TVs and WiFi (ticking every possible box for the fussy teenagers in the party).

If room-time is your thing, then this is definitely a place to luxe-out. The property has been stylishly restored with warm airy bedrooms with lovely luxury linens, wellappointed ensuite showers and bathrooms, and stunning countryside views.

If you needed some real relaxation there’s much merit in a simple wardrobe of Barbour and wellies for stepping out from the back door flagstones and walking to the moorland beyond.

The fresh air is free and the big skies scenery and long walks make for a genuine ‘away from it all’ restorative break.

Aside from walking and exploring the dale, good spots nearby are the aforementioned Helmsley and Sandsend or maybe a trip to big city York.

But really the Hollins holiday is all about holing up, staying put and bringing with you a stash of good wine, gourmet treats and good friends. Job done.

Hollins Lodge is part of Farndale Cottages. It sleeps 12 and stays start at £1250 www.farndalecottages.co.uk

MAR/APR16

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Little Nina Robinson is feline luxey....

Lighter nights and the thought of Easter chocs and chicks always make me happy. It’s a time of year when lots of things seem to start happening and my social life fills up with everything from furry friends to a date with robots!

You need somewhere to hold on to the memories - and I am now the proud owner of the utlimate keepsake book...

Little Luxe x

with Nina Robinson

Scribble & sketch >>

I am head over heels with an awesome new activity book called A Year in My Life. It’s a journal unlike any other, a gorgeously illustrated book in which you can record a year in your life by filling in the 365 exercises – one for each day of the year.

Sometimes books like this feel like hard work but not this one! The entries are fun, quick and sometimes a bit crazy!

So far my favourite challenges have included ‘write a story – but make your teeth the main characters’, ‘make up a sentence about today, but write it backwards’ and ‘draw around your thumb, now turn it into a self-portrait’.

When I’ve finished it I’ll be able to look back on my year and all the funny things it involved. If I’m lucky I might even grow up to be as smart as the writer Lucy Menzies who is from Teesside! It costs £8.99 and is available at Amazon.

What’s new pussy cat? >> I am crackers about cats. I have a dog (who I love of course) but there’s something fascinating about cats and I’m always trying to get up close to them when I visit friends and family who have them as pets. They’re so soft and silky – if you ever get near enough to sneak in a stroke before they disappear behind the sofa!

We saw cat cafes when we went to Japan last year and I loved the idea of being able to hang out with friendly fluffsters (while eating cake) but I didn’t get a chance to visit one. So imagine my excitement to learn not one but two have opened in Newcastle! There’s Catpawcino on the Quayside and Mog on the Tyne in Pudding Chare and I finally got the chance to see what all the fuss is about the other day.

We booked in for an hour’s stay at Mog on the Tyne and made friends with Sir Francis, Jaffa and Rum among others.

The cats just play with their toys and wander around while visitors enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. And I’m pleased to report they’re friendly too, happy to be petted and stroked and take a treat or two that are handed out to visitors by the nice café owners. Give it a try next time you’re feline the need for fluff! mogonthetyne.com

>> Geometry has escaped from the classroom with the new collection of boys’ clothes by yummy-sounding brand Milk & Biscuits. Their new season is inspired by geometry doodles, with bold, graphic designs in white, blues and army green, big pockets and silky soft bamboo material.Grid shirt £30, green shorts £28. fiveboysclothing.com

Nina’s:diary If robots press all your buttons, then don’t miss a trip to Life Science Centre this spring. Sci-fi fans can rejoice with Robot, an exhibition of model robots, cyborgs and androids from TV shows and films from the past 60 years. It features over 40 full size robot models, heads and robot toys, including replicas of famous robots that you may recognise from the big screen! life.org.uk

Bright ideas for the big screen >> What a great idea! Stockton Art Centre Arc is running relaxed performances for children with autism and other needs so they can enjoy family-friendly shows.

Local autism charity Daisy Chain has helped advise Arc on a few minor adjustments to lighting, seating and volume to make a trip to the theatre or cinema as fun and enjoyable as possible. Families can bring their own food and even jump the queues!

A trip to the cinema is so much fun – nice to know all little luxes can enjoy the dazzle of the big screen with their family, friends or carers.

The next relaxed showing is the classic children’s story, Tom Thumb, on Saturday 23 April at 2.30pm. arconline.co.uk

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MAR/APR16

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SOUND ADVICE

Shaping your money well Small investors have been neglected in recent years, but one Newcastle firm is coming up with a solution to help Investing has never looked more complicated. Interest rates are close to zero and stock markets are highly volatile, rocked by a succession of frightening economic headlines.

Yet the poor small investors are largely being left to navigate these turbulent investment waters on their own.

There was a time when they could consult Independent Financial Advisers, IFAs, for investment guidance but in 2012 there was a change in the regulations governing how they operate. The Retail Distribution Review, RDR, introduced in 2012, changed the way in which IFAs could charge for their services, the result of which was to make it uneconomic for them to advise smaller investors.

This has created an advice gap.

John Dance, co-founder of Jesmond-based discretionary investment management firm Vertem Asset Management, explains; “This advice gap has meant that clients with typically less than £50,000 to invest - or even higher amounts - are finding it harder to find someone who will advise them.’’

With £50,000 here and £50,000 there, pretty soon you are talking serious money, particularly when, according to recent studies, there are as many as 43 million British citizens who fall into this category.

In fact, it is estimated that they are worth up to an astonishing £440bn in investable assets.

Some of these people are using execution only broking services without advice, taking their investment lives into their own hands, while others are, presumably, accepting whatever paltry rate of interest their banks are offering.

It is in response to this need and gap in the market that over the past 12 months or so, there has been an extraordinary rise in so-called roboadvice services with two of the leaders being Nutmeg and Money on Toast.

“These are companies that appeal direct to the consumer and offer a kind of simplified advice to making investments and investment planning,’’ says Dance.

It’s trying to offer a basic service in terms of trying to give you a suitable investment portfolio The services are online and work by asking the investor a series of questions to determine the appropriate level of risk for them and which they are willing to take and other factors such as investment aims.

“They will blend the two: your ability to take risk with your desire to take risk and recommend an off-the-shelf investment proposition that’s hopefully broadly in line with your needs,’’ says Dance. “It’s not the full wealth management picture that an IFA would do for you, such as ensuring you had the right insurance in place, telling you you should be paying off a bit of your

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mortgage rather than investing, ensuring you’re saving enough and so on. It’s trying to offer a basic service in terms of trying to give you a suitable investment portfolio.’’

The roboadvice provider will recommend one of its own portfolio products so that two investors with the same risk profile will be investing in the same product.

“It’s using economies of scale at the investment level using technology to drive you to which one of these markets you should be sat in,’’ says Dance. “Unlike a human being going through this process with you, it’s essentially an algorithm that controls the decision tree.’’

Ideally the algorithm will take the same forks in the decision tree in response to the investor’s preferences as an investment adviser would in a face-to-face interview.

The provider charges an annual fee based on a percentage of the investment value.

Now North East-based Vertem is entering the market with its own roboadvice service.

The firm was founded just under six years ago by John Dance and Gary Stockdale who worked for brokers Brewin Dolphin in Newcastle. They wanted greater investment freedom and saw an opportunity to provide a service to the IFA industry in a way which would allow the IFAs to enhance their business.

RDR was implemented shortly after Vertem’s foundation which gave a useful boost to the fledgling firm by making it harder for IFAs to manage investments themselves.

“We were lucky because that led the IFA industry, or at least large parts of it, to outsource the investment part of their role to specialist investment managers,’’ says Dance.

Vertem has grown from the original two founders to being a team of 11 in Jesmond, two in London and two in Edinburgh. It has clients around the country but particularly in Buckingham and the Carlisle area.

“We have more assets under management than we ever dreamed we would get to – about £260m,’’ says Dance. “So we are tiny in terms of the financial services industry but we are a lot bigger than we ever thought we would be and we are growing rapidly. We have something a little bit unique and we have the potential to outperform our rivals.’’

And, with the growth of roboadvice, Vertem is poised for the next phase of its expansion. Its own roboadvice service U-Manage has been devised to overcome a weakness the firm sees with the other services.

Dance explains: “We are building in our own proprietary risk assessment questionnaire.

We felt that in order to be visually simplistic existing options were perhaps coming out with the wrong outcomes.’’

He cites the example of one roboadvice platform which he told he had £25,000 to invest for 15 years. He answered the various risk questions and was then asked whether, at some point over the 15 years, he expected to need any of the capital, to which he said yes. However, the programme did not ask him what he might need the capital for, how much or how important the draw down would be.

He says: “In the end it said you have been assessed as having attitude to risk

of eight, however, as you need access to the capital in the interim, we have recommended that you only take level of risk number four and this is therefore the portfolio we recommend.’’

As Dance points out, there is a world of difference between wanting to draw on capital for a holiday in the sun – which might be classified as a nice-to-have – and paying for a child’s university education, which could be seen as more of a necessity.

U-Manage’s risk assessment questionnaire, however, will establish how much of their capital an investor might want access to and how important that is to them.

Vertem is launching U-Manage in order to provide a service to its own IFA clients.

“While we recognise that there are clients in this advice gap who might not be economical to IFAs in this point in their life-cycle, they are the breeding ground of tomorrow’s economically viable clients,’’ says Dance.

“We had the idea that we could create a really sharp roboadvice system that could be installed on each IFA’s website with their branding and where some of the parameters could also be defined by that IFA.’’ He adds: “We hope that by doing that, IFAs don’t lose that nursery ground of tomorrow’s economic clients, but don’t have to put in the unpaid hours that normally would have to come with it and also meant that we could come up with a robo solution that didn’t conflict with our original business of working with IFAs.’’ For this reason, U-Manage will be exclusively available through IFAs. It is anticipated that U-Manage would be suitable for an initial £10,000 lump sum with the ability to make regular contributions from £150 a month and the portfolio could be packaged as an ISA. Unlike other roboadvice platforms, this will allow the transfer of existing portfolios.

Investors will not need a high level of financial experience and expertise and the site’s home page will include a `how to’ video.

Once a year investors will be prompted to revisit the answers they made to the questionnaire to ensure their risk profile is still appropriate.

Dance says: “Perhaps they’ve moved up the career ladder at work and they are feeling a bit more flush and secure in themselves and will answer the risk questions slightly more aggressively than they did previously. Also as people get closer to retirement they will feel less inclined to take risk.’’

IFAs will not be able to give U-Manage investors investment advice but they will be able to guide them on how to use the system.

Given that markets at the moment are so scary with pundits predicting all manner of terrible things on the horizon, wouldn’t the investor be better off playing safe and avoiding the stock market?

“Sometimes the biggest risk is to take no risk at all,’’ says Dance. “Certainly at this point when headline indices have fallen so far, the biggest danger now would be not being invested. That’s not to say the market can’t fall further but it’s just as likely that it will rebound and rebound potentially quite hard at some point.’’

MAR/APR16

SOUND ADVICE

Sometimes the biggest risk is to take no risk at all

MAR/APR16

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LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Rainy days & Mondays They really needn’t get you down – we love this happy raindrops wallpaper print from Hibou Home which brings a splash of fun to rooms for small people. Wallpaper £70 a roll. www.hibouhome.com

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MAR/APR16

BOW WOW FACTOR

POSH POOCHES with Alfie, helped by Elysia Agnew

WE’RE BARKING MAD ABOUT SNOWDOGS THIS SPRING >> Look out for 50 large canine sculptures in the North East this year. Based on the character from the Raymond Briggs inspired short films, ‘The Snowman and the Snowdog’, the sculptures will form an interactive trail around the region starting in September.

With local sponsors including Gateshead College, The Biscuit Factory, Sage Gateshead and Tyne and Wear Metro, the event organisers, St Oswald’s Hospice are asking people of the North East to sponsor and suggest the locations that will become the temporary home of the Snowdogs. The hospice is calling on artists and designers to submit proposals to decorate the dogs. In December, the sculptures will appear at a dazzling auction, where they will be sold to the highest bidder. The generous donations will be put towards St Oswald’s Children’s Hospice.

If you would like to get involved in the Great North Snowdogs trail, please visit: www.greatnorthsnowdogs.co.ulk

Alfie has been keeping up the ‘new year new me’ regime. With longer walks and a regular check in at the doggy salon, Alfie’s fitter and fresher than ever. And as part of his new regime, he has been working on his pooch IQ. ‘The Dog IQ Test’ is a handbook by Rachel Federman. It’s the perfect present for someone training a new pup or for someone who would like to challenge the saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’.

With anything from finding the hidden treats, to directing himself home after his walks, Alfie leapt in to the top 80% of doggy genius in the IQ test. Not just a pretty face after all.

Having your sights set on upcoming summer holidays seems to keep you going in the winter months, and as Easter approaches, Alfie has already sneaked in another trip to his favourite holiday destination, The Lake District. He cosied up in a cute cottage suite at The Samling, with his very own bedroom and bespoke bed. A luxury weekend break for a luxe pooch.

Alfie’s looking forward to lighter nights and longer walks, and most importantly, having a splash in the river soon. Not to mention Easter puppy treats aplenty.

Alfie, your Luxe Pooch x

Alfie loves...

THIS… >> Like me, you might wonder: “Is there anything an iPhone can’t do?” These brand new pet-feeding devices might just answer.

And that is no - there isn’t anything an iPhone can’t do.

The wonders of modern technology never fail to amaze. We all feel that guilt when we have to leave our pooches alone for an hour or two. Well, now you can feed and communicate with them at any time of day, straight from your iPhone. It may sound ridiculous, but if you fancy a chat with your four-legged friend, just pick up the phone.

And for you puppy owners, it’s the perfect solution for destructive behaviour and will stop those teeth getting at your furniture.

Now that Alfie has his IQ up to speed. These fancy feeding techniques are next on the agenda…

& THAT… >> Ruby Rufus is the chicest doggy designer around. Your pooch will leap into spring, feeling as stylish as ever with the help of this luxurious cashmere sweater wear.

Luxe Pooch Q&A Bella is a two-yearold Labradoodle from North Yorkshire.

She’s cheeky, chirpy and just loves a cuddle. Her luxe things in life include walking up the Cleveland Hills and spending time with her best friend Alfie.

Queen of the cashmere >> Tulla woven print cashmere sweater, £85 www.rubyrufus.com

LUXE WALKS >> Bella loves a walk up the Cleveland Hills or along Redcar beach, but has recently enjoyed a trip to the Scottish coast of Elie.

icPooch >> You can video chat and deliver a treat to your pooch from anywhere in the world! £64.99. www.amazon.co.uk Ofeely >> This gadget uses an app to set portion sizes and a feeding schedule based on your pet’s needs. You can also use the live webcam to watch your pooch as they enjoy their supper. £199.99 www.amazon. co.uk

DOGGY DOWNTIME >> She loves to snuggle up on the living room armchair, which boasts a “reserved for the dog” cushion. She likes to while away the afternoon, snoozing and keeping an eye out for visitors.

Living the luxe life >> Fairisle sweater, ivory, £85 www.rubyrufus.com

Don’t forget to send in pics of your pooch’s holidays and days out via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/luxemag Twitter: @TheLuxeMagazine OR @LuxeyPooch Instagram: theluxemagazine

MAR/APR16

HOUND HABBITS >> Bella is a bit of a softy. If she has misbehaved, she will cry and put on the old puppy eyes until we humans fall for her tricks. You’ve got to give it to her… it works every time.

POOCH’S PERFECT DAY OUT >> A walk along Redcar beach in the summer months; a quick dip in the sea, a throw of a ball and she may even

sneak in a chip or two and the end of the ice cream cone.

PUPPY PAMPER >> Being a super fluffy Labradoodle, the poodle in Bella requires a lot of grooming. She checks in at the puppy salon once a month to keep her looking fine and feeling fresh.

FONDEST DOGGY MEMORY? >> Being brought home for the first time and being welcomed into her new home in Stokesley. In the same day, I met my best friend Alfie and we hit it off straight away.

PUPPY A-LISTER. WHO WOULD YOUR POOCH BE IF HE/SHE WERE A CELEBRITY? >> It’s got to be Miranda. She’s bashful, a heffalump, clumsy and just wants to be loved!

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LAKES GLAM

LURE OF THE LAKES Flood-ravaged Cumbria needs its friends at the moment, Keswick’s Inn on the Square offers a glamorous welcome says Kathryn Armstrong

When the rains came to Cumbria they did so with a vengeance.

But just because the television cameras and the waters have receded, it doesn’t mean all is well in the aftermath.

We arrive at Keswick’s Inn on the Square after some dealings with a blizzard on the A66.

The nice girl on reception says blizzards they don’t mind – at least it’s not more rain.

We find Keswick quiet – which might be because it’s January or because people think the Lakes is a no-go.

For the visitor it’s perfect – we encountered bright shiny winter skies one day and a rather atmospheric monochrome gloom the next, which made for a contrast in lakeside walks.

It is indeed ‘open for business’. The Inn on the Square a surprising place to find. It’s very city-centre glam rather than countrified cosy.

The décor is zippy and modern with a citrus-bright yellow and grey colour scheme and lots of textured furnishings in the lobby, cocktail bar and lounge.

Venture to the Brossen restaurant and it goes a touch scandi with blonde wood chairs and tables and a retro touch.

Rooms continue the grey/citrus colour scheme and have smashing bathrooms and jolly, fruity bathroom products.

Somehow the overall feel is ‘happy’.

Our room is also dominated by a mural of sheep peering over the headboard which is a bit disarming against the rest of the furnishings, but at the same time, reinforces the laid-back wit of the place.

Most of us know Keswick: land of the outdoor clothing shop and the place to find the walking boot of your dreams. It’s one of the Lake District’s touristy hubs but an easy ramble

56

to the fresh air and fells landscape that surrounds.

On our way we stopped off at The Lakes Distillery at Bassenthwaite and took the tour.

Well worth a trip, the visitor centre is world-class, created from a former Victorian model-farm which has been carefully and stylishly renovated.

The tour itself guides you through the history of the landscape that surrounds the distillery, the heritage of (illegal) whisky in these parts and gives a guide to the story behind whisky making with a tour of the distillery process.

Tasting is of course part of it all – they make gin and vodka on site as well as The One whisky and at the end of the

The people and businesses in this part of the Lakes have had it tough - but it’s open for business visit you’re invited to taste them for yourself.

The distillery is only about a 15-minute drive from Keswick so the Inn on the Square makes for a good base.

The hotel’s restaurant is called Brossen which sounds very Scottish and is all about hearty steak.

On the wall of the restaurant there’s a giant sketch of a cow with its different cuts marked out.

The menu therefore really invites you make it meat.

It’s an enticing menu. For starters we had pan-fried rabbit wrapped in parma ham and house pickled herring with truffled potato salad and rye bread. Both impressed. The herring had the right balance of sweet not too sharp and the rabbit was lightly cooked and full of flavour – a confit

leg bon-bon on the side was meltingly good.

The specials offered up a 40-day matured sirloin which was presented as a huge slab of meat with a rich, deep and earthy flavour. Tender texture and right on the cusp of medium/rare.

Brossen oak smoked rump steak – good value at £17.50 – enjoyed the subtlety of the smoker so the full flavour of meat and gentle sweetness of the oak-smoking made for a great balance.

Side dishes keep you dithering. Beef dripping chips are perfect with steak of course but we also dipped into roast bone marrow – and for gluttony mac n’ cheese, which rightly defeated us. To the extent where we couldn’t even manage desserts such as spiced apple parfait, sticky ‘stoute’ pudding or the lovely and local cheesboard (Eden smokie brie, Cumberland cheddar, Black Dub Blue). Sorry. Big marks to the wine list though and a light, luscious and juicy Paparuda Pinot Noir which we loved.

You can round your night off at the more buzzy front bar with the cocktail crowd or wine(d) down at the back bar.

In a few hours you need to face breakfast. Full Cumberland comes with good meaty sausages and thick bacon or go for eggs benedict served in a variety of ways.

After this of course, a walk is essential. And very beautiful.

The people and businesses in this part of the Lakes have had it tough (even the giant Booths supermarket is part-closed) - but that’s good reason to pop in and stay a while. It’s very much open for business.

The Inn on the Square, Keswick offers a variety of breaks from £85pp dinner, B&B. Details www.innonthesquare.co.uk www.lakesdistillery.com

MAR/APR16

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MAR/APR16

*

Infiniti Centre Newcastle Middle Engine Lane, Silverlink Business Park, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear NE28 9NZ Phone: 0191 295 8686 www.infinitinewcastle.com Official fuel economy figures for the Infiniti range in mpg (l/100 km): urban 25.2 to 15.0 (11.2 to 18.9), extra urban 36.2 to 28.8 (7.8 to 9.8), combined 31.4 to 21.6 (9.0 to 13.1). CO2 emission: 307 to 238 g/km.

Visit your local dealer for full details. Infiniti Centre Newcastle is a subsidiary of Bristol Street Fourth Investments who is a credit broker authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Finance subject to status. Model shown for illustration purposes only. Further charges may be payable if vehicle is returned. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. Available to over 18s in the UK only. Terms and conditions apply. Retail sales only. Subject to availability. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders to assist with your purchase, who may pay us for introducing you to them. 5 years 0% APR representative finance is based on Hire Purchase. On the road price for the Infiniti Q50 range £28,650 - £47,240. Applies to models from stock only. *Terms and conditions apply.

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BLISSED OUT & BEACHY

GLITZY DAYS Hip hotels with Debrah Dhugga Anytime is the right time for a restorative spa trip. Deborah has a flip-flops and sarong time of it in the Canaries…

Hello everyone! Hope you are well into a new springtime. I’m writing about a lovely spot where I had my own dose of winter sun a few weeks ago. Yes, after a full-on festive time, some sunshine and relaxation was on the agenda to kick off 2016. A trip to Bohemia Suites and Spa in Gran Canaria, went some way in starting me off on the right track, with its luxury service, high-end spa and boutiquey feel – and only four hours away from London.

Gran Canaria is a great place to just live in your flip flops and sarong at one of the beautiful beaches, or explore the culture and landscape across the island. The hotel is located right by the Maspalomas sand dunes, which are ideal for a morning walk, and it looks out across the Atlantic Ocean, although this is rather chilly – take a dip if you’re brave enough!

LAY YOUR HEAD >> Bohemia Suites and Spa is a stylish five-star designer hotel, an adult-only oasis, perfect for enjoying some down time away from your little ones.

The colour scheme is unique and modern, decked out in purples, reds, limes and gold.

Best room > The Star Sky Suite offers the most space and privacy in the whole of the hotel, and shows off fantastic views of Gran Canaria. I spent as much time as possible taking in the spectacular views from all sides, debating which balcony boasted the best outlook. The large soaking tub was ideal for relaxing, glass of wine in hand, without even having to leave your bedroom.

DINE >> The 360° Restaurant is rooftop fine-dining at its best, where I could happily eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The a-la-carte menu is simply delicious, and caters for both the health conscious and those who are truly in the holiday spirit, if you know what I mean! If you’re a fan of fish, you must try the line-caught sole, and sample as many fresh local vegetables as possible.

If you want a little less formal option, go down to the Dunes Restaurant set amid the hotel’s impressive gardens, where you can enjoy a quick snack and wash it down with a cocktail – perfect!

DO THIS >> The island’s capital, Las Palmas, is only 40 minutes’ drive from the hotel – in the Star Sky Suite you get complimentary use of a brand new Audi A1 to use throughout your stay so venturing further afield is a must!

Get dressed up and enjoy an evening out at Opera Las Palmas - even if you’re not an opera buff it’s a great excuse to dig out your best gladrags!

SPA TIME >> The hotel’s first-class Siam Spa is one of its main attractions, and I tried their special New Year Detox Package, meaning I really made the most of what they had to offer.

Start the day with a private morning yoga

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Factbox...

Nightly rates at Bohemia Suites and Spa start from £120 for a Sun Double room; and from £266 for a Junior Suite, including breakfast, excluding VAT. For more information please call +34 928 563 400 or visit www.bohemia-grancanaria.com

British Airways holidays offer seven nights at Bohemia Suites and Spa, from £599 per person for a Sun Double or £939 per person for a Junior Suite, including return flights from London Gatwick. For reservations visit www.ba.com/ grancanaria or call 0844 493 0758

Get dressed up and enjoy an evening out at Opera Las Palmas - even if you’re not an opera buff it’s a great excuse to dig out your best gladrags!

session, followed by a hot stone massage and a personalised Body Feng Shui treatment. You’re then free to spend some down time in the spa before enjoying a special detox meal.

EAT LOCAL >> Gran Canaria is a big exporter of coffee

and fine wine – two of my favourite things – and I had a great time visiting a local organic farm and vineyard to sample some of the island’s delicacies.

WOW FACTOR >> Did you know that almost half of the island has been declared a

Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO? I love running; it’s a great way to explore a new place.

If running’s a bit too much, try hiking to the top of the sacred rock, Roque Bentayga, nearly 2,000 metres above sea level, and appreciate the incredible views – absolutely breathtaking.

MAR/APR16

GLAMOROUS MOMENTS

LIVING IT UP Living it up with Alok Loomba and Varsha Sehgal Our style duo have travelled, tasted and partied hard these past few weeks ....

THRILLED BY >> We’re bouncing into a new fashion season with thoughts of spring evenings and holidays not so far away. New season stock is filling the stores and I’m particularly enjoying glimpses of the new collection from ‘Hugo’, Hugo Boss Red Label line. I love the aesthetic of Hugo Boss – smart tailoring – and ‘Hugo’ takes that aesthetic and distils it into a more directional and contemporary look.

I have a particular fondness for the Super Black slim fit wool suit. Very chic and equally ideal for business and party wear – this is a staple suit to add to your wardrobe. It has a lean, aggressive cut and as the name suggests the suit has been through multiple processes of pigmentation – giving it an intense depth and making it that true ‘Super Black.’ It’s always difficult to strike a balance when choosing a suit for the office as well as a more social setting – this one strikes that balance perfectly.

TEMPTED BY >> The most recent fragrances from the fragrance house of Acqua Di Parma. I’ve long been a fan of Acqua Di Parma and its latest woody, dark and musky scents do not disappoint. There are three scents in the range to choose from; Colonia Ambra, Colonia Oud and Colonia Leather. At £160 for 100ml they are more expensive than the other long-established colognes in the range but they are an excellent choice if you want to tap into the woody, masculine and middle eastern trend that is big in men’s fragrance at the moment.

TRIED ON >> Sneakers by Lanvin. Lanvin’s men’s casual range of shoes combine French elegance with contemporary sophistication. Their footwear is crafted using fine natural materials with flashes of metallic detailing and bold hues. The result is pieces which are understated, with refined detailing which consistently delivers an excellent finish.

Top of my list are the burgundy and patent leather sneakers. They are made in suede with patent leather toe caps and the resulting combination is really very striking.

At £260 for a pair they are expensive - but I have yet to see a smarter sneaker.

THINKING ABOUT >> As anyone who knows me well will testify – I do like grooming products! I think it important for us gents to take care of ourselves. The recent trend for men to grow and cultivate our facial hair has led to a whole raft of products hitting the shelves of men’s grooming bars across the nation.

The best beard oil I’ve come across is from the male grooming product line from Tom Ford £40.

The key to a well-kept beard is daily grooming and conditioning. Tom Ford’s offering conditions, softens and nourishes the beard with a lightweight blend of almond, jojoba and grapeseed oils as well as vitamin E. For those with – how best to put this – a more established growth, application of the oil can be followed by combing with the Tom Ford beard comb to smooth hair and help disperse the oil evenly. To make this product yet more appealing the oil is available in three iconic Tom Ford private blend scents – Oud Wood, Neroli Portofino and Tobacco Vanille.

TRAVELLED AND TASTED >> I decided to get away with the family to Thailand over Christmas and New Year. It was a wonderful break and a revelation to come back to work in January with a tan and feeling invigorated and ready to deal with a very busy month – rather than a few extra pounds and a detox shake!

We spent a week in Koh Samui – at the very chic Lanna boutique hotel nestled nicely in the hills of Samui. We finished the trip off in Bangkok for a few days staying in the vibrant Sukhomvit area. I am a huge fan of Asian based food. Thai is one my favourites.

I ate well – from charming very authentic beachside shacks in Koh Samui to Michelin Star quality Thai dining at Saffron in the Banyan Tree Luxury Resort on the Island – I was very impressed.

One of the highlights of the trip was a spectacular meal at Mezzaluna at the Lebua Hotel.

MAR/APR16

THRILLED BY >> British Asian Trust’s annual dinner is the first charity event I have been to where in a single night more than £900,000 was raised by the generosity of its patrons alone. In fact, the charity broke all of its previous records.

Hosted by HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall this is an annual event which has far-reaching results that go beyond the glitz and glamour of the night.

Aimed at addressing human trafficking, education, mental health and livelihood, the British Asian Trust approach is about encouraging life skills. BAT helps people stand on their own two feet through education, support, therapy and training.

Having visited one of their schools in South Asia, I have seen firsthand the lengths the organisation goes to in order to make a difference.

The night was thrilling not just because Simon Cowell told me I looked amazing or because we were dining in the spectacular suroundings of the Natural History Museum whilst Leona Lewis >> Varsha cosies up sang, but also because of what it meant with Simon Cowell to be there. at the starIf it feels good to receive, it feels studded BAT absolutely “thrilling” to give. dinner attended

by Prince Charles TRAVELLED TO >> and the Duchess of Cornwall South East Asia is renowned for its hospitality, beaches, food and spas but there is a reason why Bali is called the ‘Island of the Gods’. It simply is the chosen one. For my family covering ages between eight and 67 years, it had something to offer all of us.

Mornings began with yoga lessons overlooking the Indian Ocean, followed by breakfast of the juiciest mangosteen and baby coconuts. Days were filled with relaxing spa treatments, temple visits, high octane sports or simply gazing out at the lapping ocean waves. My 5 ‘musts’ for Bali are: 1. Uluwatu Temple – observe the Balinese dancers perform the Kecak dance at sunset.

2. Temple of Tanah Lot – a cliffside temple that is home to a thousand-year-old living snake regarded sacred by the Balinese people.

3. Metis, Sarong and Il Restorante – dining at its finest.

4. Seminyak – a buzzing area with treasures for the discerning shopper.

5. Taro – for a dabble at water rafting and quad biking and visit to the rice plantations.

TEMPTED BY >> SS2016 is about colour and the retro look is in. To embrace all things fun, I have set my heart and eyes on the newest Steiger trainers.

Available in black, white and red, these shoes have the ‘It’ trainers written all over them.

TASTED >> I am partial to a good Whiskey Sour but, though popular with our cousins across the Atlantic, this is a trend that Europe seems to have been slow on the uptake. Having sampled many a ghastly (and some near poisonous) versions I was thrilled to be served one that wasn’t just perfect, but also came with a delightful rosemary twist. My compliments to the team behind the bar at Sohe, Jesmond.

TRIED ON >> You can hide a multitude of sins behind a good pair of sunglasses. On a recent walkabout I came across a pair of the ‘Dita Magnifique’. Available in navy, cream and tortoiseshell, at £280 a pair, these are an investment I will be buying into!

THINKING ABOUT >> In preparation for spring rejuvenation I have booked an overnight pampering stay at Rockliffe Hall.

The champagne afternoon tea, pre-dinner drinks at the cocktail bar and a three course dinner in the Orangery are all part of the plan!

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LUXE LIFE

CHRIS STRAKER After seven years in finance Chris decided that it was time to work for himself.

He set up his business six months ago with St. James’s Place Wealth Management LUXE PEOPLE >> I find entrepreneurs very infectious when they have a passion for what they do. I am very fortunate to have worked with some very inspiring people.

My mum for how she has maintained sanity in bringing up my brother and I, and my father and my family for their business acumen and hunger for success. Finally, my girlfriend Jodie for her continued support.

LUXE PLACES >> For a weekend > The Lakes or the Northumberland coast.

A long holiday > Skiing. Anywhere in the Alps. Or America; I am lucky enough to have family in New York, so that’s always a good excuse for a holiday.

A treat > Weather depending, golf in Scotland. There’s nowhere better.

LUXE RELAX >> Best food > I love food. A good steak or anything with a kick to it.

Best wine > I have tried wine, but I always fall back to a beer or gin.

Best restaurant > I enjoy a Chinese with a large group so you can’t go wrong with Hei Hei in Newcastle. But if it’s a special occasion, Café 21 is the best. The food there is exceptional.

Perfect weekend > A combination of golf, friends and family, in no particular order!

Downtime means > Door locked, curtains drawn, on the sofa with my feet up and the TV on.

Best telly > Monday night football is a must for any football fan.

The Apprentice is good TV to switch off to. I always have a boxset on the go as well. It’s Homeland at the moment.

Best book > I am a bit sad and I like books by economists and entrepreneurs. The book I took on holiday recently is called The Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth by an entrepreneur called James Altucher. A must-read for anyone with a business or even an idea.

Best sounds > Anything fast and with a beat to lift the mood.

LUXE SHOP >> Best shopping city > I like Newcastle and Intu Metrocentre because I know where all the shops are. I don’t browse when I’m shopping, I shop with a purpose.

Favourite shop > Does Amazon count?

Retail treat > I could spend a fortune on golf clubs or clothing I can’t help myself when I’m in a golf shop.

LUXE PARTY >> A memorable night out > I went to Vegas for my 30th. What I can remember, I’ll never forget!

Perfect party > I love a wedding. Good friends, family and great atmosphere. There’s nothing better.

Perfect night out > I am going to sound old now but I feel like the days of 5am finishes in a club are behind me and I much prefer a cosy pub with a fire burning and good company.

Best outfit > I’ve had to tone down my outfits in recent years.

A sports jacket or jumper with some jeans or chinos. I have recently been bought some pyjamas, how I have managed 31 years of my life without a pair I’ll never know.

Dinner date > Anywhere up the coast or in Newcastle with my girlfriend.

YOUR LUXE THING IN LIFE >> My business. It is still early days but I am proud of what I have achieved and I feel that I am really helping people with their finances. I have a passion for financial planning and I get to do what I love everyday. Hopefully as the business grows I’ll be able to purchase the more luxe things in life! www.chrisstraker.co.uk The Associate Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website. The title ‘Associate Partner’ is a marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

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MAR/APR16

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BUSINESS

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CONFERENCE MEETINGS DINNERS EXHIBITIONS

EVENTS

CELEBRATIONS CONCERTS WEDDINGS PARTIES OUTDOOR

HOTEL

ACCOMMODATION RESTAURANT MEETING ROOMS PACKAGES

In association with:

luxe:looks Entrepreneurs’ Forum Chairman’s Annual Dinner, Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle Below > Fiona Raglan, Ian Dunn, Duncan McEwan

Above > Sir John Hall, Graham Robb, Sir Peter Vardy Below > Graham Robb, Alastair Waite

Below > Ian Gilthorpe, Nigel Mills, Bill Ward, Mike Wickes

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!

Burn’s Night Ball, Middleton Lodge, nr Darlington Below > Charlie Johnston, Serena Jones, Richard Harriman

Above > Rob Ryder, Katherine Ryder, Jacqui Smith, Mike Smith Below > Barbara Ralph, Melanie Harriman

Below > Claire Cask, Vanessa Price

Above > Jenny Hain, David Strachan, Isabel Hunter, Lucy Archibold

Above > Sir Peter Vardy, David Gillam

Below > Richard Edmonds, Jane Edmonds, Aimee Aiken, Shane Aiken

Below > Amy Jackson Lisa Eaton

Above > Paul Card, Steve Guest, Roger Whiteside

Above > John Duns, Ean Parsons

Above > Johnathan Edwards, Emma Willis

Above > William Nunns, Karen Nunns

Dance City 30th Anniversary Ball, Newcastle Below > Jonathan Smith, Alexandra Kay

Below > Alex Anslaw, Simon Preston, James Allenby,

Below > Mark Robinson, Anthony Baker

Above > Carolyn George, Janet Archer, Joo-Lee Stock, Lucy Smith Above > Dave Cook, Nicholas Baunfield

Above > Annabelle Peach, Alice Collier

The same exceptional service with a new name above the door.

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MAR/APR16

SOCIAL LIFE Below > Rob Lee, Lynsey Harper, Steve Harper

Below > Nicola Laws, David Laws

Above > Ed Sheeran Below > David Fulton Jo Thompson

Above > Alan Shearer, Mike Browne Above > Lucy Betteridge, Chloe Betteridge Below > Jonathan Edwards

Above > Sally Morris, Steve Burns, Anna Lee, Will Shearer, Lainya Shearer, Alan Shearer, Danny Murphy Below > Hollie Shearer

Above > Hollie Shearer, Sarah Bodnall, Liv Noble, Chloe Shearer, Shona Cooper, Ella Cooper, Gen Sherwood (back row L-R) Steve Arnold, Gareth Arnold, Will Shearer, Lewis Mansbridge, Janice Arnold

Above > Geoff Thompson Above > Lynne Wilson, Colin Wilson

Below > Frank Lott, Wendy Lott, Claire Brown, Nigel Brown

Below > Alan Shearer

Above > Jo Thompson, Judith Graziani

Above > Graham Wylie

Above > Barbara Halman, Eddie Halman

Alan Shearer Foundation Ball, Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Ed Sheeran was star of the show at the fourth annual ball in aid of Alan Shearer’s charity foundation which supports disabled people. The event is organised by Alan and Lainya Shearer and this year raised a staggering £210,000 for pioneering facilities and treatments at the Alan Shearer Centre.

Daniel Sandler ‘Ladies Too Busy to Lunch’ event, Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth Below > Sarah Usher, Daniel Sandler, Victoria Lees

Below > Sarah Roberts, Katie Blair, Hannah Ward

Below > Claire Weighell, Jill Wildsmith, Claire Bolland

Above > Leanne Hardy and Emma Stookes

Above > Sue Madden and Nicola McKidd

Above > Helen Jackson, June George, Amy George Below > Violet Taylor, Alison Above > Jane Craddy, Taylor Yasmin Higgins

An exciting new start.

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SOCIAL LIFE

Black Velvet After Dark Launch, The Assembly Rooms, Newcastle

Nuffield Consultants’ Christmas Party, Malmaison, Newcastle Below > Steven Cruickshank, Ann Lennard, Tom Lennard, Kate Talks, Stephen Talks, Robery Bullock

Above > Libby Hutchinson, Beth Larby

Above > Paul Mayor, Fiona Mayor

Below > Andrew Crawford, Melissa Crawford, Gemma Harrison

Below > Libby Hutchinson

Above > Nigel Brewster, Sarah Chishti, Shona Harper, Ian Harper, Juliet Brewster Below > Ranjana Kumari, Dr Ram Singh

Below > Ben Brooke, Amy Brooke

Above > Laura Robson, Jade Craggs

Above > Shalini Agarwal, Anupam Lall Below > Geoffrey Maughan-Brown, Ute Maughan-Brown

Above > Judith Tindale, Claire Douglas

Below > Diane Godfry, Keith Godfry, Angela Lawrence, Graham Chapman, Eileen Robinson, Martin Lawrence

Above > Emily Emmett, Ashleigh Koeford, Roxie Mann Below > Simon Robertson, Christy Watson

Above > Kaisha Walton

Above > Graham Chapman, Claire Douglas, Chris Land, Angela McCabe, Caron Morrison

Above > Chris Barton, Beth Larby

Burn’s Night Supper, Blackfriars, Newcastle Below > Leslie Charlton, Colin Rutherford

Above > Eddie Ludlow, Andy Hook, Lee Connor

Below > Stuart Thomson, Katie McErlean

Below > Claire Shilton, Chris Shilton

Above > Leah Simmons, Paddy Harper, Holly Jones, Diane Hamer, James Hamer, Katherine Ludford, Philip Ludford, Dave Snoddin, Ralph Peter Appleby, Nicola Edwards, Andrew Muat Holtam, Oliver Holtam

Above > Mark McDonagh, Andrew Cox, Neil Carraher, Carly Carraher

Here’s to continuing relationships 64

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MAR/APR16

Chefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Gourmet Dinner for Daisy Chain, Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth Below > Alison Matthews, Mike Matthews

The new name for

Above > Kate Culverhouse, Gary Walton, Judith Haysmore, Steve Rose, Neil Schneider, Susan Schneider

Above > Jodie Harland, Michelle Petty Below > Anthony Verity, Laura Sharkey

Below > Katie Scott, Sam Burrett, Chris Weatherall, Alex Smith, Laura Fairhurst

Above > Jonathan Tucker, Laura Taylor Above > Jeff Pow, Viv Pow

Relish Cookbook Launch, Wynyard Hall Hotel, Wynyard

Below > Angela Newton

Above > Simon Walsh, Adam Galdwin

Above > Benji Thornton, Steve Bailey Below > Teresa Peters, Lucy Clinch, Rich Marks, Wendy Rutterford, Ryan Darrington

Above > Jaime McGuigan, Andrew Wilkinson, Lewis Morrison

Below > Leslie Wilkinson, Hilary Pitkethly

Above > Tony Mark, Sophie Egglestone Dave Reilly, David Davidson, Daniel Shotton, Irene Myers

Choose from over 10,000 new and approved used cars from over 30 manufacturers online or instore now.

Art Fund Lunch, Northumberland Tennis Club, Jesmond Below > Agnes Cambell, Rosemary Proud

Above > Vivienne Potts, Hilary Ketchin

Above > Lisa Adams, Nigel Adams

Lookers.

For you, for life.

Above > Susan Rumfitt, Pam Portsmouth Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see you! If you would like your event featured on our Luxe:Looks pages please supply images with full captions (WeTransfer or Dropbox is best) to: kathryn@remembermedia.co.uk

MAR/APR16

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09/02/2016 14:41

DRIVETIME

AT THE WHEEL Motors man Bob Arora plays with some serious cars

Can I keep it?

Offering precise handling and premium styling, the fuel-friendly Porsche 911 is still a class leader

I remember buying my first Porsche like it was yesterday. Looking at the adverts in Top Marques magazine, I spotted this reasonably-priced car for sale at the Porsche dealership in Edinburgh. I called the salesman and managed to do a deal over the phone as I didn’t have a part exchange. I paid the deposit over the phone and was so excited I remember counting down the days until I picked it up. As most of my uncles loved Mercedes cars, I was the first person in the family to own a Porsche. The night before I was due to pick it up, I couldn’t get to sleep with excitement. But, before I knew it, the train journey to Edinburgh beckoned.

The salesman picked me up from the station and whisked me to the garage to complete my paperwork. I remember starting the Boxster so well; the hairs on my neck stood up and I felt a tingle down my spine from the noise of the engine and the meaty growl from the exhaust.

Most Porsche fans will say the Boxster is not a ‘proper’ Porsche, but let’s not forget this car and the Cayenne have helped the company become the money-making machine it is today.

This brings me on to the car I had the pleasure of driving this month - the new turbocharged 911. Once again, Porsche purists will be appalled to read about the company going down the turbocharged route. The company’s justification for doing so is for greater efficiency and economy. With so many manufacturers going down the hybrid electric route,

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it was only a matter of time before the 911 was made more environmentally-friendly. The 911 was originally launched back in 1963 and it has been improved every time, but this has to be one of the biggest changes to the car ever. The only non-turbo version in the range will be the GT3 which, for now, will still have a naturally aspirated engine. The car is available in a Coupé, Cabriolet or a Targa which is a half-way house between the two and with either two or four-wheel drive.

I have been given the best-selling Coupe S to drive and first impressions are the car is not too dissimilar to the outgoing model from the outside. There are new mirrors, more aerodynamic body styling, new door handles and a more retro looking rear air cover. The main changes are to the engine and the cars dashboard - step inside the cabin and you realise the 911 really is a car you can drive every day.

The car’s dash is leather trimmed and the scattering of aluminium gives the car a real premium feel. The touchscreen controls all of the car’s satellite navigation and phone and the inclusion of Apple Car Play makes it easier to play music and view messages.

The driver and passenger have plenty of head and legroom, the two rear seats can be folded for luggage and cases and are ideal for two young (or small) adults. The front boot is ideal for a couple of weekend bags or a small case.

And, just for the record, there is more than enough room for a supermarket shop as well.

Being such a sporty car with massive alloys and tyres, you would expect the ride to be very firm indeed. The car I drove had Pasm fitted as standard and what a difference it makes to the car’s ride. I can honestly say that the imperfections in the road were handled with ease. The car’s electronic stability is excellent and should keep most drivers

out of trouble. Should you be unfortunate enough to be involved in a crash, the front, side and window airbags will protect the cars’ occupants. Optional safety equipment includes blind spot monitoring, active cruise control and more powerful carbon brakes.

Given the choice of the 7-speed manual or the 7-pdk auto box, I would go for the optional automatic all day long. It is a real joy to use and you physically can’t change gears as quick as the box does. The manual also has a very heavy clutch which makes driving in traffic more like a workout for your left leg. I always remember hearing horror stories about 911’s losing control on bends, but this car is no longer intimidating to drive at all. A normal driver now feels like Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel - it is just so easy to drive.

The car’s steering is so precise - you simply move the wheel and the car goes exactly where you want it to.

Factor in the amazing road holding and you really have a car to have massive amounts of fun in. The base model Carrera now gets to 62mph in a blistering 4.6 seconds, the Carrera S has so much pulling power you could literally leave it a high gear all day long. The Carrera is supposed to average 38mpg, but in the real world most drivers should achieve 30mpg with a mix of town and motorway driving.

The 911 comes with leather upholstery, satellite navigation, digital radio and dual zone climate control as standard.

The list of options is extensive and most owners can spend another £10,000 above the car’s list price with consummate ease. The new turbocharged engine makes the car more efficient than ever and the bonus of better economy makes it an even more practical car to drive daily.

Despite the engines being a touch more refined, this car is still the class leader and I can honestly say I didn’t want to give the keys back!

Car supplied by Porsche Newcastle.

MAR/APR16

FUEL FOCUSED

Volvo’s having a moment...

Funky styling and phenomenal fuel consumption come hand in hand

The car I was asked to review this month is the Volvo V40 Cross Country, courtesy of Mill Volvo Newcastle.

My first car was a Volvo 340. It obviously wasn’t the trendiest car for a young driver, but one of the safest around. I think it was a 1.7-litre engine and it wasn’t the best for fuel consumption, partly due to the boxy un-aerodynamic shape. When I owned the car, it never skipped a beat and was totally reliable, whatever the weather. I personally think Volvo’s street-cred went through the roof when the police started using the T5 as patrol cars.

An area where Volvo particularly excels is with safety equipment, technology and comfortable seats. Their designers not only designed the seat belt, but they also designed the crumple zone and introduced laminated windscreens. The V40 has been a phenomenal sales success for Volvo and it’s really easy to see why. The cute looking car is something a little bit different to the run of the mill Focus, Astra and Golf. Being a Volvo, not only is the design quirky to look at, it’s also cool and funky inside too.

Talking about quirky styling, it brings me on to the car I had the pleasure of driving recently. The V40 Cross Country looks like a V40 that has been working out at the gym.

The car has a higher ride height, along with chunkier bumpers, sporty looking silver roof rails and integrated LED lights. Despite looking like a serious off roader, the car is only front wheel drive. A four wheel drive version is available in the range, topping 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine. I’m sure the front wheel drive car will get its owners out of most trouble in bad weather!

The Cross Country carries a £1,000 premium over the V40. Anyone looking for a higher driving position and funky looking styling should look no further. The car’s main competition is likely to be the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Yeti, Audi Q3 and the BMW X1. The car I drove was priced at just under £25,000, which is on par with its competitors, but its trump card has to be its amazing fuel economy.

The car I drove was the D2, which is fitted with a 1.6-litre diesel engine. it has 115bhp, which helps it get to 115mph and to 62mph in 11.2 seconds. Driving along Scotswood Road, you can’t help but see the amazing

fuel economy claims emblazed on the cars at the garage. I noticed the Cross Country’s fuel economy figure of 74mpg and 99g/km CO2 emissions. As I normally have quite a heavy right foot, I remember thinking it was going to be totally unachievable. So, as I set off, I decided to put the computer readout onto fuel economy and was amazed to see the car was returning well over 60mpg excellent, considering the car is an automatic. I can honestly say that I have never seen these consumption figures with my rather spirited driving style.

Once you get inside, you are greeted with a large steering wheel and indicator and wiper storks that wouldn’t look out of place in a Volvo lorry. That said, the car felt very well put together - very solid and a safe place to be. It also has a panoramic roof which, again, helped make the car feel a lot more light and airy.

Some of the minor controls were a bit

confusing, especially when on the move, and I am sure they could be simplified. My favourite bit of the dashboard had to be the electronic speedometer and rev counter. You could change the dials to suit your driving style. The next option was elegance, which offers classy dials that give drivers all the vital information they need. The final option was Eco mode, which focuses entirely on fuel economy and driving economically.

The car’s 335-litre boot space equates to a couple of large suitcases and a couple of holdalls. The boot also has some storage space underneath the boot floor.

After driving this vehicle, I remembered why I loved my first car and thankfully this version was way more fuel-efficient than my original Volvo.

Anyone looking to buy a great looking and practical car really needs to head down to Mill Volvo - now really is the time to buy a Volvo!

The new Infiniti Q30

THE FIRST EVER INFINITI Q30

infiniti.co.uk #BornToChallenge

Born to Challenge

With its sleek and unique design and assistive technologies, discover how the new Infiniti Q30 stands out.

PCP Representative example: Infiniti Q30 1.6t SE 36 monthly payments

On the road cash price

Customer deposit

Total amount of credit

Duration of agreement

Optional final payment

Total amount payable

Rate of interest P.A. (Fixed)

APR Representative

£299.11

£18,550†

£699

£17,851

36 months

£9,551.58

£21,018.54

2.95%

5.74%

Infiniti Centre Newcastle Middle Engine Lane, Silverlink Business Park, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear NE28 9NZ Phone: 0191 295 8686 www.infinitinewcastle.com

Based on 10,000 miles per annum

Official fuel economy figures for the model shown in mpg (l/100 km): combined 42.2 (6.7) to 68.9 (4.1). CO2 emission: 156 to 108 g/km.

Offer valid until 31st March 2016 at participating dealers only and subject to vehicle availability. Finance provided by Infiniti Financial Services, Eagle House, 78 St Albans Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1AF. Subject to status. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. You must be at least 18 and a UK resident (excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands). Terms and conditions apply, please visit your local dealer for full details. Offer based on 6,000 miles per annum, excess mileage 8p per mile. Offers not available in conjunction with any schemes or other offers.

Vehicle price includes first registration fee and 12 months’ road fund licence and delivery costs. Infiniti Europe Division of Nissan International SA, Zone d’Activités La Pièce 12, 1180 Rolle, Switzerland. †After £2,000 Manufacturer Deposit Contribution. Terms and conditions apply. Finance subject to status. Excess mileage 10p per mile.

CO2/MPG figures based on EU regulated laboratory testing, and may not represent real-life driving results (which vary depending on driving behaviour, conditions and other factors). *Model shown is an Infiniti Q30 1.6 SE FWD OTR price £20,550. Prices exclude optional glass roof at £500, metallic paint at £670 and 19” alloy wheels at £700.

MAR/APR16

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MOTOR MOTIVE

Tough choices A large part of Nigel McMinn’s life is measured in miles and motors.

As the MD of the Lookers Charles Hurst Ferrari Belfast nationwide dealership he lives and breathes cars – and has done since he was a little boy lusting after an Aston Martin.

Nigel, who lives in Gosforth, realised a more grown-up dream of owning a Ferrari 430 Spider last year – we asked him to compare and contrast that car with the Ferrari California T. A case of mixing business with pleasure

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MAR/APR16

MOTOR MOTIVE “I’ve got a natural affinity for all things Italian and love the mystique and the magic of Enzo Ferrari.

“I love having this car in the garage – even though that means I have to put the roof down and crawl out of it to actually get it in the garage!”

The Ferrari California T (below) that Nigel deftly manoeuvres into the courtyard at The Coach House at Middleton Lodge is a different car again.

It doesn’t immediately scream Ferrari. You can put kids in the back, golf clubs in the boot and even fit your Waitrose bag for life in there.

“It is practical. Engine is at the front so there is sensible boot space, back seats and extra luggage space. You could use it every day and that is the idea – to think differently about a Ferrari. This is one you could take on holiday.

“I had it for the weekend and took a sales colleague to visit his parents in Alnwick, next day I took the family to Close House for Sunday lunch and went on the

driving range (clubs in the car).

“I drove it to our VW dealership in Teesside in normal traffic.

“I normally drive a Range Rover Sport and it takes a lot of beating but they are tasty money too – this Ferrari is the cheapest of the range and it is £155k – in truth, a Range Rover with top spec is in excess of £100k.”

The California T wins points for its retractable hard top and also it has to be able to tick the fuel emission boxes.

“This is the first turbo powered engine since the F40.

“The 3.9 V8 engine with twin turbo generates 560 bhp, which is 70 bhp more than the previous California T and does 0-60 in 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 196, so it’s a ‘proper’ Ferrari in terms of its performance, but with lower emissions”, says Nigel.

What Ferrari have done with the California T is create a car that you can use every day, not just a sports car.

“I appreciate the California T and my F430 for different reasons, but I might actually prefer to live with the California T because it is far lower maintenance!”

It’s perhaps surprising to think of Nigel McMinn as a reluctant Ferrari driver.

Yet that’s how he saw himself. A bit mistrustful of the ‘shouty’ signature red Ferrari yet at the same time lured by the throaty rasping sound so unique to the Italian brand.

Thereby hangs a dilemma.

“I always had loved the Aston Martin”, says Nigel.

“I thought the Ferrari was too brash, too bright red”, he laughs.

That was before he was ensconced in the business of cars.

“Working in the industry, I realised that Ferrari has a kind of magic that no other car make has – an emotion that you don’t get with anything else.

“Nothing makes the same sound as a Ferrari – the perfect high-pitched whine at 4,000 revs!”.

Nigel’s head was turned by a sleek gun metal grey ten-year-old Ferrari F430 Spider convertible, which he bought a year ago and pictured above.

“I had to look twice to see it was a Ferrari – it was an understated car which said to me; ‘I could have a Ferrari that looks like that’.

“Part of me secretly wanted to see what it was like to live with it. I love it.

Ferrari has a kind of magic that no other car make has – an emotion that you don’t get with anything else

luxe laps Nigel McMinn takes us on his life’s motoring journey so far...

CHILDHOOD CAR CRUSH >> Aston Martin. I’m another boy blinded by James Bond!

CAPTAIN SLOW OR JEREMY >> Jeremy.

WHO SHOULD PRESENT TOP GEAR >> It’s too late now as they have been chosen, but I would have liked to see Suzie Wolf and Jason Plato.

TRACKS OF YOUR TYRES >> Maroon 5.

WHATS IN THE GARAGE NOW >> Range Rover Sport SVR, VW Golf R and a Ferrari F430 Spider

DREAM ROAD TRIP >> Mille Miglia.

IF YOU COULD OWN ANY CAR >> Ferrari La Ferrari.

WHO WITH >> My son, Joseph.

MAR/APR16

MEMORABLE CAR MOMENTS >> Taking my dad on a golfing weekend in Scotland in the Aston Martin DB9 and driving the F430 back from Belfast with my son.

WHAT’S IN THE GLOVE BOX >> Chewing gum.

HOW CLEAN IS YOUR CAR >> I generally have lots of help to keep them clean!

SCARY MOMENTS >> Crashing my mum’s car outside the girls’ school when I was 17 and being driven fast round Croft Circuit in a Ferrari 458 Speciale.

69

FULL THROTTLE

Raw, macho Mustang

A must-have mean machine, made for those who like to live life in the fast lane

I can only imagine, like most people, the first time I saw the Ford Mustang was in the hit Steve McQueen film Bullitt.

If I am being totally honest, I can’t remember much about the film or the storyline. Although the chase between the Mustang and the Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco, with it’s cool soundtrack, was pretty impressive. For anyone who hasn’t seen the film the Mustang driven by McQueen wins the battle as he manages to get the Charger to crash into a petrol station. After watching the film I am sure the Mustang gained quite a few new fans and the car no doubt found its way on young boys’ bedroom walls.

When I was contacted by Benfield Ford to drive this car I simply said yes and can I come over right now?

I drove the new Shelby Mustang, which looks absolutely amazing. The Shelby version of the Mustang has always been the more driver-focused car of the range. Caroll Shelby was a fantastic racing driver; when he retired from the sport he bought the licence to bring AC Cobras to the States. He then started working with Ford and with his knowledge the company went on to enter Le Mans and with his help they were very successful indeed.

Getting back to the car and with the styling tweaks it looks like a real mean machine.

Anyone seeing this beast in their rear view mirror would move over straight away as it looks so imposing and intimidating. The car is powered by a 5.2lt V8 engine, which produces 526bhp, and the car’s top speed is 175mph. It also gets to 62mph in four seconds. Pressing the red starter button brings this beast of an engine to life; it even manages to make the Jaguar F Type R’s engine sound really restrained and quiet.

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The car’s redline is at 8250rpm, but the most fun has to be had from 6000rpm right up to the redline. The V8 engine really comes alive and develops massive power.

The noise becomes so addictive you really can’t but help putting your foot down.

Ford claim the Shelby Mustang is quicker round the track than the Porsche 911 GT3 and to my mind that’s a feat in itself.

Despite being over 250kg heavier than the Porsche, the Shelby’s engines pure grunt must help.

The car has been fitted with massive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres, huge Bembo brakes and lightweight carbon fibre wheels.

Having been fortunate enough to have driven the GT3, it has to be said these cars are polar opposites. The Porsche rewards the driver with excellent feedback and its chassis is so composed. On the other hand, the Shelby begs for abuse and it really thrives on aggressive driving style.

The cars electric power steering is very precise, but it doesn’t communicate as well

The Shelby’s raw charm, macho looks and, more importantly, its price makes it a real winner

as its main competitors.

The cars extra weight and dimensions make this car quite hard to navigate - especially in tight spaces. Put this car on a track and it really comes alive; the steering wheel has 20 buttons. In track mode, the throttle responses become lightening quick, the exhaust opens up and it really sounds like an orchestra playing at full pelt.

The cars Recaro seats are very supportive and comfortable and, as with most American cars, the interior is very cheap-looking indeed. The cars switchgear and dash look like they have been made from recycled BIC pens!

Despite Ford firmly aiming the Mustang at the GT3, it really isn’t better round the track than the Porsche.

The Shelby isn’t actually coming to the UK, but Ford have been really encouraged by sales of the Mustang. A limited run of right hand drive may be made for Europe, although they will no doubt be very expensive compared to the left hand drive cars in the States. The car is about a third of the price of a GT3!

One area where potential owners need to be aware is the car’s appalling fuel consumption - the Lamborghini Huracan, believe it or not, is more economical than the Mustang. You need to live in a country where petrol is cheap, as once you put your foot down the noise is so addictive and therefore fuel consumption figures just plummet.

After driving the Shelby, the engine wins you over, despite it not being as well designed or as well engineered as the GT3. Its raw charm, macho looks and, more importantly, its price make this car a real winner. I am sure Steve McQueen would have loved to have driven this car around the streets of San Francisco; no doubt he would have beaten the Charger once again!

MAR/APR16

ADVERTORIAL

Dream drives

A new Aston Martin dealership in Newcastle is a dazzling showcase for the iconic marque Fans of the Aston Martin brand will be blown away by the latest development at Silverlink Retail Park.

For this is the site of a brand new dealership for the iconic marque - beloved by the debonair spy James Bond - fulfilling Aston Martin’s long-held ambition to have a retail site in the Newcastle area. Previously, the brand was sold from a site in Houghton-le-Spring.

The £4m state-of-the-art facility is one of the biggest Aston Martin outlets in the UK, covering over 1,900 square metres and serving the whole of the North East, from

North Yorkshire to the Scottish borders, and Cumbria.

Set across two floors, the dealership, which is an FCA-regulated licensed credit broker and part of the Doncaster-based Decidebloom Ltd, features a brand new showroom, home to a stunning 14-car display area for new cars, as well as an extensive amount of pre-owned, timeless stock.

It also offers customers various finance options, including leasing and Personal Contract Purchases, PCP, packages for customers to take advantage of, as well as a professional service operation, staffed by Aston Martin master technicians.

With every visit, customers will be met with an experienced team who are not only dedicated to delivering an exceptional service, but who are also passionate about the Aston Martin brand.

“We are looking to build the brand and help it grow, but it has been extremely popular in the North. We have a lot of established customers here in the region,’’ says dealer principal Paul Thursby.

So, what’s so special about Aston Martin?

“It’s one of the most iconic marques,” says Paul. “People smile when they see them.

It’s the Britishness, the elegance and the beauty of the cars and, of course, the Bond connections. All of these factors have combined to make Aston Martin a cult brand.’’

It’s a love which is shared by the dealership’s team, who, between them, have 99 years of experience with the marque.

In a further nod to the UK’s most famous spy, the dealership also features a Q

Lounge. Q by Aston Martin is a service which allows the purchaser to personalise their car in terms of features, materials, colours and textures, allowing the driver to express their personality through their vehicle.

The Q Lounge will be there to facilitate this process with a virtual configurator, equipped with a large screen to allow the owner to visualise their unique creation with a huge selection of physical samples of colours and materials to choose from.

Whatever the configuration, one thing is for sure; the resulting car will be something of a classic.

Ahead of the dealership’s opening, the team are happy to take your enquiries on (0191) 691 0333. For further information and opening details, visit www.astonmartinnewcastle.co.uk Aston Martin Newcastle, Cobalt Park Way, Silverlink, Newcastle, NE28 9NZ.

POWER BEAUTY SOUL UNMISTAKEABLY ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin blends iconic design, exceptional engineering and timeless craftsmanship to create the finest, most beautiful cars in the world. From thrilling sports and GT cars to sublime four-door luxury, our range is the essence of Power, Beauty and Soul.

To discover the full Aston Martin range contact: 0191 691 0333 Aston Martin Newcastle Cobalt Park Way Silverlink, Newcastle NE28 9NZ www.astonmartinnewcastle.co.uk

Official government fuel consumption figures in litres/100km (mpg) for the Aston Martin Range: urban 22.5-19.3 (12.6-14.6); extra urban 10.4-9.1 (27.2-31.0); combined 14.7-12.8 (19 .2-22.1). C02 emissions 343-29 8. The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from official regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. They are for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your real driving experience, which may vary depending on factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load and driving style.

MAR/APR16

71

ZIPPY CHARMER at your destination.

I think if you bought one of these cars you’d be mad not to install the home-charger as well, which can be fixed to a driveway or garage wall so that plugging it in is as natural as plugging in the hair-straighteners every day.

The car comes with two chargers – one will plug into the mains at home alongside your vacuum cleaner and takes about eight hours to charge the car. The other is for the charging points you see in cities and new buildings everywhere with about a three-hour charging time.

Naturally, the i3’s information display screen can direct you to the nearest charging points on your route and this is as good as having Graham in the seat next you.

I powered up at the office charging point in Durham and the hotel/gym close to where I live. It’s a very easy plug-in process. It took about three hours to reach maximum. Some places – such as Dalton Park shopping centre on the A19 – have super-fast charge points which take about 20 minutes.

My work commute of a 60-mile or so round-trip meant the car needed charging after each journey, for my own peace of mind.

However, the average commute is apparently only 13 miles and if you were office-based with charging points on site, you wouldn’t need to think twice about the i3.

The cute (yes, cute is the word) car won very admiring glances from my female

Switched on

BMW’s i3 is a cheeky head-turner that is proving something of a gamechanger in the world of electric motoring. Kate Miles discovers why...

If Jamie Oliver did cars I’m thinking this would be it. The reason has something to do with the swoopy and smooth eucalyptus wood dashboard, very anti-pastiappropriate. Makes you plan a picnic the minute you hop in.

In fact, the entire vehicle makes you want to plan for some zippy, play-away fun.

BMW’s i3 is like a super-cool play car: light, responsive, airy and generous to be in. Not to mention gadgets a-plenty.

At the press of a button you’re on your way – which takes a bit of getting used to when you’re from the world of the quaint old turn-key, engage gears and rev-up routine of starting a car.

It is impossibly easy to get used to though.

That is largely thanks to your i-person on hand to help. In my case the chap was Graham Humble who is the iConsultant at Lloyd BMW in Newcastle where he and

colleague Lewis Munnelly - the iGenius no less, are in-situ to drive you through the differences of electric motoring.

Graham was calm itself. A man of passion, infectious energy and reassurance when it come to the i3. He explained the model’s difference with clarity and simplicity.

It actually is push-button easy - and there’s really nothing you can do wrong. Important though to remember foot on the brake when you are starting up. Super-efficient Graham was a phone call away (at his kids’ bathtime I think!) when I couldn’t start the car!

However, that was a momentary lapse.

Once you get to grips with the buttons, this is a car that drives itself.

You will never fear stalling at a junction ever again (if you ever did). You just press the accelerator and silently whoosh away.

At some pace it must be said. It is a dazzlingly fun way to zip around a city centre.

Though the i3 feels so sturdy, inside it is

incredibly responsive and when you’re city driving you really have to keep your eye on the speed limit, it’s so easy (and tempting) to shoot off.

A car like this does require a shift in your motoring expectations and habits. Graham reassured me I wouldn’t run out of charge on a rush hour A1 and I believed him.

But you can’t fill it to full with petrol then forget about the next 300 miles or so.

You have to have an organised head on your shoulders. And ideally a short commute to work.

The battery will give you about 100-mile range. A back-up petrol extender gives you a further 90 miles or so and you flick a switch to activate this when your battery miles are getting low - which is easy to see on the dashboard display. At the max with petrol back-up you can reach 186 miles.

Any battery angst is something that would be assuaged by your familiarity with charging points along your route or

>> Graham Humble

>> Lewis Munnelly

friends. Especially the doors. The front and rear doors open outwards like a double cupboard or wardrobe door, so the entire side of the car is open – so very clever and user-friendly – I reckon this was designed with a day’s-worth of kids, beach and that Jamie Oliver picnic clobber in mind. Brilliant.

The i3 requires a bit of effort and a mindset shift in your driving habits at first, but it is a real pleasure to drive and be in.

Squeaky-eco-clean and great fun: what’s not to love?

Party time for a top team Whoops and whistles all round after an amazing triple success

by Lloyd Newcastle BMW. The dealership won the prestigious ‘BMW Regional Group Retailer of the Year’ accolade and the overall ‘BMW Retailer of the Year’ in the UK. The award reflects outstanding customer service and business performance during 2015.

As well as this coveted award, Michelle Caveney received ‘Head of Business of the Year 2015’.

Lloyd Newcastle is part of the Lloyd Motor Group, with six BMW and MINI centres throughout the North of England in Blackpool, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Colne and South Lakes.

The evening was a great success all round for the Lloyd Group with Lloyd Blackpool BMW also picking up the renowned

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‘BMW Retailer Customer Service Award 2015’.

Lloyd Carlisle was also in the running for the Customer Service Award as nominee, Lloyd Blackpool was nominated for ‘MINI Customer Champion’, Lloyd Newcastle for ‘MINI Aftersales Champion’ and Lloyd Carlisle for ‘BMW Retailer of the Year (Aftersales)’.

The awards were presented at the annual BMW, MINI and Motorrad Conference by Rob Brydon in February at the recently opened O2 Continental Hotel in London.

Michelle Caveney, Head of Business at Lloyd Newcastle said: “I am absolutely delighted for everyone here at Lloyd Newcastle. The business has transformed in the last 18 months and the award is a credit to every team member

who are the real driving force behind our growth in both our performance and, more importantly, our customer satisfaction.

“We would also like to say a huge thank you to all of our customers who have been on this exciting journey with us.”

MAR/APR16

BMW i

The Ultimate Driving Machine

EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE. TODAY. BMW i AT LLOYD NEWCASTLE. For more information or to arrange a test drive*, call us on 0191 261 7366 or visit www.lloydnewcastlebmw.co.uk Lloyd Newcastle Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4LE Official fuel economy figures for the BMW i3: mpg N/A, CO2 emissions 0 g/km, nominal power output (electric motor) 75/102 kW/hp at 4,800 rpm; peak power output (electric motor) 125/170 kW/hp, total average energy consumption per 62 miles/100 km (combined cycle) 12.9 kWh. Total range: 118 miles (combined cycle). Customer orientated range: up to 100 miles. Official fuel economy figures for the BMW i3 with Range Extender: 470.8 mpg (0.06l/100km), CO2 emissions 13 g/km, total average energy consumption per 62 miles/100 km (weighted combined cycle) 11.5 kWh. Range without use of range extender: 106 miles (weighted combined cycle). Customer orientated total range: up to 186 miles. Customer orientated range without use of Range Extender: up to 93 miles. Official fuel economy figures for the BMW i8: 134.5 mpg (2.1l/100km), CO2 emissions 49 g/km, power output (engine) 170/231 kW/hp, power output (electric motor) 96/131 kW/hp, total average energy consumption per 62 miles/100 km (weighted combined cycle) 11.5 kWh. Customer-orientated total range: up to 373 miles. Maximum electric range value 23 miles, common average electric range value (e-Drive only) 17 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23 miles. The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that requires mains electricity for charging. Figures may vary depending on different factors, including but not limited to individual driving style, climatic conditions, route characteristics and preconditioning. *Test drive subject to applicant status and availability.

SMALL ROOM, BIG IDEAS

TREND WATCH with Chris Stocks, Pol Kefton Premium Design Bathroom design and key aspects of creating a luxury bathroom

More people than ever are wanting to create the ultimate spa experience within the bathroom or ensuite, enabling them to de-stress after a long day.

To achieve this it’s important that you have the ambience just right, this includes audio, lighting and temperature.

First things first, it is imperative that you work with the right designer for you to ensure you get the maximum out of the design. Here’s a designer’s step-bystep guide: STEP 1: LAYOUT/PLANNING >> You may need to maximise storage space in the bathroom so the use of furniture should be carefully considered. An option may be to use modular wall-hung furniture which makes the room feel bigger by emphasising the floor space below. External soil stacks are the preferable option increasing the usability of the internal bathroom space.

STEP 2: WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? >> Do you prefer the traditional look (bevelled edges, mouldings and ornate detailing), contemporary style (modern, clean lines and simple) or a transitional theme (a mix between the two)?

STEP 6: AUDIO >> Listening to music may elevate mood, helping you to create your escape, your relaxed retreat. Whether that’s first thing in the morning to gently wake you, or last thing at night, listening to some of your favourite tracks whilst having a glass of wine, dimming the lights and taking a long hot soak, this is luxury.

to distinguish areas and introduce more texture and pattern. Floor tiling can replace shower trays with clever level access tiles, making the bathroom become a wet room.

STEP 3: TILING OPTIONS >> Current trends include using large tiles, the bigger the better. Continuity is shown through use of the same size tiles which tend to be used on both the floor and the walls. Another popular look contrasts the chosen tiles with mosaic tiles, which helps

STEP 7: FINAL TOUCHES >> Bespoke elements such as creating bulkheads, niches and seating areas are the finer details which create a big impact.

Lastly, don’t forget the pottery and brassware. There are many varieties of products which all allow you to inject your personality into the space, overall helping you create your sanctuary.

STEP 4: LIGHTING AND MIRRORS >> Choose either warm or cool light to complement the colour of the chosen tiles and notice how it interacts with the material choices. Using dimmer switches can allow you to control and enhance the mood of the room, particularly through accent lighting shown through mirror cabinet lighting or recessed LED concealed lighting. Accent lighting contributes to the mood of the room, creating a lovely glow, as shown in these case study images (right).

STEP 5: VANITY TOPS >> Composite quartz stone is a highly recommended option due to its long-lasting properties and wide range of options.

Pol Kefton Kitchens Unit 1 Coopies Field, Coopies Lane Industrial Estate, Morpeth, Ne61 6Jt Telephone: 01670 503869

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>> Bespoke glass cut to a specific size, cut around furniture gives each element a sense of place, carefully merging sections within the space.

Morpeth Bathrooms Unit 6B, Coopies Lane Industrial Estate, Morpeth, Northumberland, Ne61 6Jn Telephone: 01670 517638

Pol Kefton Unit 16 | 17 Sanderson Arcade, Morpeth Ne61 1Ns Telephone: 01670 503749

MAR/APR16

• Wetroom Tray • High Flow Waste • Installation Kit • Watertite Liquid Membrane • Grohe 2 Way Thermostatic Shower • Rain Shower Head & Handset Kit • Wetroom Screen with Flipper Panel • Keuco Corner Basket

This Complete Wetroom Package at an incredible

£990

10 Stirling Court, Eleventh Avenue North, Team Valley, NE11 0JF

www.h2obdc.co.uk

Step into style...

Every Wood Idea project is a combination of decades of experience, innovation, passion and traditional British craftsmanship. Whether it is flooring, doors or stairs, our knowledge of timber is equalled only by our passion for customer satisfaction. If your stair is looking tired, your doors dated or your floors needing a modern touch then talk to us about your own Wood Idea.

Unit 4, Blaydon Trade Park, Toll Bridge Road, Blaydon, Tyne & Wear. NE21 5TR

“Now that’s a Wood Idea” Staircases I Flooring I Doors MAR/APR16

0191 414 1300 F: 0191 414 1306 Visit: www.awoodidea.com T:

A WOOD IDEA GREAT IDEAS IN WOOD FLOORING & DOORS

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HEAVEN SENT in association with

www.greatlook.co.uk

Chapel of love A dazzling chapel conversion in Teesdale is the ultimate hip retreat with a dash of style and seclusion

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MAR/APR16

Unique home, unique spring moving offers • Only 5% deposit with Help to Buy,* Stamp Duty paid and flooring for reservations in March† • Home 48 – The Windsor, a beautiful 3 bedroom home at £242,500 • South facing garden and unrivalled specification

MORPETH

Northumberland NE61 2NU 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes from £217,500

Sales Office on Morpeth High Street (17 Newgate Street) NE61 1AW. Open Thursday to Monday, 10am – 5pm

01670 751 306

lindenhomes.co.uk/saintgeorge

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT. Credit is secured against your home. *Subject to status, Help to Buy Terms & Conditions and available on selected properties in England only. Eligible applicants will be offered an equity loan up to a maximum of 20% of the purchase price (based on the open market value). Applicants are required to fund at least 80% of the purchase price by means of a conventional mortgage, savings/deposit where required. The equity loan is provided by the HCA and held as a second charge. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other promotion. Full details will be provided on request. †Stamp Duty and flooring package available on reservations made by 31.03.16. Flooring from our selected range. Terms and conditions apply. On selected homes only.

Offer not in conjunction with any other offer. Computer generated image shows typical Linden homes at Saint George. Price and details correct at time of going to press.

CONSIDERING A RANGE COOKER? Range cookers look fantastic in both contemporary and traditional kitchens.

The ovens in a range cooker are typically around 20% bigger than an average 60cm built-in oven, and are often multi-functional, meaning they offer several different modes of cooking. Also, as most range cookers have two or more ovens there is plenty of space, so lots of dishes can cook at the same time-perfect for large family gatherings and entertaining.

With so much choice available though, choosing the right range cooker that suits you can sometimes be a daunting prospect, which is why you should contact an expert like Walter Dix & Co. They can advise on size, style, colour and oven/hob options, and give honest opinions on which brands would work well for you and your kitchen space.

Founded in 1888, family-run business Walter Dix & Co became one of the first AGA dealers in 1931, covering Tyneside, Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire. In addition to AGA they stock a large collection of leading quality brand range cookers and have a magnificent showroom just off the A1 at Team Valley, Gateshead, where they are able to show-off the very best cookers on the market. Range cooker brands available include Lacanche, Viking, Ilve, Steel, Britannia, Mercury, Falcon and Rangemaster.

Clients visiting the showroom can not only expect to see a huge range of products but are also sure to receive expert one-to-one advice.

The team at Walter Dix & Co is friendly, knowledgeable and happy to talk you through your various options, allowing you to choose with confidence the right cooker for your home and budget.

To find out more get in touch or visit the Team Valley showroom.

Walter Dix & Co, 1 Stirling Court, Eleventh Avenue North, Team Valley, Gateshead NE11 0JF n 0191 482 0033 n Web: wdix.co.uk

MAR/APR16

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HEAVEN SENT in association with

www.greatlook.co.uk

Sheep are your only neighbours, the starry skies your evening’s entertainment and the views framed by gothic windows better than a work of art on the walls.

This is the Chapel on the Hill, a funky bolthole in the middle of nowhere. But a nowhere that’s near enough to all of us in the North East.

Walk from the front door to the extravagant High Force waterfall if you really want to ramble, but a stay in this place might just make you want to sit tight.

The boutique conversion at Forest-in-Teesdale perches amid the dramatic landscape of the North Pennines.

It matches historic building and modern interior design to perfection to create very stylish accommodation. The original windows of the nineteenth century building have been reopened to create a spacious and luxurious self-catering holiday house for seven.

The reconstruction, designed by Swiss award-winning architects Evolution Design, was finished late last year and has transformed the Ebenezer Methodist Chapel, which was built in 1880 and used as a place of worship until the 1970s.

The chapel was a windowless shell when architect Stefan Camenzind and his brother-in-law Rob Broomby stumbled across this historic building while exploring Teesdale one spring morning.

“I was captivated by the panoramic views and the wild beauty of the place and I fell in love with it immediately. We decided there and then that we would love to buy this old chapel and turn it into a beautiful holiday accommodation,” says Stefan. Soon

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after the property, formerly in the ownership of Lord Barnard, was sold to the pair by the Raby Estates.

The initial brief was to provide three guest bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen/dining area and a living room on the ground floor. However, it was soon clear it would reduce the space, so they decided on a mezzanine.

“One of the main elements of the chapel is the Gothic-style arched windows that elegantly frame the beautiful views and allow the space to fill with light. Before the mezzanine floor could be considered, we had to ensure that the new ceiling line would not obstruct any of the windows,” says designer Paul King.

“The main hall was the core element that gives the chapel its feel of space and with its detailed simplicity it became the heart of the proposed design,” says Paul.

“Once the new level had been installed, all new bespoke timber frame windows and shutters were installed to complement the unique style and details of the chapel.

Of course, in true ‘Grand Design’ tradition, the gremlins arrived – in the shape of Pipistrelle bats. An ecology survey revealed the bats were using the roof space as a permanent home, which meant installing four bat access slates so that they could continue using the chapel as their home.

The interiors had to be stylish but reflective of the chapel’s age and character.

“We wanted to create a space that was modern and yet had a traditional language that would complement the historic nature of the chapel and appeal to a wide range of guests.

“This was reflected in our choice of furniture and finishes,” explains Paul.

“All materials and design had been considered in the context of the character and appearance of the existing building and the Teesdale vernacular. Traditional materials were proposed to ensure the scheme respects the character of the landscape and the existing buildings.”

The kitchen and dining space was intended to be open and bright, taking advantage of the gothic windows and the beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The kitchen units were styled to keep a homely rural feel, framed by the feature wall tiles.

“People built chapels on hills for a reason; they wanted to be alone with nature, but not controlled by it. And that idea underlies everything we have tried to do here,” says Stefan. “We have sought to create a place of warmth and contemplation; a place where you can be immersed in the landscape or enjoy it in comfort framed by the chapel’s gothic style windows. I hope our guests will love the place as much as we do.”

Bookings: www.chapel-on-the-hill.com Designers: www.evolution-design.info

I was captivated by the panoramic views and the wild beauty of the place

MAR/APR16

Visit our Seaton Delaval showroom at Delcor House, Double Row 0191 237 1303 WWW.DELCOR.CO.UK

SPRING SPACE

Room time

Spring’s the perfect time to breathe some new life into your home. Interior designer and hotelier Charlotte Reilly guides us through the latest trends

ACCESSORIES Interior accessories are my passion. They allow interior design in our homes to evolve without too much financial investment and enable us to keep our homes fresh and exciting. They allow us to bring the changing seasons indoors and experiment with our creativity.

What’s even better is that with lots of different rooms in our homes, which can follow many different themes, there is always lots of magazine reading and window shopping to do! This spring, I am excited to investigate vintage artisan pieces to bring some strength and character to schemes, as well as muted pastels for rooms requiring a softer feel to complement the grey palettes that have rolled over from last season.

MY TIP – www.etsy.com is a great website to source unique accessories

WALLPAPER AND FABRIC Bold and bright patterns are the flavour of the season, with designers being inspired by nomadic geometrics and the animal and plant kingdoms. When trends are as bold as this, it is always a safer option to think accent pieces with wallpaper and fabric, such as feature walls, cushions and throws, rather than full walls and curtains. Accessorising with these designs is a fantastic way to inject colour and pattern in to your home and to feel fashion forward, while ensuring longevity for your rooms.

These items can be easily and affordably changed to evolve with the seasons and developing trends.

MY TIP – Think in layers. Begin with the key background wall colours and curtain fabrics and build up your room design from there with bolder colours, fabrics and textures, followed by braver statement pieces in cushions, art and decorative items.

FURNITURE We all want to live harmoniously with our environment, so natural materials such as wood are still dominating furniture and kitchen design, from the raw and rustic to polished and pristine. For a really powerful look, create a feature wall by cladding with beautifully characterful timber. I personally love bamboo pieces that continue on from the ‘outside-in’ theme and look really fresh and funky in any room of the house, whether it be screening, furniture or accessories.

MY TIP – Research locally-sourced wood and employ local craftsmen. Not only is this environmentally friendly, it also makes your furniture pieces unique. Or, upcycle second-hand furniture for a contemporary twist on retro and vintage looks.

COLOUR All shades of blue will decorate our homes this spring and the Little Greene Company have brought out a beautiful new range of paint colours simply named ‘Blue’. There is a shade for everyone from Pale Wedgwood for those who prefer the calming influence of blue, or the much braver Ultra Blue for the ultimate in statement design.

Blackened darks also continue to thrive in 2016, but rather than being coordinated with natural tones they are being brought to life accented with aged pastels, bright geometrics and metallic touches. I love these bruised black and blue tones accessorised with a splash of coral or melon shades stolen straight from the fashion catwalk.

Charlotte and husband David, own the five-star, three-rosette Yorebridge House, a multi award-winning boutique hotel and restaurant in the Yorkshire Dales.

After graduating from Winchester Art College with a BA Honours degree in Textile Design, Charlotte launched Reilly and Emmerson Interiors, which she ran for ten years alongside friend and business partner Kate Reilly, who still runs the business today.

In 2006 Charlotte and David followed their lifelong dream of buying and renovating a beautiful historic building and created their perfect hotel, which Charlotte designed from the ground up. In the nine years since opening, Yorebridge House has earned many awards in recognition for its interiors, restaurant and service and attracts visitors from all around the world.

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LIGHTING Pretty pendants are a must in 2016 as designers really think outside the box when it comes to decorative lighting.

I expect we will see the most interesting pieces in the independent stores rather than the major retailers, which is a great excuse for some high street retail therapy! These beautiful glass pendants will add finesse to any room, but also look out for some beautifully natural lighting designs in wood, rattan and even stone. There is a strong metallic theme throughout lighting and accessories in 2016 too, but be careful not to overdo it. Steer towards aged metallics and group with natural materials for a softer and more timeless look.

MY TIP– Group a few small pendant lights together at different heights, to create a focal statement piece for your room.

Charlotte’s Little Black Book >>

Little Greene Stockists: Pip & Lewis, Corbridge – 01434 634517 • Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes – 01969 666077 • Tangletree Interiors. Newcastle – 0191 232 7477 Linum Design Stockists: Online only at www.linumdesign.com Lene Bjerre Stockists: Ampersand, Morpeth – 01670 510161 • James Brindley, Harrogate – 01423 560757 Kobe Stockists: Absolutely Fabrics Newcastle – 0191 266 2070 • A Waterson, Ponteland – 01661 822244

MAR/APR16

Exciting new products!

Visit our newly extended/refurbished 10,000sqft showroom and let us make your dreams come true.

If you are looking for flair and innovative design it doesn’t matter what part of your home you want to improve. We can achieve what you are looking for and beyond, all under one roof. No need to visit showroom after showroom, it’s now all here!

Come and see all of our actual-size fabulous displays and discuss your ideas with one of our experienced designers.

• Kitchens • Bedrooms • Bathrooms • Orangeries • Guardian Roofs • Windows • Doors • Bi-Fold Doors • Replacement Roofs

10th Avenue West Team Valley Gateshead NE11 0HL Opposite Retail World

www.greatlook.co.uk 0191 4913836

LUXE LOVES

LUXE LOVES Sinking in Blousy florals are having a moment in the interiors world. Get lost in the riotous blooms of this hugely comfortable Magnum sofa from Delcor, which of course makes its home in Northumberland. The print is from a collection by Designers Guild. Sofa, ÂŁ2013 www.delcor.co.uk

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MAR/APR16

Home Builders Federation Customer Survey

OFF GREEN L ANE I S TANNINGTON I NE61 6AT

The kids get closer to nature...

Stannington Park.

There’s something for everyone.

4 & 5 BEDROOM HOMES FROM £489,995 TO £599,995

...you get closer to that second wicket.

This prestigious development, situated in the grounds of the former St Mary’s Hospital, offers a traditional village setting coupled with new leisure amenities, such as a gastropub, cricket pitch and community centre. Acres of established woodland and open countryside provide a rural backdrop to Stannington Park, which also enjoys views towards the Cheviot Hills and Northumberland National Park in the distance.

Soon to be released 2 & 3 bedroom homes and apartments.

Click: www.bellway.co.uk Call: 01670 789 572 Visit: Thursday 11.00am - 8.00pm, Friday - Sunday 11.00am - 5.30pm, Monday 12.00pm - 5.30pm.

Prices correct at time of going to press. Images are for illustrative purposes only and may include optional upgrades at additional cost.

Specification on site may differ.

DIG THIS

PLOT

with Darren Crichton-Jones, owner, Bradley Gardens, Wylam Buds emerge into the light to herald the happiest garden time of the year

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March, once the start of the calendar year back in Roman times, quite aptly sees the beginning of a new season here within the 19th Century Victorian walls of Bradley Gardens. Buds are formed; soil is warming and the last of the late winter blooms – purposely planted to bridge the month into early flowering spring shrubs and flowers – are just emerging.

Approach the Glasshouse Cafe from the east side and be drawn to the scent of Viburnum x burkwoodii. Its rich pink buds are followed by lovely early-spring flowers that are light pink to white. Flowers open and the immediate air is filled with a deep cinnamon scent which attracts the merging butterfly, seeking out early nectar deposits. This particular shrub, so often dismissed, is not only a hardy evergreen, but is also a good specimen for structural planting.

The borders continue to replenish themselves with a concession of spring

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flowering bulbs. Just as one Narcissus fades, more emerge producing a variety of single and triple-headed trumpet like flowers.

A bit of a show-stopper as you enter the garden is Erysimum (wallflower). A much loved favourite here at Bradley it is an effortless biennial/perennial that is versatile yet undemanding. Consider planting a variety with red or yellow flowers such as Cheiranthus ‘Cloth of Gold’ an old favourite, they are the most heavenly scented and are quite endearing in the garden.

March is the perfect month to plant and prune roses. Roses are easy to grow and are remarkably tolerant. Bare-rooted roses are best planted while still in their dormant state. Potted roses can be transplanted into the ground ideally during the summer months but will happily go in as long as the ground is not frozen. This year Bradley Gardens will indulge in a planting frenzy of roses.

There are so many roses available and all for specific places. Roses will grow in a wide range of soils, but they do appreciate good soil preparation. The addition of well rotted manure or garden compost before planting will help aid and ensure strong growth. Pruning is very easy; simply remove

producing a dramatic mass of reliable early spring colour to brighten any dry, sunny aspect of the garden.

Standing gracefully above the ground and quite simply a centre-piece viewed from the Glass House Cafe Cortaderia (pampas grass) proves to be one of the best decorative

Just as one Narcissus fades, more emerge producing a variety of single and triple-headed trumpet-like flowers very weak, old and woody, dead and diseased stems.

March through to April would not be complete without the cascading flowers of Aubrieta. Available in a multitude of colours from white to rich purple, its profusion of flowers and foliage creep through cracks, spilling over rockery walls

grasses producing spectacular silvery silky plumes. Planted in April choose a female variety which produces the best plumes especially after a hot summer. Clumps can be divided in April and will thrive in sun or partial shade. www.bradley-gardens.co.uk

MAR/APR16

Orangeries Bi-Folding Doors Conservatories Entrance Doors Windows

Aanco has been leading the way in designing and installing the highest quality conservatories, windows, doors and roofline products in the North East of England for over 30 years.

Add beauty and style to your home with our extensive range of products designed and produced to suit your home.

We only use the finest quality products to the highest kitemark standards to maximise security and performance, yet retain the elegance and beauty you can expect from Aanco.

With a 10 year insurance backed guarantee worth the paper it is written on, you can feel confident you have made the right choice by choosing a trusted local company.

Visit our show village of 9 Furnished Conservatories with examples of windows and door options Aanco, Portrack Lane, Stockton on Tees. TS18 2RB. Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 9.30 - 4.30pm, Sat 9.30 - 4.00pm

TEL: 01642 612204

www.aanco.co.uk

LUXE LOCAL

Easingwold This North Yorkshire market town is a short hop down the A19 on the way to York. Take a turn from the main street to discover the Market Square – a place of unexpected treats where you can linger for hours PROPERTIES >> A mix of handsome Georgian properties around a village green in the Market Place.

Lots of sweet but sturdy Yorkshire stone cottages and some higgledy-piggledy hideaway streets with characterful properties and building conversions. On the outskirts of the town within walking distance of the centre there are some smart and swish executive new builds in lovely landscapes.

A bit farther afield you get to the stuff of dreams – lovely country estates in one of the most beautiful areas of the country.

CONNECTED >> Really close to the A19 with Teesside about 30 minutes’ drive away and the city of York as close – about half an hour to the city centre or make it easy on yourself with a stop at the Park & Ride at Rawcliffe Bar and hop on a bus.

Mainline trains from York go everywhere and the nearest airport is Leeds Bradford, about an hour’s drive.

SHOP >> An unexpected joy of a place to shop if you are one of those people who likes quirky independent shops, a bit of art, good food and to discover your own ‘finds’.

These were our favourites:

my local 86

The Olive Branch in the Market Place is such a good browse. Find fab cards, decorative bits for the house and paints from Little Greene and Farrow & Ball.

Find lots of Emma Bridgewater bits and pieces and then head upstairs to the first floor which is a bit of a dressing room – vintage wardrobes and shelves house racks of clothes from quirky designers and those such as Part Two. Downstairs there’s a cool little coffee shop – all brick walls and pews (with cushions) in style – and an impressive-looking retro coffee machine.

Another nice boutique is Georgia Lilly – small but packed with a nice range of clothing – drapey jumpers and relaxed ‘going-out’ clothes, with the subtlest of shimmer, this looks like somewhere you’d find a nice one-off for a special occasion.

Good jewellery and scarves too.

Similar finds are to be had at Hearts, a little boutique in a sweet terrace just off the square. Nice candles in here too. In fact the entire town is packed with shops selling great candles!

Art lovers will love the Leaping Hare gallery which is a bright and welcoming space filled with paintings, prints books and ceramics from local artists at all prices – well worth a look and they offer a framing service too.

Next door is The Curtain Room, a stylish interiors store.

In the same street – Chapel Street – you find The Boot Shop, a social enterprise selling cushions and soft furnishings made by adults with learning disabilities as part of their skill development for future employment. Fabric is donated by local interiors stores – so you may well bag a bargain – we saw lovely handmade cushions for just £10.

For menswear, Charles Hobson looks like it has been clothing the gentry of North Yorkshire for generations – the place to be kitted out for hunting, shooting, the hunt ball or a day at the races.

Close by we liked the look of The Tipsy Fox Drinks Co and you get get a nice fill of jams and chutneys at both Tee Hee coffee shop and The Curious Table café.

Dooleys grocery is a smashing local food place – a food hall filled with the produce of local suppliers such as pork and chilli jam sausages, not to mention punnets of fennel bulbs for 95p we’re talking sensible Yorkshire prices here! But you could also buy a can of squid stuffed with eel if you were feeling adventurous.

There’s a Friday market and Easingwold’s very own Farmers’ Market is held in the Market Square every third Wednesday

Dove Armistead is a textile artist, illustrator and yoga teacher who recently moved back to Easingwold after spending 16 years in the south.

She works part time at The Curious Table café and deli.

Good things about living here >> It is a place that’s welcome, warm and friendly with a real sense of community.

I love that the shops are independent and stock everything you need and produce is sourced locally from cheese and chutney to local crafts.

of the month.

Enjoy fresh local Yorkshire food at its best including the award-winning Voakes pies (including gluten free) from nearby Whixley!

Fancy some truly fresh fish less than a day old? Do what the locals do and head for the fresh fish van from Whitby.

EAT >> This part of the world definitely mixes hearty gutsy food with an appreciation of gourmet dining.

In the town itself, The Curious Table is a lovely place to eat and linger – we loved rosemary mushrooms on toast and cinnamon toast for breakfast with excellent, own-blend coffee from a roaster in York.

Lovely home-made cakes and a place that’s obviously a good spot to linger.

The Tee-Hee coffee shop has a good reputation and there are lots of farm shops locally. Explore Dutch specialities such as sweet and savoury pancakes and poffertjes in the Dutch House art café at Crayke just outside of Easingwold.

Nearby Durham Ox in Crayke is a gourmet favourite and just a few miles away is the Michelin-starred Black Swan in the lovely countryside around Oldstead.

STAY >> We clocked the nice-looking No93 B&B if a day is just not enough here. A lovely,

Art lovers will love the Leaping Hare gallery which is a bright and welcoming space

Things to do with visitors >> I’d take visitors for a walk around the town to browse around the shops. On a Friday pick up artisan cheese, bread and veg from the market, after which a long leisurely lunch chat and coffee is an essential.

An ‘in the know’ secret >> I’m biased but Easingwold’s best kept secret has to be the coffee and brownies at the Curious Table.

MAR/APR16

LUXE LOCAL

PROPERTY WATCH WITH DUNCAN YOUNG

A VERY BRIGHT START FOR ESTATE AGENTS

welcoming-looking and stylish bolthole that looks every bit as characterful as the town itself.

STROLL >> Claypenny Hill and countryside to the east of Easingwold is the best walk in the Easingwold area taking in the new nature reserves of Millfields Park and Woods and

which includes a short walk up Claypenny Hill with views to the Dales, York Minster, the hill village of Crayke and beyond.

The Tourist Information shop in Easingwold has a series of walking guides on sale.

National Trust properties nearby include Beningborough Hall and from July there is a brilliant Maize Maze on the outskirts of the town which kids love.

property: three to choose Worth a punt Nestling in the countryside near Kilburn with its white horse on the hill is Acre House Farm – perfect for the horse lover on all levels with its own stable complex.

A dazzling traditional English country garden perfect for a potter.

£1.15m www.hunters.com

Georgian gorgeous Get some Georgian glamour in your life – an elegant three-storey family home with plenty of space to spread – and just a short walk to the Market Place.

£259.950 www.williamsonsproperty.com

Listed & lovely Perfectly pretty restored and extended listed house on Easingwold’s Georgian market place. All the things you need from a house like this – wood panels, cottage garden, rustic paint colours. Even an outdoor detached office.

£750,000 www.blenkinandco.com MAR/APR16

In 2016 reported figures via Rightmove, the country’s largest portal website, indicated the strongest recorded month of activity since it was established.

Here at Sanderson Young our figures indicate a very significant increase in activity throughout January 2016 compared to January 2015. Users in January 2016 increased by 30% year on year, sessions by 25% and the page views 23%.

Particularly interesting was that our activity at Sanderson Young in January 2016 was also higher than that recorded in July 2015, at 8% on users, 12% on sessions and 9% on page views.

What does this mean in respect to selling your home? The immediate impact of the activity we receive from our website converts initial enquiries into viewing requests, valuations and inspections of houses. Some of those key result areas were considerably higher in January 2016 than they were in January 2015.

The offices of our company are now proving to be extremely busy and viewing levels dramatically increased in February, proving that new buyers are wanting to proceed and purchase a home as quickly as possible.

There have been some geographical variances, with dramatic increases in Ponteland and the Tyne Valley, and also with our Rare! branch with houses over £700,000 in the region, proving a lot more popular than they have been. This is a tremendous welcome relief to the relatively poor figures that we saw in 2015 for the very top end of the market.

For the volume of residential sales regionally and in north Northumberland we are continuing to be busy, but not by quite as great an increase as we have seen in the core activity of our Rare! office and Ponteland branch.

This is mainly due to the lack of supply in new homes coming on the market in many of our branches. The greater the volume of demand the harder it is to find what people want, and we are constantly looking for new instructions coming to the market and reviewing our previous valuations, contacting clients who have been thinking of selling in the past to indicate that the market conditions are now changing.

In Darras Hall, Ponteland and in the prime areas of Gosforth and Jesmond, the higher value market is beginning to recover very well and there is no doubt that people are showing increased confidence in buying some of the larger houses, where in certain cases ‘bargains’ still exist.

In the UK, the housing market is now reacting to the fact that we have such low supply and have not been building the volumes of property of recent years.

Our new homes market has started 2016 with a very bright and encouraging future. The La Sagesse site in Jesmond, by David Wilson Homes, is undoubtedly proving to be one of the most popular residential sites within the North East of England for many years, and it is breaking records with its quality of homes, standard of infrastructure and the extremely beautiful surroundings it enjoys with its private park. This site is likely to be sold out by June of this year, and construction will finish towards the end of the year.

We also eagerly await the launch of our very exciting site at Mill Rise in the old park at Ponteland, by Linden Homes. This is creating 18 stunning apartments including some very highly desirable penthouse apartments. We have an extensive mailing list waiting for these properties, released in mid-February, and I am sure they will be immediately snapped up.

In Hexham on the Corbridge road are some tremendous Scandinavian designed beautiful detached houses, provided by Esh Homes in conjunction with Trivselhus. They are creating stunning ‘state of the art’ luxury homes which have very high energy efficiency levels and provide beautiful properties in such a lovely market town and beautiful part of the Tyne Valley.

We look forward to working with new homes clients throughout 2016, in what I am sure will be a turning point, creating beautiful properties in a much needed area to meet the demand of the region.

With confidence high in the demand for housing, this is a good time to invest in the housing market.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or my team at Sanderson Young. I am available by email at duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk.

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

Turpin’s Hill Estate Heddon on the Wall

Turpin’s Hill provides a fabulous small country estate enjoying an elevated position on the north banks of the River Tyne. The entrance to the estate is via a tree lined driveway leading to the house and on to the farm steading where there are six tenanted cottages available in a separate lot with a further 110 acres. The seven bedroom house has great character and has had a number of improvements carried out. EPC: D

Guide Price: £3.25 Million

Celtic Manor

Gubeon Wood, Tranwell Woods, Morpeth Celtic Manor represents one of the finest new build detached houses available within Northumberland. A great deal of care and attention has gone into its design with high quality fittings, bespoke walnut furniture, intelligent wiring and impressive lighting. This magnificent five bedroom home has a leisure suite, a large self contained apartment and grounds of 6.5 acres. EPC: C

Guide Price: £2.95 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

Crofts Park

Hepscott, Morpeth This magnificent, luxury, five bedroom home, within totally private and breathtaking grounds, is extremely well located on the south western boundary of Hepscott. The recent remodelling and renovation, complete with private winter/summer lodge and 100sq metre raised patio, has created a luxurious property with super interior design and a unique and beautiful finish that offers an enviable lifestyle. EPC: D

Guide Price: £980,000

The West Wing

Newton Hall, Newton-On-The-Moor The West Wing is a stunning example of a Grade II Listed country home, set within the idyllic grounds and woodland of Newton Hall Private Estate. Dating from 1772, this imposing four/five bedroom property has been sympathetically and carefully restored to a high standard of specification, retaining all of the character and charm of the original features, enhanced by the latest energy saving technology. EPC: D

Guide Price: £795,000

From Sanderson Young ALL CONFIDENTIAL ENQUIRIES TO 0191 223 3500 OR EMAIL: DUNCAN.YOUNG@SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK | WWW.SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK

local, regional, national and international specialists in property marketing

SATLEY HOUSE, SATLEY

£689,950

An elegant and unique country property of both history and character, Satley House is an important North East residence offering substantial accommodation that’s capable of providing a forever home for several generations.

SAVILLE CLOSE, WYNYARD

Contact: 0191 384 2277

£795,000

A superb property of space and style, built by Bellway in the exclusive Kensington Mansions development in Wynyard Village, the five-bedroom property offers all the features expected of a contemporary family residence.

MEADOW COTTAGE, THE OLD SAWMILL, SHINCLIFFE

£550,000

Set within its own oasis of green, Meadow Cottage, a unique property, offers the peace and quiet of the country yet is within easy reach of Durham City.

Wynyard 01740 645 444

Contact: 01740 645 444

Tyne Valley 0845 459 6000

Contact: 0191 384 2277

Newcastle 0845 459 6000

Durham 0191 384 2277

Cumbria 0845 872 5453

residing@fineandcountry.com

info@durhamfineandcountry.co.uk info@wynyardfineandcountry.co.uk residing@fineandcountry.com cumbria@fineandcountry.com

creative and intelligent marketing of individual and country property

...300 offices worldwide

HOPPETTY HOUSE, SOUTH STREET, DURHAM

£850,000

Offering two addresses in one, this property can meet a range of family scenarios, is an excellent opportunity to invest within an exclusive area of the city and, principally, provides a private and comfortable home.

PARK AVENUE, WYNYARD

£557,000

An imposing residence occupying a prime corner plot in Park Avenue, Wynyard. Recently extended exceptionally well to provide addition bedroom and family accommodation, large gardens, double garage and gated driveway.

WOODLEA, HOLYWOOD, WOLSINGHAM

Northumberland 0845 459 6000

sales@fineandcountry-lakes.co.ul

info@durhamfineandcountry.co.uk

Contact: 01740 645 444

£695,000

Space and splendid seclusion, but not isolation, come in abundance at Woodlea, a four bedroom family home surrounded by countryside in the heart of the Durham Dales.

Lakes 01539 733 500

Contact: 0191 384 2277

Contact: 0191 384 2277

www.fineandcountry.com Head office: 121 Park Lane, Mayfair, London WIK 7AG.

RIGHT INGREDIENT

eat

Hunger for change An artisan food hub inspired by Borough Market is set to become a go-to spot for the gourmets of Teesside. Kathryn Armstrong headed to Bedford Street

Not widely known as a culinary capital in the North East, Middlesbrough’s food scene is however more enticing than a curry and its famous delicacy, the parmo.

Recently there’s been a stirring in the backstreets, of enthusiastic young artisans setting up independent cafes and craft breweries.

It started along a town centre terrace called Baker Street close to the university, Mima art gallery and shopping centre.

Its popularity has acted as a catalyst for Middlesbrough Council to put its economic energies into the creation of an artisan food hub that it hopes will regenerate an unloved town centre area and create a real destination for food lovers.

Building is underway and it should all start happening at the end of March, hopefully also capitalising on the crowds who

>> Nicky Peacock

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are predicted for the Tour de Yorkshire’s ride-off from the town on May 1.

For now though it’s a case of tip-toeing through the rubble as each of the Bedford Street properties are transformed and renovated to house the eight food business that have signed up for the hub.

Among them are Peter and Sarah Walker with their two-week old daughter Anna.

They will open The Curing House, a sociable eating place where charcuterie will take centre stage.

Peter is mad on meat. A broken ankle led to the decision to quit his job as a plater in heavy industry and peruse his dream of delving into the world of charcuterie.

He had been home-smoking and curing meat, poultry and fish as a hobby and the pair spent a great deal of time devouring the sights and sounds of great restaurants, famers’ markets and places like London’s foodie destinations, Borough and Maltby Street markets.

“I planned to start a mobile business – to go to farmers’ markets and that kind of thing selling home-smoked duck!

Then we became aware of the Bedford Street development and it took on a different scale”, says Peter.

Sarah adds, “I work for the Local Enterprise Partnership – Peter is the entrepreneurial risk-taker and I act as the risk manager!

“We have both eaten our way around the world and think the concept of The Curing House is something different”.

They will offer charcuterie platters and a place where people can pop in anytime of the day for a snack and glass of wine.

They’ve also got a chef on board who will be using Curing House products as the basis for an a-la-carte offering.

Says Peter, “We’re sourcing meats from suppliers who are at Borough Market as well as importing the best meats and cheeses from small-scale artisan producers we can find and we’re always looking for new suppliers.”

In total there will be eight artisan food outlets in Bedford Street. These are: The Curing House, Bedford St Coffee House, The Nuthatch, Songbird Bakery, Barbarossa Pizza Kitchen, The Chairman, Roast and Mohujos.

Rounton Coffee’s Bedford Street Coffee House will be

>> Peter Walker

Middlesbrough really needs a place like this – there is definitely a feeling that ‘if you build it, people will come’

its first named outlet.

The roastery is based in Rounton, North Yorkshire and has a growing customer base for its ethically-sourced single estate coffee.

MAR/APR16

RIGHT INGREDIENT

>> Dave Burton

I have been cherry-picking from the best farmers’ and continental markets across the area to make Orange Pip something special. Seasonal food is a given but we really want to make it a game-changer Dave Burton has joined the Rounton team and explains: “It’s somewhere to showcase what we do in our roastery. This is somewhere people can come to have genuine speciality coffee. We will have house blends

MAR/APR16

and guest coffees for people to try.”

For those with a sweet tooth, the Songbird Bakery will bring a touch of the capital’s cupcake culture to Bedford Street.

Shelley Tyreman lived in London and did her research at the likes of Hummingbird and Primrose bakeries before teaming up with baking buddy Claire Philpott to the live the sweet cupcakery dream.

“The teahouse and vintage cake thing has been around for a while but we plan to offer something a bit more sophisticated and stylish”, says Shelley.

“We’ll have exposed brick walls, some upcycled furniture and big haberdashery drawers inside.

“Middlesbrough really needs a place like this – there is definitely a feeling that ‘if you build it, people will come’, she says.

Claire adds; “We will be doing seasonal flavours for cakes and hope there will be a real ‘wow’ when people come in.

Our business has been growing – we do cupcakes for Wynyard Hall and can create cakes for every occasion for customers.”

The Bedford Street and Baker Street food hub will also be home to The Orange Pip market which promises to be more than a conventional farmers’ market says Nicky Peacock.

She is the creative brain behind the monthly Orange Pip market which will launch on May 28.

“I’ve travelled to markets everywhere – from London to Brooklyn and what we plan here is something perhaps more edgy than a farmers’ market. We plan on having live music, outside seating areas and make is a real destination where people can stay for a few hours and soak up the atmosphere.

“I am a Boro girl and know the vibrant scene here – we will be about provenance and a ‘field to plate’ culture and I have been cherry-picking from the best farmers’ and continental markets across the area to make Orange Pip something special, it’s very exciting.

“Seasonal food is a given but in terms of entertainment we really want to make it a game-changer for Middlesbrough with music and outdoor film nights, to create a really good place to hang out.”

Michelle McPhee believes the Bedford Street development and Orange Pip market will be a huge and daring economic ‘step-change’ for Middlesbrough.

She is project manager for the council’s Economic Growth Team.

“When we say step-change, it is about completely

transforming the town centre to make this area a real destination.

“We can’t compete with out of town retail so we are investing in an area that had been full of empty buildings.

“Working with property company, Jomast we are bringing the Bedford Street properties back to life, offering low rent and rates to keep start-up costs to a minimum. It is regeneration aimed at economic growth in our town.

“We deliberately decided to focus on food and beverage businesses and the improvement of the area as a way of driving business into the town centre.

“There will be arched entrances to the streets and market, new paving and seating areas. It is all about regeneration, raising aspirations and improving what the town centre has to offer.”

>> Shelley Tyreman and Claire Philpott

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PERKY PIE TIME

Off duty WITH DAVE COULSON

This is a dish that Halibut Chicken Pie >> looks a bit ‘wow’ but Ingredients Method is an easy one to 4 x 200g halibut fillets Braise the chicken legs in the chicken stock until very tender, pick the meat carefully and reserve the assemble.

2 chicken legs stock.

500g button mushrooms Finely dice the carrots, shallot, leek and celery and sweat off in a pan. Once softened add the white wine Serve it up for an 2 carrots and cook until nearly dry and add the chicken stock. appreciative audience 2 sticks of celery Reduce by half and add the cream – cook on a medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly and add your picked chicken legs. Keep warm. with its rich combination 1 leek 1 shallot Next, boil the potatoes until soft and push through a ricer. Add as much butter as you dare (remember of chicken and fish. ½1 bottle white wine the calories...) and season with salt and pepper to taste.

1ltr chicken stock Season the halibut and pan-fry for 2 minutes each side on a medium to high heat.

Pie, but not as you 100ml double cream Cook the pastry sheets as directed and assemble the dish as shown. know it.

500g potato 2 sheets of ready made puff pastry (or ideally make some bric pastry)

Dave is head chef and business partner at Peace & Loaf, 217 Jesmond Road, Newcastle, NE2 1LA. Tel: 0191 2815222 www.peaceandloaf.co.uk

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MAR/APR16

TRAVELS & TEMPTATIONS

Chef’s table

Teatime talk with Michelin-star chef James Close from The Raby Hunt TAKE TEA >>

COOL COD >>

>> Auckland Castle

I’m always happy to settle down to a spot of afternoon tea – it takes on so many guises these days. Always better with champagne, I find.

This is my top-three list for those of you heading off to London in need of small sandwich sustenance.

Skrei is one of the stars of the show on our menu at the moment.

It’s a type of Norwegian cod only available from January to April along the coast.

We love it because of the freshness of the flesh – we get it the day after it is caught and it has a slight pearly colour to it.

The cod spends most of its life in the nutrient-rich Barents Sea, but when it reaches maturity at around five years old, it migrates back to its birthplace to spawn.

Skrei is therefore a Norwegian cod in the prime of its life. The migratory journey of Skrei make it a whiter brighter flesh than other ages of cod.

It is one of the world’s healthiest whitefish, and one portion of Skrei provides the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

We’ve created a dish which incorporates Skrei and black truffle – in puree form and also in small disks on top.

It is probably the most expensive dish we’ve put on the menu because of the truffles.

They are Perigord black truffles (about £800/ kg) and we’re one of only a handful of restaurants in the world to get them.

They aren’t the most expensive truffle in the world but the amount we use in the dish makes it expensive.

The Goring Central London but you can enjoy your afternoon tea in a lovely private garden with an ‘away from it all’ feel.

The Langham Afternoon Tea was invented at the Palm Court here. A really stylish spot – lots of inventive different choices for afternoon tea with seasonal changes and hints of the exotic. The best bit – afterwards you can hit Artesian bar, voted ‘The World’s Best Bar’ for four consecutive years.

Sketch One cool place that makes afternoon tea a funky experience. A bit ‘mad hatter’ in style – modern surroundings and a caviar and quail egg sandwich to try.

Close to home Auckland Castle is my top pick for great afternoon tea in grand surroundings.

IN THE BOX >> Spring means skulls at The Raby Hunt. I’ve always had a thing about skulls and now they are to become a seasonally-changing feature on our tasting menu.

We’ve changed things a bit at the restaurant and now just offer our tasting menu – 12 courses.

We are a destination restaurant – people come here to taste my food and so we have tweaked what’s going on to reflect that – so that their visit is a real dining experience, with everyone in the restaurant eating the same food. We want to add some fun and theatre to it all.

The chocolate ganache skull comes at the end of the meal and I was inspired by the old smoky club rooms in baronial Scottish wood-panelled hotels.

The idea of a glass of whisky in hand, you take a sip then drag on a great cigar.

Whisky I love – cigars I would but don’t for the sake of my health! This is the next best thing.

We infuse chocolate with tobacco leaves and with The Peat Master whisky.

You’re presented with a straw-filled box with the skull and small chocolate slab inside.

The first taste is the peaty whisky sensation followed by the tobacco which is more of a sensation in the throat than a flavour so they are tasted separately.

MAR/APR16

>> The Goring

>> The Langham

>> Sketch

GADGET BOY >> I’ve got an amazing new toy – my Japanese 70 layer steel knife. It’s beautiful and at £500 every slice has to be meaningful!

I bought it predominantly for fish – slicing scallops and raw fish for sashimi and tartare. It does make the perfect, thinnest slices. I love it.

ON MY TRAVELS >> Been to Pierre Koffman’s restaurant at The Berkeley which was great. Koffman has been to the Raby Hunt. He is a brilliant man – like an enthusiastic food granddad who has had three Michelin stars. He just wants to be in his kitchen and doesn’t chase stars any more, just wants to cook. It was a privilege to have him cook for me.

Standout dish was a squid bolognese. The squid was cut into long strips so they looked like tagliatelle. Then a ‘bolognese’ was made from the tentacles – and served with a fish roe powder. It felt like eating pasta but was squid.

I was with my dad and we shared chateaubriand – we wanted to try a classic.

I stayed over at the hotel and we met up with Marcus Wareing who has a restaurant there too.

Closer to home I enjoyed one of the best Indian meals I’ve had in the North East at Haveli in Ponteland.

This place would definitely be my go-to. The curried mussel dish was a standout, great depth of flavour but lightness of touch.

Spent some time at Manchester House with chef Aiden Byrne recently where I ate a standout dish of squid and mackerel and squid ink risotto. We’re hoping to have Aiden at Raby Hunt for a development night dinner soon.

BIB GOURMAND WITH HARRIETT CLOSE >> We’ve been on a road trip to some nice hotels close to home recently. Dad’s pick of the bunch was Seaham Hall.

He loves the food – which he said was good produce-led, well-executed bistro-style, whatever that means.

We stayed in a garden suite which was fun for me. I ate pasta, I always eat pasta at the moment, it’s my best thing (it annoys daddy a bit).

We had lots of fun in the lovely blue pool too and we’re going back soon he says, yay!

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HERO HERRING

Fish course WITH TERRY LAYBOURNE

Let’s hear it for the humble herring, a fish that deserves more space on our plates

HERRINGS >> A traditional, inexpensive and abundant fish; herrings not only provide a creamy, firm flesh and gutsy flavour but are also considered to be richly nutritious – full of omega 3s and vitamin D. Herrings, once the food of the poor, are considered a great delicacy in numerous European countries, particularly Holland and Scandinavia, but it’s a different story for the ‘silver darlings’ in Britain. Once a staple fish in these isles, the humble herring has somehow become something of a lost and underrated food in need of wider recognition.

In the UK, herrings are predominantly found in the shallow and mild waters of the North Atlantic with the majority of stock being fished from Scottish and Northern Irish waters. When buying them look for the fillets with sparkling, silvery, steel-blue skin and plump but firm flesh as these will be lovely and fresh. They are in season for a very short period of time – from now until around early June.

Pickled herrings make a great choice for lunch or dinner – perfect with dark bread and/or a creamy potato salad.

Alternatively roll fresh herrings in oats and fry them in bacon fat.

Pickled Herrings >> Ingredients BRINE >> 4 fresh herring – descaled, gutted & filleted 30g fine sea salt PICKLE >> 375ml cider vinegar 3 allspice berries 3 black peppercorns 1 fresh bay leaf 1/2 tbsp. light brown sugar 1/2 small red or white onion, very thinly sliced

Method Dissolve the salt in 250 millilitres of cold water.

Add the herring fillets and leave for 2-3 hours.

Put all the pickle mixture ingredients into a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Drain the herring fillets from the brine and pat dry on kitchen paper. Pour the pickle mixture over the herrings and refrigerate for two days before eating.

They are best eaten between 5-10 days but will keep in the fridge for two weeks.

Serve with rye bread, potato salad and sweet mustard.

Terry’s latest food venture, Saltwater Fish Co at Fenwick Food Hall, has a wet fish counter and staff who can advise on all aspects of cooking fish.

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MAR/APR16

CHOC & WINE TIME

Wine & chocolate: The perfect pair

>> LSA pastel lustre glasses from £25 for four, Fenwick

Forget desserts; a glass of vino and a square or two of the dark stuff is the new way to satisfy your sweet tooth Easter: a time of chocolate for all, but It doesn’t have to be about pinching the kids’ Buttons’ egg.

Go grown-up with chocolates that taste of the forest or an abundance of fruits that look like works of art in themselves.

Chocolate and wine-pairing is a having a moment, so forget desserts and try this for your sweet course.

Lauden Yorkshire chocolates (£18) are hand-decorated with beautiful painterly designs.

They blend rich fruity flavours with intense single origin cocoa.

TRY THEM WITH A GLASS OF >> Elysium Black Muscat by Andrew Quady, California, USA. (£11.99) A ruby red dessert wine, served chilled. It has an aroma of dark fruits, such as cherry and strawberry, complemented by a floral rose petal note. The high natural acidity balances beautifully with the sweetness, but also means it is a great pairing for dark chocolate especially the fruit-led Lauden collection. Elysium is Greek word for ‘heaven’, so this is the perfect combination!

Nelleulla; Chocolate from the forest (£14.95) These chocolates have a mix of very dramatic flavours with dried berries and flowers coating them. For example, mojito truffle with freeze dried peppermint leaves, or white chocolate truffle with sea buckthorn juice, decorated with cornflower leaves. They look exotic and are very unusual – a good dinner party challenge!

TRY THEM WITH >> Mount Horrocks Semillon, Clare Valley, Australia, (£18.49) This is a complex and concentrated estate-grown Semillon that has a great display of rich, ripe fruit aromas, such as peach and nectarines, with a delicious hint of lemon curd. There is

a lovely aroma of vanilla that comes from it being barrel fermented and later aged in oak.

This oak influence also adds a great weight to this wine – very important when pairing with chocolate as it is needed to balance out the fat content and weight of the chocolate. Good with the lemon truffle/apricot truffle/basil mango truffle/apple cinnamon truffle/passion fruit truffle and the hazelnut truffle in the collection.

Matsu “El Recio”, Toro, Spain (£15.99) This Tempranillo is a silky, velvety red wine with some very soft tannins and deep black fruit aromas. Rich hints of chocolate, roasted coffee bean and vanilla pod are great for the robust-flavoured chocolates in the selection, such as: ginger rosehip/cappuccino/cherry/wild berry/hazelnut and Cognac-fig.

Wine and chocolate available from the Food Hall, Fenwick, Newcastle.

BESPOKE TASTING MENUS FOR PRIVATE DINERS Parties of 10 or more who book artisan’s artistically designed private dining space, The Drawing Room, can enjoy a tailored menu incorporating their favourite ingredients, flavours and dishes.

Presented in artisan’s signature style, the bespoke menus are developed by Head Chef and former North East Chef of the Year winner, Andrew Wilkinson.

Prices start from £55 per person and include a minimum of six courses.

WWW.ARTISANNEWCASTLE.COM

MAR/APR16

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Eat Seasonal WITH ANDREW WILKINSON OF ARTISAN

Rhubarb time of year. Make it pink and perfect with a tangy twist

As spring finally blooms, we can leave behind those hearty and wholesome winter dishes and swap them for something refreshingly lighter on the palate.

Step in the humble rhubarb – a versatile ingredient that comes into season mid-spring and which is the star ingredient in this classic custard tart recipe.

The smooth, luscious rhubarb sorbet makes for a delicate accompaniment to the tart, with the blood orange segments helping to lift this plate of deliciousness and lace it with a mouthwatering, zesty twist.

For inspiration on how to make the best use of springtime ingredients, visit the artisan website at www.artisannewcastle.com.

Custard Tart, Rhubarb Sorbet and Blood Orange >> Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY >> 330g plain flour 25g corn flour 150g caster sugar 200g butter (soft) 2g salt 1 medium / large free-range egg 1 egg for brushing pastry

FOR THE CUSTARD FILLING >> 9 egg yolks 150g caster sugar 1 litre whipping cream 2 nutmegs

FOR THE RHUBARB SORBET >> 500g Yorkshire rhubarb 250g caster sugar 250ml water 1tbs glucose Citric acid

FOR THE GARNISH >> A few sprigs of lemon balm Segments of blood orange

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Method Start with the pastry. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients until it resembles bread crumbs.

Add the egg and mix until the pastry comes together.

Turn out onto the bench and work until it forms a smooth dough.

Divide into two pieces. Wrap and rest until needed (approximately one hour).

Rolling the pastry Sprinkle flour on the work surface. Place one of the two doughs on the bench and flatten out slightly.

Work quick. Roll out to a rough circle, turning after each roll (do not turn over).

Roll out to about 30cm diameter and 3mm thick for a 20cm tart ring.

Line tart ring, place on tray with slip mat and chill.

Baking the pastry Pre-heat oven to 170C. Place three layers of cling film criss-cross over pastry and fill with baking beans.

Place in oven for 20 minutes.

Remove baking beans and return to oven for a further five minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, brush pastry with beaten egg to ensure pastry is completely sealed.

Now start your custard filling…

Custard filling Bring the cream up to a simmer.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale.

Pour cream onto egg and allow to cool slightly.

Remove any air bubbles from the surface.

Baking the tart Turn oven down to 100C. Make sure the shell is completely sealed.

Place shell in oven for a few minutes to warm.

Pour custard mix into shell and bake for 50 minutes until just set.

Take out of the oven and when still hot – grate nutmeg all over the top (as much or as a little as you prefer).

Leave to cool to room temperature (do not place in the fridge).

Rhubarb sorbet Make this the day before.

Place the sugar, water and glucose in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Reserve a few pieces of rhubarb for the garnish; add chopped and washed rhubarb to the syrup and simmer until rhubarb is soft.

Blend until smooth and churn in ice-cream machine.

To assemble Assemble the dish as pictured.

MAR/APR16

POSH NOSH

In the garden Luxe loves a garden, a café and a slab of home-made cake. We’ve been to try all three at Wynyard Hall’s Rose Garden Farm Shop & Café Beneath chunky industrial lanterns we’re playing the Farrow & Ball game – hmmm, just which shade is on the walls. A hint of sage, a touch of grey. Mizzle, Dimity, Pigeon ? (some of you will know what I’m talking about).

Whatever the answer, the result is a cocoon of calm colour that adds a tick to the calming space, especially coupled with pale wood chairs and modern bench seating.

Wynyard Hall has created an impressive building with its Farm Shop & Café with a smart build that blends well into the old garden walls.

MAR/APR16

Farm shops have become destinations in themselves and this one nods to the Cotswolds feel of the likes of Daylesford with an expensive and stylish fit-out.

Even a bacon sandwich breakfast feels like an occasion.

The café adjoins the walled garden with its showcase rose garden. In summer it will be the perfect place to take tea – outside seating areas are sheltered and serene.

Sunday lunch on a dull January day in the café still manages to feel bright thanks to the light-filled space though and we were impressed with the café’s homeprepared offerings.

There is a daily hot dish (£8) and on this

occasion it was was beef and mushroom pie – hearty and packed with good chunks of meat and loads of mushrooms. It came with an array of fresh heritage vegetables.

I was impressed with a butternut squash and onion marmalade quiche (£8). It was served warm and had a really good texture – the flavour was rich, creamy and sweet – countered by the selection of very fresh salads to choose from alongside. Juicy onion marmalade was served on top of the quiche slice rather than as an ingredient in the mix.

Home-made cakes make their mark and there’s a generous menu of hot drinks. It all feels nicely indulgent and the menu changes seasonally – winter favourites have included flavoursome soups such as cinnamon and roasted pumpkin or cauliflower and roasted butternut squash sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds, all served with crusty bread.

They have some nice breakfast options –

hearty porridge and the like – so it’s a good spot for a big walk then a well-earned breakfast – a new hobby we suspect for the residents of Wynyard.

Once you’ve eaten, it’s time to explore the gardens – for which there is a £5 charge for adults – on our frosty visit there was one maverick bloom baring its petals while delicate showcase trees remained cosseted in their winter padded overcoats. They should be unwrapped by now… or getting close.

In the shop we perused nice gifts for the home – this is one of those places you would always find a gift in an emergency!

I went home with fresh farm eggs and some cooking chorizo sausages made by Paul Craddock just up the road at Dropswell Farm Shop. Tasty. www.wynyardhall.co.uk

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SOIL SISTER

Veg patch WITH KAREN PHILLIPS

Once February has passed, the gardening season can commence. There may be little heat outside but the greenhouse can feel positively tropical on sunny days: a tumbler of Malibu, reggae on the radio and The Caribbean is transported to Northumberland! in handfuls in your cooking and you seriously miss the flavour when they don’t.

RICH PICKINGS >> Pea shoots: Soaking the peas for a couple of hours before sowing ensures rapid germination. A length of plastic guttering on the greenhouse bench provides a really early crop of pea tips to add flavour to spring salads. Top with the first duck eggs of the season; add crunchy bacon lardons and you can enjoy breakfast all over again in the evening.

Chicory and Endive: It’s taken me a long time to realise how delicious these two leaves can be: bitter when eaten raw, they are transformed when baked. A recent starter for friends of caramelised chicory with serrano Ham went down a treat.

Swede: This underrated vegetable is actually the swollen joint of the stem and root, hence why the top is green when peeled - it contains chlorophyll. The bottom (root) does not. Yes, it makes heavenly swede and carrot puree with some chopped fresh thyme, but cut into chips, tossed in rapeseed oil with chopped sage and rosemary, then sprinkled with sea salt and roasted in a hot oven? Mmm. Hardy herbs: These are the herbs epitomised in the Paul Simon song ‘Scarborough Fayre’. Top homemade focaccia with rosemary and seasalt, add fresh thyme to grated potatoes and melted butter and bake for a sublime rösti, a sprig of parsley in the breakfast smoothie boosts vitamin K and incorporates several anti-carcinogenic properties and, for pure comfort food, homemade sage oil can be liberally doused on chicken prior to roasting.

PERENNIAL VEGETABLES >> The only bugbear I have about vegetable growing is that, after all the sowing, thinning and then harvesting, you have to do the whole lot over again. So, this year, I am adding to my existing host of perennials: asparagus, rhubarb, Globe artichokes, cardoons and Buckler leaf sorrel.

Sweet Cicely: As the realisation of how addictive sugar is dawns, this vegetable/ herb may prove invaluable since adding the sweet aniseed flavoured leaves to tart fruit when stewing reduces the sugar needed by half. Be warned: do not let it set seed as it is a prolific self-sower; I would suggest cutting the flowers for a vase before they form seeds and the danger is averted.

Perennial Kale: If you relish your superfoods, then you’ll be jumping for joy that there is a perennial form: ‘Daubenton’, which crops for 5-7 years and is as

JOBS OUTSIDE >> An hour spent weeding now on a cold, bright day will give you a massive head start in spring when there are not enough hours in the day and the weeds are multiplying exponentially. For me, this is a chance to get the soil weed-free; hoe on sunny days to remove any annual weed seeds that have germinated since you mulched in autumn/winter and then the plot will be ready in late April for potatoes that have been chitted and any greenhouse modular sown veg will be ready to be planted. Once you see a rash of seedlings appearing on bare soil, the temperature is getting near perfect for sowing. But don’t sow all your seed packet at once - just do one short early row in case winter returns with vengeance.

JOBS INSIDE >> Chit potatoes: Place ‘earlies’ in egg boxes, eyes upwards in a cool, bright place.

Maincrop can be planted unchitted since you are not aiming for an early crop.

• module sow – 4-6 seeds per module of spring onions, beetroot, round carrots, summer leeks and turnips.

• sow some herbs such as coriander, basil, hyssop and French tarragon. Not having had a plentiful supply of these over winter has made me realise how large my supermarket bill would be if I didn’t grow the majority of them. Once you’ve grown them, they appear

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ornamental as it is tasty. Small plants can be purchased from www.pennardplants.com.

There is a variegated form, but all variegated forms contain less chlorophyll hence are less vigorous so, if production is key, avoid this one.

Egyptian walking onion: I am looking forward to this little chap which will walk around the plot providing chives at the start of the season; spring onions later on and finally onion bulbs on the top of the stalks which, if left long enough, will bend to the ground and root; hence walk around the plot.

A couple of warnings must be made: if something is perennial then it means it has the ability to survive for more than one year and in certain cases this can prove to be the downfall of the plant in its ability to propagate itself and rapidly take over the allotment.

Jerusalem artichokes are one of the easiest crops to grow and make a fabulous 6ft

windbreak if allowed to flower with their small sunflower-like flowers. But, for me, the inulin present in the tubers is simply too hard to digest - resulting in their synonym of ‘fartichoke’! If anyone has grown Chinese Artichokes, then please let me know how you’ve fared since their ability to spread has deterred me so far. The final caution goes to Wild Garlic (ransoms): never plant this in your plot as you’ll be overrun with it; simply find a friend who has already made this mistake and they’ll be begging you to harvest some of theirs!

LOOKING AHEAD >> Next time, we’ll be looking at organic methods of deterring those uninvited guests that come to dine at your allotment.

Karen is moving Widehaugh House cookschool and gardens, to Linnels Farm, Hexham – for regular updates of the progress visit www.widehaughhouse.co.uk

An hour spent weeding on a cold, bright day will give you a massive head start in spring when weeds are multiplying exponentially MAR/APR16

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WHERE SOLD

ISSUE 35 JUL/AUG15

j e f f b row n ’ s s ta r g i rl. S c u l p t u re t r a i l . K i p pe rs w i t h l ay b o u rn e .

Fl owe r p owe r f a s h i o n . w ri n K le - z a p pe rs . Gr a p e t r i p t o B o rd e a u x . s t u n n i n g c oa s ta l h o m e s . Pa r t y p e o p l e . wa s h i n g to n D c. Ar t l i f e . g o lf. l u xe l a p s . h i p h ot e ls . L i t t l e l u xe i n To k yo. lu x e .

WHeRe SOLD

ISSUE 33 MAR/APR15

A I TO R K A R A N K A AT B O RO . Rug by f e ve r. S E A F O O D W I T H L AY B O U R N E .

C o s y c l o t h e s . C H I C C A B I N F EV E R . A - l i s t e r s p a s . GA R D E N GROW S . Pa r t y p e o p l e . J A M E S C LO S E E ATS W E L L . A r t l i f e . C O O L I N T E R I O R S . Au t um n c ul t ure . H I P H OT E L S . Bi g na m e s . T R AV E L E S S E N T I A L S . Lu xe .

WHERE SOLD

ISSUE 34 MAY/JUN15

ISSUE 36 SEP/OCT15

ISSUE 37 NOV/DEC15

G A R D EN I N G W I TH D UC H ES S O F N O RTH UM B ER L A N D . Food Ha l l f i ne r y.

O Z’ S B ES T W I N ES . Fl amboy an t f l or al s. FES TI V E C ULTUR E. Pa r t y d re s s e s .

C R A FTI N G X M A S . Soc i al g ath er i n g s. V I N EYA R D H OTEL . Be a u t y b uy s .

G O L F. Dream c ar s. R ES TAUR A N TS . Bi g n am es. LUX E.

Regional, relevant and entertaining is what makes us different.

It’s also the reason why you need Luxe in your life.

luxe magazine

luxe magazine

£5.00

The hotel boasts some of Scotland’s most luxurious hotel rooms and unrivalled spa facilities and treatments. Add to this exceptional fine dining using locally-produced ingredients

WHERE SOLD

MA RY BE RRY ’ S S W E E T TA L K. De s i g n -s a v v y s t a ys . L AY BOURNE G OE S S CA NDI . Sp ri n g -fre s h fa s hi on . CH OC F E A S TS . Lu xe Li fe . BOUT I QUE H OT E L S . Pa rt y p e op l e . S KI -S LOPE COOL . Cu l t u ra l mu s t s . L I T T L E LUX E .

Be s t d ri ve s . E AT I NG OUT. Bi g n a me s . LUX E .

6 issues of Luxe magazine delivered to your door for only £22 To subscribe call 0191 500 7860 or visit

www.luxe-magazine.co.uk/subscription Enter the Stobo Castle prize draw when you sign up for our weekender email: www.luxe-magazine.co.uk/theweekend/ Entries close April 30, 2016

PARTING SHOT

Bloom>> Dashing headlong into spring - big boughs of blossom put a spring into everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s step. Photograph Kevin Gibson www.kgphotography.co.uk

102

MAR/APR16

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A fresh approach to

Investment Management Vertem Asset Management is an independent investment management company, with an individual and modern approach to investment services.

We understand that no two clients are the same and use a blank sheet of paper approach, considering traditional and alternative investment strategies. Each investment portfolio is tailored from different combinations of funds designed to create the right blend for different investor risk levels and individual investment goals.

Our key objective is to maximize the client’s financial success whilst minimising their risk.

• Genuinely Bespoke Portfolios • Investments • Stocks & Shares • Property • Hedge Funds & Alternative Assets • Bonds • Passive & Active Funds

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